He's Almost Four, You know

Asher turns four in just two short months. So hard to believe.  I mean, just look at this big boy!

He's fully potty trained.  And our POOPIES! issues appear to be finally fading away. (Finally!)

  

Unfortunately, he's still a terrible eater.  He seems to be getting worse in that respect!  I think he does it just to drive me crazy.  He derives a certain pleasure in watching me weep when I'm unable to convince him that homemade chicken tenders are the same as the ones you get at a restaurant.  

 

He's the world's best big brother, though, which more than makes up for the pickiness at dinnertime.  True, he does get very upset when Henry snatches a toy away from him or bites him.  Many screams have been shouted for Mommy or Daddy when this happens, but he never retaliates, which has completely shocked me.  He watches out for his baby brother in the sweetest ways.  Henry gets hurt and Asher kisses his boo boo.  He yells at Henry to stay out of the street and takes his hand to guide him to safety.  And if I get upset with Henry, Asher reminds me that Henry doesn't understand because he's just a baby.

I just adore my little Asher Bug who is getting to be less and less little.

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The Past Month

It's been busy (as usual) around here, and I've been terrible at keeping up with my blog (as usual). Just a little recap of the past month...(Has it really been a month since Christmas?!)

We stayed home for Christmas this year. Most years we end up at my mom's house, so it was hard breaking that tradition, but keeping the boys at home so they could open their presents from Santa at a leisurely pace and play with them all day seemed like the right thing to do. Luckily, I didn't have to spend Christmas away from my mom, though; she and Bob came to us! The boys didn't finish opening all their gifts until the evening after Christmas due to a combination of Santa's generosity, a baby who could care less, and a toddler with the attention span of, well, a toddler. So, it turned out to be a good thing that we didn't go with the plan of going to Mom's after opening presents. We would have been two days late!

The day after New Year's, Asher turned a whopping THREE YEARS OLD! We had a low-key celebration with family. We spent the afternoon at The Children's Museum with NeeNee and PaPa. Grandfather, Marmie, Uncle Adam and Cathy joined us afterward for cake and presents.

(Asher requested a Thomas cake again this year. Unfortunately, the bakeries at the grocery stores only have one Thomas design, so he got the same cake as last year. Fortunately, he is very easy to please and was even more enthusiastic about the cake this year than last.)

Henry has been a busy little baby now that he has the ability to crawl wherever he wants. His favorite destination seems to be Asher's room; more specifically, Asher's train table. Things are easier in a way now that he's crawling because that means he's better able to keep himself entertained. In another way, things are harder because we really have to watch him every second to make sure he's not getting into something he's not supposed to. It's been a challenge trying to get Asher to understand that he can't leave small toys out where Henry can reach them. He either doesn't comprehend the dangers of choking, or he has a dark wish for his brother.

(We can blame the lack of blog posts on Henry's new skill, too. Chasing a baby around takes up a lot more time than one would think.)

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Cat Puke & Glitter

I love decorating for Christmas. The tree, the lights, the sparkly ornaments - nothing makes me feel more festive and all around warm and fuzzy. However, there is a pretty big downside to having the decorations out - THE CLEANUP. No, I'm not talking about after Christmas when it's time to put everything away (although that isn't on my list of favorite tasks to perform, either). I'm talking about the little tree needles that I'm still vacuuming up in mid-July - and we don't even get real trees! The decorations that I have to continuously put back in proper order - see Exhibit A, the picture I took of the nativity scene in which Asher has gathered everyone EXCEPT the lonely baby Jesus (back in the barn) outside for a gathering. (It also appears that the angel has had a little too much eggnog and is passed out on the ground.) We have an infinite amount of kitty tree needle throw-up. Then there's unique instances of cleanup that you wouldn't even think of - like Exhibit B, where Asher managed to get glitter not only all over his hands, but also all over his mouth like a sparkly goatee. I still haven't figured out what he was doing with the ornaments to get so much glitter on his mouth, but maybe it's best I don't know.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Come to think of it, maybe I won't be so upset when it's time to do the big cleanup of putting everything away for the year.

