Jack is 16 months old today, and is one active little boy. He keeps me running from one end of the house to the other lately.
Jack had his 15-month check-up at the doctor's office at the end of August. He weighed 25 lbs. 2 oz., putting him in the 80th percentile (yes, he's a big boy!) and was 31.25" long, putting him in the 50th percentile.
Coloring at the doctor's office:
We had to move our bench, which normally sits by our front door, in front of our stairs in an attempt to thwart Jack from climbing the stairs. We have to move it repeatedly in order to climb up the stairs for naptime and bedtime, so I put some washcloths under it to keep the bench from scratching the floor. I also had to put pillows under the bench because Jack figured out that he can go
under the bench and climb up the stairs. It is quite the fashion statement for anyone that comes in the front door. Hopefully we will be able to put it back to its normal location soon.
We're still unsure whether Jack is going to have curly hair. Obviously, both Samantha and Sophia inherited curly hair from their momma, but it's too early to tell with Jack. It is beginning to curl at the back though and humidity can do a real number on it!
There are wispy curls at the back for sure:
This last month, I began making an honest effort to brush Jack's teeth every day. It's about time since he has 12 teeth now (he cut 7 of them within a 6-week timespan). He loves it!
Testing out the toothbrush for the first time:
Brushing his pearly whites:
Jack loves to be doing anything that the girls are doing, and he especially loves to be outside. I am amazed just how quickly he learned to use chalk (and not put it in his mouth).
Jack took his first "official" steps on August 31st. We had been working with him for a few days, but he would get lazy and drop down to the floor and crawl whenever he felt the least bit unsteady. That afternoon, he began taking three or four steps in a row ...
The next day, we started working with him to use his "popper." This requires quite a bit more balance on his part, compared to using one of his walkers. He is just starting to get the hang of it now ...
Jack is also pretty excited about his "new" car. When we moved into our subdivision, over four years ago, we purchased this car at the annual garage sale. Sam used it that summer, and Sophia used it when she was old enough. A couple of weeks ago, Steve dug it out of the basement and dusted it off ... all while Jack was squealing with excitement. He couldn't even wait for us to take it outside before he attempted to climb inside!
Jack still uses his walkers quite a bit. In fact, I try to keep one of them in the van, just in case we stop some place where he can use it. One such location is the orchard. He pushed that walker all around that day ...
This last weekend, Jack officially mastered walking. Just shy of 16 months, he began cruising around the house. (For reference, Sam began walking at 15 months, Sophia began walking at 17 months, and then Jack was right in between. Yes, I raised "late walkers" in my house and don't feel the least bit bothered by it. To me, the later they walk, the slower they travel and the less trouble they can get into ... I think).
Now, Jack prefers to walk to most locations in the house. We get the biggest kick out of it because he huffs and puffs and concentrates so hard. And, he keeps his hands above his head the whole time -- for balance, I suspect. Oh, and he just giggles the entire way. He definitely loves that new-found freedom.
Jack's recent accident: The majority of the doors in our house have a swivel handle. We are convinced that it is because the house was built for an older couple, in their 70s, where arthritis may have been an issue. We have talked about replacing those door handles ever since we moved in because they are
not very secure for kids or for cats (Watson learned how to jump up on the handle and get into Samantha's room when she was younger, prompting me to replace her handle almost immediately).
I mentioned to Steve that we needed to officially replace the handles on our bathroom door and the basement door because those are presenting problems for me with Jack. Yup, he can stand on tiptoe and open the doors. He had not attempted with the basement door (YET), but he had successfully opened our bathroom door and locked himself inside. Cue my anxiety.
That same day, Steve went to Home Depot and opted (for reasons that I cannot even fathom) to not purchase door handles. So, literally that afternoon, while I was in the hallway, Jack successfully opened the basement door and pushed his walker and himself down the (carpeted) basement stairs. I have never screamed so loud in all of my life.
Steve came running as I scooped Jack up from the bottom of the stairs (shaken up, but relatively unharmed -- a true blessing). Without a word, Steve grabbed a screwdriver and immediately replaced the basement door with the door handle from the girls' room.
Later that night, the bruise started to show up under his right eye from his fall. Other than that, he is just fine. The first of many accidents to come (if his lack of fear and complete curiosity are any indication), I am sure.
Just this month, Jack has really started showing an interest in books. He loves for us to show him things in the book and then ask him to point to those objects. We have a lot of books like that, and we rotate through them. Even Sophia loves to work with him and the picture books ...
One thing that Jack is not very good with is sitting still. He prefers to be on the run at all times, almost as if he is afraid that he is going to miss something, or someone is going to leave him behind. If I can get him to sit down and focus on a Sesame Street video for any period of time, there is going to have to be a snack involved. (Which reminds me, the door handle on the pantry -- where the snacks are kept -- also needs to be replaced. Jack can easily get in there, as well).
One of the words that Jack can say is "cat." He will often point to one of the cats and then say it. And, if they let him, he really enjoys petting them and loving on them. He's also starting to repeat words and sounds. And the babbling that he does is the cutest thing ever ... he changes the inflections in his voice as if he is mimicking real-live conversations.
I am sure that the next month is going to fly by in the wink of an eye. With the girls in school (full-time for Sam and part-time for Sophia, with dance classes mixed in between) I am certainly enjoying a little more one-on-one time with Jack a couple mornings a week and some evenings too. He definitely misses the girls when they are gone and loves to have them come home, but he also likes not having to compete for my attention ...
