Update

Hi! It's been a while since I've updated this but there hasn't been a whole lot to report. Since the last update we've had some more playdates and took our first trip to the zoo this year. Jackson took pee-wee baseball and is signed up for soccer this fall. My sister and her family came over and spent Easter with us. Brandon and I went to a Brewer's game and had a night out with friends, NO KIDS!! We had a new roof put on the house and had a pretty good Mother's day, well with the exception of Jackson's blackeye. Don't worry...he's OK...he was playing with the neighbor kids and caught a stick with his face. But now we've learned not to throw sticks in the air. We are also taking classes to become members of the church where Jackson goes to school and Brandon has joined the church's softball team. His first game was rained out and it's looking like tonight's might be too. That's it in a nutshell. We are looking forward to heading to MI next weekend for the holiday weekend.

Jackson & Rob w/Ronald.

Riding horses at the zoo.

Collecting Easter eggs.

Dying Easter eggs.

Brandon & I w/the sausages.

Thumbs-up at Pee-Wee baseball.
My Mother's Day gift.
Jackson's first shiner.
Spring is finally here!!

Fun with Friends

We have been lucky enough to find some wonderful friends in the short time we've been in Wisconsin. The Tollstam's, Crystal, Trey, Geyer & Liam, I first met thru the MOM's Club and we have been inseparable since. They moved here last year from MI, so like us they are new to the area. Although there is an age difference Jackson and Geyer are the best of friends. The boys are always asking about each other and we always have an amazing time together whether as a family, with the kids or just us girls. We are so thankful to have met such a wonderful family. We love you guys! Geyer's second birthday was a few weeks ago and they celebrated with a party at the gym. Here are a few pics from the party:

Birthday Boy Geyer

A couple of monkey's Jackson on the balance beam
A full party.
Just having fun!

We've also been lucky enough to meet an amazing family who has been thru many of the same situations that we have been thru. The Montgomery's, Rose, David & Rob. I actually met Rose awhile back on a Hydrocephalus support group site. While Rob wasn't born premature he too was diagnosed with Hydrocephalus as an infant and unfortunately has had many problems and surgeries like Jackson has. Jackson and Rob are about 6 months apart in age and when they are together they are like two peas in a pod. It is truly funny to watch them together. I feel so blessed to have someone that I can talk to and that has been down the same path as we have. We've gotten together a few times just us and the kids and have also had a few family nights. Here are a few pics from our last family night out.

Jackson & Rob being silly in the bounce houses.

Hockey & Hootie

The other night we took Jackson to his first hockey game and after the game we stayed for a Darius Rucker (Hootie) concert. The game was a lot of fun and Jackson did well. The break after the periods really helped, I think. After the first period we went to get popcorn and he picked out a hockey puck from the gift shop. And after the second we got ice cream. While waiting in line for ice cream the mascot, Roscoe, ran by. We were hoping to get a pic w/him but he was in a hurry and weren't able to find him again. Jackson really liked him so maybe next time.

The concert was great! He sang some songs from his current album as well as a few Hootie songs. Jackson didn't quite make it thru his first concert, he fell asleep on me halfway thru. We kinda thought he might, it was close to his bedtime and the lights had been turned down. He really did a good job though and I'm looking forward to more family fun nights like this.

Milwaukee vs. Hamilton Roscoe on the pirate shipMore hockeyAdmirals WonDarius Rucker (Hootie)
Jackson at his first concert, shortly before he fell asleep. :)

School Play

Jackson had his first school play last night. The pre-K classes were divided into seasons and his class had winter. They were suppose to wear all blue (his favorite color), along with a hat and a scarf. They had been practicing the songs at school for awhile but Jackson wouldn't sing them for us. He has gone up to sing once at church and for the Christmas program but as far as we can tell his lips don't move very much. Though he does bob his head along to the music. Each class took turns singing their songs with fall going first. When it was winter's turn I'm pretty sure I seen his lips move a few more times then in the past but again most of it was head bobbing. We had to wait for all the preschool classes to finish before we clapped and at the very end when we were clapping Jackson took a bow. It was SO cute!! I wish I had better pics but we didn't have the best view and the microphone & Matthew were in the way. Oh well! He said he had fun and that's all that matters. After his act we stayed to watch the 1st & 2nd graders play "Goin Buggy". The play was cute but the costumes were even cuter! Especially the fireflies. They even had glowing little butts. At one point Jackson got up and was dancing in the aisle with the little boy in front of us. It was a fun way to spend an evening.

