Andrew and the Joy of Christmas

Dearest Andrew,
Here are a few pictures from our many different Christmas celebrations with family.  I cannot wait until you are old enough to actually understand what Christmas is all about.  Right now you do know it is about Jesus, but that's about all you understand.  Someday you will fully get it.  However, there is always room for presents for my best pal!

Mimi and Andrew opening gifts Christmas morning.

The beginning of all things Thomas.

More Thomas?

Mimi got him a tool set like Daddy's.  He loves it! :)

Christmas morning at Amy and Keith's...and more Thomas. :)

He was one happy little boy!

Some pictures of the destruction! Hehe. 

Uncle Eric pushing him around in his new dump truck that no one had any idea would be that big!

Playing with his new trains at home. :)

Mommy and Andrew Christmas Selfie. :)

Christmas with Gi Gi and Papa.  This picture is blurry, but I LOVE the expression on his face! :)

This was actually the beginning of all things Thomas. :)

Andrew playing with his new Thomas toy with Super Hero Zane in the background. :)

He was so happy! :)

Aunt Aimee reading to the boys. :)

I love this!  Megan was setting up the camera for the family photo and Andrew thought that it meant he was supposed to pose.  So he did. I think this is several photos in one.  You can see Super Zane racing into the photo.  Andrew never changes though.  So cute!

Merry Christmas Dearest Andrew!

Dearest Andrew,
Here is our Christmas card this year.  You are the star of the card as usual.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  Abby is there too, giving love to all her fans.  Yes, our dog has fans.  Hahaha.  I sure love you!  Merry Christmas! :)

Andrew the Fun-Loving Two Year Old (30 Month Update)

Getting ready to hike with Mimi. 

Dearest Andrew,

Well, this past month has gone by so quickly!  And here you are, officially two and a half!!!  I can't believe it!  I must confess, I am writing this late…again.  I have gotten into such a bad habit doing that!  I need to make sure I get these done on time so it is somewhat fresh in my head. :) You sure had a fun month!  You got to go to Mimi and Pop’s cabin not once, but twice this month for starters.  You LOVE it there and you talk about it all the time.  When you ask where Mimi is occasionally, you will say, “Is she at Mimi’s cabin?” :)  I can’t really think of a title for this month because you still talk ALL THE TIME (which I love) and all you mainly play with is trains.  I think I have used both of those titles.  So, I will think of something before this blog entry is over. :)

Okay so, let’s get started with this month’s list of all things YOU!

• We started this month with a visit to Mimi’s cabin.  You. Had. SO. Much. Fun!!!  You LOVED playing on the new play-set, and you got to watch Cars and eat at your very own table that is just your size!  No high chair!  What a big step!  You still eat in your high chair for the most part (because let’s face it, you wouldn’t eat unless restrained, hehe), but it was still really cool for you! :) We went to Ft. Smith with Aunt Don and you tried chicken fingers in a restaurant for the first time.  You eat them at home, but always turn your nose up at them in a restaurant for some reason.  I was proud of you for trying something new-ish.  You went on a hike with Mimi (which you LOVED), played with Marsha and Ray’s dog Dodger (whom you LOVE), and saw their goats (which you also LOVED).  Talk about Andrew heaven!  You really had a great time!
• You saw a band aid on my leg and I told you that Mama had a boo-boo, so you went and got your doctor’s kit to examine me.  You used a few of your tools and then pulled out you (plastic) scissors and said you were going to have to “cut it off”!!! Hahaha!  Good thing those weren’t real! :)
• You have been making a slurping sound when you see or taste something you like.  For example, “Pancakes! Yum! Sluuurrrpp!”  Hahaha!
• Daddy had a small surgery and had a bandage on his back.  You saw it and said, “Daddy owie” and then proceeded to tell us you had an owie on your back as well.  I guess you had a sympathy one.  Note that you didn’t grab scissors and say it needed to be cut off… I see where your loyalty lies.. :)
• We decorated the tree before Thanksgiving this year (which we normally don’t do) and you really enjoyed helping.  And here is the best part...you did not touch the tree at all!  You didn’t take ornaments off or mess with it in any way the entire time it was up!  I was SO proud of you!  However, every morning you made sure that we turned on the lights first thing!  You love Christmas lights! :)
• We watched “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (one of Mommy and Daddy’s favorites) and you now walk around quoting parts of the movie.  It is so cute!!! 
• You asked for milk and cereal all by yourself.  I think you have had it once at Grandma’s, but you have never had it at home.  You ate most of it and I was thankful for one more new thing that you tried. :)
• We went to the cabin again for Thanksgiving and you got to see your Uncle JJ.  You took to him immediately!  He played with you several times while we were together and you were over the moon!  You even gave him a hug and kiss goodnight! :)  We had fun visiting with all our family and you got to meet Selena’s little girl Brynn.  You enjoyed playing with her for sure! You got to play with Dodger again, hike, and chase the goats.  They actually walked over to the cabin and you ran to see them, but they ran away.  You still loved seeing them, even from a distance. :)  You ate absolutely NO Thanksgiving food other than some whipped cream off of a piece of pie.  Sigh…
• You seem to really enjoy going to Sunday School now.  You always come home with the cutest things you have made, drawn, or painted.  Sis. Smith is the best Sunday School teacher and you really love her!
• We had a minister’s Christmas party that we went to and although it was fun, it was long!  You did such a great job sitting still.  We split up into groups for an activity and then stayed there for the rest of the evening.  I did not have my diaper bag where we were sitting so I had no toys to entertain you and Daddy was in a different group.  You sat in my lap for quite a while and didn’t whine or make any noise.  I was VERY proud of you!
• I woke you up one morning and the very first thing you said was you played with Dodger last night.  Since we hadn’t been to the cabin in a little while, I can only assume you were dreaming you played with him.  SO sweet! :)
• You were eating some chocolate pudding the other night and decided a spoon wasn’t quite going to get the job done.  You started eating it with your hands (which you never do) and it was EVERY-WHERE!!!  You looked down at your hands and calmly said, “I have chocolate all over my hands.”  Hahahaha!
• This is SO cool!  I had just emptied a diaper box and every time I do, you always want to play in it.  This time you said you had to get in your rocket ship.  Daddy took a belt and looped it through the handle on the side and pulled you all over the house.  It was so sweet and you laughed and laughed.  You certainly loved every minute!
• We had our first snow of the season and Daddy was home with us. We all dressed up as warm as we could and played and played in it!  When we came in, you were ready to go back out! 
• Your Aunt Mona gave you a train pillow case just because and you LOVE it!  You drag your pillow around and just stare at it pointing out all the trains and their smoke stacks!  It is bright red and so cute! :)
• We went to the Christmas party at Pop’s work and they played a video that showed all kinds of cars going really fast.  After it was over you turned to Pop and said, “That was a cool show Pop!”  I guess you love anything on wheels.  And especially something that goes that fast!
• I was feeling sick one morning and you looked at me and said, “I’m so sorry Mommy Princess!”  What??? Is that not the SWEETEST thing ever???  You kept kissing me on the head and got your doctor kit to give me a checkup and a shot that “didn’t hurt”.  You have never called me Mommy Princess again, but it was one of the cutest, sweetest things ever!

