Random Pictures

I had been doing so well at taking a daily picture until I went and jinxed myself by blogging about it. Figures. Oh well...here are some recent shots for those of you that like a blog full of photos like I do.

 This was one week ago Sunday - perfect weather, windows open, Asher in a shortall and playing with his choo choo in the window sill. One week later it was freezing and they were calling for snow and sleet.

 

 My son, the truck driver, with his mullet of curls hanging out the back of his cap.

 Playing in his pink fort.

 Misty's umbrella is always a hit with the office kiddos.

 Came home sick from school with a fever - turned out it was just FOUR teeth. Poor wittle guy.

 We have a book that has Oma & Poppa's picture in it. He points to them and says Oma and Poppa all the time. The other day he pointed to them and signed "please". Of course I sent a video to my parents. Major guilt trip! They are coming next week - HA!

 I bought this chair for $3 at our church yard sale. It needed a screw tightened and a little wood glue. Benny (our building manager) fixed it right up and it is good as new! Now I just need to decide if I want to restain it or paint it.

 Eating his first popsicle. I bet this felt good on his sore gums.

 He has turned his closet into a miniature play room. He loves hanging out in there.

 

  Trying Davenport's pizza for the first time. This picture might insinuate he liked it, but he did not.

 Coloring with his best friend, Madi.

Enjoying a midmorning snack of pickles with Momma. Pregnancy cliches run deep.

Trying guacamole for the first time. This one was a hit!

 Loving that crazy bed head.

 He fell asleep getting his diaper changed during church. Wish he would go down that easily for me!

 This is his Mickey blanket that he LOVES! He's always burying his face in it and squealing. Thanks, Oma!

 Trying to put his pj's on and he kept evading me. I asked him if he wanted to be naked and he signed "please". I'm a sucker for that sign.

 This kid LOVES to wear a hat! He always asks to look in the mirror after we put it on him and then smiles really big at his reflection. Our little entertainer.

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.

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. :)

Asher at 10 Months

Asher is quite his own little person. At this age he continues to charm us and we love our little social butterfly.

He's learned a few new tricks this month. He can now go from laying to sitting. Something that was causing us a grief due to the fact that he would get from a sitting position to his tummy and then cry out when he couldn't get back to sitting up. I spent a lot of time helping him out in that department.

He's not quite crawling but don't be fooled. He is mobile. He can scoot, roll, slither and squirm to wherever he wants to get.He can get to all fours. And will rock back and forth but doesn't go anywhere yet.

And now he is even pulling up. He's pretty sturdy too. He has yet to fall. When he gets tired of standing he lets us know we have to help him back down.

He loves to share. He will offer you a bite of his food and even tries to put his paci in your mouth.

He mimics a lot now too. Here are some of my favorite things he is doing. And I love it because it is all because he sees us do it.

Singing - this cracks me up. I sing to him ALL the time. He LOVES it. Last month we traveled to Nashville to meet up with my family for a mini birthday celebration. It was interesting traveling by myself with a 10 month old. He slept about half way there and then woke up and wasn't happy to find himself locked into his carseat. So in order to appease him, I sang for the next 1.5 hours. I was hoarse and pretty tired of hearing myself sing Old McDonald, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly and 5 Little Monkeys by the time we arrived at the hotel. But little man had a blast.

Anyway, all that to say - I sing to him all the time. It always works to cheer him up and now he has started singing himself. He does it in the car a lot. Always the entertainer. Even when he has no audience.

Waves Bye Bye - he's still perfecting this one. But it is adorable. A lot of times he will wave with the hand you can't see.

Reading - okay, he's not technically reading but he does try to. I try to read to him as much as I can. Ben and I both love to read and I really want Asher to appreciate the hobby as well. He will entertain himself for a long time by holding a book in front of himself and loudly yelling in jibberish whatever it is he thinks is on the page. It's adorable. He even turns the pages. Funny little man.

He has so much personality. And while he has found his opinionated side he still manages to be an easy baby. We just adore him and watching him develop into a his own little person.

My Son is NOT a Girl

I know he's pretty. And I really don't take offense to it anymore. Your skin seems to get toughened after hearing it on a daily basis. But last night took the cake (or the birthday cake, as the case may be).

While at my birthday dinner, Asher charmed the waiters and surrounding customers. As always. He makes a game of getting people to smile at him. Several waiters fell prey to his cunning little game of I-just-droppped-my-bear-on-the-ground-can-you-get-it-for-me ploy. One particular waitress walked by and Asher caught her eye. And of course she obliged as well. And thennnn.....

She spent the next five minutes telling us how Asher was the most beautiful little girl she had ever seen. And how she "has two girls and wouldn't trade them for anything! Aren't little girls the best??? Mine only wear dresses. I bet she (meaning Asher) will do the same! You might want to trade her in at about 13 or so. hahaha" yada yada yada...girls, girls girls...

Awkward smile from Ben and I.

Wait.

"Is this a girl or a boy? I am just now noticing that he is dressed in all blue."

As sweetly as I can, "Haha, yeah...I'm sorry. He's a boy."

I assured her we get that all the time. Because we do. ALL. THE. TIME.

I know my child is pretty. His eyes and curls make him look like a doll. But a BOY doll, people. A BOY DOLL!

Asher's 9 Month Photos

Just a few of my favorites. It was so hard to choose. Kristin did a great job as always!