A Time For Every Season....

December 28th, 2005 Drew had an absolutely wonderful Christmas! He toddled all over the house and played with his new toys. We went to church on Christmas morning and then over to Nana's for a breakfast and 3 showings of "The Christmas Story." John was in heaven! I meandered around taking pictures of the whole event so I wouldn't forget anything. Drew napped in the morning and then opened his gifts. He was so overwhelmed! The first gift was so much fun that he didn't want to open anymore. He just wanted to play. His favorite toy, hands down, is the drill and workbench that his Daddy bought him. Drew loves his drill! He is so much like John it is eerie. Drew also loves to play with his Little Leap Frog Train and his new little bike. He also loves his new barking electronic dog. John bought me a new digital camera for Christmas. I have been snapping even more pictures than normal. I bought John some new drill bits, floor mats for the garage, and some books on tape. ...

Guess Who is Walking! Drew started to walk on 12/19. We knew he could walk if he really wanted to, but he rarely did. Then on Monday, he just started to walk! He took about 12 steps and just smiled at us. It was so cute! Now, he loves to walk for mommy and daddy - he loves the kisses and claps he gets too. I hope to post a video of it soon! Drew is also waving a lot and dancing. Whenever his little Fisher Price toy starts to play music he bounces up and down. It is very cute. Drew has been a little under the weather lately, but that hasn't stopped him from having fun. His favorite thing to do every morning is to throw mommy's magazines on the floor! He also loves to play with mommy's cell phone and other things with buttons. Oh, he loves buttons! I can't believe how big Drew is getting. He has stopped nursing this week. Out of the blue he started to refuse, I hoped he would wait until he was 1, but no luck. Drew still loves for you to read him books. His favorite b...

December 14, 2005All Drew wanted for Christmas was his two front teeth! The poor boy has been teething for 8 weeks awaiting his front two teeth. Well they have finally come in! The front right tooth popped in on Monday the 12th and the front left came in on the 13. Drew is feeling much better! He is now climbing stairs and taking up to three steps unassisted. He is a little lazy though. He doesn't choose to walk if he doesn't have to. Drew's ear infection has gotten better too! John and I are very pleased to be able to get a full night sleep again!

December 6, 2005 I took Drew to the Doctor this morning because for the last week he has been crabby and was exhibiting cold like symptoms. The doctor diagnosed Drew with an ear infection - his first! The infection had moved from his right ear to his right eye. Poor little guy. He hasn't laughed or smiled for three days - I am really missing his joyful spirit. He hasn't been sleeping well either. John and I have been working together to take shifts throughout the day and night. Drew only can sleep if his head is elevated. Hopefully the antibiotics will start to work soon. Drew is so tired, but when he falls asleep he awakes screaming from the pain. When we went into the doctor Drew had lost about a pound and a half. He now weighs 19 pounds. Drew is getting so close to walking. He is now taking one or two steps and then sitting down. He gets so proud of himself when he does it right. His new favorite toy is his wagon with blocks. We finally put batteries in it so it makes noi...

October 28, 2005 Drew went to the doctor today for this 9 month checkup. The doctor was so impressed with Drew's strength and she couldn't believe he was so happy and joyful. Drew was such a trooper, even when he had his shot. He was so charming and smiled at everyone. The doctor was especially impressed with the fact that he is drinking from a sippy cup without any help. He is also about to have his top two teeth pop through. Weight: 19lbs 14oz 25-50% Head Circumference: 43 1/3cm 10-25% Length: 26 1/4 3% I can't wait to post pictures of our finished flower beds. The sprinkler system has been re-engineered and the rebar is in place. The final step is laying the wire over the sand. Then, we can lay the foundations. This project is a lot more work than I anticipated. It is a great thing that Patti is here to help! I have really learned a lot this past week and am anxious to get the cement poured. This project has really made me appreciate my sweet and tallented husband. I don...

