Catching up with Jacob

So Jacob is 3 now.  Yes, seriously.  This cute little baby face

 has magically become this big boy face

 

OVERNIGHT! 

Well, OK, it wasn't REALLY overnight, but it sure does seem like it. 

Jacob started speech services with ECI right around his second birthday.  At that time he had 5 spoken words and about 15 signs.  He didn't talk very much at all.  Then Grace and Diane came into our lives and helped us encourage Jacob to speak more.  And to work at speaking better.  And he blossomed!  By May he had over 100 spoken words and I stopped counting in June.  By then he rarely used short phrases (1 or 2 words) any longer,  but instead spoke sentences of 6 or more words most of the time.  I was amazed at his progress.  His ECI team was as well.  They said that they don't recall having a client make so much progress in such a short amount of time.  I am grateful for their advice and help, which helped us to encourage Jacob to be more verbal.  He had his last ECI visit the week prior to his 3rd birthday (they can only work with a client and family up to the day before the 3rd birthday) but they did make a referral to the school district for speech evaluation.  He again qualified for services, so we go to the elementary school for speech every Monday morning now. 
He had swimming lessons for the first time in June 2012.  I already decided that he needed them, but when I had to jump in a friend's pool, fully clothed, in April, swim lessons became a done deal.  And he did very well.  He can't swim on his own, but he can kick, put his face in the water and blow bubbles all at the same time.  I hope to have him in lessons again in the next month or 2 so that he will have a head start on the summer.
 

At three years old, Jacob weighs 40 pounds and is 41" tall.  He wears size 11.5W shoes.  Mr. Puppy is still his favorite, but he CAN sleep without Mr. Puppy if he is missing or has to take a bath.  He is VERY happy when Mr. Puppy is back in his arms, though.  He likes to play Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, Uno Moo and Uno Choo Choo.  He plays pretend games with his big sister all the time.  He loves playdoh, crayons and paint.  He hasn't eaten any crayons in at least 6 months...yes that is a big accomplishment! He knows how to use scissors.  He can count to five and understands what five of something is.  He knows other numbers but doesn't get them in order.  He recognizes some written numbers, but doesn't really care about telling me which ones he knows, so I don't know how many he actually knows.  Same with letters.  He knows a few, but getting him to point them out is a real challenge. 

He is concerned when other people are sad and notices when other people are not being safe...such as not wearing a helmet when bike riding.  He loves to ride his bike and tricycle, but doesn't get the whole pedalling idea.  He asks to be pushed or he will push with his feet on the ground, instead. He tells me about his friends all the time, especially Ellis.  He asks where Mrs, Carla is every time we drive by her house (and since that's across the street, that's all the time!) He thinks that he is just as big as his sister and her friends and DOES NOT like to be told that he isn't big enough to do something.  Unless it has to do with going potty.  Then he tells me, "Me NOT big boy.  Me little boy." He knows that big boys use the potty and he just doesn't want to do that. Sigh.  Been there done that, but in the end, he will be potty trained, just like his big sister was.

He refuses to refer to himself as "I."  When I corrected him about it a couple of months ago, the conversation went something like this:

J: Me want that book.

Me:  You mean, I want that book.

J: That what me said.

Me:  No, baby.  When you are talking about yourself, you say I.  So Jacob should say I want that book.

J:  But me want that book.  Not you, not Danta (Samantha), ME want that book.

So he is absolutely convinced that "I" refers to anyone except himself.  Once again...he'll get it eventually.

 

He has definitely developed opinions and has learned the fine art of the temper tantrum.  What can I say?  He's 3. 

 

He still loves to snuggle and I love to have him climb into my lap for cuddles and kisses.  He sings along with me and with Samantha, but his signing is usually repeating the first 5 or so words over and over and over while Samantha and I finish the rest of the song.

He is my sweet baby boy...no matter how often he tells me that he is NOT a baby boy, he is a big boy. I wouldn't trade him for anything.  I am so grateful that God chose him for me.