Jake at 2 Years Old:
All About Jake
Height: 36 1/2 inches
Weight: 29 lbs 8 oz
*Jake is already 28 months old as I write this and at this age, 4 months is a big deal. Much of what I write will be Jake today because lets be honest, 4 months ago is a little bit of a blur.
*Jake is already 28 months old as I write this and at this age, 4 months is a big deal. Much of what I write will be Jake today because lets be honest, 4 months ago is a little bit of a blur.
Jake's sleeping habits are:
Jake is a great sleeper. We got through the Summer sleep regression and all has gone smoothly since then. Jake is able to stay up a little later (if he had a good nap) and tends to sleep in a little bit more than he used to. Our routines have changed a little bit with the arrival of Bo. Until the day before I went to the the hospital I was rocking Jake to sleep for naps. This seems a little ridiculous now, but I was so afraid if I just laid him in his crib he would never sleep! After I had surgery for Bo we were forced to change our ways. In those early weeks after Bo was born Jake would entertain himself in his crib for an hour or maybe more before he fell asleep and then sleep a couple of hours. Several days he would end up being up there all afternoon. Once he realized that this nap thing was going to happen everyday the playing stopped being as long and he would settle down for sleep sooner. Some days there would be no sleep at all, but he always spent at least 90 minutes in there for quiet time. On average Jake takes a nap 5 out of 7 days in a week. We wear him out in the morning, so usually he is ready. Lately Jake will sleep at least 2 1/2 hours and we have had to wake him up to preserve bedtime several times. When Jake was a baby he would turn into a pumpkin if we didn't start the bedtime process pretty close to 6pm. As he is getting older he is able to handle staying up a little bit more. This is nice when Papa can't be home for bath time or we want to do something in the evenings, but little Bo still turns into a pumpkin so there is that. Jake is in bed and asleep anywhere between 7 and 8 pm depending on the length and timing of his nap that day. A few nights on days without naps Jake has fallen asleep in the chair with me as we have done songs. It might just be the most precious thing ever. Jake wakes up for the day most often between 6 and 7. There are the occasional pre-6 wake-ups, but I never get him until 6. Once in awhile he sleeps past 7, but unfortunately on those mornings its because he has a cold or something. Overall Jake is a really good sleeper. He is the master procrastinator (as with all toddlers) at bedtime, but it is never a battle. He just usually wants "just one more song" or some water, or some "lunch" (which he doesn't get.) Every night is the same, we do some books, we sing some song and now Jake sleeps with a blanket so he gets tucked in and usually by the time I check on him when I am going to bed he no longer has a blanket and his head is where is feet started. Getting Jake out of bed in the morning is still one of my favorite parts of the day. He is always so happy, smiley, and adorable. He usually has something random or funny to talk about and always asks where Bo and Papa are.
Jake is a great sleeper. We got through the Summer sleep regression and all has gone smoothly since then. Jake is able to stay up a little later (if he had a good nap) and tends to sleep in a little bit more than he used to. Our routines have changed a little bit with the arrival of Bo. Until the day before I went to the the hospital I was rocking Jake to sleep for naps. This seems a little ridiculous now, but I was so afraid if I just laid him in his crib he would never sleep! After I had surgery for Bo we were forced to change our ways. In those early weeks after Bo was born Jake would entertain himself in his crib for an hour or maybe more before he fell asleep and then sleep a couple of hours. Several days he would end up being up there all afternoon. Once he realized that this nap thing was going to happen everyday the playing stopped being as long and he would settle down for sleep sooner. Some days there would be no sleep at all, but he always spent at least 90 minutes in there for quiet time. On average Jake takes a nap 5 out of 7 days in a week. We wear him out in the morning, so usually he is ready. Lately Jake will sleep at least 2 1/2 hours and we have had to wake him up to preserve bedtime several times. When Jake was a baby he would turn into a pumpkin if we didn't start the bedtime process pretty close to 6pm. As he is getting older he is able to handle staying up a little bit more. This is nice when Papa can't be home for bath time or we want to do something in the evenings, but little Bo still turns into a pumpkin so there is that. Jake is in bed and asleep anywhere between 7 and 8 pm depending on the length and timing of his nap that day. A few nights on days without naps Jake has fallen asleep in the chair with me as we have done songs. It might just be the most precious thing ever. Jake wakes up for the day most often between 6 and 7. There are the occasional pre-6 wake-ups, but I never get him until 6. Once in awhile he sleeps past 7, but unfortunately on those mornings its because he has a cold or something. Overall Jake is a really good sleeper. He is the master procrastinator (as with all toddlers) at bedtime, but it is never a battle. He just usually wants "just one more song" or some water, or some "lunch" (which he doesn't get.) Every night is the same, we do some books, we sing some song and now Jake sleeps with a blanket so he gets tucked in and usually by the time I check on him when I am going to bed he no longer has a blanket and his head is where is feet started. Getting Jake out of bed in the morning is still one of my favorite parts of the day. He is always so happy, smiley, and adorable. He usually has something random or funny to talk about and always asks where Bo and Papa are.
