40 days until Easter! (pictures to come soon)

Today is the beginning of Lent! Only 40 days until the Easter bunny comes! I know there is a lot more to Easter than the bunny, but when you are new parents those things are exciting. Our little guy will be able to hunt for eggs this year. How fun! We are going to start practicing soon, so he'll be an expert by Easter.

Now onto what we are giving up for Lent this year... I am giving up pop! I don't drink a pop every single day, but every time we go out to dinner I always get one and I sometimes drink a pop at lunch time. So it will be a sacrifice! Mike is still undecided if he is going to partake in giving something up. Stay tuned.

Update: Ok Mike has decided to give up fast food. He usually gets a fast food lunch once about every 8 or so days. So no more for him!

Funny Drew story:
The other night Mike and I were watching House and Drew was running around playing while it was on. Dr. House was having trouble breathing on the show and he was making some deep breathing sounds. The next thing I know Drew is mimicking him, he started breathing very loudly. It was so funny. I had to rewind the show so Mike could hear him and he did it again. I didn't even think he was listening. Tonight we were watching American Idol and when someone was singing Drew made some high pitched sounds, he was making his own song. What a funny guy!

New stuff:

• Drew is now saying "milk" and in context, he says it pretty funny (I can't really explain it through writing)!

• Tonight when Drew was in the bath tub, I asked him "Who is coming home to see you soon?" and he said "dada." He's a smart little guy!

• Drew was weighed at the doctor's office yesterday he was 23 pounds 4 ounces (with clothes, diaper, shoes, etc). We had a quick visit to get his ears rechecked. His ears look great, I was worried b/c he kept pulling at his ears. He is teething though so that is probably why he is pulling at his ears.

Another Weekend Goes By!

Bath time is so much fun!

Three amigos
Cute boy!

It is Sunday evening already! Where do the weekends go? They go much faster than any week day for sure. We didn't do a whole lot this weekend, but it was still enjoyable. We saw some friends last night and Drew got to do some playing. Today we went to church and Drew and I spent the majority of the time in the front entry area. He was too loud for the actual church (he lasted maybe 4 minutes) and even too loud for the cry room. Next week it is time for the nursery! He just loves to talk and doesn't understand why we'd want him to be quiet!

Our little man has been battling nap time these days. He is in between one nap and two naps. Some days he'll take two good naps, other days it is just one. I hear this can be a long transition. We are just taking it one day at a time for now. Drew spent some time in the good ole time out chair this evening. We aren't so sure he is understanding the concept, but he is needing some type of consequence for his latest behavior. He has been hitting Patton and even us from time to time. I sometimes wonder where that sweet little boy went, but it is all part of the toddler years I hear. He didn't seem to phased by our actions when he would hit. He'd just smile and toddle on. I believe he is testing the waters! Hopefully we'll figure something that works soon! Wish us luck!

Pictures:

Sitting at the table

So big!It is just about time we get a booster seat for Drew and get rid of the high chair. He loves sitting in the chairs.Crazy hair!

Some more crazy hair.Rolling around on the floor.

Fixing the mower

New Stuff

What a ham!

We have some updating to do. Drew has done a lot of "new" things the last week. Last weekend he started playing a little game with us. He would throw his ball in the hallway and then come running back into the family room where Mike and I were and he would say "ball" and put his hands/arms out asking where it was. He did this over and over! When we were at dinner last weekend Mike had gotten up and went to the bathroom and about a minute later Drew looked at me and said "da" and put his hands/arms out asking where he was. It was so cute! He is really communicating with us!

He also has started babbling in the sense that he carries on a conversation with us (and we have no idea what he is telling us). As he babbles he'll even start laughing at himself, he must be saying something really funny. I wish we knew what he was saying!

He is also repeating us like crazy. Here are a few things he started repeating: milk, girl, boy, hamper, help, pa (grandpa), Matt, & Rock Chalk (way to go Drew!).

