We made it to 6 months! :)

I cannot even believe how long it's been since I posted. Oops :) A lot has happened since I last posted! We finally reached the 6 month mark that we had heard so much about (all of our friends that have had 2 kids under the age of 2 said that once the youngest baby was 6 months old, life would change for the better-turns out, they were right!) Jackson is sitting up now which makes him the perfect play companion for Charlotte-attentive, but not up in her business ;) They are SO sweet together. She loves to dance in front of him, bring him toys and give him LOTS of hugs and kisses. She can officially say Jackson, but most of the time she just calls him Jack or "my baby". If she hears him crying in his room she is quick to climb the stairs and stand outside of his room until I catch up with her. She's a wonderful big sister. He, of course, thinks she's the GREATEST. I swear, he likes her more than me ;) At dinner time they usually get themselves into a giggle fit, and it's the most amazing feeling. I'm always grateful for their laughter at the end of our long days.

Jackson will be 7 months old on February 1, and Charlotte will be 21 months old on February 3. Time is really flying by. Jackson has 2 teeth, is sitting up, babbling all the time, and is really such a sweet baby. At his 6 month appointment he was a little over 22 lbs (only 9 lbs lighter than Charlotte!) Such a big boy! Charlotte astounds me every day with the things she understands and says. We're officially in the stage where she copies everything she sees and hears. It's really holding me accountable to be on my best behavior! ;) The most exciting new word she has as of last week is CHARLOTTE! She taps her chest and says her name. It's precious :)

God has been so good to us over these last months. When we look back, we're really not sure how we made it through the first 6 months (only through God's good grace). It's been a crazy adventure so far, but an amazing one. Now we're just focused on looking forward to the growing bond between our children!

Here are some recent photos of the kids...ENJOY!

School photos

Charlotte had her first school picture taken a couple of weeks ago. The teachers said she LOVED having her picture made. She kept saying "cheese" when she was in front of the camera and even fussed when her turn was over. Classic :) The next day at school the photographer took her picture with Jackson before I dropped her off, and even snapped a few of just him. I think they turned out pretty cute :)

Halloween

We took the kids to our church's trunk-or-treat (trick-or-treating out of the back of cars) on Sunday. Charlotte wore a bumble bee costume my mom picked up at Marshall's after halloween last year and Jackson wore Charlotte's old pumpkin costume. I have to say, they looked pretty cute :) They loved sitting in the back of our car to help hand out the candy. Charlotte took it upon herself to sort/organize the candy. Typical :) Here are a couple of pictures of my sweet bee and little pumpkin:

Trip to Florida

This past week I went to Florida with the kids to visit my parents. Matt came for the 1st weekend which was such a treat since it had been a couple of years ;) My grandparents, Sheree (my aunt), Victoria (one of my cousins), Trent (my brother) and Meghan (his girlfriend) all met us there! It was so much fun to get everyone together. It was the first time my grandparents had met Jackson and the first time that my Aunt Sheree and Victoria met BOTH kids! We had such a nice time on the boat, hanging around the house and at the beach. Although, Charlotte was NOT happy that her hands kept getting sandy (see the picture below). She's so funny about getting dirty. Such a girl :)

Both of the kids really enjoyed being on the boat. Charlotte loved it as a baby, but now that she actually knows what's going on it's even more fun for her. She was in heaven. Every time the water would splash on her face she would giggle and ask for more. Jackson loved being held by my grandmother, who I have now dubbed the Jackson-whisperer. He was so peaceful and happy in her arms.

It was such a special trip. There's something so heart-warming and incredible about having generations of your family love on your kids. I've included some pictures below, enjoy! :)

Jackson's 2 Month Update

Jackson had his 2 month check-up today. He's 15 lbs 4 oz and 23 1/2 inches long! What a big boy! He's slightly bigger than Charlotte was at this age (she was 15 lbs 1 oz and 23 inches long). As you can see from the picture, he's smiling now (he started doing that a few weeks ago). He also makes the sweetest cooing noises. The doctor remarked on what great neck strength Jackson has, which was also the case with Charlotte.

Things are going great with his schedule. He's been a little slower to fall into a pattern, but he's finally more predictable (which is a huge help in managing both of them during the day). He's still waking up once during the middle of the night. I have to admit, I'm a little frustrated with this since Charlotte slept through the night at 6 weeks. I know we're getting close, though! Every baby is different :) All in all, he's doing WONDERFULLY. We feel so blessed to have another easy-going baby.

Here's a sweet picture of the kids hanging out in Jackson's room this afternoon. I was singing them a song, and luckily they happen to be the two people in this world that like my singing :)

Charlotte's Dance Moves

Anyone who knows Charlotte knows that this girl has music in her heart! She's been dancing since she could sit up! Here is a fun video to celebrate Charlotte's many dance moves ;) Hope you're having a great Saturday afternoon!

So sweet

Charlotte has been so sweet with Jackson lately. I've been meaning to post this video of her giving him kisses for awhile now. This is from around 2 weeks ago :) Better late than never!

Enjoy the preciousness :)