A little Thursday randomness

Can I just tell you...

--I hate it when shirts come with extra buttons and thread. That is a red flag that, to me, means "this button will fall off at any moment." Just sew them on better and keep your stupid little baggie with the button in it.

--If you do a google search for "dumbo lovey blanket," this blog will be the fourth on the list.

--Ari is taking Asher's one year pictures next week and I am very excited about that!

--Asher's favorite word is "cracker." He says it all day long and really clearly, too. So we've been working on saying "brother" because if you can say "cracker," you can say "brother."

--I found my Bella Band! I lost it a few days ago and have been tearing the house apart looking for it! Now the number of pants that I can wear has gone back up.

--The song "Hey Jude" has been in my head all day long.

--We are going to see Matchbox Twenty tonight! I'm VERY excited! Mutemath is with them. I've never heard them before but I hear they are awesome. I'll let you know.

--We bought a paper shredder and my new favorite thing to do is shred junk mail.

OK, enough randomness for one day. I have to go sew a button on the shirt I want to wear tonight!

What the?

Are you guys voting for "Kristopher Kevin Rives, Jr." because you like it or because you hate Judah? Because honestly, that last one was a joke. I expected one vote for that from a certain person's husband who likes to be the dissenter on my polls.

Seriously--Junior? Maybe you should take another look at that FIRST ONE!!!

And just to clarify, he would go by Jude. (or junior, depending on how the poll goes.)

It's a...

We are thrilled to announce that we are having a little boy! It has been a memorable and exhausting day, and I'm too tired to type it all now, but just know that he is healthy and right on track. More later :)

Here's a quick little video that they shot in 3-D.



It's like he's saying, "I love it in here! I will stay in here longer than Brother did!"

And thanks to Kathy for reminding me of the "cat picture" in our last "It's a boy" post.

My Little Hobby

So I've decided to share with you all a little hobby of mine. This is something that I really enjoy doing and were it not for an over-saturated market and a slight inferiority complex, I might try to take this whole thing beyond hobby status. I like to design invitations, photo greetings, thank you notes, birth announcements, etc. I've got a lot to learn, but it is fun and I've really enjoyed making them.

Here are a few that I have created.

Asher's birthday invitation


Birth announcement 1


Birth announcement 2


Last year's Christmas card


Chrismas card 2


Shower invitation


Fall greeting



Just thought I'd share :)

"But don't you want to be surprised?"

I was surprised. About 15 weeks ago. Two pink lines...surprise! That's what I say to you "oh, we're not finding out what we're having" people.

I'm ready to know and the big ultrasound is this Tuesday! We are super excited to find out what we are having mainly because it gets rather tedious saying "he or she" or "him or her" or "the new baby" each time we refer to "him or her" (see what I mean.)

I think we have a girl name selected, as of last night. Boy name is still up in the air. If we are having a girl, her name will be Caroline. Not sure about a middle name yet.

According to several websites, Caroline means "joy" or "song of happiness" depending on which language you use. We think that fits in well with the theme we are trying to perpetuate. Or it could mean "manly" because it could be considered the feminine of Charles. We're gonna go with the former and just forbid her from playing softball (I'm kidding all you sportsy girls out there!)

Boy names are way harder, I think. Kris and I are still discussing our options. I think I like Judah, which means "praise." We could call him Jude, which I think is adorable. But Kris said we might as well just go with Jude if that is what we are going to call him. ButI kind of like doing a whole "tribes of Israel" thing. Not that we are planning on having 12 sons! I mean, "Reuben Rives?" or "Naphtali Rives?" I don't think so.

Either way, we are so excited to welcome this new baby into our family! I've enjoyed my boy SO MUCH! But girls look pretty fun, too. I'd say this is a win/win.

Nap Time

Taken when I was getting 2 hours of sleep at a time and would never have posted about how tired I am because he is sleeping through the night but only taking short naps.

Do you know what I would do if someone put me in my bed in the afternoon and told me to go to sleep? Kiss them and then go to sleep is what I would do.

Asher sees the world differently though. Nap time has always been a precarious thing at our house. He started out not a great sleeper at all. Then we moved to a great sleeper at night, not so much during the day. Then we went to sleeping great at night and taking a 3 hour nap. Then back to great nights, short naps. Now we are at wake up at 5:45 ready for the day and them take a 30 minutes afternoon nap and call that sufficient sleep.

Granted, he is teething right now. Normally, if he wakes up too early (like before 6:45 am) then he just gets to have a little private meditation time in his bed. But since he is teething, I am cutting him a little slack. He is whiny and clingy, which is very unlike him, so I know that he not feeling great. I'm very grateful that the Lord has given us teeth, but they are kind of a hassle as they come in.

