Update on Michelle

We are incredibly blessed (and really lucky too)! Michelle is such a sweet baby. She is healthy and beautiful and fun. She sleeps for 6 hours each night, then eats and sleeps for 2-3 more. She likes to go for rides in the car or in a cart at the store. Yes, she already likes shopping! Her neck muscles are increasing in strength it seems daily. We really love how aware she is and she just LOVES lights. Lights and Daddy. She will follow him with her eyes wherever he goes, no matter what. Once, she even postponed eating to watch Jim walk around the couch. And that is incredible for Michelle because she is our little piglet! She loves to eat . . . and eat . . . and eat. Not so much to sleep, except at night. She is awake most of the day, except a few little cat naps. I think she is just too busy eating to think about sleeping. Also she likes music--especially the Winnie the Pooh theme song that plays on her crib light show toy. I have that song in my head almost 24-7 now!

Christmas and Beyond

Okay, so it has been entirely too long since I updated this blog. Partly it's because we were out of town for 2 weeks. Partly it's because I had to go back to work and we have been very busy. Mostly it is because we can't tear ourselves away from our adorable little Micki! She is getting bigger and seemingly cuter every day.

Christmas was wonderful. Santa was generous to Jim and to me, and also to Michelle. Jim was also generous to me! We want to thank moms and dads for everything and all the help. Having a new baby is stressful and fabulous all at the same time!

I know what you really want is the pictures, so here are some of them. We have taken MANY, MANY more!

Jim got me a new vacuum for Christmas--it "sucks"-ha ha!

Madison made Michelle this awesome hat (she really does love it, she just doesn't know it yet).

She may not be very lively in the photo, but she really does like the keys-she is into bright colors right now, and anything that makes noise.

I think Jim's favorite Christmas gift is his suspenders. He also got a nifty tool belt and a new drill.

This bear suit is SOOOO cute! Also it has the added benefit of keeping her warm on snowy outings here in Show Low!

Ready to go out the door and head to Phoenix to catch her first plane. Her shirt says "Who needs Santa? I've got grandparents"

How true it is!

Grandma Jackson holds Michelle. She could have done that all day!

Great Grandma loved to hold her too! She liked Great Grandma!




Christmas morning she was a little sleepy-but she was enjoying the atmosphere. Santa Clause got us a Wii and the boys were LOVING that! I'm not sure Micki likes it yet, but I'm sure she will.

I think for now she is just excited about her dolly from Grandpa Jackson! Grandpa couldn't make it for Christmas because of the unusually nasty winter weather. We missed him!

We got Gary a Star Wars cook book. It was pretty cool! Now he can make some Wookie Waffles and other such treats.

Michelle was bright eyed and beautiful for Christmas day.



She sure loves Daddy!

Isn't she beautiful?

Mommy and Michelle just relaxed during the week, often caught catnapping on the sofa.

This is one of my favorite pictures of her-during play time on the floor.

We got her dressed up in her new Gap dress for Grandpa Jackson, who finally made it across the mountain to see his first grandbaby.

3 Generations of Jacksons

Back home in Show Low after many exhausting hours in airports and on planes and in cars. Jim snuck this picture of me napping with Michelle after I burped her.

One month old! We took her to get family pictures at Wal-Mart. We really are shocked every day at how big she is getting. At her one month mark she was at 10 pounds! Hopefully Jim can still hold her long enough when he blesses her on February 1!

Pictures of our Beautiful Baby

So far so good. Micki is 6 days old today. Yesterday she went to the doctor and everything looked GREAT! She weighed 7 lbs 14 oz, so she's only lost a couple ounces . . . which is completely normal for those of you stressed out granparents that might not know that! She is eating well, and often, as can be seen by Jim and my bloodshot eyes! But each night she is sleeping a little more and we are hopeful by January she will let us sleep most of the night. Anyway, here are some pictures of her each day from her first week with us.

