Hello to anyone who may have ventured here because of our Christmas cards. I can not believe it has been so long since I have posted. Life has been very hectic. Even now as I write I am thinking of the list of things I need to be accomplishing. We leave tomorrow to head to my mother-in-law’s. I had planned to post a few times this week, but just never got to it. Please check back post-Christmas for pictures of Asher’s first time playing in the snow as well as pictures of his first haircut. I wish I had time to post them now but that would just make my list longer. So until then Have a Merry Christmas!!!!

For those of you who don’t know, we have a dog named Jax. After a year of trying to get pregnant, my hubbie and I decided it would be best for me to stop teaching and eliminate some stress. It worked I was no longer stressed or busy…in fact I was seriously bored and anxious waiting on a child. So January ’06, we adopted Jax (11 week old Jack Russell Terrier); it was just like having a baby. Middle of the night wakings for potty breaks, potty accidents, and lots of crying. End of February I was pregnant.

Now I have two boys in my house. I say that because they play together like brothers and yes, they fight like it too. However having them so close has had its disadvantages. Here are just a few:

Your son carries things around in his mouth as he crawls.

He climbs in and out of the the crate.

Splashes in the water bowl

Sits when you are actually commanding the dog to sit.

Plays more with the dog’s toys than his own

Fetches the balls thrown for the dog.

Refuses to attempt walking cuz his best friend uses four legs.

I tell you what it is the cutest thing to watch them play together. I love to hear Asher laugh as his puppy jumps all around him. It amazes me that when my infant laid on the bed the dog could jump up and miss jumping on him. It will be so sad the day Asher realizes he is not a puppy.

I just finished our bottle of Dreft. Yep, my son is a year old and I know I bought it a month or so before he was born. I had purchased one of the jugs with spout. I told myself I would use it til it was gone and then start him with regular detergent (unless of course his skin reacted). Never did I think that it would last this long. Serious bang for the buck! It got out every stain from spit-up to nasty poop. Knowing this, maybe next time I won’t buy as big of a jug. Thanks Dreft for keeping my little one smelling clean and stain free for a good long time.

Here’s to hoping he doesn’t breakout with real detergent.

Truthfully, I have always loved the character. I can sing the songs written about him, I still have my very first Pooh bear, my first Pooh blanket, and of course love every story ever written about him. BUT nothing comes close to this little Pooh bear. I dare you to find a more precious little Pooh (unless of course you ever dressed your child in a similar costume). Here’s just a few pics….click on the ones to your right to see more.

Loved holding his little pumpkin.

See the resemblance

Check out that belly

…..you blare Splish Splash and dance for your child, who is taking a bath. Yep, tonight, my hubbie and I got silly and rocked out while Asher wildly splashed his bath water all over the floor, giggling at his insane parents. I mean why else would we do it but for that giggle. I’ll admit it wasn’t the first time I have blared music and danced to make him laugh, dancing with him is always a big hit and a great workout. If you are a parent and haven’t done this, you are missing out.

A few weeks ago I heard this song by Kenny Chesney. A 102 year old man is asked to give advice about the secret to life. His answer? Don’tBlink!

I blinked! My son has turned one. In one year so much has happened. Ice storms where we had power so we housed the rest of the family who didn’t. Long nights of trying to figure out just which combination of bouncing and rocking would calm him. Singing Christmas songs well past the season because they put him to sleep. Changing foods continually to figure out which ones were stopping him up. The trials and tribulations of breastfeeding made life interesting but rewarding.

Once he became mobile there was…. Child proofing the house and vacuuming every other day. Saying no-no to him as much as the dog. Telling the dog not to chew on Asher’s toys, and turning around to catch Asher chewing on the dogs. Putting up a gate as he discovered stairs and wondering if he would ever be without a new bruise, scratch or scrape.

Life has changed so much for us. Daddy and I still haven’t mastered how long it will really take to get ready to leave the house. Running out anywhere has become a chore; vacation packing doubled. Our late nights have decreased drastically and a date night includes making sure someone can watch him. No more spontaneity — we must have time to plan and prepare.

