2

Everett,

Happy 2nd Birthday, sweet baby of mine. 

You are a pure delight;

you bring such charm and joy to this family! 








5

Today,

You are my sweet,

blue-eyed,

deep-dimpled cheek,

quick tempered,

thoughtful,

detail-oriented,

funny,

Daddy-wrestling,

football playing,

Go-Blue cheering, 

new-glasses-wearing,

preschool-going

5 year old.

I am honored to celebrate you and the gift that you are to us on this very day.

Happy Birthday to my second born son, Wyatt Jack!

Your mama loves you so very much.

Today, and always.

3

Nate,

It's your Golden Birthday! 

Happy 3rd Birthday, my sweet boy!



My passionate, funky, fiery, charming, funny, sweet, loving, quick-running, adorable, truck/train/"digger"-loving, book-reading, sandbox loving, self-potty training, third-born babe:

I love you SO much!

I am so blessed to have you in my life.  I am so blessed to be your mama!

I thank God for the joy you bring to my life every day.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Nathaniel Jude.

Love, Mama

Happy Birthday!

Jacob, you are 6 years old today.
Happy birthday, my sweet biggest boy!

At age 6, you love riding your bike, trains, reading books, eating pizza & chicken, fruits & veggies and noodles, "doing something fun", adventures, watching and learning how machinery works, asking questions, God, singing, leading, coloring, making "decorations", swimming and anything to do with water, your cousins, your grandparents, school, your brothers, Sunday School, and playing baseball.
You don't care much for sleeping in, eating cheese, waiting, basketball, being hot, or being still. 

I can't believe how fast this past year has gone.  You are nearly done with Kindergarten and have grown in so many ways.  You have learned and led, you have taught and followed.  You continue to be such a great big helper to me and your brothers; you have the biggest heart a mama could ever pray for.

Jacob, you are sensitive and sweet, kind-hearted, and generous.  You are always wanting to play with Everett and Nate, and constatnly simultaneously loving and butting heads with Wyatt (and sometimes Nate too!).  I've enjoyed watching your relationship with each brother grow in different ways.

Yesterday, you asked to take the training wheels off of your bike.  After a few practice runs, I'm not so sure you felt it was the best decision, but you gave it a good go.  It was an amazing thing to watch you try two wheels with your Daddy.  It's something a parent thinks and dreams about, but when it comes time to actually do, it truly is a breathtaking moment. 

You have been reading for a few months now - which is another Major Life Event for us.  (I guess some days I still feel like I'm 17; I find it hard to believe that I'm an adult and I'm old enough to have kids, let alone kids who can ride without training wheels and read books to me.)  You love school and have thrived and excelled in Kindergarten.  This week you received an award at school called the Leadership Wall of Fame.  You were one of 14 students who were nominated by their teachers for your leadership skills.  You were recognized by the principal, and stood to receive your award in front of the whole school.  Daddy and I got to attend the ceremony and could not have been more proud!  Our hearts were bursting that day.
We are so proud of you, every day, J. 

I am looking forward to the end of the school year (8 days!) and having our schedule back, and having some time to just relax or do lots of things ahead of us.  I'm mostly looking forward to some more time with you!  It's still hard to 'give you up' for 7+ hours a day, 5 days a week! 

6 years ago I was given one of the sweetest gifts: you.  The chance at being a mother.  You have been one of the greatest gifts a mama could every hope for, pray over, dream about.  You are my love, my joy, my heart.  I thank God for you every single day.  It continues to be an honor to be your mom!

I love you, today, and always, Jacob.

Happy Birthday.

Mom

One

My sweet, sweet baby boy....

It's March 24th ~ Happy Birthday! 
Today, we are so blessed to be able to celebrate a whole year of YOU!  What an honor.

Everett, there are no words to describe the ways my heart has grown since we learned of you back in the summer of 2010.  You are my fourth 'quarter' baby, my youngest, my cuddle bug, my mama's boy.  You are a pure delight, and you have definitely lived up to being worth the wait. 

There are so many ways I want to remember today, to capture these feelings I have, and engrave them in my memory.  To remember you now.

