Month 5!

Stats 'n' Stuff:

Weight:  Around 18lbs -- Can you say CHUB-ROCK?!

Height:  About 27 in.

Eyes: Still blue!

Hair: Blonde...and I would say we have started to transition from straight up fuzz to a more thin version of normal hair.  Very thin, though.. very very thin.

Sleeping habits:  
 - Daytime   -- unpredictable!  This boy is definitely NOT on a daily napping schedule... Grandma is very patient and some days he naps and some days he doesn't!  The longest stretch I have ever had with him during the day is about 45 min.  
 - Nighttime --This was by far the most challenging month for nighttime sleeping.  He officially started teething (as reported last month) and his first two little teeth came in on July 17th (4 1/2 months).  He started waking up in the middle of the night and really didn't sleep for stretches longer then 4 hours at a time.  


NOT TO MENTION... Daddy was gone the ENTIRE month with the exception of our trip to New York and a few days during the last week of the month.  More to write on this topic in the "what has mommy learned" section of this post, below :-)  

new stuff:

TEETHY TEETHY TEETHY are in!  This little munchkin got his two bottom middle teeth in.  I just love his cute little smile even more now that I can see those chompers!  He is growing up so quick!  

CEREAL:  The doctor told us at our 4 mo. check up that we could start cereal any time between month 4 and 6.  So I waited a couple weeks, went and bought the high chair and we gave it a whirl.  I would say he likes to eat it on MOST days.  He doesn't exactly beg for it -- but if I catch him before he is too hungry, he will gulp it down pretty good.  He acts very interested in whatever I am eating, though!  He's sucked on a little bit of my apple before (YUMMY) and I've let him gnaw on a banana a little bit.  BIG BOY!

SITTING UP:  He still needs support to do this trick - but is sure coming along.  

JUMP-A-ROO:  I can't believe we put this thing together 4 days before his 4 mo. birthday and at the time he couldn't even touch the floor.  3o days later he is about to jump right out of that thing!  He loves it -- it's jungle themed and I think he likes the crazy monkey noises it makes :) 

SWIMMING:  So I think we have a little fishy on our hands.  If you have been following my blog about how he is obsessed with kicking his feet and rubbing them together, then it shouldn't surprise you that this little guy LOVES to kick in the water in the pool!  (see video below :-) 


Favorite things to do: 


Swimming!

Staring at his fist!  This entire month he was just enamored by his right fist.  He would hold it out in front of himself and just stare at it.  Wonder what in the world he was thinking when he was looking at it?!!

Playing with his Giraffe friends.  So Drew has two favorite animals and they are both giraffes -- George and Sofie.  George is soft and plays music and Sofie squeaks and feels good on his teeth.  He just smiles and giggles every time either one of them come out to play!

Things he does NOT like to do: 
 - Sleeping more then 4 1/2 hours straight...UGGGG......

Things he has learned

1.  Our voices!  He is much more alert and recognizes our voices.  I love that his ears perk up when Ronnie or I walk in the room and start talking. 

2.  How to hold up his bottle!  Grandma Merrill is just so patient and such a good teacher!  She feeds him bottles while I am at work and has taught him how to hold it up all on his own! 

3.  How to jump in the Jump-a-Roo! 

4.  That he has a voice!  This little munchkin likes to get those vocal cords working whenever we go out and about.  He entertained the last 4 rows of our flight to New York with his baby babbles.. everyone was cracking up.  He is turning in to quite the ham.

Things mommy has learned:

Mommy has learned that life without daddy around is NOT easy!  

On July 3rd (6 days before his 4 mo birthday) Ronnie took off for a 3 1/2 week scouting trip stretching from here to Atlanta, Tennessee up to West Virginia.  He was back home on July 26th the day before we left for our New York trip.  Instead of coming home with us, he had more work to do in upstate New York and was gone another week.  WOZERS. I felt like I was never "off"... going from work (which business is very good so the days just fly buy and are SO hectic) to racing home to 'relieve' Grandma Merrill from her daily Drew-sitting, then play with Drew, then to bed.. which was interesting this month due to the teething... then the cycle would just start over!

I. WAS. EXHAUSTED. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.  However -- I cannot complain one bit!  I am so blessed to have such a great family!  Grandma Cathy not only helped out with Drew but helped me out around the house... surprise loads of laundry got done while I was at work, weeds picked from the backyard, she managed all our house 'vendors' - keeping the pool guy and the AC guy in line :)   And my father-in-law made weekly trips over to mow the yard.  Thank you Ron and Cathy - I can't imagine how I would have made it through July without you! 

We of course also took that awesome trip to NYC in July where we had a great time with Grandma Lori, Papa, Connie and all of my cousins on mom's side of the family.  Such a wonderful event and great memories from that fun summer trip!


 Here are a bunch of my favorite pics from Drew's 4th Month!

What the heck IS this, mommy?????

