Baby Jackson

Mommy won Mrs. Arizona America!

2010-05-23T20:04:00.000-07:00

On May 22nd, my mommy came home with a really sparkly thing that looked like a giant headband or some girly hair thing. She said she is Mrs. Arizona America - not sure what that is. All I know is I really want to get my hands on that sparkly thing and this long ribbon she wears around her - but Mommy won't let me touch them. Mommy says that she is going to be taking me to lots of special events this year. I just hope I get my naptimes still! Or that food will be served! Daddy says that we will be going to Tucson in September for Mrs. America - the national competition where Mommy will be on stage. I hope I get to watch Mommy because Daddy made me stay home with Uncle Nick when Mommy won.

Major Milestones

2010-05-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's amazing at how much Jackson has developed since his 1st birthday. He has now learned how to high 5, clap, walk along walls, has taken a step here and there, and is almost saying dog! In a matter of weeks, I know he will be running everywhere!

Here is Jackson getting ready for his new favorite activity - taking a bike ride!

Birthday Celebration at the Zoo

2010-04-07T11:43:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Jackson's 1st birthday, Greg and I took off of work and took Jackson to the Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium. Jackson absolutely loved seeing all of the animals up close, even when the goats were trying to nibble on his clothes. Here are just a few pictures of him in the petting zoo.

Jackson's 1st Birthday Party!!!

2010-04-04T11:38:00.000-07:00

That's right our little man turns 1 on the 7th of April. I'm amazed at how quickly time has passed by. It seems like only yesterday we brought our little bundle of joy home from the hospital. We celebrated Jackson's birthday with a King of the Jungle party at our neighborhood park. The weater was perfect, the food was great, and the company was fantastic!! Thank you to everyone who attended Jackson's party and made sure he was spoiled with lots of attention, food, gifts and of course love.

A special thank you Andrea Franks for making Jackson's jungle birthday cake. Oh my goodness, this cake not only looked unbelievable, but it tasted amazing!!

11 Months Old

2010-03-24T12:40:00.000-07:00

I know I have said this a million times.... but I cannot believe how quickly time flies. Jackson celebrated his 11 month old mark on March 7th. It's hard to believe in 1 month he is turning the big 1!!!!

Here are some highlights from the last month:
- Jackson moved into his new home!!! Despite Greg being out of town all of moving week, taking 1 trip to the ER, 2 doctor's visits and an urgent care visit during moving week - we survived. Oh, need I mention that I (Corrie) broke a toe while moving in!! Yes, it was an unforgettable week to say the least. Jack loves his nursery and is peacefully enjoying sleeping in his crib (which he had only done once before).
- Jackson started daycare, which very well could have led to the numerous doctor/ER/urgent care visits during moving week.

- Jackson attended Mommy's birthday celebration and of course stuck his hand in my cake.
- Jackson has 2 more teeth coming in up top.
- He loves exploring new food. He has tried mushrooms, chinese food, rice, crackers, cheese (which he loves) and so much more. There is nothing this kid won't eat!

10 Months Old

2010-02-07T12:37:00.000-08:00

Today Jackson turned 10 months old. I can't believe in 60 days he's going to be 1! This past month Jackson:

has tried all sorts of new foods - macaroni and cheese, beef stew, vegetable medley, yogurt, rice and much more. He even fed himself spaghetti one night.
learned how to crawl. He is quick as can be now. His favorite spots to crawl to are under Grandma's desk where her computer tower is located, the front of the TV (where he pulls loose pieces of drywall off and tries to eat it), outlets or wherever a dog or cat might be.
has had two top teeth show. Just this morning we noticed 2 more top teeth are breaking through.

The next few weeks for Jackson will be including a few more major milestones: moving into a new house and starting daycare 2 days a week.

Beautiful Baby Contest

2010-02-01T14:27:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the encouragement of our dear friend Ms. Nancy, we have entered Jackson in Regis & Kelly's Beautiful Baby Contest. The most Beautiful Baby will win a $100,000 college scholarship, trip to NY to be on the show, a professional photo shoot, and the cover of Parents Magazine. The top 5 get a $25,000 college scholarship, trip to NY to appear on the show, and a professional photo shoot. Keep your fingers crossed.

Here are some of the pics we submitted.

2 more teeth!

2010-02-01T14:22:00.005-08:00

Jackson's two top center teeth are coming in! Boy this kid is symmetrical - he got his bottom two center teeth at the same time and now his top center teeth are coming in too.

Time to Babyproof!

2010-02-01T14:22:00.001-08:00

As of 2 weeks ago, Jackson began crawling!! I know, it's taken me 2 weeks to post this exciting news, because every time I sit down he's taking off. Time to stock up on the electrical plugs, corner table protectors, and so much more!!!

3/4 years old

2010-01-10T14:15:00.000-08:00

Jackson turned 9 months old already!!! I can't believe that he is 3/4 of a year old. We celebrated his 3/4 of a year old b-day by also celebrating his Grandpa Irv's birthday and attneding a friend's 1st birthday. Jackson, of course, loved all of the events because there was cake - lots of cake!! Never would have guessed he's my son.

Here are some major milestones he's enjoyed:

He is saying "Momma" but has no idea what he is really saying... or at least I don't think he knows what he is saying.
He is eating cheerios now. Jackson is so interested in what we are eating during dinner, we had to start giving him cheerios or small snacks to occupy him while we ate dinner.
Enjoyed his first Christmas and all of the toys too!
Attended his first New Years party. He loved watching all of the people and playing with the other little kids.
Attended his first birthday party - where he was bigger than the b-day girl who was turning 1.
Jackson experienced swings for the first time. He first got to go on one with Mom and then he got to go onto the baby swing. He laughed the entire time.

Jackson's First Christmas

2009-12-28T09:21:00.000-08:00

Jackson got extra lucky this year and had 2 Christmas celebrations! Aunt Tessa & Uncle Nick were flying out to Seattle for Christmas so we did an early family Christmas with a bit of birthday celebration for Tessa the week before Christmas. Jackson loved eating the wrapping paper and bows and didn't seem to understand why were throwing the paper and bows away. Then he began to realize that the yummy paper and bows were covering something even better - presents! Auntie Tessa & Uncle Nick spoiled his as expected. Jackson got a ride 'n' push toy, a cellphone, and an Elmo book. He loved them all!

