Jacob Knox in Zurich

On his scooter at the lake

Since we have arrived in Zurich, it seems like Jake has grown and changed in so many ways. He used the potty for the first time here and is starting to take off his own clothes at bath time. He is ridiculously opinionated about what clothes he wears each day, to the point that I told him a little white lie that the pony on a polo shirt is a dinosaur, ha! Now at least he will wear more than just his baseball shoes, but only because we call his tennis shoes soccer shoes and his sandals pool shoes-- I guess he likes them to have a specific purpose! He is definitely expanding his vocabulary on a daily basis now. Michael and I constantly look at each other asking, when did he learn to say that? He can ride a scooter, which we finally caved in and bought for him because of how adoringly he looked at all the young kids here who ride them everywhere. We weren't sure he would be able to maneuver it, but we should have known better! He quickly became a pro and is quite the big boy pushing himself along. He loves that he has a scooter just like Daddy, and talks all the time about how his is blue and Daddy's is green. Colors are another thing he is really into now. Green, blue and red seem to be his favorite. He can count higher, all the way to ten now. He only has one speed, which is GO. Many times people ask me if he always has that much energy, and I always smile and laugh when I tell them a truthful yes!

Pushing himself along

Horsies at the foot of the Zurichburg forest

Riding the train

He is fiercely independent about doing lots of things entirely on his own, such as getting on and off the train and taking off his shoes and socks, and he will exclaim "myself" if he does not want our help. And when we ask him if he needs our assistance, we generally are told "no way"! Every day he goes onto our balcony and sings loudly for all to hear, while standing in a chair and gesturing with his new sword that our friend Martin was so kind to give him. I think he pretends to be Peter Pan fighting Captain Hook (or Captain Hookten as Jake refers to him). And he exuberantly waves and yells "Hi" to anyone walking by, which cracks me up because most people act so confused as to why this kid is talking to them! One of his newest things is putting his finger on our lips and shhhing us when he's trying to watch a movie or doesn't want us to talk to each other. He's also started saying "C'mon, lets go!" a lot, especially when he's excited or wants to run ahead of us. He will even grab my purse and try to put the key in the door when he really wants to leave and we aren't moving fast enough! Another cute phrase is "Hear that?" when there is a loud noise or siren. He likes to go down and "check the laundry" with us in the basement too, although he's not much help folding clothes!

He eats like a racehorse sometimes, to the extent that he has eaten four yogurts for breakfast! One night recently he ate an entire pizza by himself, and was still hungry afterwards! His favs are strawberries, peaches, corn, and chicken. And now of course he loves Swiss chocolate, or "chocten" as he calls it. At the indoor pool yesterday, he jumped happily off the diving board no less than 20 times into Michael's or my arms, and he never got tired! But Michael and I were near drowning from treading water and catching him over and over again! He really has no fear the majority of the time. He is so comfortable in the water or climbing up high and jumping down from things, which usually causes us some momentary panic when we realize we were too late in trying to stop him! But even when he crashes on the ground, he doesn't stay down for too long. He really is tough. The one thing he is afraid of now for some reason is the street sweeper trucks. He used to like them but now he cries and says they're going to get him if they come our way, poor guy. The other day, Michael accidentally kicked a light rubber ball in Jake's face and JK grabbed his face and threw himself on the ground, with a huge smile! Then later he purposely banged his head on the goal post and goofily fell to the ground --and repeated this numerous times-- each time seeking a reaction from us with a scheming grin! I guess he's taking after his Mama's dramatic nature already, I love it, ha! He's also an avid storyteller-- sometimes we understand what he's talking about and other times we have no clue, but we just nod and agree and act as though we totally get it!

Playground at the Zurich Zoo

Too close to the swan, it was not happy!

Our apartment

Jake is very affectionate and cuddly when he wants to be. He is easily bribed to get what he wants by us insisting that he first give us a "kiss you, hug you, love you". But its the unsolicited affection that melts my heart the most, when he just randomly wraps his arms around me and gives me a big kiss. His favorite movies are How to Train Your Dragon, Finding Nemo, and Shrek. He also is obsessed with dinosaurs and any show that has them in it. Of course, the T-Rex is his favorite, and my child gets sad when something happens to this vicious carnivore, so much that he says "Poor T-Rex"! When he prays, he puts his hands together and tells Jesus that he loves him and then he screams "AMEN!" really loud while flinging his hands in the air! It really is the most joyful prayer I've ever witnessed! He always asks me to sing songs with him, the most common requests being Take Me Out to the Ballgame, ABC's, I See the Moon, and Jesus Loves the Little Children. Riding the train downtown to the lake has got to be his favorite thing here, the minute he sees the water he is yelling about the boats and ducks, saying "yay yay yay, the water!".

