she's one.

i'm not going to start this post by saying that i can't believe she's one.  cause everyone thinks that about their one year old.  i'm not going to say how the year absolutely flew by.  cause that's a given.  i won't bore you with the fact that we packed away the bottles and quit formula, cold turkey...which solidified the fact that she's not.  a.  baby.  anymore. 

so, since i won't go there.  i will stick with the regular old post about the world according to drew...month t.w.e.l.v.e.

here she goes...

i weigh 18 lbs even (9th percentile)
i am 28 inches long (17th percentile)
that means i've gained 15 lbs and grown 10 inches in a year!
i have taken a couple steps
and i stand on my own
but crawling is just quicker, right now
i just switched to size 3 diapers
and i wear 3-6 and 6-9 mo clothing
i have a best friend ... gingie, my mermaid
my communication is exploding
i understand bunches of words
i point to everything...
...and say something like, "wassat?"
and i consistently say about 11 words
daddy - dada
night night - nigh nigh
gingie - didi
water - wawa
quack quack - ka ka
monkey sound - ah ah
doggy sound - oo oo
doggy - dah gah
yummy - nom nom
ball - bah
go go go - guh guh guh
book - buh
juuuuust waitin for the perfect time to say "mama"

drew olivia, i know every parent thinks their child hung the moon.  but when i held all 5 tiny pounds of you for the first time, i was certain you did.  every moment is more fun than the next and i am so excited to see you grow.  you may be itsy bitsy but you're a fiery little lady.  and you are everything we hoped for.  we are lucky beyond measure to be your parents.  happy birthday, pickle.

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gift from a hair dryer

my friend shared this with me.  instant tears.
...if you have a daughter (or a heart, at all)...please read.

so sweet.  why does time fly so quickly?

"comb and dry, comb and dry.  soon i won't be able to do this any more, you say to yourself, knowing that the little straight bob must inevitably yield to grown-up coiffures and ugly curlers.  what will she be like at fouteen?  where will her hair be blowing then?  and sixteen.  and eighteen.  you suppose boys will love to watch her hair blow as you do now.  and some of them will feel it on their faces...and one of them will marry her and her hair will be perfect under that veil.  ...and there will be her hair spread out on his pillow... oh, you hate him a little.  and wonder where he is at this exact moment and whether he'll be good to her.  they will grow old together.  the gold-brown hair will be gray, and you will be gone, and then she will be gone... this very hair that now your fingers smooth.

all the tears of the world swim for a second in your eyes, as you snatch the plug out of the socket suddenly and gather her into your arms burying your face in the warm hair as if you could seal this moment against all time."

Gift from a Hair Dryer - Mary Jean Irion

...go get a tissue.

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the world according to drew | month 11

for real?  one month away from o n e  y e a r  o l d??

i remember typing these monthly blog posts while she would just sleep all day.  and now, i turned on bubble guppies to get some blogging in.  she's well on her way to toddler-hood.  and while that is soooo exciting, it makes me seriously miss that little snuggle bunny who was just under five lbs when i brought her home from the hospital.  a month early than planned.  but i digress...

what new with little drew?

16.5 -ish lbs. (home scale)
size 2 diapers
i mainly wear 3-6 mo. clothes, but i'm transitioning to some 6-9 mo.
my favorite foods are chicken and mac n cheese
oh, and fruit...which gives me wicked diaper rash
i disregard any food that is green and usually give it to remy
on "accident" ...unless it's cucumber
i've got my two bottom teeth
and i'm working on the two top teeth
i'm showing a liiiiiittle interest in standing on my own
...then i get nervous
i love my red-headed mermaid, gingie
she sleeps with me everynight
i am saying words!!
doggy (dah)...daddy (da), ducky (duh)...night night (nigh), ball (buh)
and when someone says "doggy", i say woo woo
juuuuust workin on "mama"
my favorite toys are balls, books
...and anything small that i can put on the chair and take off the chair
...then put on the chair and take off the chair.  and repeat.

we are well into planning for the big bday bash.  and i'm really trying to n.o.t. go overboard.  one year pics soon... on the verge of walking... summer break for mama.  a visit from my sister and nephew!!!!!  so many things to look forward to! 

plug:  my totally rad friend, audrey, is practically throwing the first bday bash.
i can't wait for you to see her creations!
check out her n e w website here.  you'll love it and her.  i do.

in other news:

she's pushing this toy from grammy everywhere!  so cute!

i had my dedication at church. that's pops on the bottom.

bird watching with papa (my dad).

grammy (my mom) visited from ny.  it was sooooo nice!

