22 months

I haven't done an update on Jaqs lately, so I thought I'd share a little of what she's up to (and in to!) lately so I'd have it to look back on. I love looking back and seeing how much my baby girl has grown and changed! Cannot believe how close we're getting to her SECOND birthday. What?!

-constantly talking up a storm & parroting everything

-we can understand much of what you say, but of course, we have to translate for others

-you prefer veggies to fruit but prefer carbs to anything else ;)

-total milk-aholic, side note: milk="noke" no idea why, but it's cute!
-you LOVE smoothies & think it's ice cream.

-insist we pray before each meal
-we're in the middle of a move & you've been asking for "home??" fairly often

-RUNNING everywhere

-mickey mouse rocks your world

-very particular about the placement and order of things
-HATE having your hair brushed & refuse anything but having it clipped back with a bow

-you make us put our drinks on coasters ;)

-you announce whoever walks in the door. ie: "daddy's home!" "mommy's here!"

-you give the very best hugs and kisses. we'll never get enough!

-suddenly love to be rocked (mostly for stalling purposes, i presume)

-sleeping 11-12 hour nights & taking a 2-3 hour nap

-extremely shy with people you're not around regularly
-love to "help" with everything from laundry to loading/unloading the dishwasher
-if you hear me doing something, you come running saying "baby help!"

-love reading & can be found doing so in your closet several times a day

-you know some shapes: heart, square, circle, star, moon (crescent)

-you also can identify all basic colors & quite a few letters of the alphabet

-you are quite the wild child & love to do anything dangerous

-love trucks, tractors & motorcycles
-coloring is your favorite

-you have excellent manners :) almost always say "thank you," "please," and "no thank you"

-finally started referring to yourself as Jaqs instead of "baby" most of the time

-obsessed with shoes & can be heard saying "I like your shoes!" to everyone

-totally addicted to the paci--it's only allowed at nap/bedtime

-love playing mommy to your baby dolls & stuffed animals
-started going to the church nursery regularly

-wearing mostly 2T stuff, but tops are starting to get short again

-size 7 shoes

-size 4 diapers

-25 pounds, almost 34 inches...long & lean as always!

18 months!

Doing pictures in your chair is basically impossible now...this is the only non-blurry one we managed ;) I'll be darned if I'm giving up on it though! They're my favs.

big, busy girl

sweet...

sassy..

and SILLY, too :)

• You're a pro at the one nap a day now & have been taking a good 2-3, sometimes more, hour nap each afternoon beginning around 1-1:30. Bedtime is still 8 & you're usually up around 7:30-8 the next morning.
• You have 16 teeth! All we have to go now are 2 year molars. It seems you've been early on the others, so I'll be interested to see if those come in soon.

• You love all the same foods that you have before, plus you're a lot better at eating fresh apples, carrots, and other harder foods lately. You still don't love meat most of the time unless it's really tender or ground.
• I really can't even keep up with your vocabulary anymore. You understand SO many words, and I'd bet that you can say at least 40-50, maybe more. You're also now putting 2 words together. You mostly say "more ___" and "hi ___" We are loving our little chatter box!
• With this newfound ability to understand more, you are also getting pretty good at following directions! You love to help me throw things away, put your cups in the sink when you're finished, find your shoes, etc. 
• That being said, you also throw plenty of fits because we don't understand you all the time ;)
• Tantrums happen mostly when you're tired/hungry, so we do the best we can to avoid that because they are NOT FUN. Thankfully you still get over things pretty quickly.
• You can point to all your facial features, including "eye-boughs" (eye-brows) and most of your body parts when asked.
• You are obsessed with football & bring me the remote all the time asking for "hot-ball." Daddy has you brainwashed already! Hehe.
• You're also obsessed with airplanes. You love to be outside and watch them go by...in fact, you even spot them faster than I can much of the time.
• You aren't super interested in many toys that we own, but you do love wooden puzzles, balls, and stuffed animals. Play at home usually consists of destroying something! Who needs toys?

• You continue to love the outdoors and would always rather be out than in. Now that the weather is nicer, we've been going to parks at least every other day.

• We've also started going to story time at the library which you LOVE. You love to bounce and clap your hands along with the songs, and you sit so still in my lap listening when the teacher reads. I think you also love to watch all the other kids that go.

