Jacob is ONE today - Happy Birthday, Baby!

I can't believe my baby boy is already a year old.

I'm so nastalgic, I keep finding myself thinking "at this time last year, we were.....".   I'm such a SAP!!!

He was born at 12:19 PM, and at that time this year, we will be visiting the Zoo!  Hopefully the weather cooperates with our plans -- the grandparents will all be here in a half an hour to go with us! 

Jacob has 5 teeth (2 top, 3 on bottom), continues to army crawl, he now pulls himself up to his knees at the coffee table or chairs, will walk with hands, and LOVES the water -- whether it be a bath or his baby pool or a regular swimming pool.  He is a water baby for sure! 

He weighs around 22-23 lbs (we'll see at his 1 year appt - to be scheduled!) and is probably around 30 inches long.  We turned his carseat around last night, and he was amazed at all of the sights to see while driving! 

We have very much enjoyed this past year -- all of the "firsts" we celebrated together as a family.  We are so blessed to have this time with Jacob, he brings us such joy to our lives.  We remember to thank God every single day for this miracle.....

Happy Birthay, Jake!  We LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

Mommy & Daddy

Jacob had his first haircut on April 5, 2007 (10 months).  The whole process actually took 2 days, because he was so wiggly and interested in looking at the scissors.

He said "MAMA" today (April 10, 2007). We were rocking in his glider before I left for work this morning, and he was looking at the light on his ceiling, and out came "Mama", clear as day!  Of course no one was around to witness it (he has been saying "Dada" for weeks now) so no one believes me  - I guess it was just a special moment between my son and I ~

Jake is still army crawling like crazy (he is very efficient at it now) but has no interest in pulling himself up or cruising along furniture.  I'm perfectly fine with that - he is mobile enough as it is!  Ha, ha..

Jacob is going to have a new cousin at the end of September!!!   YEAHH!!!  My brother Dan and SIL Anna are expecting their first -- hopefully a boy cousin, for Jacob (he has 5 girl cousins only)

All for now, take care and I hope all of you ladies continue to enjoy your pregnancies and babies...it goes by way too fast!

We are sitting at lunch one day when my daughter casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family." "We're taking a survey," she says half-joking. "Do you think I should have a baby?"

"It will change your life," I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral. "I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations."

But that is not what I meant at all. I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes.  I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.

I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking, "What if that had been MY child?"  That every plane crash, every house fire will haunt her. That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.

I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop a soufflee or her best crystal without a moment's hesitation.

I feel that I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood. However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.  She might arrange for childcare, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.

I want my daughter to know that every day decisions will no longer be routine. That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma.  That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom.

Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself. That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give herself up in a moment to save her offspr ing, but will also begin to hope for more years, not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs.

I want her to know that a cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor.

My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks. I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child.  I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.

I wish my daughter could sense the bond she w ill feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving.

I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike. I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or cat for the first time. I want her to taste the joy that is so real it actually hurts.

My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes. "You'll never regret it," I finally say. Then I reached across the table, squeezed my daughter's hand and offered a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings.

-Author Unknown

Nothing could be more true than these words.  I never knew my life would be so uprooted by becoming a mother.  It is the most beautiful, overwhelming, and rewarding endeavor a woman could ever face.  I am honored by motherhood every single moment of every single day!

Quick Jacob update: HE CRAWLS!  Finally, at 9.5 months old, he is a mobile dude.  March 22 he made his way across the room.  It's a funny crawl - it's  a combination of army crawling and inch-worming.  I LOVE IT!  He weighs 21 lbs 7 oz and is 29 1/4 inches long = 75th % for his age.  As of March 5th, he has 1 tooth!  YEAHH!!!