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our 1 year old

Our little 1 year old is toning up nicely! Jackson is weighing in at 26.3 lbs (90%) and is 30.5 inches tall (75%) with a nice round head circumference of 18.9 inches (90%). He is a happy little fella with a cheesy-gap-tooth smile that lasts all day. He has about 10 teeth and is a big fan of brushing them. In fact he brushes his teeth about 6 times a day. It gives me a few minutes to brush my own and even get ready before his morning nap! Yep, he finally takes for real 1 hour morning and afternoon naps, knock on wood, and finally sleeps through the night, knock on wood. Every now and then he will have a little tantrum if I take something away from him. It last about 10 seconds and I can usually ask him where Greta is and he forgets why he was crying. He is a mover, loves to groove up and down when music is playing and has to go check on anything he hears. As in - the other day I could not find him, I looked up the stairs and he was straight chillen at the top with Greta, his bestest friend, helping her eat her bone. He loves hanging out on the stairs, just sitting there and looking at the TV and out the front door, it is cute, in a scary sort of way. He is a GREAT eater. The boy has a snack in between his snacks. We have kept it nice and healthy and he hasn't turned anything down except macaroni & cheese, which works out well for me. He loves fruit, waffles, chicken & rice and specifically Jersey Mike's turkey and cheese. He also doesn't mind sharing bites with you, but he is picky about which bite he will give you, can't have the good one! Like every mother, I think he is pretty smart. His show-off tricks are the classic wave bye-bye, 'show me your tongue' and 'where's your nose?' I can tell him dada is home and he walks to the front door grinning. I can't imagine a better greeting than that. I can tell him to give mama some love-love and he sucks his thumb, rubs his own hair and curls up on my chest. I can guarantee nothing is better than that.

12 months!

Today we are spending the day doing whatever the birthday boy wants to do. (One thing he did NOT want to do was let me get my last sticky bellies picture!) Eat cake, lunch at Jersey Mike's, play in Greta's water bowl, go up and down the stairs, pick up all the gumballs outside, pull all the toilet paper down... the possibilities are really endless. Happy 1st Birthday to my favorite boy, Jackson Arthur Farris!

Finally, no more dumb monthly photo shoots!

last year...

What a great quick year it has been. It was only a year ago today that I was ready for our baby boy to come, well I don't know that you are ever ready, but Charlie had just installed his carseat that afternoon, I had gotten his room nice and pretty and done a big laundry load of comfy baby clothes. I even blogged about it. Little did I know only a few hours later my water would break and we would head to the hospital to meet our sweet Jackson. I guess he was just waiting on his mama to get ready. I always thought he would be early but I never wanted to actually admit it for fear he would be 2 weeks late. When I think back on it, I was ready, my mind was ready, my body was ready, our home was ready. I was ready to be a better woman, a mother, my heart had no idea just how much love it could hold. I am sad to see this year go but excited for all that is to come for our family.

CAKE!

Jackson did not buckle under pressure for the traditional 1st birthday party cake dive-in. He went for it, looked around to make sure it was okay, gave a big grin, dug in and loved every single bit of it. I make a motion that we do this at every age...

hmmm, let me test this thing out...

Oh yeah this is some good stuff...

seriously, I can dive my face right in there?

Ahhh best day EVA!

No but really bring bake the whole cake, I will eat it...

california!

We are going going back to Cali Cali! Charlie and I are heading to see my sister and bro-in-law in California tomorrow. We are planning on exploring her city Sunny Valle, heading up to Napa for a few drinks and kickin it in San Fransisco. Much to Sarah's dismay we decided to leave Jackson in the care of his grandparents for this trip. I KNOW he will be having a good time. I just hope he will want to come back home when we get back! Any last minute suggestions on some must do's in Cali?

PARTAYY!

This weekend was a big one in our household. Jackson's uncle Clint and soon to be aunt Brittni had an engagement party at Back Bar at Top of the Hill on Saturday night. It was a little too fun for this mama that had to prep for her baby boy's 1st birthday party on Sunday! We had it a little early so all of our family could be here, including Aunt Sarah all the way from California! We celebrated with some Parker's BBQ, deviled eggs, potato salad, baked beans, you know what any average 11 month old would eat! The best part was definitely the cake, even if it did fall apart while I attempted to ice it. According to Jackson it was pretty good.

My little boy's first birthday cake - rainbow chip deliciousness

My Aunt Sarah can have a litttttllleeee bite of cake since she came all the way from Cali for my birthday.

Presents!

Jackson had lots of help opening presents!

Whew, having your birthday is hard work!

1st cut

Hair today, gone tomorrow - I couldn't help myself. Now I know why parents do not like to give their children their 1st haircut. I don't think it is so much of a sentimental value as it is just impossible. How are you supposed to cut a little boys hair with actual scissors? We gave it a shot; found some blunt scissors in a first aid kit, Charlie held him on his lap and pinned his arms down, I took one long snip across the front and we called it a day. Now I know why kids always have dirty little bowl cuts. At least Jackson can see now. He was already starting to develop a little frat star head nod to get the hair out of his eyes.

This picture trips me out because Jackson took it of himself. I think he was trying to show me that I missed a few pieces of hair!

mother's day

My first Mother's Day, what a wonderful day it was. I got to spend the whole day with my little man and had some quality time with Jackson's grandparents, all whom have taught us so much during this first year. We learn from the best! I was trying to think of some whitty advice for first time moms, but lets be real, I have none. I think Tina Fey hits it right on the head (and is hilarious) in her "A Mother's Prayer for Its Child." -

“First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, may she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her when crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels. What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen.Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, that she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back. “My mother did this for me once,”she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.” -Tina Fey

mamacita

Happy Happy Birthday to the best mom in the world. I am pretty sure I have called her for more advice in the past year than the rest of my life, well I know I have. For her birthday she is graciously watching Jackson so we can head to a wedding at the beach! I think we have settled with the name of 'Kat,' but if Jackson calls her anything different before that she will quickly be changing it...

We love you to the moon and back!

b-days!

Sneaky Aunt Ginny of the mountains has been known to plot against little children into thinking she is their best friend, the one that loves them the most, the prettiest, the coolest, the smartest... the list goes on. We wish her happyhappybirthday - but be warned - keep a close watch on your chillens when she is around.

water park!

The temperature is up folks and it looks like this boy likes to be outside in the warm sunshine just as much as his mama. We set us up a little ghetto fabulous water park this afternoon - Durham style. The aroma of dog dookie and fresh pavement on Cornwallis, the sound of cars speeding by and Greta's 'protector' bark and the taste of dirty rocks and warm water, really, what more could a little boy ask for?

Great, I can barely see with this sunscreen in my eyes!

grannnddaddddyyyy!

Happy Happy Birthday to Jackson's Granddaddy! The pancake master & milkshake maker will never have to ask twice for Jackson to join him. I find it fitting for such a peaceful man to celebrate his birthday on the same day that America rejoices in a threat being gone and the hope for a more peaceful future.

Me & my granddaddy's 1st meeting. Some would say I have his hair...