Playroom Ideas

I want to do a playroom for Asher so badly. One, because I love any excuse to decorate a new room. And secondly, because I am already noticing that his toys are taking over our living room. We have a couple problems though.

1) Ben would have to give up his office in order for us to have a space for it.
2) The office is not only upstairs (read:out of the way and not nearby to whatever I would be doing while he plays) but is also at the very top of the stairs. A really good baby gate would be a must.

Right now, however, I am just having fun finding inspiration for this super fun space. I am the queen of neutrals, so actually decorating with some fun colors would be a change for me.

 My friend from college just did this nursery for her little boy, Thomas. I am in LOVE with the wall of books.

 Love the READ letters and the art.

Asher Takes a Plane Ride

Asher had his first flight on June 18, 2011 on a nonstop flight to Orlando. We booked non-stops flights to save on the hassle of layovers and all of that with a 7  month old. And we lucked out because neither flight was full allowing us to move to a three seat row and have an extra seat for Asher. Because he had just gotten tubes he had no pressure with his ears and seemed to really enjoy the adventure.

Buckle up, Asher.

Snack Time.

 What do you think about flying, Buddy?

 I'm so first class.

 In flight meal.

 Nap Time.

Asher - 8 Months

We are having a blast with our little man. He is changing so much lately. Not so much in size or looks, but developmentally. He is eating more and more food every day and wants less and less to do with his bottle. He loves his sippy cup. We only put water in it for now, but I am considering putting his milk in there so he will drink more if it. He also loves finger foods. He eats puffs, little crunchers, yogurt melts, fruit, yogurt, and would eat even more if I let him. He's always grabbing at our food and cups. Such a little piggy.

He is working in a full head of hair. It is even starting to show signs of curl. The Alabama humidity does it's job on the back of his head. When we were in Florida his whole head was nothing but curls.

He loves showing off his new tricks. He can now clap and will do it when you say "Yay!" or ask him to clap He can also gives fives. Even high fives! His daddy has been working on teaching him that pretty much since the day he was born. As you can imagine, Ben is pretty proud of Asher's five giving abilities.

Asher is jibber jabbering a lot. Sometimes it sounds like he is making words, but I know it is just sounds to him. He doesn't really know what he is saying yet. He says "Dadadadada", "Maaaaaaaa", "Papapapapapa" indiscriminately and will whisper, which may be the cutest thing I have ever seen. The other day he grabbed the side of my head, pulled my ear down to his mouth and whispered and little "shapapapada". Precious.

I sing to him all the time. If he is upset, a song will cheer him right up. He loves "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly", "The Crocodile Song" and a simple rendition of the ABC's. Sometimes his jibber jabber will sounds a little sing songish. I swear I think he is trying to sing too.

He plays on his own a lot and can entertain himself with in his jumparoo, by playing with his LeapFrog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Alphabet Set, or just sitting in the floor with a toy. He loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

He spent his first evening at someone else's house this month. On July 8th, Ben and I went to dinner and a movie to celebrate our anniversary. Asher went to the Cuthbert House and had a great time playing with Emily and Kendall. I think they had fun with their real live baby doll and Asher loved all the attention and playing with their new puppy Daisy. We really appreciate Matt & Misty letting Asher come play for the evening. I never worried about him once and when we picked him up he was OUT. He never woke up when we put him in the car seat or got him out when we got home. He must have worn himself out having so much fun!

Asher had a lot more firsts this month. His first Father's Day, plane ride, trip to Florida, seeing the ocean, getting in the pool, and Fourth of July.

We celebrated his first Fourth of July at home this year. A thunderstorm caused the Homewood Festival to be canceled so we decided to skip the fireworks. Maybe next year...

Taco Pizza

I have been eating on this since Friday night and loving every bite of it. Easy and tasty! My kind of meal.

Taco Pizza
1 lb ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning
2 cans crescent rolls
1 can refried beans
Shredded cheese

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Make taco meat (I'm pretty sure we all know how to do this one - so I'm gonna move on.)
3. Unroll crescent rolls into rectangles. Place in greased casserole dish. I used the big one. Whatever is bigger than the regular 9x11. A 11x17? Anyway, press the crescent roll dough into the bottom of the dish and push up the sides a little.
4. Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden brown.
5. Microwave beans for a minute. Spread them over the baked crust.
6. Top with meat and cheese.
7. Pop it back into the oven for a few more minutes to warm through and melt the cheese.
8. Top with anything you like: sour cream, tomatoes, black olives, jalapenos, green onions, etc.

Makes a ton - hence the large casserole dish but it reheats well.