November 25, 2005 What an incredible three weeks our family has had! Drew has been growing and learning a ton of things this month. He is now saying "Ma Ma" on a consistent basis, normally when he wants something. He also has started giving slobbery kisses and sweet hugs. His favorite toy is his puppy that he must sleep with every night. When he finds his puppy he throws him up and down while saying "woof - woof" which sounds like "ru-ru". It is quite hysterical. He also loves to shake his upper body to music and pretend he is dancing to music. This is especially humorous at bedtime. Last night he woke up around 11:00 pm and I went in to make sure he was ok. When he saw me he smiled really big and started to dance in his crib. It was so cute that I couldn't just leave him there - so I brought him to bed with me for a few minutes. Drew has also learned to wave bye-bye and is trying to clap. His clapping skills need some work! Last week I flew to Oregon ...

October 24, 2005 I am 9 Months old!!! Sorry I haven't written for a while. I have been having so much fun with Grandma Patti that I haven't had time to write. We have been playing in the yard this week! We are building flower beds for mommy's Birthday and Christmas gifts. Today I watched the sprinkler system get installed and when no one was looking I played in the dirt! I even ate mud! Mommy was in the house and couldn't believe I had eaten the mud. I don't think she was too upset because she rushed into the house saying "I need to get a picture of this for the web page!". Daddy had so much fun showing me how to pound in rebar. I was especially fascinated with the shovel. Grandma Patti brought me a Bob The Builder doll that talks! I want to be just like Daddy and Bob. I hope I get a tool belt for Christmas, then I can look like my Daddy and Bob! Mommy, Daddy and Grandma have been busy working outside. I have been such a good boy! I play in my stroller and...

Williams Family Thanksgiving 2005 v January 11 th - Praise the Lord for getting us through our second year of marriage. This year is a double praise! Today I was released from the hospital after 6 weeks of bed rest. Our marriage grew so much over the past 3 months. John was such a servant leader as he changed my bedpan and prayed me through a long, lonely and trying time. Our marriage is such a blessing and was a testimony to many of the nurses and staff. v John is back in school finishing his Bachelor's degree. As of summer 2005 John had completed his AA degree and is taking classes to complete his 4-year criminal justice degree in hopes of getting his Masters in teaching. v Thank you Jesus for the delivery of a beautiful and perfectly healthy baby boy. John Andrew Williams was born on 1/24/05 after a lot of complications. Thank you Lord for your hand of protection over our finances and for providing great insurance that covered most of the $60,000-$70,000 in hospital expenses. v ...

November 3, 2005 Crabby would best describe the past week - Drew is getting his top two teeth in, he has had a low grade fever and runny stools which has led to diaper rashes. Drew has not been sleeping very well; he has woken up an average of twice each night. Poor little man! He may also be fussy from his shot last Friday. We have been playing around the house a lot because John has also been a little under the weather. We did manage to pour the cement frame on the side of the house Tuesday. John ended up mixing the cement with his hands because the drill he was using to stir the mix wasn't powerful enough. It was a very funny process to watch! Drew was fascinated with watching John work. He really wanted to get out of his stroller and help. He just didn't understand it when I told him he wasn't old enough. On Monday, October 31 st, we cooked a great dinner and entertained my mom and her friend Rebecca, from Oregon . We were planning on going to Trunk Fest at our church,...

October 12, 2005 8 ½ Months Old Already! Hello everyone! I have two new bottom teeth now. I am also jabbering up a storm. Mommy is ready for lots of peace and quiet once I go to bed at 7:00 pm. The past two weeks I have discovered that when mommy puts me to bed after my song and prayers that I can get right back up and stand in my crib. I now fall asleep out of sheer exhaustion about 30 minutes after mom lays me down. Mom use to try and persuade me to stay laying down, but she has given up! I am still sleeping through the night, everyone is happy about that. I am still taking my two naps in my parents walk in closet because it is so dark! Overall mom and dad say that I am a good sleeper. Some mornings I don't wake up until 9:00 am . Mom always hopes those happen on weekends. Today I went to church and played with my friends while mommy went to her MOPS group. They had fun! Mommy learned that it is very important to be joyful and to have a home of laughter whenever possible. That i...

