asher: 9 months

 

Mama is playing a little catch up with these monthly photos! 

Month 9 came and went just as quickly as the changing leaves of fall.



This month you had a couple of exciting firsts...

You took your first trip to Washington, D.C. and handled all of the sightseeing like a champ!

You also started waving...it may have started as an attempt to clap, but you were only managing one hand at a time.  It looked like a wave, so your daddy & I went with it &have been working on your greeting skills this month:) You have always been a friendly little fellow. Mama & daddy can't get enough & I think you're pretty pleased with yourself too.

You love to blow raspberries, have tickle sessions with mama & practice all your "ba's" "ma's" "da's", etc..

You are also enjoying banging objects on other objects or banging your hands on the high chair to tell mama that you want MORE!

You are not too keen on diaper changes or being forced to stop moving for any reason.  That really grinds your grits. You've got places to be.  Things to bang on.

 

asher: 8 months

3 weeks ago my happy little man turned 8 months old and my have things changed!

 

You have been cruising around like crazy this month, pulling up on anything (or anyone, for that matter) you can find. 

You are no longer just army crawling, but traditionally crawling as well.  Although, when you really want to move you still hunker down and slide along on your belly.  I love that little crawl!

You can let out quite the scream when you want to...I think it's usually an attention grabber as you are trying to communicate more and more with us.

You have added "dada" to your vocabulary and sometimes look at Bob or a ball and say "ba".

You love mama, but no one can light up your face with that sweet dimply smile quite like your daddy.  You are over the moon for him. 

You seem to be taking after your brother in your love for food.  Bananas are your absolute favorite, but you have also ventured into Chinese, curries, and so much more. I don't think you've tasted a food you haven't liked yet!

 We are loving watching your personality blossom & your ability to maneuver grow.
I am going to miss these baby days, but am excited to see you grow and change!



asher: 7 months

3 weeks ago this sweet man turned 7 months old!

 

He's growing so quickly & I feel like this month I have had to let go of the snuggly infant phase for real. I mean, it's probably been at least two months of me denying it, but it's getting harder & harder to overlook how quickly he is growing.

Some notable things from this past month:

You are FINALLY (sometimes) sleeping through the night. Hallelujah, praise Jesus, Amen.
It's been life changing & much appreciated.
You are also in massive teething mode, working on your top two front teeth now, so of course that occasionally throws a wrench in your sleep.
Just today, you sat yourself up on your own for the first time.  I went to get you out of your crib, and there you were, sitting up so pretty & proud of your sweet self.
You also had another huge milestone today & pulled up on the coffee table. You can go ahead and stop all this growing up now.  I think you've accomplished enough today to last you at least a few months ;)
You've stopped showing your lungs off as much, which mama appreciates and stick to the quieter "babas" & "mama's and "aghoos"


Love you so much sweet mister!

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: 5 months old

Little Mark Asher turned 5 months old just over a week ago.  Earlier this week I was finally able to snap some photos of him in the chair and big brother of course, had to join in.  I don't think you minded, though.

This past month you have been all about your feet.

As soon as mama or daddy lays you on your back, your little toes make their way to your sweet little mouth.  Even when sitting in my lap, you try to bend down and chomp down on your little piggies. It's too cute.

You've been rolling for the past two months and are a roly-poly man.  It's not uncommon for me to find you yards from where I layed you down only seconds before.

You have the cutest little voice and baby expressions.  We all love it when you talk to us.  

You also enjoy sticking your tongue out at us on occasion.

You are a pretty easy going guy. Mama can take you in and out of your routine and you seem to adapt well and go with the flow, which is so helpful!

You still aren't quite sleeping through the night...I don't know if it's hunger or just wanting mama snuggles.  But either way, I'm willing to oblige.  I love my Asher snuggles. 

You are SO close to sitting up.  I can get you to balance yourself for a few seconds at a time, but you always get overly excited and try to throw yourself forward towards a toy or something and end up on your face.  I have a feeling once you do get to really moving, you're going to be all over the place!

If you haven't already gathered, you are a well loved little man.  One of your biggest fans is your big brother! And if these pictures are proof of anything, I think it's that you two are already on your way to becoming best buds.  

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: 3 months old

Hey there sweet thang! On March 25th you turned 3 months old. Forgive Mommy for being a bit behind in posting!

#secondchildproblems

Here's what you've been up to lately...

You've officially discovered your hands and in many of your waking hours can be found stuffing your fist as far into your mouth as possible. With this new discovery has come lots of drool! I think we need to put a permanent bib on you:)

Mommy has continued to enjoy good rest at night and you are too, sleeping about 10 hours straight! Nothing says "I love you" quite like that!

You're still cooing and smiling so big and sweet. You don't have a whole lot to say but when you do talk or grin, you light up the room! 

