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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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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Nineteen Months Old

He's made it past the hump and is now closer to age two than age one!

I'm finally finding myself starting to replace the word "baby" with "boy" or "son" or "child" when referring to him. And I haven't even had to force myself. Wow, it's like the realization that he's growing up is sinking in and isn't being completely rejected by my mind. Maybe there is hope for me after all? Maybe Asher won't have to battle his mother to allow him to take someone other than her as his prom date! Well, now I'm getting a little ahead of myself, aren't I? I really don't want to make any promises I can't keep.

This has been a really super fast month; I don't know where the summer has gone. One day it was July 4th, the next day, it's August 5th. I don't know what we've done over the month - it's really stupid, I honestly can't recall! I feel like I'm in a daze lately, just going through the motions like a robot. I'm sure a lot of it has to do with the fact that I'm so tired lately; I'm not sure if it's a slight case of insomnia, or stress, or just the fact that I've been staying up way too late. All I know is, I'M TIRED. Of course, it could have absolutely NOTHING to do with the fact that I live with a little guy who makes monkeys look lazy and sluggish.

Asher's eating is the same - particular and finicky - but I've just about given up on caring. You only want to eat three kernels of corn and a lick of your chicken for dinner? Fine by me! I've realized that if I think of him as having five small feedings instead of three meals and a couple of snacks, I feel better and more relaxed about his eating habits.

He is talking more and more. The vast majority of it you cannot understand, but he is a nonstop chatterbox. He points at just about everything and always has something to say about it. I'm enjoying this because this is the brief stage when everyone thinks he's so cute when he's "talking" and that overweight man sitting next to us cannot understand that Asher is calling him fat. He's imitating what we say so much now that I'm trying my hardest to break my fond addiction of swearing. It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make after hearing Mom's story about me, as a toddler, calling a woman a bitch at the grocery store.

What I'm really loving, though, is watching Asher's interests blossom. Of course he's into everything right now - a shredded piece of tissue on the floor is pretty fascinating to him. But there are definitely certain things that peak his interests more than others. He LOVES to color and draw. He LOVES to play ball. He LOVES to play with his Megabloks. He LOVES reading - and lately he seems to enjoy reading to himself more than us reading to him. His biggest obsession of all, though, is MATCHBOX CARS. He carries these cars around with him everywhere. Every night I find them all (or most of them) and put them in their bin. Every night I have to do this, because he spends every day meticulously scattering them through the house. One on my bed. One on the nightstand. Six lined up in a row in the bathroom. Two on the windowsill on the landing. Four down the staircase. One on the sofa. Three on the kitchen floor. And when he sees the full bin of cars that I've gathered, he shrieks and runs over to it on his tippy toes with the biggest, most excited grin I've ever seen and starts taking them out, one by one, and showing them to me, one by one, all the while giving me a lengthy description of each of them. Geesh, this kid has it B-A-D for cars and trucks. I think he'd be in seventh heaven if he could sit at a construction site all day and watch the equipment move things around and the dump trucks haul stuff away.

OH...THAT explains why I've been referring to him as a BOY lately instead of as a BABY!

Here are the pictures from July.

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Eighteen Months Old

Wow, it's been a busy month, and we're pooped! Asher spent nearly a week with Grandfather and Marmie at the beginning of the month when Stephen was working at Ball State for the week for HP, spending a couple of nights and the majority of his days wearing them out. Then, Jamie and Ella spent two weeks visiting, so we made two trips to The Children's Museum, one trip to the zoo, one trip to Chuck E. Cheese, and spent both weekends with them at Mom's. Asher had the BEST TIME EVER playing with his gorgeous older cousin, Ella. When she was around, I don't think he took his eyes off of her for two seconds. Park band started up this month, too, so we've had a couple of evenings spent listening to PaPa toot his horn. Last week was especially fun when Asher managed to get goose poop all over his shoes and pants and, of course, we didn't have a change of clothes for him with us. I change Asher's clothes if he gets food or grease on them, but goose poop? Nah, no biggie!

Asher is still Mr. Picky when it comes to food, but I think I'm finally starting to relax a little bit about it. I think. A little bit. This month he added pizza to his list of favorite foods, which made Daddy very happy. You know, because it's always good to share interests with your children. Asher has also developed a taste for coffee milk and grapes. Yes, grapes! I don't know how many times I would offer him grapes in the past and he'd turn his nose up at them. One day NeeNee sliced some up for him, and he couldn't gobble them down fast enough. I can't tell you how excited I get when he'll try something on his own, without me forcing it in or tricking him into it. It doesn't even matter if he doesn't like it - all I care about is the fact that he TRIED it. He's sprouted two more teeth this month, so he's up to eleven chompers now, and I know there are more coming soon at the rate he's been chewing on his hands. Maybe more teeth will equal more food variety, but I'm not getting my hopes up too high.

I am really excited about Asher's progress in communication. He's slowly beginning to talk; the words are few and far between, but they're there. I swear I heard him say truck over the weekend and I've heard him say kitty a few times. Tonight we were sitting on the deck coloring with markers and blowing bubbles and he kept pointing and saying bubbles. Of course, truck sounded more like gwuck, kitty was didday, and bubbles was buhballs, but close enough, I say! Grandfather has also taught Asher the signs for more and all done so he's able to tell us at dinner time when he's still hungry and when he wants to get the hell out of his highchair. Although, he often has more colorful ways of telling us when he's finished, ways that involve screeching like a banshee and trying to push all the food off of his tray...

