Merry Christmas Dearest Andrew

Dearest Andrew,

There will be more to follow about your Christmas, but for now can I just say how blessed I am to be your mommy?  You have made every day a dream!  I love you buddy!  Merry Christmas!

 

Love,
Mommy

 

 

Happy (Half) Birthday to Yooou! Andrew the 18 Month Old

Dearest Andrew,

I was just sitting here looking at your blog and realized that you are exactly a year and a half today! Happy Half Birthday little man!!! Wow! With all the holiday hubbub, I didn’t realize it was already here! This past month has gone by at lightning speed with Thanksgiving and travel and Christmas preparation. There is so much to do and to top it all off, we all (you, me and Daddy) were sick! Yuck! You had your 3rd ear infection which meant another round of antibiotics. Oh well, we are beyond thankful that is the worse we have had to deal with! I can’t thank God enough for keeping His hand on you. You are a blessing for sure!

Okay, so what, oh what have you done this past month? Hmmmm, let’s see… Well, we will start with that one. Haha, you love to say “Let’s see”. You got that one from your Daddy. It’s so CUTE! Here are some more in random order. Mommy has to use her, gasp…MEMORY!

• Cold –Repeating us when we say it’s cold outside.

• Wow! – You said this when Daddy first plugged in the lights on the Christmas tree! Holy moly that was cute! I really wish I could have got that on film. You said it all by yourself too! You knew how to use the word correctly.

• Pretty –Mama said isn’t the tree pretty? And you responded with a drawn out “Preeety!”

• Tree –Repeating us again, talking about our Christmas tree.

• Happy –Sounds a lot like how you say “Abby” so we have to really listen close to tell which you are saying.

• Pee-pee –We knew it was coming…sigh… Hehe.

• Hallelujah– I LOVE this one! You said it on a Wednesday night at church!

• You’re welcome – This one is really hard to understand, but we know that is what you are saying, one because you repeat it and two, because you sometimes say it after someone says thank you.

• Help – You are learning to say this when you need help. So sweet!

• I love you– REALLY??? Ahhhhh, you said it and it was SOOO sweet! The best part, you said it to ME!!! Hahaha! When you kissed me the first time I thought that was it, it couldn’t get any better until this! Sigh…

• Diaper –repeating Mama.

• Doctor –You have a little doctor kit Mama got you for Halloween to go with your costume and we call you “Doctor” from time to time. When you say it, you say it like a question. Hehe.

Names you said this month:

• Andrew –You finally said your own name! I LOVE to hear you say it too!
• Sky – Now when you say this, you are not talking about the large expanse above our heads, but rather that cute little cousin of yours.
• Keith –When you say your uncles name, it almost sounds like you are saying “kitty” and you must think so too, because you always meow afterwards. It is SO funny! I love to hear you meow when you say Keith or kitty! Hehe.
• Grandma –I haven’t heard you say this one yet, but Daddy has.
• Grandpa –I heard you say this for the first time the other night. Yay!

Things you have done this month:

• When Mama asks you for a kiss, sometimes you will oblige me, but most of the time you turn your cheek to me so I can give you a kiss! Haha, it always cracks me up!
• You had Thanksgiving number two and thoroughly enjoyed GiGi’s pumpkin pie and dressing.
• You learned to eat with a fork and (kind of ) a spoon. We’re still working on the spoon part.
• When Mommy says it’s time for a bath, you know to run to the bathroom (and yes, you still do the bath dance!!!). When I say it’s time to brush your teeth (or "chicka, chicka" as we call it…the sound of brushing your teeth), you run to the bathroom. When I tell you it’s time to change your diaper, you run to the changing table and when Mommy says it’s time to nap or go to bed, you run to your crib. What a clever little thing you are!
• You walk up to things you know you aren’t supposed to touch and say, “No, no!” This is quite possibly the funniest thing I have ever seen. "No" is also a new word from this month. I can't imagine where/why you have heard that one? Hehe.
• You have started sleeping with a blanket and stuffed animal.
• Mommy and Daddy took all of the barriers down that have been up since you started walking. You have only been allowed in the living room and your room until now, but now you have explored every nook and cranny of this house you possibly could and found most of it shut off or child-proofed! Go Mom and Dad!
• You have the funniest, cutest little happy dance ever!
• You got to meet your new little cousin Marcus! Yay!!! He is precious, but you didn’t seem to really know what to think about him. Hehe.
• You figured out you can reach the top of the counter. Note to self: push everything back from the edge.
• Your favorite game seems to be, “What weird stuff can I bring to Mommy?” You bring me everything from a speck of paper you found on the floor to things like a phone, toy, or things out of a drawer in my room while we are in there. The best part is the look of extreme pride on your face. Oh, and the fact that you clap for yourself afterward! Hahahaha!
• You have really taken a new interest in your toys this month and can focus on one toy for quite a while.
• We took you to Rhema for the second time, but last year you were only 6 months old. This year you were much more interested and loved looking at the“ights” as you call them. Hehe! It was weird though because it was 70 degrees and people were wearing shorts and flip flops. In December. Strange.
• You are learning to color. You are starting to hold your crayons and markers really well. You really seem to enjoy coloring and I love all of your works of art. They are Mommy’s favorite.
• You love your babies (stuffed animals) and hug them making an “Awwww” sound and kiss them like Mommy does to you. Then you hold them up and ask Mommy to hug and kiss your baby. It’s so sweet!
• You had your first ER visit, well other than when we slipped in Nashville when you were 3 months old, and it was no fun at all!!! We took you in the middle of the night because you were coughing so hard it seemed you were having trouble breathing. You got better almost as soon as we got in the car and didn’t have a problem again. We went anyway and waited only to never see the doctor. You were fine. Thank the Lord. It was scary for Mommy and Daddy, but the Lord had His hand on you!

As always, I am sure there is more that you have done/said this past month, but that is a lot right there! You are constantly learning new things and I love being able to witness it all. Well, again, Happy Half Birthday my darling boy. This has been the best 18 months of my life!

Love,
Mommy

Andrew Meets Mr. Fork and Mrs. Spoon

Dearest Andrew,

Tonight was kind of a big deal for you.  Mommy gave you your utensils and let you go at it on your own.  You did an AMAZING job with the fork!  You used it like you were an old pro!  I was so proud of how well you handled it.  The spoon on the other hand...well let's just say it needs some work.  Hehe!  But you still did such a great job.  I have let you play with a spoon and really thick yogurt before, but you were eating baby food green beans and they were messy.  It was so much fun though.  That's what Clorox wipes were made for!  And yes, you still eat baby food vegetables.  You love them for some reason.  That is the only baby food item you eat anymore, but I can't get you to eat other veggies, so I am using these.  Your Aunt Renee gave me some great ideas and I need to try them.  I will try them, but this has just been so easy!  Okay, well here are the pictures to prove what a great time we had eating dinner tonight.  I love you little man!

Love,

Mommy

PS - The middle picture on the first one?  Yep, that's you clapping for yourself.  Hehe, you're so silly!

Andrew & His Family

Dearest Andrew,

Here are a few more pictures from Thanksgiving.  I just love them so much, I had to share them!

Love,

Mommy

Andrew & the Photo Shoot

Dearest Andrew,

We got your pictures back this week from your photo shoot with your cousins and Mimi and Pop.  They are the best pictures ever!!!  Seriously!  You are one cute kid, kiddo! :)  Here are a few of my favorites.  Who am I kidding, they are all my favorite, but here are just a few.  I love you!

Love,

Mommy

What Andrew Loves - Outtakes

Dearest Andrew,

Here are the outtakes of Andrew Loves.  I told you, getting you to stand still isn't the easiest thing.  Hehe!  Love you bug!