October 5, 2005 Drew's second tooth is starting to come through. Now he has two bottom front teeth. He is now so mobile that John spent much of his two days off building a baby gate at the top of our stairs. It looks beautiful! I will post some pictures tomorrow. I think it is the most structurally sound gate I have ever seen. There is no way he will fall down the stairs now! Drew has been filling his days with lots of naps and playing. He is starting to get "shy" with people too. He is so cute, when he meets someone new, he tucks his chin to his chest and gives a shy little smile while his head is cocked to the left. If the person smiles back he brings his head up and smiles really big. It is so funny. Drew met his great Nana again a few days ago. He is having fun playing over at this Nana's right now. John just finished his second quarter in school. He is doing so well! His last class was passed with an "A" and it was a writing class! In the past John has...

September 26, 2005 Daddy is ecstatic! Drew said his first real word today. Guess what it was? Yes, it was Daddy! It is no wonder. John has been indoctrinating him to say Daddy since the day he was born. John probably says "Drew, Daddy, Dewalt, Drill, Drimel (sp)" at least 5 times per day. It is very cute! Drew also said "Uh Oh" yesterday. My mom and I were painting my bedroom and Drew crawled around under our feet saying "Uh Oh." I think his first word was "Uh Oh" because every time he spits up we normally wind up saying ?Uh Oh?. He has probably heard it over a thousand times by now. Speaking of Drew's reflux, we are hoping that he is beginning to grow out of it. The past three days he has not been spitting up quite so much. Tonight I even forgot to give him his medicine and he never fussed. Normally I would know right away when I laid him down. It was so bad that if h e didn?t have his medicine every 12 hours he would start screaming becaus...

September 22, 2005 8 Months Old This past Saturday Mommy took me to the Jazz festival down town. Daddy had to study so he couldn't go. So, mommy and I went with some friends that have a little girl my age. I had such a great time listening to the music, playing with musical instruments, and of course eating! It was so fun. I imitated everything my little friend Payton was doing. I also had to know where she was all the time. In the middle of the afternoon we were really hot so Mommy came up with the most brilliant idea. She noticed that there was a team penning competition in the Roy Rogers Arena - right next to the place we were at. So we went to the air conditioned arena and watched the horses! Mommy was in heaven, so was her friend Melody. We watched horses chase cows around the arena, it was really fun. Afterwards we went to the museum and played in the water. That is where I fell in. Mom was trying to take a picture of me sitting by the water and well I was so hot that I crawl...

September 15, 2005 7 3/4 Months Hi! I am getting to be such a big boy - this week I moved up to my 6-9 month cloths. Mommy thought that she didn't have many outfits in that size, but then she pulled out the box and looked in a few drawers and discovered she had a lot of cloths! The only problem is that they are all winter cloths and it is still in the 90's here during the day. Today we had a huge storm - it rained and thundered and there was lightening. Daddy took me into the garage and I got to watch. It was so exciting! I am still working on crawling. I can get across the floor in no time. Mommy and Daddy have to keep an eye on me. Mommy says that I "creep" across the floor more than actually crawl. I need a little more upper body strength. Intellectually I am learning word meanings like "No" " Yes" "Stay" "Drew" "Mommy" Daddy" and "Happy." Though I can't say any of these words, I now know the mea...

September 7, 2005 7 ½ Months Hi you' all! I discovered how to get around this week! I am now getting in the crawling position and then leaning back to sit up. Mommy and Daddy are very impressed because normally you learn to crawl before you learn to sit up! Now that I can sit up Daddy had to move my crib down a notch. Mommy was so sad because it represented one more step towards maturity and independence! Mommy and Daddy have been having a really fun time encouraging me to crawl. I can get about three feet before I fall on my tummy. If I get frustrated I start to roll to where I am going, Mommy is really worried that I will be walking soon.. I always want to stand up and walk while holding moms hands. Once I can crawl and pull myself up I will teach myself how to walk. Look out! This week I went and visited my friend Payton, Payton is a month and a half older than me. Mommy and Daddy had dinner with her parents and I got to play with my friend. I watched her crawl all over. I le...