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Christmas Bonding

One of my favorite things to do during the Christmas season is to put on some sweats, make a cup of hot chocolate, light some candles, plug in the Christmas tree, pop in a Christmas movie, stretch out on the sofa, and just bask in the coziness. With babies, however, this simple luxury of doing nothing is next to impossible, let alone be lazy AND enjoy it. The past couple of years, I've kind of had to let my Christmas movies collect dust because Asher hasn't had any desire in sitting still or doing anything close to relaxing. Bah humbug.

Well, we're still in that same boat to a degree with Henry, but Asher is beginning to enjoy movies and the art of lounging. On more than a few occasions, he's been very content to lie in bed with me and watch Sprout and words cannot describe how much I relish those moments. I love being a parent, don't get me wrong, but much of parenting does not revolve around actually enjoying your child's company. I don't know about anyone else's opinion, but I'm really not the biggest fan of dealing with temper tantrums or cleaning up the endless trail of messes that my children leave behind. Or changing dirty diapers or stressing about eating habits. I think a large reason why I am thrilled to just sit and stare at a TV screen with my child is because during this time he is quiet, peaceful, and snuggly. I can kiss the top of his head as many times as I want and he's too entranced to even notice, let alone brush me off. With the TV on, I can just hold him and enjoy his presence.

Anyway, I'm stoked that he is showing more interests in movies especially now that the Christmas season is here because now maybe I can enjoy some of my favorite holiday movies with him! The one movie he really loved last year was "A Charlie Brown Christmas," and a couple of months ago, he decided he wanted to start watching it again. I love this program, but after watching it almost every night for the past month at Asher's request, I was ready for something different. We watched "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and "Shrek the Halls" the other night, and although Asher sat and watched most of them, when they were over, he was ready for them to be over. When I asked him the next night if he wanted to watch them again, he said no because we watched them already. And then he begged to watch Charlie Brown. AGAIN. For the millionth time. (The logic of a two-year old cannot be explained.)

Personally, when I watched "Polar Express" a few years ago, I thought it was a little creepy and weird. However, I was excited to see that it was on TV tonight because I thought a movie about both a train and Christmas would have to be loved by Asher. Luckily, I was right. He remained glued to the TV during the entire two hours, became upset when commercials interrupted the movie, and randomly informed me throughout the movie that he liked the movie. I knew it was a winner when it was over and I told him that I'd recorded it in case he wants to watch it later on and he then started whining that, yes, he wants to watch it again. NOW. And, this time around, I enjoyed the movie so much more. Of course, I think part of that may be because I spent half of the time watching him watch the movie. The movie has a few suspenseful moments, which Asher is completely unaccustomed to - I've never caught myself biting my nails during an action-packed scene of Blue's Clues - so it was funny seeing his reaction when he was feeling tense. At one moment, he exclaimed, "Oh my goodness! That was CLOSE!"

With Asher's comprehension maturing, I'm so excited about Christmas approaching. Watching Christmas movies together is one of the many ways I hope we can celebrate my favorite time of the year.

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Mr. Mouthy

Asher is really on a roll today in driving his mother nuts. Defiance and stubbornness are set at maximum strength. Fortunately, during the part of the time when I'm not beating my head against the wall in frustration, I'm able to see the humor in some of his tirades.

Me: Asher, I'm going to go take a shower.
Asher: OK, Mommy. Can I splash you?
Me: No, not today. Mommy's in a hurry to get ready. Maybe tomorrow.
Asher: Come on, Mom. Cheer up. I splash you!
Me: Sweetie, maybe tomorrow, but today I need to take a quick shower.
Asher: NO TOMORROW! CHEER UP, MOM - I SPLASH YOU!

Asher: MOM! TRAINS! WATCH TRAINS!
Me: Asher, please be quiet. I'm giving Henry his bottle and he's trying to go to sleep -
Asher: NO HENRY BOTTLE NO SLEEP! TRAINS!
Me: Asher, you're being selfish -
Asher: I NOT A FISH!
Me: I didn't say you're a "fish," I said "selfish" - do you know what that means?
Asher: NO MOM I NOT A FISH! I NOT A FISH!

