Special Visitors!

Pam and Gerald came to visit this past weekend and Jackson had the time of his life! There was lots of laughing, playing, attempted crawling, and of course bouncing. We went to eat Thursday night and Jackson attacked everything we picked up. Friday was rainy and cold, so they played with Jackson at our apartment while I went to the gym and later looked at a few homes. It seemed like every time I came home, Jackson would be sound asleep on Grandmommie's lap perfectly content after hours of fun. Gerald was the master of putting Jackson to sleep in his swing and would patiently talk to him until his little eyes closed. Saturday was beautiful, so we went to breakfast and ran a few errands to enjoy the sunshine. Later Brandon and I played tennis while they walked a little with Jackson and let him watch the older boys at the park doing tricks on their bikes and skateboards. Pam said Jackson's eyes were glued on those boys, so I guess he is dreaming of the days to come! We had a wonderful weekend and really enjoyed visiting with them. Jackson took a nap on Sunday when they left and then woke up looking for them immediately...he is going to have withdrawals this week. It was nice for me to give my arms a break for a few days, but Grandmommie is going to surprise everyone with her newly acquired guns back in Midland...15+ pounds of bouncing Jackson is no joke!










Grandmommie suggested we break out the Bumbo chair and that was a great success. He could sit up and reach everything quite well.


Jackson's personal trainer assisting him with standing and squats.


Beautiful sunset outside that we couldn't miss.
Gerald never let Jackson fuss too long before going to cheer him up! Jackson wasn't sure what to make of his glasses, but they seemed like a great chew toy.



Jackson on Sunday afternoon after the exciting weekend. He took a three hour nap, and then woke up wanting to play again.

Exploring

We left the door open to let some breeze in and Jackson tried his best to escape! I cannot blame him considering how nice it was outside for a few days. Brandon and I spent most of the weekend looking at houses, and Jackson slept through the majority of that. Little does he know we are trying to find a place where we will have more room to roam. We are praying that God will show us what He has in store for us this year with houses, school, and all the details of our little family.

Stretching on the changing table is a new favorite as well...he has officially discovered his feet!




We cannot leave him alone up there anymore. This took him about 5 seconds to flip over and start figuring out where he could go next.

Anything within a 10 inch radius is fair game these days. Jackson is especially interested in our drinks and regularly attacks the cups, especially if they are cold.

Jackson on wheels

We traded the stationary seat out for a little walker yesterday, and now Jackson is officially on the move! There isn't a lot of space to roam in our apartment, but that is probably a good thing. For now he just scoots around a bit and enjoys the attached toys. We are still giving him time to practice crawling, but at least with this we can monitor what goes in his mouth. So far so good...no crashes yet and he already has the cruising pose down!

Cold Front

It has been chilly all week, and Jackson is coughing a bit. Hopefully he will make it through this cold season without catching anything too bad. For now I am bundling him up really well if we have to get out. He is especially fascinated by Brandon these days and will not take his eyes off of him whenever he is speaking. I guess he knows who will teach him about everything wonderful in life from Notre Dame football to chocolate shakes. A few quotes from Brandon:

1) Jackson drooling = "He just slimed me" 2) Jackson in the shower = "He is like a bar of soap on top of a bar of soap"

3) Jackson calling out for us = "He sounds like a pterodactyl" (had to look up how to spell that one)!

We are training him to crawl, but that day has yet to arrive.

Five Months

Jackson reached the five month mark this past weekend and is getting more active as the days go by. He lifts his head and reaches for everything he can, and he is communicating quite loudly lately if we don't respond quickly. I let him sip some water and he loved that, so hopefully he will interested in solid foods when we start him with that soon. Brandon and I are both busy with work and just enjoying some eventless weekends for now. Our favorite form of entertainment as of late is Brandon asking if we can give Jackson absurd things such as hard candy in public and waiting for horrified women in earshot to pipe in with advice for such new parents.

Recap

We are starting a blog, per the suggestion of Brittany so everyone can see pictures and get updates on our family, mainly Jackson of course. Here is a quick recap of recent months for now...
October 7, 2006 we got married on my mom's land just south of Austin. December 15,2006 Brandon started his new job with Labatt Food Inc. in San Antonio. August 12, 2007 Jackson Roy Hill was born weighing 7lbs. 4oz. and as wide-eyed as he could get! We spent Thankgiving day at my mom's and then the weekend here with Pam and Brittany. The weekend before Christmas we traveled to Beaumont to visit with Brandon's family which was worth the drive to say the least. Christmas day we spent at my mom's house in Driftwood with my three brothers and sister-in-law. Jackson has soaked up the family time and has become quite the active little man, constantly bouncing everywhere and taking everything in through those big blue eyes. And here we are in 2008, after a crazy year, with graduate school, weddings, and who knows what else awaiting us in the months ahead.