What a catch!

We decided long before he arrived that (even if he had been a she) our baby would be coming home from the hospital in a Rangers onesie to support Daddy's favorite team during baseball season. It worked out that just before we left, the hospital photographers finally showed up to take Jackson's first professional pictures. I had managed to think ahead enough to have Joey grab his ball glove thinking it would make for an even better picture...and I think it's safe to say I was right. (Hey - I'm normally modest, but I think Joey & I produced quite a handsome little man!) This week I finally managed to get a soft copy of the picture (thanks to Dad for scanning and e-mailing it to me) to my Fox Sports rep, Bruce, who, at my request was able to have the guys of Rangers Live (the pregame show) send a shout out to us yesterday (7/8/09). Of course, it rained at our house (and maybe hailed from what I hear - I was actually visiting my coworkers and missed all of it) yesterday and when I got home, our power was out for a few hours. It finally came back on, but I was in the middle of feeding Jackson and didn't turn the TV back on right away. About 5 minutes after I finally turned it back on, Joey called (on his way home from a rare midweek golf outing with some coworkers) to say his friend Brad in Houston had seen Jackson on the game! At about the same time I got a message on my facebook from one of my other rep friends who had also seen it. Unfortunately, I missed it, but Bruce is getting us a copy so we can have a souvenir for our little Rangers fan (and for Joey too - he's been bragging about it to all his friends). Brad is also going to try to "rip" the footage to a shareable file from his DVR.
Here's the picture that was taken when he was just 3 days old and was Jackson's first TV appearance (Joey hopes that there are many more in the future as he's already dreaming of Jackson being on the PGA tour one day)!

...and a few other things - Every day it seems we're starting to see a little more of his personality come out. Yesterday I snapped a quick picture on my phone of Jackson smiling. The smiling might still be due at least in part to gas, but it's just so darn cute that I had to share. He's a happy baby though so I know there will be plenty more of these for everyone to see soon!

...and I'm a bad mom for leaving my camera at home when we went to dinner with Trent, Amanda, & Riley on Monday night, but I will get a picture of these 2 future playmates together sometime soon. Before that though, I was able to take a picture of "Uncle" Bowen holding Jack when he came to visit and introduce us to his girlfriend, Kathy. Buddy watched for a little bit, but as usual is content to just stare out the window.

...and now it's time to finish packing for our trip to Kansas. When we return Sunday, I'm sure there will be plenty of pictures of Jackson with Granny, Grandpa, Uncle Phil, Granny Great, Dean-O and more!

...Til next time, Keep Shuffling!

More visiting

I know I should be sleeping...Jackson slept quite a bit on and off today and I was convinced it would take me forever to get him to sleep tonight, but all the excitement of his first Independence Day/holiday weekend must have tuckered him out! It's been well over an hour and he's still sleeping quite soundly in his crib (swaddling is an amazing helper for getting this child to sleep!) so much so that I had to go check on him just because I had that "new mom worry"...and again, while I should be asleep I've managed to get a few little things done around the house and figured I'd do one more before hitting the sheets. "Uncle" Bryan & "Aunt" Meagan came over tonight just to see Jackson and Buddy and grab some dinner (Sushi - Yum, how I've missed you!) with us and I've been making an effort to take pictures of Jackson with all visitors from now on. Nothing too exciting as he slept through the whole dinner so we had some great catch-up time with our dear friends (we are SOOOO looking forward to celebrating their wedding in a couple months!), but it's always great to see friends and watch everyone get a little snuggle time with Jack.

I even managed to put him in an outfit - complete with shoes! Being a "surprise" (gender-wise) baby means that we aren't overwhelmed with too many boy clothes yet (Joey seems to think I'm going crazy because I've picked a few up using gift cards lately, but I've been buying different ages for him to grow into - so :P )...Since it's warm, I don't feel like a horrible mom with him pretty much living in onesies and socks only during the day, but it's nice to see him in a full outfit once in a while...but all the shoes we have are so big that they almost look silly on him so far that we haven't really bothered (hey - I really only seem to wear flip flops lately so why should he have to wear shoes!). Today though he got to wear the shoes that match the (dinosaur) theme of his outfit...although the only picture I took was right before I took the shoes off to change him...

Hopefully he'll be able to wear the outfit another time or 2 at least before he grows out of it - although I'm fine with him growing, but it's funny how quickly they're supposed to grow into new sizes at such a young age - I have some clothes I've been wearing for years - and we all know Joey's favorite polo shirts - they've been around for decades it seems! :)

Then, of course, Meagan and Bryan oohed and ahhed over our handsome little man (I'm not sure why my camera is making some pictures blurry and some not...perhaps it's a good thing we bought Joey a digital camera and I should start taking advantage of it more when it's nearby!)

I can't remember if Joey and Bryan were telling Jackson stories or the other way around...


...but this is only the first of many pictures I'm sure will be taken where there are plenty of laughs between the boys...and maybe the singing of some more Beastie Boys songs!

What a natural - we can't WAIT for Meagan to open a daycare so we can see her every day!

