Jackson, 17 Months

I can't believe how fast time flies by...Jackson turned 17 months last Wednesday. He's becoming SUCH a big boy so I figured I would update you on where he's at and what he's doing these days :)

Jackson is quite a talker! He's starting to put two words together at a time ("That mine" "No want" etc.) As you can tell from the two words he's putting together, he has quite a strong will on him! He amazes himself with all the new things he learns daily and makes sure to show them off! If you ask "Where is Jackson's nose" he will point that out, as well as his mouth and eyes. The ears are a little tricky for him...he keeps grabbing his hair and pulling it which results in an OUCH from him every time :)

Everything is NO these days. Even if it's yes...he'll usually still reserve his right to say NO. The (very) rare time that he agrees with you (and it's rare) you get an adorable "Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay" out of him...but it's rare. Even if it's Kaaaay, he's gonna tell you No. I've learned to tell the difference between the NOs. I can't type how I can tell, I'd have to tell you how they sound but he definitely has his tone down to a science.
Jackson is quite the stair climber as well. He's been climbing UP the stairs for months, even before he even attempted walking but now he can go down like a pro as well! He really loves to climb (couches, tables, etc) and I know it's just a matter of time before I wake up in the middle of the night with him staring at me because he's climbed out of his crib and made the journey to my room.

He's at that age where he gets in to everything he shouldn't be! He has a favorite drawer in the kitchen. I keep pots and pans inside of it (it's a very deep drawer) and any time I open it, I find a new toy or treasure he's stored in there for safe keeping. Just ask my mom, he loves to play in the cabinets w/ the bowls, pots and pans. You'll see a white lighting and hear lots of loud banging when he starts ripping through them...in a matter of minutes everything from the cabinets is all over the kitchen! The other day, I was upstairs for no more than 5 minutes getting dressed. When I come back downstairs, I see the downstairs bathroom door is open. I peek around the corner and there is Jackson making stew in the toilet. He took a whole lot of toilet paper (I mean, a WHOLE lot of toilet paper) and got the toilet brush from under the sink. I found him stirring the "stew" in the "pot". I wanted to laugh and take a picture but I knew this would encourage it! It took me a long time to try to compose myself until finally I gave up and slipped out the back door for a giggle. As frustrating as it is, it's fascinating to me to see how his little brain works.

He's walking up a storm these days...the more confident with it he gets, the less he crawls. I watched him make laps around the kitchen through the living room 3 times last night before he fell forward. He's really getting a hang of this balance thing (maybe he can teach his clumsy Mommy something!!). Jackson is ALL boy...he loves to wrestle, play in the dirt, build things with blocks and antagonize his big brother :)

The past 17 months have gone by in a flash and I know it's just a matter of time before I am putting him on the school bus like I will his big brother on August 30th....but more on that in the next post.

He's grown so much since he was born!!!