JACK!!! You are mama's boy through and through and I'm pretty much ok with it.
You asked for months for a "Gordon birthday" (which was really your half birthday) and I did my best! You were thrilled with your Gordon train "cake topper" and he immediately took the cuddle place of honor in your crib.
I love it how you run to greet and snuggle me when you see me. I could have been gone all day or 5 minutes and you are always happy to see me. Sometimes you are silly when you hug me and you twist your head back and forth as you press it into my leg, like you're giving me a noogie with your head. I'm not sure where you picked it up but I'm pretty sure it's one of the ways you express your affection. I'm trying to teach you to give kisses but you are still sticking with a cheeky lean with absolutely zero smack.
Your speech is developing in leaps and bounds! You used to be a pretty quiet fellow (I think your sisters did all the talking for you!) but now you are having full on conversations and I can tell you understand even more than you are able to express. You have obviously been watching us and learning how we respond to and interact with those around us. We were at a restaurant recently and the waitress came to ask how we were doing. You were quick to respond with "We're good. We're great!" It made me grin. The next night, we had just finished roasting s'mores around a shared fire pit. There was another family there and as we were gathering our stuff to go, you turned and wished them an unsolicited "Enjoy your night!" You little sweetheart, you.
The other night at dinner, you turned to me and asked "Mom, you sign me up for a baseball game?" I was floored that a) you said that in a complete sentence and b) that you knew baseball games required signing up. I proceeded to buy you your first plastic bat and ball. How could I saw no?
Though you are pretty fond of trains, our recent trip to the Kropf farm introduced you to some new fun vehicles: TRACTORS!! You temporarily replaced Gordon with a singing tractor as your snuggle buddy at bed and nap times. We will see if it lasts. It's hard to identify which parts of the farm were your very favorite but you sure seemed to enjoy riding on the tractors (both real and toy) AND watching the frequent trains pass by was definitely a bonus also. On the way home, we were driving on the freeway and you spotted a semi truck pulling two trailers. You exclaimed "It's a road train!" I questioned him "A road train?" and he responded "A little road train, that's right." (Side note: I love it how he says "That's right!" when you are trying to figure out what he's talking about and finally get it correct).
You are pretty sensitive to food temperatures and often insist that "Mommy do it" when your food needs to be blown on to cool it. But on rare occasion, you take on the task yourself and you get all up in there with your plate and food and blow with all your might. Watching you practically get on the table and blow your pizza from all possible angles at the pizza parlor was one of Daddy's highlights of our trip!
I was fearful for awhile there that you were giving up naps. Now that you are in your "big boy bed" (a crib with no side) and you have access to your toys, sleep is a lot less appealing! You go in waves though and never seem to be able to make it longer than a 4 day stretch without sneaking in a nap. You typically save those naps for days when Grandma and Grandpa are here, not when mommy really needs a break. ;)
You are almost always singing, singing, singing. You've mastered (mostly) the Thomas and Friends theme song and the whole family knows it now because of you. Other favorites include Wheels on the Bus, the Firetruck Song and now Old McDonald Had a Farm. I hope you grow up to be a musician like Daddy.
We got you a scooter for your half birthday and you've been scooting around like crazy, both inside and out. We also finally bought a bike seat for you and it is SO MUCH FUN taking you out for a spin on the front of my bike! You LOVE it and it brings my mama heart so much joy. I hope you stay small for a long time so we can eek some more rides out of that seat this coming year while the big girls are at school. We are going to have a lot of free time to play together!
You continue to be fairly easy-going. You are pretty content to play with your toys and I can mostly trust you to play safely with minimal supervision. I'm waiting for the day when that changes. You have figured out how to unlock and open all the doors so that has made showering a bit more tricky for me. The other day I got out of the shower and noticed all the neighbor kids were smiling and waving toward our house as they passed on their way to school. I called your name and realized I didn't know where you were. I ran outside. Sure enough, there you were in the garden, waving a big stick and greeting all those going by.
You have become quite the little fish! We accompany Isla to swim lessons every week and you are growing more and more accustomed to playing in the pool, kicking and getting splashed. The piece I am most excited about, however, is that you've mastered the art of showering! And without a washcloth to wipe your eyes with even.