Love,
Mommy

What Andrew Loves - 17 Month Edition

Dearest Andrew,

I have wanted to do this for a while, but I didn’t know when a good time to start was.  I actually thought about starting back when you turned one, but you see how that went!  Hehe!  I figured now was as good a time as any!  I found this idea on Pinterest and thought it was so cute and a great way to show what is going on in your life.  Pinterest makes Mommies happy and Daddies shake their heads. Hehe!  I love it!  Anyway, I could have added so much more, but I guess I can save that for next month hopefully along with some new things you have discovered.  My goal is to do one of these a month, kind of like your monthly update.   The problem is getting you to stand still next to a wall.  Oy.  That is hard!  All you want to do is run! Yep, that’s one I should have definitely added!  Andrew LOVES to run!  Hehehe!  Oh well, I love you anyway!  Running after you is good exercise!  So, here we go, the first installment of “Andrew Loves”.  Enjoy!

Love,

Mommy

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dearest Andrew,

We spent Thanksgiving with Papa and Gi Gi and everyone was able to make it!  We had such a great time visiting with everyone and you had a wonderful time playing with your cousins.  Gi Gi made SUCH a wonderful meal (as usual) and we enjoyed every bite!  You especially enjoyed Gi Gi's dressing and pumpkin pie.  Who wouldn't???  This picture was taken on Thanksgiving by your Uncle Brent and Aunt Megan.  They are wonderful at taking and editing pictures!  Daddy and I sure love our little family!  Happy Thanksgiving dear one!

Love,

Mommy

Talking, Talking, Talking...Oh, and Turning 17 Months Old

Taken two days after you turned 17 months. :)

Dearest Andrew,
Happy 17 months little man!   It truly seems like it has only been a few days, not a month, since you turned 16 months.  Here we are, another month gone by just like that.  I have to admit, there is no way in the world I can keep up with all that you have done (and especially what you have said!), but I did have a chance to write some things down over the past month.

First of all, let me say this…words, words, words!  There are so many, Mommy can’t keep up.  I know a lot of it is you mimicking us, but I know you are learning a lot along the way.   You are learning appropriate times/places/people with some of your words too.  You are starting to put names with faces other than just Mama and Dada.  It’s cool to see you realize who someone is.  So, let’s start with the words that I wrote down.  Here they are:

·         Oh man! – Yes, this was definitely a mocking thing, but it was so cute! 

·         Boo! – You said this to Mommy.  Mommy likes to play Peek-a-Boo with you and will always “Boo!” at you.  This month, you started saying it too!

·         Yo Gabba Gabba – You said this at Mimi’s house.  Every parents dream.  Haha!

·         Meow – Well, once again, the cutest thing is now this!  When you see a kitty, you meow!  Seriously!  I LOVE this!

·         Ow – You said this because Daddy said it while you were pretending to give him a shot with your doctor kit.  All I can say is, I hope you don’t remember that next time we go to the doctor.  Hehe.

·         Bath – Of course bath time is one of your favorite times and you can now say “bath”.

·         Boom – Not sure why you said this, but I wrote it down on November 2^nd.

·         Hey – You use this as another greeting along with “Hiiii!”

·         Ball – You can now recognize and say ball.

·         Water – You said this the first time Mimi took you to the park and you saw a pond.  You also say this when you see your bath water running. 

·         Poo-poo – Hehe, Mommy always asks you when you poo-pooed, if you have “Poo-Poo”.  This is one of those words you wish you would have thought twice about saying, but it’s really cute when you say it.  You really get a kick out of it!  Oh my.  Hehe.

·         Thank you – Wow, this is one of my favorites.  You don’t always use it right, but it’s so sweet to hear regardless.

·         Hi Dada – Yes, these are two words you already know, but you used them together when Daddy came to get you out of the car seat one day.  He loved it and so did Mommy.

