Dear Jacob,
Grandma Sandra and Grandpa Dave want to share our thoughts with you today. You are such a large part of our lives and you have such an impact on us in your short time with us. It would take us a lifetime to describe all the joy you bring to us but we will each take a moment to try to express this joy.
Grandma Sandra has this to say:
When your parents first told us we were going to be grandparents, I was at a bit of a loss. I wasn’t too sure if I was ready to be a grandmother yet. But from the moment when you were born and I was able to help bring you into this world, my love for you grew with each moment we were together. Your parents were so generous with the time we could spend with you and I always jumped at the chance to be with you. I loved to bath you, to feed you, to walk with you, to play with you. And I’m sure your parents always left those really dirty diapers on so Grandma could change them. When you danced and shook that little body my heart would burst with joy.
To watch you grow and develop into the little man you became was just fascinating. I loved to see the sense of humor you shared with us, to see your skills with sign language, to watch your little mind work so seriously on things that puzzled you. I kind of even enjoyed the screech of my kitchen chairs and stools being pushed across the tile at the lake! The fingerprints will disappear, the toys will be put away but no one will take away the absolute love I have for you or each precious memory that I keep close to my heart.
Grandpa Dave shares these words:
You were so special to me .We both enjoyed a relationship that will never be taken away from us. You will always be with me in so many ways. When I think of all the good times that we had buddy, you were just pure joy. You helped me to get better, you made me smile, and you made me want to get up every morning. I treasured each time when we would meet, you always had a smile, and when you became our little man and could start to walk, you cannot imagine the feeling I had when you would call out to me and run to get picked up. I tried to show you the world as fast as I could; we explored so many things together. You were the best tractor driver I ever had. You learned how to shift gears, work the loader and steer the tractor. I don’t know if that tractor will ever run again with out your special power- boosting sounds and love. You were a great quad driver as well and the snowmobile I have is now too slow for you. You were definitely the captain of the boat and you were a natural at fishing.
It’s funny, I wanted to spoil you with everything and in the end you spoiled me rotten. You taught us all how to love and enjoy life, your infectious smile made everyone around you happy. (And by the way, I saw you flirt with those two beautiful ladies in the restaurant) I will never forget you because you are in my heart always. Every time I drive anything, I will always be your co-pilot. Together we will talk to the animals, look out the window as only you and I could, and have our conversations that only you and I understood.
Your parents are the greatest parents who gave us a perfect grandchild. Some day we will all be together again. Until then, Jacob, keep smiling and helping everyone. You have affected so many people in this world and will continue to do so forever. We will make sure of that. Hugs and kisses.
Love
Grandma and Grandpa Krywchuk
I loved it when…
… you stood over the air register at the living room window at the lake. The air would come rushing up to ruffle your hair and blow in your face. You would look around to see what was happening, the look of curiosity in your face. Your hands would come to your face to keep the air off to no avail.
… you got into my kitchen cupboard with all my casserole dishes and got in so far that I could close the door and say “where is Jacob?” One time your mom didn’t even realize that you were in the cupboard.
… you sat in my pantry and started to unload the baskets – guess you didn’t like things in there either just like in your dump truck !
… you would pick the little pieces of fluff or garbage off the floor and hand it over like it was something precious. You could have so easily put it into your mouth but didn’t. I wander if you would have become a “ neat freak” like me?
… you played in my bathtub. You liked to take the rings off the toy and put them back on. You liked to blow bubbles and splash. You were always so happy to have a bath and liked to stay in there a long time. Sometimes when you had had enough you would give us the sign for “all done”. It was so cute and so smart for you to signal us your feelings.
…you would run up to grandpa and want to be picked up. You were so special to him and him to you.
… you would pull out the same toys out of the toy box at my house. I tried to get you to play with a doll but being the little BOY that you were you would have nothing to do with it. You would just play with the cars, trucks, train and the fire engine, making all those noisy truck sounds that you were famous for. A lot of those truck noises came with a lot of spit, too.
