Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Their Very Own Person.al.ity


***added notation: this picture completely and perfectly captivates the nature and personalities of our boys:

DREW: the word that best describes our first born is INQUISITIVE. Someone called him that at just a year old and again just last week a man at a tag sale used the same word to describe Drew within one minute of talking with him. Drew knows no stranger and can carry on a conversation with anyone at anytime about practically anything. He was such a good-natured baby and smiled at every camera on cue and flirted with all the "grandmas" and pretty girls out there. He also played so well independently figuring out every little detail of every toy. He knows random terms like filtrum, uvula and esophagus and uses them as if it is as normal as talking about your eyes or nose. He has an engineer mind and creativity which normally wears me out by the end of the day. :) He has a fantastic memory and recently shocked me when he recalled a story of when he burned his fingers on the bottom of the oven, by the pull-out drawer. He was 8 months old when it happened and I had not retold the story to him. One of these days I am going to do a post on the randomness and completely intriguing ingenuity of Drew Neiner, complete with pictures of all the things that I find at the end of his days work. He is, proudly, a momma's boy and I have no shame in admitting that! :) And I am in no rush to grow him out of that stage either! He is very affectionate and very, very sensitive and in tune with how others feel. He plays best with daddy, who is the king of storytelling and the most creative player in the family. Oh, and Drew's favorite color is very much yellow.

JACK: oh, my sweet jack! He is a complete boy and puts his heart into everything he does, especially eating!!! He is such a good eater and eats as much as his older brother does and in half the time! He loves ALL things BALLS and already has a good arm and can kick a soccer ball. He wasn't a talker for awhile (probably due to the chatterbox sibling of his) but I could tell he knew exactly what was going on. He knows lots of sign language and even comes up with his own signs with added sound effects. He loves being outside and LOVES the water. He is very shy with new people and will instantly put his head on my shoulder if he feels uncomfortable. His favorite animal is an owl (complete with "whoo-whoo") but his favorite lovey toy is the green plush elephant that drew gave to him at the hospital when he was born. Jack is a good sleeper, but sleeps best in his crib and when he's up, he's up! Drew is definitely his hero, when he's not grabbing something from him to try to "show him how it works" and makes him laugh the hardest and most often. Though Jack has a very layed-back, easy-going personality, he has got a t.e.m.p.e.r. This, I now know, he gets from his momma. At least, from when his momma was a little girl. My mom brought me my baby book and this, I quote, was one of her journal pages: "Erin had a better day. She is not hitting herself in the head as much when I tell her no." As you can imagine the abrupt hilarity over this one. Although, I can honestly say, that both my kids have done this action when angry. Funny...or not. So, back to Jack, he is either going to be a basketball coach (much like my dad was) or an opera singer because when he uses it, he has got a set of lungs on him!!!!! He does not care one bit about getting muddy, wet or dirty in the name of playing. Like I said, he is all boy!

I am so thankful that God's sovereign hand perfectly hand-picked these boys for us and placed them together for each other. They have enhanced our lives sooooo much and we feel so blessed to have the wonderful and challenging job of parenting and nurturing them. They are better together and make quite the pair. We are having a blast. Sometimes a bit worn out by the time the lights are out and doors are closed for bedtime, but a blast! We HIGHLY recommend it!!!

9 comments:

Carrie said...

I love your last two posts! Our boys are complete opposites as well and I'm really curious how our third will be...do you think you can have 3 very different boys? we will see! Your boys are adorable.

JILL LAGGER said...

It's amazing how big they are! Seems like your Dad was just showing off the pictures of his new grandbabies yesterday! Your boys seem very sweet. I am sure you are very good Mom!

Matt & Nicki said...

I always love reading your posts--thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

Hi! You may not remember me, but while you were a student at Northland, my husband and I worked for the Camp. (I'm Carrie Brodwater Bennett's older sister.) I enjoy checking your blog whenever you post something new and always appreciate your insights. I especially enjoyed reading your blog post tonight. It is a great testament to your mothering that you know your sweet kids so completely to be able to sum it up so well. Now I want to try to do something similar to include in our girls' baby books. I don't blog myself, but if I ever do, it will be partly because you have inspired me.

Kristi Brodwater Henson

Charity Burkett said...

Enjoyed the post. Very funny part about how you used to hit yourself in the head when told no. Breanna does the exact same thing. Glad to know that she is not the only one in this world doing crazy stuff like that. She definitely gets her temper from me too!!

Sara said...

Thanks Erin! I am so completely intrigued by the differences in each child of a family and how they complement one another. It amazes me. Drew and Jack are so precious! And I am with Steph. That picture needs to be displayed proudly!

Katie Barker said...

I enjoyed your writing. I think it's so important to put these types of things into written word!

Grosgrain said...

Thank you for your lovely compliments on my blog! I was so flattered, I think it might have been the best compliment I've ever received. In answer to your question, I've been sewing since I was in college....soooo I guess that means I've been sewing for about 10 years. Ugh, I feel old....er.
You should definitely get out your sewing machine. I so rarely see mother's sewing clothing for their boys....always girls. So I'd love to see what you'd make.
Oh BTW, I love your blog name and your photographs- especially your profile. So green and summery.

Liesl said...

i so much enjoyed reading about your boys. they are very special and that is plain to see. i am thinking they will be used of the Lord in neat ways!