Jackson at 16 Months - Month 16.5

Time is cruising.  

CRUISING.  


Mr. Jackson at 16.5 months

 

I realized I only have a couple days left before Jackson turns 17 months and I haven’t written much for month 16. Whoops! Can you tell we are having a BLAST? We are!   

This mom stuff is fun. I'm being serious here. I never knew how much time I spent looking forward to the “next thing” coming up in my life until I had Jackson. I was always so focused on trips or work or writing or planning things. Jackson has taught me to enjoy the moment we are in NOW.  Like get down and play. Push everything else aside and throw a ball. Read a book. Chase each other around the house. Wait 35 minutes for him to walk down the stairs. Just BE.  

We spent over an hour collecting stones at this school.

 

We play a TON. I’m ZONKED by the end of the day. It is GO-GO-GO. There is NO sitting. The night I actually get to sit is Thursday when I watch Project Runway. That is it. It feels like my TREAT day:) I love Thursdays! 

Typical weekend day goes like this:

·         Mom up around 6 a.m.

·         Laundry started and going

·         Coffee brewing (one of my favorite parts)

·         Toys cleaned up, kitchen cleaned up and breakfast cooking

·         Either I shower OR try to fit in a morning run (I find I have more energy if I get a run in first)

·         Jackson up between 6:45-7:30

·         Breakfast

·         Play inside a little bit until things are cleaned up in the kitchen

·         Walk to a park and play

·         Walk back and play inside or outside the house

·         Lunch

·         Nap

·         Walk/Run/Bike to a park and play

·         Play by the house

·         Snack

·         Might go for another walk to the park. Or trip to grocery store.

·         Dinner

·         Play in the house

·         Bath with dad while I clean up

·         Books and prayer

·         Sleep

·         Either I go workout if I haven’t yet or will enjoy a glass of wine.

 

Can you see why I’m scared for the winter? Where the heck are we going to run around outside with all that snow and COLD???  I'm going to have to get creative.

Right before he dove in the puddle

 

Jackson is learning SO much too this month.  

I feel like 16 months is when Jackson’s vocabulary really started to take off. Sometimes I don’t even know how he remembers things but he does. For instance, on his way down the stairs this morning with Karl, he pointed to the light switch and said, “lights”.  

Here are a few others things Jackson says:

1.       My brother Mike was over for dinner and counted out Jackson’s watermelon pieces. He started with one and Jackson quickly said, “two”, just like that. How???

2.       Speaking of watermelon, Jackson says, “wa-wamelon”.

3.       He’ll say “wa-wa” for water.

4.       He says, “booberries”.

5.       He can say “lawn mower” clear as day.

6.       He loves saying “ball” and he totally loves throwing balls around ALL DAY. LOVES IT.

7.       He’s working on please and thank you. I know he’s saying them but for anyone else it’s a little bit hard to hear.

8.       He loves to sweep. My mom bought him his own broom set so he loves pointing to his “broom”. He loves saying that.

9.       My mom said “aye-ye-ye” the other day and Jackson repeated. So funny.

10.   Right now fish sounds like “pssss”.

11.   Jackson and I really work on our prayers at night and I’ve made sure I’ve talked a lot about Jesus and God. When Karl was changing Jackson he accidently said…”Jeeeeezzzzz-US!” Guess who said that back?

12.   He will say the color “blue”.

13.   My father in law started Jackson on the color “purple” for the Vikings. Go Bears!

14.   My in-law’s dog’s name is Kacey and my brother and sis in law’s dog’s name is Kacey. Jackson LOVES dogs. He says “Kacey” SO cute!!!  Melt your heart cute.

Jackson's obsession

 

 

Waiting for the bus with dad at my parent's house in Illinois

I know there are more but these are what I can remember him saying.

 

It's a bird. It's a plane. No...it's SUPERMAN!

 

Being "careful" on the fish!

 

We spend HOURS at the splashpads!

Pure joy!

Dad's time with Jackson!

As for Jackson’s loves right now:

·         He loves balls. Loves them. He loves throwing them in the house too. We save the soft ones for inside, but a hard one will sneak through! Did I mention he only throws backwards?? But REALLY good backwards.

·         Loves pushing his lawn mower

·         Loves getting in those big cars (they have a couple at daycare. All the ladies say he’s obsessed. Even the teachers from other rooms.)

·         Loves helping! I shook out one of our rugs and right behind me was Jackson grabbing the other rug and taking it outside. I spill something and he’s running for the towel and wiping things up. He’s incredible

·         Loves going down the slides and getting shocked (as in touching my finger to his so he gets a little zap)

·         He loves making car noises and just watching cars and trucks

·         He is slightly obsessed with school buses so Fridays are the BEST at home. He gets so excited when all the buses go by the house.