We've definitely had our share of terrible two moments in Switzerland, but I think he's getting more adjusted each week and I hope some of the struggles will dissipate the longer we are here. Hence the "No I'm sorry!" when he is being a little twerp in time out and refusing to apologize! I think one of the hardest things at this age is that he just wants what he wants and he can't understand any reasoning of why that may not be able to happen right then. Occasionally we have to just let him freak out and throw a fit until he realizes that it won't change the outcome! I try to remind myself that to him, staying a little longer to play or getting that toy feels like the most important thing in the world, and even though I have the logic to understand it isn't, he doesn't yet. Patience is one of the hardest things during these moments, and as my Young Life leader, Laura, always used to caution us, if you pray for patience, God won't just give it to you, He will put you in tough situations to develop it! And boy do I get my share of those developmental moments with my headstrong child! JK is starting to nap more thankfully, a few times a week, which is helping all of us. It's amazing the difference in his behavior and demeanor when he gets a nap! Jake definitely needs to be outside and free to roam and run on a daily basis, which is not the easiest thing here since we live in an apartment in the city, but we make it work by going to parks every day, many times twice a day! He's not the biggest fan of being strapped in his stroller, but sometimes we just need to get a move on. I think we will be even more thankful for our fenced backyard and beautiful swing set when we get home, simply because of the freedom it allows him.

Playing soccer

Pizza, one of his favorites

My lil slugger

Pitching at the field

Jake is a really friendly child. If he sees other kids playing together at the park he has no qualms about joining in their fun. And he usually becomes the center of attention after charming everyone, especially elementary school girls! He quickly becomes attached to people, which is precious.  Aside from talking about his extended family back home, he loves talking about Manu, Ueli and Julia. He loves pretending to talk on the phone with one of them. We see him walking around with the cordless phone saying their names and telling stories, its pretty cute. He will take them by the hand and show them what he wants to do or play with. The other night at the baseball game, his friend Ileonora was not there, and Jake kept asking me where she was because he wanted to play with her. I know he will be beside himself with glee when we get back to Texas and are re-united with our family and friends that we miss so much. He also really misses his doggies, Bailey and Bella, who he talks about hugging and kissing when we get home. Playing baseball and soccer each day occupies most of his time. For months now he has slept with a baseball, glove or bat! I have to fight him to wear clothing that doesn't include baseballs or soccer balls. He wears his own uniform to the games, complete with real baseball pants that are too big, which are held up by a belt! Often times Jake will ask to wear whatever hat Michael has on, so his Daddy adjusts the size for his little head. He loves cheering on the "Barratunas" and he anxiously awaits the end of the games, when he can go in the dugout and onto the field. I'm hoping Michael will hit a home run this summer, just for Jake's sake, since he screams "home run over the fence" when his Dad is up to bat!

Posing on the mound

Jake's "ready" position on the soccer field

When I look at Jake, I see the most amazing blessing of my life. Sometimes I still can't believe he's mine, that we created him, and that he grew inside of me for 9 months, and 9 extra days! He was a HUGE baby, weighing 10 lbs and stretching nearly 24 inches long! But now that I know him, it makes sense that he was big, because he has a rather big personality as well! He's still in the top percentile for height and growing like a weed! As silly as it sounds, I always hoped if I had a little boy that he would look just like me and if it was a girl that she would look like Michael. But I knew odds were that our baby would probably have Michael's physical traits since his dark colored genes were dominant...but boy did God deliver in giving me a blond haired, blue eyed baby boy, AMEN!! Its overwhelming the love you immediately feel for your child. I don't think you can describe or explain this unconditional, powerful, loving bond, and you can't truly understand it until you experience it first hand and have one of your own. All I know is when he hurts, I hurt. And I love that he still wants my TLC when he gets an ouchie. When he is overjoyed, so am I. When I spend just one day without him, I am missing him like crazy. I miss his precious voice, his sweet smell, and his bear hugs. If he is not around I find its just way too quiet and still! From a young age, I always knew that I wanted to be a mom, but I couldn't begin to grasp the fulfillment I would get from it. I truly feel that being a parent is THE most important job, and a great privilege as well. Even on days when Jake is a real challenge, I would rather be with him than at any other job I've had. Sometimes I get sad when I think about how quickly he is growing up, because I know it won't be long before I'm the one begging for his attention instead of vice versa. In some ways he still seems so little, yet in others he is not a baby anymore at all. There are days that he can sense I am not at my best and he will do the sweetest or funniest things that crack me up or touch my heart and immediately make me feel better. An ear to ear dimpled smile or his infectious laughter is the best medicine. Every day I pray for his happiness, his health, and his success in life, but mostly that he will always look to the Lord for everything. In many ways the past two years, he has been my saving grace, a welcome distraction to the trials we have faced. As a parent, even when your life may be a mess, you still have to put your child first and keep their life in tact. Having Jake reminds me not to take the little things for granted, and to have a sense of humor whenever possible, even when things seem at their worst.

Hitchin a ride on mom's shoulders

Jake and me

The verse on Jake's birth announcement was Psalm 127:3, "Behold, children are a gift from the Lord", and with all my heart I think he is the best gift Michael and I have ever received. Your Mama loves you to the moon and back Jacob Knox, more than any words or actions can express. God bless you my precious boy, you bring me indescribable JOY!

A priceless kiss for mom