Who's The Man?

Yes, Baby Drew turned ONE! When he woke up that morning, he seemed to know it was his special day. At his birthday party, he wanted one thing, and one thing only: a ball, given to him by his cousin Emily. He cried when we made him stop chasing the ball around yard for the candle blow. Drew is a man who enjoys simple things in life: a ball, wrapping paper, grass and frosting. He did however appreciate the one year movie his father created for him, pointing and laughing at the television screen. What are his accomplishments to date you might ask? Simply put, Drew is our sunshine; his sweetness overwhelms us and we feel so blessed. This last year has been delightful with his presence. Never have we had such an easy baby! Happy Birthday to our Baby Drew, we "LOVE YOU SO BAD" (Rosie)!

Delight #2, DREW

Who gave Drew the licorice?
Drew's getting big. Case and point.

Drew met Sully, if only they knew their future destiny of BFF's and future college roommates

8 Months!

Drew, Drewby (all of us), Big D (Mom, Dad & Grandpa Hamblin), Drew Drew (Max, Nana), Drewy Cat (Rosie...who else?), Baby Drew (Lizzy, our cousin Emily & the rest of us),

Drewy or Drewy Drew (Lizzy, Rosie, Mom).

No matter how you say it, Drew is our Delight for sure. Can you tell we absolutely love this baby? As for his new 8 month old tricks: 1- he has a sweet tooth, and that is about it. He still doesn't care for baby food, but will put up a good fight for a little lick of licorice (of course, I as his mother would never ever let him taste anything with sugar in it, never). 2- He says Uh-Oh regularly and means it. 3- Drew is also working on his waving skills, he waves at himself mostly, which we all find hilarious. Baby D is the life of the party, and we love having him around.

Must Be Santa

6 Months!

29 Inches

20 1/2 Pounds

6 Teeth

Smiles, Coos, Babbles, Rolls Over, Sits Up, Giggles, Eats Baby Food, Smiles, Smiles, Smiles.

Drewby is such a joy, words can not express how much we simply adore this good natured happy BIG boy. He is most defiantly our present this Christmas!

Show & Tell

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2-
3-

4-

5-

Have you seen Baby D lately? I have. In fact, he is taking all of my time, in a wonderful way. I do plan on updating this blog, this week, so stay tuned. In the mean time, please help me choose. These are a few of my favorite pictures of Drew's six month photo shoot (I know, 6 months!). I get to choose one to have enlarged on a stretched canvas. Which would you choose? Now, come on, don't be shy, I need your (you, you and you) input. Many thanks!

4 Month Fun

Before My Drew turns 5 Months, I need to celebrate the month of Four. Much happened to Baby Drew this last month. He has stopped using a Binky and replaced it with his two middle fingers...it's to die for. He's our first baby who actually likes "tummy time". Our home is filled with that sweet baby babble which for Drew always begins with a long sigh. He prefers Mommy at night, and I'm loving it. Drew has also decided that the car isn't so bad, and has made new friends with the many toys that are offered to him regularly. He is starting to sit up unsupported for a few seconds, and the girls are positive he will be an early walker because of the continuous kicking motion his legs make. And, by the way, he's huge. At four months, he weighed in at 17.4 lbs (85 %) and 27" long (93%). Okay and one other minor detail, he now has 2 teeth. Yes, just like Rosie. WE LOVE this happy easy going baby boy!

GONE!

And now Drew, for exactly 45 minutes, twice a week, it's just you and me kid!

Sunny Days

Life is Rosy with the Rosies'


Baby Drew is filling out quite nicely and is getting very use to being
the center of attention.



Rosie can't help but get a little irritated when she has to share
holding time with others, but Great-Grandma's trump.


And, there is a new hotspot to eat around our house,
on the floor....next to the baby.