·         Jackson loves oatmeal right now! Yay! He also can’t get enough of cooked carrots, corn on the cob, and watermelon. He very much loves frozen blueberries too. Not fresh. Frozen.

·         He also wants to be a big guy. When he sees mommy drinking out of her coffee mug, he drinks out of his thermos.

·         LOVES water. He will find a sprinkler and jump through. He’ll lick up puddles. He’ll run through splashpads. He’ll dive in pools. He’s fearless around water.

·         He loves music. He’ll stop and dance. So cute. He’s been GREAT in church too. It feels so good to be back. Ahhhh.

 

      Jackson will stop to smell the flowers:) He's teaching mom a LOT about this. And she needs it!

 

 

 More on our summer FAVES coming soon!
 

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Why We Love Summer - 16 Months

5 Reasons Summer Rocks...
In Pictures.

1. Corn on the cob. Need I say more?

 

 

2. Sprinklers are in full force.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Shirtless, shoeless days

4. Sunglasses for Jackson and mom...

 

Mom's lost it.... (not my real hairstyle...)

5. Driving with the windows down

 

 

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We Have a Toddler! - 16 Months

Jackson's First Day of "Toddler" School

I LOVE all the "First Day of School" photos I'm seeing on Facebook. Kind of funny but Jackson transitioned into the Toddler room at daycare right about the time all my Illinois friends' kids went back to school. Perfect timing.

My wild first day of Toddler school outfit

Jackson goes to a center two days a week, so we were pretty nervous the transition would take longer. He fit in right away. No problem. Slept on a COT for three hours. Say what? Painted. Drew. Learned sign language. Ate and drank meals SITTING in a chair. I'm just so impressed on so many levels.

My first picture!

Drop off still has been tough. He's excited to get there because he knows he can go outside and play and sit in his favorite red car, but he also knows that means we will be leaving him. He cries for a little bit and then waves and goes about his business. It hurts. But I know it's good for him in a way...

 

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Fun with Grandparents - 15.5 Months

Grandparents Rock

I can remember the fun I had (and still have) with BOTH sets of my grandparents. Unfortunately my grandpa (mom's side) passed away when I was in high school but I still had a pretty good chunk of my life with him. I mean, we only saw him once a year, but he lived in Arizona and had an awesome pool. I have GREAT memories.

My mom and dad and Jackson at the Como Zoo

 
Besides all that, Karl and I feel SO SO SO lucky that Jackson has SUCH fun grandparents who love him to pieces. Jim and Judy (Karl’s parents) watch Jackson right now on Monday and Tuesdays. We love this. It’s really win-win for EVERYONE. Jackson has a BLAST. And we’re pretty sure Jim and Judy look forward to the beginning of every week. It's their special time with him.

 

Walking into the Zoo (it was so crowded!)

 

 

First stop: MONKEYS!

My parents live 5 hours away and we try to make sure they see Jackson every month - if it means they come up here or we go down there. It consists of some juggling on our part and their part but we try to make it all work. I always feel so bad for the grandparents who get left out. So not fair!

 

Jackson was ready to jump in and play with his monkey buddies

 

Hey, this looks like the Zebra in my bedroom!

 

Checking out the ducks

 

Riding Pa-Pa's shoulders to be as tall as the giraffe

 

Jackson LOVES reading with Pa-Pa

Anyway, when my parents came up this last time, we were busy. We hit up the Como Zoo AND the Mall of America. In my previous “kid-free” life, this would be NO BIG DEAL. But it is a big deal once you involve a toddler! You can’t just shut down your brain to suck down some water or grab a snack. There are no breaks. Ever.

 

Slightly obsessed with balls... Thanks Old Navy!

 

At Nickelodeon Universe at MOA

 

Watching the rides!

 

Glama was eyeing up getting us in Underwater World at the MOA

Mama was WIPED come Sunday, but we all had a blast. And I’m already looking forward to the next visit. Jackson too!

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Healthy Summer Alcoholic Drink

Pineapple Basil Gin Slush

This is so delicious and packed with good stuff! Hello pineapple and basil. And this was pretty easy to whip up. Even better to drink.

• Fresh chopped pineapple
• Freshly picked basil - chopped
• Ice
• Club soda
• Gin

Put in a blender and top with pineapple slices.



No club soda in this version and STILL good

I did the same with watermelon too. So good!!!

I love summer!

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Who's the Biggest Loser Now?

Meeting Dolvett Quince from The Biggest Loser

You know me. I'm always up for an adventure and a stroll in the park with Jackson. Who am I kidding? Jackson and I will go to three parks a day during the weekends. We love being outside and we love chasing each other around the park.

It's Dolvett from The Biggest Loser!!!

For some reason I decided to quickly check Twitter one Saturday morning and saw that my buddy Dolvett from The Biggest Loser was going to be in Minneapolis for some cool dog event. Sweet!