On Christmas Eve we let Jackson open one present from Grandma & Grandpa Hill - after all it's a Hill family tradition. He got a huge, plush lion. Greg and I decided to start our own family tradition - so we drove around town looking at Christmas lights.

Christmas morning started off with another new family tradition - Corrie made the popular cinnamon roll recipe. Even Jackson got a few bites of them. Then the little guy got spoiled again with more presents. Grandma and Grandpa Hill got him 2 cute outfits and an electric toolbench toy. Grandpa John got Jackson a Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes book and a kazoo (which none of the adults could figure out how to work). Greg and I got Jackson a toss 'n' play ball toy - you push a button and these plastic balls are thrown around the toy. It's supposed to help babies learn how to crawl... which I am in no hurry for Jackson to start crawling. I got Jackson a wooden toolbox and tools (yes, Grandma Hill tried to "up" Mom's present). He loves eating the hammer and screwdriver and waving the saw around - he's all boy!

Xmas Cookies with the Hill Family

2009-12-14T06:48:00.000-08:00

Now that we are all in the same city, we decided to get together and make our Christmas Cookies together. The Hill Family girls are natural bakers.... and eaters! Here is a picture of Jackson with his first official Christams Cookie and his Aunt and Uncle. Auntie Tessa even frosted it with a J for him. Of course, once he got his hands on the cookie it crumbled to a million pieces but he was determined to try some of it. That's my boy!!

8 months old

2009-12-14T06:43:00.000-08:00

Jackson turned 8 months old this month! I'm amazed at how quickly he is growing up. It seems like only yesterday I could carry him around in one arm effortlessly - not anymore!!!

Here are some milestones for the past month:
1) He is trying a ton of real food - guacamole, chicken, celery, cucumber, mashed potatoes, Mexican rice, refried beans. I don't think there hasn't been anything that he has disliked. Maybe that's a reason why he's 20 lbs.
2) He took his first international vacation where he experienced his first "real" beach. See below post.
3) He is soooooo close to crawling. He can now spin himself around in several circles. He can pull himself up and over from a sitting position. He can push himself backwards, but just not crawling forwards yet.
4) He got to see his Uncle/Godfather Nick return home from Iraq!
5) He attended his first Thanksgiving. And of course he had to attend his first Thanksgiving Day football game where he cheered on his Dad and Uncle Nick as they played football.
6) Jackson has decided he prefers to sleep on his stomach. No matter how many times we roll him onto his back throughout the night, he always manages to make it back on his tummy again.

As you can tell from the pictures, it's impossible to get this kid to hold still for a picture!

Jackson's First International Vacation

2009-12-07T11:01:00.000-08:00

Jackson, Greg and I spent 6 days in Cancun, Mexico for our first "big" trip since Jackson's arrival into this world. He did fantastic! Mom's research into making travel with a baby as easy as possible, lots of organizing and pre-planning, and being picky with our flight times so they coordinated with feeding and napping schedules made for a pretty easy trip. Check out all of the pictures at
http://www.corrieandgregfrancis.shutterfly.com/

7 months old

2009-11-11T14:43:00.000-08:00

On November 7th, Jackson turned 7 months old. And boy did we celebrate with some milestones:

Jackson experienced his first runny nose/cold. It really didn't bother him except for when we tried to wipe his nose.
Jackson had his first ear infection. Thankfully, I caught it really early when I took him to the doctor's to make sure his cold wasn't something worse.
Jackson rolled over from his back to his stomach with a little coaxing with a toy by Mom.
Jackson cut his first tooth. On top of the runny nose and ear infection, his first tooth (bottom right) started coming through. I tried so hard to get a picture of it, but I had no luck at all!
Jackson had his first taste of yogurt. Graduates has these great little YoguMelts that literally melt in the mouth. I picked some up as a "last resort" for any fussy bits during our trip.
Jackson will be taking his first international vacation later this month. We are headed off to Cancun for a 6 day vacation! I've been preparing for months making sure I have everything we need, making lists, trying to simply what we bring as much as possible.... wish us luck!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-02T14:07:00.000-08:00

Jackson experienced his first Halloween - and here is his version.

Mommy and Daddy took me to a big park filled with this yellow scratchy stuff called hay and these big orange things called pumpkins. I kept trying to eat the hay and pumpkins, but Mommy wouldn't let me. They bought me very first pumpkin... I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do with it.

Then the next day Auntie Tessa came over with her crazy dog Frank. He tore up my teddy bear when Daddy fell asleep and Mommy and Tessa were outside making the house look scary :( Then later that night, Mom dressed me up in all red and put this black thing around me - I guess it's called a cape. She filled my bottle with something red, but she wouldn't let me drink it. Then she put this red stuff all over my mouth. Later that night Mommy got dressed up and she looked scary. She looked like she hadn't slept in weeks and she had something that looked like red drool running down her neck. I'm not sure why, but Mommy and Daddy put me in my stroller and took me to some of the neighbors houses. For some reason everyone kept giving me candy, but Mommy wouldn't let me eat it. Then we went back to our house and little kids that were dressed up funny kept running up to us asking for candy. I'm not sure what this Halloween is all about, but I liked it!

6 months old!

2009-10-21T16:20:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe Jackson is already 1/2 year old. It really seems like just yesterday that we were leaving the hospital with our new family member! Here are some of Jackson's latest milestones:

He discovered how to stick out his tongue after watching Mommy and Daddy do it to him constantly. Watch out KISS, this kiddo has a tongue on him!
He is loving his baby food. Sweet potatoes are now his favorite!
Jackson continues to try out adult food. He likes juice from grapes, juice from watermelons, blueberry scone, spaghetti noodles with a touch of sauce, and Pumpkin Pie Blizzard. Ice cream still seems to be his favorite!
He is officially back in the "normal" status for his weight and height... but now his doctor is saying his head is growing out of proportion to the rest of him. Great now he is going to have a big head.... but that's because he is going to be so smart!

That's the latest on our little one for now.