Jake's favorite foods are:
When Jake will sit down to eat he is a really good eater. The problem is the kid refuses to stop moving long enough to have a good meal! He loves smoothies - specifically with milk, plain yogurt, peanut butter, and a banana. He also likes to lick the spoon after the peanut butter. Breakfast foods are still all of his favorites. He likes things he can "prepare" himself and he will exercise his independence any chance he gets. One of his favorites is to open up the freezer drawer and get out a frozen waffle and eat it frozen. Whatever. He always likes taco night and will try most vegetables even if he doesn't love them. He started doing this weird thing that when something didn't taste good he would just hold it in his mouth. He couldn't talk, but he wouldn't spit it out. Finally one time I grabbed him and it forced him to spit it out. He realized what to do and then starting spitting out everything. That was better than the alternative as I was worried about choking. Now he only spits out things that don't taste good to him! He likes milk and water and that is all he drinks. He tried the juice samples at Costco and thought that was the greatest thing ever so we will just keep that tucked away as incentive sometime. I got him some lemonade a couple times too. If you want to see a toddler high, lemonade will do. High high and then low low - fast. He definitely enjoys his "treats" and can recognize one for miles - cookies, cupcakes, donuts...he doesn't discriminate. He calls every meal "lunch" and often milk or some kind of food is what will "feel me better" when he is sad.
Jake's favorite books are:
Jake loves books. Jake loves lots of books, but from about 21 to 24 months it was Curious George all day everyday. Curious George and The Costume Party is always a favorite, but he went from me having to summarize some pages just so we could make it through the story to literally sitting in the chair to read 8 or 9 books in a row when he woke up in the morning. I am so happy I did this then and we didn't have anywhere to go, that just wasn't possible when Bo came along. Since we have had his playroom set-up I will often catch him sitting in the corner thumbing through some on his own. He loves some of the classics that I grew up with and also ones with his favorite characters too. He loves the Richard Scarry word book. His favorite pages are the fire trucks, the trucks/cars, the school and the playground pages. He loves "Corduroy", "Blueberries for Sal", and "Are you My Mother?". He also loves all of his truck and train books. We got a couple of new books with dragons and those are a big hit too. Before nap and bedtime we read at least 3 books and I am sure he would still be asking for "one more book" if we read 10. He sits very quietly next to me when I read and looks for me to add some of my usual drama to a story that we read a lot. He always has to have something in his hands, but it doesn't take away from him concentrating on the stories. I think it is a little boy thing. He will have a little truck or toy and fiddle with it, but he is still looking closely at the pictures. He will often stop me before we go to the next page and point to something and say "What happened?", which means "What/why is that/this?" He moves my fingers if they start creeping too far into the page while holding the book. I have to hold on the very edge so as not to cover up any of the picture. In those early months (and we still do it now) all three of us would pile in the chair for stories before nap time, but at the beginning sometimes Bo would be screaming his head off and we would just keep reading through it. Many times he fell asleep on my lap and we just kept reading. Jake never even acknowledged it was happening, even though sometimes I felt like I was yelling to hear the story over the crying. Oh sweet Bo.