He is saying these new words in context: "bup" (up), down, "nana (banana)

Drew is getting really good at blowing kisses, finding belly buttons (he points out everyone's belly buttons and he even picks out the belly buttons on the models in the Victoria Swimsuit Catalog), walking backwards, blowing his nose, using a spoon, and his new fetish is lining up our shoes.


Drew is also becoming an ornery little boy! He'll do something he isn't supposed to do and then look at us with the most ornery looking smile ever (it is very hard not to laugh or smile at him).


Last night we had our first Parents As Teachers visit. I signed up for the program back when I was six months pregnant and I have been on a waiting list all this time. I'm so excited to finally be getting visits. During the school years until Drew is 3 we will have a visit every 6-8 weeks. Our lady will give us information about Drew's development and what is typical for his age. She gave me the name of an author (Ellyn Satter) who has written books about feeding babies and toddlers. I got one of the books from the library today. I'm on a mission! I am hoping to get Drew to eat what is being served each night for dinner and I want to stop making him his own meal each night. He is only eating a couple different main courses right now, so it gets a bit frustrating at time. He also won't eat vegetables, unless I mix baby food veggies in his applesauce. So stay tuned for some updates. I'll be starting this mission as soon as I read the information in the book I got today.

Some new pics:

Playing with his car.
Getting into drawers he shouldn't be!

Sweet Patton!
Taking Daddy's shoe for a walk and Patton observing.
Daddy's shoe taking Drew for a walk.

Six Years Ago Today...

My lovely husband asked me to marry him! What a special day that was!

Here are some pictures from that day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

A few new pics to start off the post with:





Happy Valentine's Day! I hope every enjoyed the lovely day! Drew spent some time with his grandma and grandpa so, Mike and I could go to a movie and dinner. It was fun hanging out as a couple!

I have a funny Patton story for you. I'll start out with she loves to snuggle on her fluffy bed. She sleeps on fluffy bed when we are just hanging out (during the night and when we are gone she sleeps in her cage on a towel). She recently tore some holes in her bed b/c she kept scratching at it (she tries to fluff her bed). The lastest bed she had was not fluffable, it was a memory foam bed. She didn't quite understand the concept and ended up scratching her bed until she put all kinds of holes in it.

So she's been without a fluffy bed for a couple of days. The poor thing has been beside herself. When Drew is in bed she typically sleeps and lays on the fluffy bed, but the last two nights she hasn't had the option. She can't get comfortable and paces around. She's been driving us NUTS! She is constantly laying her head in our laps and nudging us with her wet nose.

So Mike and I are hanging out here on the couch and we hear some fluffing going on, Patton had squeezed between the couch and the end table (a very small place). She was laying on her blanket, we use the blanket as a cover when she gets to spend some time on the couch with us (which isn't very often, it is a special treat). She decided to fluff it up and then lay down. I got a couple pics and then laid it on the floor for her so she has some more room. Laying on the bare floor isn't an option for Patton. She's a bit of a princess. As I type she's sleeping soundly on her blanket and leaving us alone!

sleeping soundly

16 Months

Playing with the cord to the blinds...he loves this for some reason (probably because he's not usually allowed to play with it)!

Guess who is 16 months old today? Yes you are right...the Drewster! I can't believe he's getting so old! He's so much fun and learning new things everyday!

Here are some silly pictures of Drew from last night. I had gotten a stack of diapers out of Drew's room to take to his babysitter's and left them at the top of the stairs so I wouldn't forget them. Drew found them and for some reason decided diapers are fun to play with. He was even cuddling with them. I picked him up and carried him downstairs and placed him on the couch to take a picture and he didn't even move a muscle.
Here is what I got:

What a silly boy!

Here is a picture I took after he got rid of the diapers. I was aiming at Drew and when I took it someone else jumped up on the couch to be part of the picture!

All Better!

What a big boy, I just love him in a hat!

I know he looks caged, but he isn't. I'm taking a picture from the back of the car looking in. The cage is to keep Patton in the back!

