Happy Ninth Birthday to Our Jacob Brian!

Dear Jacob,

It’s pretty unbelievable that I’ve been snuggling and kissing and loving you for nine whole years now.  These have been the fastest nine years of my life… well, aside from these last four months that we’ve spent in a pandemic… those have admittedly dragged on and on.

It’s not easy planning for a birthday in the middle of a pandemic.  Usually for your birthday, Daddy takes the day off and we all do something fun together – your choice of a movie or the arcade or somewhere else fun – and lunch out at one of your favorite places.  This year will have to look a bit different, but there’s one thing that won’t change… that we’ll be celebrating another year of life with you. 

Sweet, thoughtful, wonderful little you.

This past year has been another good one for you, despite the fact, that the last several months have been anything but normal.  You finished third grade stronger than ever, pivoting mid-year from in-person classes to distance learning like a boss.  You handled it like a total champ, easily completing all new material that your teachers remotely passed your way.  You learned how to use email and Google Classroom and Zoom, and you still ended up getting straight A’s… all without so much as a complaint. 

Because of all of this time spent at home, you and Olivia have become closer than ever, and it just makes my momma heart burst seeing the two of you together constantly… you are truly the best of friends, and you miraculously, rarely argue or fight.

This past year wasn’t all quarantine, though!  For the first eight months after you turned eight, things were perfectly, wonderfully, blessedly normal.  You started third grade in-person, you became really close with Julian and Jack this year, you played your first season of baseball ever… and your team won the whole championship!!!!  What a way to start a new sport! 

Your love for baseball grew this past year and it seems that you have a God-given talent for it.  You moved from outfield in your first season to second base in your second season, and in the one game you were able to play before Covid ripped your season away, you had a perfect game, throwing every single person out at first base when you had the opportunity.  We were absolutely crushed when your season was put on hold and then, eventually, canceled.  You’re certainly not giving up on it, though, and you are counting down the days until you can get back on the field again.

You are still an early riser, still the first one awake in the house every weekend.  You’re still so painfully shy in social situations, but once you warm up, you’re a total goofball.  As much as you love baseball, you still prefer to be inside, tinkering with your Legos, reading Lego assembly manuals (yes, you look at them for fun… even when you’re not building anything), and creating things artistically.  You don’t love to read when you’re forced to, but you will sit and read your 5,000 Awesome Facts and Lego facts books for hours.  You’re constantly showering us with little random nuggets of information that you’ve learned from those books and it’s hilarious… you’re a regular cornucopia of knowledge these days.  That said, I think your photographic memory is still intact, too.  You remember the most insignificant details about every little thing!

Your love for video games has grown even deeper this past year and you’re obsessed with Zelda and Mario and Minecraft.  You love all of the Star Wars movies and The Mandalorian and you’ve taken an interest in more movies/shows with real people in them rather than just cartoons.

You’re still the pickiest eater, not embracing many things other than the standards (chicken, pizza, hamburgers, grilled cheese, pasta), and your distaste for vegetables seems to have grown this year.  You don’t love water, but you’ll drink it, and you still refuse to try anything fizzy… you’d much rather have orange juice, apple juice, lemonade, or green apple Gatorade… your favorite!

You love music and figuring out how things work and coloring in your mosaic books.  You’ve recently taken up an interest in golf and Daddy is currently training you in the back yard.  Little do you know, your very first set of clubs is en route to our house as we speak.  Daddy hopes to take you for the first time really soon.

You grew 2.5 more inches this year and your front adult teeth have all come in, so your look has completely changed yet again this past year.  You truly don’t look like a little boy anymore… you’re looking older than ever, on your way to looking like a tween.

You are a rule follower, through and through, and you like for others to follow the rules, too.  You like everything to be fair and balanced, and you are easily disappointed or upset when things aren’t.  As you’ll grow up to learn, “life isn’t fair,” so we are working on this now, because we don’t want you to have a lifetime of disappointment.  I pray you eventually learn to let the little, unimportant things go. 

We had some tough conversations this year since you’re getting older, several about racism, and I love that you take those conversations seriously, and are committed to being a light in this world.  I also taught you the importance of spending quiet time with God each day, and we’ve been doing that together every morning since then.  I’m praying it sticks with you and sees you through the hard times that will inevitably come along. 

You are the most thoughtful, considerate, kind-hearted little thing and you are always very aware of other people’s feelings and moods.  You seem to be able to sense when someone is feeling sad or not feeling well, and you always do everything you can to cheer them up or make them feel better.  You have a tender heart and you are going to grow up to be an amazing man.  I just know it. 

We are so grateful for you, Boo, and we love you so much!  You have always been and will always be my most special rainbow baby.

Happy ninth birthday.

Love,

Mommy