its been a long, long while...

Whoa!! Its been an entire year since I've updated this thing! Somuch has happened...but in a nutshell...We bought a new house (still on the island of course), we're expecting a new baby boy in September, Matt has settled nicely into his job and is loving what he does, and I've gone from minor med clinic manager to physician office manager to stay-at-home-mom. Jackson has moved to a new school, which he loves, and gets to spend his days with his BF Presley :-). What a difference a year makes!!! Since I'm home more

now, I'll try to be a better blogger. Here are some pics from this past year...Jackson turning 2, 4th of July, New Kids on the Block concert (it was awesome...I don't care if you laugh), 1st Jerry's Sno Cone experience, Bre and Peter's wedding, Christmas, Memphis snow days, Easter egg hunts, hangin' with the grandparents (and great-grandparents), Redbirds' games

Happy Summer!!

Chicken Dinner on the River

Here are a few pictures of the Gus's fried chicken dinner picnic we had on the river a couple Sunday's ago. It was delicious - great food, great company, and best of all....perfect weather!!! It's great to be home :-)

The Crew (most of us anyway)

Always driving the golf carts

Presley pulling Jackson in the wagon

Carts and Crew

Up close shot while eating watermelon

While I've been away....

Hi All!
So it's been a good bit since I last posted. The main reason for that is I don't currently have a computer at home, so I have to bother my friends to use theirs (mine is still in New York with Matt). Not to mention for the past 4 weeks I've been "single mama" while Matt wraps up his fellowship in Rochester. Thankfully he'll be back in Memphis in 2 weeks and we start living like a normal family again. Well...as normal as can be expected.
So what's been going on....if you don't already know, we're back home in Memphis (yay!) and of course living back on the island. We're renting a place until we can agree on a house to buy. I'm working at Vascular Transplant Services in Millington and love what I do....I just wish I was doing it more. Guess you can't have it all. Matt starts his job on July 15 and he's really looking forward to it and has a lot of great ideas on how to grow the business. He'll have a couple of well-deserved weeks off before he starts to get some much needed R & R.
Jackson is thriving at his new school - he's made new friends and the teachers are wonderful. He gets to do splash day every Thursday and the ice cream truck visits them every Friday. He's adjusted very well - I think he likes being home too :-). I'll get some pictures up as soon I get a computer.
Later!

Latest Doc Visit

Jackson went to the doctor last Friday for his (belated) 18 month check-up. He is meeting some and exceeding most of the milestones for other kids his age, (i.e. number of words in vocabulary, ability to identify, pronounciation, etc....), which the doc says is even more impressive because he was a premie. In fact, one place where he has continued to succeed since birth...head circumference :-). His latest dimensions were:

Height: 33" (60th percentile - up from 50th)

Weight: 28lbs 9oz (75th percentile - up from 50th....that got a good laugh)

Head Circumference: 20cm (maitained at 95th percentile)

And some updated pics...

Big fun in the "vroom vroom"

Pre-bedtime fun

Always on the phone

Strong Museum of Play

So Matt and I both took this past Saturday off work and we took Jackson to the Stong Museum of Play. Its a HUGE totally hands-on museum where the kids can play with just about anything and everything. By far, his favorite toy was the truck he could "drive". In fact, when it was time to let the next kid have a turn, he threw a full on, laying on the floor, crying fit. We had to physically carry him to a totally different part of the museum and distract him and after about 10 minutes, he moved on and all was right with his world again. It was a great way to spend a chilly day here in our remaining few weeks in upstate NY.

Looking at the fish

Flying the plane

Building Mr. Potato head with dad

The infamous truck

Jackson and mama with Big Bird and Elmo

Starfish of the Month

Each month, a child from Jackson's class is chosen to be "Starfish of the Month". Basically, a bunch of pictures and fun facts (e.g. favorite food, books, first vacation, pets, family names) about the children and their families are put up on the big board in the classroom so they can learn more about their friends. Jackson was chosen for the month of March. I took a few pictures of the board.

Night Night

Capturing our bedtime rituals in pictures...

We have to kiss the baby "night night"....every night

All smiles after a bath

Nose

Hair