WHAT A YEAR!!! Jackson has had QUITE the fourth year of life: he became a big brother, he began riding a bike with training wheels, he started sleeping in a big boy bed, he became COMPLETELY potty trained, he learned to write his name, he learned the colors of the rainbow, he became able to completely dress himself, has given up naps and he started preschool!
I have to say that Jackson really seems to love life! He wakes up each morning asking for Graham and if he can play with him. He never says no when we ask him to help with Graham by getting his paci or trying to play with him to keep him happy. He also LOVES school! He is so excited when it is a school day (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday), and he cannot show us his artwork fast enough when we pick him up! I made him a special wall in the playroom to hang his favorite pictures :)
Jackson is still a pretty picky eater, but he is getting more adventurous--baby steps! Pizza and macaroni and cheese have been added to the more regular choices, as well as peanut butter sandwiches! Rice Krispies are his favorite breakfast option with a banana. Lunch is peanut butter crackers or a sandwich with grapes. Chicken nuggets is still his favorite for dinner with yogurt and fruit. Jackson LOVES the special treat of eating at Chik-fil-a or McDonald's. Chocolate milk is still a huge reward in his eyes--excellent!
Days before his fourth birthday, Jackson gave up his naps cold turkey! We consider ourselves SUPER lucky that he did nap regularly this long. But it was so sudden! Now, he has quiet time for 1 1/2-2 hours in the afternoon. I am actually enjoying the flexibility in the afternoon...until Graham's naps become more regular! This all means an earlier bedtime, which is a nice perk at the end of a day with two busy boys! I have noticed that if we are in the car in the afternoon, he will most likely fall asleep. I can never get enough of that sleepy face :)
Jackson still loves to help me bake. He also really likes to help with the laundry! Is this my kid, or what? He also loves to do pretty much anything Josh does--golf, baseball, wrestle, play Mario (this is a new, special treat), and be silly. He still loves anything with wheels, but is expanding to super heroes! He loves Spiderman and "his friends" :)
Jackson had a good and informative visit to the pediatrician for his four-year old well-check. Josh and I had more questions than I have ever remembered having! He weighs 36 pounds (52nd %ile) and is 35 inches tall (50th %ile). He got three shots, and that was sad. The look on his face while he sat on Josh's lap was awful to watch--it was like the three stages of realization :( But, he got over it pretty fast! Our big issue that we needed to discuss was his congested head. He snores very loudly at night, he always sounds congested when he breathes and talks, his tonsils are perpetually swollen, and we seem to be fighting "allergies" without much resolution. Michelle (the nurse practitioner we saw and LOVE) got us right in with an ENT the day after his appointment. The ENTs recommendation was to remove Jackson's tonsils and adenoids! He agreed that his tonsils are quite large and swollen, so they are restricting the space through which he can breathe. We really liked the surgeon, and we feel really good about this surgery. It is scheduled for Friday, November 2nd. Obviously he will miss that day of school, but the Monday and Wednesday of the next week he already had no school, so we really will be able to minimize the amount of school he misses. I know the surgery is pretty common these days, but I'm still pretty nervous about how it will all go for him! The actual surgery is quick--about 20 minutes, but they do sedate him all the way and put a tube down his throat. The doctor said one of us can be with him when they put him to sleep, and then we will be there when he wakes up. I just hope he isn't too scared! I'm still not sure how we are going to prepare him, or how he really will be during the recovery. So far, it seems like he has quite a high tolerance for pain--I'm hoping that keeps up! Michelle noticed his ear was full of fluid, and the ENT prescribed an antibiotic for it. After five days, however, it wasn't any better so the ENT added tubes in his ears to the docket for November 2nd. So, please keep him (and us!) in your thoughts during the surgery and recovery. We are looking forward to the results of all of this...
This next year is going to be so fun as Graham gets older and Jackson gets to really play with him! I can't wait to see what his list of accomplishments looks like in twelve months :)
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