Another 1/4 of a year behind us...

The boys are keeping us busy as always, but certainly growing and learning at rates that continue to amaze us. And we just love trying to keep up with it all, playing new games and in new ways with them each and together!



Noah just loves to play with and just like Drew...picking up cars when Drew plays with cars, animals for animals, etc. He is certainly already playing more like a big boy than Drew did at this age when we were the only ones around to teach him! Noah has already started to make the "car noises" when he moves the cars along the ground or couches...just like Drew! He's also picking up on animal noises, though he mostly just roars for all the animals still. :) He's also enjoying some simple puzzles every now and then too!

Noah is definitely only taking 1 afternoon nap these days, and we moved bedtime back to 8 for him and 8:30 for Drew...our time without children awake continues to get chipped away a little bit more! HA! But they are also becoming a little bit more independent in their play, so I suppose it's a good trade off. Noah is really starting to look at and ask to 'read' books now, which we are very happy about, and reading his favorite "Good Morning, Good Night" touch and feel book is a favorite at bedtime and sometimes even first thing when he wakes up.

This picture is of Noah giving Mommy repeated 'zerberts' after dinner - something he's done more than once and is hilarious and VERY ticklish!

Some random motor skills Noah has acquired is he really wants and likes to 'help' with any spoon-fed foods for himself, ie applesauce, yogurt, etc. We scoop it and then he'll grab the spoon to bring it to his mouth. It is without question still very early and very messy, but he's a determined little boy and if he wants to do it, he's going to do it, or we're going to hear some serious screaming! He also has started bending over to look through his legs - so cute! Daddy has taught him to stand on Daddy's feet and hold Daddy's hands while they walk around together - Noah thinks this is great! Noah also has more than once, in the middle of playing and having a grand time, so much so that his enthusiasm throws him to the ground on his back and he just wriggles and rolls around in pure delight - it's really quite funny to watch! He loves all that vestibular input - rolling around on the couches into the craziest positions, throwing himself back while being held in sitting or standing (watch out, there are times he's been close to throwing himself out of our hands and onto the ground!), loves to be thrown high over our heads - all that good, dangerous, crazy stuff! And he LOVES to be tickled! I've even told his teachers, if he's crying for a silly reason of sorts, just tickle him and he completely forgets about it and bursts into giggles! He loves it! If we are playing a game of tickle, he'll just wait for you to get him again, you can just sense it, he's anticipating it and can't wait for his turn...if combined with chase, he'll run away just ever so slightly and then come right back wanting more!

I know I've mentioned it probably every month, but the child LOVES being outside! He continues to bring us his shoes, cry if it just LOOKS like we are moving to the door to go and then we don't - oh how that upsets him. I promise, we do our best to get outside when we can - it's pure delight for him, but it will never be enough I don't think! His class at school sometimes gets to play on the playground these days, which I imagine is truly the highlight of his day!

Now that Noah is mobile, he only wants to be mobile on his own accord. Our nightly walks with Drew on the Big Wheel and Noah in the stroller start out a bit chaotic with Noah not wanting to be IN the stroller, just outside running around...so those may come to an end or something will need to change soon. There are times we walk to the golf course and let them run around there (after the golfers are done for the day of course) and they really like that! Granted, with the time change, not sure we'll be able to get out after dinner anyway...sigh! At the zoo, every time Drew gets out of the wagon, Noah wants out, but then doesn't get back in as nicely as Drew does! Same goes for grocery stores, etc. now too - making those quite a bit more challenging - gotta keep it short! He's also getting quite good at climbing - he can make it onto Drew's bed easily, has learned to move Drew's step to where he wants to get higher and climb up, he's also gotten onto the top of the boys picnic table and the chimney hearth, as well as the first step of the stairs, etc. But thankfully, he also responds 75% of the time to "Noah, feet on the floor" and will stop climbing and walk away - I mean seriously - the kid's amazing! :)

