Some Fall Pics for Your Viewing Pleasure

Pictures have finally been posted from the last few months. I know I'm not very good at keeping current. Follow the link to see our crazy little man from this fall. You should probably expect to see winter pictures this spring :)

Please can I have a timeout?

During the last month, Drew has become very familiar with the timeout routine. He goes right over to his spot when he know he's been naughty and is told to go to timeout. He sits there his full minute and a half and doesn't cause any problems. I don't think he has had a single incident in the last week which has been an awesome improvement over the prior weeks.

This morning he pushed a button on the phone base - a button he knows he is not supposed to touch and has gotten into trouble many times for touching. We told him not to do it again and he pronounced that he should have a timeout for it. We told him he didn't have to go but if he touched it again he would have to go to timeout. He always gets a warning before being punished so I didn't feel the need to put him straight onto the rug. This wasn't good enough for Drew and he marched over to the rug and sat down saying he should have a timeout. So, I set the timer for 30 seconds and let him sit there for his self inflicted punishment.

About ten minutes later he went back and sat on the rug saying he wanted a timeout. I told him that he was being a good boy today and wasn't in trouble for anything so he didn't have to have a timeout. Well, that wasn't what he wanted to hear. Right next to his timeout rug are a couple two foot tall scarecrow people. He walked right up and pushed one of them over knowing that would get him into trouble. So his little ploy worked and he was in major trouble. Why would he suddenly think that timeouts are fun?!?! Never before has he seemed to enjoy them. I guess he was just missing what used to be part of our daily routine. Crazy kid!!!!

Obsession

Drew has become obsessed with brushing his teeth. He will sneak into the bathroom throughout the day, get his toothbrush out of his drawer, get on his stool at the sink, and stand in the dark brushing his teeth. If we would let him, he would probably be in there at least 15 times a day brushing. I am hoping that he continues to enjoy brushing his little chompers so we can enjoy low dentist bills in the future!!!!

Updates

Well I have been reminded by many lately that it has been a long time since I have posted anything. Sorry everyone. I have just been so sick with this pregnancy that I haven't had an ounce of energy to spend on blogging or really anything else for that matter. Mitch can verify that fact. The poor guy pretty much had to handle packing and moving without any help from me. I would highly recommend not to move when you're in your first trimester. I'm happy to report that it has now been over a week since I have gotten sick, so I'm starting to feel like a normal person again. We are super excited to be expecting our little one in the beginning of April and still can't believe we're actually going to have two kids. Some days I feel like I can't even handle the crazy one I already have so I get a little freaked out about adding another one to the mix. All of your kids are supposed to be different right???? So I can't get another one as crazy as Drew?!?!?!?!?

Speaking of Drew he continues to amaze us every day. The other day he told me a story about something that had happened the day before. An actual story with multiple sentences!! He is talking in little sentences now and we can't even believe how much he knows. I'm always amazed at how he fast he catches on to words. There are so many times Mitch and I look at each other dumbfounded by what we just heard. Drew had also got quite an imagination. He's really been pretending a lot lately which is so fun to watch. I'm not a creative person, never have been. So to watch him make stuff up and act it out is so fun for me to see.

Drew continues to be freakishly strong. He can jump as far as me from standing still. A couple weeks ago I saw him jump and didn't think I could even make it that far so I tried and made it the exact distance he did. I don't even think most kids can jump at this age. I think we might have a long jumper in our future. Also, over the weekend he helped Grandpa M. with wood. Drew would throw pieces out of the truck so Grandpa could stack them. You should have seen us all standing there in amazement as Drew picked up those first pieces and chucked them over the side. He even knew how to adjust his hands to get a better grip if he was having a hard time picking it up. Crazy, crazy, crazy.

Well that's all I have for now. I promise I'll try to be better about updating. Maybe I'll even get some pictures on here which is something I've always been really bad about.

Talk, Talk, Talk

For about the last three weeks, Drew has been a talking fool. He learns at least one new word a day and immediately incorporates it into his daily vocabulary. It seems amazing that all we have to do is tell him a word once and then bam he uses it all the time. It's so fun to see how much he learns every day.

