Love

January 24, 2014 Dear Asher- Sweet boy, we are obviously heading into our first wonder week and it's already exhausting. You are suddly extremely fussy, sleeping poorly during the day, constantly wanting to be held, and so in characteristically upset for no reason. On the flip side, you are awake a bit more and love watching things within your range of vision. You are such a cuddle monster, it's hard to be too flustered by you. You also are primarily in all 6 month clothes now, already! You do seem to be built like your Momma, so you can still wear the 3 month pants but all your onesies are the larger size. We weighed you here at home and by the end of the week you have almost made it to 13 pounds; I think you might end up being bigger than your brother if you keep this up! Our tiny tank; you sure are solid!  Love, Momma

January 20, 2014 Dear Asher - This month has changed you so much. You will have more growth and development in the next 12 months than any span in your whole life. I'm already starting to mourn the loss of your newborn days. Our photo this month is simply our biggest activity together: sleeping in bed.  You love it here, snuggled into my side--you fit perfectly. There is so much I am looking forward to discovering with you in the next few months as you quickly grow. Simultaneously I am in agony over these fleeting days of babyhood--you will fly through them too quickly. I will never be ready.  Love,  Mommy

January 17, 2014 Dear Asher- My little chunk. According to the scale you're already well on your way to rounding out 12 pounds; not terribly surprising since we have almost completely put away your 3 month clothes and you are pretty consistently in 6 month onesies. You have your Momma's build: short legs and long torso. Add in cloth diapers and those 3 month ones make you look like an adorable stuffed sausage, and are very hard to button. You are awake mostly mid morning and right before bed. You do bath with daddy, then we lube your rolls with coconut oil, fresh diaper, big feeding, then you get a bit fussy, another new diaper, then we lay down and you feed to sleep in bed. You are a cuddle bug: all squished and curled into me. You boys fit into me perfectly, is that just how we are made? Little caverns on our body that naturally a child is meant to fit perfectly in? Sure feels like it Squidgy, you are perfect.  Love,  Momma A funny out take, momma whaaa??: 

Slowly I'm feeling like I can handle this whole "I have two children" thing. Slowly. Last Monday was the first time I made it out of the house, alone, with both in tow. I nearly had a panic attack doing it but we survived. Tuesday and Thursday I even got Lloyd to preschool on time (9:15! Right in the middle of Asher's normal morning feeding frenzy). Wednesday we made it to my bible study, late, but we made it; ignoring the fact that I had done zero of the readings. Thursday I even managed to not murder them both, keep both happy and occupied, make dinner, and eat dinner with Lloyd, AND get both bathed and in bed by 8:30--all without Coach because he had a bus debacle that had him getting home nearly 4 hours after his original assumption (to call him mad was and still is an understatement).  So, anyway, I'm feeling less like a floundering, bumbling moron and more like a mildly sleep deprived, spit-up dripping into her bra, only one pair of jeans fit and I'm t...

January 10, 2014 Dear Asher- Your continued growth and change astounds me. Even already there are so many changes in you. Your hair is somehow already fuller and longer, your thighs bigger and chunkier, you are awake for longer and longer periods of time, you require daily baths purely to clean your rolls so they don't get too dry and chafe, and the smiles you give--oh those sweet smiles--they make my heart sing. You are generally so content to just sleep and breast feed, although you are definitely more fickle about diaper changes than your brother was. It took us a few days to figure out your nightly fits were related to wanting a very fresh diaper and less about gas. Although you have a tendency to dirty it almost instantly. You are almost happier after the diaper change than before it, it is strange and a bit comical. Your daddy jokes that you are already a clean freak like your momma. Nothing wrong with that happy boy.  Love, Momma

It is still amazing to me that we have two handsome little boys in our house now. Two tiny people who we are responsible for raising, teaching, disciplining, and caring for for the rest of our lives. Sometimes I wonder how I got here. Life is so good.  Asher was born December 20th, at 9:32 pm, and has been the easiest little person I never expected. Everything his brother put us through, he isn't. He came out quietly breathing and curled up, sleepy and calm--they only got one feeble cry out of him before he was perfectly content and relaxed (so relaxed he immediately peed all over me, but hey).  He fed for over an hour and never left our arms. He sleeps. He rarely cries. He doesn't projectile vomit. He likes his legs swaddled (just don't dare tuck his arms!). He sucks his hands. Did I mention he sleeps? He has strawberry blond hair and dark blue eyes. The hair color skipped 2 generations and comes from his great-grandmother (my mother-in-laws mother who died 37 years ago, b...

January 3, 2014 Asher-- What a difference a week makes! My goodness! You have vastly improved your latch and are now eagerly eating pain-free at every feeding. You continue to sleep absolutely wonderfully. I still cannot believe what a peaceful baby you are; everything about you is calm and beautiful. You don't even get that worked up when you are hungry, which is a blessing with your brother around needing things at often inopportune times. You have given us all smiles and cute faces throughout this week. So chunky, so precious.  We love you so much, Mommy  Weight: 9lbs 10 oz Height: 22 inches