asher :: 6 months

This little sweetie turned six months old 3.5 weeks ago! Yes, that means I am almost a month behind on my monthly posting! But this picture was taken close to his 6 month birthday.

 

Asher turned six months old while we were in Texas visiting family.

 

He tried his first foods (avocado, banana, sweet potato, oatmeal & apple) and hasn't yet taken to any.  You much prefer mama's milk so we are going pretty slow with foods for the time being, which is fine with me! You're still gaining plenty of weight.  You weigh well over 16 lbs and have the cutest little leg rolls ever!

 

You are a determined little guy, who loves to roll & sit & you've even started to army crawl, or at least it's your own flavor of the army crawl!  Mama has to keep an especially close eye on you now!

 

You say "ma-ma" and "ba-ba" now and are incredibly cute and excitable by any interaction with people .

 

You still aren't quite sleeping through the night...ever so often you will give mama a good pump fake & make me think you're making progress toward sleeping through the night, but we can't seem to make it stick!

Your first two teeth came through this past month & you handled it like a drooly champ!

 

Love you little mister!!

asher: 4 months

 

 

As always, this post is a little late. But as I was thumbing through Ephram's monthly chair pictures, I giggled as I saw his four month old picture.  So similar, yet so different.  Both with their hands in their mouth :)

 

 

Asher had his 4 month check up a couple of weeks ago & was well over 14 lbs, in the 50th percentile & in the 75th percentile for length. 

 

Some notable things from the last month & a half:

 

You are rolling over BOTH ways.  You are my little roly-poly man.  As soon as I set you on the floor you immediately start rolling, first onto your tummy & then from tummy to back.  I think you are quite pleased with yourself.  You seem to have amazing strength & determination to get where you want to go!

 

You are one drooly man.  I can't launder burpie bibs quickly enough for all your drool!

 

You (still) have the sweetest little smile. You love to be held sitting up so you can see what's going on around you and your favorite mode of transportation is mommy's hip, again, so you can see everything as you pass by!

 

Your favorite toys are your Manhattan toy, Squoosh & Sophie the Giraffe.  You are able to reach out for & hold onto toys & grab them really well now.  I've even caught you grabbing your paci out of your mouth & putting it back in again.

 

You are still sleeping about 8-9 hours through the night, which mama appreciates, although your wake-up time (4am) is a wee bit early for me.

 

Your biggest fan is easily your big brother and you handle his overly affectionate ways well.  I often find him trying to "hug" you, which basically involves laying himself out on top of you.  We are working on being more gentle, but even though he gets in your face a lot, you seem to always enjoy having him nearby. 

 

And though you are definitely a mama's boy right now, it's daddy who can get the most smiles and giggles out of you :)

 

We love you little man and it is truly a blessing to call you our son.





asher: 2 months + ephram: 22 months

 
 
 

 

The yellow chair is back!

 

And just in time for Asher's 2 month picture!

I went ahead and took some pictures of Ephram too at this age & stage, because two {partially} naked babies are better than one, right?

 

 

 

I'm such a mix of emotions over Asher turning 2 months old.  In some ways I can't believe it's already been two months & in other ways, I can't believe it's only been two months!

 

It's been a crazy, tumultuous, adventurous and {sometimes} tiresome two months, but it has also been a JOY.  You are a JOY, Asher. 

 

At two months old you are 11 lbs. 9 oz. and in the 74th percentile for length.

You love face time with your mama, daddy & big brother.  Whenever we catch your eye, we are sure to be met with the cutest little dimply grin.

You've also started to coo and make little "goo" noises when you "talk" to us.  You are quite animated and I can't help but melt & think how blessed I am to be your mama each time you look at me with those eyes & that smile. 

You are a pretty easy going little guy and really only fuss when you are ready to eat or have the occasional gas {poor guy!}

You love your paci, much like your older brother & love snuggling with your mama.

You've got quite a bit of neck strength & although you aren't rolling over on a regular basis yet, when you were only 4 days old, you rolled over from your tummy to your back, twice! 

 

It's only been 2 months, but already we can't imagine life without you little man.

 

It's hard to believe this {not so} little guy will be 2 in just a couple of months.  My wild-haired, sweet Ephram has been growing SO much and changing overnight in just the past few months. 

 

 I love this age and watching all of the wheels turn in your mind and each new day brings an assortment of new discoveries.  I can't even count all of the words you can say now.  You pretty much try to copy whatever you hear mommy or daddy saying and you love to associate objects or people with a name. 

