letter to my boy

dear drew,


a year has gone by...a whole year...a whole year since you were just the tiny 6lb 11oz peanut i was cuddling in my arms at the hospital. so tiny, so sweet, so precious and innocent, so new - swaddled and content. beautiful. all i could do is look at you, smile, and think of how blessed we are to have you in our lives. it all seems like just yesterday to me and i remember it like it was. but it wasn't just yesterday. yesterday you turned one... ONE! i can't believe how fast the last year has gone. it brings tears to my eyes thinking about it. you grow up more and more each day and no matter what i do, i can't slow it down. but with each day brings more joy, more smiles, more love. something new, something exciting. i love you. with more than i ever thought my heart could hold. and now, my little one-year-old, you are still so sweet, so precious, and so innocent...but not so tiny! you have grown from a little baby boy to a little man :-) i couldn't be more proud of all that you are, and all that you will become.

brand new

3 months

6months

9 months

just a few things i love about you...
i love your smile. i love your squeals and giggles. i love the bright, spunky personality that has burst out of you over the last few months. i love that, even though you don't say much, you are still very opinionated and have your own way of letting us know exactly what you want, think, or feel. you are almost always mellow and happy, but have learned how to throw a good tantrum recently, (usually when grady takes a toy away), but they end abruptly when you are picked up. i love your long, loud grunting/growling-type noise you make and the way you squeeze your hands in a fist so tightly. it's your way of expressing excitement, but it makes us all laugh. every time. i love the way you look up to your big brother already, like you are taking in everything he does (well, hopefully just the good stuff ;) i love the way you sit there quietly when grady reads books to you - listening to every single unrecognizable word, but how you won't ever let mom read to you - you flip the pages back and forth so fast like it's a game. i love your thin, fine, almost invisible blonde hair - i swear you won't need a haircut until you're five. i love the huge smile that crosses your face when i hand you lambie at night...the way you reach out your arms and pull him into your face and roll over in your crib-the same way-every time. i love your six little teeth and huge toothy smile. i love your chubbiness - legs, feet, arms, hands, tummy and oh-so-kissable cheeks - reminds me that you still are a baby, for just awhile longer. i love that no one makes you laugh like daddy. he brings out the huge belly laughs, giggles, and squeals from you. i love the way no one can calm and comfort you like mommy. i love the way you light up when you see me and wiggle your arms and legs so fast with excitement. i love that you love mommy's singing and how calm it makes you (because God knows, mommy is a horrible singer). i love the way you rest your head on my shoulder when i hold you, the nights we rock quietly in your rocking chair, and the fact that you still love cuddling. period. and i hope you alway do...because that is one thing I never want to let go.


i'll love you forever. i'll love you for always. as long as i'm living, my baby you'll be. -robert munsch


love,
mom

at one year, you:
- are 22lbs 3oz (41%) & 29 in (26%)   *grady was 24lb 5oz (72%) and 29.75 in (49%)

- have 6 teeth.

- say one word - "da-da"

- crawl all over & cruise the furniture

- walk with help & stand about 30 seconds without support
- have been working with an occupational therapist, molly (whom you love), periodically over the last 6 months and have made remarkable progress. i think you were just lazy before ;-) you do what you want, when you want.

- eat just about everything now and rarely turn something down. you try to grab off everyone's plates.  some of your favorites are cheese sticks, mac 'n cheese, mashed potatoes, and gerber peach yogurt melts.
- give high-five's, but not quite waving bye-bye yet
- gave your first big open-mouthed sloppy baby kiss to mom today!
- love being held or cuddled, and would rather be carried than work to crawl to get anywhere.
- love grady's train table. it's your absolute favorite place to be. you could stand there for hours. if we walk by his room without letting you down to play, you scream in protest.

- just wore your last size 3 diaper today - movin up to a 4!
- wear size 3 shoes

- wear size 12 (some 12-18) month clothes

- stopped nursing on mommy's birthday. i was sad. but you decided you were done, which made me happy it was you that made that decision.
- still drink 3-4 bottles/day and have been introduced to vitamin D milk this week. you don't seem to mind it so far.

- take one 3-hr or two 2-hr naps each day (usually still two-thank goodness :)
- sleep through the night (almost) always - 7pm to 7am (give or take an hour)
- still sleep in a sleep sack, but will need to give that up soon. the weather is getting warmer and your feet are trying to poke out the bottom!

- love our dog Kirby, he makes you laugh

- LOVE tv... not sure what it is about it, but you are obsessed. OBSESSED. so we have to limit that now. some of your favorite shows are little einsteins, mickey mouse clubhouse, handy manny, or the movies toy story and gnomeo and juliet. or, whatever grady wants to watch ;-) you aren't too picky.

birthday & party

drew had a fun birthday party with jon, grady, krisitin and I - mickey mouse themed. he seemed to have a lot of fun. especially with the cake smashing. auntie kristin made a couple amazing cakes - a big mickey mouse head, and a separate one for smashing. drew jumped right in - even before the candle was blown out. he must take after mommy and brother in the cake loving department :) after he had taken down a large portion, he screamed in disgust when we we finally took it away from him. 

drew got lots of nice cards and fun presents from our family (which grady opened mostly all of,  since drew wasn't too interested in that part). i guess grady gets two birthday's this year, since he seemed to think the presents were for him. 

here are some pictures from the birthday party and his birthday yesterday.

watching grady and jon outside

i set the cakes out too early - grady was horrified he had to 

wait until drew got up from his nap to have some.

a few presents and balloons. grady had the big mickey

mouse at his 1st birthday too. it was a big hit both times :)

first bites

diggin in. grady snuck in to join the fun.

drew didn't seem to mind at all :)

YUM!

grady finally got his own.

holding up two fingers, saying "one more. one more piece"!?

checking out the goods

as grady and I were opening presents for drew, 

he snuck away to play with other toys.

balloons were fun though!

needed one pic of me and drewski

birthday morning.
i expected him to be standing up in his crib with a big smile on his face like usual,
but i think i ran in there too soon and he was still waking up... oops.

balloons were now low enough to be way more fun :)

i got a little carried away with pics, but he was having so much fun.
played with many different perspectives.

Jon said the pic above looks exactly like him as a baby, so I thought I'd put it on here.
Any thoughts, Jeanie? Doug?

for some reason, one of my favorites

went to the beach/park in mukilteo in the afternoon before dinner with kristin
and the boys - met jon there after work

enjoying the beautiful weather outside after dinner

bath time before bed. i was trying to take video with my camera, but haven't got it quite figured out yet apparently, because this is the picture it took instead.