We've all been together over nine months now, and we find that it is so hard to remember what Andrew was like back in the earlier months. Time just goes so fast and babies change so fast. I've been brainstorming some of his distinctive 18 month-old charms...
1. He still enjoys his game of "pickleberry," but for the past couple of months it no longer starts with one of us saying, "I call you pickleberry!" Instead, it starts with Drew letting out his patented high-pitched scream and then running. He has made some other variations, too. Sometimes, you may be instructed to hold a giant stuffed frog or dog while chasing him. In a version I call "lazy pickleberry," he wants to be put in his crib so that one of us can run down the hallway. Then, we are to turn around and look for him, but he has run to the other end of the crib, out of sight, to laugh and laugh. It's really amazing that he has orchestrated all of this with such a limited vocabulary!
2. Climbing steps. Oh, boy. It doesn't matter if we're at home or at the Great Wolf Lodge. Step climbing is where it's at! All day. Every day. Our neighbors have two steps on their porch and we have a measly one. Most days Drew runs over to their porch to enjoy walking this extra step. Then he sits there for quite a while.
3. Outdoor enthusiast: slides, swings, neighbor cats, stroller, wagon...it's all quite beloved right now! We have had some nice weather lately, and we easily spend two hours outside playing, going to the park, finding acorns, and generally trespassing all over Meadowthorpe.
4. His plastic teeter totter. Oh, my! This is such a hit. He can ride it in the middle, on the side, or, if he has his buddy Jackson over, he can ride on one end. The teeter totter at the park is also quite awesome.
5. Stealing/hoarding balls. Every time I see a child with a ball, I cringe because Mr. Drew is already eyeballing it and planning his strategy. The other day it was a giant sized ball a little girl had at the park. Yesterday it was Jackson's basketball. (Jackson is the kindest little boy in the world, and his sweet mama told Drew to keep it for a few days. He has not let go of it since!) Today, we were at a kid's gym for his girlfriend Catherine's birthday party, and it was ball hoarding at its finest. He is intense on this topic. At the party, he tried to shoot baskets while holding three balls!
6. Talking. I'm pretty sure we're on the verge of a word explosion, so I want to capture where we are right now word-wise: mama/umma, dada/hay-da, uh-oh, up, weeeeeh, two, three (two and three are used for counting steps of course!), choo-choo, tickle, ah-choo, kitty,and kaku (Korean peek-a-boo). He has said other words, but not regularly. Today was the first day he put two words together. We got home from church, got out of the car, and neighbor cat was in the yard. Drew waved and greeted him with, "Hi, Kit-tay!"
7. Kissing. Drew has his own way of doing most things, and kissing is one such example. He is not a kisser in general, more of a hugger/snuggler. However, he will kiss me like crazy through the sheer drapes in the living room. It's the funniest thing. He will also kiss through the banister railings. He started this with his grandma, and it continues. If David reads him the book "Daddy Kisses" he will go on an all-out kissing spree. It's a riot. Drew is also quite fond of blowing kisses--two handed, no less! Nothing sweeter in the world.
8. Ee-i-ee-i-OH! If you sing "Ee-i-ee-i," Drew will pop in right on key with, "OH!" Too cute.
9. Dancing. Drew is really getting famous in all his circles for his dancing prowess. We may not even notice any music playing wherever we are, but then we will notice this little guy is dancing with perfect rhythm. It's really quite amazing. He used to just basically bend his knees, but now we have arm movements, feet movements, and oftentimes he dances in a circle, sometimes while keeping one foot planted and marching around with the other. It doesn't have to be a catchy song or a long one. The alphabet song, for instance, launches him right into his routine. If you bang a couple blocks together in any sort of rhythm, Drew will also accept that as a form of music and dance away. As you can see in the video, dances can sometimes involve stuffed animal partners.
10. Papaw. Idolatry is a sin, and Drew is treading on thin ice here. He is so enamoured with David's dad that it's just a riot to behold. All Dave has to do is look at him and Drew grins and grins. You can see an example in the previous post.
11. Sympathy grunts. Drew is a big fan of play-doh, and luckily he cannot open the little cans himself quite yet. He often brings me a can to open, and I always have a little trouble getting the lid off. Seeing me struggle, Drew ALWAYS makes a few "sympathy grunts," presumably to help me with the task. They are very forceful grunts and it's all I can do to keep from laughing. I fear that if I laugh, he will no longer sympathize with me and will stop his big grunts!
