like father, like son

Remember a few weeks ago when I posted about how much Asher looks like baby me?

At the end  of the post I showed a pretty hilarious photo of young Drew shakin' like he just didn't care and implied that Asher will look more like Drew once he can run naked around the pool. 

You know what, don't strain your memory banks, let's just see it one more time.  :-)

Hello sweet cheeks!

Well, apparently Asher can't wait for running around or pool weather to be more like his Daddy.  He loves his Daddy.

Look what I found on my monitor during yesterday's naptime.

Porky Pig party in Asher's crib! 

Needless to say, I woke A up to get re-diapered.  Since he is on Amoxicillan for his ear infection there has been a little diarrhea happening and I didn't even want to think about the mess potential brewing up there.

It's a onesie {or duct tape} for naptimes from now on!

wordless wednesday

Today we got back home from our Christmas trip - yay!  I'm squeezing this post in because it's so heartwarming I just had to share.

Yesterday morning Asher's Aunt Ali was playing with him and we suddenly heard these really loud baby giggles erupting.  Ali was playing peek-a-boo with this plastic sheet and Asher thought it was hilarious.  Seriously, it was the hardest I've ever heard him laugh.  I grabbed the video camera and started rolling.

If you need a laugh - watch along!  It would take a pretty hard person not to smile along with him.

lean into it

Asher gets into the funniest positions sometimes.  The other day he was sitting crossed legged in front of his music table when he decided to reach up and open/close the green door.

Rather than scoot his legs around and get up on his knees in the traditional sense, he just l-e-a-n-e-d up onto his knees while leaving his legs crossed.

 Wow!

Um, first of all, that's not super easy to do.

Secondly, in my humble opinion, if he can flaunt these maneuvers, then he can definitely get himself into a sitting position and is just holding out on me.  C'mon Asher, show me your other moves!

ulterior motives

He may be young, but he's sneaky.

Asher, please don't open that drawer.

What?  I'm not.  I'm just playing with my box.

Asher.

What?

Asher.

This seriously happened!  He's too funny!

And I need to babyproof.  Like yesterday.

mark of determination

When we were at the beach a few weeks back I brought along Asher's pack 'n play for a crib substitute.  He has slept in this bed a few times in the past and never really has any issues with it.  This trip was no exception.

Except one day at nap time.

Mr. A decided that playing with his cousins would be a lot more fun than taking a nap, so after I laid him down he started crying and complaining.  I left him alone, but watched over the monitor to make sure he fell asleep before too long.

Well, I guess he was trying to follow me out of the room because here's how he fell asleep:

Poor guy!  His nap wasn't very long so I didn't get too worried about his neck. {Although that was my first thought}  Our pediatrician told us that babies can sleep in really weird, uncomfortable looking positions and be perfectly fine.

After he woke up I sat him in the Bumbo for a snack and told Drew to snap some shots of his battle scars.

Think he was leaning against the mesh side of the playpen?  Just maybe!

I probably shouldn't laugh at him, but this was just too funny!  Little guy has super impressionable skin! 

{Just like me, I might add}

the clash

I'm going to be MIA for a few days, in a few days.

Hopefully there will be some blog updates during our super secret mission, but I can't give any guarantees.

{I will say, however, that it doesn't have anything to do with me having baby #2 -- that seems to be everyone's assumption every time I say anything remotely veiled on here! Haha}

I can't give any other clues as to while I'll be away from the computer, except to say that it involves Asher having a very limited wardrobe.

So limited, in fact, that we had to resort to my absolutely least favorite thing today:

Asher's outfit clashed.

Badly.

This makes my eyes water a little.  Sorry to expose you all.  Something about this blog prevents me from keeping anything to myself.

What's cookin' good lookin'?

Happy Thursday!

betrothed

I know that arranged marriages have fallen out of fashion as of late, but I really can't understand why.  Who better to pick your life partner than the people who know you best!

Asher is lucky that Drew and I aren't swayed by popular opinion and have already set him up with a lovely lady {to be}.

Remember our friends, Carl and Karen, who are expecting their first baby in January?  Well, the Dads decided that if Karen had a boy then they would team him up with Asher to start a Baby MMA {mixed martial arts} club.

