Jack was delivered by my OB/GYN, Dr. Siegal who I thought was just swell. Jack came into this world with no complications, a huge loud cry and a hearty appetite. It is family legend now that the grandmothers were waiting right outside the door when they heard the bellow of what sounded like a 4 year old. It was my 9 lb, 5 oz newborn. From the minute he was born, he wanted to nurse. If I tried to get him to stop to check him out or kiss those already plump cheeks, he screamed. Mad screamed. I remember my sister Linda and I laughing and laughing at that.
Over the years I have only fallen more and more in love with this little boy. He is so different from my other two. He is my BIG "momma's boy". The kind of guy you can picture with a "MOM" tattoo someday.
He loves to snuggle.
He sucked his thumb and twirled his hair until 2nd grade. David and I bribed him with things to quit. He cried at the mere thought of not sucking his thumb. He said he wouldn't be able to. He easily did in a matter of weeks.
Jack has a nack for dressing. His is a clothes horse. I can always count on him to put together an outfit that actually matches. For a good long while, he was very into wearing "collar" shirts and boy necklaces. He had like 20 necklaces. I thought he was on his way to being a fine upstanding metrosexual. He is now out of that phase, though, and back into a "sporty" phase.
And speaking of sports, he loves them all. He has played soccer, flag football, basketball and baseball and is outside playing from the minute his homework is begrudgingly done till dinnertime. He learned how to ride a 2-wheeler when he was 3 in a matter of minutes. By the end of the day he was riding onto our grass and off the curb.
Jack easily makes friends. He will join any sports team regardless of whether he knows anyone or not. And by the break at the first practice, he will have a friend, or friends, that he is buddying around with (ie: jumping on, fake punching, etc).
He hates all vegetables except raw broccoli with TONS of ranch dip (which I think basically counteracts any of the healthiness of the broccoli).
He has been a blatant, admitted, FAVORITE of all of his teachers. Because to know Jack is to love Jack.
He is an enigma, however. You can't ever know exactly how he's going to react to a situation. Which has often led me to my favorite saying, "You don't know Jack!".
He has a lot of the same, quirky fears as his mom: clowns, heights, thunderstorms, mannequins (the "dentist" on the Yorktown!), etc. When he was between 2-3 he would always yell, "ZOINKS!" when he was scared, like when his brother had snuck off and left him in the basement.
He is super-duper sensitive. Which I both love and worry about. I know he will have a lot of girlfriends. The girls already seem to totally dig Jack. I worry about his gentle heart. I hope it stays gentle but that nobody stomps all over it.
And finally, Jack has been totally, 100% on board with the adoption from the get go. The other brothers not so sure at first. Jack has just always been like, yeah, bring on another little person to love. He gets that someone out there needs a family. Since we have gotten our referral and put "Dumplin's" picture on the fridge, he has walked by it no less than 20 times and said, "I wish we could just go get her now" or, "I can't wait to hug her". He tells everyone at any opportunity that "we are getting a sister from China". So, it was so very fitting that our original LID came freakishly quick, on his birthday two years ago.
One of my favorite Jack stories has to do with the adoption. 2.5 years ago (so he was 6 1/2 years old at the time) we were having our homestudy done. We were doing our house tour when we walked into our master bath with all the kids and the social worker said "Wow, what a big tub. Who takes a bath in here?", and all the kids were like (monkeys) saying, "me, me, me" and she said, "you don't splash do you?" and the kids were like "yes! yes! yes!" and then David (for reasons I will never know) said, "and what does daddy say when you make a mess?" (what he thought 3 boys would respond to this question i don't know either) and Jack says immediately: "he says 'I'm gonna punch you in the face!'" Somehow we still got approved!
My favorite "Jackisms":
No Balls (what he said from 18 months on when I said, "time to change your diaper". You can figure it out.)
Zoinks!
Dat Weirz (to anything strange)
Mystery Maddy Face (what he called David when he was grouchy once. It stuck for a good long time and we still use it occasionally)
Is cereal all you ever have on your brain? (when David tried to give him cereal for b'fast for the 2nd day in a row)
Oh my GOSH! (said exactly like Napolean Dynamite any time he feels he has been dealt something unjust- like cereal 2 days in a row)
Jack through the years...
Look at the size of that newborn. Zoinks!!
1st Birthday!
2nd birthday- The Blues Clues Era
3rd b'day- Crunchy Munchy Honey Cakes! (the Wiggles Era)
4 years old-"Animal Expert" phase
5 years old
6 years old- with his Bros
7th Birthday - The year of the D.S. lite!
8 years old- Lover of Baseball!
And today, 9 years old! Mommy's big boy!
Happy Birthday to my very special boy! I love you so much!
PS: please excuse the erratic spacing here and there. i tried to edit it to perfection, but am not seeing posted what i do in my "editing" space. Sorry!
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