Just Like Daddy

Why is Jackson grabbing his face? Well, while I was cleaning the kitchen, he apparently discovered the mini-cinnamon rolls that we had in a box by the table and decided to stuff as many in his mouth as possible before I noticed how quiet he was.  And I actually found him like this not once, but twice because he stashed some under his stroller for later. Lovely. Yet another way in which he is becoming just like Brandon, who cannot turn down a good cinnamon roll ever.  These days, if Brandon does something or has something, Jackson is right there waiting to copy him. Brandon always wears shoes in the house, so Jackson always brings me his socks and shoes in the morning. Brandon puts on aftershave and brushes his hair, so Jackson want his hair brushed and a little bit of aftershave on his neck.  And, although I was not around Brandon growing up, I can only imagine that he tested every limit out there, so of course Jackson must do the same. He climbs on things and gets into things, all the time watching to see if we notice and react.  Brandon says he is not sure whether Jackson wants to be like him more or Brandon wants to be like Jackson more. It is probably a toss up!

Posing with Uncle Tim at Emma's birthday party.

As for life in SA, we are pretty low key. I came down with a little bit of what Brandon and Jackson had the week before, so we didn't get out too much. Brandon was finishing his last week of school as well, so he was busy with papers and exams. But now we are home free until January!  I helped throw a bridal shower for my friend Kristen this weekend which turned out really well, and then Jackson and I headed back to SA for my niece's birthday party.  

Attacking Granny's glasses.

We did manage to go see Santa last week as well. Jackson was more interested in the balloons they had up everywhere, so he spent his few moments with Santa, pointing them out.  But at least he was happy because I cannot say the same for the kids in front of us...one refused to get near Santa and the other was good for 5 seconds when they gave him a candy cane and then promptly melted down once he realized who was holding him. Oh the joys of visiting Santa.

Gruene Christmas

This is a rare picture these days considering Jackson is on the go all day every day, but last week was a bit different.  Monday after Thanksgiving, both Brandon and Jackson came down with a cold and stomach bug combo, so it was a week of fevers, exhaustion, and kleenex galore. Luckily I did not catch it at the same time because Jackson wanted to be held all day and kept falling asleep on me at random. Poor baby...I am just thankful that this is not the norm. 

On Sunday, they were feeling better, so we went to Gruene to check out their market days and Christmas decor. It was beautiful weather and there was plenty of room for Jackson to run around as well. We picked up a few gifts and just enjoyed the afternoon.  Once our little girl and Brittany and Bubba's little girl are here, we will have to get a group picture with "Country Kringle"  as they call him in Gruene.  Nothing says Texas like Santa in chaps and a cowboy hat. 

Jackson relaxing and exploring the grounds.

Jackson was standing outside of Gruene Hall and dancing to the music coming from inside.  Apparently he likes live country music.

Happy Thanksgiving

We headed to my mom's house on Thursday morning and had our meal later in the day. It was nice to relax and take our time putting everything together. Jackson  tried on his first pair of real boots so he can brave the rough Texas terrain at my mom's place without getting any cactus or burrs in his feet. At first he just stood there because they are a bit clunky, but then he got the hang of it and was outside with the boys playing football in no time. He obviously has Midland in his blood looking so sharp in his boots and jeans. My mom is going to keep them at her place for him to have when he visits, so that will be convenient. 

Friday we went into Dripping Springs and helped my mom get her Christmas tree. Jackson tried on  some cute hats while we were at it and seems to enjoy all of the lights and decor that will soon be up everywhere. We set up her tree (mostly Brandon) and then headed home Friday afternoon to rest and get our own Christmas decor out. My dad and I used to  go the day after Thanksgiving each year and pick out a tree, just the two of us. So we kept that tradition alive and got a little four foot tree ourselves that will fit on the ledge next to our stockings. It is really cute and high enough to keep Jackson from getting into the ornaments.  He did help us put one on, but we took over from there. That is one nice thing about having a small place, it doesn't take long to get lights and decorations up!  So Thanksgiving was very restful and Christmas will be here before we know it. As for Jackson, he loves everything about Thanksgiving dinner, especially sweet potatoes, the dark turkey meat, fruit salad, and of course whatever bites of pie Brandon would give him. And in addition to all the excitement of Thanksgiving, he also said his first word (other than mommy and daddy): Puppy! I got it on video but have not been able to upload it yet...pretty much the cutest thing ever though, I can tell you that much. I have a feeling that more words are on the way because he sure is proud of himself for learning that one.  Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Cold Weekend

This is the first weekend that Jackson and I have stayed home when Brandon has class. Normally we are gone for at least Friday and Saturday to Austin or elsewhere. But we stayed here, and it went by very quickly. Friday I was cleaning and Jackson was pulling out every toy he owns and then moved on to his clothes...quite the masterpiece in our living room to say the least. His new favorite activity is climbing, so boxes, chairs, coffee tables, etc. are all fair game. He works hard to get on top of them and then yells to get our attention and cheers for himself for a while.  I heard a story this weekend from an older woman who said her son was a climber and she found him on top of their fridge one day. What on earth? Jackson better not be doing anything crazy like that to me.  

