Wow! Where does the time go? It is so hard to believe that Jackson is already six months old. He's laughing, smiling, crawling, sitting up, eating real food, babbling, and the list goes on. The cutest thing is when he gets all excited when his Daddy walks in the door. Jay said the other day, "Either I'm real ugly or the funniest man in the whole world because he loves to laugh at me".

Every night at 8:30 before Jackson heads to bed, we watch the Wonder Pets on Nick Jr. He adores this show, and it keeps his full attention. It is hard to think of what my life was like before him; he is definitely a gift from God.

We go on Wednesday, Sept. 30th to find out what the sex is of our 2nd baby ... I'm excited and anxious. It doesn't matter whether it is a boy or a girl, but it's always so fun to find out.

Enjoy the pictures of Jackson's celebration of six months. Until next time ...

Hey, everyone! I'm REALLY slack about updating you on Jackson's life as well as the progress of our new addition. I promise to post more about my sweet little guy in the next couple of days, but I wanted to let you know how my Dr. appointment went. We got to see the heartbeat on the monitor, but couldn't hear it yet. I am due March 1st, which is 21 days before Jackson's first birthday. Lord, help me because I am going to need it. I'm not excited about being pregnant again, but I am excited about having another child. Jackson is the light of my life, and I look forward to the blessings this new little one will bring to our life.

Wow! I can't believe that I'm updating with this kind of news .... as most of you know, I'm not real good at handling surprises. BUT, this is probably the best surprise ever. We're pregnant AGAIN. Yes, I know ... Jackson is almost 4 months old, and we're absolutely CRAZY. :-) This definitely wasn't planned, but I truly believe God meant this as a blessing.

But, Jay and I have been praying about a family situation for some time now, where we had the opportunity to be foster parents to two of Jay's cousins. However, we never found a true peace about it, but we continued on with the DSS process. Well, two Fridays ago, I began feeling nauseous, thinking that I had eaten something that disagreed with me. (Thinking it was Paul's hamburgers from the grill) On Sunday after church, I still felt this way. Well, I bought 2 pregnancy tests from Walmart, and both of them displayed PREGNANT on the digital screen. God has a CUTE sense of humor, but I honestly believe that this is why we never had a peace about taking the children in. God had a different plan in mind. I just don't think I'm capable of taking care of that many children at one time considering the range of ages.

I made an appointment with my OB/GYN for July 30th so we'll know more by then, but I ask that you pray that everything goes smoothly just like last time. I also ask that you pray for Jay's cousins, and God's plan for their life. They are sweet children, and they need a loving, stable home. Until next time ...

I'm not a fan of when people request prayer for an unspoken request, but I'm going to have to do that today. I'm so thankful to know people who are mighty to pray. I hope to share more of what my prayer request is about here soon, but until I can, I ask that you pray for Jay and I tomorrow. We have a meeting tomorrow around 1:30, and I'm praying that we would know clearly what we are to do and what God would have us to do. Until then ....

Hey, everyone! I am in need of your opinions, suggestions, horror stories, and/or praise sessions concerning what type of jogging stroller to purchase. Down here at the beach, a normal stroller will not work in the sand so I am looking into purchasing a jogging stroller. BUT, there are so many different brands, types, colors, etc. that I don't even know where to begin. If any of you own one, or know anything about them, please send me a comment! Have a blessed night!

Snoozing away! He is Pop Pop's little man, but Pop Pop hasn't mastered the art of changing a diaper. He kept Jackson the other morning while I worked and Mom was at the doctor. He said that if Jackson needed his diaper changed, he would walk him across the street to Elaine and Steve's house so E could change it. Men!!!

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT HAS ONLY BEEN THREE MONTHS SINCE I WENT FROM THIS...

(SNOOZING WITH JACKSON)

Jackson absolutely loves his Boppy pillow at Granny's house. He plays on it, he lays on it, he eats on it, he spits up on it, and he sleeps on it. He's such a sweet but very impatient child ... I wonder who he gets that from!

Uncle Josh loves to put hats and sunglasses on him. He's wearing Uncle Josh's loud but stylish hat.

Here's our little Rocky!

I realize that I have been very bad about keeping you up-to-date on our daily adventures in the Dalton family so I'm going to make a promise ... I will post new pictures and stories by the end of this weekend. Until then ....

I went to see my doctor on Tuesday for my weekly appointment, and I haven't dilated at all. Due to some previous health issues, I have scar tissue that may keep me from dilating on my own. She was concerned to let me keep going on my own, size of the baby, and the fact my blood pressure was a little elevated yesterday. I have to check myself in on Monday night after 5:00 PM at Waccamaw Hospital, and they will administer a medication called Cervidil. If that causes my cervix to thin out and dilate, they will start pitocin on Tuesday morning, and hopefully, Jackson will arrive shortly thereafter. If the Cervidil doesn't work, Dr. Richmond is considering a c-section.

Please be praying that it is a short, easy delivery. I just want Jackson to be completely healthy, and for everything to go smoothly.

ENVY (also called invidiousness) may be defined as an emotion that "occurs when a person lacks another’s [perceived] superior quality, achievement, or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it."[1] It can also derive from a sense of low self-esteem that results from an upward social comparison threatening a person's self image: another person has something that the envier considers to be important to have. If the other person is perceived to be similar to the envier, the aroused envy will be particularly intense, because it signals to the envier that it just as well could have been him or her who had the desired object.[2][3]
Bertrand Russell said envy was one of the most potent causes of unhappiness.[4] It is a universal and most unfortunate aspect of human nature because not only is the envious person rendered unhappy by his envy, but also wishes to inflict misfortune on others. Although envy is generally seen as something negative, Russell also believed that envy was a driving force behind the movement towards democracy and must be endured in order to achieve a more just social system.

I received the email below this morning, and thought I would share it with my blog friends. It truly was a reminder to me of Christ's love! Enjoy!

We had a wonderful Christmas/New Year holiday. It was so nice to be able to spend time with family and friends. We were showered with all types of Christmas goodies and presents. I was also blessed with a few added pounds. :-)

My parents gave me one of my heart's desires ... a weighted-key keyboard. Playing the piano has always been my escape from the day ... I love to sit down, play song after song, and forget about life's issues. Music is one of God's greatest gifts, and I truly value each key, chord, and note!

I went last week for my gestational diabetes test, and it came back NEGATIVE! That is such a huge praise for me right now considering my favorite things to eat are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, rice krispies with bananas, chocolate milk, and powdered donuts. Yeah, I know ... I'm keeping such a lovely diet. At my last appt., I finally gained some weight, BUT I jumped from having gained nothing at all to gaining SIX pounds. The pregnancy is going great, and my only complaint is having to pee at least five times a night!

Jay is doing well, and he's enjoying watching my belly grow! BUT, I think his belly still looks bigger than mine! I'll have to post some pregnancy pictures soon! Until then ...

We finally asked two of our FAVORITE couples to be JACKSON'S (Yes, his name is Jackson) GODPARENTS. After much prayer and discussion, they've both accepted! I'm so excited about the role they will play in his life, and I'm also encouraged to know that he'll have Godly role models to assist him in life. Not to mention, that Jay and I love being around them too! ;-) We love you!

The FORD Family

The VAUGHAN Family