Andrew and Elizabeth

Andrew and Elizabeth get along so well together which is wonderful.  For example, Elizabeth still prefers her tricycle over her bicycle at the park and always waits for Andrew as he follows along, pushing his little Fisher Price push and ride cart.  She is always encouraging him, giving him hugs and kisses, trying to teach him gentle touches (which usually results in one of the two of them crying from a slap to the face, scratch or annoyance) or their very favorite, the raspberries.  Andrew and Elizabeth do the raspberries at each other all day long and get each other laughing like crazy.  They also like to play tag and chase each other all over the house.  Elizabeth is very gentle and patient with Andrew and really has the ability to play at his level which is amazing to me.

Lately, we've been calling Andrew Godzilla.  He is in the yelling all the time for everything and at everything stage.  Jan says that he has lost more hearing from his kids than he ever did from his music!  It's really true as Andrew screeches so loudly and there is nothing we can do to stop him.  But despite his Godzilla moments, he is still the sweetest little boy and so happy and gentle.  His other nickname is Big Buddy Andrew.  Elizabeth has a song that she likes to sing, Little Bunny Foo Foo walking through the forest but she and daddy have changed it to Big Buddy Andrew.  Andrew just bee bops back and forth to the music and laughs.

Elizabeth's latest things are the Nutcracker and Pillow Pets.  We are going to go see the Nutcracker with my mom and Elizabeth makes sure that she tells that to everyone - the doctor, waiters and waitresses, store clerks, the librarian etc.  It is precious.  And then for the Pillow Pet.  One of her friends at school has a ladybug pillow pet.  Elizabeth came home one day and mentioned that she wanted to go to the store and buy a pillow pet.  We asked her if she had any money and she said yes, the money that she was collecting to" buy food for babies who needed food at church."  Well, after explaining to her about that for awhile, we suggested that she ask Santa for a pillow pet.  She talks about how Santa is making her pillow pet and that he is going to bring it to her house for Christmas.  She is quite the conversationalist.  She listens to us talk at dinner and will interject a "yes" or "hmmm" and then says to us "ok, it's my turn to talk" and she will try to make a comment about our conversation.  Her comment is usually totally unrelated but it amazes me that she is actually trying to follow along.  She also tries to have conversations with the waiters at restaurants.  The other day we went out for sushi and she said to the waiter "Hey waiter, could you please bring me a pen and some paper."   Her favorite "friends" as she calls them are Kitten, Curious George, Baby Doll, and the 2 Bears (all in caps because those are the friend's names).  They make their way all over the house all day long.  They start in the cradle in her room and then to the couch for some morning cartoons and over to the playroom for a tea party then back up to mommy and daddy's bed for a nap and usually end up in Andrew's room on the rocker by the end of the day.  Sometimes they get to go for a ride in the car or a stroll in the buggy.

Andrew's Baptism

This past weekend we had the wonderful blessing of having Andrew baptized.  It was such a beautiful occasion and many of our friends and family were able to join us.  Andrew looked so beautiful in his white suit and bow-tie.  His hair still smells like the baptism oil.  I washed his hair once since his baptism but I love the smell so much that I'm delaying washing it again.  

Our church does the baptism during mass, surrounded by the entire congregation.  I initially thought that it would be very impersonal but it was entirely the opposite.   Father Sean incorporated our family in the entire 

mass and really made it a special occasion for our family.  

My brother, Michael, and Jan's Aunt Carla are Andrew's godparents and were able to join us for the weekend.  

And what would be a family get together without some friendly competition.  This time we decided to take the family to the race track and Go-Cart Race.  But these were not your ordinary go-carts as they go 55 MPH!  As you can see, we had to get suited up like race car drivers, helmets, neck braces and all.  We had a blast, tearing around the track.  Jan was the fastest driver and Carla aka Speed Demon/ Lead Foot etc. was a close second.

Andrew 11 months old

My little baby is almost a toddler.  And well, to most folks size standards, he probably already is a toddler.  When I get to hold baby Regan or our friends Ben and Tiff's little girl, it makes me realize that I never really had a little baby with Andrew!  He was born a toddler!

Andrew is such a fun and handsome fellow.  And oh so happy and loving.  He just lights up our lives with his laughter, hugs and gentle spirit.  Andrew walks all over the place now and can crawl up the steps. This last month, he got his second tooth.  Elizabeth likes to count his teeth and then try to count her twenty teeth.  Our eardrums are hoping to survive Andrew's newest trick - he really likes to scream from the top of his lungs.  We're trying to teach him, no Andrew, too loud but that kid has lungs.  Elizabeth used to scream and the tone really hurt Jan's ears but did not bother me as much.  Andrew's scream, on the other hand, absolutely kills my ears.  

Andrew's first Oreo.  A huge hit!  

Trick or Treat

Elizabeth and Andrew had such a fun time this year for Halloween.  The weekend started with a fall festival at their school.  My little cowgirl got to get all dressed up, play games, do arts and crafts etc.  On Sunday, Elizabeth and Andrew started carving their pumpkins but it turned out to be much more fun to finger paint the pumpkins than to carve them!  Especially for Andrew.  On Sunday, we went tick or treating with our dear friends Ben and Tiff and their kiddos.  It was so adorable as Dane was the cow and Elizabeth the cow girl!