Jack Davis- an oldie but a goodie

I love being a mom, best job I've ever had.  Jack is going to be 5 very soon.  So I am feeling a little nostalgic.  Cannot believe our lanky little boy used to be nothing more than a little bean...he has changed our lives in every way imaginable. 
Jack's story:
Mommy and daddy wanted you very much.  Mommy had been dreaming of having a baby her whole life (ask Grammy!).  But first, we were taking a trip to Italy!  And THEN we were going to settle in and hope for the best.  You, my love, had other plans!  Mommy had just started a new job and was working in the office for awhile before she started working from home, and on her second day in Elkridge, there was a blood drive.  I always used to donate, so thought nothing of it.  When I was done, I stood up and wham, down I went....completely passed out.  I felt really bad for several days and this had never happened to me before.  What was the problem?  So on my lunch break I popped by Target and picked up a pregnancy test, just to be sure that wasn't the issue.  Took it, saw nothing, dropped it in my purse and didn't think about it again.  Welp, the next day on my way to lunch, I went to grab my keys, and accidentally pulled out the test.  Ummmmm......what was that other line doing there???  Apparently you wanted to go to Italy with mommy and daddy!!! And you did.....mommy missed out on some great wines, but daddy took one for the team and tried them ALL for me.  Sheesh!  You were worth it!

Our first "official" portrait....mommy at 16 weeks in Sorrento, Italy

You were a pretty easy baby to grow....other than some major pukey moments....namely on our plane trips to and from Italy.  Especially when a woman on the way there had a heart attack and mommy ended up taking care of her!  We ended up rerouted to Newfoundland to drop her off at a hospital and that flight lasted no less than 13 hours.  Never fear, mommy got a lovely gift basket from the airlines for her efforts.

You were due on May 11th and I was bound and determined that you would not be late, I had a wedding to be in 3 weeks after that.  I was a walking machine!  On May 4th I started feeling contractions, no biggie, that had been happening for awhile.  I called your Aunt Sarah just to chat, and told her I was having more Braxton-Hicks.  We talked for about 45 minutes.  Before we got off the phone she said, you know, you just had 4 contractions while we were on the phone, you might want to start timing those.  It was about 11:30 in the morning.....so I started writing them down while I was working....I still have those pieces of paper.  They were steady all day, but not increasing, and not painful.  I was getting pretty excited though....maybe this was the real thing.  Daddy was supposed to go to happy hour with coworkers that night, I told him he might as well go, nothing major doing at home.  Mommy took a long walk by herself, and noticed things were picking up a bit.  In true expectant mommy fashion, I came home and in a panic, put together the "brag books" I had been planning for Grammy and Mimi, just in case this was my last opportunity to do so before Mother's Day.  Good thing I did.  Because all of the sudden....PAIN.  I called daddy and said "what's up?  feel like maybe making your way home?"  So he came home, and we took a nice long walk....our last as a family of two.  Two neighborhood dogs jumped up on me....I think daddy almost barked at them....he was feeling a little protective that night :)

Since I had been a labor and delivery nurse, I was bound and determined to avoid one of those "false alarm" visits to the maternity suite.  When I went in, it was going to be the real thing!  We knew the rule---  contractions 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute for 1 hour.  Mommy waited through 2 hours before she called....even then her OB was skeptical.  But in we went....and we didn't leave!  Mommy didn't want any medicine, but panic set in, and in went the epidural.  I didn't know about hypnobirthing yet.....I recommend it to EVERYONE.  I won't go through all the gorey details of your delivery....but I will say that daddy, as you know, fancies himself pretty old-fashioned and had been mumbling about not wanting to be in the delivery room.  I told him that was not an option, and he then said he was going to stay at the head of the bed and wanted to see nothing.  Ummmm...yeah.  Your daddy was right there, cheering me on, and didn't miss a thing.  And he didn't pass out either.  When you made your entrance into the world, you didn't cry (although both mommy and daddy did).  The doctor put you right on my chest and you just stared at me, without a sound.  It was one of the most precious moments of my life.  But everyone was a little worried that you didn't scream....so they took you over to the warmer to check you out.  They suctioned you, they gave you a little oxygen.  Still no crying.  But you were breathing, and looking all around.  You apparently needed to take it all in and didn't want to ruin the moment with all that racket those other annoying newborns make.  Mommy couldn't see you during that time and has never been more worried in her life.  Those moments are what pushed me to avoid an epidural the next time around...I wanted to be able to get up and check on my baby, make sure everything was ok.   

