It seems like every day Jackson has learned something new or we realize he can do or understand more than we thought he could! He is saying more and more words... some of the more recent words he has learned are bubble, side (for outside), thanks, and grape. He said dinosaur a couple times but won't say it anymore. He is learning all the sounds animals make and does the cow, dog, and dinosaur really well. He is learning so many other ways to communicate too! Tonight he effectively communicated to me that he wanted water in the watering can by pointing & grunting! (And what a funny sight it was to see Jackson carrying around a watering can about 1/2 the size of him... & he wouldn't put it down, just kept toting it around everywhere he went!)
Jackson has mastered walking (although he still has the stiff bow legged walk!) and now runs (well, as fast as his little legs will allow) and tries to jump (bending his knees & raising his arms but his little feet stay planted). He can successfully climb up our slide all the way to the top and then slide down. He climbs up to stand on his little car like a skateboard, loves to climb on stools, and is very close to figuring out how to climb up onto the sofas. What a mobile little guy! Apparently he is in to a bit too much and is told "no" a lot becauseevery time we ask him a question, he says "no" even if it is something he wants. :)
Jackson's comprehension of his little world is probably a bit more advanced than we give him credit for... sometimes I ask him to do something (like to close the door) not expecting him to understand and then he does it! How fast they learn!
In the last few months we've discovered that Jackson has a bit of a temper... possibly taking after Mike a bit (ha ha!). If he doesn't get what he wants he gets physical and will either hit something (the floor, an object) or someone (usually me) or he will bang his head on something (the floor, an object) or someone (usually me). It is kinda funny in an astonishing kind of way... Isabella had more of the throw yourself down on the floor type of fits, so this is a bit new an interesting. My dad says he's a boy. :)
We just recently put Jackson's new big boy car seat (rear facing of course) in the Prius and he looks so grown up sitting in it! Isabella exclaims, "You're a big boy Jackson!" when she saw him in it the first time. :) And speaking of Isabella, she continues to torment her brother on a daily basis but I would like to believe that they are starting to play together a bit too... they both have fun playing chase or bouncing on Isabella's bed. Jackson is also starting to become a bit pushy with Isabella as well. There is a stool that Jackson is fond of and if Isabella is standing on it, he will try to push or pull her off. He isn't very effective but he is pretty determined and gets pretty aggravated at her.
Lastly, probably our biggest news this update has to do with Jackson & sleep! A few weeks ago I decided it was probably about time (& I was ready) to night wean Jackson (he still nurses 3x a day & I don't plan for him to wean completely until he's at least 2). He had been waking somewhere around 4am every night to nurse & then would go back to sleep til close to 8a. So on a Thursday night, when Mike was off for the following 3 days, I decided to stop nursing him when he woke in the middle of the night. It went better than I feared with him only crying a little & he was able to be comforted back to sleep after the first night (he was just mad the first night!). Thanks to Mike & him helping, it was really pretty easy. I think it took about 4-5 days of him still waking (where we'd go in & rock/sing to him) before he just stopped all together. So now he's been sleeping through the night for the past couple weeks & it's pretty nice! I think he is even sleeping better than Isabella at this point! He surely goes to sleep a lot quicker/easier than she does & Isabella actually wakes up in the middle of the night a few times a week (either bad dreams or her needing to be covered up). But I'm sure we'll have more bumps in the road... we'll just enjoy this for now. :)