Life has been full of sunshine this summer both inside and out. Kelly and I were concerned that our kids would be bored this summer because I'm not up to all of our usual activites....wrong....thanfully. It amazes me how our children seem to be satisfied with less, given the opportunity. They have fun playing in our backyard (instead of playing on trips), enjoyed simple walks around the block (instead of hikes) and get totally excited for a library trip which involves new movies to "buy for one week" as Max puts it. As always, I'm trying to keep it simple and enjoy the dog days of summer. Baby Drew is making this summer special, and I'm so grateful for a more relaxed time of year. Happy Summer!

Getting to Know You

Getting to know you, Getting to know all about you.
Getting to like you, Getting to hope you like me.

Drew has very large feet for a newborn, and it's impossible

to keep any kind of socks or booties on them.

Our most alert baby ever, Drew is awake more than most newborns

and is so engaging with his bright possibly blue (but still early to tell) eyes.

PS- no, he is not laying on rough wood with chipping paint...its a mat!

Baby Drew loves his hands tucked up close to his face when he is falling

to sleep. In fact, his favorite position is to have one hand against his cheek and the

other holding on to mine......melts me every time.

Baby Drew is a mommy's boy through and through

and I couldn't be more pleased as I am a Drew's girl.

Haven't you noticed

Suddenly I'm bright and breezy?

Because of all the beautiful and new

Things I'm learning about you Day by day.

(The King And I)

And now to answer a few of the most frequently asked questions:

1- How are you feeling?

I feel really great, actually. I believe this has been my easiest recovery and I have been blessed with so much help (thank you thank you thank you), I have been able to rest way more than I originally anticipated. Although, I must admit that I haven't gotten into the full swing of housework, cooking, and caring for the 3 older children yet, so we'll see how I fair in the not so distant future.

2- How is Baby Drew doing? Is he a good baby?

Drew is a Dream. He truly is. He still has that sweet sweet spirit about him. He is patient with his adoring siblings but, lets us know when he needs some down time with Mommy. He loves his new stroller (and so do I, thanks to our Family) and being outside. He seems to be most content where we are, which works well since his siblings want to be constantly near him.

3- How are the other children doing adjusting, particularly Max?

They are doing so great, we couldn't be happier. The girls are in heaven, needless to say. Max is so proud and protective of Drew. He hasn't shown signs of jealously, but is wondering when we are going to be able to push Drew in the swing, send him down the water slide, feed him fruit snacks......you get the picture.

4- Were you surprised he was a Boy?

No and Yes. All along Kelly and I both felt like it was "probably a boy", but there were times that I talked myself out of those feelings and thought we were having a girl. But, for the most part, I would have been more surprised if we had had another daughter. We definitely feel lucky to have 2 boys and 2 girls, if feels perfect for our family.

5- Are you getting any sleep?

Drew is a great little sleeper! He usually eats and goes right back to sleep at night, so, no complaints here, but, I still feel so very tired, and at the same time, I'm happy to be near him and hold him during the night.

Special thanks to my new favorite photographer, Wendy Carter who was so kind and patient to Drew and I and got such amazing shots of our newborn.

How Sweet It Is!

How sweet it is to bring home a new baby! This time, for me, it was equally as sweet to be in the hospital, enjoying my new baby. I didn't want to leave! I had my favorite nurse Julie, a window with a view and the baby mostly to myself. Now, being home, I share baby Drew with his very adoring siblings and Daddy. Drew is truly the sweetest baby around, we have never had such a relaxed, yet alert newborn (knock on wood, I know he's only a week old). Enjoying every moment with new baby Drew has been my goal, letting house chores, returning phone calls and other life necessities go for a time. This of course is made possible by my good Mother and other supportive friends and family who have been so generous with their time. Having a baby is the most rewarding experience I have had in my life. I feel fulfilled and blessed. Now, off to sneak a nap in cuddling my little 9 pound bundle.

Welcome, Welcome

Drew Kelly

9 Lbs 13 oz

21 inches

June 4, 2010

10:33 a.m.

