Happy New Year!

Jackson had a great first Christmas and it was definitely more fun for Lee and I with a baby around with whom we could share all of our Christmas spirit!  He received so many clothes, bibs, books, toys, and teething rings (which I need to stop referring to as "chew toys").  We are very thankful for all of the toys under the tree and although Jackson may not fully realise how much he is loved and how generous people were to him, he will have so much fun with his new things and he will learn new skills which will inevitably help him in the future.  The different sizes of clothes are also helpful because even though Jackson is nearly three months old, he is wearing clothes labelled to fit babies up to nine months!  He is a very tall little baby.

This week, Jackson unofficially weighs 16 pounds and is unofficially 2 feet 1 inch tall.  I say this because although the health centre was supposed to be open on Tuesday from 1:30 to 3 P.M. for baby weighing, the facility's parking lot was padlocked shut and no cars were in sight--except for ours and two others, which belonged to parents who were also there for a baby weigh-in.  This was the only time during this New Year week that the health centre was supposed to be open, but I wasn't going to let that get me down.  When we got home, we used an unorthodox method of weighing Jackson (a handheld luggage scale combined with a baby carrier).  It seemed to work just fine for this particular situation.

Yesterday, Lee and I ventured out at different times to get our hair cut and when we came home, Jackson whimpered a little bit and refused to look us in the eye for a few hours.  As far as he's concerned, he has new parents, but he's learning to like us again.

I am very excited to see what the new year brings for our little family.  2016 will bring lots of firsts:  Jackson will be eating solid foods, crawling, sitting, teething, talking, meeting the Carpenter family, going to the beach, and starting nursery school.  I am going to get my UK driving licence by the time I go back to work.  Lee doesn't have any official plans for 2016, but he always manages to find a project to work towards that is new and exciting.  He did mention that he wants to go on road trips and explore more of England that he hasn't discovered yet, so that will be fun for all of us!

We hope you all have a very Happy New Year!

Singing Jingle Bells and playing with musical instruments

Holding his favourite stuffed animal

Mastering "Tummy Time"

Falling asleep by the fire on Christmas Eve

"Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas!"

Pulling up into a sitting position...

...and loving it!

Where's Jackson?

Someone is very pleased with his presents!

Retiring after a long day of opening presents and visiting with family

Developmental updates:  moves eyes smoothly when following an object, can move into a standing position while holding onto my fingers from a laying-down or sitting position, uses both feet at the same time to jump in his jumperoo but mostly alternates his feet (the jumperoo had to be stretched up to level 2 to accommodate for his height this week), puts everything in his mouth, shakes a rattle once or twice, and rubs his soft toys along his head and cheeks.

If you see Sammie Miles Davis, Jr. and Bella, give them my love.

Merry Christmas!

This is a very exciting week for everyone and can also be hectic with all of the Christmas preparations, so I will just give an update on Jackson's developments and spoil you with more cute pictures of what people at church are calling "the best baby."

Jackson can now touch the floor with his tiptoes in his jumperoo and is quite pleased with his jumping skills.  He now grabs toys and pulls them towards his face and also has started sucking on blankets and the ends of toys that he can fit into his mouth.  His smiling and laughter has doubled in the past week--maybe he knows it's Christmas after all?  Jackson's eyes are slightly changing colour and aren't as blue as they used to be.  I imagine he will have brown eyes like Lee and me, but they're in between colours right now and have a greenish-blue hue.  His favourite Christmas book is The Twelve Days of Christmas which is a commitment in and of itself, but he doesn't respond to the song without the pictures to along with it in the book.  With all of his books now, he is staring at the pictures and looking left to right over and over, sometimes laughing, sometimes furrowing his brows, or sometimes smiling at the pictures.  He's starting to blow little bubbles and make clear "oh" sounds.  Lately, he's been hoisting his head up to try and sit, but can't make it unless he's holding onto our hands and then pulls himself quite easily.  Somehow, during the night, he's shifting around in his bed and we discover him at new angles in the morning; so, he's discovering ways of moving.  Jackson has shown affection toward one bunny in particular and he falls asleep holding this toy during his naps.