Glorious Bug Bombs

When we got back from our trip to Dallas we arrived home to a house infested by earwigs and other creepy crawlies. Earwigs are so nasty and they have been everywhere in our house. I kill about five at a time which totally grosses me out.

While we were going to be gone for the 4th weekend we decided it would be a good time to try and bomb the house. We got the van all packed up on Friday morning and Drew and I headed outside. Mitch stayed behind in the house and set off three bug bombs. He walked out as the house filled with poisonous smoke and the smoke detectors blaring. Upon our arrival home on Sunday we found no bugs crawling around. It was so great to only see dead little bodies lying around. I love dead bugs!!!

A Week of Firsts

So today Drew got his first time out. He is absolutely driving me crazy. He has suddenly either become possessed or at 17 months has started the terrible twos. It is constant fits and tantrums every time he doesn't immediately get what he wants. If this keeps up I don't think I'm going to make it. Back to the time out - he has been picking at the paint under one of the windows in our dining room. A couple weeks ago he peeled off a big piece of the wall. Mitch glued it back on and then Drew did it again the other day only this time he tore it off. Now part of our red wall is missing. So this morning I was sweeping up some ants I found in the living room (disgusting!!!!) and looked over and saw Drew behind the curtain in the dining room. I immediately knew what he was doing. When I got over there I saw him pulling off little bits of paint from the same spot he took his big piece from. I was so mad because he knows he's not supposed to be doing that and you can tell this by the way he sneaks over there and acts when he gets caught. So I decided he was going to have a time out. On the way over to set him on the stair I see the entry way covered in envelopes which he got into while I had gone outside to get ant killer. Ahhhh!!!!!! I set him on that step and told him to stay there. I think that was the first time he has ever really listened to what I said the first time. He did not move off that step until the timer went off and I explained that he could move again. I didn't think there was any way that he was going to sit there so I was pleasantly surprised that he actually did it.

On Sunday while we were at my parents house Drew had to take a nap so I put him on the porch in his pack n play. He instantly started screaming and crying because he wanted to be in the living room with everyone else. A couple minutes later it got quiet and Drew started to open the door from the porch to the living room. He had escaped from bed. Mitch went and put him back and a couple minutes later he was back out. So that's awesome; I don't' know how we'll travel with him anymore if he won't stay in bed.

This morning I heard a thump from the baby monitor followed by some crying. I got up and went to Drew's room and was met by him opening the door. He is only 17 months old and is climbing out of his crib. Now we have to figure out what to do with him. I wasn't ready at all to move him to a big bed. There's no way that he'll stay in bed and go to sleep at night or for naps. But we can't leave him in the crib and have him get hurt as he climbs out. Since he was born he's been in such a hurry to grow up. I guess we should have known that we were going to have our hands full when he could already hold his head up at birth and preferred standing on your lap in the hospital instead of being cuddled. My goal now is to harness this strength and energy and turn him into an Olympic athlete. I just need to pick a sport. :)

Trip to Dallas

Two weeks ago today we headed down to Dallas for a long weekend. We had such a great time getting to see Heath, Kristen and Ainsley. Since they've moved so far away we only get to see them a couple times a year. I'm glad it finally worked out that we could travel down to see them. The trip went pretty well. Drew did awesome during the long car rides. He read lots of books, played with some of his favorite toys along with some new ones I had picked up for him, and watched some Veggie Tales and Sesame Street. We were shocked when we got home how well the trip back had gone. The only problem we had is that our air conditioning didn't work very well. It would quit after an hour or two and then it wouldn't blow any air. It got pretty hot a few times which become a little miserable. Otherwise the new van worked wonderfully for us. It was great to have so much space. It was nice being able to go back and sit with Drew when I needed to.

I love that Drew has a cousin that's only 13 days older than him. It's just sad that they don't get to play together that often. I have so much fun watching the two of them play together. It's so funny how different they are but how well they play. Drew is absolutely crazy and full of energy 24-7. Ainsley seems to be more laid back and relaxed. It was funny that when they came together and started playing, Drew seemed to take on a little of Ainsley's character and toned the crazy down which was a nice break.