 

You are also putting together multiple words, sometimes up to 4-5 at a time! Communication has really opened up between us in the past few months and it is so exciting to watch you grow and learn. 

You are starting to try to sing.  Your favorite song is "The Wheels on the Bus"

You can count to 13, although you often leave out numbers 4-6...it's adorable:)

 

You LOVE to pray.  It's the sweetest thing.  We have a "call to prayer" from you at least 10 times a day.  You fold your hands, and say "pray?" and wait for mommy or daddy to start praying.  I love how the Lord is molding your heart even at such an early age & it has also challenged mommy & daddy to really talk to the Lord & give thanks more often as we go about our day.

 

You have endured so much change in the past two months: a new home, a new little brother, temporary lodging, leaving friends and making new ones, two year molars, crazy long car rides and so much more, but have really done so well.  One thing's for certain: you LOVE your little brother.  You ask, "Asher, hold you?" when you want to hold him. 

 

You are a super active little guy and when you are awake you pretty much go at full speed all the time {unless you are breaking for food.  You love your food}. It's not uncommon to see a flash of Ephram zoom past as you run circles around the room, chase Bob or run after a ball.

 

Your favorite things to play with are your cars & trucks, balls & your kitchen pots & pans.  You love to make soup for mommy & daddy in your kitchen. On the rare occasion that you do sit down, you are enjoying learning to color with crayons and to identify shapes and colors.

 

You have a very sweet and joy-filled spirit, Ephram, as well as a very independent will. You seem to really thrive off of spending time with people, whether it be me & daddy or friends...you have a big, loving heart toward others and love to engage people.  Life is never dull with you, and though it's crazy to think that you aren't my "baby" anymore, you are stepping up to role of big brother well.  Love you, big guy :)

 



Christmas at Our House

We spent Christmas at our house this year as a family of 3.5.

Being 35 weeks pregnant on Christmas day doesn't allow for much flexibility in traveling for the holidays. 

 Although we missed getting to celebrate in person with family, we enjoyed many Skype/FaceTime (I love technology) "Christmas sessions" and were able to get in some much needed relaxation at home.  When the jammies don't come off until well after 3pm, you know it's been a good day.

 

 

The preggo & the 19 month old Face Timing with family.

Enjoying his new Tee Pee

 

Someone liked his new fox hat

 



 

Mommy & Daddy were pretty pleased with their gifts too :)

 

 

Sneaking off with the presents

 

 

 

Story time with a new book before a post-present nap.  Unwrapping gifts is exercise for a 19 month old ;)

 

 

Although it's Ephram's second Christmas, he was only 7 months old last year.  We cherished this special season of Advent & Christmas with him and are anxiously awaiting the new little one to come who will be almost a year old when Christmas comes around next year! It's been so much fun to walk in this season as a parent and to experience even just a fraction of the love the God has for us & the great joy He has in lavishing the Gift of His Son on us. 

Sweet finds...

Found these little gems on my camera card the other day from a little family "self" photo shoot we did back at the end of October!

Yeesh.  I am way behind.

 

 

Enjoy :)

 

15 months old

 

Mama is posting this kind of late...just another week and a half and you will be 16 months old, but better late than never!  I feel as though you've grown and developed SO much in the past month & it has been so fun and amazing to watch you.

 

I haven't done a monthly post since your first birthday, but here are some noteworthy things from the past 3 months:

 

You've started to sign a WHOLE lot more.  You sign words like: baby, popcorn, please, water, milk, and of course, more & all done. You also hold your hands in the air and shrug your shoulders to say, "where'd it go?" and you like to give lots of high fives! 

 

You are also saying a lot of words these days (and jibber jabbering in between): your favorite words are: Bob, Car & More.  But you also like to say: Hi, Bye, Ball, Kitty, Tractor, Cracker, Mama, Dada, Side (for outside), Nana (banana), Cado (avocado) and today you said Baby for the first time.  You are loving your newfound ability to communicate with us and soak up new words and signs all the time-  We love it too!

 

You are practically running these days & love to play outside & with friends.  You also LOVE to eat.  And your sweet little belly is proof that mama is feeding you lots & lots!  You love Bananas, Avocados, Smoothies, Popcorn and Strawberries best, but will eat almost anything--except for raw veggies. Mama is sneaky though and hides them in your smoothies.