He has overcome so much: Ear infections and colds, fevers and constipation. There have been so many successes: rolling over, lifting his head up, crawling, pulling up, standing, and four days before he turned one he took his first steps. He has developed his motor skills and surprises us with the things he learns without being taught. His language has developed from soft coos and crying to little words and gibberish sentences.

Our lives will never be the same and every day, I praise God for that. Each day is a new adventure, each day has been a new challenge. Reflecting back on a year, I wonder how it all went by so fast. How one moment I am holding this tiny little man in my arms, he is completely dependent on me. The next moment he is one years old and wiggling to be free and independent.

Happy Birthday, sweet Asher. You are Daddy and I’s pride and joy.

He said it. This past Friday my son called out “Ma-ma.” It started at breakfast time as he cried at me for not getting food to him fast enough. MA-ma-ma-ma….not the most pleasant, I took it for just a new way of complaining at me. Then later that evening Daddy and I were in the car, and hating to be in his seat, he whined Ma-ma-ma-ma. My sweet husband says “He’s saying Ma-ma.” Again still not believing it just isn’t the new consonant sound of the week. Then Saturday morning, He crawls over to the couch, pulls up to a standing position next to my leg and clear as day spouts, “Ma-ma.” I picked him up and twirled around hollering, “Yeah, baby, that’s me. I’m the ma-ma.” In the last 24 hours we have progressed to mom-mom, and I am not hearing it in my head. My sister (after babysitting for me last night) said that he repeated it numerous times at her house.

Sorry to gush on and on, but HE SAID MA_MA!!!!!!

Here is my little beach bum. He wasn’t real big on putting his hands in the sand but loved to bury his toes as we walked.

A day at the beach isn’t complete without a little peek-a-boo.

As I mentioned before, we had gone down to visit some friends. Lori and I both had the same complications with getting pregnant, then shared the same due date of Halloween which neither of us wanted, and then our little gifts were born four days apart.

By looking at the pictures, you would never guess my little man is the oldest. Many people guessed him at 6 to 8 months while we were down there. “Nope,” I would tell them, “He will be one at the end of the month.”

Our last day there the sun actually popped out; however, we wanted to make sure Asher got in a trip to beach. So the day before when it was spotty showers, we went down to the pavilion in Boca Raton. As a little girl growing up there, this was the very stretch of beach my parents took me too.

You’ll notice in these pictures his little tufts of hair blowing in the wind. Very strong winds. I plan to have Lance upload more pictures to our Flickr, where Aunt Heather and I are in them looking as though our hair is going to take off without us.

Usually there is not a curl in sight on my son’s head. However with a little mix of humidity, rain (yes even on our sunny day we sat there for 5 minutes while it sprinkled on us), and the salty ocean air. My son has curls.

Keep an eye open and I will share more pictures from the trip. Thank you to Lori, Dan, Evan, and Logan for all the fun play time. Thanks to Uncle Gary and Aunt Jan who housed us, and a BIG thank you to Aunt Heather who invited us to come and lost sleep because of it.

Yes, I realize that is incorrect grammar not to mention a made up word, but it seems I have more onlookers than I thought. Friends old and new WELCOME. No pictures just yet, but we had a great time in Florida. Asher enjoyed his first time at the beach, even sunk in his little toesies. The weather was pretty much storms the whole visit. Getting in the ocean was not an option. RED FLAGS everywhere warning of rip tides. The few moments of sun we got we really enjoyed, and between rain showers, we ran to the beach.

Asher had some serious stranger anxiety the first few days. He discovered not all children are as nice as his own cousins. A cousin of my friend’s whacked him over the head with a PVC pipe. After that any small child that got within 2 foot range, Asher let out a warning wail for mommy to come rescue him. It was very siren-like and made me laugh. One main purpose for our trip was to see my friend’s little boy who is 4 days younger than Asher. It wasn’t until day 3 that Asher would really even play with him. He developed a phobia of little children that were his size. Older kids he didn’t mind. But all in all we had a great time and wished it was longer. Pictures will come. Thanks for checking in.