Jack is 18 Months Old

Jack is a year and a half old today!  When I told the girls this morning at breakfast, Sam exclaimed, "But Mom ... he just turned a year old!"

I know ... I feel the same way. 

The months are flying by lately.  It seems as though I blinked, and most of my teaching semester is over for this year and Sam's birthday and holidays are being planned as we speak.  And in between, I have a one growing little boy that has absolutely stolen my heart.

It's safe to say that his smile is contagious.  When he laughs (he is SO ticklish under his neck), you can't help but chuckle over his cuteness.  He can really light up a room.

He is ALL BOY.  There is no denying it.  He prefers to be with his daddy at ... all ... times.  He will cry and throw himself into a temper tantrum if he thinks, for just one second, that Steve is going to do anything outside and not include him in it.  The mere start-up of the lawn mower just gets him completely worked up from inside the house, and I have no choice but to dress him warmly and flag down Steve so that Jack can ride with him.  We exchange a knowing look and just smile.

It's rare that Jack ever sits down these days.  He is constantly on the move.  There are places to go and rooms to explore.  He doesn't really even walk anymore -- it is more of a rump-shaking sprint.  In fact, he is often moving so fast that that boy is usually tripping over his own feet. 

Speaking of feet, Jack loathes wearing socks.  He loves to wear shoes/boots, but once those come off inside the house, he is insistent that the socks come off too.  The same is true for any rides in the van; no shoes/socks equates to a happier passenger. 

Now that the colder weather is upon us, this is going to make for an interesting winter season.  For example, Jack chose to model his new snow pants for winter ... without socks.

Along with his snow pants, I pulled out a winter coat that I had purchased for Jack at the end of winter this last year on clearance.  I like to try and buy as many things as I can on clearance at the end of a season to stock up for the next one.  I bought Jack's coat and a coat for Sam and Sophia for a total of $30 last March, and they are perfect for them for this time of year.

(Note the bare feet, yet again).

With all of his activity these days, Jack is continuing to take two naps a day -- one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  I wasn't sure if he would be ready to drop that morning nap yet, but it has become clear that he is still dependent on it.  He gets grumpy and begins to rub his eyes between 9:30-10:00 am if he hasn't had a chance to snooze.  On the days that we are busy running errands, he will end up falling asleep by lunchtime in the vehicle.  Poor Sophia -- she can get tired too.

Afternoon naps are usually longer and ALWAYS take place in his crib.  I try to make sure to schedule most of my events around that precious nap-time, as I know just how critical it is.  My little man typically takes an afternoon nap from 1:30-3:30 pm.

Jack understands so much these days.  He takes directives well and rarely gets into too much trouble.  He knows what things he is not allowed to touch (including going near the fireplace) and he has two older sisters that keep a close watch on him.  He loves books, puzzles, and blocks right now.

Jack has also started telling me, probably about 50% of the time, when he needs to have his diaper changed.  He will come and get me, while grabbing at his diaper, indicating that he has just dirtied his diaper.  This applies to "#1 or #2."  I have no intention of potty-training him until next summer, but I am hopeful that this is a sign that he may be easier to train than I originally anticipated (hearing that boys are sometimes harder to train than girls).  We shall see ...

Jack's vocabulary is starting to grow now.  He says "momma, dada, cat, uh-oh, ya (for yes), no, hi, bye, poop, me, egg, good, hot" and quite a few others.  He is also learning animal sounds right now.  When you ask him a "yes/no" question, he answers with the appropriate response, including nodding or shaking his head.  It is the most adorable thing ever.

I've also noticed that he has a real fascination with fish lately -- both our aquarium at home and the fish at Meijer.

It is going to be such a fun holiday season this year with him.  I am still debating on whether we will need to put up a gate around the Christmas tree this year.  We have one that we borrowed five years ago from Steve's sister and brother-in-law, and we have only used it one year -- the year that Sam had just turned one and we needed to keep her away from the ornaments and presents.  Since then, we have lucked out with the kids and their ages -- they have either been too little to bother with the tree/gifts or old enough to understand and keep their distance.  The saying that gets used a lot in our house during the month of December is: "pretty to look at ... but not to touch."