…you had to have a haircut. It was Grandma’s job. We did it five times in your short 14 months. You certainly did not enjoy it. We had to hold your hands away from the scissors .You didn’t like the areas around the ears or at the nape of your neck because it tickled! But you sure looked good with your little boy haircut. You had the most beautiful hair, so soft and full and with a little curl. It was long when you were born and it was always such a beautiful feature about you.
… you would have that bit of rebellion in you when you knew you shouldn’t be standing up in the bathtub or in a chair. You would comply to being told to sit by almost sitting then you would grin and stand up in defiance.
…you would run to the frig and sign for your milk. What a smart boy you were.
…you learned to go down stairs on your tummy. You got very quick at that.
…you would make the sounds of brushing your teeth with your mom making the sounds as well.
… you became very interested in plug ins and night lights. You were very persistent in your investigations of them.
…you would sweep the floor with a shortened version of the “swiffer”. You sure did a good job of floor cleaning.
… you were young and would settle in my arms to be held and go to sleep . The first time we babysat you, you didn’t want to go to sleep in the playpen at our house so I got to rock you to sleep in my arms.
… I can smell the beautiful baby smell you had about you.
…I would try to kiss you and you would have nothing to do with that yucky stuff
…you did give me your first kiss and it was a wet one.
… you were very young and you could support your neck up and look around .You were a very strong little baby.
…you would jump in your jumping toy. It would go on for a very long time and you never seemed to get tired of jumping. You had very strong legs
…you pushed my chairs and stools around the kitchen floor at the lake. It made a terrible racket and drove everybody nuts. We would try to give you your little chair to push because it was quieter but you would soon switch back to one of the noisiest ones. You were so smart that when you came up to an obstacle you would manage to turn and push it in another direction and around the island you would go again. Grandpa even said he could hear you pushing the chairs way out in his shop!
… you learned to open the doors at the lake. You would spend 15 minutes just opening and closing the door. At Easter one day, you got up earlier than Grandma and Grandpa and had to come and open our door and came over to the bed. Grandma lifted you up and you checked us both out then slid off the bed and starting playing with the door again. We had to lock the outside doors because you could open them too.
… you had a fit when your mom wouldn’t let you go tractor driving with Grandpa. We had all just been outside for a walk and had come in and all the winter clothes had been removed. Grandpa came in and asked to take you for a ride in his tractor and I know you understood just what he had asked. Your mom didn’t think it was a good idea since we had just taken all your winter stuff off (no easy task). You had a hissy fit because you couldn’t go!
… you first started to smile. We would have to work at it very hard at first but you had a great grin that just melted my heart.
…you started to walk . The first times we tried to get you going you were like a drunken sailor with your legs going one way and your feet another. But it sure didn’t take you long to figure out the whole process and before we knew it you were up and moving and never did slow down after that.
…you played . You would play with one toy till you saw another and then you would drive your truck until it came up to another toy and then you would play with that one. It was so easy to babysit you because you played so well with your toys. You especially loved your dump truck and would push that around and around the house.
…you danced. At first it was just a bit of hip movement and then before long you got the shoulders and head moving with the music and then it was time to teach you how to move your arms as well. You caught on to that very quickly. You did love to dance to almost any music but your toy radio was always a favorite. You weren’t very old when your little finger could figure out how to push the buttons to turn on the music so you could dance.
…you wouldn’t leave the grill on the fireplace alone. You just had to pull it down and put your fingers where they didn’t belong. We had to put up something really heavy in front of it to keep you out!
…you tried to chase the puppies and kittens around. Poor Jack was the only one who really stuck around long enough for you to grab. Your little fingers would grab hold and come away with a lot of hair. The kitten just looked at you and finally ran away.
… you sang in the swimming pool under a running spout of water. I understand you learned that from your daddy as the two of you would sing in the shower
…you would kiss the” baby “(yourself) in the mirror after you had a bath. With your fingerprints and slobber on Grandma’s mirror you would be quite proud of yourself.
…you wanted just one more and one more and one more book before you would go down for a nap. You sure liked the books about tractors and the ones where you could feel the different pictures especially the “sticky cherries”.
