The first couple of weeks of December were somewhat rough. Jackson caught a pretty nasty cold at the end of November, and because we didn't want to expose others, we spent most of those two weeks at home. To make matters worse, it was also really cold out, so we were pretty much trapped in the house. Talk about stir crazy! I barely made it through those two weeks, and needless to say, we will not be moving anywhere that has a "real" winter anytime soon.
Thankfully both Jackson and the weather got better just in time to start getting out and doing all sorts of Christmas stuff. We took him to get a Christmas tree, to see Santa {twice!}, to the Trail of Lights {and 2 other light shows!}, and if that we're enough, we also celebrated Christmas {and showered Jackson with gifts!} with our families 5 times! Yes, really -- 5 times!!! And as Holly pointed out, one of those celebrations included ONLY Jackson presents. I think it's safe to say that this kid is very well-loved and maybe even a little spoiled, too.
Speaking of spoiled, both Jackson and I are loving the fact that Ben is off from work for almost 2 whole weeks over Christmas and New Year's. The other day, Ben made us bacon and eggs for breakfast, started a load of laundry, and took Jackson with him to the grocery store for a couple of things that I needed for Christmas. Later that day, he said, "I wish I could win the lottery so that this could be my everyday." Uhhh...me too!!! We've had so much fun spending quality time just the three of us, and as an added bonus, Ben even watched Jackson so that I can do a little shopping in exchange for him doing a little golfing. Definitely like a win-win situation if you ask me!
Here is our December as told by the pictures on my phone.
Our little Humpty Dumpty.
I just love all of our Christmas decorations, and I had such a fun time finding new spots for everything in this house.
My mom made a stocking for Jackson before he was even born, and I had been looking forward to hanging it up ever since she gave it to us.
Be still my heart!
I decided to put our Santa doll in Jackson's room.
He was a little unsure at first...
...but thankfully, he warmed up quickly, and by the end of the month, he was even giving him kisses before going to bed at night.
Looks like we need to find a new place for the treat jar!
World's youngest rubbernecker.
We finish almost every meal with blueberries {his favorite!}...
...and this particular night, he tried pizza for the first time, too!
Hanging out at Mimi's house.
A future blackmail shot. ;)
Playing with our "new" favorite hand-me-down toy!
Baby's 1st Cheeto -- not a fan!
Undivided attention from BOTH grandmothers at once.
A cold front came through. Tastes like winter!
Who needs toys when you have Tupperware?
My boys and their snacks.
I did almost all of my Christmas shopping online this year, and Jackson loved inspecting all of the boxes.
This tiny one was one of his favorites!
Twins!
All the way from their forced smiles...
...to the back of their heads.
Baby's 1st Ritz - he is definitely a fan!
One of Jackson's and Dada's favorite games -- build a tower and knock it down!
Ben and one of Jackson's bath squirters Face-timed us one night to let us know that his bath was ready. Yes, really. :)
Jackson wasn't quite sure what to think, but it's the simple things like this that make me fall in love with him all over again.
So fresh and so clean clean!
Gosh, my baby is gorgeous.
Baby's 1st French Toast. Carb-lover for sure!
One of our neighbors {John -- who is an original owner} told us that in the early 1960's everyone used to put a candy cane out in their yard at Christmas. A few of the neighborhood men would make them out of stovepipe and ribbon and sold them for $2.50 per cane or $5.00 for a cane and a floodlight. This year, the local boy-scout troop decided to start the tradition back up, but by the time we tried to order ours online, they had already stopped taking orders. We got an email that there would be handful for sale at the nearby church market, so I stopped as soon as it opened. Thankfully, we got one {although it cost just a little more than $2.50}, and needless to say, I was excited!
Why smell the candle when you can touch and taste it instead? ;)
So thankful that Jackson's doorknob quit working in the middle of the night when Ben was home so that he could bust down the door and rescue my crying babe from his crib. Talk about scary!
Our little Aggie in his new hat.
Face-timing with mom and loving it!
Kisses...
...and the same goofy smirk!
Celebrating Kyle's birthday with my mom's famous chocolate cake...
... and showing off our Cheerio flipping skills!
Jackson also got his very own broom since he is so infatuated with ours.
He loves pushing it back and forth across the floor, which will be so helpful one day! Another favorite is banging it against the wall, which is not quite as helpful. ;)
Mmmmm....cheeeeeeese. :)
...and playing with the "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree"...
...really takes it out of a guy.
Ben took a day off from work to defend his professional paper proposal in College Station {did I mention that he is finally finishing his master's degree?}, and when he got home earlier than normal, we took Jackson to the mall to see Santa.
He loved the trains and the big Christmas trees...
...but he wasn't quite sure what to think of Santa.
Thankfully we were able to get him to smile. It took a few pictures though, so I was glad that there wasn't a line. From the look of things, he appeared to be a fan, but really, that smile was for me -- and the photographer's jingle bells that I was ringing like a crazy person!