Jackson's 1st Pageant Experience

2009-10-11T16:08:00.000-07:00

This weekend we decided to have Jackson experience his first pageant. A dear friend of ours, Jackie Cline, was judging Miss Pima County in Tucson, so we packed up the car and headed down to support her and enjoy the pageant. We had a great time catching up with our friends - the DeNigris' and Tuckers' before the show. During the pageant, Jackson was great! He managed to stay awake through the entire swimsuit competition... but fell asleep halfway through the talent portion. Go figure - what a boy! Thankfully he woke up for part of the evening gown competition - mommy's favorite. He was completely mesmerized by all of the sequins, rhinestones and sparkly embellishments.

Mrs. World and Jackson (left).

Miss Arizona Savannah Troupe, Jackson and Corrie (right).

We also capped off the weekend with buying Jackson a new toy - a jumperoo! He loves it. And we love it even more - now Jackson can entertain himself while I clean the house or make dinner!

Baby Farmer

2009-10-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

Gotta love having a mom that's a photographer!!!

Photo by Cottage Ink

480-539-8403

One Packed Weekend - BBQ, Pie, 5K, Phoenix Zoo!

2009-10-05T16:45:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was packed full of lots of fun activities for Jackson (and us). Saturday, we packed up the car and headed to Rock Springs, AZ (10 minutes north of Anthem). Rock Springs is the smallest city I have ever stopped in - population of 3! Despite the tiny size, they have a great restaurant called Rock Springs Cafe. I fell upon this "hole in the wall" when I was Miss AZ some 6 years ago. This past weekend they were holding their monthly "Hogs 'n' Heat" BBQ in conjuction with their Oktoberfest. So we headed up north for some cooler weather, great food, beer and their internationally known pies. Anyone that knows me, knows my main motivation for making the trip to Rock Springs was the PIE! While at the Oktoberfest/BBQ, Jackson enjoyed playing in the grass for the first time! (Hey in Phoenix, you don't play in your yard during the summer - it's just too hot. So that is why he is experiencing grass for the first time at almost 6 months old).

The next day we got up before the sun, so I could run in my first 5K post-baby. I ran in the City of Hope 5K and surprised myself by finishing in 30 minutes 35 seconds - only about a 1 1/2-2 minute difference from my pre-baby time. Because I ran in the race, we were given free admission into the Phoenix Zoo. So, of course, we had to Jackson to the zoo for the first time. Unfortunately, because we woke the "sleeping dragon" up at 5:30 am to head out to the 5K, he slept through the entire zoo. The only time he woke up is when I woke him so I could get a picture of him with the giraffes.... hey, his outfit had giraffes on it - perfect photo op!

5 Year Anniversary ... and Jackson's first "off-site" babysitting experience!

2009-10-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Greg and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary! Boy does time fly!!! My sister graciously offered to babysit Jackson so we could enjoy a romantic (and quiet) dinner together. So we packed up all of Jackson's things (diapers, toys, bottles, you name it) and headed over to Auntie Tessa's place. Jackson loved his time with Tessa - they watched Finding Nemo, took naps with Frank (the dog) on her couch, and played with Perla the kitty. This was Jackson's first time to be watched by someone away from our house, and he did just fine. Auntie Tessa spoils him, so next time he might not want to come back home :(

The Joys of Motherhood

2009-09-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

Having your infant suck on your knee just to occupy him for a moment. Then standing up and realizing the drool is running all the way down your leg.

Wearing just as much butternut squash baby food on you as your little on has actually eaten. Mostly in part because your baby has realized how to blow air out as you are trying to give him a spoonful of baby food!

Getting to work and realizing your blouse is still damp from your little guy drooling all over earlier that morning.

And last of all but definitely not least - trying to soothe your baby while he is teething!

Lots of Celebrating

2009-09-20T13:27:00.001-07:00

Wow, this past month has absolutely flown by. First off, our house in Colorado is officially sold. Greg flew up to Colorado to finish packing up our belongings and then made a 24 hour trek driving all of our belonging in a huge trailer down to Phoenix. Thankfully his dad accompanied him on the drive, which let Jackson and I be off the hook. Plus this allowed Greg's dad to spend 2 days visiting with Jackson and my family.

Jackson celebrated his first Grandparents Day by attending an Arizona Diamondbacks game with his grandpa. Despite his perfectly coordinate outfit and a determined Mom, Jackson didn't make it onto the big screen yet again :( We'll have to make it to another game to see if the third time really is a charm.

Some fun milestones over the past month:

Jackson has added baby food to his meal plan. So far he seems to like applesauce the best... but hates it when mom sneaks in some rice cereal with the applesauce. He's also enjoyed some real food - watermelon, broth and blueberry muffins! Ice cream is still his favorite though.

Jackson has really taken to "carrying on conversations". He will coo and make all sorts of noises for hours as long as you do the same right back to him.
Jackson thinks his Grandpa is the funniest person around. My dad will laugh and Jackson will immediately copy him and giggle just as loud as can be. Of course the minute the video camera goes on, Jackson refuses to laugh at Grandpa.
Jackson attended his first winery. Yes we were the couple that dragged a baby around to some local vineyards in Southern Az. Thankfully he didn't fuss or cry so he didn't ruin anyone's quiet wine tasting!

Jackson met a long time friend of mine, Julie, who is responsible for me competing in pageants. While enjoying our time with Julie, Jackson had his first exposure to pageant girls since the Mrs. America Pageant was being held that weekend. Jackson also walked away from this meeting with an adorable crown bib and a blue "My First Birthday" party hat!
Jackson is becoming much more mobile. He is learning to arch his back so he can roll from his back to his side. He's also getting bored on his belly - he is kicking and reaching as he tries to figure out how to crawl!

Jackson submitted his application for his passport. Mexico here he comes!!

This coming weekend Greg and I celebrate our 5 year anniversary. My sister has graciously offered to babysit Jackson. This will be his first "off-site" babysitting experience and my sister's first time babysitting him. Jackson is captivated by Auntie Tessa so I'm sure the two of them will have a great time. We'll keep you posted on how Mom and Dad do with their first evening without the baby!!!

Chunk

2009-08-31T07:39:00.000-07:00

Well, after a not so pleasant 4 month check up it has become my life ambition to fatten my baby up! Apparently, he was too skinny for his age at his last appointment (he was measuring in the bottom 5th percentile for weight). So, we've moved his feedings closer together, increased the amount of formula, and even added some rice cereal to his diet and we now have....... a chunk!

