Happy 27 Months, Drew!

My goodness how you are growing each month! You now weigh 32 lbs., wear a size 6 diaper, and wear a 2T in your clothing. You pants are finally not dragging the ground. You must inherit your short legs from your mom. ;) Not sure where this burst of growth is from since you are SUCH a picky eater. You refuse to try most things which is so frustrating. However, I just keep telling myself that you're obviously not blowing away so you must be healthy. :)

Your vocabulary is bursting at the seams! You repeat whatever you want and love to try and tell stories; we love trying to figure out what the story is about! For example, yesterday Daddy got the 4-wheeler stuck in the mud. You told it like this: "Addy, tuck, tires, mud." Or when you ran from Papaw in Lowe's and thought it was hu-larious: "Run Papaw! Drew! I'm back!" I love knowing that you understand so much of what we say and especially love it when I see you use words in combination with your imagination. You'll drive your truck around and ask for gas and hand me "money." Then you say you're going to get cokes (Sonic drinks), including "Dew (Mtn. Dew)" for Daddy. So sweet!

You are a climbing monkey. This morning at 8 I went in to wake you up for church and noticed the light was on in your room, but there was no noise being made. When I opened the door, there you were lying in the chair, completely asleep. I know you were in bed at midnight when I went to bed, so sometime between midnight and 8 you got up, climbed in the chair with "blank" (blankie) and went back to sleep. When I asked you about it, you said, "Climb bed! Light. Daaark." I'm guessing you're scared of the dark, so we're going to try a night light tonight. (Yes, you've always slept in complete darkness and been fine with it.) Either way, this makes me glad you're getting a twin bed. At least if you get out of bed at night, you can climb back in bed if you want instead of being stuck in the chair.

Thank goodness your napping is more on track this month. You might skip one nap a week now instead of 3. Your naptime is also mama's naptime these days! My pregnant back really appreciates those 2 hours of down time. And that's exactly how they're spent!

You seem to be getting more excited about "Han" (Hannah) making her debut. You tell me you're going to rock her, hug her, and push her. Ha! Let's hope the last part isn't true! You know that we're preparing a room for her and you always kiss my belly when we thank God for her at night. Precious to this mama's heart!

You love Thursday school (MDO), and you finally walk in without crying! A HUGE accomplishment! In addition to that, you usually don't cry when you go to class anymore. We are SO proud as we feared this day might not ever come!

You know the colors blue and orange very well and usually get red correct. You count to five correctly every time and can recognize those numbers plus more. No improvement in letters this month, but we haven't worked on it. I'm letting you go at your own pace.

You smart little boy! You tell us which way to go when we're driving to get home or to Papaw's house. You amaze us! We didn't teach you that; you simply picked it up. This is so neat, but when you see we missed the turn to Sonic or Papaw's house or Granna's (JaJa's) work, you get upset. :(

You fill in words to so many of your books. One week you'll pick a certain book to be your favorite and you'll be onto another the next week. You love reading a Potty Time book right now, but you adamantly tell me you do NOT want to teetee and poopoo in the potty. Silly boy! All in due time. ;)

Things you love to do: jump on the couch, jump in your bed, fall over your horse onto the ground, climb anything, play the radio, play in the sink, watch yourself in the mirror, watch home movies, play outside, pretend to drive the truck, crank the truck, play in the garage, help with anything/everything, dustbust, vacuum, scrub the carpet, play with the phone, and play with the microwave. How many toys did you catch in that list? One. The horse. And you don't really play with it. You fall over with it and laugh hysterically! B-O-Y!!

Things you're not so crazy about: diaper changes and coming inside

At your 28 month post we'll be about to welcome Hannah (if we haven't already) into our family. I'm so excited that you're going to have a sister to play with in the future years. You're going to make a fabulous big brother! We love you!

Happy 26 Months, Drew!

Drew Man,

I thought maybe I'd do every 2 months for your birthday posts now that we passed the 2 year birthday mark. I think of things all the time that I want to write down to remember about this incredible (and incredibly challenging) phase of your life, but I'm sure I'll forget 90% of it now that I'm sitting down to write it out!

What you're into: Well, everything. But to break it down: You LOVE the movie Wall-E (and I love it because the first 30 minutes has almost zero talking--marvelous) and your video slideshows, helping with any chore, being outside, playing in the pool, wearing your Crocs, riding the lawn mower, riding your tractor, visiting relatives, jumping, climbing, crashing toys, and your baby doll. Yes, your baby doll. It's actually mine from 20-something years ago, but you've adopted her as yours for the time being. Poor Sarah has seen more torture in the past few weeks than she saw in all the years I "babysat" her in my playroom. I caught you throwing her into the crib the other day and then saying "night night." Rough landing for a night-night wish! Then I caught you holding her over the potty (AHHH!) and telling her to poo poo. Hilarious!



Potty training: Speaking of poo poo, you are still 100% in diapers, and I'm in no rush to potty train you. Sometimes you'll want to sit on the potty, but it's never productive. The day will come, but I'm not in a huge rush to get there!