Me: Asher, it's time to change your diaper and get dressed!
Asher: No diaper change or get dressed - watching trains!
Me: You can watch trains after you get dressed.
Asher: No diaper change! OR! GET! DRESSED! MOOOOM! I busy! I have jobs to do! I watch trains, OKAAAAAAY?!

Me: Man, I am getting REALLY tired.
Asher: Tired, Mom?
Me: Yes, Mommy is tired. You boys really wear me out!
Asher: No tired, Mom! Not tired time, LUNCH time!

I am finally understanding what people meant when they said, "Just wait until they start talking!"

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Unseasonably Warm Weather

Today it was windy and gray outside, with a sprinkle of rain here and there. But, it was warm - 70 degrees - so no one was complaining! When I came home for lunch, I found two cutie patooties playing in the driveway, practicing their sweet driving skills.

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It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like THREE

Not only have I been terrible about blogging, but I've been even more terrible about posting updates about Asher. You know, my firstborn - the one who, just over a year ago, had constant coverage on here. Then I went and got pregnant and basically fell off the face of the earth, taking Asher with me.

In just a couple of months, he'll be turning three. The first couple of years, I couldn't grasp how much he was growing and how quickly. Now, I'm reaching the point where it feels like he's been in my life forever and I'm thinking, three? Is that it? Seems like he's been around a lot longer than three short years...

I've heard from many that age three is worse than age two, and I'm starting to see where people might think that as we approach that age. We really didn't experience the "terrible two's" with Asher; for the most part, he's been a little sweetheart. Lately, however, my little sweetheart has been more stubborn, more loud, more rambunctious, more moody, less cuddly, more demanding and particular, and has been spending increasing amounts of time perfecting his sweet temper tantrum throwing skills.

Some of his outbursts are pretty funny and cute. Like, when he can't quite figure out how to tell me to leave him alone when I'm annoying him and points at me and tells me, "GO LOOK AT CARS, MOMMY!" Or, "I told you to BE QUIET!" Or, "I can't do that, Mommy - I BUSY!"

Some of his outbursts are downright frustrating and make me want to throw myself out a window. Like, when he refuses to brush his teeth many nights. What should take less than five minutes ends up taking fifteen to twenty. Or when he begs for something, you give it to him, and then you get, "NO, NOT THOMAS! WANT REGULAR THOMAS!" Or "regular" noodles, or "regular" juice, or "regular" yogurt...Not to mention, what he deems as "regular" seems to change on a daily basis. I had absolutely no clue that one of the requirements of being a parent was having the ability to read minds.

I have a feeling it's going to be a bumpy road to independence, which is to be expected. I just hope there will be more stories to tell of good than of bad.

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Maybe There Is a Slight Resemblance...

Just about every single person we encounter swears up and down that Henry is a miniature version of Asher. In fact, this weekend, Mom and I were at Wal-Mart - she was pushing Asher in the cart, and I was carrying Henry in the Baby Bjorn - and a woman stopped and did a double take and said, "Twins?" Before we could answer, it obviously dawned on her that there was an age difference and she said, "Oh, I guess not!" It's funny so many people think they look so much alike, but I, the mom, haven't really felt that there was that strong of a resemblance.

But maybe I'm wrong.

I awoke around 3 a.m. Saturday morning. We were staying the weekend at my mom's, and Asher typically sleeps in bed with me, while Henry sleeps in the pack 'n' play. In my groggy state, I looked over at Asher and - wait - who put Henry in bed with me? Where was Asher? Feeling startled, I looked over in the pack 'n' play to find Henry sleeping soundly. I looked back at Henry in bed next to me, then back to Henry in the pack 'n' play. What the heck was going on?! How could Henry be in two places at the same time? What kind of Halloween trickery was being played on me?

Oh. Huh. That wasn't Henry in bed next to me. It was Asher. EERIE.

Then, last night, I was going through some pictures I took of the boys over the weekend, and found one in particular of Henry that reminded me of one of my favorite pictures of Asher from two years ago.

Asher, 2008:

Henry, 2010:

Yep, these boys are definitely brothers. Still not sure I totally agree with people when they say Henry is a replica of Asher, but they could never deny being related to one another. It's a good thing they're handsome boys - Henry should take it as a compliment that he resembles his big brother!