But like right now, I just laid him is his bed for his afternoon nap. He still takes 2 naps most days. Sometimes I think he is ready to go to one (which ideally would be a really long one, but it never is) but then he changes his mind and acts like he still needs two of them. So anyway, I put him down at 1:30 and it is now 1:49 and he just fell asleep. He cried for 19 minutes off and on. He doesn't do it every time, but by now, shouldn't he see the whole nap thing coming and just go with it?

So any napping wisdom that anyone would like to pass on this way is welcomed. You know, the tried and true, works everytime for every kid secret that makes your baby sleep 13 hours at night and take a 3 hour nap..without the use of Benadryl, preferably.

googled again

a few more of the interesting Google searches that have brought people here...

grace for an 80th birthday lunch
grace to you pics
how much do pharmacy tech. make at walmart
one year check up
Retirement Cake remarks
pappasitos steak fajitas
"little sack of sugar", song

I must say I am honored that a search for Pappasitos would bring someone here. Whoever you are, I hope you went there and thought of me as you enjoyed the sheer bliss that is a fajita from the 'Sitos.

What's in a name?

I never used to think much about what names meant. I knew that in the Bible, a person's name was very significant, that it basically told a short, one-word story about that person. But today? It isn't often that you hear someone's name and then nod knowingly, as if they have just revealed their character or destiny to you.

Now, for the most part, parents just pick what they like. When I was pregnant with Asher, I tossed around all sorts of names that had been on my unofficial name list for a while. I couldn't have told you what any of them meant. But then Kris suggested the name Asher, which he told me meant "happy." The meaning is actually what sold me on the name. I really liked the thought of giving him a name which would hopefully describe his personality. Boy does it ever!

Now don't get me wrong. That child has his moments for sure! Kris and I joke to each other when he is in the midst of a whine or freak-out fest "is he always this happy?" because that is what we hear all the time from people. The answer is of course "no!" He is not always happy, but the usual tone of his disposition is.

He smiles and waves at most people he encounters, strangers and friends alike. He belly laughs when he gets tickled or startled. He talks and sings all day long, to me and to himself. He reads to himself and puts the book down for a moment to fully take in the joke he apparently just came across. He will pause his moment of utter despair to show you his tongue or tell you what the puppy-dog says and then return to the fit.

So I think that there is something to this name thing. Granted, I am basing this hypothesis on the results of an incredibly small test group, but still...I feel a little pressure now. Should we name this baby "Asher II" or "Asherina" a la George Foreman? That would probably get a little confusing.

Any name I like now has to pass the "meaning" test. And since I am very picky about names, this cuts the list of possibilities way down. The criteria is not too trendy, preferably not on the top 100 list, nothing starting with "Ky" or ending with "ly", no friends with that name, and now, must mean something positive. Ugh. This will be a challenge.

Any ideas?

Where's the love?

Just wanted to pass this on...



Not saying you have to leave me comments, but what kind of message does it send when you don't? I'm just saying.

Happy Valentines Day!

Wha' sho name?


My name is Asher Rives, but as you can see by this bib I'm wearing...


I'm taken!


Sorry, ladies.


Update: I'm reconsidering after checking out this vision of loveliness.

birthday pictures taken with a good camera

Bethany came through in a big way! Her pictures are so good. You can go HERE if you would like to browse through them.

The Par-tay

On Saturday, we threw Asher a little birthday party. It was a very fun day and I am so thankful that Asher has so many people in his life who love him and came out to celebrate with us!

The day started out not so fun though. I went out that morning to run a few last minute errands. In very un-Jamie like fashion, everything was taken care of with the exception of picking up the cake and some drinks from HEB and the balloons from the party store. I went to HEB first. I was so excited to see the cake. I brought them one of the invitations so they could refer to it because the "1" design on that was what I wanted on the cake.

The lady at the counter went and got my cake and lifted the box lid so I could see it. It was awful! My first thought was "retirement party cake" The lettering was in this really small script and the "1" was not at all what I requested. I was not pleased. So what so you do when you are 16 weeks pregnant and you think the cake you ordered for your baby's first birthday is ugly? Correct--you cry.

Right there at the HEB Bakery. In front of the cake decorator and the manager who has come over to see what is wrong. Through tears, I try to explain what I want and why I left an invitation in the first place. I also try to explain why I am crying. They just look at me like I have lost it--which I have.

The manager tells me that they will re-decorate it and that he will make it look more "kid-like" and less "80th birthday like." So I pull myself together and thank them for their willingness to help me out. I come back 30 minutes later and they have sort of fixed it.



It was much better, but still not what I had envisioned. I need to quit envisioning things. That never turns out well for me.