August 29th, 2005 I am 7 Months and a week old! This week I have been working really hard at crawling! I am getting so close. Just today I took scooches towards mommy all by myself. Give me two more days and I will have it all figured out. I also discovered that mommy likes to eat a lot and not share any of her food with me! Today mommy was in Costco drinking a slushy and I had a huge fit because she wasn't sharing it with me. I now notice everything and won't let things slip past me! I notice being left in a room alone and when people eat right in front of me. I am always hungry too! My nana says that I eat just like my mommy use to when she was little. I gobble it all down and cry when there is no food left. I am yet to get full! I love to eat anything and everything. Lately when mom has been nursing me I have been getting very distracted. I have decided that people food tastes much better than milk, plus it is much quicker and messier to eat people food. I am enjoying playin...

Little Drew, or "Drewster" as my aunty Beth calls him is getting soooooooo big and strong. He is just amazing. He wants to stand all by himself and takes his hands away from you when you are trying to hold onto him. He is really getting to be very active and busy. He never stops! I have to hold him down with my arms when I rock him to sleep . Oh he hates it because he has figured out that the more he moves the less tired he feels. Once I hold onto him tight he falls asleep within minutes. He is also starting to pant like a dog. He started it yesterday. He goes around saying "who who who who who who who." What a kick, he really loves to entertain. Drew turned 7 months old on his Nana's birthday. He is now fascinated with the whole world. He notices everything! He loves to go out in public and study things. He gets very focused and concentrates hard on objects and people. He really enjoys catching people's eyes and then gives them a huge smile. What a litt...

August 14, 2005 Mommy told me that I could only write this letter and then I had to go to bed! I have not had my long naps the past few days so I am very cranky. I have tried the patience of everyone I've been around. When I am overly tired I won't nap for longer than 20 minutes and I fight sleep by screaming when I am put to bed. Last night I woke mom up three times because I really wanted to get up. Mommy says that it is so much easier to stay home and never go anywhere! Today at church the nursery workers had to page mommy to come get me because I was crying so hard. When she got there I was hysterical and had developed the hiccups. Then, after I was fed I wouldn't let her drop me back off in the nursery so Mommy and Daddy had to sit in the quiet room with me during the worship hour - I fell asleep in my favorite place - mommy's arms. Mommy does not like this separating anxiety that I have developed. Lately I won't even let Daddy console me, all I want is Mommy....

August 4, 2005 Guess what, I had a doctor's appointment this week and I had to get three icky shots; it was the first of 3 series of shots. I was not very happy, but mommy said that they are good for me. I ran a fever the first day, but felt much better after that. My 6 month checkup revealed the following stats: Weight: 15 pounds 2oz (10-15 %) Height: 24 ½ inches (3-5%) Well I didn't inherit any tall jeans! Mommy has been calling me her "jolly green midget." This week I played with my aunt Julie! I also started eating green beans. I really don't think green beans are very tasty. Daddy had a dentist appointment this week; he had a lot of cavities! I am lucky; I don't have any teeth yet. My future uncle Ruben had his parents, Felix and Hilda Cabrera, visit from Puerto Rico this past week. We had dinner and desert with them on Saturday night. I really liked them! Mrs. Cabrera loved to hold and play with me! They are so sweet! I smiled and talked to t...

July 30, 2005 For the past three weeks our family has been watching some baby cardinals outside the dining room window. It has been awesome, we have solar screens out front so we can see the birds, but they can't see us. Yesterday I went over to check on the birds and the mother cardinal was encouraging her baby's to come out of the nest. All day long they climbed the branches until finally they all fell out. The rest of the evening they were hopping all over the flower bed trying to get to their mommy. She was flying around them trying to get them to fly. I was a little worried when they ventured over to the neighbors yard, but they all seem to have figured out the art of flying. Last night the next was empty, I was a little sad to see them go. It was so awesome to be able to watch these little baby birds grow up. When I would be nursing Drew in his room I could hear the baby birds cry for their mommy and for food. I thought I was a busy mom, but that mommy had 4 babies and o...

