The thing is....
well, I thought that....
....it's just that I assumed....
well, that....he'd always NEED me. And, even if there was a point in time where I *knew* he didn't *actually* need me...I always thought that he'd THINK that he needed me. (am I being insane clear?)
Jack has totally called bullshit on me.
Since he started walking -- he has BURST out of his tiny little cautious shell -- into this great, big world and he's clear about one thing: He doesn't *need* me.
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| See what I mean? Already making board room decisions. |
He doesn't need me to get him from point A to point B or to feed him or to bathe him, apparently. He splashes around like a maniac, plays with the ducks, squirts water all over himself everywhere and then tries to climb out - alone.
I would just like to know when he learned how to use that spoon by himself?
He's like a real person. He walks, talks, smiles a LOT, thinks just about everything is funny, doesn't want to eat when he has a bellyache, ALWAYS wants to eat otherwise, has the occasional meltdown over nothing and totally picks favorites along the way. He has a little attitude when we try to take something away from him, he gives dirty looks and he still cries and reaches out for a hug when you tell him "no."
When did he decide that he had a favorite book ("booky")...and that he should back his way into your lap and hand you the book to read to him. I mean, WHAT?! (oh, and by "read to him" - I mean, read it to him 4000 times in a row)
The itsy bitsy spider gets a lot of airplay in this house...all you have to do is ask "where's the spider, Jack?" -- and it's ON.
He has learned to voice his displeasure, get his own tricycle out and how to push Lucky around without abandon.
You can no longer "hide" things from him nor can you "trick" him into eating foods he doesn't necessarily like (there are *some* foods that he won't eat).
You can't hide his head from anymore either:
He can tell you the difference between a hat, a pot, a dog, a light, a duck, a ball, a binky, a bucket and a truck. He's mastered all of the three letter words we can find -- and luckily, hasn't picked up on momma's favorite 4 letter word. Yep, that's me - Mother of the Year.
We met watched one of the many rabbits in our yard:
He knows that steam means "hot" and that it goes "up" from the "pot" -- and if he doesn't know what something is, well, he asks "what's that?" -- which sounds more like "whas zat?" It's so fun to watch him learn...and be amazed by every day things that are new.
You know what else is a new experience? Roadtripping with a toddler. Ho-Ly Crap. Don't think for a second that we let him watch Sesame Street for 2 hours straight (we totally did) because good parents would have split time sitting in the back seat with him teaching him his ABCs. Right. Believe that happened.
With all of our travels with Jack, we've mastered the "crawl on the floor to avoid being seen from the pack & play" move in the hotel room....because, well, babies need their own room and being in the SAME room with them when they need to go to sleep at 7pm simply means that you have to have all adult conversations in the hotel bathroom -- which isn't nearly as cool as it sounds.
He can pick "Dada" from a lineup, a picture, through a window and with his eyes closed....and MOST of the time he will call me "Mama" -- but he's not as consistent with me. He thinks the sun rises and sets in Matt. He wants to throw the ball with Matt, follow Matt everywhere, cut the grass with Matt and bang on the window when Matt's outside. He looooooves that man (me too!).
I can, though, take pride in the fact that he only wants me if he's in pain or doesn't feel good or is really tired and wants to sleep on someone. Will it always be that way?
I always say the current age is my favorite....and although I miss my newborn and ALL that that means, I wouldn't trade THIS age for anything in the world.
He'll always be my Baby Jack, but now he's my sweet toddling Jack Jack.
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