Jacob is 10. TEN. He's a decade old. 10 years ago we were living in Chicago, in the dead of winter, patiently waiting for his arrival. I was secretly terrified (what did I know about babies?!) and then each day after my due date just crawled by at a snails pace. I was so done with being pregnant -- I just wanted to meet him! TEN days after my due date, we had to evict him. Induction turned into a long, exhausting labor that ended with a scary, traumatic entrance into this world. Some would say that's why he had colic those first few months but what I see now, that I saw from day one, was a sensitivity almost unmatched by any other child. His teachers rave about him, he puts so much effort into everything he does, and anyone that knows him well describes him as a "pleaser". We recently received an email from our Principal stating that Jacob has been recommended for a particular Summer camp, for exceptional students who score in the 90% or above on the standardized tests they perform. I had never heard of this camp so when I casually mentioned it to him, his eyes got very wide and his voice got quiet and he said "Mommy, did I get in?" as if it was the most precious achievement in the world. I said "yes, buddy" with tears in my eyes and then "Do you want to go?" to which he responded "YES, of course! I have to go!"
To say that we are proud is an understatement. On a typical day, we are nagging him about getting off the ipad or being not so nice to his sister, but when I take a step back and look at the young man he is turning into, I am overwhelmed with pride. With gratitude. With love. He's OURS. We MADE HIM. And he made me a Mommy.
He wanted to celebrate his birthday with his BFF Nash, so they had a big boys sleepover at Nash's house. Just another example of how our boy is growing up!
Happy 10 Jacob. We love you so much and couldn't be more excited to watch you grow into the exceptional human being that you are, and are becoming.
