a few...

thought i should post a few before the move...

his shirt says "major hunk"...yep, i think so.

a few more...

if he looks tired, it's because HE IS!!!

one of his "no nap longer than 30 minutes" days...

BUT, he did find a way to content himself in between the fussing and such that happens on no nap days...

this boy LOVES books...will spend 20-30 minutes thumbing through his favorites...

T-R-O-U-B-L-E!!!

the TEETH...three more on top...oh, the grinding of the teeth...i'm over morning sickness, but the grinding makes me sick to my stomach all over again...he grinds his new teeth ALL DAY LONG...i keep telling him that if he keeps it up he won't have any teeth left by the time he gets to enjoy solids...but like all children--he doesn't seem to appreciate long-term consequences...

so dedicated...

jackson was dedicated on mother's day...AWWWW...we didn't think a self-portrait was appropriate...the kind where you take a picture of yourself--arm extended out in front of you hoping that everyone makes the shot...so these were taken when we got home...

CHEESE!!!

so accomplished...

the tongue hanging out...so nervous he's going to bite it off...but it seems to help his concentration...

fishy-face...

this little monkey LOVES to bounce in his bed...

cracker jack...

popsicle...

if you haven't heard...we have a little freezer pop on the way...he/she will be here...appropriately...in december...december 12th is the official due date...due dates don't mean much to me anymore...in my mind i'm telling myself "by the end of this year"...

the verse that continues to come to my mind is joel 2:25..."then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten" HE has done it...with jackson alone, i've had enough laughter and smiles and heart-squeezing happiness to make up for every tear shed during my barren years...and i get more??? His love feels extravagant...more than i dared ask for...

the story is long...a trip to FL--where we left our baby-sicles...MANY shots--and for some reason i could NOT give them to myself this time--thanks, katie...MANY delays--what was supposed to be a 2 1/2 week trip turned into 4 week trip...MANY emotions--it felt like i had made a plan to have a miscarriage--since IVF didn't work the first time, i didn't expect it to this time...GOOD news the moring of transfer--BOTH embryos were growing...FINALLY going home...and two weeks later...a POSITIVE pregnancy test...followed by a blood pregnancy test and ultrasound...confirming that one of the embryos had implanted. i wanted BOTH of them...so it was very difficult when the ultrasound tech only found one...a sad and a happy...i think it's called bittersweet...i'm still HOPING that the one is just hiding and will show up on the next ultrasound...

i'm feeling sick most of the day...but i prayed for morning sickness--doctors tell you it's a good sign that things are going well--so i'm trying to do a better job dealing with it...not complaining as i might want to. how blessed am i to even be pregnant?!! i'm tired...which makes no sense to me...with jackson, i worked full-time and never felt as tired as i do now...i cannot believe that an 8 month old baby is more work than twenty 10 year olds...not possible...

so YIPEE!!! we're pregnant and we couldn't be happier. no preference...boy or girl...we're blessed either way...

higher...

no, no, no...

put him down on the floor and he heads right to where he's not supposed to go...
they're covered, by the way...

puffies...

hasn't quite figured out how to get them in his mouth with his OWN hands...

LOVES puffies!!!

shiny, happy baby

thanks for the easter outfit, grandma and grandpa!!!

because it's fun and it's what you do...

a paraphrased conversation while coloring easter eggs...
matt: why are you coloring eggs?

me: because it's what you do.

matt: why? seems kind of pointless.

me: it's fun.

matt: it's fun?

me: yes, it's fun.

matt: for a seven month old?

me: yes. and as he gets older it will be even more fun. didn't you ever color easter eggs?

matt: no. not that i remember. seems kind of stupid.

me: i'm very sad for you.

matt: you still haven't answered my question.

me: i'm coloring easter eggs because it's fun and it's what you do...and you're ruining it!!!

and THEN he finally got into the spirit...as much as matt miller gets into the spirit of anything...

party pooper.

high-ho-chair-i-o

shutterfly

sorry if you got an annoying email inviting you to this site...i was just trying to get free pictures...STILL have not received notice of how i will actually GET those free pictures...but i'm hoping they're not liars.