Who needs to sleep when all these lights are on???

The bottom lip 'tuck-under' is BAAACK!

HEY!  Stop looking at my man-boobs!  hahaha

Check out my new TB Rays hat - just like daddy's!

One day I'm gonna throw that ball FAST...

New York state of mind!

We love you Drew Robert Merrill! 

In New York...concrete jungle where dreams are made...

Yes, I'm quoting the lyrics from Jayzee's 'Empire State of Mind' because I can't get it out of my head when I look at the pictures from our recent trip to NYC!

Last weekend my cousin Tim Reopke and his new wife Monica had a wedding reception in Manhattan and the Merrill's weren't missin' the party!  Unfortunatley I don't have a pic of the couple :-( Bummed I didn't snag one of them! 

Ronnie had been on the road scouting since before the 4th of July and was planning to get back the night before our trip (he ended up coming home a day early and surprising us - HAPPY MOMMY!).  Knowing that he was going to be gone that long - we decided that even though this was more of an "adult" weekend in NYC, we needed to take Drew! 

Early morning for the Merrills!  Flight left at 7am!

Since the reception was at this super cool lounge that didn't allow anyone under 18 to enter -- Mr. Drew couldn't attend and we decided to BYOS  (Bring Your Own Sitter)!  Best decision ever!  We brought Alyiha Molina, who is Raquel's (my friend and right hand woman at work) 14yr old daughter.  She was GREAT help throughout the trip and took awesome care of little Drew while mommy and daddy where out on the town at night!

Aside from heading to NY to celebrate Tim and Monica -- there was an added perk of being able to see both Grandma Lori and Papa!   When we got to NY on Friday morning, we met up with Papa and Connie.  Had lunch then off to the Big Apple Tour to ride the double decker bus!

My cousin Kevin also joined us for lunch! 

Daddy and Drew on the bus...it was a hot and sunny day but Drew did SO good on the 3 hour tour around the city!

Drew and Papa posing for a pic.  Papa was pointing out all the cool sites to Dree!

 We stayed at the Marriott Marque right in Times Square!  Ronnie stashes all his Marriott points from traveling so we can use them for family trips :-) 

On Friday night Tim and Monica had a dinner olanned for their friends and fily that came in from out of town.  It was a this cool little bistro and the food was yummy!  We enjoyed hanging out with Grandma Lori, Aunt Lois, my cousin Jenni, cousin Kevin and his girfriemd Lilly.  It was our first time meetimg Lilly and she was so fun!  We love her!  She is a nanny so I enjoyed talking babies with her :-)

Saturday during the day was all about Grandma Lori and BASEBALL!  It just happened to work out that the Rays were playing the Yankees that weekend so Ronnie got us tickets to the game.  It was everyone's first time to Yankee Stadium!

 Grandma came over early to meet us for breakfast.  

Then off to the game... via the subway! Since none of us are exactly frequent subway riders... watching us figure out the tickets and routes would have been prettty funny!  But we made it and is was SO easy! 

At the game!  FYI.. we were brave to wear our Rays gear.... especially since we are #1 in our division and at least 5 games up on the Yankees!

Grandma Lori was having a great time - took lots of pictures for Frank since he is a big baseball fan.  Unfortunately he wasn't on the trip because he was on a big golf trip with his friends in EUROPE!

Mommy, Drew and his good buddy Aly :-)

"Hey dad... do you think I would be good at shortstop like you were?"

"I think I can throw like those guys seday..."  BTW - Drew is FACINATED by his hand!  This has been going on for a few weeks now :-)

Aaaawww... those good grandma snuggles.....

Very impressive place - sure puts The Trop to shame!

Saturday night was the big reception!  The attire was "casual chic cosmopolitan" so we all joked and got out our most "cosmo" outfits!!  

It was really great that Ronnie and I were able to get out and have some fun - it had been awhile!

Dad, Connie, Ronnie and I striking a pose!  The music, food and drinks at the party were great!  We all had a blast!

Jenni, Lilly and I - having one of Time and Monica's "specialty drinks"

Ronnie, Tim and dad - What a good lookin' set of guys!  

So great story... after the reception there was an "after party" planned at a club but Ronnie and I decided we better head back and check on Drew.  When we got off the elevator we ran into him and Aly pacing around the floor (drew in the stroller to get him to sleep... haha... smart babysitter!) So we decided to take him down to the hotel bar to see the lights of Time Square - he LOVED IT!  He was hamming it up for everyone... such a little show off at 11pm!

The only negative thing I can say about the entire trip was that Drew did not sleep well at night... I had to get this picture though because the kid wouldnt sleep in the room, but had no priblem passing out in the middle of Times Square - babies will be babies!

I couldn't leave NYC without a I ❤NY onsie for Drew!  We had such an awesome time... spending time with family, celebrating a marriage,the sites of NYC, baseball and city nightlife - we are so fortunate to have the oppotunity to make these memories!