Our secret handshake

We have little things we always do but lately we have formed our own little 'goodbye'. When I leave you at school or daycare you ask for a hug and kiss. Then you ask for knuckles and high five. Then I give you the sign gesture for 'I love you' and the then you open your arms as wide as they will go to stand for 'this much'. You warm my heart and make me smile!
I love you THIS much,
Mom

J-a-c-o-b

You just finished up your second year of Pre - K. Your first year you started the day after you turned 3 in November. You love going to school and you always make one good friend. Unfortunately you have one more year of Pre-k and your other friends are starting kindergarten next year. You've been on summer break for 2 weeks and I'm not sure you understand the concept of summer break. Your first year you didn't make the year book since you started late. But this year you did and I was so happy to buy your first yearbook. Your best buddy your first year was Evan and this past year, it's been Austin. I put you in Pre k so early because since you have been 14 months old you have been in speech therapy and once you turned 3 you were no longer eligible for the early intervention program. You really scared me at first because you were showing signs of being autistic. You had text book signs, like banging your head, only playing with wheels on the toys and your speech was really delayed. Being the worry some, anxious first time mom, I immediately sought services for you. You were assessed and put in speech, occupational, and developmental therapy and therapists would come work with you each week. You slowly made progress and eventually you said momma which made me so proud and happy. For some reason you had no problem saying dada on target but you were behind when it came to other words. One of my biggest regrets has been not ever filling out your baby book to remember all your milestones. A lot of people told me it was because you were a boy and more worried about your motor skills. With gross and fine motor skills you tested above your actual age and you were walking at 10 months old. You were able to drop the developmental and occupational therapy as you showed less sensory issues. You have continued in speech and will most likely be in it for awhile. I can pretty much understand most of what you say and still have to translate for dad. You are able to get all your wants and needs across and you don't use any of the sign language you learned when younger. For reasons unknown to me, an example of one of your problems is the letter M. You can say most M words like mommy although you are too old to call me mommy and insist on calling me mom now. But you really struggle with Mooch and Molly (tooch and Ollie- our two dogs). It will all come eventually. We never had you tested for autism because I started noticing at 14 months and most testing isn't set up until 18 months and by that time you were making progress so we never followed through since we had all the therapy in place. Anyway, so that's why you will be going to Prek so long so you can get speech in the public school setting. They meet with you twice a week for twenty minutes. I'm not impressed either with the teachers but we were all spoiled by the early intervention therapists. I do love your teachers and think they are wonderful for you. They keep me updated and keep reminding me that Prek is for learning through play although I wish it was a little mode educational and structured but you only go from 8-11 and then you ride the big yellow school bus to daycare. And you love daycare so much also and they love you! It made me so sad when you started riding the bus because that's when I realized how big you are getting! Speaking of big, we have a door in the hallway of our home that we track how much you grow. I have always said that if we ever move I'm bring that door with me. Ha. My dad always tracked all of us kids on the laundry room door and its so neat to go back and look.

Ok back to whole reason why I started this entry...J-a-c-o-b! In your Prek class you have 20 students ranging from 3-5 year olds. You my son were the only one in your whole class who can spell your first and last name. I figured all of the other kids too but your teachers told me at the end of this year that they are so impressed with you since you were the only one. I then told them my trick to teaching you to spell your first and last name. Black Sabbath's song...I am iron man tune with the letters of your name. It worked for first and last and you go around singing your name. Makes me so proud!!!! You can also spell mommy but you insist it spells mom :). Writing your name is another story. You can write Jacob but its out of order and all over the place! Now if only I can convince you your middle name is Lee and spongebob.... Ha
I love you THIS much,
Mom

Your favorites

Some of your favorite things according to you:
Apple
Chicken nugget happy meal
Chocolate milk
Cold waffle
Place to go is St. Louis and see Bigfoot and stay in hotel
Favorite toy is monster trucks...when asked what your favorite truck is you say all of them. But you really favor Bigfoot, Max D, and Grave Digger.
Favorite place to sleep is in mom and dads bed (right between us and son this is getting old!) but you love to cuddle so its hard to kick you out.
Best buddy: Keegan from daycare
Favorite color: yellow
Super hero:all of them
Favorite car: Lightning McQueen
Favorite cartoon: sponge bob, max and ruby
Favorite book: monster trucks and sponge bob books
Favorite ball: basketball
Favorite shoes: I don't have them but I want max and ruby shoes
Favorite vacation: ocean
Favorite bad word: first class ass sniffer off of movie 4 Christmases
Favorite good word: what the heck
Favorite house: this house
Favorite kind of car: race car
Favorite song: will it go around circles, life is a highway
Favorite animal: Mooch and Molly (tooch and ollie)
Favorite thing to do: go to St. Louis 😊

Little moment

Just after I wrote the initial entry, you came out to find me laying on the swing of our back porch and curled up with me. You brought your prized possession that you have had for years: your car pillow :) you drag this everywhere including the car. You asked me to go make you a cold waffle, one of your favorite things to eat. So picky! Just thought it was perfect timing to show you one of the smallest but yet the best things you like to do...cuddle.
I love you THIS much,
Your mommy

Dear Jacob Lee,

You, my son, are my whole being. You are my greatest blessing, my reason to breathe, my everything. I dedicate this blog to you for you to hopefully someday enjoy reading back and recalling our sweetest of memories. You've created a life worth living, a family, and a million smiles. I love you like I never knew love and through the good and even the bad, my love for you will only grow stronger each day. Like the song, I love you more than yesterday but not as much as tomorrow!
I love you THIS much,
Your Mommy