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!

Summer is over, is return to "normal" possible?!

Don't get me wrong, we've had a blast with all the celebrations, events, etc. of the summer, but there is comfort in having some time where there isn't as much going on per se...at least not on the calendar. Daily life continues to be busy no doubt, and with kids constantly changing, growing, and learning, there are always more challenges ahead. There are days where we can be at peace, and days of complete exhaustion and disorder. There are more moments lately where I struggle with the balance of Mom, Wife, PT, and student (yes, I wanted to make it that much harder and signed up for another post-graduate class again, fun!) and have called friends and family in tears and utter loss over how to manage it all. Days later, I will feel peace and balance again - the ups and downs of it all! So having a time frame of nothing extraneous to prepare for seems nice...oh but wait, there's always something else...oh well! The Lord will provide the strength and time we need if we follow His leading, guidance and priorities!

We have had a fun month, with the boys enjoying playing together more and more...Noah is really all over the place and interested in all that Drew does - good and bad! Drew loves it, as long as it doesn't interfere with #1 - Drew, of course! But they do love each other, no doubt!

Drew's imagination is certainly the center of almost all that goes on with him these days. Whether it's playing and acting out scenes/stories with his animals, cars, or super heros, or telling stories at bedtime with Daddy, the boy is constantly creating things in his mind and we LOVE it! Super heroes have become a new obsession lately, especially Spiderman! He has never seen a Spiderman show, movie, cartoon, book, anything before this occurred, so they only thing we can figure is the other boys at school must talk about it and he has latched on like no other! Anything Spiderman is a must have in Drew's eyes! He also loves Lightning McQueen as a close 2nd I'd say, but Transformers are making a quick move up the list too!

We have started to play "Highlight/Lowlight" at the dinner table in the evenings, trying to get Drew to recall his day and what was a favorite and something just the opposite. He's still trying to grasp the concept, as he ends up repeating the same thing most nights, even if it didn't occur that day, but he's making gains and seems to enjoy the idea at least. We are starting to hear some more of our phrases come back at us lately which at times can be hilarious, or incredibly frustrating or inappropriate. A favorite is when he asks us a question, followed with a firm: "Mommy, Yes or No!" (A phrase I use alot to try and get a quick and direct answer!) An unfortunate one however is "I don't care!" - not a fan of that!

The plight of potty training continues and getting quite fatiguing - it's become some what of a power struggle, especially at night...with Drew saying he needs to go potty 3-4 times after being put to bed, and simply dawdling through the entire routine - oh, how it grates on our nerves! As for day time, it seems completely hit or miss...I joke that we will just try again when he's 12!

He is certainly wanting to become more independent in things, daily tasks, etc., which is wonderful, but certainly can be a struggle of patience on our part to watch it take for seemingly forever to get done what we could help with in mere seconds...but he's getting dressed by himself, gets himself buckled into his car seat, wants to wear underwear, just about tries to do everything himself and his way - when he wants of course! When we want it done, well, that's another story! :)

He continues to talk obsessively about playing on a soccer team...he wears his jersey as soon as it comes out of the laundry, and loves to wear his soccer shorts and shin guards too. He talks about all the games he's going to play and that we will be there to cheer and shout for him. He loves to make a list of people that will be there to watch him - oh my! We did get to go to one of Daddy's indoor soccer games again recently, a big highlight for Drew, though we spend almost the entire time just exploring the arena, but what do I know?!

He does love to play with Noah and does love to help and teach him games and such, when it is on his terms. Favorites that both boys love to play together is chase, tickle, and they continue to love the tunnel and the new circus tent - they get the biggest kick out of playing there together! We were able to go to the zoo this month with a short break in the heat (high in the 90s, ha!) and for the first time, Noah really seemed to get into it, able to see the animals, etc., so that was fun and exciting to know they will both be able to enjoy it now for all it's glory!

Noah just LOVES to be outside! Oh my! The boy could care less about the heat - it's been over 100 degrees and he'll walk on the patio barefoot and just have the best time! He loves to carry around the golf clubs, chase after balls and is even starting to kick the balls around some! He will stand at the back door (has a full length window) and bang and cry, or reach for outside, or bring us his shoes - all signs of desperately "I want to go outside!" I am looking forward to cooler weather so we can say Yes more than No!

He is certainly a Momma's boy - seems to have increased some this month, with more separation anxiety becoming apparent. There are Sundays where he starts to cry as soon as he even SEES the nursery door - he just does not want to be away from us! Gratefully, that has not been the case at his preschool - yeah! A true blessing to not start the day that way! But oh, how Mommy can get fatigued with always having to be the one...to feed him, carry him, comfort him, put him to bed, change him, bathe him...the list goes on, you get my point! But there are moments that Drew wants nothing to do with me, and only Daddy will do, so I take comfort in my Noah for now, for that soon will change...

We have started to lead the weaning process this month with Noah, going from 4 feedings to 1! He's not been super happy about it at all times, but he's done well with it overall, and LOVES his whole milk. We needed it to be done as a family, but as a Mommy, I certainly dragged my feet on it, and I'm sure I'm more sad about it than Noah...but he is eating so well with all the table foods and drinks great from a sippy cup, so he's thriving and doing just great! It will be nice when Mommy doesn't HAVE to be the one for all of that! We've had lots of good snuggle time though to make up for it - he'll just hold on tight, or lie down with me on the floor and just sigh in content - so incredibly sweet! He gives great big wide open mouth kisses on cue and hugs too! Love that he can express love back!

He is more and more expressive and gets the biggest kick out of us repeating back his sounds with him - he just giggles! Drew loves to play along too! He loves "Uh-uh", and certainly does that one on purpose more than we'd care for. But he's also learned to give High Fives and blow kisses! He loves to copy/imitate us as well - a great one recently was trying to jump - Daddy jumped up and down a few times and so Noah tried too - bending knees, getting real low to ground and coming up, and marching his feet real high - adorable! He makes some of the funniest faces and expressions and he knows it! He'll stick out his tongue or suck in his cheeks - he's just too cute! He's also understanding so many things now - we are both shocked at how much he 'gets'! Truly an amazing creation of God!

Both boys are growing great! Drew is in 3T clothes, but only those that run long. He wears size 9 shoes and measures at 42 inches (>97%) and 32 lbs (50%). Noah is in size 12 month clothes and size 3 shoes, measuring 32 1/2 inches (97%) and weighs 21 lb 10 oz (25%).