Well, there we go!  That is what you were up to this past month according to what I wrote down anyway.  You are really enjoying the holiday season so far and I CANNOT wait for you to experience everything Christmas! :)  I know you will have a blast this year!  I sure love you my best pal!

Andrew the Very Talkative Two Year Old (29 Month Update)

Dearest Andrew,
Holy Talking Toddler Batman!  Andrew, you love to talk.  Like constantly.  It is adorable and at times I want to say, “Can Mommy say something?”  Hahaha!  :)  It really is sweet though.  Those of us that spend a lot of time with you are always amazed by how well you speak.  Do other two years old speak this well?  I have no idea!  I’m new to this all you see. :)   I do know that it is getting easier and easier to communicate with you and you are finding it easier to tell us what you want and/or need.   There are still plenty of times, especially when you get excited, that it is hard to understand what you are saying, and sometimes there is even still gibberish, but for the most part the communication lines are open and flowing.  Just one more way you are not a baby anymore.  Sob!

Okay, so as always, here is a list of some of the things you have done this past month.  Mommy couldn’t possibly keep up with it all. :)

• While singing “Jesus Loves Me” the other night we got to the part where the song says, “…and He is strong!”  We always make a motion like we are showing off our “muscles” and you said, “I am growing big!”  Haha, where in the world did you learn that?  Too cute!
• You tried something new…raisins!!! You loved them and said, “Mmmmm candy!”  HA!
• The other day I was cleaning and threw Thomas up on the table and you said very calmly, “Don’t do that Mama.  Don’t throw Thomas on the table.”  Yes sir! :)
• Mama went back to work for just one night and it made me even more thankful for my current boss.  He’s cute, he’s short, he lets me wear pajamas to work sometimes, and although he thinks it’s funny to toot on me, I still love working for him! :)
• I finally found you a desk just like the one you have a Mimi’s house!  I have it all set up and you can color, play with playdough (or as you call it, smush), or just sit and look at books. 
• We went to a local farm with Mimi and Pop and spent the afternoon playing all their games, picking pumpkins, and each enjoying a delicious fried pie that Pop got us.  Pop got Mommy two because I dropped my first one on the ground and threw it away.  Oops! :)
• We had Chrissy, Isaiah, and Olivia over to play and Chrissy and I enjoyed watching the three of you play together.  Isaiah and Olivia were thrilled to see an entire set of new toys, and you were thrilled to have company.  We seriously need to do that more often.
• We have you singing, “1, 2, 3” and “Read Your Bible, Pray Every Day” on video by yourself.  Yet when it’s time for you to sing with the other children on Sunday morning, you’re like, “I’ve never heard this before!”  Haha!  Booger. :)
• We got to celebrate Sky’s third birthday with her at her princess party.  Mimi did such a great job putting it together!  You loved seeing your cousins and their cousins and of course Mimi, Pop, Gi Gi, Papa, your great grandma, Aunt Renee, and Uncle Stevie.  Andrew heaven! :)
• This is SO sweet!  You and Daddy were playing in our room and you hit your chest (lightly) on the bed.  You stopped, got very serious, put your hand where you hit yourself, and said “Jesus!”  You were doing what Mama does when you get hurt; you called on the name of Jesus! :)
• We celebrated your third Halloween and you dressed as what else?  A train conductor of course! :) You looked adorable!!!  We took you to a Halloween party at the zoo and you got to go trick or treating for the first time.  They had lots of people handing out candy and you were amazed people were giving it to you!  It was such a fun night!  You even got to ride the train, but you weren’t too thrilled with the Halloween train. :)  You love riding the train at the zoo, just not at night. You also weren’t too thrilled with any Halloween decorations you saw.  We had a neighbor down the street that went all out and his house scared you!  It scared Mama a bit too. :)
• When it’s time to play, you make no bones about it!  You say, “Get up Mom!  Get up Dad!  Come on!”  Haha!
