14, I mean 15 months and counting!

Yes, I’m doing Jack’s 15 month post before Max’s 3 year old post, even though Max’s came first this month—but 15 months is so much less traumatic for a mother. So I’m focusing on the easy and uneventful. Also I missed the 14 month update, oops! I’m not sure that ever happened with Max, but when I had Max, he was never like Jack… let me explain:

When I shower, Jack unrolls the toilet paper in both bathrooms in a matter of seconds. There is always a pile of unused but rather crumpled toilet paper on our vanities.  With Max, he’d just sit outside my shower and wait.
 Jack climbs up the green couch onto the desk and “plays” up there with pencils and pens like it’s no big deal. Max played with his toys or with things I gave him to play with, the end.
 Jack stands on his own, although he doesn’t walk, BUT he thinks he skillful enough at standing to stand “handsfree” on the stairs. Max would never do something as daring as stand on the steps—he has always been way too cautious for such shenanigans.
 If Jack sees any type of ledge, anywhere that we are, he will climb up and down it 2983764 times. Max would look at it and stay at my side.
 And Jack can make the most disastrous mess out of a pretzel. Singular. I don’t understand it and I can’t explain, but this child is so messy, it’s crazy. And there are not words for what happens when he eats “messy” food. Now Max wasn’t clean, but when compared to Jack, they’re in different leagues. 

So needless to say, Jack, in all his wonder and boyness and cuteness, keeps me on my toes. His personality is the best! Full of funny faces and drama and he already has a really great sense of humor. Not the sarcastic kind, but more the class clown. His “thing” this week is to fake sneeze with a big “ahh ahh ahh ahh choo!” and then grins. He always blows his nose (fake) every time he gets his hand on a tissue. It’s so cute.

Our little Jack is growing up so quickly right now. I love how they go through phases and then stall out for a couple weeks- I'm pretty sure God planned it that way because he knew mom-hearts couldn't take much more! He's lost his baby looks and has cruised right into the toddler-- his face is more grown up and his body is really thinning out-- the only rolls left is the one on his thigh, and luckily, his hands are still that baby chub. Even his hair is growing (finally!) and getting long in the back. That's right, he's rocking a baby mullet-- but don't worry, we'll take care of that before the GA/FLA game-- I wouldn't want him to be mistaken as a Gator fan, blah!

At nap time, Jack basically lunges for his bed because he's so happy to see it-- when I leave, he stands up and plays and jumps and dances for about 30 minutes-- talking and jabbering to himself the whole time. Then he hollers until I come back in, re-lay him down on his back and kiss him goodnight and then he's out for several hours. I love how he loves his bed and how he loves to sleep (it took us long enough to get to that!) and how he still needs his mama to tuck him in-- what a doll, that boy!

He gives the stank eye or the grumpiest face ever, just until he gets your full attention and then he grins, almost as a retraction of the first face. He throws crazy fits that are instantly over as soon as he gets what he wants and he is the king of arching his back, throwing himself backwards and thrashing about. But if I pop him, even though it’s ever so gentle, he’ll wail like I chopped off his arm and snuggle into my neck like a mistreated pup.

Prior to Jack, I was always “amazed” by moms who complained about keeping their house picked up or how much their children got into—I just thought that they weren’t keeping an eye on their children or they were sitting around on their rumps all day… NO, not true, they were just raising Jack-like children instead of Max- like children. I’m sure it has a lot to do with birth order, but these are two totally different characters for sure.

Jack is so much more loving and snuggly than Max ever was. Jack also prefers to be held a lot more than Max did at this age—obviously, Jack does like to explore, but if I sling him up on my hip and carry him about my day, he’s just as happy that way too.

Jack is also really content—he’ll sit in the stroller or in the car for really long periods of time- he’ll go with the flow for the most part. He also is “content” crawling and not talking. He understands so much, responds to so much, even says a word or two every now a then, but heaven forbid he actually cooperate in learning a thing or two. And he can take steps and has great balance, but if you ask him to walk, he just laughs and crawls away. For some reason, he reminds me a lot of his Uncle Sam, wonder why……

Jack knows where his nose is, he woofs every time he sees a dog, he dances if I tell him he’s about to see his Daddy, he’ll wave bye bye, and he says “uh oh” about a million times a day. Otherwise, he prefers to keep the “tricks” to a minimum, smirking at me when I ask him to perform instead. I just love his spunk, his stubbornness and the adventures that are ahead of us with this little man. And I just can’t get enough of how different my two boys are—I’ll never have this parenting thing figured out and I’ll always need God for wisdom when it comes to raising them. Being a parent to these two is such a gift—I am so blessed!

Oh my Jack, my love! How I adore your blue eyes and your chunky legs—I love that your fingernails are always dirty like you’ve been exploring caves or building something—I love how I always find leftovers from your previous meal in your hair or in your belly button. I love your smile and your adoration for me—and I just can’t tell you how much I adore you. You’re quite the boys—sent straight to me from our Heavenly Father. Regardless of how big you get, you’ll always be our “Baby Jack” and there is nothing you can do to make us stop loving you. And remember that God’s love is even more perfect than that! God loved you enough to send His Son—spend your life sharing this Good News! As Max would say, “We lub you FOREBBER!”