• Your favorite books are Goodnight Moon, Guess How Much I Love You, and some other random books I picked up on the Target $1 aisle.
• Mickey Mouse Clubhouse ("icky") is still your favorite show and really the only you watch...you usually watch one episode a day & it's often broken into 2 parts. Ha! Too busy for sitting still.
• Some serious stranger anxiety has set in once again, and you embarrass me ALL THE TIME with it. I try not to let it bother me, but man, I wish you would stop crying when people you aren't familiar with try to speak to you! As embarrassing as it is for me, I know it's probably scary for you, so I'm sensitive to that and try not to push you. Hopefully you will grow out of it quickly though ;)
• You now pucker up for kisses! No more slobbery, open mouth kisses. *tear* Listening to you smack on all your stuffed animals & baby dolls is pretty sweet though.
• You love the little baby we keep 2 days out of the week, and I'm so glad!

• You've renamed Grammie & GPop to "Gigi & Pop." I don't think they mind one bit.
• You have taken a serious interested in what I'll call "pre-potty training" in the last month. You are curious about all of our, ahem, anatomy, and always want to join us in the bathroom. We're letting you and hoping that it will lead us to an easy potty training experience! You always tell me when you've gone #2, but you haven't wanted to actually sit on the potty to do so.
• Your love for animals continues, and right now you are all about fish, or "eesh!"
• You did so well with shots this time! I'm so proud of you and even happier we don't have to worry about any more until you're FOUR! Crazy.
• You're in mostly 24m-2T clothing, but you can still wear 18m on bottom, tiny hiney!
• You have pretty big feet...you're getting close to growing out of your 6's now.
• You finally graduated to a size 4 diaper! You were in a size 3 for a full YEAR!
• According to your well check, you are right at 24 lbs (50th percentile) and nearly 33 inches long (80th percentile). Our little string bean!

A year and a half, angel baby. I cannot believe it. You will always be our baby, but there's hardly any "baby" actually left in you these days. Watching you grow and learn has been the sweetest gift, and I'm so excited about the years ahead with you. Thanks for making me "mama." We love you with ALL we've got, sweet pea!

16 months

At some point, I decided doing these updates every 2 months would be sufficient, so I guess I'll continue on with that little trend! I feel like you change SO MUCH from week to week though; it's hard to keep up! I knew the first year would fly by, but this second one is going at the speed of lightening as well.

there was no way you were sitting still empty-handed ;)

your famous "wink" face...it's always a hit!

enough of this, mom

so much sass

those eyes...they melt us.

• Biggest change! We're officially on one nap now and have been for close to 3 weeks. About once a week you want 2 naps, so we just roll with it and put you down when you need it. Your night sleep is the same...about 12-13 hours. NEVER STOP, okay? ;)
• You have been teething on and off for the last few weeks, so sometimes you're pickier about eating than others. For the most part, you continue to be a pretty good eater. You certainly have your finicky days, but we try not to press you too hard if you're not having it. Your favorite foods are basically the same as before, and lately you've been obsessed with "nanas" (bananas) and "cwakahs" (PB crackers). Your favorite dinner that I make is honey salmon & sweet potatoes...you'll eat it every time!
• Speaking of teeth, you have 13 of them! One of your top canines broke through, and the other 3 are on their way.
• You looooooove your milk! You stand at the fridge & sign for milk several times a day! You go through about a gallon a week.

• We dropped the bedtime bottle a couple weeks shy of 15 months, and you handled it very well. We still sit in your rocking chair & say prayers while you drink your last cup of milk before bed. Who knows when we'll change that up, but for now, it works well for all of us.
• Lord have mercy, you are ALL OVER THE PLACE. Running, climbing, jumping...you are one busy little bee. I'm usually exhausted by the end of the day trying to keep up! Full blown toddler, for sure.

this is your "whatcha gonna do bout it?" look. oy.

• You say so many new words that I've lost count. I had counted 25 at 15 months, and I'd say you've added at least 5-10 since then. You try to parrot everything we ask you to say, too :) You are also a pro at animal sounds! Ha. They include: pony, doggy, kitty, cow, chicken, duck, monkey, owl, bunny (hop hop), and sheep.
• You have really taken to playing with your baby doll lately. You carry her around with you a lot, and you love to give her a paci & put her in her crib. Sweet girl!
• Your favorite playtime activities (at home) are reading, doing your wooden puzzles, and sorting. You also love to toss & catch any type of ball. I'm constantly amazed with your hand-eye coordination. 

this picture sums you right up :)
paci, pearls, bow & a football!