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Dragon Brothers

Last year after Halloween, when I was pregnant with Henry, Mom and I found this really cute horse costume at Cracker Barrel for next-to-nothing. Henry, of course, turned out to be really good at growing, so the horse costume was a good size-and-a-half too small for him. So, I found this cute dragon costume for him:

I had no idea what Asher should be, and when I'd ask him what he wanted to be, he'd just say, "Ummmmm....I unno." We took him costume shopping, but he seemed completely uninterested in everything there was. A monkey? "Ummmmm....sumpin' else!" How about an elephant? "Ummmm....sumpin' else!" A shark - a shark would be cool! "Ummmm.....hmmm......sumpin else?" He was no help. Even the Thomas the Tank Engine costume at Target didn't phase him. So Mom and I went to Old Navy and guess what they had there? A dragon costume! Not identical to Henry's, but a dragon nonetheless!

So we got home and asked him if he wanted to dress up like a dragon like Henry. Dragon brothers! Asher thought about this and then seemed pleased with the idea. For the past few weeks, when asked what he was going to be for Halloween, he'd say, "Dragon brothers with Henry!"

They were definitely the cutest pair of dragons I've ever seen in my entire life.

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Mr. Pickles Turns Six Months

Life has been pretty good for the most part here in Neenerland...just a little busy, to say the least. Who knew having two monkeys under the age of three would keep you so busy? And so crazy?

Henry had his sixth-month checkup with the doctor today. He's still a chart-topper, weighing in at almost 22 pounds (95th percentile) and just shy of 30 inches in length (above the 100th percentile). This might explain why my arms and back hurt so badly after having him in my arms for only a few minutes at a time! We've, thankfully, been given the green light to start feeding him soft table foods and juice because this child is CLEARLY malnourished and needs as many sources of caloric intake as possible! Oh, who are we kidding...I've been dying to sneak him spoonfuls of mashed potatoes at dinnertime for the past month, the doctor doesn't have to twist my arm! I mean, seriously - doesn't he look like someone who would love mashed potatoes?? Couldn't he be a model on a box of potato-flakes? Henry also had five shots and only whimpered a little - no crying! Asher even joined in the fun by getting a flu shot and was so brave that Daddy gave him a present as a reward. Daddy said Henry didn't need a reward because he doesn't know the difference, but don't worry, Henry - remember those mashed potatoes? Yes, your reward will come by the buttery spoonful!

Henry has lots of tricks up his sleeve, from sitting up unassisted to rolling wherever he wants to go to "inchworming" backwards. He loves bathtime now that he can sit up and splash and play with toys, but hates being "manhandled" when it's time to be toweled off and dressed. As I said, he's a big boy, fully into 12-month-sized clothes now and already wearing a few smaller fitting 18-month-sized items. I'm just hoping he won't catch up with Asher too quickly...although I guess I could just rotate the clothes between the two closets! Henry adores eating (Shocker? He is my son...) and pretty much likes everything except for green beans. He hasn't sprouted any teeth, yet, but I'm sure they'll be up before we know it - I can feel them charging through his bumpy little gums.

The boys are super sweet together and it warms my heart every time Asher gives Henry a big, unprompted hug or whenever Henry gazes at Asher with a huge, gummy smile. It's funny and a little remarkable to me when Asher wakes up from a nap and immediately asks to see Baby Brother or when Asher acting like a goofball is the only thing that will cheer a grumpy Henry up. Asher lets Henry "play" with his trains and Henry loves watching Thomas episodes with Asher on TV. Could they be two peas in a pod, or are they just softening me up before a horrible decade or two (or more?!) of sibling rivalry erupts?? Only time will tell...but in the meantime, I will bask in a disgustingly nauseating whirlwind of emotions over these two affectionate brothers...

