Drew - 15 Months

Once again, I'm two weeks late.  But I'm here nonetheless.  Drew has actually reached the 15.5 month milestone but I'll update his stats according to the 15 month milestone.  The little man weighed in at 25lb 4oz and is 31.5 inches tall.  His noggin is 49.5cm.  I'm guessing all of that is still in the 50% range because Doc never said differently.  He did great at his appointment....laughed and carried on with the doc and nurse up until he got stuck with a needle.  Then he sang us a beautiful tune and shed some mighty big tears.  For 30 seconds.  Then pouted (with lip out) for another 30.   Then the sweet lady at the check out made him a sticker-pop with Mickey Mouse and we were all smiles for the ride home.  Drew is a crazy-cool kid.  We have hit a few rough patches in his 15th month but I attribute that to teething, adjusting to 1-nap and possibly a few allergies due to his runny nose but no other signs of congestion.  He has taken off in the walking department and seems to be nearly running at times.  Especially when I turn my back for .02 seconds and he is clear across the restaurant heading towards the kitchen.  Because I'm sure a dirty toddler would pass inspection in a kitchen.  Drew has 12 teeth and 4 more should be making an appearance within the next few months.  He still has the same words but comprehends more and more every day. Oh, maybe he learned one new word....Mar....for Marla.  Which is for Marla Branson....the weather girl on WMBF.  Seriously, he is obsessed with her.  Asks for her in the morning with his milk.  Smiles real big and watches intently when she is on.  And is not as satisfied when its another weather person.  Wacky....but I did love watching the weather channel as a child so maybe the weather intrigues him as much as it did me.  Still loves Mickey and Donald and all the friends.  Sort of loves Jake and the Neverland Pirates but not even remotely as much as Mickey.  His latest and greatest obsession is his toothbrush.  He can open the drawer in the bathroom and stand on his tip toes to reach it and then carries it around with him.  I think it feels really good on his gums but I'd also like to think we are instilling a great habit of dental care in him.  Drew has taken a liking for books.....not necessarily reading them, but pulling EVERY.ONE. off the shelf and sitting amongst them.  He does the same with pans, colanders, tupperware, measuring cups, etc.  He loves lids and will spend a good 5 or 10 minutes just trying to put a lid on something and take it off.  He will occasionally put something in the container, close it, open it and take the object out.  He is loving his ball tent these days and I have found books, sippy cups, food and socks in there.  I even snapped a shot of Maddie in there today (most likely for the food).  Drew loves anything outside....his car, wagon, slide, water/sand table, crawling around the porches, trying to figure out how to open the gates, watering the plants, watching the cars go by.  We will have a fun summer being outside and a not-so-fun summer when its time to go inside.  We still go to Music and the gym once a week and he enjoys both quite a bit.  He graduates from music next Thursday and we probably won't pick that up again until the fall.  Drew's eating is getting more and more advanced but he also getting a little picky.  Not terrible.  He did eat Wahoo tonight, but there are times when NOTHING actually gets digested.  It might get chewed but it won't always go down.  More times than not, he is a good eater.  I can't complain.  Getting a diaper change, however, is a different story.  He still is a royal terror with me on the changing table and will immediately turn over and stand up.  I hate holding him down with my forearm but it usually turns into a wrestling match that i win.  He doesn't do that for anyone else apparently and boy, don't I feel special.    All in all, Drew is a rock star and is still one of the cutest things in the world.  This is a fun age and I can tell that it will only get more exciting in the months ahead.  We are heading to Lake Waccamaw this weekend to hang out with friends and their families.  In a couple weeks we will head to Cashiers for Zach's wedding and then on to the Bahamas for a week long vacation (is that possible with a toddler??).  Anyways, I'll try to update soon....but don't count on it!!

