Do I have anything on my face?

Asher takes after his mama in his love affair with Jason's Deli, more specifically, Jason's Deli's ginger mini-muffins.

He is doing so great with his walking. Each day, he gets more stable and more confident. He is reverting to crawling less and less. We bought him some new shoes . Baby shoes should not cost $42. It was painful to fork over that chunk of change, but I know it is crucial to have proper support so you don't have jacked up feet. Just one more thing he will thank us for later, I'm sure. Like the circumcision.

In Jude news, I went to the doctor today and everything is coming along nicely. I am measuring a week ahead, but that is pretty normal for me. When Dr. Schroeder told me she would see me in 2 weeks, I almost fell off the exam table...I can't believe I am already at the point where I go every 2 weeks now! That is crazy! I did my glucose test where you ahve to drink this super-sugary fruit punch-like stuff and then an hour later, they take your blood. When I took this test with Asher, it sent him into orbit. He was bouncing all over the place. Jude the Dude just went to sleep. I hardly felt him move the whole time I was there. Thankfully, I had just heard his heartbeat, so I knew all was well, but I expected to have a little jumping bean inside me. Apparently it takes a little more than 50 grams if sugar to get him going.

Dear Old Navy,

From now on, you should use models that are actually pregnant for your maternity clothes ads. These girls aren't fooling anyone. It just makes me mad to click on your maternity clothes page and find a bunch of models who maybe overdid it at lunch a little, but are hardly with child. I mean, white maternity pants?

Riiiight.

I want to see some girls who contemplated wearing their maternity shirts backwards because their butts seem to be pregnant too or some girls who all have on flip flops because their feet couldn't be stuffed into anything else, but that still look cute and somewhat comfortable, because those are the clothes that I want to buy right now. What the girls in this picture are suffering from is nothing a laxative and a good pair of Spanx couldn't cure.

Please feel free to contact me for a consultation if you have any further questions.

Warmly,
Jamie Rives

My goodness indeed!

While out running errands today, a man and his wife saw me holding Asher's hand while he walked along.

"Wow...teaching one to walk and another one on the way. My goodness!"

As much as I try to impute the best motives to others when it it is not explicitly clear what they mean, it was pretty clear by his tone that he thought the whole proposition was quite ridiculous.

I just responded with a smile and a "yep!" What this man did not know is that my little boy is beginning to walk which means I will not be 9 months pregnant and lugging around 26 pounds in addition to Jude and all his requisite fluid and that makes me very happy so no little comments or smirks can affect me right now.

So there.

Proof

This is short, but you get the idea. Crawling is still way more efficient when he needs to get somewhere fast, but he is really starting to get the hang of it.

Children's Museum

Yesterday, we met Tye and Josh (and their moms) at the Children's Museum. The boys had a lot of fun exploring the different centers.

Asher and Tye started out by whipping up a little snack in the kitchen.



Then they learned about dental hygiene (or the lack thereof.)



Then it was on to the blocks.



And then a little rock-climbing.



We probably could have saved ourselves the $5 and just let the boys push the stroller around the mall, as that seemed to be one of the more fascinating activities.



I think the trip must have been inspiring because it was this afternoon that Asher decided to begin walking.

The Children's Musuem was a lot of fun, even for a 14 1/2 month old. And it is air-conditioned. That's a big plus.

I will soon back up the claim with video...

...but for now, since this is, sadly enough, Asher's baby book, I will just let it be known that Asher...is...

WALKING!!!!

Yesterday, he was in the middle of the living room and was trying desparately to stand up on his own. After several attempts, he did it and then started walking around the room. It was really strange to see him upright and mobile.

I was afraid he would wake up this morning and forget that he knew how to but he has been splitting it up 50/50 between walking and crawling. I'm very excited!!! He is about a week and a half shy of 15 months but apparently he was just waiting until he could stand up on his own and take off without having to rely on a stationary object to pull up on. Who knew?

Like I said, video will be up at some point today, so relax, Mamaw.

Asher's Baptism

On Sunday, Asher was baptized. It was truly a joy to be able to apply this sign of the covenant to him.

Here are a few of the baptism.


On the left you can see our friends, the Wimberlys. Their daughters were baptized on Sunday as well.




Us and our pastor, Chad Karger. (and Asher's new bear that our friends, the Tans, got for him.)



Us and my parents.



I can't tell you how excited I was that we were able to have Asher baptized. This has been an issue that Kris and I have discussed, studied, and prayed about since before we were married. We have both come a long way and our understanding and conviction has evolved together over the years.

We continue to pray fervently that Asher will be granted faith and repentence, as this baptism does nothing to secure either of those. He must confess with his mouth and believe in his heart that Christ is his savior and only hope.

"He's being too quiet..."

I just finished giving him lunch. He adamently assured me that he was "all done!" Couldn't manage another bite of chicken or canteloupe or yogurt--just stuffed! So I wipe him off and set him on the floor. He gets busy working on his highchair (I'm beginning to think that thing will never be fixed.)

