11months young

Drew is on day 3 of being 11 months young and I am trying to blog from my phone for the first time. Maybe this will allow me to blog more often even though they will be shorter!

Anyhow, Drew is almost 18 lbs, small for his age and in the 2percentile for height. Not much we can do about that but we've been trying to fatten him up for the past, oh, 11 months. He has never been a good eater or packer-on of pounds even from the minute he was born. So, we're doing our very best. He loves his pancakes!!! 

Meat-rack is very vocal and loud but sweetly whispers "TJ" a lot more often now. His very favorite is yelling, "DADADADA" or shouting to let people know he is present. He likes to step on everything. And push his walker or books, cars, toys to the couch and stand on then to climb up. He LOVES to see me pull out his shoes! He shrieks and kicks and tenses up excitedly because he knows that means he gets to walk outside and go up and down the driveway with his shopping cart. And pull weeds and put mulch on his head! 

He and TJ will lay on their backs together and hold hands and Drew will suck his thumb...for minutes at a time. It's so cute! This is the longest he's been will in to relax or "admit" he's slowing down and taking a break. 

TJ has started football practices and I remember his first day like it was yesterday. How he's grown!!! He has some confidence and knowledge and boy is he tough! He's fast too and really enjoys it. That's the best part...seeing him working and playing on the field, then turning to look at us with a giant smile!

2nd grade is less than a week away. I am in shock. Summer is over and while it was chaotic and fun and wonderful, it was also nothing like I had planned. Hardly any days at the pool...but we made up for it in playgrounds, ice cream, parks and Lakeside, and Legos! We did a lot with friends and had some time just T and me too. When Drew napped, we did all we could with little toys and tough stuff. 

It took until about a week ago for TJ to be ready for school. He's there. I'm not. 6 days til I write a sobbing blog. Ya might wanna skip that one. 

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Mister Mischief

It's amazing how different TJ and Drew have been as babies. They are similar in sweetness and TJ was definitely active, but Drew is SO active and SO fast that he's more than earned his nickname of 'NonStop'. Tim calls him MeatRack and MeatBall the most and TJ and I call him BooBoo and Drew-suff (don't ask me how that started ... like Joseph I guess?) mostly. 

Drew is already trying to be very independent. He likes what he likes...and will let you know what he doesn't! He pushes our faces away or to the side if he wants to inspect our ears or play with our hair. He listens when I say 'no' to touching the fireplace. However, he will try and try and try and then shake his hands and scream next to the fireplace because he's not allowed to touch. It's quite cute. :) He is sneaky too. He sees gates as challenges and works to get out more than he plays inside. 

He's an expert stair climber too. At 10 months. Eek! Of course we have our hands around his waist but he does it all himself and looks down 3 or 4 times each flight and giggles. He gets so much satisfaction out of it! 

His inch-long white eyelash is gone. And I'm actually sad. He had this insanely long eyelash on his lower lashes (left) and it kept growing for months! But the other day, my Mom noticed it was missing! How dare it fall off and not tell me! : ) 

Right now, he has a double ear infection and we are ALL four of us on day 5 of the worst cold/flu known to man. Seriously, I can't believe how long it's taking to shake this! Lots of slow walks around the block and movies and playing guys on the floor. 

TJ will be starting 2nd grade in less than weeks. SECOND GRADE! It makes me so sad but also excited for him too. We're super proud of the kind of kid he is. We know we're so lucky that he has good judgement. We were at the playground the other day and two boys were up there (4th grade maybe?) and they were trying to break the swing for special needs kids. I asked them nicely to stop. And to think about leaving it for the kids who can't use their legs. I could not believe the response I got. And neither could TJ. Total disrespect and talking back. It was disgusting. One of them boasted that their dad was a cop and I wasn't his mom so I couldn't tell him what to do. I said something like, "well good luck in life" and he said, "well I'm kinda rich so I've got a great life." That made me break out in a sweat. Seriously, those boys are in for a rude awakening someday. TJ was very upset that they talked to me like that. My protector. 

Football starts soon! His team jersey is silver with red lettering. I can't wait! We just finished up swimming lessons and baseball so we have this week free and then back to practices and games! In swimming lessons, he only has one level left until he's completed the highest possible. He had an awesome teacher again this session. His teacher commented to me that T's an incredibly hard worker and that while this level wasn't easy for him, he never gave up. Even in the 200m final test. Woohoo! That's our boy! 