After we got home I noticed that Drew had picked up a few of the things we noticed Ainsley doing. Drew loves, loves, loves milk. He would drink it all the time if we would let him. He's only allowed to have a glass at breakfast, lunch, and supper. The rest of the day he has to drink water - which he drinks a lot of as well. Well, while in Dallas I noticed Drew watching/studying Ainsley. She doesn't drink milk as well during her meals so she gets to ask for the drinks of milk after dinner. Drew watched her do her sign for milk and then her mom or dad would go and get her a drink. Drew would just stare like he had seen Ainsley perform some sort of magic trick. When we got home he kept trying to use the sign he had seen her use in hopes of automatic drinks. It makes me laugh every time. He's so funny.

New Pics

Mitch has updated our photo gallery with new 2009 photo albums. Check them out to see what's been happening in Drew's life over the last few months.

Drew's Favorites

I thought I would update you on a few of Drew's current favorites.

1. Letting us know every time he sees or hears a car, boat or puppy.
2. Riding his car
3. Snacking
4. Playing with cars
5. Reading books
6. Going to the park
7. Helping cook and unload the dishwasher
8. Saying "Grandpa" over and over and over
9. Having conversations on his "phones" - remotes, mouses, etc.
10. Walking around in Mom and Dad's shoes
11. Turning the lights on
12. Crying when his teeth are coming in

Five Years

Yesterday was our fifth anniversary. We did not spend it in our traditional fashion which usually included a nice restaurant with an expensive dinner. This year, we decided to get some seafood and eat at home and just watch a movie. I know people probably think that's crazy - why cook your own food instead of going out. But we didn't just eat. We feasted. Our food was AWESOME!!! We dined on king crab legs, the most giant shrimp I've ever seen, and grilled mushrooms. It was so yummy. I know it doesn't sound like a very rounded meal but we didn't want to waste space in our tummies with veggies when we had crab legs (my favorite food). Then we spent about 4.5 hours playing Guitar Hero which I got Mitch as an anniversary gift. We didn't even get to watch our movie because we were so addicted to G.H. It was such a fun night. Thanks for five great years Mitch!!!!

Simple Things

OK, so I love my van but I've found it's a little harder than I thought to have a van. Everything had a place in our car. When we went on a trip the car was organized to perfection. Everything was placed for maximum traveling comfort. Now that all has to be rethought. We spend a lot of the time in the car so I need to get this figured out quickly before I go crazy. Right now Drew's car toys are just laying on the floor which is not my ideal setup. I need to find something to keep the toys and books in so we can have better organization. Otherwise, I love the comfort of our van. The seats are so big and cushy and wonderful. I'm really looking forward to our road trip in a couple weeks.

We Got Our Van

Yesterday was the longest day EVER. We left our house at nine to head to Waterloo to look at vans. We did not get back to my parents house to pick up Drew until about 7:20. The whole process took forever and we only went to two places. Once we finally made a decision - which was so incredibly stressful - it was another three hours before we were able to leave. We had to wait so long for a business manager...the one you meet at the end to sign all the paperwork. The whole time we were waiting we had to sit with our salesman and listen to his endless stories. I was so burnt out by that point that I kept spacing out. I didn't care about all of his stories. I really just wanted to go sit by myself in silence. I wanted so badly to tell him he could leave us and go try and sell more cars but I figured he wouldn't take me seriously or wouldn't do it. It's probably bad form to leave your customers.

So, we ended up with a van that we hadn't even looked at before nor had we read any of the reviews on. We had to call people to look stuff up for us quick so we could make sure it was safe and reliable. We ended up with a Quest and are so happy with our choice. Now we can make our trips to Dallas and Myrtle Beach in a little more comfort.