Jackson has discovered his toes.
He intentionally laughs now... and at the right times (not during scary movies anymore).
He loves ice cream and has had his first taste of Ghiradelli chocolate! Yummy!
He is eating rice cereal now - although he definitely prefers ice cream over boring rice cereal.
He is grabbing food off our plates. He is mesmerized by food - imagine that!
He held a girl's hand for the first time. Watch out ladies we have a flirt!
He is constantly rolling over from his stomach to his back.
He is becoming much more opinionated over which toys are his favorites.
He is starting to be able to sit up on his own... but eventually tumbles over.

This photo was taken just seconds before Jackson decided to pee all over Daddy's stomach.

Notice the facial expression!

Also, this month, Dad survived his first weekend with Jackson by himself. I hopped on a plane to Vegas where I met up with my sister and a co-worker/friend from Colorado. We had a great girls weekend filled with pool time, dancing, drinking, eating, shopping and so much more! I missed my little man, but I was glad Greg had a full weekend to discover what I do when while he's away from work every day. Needless to say, Greg was happy to see me return home and handed the little guy over right away!

16 weeks old

2009-07-28T09:56:00.001-07:00

Jackson is 16 weeks today and is growing every day. Tomorrow he has his 4 month check up and I'm eager to see how much he weighs. Over the last few weeks Jackson has been busy:

He laughed for the first time.... as we were watching a scary movie.
He carries on "full conversations" with us making all sorts of noises and cooes.
He is sleeping more at night. He has been sleeping through the night since 6 1/2 weeks old, but now he is making it from 10 pm to 7:45/8 am! This is great when Mom and Dad are trying to get ready for work before he wakes up.

He had his first taste of real food - ice cream (what else would you expect he is part of the Hill family after all).

He is putting everything in his mouth now!

He has discovered Mom has a nose and mouth... and hair!

He has outgrown many of his 0-3 month old outfits - finally!

Jackson is also loving the fact that he has a photographer around 24/7 who is capturing all of those special moments. Here are some of my mom's latest pictures.

My first 4th of July!

2009-07-14T10:01:00.001-07:00

Jackson enjoyed his first 4th of July in style! We spent the afternoon with my parents and sister swimming, relaxing, and enjoying BBQ. Then once the sun went down we began the hunt for fireworks. I, of course, became the overly concerned mom - I was nervous about going to a large display where the sound would be too loud for Jackson. So we decided to watch the fireworks from afar and in our car due to it being over 100 degrees out. Unfortunately, the fireworks display we went to looked like it was run by an amateur. So after about 20 minutes, we decided beat the crowds and head home. But, we were doing it for Jackson.... and his scrapbook!

My 1st D-backs Game!

2009-07-12T21:26:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we took a break from house hunting and decided to enjoy ourselves in our new city. So, we ventured out to Chase Field where Jackson attended his first baseball game. Despite having great seats (dugout box), Jackson decided to sleep through the majority of the game until I decided I needed pictures of his first game and he needed to be on the big screen. So I started doing anything I could to draw attention to Jackson - dancing him around, making him wave and even having him participate in the infamous wave...but I failed in getting him on the big screen. Maybe next time. We did walk away with a free bobble head souvenir and a "My first D-backs game" button for his scrapbook.

Thanks Auntie Tessa for my adorable red and white Polo onesie. I was appropriately dressed in Dback colors for the game! Go Dbacks!!!

The heat is on!!

2009-06-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

On Father's Day, we officially relocated to the desert of Arizona. Thankfully, we have my family here who has graciously allowed us to stay with them until we find a new home here. When I say graciously, that might be an understatement considering we is 6 of us - Greg, me, Jackson and our 3 pets. For those of you that know our crazy lab Harley, you won't be surprised to hear that as soon as she went into my parent's backyard she made a b-line into the pool. Yes, our lab loves the water. I think she has made a splash in the pool on a daily basis so far!

We are all settling in quite well. Greg started his job this past week and has enjoyed getting to know his peers and reconnecting with some old co-workers from his previous days here in AZ. I accepted a job as a Part time Personal Banker at a WF branch in Fountain Hills. I will be working as a PB initially, but will be transitiong into the Assistant Store Manager role. Jackson seems to be happy to have his grandparents and aunt here to spoil him even more! And the pets love the extra attention too.

In Loving Memory of Emma Lou Francis 6/8/1918 - 6/9/2009

2009-06-09T08:11:00.000-07:00

This morning we recieved news that Greg's "Yiayia" (Greek for grandma) passed away the morning after her 91st birthday after suffering a stroke last week. We are so thankful that we had the opportunity to travel up to Glenwood Springs to introduce Yiayia to her great-grandson Jackson 2 weeks ago. According to family members that met with her after our visit, she thoroughly enjoyed the chance to hold Jackson. Greg and I adored his grandma and are at peace knowing that Emma Lou is know with her beloved husband Gus and her daughter Virginia.

2 months old

2009-06-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's hard to believe 2 months ago Jackson was born. Maybe it's the new and exciting experience or the lack of sleep that makes time fly. Jackson is growing up so quickly. He is lifting his head, rolling over from his tummy, smiling, crying with tears, recognizing our voices and so much more. Here is a pic of Jackson with his Kaloo on his 2 month birthday.

Packing Up with a Newborn! Arizona here we come....

2009-06-04T14:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is official - Greg and I are moving back to Phoenix this month!! Greg accepted a position with USBank in the East Valley and he starts July 1st. So now we are frantically packing up the house, putting it on the market, making plans to move, and looking for a job for me with Wells Fargo all while taking care of a newborn. Piece of cake, right?

Our temporary address in Arizona will be: 1309 E Treasure Cove Gilbert, AZ 85234. We will keep the same cell phone numbers (after all this is why we have had AZ cell numbers for the past 4 years) and we can also be reached at 480-539-8403.

Holy Crap!

2009-05-26T08:58:00.000-07:00

Wow, the pleasantries of motherhood. As I writing the last post, Jackson decided to have a MAJOR blowout and that is an understatement for sure. Crap all up the back of his onesie and all over his blanket. Nothing like feeling a warm sensation on your lap and discovering your little one is covered in crap! Love being a mom!!

