Andrew and the Birthday Party

Dearest Andrew,
Here are a few pictures from your party.  It really was a lot of fun!  I got you a shirt that was supposed to be turquoise (it wasn't) with a big red number 2 on it!  It was supposed to be a 2T (it wasn't), but it was a little snug.  You still looked super cute though! :)  Here you go!

PS - You finally enjoyed a cupcake after everyone went home. Oh, and you weren't too fond of the candle. Hehe.

Andrew and Daddy's Third Father's Day Together

Dearest Andrew,
Well this year Father's Day and your birthday fell on the same day.  It was a crazy weekend for sure!  You and Daddy had a great day together though.  I think your first Father's Day with Daddy you were only three days old! :)  That's hard to believe!  Anyway, you gave Daddy a tree with your hand-prints for leaves that you made.  He loved that so much!  You also gave him a travel coffee mug that had tons of pictures of the two of you over the past couple of years.  He loves it too and calls it his "Two buds cup". :)  You two really are best buds.  I love watching you play together!  You are his from the moment he walks in the door after work until the moment you go to bed unless you are eating or getting a bath.  I am so glad he makes time for you!  I am so thankful that he is my husband and even more thankful that he is your daddy!  We sure are blessed!  We got one of the best God ever made!

Andrew the TWO Year Old!!!

Dearest Andrew,

Happy Birthday my TWO year old!  We’re here, we really are!   We had a lot of fun this past month getting ready for your birthday, and then had such a wonderful time at your party.  You had a train theme and you seemed to really like that.  Even though I kept telling you it was your birthday, I don’t think you realized what that meant until your actual birthday party.  We had the same group of people we had last year and we had so much fun!  You got way too many gifts, refused to even eat a cupcake (you were too excited to eat), and had fun playing with Isaiah and Olivia.  You stuck with it as you opened all your gifts and gave appropriate responses to most of them.  Hehe. :)  I am so thankful for such wonderful family and friends that made it such a special day for you!

So, what else has been going on in the world of all things Andrew?  Well, I have to admit, I went about a week and a half without writing in my Gratitude Journal because I was so busy getting ready for the party.  I went back and tried to remember what happened, but I had trouble remembering every day.  Mommy’s brain isn't want it used to be.  Hehe. :)  I did write down some things though, so here we go.  What was it like being Andrew the last month being a one year old?

• Your love for books is growing.  You love to read and look at books.  You even love to crawl up in Mommy's lap and have me read to you.  I love this because it’s hard to get cuddle time with an active toddler. :)
• You have started dancing when music comes on, and it's usually pretty silly dancing.  It is so ridiculously cute!  You don’t do it all the time, but I love when you do.  You are so very silly! :)
• You say, “I don’t know!” a lot when we ask you a question.  It’s pretty funny because a lot of times you hold your arms up and shrug your shoulders when you say it. :)
• We had several tornadoes in Oklahoma and even though they didn't affect us personally, there was a lot of destruction.  It was so sad and I am glad you are not old enough that I had to explain it to you.  I just can’t thank God enough for keeping us through the storms.  We know someone that did lose their home, but thankfully they were both okay.  That’s what matters in the end.
• You had your two year photos with Chrissy and you did a great job posing.  You looked so cute and she did an amazing job as always.  So thankful to have a professional photographer as a friend.  She’s kind of awesome!
• You started calling Pop “PopPop”.  Haha!
• You can sing the ABC’s almost the entire way through.  You can even sing the “Now I know my ABC’s…” part!!!
• Speaking of singing, you sing all the time!!!  I only thought the things you did before now were the “cutest thing”, but now I know I was wrong because this is the CUTEST THING EVER!!!  Listening to your little voice singing along with me or some song you know just melts my heart into a big ol’ puddle of goo.  There is a little short cartoon we watch on YouTube called “Big Block Sing Song” and you L-O-V-E to watch them!  They are two minutes long and each is a different little song.  You can sing along with most of them.  It’s adorable!
• Of course it’s no surprise you love going to the park.  Many times when you go now, you play with the other kids there.  It is so sweet to see you interact with other little kids.  You are always so sweet too.
• (Clears throat) Your Daddy let you sit in his lap while he drove the car in the church parking lot.  Sigh.  You were in LOVE!  You love cars and you thought sitting in the driver’s seat was just the neatest thing ever!  Hehe, you were very safe.  Daddy went very slow and most everyone was gone.  It was really cute to see how excited you got! :)
• Okay, this one was funny.  We were having Mexican one night for dinner and had chips and salsa with our dinner.  You love chips.  So of course you kept coming up and asking for a chip by saying, “Chip?”  You would take them to your Lightening McQueen car and sit there with your juice and eat them.  When we started cleaning up, I placed a few chips on top of your car for you to snack on.  A little while later I walked by and there was salt EVERYWHERE!  I had left the salt shaker on the table (I should have known better) and you got it and salted your chips!  Hahahaha!  I couldn't do anything but laugh! :)  It wasn't your fault, you were just doing what you saw Mommy and Daddy do.  You just didn't know when to stop.  Of course I got a picture before I cleaned it up.  It is one of my favorite memories so far.  :)
• You are still a good boy, but you are trying to test Mama when I tell you “No”.  You sometimes get a defiant look on your face and do what I just told you not to, but you usually stop if I tell you to again.  I guess that’s part of being your age.  Thankfully you listen to us for the most part.  We just need to work on the other times. :)
• You are an ice cream thief. :)
• You also stole my orange sherbet freeze.  You have an ice cream problem. :)
• While I shopped for your birthday supplies and party favors, you and Daddy ran around the store playing and having a good time.  I’m glad you two had such a good time. Hehe. :)
• You sang parts of “Dream a Little Dream” with me. Sigh… :)
• When Daddy says that you two are two buds, you look at him with a big grin and say “Two buds!”  You also call him your “Best friend” when he calls you his.  I think you guys are pretty fond of one another.  That makes Mommy so happy.
• You made a hand-print tree for Daddy for Father’s Day and you had so much fun doing that!  Daddy had a great time celebrating Father’s Day with you.  He loved the cup we got him with pictures of the two of you on it.  He calls it his “Two buds cup”.  Hehe.
• Daddy made you for a swing for your birthday.  Of course you were over the moon!  You LOVE your swing!!!  When you saw it for the first time you said, “Oh cool!!!” over and over!
• You like to pretend you are sleeping.  You crawl up on my bed, lay back on the pillow, close your eyes, and start making snoring noises.  Hahaha!  You also do this when you are swinging sometimes.  I guess it’s pretty relaxing. :)
• You drum on anything and everything.
• We started swimming again.  You only kind of like it.  KIDDING!  You love it! :)
• You like to say, “Ready, set, go!” and then race around the house.
•  You say, “Shake hands” and then after someone shakes hands with you, you say “Bless you.”  You learned that from church. :)
• “Chair with me” means either “Get up out of that chair and play with me!” or “Get up out of that chair and let me set there with you!” Hehe. :)