• One of my favorite games now is to take you to Target and head to the Thomas aisle.  I hold up trains and see if you can name them.  And not easy ones like Thomas, Percy, and James, but hard ones.  I am always surprised how many you can name.  Ones I have never heard of!  And you really don’t even watch Thomas that much. See, a little more proof that you can secretly read. Hehe! :)
• You are starting to show your independence a bit more by picking out your clothing, choosing what you want to eat, deciding what we will do, etc.  There are still a lot of times Mommy chooses for you, but you love to help.
• Speaking of helping, you love to help Mommy do anything!  You love to help move the clothing from the washer to the dryer and the dryer to the basket.  You love to help unload the dishwasher and you LOVE it when Mama asks you to get something for me.  I don’t do it very often, I want you to be a kid after all, but you get so excited when I let you help! :)
• Want to know my sure fire way of getting you to come when I ask you to and you don’t want to?  Just play a video of you on my iPhone and you come running!  Haha, works every time! :) You love to watch videos of yourself.
• You really enjoyed driving around looking at the leaves changing colors.  You kept saying, “They are changing color! Pretty!”
• You are using your imagination more and more.  You love to pretend like you are eating and drinking things.  You love to “serve” Mommy and Daddy cookies, drinks, sandwiches, etc.  One night you were pretending to eat candy and I asked for some.  You reached into your mouth and pretended to give me candy from your mouth! Hahaha!  Too bad you don’t think eating is that great in real life. :)
• You LOVE for me to hold you and dance around the room to music.  You laugh your head off and when I put you down, you reach up and ask me to do it again!  It’s a workout for sure, but I love it! :)
• Mimi gave you her Kindle Fire to play while she quickly went to the bathroom.  When she came back, you had found your way into the store, found some train games, and were about to purchase one!  Hahaha!!!  You sure knows your way around a tablet, phone, computer, etc. :)
• Daddy stayed home with you while I went to Ladies Retreat.  I got all sorts of pictures of you while I was gone of the two of you having a blast sans Mommy.  Pictures of you playing, eating ice cream at a local ice cream place (even after putting pepper on it, hahaha), and just having fun with your Daddy. Looks like Mama wasn’t missed too much. :)
• You started saying, “Thanks pal!” all the time like Daddy does. :)
• Daddy took the day off and we got to spend one of the last warm days (and it was a beautiful day!) at the zoo and then the park.  You got to ride the train and carousel.  On the carousel, you chose to ride a rhinoceros which Daddy called a hippopotamus.  Hehe.  I just showed you the picture I chose for this post and you said, "I'm riding a hippopotamus!"  Hahaha!  I said, "No, that's a rhino."  And you said, "Nope, it's a hippo!  Oh my! :)  So funny!  And the way you said "hippopotamus".. CUTEST THING EVER! :) 
• You love to type on my computer.  We open a Word document and type the letters and numbers saying what they are as we type them.  Mommy is teaching you the sounds the letters make as well.  Who knew a Word document could be so much fun? :)

Well, that’s this past month in a nutshell.  We enjoyed the last few days of warm weather and know that the cold is coming.  I can’t wait for it to snow so we can get out there and play again.  You loved it so much last year and I bet you will enjoy it even more this year!  I love you so much!  Looking forward to another wild, crazy, super fun month with you, my best buddy! :)

Andrew the Train Conductor

Dearest Andrew,
You sure looked cute this year for Halloween.  You were a train conductor.  The cutest train conductor there ever was!  You got to go trick or treating for the very first time at the zoo and you loved every minute of it.  You weren't too crazy about any Halloween decorations you saw, but you loved the candy and seeing all of the other people dressed up.  Just as it should be. :)  Here are some pictures of my super cute little buddy!  I love you! :)

