Asher James: Three Months

The month of December has flown by and I can't believe we have a 3 month old already but my how our love for our little A man has grown. He really is such laid back and pleasant baby, just taking the in the world one day at a time.

We didn't have an official 3 month check up with the doctor but did have a couple of visits this month due to pesky coughs and colds and while we were there he weighed in at 14lbs 12oz. With having an older sibling Asher has unfortunately already had a cough and a cold at 3 months of age, there is nothing worse than seeing your little baby all stuffed up and congested and not being able to do much for them. Other than the mentioned cold Asher is one healthy and solid baby boy. He is still sleeping really well; he goes down around 8pm and will sleep until 6am, eats and goes back to sleep until 9am so no complaints from me. We did transition him to his crib over Christmas week and it didn't phase him in the slightest, like I said he's a really laid back baby. He is still in our room for now, we just weren't ready to part yet :)

During the day he has awake time for anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours. During that time he enjoys being read to (Little Blue Trucks Christmas was his favorite this Christmas season and would break into a huge smile when the lights twinkled on the last page), loves being talked to and sung to (Rudolf the Reindeer was a huge hit), kicks around on his gym, sits in my lap and plays with toys and quite possibly his most favorite activity is to watch big brother Chase zoom around the playroom at 100 miles per hour. It really is the most heartwarming thing to see their relationship develop. As soon as Chase shows Asher any kind of attention Asher lights up and starts cooing, which amuses Chase to no end. Little A man is still kicking butt with tummy time and has started to do mini push ups (working on those biceps for the summer by the pool). It seemed as if he was going to roll from tummy to back this month but it hasn't happened.

We have really found our groove with the two boys now and have fully adopted a new schedule and routine. I can barely remember what it was like just having one child at this point. Each day is non stop from the moment we wake up until we get back into bed, but with that comes so much fun and endless hugs and kisses from our little A man, or Ashey as Chase calls him.

Turkey Day 2014

Snow on the ground, lots of food, and being surrounded with family is what make a great Thanksgiving, and a great Thanksgiving we had and we got to host in our new house. My Dad, Jen and siblings all came over and we had a wonderful time. It was a team effort with the cooking and we had quite a feast; turkey, ham, potatoes, stuffing, rolls and a bunch of veggies. I have to say it was hands down the best turkey I've made to date. 

It was an extra special Thanksgiving this year with it being the first with Asher. I love getting to dress them up in holiday attire and his turkey shirt was exceptionally cute. Chase was so excited to see everyone and he loves to play with Uncle Davey and Aunt Naomi. By the time they left he was completely exhausted and crashed the second his head hit the mattress.

We really do have so much to be thankful for this year; our two healthy and unbelievably cute boys, our new beautiful house that we own (no more paying rent!), our family that spoils the boys and are always there for us, the best friends we could ask for, and James having a stable job that allows me to stay home and raise the boys. I never take any of these things for granted but it is nice to take a day and really focus on giving thanks and spending time with those with love.

Now time to go indulge on some apple pie and ice cream...

Asher James: 2 Months

 

The days are certainly flying by taking care of this little cutie but there is nothing else I'd rather be doing. I thought for sure we would have a high maintenance, non sleeping child after having it so easy with Chase, but it seems like we lucked out again and Asher is following in his big brother's foot steps; this boy loves his sleep, and I love him for that :) We have a great bedtime routine down; the boys get a bath together which is so much fun to watch, then bottle, storytime, swaddle and bed. Usually both boys are in bed by 8pm, sometimes Chase gets to stay up a little later. I feed Asher at 11pm before I go to bed and he then sleeps until 5/5:30am, eats and goes back to bed until 8:30pm. Not a bad schedule at all.

One of Asher's favorite activities is to sit on my lap and have a conversation, granted it's pretty much one sided but he enjoys it and frequently speaks his mind with an 'ooo' or an 'ahh'. He lights up when I sing to him, of course it could also be him laughing at me but if it keeps him smiling I'll keep doing it.

I love that I get to be home with our little A man and not miss a single moment with him. 

Trick or Treat

I'm usually not a huge fan of Halloween, it's not something we really celebrated growing up and I don't feel like I missed out on anything to be honest. This year was different, now Chase is old enough to start understanding different holidays and events I'm all about it, because who doesn't like to dress up their kid and hop them up on sugar?