{The moms weren't so excited about teaching our babies to fight, but figured we had time to dissuade them}

And they decided that if Karen had a girl then Asher would simply marry her someday so our families could be joined together, like they should be!

Well, Karen just found out the baby's gender and announced it on her blog....it's a girl!

Yay!!  We're so excited for them to welcome their little girl in just a few more months!

Plus I'm super relieved that Asher doesn't have to join a fight club.  Having a future girlfriend in the works is way better.

Congratulations Karen and Carl!  We can't wait to meet little girl Carter and introduce her to Asher!

funny story

Blogging about my Expecting the Bean book reminded me of a funny birth story that I forgot to tell you all! 

{Plus, I want it recorded for Asher's 1st year book!}

During my first day in the hospital after Asher was born the nurse brought in some paperwork for me to look over.  It was all of Asher's details {birth weight, length, bilirubin levels, etc} as well as the medicines/vitamins that they were giving me. 

Since it was a hospital form it automatically included all of my details {weight, height, birthday} and medical appointments that are on the schedule.  As the nurse was talking me through all of the info, our conversation went something like this:

Nurse:  You see here that you have some appointments booked.  It looks like you have one in 6 weeks with your OB for a postpartum check-up and, hmm...what's this?  You're scheduled to report to Labor & Delivery on Wednesday 12/16 at 7am?  That's in 2 days...what could that be for?

Me:  That's for my induction.

Nurse:  What?  Your induction?  Um, you just had a baby.

{I guess she thought I was high on painkillers and forgot about the whole experience...despite the fact that this was the scene she walked in on}

Me:  Yeah, I know.  I was scheduled for an induction on Wednesday.  Don't they usually cancel those when you get admitted for a birth?

Nurse:  They should.  We'd better get this straightened out. 

A few minutes later I noticed that there was a number on my paperwork to call to reschedule/cancel appointments.  So I called it.  From my hospital room phone.

Receptionist:  Labor and Delivery

Me:  Hi.  I'm calling to cancel an appointment for my induction on Wednesday.

R:  Oh, ok, why are you canceling?

Me:  Well...mostly because I already had my baby.  In fact, I'm right down the hall.

R:  What?  You're here now?  Why didn't anyone tell us?

Me:  I just did.  Why didn't the hospital tell you?  I'm not sure.  At any rate, let's get me off the schedule.  I already had a baby and I'd really like to make that big ole IV bag of Pitocin available for the next lady who needs it.

I love that I had to cancel my induction while still in the hospital!  Medical efficiency at its best!

{By the way, thanks for all the info about Blurb.  I'm going to check it out.  Maybe they can make Asher's 1st year book!}

feats of strength

Apparently carrying an 18 pound baby around all day has really bulked me up.

{In, like, completely invisible ways}

This morning I was trying to pop the baby food that I made yesterday out of the ice cube trays and

SNAP

the crappy thing broke right in half!  Little pieces of plastic flew everywhere.  Thankfully Asher was in his highchair a safe distance away and I knew enough to turn my head -- saving myself a trip to the ophthalmologist with a lacerated cornea.  That would have been bad.

What's next for me?

Opening jars of condiments?

Lifting flats of soda from BJs?

Leaping tall buildings in one bound??

Tune in to see!

:o)

baby jaws

I knew we shouldn't have let Asher watch Shark Week.

Look what the little monster did to his crib.

In one of Asher's frequent bids for freedom he decided to try and EAT his way out between the bars.  How very Escape From Alcatraz of him.

Actually I just think his gums are bothering him.  He has been pushing everything into the way back of his mouth.  My guess is that he was trying to soothe his sore gums, but his two little teeth in the front got in the way and gnawed into the bars.

Poor guy?

Bad baby?

I can't decide.  But I'm leaning towards laughing.

Fortunately, I was able to cover most of the bite marks with touch up paint.  I had taken the breathable bumper down in the front section because his arm was getting caught between it and the bars, but now it's back.  He'll just have to keep his arms to himself.

Here's hoping he doesn't find a way to chew through the darn thing.  Otherwise we might end up wrapping his whole crib in receiving blankets.

