My Son - the Fashionista

Project 365. I've actually been trying to do it. Take a photo of Asher every day this year. And starting sometime in July of his baby brother or sister as well. I haven't posted the photos anywhere. They are just on my iPhone. Maybe I will catch up and back date them by week. We'll see. I don't wanna get too far ahead of myself. But I had to share today's photo.

My son wearing two different shoes.

Yep, that's MY son wearing two different shoes to school today. And it was even somewhat on purpose. For some unexplained reason he begged by signing "please" and pointing to the shoe and then to his left foot for me to put his sneaker on. When I asked him if he REALLY wanted me to put his shoe on he nodded emphatically and patted his chest (please in ASL). That sign gets me every time. I must be growing as a momma to let him get away with this fashion faux pas.

He was pretty proud of himself walking in like this this morning. Even though he was a little off kilter since one shoe is flat and the other has a pretty thick sole. Also, that sneaker is too small. The pains we go through for fashion! 

The story goes - Ben picked out his clothes this morning. I vetoed the outfit. Part of the outfit was the pair of sneakers. Obviously, Ben is loving that Asher begged to wear the shoes that he picked out and is probably a little perturbed that I found it acceptable to wear mismatched footwear to school today but not the outfit that he had picked out for him. Oops!

Pregnancy Can Kill a Blog

So, I am pregnant! 18 weeks at this point. And the last time I blogged was 3 days before we found out. This pregnancy has been great as far as not being sick. In fact, I can't seem to stop eating. Especially Taco Casa. And because of that I am NOT complaining. Just letting you know that while I have not suffered from being so sick I am dehydrated and losing weight like I am on The Biggest Loser (like I did the first time around) but that I have been VERY tired. I am sure it has a little something to do with the fact that this time I am not only growing a human in my uterus but also chasing after a one year old.

Anyhow, my Mom Guilt is in full effect. I haven't blogged about finding out we are expecting - SURPRISE! I haven't blogged about Asher's first "real" Christmas. (Last year he was only 2 months old and had no idea what was going on.) I also haven't blogged about telling our parents about Baby Grizz the Sequel. Which, to my surprise, was just as fun as telling them the first time around. 

I haven't blogged a thing about this pregnancy and the uniqueness of it. Or all the amazing little things that happen during this special time that I had forgotten about since Asher was born. I am so excited about this precious little person growing in me. And I feel like I have done an AWFUL job of documenting that.

So - I am now well into my second trimester and I think I am finally turning a corner. Last night I took a walk around the neighborhood, cooked dinner AND cleaned up afterwards, did a load of laundry, finished the Mocking Jay and hung out with my hubby until 11:15! I'm usually zonked out by 8:30 at the latest. I'm hoping this means my second trimester burst of energy has finally arrived. I'm ready to clean, nest and finally catch up on this blog.

If you are reading this - thanks for not forgetting about us!

Christmas List 2011

Here is my official Christmas List this year.

I would like a little more time.

Time with these two handsome boys.

And our wonderful families.

Time focused on and appreciating the Birth of Our Savior.

Time to eat some yummy Christmas Food.

And some extra time for sleep.

Asher at ONE

Weighs 22 lbs (50th percentile)
26 inches long (95th percentile)
Dr. Petelos said he is just adorable and extremely good natured.

Wears 12-18  month clothes and size 3 diapers.

• Is puling up on everything.
• Trying to walk and is cruising all over the place.
• Points.
• Books are his most favorite toy.
• Loves taking things out of something and putting them back in aka making a mess.
• Shakes his head and nods it indiscriminately.
• Loves to hand you things and then say Thank You (Tay Too) when you take it. 
• Also says, Kitty Cat (kika), Mama, Dadda and More (mohmoh). Has also said, "Here you go." and "Right there". But only once, so I wouldn't put it into his regular repertoire just yet.
• Sings and dances along to music.
• Points to my mom's dog and says "Woof! "
• Knows how to throw a fit.
• Gets upset when he can't get puzzle pieces to go in the right way.
• Tests me. On everything. For example, he knows he is not allowed to play with the outlets. Even though we have covers on them. He will crawl over to one, look at me and smile, and slowly reach toward it to see what I will do. He usually stops himself. He just wants my reaction. But when he gets in trouble he just laughs. If I smack his hand, he laughs and claps like I was giving him a high five or trying to play patty cake. The word "NO!" is the funniest word he has ever heard. He is definitely going to be my strong willed child. So far, time out is the best thing for him.
• Bites. He only bites me. I think it is an affection thing. He gets really excited, hugs me, buries his face into me and bites my shoulder. I know he isn't trying to hurt me but he needs to learn that is unacceptable.

He is still our little entertainer. He loves attention from anyone that will give it to him. The other day we were visiting a church in Tuscaloosa for Orphan Sunday and he reached for complete strangers. Not so sure how I feel about that just yet. But I do love watching him flirt with everyone around him. We make friends every where we go because people are just drawn to our little man (or girl as they usually say).

