My Little Snowman!

Ok, so I have to admit, I was actually excited to get some snow in the so-called "leap-year blizzard"!  Well, that "snow" came in the form of rain (to include thunder and lightning) and in the end we ended up with less than a half inch of snow (maybe even less)!  I know, I know, I shouldn't complain because this has been a VERY mild winter... but really, I do like the looks of snow :-) (not a fan of actually being cold... if that makes sense) and I wanted to get Jameson out in his snowsuit at least once this year.

Anyways, since the "blizzard" was very disappointing and by the rate we are going, we may not see anymore snow this year, so I decided to bundle J up in his snowsuit and take him outside anyways and "play" in the very little snow we do have.  Ok, ok, so we really didn't "play" but we did enjoy the fresh air, some heartwarming giggles, the entertainment of passing cars and of course, a mini photo shoot!  I would say our little "adventure"maybe lasted 5 minutes, but it sure was fun to see Jameson take in the scenery and the fresh air.

So, here are the pictures from our "outdoor adventure" in the snow.

7 Months and Counting

Yes, yes, yes... that's right... Our little baby J is 7 months old!  Can I just say, seven months with a two year old personality.  Truly, this little boy has developed the most precious, hilarious, stubborn and the list could go on personality!  There is not a day that goes by that he does not seem to amaze me, make me laugh and make my jaw drop.

7 Month Statistics

Weight: 21.2 lbs

Height: approx. 28in

Clothes size: Pretty much all 9-12 month clothes 

(just a few 6 months outfits still fit)

Diaper size: still in a 3

Jameson's developments over the last month:

Personality, personality, personality!  That pretty much sums up the last month!  Jameson is truly showing his "true colors" these days :-)  He knows when to cry, when to scream, when to put his lips together and blow spit all over just to get our attention!  I would have to say, the "fake" cry has become the #1 favorite thing to do to prove he has mommy and daddy wrapped around is little finger.  (haha yes, it's true, he has us wrapped very tightly!)  As a continuation from last month, Jameson is sitting up even stronger now, reaching for the things he wants (while sitting) and is even showing signs of going from sitting to his tummy in order to crawl (if he really wants something badly!)  He is also holding himself up on his hands while on his tummy (not quit to his knees just yet) and will actually play, laugh, and relax while on his tummy now (that was not an option before!  He hated tummy time).  Jameson can also roll from his tummy to his back like a champ and is almost going from back to tummy (he gets stuck - or should I say, he doesn't want to end up back on his tummy - once he gets all the way on his side)

Food - Jameson is eating two 8oz bottles a day - one when he gets up and one when he goes to bed at night and about three more 6oz bottles throughout the day.  He continues to eat one jar of fruit in the morning (with rice cereal) and veggies in the evening.  We just started introducing baby food that includes a meat!  He was not really into anything with beef in it, but really enjoys the chicken meals.  And I have to say, he LLLLOOOOVVVEEESSS Mac n' Cheese!  (He truly is my son!!)  A couple treats we have started to try are the baby puffs (broken into thirds) and he also also tried a couple tiny pieces of bread/crackers.  Jameson doesn't quit have the chewing motion down just yet, so I am taking the actual "food" testing very slowly.  The sippy cup was also a HUGE hit!  He loves playing with his cup, he is getting the idea of holding it with two hands and is also now drinking a little of the water (he finally figured out there was actually something in there!!  and he liked it!)

Playtime - We spend most of our day actually playing now!  It's so much fun seeing my little man reaching for toys, exploring everything he can get his hands on, and of course, chewing on everything in sight.  Our day typically consists of playtime after his morning bottle, he plays for a couple ours with his friends at the gym while I work out, we get in a little play/reading time before afternoon nap and of course, playtime all around when daddy gets home.  I love watching Jameson play on his own, bounce in his chair and giggle at himself.

Overall, the last month has been so much fun!  I still can't get over how much he changes in just four quick weeks!  He truly amazes me each and every day.

I love you little man and can't wait to see what month 7 has in store for us!  You are the light of mommy and daddy's eye!

7 Month Photo Shoot

More Pictures

Everything happens in 3's....

Let me begin by saying, I WAS very excited to get home from Mexico, get back to Sioux Falls, see my mom's club friends and just get back into the "swing of things".  Well, not-so-much!

I think it's time for another vacation... just ME... just a mommy's weekend off!  (wouldn't that be great!)