As always, thank you for reading!  Have a very Merry Christmas!

Showing off his tummy time skills

Eating at Pizza Hut with Mom and Dad, sitting in the high chair.  Also, getting lots of attention from the tables nearby and smiling at the waitress whenever she came around.

Tired after the trip to Speke to eat at Pizza Hut and the long journey in the car

Laughing while watching Daddy dance

If you see Sammie Miles Davis, Jr. and Bella, give them my love.

Confessions of a New Mom

This week, Jackson had his first meeting with Santa and it went very well.  He was very well behaved and even posed for his picture without pulling on Santa's beard or throwing a tantrum--which I thought might happen seeing the other babies who went before him.

Later on the same day, Jackson had his first set of immunisations.  He received five in all (1 in liquid form and 4 injections) and I've never seen him so red, cry so hard, or have tears streaming down his face before.  Neither of us made it through without crying.  I know that he'll be better off for having the immunisations and I feel more secure taking him to playgroups and out in public knowing that he is immune to dangerous diseases, but obviously it's hard to explain these reasons for such a painful experience to a baby.  To my relief, it seemed as though Jackson forgot about his shots by the time we got home and he didn't have a fever or any signs of red dots around the injection sites that the nurse said may happen.  And I think he's forgiven me now.

Today, Jackson went to a "Tummy Time" session.  This was mainly an informative meeting for parents on why it is important for babies to spend time on their stomachs for at least 30 minutes a day and different ways this can be achieved other than obviously just laying the baby on his stomach on the floor.  Jackson was the second-youngest of the bunch and he held his head up with as much strength as the five-month-olds.  I was very proud.  Lee spends time with Jackson nearly every day when he gets home and the consistent effort has definitely paid off.  Elaine, the leader of the session, even commented and said that Jackson was doing very well and he's clearly doing his 'tummy time' at home.  Then she said that I was a "good mama."

This simple compliment and the fact that she noticed that Jackson has people working at home with him went a long way.  From the first night alone in the hospital watching Jackson sleeping in the little bedside crib, I have second-guessed myself more than any other time in my life many times a day.  My brain has conformed to Jackson-centred thoughts and there is very little room for anything else in there--even facts such as my age or dates of birthdays or anything that I once considered menial.  And even though I have Jackson's needs on my mind all of the time, I have many moments of wondering if I'm doing enough or moments of guilt because I don't know if I'm doing the 'right' thing.  At any given moment, these questions make me feel like I might not be doing the best job as a mom:  "Is this the best activity for his development?"  "I wonder what the research says about this toy?"  "Should I have his rain cover down on his stroller (pram) or is the air too cool for his little lungs?"  "Am I holding him too much?"  "Should I set-up more play dates with other babies his age?"  "Did I spend enough time today reading to Jackson?"  And the list goes on and on.  It's no wonder that my brain has gone to mush!

I realise that there are hundreds of ways to raise a baby and that not every day can be 'perfect.'  But, it is nice to hear that someone thinks I'm doing a good job.  I think that's the one thing I have learned since becoming a mom:  moms deserve a lot of respect and encouragement.  Moms don't get a full night's sleep (at least for the first ten weeks they don't--we'll see when that happens again), they might feel guilt for not getting enough housework done, they are questioning their parenting decisions since they really have no idea what they're doing at the beginning, they are trying to be a caring wife who still has time to prepare dinner every night, they are possibly still working or taking classes, they are quite possibly still healing from a delivery or C-section for the first two months, and they are trying to look presentable in case someone comes around to the house (which is purposely last on the list because this is the lowest of all priorities).  Then, of course, they're trying to raise a baby in the best way they can.

Before I had Jackson, I had NO idea how hard it would be to have the stamina to be a mom.  I thought I knew, but it's obvious to me now that I didn't.  When people said it would be hard--at least at the beginning--I thought that somehow, it wouldn't be hard for me.  Jackson is a true bundle of joy and he is a very easy-going baby, so most of the hardship comes from the internal questioning of whether or not I did 'enough' during the day or if I did a 'good job.'