Or chain mail. 

doctor's orders

When I got the mail yesterday, I saw that Drew had received an advertisement about a new hotel opening in Chicago.

At least, we think it was intended for Drew.

Perhaps in his spare time he is a secret superhero {that only the Ritz knows about}, because this letter came addressed to:

Dr. Ew Wilkinson

He immediately insisted that I refer to him as "doctor" full time.

I responded with, "Ew.  No way."

We are married after all, so I think we should be on a first name basis.

Have you ever received anything in the mail addressed to your alter-ego?

Too funny!

rhinos of a feather

Drew got Asher out of bed on Saturday morning and suddenly yelled for me to come...and bring the camera.

Little man had {somehow!} worked his rhino covered foot in through the tiny space between the snaps on the other foot.

Back to normal.  Thanks, Daddy.

I have a feeling this won't be the last, um, situation he gets into that I can't figure out.

Knock on wood that Houdini doesn't figure out a way out of his crib!

daddy standards

On Saturday morning I had to go to the DMV.  As I'm sure is true for everyone out there, going to the DMV is my favorite part of moving.  What's not to love about waiting in line for an hour, gathering 3-5 different kinds of ID, getting a lovely new driver's license photo, pressing your forehead against the vision machine that countless others have also caressed...and on it goes.

Needless to say, I released a big sigh of relief when I left the DMV 2 hours after I arrived with a new license, license plates, car title and registration.

During my time with Virgina's happiest employees, Drew was home with Asher.  I left before Asher woke up for the day, so I'd say Drew had a total of 1.5 hours of baby time before I returned.  Drew feels very strongly that Asher shouldn't watch any TV and I agree {to a point...confession: sometimes when I'm on hour 12 of baby care and the late afternoon crankiness reaches a peak, I'll let him watch a little tube just so we make it until bathtime.  I don't feel bad about this.  Thank goodness for that magical box with flashing lights, colors, and noises!}

Anyways, I came home from Hades the DMV and found this:

Daddy passed out and Asher watching Sports Center.

Seriously?  Are you kidding me?

Haha...I thought it was hilarious!  How quickly the mighty standards fall when Daddy is in charge!

pick of the litter

Some days I think I might have given birth to a puppy, instead of a baby.

Exhibit #1:

Sophie the Giraffe.

Sophie is a teething toy that came highly recommended to me from some blogging friends.  She is made of all natural rubber and food grade paint, so she's completely safe for little mouths to chew on.  I didn't realize this until she arrived, but it turns out that she also has a very sensitive squeaker inside.

So, let's see, Sophie is:

made of rubber
squeaks when squeezed
intended for chewing

Sound like anything else?  Perhaps something you could buy at PetSmart?

Asher loves her.

Exhibit #2:

I left Asher playing on his activity mat yesterday and went into the kitchen to do some dishes.  When I returned I found Asher doing this...

That's right, he was chewing on the entertainment center!

Don't eat the furniture!  Bad dog baby.

Thank goodness they don't make stuff with lead paint anymore.

Exhibit #3:

Last night after Asher's bedtime bottle I was walking him around so he would burp and I heard the telltale sound of spit-up.  I quickly turned him around to assess the damage to his PJs, but couldn't see anything.  Yay!  No PJ change!  Then I looked on the blanket covering my shoulder to see how much he spit up.  Nothing there either...hmm...that's strange.  I know I heard him spit up!  Finally I looked down and saw that he had expelled his dinner past my shoulder all over the carpet.

Are you kidding me??

I called Drew and told him to bring up the Resolve carpet cleaner.  It now lives right next to the Dreft stain spray in Asher's room.  Who, besides new puppy owners, have to keep Resolve within arm's reach?

Oh, my puppy baby.  Gotta love him!

it's the little things

This morning I woke up around 7:15 to the sound of a lawn mower racing up and down my yard.  We live in a small development and, apparently, the same guy mows all of the backyards because he was moving right down the line.  We are renting our current house, so I guess either the landlord or HOA arranged for lawn care because I certainly wasn't expecting to see him out there today.

