My little Jakob Becket turned 9 months old last week. He has been out as long as he was in. :) This was a special day of reflection for me. I continue to be amazed by him and delight in seeing how he is becoming his own little person.
This milestone also means that I've been a mom to two boys for 9 months....and somehow, I've survived. :) Believe me, I'm as surprised as you are. I began this parenting journey without an ounce of knowledge about boys except what I'd seen in schools growing up. I only had my sister....and even our dog growing up was a girl! But...(not meaning to jinx myself or pat myself on the back too much)...I think I'm getting the hang of being a mom to boys. And believe me, some people (mostly people who only have daughters) will tell you that there's no difference between raising girls and boys. There is!
With that in mind and borrowing from my post when Jeffery turned 9 months old, there are some lessons I have learned during this very informative and joyful nine months.
I'll start with Jakob since it is his month birthday we're celebrating. :)
1. He is, with few exceptions, a polar opposite from Jeffery. I was expecting them to be different. I mean, they are their own people and not clones of each other. But I was really not expecting such a difference. A difference that is evident even at this still early stage. He has almost translucent skin. The kid needs a serious tan....his white skin can hurt your eyes if you look at him too long. Jeffery has always had a good color to his skin. His hair has a little light red in it but it is sooo see through blonde that it almost looks white. Jeffery's hair was never even close to being this fair. Jakob is sooooo somber and reserved. It is a delight to see him smile and hear him laugh but he is so unbelievably reserved. At 9 months, Jeffery was already entertaining and seeking to be entertained. The differences go on and on....and it is amazing that they're even brothers.
2. The animal nicknames I've given the boys so far....have been spot on. Jakob is still my Bear -- something I refer to him as on facebook almost exclusively. He loves to be held, loves to cuddle and snuggle into you, loves to have his back rubbed to help him calm down. But when it comes time to be fed....he growls like a ferocious bear. He may have eaten all of his solid food (he's doing a fairly good job at that recently) but he'll protest loudly if you have to take even a minute to put together his bottle afterwards. He is my Snuggly/Growly Bear and I love it!
3. I am not a fan of nursing. I did it because it was the best thing for me and the best thing for Jakob but I am not someone that the La Leche League will be asking to waive their flags for them anytime soon! That being said, I went almost 3 months longer nursing Jakob than I did with Jeffery and I'm a little proud of that. I am still THRILLED beyond belief that he decided to wean himself last week but I know I have it in me to not just throw in the towel after 6 months (which I was planning on doing with Jeffery except he weaned himself first at 6 months).
4. Jakob adores the Baby Einstein videos. Just like Jeffery. :) They are seriously Baby Crack. However, (and my friend Kathleen says that this has to be filed under "Only at the Pedersen House")...he does not like Beethoven. I put on Baby Einstein Beethoven 2 days in a row....and he cried and fussed and was thoroughly unhappy. The 2nd time, I caught on and experimented by switching it to Bach. Sure enough, he calmed down and smiled and was enraptured. It occurred to me to switch the DVD's to Bach because.....I remembered Jeffery hated the Beethoven one at around 9 months. He cried every time I tried to put it on. But Mozart and Bach were great! Jeffery is now quite the fan of Beethoven and will quote passages of music to you but there is something about being 9 months old and listening to Beethoven that are not simpatico! Go figure!
5. It is amazing how much you can see family resemblances in your children. Friends still say that Jeffery is a mini-Dave (with my eyes). And Jakob.....well Jakob could walk into Sell Family Reunion (my mother's family) and feel instantly at home. And if you saw pictures of my Uncle Ronny when he was a baby....or even my cousin Olin....you would swear it was Jakob. It's a little eerie. Of course, Dave insists that Jakob has the "Pedersen Nose"....whatever that is. :)
5. It is amazing how much you can see family resemblances in your children. Friends still say that Jeffery is a mini-Dave (with my eyes). And Jakob.....well Jakob could walk into Sell Family Reunion (my mother's family) and feel instantly at home. And if you saw pictures of my Uncle Ronny when he was a baby....or even my cousin Olin....you would swear it was Jakob. It's a little eerie. Of course, Dave insists that Jakob has the "Pedersen Nose"....whatever that is. :)
6. It is difficult with an active toddler to make sure that Jakob gets his morning nap. Many mornings, we're out doing errands or playing with friends. If we are home, Jeffery's active nature basically ensure that Jakob stays awake. When Jeffery was this age....with no one to distract him, he would just take a little cat nap in his swing every morning. But with Jakob, I am finding that I have to make quite the effort to actually put him in his crib with his white noise so that he can get his morning cat nap. He deserves to have his sleep.....just like Jeffery was gifted....but it is soooo much more difficult these days. I have yet to find a good balance.
And now on to both boys....
1. Being away from our family is even more difficult now that there are two little boys. Given the fact that we just bought a house....I do not predict a change in this situation any time soon but it is difficult. Jeffery will randomly wake up from naps or bedtime and say "Oma downstairs?" or "Papa here to see me?". It is enough to break my heart when I have to give him the answer. We still Skype with my parents at least once a week and Jakob is really starting to respond to seeing their faces and hearing their voices. And in the 9 months that Jakob has been around, they've seen him 3 times (birth, Christmas, and in April) which is pretty darn good if you ask me....as we live on opposite sides of the country. But....it is still difficult.
2. These two boys, even at this young age, love each other so dearly. It makes this mommy's heart sing for joy! Jeffery is so good to his little brother. He plays "Peek a boo" with him which makes Jakob just howl. Jeffery encourages him to say words....Jakob said "da da" the other day....and talks to him all the time. He fetches pacifiers for me or informs me that Jakob is "upset" and that I need to make him happy. :) And Jakob watches everything his older brother does. EVERYTHING. As I said before, Jakob is normally pretty reserved and somber....except, that is, when Jeffery is around. When Jeffery's around, Jakob just lights up. It is so sweet to see them interact together and I'm so glad that they have each other!
3. Jakob's arrival only made me love Jeffery, my little monkey, even more. I am daily amazed at what a sweet and good little boy he is....most of the time. :) He has his true toddler moments. Don't we all?! But on the whole, he is an amazing little boy. He is always look to please, to entertain, to be entertained, to have him family close by, and to be friends with people. He takes direction well (most of the time) and is pretty obedient. He is sooooo gentle with his little brother and just wants to be a "useful engine.....like Thomas". :) He is patient with me when I am frustrated and at my wits end, is quick to say that he's sorry, will assure me and tell me it is okay, and loves hugs! I adore this little boy more than I could have thought possible.
So, happy 9 months to my little Jakob Becket....my little bear. You have taught me so much and have filled my life with so much happiness. You have delighted us, frustrated us, exhausted us, and filled us with indescribable joy and love. Your brother, your daddy, and your mommy have all been blessed by your little spirit!
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