Scrap Swap Pages!

Here are my page layouts ... finally! I'm sorry I took so long to get the first one on here. I hope you enjoy!

Happy 6 Months!

Happy 6 months to my little Jackson! Although he's not so little anymore! This past month, he has learned to roll from tummy to back and from back to tummy. His head control gets better every day and I'm kind of afraid that we'll have a crawler by next month! He's still learning to sit up on his own and Davy and I love teaching him all of these things.

Jackson has learned to say MAMA, DA-DA, DAD, DADDY and BA-BA. Did you notice how many variations of Dad he has in there? Someone sure loves his daddy. Da-da is also his most used word (probably because it's the easiest to scream, hehe).

He is eating baby food and LOVES it ... well, almost all of it. His list keeps growing of the foods that he loves and also foods that he doesn't like so much. He is not a fan of sweet potatoes and peaches. If you give him applesauce, squash or cantaloupe, he'll scream like a banshee if you take it away from him, especially cantaloupe.

He has such a little personality. He's just recently been acting "shy" around people and snuggles his face in your chest when a new person approaches and smiles at him. It's so cute and I love it because I'm usually the one holding him so I get all of the snuggles. Jackson also loves to kiss cheeks. He opens his mouth wide, grabs your face, finds your cheek and hunkers down for a juicy cheek kiss. I LOVE IT! Another habit of his is fake coughing. He's added a little chuckle to his fake cough ... hilarious! My little man is becoming such a character.

In other news: Davy's sister Allison and her husband Chris are traveling from Virginia to go to Davy's little sister, Chelsie's wedding on the 10th. We are so excited to be with them and for them to meet Jackson. With any luck, Jackson will behave at this wedding ... (Yes, I was the mommy with the screaming child at the last family wedding, but you can't expect him to be happy in a 100 degree chapel, can you? Especially when we were stuck in the middle of the aisle with no easy way out!)

We are making our way to Salmon for the 4th of July weekend. We're excited to see family and for more members of our family to meet my smiley Jackson. He'll also get to interact with his cousins and have some fun playtime.

I hardly ever mention Davy in my posts, so I'm going to take a minute to tell him just how much he means to me(becuase I know he reads this blog, haha)

Davy, you are the best husband a girl could ask for. I knew I was going to marry you after our very first date. You are a loyal and kind man and you truly make me a better person when I'm around you. I never thought I'd find my soul mate at such a young age, but when I'm with you I just know that you are my "forever". I am so happy that we chose to get sealed to each other in the temple because now that I have you, I can't imagine losing you at death. And this precious life that we brought into this world, our little Jackson, has been such a blessing for the both of us. He has brought us closer and turned our world upside down. Thank you for giving me the gift that you are, the blessing that our son is and the promise to be with me through good, bad and for all eternity. I love you.

All About May

Oh how I love that little face! May was a really busy month for this little family. We celebrated my first Mother's Day, which was so fun. Davy did a good job of making me feel special.

Next was my 21st birthday! We hung out with family which is all I really want on my birthday anyway.

Jackson turned 5 MONTHS OLD on May 30th. I know I often say that he is growing up too fast, but he is growing up too fast. I just want to snuggle his little body in my arms all of the time. This month he has started eating rice cereal and oatmeal and what a funny boy he is. He wants to control the spoon all by himself:

He is still learning to roll over and sit up, and we're having so much fun teaching him. Everyday I thank Heavenly Father for sending me this little boy. I cherish every second I have with him and Davy. I love having my own little family and all of the joy that I recieve every day.

Davy and I also celebrated our 2nd anniversary May 29. We were married and sealed for time and eternity in the Salt Lake City temple on May 29, 2008. I will never forget that day because it was one of the happiest of my life. I am so glad to know that I will be with Davy forever, not just until "death do you part". Those words are so sad to me. And with having Jackson, I am also happy to know that he is sealed to us forever as well.

(I've always wanted to write this down) For those of you who don't know our "love story", here it is: I was 16 years old and was in senior choir at Pocatello High school. It was December and we were performing our Christmas concert. I'd felt obligated to invite an ex-boyfriend (we'll call him "T") to come and watch me perform.

After the concert, my friend Jodie's older friends invited us to Denny's to celebrate our performance. My ex was standing there so I also felt obligated to invite him to dinner with us although I didn't want him to come. When we got to Denny's, we were the last ones there, so I squoze between T and who I'd later find out was Davy Crockett.

As we got our food and everyone was talking, I found myself drawn to Davy. I completely ignored T and Davy and I talked the entire time we were there. After dinner, I took T to his car and politely told him that I didn't want to lead him on and that I hoped we could be friends. As he was driving away I couldn't stop thinking about Davy. I knew that I was going to be with him. I don't know how I knew, I just did.

I told Jodie that I wanted her to set me up on a date with Davy and she agreed. Mid-December, Davy picked me up in his little red Ford Tempo, and with Jodie and her date in the back seat, we drove over to Santa Claus Lane to look at the Christmas lights. Davy popped in a Voicemail CD and started singing with the songs, I knew right then that I was going to marry that boy. He was comfortable enough to sing silly love songs to me on our first "date", how can you not love that? We got done looking at lights and he took me home. We were standing on my front porch and I asked him if I could have a hug. After a surprised look, he gave me a long hug, said goodnight and went home.