What you're saying: You've bursted with language since we got back from vacation in July. You surprise me every day with a new word or word combination. You're putting two words together now-sometimes 3 if you're prodded. You're able to express your wants more easily. Today you said, "I need" and then pushed my leg. You were saying, "I need you to move so I can ride my truck there." So funny! You tell me stories through single words and I love to hear them. Today you were playing with your favorite truck and said "bye bye! cokes. two. gas!" Then you proceeded to put gas in your truck so you could go out and get some cokes. So funny!

What you're learning: You pick up on things we never realized we taught you. You can recognize and identify numbers 1-5 very well. You love the letters V, X, U, and B. You can recognize more than that, but those are your favorites. You seem interested in learning your shapes and numbers, but you think every color is blue. It's your favorite. :) You can fill in certain words to books you've memorized. Your favorites are "Llama Llama Red Pajama," "Noisy Animals" "300 First Words," and "Cookie's Week." You'll also fill in certain words to songs if we pause to let you sing. You love "This Little Light of Mine," "The Wheels on the Bus," and "Little Bunny Foo Foo." You help with your prayers at night, filling in all the people and things you're thankful for.

You love to help with whatever we are doing. If I'm in the kitchen, you come running in with your little chair yelling "watch! watch!" You love to help stir anything. You enjoy pretending to mop or sweep, and usually do the dustbusting for me when I clean.

What you get in trouble for: Where do I start?! Ha! You think it's really great to put your feet on the table, turn daddy's computer off and on, eject and insert DVDs into the computer, climb up to the sink and turn the water on, kick when you get your diaper changed....I could go on and on! You are a feisty little guy and discipline is consistent (and constant!). Some days are easier than others, but the good normally outweigh the difficult. ;)

(Picaso and his first piece of art...on the dining room wall)
Food: You are one picky dude! Some days I feel like you're going to turn into junk because you won't eat anything good for you. You don't like one single vegetable, but I continue to put them on your plate. Of course you don't eat them, but I try. You LOVE pizza, hamburgers, cheese sticks, tangerines, apples, bananas, animal crackers, Cheez-Its, and Scooby Doo Snacks. (You call them Scoo-Doos!)

Preparing for the new arrival: Hannah will be here in just a few short weeks and we try to talk about her all the time. You know that mommy has a baby in her tummy and her name is Hannah. You'll kiss my belly and pat it while saying "easy." We tell you that you're going to be a big helper when she gets here, but I'm not sure how true that statement is!! I held a baby for the first time the other day without you throwing a complete fit. It was a success in my book!

New happenings: You just graduated from nursery school at church and started a 2 year old Sunday morning class, a 2 year old Wednesday night class, and kids' worship during "big church" on Sunday mornings. Tomorrow starts your first day of Thursday school at church. You'll be with other 2 year olds from 9-11am every Thursday for 10 weeks. All these new classes have thrown you for quite a loop. You had JUST gotten to where you didn't scream for more than 5 seconds when we dropped you off in the nursery. I feel like we're having to start all over. It breaks my heart into 100 pieces to leave you crying in the room, but I know you need to learn independence and be with other kids your age. You are always happy when I pick you up and respond with an emphatic "YES!" when I ask if you had a good time.

Health wise: We just had your 2 year appointment (a little late) last week. You were 31 pounds and 35 inches tall. Your head is only in the 90th percentile now! ;)

We are looking forward to the cooler weather that's on its way so we can take you back to the zoo and the park before Hannah arrives. Papaw and Granna financed our newly fenced in back yard so you could go out and play without having to be chased all over creation. We're so excited to give you that freedom and so thankful for them and their incredible generosity.

I love you BUSHELS, Drew, and pray you are always a man after the heart of the Lord!

Love,
Mommy

Happy 2nd Birthday, Drew!!!

Was it honestly two years ago I heard your first cry?


Held and kissed your sweet face for the first time?


Watched your Daddy (and everyone else) fall head-over-heels in love with you?


Have two years actually passed since we became a family of three?


It just doesn't seem possible in so many ways that these pictures and these sweet, sweet memories are two years old. I can still remember the day so well! (And let's be honest--I remember those first few rough nights in the hospital well, too!)

Besides being a child of God, there is nothing in this life that makes me and your daddy happier than being your Mommy and Daddy. We spend a lot of our days laughing at you because you are SO full of life, energy, and humor! You have the sweetest personality, most adorable belly laugh, and the best kisses ever. You keep us on our toes as you get into mischief. I often read "I'll Love You Forever" and smile as I look at the cover picture of the 2 year old flushing a watch down the toilet, surrounded by unrolled toilet paper. That is you! But then I'll tear up as I read about the mother rocking her 2 year old boy to sleep, solemn face and relaxed hands because at the end of a long day, that, too, is you.

My greatest prayer for you is that God will be your foundation throughout your entire life--from a very young age to a very old age. I want His guidance to influence every decision you make--the clothes you wear, the places you go, the friends you choose, the woman you marry, the jobs you complete. I want you to know that no matter what changes come your way, that His foundation will ALWAYS be firm, even when you doubt it. Know that God looks at your heart and knows everything about you, but you should tell him anyway. Make him your best friend- above your best guy friend, your wife, and your mom. ;) Because HE has your best interest in mind, above all others. Hold to him, dear son, and you will always be safe.

