Andrew Lee Jackson

Dear Drew...

2010-03-03T07:06:00.011-05:00

It was one year ago today that we brought you home from the hospital. We both remember that day like it was just yesterday. For me, it was a day of mixed emotions. I was so happy to be leaving the small room we lived in for 2 short days. But, leaving meant that I would not be returning to Northside again as a new mom. And that's a hard thing to feel...even as I type this. It was a beautiful sunny day, still cold and still white from the snow that had fallen the day you were born. For daddy, coming home meant things were on track. The day you arrived in the world was slightly overshadowed for him by nurses rushing in the room and stopping my contractions because your heart rate kept dropping and they needed to stabilize you quickly. It lasted just a few minutes, but for Daddy, it felt like an eternity...a time where he was helpless to you and me. But, going home was a step in the right direction for him...and it was the "be all" sign that you were a happy, healthy baby boy.

There are so many things we think about when we see you. We think about all of the things we have seen and been a part of this first year. The sleepless nights were over in just a few short weeks. Your bout with RSV scared us, but ended without a hospital stay. Your milestones came and went...smiling, laughing, rolling over, first foods, sitting up, a first tooth, first words, and the list goes on and on. But, more than memories, we think about everything that the future holds for you and how excited we are to be a part of it. From simple day-to-day things like learning to walk and talk...to exciting new adventures like your first day of school and the day you graduate from college, as a Gator, of course. There are so many adventures coming your way. And as excited as we are to be a part of those adventures, there are anxieties that go with them. Worries about whether or not we did enough to help you make the RIGHT decision when it comes to tough choices. Hoping we raised you to be a gentleman...polite and understanding but strong and courageous. As a parent, there is a balance you try to achieve in helping a child become a well-rounded person and we will do all we can to help you become the man you will one day be.

As I close this letter, it is the end of an era. The end of your first year. The end of this blog. But, it is the beginning of so much more. It is the beginning of your life in our family. You have wedged yourself in to out hearts and our souls. And we are so thankful for the happy little person you are. You bring joy and laughter to each day. You make us smile with all your silly faces. And we will always remember you as the precious baby boy who came in to our lives and filled our hearts with love we didn't know was missing. We love you!!!

1 Year Well Check

2010-03-03T07:05:00.005-05:00

We had our 1 year well check appointment and aside from the 4 shots Drew had to endure, the appointment went very well.

As always the most fun part of visiting the doctor is finding out how much this guy has grown since the last appointment. For his 1 year visit, Drew weighed in at 24 lbs. 3 oz. and was 29 1/2 inches long. He is the perfect Thanksgiving Butterball!! He had only gained 2 pounds since the last appointment, but there was no reason for concern. Now that he is completely on table food and moving all over the place to keep up with the girls, he's bound to stop gaining so much weight at some point. The doctor said his eating should nose dive in the next few months because he won't require as much food as he used to. But, we hope that he continues to want to eat all the healthy fruits and veggies he can't get enough of right now.

Other than the 4 slow motion teeth he has coming in right now, Drew is completely on track. He is developmentally perfect and we continue to enjoy watching all the new things he does every day. For now, he is learning how to pull up and get up on those chunky legs. He doesn't like to be there long because it's way too much work to stand up. So...we'll be waiting for a few months on those first steps. I am sure by the time summer rolls around and he has a choice to sit in the hot sun or walk to the pool...he'll choose the option of running!! He's a big fan of playing ball. Seems he'll be a righty when it's all said and done. He loves to throw the ball, crawl for it, and then throw it again. The girls continue to be his favorite entertainment. There is always something they do or say that make him smile and laugh. The 2 of them fight over him all the time. But, they love him tons and that's what important. Enjoy the pictures from the past month!!

Happy Birthday Drew!!!

2010-03-01T05:55:00.006-05:00

Happy Birthday to our little baby boy!!!

We love you Drew!!

We had our own little family celebration on February 28th. After all...it was the official day we went in to the hospital, and Monday birthdays aren't the easiest to coordinate with everyone. So, we opted to celebrate a day early with the family here in town. Drew spent some time opening presents and got lots of fun new things. He got a bunch of cute little clothes, which he needed desperately, from Aunt Jenny and the Messicks. The girls made him a Build-A Bear Frog to go with his room and included a sound clip of them singing happy birthday to him. It was very cute and I am glad we will always have that reminder from his first birthday. Grandma and Grandpa Jackson got him a cute birthday bear for us to put in his keepsake box and a birthday shirt for him to wear on Monday. The Blums got him a beautiful frame with his name embossed on it and a small window for a picture from each month of his first year. Jackie had one of these done for Ian at his birthday party and I LOVED to frame. So glad we have one for Drew. And, mom and dad got Drew the Cozy Coupe to ride around the cul-de-sac in and a fun beach ball sprinkler to play with this summer. Of course, we had to get the boy some clothes as well. He's just growing way too fast!! After we opened presents, we headed outside to ride in the Cozy Coupe for a minute and then it was back inside to eat cake. Drew was not shy and loved eating every bite of his cake.

Enjoy the pictures and visit the Shutterfly site to see all of them.

http://therealjacksonfive.shutterfly.com

A Song for Me

2010-02-10T09:32:00.003-05:00

Stealing Cinderella...Chuck Wicks
Cinderella...Steven Curtis Chapman
There Goes My Life...Kenny Chesney
My Little Girl...Tim McGraw
In My Daughter's Eyes...Martina McBride
I Saw God Today...George Strait
It Won't Be Like This For Long...Darius Rucker
Watching You...Rodney Atkins
I Loved Her First...Heartland

And the list goes on and on. I can come up with song after song, in every combination for daddies and daughters, mommies and daughters, and daddies and sons. But, I have yet to find one song that fits the bill for mommies and sons until now. You would think that daddy/daughter songs would be popular...and they are. But, mommy/son songs are no where near as easy to come by. In my little world, there are songs for everything. Bo and I have songs for each of the girls. And in our minds, it's the songs we hear playing in the background at their graduation, their wedding day, the big events in their lives. Thanks to my good friend Darby, I have finally found this song for Drew...the one I hear playing for the Mother-Groom dance at his wedding. And though it probably wasn't written for a mother and a son, I think it will do just fine. Because my little buddy is Never Alone...

Just a Little Snip

2010-02-08T10:33:00.003-05:00

Today was Drew's dermatology appointment to have his little hemangioma removed. Everything went as planned and it was a very quick procedure.
When I was there for the consult visit the doctor gave me some numbing cream to put on his spot about 30 minutes prior to surgery to numb the area for the Laiticaine shot. So, we numbed his spot at 8:30 and were ready to go at 9:00. She stuck him with a small needle to numb the area completely. She cleaned the area and snipped the hemangioma right off. She gave Drew a grape lollipop (his first ever!!) to keep him occupied while she worked. It helped for the first few minutes, but by the time we got to the cauterizing, he was more irritated with us holding him still than eating the lollipop. So, he fussed and wiggled for a few minutes while she finished up and then we were good to go. We were finished and out of there in less than 30 minutes. He has a pressurized band-aid right now to keep the area from bleeding. But, I can take that off tomorrow, wash the area with soap and water and use a regular band-aid for the next week or so until it heals. Looking forward to the day we can see his face without a band-aid.

5 More Days...

2010-02-03T13:32:00.004-05:00

We have only 5 more days to wait before the dermatologist will take off Drew's hemangioma. And that is music to our ears. We met with Dr. Koo yesterday afternoon and she confirmed it was, in fact, a hemangioma. I never realized how worried I was that it might be something more concerning until I heard her say those words and a huge weight lifted from my shoulders. She examined it thoroughly, asked a few questions and agreed that because of the trauma that this hemangioma was going through, it seemed logical to have it removed. She says it looks very superficial and the procedure will be very quick. She would have done it yesterday, but there wasn't enough nursing staff there to help. So, we rescheduled for Monday morning at 9:00. The sets of extra hands will help to keep Drew very still and, in turn, keep the small scar to a minimum. They simply will numb it, clip it, and cauterize it to stop the bleeding. There is always the potential for it to return, but we can deal with that if it happens. For now, we are excited and anxious to have this little booger removed so we can stop worrying about all the explosions of blood during nap time and bed time. I probably should take a picture or 2 before he goes in so we can always remember this little phase of Drew's first year...and the little red spot on his face.

11 Months and Counting!!

2010-02-01T06:00:00.008-05:00

Drew is 11 months old today!! It feels like it's been so long since I have written in his blog. Not much is new, not much has changed with this growing baby boy. But, there are always stories to tell.

First, there's still no weight or height update to write about. We go to the doctor's on March 4th for his 1 year well check, so we'll have to wait until then to hear about how big this guy is.

We are, however, going to the doctor's tomorrow for a different reason. I haven't been very good about blogging about the growing hemangioma on Drew's face. It was something that popped up back in November, just before his 9 month well check. At his appointment, the doctor explained that it is in fact a hemangioma and that it seemed odd that it appeared so late after birth. Typically they tend to show up within weeks of birth and can last from 2 years to 10 years, but eventually they will go away on their own. The only time the doctors get involved with hemangiomas is if the start to effect important development...such as eye sight, feeding, breathing, etc. Because Drew's was on the side of his face, close to his temple, my job was to watch it and if it start to get larger at a rapid pace to call the doctor. By the end of December it was larger. It had gone from about the size of a pencil point to the size of a pencil eraser. And by mid-January it had gotten even larger still and had become raised, almost detached, except at small place at the top of the hemangioma. So....after thinking about it long enough, I called and talked to the doctor about the growth over the past month and she seemed to think it was very normal. All hemangiomas go through a rapid growth phase and then stop for a couple months then they tend to involute. She seemed to think we were in that growth phase and it would be ending soon. So, we decided the best idea would be to follow up with it at the 1 year well check. The very next morning, I walked in to Drew's room and there was spots of blood all over his sheets and clothes. At some point throughout the night he had rubbed his hemangioma against the mattress and because it was so raised and only attached slightly, it caused it to "tear" and bleed. I was good and didn't freak out. By the time I had walked in there, it had stopped bleeding and seemed to have scabbed over. So, I put a band-aid on it and left it alone. That weekend, I removed the band-aid to let the hemangioma air dry for a little bit and then it was time for Drew to nap. So, I put him down like always and about 45 minutes later he was upstairs fussing for his pacifier. Bo went in to give it to him and called me in immediately. I walked in to his room and he was covered from head to toe in blood. The sheets were soaked through. His clothes were covered and you couldn't see the color of his skin because it was all red. Bo put him in the tub and we got him cleaned off. We put a new band-aid on his face and called it an afternoon...there was no way he was napping without his little bunny and there was no point in fighting it. (Not to mention, 30 minutes after all this happened, Ally came barrelling out of her room throwing up all over the place. But, that's a different story, entirely.) So, the next morning I called the doctor again and explained that I was sorry for sounding overly concerned about this hemangioma but that things had changed over the past couple of days since we had last talked. I explained the new happenings and she agreed that we needed to go and see a dermatologist about it now. Ulcerated hemangiomas can be painful and give way to infection. And now that we fall in to that category, it's time to do something about it. This all took place the first week of January and we are now in the first week of February. The hemangioma has been covered since the day it really ulcerated and we are anxious to see what the dermatologist will say. It seems obvious to us that it needs to come off...certainly we can't keep a band-aid on his face for the next several years until it decides to go away on it's own. Plus, the bleeding and infection are even bigger issues. The hemangioma has outgrown band-aids at this point. It has gotten so big that the pad on the band-aid is too small and it gets stuck on the sticky stuff. Every time I change the band-aid now, I put a piece of gauze between the band-aid and the hemangioma to keep it from sticking and ripping when the band-aid comes off. For now, this is working. The hemangioma seems pretty stable right now. It is still barely attached. I can lift it up completely and see plain skin underneath it. Hopefully by Wednesday at this time, I'll have new news to report about it being gone or at least a plan to get rid of it.

Otherwise, it has been a pretty uneventful month. Drew has become quite the crawler. And he has started pulling up to his knees and now his feet. It probably won't be long before he starts taking those first few steps. He's continued to eat us out of house and home. He eats anything and everything put in front him. He has become quite picky with the baby food though...we're pretty much done with that. He's not a huge fan of applesauce right now because he thinks it's baby food. But, he eats everything we eat...which is a far cry from the girls when they were this age. He loves pizza and tacos, meatballs and noodles, chicken and rice, all the veggies and all the fruits. In fact, I can't think of one thing he hasn't tried and liked. We will go poor trying to keep this kid fed.

Here are a few pictures from the past month...enjoy!!

Sweet, sleepy baby boy.
This is how you sleep when you crash and burn after playing in the crib WAY TOO LONG!!
Mmmmmm...I love meatballs.
Nooooo....don't take my picture again. I'm a mess!!!
Ally and Kelsey love to share their popsicles with Drew.
Blowing kisses to you...

Buddy is 10 Months Old!!

2010-01-01T10:10:00.006-05:00

Drew turned 10 months old today!!! The time is just flying by and we hope that it slows down very soon. Drew is crawling...normally, not commando style...and gets in to everything now. He has figured out where the playroom and the bathroom are and he loves to go in those rooms because he knows he's not supposed to. So, for now, the doors stay closed all the time. Eventually, we'll have to make the playroom home for his things as well, but for now, there's just too much in there he can get a hold of. We have no idea how much this little chunker weighs this month and we probably won't have an official weight or height check again until he goes for his 1 year appointment. But, we are positive he continues to put on the pounds. He eats everything we put in front of him...veggies, bread, crackers, pizza, meatballs, pancakes, noodles, tomatoes, whatever he can get in his mouth. He is the human vacuum cleaner and that comes from his daddy. Other than continuing to grow and move around, there isn't much new that he does yet. But, he loves to go through all of his tricks when someone new walks in the room. He always raises his hands above his head for "So Big", he claps, and then he waves hi. Sooner or later, we'll have to add blowing kisses to our routine. Enjoy the pictures from the past month.
10 Months Old

Drew and Ally riding the car.

I can crawl...

Making a mess of mommy's magazines.

Ooooh...it's Santa!!