We returned to the Twin Cities Saturday evening, finally got my little man back in my arms (thank you SO much mom and dad for driving up to drop him off!  You guys rock!) and off the the hospital we went...  Yes, you are reading that correctly... hospital!  My dear mother-in-law had an accident Saturday afternoon while out on a walk and ended up at HCMC for a couple days.  I felt SO bad for her, wanted to make everything better and put that bright smile back on her sweet face!  It hurt to see her in pain, but what a strong woman she is and oh how I wish I could have half of her positive attitude!  Thank goodness we were flying into the Twin Cities so we could see her and spend some time with her while she was recovering.

Fast forward to Sunday...  Mr. Jameson was not feeling the best and things just kept getting worse Saturday night and into Sunday...  He couldn't breath, was coughing like crazy, runny nose, congested... yada yada yada... so off to the hospital we went... AGAIN...  He was tested for everything under the sun... No RSV, No influenza, no pneumonia...  Nope... ASTHMA!!  Yes, the doctors believe (at this time - and yes, that could change) that my sweet baby boy may be in the early stages of baby asthma!  So, it looks like nebulizer treatments three times a day for the next thirty days it is...

I thought we were finally in the clear... My dear Mother-in-Law's surgery went well, she was starting to feel better!  (yay!  We love you Jeanie!)  Jameson's nebulizer treatments were working great... He was breathing better, sleeping better, nose wasn't running as much... You know, everything was looking up for the Hansen's!

Wednesday night/Thursday morning - Luke worked an over night shift Wednesday night and to my wonderful surprise, I woke up to his phone call at 5:15 in the morning!  I answered the phone only to hear my husband (the person that never gets hurt, and if he does, he brushes it off to it being nothing) out of breath and telling me he hurt his foot at work and could not walk any further.  He was on the floor of our living room and needed my help!  WOW!  That wakes a person up quickly.  So downstairs I ran to, yes, seeing my husband lying on the floor in pain. (man does that break your heart!)  So, you guessed it, off the hospital we went... AGAIN! After some pain meds, crutches and a lot of ice, we found out it wasn't broken (thank goodness) but he still couldn't put any pressure on it and was unable to walk.

Wow, what a week!  It has been true craziness around here!  But I do have to admit, although it's been crazy and keeping me on my toes, I love taking care of my boys and jump at any chance either of them extra love, snugs, kisses or hugs!

And a quick side note - Jean - we love you dearly and can't wait for you to get back to 100%!  We send our prayers everyday and all the love in the world.

Cheers to a relaxing weekend with everyone feeling better!

This is the life!

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, relaxing, enjoyable, HOT!  Those are just a few words describing this past week.

Luke and I jetted off to Cancun Mexico for a much needed week long vacation.  After a very hectic and crazy last few months, we decided we needed to take some time for just the two of us!  And I am SO happy we did :-)  Our week was everything we wanted, needed and much, much more.

We started our adventure by driving to my parents house Friday evening to drop Mr. J off.  Boy, was that HARD!  I knew we had Friday night together, so I was just hoping, wishing and praying the night would not end.  Don't get me wrong, I was super excited for our vacation, but I just could not believe we would be away from our little man for a whole week!  But, the night ended, Saturday came and it was time to say goodbye!  (well not with one last little cat-nap for J and daddy!)

So... off we went...  Goodbyes are never easy, but I kept reminding myself of the warm weather, sandy beaches, yummy cocktails and most of all, time alone with my husband that was just hours away!  We drove up to the Twin Cities to catch our flight.  We had a layover Saturday evening in Dallas, TX.  This worked out GREAT because we were able to see my friend Lesley and her wonderful husband Scott.   They took us to a fantastic dinner Saturday evening and a delicious brunch Sunday morning!  Although our time in Texas was short, I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to going back... and next time for a MUCH LONGER period of time!!  A BIG thank you goes out to Lesley and Scott!  Your hospitality was outstanding ;-) (PS... did we mention, we LOVED your house)

Enjoying a couple cocktails at the Minneapolis airport  

CHEERS to a GREAT week!

"Luther" from Cheers

We arrived safely in Cancun, made it to our hotel with no issues (for the most part) and we were finally relaxing in paradise!