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Feeding Time Struggles

The kids have me constantly worrying about their diets. Henry is a little butterball turkey, so he's obviously getting plenty of nourishment, but since I started pumping, I've become obsessed with how many ounces he eats and whether I'm producing enough for him, blah blah blah. Same annoying worries I had when I pumped with Asher. I stopped nursing Henry altogether for about five days last week because he has started becoming violent with the goods - my guess is he's frustrated because he thinks taking the bottle is easier - he gets to look around and I'm sure the flow is faster with a bottle. But, I started nursing again, and he's tamed down a little bit. Sometimes. We've also started him on solid foods. He's improved his eating skills quite a bit - he's getting better at swallowing instead of pushing the food out with his tongue and now opens his mouth when the spoon nears his pudgy face. And with the introduction of food comes STINKY diapers and MESSY mealtimes. I'd forgotten how frustrating it is to feed someone who flails his arms constantly and blows raspberries with a mouth full of food.

And then you have Asher.

The foods he'll eat: chicken nuggets, fish sticks, french fries, most fruit (with the exception of cantaloupe and honeydew), corn, grilled cheese sandwiches, plain noodles (don't even try putting any sauce or cheese on them), white rice (with just salt, pepper & butter), yogurt, any kind of bread, and cereal. I finally got him to eat a few bites of a peanut butter & jelly sandwich last weekend, and he said it was good, but I'm not adding it to the list quite yet. Of course he's OK with any kind of junk food you have to offer, and ketchup. This is what's all over his face in this picture. He'll eat it plain if we let him. He also likes to eat salt & pepper directly out of the shakers when we go out to eat. Do you know how grossed out I get when I look away for a second and look back to find him licking the top of a sticky pepper shaker? Almost as grossed out as I get when he does something like lick the floor at a restaurant under the table. Yeah. He won't eat macaroni and cheese or any vegetable, but he'll lick the floor at McDonald's.


Oh, and I did convince him to try cucumber last week. He nibbled a little bit on a slice before becoming completely distracted with the seeds, which he pushed around all over the table like tiny slimy cars, yelling, "BEEP BEEP!" I don't know if he liked it much, but I felt like buying him a car out of the happiness I felt over the fact that he tried something green.

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Two and a Freaking Half!

Wow. I haven't written one of these updates in quite awhile, and somewhere along the line, my baby turned into a kid. One who gives out kisses, says, "Oh Mommy, I love you," without prompting, one who totally knows what buttons to push on Mommy and Daddy to make them either laugh hysterically, melt into mush, or burst in a fit of frustration.

He's seriously amazing, as I'm sure most parents think their kids are. I mean, first you have this blob and just when you think he's never going to be anything other than a blob, POOF!, he's walking and talking and being amazing, and then at that point, you kind of forget that he was ever a blob...that is, until you have another blob and you realize just how truly mind-boggling it is that this little person was once a blob like your second blob is right now...What I'm trying to say is, I look at Henry and honestly can't picture Asher ever being that helpless or little. He's come such a long way from that bald-headed badgering baby he once was!

He's not totally grown up, yet, though. I had hopes that we could get a good start on potty-training while I've been on maternity leave, but our hectic schedules and his stubbornness hasn't quite allowed that to happen. Last Monday, I decided we should start, but of course Asher threw a fit and begged to wear his diaper. So, I told him he could keep his diaper for now if we could work on giving up the pacifier. He only gets his ba-ba now at naptime and bedtime. (I was a thumb-sucker for a long time when I was a kid, so I totally understand the comfort his pacifier brings him and I'm not going to take that away from him if he needs it to relax and go to sleep, but, like I did, he has to learn there's a time and a place for his crack!) He's whined for it a few times, but overall I've been impressed by how little he's missed it. It seems like either his speech is increasing or we're just better able to understand him without it in his mouth, too.

He recently became a big brother and boy am I proud of what a good big brother he's been! Seriously, I've seen only the tiniest bit of jealousy - occasionally when I'm holding or nursing Henry, Asher will beg to be carried or held - and I've yet to see any meanness directed toward Henry. Asher can wake up super grumpy from a nap, but if I bring Henry over to him, his mood perks right up. He is concerned when Baby Brother is not in sight, and is always trying to kiss, tickle, or talk to Henry. I can only hope he stays this sweet...it would be so wonderful if he and his brother could grow up and be best friends. Only time will tell on that, but at least for now all I have to worry about is Asher loving on Henry too much. You know, hugging can kill if you squeeze too tightly!

