Happy Birthday Jacob!

I can't believe it but Jacob is officially eleven now. It was his golden birthday. Eleven on the Eleventh of April. We had a big birthday bash for him on Friday. Somehow we fit 38 people into our itty bitty house. I don't even feel like I had a chance to visit with some of them. I hate when that happens!

Saturday was his birthday and he woke up to a bed covered in balloons. He loves it. I started doing that for him a long time ago. I wanted to find something special that I would do for him. Sometimes I feel bad because his sister was a 4th of July baby and every year she gets a parade and fireworks on her birthday. I know waking up covered in balloons on your birthday is not as exciting as fireworks but I try! That night he chose to go to Lonestar for his birthday meal. He did not get steak though. He loves steak. When Matt asked him why he said that he does not like "restaurant steaks". He likes his Dad's steaks. Matt does make a pretty mean steak. We have ruined Jake.

We mentioned when we were ordering our food that is was Jake's birthday. The waitress had horrible timing however. Jake got up to go to the bathroom and that is when the Lonestar staff came over clapping to sing to him. I had to let them know he was in the bathroom. When Jake came back we were all smiling. He knew something was up. He soon found out what. When he saw and heard them coming he said "You have got to be kidding me". It was funny. After they left we shared with him that he missed them the first time around. Overall, I think he had a pretty good birthday.

Jadon's Gift from China.

Jadon received a very special gift yesterday. It came all the way from China! Some of you may have met or remember, Jason, who came from China to work with Matt at the proving grounds to learn the ropes two years ago. Matt still talks to him frequently and I know that he keeps up to date with our family by reading this blog.

Jason sent a gift for Jadon with a co-worker that was coming from China here to work for a few weeks. It is a beautiful jade necklace. In China the jade industry is a very important industry. Jade also has a very long history in the Chinese culture. Archaeologists have found jade objects dating back as far as 5000 BC. To the Chinese is represents purity, intelligence, its color represents loyalty, its flaws represent sincerity and it has many other meanings to the Chinese people. Most consider it very lucky to wear something made of jade. Jason gave Shelby a jade bracelet when he came to visit from China two years ago. It is very beautiful and Shelby thinks it is very special. We are honored that Jason would give something like this to Jadon. It is a very thoughtful and meaningful gift that Jadon will come to treasure when he gets older. I have included a picture of this very special keepsake. Thank you Jason!!

Goodbye George.

Yesterday was a very sad day for our family. We lost a good pet. George our 7 year old boxer passed away yesterday after being very sick for about a month. He started coughing about a month ago. The vet thought that maybe he had bronchitis and put him on antibiotics. He started to get better and the cough went away. Then he started wheezing. Then last week he started standing around a lot instead of laying down. He also looked like he was losing weight but when we weighed him he was the same. Turns out he had cancer in his lungs causing him to have fluid on his lungs. I called the vet and he had him come in yesterday. When he laid George down on the x-ray table to do the x-ray he went in respiratory distress and then quit breathing. The vet did CPR but could not bring him back. He said that even if we new about the fluid and could have drained it off the cancer would have killed him within the month. George looked like he was loosing weight but it was not showing up on the scale because of all the fluid in his lungs. Poor guy.

We will miss George and his goofy ways. The kids will miss him the most. He slept with both of them off and on. He loved cuddling with the kids. We will miss him sitting like a person and finding him in our bed using our pillows and under the blankets just like a person. Dakota is going to be very lonely without his buddy. We love you George!

How Time Flies!

Jadon was three weeks old on Thursday. I can't believe that much time has passed already! I will be back to watching kids before I know it!

Jadon is already changing. He spends a lot more time alert and awake checking things out. This week we got out the Baby Einstein Activity Gym. It is very colorful and has all sorts of things that hang from it and a star at the top that flashes and plays music. He will hang out under that watching things for about 15 minutes. He likes it! Matt and I are pretty sure we have seen some smiles that are not gas too. I know it is supposed to be too early yet but today Matt was playing peek-a-boo with a blanket and two times in a row he smiled. It was soooo cute! He is also holding his head up pretty well. Sister and brother still love to cuddle with him. Have not gotten either of them to change a diaper yet. I think Jake will do it before Shelby. Jake almost volunteered the other day until he found out it might be poopy. Speaking of diapers....Dakota (aka "The Nanny") has decided he will help with diaper changes. Yesterday I laid Jadon on his changing pad on our bed and Dakota jumped up on the bed, picked up a diaper in his mouth and dropped it by me. It was really funny. He has figured out what happens when Jadon get put there!

We had our second physical therapy session this week. His therapist was very happy with the progress he has made. He not only curls his fingers around your finger but now has a pretty strong grip. He will also move those fingers and the wrist. His therapist also said she felt the muscles in his upper arm contracting when she was working with him. All good news! We have some new exercises to do with him including some tummy time on an exercise ball. When we tried that one today he was so relaxed he fell asleep!

We also had Pediatrician's appointment the next day. Jadon weighed 10 lbs 7 oz! Holy Cow! I don't need to worry that he is not getting enough to eat! LOL!

Coming out of week three we are all settling into our new routine. Jadon is beginning to sleep for longer stretches at a time and at night. That helps me a lot. I feel human during the day now and can actually function enough to cook supper and get things done around the house. Matt and the kids come home at night and chip in where they can. Things just seem normal this week.

Here are a few of the pictures we have taken lately. We also got back the proofs for the pictures we had taken when Jadon was ten days old. Follow this link to view them: http://picasaweb.google.com/anastasiamariephotography/Nafziger#.