·         Tickle, tickle – Again, something Mommy says to you when she tickles you.  You said it back to me.

The names you said this month are:

·         Mimi – You know who your Mimi is now and call her by her name.

·         Pop – Same as above, you now recognize Pop by sight.

·         Amy – You said this while walking by her picture.  Listening to you say her name is just adorable.

·         Abby – You said her name after I said it one day while she was barking.  Later in the day she stared barking again and you looked at me with a big grin and said, “Abby!”

·         Papa – You said this to Papa while he was visiting last week.  It was so sweet!

·         Elmo – Someone else you recognize by sight.  I love hearing you say his name.  So cute!

That is a lot little man!  And the thing is, you actually say quite a few of them on a regular basis.  So what else have you done?   Here we go again!

·         You learned to open doors by turning knobs (eeek!).

·         You learned to climb on furniture including Mommy and Daddy’s bed that’s pretty high.  You can also climb into your pack and play from the ground (again…eeek!).  Mommy only thought she had to watch you close before!

·         You had your first PB&J.

·         You celebrated Halloween number two as Dr. Andrew.

·         You played at the pumpkin patch with your cousins.

·         You got to celebrate both of their birthdays with them.

·         You had professional photos taken with your cousins (they are AWESOME!).  Thank you Mimi and Pop!

·         You went to the park with Mimi for the very first time and had a blast.  You L-O-V-E being outdoors!

·         You are starting to really learn what the word “no” means, and for the most part you listen.  Sometimes though, whatever Mommy is telling you “no” about, is much too tempting!  Hehe!

It has been a wonderful month full of many words, lots of giggles and smiles, and chases around the house.  Listening to you talk is one of Mommy and Daddy’s favorite things to do!  We sure love you little man, and thank God every day that we have you in our lives!  Thanks for being the sweetest little boy there ever was!

Love,
Mommy

Paging Dr. Andrew, Paging Dr. Andrew

Dearest Andrew,

Happy Halloween! As you can see, you were a doctor this year, and truly the cutest doctor ever!  Right now my little doctor is lying on me, making it hard to type.  You are so silly!  I love my little guy so much!  Although you are too young for trick or treating, I wanted you to have a cute little costume!  But don't worry, Mommy made sure to still get you a couple of treats for tonight! :) 

I love my little doctor man! 

Love,

Mommy

My 16 Month Old Talking Toddler

Dearest Andrew,
Another month has come and gone just like that!  I can’t believe how fast you are growing, the months just fly by!  If this month had a theme, it would be talking!  You are talk, talk, talking!!!  I don’t think I have written down every word you have said, but I have tried to.  I got a calendar and am trying to remember to write everything down.  Here is what you have said this month:

• “Hiiii!” – you said it just like Mommy said it.  Very cute!
• Baby – you pointed to a picture of a baby and said “baby”. 
• Outside – you LOVE to go outside! 
• Bye – you waved bye and said bye for the first time.
• Shoe – you said this while Mommy was putting on your shoes.
• Uh-oh – you dropped something and said uh-oh using it correctly.  You also say this when dropping things on purpose.   Mommy always tells you that’s not uh-oh, that’s “on-purpose-oh”.  Hehe. 
• Go away – you said this after Mommy said this to the tiny little bumps you have on your forehead.  I kept trying to get you to say it again, but Daddy said maybe I shouldn’t teach you that one. 