Jackson's class doing Winter

Yes, he does have his hands in his pockets.

Leaving the stage after the performance.

Florida 2009

We got back from FL last night around 6:30. The trip was fantastic!! We all had so much fun.

It all started last Tues when we flew into Orlando. The flight went well and the weather was beautiful but we weren't able to check into our hotel right away so we spent a few hours at Downtown Disney. We went thru shoppes, got some lunch, ran thru the fountain and went on our first ride at Disney, a train, go figure. Later after checking in to our hotel the All Star Sports and getting settled we went to play putt-putt at Disney's Winter Summerland minature golf course. The course was very well thought out, like everything at Disney, and we decided to do the summer course (we had enough of winter). At hole #3 as you crossed over a bridge a couple of fish would squirt water at you. Jackson did not like this and was very cautious thru the rest of the course. Another hole had what looked like Santa & his elves sleeping under the "sand" and even had a sound box with snorring. Jackson wouldn't even hit his ball on these holes. Brandon and I tried so hard not to laugh and to show Jackson that it was ok but he wasn't having it.

Jackson & Huey (or Dewey or Louie)??

Putt-putt sand castle

Wednesday was the big day Jackson had been waiting for. The day he was going to meet Mickey Mouse. We got to the park just as Mickey & Minnie were counting down the seconds to opening the park. We helped count down and went in. Our first stop was to the train station and then onto Frontierland. Jackson rode the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster with us and then we spotted Goofy. Of course I had left the batteries for the camera charging in the hotel room so I wasn't able to get a pic of him and Goofy but I did have the video camera and Goofy did a little dance for us. Jackson loved it! He went right up to him and gave him "five". After that we watched daddy go on Splash Mountain (Jackson didn't want to get wet), and then we hopped back on the train to our next destination at Mickey's toontown fair. We spent the rest of the afternoon going on rides and meeting characters. He was able to see Goofy, Pluto, Donald, Stitch, Chip & Dale, (and their mommy & daddy), Tigger & Pooh, and of course Mickey & Minnie. He wasn't afraid and went right up to them all. He hugged and kissed and gave high-fives and even tweaked a few noses. :) We were all tuckered out and left the park just as it was getting dark. It was definitely a magical day.

Jackson & Pluto
Jackson & mommy in the teacups
Jackson & Mickey & Minnie

Thursday, we thought we'd take easy and went back to Downtown Disney for a little more shopping and to check out Legoland. We had missed this the first day. It's amazing what you can with Lego's and a little imagination. By the time we left we ended up with a couple of Spongebob Lego kits and a few other gifts. I think daddy had just as much fun in this store as Jackson did. After that we headed back to the hotel for what was suppose to be a little rest but turned into Lego making time. After lego time we went to get some lunch at Disney's Caribbean resort and then spent a few hours in the pool. Then it was onto the petting zoo at Disney's Fort Wilderness. As it turned out the petting zoo wasn't much of a petting zoo but he was able to ride a pony, so it wasn't a wasted trip. We ended the night in the arcade where Jackson won tokens and cashed them in for 8 small toy turtles, don't ask. We were all pretty tired and called it a night after that.

Riding Snow the pony

Daddy & Jackson going down the water slide.

Jackson petting dogs made out of legos.

Friday morning we packed up and headed over to Tampa. We were suppose to meet Nana & Papa Barnett at the tux shop that afternoon for final fittings and decided to spend the day checking out Tampa's Lowry Park zoo. The zoo had some great attractions and rides. Jackson loved the roller coaster in the kids park or down under section. But his favorite animals were the stingrays. He loved being able to pet them. The manatee's and the lorakeets were pretty cool too. We had a little issue when we wasn't tall enough to go on the log ride but he calmed down when we mentioned ice cream. It was a really nice zoo and a great way to spend the afternoon.

Jackson & mommy feeding the lorakeets

Jackson & daddy petting the stingrays.

Jackson & Angie the llama.

