Sister Preparation 101

Jackson has been so funny lately... talking more (actual English words that we can understand), giving kisses on the mouth (he holds my cheeks with his hands and puckers up... pretty dang cute!), learning to unlock baby-proof gates (and collect all of the outlet plugs that are supposed to protect him).
We are house-sitting a home for a family with two young girls and a 1-year old boy. Needless to say, the playroom is filled with girl toys, so that's what Jackson plays with. He has no concept of gender-related colors yet (which makes his slightly-older cousin Maddie frustrated because he takes things that are pink and she knows if they are pink, they do NOT belong to Jackson because he is a BOY!).
Parker gets a little worried from time to time watching him push the baby doll around in the stroller. I just tell him that it's good preparation for being a dad someday and for learning to be gentle with his little sister.
I finally got a picture of him giving the baby a kiss... and pushing the stroller. (He's been doing it for days, but I couldn't ever catch him in the act with the camera.)

Fun in the Tub

Jackson & Maddie had so much fun in the bath tub together. However, getting them to smile and look at the camera at the same time isn't as easy as it may seem!

Cute kids at the Oregon ZOO

Jackson with the black bear

Jackson absolutely LOVED the black bear. The bear would walk back and forth in front of the window. Jackson jumped up and down and clapped his hands and giggled everytime he came back in front of him. It was really funny to watch how excited he got!

Jackson & Maddie at the ZOO

At the Oregon ZOO... waterfall

Jackson loves the water! He did NOT want to leave it.
I told Jackson to let the water get his piggies... this was the result. Too cute!

Maddie was a little reluctant to get close... it was splattering.

Driving back to Portland

Jackson fell asleep before we even reached the edge of my parents' neighborhood. That made the drive home even more pleasant than usual... he took a 2 1/2 hour nap in the car. I just had to share this picture since I don't often take pictures of him sleeping. He is so darn cute! And it makes me a little sad that he is really starting to look more like a toddler than a baby.

Jackson & Maddie at Grandma's house

Jackson & Maddie really do have fun together... even though he can now "hold his own". He is actually starting to pick on Maddie, even without being provoked. However, we still manage to get cute cousin pictures of them together when they are enjoying being together.

Playing Wii with Uncle Christian

Jackson is SO funny to watch! While Christian plays baseball on the Wii, Jackson stands between him and the TV screen and swings as each pitch comes. He really thinks that he is playing. He is so serious about it and makes a loud grunting noise with each swing.

Lake Washington Waterfront in Kirkland

Jackson has never been to a beach of any kind before so this cold water was a new experience for him. We thought he might like it since he can't seem to get enough of the swimming pool or sprinkler, etc. It took a little bit for him to adjust to the water, but then he didn't want to leave.

Family Baby Shower

My sister Heather is such a GREAT aunt!! She hosted a family baby shower for Tiffany and I. It was so much fun to get together with everyone! We even got to share it with a few close family friends whom we truly love and appreciate as well. These were the only pics on my camera, so when I get some others, I will be sure to add them.

More Fun in the Sun

One of Jackson's other loves right now is the "jumpy-jump", known to most people as the trampoline.
It makes me a little nervous because there's no net around the outside or even a cover over the springs. But he's done well so far. Parker and I try to show him that it's a good idea to stay in the middle of the trampoline, but he gets running or spinning in circles and loses his balance a little.
Using his shovel in Grandpa's garden
Saying hello to our pups, Charlie and Duke
Jackson loves to throw the ball back and forth with Mommy while he jumps on the trampoline.

(Okay, no more hassle, this is my second post in 2 days!)

Busy Little Boy

Jackson has been having so much fun at Grandma & Grandpa's house. They are gone at their property in Eastern Oregon for week, so it's just us. But he is still having fun in the backyard with Mommy.
Jackson has a borderline obsession with sports balls. Now I am trying to help him understand that he should ONLY throw balls and not toys or sippy cups and how important it is to stand back a little BEFORE he throws the balls.
Jackson also LOVES the slide!
He will go down as many times as we will let him...

New Bath...

Well... almost a month has past (again) since I posted. Sorry. I finished my Student Teaching, packed up the house, and moved in just a few days. Whew! We made it. It took a couple of days to get settled, but I think we're pretty comfortable now. We are staying with Parker's parents for the first 3 weeks, then we'll be jumping from house to house (house-sitting). The whole summer should be quite an adventure! I have 7 weeks left until our little girl is supposed to arrive and getting a little more uncomfortable each day. Luckily, I have the best husband in the world who rubs my neck and back everyday.
Jackson grows up more and more everyday. I have been noticing how much he looks (and acts) like a toddler and is really losing his baby features and tendancies. I guess it's a good thing since we're about to start over with a little girl, but it's a little sad to watch my baby grow up.
Jackson went to nursery (at church) for the first time without me today (I have been in nursery in our ward since November). He will be 18 months officially at the end of this month, so I figured sending him in one week early wasn't a big deal. He didn't even look back... just went straight for the toys. That's what I was hoping for! It was a little strange to sit through "grown up" classes for the first time without interruption since I can remember. I got so much out of church today!
Well, this is the best I could do. My sister keeps me on track for posting. She sent me a friendly reminder that it had been a while. My other pictures are on my computer which is not connected to the internet. So I took some tonight while Jackson was taking a bath. I will try my best to take some of our weekly activities this upcoming week and post them too.