Bond of Brothers

Jacob is one hundred percent, absolutely, positively in LOVE with his brother!

Quinn is becoming an excellent big brother.

These two are becoming best friends.  Jacob has to be with his brother at all times!

What a "One"derful year it has been!!

I cannot believe that this little face....

...wore these clothes today.....

I can't believe that this little face....

....looks like this today.....

How can one year go by so quickly? How can one little boy completely change our family for the better?  How did my heart, which I thought was already filled up with love for another boy, create enough room for another boy to move in?  How did this boy and I form a bond that is just as sweet, just as special, but so completely different than the bond I have with his brother?

Jacob, you have brought so much joy and happiness to our lives since you joined us! I am so blessed to be your mommy and so happy to have you as my little Mini-Me!  You are my blonde-haired, blue-eyed angel and I love you so much!!

My Linus

Quinn was obsessed with pacifiers when he was a baby.  Jacob is obsessed with blankets.  Mom crocheted him a blue and brown blanket while I was pregnant for Jacob's "first" Christmas present.  He keeps this blanket in his swing.  She made another one at my request in a baby blue/green/yellow combination. He keeps that one at "Nana" Susan's.  His real Nana knit a blue and white blanket, which stays in his crib.  He has a back-up blanket that one of my mom's friends made for him that we use when one of the others is being washed.

But the one he can't get enough of is the orange and white one Mom made for Quinn when he was a baby.  Jacob came across that one when I was putting some things away in his closet. The drawer it was in was open and he got it and never looked back.  He must have this blanket with him at all times. This is the one that stays in his car seat. In fact, I usually have to take the orange one with us to Susan's, and it goes with Jacob anytime I take him out of the car. His Sunday School nursery teachers say he crawls around with the blanket too!

Just call him Linus!

Oh The Places You'll Go.....

.....when you learn to read!

I am so excited that Quinn is beginning to show interest in learning to read. Lately he has been asking me what different words say, whether we are in a store, in the car, or reading a book at bedtime.  He has always enjoyed his "computer" that we got him a few years ago. The games that come on it include an e-reader book. I've even found some book apps for our iPad and he is enjoying listening to those as well.

A couple days ago, he came to me with "Green Eggs and Ham" in hand, and sat down beside me on the couch.  The next thing I hear is "I am Sam....Sam I am....Do you like Green Eggs and Ham?"  And with a little help from me, he proceeded to read the entire book!

What I noticed about this book is there is a lot of repitition.  At first I thought he had memorized part of the book. As he got to the harder words, he needed help with some of them, and then the next time that word appeared, he sometimes stumbled over that word again. That made me feel as though he was truly trying to read the book!  What makes this even more special is that "Green Eggs and Ham" was the first book I learned to read as well!