For his birthday, we got Jackson a basketball hoop that we keep on the porch. It's quite a bit taller than he is and we knew it would take him awhile to figure this out, but there was no doubt he'd outgrow the other option in just a few months. (He outgrows pants often enough that I wasn't going to buy toys with a short shelf life.) And these days, this kid is always asking to go outside and, "sshheewwwt!"
His first attempts were unpredictable at best, but now that he's getting the hang of it, he takes this very seriously. He'll stand in place, bend his knees (hilarious), and concentrate so hard the ball starts shaking in his hands. I'm proud of his determination and clear desire to succeed, yet slightly worried that he's going to be his own worst critic...just like his mother.
One day last week Jackson's daycare was closed for staff development, so Chad stayed home with him. And on a rainy, cold February afternoon, this is what they were doing.
I'm just not even going to apologize for the delay in these posts. And I'm not going to try to catch up on the last five months of happenings because there was WAY too much and that's the reason for the delay in the first place. So let's just pretend that didn't happen, ok? Ok.
Last weekend we took a very much needed trip to the Shenandoah and brought along a birthday gift Jackson got from his Uncle Evan: a stomp rocket. Now this is a gift that I never would have thought to buy anyone, but this just goes to show that only boys know boys. As you can tell, Jackson had a blast.
We've been getting some nice rain out here, which is a welcome relief to the parched yards and dying flowers. (Parched yards and dying flowers are no strangers to our family in the Midwest, either.) Last Sunday we got a really nice rainstorm right after Jackson got up from his nap - which is the reason for the lack of pants. But he sure was excited to watch it rain! And he sure wanted one of us to take him out to play in it.
There are some days my spirited child just exhausts the hell out of me. There are many other days that this energy and enthusiasm gives me a boost that I need to bring a smile to my face when I get frustrated or makes me push the gas pedal a little harder when I'm heading to daycare in the afternoons.
When we were back in Illinois over July 4, Jackson demonstrated his love for the King by busting a move every time my mom would turn on her Elvis tunes. (Further proof that this child is a Shragal through and through - that side of the family has had Elvis jokes going back 25 years.)
And ever since then, Jackson will walk up to a radio or an iPhone, proclaim "DANCE!" and put his hands into fists then wait for the music. Sometimes when there is no music, he'll just sway side to side singing, "Dance, Dance, Dance..." in the hopes that he can carry himself through with the thoughts in his head.
Let me preface, I have no idea where these moves come from - the spinning, the gestures, the rhythm...no idea. But, oh man, this little dude makes me laugh. As one of my good friends said, "Save that one for the wedding video."
The weather this past weekend was perfect, and we were looking for things to do outside. Since it's free to get into the National Zoo, we headed over one morning to spend a few hours looking at the animals before lunch and naptime.
Jackson loved the small mammal house, and he was absolutely enthralled with the monkeys, prairie dogs, porcupines and ferrets. (It was hard to tell whether the shrieking was coming from him or from the mammals in the exhibit.) His favorite were the muskrats - one in particular who he raced back and forth with for several minutes. Though it was only 10 a.m., they both seemed to wear each other out fairly quickly. I thought to record this after about five minutes of the back-and-forth, but you should get the drift.
For a few months now, Jackson has mastered a few basic words - notably "ball" and "more," in that order.
But lately, he's been Mr. Polite whenever we see the neighbors, leave daycare or chat with a waiter at a restaurant. And usually it's an emphatic, "BYE!" followed by a wave that goes from one shoulder to another along with a few blown kisses and another "BYE!" for good measure.
Between being raised by Midwest parents and spending hours with Hispanic women at daycare, we're not sure where the Southern drawl comes from. But we think it's charming nonetheless.
Since January, we've been knee-deep in this video contest called "This is Retail," which is supposed to tell the stories of the people who work in our industry. Much like a child, this thing has taken YEARS off my life. I created it, I baked it for a little while, and then it came to life. And there is no putting that genie back in the bottle now, even though sometimes I wonder what in the hell I was thinking.
It's true that someone from Monmouth is in the running, which is a little town near where I grew up, but that's not who I'm rooting for to take home our $25,000 grand prize. (Galesburg people, please don't kill me.) I'm voting for this small businessman who does an incredible job showing how retail powers the economy.
I love this guy. I'd shop in his store if I was closer to it. And, umm, if I was a runner.
So my ask: Get your little self on www.retailmeansjobs.com/vote and vote for my buddy Jim through this Sunday (ten times per day per email address). I love this guy and his story. Of the 2,000 YouTube hits, I swear I've watched this video like 100 times.
I'd like to say it all ends here.
But as with having a child ... the first three months you don't even remember, the second three months are kind of a fog, and then it just continues to get better. Until after a year or so, you forget about all the sleepless nights and the nausea and the complete immersion into something bigger than you are and you're stupid enough to decide you might be willing to go through it all again. So stay tuned for more info on next year's contest once I get through this insanity.
Apparently nine ear infections in as many months is a sign that it's time for tubes. So a few weeks ago, we went to an ENT who confirmed that was our best course of action. In between scheduling the surgery and our "go" date, Jackson got another ear infection, which I took as a sign that we were making the right decision.
The surgery was this morning at 8 a.m. and we were back in recovery with him at 8:20. It took Jackson awhile to get back into sorts after the anesthesia but after a long morning nap he was back to his old self.
Since it was a beautiful day, we got to play outside a little this afternoon - and Jackson got to play with his Easter gift from his Grandma and Grandpa Davis. The little mower blows bubbles but I hadn't refilled it, though Jackson sure didn't care. When they say kids bounce back fast after surgery, they're not kidding!
