Wow! I truly cannot believe Jackson is 2 already. The past 2 years have flown by! I did several monthly updates throughout his 2nd year...
18 Months,
20 Months,
21 Months. I feel like so much happens between age 1 and 2. They truly become toddlers! They start walking and then running and even galloping! They figure out how to jump. Their fine motor skills improve even more. They talk more and more and in actual words some of the time! They have so many new emotions and have tantrums when they can't express those emotions correctly. They are working on independence. They have such fun personalities!
Jackson is still a good eater. Fruits are his absolute fave. He loves to eat eggs for breakfast (and sometimes dinner) - fried, scrambled or hard boiled, loves cereal with milk, oatmeal with cinnamon and raisins, waffles, pancakes, etc. Lunch he usually has a sandwich - pb&j or grilled cheese or maybe a quesadilla or grilled chicken. Sometimes leftovers from the night before. Dinner is whatever we eat. Sometimes he chooses to only eat a few bites of dinner and then says he's done but never wakes up in the middle of the night hungry. I don't ever force him to eat everything on his plate. He loves to eat tacos saying "dado" over and over again until we fix his plate. Pizza is always a favorite with him. He will eat burgers, chicken, bowtie fiesta, chicken spaghetti, spaghetti with sauce, pasta, macaroni and cheese and the list goes on. He will eat some veggies and loves tomatoes, cucumber and even wants some of our salad. Basically if we are eating something he wants it. So I have to be cautious of my snacks if I don't want him to have something! Snacks are usually fruit and goldfish or cheddar bunnies. Occasionally animal crackers or graham crackers. He drinks 2 cups of organic whole milk a day and lots of water. He likes juice (who doesn't?) but only gets it on occasion.
It's very hard not to want to compare your child to another that is doing things differently than yours. I have learned that everything will come in due time and to be thankful for the things yours does well! One thing Jackson is great with is sleeping! He sleeps from 7:30 or 8pm until 8 or 8:30am usually. Sometimes he wakes up at 9 even! He naps at 12:30 for usually about 3 or 3 1/2 hours. I've tried pushing his nap back until 1 or 2 but he's too "overtired" by that point and its usually a disaster.
Jackson is talking more and saying more words I can actually understand. Before when he hardly said anything everyone kept telling me don't worry about it. Once they start talking they never stop! It is kind of true. He has a limited vocabulary still but it doesn't stop him from talking all the time! Some of his newer words are pease (please), more, cookie, dowy (down), cracker, Dooper (Cooper). He's been saying ball, baby, dow (cow), dat (cat), mommy, daddy, car, dot dog (hot dog), doggie, bird. He does say "I want _____". For example, the second we walk in Rising Roll (actually it usually starts as we park the car!) he says "I want cookie" That's because Judy started giving him cookies occasionally and now he expects them! Ha! He only gets it after he eats his lunch though. And we never have cookies at home. It's a special occasion thing! He likes to say my turn and your turn when we are playing and he wants to take turns. I know there are some others but I can't think of them right now.
Jackson loves reading books. We read books before nap and before bed every night and often times during the afternoon we'll snuggle on the sofa while I read to him. He never wants to stop but we have to limit it to 4 or 5 usually. He still loves Dr Suess books. The Foot Book, The Tooth Book, Go Dog Go, Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, Ten Apples Up on Top, and more! He also loves all Sesame Street books. We have many others but he goes in phases on whether he wants to read them. He always says "one more" while we are reading. I guess that's why we wind up reading 3 or 4 or even 5. He is obsessed with anything that involves a ball. Golf, tennis, basket ball, T-ball, bouncing balls, rolling balls, etc. He still enjoys "grilling" on his grill. Jackson loves to play outside an run around the yard throwing the ball for Cooper. Jackson still isn't big on playing independently. He will for a couple minutes but then wants to do whatever I'm doing. He loves to help me clean and sweeps the floor after me. One day Jimmy was vacuuming and Jackson ran over turned off the vacuum and then ran to get his broom. He does not want to be left out of anything!
Jackson weighs 26 lbs 6 oz (29%) is 35 inches long (75%). Head circumference is 19 inches and his BMI is 15.14 (10%) Basically he is long and lean! He is my little string bean. He wears mostly 18 month clothing and some 2T tops. He is wearing a size 6 shoe and a size 4 diaper.
He wants to do everything we do! If I blow my nose he needs a tissue too, if I cough he coughs, if we want to put salt and pepper on our food he wants to too (we just pretend though - he doesn't need salt added to food), he wants to eat whatever we are eating, wants a cup with a straw if I am drinking out of one, if I have my shoes on he wants his on, etc. It is so cute and often times so funny!
We love you so much Jackson! Happy 2nd Birthday!!
