16th Month Week 4

The new baby is 14 weeks along now and I have found some of the energy that I was missing in the first 3 months. So, I have made a schedule for Jackson. We are going to talk about a new theme, number, letter, shape/color each week. We have a playgroup outing to go along with each topic. I am hoping all this will help me learn a few more words, and maybe if he sees a cow, he will not call it a dog.

Jackson understands quite a bit now but just does not say much. He goes to the fridge when wants a drink. He gets his snacks off the bottom shelf of the pantry. When I ask him to brush his teeth, he goes to the bathroom.

He loved climbing! He climbs up in chairs by himself. He loves playing on the slide at the playground. We are trying to teach him to not climb back up the slide but to go up the stairs again.

16th Month Week 2

We took Jackson to Savannah for St. Patty's Day. He loved eating all the food at the tailgate and enjoyed the beginning of the parade but we had to leave early for nap time.

Jackson stumbled at Grammy's house and busted his lip on the pavers. Daddy taught him how to play the piano. He had a wonderful time banging the keys.

Jackson is being so helpful these days. He feeds Mommy cupcakes. He loves to close doors and gates. He also learned how to drink through a straw. It was amazing! We have been trying since Christmas to get him to drink through a sippy cup with a straw and he figured it out on a simple straw in Mommy's water glass.

Jackson's baby sister (Mommy thinks the baby is a girl and Daddy is praying for another boy.) heartbeat was 160 beats a minute this week. It will be May before we find out if Mommy or Daddy is right.

16 Month - Week 1

Jackson's cousin, Emma-Catherine, came to visit us for a long weekend. She brought her parents, Amber and Christopher with her. Nana and Papaw also came to see us. We had fun celebrating Papaw's birthday and playing with the kids. We took them to Discovery Place KIDS where they loved playing in the water table. Jackson also drove a tractor and a plane.

Jackson loves riding in his little red wagon in the back yard.

Jackson had tubes put in his ears today. The surgery went well. Dada and I are so glad the tubes are in. We have had some very sleepless nights with a little one whose ears hurt. Now he will be able to hear and may start picking up a few more words. Currently, everything is a dog.

15th Month - Week 4

Well, Jackson has been busy this week. He learned how to draw on the walls with a pencil. Thank goodness I could erase it. He likes to lay under the dining room table and scribble with his pencil and paper.

Jackson also figured out how to flush the toilet. He thought it was a lot of fun!

He loves playing at the park. He really likes to slide. He tries to climb back up the slide instead of using the stairs.

Next week, Jackson will have tubes put in his ears.

Tomorrow, Emma-Catherine, Jackson's cousin, and her parents will be here. We are so excited!

15th Month - Week 3

We had beautiful weather last weekend so we played outside. We also got the Easter decorations out. Jackson loves "hiding" the eggs. I find them everywhere!

Jackson has started throwing tantrums when he does not get his way. We have been doing our best to ignore them so he will stop. It is hard to do in public when everyone is staring at you.

Jackson loves storytime at night. Instead of our three short board books, we are up to two longer picture books.

We have had some sleepless nights here lately. Jackson wakes up screaming at the top of his lungs at least once a night. I am sure it is because his ears hurt. I cannot wait for him to get tubes!

15th Month - Week 2

What a mess! Jackson had a cold that turned into chest congestion and before the weekend was over it was pneumonia, an ear infection and RSV - a respiratory infection. We spent Monday through Wednesday in the children's hospital. When we got out, Drew had RSV and we were all exhausted. Getting any rest in the hospital is a joke! The only way we could get Jackson to sleep was on Mommy.

We are still battling fluid in Jackson's ears. We were scheduled for tubes next Tuesday but they moved it to March 15th because he has RSV and he bronchial tubes aren't quite ready yet. Despite his hearing loss due to the fluid, he has said a few more words - "ackon" which is Jackson, diaper, and "ank you" which is thank you. We hope that he will learn more words as soon as he can hear properly. All animals are still "da" which is dog.

Jackson has been playing by himself really well. He also loves playing with other kids. We went to Music Together this week and he loved it! They sing songs, play instruments and dance around the room.

Month 14 Week 4

What a week! Jackson had a cold that turned into pneumonia and an ear infection and he caught an additional virus called RSV, which is a respiratory virus. We spent Monday through Wednesday in the hospital and every other day at home trying to keep him away from the germs.

Let's just say the hospital was zero fun. The nurses woke Jackson up 9 times the first night he was there. Drew and I were loosing our patience since he is so hard to get back to sleep. The second night I slept with Jackson on my chest on a cot. He had a crib but would have nothing to do with napping or sleeping in it by himself. I was very tempted to climb into the crib with him so that we could all get some sleep. It is about impossible to contain a 14 month old with two 6 foot wires attached to him. He was setting off monitors left and right. I got really good at clearing occlusions on the IV. Drew learned very quickly how to silence the alarms.

Jackson is doing much better. He still has fluid in his ears so we have to go to the ear, nose and throat doctor this week. He is still taking breathing treatments twice a day and will until April 1. We cannot take him to child watch of any kind until April 1 so I hope the weather is nice so we can go outside!

Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers. We needed each one of them!