Adam and Hannah had their wedding this past Saturday -- Congratulations guys!! I'll do a separate post on the wedding activities :)

And now, on to the rant section of the story.... (in honor of you, Adam, and spamandcheese).  Last Friday is henceforth known as "A Series of Unfortunate Events."  It was like living out a bad Ben Stiller comedy, where one thing after another kept happening, and from an outside perspective, it would have been funny, but notsomuch to us.

We planned to leave at 2:00ish to get to Raleigh around 5:00, check in, get changed & freshened up, and be at the rehearsal dinner at 7:00 sharp.  I was cutting it close with packing and all the preparations for leaving, but nothing too bad.  Here are the series of rather unfortunate events that led to us being late and quite irritated:

• Jackson's blowout -- He had quite a #2 in his diaper that was not contained effectively, and resulted in an impromptu bath.  Lost time -- 15 min.  Irritation factor -- minor (he's too cute to make me mad!)
• Highlander Tires -- Josh took his car at about 1:15 to go check the tires, etc.  He discovered a leak or something in one of them, so he took it to the dealership.  They said it wasn't repairable, and needed to be replaced.  Trouble is, our spare (a regular tire) has the same problem (they had patched it, but the Toyota guy says they shouldn't have, and it also needs to be replaced).  Ok, so we at least need 1 new tire.  Except that the tires aren't carried in stock by anybody in Gastonia, and would have to be special ordered.  Nice.  Lost time -- 1 hour.  Irritation factor -- major.
• Altima Tire -- So after the Highlander was rendered un-driveable, we decided to take my car instead.  So Josh took it out to check everything out.  And discovered a leak in one of my tires.  So he took it to a tire place, and they were able to patch it for the short-term, but recommended 2 new tires as well.  That also need to be ordered.  Lost time -- 30 min.  Irritation factor -- medium.
• Altima Gas -- Since we weren't planning on driving my car, it wasn't stocked with gas, so we had a little less than 1/4 tank.  Anyone in Charlotte knows there's an intense gas shortage going on right now, and most stations are completely out, and those that have it are lined with cars waiting to fill up.  We decided to try to get out of Charlotte and look after that; we stopped at 2 or 3 exits without gas before finally venturing out to a desolate area and finding some without a long wait.  (This gas station sold "rap snacks".....it was not your regular BP!)  Lost time -- 10 min.  Irritation factor -- medium.
• Food -- Anyone who knows me, knows that food is something that really drives my mood.  If I am really hungry, and especially if I am really hungry and my food isn't what I wanted or gets messed up, it can RUIN my day (Amy, remember the airport incident??).  Well, I had missed lunch, and by the time we actually left our house (3:30), I was blood-sugar-low-feeling-sick kind of hungry.  I mentioned to Josh that I needed food, thinking he would get something before we get on the interstate.  Nope -- he turns right onto I-85 within a minute of my request for food, and says that we'll get it when we get outside of Charlotte and find gas. So at the first exit we tried to get gas, Josh drove past several restaurants, and then into a lone Wendy's.  Wendy's is not one of my choices of places to eat, but I'll eat it occasionally because I know Josh likes it.  So we wait forever (on our little bit of gas) in the drive through line, I order, and then we get our food.  Except the burger had no cheese, they didn't give me a straw for my drink, and no napkins!!!  And Josh didn't even order anything!!!!  So the only reason I was ok with Wendy's was b/c I thought he wanted it, and then they got my order all wonky.  Wendy's is definitely on the list for a while.....  Lost time -- 10 min.  Irritation factor -- major.
• Gas Cap -- We get gas, get back on I-85, and then a few miles later, Josh just starts slowing down and pulling on the shoulder and saying something like "uh-oh."  So with all of our tire mishaps, I assume something is wrong with the car.  Then he tells me he left the gas cap off!  Luckily, it stayed inside the little gas cap holder, and he was able to put it back on with no issues.  Lost time -- 2 min.  Irritation factor -- minor by itself // major cumulatively.
• M&Ms -- I decided to be sweet to Josh and buy him some Peanut M&Ms at the aforementioned gas station.  He seemed to be having a hard time getting them from the package, so I suggested he put them in the cupholder, but he didn't want to (do you sense the foreshadowing???).  Well, after stopping for the gas cap incident above, he must have just laid them down, because after he took off to get back on the interstate the M&Ms flew out of the package all over the car.  I got so mad I threw a Funyun on the floor for good measure  (yes, I was so frustrated and hungry....I had resorted to gas station saturated fats).  Lost time -- 1 min. later to clean the car.  Irritation factor -- straw that broke the camel's back level.

