Jacob Drew: a Year later

This kid...made it! I feel like when we celebrate first birthdays...it's more for the parents. I'm so grateful that year is over and everyone survived. I survived the nursing, the healing, the sleepless nights, balancing three kids mostly by myself....because Spencer was out in MO working, and we were in OK half the year waiting for the school year to be over. I'm happy I kept all babies alive and well, and mostly happy. SO really...it's a celebration for me.....I kept the kid alive and in one piece haha.

Jacob eats a ton, but I will not give him sweets....so this was his first time eating cake. I wanted it to be so perfect...but time got away from me...once again.  The kids kept telling me to make a "nailed it" cake (it's on netflix...and it's a very good show). The best I could do was make my own cake (no cake mix) and my own buttercream frosting....and everyone sort of liked it. I actually did two cakes...the first one- the icing was almond flavored and my kids didn't like it. My second try was cupcakes and a small smash cake for Jacob- that was way better.  Dominic decided to help Jacob finish it.

Dominic likes to point out that "i failed it" and I should
be on the show "nailed it". This was tossed, I started over haha.

The first almond flavored frosting cake....

Ethan got a small cupcake for the pictures' sake

But he really wanted the BIG cake....and he was not afraid to
tell me so. I could not get him to smile for the life of me.

We try to do a tradition of kissing babies on their first year...but Jacob
was so mad about the cake...he was not having it. 

He finally settled for whatever was in front of him...

Yep...he loves it. He loves cake...but honestly...who doesn't? 

My parents came to visit by surprise. It was so nice to have them here and see the kids. The older ones have really missed them. They had told us they were not able to make it, but they surprised everyone and flew in.

we had a small party for Jacob on his actual birthday and then that weekend, we invited extended family over to help us celebrate. Our kids have LOVED having cousins around to play with and be crazy with. So the weekend party consisted of hamburgers, hot dogs, soda, and a smash cake (and cupcakes for everyone else but the birthday boy).

Yep...he was ready for it....

Opening presents

But in all seriousness...where did all the time go? This almost 30 pound baby was only 8 lbs when I brought him home from the hospital. I still remember the fear I felt when he got taken to the NICU because they feared he was not breathing right. I remember having to walk from my room all the way to the bottom floor to see him every day....as much as I could. I remember not wanting to come back but I had to, because I was in so much pain...and I needed my medication.  I remember coming back one morning and his face was all scratched up. I was so mad, I couldn't hide it from the nurses. How could they let him do that to himself? wasn't he suppose to be swaddled? If he would have been in my hospital room, that would not have happened.

Poor baby....it still makes me tear up...but also, looking back on it....Jacob is so dramatic. So I'm not surprised his entrance was dramatic as well. He was fine....he was just being a bit dramatic. To this day, he cries every time someone says "no"....and let me tell you....there's been a lot of them in his short year. 

How he started life...all hooked up to machinery

The first time we actually got to hang out. I only saw him for a minute
and then they took him away...and then I had to go rest and once the meds kicked in
I decided to go see him at the NICU

The day we were leaving....Ethan finally got to hold him. Dominic, unfortunately, only saw Jacob one time at the hospital.
he was in the NICU the whole time except for the very last day we were there. 

I look at these pictures and I think how fast babies grow. I really tried to enjoy it this time...because I know it goes too fast. But time just flies...no matter how much you try to stop it. I gotta divide my attention between three kiddos....I can't be unfair to anyone. Someone told me recently that "years go fast and the days go slow"....and there's been several times that's come to mind...when I see my children tackle things that they had not done before.

In the blink of an eye...they look like so big

we joke that he's the anime brother (because he has massive eyes)