The Forbes Family

Grayson Year One

2012-01-28T13:33:00.001-05:00

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2011-12-04T17:58:00.001-05:00

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3 years -- CLG

2010-10-13T22:36:00.004-04:00

It's been three years. Three years since one of the most incredible people I've ever known has left this earth. We weren't friends for all that long, but he was one of "those people." The kind of people that attract others like magnets with their personalities. He was always happy, fun to be around. He was a great friend to talk to, a great friend to laugh with.

But he was sick.

And as much as he tried to hide the true magnitude of his illness away from us, we knew he was sick.

Cystic Fibrosis.

He's the reason I became an organ donor. One of, if not the last, texts I received from him was asking me if I was a donor. I wasn't then, but I am now.

When I look back at pictures and think of memories it makes me so happy that I got to know him. But at the same time, like a slap in the face, it makes me remember that I wasn't there for him at the end of his life. I got married, I had a baby. I was in my own little happy world. I was oblivious. And it kills me that I wasted those last few months. Why didn't I call more? Why didn't I try and visit? I'll probably always have that regret. This is me atoning to it.

I miss my friend, I wish I had been a better one. Chris, you meant a lot. You still do. Rest in peace my friend.

Fall Hayride

2009-10-25T03:49:00.002-04:00

On Friday night we went to White's Old Mill Garden Center, a local plant nursery, for their haunted house (pirate ship) and hayride. I didn't expect it to be that busy of an activity because it wasn't well advertised, but when we pulled in the parking lot was packed. As soon as we walked into the building Asher started asking for popcorn, his latest obsession. I was surprised he remembered since we'd only been there once before. After we grabbed some popcorn we got in line for the hayride. They had two tractors going, so the line moved pretty quickly. They even passed out glow stick necklaces to all the kids in line. It was not only Asher and Isla's first hayride, but mine also. After the hayride we walked through the haunted pirate ship and then let Asher get his face painted. Overall it was a great (free) event, too bad we won't be living here next year.

Family Togetherness

2009-10-25T03:27:00.002-04:00

We have been trying to make an effort to spend more quality time together as well as engage Asher more creatively. So we've been going to the park a lot to let him run off energy. We've also been doing a lot of arts and crafts to focus that energy. We've been taking daily walks (even in the rain) and we've even started family game night.

Asher has been attached to his rain coat and boots. In fact his favorite shoes right now are his rain boots. If he could wear them every day, he would.

We took Isla to her first movie a few weekends ago. We went to Cinema Cafe and saw the new Ice Age movie. She "loved" it, and by loved it I mean she fussed a good deal until she fell asleep. At least Asher enjoyed it.

Asher and daddy made party hats one night while I was cooking dinner. Asher has been asking for a birthday, so this was for him.

Photography Equipment

2009-10-25T03:08:00.002-04:00

Every October we get part of Stephen's reenlistment bonus, this year I got to buy myself a couple of new lenses for my DSLR camera. A couple days later I came across a posting on Craigslist for some studio style photography equipment, so I had Stephen call to see if it was still available. He called at the perfect time, because the woman had had someone else just fall through on coming to buy it, so she offered it to us instead. We wasted no time and went immediately to pick it up. The listing had been for $250, but she knocked it down to $220 once we got there. I ended up with a 3 light set complete with umbrella deflectors. And also a backdrop stand and two rolls of 107 x 12 savage paper. Everything was brand new and factor sealed with the invoices from Adorama, totaling more than $400 and bought within the last 6 months.

I had to test out my new photography studio setup, so I need a little photoshoot with the kids. I've also offered to shoot some pictures for some friends to build up my portfolio. Eventually I want to start doing this professionally, so this investment will have paid off.

Homemade Toddler Crayons

2009-10-25T02:53:00.004-04:00

Ever wonder what to do with all those crayons you get at restaurants? Make toddler crayons of course! I'd seen this mentioned in a couple different places, so we finally decided to try it out.

Stephen and I started by removing the paper from the crayons.

Then we broke them into little pieces. Asher enjoyed that part the best. I mean, what two-year-old doesn't like breaking crayons?

And afterward they went into the oven to melt (150 degrees for 15 mins) and then cool.

Eventually resulting in some pretty neat looking crayons.

