Jack is 21 Months Old

Jack is 21 months old today -- a busy, vocal and loving little boy.

 

I asked him if I could take his picture on the bench the other day, and he went right over to it and climbed up.  He takes directives well and understands at least 99% of everything that we say.  He often mimics our words and our tone, as well.

Like his big sister, Sophia, he is incredibly expressive and his range of emotions can be overwhelming at times.  He can go from being very happy/laughing to crying/pouting with a mere snap of the fingers.  He wears his heart on his sleeve and makes it clear exactly what he is feeling at any given moment.  I love his happy, smiling self the best!  Ha!

I often joke that Jack needs to "wear a helmet" on a regular basis.  Not a day goes by that he doesn't hit his head on something.  In fact, Steve comes home from work and often comments on Jack's new bruises.  That kid is always into something ...

Only one visible bruise in this picture; usually there are at least three.

I have already learned that there is a vast difference between raising girls and boys.  My girls rarely went seeking trouble.  Sure, there were a few messes here and there and a couple of good lessons learned along the way, but it seems like it is just simply in Jack's DNA to push the limits.  If he is left alone for two minutes (the time that it takes me to use the bathroom), I find myself running to see where he is and what he has gotten into in that short interval of time.

He moves fast.

Two bags of cereal all over the floor, with him sampling it.  How could this happen in the blink of an eye? 

At least, he is good about cleaning it up when I ask.

Later that same day, he used dry erase markers (thank goodness for dry erase markers and not permanent markers) on my comforter and hallway walls, dumped an entire bag of Cheez-it crackers on the floor and pulled out approximately 102 pieces of Kleenex out of the tissue box in the girls' room.  That way all in one day.

Another day, I praised him for brushing his teeth when I saw him saunter into the kitchen using a toothbrush.  It took me a second to realize that it wasn't his ... it was Steve's toothbrush.  Shame on Steve for not heeding my warning and making sure everything was out of Jack's reach.  Ha!

In the midst of the chaos though, one thing stands out in my mind.  This little boy loves his sisters dearly.  And I get goosebumps when I hear him call their names and go looking for them.  He calls Sam, "Yam," and refers to Sophia as either "Fee" or Fee-fee."  He communicates with them well and they know precisely what he wants when he wants it.  The girls are so patient with him and include him in as many of their activities as they can.

He is especially attached to Sophia because she is the one that is primarily home with him during the day (Sam is in school all day).  When Sam gets home, he tags along with her too.

Sophia was using the V-reader and Jack felt the need to be right with her (with his snack, of course):

The kids get the biggest thrill out of pulling toys out of the toy box and the climbing inside to play:

Ring-Around-The-Rosey is the most requested song in this house; Jack even tries to sing along:

Jack is SO strong.  He picks up logs for the fire with little effort and will haul stools and chairs from one room to the next by lifting them, as opposed to dragging them.  His muscles know no limits.

I am continuously amazed at how much he takes in and observes from others.  The other day, he found a watering can in the toy box and took it over to one of my plants and pretended to water it.  He made that connection all on his own.  Momma uses a watering can on the plants, and he can too.

Jack continues to love bath-time.  It is the most calming part of our day and there is nothing sweeter than cuddling with a clean baby after a bath.

Jack still goes to bed around 7:30 pm and often wakes up for his day around 7 am.  We are struggling a little bit right now with an early wake-up call around 5 am or so, because he wants his diaper changed.  He actually says, "wet" or "poop" when I go into his room to settle him back down.  While I definitely want to get him changed, I also know that he still needs a little more sleep -- I will pay for it later when he becomes over-tired.  So, we are continuing to work through this and I am excited about the fact that he is showing clear signs of potty-training in the future (after he turns two).

Only three more months until I have a two-year old!