Iakob's Birthday Story

This was what I was working on the eve of Yakee's birthday... heart wrenching from all the memories. But in the end, I decided to keep it simple and a little bland. But since his birthday, Yakee has insisted on this story for bedtime :)

Tonight was the last time I said I'd tell it, because tomorrow, he will have a different birthday story at St. Michael... and the next one should be on his 6th birthday

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Once upon a time there was a little angel who was still with the big angels in heaven and he was very happy there. He looked at the beautiful colors and listened to the lovely music, and that was where he belonged. But one day the clouds parted in heaven and saw a couple with love and longing in their hearts for a child and he felt a longing to be with them too. That night, the little angel dreamed that he met a man and a woman and they stretched out their arms to him and asked him to come be their child. The angel told his big angel the dream. The angel said, “It is now time for you to go.”

So the little angel asked, “So may I go now?”

“You shall see.” Said the angel.

That night the little angel went to sleep into dreamland and while ten moons waxed and waned he rocked in a little boat. And at the end of that time a beautiful rainbow bridge stretched from heaven to earth and on it came the angel as a tiny baby and slid into his mother and father’s waiting arms.

From the first moment his parents loved him, and they called him Rubeus Iakob, Rubeus because it sounds like the name of his father put together and because they want him to grow as big and strong as Rubeus Hagrid… and Iakob because he was one of those most beloved and blessed by God.

Iakob was his name. When he was born it was a warm October morning. Everybody said he looked like his uncle and he was immediately showered by his family with love.

Little Iakob would thrive and grow strong. His teeth first came out when he was only four months old, and how his parents cried from happiness over it. He loved the water and lived for his tub time and showed an early appreciation for books. He slept to Hush Little Baby and Do-Re-Mi (and often on his father’s chest) and before you know it, he was one year old and throwing a Harry Potter-themed party.

Iakob grew up a little more and was always in motion, that Lolo Ruben often said he’s making up for his father’s inactivity as a boy. Chairs, tables, stairs... he climbed them all and jumped from them all. He also loved dinosaurs and trucks and books... and the first book he pretended to read was Amelia Bedelia. He signed a lot of words while learning to talk. He still loved the water and has his first swimming lessons summer of that year, which is why on his second birthday, they celebrated with a pool party. Iakob also loved musical instruments so he got a guitar from Momsy.

Soon, he learned to talk in sentences and would often describe how he feels. He also started adopting his Pappie and Lolo’s habit of asking “Did you have fun?” after a trip somewhere. Iakob started being more interested in planes and ships, and started playing soccer with his father. And, when his 3^rd birthday came around, they celebrated by going to see fishes and seals... but his real birthday gift came a month after, when another angel came down from heaven and became his brother. Iakob insisted on calling him Yamnyoy.

While patiently waiting for his baby brother to grow up more so they can play, Iakob started attending a play school and met so many new friends at St. Michael. He was also very happy when he went to Disneyland with his cousins because he got to meet Buzz and Woody there. He also started wearing a makeshift cape everyday because he was into superheroes now, which is why he came as Superman in his joint birthday celebration with his brother when he turned 4. 

So, Iakob and his baby brother kept on growing (because they eat their vegetables) and learning to care and share. Iakob likes pretending to be a pirate or knight more these days but he plays Big Brother at school. When their family went to Iloilo and Bacolod, he got to see big fishes, climb a lighthouse and watch bats.  He has also started reading, writing and typing some words on his own while also telling stories from memory. And now, Rubeus Iakob turns 5 years old and we are happy that he has grown big and strong, happy and healthy, loving and smart and the sweetest boy there is.

We wish Iakob many days of fun and play, good friends and learning... and good health most of all.