I love you more than 26 letters can write on paper. My chest literally hurts sometimes because my pride for you is so great! You make me so proud every day with your accomplishments, your zest for life, and your love for others. You have great, great things ahead of you, and I'm so proud to be on the front row watching. Shine on, baby boy! The spotlight is yours!

Love,
Mommy & Daddy
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What are you up to at 24 months?

--You are repeating a ton of words! You love to say: snake, ball, coke, fall, dark, truck, outside, cook, juice, and SO many more words! We have to watch what words you are surrounded by in public because I don't dare want you to repeat something you shouldn't!

--Your attention span is still so short. You jump from one activity to another. The longest you spend doing any one thing is less than 5 minutes. You seldom want to read right now because you have to sit still in order to do that. :)

--You've recognized the numbers 3, 4, and 5 and told them to us. We had no idea you knew those numbers! You also love to point out the letter 'c' on your plate. Speaking of plates, you are constantly identifying items associated with eating: fork, spoon, knife, plate, bowl, and napkin. You love to wipe your own mouth and hands after dinner and always tell us when you're "all done!"

--You get into EVERYTHING! You can undo any top, child proof or not. (Yes, you've opened child proof medicine bottles more than once.)

--You recently developed gills and now love swimming! You jumped in the pool while we were on vacation before we got your swimmies on. Let's just say mommy nearly had a heart attack and daddy had to jump in and get you as you floated, face down in the water. Ahhhh!! But after the swimmies were on, you swam everywhere! I'm telling you--you have no fear!

--You are one tough cookie! You fall, roll, tumble, trip, bump things, rip toenails off, bleed and never shed a tear! The only time you'll tear up is if you hit your little noggin too hard. I liken you to a miniature bull--plowing through anything in your way!

--Feeding you can be quite the chore as you are mighty picky. We never know if you're going to eat a lot at one meal or not one bite. It varies from day to day, but you're growing taller and are very heavy (31 lbs) so I know you're not wasting away! ;)

--My favorite words to describe you are: fun, busy, "a mess," loving, sweet, strong willed, playful, active, "hands-on," and fast! You are all these things rolled into one!

--You're beginning to understand that there might be something in mommy's belly. You know where the baby is and you will come kiss my belly. It's so sweet! However, I'm afraid you might want to send your little sister back for the first few weeks that she's home. It's going to be quite the adjustment period!

Little one, I could go on for pages and pages about all the things you love to do and your sweet little quirks! You are my favorite little guy, and I wouldn't change one single thing about you! I can only imagine what changes one year from now will bring! (Maybe potty training?--Ha!)

Happy 23 Months, Drew (plus video!)

One month to go until you turn the big T-W-O! That seems impossible, but we'll save all those statements for next month's post. :)

Drew-man,

You are so fun!!! You keep me and Daddy laughing almost all the time. You love the outdoors, playing in the sprinkler, playing in the bathtub, climbing on things, playing with all household appliances, "helping" with chores, being with your relatives, swimming in the pool, opening and closing things, sliding on slides, giving kisses, having blankey at night, having mommy rock you at night, and drinking chocolate milk. How could you not be fun with such a great list of interests?!

You're not so fond of bedtime, naptime, and being confined while out and about. You still like your Step 2 push car most of the time, but you're getting to the point of wanting to roam freely in public areas. Ahhh!!!

You have several nicknames: Drew-Drew, Drew-man, & baby Drew are the main three. You're still getting into pretend play. I love it! You've started playing chase with other kids--it's so cute! You're finally showing affection and giving kisses to family members. Your language abilities are EXPLODING. I can't keep up with all the new words you try to say. Sometimes I thought this day would never get here! Your favorite words are: apple, roll, bug, daddy, mama, papaw, pop, bop, foofoo, our food, outside, truck, fork, moo, woof woof, shoe, nose, eye, dark, light, ah oh, bye bye, & ball. Just today you learned to say your name! You're catching on quickly! Pretty soon we won't be able to get you to be quiet!

You have an uncanny memory. You remember things that I've totally forgotten--whether it be a toy at someone's house that's kept hidden, a cup you "stored away" the night before, where a certain item goes in someone's house, or where a particular event happened--you keep us amazed with the detail of things you remember!

Our daily routine goes something like this now:

9am--wake up, milk, and breakfast (if you'll eat anything)
9:30-11:30--play, play, play. Veggie Tales is usually somewhere in here for about 15 min.
11:30-12:00--lunch and clean up
12:00-2:00--play some more!
2:00-4:00--naptime
4:00-5:30--play while waiting on daddy to get off work
5:30-6:30--play outside while mommy cooks
6:30-7:30--play outside some more
7:30-8:00--bathtime with Daddy
8:00-9:00--snacktime, pajamas, play in living room floor, diaper change, brush teeth
9:00-9:20--rock with Mommy, sing songs, read "Llama, Llama Red Pajama," and say our prayer.
9:20--Mommy is implanted on the couch.

So you can see our day is nothing spectacular, but we sure have fun! I can't believe you've been with us for nearly 2 years!!! That seems so impossible, but I almost can't remember not having you with us. We love you, sweet boy, and we can't wait to party with you soon!

Love,
Mommy & Daddy

Oh and here's a video for your viewing pleasure. This is the new "rasberry blowing" game:

Happy 20 Months, Drew!

Here we are in the 20-something months! I've gotta start planning your birthday party soon. Goodness, boy! You are so much fun. You're persistent, loving, tough, sweet, busy, and totally fun.

You are so funny when we go to other people's houses; you immediately scope out their laundry rooms! You really have a love for washers and dryers. Oh, and microwaves. You run around a room begging until someone holds you up to play with the microwave. Little manipulative boy! If I ever break out the vacuum cleaner while you are awake, you are all over it!

Your favorite new thing is Veggie Tales. You watch it once a day usually. We're actually watching "His Cheeseburger" on VT sing alongs as I type this. It's the only movie that really holds your attention. I want to shake the hand (or kiss the face) of whomever invented this show. It gives me time to get ready in the morning or make dinner in the evening. We need a copy of every sing along VT has made. Seriously.

One of my favorite new things you do is try to lead songs with your hands--whether we're in church with congregational singing or in front of the TV watching Veggie Tales. It's so precious, and makes me think about you leading singing when you're a little older. So sweet!

You are FINALLY starting to attempt to repeat words. I love hearing your words and look forward to you being able to articulate your feelings and wants. I think it will make it much less frustrating for both of us! I adore when we finish saying our prayers at night and you say, "Jesus." It just melts me each time. I hope you always have a heart for the Lord. That is the most important thing to me!

Eating is still a chore! One night you will scarf down half a chicken breast and green beans. The next day you act as if I'm trying to poison you with the exact same food. Peanut butter and banana sandwiches and pb&j sandwiches are almost always a shoe-in when you refuse to eat much at all. I took my friend Audrey's recommendation and started you on V8 juice (we need more coupons for this!) and you love it! I'm so glad cause we need those veggies to get in you somehow! We have no problem with most fruits--you LOVE them!

You're so much fun, Drew! Always full of life. Always smiling. And ALWAYS into something! You keep me busy, but I wouldn't change a thing. I love you with all my heart!

Love,
Mommy

Happy 19 Months, Drew!

My goodness, boy. We're going to have to put a brick on your head. You've physically grown this last month and are truly blossoming into your own little personality.

Likes: playing with the picture in the living room which holds a family photo from Christmas, watching home movies, climbing the pantry shelves (ahh!), taking out the pans from underneath the stove, putting the foot rest up and down (and up and down and up and down...) on the recliner, picking out foods from the pantry, stacking cans or blocks, sitting in the fireplace, pushing chairs, carrying his bouncing zebra from one room to the other (and it's heavy!), "helping" with the dishes, "helping" with the laundry, opening and closing any and all doors, flushing the potty, playing in the potty, dirtying your diaper RIGHT after bathtime, bouncing on your zebra when we don't know you have a poopy diaper (nice!), playing chase around the house, hiding in closets and the pantry, flipping light switches, opening and closing the blinds, unscrewing tops off bottles/jars/etc, music, dancing, singing, bathtime, being outside your blankey (a must have at bedtime), milk, juice, goldfish, and any cleaning materials.

(How many TOYS were listed in that list? One, maybe? You do have favorite toys, but you'd MUCH rather be playing with household supplies!)



(Playing the piano with his toes)



Dislikes: getting your diaper changed when you're playing, wearing a coat in the car, having to be held instead of running free, your stroller, getting your nose suctioned



What's changed in the last month: You are beginning to talk! Woo hoo! You now attempt to mimic the sounds of a cow, pig, duck, frog, horse, dog, and cat. You can say Papaw...and that was music to his ears! You like to say "down" and try to say "Andrew" when I call for your Daddy. So cute! You still use your signs a lot which is very helpful (you love signing "more" and "help"), but you will actually try to repeat some words if we say, "Can you say __?" which is encouraging!

The bad must always come with the good. You are quite stubborn and resort to hitting objects or biting when you don't get your way. It is really frustrating! (However, I'm sure it's also frustrating for you to not be able to communicate with us as well as you'd like!) We're using standing in the corner as punishment and it's working well so far. As much as I hate seeing you cry when you stand there, it hurts me too! I cry with you sometimes when you're not looking. ;)


You're still in a size 5 diaper, but you're moving up into your 24 month clothes. Most 18 month shirts that aren't polo style won't go over your big 95th percentile head. ;) You hit a growth spurt in the last 2 weeks so your 18 month pants are not only fitting now, but some are already too small! Guess that means mommy has a good excuse to go shopping! I'm really trying to learn to sew you some adorable clothes, but it's frustrating at times! I spent all day Wednesday making you a pair of blue & white gingham pants for the spring only to discover at 9pm that they would hardly go over your diaper they were so small. *sigh* Your Grammy encouraged me to try again, so I bought some fabric and a REAL pattern this time for attempt #2!

Being your mom and your daddy's wife is the best part of my life. I love being home with you every day and count it as SUCH a blessing, as I know at one point we never thought my dream of staying home with you would be possible. I try to never take it for granted. You are such a joy to my life and I love you with every breath in my body!

Happy 18 Months, Drew!

Is it really possible that I'm HALF WAY to the next birthday party?! That also means I'm half way to also having to spend hours and hours pouring over a "2nd year" video. Please excuse me while I go bang my head on the wall!!

18 months. My my, how I love this age! I'll try to break it down rather quickly:

Physically: I know you've grown in height because last month you could easily walk underneath the kitchen table; this month you have to squat to avoid hitting your head at the threshold! You are in an 18-24 month top and 12-18 month pants. A lot of your 18 month pants still completely swallow you! You're cutting your top canines (finally). We're looking forward to a teething break until that set of 2 year molars cuts through later this year. You've outgrown several pairs of shoes! You're pretty much in a 6-7 size shoe now, but you only wear them when we make you. :)

Likes: OUTSIDE is your favorite word I think. You could play out there all day! We are really looking forward to it warming up so we can get back out there and get some fresh air! Playing with the washer/dryer has to be your second favorite pasttime. You love helping with the laundry. I say the word "clothes" and you RACE to the laundry room! You'll even push the basket of clothes across the house to wash them. Love my big helper! Bath time with Daddy is always a favorite! You love when your relatives let you play with their cabinets, microwave, dishwasher, washer/dryer, broom, mop, dust-buster, or vacuum. See a trend there? (NOT toys!) You also have a new fascination with closing doors!

Dislikes: coming inside, sitting still for diaper changes, watching mommy or daddy leave

Personality: HAPPY! So very, very happy! You only ever cry if you're hurt or very tired. You're also very active. You don't play with any one thing for very long (no more than 2 minutes usually) before you're off for the next adventure. You are quite stubborn and have quite the temper as well! This has resulted in Mommy having to reach for different disciplining techniques. It breaks my heart to ever spat you or ignore you, but it's for the best in the end.

Speech: Just not progressing much here. We read, read, read, and talk, talk, talk. Still not many advances. I hear boys talk later than girls, so we're patiently waiting. Even though you may not say too many words, you understand most of what we say, even 2 step commands. You're learning the difference in location words (in, on top of, under) and opposites (off, on/open, close). You're signing all done, more, bite, drink, & help. That makes our job a little easier. If we can't understand what you want, you have no problem pulling our arm and leading us where you want to go (usually the laundry room or the pantry--two favorite play areas!).

Random tidbits:
-We are in that stage where you misplace important items (ie the remote and keys)
-You lick your touchy feely books now. So strange! You especially love feeling the sandpaper one on your tongue. Ick!
-You're trying to help remove your clothes from bathtime. You can sometimes get your pants, but are stuck on the shirt!
-Your naptime is beautiful lately. I wake you up at the 2 1/2 hour mark. You're sleeping from 9pm-9am...sometimes even until 9:45am!
-You're really amazed with gum & bubbles
-You love flushing the toilet!
-You can finally close doors on your own with the doorknob. Sometimes you'll kick them closed like mommy does when she has her hands full!
-You are learning to identify all different foods with your new play foods from Santa.
-You have an uncanny memory of when someone leaves a cabinet open and walks out of a room. As soon as you're put down (even if it's 10 minutes later) you take a beeline for that cabinet!
-You can stand on one foot if you have something to barely lean on.

There were so many cute things you have done that I had mentally noted I wanted to include in your 18 month post but can't think of now! I'll come back and add them if I remember them.

I can't believe we are now closer to 2 than 1! (See my math skills coming into play here? My 2nd grade teacher would be so proud.) I look forward to seeing things through your eyes this summer as you take notice of new things for the first time. Being your mom is the BEST job I could ever have!


We are wrapped around your finger, child! We love you!

Happy 17 Months, Drew!

17 Months. That means next month we'll be half way to your next birthday. How in tarnation is that possible? (Tarnation may be a word you're unfamiliar with. I believe it has been passed down from people we lovingly call 'hillbillies.') These past 5 months have gone so quickly. I guess it has a lot to do with how extremely busy you are!

Here's an example of your 17 month old schedule:

9am- Wake up. (We are so thankful for this recent blessing!) Sippy cup of milk, breakfast

10am-Play, play, play. We read lots of books, play with your train, redecorate the Christmas tree, read more books, play chase, you climb all over me, get told "no no" 500 times at least, and look forward to lunch.

12pm- (or there about) Lunch. I dread lunchtime. Breakfast is easy because you'll eat bread, pancakes, cereal, etc. Lunch is different. I have no clue what to feed you. Sometimes you eat well; sometimes you eat hardly anything. You seem to love bananas these days, even with peanut butter sometimes. You're really fond of yogurt and any kind of chip or cracker. Besides that, it's anyone's guess! (Oh...and you hate veggies now) *Sigh*

1:45pm--Naptime. On the dot. Today you brought your blankie to me and laid your head on my legs to tell me it was time to nap. We rock in your room for 10 minutes or so and you fall asleep and usually go straight to your crib without problems. Mommy usually gets on the computer or showers at this time.

3:30--You wake up in a great mood, ready for another sippie of milk or juice and a snack. We play and play some more!

5pm--The bewitching hour has begun. It seems at 5pm you get really clingy and whiney. It's been this way for a long time! We just pray Daddy doesn't have a long meeting on this night!

6pm--Dinner. Whatever we can force down your throat. If there's bread on the table, that's all you want.

7pm--Bathtime with Daddy while Mommy cleans the kitchen.

8pm--PJs and playtime before bed. Sometimes a snack if you spot the banana on the counter!

8:45pm--We rock for about 10 minutes and put you in your crib awake. You go straight to sleep without a problem 90% of the time.

9pm--Mommy crashes on the couch, throwing caution to the wind about housework. It will be there in the morning!

You are a BUSY, BUSY boy! We get that comment about you whenever we're in public! You must be quite the looker as well, because people always go out of their way to come over and compliment on how beautiful you are! We love it! Your blue eyes never cease to gather comments from stangers. The ladies will love that when you're older. (I don't like the thought of that now that I've said it...) ;)

With age comes personality, and with personality comes stubborness and determination to get your way! You little booger. You'll go up and grab something that's a "no no" and say, "Na, na, na" as you bring the item to me. Or if you see a dot of milk somewhere you'll smear your finger all through it saying, "Na, na, na." You do the same thing with the fireplace and test us to see if we're watching and will follow through on disciplining you. A lot of times when you're doing something you shouldn't, you'll look at us and smile mischeviously. I so desperately want to laugh sometimes! We try to always follow through, but you're one stubborn cookie! Unforunately, you've bitten me several times. I was praying I wouldn't have to deal with this issue with you! You haven't bitten anyone else and you only have tried to bite me when you're mad or playing with my hand. Needless to say, we're cautious of our hands around you now! Of course you can throw some mini-tantrums at times. I've definitely seen worse, but you've got a little temper on you!

Someone suggested time out, but I'm not sure if that will work at this age. I've read several doctors/psychologists say it doesn't, but we might give it a whirl and see. You hate being confined so time out might be the trick for you. It certainly doesn't phase you to get your hand or leg spatted!

Overall though, you're one happy little dude! You spend the majority of your day laughing and playing like no one's business. You love all things "non toy," especially toiletry items. You still love your vacuum and use it more now that I broke down and put new batteries in it.

You understand so much and say so little. :) That's okay though because I know you're going to explode with language one month and knock our socks off. You try to say "touchdown" and throw your arms up. You imitate a dog, but it doesn't sound like "woof woof!" You say, "Ho ho ho!" when we talk about Santa Claus. I love it!

You sometimes understand more complex sentences. (Ex: Go get your milk and get in your chair.) You take things to different people, as instructed. You love putting on and taking off shoes and taking off socks. You can point to lots of different animals and objects in books, but you don't care to repeat their names or sounds unless you really want to.

We're trying to teach you to move your feet to be able to ride your ride-on toys, but you'd much rather us push you. You're ALMOST able to climb up on the couch by yourself and you're this close to being able to reach the door knobs. Ah oh!

Mainly, you are just SO much fun. You make me laugh 'til I can't breathe sometimes and you are always pushing me to be more creative in finding ways to entertain you! We are really looking forward to this Christmas season with you since you were so little last year. I am really looking forward in years to come about teaching you the true meaning of Christmas, of sharing God's love for us with you. Isn't that my main purpose as a parent? What a responsibility, yet a joy to do!

We love you, Drew dude! Don't grow up too fast. We're having way too much fun!

Love,
Mommy (& Daddy, too)

Weaned.

I had been thinking lately that it was probably time to wean Drew. About 6 weeks or so ago I really thought it might be the last time I nursed him because he was really showing a lack of interest in nursing. So, that night I took it all in. I tried to take mental photos of exactly how sweet my precious boy looked as he nursed. I remembered nursing for the first time, at 1 week, at 8 weeks, at 6 months. How he would kick his feet around and smile while he nursed. Beautiful memories no one can take from me. I cried and prayed and thanked God for such a sweet blessing.

Weeks went by and Drew suddenly became very attached to nursing again right before bedtime. I began to think I might end up nursing a 125 lb. 9th grader if I didn't put an end to this. But how?! Nursing was our crutch; it made bedtime so easy!

Well, last week Drew cut 3 more teeth. And seriously 5 more are peeking through now. That's 11 teeth plus 5 coming in that were joining us in our nightly nursing sessions. Last Monday night I bit my lip through it. Tuesday night's nursing session lasted about 1.5 seconds--long enough for me to get well acquainted with each tooth. I unlatched him and that was it. No turning back! He hasn't fussed once and has gone down for naps and nighttime beautifully.

The last nursing session wasn't exactly as I had imagined, but it was time! Breastfeeding was so hard in the beginning. I wasn't sure I would make it to 6 months, let alone a year. But then it became second nature and that time was "our" time--one no would else could replace it. I'm so thankful God gave me the opportunity to nourish my sweet boy for the first 15 months of his life. It's been a beautiful process!

(Now please bear with me as my hormones are going nuts and I'm eating myself out of house & home!)

Happy 15 Months, Drew!

15 Months. And what a fun 15 months it has been! People never warned me of all the "fun" that comes at this point! Your personality is shining through more and more each week. You love to laugh and are almost always happy. However, this last week or so has brought out those terrible temper tantrums that have left us wondering if we would make it until bedtime!

No doubt about it: you are looking more and more like your daddy! You have his colored hair from when he was a little boy. Someone actually told us the other day that "he's too cute to be a boy!" which is the same comment Daddy got as a baby.


You understand so much more than you did last month! You make connections really well with music. For example, if I sing the song your zoo toy makes, you will run to the other room and get the zoo toy. If I sing the song your fridge farm makes, you'll go get it! You looooove to sing and dance. When we ride in the wagon (you finally sit down in there!), you just sing and talk to yourself. It's adorable! I only wish I knew what you were saying. No matter, I guess. It's obvious that you're happy & at this stage, that's all I care about! You sing e-i-e-i-o constantly. Yes, you finally added that "o" on the end! Your favorite song is one which I have no idea what the name is, but I was told you sing it all the time in nursery school and the teachers even figured out the tune. When I say you love to sing, I mean you love to sing! You get that from your mama. That'll be a good stress reliever later in life. ;)

You know what a dog and cat are and attempt to say it, but only mommy & daddy can understand it). You sign "all done" when you're finished eating (or just ready to get down and play) and it's so cute. You still sign "more" but not always at the appropriate time! You understand the words: cat, dog, ball, train, zoo, shoes, outside, "come on," no, scary face, down, bite, drink, bath, shhh, bye bye, nose, hair, and tongue.

Your newest obsessions are the broom, dust buster, and vacuum. You LOVE to help with those. And my walls are proof. ;) You even try to help dust with your own cloth. Is this a sign for the futre? Please say yes!!! We're already planning on telling Santa you want a kid sized vacuum and broom for Christmas!

Physically, you can now run (and do it often!) and even walk backwards! You also put your head flat on the ground and your bottom in the air so we'll push you over for a flip.

Your facial expressions! Oh they can melt me! When I tell you "no," you kinda hang your head down and give me these big puppy dog eyes and shake your head. I've laughed on more than one occasion. You make the funniest "scary" face when I prompt you. I've got to get it on camera. Your Granna & Papaw just ate that up tonight! You can show us where your hair is, what your nose does, and where your tongue is. We're working on ears right now, but you get that very confused with hair. Speaking of hair, you love playing with other people's!! You think it's funny to cover my face with my hair and then uncover it to find me making a silly face.

Eating troubles requires its own BOOK, much less post or paragraph. We'll just say you're VERY picky. What you like at one minute, you spit out the next. Most days, you live on goldfish, chocolate milk (your favorite in the morning), bread, and yogurt puffs.

What you WILL put in your mouth is anything that feels good on your poor gums. Your first molar finally broke through a little over a week ago. I see 2 others with white spots under the gums, so they should be peeking through any day now. One of your favorite items to chew is the oven mitt.



You would LIVE outside if we let you. If the words "shoes" is mentioned, you race to find a pair! (And while speaking of shoes, you're in a size 6/7 shoe!!) You're constantly standing at the door, reaching for the handle on your tip toes. I dread the day you are actually able to REACH the handle! You love your lawn mower, push car, and wagon. As long as we let you stay outside, there are very few complaints from you.

You are MISCHEVIOUS, little boy! Into EV-ER-Y-THING! You pull things off any surface, dump over laundry and trash cans, play in the toilets, play in cabinets, stick your hands through the space b/t the lock and the cabinet, turn on the bathtub water alone, climb up on your toys to get to the top of your crib, climb up people's stomachs....get the picture? ENERGETIC!!

You love to climb up Daddy to get to the ceiling fan pulls. You are absolutely giddy over pulls!!

Climbing to your destination.


Looks like Daddy got the bad end of that deal...

A lot of times your bursts of energy and curiosity get you in trouble and I spat your hand. Not hard. Let me tell you how much it hurts...you usually look at me and smile when I spat your hand. ;) Today you purposely turned your sippy cup upside down and mashed the spout on your tray to make all the milk come out (a new, annoying, favorite trick....*groan*). I looked at you and said, "Nooooo, noooo." You spatted your own hand and smiled while you shook your head. LOL. It was pretty darn cute! Some things that get you in trouble:


Opening the over drawer and climbing on the stove to unlock the oven door. You're too smart for your own good.


Climbing in the fireplace. This is a common occurrence.

While you're learning rights and wrongs, I'm learning how to have patience. What was I thinking last month when I thought I had acquired patience? I had no idea! Temper tantrums take it to a new level. I'm trying to not focus on housework so much while you're awake. While I encourage you to play indepdently, if it means I have to listen to you scream all day cause you want my constant attention, I just give it to you. It makes both of us happier and more sane! When things get really rough, we head outside! It's a "fix all."

What a fun month!!! This upcoming month, we'll be making our first long trip, your first trip to a pumpkin patch, and dresses as pirates for Halloween! Life with you couldn't be any better!!!


We love you sweet, boy!

Happy 14 months, Drew!!

My sweet Drew,

This last month has, by far, been one of my favorites. You are just booming in learning things. You are connecting items with words, learning to say things, further developing your personality, and asserting yourself!

I'm not really sure how to break down all you're learning, so I'll just do it in a "may be hard to follow along" paragraph:

You say "dat" whenever you see a cat or dog, dance to any rhythmic noise (vacuum cleaner, dishwasher, dryer, hair dryer, etc), wave byebye, sign "more," bring me your shoes when you want to go outside, get SOOOO excited when we go out, run for your lawn mower when you cross the outdoor threshold, love your family members, can't get enough of the outdoors, test the limits by seeing how close you can get to the road, have the cutest laugh, have started spitting out your food if it's not what you want (about to drive me nuts), love to snack, finally drink whole milk if I put a little chocolate in it, play well by yourself, love to play chase, cover your own face to play peekaboo (with your hands, the curtains, or a towel), love "I'm gonna get you" game, really love bathtime with daddy, are obsessed with flipping light switches, love playing with blind cords or fan pulls, are going through further separation anxiety at times, run like it's going out of style, are covered in bruises and scrapes, and fall all the time but hardly ever cry about it.

Eating: We're finally to just solid food. No more baby food at 75 cents/jar! Yay! Up until last week you were content with whatever you were fed! It was quite lovely and easy. Since then, you've started spitting your food out when you either don't like it or don't want it. It's driving us batty! Welcome to toddlerhood, huh? You really like 2% milk plain, but I have to put chocolate in whole milk or you'll throw the sippy down. I can't say I blame you. Ick. You could live on teddy grahams, animal crackers, goldfish, and yogurt puffs. You still love to drink water.

Sleep: You finally sleep pretty well in your playpen when we travel. You take a 1-2 hour nap in the afternoons. It all depends on your mood! You almost always sleep through the night from about 8pm-7:45am. Mommy & Daddy usually watch a movie and eat junk food after you go to bed. It's our guilty pleasure and stress reliever!

Gross motor skills: You run whenever possible, crawl up any steps, sometimes get down the steps, and are on the brink of being able to climb onto the couch.

Words people use to describe you: ACTIVE, happy, busy, fast, sneaky, loving. Oh and we get comments on your beautiful eyes wherever we go!

You are so much fun, Drew! You keep us on our toes, but we wouldn't have it any other way!

Happy 13 Months, Drew!

Another month! No more baby. ALL toddler!

What you're up to these days: Finally saying "mama" at times, saying "ti-guh, ti-guh" for tickle-tickle, cutting a bottom left molar (almost through, praise God!), eating well again, drinking solely out of a sippy (bye bye, bottles!), bringing us books when you want us to read them, bringing us toys when you want them turned on, pitching a fit when you don't get your way, climbing the stairs, running!


Likes: Outside! You've started crying when you have to come in--another sign that toddlerhood has arrived! Family members--I think because they give you whatever you want and constantly hold you! Running free anywhere. Drinking anything out of anyone else's glass. Eating. Riding in your wagon or your car. Racing to Daddy when he gets home. Reading books (Brown Bear is your favorite). Squeezing into tight places. Climbing. Moving furniture (especially chairs!--you rearrange the dining room and kitchen daily). Playing peekaboo. Playing chase. Playing in the bathtub with Daddy!


Dislikes: You STILL aren't crazy about taking a nap, but you're so much better about going down on your own. You'll fuss for 2-3 minutes usually, but then you fall asleep. Every now and then I lay you down wide awake after we rock for a few minutes, and you go straight to sleep. Not even a peep! I NEVER thought that day would come! When you're really sleepy, you don't wanna be put in your car seat. Nighttime=crib time for you! You really prefer not to wear socks and shoes...barefoot is best! You're still not a fan of long car rides. (Speaking of that, we have a 2 hour trip this weekend...not looking forward to the drive!) You hate coming inside from outside. You're getting better about being left in the nursery (only cry for 10-15 seconds), but you're happier with mommy & daddy!) You HATE the stroller and the shopping cart, much to my dismay. Although, that's probably been good for our bank account!

I would never choose to go back to life without you! You MAKE mine and Daddy's lives! It's so hard to discipline you at times when you need it because you look at me and smile or laugh...or do something cute at that moment. You have my heart, little boy!

First Real Haircut

I've trimmed Drew's hair twice in the past few months, but I'm not too prideful to know I can't REALLY cut hair; we finally decided Saturday was the day to dig in our heels and turn our little boy into a big boy. Here was the problem. Most of our phone conversations with salons went something like this:

Them: Hello this is _____ salon.
Me: Hi. I wondering if you guys cut toddlers' hair.
Them: (Silent pause) Well....I guess we could try if he sits still.

Seriously, I had FOUR salons tell me they could cut his hair if he could sit still. That let me know right there that they were NOT accustomed to cutting toddlers' hair. I finally found someone who didn't bat an eyelash at cutting a 13 month old's hair.

He did great! He played with a comb, hair clips, the hair stylist's apron, a book, a remote, and a sucker. But by the time the haircut was almost finished, he wanted DOWN! It's a smidge crooked in the front, but we'll take it. Oh, and Drew loves it 'cause his hair doesn't tickle his ear anymore!


Before. I should have taken a picture of the back since it was the worst. He was pretty much sporting a mullet.





After! A big boy!