I've been meaning to do another monthly update post on Jacob for the past few months. I haven't done one since he turned 18 months old in December and he changes so much so quickly. I want to get as much as I can down on paper so that I can remember what this age was like.
Here's a glimpse into what Jacob is doing these days:
His language continues to just grow by leaps and bounds. He seems to be picking up new words and phrases daily. He will say three- and four-word sentences often these days. Some of the phrases we hear the most lately are "What the matter?", "What you doing?", "Who dat?", and "That one" (when he wants something). He still doesn't understand the "me" concept so he will call himself "you" (for example, he'll say "You do it" but he really means that he wants to do it.) It can be confusing sometimes, but it is also really cute!
He has some interesting names for foods based on what he relates them to. Two examples are: 1) he calls Frosted Mini-Wheats "Uncle Mike's cereal" because my brother, Mike, was eating them when we were last visiting with him. And (2) he calls shredded cheese "Daddy's cheese" because Keith was eating it on his salad one night and Jacob wanted some.
He is getting better and better at saying "please" when he asks for something, although I still have to remind him daily. He is also getting the concept of "thank you" a lot better and every now and then he will say it without me prompting him. He knows that he is supposed to say "excuse me" when he burps or toots, although I have never heard him initiate that (but he will say "scuse me" if I say "What do you say when you burp?"). He also doesn't understand the "I'm sorry" concept and he will say "I sorry" when I hurt him (if I accidentally bump into him or when I do something that causes him discomfort). He recently had a really bad diaper rash and every time I changed a poopy diaper and had to use a wipe to clean him up, he would wimper and say "I sorry, I sorry, I sorry". It broke my heart because I knew it didn't feel very good. I tried to be gentle, but I still had to wipe kind of hard sometimes to get him fully cleaned. He also says "All done, all done, all done" over and over again when you are doing something to him that he doesn't want you to (like getting the snot out of his nose or wiping his face after he eats).
His favorites things these days continue to be his matchbox cars, trucks and construction vehicles. He also still loves to read books and is getting better and better at repeating the words without us prompting. Keith thinks he is going to be an early reader, but I just think he has a really good memory! He did a really funny thing the other day when Keith was reading to him. He apparently got tired of the book that they were reading so he said "ok, the end" and shut the book. Funny boy! He continues to enjoy being outside - either swinging or going for walks in the wagon. Keith has been taking him for walks in the evenings and on the weekends and he loves it (it helps that the weather is getting warmer and it stays lighter later). Lately, whenever we are in the car and I drive past one of the roads that they walk on, he says "Daddy take a walk".
Jacob is definitely better with his stranger anxiety, but I would still consider him shy around most people (even family at first). A few weeks ago, he stayed with my parents while Keith was out of town and I was doing a Tastefully Simple party and he did really well. My mom said that he asked about me a lot, but he didn't cry or get upset at all. He doesn't fuss anymore when I leave him with Keith or vice versa and that is REALLY nice. Last night, I left to go out to dinner with some friends and I was able to kiss him goodbye and tell him I love him. He waved at me and say "Bye Mommy".
He still sleeps and eats really well. He is sleeping about 12 hours at night (8pm-8am) and most days he takes a 2-3 hour nap. For three days this week, he had some trouble falling asleep at naptime and was in his crib for almost two hours before he fell asleep. Thankfully, today he was back to normal and fell asleep not long after I put him in the crib. His eating habits seem to be the same as they have been. He continues to love fruits and vegetables and of course, bread (just like his Daddy!). Yogurt, cheese (especially "Daddy's cheese") and Cheese-Its ("Cheese crackers") are his favorites right now. And, breakfast is definitely his favorite meal. He will sit for a really long time and eat (usually a banana with either oatmeal, "Uncle Mike's cereal", or sugar/cinnamon toast). It helps that our routine is that he is able to watch a video while he is eating.
Sometimes he asks for "Elmo songs on TV" as soon as he gets up. I try to keep his TV watching to a minimum, but I admit that I am not a huge stickler about it and he will sometimes watch videos a lot in the morning (especially if we don't have anywhere to go). Lately he is very indecisive and seems to only watch a video for a short time before he wants to switch to something else. I know he is just trying to exert his control of the situation, but it is quite exhausting for Mommy!
Along with trying to control a situation, he is also starting to show his independence more and more. He wants to be able to do things himself and will get upset if I do something for him when he wanted to do it. I shot this video a few weeks ago and it is a perfect example of his need for independence!
As you can see, Mommy still wants to be able to help. I love seeing his little mind working and enjoy watching him learn. I am also glad that he is able to do more things for himself, but I am sad that my baby is growing up!
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