Drew - Version 2.0

Today is Drew's 2nd Birthday!!! I can't believe that my Baby Boy is 2!

We started the day with candles in his pancakes. He was overjoyed at getting to blow out more candles! Ha ha!

At 2 years old:

• Drew weighs 29 lbs 5 oz (50-75%), is 36 inches long (75-90%), and his head circumference is 48.5 cm (25-50%). Big boy!
  
• Drew is usually very sweet! We have noticed that the boy definitely needs his sleep, though. When he is overtired, watch out! I have pushed him past his limits a few times recently, and have lived to regret it. Good naps and a full nights sleep are the way to go with my Drew. :)
• He immediately says, "Bless you!" as soon as someone sneezes. Even if no one else is paying attention, you can always count on Drew for a blessing.
• He is infatuated with my bracelets, for some reason. He knows exactly where they are in my jewelry box, and will jump at the chance to get them, if the door to my bedroom is left open.
• He loves to hide! Luckily, he isn't very discreet about it, so I always know what he is up to. He will sit there saying, "Are you? Are you?" until we find him. His favorite place to hide is in the corner of our closet.
• Every time that he yawns, he says, "Big yawn!" Then he'll say, "Tarred (tired)." He is so consistent with that sequence - it cracks us up.
• We are officially a pacifier free household! A wise woman (aka my sweet mother-in-law) once told me that it was her goal to get rid of her kids' pacifiers before they turned 2. That worked well with Clayton, so it was my goal for Drew also. We made it - but only by a few days! We took it away this past Tuesday afternoon, and Drew has done so well! He cried for 20 minutes before his first nap without it - and it totally broke my heart. I was about to throw in the towel, but then he stopped and fell asleep. He cried for a few minutes that night, and then hasn't fussed since. He made it so easy on his Mama. Bless his heart. Y'all remind me of that in a few years when he is driving me crazy, okay?

This picture is from last week. I had to snap one last pic with his "Bappy" before we pulled the plug. :)

• He loves to give exploding fist bumps. He'll tap your fist and then say, "Psssshhhh!!!" How do boys just know how to make those sounds??? You don't even have to teach them.
• Drew bows his head, closes his eyes, and folds his hands before each meal to pray. I love watching him pray. :)
  

• He drops off the beginning sounds of most words. I was really worried about it from a speech perspective, but my speech pathologist buddy assures me that I shouldn't worry until he is 3. It does make it difficult to decipher what he is saying. He says "ide" and that could mean slide, hide, ride, etc. You have to use a lot of context clues. We say that he speaks Drewanese. Ha!
• Drew loves shoes right now. He has tried on every single pair in our household, I think. At the risk of embarrassing both of us, he walks better in my heels than I do. ;)
  

• Drew's hair has a mind of his own! The back constantly sticks up if I don't spray/gel it down. The last time that he got a haircut, I asked about it. The stylist told me that he is blessed with a "double cowlick." Good times...
• Whenever Wade goes outside to get the newspaper, Drew immediately starts saying, "Pop it! Pop it!" He and Wade have a tradition of popping the plastic sleeve that the newspaper comes in. What an odd thing to be so passionate about, right?
• If Drew is too quiet for a minute or so, and I am fairly certain that he is up to something, I will ask, "Drew, what are you doing?" His response is always, "Uh-ing..." It took me awhile to figure out that he was saying, "Nothing..." That response is never a good sign. :)
• When all 4 of us are in the same room or all in the car together, Drew does this thing that we now affectionately call "Drew's Role Call." He names each person in the car and waits for each of us to respond. "Mommy?" "Yes, Drew." "Daddy?" "Yes, Drew." "Bubba?" "Yes, Drew." If you don't acknowledge role call, then he will repeat your name louder and louder until you give a response. He has to keep dibs on all of us, I guess.
• Drew gives the best kid kisses EVER! He will press his lips to ours and say, "MMMM-WAH!" He used to be quite stingy with his kisses, but he has recently gotten better about sharing. I'm so glad that is the case.

Happy Birthday, my sweet boy! What a bundle of energy you are these days! You have such a precious spirit, though, that I pray will never leave you. You are tender to correction, which I have found to be such a blessing. You are playful and fun. It is impossible to be sad when I see your big smile. Your Sunday School teacher said a few weeks ago, "That is the happiest child that I have ever seen! He never stops smiling!" I couldn't agree more. :) I love you in a different way than I have every loved anyone else. I love you with my Drew love, and that will never change. Here's to another wonderful year with you!