Jake's 26th month . . .

This is my absolute favorite picture of Jake from last weekend.  He looks so stinking sweet and innocent.  (Don't be fooled.)  There have been several times this past week that I've been SO frustrated with him, then I look at this picture and I remember that he IS a sweet, darling boy . . . he just doesn't always act that way.

Jake's had himself a little language explosion over the past few weeks.  The phrases he says the most are "all done" and "'nuh one" (another one.)  He mostly uses these phrases to argue with us when we're trying to get him to do something, or to order me around.  But hey, progress is progress.  He's also obsessed with possessiveness -- he goes around labelling everything "Jake's" and "mine."  He'll point to me: "Jake's?"  "Yes, I'm Jake's mommy."  (Then he gets this sweet look on his face and pats me and says "Jake's" over and over.)  He points to the car: "Mine?"  "Sure, Jake, that's your car."  Over and over, all day long.  Food is "whooood."  Cup is still "puck."  Outside is "ah-hide."  He sits down, pats the floor, and says "Play."  (Meaning, "mom, get your butt down here and amuse me.")  He also says "play" for when he wants to stop doing something else.  Sitting in the carseat, laying down for a nap, sitting down to eat -- he says "play? play? play?"  Oh, and "awake."  Good lord, he says that ALL the time.  Mostly when we're trying to go to sleep and he doesn't want to, or if I'm laying on the couch resting and he doesn't want me to.  He even tells me "on!" to put my glasses back on.  He hates when I take them off now.  He likes to tell me if the characters in books are awake or not, too.  He's finally saying "Dog" very clearly instead of making a barking sound.  (Well he still makes the barking sound, but mostly for fun.)  He says "Bob" very clearly, too (this can be for SpongeBob, Bob the Tomato, Bob from Sesame Street, or Bob and Bill, which is what mom has named two of his Rescue Hero guys.)  He's able to say and identify all of his numbers and half of his letters, as well as most colors.  (ok, purple is "uh-puh," but I know what he means.)  Oh, and I love the way he says W -- "uh-voo."

Anyway, speaking of colors . . . When we were in the car driving to Indiana, Jake was playing with my pink sweatshirt, which was in the backseat with him.  He was wearing an orange fleece jacket (which is really cute on him . . .)  He hugged my sweatshirt and said "Jake's?"  I said, "No, Jake, that's mommy's sweatshirt.  Boys don't usually wear pink jackets." He looked at me, grabbed his jacket, and said "Orange?" "Yes, Jake, YOUR jacket is orange, mine is pink." That's the closest he and I have ever come to an actual conversation, I was really proud of him for making that connection.  Oh, and yesterday when we went to church he pointed to the playground and said "bees?"  His friends got stung over a month ago and he still remembers!  (And we haven't talked about it at all since then.)  He surprizes me sometimes.

Jake is getting BETTER about not unbuckling his seat belt, but it's still a constant struggle.  On the way to Indiana he did it like 3 times and I had to keep pulling over to put it back on.  Finally we figured out if mom sat back there with him, he wouldn't act up.  (It took us HOURS to realize this.)  Lou gave us a belt that velcros, which he uses to keep his utility belt on his uniform in place.  At first we tried to just secure it around Jake's waist and behind the carseat, but he kept wriggling out of it.  What finally worked was to go from shoulder to hip in the opposite direction the seat belt was.  Jake got pretty mad because it restrained his movement, and that gave me the perfect chance to tell him that if he was good and didn't unbuckle his seatbelt, he wouldn't have to wear the black belt, but until he stopped he was going to have to wear it.  (It's the black belt you see in the picture.  The seat belt goes the other way and doesn't show up.) Now that we're home, he has a habit of unbuckling the belt right as I'm starting to pull the car out (and he says "ha ha" so I know he's done it -- and I park the car, lean over and fix it), and as we're pulling in our driveway and he knows we're home he unbuckles it so he can get out of the car.  I don't mind him doing that, as long as he can't operate the door to open it himself (thus far he hasn't figure that out.  If he does, I don't know, I guess I'll have to duct-tape mittens on his hands so he can't do anything.)

Jake wakes up in the middle of the night every night.  Usually it's because I've left his room and am sleeping in my room (which to him is a betrayal, I guess) and when he stirs and realizes I'm gone, he cries until I go get him or go lay down with him.  At this point I don't think it's a big issue to force him to sleep by himself, so I'm not going to let him "cry it out."  We tried that for a long time and it doesn't work with us.  Some kids need that . . . Jake just can't sleep through the night and he needs comfort getting back to sleep.  I don't encourage his waking up at all, and I HAVE started most nights to get up and go to my bed after he falls asleep (instead of sleeping with him).

Jake's also making progress potty-training -- he goes on the big potty now, he doesn't need the little seat.  He's in the habit of dropping his pants and taking off his diaper (while standing -- rips open the tabs, then reaches down and pulls the diaper out from his legs.  It's hilarious to watch) whenever he's ready to go pee.  Sometimes he does this 5 times in a 1/2 hour -- and he'll sit there and only a few drops of pee come out, and he says "all done."  But at least he's going, and he can feel when he needs to go, so whatever.  The poop issue is another story, but if I can get him peeing mostly in the potty and save some money on diapers, then I don't care.

Jake's being very lovey lately, very cuddly and sweet.  But he's also being very rough-and-tumble and he conked me in the head with his head yesterday and I STILL have a headache.  He rips through the house tearing everything up, dumping toys, jumping on everything, asking for food and then not eating it . . . basically our lives are one big power struggle.  But then he'll turn around and sit in my lap and give me a big hug or be sweet and read a book with me.  Sometimes when he can tell I'm getting mad, he blows me a kiss.  (can you say "manipulation"?!)  He's a good kid.  He really is.  I'm just really frustrated right now with my life in general.  Sometimes I feel like I can't handle it, especially with as little support as I get from Lou.  He just doesn't care that I'm tired and overwhelmed.  I have too much going on and not enough time to get it done with, and not enough money to buy the things I want.  Our basic needs are covered, but there's so little give.  It's really hard for me to not get annoyed at Jake for just acting like he's two -- and it's not HIM I'm annoyed at, it's my high stress and frustration with everything else, and instead of being patient with him, I have a shorter fuse.  It's something I'm working on.  I'll end this with a quote I ran across in a scrapbooking magazine that sums up how I want to remember to feel about Jake:

"We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today." -- Stacia Touscher

Comments

[Kelly]

I ALWAYS LOVE hearing about the Jakester! He is the coolest little boy! I also really loved the pics! What a doll! Those eyes of his and that smile always get to me! I REALLY enjoyed that quote Jen, thank you for sharing that with us all..... I am sorry you are going thru so much right now and dont have much help from dh, I cant even imagine Jen.... I am thinking of you, always know that!
Love you.
Kelly
I REALLY love your blog and YOU!

[Jen_Jake'smom]

Kel, you are my favorite person EVER. Thank you so much for that comment, I really needed that today. ;o) Love you.

Jen

[Sue]

Wow, Jake looks so 'grown up' in that first photo, Jen!! What a great pic. Sounds like he is doing so well with potty training, using the big potty and a whole lot earlier than Ryan too. Thinking about the money saved on diapers/wipes makes me incredibly happy!

We are living through the day to day 'power struggles' too - can be SOOOO frustrating at times (R: "I want a drink!" S: "What do you say? (prompting for the magic P word" R: "I want a drink NOW!" Then: "I'm not thirsty!" and pushes the drink to the floor....) Then he gives me a kiss and cuddle and all is forgiven :)

I love your Jake entries!!