Jackson’s 18 Month Old Check Up

I was so excited at Jackson’s 18 month old check yesterday…He was almost at the 50 percentile in height! Next to all his friends at church he looks so short, but the doctor said he was growing perfectly. He is in the 25 percentile in weight. He did weigh in at 24 pounds and 4 oz….Yay! P.S. They are not supposed to have more than 24 ozs of milk per day now

They did say he should be saying two words together now. He does say two words together, but I cannot always understand what he is saying. Again, all the questions they asked me in the problem solving area he has been doing for months. He only had one shot the DTaP shot, and we do not have to go back until he is 2 years old….I cannot believe it!

The sheet they gave me said that he should/may be

• Eating things with a fork
• Enjoying imitating his parents
• Speaking three to fifty words
• Wanting to name everything
• showing frustration when not understood; frequent temper tantrums (I would say “Amen” to that)
• Beginning to exhibit aggressive behavior
• responding with “no” constantly
• Responding to simple requests (such as, “Bring me your book”)

Some issues:

• When Jackson does not get what he wants he gets very upset and throws things. I usually put him in the pack and play and I have been spanking him with a wooden spoon (after a warning that the spanking is coming if he doesn’t stop) when he slaps my shoulders out of frustration. Any advice on how to deal with this, I am all ears! I guess this is a major change in the last month. Things are not as exciting to explore; he just seems more frustrated/bored. I can already tell that he thinks he is the center of the universe, and he will definitely need a brother or sister so he know that he is not.
• Additionally, Jackson loves to use small chairs to climb up anything. He is like a monkey some days (a very proud monkey).
• I know he has a lot of my personality. I can already tell that he is a very self-motivated type “A” personality. He has a ton of energy and cannot stand to sit still (especially at the grocery store)

Parenting Issues:

• As for me being a parent. I have struggled as well recently. First, my first goal as a parent is not to protect Jackson but to prepare him for life. Most parents, including myself, really just want to protect their children from everything. Ever since Jackson got the croup late January and had trouble breathing, I have been all about protecting him in my actions. If he is having a hard day, I sometimes would not take him to church or wherever, out of fear that he would get that sick again. I have been using Purell wipes (they have them at Chick fil-A as well) on his hands after he is in any daycare situation, and it seems to be working (along with people not being as sick!) The doctor said Purell was fine to use on Jackson after he has been in childcare situations. I want to prepare Jackson for life, not protect him from it, and I have to be aware that my actions speak louder than my words.
• Additionally, I can be a perfectionist, so when Jackson is running all around (especially at church) and I seem to have no control of him, I get mad. Why do I get mad? Because it makes me look like a bad parent. Am I worrying about Jackson’s heart and him being disobedient? No, probably not. I am just worried about how he is making me look. I do believe God created boys very different than girls. He created them to go out and hunt and provide for the family. So, why am I spending my entire time trying to strap him down to a high chair for 45 minutes at church supper? This is just a thought. Let me know what you think about this topic!

However, I love being a parent more and more each day. I love watching him learn and grow. My energy level has been up tremendously since I joined Gold’s Gym. This week I have been able to go to a class (Body Step or Body Combat) 4 times. Many stay at home moms are there in the mornings, and it has been a great way to get out in the community as well. Jackson loves the daycare there, and most days he does not even cry when I drop him off, which is a miracle. I am so glad my doctor told me it was important for me to be working out before I got pregnant again (I struggled with some depression and major weight gain when I was pregnant with Jackson…the depression went away literally the moment he was born). God is so good!