So if you get the chance to see a mom today, tell her she's doing a good job and throw-in a few more compliments to boot because it will make a world of difference to her.

Ten-week update:  Jackson weighs 14 pounds 1 ounce and has started crying if his Daddy leaves the room.  He's talking a lot more now and has made new two-syllable noises, sometimes with consonant sounds, while he's playing.

Meeting Santa at the Kings Meadow Children's Centre in Ainsdale

Playing with his first 'friend,' Mia

Sitting in the 'big chair' watching Barney

If you see Sammie Miles Davis, Jr. and Bella, give them my love.

Littlest Patient

This week brought many milestones for Jackson:  he turned two-months-old on December 4th, he began crying for certain things he wants such as to look at the mobile or to go in his play gym, and he got his first cold.

In England, the over-the-counter equivalent of Dimetapp or Tylenol is called Calpol and the infant version is strawberry flavoured.  I had heard of this medicine from working in a school, but since we are not allowed to administer anything other than a band-aid (plaster), I have never seen the packaging.  Also, whenever I heard someone say Calpol, it sounded like "Cowpull."  This didn't make any sense to me, but neither does "Dimetapp," so I figured it was named after the loveable farm animal to appeal to sick children needing relief from a sore throat or cough.  I pictured the box having a smiling cow grazing in a sunny green field.  The box is actually purple and pink with a picture of a baby on it.  Over-the-counter medicine brands here are not in abundance like the local superstores in Ohio, so it was easy to figure out that Cowpull was Calpol and we were on our way.

Yesterday was the worst for Jackson with a constant runny nose, mild coughing, and needing to be held for most of the day.  Today it's just coughing and hopefully it will be gone by tomorrow.  Because of his runny nose, we also learned that he has a severe fear of the nasal aspirator.  He will cry at the mere sight of the thing and it's hard to be sneaky with that lightbulb-sized tool.  Luckily, we haven't had to use it much today and by the next time he needs it, hopefully he will have forgotten what it is.

Jackson will go for his shots on Monday (after he spends the morning meeting Santa) so please pray for a quick and painless process!  Also, I forgot to mention last week that he was weighed on November 30th and he was 13 pounds 6 ounces at the start of his eighth week.

Developmental updates
This week and last, Jackson started to do the following:  makes 'eh' sounds to attract attention, makes short bursts of sounds and listens to himself, repeats sounds if encouraged sometimes, likes staring at pages in his books that have high contrast or bold faces (Tiny Tim and Scrooge in Disney's A Christmas Carol is a favourite), watches fast-moving images on TV if they catch his eye, and wants to sit up and likes to be propped in the corner of the couch.

If you see Sammie Miles Davis, Jr. and Bella, give them my love.

 Two months old!

"Me Time"

When I read "Iron on reverse" on even the tiniest of baby clothes, I think, "You've got to be kidding me!"  It is laughable to think that any new mom would have time to iron a onesie.  And if she did have time, it's even more of a stretch of the imagination to believe that all of the work put into ironing the tiny sleeves and around the mini snaps would be appreciated by the baby who would probably spit-up (or worse) all over the garment within seconds of having it lovingly put on in the wee hours of the morning.

So although I am not ironing Jackson's clothes, I am devoting every minute of the day to all of his other needs.  (He is sleeping right now in his swing dreaming along to classical music, so obviously some of the minutes of the day, I have a break.)  This brings me to the title for this week:  "Me Time."

As a mom, the only 'me time' that I have is spent completing the basic essentials to be accepted into modern-day society--such as combing my hair and bathing.  One day, I had time to put my hair into a 'neat' ponytail and managed to put on a fresh tee-shirt and I felt like I could face the world once again.  Guilt sets in when I do anything that isn't for Jackson.  Two Fridays ago, I went to a group at a garden centre for moms to 'chat'.  This lasted two hours and all of the babies had to sit on their mothers' knees while the women all compared their babies' weights, lengths, and sleeping patterns.  The guilt hit hard as we were leaving and I realised that Jackson probably didn't get anything out of that experience and I was selfish for going.