Anyways, despite the fact that hearing the LOUD whirring of a mower first thing in the morning isn't really my favorite, there was a little something about this situation that made me smile.

When we were living in Cleveland there were no shortage of lawn care companies.  They all had big trailers to haul around the mowers and usually parked just enough in the street so you almost couldn't get by.  Since I squeezed past my fair share of pick-up trucks advertising lawn care {and snow removal...these always, always go together in Cleveland} I learned the names of most of the companies.  They were, without exception, always something like "John's Lawn Care and Snow Removal."  Or "Bob Jones Lawn Care and Snow Removal."

The thing that made me smile this morning was the t-shirt our lawn care professional was wearing.  Across the back of his shirt, advertising for his company, was their name...

"BLADE RUNNERS"

Now that's what I'm talking about.  Rock on, Blade Runners, rock on.

I love it here!

{But I miss Cleveland too...especially you, Karen!  :o)}

heat wave

Cleveland had a record breaking heat wave yesterday! We got up to 82, which is 30! degrees above average. Holy moly!

Asher and I took full advantage of the sudden summer like weather and got somebody {not me} stripped down to his skivvies.

This boy loves nothing more than being as close to naked as possible.

He would have appreciated being taken all the way, but as I'm not interested in cleaning baby urine off every surface of my house, the diaper stayed on.

Ash didn't mind. Look how joyful.

I hope I can always make him this happy.

We also went for 2 walks and opened all the windows in the house!

It's suppose to be near 80 again today, so we're getting ready to go out!

Happy Friday everyone!

take that mr. parrot

Over the past week Asher has really mastered the art of grabbing the toys on his bouncy chair activity bar to make the lights and sound go. It still takes him a few minutes to get warmed up to it each morning, but once he gets going look out!

He gets so excited that his arms and legs start flapping out of control, which just makes the noise and lights go more frequently. It's a slippery slope, just he loves it!

something about buying the cow if the milk's free...

Have you all heard this story?

I came across it last week and my first reaction was, "oh my." Followed quickly by "oh, yuck!"

I'm sure it caught my eye because of my close relationship to this particular experience these days. For those of you who aren't as in tuned to all things baby let me fill you in.

A certain chef in New York City recently launched a new offering on his restaurant's menu:

Breastmilk Cheese

I wish I was kidding.

Apparently when his wife had their daughter 11 weeks ago they decided to use her milk for more than baby feedings and turned some into cheese.

What the what??

Now maybe I'm mistaken, but I thought it took quite a bit of milk to make cheese. How much does this lady have?!

Just when I stopped gagging over the implications of the breastmilk cheese {and gelato aspirations that they have} I heard about this story.

The bizarre hits just keep on coming.

This little news gem is about a woman who was charged with assaulting a police officer by squirting her breastmilk in their face.

Um...that's crazy! Can't we all agree to just keep our milk between us and the babies? No other adults need to be involved!

Brings a whole new meaning to Asher's cute little onesie, doesn't it?

like a record, baby

For someone who can't yet hold his own head upright, Asher often surprises me with what he can accomplish physically.

Every night I gently place Asher in his crib to sleep. As you might remember from a previous post, I have a video baby monitor that I love! The video camera is positioned at one end of the crib, so I strategically place Asher in his crib so the camera can capture his face.

A la, this...

Without fail, every single day, I come in to find Asher like this:

How does he do it??

I watch him over the monitor constantly, but it's like he can tell when I nod off or get diverted elsewhere and that's when he makes his move.

He likes being mysterious.

I haven't caught him in the act yet, but I'm still watching. I'll let you know if I ever figure it out!

daddy is so fun!

Yesterday Asher's Daddy was entertaining him while I started cooking dinner. Drew had him in the bouncy seat and thought he might be cold, so he grabbed a blanket to tuck in around him.

Being a fun Daddy, rather than simply placing it around Asher, Drew decided to flick it up in the air and let it float down around him.

Asher loved, loved it! I don't know what made it such a thrill. Something about the air the blanket made on his face, or the shadows it created, or maybe the funny faces Daddy made behind it -- whatever the formula, the blanket game was created and was a huge success!

We'll definitely be bringing this one out in the future!