it's all fun and games until someone gets thirsty

Asher's newest favorite game is throwing things over the fence.

Yesterday he also added a whole pile of toys to the mix while I was in the kitchen.  When I came back he was reaching through the little gate holes trying to get at his lost loot.  So pathetic! 

He also loves to pitch stuff out of the crib.  I don't put much in there with him, so nap time requires a little creativity.  A couple days ago I went in to get him and found his lamb toy, both socks, and his pants on the floor.  I guess once he has the bed to himself he can sleep.

Hey - as long as he doesn't cry about the loss I don't care how much stuff he tosses overboard!

Happy Friday!

birthday: part-y 1

Last weekend Asher got to have his very first birthday celebration back where it all started!

 
While we were in Cleveland for the baby shower our friends Carl and Karen invited us over to their house and gave Asher his first birthday gifts.  So exciting!

I mentioned last week that Asher is currently in love with books.  In a bid to save me from the inevitable sanity break that will come if I have to read "Blue Hat, Green Hat" one more time, C and K got Asher some new stories - yay!  These dinosaur books are so cute - and teach a good lesson, to boot.  I've never seen them before, but we'll definitely looking for the rest of the series!

Asher also got a new race car.  It sings, rolls, and honks, all at one volume - LOUD.  Ha - so much for saving my sanity.  :o)

Seriously though - he loves it.  In fact, there was only one thing he received that got higher marks than the race car and books...

The bows!!

Karen put some bows on the packages and Asher loved them!  He couldn't get enough - there was clapping of the bows, there was sticking the bows to the coffee table.  Ash handed them to every one and looked very disappointed if they didn't visibly get as much enjoyment out of the bows as he did.

So, if anyone is still wondering what Asher would like for a gift, here's what I recommend:  an empty box wrapped up with a bow on top.  Can't go wrong.

Thanks for thinking of him and celebrating Asher's first year with us Carl and Karen!

wordless wednesday - santa baby

My baby went to visit Santa on Monday!

Asher was very concerned about us leaving him on this stranger's lap, so he kept leaning forward and reaching for us.  The photographer snapped a quick shot when Santa reeled him back in! 

There isn't a smile {Asher was much too worried for that} but he didn't cry either, so we're going to call this a win!  Plus he's dressed so cute in his tiny button-down - that makes up for a sour expression.  Ha!

Drew was off work on Monday, so I'm glad we got to do this as a family.  These are the special memories!

mommy knows best

Sometimes Asher has his own ideas of what constitutes a good nap.

Yesterday his ideas led to having no afternoon nap at all.  I kept telling him that a good nap would equal more fun, but he disagreed and refused to snooze.

Well, I rest my case.

And so did A.

While prepping dinner, I turned around to find this.  Good thing he'd already finished eating!

december showers

...bring January babies!

Drew, Asher, and I traveled out to Cleveland this weekend to celebrate the {awaited} arrival of a very special baby girl - Miss Carter!

Our friends, Carl and Karen are expecting their little girl next month, so we all got together to shower them with blessings and gifts.  You might remember when I announced that they were expecting a few months ago.  It was so fun to see Karen with a gorgeous baby belly this time around!

Carl and Karen have decided to keep their daughter's name a surprise - which is totally what I deserve after making everyone wait to know Asher's name - but it's really hard to wait!  Tell us now!  Carl almost slipped once, but caught himself, darn it!  :o)

It seems like every time we see them I manage to get a photo of them and Asher, but never one of Drew, me, and Asher. 

Don't they make a lovely family?

You think I'm exaggerating?  Let's see...

The happy threesome, circa December 2009 {Asher was 3 days old}

They got together again to celebrate the New Year...

Karen secretly trying to usurp my role in the family at Drew's birthday dinner

Look how everyone has grown!  {July 2010}

It's already all arranged that Asher will marry the anxiously awaited Baby Girl C, so if he gets a little cozy with his future in-laws, all the better.

It was so fun to see them and our other Cleveland friends over the weekend.  We miss you all!

I made some cupcakes and cupcake toppers for the party.  Our friends Michelle and Amy handled all of the other food and decorations - it was awesome!