Your aunt and uncle and mimi came to see you right after you were born.  Your mimi was so proud to have her first grand baby!  

The hospital did this funny thing....after 2 days they told us we could take you home.  Seriously?  OK, I know I was a live-in nanny to an infant, that I am a nurse, that I have a sister who is 12 years younger than me who I spent a lot of time caring for....but couldn't these people see that I had no earthly idea what I was doing??  Below is your nursery...see?  I was all "prepared"....cue the snickers.  Grammy and grandad were still in California when you were born....daddy had just held a baby basically for the first time....mommy was terrified to take you home!  But home we went....and now 5 years later, you're still alive, so we must be doing something right.  

look how tiny you were!

I love this picture of you next to daddy's hand.....

Early memories:

Your Aunt Helen seeing you for the first time and saying you looked like Uncle Joe (this was not a compliment, however, it was temporarily true....within days you were the most adorable baby ever)

The nurses in the hospital trying to comfort you, the doctor trying to comfort you, the lactation consultant trying to comfort you, grammy trying to comfort you....you cried for 12 hours your second day of life.  Daddy and I have always thought that you were making up for your birth day.

Daddy driving 25 miles an hour the whole way home from the hospital (this is how we know he loved you right away!)


Riley the dog knocking over furniture in your nursery while trying to check you out.


Daddy making Hamburger Helper Beef Stroganoff more times than mommy can count those first few weeks (playgroup ladies....THIS is how mommy meals came to be :) )

Daddy and I taking you for your first walk in the stroller.....I lifted the wheels over every bump.

Watching the clock until your next feeding because I was terrified that THIS was the time I wouldn't be able to nurse you (I also wanted to wear the nursing shield on a chain around my neck---- seriously freaking out)

Granddad and Aunt Kate looking at you through the window when granddad picked Kate up from college because Kate had mono and granddad  had a sinus infection

Interviewing nannies...thinking one was way too young and inexperienced.  Asked her to pick you up out of the swing and she opened the guard bar---hey, I didn't know that opened!  (sigh)

Sitting upstairs in my office my first day back at work and crying the entire time.  You, by the way, were perfectly fine.

Daddy and mommy freaking out that you were sucking your thumb and trying to "stop it".  Note that your brother sucks his thumb....we encourage it.

You laying on your changing table for 30 minutes at a time staring at yourself in your little lion mirror.

Almost anyone will tell you that you don't know what it is to be a parent until you become one.   It's true.    It didn't matter how much "child care" experience I had, I didn't have parenting experience.   I didn't know that feeling of being one of the two people on earth responsible for a human life.  The feeling is completely awe inspiring and overwhelming.  So many new parents go into this experience thinking they know what it is all about (myself included), they see family members do it, they see friends do it, and assume they have a clue.  They don't.  The amount of love that we feel for you is indescribable.  I would do anything for you, I would give up everything for you, you and your brother are everything to your daddy and me....
How did we go from this......

                     

One!

Two!

Three!

Four!

 To this?????

We are so lucky to be your parents.  I love everything about you- your smile, your kooky laugh, the way you turn around and give us that "look" when you know you are being naughty.  your amazing robot, lobster, crab, and scorpion imitations.  The way you make up animals like brontoscorpios (oh crap, I just googled it... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brontoscorpiohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brontoscorpio)
Ok, never mind.  The way you teach us about animals that we never knew existed,  ask us to make their sounds, then look at us like we are morons when we do it "wrong".  The fact that you gobble up fish and asparagus and refuse spaghetti, and choose strawberries over ice cream.  The way you say "mommy/daddy, I love you, you're my best friend"  You usually want something, but honestly, we don't care, it's just so nice to hear.     The way you shriek "get Natey!"  every time we try to let him walk somewhere.  You are so worried he's not going to follow us.  The fact that you call me your princess every time I put on a dress, or come over to me and demand that I take my hair down so I look "beautiful".  The way you scream "mommy is the driver" every time daddy goes anywhere near the driver's seat of mommy's car.  Oh, and your genuine concern for Fergie and those "humps on her back" (do they hurt mommy?  I won't touch them.  If I ever see them I will just run away).  Guess mommy better put Raffi on the stereo in the car from now on.  You are an amazing, loving little boy.  You are ten times smarter than either mommy or daddy.  And you are going to keep us guessing....that is one thing mommy is completely sure of!