big grins!

jack chilling while i blog...

first pond visit for jackson

we bundled jack up on saturday to do a little fishing at grandpa + gran costanzo's pond. pete and i visited the pond often when jack was in my belly, so it was great to finally see him there! jack didn't participate in the fishing, but he did snooze while his daddy dropped a few lines. grandpa costanzo has plans for a fishing shack that we know jack will love! i am expecting camping trips to the shack as soon as jack is old enough (probably next summer!). of course, i will 'camp out' at home or at my parents' while the boys rough it in the shack...

you're almost two months old, jack!

you are seven weeks old today, jack! every tuesday night, your daddy and i recount some part of our labor experience or your birth. whether it's a discussion about our two trips to the hospital, what we were doing at that exact time weeks ago, or how amazed we are at how long ago it seems/or how it seems like we just met you yesterday!

we definitely have seen so much growth from you lately! you celebrated your first easter and visited with both sets of grandparents. you gave each of them smiles and cries. everyone is amazed at how big you've gotten (over 9 pounds now!) and how your little personality is developing. your daddy and i like to get you to smile by trying to teach you how to say 'mama', 'dada', 'peppi', and 'poodle' in a high-pitched little voice. you smile and make a sound that we think is your beginning laugh. it is too cute! you are so much more alert now, staying awake much more of the day (almost the entire day sometimes! phew!). you've been sleeping a bit more in the last two (and eating a bit more, too) - we think you may be starting a growth spurt!

you've been trying to find your thumb for the last few weeks. sometimes you're successful, otherwise we're sure you wouldn't keep trying. other times you get so excited you can't control your arm and then your excitement turns to frustration and tears. and yet other times, you decide 'who needs one thumb when i have a whole hand!' which leads to some sort of gagging. here's a picture of you with your fingers in your mouth (a happy medium for now... don't be fooled by the frown, you usually love your fingers, you're just upset about your lack of a b.m.):

you are a joy, jackson! we love you!

love,
mommy and daddy

rubber ducky, you're the one!

the easter bunny, costanzo's, and steward's showered jackson with rubber duckies!

he appropriately wore his freezer-paper onsie with a duck, too, had to capture on film :)

first mobile experience!

we had a bit of a rough day today, so jack was introduced to his antique toy mobile (we're waiting on the rest of the bedding to start sleeping in the crib. plus jack loves his moses basket, so we're a bit hesitant to get him started on something new when he sleeps so well now!). he loved it! only problem was that i had to restart it each time it stopped... we'll have to figure out a solution to that little problem!

happy easter!

the easter bunny brought jack's first basket this year. no egg hunt, though...

pete's family came over for brunch!

sara, pete, jack, and i

big boy jack

his onsie says 'just hatched'

lunch at CPK

jack and i met the wards (acutally, cory rickabaugh and shannon olmstead, but i've known them so long as the wards...like since 7th grade) for lunch on good friday. jack and i got our usual bbq chicken pizza and we laughed and ate with the girls. all three of them! cory is expecting a baby girl in june! shannon took these fabulous pictures and indulged in a sangria for the moms at the table. shannon hadn't seen jack so wide awake, so she enjoyed holding and chatting with him. she'll make a great mom someday!

after his 'snack'

yawning with shannon

all ready for a nap

here she goes again!

bailey before her hair cut...

and after.

poor girl! we've been a little busy with jack, so bailey's hair got really out of control (and matted) before this cut. she's handling it well this time... we haven't found any attempts at coat making yet!

ambitious project

here are the beginnings of a very ambitious project i've started. it's a present, so i'm going to keep the details to myself for a while longer just in case the recipient checks out our blog. the project involves acrylic paint and canvas... any advice from painters is welcome!!

jack's 6 weeks old!!

jack at 6 weeks

happy st. patty's day!

thanks for the shirt, annie!!