Davy invited me to a Christmas party on December 23rd and when we showed up together everyone was surprised. They asked us individually if we were going out and we had to tell them not yet, because we still weren't officially a couple yet. Around 3:30 a.m. on December 24th, Davy and I were on MSN messenger together and he asked me to be his girlfriend.

I of course said yes and we continued to date until October 30, 2007. He proposed to me before we went to our Celestial Marriage class at the institute building at ISU. I immediately started planning our wedding and we were married in May 2008. We've had our ups and downs but I know Davy and I will be together forever. He is the sweetest man I've ever known and I can't imagine life without him. I am so grateful that we can be together and create this special little life that is our little Jackson. It's so reassuring to know that Families Can Be Together Forever.

So, on May 31st, this year, Davy and I traveled to Salt Lake City to visit temple square and remember our special day there two years ago.

If you want to know more about LDS temple marriage, why we chose "For Time and Eternity" and what we believe, visit: http://www.lds.org/temples/home/0,11273,1896-1,00.html

April 29, 2009 - April 29, 2010

April 29, 2009:

April 29, 2010:

Last year, on this day, my little Jackson was the size of a poppyseed. I woke up on the morning of April 29, 2009 feeling hopeful. I was hopeful because that was the day I knew I was going to take a pregnancy test. I am so happy that it came out positive! Jackson lights up my life and makes every day worth waking up to.

Jackson will also be 4 months old tomorrow! Time has gotten away from me again ... this past month he has learned to talk louder (didn't think that was possible but he has proved us wrong). Whenever I have him on his back, he likes to grab hold of both sides of my face (in most cases, he grabs two hands full of hair) and looks in my eyes and just starts screaming at me. Happy screams, of course. It always cracks me up.

Jackson has also discovered his cute little feet. He reaches for them, looks at them and tries to bring them to his mouth. I can just let him lay on a blanket on the floor and he'll play with his feet forever.

I am hoping that his Dr. will give us the go-ahead to start some rice cereal and vegetables soon. This mama is getting ready to retire the her "milk-cow" life and move onto the wonderful world of bibs, spoons, oatmeal and spaghetti all over the walls and ceiling.

In the news of Davy and Nicholya: In May, I am starting an online college course at Grand Canyon University. I will be working on a dual major: Elementary Education and Special Education. I'm so excited to be working towards a real goal for myself and my family. I've always wanted to be a teacher, and now, for once, I feel like it's within reach. It should take me a while to get my Bachelor's degree, but when I'm finished, Jackson will be getting ready to go into school himself and we'll have the same "hours". I won't be the stay at home mom I wanted to be, but this way, I can be working only while my kids are in school.

Kids ... yes, I said kids. No, I'm not pregnant again. (Thank goodness) but Davy and I do plan on having more children. Just a little clarification for anyone wondering: No second baby anytime soon unless God changes our plans and we have a "surprise".

Davy is still working at Coca-Cola driving his giant truck all over Pocatello to deliver you good people the caffeine you think you so desperately need. (Don't worry, I need it too. Don't get between me and my Coke!) He injured his back at work a couple weeks ago so he's now on light duty. Which also means he's also getting light duty pay. I don't think he's really happy working there, so we'll see what happens when his contract is up this October.

That's about all for our little family. We're looking forward to next month: Mother's Day, my birthday and our anniversary all in one month, Go me!

3 Months!

Jackson turned three months old yesterday and I'm still wondering where all that time has gone...

The time has gone to Jackson learning how to smile and giggle for us. He loves to wake up and smile at his mama. And I, of course love to see every one of those smiles and hear every one of the giggles.
The time has gone to my baby boy exploring the world around him. Each day he grows and grows and I'm just so excited I get to see him do it.

The time has gone to him growing 4 inches and gaining over 4 pounds. What a big boy! And doesn't he look good in Daddy's tie?

The time has gone to Mama and Daddy
learning how to meet each and every one of our little boy's needs, and Oh does he need a lot!





The time has gone to our little boy learning how to "talk" to us in his sweet baby babble. His favorite word is "GOO" and he uses it often. He's also learned to blow bubbles with the copious amount of slobber that he accumulates during the day.

Our baby is growing up right before our eyes and we are bitter-sweetly loving every single second of it.

Happy Valentine's Day!

The past 6 weeks has been full of so many ups and downs. More ups than downs, however, so that's good. Davy and I are doing well - we're still adjusting to being parents and are having so much fun along the way. We've really come to understand our baby boy's wants and needs. If I don't know what's wrong, Davy can figure it out and the other way around. We're so thankful for each day that we have with Jackson and know that we are so blessed.

Here are some pictures from the last 6 weeks; the first 6 weeks of our little boy's life:

Going home from the hospital at 2 days old

First bath!

We quickly realized just how much he loves his bouncy chair.

He definitely prefers it to the swing.