On Saturday, Jackson and I met one of my roommates from college for lunch and that was fun. She is in graduate school in Boston but is dating a guy from the Valley, so she flew in to SA to spend Thanksgiving with his family.  I enjoyed catching up with her very much and Jackson flirted away. He definitely comes alive when we anyone other than Brandon and I are around. Brandon only has three more weeks of class and his first semester will be over. It is flown by for both of us, and he has done really well...makes me proud. Other than that we are gearing up for Thanksgiving...I will update on how that goes. 

Growing Boy

Well, we are about a week from Thanksgiving which is very hard to believe. It is getting "colder" in SA, but that doesn't mean much to anyone who doesn't wear flip flops 11 months out of the year I guess. Jackson seems to have a high cold tolerance like his daddy, but I still layer him whether he likes it or not. He is wearing these tennis shoes more often now because he brings them to me everyone morning along with my tennis shoes. I guess he realizes that we both have to get our shoes on and then he can go outside and start the day. 

Last weekend, we went to my mom's house so Brandon could help her with some work on the property and I could get some writing done with Jackson preoccupied. Matt and Rita came out for the day on Saturday which was fun and Jackson showed off accordingly. He especially liked to wear Brandon's eyepod shuffle clipped to his shirt and listen to the music through the headphones...he loves music and dancing to say the least. We grilled out on Saturday night and headed home after church on Sunday. It was really pretty out there with fall settling in...this is my favorite time of year. 

Other than that we are plugging along. I have been giving more massages with the marathon being in SA this past weekend and even though I am 22 weeks, I am feeling really good. I try to exercise each day/keep up with Jackson, so that is keeping me in shape. Jackson had his 15 month check up yesterday and is as healthy as they come. He got a few shots which were not fun, but he took it like a champ. I got the flu vaccine too, so I felt his pain at least. He is weighing in at 22lbs. 8 oz. now and jumped from the 10th to the 75th percentile in height! He has Brandon's strong build, but we will see how tall he gets. I knew he was feeling heavier even though he hasn't chunked up.  

Jackson doesn't know what he is in for next week with Thanksgiving dinner, but everything he loves from turkey to sweet potatoes will be available in abundance...he may think he is in Heaven. We will see. 

November News

For those of you that didn't know, I am pregnant with #2.  And yesterday I found out that not only am I already 20 weeks along (I thought 16ish), but we are having a little girl! Oh, I am excited to say the least. Don't know if I am ready for the drama that we ladies bring to the mix, but at least we can even things out in the Hill household. Jackson doesn't understand that he will have a sibling, but he does kiss my belly and loves little babies. At least he is very affectionate and not overly rowdy or we would be in trouble. Due date of March 24th, so ready or not, here she comes! 

Other news around here...Brandon is churning out papers for school and gearing up for the end of the semester projects, etc. Jackson is loving life and exploring everything. The pots and pans are a new favorite or should I say anything that is hidden behind a cabinet or drawer and within reach  is fair game. He especially likes walking on his own to the car when we leave the apartment and normally gathers plenty of rocks and leaves along the way. He wears Bobux shoes because they allow him to move his feet better, but the other day they were wet so I put some regular tennis shoes on him. Well, he suddenly couldn't walk anymore and when he attempted to, it looked like he was walking in snow boots! He kept lifting his feet way off the ground and stomping around the house. I think we will keep him in his Bobux until they are worn out and then go back to "the clunkers." And we have apparently moved from taking everything out and spreading it around the floor to putting things inside boxes and other containers. The other day I went to put him in bed and found a pile of Brandon and my shoes waiting for me because he had transported them from the closet to his bed during the afternoon.  You never know what you are going to get.

Our Little Pumpkin

Well, we headed out last night around 6 to cruise the neighborhood with our sweet little punkin'. We weren't expecting him to do any trick or treating, but we actually had some people come out to the street and offer him road-side candy service. We let him out at a  few houses to walk around which made his day. He wasn't sure what was inside the wrappers, but he enjoyed taking them in and out of the bucket either way. We decided to stop at Colten and Kim's house while we were walking (Colten is in the MBA program with Brandon), and we ended up staying there the rest of the night. They were dressed like M&M's and we chilled out on their front porch letting Jackson hand out candy to the kids that came by. The costumes and influx of little children kept Jackson entertained and he was really good at putting skittles and starbursts in each bag by the end of the night. I think he may have been confusing Easter Egg Hunting with Halloween because he was also hiding candies behind their pumkins, in the mailbox, and in various little nookes on the porch. Oh well, the kids had to work for their candy. 

We headed home around 9, and our little man conked out before we even got home. It was a really nice night. 

Double fisting the candy.