Andrew the Independent Two Year Old (28 Month Update)

Dearest Andrew,

Okay, another month went by so fast, I can’t even believe it!  Here we are in the middle of October, in the middle of fall, with Halloween just around the corner.  I am amazed we are here already.  Time with you just flies by, mainly because we are having so much fun!  When I was thinking what to title this monthly update, one thing kept coming to my mind, independent.  You are truly starting to become an independent little boy.  You are eating by yourself 100% now of the time now (true Mommy feeds you every now and then when we are in a hurry, but that is only because you are a sloooow eater. Hehe). You have started to help take off your clothes, and if you know how to do something, chances are you will want to do it by yourself.  One thing you say a lot right now is, “Andrew do it.” I love watching all you can do by yourself now.  It’s amazing to see you grow and learn new things.

So, what else have you been up to?  Well, as always, here is a list of some of the things you have been up to.  No way could we get them all on here! :)

• You came up to me the other day and showed me a block that has a picture, letter, or number on all sides.  This particular block had a picture of a snail on it.  Not only did you tell me what everything else was on the block, but you told me there was a snail too.  How in the world do you know what a snail is?  Hehe.  I still think you can secretly read. :)
• Grandma got you a motorized train (you have some at Mimi’s too) and you love to watch that thing go around and around the track.  You run around following the train laughing your head off.  So. Cute.
• You stole my pumpkin bagel and ate it. :)
• We took you to Toys R Us and let you pick out some things for Christmas.  We took you to the Thomas section and let you pick out some more motorized trains. You were able to name a great deal of the trains including Diesel 10.  What?  See…I think you CAN secretly read. :)
• **CUTENESS ALERT! CUTENESS ALERT!** We have started praying differently at bedtime.  I will say something and then you will repeat what I say.  Instead of Mommy or Daddy saying the prayer for you, you now repeat whatever we say.  I will say, “Dear Lord” and you will say, “Dear Word” because you say your L’s as W’s right now.  Oh. My. Goodness.  SO sweet!  You are just repeating what I am saying¸ but it is SO sweet to hear you praying for your family and friends, thanking God for what you have, and telling Jesus you love Him.  I haven’t got it on film, but I will try to do it.  Part of me doesn’t want to, but part of me wants to so I can have it forever!
• You got to go to a local pizza place full of games with Mimi and Pop (for a party for the families at Pop’s work) and Mommy and Daddy came a bit later.  You ate pizza and cookies and drank root beer.  Then you got to play games.  Can someone say Andrew heaven?  We even took turns taking pictures in the photo booth.  Mimi and Pop took great photos with you, but when it was our turn with you…not so much. :) However, they are HILARIOUS and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.  They captured our family quite well. :) After that you went to a party for Olivia and Isaiah and had even more fun!  It was quite a day for sure!
• Daddy came home from work one day and you and I were sitting watching a cartoon.  Daddy asked if you wanted to go to the park (one of your favorite places) and you got so excited!  You said, “Come on Mama, let’s go to the park!  Turn that off!”  I turned it off and you said, “Good job Mama!  Let’s go!”  Hahaha!
• We started (kind of) having you eat what we are eating and not cooking you something different when you refuse.  You are SUCH a picky eater and we are trying to get you to eat new things.  When you see something new (or something you haven’t had in a while) you refuse to even try a bite.  It is frustrating for sure, but I guess that is part of you trying to show your independence.  We are slowly (and I do mean slowly) getting you to try new things.  I say it works about 15% of the time, hehe.  We make sure there are other things you like so you don’t go to bed hungry.  This is a work in progress and I will have to report back later. :)  However, you still manage to be the world’s best kid.  Go figure. :)