I mentioned earlier that Asher knows what buttons to push, and luckily he usually uses his knowledge for good and not evil. He knows that saying, "new pillow" or "marshmallow" in a super whiny voice with his lips all pouty makes his mommy laugh like crazy, so he's started saying other things that he wants in the same way to make me laugh (and to get what he wants in return!). He knows that hugs and kisses and hearing, "I love you, Mommy," are things that make me happy, so he's been doling such treasures out to me more and more frequently. He expresses concern when any of us seem upset or in pain by asking if we're OK. He is really good at saying please and thank you and you're welcome and bless you. He (usually) gives kisses and hugs and says "I love you" when saying goodbye to his grandparents. He is just a really sweet little boy.

I sure hope he stays this way and that turning three in a few months doesn't change things too much!

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Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

In Asher's kid's meal from Wendy's, he received a toy microphone. Here is a sample of his sweet singing skills that we enjoyed for almost too long in the car today as he tried out his new toy:

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Teachings of an Older Child

My niece, Ella, along with my sister, recently came home from Virginia for a couple of weeks to visit. I love it when they visit. It's wonderful to see my sis and dote on Ella, but more than that, I love seeing how excited Asher gets over seeing Ella. I'll be honest - when she's around, he's occupied, out from under my feet, clinging to someone else - it's like a mini-vacation for me! She's so good with him, too, and I think she enjoys spending time with him just as much as he enjoys spending time with her. He totally looks up to her. She has had positive influences on him - such as improving his attitude toward toothbrushing and his brushing skills - and some...interesting influences, as well. Like, encouraging the development of an overactive imagination. Never before had Asher been afraid of storms, or of monsters, but since her last visit, I've heard talk of monsters galore, and every time it thunders, he crawls under the table and says he's "skeered." (Which is a little hard to believe when he's laughing while saying it.) Thanks to Ella, Asher is obsessed with tickling Henry ("teekle-teekle-teekle!!!") and playing in our closet. AND, he's been better at playing by himself - like, imaginative, pretend play. The stories and scenarios he comes up with are hilarious, and I just sit and watch him and wonderwhere and when he became so creative. And then there's his language. I swear, his vocabulary has increased tenfold and his speech pattern has improved greatly over the past few weeks. How is that possible? Oh yeah - he's been hanging around with a six-year old.

I seriously wish I could rent her for the summer. Maybe she could convince him to finally try eggs or eat a hotdog. I always hear about the negative influences older kids have on younger siblings, but not so much about the good influences they have. I think Henry is lucky that he'll have a live-in older kid to look up to. (Watch, Asher will be the one to give Henry his first cigarette and beer.)

Come back soon, Ella. We miss you!

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The Past Two Months

I'll admit, I feel pretty guilty about not giving Henry the face time that I've always given Asher on here. In my defense, Henry, this should show you what a good parent I've been - my time and attention has been pretty focused on more important things, like feeding you every 2-3 hours, changing your diaper every 2-3 hours, soothing you when you cry, picking up the house, doing laundry, wrangling your monkey brother...you know, parent-y things. Of course, there's also been the fact that I ran out of storage space on Google over a month ago and couldn't upload anymore pictures. Oops. Well, we've finally resolved that issue, so now I can slowly start sharing pictures from the past couple of months. That is, if you boys can coordinate a long enough nap at the same time for me to accomplish such a feat...

As I expected, my maternity leave is totally flying by and leaving me in the dust, struggling to slow things down and enjoy every precious second. Fat chance of that happening. For one, because I'm off of work, we've been trying to cram all the visiting with family and running around in that we can since we won't be able to do once I'm back on a grown-up schedule. Two, because Stephen works during the weekends, I've been packing up and spending many of these weekends at my mom's, so I can get some much-needed assistance with caring for two little ones. Surprisingly, that adjustment hasn't been as tough as I thought it would be. Luckily, Asher is, usually, a pretty good little boy who doesn't require constant attention from us, and he seems to understand (usually) that Henry needs more care from us than he does, so he's been good about sharing his parents with his brother. I've been so much more calm with Henry than I was when Asher was a newborn. Like, I know that a poopy diaper can wait a few minutes until we reach our destination in the car. Or, there's the fact that Henry isn't going to shrivel up if he has to wait ten minutes for me to finish my dinner before he gets fed. I also know that a little crying is normal, babies are a lot tougher than they appear to be, and they don't have to be held 100% of the time. Of course there are still things I'm struggling with...like how to entertain a newborn. I'm feeling the exact same frustration I felt when Asher was a newborn - how do you play with a slug? I want to interact with him, to teach him, to play with him...but, all he wants to do is sleep, eat, poop, and be cuddled. It's starting to get better, though...he's beginning to smile and coo, so I know he's starting to come out of the "blob of baby" phase.