I sneak off--for just a minute!--to go check my email. I usually have about 5.3 seconds to do that before I am busted and have to postpone computer time. But today, several minutes passed. And it was really quiet. Not good.









And this is what I find.

He managed to reach the yogurt I left on his highchair tray and help himself to what he was just too full to polish off earlier.

What makes this all the more funny is that earlier this morning, he approaches me while I am on the phone with no diaper and a not-so-fresh aroma about him. He had taken his diaper off behind the couch and then crawled over to me to finish the job. You will be glad to know there are no pictures of that.

So after a busy day of feeding and changing himself, let's just say naptime cannot come soon enough.

Dangit! This is a freaking "mommy blog" isn't it?

Thanks, Mamaw!

Nothing says "spring" like a pair of plaid shorts so thankfully, Asher's Mamaw bought him a cute new pair!



Think Jude got the shaft because of that whole "not yet born" thing? Think again!



New clothes all around! She even got me a cute new maternity top :)

So where are we going this Saturday, Mamaw?

A John Bunyan Quote for you

Kris reminded me of this quote today. It is one of my favorites from the "uneducated tinker".

"Run, John, run the law commands,
But gives me neither feet nor hands;
Far better news the gospel brings:
It bids me fly; it gives me wings."

Also, please check out Noonday Collection!  It is amazing jewelry handmade by artisans from around the world.  These women are pulling themselves out of poverty by selling their creations and you can be a part of their story!  Style yourself, change the world!

98 Days

I just looked at my ticker and realized we are now in the double digits of days left before Jude is here. I say that with a relative degree of certainty because I don't think my doctor will let me pass my due date. So in 98 days or less, we will, Lord willing, meet the little karate champ. He is way more of a mover and a shaker than Asher was so I'm anxious to see if this translates over into temperment and personality outside of the womb.

Part of the Club

Good news--Jude has a stocking now. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find a cute one for him like Asher's, but thankfully Pottery Barn Kids is still trying to get rid of last year's, so for $5.99, no one gets left out. It should be noted that this is the only preparation that has been made for his arrival.



I find it funny that for someone who has never put up her own tree and would prefer to omit most of the "Christmas traditions" from our lives altogether, I feel the need to make sure everyone has coordinating stockings. While I don't really like the over-commercialized aspects of the holidays, I do like things to match.

The Big Oven

Eureka! I have finally found a website that lets you enter in the ingredients that you have on hand and will generate several recipes based on that.

The Big Oven is a really great site that offers lots of other features that a non-inspired, talentless, procrastinator like me finds very helpful. Just thought I'd pass it on!

14 Months Old

The big guy is 14 months old today (and is even wearing shorts in this picture!) Although I will go to my grave insisting that this IS NOT a "mommy-blog," posts like these sometimes betray that assertion. But I have to record them because this is the closest I've come to starting a baby book. Whenever anyone asks me, "When did Asher start eating solids?" or "When did Asher sit up alone?" my response is always, "I can't remember. I'll have to go back and look at my blog."

Anyway, a few 14 month bits of information:

--still no walking. a few accidental steps here and there, but no real upright mobility just yet.

--he dropped his morning nap a few weeks ago for good so we are down to just the afternoon nap. He wakes up somewhere between 7-7:30 and then takes a 2-2 1/2 hour nap at around 12:30. He goes to bed at around 7:30. I like this little groove we are in and I really hope it lasts.

--the "words" he says now are cracker, mama, daddy, help (alp), ball-baby-banana-bible-bubbles (which are all "ba" so you really have to pay attention to context for that one), dumbo (babo), yogurt (gur), guitar (ta-gah), and he calls himself by the first syllable of his name, but without the "h" on the end. We're working on that one. ***oops--forgot dat (that), apple (ah-puh), hot (ott), car (cah), and out, as in outside (which also sounds like "ott")

--he still weighs about 24 lbs. which is what he has weighed for quite some time. But he is getting really long and he is much more active so I'm not worried.

--he has 11 teeth and the 12th one is presently on it's way up.

--he loves to wash his hands! he rubs them together anytime we pass a sink. it's funny how he made up his own sign for that one.

--he is really into squatting down behind something and popping up and "scaring" us. he says "boo!" and then laughs uncontrollably.

He is so much fun right now, but he wears me out. But it's a good wearing-out. I'm just trying to soak up all the little moments of just me and him because soon there will be two little boys to wear me out :) And I could not be more thankful for that!

A note from Jude

***a clarification first: Obviously, Jude cannot verbally tell us what he wants, so as his mother, I have to sense what he is trying to tell us and then convey it with words as best I can***

"Dear Loved Ones,

I think that I would sleep really well if my mom could rock me in this lovely chair. I know what you are thinking, $849 for a chair and $399 for the matching ottoman seems a little pricey, but can you put a price on the perfect place to bond? I hardly think so.

So if you are so inclined, please head right on over here. My mom will even let you come over and rock me in it sometime.

See you in mid to late July.

All the best,

Jude"

I think that was the gest of what he was saying.

Spring Menu?

I think if I cook one more casserole, I may scream. There was one week recently where everything I cooked required a greased 9x13 and a can of cream of mushroom.