Baby's First Christmas

2009-12-30T07:38:00.006-05:00

Drew's first Christmas was tons of fun. Of course, he had to be up a little earlier than usual because of his overly excited sisters, but he adjusted well. We spent the morning opening gifts and just let Drew work at his own pace. Many of his gifts were so much bigger than the ones for the girls because of what they were...a ride-on Fire Truck, the Little People Airport, a Jungle Treehouse with animals, and mommy's favorite...the Busy Ball Popper. Drew was very happy to finally be allowed to rip open paper and not get pulled away from it...a daily activity we do here with Mommy's magazines. After we ripped through presents here, we went to spend some time with Uncle Stefan, Aunt Jackie, Ava and Ian. We opened more presents there and got a super cool train that makes noises and it carries blocks. By nap time he was ready to sleep and get away from all the noise of Christmas morning. We spent the afternoon at Grandma and Grandpa's house where we got to see Great Grandpa John. Great Grandpa John got Drew a wobbly, blow-up Penguin with balls in side and it makes noise when you push it over. Drew wasn't so keen on it at first because he didn't like that it popped back up at him after he knocked it over, but by the end of the day it was one of his favorites. Our little guy was ready for bed by the time 7:00 rolled around and he went right to sleep while visions of sugar plums danced in his head...or at least visions of that silly penguin.

Santa Baby

2009-12-07T09:20:00.002-05:00

When we headed to do the family pictures for Christmas this year, I had them take Drew's 9 month picture. And...I couldn't resist posting it. He's my little Santa Baby!!!

Doctor Business

2009-12-07T09:19:00.003-05:00

On Thursday the 3rd, Drew had his 9 month appointment. And, as we had expected, it went very well. He's hitting all of his milestones...babbling, crawling, sitting up, pulling up...and growing to be quite the busy boy.
He weighed in at a full 22 lbs. and 6 oz. He was 27.5 inches tall. The doctor checked his ears first since they seemed to be the hot topic for the month of November and she said they both looked clear. So, that was fabulous news. The antibiotic is still working a number on his system, but that should be through within the week, we hope. She checked out the little red bump on his face and confirmed that it is in deed a hemangioma. She was surprised at how late in his first year it has surfaced. Typically, they appear very shortly after birth. But, she thinks it may have been there under the skin and was so small it couldn't pop up until now. She doesn't expect that it will get much bigger and that it will go away on it's own with in the next few months or so. Until it goes away, we keep an eye on it for growth. Should it continue to get larger, there are options to have it surgically removed, but she's thinking we won't need that option.
And, that's all from the MD...a clean bill of health...which is worth it's weight in gold to us!!! So blessed to have a happy healthy baby boy!!
I'm 9 months old!!!

I'm Nine Months Old!!

2009-12-01T08:21:00.007-05:00

Drew turned 9 months old today. So, he has officially been on this earth longer than he cooked in my belly. For some reason, that always feels like an eternity and his being here has flown by. We have our 9 month well check on Thursday, so I will be sure to post his new height and weight as soon as I get them.

For now though, Drew continues to grow big and strong. He has lots of new tricks this month and seems to have put it all together quickly. For starters, our newest, endearing trick is to clap...especially when we are eating food. And, while that seems fun, it often ends up in him wearing more than he has eaten. He has begun crawling, but it's mostly the commando style crawl that all babies start with. For now, it gets him where he needs to go...which is typically mommy's magazine basket so that he can tear up all the pages. And, once he figured out how to sit up from a crawling position, that opened a whole new world. Because now we can get where we want to go and get to sitting and reach things that are higher up. We are especially fond of mommy's vinyl rolls and scrapbooking supplies right now. All of this to say that he is well on his way to getting in to things and it is time to baby proof this house. I'm sure in just a few weeks he'll kick it in to high gear with real crawling and the pulling up won't be far along.

Drew has finally taken to saying one word...mama. And that's only because it's easy when he's humming during feeding times. it just comes naturally. But, we work on dada too. He loves to babble and finds that people will laugh at him when he screams. So, it's hard to get him quiet once he starts his little squeals because he thinks he's entertaining.

Below are some pictures of our last month. Enjoy!!

My sisters like to dress me up...

Drew can clap...

I should be sleeping. But now that I can get up and sit on my own, I like to skip nap and play with my aquarium.

Forget baby food...these mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving are WAY BETTER!!!

8 Months Old

2009-11-01T08:40:00.006-05:00

Happy 8 Months Buddy!!! It has gone by so fast and it has been tons of fun!!!
No news to report on Drew's height or weight for another month yet. But, he continues to grow big and strong. Drew's first 2 teeth popped through (finally!!) this month. It's funny to watch him rub his tongue over top of them as if to say, "Hey...this feels weird. What are these things??" The constant drooling and drippy nose, however, has led to another ear infection. It's his 2nd one since birth, but nothing to be concerned about. I forgot from the first ear infection when he was just 5 weeks old how badly the antibiotics tear up his little belly. The poor boy gets a full teaspoon of Amoxil, twice a day. They base it on weight and we all know he has tons of that. So, he's been quite cranky these few days. I'm hoping it's the antibiotics making him feel yucky and not because they aren't working. We'll see how he is after the 10 days are up, I suppose. Otherwise, there isn't much new to report. Drew continues to get better at sitting and he's even started rocking on all fours if you put him up on all fours. He hasn't figure out how to get up on all fours on his own. So, it won't be long until this blog has a post about him crawling all over the place and wreaking havoc on everything here.

Enjoy some pics from the last month...
I'm 8 months old!!

Me and my puppy, Peanut.
My first tooth...
Sweet, sleepy, baby!!

Me and My Sissies

2009-10-12T09:19:00.005-04:00

I loved watching evey minute that Ally spent with Kelsey as a baby. Being a sister myself, I was so excited about what the future held for these 2 girls as sisters. It was probably the biggest reason we had them so close in age. And now that Ally and Kelsey are actually old enough to know and remember Drew as a baby, it is even more fun watching them be big sisters together.
Ally adores everything about Drew. Her day is not complete unless she can hold him and hug him and kiss him and love him endlessly. She gets so excited to see him laugh and smile. And she loves when he does new things for her like rolling over or sitting up to play with her. Her favorite part is "watching Drew" when I have something I need to get done. It makes her feel so grown up. And she really is quite good at it...even if Drew is fussy.
Kelsey took a little longer to like Drew. But, now that she does, she enjoys all of the things that Ally does. She loves to play with him and make him smile. She is super excited that he sits beside her in the car. And, she has become quite the helper while Ally is away at school. She knows what he likes and does her very best to keep him smiling all day long.
It has been such a blessing to watch the three of them grown in to brother and sisters. And it's going to be even more fun to watch them as they grow older together.
The Big Sis

The Bigger Sis

We Have Our First Tooth!!

2009-10-12T08:47:00.005-04:00

After months of waiting and waiting and wondering and wondering...we finally have a small tooth that has popped through the gums!!!! It's still coming through, so I imagine we are in for a few more days of fussing and snotting and drooling, but at least the initial part of the tooth is through. Maybe we'll be singing "All I Want for Christmas is my 2 Front Teeth" for Christmas!!

Times...they are a changin'

2009-10-07T09:56:00.004-04:00

And I mean that literally...not figuratively!! Drew started a new schedule today. We'll see how it goes. He's been such a good sleeper that I haven't ever taken him off of the 3 naps a day he's been on since shortly after birth. Both girls were the same way, but gave up the 3rd nap right around 6 months. Drew hit 7 months last week and would probably still take all 3 naps a day if I let him. But, the naps themselves are getting much shorter. So, instead of fighting him, I am changing his nap schedule to 2 longer ones a day now. Unfortunately, that means a few months with no break in the day for me. Drew will sleep from 10-12 and be up from 12-2...when all of my other kids are sleeping. Then, he'll go down for a long afternoon nap just when all the others are starting to get up. This probably means I'll be instituting the mid-day coffee break just to keep going. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, though it means my baby boy is getting bigger. Only a few months of this routine and he'll be down to one nap a day. And that just blows my mind!!!

7 Whole Months

2009-10-01T07:39:00.006-04:00

Wittle Guy turned 7 months old today. But, he is hardly a little guy!! We don't get any weight checks now until 9 months, but my guess is that he's really pushing the weight limit on some of his toys. It seems he grows by pounds everyday. And he is such a load to carry around.
What did we do this month??? We are getting much better at sitting...although some would say it's just rolls piled up on one another that hold Drew up. He can reach for toys and not fall over, so he's definitely improving. We still love the swing and the jumper, but I'm not sure we have much time left in either. Drew sits up straight in the swing and I just wait for the momentum of him and the swing to cause it to fall over. And the jumper....let's just hope this house was made of quality materials. I am waiting for the door frame to come crashing down around us. He loves to jump around in it, but I'm not so sure the door jam will hold his weight much longer.
Drew had a lot of first trips this month. First, we did our annual apple picking trip to the North Georgia Mountains. It's hard to believe last year at this time we were still waiting to see what was brewing inside me. Drew also enjoyed his first trip to the beach this month in Navarre, Florida. And, as we expected, he loved the pool, he loved the ocean, and even enjoyed relaxing in a baby pool on the sand. Thankfully we did not try to eat any of it.
Speaking of eating...we are very well in to our routine of new foods. We have tried all the veggies and are still working on the fruits. He only gets 4 days of a new fruit and then we switch back to veggies for a couple days so we don't get so used to the sweet stuff. He is most happiest in his chair when he knows food is on the way!!
Finally...we spent a whole weekend away from mom and dad this past month. We headed to Gainesville for a Gator game and Drew stayed with his sisters and cousins at Aunt Jackie and Uncle Stefan's house. And, to our knowledge, he managed with a smile on his face. Although, I doubt, Jackie would tell us any different.

Enjoy some pics from the last month...
7 months old!!

Daddy and Drew working on a project.

I Love Eating!!!

Drew's Baptism

2009-09-06T17:44:00.012-04:00

Today was a special day for the Jackson family and baby Drew. Lots of family and friends came out to celebrate our little boy. Pastor Dave did a great job with the baptism and Drew was a good boy...not one tear until it was time for nap. Thanks to everyone who shared in our special day with Drew.

Click on the link below to see the full set of pictures. Thanks to Darby Rose Photography for most of the pictures taken in the church. We love you Darby!!
http://therealjacksonfive.shutterfly.com/

6 Month Well Check

2009-09-03T19:20:00.004-04:00

Well...it's official...our son is the size of a Thanksgiving Turkey. Had the big well check today and sweet "little" Drew clocked in at a whopping 20 lbs. even. That's the 90th percentile for weight. He's 27 inches long...we had a growth spurt these past 2 months. He jumped from the 50th to the 75th percentile in height.

The doctor was very please with his progress and says that Drew is right on track. He is hitting all of his developmental milestones and has nothing for us to be concerned about. The doctor checked the bump on his head again and seems to think it was a bug bite for sure, quite possibly a spider. She says the bumps can last for weeks and weeks so not to be alarmed unless it gets red and puffy or starts to fill up with some sort of fluid again. Otherwise, just leave it alone and it should go away on it's own. Drew got 6 vaccines today...yes SIX!! He had his usual cocktail to fight rotavirus, 4 booster shots for all the childhood illnesses, and the ever dreaded flu shot. With swine flu and RSV season knocking at the door, I have to say I am glad he has gotten the shot. We have to go back in 1 month for the flu booster, but after that we are good.

I still haven't taken his six month picture on the couch, but I'll be sure to do that tomorrow and post it here. Check back when you can!!

Look what I can Do...

2009-09-03T13:30:00.003-04:00

Drew is getting to be such a big boy!!! Today I put him on the floor to play with some toys and he started rolling all over the place to get the things he wanted. Since I was there playing, I thought maybe we should try sitting up for a few minutes...mostly because I got his cute Halloween costume yesterday and I'd love for him to be able to sit for a picture in a few weeks. So, why not practice??? Lo and behold, I sat him up and there he sat...literally. All by himself. Never tried it before and wouldn't have today had I not been thinking about the costume. So...I learned today that sitting up at 6 months is more about the fat rolls that hold you up than it is about balance. Way to go buddy!!!

Happy Half Birthday!!

2009-09-01T06:02:00.009-04:00

Drew turns six months old today!!! We head to the doctor's on Thursday for his well check and I'll post a new blog about the visit after we get home. Should be an interesting appointment...weight and height check, shots and a flu vaccine. Plus, we should find out a little more about the bump on his head. Poor little guy has some really bad bug bite or spider bite on his head. It has reduced in size a lot over the last couple of days, but now it is VERY HARD...which leads me to believe it is a spider bite. But, we'll see...

This month has been a fun month with Drew. Both girls went back to school this August, so we've had some time together without the girls around and that has been nice. He's getting so big so fast and he gets stronger every day, but he's still quite a baby. He hasn't really started doing anything new this month other than foods. We have started trying out all the veggies. So far we have tried carrots, sweet potatoes and peas. The carrots are, by far, the favorite. He hasn't made any significant moves to try sitting up or crawling. He's not even able to roll from his back to his belly yet, although he can do it the other way around quite proficiently. I remember this age with Kelsey and, like her, he is quite content with what he is doing so there's no need to push him along. Plus, it takes too much energy to move all this chunk around, so for now, we just play and coo.

Check the blog some time after Thursday for the doctor updates. For now, enjoy the pictures of the past month and sing half of the happy birthday song!!

Tummy time on the surf board.

I love carrots!!

Peas...not so much...although you'd never know it from this picture.

Mommy says I'm a good boy and that makes me smile!!

I love my big sisters and they love me!!

5 Month Pictures

2009-08-21T05:22:00.003-04:00

Finally!! I just picked up the pictures last night and had to post them. Enjoy!!

So cute...

2009-08-09T22:04:00.000-04:00

So, this post has absolutely no other reason than because I love this picture of Drew. And, because I didn't post the 5 month picture with his 5 month blog. We had pictures done a few days ago and I will post those as soon as I get them. One of them is super cute...it might just be the new picture for the blog. Stay tuned!!

5 months old

My cutie!!

