Happy 4th Birthday, Jackson!

My baby boy, my first-born is turning four today! My train-loving, belly-laughing, witty, gentle soul is getting older and I feel like it went by in a blink…half a blink. Maybe less than that.

This morning, four year ago, I was playing with my dogs when my water broke and I had to make one of the funniest calls to my husband that it was time to go. He was at work and he PANICKED. “Okay. OMG. I’m coming. Meet me at the door.” Meanwhile, I was busy putting on makeup and making a list of things that needed to be done before we left. “Wait, you want me to water the flowers right now!?” 🙂 If you know me, this is total normal behavior in moments like these.

After a couple hours of pushing…on my side…with an oxygen mask…he was delivered at 10:04pm, and this world will never be the same.

So to celebrate his fourth birthday, I’ll thought I’d share four things about Jackson Cruz:

#1: When you first meet Jackson, he’s extremely shy and nervous. It takes him time to warm up to new situations and he really likes to sit back and take it all in before he’s comfortable being himself. But once he reaches his comfort level, WATCH OUT! He’ll talk your ear off, tell jokes, laugh without inhibition, and let his soul shines through. You’ll get a genuine love from him that you’ll never lose.

#2: He has a heart of gold. When he sees someone being treated unfairly or someone being mean, Jackson gets so upset. During Moana, he covers his eyes and ears when Maui yells at Moana and tells her, “The ocean chose wrong.” When watching Beethoven, he burst into tears because the dad sent the dog away because he thought that he bit the doctor. He has such a gentle heart and wants fairness and love in this world more than anything.

#3: He’s had three hospital stays already! 😲 After he was born, he had to stay in the NICU because of a fear of his lung development (and then for jaundice). For his first 8 months, he was at an in-home daycare that he went to while I finished my school year. She was fearful at one day that his lips looked to be turning blue so we rushed off to Children’s Mercy. An overnight stay and everything was fine. And then just last year, a week after he turned 3, he had his tonsils and adenoids taken out. I’ve only had to stay in the hospital when I’ve delivered my babies…in my 30s. This boy is already breaking some Kemper records!

#4: He can name train lines just by the color of their engines, he can properly identify all the train cars that are being hauled, and he knows where all the tracks and train yards are located around the city. He’s obsessed with all things trains and can’t learn enough about them.

So today we are off to preschool and will have a party this afternoon with his class. Then to his favorite restaurant, presents, and cake with our family tonight. A special day for such a special boy. Happy 4th Birthday, Jackson Cruz!

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