We have another "date" tomorrow with the Viavattene's so hopefully we'll manage some pictures of "Aunt" Manda, "Uncle" Trent, and one of Jackson's future partners in "crime" - Riley!

...Til next time, Keep Shuffling!

Happy Independence Day!

I'm a day late, but it's worth the wait for our unplanned patriotic coordination (me in red, Jackson in white, and Joey in blue) picture, right?!

...of course, you should see the full progression - we took a great picture, then as Joey leaned in to kiss Jackson, the little guy had one of those reflex movements and scratched Joey in the eye...

...but then they did take a good picture together of just the 2 of them. :)

Jackon in his 4th of July bib - I didn't find any festive outfits I liked that were small enough to fit him so he matched Daddy wearing Rangers gear and had the bib on throughout the day (mostly for feedings, but a little more to be patriotic).

Also, I've been trying to do better at taking pictures of Jackson with all his adoring fans/visitors. Here are a few...

With Joanna who came in from Chicago and brought him some Cubs gear (to further confuse him as to which teams are supposed to be his favorites) :)

While Joanna was holding him, he was practicing holding his head up.

With "Uncle" Collin at his place for a small 4th of July BBQ

Jason's dog Oliver checking Jackson out while Stacie held him

..and from a few days ago - the first full outfit I've found (and liked) that Jackson can fit into - although a few of the newborn size are finally getting snug on him so we might actually move into 0-3 month outfits soon!

...although I'm not sure he enjoyed wearing pants at first - this is a picture of the preview to the "quivering lip"

...but there were less tears once he had his pacifier frog!

Last but not least, naps with Daddy are some of the best!


...Til next time, Keep Shuffling!

The difference a day makes

So many ways that things can change in just a day or 2:

1. The other day, Jackson still wasn't so sure about his bouncer as evident in the previous picture, but just 2 days later, here he is - sound asleep in it.


2. We haven't been able to snap a picture of it, but yesterday, Jackson was just holding his head up in short little "micro" seconds...and tonight he held it up and looked at me for at least a few seconds. Those neck muscles are growing stronger by the day and it's so fascinating!

3. Knock on wood that night 3 goes as well as night 2, but after rereading about "The Happiest Baby on the Block", the past 2 nights, we've gone back to swaddling Jackson, and added a few other of the "S's" in the pre-bedtime routine, and it has resulted in him sleeping a full 8 hours in his crib! The first night was rough for Joey & I as it was the first time Jackson slept in his room away from us, plus the motion part of the monitor went off at 4am and scared the heck out of us (he's fine, but somehow wasn't on the right part of the bed so his breathing motion wasn't detected - we've since turned that part of the monitor off for the time being until we can dig back under the mattress and mark the spot he needs to lay in to not set it off unless he were to stop breathing or something.

4. Unfortunately this part sucks, but Grandpa Lynn is back in the hospital again, but we're hoping that our visit next week will help get him feeling better (and that he is feeling better before we get there so he can enjoy or visit).

A few more pictures:
Chillin' in my crib:



Buddy watching me take in all the sights on my Activity Mat.


...Til next time, Keep Shuffling!

1 month, already?

As fast as this year has gone, it really should be no surprise that the past month has flown too, but it is still hard to believe Jackson is already a month (and a few days) old! I feel like a bit of a slacker since Jamie now has 2 kiddos and is already posting more than me so I figured I'd take advantage of my new routine (trying to get up and stay up when Joey leaves for work each morning) and do a quick post this morning.

First, I don't believe I ever shared the link to the Caring Bridge site I have set up for Dad, but here it is:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lynnhabluetzel
You do have to create a log in to view the updates, but you can sign up for notifications that way so it's hopefully more harm than good for those of you that are interested.

Next, of course is a Jackson update. He had his 1 month checkup last Friday. I actually had my 1 month post-partum as well and I'm back to "normal" so that's good, but enough about me. :) Our little guy is still little, but he's healthy so what more can we ask for (some babies are just smaller and if the doctor isn't worried, neither are we). For those of you that are curious though, Jackson is now weighing 7 lbs, 7 oz, which keeps him in the 5th percentile. As long as he maintains or grows steadily into a higher %, I'm happy and from what I've read, in the early months, babies should gain about an oz a day and since he gained more than that on avg from his 2 week to 1 month, there's no concern. That means he should be about 9 lbs by his 2 month appointment (which happens to fall on my birthday - 7/27) so we'll just wait and see. As far as length, he's in the 25th percentile at 21 inches long currently. He's also holding his head up a little more every day and we've enjoyed some good tummy time on the mat although I keep forgetting to snap a picture so hopefully that will happen this week.

Enough about all that though and on to more fun things - pictures. Aunt Sheri came to visit for a few days last week and of course is as smitten with Jackson as we are. We also ventured to Fort Worth while Daddy was in San Antonio for "Aunt" Kim's baby shower. Of course there are a few random other picutres from day to day stuff too.

Meeting Aunt Sheri!


I don't hate bath time quite as much anymore (although I still don't like it that much either!)