if you DIDN'T get an annoying email, consider yourself lucky...and send me your email address so you can get annoying emails in the future. :-)

i created a picture sharing site...basically for grandparents to see ALL the pictures EVER taken of their grandson. not sure if you can order from the site...

http://howcuteami.shutterfly.com

i use shutterfly to print ALL of my pictures...they're GREAT!!! good quality and fairly good prices...they usually offer free shipping...and sometimes free prints. i ordered jackson's birth announcements from them, too.

check out the site...you've seen a lot of pictures already on THIS site...i never post pictures on facebook...and it was WAY SUPER easy to upload ENTIRE albums on the shutterfly site...WAY SUPER easier than uploading pictures on blogspot...anyway...

jackson is available to skype now... :-)

seven months...

we have three small drawers in our coffee table that he has learned to kick open...they open from both sides...lucky he hasn't figured out that they're open from the OTHER side...haven't had to worry about him taking things OUT of the drawers...yet...

pop-eye or pirate..."ARGHHHH"

we missed the six month check-up...so...

seven month measurements...

18 lbs. 2 oz.

27 1/2 inches

head circumference=18 1/4 inches!!! that's more than half his total height...crazy.

5oth percentile on the nose for all measurements EXCEPT head circumference...his head is exceptionally large...must be that large-headed swedish blood in him...he's 1/16 swedish, you know.

we are having so much fun with little j!!! he flirts. he squeals. he rolls. he jumps. he SCREAMS. he laughs. he smiles. he pulls lucy's hair...and she tolerates it. he chews lucy's tennis balls and babies...and she's VERY gentle when taking them away from him...which i encourage her to do...because...GROSS...DOG toys...in his MOUTH!!! he is SO close to crawling...wants it SO bad...won't be long. he kicks his legs and pumps his arms...

this kid is ACTIVE!!!

he's developing quite the STRONG personality...a few moments of discipline already...he LOVES eating...but HATES eating anything GREEN...blame your mommy, buddy. and so he has learned to spit out the GREEN...and has had his mouth lightly flicked...and oh the face he pulls after that...the horror..."you flicked me? ME?!! i'm too cute to be flicked. here let me show you."

(insert REALLY cute sad face here)

it is as if i have broken his ever-loving heart...and it makes me laugh...and then all attempts at discipline are completely blown...now he just knows to pull the cute sad face before the flick.

this kid is SMART!!!

but it's worked...after a few flicks, he stopped spitting out the food...not that he still does not need to be reminded from time to time...

his new thing...when he's feeling really sassy...he doesn't cry after the flick...he just gives me this "shiver"...this "shiver" looks like a shiver you'd give after eating something really sour...but i KNOW he's talking back to me...SHIVER "that didn't really hurt. see...i'm not even going to cry...i'm just shaking you off."

NAUGHTY!!!

he eats two veggies and two fruits and a bowl of cereal everyday...and YES...i make him eat the GREEN veggies...i didn't give up just because it is DIFFICULT to get them down his throat. if he doesn't eat them during his veggie/fruit meal...they end up in his cereal...one way or another...HE'S EATING GREEN VEGETABLES!!! not as interested in his bottles...sippy cups are DISLIKED...so, we're having a bit of trouble getting the amount of formula down that the pediatrician fussed at me for not giving him...i try...but obviously the boy is not suffering...just look at the rolls on his legs!

he's still not much of a napper...he does enjoy quiet time in his bed...he plays with his frog and blanket and any other toy i leave in his crib...he's even started untying the crib bumper for bedtime entertainment...guess it's time to take it off...AND lower the crib bottom...he's trying to pull himself up...won't be long till he can get himself up on his knees...then his feet...then...

i have a feeling he's going to be the kid who won't stay in his crib...the one you have to put back into his crib over and over...the spankings...the horror...are we ready for this???

and YES...grandparents and great-grandparents and aunts and uncles...we ARE getting web-cams...so jackson will be available VERY SOON to chat online...

lazy days with aunt katie...

i leave the room and have no idea where i'll find him when i return...

went to check on him during a nap on aunt katie's bed...this is how i found him...funny.

wondering how to attach shoulder straps so that he doesn't jump out...