After that day, I made sure that every minute is 'all about Jackson' and giving him as many new adventures with the world around him as he can take in without being too overwhelmed.  Usually our day consists of singing, dancing, reading, time in the Fisher Price play gym and jumperoo, looking at the mobile, talking back and forth, and then of course the diaper changes and clothing adjustments that occur throughout the day.  While Jackson is napping, I try to get at least one thing done that benefits the family as a whole such as laundry or cleaning.  Other than studying to take my driving test, I try not to do anything that would fit into the 'me time' category.

I am so proud to be Jackson's mom and I brag about him at every opportunity I get with anyone I meet.  I am also proud to give him the best of everything I have.  I am very content to put aside my needs to see Jackson learning and growing every day and being the happiest little baby boy anyone could hope for.

If you see Sammie Miles Davis, Jr. and Bella, give them my love.

Mommy and Me

Jackson and I went to our first playgroups on Monday and Tuesday this week.  If you've ever seen the Diane Keaton classic Baby Boom, then you'll know the scene where she takes her little Elizabeth to the over-achieving "Mommy and Me" group in New York City.  We weren't asked to hang our babies from a trapeze swing to show their upper-body strength like the film, however, there were times that I felt out of the loop.

Upon entering the children's centre, I had to fill-out a registration form for not only myself, but also for Jackson.  I figured having a baby in my arms would be my pass into the playgroup.  Apparently, each children's centre in the UK gets funding depending on the number of people who regularly participate, hence the need for a formal registration.

After this, we were pressure-sold into buying tickets to the Christmas party coming up on December 14th since "there are a limited number of tickets and they're going fast."  The tickets are only required for the adults attending and cost £2 each.  This cost helps pay for "tea, a mincemeat pie, and a present for the children from Father Christmas."  I don't drink tea, and no offence, England, but I don't get the appeal of the mincemeat pies, so we'll just meet Santa and collect Jackson's gift, thank you.  Also, I figured £2 was a steal to meet Santa since my friend said that in her town, the going-rate was £15 to meet Santa and that includes standing in line!

Then, we got to go into the room where there were about 20 other moms--and one dad--participating in Monday's "Little Treasures" group.  The floor was covered in quilts and scattered around were baskets full of 'little treasures' for the children to explore different textures.  I was pleased to see so many people and managed to meet a couple of really nice moms.

In the last half-hour of the session, we were asked to move around the edge of the room and face the centre of the room to sing songs and listen to a story.  By this time, I had sat in a cross-legged position so long that my legs had fallen asleep (I had 'pins and needles' for my UK readers).  So I had to scoot to the edge, holding Jackson, and dragging my legs limply behind me without trying to pull all of the quilts along for the ride.

The only time I felt a bit out of the loop was during the songs because in my overzealous singing, I clapped at the wrong times and sang some of the wrong lyrics a little too loudly.  Also, every song has actions and when all of the other babies were zooming to outer space or riding on a wagon, we were noticeably a few beats behind.  Anyway, I didn't want to bounce Jackson too vigorously incase he couldn't hold down the two feedings he had during the playgroup.  All in all, Jackson did very well and behaved wonderfully, charming the group with his smiles and alertness.

Tuesday, I tried going to "Rhyme Time" with Jackson which was a shorter playgroup, only supposed to last a half-hour.  We began the group very well since Jackson does love to hear singing, but after the first song, he was hungry again.  And in usual Jackson fashion, he started screaming like he had never eaten before.  This group only had six other moms and babies, so I decided to remove myself to feed Jackson.  At this playgroup, which was held in a church, the nearest hideout was a restroom in which I couldn't locate the light switch so we sat on a broken toilet seat in the dark for 25 minutes.