This is embarrassing. I haven't updated this blog for almost three months. (This is what happens when an active toddler and a crazy job collide.)
And this is also embarrassing.
Jackson goes to daycare every morning looking cute and crisp. On the days we have somewhere important to be (ie: the doctor) or I actually take a video of him (as was the case here), Jackson will soak through or dirty the clothes he's taken in and be redressed in something too tight and too short.
So while you watch his latest accomplishment, and his pride over the ability to move the little balls from here to there, please keep in mind that he doesn't walk around with skin-tight clothes as often as this may imply.
What a year. As one of my friends has said, "Welcome to the time of long days and short years." On the one hand, it seems like yesterday. On the other hand - oh man - it seems like a lifetime ago.
I've been trying to wrap my brain around the idea that an entire year has gone by since Jackson was born, and I can't. So since I've had a hard time putting feelings into words, I decided to go back through some of my favorite moments with him (I'm intentionally excluding the not-so-favorite moments, of which there were several - or maybe more like dozens).
As we get ready to celebrate Jackson's birthday, turn up your sound and take a look back on where we have been.
Last week we had a heck of a time getting Jackson to eat "beef pilaf" baby food. It took me three meals to stagger beef-and-bananas, beef-and-peas, beef-and-carrots before the pilaf was gone.
He'll eat chicken, he'll eat turkey...and he'll eat just about any vegetable or fruit. But beef? Spits it out. Plants his mouth shut. Yanks off his bib.
Turns out, he was just waiting for the real thing. Watch as Jackson gives a seal of approval during his introduction to Tolley Beef. Note the sound effects. This went on for 25 minutes.
Jackson is at the stage where he is in to e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. Tonight we found him rummaging through the cabinets underneath the kitchen sink while Chad was making dinner and I was unloading the dishwasher. That little stinker has gotten lightning fast!
The only way we can seem to contain Hurricane Jackson is by letting him play in one of our moving boxes. It's a good thing we've got plenty of those around - this one kept him entertained for 20 minutes.
Jackson likes to wait until he has an audience to hit big milestones. When we were here in March, he rolled over. And tonight, we had another momentous occasion.
He's been crawling backward for a couple of weeks (on my favorite excursion, he backed himself into the closet so only his head was showing). He would get so frustrated but absolutely could not figure out how to move his hands and knees in the right direction.
Tonight, something seemed to click...and the kid started moving. Forward.
Jackson is currently most fascinated by cords, electrical outlets and shoes - not toys, books or any number of stuffed animals.
Since I posted the last video of Jackson, he's been growing like a weed. (At his six-month check-up he was 28.5 inches and 19 pounds, which puts him in the 95% category for height and 75% category for weight - and to think we were ever worried about him gaining weight!) He's been sitting up, chewing on absolutely everything he can get his hands on, and trying to crawl (currently he's a champ at going backwards).
The other night, Chad put Jackson up on his shoulders and his eyes were as wide as they've ever been. Though I have a feeling he'll spend most of his life towering over me, he seemed to enjoy the scenery from this new perspective.
Ok, ok, I can't take this anymore. I'm going to be an aunt again any day now and the suspense over whether I will be welcoming a niece or nephew into this world is just killing me. Earlier today, we had a little tease from our new family member "Yogi," thinking that he or she might be coming into this world as soon as tonight or tomorrow. (Alas, that does not appear to be the case.)
For most of this journey, I've really thought Yogi was a girl. (I still do, actually.) But Jackson and I got to talking about this tonight and he's just certain - apparently - that he'll welcome a little boy cousin. In fact, he's so convinced that I'm starting to waver in my prediction.
PS: I am nearly certain that this screeching is a gift from one of Jackson's daycare friends. Someday this will not be charming, I'm sure. But I love it now!
PPS: After watching this video, can anyone sympathize with the way this child kicked me for nine months? :)
When I was a kid, one of my favorite books was Richard Scarry's "What Do People Do All Day?" I was fascinated by it. The book made me realize that there was so much more out in the world than what was happening on our farm (though I always knew that what was happening on our farm was pretty cool).
Of course these days I find myself wondering at random moments while at work what Jackson is up to while he's hanging out at daycare. When he got home the other night, this is what we decided. I'm sure one day he'll be more than willing to go on and on about what he did all day without us, but until then, we'll just have to guess.
After stressing out about where to take Jackson when I went back to work, we found a good short-term solution with the in-home provider where our friend April takes her little boy, Braden. (Long-term, one of the spots at the daycare we really wanted opened up for this July.)
I wasn't a total mess when I dropped Jackson off yesterday, but it wasn't easy. I will withhold all judgment on this "working mom" gig for two weeks, or at least that's what I promised Chad.
The woman, Farhana, has a master's in child development and goes back for continuing education every year. She had an opening, is very convenient for drop off and pick up, and has plenty of things for kids to play with. (Though Jackson spends most days just playing with his hands at this point.) I absolutely trust her, which was the most important factor for us in finding someone.
I dropped him off about 8:30 and checked in midday to a good report. (As Chad said, "I wonder if Farhana and her helper take bets on what time the new mom will call?") Then, with my new 7-3 work hours, I couldn't get out of here fast enough. He was sleeping when we dropped him off and sleeping when I picked him up.
And when we got home, he was all smiles. In fact, he often gets to laughing so much that he gives himself the hiccups - yesterday afternoon was no exception.
Since Jackson and I have been in Illinois, I've been chastised for not blogging (hi, Janice). We've taken a lot of pictures and done the rounds for all the relatives, so blogging has most definitely taken a back seat. While I promise pictures when we return to DC, here's a video from the other night when Jackson got to giggling after watching his grandma stick her tongue out.