Monday - Wow!  Crazy-fun!  Luke and I decided we would spend our first full day around the pool, relaxing, reading and enjoying the sun!  And that is exactly what we did!  Until.... the "pool activities" started.  Then we decided to bring back our college days and have a little too much fun.  Let me tell you, what a blast!  Tequila volleyball, salsa dancing, poolside bingo, and of course...  A beer drinking contest!  I don't think I should be too proud of this, but yes... You are reading the blog of the Beer Drinking QUEEN!  haha!!  That's right, I won the woman's contest. (no worries, for anyone that wants to see, Luke did capture it all on video...  boy am I proud *I hope you are sensing A LOT of sarcasm there*)  Anyways, it was a GREAT day, lots of fun, lots of drinks and way too much sun!

A view of our hotel from one of pools

 This is the life!

Tuesday - THAT was our day of rest!  Luke and I both got pretty fried on Monday, so we truly did relax all day Tuesday.  We took a morning walk down the hotel strip, walked back along the beach, did a lot of reading, naps, and then we ventured down to one of the Cancun Mall areas and walked around/did a little shopping.

It was pretty windy along the beach Tuesday morning,

but it felt GREAT!

 HAHA The wave just soaked Luke's back!

Some of the pool staff all dressed up for Valentine's Day

Tuesday really was VERY relaxing and enjoyable!  We decided to head to bed early Tuesday night because we had a long day ahead of us Wednesday with a trip to Chichen Itza.

When we booked our trip, we also booked two "adventures" that would satisfy both of our personalities and likings.  Wednesday was Luke's "adventure day" :-)

We headed out to one of the 7 Wonders of the World... Chichen Itza.  I really did not know anything about the history, the landmark... nothing... but I have to say, this really was very interesting and fun!  I also thought this would be a short bus ride to and from the historical site, along with a few hours to explore the area... Boy was I wrong!  It defiantly was a full, full day!  The site itself was over two hours away (I truly had NO idea!) and we made some stops along the way.  First, I have to mention, Chichen Itza was built by the Mayans.  So, we spent the day learning all about their culture and their history.

Our first stop was to a Mayan preserve.  We were able to see how they lived, try some of their food, and the best part, we were able to go down in to a "cave-like" environment where the Mayans would collect water (it was a large sink-hole that is now a tourist attraction... You could also swim in there and yes, you guessed it, I did NOT step foot in the water - especially after seeing the bats flying around!)

 Heading down to the cave

 Luke was BRAVE for getting in the water

 Enjoying our coconut juice

It was then time to head to lunch and then off to the GREAT Chichen Itza!

If you plan on taking a trip to Mexico, I would HIGHLY recommend taking a day trip to this beautiful site!  I can't believe how much fun we had, how much we learned and most importantly, how much more I appreciate history!

Thursday - This was MY adventure day!  And in true Marson fashion, I chose to go swimming with the dolphins!!!  I was beyond excited to do this.  We got up early Thursday morning and caught the ferry over to an island right off of Cancun.  

 A view from the boat

Luke and I were in the second group to swim with the dolphins, so we spent some time walking around the island.  These sea lions were hilarious!  They wouldn't stop fighting and yelling at each other.  VERY entertaining.  We also went swimming with the sting rays and sharks.  

 And enjoyed a couple drinks

 This is where we swam with the dolphins.

Seriously the best experience ever!!

I can't even think of where to being...  the dolphin swim was something I will never forget!  We had 90 minutes with our dolphins and every minute was fun!  They lifted both Luke and I out of the water, we were able to ride their fins, hold them, everything... AMAZING!!!  We headed back to Cancun after our swim and lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon around the pool.  That evening we went to the show at the hotel and we were blown away!  It was a tribute to Michael Jackson.  WOW... that's all I can say.. WOW!  They did such a great job!  The person that played Michael looked like him, danced like him, dressed like him... everything!  They had their show perfected down to the very last detail (i.e.: the tape on the fingers!)

Friday - our last full day in Mexico.  We were both excited to not have anything planned for the day.  Luke really didn't want to sit in the sun, but I didn't want to waste the day not being by the pool...  So, we found the "adults only" area, sat under an umbrella and read for hours!  Luke also treated himself to a massage on the beach.  That evening we headed down the Cancun strip and had dinner at Senior Frogs.  It was then time to head back to the hotel, pack and get ready to leave Saturday morning. 

When Saturday came I was sad to leave, but could not wait to get home to our little man!  Our week was beyond amazing!  We enjoyed every single minute!  Thank you to my mom and dad for watching Mr. Man while mommy and daddy enjoyed the sun!