• You sign for all done, where is it, more, and milk.
• You have started some really bad things like PINCHING this month. Yikes. Where do you even learn this stuff?? You've been handling the discipline for it pretty well (for the most part), so I hope it's short lived.
• You love some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It's the only show you watch, and we usually allow you to watch one episode each day. Watching you do the hot dog dance is maybe one of the funniest things ever! Cracks us up.
• Your hair drives you nuts if it's in your eyes, so you actually PREFER to wear a bow now! I never thought I'd see the day! Makes me proud ;)
• You really enjoy having saline squirted in your nose. So bizarre, but so funny! Every time I spray it in your nose, you say "more!!" Silly girl.
• You are a total water baby and have spent a good portion of your summer at the kiddie water-park near our house. We became members at the beginning of the season, and it turned out to be a great investment!
• You would ALWAYS rather be outside than in...regardless of how HOT it is!

• You are still wearing 18m, 24m & 2T clothing. You wear bigger tops because you're so long waisted, but you have a tiny hiney, so you can even still fit into 12m stuff on bottom!
• Your feet grew a lot! 6's fit best.
• You're still in size 3 diapers during the day, and we're about to go to 5's at night because you wet so much.
• You weigh 23.5 lbs & you're 31 inches long. (According to your 15m well-check.)

My sweet Jaqsy Pea, I wish I could even put into words how much I love you, but I'll never be able to. No matter how hard some days are, they all end the same: me praising God for giving you to me while I rock with you before bed. You are our JOY, and I love every little thing about you!

14 months

I didn't know if I would continue on with monthly posts or not after Jaqs' first birthday, but I think I'll keep doing them sporadically for my memory's sake. I know they're not the most riveting read for y'all, but I love looking back to them and remembering things that I wouldn't have otherwise!

These pictures are virtually impossible to take now!
No more sitting, posing, and smiling for momma? Stinker ;)

At FOURTEEN months:

• Up until last week, sleep had been essentially the same, but you've started showing signs of being ready for one nap instead of two. We've been following the same "schedule," but most days you only nap once and play around for the other. This has called for some early bedtimes though, so the 13 hour nights have been nice! ;)
• You're a total blankie addict for sleeping. Those little lovies can calm you down like nothing else.
• You are back to being fine with most fruits, and you are usually a great eater! You also love most veggies. You still can't really eat anything raw although you love to try. You normally eat whatever we are having, but favorites include mac & cheese, grilled cheese, almond butter & jelly, fish sticks, quesadillas, and CFA nuggets. Typical kid food! Salmon & pulled pork are a couple other favorites.
• The one extremely frustrating thing you do is throw food on the floor if you're either done with it or don't like it. It drives us CRAZY, and we've been unsuccessful in breaking this habit. Not cute, little lady!
• You love, love milk and either drink that or water all day.
• You run around CONSTANTLY. You love to be busy, busy and on the go! There is no sitting and playing/watching TV happening for you, but you do love to climb in our laps with books :) We always soak that up!
• Speaking of books, you LOVE them. We can ask you to get a specific book, and you pretty much always come back with the right one. Board books are still preferred otherwise you rip the pages out.

• You now have TWELVE teeth! That's twice as many as you had 2 months ago! I'm happy to report that you cut all 4 molars without any problems. I have to say I was both shocked and thrilled about this! I thought for sure we'd have some rough nights with those bad boys. Hopefully your canines will come without much issue also!
• You jabber ALL. DAY. LONG. We love listening to you "talk" because you're so into it and passionate about whatever it is you're saying. Sometimes you seem frustrated that we don't understand what you're saying, but you are definitely learning more and more words so hopefully you can communicate with us a little easier soon.
• New words: thank you, all done, bow (used for hair bows & the dog next door, Beau), cheese, hot, burrr (=cold), boo, pop (used for your popper toy & G-Pop), and hop. I'm sure there are several others I'm not remembering right now...
• You can also sign for all done & I don't know.
• You keep bows in finally! Hallelujah!! You still won't wear a headband, hat, or sunglasses, but hey! Beggars can't be choosers ;) I'll take the clippies!
• You have spent a lot of time swimming over the last month, and you're definitely a little water baby! The colder the better! 

• You think playing "chase" is the best thing going. You run laps around our couch and kitchen every day. I usually try to keep play more on the calm side, but daddy loves to get you all riled up! Haha, you love it just as much as he does!
• You've been to the church nursery a few times, and you're not wild about it. Hopefully you will get better with time because we may even start a one day/week MDO next Fall!
• You do love playing with other kids though! You love being around the other coach's kids and running around the weight room & football field with them.