lunch in davis

leslie, me, michelle

spring formal 2001

on jack's 5 week birthday, we headed to davis to have lunch with one of my old roommates, michelle alexander (thomas). michelle and her husband, dan, had a beautiful baby girl, mia anne, on february 8th, just two days after jack was born. it was so exciting to see michelle and to meet her little precious girl. mia and jack both slept most of the time (a little grunting on jack's part and i think i heard a little shout from mia) while we dined at hunan's. michelle and i lived in our sorority house together (with leslie) while we served as officers (her pres., me v.p. of recruitment, les v.p. of something...) and we all shared an apartment with tara the year after graduation. at alpha phi, we spent many mornings/afternoons watching TLC's wedding story and baby story. michelle and i talked all about our wedding and baby plans slouched on our community couches in our j.crew pj's.
here we are all grown up with our 1st babies:

you're 5 weeks old, jackson!

dear jack,
happy 5 week birthday! today was exciting! you met mia alexander, michelle's baby girl who is only two days younger than you! you two looked and acted so similarly. we had a very nice lunch with them and i am sure you hope, as i do, to see them again very soon!

i have learned a bit about how you like things this week. for example, you like to nap in either your moses basket or your swing. not the papasan. not on a nice blanket on the floor. not even on your mom! this is great, though, because we can't take naps together all the time! you also like a pacifier every now and then... but not when you are hungry. i am thankful for that little plastic wonder when it's needed and am so happy you have no kind of nipple-confusion and have maintained your hearty appetite. also, you have been smiling more and more (still not sure, but we think these are the real deal) and you have been having grunt-like conversations with us! i don't cry as much as you grow because each day you do something so neat i can hardly wait for the next new thing!

you are a complete joy in our lives and we love you very much!

love,
mommy and daddy

sleepy jack

jack's first fire pit experience

walking!

jack and i have been taking long walks up the hill by our house to rancho solano country club. our walks are my form of exercise (until i get a gym go-ahead), but they are also getting out of the house quality time... jack really likes to nap in his stroller, with the movement lulling him to sleep. sometimes, though, he wakes up and takes in the sights! i can't wait until he is looking around more... we run into cows, ponds, a ton of birds, dogs, trees, the list goes on! last week we ran into grandpa costanzo who was golfing with some of his friends. right place, right time! he came over to see jack and jack woke up when he heard grandpa say his name! grandpa's friends also caught a glimpse and congratulated pete & i. we are really enjoying this time outdoors while the weather is so beautiful!

me, 3 weeks post-partum - public motivation people

we walk up the hill as fast as we can

beautiful golf course views

our goal is to walk up to the country club every day

great picture with your daddy!

happy 4 weeks today, jack!

dear jackson,

you are 4 weeks old today, buddy! you are growing so fast, it makes my eyes tear up a little each time i share your age. we're really getting the hang of what you need and enjoying every minute! we try to give you some time to take official naps during the day to prepare you (and us) for when you are awake more often. you enjoy napping in your moses basket and prefer the sounds of us while you sleep. i put away your laundry, clean your room, and organize (maybe stare a little) while you nap during the day. nighttime zzzz are quieter, with only the distraction of me waking you up for a diaper change and to eat (if you haven't got me up already!). your swing is starting to be more of a favorite - you don't fall quickly to sleep in it anymore, you look around our living room and watch us for a while first. while i get ready for the day, you like to hang out in your papasan chair in our bathroom. you like to watch the skylight and your mommy move around.

a couple firsts this week:
on saturday, your daddy and i had some friends over for a last-minute bbq. you were such a good boy! you slept a lot, but when you woke up you were bright-eyed looking around. we even caught a few smiles from you! (at this age, you were probably just imitating us, but we melted just the same. we can't wait until your 'real' emotional smiles start showing up!!) you also met andy, your daddy's best man. here you are together:also, your daddy and i gave you your first in the bathtub bath last night. we were wondering if you would like it, and you did (this picture doesn't exactly show your joy)! hopefully you will follow in your daddy's footsteps and be a great swimmer and waterbug :we look forward to all the new things you'll be learning soon!! we love you, jack!

love,
mommy and daddy