You have become really aware of Bob lately and enjoy looking at him when you are on the floor playing. He is a baby lover and keeps a close eye on you when you're playing. Ephram also likes to join you on the floor so it's really just one big Asher fan club when you're awake! 

You aren't much of a fan of tummy time. That's really the only time you've gotten upset lately...we're slowly working you up to tolerating it. Big brother likes to show you how it's done and cheer you on. 

Your favorite place to be is snuggling up in momma's arms. You are my little cuddle bug for sure! And I don't mind;) I know how quickly this baby stage goes by and I will take all the cuddles I can get! 

You've started to bat at & grasp for objects & momma is trying to work the giggles out of ya. I got a teeny one yesterday when playing with your feet but I can't wait to hear more to go with that precious smile of yours!

Love you to the moon! 

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 :)

 



Mark Asher

 

 

Being that my little Asher man is already one month old, this post is a little delayed but I am imagining that is what being a mommy of two under two will look like.  And I'm ok with that.

 

Mark Asher was born on Saturday, January 25th at 5:07pm.  A healthy chunk, at 8 lb 8oz, and a miracle baby, as the nurses called him.  After delivery we discovered a knot in his cord that was never detected during pregnancy.  By God's grace it stayed loose enough throughout my entire pregnancy that it never created any issues for him. Even in the womb, he was already living up to his name, Mark, which means Warrior. 

 

Many of you known our story behind Ephram's name, and although there was not as much of a "journey" to go along with the name Mark Asher, we pray that it will be a word of truth spoken over his life. 

 

My dad's name is Mark, and he and my mom also named my brother, Mark.  We not only love the meaning behind the name, and pray that Mark Asher will be a mighty warrior in the Lord, but we also love and respect the Mark for whom he was named and pray he will be a man of integrity and wisdom like his Pop.  My dad & brother also have the middle initial of "A" and my brother goes by his middle name, Austin.  We liked the idea of giving this little one a namesake in my father, but of calling him by his middle name, one that would be unique to him.  Enter Asher. Asher means "happy" and although happy is not the first adjective one would use to describe a warrior, we really loved the idea of speaking that over him.  We want him to be a mighty warrior, but also one filled with happiness and joy! Asher is also a tribe of Israel, which we loved because Ephraim, is a tribe and is Ephram's namesake.  Let's be honest, the names Ephram & Asher just fit.  Like peas and carrots. And if the Lord so chooses to bless me with a household of all boys, at least I can pretend like Asher was named after me ;)

 

That is the story behind our little Asher man's name.  We are absolutely in love with him and are so thankful for the gift of his life.  His big brother Ephram is also a huge fan and always has to know where "baby asher" is so he can go give him a hug (or on occasion steal his socks and pacifier).

 

This little man has already lived in two states, traveled cross country, & lived out of suitcases in hotels and friend's houses.  It's been a crazy first month of life, but he has been a champ.  If we are able to find a new home soon & get my big yellow chair back from storage, I hope to start his monthly pictures/write ups soon! 

 

For now, I'll leave you with this cuteness from his newborn session.  :)

 

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. 

26 week bump {baby boy #2}

 

 

It's hard to believe this baby is almost in his third trimester!

 

This mama (thankfully) still has her energy and is able to keep up with a toddling 17 month old. 

 

This little one is still moving around a ton and my belly seems to be getting bigger by the day! 

 

We have lots of new adventures to look forward to around the time this new little one arrives so I am just praying in advance for the grace to just hang on for the ride :)

 

 

Pumpkin Patch

 Yesterday, Ephram & I got to spend the afternoon at a nearby pumpkin patch with friends. 

 

Although, technically it wasn't his first patch, he was probably only about 4-5 months old last year when we went.  This year was able to enjoy it so much more!

 

He saw lots of animals, smelled mums, braved a hay bail & corn maze, picked out pumpkins and probably his favorite, took a hay ride with a tractor pulling us! 

 

It was a crisp fall day, perfect pumpkin patch weather!  And my little munchkin with a sizeable head is actually wearing his dad's beanie in this pictures because *mom fail* I haven't gotten him one for this season yet.  Good thing this kid has a big noggin.

 

 

Ephram & I, with the help of our friends picked out a great pumpkin this year!

 

**Preggo update**

 

I have less than 15 weeks left carrying baby boy #2.  I had full intentions of taking a bump picture around 24 weeks, but that never happened.  Maybe at 26 weeks.  Little mister is growing, and at our ultrasound was measuring in the 85th percentile ((yikes!)).  Here's to hoping he doesn't surpass his big brother's birth weight by too much!  He is a serious mover.  Like, karate kid style.  I may have a big ball of crazy growing in me, but I guess time will tell :)

 

 



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 :)