In all, we ended up getting to the dinner about 45 minutes late, after rushing to the hotel to change clothes.  That seemed to bring an end to the bad day, and we were able to celebrate happily with Adam, Hannah, and their friends and family at the dinner.  And thank goodness for the guy who gave me a glass of wine when I got there!!  But I am still bummed about missing the first part of the photo slideshow :(

I've been a slacker over the last week, and didn't take ANY pictures of Jackson! We've been super busy, and are still playing catch-up from the events of last week.

Jackson's definitely got some teeth coming in -- you can really see the bottom two easily now. And he's bitten us a few times, so that's something new to watch out for! He's also babbling a lot, but sounding more like words -- bah-bah, mama, and dah-dah. I still don't think there's meaning behind it yet though.

He's also a bit more "on the move." He's flipping over more and more, and he's starting to flop forward onto his stomach from the sitting position. I think he'll be a lot less frustrated when he can move around (and I will probably be much more frustrated ;)      ).

We had our first weekend away from Jackson; Adam & Hannah had their wedding in Raleigh (post on that to come....). He stayed with Stephanie & Alan while we were away. We missed him like crazy, but he had a good time with his aunt & uncle!

BabyLegs --- Love these things!  They're basically like long socks with no feet, and they're intended to be for baby's legs.  They work great with onesies because you can go pants-free, which is great for diaper change speed, and they help keep legs warm and cushioned (for crawling).  These are super-cute too!!

 
Jackson sporting his BabyLegs at home

Things to look forward to this week:  pictures at the pumpkin patch and a visit from Amy & Joel (and baby Ace)!

We attended Ben & Courtney's wedding celebration this past Sunday --- CONGRATULATIONS to them!!!  We decided to take Jackson along, since the family was all going to be there, and Ben & Courtney said it was ok.  It was fun to get to see everyone, and we were so glad we could celebrate with Ben & Courtney :)

Taking advantage of being all dressed up, we took some pictures!

I think this says dressy casual :)

Unsuccessful attempt at self family portrait...with no one behind the camera, Jackson was more interested in trying to get his daddy's attention

For-real family pic -- thanks Steph!

Me & the boy bein' happy!!!

... gosh, that number keeps getting closer & closer to 52!

Jackson is just so much fun at this stage.  He's very interactive, and he spends so much time just soaking everything in that happens in his world.  One of the funniest things he does of late is this back and forth game of making the "hulk" sound (complete with the tensed upper body, mouth in the shape of an "O" and outstretched arms).  We make the noise back at him, he makes it back at us, and the game continues for varying number of repetitions.  Here's a video with him doing some of his "hulk" noises:

Jackson also started another session of Music Together last week.  It's so much easier now that he can sit up on his own and doesn't spit up every class!  And, it's right in uptown Charlotte, so I can just walk from work to meet them there.  This session's theme is "Bongos."  I'm looking forward to it...and Jackson seems to really love it, and even remembers the signature "Hello Everybody" song; his face lights up (even at home) when we sing this one.

