22 Months (and Five Days) Old!

Our trip to Evanston was very well-timed. I felt like we all, including Jackson, needed a break from our routine. Even though I switch out the toys and had just reorganized the living room, I felt like Jackson didn't quite know what to do with himself anymore. I remember thinking that by the time we came back to Springfield after 12 days away, Jackson would have changed so much! I was right! We watched him change before our eyes even while we were in Evanston! It is amazing to me (and so much fun!) to watch him learn to do new things. He is at a point where he really values mastering new tricks/tasks.

Mimi and Bampa live in a split-level house so there is a half set of stairs going up and another going down. Until now we have had to have someone manning the stairs or use make-shift gates. This time we didn't do any of that! It was SO nice! After just the first couple of days, we all felt pretty comfortable with Jackson going up and down the upstairs stairs by himself. The railing on those stairs is perfect for him to hold on to all the way. We somehow have managed to convince Jackson that there is no reason to go downstairs, so he doesn't really try! It was much more relaxing to just hang out in the main living area without being right with Jackson wherever he was. He got to have more free roaming space :)

Until now, Jackson hasn't been super adventurous at the pool or playground. We went to the playground by Mimi and Bampa's house a couple of times and Jackson "learned" how to do new things just in the five days between visits! The second time we went, he LOVED going down the slide! There was also a neat plastic climbing slope (for lack of a better term), that he got into right away the second time. We came home after that and I just couldn't get over how much he liked playing at the playground all of a sudden!

On a related note, we played at a play space at the outdoor mall near Mimi and Bampa's house and Jackson mastered walking up and down the sloped areas in a matter of a half hour! He was really proud of himself! He didn't seem to mind too much when he ended up sliding down on his bottom at the end!

In the pool, Jackson has done a total turn around since we were last at our neighborhood pool! I thought he was just showing off for Nan in IL when he spent the whole time jumping into my arms from the side of the pool. But, I took him on Wednesday when we got back to Springfield and that's what he loved doing! Yesterday we went to the pool with the Shapiros and Jackson kept asking for jumping again and ad again! It's a little exhausting (especially when you are trying to carry on a conversation), but it is so fun to see him so excited for the water! He doesn't even mind being dunked anymore. He seems to have a little more interest in the actual aspects of swimming like kicking and paddling, so hopefully we can make a little progress there. (I don't mean I expect him to start swimming, but just to be more comfortable practicing those things.)

Jackson now says, "Please," pretty much unprompted when he would like something. He has also gotten very good at, "Thank you!" Although it sounds like, "Dank-usshh." He seems to have a special link to the fridge because he comes running ANY time I open it to grab a grape or strawberry! This kid just loves fruit! Jackson is breaking out his dance moves all over the place! I feel like lots of his friends were dancing from a very young age, but he is just now getting into the fun of it. His moves are definitely better than mine, and so stinkin' cute! On a related note, he just can't get enough of the UVa fight song! We have a bottle opener that plays the song, and Jackson knows how to use a spoon to start it. He gets a huge smile on his face and sways to the song and then pumps his fists in the air and cheers at the end! I think he's ready for a football game with Daddy this fall!!!