Bye Bye Bubbles

Our church was having its annual kid's musical and they did a great job. Since it was a kids thing the nursery workers were given the night off and Andrew got to sit in our laps and watch with us. I knew it could be hairy because like his mommy we have no idea of our own voice volume. We feel like we are talking but we are actually yelling. I got it from my father and he got it from his and he probably got it from his and you see the vicious cycle continuing into future generations because it is genetic trust me on this. Needless to say I brought plenty of snacks with the intent that if his mouth was full he would not be able to speak loud thus he would not be able to embarass his mommy. But after the opening prayer I knew all the snacks in the world was not going to stop him from speaking/yelling his thoughts. Our children's pastor opened in prayer and as he said amen Andrew speaks/yells amen not once but twice. Everyone had their laugh and I thought the worst was behind us. That was until the bubbles, those wretched bubbles decided to show. The kids were singing about bubbles and and bubbles were everywhere and Andrew was mesmorized. And then the bubbles were gone and Andrew noticed this and aknowledged their disapperance with a louder than normal 'Bye, Bye Bubbles!!' Everyone had their good laugh and it was so loud the actors on the stage even laughed at it. I wanted to crawl under the pew because while it was very cute and very thoughtful of him to notice the disappearance of the bubbles, when people look I get embarassed. I guess I will have to suck it up and expect more to come since I believed it is the job of the child to embarass the parents so later when he is a teenager and doesn't want me to embarass him I'll remind him how he embarassed me and now it is my turn to embarass him. And that is how that vicious cycle continues from generation to generation.

It is Finished

This is a completely rude thing to do but I am so excited I can't help but share it with my closest blogging friends. We finally finished Andrew's big boy room. It took us (GG and I) three days to paint and get the items moved into the room. All the furniture was Chris' while he was growing up (which I think is pretty cool) but the quilt is a great find at Homegoods for $36 (its a full/queen). Once it all came together I was thrilled and now Andrew will go in there and play since all his toys were moved in there and now our living room looks like a grownup space once again. I promise to have some pics very soon. I hope all my closest blogging friends will love it too.

New Room

There are no new pics this week because we have been very busy setting up his new room. I am very greatful that my mom-in-law has come down to help me paint and arrange Andrew's new big boy room. He won't me sleeping in there for awhile but I want him to get use to playing in there. Next week I will have the finished pics so you all can enjoy. So far I really like it. The room is truly what I imagined in my head. So thanks to the Dowd's for all their help and support.

Preacher's Kid

On Friday we went to the park for a nice walk as a family. On the way back from that walk a David Crowder (he is a contemporary christian artist who writes and sings a lot of praise and worship songs) song was on the radio and the song kept repeating Hallelujah. Andrew decided that he could join in too and started to sing hallelujah with him. Of course he couldn't say or sing all four syllabals so it came out 'hallelu, hallelu, hallelu.' Later another song came on that kept repeating the word holy and Andrew decide he would joined in that song also. How God must have been loved to hear a child He created singing His praises. The Bible says in Ps. 8:1-2a "Lord our Master, your name is the most wonderful name in all the earth! It brings you praise in heaven above. You have taught children and babies to sing praises to you..."

Big Transition

Wow how much has happened in just one short week. Last Saturday we moved Andrew to his big boy bed. We transitioned his crib to a toddler bed while we are getting his new room ready. He took his first nap in the bed and fell out two times (after the first time we put pillows on the floor(not to worry it isn't a far fall either)). He cried for a little bit but then went back to sleep both times. That night he didn't fall out at all and during his Sunday nap he fell out once. I wasn't for sure if he fell out I would hear him crying so I dusted off our monitors and listened in while he slept. Monday morning Chris got up and was leaving a little earlier than usual. When the garage door went up I heard Andrew just start crying and I had been listening to him for awhile that morning and I never heard him fall. I went in and saw him laying in the middle of the floor completely confused. He apparently fell out during the middle of the night and didn't know it until he woke up that morning. But since then he hasn't fallen out again. PTL

This is Andrew in his big boy bed. 

If it could happen it will happen to Andrew. He completely inherited his accident pronness from his father. Dare Devil Dowd strikes again. This happened during nursery last Sunday and by Wednesday it looked a lot better.  

This is Andrew's new favorite book, Thomas the Train. He likes that he can look under the bushes and various other objects. He will sit on our laps and have us read his books over and over. I love it. Although I say this is his new favorite but the truth be told he likes for me to read the Little Critters 'Just a Little Homework'.  

This is our new book we just bought. I thought I might challenge him with new words but he already knows all the pictures and will flip to the ones I ask him to find. Although you do have to know the right words to say. For instance, the boots page pictured above is called 'shoes on.' It's in the ball park so I take it.  

This is the final project. If you squint and wait till your eyes get blurry you will see Maw Maw and Paw Paw and G G and Paw Paw (with the Vonage ooo ooo drawn to the side). Don't see it yet...just keep trying. It's like those 3D art hidden pictures. He is proud of it though. 

I ask Andrew if he can draw someones name. I believe this time we were going through his grandparents.  

Complete Obedience

Sometimes being a mommy is very...hmm...we'll just leave it at that. For those who don't know we have used the Baby Wise parenting method with Andrew. One of the activities you train him early on is pack-n-play time. This is when he plays in his pack-n-play for 30-45 mins so he learns to play by himself (I'm sure there are other reasons but I am drawing a blank right now). He has been doing this activity since 5 or 6 months old. We are beginning to transition him to room time (same idea as before except in his room). This is a wordy explanation for my tale to tell but a very important part of the blog.
Back to my first sentence... I was cooking dinner recently and Andrew was trying to be a blessing by helping me but since he can't read I'll be honest and say he was being more of a burden. Before I went crazy saying no fifty million times I got on his eye level and said this, "Andrew, Mommy has to cook and cannot play with you right now. Mommy needs you to go to the living room and play by yourself just like pack-n-play time but instead in the living room." He looks at me and says, "Yes, mommy." He then turns and walks away. I think,"Wow what a great mommy I am. I just communicated my thoughts to him and he did what I asked. Forget reading anymore books on parenting I got this down. Hmm...maybe in my free time I should write parenting books." Then after all those egotistical thoughts I went back to cooking. After 10 minutes it dawns on me I hadn't heard Andrew in awhile. I look in the the living room, no Andrew. Cooking is now put on the skids as I look for my child, all the while envisioning him drowning in the toilet even though the lid is always down. You'll never guess where I found him, right next to his pack-n-play just standing there. I scoped him up in my arms and hugged and praised him for being completely obedient. Where's the obedience you ask? It dawned on me when I saw him that as I was giving my speech on what to do all he heard was, "Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, pack-n-play, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah." He did exactly what I asked him to do. Don't worry you won't be seeing any parenting books from me any time soon. I realize I still have a lot of learning to do.