…you looked so goofy in some of the hats your mom made you wear. I especially liked the blue denim one. Some of your hats made you look like a cool dude though like the camouflage tuke and the safari
one for summer
…you had all the toys a boy could want and you would play with an empty water bottle. Down to earth type of guy!
…you would sit in your jumping chair and make noise with all the toys on it until we were nearly going batty!
… you would love to play with the “swiffer” and clean grandma’s floors. You did a great job and never seemed to tire or complain about all the housework you had to do!
…you always wanted to go for walks or rides. You sure loved your “car” wagon. You liked your winter sled as well. How often did you get your boots out to show us it was time to go for a walk?
One time at the lake, you had enough of being in the sled and wanted out. You started pushing the sled from behind and did quite well until you slipped on the snow and hit the sled on your face and ended up with your first black eye!!
…you learned to sit a big kitchen chair and eat your fruit. Your nose was barely up to the tabletop but you looked so proud and didn’t try to get out of the chair on grandma.
…you had your first taste of watermelon at Aunty Dawn’s. Your mother was not around and we tried to get you to taste it. This might have been your first taste of any real food, I think. Your first reaction was not good but a second taste and then a third made you a lover of watermelon from then on. I saw one of your first expressions of temper when several weeks later I was again giving you some watermelon. You were enjoying it very much but I thought you had had enough and took it away. You had a little hissy fit and ended up getting just a bit more!! Om complained about all the funny pieces of something in your diapers the next day!
…you started eating solids and your reaction to almost every new food was quite comical. You were always in quite a mess by the time you finished eating your meals and sure didn’t like getting your face wiped off. It was a good thing that Hailey was around to clean the floors and save your mother all the work of cleaning up after you ate your meals and snacks.
….you would sign for being “all done” when you were finished eating. If no one listened and kept trying to feed you, you would use both hands and clear the tray of all the food. Lucky dogs again!
…you loved to ride the quads and tractors. You were such a good rider and sometimes you would fall asleep!
… you learned to eat the cookies that your mother would give you. Kept you entertained for a long time in the car when we would try to get you home before you could fall asleep in the car.
…you dressed up so cute as a Dalmatian puppy for Halloween . You couldn’t have looked any cuter!
…you wanted in your toy box at Grandma’s house . You got in and then you started emptying all the toys out until there was only you in the toy box!
…you played in all the balls in the bathtub at the lake. We all had a grand time watching you that night. At first you weren’t too sure what to do but soon you got the idea and started playing with all the balls that Aunty Debbie had bought for you. It was a blast! And then you started singing into one end of the water sprayer with a bit of encouragement from Grandma. We sounded pretty good!!! Then you used all your engineering skills and inquisitiveness to figure out how to attach the sprayer to the faucet. You were a very determined boy but finally thought you had it figured out and looked so proud of yourself.
…you would play with my watch after your bath. Somehow you could always get it on your wrist and wore it like you owned it.
… you learned how to sign for milk and then would go to the fridge to let your mom know where to get it
… you first started to get around on your stomach and I’m sure you found every electrical outlet Grandma had !
… you would play with your coloring inks. We all ended up with more on our hands and faces than on the paper. And most often your lips were the first thing that you colored.
…for the longest time you would smile and then scrunch up your nose. It’s good you stopped as I was worried you might end up with a very funny nose!
…you and your mom and I went swimming. You weren’t afraid to get your face wet, you liked to blow bubbles and go on all the toys. All the lifeguards thought you were so cute – and you were !!
…you figured out how to play on the organ at the lake. You would sit for a very long time and pound away on the keys. It sounded great to me but probably wouldn’t have sold too many CD’s.
…you would wake us up at the lake some mornings. You were the best sight in the whole wide world.
…you when you could communicate with us by using your sign language. You had so many words in your vocabulary — milk, nap, ball, book, banana, all done , please, more, cookie, puppy, goodbye,
… you started saying a few words… “kitty” was probably your first word , “uh-oh “was so clear and used so appropriately, and then you had just learned the word “up” .
… you would blow bubbles …lots of slobber at times.
… you first learned how to play pat-a-cake. It was so much fun watching those little hands figure out how to clap.
… I could see you every day.