Annie One Can Cook: Jackson's 24 Month Update

Well, it finally happened... my baby turned 2! HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN?! Weren't we just in the hospital anxiously awaiting our little guys release from the NICU? Weren't we just bringing him home to meet the entire family Christmas morning (2013)? Wasn't he JUST trying to learn how to roll over from his back to his stomach?! Bear with me a moment as I take a look back at the last two years... (For your viewing enjoyment, please YouTube Barbara Streisand's "The Way We Were" as you look through these pictures.)

*long heavy sigh*

Okay, before I get even more mushy, let's take a look back at Jackson's month:

Weight: 23.5 lbs.

Length: 33 inches (that's a total guess...)

Nicknames: Jax, Buddy, Tinks, Stinker, Jacksie, Bubs, Buttercup, Stinker

Wearing: 18 month pants & 24 month tops (he has short legs and a long torso) and pajamas; Size 3 diapers.

Sleep: Between teething troubles and a bit of a cough/cold, we didn't sleep very well... the last few nights, however, he has slept in his crib until at least 6:30 before coming into our bed for another hour or two.

Jax likes: Bella, friends, building things, reading, opening presents, going for walks, doing puzzle, coloring/drawing, taking pictures on mommy's phone, Grammy & Grandpa's house, Mickey Mouse, "helping" around the house, showing off, church, playing at open gym, Family Feud, clapping

Jax dislikes: Snow, being told no, time out, bed time

Food: Cheese, veggie pasta, sweets, breads, oatmeal, Belvita, strawberries, peanut butter crackers, Greek yogurt... and that's about it for our picky boy!

Teeth: This poor kid... he FINALLY cut his 4th eyetooth and now his 2-year molars are beginning to emerge! You can tell he doesn't feel good at all and tries his hardest to shove his hand/wet washcloth/anything he can possibly find toward the back of his mouth to chew on :(

Happenings: Meeting his BFF Oliver for the first time; 2nd Thanksgiving (at the Hansens); tree/house decorating; Hays trip to see Nana, Russell, Aunt Britney, and the kids; singing carols and delivering Christmas cards to the senior center; snow day; visit to Grammy & Grandpas; 2nd birthday party at the rec center.

~This boy is all about Christmas and I couldn't be happier! On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Brandon put up the Christmas lights on the house and then we went to mass, ordered a pizza, watched Frosty, and decorated our tree! It was such a fun night!! Aside from loving our tree (and occasionally giving it hugs whenever we come home), this kid is all about outdoor Christmas lights! We've had a few unseasonably warm December nights, so we've taken advantage by walking as a family around the neighborhood to see all the decorated homes. On the first night, Jax was so cute and kept saying "MA?" (more.) Christmas really is more fun when you have kids!

~A few weeks ago, we had our weekly popcorn night and shared a bag while we watched Family Feud in bed. Anyway, once the popcorn was finished and I'd taken the bowl back downstairs to clean, Brandon and I both noticed Jackson still chewing on something. When I asked him what was in his mouth, he said "NOTHING", clear as day! Brandon and I looked at each other puzzled and asked each other, "did he just say 'nothing'?" Of course, he hasn't said it since, so I'm not sure if it was a fluke or if he's just holding out on us...

~For his birthday, my Aunt Nancy and Uncle Rolf gifted Jax with a Melissa & Doug puzzle containing a bunch of different locks (which is the same one he LOVES playing with at the library). Anyway, he was all about latching and unlatching every lock, but eventually started pointing to the numbers on the board. That's when everyone started asking "Where's 1, 2, 3, etc." and he actually pointed to each one -- I was shocked!!! We count all the time but I have never actually sat down with him to show him what each number looked like, so the fact that he could point to each number (even when we didn't do them in order) was amazing!!

~We hosted Jackson's birthday party at our local rec center on Saturday and it couldn't have been more fun! MUCH more to come later this week.

~I mentioned earlier that we've had a rough month of sleep and I'm starting to think that part of the issue is night terrors... I've done a lot of research and it seems like he's too young to have them, but it's the only explanation I have for him waking up screaming in the middle of the night, freaking out if I try to pick him up, standing in a corner of his crib staring at the wall, and repeating the process over and over for the next 30 minutes, when he finally collapses and falls back asleep. My dad had night terrors as a kid and our nephew has them, so I'm not sure if it's a genetics thing or what, but will definitely be bringing it up to his doctor at his 2-year well check.