It's funny how kids have their own little quirks that leave you in both amazement - because WOW he's this real little person! - and bewilderment - where the hell did he pick that up?! For instance, Asher has this obsession with knuckles and elbows. He gets some sort of comfort from jabbing the tip of his finger into my knuckle and then wiggling it around over the bone. He does the same thing with elbows, but knuckles, especially my knuckles, seem to be his favorite. When he's really tired or cranky, giving him his buggy and my knuckles to mutilate is often the only way to calm him down. And when does he demand knuckles the most? In the car, of course! I guess he's a perfect little driving companion when I'm not present, but when I'm in the car, he wants KNUCKLES and he wants them NOW. So, here I sit in the passenger seat, contorted far beyond my comfort level, so Asher can hold my hand and crush my knuckles. I don't get it. What's wrong with your teddy bear from Sloan, Asher? Or that nice little fluffy blankie that Uncle Adam gave you? Or even your little green Brobee from Santa? Nope. The kid has a million stuffed animals of all shapes, sizes, and textures, and quite a few nice blankets that I've often caught myself running my hands over, and he wants nothing to do with them. He wants KNUCKLES.

We've noticed that he's been a bit grumpier lately. We figure it could be because we've been doing so much more running around than normal that he's just tired and off his schedule, or it could be because he's been busy teething and his little gums hurt. We refuse to look at the possibility of him entering the terrible two's, because that isn't even possible. I mean, there is NO WAY my sweet little boy is going to turn into a monster, right? RIGHT?!

Here are his pictures from June. There are a lot!

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Seventeen Months Old

Our little monkey bug turned seventeen months old today. He celebrated by having a frozen fruit sorbet after dinner, helping Mommy with the laundry, and spoon-feeding himself yogurt before bedtime. It was a pretty low-key evening, but that's just how Asher rolls.

Asher's comprehension continues to amaze me with each day. I tell him to stand up, and he stands. I tell him to bring me a book, and he'll walk over to his bin of books, pick one out, and bring it to me. I tell him to find his ball, and he starts searching the room for his ball. The other evening while he was eating some crackers, I asked him where Elmo was on the box. Imagine this - he pointed to him! This evening I was reading Parents Magazine and, of course, he started whining because I wasn't paying full attention to him. So, I leaned over and asked him - where is the baby? where is the little girl? where is the cow? - and HOLY CRAP he knew! He pointed to each one without a mistake. The best one was when I showed him a picture of a man and a toddler and asked him to point to the daddy in the picture. Asher looked around, then looked up and pointed to Stephen. Oh, Son. Sometimes I think it really is possible to be too cute.

A big reason why I think I'm so impressed and relieved and shocked by Asher's comprehension is the fact that he STILL isn't talking. I know, I know - kids all develop at different rates, and I've read a million times that some babies don't say their real first words until around age 2. Asher can say mama, dada, and papa, and he does speak a lot of his own mumbo-jumbo language, and sometimes he'll try to imitate words, but I haven't heard any concrete English words, yet. Well, supposedly a couple of weeks ago he said kitty twice, but I've yet to hear it. I know I'm just a worrier - it's in my nature to think the worst and anyone who knows me knows I have zero patience. I've been very good, though, about not expressing this concern to Asher or pushing him too much. I just try to talk, talk, talk to him as much as I can, and keep that pacifier out of his mouth as much as possible when he doesn't appear to need it. Which is another thing some people have questioned me about - OH HE STILL USES A PACIFIER?! Good grief, really? Is THAT what I need to be fretting about? I always provide the same, vague answer of you have to pick your battles, and this isn't one I feel needs fighting right now. Maybe this is because I was a thumb-sucker for many years beyond what most would consider "normal." I couldn't fall asleep without it. I was scared of the dark, scared of going to sleep, scared of ghosts, scared of burglars, scared of everything under the moon, and the one thing that brought me comfort was my thumb. So be it. My mom never pushed me to give it up and never made me feel bad about it, although I can remember I felt very ashamed and embarassed about my dark little secret. Maybe that's why I was such a good kid and never did drugs or smoked or had sex - I had my addictions fulfilled in my thumb! What really strikes me as funny is that some of these people who have given me a hard time about his pacifier are the same people who in previous conversations belittled me for my beliefs in the importance of breastfeeding or putting my newborn baby to sleep on his back. Okay, so your priority is ridding your baby of his sucking needs; my priority is my baby's safety and health. By the way, annoying-judgmental-person, did you know sucking on a pacifier can help reduce the risk of SIDS? Oh wait, you also think placing a baby to sleep on his back to reduce the risk of SIDS is ridiculous, sorry!

I'm so fired up about something so minor, and just think - this is just the tip of the iceberg of all of the unwanted advice and opinions and criticism I'm going to receive regarding my parenting skills (or lack thereof). The real issue here lies not in Asher's pacifier, but rather in how to prevent myself from committing a very serious crime.

The picky eating issue continues to rear its ugly head and gnaw on that one last little nerve I still possess. This is the current list of foods that Asher will eat on a regular basis: chicken nuggets, fish sticks, grilled cheese, oatmeal, cereal bars, cereal, bananas, watermelon, applesauce, cheese (only if it's orange in color), french fries, corn, yogurt, crackers, and chicken noodle soup. I know it could be worse and it's a fairly good list, but when you spread these foods over three meals a day, every day of the week, it turns out to not be a very big variety. We continue to offer as much variety as we can, but just getting him to try a new food - let alone him liking it - is all so very hit-and-miss that it's easy to fall back on the same old foods. We tried peas for the hundredth time tonight. He wouldn't let even one past his lips, and we were punished with spitty raspberries. Lima beans he tried and seemed to like the first time I gave it to him; now he won't even bring himself to touch them. Grapes, we've tried unsuccessfully a couple of times before, but last night we gave him some (sliced) and he somewhat reluctantly ate a few. I know it's normal, I know we're doing all we can do, but ARGH.

Child, eat your peas! Mommy is going gray over the fact that you go DAYS without eating ANY vegetables!


Despite a nasty cold and his first almost-ear infection (the doctor said he was showing signs of one starting), Asher is doing really well. Once the lump in his gums gives birth to a tooth, he'll be up to ten chompers. He's energetic, climbing all over everything he can, running from here to there and everywhere. He does whine and fuss - he is a toddler! - but he is mostly a very happy, smiley little guy. Stephen puts it best when he says that Asher makes friends everywhere he goes. He loves everyone and I think he makes the world a tiny bit better every time he flashes one of his charming, cheesy smiles to the grumpy checkout lady at Wal-Mart or waves bye-bye to some lonely old man at McDonald's. Those are the times when I could care less that he has a pacifier stuck in his mouth or has eaten chicken nuggets for lunch the past three days straight. He's happy and healthy and all mine, and that's all that matters!

