What's new with this meatball?

Well...........

Jackson is 16 lbs 6oz and 25 inches long! He IS a meatball, and if his body fat was 1 more % the doctor would have had to counsel  me on overfeeding...oh my lord!  We have FINALLY worked out Jack's feeding issues, and gottan him on a 4 hour eating schedule (praise god!)... I was still trying to feed him every 3 hours, which turned him into what they call a "snacker" because he wasn't truly hungry.... uh! How in the world am I supposed to know this stuff? He REALLY needed to be born with a manuel, or a digital device that TOLD me what to do and when! He is sleeping from 7-11, I wake him up to "dream feed" and then sleeps until 3:30....then, it all goes downhill. We are working on the 3:30am thing...but, lets just say my dark circles aren't getting any lighter. The nurses just love him at the doctors..he has SO many girlfriends already - yikes! He flirts with any woman that talks to him. Today at Target Jack was loving this one lady, who had to come back a 2nd time to talk to him because she couldn't get enough of him. He is so animated when you interact with him, which makes people love him. He also thinks Bailee is the funniest thing all of a sudden! He knows what he wants and when he wants it - I think we created a MONSTER! To say that Jack "found his voice" is an understatement...this child yells alllll day all of a sudden- especially when you aren't paying attention to JUST him! Luke was gone all last week, and we spent the week in Sayre..and on Saturday morning when the baby got up..he started his talking/yelling gig, which Luke thought was hilarious.........for 5 minutes. By the end of Saturday he was wondering if there was anyone we could drop the baby off with for awhile ----laughing out loud. Lets see..what else is new? OH- we started foods on Sunday - yum-yum! We started with cereal, which wasn't a hit..but, it's slowly getting better. We've done apples..and Jack's new "fav"...sweet potatoes! Luke and I spent Sunday afternoon making homemade baby food! That was fun (sarcasm). Luke did most of the work - he is a maniac in the kitchen! Our kitchen needed a good scrubbing after that...we made and froze apples, peaches, squash, sweet potatoes and peas (gross). I froze them in ice cube trays, and then popped um out and put them in ziplock bags. It seems to be a good system. I totaled up our grocery bill for the ingredients, and it was $10.50...I think that is a pretty good deal, considering we have 5 large gallon bags filled and it only took us an hour.

Here's what we've been up to the last couple weeks... and if you think you're going to see pictures of me..happily sleeping..all comfy in my bed... well, you are wrong....because that is def. NOT what I, personally, have been up to................(yawn).

working on rolling back and forth (and chewing on anything that comes close to his mouth)

we broke out the fall clothing,,..how funny is that hat??

Jack's first time in a coat...
*gotta capture EVERY "first"- ha!

....and his first time riding a dog - haha
Toby is thinking "have at it, Jack...im used to this by now with your cousin Dom"

spending some special time with margaret and ed... they just love him..and we love them. ..

look at them look at him... uhh..makes me teary eyed

margaret would sit and talk to jack all day if you let her.. he would probably like it because she just tells him over and over again how cute he is :)

Grammy Guinane got Jack a Johnny JumpUp...he LOVES it! 

..not so great the jumping part yet, but he swings around and chews/drools on every square inch

"THANK YOU, Grammy for bringing me home to my crib...the pack n play does NOTHING for my sleep"

"However, no thank you for driving back to Sayre with my carseat base in your car..."

A baby food making machine!

..it only took an hour to clean up! :)

Jack's first try at cereal...

..not so much

seriously, couldn't they make rice cereal taste a little better...it's like cardboard...i don't blame him for hating it!

sweet potatoes on the other hand...

..were a huge hit!
I swear..some of it DID make it in his mouth! He isn't so good at swallowing..hence the mess!

Nakey Baby!

Jack's favorite before bathtime game! It never gets old for him! :)

We lost Wiz!

Funny video of Jackson "fighting" w/ Wizabef. We lost her & Jack had "words" with her once we found her! :) Too cute!