After the zoo we meet Nana & Papa Barnett for the final tux fittings which didn't go so well. It took a lot of coaxing and bribing but I finally was able to get Jackson into his tux. Thank goodness he didn't have to keep it on long. Then we were off to Sarasota to get ready for the rehearsal dinner. After a long day of driving, being out in the sun at the zoo, getting into a tux that he didn't want to wear, and having a bit of a cold I should have seen it coming, the last thing Jackson wanted to do was to change out of his "play clothes" and go to dinner. He threw a HUGE tantrum complete with kicking and screaming the whole shebang. He doesn't do this often but when he does it's quite a scene. So we loaded him into the mini van anyway and just let him scream. He finally calmed down and by the time we got to the restaurant and he was fine and was even laughing again. Shortly after arriving I happened to look down and he had a bloody nose. UGH! So Brandon and I sat down taking turns holding tissues and trying to keep him still until his nose stopped. When it finally did it was getting close to his bed time and everyone was just sitting down to eat. Jackson ate his pizza and we almost made it thru the first course before he fell asleep. We tried to hold him and stay but he wasn't very comfortable and kept waking up so we decided to call it a night. As we were saying goodbye, guess who walks up...Dick Vitale!! We couldn't believe it, Dickie V (he had been doing a book signing)! But we had to get Jackson to bed so off we went. From what we heard, Dickie V hung out for a short time and signed one of his books for Matt & Heather. Oh well, the things you do for your kids.

On Sat, we went with Nana & Papa Luban to the Mote Aquarium on Longboat Key. They had some great exhibits including sharks, manatees, dolphins and sea turtles. They also had a little petting area where Jackson pet a sea cucumber. We had lunch at the Aquarium and just enjoyed the afternoon with Nana & Papa. On the way back we got stuck in traffic because of a car show and Jackson fell asleep while Brandon drooled over the Porsche's, Ferrari's, Bentley's, Corvettes, Lamborghini's, etc, they had them all. Actually they were pretty cool and I am not a car girl. Jackson took a great nap and then we were off to Nana & Papa Barnett's house for yet another party to celebrate the wedding. It was a beautiful party in an amazing old house with wonderful food! It was a perfect night to just relax and enjoy the food.

Auntie Heather, Nana Luban & Jackson

Jackson & Papa Luban

Daddy & Jackson measuring up to a manatee.

Jackson petting a sea cucumber.
Jackson & daddy & uncle Dave.

Sunday was the wedding day. We had rehearsal in the morning and it went great! Jackson did wonderful!! He walked with the girls and had a blast with the groomsmen. We all had our fingers crossed that the afternoon would be the same. The girls all went early to get ready and Brandon took Jackson to play putt-putt. We got to the mansion and boys all looked so handsome and Jackson was still in his "play clothes". We tried. That's all I can say. We REALLY tried. In the end it just wasn't worth it. He wasn't having it and no one was having any fun trying to make him get dressed. So the party went on without the ring bearer and it was perfect. Heather made such a beautiful bride. The night was so much fun. We all danced, including Jackson who stole the spotlight a couple of times. It was such a wonderful night. And Nana Luban made it even more wonderful when she stayed with Jackson at the hotel after he fell asleep so that Brandon and I could go back to the party. Thank you so much Marcia!!

Heather & Matt
Jackson dancing.
Heather & Cheri

Monday was our last day and for me it started a little rough but thankfully that didn't last long. Brandon spent a short while at the Red's training camp and then we all headed down to Lido Beach to enjoy the sun and sand on our last day. Jackson had a wonderful time playing in the water and with the shells. Our last evening was spent by going to dinner with the family. Jackson loved playing with Uncle Dave and Papa, and Brandon and I enjoyed chatting with everyone that we don't get to see very often. It was a nice way to end a great vacation.

Daddy & Jackson on Lido Beach
playing in the water

collecting shells

When we got back to the hotel we packed up so we'd be ready the next morning. Good thing we did because when Jackson woke up he was ready to go home. He kept asking "what's taking so long".

It was a little hard to wake up this morning and see it snowing instead of palm trees but it felt amazing to sleep in my bed. Hopefully we'll be able to take many more trips like that. But I don't think Jackson is cut out to be a ring bearer. Congrats again Heather & Matt. We love you!