Here are his pictures from the past month.

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Sixteen Months Old

For some reason, I'm having a really difficult time writing this post. I'm racking my brain for things to write about, things that Asher is busy doing, developmental progress he is making, ANYTHING...but I'm at a loss. Instead, I've just yawned at least twenty times in the last minute and a half. It's no wonder I can't think of a darn thing to write - I'm pooped! This is pretty much how I've been feeling lately, too...flat out exhausted. Part of it is my own fault - not getting as much sleep as I need and eating really poorly. But the other part of it? I'm blaming it on my son. Sometimes I sit back and am totally floored by all the energy that kid has, constantly sprinting from one room to the next, up the stairs, down the stairs, on the bed, off the bed. I am of the belief that our children suck the energy right out of us, just like they do our money and our sanity, and that is the real explanation behind parental poopedness.

Asher's comprehension continues to grow, which I think is just about the most thrilling thing in the whole entire universe. If he's in the mood, he can do the entire Itsy Bitsy Spider, and has learned to play Ring Around the Rosie. He tries to mock more and more words, nevermind that they are still completely off. If you ask him a question, he'll answer you. "Have you been a good boy today, Asher?" "Bah!" "What did you and Daddy do?" "Bwah bah!" "Was that fun?" "Bah! Da-da...Da-da...Da-da..."

Asher has also sprouted a new tooth! We're very happy that all the drooling and finger gnawing had a purpose, after all. Although, his teeth seem to be pretty pointless if he WON'T EAT HIS FOOD. I'm praying this is just normal, picky toddler behavior and not any true indication of his future diet. If he turns out to have his Daddy's taste in food, I'm pretty much screwed.

We're really excited that warmer weather is moving in so we can expand Asher's adventures to the outdoors. We've already played outside in the backyard on a few occasions, and have gone to the park several times. We're looking forward to getting his wading pool and sprinkler toys out, going to the zoo, teaching him to ride his pre-tricycle, going hiking, watching fireworks, attending PaPa's park band concerts, and hunting down some good fair food this summer. Yeah, I know we're only a month into Spring, but by the time I get the energy to do just one thing on the list, it'll be mid-August.

Here are pictures of Asher from the month of April.

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Fifteen Months Old

This little guy will officially be fifteen months old tomorrow. That's a year and a quarter! Okay, so maybe that's no milestone, but fifteen months sure sounds like a lot to me.

Off the top of my head, I don't think there have been any major developments this month - still no "real" words, no more teeth that I've discovered (though I think he has been teething), and he's still unable to solve a simple mathematical equation. But, I feel like he's really matured a lot in other ways. His comprehension is ever-increasing. He's learned that a crack in the sidewalk is not the same thing as a step, so he doesn't need to get on all fours and crawl off of it, and he's also learned that if it is indeed a step, he still doesn't need to get on all fours and crawl off of it - there's this magical thing called stepping down that you can do if you slow down, are really careful, and hold Mommy's or Daddy's hand. He's getting better at getting into things in much messier ways than before. For instance, we went from opening cabinets, to opening cabinets and pulling Mommy's lotions out, to opening cabinets and pulling Mommy's lotions out and "hiding" them, to opening cabinets and pulling Mommy's lotions out and "hiding" them and then finding them and opening the lids. So far, there have been no major messes to report, only messy hands. SO FAR. I'm sure I'll have a different song to sing in the not-so distant future.

This child never ceases to amaze me. Never in my life have I seen someone so curious about everything. I find his fascination fascinating. To me, paper clips are about as dull as you can get, as far as entertainment goes. But watching him pull out an entire container of paper clips, take them out one-by-one, arrange them just so, hand them off to Daddy, and then put them back one-by-one - MOST AMAZING THING I HAVE EVER SEEN. Sometimes I feel like we'll never have the opportunity again to go out and do fun things like go to a concert or see a show, but then I stop and think, WHY? Look at this entertainment we have right here, in our own home, right before our very eyes? FOR FREE! He's going to go rearrange the spices and cans of cat food in the pantry? I'll make the popcorn!

He's so quick now, too. I love to watch him dart from room to room squealing and looking around like he has some sort of secret mission to accomplish but he just hasn't quite figured out what it is, yet. He's toddle-running now, which is so funny to watch - he looks like a tiny drunken Frankenstein. What's especially great about this age is that he's pretty good at entertaining himself. Saturday, I gave him a bunch of Megabloks and a cookie tin and he was happy for a good half an hour, filling it up, carrying it around, and emptying it.

And sleep - I can't forget to mention the sleep! Since we started letting him fall asleep on his own in his crib, without us hovering over him, he's been such a good sleeper. He's been sleeping through the night for a good 10-11 hours per night this entire month. I can't begin to describe how much nicer and less of a struggle bedtime is than it used to be. I think I'm just going to block our old bedtime routine completely out of my memory.

I'm beginning to understand now what is meant when people say kids keep you young. In my ripe old age of almost thirty, I feel tired, bored, unimpressed, and just overall jaded about the world around us. But when I'm around Asher...okay, I still feel tired - REALLY tired - but I feel refreshed, pulled out of my slump. He's fascinated by the tiniest of things, each and every moment he's awake it's a learning experience for him, and he laughs for no reason. His presence chips away at the crusty bitter shell that has formed around my soul over the years, and if only I could bottle it up like a drug and take it in the middle of work or while sitting in traffic, I'd be a much happier person, thinking more about rainbows and butterflies and less about homicide.

Here are Asher Bug's pictures for the past month.