A few weeks back Grandpa brought you some nifty Thomas underwear. You were pretty thrilled and thus began an exciting 24 hour adventure: you sneaking off upstairs to remove your diaper, replace it with underwear, and get redressed, all unbeknownst to us. Too bad you didn't understand the other important piece of wearing under is actually using the potty. Let's just say I did a lot of laundry that day. And cleaning of my sister's carpets. After 3 outfit changes, you were ready to return to your diaper and mommy exhaled a giant sigh of relief that I still have a short while before I take on the potty training project.
Other tidbits about you...your favorite color is blue, you tell us that you are going to marry Hadley, you are kinda digging Lightning McQueen now too, you don't like berries (???!!!), you want to wear jeans every single day.
You are in that almost-impossible-to-photograph phase because you are either a) never looking or b) always on the move. But boy do we love you so!!
Ask him if he's a baby and he'll be quick to tell you "No! I a big boy!"
And he's starting to live out his big boy-ness in his day to day mannerisms. We encountered our first clue that he was growing up when we went away for a weekend earlier in the month. We were surprised to have him toddle out of his sleeping quarters after we had put him soundly to bed in his pack and play. We figured his sisters had come to his aid and lifted him out but they were the first to tell us proudly "No, he did it ALL BY HIMSELF!"
And so was the beginning of the end. A short week and a half later, back at home, we could hear him sneaking out of his room to play in the bonus room, long after we put him to bed. His crib-scaling adventures were short lived and after 2 nights of offenses, we saw broken limbs in our future and quickly removed the front railing. Now he's the proudest little dude in his big boy bed and my picture reel is filling with photo captures of his freestyle sleeping antics.
Though he does a great job of getting out of bed when we are trying to put him down at both night and nap time, he hasn't fully realized that he can get himself out in the morning hours too. Usually we wake to him yell-chanting some new phrase over and over. He does it in this sing-song yet monotone way that is difficult to describe but oh so very funny. First he began with "Sheet are weh-et, sheets are weh-et" over and over until we finally upped his diaper size to alleviate the issue. Now we hear things like "Nose is run-neeeee, nose is run-neeee!" Or "Nose is running again, nose is running again!" Then the first night in his new bed he threw us a new one: "Bed is broke-ken, bed is broke-ken!!" We hurried to his room to discover that, sure enough, his crib is not actually "convertible" and half his mattress had capsized onto the floor. It was sort of hard not to laugh. I have yet to capture his chants in action but I did get him to do a pretty good reenactment here:
I've said it on more than one occasion in recent weeks - I hope this kid comes with 9 lives! He's becoming quite the little dare devil as of late. We get to swim in the shallow end during Isla's swim lessons every week and HE HAS NO FEAR. I'm trying to teach him to at least count to 3 before he jumps in so I can do my best to be somewhere in the vicinity when he inevitably goes under. He will jump regardless of whether anyone is around to catch him - crazy kid!
He's also getting pretty adventurous on his tricycle and is taking it down bigger and bigger slopes. He loves going "so fast" and will be riding the length of our hill into the cul-de-sac by summer I'm sure.
He's pretty particular about his wardrobe these days. He favors long sleeves and jeans and has about 4 shirts that he finds acceptable. He takes his shoes and socks off EVERY time I buckle him into his carseat (once I'm in my seat and safely out of reach of course). It drives me bonkers. There have been days where I've put those darn things back on 4-5 times in the course of an hour when we are running errands.
His favorite color is blue and his favor animal is the tiger. His favorite vehicle is the school bus but he's busily planning his Gordon (the train) half birthday coming up in the next couple weeks. He also has a growing interest in "diggers" and all things construction. Lucky for us, our church just demolished one of it's buildings and he got to be there to see the digger in action. Each week we come, he's thrilled to see all the (de)construction.
Yesterday was a big day for us. I took him on his first bike ride in a child carrier seat attached to the handle bars. He LOVED it and wanted to "go so fast." I can't wait for many more adventures like this together.