July 24, 2005 6 Months Old Already! Today I am 6 months old! Mommy & Daddy can not believe that I am half a year old. Where has the time gone? I spent the day at church with my friends. Mommy and Daddy had a meeting so I played in the nursery. Everyone always things I am so adorable. I like to smile at people, laugh, and play with toys. I am getting use to going to the nursery and I don't cry anymore when mommy leaves. I have moved up to the size 3 diapers and weigh almost 15 pounds. I can sit up for up to 20 minutes and grab my passy and put it back in my mouth. I am still in the 10 th percentile for weight and height. I have been eating rice cereal and oatmeal for part of my breakfast and dinner. My reflux is still acting up, but the doctors say I should outgrow it between 6 and 12 months. Mommy will be very glad when I outgrow this, she is really tired of cleaning the carpet, changing me 5-6 times per day, and warning everyone who picks me up that I may puke all over t...

July 13, 2005 I had such a great time visiting with my Grandpa Mike and Grandma Carol! They stayed for a week and I got to show them how I can sit up! Mommy can't believe how much I have accomplished this past week. I am sitting up all by myself and jabbering a lot. I have been cranky this past week though, Mommy says I am getting a tooth. I can't wait for my mouth to stop hurting. Grandma & Grandpa worked all week on special projects around the house. Mommy had her grape arbor put together and lights put up over the garage. The neighbors though Grandpa Mike was doing such a great job that they asked him to put lights outside their house too! I had a lot of fun playing with everyone. Aunt Julie is also here - she is taking a college class in TCC so she will be able to watch me for the next 6 weeks. Daddy was busy working on school and playing with Grandpa. Daddy's science class is almost finished. He just has a final left to study for. He is so smart, he has an A in on...

I am 5 1/2 months old! July 7, 2005 Guess what! I had my first bo-bo this week; Mommy was scrapbooking with a friend and sat me in my boppy on the bench. Just as mommy was walking back to the table I slid off the bench and landed on the floor. My fall was cushioned by the table leg. I now have a bruised right eye. Daddy was so glad that my first accident wasn't because of him. Mommy is not going to be much more careful where she puts me from now on. She felt terrible! Mommy & Daddy went out on a date this past Wednesday to a restraint called Joe T. Garcia's. They said the food was excellent. Mommy and Daddy had a very romantic evening of dining and music out on the restaurant's veranda. They came back in great moods! I stayed with a couple from church - Mike and Jill. I had such a great time playing! I didn?t even miss mommy and daddy when they were gone. I was having too much fun! July 4 th mommy and daddy played around the house getting ready for all the company. Ca...

I am 5 months old! June 28, 2005 Mommy is calling me her little inch worm! I have discovered how to inch across the floor! I saw my friend Rachael (who is 6 ½ months) do it on Saturday night and I couldn't let her outdo me. Now I can move about a foot when mommy puts me on the floor. I have been sleeping through the night now for two weeks. Mommy and Daddy are so proud of me. I am now playing in my activity center more and have discovered how to play with all the fun toys. My favorite is the mirror. Today I was sucking on the big giraffe head and my arms are pretty short so I had to pull it very close towards my mouth. When I let it go it came back and whacked me in the eye. It really hurt and I cried. Daddy picked me up though and made it all better. Mommy and I have such fun days playing together! We read books and play with my toys in-between my naps. Mommy says that she has the best job in the entire world - being my mommy and daddy's wife. I love her so much that I won...

June 24, 2005 I am 5 Months Old! I slept through the night again! What a big boy I am turning into. Yesterday I showed mommy and daddy how I can pick up my passy when I drop it. I am getting really close at putting it back into my mouth. I also ate some carrots yesterday for the first time. However, I got sick after I ate them and spit them all up over the carpet and my cloths. I proceeded to do this for the next three hours. I went through 6 outfits and cried a lot. Mommy said I couldn?t have any more carrots. I still love my oatmeal though! Mommy took me to a scrapbook fair a few weeks ago and has been scrap booking in her free time. She went with some friends from church and had such a great time. I told her she should post some of her pages on the website. Look for them soon! Daddy had his 1-year review at work yesterday. Can you believe it has been a year? Last year at this time mommy and daddy had just found out I was growing inside mommy's tummy. Daddy received great marks ...

