Monday, May 05, 2008

Jackson: A Look at Your Life

Dear Jackson,
It's been a while since I've written a letter to you. I'd like to think it's because I've been busy enjoying you! This is what your life is like at 26 months old.

Your favorite things to eat are bananas, apples, and chips. You have just now started including the "ba" in bananas, but not all the time. I think it will be very bittersweet to hear your baby words change into big boy words. When you say "chips" it sounds like "chipths." I love it. Another one of your favorite things is "this" - whatever "this" may be at the moment. You talk about it and point to it a lot. Sometimes in the morning I make us Eggo waffles. I cut yours into strips and give you a tiny cup of syrup to dip them in. You look like such a big boy when you do that. You love apples and would eat them all day long, but you always do one of two things - spit the apple skin out and make a mess with it, or get choked on it and throw up everything you've eaten that day. Sadly, until I get one of those apple peeling contraptions, your apple consumption will be limited. You also like watermelon. I recently gave you a piece that was too big and every time you chomped down on it, pink juice gushed out of your mouth. You were trying so hard to keep it all in and it made mommy laugh. I hope that image stays with me forever.

When you learn a new word, you come up with many, many different ways to apply it to your daily life. "Fall down" and "stuck" have been getting a lot of use lately. One day you looked at some tall trees in our neighbor's yard and said, "Fall down." I don't know if you were scared of the tree falling over or if you imagined yourself climbing the tree and falling out of it. Either way, I'm sure it was my fault. There is so much going on in that little mind of yours. If I could just peek into it, I know I would be amazed! I have taught you the opposite to some of your words, like up and down, off and on. Just now you were asking me for something and I had to tell you no. You pleaded with me, "Yes and no! Yes and no!" Oh my word, child. You are so funny. Sometimes you say "MommyDadda" and that gets us really tickled.

Beckham is relieved that you finally learned to say his name instead of just calling him dog. You have started standing up for yourself whenever he comes near you when you have food in your hand. You're calling him out on his sly ways. He does deserve your kindness though. That poor dog has had to put up with you trying to use him as a step stool to get on the couch as well as your exploration of what happens when you poke his eye. That is a very bad thing to do, son. We don't want him to go the way of Bill, now do we? Right now you are sitting in your high chair eating/crunching up chipths and he is taking a nap underneath you. He is never more than a few steps away.

Some things you do not like include the following: whatever Mommy cooks for dinner, beef, when Mommy and Daddy look at you too much when you're in your car seat, sitting in the stroller (you drag your feet and often stand up and try to walk while attached to it), getting out of a swing, drinking plain water (unless you're with Ava, in which case it is the nectar of the gods), and getting out of the bath.

Thankfully, you are very enthusiastic about life and the list of things you like is much longer. You love to dance, play with cars and trucks, throw and kick balls, ride on your train, swing at the park, play in the sprinkler, look for airplanes in the sky and trains on the tracks, run around outside, throw your toys, scam as much milk and juice as you can from Bibby, pick up rocks, toss the pillows off the couch, jump off the couch, climb all over the coffee table, look for cool stuff in the trash can, draw with crayons and then chew the ends off, play with your food, go up and down the stairs, count to 10, try to sing the alphabet, play with other kids, read books, watch TV, jump in your bed...I could go on and on!

Yesterday morning I woke up very early to start getting ready for church before you were up. Over the baby monitor I heard you stir and whisper your first word of the day - Dadda. I have never heard anything more precious. Daddy was sleeping in his bed, so it wasn't because you had seen him or heard him. He was your first waking thought. That makes my heart melt for both of my guys - my big one and my small one. Your daddy loves you so much. We both think you are incredibly special and we thank God every day that He chose to entrust such a unique spirit to us. We love you, Jackson. You only get more adorable and more fun every single month. I am looking forward to a great summer together!

Love,
Mommy

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Amanda,

That was so precious. Thank you for sharing your love for your family with us.

Much love,
Sharon, NC

Grace said...

Amanda,
How precious! I loved when you list the things he doesn't like and the first one is whatever mommy cooks for dinner. Made me laugh because I know exactly what you're talking about.

Blessings,
Kimberly

Fran said...

Oh Amanda...
you know that we all just oooh and aaaah over Jackson and when you write such precious things to us, it melts all of our hearts!!

He is a precious little boy and will grow into a fine young man.

Keep at it sister! I'm not kidding...just enjoy every ounce of Him. Pray you up some patience 100 times a day if you need too.
They truly grow up too fast and then they won't hug you back. :(

Love'em hard!
Blessings~
Fran

Lauren said...

Aww.

Unknown said...

Amanda, What a sweet post that will become a priceless treasure for you and your Jackson one day. When my first child was 9 mos old, her baby book was overflowing. I had way over filled it. So, I started a journal for her. I gave it to her on her 13th birthday. Now, almost a year later, it stays on her nightstand where she reads it OFTEN. She tells me that reading that makes her feel so loved--which she is. I am thankful for the opportunity she has to read about her life from my perspective and also see me in a different way through what I wrote about her (pronouncing sandwich, "swanitch" and telling me her goldfish died that it was okay because Jesus makes everything all better in Heaven) and how I prayed for her (Oh how I've prayed for her!). I'm still writing in the journals of my two younger children, and I am so glad you're doing this for your son. These are true gifts that money just can't buy.

