Jasper visited the doctor yesterday for his two-and-a-half year checkup. At 30 months, here are Jasper’s stats:
- 30 pounds (50th percentile)
- 3′ 1″ (60th percentile)
- head circumference no longer measured but we’ll guess that he’s probably around the 99th percentile!
There were no shots at this visit and he didn’t flinch a millimeter when the nurse pricked his finger and drew blood for his cholesterol test, but he hated the band-aid she put on afterwards! It didn’t take him more than a minute to pull it off and for the crying to end. At doctor visits, he now stands on the big scale rather than sitting on the baby scale to be weighed and he stands tall against the tape on the wall to measure his height instead of laying down on the examination table. Doctor visits like this are clear proof that a toddler isn’t a baby anymore!
Band-aid issues aside, he behaved very well for his check-up and was completely cooperative for the doctor’s examination with no tears, so we treated him to some chocolate chip waffles and warm chocolate at Jubala.
“The doctor fixed me. He banged my knee (scowly face). And then he banged my other knee (more scowly face).”
So, Jasper is over halfway through this wonderful age of two. Supposedly, this is supposed to be a “terrible” year and I wrote my thoughts about the phrase “terrible twos” when Gavin was this age. My feelings haven’t changed. Although Jasper can convey his thoughts and feelings with words so much better than Gavin could at this age, it’s still very clear that he has yet to learn some basic concepts like delayed gratification and cause and effect. His emotions can vary drastically within a span of only a few seconds with nothing obviously instigating such a dramatic change. The kids is only two, though, so we give him a break knowing he has so much to learn and we try to help him keep his emotions more balanced!
Why people label this age “terrible” I’ll never know because it’s one of my absolute favorite ages! Jasper still has so many toddler qualities but is independent enough to play on his own and not need us every second of the day anymore. I feel like he only has a few months of baby-dom left before he’s a full-fledged young boy. He still has a slightly stiff-kneed gait and his words and speech patterns are so cute! So, we’re definitely going to enjoy this while it lasts!
There are so many characteristics and habits of two-year-old Jasper that I want to remember so the rest of this entry will be complete randomness!
Jasper LOVES to be a helper and always shows up when I start working in the laundry room or the kitchen. I hear, “Can I help?” every day.
Jasper is a dream sleeper! He falls asleep immediately after going to bed during the seven o’clock hour and stays in his room until I get him in the morning. If he wakes up before we do, I’ll find him surrounded by toys in his bed or covered in books beside his bookshelf. I never even know he’s awake already until I open the door. Even on Saturday mornings when we’re able to sleep in, he’ll quietly stay in his room until nine if we’re being really lazy. He’s pretty much stopped napping entirely (we’re currently on a streak of 10 days and counting with no afternoon nap), but as long as he’s so easy at nights and in the early morning, I’m not complaining!
Jasper can sit sideways in the bathtub with straight legs. He’s still that short!
Until a week ago, he called hangnails “manicures.” Hangnails really bother him so he immediately comes me saying, “I have a manicure.”
Like his brother, Jasper loves to line up cars. Unlike his brother, he lines them up side-by-side instead of end-to-end.
Jasper has a very extensive vocabulary. He doesn’t say paired consonants well and usually drops one so he says “koo bus” instead of “school bus” and “tain tack” rather than train track. He speaks in full sentences and amazes me every day with new words that I never knew he understood!
A few of my favorite Jasper words and phrases:
- puz = because (‘cuz)
- heyooooo! = hello!
- uh-HUH! (with emphasis on the second syllable)
- oh, fank-oo = oh, thank you
- concuctions = constructions (until recently, this was just “cuctions”)
- boo-zudder = bulldozer
- pees, may I be accused = please, may I be excused
- pees, ree dis book to me = please, read this book to me
- (hears a noise) *quick breath intake* Where that come from?
- lawn-mow-mower = lawnmower
A recent, typical conversation:
- Jasper: “I forgot.”
- Gmummy: “What did you forget?”
- Jasper: “I don’t know.”
Whenever Jasper says he likes something, he always adds something else that he likes completely randomly. For example, “Did you and Gavin go to Harris Teeters? I like Harris Teeter the best. And I like trains.” One night, he was hugging Jeff good night and said, “I wuv you. And I love Thomas movies.” At least Daddy came first!
Jasper loves to cuddle and will often ask to cuddle if I’m sitting on the sofa, but “cuddling” for Jasper means snuggling against me for two seconds and then leaving. I’ll take what I can get!
He seems to misunderstand some phrases that he uses. He’ll eat over half of something before handing it back saying, “I don’t like it,” instead of, “I don’t want it anymore.” And he’s constantly saying “no” when he means “yes.” It’s quite confusing!
I still pick him up and carry him most of the time. He’s still light enough to carry on my hip with one arm, but not for much longer. 🙁
Jasper says his full name is Jasper “Bob the Builder” Highsmith.
Favorite color seems to be brown. In his tray of crayons, the brown crayon is half the size of all the others. He colors in circles instead of scribbles.
Like Gavin, he eats bread center first.
Jasper goes to gym class every Monday. It took several weeks for him to warm up to the idea of a strange adult telling him what to do, but he’s making progress by leaps and bounds now. He’s more physical than Gavin and gym class seems to be coming very naturally to him now.
He loves buses. His favorite shows are Thomas and Friends and Curious George. The boys have taken a break from their Cars and Toy Story movie addictions, and it’s always Thomas or Curious George whenever the television is on now. They watch recorded television shows and have a few hour-long Thomas movies, and will typically watch one on weekend afternoons as a pseudo naptime and also in the evenings when I need them to stay out of trouble while I make dinner if Jeff isn’t home.
Jasper uses a big boy swing. We removed the toddler swing several months ago and it was one of those unexpected defining moments that made me realize he’s not a baby anymore. He LOVES to swing and he lets me push him very high – much higher than Gavin will even let me push him now! It’s fun to see the differences between these two boys and Jasper’s sense of daring and adventure is definitely one of those traits that distinguish him from his brother!
Favorite dinners are turkey meatballs with penne, salmon, and chicken nuggets. Jasper also enjoys homemade pizza which we have once a week. He loves carrots and broccoli, and eats applesauce, but he isn’t a huge fan of fruits and veggies (which is probably my fault!) so he ends up eating the same ones every day rather than a variety. Lunch is usually scrambled eggs or grilled cheese.
His favorite lovies are Frog and Ray, and he loves his yellow baptism blanket now, too.
When he’s not making me want to pull my hair out, Jasper is giving the cheesiest smiles, making us laugh, asking countless questions, running after his brother, and being completely adorable!