He eats like crazy. This kid has a stomach that is a bottomless pit. He eats pretty much anything and everything now a days. Especially things he can feed himself. He gets impatient when we are feeding him. He used to cry for yogurt but recently wants nothing to do it. He wants finger foods that he can pick up. That's fine with me. It's easier to let him handle that task on his own. Some of his favorite foods are cheese, animal crackers, mandarin oranges (I'm pretty sure he just swallows them whole), ravioli and beans. He made the switch from formula to milk with out issue and has dropped the bottle with out any struggle as well.

Schedule:
Wakes up at 6:30 like clock work and eats breakfast. (usually a waffle and some fruit and milk)
Snack at 10:00 (O's, animal crackers or something along those lines)
12:30 - Lunch (ham, cheese, cut up fruit or veggies and crackers)
Nap from 1:00-2:00
3:00 - another snack
5:00 - Dinner (If we are having something kid friendly, he will eat that. If not, pasta, veggies, applesauce, edamame, etc.)
6:30-Bath
7:00 - Bedtime story and milk
7:30-8:00 - Bed time.

How to be a Disciple

A good friend of mine shared this in our devo this morning and it spoke to me. I am sharing it in case it might speak to your heart as well but also so that I can have it somewhere that I can access it whenever I need to reread this. Hope it blesses you.

An excerpt from How to be a Disciple by Dallas Willard.

The description Peter gives in the first "official" presentation of the gospel to gentiles provides a sharp picture of the Master under whom we serve as apprentices. "You know," he says to Cornelius, "of Jesus, the one from Nazareth. And you know how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and curing all those under oppression by the devil, because God was with him" (Acts 10:3)

And as a disciple of Jesus I am with him, by choice and by grace, learning from him how to live in the kingdom of God. This is the crucial idea. That means how to live within the range of God's effective will, his life flowing through mine. Another important way of putting this is to say that I am learning from Jesus to live my life as he would live life if her were I. I am not necessarily learning to do everything he did, but I am learning how to do everything I do in the manner in which he did all that he did.

That my actual life is the focus of my apprenticeship to Jesus is crucial. Knowing this can help deliver us from the genuine craziness that the current distinction between "full-time Christian service" and "part-time Christian service" imposes on us. For a disciple of Jesus is not necessarily one devoted to doing specifically religious things as that is usually understood.

To repeat, I am learning from Jesus how to lead my life, my whole life, my real life. Note, please, I am not learning from him how to lead his life. His life on earth was a transcendentally wonderful one. But it has now been led. Neither I nor anyone else, even himself, will ever lead it again. And he is, in any case, interested in my life, that very existence that is me. There lies my need. I need to be able to lead my life as he would lead it if he were I.

So as his disciple I am not necessarily learning how to do special religious things, either as part of a "full-time Christian service" or as part of a "part-time Christian service". My discipleship to Jesus is, within, clearly definable limits, not a matter of what I do, but of how I do it. And it covers everything, religious or not.

I don't know about you, but for me this is GREAT news. I no longer need to feel the burden to do everything Jesus did. I don't even have to feel the burden to do everything my neighbor does. I am merely called to do what I do. I do not say that to let myself off the hook. But to allow myself to stop comparing my life with everyone around me. To rest peacefully in knowing that God has me where he wants me for a purpose. His purpose. And as he walks with me every second of every day as I do everything I do. From the mundane to the magnificent, he is teaching me to be a disciple and hopefully being glorified though it all. Good news. Indeed.

Autumn Chopped Salad

Do yourself a favor and make this salad. Even my I-only-meat-husband liked it. Of course I found it on Pinterest. That's where I find everything these days. Mainly because I keep my head buried in it 99% of my waking hours.

It's basically just lettuce, pears, dried cranberries, pecans, bacon and feta cheese. Topped with a mixture of poppy seed dressing and balsamic vinaigrette.  So so yummy. And really it is a meal all on it's own.

Click on picture below for the whole recipe.

Also, if you are like us and are trying to go organic (trying being the operative word) I made this little sheet to keep in my purse when I am shopping to help me remember what I can skimp on and what I need to be more careful purchasing. These are the Dirty Dozen (i.e. always buy organic) and  The Clean Fifteen (i.e. go ahead and buy it in the cheap produce section).

Asher - 11 Months

At 11 months Asher is pretty much turning into a little boy. He loves people. Loves to entertain people. Loves to make people smile. I am so grateful for that. His dad and I can't seem the wipe the smiles off our faces when we are with him.

He loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse - Mickey especially, and The Hot Dog song - he will stop in his tracks and crawl toward the TV and laugh when it comes on.
He also dances. If he is sitting he will kind of bob up and down. But if he is standing, oh my - if he is standing, he will shake that little butt of his like no one's business. Watching him dance naked in the bathtub brings me an endless supply of laughs.
To sing (jibber jabber in a sing-song voice)
He can stand at an object if you help him up but doesn't really "pull up" just yet.
He has figured out how to get the foam letters to stick on the side of the bathtub and is very proud of himself for it.
He is a good little eater. Eats lots of table food now. And lots of it.
Believe me or not but he loves Rachael Ray. Seriously. I don't know if it because her kitchen is so bright. Or because she talks to the camera. But she captivates him. And I love having him as an excuse to watch the Food Network now. :)