Here are a few:

-It's my baby's first birthday!  (and I'm NOT pregnant!  This is a FIRST for this Mama)
-At this time last year....I was doing_____....oh, am I the Queen of Nostalgia!
-I want to keep you this size forever!
-Your sweet, chubby hands
-Your dimples
-Your Baby Blues with The Longest Lashes Ever
-Your belly laugh -- best with big brothers, next to tickling your collarbones
-Your love of being worn - in the Boba and the Gemini
-Your love of graham crackers and french fries
-Your dislike of bananas (seriously?)
-the way you nurse so willingly still, 3 times a day
-the fact that you sleep in a pack 'n play, in the basement (don't judge)
-the way you scooch over to something, get up to your knees and stick your butt straight into the air with your hands flat on the floor (yoga, much?)
-your army crawl: one-armed (left), with your right hand holding an object, or straight up in the air
-the way you give "fives" and giggle afterward
-Your love for the pacifier -- sleeping with one in your mouth, and one in each hand (reminds me of Nate!)
-your SIZE!  You wear size 12-18 months, some 18+ month clothes, you're simply huge :)  You are approximately 23 lbs. 
-how you take one nap a day.  and it's a struggle to get there sometimes, and you're often SO tired.  and you could probably sleep 3+ hours at the nap, if our schedule allowed...but school pick-ups often get in the way.  grrr...
-the way you LOVE your blanket - it is with you, and when you are so tired, you look for it, reach for it, and cuddle up with it.  Melts my heart!
-You are SUPER YUMMY!
-"E-V-E, it's as easy as....1...2.....3"
-"Avocado...."
-the way you wave hiiiiiiiii
-when your Daddy comes home and you say, "Hiiiii, Daaaa!"
-the way you pull up to standing at the bay window, and start pulling the cars off of it that Nate has so carefully lined up.  Nate is not a big fan of your antics, and often yells at you, "Bayyyybeeee, noooooo!"
-the way you put/carry everything in your mouth as you crawl from place to place
-the way you cuddle up on my shoulder if it's been a few hours since you've seen me.  you sometimes will pat my shoulder, sometimes will sigh, and always will hang out there for a few minutes or more
-the way you love a bat and a ball
-how you like to say "Deeeeee!"  - not sure what you're referring to, but it's cute because you are so passionate about it!

Oh Everett, I know there is so much fun and love ahead of us, but I wish there was a way that I could bottle up time.  I love this age!  It is so neat to be able to watch you learn, grow, and discover. 
I am blessed to be able to hug and kiss you (nearly) whenever I want and be with you for all of your firsts.  It doesn't necessarily make me sad for what I missed with your big brothers, just happy that I get to experience them this time with you. 
I am so grateful for this day.  It is the day you came to us, and that I became your Mama!

Happy Birthday, baby boy!

Christmas Eve

Happy Birthday, my dear Wyatt Jack! 

Today, and every day - I love being your mom. 

I love your bright eyes, your dimples, and your sense of humor. 

I love this time of year: the sense of family, of joy, of togetherness. 

And even though you might not always think so,

I love that we were given you as a gift on Christmas Eve! 

Happy fourth birthday, my wonderful & amazing second-born babe. 

I love you yesterday, today, and always!

Love, Mama

2

My dearest Nathaniel Jude,

Happy Birthday, my darling third-born son!

September 3, 2009 ~ approximately 1 hour old

Today, you are 2!  Gone are your baby days, you are a full-blown toddler now! 

It's amazing to think of all that you have accomplished in the past year: learning to walk, getting your teeth in, continuing to grow your vocabulary, forming relationships with your brothers, and becoming a Big Brother, just to name a few. 

October 2009, 6 weeks old

Nate, you are such an awesome addition to our family. 

You help us to take ourselves less seriously (you are quite the comedian), you quicken our footsteps (and the climber/jumper/fearless one), and you remind us of the importance of all the little things in life (like how to smash "buggies" and to "wook at the gaw-bage g-wucks!"). 

February 2010, 5 months old

You test our hearing (and often-times we wonder if you are hard of it?  But no...you're just LOUD!), sometimes our patience (you are after all, turning two), and our attention (you can carry on a conversation about every.single.happening.all.the.way.to.the.grandparents'.houses.and.back ~ 25+ mintues each way!  (We like to say you "narrate the entire ride", because well, you do!)