Jackson and I also had our first weekend without Josh.  It was quite lonely at times, and we missed him lots!  But I was (astonishingly) still able to get things done around the house, run a few errands, and have Steph come over and hang out for a movie (I'll watch Little Miss Sunshine with anyone who hasn't seen it yet...such a great movie!), some margaritas, and Skipbo!  Skipbo note here .... I've introduced the game to several of my friends, and some joke with me that I'm the Skipbo "queen" because I've played for so long and have my own "strategy" around a lot of moves....in reality, I win and lose just as much as anybody.  And was that ever proven with the game with Steph!!  She beat me as I've never been beaten before...I never even played my first card from the main deck!!!  She laid the Skipbo smack-down on me....

Ok....I also went a bit crazy with the camera this week, and took a ton of pictures, so I'll try not to go too crazy with the post....

Finger Foods
We've started giving Jackson the Gerber Puffs occasionally so he can practice fine motor skills, pincer grasp, self-feeding, etc.  He still doesn't quite understand that they go in his mouth, and he doesn't even have a clue yet about gumming them to make them soft.  So he pretty much swallows them whole when they do make it to his mouth.  Here's a video of him practicing the pincer grasp:

Smiling while playing with his daddy

O mouth and accompanying hulk noise...

He looks rather proud to have created such a mess...

This dinosaur really had him laughing!

He's SO eager to pull up on anything he can get his hands on!  The boy just loves standing (and still hates any crawling position...)

Outside one afternoon, to try to beat the teething blues....

Riding on his daddy's crazy legs!

Being silly with me :)

We also took some family pictures at Ben & Courtney's wedding celebration (congratulations to you guys by the way -- you looked GORGEOUS, and it was good times!).....I'll post those under a separate blog.        

My Maw-Maw is featured as employee of the week on Mary Jo's blog!  Very cool (and well-deserved after 30+ years of dedicated service to Mary Jo's Cloth Store ...not to mention two or three retirements....the love of fabric and people keeps bringing her back!)    :)

http://maryjoscloth-design.blogspot.com/  (on the right, scroll down a bit)

Jackson is 7 months old to[yester]day (I was too busy to get it posted on the "actual" day.... I know, excuses, excuses).  Our at-home measurements bring him in at 19 lbs and 28.75 in (Josh wanted me to round it up to 29, but I felt like sticking to 28.75).  Here’s a comparison:

5 months old 
19 lbs, 3 oz (90%) 
27 in (89%)
 

7 months old  
19 lbs (63%)
28.75 in (97%)

Growth Charts: 

Current Developmental Milestones:

• (Still) Smiles at everyone; very little stranger anxiety or shyness.  Although he has started to get fussy when we leave the room or go out of his line of vision sometimes.
• Laughs really easily now
• Babbles and talks a lot, especially in the car and high chair; favorite "syllable" right now is "dada" but not sure if he knows what it means yet or not
• Can sit unsupported for long periods of time; very rarely topples over, and usually catches himself if he does.  Sitting is his favorite position (other than standing).
• Holds head and chest up well and for lengthy periods when on tummy time; can sit up on all fours for a little bit; "Creeps" around on tummy some
• Has transitioned off of hypoallergenic formula onto soy and soon to transition back to regular milk-based formula; eats many vegetables and fruits; Soon to start some beginner "snacks"
• Teething – two bottom teeth starting to poke through gums
• (Still) Wants to stand all the time and loves to walk with support; Can somewhat hold himself up at a coffee table / couch, but not stable yet.
• Still no desire to roll over (he'll do it in the crib at nap time, but not any other time for the most part) ....still hates tummy time
• Able to manipulate objects more with fingers / hands
• Grabs at EVERYTHING in sight; Very active all day long!
• Wearing size 9 mos clothes (mostly), but soon to be in 12 mos onesies, and (still) in size 3 diapers   

Memo:  Shoo Mr. Shoe Man!
Date:  Yesterday
To:  Shoe Guy at Dillard's

As a salesman, I would like for you to ascertain my shopping style when you assist me with your products.  I would really prefer to locate my own shoes / sizes, but do understand that the store prefers to keep them in the back room.  And I even understand that you need to "keep an eye" out for theft, shoe switching, etc as I am trying them on. 