New Vehicle Freak Out

The last week we have visited every car lot in the area looking at every minivan they have. Tonight we spent almost two hours driving around CR looking at vans. I am so sick of it. The plan is to go and buy one in the morning. The thought of that has me all freaked out keeping me awake. We decided that we needed more space because we travel so much. This summer we have two big trips planned and the extra space will really be nice. We'll see what happens tomorrow.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there. I know that I'm enjoying my day with Mitch handling all the cooking, cleaning, and changing of dirty diapers. What a day for me!!!!!! It was so nice to wake up to a nice hot breakfast and presents. What a great husband I have.

It Happened

This morning, when I was in the kitchen getting Drew's breakfast, I saw an ant crawling on the cupboard. I screamed and swiftly put an end to his little life. Luckily that's the only one I've found so far today. I will be purchasing some high intensity ant killer tonight to leave out and catch any who may be hiding.

As if the ant wasn't bad enough, when we were outside playing this morning I heard a few rustlings. I kept looking over and didn't see any animals which is what it sounded like. Then finally I saw something. Along the garage the ground was rising as something moved closer and closer to us. Finally a body appeared and I saw it. A mouse!!!! I grabbed Drew and ran across the yard into the house. I put Drew inside and went back out. I wanted to get the side door to the garage closed to it couldn't get in there. I was so freaked out though because I am so super scared of mice. I checked the area about a hundred times and then ran over and grabbed the door, got it closed, and then booked it into the house. For the next twenty minutes I kept getting a creepy feeling and talking to myself about how I couldn't believe what had happened. I hate mice, I hate mice, I hate mice, I HATE MICE!!!!!

More Pics

Finally....Drew's Birthday Party

Mitch got out new computer fixed and we finally got pictures off the camera. So, now you can finally see Drew's first birthday pictures.

He got a musical card. He LOVES those things.
Here is the cake I made and decorated.

Drew loved digging into his cake. He first attacked the frosting and then went after the cake. He loves sweets. Really, he loves food in general. We had to take his clothes off after he finished his cake b/c he was such a mess.

Waiting for the Invasion

Every spring it inevitably happens. We have an ant invasion. I absolutely hate those nasty creepy crawly creatures. Year after year I rant and rave as they invade my kitchen. It hasn't happened yet this year but every time I walk into the kitchen I am expecting to see them. This year we finally may have headed them off. Mitch sprayed around the house last weekend so hopefully it does the trick this year and keeps them out.

15 Month Appointment

Last Friday Drew had his 15 month checkup. The doctor said that he is very healthy and on the right track with everything. He is still off the chart for his height. He is 33.75 inches which apparently is the size of a normal two year old. She said that since his height has been off the charts since birth she thinks he'll be a six footer and we should start him playing basketball so he can join the NBA and take care of us when we're older.

After his appointment Mitch took Drew to Beaver Park while I went to the chiropractor. I think they had a great time getting to play together. Drew is really having a great time when we take him to parks. He LOVES slides and being able to just run around. We have a good sized back yard but because we're on the corner we have a lot of street access. He enjoys trying to dart out into the street or sprint down the sidewalks to get away from us. that makes it pretty challenging to take him outside here. We would put up a fence but don't want to spend the money for that when we're tyring to sell the house.

Speaking of the house. Two weeks ago we fired our realtors. They were doing terrible....not returning phone calls from us, not telling us anything, not having open houses when we asked for them, and not putting our house in the paper. Right now we're not exactly sure what to do. I think we'll try and put it in the paper ourselves for a couple weeks. We can sell if for cheaper if we don't have a to pay a realtor. If that doesn't work, then we'll pick a new realtor. Hopefully we'll get this thing sold before the end of the summer.

Something so wrong

Yesterday we were getting Drew's lunch ready. Mitch has warmed up the beef and vegetable soup and I was getting him some yogurt. It was a new container of yogurt, but when I opened it something didn't look right. I smelled it and it seemed fine but something about the way it looked just didn't seem right. Like a good mom, I decided I should taste it before serving it to Drew. OH MY GOODNESS....IT WAS DISGUSTING!!!! I started screaming and spitting it into the sink. I wasn't happy about having that nasty curdled stuff in my mouth but at least I tried it before I gave it to Drew.