Rose said...

YOU should post a ***warning tear jerker***

You're gift for recording your child events is amazing!!

Nicole said...

Amanda,
Hi! I love this post! Such a sweet picture of Jackson for all of us who dont really "know" the little guy!
It also challenged me to write these precious memories down! I have 5 kids ( 9,7,4,3, and 23 months) and I feel like my "baby" season (yes, we are done!) is disappearing before my eyes! I was rocking him the other day and got a lump in my throat because he is just so big and he is my last one!
I am trying to cherish the time because it goes by soooo fast!
Blessings and thanks for sharing such a sweet glimpse of your family!

connorcolesmom said...

Precious words to a darling little boy
Today we moved my little guy (4yr old) out of his twin and into a queen bed
It was my idea but now it just makes me want to cry :(
Of course as soon as Cole saw it he said "OH THANK YOU!!"
So that helped but just a little
Enjoy!
Kim

Sunni at The Flying Mum said...

Too sweet, and I can hear Jackson saying, "This."

It's so funny. Ava's the same way with Milton. It's like a sibling. She's constantly yelling at him, and telling him things are "mine, Milton!"

Anonymous said...

What a sweet letter Amanda! Jackson will treasure those someday! It makes me wish I'd done that more with mine. My 4yr old choked easily on apple skins. I found that if I slice the apples then slice the peel off it's easier than trying to peel the whole apple. I'm glad to know that my kids aren't the only ones who do NOT like whatever mommy's cooked for dinner (except oddly enough, salmon)!

Kristin said...

Amanda,
Your letters to Jackson always make me cry. Maybe it's because my own sweet little boy is going to turn 9 this month and I can't believe how fast the time has gone. I can remember those days of him learning new words and loving all those little boy things you wrote about. In addition to planes and trains Caden also loved school buses and I would purposefully run errands around 3:00 so he could see several out on the road. And yes, it is bittersweet for those baby words to turn into big boy words. Jackson is such a precious little guy!
~Kristin

Jenna said...

What a sweetie you have in that little guy. This letter is precious!

Darlene R. said...

You will evjoy this summer with Jackson. He is at a fun age. Trying, but fun! :)

Linsey said...

That was so special. I need to start doing that for Gage and Jillian. If we ever get to have another playdate together, I am sure we will find Gage and Jackson checking out the contents of the trash can as that is one of Gage's favorite things as well!

Anonymous said...

Amanda, my baby boy is 36 years old and I still try to look back and remember sweet things he said and did. One thing I know for sure is that God has grown him into a very godly man. I will not take any credit for that except that I did love him with a ton of love. I can see that Jackson is getting that love also. Love to hear you talk about Jackson and I can really relate with Bibby.

MamaCass said...

I am tearing up right now as I always do when I read your letters to Jackson. Always so sweet! The new house sounds fantastic.

Mrs.Naz@BecomingMe said...

What a blessing you have

Kelly @ Love Well said...

He will treasure these letters one day, Amanda.

And I bet you always will.

Kelly said...

So precious Amanda - you are such a good mom to him! He is lucky to have you!
Happy Mother's day to you!!!

Anonymous said...

I so wish I had done letters like these for my kids when they were little. You don't think you will, but you forget the "little details" of everyday life after a while. I need to do this now, even though my oldest will be graduating in a few years.

You have some sweet memories! Thanks for sharing that.

Anonymous said...

This is neat.

Annette

Sister Lynn said...

May Dadda -"Abba Father" - be his first words everyday of His life.

What a sweet boy you have -

Blessings
Sister Lynn

Laurie said...

I loved reading this letter. You are a wonderful mother. He is sooo cute!

Amy T said...

Precious, just precious. (I know it's been said, but that is truly what I thought when I read this. How sweet.)

Faith said...

I love reading these precious letters that you write to him. They just melt my heart!
Happy Mother's Day to you! Jackson is very blessed to call you mom!

Kristen said...

This made my eyes water! Your little guy is precious...thanks for sharing!
Have a very happy Mother's Day!

Kristen

Dana said...

Brings back great memories of my own kids....love every season you have with him!

Blessings,
Dana

Melinda said...

I can't tell you how moved I was by this. It has resonated with me to the point that I had to blog about it on my own blog! Thank you for allowing us a peek into your family and know that it spreads blessings near and far.

Melinda said...

Amanda,

Thanks for putting my mind at ease about my post. I actually DID have a person that I did not know, but linked to in one of my posts, contact me in a...shall we say, "less than appreciative" way. After I published my post with the link to your blog, I had second thoughts about it. So, ENOUGH about that! I'm glad it blessed you and know that you bless ME all the time! :o)