It's been almost 2 months since my last post, and a crazy 2 months it's been. Thankfully, most health issues are behind us and life can continue on as it should. I still have my gallbladder, and it's fine for now. I reached the deduction on our medical insurance so I'll be hitting every doctor this side of the Mississippi River in the next few months (for anything and everything minor).
Jackson's been amazing lately! I have to say, while we do have days with a lot of ups and downs (mostly ups), I'm really liking this age! I never thought I'd say that, but there are so many sweet things that we're sharing now, and it's FUN! His language is really coming along, too. It seems to improve with each passing week. He's even been putting 2 words together. He's starting to get the idea that he's the baby, I'm the baby mom, and Paul's the baby dad. He points this out quite a bit as if something in him has clicked. He still knows all his letters and is starting to "see" letters in everything, including food. He'll bite into something round (pancake, slice of cucumber, etc) and declare it a letter. It's awesome to watch this develop in him! He's so aware of so much, and responsive as well, which is something I don't see in other kids his age. Pretty remarkable to me.
I've been babysitting for some time now for a friend's son named Angus. Jenny (his mom) just had another baby in Feb, so now Vhairi is in the mix. I had all 3 for the first time this week and it was chaotic at times, but not too bad! Handling the baby is bringing back good memories of when Jackson was that small---all the little habits he had. She gives lots of beautiful smiles so that's nice! I'm making a small amount of money doing this---not much, but it'll pay for groceries each week.
The 3 of us had our first family vacation to the Ozarks a few weeks ago. It was a good time, though different for Paul and me. We're used to going on vacation, sleeping in, watching movies, eating and drinking tons, having tons of freedom. This was so different having to keep a 2 year old entertained. It wasn't hard by any stretch, just different and not very vacationy at times. But it was great to spend time together as a family!
We have a lot of things coming up: tree planting in the yard, new swingset, lots of parties in the next few months. I hope it'll be a fun summer! Speaking of which, I need to go get a pool pass for Jackson and me. I joined last year, not really sure what to expect, and we enjoyed being able to go! The pool doesn't open until noon each day so we weren't able to go until after his nap. It'll be the same this year, but we'll definitely make the effort to go!
More sooner! (I hope to not wait another 2 months to write!)