He's definitely my snuggler and is always game to accompany with a good book and blanket. Last night he climbed into my lap and laid down on my shoulder and whispered "I love you" in my ear for the first unsolicited time ever. Graham was in the middle of reading family devotions and I interrupted so that we could all celebrate and savor the moment. *MELT*
If you're lucky, you might overhear him saying one of his other favorite phrases that he picked up from his sisters: "I the BEST. BOY. EVER!!!" We wholeheartedly agree.
I peer into his crib, my nightly ritual, watching for the rise and fall of breath. Every night since his entry into the world, this has been my practice. I wonder how long it will last. Years for sure, maybe even a decade. His sisters are 6 and 4 and I do the same for them. No there is no sign of stopping soon. When he sleeps, I am smitten. When he wakes, it is no different.
There are nights I come to check on him and, though his crib is small, I am unable find him there in bed. My heart skips a beat until I finally spy his tiny stocking toes, the only sign of him emerging from under his heavy blankets. Next to him lies buses, an entire entourage. City bus and 3 school buses, one with headlights aglow. There's moose and sometimes puppy too and the sounds of pouring rain coming from his sound machine. Before he sleeps, he asks for songs. "Wheels on the Bus" or the "Thomas Song" or "Inside Out one" are his favorites. Lately he asks for Emma, preferring she be the one to sing his night or naptime ballad. She opts for "Goodnight, sleep tight, dream dreams as sweet as you" a la Daniel Tiger and he never puts up a fuss when she's the one to put him to bed.
He is saying so many new lines these days that make me both smile and one or two that make me cringe.
"I love you, Mom."
"Miss you."
"What 'bout me, Mom?"
"What now, Mom?"
"I'm a big boy!"
"One! Two! Eyes on me!"
"No, you do it!"
"Silly billy!"
"Look at me, Mom!"
"I'm a Tiger."
"When's Gordon Birthday?"
"In April?"
"Snuggle you."
Our boy may have joined the club of all other boys and is now solidly obsessed with Thomas and Friends. Thankfully any old blue train passes as Thomas in his mind and Gordon will satisfy in a pinch since he is also blue. In our train obsession, we accidently ended up with a book from the library called The Potty Train and suddenly we found ourselves with a (slight and passing) interest in going potty in "the big boy potty." We jumped at the chance and are now the proud owner of a Thomas potty chair that choo choos when a deed is successfully done. Which has never happened. Alas, we have absolutely no interest in potty training anymore.
Jack is so excited to go to school one day. He is going to be heartbroken when he realizes we live too close to school to ride the school bus. In the meantime, he wears his owl backpack like a pro every time we drop Emma off at pre-K. I have to keep a close eye on him otherwise he'll throw his pack and coat in the bin and leave it there like the rest of 'em.
He has a new affinity for throwing balls back and forth and I'm trying to teach him it works to kick it too. Other favorite pastimes includes looking at books, going to Barnes and Noble, playing trains and riding our Plasma car around the house. We are so glad he's a part of our clan!
I dare you to just try to not love this kid! It ain't possible, folks. His vocabulary and personality are growing like crazy and every day he does something new to make us laugh. He's mostly so agreeable and it's super fun being around a two year old human who gets excited about essentially everything.
Lately he's really into Thomas the Train. He finds books about him at the library, asks to go to Barnes and Noble to play with their Thomas train set, and was super pumped to get his haircut so he could sit in the Thomas seat. If you ask him whether he got a hair cut, his responses is "the Thomas one!!!!"
Of course he still loves his buses too. Lucky for us, we get to walk big sis to and from school every day and he is just as enamored as ever by the line of school buses he gets to see. We treated him and his siblings with a trip on the 255 ALL the way downtown Seattle (about an hour long bus ride). He was as pleased as punch, especially that we got to get off in the bus tunnel THAT ALSO HAS A TRAIN RUNNING THROUGH IT. Imagine that!
In classic 3rd child fashion, I have absolutely no idea how many teeth the poor kids has. I did notice the other day that he cut 4 molars which might explain why his hands have been in his mouth so much.
Jack has some particular fashion preferences. He favorite is his Thomas t-shirt but he'll wear the Superman shirt if Thomas is dirty. And occasionally you can convince him to wear the shirt with the basketball on it if everything else is in the laundry. He likes wearing zip-ups but only if they are zipped ALL the way up to his neck and the striped PJs and the ones with the moose on them are his favorites. He takes his socks off every time he's in his crib and removes his shoes every time we are in the car.