I thought it was going to be downtown or somewhere I'd have to drive a great distance to (especially with 169 being down), but it was literally in our backyard! OK, more like Eden Prairie at Staring Lake Park but close enough. AND Dolvett was going to be at this cool park we've never been to. You better believe I stuffed the BOB stroller in the trunk and we were off in a hurry.

I didn't quite know where to go once I got there, so of course I chose the FURTHEST parking lot. Why not? That was OK. Jackson and I then RAN toward "the voice" to get loads of exercise. And to arrive fashionably late. Just what I always enjoy doing... NOT. Thankfully, we could hear Dolvett yelling through the trees and so we followed his voice. The hills were wicked but we made it. AND we discovered a super fun park along the way. Bonus!

Jackson LOVED watching the dogs run in circles and I didn't mind watching Dolvett and his gorgeous muscles teeth.

We took a break during the dog workout and played in the sweet park. I now know what most dads are doing Saturday morning. They are with their kids at the park while wifey must be getting some "me" time.

Back to reality.

I realized I wasn't hearing Dolvett's voice anymore and thought I'd missed our chance to meet him. Rats! Well, what do you know? There he was all alone and I jumped at the chance to get a little handshake. Well...Dolvett doesn't shake hands! He hugs! Woot! Woot!

 

Dolvett and O'Neil from The Biggest Loser 9

And he complimented me on Jackson. So of course I had to tell him how much I admire him and all he's doing AND his gorgeous teeth! He laughed at me.

What a FUN healthy morning!

P.S. Dolvett tweeted me later that afternoon. Kind of a big deal.

P.S.S. Karl thinks Dolvett is dreamy too.

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Jackson is 15 Months Old

15 Months Brings Mr. Personality

I feel like 15 months is when Jackson's personality really started to show. I haven't been so great at updating like I used to. I think what I'm going to do in the future is update every three months after his doctor appointments, and maybe some of the fun stuff we do. Who knows! Going with the wind here. And speaking of appointments, we had his 15-month doctor appointment two weeks ago.



There's something about this sweet smile...

Weight: 22 lbs (little skinny, healthy peanut)
Height: 31 inches
Head: Somewhere in the 50 percentile

Jackson also got three shots. Boo. He handled these a lot better than that horrid 12 month appointment. That one was brutal.

Mr. Jackson Cool

Jackson's Favorite Eats:

• Graham Crackers (oh, dear...)
• Homemade guacamole (he helps me make and loves to taste test, as in will eat by the fistful)
• Homemade smoothies (we do lots of kale, frozen berries, banana, plain Greek yogurt, etc.) He also helps mama make his smoothies. And when we're not making smoothies, he opens the drawers so he can take the Magic Bullet out to pretend he's making a smoothie - noise effects included. So cute!
• He loves spaghetti. Loves. I can fill his plate and he pretty much licks it clean.
• He loves yogurt. I've been trying plain, full fat Greek yogurt (yep, the 11 grams of fat) and mashing up fresh berries and adding a little agave.
• Loves cottage cheese with fresh berries cut up in it.
• Loves his morning pancakes. Karl is always mixing up different grain concoctions so that's fun and healthy! Like I caught Karl shredding up his cereal (oatmeal squares) and then quinoa into the pancake mix. My little pancake chemist.
• Jackson likes cowboy beans
• He likes potatoes (Karl and I aren't huge fans but we've been incorporating into our diet more.)

These are the foods I know I can give Jackson and he'll gobble up in a heartbeat. Otherwise, I will feed him what we're eating and he'll usually eat. That is, unless he's getting a tooth. Then he doesn't eat much at all. And we found that out this weekend.

Having fun with Uncle Smike

Speaking of teeth, Jackson's two upper molars came through around 14 months. It's almost like little white spikes are cutting through his gums when he opens his mouth. Crazy. And just yesterday I noticed the two white bulges on the bottom. We have two more molars coming through now. This explains why he's been SUPER clingy and FREAKS OUT whenever I leave the room. We've also noticed he is getting more birthmarks and moles. The human body always amazes me.

Who me? Crabby? Never. Innocent here.