This dang foot

A couple years ago I broke my foot. I did not know this at the time though and am not sure how it happened...just one day it started hurting. I would try stretching it out and massaging it but to no avail. Then last summer I finally decided to go to the doctor. He turned out to be a real quack so after four months of his service I quit going. He was not helping at all and the pain was getting worse. A month ago my misery was at an all time high so I decided I needed to take care of this once and for all. I found a doctor in the yellow pages and called. At my first appointment, he did an x-ray and informed me that I didn't really break it - I destroyed it. The bone pieces have separated and look really bad although the bone isn't dead yet which he said is a concern for that bone b/c of its limited blood supply. He put me in a walking boot which I have now been wearing for four long weeks. It's starting to feel better but I am experiencing other problems due to wearing the boot. I don't have a shoe that is the same height as the boot so I'm lopsided when I walk around. When I'm at home, I go around barefoot on my good foot which really causes a height differential. This is causing great pain in my hips and lower back. The boot is also causing weird indentions on my leg which are starting to hurt. Next, I'm going to try some bone stimulator thing. I have to wait for them to clear it with my insurance company first which I guess usually takes about a week. So I'll have at least three more weeks in this thing. If it doesn't get all healed back up we're probably going to opt for surgery and remove the bone. That sounds scary and promising all at the same time. At least I have a positive out of this....due to my inability to walk around very well, I got a handicap parking permit for six months. That has really helped me out at work and when I have to run into a store quick.

Hello Again

I can't believe it's been a month and a half since I last posted. I'm very, very, very sorry Paige. I'm still working on getting some pictures for you to see. I promise that by the end of the weekend there will be pictures from Drew's birthday party.

On the house front, we had two people come and look this week. There's been a real dry spell but it seems to be picking up now that the weather is getting better. The first couple liked the house but aren't in a big hurry to make a decision. There's another house that they're looking at so we just have to wait and see if anything happens with them. The second couple, didn't actually make it into our house. Their realtor couldn't get the lock box to work so they're coming back next week. We really want to get this place sold b/c we're sick of being in limbo. We can't move forward with our new house until this one is sold so it's becoming stressful.

Let's see...what can I say about Drew. The boy is all boy and is CRAZY. He is so funny and constantly has me cracking up. I just can't believe that someone so small with really no vocabulary can have me laughing as much as he does. He is just such a little comedian. The best part is that he's like his mommy in that he also thinks he's funny.

He has nine words now that he actually knows what they mean. Like when he sees a puppy he says puppy...or at least his version of puppy. Then there are other words that we can get him to say but I don't think he associates them with anything. He is really getting good with listening and understanding what we're saying. For example, when I picked him up at the sitter's yesterday he came running over to me like normal. He had a toy in his hand and I asked him to go put it away. I never know what to do...do I just drop the toy on the floor or what do I do. There's a baby gate between me and the room so it's not like it's easy to get into the room. Anyway, Drew took the toy and handed it to Debbie. I was so proud of him.

Drew is starting to really assert his independence. He wants to be a big boy and do things for himself. It's great to see him growing up being able to do more and more but it also makes me sad that he doesn't need me as much anymore. This is also accompanied by some changes in his behavior. We've seen some real frustration come out and witnessed a few minor meltdowns. I know there's a lot more to come as he gets older so I'm a little scared.

Well, that's really all I've got for now.

My Teriffic Husband

On Thursday afternoon I got the stomach bug that Drew had and am finally starting to feel better today. Mitch has been absolutely wonderful taking care of Drew and me the whole time. I've been in bed since Thursday so Mitch has had to do everything for Drew which hasn't been easy at all since he decided to get sick again yesterday. Mitch has been so great bringing me glasses of water and anything else I could have possibly needed and allowing me to get the rest I needed. He even took the day off Friday to take care of us even though he had a lot going on at work that day. The best part....he hasn't complained once. He just continues to unselfishly love and take care of us. Thanks for being an awesome husband and daddy Mitch!!!!!

Happy Birthday Drew!!!!