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Fourteen Months Old

I'm feeling a little bit like the worst mom ever lately...I've been so preoccupied for the past month with THE MOVE that I haven't been able to devote as much attention to Asher as I normally do. Since Stephen hasn't done a whole lot with the move, most of the baby wrangling tasks have fallen on his shoulders. I've only given a couple of baths, read a handful of books, and played with toys a few times in the past few weeks. It has sucked! Not to mention, I've hardly posted at all on here, and the pictures I've taken of Asher have been very few and far between.

I really feel like I've missed out.

But, thankfully the unpacking and arranging is almost completed. It'll be so nice to be nestled in our home and able to spend the evenings however I wish again, and not feel pressed to be doing 50 things all at once. More than anything, it'll be nice to be able to devote full attention to the little guy who is growing so quickly I often find myself staring at him to try to stop him from changing so much. If a watched pot never boils, does a watched baby stop growing? Obviously not.

Asher has been, as always, quite the busy little bee. He's basically a full-time walker now, only occasionally crawling when he topples over, and will sometimes even try to run. He pretty much just ends up looking like Frankenstein, only much cuter and less scary. He's off of baby food and onto regular food, and fully into the hot and cold, finicky eater stage. One day, he can't shovel macaroni and cheese fast enough into his mouth. The next day? OH MY GOD IS IT VILE. Don't you dare put it on his highchair tray - if it's within ten feet, his arms start flailing and he begins to sound like you're sticking toothpicks under his toenails. I've talked to just about every single person I encounter who has ever had a child around his age, his doctor, and I've consulted the books, and from this I know it's completely normal. Does this stop me from freaking out and have panic attacks in the middle of the night about it? Of course not. I think it's the loss of control, I can no longer force him to eat, and it's giving me just the tiniest and teensiest taste of the lack of power over my child's life that I will eventually have. I DO NOT LIKE THIS ONE BIT.

Asher's current favorite thing to do is hiding things. I don't necessarily think he's really hiding things, but we call it that because he reminds us of someone hiding Easter eggs. It doesn't matter what it is - toys, megabloks, Mommy's lotions, Daddy's socks, food from the pantry - he is obsessed with picking it up and moving it to a new location, and then going back to it and moving it again. And again. Preferable locations include the inside of cabinets, boxes, drawers, the refrigerator, and trash cans. It's cute how much thought he puts into it, moving things from one spot to another, and it's a Godsend by keeping him entertained. These factors seem to outweigh our frustration from the constant disorganization and loss of stuff.

We're beginning to limit his buggy time a bit more by providing it to him only when he's cranky and at sleepy time. Mostly, I want him to be able to practice talking more with an empty mouth, because he's yet to say any REAL words, aside from mama, dada, and papa. He is mimicking us more; like when I say "banana" he might say "bashamafa" or when I say "diaper" he'll say something like "diediefa." It's like he gets the first syllable right, but after that he just wings it. It kind of reminds me of when we'd have to practice having conversations in French class. Once you get past "Hi, my name is, what's your name, where are the bathrooms?" it's all a lot of mumbo jumbo.

Now that he's becoming a big boy, we're finally doing what a lot of parents start doing at a much younger age - sleep training. About a month ago, we stopped rocking him before bedtime and started just putting him in his crib, but we'd stay hunched next to the crib for the hour it would take for him to fall asleep. Now that we're beyond crippled from the damage done to our backs, we're sucking it up and making him go to sleep behind closed doors, apart from us. Knock on wood, it's going really well so far. Last night, he only screamed bloody murder for about five minutes, and tonight, he screamed only for maybe thirty seconds. He's been sleeping much better through the night for the past month, too, which I think is due to us making him fall asleep on his own instead of us putting him to sleep. Of course the doctor has recommended we do this oh, since he was about four months old, but honestly we have enjoyed the cuddle time before bedtime. Unfortunately, he's just getting too big and too strong to wrestle on our laps comfortably, so we've had to let go and let him grow up a little.

As difficult as his tantrums and food strikes can be at times, I've got to say this age is super fun and I'm loving being the mommy of a toddler. He is a nonstop prankster. His laughter fills the house. He is learning to do the Itsy Bitsy Spider with me. He hobble-runs to me from across the room with the biggest, cheesiest grin on his face just to give me a hug. He gives the grossest, wettest, open-mouthed, full-tongue kisses, but they're the most wonderful kisses I've ever received. I'm looking so very forward to the upcoming months and all the new stuff he's going to learn. Of course, with learning comes a whole different level of parental exhaustion...but I'm up for it.

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ONE YEAR OLD

It happened. On January 2, 2009, at 7:42 p.m., Asher turned one year old. There were no fireworks, he did not self-combust, time did not stand still - I didn't even have the tiniest of panic attacks. It was so weird how it was just like any other minute of any other day. I'm not sure why I'd built his turning one into such a huge deal in my mind, bigger than the whole Y2K panic almost ten years ago; maybe it's because it means he's crossing over from babyhood to toddlerhood. I'm really excited about that, but on the other hand, I'm not sure I'm ready to say goodbye to the baby version of Asher, yet. Thank God he's still pooping his pants.

Like last month, this month has been a time of honing his skills. He still isn't walking full-time, yet, though he is practicing. He'll take anywhere from two to six steps before either falling down or giving up and crawling. I would think that within the next couple of weeks he'll be off and walking, but he could easily prove me wrong. He seems pretty content getting around by holding onto things or crawling. I've yet to hear any "real" words come out of his mouth, but he still has plenty to say. I've noticed his jibber-jabbering is starting to include more intonation and structure, and is usually accompanied with intense facial expressions. All I can say is, I think sometimes it's probably a good thing that I can't understand what he's trying to say. Why? Because not only is communication increasing, but so are the TANTRUMS. It is not pretty, and I know it's just going to get worse. I'm praying he doesn't have my temper, but if Mom is right in her philosophy of karma and "what goes around, comes around," I'm in a world of hurt.