While we were out, we also decided to pick up a tree, but because the weather and Jackson's cold had kept us home for so long, things were a little picked over.
We stopped at Papa Noel first, but they didn't have the kind that we usually buy, so we tried Lowes, but they ended up not having anything taller than 5 or so feet. Our third stop was Home Depot. We joked on the way there that The Liggett Family Christmas Tree was there -- no matter what the selection looked like, but thankfully, we found a really pretty one.
While flipping through my recipe book, I came across such a wonderful surprise. A really cute snowman cupcake idea...
...with the sweetest handwritten note from G. "For my great grandchildren with lots of love." There's no date on it, but it's on a recipe card from one of my bridal showers, so I'm guessing she gave it to me about 7 years ago. I absolutely love finding things like this.
Our little fish.
I'm pretty sure he's going to hate this picture one day, but I love it!
Rehydrating {with an empty water bottle} after working out with Stroller Strides.
My favorite lunch date.
...but unfortunately {for me}, his reach got longer and longer with each passing day!
Face-timing Ben's parents.
"Good morning, Puppies! You're not trying to sleep are you?"
One night, Ben tried to sneak back into Jackson's room to turn on his humidifier. He thought if he crawled along the floor, Jackson wouldn't see him, but my baby is way too smart for that.
We planned to decorate the tree as a family this year, but I quickly changed my mind and sent the boys to get breakfast tacos instead.
Almost all of our ornaments represent a particular memory or aspect of our life, and these two are a couple of my very favorite ones.
We hosted our Sunday School Christmas party this year, so Jackson spent the night at Mimi's house and had so much fun playing with her and Aunt Holly.
Such a sweet moment between two of my very favorite people while on a walk to lunch.
Pulling up...
...cruising along...
...and into everything!
Baby's 1st Asparagus - success!
Mimi put one of her clips in Jackson's hair, and obviously, he wasn't too upset about it. Another future blackmail shot. ;)
When did my baby get so big???
Cruising along the furniture -- his favorite pastime these days.
I can't be certain, but I think he wanted me to pick him up. ;)
We went to the post office to get stamps for our Christmas cards, and it was packed. Jackson couldn't figure out why everyone was so grumpy because he loves crowds!
"Are you up there, Santa?"
Making breakfast with mom.
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...to his elf Katie...
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...and to some of our friends.
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Afterwards, we headed over to Zilker Park to see the Christmas tree and the Trail of Lights.
He was just so excited -- he couldn't quit kicking!
We took him under the tree and did a little spinning...
...and after grabbing a couple of {overpriced but really good} grilled cheese sandwiches, we headed to the Trail of Lights.
That night was the first night of nice weather that we had had in awhile, so unfortunately, we had to wait in a pretty long line. Thankfully, Jackson didn't mind too much though. Despite the fact that we were getting closer and closer to his bedtime, he really enjoyed the people watching.
I enjoyed the view...
...and the company. :)
After waiting 30 minutes or so, we finally made it to the front of the line!
I was SO excited...
...but Jackson wasn't really sure what to think -- haha.
Thankfully, he warmed up quickly though and squealed/kicked almost the whole way.
The tunnels were definitely his favorite -- probably because he could see those lights the best.
Towards the end, we let him get out so that he could get a little closer to all of the lights, and he was so excited!
So much fun with my favorite boys. I'm already looking forward to next year!
I prefer sleep but rocking my sweet baby in the middle of the night is a pretty good consolation prize.
Helping mom make breakfast and being super silly!
Pulling up on everything.
Finally got a picture put in my new favorite ornament!
Blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries -- messiest puree ever, but he loves it!
One night, we took Jackson to a house in our neighborhood with a light show.
And when he wasn't staring at it with his jaw dropped, he was grinning ear-to-ear...
...and squealing with excitement.
A little post-light-show dinner...
Helping me wrap Christmas gifts and teaching him to "talk" into the wrapping paper holder.
Celebrating Christmas with Ben's family before Mary Catherine left to go back home.
Using the self-timer on my camera, we were able to get a pretty good family picture. We weren't exactly sure how to use it though, so when we set it for "10" seconds, we were actually setting it to take "10" pictures. The camera flash went off, we all looked at Jackson to see his reaction...
...and that's when it just kept going!
Eventually we were able to regain our composure. ;)
The star of the show.
A Ford truck just like Dada's!
"This truck is great and all, but look at this packaging!" ;)
My baby and his first pickup.
One of my gifts from Ben's parents was this hat. Yes, really. Mary Catherine got jewelry, and I got this hat -- haha. Thankfully there was a story to go along with it, and they're getting me chickens to keep at their house. Fresh eggs and no hassle -- now that's my kind of gift!
An evening stroll complete with Christmas lights, carolers, and a head lamp!
Couponing with mom. ;)
Baby's 1st trip to Northwest Park.