I had a hard time deciding on what to do for costumes as not only did we have Chase to dress up, but also Asher and of course thanks to my OCD they HAD to coordinate. Chase is obsessed with Paw Patrol and they had costumes in his size but not for Asher, so that will have to wait for another year. My SIL bought Asher and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle sleeper and so that decided our costumes for this year, so thanks Anita :) Asher was Michaelangelo and Chase was Leonardo. Of course James was thrilled with the choices as it took him back to his childhood, and I do have many memories of playing with my brothers turtle figurines.

I know I'm biased but I have to say the boys looked exceptionally adorable in their get up.

We decided Chase was old enough to go trick or treating this year and consume some candy so we set out around 6pm, pumpkin bucket in his hand and an adult beverage in ours;) I thought Chase would last maybe 5 hours and we would be forcing him to go up to people's doors. Boy was I wrong! We had to have hit about 20 houses and even at 8:15pm as I was having to carry him home as he was so tired he was asking, "more houses Mummy, more lights, lets go."

An added bonus was we met a family that moved into the neighborhood in February and they have a little boy who is only 2 days older than Chase and he has a little brother that can be a buddy for Asher! She also stays home with her kids so we plan on getting them together soon.

It was a great first trick or treatin' with Chase and we have enough candy to last us until next year!

Asher James: One Month

I thought time flew by when Chase was a newbie, I can't even keep up with what day it is now that there are two little ones running my day, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

I'm not going to lie I was little nervous, wondering if it was possible to love two little ones so much and I can tell you it is totally possible. Asher has us completely smitten, just like his big brother did. Overall it has been a fairly easy adjustment and we have Asher to thank for that. He came home sleeping 3 hour stretches at night and will happily hang out in the swing or bouncy chair on and off throughout the day while I wrangle Chase. Part of me feels guilty not being able to give Asher the one on one attention Chase received but I've learnt to take full advantage of Chase's 2 to 3 hour nap and let Asher snuggle on me all he wants. It also forces me to put my feet up for a while. The only time Asher seems to cry is when he is hungry, other than that he is content watching his big brother run all around him. Speaking of big brother, Chase has done exceptionally well to the changes in our house and always runs to make sure his little brother is ok when he hears Asher crying. He also kisses Asher goodnight which melts my heart. I can't wait to watch the relationship develop between the two of them. I hope they are as good a friends as David and I were growing up.

James returned back to work after taking 2 weeks off and we are back in the full swing of our normal playdates and outings and loving life as a family of 4.

Welcome to the world Asher James!

I never thought Asher's birth day would get here but we made it! The night before the morning of the csection was worse than Christmas Eve as a child; I think I slept for an hour and a half at most. We had to be at the hospital for 6am which meant leaving the house at 5:15am, between not sleeping, getting up so early, and feeling nervous, excited and worried about leaving Chase I felt sooo sick. Thankfully once we got settled into our room my nerves calmed down and I was just excited about meeting Asher.

All of the doctors and nurses involved in the birth of Asher were wonderful. They kept me calm, joked around with us and made a special moment in our lives that much better. The csection went extremely well and the pain and pressure of the surgery was less than with Chase which was a nice surprise. As soon as Asher entered this world at 8:45am on September 26th 2014, he let out some of the biggest cries I've ever heard, such a joyous sound though. We all had a huge shock when Asher was put on the scale and it read 9lbs!!!!! James asked what unit they were measuring in as he didn't possibly think we could have a 9lb baby lol. I say all the more cheeks to pinch!!!! He measured 21.5 inches long. We delivered at Paoli hospital this time and we were so excited that we were allowed to have a camera in the OR and that they let me hold Asher immediately (with assistance) which I never got to do with Chase. James also got to cut the cord this time around.

Our first visitor was big brother Chase, and he has been a champ with all of the changes that have come his way. Though he has yet to hold Asher it is evident that he loves him. Chase was a little put off when he first came to the hospital and saw me hooked up to machines and IV's in my arm but got better with each day that he came to visit me. By the second day he was wanting to watch Asher in his bassinet and laughed at all the noises his baby brother made. By the third day he was showing Asher his toys and was wanting to sit next to him. Now that we have been home for a few days he has really stepped up as a big brother. He likes to help give Asher his bottle, put the paci in Asher's mouth when he is crying, cover him up with blankets and even gave Asher his balloon, which if you know Chase speaks volumes. Chase did have a really rough time when I was in the hospital in that he wouldn't sleep or eat. I felt terrible and one night barely slept as I was so worried about him. James, Mom and Bill did an amazing job of taking care of him while I was in the hospital but I was so relieved to get home and comfort him.