However, I do not want you to hover, Prince Charming style, by my feet as I try on the shoes.  I am most certain that my facial expression and body language clearly proclaimed "Creep!  Get away from me and my feet!"  And it's not just because you're a guy.  If you were a woman, I would have the exact same reaction.  I really don't want ANY salesman to hover near me; I'm the type of shopper that prefers to browse on my own, and if I have a question, I'll reach out to you directly to ask. 

Hovering and being too pushy is most certainly a way to lose a sale from me (in fact, I've walked out of furntiure stores without even looking at the products after entering and getting bombarded by commission-hungry salespeople)!  I know there are shoppers out there that appreciate and enjoy a salesperson that is more direct and takes charge of the shopping experience.  But that's not my style, and all I want is for you, as a salesman, to be able to figure that out for each person!

So Dillard's Shoe Man, I'm so sorry, but the ONLY reason I didn't peruse your shoes further and potentially purchase a pair, is because you invaded my personal shopping space.  Too bad.  The search for the perfect black shoes (to go with my LBD) continues....

Kindest Regards,

Shoeless Sharla

This past week....

I think I see teeth again (yes plural, meaning TWO; and yes, again, meaning I saw something a couple of months ago that later disappeared; hence the hesitation).  Looks like the two bottom teeth might be coming in...

New foods -- blueberries (with apples) and peaches!  You should have seen the gagging face with the peaches!  But the next day he ate 'em up, so who knows....

Rolling over -- Still too unmotivated and/or defiant to do it during play or when we try to get him to do it.  But he's rolling over to his stomach pretty regularly at nap time, and sleeping that way....so at least we can tell the dr. at the next visit that he's doing it.

Here's some random stuff from the week:

This is too funny to me...

 
Jackson just loves the Mocha dog...and she doesn't mind getting squeezed on the head too much.  But I think she's starting to feel like the relationship isn't reciprocated enough now that Jackson doesn't spit up as much... 

Photo Shoot -- Stephanie, Jackson, & I traveled to Raleigh on Thursday night for the photo shoot at Chez Ami.  Jackson did really well on the drive up, but as expected, woke up completely once we arrived at the hotel.  Then we spent an hour and a half or so trying to get him back to sleep.  Finally put him in the portable crib around 11:30 asleep and proceeded to fall asleep myself around midnight....and was woken up shortly thereafter by more crying from J-man.  So I just gave up and brought him to bed with me.  He slept for a bit more -- woke up at 6:15.  So he had about 8 hours or so compared to his usual 12.  Also, waking up that early was going to throw some curve balls with the nap / feeding schedule.  But we got him up, got ourselves and him ready, made it there on time (barely --see rants below), and he did ok all things considering.  He definitely wasn't as smiley as usual, and was so tired all he wanted to do was suck his fingers, so we all made fools of ourselves acting goofy and singing songs to try to make him take out the fingers and smile.  I think they got some good shots, but we definitely had to work for them...

Ok, so here are my rants about the Raleigh / photo shoot trip.

• Hotel -- We stayed at the same hotel as last time, but this time, our room wasn't directly by a stair case, and we kept getting lost!  It was shaped like a big U, with 2 floors, and we kept taking the wrong stairs or ending up in the wrong corner.  And walking carrying 19 lbs of dead weight (he doesn't do that cling-to-you thing much at all) gets really heavy and tiring pretty quickly....especially with luggage and bags.  I felt like I was in Hogwarts and the stairs were moving around and making me confused!
• GPS -- Josh and I used the GPS system to get us from the hotel to the clothing company when we came up for the fitting.  It worked great.  This time -- not so much.  We left just in time to get their for our photo appointment, but after about 5 minutes, I realized the GPS was trying to sabotage Jackson's modeling session.  It kept taking us in circles and wasn't making any sense.  Luckily Josh was able to direct me over the phone, but he did get an earful of un-ladylike language.
• A lengthy detour in Thomasville -- I was completely out of the loop on the whole Friday afternoon gas crisis.  I pulled off at a random exit to get gas and stop to feed Jackson and eat.  The gas situation was so out of hand that the traffic was backed up on the exit ramp!  It took forever to get on the road, and even then, the cars were lined up and there was all kinds of craziness at all 3 gas stations (one was already sold out).  So in my exasperation and annoyance, I just headed off to get food first.  After regrouping, I headed to one of the 3 gas stations, and there was a cop directing the cars to line up in nice orderly rows to wait to get gas.  Yeah, that worked great until the cop had to leave (probably something more urgent than the gas crisis, I presume...).  Then cars started lining up any way they wanted (why can't people form proper lines? this always amazes me at retail stores, sporting events, banks....and now gas stations).  So by the time I had pumped my gas (yay for not running out while waiting in line!....which was very near possible....), I was completely blocked in by all the losers who thought they could come in from the front.  Finally I got out and got back out on the interstate....after a 75 minute stop in Thomasville!!!  I don't want to see that place ever again...