We welcome so lovingly Baby Drew. How lucky and blessed we feel to have this sweet new baby boy in our family. His name holds a great significance to Kelly's family as he was named after Kelly's younger brother, Drew David, who died of Spinal Meningitis when he was 14 months old. I'm impressed to think that his name has something to do with the extra special spirit Baby Drew has brought to our family. I'm loving this newborn time, and am truly grateful for a healthy, beautiful, baby boy.

Lady in Waiting

Fresh Mani/Pedi- CHECK
Hospital Bag Packed, Checked, Re-Packed- CHECK
Hair Trimmed- Negative, Ashli, what are you doing Thursday, do you have time for a quick clip?
Baby clothes washed, folded, organized- CHECK (as much as I can not knowing the gender)
Meals in Freezer- CHECK (as many as I had the energy to make and the room to store)
Names- Still working on those, but want to see baby first
Hypno Birth cued on IPOD- CHECK
Clean Sheets on Bed- CHECK
House Cleaned- CHECK (but each day it becomes messy again and I'm running out of steam to continue to clean it)
New P.J.s to lounge in post baby- CHECK
Children Prepared- CHECK CHECK CHECK (they are begging me to have the baby)

Am I missing anything? Because apparently the baby thinks so- why else would I be almost 5 days late? Luckily, my OB has been out of town these past few days and I really didn't want to have the baby without him. So, now, I will begin to entertain advice on how to naturally induce labor. Lets hear it! Otherwise I will be forced to continue my regiment of daily napping and sweets indulgence, which really has been quite relaxing and enjoyable.

Happy Cheers

Each time we prepare to bring a new baby into our family, I go through a period of mourning. Not mourning because I'm sad to have a baby, but mourning because I'll miss my youngest being "my baby". Max has been my little one for 3 1/2 years now, the longest of any of our children. How I've enjoyed him. I've relished in the time we've shared together, just Max and Mommy. He has been my back-seat buddy, my entertainment while running errands, my snuggle pal for afternoon naps, my excuse to buy soft serve ice cream and drinks from McDonald's and my right hand man who helps me with my day to day jobs with his "strong muscles". He has made me love parenting a little boy, I appreciate so much more as I pause to see things from his perspective. I admit that I dote on my little Max, and have done so intentionally. Will it change with baby #4? Perhaps. It will no longer be Max and Mommy, Mommy and Max. We will have a new addition to our club, Max seems completely fine with the idea, excited really. I know this baby will add nothing but love into our home; but just for a moment I want to focus on what was. I want to pause, remember, and feel thankful for the few years of Max and me. May they live forever in my memory.........in the words of our third child...."HAPPY CHEERS" for Mommy and Max!

Guess Who

Okay everyone, it's the post you have all been waiting for...... predictions for the gender of our baby. I thought this week, the week of my due date (wow!), I would dedicate some posts to our new baby, who ever he/she may be.

So, for your reading enjoyment and for my own entertainment, I have done a little research and have found it quite fascinating:

I'm carrying High- Girl

The baby's heartbeat is always around 130-135- Boy

Chinese Zodiac calendar- Boy

Craving Sweets- Girl (I call this baby my little cupcake, for good reason)

Needle on thread over tummy- Boy

My Nose hasn't doubled in size (I don't think at least)- Boy

Parents Magazine Gender Predictor Test- Boy

Childbirth.org Gender Predictor Test- Girl

Old Wives Tales Test- Girl

Asian Ladies at the Mani-Pedi salon- Boy

My Pregnancy compared to the other three- different, in someways like Max (the first 4 months especially) in other ways like Lizzy (these last few weeks for sure), with some elements of Rosie (throughout). So, you figure it out!

Rosie- Boy

Lizzy- Girl

Max- A brother, named Charlie Brown

So there it is. And now, I wish to poll the audience. What do you think? I'd love to read your predictions!