The Latest...

I had a check-up yesterday, November 30, and I have LOST 2 pounds!! The midwife that was examining me laughed and said that this was a first for her to have a pregnant woman actually lose weight over Thanksgiving. She asked if I was sick or anything. I haven't been. And I ate like a piggie too. Thankfully nothing is going on with the baby. She is doing just fine. Still growing bigger and bigger. And I am tying to be as comfortable as I can be. I must have looked terrible last Sunday in church because both the Relief Society Pres. and one of her counselors called me this past week to make sure everything was okay. I was just hot. It was hot in the R.S. room and my back was bothering me. Those chairs are not the most comfortable. But now I am self-conscience of my appearance and attitude. Goodness!! I appreciate the concern, but, seriously, I am just fine. Just pregnant. If you have ever been pregnant, you will understand.

Update....Sorry So Late

Okay, I had the ultrasound two weeks ago and we found out that we are having another girl. Her name will be Heidi Anne. At that time, I was 29 weeks and she was already weighing, according to their calculations, 3 1/2 to 4 lbs. So, yes, she is big. I was not going crazy. I just had a check up last Friday and I met with the midwife that delivered Savannah. I love her. She is so cool. Anyway, I asked her what is going to happen because I don't like not knowing what to expect. She said that I will get another ultrasound when I am 38 weeks and at that time they will determine what we are going to do. If she is weighing 8 - 8 1/2 lbs., they'll let me push her out because Savannah was just shy of 8 lbs. and they know that I can handle that. If she is closer to 9 lbs. and over, they will probably opt to do a c-section. I don't like that idea. She didn't say if they will be looking to induce at that time or not. That puts me the second week in January. One week BEFORE Savvy turns one. That will be good because then I'll be home before her birthday. I am as big NOW as I was when I DELIVERED all three of my other kids. I will be surprised if I go until my due date. I don't see it happening. But, you never know. So, that is where we are right now. They are seeing me every two weeks already. That normally didn't start until 32 weeks and on. I am 31 weeks today. I would love to have this baby the week following Christmas because Jason is off work that whole week for shut-down. That would just be so convenient. But as we learned with Savannah, things don't always happen the way you want them too. We just have to be patient. Easier said than done. :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR GAVIN,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!

GAVIN IS NOW 1 YEAR OLD!!! YAY!!!!!
(November 2)

Gavin is my nephew. Born to my brother Kyle. (Just in case anyone was wondering why I was putting a random birthday wish on my family page. )

Quick Update...

I just wanted to do a quick update. Savvy had her 9 month check-up on Monday and she weighs 21 lbs. 14 oz. and is 30 inches long. She is in the 98%. I was not surprised at all. Big babies are not uncommon for us. It was an easy appt. because all she needed was a finger stick to check her iron level. No shots. Yeah!! She goes back at the end of January for her one year check and I may be taking another baby along to that appt. Who knows. She also got another tooth in. She has two on top and four on bottom. The best part of getting ready for bed is brushing her teeth. She loves it!!!


I had a check-up yesterday and all went well. The doctor measured me and then asked if I had any concerns and I told her that the only concern I have is that this baby feels bigger than all my other kids did at 28 weeks.She told me that I am still measuring a few weeks ahead so they scheduled me for an ultrasound this coming Monday. I am excited because hopefully we will be able to see if it is a boy or a girl. It would be so much easier if it is a girl because I am now fully loaded with girl clothes. But, Marshall would love a baby brother. So a boy would be nice too. Just as long as it is healthy. I only gained 4 pounds this time. I was happy about that. This pregnancy is going a lot faster than the other ones and I think it is because Savvy is going through her "firsts" and I am not dwelling on being uncomfortable. I'll update again next week and let you all know what is going on.

Homecoming for Seth and Caroline

Seth and Caroline

Homecoming was this past weekend for Seth. We had to come over and check out how everyone looked. Seth looked "studly" in his purple shirt and suit. Caroline was very pretty. And they coordinated their outfits well. It took forever for them to pin the flower on Seth's jacket. At one point, my mom and her mom were trying to pin it on too. It was very comical. They looked really nice.

The Duo

Seth and his dates.

Seth and Garrett are two peas in a pod. It is sooooo funny when they get together. Oh my!!Garrett didn't even show up dressed for the occasion. So Seth had to help him along. That was basically when the party began. I felt bad for poor Caroline. She has the patience of a saint to put up with those two together. She was both Seth's and Garrett's dates. Poor girl. Actually, Seth says that she has a great time when the three of them are together. More power to her.