Tim and I are constantly in awe of TJ's relationship with Drew. First of all, Drew just adores TJ and whips around to look for him whenever he hears his voice. He wants to pat his head and pull his hair in adoration. Ha! But TJ's view of Drew is more than adoring. Every once in awhile, T will get tears in his eyes and say, "Mom! I can't believe we have a baby in this house. I just can't believe it! It's like Christmas every day. He is just so cute and fun. I have a brother!" It gets me every single time. He appreciates so much and I am thankful for that every minute. He's my big helper even moreso than I ask him to be. He checks on him when he naps to make sure he's still breathing : ) not per my request. Lots of love in this home. 

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best summer weekend ever!

This was quite possibly my favorite weekend of all time. I can't name exactly why, but...well, actually I can. Tim was home all weekend and we weren't overplanned!  We had big pool time, back yard baby pool time, lots of walks and just hands-down the best family time ever. Woohoo!!

We have lots of fun coming up and we have exhausted every single moment of summer thus far. :) I promise.

Couple updates on TJ:
* TJ's only got one baseball game left but they are doing great and having fun. Sunday night's game was called about 20 minutes in due to the storm that came along. It was fun watching the dark clouds roll in.
 
* He's working on some chapter books (we love Junie B right now) and is writing in a summer journal

* Drawing is still a constant love of his and he's working on a TMNT book right now

* He changes his favorite super hero every 30 minutes or so and is sure to tell us about it : )

* He spent 2 nights at Lakeside with Bondi and Poppy and I had a rough time being away from him that whole time...I'm not gonna lie. But I made it and so did he and it was nice to have some time with Drew and adjust to summertime.

* He spent 3 days last week at a day camp at church (Beulah on the Road) and LOVED it. He learned a lot, climbed a giant rock wall and made some great friends. He also liked telling people that he spent several hours away from his parents at a camp and felt very proud about that. He's becoming more independent. Eek!

 
Couple updates on 9-month old Drew:
* He growls. All the time. It's hilarious and cute and a little weird all at the same time. I'm trying to capture it on video but haven't gotten that lucky yet. Ha! If he's concentrating on something like walking with his walker or splashing in the pool, he's growling.

* He gives kisses. Aww!

* He loves splashing in the tub and the pool. Swimming lessons start next week so I'm excited to see both boys swim like fishes!

* He is constantly saying and chanting "Dada"! And today he's been saying "DayDay" "Dah Day" and "YeahYeah" for TJ. I LOVE IT! It's so exciting.

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Home runs, horses and walker walking!

Lots of BIG things are happening around here! 

TJ hit a HOME RUN in baseball last week. Seriously, it was incredible! He is so fun to watch because he enjoys it and has a bit of confidence now. And he always wants to make sure everyone knows he's #5! :)

He also rode a horse (today) and loved it! What a cool experience!!!

(Fun videos at the bottom)

 CRACK!!!!

 Drew's realizing something here...but I'm not sure what. :)

 Cowboy T!

 Lakeside with Poppy and Bondi. TJ won!

 Mommy's favorite - mayflies. Sick.

And Drew (aka Meatball, As-Drew-Ball, Meat Rack, Meat-sickle) WALKED with the walker!

He also had his 9-month old appointment today and is in the 2nd percentile for length and beefed up to 14th percentile for weight - 17 1/2 lbs HALLELUJAH! Drew's got a nice big melon too. Head circumference was 46th percentile. It helps that he's now two weeks into being 9 months but hey, we'll take it!

(Below) Turn the volume down for these videos. I'm so annoying. Sorry!

Drew did not like spaghetti several weeks back, but he does now! How cute is his little gag here. 

Poor guy!

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my hero

Yesterday was a particularly hectic day and I was icing Drew's head on the front stoop because he got a bump. TJ ran inside to grab his subtraction workbook. He was taking longer than I expected so I leaned back into the screen and called to make sure he was still coming back outside. Two minutes later, TJ pushed through the front door with a plate. He had made dinner for two! I almost fell over. There were two yogurts with two spoons, two matching string cheeses and a pile of crackers "to share". Best dinner I ever ate. My little darling saved the day. Again.

TJ's quote of the night: I can't wait to be a dad. That means I'll have to get married (his worst, latest fear) but it'll be worth it. (Pause. I can see the gears turning in his head.) We'll be a young couple.

TJ's quote of the morning: It's always better to get in trouble with someone else (than by yourself). Coming from the boy who hardly gets in trouble...by himself let along with someone else. Ha!

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Heroes

 TJ is Drew's hero and I kind of think Drew is TJ's hero too. They just absolutely adore each other. Time stands still when they interact. Drew does not shriek or go crazy for anyone but T. His whole body goes nuts when TJ talks to him and he even screams (in delight) at TJ whenever he pays attention to him. I can't get enough of the two of them together. 