Now that he's a year old, we're trying to bump up his lifestyle to be a little less babyish. Yesterday, we turned around the car seat. He seems very happy about this, and I can't say I blame him. It had to be awfully boring staring at the seat of the car all this time, and he had grown to the point where his feet were touching the seat, so I think he was beginning to get cramped in that position. Now that he's facing the front, we can also move the car seat to the middle of the backseat, so I think he'll be safer should we ever be T-boned by another car. I know it's going to sound lame, but I've actually sat in the backseat with him ever since he was born. I got in the habit of doing this when he was a newborn so that if he got fussy I could console him, and I guess I just never grew out of it. With him facing front, I am now moving myself back up to the passenger seat of the car - hallelujah! I figure if he can face the front, he can see us and outside the car, and that should keep him entertained. If not, well, buddy, join the club. Riding in the car can just be boring, you'll have to get used to it.

One year also marks the point in which we can switch him off formula and on to whole milk. I'm really not concerned with this too much; getting him to sit still and drink a bottle has been an on-again, off-again battle for months now. I don't think he'll miss it much, but I don't feel comfortable just yanking him off of it cold turkey. This is probably more for my comfort level than his; after all, eliminating bottle time is pretty disruptive to the schedule we've been following for months and months. Mommy and Daddy need time to establish and grow comfortable with a new routine. So, he was getting four bottles a day; now he's down to three. Over the next month or two, we'll just keep cutting down bottles until there are none left. Asher will probably be thrilled.

His one-year appointment with Dr. Timmons is tomorrow afternoon. I'm looking forward to seeing what his weight and height are up to, and finding out how he's developing in comparison to her standards. Unfortunately, he is due for some blasted vaccinations. He hasn't received any since his six-month appointment, so I'm pretty scared to witness his reaction to the shots now that he's older. I'm sure he'll be the best little trooper; it's just Mommy who's the big baby about such things.

Happy birthday, my little Asher Bug. This year has been crazy and turned upside-down in so many different ways, but I can honestly say that, because of you, it's been the best year of my life. You have made me a better person and have shown me what's truly important in life. You have my heart wrapped around that little finger of yours, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I am so looking forward to your second year and watching you blossom even more into a handsome little boy.

(December photos)

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Eleven Months Old

Well, here we are. The last month before Asher turns a year old. All this time, I've been complaining about how quickly the time has flown, but suddenly, within the past couple of weeks, it's felt as if time has slowed up a bit. I find myself feeling like, you mean, it hasn't been a year, yet? Surely, it's been at least three? I don't know why the sudden change of perception. Maybe it's due to the fact that Asher is now all over the place and into everything constantly and we're so tired and worn out from it that the days feel like they're 48 hours long. Maybe it's because our days have become so much less monotonous and redundant as Asher matures. I have actually been able to differentiate between days lately, it's amazing! Whatever the reason, I'm thankful for it. It's horrible to feel like you're being robbed of time. I'm sure that feeling will come back soon enough, but for now, it's nice to feel like it's completely possible that Asher is, in fact, eleven months old.

Nothing new and exciting has happened over the past month. No walking, yet; though, he has begun to briefly let go of things while standing to practice his balancing skills. They aren't very good right now, but I have a feeling that pretty soon he'll be able to stand on his own two feet without support like a pro. He's starting to "dance" a lot lately, bopping his head and bouncing up and down. His language skills are increasing, too; no "real" first words, yet, but he's getting there. He's catching onto the meaning of words. If I say, "Look, there's Sammy Cat," he will typically turn to look and find the kitty. He's beginning to appropriately refer to us by mama and dada...sort of. Usually, when he's upset and crying, he'll cry out "mamamamama." The rest of his day, he'll spend jibber-jabbering all about dadadadadada. He also is starting to refer to his bottle as "ba-da;" I've caught him saying this a few times either when taking him upstairs with his bottle to drink it, or when I've asked him if he's ready for a bottle. There was also something else the other day he was referring to repeatedly by saying "ba-ga" - I think it was his buggy (pacifier), but can't really recall for certain. Anyway, he's becoming very vocal, including ways other than his cute gabbing. He's apparently into SHRIEKING like a banshee, SQUEALING like a little girl, and SCREAMING like four cats fighting when he wants to let us (and everyone within a mile radius from us) know that he is NOT happy. Luckily, it's been brief so far, but we've had glimpses of being "those" people - the people you don't want to be seated next to at a restaurant, the ones who look like they've had every ounce of their dignity beaten out of them while their rugrat screeches bloody murder.

We've started introducing Asher to whole milk this month. The doctor recommended that we not put him on milk "full-time" until after his first birthday, but that it was alright to give it to him every now and then. We're trying, trying, to keep him on formula, but most of the time these days he wants nothing to do with the stuff. When he's only drinking about 12 ounces of formula a day, I figure he needs something else. So, milk it is. And speaking of drinking, he has mastered drinking from a straw this month. He drinks from a straw better than he drinks from a sippy cup. This doesn't surprise me, though; I've tried using those sippy cups, and they're hard to use! I don't think even the suction of our Dyson vacuum could get more than a few droplets out of those darn things.

Asher's first Thanksgiving was very nice, which makes me even more excited about his first Christmas in just a few weeks. I've been buying and wrapping presents like crazy. I know I'm driving Stephen nuts, dragging him through the toy aisles every place we go. But that's okay because he drives me nuts with his rants about how much he hates toys, and how he's ALWAYS hated toys, even when he was a kid, and how they're a waste of money. Can we say bah humbug much? I haven't decided whether or not to put up the Christmas tree...I really, really want to, but with all of the packing and cleaning I've been trying to do in preparation of moving, and with the certainty that it will be nearly impossible to keep Asher out of the tree, I'm not sure it's a good idea. I can just see him swallowing an ornament hook or crushing a fallen glass ornament in his hands.

As crazy as it sounds, in just one month I'll be posting his one year post. I guess I should probably get my butt in gear and get his party planned, along with getting my Christmas cards out, the Christmas shopping completed, his birthday shopping completed, presents wrapped...What the hell was I thinking, again, arranging to have his birth be just a week after Christmas? I could have birthed a ten-pounder...at least that would have only been a one-time pain in the ass, instead of an annual one.

Here are Asher's November pictures.

