Our Big News is Old News and Other Important Stuff

OK, so I have a big mouth and told most of you our exciting news already. Humor me anyway, and give a BIG shout-out to Cline for landing himself a little job in Cartersville!!!! We are quite proud of him and excited to start officially house-hunting in Rome. He hasn't signed the contract yet, but once our people review it we plan to accept the offer barring any major signs from God that we should go another direction.

Also, how bout them Dawgs? In case you were under a rock yesterday, WE BEAT FLORIDA!!! What's that?? You want me to say it again? OK, WE BEAT FLORIDA!! Cline was privileged to be at the actual game in Jacksonville while Christa and I had a great day in Valdosta with Margaret Anne and her family! (Dinner was delicious, and we came home to a sparkling clean apartment tonight - thanks again!!)

In other news, Christa is 4 months old today! She's holding herself up well if you stand her up on your lap, and she tries to pull herself up when she's sitting in her car seat. She's smiling and laughing much more often, and she'll start cereal tomorrow. She's reaching for toys and loves her new Tigger that Ronnie (Margaret Anne's son) picked out for her this weekend. She's spending tonight in her own crib for the first time. (I reluctantly decided it's time). She didn't fuss at all when I put her down a few minutes ago, and I held myself together as well.

Other than that, we had a great, but exhausting vacation in King's Bay, Macon, Cave Spring, Rome, Valdosta, and Jacksonville this week. We enjoyed a few meals with our families, and it was great to see Ali and Shanda while we were there. We plan to take it easy in November - no unnecessary traveling except for maybe Thanksgiving weekend.

Well, that wraps up our week. Did I mention that GEORGIA BEAT FLORIDA??

Not a Real Post

Hello all! I'm cheating this week and delaying the post until next week. We are still in the middle of our official vacation, and we've been driving all over the state of Georgia for most of it. We're having fun, but are quite tired. We'll be home Sunday, so look for something interesting that evening (or possibly Monday, if it's late). I promise Christa pictures and some BIG NEWS (feel free to post some guesses in the comment section - I'm curious to see what you come up with :)

Until next week...

10 Reasons Why...

... being the Matron of Honor might be harder than being the Bride!!


10. You don't get to pick the dress you wear. And the bride's choice, while beautiful, may or may not bunch in places that reveal every roll of post-baby fat you have, despite your alteration attempts. And your seamstress may or may not forget to replace the hook on the zipper after she removes it.

9. You will be expected to parent your 3 month old in the midst of constant activity. And your 3 month old may or may not like crowds, excitement, and lots of people at one time. And she might insist that her feedings are provided to her regularly - by you, nursing mom. And this may or may not accomodate the activities you are also expected to be present for.

8. You WILL participate in the busiest weekend you've had since your own wedding. And your 3 month old, who normally sleeps like her dad during lecture, may or may not decide that 2 days before the wedding is a good time to start waking up 4 and 5 times a night. And this will render both you and your husband even more exhausted than your first week home with her.

7. The constant activity, combined with the demands of your infant and your failure to plan properly, may or may not allow time for the desparately needed pedicure that is sure to salvage your dry and flaky nails. And things of this nature might be especially noticable and important to the bride and her sorority friend bridesmaids. So, you may or may not make a last minute substitution of closed-toe shoes that you haven't worn for a year and a half. And they may or may not fit as well as you remembered.

6. One of your parents might fall down the steep and slippery stairs at the wedding venue immediately after leaving the bridal party waiting room. And it might be one of the scariest moments of your life. And you might not be able to immediately find out which one it is and how they are because you are busy perfecting the art of breast-feeding your daughter in a formal gown modestly and without stain. You will later learn that it was your father, and angels must have been watching over him because he is unharmed.

5. You may or may not have to squeeze in some time laughing because your dad spilled coke all over the wedding photographer when he fell down the stairs.

4. You may or may not snap at the bride's dog the day of the wedding, invoking the wrath of the bride because you're stressed out that the hair you spent 2 hours having professionally styled is already beginning to fall. And your dry, flaky, bitten-off fingernails may become a casualty of having to drive back across town to have it re-styled. And you may or may not have to kiss the snapped-at dog so that the bride will not be angry on her wedding day. And this might be a big deal because you may or may not be a dog-lover, since you took out your frustrations on a canine to begin with.