Getting ready to get a new diaper!


Most of the time I'd rather be held than in my rocker/bouncer


I already talk with my hands a lot!


I was exicted to see "Aunt" Kim again at her baby shower. I was her birthday present too - we're both May 27th birthdays! I can't wait to meet my pal, Ben when he arrives in September!


Buddy still doesn't like to hang out by me for long, but I will make him my friend!



Because Grandpa Lynn still isn't feeling that great, it sounds like I'll be making my first long-distance (excluding the one I already took to Fort Worth) :) road trip to Kansas the weekend of the 10th. Stay tuned for plenty of pictures from that although hopefully you'll see more before then as it's my first 4th of July coming up this weekend!

...Til next time, Keep Shuffling!

Long time!

The joys of new parents (as we're quickly learning) are many, however, the free time is definitely slim so while I've always tried to be at least a once a week poster, it's been almost 3 since my last update. It has been amazing and we're starting to ease into a little more routine every day so that hopefully when it's time for me to go back to work everything will fall into place.
We are looking forward to our visit from Aunt Sheri later this week, and we'll have our month checkup (both Jackson and Mommy) Friday so hopefully he's continued to grow and mommy has continued to "shrink". Saturday, daddy is headed to San Antonio until Sunday afternoon to visit his friend Will who is temporarily home from Germany/Iraq so mommy and Jackson will be venturing with "Aunt Christina" to Fort Worth for the shower for "Aunt Kim" (who is so gracious to share her birthday with Jackson). Not much else to say for now, but of course, we'll share some pictures of the past few weeks!

Cuddling with Granny Becky before she headed back to Kansas 5/31


Cuddling with Grandma Shoup on her visit


Sometimes, you just have to cry...


...but a lot of the time, Daddy can make it all better!


We did some backyard pictures on 6/7 - Jack & Grandma Shirley



Our first bath - we did NOT like this!


Between screams, we got all dried off in our huge ducky towel!


Having a snooze on the quilt made by Granny Becky, wrapped in the blanket made by Granny Great (Great Grandma Liby)


Self portrait with Mom


Taking in all the sites on my activity mat


My feet are good sized, but still pretty tiny!


...Til next time, Keep Shuffling!

The Suspense is over!

As most of you probably heard by now, Jackson Kenneth Shoup joined us at 1:02 pm last Wednesday, May 27th, 2009. He weighed in at 6 lbs, 1 oz, and 19 & 1/2 inches long. A few pictures of his first day:
My doctor holding HIM up for the first time. I'll admit that as soon as I heard Joey say "It's a Boy", I teared up with excitement. I assume I would have cried had he said "girl" as well, but while I wouldn't let myself have a feeling either way boy/girl, I really did lean more towards boy.


Such a proud papa!

Daddy changing diapers - he's pretty good - although the first change was done for an audience so there were some nerves and yes, he did get peed on. :)


I'm ready for my close-up!

We were so crazed trying to get out of the hospital that we FORGOT to take Jackson's picture in the car seat. I can tell you that he didn't care for it much, but today's trip to the pediatrician went much better so we did snap one this time!


It's been a whirlwind week, that's for sure, but we're loving it! Yes, we're probably a bit sleep-deprived, but that's "normal" so we're just taking it in stride as best we can, especially considering for many, the first week's can be much rougher, whether it's a sick baby or a sick mom that result in more hospital time than we were lucky to have. I'm still a bit sore from the c-section, but the more I move around, the better I feel and of course the pain pills don't hurt and I'm just trying to space them out further apart to ween myself as much as possible.

Joey has been the picture of a perfect father, doting on Jackson, encouraging me, and still making sure Buddy gets plenty of attention so that's made the whole process so much easier on us as a family. I'm sad he's heading back to work tomorrow, but know I'll be able to handle it, although I may not get near as much done as I hope, it will all come with time.

My mom came and stayed with us Friday (with me in the hospital giving Joey a break to come home, get a good night's sleep, and "prepare Buddy") and Saturday (our first night home!). Granny Habluetzel LOVED meeting Jackson (even though he wasn't a she as she had really thought). :) Unfortunately, due to my dad's illness, her stay was abbreviated, but hopefully she and dad will be able to come back for longer once he is on the mend. That said, his diagnosis of Stage 4 lung cancer was MUCH worse than originally expected and especially tough to receive while in the hospital just a day after Jackson was born, at least for me, and that's been tough, but we're confident that since the doctors seem optimistic that all will go well, although we know that the road will be a bit rocky with chemo starting in just a few days.

Jackson had his first pediatric appointment today and is already back at his birth weight so that's very encouraging with the struggles of nursing that I've felt, but it means that despite the small hurdles, things are going right. We'll go back again next week and hopefully have another uneventful visit.

Tomorrow, Joey's mom will fly in to stay with us for a week so that will be a great help since Joey is heading back to work and while I'm hopeful that I can do a lot on my own, I know that it won't hurt to have an extra set of hands and of course, introduce Jackson to his Grandma Shoup!

...Til next time, Keep Shuffling!