Drew is all boy...not only are potty words funny (without anyone having to teach him) or burping/tooting a reason to giggle, but if he sees a rock, it must be picked up and thrown! Why must boys do that? It's just a wonder...He is also incredibly, competitive, I suppose is the word. For some reason, EVERYTHING is a race! And if he doesn't win, well, let the screaming, crying, yelling, tantrum throwing begin! Goodness! Sometimes it's a nice motivator to get him to move faster, etc., but when taking a walk around the block (which we do most evenings now after dinner, with Noah in the jogging stroller & Drew on his Big Wheel) if we get ahead of Drew just a little too much, the response is almost immediate: "WAIT!" or plain stopping and pouting until we stop so he can race ahead...oh my! I am trying to get him used to not always being the winner, and I so hope this is just a phase because he's 3 and the world must revolve around him, but oh, how I hope it passes soon!
There is quite a bit of whining coming from his direction lately as well, so trying to curb that into some positive teaching moments happens more times than I can count...my dad is probably as happy as can be to hear that I'm getting some payback - but already, that seems a bit unfair!
He seems concerned with our emotions lately too...when something happens ie: he throws a toy, or he finds a toy, good or bad, he'll often ask, "Mommy, are you happy?!" When it's after he's made a bad choice, I wonder if he's concerned about his well-being too with that question, pondering "Am I going to get in trouble?", but there are times where it is sweet and innocent and caring...thankfully it's a good balance!
Drew healed well from the tonsil surgery he had at the end of last month, but it took about 2 weeks to get back to normal sleep...that was really the biggest issue. We think he was having some night terrors, which isn't completely unheard of after getting anesthesia, and doesn't completely surprise me with him either. It was a very strange 2 weeks of sleep, but we were happy when we were all sleeping on our own beds, uninterrupted again. However, Drew seems to be waking up earlier since then...around 6am, and not really willing to stay in his room until an appropriate time as set by "The bunny clock"! So, we are trying to get back to a normal routine there as well. He has found his way into our room plenty of times now way before we are ready to get up, but this too shall pass. We were hoping that maybe he would sleep later after the tonsils were removed, getting into better sleep rhythms...not so much! The ENT said quite the opposite - now his sleep is so much better, he doesn't need as much anymore! UGH! Oh well...still the right thing to do no doubt. He spent quite a bit of time the first week in his Spiderman costume after the surgery - maybe it made him feel stronger than he truly felt! He LOVES Spiderman!
Something else we didn't expect from this whole ordeal is that Drew essentially potty-trained himself while being home for surgery recovery! While there are still accidents, and occasional prompting, and still not always dry in the mornings, he is now in underwear all day, everyday, and doing quite well. We aren't quite sure how that happened, but there's certainly no complaints here! We wonder if our complete lack of prompting Drew to go ended up prompting him to take care of it! That was truly the last care we had at the time, and he had other intentions! YEAH!
Drew is learning more games, and most recently has added "I Spy" to the mix...a nice one to play anywhere, which is fantastic for the car and Dr. waiting rooms, even waiting in the check out line at the store! He loves to do crafts, though the attention span for it is not the longest, he is starting to get more creative with it at time. He loves to read books with us & Noah to the point that he's memorized several longer books, will recite them back and excitedly point out that "I'M READING!" Love it! He even has started reading in his bed with a favorite book and a flashlight after we've put him to bed at night - so cute! He loves to play Hide and Seek, though he still giggles with so much delight while hiding, it's not so much a challenge for the seeker! But he and Noah LOVE to play! The weather is getting slightly cooler (that means highs in the 80s for those of you that don't live in Texas!) and going outside is more and more enjoyable...riding bikes, playing teeball and catch in the backyard, going to the zoo, going to the park, and just running and racing outside! He's even started to get the hang of swinging himself on the swingset - awesome!
He wants to be a part of things quite a bit and really can be a great helper at times! He is such a sweet boy, we are truly blessed! We get told quite often how he can be such a good helper at school as well, which is wonderful to hear. He continues to love animals and cars - though cars are taking the lead lately - his Lightning McQueen and Francesco ("Cesco") are with him almost everywhere he goes. His imagination continues to thrive, telling stories with his toys constantly (again, so funny to hear what he comes up with, and often repeats what he's heard from us or others), and at times we even hear him telling his stuffed monkey, that he sleeps with, stories at night! Adorable! Love that kid!
