Thirteen

Jacob Alan Weaver is FINALLY Thirteen!  And, in true Jake Weaver fashion, he seemed to figure out a way to make the celebration last weeks!  We happened to be in OKC a few days before his birthday (I am sure it was basketball related), and he ended up getting a birthday dinner from us at Red Robin.  And I know he got a couple more in the two weeks that followed.  He loves celebrations - and to be celebrated - and it is contagious!

He is kind, funny, a wonderful friend, son, and brother.  I wrote this post for social media on his actual birthday: "6’1” of joy, wit, fun, and smarts. All around great kid. The consummate middle child; loves to hang with his older sisters and be an example for his little brother. And he teases them all relentlessly. When he was a little guy, I used to tell people that everyone needed a little Jake Weaver in their lives. Nothing has changed. Dream Big. Change the World."  He has a big body and even bigger dreams, but biggest of all is his tender heart.  He is a joy to be around and lights up a room with his presence.

So, because it took so long to get from this birthday on January 25th to his party on February 1, there is a lot to pack into this birthday post.  This is his last photo as a 12-year-old - cuddling our puppy who celebrated her 1 year Gotcha Day on the 27th:

On his birthday, we balled.  All day.  Little Brother Finn had a game early, then we were off to Norman to play with his new team, Buddy Buckets 2025.  We had a lot of game success, Jake played a lot of minutes, and go this first 3 in a game!  He was a defensive force, and the Buckets won their division on Sunday:

At Finn's Game

CHAMPION!

Buddy Buckets 2025

Also on Sunday, we lost a basketball HERO and his 13-year-old daughter.  This one hit hard.  Moments before the tip-off of the championship game on Sunday, everyone's phones started alerting with the news from TMZ that LA Lakers Legend Kobe Bryant had died in a helicopter crash.  The memories we shared as a family and as a basketball family helped heal the shock that filled our hearts.  Kobe's daughter, Giana (Gigi) was also on that flight and died.  These boys are 13.  And just doing what they love.  Heartbreaking!

On Monday, Jake had a 7th Grade Stillwater Pioneers game in Edmond.  (It was also Everest Pearl (Evie)'s Gotcha day!)  Jake played against Edmond Central - a team filled with old teammates from Solid Rock and AET.  We caught this fun picture with his recent AET teammate, Brady Hancuff.  We miss playing WITH him, and playing against him is tough!  To know what they were saying to each other in this moment...

At the end of the week, as we inched towards Jake's party with his friends, we had to find him his first suit.  He is playing Mr. Salt in the 7th-grade musical production of Willy Wonka later this semester.  He is not a shopper, and it is hard to find the right fit, but we did it!  Mr. Salt will look good up on that stage!

ignore the tags and wrinkles - this was a trial run!

Ready to go backstage!

Saturday.  FINALLY.  PARTY DAY!  Jake had a group of his friends join him for a bowling party at the local bowling alley.  We think this was his third party there!  It's hard to find a good place in January, and he (we) is (are) leery of trampoline parks and gymnastics gyms since he seems to get injured so easily...  Kobe cupcakes, a Thunder Jersey, a commemorative bowling pin and gift cards to all his favorite spots were the theme of the day.  It was a great party with a great group of young men.

brotherly love

And to cap it all off, he got braces on Tuesday the 4th.  Somehow, he makes it all look so effortless and easy!  I think he is rocking thirteen!

Early Morning braces appointment!

Last picture without / First picture with

Looking forward to his teen years!  Parenting 3 teenagers is a challenge, but a fun one!  His sisters are 17.5 and graduating high school this year; off to college in 6 months.  I love the relationships he has with each Emma and Lara, and I love that they take him on "teenager" adventures.  Plus, he is a great role model for his 8-year-old brother, Finn.  Always a middle child, but the best middle child I could ask for!

JAKE: Never a dull moment

Remember the birthday party a couple of weeks ago? You know, Finn's 8th birthday party at the Ultimate Air trampoline park.  Finn had a few friends there, an epic spiderman cake, and a great time was had by all?  Well, by MOST anyway...

Jake loves that place.  All of my kids do.  Lara has been there several times with her sports teams for team building.  Jake has been to a few parties there, and dad has taken Jake and Finn a half dozen times just for fun.  They are great supporters of the Pioneer Booster Club, and we are grateful to have this fun place in Stillwater after years of few alternatives for indoor fun for kids.  I know how dangerous trampolines can be, and I have seen some crazy injuries result from jumping - as a mom with friend's kids, as an advisor for the sorority and a trampoline park we went to once, and with my time working in the Orthopedic clinic a dozen or so years ago.  But they're FUN and the kids LOVE it and Finn wanted his party there.  So we did it.

Finn and his friends?  They were great!  And so was Jake - for the majority of the 2-hour party!  But with about 45 minutes left to go in the party, he was in the dodgeball area playing Ultimate Dodge Ball, and he got hit in the hand with a soft foam dodgeball.  Thrown by a teenaged boy.  Hit his right hand.  His pinky.  AND HOW.

About this time we were serving the pizza to the kids, and about to eat cake and open presents before that last 15 minutes of jumping,  Jake came up to the party room to join in on the food, but he was cradling his right hand and we could tell "something" was wrong.  Let us now ZOOM in on some of the pics from Finn's party:

kids eating pizza

jake in pain

"smile for the camera"

jake in pain

Finn opening presents

Jake icing his hand

One last photo of the group

Jake wishing the party would just END already

The party ended at 5pm.  Jake and I headed into town (this place is on the edge of town) to seek out an urgent care place.  THEY WERE ALL CLOSED!  So we went home, found an old finger splint, iced it, and went to bed.  Thinking it might be better in the morning.  Hoping it was just jammed.