5 Whole Months

2009-08-03T08:06:00.000-04:00

Drew is 5 months old already. And he's getting so big. He has to be close to 20 pounds by now and he is such a load to carry around. There is no doctor check-up this month, so we'll have to wait another few weeks to see how much he has actually gained. He's rolling over from his belly to his back which has proved challenging at night when he sleeps, wakes up, rolls over, and can't get back to his belly to sleep. He's like a beetle with legs kicking and screaming...quite a sight, actually. His head is pretty strong and I have resisted until this month to pull out the jumper and the exersaucer. He enjoys his swing and playmat so much that I wanted to hold off on these things until he absolutely had to have new entertainment. He still enjoys those things, but for shorter periods of time now. So, the jumper and the exersaucer are something new for him to enjoy. This is also the month where we realized we had a voice and we could change how loud or soft it is. Plus, we learned about pitch and we love to make lots of different noises too. He loves to talk to his mirror in the car. I think he thinks it's a friend. Bath time is still one of our favorite times and he anjoys being in the big tub. It gives him room to splash and move around.

We are getting in to that very fun and playful age. Drew is such a smiley, happy, go-with-the-flow kind of baby and it makes life so easy when hectic situations arise. I know we can take him where ever and he'll adjust to it. Enjoy the pics!!

Drew's First Baby Einstein - Neptune. We're a big fan!!

Chillin' in cousin Ian's jumper.

First bath in the tub...lovin' it!!

Jumpin Jack Flash

Playing with my big sister, Ally.

Going...going...gone!

4 Month Pictures

2009-07-19T21:33:00.000-04:00

When the girls were little, I made it a point to have their pictures done every month, beginning at 3 months old. Being who I am, I try to do the same for all my kids, so I have started taking Drew to get his pictures done monthly. Here are the pictures from 4 months old. Enjoy!!

Healthy as a Horse

2009-07-08T12:13:00.000-04:00

And he weighs as much as one too!!!

Drew had his 4 month check up today and it is good to report that all is well with our little boy. He checked in at 24 1/2 inches long and weighed close to 17 pounds...16 pounds, 13 ounces. I imagine we'll be pushing the 20 pound mark by 6 months which blows my mind. Both of the girls didn't hit 20 pounds until close to the first year. We may have a Gator Football Player on our hands!!!

Drew is also hitting all of his developmental milestones...cooing/talking, rolling from his side to his back, focusing and following objects, grasping and holding on to things in front of him. The doctor said he had a perfectly shaped head, but I wasn't going to tell him it was because he was sleeping on his tummy and not on his back. We'll keep that info to ourselves for time being.

Drew got 4 shots today and 1 cocktail vaccination. The cocktail is an oral vaccine to protect against rotovirus. It's a new vaccine I wish they had when the girls were little. Ally had a terrible bout with it when I was 8 months pregnant with Kelsey and it had us in the hospital for 3 days. The vaccine doesn't prevent him from getting it, but it does prevent it from being as bad as Ally had it. Thankfully, Kelsey hasn't gotten it yet. Rotovirus season is around February and March (Ally had it in April), sowe should be well vaccinated by then.

The last bit of information I got from the doctor was that Drew's case of RSV shortly after he was born makes him susceptible to get it again this flu and cold season. Plus, he will have a greater tendency for wheezing with even just the common cold. So, he has forwarned me that I need to be aware of his health coming up during the change of seasons and take extra precautions to keep him healthy. With that in mind, we are installing an automatic sanitizing shower at our front door next week for Bo, Ally and Kelsey to walk through after the school day. I do not want to have RSV again this year.

Here's Drew's 4 month picture that I finally had the chance to take the other day. I was skimming through old pictures of Kelsey at 4 months and realized that Kelsey was Drew in a dress. Amazing to me how much they look alike.

Which One is Drew?

2009-07-07T18:07:00.000-04:00

I have tried to remember with all my kids to take certain pictures at certain ages so I have similar pictures of all of them to frame. The collection of pictures below were all taken at 4 months of age. Can you tell which one is Drew?

4 Months Old

2009-07-01T07:38:00.000-04:00

Happy 4 month birthday little buddy!! Can't believe how fast the time has gone. We have our well check appointment on the 8th, so I'll be sure to post all the new weight and height stats then. I'm sure he's put on a ton of weight. He's not so easy to carry around anymore.

The past month has included lots of new first for Drew. We went to Disney World to start the month and we are ending this month in the mountains with Sean and Niki...2 vacations...don't get used to it. We started cereal this month and we get a bottle of milk before bed because mommy just can't produce enough fast enough. Drew is finally sleeping through the night consistently, though I go in there several times a night to give him the pacifier or move him to the bottom of the crib. He is such a scooter when he sleeps. And very particular...he has to have his blankie or something soft to hold on to and he always has to have 1 little foot kicked out and on top of the blanket that covers him. My favorite is listening to him talk to the stuffed animals in his crib when he wakes up in the morning.

Drew thoroughly enjoys his sisters and they adore him as well. They love to hold him and play with him and he smiles for miles when he sees them and hears them. I think I'll soak this up while I can. I can't imagine it will last forever.

The only other thing we really need to be careful about is the picture taking and video making. I remember having so much video of Ally and it has gotten less and less with the kids as they get older. I read my sister's blog the other day and saw the video of Ian laughing. It was so cute and precious and I hate that times like that have gone by with all 3 kids and we don't have it on video. I have made more of a point with Drew to "etch everything" in my brain so I won't forget these times, but I know it will be gone from my memory soon. Hopefully this will be the swift kick we need to get more video and try to remember these special times. They just go by too quickly!!

Enjoy the pics from this month. I'll be sure to post the new 4 month picture when we return from our trip...the camera is packed in the car right now.

Tummy Time

Visiting with Uncle Sean

Aunt Tracey and Ashleigh came to visit too!!

Chillin' with my cuz, Ian.

One Year Anniversary

2009-06-30T12:53:00.000-04:00

One year ago today, Bo and I found out that we were going to be having a sweet baby come in to our lives one last time. I remember taking Lisa to pick up her car from the repair shop and I asked her to stop at the Dollar Store (yes...the Dollar Store...they have great tests!!) so I could get a a test. I knew I'd go home and take it and it would be negative. We were headed out of town that week and I wanted to be able to enjoy myself and not stress about being pregnant. At the time, Jackie, Stefan and Ava were living here, waiting for their house to be finished. And, when I got home, I secretly ran upstairs to take the test. Of course, as soon as I started the test Jackie came up the stairs and started calling for me. So I ran out of the bedroom to avoid her coming in and when I returned to the test a mere 30 seconds later there was a DARK PINK line...30 seconds...seriously???? None of the girls' tests ever came back positive this early, if at all. We had to go to the OB to have confirmation for them. But, lo and behold, there it sat in front of me...I about passed out. I think the only thing that kept me from passing out was the extra air I was getting in my lungs from the instinctual scream coming from my mouth. And by that point, there was no keeping my sister out of the bathroom...she came running in to see what the problem was and saw the test. After taking a few minutes to convince me that this was a good thing, she sent Stefan out to the store for a second test. A Dollar Store Test was not an accurate description in her eyes. Finally, after 4 tests, we were quite sure there was going to be a fifth Jackson...imagine that. And now here we are, one year later, with a sweet baby boy who has enriched our lives from this very day on. We love you wittle guy!!

Hmmm...is this boy a Jackson??

2009-06-15T08:09:00.000-04:00

Secretly, I have always wished that my kids would look a little like me. I had no shot with Ally or Kelsey...they are both spitting images of Bo. As Ally has gotten older, she tends to look more like her Aunt Jenny, than me. So, with Drew, there was always hope. We dug out a few of Bo's pictures from his baby book to compare the both of them and here is what we get. Yet another baby that belongs to Bo!!! So, I guess I am destined to have all 3 kids look like my husband after all.

Drew at 3 months old.

Bo at 3 months old.

Yum, Yum, Gimme Some!!

2009-06-11T08:07:00.000-04:00

Drew ate his first cereal yesterday. He has been chomping at the bit, literally, for weeks now and since we are home from our vacation to Disney, it is time to get the boy some food. At first, he probably had no idea what was about to hit him. He got a new chair to sit in and everyone crowded around to watch the inevitable gagging and crying. But, wouldn't you know it...not my son. He gobbled all of it up, laughing most of the way. Such a different experience from Ally and Kelsey. Enjoy the messy pics!!

I'm ready!!!

First Bite

De-Lish!!

Daddy did a good job.

Conception Anniversary!!!

2009-06-10T11:51:00.000-04:00

So, without divulging too much information, today is the 1 year anniversary of Drew's conception. I know this because we had just gotten home from our cruise and apparently, we thought we were still on vacation and threw caution to the wind. Now, we have a sweet baby boy because of it. Thank goodness there are no cruises in our future!!!

Drew is 3 Months Old...almost

2009-05-29T10:15:00.000-04:00

Since we are headed to see the big Mouse tomorrow, I wanted to post Drew's 3 month story before we left. Can't believe this little munchkin is 3 months old already. He's changed so much in 3 short months. He smiles, he giggles, he tries to sit up for short periods of time in the Bumbo seat. He loves his sisters and they love him. And we just adore him to pieces.

There are no new weight and height updates this month because there is no doctor's appointment until 4 months. But, based on last months numbers, I am sure Drew is pushing 16 pounds, if not more. He constantly eats and I can tell he's gaining weight everyday. He is beginning to sleep through the night more frequently. We didn't make our Disney goal, but that's ok...I wasn't expecting him to. When he does get up, it'a not until 5 or 5:30 most nights, so it's a full night in my eyes. We push it to 7:30 on some mornings and we'll get there regularly soon enough. For now, I still enjoy the quiet time with him and him falling asleep in my arms afterwards. We will be starting cereal when return from Disney in hopes that the extra food before bed will help us get though the night.

Enjoy the pics from this last month!!
Me and my mommy

Me and my daddy

I love tub time. I like to smile at mommy in the mirror.

My Wittle Guy

Two Month Pictures

2009-05-29T07:59:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures we had done of Drew when we did the girls birthday pictures. I know he's almost 3 months old already, but better late than never, I suppose.

First Giggle

2009-05-23T08:33:00.000-04:00

It was a calm Friday night at home and we were getting some much needed and well received family time with the kids. Bo has been working extra hard this week with tutoring for finals and he hadn't seen Drew awake since last Sunday. So, while dinner was cooking, the 2 of them were playing and Drew rewarded him immensely with his first giggle. At first I didn't believe it. I knew he had it in him, but wasn't sure he knew how to let it out. He's been smiling so much lately and looking like he wanted to giggle, but didn't know how. But then, after a few more funny sounds and tummy tickling, he did it again. Couldn't believe it. No better sound than that of your child's gigles...much less the very first ones!! Couldn't help but take a picture of that moment...

Bumbo Baby

2009-05-22T13:48:00.000-04:00

Our new fun thing to do lately is spend a little time in the Bumbo seat. Drew has really taken to looking around...mostly at the TV when it's on...but he loves to see all the things around him. So, I have started putting him in his Bumbo seat to strengthen his neck and give him a different "view". Don't you just want to squeeze those cheeks?!?!?!

My Hero

2009-05-16T08:23:00.000-04:00

For a couple of weeks now, Drew has been pushing his nightly feedings back more and more. It started at 2:00, then it made its way to 3:15, then 4:30 and last night, for the first time, we made it all the way through to 7:45. I've hesitated him sleeping through the night until now for several reasons. I've been afraid to let him go because if it happens during the week and he can't make it, then he wants to be up and eat in the middle of all the action getting Ally and Bo out the door for school. Plus..I must admit that most nights I enjoy our quiet time together once I get my happy rear-end out of bed and in to his room. And, I could tell this night was coming because for the past several nights when I went in there to feed him when I heard him stirring, he would cry when I picked him up...as if he was still tired and didn't want to be awake. So...now that I know my little buddy can make it through the night, I might try pushing for it. My "sorta" goal was to have him sleeping through the night by the time we left for Disney. The closer Disney gets, the more I am fine with just getting up once a night for a quick feeding. But, with this newest development, I've been teased. And I'd LOVE a full night's sleep each night at Disney. So...we have a new plan. 15 days until Disney...can we do it??? Can we be sleeping through the night regularly before that trip?

I know we are the poster child for SIDS...tummy sleeping, blanket...but it's what works!!

Growing Like a Weed

2009-05-06T09:04:00.000-04:00

Drew had his 2 month check up yesterday and he is growing like a weed. The boy is 22 1/2 inches long and weighs 13 lbs. 7 oz. That means he gained a pound in a week and that's with eating very little because of the antibiotics that made him nauseous and crampy. Drew also got 4 shots and a little cocktail to prevent Rotovirus. After dealing with Ally and that virus, I am so thankful they have created an immunization for that one. And, because of all the practice with his meds, Drew took it like a champ. The doctor says he looks great and we do not have to go back until he is 4 months old.

Drew is 2...

2009-05-01T08:10:00.000-04:00

...months old, that is. Where has the time gone??? The past month has been a whirlwind of sickness, really. We started out the month at the ER for what turned out to be RSV. And, thankfully, we came through that with flying colors. Drew's breathing never seemed to get labored and by the middle of the following week, he was noticeably better. Finally, he was starting to come out of it when Ally brought home another cold from school. She's been healthy as a horse all year long and then we have a baby and she brings home a virus that has her home sick for a week and 2 colds...go figure!! Needless to say, Drew became congested again, but not nearly as bad as he had been with the RSV. Unfortunately, the congestion settled in his ears and we were back at the doctor's office on 24th with our very first ear infection. We have been on antibiotics for the past week and will be for another few days. Drew has taken them like a champ...which is always a blessing. Because of all the sickness, we have really tried to stay close to home. But, we did venture out for Easter and Drew looked so handsome in his cute Easter outfit.

As for milestones, Drew is hitting all of them. When we were at the doctor's office last week for the ear infection, Drew weighed in at a whopping 12 pounds, 12 ounces. I doubt he will have gained much more for his 2 month appointment on the 5th, coming up, but we'll see. He is definitely bigger, heavier and much stronger. He can hold his head up steady for short periods of time and he loves to watch his big sisters run all over the place. My favorite time of day with him is bath time. He enjoys the bath most days, but we have our moments if we are tired. The part I enjoy is just after bath when we are wrapped up snugly in our bath towel and we just sit and smile at each other. He's gotten good at that. His schedule has been terrific since we got over the RSV. He takes 3 naps a day and is up for about 2 hours during our longest stretch. He goes to bed about 8:00 right now, though he seems to be pushing that earlier and earlier. By 7:00 he is tired and ready for bath and bed. The last hour can be a challenge. The nice part is we have cut out the 10:00 night cap. He goes to bed at 8:00 and wakes around 2:30 for a feeding. And then sleeps until 7:15 or so. I can actually get about 6 hours solid if I go to bed when he does. Never has that happened, but it's nice to skip that 10:00 feeding now and know he can make it for awhile. I'll be interested to see how much longer he will sleep once we start cereal in the next month or so. Both girls were sleeping through the night at this age and I imagine Drew will follow suit soon. I must admit, the one feeding Drew gets up for is quick and he goes right back to sleep, so I kinda enjoy cuddling him those quiet minutes of the night because I know that time is coming to an end soon.