Jack LOVES ride things. The kids got a Plasma car for Christmas and Jack always asks to "drive it?" In the rare moments when he and Emma aren't fighting over it, he can maneuver the thing pretty well. I spend most of my afternoons breaking up fights and setting a timer to keep track of whose turn it is. When Jack does get to be behind the wheel, he welcomes pushes from Emma and the two of them whip around our circular floor plan at breakneck speed.
He also really loves tricycles. Though he has a balance bike, he much prefers the safety and comfort of the trike. He isn't quite tall enough to reach the pedals just yet but manages along just fine somehow.
Some days when it's rainy and we're feeling desperate, I'll back the cars out of the garage and set them free to burn off some steam. You should see the looks I get from the neighbors walking by as they hear the shrieks coming from within!
This next picture kills me! He really is my lil' chef and helps me more in the kitchen than his big sisters combined. I put this apron on him during one cooking adventure and he just BEAMED with pride. No matter the time of day or what meal we're prepping, he always asks if we can make pancakes.
You fellow parents will know that there are some specific moments in raising kids that are just the absolute best. We'll call them "parenting highs" for lack of a better term. You never quite know when they are going to happen and they can never, ever be forced. But suddenly you'll be in the middle of something with your kids and find yourself so totally filled with joy or gushing with pride or some other positive emotion of the like. This has been my experience when taking Jack to the Seattle Gymnastics Academy. He absolutely loves it. Loves. It. Suddenly my mellow kid starts running and jumping and climbing and laughing like crazy and it makes me feel about as giddy on the inside as he looks on the outside. I would put this experience up in my top 5 favorite parenting moments so far. Unexpected joys. They are everywhere when you are a parent.
Especially when you are a parent to Jack. You never know when he will randomly climb atop a park bench and strike a yoga pose.
Don't be totally fooled by his cuteness though. He's definitely a 2 year old! He's learned to say a defiant "No!" and then laugh in our faces when we ask him to do something.
Jack is pretty solid Seahawks fan nowadays (don't tell him they got knocked out). Anytime he sees a football game on, or a basketball game or a soccer game - any sport really - he yells "GO SEAHAWKS!!!" It's awesome. We were really sad when they lost a couple weeks ago but that didn't stop him for showing off his pride with his blue sucker during the game.
Oh man. And these 2 kids - their bond is amazing! My friend Jenny sent me this picture while she was watching my younger two in the nursery last week. She shared how comforting Emma was to Jack, even going as far as to "read" him a book. I get sad thinking of the shock Jack is in for next year when Emma starts Kindergarten. Boy will he ever miss her! Usually one of the first things he asks for in the morning when he wakes or after a nap is Emma. It's darling!
He finally reached the age where he tells me "Love you!" when I say it to him first. And he says "I did it Mom!" when he does something he's proud of. Other common phrases include:
"I want ALL of it"
"Yes I do" or "Yes I did"
Oh! and he calls frozen yogurt "frozen mofurt"
(It took us forever to figure that one out!)
He's gotten really creative with the ways he announces to us that he is no longer sleeping (or that it's time we give up on the idea of him napping altogether). Some of his most common things he yells from bed include:
"Mommy where ARE you?"
"I'm upstairs!"
"Open the door!"
"Come downstairs!"
It cracks me up.
He really hasn't napped much this past week which is a huge bummer. On the days that he does fall asleep, he has to sing to himself or yell things for a good hour before he'll finally give up and lay down. The singing is pretty adorable. He carries a tune amazingly well but usually requests WE sing to him when we tuck him in. His favorites include: The Wheels on the Bus, the "Inside Out Song" (which is basically us or Emma chanting repeatedly "Who's your friend that likes to play? Bing Bong! Bing Bong!"), Jingle Bells, Away in a Manger, Happy Birthday, and the ABCs (but sung to the tune they use in the show Superwhy). He's also been asking for "The Seahawks Song" which usually results in mommy doing a sing-song crazy dance/cheer around his room and yelling "Go Seahawks!" It's super calming. But the best is when we just catch him singing all by himself. My absolute favorite is how he does "swish swish swish" in this video:
Remember how I said he loves trains? Please don't ever let me forget how this kid waves. I love his robotic jerky-handed vertical wave to pieces!