Swollen, bruised, unable to straighten it

Splinted and taped for the night

I woke Jake up early Sunday morning to see how he was doing and determine our next course of action.  He had managed to sleep with his right hand behind his head.  NOT SMART!  He was in a lot of pain.  Helped him throw on some clothes, as we were off to the hospital's urgent care center.  Where we got X-rays (BROKEN!) and a referral to the orthopedic doc.

Spent the rest of the day with splint and ice.  We called the ortho doc on Monday morning for an appointment.  We went to see them late on Tuesday afternoon.  Where we got the bad news that we would need surgery.  FAST!  Doc wanted to do it Wednesday, but there were no openings, so we settled for Thursday afternoon.  Arrival time at the hospital was noon, and the surgery was supposed to be about 1:30, but we got pushed back - he finally headed to the OR about 4:00pm.  LONG, agonizing day for our nervous boy.

Before the 3 IV attempts

There he goes (3:50pm)

Reunited (5:15pm)

After a stop at Cane's for some food (he thought he was starving - hadn't eaten in over 24 hours!), we got settled in at home for the evening.  We kept him comfortable and medicated, and he slept through the night.  Not a bad way to start recovery!

Friday he just laid around.  He said his pain was at zero all day, but we kept him medicated anyway.  He was restless and bored and whined his way into a Walmart trip midday.  We ended up letting him go to the football game, as well.

Saturday morning he was up early for 7th grade basketball tryouts.  

I sent him in this sling, but Dad said it was gone before warmups even started.  He worked hard and did everything he could with his left hand.  Results were posted Sunday afternoon:

Restless Jake Syndrome struck again on Sunday, so we took the boys up on OSU's campus to see the Homecoming preparations.  They had just dyed the fountain orange and the signs were up for judging on Library Lawn.  

Monday it was back to school and learning how to be left-handed.  He had a 3 day week, as Fall Break fell on Thursday and Friday of the week.  Jake went to WyldLife Monday night, and FCA Wednesday morning - nothing is slowing him down!  He was just working through the week to be ready for his follow up with the surgeon on Friday morning.

When we got to the ortho doc, the PA came in and unwrapped Jake's hand.  Although he couldn't really "see" the pins coming out of his finger and they had a protective cap on them, he was still a little freaked out by the whole thing.  After she unwrapped him, she told him to sit still until the doctor came in.  I have never seen him sit that still!  He looked it over, said everything was looking good, and to come back on Nov. 1 to see if the pins could be pulled.  She wrapped him back up with a new splint and gave us supplies and instructions on how to clean it and re-wrap it every day for the next 2 weeks.  Oh - and Jake spilled the beans to the doc that he went to basketball tryouts 36 hours post-op.  We just weren't going to say anything...  But, Dr. P was glad Jake made the team!

So, 2 more weeks and we can see what the next step is.  The only thing the doctor was worried about was stiffness in the joint.  Jake, of course, thinks he is a medical miracle and this won't be a problem for him at all.  *eye roll*  He is going to a church camp (Clearwater Cove with WyldLife (YoungLife)) this weekend, so while I am a bit nervous about sending him in his injured state, everyone else is ok with it!  Pray for us all!

I hope to have a good update in 2 weeks!

Jake is TWELVE

And truly our Gentle Giant.  January 25, 2019. It has been a month since we celebrated his Big Day, but live moves at a break neck speed, and this post is a hard one to write, so it kept getting pushed to the back burner.

Jake.  TWELVE.  Doesn't even seem possible.  He is the third of four children, and many days displays all of the typical characteristics of a middle child, but some days he is the exact opposite.  He is wise beyond his years, funny and witty, tall and proud, so intelligent and quick to learn new things, but also so gentle, kind, thoughtful, and sweet.  I remember saying when he was a toddler and young boy that "everyone needed a little bit of Jake Weaver in their lives."  While he is not as "little kid cute" as he was back in those days, the endearing qualities that led me to repeat that over the years are still there.  His eyes may not be as blue as they were when he was a baby, but they are still the windows to his soul, and there is so much going on in there you can't help but look into them and wonder just what he's thinking.  But don't wait too long, because then he will start talking, and it can be hard to get him to shut up!  He is passionate about many things, and knowledgeable as well, so the things he can tell you are utterly amazing!

Here a a few pictures to remind us how far we've come!

This is Evie and Jake 1 month after his birthday
See below for the pic of Evie when we brought her home.

Jake started celebrating his birthday as early in the month as he possible could!  I think every dinner we ate for 2 weeks was his "birthday dinner" so he got to pick.  I know we went to New China - his favorite that everyone else kinda hates, but there were a couple of other nights out that were deemed his as well!  He also has a basketball tournament the weekend of his birthday - hence not waiting to eat a "heavy" meal that weekend.  So, suckered us out of some extra meals along the way.

He celebrated with new shoes, a new bed, and a new picture to hang above his bed.  He celebrated with his friends at school, his team, and his family.  On his actual birthday night - Friday night, we loaded everyone up and had dinner at Fuzzy's Taco Shop.  It was loud and crazy and so much fun!

And, we ended the weekend on Sunday after we finished up the tournament with a loss by brightening EVERYONE'S day with a new addition!  Welcome to the family, Everest Pearl!

Everest Pearl "Evie" came home to us the Sunday after Jake's 12th birthday

Jake, coming in at 5'10" tall and 170 lbs, had QUITE a 12th birthday!  No real "party" to speak of, but with all the love and adventure he got to experience along the way, I think the memories made outweigh a party any day!  Welcome to your last tween year, Big Guy!  Embrace it - the real fun beings next year!

We love you BIG!