Drew has been a complete blessing in our life and we are anxious to have him and KEEP him healthy. Summer should be a good time for that. Enjoy the pictures of our past month. Leave us a comment...we'd love to hear from you!!

Sweet Feet

Small Hands

Sweet Baby Face

Dad's First Diaper Change...really??? At almost 2 months??? Good Job Daddy!!!

Such a strong boy...

At the Easter Egg Hunt

Me and all my new friends!!

Two Months Old Today!!

ER Visit

2009-04-05T12:43:00.001-04:00

It was Friday night and I had just returned from an hour away at the store. Bo had given me some time to get out of the house because being at home 3 weeks straight with sick kids was beginning to take its toll on my sanity. So, I went to Kohl's to shop for a fun outfit for our date the next night...our first night out since we had Drew.

When I got home, it was time for Drew to eat. Over the course of the past day I had been keeping an eye on his temperature per the doctor's orders because of his congestion. Low and behold we hit the magic number...100.4 and then some. So, I called the doctor and they suggested we take him to an ER to be seen because of his age and the fever. I had been dreading the fever because I knew it meant lots of unfunny things for Drew to go through. I had heard about blood work and nasal swabs and spinal taps for young infants and I certainly didn't want to have to go through all of that. Instead of going to the ER close to home, we opted to go to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite because that's where children go if they are sick. And we weren't taking any chances with Drew. We got there and they valet parked our car for free...which I LOVE. Such a nice service for parents with sick kids. And after we got checked in, we were called back to a triage room so they could get some stats on Andrew. His fever had risen to 101.3, so I was glad we were there. His blood pressure and heart rate were fine so that was comforting and his breathing was fairly normal...with the exception of a cough every now and again. Then we were transferred to "the room" where we would see the doctor and deal with all the tests that surely were coming our way. We met Dr. Johnson and he was super nice. He wanted to run a few tests, but assured me they would only do a spinal tap to check for meningitis if absolutely necessary. They did draw blood to check for a high white blood cell count...which Drew did very well at. And they sucked out some junk from his nose to check for flu and RSV. Last, they took him in for a chest x-ray to rule out pneumonia and other chest related illness. When the results were in, it was official that Drew had RSV...something worse than a cold, but not nearly as bad as pneumonia or meningitis. So...thankfully for now, there is no spinal tap. The doctor gave us plenty of instructions on how to deal with the illness that will likely last another 2 weeks at least. He said if we could get through this weekend and the early part of next week without Drew's breathing becoming labored and him becoming dehydrated, then we would probably get through this without hospitalization.

It is now Sunday and so far we are hanging tough. Drew really has a hard time with meals right now. He eats well and seems very hungry, but his pathetic little cough causes him to lose most of what he eats. Thankfully he still has wet diapers and real tears, so I know he's getting something of value. We're allowed to give him Tylenol for his fever, but that's it. The fever comes and goes. Yesterday was a great day...no fever and he kept most of his meals inside. Today has been a challenge...slight fever and not one meal has stayed down. I have more laundry piling up from just him that I can't even keep up right now. Nights are worse than the days. The coughing is really bad at night, but I tell myself that it's his way of getting the junk out. Sleep is a thing of the past and my latest prayer is that he get well SOON and we do what we can to get back to the fantastic schedule we were on before all of this hit. It's been a week since he's slept in his crib because the bouncy seat is much better for him since it is elevated. And I have slept beside him on the couch for the week because he tends to cough and puke a lot at night.

Through all of this, Bo has been such a huge help. He takes care of the girls and lets me sleep if and when I can. And, despite it being spring break, we are glad to have this time to get caught up on rest instead of plugging through a normal work week. We are much looking forward to the day when we can put this episode behind us. I just keep telling myself...It won't be this way for long.

Wittle Guy is One Month Old!!

2009-04-01T11:56:00.001-04:00

Drew is one month old today!!!

We had our doctor's appointment today and other than having some congestion, Drew is doing great!! He has gained tons of weight and is now up to 10 lbs. 8 oz. The nurse accused me of having ice cream for milk...which I will gladly take as a compliment. He has grown to 21 3/4 inches long. And he has hit all of his 1 month milestones...tracking an object to midline, focusing on an object, recognizing the sound of my voice and random smiling. Poor kid had to have a shot today. Thankfully it was just one. Next month we get four!!

Unfortunately, we had a bit of a scare the past 2 days, so I was thankful for the doctor appointment today. The girls have been sick for the past 2 weeks and I have done everything in my power to keep Drew from getting the crud. But, even some things moms can't prevent and, of course, he has a touch of something. Fortunately it is not accompanied by a fever. But, he has some major congestion that has made life on us hard. I forget that there are things that come so naturally to us that babies don't know. Coughing, for instance, is one of them. With all the mucous this poor kid has had inside him, he's been choking and gagging and having trouble breathing for the past 2 days. After getting some saline solution to help dry him up, he has finally figured out how to cough and get his airway clear. Big bonus for us, but that means more puke as well. So...he's been extra spitty and had some issues with Ally-type reflux. But, I am sure that will all subside once he gets rid of this cold. And after 2 solid weeks of sick kids and no rest for me, I am so ready for him to be well.

All in all, the first month has been a huge success. Drew has created a niche in our family and filled a void we had no idea we had. It is so fun to watch him grow and sad at the same time. Nonetheless, we are enjoying every minute of it. He's just our "wittle guy".

3 Weeks Old

2009-03-21T16:49:00.000-04:00

Drew turns 3 weeks old tomorrow. I can't believe it's been 3 weeks since we've been to the hospital...it still feels like we were there just yesterday. A lot has happened and changed since our 1 week report.

We have had our first doctor's appointment and it was just a simple weight check. Drew gained 8 ounces in 7 days...PERFECT!! As of March 12th, he weighed 7 lbs. 14 oz. That's 2 more ounces than his birth weight. He continues to nurse well and hopefully that continues. We have officially hit the 3 week growth spurt and he is definitely hungrier and wants to eat more often. For now, I am keeping up with him which is a great relief.

He is still sleeping through the night and only waking for 1 feeding, but we have had a few restless nights here and there. I am hoping the growth spurt will not cause him to require more at night. And I am going to do my best to hold him off. Don't need to start any bad habits already.

Drew's umbilical cord fell off our first Sunday at home...one week old. His circumcision has completely healed and he has had his first bath. He wasn't a real fan of the chilly water, but he's getting better with each one.

Grandma and Grandpa Jackson have been here for a week and have been a tremendous help and tons of fun for the girls. We can't wait for them to move up here in a couple of weeks.

Hope you enjoy all the new pics of baby Drew.

The First Week

2009-03-08T13:57:00.000-04:00

I decided that I wanted to keep Drew's blog going through his first year because so much of him will grow and change over the course of the year that I thought it warranted his own blog...still. I didn't want our family blog to turn in to the story of Drew with a few excerpts about the rest of us here and there. So, for now, most of his fun doings and updates will be here.

The first week at home has been fabulous. Drew is an absolutely wonderful addition to our family and I am so glad we had him...oops or not. I truly feel like our family is now complete and I am happy we had this chance for a third, a boy. Because I know now I would have regretted not having a third down the road.

Even at one week old, he's eating great and sleeping as well as can be expected. Nursing is going fantastic which is a wonderful surprise because it was what I was most worried about. I know boys tend to be hungrier and need more, more often. But so far, we have done well and Drew is thriving. He had his first doctor appointment on the 5th and had gained 2 oz. in 2 days. When we left the hospital he had dropped to 7 lbs. 4 oz. which is completely normal. But, by the first appointment 2 days later he was back up to 7 lbs. 6 oz. We have an appointment on the 12th to check his weight gain and then we'll be off and running.

His sleeping patterns have fallen right in line with our schedule for now. He sleeps most of the day but has his longest nap between 11:30 and 3:00 and sleeps through the night, only waking for one feeding at about 3:00 and goes right back to sleep until about 8:00. I am definitely hoping this trend continues.

We've only had 2 set backs this week. The day after we got home, I threw out my back. I tweaked it somehow laying on the bed and have been sore ever since. I hadn't filled the prescription from the hospital because I never had in the past. But when this happened, I sent Bo immediately to get the prescription strength ibuprofen and the percocet. I haven't had any of the percocet because I'm afraid it will make me very tired and right now I am keeping up pretty well. The ibuprofen helps for the most part, but it is taking longer than I'd like. The other set back was a little more painful...unfortunately, I popped a stitch from Drew's birth. And while it was nothing major that needed fixed, it was still painful. Thankfully that pain has subsided and I am well on my way to recovery.

Bo goes back to work tomorrow and I am back to my full schedule. Asher during the day, dance in the afternoon with the girls and a full day of things to do around here. I'm surely going to miss all of Bo's help around the house and I know the girls will miss having their daddy here too. But, we are ready to return to normal and get back to our daily routine. Let's pray it's a smooth transition!!

Knowing It's Over

2009-03-05T07:38:00.001-05:00

It was early Tuesday morning, March 3rd, 2009. The nurses were coming in and out to give me my doses of meds, to give Drew his doses of meds from the circumcision and to check on us periodically. I was up that morning at 3:00 AM to feed Drew before the nursing nazis came running through the door to tell me I wasn't feeding my baby enough. And, while I sat there feeding Drew I was overcome with so many thoughts and emotions. And, as I sit here and type this now, they all come flooding back. I was so excited to be holding my baby boy and I was so glad to finally not be pregnant. As much as I knew I would miss feeling him inside me, the happiness I had holding him was far better. But, as I sat there feeding him, I looked around...sad and crying. It was most certainly the last morning I would ever spend in the Women's Center as a new mom. I tried to take in all the sights and sounds...the tiles on ceiling, the pretty white snow on the ground outside, the sound of the cars going over the speed bump outside my window, the smell that was my room for 2 days. It was all coming to an end so quickly and I wasn't sure I was ready for that. I knew I wanted to take my baby home, but that meant leaving the Women's Center for the last time. It was hard to see Bo and Kelsey walk through my door that morning. I was so excited to see them, but I wasn't sure I was happy to be leaving with them. Walking out of that room meant my childbearing years were over. And that's a hard feeling to know. It's hard to accept that phase of your life is over. And, while I have a beautiful family surrounding me at home, I am sad to know it's over. I know I will be at a Women's Center again someday...most likely as a Grandma and not as a mother. So for the many, many years between now and then, I will have fond memories of my time as a new mom and I hope to make many happy memories with my family as I enjoy watching them and being with them as they grow up.

Drew's Birth Story

2009-03-05T07:37:00.000-05:00

It was 4:00 in the afternoon on Saturday, February 28th. I had just sat down to do the calendar for Drew's first year and get it set-up for the month of March. I had decided there was no way that Baby Drew was coming in the next 8 hours, so it was safe to go ahead and do it. Little did I know that would be the start of my contractions for the last time. At 4:20 I started counting how close they were coming and they were about 20 minutes apart for a long while. The next several hours we spent preparing for a possible sleepless night. We did some laundry, gathered the last of the things we needed for the hospital, got the kids packed up and tried to remain calm. Around 7:00, we ordered Chinese food for the night and continued to watch the clock. By this point, they were coming every 5-7 minutes, but they weren't very strong or predictable. The girls were bathed and ready to head over to Uncle Stefan and Aunt Jackie's house for the night...just in case. We got to their house about 8:00 and talked for about an hour. I wanted one full hour of relax time to determine if the contractions were real or not. At 9:00 I called the doctor and she asked me a few questions. We were on our way to the hospital at 9:15. Bo's favorite part of all of our pregnancies is always the drive to the hospital. It gives him a clear path to drive "slightly" over the speed limit knowing if a cop was to see us, we'd have a great excuse. This time was no exception. We were driving to the hospital in Atlanta...the Forsyth center just seemed like a second choice when we talked about where our doctors would be. So, for 35 minutes, Bo held his own in the car and made it to the hospital safe and sound...and in good time!!

When we got in to the Labor and Delivery area, I filled out some paperwork, and continued to walk around. I was confident there was enough progress from Friday's appointment that even if I wasn't in true labor, they would let us stay. I was 38 weeks and 4 days, so there was no reason to postpone this any longer. However, we waited to call anyone until we had seen a doctor and we were sure we were staying. The admissions nurse finally called us back and we headed to room A3. Ironically enough it was the same room we had Ally in almost 6 years ago...which was very cool for our last baby. When we were there for her, it was A2, but they had to change the room numbers around to allow for some expansion and so we ended up in the same room with a different number. After we got in the room and dropped everything in the corner, the nurse came in and I got to put on the oh-so-fun hospital gown. And then it was the moment of truth...had I really progressed far enough for them to keep me??? The nurse put the monitors on my belly...one for me and one for the baby's heart rate. She checked to see if I had dilated any more since Friday and I was a full 2-3 centimeters and about 80% effaced. Not much change, but change nonetheless...so we were there to stay. The nurse tried to get my IV started, but the vein she chose was small. She left it in my hand, but made sure I understood that she had a full bag of saline to get through before they would give me an epidural. And,because the fluid wasn't dripping as fast as she would have liked, I was under strict orders to error on the side of caution and let her know the second I thought the contractions were getting to be too much. So, the contractions continued, until about 3:00 in the morning. And then all of the sudden they stopped...just like they did with Kelsey. So, we waited and tried to get some sleep until Dr. Taylor's arrival at 6:00. At 5:15, Dr. Taylor called and gave my nurse the go ahead to start me on pitocin. She was in the building delivering another baby and decided to get our show on the road.