 

You give sweet little hugs and kisses and even try to give Bob and your stuffed animals some lovin' on occasion.  Bob isn't a huge fan of the hugs though.  :)

 

You love to dance & bust a move whenever you hear music playing.  It's pretty darn cute.  You and your mama have been known to have dance parties when no one else is watching :)

 

You are doing a great job of feeding yourself with a fork and spoon.  Some foods are more successfully brought to your mouth than others but you love the challenge of learning this new skill.

 

You have NO idea that you are going to be a big brother in 5 months (ha!) what a surprise that will be, but I have a feeling you will be a great big brother and will probably want to be VERY hands on.  Love you little mister :)

20 week bump {baby boy #2}

Confession. I've been really bad about taking pictures of the bump this time around.  I still love you just the same baby boy, but I must admit, I have a lot more to keep me from getting to photo taking & blog posting this time around. 

 

 

But the good news is that the bump really just started to get big enough to be picture worthy anyway, so my lack of documentation up until now really hasn't mattered THAT much. :)

 

 

I have felt pretty much exactly the same this pregnancy as the first.  Not sure if it's just because it's me or if it's because it's another boy.  But I'm not complaining because I really did have a blessed & smooth pregnancy last time & would love a repeat!

 

The main difference this time is that:

 

1.  My hubby is not deployed miles and miles away. 

 

&

 

2. I have a little 15 month old to chase around.

 

Two very good improvements upon last time, I think. 

 

So, now onto little mister in the belly...You are quite the squirmer.  I felt you for the first time around 15-16 weeks. And you get stronger each week!  We had your 20 week ultrasound today and you are still a boy, so that's good!  You also would NOT keep still.  All of our images are a little on the blurry side because someone was wanting to have a boxing match with the sonographer's tool.  Every time she pressed on my belly, you matched her with a punch or kick.  It was really funny to watch/feel :)

 

I love this picture with your leg propped up in the air--almost right up to your mouth.  You definitely love the acrobatics and maybe a little toe sucking? ;)

 Big brother was not very excited about the ultrasound...in fact, he cried nearly the entire time--perhaps a first glimpse for him of what sharing the lime light will look like?

I know he will love you.  And we've taught him to say baby, so although he has no idea what's in store when you arrive, at least he will know what to call you :)

 

Carter...Party of 4

 

Ephram's got some exciting news to share!

 

 

Coming in January of 2014:

Little man is going to be a BIG brother!

 

Mama's got another peanut in the oven & we are feeling immensely blessed for this gift.

 







 

 

 

 

 

 

12 months old

 

 

Clearly, I am a little bit  behind on this post.  We were so busy enjoying your first birthday & celebrating you that I almost forgot to do my monthly post on your growth!

 

It has been so wild and also precious, to think over the past year of your life & to think back to the day you made your entry into the world & into our arms.  Your dad & I are so blessed.

 

Two weeks ago, we celebrated your first birthday with family & friends at our side.  Prior to that, in your 11th month of life, you changed so much & turned from a baby to a toddler right before our eyes!

 

Some notable things from month 11:

 

You began full out WALKING.  At 10 months, you had just taken your first steps & this past month we got to watch you take off.  Literally.  You became a walking machine & I think are still quite impressed with your newfound skills.

 

You've also begun to squat & stand back up in place rather than just tumbling down on your bum when you want to grab something off the floor.

 

You have started to communicate more & mommy & daddy are learning your language.  "Ma" means "more" and that is one of your most commonly used words, along with "Ca" for "car", "da" for "that" or "the" and your favorite parental word these days is "Dada".  You also say "Dadee" which we think is your version of "doggie"

 

With your newfound skills, you are much more independent these days & like to get into just about anything you can get your hands on!  You give mom & dad quite the workout!

 

You shake your head, although I'm not sure that you know that means "no" yet, and I am just fine keeping you in the dark on that one ;)

 

Balls & your new hammer toy are some of your favorites now & you are getting really good at sorting toys & putting objects into other objects. 

 

 

We are so proud of you little man & look forward to the next year of life with you!

 

 

11 months old!

Happy 11 months!  That sweet toothy grin of yours melts my heart! :)

 

Some things we want to remember from your 10th month of life...

 

 

You have become a food-eating machine.  I can't keep enough eggs, avocados, bananas & happypuffs in the house!  Those are some of your favorites :)

 

You have a total of 8 teeth now, four on top & four on the bottom; although I suspect from all the drool that there are more on the way.

