Jackson Quarterly

Jackson Quarterly: June 27- September 26, 2014

Another quarter of a year has gone by. Jackson is now two and a half officially! He is growing and learning so much. It is such a pleasure to see him develop and to discover new and exciting aspects of life. Most of the pictures did not load in chronological order. Not sure if it was because of such a large upload, or because different cameras/phones were used. But this has been Jackson's life the past three months.

June 27-July 26, 2014

Says "um... How about?" Because Mumma says it when offering something other than what Jackson wants. 

Loves watch Disney jr on iPad. So nice to have some Mickey back in our lives. 

Possibly getting two year molars the first week of July? More fussy, saying "no" more, throwing toys, drooling a lot. 

7/6 said "love you" unprompted to Mumma for the first time! Said it to Daddy when he offered him a jellybean and said it first, as opposed to repeating it back to us.

Loves blueberries, blueberry Eggos, and blueberry pop tarts! 

Loves riding in the backseat in the stroller. Prefers it to walking so we just let him ride! 

Builds his own forts from the pillows on the couch. 

"Wannagan"- can't figure out what he's saying but he says it everyday like a question, usually when he wants something. Sounds like "one again" or "wanna" something. 

Doing so well at listening! When we tell him to do something (put it away, close the drawer) or not do something (do not throw that) he thinks about it for a second then usually obeys. He does forget sometimes and sometimes willfully disobeys, but he is learning. We praise him when he obeys.

Has begun to sing songs in his own little way. Other people may not recognize the songs or the words, but Matt and I can tell when he's trying to sing one of the songs he knows. 

When he gives a high five he says "yeah" because that's what Matt and I automatically say. 

7/14 pinched his hand in the folding laundry room door. Cupped his hand (little under skin bleeding) and said "I hurt". After some snuggles he was ok but he said it again, cupping the wrong hand, for attention. He looked down, didn't see the red mark, checked his other hand, and switched his cupping! So silly. 

7/19 learned to open doors. On the one hand, this is helpful at times. On the other, he likes to open the door into the garage, which isn't a good habit.

July 27-August 26, 2014.

7/27 said "doub-le you" instead of "dub oo". Made me sad. 

Jumps up and dances with his hands in front of him, like a squirrel, during the Gilmore girls credits. Every single time. He will stop what he's doing and prance around. He gets upset if I skip to the next episode.

8/30 very evidently singing the hot dog song. First time it was very clear he was singing. 

When I'm watching something he's not interested in or if Daniel is crying, Jack will pick up his iPad and snack and go sit in his chair in his room and watch Mickey/pocoyo quietly.

Can finally jump with both feet at the same time. After working on it for months. 

8/12 he was a little fussy, ready for a nap. Daniel was next to me kicking his feet on the couch. Jackson came over and Daniel kicked him a little. Jackson goes "hey!" And swatted at Daniel's feet. I am so thankful that most of the time he gets along with his brother and loves him. This is the most he has been annoyed at Daniel.

Lately has been saying "I got it" when he grabs something new. 

"Shock bait who (pause) ha HA"- a little off in the delivery, but adorable! 

Gets so excited to play with friends, whether for play dates or in nursery. 

Still loves the hot dog dance and now dances swinging his arms from side to side just like Mickey and in time with the beat.

Drums going "1 2, 1 2 3" and alternating his hands/sticks just like Jungle Pete on Mickey. He will use anything as a drum, but recently had been using the rain stick and the two green gates off his train track as sticks. 

Week of 8/17 starting to talk in sentences "where are you?" "There it is." 

Correctly used plural form usually.

Counts items and then says "8 sticks". 

Says "bless you" when someone sneezes. Pretty much the cutest thing ever!

Loves to play with Daniel. Very interested when Daniel is sitting in bumbo, jumperoo, or high chair. 

August 27-September 26, 2014

Last week of August: eating bread with his sandwiches! Win! He used to just open the sandwich and bite off the sides (if pb&j or grilled cheese) and leave the bread.

8/28 wrote a J by copying one I wrote! 

Gets so upset when I do "lady horse" with Daniel. Starts yelling "no no no!" And comes running over waving his hand for me to stop. When I get to gentleman horse he says "no" again louder, when I get to old farmer horse he screeches and is very upset. I'm trying to teach him that lady horse is not just for Jackson. I mean, my mom did it for me and for all her grand babies so Jackson's brother can do it too!

Jackson's favorite thing lately has been coming over to me, saying "hug", and receiving a hug. It is so endearing. I hope it never stops.

8/31 first time painting. He loved it! Did fairly well at dipping the brush in water then the paint then putting it on the paper. Only mixed the colors a little and I was able to blot it out when he finished.

