Jack n' Linds

A new adventure is starting. My MIL, Ann, and myself have decided to start a small business. We are calling it Jack & Linds. It will be an online handmade baby boutique. We will be making all sorts of things that people usually pay tons of money for less. One main item that we will be selling is hand knitted hats for baby girls and boys. My MIL is very talented and her hats are gorgeous. So far she has made several to debut at our Jackson Deets Memorial Fundraiser. All proceeds from this event will go to March of Dimes, however, if someone wants items after the event we will be listing several items on our new website. After our fundraiser, $1 of every item purchased from our boutique will be donated to March of Dimes. Please visit my new website at www.jackandlinds.blogspot.com As I learn more about this online adventure, I will fill you in.

Jackson Deets Memorial Fundraiser

Hello Family and Friends- Many of you received a letter many months ago in regards to how Kyle and I planned on handling the death of our son, Jackson Ray Deets. This is the beginning of the planning process in raising funds for our March of Dimes Memorial Relay Team. I will be hosting a Baby Bazaar on November 1, 2008, location to be determined. I am currently trying to collect craft items that people would like to donate to raise funds at the Bazaar. For example, my mother-in-law is working away on knitted baby items to be sold at the event. I understand that not everyone has a craft or the need to buy baby items, yet I know that we all like to work together to raise funds for a good cause.

100% of the proceeds from this event will be donated in memory/honor of our son, Jackson to March of Dimes. We will be participating in a team relay event in April of 2009 and these funds will go towards our team's total. All items that do not sell at the Bazaar will be taken to the event to be sold or donated to a local baby bank if not sold after the event. There are several ways that you can help. This is a new adventure for us and I have chosen to put my whole heart in this cause. March of Dimes does several things to help families such as ours after the delivery of a premature infant. Unfortunately we didn't get to see the medical system get to work with both of our sons, yet we are amazed at the medical treatment that Bronson received at Eugene's Sacred Heart Medical Center. It is amazing to us the types of equipment and treatment that modern medicine can do to treat such premature and fragile infants. We are able to see once again of their miracles as they continue to treat our dear friend Emma at Sacred Heart. The March of Dimes not only donates money to help families in need, but also assists to provide equipment and supplies to the hospitals such as these.For further information, you can visit http://www.marchofdimes.com/.

I have chosen to step down from all other fundraising events during this year to be able to have a strong team for our April 2009 March of Dimes Relay.

Here are ways that you can help:

-prayer of course

-donation of baby craft items (tax deduction letters will be sent)

-attend the event and purchase items from Baby Bazaar

-donation of money towards our team as the fundraising for team funds begins

-invite friends and family to event once you receive invitation

I have included a picture of Bronson before and after, so you can witness the difference this type of technology can make and little love too of course.

Love Kyle, Amber, and Bronson Deets in memory of our loved one, Jackson Deets

Sick Again?????

Okay, I am starting to get sick of Bronson being sick. On Friday both of us woke up and were sick (I will spare the details). By about 1pm we were both beginning to feel a little bit better so we decided that it would be okay to go ahead and still go on our planned trip to Sunriver. We had a rough start waiting to make sure that Ayden was good to go and then we were off at about 4:30. Bronson seemed fine over the weekend. He still sounded a bit nasely when he woke up, but otherwise I didn't notice anything out of the norm. Anyways, today he is at it again. He woke up at about 5:30 this morning crying and then fell back asleep. At 7:30 he woke up for a bottle and had a complete blow out in his diaper. It was a little bit different then normal. Then he went back to sleep and slept until about noon today. He barely woke up at noon after much coaxing. He then ate another bottle and promptly had another blow out. Some people keep telling me that this is completely normal with babies that drink breastmilk, but I am not sure. Does anyone else have this experience? I don't want to be hyper paranoid, but it seems like he is always having these super sleepy/poopy days. Today he just seems completely out of sorts and whiney...

1st Swim

Playing pass in the pool. Bronson loves kisses from Nanny Ashee. Two cuties in their matching outfits

Mommies love their babies

We started out the day dressing Bronson and Ayden in matching outfits. Summer and I both swear that after they turn 1, we will stop doing such things. It is so much fun though. I just can't resist pulling out the matching outfits and starting a photo shoot. You might think that it would bother me, but it doesn't. Ayden is such a special little boy and I am so grateful for his mommy and family in our life.