Me and Seth

Seth actually requested to have a picture taken with me while he was having his homecoming pictures taken. I was surprised. I am 2 days shy of being 27 weeks prego. I can't wait to lose this weight!! I basically have been pregnant for 1 1/2 years with only a 3 month break. Oh well. This will end soon.

Chow Time

Savannah loves when it is time to eat. She is a little piglet sometimes. I really don't give her much babyfood anymore. She basically eats what we eat. She had a toasted cheese sandwich the other day and absolutely loved it!!

Annual Apple Picking Tradition

Savannah's first apple picking trip. She loved chewing on the apples.

We went to Forge Hill Orchards yesterday (10-12) to pick apples. This has been a family tradition for many, many years. The kids love going. The last two years we have been going with the Hilt family. I think that the daddies have more fun than the kids, though, because they try to find the biggest apples that they can. Jason is going to be making apple dumplings this week and I can't wait for that. Yummy!!! He uses his grandmother's recipe and they turn out really good. Lydia needed to tell something in her class at school that reminds her of fall. And she said going to the orchard to pick apples.

Sisterly Love

Lydia loves reading books to Marshall and Savannah. Savvy will actually sit and look at a book for a few minutes before she tries to tear into it. I just hope that they continue to have a close relationship as they get older.

Marshall and Savvy

Savvy does not leave her brother alone during the day. When he is trying to play with his toys, she goes over and knocks everything down. He gets so mad at her. I think it is funny. Eventually I have to get her away and occupy her with something else. Aren't they so cute??

Go Steelers!!!

We are really good at brainwashing our kids while they are young. Savvy wore this outfit to church 2 weeks ago and she was a hit among the Steelers fans there.

The Spider...

Okay. Heather T. did some research for me while we were on the phone chatting and she found out what type of spider was hanging out on our porch. It was a Yellow Garden Spider. It is strictly an outside spider. So there was no threat of this thing coming in our house and eating the kiddos. And, it is NOT poisonous. It just looks very menacing. They live for one year, mate and then die with the first frost. What a fulfilling life. So, if you come across a spider that looks like this one, don't fret over it. It won't hurt you. (Hopefully the info on the internet was correct.)

Labor Day Parade...

I didn't know that York actually had a Labor Day parade until Jason started working for BAE. They have a tank in it. The kids liked seeing what daddy actually works on. They have seen pictures. I don't think they thought it was as big as it is. Sorry that the one picture isn't turned right. I didn't realize it until it popped up on here and I don't have time to change it. Just cock your head a little. :)

Jason works on the top part of the tank called the turret. He says there is more room up there than you would think. The parade itself was kinda dumb because there wasn't much to it. It was put on by the different union companies in the area. The kids got a ton of candy though. So they enjoyed that. They are getting ready for the Halloween parade season to start. I just don't know how many we will actually be able to go to because of having church in the afternoon. We may just miss a week. Shhhh... don't tell. :)

Here Comes Trouble...

Savvy has learned to crawl. She has been getting on her hands and knees for a few weeks and then about a week ago, she figured out how to go mobile. She has been getting into everything that she can reach now. Marshall has started tattling on her because she takes the toys he is playing with. She follows me around the downstairs. And, during church, she doesn't like sitting still. Also, lately, she has been pulling herself onto her knees while holding onto the couch. Then she looks around to see if anyone is watching and starts to laugh at herself. She is so proud. What a crazy girl.

Another One Is Gone

Lydia pulled out another tooth. She is losing them faster than she is growing them in. My goodness. The tooth fairy is going to go broke. Marshall told her the next morning that he saw the tooth fairy and she was wearing pink with a blue wand and wings. She bought it. Yeah.

Anyone Know What Kind This Is?

Does anyone know what type of spider this is? It was on our front porch and it was HUGE. It was about 3 1/2 inches from end to end. And the body was big and fat. I am going to check online and see if I can find out what it is. Lydia saw it when she got off the school bus. It was hanging right next to our front door. I am very glad it didn't get into our house. Yuck!! This was a spider for Jason to kill. Not me. Gross!!

Sleepy Head...

Daddy's girl. I love the fact the Savvy doesn't prefer one parent over another. There are times, however, that she wants me and not Jason but for the most part, she doesn't care.

Help... I Can't Get Out!!

Savannah got herself into trouble climbing under her exersaucer. It was funny to watch. After she got in there, she didn't know how to get out. And, of course, being the loving mother that I am, I let her try to figure it out for a while. Eventhough she started crying. It was just too funny. She hasn't done it since that day. I think she is afraid of getting stuck again.

Lady Lions....

Since Marshall is going to play football for Penn State, Lydia wants to play basketball for the Lady Lions and play in the Bryce Jordan Center. Of course, the same conditions apply to her that apply to Marshall. (See next entry for conditions.) We are raising our kids to be Penn State and Steelers fans. What other teams are there anyway?