June 22, 2005 Guess what everyone! I finally slept through the night without waking up! Mommy put me to bed last night at 9:00 pm and I awoke at 7:00 am the next morning. Mommy was so scared when she woke up and I was still sleeping. I am growing up so fast!

June 19, 2005 Guess what! Mommy finally said I was old enough to start writing my thoughts down on the website! Isn't that fun! Let me catch you up on my first 5 months. I was born in Grapevine Texas at the ripe old gestation of 35 6/7 weeks. I was named John Andrew Williams after my daddy. However, I am told that everyone calls me Drew because mommy didn't want to have two John in the house - it would be too confusing. Daddy told her that we would actually have 5 John's in the house but mommy just gave him an exasperated look. I don't get the joke, but maybe I will when I get a little older. I will be 5 months this Friday! Mommy can not believe time has gone so quickly. I weighed in at 14 pounds when mommy took me to the Doctors a few days ago. I just started sleeping through the night this past week. Mommy is so happy now! I go to bed around 8:00pm and wake up for an early morning snack around 6:00 am but go right back to sleep until 9:00am . Mommy likes it that way ...

June 7, 2005 What a great week we had! Drew is growing so quickly. He is already 19 weeks old. Drew, John and I all went swimming at the pool with some friends from the Dallas Police Academy over the weekend . Drew loved swimming in the big pool, he liked to slap the water with his hands and feet. He was so adorable in his big hat, sun glasses and binky. We couldn't stay out too long though; we didn't want his skin to burn. Over the weekend we also had a BBQ at our house with some church friends and neighbors. John even BBQ'd steaks! Drew has been talking up a storm, he jabbers non stop. I was on the phone with a co- worker and she could hear him through the phone. Everyone now knows I work from home! Drew has been standing using our hands all week! His legs are getting so strong. He has the cutest little grins when he first stands up. Not to mention his cute little fat legs. He laughs and smiles and lifts his chest up and down. He is so proud of himself. He has...

May 31, 2005 This week was a little rough. Our car was in the shop most of the week, so I tried to make the most out of being stranded at home. We took the car in when we came home from Oregon because the car would not start - it turned out to me the ignition switch. Then the day after we received the car back from the shop I drove it to home group, where it refused to start. The next day we had it towed to the shop where they determined the starter had gone out. However, it was late Friday by this time and it wouldn't be worked on until everyone was back on Tuesday. So, I finally get the car back this afternoon and take it for a stroll and what do you know, the brake light and the air bag light are on and the car is smoking. So, back to the shop again tomorrow. If we hadn't spent over $3,000 on the car in the past 4 months I would just sell it and buy something newer. So, please pray that the shop repairs the car tomorrow and doesn't charge us anything. We had a nice th...

************This Just In************* Drew weighed in today at 12 lbs 12 oz and 23 1/2 inches tall Daddy took Drew to his checkup this morning all by himself. I am so proud of him! John said all the women in the waiting room were jealous because their husbands would not take their kids the doctor. Drew also made eyes at all the nurses! John said Drew would lock eyes with a nurse walking by and then he would crack the biggest smile! May 24, 2005 Today Drew is 4 months old! The past four months have flown by. We just returned from a wonderful visit to Oregon . Drew had such a great time meeting all of you. I was so shocked that he was so well behaved. I had been worried he would cry the whole time we were gone. I prayed often that he would feel comfortable and relaxed on our trip. The 10 days were gone went by so quickly. I wish we could have stayed longer. The past two weeks Drew has been working on standing up - with help from us of course. John has been ho...

