Jamie moments

This is another one of those posts that I do mostly for my own record-keeping, but also for those of you who like to hear how and what my little one is doing. (I know it's probably not all of you. No offense taken.)

First off, we had our third Family Home Evening in a row last night; we liked the way we did it before, where we have a very simple theme, we very simply explain it (like, "This is the TEMPLE, Jamie! This is Heavenly Father's and Jesus' house! Can you say 'temple'?"), sing a song or two from the Children's Songbook about the theme--the second one totally made me cry--and say a prayer. It's working for us. Jamie tried to say "Jesus" and "temple" last night, and pointed at pictures of both. So, so sweet. FHE truly makes a difference in our home. We can feel the Spirit more strongly.

Today, I was in Jamie's room and I asked him, "Where's Jesus?" The picture of Jesus in our living room, which he had last focused on (last night), is in the left corner of that room. The one in Jamie's room is in the right corner. So Jamie first looked to the left corner, saw nothing, kept looking farther left, and saw the "INHALATION HAZARD" sign with the skull and crossbones above his changing table, pointed, and said a bit of jibberish that I can only assume meant "Jesus."

I texted that one to Jason. He thought it was pretty funny.

Btw, can I brag on that inhalation hazard sign for a sec? When we moved, I was in the ABF trucking office waiting to have the trailer unlocked or something, and let's just say it was not like a doctor's office. There was a cardboard box of such signs sitting under the counter by me, and I saw that sign and mentioned to the guy that I'd love to have it for my son's changing table. He said to take it. I admit, I'm proud of myself for that thing, and boy, is it fitting...

I was finally able to take Jamie for his 18-month checkup on Friday--it's taken that long to get his insurance squared away. I believe he was 22 1/2 lbs and about 33 inches. Really low percentile for weight, and a bit higher than average for height. He got one shot and didn't cry for more than a minute or two. He did get a whopping, scary fever that night, though--over 103. He felt like he just came out of the oven! We nearly rushed him to the ER, but called our Medical Assistant friend, Jina, to ask for advice, and she saved us a trip. Tip: if a fever is not SUPER high and it's the only symptom, the hospital folks can't do much more than you can at home. Once the Tylenol kicked in and Jamie had a lukewarm bath (which he HATED), he was better, though the fever hung around for another day.

This morning I woke up, realized Jamie would be waking soon, and jumped in the shower so I could at least be mostly finished before he woke up. Just as I turned off the water, I heard the first, "Aaah?" on the monitor. But that baby let me dry off, get dressed, do my hair, and put on my makeup (not an everyday occurrence), chattering to himself the whole time and hardly fussing. When I did go in to get him, he was standing in his crib, and he grinned at me and started marching in place with his adorable, sweet little feet, apparently so cheerful and happy to see me that he felt like dancing.

Jamie mostly hates to have his diapers (or dipees, as we call them) changed, and also fights going to bed. If I pick him up around bedtime, he'll reach with both arms for daddy, with an imploring, "Aaah? Aaah?" That's his pick-me-up thing. It's hard to resist. So I'll give him to Jason, he'll start to head upstairs with Jamie, and when Jamie sees this, he does the imploring thing back at me, trying to get someone to save him. It's so funny. He'll also do this to strangers at church, hoping they'll let him run free all over the chapel. He's gotten a lot better about his church behavior, though, and does better in nursery every week.

When it was nearly time for his nap today, he pulled the blanket I made him out of his crib through the slats and spread it over his lap, which I've never seen him do. I picked him up and he immediately put his head on my shoulder and cuddled against me. Sigh. Sometimes I wish he didn't have to grow up. Taking care of a toddler is challenging, but he is so sweet and innocent at this age.

Words Jamie at least tries (or has tried) to say, that we recognize:

Mama (usually it's "Mam" lately)
Dada, Dai-ee
Boat ("Bo")
Gross ("Gro," after me teasing him about a stinky diaper, but that was just once)
Cow sound ("Booo")
Doggie ("Dai-yah")
Temple (I have no idea how to spell how it sounded...)
Jesus (Ditto...)

Yeah, he has a ways to go on accuracy, but we're just glad he's finally trying. :)

A special experience that I want to remember

This is the picture in Jamie's room, called "Consider the Lilies."

This is the picture of Christ we have in our living room. (details here)

Jamie has a picture of Christ with two children in his bedroom, and for the last few weeks, I've tried to remember to periodically take Jamie to the picture and point out "Jesus." He smiles, points also, and makes a sweet, questioning-sounding "Aaahh?" as he does so. (He makes the same sound when he points to other things I've just pointed out.) This morning, I thought for the first time to do the same thing with the picture of Christ in our living room. I pointed, said "Jesus" a few times, and Jamie smiled and pointed at Him.

Tonight Jason and I decided to have a quick, non-planned Family Home Evening before we put Jamie to bed, because we're usually slackers and don't do it at all. So we thought we'd start by singing a hymn, "Choose the Right." Jamie liked that, dancing, clapping, and generally running around happily while we sang.

When we had sung all three verses, we decided that it had been so nice, and we could feel the Spirit in the room so clearly, that we would sing another one. (This usually happens when we sing a hymn.) As we were talking about which one to sing next, all of a sudden, Jamie went over to the corner wall, looked up, pointed at the picture of Christ, and said, "Aaaahhh?"

That was the first time he'd paid attention to it today, besides the once when I pointed it out--and we spent most of the day in the living room.

It's amazing what will come "out of the mouths of babes." It was no coincidence--we felt it--that Jamie chose that moment to point to the picture of Jesus, Whose name is not specifically mentioned in "Choose the Right," but Whom it is about, and Whose Spirit it invites.



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