4 month birthday

Happy 4 month birthday to Jackson!  Jackson and I spent the weekend in Springfield visiting with grand mom and pop pop and some of my friends from church.  It's so amazing to see my childhood friends become parents. Jackson is so blessed to have amazing grandparents on both sides who shower him with hugs and kisses. Grandparent kisses are the best!

 Like all kids, Jackson LOVES to play with pop pop. He just seems to have a way with kids and can make them giggle like crazy!

 Playing with Mortimer the Moose. Look at his chubby wrists

 It was so great to be able to catch up with friends from church. I have known them since elementary school and now we have our own kids! Maria and Timothy (8 weeks), Jackson and me (4 months), Steve and Jonathan (6.5 months).

 Jackson is HUGE (16 pounds and still a very long baby). He fits snugly in our sling :)

 Grandmom kisses

 Back at home in Norfolk, enjoying the bumbo on his birthday morning.

Since returning to Norfolk Monday morning, Jackson has developed some new talents. He smiles all day every day, he is very distracted while eating, he pays attention to every light and noise in the room and he rolls from his back to his belly. His new rolling skill only takes place while he is sleeping in his crib, causing him to wake up fairly terrified and frustrated at not being able to get onto his back again.  Hopefully that skill will come soon so he's not stranded like a little turtle.  

 Since Jackson is 4 months old, I figured he should probably dress like the big boy that he is. There will be seersucker and bow ties in his near future. Wa-hoo-wa

He is so excited to be 4 months old. We are so amazed at how he has already blessed us so much and can't believe that he is ours and we get to enjoy him day after day! When people tell me, "Jackson is so cute",  I know the polite thing is to say, "Thank you". However, I find myself saying, "Yeah! I know!" and then gushing over how cute he is. I still love to look at him and just melt every time he smiles or laughs.

I read a post on blogging moms the other week (thanks new walking buddy) and how they all make it seem as if life is perfect. It makes being a new mom overwhelming at times when you read about the amazing lives of these other new moms. We seem to have a good balance here.  Some days I can make 4 dinners (meal swap...lovely), clean the bathrooms and go on a run all by 9am. Other days Jackson and I have both worn three outfits by 9am and don't feel like changing again so we sit in clothes covered in spit-up for the rest of the day. Sometimes I wear skirts and heels, sometimes I wear a shirt obviously stinking of baby bodily fluids.  Even when we are completely exhausted, we are thankful for each day we get to spend with our new little boy, loving him, teaching him and learning from him.