Here is a list of a few other things you did this month:

• You also used the word baby to talk about a stuffed animal you were holding.  You kissed your “baby” and said baby.   
• When Mommy gets you up from your nap I say, “Pacifier down” and you put your pacifier(s) down and reach up for Mommy to pick you up.  You are really starting to understand a lot of things!
• We went out to eat and gave you a few fries and a little ketchup and taught you how to dip your fries.  You caught on right away and really enjoyed it!  You even like to dip your Gerber Little Crunchies into ketchup.  Hehe.
• We bought you your first piece of 2T clothing.  It is your winter coat.  It’s a bit big on you, but it’s cute!  I couldn’t believe we had to buy it in 2T!  You are still in 12-18 months clothing for the most part and can even wear t-shirts that are 12 months.  I bet you will be in your 18-24 month pants before I know it!
• The biggest thing you did this month was something Mommy should have had you do a LONG time ago!  We kept you on formula for breakfast until this month.  I took you off your formula/bottle and you didn’t even care.  You went straight to all milk in a sippy cup with no problem!  You continue to amaze me with how cooperative you are!
• You like to step on the bathroom scale and according to it, you weigh 26lbs. 

Well, I guess that is all for this month.  I will continue to try and write down what you are saying and doing.  It’s a lot to keep up with, but I love it! I love you bug, thanks for making Mommy’s life so very wonderful!

Love,

Mommy

PS - This picture is from the day after you turned 16 months.  You were at the pumpkin patch with your cousins.  You sure had a lot of fun! :)

Cute Kids Need Cute Shoes

Dearest Andrew,

This post goes out to your Mimi.  Your Mimi loves shoes!!!  She bought you the cute Vans in the picture.  This is your fall (and hopefully winter) line-up of shoes.  We have your Converse, Sperry Topsiders, Stride Rite, and Vans.  You have some slick shoes little guy!  We found out while we were in Kansas City (before Mommy got sick, but that's a story for another time) that you indeed have a wide foot, so we need to buy you shoes that come in wide widths.  Fortunately  we were able to buy your shoes on sale at an outlet mall and even though your foot is a bit wide, you can still fit the ultra-cool Vans and Converse.  I know this post will probably never mean anything to you (you will probably be like, "Seriously Mom, you blogged about shoes???), but trust me honey, it's a girl thing.  Mommy and Mimi love shoes, especially on a cool kiddo such as you. 

Alright, I guess that is all for now!  I love you very, very much!

Love,
Mommy

A Little Like Mommy

Dearest Andrew,

Well, forget everything else that Mommy said was the "cutest thing" because here is the real deal.  I can't watch this without a big grin on my face.  Here you are "talking" on the phone.  Although I was told you learned this from your cousin Zane, that talking gene came from Mommy without a doubt! :)

Love,
Mommy

Running, Kissing, and Being 15 Months Old

Dearest Andrew,

My, my, how time has flown!  Mommy doesn’t have as much time to write on here anymore.  Why you may ask?  Maybe because someone is a full-blown toddler!  Hehe!  You are one active little boy! You fill my day with such joy.  It’s hard to write down every little thing that you do these days.  It was easier when you know, you were still, but I LOVE the way you are!  You are enjoying life to the fullest and I am too!  I can’t thank God enough for you and allowing me to stay home with you! Last month I did a list and that seemed to work well, so I will do something similar this time.  Here are the top ten moments of the past month.  They are not in chronological order, but in order of Mommy’s “Awwww!” factor!  Hehe!

10. My Son Knows Good Music When He Hears It!  Here is a post from Facebook dated August 26, 2012.  “We were at Baja Jacks eating dinner tonight and there was an assortment of secular music playing with no reaction from Andrew. Right before we left, "Hold Me" by Jamie Grace came on and Andrew starting smiling and clapping along. He knows good music when he hears it. :)”  Oh yeah, that’s mama’s boy! 

9. Freedom! Jennifer and I spent the day together just running around town and I had my best little buddy with me.  She had to go to Lowe’s (Lowe's???  Really??? Hehe)  to get something and I decided to let you walk with me.  The aisles were big, there was no one around, so I let you walk on your own.  Oh did you ever have a blast!!! It was so fun to watch you have a tiny bit of freedom, that I bet to you, felt like a ton!