Action Jackson Explores

• Jackson is trying to jump. It's so cute. He jumps everywhere. And runs. He is crazy active. Non-stop.
• Jackson loves the pool. He marches right in and will keep going, even if the water is up to his neck. As in the BIG pool at Life Time Fitness. He'll dive in too. He'll throw his head back under water. He's nuts. Fearless. Never can take my eyes off him for a second.
• He loves crawling up on chairs and tables and hanging off the sink in the bathroom, tipping chairs over and playing in them. It's so great. Not really.
• He had his first HARD spill. He was walking off cement steps but instead of trying the steps, he took the alternative route and fell from the very tip top to the bottom waaay below (onto cement), cracking the back of his head. I went psycho. That was NOT fun. He was fine.
• Every week he has a new bump or bruise on his face or head. It's a given. Even at daycare they say he's not the same unless he has something bruised or is bleeding. Oh man...
• He loves pointing out all the planes in the sky (just like his Uncle Smike)
• He LOVES LOVES animals, especially dogs. He makes almost ALL the sounds animals make. That will melt your heart.
• He has a separate laugh for certain things. It's quite hilarious.
• He LOVES being outside. LOVES. I think we need to try camping.
• He loves to flex for people. And has a six pack to boot.
• He'll slap both hands to his face if you say "Obama!" Thanks Grandpa Jim!
• He loves pushing his little mower around all day, every day, even on concrete or blacktop. He charges $100 an hour. Think about it.
• He loves big equipment and vehicles. He also loves riding on tractors. When he's in the car with us and he sees trailers or semis or bigger trucks, he'll say, "wow!" or "Ooooo". Then he makes the truck noise. "Varoooom"
• He says, "Mama", "Da-da", "Ball", "Bu" (for bus), "doggie", "teese" (for cheese), "Pa-Pa", "ganpa", "bubbles". He says "mama" a lot and can get stuck on repeat. I think there are more things he says but I can't totally remember. We pray every night and I swear he says, "Amen" back to me, but I can't be so sure. Sounds like it, but almost like he's singing it...

Loved playing with Uncle Ben and Laney in Lake Sylvia. Even drank some lake water. More than once. Yum.

Fearless at the pool. Catch me if you can, mom.

If I could describe Jackson's personality, I'd say:

• Fair-minded (he will share his food and some toys, but will get mad if you take something away from him.)
• Warm-hearted (Has a soft spot for animals. Or if you fake cry, he'll run over and hug you immediately. Sometimes he'll start crying right with you.)
• He's super silly (he'll run through the house and make the funniest noises while nodding his head all over the place.)
• Strong willed (when he has his mind set, forget it. And he gets pissed if something gets in his way)
• Mind of his own (see above)
• VERY curious (he rarely ever stays too close to me if we go out somewhere new. He needs to explore and run wild. I mean, he'll never keep me out of sight though. He runs back for a hug every now and again. Sometimes it takes a little bit to warm up but then he runs free.)
• Smart (I'm amazed at what this little guy knows. And how he remember things. Like, how does he know to grab his black shoes versus a different color??? Or how does he know to grab the watering can when I tell him I'm going to water the plants?)
• Helpful (Wants to want to wipe up the floor, sweep, vacuum, help with dishes, water plants, etc. when mom is doing these things.)
• Fearless (when it comes to certain things, but especially water. I swear he is testing me!)
• Trusting (When he's not going through a clingy phase, he'll warm up to pretty much anyone.)
• Energetic (Endless, endless, endless energy)

 

Mom built me this HUGE tower!!! WHOA!

Right now Jackson is in the phase of trying to get a reaction out of us. He'll throw his food, milk, spoon, fork or his cup onto the floor while he eats. Or like last night, he threw his food all over the place - all over my pants, in my face, my hair...in the hutch. He is also throwing his toys - big and small. Not OK with this, especially through the railings of our stairway. Enter our house with a hard hat please. Don't worry, we're working on training him. The doctor says not to make a huge deal out of it now because all he wants is a reaction and will keep doing it to get any reaction. It's hard not to yell, "No" though.

Pink is totally my color!

Sleep
It took until a little over a year to get Jackson to sleep solid through the night. That was a ROUGH year for me. I prayed that if God would let Jackson sleep through the night and even if he were to get up at 5 a.m. every morning I'd be so grateful for that. Guess when Jackson would get up? For about three months he was getting up at 5 a.m. every morning. OMG. God was totally listening. But a 5 a.m. wake-up time makes for a VERY long day. VERY.

BUT, there IS light!!! For a few weeks now he's been sleeping in until 7:30/8:00. WHAT A WORLD OF A DIFFERENCE for mom. Now...if he slept like this all the time, you'd have seen baby #2 on the way awhile ago. SO SO SO SO much different. I'm only half kidding here. He'll take one longer afternoon nap (anywhere from 1.5 hours to 3). Life is great. I'm telling you. I need my sleep!

Found another new park! Take off!!!

Jackson Doesn't Like

• Big loud vacuums
• Getting dropped off at daycare
• When I leave
• Long car rides (Ufdah)
• Sitting still for long
• Watching any form of television
• When the broom doesn't go the way he wants. Boy does he get pissed!

 

I promise I can behave...

Mom discovers another SWEET park! Fist bump!

Guys, I just want to help too!

So at the next appointment, Jackson will already be one and a half years old!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Say wha!?!?!? Time is FLYING!!! I want it to slow down.

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