Then...the fun began. At 5:30, our nurse Pam started the pitocin and she specifically said that it would probably take an hour for this to take effect. She no sooner left the room and I started having contractions...one on top of the other. 8 in a row to be exact. And then it hit me...remember the saline IV??? Do I really want to call her back in this room immediately and beg for her to start the drip so I knew I was safe?? Just as I was about to reach for the call button...at the risk of feeling a little stupid and wimpy, she came rushing in the door with 2 other nurses. Pam began moving me all over the place and moving the baby monitor all over my stomach. Another nurse put an oxygen mask on me immediately and a third nurse came in with a large syringe of terbuterline (anti-contraction meds) that she shoved in my IV as she told me this will make my heart feel like it was racing. All of this in a matter of a minute because the baby's heart rate had dropped significantly from all the contractions in a row. It was like being in the ocean and getting pounded by waves and him not being able to get up for air or recover between the contractions. And the third nurse was not lying...my heart was racing in a matter of seconds. Pounding so hard, I felt like I was running a marathon. And then the shakes started. Not just a little "brrr...I'm cold" shakes. These were full on, might as well have been getting hit with a cattle prod shakes. I couldn't stop them. It was better with slow, deep breaths, but still there. A minute later the doctor came running in to check me. I was at 3 cm and then 4 cm while she was checking me. They urged for the anesthesiologist to come as quickly as he could because I was dilating before her eyes. The doctor broke my water, which was clear and warm...all good signs. She quickly attached a small probe to Drew's head so they could monitor his heart rate internally from there on out. His heart rate was back up to the 130-140 range in not time and everyone was happy. Except for me and Bo. Bo was stressed and had no idea what was happening. The speed in which they do everything is amazing. I was at least comforted in the fact that I had read enough pregnancy literature and knew what was happening and that they had it under control, but I had no way to convey that to my husband amidst all the noise, commotion and my endless SHAKING!!!! The nice part about the internal monitor is that there was a constant sound on the monitor of his heart beat instead of guessing with that useless belly monitor that they use. But...that was also the biggest downfall as well. Because with each contraction I would watch the screen and listen to his heart to make sure it wasn't decelling after contractions. Eventually, the anesthesiologist got there with my epidural and I was calming down from the shot of terbuterline. All good signs. I tried to relax even more, but with the heart monitor in my ear, it was hard not to listen for irregularities. At one point I started to relax and the minute I did, the heart rate dropped again...very slightly, but the nurses came in again and I knew they were coming. By this time I had had my epidural long enough that they gave me a shot of ephedrine to bring up my heart rate. Apparently epidurals can cause your blood pressure to drop and they think that was the cause of this latest bout of slow heart rates for Baby Drew. Turns out they were right. After that shot, my blood pressure went up and Baby Drew had no other signs of heart decels...THANK GOD!!

At 10:00 the nurse came in to check if I had made any progress. She checked me and I was at 6-7 cm and fully effaced. She was surprised at how "stretchy" I was. And I remember what that meant from Kelsey. Because not 5 minutes later I was feeling lots of pressure and I remember going from 7 to 10 cm with Kelsey in 5 minutes. The doctor came in to check me and, sure enough, I was at 9 and almost a full 10. It wouldn't be long now. The nurses and techs started to come in the room to get everything ready...they dropped the bed, prepped the baby table and we were well on our way to having a baby. At 10:40 I started a "practice push". I looked at the Doctor and said "I don't think I'm pushing very hard" and she said "You're not". So, with the next contraction I tried again and we were making progress...there's that word again...progress. With 2 more pushes, Drew was here. But, they were hardly like anything I experienced with Ally or Kelsey. I could have sneezed with those 2 and they were here. With Drew, I pushed harder and longer than I ever did before and I swear I was purple by the end of each one. The internal heart probe had come off of his head shortly before we started pushing, so there was no record of his heart beat toward the end of the delivery. With the last couple of hours being as scary as they were she wanted me to push through everything and get this baby out because he was too low in the birth canal to monitor his heart rate with the external monitor anymore.

The second Drew came out, he was placed on my belly and Bo got to cut the cord. The nurses left him there with me while they did his Apgar tests which were an 8 and a 9. They had me rub his little back to keep him stimulated and crying. And I was so glad to have all of this. I didn't get to do any of this with either of the girls, so it was very cool to experience this with our last little baby. And the first thing I noticed was how heavy he was...solid through and through. I couldn't wait for them to weigh him so I knew how big he was. After a short while they took our baby boy to get all his stats and get him cleaned up and ready for the nursery staff to do their assessments. They sang Happy Birthday to him and made it official...he was here at 10:47 AM, weighing 7 lbs. 12 oz. and was 20.25 inches long.

Baby Drew was finally here and we were so happy to be holding our precious baby boy.

Welcome to the World

2009-03-05T07:28:00.000-05:00

Introducing Andrew Lee Jackson, born Sunday, March 1,2009 at 10:47 AM, weighing 7 lbs. 12 oz. and measuring 20.25 inches long. Happy Birthday Little Guy!!

Progress...

2009-02-27T12:00:00.000-05:00

We had another doctor appointment today and it went better than I expected. So, I thought I might post another entry today...JUST IN CASE.

At this point, the baby is probably as big as he will get within a few ounces here or there. However...I continue to gain weight. So, who knows. Dr. Garcia measured me and listened to the heartbeat, which still hovers in the 130's...good and strong. She checked me and found that I was at least 50% effaced and about 2 cm dilated...progress. She also mentioned that she was on-call for the 11th of March and if I happened to go that long, she would induce me on the 10th so we would deliver on the 11th...progress.

Hopefully we have a post before next Friday about Baby Drew's arrival. If not, I have another appointment next Friday with Dr. Garcia and until then we just wait. And hope for more progress...

Simply an Observation

2009-02-27T06:01:00.000-05:00

I remember now why being pregnant for this long is no longer fun...all the fun is gone. Baby isn't moving near as much and when he does, it's just little movements and not the fun somersaults it used to be. Pregnancy at this stage is NOT cute. It's painful and the longer I go, the more stretch marks appear. I look like a balloon that should have popped weeks ago. And, the sleepless nights from "pretend" contractions and uncomfortable sleeping positions might as well be filled with time spent in a baby room nursing a newborn.

So...off I go to another doctor appointment so they can tell me not yet, Mrs. Jackson. Maybe next week. We'll see about that...

Dear Drew,

2009-02-25T10:47:00.000-05:00

You are now 38 weeks and 1 day. Both of your sisters came on or before 38 weeks. Your mommy is not used to being this big for this long. Do you know how much my belly button hurts right now? Today is Ash Wednesday...the beginning of Lent and the Easter season. And while we are not Catholic, I did say that I would give up pregnancy for Lent. You are not helping much in this manner right now. Your mommy, daddy and sisters would DESPERATELY love to meet you, but only if your lungs are mature and ready for the outside world. Surely they are...right? We are anxiously awaiting your arrival!! Hope you get here soon!!

Love,
Mommy

Back It Up

2009-02-23T05:55:00.000-05:00

Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep...
Watch out...that's the automatic sound I make now while walking around. Anything in a 5 foot radius is bound to be bumped, knocked over or flat out crushed with this baby hiding out in me.
We are nearing 38 weeks (more on that in a minute) and the baby is about 6.8 pounds and 19 1/2 inches long. No wonder I keep hitting everything with my belly. All of his organs are fully mature and ready for life on the outside. So, now, we wait. And wait. And wait. Until God and Baby Drew decide it's time for him to make his appearance. My belly button is so tightly stretched that it is sore to the touch of anything...clothes, kids, even just movement. I feel like it might just rip open at any point. Never had that feeling with the girls. Maybe because I felt so much wider with the girls and not so out in front like with this one.
We had a Dr.appointment on Friday and none of the appointment went like I thought it would. The good news is his heartbeat is still holding strong at 130+ beats per minute. However, we found out we were not 38 weeks on Saturday. We aren't 38 weeks until this Tuesday because they moved back my due date to March 10th. Seriously, at this point, let's just keep it where it is. It had something to do with the ultrasound measurements and some other dates being close enough together that they go with the LATER one...who knew??? So...here I sit, at almost 38 weeks. The baby is still fairly high in my belly and I am only 30-50% effaced at this point and not dilated at all. After hearing all of this, I am convinced this birth will be no earlier than Ally's or Kelsey's were (at 38 weeks exactly and 37 weeks, 6 days) and they will probably have to go in and actually pull him out after my due date has passed.
I have to say this past week has been very hard. I am surely ready for this baby to be here and out of me because of all the energy I expend just moving around and getting things done. But, I swore to myself at the beginning of this I would be as patient as I could be because he is a wimpy white boy and his lungs need all the extra time to develop as possible. 2 weeks isn't that much longer, right??? We'll see...

Belly Shots

2009-02-17T15:06:00.000-05:00

So...after seeing all of Darby's great pictures, I decided this last pregnancy warranted a few belly shots...regardless of what my bulging stomach looked like. It might very well be the last time it will ever look this way. And as I near 38 weeks and uncharted territory (both girls came on or before 38 weeks),I am sentimental, yet relieved this will soon be over. I wanted to have some pictures of my baby belly without baring the world to Darby. So, we borrowed her black sheet and created some of our own. Below are my favorite three. One of just me, one of me and Ally's hand, and one of me and Kelsey. Kelsey...by far...got the best shot, but the others have merit in their own regard. After all is said and done, I'm glad I did it and I'm glad I have place to post them where friends and family can see them, but not the world!!!

Pregnancy Pictures

2009-02-17T06:08:00.000-05:00

I had to take some time to include a few pictures on this blog of me and my big belly. Darby took some great shots of just me in all my pregnancy glory when we had our family photo session a few weeks ago and here are some of the results. Remember...check out her website www.darbyrosephotography.com and look under the slideshow tab for our family to see the full set of pictures...The Jackson Five.

37 Weeks, a Doctor's appointment, and Another Close Call

2009-02-14T17:40:00.000-05:00

37 Weeks - FULL TERM!!!! YEAH for baby Drew!!! We finally got to the magic number and this baby can come any day now with no worry about his lungs or his ability to keep himself warm. From here on out, baby Drew will continue to put on plenty of baby fat. Right now, he is close to 6 1/3 pounds and about 19 inches long. He has remained head down and has moved his little body over to my left side. After spending the entire pregnancy on my right side, he is now positioned on the exact opposite side...the optimal place for delivery...clue #1 we are going soon.

At the Dr. appointment, I continued to measure right on target and the heartbeat was hovering in the 130's...nice and strong for a baby boy. Dr. Wolfson appeased me and checked to see if I had dilated at all. He was a little hesitant, but since both girls came between 37 and 38 weeks, he went ahead to be safe. He couldn't really tell if anything was happening because the baby's head was low and he couldn't get around it. So, for now, we still don't know anything, but we're sure he's comfy in there.

Last Wednesday night, we had another close call. I almost went to the hospital but convinced myself it was not real. I had been having contractions about every 5-7 minutes for several hours and when I went to bed at 11:00, I couldn't get comfortable. The contractions were so hard that there were times my stomach, hard as a rock, never relaxed. I even had trouble standing up. I decided to go back downstairs and watch TV to get my mind off of it...Golden Girls will do it every time. I finally got to sleep shortly after midnight, but was woken up at 3:00 with more intense contractions. So...I was logical...right. I got up and started doing embroidery because that's what all pregnant women at 37 weeks do at 3:00 in the morning when they have contractions. I had one more order I needed to finish and if I had to go to the hospital, I wanted it done. So...I finished the order, made lunch for Bo and Ally and got coffee ready for the morning. I thought if I could get Ally and Bo off to work and school, then I would go to the doctors instead of the hospital. It's so much easier to meet with the doctor for 15 minutes than go to the hospital and check in, wait for an hour and then have them tell me to go home. But, by 9:00 when the office opened, the contractions had subsided and I just spent the rest of the day on the couch. Thankfully Thursday was a calm day and I got some sleep that night.

I guess we just have to wait and see what this week brings!!

36 Weeks and a Dr. Appointment

2009-02-08T08:35:00.000-05:00

This week, Baby Drew weighs over 6 pounds...supposedly. We'll see what happens when he gets here. Both girls were pretty tiny, even at 38 weeks. Ally was only 5lbs. 12 oz. and Kelsey was 6 lbs. 4 oz. So...if we have a baby much bigger than this, we will be surprised. His heart rate continues to be strong and he's moving all over the place.

We went in for our 36 week appointments. We've started going every week now. And, even though we have appointments through the first week of March, I doubt we see the last two. At the appointment, I was tested for Group B strep...a very common infection that pregnant women carry. I've always tested negative for it, but it could change with each pregnancy. So, we'll wait for the results next week. If I do test positive, it just means I get an IV of antibiotics during delivery. The doctor also checked to make sure the baby had remained head down over the course of this past week...and he had. But, he (and I) were none too thrilled about him checking that. The pressure he put on my belly was quite uncomfortable and it caused me to have 1 long, hard contraction the entire time he was checking. The rest of this weekend I've been having some cramping and contractions. so I know it won't be long. We just want to get to next week. 37 weeks is considered full term and that eliminates a world of paperwork and pre-term infant tests at the hospital.

For now...we are still pregnant...and hoping to stay that way for at least another week!!!

Things I Will Miss About Being Pregnant

2009-02-03T06:58:00.000-05:00

On the heels of things I will not miss about being pregnant, it only seemed appropriate to talk about the things I will really miss about being pregnant. And this list seems to be so much longer...ironic, I know.

~ I will miss the excitement in people's eyes when they see me with 2 girls and I tell them this one is a boy.
~ I will miss Kelsey thinking that she has a baby growing in her tummy just like I do.
~ I will miss Ally's constant kissing and talking to my stomach in hopes the baby will know her as soon as he gets here. Quite honestly, he very well might. Ally's excitement for the big arrival is contagious.
~ I will miss the anticipation of the big day and baby's arrival after "knowing" for so long that we would only have 2 kids.
~ I will miss eating whatever I want, whenever I want it. McDonald's is sure to show monumental losses over the next fiscal quarter. However, Starbucks will be able to hire back all the employees they just laid off.
~ I will miss my thick hair and fast-growing, strong nails.
~ I will miss people touching my belly and asking to help simply because I am pregnant. I will miss people asking how I feel and telling me I look great...30 pounds heavier than I usually am.
~ I will miss the special parking areas at Babies R Us.
~ On a personal level, I will miss my size 38 C rack...without milk. It's a cruel joke to lose those and keep the spare tire that will wrap my waist for months after this baby arrives.
~ I will miss the "control" I have over this baby while he is with me and not beside me.
~ I will miss looking at my huge belly in the mirror. It won't look that way again.
~ Most of all, I will miss feeling him roll around inside me. I will miss the little hiccups. I will miss the swift and hard kicks that I never thought I'd feel again. I will miss his feet in my rib cage. I will miss the tickly feeling I get when he kicks my sides.

