2.5 year check-up

We have a  healthy and growing 2 1/2 year old on our hands! Jackson has not exactly shot up in height but he's up to a solid 36 inches which makes him seem so much taller than he used to be! He comes up to our waists and we don't have to reach down to rub his head anymore. Plus, he can easily see up on the counters so there is no more hiding things towards the backs of the kitchen counters! 

He has gone down a little bit in weight as he has slimmed down and lost some of his belly, which we are somewhat sad about. That was SUCH an endearing belly! 

 J loves to read, play cars, watch for firetrucks and ambulances on the roads and narrate every part of every day. His favorite movies are Cars and Cars 2. He sleeps in till 6:30am! He loves chicken nuggets and will eat green peas now. J gives the best kisses and hugs but likes to snuggle on his own agenda. JB and J spend each afternoon flying the remote control helicopter in the front yard. He loves to take care of Lincoln and really wants to walk him but I don't want a broken arm to come from it... My favorite moments of the day are when he walks up to give me a spontaneous kiss for no reason, family story time at night in our bed and snuggling after bath time.  

 J is very proud to be a big brother in September and will voluntarily show you my belly (no thank you!) and the baby growing in his belly too. We know that he is going to be a kind brother who will show Byrne Baby #2 all the ins and outs of life! 

 Over the past few months he has started to play very well by himself, usually make-believe with cars and trucks or doing puzzles. He still doesn't care about art or any fine motor activities except for chalk here and there. Bubbles and playing in our small sandbox are our favorite afternoon activities, especially when all the neighborhood kids come out to play. Recently, J has started to say, "Talk to me, mom". It's usually when we are peacefully eating lunch or doing a quiet activity together.  Sometimes, he just likes to hear me talk I guess!

 Jackson is still gentle and kind, a quiet thinker most of the time. He is learning to initiate sharing his toys with his friends. The other day, he went over to his play car, opened the door and said, "Here you go Lizzy Kay", closing the door behind her. What a gentleman! We love chuckling at his language development and how he is picking up on the things that we say. "GrandmomPopPop I see you in two minutes!" (it's usually...Jackson you have two minutes to play...two more minutes in the bath...two minutes to...). 

 He prays before dinner, which usually consist of him squeezing his eyes shut TIGHT, holding our hands and whispering in an almost inaudible voice, "Jesus loves me...jfjad;fdjaklfkaj....kdjfkasdjfkjafiejfl;iajse....AMEN". He loves bed time kisses and must have a big kiss, little hug, little kiss, big hug from mom, dad and Lincoln :) Goober. We are battling a month-long cough and are doing a rule-in/out allergies followed by a possible asthma test if allergies are negative. Prayers for our little guy. He hasn't slowed down a bit and doesn't seem bothered but we just can't stand to hear him coughing at night...breaks our hearts. 

 J loves to hang with the big kids, including Pop Pop and his friend's motorcycle. He has also become quite the daredevil outside on playgrounds and climbing trees. It's amazing that I am able to stand by and just watch him without stepping in. It takes every ounce of me to let him be a kid and realize that broken bones heal eventually, but I need to let him cultivate his explorer spirit! 

Family

Family comes in all forms for us. I have not been able to post recently for a few reasons....

1) First trimester FATIGUE

2) We have been having an incredible few months with family!

3) Lots of traveling

Here is a little of what we have been doing....

We got to celebrate Hannah and the upcoming (now past) birth of her third child and first little boy, Sam. We just love this family (look at these amazing women who were all there to support her!) and are so glad that we get to do life with them. Plus, it's just great to see a little Byrd boy with those classic Byrd cheeks! 

We have enjoyed many days at the park. One day J found this cute little dog attached to a stroller and he went to stand by it. When the dog started to whimper for his owner, J said, "It's ok, buddy. I love you". Melt. My. Heart. I love how he looks like he is standing guard, watching over the park.  I love days when we can go to the zoo as a family and it's so incredible to see how J has changed from the days in his stroller to running around like a crazy man, up ramps, climbing walls and identifying all of the animals. I love how he just loves to explore the zoo. Most days we usually spend more time looking at rocks rather than animals but it's just so nice to be outside and let him be little. 

 We love time with BB and Grandad! We enjoyed a fun dinner at the Cheesecake Factory where J proceeded to demolish bananas, chicken fingers, bread and anything else he could get his hands on. I think his belly was twice the normal size (which says a lot!) when we left. I love to see how much fun he has with them, giggling and sharing smiles. 

life is more fun when you do lots of jumping 

 We spent a weekend early this year with Grandmom and Pop pop when JB was working nights. Look at these guys...just being buddies and sharing a Berenstein Bear book together. One afternoon we headed down to National Harbour which is so much fun and would be awesome in the summer. They moved an incredible statue, "the awakening", here when the park was created and J loved climbing in the mouth and tickling the huge foot! 

First Peep, from the Peeps store

 as the summer months approach again, so do "Compound" dinners. We love living right near the Mazzios and McNabbs and it's so much fun to see our kids interact and become best buds. Each night when we sing "He's got the whole world in His hands", Jackson specifically mentions Luke and Katie, and Charlotte and Caroline.  I love how he looks up to these kids and love that we trust these other families to help us parent our kids and support each other in life.

library play time

big boy swing! 

 And finally, the BEST part about family is our recent addition, born in late February. his name is William and he made me an aunt!!!! Jackson loves to talk about New Baby William and we face time whenever we can (although he is sleeping most of the time). I can't wait to see him later this month.