 

You started to point & clap this past month & it's so fun to enjoy these new forms of communication with you.  You mimic clapping & also do it when excited.  You point at things you want or things you want mom to describe to you. 

 

Pictures of animals, balls & stuffed animals have become some of your new favorites this month.

 

You took your second swim class & "swam" under water for the first time this month!

 

You started to give "kisses" this month, & by kisses I mean licks!   When I ask you to give me a kiss you give me a nice big lick--hilarious & super slobbery, but I love it...perhaps, Bob taught you how to give kisses ;)

 

And something we definitely don't want to forget, you took your first STEPS at 10 months!  Just 3 days shy of your 11 month birthday.  You are gaining ground & taking more & more steps each day.  You will be full out walking before we know it!

 

Ephram & "Sled", your husky pup

 

 

 

Here are a couple of videos, one of you "giving kisses" & the other of you taking steps!

 

 

 

 

 

My Baby Gear Must-Haves

Over the past year I have been asked what my favorite baby products are.  When I was pregnant with E, I also went to friends & asked the same question to help get an idea of what I'd need for babycakes.

 

 

Of course each baby is different, and each momma is different, but here are some of my favorites (in no particular order) from the first 10 months of life with E. 

 

 

 

 

1. Jogging Stroller- Not only is it a great motivator to get out & shed some of those pregnancy pounds, but they are so great for family outings :)  We have a Schwinn Turismo & although it's not build for a marathoner, it has been a GREAT jogging stroller & very safe & budget friendly too!

 

2. Brica Fold N' Go Bassinet-  It may sound weird, but this is what we used for E when he was an infant, sleeping in our room.  We have a TINY room & really did not have the extra room for a bassinet, nor did we want to spend the extra $$ on it, so we went with this very affordable portable one & loved it!  We took it on trips with us, took it over to friend's houses for him to nap in, carted it around the house. I love practical, packable things.  Not to mention, now that it's in storage, it hardly takes up any room at all. Love it.

 

3. Aden + Anais Burpy Bibs.  Burp Cloth + Bib in one.  Genius.  E could spit up with the best of 'em & these were a life saver...or at least a shirt saver. They are so absorbent & when using as a bib it has SO much coverage. 

 

4. Zipper Footed PJs.  My husband would call these a necessity.  And since he is in charge of the bedtime routine, I will trust his judgement on this one.  Most babies don't like to be changed & every saved second is gold. Zippers are so much more parent friendly than snaps.

 

5. Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat.  Well a car seat is a must-have. Period. But we loved our Chicco & safety ratings love it too!  I have found it to be a really good car seat for long babies as well as chubby ones.  Although getting snug, E can still fit into his at 10 months. 

 

6. Baby Carrier.  I am a huge fan of baby wearing & if you start your babe of early they will be too :)  It makes outings, grocery shopping, travel, even household chores so much easier, especially in the infant stage.  When E was a tiny little guy I used a ring sling & the Baby K'tan Breeze (great for summer babies!) But the Ergo has been our go-to carrier since he has packed on the pounds & it's SO supportive to my back. He was never carried front facing pre-Ergo so he doesn't mind one bit to be carried facing me & apparently it's more ergonomically benefecial for them? So that's a plus. It can also be used as a back pack or hip carrier as well...so, you've got options.

 

7. Munchkin Inflatable Safety Duck.  A hilariously entertaining addition to bath time.  As soon as E could sit up we introduced this guy & he LOVES it.  We also don't have to worry about him tipping over or slipping in the tub because he has a cushy little duck to topple onto.  It's wonderful and genius.  Pre-duck, we used the PUJ and really enjoyed its portability & compactabilty, not to mention that you can use it in the sink, rather than kneeling over a tub. 

 

8. Aden + Anais Swaddle blankets.  I never thought I'd spend that much on blankets, but they are so worth it.  Especially for summer babies.  These blankets are huge, making them easy to fold for swaddling (which was a miracle worker in our house) & also make a great light weight blanket or sunshade in the car or stroller. Breathable, soft, cute designs. We love them.

 

9. SwaddleMe Swaddlers. For when they learn to bust out of the blankets, velcro swaddlers keep the magic going. 

 

 

Not pictured but also noteworthy:

 

Sophie la Giraffe teething ring (E's favorite!), Avent Soothie Pacifier, Nursing covers, Dr. Brown Bottles, Baby Comfy Nose or Nosefrida, Natrabio teething drops, Munchkin Snack Catchers & the Little Green Reusable Food Pouch.