 Speaking of heroes, Tim is TJ's. He wants to be a business man when he grows up (and any given super hero, depending on the day). My sweet boy. He always wants to know what Tim was like as a kid and what he was into. In the pic below, they're at an All-Pro Dad event. So very cool.  : )

 Drew went from layin' around for 6 months (hehe) to rolling over kind of late for a baby. At 6 months he started to roll here and there but only the hard way...from back to front. Well, at 7 months he army-crawled the length of the floor. The army style only lasted about 5 days til Drew figured out the real deal in hands and knees travel. He is FASSSST now at 8 months! If he sees a remote or a phone or an opening in a gate, that boy is GONE! He's so fun to watch. Last week, he started pulling himself up. I put him in his crib to clean up the toys in his room for a second and when I turned around he was standing up, holding onto the side. He pulls himself up on anything low enough to the ground where he can get his short legs up underneath him.

Yesterday and today, he's tried to stand up from a sitting position on his own with nothing to help him. He hasn't done it yet and I'm okay with that! I need him to crawl for awhile...I love this stage!!! TJ walked at just under 14 months. I think Drew will be walking before that but I don't want him to rush it!!! 

Shopping cart covers are awesome! I didn't have one with TJ but I love this one. This is on the eve of Drew's first tooth which popped in two days ago! Woohoo! He has been teething since he was 8 weeks old. Only took him 6 months of drool to get one out. : ) 

TJ begged and begged his coach to let him play catcher at the first game. When the coach then asked TJ to be catcher in that first game...he cried. Oh my soul, he cracks me up. But through his nervous tears, he did it! He conquered that uncertainty and went for it! I was so proud for him. And with Daddy faithfully talking him through it and then helping him with his gear, he learned how much he loved being catcher. It's his new favorite. He has lots of new favorite things. What a great life for a 7 year old!

 

I've cut up more shirts of mine for TJ's super hero costumes. Ha! 

This one looks pretty terribly done...because it IS terribly done. But oh so much fun being Cyclops. Too much fun to wait for me to sew evenly.

My heart.

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So Much to Say...So Much to Say

Tonight, TJ went in to kiss Drew goodnight as usual, but he was a little late. So he went in after I had left. I was lucky enough to hear him through the monitor. He whispered in a sing-song voice through the crib slats, "I love you, Drew. You're my best friend. Have a good sleep. I'm gonna try and kiss your tiny hand. You're so cute. I hope you have dreams that money turns into bottles and you can drink them all night long." Oh my gosh, I was dying on the other end of that monitor! Oh how I love LOVE! 

TJ had baseball practice this afternoon. It's been so darn cold so Drew and I watched from the car while Daddy shivered by the fence. TJ was in "ready stance" much of the time. He drew in the dirt here and there, jumped around a lot and then had some great plays and hits and swings too. Mostly, he had fun. Which is the MOST fun part about watching him. T had flag football camp 3 nights last week. It was freezing out and super windy so keeping Drew warm and happily active for an hour and a half each night was a little tricky. But TJ had a smile on his face the entire time and I can't even describe how it made me feel. He's had to work on being brave and trying new things a lot in his short little life. Okay, even trying old things. But even so, he gets out there eventually and then gains some confidence in himself and I can't wait to watch that continue. He is such a great kid!!! 

In church tonight, TJ went happily into his class and Drew came in to the service with us as usual. Well, he was ALL about the singing tonight. I held him facing forward and that boy kicked his legs so hard and shook his arms so fast I thought he was gonna take off and fly up on stage. He belted out some happy screeches and some loud DADADADA's for a good 15 minutes. When the speaking started, he wanted to continue his talking and mid-air jumping so after awhile, I had to take him out. He didn't cry or fuss one bit. He's come a very long way!

Yesterday, TJ lost his 7th tooth. He pulled it himself! Yes, it was dangling and it made me shiver every time I looked at it hanging there...but he wanted to do it himself and he did a great job handling the blood. : ) 

Also yesterday, Drew army-crawled halfway across the floor in the living room. Whoa. Bondi and TJ were there and we all jumped back in surprise. Oh my goodness, was Drew ever proud! He squealed and grunted and then got back to it. He exhausted himself! Today, he went back at it. For a few minutes, I left TJ in charge while I changed the laundry. Seconds later, T yelled to me that Drew was clear across the room and trying to get under the couch. What a stinker! My life is forever changed : ) as I will be scanning the floor for silly bands and Legos every single second! 

