I think I like this current stage so much because a) we can communicate pretty effectively with Jett (and he to us), and b) we've got a nice little routine going and he's rather predictable in his daily schedule. On weekdays, he gets up around 7:30, and I get him, change him, feed him, dress him, put his lunch and snacks together while he runs amok, get myself ready, nebulize him (for the winter months) and get out the door. We drive two miles to daycare while he flips through his book in the backseat of the car and he's typically very excited to be with his teachers and friends at daycare (he did go through a brief clingy-mommy period where he'd cry to see me leave, but I think he could care less about me now with the enticing toys and activities at school). He naps at school for two hours almost exactly every day. Kenny picks him up at 5:30 and, at home, it's a bit of a damage control situation for the next two hours til bedtime. Kenny tries to play and/or entertain Jett for the first half hour, then dinner, then playtime with mommy, then bath time. We drink some milk, brush our teeth, read a story in the rocker in his room and then put him down in his crib to sleep between 7:30 and 8 pm. He's not been as complacent with this last action as of late (cries for me from his crib), which we think is because he's sooo very wound up before bed, and often overtired, and it's sometimes extremely difficult to hit this kid's off switch. Even when he complies and resigns his fate to bed, we can still hear him WWF-wrestling in his crib, probably body-slamming his stuffed animals. That thumping goes on for probably 20 minutes and then silent. He wakes up again between 11 and 12 for ibuprofen (currently teething) and still once or twice a week wakes up at another point in the night (we think he's having bad dreams already because he wakes up screaming in a panic - poor kiddo).
On the weekends, it's pretty much the same schedule except that he sleeps for four hours instead of two, which we'd prefer because he's SUCH a crankasaurus by the time he gets home from school with only one nap. This kid needs a ton of sleep. While it's somewhat inconvenient for him to need two naps on the weekends, it's so much better when he gets them. And if he's still sleeping that long, then so be it. It'll be interesting to see when he gives up the double-naps (like most kids have already done by his age...)
Notable behavior and/or physical changes:
1. Jett is extremely into hugging right now. After speaking with a neighbor, it would appear that this is a phase that Jett is going through, which is unfortunate because it's really endearing. Every morning, Jett hugs Cash (and kudos to Cash for trying to grin and bear this, after the first couple of attempts and finally realizing that Jett meant him no harm). He hugs cards or magazines or books with pictures of things he likes (mainly, cats and dogs). He runs and hugs me at the knees every so often in the middle of playtime. He hugs other kids/babies. He is just a friggin' sweetheart and I love the hugs. Cash - not so much. But it does make me sad that this is fleeting. I'm going to try to get as many hugs in now as possible!
2. Who knew Jett was paying so much attention to the random day-to-day things he sees Kenny and I do? Well, we know now and Jett mimics a ton of those actions. He wants to remove the safety cap in the outlet socket and plug his nebulizer in by himself (nice). He wants to close the dishwasher soap dispenser lid, press the start button on the door's hidden panel, and close the machine. He wants to scroll through iPhone pictures on his own and not with mommy's help (he can already flip from one picture to the next just sliding his index finger - craziness). He wants to fill cups with water from the Sparklett's water dispenser. He tries to make the same noises as us (I was reading about bees making a "buzz" sound and he was blowing raspberries trying to "buzz") and tries to mimic our playing styles (he was holding his stuffed animal horse, tracing a track around the top of his crib, which is what I do for him every morning with "klop, klop, klop" noises). He knows how to open dresser drawers and tries to reach for door knobs (though constantly pushes the door closed on us, "locking" us out, which he thinks is funny). Oh and, not only does his know Cash's name, but he's also recognized that Cash looks like a certain type of dog. He's pointed to magnets of a beagle and said "Cah" (his version of Cash). He's also identified Cash on a card GG sent which had a kitten and a basset hound puppy on the front. Close enough - but amazing that he put the two together.
3. Jett's dance moves are improving. Instead of bobbing and turning, he's incorporated hand flailing now as well. So adorable.
4. Jett doesn't like having things taken away from him. I've tried coaxing, "Jett, please give that to mommy," "Please drop that," "Don't touch that please," and it's not really hitting home with words alone. He's not interested in giving up something he finds fascinating, no matter how sweetly mommy asks. So, I still say please, but I just take it away now. And he WAILS. And it's fazing me less and less. I now understand why parents seem more prepared for the second kid - they truly know what to expect and have a variety of previously-vetted coping methods. That small comfort still isn't enough to make us want to have another kid, but I understand where others are coming from on this.
5. I think Jett's up to 10 teeth. I think. They're coming more rapidly now (FINALLY), which is okay with me. I'd rather have him in pain for two weeks getting four teeth, rather than two weeks for one tooth each as they come in singularly. I'll be excited when his molars come in and we can call this teething chapter done!
6. Jett's hair is getting long. Someone addressed him as a girl about a month ago, which is about the time I finally caved to Kenny's request to trim him up a bit. It's not that I didn't want to cut his precious baby hair - I just was hoping as it grew out a little more, it'd stop looking like Florence Henderson's hairstyle on the Brady Bunch. Bob on top, flipped out part at the neck. So I tried to wrestle Jett to stay still for 6 seconds one morning before school and trimmed his hair at the neck line. It's still shaggy, but no longer a mullet. It's also still light and very straight, just like Kenny's at this age. And he's still got blue/green/gray eyes. So weird.
7. Jett's still eating well - fish, chicken, tofu, turkey (and a few bites of bacon Thanksgiving week), still tons of fruits, veggies and grains. He's stalled out on his weight (still 21/22 lbs), and still in 12 month clothing, though the shirt sleeves and pant legs are slowly getting shorter on him. I don't mind - we get to fully utilize his current (and growing) 12 - 18 mo wardrobe, and we haven't had to change diaper sizes in four months.
Jett's enjoying bath time more (staying in the tub for maybe six minutes now instead of three...), and is able to go on walks with me, though the cul-de-sac loop takes twenty minutes because of all the stopping and pointing and touching and poking and sitting and running in the wrong direction.
He can also hold Cash's leash, which impressed me until he kept intentionally letting go of the handle which, once on the ground, would retract into the back of Cash's hind legs. And Jett wonders why Cash dislikes him. Jett's coloring at school, and is significantly more interested in having books read to him. He's very curious, very social (per his teachers) and pretty alright at sharing (for as great a 16-mo-old can be at sharing). He's also extremely handsome and bright (per his mommy).For every month older he gets, we enjoy this a little more. His sleeping habits could be better solidified, as is always the case, but maybe we'll just have to wait til that magical age of 2 where I hear kids most certainly sleep uninterruptedly for consecutive nights on a regular basis. Even with the night wakings, the tantrums, the crankiness (!!), he's amazing to have around. The true test was when Kenny left on business travel for two weeks in early November and I didn't lose my mind being a single parent for the duration. Not only did I not lose my mind, but I truly enjoyed Jett's company. He wasn't great the whole time, but I could very easily handle and get control of any crazy, anxiety-causing situations. And that feeling, that I've actually gained some wisdom and insight from all this trial-and-error experimentation, is just so, so very satisfying.