Off to Great-Grandmother's

2009-05-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

Over this past weekend, we decided to take Jackson to meet his Great-Grandma (a.k.a YiaYia) in Glenwood Springs. Greg's YiaYia lives in an assisted living home about 3 hours away from Denver, so we packed up the car, baby and dog and headed up the mountains to Glenwood Springs. Apparently YiaYia was very excited to meet Jackson, because when we arrived everyone knew who we were there to see. We spent about an hour visiting with YiaYia before we got the boot because lunch was ready.

After our visit with Grandma, we headed to Aspen to stay the night with a Francis family friend, John Kelly. John lives in the caretaker's quarters of a beautiful home located right on the ski mountain. Shortly after we arrived, John and his family asked if we wanted to join them on a "quick, little walk", so we decided to join them. Little did I know that this "quick, little walk" was really a hike up the ski mountain. Dear God!!! I thought I was going to die. Not only have I not been able to get some really good cardio exercise in (besides walking) since having Jackson, but I also was carrying Jackson in his front carrier. So it's hard enough to climb a steep mountain, but then you add a 10 pound baby to your chest! Jackson probably would have loved the hike had he not fallen asleep within the first 5 minutes. Of course later than evening I was feeling the repurcussions of keeping up with the group and not calling it quits as my doctor probably would have suggested. Oh well, I got some great exercise and Jackson got to go on his first hike.

The Absolute Must-Have For All Future Moms!

2009-05-21T13:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, so now that I've been a Mom for 6 weeks I feel as if I have enough experience to start giving advice to those future Moms. The one absolute must-have, can't live without item is.......... BabyWise - the guide to infant sleeping! Before I was a Mom, everyone told me I just had to use "BabyWise" and Melissa even bought me the book and made me swear I'd read it. The book promises to have your baby sleeping by 6 weeks. So, of course, I read it thinking it can't hurt at all! Thankfully, Jackson appeared to be a pretty good sleeper right off the bat - he'd wake up once around 3 am for a feeding and then would wimper a few times throughout the night if his swaddle became undone, he needed a diaper change or wanted his pacifier. I was a little apprehensive at first that the BabyWise technique was working because I didn't really see a change in Jackson's behavior or sleep patterns, but I kept it up because everyone that had used this technique said "suddenly one night around 6 weeks our baby slept through the night". As week 6 approached, Greg and I were keeping our fingers crossed that the same thing would happen for us. And......... at 5 weeks, 6 days old Jackson slept through the night for the first time. (When I say slept through the night, I'm meaning waking up around 5:30 or 6 am.) When I woke up and the sun was beginning to rise, I was thrilled to realize he had slept all night long. But then I started doubting our success and figured I must have gotten up last night to feed him, but I was too tired to remember. Nope, I'd remember that. Then as I laid there, I began worrying that maybe something was wrong with Jackson -is he breathing? Yep, he just whimpered - good he's alive. Then I came upon the conclusion - OMG, BabyWise really worked!!! So naturally I'm thrilled and can't wait to experience another night of sleep, but life isn't that easy. Jackson reverted back to his typical 3 or 4 am wake up time the last few nights. But then last night he slept until 6 am! So, the most valuable piece of advice I can give any new mom is buy, read and use BabyWise! It really does work.

Hit the Road, Jackson!

2009-05-18T11:08:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Greg and I decided to take our first road trip with Jackson. Actually, Greg wanted to go kayaking and rather than be left alone for the entire weekend with a baby, I decided to tag along so at least I could get some help or a break once in a while! (I'll let you decide whether I was ever able to drag Greg away from the river long enough to give me a break.)So Friday morning we loaded up the baby, Harley Dog, Greg's kayaking gear, our stuff, Greg's friend and his dog Rio and we hit the road. We went to Buena Vista a town located on the Arkansas River, about 3 hours away from Denver. Again the whole purpose of the trip was for Greg and his friend to go kayaking, so they did, but we also managed to make a few fun stops for Jackson and his first road trip.

We of course had to hit up the local hamburger/ice cream stand!

And the local dairy and goat farm!

Boys - I told you not to taste the cheese that was sitting out in the warm store!!!

My first Mother's Day!

2009-05-18T10:57:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I'm celebrating Mother's Day now! You would think about 5 hours of pushing, being a mother would seem so real, but it still hasn't sunk in yet. Greg did great making sure my first Mother's Day was perfect, despite asking me if I wanted to drive to Buena Vista (3 hours away) so he could go kayaking!

We started off the day by opening my presents - I wish every day started off like this. Greg and Jackson gave me a beautiful serving bowl and platter for Spaghetti Thursdays. (Greg has a friend who told him to prepare for lots of spaghetti dinners - it's cheap and kids love it.) Then I was shocked to open a small box that contained a beautiful Rose de France ring. The ring looks like a 4 1/2 carat diamond, but when you get up close you notice the stone has a pale, pale pinkish-lavendar color to it! It's breathtaking and as Greg said "it can hold it's own against some pageant bling!". After our gift session, we headed out to a local restaurant for some breakfast. Greg had made brunch reservations at a very nice restaurant, but after a quick conversation we thought economically and mentally it was a safer bet to go to the neighborhood restaurant. At least, here I wouldn't feel so bad if Jackson started crying. After breakfast, we drove around town exploring some of Denver's historic neighborhoods and then headed to the Denver Botanical Gardens for thier Mother's Day celebration. Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating so most of the day's festivities at the DBG had been cancelled, but it wasn't bad enough for us to tour the gardens still. We enjoyed our time looking at all of the different flowers, plants, herbs, etc and of course realizing that not every place is we stroller-friendly (but we managed thank our all-terrain stroller).

1 month old!

2009-05-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

Jackson officially celebrated his 1 month birthday yesterday! It seems like just yesterday Greg and I were bringing our little man home from the hospital. Not only has time flown by, but our little man has grown and changed so much just in a few short weeks. At Jackson's last appointment (his 2 week check up) he was already 7 lbs, 3 oz.; I have a feeling he is now sneaking up on 8 lbs. Greg and I continue to be amazed at how quickly Jackson has mastered some major milestones such as rolling himself over from his tummy to his back and lifting his head and moving it from one side to another. I, of course, think he is so strong because of the numerous hours I clocked in the gym while pregnant with him and my healthy eating (except for the occassional trip to Chick-fil-A)! Greg disagrees with me and claims Jackson's strong because "he's my boy".