Noah continues to amuse us often at dinner being rather silly and sweet, getting our attention and having lots of funny faces and responses for us! Such a cutie! He's signing "More" and "Please" much better these days, and it's absolutely amazing all the phrases he understands and will follow...he'll go to the closest 'changing' area when I tell him we need to change his diaper (but then fights it the whole time of course), goes to the table when we tell him it's time to eat, just all sorts of things - it's just greatness...I never cease to be amazed by all he knows! He is babbling as if having a conversation more and more these days - which is always fun to hear and 'respond' to - just cute as anything! He knows exactly what he's saying too, you just know it, and one day, it's going to start making more sense to us too! He's started saying "Da" for Dog - a favorite animal of course too! And there was even one day where I just know I heard him say "Baby" when we were reading a book of first words! Even if it wasn't that articulate, he's certainly getting closer to mimicking our sounds and words!

Both boys have seemed to increase the intensity of their tantrums lately...Noah will scream and if being held, throw his body into a backward C or onto the ground. Drew will scream at an incredibly high pitched voice and usually starts throwing things or dumping things over...right, we're pretty firm on putting that to an end immediately...ah, parenting!

We had some fun excursions this month with Fall in full swing - on the calendar at least - not always as obvious by the weather...but fun none the less. We were able to go to the Benbrook Cowboy Roundup/Heritage Fest with Grandpa, Nana and Uncle Kevin - with lots of fun with a train ride, petting zoo and both boys enjoyed some of the groups dancing on stage.

We also went to the Flowermound Pumpkin Patch with some friends, and everyone had fun, but Drew could have stayed there for 2 more hours easily! I was so happy - he finally agreed to getting in the bounce house for the first time and he loved it! YEAH!

For Halloween, the plan was for Drew to be Spiderman (something he'd decided months ago of course) and Noah to be the spider. Well, Noah didn't really like his costume...and it was hot outside, and getting in and out of the car would have required putting it on multiple times, and that just wasn't going to make anyone happy, so we took a quick picture at home and then the boys both went as Spiderman!

Trunk or Treat at St. Paul is always fun as well. Drew had been sick the night before, so wasn't on his A-game per se, though he may have acted this way regardless...but we kind of had to pull him along while we were chasing after Noah who showed no hesitancy what so ever and LOVED all the dogs he found on the way!

Drew is in underwear 100% of the time these days and it's wonderful! About 1/2 way through the month, we even started letting him wear it at night. There were a few accidents during the day and just 1 or 2 just couldn't make it in time (ie - I forgot to do that first thing in the morning) type moments, but it's really gone so well and Drew is SO proud of himself! There are occasional reminders but by the end of the month, he's doing great! It is surprising how long he can 'hold it', worrying me some, but making me learn to trust him as well as him learn the lesson...I've learned more than he has I think. He's having a little bit of a hard time not getting a prize every time now, but that will be squelched quickly...it is nice to only have 1 kid in diapers, no doubt about that!

Drew is more and more obsessed with his cars these days - traveling with him wherever he goes. He's even started keeping his favorites for the day on his nightstand at night so he can play quietly with them at bedtime and first thing in the morning if he needs. He's had some nights where he's slept with some, leaving some significant marks on his body from lying on top of them! What a goof! He can have a real fit if Noah gets the one he wants, and Noah screams right back - fun times! I'm still not sure how to handle some of those conflicts by the way - who gets there way? I don't want either always being the default because they are either the biggest or smallest/youngest, but it's hard to know who it goes to sometimes and how to teach them both how it works...any words of wisdom is appreciated!

Drew is super fast on his Big Wheel these days, easily leaving us in his dust when we go for walks. So we've tried to start coercing him to practice his 'big boy' bike more often. There are some days where he seems ok with it, but we think it comes down to one of the first times we tried it, I accidentally pinched his chin with the helmet strap and now that's ALL he thinks about, avoiding it at all cost! He reminds me every time I put it on - geesh! But we are making progress, so that's what matters at this point.

