23 months and counting!

What fun days these are with Jakub! Every day seems to hold something new. His imagination is more and more active. Here, above, he's acting like a soldier or something marching around with his "hat" on. He also loves to lay on the floor and pretend with his trains that he's traveling different places around the room.





This picture is for the grandparents- His incisors on the bottom are in, and one on the top is poking through now. Only one left and it looks like it will come through any day. He's been a little fussy with it when tired, but other than that has handled these well. He's had these 3 teeth come in over the past 4 weeks.





He's such a big boy and likes to do everything on his own. He climbs up into his booster seat himself and puts his bib on when he's ready to eat. Almost everything he says now is in 3 word sentences. He likes to give commands like "Mommy right there." He tells me where to stand when we kick the ball to each other. ;) He's also doing well at recalling events when we ask him questions. The other day Josh asked him what we had done together that morning (me and Jakub) and he correctly told him that we walked outside, went to the store, and played with the ball. It's interesting to watch him thinking through these things and trying to talk about them with us.






We recently bought him these things so he can have more independence when going to the bathroom. Today, for the first time, he told me "Mommy, bye-bye. Door." Which clearly meant, while he was pointing to the hallway and door, that he wanted me to go out while he tried to use the restroom. I couldn't stop laughing.





He also plays really well with others and I'm so proud of him for this. His nature, in general with others, is gentle and calm. I know it won't always be and there are moments still when he doesn't behave well, but that's mostly just with us. :) Otherwise, he loves to watch other kids, shares toys willingly, and doesn't whine or make much of a fuss. I'm thankful for this! Here, above, he's playing with his friend Liam. They do so well together and Liam has a similar nature as Jakub's. Liam calls him "Jake," and Jakub calls him "iam." It's so sweet! We played in the park for a while until we were all frozen and then we went to a restaurant that has an indoor kid playground. It was perfect!


We've also started sending Jakub with a babysitter 3 times a week. On Tuesdays and Thursdays a friend's Mother keeps Jakub for me in the mornings. She lives just behind us so it works perfectly for her to walk over and get him. He does really well with her and doesn't seem to mind at all. She says he smiles a lot, talks and sings all the time (she only speaks Czech so they don't understand each other completely, yet, but prayerfully Jakub will pick up Czech well in the next year with her), and that he laughs a lot while they play games together. She also loves to read him Czech children's books and she says he listens well. I'm so proud of him and happy for this opportunity. It's also allowing me to get more work done in the daytime, plan some meetings with people we know here, and work less at night so I can sleep better.

On Wednesdays another friend, a college student, watches Jakub at our center while we have our team business meeting. That's also been great because it's been a long time since I felt fully a part of the team business and plans for the future. I hope, through the help of this friend, to have a larger role in our teen ministry again and in our summer camps next year. It's already going so well! She also speaks Czech with Jakub so it's one more opportunity to help him with his language skills.

A few other things to remember:
- He brushes his own teeth so well now.
- He correctly identifies and groups things with similar colors, but can only correctly verbalize blue, white, black, and purple. The other names just end up being blue if he can't get the right word out.
- His favorite thing is to be outside running and playing. I love this about him and dread the harsh winter that's likely coming. I'll have to figure out some active things we can do together.
- He loves to play "Simon says..." and can follow commands well. He even hops around on one foot while holding on to something and thinks it's so funny.


I think that's it for now. Hopefully I'll also have some video uploaded soon. I can't believe the next post about him/his age will be his 2 year old post! I'm so excited for him!