• We took you to the doctor to get what I thought was going to be your flu shot.  They ended up giving you the Flumist (yay, no shot!) and you did really well with that.  When we were leaving I let you pick your sticker and you picked a Thomas sticker of course.  You asked me who was on the sticker and I said I would have to look it up once we got seated in the car.  You said, “It’s Charlie Mama.”  I said, “We’ll see after I look it up.”  Sure enough, it was Charlie!  Once again, how did you know that??? :)  One more reason I am convinced you can secretly read!  Hehe!  Mama doesn’t even know who Charlie is!
• Mimi took you, Zane, Sky, Aunt Renee and me to see Thomas at a railway museum in another town.  What a fabulous day!  There was so much fun stuff to do and we got to actually ride on Thomas.  You even got to meet and get a picture with Sir Topham Hatt!  That will always be such a great memory for Mommy and I hope somehow you will remember it too. :)
• When we came home from Thomas you took a nap and woke up acting like you didn’t feel good and you were hot to the touch.  Sure enough you had a fever.  Daddy and I prayed for you and when you woke up the next morning, your fever was gone and you were acting fine.  It never came back.  God touched you!  What a truly wonderful God we serve!!!
• We got to go to Zane’s house for his 4^th birthday.  We saw Zane, Sky, Aunt Renee, Uncle Stephen, Mimi, Pop, Gi Gi, Papa, Great-Grandma, and we even met some of Zane and Sky’s other family.  It was so much fun and you had a blast playing with all of the other kids.  You even got to sit with them at the children’s table while we ate.  You didn’t eat anything during dinner (you never do when we are somewhere else and there is a lot going on), but you still seemed to enjoy sitting with all of the other kids.  Such a big kid thing to do!
• You pretended to be a puppy for the first time (your first time pretending to be anything) and it was so adorable.  You crawled around the house barking and panting.  So funny!  It was great to see you using your imagination like that!  :)  You haven’t done it again, but I am sure you will in the future.
• I *think* you have ridden on a carousel before with Mimi, but you never have with us.  When we were at the mall the other night we walked by the carousel and decided to give it a try.  You loved every minute of getting to ride on a horse.
• You love to crawl up in my lap and watch video clips on YouTube of toy reviews (as long as they pertain to Trains), videos of other people’s train sets, or videos of trains just driving by (yes, people actually film and put on YouTube videos of trains just driving).  You are fascinated with trains!  I certainly don’t mind though because that means cuddle time with Andrew…my favorite. :)
• There is a short little cartoon called “Mickey's Mousekersize” where Mickey asks you to get up and follow along with him and do what he does.  You usually just watch it and don’t get up, but you finally got up and followed along.  You were jumping up and down along with Mickey, Goofy, and Donald and having the best time.  You followed the directions so well!
• We took Lightening McQueen outside to drive around on the sidewalks.  Let’s just say this…you are NOT a good driver.  Hehe.  I’ll leave it at that. :)  Well, I will say this…you were in the stuck in the grass about 95% of the time. :)
• We taught you how to say, “I love you” in ASL and you have finally got the hang of it and you do it all the time now.  It touches my heart to see you say “I love you” that way.  One night on your way to bed you hit your hand on something and said, “Ow, I hurt my I love you!”  Hahaha! :)
• We ended this month by going on a mini vacation to Dallas and stopping in to see Gi Gi and Papa on the way for a few days.  It was a wonderful trip!  You played and played with Gi Gi and Papa!  Gi Gi took us to a farm/pumpkin patch that had all kinds of things to do, including feeding animals.  I can’t even begin to tell you how much fun you had!  At one point while we were there, Gi Gi left the room and you couldn’t find her.  You came up to me all despondent and said, “Mama, I lost Gi Gi!”  Hahaha!  We found her and you were very relieved!  We then spent the next couple of days in Dallas where we went to the Fort Worth Zoo, shopping, eating pizza (several times, lol) and we even got to ride a train. You even showed me how super smart you are by pointing to the letters that were on a floor mat at the IZOD store and said, “I-Z-O-D!” :)  It wasn’t a fancy vacation by any means, but it was one of the best because we had you with us and because we got to spend time with family. :)