Jackson and his second cousin, Penny. Little Penny was due 5 days before Jackson. Jackson came 8 days early and Penny came 10 days late! Can you believe the size difference? I have a big boy!

Jackson, right before his blessing. Daddy did such a good job of giving him his blessing.

What a special day that was.

I'm feeling extra loving and thankful this weekend as it is Valentine's Day on Sunday. I don't really love V-day, but to me, this year, it's just a day to remember to be so thankful for family. I never knew that I could love someone so much until I gave birth to my son. I am so in love with him and my husband.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Labor and Delivery

Meet Jackson Alvin David Crockett, born December 30, 2009 at 5:18 p.m. Weighing in at 8 pounds 1 ounce and measuring 20 inches long.

I'm excited to finally share my labor and delivery experience. It was such a long, hard process so I feel like I need to write this down to remember how my son came into this world.



Tuesday, December 29th at around 5:30 p.m. Jackson was much more active in the womb than usual, it was a constant, almost painful pushing and kicking. I got up from my chair to get some more water and started to "pee my pants" I couldn't stop the gushing so I knew that my water was breaking. I told Davy and we started packing for the hospital. I was excited to know that my body wanted to go into labor and I think Jackson's activity just before that helped my water break, our little guy was ready to come into the world! It was so exhilarating knowing that we were going to meet our little boy within 24 hours.



We arrived at the hospital around 6:30 p.m. where they tested my fluid and discovered that my water had indeed broken. They checked my cervix only to discover that I was still 75% effaced and only dilated to a 1. Because I wasn't having much progression, at around 7 p.m. they started me on an IV of pitocin to get my body kicked into gear. The contractions were coming, they were uncomfortable but certainly not too painful. I was far too excited to go to sleep so we just sat there, waiting for the nurse to check my cervix again. At around 3 a.m. they checked my cervix again and I'd slowly dilated to a 3.



I labored all night, getting little sleep in between contractions. They were painful and I definitely had to breathe through them. By 10 a.m. Wednesday, I thought for sure that I'd progressed because of the pain of the contractions. The nurse checked my cervix and gave us the bad news that I was still dilated to a 3, so she sent the doctor in to discuss options with us. He told us that I needed to progress soon or else I'd be forced to have a c-section.

I had surgery on my back in 2001 and needed to take my x-rays in for the anesthesiologist to decide if I could have an epidural for pain. The nurse anesthetist looked over my x-rays and decided that they would not be able to give me an epidural because of the scar tissue in my lower back, which could lead to some serious complications. I wasn't exactly set on the idea of an epidural, so I wasn't too heartbroken by this news.



While my doctor was in the room, he noted how much pain I was in and called for an anesthesiologist to give us a second opinion on the epidural. She came into the room and told us the exact same thing the first anesthesiologist told us. I was upset because the pain was getting harder to breathe through and I was losing energy and confidence quickly. The nurse offered me a narcotic pain reliever called Nubain that could be administered through my IV. We were hoping that the pain reliever would relax my body just enough so that my body would progress quickly to get our baby out. I immediately felt the effects of the Nubain and slipped into a deep sleep.



I awoke around 12 p.m. to some really horrible contractions. The nurse checked my cervix again and discovered that I'd progressed to a 6! It was such a relief to hear that this process might be over soon and I could finally meet my son. Because of my progress, the doctor decided to let me continue laboring instead of going immediately into a c-section. They were having problems with their monitering equipment. They were no longer doing a good job of monitering my contractions and the baby's heartbeat. This is essential information so the doctor had to insert an IUTC device to measure my contractions from the inside. He also had to insert an electrode into Jackson's head that was the best way of knowing his heartbeat. The insertion of the IUTC was worse than any pain that I've ever had in my entire life. I'd been so strong up until that point that I just screamed and screamed until it was over.



At around 3 p.m. the contractions seemed like they were one on top of the other and I could get no relief. The breathing exercises I'd been practicing thus far were harder to concentrate on and more intense. My doctor came in to check my cervix to find out I was dilated to a 9. My body was ready to push and kept trying on it's own everytime I had a contraction. I had to fight off the urge to just let my body push because my cervix wan't ready yet. I did that for about an hour and had lost so much strength that I just finally gave in. We discovered that Jackson was sunny-side up and not in a favorabe station for vaginal delivery. I tried to push, but nothing was coming from it. The doctor checked my cervix again to find out that it had begun swelling and there was just no way I was going to give birth vaginally.

I signed some forms to go into the operating room for a c-section and off we went. Davy and my mom were extremely worried and anxious, but we all realized that this was the only way to have a healthy baby.

I awoke in recovery to hear that I had a sweet little 8 pound 1 ounce baby boy that was 20 inches long. All I could do was smile and be thankful that I'd woken up from the anesthesia to finally meet my son. I thanked Heavenly Father for helping me through everything and the chance to raise my little boy.

I waited and woke up some more in the recovery room for about an hour when I was finally wheeled up to my room. Seeing and holding my son for the first time was the best feeling in the world. He is so perfect in every way and I'm so thankful that I have the chance to love him and be his mommy.