Our child bearing years include some of my favorite and fondest memories and I have really struggled lately that it truly will end with this one. I was a solid rock with the girls...poised and ready for delivery, ready to meet our new addition. And with each passing day of this pregnancy, I get weaker and weaker, more of an emotional wreck than a rock. I know when the time comes with this baby, the rock will melt under the pressure and lose control at the thought of this last baby. And while I am grateful for this one last chance at pregnancy, it is not a trend we can continue. Bo asked me the other day if I wanted to have another one. Of course...I'd have 6 if we could. But, I also know when to say enough is enough. We have filled our house that we purposely bought with extra rooms...unknowing at the time that we'd fill them. We have healthy, happy children and I am not one who feels safe "going to the well" more than my fair share. And, it just isn't practical for 2 teachers to push their resources farther than they extend. We will have a perfectly happy life...the five of us...and that makes me happiest of all!!

Things I Will Not Miss About Being Pregnant

2009-02-03T06:11:00.000-05:00

As time dwindles ever nearer to the day of Baby Andrew's arrival,I think about all the things I have been missing for the past 9 months to keep this baby growing strong and healthy. And while most of me is sad that this pregnancy is almost over, I must admit I am a little excited about other things...

I'm excited to have a glass of wine with dinner or a margarita on a Friday night.
I'm ready to eat some yummy sushi...although I'm not sure that's a legal food for nursing mommies.
I'm ready to get rid of the back pain that comes with pulling myself out of a chair or lying in one position too long.
I'm excited to wear something other than maternity clothes...because even they are starting to get tight. The only downfall is that I won't be in my regular clothes for a little while yet.
I'm ready to be able to bend over and not have my belly get in the way of important activities...like tying shoelaces and shaving.
I can't wait to sleep on my belly again and be able to genuinely cuddle with my husband at night...at least until the night time feedings occur!!

Now...as I type these out for the world to read, the list really isn't that long and there isn't anything on there that I couldn't live without...except for maybe the last one. It's nice that this pregnancy has been so positive for me. I've felt great and kept up with most everything I usually do. So...why again am I ready for this little boy to show up and disrupt our world as it is??? Hmmm....maybe a few more weeks Drew...just a few!!

Showered with Love

2009-02-02T06:05:00.000-05:00

We had a baby shower for Drew on Saturday. My sister held it at her house and all of our closest friends were there. It was nice to see everyone and it was so nice to have a special afternoon for baby #3. So many people in this world feel like the first baby is the only one who should have a shower. But, I am of the persuasion that all babies are different and special in their own way and deserve to be given a little something to celebrate them.

The food was super yummy...chicken strips, alfredo penne, fresh fruit and caesar salad. The house was decorated with all kinds of blue stuff...blue balloons, blue napkin holders with "It's A Boy" charms and all kinds of blue wrapping paper on the gifts. It almost took me by surprise. When I got to Jackie's house that afternoon and saw the blue balloons blowing around, it again dawned on me that we were having another baby and this time it was a boy. Sometimes that thought alludes me...even still.

Drew got lots of much needed things. And, we even got a few gift cards to go out and get some things we didn't receive. He got lots of clothes and sleepers from Aunt Jackie and Lisa, a super cute (and very "Metro") diaper bag filled with goodies from our friend Ashley (who is due with her own baby a few weeks after us), lots of bath towels and wash cloths, blankets and some rattles from Aunt Jenny. Grandma and Grandpa Jackson got him a HUGE (seriously, it is something that covers Bo) frog blanket and the same mold for our hands like they got for the girls. Anne got Drew a new feeding seat since ours is so old and needed replaced. Meggan and Michelle got him some extra soft and cuddly blankets and some baby supplies (Mylicon, Diaper Rash cream, Baby Orajel) stuffed in a cute blue and white striped canvas bin. Drew got a shopping cart liner, formula and some bottles from Aunt Jackie as well.

In all the hub-bub of the afternoon, no one remembered to take pictures. But, we did get a picture of the cake (which I need from Jackie's camera) and we did set up all our stuff in front of the fireplace to take a picture of it for his scrapbook.

Thanks to all my friends and family for making it such a special afternoon for Drew...and for me too!!! I had a blast celebrating this baby boy!!!

35 weeks and a Dr. Appointment

2009-02-01T07:45:00.000-05:00

This week the baby has grown to 18 inches long and weighs about 5 1/4 pounds. That's almost as big as Ally at her birth. He has very little room to move around right now, but continues to jab and kick just as much as ever. Although he is head down, he gets uncomfortable "laying" on the same side and I can feel him do a complete roll every once in awhile. His kidneys are fully developed and his liver is starting to process waste products. His basic physical development is now complete and he will simply lay down fat over the next few weeks.

At the appointment, we are getting down to it. There is a light at the end of the tunnel...for me and the doctors. Only a few more appointments that I go to weekly now. This week was a good visit. I had only gained 1 pound in 2 weeks after much "larger" gains the past 2 visits. The heartbeat was steady in the 140's and I was measuring right on target. Next week we go for the same song and dance, but they will also do the Strep B test to make sure I don't have any infections to pass on to the baby. I have never tested positive for that, but I guess it's something they test for each baby. The baby is sitting very low and I can feel him with each step, it seems. I'm guessing for a quick delivery at this point!!

34 Weeks, a slight scare, and upcoming events

2009-01-24T17:31:00.000-05:00

This week, Baby Drew is about 4 3/4 pounds...roughly the weight of a large cantaloupe. He is close to 18 inches long and continues to lay down baby fat. His central nervous system is almost completely developed and his lungs are right behind. Most babies born at this stage in the game are no longer considered pre-mature, but pre-term. And the good news is, that other than a few minor possible health concerns at these early stages, most children born at this time live the same healthy successful lives that full term babies live.

All of this is VERY reassuring after a long night with contractions last night. I was laying on the couch watching some TV...comedy mostly...and counting contractions. They were very irregular. Some would come about 10 minutes apart, then they were 20, then they were 40 and then they were back to 20. Either way, nothing was rhythmic and I knew it was nothing to be concerned about. At 10:45, I went up to bed and did my best to get comfortable, small feat these days. And after a few minutes of tossing, turning, and pillow adjustments, I finally got there. But, I wasn't there for 5 minutes when some sharp pains started in on me. So sharp it felt like a needle going in and out of me and it made me jump every time the baby would move. At one point I had to get up because it just felt a little better to stand and move around. But, with the pain came some contractions. And they were coming every 5 minutes. I dealt with it for the first half hour and tried not to stress about it. Thoughts of Ally's labor came flooding back and all I could think about was how hard and fast Ally's contractions came after so much irregularity through the night. By 11:45 I had to ask Bo to come downstairs and sit with me because they weren't going away and I needed something to take my mind off of them. I thought they might go away if I could just stop stressing about them and fall asleep. So...we watched a little more comedy and they had pretty well subsided by 1:30. But, I spent the rest of the night out on the couch...I didn't want to move or be woken up. This morning I woke up and still had some tightness in my stomach, but it decreased as the day went on. Until late this afternoon...some of the tightness has returned, but I'm not worried yet. I did, however, finish packing the bags for the hospital, put the car seat in the car, and got the girls ready for a night away from home should we go anytime soon. I didn't want to be caught rushing to the hospital with nothing ready...just not the way we roll here!!

We have a Dr. appointment on Friday this week and a super fun baby shower on Saturday to look forward to. After all of that fun, we are doing pregnancy pictures with Darby (www.darbyrosephotography.com) on Sunday afternoon. I'll be sure to post lots of pictures and fun stories after all the fun next weekend.

Ally's Big Sister Class

2009-01-17T16:17:00.000-05:00

Today Mommy and Ally went to a class called Mommy and Me...a class for big sisters and brothers. Kelsey stayed at home and napped, because even though she will be a big sister, this class would have been too much for her. When we got to the hospital, they took us to a special classroom where the kids all drew a picture of their hand. The idea is that when the baby arrives, we draw his hand inside Ally's hand so she can see how much she has grown since she was a baby. After that we talked about the rules of holding a baby...we must wash our hands, get permission, and sit all the way back in a comfy seat. Ms. Carolyn, the teacher, came around and helped all the kids get the baby in the right position for holding. Ally did a great job and looked like a real pro. After that, we learned how to HELP mom and dad change a diaper. They took off the old diaper, rolled it up and threw it away. Then, they put on the new one and pulled the tabs tight to keep the diaper on baby. Finally, they got to learn how to wrap up and swaddle a baby in a blanket. Ally was very gentle and did everything she was supposed to do. She followed directions perfectly and was very proud of herself when the class was over. On our way out of class, we took a tour of the nursery and got to see a real baby going home with his mommy and daddy. He was so cute!! At the end of the tour, Ally got a special certificate that says she is a good big sister and ready to be a big helper. Plus, we got a few coupons for free ice cream at Chik-Fil-A. Enjoy the pictures.

33 Weeks

2009-01-17T15:54:00.000-05:00

We hit another full week today...only about 5 left to go. This week the baby weighs a little more than 4 pounds, about the weight of a large pineapple. He is 12 inches from crown to rump and pushing 17 inches of total body length. He is filling in with more and more baby fat and his bones are beginning to harden.

As for me...all is pretty well. We had a Dr. appointment on Thursday and the heartbeat is still around 130...good and strong. I'm measuring about average and they even think the baby might be a little bigger than Ally and Kelsey were. I'll believe that when I see it. I don't think he'll hit the 7 pound mark, but we'll see. I can tell the baby is growing more and more each day. He is very active. More active than I really think has has room for in there, but what do I know. He is constantly moving and rolling to let me know he is awake and aware. I have gotten big enough to shelter small children in a rainstorm and I can feel it at different times. Getting up and down isn't too big a problem, but sleeping has been a challenge. I hope God is not preparing me for lots of long, sleepless nights. I just can't seem to find a comfortable position to lay in. It seems I get most of my best rest on the couch in an inclined position because it takes the pressure off of my hips and back. But, if that's the only complaint I have, I'll live with it. There's only a few more weeks to enjoy this and I certainly am not going to let a few sleepless nights get me down.

I made the last of my appointments this past visit and for those of you watching the calendar, I am picking February 20th as the big day. We have an appointment that day where they will check to see how far along I am. The appointment is at 9:45 in the morning and Bo already has the day off. we had planned for that because it is mid-winter break for the girls and we wanted to do something special with them one last time before the baby got here. So...we'll all go to see the Dr. and head off on some excursion afterwards. At least we'll all be together when I decide it's time to roll on in to the hospital.

32 Weeks and a Hospital Tour

2009-01-10T16:40:00.000-05:00

We hit a major milestone today...32 weeks!!! If the baby was born today, he would need some support keeping warm and breathing, but for the most part, he'd be fine. Jackie and Stefan had little Ava at 32 weeks and her perinatologist told her that the advances made in pre-term care since Ava was born is incredible and baby's born at this stage of the game, while still at high risk for lots of different things, grow-up to lead normal, healthy lives. And that's a good thing to hear!!!

Right now, baby continues to plump up with baby fat. At this point, he is head down and his legs are long enough to reach my rib cage. Every once in awhile I feel him kicking me right there and it takes my breath away. He is about 11.6 inches from crown to rump and weighs about 4 pounds. His latest development is hearing...mostly the sounds of my heart beat, food digesting and blood rushing through my body. The constant sound of those things is why babies find dryers, vacuum cleaners, and sound machines so soothing after birth. Our sound machine for this baby has been ordered and is on the way!!

Today, we went for a tour of the Northside Forsyth Hospital. It's located in Cumming...a small town north of Atlanta and is closer to us then the baby factory known as Northside Atlanta where Ally and Kelsey were born. It's a new facility that just opened in August, but many of the Labor and Delivery nurse/staff who worked at the Atlanta hospital transferred to the new hospital because of the closeness to their homes. That's nice to hear because that means it's not a new staff just learning how to run a Women's Center. The facility itself is amazing. I wish I had brought the camera to take pictures of all the things we got to see. To begin with, the foyer you walk in to feels more like a hotel than a hospital. There's not much "medical" about this place. When you get inside, there is a separate off-shoot for admissions...a private, personal corner of the atrium to get checked in. Once you get checked in, you are taken to one of 6...just 6...labor and delivery rooms. They do have another 6 Urgent Care rooms that are exactly like the Labor and Delivery Rooms, but they only use those if there is ever an overflow. And so far, they haven't needed them for that purpose. As we walked to the LDR, we passed the nurses station which had somewhere between 4 and 6 smiling nurses all ready to greet us. We walked in to the LDR and it was HUGE!!!! There was a flat screen TV with a DVD player. There were 2 long couches that convert in to beds for dads-to-be and visitors. The bathroom was amazing...a sink and toilet of course, but they all have whirlpool tubs for showering and relaxing in. All the rooms have huge windows with privacy shades that still allow for natural light. And each room has a private "newborn nook" with all the paraphernalia a newborn station needs...a warming bed with lamps and all the equipment to do initial check-ups, baths, and so forth. After you leave the LDR, you head up to Family Centered Care for the rest of your stay. The rooms there are smaller than the LDRs, but still just as nice. The showers are glass enclosed and each room has a flat screen with a DVD player as well. And, of course, there is the couch that converts to a bed for dad to stay the night. On our way back to the first floor, we passed by the nursery where 3 little babies, 2 boys and a girl, were sleeping and getting checked out. They were all so cute. And it was hard to imagine a tour group walking by in a few weeks and seeing our little guy in there. We toured the cafeteria after the hospital tour was over and that was nice as well. More like a food court with tables than a cafeteria. The only downfall is that there is no McDonald's right in the hospital like there is at the Atlanta facility, but there is an Atlanta Bread Company just outside the facility...which Bo may have to visit before he comes to see me.

After all that, there really is no reason we wouldn't go there...other than insurance. We have a Pediatrician that does not visit that hospital, but they do go to the Atlanta location. If for some reason our insurance is not accepted by the in-house pediatricians, we'd have to go to the Atlanta facility...which is just as fine for us. But, there's no reason to go there if this place will take our insurance. The smaller atmosphere made it very cozy and we KNOW we would get expert care and more personal care because of the smaller facility...all good things in our book.