As usual, this was much longer than I intended.  It would probably make more sense to blog about these things as they happen, but Mommy isn’t that organized!  I am trying to get more organized, but like you learning to eat new thing, it is a sloooow process!  Hahaha! :)  I love you bug and can’t wait to see what adventures this next month brings us!

Andrew and the Library

Dearest Andrew,
Your mommy loves the library.  I love that we constantly have new books to read.  It's such a happy place and I am glad you love to go there with me and that you love reading as much as Mommy does.  I snapped this picture when we were there the other day and I just love it.  You sure are the cutest thing...ever.

Andrew the Summer Loving Two Year Old (27 Month Update)

Dearest Andrew,

Well, I told you this one will be shorter due to me not keeping track for a couple of weeks, but I imagine I will still have plenty to say.  You and I have sure had fun this summer and you have been such a JOY to Mommy!  I am getting ready to take your little pool down and put away your swimsuit until next summer (although I know you will need a new swimsuit next year) and it makes me a little sad.  Summer is just about over, but we are cramming in all the fun we can into the last few days.  Like I said, I had the best summer EVER with my little man, but I am SO looking forward to fall.  We are going to have a blast! :) So, here is what you have been up to the past few weeks.  Here we go:

• We took a trip to the aquarium with Chrissy and Olivia and you had SO much fun!  This was your first time to go since you were much younger and I am sure you did not remember the previous visit.  Even if you did, you spent a majority of your time there in your stroller, but this time you got to walk through the entire thing.  You loved petting the little creatures they have out to touch, and you even tried to take a starfish home with you.  Hehe.   You had fun chasing after Chrissy and even asked her where Isaiah was.  :)
• Mommy got you your entire fall (and hopefully winter) wardrobe and had SO MUCH FUN doing it!  I love shopping for you.  Seriously.  Nothing gives me greater joy as far as shopping goes.  I was thrilled because I was able to buy you pretty much everything I wanted due to the fabulous sale Carter’s was having.  You are going to be one styling little guy!
• We drove down to OKC and met GiGi and Papa for Papa’s birthday.  You made him a drawing and Mommy put it on a sign I made and he LOVED it!  We had lunch and went to the outlet mall where they bought you two pair of Converse.  Wait, didn't we come to give them gifts?  Hehe, they love you so much and we were thankful for the shoes.  You look so cute in them! :)  **EMBARRASSING ALERT**  When we got home, you went behind the big chair in the living room and crouched down.  Daddy asked you what you were doing and you said, “Eating boogers.”  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  After Mommy got done being grossed out, I couldn't help but laugh.  I guess it’s something all kids do, but we are trying our best to get you to not do that.  Hehe.
•   You LOVE to sing at bedtime now!  We sing our songs that we always sing and Mommy made up motions to them and you do them along with me.  It is so cute!  And, now you sing your own songs!!!!  Oh my goodness, you did it again!  You went and topped yourself by doing something new that is the CUTEST thing!  You mainly sing about your trucks.  I do have it on film, but it goes something like this, “My truuucks.  (gibberish) My trucks (gibberish) they faaaaall down…” etc.  Then when you get done, Mommy and Daddy clap and cheer and you bow (yes, you BOW, I have no idea where that came from, hehe) and say, “Thank you, thank you!”  Hahaha, I LOVE it!  You sometimes sing about trains, Mommy, and Daddy, but it’s usually trucks.  Therefore we call it “The Truck Song”. :)
• I showed you some pictures and video of Marcus and you got so excited!  You kept saying, “Marcus! Marcus!”  You love your cousin and he loves you.  I am thankful he is in your life and I know you two will be buddies growing up. :)
• You had some Froot Loops at church the other night and kept insisting Amy and Keith eat a few.  Being the good aunt and uncle they are, they ate some.  After church was over Amy looked down at you and noticed your hands were all wet and asked what it was.  I realized you had been licking the Froot Loops out of your hand and then offering some to them.  Hahaha!  They had been eating your offering of Froot Loops from a spit covered hand.  :)  We couldn't help but laugh!
• We FINALLY got you on video singing “Jesus Loves Me” and “You Are My Sunshine” by yourself.  It was SO precious!  I will cherish that video until the day I die! :)
• You got to spend a couple of days with Sky when she was staying with Mimi and you two had a blast playing together.  She loves to hug you and you are not too sure what you think of that.  It’s so cute and she is such a sweetie!  You also got to go swimming a couple of times and you had your first shower.  Mimi put you both in the shower to rinse you off and you thought it was a great time.  I was afraid you wouldn't like it, but you did.  When I told you it was time to leave, you said “Nope” and kept playing.  You did not want to leave.  :)
• You made finger-painting’s for all of your grandparents for Grandparent’s Day and gave them all a card.  You sure love your grandparents and are blessed to have three sets that spoil you and love you to pieces.  I am so thankful that you will get to know and grow up with some of the best people this world has ever seen!
• Mimi got THE video to end all videos.  She found out about a video called “All About Trains” that you are obsessed with!  It is the hokiest thing ever, but you think it’s awesome!  On the days you visit Mimi, this is a typical conversation we have when you come home:

         Mommy: Andrew, what do you want to watch?
         Andrew: All About Trains.
         Mommy: Andrew, Mama doesn't have All About Trains, it's at Mimi's house. Do you want to watch                   something else?
         Andrew: All About Trains.
        Mommy: Well Andrew, I don't have that, how about Thomas the Train?
        Andrew: All About Trains.
        Mommy: What about Mickey Mouse Clubhouse?
        Andrew: All About Trains.
       Mommy: (trying not to sound frustrated) Andrew, Mommy doesn't have All About Trains. How about    BHCurious George.
       Andrew: (laughing) All About Trains.

• We took you to the library and let you pick out some books on your own.  You just randomly chose some, but you still had fun.  I love the library…almost as much as I like shopping for you. :)
• Mimi took you to see a real train and you thought it was so awesome!
• You have started asking Mommy to kiss EVERYTHING!  You will barely bump your finger and ask me to kiss it.  Anytime you barely bump, scrape, run into something (etc.), you ask me to kiss whatever “hurts”.  It is so precious!  I have kissed just about every part of your body.  The other day you asked me to kiss your “chip”.  It was so cute, but I had no idea what you were saying.  I asked you to point to where your chip was and you pointed to your side.  So I kissed it and you went on your merry way.  I wrote about it on Facebook and was still somewhat confused about what your chip actually was.  Sis. Kathy pointed out that you probably meant your hip.  Duh! :)  The only things you have asked me to kiss so far that I have said no to is your bottom (that just cracks me up!) and your tongue.  You have come up to me two or three times and said, “Mama, kiss my tongue” and then stick it out!  Uh, no thanks! :)  Hahahaha!  It’s so funny and adorable. 
• I was getting you dressed the other day and told you we may need to go to the doctor because you seem to have problems with allergies.  You said, “Go to doctor, get shot.”  I said, “Yeah, probably, but it will be fast.”  I knew you would be having your flu shot soon (which you ended up getting the flu mist instead).   You then said, “Sticker on my shirt.”  You sure are a smart boy!  I am surprised you remember that, because you got your first sticker after your last shot which was three months ago.