As the group was finishing "Jingle Bells," we re-entered Rhyme Time, but apparently that was the last song.  The leader kindly added two extra songs for us, but I could tell the group was dwindling as only one person joined me in the actions for the songs.  We'll try again next week and see if we can make it through the whole half-hour.

Updates on Jackson's developments:  He seems to interact with his toys independently now in his play gym--he doesn't need any prompting.  Jackson smiles and laughs at the changing coloured lights in his gym, as well.  He can hold his head up now so he is making use of the Fisher Price jumperoo and manages to bounce up and down even though his feet don't touch the ground, yet; he uses the momentum of his arms and head to make the toy bounce up and down.  Jackson started purposefully kicking dangling toys and closing his hands around objects, hanging on for short periods of time.  He likes to watch Lee and I doing jobs around the house and to feel like he is a part of the activity.  Lastly, he has started interrupting while we are talking and he's making many new sounds, trying to develop his speech.  And of course, he gets cuter each day.

If you see Sammie Miles Davis, Jr. and Bella, give them my love.

First Doctor's Appointment

Jackson is now six-and-a-half weeks old and he weighs 11 pounds 14 ounces and is 58.5 cm long (23 inches).  The health visitor determined that Jackson is in the 75th percentile for weight and the 91st percentile for height.  His head size also went up to 39.1 cm which she said was on track.

Last week, we heard his first laughs!  Jackson laughed three times in the span of about fifteen minutes while looking at his favourite toy and listening to Lee and I make funny noises.  Also, he has developed a bit of a routine and eats and naps at relatively the same times during the day.

We took Jackson to Cheshire Oaks (an outlet mall) to look for some baby outfits and to get out in the fresh air on Saturday.  He's grown sizeably in the past week and needed more clothes in the 0-3 month range that were on the longer size (since it seems every brand makes their 0-3 month clothes variably different).  The mall is beautifully decorated for Christmas now so we took some photos by the Christmas tree and Jackson loved staring at the twinkling lights.

After the mall, we travelled to see Lee's grandpa in Buckeley, Cheshire so Jackson could meet his Great-Grandpa McRae for the first time.  He was very well-behaved all day, sleeping soundly in the car and entertaining happily when it was time to visit.

That night, he discovered his fist and thumb could be used for sucking, and has started that habit when he sees fit, but it is a very seldom occasion so far.

Yesterday was the first time we met our doctor for a check-up.  (That's right:  I've been registered at the same doctor's office for three years and up until now, I've only spoken to nurses or midwives.)  The appointment was scheduled from 9:40 until 10:20 and I was under the impression that Jackson would be receiving his first round of shots (jabs, in the UK) at this meeting which had me particularly distraught.  When he woke up, I fed him, changed him, and dressed him.  Luckily, he went back to sleep which allowed me enough time to get myself ready, pack the diaper bag, and set-up the stroller.  We made it out of the house by 8:40 to get the bus and having just missed the 8:47 bus, we had to wait until 9:10 until we saw another one.  (There went twenty minutes of a peacefully sleeping Jackson!)

After we checked-in at the doctor's reception and sat down, it was 9:25 and Jackson was still sound asleep.  The doctor actually met us promptly at 9:40 which I was happy about; however, Jackson was just starting to wake-up again and I knew that he would be hungry.  He really only cries desperately when he's hungry and can come out of a deep sleep with screams of starvation as if he's never eaten before, so I knew this was going to have to be a quick meeting before disaster would strike.

Of course, the crying began right when we sat down and I told the doctor that he was hungry, but he asked a succession of questions such as, "Does he cry often?"  "He sounds hoarse; do you leave him to cry for long periods of time?"  "He's a squaller."  "What a loud cry."  All of these statements made me feel incredibly at ease...not really.  I felt like I had to defend myself as a parent when I knew there was nothing wrong and Jackson has never cried for more than two minutes in his life.  When he was born, the nurses commented on his "three-month-old cry" so he just has strong vocal chords, I guess.  While he was crying, Jackson had to have his head measured, body examined, and heart and eyes checked-out.  The doctor also has a very quiet speaking voice, so I had to have him repeat his sentences two or three times each because I couldn't hear anything over Jackson's howls of hunger.

