Living the Abundant Life!: Jacob

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Jacob

I'm here, I'm here!

I'm tardy, but I'm here. : )

I have been wanting to write a post about our biggest boy, Jacob. He turned twelve a little over a week ago.

Twelve!

We had a wonderful time celebrating. Picture a Star Wars cake, fun at the local laser tag place with the family and a friend...Legos and a remote control tank, a real man's watch, and cash from grandparents were his awesome gifts..... I just love birthdays. And especially when I am celebrating the birth and life of one of my precious treasures.

I would like to tell you a little about Jacob.

Jacob was born with a claim to fame. He was my first child, and he came into the world weighing in at 11 pounds even! I should have known right off the bat that this boy was going to be special. Actually, what am I saying? I DID know that he was going to be something special. He was precious from the very first day.

Jacob had another claim to fame those first few days in the hospital nursery. He could cry. A LOT. Those poor nurses kept bringing him to me thinking that little boy must have been really hungry since he was about 4 pounds bigger than all the other babies. It turns out that being hungry didn't have much to do with it. My poor baby just cried and cried--a lot--in the hospital, and for months after we brought him home. It wasn't non-stop, but he did an unusual amount of crying. It was a very difficult time--for him, and for his daddy and me. It was definitely the hardest time of my life up until that point. I just didn't know what to do to help him, and to this day, I don't know what was wrong...but I remember knowing in my heart that this boy had a very sweet temperament. And I couldn't have been more right.

Jacob grew into a hyper--I mean healthy, very active two year old, and a loving older brother to our new baby, Joshua. He would say, "I LOVE her!" (Yeah, it was a boy, but babies all look the same, right?) When he was five, and baby brother number 2 was on his way, he was ecstatic. He has always had such a tender heart toward babies and little kids.

Jacob grew and grew, and his love for all things "boy" did too. He loved construction equipment and balls. Hot wheel cars and race tracks, trains and transformers, filled our home. He got frustrated easily like any self respecting first born child, and he was still very ACTIVE-- and that little boy was so sweet to his momma. : ) He would tell me I was beautiful and how much he loved me, more often than the other two boys told me those things put together.

And Jacob continues to show his sensitive, tender heart as he grows into a young man. When all of the swings were full at the park and a little girl wanted to get on, he jumped off of his to let her have it. When friends are over, he is so careful to make sure no one's feelings get hurt. If there is a problem in the house between brothers, Jacob is normally the first one to give in in order to keep the peace. He is kind and patient and fun with his little sister. And I have noticed so many times that when I am feeling grouchy, Jacob is quick to forgive my bad attitude, to come over and give me a hug and tell me he loves me--at exactly the time when I certainly don't deserve it.

Jacob really is a precious gift to us. I know that God has some great plans for him!