25 Things

Okay, I have been *tagged* by just about everyone I know in the blogging world and on facebook to make a list of 25 things about me. Rest assured I will NOT be tagging anyone else, I'm just fulfilling my duty and moving on :) I'm also sicker than a dog and don't have the energy to post something witty.

1. I have a very unhealthy obsession with popping things. I can think of no better way to pass my time than to pop zits.

2. I've only taken one drag of a cigarette in my entire life. That one drag was enough to turn me off for the rest of my life, I thought it tasted like burnt toast and never understood how people enjoyed them.

3. Being a mom is the only job I've ever wanted. I was a good engineer, but I didn't love my job. I love my mom and I'm really good at it (if I do say so myself).

4. I love to cook for people. To me cooking just to cook is boring, I love to cook to impress people.

5. People whom I have met recently don't believe me when I say that I'm an introvert and extremely shy. I've done a better job of hiding it in recent years, but rest assured, I am very shy and if we're having a conversation you can believe that in my head I'm scrambling to find something to say.

6. My husband is an AMAZING photographer and keeps trying to teach me things, but I have no desire to learn. Why do I need to know how to take good pictures when I have him?

7. I love to read. I could read ALL day long in a perfect world, but being a mother kind of cuts into my reading time.

8. I love movies and tv shows about high school, which is weird because I didn't like high school.

9. I also love movies about dancing and cheerleading. Most of them also fall under #8.

10. My husband will not read The Count of Monte Cristo, even though it's one of the best books ever written, because it's "too long and the type is too small". It annoys me.

11. In my opinion THE best book ever written is The Power of One, I have read it many times and I plan to read it many more (Jamie has read that and loved it).

12. The older I get, the more I become like my parents. I used to HATE the food that my parents made us eat, but I now find myself making the same choices they did and will *force* them on Emma.

13. I could also say that they (my parents) were ahead of their time with so many things. Either that or we're all turning into crunchy hippies :)

14. I have made a lot of my friends on the internet and I'm not ashamed :)

15. I hate blow drying my hair, unfortunately I have the kind of hair that has to be blown dry. If I was really rich I would hire someone to do my hair for me every day.

16. I always wanted to be a ballerina. Anyone who has ever seen me dance knows how funny that is.

17. I also wanted to be a cheerleader, again, hilarious.

18. Because of #16, Emma will be taking ballet lessons.

19. I LOVE my family. They are seriously the funnest people ever. I have no problem hanging out with them all the time.

20. One of the best parts of being a mom was making my parents grandparents. I never knew that I could love watching someone else love my child so much.

21. I can't get enough of how much Jamie and Emma love each other. Her face just lights up when she sees him and his face just glows with joy.

22. I like to clean earwax out of Emma's ears and boogers out of her nose. I know, it's horrible and one day she's going to hate me for it.

23. I am a total nerd. I LOVE to do math. Once a bunch of friends found my MENSA workbooks and still make fun of me about it (yes my IQ is high enough, but no I'm not a member).

24. I am really competitive. I hate to lose and I'm not a very good loser.

25. Hands down best thing in the world? Emma. I love being a mother so much. I know that people tell you that you won't understand until you're a mom and it's so true. I could never have imagined how much I would love her, she is truly the best thing that has ever happened to me :)

Watch out world!!

We have a cruiser!! Emma has figure out not only how to pull herself up, but she can now *walk* along holding onto her toys and transfer from toy to toy. She often gets so excited that she forgets to hold on and tries to freestyle it, which always results in landing on her butt or her face. It's pretty darn cute to see her so proud of herself, but Mom is just a little freaked out! I didn't have the video camera close by, so here is the step by step in photos :)

What? Did I do something cool?

We're headed up to Longmont this weekend to celebrate my dad's SIXTITH birthday!! Emma and I were lucky enough to have breakfast with him on his actual birthday this week. Happy Birthday Dad, we love you!!

