Spring has Sprung!!

The East Coast enjoyed some fabulous weather in the last week.  We were included!  Jackson and I have been flying solo since last Wednesday and have taken advantage of the beautiful sunshine and hung out in the many parks in our neighborhood.  Along with us was the entire neighborhood!!  But, that made it all the more fun for Jackson as he had so many kids to play with and people to watch!  I had him going both in the mornings before nap time and then again in the afternoon until it was time to take a much needed bath.  We played in dirt, collected rocks, tried to climb trees, ran, ran, ran, and even pushed strollers and trikes along the way.  We had a fabulous time.
Today the weather has changed....and I think we are all a little grateful for the break.  Jackson has been relaxing and eating most of the morning.  We are headed to the library this afternoon for some indoor fun!

This is a big tree the boys hung out at a lot this week.  Many good times!!
















Jackson got this hat while we were in Mexico last November.  I put it on him last Wednesday and he never took it off while we were outside! What a good boy!

~crystal

Seattle Danskin Triathlon 2010

Call me crazy....!
I just signed up to do the Danskin Sprint Tri in Seattle on Aug. 15th!  My mom has done it the past two years and I decided to do it this year in support of my Aunt PJ, who is a breast cancer survivor and currently going through her 6 week course of radiation.  It was too hard to try to do it last year with Jackson being so little, but this is the year!!  I have already downloaded my 11 week sprint tri training schedule, told my personal trainer of my intentions, and am now beginning to mentally prepare for this adventure.  It is finally getting nicer outside and will allow me to do some outdoor training pretty soon!!  We even bought a jogging stroller so I can include Jackson in my training routine!  I am so excited to do this!!!!  Excited to support women, excited to support my Aunt, excited to do this with my Mom, excited to get back into decent shape, excited for all of it!!!
~crystal

Babysitting Coop night aka Xbox night

I am babysitting for a another family in our neighborhood.  We are a part of a babysitting coop which allows us to go out for date nights and what not without having to pay $15/hour for a sitter.  Our kids are usually asleep when we leave anyways so it turns out to be a nice quiet evening for the parent doing the babysitting.  I usually always go and do the sitting for our family and Anthony loves it!  He started something with a couple of other dads a few sessions ago....the guys come over and play XBox!  It is a win, win situation for us!!  We are taking advantage of the coop on Sunday and having a date night!  Possibly dinner and a movie???  We will have to see what is playing.....
Jackson is feeling pretty much back to normal, thank goodness!! 
On a side note, Friday night television sucks!  I mean how many channels on cable and nothing good on???  Kinda pathetic...
~crystal

Ahh....a better night!

Jackson slept pretty darn good last night and is back to drinking more liquids.  I think we are on the mend!!  Just in time for the big rain to hit tonight...ugh! 
He has a new obsession....The Starfall ABC song.  We have to watch it about 100 times a day!  He just sits in the chair at the desk and watches it over and over again!  Too cute!  He will be singing his ABC's in no time!
My congestion is getting better.  But, I have to admit, I am a bit of an Afrin junkie!  Don't know how I would have gotten through the past week without it!  Too hard to be sick and take care of a sick baby.  Use any and all weapons to combat sickness is what I say. 
I am sure missing my other moms and babies this week.  We really like hanging out with them and getting in some social activities.  Jackson has become such a social toddler, talking up a storm.  I tell him all the time that I just don't speak 'Jackson'.  Thank goodness for sign language, we use it so much and makes our lives WAY less frustrating!
~crystal

Need Sleep....

Jackson has been sick for the past 5 days....fever, severe congestion, all around crankiness.  Sleep has been an issue for all of us as well.  I kept the aerobed up in his room that Ramah used last week so that I could try to keep Jackson's cries contained and not wake up Anthony.  No such luck.  Not possible in this 796 square foot apartment.  Yes, we had to measure for tax purposes the other day.  Anyways....of course he takes a 3 hour nap today, in the middle of the day, when Anthony is at work and I have a laundry list of things to do.  Showering one of them!  I am so ready for bed I can hardly stand it.  But I also want to see Anthony when he gets home...dilemma.  I am giving it another 20 minutes and then I am calling it quits...who knows how long he will sleep???  or how many other times he is going to wake up tonight???  What is it they say....sleep when your baby sleeps!
~crystal

New Stoller!!! Ready for Spring!!

So we got a new stroller....a jogging stroller!  We are READY for Spring!!  Can't wait for Spring!!  Did I say we are ready for Spring???

~crystal

Where have the last 12 months gone?

So we celebrated Jackson's first birthday, and Baylee's (my neice) eighth birthday on Dec. 20th in Arlington, Wa.  It was a family affair and we all had a great time.  Anthony's parents flew out from Florida and came with his Aunt Brenda and Uncle John.  There were the usual suspects from my side...and we all had a great time!
We had arrived on that Friday before and just missed the first snow storm NYC was to see this winter...we have had 2 more major snow storms since so I don't feel 'left out' of the snow storms.

So then January came and went....we had our first visit to the ER for a cut above Jackon's right eye, then we all had the stomach flu.  It was quite a month.
February was a whirl wind as well.  We had visitors, Janelle and Ramah, went to a black tie event, all got sick with some sort of cold/flu again!  Jackson is still getting over whatever he has.  The doctor today says it is a 'throat infection' that no antibiotics will get rid of....just time....and mommy's love!
~crystal