Mr. Personality

Well, Jack has certainly come out of his little shell the last few weeks. He is a wild man! We are going to have our hands full, I have a feeling. He needs to know what is going on AT ALL TIMES...  oh lord! This past week we had to take him to the doctors because he hasn't been eating very well. He has been only been taking a couple of ounces each feed, and sometimes won't take ANYTHING - which is very worrisome and frustrating. I took him into the doctors office, and they couldn't get enough of him. He was laughing and flirting with the nurse and doctor..looking all chubby and perfect in his little diaper...which of course leads them to telling me that he is "thriving"..LOL! Ok, so why isn't he eating? He doesn't seem hungry between feeds, besides his ever rumbling belly... The doctor explained that sometimes they will make up for the calories at one specific feed...which must be his bedtime feed (he'll eat for 45 minutes). My mom warned me about this type of personality...as she dealt with a child VERY similar -wink wink. She said that she took me to the doctors one time in Kindergarten, when I stopped wanting to go to school because I wanted to go to "sick child care" at the hospital (so I could be close to her), where she and my pediatrician were going to have a long talk with me about how I wasn't really sick and blah blah blah.. Anyways, Dr. Pac started his "serious conversation" with me saying "Now, OK, Molly...I need you to tell me exactly where it hurts and how it feels". I proceeded to lift my shirt, and point to the black marker X on my stomach and I said "X marks the spot".. haha! From there on out, Dr. Pac couldn't have any more serious talks with me :)

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Does it look like he has missed a meal?

'Tis the [football] season...

Close your eyes Mom, Dad and Grandpa Burns...

 Luke was singing "Roar Lions, roar"

.. he looks like he is roaring...

 Getting ready for the big game! 

 Just watchin' the game with my dad..

I think Jack thinks "this thing needs to recline or something"

Now that he "watched" some football..he is obsessed with looking at the T.V (big mistake).. I have a feeling my future falls are going to be filled with watching lots of cheering.....yelling.....pacing....and cooking tailgate food for my boys! :)

It isss OK to send him some Notre Dame stuff, he will be allowed to wear it (when I am home!)..

Goodbye, August- Hello, September

I can't believe it is September ALREADY - where is the time going? I mean, I definitely know where it is going, as some days seem like they are NEVER going to end, yet others seem to fly by.. I can surely tell you, that even three months after having Jack, nothing prepared me for EVERYTHING that goes along with a baby. There are so many days that I wonder how single moms, army wives of deployed spouses and TEENAGERS have babies. Being a mom is the biggest concoction of emotions that you could stir up. There is so much joy and love it is unreal. Something about this little person that looks EXACTLY like your husband, makes him so easy to love. There is honestly NOTHING better than waking up (even if it is 5:50am) to a gummy smile.  The second Jack sees me in the morning he starts excitedly kicking and wiggling out of his swaddling blanket (I think it looks like a caterpillar scrunching up and moving along).. it certainly puts me in a great mood. Along with all of those fabulous moments, there are also many moments of "am I really cut out for this job?". I find myself questioning that a lot, as exhaustion has been at its highest. However, whenever I do question myself, something great ends up happening, and turns my attitude around. I don't think there is a new mom in the world that doesn't have those moments, and I believe that is why God makes babies so stinkin' cute..because one little smile or laugh rejuvenates you. Jack has certainly made me realize what is important in life...and that is my little family... he really helps filter out negativity, and for that I am very grateful! :)

Jack with his dragon from Uncle Patrick...we names the dragon "Patrick the Dragon" - haha

still in our pjs on a rainy day (we rarely do that!)

"mommm..no time for pictures..there are too many things going on on this thing!"

"the most fun I have EVER had!" - his face says it all!

SO close (just needs that big ol' belly)

"Ah..that was a good run"
Jack seems to laugh throughout our run in the morning..especially when I am saying every swear word in the book, while running up the biggest hill in Bellefonte. I tell him to stop laughing because it IS all his fault that we are running in the first place! :)

This is from a midday photoshoot- which, like always, got carried away..
I thought I would commentate for Jackson..

"Oh my gosh..this is so fun..she put me in a bowl!"

"keep shooting, this bowl is way fun!"

"Ok..this has to be the last one - I'll smile so she stops"

"Is she serious?"

"um..i'll give her the same exact look daddy gives her when he is impatient and sick of shopping"

How can you not love this baby??