• You got your first cousin! You've only met him once so far, and you weren't too sure what was going on with that. I'm sure once he's interactive and ready to play, you'll be more than happy to entertain him!
• You will wave at pretty much anyone that will pay attention to you :)
• I spent my first night away from you, and what do you know? We both survived. I don't think you even knew I was gone!
• You are wearing mostly 18 month clothes with a couple 2T tops thrown in.
• You're in a size 4 shoe and will quickly be moving a 5.
• You're still in that size 3 diaper with 4s at night! I just looked back to see that you've been in a size 3 dipe since 6 months old!

Baby girl, you are at such a fun age right now! You keep daddy and I laughing, smiling, and shaking our heads all the time. We are amazed at how quickly you learn new things! You are such a blessing in our lives, and we thank God every day that He gave us YOU! :) Love you forever, Jaqsy Pea.

12 months!

ONE YEAR OLD! I guess this means you're officially a toddler now, and that absolutely blows my mind. When I envisioned being a mommy, it was always being a mommy to a baby not a big girl! Sometimes it makes me a little sad, but you are SO MUCH FUN right now that I don't get caught up in that for long! Each day gets better and better with you.

This was definitely the toughest 'photo-shoot' yet ;)

"I'm ONE?"

"Mmhmm, I'm a big girl."

love your baby!

and you're gentle, too. ha!

At TWELVE months old:

• Sleeping & napping is the same as last month. 11.5-12 hours at night & 3-3.5 hours split up in 2 naps. Not looking to drop to one nap any time soon! You also have THE BEST bed-head of all time. See:

• You're still a great little eater, but lately you've been on a fruit strike. The only ones you'll eat are bananas, blueberries, and apple sauce. I can only guess that it's a texture thing for you at this point because you've had every fruit under the sun without a problem before. Thank goodness for baby food packets to get the others in you!
• You are down to just ONE bottle a day now (bedtime), and we went ahead and switched you to cow's milk in the last couple of weeks. You've grown just fine, and we felt like you were ready. You have taken right to drinking that out of your cups, and I'm so thankful it's been an easy transition.

• You now have 6 teeth! 4 on top & 2 on bottom. You were even a much better teether this month, and I'm so happy about that! Maybe your amber necklace really is helping?
• You are a walker now! You are crawling less and less, and you can even get up to your feet without having to have something to pull up on. It still catches me off guard to see you walking out of your room or walking up to me. Crazy!!

• Your vocabulary continues to expand, and you can now say "bore"=more, "bay-bah"=baby, mama, dada, uh-oh, ball, hi, bye, and a bunch of other words I can't make out. You can also do the sounds of a pony, dog, sheep, monkey, and lion (all of our favorite) when asked.
• You still love animals, and you wake up "neighing" to your pony almost every morning. I can hardly lift you out of your crib before you're making a be-line to your rocking horse!

• The ice maker, the garbage disposal, and anything else noisy makes you giggle every time :)
• You are really starting to play with imagination, and I just think that's so much fun! You now love your baby doll, and you give her kisses and pat-pat-pat her all the time. It's very sweet!
• There's not much that holds your attention for playing, but you really love being in your room. You will go in there on your own even to play which is awesome to me because the rest of the time you're on my hip or at my feet ;)

• You love, love, love being tickled! You will sprawl out on the floor and wait for us to "get you," then once we do, you say "BORE!" until we do it again and again. And again.
• You adore being outdoors, and you beg like a little puppy dog to go outside when we are in. I have a feeling mommy and daddy are going to do a whole lot of sweating this summer!

• You are fascinated by other kids, and you check them out everywhere we go.
• You are also becoming a little ham and waving and giggling at people to get their attention. Silly thing!
• You had your first sweet treat...a cupcake! You were indifferent about it. Didn't dislike it but didn't love it either. Fine by me because it's definitely not going to become a regular thing at this point!

• You are as sweet and charming as can be, but boy can you throw a bowed-back, red-faced fit too. Yikes. Might as well go all out with this toddler thing ;)
• You weigh 20.5 pounds (36%), and you're 30 inches tall (75%)...long & lean girl!
• You can still fit in some 12 month things, but you're mostly in 18 months with a couple 24 month tops thrown in.
• You are just about in a size 4 shoe.
• Still in size 3 diapers with 4s at night.

We made it, Jaqsy baby! Our first year together, and life is GOOD!