May 9, 2005 What a happy baby we have! Drew went in today for a checkup and had the waiting room in fits and giggles. He was laughing and cooing to everyone. This past week he has really been developing his fine motor skills, as well as studying faces and objects. He has also been laughing and talking a lot. He is so much fun to be around. I went to a Women's Dinner at church tonight and one of the sweet ladies that watched Drew in the nursery said she wanted to take him home with her. He had entertained them all night long. I am so glad he is settling in a little better with strangers. We went camping this past week with our church group. Drew was a little angel and I actually was able to finish one of my books. We had such a great time relaxing and playing games with other couples. John enjoyed cooking for all 12 of us! He made steaks, corn on the cob and potatoes on the fire. He is so talented! He also fixed everyone breakfast the next morning. I am so grateful that he finds co...

April 24, 2005 Drew is three months old! I can not believe how quickly the time has passed. This week was rough, Drew's reflux has been gradually been getting worse since I stopped consuming dairy products. The burning of his throat from the acid reflux has been keeping Drew up all day long. His longest nap was only an hour, normally he has a 3 hour nap in the morning and another one in the late afternoon. I called a lactation specialist who helped me understand "GERD" as they call it. I also did some research online. I went back on dairy and started a food journal. So far Drew is doing much better, but I have discovered that he reflux is irritated by orange juice, Mexican food, and dairy in large quantities. I also started pumping some of my breast milk and then mixed it with rice cereal. Then, near the end of his feeding I will get out the bottle of breast milk and cereal. This thicker mixture has really helped keep the food in his stomach instead of on my couch! Drew i...

April 19, 2005 This week was quite busy for the Williams - Drew had a doctor appointment on April 15 th and then we left for Cedar Hill State Park for a weekend of camping. Drew's doctor appointment was with a gastrointestinal specialist, his reflux and stomach aches have gradually been getting worse the past few weeks. The doctor believes, due to all of Drew's symptoms, that he has a milk allergy. So, that means that I can no longer consume milk and soy products. I have a huge list of things I can't eat. The hardest for me to resist will be my morning Oregon Chai Latte's and custard ice cream. We have a custard ice cream stand near our house that we visit a few times a month, it has the best home made custard and shakes! Oh well, it will make Drew a much happier baby so it is well worth it. I could change him over to a special formula, but it wouldn't be as healthy for Drew or our pocketbook. The formula is twice as expensive as regular formula. Drew is also schedu...

April 11, 2005 Drew is 11 weeks old tonight; he weighs over 11 pounds! As I type, Drew is in his bed crying because he doesn't want to go to sleep. He has been having some difficulties learning how to sleep in his own bed. He only wants to sleep in mommy and daddy's bed or in his swing. We are going to Oregon in a month and I want to get him use to sleeping in new places, so far I haven't had much luck. We had a fun week around the William's house. We watched daddy work on the shed and mow the lawn. We also went for some fun walks around the neighborhood. The weather has been excellent for outdoor activities. Drew just wishes that the sun were not so bright, he has difficulty adjusting to the sun's brightness. I need to buy him a pair of baby shades! On Sunday, April 10 th Drew rolled over for the first time. I showed him how to roll from his tummy to his back one time, and then he did it himself. It was as if he was telling me he already knew how and did it twic...

April 4, 2005 Drew turned 10 weeks old tonight, another week has come and gone. This week Drew smiled a lot more and started to be more vocal. When he is happy he tries to make noises by opening his mouth and slowly making sounds. He tries so hard, but rarely does anything come out. I had my first all day outing on Saturday - Drew and I went to Canton Texas in search of treasure! We went with 6 other girlfriends from church - we all looked crazy dragging 3 breast fed infants under 4 months, one toddler, two regular strollers, one double stroller, and numerous changes of cloths all over the flea market. We had such a great time! A group of older ladies even commented that it was nice to see such happy moms out with their kids! All of us moms were thankful to get out of the house and eager to socialize! It was so much fun wandering around looking at the hundreds of booths decorated with things to buy. For those of you who are not familiar with Canton Texas ; this little town houses a ver...