Both boys LOVE playing games together...Hide and Seek is a favorite, especially when it involves the circus tent from Aunt Lynne at their birthdays. They love popping in and out, playing Peek-a-Boo, etc. - who knew that would be so fun! They just giggle with delight! They also love to play chase and run after one another...Drew is usually racing a car of sorts downstairs and before you know it, Noah has joined in, racing back and forth. They really do have fun together - we love to hear the sounds of them having fun with one another - giggles and screams of delight!!! Noah really wants to keep up with Big Brother, so he's constantly pulling toys out of Drew's room, rather than his own, so he is also liking playing with the Hot Wheels cars lately - he's started to get them and move them back and forth on the tables and furniture just like Drew does - something I'm sure will continue for years on end...those 2 are going to be on each other's coat tails for a long time I bet! They love their baths together and have both had fun lately with bath finger paints and the sort. But it never fails, the best fun of all for both is splashing as much water out of the tub as they can! They both are just all over each other almost all the time - which either causes giggles galore, or screams of horror, depending on their specific mood for the moment! My goodness, they just love each other so!
Dear Noah...was a sweet, smart, charming, determined, no fear little boy! It is just amazing to us how much he is growing and changing...I know I'm biased, and allowed to be, but I can't count how many times I've said in the last month, "He's so smart!" It's absolutely amazing how much he understands! With the limited amount of words he has, the kid understands SO MANY different statements...it's just unreal! We can ask him to put toys in a specific bucket in the other room, and he knows what we want and will do it (as long as he doesn't get distracted along the way..."Squirrel!"), he brings us his or our shoes, or both, when he wants to go outside, he will give kisses and hugs on command, knows what it means to tell us goodnight, will blow kisses, wave and say "bu-bye", will shake his head and say "uh-uh" to tell us No, knows what it means when we say we need to change his diaper (which usually means he runs the other way!), is learning how to communicate even more with us despite limited verbiage...will go to the fridge when he wants his milk, will thrown and kick balls when we ask him to...it's just amazing! Those brains just soak EVERYTHING up! I love it! He is just a blast to be around, play with, and watch! (That is, when he's not screaming because we don't understand why he's screaming and whatever it is, we aren't doing what he wants! HA!)
He continues to LOVE being outside...I'm sure the cold weather, when it ever gets here, won't phase him either - he just wants to be out there! And when he's decided that's what he wants, there is little to nothing that will appease him other than giving him exactly what he wants. I tell you what, if you want to be his friend, just put on some shoes and take him outside...he'll be as happy as ever! Since it isn't blazing hot, we take LOTS of walks with the boys lately - if we are staying home for the day, we usually get one in the morning and almost always one after dinner...it's been great - Noah is so content and Drew's getting lots of time on his Big Wheel!
He's starting to 'build' instead of always 'knocking it down' - starting to put stacking rings BACK, starting to build the tower before pummeling it with all his might, trying to even put LEGOs together. He's starting to figure out (with help) the shape sorter, and he loves our Sock Monkey Jack in the Box - Drew was terrified it at Noah's age, and still Drew jumps when he pops out...Noah, completely un-phased and ready to do it again - he's even started turning the knob himself a little bit.
He really is doing quite well with his gross motor skills too - Matthew has even mentioned he thinks Noah may be more athletic than Drew...Noah is already pretty good at kicking a ball while in motion. Anything with playing ball in general is a WIN in Noah's world. He's pretty good at throwing balls as well, and we've even started a simplified version of catch/toss and rolling balls back and forth and he LOVES it, and does great with it!
This sweet little boy certainly loves his Momma - he is still in a very clingy stage where only Mommy will do it seems. On days that he doesn't choose me, I'll admit, it's a bit heartbreaking and I get a touch of what Daddy probably feels like 95% of the time. On other days, it's sweet, and still others, incredibly frustrating - especially when even though he's in my arms the entire time, he still won't be consoled - wanting to be held by Mommy, but wanting to play is a hard choice to make apparently! There are times though where we get some sweet snuggle moments together, and those are just priceless! We have had to start 'taking turns' at church lately as the nursery is simply NOT an option for Noah at this time. We don't want Drew to miss out on Sunday School, and while we certainly don't like missing it or church either, one or both of us gets nothing out of it if Noah is along for the ride - he simply is too difficult to keep happy and quiet in church right now. It is just a phase that will hopefully end soon, but for now, Mommy and Daddy take turns going to Sunday School and church with Drew. If you think we are taking a cop-out, the last Sunday we took Noah to the nursery, he screamed non-stop for 10 minutes before they called us back, at which point it took Mommy 20 minutes to calm him down - with nothing else apparently wrong, this just didn't seem right, so for now, someone stays home with him to keep that from happening again. Hopefully soon we'll be able to get to a point where he's content enough to sit through church and we'll happily all be together again on Sunday mornings!
