Drew is One! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

Drew turned 1 at the end of December and oh my how the time flies. It really does seem like just yesterday we were leaving for the hospital. Drew is standing alone and taking a couple reluctant steps here and there. He is pointing at things and saying "that!" and he likes me to name things for him. He is still my number one fan and will seek me out across the house to find me. Except when he is gleefully sneaking up the stairs to thump around until we discover him and chase him down while he is giggling madly.



Car seat is turned around!



We had a very small celebration for Drew at my parents' house while we were up there for the holiday. My friend Tina and her family came to wish Drew a happy first birthday. Here are Evan and Nate playing in the tent.



Evan helped Drew blow out his candles. Evan was very excited to blow it out.



Drew didn't know what to make of the cake at first and he never dove in with reckless abandon, but he did sample quite a bit of icing and a little bit of cake.





Later, all cleaned up and having fun. We opened a couple of presents and that was that!



Santa came to Evan's play group party so all the kids could remind him right before Christmas what they wished for under the tree.





Evan's preschool class also had a quick Christmas party which I helped host. Evan was very excited to see me at his school.



Before we left we opened some presents from Grandma (James' mom). She gave Evan one of his favorite gifts, a Diego "huggacopter" as Evan calls it. He likes it so much that, a) he gasped when he saw what it was and b) he talked about it in his sleep.





We arrived up to Virginia the Saturday before Christmas, so we all had time to relax. (Except my Mom who works so hard cooking and cleaning while we are there, which we eternally appreciate.)







Christmas Eve morning, Evan awoke throwing up. He was getting another stomach virus! We called our pediatrician, and they called in an anti-nausea medication for Evan. He took it by early afternoon, and then another dose before dinner, and he was asking for food. He ate a huge lunch and then was eating Chinese food by dinner. Every Christmas Eve, our family gets Chinese food. It is an approximately 15 year old tradition. Evan wanted to use the chopsticks so badly, I might pick him up some kids' chopsticks. He did insist every bite of cashew chicken be delivered into his mouth with chopsticks.



Grandad read the The Night Before Christmas and we told Evan it was time to go out and sprinkle the reindeer sparkle to help light the reindeers' way. (This is something the preschool gives the kids before break, it is a mix of oatmeal and glitter.)





Christmas morning. I told Evan Santa had brought presents. I realized with in his response, that I had never talked about Santa leaving after he left the presents. So when I told Evan Santa left things downstairs for him, Evan asked if Santa was downstairs. I said that he had to leave to bring other children presents and Evan looked just a bit disappointed, for about a millisecond.



He was a bit overwhelmed with all the new toys.







We actually need to move the seat up on the tricycle, I don't think Evan had enough leverage to push. I think he liked the helmut most of all.



Finally, the crowning present, my brother gave Evan a Power Wheels. It is a very big, very loud, Jeep. Evan liked the idea of sitting in it, and us pushing him in it, but not pressing the gas to go. Ah well, we have many years for that.



A pretty view on a walk Evan and I took.



A twisty tree.



Spaghetti boy.



After an empty cup.



Finally another Evan anecdote. We have a fridge toy that has plastic letters you plug into compartments to make 3-letter words. Lately Evan has been taking the "D" and giving it to James and saying "D" for Daddy." Then I get "M" for Mommy, and Evan gets "U" for "me."