Jackson at 19 months

We don't quite know what to make of Jackson lately. As soon as we think we've got his schedule pegged and his moods determined, he goes and switches everything up on us. He will be so good for about a week - a good sleeper, a happy guy, a good eater. Then we get the other Jackson - cranky all the time, won't sleep at regular times, doesn't eat. Arrg! It is so frustrating!

Lately he has done so many cute things and also so many things that make me want to pull my hair out, I just don't know what to think of him. The biggest thing I guess is that he is talking a lot in full sentences now. He'll say things like, "I want juice, please," or "Are you okay? Are you alright?" or "I want to get in the seat," or I want to color on the paper." However, now that he can clearly tell us what he wants, he thinks that means he automatically gets it. Timeout and spankings have become a regular part of our day. I hate that, but I also know he gets it because he'll sometimes tell himself when he is not making a good choice, "No, no, Jackson! You get a spankin'!" Then he swats himself on the bottom. Or when we put him in timeout, he (most of the time) will calm down and stop throwing the fit about whatever it is that he wants.

I'm actually impressed that he uses the pronouns me, mine, you and I correctly right now. (Mine is a personal favorite of his, where did he get that? The preschoolers don't walk around saying, "Mine, Mine, Mine." but our house sounds like that part with the seagulls in Finding Nemo since Jack has learned that fun vocab word!)

Bedtime a few weeks ago was such a simple process. I was ready to get him a big boy bed and move the crib into the baby's room, thinking no prob, my boy has got this bedtime thing down. Well now he has begun to realize exactly what the bedtime routine is, and so when we take him up to give him a bath, he emphatically insists he is hungry even if he just ate. (I want bites please!) He got us the first few times, but now that he does it every night, we aren't falling for it anymore. Then after bath, we read 3 books, after the third book, he jumps down off my lap, and races to go get another book, even though I have told him (and he understands) that was the last book. He thinks if he can do it really quickly, maybe mommy will give in!

Another funny thing is that during the day when we say prayers together at meals, I usually have a prayer helper and I basically whisper a prayer to them and they say it. Jackson will fold his arms and try to repeat my words along with the prayer helper and then proudly says Amen at the end!

In the last month or so, Jackson has become a daddy's boy more than ever. If he deosn't know where daddy is at any given moment, he searches the house hollering, "Daaaaa-deeee! Whay aw yew!?" When he gets hurt, he passes me by to go to Daddy. He wants Daddy to kiss it better! This morning when he woke up Ben had already left for school. Jack was absolutely distraught. It took me 10 minutes to calm him down and I had to use juice and Elmo! "I want Daddy. I want Daddy." He kept saying. What am I, chopped liver??