Okay that’s a lot, I know.  AND I didn't even get the whole month filled out, I know there was so much more.  You’re finally two and even though that’s hard for me to believe, I know we are going to have an awesome year to come as you learn so much more!  I love you little buddy!

Happy Birthday Andrew!

Dearest Andrew,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!  I have so much to write, but I just wanted to leave you this message.  Your birthday changed my life dear one.  When you were born, I became Mama.  I love hearing that from you more than anything else in the world.  I was born to be a mom and more importantly, I was born to be your mom.  You have made my life so wonderful, and I hope I always do the same for you.  You are my best friend and my favorite little guy.  Happy 2nd Birthday!  Hard to believe we are here already, but here we are! I'm ready for another year of fun!  I love you so much Bug! :)

Andrew and the Lullaby

Dearest Andrew,
There are some memories in life that you wish desperately that you could get on film, but at the same time, it wouldn't be as special.  Since you were born I have sang to you almost every night.  Most of those nights I sing either Dream a Little Dream of Me or You Are My Sunshine.  Every night that I sing to you, I always end with Jesus Loves Me.  You have heard these three songs hundreds of times.  I have heard you try and sing along with You Are My Sunshine and Jesus Loves Me, but tonight you sang parts of Dream a Little Dream of Me for the first time.  Now you would think I would be most thrilled to hear you sing about Jesus loving you, and I am.  I want you to get at a very young age just how much He loves you.  I want you to have a real, lasting relationship with your Creator, the one who died for you.  I also love to hear your little voice hit the high notes in You Are My Sunshine because it is one of the most precious, heart-melting things I have ever heard.  But as much as I love those two songs, for some reason Dream a Little Dream of Me has a special meaning to me.  That was the first song I ever sang to you.  I'm not really sure why I chose that song, other than I like it, but I just did.  I have sung it to you so many times and it's kind of our song.  If I happen to hear it while I am away from you (which thankfully isn't often), I can't help but smile and even get a little teary.  It's a mom thing.  Hearing you sing is the most special gift ever.  I think it's awesome that you know so much of these songs already (Daddy and I can't quit talking about how smart you are!), but at the same time, it's a bond between you and I.  I hope you will always know how very deep my love is for you.  Forgive Mommy for getting a little mushy, but that's what mommies do.  We can't help it, our kids make us that way.  I love you.  Thanks for singing with me.  I wish I could have it on video, us snuggled up in our chair singing, but I have a feeling I will never, ever forget it.  No video required.