One of my favorite parts of the weekend was walking to the carnival with TJ and holding his hand while we both pushed Drew in the stroller. My dudes had their sunglasses on and we played all the games a million times. TJ got his face painted, Drew laughed at TJ for 2 hours straight and then we walked home. TJ's favorite part was trying to win a cake...and having his brother along. Sigh. 

Next blog, I'll write about Culler's Farm. One of my favorite places on earth.

This boy loves his tongue.

Our little Jabba the Hut.

1,000 words.

Swimming lessons! He swam ten laps this day!

Drew loves food!

TJ loves food too! : ) He never stops - ha!

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wiggly worms and half birthdays!

TJ the hookworm bookworm! 

So...we're super proud of TJ's interest in trying out for the play Squirm and for following through with excitement! He didn't cry or worry about this at all! From beginning to end, he was pumped and we were thrilled for him. And of course, he did great up on stage. : ) That was an added bonus. The best part was that HE was proud of himself and that he had to miss parts of recess to practice. Yay T!

The play was really well done and adorable. I even caught Auntie Marcia jammin' and clappin' along to the songs! :) T was so happy that so much of his family could make it that night. During the morning performance, he had a clouded questioning look on his face and kept mouthing "where's my family?" to me. I was nearly in a panic sitting in the crowd wondering how I could reassure him that everyone was coming at night!? I literally wanted to pounce up on stage and stop the whole thing so I could tell him YES! YES! Lots of your family is coming tonight!!!! I had told him that several times but his hearing and listening have become quite selective lately. Anyway, I think he had the most support of all his classmates...from Grandma and Auntie Marcia, Uh Paul and CC, Auntie Melissa, Aunt Val and Uncle Ben, Reagan and Avery, Nonny and Gram, Bondi and Poppy (fresh from Florida...or unfresh rather - ha!) and DADDY!

Drew loved the dress rehearsal and the morning performances except for the clapping parts or when the kids with speaking parts got too close to the mic. But other than pouting and frowning/screaming after those parts, he did great and supported his big brother.

Here's a pic of Drew today...on his half birthday. He is 6 months old today! My littlest man!

I can't wait to see the doctor next week to talk about him. I love that part.

I will admit though that I worry he's just starting to roll over and he's a peanut in the weight department. But I'm also sure that when he's a linebacker for the Berea-Midpark Titans down the road, I'll laugh when looking back at this post. (Sorry, Drew. You can't be a linebacker even if you are big enough. Unless there are linebackers in flag football. Then you're allowed.)

TJ is so into Drew trying new foods and wants to drink apple juice at the exact second Drew is taking sips of his. (Something we need to do for his tummy.) When I told TJ that Drew is half a year old today, he got SO excited and wanted to go get cupcakes and ice cream to celebrate. I was all for that! Except that it's a freaking blizzard right now...and it was 61 degrees yesterday. Boo.

Our next big thing is a sleepover. TJ wants to share a room with Drew but we're gonna start with a sleepover. Not sure how we're gonna pull that one off but we'll do it with style. And I'm sure I'll have a stiff neck in the morning when I roll outta my sleeping bag.

Just call me, Aleve. (Get it, Care?)

Peace out - family!

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Elbow dimples & Tim McGraw

TJ went back to school today after a whole week off. There was the holiday, then a snow day followed by 3 days of the dreaded strep. Poor T. He's a trooper with his medicine though. I can't even smell the stuff without gagging but he happily takes it down - but not before asking for his "catcher". Whenever he has to take medicine I give him a "chaser" of something he likes like fruit snacks or something sweet and "desserty" (as TJ calls it). But he's recently begun calling it a "catcher" and I just love that. Ha!

So, I'm not gonna lie. I am sad today now that T's at school. I'm so very thankful to have Drew. There is just something completely wonderful and necessary about being needed. I love being needed. And I love being that person to my kids. But when TJ is away at school, part of me goes there with him and I just miss him. I'm so glad he went without any worries or tears today. He loves school -- once he gets there. He just doesn't like that it (and I quote) "wastes" his play time. I'm also thankful that Drew will stay a baby forever and will never need to go to school or leave me. Right? :)

I'm happy to report that Drew now has ELBOW DIMPLES! It took him awhile to achieve this, but we are finally there. I love those little dimples and his huge, chubby cheeks! He's actually starting to take naps now. When I rock him before nap or bed, he drinks his bottle while rubbing his chubby hands from the top of his fuzzy head to his cheeks and then landing them over his eyes. He just holds both hands over his eyes like he is so relaxed and so relieved to be eating and going to sleep. Most of the time he's a little bit awake when I put him in his special sleeper and he talks himself to sleep - first on my shoulder and then when he's down. Oh, it is so syrupy sweet.