 

 

 

 

10 months old!

I know I say it every month, but seriously, where is the time going?  Am I really already thinking about this little guy's first birthday party plans?  Yeesh!

 

 

Your 9th month of life was a really exciting & fun one for us, and I think for you as well!

 

 

Last month you were just starting to pull up & this past month you not only pull up onto every furniture item or toy you can get your hands on, but you are also cruising around like a champ! 

 

You move from furniture piece to furniture piece & even started walking your push toy all by yourself! Mom & Dad are thinking walking is not too far off & oh boy, I'm not sure if we are ready for that.

 

You have become somewhat mischevious curious this month.  Your favorite things to explore are Bob's water bowl & the dishwasher.  Your radar goes off when either the dishwasher is open or Bob's bowl is freshly filled and it's a mad dash to play with them before mom can catch you :)

 

You also like to close doors, which (so far) you much prefer to opening them.  Way to help a mama out. 

 

You still love bananas, but avocados are making their way to the #1 position in your palate.

 

You babble all the time & direct more & more of your words to their proper person/dog.

 

You love to pet Bob, but sometimes it ends in hair pulling, so we are working on that one.

 

Much to you mama's dismay/delirium, you've decided to start waking up again multiple times a night...growth spurt, perhaps? 

 

 

We love you to pieces though & I keep reminding myself in those wee hours of the night of truly what a precious gift it is to be your mama-the one who gets up when you cry & soothes you back to sleep.  I know it won't always be this way, so I'll treasure it for now.

 



Lately

 

 

Things at our house are hum-drum and wonderfully ordinary.  We wake up, eat, drink coffee (well at least mom & dad do), play, nap (although, someone appears to think naps are overrated these days), sew, run errands, get creative with dinner, play, eat & read, bathe & go to bed.

 

There are other little things mixed into that schedule, of course as well, but all in all this seems to be how many of our days take shape and I love it! 

 

I managed to snap a few images of bob & ephram playing with bob's duck this morning.  E love his buddy bob :)  I love watching him grow & interact & develop his personality more & more.

 

Oh & did I mention that little man is on the move?  It's quite exciting and keep this mommy on her toes.

 

Thankfully, one of his favorite things to do is to crawl to wherever I am so that definitely keeps the question of "where did Ephram go?" down to a minimum.

 



We've also had lots of snow lately & though it is finally starting to melt off, we have a long way to go.  I think we got about 20" in the span of 5 days!  Brrrrrr....

 

B even had to walk to work on two different occasions.

 



Bob didn't seem to mind all the snow though.  I think he discovered his roots this past month :)

 



9 months old!

Holy moly!  Your 8th month of life came & went WAY too fast!  I don't know what I'm going to do when May arrives & you turn one. 

 

 

Here are some things to remember from your 8th month of life:

 

 

You learned to wave!  It's the cutest & sweetest thing and you LOVE to do it.  We took another airplane trip this month & you waved & waved to all the people on the airplane & in the airport.  Such a friendly guy. ;)

 

We started swim lessons (I actually think this was at 7 months) but you've been enjoying them all month long & love to splash!  You aren't afraid of the pool at all.

 

You have started to pull up on mom, dad, the ottomans & any other thing you can get your little hands on. 

 

You also started your own version of crawling. You have this one knee, one leg scooch-thing down to an art and you'll clear a whole room to get to a banana or bob's tail. ;)

 

You've been trying out some new words this month "up" something that sounds like "come" & "gum".  You also clock your tongue & mimic me when I do it also. 

 

We are also working on some baby sign language this month and you are getting good at recognizing words like "more", "eat" & "all done".

 

Your paci is still your best friend, besides mom, dad & bob & we take it anywhere we go.

 

You have some more top teeth breaking through (maybe two)!

 

I can't believe you are already 9 months, little man. We love you so dearly.

 



E's 7.5 month pictures

 

 

Ephram had his 7.5 month pictures done recently with our favorite local photographer & friend, It's ME, Eloise! Photography

 

The shoot turned into a family one & was SO fun. The location was a friend's family farm & was also really close to our church.  We got several photos with our church in the background unintentionally, but I love it!  Such a sweet symbol of how we want our family life to be. Centered on Christ. 

 

Can't believe this little guy is going to be 8 months tomorrow.  It goes so fast.