 

I thought the day flew by when it was just Chase, boy now I blink and it's lunch time and then before I know it it's time for Chase to have a bath. It's been extremely hard not picking Chase up but thankfully James is home for 2 weeks and it's been so nice having the opportunity to form our new family. I was a little nervous about how chaotic it would be adding a second child but so far things have been going smoothly, though I'm sure once James heads back to work the chaos will hit. Asher eats every 2.5 hours during the day and every 3 to 4 hours at night. The past 2 nights he has done a 4 hour stretch from midnight to 4am which I am loving. Having a non reflux baby after a reflux baby is a huge change. We couldn't put Chase down period. Asher will sleep the day away in his swing or bouncy seat which has also helped make the transition easier, and gives us a chance to give Chase some one on one time.

I have been feeling well considering I had surgery less than a week ago. I tried cutting the painkillers out today but that wasn't a good idea, so I'll keep up on them for the next few days. My energy is usually on empty by the time Chase goes down to bed and I feel like I was hit by a truck, but again par for the course. I def can't wait to get to the point where I can lift Chase again and feel like a human again.

Asher has only been in our lives for 6 days but we love him so much already. He loves to snuggle up into my neck and I have to say I love it just as much as he does. We can't wait to see his little personality develop but we are soaking up this short time of him being a newborn. We are so thankful that we have been blessed with 2 healthy adorable boys.

 

Chase Patrick: Officially 2

Stop the clock! How do we have a 2 year old already?! I feel like it was just a couple of months ago that we celebrated his first birthday, granted this year has been crazy busy with many play dates, expecting baby #2 and buying a house but still.....

It has been pure joy to watch our little boy develop and grow over the past 12 months. He has lost any last little bit of baby that clung to him and he is now a full on little boy. Constantly running, bumping his knees and trying to give me a heart attack are all daily requirements he must meet. I am beyond blessed to still be a stay at home mum and not have to miss out on all the big things (first steps, first words etc) and all the little things in between. Both Chase and I appreciate James making this possible more than we can ever express. I can't imagine spending my day any other way than teaching and loving our little boy.

Stats:   weight 24lbs 8oz (10th percentile), height 34 1/4 inches (55th percentile) , so while he seems to never stop eating and is growing he is a smaller 2 year old which I find hilarious seeing he still has rolls on his thighs and wrists. Chase got fitted for a helmet back in January for a flat spot that had developed on his head due to his torticollis. He wore it 23 hours a day until April time and then just for nap and bedtime until the beginning of June. At that point we (us and the dr) were satisfied with the progress and change in his head shape that we decided to stop treatment. He now has a very nice round head :) He was such a trooper wearing that thing. I don't know how he slept in that but he did. I'm just thankful he got to stop wearing it before the summer hit as he would sweat like non other in it.

Sleep:
Thank goodness Chase is STILL a good sleeper. He has been such an easy child in this department that I feel we are really in for it with baby #2. We have a pretty set bedtime routine and I think that really helps. We usually head upstairs around 7:45pm for bath time, followed by run around crazy time and jump all over Daddy for a little while. I love sitting and watching them go nuts together and do 'boy' things. Once Chase has gotten his last bit of energy out we head to his room for story time which is usually 3 to 4 books of his choosing. Lately his favorites are 'If You Give a Mouse a Cookie', 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar', any of his Thomas the train books and 'Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site'. After lots of hugs and kisses it's time to turn on nightlight turtle, sleep sheep and the house is quiet. At night he sleeps a solid 11 to 12 hours and during the day his naps average around 3 hours so no complaints here!

Social: Last fall I made a huge effort to get us involved in some kind of regular activities to get us out of the house and for Chase to interact with other kids seeing that he doesn't get that kind if interaction through a daycare. We started attending story time and music time once a week at our local library and they have both been wonderful activities for him. Story time is by far his favorite (might have something to do with the bunny puppet) and I have seen a huge difference in his interaction during that time from last fall to now. Before he was always in my lap and not wanting to leave it, now he quite happily sits on the floor next to his friends and will willingly go up and get bean bags and other items from the librarian. He also will follow along with whatever actions are being done with a certain song now.
It is at the library that we meet some of our closest friends. Turns out not only did they live in our same neighborhood but on the same street! Through them we met a few more Mum's and kids in our neighborhood and have really created a fantastic little playgroup. We usually see a handful of them once or twice a week whether it be at a play date at one of our houses, a community activity or a field trip (the pool, horse farm, strawberry picking) one of us has planned. Chase has become such a social child thanks to these friends we have made and for a 2 year old shares pretty well with others. The only down side is he never wants anyone to leave as he has so much fun playing with them.
We did put Chase in swimming lessons last fall and while he enjoyed being in the water we temporarily put the lessons on hold as wasn't learning too much with the age he was. Now that he is a little older the plan is start up again with those but it probably won't happen until the new year.