A Few Videos

Mr. Opinionated

So this past month (14 months) has been an interesting one.  I wrote an email to a dear old friend of mine stating that this seemed to be a tough stage for ME.  Drew is fine, but his new found independence and his increasingly slopping eating left me speechless and clueless.  I was happy to hear back from her and find out that her kids also did similar things and it was just a natural part of learning and figuring things out.  Thank heavens.  I was beginning to think I had a devil-child on my hands.  Trust me, Drew is one of a kind and incredibly good.  We are SO SO lucky to have such a cool kid on our hands.  BUT, he does throw fits, knows what he wants and will stomp his feet and contort his face into looks that really do almost kill you.  Pitiful.  Thankfully, I am typically light-hearted about it and giggle at his antics.  He'll soon figure out that it won't get him too far in my world.  Ignoring his petty wants (why won't I let him go outside in the rain?!?) usually works and he quickly moves on to the next path of destruction. Speaking of destruction.....I've decided that unless I'm having Queen Elizabeth over for dinner, I'm not picking up the house all day long.  I'll usually get things back in their respective places by the time I go to work....or to bed....or sometimes before nap time the following day.  Not that it matters because as soon as Drew gets up he jumps right back on the wagon of tearing the house apart.  Pots, pans, ziploc bags, measuring cups, books, stuffed animals, balls, cars, remote controls, tub of oatmeal, flashlights, his toothbrush....you name it....it's his favorite.

 Recently, he has shown an extreme preference over being outdoors.  If the dogs go out, he thinks he should go out.  When the dogs come in, he thinks he should go out.  We have gated both the front and back porch now so that we can spend quite a bit of time out there without worrying about him finding the stairs.  He crawls all over the decks, tries to water the flowers, climbs in the chairs and out of the chairs.  He enjoys his pick up truck and his wagon a lot but would be just as content going up and down our stairs if we let him.

 Drew's antics on the changing table are ridiculous and apparently he only performs them for me.  David has seen it and can't believe it because he doesn't do it with him.  Today, I asked another friend that has kept him and she said he doesn't do it with her either.  WHAT??  With me, he immediately flips over and sits his naked butt up on his knees.  From there he turns around and shoves/throws/kicks all the stuff off the table into his dirty laundry....then he stands up and grabs a hand full of diapers before laying himself back down and proceeds to get changed.  The worst is when he is actually a little patient and I get him wiped down or desitin on his hiney and THEN he flips over and gets it everywhere.  I always try to go in equipped with a toy or book or a song to get through it but it usually turns into a wrestling match.

As for food, this little guy is hilarious.  Good eater. Will eat just about anything you put on his plate if he is in the mood.  And if he's not....forget it.  He is really independent and if you have a spoon, he needs his own spoon.  I'm all about letting him learn and yes, we do get very messy, but its good for him and I've seen improvements already.  His sign language is still confusing but I'm trying to learn his verbal cues......he can say several words.....but I think he KNOWS a ton of words.  So I'm trying to match his verbal cues with what I think he wants.....when he wants milk he says "baaayul" (bottle) although it has always been in an sippy cup and not in a bottle.  Sometimes that can also sound like "byeeee" which obviously can get confusing.  "Dada", "Mama", "Hiiii" are all still popular.  He understands far more than I realize and can do simple commands that I give him.  The funniest part of his vocal development these days are his laugh and giggle.  It is so funny!  I'll try to post a couple videos in the next post.

Drew is also good at playing by himself for a period of time which is nice if I have to get small chores done.  He certainly can't be left alone at all, but he can play in his playroom quietly for a good amount of time. The most recent development came while playing one day......I put him down and went to grab a toy in front of him and he walked!  Just took three steps and dropped down.  He has done it quite a few times over the last week but it usually isn't his first choice in transportation. Yet.  And today at lunch, he was getting tired (we dropped the am nap this week so we are in transition and eating lunch a little early so we can get to bed before all hell breaks loose) and he randomly stuck his finger up his nose.....one nostril.  Then the other.  All while in a daze.  SO I get up to pay and Janice/Edyie/Cindy are sitting there and laughter erupts from the table.  I go back and Janice says, "Get your boogies" and he smiles and sticks his finger up his nose.  Awesome.  Funny.  Gross.  and Funny.

We went to church this past Sunday (and I realized then that it would be at least 4 weeks until I was home again on a Sunday) and Drew did awesome in the nursery.....we walked out and some old ladies stopped at the window looking into the nursery and were just laughing and going on about "that baby".....yep, that was our baby.  Dancing and squealing and giggling at the old ladies in the window.  Very nice people at the church and maybe David and Drew can go in my absence.

