Jason turned 9!

Wow. My oldest baby turned 9 on Friday. Hard to believe. 8 still seemed "little boy". 9 is not quite big boy yet, but definitely getting close! Who would have known that 9 years ago this little (well, not really so little…he was 9 pounds!) bundle that we brought home was going to become the wonderful boy he is today. Well, we knew that he would be wonderful, but had no idea of how that wonderfulness would manifest itself. ;o)

The Jason of today is incredibly bright…he seems to instinctively understand the "big picture". He grasps concepts quickly and makes them his own. His mind is always working. He loves good stories (we go through audio books like crazy). He is a boy of extremes…he either loves something or hates it. He has ups and he has downs…rarely any in betweens. Because of this, he really enjoys life and has an enthusiasm about things that is wonderful to watch. Jason is high-energy and bouncy. He knows what he wants and how he wants it…and how to advocate for it. He can be challenging, but this trait has helped me grow as a parent and a person. And I am thankful for it.

I have noticed over this past year that he seems to be coming into his own…dare I say it, showing some signs of a growing maturity. He is more accepting of structure and limits…we have been butting heads less. He seems to understand why he needs to have some limits. We seem to have come to a good balance in our relationship…and I am enjoying it while it lasts!

While at a holiday party, a friend was asking if we did the combo birthday/christmas present thing (he had a December birthday as well). I reassured him that most definitely was NOT the case. This kid had a kid birthday party (played laser tag), celebrated his actual birthday by choosing where to go for dinner (and getting to make most of the decisions that came up that day) and finished it off with a family birthday party with the grandparents. All before Christmas. It definitely helps that my boys are the only grandkids on both sides of the family. There is definitely no lack of attention for birthdays or Christmas.

So Happy Birthday Jason! We are glad that you are here. You are loved.