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Ten Months Old

Today not only marks the end of Daylight Savings Time, but also is Asher's ten-month birthday. Unfortunately for us, Asher did not want to use his extra hour for sleeping. Instead, he invested his extra hour into exploration, which seems to be the main focus of his time and attention these days. It's amazing to me how curious he is, and the amount of determination he has to figure things out. As exhausting as it is on us, the parents, I love it that he's so fascinated with the world and people around him. I just hope that, as he gets older and more mobile and more independent, he uses his endless amount of curiousity for good and not for evil.

It's been a very busy month for Asher Bug. For starters, he grew some teeth! Only two little chompers currently reside in the bottom of his mouth, but we think he may sprout some more in the not-too-distant-future, since he's been cranky lately and constantly chewing on his fingers or buggies or anything else that's remotely squishy. Because of this, we've slowly begun giving him more and more table foods to get him used to eating like a big boy. We're trying to get him trained on drinking from a cup, too. It's pretty messy, and a lot of coughing is involved, but he's getting pretty good at it. Asher is also still perfecting his waving skills. The meaning behind the waving isn't totally there, yet, but he's working on it. He took his first fairly lengthy road trip and surprised us by being in good spirits most of the time. He also had his first Halloween, complete with a bat costume, parade, and a lollipop.

Asher's memory and comprehension has started to notably increase this month, too. He is figuring out cause and effect. He seems to understand more words. He tries to imitate sounds. I'm totally sure this is all a sign that he takes after Dr. Uncle Jeff in the smarty-pants department.

I've begun thinking about planning Asher's first birthday party a little bit, but don't want to think about it too much because then I have to come to terms with the fact that, in just two short months, Asher will be turning a whole year old. That just isn't even possible.

Here are his pictures for October.

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Nine Months Old

Asher has reached nine months in age, and has now officially been out in the world longer than he was in my tummy.

There really hasn't been a whole lot of "new" developments this month, as he's been spending most of his time perfecting old tricks, but one new trick he has mastered is clapping. He claps when he hears music (such as when he hears the "Hogan's Heroes" theme song - don't ask), he claps when he accomplishes something (such as when he knocks over the tower of blocks Daddy has built), he claps when he's happy (such as when he sees me, of course!), and sometimes he just claps to clap. He's perfected crawling and rarely army-crawls, anymore. His spends a ton of time standing up and taking steps while holding onto furniture or our legs. We're really having to watch our steps these days because if we stand still for even a moment, chances are good Asher will rush over and pounce on our legs. I've almost been knocked to the floor on a couple of occasions. He has learned to arch his back, which can be a real pain in the ass when you're trying to feed him or rock him before bed, and thinks that looking at the world upside down is pretty awesome. His facial expressions are becoming more complex and his babbling has increased; sometimes he even sounds like he's trying to speak in sentences. Slow, drunken pirate sentences, but sentences nonetheless.

Unfortunately, the volume of his voice has also increased. We were in Target the other day and Asher decided he did NOT want to ride in the cart anymore, that our making him sit in the cart was somehow the most brutal form of child abuse and he needed to announce it to the entire store by SCREAMING BLOODY MURDER. Stephen pointed out the fact that, hey, our kid is suddenly turning into that screaming kid we hate encountering out in public. We sure did see that one coming. He seems to be suffering from separation anxiety a little bit more than he ever has before, too. It's not really bad (yet?), but he is definitely more wary of going to people he isn't around on a daily basis and gets upset sometimes when one of us leaves the room. That said, he has also become more clingy this month. He will hug onto us when held and wants to climb on us all the time. I have to admit, I'm enjoying this probably more than I should. Of course I don't want him to throw tantrums every time I leave the room and not be social with other people, and I don't want to feel like I'm chained to him, but it does make you feel pretty special when you're one of his chosen people.

Asher had his nine-month checkup on Monday afternoon and, thankfully, no shots were involved this time, although we're still trying to decide if we want to get him a flu shot. (We probably should and probably will.) He weighed in at 20 pounds, 10 ounces (50th percentile for weight), and measured 29 inches long (75th percentile for height). I talked to his doctor about the sleeping and eating issues, and she just got a big grin and said he's being absolutely normal. She said that babies usually don't sleep soundly through the night. Younger babies can't really move around much and aren't that aware of their surroundings, so they wake up without their parents even knowing it, look around, get bored, and fall back to sleep. Older babies, though, not only are more mobile and aware of their surroundings, but they've also got the separation anxiety factor, too. So, he wakes up, starts playing, realizes he's alone in the dim room, and cries. Why don't the books put it that way? Instead, you get maybe he's got an ear infection, maybe he's teething, maybe he's spoiled, maybe he's sick...and on and on and on. With his eating, she said it's completely normal for his appetite to vary so much from day to day and to QUIT WORRYING ALREADY, he's not going to let himself starve. I don't think she knows how much better she made me feel that day. (And yes, Mom, I know you told me so.) So, he's normal, which is good, but we're obviously moving into a more difficult phase of babyhood...

Bring it on, Asher. BRING IT ON.

Here are Asher's September pictures.

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Eight Months Old

Asher turned eight months old today. I don't want to make the usual, completely obvious statements that I normally make on these monthly updates - you know, "Gosh, I can't believe he's eight months old...it seems like only yesterday I cradled him in my belly...time sure does fly with a baby..." - but it's so hard not to. That's because IT'S TRUE! I think I keep thinking that the more I say it, the more life will want to prove me wrong and then time will suddenly slow down a bit. Unfortunately, I'm afraid this must be the one department of my life I can't seem to jinx. And, unfortunately, I'm really stubborn so I'll probably continue to make these same stupid comments on a daily basis for THE REST OF MY LIFE. And they say I have a hard time with letting go.