Obviously, we are having fun and learning and doing a lot of laughing.  I think my hair is falling out (or it has never fully grown back in from when it fell out while breastfeeding) from the increased stress of having a mobile and very opinionated child but it really is so fun (and exhausting). I'm going to try my hardest to update more often with everyday funnies....because he really is so dang funny.

14 Month Summary:
Weight - no clue
Height - no clue
Noggin - no clue
Teeth - 10 with two more REALLYYY close to breaking the gums
Clothes - 12-18 months
Shoe Size - 4,5
Sleeps - 6:30pm-6:30am (sometimes a few minutes later on both sides) and Naps 12:30/1:00-3:00pm
Loves - Mickey Mouse, cars, balls, outside, dogs, the gym, his mama and dada, food, milk, Mickey Mouse, opening and closing the dryer and all other doors, laughing at people in the cars next to us while he is craning his neck around his car seat and Mickey Mouse.  Oh and did I mention he likes Mickey Mouse?

Where have we been?

Time flies in a merciless way these days.  I can't believe my last post was about Drew's birthday party!! We have been in the thick of gymnastics meets around here and of course the day-to-day happenings that now come with an almost-14 month old.  I posted Drew's 13 month old pictures three weeks late and will try my best to keep up better.  Since his party, however, we have survived another "Beach Break" gymnastics meet at our gym (nearly 500 competitors come to town + some of our best coaching friends).....I went to Charleston, Savannah and Rock Hill for gymnastics meets while David and Drew stayed home with the dogs.  We all went to Raleigh for a birthday party and so Drew could have a sleepover at Sassy and Papa's house.  Drew's "sleepover" is code word for "Mama and Daddy get a night/morning off."  Just in case you were wondering.  David and I stayed at the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill and enjoyed dinner at Acme in Carrboro, drinks at Goodfellows and Top of the Hill, SLEEPING IN UNTIL 8:30am and breakfast at the Carolina Inn.  We walked around campus and I showed David the building where I was taking an intro Anthropology class and Julius Peppers showed up for the final and sat next to me.....not only did I feel 2 inches tall and wafer thin (which I was NOT wafer thin my freshman year in college) but suddenly, I felt like Albert Einstein.  Everyone (except maybe him) knew that we got different exams because they were multiple choice and the professor wanted to help us abide by the strict honor code and not cheat.  But Pep didn't hesitate to look at me and say, "Don't be skurrd (scared) if I look on yo paypa (paper) fo dis test."  I kid you not.  I smiled and said, "Okay."  I do not want to fuel any fire about UNC's "special" classes that enable some of our brightest athletes to remain in school but being a proud alumni who worked hard to maintain a decent GPA, I will admit that there were a few perks to wearing a basketball or football jersey.  The main perk was probably not having to wait in line at Players....and there was a Holy Grail waiting on you when you got up the stairs, but, you know.....there are perks at every school if you are an athlete.  (I'm slightly embarrassed by the fact that I think I just recalled the signature drink from Players.....I certainly preferred the Blue Cups at He's Not Here).

ANYWAYS....I could go on and on about the memories in college but seeing that most of our friends have families, careers, church groups, etc.....I'll leave them for our next get-together.

After our weekend away, Drew came down with a horrible bug.....throwing up out of nowhere, dehydration, lethargic.  Just down right pitiful.  The vomiting lasted 24 hours but we were down for 48 hours.  We slept on the living room floor where ("slept" is a stretch) we could remove a towel or blanket easily when it got puked on.  I called an on-call doctor around midnight and he said to give Drew a teaspoon of Pedialyte every 20 minutes ALL NIGHT.  I nearly cried.  But, doing that probably kept him out of the hospital the next day.  We survived the night with a couple random hours of sleep and went to the doctor that next morning.   Same scenario all day.....pedialyte every 20 minutes or so.  Our doctor did say that if he fell asleep, he could stay asleep for a couple hours but to get him up after that and continue the pedialyte.  As hard as it was to keep that schedule, it was worth it to avoid the hospital.  We survived our first real sickness and Drew is back to his normal self now.

