"The Present Is a Gift"

Because Jackson is doing so many things, I'm going to outline some new ones so I don't forget how much he is progressing right now. These days go by like a whirlwind once you enter "toddlerhood" and because he does so much, it's easy to forget that even these small things are milestones that we don't want to let us pass by without taking the time to write them down (so we can remember them later)! Thanks MawMaw for this reminder...

~He will say "I want see" when he wants something and "I did it" when he is proud of something he has done. His absolute favorite word (and toy) is "car" - he says it constantly when we're driving down the road and when he's at home and wants us to play cars/trains with him.

~He will open a book, find an animal then make the noise for me. Today, he found a toy monkey and began doing "oh,oh,ah,ah" and sounds just like a little monkey. When we go to Chick fil'A he moos constantly at the cows all over the place.

~He will let the dogs out the door and back inside once they have gone potty. He will also help me feed them their food and pours out the cup into their bowl. He is such a big helper and is so proud to do it!

~He hates to get his hair wet so last night when David was bathing him, he kept telling him, "No, No, No, No." He definitely knows when he does or doesn't like something. This morning when I fed him french toast, he said, "oooh" and ate almost the entire things. Suffice it to say that he loves them. He also loves fruit chews, oreos, goldfish, cupcakes, and, just recently, cheese pizza!

~ When we're driving in the car, he will say, "Mama, ..." then launch into this long discussion that I barely understand. He is quite the talker, that's for sure.

~ He loves to look at pictures and say everyone's name. We practice with him so he will remember all his family that live far away (or in heaven).

~ And, one of my favorites is that he gives eskimo kisses. I taught him this and absolutely love it when he gives me one. He's not too stingy with them so that is nice. Though I'm sure that won't last long - he is a boy afterall!

And, in appreciation for the "present" life we have, I want to look back on some of my favorite pictures of Jackson's during these short but wonderful 21 months we've had with him. It's truly amazing how much he has grown! We are blessed for every day - past, present and future.