Here are some pics from Jackson's first month!

My first Easter photo shoot - thanks Grandma Trudy!

Grandpa John came down from Montana to meet me!Thanks Uncle Jason & Aunt Christina for my cool guy shirt!

In Loving Memory of Erin Hotsenpiller Nov. 15, 1977 - May 4, 2009

2009-05-05T15:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Greg and I received some tragic news regarding a very good friend of ours, Erin Hotsenpiller. Erin passed away unexpectedly at the young age of 31. Greg and I first met Erin just over a year ago when she married Greg's friend, Jeremy. Erin had a passion for life, love, friends, family and entertaining! Erin was always the first that was willing to try something new or crazy - which was so appropriately represented in her quick romance with Jeremy. Both Erin and Jeremy's families had been trying to set the two of them up for several years. Finally in April of 2007, Erin and Jeremy met while Jeremy was back in California visiting family. After only knowing each other for a few days, the two of them decided to take a spontaneous trip to Disney World where Jeremy ultimately proposed to Erin. The next day the two were headed to Vegas where they got married. Within days of getting married, Erin packed up her bags and moved to Colorado where Jeremy lived. That was when Greg and I were so blessed to get to know Erin.

Erin's personality, attitude and love for life was so contagious. I will always cherish the times we got to spend with Erin at company gatherings, walks with the dog and Jackson in Wash Park, our lunches and dinners where we complained about the "boys", our girl time over a bottle of wine, and our attempts at beating you at Sequence. While all of us who knew Erin have suffered a great, unexpected loss, we will always be thankful for the times we got to spend with her. God Bless you Erin!!! We love you!!

Arizona here we come!!

2009-05-04T19:16:00.000-07:00

It's official, I just booked Jackson's first plane ride. We are headed home to Arizona May 28th through June 1st for some bonding time with Grandma Trudy, Grandpa Irv, Auntie Tessa and maybe even a chance to meet Uncle Nick and his family! I think I might be somewhat crazy for taking a 7 week old on a plane by myself, but it will be an adventure. I can't wait to introduce him to the beauty of the desert and all of my AZ friends.... and maybe even introduce him to the pool while we are out there!

Week 3

2009-05-02T14:57:00.000-07:00

Week three was marked with Greg returning to work after having 2 weeks off for paternity leave. Let me tell you those two weeks of paternity leave were so greatly appreciated, especially since I had a c-section and was just now able to move around more and drive!

This week was also filled with lots of new experiences. Jackson survived his first trip to the mall - 6 hours of shopping are under his belt now. Jackson visited Dairy Queen for the first time - hey he wouldn't be part of the Hill Family without a love for DQ! This week was also filled with lots of visitors. Auntie Tessa visited... and spoiled our little guy. Grandpa John (Greg's Dad) is visiting from Montana. Greg's aunt Rene and cousin Gus also visited last night. Jackson is quickly meeting all of his family! Oh and one more update from week three. I now officially have 7 lbs left to lose!!

week 2

2009-04-22T12:52:00.001-07:00

Jackson's first 2 weeks of life have been filled with lots of exciting experiences- first trip to Wells Fargo, first major snow storm (almost 2 feet in 36 hours), first pediatrician appointment, first diaper rash, first commercial photo shoot and so much more!
Yesterday, Jackson was asked to be a model for a cloth diaper marketing campaign. I have a friend who owns a cloth diaper company, Rumparooz, and she needed a newborn for her marketing materials. So, Jackson and I headed on over to her home for a photo shoot. He was a bit fussy at first (apparently he doesn't enjoy being in front of the camera as much as Mom), but then calmed down and appeared to be a natural. Here is a picture from the shoot.

Thanks Mom for this beautiful storyboard of Baby Jackson!!

Life at home with Jackson!

2009-04-16T19:18:00.001-07:00

Saturday the 12th we finally got to head home after being in the hospital since Monday evening. The ride home was filled with excitement, occassional pain when we hit bumps in the road (literally), and of course nervousness as to what the next few hours, days, and years held for us as a family. Jackson transitioned quite well with his new environment and the pets! Yes, the pets all seem to be okay with the fact that we brought home another baby, although Milo is a bit jealous that he is no longer the baby in the family. Harley Dog is doing great and seems very protective of the Jackson, especially when he cries!

We are slowly settling into a routine now that Baby Jackson has been cleared of his jaundice. Thank god no more feedings at a 1 1/2 to 2 hour interval! When Jackson was first born he slept through almost the entire night without waking, but after being diagnosed with jaundice we had to wake him every 2 hours to feed him. Unfortunately, after a few nights of being woken up every 2 hours he started to adjust to that schedule. Now that he no longer has jaundice we are trying to get him back to his original schedule of sleeping through most of the night. Every morning, weather permitting, we take Jackson and Harley on a nice long walk to either run small errands or just to enjoy the many trails we have in the area.

It's hard to imagine life without our little man! He seems to fit so perfectly into our lives. We've all adjusted quite well to this major life change - Greg is an amazing dad and Jackson is an easy baby (so far)!

Baby Jackson is here!!!

