Guess who's ONE?!?!

.....my little Jacob, that's who! I can't believe that it has been a year since that hot, July day at Baylor Medical Center that we heard the words, "It's a boy!" and our lives changed again forever. And what a precious newborn boy he was...

The past year I have been so blessed to be able to love and care for this amazing child. And while many days it was quite a challenge juggling not only his needs, but the needs of his big sister as well, I have to say that this year has been just wonderful. Wonderful getting to know such a sweet, strong little boy. Over the past year, these are some things that I've learned about my Jacob Westin:



1. This little man does not like to wait. From his attempts to be born way too soon, to his quick labor and delivery, to his lack of patience at mealtime, this little guy is very...eager. Wonder where he gets that from?


2. Jake is all boy. While his sister loves to cuddle and kiss her stuffed animals, he loves to bite, throw, and body slam his. He seems to leave a path of destruction in his wake...Just the sight of his slow, deliberate crawl towards her dollhouse sends Abby running to protect her things....

3. He loves to be moving. Whether being thrown around by mommy or cruising around the house, the boy does not stop. No wonder I'm ten pounds lighter than my pre-pregnancy weight. Thanks Jake, for helping mommy burn those calories!


4. He's not much of a talker yet, unless it's to the dog. He often crawls over to Chestnut to start telling him something very important...and Chestnut usually runs for cover (Jake's "conversations" usually end in the dog getting terrorized in some way).

5. Jacob LOVES the water. Whether it's bathtime or pooltime, as soon as he sees the water, his arms and legs start flailing and kicking and don't stop until well after you've taken him out of the water. Little fish, he is....

6. ....or is he a monkey? One of his favorite things to do is wave his arms and go "A-ahh, a-ahh, a-ahh". The constant climbing on mommy also makes me question his species...

7. Diaper changes are equivalent to baby torture..or at least in Jacob's book they are. I can't believe that after six or more diaper changes every day for a year, it's still a fight to clean that little rear end. It's getting a bit old having to do a song-and-dance routine to keep him happy, or to deal with him flipping over and diving off the changing table. Plus, I'm not a big fan of getting poop smeared everywhere at least once a day. Grrrrrr.....

8. Speaking of torture, the past year I've discovered just how brave and determined my little Jakey is. After spending the majority of his first year in physical therapy (or baby torture, as I like to call it), he finally met all his goals. He worked so hard and I'm so proud of him.

9. He just adores his big sister. He loves to mimic her sounds, watch her being silly, and chase her around the house. Even though one of her favorite pastimes these days is to push him down, all is forgiven when she gives him a kiss. The way he laughs when he is around her is the best sound in the world.

10. Jacob is such happy, energetic little boy. His zest for life is so contagious and sweet spirit impresses everyone around him. He was the perfect addition to our family -perfect in every way. God created such a special boy to bless our lives, and I know He has great plans for him. We are so thankful for our little Jacob and love him more than he can ever know.


That was then:

Jacob at birth: 6lbs 5oz, 19.5 inches

This is now:






Jacob at one-year-old:19 lbs 3 0z, 29 and 3/4 inches