And last but certainly not least...if you're still with me here, this one is a MUST watch! We've been doing some scripture memorization/recitation at mealtimes with the girls and it never occurred to me just how much happens through osmosis. One day just for kicks, I decided to say the verses to Jack and drop out an occasional word here and there. To my surprise, he was able to recite most all the verses to me with minimal prompting! I knew kids were like sponges but wow!
I probably should be doing a million other things right now like tackling the arduous process of putting away Christmas decor or finding homes for all the new gifts we were given but the fact of the matter is that this kid ain't getting any younger and so I'm gonna sit here and write about him instead!
I think it is probably most apparent that he has a slight obsession with buses. School buses, city buses, shuttle buses, you name it. He is pictured above reading The Wheels on the Bus to his new remote control school bus and I can hardly stand the cuteness! His favorite bus of course is the 255 which we see most often as it cruises along the main street near our house. He screams "The 2-5-5!!!" anytime it passes (well anytime any city buses passes really).
His buses go with him everywhere: in the car, to the grocery store, to bed. He is currently sleeping with no fewer than three buses I type. Sometimes this means he wakes up with scratches on his face because their snuggle factor is lacking but he could care less!
He is pretty enamored with trains and trash trucks too and was pretty thrilled when we took him for a spin on the monorail earlier this month. He begs and begs to "ride it" - it being essentially anything with tracks or wheels but we do know for sure that he does NOT prefer the carousel (or sitting on Santa for that matter).
Jack is making mealtimes a bit of a challenge as of late. He is so over his booster seat and insists on kneeling in it when he does use it. He would prefer to use a regular chair (which we occasionally allow him) but often the meal ends when we look away for a minute and find him looping our circular floor plan at lightning speed. Sigh. He was fortunate enough to discover juice and "tickle water juice" (sparkling cider) over the holidays which was pretty thrilling. He loves drinking out of "real" glass cups and always insists on having the "blue one" (cup, bowl, spoon, plate...)
I LOVE hearing Jack's vocabulary grow every single day. He's constantly saying new adorable phrases that keep us all smiling. He walks around the house now yelling "Daddy, where are you?" and sometimes he even begins the day by yelling that same thing from his crib. He gets "him" and "her" mixed up a lot and so often will ask to "See her" when I mention his uncles. He is really learning his manners though sometimes when you ask him "What do you say Jack?" (fishing for a thank you), he'll say "Sorry Mom" in the sweetest of ways. When you give him something he wants, he'll often respond with a chipper "Thank you! Welcome!" doing all the work for you. One of my favorite things is how he says "Yaw" for "Yeah" and how he greets me with "Hi Mom!" every time I walk in and out of a room, even if I was only gone for 5 seconds.
There are a couple of downsides to his expanding vocabulary. Like how a certain little someone taught him to say "shut up" which he likes to say on repeat to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. He's quite the perceptive little human and knows how to yank mama's chain. He'll alternate "shut up" with "peanut" (which he thinks is the name of his man parts) over and over when he really wants to get some attention. Seriously? Seriously. Yesterday I felt like supermom as I was loading my 3 kids and a Costco cart of groceries into the van. Wafting out of my trunk came the sounds of uncannily loud voices screaming "SHUT UP", "POOPY POOP" and "PEANUT!!!! PEEEEEEEEEEEANUT!!"
Beside the occasional potty talk, most of the stuff that comes out of his mouth is downright endearing and adorable. Or musical. He still loves to sing and has mastered many more songs this month. Some of his favorites include Away in a Manger, Jingle Bells, Jesus Loves Me and some songs from the Nutcracker which he can hum with incredible accuracy. He started singing Happy Birthday to Jesus instead of Gideon this month which was a refreshing change of pace for his listeners. There are so very, very many other things that make this kid awesome that I'm sure I'm forgetting but this will just have to do. I'll close with this video that captures a few classic Jack-isms like blaming his sister, talking about his favorite bus and saying "yaw!"
