Jack-ism

Shortstop has started getting in and out of the tub on his own after bath time.  While I know he is old enough, I worry about him slipping or getting too cold so I ask him not to each time until either mom are dad are in there with him.
Tonight after he was done with his bath, he called for dad in the other room (I struggle bathing him with this big belly of mine) and Mark said "Are you ready to get out?" As Shortstop said "Yes!" he was already climbing out of the tub.  I was watching this whole thing without him knowing I was there.  He gets out on his own, rubs his chest, shivers, looks up and sees me just looking at him.  I raised an eyebrow just waiting to see what he would say.  He looked sheepishly at me, looked around the bathroom and suddenly raised both hands in the air, jumped and yelled "Ta-da!"
The kid is smart.  If he makes it seem like a magic act, how can I get mad?

Jack-ism

Tonight we were being silly with Shortstop before bedtime and playing in the living room.  Mark told him "Ok son, go to bed.  Go crawl into your crib all by yourself.  Goodnight".  With a smirk on his face, Shortstop got on hands and knees and "crawled" all the way to his room and to his crib.  Love that he already has a sense of humor.

Jack-ism

This pregnancy has been a little different than Shortstop's.  I have been a bit more sick, a lot more tired and a bit more sick...did I say that already?  I am not complaining, believe me!  I am grateful just to be able to be pregnant.  It took almost two years and help with fertility drugs to get Shortstop to show up so getting pregnant after only 6 months was awesome!  I think it snuck up on me and was a bit of a surprise since it happened "so fast".  I felt the normal tired and everything that every pregnant woman feels but the all day nausea came and that was no fun.  Nothing worse than anyone else, just not fun.  But Shortstop has been amazing!  I have good days when I don't throw up at all and then I have days that that is all I do.  On a good note...I haven't gained a pound! :)  Since I was not a stick figure when I got pregnant, I am not too concerned about this.

Back to my little man and why he is so perfect.  He is such a sweet little boy and if I am laying down in the middle of the day or I start gagging while making him eggs (why does he insist on eggs right now?) he asks "Mommy sick?"  Then I say yes but that I am ok.  Well one morning, as usual, I had to throw up. I try to keep him out of the bathroom or get him to play with toys since it makes him pretty nervous to see me like that.  But he opens doors and is my shadow no matter what I am doing.  So when I heard a very soft voice right next to me saying "Mommy?"  I tried really hard to say I was ok and he could go play.  He just stood there and said "Hand?"  So I put my hand out and he held it, laid on my back/shoulder, starting patting my hair and said "It's ok mommy.  All better."  I just started crying right then and there.  I know where he learned that...his dad is the sweetest person in the world and is always comforting no matter the situation.  I was just amazed that he understood it was a time to comfort and love.  Then when I was done, he smiled and said "Ok mom...play!"

I worked full time through my last pregnancy all the way up to check outs two weeks before Shortstop was born and people tell me how much harder it is to have a toddler when you are pregnant.  For some, I believe that may be true but not with this toddler.  This kid is incredible, so sweet and patient.  He does LOVE when dad comes home since that is time to really play but he is so good to me.  There are days he will read books cuddled in bed with me for over an hour, checking on me every so often by putting his face in mine and waiting for me to open my eyes and smile.  Other times he just plays in his room while I lay on his floor.  As long as I am near, he is happy.  And that makes it so easy.

I am doing great and doing better every day.  I am so excited to add another one to our little family!  Such a blessing to welcome a baby into your life whether it is through birth, adoption, fostering or by being an aunt or an uncle.  And I am happy to be a part of it!

Jack-ism

Throughout his life my little Shortstop has decided that falling asleep for bed or naps is fine as long as he can laugh, sing and play for a while in his crib by himself.  And really, I take no issues with it.  After 15 minutes or so, I go in to make sure he hasn't thrown his pacifier too far or lost Puppy, Buddy or Nemo (the must have stuffed animals for sleeping) and he smiles and says "Hi mommy."  Well, just this week, he has added the adorable request..."Rock-a-bee?"  He wants me to pick him up and rock him in the rocking chair and let me tell you...I have ZERO complaints with this.

I pick him up, he giggles and lays on my shoulder and we rock-a-bye.  He then requests "Temple" to which I sing "I love to see the Temple".  (It has become his favorite song and favorite drive destination).  I am allowing these little sleep interruptions for as long as he will let me do them.  I know he is pulling at my heart strings to not have to go to sleep right away but he knows how to play the game, that's for sure.

Jack-ism

Mark and his boy went to the Bean Museum for a father/son outing while I finished my Relief Society lesson. While there, they saw lots of other kids and families. They walked by a 2 and half year old looking at three large bears with his parents. The parents asked him "How many bears are there?" He looked and counted "1, 2...6" The parents chuckled but did not say anything. As Mark and Shortstop walked by, my little man quietly and under his breath as if to himself said "3."

Such a smart boy but not all up-in-your-face-I-am-smarter-than-you smart. Which is good. :)

Jack-ism

The other day... was a...rough one. Shortstop just loves saying no to anything and everything, even if he wants it or does it. And now mealtimes are the BANE. OF. MY. EXISTENCE! He turns his nose up at almost everything I make but that is not the part that gets me. The part that gets both Mark and I is that he will quietly and sneakily sit there and drop his plate, fork and cup on the floor soon to be followed by whatever food he has chosen to hate. I am always on my hands and knees cleaning up spills. We have tried time outs, ignoring him, putting his stuff back on the tray without saying anything, putting his stuff back on the tray while getting after him, putting him in his room right away, excusing him from the dinner area...you name it and we have tried it. But I digress.

So the other morning he was finishing breakfast, one he actually likes, and still threw his stuff everywhere. We got him down and he proceeded to make a mess all over with his discarded food before I could get to it. My hands were soapy doing dishes and Mark was busy doing some Saturday honey-do list item so I said in a very exasperated tone "Jack! You know what...go sit on your time out stool until I can come to you." Now he is only 21 months and I knew there was no way this would work. But I was wrong. He looked at me, put the toy he was playing with down, hung his head and sauntered into the other room. Mark said he watched him from behind the door as he sadly sat on his stool, put his hands in his lap and with the cutest pouty lips ever, kept his head hung until we came in a minute later. I forgot why I was mad at him and just hugged him (while trying not to let him see me laughing for fear of giving him mixed signals...) Turned out to be a pretty good day.

Jack-ism

I have seen on other blogs people write funny or cute things their kids say. I love that for journaling reasons so I think I will do that. And if you are not interested, no offense taken and see you next post! :)

Tonight Shortstop was reading his books in the hall and Mark and I were talking in the room. The door was shut but we could hear him turning pages. Then it got quiet and he put his hand under the door and kept saying "Buh-deee". We finally realized he was calling for dad, his buddy since that is what Mark always calls him. The minute we opened the door he said "Dada, buddy, up".

He also has been saying "Mun-ee" for the past few days whenever Mark and him are playing. We finally realized tonight what he means. You may remember this video (first one). He is saying "money" wanting Mark to hold him up to the wall. Hilarious!