The vivid memory of the wonderful day(Friday, November 23, 1999) that I gave birth to my boy, Jacob, still lingers fresh in my mind. The last few weeks leading up to the greatest day of receiving him into my arms, were exhausting to say the least. I never did have an appetite throughout this particular pregnancy, I wondered how this little man was managing to survive within the womb receiving so little nourishment. I just couldn't eat...the Prozac was to blame for this one. I am assured that every calorie, carbohydrate, fiber or vitamin that DID go down my esophagus and into my stomach Jake managed to rapidly consume before I could take in any of it for myself(which is what I prayed for). I just became skinnier, more tired and was constantly nagged by a concerned father and husband for the well being for both of us.
Jacob hung in there until the very moment that he decided to make his grand appearance here on Earth.
It was a rather gloomy day, as is the Pacific Northwest in mid-November. I recall being a bit nervous since it had been 4 and a half years since my previous birth and all the memory of pain and bleeding and hospital food was no longer in my library of memories. I was ready.
Labor didn't seem bad, the pain was minimal and the anticipation couldn't have been greater! My first boy. Who would he resemble? What would his personality be like? Will he be healthy? These were just a few questions among others that raced through my mind while waiting for that magical moment for a homemade person to really come to Earth through that thin veil that they so willingly slide through.
Labor began and I wanted him here now! Not long after labor began, I beheld the most beautiful, precious boy. I have never before seen such perfection! He was well proportioned(except for his cone-shaped-head). He cried. I cried. Bill cried. The moment that I had been awaiting was now right at my fingertips. I lovingly stroked his velvet cheeks, his wrinkled hands, his bright orange hair. I thanked my Heavenly Father in my heart for every bit of that boy! He was my love. My hope. My prayer. My Jake.
He is 9 today and I quiver at the thought of how time passes if you don't take a moment or two to enjoy it. He is still that very boy that I delivered that rainy November morning. He is full of love, compassion, knowledge, tenderness, giving, and many more Christ-like qualities that I am thankful for.
Happy birthday to you Jacob! I love you with all of my heart. To the moon and back. You mean the world to me. Thanks for being mine. I couldn't live without you! mom
