Andrew's New Car Seat

Dearest Andrew,
Well we went to the doctor on Tuesday for your 9 month checkup and you did such a good job. Thankfully there were no shots this time. You did everything you were supposed to and smiled at everyone. You gained four pounds since you were last weighed at 6 months and grew 2 ½”. You are now 21 lbs. 12 oz. and 31” long. You are a big boy! You are 65% on your weight and “off the chart” for your height. On that note we decided it was time to move you out of your infant car seat and into a bigger toddler seat. The one we got you is really for all stages, but it is much bigger. You were only one inch away from growing out of your car seat. When we tried out the one we bought you, you just seemed to have so much more room! And you looked SO grownup!!! I put the picture on Facebook and your Mimi almost didn’t recognize you! You look adorable in your new seat and like I said, much more comfortable. Once again, I can't believe how fast the time has passed! You are just growing up too fast mister! I felt a little sadness when I put up your first car seat, but it is really neat to open the car door and see your cool new car seat! I hope you like it, we sure do! I love you so much my big boy! :)

Love,
Mommy

Andrew's First St. Patrick's Day

Dearest Andrew,
Today was a lot of fun. We crawled around the floor, played with toys, sang songs...pretty much the same old stuff we always do. But we did it all while wearing green! Hehe! Daddy didn’t wear green so Mommy pinched him twice. Once for me, and one for you too! We wear green so others won’t pinch us, but also because that is just a tradition on St. Patrick’s Day. We learned a little about Ireland at church on Wednesday night and the missionaries on their way there. We also learned a little bit about St. Patrick.
Let’s go to once again to one of Mommy’s favorite sites, Wikipedia.

Saint Patrick was a Romano-Briton and Christian missionary, who is the most generally recognized patron saint of Ireland or the Apostle of Ireland, although Brigid of Kildare and Colmcille are also formally patron saints.
Two authentic letters from him survive, from which come the only universally accepted details of his life.[7] When he was about 16, he was captured from Wales by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Ireland, where he lived for six years before escaping and returning to his family. After entering the Roman Catholic Church, he returned to Ireland as an ordained bishop in the north and west of the island, but little is known about the places where he worked. By the seventh century, he had come to be revered as the patron saint of Ireland.

There you have it. We also listened to a story on Adventures in Odyssey that goes into a little greater detail. When you get older, we will have to listen to it again. It really is a great lesson.

Anyway, like I said, we had fun today. We didn’t do a whole lot, but we still had fun just being together. I hope you always enjoy celebrating silly little holidays with Mommy. Maybe we can talk Daddy into celebrating with us someday too! Hehe! I love you my little leprechaun.

Love,
Mommy

The Cutest Cutie There Ever Was

Dearest Andrew,
I just had to throw this picture in. I took it yesterday after I got done feeding you. You looked SO cute, I had to snap a few pictures. You are one very photogenic child. I love you to the moon and back!

Love,
Mommy

Happy Nine Months Birthday to Yoooou!!!

Dearest Andrew,
Here we are, nine months already! I can’t believe how fast the time has flown by…seriously! You have grown in so many ways! This past month you snuck out of some of your nine month size clothing and into 12 months seemingly overnight! You are so tall that most pants in size nine months don’t fit. You started cruising around the furniture, which is another step you must take before walking, you tried some finger foods this past week, you started getting two new teeth, and you said your first word. I finally concede that your first word was “Dada”. Sigh… That is hard for Mommy to take because we spend so much time together, but I know how much you love your Daddy. You say both Mama and Dada all the time, but when Daddy went to pick you up from Mimi’s house on Monday, Mimi said you looked right at him and said “Dada”. You are Daddy’s buddy for sure! I know you love Mommy too and I am just so happy you know who your Daddy is and how very much he loves you! He really does! We always joke about how it’s sad that you have no one to love you. I hope you always know how very blessed you are and so rich in love. That’s the best kind of rich to be!

Well, for some reason Mommy made a bigger deal than usual about your Nine Month Birthday. I walked around singing, “Happy Nine Months to You!” all day (which you giggled and giggle at) and even let you skip eating your veggies. I let you have Vanilla Custard with Bananas for lunch and Peach Cobbler for dinner (both baby food of course). You tried some of Mommy’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup at dinner and really seemed to like it! Yay you! You are so willing to try new things. This week we tried toast with a little bit of strawberry jelly too.

Tonight we went shopping, got a green shirt for tomorrow (St. Patrick’s Day) and some really cool Converse for when you get a little bigger. We had fun just running around with Daddy. You and I don’t really go very many places anymore, so when Daddy takes us out, it’s a real treat! You, once again, were SO good! You just laid back in your stroller and watched the world go by!

Okay, well that is just part of the past month with wonderful you! I’m sure there is more, but sometimes I can’t remember everything at once. It’s called getting older. Sigh again… Hehe! I love you little man! Happy Nine Months Birthday to Yoooou!!!”

Love,
Mommy

PS – This is a picture taken today so you can see exactly what you looked like the day you turned nine months!

You Are My Sunshine

Dearest Andrew,
I am just sitting here thinking about how much I love you. Even when we don't have the most wonderful day, I still love you like nothing else. Before I had you, I could never dream of this kind of love! I love your daddy so very much, and I love my family very much too! But they say the love you have for your child is different and that is so true! This song is a sweet little simple song, but it is on my heart for you today! I love you so very much!

You are my sunshine,
My only sunshine,
You make me happy when skies are gray.
You'll never know dear,
How much I love you,
Please don't take my sunshine away.

Love,
Mommy

Mommy's Shopping Buddy

Dearest Andrew,
Here is a sweet picture of you at the grocery store with Mommy yesterday. You are the best shopping partner ever. You sit there and play with your toys and look around at all that is going on. You love to people watch, and they love to watch you too! I always get compliments of what a good boy you are! You really are! I love getting to spend every day with you, even it it's doing something as simple as grocery shopping. You are Mommy's little sidekick and the best one there is. I know we will continue to have even more fun over the years!

I love you bug!

Love,
Mommy

Such a Giggly Little Guy!

Dearest Andrew,
Earlier this evening, you were doing the cutest thing. Daddy had some music playing and you were waving your hands in the air like a conductor! It was adorable! I was trying to get Daddy's attention and started calling his name. For some reason, this cracked you up! You are so silly! That is one of the things I love most about you! :)

Love,
Mommy

Andrew and the Walker

Dearest Andrew,
Well here we are with another new toy. You sure have a lot of them! Daddy really wanted to get you a walker. Mimi wanted you to have a walker. Mommy on the other hand, wasn’t so sure. I have read on several different websites and was even told in a parenting class I took before you were born that you shouldn’t have one. Then your Aunt Renee gave you one that your cousin Zane used. Very cool, it looks like a race car. I figured if your Uncle Stephen and Aunt Renee thought they were okay, then they had to be. They are pretty good parents. So, we left your cool race car at Mimi’s for you to play with while you are there and got you this one for home. I am glad I decided to get one because you LOVE it! You walk around and like Mimi said, I am not even sure you realize you are walking. It’s too cute! We don’t use it all the time, but if Mommy is making lunch or dinner or just cleaning around the kitchen, you walk around with Mommy. We just have the best time!

Soon enough you will be walking around without a walker and that makes Mommy happy and sad all at the same time. You are just growing up so fast! I think I have said that one…or two…or a hundred times already. Some day you will actually be old enough to read this, and I imagine that day will be here sooner than I think. I look forward to the adventures we will have then just as much as I look forward to the ones we will have tomorrow! I love you!!!

Love,
Mommy