Jake loves books. Jake loves lots of books, but from about 21 to 24 months it was Curious George all day everyday. Curious George and The Costume Party is always a favorite, but he went from me having to summarize some pages just so we could make it through the story to literally sitting in the chair to read 8 or 9 books in a row when he woke up in the morning. I am so happy I did this then and we didn't have anywhere to go, that just wasn't possible when Bo came along. Since we have had his playroom set-up I will often catch him sitting in the corner thumbing through some on his own. He loves some of the classics that I grew up with and also ones with his favorite characters too. He loves the Richard Scarry word book. His favorite pages are the fire trucks, the trucks/cars, the school and the playground pages. He loves "Corduroy", "Blueberries for Sal", and "Are you My Mother?". He also loves all of his truck and train books. We got a couple of new books with dragons and those are a big hit too. Before nap and bedtime we read at least 3 books and I am sure he would still be asking for "one more book" if we read 10. He sits very quietly next to me when I read and looks for me to add some of my usual drama to a story that we read a lot. He always has to have something in his hands, but it doesn't take away from him concentrating on the stories. I think it is a little boy thing. He will have a little truck or toy and fiddle with it, but he is still looking closely at the pictures. He will often stop me before we go to the next page and point to something and say "What happened?", which means "What/why is that/this?" He moves my fingers if they start creeping too far into the page while holding the book. I have to hold on the very edge so as not to cover up any of the picture. In those early months (and we still do it now) all three of us would pile in the chair for stories before nap time, but at the beginning sometimes Bo would be screaming his head off and we would just keep reading through it. Many times he fell asleep on my lap and we just kept reading. Jake never even acknowledged it was happening, even though sometimes I felt like I was yelling to hear the story over the crying. Oh sweet Bo.
Jake talks about: EVERYTHING!
At his two-year check-up the pediatrician was asking all of the regular questions.
He asked, "Does he run?" Yes.
"Does he climb?" Yes, and does all stairs up and down with no help and has for several months.
He also rides a balance bike, usually spending his time looking for hills to go down so he can coast with his legs up.
"What are his favorite toys?" Anything with wheels or water and anything outside.
"Does he like puzzles?" Yes, he likes to trick me and pick all the wrong spots for a piece and the last space he goes to is the right one. (As if to say, Mom - seriously? Can we do something harder?)
"Does he put more than one or two words together?" Um, yeah...it might have taken him 18 months to say "Mama", but the kid hasn't slowed down once. By two years old he was talking in full sentences. "You" was still "Me", and "Me" was still "You", but that quickly changed too.
At the end of the appointment the pediatrician said that everything looked great with Jake and how impressed he was with how Jake let him examine him and just sat so still. He said he could tell that he was an observer and didn't jump right into things. He could tell that he was a thoughtful kid and was being raised in a calm home. The last thing he said was, "Well, I won't have to see Jake until his three-year check-up. He will probably be writing short stories by then."
This is the same doctor that at his 18 month visit when I told him I was expecting said, "Well, I don't think Jake will have much trouble adding a sibling. He is a really classy guy." I loved him for calling my 18-month old "classy."
I am not even sure where to start on the talking. He is an incredibly verbal kid and is a very good talker for his age. Just over the past couple of months will he talk more to people outside of family. He now answers questions from the neighbors, the checkers and the grocery store, and friends. He has a lot to say, all the time, everyday. I mean literally every waking hour of every single day. He says a lot of adorable things and I cringe every time he starts saying something correctly. I don't want him to get too smart too soon!
At his two-year check-up the pediatrician was asking all of the regular questions.
He asked, "Does he run?" Yes.
"Does he climb?" Yes, and does all stairs up and down with no help and has for several months.
He also rides a balance bike, usually spending his time looking for hills to go down so he can coast with his legs up.
"What are his favorite toys?" Anything with wheels or water and anything outside.
"Does he like puzzles?" Yes, he likes to trick me and pick all the wrong spots for a piece and the last space he goes to is the right one. (As if to say, Mom - seriously? Can we do something harder?)
"Does he put more than one or two words together?" Um, yeah...it might have taken him 18 months to say "Mama", but the kid hasn't slowed down once. By two years old he was talking in full sentences. "You" was still "Me", and "Me" was still "You", but that quickly changed too.
At the end of the appointment the pediatrician said that everything looked great with Jake and how impressed he was with how Jake let him examine him and just sat so still. He said he could tell that he was an observer and didn't jump right into things. He could tell that he was a thoughtful kid and was being raised in a calm home. The last thing he said was, "Well, I won't have to see Jake until his three-year check-up. He will probably be writing short stories by then."
This is the same doctor that at his 18 month visit when I told him I was expecting said, "Well, I don't think Jake will have much trouble adding a sibling. He is a really classy guy." I loved him for calling my 18-month old "classy."
I am not even sure where to start on the talking. He is an incredibly verbal kid and is a very good talker for his age. Just over the past couple of months will he talk more to people outside of family. He now answers questions from the neighbors, the checkers and the grocery store, and friends. He has a lot to say, all the time, everyday. I mean literally every waking hour of every single day. He says a lot of adorable things and I cringe every time he starts saying something correctly. I don't want him to get too smart too soon!