At the tour, we found out that we were by far the "most experienced" parents there. 2 other couples were there for their first child and another couple was there for their second. We were there for our curtain call...because little Andrew will be the last!! It was almost a smack in the face to go in to the LDR...so weird to think we are doing this one more time. It brought back lots of memories of being there with Ally and Kelsey. And, it was kind of exciting at the same time...we get to do this one more time!! Next week, I am taking Ally to a class for big sisters and brothers. They get to learn how to hold a baby and change a diaper. Should be fun. Kelsey is going to stay with daddy because it's just too much for her to handle right now. The hardest part will be convincing Ally that she is NOT the mom and she can't just pick the baby up or change his diaper whenever she wants to. I'll be sure to bring the camera for this fun experience and post them next week after our special class.

31 Weeks, a Dr. Appointment and a Nursery

2009-01-06T11:31:00.000-05:00

So much has happened since the 4D ultrasound a few weeks ago. We have been to the Dr., created a room for this little guy, and gotten an update on baby's growth.

So...for 31 weeks, we are looking at a baby that is about 3 and a half pounds and he continues to put on more fat to keep him warm once he arrives. His hearing is almost completely developed. And the best news for this week is that his lungs are now secreting surfactant...a substance that keeps his little lungs inflated with oxygen once he takes his first breath. Should he arrive now, he might still need some help breathing, but the lungs are well on their way to working on their own.

At our appointment, we got to hear the fast heart beat again...never a sound I get tired of hearing. It's still beating strongly at about 140 beats per minute...right on cue for a baby boy. The Dr. says my measurements look great and we are in plug and chug mode. Keep doing what we're doing to keep that baby growing and healthy. Should this little one decide to arrive as early as the girls did, we're looking at a mere 7 weeks before his arrival. That number gets smaller with each passing week and I can't believe it is really almost here. I'm at the point now where I am still enjoying the pregnancy and am sad it will soon be over. But...we'll see how I feel in 4 or 5 weeks.

And last, we busted it at the end of Christmas break to get the nursery finished. We had kept the guest bed in the baby room for several months anticipating some holiday travelers, but now that those have come and gone, it was time to get things rolling. In a matter of 3 days, we primed the room, put up a chair rail, painted the room, put together the crib (which I never thought we'd put together again), rearranged furniture, decorated, washed and folded 3 loads of baby laundry and packed a diaper bag for the hospital. Needless to say, we both crashed on Sunday night. We still need to get a bookshelf for the room and plan to bring in the recliner once it is professionally cleaned, but for the most part, what you see is it. I'm so glad we went with the frogs. And we both love the room. I think the girls have more fun playing in the room with all the baby stuff than the baby will.

30 Weeks and a 4D Ultrasound

2008-12-27T11:55:00.000-05:00

30 weeks down and only a few to go...can't believe it!!! This week, the baby continues to grow, get stronger, and lay down fat to make him plump. He has started to mimick breathing and it causes him to have the hiccups. I never remember the girls having those, but we had a long bout of tiny, rhythmic movements last night that logically seem to be the hiccups. He weighs about 3 pounds and is 11 inches from the top of his head to his rump.

This morning we had our much anticipated 3D/4D ultrasound appointment. And, following suit of both girls, little Jackson decided to hide until the last 5 minutes of the ultrasound. He has turned and is head down and ready to go. We got to see and hear the heart beat. And, for most of the appointment, we watched the tech manauver the magic wand to try and get a good face shot of the baby. Unfortunately, Mr. Limber had one knee bent and in front of his face and the other leg was extended straight up, over, and behind his head. He was sleeping most of the time even though mom drank an ENTIRE mocha frappucino from Startbucks just a few short minutes before the appointment. Apparently caffeine doesn't phase this child. While he was sleeping, we could see the chest rise and fall to mimick the breathing that causes the hiccups. The tech sais that's how she knew he was sleeping...most babies "practice" their breathing while they are sleeping. And...while he continued to sleep, we got the very easily attainable money shot with the position of his legs being so crazy. Then finally, after I got up, moved around, and squeezed at my stomach for a minute, we got a better view of his face, even though he still had those legs right in the way. He has Kelsey's nose for sure. And it even looks like his cheeks are plump and ready for pinching. Enjoy the pictures!!

Sweet, Sleepy Baby Boy!!

Can you see me trying to wave to you? My hand is to the left of the picture beside my face.

Look at those crazy legs all over the place. I might as well be eating my knee!!

Daddy can finally rest assured that I am a boy. Look at the size of that...foot!!

28 Weeks

2008-12-15T13:45:00.000-05:00

It is official...we have hit the third trimester and the doctors are happy with my progress. On Friday we had our last monthly appointment. From here on out we go every 2 weeks until 36 weeks and then we go every week. All that means this baby is coming sooner than we can believe. Once the holidays are over, we really need to get on the ball here and create some type of nursery for this precious baby boy.

As for now Andrew Lee is still the name, but we're going to go with Drew. At 28 weeks, this little booger is 2 and a quarter pounds and is about 15 inches long from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. His eyes continue to open and close and they even have beautiful, long lashes at this point. I gained a whopping 6 pounds this last month and we are going to chalk that up to a yummy Thanksgiving. If I follow a normal pattern, I should gain about 11 more pounds before this pregnancy is over and that means I will probably outweigh Bo...do you know what a depressing thought that is??? My glucose test was also on Friday and that came back normal as well.

And finally, we are looking forward to a 4D ultrasound in 2 weeks. We were fortunate to hit the early technology when I was pregnant with Ally. Then, we opted to have it done with Kelsey. So...why not have it done with little Drew? We are looking forward to seeing our baby boy growing big. It was truly amazing to see it with Kelsey and I imagine, after several years of progress, the ultrasounds are even more detailed and more amazing then they used to be. We'll be sure to post all the fun pictures on our blog when we get home.

26 Weeks and a name...really???

2008-12-01T19:35:00.000-05:00

This is a big week for baby Jackson. For the first time since they were formed and sealed shut, his eyes will open and close. He is about 14 inches long, 9 inches from crown to rump and weighs roughly 2 pounds. His skin is becoming less translucent thanks to all the baby fat that is starting to be deposited. And finally, all the nerves in his ear are finishing their development. We have another doctor appointment on the 12th to hear the heart beat and get some measurements...fairly routine at this point. And then we go every 2 weeks. Considering both girls came about 2 weeks early, we are looking at the final stretch almost. Should this little bundle arrive 2 weeks early as well, we have about 12 weeks left. I hit the 3rd trimester next week and it is hard to believe how fast this is flying by. After the holidays, he will be here in the blink of an eye. And there is still so much to do...most importantly the nursery. All of the bedding and fun room decor is here, but we are waiting until after the holiday rush to get the room ready. It shouldn't take too long...a few hours of painting and a few more for hanging things on the wall and voila...it's ready.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, Bo was a HUGE sport and went shopping with me at midnight on Thanksgiving to the Carter's outlet. And we got tons of new clothes for our baby boy. I have to admit, they certainly are not as cute as little girl clothes, but it was lots of fun picking out something different this time. Trucks, dinosaurs, and bugs can be cute in their own way.

And it was nice to kind of put a name with the clothes we were buying. A name...really??? After much deliberation and not finding anything we both really liked, we have finally found one we can agree on and like. With a last name like Jackson, there are lots of options already vetoed for us...Samuel, Michael, Alan, and Tito to name a few. We ran in to this same problem with Kelsey. I really liked Kendall, but Kendall Jackson is a popular brand of wine. Even so, there are times I regret not giving her the name I really liked, even though Kelsey is a perfect fit for our little sweetie. So...this time I was bound to give this kid a name we liked, regardless of the potential for irony. So...for now...we have settled on Andrew Lee...and we will call him Drew. We are well aware that Andrew Jackson was a President. However, he is not the first and will not be the last Andrew Jackson in this world following the President. And I REALLY like the name Drew. It was one of my first choices and we kind of sidelined it because of the President thing. But, after going through numerous baby books and not having anything jump out at me, it really wasn't worth the worry to find a name that we liked better. So...there it is. For now. Who knows what tomorrow brings.

Assume the Position

2008-11-19T13:40:00.000-05:00

Well...for a solid week now I have been battling a sore back. I attributed most of the problem to lugging around some extra baby weight and taking 3 kids all over town to 4 or 5 different stores last week in a matter of 3 hours. By the time I got home from that adventure, my back was tired and a little stiff. When I got up the following morning, it had hardened and I knew I was in for a few days of stiffness. There's only so much Tylenol can do and muscle relaxation is not on the top of its list. For the first time yesterday morning I could get up and move around without a 10 minute stretch session just out of bed...which I happily welcomed. I spent most of the day doing the daily things I do, including the endless cleaning up of the playroom and various toys scattered around the house from 3 happily playing children. In doing so, I spent a lot of time on my hands and knees. And by night's end, I realized I had not felt the baby move much that day. What I did notice was that I felt every bit of 9 months pregnant at a mere 24 weeks and if my stomach could have popped last night, it would have. Everything was so tight and hard. When I finally layed down to rest..I was anxiously awaiting all the fun kicks and prods I usually have on the sides of my stomach from this little being inside of me (which we still have no name for!!). And to my surprise, they were no longer on the sides of my stomach. I was getting kicked in the ribs. And, when I woke up this morning there wasn't one twinge of any pain whatsoever. So...in my professional, pregnancy opinion, I think the baby has finally decided he needed more room and chose to turn himself south. And that I am quite thankful for...it has given me some much needed relief. Now, I realize it is still very early and the baby could choose to flip and move however much he wants to between now and whenever he arrives, but I am thankful for the time being that I have some relief of the pain I had. And maybe now he'll have a little more room to wiggle.

A Doctor's Appointment and 24 weeks

2008-11-17T06:19:00.000-05:00

Well...this has been an eventful week. 24 weeks is a big one...VIABILITY!!! Yeah!!! That's always good news to hear. If the baby should decide to come early, the chances of survival increases greatly after this week and continue to climb steadily as the pregnancy continues. The baby has gained about 4 ounces in one week and is about 12 inches long...the length of an ear of corn. He is still very skinny and his skin is translucent, but that will all be changing over the next several weeks as he begins to put on the weight and fill in with all that baby fat. He face is fully developed and looks like it will at birth. His eyes are still tightly closed, but they will open soon.

As for the doctor visit, it was very quick and simple...just a measure and a heart rate. My belly is measuring right on track...23 cm and the heart rate has dropped significantly. He was down to 140 beats per minute this week...which is typical for a baby boy. This was the first appointment the girls got to go to. They really enjoyed hearing the heartbeat. And because Kelsey is having a baby girl when we have our baby boy, she asked if she could hear her baby's heart beat. So, the doctor willingly obliged. Kelsey layed on the table and pulled up her shirt. The doctor put some of that cold cream on her belly and put the doppler on her tummy. So cute...but not something we want to see again for a LONG TIME!!! Kelsey got to hear her baby's heartbeat (her own, really) and she was all smiles.

As for me, I am still nursing a sore back. I tweaked it last Wednesday while I was out running errands with all the kids. I'm sure it's just from being tired, carrying extra weight (which I have not gained a lot of!!) and doing some extra lifting to help get Jackie's house ready for her baby. I thought it would be gone by now as it usually only takes a day or 2 to work itself out. But, with no meds to help relax the muscles and the baby laying on my back all the time, I guess it takes a little longer. I just hope it goes away soon. I don't like waking up in the morning and not being able to move how I want, as quickly as I'd like. After an hour or so, it's still there, but it's loose enough to move, so I ignore it and go on. If nothing else...it will go away once this baby arrives...only 112 days left!!

23 Weeks

2008-11-11T06:32:00.000-05:00

The baby is getting bigger and bigger...and so am I. I am ready for a record breaking weight gain this week at the Dr.'s office on Friday. I think the most I ever gained in 4 weeks was 8 lbs. with the girls. And, I am sure I am close with this one.

This week the baby is the size of a large mango and weighs a little more than a pound. He is about 11 inches long and he can hear all the different things going on in the outside world. He can hear the dog barking and the vacuum cleaner. He can even hear music and feel me sway with the beat. The baby is squirming all over the place and it is lots of fun to feel him move around.

It's hard to believe that after our appointment this week, we'll start setting up appointments for every 2 weeks. Can't believe we've almost reached that milestone already. This baby is coming faster than I had imagined and there is so much left to do...paint the room, bring up all the baby stuff from the basement and get it cleaned up and ready for number 3, find lots of cute clothes and blankets for our sweet boy to stay warm in, and, of course, prepare the girls for the shock of their life. Either way...it's getting closer and we get more excited with every day!!

Registering for Baby Jackson

2008-11-03T05:52:00.000-05:00

I think yesterday was one of the first times it hit me that we are going to have a boy instead of a girl. We spent the afternoon at Babies R Us registering for our little arrival and all I could see was BLUE!!! And, it's been so long since we've had to do this, that there are so many things we forgot about. We forgot how overwhelming it can be to go to a huge store filled with baby stuff and try to figure out what you need. We forgot how long it takes to actually do it...even with a list. We learned that, even with a list, there are still tons of things on the shelves that you see and forget you need. And more times than not, I found myself going back to the same sections I'm used to shopping in...the pink sections!! After realizing I wasn't in the right section, I found my way to the boys' section and was really quite disappointed. The clothes for boys are NOWHERE near as cute as the things for girls. So...I'm going to have to find a way to keep our little one cute as a button some other way.

The fun part of registering was bringing the girls. They really enjoyed using the UPC gun to register for stuff for their new baby brother. After it was all said and done, I had some deleting to do. Anyone who had seen the registry last night might have thought we were having triplets because we registered for 3 cribs!! After the newness wore off, Bo did a fabulous job keeping them entertained while I finished up. And, really, with the limited time we had, there was very little we forgot about. It's still amazing to me all the things newborns need and all the stuff that has changed since we have last done this. At the end of it all, the girls each left with a toy for the baby and we got the Baby's First Year Calendar to hang in the room.

Is it really this difficult to find a name???