Next we took the boys on an adventurous walk around Sunriver. By the time that we returned both boys were alseep in somewhat uncomfortable positions suspended by baby carriers. Finally, the boys got greased up and outfitted in adorable swimwear and taken to the pool. This was a first for both of them. It was so wonderful watching the two of them get so excited over the water. The baby pool took some time for Bronson to get used to, but he was a pro in the "big boy" pool. Both he and Ayden immediately started kicking their legs and acting as if they knew how to swim. It was so much fun. We have decided after watching their reactions that Bronson is already a little bit girl crazy and Ayden could be the athletic one. He didn't seem to pay any attention to the little girls around him, yet my son wouldn't stop watching them. This was all too much fun!!!

For Jackson

So this past weekend I was able to go away with some friends and two babies. It was an interesting weekend. I started off the weekend extremely emotional. I don't know what it was, but Friday set forth a stream of emotions that I had been holding back for too long. It all started with packing for the trip. As I was grabbing some things from Bronson's dresser, Jackson's ashes almost fell off the top. This made me face a reality that Kyle and I really need to make a decision in regards to what we want to do with his ashes. I personally haven't been ready to deal with this aspect of losing my baby, but I know that we need to do something soon. I think that it is starting to bother Kyle that we have his ashes in Bronson's room. It was both of our ideas to place them here, but it is beginning to be a HUGE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM. I don't know a better way of explaining it. We both want to do something that will be respectful and helpful to both of us and eventually to his brother Bronson. I guess that we both have decisions to make in the next couple of weeks. I am going to make it a goal of mine to check out some options in the next week.

Anyways, to explain the surface break of emotions. It started with a comment made to a gas attendant at Safeway and broke free after a song I heard on KLOVE. I don't know what it is, but there are just some songs that I can't seem to listen to without breaking out in tears. This one has the lyrics that say, I want to touch you, I want to see your face, I want to know you more. The words are intended for a Christ follower to Christ, yet in this moment of emotions these words rang so true for me towards my baby Jackson. I still struggle.

I don't want my blog to be all about my loss, but sometimes I feel the need to share these journeys so that someday Bronson can understand our journey and also that my story might help just one person that might be experiencing their own loss. I write this to also explain in the blog that I am going to post after this one, that this was such a wonderful experience. I love the fact that Bronson will have a friend to grow up with. I love the fact that Ayden and Bronson are so close in age and that they can experience some of their 1st's together. It helps!!!!

Bronson's new wheels

Thanks to Grammie, Bronson is now the proud owner of a new walker. I have already heard plenty of horror stories of walkers. I don't need to hear anymore. I am perfectly capable of watching my son and I would never let him use the walker upstairs. As for the studies that show that they might slow his walking down...Kyle and I both had walkers and walked at 10 months. We aren't worried about when he is able to walk. For now, we need some downtime and Bronson needs his own wheels. He loves it and it only reminds me that all too soon he will be growing up and longing for REAL ONES!!!!

Take a look at the slideshow for pics...

Slideshow of Pictures

7 Months/August Update

Bronson and counsin Emma

I know, Bronson is now pushing almost 8 months old and I am just getting around to updating all of you with his 7 month stats, but he is getting to be more of a handful everyday. Yes, this a good thing, but he no longer takes long naps and allows mommy the luxury of spending a little down time online. When is awake he loves to play and wants mommy to spend lots of time playing with him. Is this normal for a first child? Mommy and Daddy are his favorite friends and if he is having a good time he thinks they should be doing what he is doing too.

Here is some cute stuff to keep you up to date:

• He weighs 14 pds, 10 ozs as of 2 weeks ago and then lost down to 14 pds, 2 ozs (He is about 14 1/2 now)


• He is 23.5 inches long


• He says mama and HIIIII!!! All of the time...


• He is trying to get up on all fours and trying to sit up, we don't count it as sitting up until we see that he can do it without falling over for more than a minute...


• He thinks that he can do more than he is capable of. You have to keep a close eye on him, because he now pushes your hands off of him. (He thinks he can stand all by himself, and please don't tell him otherwise)


• He started cereal and then had to stop because of intolerance, we'll start again later


• He is becoming Mr. Independent


• He recently went on a visit to Sacred Heart and shocked lots of his nurses


• He passed his final eye exam


• He has spent the past couple of weeks scaring his mommy and daddy when he stopped eating a lost nearly a pound. We discovered that this all may be due to a tooth coming in. (The doctor's wouldn't trust mommy instincts that it was teething)


• He plays with his toys all by himself

Well as I start to write this he is being Mr. Fussy himself, so I can't write too much, but I wanted to get a quick update out before he turned 8 months. As Bronson becomes more mobile I am not able to take as many pictures. I have been trying lately, but being his mommy is a full-time job with no down time. No complaints here, I am loving it. I just wish for less fussy time at night. Thankfully I have a wonderful husband that loves to help when he gets home from work. I hope that you all enjoy the new pictures.

Love from Amber