Look at that face!!! His zest for life is infectious! He wakes up every day, totally thrilled to see each and every last item he took to bed with him (and there are a lot these days). He greets each of us with an enthusiastic "Hi Emma!" or "Hi Mom!" when he sees us for the first time. It is the absolute greatest.
He remains remarkably attached to his new city bus toy which has affectionately been named "The 255" and I've spied him feeding it meals and even tucking it in for naps. He yells out whenever he sees a bus of ANY kind while driving and pleads with us to "ride it?" He knows the bus route by our house is "the 255" and so we get particularly excited when we see that bus driving around. He's getting in to trash truck too so Tuesday morning is an exciting time around here.
He seems to have a special affinity for riding things as this is the most common request he makes of us. Whether it be a horse, deer, bus, Canadian goose or the Honda, his question is the same: "ride it?"
He's learned a few other new phrases like "I'm sorry," "Help?" (when he wants to help you) "All better," and, my personal favorite: "Emma did it." He learned that last one from the accused herself. Right back atcha sister! I nearly died laughing the first time I heard him trying to shift blame. (One's parenting becomes especially stellar by the time you get to the third kid).
This kid keeps me on my toes, particularly in the kitchen. The microwave is by far his favorite appliance but he's also grown quite adept at opening both the fridge and freezer and warming things up for me. The other day I left briefly to use the restroom and returned to find the milk, half and half, buttermilk, neatly lined up in a nice row on the table. Thanks Jack! I also turned around last night to find he and Emma jousting with my metal skewers while I was trying to cook dinner. And there is a slight chance I may have captured a video of Jack struggling desperately to pull a chair up to the counter (which I shall refrain from posting for fear someone on the internet would call CPS on me). Sounds tame enough but the struggle was real y'all - he could only use one hand to tug that chair because, in the other, he was tightly clutching a glass bottle of cooking marsala. The scene was more than comical as he stumbled about so I did what every good mother does and grabbed my phone and started videoing.
The other night I was on triple kid bath duty. I got a crazy hair-brained idea and decided to speak only in a creepy French accent to keep the mood light as I dumped buckets of water over their little heads. Jack of course thought it was hysterical to hear mommy talk so funny and proceeded to press his little lips into a kissy fish face and say "Mom-mee" in the most adorable little French way. He hasn't stopped doing it since and we both laugh every time.
Jack is obsessed with the color blue. He always wants a blue plate, bowl, utensils etc at meals and now he also insists on his blue pajamas too (which he calls his "boo bamas"). If they are in the hamper, he will settle for his stripes ("bipes") but only his "boo bipes." He puts up a real stink about getting dressed so sometimes I just let him live life in his pjs. I mean, why not?
I am so thankful I enrolled Emma in afternoon preschool because he and Emma have really been enjoying their mornings together. They play and play and rarely fight and it makes my heart happy to see them loving on each other. Jack is always such a willing participant and yesterday I found them hunkered down in the ottoman together. This second picture is solely for your comic relief:
That picture was a perfect lead in to his sleep habits. Unfortunately his naps have been shortening significantly and though I do really miss his 3-hour sleep marathons, I still do get at least an hour a day.
He's learned from the greatest (his sisters!) about how to prolong bedtime. He now typically asks for water, and then a song (usually Happy Birthday). You'll sing it once to Gideon and then he'll want you to sing to Lilly and then Lani and Josh and Ben and Grandma and Grandpa and Olona and each of her two dogs... Then he'll want the rain sound on his sound machine. And then change his mind to the froggy sound. And then back to the rain. This could go on for hours and so his wise parents eventually just walk out of the room and shut the door because his requests are never satiated.
Oh! And lest I forget his sleep "accessories." Since taking away his binky, his crib has grown a bit crowded as we've essentially let him take whatever he wants with him to sleep. The following video is a good example:
Since this time, however, he has added a 3rd blanket, a baby doll and a book to his list of "usuals."
