The Ins and Outs of a 21 Month Old!

Jack is in a great stage right now and we just love his humor, silliness, and goofy personality but he can also be quite the little stinker at this age! He learns more and more about what he wants which makes for the daily meltdown (or 2 or 3). We have been learning and developing over the past few months a little more of our parenting philosophy around the house and Joe and I have been checking in with each other to make sure we are on the same page about discipline. Each day Jack throws something new at us! It's been challenging and exciting to watch our family change and grow!

I am 38.5 weeks pregnant and I have a feeling this new addition is going to rock Jack's world! The pregnancy has been going well and, because I was late with Jack, I am preparing myself to go past that 40 week mark and just enjoy our simple family of 3! (Remind me to reread this post next week as I will be begging this baby to fall out of me!) 

We have been trying to stay cool on some of these awesome, hot summer days! We love this weather and have been spending time at the pool, walks downtown, and other outdoor cincy adventures! 

Jack has started saying 2 word sentences which has allowed him to be more specific about what he wants/needs. It's really cool to watch him figure out how to string words together. "Oh gosh, oh wow, oh yea, more please, this way, Jack's ball, Jack's plate, papa's shoes, (he is really into identifying each person's belongings and using their name and the name of the object together - Mama's shirt). Basically as we talk to him right now he repeats every 2nd or 3rd word we say. If I say to him "tell me about your day" he will respond "about day"

He knows how to be silly and how to get ahold of our hearts - which in turn makes us give into him more...Joe is better about keeping us strict about certain things and I find myself wanting to baby him more - especially as I get closer to baby #2's arrival I find myself getting sucked into the emotional side of Jack not being my only baby anymore and I become the super soft parent...

He still loves taking baths, he is getting more used to the pool, he loves more then anything to be outside, he still loves helping Papa and takes his job of cutting the grass very seriously! He loves sports and anything that has to do with basketball! He points out every basketball hoop, baseball field or football stadium as we drive around town. He talks a LOT! He likes to still snuggle and give hugs and kisses. He loves his blankie and would take "bae bae" anywhere and everywhere if we would let him (which is tempting because there is nothing blankie can't fix!) He still loves trucks and any machine that makes a loud noise! He continues to be a pretty good eater but definitely has his favorites (eggs, Brussels sprouts, yogurt, jelly, ketchup (dip it), and fruit of any kind!). He loves to kiss my belly/the baby and makes a "muah" sound followed by "aww" when he does. He still loves to nurse (which could get super interesting in a few weeks..) and he loves his best friend Henry!

He gets most upset when he has to come inside or when we tell him "the kitchen is closed." He likes to take control when playing with other kids which can cause some meltdowns, he is into the word "mine" or "jacks" and it's been great to have Henry around to help him learn to share! He still gets timid at the park when he gets near the slide and is a still working on not being scared at the pool. He collapses to the ground and covers his face when he is upset or angry but can still be distracted or redirected pretty easily. He gets very sad when he gets in trouble and his lip pouts and quivers. He is constantly checking in that Mama and Papa are around - calling out our names 20x/day just to hear us say "yes?" He hates diaper changes but is still a super easy kid to put down for naps/bed! He still loves to sleep and continues two naps a day. I can tell each day he is getting more independent and growing up! I feel the new baby will give him a chance to grow up even more, but will also be a bit of a threat to him and his time with Mama and Papa! 

We love you little buddy! We can't wait to see how awesome of a big brother you will be! We will grow together as a family and figure out how to adjust to this exciting new addition! Life as a mom has been more then I could have ever dreamed of and I can't believe how blessed I am to get to do it all over again! Jack has completely stollen my heart and after 21 months of him in my life I still get giddy every morning to open his bedroom and snuggle him in my arms and hear him say "mama!!" With such enthusiasm! Bring it on baby #2!!