7-25-07

I suppose I should update this sometime here.  I keep knowing I need to, but then I think of all the things I need to do like archive the older pages and make all the new links and everything and I decide to do something else instead.  I'll just make a little update now though.  Ash is now 14 months old and he is really adorable!  He is running all over the place and since he is so tiny, everyone thinks he is a prodegy child or something, but no, he just LOOKS like a 5 month old walking around.  (I'm not exagerating, BTW, my friend has a little guy that really IS around that age and he is bigger than Ash.)  I have not even retired his 6-9 month clothing although, I do think we're getting there.  I weighed him on the 22nd and he was FINALLY over 20 pounds.  He beat Gavin to that by 1 month as Gavin was 15 months before going over 20 pounds.  Daddy is all excited that now he can flip the car seat forward although neither one of us has actually done it yet.  It's funny, but with his seat forward facing, he and Jessie have exactly the same brand and model seat in my van and they will both be able to sit in either one now.   Ash is not really talking yet still.  I was REALLY hoping that we'd get some more words outta this guy but it isn't looking like that.  It isn't for lack of vocalising though, he 'talks' ALL the time!  We're thinking maybe he is just talking in a different language because he sure thinks he is communicating.  His only real words are 'ya' (with a german accent and used perfectly) and 'mom' (usually said 'mamamamamamama' while making kissing noises in my face.)  He is starting to say 'baba' while patting Jessie's head and giving her kisses while she pretends to be a baby and we all say 'nice baby' to her.  This, by the way, is an excellent way to get him to stop trying to bite her or pull her hair when he gets mad.  We just say "No Asher, NICE baby." and he starts patting her head.  Kris maintains that he has said 'cheese' while trying to open the fridge but I don't know about that.  He DOES stand by the fridge and pat it and 'talk' to us and I know he wants me to open it and get a string cheese out for him.  He also loves going outside, he and Jessie play really great out in the sandbox.  We also have a pool set up and while he isn't real excited about that one, he LOVES swimming in the heated water at the gym.  He will run (kinda) along the shallow water where it is up to his thighs and fall in with his head under water and everything and he just gets up and keeps going.  It doesn't bug him at all.  

I updated his chart down below the best that I can remember.  The height one I'll have to get to when I can.  I have all his heights marked on the wall I just need to measure and record them.

5-22-07

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!  No more infant.  *sigh*  My little guy rang in his 1st year with lots of crabbiness.  He has QUITE the temper!  He can go from playing and happy to this high pitched absolute MAD scream in no time flat.  Generally it is due to.. I think... his teeth.  He has had so much trouble with them.  I don't know how teeth can take so long and be so painful to come in but he will get to chewing on something and if he can't get it in his mouth just right he screams and throws it... or if he is trying to climb up on something and he can't quite get it, he'll scream and chomp into anything near by to show how mad he is.  Last night he wanted to be held but he didn't want anyone to hold him.  He would sit and scream like we had abandoned him if we put him down, but if I held him he would twist and turn to get me to let go and cry about that.  He didn't even want to nurse or anything.  Finally I got him to sleep but he was up twice last night and was not a very happy camper when I left him at daycare this morning.  Poor guy.  I didn't remember to weigh him for his 1 year stats with all the fuss going on so I'll have to do that later.  I gotta admit - I know the whole rear facing car seat thing is called safer but I'm looking forward to him being 20 pounds so I can turn his seat around.  Then he and Jessie can sit in either seat. (The shoulder straps are on this easily adjustable panel so we can move those up and down without taking the seat out of the car.)  Mostly though, I want to be able to hook his seat in so it is as secure as Jess's seat.  Those rear facers never seem to strap down as tight.  The old Ford Windstar had ONE nice quality and that was the ability to use the rear tether and hook it under the front seat for the rear facing seat to hold it down TIGHT from the back of the seat. 

SO - for a short time anyway - I'm the mommy of a 1 year old and a 2 year old. :)

5-21-07

Yikes, it's been awhile!  Ash turns ONE tomorrow!  So many new things for him to report!  First, we have a biped!  It was a long time coming between first steps and full out walking, but he did pull it off before the first birthday.  He is so cute now to watch toddling around the room.  Sights like that are so bittersweet, especially with our last baby.  Oh what wonder and joy to hold that baby in your arms!  It is with a heavy heart that I wave goodbye to my baby times and all that it brings.  At the same time - WHOO HOO!  FREEDOM!  The kid can WALK!  My amazing little monkey boy is joining the world of getting into things just like his big brother and sister.  He has also semi-mastered sleeping all night.  He generally won't nurse to sleep anymore.  He is too busy trying to stick his fingers in my mouth and laughing to acutally sleep.  That, or playing with his silky blanket (that I MADE, thank you very much!) that he has adopted as his very own 'blankie'.  SO - after some snuggle time, I usually just hold him on my shoulder for a moment and kiss him goodnight and lay him down.  From there, if he agrees with me that he is tired, he'll go to sleep.  It is awesome!  Jessie used to be that easy.  (Used to!)  I just hope that he doesn't self wean from any nursing at sleep times as early as Jessie did.  Then, more often then not, he will actually sleep until at least 5 or so.  I'm pretty sure that he's working on another tooth because he sleeps MUCH better if given some advil or tylenol before bed.  I feel bad drugging him every night but then again, if he is in pain, I'd hate to make him just deal with it and not sleep when I have the meds to make him feel better.  I've also been giving him a sippy cup with some thawed milk since we have SO MUCH stored in the freezer.    OH, going back to that blankie thing - WHAT am I getting in to letting him be another blankie baby???  I'm trying to keep it under control by not bringing the blanket everywhere with us.  The trouble is, he really doesn't sleep well without the thing so if he is going to nap when we are out and about at all, we need to bring it.  For the same reason, we've started bringing it to daycare with him.  I think that was the beginning of the end for keeping the blankie thing under control.  For talking... well.. not so much.  I'm totally bummed that he isn't a chatter box like Jessie was.  I'm having evil flashbacks to the YEARS of waiting for Gavin to talk and then how long and hard it was to get him to learn the alphabet and all that.  Hopefully, Ash will be more in between Jessie and Gavin on that.  He has NOT had the ear infections and the illnesses like Gavin did so he has that going for him.  I'm just hoping!  He does seem to be kinda starting to mimick us when we say things to him.  I know that he mimicks some sounds like clicking your tongue and such.

Ash's 1st birthday will be on June 9th - a shared party with his sister.  I know, bad mommy on that one, but it just worked out better that way and they are too little to really remember anyway.  Plus, this avoids the issues with Jessie having to watch Ash get presents or vice versa.  The REALLY evil thing is that I'm thinking about combining the kids' birthday gifts this year and putting together the backyard play stuff.  Anyway, for those of you attending, it is 11-4 and the invites will be going out as soon as I get the stamps I just ordered in the mail.