April 2011, 19 months old

You are a ray of sunshine, a breath of fresh air, and a tender-hearted soul.  You love your two big brothers, affectionately known as "Gibitz and Wy-Ditt", and have seamlessly transitioned into the role of Big Brother in a way that has surprised us all.  You love Your Baby "Eh-bett" so!  You are always asking to hold him, smiling at him and saying, "Hiiiiiiii!" when either of you wake up, getting him toys, watching out for his "puke, Mommy, he puke!", and generally loving on him.  We still occasinoally have to remind you to be gentle, as E doesn't generally love having his eyes/nose/lips/ears/head squeezed/poked/prodded/pressed.  But we know that both Wyatt and you survived as the babies, and that E will too :)

May 2011 Nate, 20 months, "kissing" Everett, 2 months

At two, you love trucks, trains, and most recently, books.  You will line up every car that we own along the window in the living room - sometimes this takes several lines, as we have a lot of cars!  You will run trains along the tracks for hours with your big brothers - you tell me about freight cars, and when they go under tunnels.  You are so proud of yourself when you read books, especially when "I read da Bye-bull, Mommy, I read the Bye-bull!".  You also run, get dirty, and throw a ball.  All of which you are very good at! 

May 2011, 20 months

We call you Nate, Nater, Nate-Dawg, Nathaniel Jude, Natey-Nate, and Blonde Ambition.  You are by far our smallest boy at this age - as you are still wearing some 12-18 and 18-24 month clothes still,  along with a 2T.  You and Everett can share size 3 diapers!  In May, you were 21.5 lbs (at 20 months) and the doctor tossed around the term "failure to thrive" if you didn't gain some weight - so we worked hard on getting you to eat - anything, and a lot of it!  You successfully gained over 3 lbs in 3 months, and in July you were 24.5 lbs.  (insert big sigh of relief here).  We call you "no-butt" because you basically have none. 

Oh sweet, Nate.  I cherish every moment I have with you.  I know how quickly time passes, and before we know it, gone will be the days of piggy back rides, tickle/tackle wars, and endless belly-laughter. 

June 2011, 21 months

August 2011, 23 months

On your birthday, and every day, I love you.

Mama

5

My dearest Jacob,

Today you are 5 years old.  I say it every year, and I'm sure I'll say it again next year: where did the last 5 years go?  You are growing up so much!

You are at such a great age - I enjoy having conversations with you about this 'n that, you asking "why?" a few (hundred?) times, and your growing independence.

You have such a great heart, Jacob.  You love your brothers and you have recently started to help them out (you give Nate a hand to get up and down stairs, or ask him to play with you; you get diapers for Everett & "talk" to him - he gummy grins right back at you!  You run around and belly laugh with Wyatt) and care for them in such a brotherly way.  It's a beautiful thing to witness your growing relationships with them. 

You love trains, playing baseball, going outside, building with legos, and the mechanics of how things work.  You also love to read and have recently started spelling words on your own.  You love to get dirty but also love to take a bath - and more recently, showers.  You are a great listener, and are so helpful to me if I'm busy taking care of something (or somone) else. 

You are just like me - sensitive, and when you're tired, you cry!  When you're mad, you cry too....;)  You are very social too, which amazes us all of the time.  You'll walk up to other kids on the playground and say, "Hi I'm Jacob, who are you?"  You're always waving and talking to everyone who walks or rides their bikes by our house; you love our neighbors Miss Carol and the girl next door, Shelby.

You still have a great belly laugh that usually ends in hiccups (a common trait among all four of you boys!), and Wyatt can get you to laugh the loudest and longest, though Daddy follows by a close second. 

Jacob, 5 is such a "milestone" to me.  You are well on your way to becoming a young man, and again I ask, how can that be?  I honestly feel like you were just born.....and now headed to Kindergarten, already?!  (you are thrilled about it, by the way.  Me?  I'm having a much harder time with it!)

And - just because I'm trying to get better about "documenting" everything: you wear a size 5 or 5/6 pants and a 6 or 7 shirt; size 11.5 shoe.  You weigh around 41 lbs, and must have only grown up recently instead of out, because you're as skinny as a rail!  But...you love to eat ~ most fruits, cucumbers, carrots &; broccoli; yogurt, cereals, PB&;J, mac 'n cheese, and chicken nuggets.  You will often try new things when asked to, but don't want to have a meal of something "all new" to you. 

Jacob, today we celebrate you.  We are so proud of the lovely boy you are becoming, and we pray that God will use you in mighty ways as you grow. 

Today, and every day, I'm honored to be your Mama.

I love you.  Happy fifth birthday, my firstborn baby!

Love,

Mommy

Happy Birthday!

Nathaniel Jude,

My darling sweet third-born son, you are a year old today.  I can hardly believe it!  Where has the time gone?  

