You'd think I was raising a starving Ethiopian child with the way Jackson is eating these days! He breakfasts on 4 oz of formula in a sippy cup (which he can hold all on his own...FINALLY!), and a baby bowl of oatmeal mixed with baby food fruit of some kind. For his lunch he usually has a baby food step 3 meal with formula, then for dinner he has a baby food veggie with formula, but then he has all these in-between meals. I usually give him bites of whatever we are having for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well. (Even if it is messy, I like to let him pick it up with his fingers. His favorite snack is mandarin oranges. You can imagine the sticky mess that follows.) Of course, he has formula and snacks throughout the day as well. Today, he had just finished lunch with formula, but then he saw me eating chips and queso at the table. He crawled to me from the living room, pulled himself up using my chair, and said, "Uh-Uh" with this little growly cough sound he makes now anytime he wants anything. He wanted a chip bite, so of course I gave him some bites of chips, and the little beggar just stayed there through the rest of my snack until I put the chips away and moved out of the kitchen.
Right now Jackson is most defintely a Mama's boy. Today I was continuing my post-church nap after he had woken up from his, and he was downstairs with Ben. For the 45 minutes he was awake and I was still "asleep," I could hear him screaming and throwing a fit downstairs for Daddy. Finally, I gave up and came downstairs to find a very frustrated Ben. He said, "I don't know what he wants. I gave him a bottle, a fed him some bananas and I changed his diaper, but he still keeps throwing a fit." I took him from Ben, put him in his highchair and gave him some bread pieces, and he was a happy guy from that point on. Ben was so irritated, haha! All Jack wanted was Mommy!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Less than 2 weeks left!
When I was a sophomore in high school, I took an Honors Oklahoma History class in which I was asked to memorize 70+ Indian tribes and factoids about each group including how they dressed, where they originated and where they were displaced, if they were displaced at any time. Being in the top 10-15% of my class, I usually didn't have trouble cramming for tests, but I remember feeling so frustrated by what I felt were trivial insignificant facts as I studied for this test that I actually laid down on my kitchen floor and cried like a baby. (My mom shortly took me out of that class.) This is what Ben goes through just about every day in Med School.
Tonight I was quizzing him for a test he has tomorrow over drugs used to treat illnesses ranging from malaria to UTIs, and I don't envy him at all. As I struggled to pronounce the names of drugs and medical terms, he promptly rattled off how they treat the illnesses, what side effects they have, and how they should and shouldn't be used!
There is no question that he is leaps and bounds smarter than I am, and also that he has an enormous amount of patience and diligence that I certainly lack. Tonight, I just wanted to go lay on the kitchen floor and cry for him. What a guy I married! What a great doctor he will become! He has less than 2 weeks left and still he is going strong!
Tonight I was quizzing him for a test he has tomorrow over drugs used to treat illnesses ranging from malaria to UTIs, and I don't envy him at all. As I struggled to pronounce the names of drugs and medical terms, he promptly rattled off how they treat the illnesses, what side effects they have, and how they should and shouldn't be used!
There is no question that he is leaps and bounds smarter than I am, and also that he has an enormous amount of patience and diligence that I certainly lack. Tonight, I just wanted to go lay on the kitchen floor and cry for him. What a guy I married! What a great doctor he will become! He has less than 2 weeks left and still he is going strong!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Belated Father's Day Love
Our Father's Day celebration was a little disjointed this year since we went to Tulsa and Ben's gifts were hard to bring. I hope Ben had a good day and felt appreciated. Jackson signed Ben's card himself (and then I translated next to his signature). We got him a new holster for his gun, so he can whip it out quickly the next time a mama pig charges him after he shoots one of her babies...(that happened on our last Woody Woods trip!) He also got him an outdoor chair with a canopy. This will come in handy when we go to Tulsa to the River Park for Ben's favorite holiday of the year (except Christmas): The 4th of July!
Although we have been getting on each other's last nerve lately with Jackson being cranky (and thus, Mama, too) due to an ear infection and Ben being stressed because he is SO ready to be done with school for the year, I need to pay tribute to the man I love so much. I truly am grateful to have him in my life. A parent of one of the kids who used to be in my 3rd grade class did a top ten list of reasons why she loves her daughter on her blog, and it touched and inspired me to do my own top ten list of little reasons why Ben is a great dad and husband. After all, the little things add up, so here goes...
1. He builds super-awesome lego block castles for Jackson and then helps Jackson knock them down.
2. He changes poopy diapers without even having to be asked!
3. He is very attentive to our home pest control needs, which Jack and I both really appreciate!
4. He goofy dances and makes silly faces just to make Jackson and sometimes me laugh.
5. He rubs my back whenever I ask him to, even when his own neck hurts from studying.
6. He notices the "right things" about me, like when I have lost a lb, when a color looks great on me, or when my sigh means more than a sigh.
7. Even though he is really busy and is pretty much always behind with studying, he always makes time for us AND his manly house duties.
8. He lets me sleep sometimes and gets up to get Jackson himself when Jackson wakes up early from a nap.
9. He ALWAYS says "Thank you" and "Dinner was good".
10. He will turn off an NBA basketball playoff game to listen to my problems, even when I am just venting because I am PMSing, and tries to help me figure them out.