Marshall's Dream

Marshall wants to grow up and play football like Uncle Seth. So, the last time we were in State College, we drove him past Beaver Stadium, were the Penn State football team plays. He was in awe that there was a football field inside those walls. We told him that if he gets really good grades in school, plays football, and gets a full-ride scholarship (because we won't be able to afford Penn State) then he can play football there. He was excited to hear that at least there is a chance he can play there. Hee hee......

89 Year Difference In Age, Still Finding Common Ground

Marshall and his great grandpa found a lot to talk about. I just thought this was so cute to see them in such a deep conversation. They were discussing "whiskers" on granpa's face and Marshall was asking when he would be getting some. (He has a fascination with facial hair for some reason.) It was amazing to watch. I am so grateful that Lydia, Marshall, and Savannah have been able to spend time with their great grandparents and that we were able to capture it in pictures. Hopefully they will cherish these moments just as I cherish the few moments I had with my great grandparents.

Great Grandpa and Grandma Ward

This is Jason's grandparents, Bob and Leona Ward.

Woolrich Picnic

In the begining of August, we drove to Woolrich, PA (about a 3 1/2 hour drive north from York) and had a picnic with Jason's grandparents (his mom's parents). We haven't seen them in 2 years. We actually went to his parent's house the day before and drove from there the next day so the drive wouldn't be so long. His grandfather is 92 years old and has the best memory. He remembers every grandkid and great grandkids names and birthdays. And there are A LOT of us to remember. I say us because he remembers the spouses details too. It is amazing.

Some of you may know the Woolrich brand of outdoor clothing and this is the original store. Personally, I think the clothes are expensive. But it is fun to walk around and look.

Four Wheelin'

This is some of the fun the kids get to have when we go to visit Jason's parents. He takes them around the backyard and down through the woods that are behind the house. Lydia likes to go "full throttle" when she gets to drive. (With Jason riding on back, of course.) She is my little adrenaline junkie. After the kids get their rides, Jason and I go across the street onto the ridge and ride around up there. We call it a date. It is nice to get away for a while and enjoy the quiet of the woods. We are trying to convince my parents to buy one but they won't. Oh well.

Our Little One

When I was pregnant with the other three kids, the ultrasounds were done really early on in the pregnancy and all you could see was a blob. With Marshall, we had to have an ultrasound later in the pregnancy as well because I was measuring bigger than what I should have been and the doctors wanted to know why. So I have a profile picture of his face. It was neat this time because we could see so much detail to the baby. Except the sex. I read that by 18 weeks, the gender is obvious. This ultrasound was done when I was 17 weeks. And there was nothing between the legs to even hint that it is a boy. So we are leaning towards it being a girl. If it turns out to be a boy, Marshall will be ecstatic!! Our names are Heidi Ann and Gunnar Wyatt. We just have to wait for the reveal.

Boy or Girl??

Welp, we know what we are having. It is a boy or a girl. We were not able to tell with the ultrasound because there wasn't anything to see between the legs. So, the tech said that he could not definitively say if it was a girl or not because maybe the "boy parts" haven't dropped down yet. It was still a little early to tell. I guess we won't know until he/she is born. We love surprises. Hee hee...

Just A Quick Note...

I finally had my first OB appt. yesterday. According to my last cycle, I am 16 weeks a 2 days along today. BUT, I am measuring 20 weeks. We go for an ultrasound on Tuesday and then we will be able to see if my due date will be moved up from January 21. Savvy will turn 1 on January 15. This will be very interesting. Hee hee..... We may be able to see the sex of the baby as well. Which, this time, we want to know. I will update again when we find more out.

Bath Time Fun....

Savannah LOVES her bath. I just had to get a picture of her "morning" hair. She had a ponytail in they night before and we took it out before she went to bed. That is what her hair looked like when she woke up. Crazy!! Savvy had a check up last week and she weighs 19 and 1/2 pounds and is 27 1/2 inches long. She is in the 97 percentile. Again, as usual, not a surprise. We just grow them big in the Jackson household I guess. She has one tooth with the second not far behind. She gets up on her hands and knees and rocks back and forth. So, it won't be long before she is mobile. Look out!! She has been sitting up by herself for a little over three weeks now. She gets so excited when she sees her brother and sister. What a cutie pie she is. :0)

The Marshmallow Game

Mamaw and Pap were more than willing to participate in this marshmallow game where you pass a marshmallow from person to person using only a spoon in your mouth. No hands allowed. It was funny to watch all the adults play this game. Poor pap had to bend down pretty far to get it on Lydia's spoon. Eventhough they didn't win, they still had a ton of fun.