While undressing Jackson for his check-up, I figured he would have a full diaper and he didn't disappoint.  The doctor asked if I had a plastic bag.  This particular practice makes parents put their stroller in a "Pram Park" outside because there is not a lot of room to manoeuvre strollers inside since the office is in an old house.  So, I had to run outside to get a plastic bag and then after it was bagged, the doctor said, "There's a nice present for you to take home."  I thought, "Seriously?  I have to take this thing home on the bus?  That isn't happening."

The forty-minute appointment only lasted fifteen minutes and Jackson's shots are now scheduled for December 14th since apparently, they were never planned for yesterday anyway, I just assumed that was part of the first check-up.

Jackson happily ate in the waiting room before we ventured out and I tossed that 'present' into the nearest trashcan on our way to the bus stop.  We ended our outing with a trip to Formby to buy a few more baby outfits and Jackson took a two-and-a-half hour nap which began when we stepped out of the doctor's office door.  That's my boy!

If you see Sammie Miles Davis, Jr. and Bella, give them my love.

Right Before Our Eyes

It seems as though Jackson has grown up "right before our eyes" like everyone has warned.  All in one day, we have noticed we have an even more alert and interactive baby on our hands.  On Sunday, Jackson turned five weeks old and spent the entire day eating with very little time for sleeping.  For twelve hours, he took two half-hour naps and spent the rest of the time snacking with great fervour.  The midwives said that he would have two of these feasting days toward the beginning, but Jackson has exceeded expectations and this was the seventh day like this.  I don't know if all other babies have experienced this or if it is just a symptom of baby boys.  Either way, all of this eating is paying off because Jackson now weighs 10 pounds 13 ounces and he is more aware of his surroundings--so his brain must be growing, too.

Besides getting cuter by the day, Jackson started to smile in response to singing and high-pitched 'silly' noises as well as when toys are dangled in front of his face.  Sometimes, he reaches for the toys and taps them lightly.  During changing time, he has stopped crying and enjoys watching his rainforest mobile go round and round.  For a bit of respite, I'll let him lay a bit longer watching the leafy carousel until he gets bored or the device automatically turns itself off.  Once this past week, I noticed that Jackson's pacifier fell out of his mouth and he actually pushed it back in from where it was on his chest with his fist.  Jackson has luckily began to hold his food down much better than before and Lee and I can feel the difference in his weight when we hold him.  He's still lean without much 'baby fat,' though.  There's also been a big difference in his height because he really curls around me when he eats.  (Next week, he will finally be measured officially at his first doctor's appointment.)  And lastly, Jackson now stares into our faces for lengths of time and responds to us if we change facial expressions, sometimes.

This growing-up deal is tricky because although we want Jackson to be developing on track or ahead of the curve, we also want him to stay our little baby for as long as possible.  After he gets his immunisations next Tuesday--which I am hoping to get through without any tears from either of us--we will start attending the mommy and baby groups where I'm sure comparisons amongst the babies will be made.  I'll be able to see then if Jackson is on track with others his age.  Also, hopefully I'll make some friends who live in Southport.

Over this past week, Jackson had some other changes:  he grew out of some of his clothes and moved on to the next diaper size.  All of these milestones are signs that our little bundle is growing up right before our eyes.

One month old!

A picture from Halloween

Our happy little baby

If you see Sammie Miles Davis, Jr. and Bella, give them my love.

Yes Sir, That's My Baby

And I don't mean maybe!  The first day in the hospital, I had to keep looking at Jackson because every time I looked, I saw something new.  After a day of trying to memorise this new face, I was worried because I wasn't confident that in a room full of babies, I would be able to pick out which one was mine.  I told this to one of the midwives and she said that Jackson would be able to identify me by smell alone.

Luckily, we didn't have to rely on his super sense of smell since he never left my side at the hospital.  Also, with the little sleep that I get, I'm glad to say that I can already see Jackson in my dreams so I'm pretty sure I could take on the "room full of babies challenge" now.