Asher is still totally in love with Baby Brother and constantly wants to hug, kiss, and pat Henry on the head. Our biggest fight right now is keeping Asher off Henry...his love sometimes hurts. He's a very caring big brother: he fetches pacifiers, sings Henry songs, and shares his toys with him. Now I just need to teach him how to change diapers...

Henry has been a great little baby. He's very easygoing, cuddly, not too fussy, and doesn't treat me like a chew toy when I feed him. He's sleeping for 3-6 hours at a time at night, and I usually end up getting around eight hours of sleep total, so I haven't been too much of a zombie. He's really chubbed up nicely over the past nine weeks, too, and has managed to keep his head full of luxurious hair. He has his two-month check-up on Monday, and on Sunday he's going to be baptized. Yet another busy weekend is ahead of us!

Here are pictures from April and pictures from May.

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How It's Been

As usual, I've been so far behind on keeping up with this blog. It's not like I've been busy or anything...I've just had a little nine-pound human attached to my boobs for approximately a third of every day the past two and a half weeks. Then, there's the two-year old who is constantly up in my grill wanting to see Baby Brother, touch Baby Brother, squeal in Baby Brother's face, cuddle Baby Brother, or tickle Baby Brother. I'm already running interference between the two boys, and they've only been living together for a couple of weeks. Luckily, so far, it's been good attention Asher has been doling out on Henry, but it's still a lot of work and stress to make sure little Henry doesn't get crushed under all of Asher's good intentions. On top of that, our sweet little toddler has suddenly turned into...well, a toddler. We're pretty sure most of it is his way of dealing with the new addition to the family, but, WOW. Temper tantrums galore. Defiance. Stubborness. Whining. Throwing things. Running around screaming like a banshee. Our pediatrician (and everyone else we've talked to) has assured us this is perfectly normal and said the best thing to do is to stick to our guns when it comes to the rules and to praise, praise, praise him for every little good thing he does to encourage positive behavior. We've been doing this as much as possible, and it seems like as long as we make sure he gets his naps in and smother him with as much attention as possible, life is much easier.

I have to say, knock on wood, things have been going so much better than they did after Asher was born. So far, I haven't had any postpartum depression like I did with Asher. There have been some instances of feeling a little overwhelmed and lonely, but nothing like the completely and utterly lost and hopeless feelings I had two years ago. I was worried that going back to the days of feeding and diapering every few hours would be horribly rough, but surprisingly it's been a groove that's been pretty easy to slip back into. I don't know if it's simply the fact that we've done it before and know what to expect, or that Henry is (so far) a VERY easygoing baby, or that Stephen has been home more than he was in the first few months after Asher was born, or maybe even the time of year has made things more pleasant - Asher was born at the beginning of dreary January, which kept us pretty much hibernating indoors, whereas we have the windows open now and can smell the neighbors' flowers and hear the birds chirping. My recovery has been MUCH shorter and less painful this time around, too...it's easy to sink into depression when you physically feel like you've had a semi-truck crash out of your lady parts. I also am very happy to report that nursing is (again, so far) much easier this time around. It feels much more natural this time - i.e., I don't feel like a chew toy. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Henry doesn't turn into the little badger that Asher was, but it's nice to know that breast pump is around if I need it! Although, I will admit, I do occasionally pump just to give myself a break every once in awhile. Besides, I think it's nice to let Daddy have some feeding time, too.

