Jackson: 21 Months

So I'm only a few days late, as his monthly birthday is the 26th. But we still had family here for Christmas on the 26th and the next couple days were spent recovering from the busy-ness that was Christmas. So here is our month 21 update!

During this time we went to Michigan for Thanksgiving and had the Ivesons here for Christmas. Both will have separate posts.

On 12/17 Jackson slept for 7 hours straight! That was the first time he had ever slept that long in one stretch. I woke up feeling like a new person! Since then he has slept that long a few times and just a couple days ago slept for 9 hours straight! I think he's finally getting used to sleeping longer at night. He still takes 2-3 hours naps in the afternoon so we're finally getting into a regular toddler schedule. On 12/21 Daddy was able to put Jackson to bed for the first time! Jackson loves his Daddy, but he is so used to falling asleep snuggled next to Mumma. This was such a major breakthrough for us that I almost cried! Daddy has put Jackson to sleep twice since then. It's certainly nice having Daddy around and not having to go to bed early since he wakes up around 5:00 am and usually is asleep before Jack! On 12/22 I woke up a few hours after having gone to bed and noticed Jack was snuggled on top of the covers in between Matt and I. I didn't remember pulling him up into bed and since it wasn't the morning yet I normally would've taken him back to his own bed. I figured out he had climbed up on the chair I had recently put at the foot of our bed and then climbed into bed all on his own, without waking either Matt or I up! Stinker baby! But I didn't mind the extra snuggles! I did take him back to his own bed though.

Some character traits we've noticed: Jack bites his nails when they are longer than he would like. Unfortunately, I did that too. I'll just have to clip them more often to nip that bad habit in the bud. Generally Jack takes awhile to fall asleep. Even if he is tired and just lies there, it takes at least 30 minutes. He gets this from me. He sleeps at an angle (me) and likes having a pillow over his head (Matt). He has my love for cheese. He loves sprinkle cheese and asks for cheese for breakfast! I often eat cheesy something or other for breakfast. 

Just the past week Jack has begun to mimic our words. He knows a lot of words already but rarely used them before. He is beginning to talk more often and learn new words. He can now say: Mumma, Dada, no, more, cheese, please, up, down, on, off, ball, cow, moo, bath... and a bunch of others I can't think of right now. Hopefully he will keep this up! He had been talking a lot for a couple months around his first birthday then decided he didn't want to talk. We're excited for him to talk as we anticipate his little voice being adorable. Plus then it'll be so much easier to communicate with him.

Jack has been testing his boundaries lately. He whacks things that don't please him (unfortunately he gets this from me) and throws fits when we tell him no. He is still much better behaved than most kids his age I've encountered, but we are having to rethink our parenting strategies to accommodate his newfound autonomy. We encourage his independence, but also want him to understand that Mumma and Daddy are boss.

His latest face- skepticism.

I often give him my phone and don't monitor what he plays with. He has only facetimed/called my mom, thankfully, out of all my contacts. I did notice one day that he had apparently found the stopwatch and never turned it off...

 Just love his facial expressions!

We bought a new broom and dustpan and he loves them. Teaching him young!

While we'll love our trees in the spring/summer... during the fall/winter it makes for lots of raking! We bagged up around 12 large bags of leaves just from the front yard and then more fell! The backyard has way more. Someday they'll get raked up!

We generally feed Jack the same things we're having for all meals. I made muffin tin meatloaf for the first time and he loved it! He remains a good eater. The only things he doesn't seem to care for are broccoli and plain breads.

Hopefully we'll always be able to have a playroom space while in the states. We would love to be stationed overseas someday, but it would be sad giving up all our nice space we're used to here! Jack and I spend a lot of time in the playroom. He'll play by himself nicely and I can catch up on reading. Lately I've been re-reading the Harry Potter series. I've read them all numerous times, but the first 5 haven't been re-read since high school!

Just like Daddy, pillow over the head.

Matt wanted to play with my old Gameboy (I have the original and color versions). So we found them in our box of games and Jackson loved pushing the buttons!

We set Jack up with Donkey Kong (no, he doesn't know how to actually play it) and Matt began the quest to save Princess Zelda.

I just love watching Matt and Jackson play together. Watching my husband as a father just never gets old.

Trapper hat! It is blue, white, and khaki plaid. Adorable! When it's chilly out Jack doesn't even try to take it off like he does with most other hats.

Watching the "snow" on the one day it was cold enough to actually snow. We had a few ice storms and lots of rain, but only this little bit of snow that melted within a couple hours.

He likes to sleep on the floor. I don't see how this is more comfortable than his mattress, but he doesn't complain, so sometimes I just leave him there.

Time to get the Little People Nativity out! I want to leave it out all year since it's such a great toy, but it gives Jack something to look forward to. Yes, I had to reset it up about 3 times every day. But it's fun for Mumma too!

Matt went to and graduated from Air Assault school. He learned how to repel from helicopters. 

I put these Shrek ears (from a Wendy's kids meal) on Jack and turned my phone camera front facing. He thought it was pretty funny. 

I thought I wasn't going to get a Christmas tree this year, but it felt all wrong. So we got a cute little fake one that should last at least as long as we're in this house. It is a Virginia Pine and it rounder and thicker than a lot of other fake trees we saw. More realistic without the mess. I didn't put ornaments on it because it was pretty with just the lights.

My sunshine.

How he's been giving me kisses lately. Hands on either cheek. I love it.

Daddy chose this book and when he read about Hopping on Pop Jackson took the cue immediately!

While facetiming with Grammy and Papa Jack said "Papa". Adorable. 

Grammy bought him a little travel pillow and made him a pillow case that says his name on it. It is perfect for him to snuggle as he falls asleep.

He is still Mr. Particular and doesn't like messy hands. If we're eating something messy I have to wipe his hands constantly throughout the meal so he can keep eating! He wanted a cupcake. I gave it to him. he got a little frosting on his finger. He refused to eat any of the cupcake!

Trying to get him more learning/ age appropriate toys. I took an empty Parmesan cheese container and straws and he loves dumping them out and putting them back in.

We don't do Santa and I wouldn't take Jack somewhere specifically to see Santa. We went to Matt's Battery Christmas party and there was a Santa there. The other kids were in line to see him and Jackson wanted to join. Of course, when I tried to put him on his lap he didn't like that idea too much. He got his candy cane and then was ready to get out of there!

This is how he fell asleep the first time he slept for 7 hours straight. How can that be more comfortable then on the mattress?

He definitely has a little OCD! There are only smiley faced goldfish left. The cheerios are multigrain and he only ate the darker colored ones. And he'll only eat the Green Apple Jacks. If I leave the snacks out sometimes he'll eat the leftovers later... but sometimes he'll just ask for more!