Dearest Andrew...: March 2013

Dearest Andrew,

Mama has not been as attentive to your blog as she should be, but that is because we have been super busy lately! My job has been crazy busy (even if it is only two days a week), but I will be able to quit that very soon and I CAN'T WAIT! We will start a new schedule for you which includes a new bedtime and hopefully we will start having play dates with some of Mommy's friends and their kids. That is LONG overdue! I just cannot stand how excited I am to start a new chapter with you! I love you so much and am thankful it will be you and me bud. Just like the silly song I sing to you, it will be the "Mommy & Andrew Show". Hehe! :)

Okay, so you are TWENTY-ONE MONTHS OLD!!!! Wha??? How and when did this happen? You are only THREE months away from being TWO!!! What happened to my little baby? I can tell you, he's long gone. He has been replaced by this vivacious, hilarious, loving, talkative, super-fast toddler who is growing way too fast. First of all you say new words every single day!!! It's so exciting to hear each new word. You mainly repeat things that we say, but you come up with plenty on your own. The other day at church you pointed to a musical note and said, "song". Seriously. Where did you learn that, you little genius you? That is just the tip of the iceberg too. You pointed out the numbers 5, 8, and 10 and said them correctly. I am constantly in awe of you.

So, what else have you been up to? Well, let me consult my journal of all things Andrew. Here we go....

You got your first chance to play in the snow. We had SO much fun and when I brought you in, you were none too pleased with Mama. It was really our only snow and it wasn't much, but we still had fun. We threw snowballs over, and over, and over, and... When you got your first glance of it all you said, "Oooooo, snoooow!!!" Hehe, love it!

Daddy and I had one of the very few dinners out without you. It was hard on both Mommy and Daddy and at first we didn't know what to do. We have been together for many years, most of them without you, but it was still weird not having our little buddy. We ended up having a great time (Daddy took me to the Melting Pot and it was yummy!), but you were missed for sure! You got to spend time with Mimi and Pop, so you didn't care in the slightest! :)

We started a family band. Okay, not really, that would be weird, but we have all kinds of instruments that Grandma got you and a set of electric drums (that you are obsessed with) and we will spend a good part of the evening every once in awhile jamming. You LOVE this and are the "band leader" deciding who will play what instrument and when, even sometimes giving your band members three or four instruments and insist they play them all at once. Hehe.

Mommy made you some homemade playdough and we have had a blast playing with it. You learned the word "smoosh" and now every time you see playdough, you have to say it. And the way you say "playdough" is the cutest ever!

I got the BEST video of you! Seriously, if I put in on YouTube, it would probably go viral. Oh, how it makes me laugh! I was getting ready in the bathroom listening to some music and the song, "L-O-V-E" by Nat King Cole came on. You were holding a back scratcher and looking into a mirror. All of the sudden you started bouncing to the music and it even looked like you were using the back scratcher as a trumpet. Oh be still my heart! I think I have now watched that video 3,456,214 times and counting.

You started saying "I love you" a lot more and when you do you grin so big! It's just the sweetest thing ever! You also say "Oh boy!", "Thank you much!", "Seriously?", and "You have got to be kidding me?" a lot. Those last two are courtesy of your mother. Of course when I say them, I am irritated at something. When you say them, I can't help but crack up. Thanks for helping Mommy realize it's probably not that big of a deal anyway.

You LOVE to help Mommy with chores. You like to hand me dishes out of the dishwasher, put the clothes in the washer and dryer, and I am pretty sure if you could find a way to sweep or vacuum (one of your favorite items/words), you would.

You all of the sudden, overnight, became a Thomas the Train fan. Where did that come from? We were brushing your teeth one night, you picked up one of your toothbrushes that has Thomas on it and said, "Thomas". Here's the best part. When you say "help" you sound like a little hick. When you say "Thomas" all of the sudden you are English. Huh? Hehe, it's ridiculously cute!

Okay, if you are reading this and your name is not Andrew, you may want to cover your eyes. Capisce? If you are still reading, you've been warned. Hehehehehe, here we go. You pooped in the tub. Hehehehehe! No, Mommy isn't laughing at you. She's laughing because Daddy had to clean it up. Hehehehe. This is the man who always hands you over when you poo-poo. He's not big on changing diapers, and it doesn't bother me in the least. Good job little man! I think Daddy and I were both finally accepted into the parenting club. Got the membership card and all. If you are finally old enough to read this, you are probably coming to kill me now. :)

So we were at church the other day waiting on the ministers to discuss some business and Sis. Stanley, Sis. Smith, and I were the only ones left. I gave you a mic and let you "preach". This is not the first video I have taken of you doing this, but this one stole my heart. You were preaching like Bro. Smith and kept saying "God!" just like he did. You got so excited and said, "I preach!" I know you don't know exactly what you are doing and that you are only mimicking what you saw that morning, but I cannot tell you how much it means to me that you choose to do that! It means so much to me that you want to be like the ministers in our church, like Daddy. Some parents teach their kids bad words and laugh at how funny and cute it is (it isn't), but they don't realize how dangerous that can be. Now Daddy and I are not about to win parents of the year mind you, but we try. I pray, I pray that you will come to know Jesus at an early age. That when you get the Holy Ghost and are baptized in the wonderful name of Jesus, that you will continue on the path God has for you! Okay, well, that came out of nowhere! But that is Mommy's heart. That is my desire and daily prayer for you.

Daddy and I took you to the park (the day before you turned 21 months) and so that is where the picture came from since it's so close to the actual day. That is what you looked like at 21 months. :) You had a blast running and running, and then running some more. We let you swing and got some really sweet pictures. It was such a beautiful evening and will be one of my fondest memories for sure.

This one isn't so sweet, but it's who you are right now and needs to be on here. Of course you are still the sweetest little boy you have always been, but you are feeling the need to express your opinion and one of the only ways you can do that is at mealtime. You refuse things all the time! It can be very trying, but they say to let you eat when you want to and not to try and force you. Sometimes you do great, but you are not willing to try things at all right now. I know this will pass and you are still getting plenty to eat (you are a nice, solid 30 lbs.), but I wish you would be willing to try more. I guess if there has to be a problem, that's the one to have right? You can't be perfect. Even if you are "Perfect Joe's" son. Hehe. :)

Okay, bug, this was much longer than I realized it would be, but a lot has happened. And I know that is not the half of it! You are so very active and always doing and saying something new. I will end it for now though. I have had a great time this past month and look forward to all of the new and wonderful things you will do next month. As always, I love you more than you could ever know. Thank you for being such a very bright spot in my life. Every day with you is a treasure.

Love,

Mommy

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Happy Easter Andrew!

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Andrew the Very Active 21 Month Old