2008-10-22T09:54:00.000-04:00

So, we have known for one whole week that we are having a boy and we cannot come up with a name to save our lives. All the names we like aren't very compatible with our last name...Andrew, Samuel, Michael, Tito. And I even spent some time at nap looking through a name book from my sister. And, I am taking it as a bad sign that I went through every letter of the alphabet and every name listed for that letter and found NOTHING that I liked. And the ones I thought I liked I can't remember, so they must not have made that big of an impression on me. Hopefully something will stand out in the next few weeks. And if you have any ideas or hear any cute boy names that don't interfere with our last name, let me know.

The Verdict is In!!

2008-10-15T20:10:00.000-04:00

After 20 long weeks, we have finally found out that our little bundle is a healthy, happy, baby BOY!!! And, we are so excited!!!! But, first and foremost, everything was measuring right and the baby looked great.

I went in for 2 appointments today. The first was the standard 20 week appointment to check blood pressure and the heart rate. The doctor and I chatted about the typical information and she was happy to see that everything looked and sounded great. We also talked about my option to deliver at the new Northside Forsyth facility and we found out that I do have the opportunity to go there. The only down fall would be that someone from the women's group, not necessarily my practice, would deliver the baby. And while there are pros and cons to all of it, the peace of mind that we can go there should I go in to labor during rush hour is so comforting. Plus, I hear they have a state of the art new maternity facility so it might be fun to go there. Bo and I might have to take a tour there just to see how nice it really is.

Then, after lunch we had the ultrasound appointment. The tech was dry, to say the least and I'm pretty sure she rubbed Bo the wrong way. She started out by doing all of the important things...measuring the head, the leg, the spine, and so forth. After all of her important info was recorded, she turned the screen for me to see and she pointed out all the cool things you get to see on an ultrasound. We got to see a full profile of the baby. We watched him yawn and move around. And then, we got to see the umbilical cord...which we've never seen. It looked like a spiral curl on the screen and the baby was playing with it, moving it around. So fascinating!! She pointed out a few other things and let us gawk at the baby for a little while. And FINALLY she asked us if we wanted to know what we were having. And, by this point we were dying...of course we couldn't stand it any longer. So, she quickly found the "money shot" and before she could even say it was a boy, I smiled and looked at Bo to say, "Ha!! I was right!!" Bo was shocked...absolutely floored...by the realization. He was totally prepared for a third girl. And I think he still has just a slight doubt that it really is a boy. Not me...I saw the little turtle head!!!

So...after we got out of the ultrasound, we went to the car and called family and friends to celebrate our big news. Bo's parents were so excited. Finally...a Jackson boy to carry on the name. When we got home, I baked a cake and dyed the cake blue. I covered it with chocolate icing and then we invited all of our friends to come over from the neighborhood to cut the cake and see if it was pink or blue. Everyone was so excited for us and all the new things a boy means for us.

And last...for those of you who were quick to observe, I changed the blog color to blue!!! Yeah for Baby Jackson!!! Now...if we could only agree on a name!!

Front View - Head on right hand side. 2 dark spots are eyes. Baby looking right at you.

Side/Profile View of Baby - Head on right hand side still. Leg on left. Faint spirals in the background are the umbilical cord.

It's a Boy!!!!

28 hours, 57 minutes

2008-10-14T09:12:00.000-04:00

Only 1 more day until we find out whether this little one is a boy or a girl and we can hardly wait. I continue to go back and forth on whether I really want to know or have it be a surprise when the baby arrives. And as fun as I think it might be to find out in March, the practical side of me says I need to know. If I already had 1 of each, we'd wait for sure. But, it's hard to wait that long and worry about not being ready. Either way, it is very exciting to know that our baby is growing bigger and stronger each day. And, it surely will be nice to think of names once we know what we're having. I hope I can wait without getting too antsy!!!

Hi! I'm Here!!

2008-09-22T08:04:00.000-04:00

Baby Jackson has decided to let me know that he or she is up and movin'. For the past couple of days, I have been able to feel the baby move when I lay down for a few minutes and try to be very still. It's been so long since I've felt that little tickle that I wasn't sure I'd remember what it felt like. But...it's there just like I remember it...a little goldfish swimming in my tummy. Maybe some butterflies. Either way, it's there and it's super fun to feel. Can't wait to go for the ultrasound in a few weeks to see what this little bug is!!!

14 Week Appointment

2008-09-14T15:24:00.000-04:00

We had our 14 week check up on Friday and all is well with Baby Jackson #3. The heartbeat was nice and strong...still hovering around 160. And, with the doppler we could hear all the static as well as the heartbeat which means he or she is moving all over the place. So, hopefully, I will begin to feel this little one moving very soon. That was always my favorite part and probably what I will miss the most when the pregnancy is over.

We will make our appointment this week to find out what this little thing is. Should happen sometime in mid-October. And, I'll be sure to post our exciting surprise as soon as we know. We haven't really come up with any serious thoughts on names just yet. Trying to wait out the verdict on the gender. My mommy hunches tell me strongly it really is a boy. I would be thoroughly surprised if it was a girl...but not at all disappointed. Only 4 short weeks to find out...

Girl or Boy?

2008-09-11T10:33:00.000-04:00

After reading Lisa's blog and catching up on all the old wives tales, I thought it might be fun for my friends and family to do the same thing. So, here are some of my answers to those crazy old wives tales and then you can make a vote for yourself on my blog page.

OLD WIVES TALES:
1) If you carry high, it’s a girl. Low, it’s a boy. I have always carried low, which is why those fun, hip new low rise pants NEVER work for me. Nothing has changed this time...still carrying low. BOY

2) If the heartbeat is under 140 bpm, it’s a boy. If it is over 140 bpm, it’s a girl. We hit over 170 at the last appointment. GIRL

3) Tie your wedding ring to a string and dangle it over your belly. If it swings back and forth, it’s a boy. If it goes in circles, it’s a girl. You can also do this holding the string over your open palm. BOY

4) Chinese Gender Chart (http://parenting.ivillage.com/ttc/ttcsigns/0,,j736,00.html ) Some say this is correct 90% of the time. Girl

5) If you have acne during pregnancy, it’s a girl. If you don’t, it’s a boy. Sparingly, but yes, they are there. GIRL

6) If you have morning sickness, you’re having a girl. If you don’t, you’re having a boy. I had all day sickness the entire first trimester. To be fair though, I NEVER had that with either of my girls. But, we'll roll with it. GIRL

9) If your urine is neon yellow, it’s a boy. If it’s a dull yellow, it’s a girl. Could it be that I just need to drink more fluids? It's ALWAYS neon yellow. BOY

10) If you’re hair on your legs grows faster, it’s a girl. I feel like I can go weeks without shaving now. BOY

11) If the dad to be is gaining weight with you, it’s a boy. If he stays the same, it’s a girl. With as much as Bo works out and as hard as he works, there is NO WAY he will gain weight with me. GIRL

12) If you have headaches, you’re having a boy. If you don’t, it’s a girl. I kicked the caffine the first week I found out I was pregnant. Even still, I have had more headaches with this one than with Ally and Kelsey combined. BOY

13) Girls steal your beauty. If you look better than before, it’s a boy. If you don’t, it’s a girl. Considering I am a stay at home mom and rarely get dressed up to change diapers, clean house and play with kids, I'm going with the same...no better and hopefully no worse!! GIRL

14) If your feet are colder than usual, it’s a boy. If they’re the same, it’s a girl. How weird... GIRL

So...now you have until our next appointment in mid-October to place your votes. Should be lots of fun!!!

Quiet Month

2008-09-11T09:56:00.000-04:00

This has been a very quiet and uneventful month in the world of pregnancy...which is always a good thing!!! We have a Dr. appointment on Friday and I am sure there will be plenty more to tell then. But, for now, it's slow and go.

Over the past month we have rearranged furniture and gotten Kelsey in to a new room to make way for Baby Jackson. The baby furniture just won't fit any good way in our guest room, so Kelsey got a brand new big girl room so we could put the baby where she was as a baby. Painting was fun, but the best part was putting up the brown dots all over the pink wall. I was worried about how it would turn out, but I am so glad I did it. The room is adorable and there is so much more room for her to play in there.

For now, the guest room remains a guest room, but it is over crowded with baby furniture and some things we've brought up from the basement for the baby. Once we find out what we are having, we will paint and get the room ready for baby.

Baby's Heartbeat

2008-08-18T07:28:00.001-04:00

We had another Dr. appointment on the 15th of August. It was a fairly routine first visit with bloodwork and family history questions. But, the best part was hearing the SUPER FAST heart beat for the first time. 170 beats per minute...it's another girl!!!! Bo had the chance to meet Dr. Madzivire for the first time and really enjoyed her. She is very down-to-earth and "real", which I like.

I'm finally beginning to feel better throughout the day. The past several weeks have been very tough, but my energy is starting to come back and I am hoping to return to my normal self in the next week or so. There's so much to do now!!! We have decided to use the comfy green recliner in the baby room since we sold our glider to a church after Kelsey got her new bed. And, we have decided that Kelsey is going to get a new big girl room. There's just no logical way all of the baby furniture will fit in what used to be the guest bedroom. So, we will keep the baby in Kelsey's old room where the furniture works and make her a new room. Should be lots of fun to decorate that room. I think we'll probably get started sometime this week.

And, we bought our first baby iten over the weekend...a new bouncy seat. It is such a cute and FUNCTIONAL seat and I am so glad we have it for the baby. I'm sure the baby will be a comfy as ever in the soft cushiony seat. I wish they made those things for adults to sleep in!!!

Stress City!!

2008-07-31T09:48:00.000-04:00

So...we've had 2 Dr's appointments and I haven't had the chance to write about any of them. Things around here have been very stressful since the news about baby number 3 has happened.

For starters, the 1st appointment went great. The Dr. was super nice and I immediately knew I'd try to see her regularly. She is very down to earth and up front about everything. Personable and understanding. So, at the appointment, they confirmed the pregnancy...like we didn't already know after 4 of our own tests!!! And, I got a boatload of paperwork and pamphlets to read up on. Information about all the tests they run and the ones that are optional. All the info about the appointments and what happens at each one. All the info about registering (AGAIN!!!) at Northside and getting set-up for delivery. When you aren't planning on a third child, you forget about all the paperwork and reading there is to do. I got some free gifts from Similac and a cute planner to help me track the pregnancy. After all the formalities were over, we did sneak in to the ultrasound room to check what was going on. The tech was gone for the day, but the Dr. wanted me to be stress free on my trip to Gatlinburg that everything was ok. She found the baby and everything looked normal. But, she did schedule me for another ultrasound with the tech to make it official and to get some accurate numbers.

And, I am so thankful she did that. Because the weekend I went away was anything but stress free. I got some much needed rest, but the spotting I had been having was getting worse and I was getting worried. I prayed every minute for God to bless this baby...it's amazing how much you want something that you never really knew you wanted in the first place until you had it. And, I swore, I'd take morning sickness and whatever else in its place. But, for the most part, I was still feeling well, just stressed. And the spotting continued. We went to ultrasound appointment the following Wednesday and I was so glad Bo got to be there for this appointment. He had missed the first one because he was at his Grandmother's funeral and with the spotting, there was no way I could miss the first appointment. So, I was fully prepared for the tech to tell us we had lost the baby. But, to my surprise, the baby was there and doing perfectly well. Thank God!!! So, we got our first set of ultrasound pictures to take home and we were on cloud nine. After a few days, the spotting went away completely...but I got the morning sickness I bargained with God for. He has such a sense of humor, that God!!! And, to this very day, I am still nauseous most of the afternoon and in to the evening. I am nearing week 9 and I am hoping it will get better soon. I so want to be able to enjoy this pregnancy as it will be the last for sure. I am looking forward to all the wonderful things that come when the sickness subsides.

In the meantime we have told most all of our friends and family. It's fun to watch the shock and surprise on their faces especially after a conversation just 4 short weeks ago about how we were done having kids. Little did we know...

We have another appointment on the 15th of August...our Anniversary!!! We are anxious to hear the heartbeat for the first time and know that everything is still going well.

One Week Later

2008-07-07T19:33:00.000-04:00

One week later, we are still having a baby and the shock hasn't worn off yet. For me, it's about the reality of maternity clothes...things I never thought I'd wear again...late night feedings, starting all over again from scratch with a new baby, and coping with sheer exhaustion and being outnumbered by our kids!! But, there's always the up side. I am so looking forward to the hospital stay and bonding with the baby, setting up a new nursery, finding cute baby clothes I never thought I'd get to buy again. And, of course, there's the little toes and that new baby smell. So, while the idea is still haunting, it has become exciting. We have a Dr. appointment next week on the 16th. They will be able to tell us a lot more at that appointment, but we should be looking at a March baby.

And before this little note ends, I need to add a little comment - I have been feeling especially "large"...even for 4 weeks. And, with the darkness and quickness the pregnancy test line showed up on the stick, I'd be remiss to say there's no way it twins. I don't think it is, but wouldn't that be a shocker. I just remember that the tests came back negative several times with Ally and Kelsey...even a week or so after the date of my missed period. So, for this to turn so quickly, even just one day late, has me wondering and thinking. If it is twins...you heard it hear first!!! One week in to it...

The Big Surprise!!!

2008-07-01T22:25:00.000-04:00

July 1st started out like any normal day and ended in a far more bizarre way than ever expected. After worrying for 2 days that I might be pregnant, I finally took a pregnancy test to confirm the negative result and forget about the worrying. Much to my surprise, the test was positive before it was even finished. I took 2 more tests because I was sure the first was wrong, but all 3 came out positive. So...we are pregnant!!! After many years of professing we were done, we have one last baby to plan for.

And, surprise, doesn't even begin to describe the emotions we are feeling. Shock is more appropriate....HUGE SHOCK!!!! But, excitement will enter the picture soon, I am sure.

I am hoping to use this blog as a way to journal our LAST pregnancy in hopes to remember all of the fun we are hoping it brings. But for right now, the questions and the thoughts are just swirling...it's back to thinking about names, diapers, 3 AM feedings, and being a new mom and dad all over again. We were so close to being on "cruise control" with our 2 girls, that we're going to have to regroup and start all over.

It will be several more weeks until the first of many Dr. appointments and I am sure I will be back to write more before then as thoughts, questions, and new ideas pop in my head. But for now, I had to actually put it in writing to believe it...we are pregnant for a 3rd time!!! We will finally be "The Jackson Five"!!!