Happy 5th Birthday to Jaxon- Dec. 20th 2011

It is so hard for me to believe that my Jaxon is 5! Birthdays are always a fun time for me to reflect back on the years I've shared with my children. It's a time to recognize their unique traits and the things they contribute to our family. So first a little about his birthday and then a little about him :)

Jaxon is our almost Christmas baby, so he gets a double dose of presents during the Holidays. We were heading to Idaho for Christmas just a couple of days after his birthday. We had just our own little family here to celebrate our Jaxon. He wanted a Thomas the Train cake (surprise, right?) and had asked for a Ripstik- and he got just what he wanted!

Anyone who knows Jaxon knows that the adventure level in our lives went up about 100 fold when he joined our family. Jaxon was due just after the new year. From my mid-pregnancy ultrasound on, I was told to be prepared- this was a BIG baby! I already knew that. It was as though he didn't even fit in there! Sure enough, on December 20th, 2006, exactly 2 weeks before his due date, our 9 lb whopper came into the world. He looked like a 4 month old baby. He had an afro of wild hair. By 4 months he had several teeth. By 7 months, he was cruising the furniture. When he was 18 months to the day, his little brother joined our family. By this point, Jaxon was the craziest, most mischievous toddler I had ever seen. Every day was an adventure. I never knew what was next. I just knew that each day, my goal was to keep him alive. And I succeeded :)

I have so many stories about Jaxon and his antics! It was like, in this little (although perfectly sturdy and solid) body, a giant person was waiting to get out. Jaxon has always been so very charismatic and lovable. His smile can melt the world. His laugh is so contagious. You can't help but love this one. He is life, love and laughter, all shaken up in one crazy little boy. He is coordinated and playful and fearless. He is his father's son. I look forward to every single day we get to share with our Jaxon. Our family would be so incomplete without the joy and adventure he brings to us. Jaxon, we love you with all our hearts. Thank you for being YOU!