He can be a bit dramatic to say the least...there was a day he got a cut on his foot and it was bleeding quite a bit. So we put on a band-aid - something he normally begs for but isn't ever necessary. Well, then he tip-toed around all night because of the band-aid and threw a big fuss over it, as if it was the most serious injury ever! Oh, it was ridiculous! He was slightly consoled when we covered it with a sock, somehow making it better - who knows?! Gracious - be a little tougher please! Be assured, we do not run to either boy any more when there's a spill/fall, etc. - enough of this whimpyness!

 Oh, and another funny story...we were talking one day at lunch about forgiveness with Drew and how we are suppose to make good choices and set a good example for Noah, etc. Drew responded with "Mommy, like when you pinched me with the helmet...that was a bad choice!" Matthew and I started laughing uncontrollably - I mean give me a break kid, that was months ago, when will I ever be forgiven!?! So then we talked about forgiveness...:)

This is probably normal 3 year old behavior, but there are times where Drew gets so tickled over the smallest of things...a few from this month included the words "Toodles", "attitude", and ringtones on our phone! Silly Drew! He also has added the word Incredible to his normal vocabulary, which can be pretty funny when he talks about ordinary things...so funny to hear words like that come out of a little boys mouth I guess!

Drew had a special night with Daddy one night this month...Daddy wanted to camp in the backyard in our tent (that we got as a wedding gift and 10 years later, using it for the first time - so sad in retrospect, but happy to see years of use in the future hopefully!) Drew was pumped as we set the tent up the evening before - he was so disappointed and confused why he wasn't sleeping in it yet. But next day, we grilled hot dogs and hamburgers and they even roasted marshmallows over the fire pit for s'mores! They snuggled up on the chilly, windy night in the tent with a lantern, and just a few cars of course. Mommy and Noah were inside - Noah had been sick that evening, and Mommy's plans were to get lots of school work done and praying Noah was done throwing up...around 10:30 Mommy got a text from Daddy saying Drew was no where close to calming down to sleep. In fact, at one point, Daddy had lightly drifted to sleep and quickly woken up with Drew walking all around in the tent...so they came inside and Drew went to sleep in his own bed...he seemed wired and awake when he came in, but moments after Daddy closed the door, Drew was sound asleep - too much excitement I guess?! But it was a positive first experience for Drew, so hopefully next time he'll be able to make it through the night! It was a fun time regardless.

Well, another fun month in review. No weight or height stats this month (just never got around to it), but Noah is wearing size 12-18 month clothes, size 4 shoes and diapers. Drew is wearing size 3T, though some are too short really, and is in size 9 shoes.

The holiday season is upon us...we pray for a special time with family and friends and being able to communicate and demonstrate the true meaning for the celebration to the boys and those around us!

Here's to 2 boys...

Drew is just growing by the second. With Noah around it seems to make it even more apparent how much these boys change so quickly...it's hard to remember that as we go day to day, but looking at what Noah can do now, and what Drew is learning to do, it's unbelievable how quick it all passes!

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! :)

From baby to little boy

Noah got his first haircut this month and it's always amazing how that changes how old they look! I was dragging my feet a bit because I wasn't ready to let go of my baby, but the hair was starting to get in his eyes, and Matthew wasn't a fan...we had a coupon for the kids' haircut place, so we went for it!

Needless to say, it was a familiar scenario...lots of twisting, turning, moving, crying, screaming, trying to get out of the chair...thankfully, the lady was incredibly kind and patient...

Ended with a bit of a bowl haircut, but we just couldn't see the reason to keep him so distressed any longer...so here's to our little boy!

No more tonsils or adenoids for Drew...

