Busy Boy

Another week has flown by this Summer with Jackson.  Our world has opened up since I got my license, though, so I feel like we are both getting a lot more out of life by trying new things with the time we have left together before work and nursery start.  Jackson definitely has a love of being outdoors and seeing people as much as he can because every time we come back into the house, he cries immediately and wants to go back outside.  He truly does thrive when he is around the public and it will be exciting to see how he does at nursery as he grows up and makes friends of his own.

Aside from the regular activities of Little Treasures and Outdoor Activities on Monday and Wednesday, we had the opportunity to meet up with two of my friends and their children on Tuesday in Preston.  We all met at Brockholes Nature Reserve and after a long walk around the lake there, the four boys played at the park.  It was a really hot, sunny day so I am happy that we got to spend it outside and with good friends.

On Thursday, we travelled to the Crosby Marina on the train with other parents and children from the children's centre.  The activity of the day was 'crabbing' which involved long butterfly nets with pebbles and raw bacon in them as bait for the crabs.  Jackson and I watched the crabbing for awhile, but then he wanted to crawl around on the grass, go on a walk, eat snacks, and play at the playground.  Unfortunately, the older children didn't have any luck catching crabs.  Luckily, Jackson was entertained with other things anyway, so he didn't seem too heartbroken to not catch sight of a crab.

Friday we met up with our friends Vicky and Thomas at a new place in Southport called "Momma's House."  It is a cafe with a mini-main street themed play area for children to play who are 3.5 feet tall and shorter.  I was really impressed with the layout and offerings of baby-appropriate toys available and I will definitely be taking Jackson back again.  Besides finding a new hangout, I enjoyed catching up with a very good friend so much!  It was refreshing to have a conversation while the babies played independently in a safe, penned-in area without any big kids running around causing worry for the moms.

And finally, to end our very busy week, we all travelled to Sheffield today to meet Jackson's new cousin named Amelia!  He softly patted her head and looked at her a few times, but mostly he just played with toys with his other cousin, Connor.  It was really nice to hold a brand-new, cuddly baby again and we are happy to have a new addition to our extended family.

Crawling through the tunnel at the Baby Olympics

Drumming on the balance boards

Standing and grabbing everything off of the coffee table

Trying out all of the toys at "Momma's House"

Developmental updates:  Jackson loves the movie Muppets Most Wanted.  We bought him the soundtrack this week so he can listen to the songs in the car for long journeys.  (And we like singing along, too.)  He has started bouncing and 'dancing' in his own way when he hears music.  Jackson has developed a surprised face.  Initially, it looks like he is going to yawn, but he just sits with his mouth gaping open and his eyes wide.  Jackson tried a few new foods this week and loves them (of course):  blackberries, beef stroganoff, and Cheerios.  He is still following his growth percentiles, but it seems he is able to wear his clothes longer before he grows out of them because his growth has slowed down a bit.  He has almost grown out of all of his 9-12 month clothes, but he is wearing his outfits more than once which was the average for a long time.  On Wednesday, both of his bottom front teeth came through!  I started brushing his teeth that day and he loves the feeling of the toothbrush on his gums and seems to like the minty taste of the toothpaste.  Jackson has always been a smiling, welcoming baby, but this week, Lee and I have noticed it more than ever.  We both said many times this week how thankful and lucky we are to have our little Jackson in our lives.

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