Three Boys and a Little Lady: Memories of 2012

Not having a blog post in 2 months really drives me crazy. Its bugs me so bad because I have so much to post on here.... babies, kids, boys, laundry, Christmas, cooking (attempts), terrible two's, school work, and the list goes on. I don't have the time between each awesome blog post PROSPECT to sit down and actually write about it. The entire reason I started this blog was to record MY memories of raising 2, wait, 3, oh now it's 4 kids as well as having a job outside the home, a miraculous husband and a life that comes with all of that. Someone who had a blog before me told me that eventually you can get your blogs turned into a hard cover book (not for retail of course). 'How wonderful!' I thought. The project started. It some how turned into something that other people read and have told me they 'enjoy' and 'laugh about.' How interesting and funny that is to me. But I'm so glad my crazy experiences can help others whether it's to relate to similar stories, maybe get some guidance, send a prayer or two or just a little midday giggle. I'm glad I can provide whatever it is some people get from my blog.
I still LOVE and really enjoy keeping it especially when something happens when I can hop on here and write about it. I also enjoy going back and reading past entries and remembering those specific memories that I otherwise would have forgotten. So to make sure I don't forget anything from this past year I've decided to make this a New Year's blog.... hush, it's still January.

2012
January 26 -- 'It's a girl!' Jake is stunned into silence and leans for balance on a nearby cabinet in the Dr's office. Seconds later we hear something is 'measuring abnormal' and the roller coaster of emotions begin and last for 4 months. It's A Girl! Blog

February -- Cole falls at a park hitting his mouth but 'rubs it off.' Three weeks later he has a black abscessed tooth and has his two front teeth taken out. His first visit from the tooth fairy.

Jan-February -- initial trips to specialists in Dallas, too much googling and worrying. Find out she has a rare abdominal cyst that actually only happens in 1 out of every 1 million live births and mainly to females of Asian decent. We are still questioning all of that.

March -- Celebrate 10 years of marriage at Legoland with our 3 boys. Love is in the air!

April - June -- Will and Cole play on two different baseball teams. Daddo ends up coaching two teeball teams because 26 players is too much for one team and no one else volunteers to take the other. So double games on Saturdays and one practice every Thursday with Daddo and 26 4-5 year olds. And he's 'helping' with Will's team too.

May 3 -- I Say goodbye to my female ObGyn of 15 years in Tyler and meet my new baby deliverer in Dallas; a man who is my age. He actually turns out completely wonderful in every 'physician' way of the word. He gave Jake and I an impromptu tour of Baylor Medical, gave us his cell phone number and told us to call anytime of the day. He reassured us a thousand times over that he would take care of the delivery and all would go smoothly. Our concern was she was now breech and if I went into one of my 'fast deliveries' as I had three times before, I would be forced to deliver in Tyler and left alone as they flew the baby to Dallas. He gave us sound advice, calmed our nerves and we decided to wait it out and took our chances.Telling our News

May 22 -- Cora Love is born at Baylor Medical at 10:37 am! She has a beautiful tan (jaundice) and is a whopping 8 lbs 14 oz and 20.5 inches. Will and Cole saw her just 30 minutes later and were in awe of everything about her. Cole was more worried about me. Rhett was angry about the whole situation and wanted to go back out in the waiting room and 'watch the mowie.' (movie)

May 30 -- Cora has her surgery at Children's Medical Center in Dallas. Late that night and into the early morning of the 31st, while she is in ICU, she gives us a big scare. I am reminded of the power of prayer. She pulls through and begins her recovery. The Power of Prayer

May 31 -- Cole graduates from Kindergarten at Leverett's Chapel, Will has Award's ceremony at West Rusk, they have their end-of-season baseball party and then Cole PULLS his first tooth.

June 1 -- Rhett has his first sickness, croop and is admitted to Mother Frances. Jake leaves Dallas and drives to Tyler to be with him. He returns to Dallas the next day after Rhett goes to his grandparents.

June 3 -- Cora Love comes home for good! All 6 of us are HOME! It's madness and happiness all in one but we're just so overjoyed to have her home.

June 19-26 -- Cole turns 6. Will plays in All-Star baseball tourney for 4 days making it to the championship game. Cora Love attends 7 ball games by the time she's 4 weeks old. Rhett turns two 7 days later. We have a combined bday swimming party for them (I said I'd never do that to them because they each need their own party).

July 2-6 -- Jackson Family road trip to San Antonio in the camper trailer. Hit up Sea World and the Alamo. Ages are 6 weeks, 2, 6 and 7 years. Momma and Daddo survive and our kids make wonderful memories.

Auguest 2-5 -- Small weekend getaway to Crystal Beach before school starts. Rhett is super afraid and actually angry at the moving water on the beach. He enjoys sand castles and ice cream. Cora learns the proper techniques of napping on the beach. Will would not ever get out of the water until nighttime then he became an excellent catcher of crabs. Cole helped Grammy hunt for shark teeth and pretty sea shells. He devoted hours to this endeavor.
Quick recap of summer here

August 27 -- Cole's first day of Kindergarten (at WR) and 2nd grade for Will. Momma's first day at her new job at WR Intermediate and first day away from CL. Rhett is extremely happy about school starting because he loves spending time with his Nonnie and Grammy and his friends.

October -- Rhett becomes very demanding... repeating his statements over and over. He's very structured. Easily frustrated but says very funny remarks. He has given me several NEW gray hairs that are now noticeable to the naked eye. But he's not the only boy in the house with stuff to say. He said What?!
Jackson kids' Halloween costumes include a zombie baseball player, Incredible Hulk, Scooby Doo and a little black cat. Annual Jackson Hayride is a success.

October -- Also potty training month.... we're now 100% finished for boy #3 but it's funny looking back. Fluid, fluid everywhere!

November -- Willbo turns 8 and gets his first real hunting license. He ends the season finally shooting a 300 lb hog. We take half of the Thanksgiving break to take the camper trailer to Beaver's Bend. The big boys realize that 'Daddo's not a fisherman' and Cole's habit of collecting things has turned to sticks on a hiking trip. What fun! Our Thanksgiving was also one for the memory books. Will we get an invite next Thanksgiving?

December -- Family trip to Great Wold Lodge in Grapevine. The boys loved it of course. Cora Love did great sleeping in the hotel room and also looking cute in her bathing suit. Daddo and I are very glad we had this experience. It gave us a glimpse into what a much larger trip to an amusement park would be like, ie Disney World. We've decided that such a trip will not ba happening for several years. We were exhausted! Trips in the camper will continue.
This was Cora Love's first Christmas, Rhett's first Christmas to understand the excitement of Santa and Will's first Christmas to not really ask any Santa questions. Sadly this makes me think he's figured it out and knows not to let 'Santa' know about it.

New Year's Eve -- Rhett had a tummy bug, Jake and the big boys made it to the annual gathering our family attends for NYE. I rang in the new year in a bubble bath. Make a note, this will be my only relaxing bath for the year. But I enjoyed every minute of it!

New posts for 2013 will include a crawling baby girl, me getting used to bigger boys in my house, the trials and tribulations of being a 6 year old, and I'm sure discussion of what to do with gray hairs accumulating by the day.

Here are my favorite pictures from 2012!