On Wednesday, Jackson will be one month old already!  The first month has gone by quickly, but I try to do as many activities as I can and hold Jackson as much as I can every day to make the days go as slowly as possible.  His new developments include cooing and babbling, reaching for his toys that hang above his head, and sleeping for longer stretches of time like he did the first week.

My friend asked me this week what I enjoyed the most about being Jackson's mom:  I love the fact that he calms down when I hold him merely because I'm his mom and he feels safe and secure.  Whenever I baby-sat little ones in Ohio and they were upset, sometimes nothing I did could settle them down until they saw their moms again.  It feels good to have a little one of my own now who fully depends on me and knows that I'm always here for whatever he needs.

If you see Sammie Miles Davis, Jr. and Bella, give them my love.

Growth Spurt

I don't know who programmed babies to have a growth spurt during their second week of life, but it is a a bit cruel to do to an already emotional mother.  It's amazing how much Jackson's facial features have changed within the first two weeks and how much more alert and active he is with each passing day.  It seems like he's always moving and making little squeaks--even in his sleep!

In England, parents need to register their child's birth at a registration office within 42 days in order to receive a birth certificate.  This means one doesn't technically need to have a name picked out before leaving the hospital which seems strange to me.  Last Tuesday, we travelled to Ormskirk to register Jackson's birth and buy copies of his birth certificate.  We received a 'short' birth certificate free of charge, but had to buy any additional longer versions for £4 each.  These versions are used to open bank accounts and order a passport.  The meeting was fairly short and luckily, Lee and I were able to answer all of the questions posed, so we essentially 'passed' and our baby was registered.

Earlier that day, we visited a pumpkin patch to get Jackson out in the sun--trying to escape any remaining signs of jaundice--and to fetch a couple of pumpkins so that he gets the most out of his first Halloween.  A British pumpkin patch is apparently a new tradition because the owner said this is only their third year of operation and Lee's grandpa said he had never seen a pumpkin until he went to the USA in the 1960s.  Therefore, the pumpkin patch was no Honey Haven Farms, but I did like the mini wheelbarrows they had available to collect the pumpkins and push them back to the storefront.  Halloween itself isn't celebrated a great deal here.  For instance, last year only three children came to our house for candy.  It also isn't spoken of at Catholic schools so I'd have to search long and hard to find any bobbing-for-apples, costume contests, or spooky stories like we had at Montgomery Elementary long ago.  Halloween doesn't have to be 'evil.'  When I think back to Halloween as a child, it was all fun and games and great memories...that is except for going to the Delaney house for candy.  Mr. Delaney knew how to scare the bejeezus out of every child in the neighbourhood by recruiting former students to create scenes of horror and sneakily follow behind trick-or-treaters from his cul-de-sac up the steep Rook Drive.  I remember feeling as though my legs wouldn't move trying to get up that hill running from the masked characters.  For a few years, I just avoided all the houses in that cul-de-sac because it wasn't worth the tricks for the treats.

Last week, the health visitor and midwife came to see how Jackson was doing.  His weight went down to eight pounds and four ounces, but she reassured me that was a normal weight loss.  Today, my favourite midwife came to visit--her name is Laura--and Jackson has gone up to nine pounds and six ounces.  She noticed his strong neck and ability to hold his head up and to sit up on my lap with great competence.  Since all was well, we were both 'discharged' from midwifery-led care and we're now in the care of the health visitor if there are any questions.

Today was also the day that Lee returned to work and Jackson and I were left to our own devices.  Because he is still going through a growth spurt, he is eating a lot and left me with only two and a half hours free--believe it or not.  The midwives warned me about these big days of non-stop feeding, but I didn't take the warning too literally or seriously.  Whatever Jackson needs, I'll provide so I am happy to spend these days at home with him and centre the hours around his schedule.

A couple of things that he hasn't 'grown' out of yet:  small tufts of hair on the side and back of his ears, quiet peeps of snoring, and sweet little whispery puffs of breath.