3. The bride might delegate to you to find someone to videotape the wedding "AND" reception at the last minute. And you may or may not think to ask your talented but illiterate cousin via e-mail to assist in this task. And your cousin may or may not be named Justin Karch. And Justin might overlook the small but important word "and," thereby taping only the wedding reception.... NOT the ceremony!

2. Your husband may or may not leave your camera in his rented Tuxedo. This may or may not go unnoticed until after the tux has been returned and you are trying to snap a picture of your daughter meeting her new Uncle Brandon before he and your sister leave for their honeymoon. (And what you really might need is a tape recorder to catch the hilarious songs Brandon might make up for your baby).

1. You don't get to go on a relaxing, carefree honeymoon to an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica for a week to recover from the exhausting weekend. Instead, you must immediately return to your reality and catch up on the everyday tasks you've been neglecting for 6 days, pampering THE BRIDE (who you are very happy for and were quite pleased and honored to be a part of her special weekend).

Despite a few snaffoos, the wedding was beautiful, and fun was had by all. Welcome to the family, Brandon - we're excited to have you!! Thank you VERY MUCH to my mother-in law for watching Christa during the wedding and Jamie for keeping her during the rehearsal! I'm going to sleep now.

A Quick Hello

Hello all!. First things first, lets not speak of the Georgia game on Saturday (KIMBERLY). OK then, moving on. I have just a quick post today, as we are leaving soon for Rome to begin the wedding festivities. This means I have exactly 1 hour and 40 minutes to make my skirts and dresses fit. Hmmmm... this is going to take some work... or a miracle. So, I'm going to go solve that problem, while you enjoy these pictures taken earlier this week!

My little angel is getting so big. She is trying to transition herself into the crib at night, and mommy isn't letting her. She's been falling asleep at 7:30 for what I think is a nap, but keeps sleeping. So, I disturb her, and move her back to the bassinet when I go to bed. It's better this way :) She is still sleeping, like, 20 hours a day. Should I be concerned about that? (Note - According to my mother, I slept 20 hours a day until I was 3, so I'm thinking it's just genetics). Have a great week!

The Job Search Begins

Happy Thursday! We are having a great month here in the Jackson household. Cline has chosen a research elective this month, which means he is busy collecting and analyzing important data sitting around the house catching up on Seinfeld DVDs and Indiana Jones movies! No, seriously, Christa and I are LOVING him being around, and he actually is working on a serious research project throughout the whole year. He is also using this time to hunt for a job so that we will be able to have the luxuries of shelter and food after next June. As we've said before, we are very much hoping that a job in or close to Rome will be available and offered to Cline. He has started contacting the hospitals in Rome, Calhoun, Cartersville, and Carrollton. We'll branch out from there if necessary. He is also talking to the hospital in Valdosta because one of our favorite people, Margaret Anne, thought he could use a "practice interview" and is secretly hoping he'll be really impressed and that we'll drop our plans to be close to nearly all of our family to move there instead :) We might think about it if she could get rid of the gnats! Seriously, though, anyone who wants to add this to their prayer list, please do so. We are ready to live in Rome again, but we recognize that God may simply want us to be somewhere else for a time, and our first priority is to be wherever that is.

In less life-changing but equally interesting news, Christa started laughing on Tuesday. She debuted this new talent for Cline, who was thrilled beyond words! He kept saying, "I just wanted to cry a little because I'm so touched she started laughing for ME." Of course she did - she does EVERYTHING for YOU! I'm not bitter. Nope, not me. I only threw up every day for the first 20 weeks she was making herself comfortable in my belly. I only waddled around in Cline's oversized, high school T-shirts because nothing else fit towards the end of my pregnancy. I only couldn't pull my own underwear up for 3 weeks after she was born. Yes - it makes perfect sense that she would perform these precious milestones for YOU! Although, you did hold my hair back while I was throwing up, and fetched me Ginger Ale and Jello afterwards. And it was your clothes I stretched and ruined. And you were the one who pulled my underwear up for me. And I don't have to leave her every day to go to work and earn a living, so maybe this is fair, after all. I really don't mind sharing her - I just want her to laugh and smile for me, too, which she did last night, so all is well.

Other than that, we're busy busy busy getting ready getting ready for Alicia (my sister's) wedding next weekend. We're looking forward to seeing all of you out of town relatives! Be safe :)