Whitley and Drew

Well, just as I feared, school started, and consequently, I have been negligent in writing Whitley's blog. Fortunately, we are all enjoying a long weekend, and I plan on using some of my time to post a couple of entries. In this particular posting, I'd like to share a little bit about Whitley and Drew.

Last weekend, my parents were staying with us, and the Drew Crew came over for dinner on Saturday evening, along with the Gundersons. Drew's first word upon entering our house was an enthusiastic, "BABY!" (Pronounced, "bee bee," in typical toddler fashion, but his little pointing finger and giant grin left no doubt about whom he meant.) Stacy gladly accepted Whitley so I could scoop up Drew, and he gave me the biggest hugs for the longest time, and it was sooooo fun!! Eventually, he scrambled out of my grasp and raced towards his mom, who was still holding his favorite cousin, while we adults dove for our cameras. Drew lavishes Whitley with hugs and kisses when he sees her, and this visit was no exception. After sharing a few smooches, the two lounged on the floor for an extended photo shoot, grinning at each other, with Drew continuing to hug Whitley or pat her back. Their picture-perfect interactions continued throughout the weekend, though I wasn't always fast enough with the camera to capture them. I am thrilled that they get along together so well, and are engaging with one another in more and more entertaining ways. Whitley crawled all over our house and Stacy's, and Drew got on his hands and knees right behind her. The cousins shared banana puffs at the dinner table and toys on the floor. Drew knows Whitley's primary facial features and cheerfully points out her "Eye!" and "Nose!" regularly. (And Whitley only occasionally cries.) Probably the funniest interaction, though, occurred when Drew spied Whitley's bottle on Stacy's coffee table. Having recently been weaned off his own, he was clearly trying to resist the temptation to suck it down. He sauntered over to it, and twirled it in his hands for a few minutes. My mom, Stacy and I attempted to act casual while repeatedly sneaking glances at him to see what he would do. Finally, after much consideration, he brushed the tip across his lip, and then resolutely marched over to Whitley and handed it to her. We cheered for Drew then; it was just the cutest thing! I was so into the drama of it all, though, that I didn't get a picture of it. :( Here are a few I did snap:

That initial kiss greeting.

"Hey there, cousin!"

Whitley has been climbing a lot, lately, and so she tried to crawl through the two levels of Stacy's outdoor coffee table. Stacy commented, "Oh! Drew used to do that!" And then he proved it by joining in!

Drew shows Whitley all the musical elements of his toy.