Well Drew has now had 4 full days of his ear infection medicine and he's a changed man! He is much better. He still coughs a bit here and there, but the nasty runny nose is gone! Yeah! He had a great weekend and is much happier and so are mom and dad!

He has also started doing and saying some new things.

1. He is working on saying "down" when he wants off the couch or out of his highchair etc. He has only said it on his own once, but will repeat us if we ask him to.
2. He also has a new interest in the trash can, it is such a lovely new interest! So when we go near the trash I tell him "ewwww." If we now see a trash can he'll point and I say "trash" and he'll scrunch up his nose and say "ewww."
3. If we ask him where something or someone is or ask him a question he doesn't know the answer to he shrugs his shoulders and puts his arms out to the side. I caught this one on camera!
4. Drew has also been understanding so much of what we say. If we tell him it is time for his bath, he'll say "bath" and head for the stairs. If we tell him it is bedtime he starts waving to either Mike or I (whom ever isn't putting him to bed and Patton) and starts heading for the stairs. When we tell him it is time to brush his teeth he goes straight for the bathroom, these are just a few examples!

5. We also have sighted two more teeth! He is getting two more lower teeth, numbers 7 & 8. Finally! He's had six teeth forever!
6. And one more new thing, today he went to the church nursery for the first time. We usually take him with us and he goes back and forth between the cry room and the main church, but today no kids were allowed. We officially joined the church we've been going to off and on for the last couple of years, we had a meeting we had to attend. We got Drew signed in for the nursery and then handed him over and he started bawling, we were so sad. So we went to the end of the hall and listened the lady checking him in saw us and shouted he had already stopped crying...I wonder how true that was! When we went to pick him up he was playing with a couple of kiddos and saw us and was ready to leave! We had to wait in line to get our family picture taken and while we were waiting Drew recognized one of his little friends from the nursery and kept pointing to him. It was pretty cute, he made a new friend today! I'm not sure if we'll take him back or not...we'll have to see!

Some new pics as always:

Drew petting his dinosaurSomeone found an old pacifier and knew exactly what to do with it

So cute! (don't worry this will not become a habit, it was just cute)

Posing

This is the face I get when I ask him to smile!

Silly face
pointing (this is what he does ALL day long)

Double Trouble

Drew's first prescriptionNakey boy

Hammering
What mom?
Drew doing the splits

Drew & I headed to see his doctor this morning. We just had to have him checked out since he's still has a runny nose and a cough a week later. My friend, Patsy who watched yesterday told me he was grabbing his ear and she's the ear infection queen her little guy has had tubes and all (thank you for the suggestion). So we decided it couldn't hurt to go in and have him checked out. He not only has his first ear infection, but his second too. Poor guy, has a double ear infection!

While we were there he got weighed (it wasn't exactly accurate he had clothes and shoes on), but he weighed 22lbs. 6 ounces. He's not a huge guy by any means! He probably has lost a few ounces this last week, because he hasn't been eating his normal amount. The last time he was weighed was his 1 year check up and he was twenty pounds 4 ounces. At this point we are thinking he may be more of a quarter back or kicker instead of a lineman! Or even better, maybe a long distance runner (if I have anything to say about it)!

He started his Amoxicilin this afternoon and had his second dose tonight. Were are hoping by tomorrow evening he'll be feeling much better. He has never had a prescription before, so he's experiencing all kinds of new things today. He doesn't seem to mind the medicine, so we are lucky there.

Now I have to do a little bragging...yes this last week hasn't been wonderful, but it hasn't been so bad. The poor guy couldn't have been comfortable and his little bit of crankiness wasn't really all that bad. Once again I have to say he's such a good baby! Hopefully the next post I'll be reporting that Drew is back to normal!

Here are a couple pics:

Patton enjoying a great day!
Do you see what is all over Patton? She was enjoying her spring like day, she loves rolling around in the grass.