Happy 1st Birthday Claire!

My beautiful Claire Annalise is 1 today!  I am filled with happiness and pride as having her as my daughter.  There is a little sadness there too, wondering where in the world did this year go?  It all flew by way too fast, leaving me wanting the year played back to me in slow motion so I can sit back and take it all in.  My last baby turns 1 today and although I am so excited to see her grow every day, I am saddened at the thought of no more 1st smiles, 1st laughs, 1st hugs, etc.  But I am also blessed to be able to have experienced them three times over.  I am going to post 12 pictures today, one for every month and the last one, taken today on her first birthday.  There are so many things I love about her, but here are a few (thousand) that I will share:

• I love the way she gets the biggest grin on her face when she sees me.  Now she is even starting to squeal with delight.  She does it to her daddy too.  So sweet!
• Even though it drives others a little crazy, it melts my heart that she cries while I am away because she misses me.
• I love how she gets excited and laughs playing with Taylor.  And sometimes Connor-when he is not trying to or accidentally hurting her :)
• I love how she randomly shakes her head or nods yes.
• I love how she sucks her two little fingers on her right hand.
• Even though it is frustrating at times, I love how she puts her fingers in my mouth when I hold her.
• I love how she is a mix of her daddy and me. 
• I love how calm, content and sweet she is.  She will go anywhere with me and usually not fuss at all.  As long as she is with her momma.
• I love her laugh. 
• I love her toothy grin. 
• I love her slobberly chin.
• I love her chubby legs.
• I love when she says "momma"
• I love when she falls asleep in her highchair.
• I love when she lays her head on my shoulder.
• I love it when she pats my back when she hugs me.

I could go on, but I have some pictures to post!  Happy Birthday my sweet, beautiful baby girl.  I love you to the moon and back!  And so does daddy and Taylor and Connor!

Claire is born!

1 month old

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

11 months

12 months

LA Baby

Everyone should rock it out with the Jonas Brothers every once in a while....

Rollin round the neighborhood

I got a new bike for my birthday!  Thank you husband!  It is a 24" and although I feel like a child riding it-it is the first bike that I can touch the ground on and hold the bike upright.  Please feel free to laugh at me now.  My dad even gave me a new "comfort seat" to put on it so it is comfortable to ride.  I hooked up the kids to the back and we took a family ride to celebrate. 

Is it CJ or MJ?

I'm pretty sure Connor Jackson could be the new Michael Jackson.  He's got a killer pose!

Connor Pirate-Knight Jackson

Are you ready for some football?

I really wanted to have a blog entry on my birthday this year (The big 33-but who's counting) by stealing yet ANOTHER one of Ambers ideas.  If I knew how to put a link up to her blog with her name, I would, but I'm not that cool, so check her out over there on the left-amberwavesofgrain.  Anyway, the idea I was going to steal was to post 33 things about myself, in honor of none other than myself.  Because it was my birthday and it really was "all about me".  Oh wait, this is my blog, so isn't it always all about me?  I had strep throat on my birthday though and am just now feeling human again, and I couldn't find a previous list I had made of things that others might find interesting or at least worth reading about in a blog.  The thought of creating one from scratch was daunting and I wasn't up to it.  So, next year I promise I will do one.  Only a few hundred days and counting-mark it on your calendar :) 

I am so good at tangents that this is supposed to be about football and now it's about me rambling so onto the football part.  Taylor is playing flag football this year for the first time.  He chose that over soccer, which he played the previous two years.  He is pretty good at it; well, except for that interception that he threw last weekend that the opposing team ran back for a touch down.  But they don't keep score, so it doesn't matter.  Ya, not at all.  Those kids have NO idea what the score is.  Yep-keep on believing that league.  He usually plays quarterback but sometimes plays receiver.  I think.  Anyway, pictures from said football. 

Maybe I should post pictures of me rambling-that would be a more accurate portrayal of this post.  Another tangent-can I please tell you what a wonderful feeling it is to be healthy after being so down and out?  I felt like choreographing a musical.  Or at least looking up on the internet how to spell choreographing. 

Swinging Siblings

We went to the park this morning to hike around in the woods and play.  We took a picture of Claire on the swings.  I remembered taking one of Taylor close to her age on the swings at a different park, so I found it when I got home.  The DO look like brother and sister and they are almost the exact same age in the pics!

Labor Day family fun

My aunt Jeri &amd uncle Jim live a couple of hours away in their dream home log cabin that is minutes away from a beautiful lake! We don't see them that often because of the distance between us but like to go visit them when we can (which unfortunately with our busy lives is only once a year). We went down over Labor Day weekend and had a fun time catching up. Todd got to go fishing with Jim and then we took the boat out on the lake. We went to their teeny tiny church with them Sunday morning and my kids actualy BEHAVED (sorta kinda-only TWO of them were crawling under the pews) sitting in big church. Thanks for hosting us-we had fun!  And yes I really do exist-I am just never in the picture because I am usually taking it :)

Luke and Bo Duke go to school

Uh oh teachers, watch out-the boys are here!  My baby boy, Connor started preschool this week.  He is in the 3-year-old class with his cousin, Austin.  The boys are 7 months apart in age and two peas in a pod.  They are both 100% energetic, LOUD, and boy.  They play well together and they fight well together.  Sooooo...good luck teachers.  We wish you well.  So I tried to steal the idea (from Amber) of asking Connor questions about preschool and posting his answers on here, however Connor didn't really have any answers.  Yes he likes preschool.  His favorite part is "NOFFING (nothing)" and his teachers names are "I don't know".  So, there you have it folks.  Interesting words from the mouth of Connor.