The Way Toddlers Do Things

July has been a pretty rough month for Jackson.  Pretty much as soon as he turned one, it has been one thing after another.  In the span of the last two weeks, Jackson has cut a molar, had a virus that formed sores in his throat so he didn't want to eat, developed anxiety away from mom or dad, is going through a huge development phase that overwhelms the brain, and sleep regression to top it all off!!  Jackson has been a trooper, but boy are we tired in our household!

There have been a few funny moments that have seemed to breakthrough the gray cloud, though.  One of the skills that he is supposed to start learning, is how to use utensils on his own.  So, I gave him a little dish of yogurt and a spoon just to see what he would do with it all.  I helped him get his first spoonful and he knew what to do with the spoon...

He didn't really know what to do next, so he just gnawed on the spoon and dipped it into the bowl to get small bits of the yogurt.

That wasn't satisfying enough, though.  He was only getting small tastes of the yummy yogurt.  So he decided to abandon the spoon and go straight for the source.

At one point, though, he returned to the idea of using the spoon like a "big person" and figured maybe it would work better if he just poured the yogurt from the bowl onto the spoon.  Pretty creative!

Even more ridiculous than his adventures with a spoon, are his new methods for falling asleep.  For the longest, we could lay him down and he may roll around for a few minutes, but he would quickly just fall asleep laying on his tummy.  I don't know if it's all the advancements he has made in physical mobility lately or his desperate anxiety in demanding our attention, but lately he has been pulling himself to a stand in his crib and screaming until he tires himself out.  He eventually gets too tired to stand, so he will shift to his knees or a sitting position in the corner of his crib where he has the best sight line of his bedroom door.  After two days of screaming and not getting what he wanted, he doesn't fuss as much now, but he will stay in that corner of his crib in a stand, kneel or sit anywhere from 5 minutes to 5 hours.  His stubbornness and stamina have really amazed us this past week!

We will watch him on the monitor start to get sleepy.  He will sway back and forth and his head will rock forward against the railing as he fights to stay awake.  He then falls asleep leaning against the railing in the corner of his crib.  Usually within ten or fifteen minutes he will fall over backwards, let out one last cry, and then proceed to roll to his stomach for a more comfortable nap.  We feel so bad for the little guy, but his methods seem  to work for him no matter how pitiful  or boneheaded they may seem to us as an adult.  

Hilton Head Island

We spent the past week on Hilton Head Island with Bryan's family.  While Bryan attended a work conference, the rest of us were able to relax and have some fun!!  The resort we were staying on had so much to do from the beach, to the pool, to bike riding, to the petting zoo and several shops and ice cream stops!!  

Despite having a one year old who decided that this was the week to get sick, not sleep, and cut his first molar...we managed to have a pretty great time!

The first day there, we went to Lawton Stables.  Jackson was too little to go on a pony ride, but he was able to pet and feed the cows, goats, ram, llamas, donkeys and horses.  This was definitely a Jackson highlight!

Jackson took Gammie and Papa to the beach and the playground.  Such fun memories were made!!

Playing games during the evening thunderstorms with family!  Jackson enjoyed his pawpaw and mawmaw!!

The miles and miles of lush grounds were beautiful with meandering paths, regal oak trees, ponds and pristine golf courses.  Throughout our stay we managed to see several alligators, egrets and deer; many of which we saw on our almost daily bike rides!

On the hottest afternoon, we made a trip to the pool to cool off.  Jackson took a few minutes to get used to being back in the water, but he soon was all smiles, was kicking up a storm and swimming about from person to person or floating in his "stingray."

Happy 1st Birthday!!

A year ago today, we welcomed our sweet baby boy into the world and life ever since couldn't be any sweeter!!  Jackson is our pride and joy and it's hard to believe that he is now technically a "toddler."  

Our goal today was to give Jackson a fabulous day without overwhelming him or having "too much birthday"!!  The day started with waking up to balloons and I don't think anything else mattered to Jackson the rest of the day.  All he wanted was to look at the balloons, play with the balloons, or talk about the balloons.  The moment we left the balloons behind, all we heard was an incessant
"Ba! Ba! Ba!", which in Jackson language means "I want," as he would point at the balloons.  

  

But Papa is so much fun that he took a break from the balloons for some tickles and giggles!

Then we went on a walk to feed the fish and turtles in the pond.  Jackson sported his awesome new hat from Gammie!!  What a stud!

Boosie wants some bread, too!

Blowing Papa kisses!

Besides having his first birthday, Jackson had a few other firsts today...first time to drink cow's milk, eat tuna fish and to have cake and icing.  As shown by the pictures below, he wasn't such a fan of his new foods.  His favorite part of the cake experience was pulling the "balls" off, but he never really gave it a good taste despite our best efforts. 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACKSON!!