Jack turned 18 months on my birthday last Friday, April 4! I love that we share a birthday/half birthday with each other. It's also kind of cool that they both are around General Conference weekends. He is such a darling little boy. Here are some fun facts and tidbits:
-Remember that red and white striped shirt I talked about when he was 16 months? Yeah, it's too small now. His belly has grown outward and most of his 18 month shirts are now too short. He still wears some 18 month bottoms, but tops and jammies are 24 month or 2T. Huh? Still in size 5 diapers and weighs almost 28 pounds. His eyes have turned a green color (started out blue).
-Loves to eat most anything. Some current favorites are raisins, bananas, pears, cantaloupe, strawberries, peas, corn, rice, pretzels, pizza, cheese, popsicles and anything his parents are eating. He also loves eating ice chips. That's been a great help when he's been teething or fussy. We fill a small bowl with ice chips, put it on the kitchen floor and he goes to town.
-Still a good sleeper from about 8pm-8am with one nap starting between 12-2pm for an hour or two. Continues to sleep in crazy positions that change frequently in the night.
-He has 11 teeth that we know of. Pretty sure he was teething a few weeks ago but haven't been able to get a good look in his mouth to see if anything actually came through. (Anyone else have a toddler who refuses to let you open or look at his mouth?) I thought I saw a little white bump where one of his top canines would be so I think those are one their way.
-His favorite toys right now are books, blocks, balls, megablocks, anything he can throw down the stairs, anything with music or buttons (loves the remote and frequently records things by accident), and playing with window blinds. I've started to help him put the blocks into the right shaped holes and he loves that. I ask him if we should "work on the shapes?" and he comes running.
-He has an allergy to dogs/cats. If he gets licked or gets hair near his eyes, his skin turns red and itchy and he gets hives. Boo. Luckily, it just takes a little time for it to go away without any medication.
-He's a dancing fool! This has been a new and frequent thing of his. Whenever he hears music on a show, music from one of his toys, or when I sing a song, he dances! He started out with how most babies do with planting the feet in one place and bouncing up and down. But, his signature move it definitely spreading his feet apart and rocking on them from side to side, usually accompanied with his head moving side to side. He also does "fast feet" where he marches in place really quickly when we say "fast feet" or when we do it ourselves. Pretty entertaining. He also turns in place on command (one day out of the blue we asked him to turn and just he did it! How he knew what turning was or how to do it still remains a mystery).
-Tyson's been taking him into Nursery at church every now and then over the last few weeks so he'll be ready to go himself next Sunday (what?!). Tyson says he doesn't really play with the other kids (most of them just do their own thing in there), but likes the toys and snacks. Sometimes he'll walk around with his whiney voice and points up to the light switches that he wants to turn on and off. He's got a couple of little friends who also just started to go so I think it'll all be just fine. It will be nice for Tyson and I to be able to serve in our callings during those hours at church while he plays away.
-He's starting to do some of the actions to songs like "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Patty Cake"!
-Still doesn't say a lot of actual words but he does jabber and loves to say "ba!". We can make out "momma" and "dad" with an occasional "ack" for "Jack". He says "meow" (sort of) for "cat" and will purse his lips together and stick them out to "moo" for "cow".
-Loves to play "peek-a-boo" with us. He will cover his eyes and shake his head back and forth and wait to hear us say "Where's Jack?" and then he'll uncover them with a huge smile like he fooled us. He'll also climb a few steps down the stairs and wait until you are watching him from the top, then he'll move his head down to where he can't see us anymore and wait for the "Where's Jack?" and poke his head back up. My favorite is when I'm sitting on the floor with him and he'll run behind me, with his little hands on my back and giggle while he waits for me to say "Where's Jack?" then and he'll lean over to side of me with a huge smile like "Here I am, Mom!". I love it.
He's a cutie and we just love him so much. He has brought us so much joy!
