Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Drew: 7 Months



Drew loves: standing, naked time, his high chair, eating solids, his Jesus Loves Me book, Scruffy the Bear (it's roughly the size of him), an old formula container with a bunch of plastic keys inside, Miss Cara at the gym daycare center, his Uncle Zeke, swimming, play dates with other babies, and standing. I know I already said standing, but it's just his favorite thing to do right now.

Drew hates: when I move more than 3 centimeters away from him (STILL), and any activity within our home that involves me being more than 3 centimeters away from him (STILL). We're still doing the separation anxiety thing. I've isolated his issue to be that he doesn't want to be alone. It's not me that he's attached to, it's that he doesn't want to be alone if he's awake. He has no issue with me handing him over to other people, and no issues going to sleep for naps and bedtime. It's only during play time. He recently started getting so upset that he smacks his hands on the ground while crying until he's gasping for air. While I agree sometimes there's nothing like a good cry to let your emotions flow, several times a day is a little excessive! Trying all and anything I can find online about how to help the little guy out with what he's going through. Nothing really seems to work, so we're just carrying on as best we can. We lift this particular developmental milestone up to God in prayer often, so (if you're the type that prays) please join us in that prayer request for Drew.

Milestones: Second tooth is coming in, almost got his pincer grasp down, nearly pulling himself up to standing...but still no rolling. This kid equally hates his back and his stomach; he wants to be sitting or standing at all times. Still on the 4 hour feeding schedule, with two 1.5-2 hour naps, and then one 30 minute cat nap near the end of the day. Bedtime is 7pm - 7am. He gets 4 bottles a day, and solids 3 times a day. Still working on expanding his taste buds; Kyle and I are both "picky eaters", so I'm trying to steer Drew away from that future.

Favorite moments: I still love mealtime! He's so interactive during meals with lots of facial expressions, things to "say", and little outbursts of laughter. Drew's becoming increasingly interested in anything he can touch with his hands, and I love just watching him explore. He's getting a little bit more brave with trying to navigate the floor, too. He does little twists and turns, and I can tell he thinks about how he might pull himself up to standing (with a little help from mom). Right now I would say every moment is a favorite moment, except poop cleanup and dealing with the separation anxiety stuff.

Ok, pictures:

At Family Dinner at Kyle's parents house (a Sunday tradition)
Morning snuggles
Celebrating my 30th birthday with my sorority sisters!
How could you not love meal time with this guy!?
Play date with baby Samantha
Some friends and I went to meet Snooki when she was in town.
The line was too long, but Drew had to sneak a peek through the the window!

Going swimming! Drew is a huge fan of the pool.
At the zoo, on his first official date with his girlfriend Neva.
They shared a nice lunch, and then both took naps.
Drew's girlfriend, Neva Rose. She lives in Idaho, so they are doing the long distance thing.
Fortunately, their short memory spans make the long distance thing totally doable ;-)
Celebrating Danna's birthday with Chelsea and Eleni!
Drew "standing" (and super happy about it!)
I've been helping some other Edmonds mom's with collecting food donations for the homeless students in the Edmonds School District. The food is donated at Revelations Yogurt in DT Edmonds, sorted weekly into snack packs by a volunteer, and then dropped off at the Edmonds School District office with the Homeless Child Liaison. The snack packs are then handed out by the school bus drivers to the kids. If you are in the area and want to donate snacks for the kids, let me know!
My sister is an intern at University Presbyterian Church in Seattle.
That's her, in front of hundreds of college students, giving a talk out of the book of Matthew.
She did great, and I'm very proud of her!
Drew chiming in during our morning devotional. We're loving the Heidelberg Catechism!
Drew and his best bud Samson, at the Play Date Cafe.
Drew's other best bud, Scruffy Bearford (a gift from his "aunt" KC!)
Bath time fun - we've moved up to the inflatable tub.
"What does the HAWK say?" WE'RE NUMBER ONE! Super Bowl champs!
Hangin' out with Uncle Zeke!
(That's my friend Karmen in the background, pregnant with a future playmate for Drew!)
Drew's new fav toy: old formula container and plastic keys
Drew just chattin' with Conner at the Play Date Cafe
Drew and Samson at...you guessed it...the Play Date Cafe. We go there a lot :)

New shades! Babiators.

Cousin Cope's snow hat. That cute little nose! Ah!
Not so sure about the cold weather we were having...

























Giving it grace: This has been a catch-up month. Getting caught up after the holidays. Preparing for things on the horizon. I started nannying a few days a week with Drew. I have been getting my footing helping Kyle's friend do marketing and general admin work for his moving business. Also, I've been ironing out the details of going into business with a family friend; she owns an event planning company and has invited me to become part owner. More on that to come later! 

And remember when I talked about Kyle's interest in the Premarital Counseling ministry at our church? Well that's off and running, and we'll be spending the next 7 Sundays shadowing some seasoned leaders as they run the Premarital Counseling for a handful of to-be-wed couples at our church. 

Also, Kyle and I officially kicked off a post-baby/pre-vaca diet for the next 77 days. Complete with weekly photos and weigh ins (for us, not for share!). Yesterday we went through and threw out all the sugary snacks and drinks in the house. At one point while Kyle was melting all the ice cream in the sink, I know we both thought twice about whipping out a spoon and getting one last bite. But no! Seventy-seven days is not that long. We can do this!

Lots going on. Usually when I talk about "lots going on", it's with that kind-of-sad undertone of how bogged down I feel because of it. But this season is different. Kyle and I had a heart-to-heart about our desire to spend time in the word each day. Given how many balls we have in the air right now, it's imperative to have that time with God to anchor our days. Prayer is how we talk to God; the Bible is how God talks to us. We know that spending time reading the Bible is fruitful, but it's so easy to cut that out when things get busy. But by God's grace right now, it's happening. For me, it's in the morning during Drew's nap. For Kyle, it's at night before bed. It's making a difference. It's helping the "lots going on" be enjoyable, because we're remembering who is ultimately in control. God is in control. It's convicting me that even though I often act or think a certain way out of habit, I don't need to act or think those ways anymore. Jesus' way is better. It's reminding me that being busy doesn't equal being important. God is important. What Jesus cares about is important.

Speaking of important...for my birthday it was my movie choice night, and Kyle and I watched a movie called Mary and Martha on HBO. The movie plot includes a look into the existence of malaria in Africa. Per usual, I was moved to sobbing tears about the suffering of children - especially when it's completely preventable. The movie's website directs viewers to a non-profit called Malaria No More, and their campaign to test and treat children with malaria in Africa. For $1. ONE DOLLAR! We've donated, and you should too. You can donate HERE