Noah finally got all 4 molars through this month - UGH! It's seemed like forever - lots of drool, lots of fussy/crankiness, restless sleep - whew! Are we glad those are done! And on a slightly related note, and for some of you this will sound crazy, but Noah is completely done with nursing as of the end of this month. 14 months...a long time, but we both loved it really, but it was time, for a multitude of reasons, teeth being one of the many! :) But now it's official...my baby isn't a baby anymore!
Our no fear little boy continues to take on any challenge, resulting in some significant falls lately. And while he fusses or cries for a bit, he usually just gets right back up moments later, often going back to do the same thing he was trying before he fell - oh goodness! And he does like to climb! We will need to keep a close eye on this one!
Noah can be pretty silly at times too...he's known how to give zerberts for quite awhile now, but there was one evening where he finished dinner before everyone else and not happy just sitting in his chair, we cleaned him up and let him get down to play. Well, he wasn't real happy to do that on his own either, so he came over to me and gave me zerberts on my legs over and over again until I decided there was no use fighting it anymore...I guess Mommy's done with dinner you silly boy!
He loves to look at pictures still, especially those of our family. He will randomly start spinning in circles in the middle of the room - arms wide out to the side, and a big smile on his face! I have no idea where he picked that up, but it's adorable! He loves to dance with Mommy - gets a big kick out of that - and Mommy does too! He makes some of the funniest faces - and he absolutely knows he's being silly! He will stick out his tongue at times and is just plain cute! He will even blow spit bubbles, or make all sorts of silly noises with his mouth and tongue, when encouraged especially, usually by Daddy!
Noah is starting to really enjoy books now, though it's mostly turning pages, but there are more times than not where he'll actually sit for the majority of the story - this is a big step that we are excited about! He still loves the big "Baby's First Words" book, especially the animals pages...he loves to point to them and when asked what sound they make...well, to Noah, they all roar! He has a funny roar sound that he makes, and I'm pretty sure he thinks that's the only sound because he hears it from Drew SO often! HA! Love it!
Once again, another month in review (a long one this time!), and another great reminder of the continual blessings God has showered on us with our children! They bring so much joy...while it's hard and tiring, it's the best job ever! I bet that's how God feels about us! :)
Both boys LOVE playing games together...Hide and Seek is a favorite, especially when it involves the circus tent from Aunt Lynne at their birthdays. They love popping in and out, playing Peek-a-Boo, etc. - who knew that would be so fun! They just giggle with delight! They also love to play chase and run after one another...Drew is usually racing a car of sorts downstairs and before you know it, Noah has joined in, racing back and forth. They really do have fun together - we love to hear the sounds of them having fun with one another - giggles and screams of delight!!! Noah really wants to keep up with Big Brother, so he's constantly pulling toys out of Drew's room, rather than his own, so he is also liking playing with the Hot Wheels cars lately - he's started to get them and move them back and forth on the tables and furniture just like Drew does - something I'm sure will continue for years on end...those 2 are going to be on each other's coat tails for a long time I bet! They love their baths together and have both had fun lately with bath finger paints and the sort. But it never fails, the best fun of all for both is splashing as much water out of the tub as they can! They both are just all over each other almost all the time - which either causes giggles galore, or screams of horror, depending on their specific mood for the moment! My goodness, they just love each other so!
Dear Noah...was a sweet, smart, charming, determined, no fear little boy! It is just amazing to us how much he is growing and changing...I know I'm biased, and allowed to be, but I can't count how many times I've said in the last month, "He's so smart!" It's absolutely amazing how much he understands! With the limited amount of words he has, the kid understands SO MANY different statements...it's just unreal! We can ask him to put toys in a specific bucket in the other room, and he knows what we want and will do it (as long as he doesn't get distracted along the way..."Squirrel!"), he brings us his or our shoes, or both, when he wants to go outside, he will give kisses and hugs on command, knows what it means to tell us goodnight, will blow kisses, wave and say "bu-bye", will shake his head and say "uh-uh" to tell us No, knows what it means when we say we need to change his diaper (which usually means he runs the other way!), is learning how to communicate even more with us despite limited verbiage...will go to the fridge when he wants his milk, will thrown and kick balls when we ask him to...it's just amazing! Those brains just soak EVERYTHING up! I love it! He is just a blast to be around, play with, and watch! (That is, when he's not screaming because we don't understand why he's screaming and whatever it is, we aren't doing what he wants! HA!)