Henry had his two week checkup last week, and he's apparently pretty perfect. His weight was up to nine pounds (50th percentile), and his height is up to 21.75 inches (90th percentile). We'll see the doc again in a couple of weeks for his one-month checkup.

Hopefully I'll get a chance to post pictures up from the past couple of weeks pretty soon, but in the meantime, I've finally gotten the pictures uploaded that were taken during our hospital stay.

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He's No Fool

Stephen: Asher, tell Mommy what we're having for dinner.

Asher: Um, Lucky Charms!

Stephen: No Lucky Charms...(Points to rotisserie chicken.)

Asher: Chicken!

Stephen: Yes, chicken! And what else? (Points to box of rice.)

Asher: Rice! Yay!

Stephen: Right! And what else? Are we going to have some rolls?

Asher: Yes! Rolls!

Stephen: And what else?

Asher: Um...Lucky Charms?

Stephen: No...*whispers* Beans?

Asher: Um...No thank you!

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Fine Example of the Things a Working Parent Misses Out on

Here are Asher and his beloved cousins having a dance-off this afternoon.

Sure, the kids are cute, but being in the office is SO rewarding.

*sigh*

Thanks to Stephen for the much-needed dose of cuteness!

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The Old Rocker

This little red rocker may not look like much, but it has a lot of sentimental value. It was originally my grandfather's chair when he was little, then was my mom's, then mine, and now it's Asher's. It had been sitting in my garage for the past couple of years - I think since I was pregnant or since Asher was newly born - in dire need of some major TLC, as one of the runners was broken. Stephen finally took it to his dad, who is far more talented than Bob Villa, and in no time at all, he had it back in perfect working order. Is it any wonder I love my father-in-law so much??

Asher is so excited to have a little chair that's his size. This evening, he wanted to watch "Brown" - which is what he calls Charlie Brown, with whom he's developed a strange obsession since we first watched "A Charlie Brown Christmas" this year - so we placed his chair in front of the TV, and there he sat for at least ten minutes without moving. (That's like two hours in toddler years.)

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Yes - I'm a Big, Fat Slacker

Yes, I'm well aware - it's been a ridiculous amount of time since I've posted. I could blame it on the early pregnancy nausea - how, there for an amount of time that seemed like an eternity or two, I felt like I was dying and couldn't stand even the thought of touching the computer after being on it all day at work. I could also blame it on the fact that, just as I was starting to emerge from the horrible first trimester crud, we moved. Moving requires packing and unpacking and who do you think did the majority of that grunt work? I wish I could say it was Stephen! Then came the holidays...first, Thanksgiving, which we had at our house a mere three weeks after we moved in. So between the move and Thanksgiving, there was a buttload of unpacking and organizing and painting that had to be done. Christmas came next quickly, after hours of shopping, wrapping, visits with family and friends, card making and addressing (the mailing of them, unfortunately, didn't occur until NEW YEARS). New Years and Asher's birthday wrapped up the busy season, and surprisingly, I'M GLAD IT'S ALL OVER. I'm usually so depressed when the holiday season ends, but I'm so thankful to be able to breathe a little again. In the mess of all that, Stephen worked almost every weeknight and weekend for a month, and...did I mention I'm pregnant? Even with all the motivation I've been feeling to go-go-go, I just can't-can't-can't. 9:30-10:00 rolls around and I'm ready to call it quits.

Anyway, long story short, something had to give. And that something was the blog. And everyone else's blogs. And FaceBook. And e-mail. And photography. And pretty much anything that I used to do in my spare time that I enjoyed. There's only so much time in the day, and only so much energy to go around, and the list of to-do's only seems to grow.

But! It's a new year and what do you do at the start of a new year? That's right - make resolutions you probably can't or won't keep! One of my resolutions is to start doing some of those things again that I enjoy, now that life isn't so hectic. Of course, there are still 20,000 things that need to be done around the house...not to mention, there will be a new BABY joining our crew in just three months. Gee, that won't make life more hectic or anything...

I hope to post both a pregnancy update soon as well as a belated happy second birthday post for Asher Bug. No promises, but I'll try...In the meantime, here's a sneak peek of my Retus-the-Fetus belly and my little birthday bug...

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