But cake drama aside, the party was great. The absolute highlight was watching Asher eat his cake. It was priceless! That boy gorged himself. He was shoveling cake into his mouth like no one I have ever seen. Here was the progression...

I think Bethany got some better pictures with her camera so I will post some of those when I get them. What did people do before digital cameras? I can't remember either.

Just for reference, here is the before...



and here is the after...




So after the bath, it was time to open presents! Let me just tell you--he got some good stuff!










We even had a special present-opening assistant named Kaitlyn. I highly recommend using one at your next birthday party.

After everyone left, Asher played in the Wonderland of toys for a while and then took a "coming off the sugar high" nap. It was much needed!

So HEB cake issues aside, this was the perfect first birthday and I am so grateful for that little boy whom we came together to celebrate!

Sweet Little One Year Old

I love these pictures! Look at those sweet little chubby hands! And you can't tell in this shot, but he is wearing the most adorable first birthday outfit, on loan to us by Hilary (thanks again, Hil!) It has a little cupcake on it with one candle. So precious! I need to dress him in outfits like this more. (Kris would beg to differ.)

Happy Birthday Asher Owen!

Our baby turns one today! If he would have come when we expected him to, he would be 10 1/2 months now. But God is the one who ordains what day we will be born and for Asher, He planned February 7, 2007, much to our surprise.

I will never forget this day. At this time last year, I had just settled into a hospital bed after being told that he would be delivered by c-section some time in the afternoon. He was born at 2:05 pm and weighed 4 lb. 13 oz. and was 16 1/2 inches long. This is the one time in life when a 20 lb. weight gain in one year is a good thing!

Here is a trip down Memory Lane. It's been a really, really good year.

Newborn


One Month


Two Months


Three Months


Four Months


Five Months


Six Months


Seven Months


Eight Months


Nine Months


Ten Months


Eleven Months


One Year!

He likes to eat!

Asher enjoys the tortillas from Lupe's! And the chicken. So he pretty much ate fajitas for lunch and we could not be more proud!




We also make sure he gets his 5 servings a day of fruit and veggies (or at least close to that.) Here he demonstrates how strawberries are both tasty and fascinating. Of course we are at Jason's Deli. One of the managers there even knows Asher by name.


Calcium is really important, too. So he got to try a little ice cream. He was a fan.



I didn't get a picture of this, but last night we were at some friends house for a Super Bowl Party and Asher encountered their cat. He has never seen a cat before so I thought he'd be a little freaked out. Nope. He crawled right over to it and started petting it. Thankfully, it is a tolerant cat. Then he started barking at it. We think he thought is was a dog. We've been trying to teach him what the kitty-cat says for a while now, but only the dog sound has appealed to him.

Also, we have reached another milestone. We bid a fond farewell to bottles and formula as of this morning. Asher had no problem relinquishing that disgusting-smelling formula in favor of organic whole milk. I gave it to him in a sippy cup yesterday just to see how it would go. He loved it! So this morning, I decided we are done with bottles and he seems to be fine with that. What is funny is that he just started to say "ba-ba"(bottle) when he woke up in the mornings. Oh well. BTW, he is also saying "cracker" and "go-guh" (yogurt) pretty well now. Since I totally dropped the ball on baby-signing, it is good he is learning to talk.

I think the fact that he is leaving behind so many "baby" traits would be much harder if I wasn't about to do it all over again in a few months. Everytime I start to get a little nostalgic about all the things he used to do and now doesn't, I remind myself to enjoy the break because it's about to be deja vu all over again.

Teething Trauma

Asher has been a phenomenal teether. The first 8 came in with very little fanfare. The most that ever happened was that he would wake up once during the night, we would give him some Teething Tablets and some water and he would fall right back to sleep.

And then it happened. Incisors.

Those little teeth have kicked all of our butts. Asher ran a fever (his first one ever) and was whiny and clingy and wouldn't eat. When the child made by a Rives and a Bobbitt won't eat, something is terribly wrong.

He is usually such a happy, easy baby that I was really worried about the way he was acting, not to mention the 103 degree fever. At first, I thought he picked up something at the doctor's office the other day. But then my mom mentioned how cutting the canine teeth is really hard on babies. I checked his mouth and I could see the teeth just below the gums. I hated that he was hurting so much, but I was relieved that it wasn't a virus or something.

He is much better today. He woke up twice last night. The first time I gave him some Tylenol, but the second time, he fussed for a few minutes and then got himself back to sleep. He woke up happy and ate a good breakfast so I think we are on the road to recovery. Of course, the teeth aren't all the way through yet, so this may have just been Round 1. Thank the Lord for Infant Tylenol!