Travel Often

“I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.” — Rosalia de Castro

Love Deeply, but Laugh Along the Way

"Happiness is only real when shared." - Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild

View Marriage as an Adventure

"Love is a flower which turns into fruit at marriage." ~Finnish Proverb

Fuel your body with GOOD (It's the only one you get)

He who has health has hope; and he who has hope has everything. - Arabian Proverb

Open your Soul to Motherhood

A Grand Adventure is About to Begin - Winnie the Pooh

A New Kind of Love is Born

Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.

Friday, July 20, 2012

First Long Car Ride and Other Milestones - Week 12


Week 12 postpartum (Note: a week late posting)

My first week of being behind posting something! Is this a sign of what's to come? Hope not!
What? I'm 12 weeks old??? Thanks Grandpa Powalish for the hat!

Jackson's 12th week was a busy one! We went to his first baseball game in Eagan to watch a neighbor friend's son of the Koester's pitch. Whenever we bring Jackson anywhere, he causes a scene. Everyone wants to hold him. But soon he started to get fussy so we went home. I needed to feed him and didn't want to do it in front of a bunch of high school kids. Later in the week we visited Grandma Koester at her work! She was pretty excited to see Jackson and to show him off! We went after our ECFE class.

Visiting Grandma Koester at work!


Speaking of our ECFE class... we talked about what kind of parents we want to be when Jackson is in pre-school, grade school, high school. It was weird thinking about it, but good too! And we talked about the importance of the father in a child's life and how HUGE their role is in the development of your child. Made me realize how much my dad meant to me growing up. It's so interesting the stuff you remember about your own childhood when you become a parent yourself!
There should be no bonding problem between these two!


Jackson took his very first (long) car ride - 5 hours to be exact. Of course I was worried...would he scream the whole time? Would he sleep that night?

Well, well, well! Jackson showed me!

We were supposed to leave around 4 but Karl didn't get off work like he hoped and we didn't leave until 6:30 - the exact time I was supposed to feed Jackson. Doh!!! I was all worried we'd make it 20 miles to I-94 and have to feed him. He surprised us by going five hours without wanting food! Half way to Illinois, we pulled into a Culver's parking lot so I could feed him and enjoy a delicious chocolate malt. Side note: Every time we go to Culver's our order never comes back right. I think it's because Karl forgets he needs to ask for lettuce and tomatoes and all that good stuff. It drives Karl crazy, yet we always keep going back!

Karl noticed there was another couple with a baby in the parking lot doing the same thing! He stopped over when the mom came out and said hi! They were going a lot farther than we were and had about six more hours to go.

Jackson didn't want to sleep after our stop so I showed the book Peek-A-Boo Forest to Jackson for a chunk of time. I was surprised when he reached for it. When we couldn't see the sun anymore, he was out and was out until we arrived in Roscoe. Yay!
Jackson during our long car ride enjoying Peek-a-Boo Forest and playing Peek-a-Boo



I fed him quick and we crawled in bed by 1:30 am. Well, someone was up for his 5 a.m. feeding and again at 9.  I was pretty tired. The moral of the story is mom needs to be in bed by 9 because Jackson will more than likely stick to his 5 a.m. schedule no matter what we do!

Friday was a bit foggy because I was so tired but my girlfriends from UW-Whitewater came over with their kids!! Wowwwweeeee, that was a lot of energy in my parent's house at one time. Now I see how crazy life gets with two. And I thought I ate fast...

It was so great to see my friends though and it made me sad I don't live closer:( Karl, Jackson and I then went out to the new Gun Club with my brother Mike and my parents and Jackson slept the whole time. He wasn't very interested in naps earlier, plus I was putting him in his bassinet for naps all weekend. He's not used to the flat surface for his naps. By Monday, he was taking over an hour nap in the bassinet. So I think I'm going to try transitioning him into his crib now. We'll see how that goes. Fingers crossed.

Saturday was my grandma's 80th surprise birthday party. She was surprised!!!! Too bad it was SO HOT out!! Not as hot as it was at the cabin over the Fourth but hot enough where Jackson didn't want to be in it since he cried most of the time he was outside. Usually during family functions I'd get to catch up with each person and drink and have a grand ol' time. Not this time! I was able to hold a two-minute conversation and would have to go feed Jackson in a room or change a diaper or try to get him down for a nap. That was tough. Eating takes on a whole new meaning once you have a baby.
My Grandma and Grandpa holding Jackson! Favorite people in the world!!!


Jackson did get a little overstimulated again and I'd bring him inside but the good thing was people understood that and just let me be. Or maybe I was more vocal about it? Not sure. But I was much more at ease!

I just know I always feel so safe at my grandparents. I have such wonderful memories of their place and their love for us and one another. I never want to leave!!! But we had to and Jackson was really great the car ride home!! Another 2 hours!

On Sunday I was able to bring Jackson by my friend's house and introduce him to more people! Jackson is one loved baby!!!
New dads and their buddies!



I can't get over how dry Illinois and southern Wisconsin are!!! On our way back we saw the start of a nasty grass fire. We drove next to it. And as we kept looking back, the smoke and fire grew and grew!!! Hopefully it won't destroy too much!

Just wishing we lived closer to my family and friends back home. But what to do? I found a dream home in Wisconsin! But it's probably just that....a dream....for now anyway!

Home in Roscoe!


Milestones for the week:

Nothing too crazy new other than Jackson is using his legs a lot more to scoot when he’s on his back. He always scoots himself off his jungle gym mat. He also will push himself around in a full circle when he’s on his tummy. He’s so fun to watch. Love that little guy.

We also have been reading to Jackson every night before bed. We read the same book, Goodnight Moon, just so a routine is established. (Okay...Karl did have to get a book titled Weezer just because his favorite band in the whole world is Weezer...but the book is about a dog). Anyway, Jackson will look up at me and smile after each page. My heart melts into mush...kind of like the bowl of mush in the book. HA!
We read to Jackson every night! He's loving it!

My perfect sweetheart!


One more week before I go back....I can do this. I can do this...