Diet: This is another area in which Chase has been incredibly easy. He will eat pretty much anything and everything we give him. That includes vegetables (they are usually the first to disappear off of his plate), meat and fruit. These are the few things he won't eat: sweet potatoes, bananas (unless James is eating one then he is all about it), and eggs aren't his favorite but if I make up an omelet with lots of zucchini and tomatoes in it I can usually get him to eat it. He eats 3 solid meals a day and 2 snacks in between with 2 sippy cups of milk (morning and evening) and water during the day.

Skills/Milestones: Wow I don't even know where to begin, this is the area Chase has changed the most of the past year. At his first birthday he cruising the furniture but didn't fully walk by himself until January, 15 1/2 months old. I feel like he went to full on running pretty soon after that, now he NEVER walks, typical boy I guess :) One of his favorite activities is to race around with any of his ride on toys as fast as he can, trying to hit Cisco along the way....poor dog!
The past month or so he has started to try to jump, though it looks more like an old man hobbling along but cute none the less and I'm sure he will master that skill any day now.
I don't really remember when the climbing started, maybe around 18 months? but he can't get up on all of the furniture now and thinks it's funny to climb up onto the kitchen table to get either mine or James cell phone.
Talking has always been Chase's strongest skill and it's amazing to me how much he can say. 'No' of course is still a favorite word of his but I love the way he says 'yessssss'. Family members names he has down; Mummy, Daddy, used to say Kiko for Cisco but now has shortened his name to 'Woof' (the best is when he actually yells 'Woof' because Cisco is doing something he shouldn't be), Mom (Mom Mom)  Pop (Pop Berry) and 'Oo-oo" for Grandma Oo-oo. Other random words; pee, duck & quack, bird, tizzer (tigger from Pooh), Toma (Thomas the Train), bllooon (balloon), hide, beep beep, truck, trash truck, vroom, turle (turtle), milk, circle, and the list goes on. He has also been putting together basic sentences like, 'I want (insert object)', 'I see (insert person)', 'I bring (insert object)'.
Even though he doesn't say the name he knows all of the basic colors and shapes if asked to point them out. This next year our focus is going to be letters and numbers. He can point out and say all body parts.

Favorites: playing with Cisco. When Daddy gets home from work. Playing any kind of pretend whether its fixing his toys with his tools, pretend cooking or playing doctor with his stuffed animals. Making his trucks crash and fall off of any kind of ledge. Balloons, balloons and more balloons, you will always find more than one balloon in our house at any give time. His blankie. His toy guitar and signing songs to me and Cisco. Finding any kind of buy or animal outside. Being read to. Laurie Berkner on repeat.

Baby Asher: 38 Weeks

 

I was far too pregnant aka lazy this week to take a photo by myself, so Leona gets to make a guest appearance on the bump update :)
How far along: 38 weeks! I really didn't think I would make it this far. It's the last updated before he is in our arms
Gender: BOY
Baby's heartbeat: 140's
Weight gain: 25lbs
Maternity clothes: Absolutely
Stretch marks: Yes, my stomach will never be seeing daylight again
Belly button in or out: It depends on the day and how Asher is lying
Sleep: Now that I've been taking Benadryl at night I sleep like a champ
Best moment this week: Confirming the time of our csection. We actually got bumped to earlier in the day so now we get to meet Asher a few hours earlier than we thought
Miss anything: I miss feeling human. Everything aches and hurts. Trying to enjoy these last couple of days being pregnant but I'm far too excited to meet him

Movement: He's still active but he is running out of room so it's slowed down a little

Cravings: I can't seem to drink enough at this point

Queasy or sick: Nope all good in this department

Looking forward to: Getting to meet our son in 3 days. It feels surreal but we are so excited to start life as a family of 4.

Birthday Week Celebrations

HAPPY BIRTHDAY little man!!!!
It is official, we have a 2 year old on our hands! I can't believe our sweet little boy has been in our lives for 2 years already, what a blessing he is to us. As always we have 'birthday week' in our house because as far as I'm concerned one day just isn't enough time to celebrate those we love the most.
We had a busy but such a fun week; apple picking with Mom Mom and Pop Berry, a day out with Thomas, birthday cake pancakes and presents, and we even got to spend time with some of our best friends. Here is the week recapped in photos: