out to lunch

Recently Drew and I have been trying to do more things with Asher out of the house.  For the first few months he was a little baby who ate every 2 hours and slept more than he was awake, but now he's really blossomed into an almost-toddler who loves to go out and have adventures!

The weekend before Thanksgiving Drew and I decided that going out for lunch as a family would be a great new experience for the littlest Wilkinson.  Asher has been to restaurants before, but it's always been because someone was visiting from out of town or some other such special reason.  This was - just because!

On Saturday, we grabbed the stroller and the Floppy Seat and walked down the street to a new little place that serves lunch {but is mostly known for it's frozen custard}.  We might have chosen it for dessert - I guess you'll never know!  Ha!

Asher did so great!  He loved staring looking at the other diners, but was mostly enthralled with the ceiling fans. 

Have you ever used these sticky, disposable placemats?  They are going on my Mommy Must-Haves 2010 list for sure. 

There are 2 sticky lines on the back that keep the placemat on the table.  It lets little ones eat right off the table surface - without actually eating off the {maybe} germy table.  These worked perfectly for Asher.  I could wrap it around the edge of the table and everything.  He tried to pull it off with no luck.  Truly baby-proof, yay!

Mr A ate his lunch while Drew and I had ours.  It was a nice time as a family and we'll definitely be doing it again!  I'm loving every stage that Asher goes through, but this one is particularly great.  He still needs me, isn't being too independent {read: difficult}, but can handle doing some bigger kid stuff.  Love it!

happy thanksgiving!

Sorry to disappear like that, but now we're back!  Drew, Asher, and I went to North Carolina to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday at my parents' house.

We had a wonderful time visiting with my parents and sister, Erin and her husband Ryan {plus, of course, little Phinley!}

Asher said his first word:  DOG.  He said it clear as day several times!  He loved Phin and wanted nothing more than to get down and climb all over him.  I can't wait until Ash is a little bigger so I can trust him to play nicely with the pup and not do something {aka - pull tails and hair} to cause a problem.  I have a feeling they will be really good friends when that time comes!

We ate tons of good food and actually went shopping on Black Friday.  Brave, I know!  Drew, Ryan, and Pop Pop {my dad} watched Asher so the girls could hit the sales.  We found some great stuff for Christmas - pics to come!

Asher looked so cute in his little Thanksgiving outfits.  Look at that little turkey bum!  

One of the most exciting things to happen to me over the holiday was my triumphant return to the movie theater!!  Yay!  The last movie I saw was on my last date with Drew before Asher was born - a long 12 months ago.  We went to see Harry Potter while Grammy and PopPop stayed home to watch the little guy.  Drew even treated me to popcorn.  I'm living the life now.  :o)

It was such a fun few days.  Why does it always seem like vacation is long in come, but quick in going by?

There are so many things happening this month - first birthday, parties, Christmas, baby showers - lots of fun!  Now if I only had some help...

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well!

the runner up

Remember a few weeks ago when I posted about choosing my Christmas card from Shutterfly?  Well, I did it!  I ordered the cards last week and wanted to give you all a sneak preview {kind of}.

The best thing about ordering from Shutterfly is that they have tons of cute cards to choose from!

The worst thing about ordering from Shutterfly is that they have tons of cute cards to choose from.

I couldn't pick!  I thought it over - narrowed it down to 2 - then just clicked and bought.  I'm really happy with the ones I ordered, but love this runner up so much I had to share it too!

Since some of you will be getting the real thing in the mail, I'm not going to show our actual card until after they get into the mail.  So, here's the card that could have been.  {I love it, too!}

We're busy getting ready for Thanksgiving around here, so we might be MIA for a few days.  Hopefully not, but you never know.  Turkey's on!

oh, boy

Based on some of your comments from my last post I'm guessing I haven't officially announced that Asher is standing up yet! 

Asher is standing!  At everything!

He's also cruising along the furniture, but has yet to stand independently or take any solo steps.  I can wait.  In fact, I insist that he slow down right now.

A very exciting thing that happened over the weekend is that Ash learned how to get down from a standing position!  Yay!  This might seem obvious {and something that should go hand-in-hand with standing} but it wasn't easy for Mr. A.  He spent the past few weeks standing, and standing, and standing...until I would come by and help him sit down. 

The biggest time this was a problem was in the crib.  He'd stand up, then not be able to get down!  I was going in many, many times to lay him down.  It's a huge relief to me that he can now sit down on his own.  Way to go bear!

Asher has been acting more and more like a boy recently.  He loves to wrestle {especially with Daddy} and keeps 'growling' at me.  I ask him to go back to making cute baby noises and he just looks at me and does a monster bark.  When I asked Drew if we should be concerned that he pounds his toys together and attacks anyone who is sitting on the floor and he said, 'no Em.  He's a boy.'

Oh.  Ok.

Sometimes I still my sweet baby peeking through.

Most often you just have to look at the big picture to see why.  He already knows when there's some 'getting in trouble' potential - then the charm practically oozes out.

Hope you all are having a great Monday!  Only 2 days of work for Daddy this week - yay!

busy, busy, busy

I feel like I've been neglecting the blog recently.  Maybe it just feels that way because I've been so very busy lately!

The holidays are always an activity filled time of year, but now I have Asher's birthday thrown in the mix as well!  I have some fun ideas for his birthday party - we're keeping it relatively low key with just family and some friends, but nothing too big.  We are having the party at our house, so I need to plan {and buy!} decorations and food.  I already ordered a few cute items from Etsy {love, love that site!!} but there is still tons to do.