Asher has spent the past month keeping us on our toes. LITERALLY. He still mostly army-crawls, but is starting to big-baby crawl, and, either way he moves, HE IS QUICK. I've come close to stepping on him a couple of times because, like most kids, he loves to be underfoot. And the walker? I wouldn't be surprised if Stephen or I end up falling over him before he stops using it - if he's not looking out the window or chasing the cats in it, he uses it to be on our heels in the kitchen. Also, I've learned I really need to wear shoes around the house because that damn thing can hurt when he comes barreling at you in a full baby-run; my toes are going to be permanently deformed if I don't start making better attempts to protect them. He's started to climb the stairs and has, so far, been able to make it up two stairs before either getting frustrated or sliding back down to the bottom. He's pulling himself up on almost anything he can and is starting to make attempts at cruising, too. The other night while Stephen and I were dining at our usual spot - the coffee table in the living room, like all classy people - Asher discovered if he pulls himself up there, he has pretty good access to our dinner plates. Ooh, SQUISHY food, we LOVE squishy! Stephen seemed disappointed when he made the comment that we probably ought to start eating like civilized people in the dining room from now on. All of this plus the fact that he can sit up by himself, I think, has made an increase in his sense of independence. He's always been very active, he and his jimmy legs, but I think he's become even more squirmy and squirrely since he's learned to be more mobile. I try to hold him, but it's hard to because he's constantly trying move. Perhaps he's trying to break some world record of time spent in constant motion?

I know this contradicts the previous paragraph, but a good thing that has happened this month is SLEEP. (And, unlike life, sleep is a department I have a knack of jinxing, so I will word this very carefully.) We went for about a month and a half where he would NOT sleep through the night; many, many nights, poor Stephen would be up almost every hour putting Asher back to sleep. For the past few weeks, though, Asher has been a better sleeper. He still will wake up once or twice for a pacifier reinsertion, and occasionally Stephen will have to rock Asher back to sleep, but, in general, he's been much less maintenance during the night and is staying asleep much better than before. And, he's back to taking naps for Stephen during the day; there for awhile, Stephen seemed to be the only person unable to get Asher to take a nap. The novelty of having Daddy home with him during the day must have finally worn off, so now he's able to let himself let go of Daddy for a bit of sleepy.

We began giving Asher some finger foods this month, too, so he can begin to learn to self-feed. MESSY is an understatement. For some reason, poop isn't as gross when it comes from your own baby, spit-up isn't as gross when it comes from your own baby, but soggy, slimy mush that was once a piece of toast is just as disgusting as it would be from anyone else. I'm really not looking forward to full-fledged self-feeding. At least right now, we can just give him his finger foods in the evening, right before splishy-splash time. Would three baths a day be too ridiculous?

We've found that Asher is becoming more ticklish, which has led to more laughs in the house - and I can't complain about having more laughter around! There is truly nothing sweeter to me than the sound of my little boy laughing, and I often find myself tearing up when I hear it. He's become practically obsessed with the poor kitties, too; if he's not chasing them while crawling, he's chasing them in his walker. Poor Sophie was run over a couple of weeks ago! One good thing about it - they definitely motivate him to crawl all over the place, since they're constantly trying to flee his grasps. No crawling toys have been needed for Asher!

Asher made both his first trip to the zoo and to the museum last week. It's so much fun taking him places now because you can tell he's really interested in what he sees and studies things to try to figure them out. Those two trips have made me really excited about next summer when he's even more capable of enjoying activities like that. In the mean time, his next monthly update will mark month nine (EEK!) and the beginning of Fall. Pumpkin patch trips, first sips of apple cider, playing in pumpkin innards, and trick-or-treating, here we come!

AUGUST PICTURES ARE FINALLY HERE...

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Seven Months Old

Asher turned seven months old today. I thought time was flying before, but now he keeps us so busy that we can barely even pause to realize just how quickly it's passing. It feels like I just wrote his six month post yesterday, and I know I'll be writing his eight month post before I can blink my eyes.

One thing is for sure - things are definitely a lot happier around the house than they were a month ago. Nothing "good" has happened to cheer us up - Stephen hasn't had any job leads, the house is still going bye-bye, I'm busier than ever at work - but I think what has changed is our attitude. I wouldn't necessarily say our attitude has become more optimistic - we just aren't the "life is all butterflies and rainbows and unicorns and sunshine" kind of people. I think now that a little time has passed since Stephen lost his job and I have had to reluctantly continue working and Stephen has had to reluctantly become Mr. Mom, we realize that, OK, things aren't ideal. They aren't the way we planned them to be just over a year ago when I became pregnant. BUT, things aren't horrible, either. (Knock on wood.) The sky didn't turn black and rain frogs. We are learning to make the best of our situation and appreciate and focus on the positives in our lives. I'll admit, I've never been good with compromise so this has been pretty difficult, but I'm catching on. I've accepted the fact that I HAVE to work right now. But, I've also learned to remind myself when feeling down that this situation isn't going to last forever. It will either get better, which gives me something to look forward to, or it could get worse, in which case I need to appreciate and enjoy this time even more.

In other words, I guess you could say we've thrown our hands up in the air and said "Fuck It" to all the bad stuff.

So anyway, I've decided that Asher is just about the most amazing little creature I've ever encountered. I am totally in awe of how drastically and how quickly he has developed over his short seven months. It feels like forever while you're waiting for them to reach their little milestones, but once they start reaching them, you can't believe how quickly it happened. Take crawling, for instance. Granted, his crawling is still at the beginner's phase of army-style, but even still, the little booger is fast and determined. It felt like he was never going to reach this mobile phase, but now that we're here, it seems like only yesterday that he couldn't even hold his head up. Really, babies are incredible! Just over half a year old, and look at all the accomplishments. I'm so proud of him. On top of beginning to crawl, he's also beginning to sit up unsupported. It's so crazy to place him on the floor so he's sitting up, walk out of the room and put a load of laundry in the washer, and walk back in the room and find him still sitting there!