So, over the last half year, we've had several medical professionals note the largeness of Drew's tonsils, giving us reason to meet with our ENT again and get his opinion. Without hesitation, he recommended they come out...on a scale of 1-4, Drew's were a size 4. He hasn't been overly sick lately, but the Dr. said they were the reason for his snoring - which has been found to relate to poor sleep/not getting into the deep, restorative sleep needed - causing children to be either zombies or over-active...leading to learning and development issues. That sounded like enough to us, but to add to it, there would be a very high probability that once exposed to strep, he would never be rid of it since the tonsils were too large to clear it out, just making him sick over and over again once he was in school. He also mentioned it could be the cause for some certain food avoidance due to difficult swallowing, etc. So, the surgery was scheduled and performed August 31. There was every confidence that it would go well and my biggest concern was getting him to get enough fluids and food in him...

Mommy and Drew were able to have a special day the Monday prior to surgery as we had the pre-op appointment in the morning (Noah going to daycare) and a day to spend, just the 2 of us! We had the BEST day! Drew was incredibly sweet and kind in his words and actions all day, and amazing at the visit. We had fun playing in the toy aisles in the store, and I didn't even have to rip toys out of his hands in protest to not buy any! We had a yummy lunch at Baker Bros. and ended with a delicious treat at Sweet Sammies! I'm looking forward to more days like this some day!

Drew was all ready to go in his Spiderman PJs that morning, with no worries...until we walked back into the pre-op rooms! He wasn't really cooperating with the nurses taking his vitals (though he'd been PERFECT on Monday for the exact same thing!) and refused the hospital gown - until he got the giggle juice, which took his resistance out of him. That and an hour of watching PBS Kids while we waited for surgery!

The Dr. performed the surgery by coblation - ice cold saline water and ultrasound waves 'melt' the tissue away vs. cutting them - less blood and scabbing, less painful! Hoorah! The anesthesiologist stated prior to surgery that research has shown that red-heads require more anesthesia for their size than any other - whether that was the case or not for Drew, we don't know for sure. But we do know that when he woke up from surgery, instead of slowing waking up, he was awake and upset! The nurse "needed some help" from others and Drew was brought to us quicker than 'normal'. It was an interesting and tumultuous 30-45 minutes - Drew was definitely agitated! But with some extra drugs to help counteract the side effects of anesthesia, popsicles and Sesame Street, he was calmed down and we were on our way home only 4 hours after arriving - not bad!

Noah was at daycare for the day so we could focus on Drew - little did we know he'd want to camp out in front of the TV in our bed for the day - leaving little need for us at all except to change movies, and prompt him to eat and drink - but that wasn't even that challenging! He was a true champ! He was even taking his pain medicine pretty well and never threw up, despite the medicine apparently tasting "yucky!" The Doctor said to not "baby" him in that he could have whatever he wanted to eat as soon as he wanted...so he wanted chicken nuggets, and that's exactly what he got. He didn't eat it all, but really did pretty well considering...

There have been a few days of concern with the pain and not drinking enough, but it hasn't been all that bad in that regard. I'm writing this 1 week post surgery and the biggest issue we are having is with sleep - this we did not expect! He has woken up every night 2 or 3 times, initially it was due to pain as best we could tell, but lately, it's just been incredibly odd, with screaming, overall uncomfortableness, odd complaints of pain in feet, and simply not wanting to be alone...ending with Drew joining us in our bed on more nights than not! Even naps are ending in a similar fashion. :( Drew in general is not known for his amazing ability to handle pain, or anything that makes his world less than 100% amazing, and has always been one to desire our full attention and presence, particularly at nighttime, so this isn't helping the matter any!

The eating and drinking continue to be something we have to push slightly, but really, no concern for severe effects. We've stopped giving pain medicine, even normal Tylenol he doesn't want, or seem to need. But the sleep - oh, how that has room for improvement. We are sure the weaning off sleeping with us and off the movies during the day may be the hardest part of all of this! Until then, we are a bit sleep deprived, and in general tired of a particularly whiny 3 year old boy. I think one part that makes this even more difficult is his limited understanding and ability to communicate what really is going on in his little body. We are trying to give him the benefit of the doubt that something just 'isn't right', but not wanting to set up a situation where we are being completely manipulated! :) Needless to say, we know it will be worth it in the long run, and there are things so much worse than this, but we are happy there is only ONE set of tonsils!