Okay, well that is all for the past month of the life of Andrew.  That was still a lot, hehe.  Imagine if I would have actually kept track for the entire month! :)  You just do SO much!  I love that about you.  And I love YOU…so very, very much!

Andrew the Water Loving Two Year Old (26 Month Update)

Dearest Andrew,

Mommy is a bit late on getting your monthly update in.  About two weeks late.  I’ll tell you a little secret…a lot of times I am, but I change the date to look like it was on time.  Hehe.  Shhhh, don’t tell.  But this time I am late for a reason.  The day before you turned 25 months I found out I was pregnant.  So that means when I wrote your last update, I knew I was pregnant, but we weren't telling anyone just yet.  I wanted to scream on your blog, “ANDREW IS GOING TO BE A BIG BROTHER!!!” but waited.  The next few weeks I managed to get part of your cute little happenings down (I can never write all you do or I would never stop writing), but the day before you turned 26 months, my world turned upside down.  I went to the doctor and found out that the baby I was carrying was not developing the way it should and that the heart rate was too low.  I was devastated.  The doctor told me I would probably lose the baby and sadly enough, a week later I did.  At this time in your life, you have no idea what is going on as far as Mommy having another baby.  I tried explaining at one point that I had a baby in my tummy and pointed at it.  You said “baby” and patted my tummy.  “Wow!”, I thought, “He gets it!”  But then you turned around seconds later, patted your knee, and said “baby".  Hehe.   After all that ended up happening, I am glad you didn't understand what was going on.  I am glad I didn't have to explain to you at such a young age what was going on.  All you knew was that Mommy wasn't feeling well.  You asked me so many times through the next couple of weeks, “What’s wrong Mama?”  You, my dear child, have a heart of gold!  Having you was such a big part of what helped me get through all of this. 

The best part is that as soon as I found out what could happen, God immediately gave me such peace.  There were still lots of tears cried, but I always knew God was with me, holding me when I cried.  The day we found out we might lose the baby God spoke to me through you.  We were getting in the car to go home from the doctor and I was in a state of shock.  I just sat there crying and I turned on the radio and started praying silently.  You were in the back in your car seat and I heard your little voice pipe up.  “Trust Me.  Trust Me.  Trust Me…”  I couldn't believe what I was hearing.  Mainly because those are words you had never spoken together before.  I knew right then God wanted me to put this in His hands and so I did.  I was so amazed how God chose to speak to me; it was a sad and amazing moment all in one.  I cannot thank God enough for being with us through this entire ordeal.   And Daddy…Daddy was AMAZING!  He took care of you, me, and the house, on top of all of the many other things he has to do.  As a family, with God’s help, we got through one of the biggest trials we have ever faced and now that I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, I feel nothing but gratitude.  There will always be a little sadness when I think of the sweet little baby we didn't get to meet, but I know someday we will get to meet them in Heaven and I can’t wait!

Okay, so now let’s get on to what Y-O-U did the past month (July 16-Aug 15^th).   So, what is so special about that period of time?  Birthdays, birthdays, birthdays!  Mommy kicks the birthday frenzy with my birthday in July and then we have a TON of birthdays in August and even into September.  We always joke we have more gifts to buy in August than we do in December for Christmas!  Hehe!  :)    Okay, here we go:

• Swimming.  Seriously, it's one of your favorite things to do.  Whether you are in a kiddie pool or Mimi and Pop's pool, you are just so happy.  We haven't been to Mimi's pool near enough this year, but I think next summer we will be there a lot!  You just love water period.  If you see water, you splash in it.  This is one of the reasons you are not allowed in the bathroom without Mommy or Daddy if you get my drift. :)
• This past month you have really started playing with your toys.  You really get into it and for the most part, you play very quietly at church now. 
• We took a trip to Ardmore and you had SO much fun playing with GiGi and Papa.  They loved having you there of course, and you played your heart out!  Papa got the pool out for you and you spent almost two hours splashing, playing and laughing!  He put it in the shade so you were able to really stay out for a while.
• GiGI made Mommy a delicious birthday meal and we have Lemon Icebox Tarts for dessert (one of Mommy’s favorites) and you LOVED them!
• I think I wrote this last month, but you can count to twenty! :)
• Grandma got you a potty and you think that it is the coolest thing!  You have gone potty in it a few times now, but you don’t understand yet that you need to do that every time you need to potty, not just when you happen to see it.  You aren't ready yet, but at least you are getting familiar with the concept.  I guess this is the kind of thing you might want to kill me for writing about when you get older.  Oops.  Hehe. :)  I’ll make it even better!  The first time you went in your potty I was SO proud and before I could exclaim just how proud I was, you stuck your hands in it and started splashing!  So that pride quickly turned to horror which almost immediately turned to laughter.  Haha, nothing a good hand-washing can’t fix! :)
• We went to the Campgrounds (your first time) for Camp Work Day and watched Daddy clean while we ate a snow cone.  Hehe.  Mommy was supposed to clean too, but there was a mix-up and the cleaning I was to do was already done when we got there.  We had dinner with Daddy’s boss, who lives near the campgrounds, after and we had so much fun!  They were the nicest people and Mrs. Donna had presents for both you and me!  After dinner she gave us big bowls of strawberries, angel food cake, and ice cream.  You were in Heaven! :)
• For my birthday celebration with Mimi and Pop, you and Mimi made me a HUGE banner that you got to finger-paint on!  It was so very wonderful!  I couldn't believe it when I saw it!  Best birthday present ever!  Mimi made a yummy dinner and we had so much fun.  And your month long celebration of cake (a-hem…icing) began. 
• We had another play date at a nearby splash pad and had ice cream afterwards.  You got to spend time with Olivia, Isaiah, Chloe, and Dylan.  You had such a great time!  Olivia was feeding you ice cream and it was the CUTEST thing ever!  We tried so hard to get a good picture, but of course you little boogers wouldn't give us one!  :)
• Just like I talked about last month, you have continued to sing even more.  You sing most of your bedtime songs with me (Jesus Loves Me, You Are My Sunshine, and Dream a Little Dream) and we have started singing some of the songs we sing at church and you are doing such an amazing job!  You can sing along with some of the cartoons you watch, and most of the songs that are on your apps on your iPhone.  I am constantly  amazed at your vocabulary!
• Speaking of your vocabulary, it grows by leaps and bounds every day.  You are always saying something new and are a little parrot for sure!  You repeat just about everything you hear!  :)
• We have started reading our bedtime story in Mommy and Daddy’s room.  Now instead of just Mommy and Andrew, it’s all three of us.  We all pile in the bed, read a book, sing, and pray together.  It is such a special time I look forward to every night!  Oh, and you and Daddy always manage to act like total goobers at some  point.  Hehe.  I love it! :)
• We celebrated Daddy’s birthday with just the three of us (and you helped decorate Daddy’s cake) and with Mimi and Pop.  We will celebrate with Daddy’s side of the family this coming Sunday and do all of the August birthdays together.  We also celebrated Mommy’s birthday with just the three of us and with Daddy’s side of the family.  What did I tell you?  Birthdays, birthdays, birthdays!  And that’s just the beginning! :)  We will also meet Papa and GiGi halfway to celebrate Papa's birthday tomorrow.  Phew! :)
• You have started saying, “Uh what?” when asked a question you don’t want to answer or hear something you don’t want to hear.  It’s hilarious!  It’s like you are pretending you didn't hear whatever was said to you.
• We drove to the town where Grandma, and Grandpa, and Amy, Keith, and Marcus live, but didn't go to either house.  We were going to a party and had to leave as soon as it was over to get you home for your nap.  As soon as we got into town, you said, “Grandma? Grandpa?  Amy?  Keith?”  You are one smart cookie.  You knew we were close to where they lived.
• I FINALLY got you singing your ABC’s on film! :)
• We celebrated Mimi and Pop’s birthday and had them over for dinner.  We had so much fun and you had more cake…oh let’s just be honest, icing.  Hehe. :)  And even though we aren't technically celebrating the birthdays that fall in August/September on Daddy’s side of the family until Sunday (Daddy, Eric, Grandpa, and Missy), Aunt Amy made cake each week for them and you had lots of “cake” those weeks too.  I’ll be glad when birthday season is over!  Hehe!
• We watched a bunch of old videos of you the other night as a family and you would wave to the TV and say, “Hi Andrew!”  Haha, so cute!
• Daddy usually has teeth brushing duty with you and he always says, “We did it!  Go tell Mama we did it!” after you are done.  And usually Daddy or I will tell you we are proud of you.  One night you looked at Daddy after you got done brushing your teeth and said, “I’m so proud of you Dada!”  Hahahaha!

Okay, wow that was loooong!  Sorry!  I should try to find a way to shorten these, but at the same time, someday I will be so very grateful I didn't.  I sure love you my little buddy.  You are mama’s greatest earthly treasure and I am SO very thankful I have you to spend my days with.  Right now there is a quote on my Facebook cover photo with a picture of you that says, “Any day spent with you is my favorite day. So, today is my new favorite day.”  Truer words have never been spoken.  I love you SO much bug!!!

Andrew and the Photo Shoot

Dearest Andrew,
We got your two year old pictures taken back in May and I forgot to put them up.  Once again, we used Mommy's friend who is an amazing photographer!  She met us in a little town near us where they have an old train car.  It was a great idea seeing as you love trains.  She got you to pose!!!  She must be some sort of pied piper because Mommy can NEVER get you to pose!  Hehe!  They turned out wonderful as always!  Here they are, the pictures of the cutest little boy I have ever seen!