Laity Lodge Family Camp

Jackson and I headed out to Laity Lodge last weekend to help with their family camp weekend. I did some cooking, and he played to hit little heart's content. I think he was soaking up the fact that he could be outside all day with endless exploring opportunities. My mom came out to help watch him on Saturday while I worked and other than that some of my old campers were more than happy to play with him. It was a beautiful weekend and we really enjoyed getting out to camp again. We missed Brandon, but he had class, so he will have to come with us another time. Matt made his first visit to the camp after years of hearing stories, and he and Rita worked and had a little time as well to enjoy the canyon. Jackson took over the little cars and scooters around the ranch house and kept sitting on them and telling my mom "me me," in order to get pushed all over. Needless to say he was completely exhausted by the time we got home. I was too actually...not used to all day in the kitchen cooking for over 100 people anymore. It was nice to be out there though and catch up with Tammy and everyone. 

Jackson spent quite a bit of time on this rock because it was easy to climb!

Fall in Texas

Last weekend we went to Midland to visit family and enjoy some cool weather. We stayed at Brittany and Bubba's new house which is really cute and will be perfect for there little girl in January. Jackson had a blast using their tub, exploring everything, playing at the park nearby, and of course always keeping a hawk-eye on the dog! He is warming up to larger dogs, but still maintains his distance just in case.  The weather was beautiful and it was so nice to relax and see everyone. Jackson showed off his walking for everyone and enjoyed all the extra attention. Grandmommie made sure he tried everything at the park, including the monkey bars which were very entertaining. We also got to see Stuart, Jennifer, and little Hannah for a little bit. She kindly shared her toys with Jackson while we visited. 

Back in San Antonio this week, we finally got some cool weather. Jackson sported his cold weather gear a bit and we visited the pumpkin patch near our house as well. He wasn't interested in either of us or the camera, but instead walked all over the place trying to pick up pumpkins. He finally found one the size of an grapefruit and brought that to me. I guess he was letting me know that that was his size so we should buy it. His independence is already showing up, but it is nice to know that he will still bring everything he finds back to me...a little reminder that I am still important. 

Happy Birthday Granny!

Happy Birthday Mama/Granny/all your other titles! We hope you have a wonderful birthday even though you are working. Jackson sends kisses, and he had such a great time at your place this weekend...walking, helping with the animals, swimming, etc. We love you!

 

October Exploring

We had a good week, and Jackson seemed to find new things every day to play with. One of the ladies at HEB gave him this balloon which entertained him for the entire day. He chased it all over the apartment and really enjoyed the battle. 

Brandon and I celebrated our second anniversary on Tuesday and went to dinner, Jackson in toe. It was nice to get out and have some good food and gelato as well...my favorite. Brandon had class this weekend, so Jackson and I went to Austin. I was doing some massage therapy up there and then went to Erin's sister's wedding with my mom and brothers. Jackson played with all the animals and basically wore himself out running all over the place. He also sported his camo pjs which were pretty much adorable if I do say so myself.  Lately he is walking (almost running) all over the place and his hair is always a little crazy...little punkin. Uncle Stephen and some friends babysat which apparently went well, and I know Jackson was showing off like crazy without a doubt. Home again now and ready for another week. 

End of September...

Well, another month has gone by. We have been traveling quite a bit the last few weeks which has been a nice way to break up the weeks. Two weeks ago we went to Dallas to visit Brent and Emily and Pam and Gerald drove in as well. We ate some good food, visited quite bit, and watched Notre Dame on Saturday. Well, the girls and Jackson actually went swimming during part of the game! Jackson explored their house and tried out everyone's cell phones over the course of the weekend. He is almost exclusively walking now and has already mastered walking with the phone to his ear...glad I am teaching him well. 

This past weekend, Jackson and I went to my 

mom's house 

for a few days to visit some of my family as well as my friend Hillary who was in from North Carolina. It was really good to see her after such a long time and Jackson greeted her with kisses and the n

ormal flirting we have come to expect! We also spent time with Rita, Kristen, and Barrett (Kristen's fiance) on Saturday evening, so Jackson had no lack of entertainment. 

He got into everything of course, but his favorite activity by far was standing at my mom's screen door and talking to her dogs that were on the porch. I think he felt safe enough behind the door to interact and keep an eye on what they were up to. We stopped by my brother and Erin's house Saturday morning...yet another place full of rooms for Jackson to explore. They turned on music and Jackson showed them his moves for a while. For some reason the 1/2 inch lip between their living and dining room proved quite the obstacle because Jackson kept approaching it and either leap frogging over it or wimpering followed by a side-step to the wall so he could step down. Apparently depth perception is fully developed. 

Now we are home enjoying the slightly cooler weather. Jackson is walking everywhere and his only desire in life at the moment is to have someone playing with him at all times. No computer or cooking without him right by our side. He has also learned how to pucker up and kiss which he does to his stuffed animals and us all day. Funny how he then switches to "little boy" mode when Brandon gets on the floor and wrestle time commences...he is perfecting the body slam pretty quickly. It is amazing to see a little man develop out of our little baby. He fake cries and coughs to get my attention and in general thinks he runs the household.