19 Months

So much has happened in the past week....

We made our first trip to Chuck E. Cheese's. The place has really changed since I was a kid. There's a lot more emphasis placed on the redemption games and less on the animatronics show. We went on a snowy day and no one was there. We thought Jake would like the show, but he really didn't care about the characters. Just as their marketing team had hoped, he wanted to play the games and ride the indoor rides. There were a few games he could actually play, just pushing random buttons. There was also a sliding board and he spent most of his time on it. He loved the slide so much that we decided to get him one of his own. He already has an outdoor slide, but it's really big and too cold to use. I feel like we are turning into those parents we said we wouldn't become - the kind who buy their kids toys just because it's Tuesday.

We also hosted a play group this week. Jake was an amiable host, sharing his toys with the other kids. He really thrives on interaction with other adults and children.

And, then there was Kindermusik today. Jake remains the class clown. Several mothers told me that he is the happiest and friendliest kid they have ever seen. He loves Kindermusik so much!!! Today he pulled down his pants and diaper and walked around the room bare butt. I had to chase him down to fix his britches. He thinks everything is so funny!

Yesterday was Jake's 19 month birthday. We don't celebrate monthly birthdays, but I try to remember them. He is now counting to 10 unprompted (I often hear him playing by himself and counting) and saying strings of the alphabet, e.g., h-i-j-k-l. He knows the whole alphabet, but has difficulty putting the strings together. He says his cousins' names and "Happy Birthday Daddy" ( just a few weeks late). He's getting lots more teeth.

Most people realize that I have very high expectations. I worried that I would be overly critical of my child and that he wouldn't live up to those expectations. I can honestly say that Jake has far surpassed any expectations that I have for him. I'm a fairly critical person, so for me to say that he is awesome, he must be. He is incredibly bright, friendly and funny. We are already planning his career. Greg wants him to be a perinatologist. I'd like him to be a dermatologist, neonatologist or any other pediatric specialist :)