Twenty-One Months

WOW!!!!! What a busy couple of weeks we've had...and it's only going to get busier. Noah's laryngotracheoplasty is scheduled for November 17th. We're anticipating a few days in the PICU followed by several nights of recovery in a regular hospital room. So much to look forward to...

Noah is currently doing quite well. He is learning signs {and creating some of his own} faster than we can teach him. He continues to thrive on his new dairy & soy free diet. He is becoming more and more adventurous and just loves to be outside.

Noah's current stats are:

Weight: 30 pounds 9 ounces
Height: 33 inches

During our latest photo shoot, Noah {in his adorable jammies from Cuz Jonah} kept picking up Ryan Bear and giving him hugs. I signed "sit" and Noah put Ryan down and told me that he was "sitting". Too cute!
Just one more bear hug!

Gourds Crossing

Last weekend, the Jackson's headed out to the Hillcrest Farm in an attempt to find a pumpkin patch that Noah would enjoy. The farm, although quite fun, was not so much a Pumpkin Patch and more of a Christmas Tree Farm that brings in pumpkins during the month of October.

Ever since our last trip to the Pumpkin Patch, Noah has been noticing pumpkins all over the place {don't you just lurve fall} and can now sign "pumpkin".

Thump your middle finger on the back of your left fist--as if checking to see if a pumpkin is ripe.

He was eager to touch the pumpkins for sale in the old iron crates. When we tried to have him pick one up, however, he politely declined {by rapidly shaking his head with all the disdain he could muster}.
After checking out the pumpkins, we went on a fun train ride around the farm.
Noah tolerated the ride as long as he was on my lap. When the train would blow it's steam whistle, however, he would wrap his arms around my neck with the strength of a sumo wrestler and bury his head as deeply as he could.It was such a lovely afternoon spent together as a family. Perhaps we should go back in December and recreate The Polar Express. Whaddya think?!?

Dear Ryan,

Dear Ryan,

I cannot believe it has only been three years since you were born. Both Daddy and I feel like it has been so much longer.

So much time has gone by...so much has happened...so much healing has taken place...so much hurt still remains.

I cannot help but wonder what our life would be like if you were still alive. What would you have looked like? Would you have curly hair like your Daddy or straight hair like mine? Would you have been laid back like your Daddy or more uptight like me? Our life would have been very different with you...it would not have included Noah. Had we not lost you, we would not have tried for another so soon after. While I have a hard time imagining my life with you, I cannot imagine my life without Noah.
I promise to teach your little brother all about you! I love you so much and miss you terribly!

Love,

Mama

Pumpkin Patch

Today, the Jacksons made their annual trek to the Cobb Pumpkin Patch. Unfortunately, our Little Man was less than enthusiastic to be there.

Nope...he didn't like it at all.
We tried to convince Noah that pumpkins were just large, orange balls. He thought they might just be interesting enough for a second glance.
"You're an odd looking ball."
We headed over to the playground area and Noah found some fun tractor tires in the ground. He thought a quick game of Peek-a-Boo was in order.
No matter how much jumping around, silly noises, and funny faces I made, our Little Stinkpot WOULD NOT smile.
Noah and I headed back into the pumpkin patch and I tried to convince him that pumpkins are actually fun.
I tried to show him how interesting pumpkins can be.
I tried, but Noah would have NONE of it. He was truly uninterested. He was just too cool for pumpkins.
Maybe next time...

Mama

Noah continues to do amazingly well with his signing. He is learning more and more signs and loves it when you can "understand" what he is saying.

Just like any toddler who is learning to talk, their first attempts at words may not sound exactly as they should, but the devoted Mother and Father can understand what they are trying to say. The same is true for sign language. Noah is unable to make the intricate finger movements for many of the signs he is learning, so Daddy-O and I have to learn what Noah's sign is.

For instance, the sign for Mama is taking a flat hand and touching your thumb to your chin.For what ever reason, however, Noah touches his palm to his tongue when he is signing Mama.
I think he is telling me how sweet I am. I'm sure Noah's "baby talk" will develop and grow into proper ASL, but in the mean time, Kc and I get the joyous task of interpreting what Mr. Man is saying.

Curious

Daddy-O was taking some shots of our Little Stinkpot and he was quite curious.

"What is behind that lens, Daddy-O?"

"Why can't I touch it?"

Civil War...Revisited

This past weekend, we were able to see Grandma and Grandpa Jackson as well as Uncle Scott while they participated in a Civil War reenactment. The Fresno Historical Society puts together Civil War Revisited every year and it is so much fun to travel back in time for a few short hours and experience a unique period in our nation's history.Grandma and Grandpa's dog, Biscuit, travels with them to all the reenactments. His Civil War name is Hardtack.
Hardtack LOVED to take refuge under Grandma Jackson's hoop skirt.