I will be honest, though; there are some things Asher has been doing lately that I'm not very fond of. For one, there's the problem he's been having with staying asleep through the night. BIG INCONVENIENCE, Asher. You were doing so well; what happened? We LOVED our sleepy baby and we miss him a ton! Then there's the PINCHING. Seriously, I'm completely shocked that Stephen and I don't have bruises and scratches covering the backs of our arms, necks, and faces. Of course he's not doing it intentionally - I don't know if he just likes the texture of FLESH squishing in his hands, or what - but it's still incredibly painful and I would love to be able to break this behavior. I've tried saying NO! or OW! in a really stern tone with a stern look on my face, but Asher apparently finds this funny. I've started trying to smack his hands when he does it - but, come on, he's a baby, so my smacks are more like taps and he just sort of looks at me like OOOH, is this a GAME?! Usually, I try combining the stern NO! while removing his hands, and this usually results in a giant cheesy grin on his face followed by another sharp pinch two seconds later. He's still a big hair puller, too, as illustrated above. It wouldn't bother me so much if he didn't have a hold stronger than vice grips coated with superglue. Not to mention, do you notice from the picture how he pushes me away with his feet while pulling my hair towards him? Ugh. I guess these are just things we have to learn to live with for now, while we keep making our unsuccessful attempts at scolding him and teaching him this is not good behavior. Let's hope he catches on before we become scarred and bald.

Another thing I've noticed this month is how much Asher's appearance is changing. He's looking more and more boyish, as opposed to just babyish. And hair! He's getting HAIR! SLOW DOWN, Asher Bug. There's plenty of time to get your handsome on; stay baby-cute a bit longer for Mommy, OK?

This has been a wonderful month. I know it sounds completely corny, but having Asher has made me appreciate life so much more. Not just my life, but life in general. How incredible is it that just a year ago my belly was just barely starting to look pregnant, and look at him now! How incredible is it that I grew something inside of me that can sit up, scoot around the floor, yank my hair and squeal in delight when I yelp in pain? I really don't think I'll ever be able to fully grasp the fact that I'm a mom. It's just too amazing to be true.

And no, I'm not on Prozac.

JULY PICTURES

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Six Months Old

It's been a very hectic past few weeks, to say the least. I haven't had much time, energy, or even been in the mood to blog lately. So, needless to say, this post is almost a week past due. It just goes to show what a neglectful parent I am.

Asher is a whopping six months old now. Can you believe it? I can't. I went to the mall a few days ago and saw several newborn babies. My heart melted and I teared up a little when I looked down at Asher and realized my baby isn't one of those tiny babies anymore. Not that he ever really was a "tiny" baby, but you get what I'm saying. He's getting to be an older baby. Halfway to one year! He's now wearing the 6-9 month clothes I bought for him last summer on sale when I was just a few months pregnant with him. He's just starting stage 2 foods, and he thinks fresh watermelon or banana in his munchy teether is the greatest thing EVER. He talks all the time, and his eyes are in constant motion, trying to take the whole world in at once. It's become quite the challenge to even get him to drink an entire bottle because he's too darn distracted by EVERYTHING. He's almost outgrown his swing and buzzy seat - I pray to God he is able to sit up soon on his own because I don't know what we'll do without the aid of the swing or buzzy seat. When did this all happen?!

Asher's flowering personality and sweet disposition has really pulled us through the muck and mire this month. I'm not sure what it is, but when he gives me one of his huge, cheesey grins, I just know in my heart everything is going to be alright as long as he's around.

June pictures of Asher Bug are here!

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Five Months Old

Asher turned five months old on Monday and let me say I'm so happy to be in this stage of babyhood. Just when I think Asher can't get any cuter, I swear he does. Just when I think I couldn't possibly love him any more, the next day my heart seems to swell for him even more. Just when I think this is my favorite stage, the next one comes along and is even better. And just when I think I'm getting the hang of things, Asher proves me so wrong.

It's been a month full of changes for Mr. Asher Bug. He's had to get used to having people other than Mommy and Daddy care for him during the day. So far, Laurie, Grandfather, and Aunt Jamie have been Godsends and taken turns babysitting Asher. Surprisingly (to me), he's taken to this change quite well; in fact, I think he's been thoroughly enjoying his time spent away from his parents. I had concerns that being juggled between different caregivers would be too much for him, but so far he's been in great spirits for everyone. I think it's been much more difficult on me, worrying about him, worrying about the person caring for him...worrying about EVERYTHING like I have the tendency to do.

Asher has also had big changes made to his diet this month. No longer does he feast on breastmilk alone...and no longer are his poopies non-toxic. So far, he eats rice cereal, pears, carrots, apples, sweet potatoes, and bananas. He seems to like all the foods, but bananas are definitely his favorite, with sweet potatoes a close second. All we have left in the cabinet that he hasn't tried are peaches, squash, peas, and prunes, and then I think he'll pretty much have mastered his 1st foods.

The biggest developmental gain he's made this month was rolling over. I just know it'll only be a short matter of time before he starts to creep - he's already working on an inchworm maneuver in which he gets on his tummy, sticks his butt way up in the air, and kicks his legs trying to move forward. He still has a lot of work to do on getting those arms to work together with his legs, so the top part of his body is kind of like a giant anchor right now. And that's OK with me; I have a feeling I'm going to miss it when the anchor is gone and I'm chasing him all over the place nonstop. He's also spending more time playing upright in his exersaucer and walker, putting those crazy jimmy legs of his to work.

Another talent he's discovered is the art of SQUEALING. When happy, SQUEAL! When angry, SQUEAL! When tired, SQUEAL! His language now primarily consists of squealing, squawking, whining, cooing, and the beloved crying. Yeah, the crying has even started to change, too. It's grown LOUDER and more obnoxious, especially when mixed with a good angry squeal. We really need to pick up a quart-sized bottle of Tylenol the next time we're at Costco.

This month he's also experiencing his first cold. Stephen and I have both been sick in the last few weeks, so we knew it was inevitable that he'd catch our crud. He seems to be feeling better, but is a little cranky and his cough asounds like he's been smoking a few too many cigarettes lately.

Here are his May pictures. All in all, its been a fun month. I'm excited to see what tricks Asher Bug has up his onesie for us in month six.

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