Plays this game where he screeches and daddy acts like he's been shocked and Jackson just laughs and laughs. He loves it especially when daddy is holding something and throws it in the air. 

Can count backwards from 10 to 0 correctly. 

Always uses me, I, you, she, he, and plurals correctly. 

When we were playing with the Shaw's Jackson was playing with a key. Jonny picked it up when Jack set it down. Jack followed Jonny around going "pwease pwease pwease PWEASE!" And when I finally noticed he shouted it and his face was red and tears were in his eyes. He had been asking nicely and didn't understand why his friend wasn't giving his toy back. It was cute and sad all at the same time. 

"Ha-mon" while waving his arm at you when he wants you to "come on", normally when he wants you to go into the kitchen with him. Sometimes he wants a snack and sometimes he wants to play this game where you bend over at the waist with your arms straight out behind you. I have no idea what he's doing but he thinks it is so silly when I do it too!

The first week Matt left he decided to start going to bed early! Between 7:15-8:30 for four nights in a row and counting! Hope it keeps up! Still wakes and climbs in bed with me, but at least it's an earlier bedtime. 

9/13 realize he's been singing "swim away. Crocodile. Drink your tea. Sharky and bones. Row the boat. Pirate Rock." From one of the Jake and the Neverland Pirates music videos. 

9/24 trying to get Jackson used to going to bed on his own. I keep putting him in bed when he comes out. I heard his little feet pat-pat-patting and saw his shadow under the door. I said "Jackson, go back to bed, please." I get down on hands and knees to peek under the door. He's on hands and knees peeking at me! I giggle a little and he says "where are you?" So adorable! It's hard to keep putting him back on bed without laying next to him when he silently signs "please" and says "c'mon, c'mon!" 

Sits on potty when he needs a new diaper or says "diapie". Got him some new potty books so hopefully he'll begin figuring it out! Haven't been super strict on potty training. It gets old having to clean up the messes.
His favorites movies for most of this time have been the 3 Toy Stories. I would rotate us watching them so I didn't get sick of one over and over, but that still is a lot of Toy Story. He recently (the past week) has been wanting to watch UP all the time. Yes, I still cry every single time that opening sequence plays.
Jackson doesn't usually throw toys when he's angry, but sometimes he throws toys for fun or absentmindedly. I'm trying to stamp this out but he doesn't realize he's doing it most of the time. Been calling pennies "blues". Couldn't figure it out. Doubloons. He's been calling them doubloons! 

Started saying "Alright Alright", instead of "OK" when he agrees with something or to confirm that he wants something.
For about a month he's been requesting which TV shows (via Hulu) or movies he wants to watch. He is more particular now and if you turn on something different he gets upset. His old babyTV shows recently were added to Hulu and since we cancelled his iPad subscription this was perfect timing. He can watch Charlie and the Numbers, Stick with Mick, and Oliver Discovers on the big TV now.
Mommy met some new friends at Bible study and we have been going on walks with them. We go 2-3 times a week to the Greenway. Jackson loves going for walks and running around afterwards. We meet some dogs there and Jackson just loves the dogs. We really want to get him a dog, but plan to wait until we know where we'll be stationed longer term next so we don't get a dog now and then move overseas in 2-3 years. 

*some updates after reading over these notes I made throughout the months*

Jackson's 2 year molars have not yet popped through. No redness or bumps that I can see.
Still haven't figured out what "wannagan" means. He says it more distinctly and slower now, but I still have not idea what he's trying to say. He uses it in different contexts so that hasn't helped me figure it out.
He still says "dub oo" most of the time with a "dub hub oo" slipping in there occasionally.
His early bedtime lasted about a week and a half. Sigh. He is back to his regular 9-9:30 pm bedtime and it is fine, but I was so looking forward to getting him in bed earlier, doing all my chores and Mommy stuff (like writing blog posts), and then getting to bed "early" myself.

So interested in baby toys.

Little soldier on a ruck march with Daddy on the Greenway. He lasted 1/4 mile and then we put him in the stroller.

Tumble Tots at the Fort Campbell YMCA. We only went the one time and Jackson really enjoyed it, but it was small and we prefer playdates.

Writing "w"s for the first time. He said "a dub oo!". 

I can hardly get the lid off his cough medicine, but he grabs it and opens it in 5 seconds! Thankfully this came up rather easily and didn't stain.

This doesn't happen often. But when they are both having rough days it hurts my heart. Daniel startles easily so when Jackson is crying usually both of them are crying.

This was 20 minutes after the above picture.

He gets pretty bad mosquito bites just like his Mumma! I try to remember to spray him with repellent.

He put on Daddy's flip flops.

Worn out after a playdate. Can't even finish his snack before falling asleep!

Skeptical! Actually, this is just his face when he wakes up from nap time.