1.20.2009

Today is an amazing day, a day that many people thought they would never see. A day that makes me immensely proud to be an American. And do you know what one of the best parts about today is? That our children will never fully grasp what an amazing day that it was, because they will grow up with proof that great things can happen. No, things are not perfect, and as a country and a society we have a lot of progress to make still (Prop 8 anyone?), but things are moving in the right direction.
Congratulations Mr. President, enjoy making history today :)

Winter?

It's been in the sixties all weekend and it looks like it's going to continue for the next couple days, it's been beautiful!! I love Colorado in the winter, it might snow, but the sun always comes out and we are blessed with weeks like this in mid-January!

We took advantage of the weather to hit the park and the stock show, of course there were also inside activities...

oh, mama, what is this??

Emma's first turkey leg, she liked it!

Aw, look at my cowboys!

family photo, don't worry Emma is not choking

Emma's first goat petting

I think they like each other!

oh, do you like my hat?

hehe, you're so silly!

a little 4-wheelin'

it's hard to kiss a baby on the move

cuties!

Emma LOVES to swing!

I'm flying!!

yes, Daddy dressed me :)

Welcome to the world baby girl!!

My good friend Molly had her baby girl, Ivy, yesterday (January 14th is a very popular birthday!) and Emma and I got to visit them today. Oh, the baby cuteness!! She's not tiny, but she was so soft and cuddly... Emma was very intrigued by Ivy, and a little jealous that Ivy was taking away her attention :) Congratulations Molly and Patrick!

Ivy and Emma

Emma's new favorite toy, her nose aspirator, and yes, I cleaned it.

Emma loves to be naked!

Cheese!

A couple pics

I just wanted to share some photos that my brother and Sam took while they were home for Christmas...

Emma and Grandma

Giving her new baby a kiss

Uncle Paul and Emma

This is pretty much what playtime looks like when Grandma and Grandpa are around

Uncle Paul and Emma

Oh, hi up there!



Quite possibly one of my favorite photos ever!

Welcome to fat camp

Emma is on a new diet, it's the all fat all the time diet. We went in for her monthly weight check on Friday and she's only gained 9oz in the last month (she's now 13lbs 6oz)... not great considering she'd started dairy and meat. I really thought it would help her pack on the weight, but not so much. So now we're trying to pack as many calories and as much fat into each meal. I've stocked up on cheese, butter, sour cream, cream cheese and yogurt and we'll hope that will do the trick. We've made the decision to see a nutritionist and hopefully she'll be able to offer some insight into what else we can do to help.

Getting ready for her first egg (yolk), she's having it the Jackson family way.... scrambled with cream cheese, yum!

She loves to feed herself!

Working on her basketball skills, as you can see she likes to imitate Michael Jordan :)

Another attempt at feeding herself

As you can tell, she's still perfecting that skill :)

Time to baby proof!

My little girl is growing up :( This is currently Emma's favorite position to play in:


And this is what I found her doing yesterday... I guess she didn't want to wait for me to help her stand so she figured out how to do it by herself! She can't get all the way up yet, but her butt comes off the ground and it won't be long!

She's also started taking steps when you hold her hands and Monday for lunch she had a grilled cheese, made with sharp cheddar and smoked gouda... and loved every bite! What happened to my baby?

I got a new bike!!

Weeeeee!!! For Christmas Jamie bought me a new bike and his family gave me money to purchase a bike trailer so that Emma and I can ride to the pool this summer :)

Isn't it cute? It's black with pink rims

She kind of has a dumbfounded look on her face here :(

She loves to smile!

The other afternoon I went to check on her in her crib and this is what I found. yikes!

Jamie and I managed to escape last night for a little pre-birthday celebration. We went to dinner and a movie. I HIGHLY recommend seeing Slumdog Millionaire if you get the chance, it's one of the best movies I've ever seen!

Jamie has been off since Christmas Eve and it's been so nice to have him home! Emma has loved getting to spend extra time with him and I've loved getting to sleep in and take naps. We're going to miss him tomorrow! I've got to say that having both parents home is quite the luxury :)