I go this route because I am not gifted in the culinary arts. I mess things up regularly and even though I follow recipes, they never turn out the way that they should. So casseroles end up being my modus operandi for dinner most nights because they are pretty much no-brainers.

But not anymore! I can't do it. Spring is here. I wear skirts and flip-flops. Asher goes barefoot. The grass is green. The flowers are blooming. The pollen count is up. Now is no time for heavy meals.

But now what? What do people eat that isn't hot and full of cheese? I need help. I need some fresh, cool, springy-like recipes that meet the following criteria:

1. A slightly above-average monkey should also be able to make it.
2. It must not have any ingredient that I cannot a) pronounce b) find at H.E.B. and
c) afford.
3. It must have meat because I am married to a committed omnivore.

So, please, please, please email, comment, or write me a long, thoughtful letter on your personal stationery either giving me a recipe or directing me to the appropriate website. I will be most grateful and I will never forget your kindness to me and my family.

I thank you all.

bookworm

We moved most of Asher's toys and books into his room this week. They were all in the living room because that is where we spent most of our time, but it was getting out of hand. Even for me. That is saying something.

So now Asher goes into his room and plays and reads. He will stay in there for quite a while. Most of the playing consists of taking things out of the bins, but he is occupied with non-dangerous items for an extended period of time so it is well worth it. He also loves to go through all of his books, as you can see in the picture above. He loves to spot dogs, guitars, balls, and babies. He points to those things and then says what they are, with the exception of the dog--he makes the puppy-dog sound in that case. My little emergent reader!!!

And yes, he does occasioanlly wear pants, just usually not at home.

The Pig Cup

We all have little quirks, right? I'm sure most people have certain ways of doing things or preferences that might not necessarily be described as "normal" but also don't fall under the category of psychotic or disturbed.

Well, one of my little, endearing, charming quirks is that I like to drink out of plastic cups--soft plastic cups. Not the hard kind and not the disposable kind, but the reusable kind that you might get at a sporting event or something.

When we were in Memphis a few weeks ago, these were the cups that we used at the rehearsal dinner. Seeing what a gem of a cup it was and knowing that we didn't have any of these at our house for some strange reason, I took mine and Kris'. Obviously, the restaurant did not plan on washing these and providing them for the next guests usage, so I took ours home with us and have been enjoying tasty beverages from the pig cup ever since.

And I am mercilessly bereated by my husband for doing so. He will only drink out of actual glasses so the fact that I prefer plastic is appalling to him. I like my pig cup so I don't care what anybody thinks. Asher likes it, too, because he thinks that it has a dog on it. He barks whenever he sees it. I try to tell him that pigs say "oink-oink" (even though they really don't, but that seems to be the conventional sound to teach children regarding pigs.) But I digress...

My point is, I like my Central BBQ pig cup and I must say, my drinks taste better when I use it.

Kris--accept the pig cup. It is here to stay.

Ketchup

We visited a church one time where they were apparently behind on their budget so their brilliant solution was to launch a "ketchup" campaign so everyone could "catch-up" on their giving. Everyone was issued red ketchup squirt bottles to fill with money and bring back the following Sunday. They even had guys walking around in huge ketchup costumes...you know, like the ones in the book of Acts.

Well, there are no costumes or little red squeeze bottles here, but I do need to play a little catch-up.


Last week, we went to the zoo with Patti and her kids. Asher and Hudson are about the same age. The animals were nice, but getting freed from the stroller to play in the leaves was the highlight of their trip, I think.



Notice the awesome "ta-gah" on Asher's shirt that his Mamaw got for him.

Later that week, we attended The Woman's Hospital of Texas NICU reunion. We missed it last year so we decided we should go, just to see if it is worth it to go each year. It was kind of a bummer because we didn't see anyone that we knew or any of the nurses that took care of Asher. But the good part was that there wasn't one baby in there that looked like he or she started out life in intensive care. Next year, it might be at the Children's museum and if that's the case, we'll go.



Next up was Josiah's first birthday party. We had a to get a few "Tye-Josiah-Asher" pictures now that they are all big one year olds.



Here they are about a year ago--my how they've grown!


(Josiah, Asher, Tye)


Can you spot the birthday boy in the picture below?



Since it was Saturday, Kris was at work at Second doing his audio thing. Asher and I decided to be productive and get some housework done. We started in the living room. The before...



and the after...



My special cleaning helper abandoned me half way through the job to attend to an urgent highchair repair.



Hopefully, the straps are working just fine now.

Then we moved on to the kitchen. The before...




and the after...


This was the only picture that didn't come out too dark, but trust me when I tell you, the rest of it was spic and span.

Regrettably, I was abandoned again by my special cleaning helper during the process. This is where I found him as I was finishing up...



He had some reading to catch up on, so I let him do what he needed to do.

After that, I was wiped out so that ended the cleaning frenzy.

And that catches you up. Sad, right? No blogging for almost a week and that's all you missed. But if anything exciting does happen, I'll be sure to let you know.