Healthy as a Horse

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?

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

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

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??

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!!

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!!!

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!!!