You are my sweet, happy-go-lucky guy.  You have a (toothless, still!) smile that can melt a heart.  You have bright blue eyes and long eye lashes that you love to bat at the ladies.  You simply adore your brothers, and likewise they adore you!

You love to "talk" and have been saying: uh-oh, Da (for Daddy), DA-AH (dog), Dan (uncle), Da-doo (thank you) and general screams for happiness ~ food, your brothers, your dad, the dog, and any other familiar family member. 

You love to EAT - and you pretty much have no food that you dislike.  I can't even say that you have a favorite food, because you eat it all! 

You still nap twice daily, and sleep about 12 hours at night - 7 PM until 7 AM, sometimes a bit later on each end.  You do like to sleep, and we have been enjoying your schedule like this for the last 4-5 months or so.

You are my sweet "little" guy ~ the smallest of the three so far.  You weigh around 20 lbs (maybe a bit less), and wear size 3 diapers, and size 9-12 month clothes.  You are skinny ~ we credit it toward you having to keep up with your brothers - your army crawl has been perfected and you are quick!  You are starting to pull up, and cruise, and are starting to transfer from couch to table, or whatever object - if they are close enough together. 

You are my cuddle bug, and definitely a Mama's boy ~ you aren't happy unless you're in my arms.  I love that about you - I have very much enjoyed our relationship, and it seems to only be getting better with each passing day!  I have learned to do many things with just one hand and a baby on my hip.  I've also used my sling carrier with you ~ which has been so much fun to carry you around.  I've enjoyed our closeness over the last year.

365 days of Nate.  It seems like a lifetime, or just the blink of an eye.  You are my sunshine, breath of fresh air, and such a source of joy in my life.  I love you every moment of every day ~ and I am grateful for it all! 

Happy Birthday, sweet baby Nate.

Four

My darling son,

4 years ago on this day, you made me a mother.  It was a beautiful sunny late Spring Sunday.  It was the most amazing day of my life up until that point.  It was also a little (or a lot!) scary.  But I wouldn't change anything for the world ~ it made you you, and made me ready to face the world of motherhood head-on.  I know there is nothing I would not do for you, to keep you safe.
You see, Jacob, before you were born, the doctor's machines told us that your heartrate was too low, it wasn't coming back up like it should, and you were in what they called "distress".  By God's grace, and the amazing medical professionals He entrusted us to on this day four years ago, you were born alive. And I am forever grateful.  To say those sentences and re-read them still gives me chills; even four years later I am remembering how different out story could have ended.  There is not a day that goes by that I don't look at you, or think of you, and give thanks to Him and to them.  For what He gave me is such a gift: you.  And it is an honor, every day, to be your mom.

******

Jacob, this has been a big year for you!  You had a lot of "firsts": Big Boy Bed, Big Brother times two, Sunday School class, and potty training, just to name a few.  And you have mastered them all flawlessly.  Every day, I feel like I blink, and you've grown an inch and gained a pound.  Your wardrobe would agree - currently you wear size 4, 4T, or 4/5, and your feet are an 11.  And of course, your appetite has to keep up: you eat a LOT!  You continue to love yogurt, most fruits, eggs, peanut butter and jelly, cereals, and oatmeal ~ and you are starting to expand your tastes and interests - hamburgers, bean salads, pork, soups, and different kinds of pastas.

I can see you learning more every day.  You like to ponder, and think about things, and you have a memory of an elephant: you forget nothing!  You tell me directions when I'm driving in the car, you watch the traffic lights and tell me when to "go".  You know when we're headed to the bank, car wash, the Grandparents' houses, the store.  You recognize all of your letters, shapes, and colors, and you can spell your name, Go, Start, and Stop.  You love reading books, and can even "read" a few of them on your own (this is especially fun to watch when you read to Wyatt!).  You are like a sponge; I love to watch you soak everything in!

You are outgrowing your naps, but some days you still seem like you need them - until bedtime rolls around and you're keeping Wyatt up until 8:30 or 9 PM or sometimes after!  You are still an "early riser" ~ waking most days at 7:30 AM, or just before.

It's been neat, and I'll admit a little sad too, to watch you transition from toddler to preschooler this year.  You are my firstborn, and I have loved all of our "firsts" together!  I will miss your "baby days" ~ but at the same time, I am enjoying watching you grow and learn.  I will continue to do so, as we experience life together as Mother and Son, and as a family of 5 too.



Happy Birthday, to my sweet firstborn. 

Jacob, I love you today and always!