There was a little dog there and, of course, Asher loved him!  Amy explained how to pet a dog nicely and Asher was all ears.  They didn't spend too much time together, but Asher would do a very excited squeal every time Riley came into view. 

Of course we had to shower Baby C with some special gifts!  For her Daddy {who went to UVA} we got her some Virginia onesies!

Karen was really excited about these {apparently!} Or maybe she's just a really great gift-opener.  HA!

The next time we get to Williamsburg, we'll pick up a William & Mary one to represent Karen's alma mater!

Then a special gift for both of them, but mostly for Baby C.  Since I started making the sweet baby this quilt over the summer I didn't know that she was a girl, so it's full of neutral {but pretty!} colors.  Lots of greens to go with her nursery.

I love making quilts and hope this one will be great for Baby C to cuddle with on chilly Ohio winter days. 

We love you already, sweet girl!  Keep growing and treat your mama to some gentle nudges over these next 6 weeks.  We {especially your boyfriend} can't wait to meet you!

growing up

Lately, I have been thinking about how I can encourage Asher to transition from bottles to a cup.  He's been drinking water from a cup with a straw for several weeks now, but we haven't had as much luck with drinking milk.  Usually he will take a sip or 2, then make a face and push it away.

Then the other night while drinking his bedtime bottle Asher suddenly pushed it away and tried to sit up.  This was pretty strange since he typically drinks every drop and there were still a couple ounces left.  It only took a few seconds for me to realize that he wanted to sit up so we could get right to his story!  Once I started to read he took the bottle back and finished up.

{This boy loves to read these days, by the way.  He'll bring me his books over and over again all day long!  All those toys to choose from and he picks a book - bless his heart - he's my son.}

Well, this might be the perfect solution!  I decided to try giving him his milk in a straw cup last night while reading story after story.  This worked like a charm!  He happily sipped away on my lap while I read all of his favorites.  When he was done drinking we finished up with Goodnight Moon and he went right to bed.

I almost started crying - where did my little baby go?  I'm torn between being really proud of him and sad that he is growing up so quickly.  This is a great thing for him - I know - it's just so much harder on me than it is on him!  I didn't expect that!

He is still nursing in the mornings, so we'll have that for a little while longer.  Plus, not having to wash all the bottle parts any more will be a huge bonus!

On a funnier book note, can you tell that Asher loves dogs?

He picks up this book and turns right to the dog, then yelps and looks over at me!

Mom, it's a dog!  A DOG!

Love it!

{Oh and for anyone who is wondering, we started out using the Nuby straw cup that you see in the first photo, but for some reason it keeps leaking on us.  Hmm...  I looked for a simpler option and found this cup from Munchkin at Wal-Mart for $2.  It's awesome!  Super easy for little hands to hold and, so far, doesn't leak at all.}

wordless wednesday - rockin' the argyle

During one of our pre-baby shopping trips, I bought this hat for Asher at the Baby Gap outlet in Cleveland.  It caught my eye immediately and I loved it! 

It is size 0-6 months so I thought he could wear it all last winter.  Surprise!  Either it's super big or he has a little head because it was huge on him then, but fits great this year!

Asher hates hats and took this one off and threw it out of the stroller twice during our walk.

We'll have to work on that before it gets really cold!

the best santa photo i've ever seen

We haven't gotten the chance to take Asher to see Santa yet this year - although it's on my list.

While I hope he loves the experience and gives us a great big smile I also can't help but {secretly} hope we have an experience similar to this one, if only to get a hilarious photo.

This is perhaps the funniest photo I've ever seen.  That Santa totally deserves a raise! 

Oh, and if you don't read the Amazing Trips regularly, you need to - it's fantastic.

While you're there, you need to read my other favorite post of hers - and perhaps my favorite blog post of all time on any blog.  You have to read it! 

Holy holiday, Batman!  It's Christmas time!

welcome december

December is, and always will be, a special month for me.  I have always loved Christmas and looked forward to all the unique celebrations, music, and decorations that accompany the holiday season.  However, the fact that Asher was born last December has elevated this chilly month to a whole new level.

Last December 1st I was 37 weeks pregnant.

Holy belly!

This year I get to play with this little sweetie.

Happy December everyone - I can't believe it's here again already.