We love you, Ben! Happy Father's Day and thanks for everything you do for us!
Love, Colleen and Jackson
Although we have been getting on each other's last nerve lately with Jackson being cranky (and thus, Mama, too) due to an ear infection and Ben being stressed because he is SO ready to be done with school for the year, I need to pay tribute to the man I love so much. I truly am grateful to have him in my life. A parent of one of the kids who used to be in my 3rd grade class did a top ten list of reasons why she loves her daughter on her blog, and it touched and inspired me to do my own top ten list of little reasons why Ben is a great dad and husband. After all, the little things add up, so here goes...
1. He builds super-awesome lego block castles for Jackson and then helps Jackson knock them down.
2. He changes poopy diapers without even having to be asked!
3. He is very attentive to our home pest control needs, which Jack and I both really appreciate!
4. He goofy dances and makes silly faces just to make Jackson and sometimes me laugh.
5. He rubs my back whenever I ask him to, even when his own neck hurts from studying.
6. He notices the "right things" about me, like when I have lost a lb, when a color looks great on me, or when my sigh means more than a sigh.
7. Even though he is really busy and is pretty much always behind with studying, he always makes time for us AND his manly house duties.
8. He lets me sleep sometimes and gets up to get Jackson himself when Jackson wakes up early from a nap.
9. He ALWAYS says "Thank you" and "Dinner was good".
10. He will turn off an NBA basketball playoff game to listen to my problems, even when I am just venting because I am PMSing, and tries to help me figure them out.
We love you, Ben! Happy Father's Day and thanks for everything you do for us!
Love, Colleen and Jackson
Monday, June 16, 2008
Jackson the Wonder Kid
Last weekend we went to Tulsa to throw my sister a baby shower and to be at the name and blessing of my new niece, Katherine, on Ben's side of the family. Babies, babies, babies! I just love that so many of my friends and family are having tons of babies. This is my favorite stage of life so far by a landslide! Man, I am so glad to be out of that broke college years phase...wait, I am still in that phase by association, I think, shoot! Well, at least we got through the broke years of living in a tiny apartment and we got a house and I FINALLY got to have a baby! Anyway, we had a really great time in Tulsa visiting our family, but I have some Jack stories to share...
On Thursday before we left Jackson had to have some immunizations. I hate it when he gets shots because I have to hold him down and he just cries as if to say, "Mom? How could you?" After the first shot, I was so done with the whole ordeal (as was he, I'm sure), but he still had to get 2 more shots in the other leg! THEN, as if that weren't enough pain for the day, when we got home later he was trying to cruise from the couch to the glass coffee table and busted his gums on the table. He was fine after we got him cleaned up and calmed down though. This was his first self-inflicted bleeding injury (that sounds like he has had other blood injuries that we inflicted, lol, not true). He was NOT a happy guy on Thursday for the majority of the day.
Another funny story...Ben has been calling me a liar for months now about Jack waving bye-bye because Jack has only ever waved bye-bye for me. I can never get him to show off for anyone, even Ben. Today at Wal-mart when we had checked out and paid for our groceries, the cashier said, "Bye-bye" to us and WITHOUT any prompting from me or even a response from me at all, Jack lifted up his arm and waved bye-bye. She even said, "Wow, he is already waving bye-bye!" I was in shock! And of course, did Ben see it? NO! Did he believe me? NO! EVEN after Jack did it again less than 30 minutes later when I was telling him the story, Ben refused to believe me, saying that Jackson had something stuck to the inside of his hand and was trying to get it off. MEN!!! AAAAHHH! Jack has been waving bye-bye to ME for months now!!
On Thursday before we left Jackson had to have some immunizations. I hate it when he gets shots because I have to hold him down and he just cries as if to say, "Mom? How could you?" After the first shot, I was so done with the whole ordeal (as was he, I'm sure), but he still had to get 2 more shots in the other leg! THEN, as if that weren't enough pain for the day, when we got home later he was trying to cruise from the couch to the glass coffee table and busted his gums on the table. He was fine after we got him cleaned up and calmed down though. This was his first self-inflicted bleeding injury (that sounds like he has had other blood injuries that we inflicted, lol, not true). He was NOT a happy guy on Thursday for the majority of the day.
Another funny story...Ben has been calling me a liar for months now about Jack waving bye-bye because Jack has only ever waved bye-bye for me. I can never get him to show off for anyone, even Ben. Today at Wal-mart when we had checked out and paid for our groceries, the cashier said, "Bye-bye" to us and WITHOUT any prompting from me or even a response from me at all, Jack lifted up his arm and waved bye-bye. She even said, "Wow, he is already waving bye-bye!" I was in shock! And of course, did Ben see it? NO! Did he believe me? NO! EVEN after Jack did it again less than 30 minutes later when I was telling him the story, Ben refused to believe me, saying that Jackson had something stuck to the inside of his hand and was trying to get it off. MEN!!! AAAAHHH! Jack has been waving bye-bye to ME for months now!!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Jackson is Traumatized
Funny story: This morning after Jackson woke up and had breakfast, I set him down in the playroom, pulled a few toys out of his Sterilite bucket and sat down on the couch. (I am trying to get him to be more independent. He goes through cycles where he will one day play by himself for an hour or so, and then the very next day he will throw a fit to be held all day! He is going through a little separation anxiety phase.)