This is lots of fun to plan, but with traveling for Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping/wrapping to do it's starting to feel like a lot.

All of this to say, if you don't see me here as much or hear from me on your blog as much - it's because I'm baking, party planning, Christmas shopping, traveling, baby wrangling...

Can you believe Thanksgiving is less than a week away already?  It definitely snuck up on me this year. 

I love Thanksgiving {it's easily one of my favorite holidays} and I hate when it gets blown over by Christmas.  Yesterday I found a tres cute Thanksgiving shirt for Asher on Clearance at Old Navy.  That brings his Thanksgiving outfit grand total to 3.  Ha ha!  Told you I love it!

Modeling to come next week!

sharing is caring

Asher loves to share.

His favorite thing after meals is to feed me his leftover Puffs.

Today we shared an apple.  I took a bite, Asher took a bite lick.

So sweet!

Just the other day Drew and Asher shared a Lady and the Tramp moment over a Teethifier.

What happens in the box, stays in the box.

Except where this blog is concerned.

Love my boys!

when the paparazzi get too bad

Maybe Kate Middleton can take a page from Asher's book.

I leaned around the stroller to check on him and found the little guy all tucked away. 

Sometimes you just need a moment.  Ha ha!

gift of the year

Every year there seems to be some hot gift of the season - remember Tickle Me, Elmo? 

Well, look no further, because I've got the scoop. 

Want to make your baby/toddler belly laugh with joy this Christmas?

It's easy.

Step 1:  Go to your paper recycling pile
Step 2:  Extract an empty diaper/toy/Amazon.com box
Step 3:  Insert baby
Step 4:  Surround with toys {particularly soft friends, like Teddy, for cushion}
Step 5:  Swing your partner round and round - or 'drive' along the floor

Drew turned this empty diaper box into a car for Asher the other day and he loves it!!

He giggles and giggles when we cruise him around the living room in it.  Even when we're too exhausted to push and pull anymore Ash is happy to just sit and play in his box.  Actually, when I try to take him out he cries and clings to the sides.

 
He still like to play with us, just from within his box.

Yesterday Asher was being really whiny for some reason and I kept offering different things to do.  Blocks?  Snack?  Sophie?  No.  No.  No.

Finally I asked if he wanted to get in his box and he smiled and started to clap!  Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

People have been asking us what we're getting Asher for Christmas this year and I answer with a very honest - "we're giving him the box that your gift comes in.  Make it a big one - he's about 25 pounds now."  :o)

asher's visitor

Last weekend we got a surprise visit from Asher's Uncle Jared!

He was in DC for a medical conference and came over to see us and spend the night on Saturday.  Asher loves visitors - especially when they are willing to play with him!

It was a quick 1-night visit, but we had a great time seeing Jared and getting caught up on all the happenings in Maine.

After Jared left, Asher decided that he needed some quiet time.  As much fun as it is to have your uncle around, a weekend of attention sometimes leaves a boy needing a little time alone.

Asher crawled under the music table with his book and proceeded to read it for almost 10 minutes.  Too funny!  He came back out refreshed and ready to play again. 

Thanks for visiting, Uncle Jared!

eleven months old

Asher, you are 11 months old!

This past month has been your most active yet.  You are constantly learning to do new things!  Daddy and I joke about this being your 'Renaissance.'  It seems like you surprise us with a new ability each day.

You are moving so much, it's hard to get a good photo!  It was nearly impossible to get a shot of you with Ellie {the elephant} - you do not like to share the spotlight and kept shoving her aside!

Once again, I have to say that I can't believe how fast this year is going.  How is it possible that in just 1 month you will be a whole year old?!  That honestly baffles my mind.  It seems like just yesterday you were a tiny baby who did nothing but eat, sleep, and poo.  Now you are moving everywhere, jibber-jabber up a storm, and, well, still poo-ing quite a bit.  :o)

At 11 months, Asher:

• nurses once a day and drinks 3, 7oz bottles
• eats baby food twice a day 
• gobbles up Puffs, but won't eat many other finger foods
• sleeps from 7p-7a
• naps 2x per day at 9a and 1p
• wears size 3 diapers
• wears size 9-12mo clothes and size 5 shoe
• loves bath time!  You are starting to play with some bath toys now.
• does 'so big' and 'where's Asher?' all the time
• gives kisses and high fives
• loves to snuggle and play in Mommy and Daddy's bed on Saturday mornings
• stands up and cruises around the furniture
• can't yet get down from a standing position - that's a problem
• is super ticklish under his chin
• talks and talks and talks {but I can't understand it}
• says 'Dada' and 'Dad' {but doesn't seem to associate it with Daddy yet}
• loves to ride in the swing at the playground
• sits up on his own!

Asher Thomas, we love you so much.  You bring smiles to our faces every single day.  Thanks for being our little boy.

we're back!

Hi everyone!

Thanks for all of your sweet comments supporting my computer break.  It really was one of my better ideas {if I do say so myself}.  This past week gave me a much needed breather.  As nice as that was, I missed you all and am more than ready to come back!

Asher has been so busy this week.  He is getting into more and more and surprising me every day with the things that he can do.  Just yesterday I handed him his hairbrush as a distraction on the changing table, told him to "brush his hair" - and he did!  It was too funny!  He just put the brush up to his hair {bristle side up, but let's not get technical} and started stroking back and forth.  What a smartie!

There are lots of fun stories from this week coming soon and tomorrow is Asher's 11 month birthday - wow!  It will take me a little while to get caught up on all of your adventures, but look for some comments soon!

In the meantime, I need to get someone his breakfast.

Happy Friday!