One evening, we bundled Jackson up and took him to see the light show at Mozarts, which played for about 15 minutes every hour on the hour.
We ended up meeting Jon, Emily, and Jake there and had a great time hanging out with them and sipping on coffee and hot chocolate while we waited for the show to start.
Jackson couldn't take his eyes off the other little kids...
...but as soon as the show started, he wasn't really sure what to think.
"Are the rest of you really enjoying this?"
Haha -- I can't be certain, but I'm not so sure he was a fan.
How is that even comfortable?
Over the holidays, we did a couple days of role-reversal, and I went to work while Ben stayed home with Jackson.
Eating breakfast at Pacha...and checking out the waitress. ;)
Taking the Cozy Coupe for a little spin.
Ben put a Cheerio on the end of Jackson's nose. He could see it...
...but he had the hardest time figuring out how to get it off.
Celebrating Christmas Eve at Valerie & Ronnie's house.
Jackson loves his new Snowy Bear book -- complete with a hand puppet!
My sweet boy in his Christmas PJ's on Christmas Eve.
A little last minute sweeping before the Christmas festivities began.
Everyone was so excited about it being Jackson's 1st Christmas and wanted to be there when he opened up all of his gifts, so we spent the entire morning doing just that. It's going to be a sad day when Jackson grows up and realizes that the world doesn't revolve around him -- because when you're the first baby on both sides of the family, it kind of appears that it does. ;)
Ben decided that the {already overweight} squirrels also deserved a Christmas treat and set out some chopped pecans!
Feeling refreshed after a Christmas morning nap!
Ben also realized on the way home that he was suddenly dying of thirst. Neither one of us had a water bottle, but thankfully, Jackson was nice enough to share his sippy cup. ;)
Ben tried to convince me that he was putting away the toys, but it looks a lot more like playing to me. ;)
Apparently being spoiled {and getting off schedule} is exhausting!
That afternoon, we went over to my mom's house for our 5th and final Christmas celebration, and just as my mom expected, Jackson was super excited about the fact that she had saved her wrapping paper rolls for him.
While we were there, Cheryl also stopped by with Miles and Avery. I really wanted to get a picture of the 3 of them, but believe it or not, these are the best pictures that I could get.
Haha -- I love these kiddos so much, but they are definitely not the most cooperative when it comes to taking pictures! ;)
Apparently when you're almost 30, it's not cool to still carry the same wallet you had in high school -- especially if it's so full that you can't even snap it, so Ben got me a new one for Christmas. :)
We had originally planned to go to Upper Crust but found out that they were closed for the holidays when we got there, so we ended up walking all the way to Taco Deli, which is about 2.5 miles from the house. We remembered the placemat this time but forgot both the bib and the spoon.
This face has "Parents of the Year" written all over it. ;)
Having fun with my favorite boy while waiting for my other favorite one to get home from golf.
The boys hung out on the blanket while the girls put Christmas lights on the house. I guess you could say this family isn't big on traditional gender roles. ;)
Does life get any better than this? Jackson doesn't think so.
Mark my words -- this kid will be competing in the Olympics one day. ;)
Seriously, what did we all stare at before this kid was born?
Mary Catherine and Uncle Josh.
Sweeping...
I thought G's credenza would be the perfect place to display my nativity, and Jackson agreed...
I made sure to hang all our kid-friendly ornaments at the bottom of the tree, and as I expected, Jackson was nice enough to help arrange and re-arrange those all month long.
Who knew that pretend cupcake frosting {and a cherry} made such a good Rudolph nose?
The cutest lunch date EVER.
Did you know that there was a rubber ducky at Jesus' birth? Neither did I. ;)
One evening, Santa came up to my office, so we stopped by to say "hi" to him...
...but more than anything, he loved looking at all of the people.
Thankfully we were able to get one good family shot...
It doesn't look like much from the picture, but the guy who lives there did a great job. Jackson was mesmerized!
...flailing his arms...
....which was quickly followed up by a bath -- for obvious reasons. ;)
Biggest Amazon delivery ever -- diapers, wipes, and a baby!
On Christmas morning, both of our families came over for breakfast.
Because Ben and I weren't really in "need" of anything this year, we decided to get a family gift and plan to get bikes and a bike trailer this coming Spring. I did want to have a few things for him to open up though, so in addition to some new shirts, this is his "big gift" from me -- a shoe rack. ;)
That afternoon, we headed out to Uncle Pat and Aunt Beth's house. It's always so hard to get pictures of that group, but here are the ones that I did get.
We had hoped that Jackson would take his afternoon nap on the way out to Uncle Pat and Aunt Beth's house, but because he never ended up falling asleep, he crashed as soon as we put him in the car.
Me and my Christmas baby at bedtime.
Who slept till 10 and then went back down 2 hours later for a 2-hour nap? This guy!!!
One morning, we bundled Jackson up and walked to breakfast.