Jake's new tricks include:
Jake doesn't have any brand new tricks right now, he just continues to get better, stronger, braver at the things he already did. He runs, he climbs, he jumps, he throws, he kicks...he can't really catch yet. He rides a balance bike, he drives a battery operated car, he rides a peddle trike. He tells stories, he points at every airplane, digger, fire truck, and delivery truck that gets near us or that he can hear and not see. He always asks "What's that?" or "What happened?" He doesn't forget anything...ever. If you say we are going to the park, we better go to the park. If you mention a "treat"...you better deliver. This kid means business.
Jake doesn't have any brand new tricks right now, he just continues to get better, stronger, braver at the things he already did. He runs, he climbs, he jumps, he throws, he kicks...he can't really catch yet. He rides a balance bike, he drives a battery operated car, he rides a peddle trike. He tells stories, he points at every airplane, digger, fire truck, and delivery truck that gets near us or that he can hear and not see. He always asks "What's that?" or "What happened?" He doesn't forget anything...ever. If you say we are going to the park, we better go to the park. If you mention a "treat"...you better deliver. This kid means business.
Jake loves to:
On the weekends he is glued to Papa and is always "helping" with his projects in the garage or outside. He likes tools and fixing and building things. He likes anything with wheels. He loves cars, trucks, and trains. He likes to make us food in his kitchen. He likes anything with water except getting his soapy hair rinsed off. Jake loves anything outside. He loves to go on walks and bike rides or just play with sticks and dirt. Jake loves his little girlfriends Sayla and Malia and after a year and half of playing together they finally acknowledge each other and have fun chasing each other around. Jake loves to snuggle. He gives lots of hugs and kisses. When we got home from the hospital, anytime that Jake would get hurt, bump his head or leg or something he would run over and give Bo a kiss. Pretty precious. Jake likes to wander up other people's driveways and front steps. Jake loves to go on "adventures" and some of his favorite destinations are Fred Meyer and Home Depot because they both have race car carts. Jake loves to play in the car and has for a long time. He likes it when it is turned on and he can do the windows and the side mirrors, but even if it isn't he finds entertainment in pushing everything and making some "adjustments" to Mama's settings. We recently discovered that Jake loves "Arts and Crafts" specifically glue. He also likes to color on his easel and paper. He likes finger paint and watercolors too. I am hoarding all kinds of new art supplies in the basement for those desperate afternoons as well. Finally, Jake loves Mickey Mouse. It isn't just Mickey he enjoys, he is a fan of the whole clubhouse gang. He loves the cartoon and fairly certain time stands still when he is watching it. He could probably watch it for 5 hours...that will never happen, but in the early months with Bo it was helpful to have Mickey to count on if I needed a few quiet minutes. I have a feeling he is a pal that will be around to stay for a while.
Jake's personality is sweet, caring, happy, funny, and entertaining. He is bright and excited to try new things. He is eager to please, but not without a little devil in him. He pushes the boundaries just enough. He is confident and observant. He doesn't just jump into things, he takes time to assess the situation and then approaches it when he feels comfortable. He is a little lover. He likes snuggles after naps and before bed. He holds my hand. He asks to be picked up. It brings tears to my eyes when I think about his soft little hands and his sweet little face. I can never give him enough kisses or enough love in one day. He wears me out, he tests my patience, and on a few occasions and made me wonder why I don't go to work everyday....but those are few and far between. This kid is my world. As ready as I am to have him go to bed at night, I am just as ready to get him in the morning (as long as it is after 6 am) He is a precious little guy and nearly perfect in my eyes.
Jake's personality is sweet, caring, happy, funny, and entertaining. He is bright and excited to try new things. He is eager to please, but not without a little devil in him. He pushes the boundaries just enough. He is confident and observant. He doesn't just jump into things, he takes time to assess the situation and then approaches it when he feels comfortable. He is a little lover. He likes snuggles after naps and before bed. He holds my hand. He asks to be picked up. It brings tears to my eyes when I think about his soft little hands and his sweet little face. I can never give him enough kisses or enough love in one day. He wears me out, he tests my patience, and on a few occasions and made me wonder why I don't go to work everyday....but those are few and far between. This kid is my world. As ready as I am to have him go to bed at night, I am just as ready to get him in the morning (as long as it is after 6 am) He is a precious little guy and nearly perfect in my eyes.
Jake's adventures (22 to 24 months):
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