If you see Sammie Miles Davis, Jr. and Bella, give them my love.

Welcome, Jackson!

Last Sunday, we welcomed our little baby boy to the world and his name is Jackson Lee.  He is absolutely perfect and cuddly, bringing endless joy to our lives.  This first week with Jackson has thankfully taken its time and Lee and I have enjoyed staring at Jackson's every movement, hiccup, sneeze, and facial expression.

On October 4th at 12:29 P.M., Jackson was born at the Ormskirk Hospital--just a hop, skip, and jump away from Edge Hill University where this blog took infancy seven years ago.  He weighed an impressive 9 lbs. 3 oz. and although doctors do not measure the length of the baby anymore, his head measured 36.1 cm.  But, when he was born, I wasn't concerned with the numbers and figures rather only that he was healthy, had all of his fingers and toes, and breathing strongly.  Jackson has a "three-month-old cry" according to the nurses and his fingers are very long--according to their observations--which leads us to believe he will have a good chance of learning to play the piano like his mom.

The first night in the hospital, Lee had to leave at 9 P.M. so I was alone with my little one until 9 A.M. the next morning.  Jackson slept very well and gave me time to rest after five days in the hospital--we both had a rough ride to the end.  I kept waking up, not believing that he was finally here and also realizing that I had never felt more unprepared for anything else in my life.  I've read the books and have every physical thing that Jackson could need for his first year of life, but to be responsible for a little, helpless babe isn't really anything that can be written about in an instruction guide for parents.  It truly is a feeling that is brand new.

When we were discharged from the hospital on Monday at around 4:45 P.M., we very slowly (mainly due to me) made our way to the parking lot and packed Jackson gingerly into his car seat.  Jackson didn't sleep as easily as he did the first night in the hospital, but it was much better to be in the comfort of our own home instead of the hospital.  Lee and I noticed Jackson's signature "double sneeze" from the first day and his very expressive face.  Jackson also has a very strong neck and arms as he will pull his head up on his own and pushes himself up when laying on our chests.  This is something else that the nurses noted:  his great strength for a newborn.

He loves being in his Fisher Price vibrating bouncer when he's sleeping during the day and after two nights, he got used to sleeping in his bed-side crib with his Sleep Sheep playing rain sounds.  Jackson hates getting his diaper changed, changing outfits, and getting a bath.  Although, he loves the rush of warm water that goes over his cleaned hair at the end of a bath.  Jackson was especially calm during his "heel prick test" for the midwife who came to the house, yet he found the weighing process much more traumatic because he had to be stripped down.  This happened on the fifth day and his weight dropped healthily down to 8 lbs. 8 oz.  He settled down during changing time if "When You Wish Upon a Star" sung by Cliff Edwards was played, but this sent me into a flood of tears because I realized he was already growing and moments were passing that will never come again.

I'm sure that every new mom is emotional and it obviously wears off or else every mom would be walking around with their camera in hand and stroking their child's cheeks forever.  I am so happy that I get to take this first year off of work to be with Jackson and I take comfort in knowing I won't miss a minute or have to hand him off to a daycare center after just a few weeks.  It is true what people say about your baby becoming the center of your world, though.  Lee and I really can't concentrate on anything else and we "ooh" and "ah" over every sound that Jackson produces.  When a telemarketer called me this week, I politely said that I was busy and couldn't talk at that moment, he said, "It will only take a minute," I shot back that I didn't "have a minute--I have a newborn baby to watch."  He still asked when it would be a better time to call me back.  This person must not know what new parents know and how obsessed they can be with their precious baby.

We are so lucky to have this perfect little baby to look after and teach for all the years to come.  This first week, Jackson has taught us so much about our capabilities as parents and what caring for another human being entails.  He gives us strength in the middle of the night to jump up out of a deep sleep and suddenly become coherent enough to do anything required to calm him down.  We are looking forward to every blissful, magical week to follow and ensuring that we savor each precious moment.

 

If you see Sammie Miles Davis, Jr. and Bella, give them my love.