My how fast a year can go. It seems like just yesterday I experienced 36 blissful hours of labor only to have a c-section. Yes you may be sensing a bit of bitterness left from the whole experience. Today is supposed to be a wonderful day to celebrate our baby turning one. Instead, Drew is sick, sick, sick. First he was sick on Christmas and now on his birthday. He really needs to pick his illness days better.

So, yesterday when I picked Drew up from daycare she said that he had a weird day. Apparently he fell asleep on the floor at 11:30 which is something he has NEVER done before. She took him back to his room where he slept for 3 hours. The poor kid didn't get lunch until 3:00 PM. On the way home he fell asleep again which he never does. All of this was after he had gone to bed at 7:00 the night before so you would have thought he was properly rested. After we got home he was pretty crabby. He felt a little warm but he didn't seem to have a fever or anything.

Today is a work day so I had to wake Drew up this morning. When I walked into the room I was shocked by the site. I won't give you the details but will say that he threw up sometime early this morning and didn't let us know. There has been one more episode so far this morning and I'm not holding out much hope for the rest of the day. He's down for a nap right now so I'm hoping he feels better when he wakes up. I know it's no fun to be sick on your birthday. Luckily he's still too little to know what's going on.

Happy Birthday Drew!!!!

My baby isn't a baby anymore

I can't believe that my little man is going to be one next week.  It's crazy that he's not a baby anymore.  Really, he hasn't seemed like a baby for quite awhile now but I still think of him as my baby.  He loves acting like a big boy and asserting his independence.  

Drew's favorite things:

1.  Running as fast as he can

2.  Spinning in a circle and then trying to walk (hilarious!!!!)

3.  The Eye Book by Dr. Seuss

4.  Stealing bites of deserts

5.  Playing chase with Daddy

6.  Climbing onto the furniture like a big guy

7.  Putting the pillows on the floor to sit on for his own little chair

8.  Raw potatoes in the kitchen

9.  Silicon baking sheets

10. Putting his fingers up his nose (we're trying to stop this)

 

Christmas

OK so we've finally got Christmas pictures. Drew did awesome sitting through three gift openings. He patiently waited his turn every time and we never heard any fussing from him. We were so proud of him. We had such a great time hanging out with our families.

Surgery Went Well

We had to be there at 6:50 this morning for Drew's procedure at 7:50. He was so good this morning and everyone was amazed at how happy he was considering he hadn't had anything to eat or drink since 8:30 last night. He went right to the nurse when she came to take him away and didn't cry at all that we could hear. Ten minutes later the doctor came to talk to us telling what he had found. We were shocked when he walked in saying it was over...it was ten minutes before it was even supposed to have started.

He removed three blockages meaning that it would have never opened on its own. He said that we won't know for a month whether it's going to close back up or stay open for good. The doctor reported that Drew did awesome and didn't have any problems taking the mask and being put under. Ten minutes after that the nurse came walking in with him. When they put us in the room to wait we were told that we would probably hear him crying when he woke up because he'd be feeling strange from the anesthesia and wouldn't know where he was. We never heard a peep from down the hall and when she gave him to us he was smiling and there were no signs of tears. He's such a good boy!!!

He's doing good now. He was a little cranky when we got home at 8:30 because he'd been up since 6 and hadn't had more than a few drinks of water. He wasn't supposed to get a bottle or any food until 10:30 but we gave it a little earlier and sent him off for a nap because he was exhausted!!! This afternoon he's been up and playing and getting back to his old self. Hopefully the rest of the day goes good and he's back to normal tomorrow but without the icky eye!! :)

Thanks for all the prayers!!!!!

I'm freaking out

I can't sleep right now because I'm worried about Drew's surgery tomorrow. I'm not worried about the procedure itself. It's more the going under anesthesia part. Every time I close my eyes I picture some scene from one of the hospital dramas I've watched over the years. Even though they explained to me that there's hardly any risk to Drew you can't stop a mother from worrying about her baby.

AHHHHHHHHH

Today I am 29. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH....that means that next year I'll be 30. I'm thinking I'm not going to handle 30 very gracefully.