Happy Birthday Andrew!

I can't believe my little boy is 8 years old. I also can't believe how tall he is! Last time I measured him, he was the same height I was in the sixth grade! Granted, I was short for my age, but still! :)
So, for Andrew's birthday I will list 8 things I like about him and put up 8 favorite pictures of him through the years.
1) His curiousity - Andrew is always trying to figure out how things work, what this is for or how you use that. Sometimes I have to tell him to stop with the questions for a few minutes and just breathe. :)
2) He is an AMAZING big brother - the girls have adored him since the day they met him. He can always make them laugh and smile. In fact, he was the first to make each of them laugh. Right now their favorite thing is when he acts like a dog, crawls around and pants and barks. They laugh hysterically at that.
3) He's an adaptable kid - Andrew has lived in six different places in his lifetime. We are preparing for number 7 next year! No matter where we go, Andrew adapts. He makes friends, he adjusts to his new routines and he thrives. He's a good "Army brat."
4) His love for girls - right now it's still cute but I do dread the teenage years! He asked me the other day if he could marry Leah or Leila and seemed disappointed that wasn't an option. He has his list of girls he loves. I usually make the top 5 if I haven't punished him recently. :)
5) He is a HUGE help around the house - I can ask him to bring me wipes, cups of milk, laundry, etc and he usually does without complaining. I depend on him a LOT to help aroud the house and he rises to the occasion most of the time.
6) He is passionate about everything - If he's playing soccer, he's giving 100%. If he's doing Tae Kwon Do, he's giving 100%. If he's playing the piano, he tries to get every little detail right. Sometimes I worry that he pushes himself too hard, but overall he's great at everything he puts his mind to.
7) His memory - This kid can memorize ANYTHING!!! I'm so jealous of that! From memorizing his Dad's social security number off of his dog tags when he was 3 or 4 to memorizing Grammar rules, he never struggles. Some weeks he goes to piano with all of his songs memorized. I used to struggle to just remember ONE recital piece a year!
8) His patience and love for me - No matter what kind of day we have, he always has to end it with a hug, a kiss and an "I love you, Mom!" Some days are perfect and other days are far from it, but he's patient and understands that right now, Mom is pulling the load of both Mom and Dad. He's a great kid!
Here are some favorite pictures of Andrew through the years :)
There is a place at the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola where we always take a picture of Andrew.
8 Months:

4 years:

7 years:



Preparing for another move!