GIST LIST 63:365

This time 5 years ago I was staring into the eyes of my brand new son. How weird it felt to go into the hospital a family of 3 and be getting ready to leave as a family of 4. I was thrilled beyond belief that I was able to have a healthy baby, thrilled to be giving my husband a son, and thrilled that Jojo would know the joys of having a younger brother. We were adding another grandson to my husband's side of the family and blessing my Mom's side of the family with the first grandson. I could only imagine all the things we'd be able to teach this little guy, all the fun times we'd share as a family, and all the precious moments between him and Jojo.
Fast forward (and I do mean fast forward, I CANNOT believe 5 years have gone by already) to today. I'm still thrilled to have a son who continues to keep me in stitches with his Jakey-isms. I'm thrilled to see the way his face lights up when he sees his Daddy. The relationship he has with my brothers (especially my youngest brother) is amazing and something I'll be forever thankful for. We do have some precious moments between him and Jojo, but they are brother and sister and it's impossible to get along all the time. I can not imagine my life with out my Jakey Doodle, he's a true blessing and I thank God every night for him. So my GIST today is dedicated to Jakey...Happy Birthday Buddy!

1. The way he loves to snuggle each night before bed.
2. The sweet things he says at just the right times.
3. His laugh, it's infectious!
4. The way he becomes animated when he talks about something he really, really likes.
5. His smile, it can light up a room.

I also want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my MIL. She's the greatest MIL a girl could ask for. I'm super lucky that she welcomed me into the family and has always been there to lend a helping hand.