Happy Easter!

We had a nice day today with just the three of us. Chocolate bunnies, dying eggs, Easter egg hunt, and fun with chalk shaped like eggs! Jack and I (Natalie) have colds so we also had long, nice naps and kept it pretty low key.

I Love Chocolate! It seems he was more interested in the rocks than the eggs. Silly faces after my bath.

Here comes the sun...

It was such a beautiful day today that Jack and I decided it was time for some yard work. We started off our day with a trip to Home Depot where we picked up a few plants, grass seed and weed killer. I did most of my work while Jack took his morning nap since he is prone to running down the driveway and giggling while you catch him just in time. So once he woke, we got out the pool that was purchased long ago for a few unappreciative pugs. We got out our Hawaii sand toys, a few bath toys and a good time was had by all. Jack did his part to water the lawn with the help of his shovel and pail while I watered all the plants with miracle grow. All our neighbors had a good time watching Jack get in and out of the pool and trying to drink the water straight from the hose. Funny boy.

We had taken pictures of Jackson in his one year onsie every month since he was born and we finally took his picture in it at one year. I guess we got out of the habit of taking his picture all the time after his birthday. Here is the first one and the last. It is amazing how fast our little guy has grown and these pictures really show that. Just looking at the squares on the blanket he is laying on is a gauge of his growth.

Hawaii Trip!

So we recently went to The Big Island of Hawaii with our family for two whole weeks! We were there with my (Natalie's) mom, step dad, brother and his wife and daughter. It was fabulous and so much fun to see through Jackson's eyes. We got to do many things while we were there and Jackson had some firsts. I was so nervous taking him on such long plane rides but he did really well. There were other babies his age on several of the planes that were screaming, but he was fairly quiet, we just had to make sure he wasn't kicking the seat in front of us as he is a very busy boy. There was only one flight that he cried on but it was a short flight and it was only on the decent. We were trying everything to get him to calm down but he only stopped when we landed and I stood up. I tried not making eye contact with anyone but everyone had their theory as to why he was fussy from ear pressure to teething. I very nicely agreed with them but inside I was thinking...mind your own business and Get Me Off This Plane!

The first week we we stayed at the Kona Coast Resort which was really nice and we got the second bedroom this week. Yeah! This week we did some snorkeling at a few beaches. While we were at the City of Refuge there happened to be dolphins in the area. That was amazing and a bit scary. All of the sudden there were about 30 dolphins swimming in a group right past my path. I'm bummed that I didn't have my water camera yet. Jack played on the beach and really liked the sand. I think we are going to have to invest in a sandbox this summer. He could play for hours in it digging, picking it up and watching it fall and of course the occasional taste test. We also found out that he loves the water. He loved the pool the best but I think any sort of water would do. I let him play in a sprinkler puddle one day and he just splashed and giggled for a good while.

The second week we were in Wiakaloa staying at the Paniolo Greens Resort. This is the week that we got the pull out couch. Ouch! This was a very busy week. We started it out with a "skunked" deep sea fishing trip meaning that we did not have even a nibble...except we did catch a garbage bag! Saving the earth one bag at a time. We went to Hilo and saw the volcano which was amazing to watch, went to a zoo, a luau and a snorkel tour. Jackson loved most of it as long as we weren't in the car. The drive to Hilo was no fun for him but once we got to the zoo he had a blast. The snorkel tour was Jackson's first boat ride and he loved that. He tried walking around the boat as it rocked and he fell all over the place, he loved the wind as the boat was going, he would put his hands out to feel it blow through his hands, and if you listened really closely he would whisper "I'm king of the world!!!" He also went into the water with a little baby floaty which he hated and wanted out of, then he went in with a boogie board with a view box on it so that he could see the fish and coral but he didn't really understand and wanted off, then his favorite was sitting on Larry's innertube and looking through a view box. We have some great pictures on a water camera that I have to develop still, which will hopefully turn out.

Here are some pictures of our adventure:

Park, Project and Pretty Girls!

We visited Whitiker Park near our house for the first time the other day and it was a lot of fun. We didn't want to leave but it was way too windy and Jack's nose and hands were frozen. We let him walk when we were leaving and he kept turning around to head back to the play area. Can't wait for the warmer weather so we can go and stay longer.




Here is Jackson's latest project from "school." It is a heart that he finger painted and a picture of him bouncing out of the center. So cute!


The other day an old friend of ours, Amy, from work came to Reno for a visit and Jackson got to meet her little girl, Isabella, for the first time. Isabella kept saying baby to Jackson even though she is only 7 months older and about the same size. She was hugging and kissing him. Sorry to the other ladies out there!

Bubbles

Here is a video of Jackson walking around like a pro and enjoying the bubbles. I think in actuality, the dogs are enjoying the bubbles more than him and he is doing more dodging the pugs and playing, but as long as he is having fun. Also, in case you were wondering after watching the video: the "tatoo" is from Scheels, I finally found a bathing suit there that did not make me want to run and hide...as much as others have. Anyway while we were there they had a kids event where a guy was swimming in the fish tank teaching kids about the fish and the also had tatoos. Kinda random but Jack thought it was pretty cool.



In other news, Jackson is a genius in case you were wondering! Yesterday I asked him where mama's nose was and he pointed right at my nose. You could tell he was proud of himself when I praised him and he continued to do it a few more times just as long as no one else is looking. You see, Jackson is not a performer, that we know for sure. We know that he is capable of doing a lot of signs and saying Hi, Mama and Dada but it is very fleeting. He probably won't do this trick again for a few weeks or months but that's okay. We are willing to wait and try 100 times to get it on tape...we have the many shots of "nothing" to prove it.

We have the all clear

Today Jackson and I went to the pediatrician for a check up on his ears post ear infection and rupture. I am happy to report that his right ear looks great and his left ear, that had ruptured, has totally healed over on it's own. He can now dunk his head, get water in his ears and will not have to put anything in his ears afterwards. No drops and no ear plugs. I am grateful for that since I was already contemplating how I was going to keep those in while we are in Hawaii and swimming all the time!! I was sure that was going to next to impossible so I'm happy that we don't have to worry about it.