It’s really amazing watching your child evolve from an immobile, helpless blob into an active, babbling toddler with his/her own ideas.

Jacob has LOTS of ideas. I can only imagine what it’s like to watch your child become a full-grown human.

(Mom, I feel like your mind must be blown – know that I love and appreciate you more than you can possibly understand)

Beyond Sesame Street (Elmo, Ernie, Cookie Monster and Grover – they’re his favorites right now) Jacob is absolutely in love with his stuffed lion – he calls him ‘Ren’ – he takes Ren everywhere we let him. He also loves his little red fleece blankie – he calls all blankets ‘Book’n’ because he still can’t pronounce ‘blanket’. And then there’s his big Gymbo doll – he calls it ‘Big Gym’ (Gymbo is the clown from Gymboree – Jacob has a small puppet Gymbo – Puppet Gym – and a life-sized stuffed Gymbo that he got courtesy of his Grandma Susi, whom he lovingly refers to as ‘gum’).

Watching Jacob carry Ren by the tail and his book’n reminds me of Linus van Pelt (if you don’t know The Peanuts and Charlie Brown, just don’t talk to me, k?) Anyway, it’s adorable watching him run around. It’s hilarious watching him try to carry all of them – big gym, book’n and ren – while he runs around the house. He loves playing on our bed. He also loves playing on the bed in the guest bedroom of our home. Come to think of it, he loves playing on just about any surface that’s raised up and off the ground.

Sometimes, I just stand there and watch him running around like a little bumble bee, carrying all of his favorite things and it hits me: this is all happening so fast! I know he’s only 2, but he’s ALREADY 2. He knows what he likes (playing, grocery shopping, watching Elmo, painting, reading, drawing, playing with Play Doh, and playing outside) and what he doesn’t like (going to bed at any point in the day – bedtime and nap time, being in the car for too long, and well, anything that he’s not interested in doing at that very present moment)

I watch and I play with him and I try to soak up every moment because I don’t want to miss anything. And then I talk to parents of kids who are grown and they tell me how fast everything goes and I understand. All I can really do is enjoy every moment that I get to spend with him and try to be the best me I can be because children do as you do and not as you say.

They do, however, say what you say. Everything you say, they repeat at this age. It’s hilarious.

The other day we had the plumber over and he was working on our bathroom. When it was all done, Jacob came into our room and peered into the bathroom. He was tentative. I told him “Stuff happened in there”

He said: “Stuff happened in bathroom!” And he ran around repeating it. It was adorable. Then, out of nowhere, he looked up at me and said: “Dada dream happen”

I stopped cold and thought: did he just say dada’s dreams are happening? I mean, a lot has been happening for me lately and I know I’m on the verge of some amazing things. Is he picking up on it? Hmmmm…

Then he looked at me and said it again.

I said: “Yeah buddy. Daddy’s dreams are happening. And you know what? Two of the best ones already did – you and mommy.”

He picked up Ren, Book’n and Big Gym and ran from the bedroom saying: “Stuff happen in bathroom. Dada dream happen!”

Parenthood is a gift.

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Jacob’s Daddy