Andrew

I was looking back through my posts and I realize that I post A LOT about Olivia. While I recognize that she is the older child and she is a 4-year-old and she commands (demands?) quite a bit of attention, I don't want to diminish my sweet little boy Andrew and the joy he brings to our life...

Andrew is pure sunshine! Joy and love and delight radiate from his chubby little body. When he smiles, he shows off his new front teeth, one that has come in a bit more than the other. And, oh, his giggles. A simple game of peek-a-boo or take away or pretty much anything Olivia does sends him into giggle fits and his whole body shakes with delight, his eyes crinkle in the corners and his tiny little nose scrunches up. Oh, if I could just bottle up his happiness.

In order to keep up with his verbal sister, Olivia, Andrew has become quite vocal too. He sings out the typical choruses of mamamama and dadadadada along with baba (bottle) and ba (ball). In true boy fashion, he grunts and shrieks and grrrs and tries to make sure that his voice is heard. With Mommy and Liv, sometimes it's hard to get a word in edgewise. Like his sister, he is also very expressive. He loves to clap and roll his arms (the motion from Patty-Cake). He is quite the flirt and often cocks his head to the side and bats his long eyelashes and smiles with his big blue eyes.

My mellow, easy going baby has quickly turned into a wiggly, rough, daredevil boy. He charges from here to there, still on all fours, feverishly exploring the world around him and trying to keep up with his sister. He loves to climb - stairs, furniture, tables, anything and everything. His favorite toy is any ball or car, which at any point in time he might just throw. Along with throwing things, he play hits (we're working on breaking him of that game). You know he loves you if he affectionately grabs your cheek or squeezes your nose while squealing with delight. And, changing his diapers or his clothes is a two-man job. Countless times a day he escapes and quickly crawls away naked! Just in the last few weeks, he started feeding himself snacks and bite-sized pieces of food and now we can't get him to stop eating! (It should be noted that I think Mommy was babying him a bit too much and didn't allow him the independence he needed, especially in the eating department. Once I let go, he began feeding himself!)

And, when he is tired or sad, it is me he wants. As I hold him, he snuggles up to me with his head on my chest sucking his thumb, and I think to myself, I wish he could stay my baby forever. It's difficult to put into words just how much I adore this little boy... I am beginning to understand the term, "Mama's boy."

He truly was the missing piece to our family and once he arrived we were complete.