12/4 (Thursday)

Ready to leave the hospital and venture out into the COLD (literally) world

12/5 (Friday)

Looking around in the safety of Daddy's arms

12/6 (Saturday)

She is pretty happy when she is sleeping

12/7 (Sunday)

Though she loves her sleep, she is more awake and alert every day

Michelle Elaine Jackson

She's finally here! And she is so beautiful! We waited so long to meet Micki, but it was worth the wait. We went into the hospital Tuesday at 8:00 am as Jim and Brooke . . . we came out Thursday evening as Dad and Mom, carrying our baby girl with us! She arrived at 2:14 pm on Wednesday, December 3, 2008. Weighing in at 8 pounds even and measuring 19 inches, she is also very healthy. So far we are exhausted and happy and excited for all our new adventures together!

Due Date

Well, I am looking and feeling "uber pregnant" as Jim would say (except he won't say because he would be too afraid of my wrath!) We are having nightly talks with our little one, trying to tell her that if she is feeling so crowded she should come out into the big, cold world for some wiggle room. We promise to love her and be nice to her and Jim even tried bribing her with chocolate, but so far she seems conent where she is. So, if she has not come by her due date, December 2, we will be making an 8:00 am trip to the hospital for something we like to call "Operation Ready or Not You ARE Coming Out!" (A.K.A. induced labor). Everything is ready for her, the nursery, her well stocked closet, even a new diaper changing station in the bathroom. Jim built a beautiful pink shelf for all our cloth diapering needs! Now we are just missing a baby! Anyway, it looks as if her first Thanksgiving will be NEXT Thanksgiving. This year it will be Jim and me, and some company that we are looking forward to. My mom and dad are coming down with Trevor, Madison and Travis, just for the day, though I tried to convince them that they didn't need to, since they will be turning around and coming back for Michelle's birthday! (It is possible I didn't try very hard, since I do miss them terribly and would LOVE to have them here! Still it is raining now and is supposed to be snowing by tomorrow night! I'd rather have them safe than have them here.) But they are planning to make the trip, no matter my protestations. We also will hopefully have our friends Brandyn and Jacqui with their 2 little ones over for dinner! A full house-my favorite and Jim's LEAST favorite. I tell you, sometimes I don't know how we ended up together with all the differences! He must REALLY love me! I know he does, because he is going to be doing a lot of the meal preparations to feed 11 people for Thanksgiving when he would probably rather spend it in the car listening to football on his Sirius Radio.

Christmas Spirit

It's no big secret that I am crazy about Christmas. It is the most wonderful time of the year, after all! Jim usually reigns in my jubilance until Thanksgiving, but this year, I tricked him! Hee, hee, hee! :) I convinced him that since the baby could come any day, and he doesn't want to be setting up Christmas alone, that we needed to get it done early. So, we got out the decorations Monday and have been setting up a little every day. We are nearly finished . . . at least, as finished as we are going to be for this year! I guess when it comes to Christmas decorations, I am never really finished because every year I find more to add! I really want one of those GE symphony light shows, but that might have to wait one more year!

Be careful on the edge of that roof, Jimmy!

MOST of the lights are working!

Finally all done for the year! It's so beautiful!

Baby Shower

Honestly, I can say I did not expect a baby shower. Jim and I do not know a lot of people here very well, and with me just changing jobs this year, it made it even less likely. However, a very sweet woman in our ward, Kira Brewer, took it upon herself to organize a shower for me. It was very considerate. And it was a lot of fun! Sometimes I forget how much fun it can be to talk to other women. People gave generous gifts--a lot of very cute clothes and a couple of nice, warm blankets for the cold winter months ahead. We ate some delicious treats, and I found a new craving for pineapple!

I also saw the doctor. He says everything looks perfect and the baby can come any time now. I agreed! If I haven't delivered by week #39 he says we will choose a date to induce, so that is something to look forward to, if nothing happens before.