He continues to LOVE being outside...I'm sure the cold weather, when it ever gets here, won't phase him either - he just wants to be out there! And when he's decided that's what he wants, there is little to nothing that will appease him other than giving him exactly what he wants. I tell you what, if you want to be his friend, just put on some shoes and take him outside...he'll be as happy as ever! Since it isn't blazing hot, we take LOTS of walks with the boys lately - if we are staying home for the day, we usually get one in the morning and almost always one after dinner...it's been great - Noah is so content and Drew's getting lots of time on his Big Wheel!
He's starting to 'build' instead of always 'knocking it down' - starting to put stacking rings BACK, starting to build the tower before pummeling it with all his might, trying to even put LEGOs together. He's starting to figure out (with help) the shape sorter, and he loves our Sock Monkey Jack in the Box - Drew was terrified it at Noah's age, and still Drew jumps when he pops out...Noah, completely un-phased and ready to do it again - he's even started turning the knob himself a little bit.
He really is doing quite well with his gross motor skills too - Matthew has even mentioned he thinks Noah may be more athletic than Drew...Noah is already pretty good at kicking a ball while in motion. Anything with playing ball in general is a WIN in Noah's world. He's pretty good at throwing balls as well, and we've even started a simplified version of catch/toss and rolling balls back and forth and he LOVES it, and does great with it!
This sweet little boy certainly loves his Momma - he is still in a very clingy stage where only Mommy will do it seems. On days that he doesn't choose me, I'll admit, it's a bit heartbreaking and I get a touch of what Daddy probably feels like 95% of the time. On other days, it's sweet, and still others, incredibly frustrating - especially when even though he's in my arms the entire time, he still won't be consoled - wanting to be held by Mommy, but wanting to play is a hard choice to make apparently! There are times though where we get some sweet snuggle moments together, and those are just priceless! We have had to start 'taking turns' at church lately as the nursery is simply NOT an option for Noah at this time. We don't want Drew to miss out on Sunday School, and while we certainly don't like missing it or church either, one or both of us gets nothing out of it if Noah is along for the ride - he simply is too difficult to keep happy and quiet in church right now. It is just a phase that will hopefully end soon, but for now, Mommy and Daddy take turns going to Sunday School and church with Drew. If you think we are taking a cop-out, the last Sunday we took Noah to the nursery, he screamed non-stop for 10 minutes before they called us back, at which point it took Mommy 20 minutes to calm him down - with nothing else apparently wrong, this just didn't seem right, so for now, someone stays home with him to keep that from happening again. Hopefully soon we'll be able to get to a point where he's content enough to sit through church and we'll happily all be together again on Sunday mornings!
Noah finally got all 4 molars through this month - UGH! It's seemed like forever - lots of drool, lots of fussy/crankiness, restless sleep - whew! Are we glad those are done! And on a slightly related note, and for some of you this will sound crazy, but Noah is completely done with nursing as of the end of this month. 14 months...a long time, but we both loved it really, but it was time, for a multitude of reasons, teeth being one of the many! :) But now it's official...my baby isn't a baby anymore!
Our no fear little boy continues to take on any challenge, resulting in some significant falls lately. And while he fusses or cries for a bit, he usually just gets right back up moments later, often going back to do the same thing he was trying before he fell - oh goodness! And he does like to climb! We will need to keep a close eye on this one!
Noah can be pretty silly at times too...he's known how to give zerberts for quite awhile now, but there was one evening where he finished dinner before everyone else and not happy just sitting in his chair, we cleaned him up and let him get down to play. Well, he wasn't real happy to do that on his own either, so he came over to me and gave me zerberts on my legs over and over again until I decided there was no use fighting it anymore...I guess Mommy's done with dinner you silly boy!
He loves to look at pictures still, especially those of our family. He will randomly start spinning in circles in the middle of the room - arms wide out to the side, and a big smile on his face! I have no idea where he picked that up, but it's adorable! He loves to dance with Mommy - gets a big kick out of that - and Mommy does too! He makes some of the funniest faces - and he absolutely knows he's being silly! He will stick out his tongue at times and is just plain cute! He will even blow spit bubbles, or make all sorts of silly noises with his mouth and tongue, when encouraged especially, usually by Daddy!
Noah is starting to really enjoy books now, though it's mostly turning pages, but there are more times than not where he'll actually sit for the majority of the story - this is a big step that we are excited about! He still loves the big "Baby's First Words" book, especially the animals pages...he loves to point to them and when asked what sound they make...well, to Noah, they all roar! He has a funny roar sound that he makes, and I'm pretty sure he thinks that's the only sound because he hears it from Drew SO often! HA! Love it!
Once again, another month in review (a long one this time!), and another great reminder of the continual blessings God has showered on us with our children! They bring so much joy...while it's hard and tiring, it's the best job ever! I bet that's how God feels about us! :)