March 31, 2005 Drew had his doctor appointment this morning and weighed 10lbs 6oz! He is 21 3/4 in long and is in the 10th percentile for his weight and height. He is moving up the ladder, he was 1% in both when he was born. March 27, 2005 It is 10:00 and Drew is sleeping! I have been trying to get him asleep by 10:00 pm so we both get a full nights rest - I tend to be a more peaceful mommy if I get good rest. This is the first night all week that he is actually asleep by 10:00 pm , the other nights he had his own agenda. I discovered that the trick is to not let him sleep past 5:00 in the afternoon, and then he is ready to start thinking about sleep around 9:00 . Drew's personality is beginning to take shape, he has been smiling and crying a lot this week - he is either happy or upset. He is rarely in the middle. Personality wise Drew is very much like me, happy to be hanging out at home and in a routine. I've noticed that when his routine is changed he gets cranky and scar...

3/21/05 Eight weeks ago tonight I was finally able to lock eyes on my little boy for the very first time. I remember holding him in my arms the entire first night . I did not want to let him out of my sight. I was so excited to finally be a mommy that I stayed awake all night long just snuggling with my baby. John was so wiped out from assisting with the labor and overwhelmed with the idea of being a dad that he slept on a cot in my hospital room all night long . he did not wake up once. He even snored! Drew was so sweet, he slept off and on that first night but when he was awake he would just gaze into my eyes. He looked so content and peaceful . like he knew he was safe and secure with me. Eight weeks later things are about the same. Drew still loves to be close to his mommy and daddy. He has started to cry when other people hold him and then wants to nurse to pacify himself. He still longs to sleep with mommy at night and hates to sleep the night in his own crib. I did not mind ...

March 8, 2005 - Drew had a Dr. checkup this morning and weighed in at 9 lbs 2oz! He is getting so big! Everyone at the Dr. office fell in love with his hair! Week of March 6th ~ This past Sunday we had Drew dedicated at church. It was a wonderful event in our family's life as John and I made a public dedication to raise our son according to God's commandments. During this Christian Dedication service a beautiful and serious promise is made before God and the Church to care for our child as God's child. Children are a gift from God. Like everything good in life, children come from God and they belong to Him; parents are just caretakers of the children God has given them. Scripture tells us that we are to train a child in the way he should go (Proverbs 22:6) and to pray ruthlessly for their future and salvation. This includes meeting together regularly as Christians to spur one another on to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:23 -24). Dedication of children to God is a promi...

My little boy is growing up; he is already 7 weeks old. I was playing with him last night and started to cry because he has changed so much. Drew no longer looks like a newborn; he has even outgrown his Newborn and Preemie cloths. He is now only wearing 0-3 month outfits. Last Monday Drew went in for a checkup and weighed 9lbs 2oz. Drew now has a double chin and fat roll on his arms and knees. He slept longer periods of time this week - 3 hour afternoon naps! Drew and I have been taking daily walks around the block; Drew seems to like all the movement and the new things to see. Our grass turned green this week and our tree is starting to bloom. Spring is finally on its way! John and I tried to go on a short date to Starbucks on Friday night, hoping Drew would sleep in his car seat but, he wanted nothing to do with sleeping. We ended up taking our caffeine home and all three of us cuddled next to the fire. Drew had a fussy week; he has been battling minor stomach pains and a little...

February 28, 2005 ~ Today Drew is five weeks old! I can't believe that another week has passed. This week Drew's Grandma Patti visited from Oregon . We all had a great time visiting and enjoying the baby. I especially enjoyed getting some much needed sleep while Grandma enjoyed spending the nights with Drew. Thank you Patti! I must admit though, that by the end of Grandma's visit I had missed spending time with Drew. Her visit helped me appreciate the time God has given to me to spend raising our son, and to make the most of the short time I have to influence his life. This week Drew started growing up before our very eyes. He is starting to look less and less like a newborn. He has been focusing on things in the house and on the kitty cats. I had him in his room this morning and he looked around like it was the first time he had been in it. He has been focusing on faces and even smiling at me! John crawled into bed this morning, home from a long night shift, and held Drew...