2009-04-08T17:55:00.000-07:00

As many of you know I was scheduled to check in to the hospital on Monday, April 6th for a morning induction. Upon arriving to the hospital Monday night the nursing staff was surprised by the amount of contractions I was already having and that I was just short of 2 dcm dilated. Shortly after, Baby Jackson's heart beat suddenly dropped for an unknown reason, which meant that if my contractions continued at the current pace, my doctor would be unable to induce me. Thankfully my contractions slowed down and I was able to recieve the pre-induction medication. Of course before the induction began, I decided I wanted to get a quick bit of "cardio" (or walking laps ar. ound the hospital) done. Right as I was finishing up my cardio (6 am), my water broke. At 6:15, the pitocin drip started and shortly after the doctor decided to give me the option to continue the drip or see if my body could take over on it's own. So I chose the latter and started walking the halls of the hospital. At 11 am, my doctor decided to start the pitocin again because my body as not progressing on it's own. According to Greg, within a half hour I was already considering an epidural and by 11:50 I was quoted saying "I hate pitocin!" during my strong contractions that were occuring every 2 1/2 minutes. At noon, I decided I was going to get my cervix checked and then decide on whether I wanted to get an epidural, but after a few killer contractions I was asking for the epidural. I quickly realized what other's perception of my strength, determination and pain tolerance really didn't matter all that much nor should it be solely based on my birthing experience (hey we all know I push myself to the max at the gym constantly!). 15 minutes later, I was a happy camper with the epidural in place! Just moments later, I was able to get my cervix checked and learned I was in so much pain prior to the epidural because I had dilated to 8 cms from 3 cms within an hour. By 5 pm (5 hours after the epidural), I was at 10 cm and began pushing!! Upon pushing it was discovered that Baby Jackson was transverse meaning he was facing the side of my pelvis rather than my bottom. After a few hours of pushing, we were able to get Baby Jackson to get himself into the correct position. After a total of 4 and a half hours of pushing my doctor explained to me that Baby Jackson was not descending further into my pelvis primarily because he simply could not fit. He decided to give me one more final push and use the vaccuum and if that didn't work, we were going to be heading into an emergency c-section. Baby Jackson did not move with the vaccuum, so immediately I was rushed in for an emergency c-section right as my epidural started to wear off and I could feel the pressure of contractions much, much stronger! At 10:09 pm, Baby Jackson was born weighing 6 pounds, 13 ounces and measuring 20 inches. Unfortunately, I continued to experience complications due to 4 and a half hours of pushing, when the doctor noticed my bladder was extremely swollen and bleeding. So I had the wonderful experience of being left in the OR when Greg and my mom followed the baby into the nursery while my doctor and myself waited for the urologist to check to make sure no permanent or serious damage was done to my bladder. Thankfully, it was determined my body was just extremely swollen due to the 17 hours of labor with 4 1/2 hours of pushing. I amabsolutely exhausted from this experience, but amthrilled to finally have Baby Jackson with us. It was well worth it!!!

Tuesday, April 7th is the big day!

2009-04-02T10:30:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official I'm headed into the hospital next week to be induced due to my high amniotic fluid levels. After having multiple conversations with my doctor, nurse practioner and a former L&D nurse, I've decided to go ahead and get induced to prevent any potential complications from happening as a result of my fluid levels. So Monday night I will check in to the hospital, be given a medication to help prepare my body for induction, be given a sleeping aid to make sure I get a good night sleep (finally!) and then Tuesday morning they will begin the induction process. My doctor expects Baby Jackson to make his arrival sometime in the afternoon or early evening of Tuesday, April 7th. There is a very good chance, according to the doctor, that I may go into labor naturally before Tuesday or that the medicine I receive Monday night might be just enough to push me into labor naturally! Keep checking the blog for updates! As soon as Baby Jackson arrives, I or Greg will update the blog with pictures!

6 weeks left and my big 3-0!

2009-03-02T08:55:00.000-08:00

Well, today marks my 30th birthday and only 6 more weeks before Baby Jackson is due to arrive!! Everyone keeps asking me about my plans for my birthday. Well, let me tell you - it's terribly exciting when you are 8 1/2 months pregnant and trying to celebrate a milestone birthday like 30. So we are attending a breastfeeding class tonight in celebration of my b-day! I told you - thrilling isn't it? Actually, Greg surprised me with a jogging stroller that I have been drooling over, scouring Craiglist and Ebay for a "good deal". This stroller is the Mercedes of jogging strollers! We actually are going to use this stroller for our daily stroller, because we love it so much.

8 weeks left!!!

2009-02-16T11:18:00.000-08:00

It's official, I'm 32 weeks today - only 8 more weeks!!! Of course, at my last doctor's appointment my doctor mentioned I was measuring a bit bigger, so we have an ultrasound scheduled for the 23rd to determine if Baby Francis might be making an early arrival! I sure hope he is coming early! Don't get me wrong, my pregnancy has been pretty easy, but I'm excited to be able to wear my old clothes, work out at a more difficult level, go running again, and not experiencing the "I have an alien trying to break out of my stomach feeling".

Over the last few weeks, we've completed our birthing class (let me tell you sometimes I think you are better not knowing what you have gotten yourself into) and pre-registered at the hospital. So now we just have to take 2 more classes (Baby Care and Breastfeeding - oh my 30th bday!), have our Colorado baby shower, do some last minute shopping and complete the final decorating touches in the nursery. Then I think we have everything done, but having the baby!

29 1/2 weeks and counting!

2009-02-01T12:50:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it this Monday, I'll be 30 weeks! Wow, time is flying. So much has happened in the last few weeks. My belly has gotten huge (in my opinion), I failed my 1 hour glucose test, passed my 3 hour glucose test, got all of the nursery furniture delivered and finally decided on a full name (I think). Here is a self-portrait on the way to work at 29 weeks.

1st Belly Photo Shoot & Baby Shower Time

2009-01-13T12:48:00.000-08:00

Wow, time has flown by the last few weeks. It seems like only yesterday you could barely tell I was pregnant and now... well it's a lot more obvious.

For the Christmas holiday, my parents and sister flew into town and helped us put together the nursery. Every one pitched in - my mom helped with the color palette, my sister painted the crown molding and chair rail, my Dad and Greg painted the room and hung the crown molding and chair rail! I don't think Greg will ever suggest crown molding again!!! During the same trip, my mom took our 1st official belly photo shoot. I have to admit I'm used to my abs being a focal point, not a protruding belly.

Just last weekend, I went back home to Arizona for my first baby shower. We had a great turnout with the pageant gang, neighbors and relatives all present! After the shower, there is no way our little boy is not going to have anything to wear now. The support and generosity of everyone was overwhelming! A HUGE thank you to my mom and sister who hosted the shower. My poor sister stayed up until 1 am the night before making the awesome cupcakes. And my mom created a delicious menu and had the house decorated just right!

Mexico Getaway

2008-12-10T17:21:00.001-08:00

Well, we are back from officially our last vacation as just the two of us. We enjoyed several relaxing days doing nothing but laying out by the pool, going out for dinner and for me working out every morning and enjoying a virgin drink while Greg enjoyed some Mexican beer. After much contemplation, I decided to sport my two piece swimsuit despite the beginning of a baby bump.

