22 Months

So, the days keep flying by, and Drew keeps changing and changing, amazing us along the way...


Drew's Class Picture from Preschool! A few smiles, but I'm just impressed they are all looking at the camera at the same time!

Well, we know this boy is active, but he has really started to rev it up this month, as well as playing around with it! It is not uncommon to see him walking around, doing what can best be described as a shoulder shrug with an arm pump, usually the right arm - just when walking around being silly or when he's liking the music! He's such a goofy little boy! He also is almost never seen running without pumping his right arm back & forth quite purposefully and mush more than the left, or what would happen 'naturally' when running! Sometimes he'll top it off with weaving or scissoring his feet & legs. Other times, we've caught him walking in slow motion purposefully, or 'sneaking' off somewhere - it can be quite funny when we catch it! This boy just loves to play around with movement I guess!


As is supposed to happen, he is becoming more and more expressive, and is now frequently using 2-3 word sentences, and just lately, every now & then will stream 4 words together. Two of my favorite phrases that make me smile are often after a bump (which happens ALOT) he'll come looking for attention from us, needing only a little peck of a kiss and off and running he goes again. But he's started to beat us to saying "Beda" (Better) right after the kiss - just the cutest! He has also started to use the phrase "Have it" to ask for items, sometimes putting up his hand! It's hard to describe how cute this can be at times with his little voice and hand posed just so, so you'll have to see it for yourself or just trust me - it's pretty stinkin' cute, despite the obvious lack of manners that goes along with it! We'll have to work on turning it into "Have it, please"! He has also started to show some skill at repeating some of those basics we want to teach our kids, with reciting the ABCs, counting to 10, and trying to spell his name! Now, we are pretty impressed with this, but know that there is work to do as there are quite a bit of letters or numbers skipped, but we are pleased with his progress so far. He loves to race to the end of the ABCs and receive his applause. For counting, he often gets to 4 and skips to 8 or 9, finishing it off with "NUMBERS!" And for his name, the E is almost always left out, but 3 out of 4 ain't bad! He is quite proficient at his colors and shapes, rarely making a mistake. We've moved past the primary colors, and are adding in purple, pink, brown, black, white, grey - he just soaks it up! He does great with his shapes as well, pointing them out, identifying, and trying to draw (though this is usually a circle). We are pumped about him picking this up for sure!


He still loves to sing, learning and picking up on more and more. He will request different songs at naptime or bedtime, but most of the time, loves to sing along to the Doxology. Other favorite songs are ABCs, Twinkle Twinkle, Head Shoulders Knees & Toes, Happy & You Know It, Mr. Sun, and our variation, Mr. Drew. He does still love to dance to songs, music, and especially his guitar! It can be quite hilarious really! He has also started to voice his preferences regarding some clothing items. He does love to wear our sunglasses as well. (Mommy will be needing a new pair soon thanks to Drew's handling!) He can be quite adamant about his shoes and socks. Two separate days he insisted on putting clothing over his pajamas - thankfully he was equally accepting of the pictures that followed!



With the morning nap gone, the mornings can be quite long if not broken up by some sort of 'activity', so we try to get out of the house, frequently heading to the park (where he can spend almost the entire time on the swing!), the zoo, or running some sort of errand. One very rainy day this week, that just wasn't an option, and being cooped up inside was making us both stir crazy, so we had our first inside 'tent' experience. Drew got a good little kick out of it, and it was a nice diversion for Mommy too. Of course, it didn't take my little snuggler too much to enjoy a 'structure' made out of blankets - we got lots of snuggle time that day!



As if it wasn't already obvious that Drew is all boy, his favorite toys for sure are his Legos and anything with wheels. He loves to play with Legos with his Daddy - and Daddy loves it too! (The toddler sized Lego man is one of Daddy's creations of course!) He is quite fascinated with cars in general, with his favorites being garbage trucks, buses, and motorcycles! We look for those ALL THE TIME when in the car!



Luke's Birthday Party was a real treat - Drew had a blast playing on the playground, barely stopping for pizza or cake! He also LOVED the balloons, if that wasn't obvious already from the pics below. Thankfully Uncle Joel was thoughtful and let us take one home as a party favor - Drew played with it until it lost almost all the air!



Now, to finish it off, lots of people have asked if Drew understands that he's going to be a Big Brother. We are pretty hesitant to commit to Drew getting it really, but every now and then, he will do or say something that makes us think something is starting to trigger. The last night Drew spent in the nursery he noticed a few things that had changed with Mommy working on making the switch between the 2 rooms. There were a few items on the wall by the changing table that had been taken down quite a while ago with Drew repeatedly knocking them down that reappeared. He made quite note of those & then pointed to the changing table and stated: "Dipa...Baby". I quickly affirmed that yes, that was where we changed Baby's diaper...hmm, maybe there's a little bit of grasping what's coming?! Daddy will ask Drew to kiss the baby, and he will quickly come to kiss Mommy's belly, so yes, there are a few things he gets. However, just like we expect, his world, as well as ours, will be rocked when this baby arrives. There's no amount of mental prep that can happen to get us ready for the adjustment that will have to take place...but we are comforted in the fact that there are families everywhere that have had children 2 years apart, and they are still surviving!