In terms of Drew's development, not much to report.  He seems to be getting taller and thinner.   His "vocabulary" is growing and hilarious.  He babbles so much and wants you to understand him but for the life of me, all I can decipher are HI, BYE, BOTTLE (which is a sippy of milk), MAMA, DADA, MOO, EEEEE (squeal in delight at the sight of Mickey Mouse), GRRRR (his lion/bear/pirate noise), EEEYYY (meow).  He understands a ton of words and can comprehend a few complex sentences.  He does get frustrated if he can't do something on his own or grasp the concept you are explaining but all in all, he can understand most of what we say to him.  He will do certain things on command, such as "Cheese", "Say Bye", etc.  Currently, he is "napping" in his crib and talking up a storm.  I just can't spell it to put it on here.  He has a serious love for this one particular lovie that pretty much needs to be present during all resting/nap times.  He also has a napping Mickey that is in the crib with him.  I dropped his morning nap about a month ago, but have recently started it again because he got sick.  I'm starting to remember why I dropped it......he has been in his crib 45 minutes and he isn't even close to falling asleep.  He usually goes down for his afternoon nap around 1 or 2 depending on how his morning rest time is.  His naps range from 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours depending on circumstances.  He starts his night time routine between 6:15-6:30 and is in bed as early as 6:30 but usually no later than 7:00pm every night.  He will stay in his crib until 7:00am.....not always asleep until then, but happily playing/laying/babbling until then.  Occasionally (and believe it or not) he will sleep later than 7:00am IF we put him down earlier than 7:00pm.  Sleep begets sleep is the best advice we have ever gotten.  Drew's diet is steadily increasing in the "real" food department.  Most meals he will eat part of what we are having or something else that he can feed himself.  We still do some baby food containers or pouches but there is no way he will let you feed him 100% of the time.  He MUST participate.  Whether it is with a spoon or with his hands, he will feed himself something.  He likes manicotti, black bean burgers, turkey, cheese, most veggies (some have to be disguised), rice, chicken, beans, all fruit (except the skin on blueberries isn't a fav).  All in all, I think he is pretty much on target with his eating. I won't say that its a cake-walk because I do find myself getting quite frustrated during meal times but it's a selfish thing......either we end up with food everywhere (floor, his hair, up his sleeves, his back) or he is being stubborn with a certain food or he decides to start blowing air out of his lips after taking a bite of something....OR, he wants a spoon/fork so bad that he will refuse to lift his head up to take a bite until you give him his own utensil.  Independent and stubborn.  Hmmm...wonder where he gets that from?

Drew still isn't walking which doesn't really have us concerned but certainly makes us wonder why.  He has been standing since 8 months or so and can cruise the furniture pretty good.  His crib has been all the way down for a while because of how quick he was to stand up in it.  But he isn't the least bit interested in walking.  He crawls, climbs and actually walks on his knees to get any and everywhere.  He can carry items while walking on his knees so the need to walk on his feet isn't there.  He can push his wagon/toys all over the house and in the driveway but won't let go and do it on his own.  There are times we try to get him to walk with our assistance and he will just go limp and refuse to put his feet down.  Funniest and sometimes the most frustrating thing I've ever seen.

He continues to be so funny and sweet and just a joy to watch develop.  While he is currently screaming in his crib because he dropped the aforementioned lovie out of the crib, I still can't imagine loving this little boy any less.  He is so cool and is growing up before our eyes.

In other news.....We are headed to Kiawah for Easter.  I'm looking forward to a few days of relaxation and no agenda.  I'll try to do a post on that when we return.  For now, this sums up life from the coast.  I'll leave you with some phone pics that will help you through your day....I know this face helps me get through my days!!

Drew had a sleepover at Granny Soo Soo's and Cousins Liza and Margaret helped him play dress up.  

Mama was putting stuff away slower than Drew was taking it out.  

Disclaimer:  all pictures you see with his NC State shirt on were sent to me from David while I was away at a meet.  David considered it their "good luck" shirt this season and even brought it out of the closet a time or two when Drew was already in bed and the Pack was playing.