Letter To Drew

Dear Drew,

Today you are turning 4 and you are super cranky about it!  For months you have been telling us that "I don't want to turn 4.  I wanna stay 3 foweva!"  At times, you have even cried about it!  I'm not sure why you are so upset about it.  Maybe because you've heard us say that when you turn 4 you'll go to preschool? Or, we'd like to think it's because you've had an awesome 3rd year of life! Regardless, your birthday is here...there is no stopping it! 
Your 3rd year of life has been so fun with you Drew.  You got fully potty trained, you transitioned from your crib to your toddler bed and ultimately to sharing the queen size bed with Bryce.  You've learned to ride your bike, phonics, how to swim, how to undress/dress and how to read & spell a little bit.
Drew, you have endured A LOT this year.  You had ear surgery at Children's Hospital to remove a cyst.  You are also recovering from having your tonsils & adenoids removed.  You've battled with sleep apnea and breathing problems.  Mommy & Daddy are so proud of you.  You have been very brave, tough and patient through it all.  Hopefully, you will not have to have anymore surgeries.
Drew, you have SO many favorites, I don't think I can list them all!  This year you've added lots of new favorite babies.  In addition to your "Baby D & Booger", you've added Freddy the Frog, Larry the Cucumber and Theodore the Chipmunk.  You tend to rotate your favorites every few months.  Your favorite colors are green & orange, although, you really love ALL the colors of the rainbow.  You are a tv bug and have lots of favorites, but your top 3 shows are Curious George, Word World & Chuggington.  You love to play outside - driving your car, riding bikes, playing with your remote control cars and exploring.  You love nature and bugs!  You love to play with your Daddy.  He chases you, tickles you, tackles you , wrestles with you and boxes you...you just ask for more!  You love to snuggle with your Mommy.  You enjoy baking and making fruit smoothies with me.  And recently, have enjoyed making crafts.  You love to lay your head on Mommy & Daddy's shoulders at night to read books - your favorites are your Bible and Curious George books.  Drew, you are very independent.  You like to spend time alone and tend to be a "home body."  Although, you do love to travel! You love your family and friends but don't have the need to socialize as much as Bryce! Your nickname has been "Drew Bug" for most of your life but recently you don't like your play name...you only like your real name!
We are so thankful we got you swim lessons.  Drew, we are absolutely blown away at your abilitiy.  You are truly a natural in the water.  You can swim up to 30 feet and hold your breath the whole time!  You also love to play your Wii, your marble run and your train track.  You also love to play playhousedisney.com and pbskids.org on the computer.
You have lots of favorite foods Drew, but you are more of a picky eater.  You like yougurt, fruit smoothies, fruits & vegetables, pasta, PB & J, muffins, and Mommy's homemade pizza!
Drew, you have such a sweet spirit.  You are soft spoken, gentle & kind and are a caretaker.  You are very sensitive - you get your feelings hurt easily but you are also sensitive toward others.  You are playful, silly and quirky at times.  You love to snuggle and be held but you are also independent.  You like adventure and don't fear much!  I love it when you tell me "Mommy, I love you and you're pretty."  You are very kind to your brother and considerate to Bryce.  You often think of him before yourself.  If you two are fighting, Bryce is usually to blame.  You like to be busy.  Your attention span is not long so it's hard to have "learning time" with you.  Thankfully, you learn quickly!  When you get cranky, it's usually because you have low blood sugar.  Usually a snack will perk you right up!
As you start your 4th year of life we are possibly facing some big changes.  Unfortunately, you don't like change, but we know you'll adapt well.  Daddy's job may be taking us to the Memphis area.  We will probably be selling the home that you have been raised in and moving to a home in Tennessee.  We hope that we can get a bigger home with a big play room for all of your toys.  Daddy even said we may be able to built a fort outside and possibly even get a puppy! You will also be starting preschool in the Fall!  Just know, that Mommy & Daddy pray everyday to God, that he would give us discernment in wisdom in raising you.  No matter what changes come our way, you will always be loved.  Mommy & Daddy love you so much.  We will always love you, protect you, guide you and teach you.  We always want you to feel safe & secure.
We are proud of you Drew and are so thankful you are our son!

Love,
Mommy & Daddy

Letter To Bryce

Dear Bryce,
Today, you are turning 4 years old!  Suprisingly, you are not in the least bit excited for it.  For months you have been telling us that, "I don't want to turn 4.  I want to stay 3 foweva!"  I've never known a child that doesn't want to have a birthday and turn a year older!  Obviously, you loved being 3 and that makes Mommy & Daddy feel really good!
Your 3rd year of life has certainly been a momentus one.  You were fully potty-trained around your 3rd birthday.  We transitioned you from your crib into a toddler bed and then ultimately moved you & Drew into a queen size bed.  You learned how to swim, how to ride your bike and how to undress/ dress yourself.  Bryce, you also have learned your phonics and how to read & spell a little.