Jack is always, always, always singing. And passionately! Out of no where, he will walk through the kitchen absolutely belting Happy Birthday to Gideon (his cousin) or some similar song. He wakes up singing. He goes to bed singing. He sings in the car. It's awesome. I decided to start teaching him some Christmas songs so he'll be all ready for next month. I began with Away in a Manger but he refuses to sing the last line correctly. Instead of "the little Lord Jesus asleep on the HAY," he replaces "hay" with "BED" (it only makes sense!) as loud as he can. It's so comical and someday I will catch it on video but for now I'll close with his super serious rendition of Happy Birthday.
Sometimes you're so adorable it's just ridiculous.
I love how you recently discovered piggy back rights and now chase after me yelling "back!" to hitch a ride.
And how you always want to wear your sweatshirt zipped with the hood ON. No matter what.
Your favorite footwear is most definitely your rubber rain boots, rain or shine.
You are talking so much now but continue to use your words carefully and pretend you have no clue what we are saying.
And then after 22 months of trying to teach you to sign "all done," you wait until month 23 to finally do it.
And you accompany it with it perfectly distinguishable verbal "all done."
You've been holding out on us, Kid.
Your joy is contagious and one of my favorite parts of the day is fetching from your crib in the morning.
You usually hang onto the rail and jump vigorously, grinning from ear to ear.
Or you immediately hit the deck, pretending to be asleep so you can savor your beloved binky just a few minutes longer.
You finally accepted the fact that sand is your friend and now you love the beach.
You also really like planes, trains, trucks and buses and can name each fairly clearly.
One of your favorite pastimes is sitting in the car and secretly turning on all the overhead lights, the blinkers, emergency flashers and you also love honking the horn.
You are my fabulous sleeper, napping for usually 3-4 hours a day if allowed.
You recently learned the power of screaming.
But we are trying to help you see it doesn't really get you as far as you'd think.
But man, can you ever bellow!
You are quite the little singer, with Happy Birthday and the ABCs being your favorites.
I dunno if most kids hold tunes this early, but we as your parents are impressed.
You are becoming quite the busy boy and love to try all sorts of new crazy stunts to keep mama young.
You now know how to open the door from the house to the garage which means if the garage door is left open, we find you street-side!
You love putting things in the microwave and I often find really special warmed surprises.
You are my kitchen buddy and are constantly scooting the chairs around, moving area rugs and throwing the towels on the floor so you can have just the right access to whatever it is you have your mind set on - the mixer, the food processor, the sink or the cutting board...
If I am cooking, guaranteed, you are by my side.
I may have made a mistake in letting you have the ONE piece of gum you were begging for the other day.
Shortly after, this happened:
Oh and speaking of bubbles, we discovered you have another mad skill:
We love you Jack Attack! Thanks for making life the ever-exciting, joyful adventure that it is with you in tow. I just love having you as my son!
If we have a fourth child, I am sooooo blaming Jack! Or maybe the age of 22 months. I forget how totally adorable they are when they are learning to talk. How they light up every time they see you. And how they haven't totally figured out how to disobey you yet. Yeah, he may be pacifying himself on an ink pen but STILL!
He is totally a mama's boy again. He walks over to me, reaches an arm up and says "hand" and off we go, wherever his heart desires. I am putty in his little hand when he does that to me. Now he's starting to reach over and ask for Emma's hand when we're driving too and I can hardly stand it!
I say he's a mama's boy but I should clarify that that is only the case when there isn't a grandpa in the room. Either of his grandpas trump me hands down!
I forget what age it is that kids typically start to learn to sing. Jack's been humming for quite some time now ON KEY. I dismissed it for awhile, thinking it was simply a fluke but the kid is actually starting to sing and learn some tunes. Sometimes he'll sit down to the piano and even plunk out something musical. We had company recently and I heard the piano going in the other room and assumed it was one of the adults because it sounded remarkably song-like. Turns out, it was Jack Attack. Who knew?
Speaking of music, I captured this video of him the other day and I've watched it like 20 times already. I feel like it encapsulates his little personality so well - a mixture of adorable, fun and spunky with a little bit of musicality thrown in there too.
