18 Months

Happy belated half birthday, Jack!  We had a special day last Friday for your "birthday", just you and Mom.  We went to the mall (your favorite - ha!), bought some new Stride Rite shoes for you since I grossly mis-measured and ordered the wrong size online (lesson learned), and had lunch at Panera where some sweet little girl gave you a flower cookie.  After your nap you went to the park, but that's pretty normal on nice days.

New stuff this month:

*Words: water, milk, truck (GUH), dog, boots, shoes, binky, book  

*Signs: monkey, hat, dog, and some signs that you're good at but we unfortunately don't know.  We need to remember to ask Ms. Krysta and Ms. Annie this week.

Official stats from our (new) pedi visit last week:
*Weight - 27 lbs, 1 oz (75%)

*Height - 33 inches (68%)

*Head Circumference - 19 1/2 inches (92%)

*Teeth - Still 12.  The top cuspids are getting ready to pop through soon.

*Clothing - 18-24 months, some 12-18m or even 2T depending on the item or brand.  Still size 5 diapers, same setting on your cloth dipes.    

Here are a few gems from your 18 month photo shoot.  You weren't really in the mood.  

WE LOVE YOU.  Even when you make faces like this.

17 Months

You're 17 months today, Baby Jack!  Very soon you'll be closer to two than one.  Weren't you just born?


New stuff this month:

*Words: birds, cheese, please, geese

*Signs: please, thank you, eat

*Naps: down to one, in the afternoons after lunch.  At home it's usually 2+ hours, and at school it's between 1-2 hours.

*Weight - 26+ pounds

*Height - 32 inches

*Teeth - 12.  The last first-year molar popped through a few days ago.

*Daycare crud - two (or one continuous) double ear infection that is hopefully completely gone now

*States visited - add Texas to the list with Indiana, Illinois, and Utah.  And Missouri, how could I forget Missouri!

(You do have more than one pair of pajamas, by the way.  We're getting a lot of mileage out of those Christmas jammies.)

Jack Facts - 15/16 months

Happy 16 months, Jack!  

Weight - 25 lbs 14 oz - 64th percentile
Height -  31 3/4 in. - 60th percentile
Head Circumference - 19 in - 76th percentile

Teeth - 10!  Three teeth popped through during the month of January and two more are getting close.

Words and Sounds - Bath, basement, no, down, up, Blue Dog ("bluu"), banana, yeah, Hi, hot, more, milk.  Some of these are new in the last week or so.  Last night I got you out of the bath and started yelling for your dad to bring up the clean laundry because you were all out of jammies in your drawer.  I started yelling "Breeeennnt, Brent, help!" and you started yelling for Brent too.  Whoops, I meant..."Daaaaaaaaddy!  Help!"  I suppose it's officially time to watch what I say.

Eating - you still have a good appetite but have gotten a little pickier on us.  Things that you've sworn off for now are eggs and most meats.  You're eating a lot of Greek yogurt, beans, and peanut butter toast for protein.  Your affinity for macaroni and cheese, bananas, and broccoli has grown deeper.  It's pretty common, though, that the daycare report says "all" beside each food item we've packed - meaning you've slammed your hippo lunchbox full of food.  You are getting pretty good at feeding yourself with a fork and spoon - held in your left hand.      

New things you can do:
* roar like a lion
* put your finger to your mouth and say "shhh"
* make an elephant sound and move your arm like it's your trunk
* blow kisses
* blow on your food
* identify your nose, eyes, ears, hair, and feet

Things you like to do:
* sit on our heads if we're lying on the floor while playing in the basement
* grab the computer mouse and put it to your ear like you're talking on the phone
* pull Bonnie out of your chair...or just sit on her in a squatters rights stand-off
* throw things - doesn't have to necessarily be a ball - always with your left hand
* have dance parties in the basement
* give hugs
* rock and sing songs at night
* sign "more" for everything, all the time
* feed yourself with a fork or spoon
* draw with an ink pen - again, left-handed

Things you don't like to do:
* brush your teeth
* have your nose wiped
* get out of the bathtub
* watch us leave the room at school

What we think about you at 16 months: 
Other than that we think you're the greatest thing since sliced bread, you mean?  Well, we think you're a busy, busy, wild man.  You're into everything and we both hit the mattress pretty exhausted at the end of each day.  You are so playful and good-natured.  Your smile comes easy and you're such a pleasant child.  We're so proud of how well you did during your transition to school and are proud to claim you as our precious baby.  Typing this out and thinking about you makes me smile.    


 

The Lovable Lobster

First day of school!  He wonders why he's up before we left for work today, and what happened to the nanny. 

Jack started his first day of organized, bona fide child care today!  Here he is this morning in his Broncos orange and navy and ready to participate in Spirit Day.  I felt okay sending him in this, but had yesterday's Colts game turned out differently I would have been torn.  I guess that luckily, no one has to choose whether to root for the Colts or Peyton.  Crisis averted.

But back to daycare!  Jack started in the Lovable Lobster room and had a super day!  He got right down to business as soon as we walked in the door.  In the first five minutes, he tried to steal a girl's pancake, gave her three bear hugs, rolled around on the soft forms, and tried to open up the back door.  Sounds like our cue to leave!  He was a hot, tired mess when we got him home tonight.  I'm so proud of him and hope that tomorrow is just as good.     

Close Encounters of the Woodland Kind

We've had two strange brushes with animals in the last couple of days:

1.) Rumor on the cul-de-sac is that a fox has taken up residence in a neighbor's backyard. Yesterday, Brent looked out the window and saw it in our yard! He grabbed the camera and just caught a bit of its backside as it jumped the fence. He said "It all happened so fast, I didn't even really aim the camera."



And a close-up:



Brent saw our fox friend while running the other morning, too.  He ran behind it for awhile before it turned down our street and he kept running.  Catch ya on the flip side, fox friend. 

2.) I was jogging this afternoon and was so into my jam (Britney Spears "Crazy", so you get it) that I failed to notice the dead squirrel on the sidewalk. Stepped right on its fluffy tail. SICK.

Jack Facts - 14 months

Not a great picture, but so him.  Binky in, Blue Dog in one hand, and a treasure stolen from the dishwasher in the other.

Teeth: 7 - two molars popped through in the last couple of weeks.  Still waiting on the top right incisor to finally make its appearance.

Words:  Mom, Dad, bath, yeah, no, broom (buh), wuh (woof), down.  He's become quite the little parrot lately - imitating our movements and expressions.  Sighs, squeals, hand gestures, you name it.  He also started responding to questions recently with a nod or head shake.  He's got the right answer about 51% of the time. 

Likes: sweeping the floors and carrying around the broom, picking up the dog (add this to Bonnie's list of dislikes), twirling with his arms outstretched.  He runs to the basement door 19 times a day, wanting to go down and play.  If we say "down?", he laughs because wow, how did we know that's what he wanted?  He's a little obsessed with the vacuum cleaner, and loves to turn the lights on and off.  If there's a button or knob around, he's pressing it or turning it.

Dislikes: not getting what he wants (such an obvious statement, we all dislike this)

Jack and Santa

We went to Tree Town a few weeks ago to look for a Christmas tree and sit on their free, no wait Santa's lap.  Waiting in line at a mall to meet Santa wasn't something Brent and I really cared to do this year, because we were pretty sure Jack would have a reaction similar to this:

Clawing his way off the Big Guy's lap.  That's not the way to get good presents, Jack!  

So we tried it with me in the picture.  And apparently, I warmed right up to Santa.  Whoa, a little close there, Linds.  

What, you're trying to win me over with a bag of treats, Santa?

I don't think so.