Drew is probably too young to fully understand what chores are but on occasion, we try to get him to do things around the house to help out (e.g. clean up his toys, throw stuff in the trash, etc.). One of his favorite things to do is help get food and water for Pearl.
Here’s a video of him in action:
A few weeks ago, we did a quick family photo session with Kristin Harris photography. I say quick because we had an hour with Kristin but probably used about 30-40 mins of it since Drew could only handle so many smiles for the camera.
We decided to do professional photos for a few reasons: 1) I totally failed and forgot to take Drew’s 18 month photos, 2) for my dad’s birthday earlier this year, we said we would pay for him, my mom and Drew to get photos together and 3) we rarely get family photos with the three (almost four) of us so thought it would be a good time to do so.
Although the session went fast, Kristin managed to capture some really great photos. Below is a slide show of some of the photos – my personal favs are the ones of Drew and Pearl (of course) and our attempt at some HGTV poses. 🙂
This is one of my favorite videos from the summer. Drew’s facial expressions are priceless.
Enjoy! 🙂
Although Pearl can be a little nutty, one thing we’ve appreciated about her is that she’s never chewed or gotten into our things. From a young age, she’s always known what is hers and what she can destroy (aka her stuffed toys).
We wondered if this would change once Drew came along and had stuffed toys of his own, especially since they would be all around the house. It’s been eight months and Pearl has never tried to grab any of Drew’s stuff! Even sometimes when we put his toys directly in her face, she doesn’t try to grab it – she may open her mouth slightly but she somehow knows better.
In any case, Pearl does keep tabs on her own toys so it’s not surprising when Drew tried to play with her ball, she didn’t want to share (video below).
Although we can tell that Pearl likes (maybe loves) Drew, she still gets a little skiddish when we try to lay Drew next to her. Hopefully when he’s older, Pearl will warm up to this idea so they can take naps together.
Here’s a recent photo of Drew and Pearl. As you can tell, neither of them seem thrilled about taking this. 😉
I admit…since having Drew, a lot of my attention has gone towards him but I can’t forget about my fur baby, Pearl. She’s been such a trooper through all of this – she’s still our #1 pup!
Keith has done a great job at making sure he gives her the attention she deserves. Pearl is still the first to greet Keith at the door and she’s the first one he says hi to when he gets home. It’s a tradition that we don’t want to break. 🙂
As many of you know, Pearl is a very hyperactive dog. She loves just about anyone and will greet you with open arms (literally) at the door. It is this characteristic that makes her a terrible guard dog but we love her just the same.
Although Pearl is great with kids (as seen with her friends Aiden, Grace, Stella, Addy, Carson and Lily), we weren’t sure how she would be around a new baby in the house. You can see in this post of her first encounter with Drew that she was a bit hesitant. However, she immediately got over that and has been such a good big sister to her baby brother. She loves to give him kisses, except when he’s crying – she hasn’t figured out how to handle that type of situation yet. 😉
Here’s a few pictures of what I’m referring to as the boy and sidekick series:
My parents put Drew in a Mamaroo so they could do a few things around the house. I was a little skeptical of it at first that I wouldn’t even walk past it. The thing looks like a space ship, moves around and make all sorts of sounds! However, I think I’m warming up to it now. As long as it keeps Drew from crying. 🙂
I wasn’t expecting my baby brother to arrive early but it gave me the opportunity to spend a few days at the Nedveds. I had a great time playing with Aiden and Sam, and snuggling up with Mike and Liv when it was bedtime.
Once mom and dad left the hospital, they spent a little time at home getting things put away before my dad came to get me. When we got home, I instantly knew something was different. My baby brother, Drew, was here!
I wasn’t able to get too close to him but I sure do love him! Move over mom and dad, he’s my new best friend!
It’s been pretty busy around the Carpenter house these days as we all prepare for my baby brother to arrive. Although my parents have been busy, I’ve managed to stay cool, calm and collected during this time. They tell me we should be prepared with waking up multiple times in the evenings but I think I’ll stick with my plan of staying in bed. 🙂
Two and a half weeks left until baby brother arrives! I hope he likes me!
Keeping Up With The Carpenters 