Ok, off the ranting.  Thanks so much to Steph for coming with me and helping out with Jackson!  Here are some pics from the trip:

 
Hangin' out at the aforementioned Hogwarts Hotel ... before the photo shoot (don't you dig the consignment sale dino PJs??)

Opening the gift from Chez Ami for being a "model"

We got a kick out of the "models this way" sign

Jackson, after little more than half of his normal sleep on Thursday night, slept a good bit of the way home on Friday.  And his hair was a hot mess when we pulled up to the house!

On tap this week:  Our Music Together class starts again....so excited!  And Josh is going out of town this weekend, so it'll just be me & J-Davis ;)

I sat down at my computer to see a box of things left unceremoniously by Sharla.  That is her passive aggressive way of saying get this stuff out of here.

A few months ago I was "lucky" enough to score some Bags O' Crap from Woot!  Turns out they weren't lying.  I received a box of 10 Nike Sport Armband for iPod Nano.  Unfortunately I do not have 10 iPod Nanos, and the Nano we do have is the 3rd generation, not the old 2nd generation these cases are for.

...so... if you have a 2nd generation iPod Nano (see handy dandy picture below) and would like an armband then email us or comment on this post and let us know.  Free of charge...

New things -->

• Various noises / facial expressions -- one of them I refer to as going "Hulk" because he stiffens his entire body, holds his arms out, makes an O with his mouth, and does this grunt noise....it seems as though at any moment he's going to yell out "snap into a slim jim!!!!" (and yes, I know that's the Macho Man RS, but I still like to like to refer to it as going "hulk").  Another one is this wheezing gasp noise he does over and over.  At one point I started worrying he has asthma, but lots of times he laughs while he's doing it...and it's now obvious he's doing it on purpose.  And it was so cool the other day -- I was making odd funny noises, and he zoned in on me after I made a weird noise, watched me for a second, and then after I did it again, he repeated the noise (in this trial kind of tone, almost like with a question mark at the end) right back at me!!  Woah...it was weird.
• The attachment thing -- he's started to cry when I walk out of his sight, away from him, or when he thinks I'm going to pick him up and instead I leave him where he's at.  It's cute, but I hope to get him past it too (so I try to let him cry for a little bit, all the while assuring him with either my presence or voice that everything is fine).  He works the pitiful angle though -- he cries, stops, looks over at me, makes a sad frowny face, and cries a bit more, and repeats these steps over and over again until he becomes distracted or I give him some attention. 
• Clapping -- Here's a video...

• Rolling over -- he still hates (for the most part) being left on his stomach or back too long, so he's not at all interested in rolling over.  But, he did it for the first time in the crib this week.  He is always put on his back to sleep, and he's been scooting and turning for some time now, but we found him the other morning on his stomach (awake).  He may have used some part(s) of the crib for leverage, but I'll take what I can get. :)
• New foods this week -- pears & prunes

Playing with the tissue paper from my mom's gift (happy b-day btw, mom!) 

Jackson says, "Excuse me...I am conducting very important business here." 

Hangin' out on Mocha