Fifty-one Weeks Old

***Note: Mommy has been super busy and has not had time to update the blog but she is attempting to catch up now! Some of this may be old news to some of you so enjoy whether it is or not.***

Hi all! As you can see by the picture, I am on the move! Mommy places me in front of a chair and I can push it where I want to go in the kitchen. How about that?!? Memie came this week and watched me while Daddy and Mommy had a meeting to go to.

We have been busy this week getting ready for my birthday this week. Decorations have gone up and errands are being run - so much to do! I did go to see Dr. Lee this week for my one year visit. I didn't like it at all; however, I didn't get my shots because I have to actually be one-year-old to get them. Mommy says its a silly rule that the school system has in Tennessee. He did say that it didn't matter that I haven't crawled yet, but that I do need to pull up on things more so I did and do it a lot more. He just needed to tell me that I needed to prove that I could do it.

I celebrated friends' birthdays this week with John Patrick and Corinne. If you remember we were all born the same week last year in three consecutive days. This picture was taken at Corinne's party. I also have been meeting new neighbors and playing with friends from church at different playgroups. Mommy says it is very important that I be around other kids since I don't have any other siblings and that I learn to share. Can you believe that a couple times kids have taken toys away from me? It made me cry. Daddy and Mommy took me to our church's consignment sale and bought me a drum! How exciting is that?!? (A small one for all concerned for my parents) I don't really bang it yet but I know I will perform a solo soon.

I can finally say that my first official word besides the typical Dada, Mama is "Ball" which makes Daddy so happy. I think everything round is a ball and so I say it a lot. I love balls of any size and can play "toss". I also have started saying "Ga" for dog when I see Bear or hear him bark.

Well that's all for now!

Much Love,
Carlisle Drew

Fiftieth Week

SHHH! I snuck in and posted this without Mommy knowing! We have been planning my birthday party, sending invitations and ordering cakes and balloons. I can't wait! She says I will love the cake and I know she's right. But we have been real busy getting everything ready for my big day.

This past week was fun. I went to school and for the first time I cried when Mommy came to pick me up. I just love school! I think it hurt Mommy's feelings so I had to play with her when I got home.

Mommy and Daddy celebrated Valentine's Day and I went to Ms. Amanda's house to play. I even got to take a bath over there and eat dinner. Ms. Amanda is a new aunt and said she is practicing for when her nephew is older and comes to stay with her.

I have been really working hard at walking. I can stand up and hold onto someone's fingers and I get so excited about going somewhere that I just take off laughing. I have been eating a few new things but I can't remember what they are at the moment. I also have been working on saying "Dog" "bear" and have perfected "Uh-Oh" to where it is mostly one word.

Uh..............Oh, I hear Mommy calling me. Gotta go!

Much Love,
Carlisle Drew

Eleven Months Old

Hello out there! This week was filled with lots of activities. I turned eleven months old Saturday. Can you believe it? We went out to eat with my friends Travis and Taylor and their parents. They let me come over and play afterwards with all their fun toys. Mommy and Daddy took me to a church-league basketball game to watch the girls from church play each other. I got to play with a basketball. And then on Sunday we watched a football game called the Super Bowl with a bunch of youth. They yelled and screamed and it scared me some, but I played with them and had fun. On Monday we ate dinner with Daddy's youth minister friends and Uncle Andrew and their friend Kris spent the night with us.

I have started working on more sounds. This week I tried out "oi" sounds so I said doy, doy, doy for a while. I also worked on "bw" which just sounded like bah-wah, bahwah really fast.

Mommy and Daddy have been having to say "No" to me a lot more for various reasons. I think I told you I like to drop food, but I also like to kick Mommy's face and sometimes pinch. I think its funny. She said it makes her sad. I also touch things that I am not supposed to so I hear "No" then too.

Have a good week and stay out of the cold!
Much Love,
Carlisle Drew

Eating is fun!