All of a sudden, I heard this startled cry and looked over to see his feet kicking over the top of the plastic toy box. I raced over there and, poor guy, he had been reaching for some toys and had fallen in the box face first. He was in there lying on his face, kicking around trying to get himself right side up, but to no avail. Mommy to the rescue! It was quite possibly the funniest thing (and sad - for him) I have ever seen. We had to go wake Daddy up and tell him all about it. Jackson was not hurt, just a little emotionally scarred.
All of a sudden, I heard this startled cry and looked over to see his feet kicking over the top of the plastic toy box. I raced over there and, poor guy, he had been reaching for some toys and had fallen in the box face first. He was in there lying on his face, kicking around trying to get himself right side up, but to no avail. Mommy to the rescue! It was quite possibly the funniest thing (and sad - for him) I have ever seen. We had to go wake Daddy up and tell him all about it. Jackson was not hurt, just a little emotionally scarred.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Lot's Wife
Living my life
surrounded by sin
raised to know better
But won't let morals win
Heart like a city
Damned to be destroyed
Where once laughter lived
In place resides a void
Beginning to understand
the dilemma of Lot's wife
Heading for a city
But she'll never arrive
Maybe she looked back
Cause she left herself there
Now she can't move on
Doesn't seem fair
Started this poem, but it doesn't feel finished. Here are the thoughts I'm contemplating while deciding on a second verse. (The second stanza here is going to be somewhat repetitive I think, like a chorus to a song.)
What does everyone else do when Lot's wife is turned into salt? Just keep going? What about Lot? Is he not disturbed that his wife is now salt?
Why salt? If God could choose any fate for her, why did he turn her into salt?? Why not stone or a lighting strike that just incinerates her instantly? Salt will blow away, won't it? Why doesn't he turn her into something that will stand as a reminder to others not to look back? Why don't we get to know what her name is? Why does she have no identity of her own?
surrounded by sin
raised to know better
But won't let morals win
Heart like a city
Damned to be destroyed
Where once laughter lived
In place resides a void
Beginning to understand
the dilemma of Lot's wife
Heading for a city
But she'll never arrive
Maybe she looked back
Cause she left herself there
Now she can't move on
Doesn't seem fair
Started this poem, but it doesn't feel finished. Here are the thoughts I'm contemplating while deciding on a second verse. (The second stanza here is going to be somewhat repetitive I think, like a chorus to a song.)
What does everyone else do when Lot's wife is turned into salt? Just keep going? What about Lot? Is he not disturbed that his wife is now salt?
Why salt? If God could choose any fate for her, why did he turn her into salt?? Why not stone or a lighting strike that just incinerates her instantly? Salt will blow away, won't it? Why doesn't he turn her into something that will stand as a reminder to others not to look back? Why don't we get to know what her name is? Why does she have no identity of her own?
Monday, June 9, 2008
Disgusting Display of Happiness
I am so happy!! Do you ever just have those days where you just stop and think, I am so happy? I didn't used to. Maybe because I wasn't happy then, and maybe I'm feeling this way now because I just came from the gym and I am on an adrenaline rush. (If you didn't catch it from my last blog ~ I love going to the gym, it is a legal and healthy high!)
The baby is sleeping, I got out in the sunshine and watered my flower bed, someone called today about the Pre-K (calls are starting to come in more and more). I have lots to do, but I'm in no rush to do those things. (That's a major switch from before when I was working.) I just love that I get to stay home, I love that I have time to do things like throw my sister a baby shower, I love that I can read when I want to, and take a bath when I feel like relaxing! I have this awesome husband who last night uttered the phrase, "Let's do foot rubs." (Hello? Did I tell him to say that? No!!) My baby is so good and funny and learning new things everyday. I just want a million kids just like him! I have great friends who love me and are overjoyed to see me happy. I have a million blessings, and I am so grateful to God for helping me change my life and be worthy to receive them. I love my life! Just felt like making that public! Thanks for humoring me! ;)
The baby is sleeping, I got out in the sunshine and watered my flower bed, someone called today about the Pre-K (calls are starting to come in more and more). I have lots to do, but I'm in no rush to do those things. (That's a major switch from before when I was working.) I just love that I get to stay home, I love that I have time to do things like throw my sister a baby shower, I love that I can read when I want to, and take a bath when I feel like relaxing! I have this awesome husband who last night uttered the phrase, "Let's do foot rubs." (Hello? Did I tell him to say that? No!!) My baby is so good and funny and learning new things everyday. I just want a million kids just like him! I have great friends who love me and are overjoyed to see me happy. I have a million blessings, and I am so grateful to God for helping me change my life and be worthy to receive them. I love my life! Just felt like making that public! Thanks for humoring me! ;)
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