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the world according to drew | months 9 and 10

yep.  i've been a terrible blogger.

i let the 9 month post get away from me and then all of the sudden we were at 10 months!

say whaaaaat?

so, i have a 9 month picture but no true post... so we're just going to wrap months 9 and 10 up together in a nice little bloggy package.  so much has been going on!!

according to drew....

i crawl so quickly.
(mommy is beginning to wonder if i won't want to walk because i'm such a good crawler)
i pull up on e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.
(mommy's legs are probably my fav)
and with that...comes lots of bumps and bruises
...our first of many goose eggs on the forehead!
i babble repeated syllables (dada, mama, yaya, gaga, tata, baba)
and i'm starting to variegate my babbles (mada, gada)
but, of course, my favorite thing to say is "dadaaaaaa"
i know who dada is and when i hear "daddy's home" i look at the door!
mom swears i say "ball" ...aka "bah" with intent
it's fun to shake my head no when someone does it to me
and mommy thinks i'm getting a little 'tude when i have to do something i don't want to
food?....not a huge eater unless it's something i l.o.v.e.
i take 5, 5-6 oz. bottles a day and eat two meals of solids
right now, i will down any fruit but i'm just not too into anything else
what goes in, usually comes right out...unless it's macaroni and cheese!!!
which brings us to my weight...
at my 9 month appointment i was 15 lbs. 5 oz (3rd percentile)
and 26 inches long (7th percentile)
i'm just still petite.
doc says, "you're only as big as your genetic potential"
...well i have a mom who is 5'2" and a dad who is 6'3", so....hmmmm?
i am consistenly wearing size 3-6 month clothes
although that onesie you see in the 10 month pic is a size 3
(mommy couldn't find the other)
we're really hoping all the awesome clothes we were given by a friend fit us for the summer!
what else...?
i have two teeth on the bottom and i'm working on one on top!
favorite things?
i'm loving the dolly my grammy got me (a red-headed mermaid doll that we named Gingie!)
love bath time, my sippy cup, my baby einstein play table, taking balls out of the ball pit, putting things on the living room chair and pretty much anything that i shouldn't play with...
and b o o k s (yay)
lately, i'm on a mommy kick (can't wait for summer!)
...oh! and i took my first plane ride to visit my grammy and aunt loren in NY
i slept like a champ on the way there...
once we got there, and on the flight home....not    so    much.

grammy and me in ny.

me at my 9 month check up before shots!

 

i've had intentions on writing a post to wrap up my BFing journey and weaning, but i can't catch up!  ...maybe this weekend.

...PS i can't believe i am planning a first birthday.  no, really....i can't.
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the world according to drew | month 8

eight months young
and each stage is so much more fun than the next
we have an awesome sleeper on our hands (knock on wood)
and we're on.the.move.

according to drew... (couple weeks late)

i am about 14 ish lbs.
i got really good at crawling the week i turned 8 months
i started pulling up on things the very next week
i only take bottles now (much to mommy's dismay...that's another post)
but i still get some from our frozen stash
i crawl to mommy's feet and wait to be picked up
when going from tile to carpet (or v/v), i do this hilarious plank position
i'm starting to eat puffs/blueberries and baby mum-mums
although i pick them up, i'd rather look at them than put them in my mouth
but...i put everything else in my mouth
i eat four 7 oz. bottles and two solid meals per day
bed time is 7 on the dot
i'd go to bed earlier if they let me
i wake up anywhere between 6:30 and 8 (on a great day)
i give an open mouth kiss to mommy
i have a tooth (was that part of 7 months?)
"itsy bitsy spider" can always make me happy in the car
my favorite toys are:  balls, my remote, my B keys...
and anything that isn't a toy
no babbles yet but lots of "ahhhhhhhhhhs" and pitch inflections
(my slp mommy can't wait for babbles!)
i imitate sounds (vowels, raspberries, tongue clicking)
and actions (clapping, banging hands, tapping toys together)
no baby signs yet (although not for lack of effort by mommy)
and i'm as precious and as sweet as can be!