8. More and More Like Your Daddy…  So, I got you a bath toy that is a boat with fish, a fisherman, and all kinds of cute accessories.  You really enjoy playing with it during bath time.  When the bath is over I will say, “Are you ready to get out?”  You then take your boat and start, you’re never going to believe this, putting your toys in the boat!!!  That’s right, my toddler son is cleaning up after himself.  Now, you don’t do this with your other toys, but still!  It is sooo, you guessed it, CUTE!!!  I think you enjoy that as much as you do your bath.  Sigh…I definitely have a Joe Jr. on my hands.  :)

7. Ardmore and Cousins  We went down to Ardmore in August to celebrate Papa and Grandad’s birthdays.  Papa (and Mimi and Pop for that matter) turned 60 this year and Grandad turned 85.  Gi Gi had a big dinner for them and your Uncle Michael and Aunt Aimee came, and Uncle Stevie came with your cousins.  You haven’t got to see them too much, and really haven’t been around kids that much at all.  But ohhhhh, what fun you had!  You enjoyed every second playing with your cousins!  Your face was lit up the entire weekend.  I am so glad you have them in your life!

6. Discovering the Joy of Pizza!  While in Ardmore, you got to have your first real taste of Pizza.  You have had it before, but just teeny bites.  We went to one of the best pizza places ever called Ten Star and I think you ate an entire slice of pizza!  It wasn’t very big, but still!  It was fun to watch you eating “big people food” and even more fun to watch you enjoy it so much!

5. More and More Like Your Daddy Part II  See previous blog.  :)  Andrew + Sippy Cup + Tray = Daddy 2.0.

4. That Crazy Bath Dance!  Oh, the bath dance!  I can’t tell you how much I love the bath dance!  It could cheer the gloomiest of people.  For months now, Mommy and Daddy sing to you when it’s time for your bath.  It’s silly, but it goes something like this, “Somebody likes their baaath!  Somebody likes their baaath!...”  Original, I know.  As you can see, a lot of hard work went into the lyrics, hehe, but when you hear that sing-songy tune, you get SO excited and start bending up and down with your knees and clapping.  It’s hilarious!  Do I have this on video?  You bet I do.  Will I share it with the general public?  Doubtful.  I sound like a complete loon on the video, but you love every minute of it!  You don’t care that your mommy is a loon!  Hehe :)

3. Learning the Ways of the Spoon  Mama, Grandma, and I think Mimi are all letting you experiment with using a spoon.  Although you don’t fully get it, you are sure trying and having a blast doing it.  It’s more play for you right now, but it won’t be long until you are feeding yourself.  It’s easiest to try it with Greek yogurt because it’s so thick and won’t fall off the spoon.  One more way that my little boy is growing up!  Sob!

2. My Little Running Man!  Well, it’s happened!  My little baby that used to lie so still in my arms, is not only walking, but is now running!!!  Double sob!  You are one fast little booger too!  It’s too cute (yes, Mommy says “cute” a lot, but that’s just what you are!) and I love watching you enjoy a bit more freedom.  We have to be even more careful now and watch you that much closer, but I love watching you learn new things and this one especially.  You are growing up right before my eyes. 

1. Kiss, Kiss, Kiss!  So, what could possibly top all of that?  Well, I have to say this has to be one of my top 5 favorite Andrew moments of all time.  I was leaving the other night and I was holding you and praying for you before I left.  I had my eyes closed and was holding you close when I felt a small wetness on my cheek.  Daddy was right there watching and said, “He just kissed you!”  (!!!!!!!!!!!!) ß That is what Mommy felt.  I was SO excited!  My heart just melted away!  This was the very first time you kissed someone and it was ME!!!  Sigh, it was such a wonderful experience.  You are just the sweetest little man ever! 

Well, I guess that about wraps up the past month in the life of Andrew.  It has been yet another great month!  I have enjoyed every second of every day since you came into my life.  Life isn’t always perfect, but it’s so much better with you around!  I love you to the moon and back!

Love,

Mommy