I am excited to report that my kid who used to avoid all things green (even green grapes!) is expanding his repertoire. He know will munch on cucumbers, carrots, kale chips and the occasional tomato or bell pepper. His favorite foods are definitely granola, apples, pasta and red grapes (which he calls "bapes"). He wants to be a big boy at meals and is sitting in his own seat now on most days. He drinks from an open cup whenever he can and eats dessert WHENEVER it is served. These third borns...man! They don't miss a beat!
Jack adores dogs, his binky, playing with his sisters, riding the tricycle in the garage, opening and closing and starting the microwave, pushing chairs all over the house to reach sinks, light switches and counters, eating cookies, opening and the freezer and handing me things, and seeing me when he first wakes in the morning.
If you could all have yourself a Jack, I would highly recommend it!
-but then he learn yes (yesh) which he follows with the most adorable happy giggle that you figured out what he wanted
-communicating with him is a lot like playing 20 questions but I'm thrilled he finally can answer
-new words are coming in leaps and bounds: bubble, owl, underdog, up (dee dee), milk, thank you, ball, cheese, yogurt (dodurt), walla walla walla (like Tigger), ta-da!
-is verrrrrrrrrry attached to his binky
-loves being held
-extremely attached to daddy
-and is sooooo excited when he hears the key in the lock when he gets home
-comes running and yells Daddy!
-finally conquered his fear of sand and now makes a bee-line for any body of water he sees
-maybe I liked his fearful, clingy beach self better?
-he's got a strong opinion
-doesn't touch green foods
-until suddenly out of nowhere he decided to stick a green bean in his mouth
-then he proceeded to eat about 25
-but green grapes?
-no way
-he won't touch them
-they are green so they MUST be a vegetable
-loves sauces and condiments and points to whatever we have out on the table and asks for it on his food
-last week it was yellow mustard
-on his watermelon
-he also really wanted a ring of raw red onion
-and he ate it!
-has a particular dislike of being strapped in
-used to just be the highchair but now he shows opposition to the car seat, the stroller and shopping carts
-my last trip to the grocery store was a personal favorite
-he refused to sit in the kid seat up front
-but he wanted to sit in the main part of the cart
-I let him
-then he screamed like an angry pterodactyl any time I tried to take "his" space by putting something in the cart
-he proceeded to chuck my groceries overboard
-it was one of our finest moments
-even though he's determined, he's as sweet as can be too
-he's learning to kiss
-sometimes you end up cheek to cheek
-other times you just get an open mouth against your face
-just watch out for the times he decides to use a little tongue
-no longer walks but RUNS everywhere
-loves trucks and balls
-other favorite pastimes include sitting in the drivers seat of the van and playing with the dash
-also singing to himself, slides and swings and underdogs
This kid! I've said many times this month that if given the opportunity, I would totally change his middle name to a one that means joy. He truly lights up our life. A little about Jack...
-he's totally obsessed with my sun hat
-he started addressing us by name when he wants something (mama and dad)
-he has a super special bond with his older younger sister
-loves swinging on our porch swing out back
-said porch swing was also responsible for the facial injuries pictured in another recent post...
-he's totally, completely attached to his binky
-we need to take it away but I just can't yet
-I mean look! totes adorbs
-he LOVES hanging out with friends
-he gets particularly excited when the girls have older kids over
-he participates in their play as best he can (which usually means he runs around in circles yelling and laughing)
-he's talking more and more - so far just individual words and no sentences
-he says thank you when you give him something (I don't recall ever teaching that!)
-and he cheerfully says "nigh nigh" on his own when you get him out of his high chair after dinner, expectantly waiting for you to put him to bed
-he's an awesome, happy sleeper
-and no, I have no magical sleep secrets except to recommend having yourself a Jack. he's awesome
-he's a busy bee
-always moving around furniture and climbing on it to reach new heights
-he gave up the high chair for a horrible period which you can read about here if you want more details
-he's been helping me in my garden and he thinks those nursery flatbed carts make a pretty swell ride
-he's totally FREAKED of sand and getting dirty
-it's sort of just a little bit hilarious
-he's all boy in so many ways except when it comes to dirt
-GET. IT. OFF.
-it cracks me up
-but he loves water so we FINALLY got him in the lake this weekend but it took nearly 2 hours of easing him in before he let his toes touch the sand
-and then after he needed every grain removed from his feet