On a completely different note, TJ and I were having a snack in the kitchen last week and I had Tim McGraw playing in the background. He asked who was singing and I went on and on about how much I love this singer. He asked if Tim McGraw was married and what his wife's name was - so I told him. Apparently I didn't say it very clearly (I probably had a mouthful of cereal) and he said, "Faith with a 'th'? Like, 'Have faith in the Lord'?" Oh. My. Gosh, What 1st grader uses a sentence like that for the word? Ha - he's awesome. So then, he asked me if Tim and Faith had any kids. I said I was pretty sure he had two girls. When I told him I didn't know their names, TJ said, "Oh, I guess you don't know him that well, do you?"

No, TJ. Unfortunately, I do not. ")

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Sweet T

I don't get much one-on-one time with TJ these days. Tim works insane hours and Drew, being a sweet baby, needs a lot of attention. I'd be lying if I said I didn't ever feel sad or guilty about it. But that kid is one amazing 7-year old. His sweetness toward Drew absolutely melts my heart. When Drew is sad, TJ is very concerned and tries to fix it. He tells me to try the pacifier or to check his diaper. He often blames it on teething and tells Drew it'll be okay soon and that he'll need those teeth to eat pizza sometime soon. Ha! And he isn't bothered a bit by any crying (which has really gotten better now that Drew's outgrown his colic! Woohoo!) I'm quite surprised he hasn't been impatient even once. I mean, there are some big changes going on and T is good with all of them!

TJ loves when Drew is happy and screeching or squealing or blowing bubbles. He laughs his head off at Drew and in return, Drew laughs at TJ. He ALWAYS responds to TJ. Always! TJ is very proud of his brother and I am so proud of the both of them. They're a good pair. My sweet boys.

The voices TJ uses when he talks to Drew crack me up too. He gets this high-pitched sing-song lovey dovey voice going that makes me smile and giggle. I'll have to post a picture of TJ's homework the other day. The kids were asked to write who they'd choose to be their vice president if they were president. TJ wrote, "My brother Drew".  I was beaming after I read that. I still am, actually.

So back to my point about not having much alone time with T. Well last night, I crawled into bed and started my taped Olympics from the evening. A thought floated through my mind, wishing T would wake up and come watch a little bit with me. I didn't give it a second thought because he sleeps so soundly and always sleeps through til morning. Not 4 minutes later, the bedroom door creaks and in walks T. I couldn't believe it. He just stood there with his hair standing straight up on one side and his eyes squinting from the light. A second later, we were watching skiing and sliding together. I was so happy for that time with him! He didn't last long before he fell back asleep (during ice dancing, no less) but it made my day.

Oh my heart is so filled up!

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Wow - two blogs in one day!

 A few more pictures of the boys...and one video. Drew gets SO excited following TJ around the room with his eyes. He loves him so! Video may be sideways because I don't know what I'm doing.  : )

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More later? Yeah, it's nearly 5 mos. later...

Drew is 5 months old tomorrow! It makes me sick to think about how quickly time has gone! Drew is not a very big boy, but he has big cheeks and, more importantly, big smiles and lots of sweetness! His colic and acid reflux are nicely under control and I love making that boy laugh. TJ is much better at it than I am. Drew adores TJ and the feeling is mutual.

TJ is the most unbelievable brother - I knew he'd be great, I just didn't know how incredible he'd be. Just last night as I was putting Drew's sleeper on and getting ready to rock him a bit, TJ ran in to make sure he kissed Drew, then tore out of the room and turned off the hall light, bathroom light and his light. (Of course that left me with zero light but I didn't want to hurt TJ's little feelings so I stumbled around in the dark and made it out okay. Thank goodness there weren't any Legos on the floor. I've made that mistake before!) T is like a little super hero; more now than ever before. Even during one of Drew's crying spells, he literally put his arms around my waist, smiled up at me and said, "I just LOVE having a baby in this house." BE STILL MY HEART. What a boy. *sigh*

Drew likes to suck his thumb which I love because he can soothe himself. He doesn't nap well (yet) but he's sleeping through the night and goes down very well now. Whew! He always wakes up with a huge smile and three dots on his cheeks and nose from where his fingers were pressed into his face while sucking his thumb. It is absolutely adorable.

I'm proud to say that TJ was just cast as a worm in the upcoming 1st grade musical. We couldn't be more excited!

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