Getting Ready

Rollin' around on the floor is his favorite time of day!
Always has to have something in his mouth.
Taking his afternoon nap. He's so sweet when he sleeps. It's a nice break for mommy too!
Happy Baby! Playing with Mortimer the Moose in his bouncy seat.

We have been quite the busy little Mommy and Baby duo this week. Trying to get everything ready to come home is hard work. Not only do I have to get my house ready. Because of the high humidity certain things must be done so that I don't come home to a mold factory. But I also have to do things so that when we are back in the states we can live a somewhat normal life. Applying for Jackson's Social Security number, Switching our medical insurance to state side, And getting last minute doctor appointments in before we go. We have to have Jackson's SS# to do our taxes. But we can't apply for it until we get his passport back. Unfortunately we have been waiting for that to come back for about 4 months. And to top it off they keep pushing back the date of when it will get here. I can apply for his SS# in the states when I get home, and I will do that instead of applying for it here. So as you can see, just being spontaneous and hopping on a plane to come home for a visit isn't in the picture for us. Everything seems to take hours worth of ground work to set up. I wish things could be simple.

Jackson has also been having a hard time with his Daddy being gone. We didn't realize that it would affect him this way. For a few days in a row he would cry all day long. If he couldn't see me in the room he would freak out and become hysterical. And then when I would pick him up he would clutch my face and bury his face in my neck and cry. It was like he was afraid I was going to leave. I couldn't figure out what was wrong. Nothing seemed to make him happy. But I got the idea to pull up a picture of Brandon on the computer and make it really big. I sat Jackson on the computer desk so he could talk to his Dad. And it made him so happy. He babbles on and on and tries to touch the computer screen. He smiles really big when he sees the picture. We do this everyday and it seems to be working pretty well. Brandon also was able to call this week and got to talk to Jackson. Jackson was really excited about it and talked right back to Brandon.

I ordered Jackson a "Daddy Doll" and I can't wait to give it to him. A daddy doll is made by a company called Hug a Hero, they take a head to toe picture of a service member and cut it out, print it on a soft fabric, and stuff it to make a doll. They also sell other products such as pillow cases and voice recorders. All of these items are to help make deployments or being away from loved ones easier for children. They even make grandparent dolls too. I'm thinking in the next few months Jackson will have a whole collection of his favorite people. Both sets of grandparents and his favorite uncles. It should arrive in a matter of days. Then he can take his Daddy where ever he goes.

Jackson has also slept an average of 9 1/2 hours a night for an entire week and a half. This is so nice for me. I feel so rested everyday. And it gives me that extra boost. With the added energy I've had, it's been a treat to go on a few adventures with Jackson. We've gone for walks, and gone to the ginza to look around. We've gone window shopping and stopped for lunch. I even got myself a Starbucks coffee this week and a new pair of walking shoes. The sun has been out and it's beautiful here. Even with the cool crisp air it's been delightful to be outside. Jackson takes really good naps after our outings. He seems to really enjoy getting out of the house. It's so nice to know that spring is right around the corner. Isn't it a nice thought after such a long winter!