Bryce,  your favorite baby is still your long, red caterpillar but "Spot" the puppy runs a close second.  Your favorite color is red and your favorite TV show is Curious George.  You love to snuggle in your bed at night with Mommy or Daddy to read your Bible and Curious George books.  You adore spending time with your Daddy and will help him with any project he is working on - washing cars, mowing the grass and building/fixing things.  You love to touch buttons and learn how everything fits together and works so we recently nicknamed you "Gadget Boy!" Thankfully, you still love spending time with Mommy.  You love to help me cook/bake and to help me clean house.  Hopefully, you will always find it fun to help me make the beds, vacuum, dust, do laundry and the dishes!  I love that you ask to have "special time" with me, especially if it involves shopping!  You also love adventure and to travel.
Recently, we introduced you to playhousedisney.com and pbskids.org.  You are so smart on the computer and really enjoy learning new games.  You also enjoy playing in your ball pit, putting your marble run together, playing with your trains. and your Wii.  Outside, you love to ride bikes, play with remote control cars and swim.

Bryce, you have an awesome personality.  You are very outgoing, adventerous, inquisitive, happy and a joy to be around.  You are very social.  You love to be around people, to talk to people and to talk on the phone...just like your Daddy!  You are a hard worker and you like boundaries - you like to know what the plan is and to know what to expect.  You tend to have a little bit of a temper. As Daddy says, "Bryce loves BIG and gets mad BIG!" You can be very ornery to your brother and can throw some pretty big tantrums.  Typically, it's because you didn't get your way or or you were not first...or, most likely because you were very tired

Thankfully Bryce, you are a pretty good eater.  You love eggs, yogurt, fruits & vegetables, pasta, cheeseburgers, meatloaf, soups & quesadillas.  There is not much you will not eat!  I love it when you tell me, "Mommy this dinner is delicious.  Thank you for making it for me!"
Bryce, you make me & your Daddy smile every day.  We love your hugs & kisses.  We pray every day that God will give us wisdom & discernment as we raise you. We are expecting some big changes in your 4th year of life.  Daddy may get a job transfer to the Memphis area so we may be moving from Arkansas to Tennessee.  We will be selling the house that you have been raised in and will be buying a new home in TN.  Hopefully, we can get a bigger home with a huge play room for you & Drew to put all of your toys in.  Daddy also said that maybe we could build a fort outside and maybe get a puppy?!  No matter what changes come our way Bryce, Mommy & Daddy will always love you, teach you, guide you and protect you.  We want you to always feel safe & secure.

We love you so much Bryce.  We are so proud of you and are so thankful that you are our son!
Love,
Mommy & Daddy

Last Day as 3 Year Olds!

I know that some people have anxiety about celebrating a milestone birthday like "40" or "60" or even "30".  But my boys, for months, have been sad about turning "4!"  They say, "Mommy, we don't want to turn 4.  We want to stay 3 foweva!"  What's up with that?  I've never known a kid that didn't want to have a birthday!  I think they have heard us say that they will go to preschool when they turn 4 and they are not ready to leave Mommy & Daddy!
Well, there is no stopping it...they will be turning 4 tomorrow!  So, today, they are having a fun play date with their 4 year old buddy Keenan.  Hopefully, this will make turning 4 a little easier!

ADIOS Tonsils & Adenoids!

Thank you to all that have prayed and sent warm wishes our way for Drew's surgery.  It was a success!

Everything went perfectly this morning.  Drew was very brave & calm beforehand.  He had just taken his "happy juice"...can you tell?

Bryce giving his brother some love...

Getting ready to be wheeled into surgery

We are so thankful we got this surgery done.  He tonsils & adenoids were HUGE.  The surgeon said on a scale of 1-10 (biggest) Drew's were a 9.  It's no wonder he had sleep apnea and snoring!

After his surgery he slept for almost 4 hours.  It was the soundest sleep he had in 3 weeks!  It sounded so peaceful! 

Gonna get my little boy medicated, rested & comfortable.  Thanks again everyone!

Another Surgery for Drew!

Our little Drew is having his 2nd surgery tomorrow. 

We've known for awhile that he's needed his tonsils & adenoids removed but chose to have his ear surgery done first.  The only time he has issues with his T & A is when he gets a cold/allergies.  His airway becomes so obstructed that he develops sleep apnea and will actually stop breathing for up to 17 seconds before gasping for a breath.  It's a horrible thing to watch & listen to.  His little chest caves in & out but he gets no oxygen. 

He got a cold/sinus infection while we were vacationing in Hawaii and this has been the worse it's ever been.  He can sleep for 12 hours and wake up with dark circles under his eyes and still be exhausted.  We've noticed that his demeanor has changed and even his voice has changed.  His words are mumbled and difficult to comprehend. 

Initially, we weren't going to be able to get surgery scheduled until late April but I've been calling the surgeon's office every day begging to get him in sooner.  Jimmy and I are just so concerned about his health.  Could he stop breathing completely?  Will he have permanent damage to his heart or lungs?  Also, his snoring has become so loud that it disturbs Bryce's sleep.

The surgeon's office called today and said they had a cancellation in their surgery schedule tomorrow so they are going to work us in!  We will be at the hospital at 7:30am for and 8:30am surgery.

I hope & pray that he will be able to breathe with ease.  Experience no more sleep apnea or snoring!  We want to have our healthy, happy little Drew Bug back!