On the road again! In week 72 we hit the road with Jack for the first time since September 2020. We didn’t know how he would do now that he’s more mobile, so we came equipped with what is now and integral piece of gear in our travels – a portable DVD player. Many thanks to the Stephenson family who lent us this trip-changing device and to Sesame Street for keeping him entertained. Because of the DVD player we only had to stop and get Jack out of the car one time. (We also stopped for Chipotle at one point, but it doesn’t count because we didn’t get Jack out of the car.)
Ohio was no different than most of the rest of the country this week. There was snow and ice EVERYWHERE as soon as we hit Virginia. Jack has seen snow, most notably the awesome Christmas snow of 2020, but he’s never experienced anything like he experienced in Ohio. He wasn’t sure what to think about all the snow the first time we took him out in it, but by the end of the week he was kicking and screaming when it was time to go inside. Jack loves being outside and I can’t wait to foster that love this spring and summer.
The highlight of week 72 was the time we got to spend with our people. We hadn’t seen her brother’s family (other than on FaceTime) since September and we hadn’t seen Allison’s parents since October. This time the kids were old enough to run and play together and it was really special to watch them interact with one another. It was special to watch Allison’s parents pour so much into Jack during our time there, and we were fortunate enough to to spend a bit of time with one of my closest friends and his family. We loved every minute of this trip and we drove back to Tennessee with full hearts.
The major highlight from this week other than the time we got with family and friends was that we’re now able to have mini conversations with Jack. His vocabulary is expanding and he’s learning how to respond to our questions. He learned two new words this week: eat and snow. All week he would go over to his high chair, point at it, and say “eat” when he was hungry. And for long periods of time he would look out the windows, point at the snow, and say “snow.” I really appreciate these glimpses into what life will be like when we can have conversations with Jack.
The trip home was a little less smooth the drive to Ohio, but the DVD player came in clutch again. We don’t watch loads of television at home, so this was a good treat for Jack on the drive. I haven’t taken the screen out of the car yet, though, and now Jack points at it wanting me to turn it on every time we get in the car 😂.
Thanks for stopping by for week 72 of 936! Come back next week to read about how re-entry went.
I never knew how much counting my time would impact my parenting. Life With Jack is our family’s attempt to make the most of the time we have with our son, Jack, from the time he was born to the time he turns 18. You can read more about this series by clicking here.
THE WANDERING PROFFITT 