31 months

Today is Jake's 31 month birthday. We're not the parents that normally remember that sort of thing, and I think we were both happy when Jake turned two so we could stop answering the "how old" question in months. But, it occurred to me tonight, and I thought it'd be fun to look at a picture from a year ago. Here's Jake, in his "grrrr" face heyday, helping stir some pancake batter (take that, Maria Montessori-- we had him doing practical life activities a year before you would have).

A year ago, Sadie was still warm and cozy in Ali (sometimes I think she's still trying to get back in there), Jake was in diapers, in a crib at night, and eating his food from a highchair. He hadn't climbed a playground ladder yet, he hadn't learned to swim with just water wings on, and he hadn't learned the power of "no!" yet. But, there's a lot that hasn't changed. A year ago, we could already tell that Jake had a sense of humor. He still loves to laugh and to make other people laugh. And he's still curious and observant and independent.

Sadie is often the object of his developing personality, and I think their relationship has been good for both. He's shown his caring side (nice for Sadie) and his curious, playful side (often dangerous for Sadie), but as often as she's gotten her head bonked when they play, she seems to really look up to him, and he loves the attention. We talk to Jake a lot about his responsibilities as an older brother, and I think 2 or 3 percent of it might be sinking in. I don't think he'll ever be a doting older sibling, but we see glimpses of a protective older brother that will keep an eye out for his little sister. Of course, she's just starting to want to play with his toys, so my assessment may change over the next year.

Happy 31 months Jake!