I was on the phone with my mom and heard a scratching sound but didn't think anything of it... until I remembered I left a crayon on the steps to take upstairs... it came off with a magic eraser though.

Always organizing and sorting.

First time at a splash park. He wasn't too sure about the water. A bucket got dumped on him (one of the splash park automated buckets) and he ran away from it (with his eyes closed since he was covered in water) and another bucket got dumped on him! He ran straight to me then.

My friend, Chelsea Shaw, took this while we were at the park.

On my birthday.

Stacking blocks on top of his iPad.

He saw we were taking pictures of me with the babies so he came over and said "cheese".

Daddy gave him a glowstick and he refused to give it up! The other thing is a chopstick.

When he wants to go outside or in the car he brings me his shoes and my shoes.

Crazy hair.

Brushing his teeth.

Sometimes the boys wake up super early and we just relax for a couple hours and watch Daniel Tiger.

Sharing with his brother. Jackson has loved measuring cups lately.

He saw me doing devos and he wanted to join me. I got his Bible and notebook and read him the story I was reading- Joshua and Caleb and the spies going into Canaan.

His little "J" on the right.

Dumps out toys and sits in bucket to watch SYTYCD.

He does this when he's frustrated now. With dramatic "humph" and all.

Every time I give the baby a bath Jackson climbs into the cabinets and giggles.

First Day of Home Preschool!

Sometimes you just need some Mumma snuggles and Mickey Mouse.

I love when he pulls my arm close to him.

Cousin Calvin is so funny!

He woke up one morning, sat on a couch a little, then went into my room and burrowed under the pillows. I found him asleep like this a few minutes later.

See his "doubloons" in the buckle of his seat? He sticks them in there almost every car ride we take.

He loves to sit in the baby swing. I was washing the cover and he looked at it, then decided to try to sit in it anyways. Sorry, buddy, there's nothing to sit on!

Having a snack with Judah Rose while her Mommy and Daddy went on one last date before her little sister arrived!

He loves his Mickey.

I love that he is old enough to do cute little projects in Sunday School now.

We've been working on writing letters in home preschool. I guide his hand the first couple, but those yellow E's were all him!

He wrote the black 2 (backwards) but said "a two! a two!"

Nashville Zoo! The Kangaroo was almost as tall as Jackson!

We got to pet it! She was so soft, like a bunny. And she has a little baby joey in her pouch!

He said "a kangaroo!" and then "Where ya going" when she hopped off.

Fun day with Mumma's friend from Lynchburg, Kirsten and her son, Adam.

I had to get this stuffed red panda! Jackson loves it!

He said "suuuuck" (stuck) and I told him to just get out of the box. He kept fussing so I got up and saw that his hands were, indeed, stuck. 

Throwing sticks and rocks down the big drain at the end of the Greenway.

Just eats the creme. Didn't even have to teach him to do that.

Wrestling with Uncle Mark.

"A Bug"

Squirt gun war with Grammie. He can't reach the trigger, but he still thought he was getting her!

Jackson always pinches Daddy's cheeks, so Daddy pinched Jackson's cheeks right back!

Like Father, Like Son.

Crazy hair.

He decided to pick up handfuls of dirt and dump them over his head. He isn't mad that he's dirty or has to take a bath. He's mad that we made him come inside.

Rocking both my boys.

Playdate with Aiden.

Pillow fort.

Asleep with his drum.

Crawling up to be in Daniel's weekly pictures!

Rice sensory box.

I guess that probably would be pretty comfortable.

Home Preschool.

He has been sitting on top of his nightstand like this a lot lately. Of all the places to sit.

He ate his gummy bears by color.

Mumma needed to backup her pictures again so the boys got to sit on Mumma's bed and watch Toy Story.

He got these boots himself and put them on. Then couldn't move!

He is already two and a half. That is so mind boggling! He is so smart and such a little ray of sunshine in my life. I lose my patience with him more than I care to admit and I am working on parenting in love always, especially when I am feeling selfish with my time and energy. I saw a quote that said something similar to "You never know which moment will be your child's first memory of you." That is so true. He probably won't remember anything from now, but it is fast approaching! I want to make sure his first memory of me is a good one. I want him to be overflowing with happy, loving memories. I want him to feel safe and secure with me always. Yes, I discipline him when he is naughty (because he is definitely naughty now and he knows some things he is not supposed to do). No, I do not spoil him just because he is a young child and "doesn't know any better"... because he does know better. I discipline him when needed because I love him and I want him to continue to grow and learn and be a successful human being. So far, I am so proud of the little person he is becoming. He has a big heart and a natural joy. I hope I never do anything to hinder that joy.

I love you so much, Jackson Matthew. I am so thankful I am our mom.