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whining about weaning

i've said it before and i will say it again...

when i began my breastfeeding journey, never did i ever believe that i would make it to almost 7 1/2 months.  we had our fair share of bumps in the road at the beginning, but then practice made perfect and somewhere between 10 - 12 weeks...i couldn't have imagined it any other way.  i even made it work when i went back to work!

welp.  somewhere around 4 months, aunt flow came back to visit me monthly and the supply dropped a bit, especially when she was in town.  not only that, but little bits would get impatient waiting for it to let down.  i changed my diet a bit, hydrated and took supplements...which helped and we figured out how to get through the "dry spells"... if you will.  starting solids at 5 months helped out too.  i wasn't ready to be done and i don't think drew was either.

cut to about 6 months.  i still nursed as long as i was with her, but in the evenings the well was dry and she had a hard time going to sleep because she was still hungry.  so - i made the choice to nurse for a bit and then top her off with a bottle (1/2 formula, 1/2 breastmilk).  the result?  a little sleep machine.  she goes down no problem and she sleeps 12 hours.  this is big because this itty bitty girl has never been a champ in the sleep department.

so here's where i am today.  i nurse every morning and she seems to have plenty.  i feel "full" and she heads off to the sitter satisfied.  i pump twice a day at work (which...omg...is getting to be quite the chore) and it almost isn't even worth it.  depending on the day, i might....might get 6-8 oz. total.  but, guys...i'm still not ready to be done.

i love having that time in the morning.
i love how she loves to just chill or doze off on the boppy when she's done and full.
i love how she brushes my face.
i love how it was the best and easiest diet ever...
i love how it's free.
i love knowing she's getting the best of the best.
and i am n.o.t. looking forward to letting things "dry up"...ouch!

so here's my question.  nursing pretty much once a day (during the week) is better than nothing right?  and should i just not pump at work?  would that up the supply in the evening?  or is it better to pump frequently to keep it up?  i'm at a bit of a crossroads....hmmmm.  so that's why i'm whining.  weaning?  i don't wanna!!!!!  help wanted.

just love her.

Zzzzzz.

let's chat.

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the world according to drew | month 7

things are getting fun around here and i know there are so many exciting things to come!!

the world according to drew
i weigh 13 lbs. 'ish
i can wear size 1 or 2 diapers
i wear 0-3 pants and tops, and 3-6 sleepers
i am constantly doing a waving motion with my hands
i sleep from about 7:15 to 6ish
i nurse when i'm with mom or eat 6 oz. bottles
i eat solids/cereal twice a day
my favorites are: sweet potatoes, hummus and carrots
i'm not sold on fruits (unless it's bananas)
i am a pro at manipulating my paci and finding it in my crib at night
i don't have any teeth although i act like i might be on the verge
i shout to get attention
i love love love my play remote
i sit up for real
i still love the exersaucer and jumper
i enjoy standing
i smile when daddy gets home
i love to go back to sleep with mommy and daddy some mornings
i have a new obsession with remy and the feeling is mutual
i can don a pebbles pony
but i'm still bald as a bum in the back

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lucky '13.

goodbye 2012.
hello 2013?
that's seems unreal.
it makes me never want to wish time away, ever again.
no wishing that that sleepless night would be over.
no wishing that she could just sit up in the cart at target.
no wishing that she could just have a conversation with me.
instead, i really want to relish in each moment and phase for what it is.
because, pretty soon...i'll want to be back here.

2012 was the year we became three.  it was the year that jake got a promotion.  it was the year that jake began to travel for work.  it was the year my niece went to kindergarten, our nephew turned one and we learned that we'd have another nephew!

13 has always been my number.  maybe because i like to be different and think of it as lucky, as opposed to unlucky.  so that's what i'm thinking this year will bring.  great luck.  and if not luck, even more happiness than we know what to do with.

happy new year.

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