Andrew the Birthday Boy

Dearest Andrew,

Here are just a few of the couple hundred or so pictures that were taken at your party.  I know, I know, it's a lot. :)  You are just so cute, people kept clicking away.  Hehe.  We sure love you. 

Love,
Mommy
*See below for info on owl graphic and sippy cups. :)

*Owl Graphic purchased at Print Candee's Etsy Store

*Owl Sippy Cups purchased at Ellery's Designs Etsy Store 

Daddy & Andrew June 20, 2011

Dearest Andrew,

I just saw this picture for the first time (I believe anyway) tonight and I almost cried.  This was on Daddy's computer taken with Daddy's camera.  I cannot use Daddy's camera worth a flip, so I am assuming he took this one while holding you.  I absolutely LOVE this picture.  You were only four days old.  I just wanted to share a very early picture of you and your daddy.  Such a sweet picture of my two favorite guys.  I love you!

Love,

Mommy

Andrew & Daddy's Second Father's Day Together

Dearest Andrew,

I just wanted to take a minute to share the gift you got Daddy for Father's Day.  Daddy said, "No gifts.", but we didn't listen too well.  Hehe.  We had such a great day celebrating with Daddy.  We brought BBQ in and celebrated with Daddy's side of the family.  You sure have a wonderful Daddy who loves you very much!  I am so thankful that you have such a Godly, loving, kind, and good man to look up to.  There is a song that Mommy loves that says, "I want to be just like You, 'cause he wants to be like me."  It's talking about how a Dad wants to be like our Heavenly Father because his son wants to be like him.  I know your Daddy tries his hardest to live a life that reflects the love of God, and my prayer is that you grow up to be just like him.  I love you so much!

Love,
Mommy

Andrew Turns One

Dearest Andrew,

Well, the day is finally here, you are ONE!  I can’t believe how fast the time went.  I say it all the time, but it is still so true, it does not seem like a year since you came to us.  At the same time however, it feels like I have known you forever.  You are so woven into my life now; it’s hard to imagine what life was like before you came along.  We sure have enjoyed this past year, and we have truly enjoyed watching you learn all that you have. 

Well, the biggest news of the past month is on Memorial Day (May 28^th) you took your first steps!  It was so exciting.  Both Daddy and I were home at the time and we both got to see it.  You only took a few steps two different times, and then you decided that was enough.  It was a little over a week before you attempted walking on your own again.  Since then, you have taken a few steps here and there, but you still prefer crawling and/or cruising around furniture as your main source of transportation.  When GiGi and Papa were here to celebrate your birthday, you took a few steps for them.  They were so happy to see you take a few steps.  We have never been able to capture this on camera however.  This is not shocking however as you don’t like to “perform”.  Hehe. 

Another thing that was new this past month was that you have a renewed interest in your toys.  You seem to enjoy them a little more and you play very well by yourself.  You also say Mama a little more these days and Mimi even got you to say please when we were visiting with Mommy’s friend Jennifer.  All three of us heard you say it!  You looked up at Mimi (she was offering you a drink of lemonade) and said, “Peas.”  It was the cutest thing ever. Have you said it since?  Nooo, of course not.  It’s not for a lack of Mommy trying though.  Hehe. 

We also went swimming for the very first time this month, and just as Mommy predicted, you LOVED it.  We got you a new swimsuit and put SPF 85 ( I didn’t even know it went that high!) on and put you in a little swim floaty thing.  You splashed and splashed and splashed.  You were thrilled and did not want to get out.  I am so glad you like swimming as that is one of Mommy’s favorite summer activities.

We celebrated your first year of life today at our house surrounded by family and a couple of close friends.  You had an owl theme and it was colorful and cute.  You were not too sure when we put your very own cake in front of you to eat, but when Mommy finally put your hands in the cake; you quickly got a hang of it.  It was so cute!  When everyone sang “Happy Birthday” to you, you seemed in awe and a little shocked.  You got tons of presents and everyone seemed to have a good time.  We sure loved celebrating with you. 

Well, you are officially a toddler now.  That is hard to believe.  Of course, you will always be my baby.  I love you so much and have enjoyed our first year together.  I can’t wait for all of the adventures to come.  Mommy and Daddy love you so much and we are so very thankful God gave us YOU!!!  I sure love you little man!

Love,
Mommy

A Year Gone By

Dearest Andrew,

Mommy has been a bad blogger lately!  I haven’t blogged much at all, but you and I have been busy little bees.  First of all, someone is about to turn ONE!!!  Sigh, I’m not sure if Mommy is ready for this!  I still cannot believe how fast this past year has gone!  It doesn’t seem like a year ago I was getting ready to go into the hospital to have you.  It doesn’t seem like it’s only been a year since I first saw the face of the most precious baby I had ever seen.  It certainly doesn’t seem like a year since I first met you and held you.  You seem like you have always been a part of my life.  I cannot begin to express all of the joy you have brought to my life.  You have made me a better person and brought out love I didn’t even know I was capable of.  I will recap the past month for you on your birthday (even though that will be a very busy day!), but I just wanted to take this opportunity to let you know I love you and I am so very proud of you and who you are growing up to be.  Mommy loves you more than you will ever, ever know!  I thank God he gave me YOU as my son and I thank you for being the most wonderful YOU ever!  I love you bug!

Love,
Mommy

Andrew & His Papa

Dearest Andrew,

Here is a picture of you and your papa.  Papa is Mommy’s daddy and one of Mommy’s very favorite people in the world!  I had some other pictures of you and your papa but they were accidentally deleted.  I took this picture when we were visiting Papa and GiGi in April of this year.

Anyway, your papa sure loves you!  He keeps asking Mommy to let you come stay with him, but Mommy has the hardest time letting you go!  When you finally do, I am sure you and Papa will have a blast!  I know he will teach you many things, just like he taught your mommy.  First of all, if you are Papa’s pal, you have to like sports, or at least appreciate your Papa’s interest in sports (like Mommy, hehe).  Papa will teach you all about basketball (with the OKC Thunder), football (with the OU Sooners), golf, and even a little racing.  A little known fact about Mommy is I love watching golf!  That may sound funny since Mommy is not a sports fan, but I grew up watching with Papa and always thinks of him when I watch golf.  Of course, I only watch it with your Papa, but I still enjoy it!

Papa will also take you on your first lawn mower ride.  Your cousins Zane and Sky love to ride on Papa’s lawn mower and when you are big enough, you can too.  You will have lots of adventures together and Mommy can’t wait for them to begin, but Papa will teach you some other things as well.  He will teach you how to respect others, how we don’t need to talk bad about other people (Mommy never hears Papa say anything unkind about others), and how to see the world through the eyes of a very kind, good, and decent man.  If you grow up to be anything at all like your papa, that would be a very, very good thing!  I have so many wonderful memories of my childhood because of my daddy.  He truly was the very best daddy a girl could ever have and will be the very best Papa as well.  When I thought of who you would be years before you came to us, I would always think what a great day it would be when you would meet your Papa for the first time, and he would meet you.  I am so glad you have each other and can’t wait for all the memories the two of you will make! 

I love you my little man!

Love,
Mommy