Half way there & finally starting to show

2008-12-03T07:43:00.000-08:00

Last week I reached the official half way mark, 20 weeks. We celebrated with a doctor's appointment and another ultrasound of course. We were able to see some great pictures of the baby and looks like our Baby Francis is going to be a mini-Greg with his facial features, height and thin build! I'll post pictures soon.

And luck would have it that I would finally start show after Thanksgiving dinner... and of course just days before we head to Mexico for a quick vacation (our last for a while at least). I marked the 21 week spot with officially not being able to button any of my pants, except for 1 pair of jeans. So I headed off to the mall for a less than thrilling shopping mission to find pants with room to grow. Thankfully one of my favorite stores, Express, came through for me and I was able to find my favorite pair of work pants in a larger size that weren't too terribly big, but yet still gave me some growing space.

Baby Bump Watch

2008-11-09T14:54:00.001-08:00

Well, I've gotten to the point at 18 weeks where some of my clothes are starting to get snug, particularly my workout tops! I've decided to put away the size 0 pants b/c even though I can still get in them, it just isn't all that comfortable sitting in snug pants all day long. According to websites and friends, I will probably be sporting a bump any week now. For now it looks like had WAAAAAYYYYYYYYY too much to eat!

We got ourselves a future kayaker!

2008-11-06T17:19:00.000-08:00

That's right we are having a boy! According to the U/S tech, "it's definitely a boy and he has his hands all over it" - I guess he wanted to make sure there was no mistaking his gender. Greg is absolutely thrilled he is going to have himself a mini kayaker, camper, and outdoorsy little boy while I'm worried about not knowing nearly enough about raising boys. After all, I grew up with all girls in the house (incuding our pets minus one boy kitty) and my dad had all sisters. What do I know about boys? After all I'm a pageant girl. Well, I guess I'm about to get myself a crash course on raising boys now. Thankfully, I have several friends who either have boys or have recently had a baby boy, which means hand me downs and tons of advice!

One Sexy Mama!

2008-10-15T19:11:00.001-07:00

This past Friday I had the opportunity to model in a hair show promoting a green/eco-friendly vodka at a local bar in Denver. I decided since I was not showing yet and the hair show was paid - why not participate! Check out the picture of us sporting our newspaper dresses and nature-inspired hair. And yes those are twigs ratted into my crimped and curled hair!

Bye Bye Abs!

2008-10-08T19:02:00.000-07:00

All my life I have taken pride in having good abs, but now they are slowly disappearing (which is not the most enjoyable aspect of being pregnant for me). Here is the progression - 7 weeks, 9 1/2 weeks, and 12 weeks

2 pre-baby projects down!

2008-10-06T09:34:00.000-07:00

Many of you have heard about our pre-baby projects that Greg and I have been diligently working on (okay, so Greg's been doing more of the physical work than I am able to). We recently laid a garage tile floor down, which Greg absolutely loves. And then the BIG project we've been working on since the week after we found out we were pregnant - is the backyard! Harley Dog had destroyed the backyard, plus we threw it together pretty cheap when we first moved in. So now it was time to invest energy and some $$ into making it a family-friendly place to hang out. We completely gutted the backyard, rebuilt a retaining wall system, added a drainage system, leveled the yard (finally I won't fall of my lawn chair when tanning), had a flagstone patio with lighting built, laid new sod, and planted some trees and shrubs. We (or Greg) did the majority of the work, with only hiring a contractor for the patio. Oh and did I mention for our anniversary, Greg gave me a plague that was engraved with the date and a dedication to me and the baby. Now we have a backyard fit for Harley Dog and Baby Francis to enjoy!

New pictures

2008-09-29T18:15:00.000-07:00

Today I had another doctor's appointment and I got to see our baby's development. It's unbelievable what can happen in a few weeks! The baby no longer looks like a nut (or cream cheese swirl brownies as my sister so pleasantly stated), but actually looks like a baby! Unfortunately, the baby was being stubborn and wasn't ready to disclose it's gender quite yet. Imagine that - Greg and I having a stubborn baby!!

Our Little Peanut!

2008-09-18T14:33:00.000-07:00

A week and a half ago, I had yet another doctor's appointment and ultrasound. This time the ultrasound was a 3-D ultrasound. The technology nowadays is unbelievable! Not only did we get several new pictures of our baby, but I actually got to see her/him dance around a bit. I would expect nothing else from my baby! I'm sure s/he would have tossed out a pageant wave too if it had arms. Check out the 3D photo - it looks more like a nut than anything else at this stage.

And the date changes yet again!

2008-08-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

This past Friday we had another doctor's appointment. Because my first ultrasound did not match up to the original estimation of how far along I was, the doctors are monitoring me quite regularly to get a better idea of how far along I really. So at this appointment, we had another ultrasound which determined I'm approximately 7 weeks, which matched up perfectly to last week's ultrasound where they estimated I was 6 weeks. The benefit of getting weekly ultrasounds is we have tons of pictures of our baby already which is allowing us to watch the baby's development. Our latest due date is April 13, 2009.

First Appointment... and even doctors make mistakes!

2008-08-16T17:19:00.000-07:00

We had our first appointment on Friday. Upon arrival, we were overwhelmed with nurses gathering around telling me how good my numbers looked (from my 2 previous progesterone tests). Greg, of course, had no clue what they were talking about. Then I overheard two nurses talking about how they just know I am having twins! That's when my nurse explained to me they didn't want to shock me, but my numbers were so high there was a good chance I was having twins. I immediately panicked and began thinking "but there's no way I will ever get my abs back if I have twins!" (hey I can still be a bit selfish right?). Thankfully, when we had our ultrasound we got to see our baby. That's right our baby, not babies! (All of the nurses were gathered around the door waiting to hear the news of twins, but they were all wrong!) However, when the ultrasound tech was measuring the baby she discovered I was only 6 weeks pregnant, not 8 weeks! So, looks like our new due date is April 9th, 2009.

We are going to be parents!

2008-08-13T18:55:00.000-07:00

On August 7th, we discovered we are going to be parents. I am 7 weeks pregnant! I surprised Greg with a "I Love My Daddy" frame and paint samples to turn his kayak room into a nursery. He was in shock and almost didn't believe me. We will officially be welcoming Baby Francis into our lives in March 2009 (we are both March babies).