Jacob turns 5!

At 5:06pm today my sweet Jakey turns 5 years old. I have soooo many emotions about it. I'm happy and excited ..because he's turning 5..but I'm so sad ..because he's turning 5. I just feel like crying!! I seriously have no idea how on earth I've been a mom for 5 years. I remember like it was yesterday going to the hospital with a lot of back pain and having my doctor tell me my best option was a c-section. I cried and cried and cried to Daniel because I had a plan and a c-section was not any part of it! Then I called my mom and cried and cried and cried to her about it. An emotional woman is bad...an emotional pregnant woman 1 week past her due date is a nightmare. My c-section surgery kept getting post poned that day..which made it even worse.
Finally, it was our turn...

After they got his head out I remember the doctor saying "Good decision going with a c-section, mom! He's big!" 9 lbs 1 oz; 20.5 inches long.

 Our first picture. I remember kissing his sweet little cheek for the first time.

 In recovery. Just a few hours old.

 Jacob with Daniel.

 I remember the nurse pushing his little bassinet down to our room ever so quietly and slowly...she wanted us to see him grasping on to the blue bulb suction thing.

 Our first family photo.

 perfect!

 this is one of my all time favorites of Jacob with Daniel.

and an all time favorite of Jacob with me.

and this is probably my most favorite picture of Jacob with my daddy. I need to work on it to get the glare from the lamp out of the picture.

 My mom holding Jacob for the first time. He was the first grandchild for my parents.

 And my daddy holding him for the first time.

 so sweet. The first time I ever saw so much emotion in my dad was when my parents left my house in CT to go back to VA after their visit with us after Jake was born. While we all cried my mom hugged me and told me I was a great mom. I learned from the best.

 Daniel's mom holding her 6th grandbaby!!

 and Daniel's daddy holding his 6th grandbaby.

 My Grandma Gibson holding Jacob. Jacob was the first great-grandchild for all of my grandparents!

My Grandpa Gibson with Jake. I hope Jacob has enough memories of him to remember him forever.

He was such a wonderful man.

 Daniel's grandaddy holding Jacob. I'm not sure that Jacob really remembers him because unfortunately we didn't get to see him very much...we'll have to do our best to tell him about what a great man he was also.

 My Grandpa Zukowski with his first great-grandbaby. Jake calls him GGP ("jeep") and always wants GGP to get down on the floor and play cars with him.

And last but not least, Jake with his Great-Grandma Zukowski. "GG" always gets to read books with Jacob and occasionally build puzzles!

I feel very blessed that both of my kids have gotten the chance to meet and know all of my grandparents. I only really remember one of my great grandparents (Great Grandma Thielk) though I have lasting memories in my head of my Great Grandma Zukowski through the stories I've heard (even though I was too young to remember her when she passed away). I'm sad that my kids won't get to know my Grandpa Gibson since he's gone now but hope that I can create memories for them through stories so they'll feel like they knew him forever. I'm really fortunate to have such a wonderful family. 

Fast forward 5 years.. . . My sweet "little" boy is not so little anymore.

 he likes to help cut the grass..but he doesn't cut in straight lines. He likes to do more of a "freestyle" pattern.

 and he aerates the lawn.

 Well..it'll probably work better when it's on our lawn tractor. Notice it's held onto the tractor's "hitch" with a screwdriver and a heavy duty clip? yep. Apparently that's how we roll.

 in his "climbing tree" as he calls it.

my big boy. 

If I'm so emotional with him turning 5...how in the world am I going to deal with other milestone events...like starting Kindergarten?????????? (At least I have 11 months to figure it out!!)

Hopefully I'll get to post tonight about our Birthday fun! Both kids have preschool in the AM but we have a fun afternoon planned! (and hopefully the "no nap" part of our plan won't ruin the fun!)