Top 18

Here are the top 18 things you should know about Jackson at 18 months.

1. The kid still loves to eat, but he now wants to use utensils and plates. Meals are still messy, but he loves figuring it out.

2. He still prefers meat and potatoes, but doesn't really turn anything away. I'm lucky...I know.

3. Jackson probably says 100 words or more. He'll attempt anything you ask him to say! Therefore, he says words like "dude." What can you do?

4. In fact, Jackson has started putting words together in phrases and short sentences. For example, he said "shoes on" to me today when he figured out we were leaving the house for a grocery store run. He also stood on the back porch and yelled out to Bee-paw (who was rescuing the dogs from the rain), "come on!"

5. I can no longer buy those pant sets for him...he's wearing 18 months pants (mostly), but barely fits into some 18 month shirts. I'm buying 24 months shirts for him these days. I feel his pain....

6. Jackson can count to five, but often skips #1. Maybe he just thinks that too obvious.

7. Jackson can sing the entire first two lines of "Jesus loves me" virtually unassisted. I attribute this to his music CD, which he still listens to every night...AND the need for singing songs in the car to stay awake and during diaper changes to stay still.

8. Jackson can also match pitch. "Aunt Suzy" sings scales with him.

9. He has decided that music is important to him. From piano playing to listening to the church choir to drumming on the table, the boy is smitten.

10. Jackson and Payton have identical hysterical "I can't stop laughing" laughs. This I love.

11. In the morning, one of Jackson's favorite things to do is brush his teeth. He won't let me help him much, but enjoys making the "ahhhhhh" and "eeeeeeee" sounds while he "brushes."

12. Jackson still loves to read. He makes all the noises in Mr. Brown Can Moo, shouts "Hooray" at the end of Dr. Seuss's Shapes, yells "Stop!" and "Hopabpop" when reading Hop on Pop, names foods in The Very Hungry Catapillar, names animals like "zeeba" and "hippo" in his zoo book, and points out the moon both in the sky and in every book thanks to Goodnight Moon.

13. He weighs a little over 24lbs.

14. From almost the first moment in the day, Jackson is ready and asking to go outside. Thank goodness for the back porch on rainy days like today...not sure how he'll handle the cold come winter! Or me, for that matter. :)

15. A new gift from "Geam" (Gram) is a Cars bean bag chair. Jackson loves this. He reads to himself here and lounges with his sippy cup of milk. We like that he no longer lays all over the dogs' beds. Gross.

16. Jackson can correctly point out and identify anything that is yellow.

17. A favorite past-time of Jackson's is "reading" pictures. He loves to name all his favorites, "Jasson," "Mommy," "RayRay," "Josh," "Daddy," "Bee-paw," "Geam," and "Paaaaay," or "PayPay."

18. Jackson still possess the power to make Pops's day by running up to him and requesting a "riiiiiiiide." I'm pretty sure he always gets one. :)