Mommy has taken some photos of me eating lately so I wanted to share them. I am still eating all the same things I have been eating but depending on the day, I eat different quantities of those foods. I have added a snack of cheese and crackers or yogart to my day. I really like Gogart - yogart for the busy kid on the go. Mommy squeezes it into my mouth and I eat it! She said we will try freezing it soon and see if I can eat small chunks of it. Sounds fun! Mommy discovered the other day that I don't really like leftovers, like leftover mac and cheese. It just doesn't taste the same! Starchy foods are still my favorite these days.

I also have been entertained by Bear while I am eating. He stays right by me and waits for food to drop. I thinkit is so funny! Sometimes Mommy and Daddy get upsetthough if I feed him so I have to be sneaky. Mommy plays this game with me and asks me "Where's Daddy?" and I will turn in my highchair and look for him (see picture below). Then she will ask "Where's Bear Bear?" (I don't know why she says his name twice - I know he is Bear.) But I turn and look down for him under me (See picture below).

That's all the news from the highchair for today!

Happy Eating!
Carlisle Drew

Forty-eight weeks Old

Hi there! I am having fun; are you? Sometimes I think Mommy and Daddy are so weird. They dressed up all crazy and went to church. And then they came and got me from the nursery so I could join them and there was loud music and crazy lights. I didn't understand, and it scared me. Mommy said they were going to a youth $10 prom where they were supposed to wear something from home. I just wasn't ready for all of that.

On Wednesday I saw my first snowflakes at church and several youth were so excited for me. But it didn't snow very much that day. But on Friday, we woke up and everything was white. Mommy and Daddy took me outside and sat me in the snow. I really didn't think much of it, but I sure thought Bear dog was funny running around in it. Daddy tried to slide with me down a small slope, and I giggled at his attempt. Before we went inside, Daddy helped me make a snow angel. Isn't it pretty?!? We watched the big kids in the neighborhood sled down the hill behind our house. Daddy can't wait to take me someday.

I hope you are warm where you are and have had snow!

Much Love,
Carlisle Drew

Forty-seven Weeks Old

Hello all! I hope you are having fun wherever you are! I am having so much fun and love being 10 months old.

Mommy celebrated her birthday, and we got to eat lunch with her friends and my friends that day. I loved everything she let me try, but I really liked her chicken casserole which was what she had ordered so she didn't get as much as she wanted. Daddy took Mommy out for dinner and a movie, and my friend Abby came and kept me. We had so much fun. I showed her how I play in the bathtub. She told me she is having a baby girl for me to play with who I can't wait to meet!

Mommy and Daddy aren't sure what has happened but I have decided to not eat the way I used to which was to chow down on everything put in front of me. I have decided to be selective in my choices! I think Mommy has been hiding fruit in things like yogart but I can't be certain. I also started the "drop the sippy cup game" or the fun game of "pour the water out of the sippy cup onto my chair". Mommy tried to insert the valve on my sippy cup which stops the water flow, but I let her know that this was not ok. So since then, we have switched to a new sippy cup that makes everyone happy and order is restored to the household. I have started dropping food on the floor as well, even as Mommy and Daddy are telling me not to so they take it away from me sometimes - can you believe that?!? Don't worry I still eat finger foods but I prefer carbs and chicken to my once-loved peas, though I can still live off of avocado and banana.

Our house is now mostly me-proofed with all these things that keep me safe, but it is funny watching Mommy and Daddy get frustrated because the can't plug something in or open something!

The saddest part of the week is that I am being forced to learn to crawl. As some of you know, I do not like being on my belly so I haven't spent much time there. This week Mommy had some comments made about me not crawling and it impacting my development so now I have to spend some time each day on my belly. Ms. Linda at school is working on it too. I can stick my bottom in the air and scoot backwards with my arms, but I haven't figured out how to push my feet so I can go forward. So here is a picture of me in motion and then defeated at the end. The other day I just cried for several minutes before Mommy finally picked me up. It should be noted that both grandmas said that Mommy nor Daddy crawled much. On a good note, I am making great progress in my cruising (walking) and can get around the round coffee table and my play table pretty fast.

Have a great week!
Much Love,

Carlisle Drew