Peanut & Children's Festivals

2009-10-25T02:27:00.002-04:00

Again I have been slacking on my blogging. I'm going to post several blogs to get caught back up.

On Friday the 9th we went to the Suffolk Peanut Festival. We got lost trying to find it twice, but thanks to a friend from the boat we managed to get there in time to still take advantage of the free parking. I am such a cheapskate. It was a beautiful day, minus the wind. We took in a couple carnival games and visited several tents. Asher especially enjoyed getting to make a paper bag hat, which he still hasn't managed to destroy and still asks to wear on occasion. He also got to sit in a firetruck, which thrilled him to bits. We're going to visit a fire station next week, so I know he'll be excited for that.

Saturday, the 10th, Stephen was on duty. I had been wanting to go to the Norfolk Children's Festival, so I decided to be brave and go it alone. This was my first big solo trip with both kids. The weather was not nearly as nice as the previous day. In fact when I first got to the festival the rain was just beginning and I turned around and went home. Later in the afternoon when the weather cleared we headed back out. This festival was so much fun! Every tent had some sort of activity, from bean bag toss to playdoh to ceramics painting. It was a bit tough navigating the double stroller, but it was a lesson learned for next time. I gave Asher a bit of freedom to do his own thing and he went from station to station. Isla snoozed in the stroller up until the very end.

Pumpkins!

2009-10-05T18:50:00.002-04:00

This week we went one afternoon to the local pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins. Then yesterday we finally got around to decorating them. Asher and Isla had a kit to decorate theirs and Stephen carved our pumpkin. Asher started out making his into a pig and then decided he wanted to turn his into a Picasso and use all of the decorations on his, so it became more of a frankenpumpkin. I decorated Isla's pumpkin like a cat.

2 Months Old

2009-10-05T18:08:00.002-04:00

I'm really behind in my blogging, so I'm trying to catch back up. On the 30th of September, Isla turned two months old. I can't believe how fast time is going, it doesn't seem like she could already be two months old, but she is. That same day both kids had doctors appointments. Isla had her two month well baby appointment and now weighs 11 lb 14.5 oz. Which means she has gained 4 1/2 lbs since she was born. She got three shots and a oral vaccine. Asher also got two shots. Man oh man did I have two cranky kids that afternoon. But all is well now.

Here are a few random pictures of the kids from the past month.

Busy Sunday

2009-09-28T00:47:00.003-04:00

Today was a busy day. We got up early and visited a friend's church. Asher got the play in the preschool class during the service and had a blast. Isla was good up until the very end and the decided it was time to eat. After church we came home, had lunch, and took naps (Asher, Isla, and mommy). After our naps we went out to the thrift store, my favorite thing to do, and spent over an hour looking at everything. We ended up getting some huge alphabet blocks that I will use for photography props, some fall clothes for Asher, a couple sleepers for Isla in the next size up, and a couple shirts for myself. We also managed to find a Captain Hook costume for Asher, so instead of Peter Pan, he'll be Hook. Now Stephen will be dressing up as Peter Pan, AND he's agreed to wear tights. LOL.
On the way home we stopped and got ice cream cones that we took to the park to eat. Asher loved his and made a huge mess. He also, at the encouragement of his daddy, enjoyed smashing his ice cream into my face. I don't think I have laughed so hard in a long time.

When we got home we gave the kids a bath and then everyone got into jammies early. Then we spent the rest of the evening in Asher's room playing. We pulled out the rubber ducks, played dress up, flash cards, puzzles, read. He loves when we both get on the floor with him and play.

Rice Krispy Treats

2009-09-28T00:40:00.002-04:00

Yesterday after dinner daddy and Asher spent some time in the kitchen together. They made some super easy and super yummy rice krispy treats. I had no idea that they would be so simple to make, but I suggested that we let Asher try to help in the kitchen. He had a good time helping stir and of course licking the spatula.

Greenbrier Fall Carnival

2009-09-26T17:55:00.002-04:00

This afternoon we took the kids to a carnival outside of the mall. We didn't stay long since the weather wasn't great, but we did stay long enough to play a couple of games. We didn't try any rides since we got our fill last weekend at BG.

The first game we tried was the game where you throw balls and try and get them to land in a cup. If your ball gets in you win a goldfish. We spent $2 and got 20 balls. Asher threw a couple, Stephen threw 10 or so, and I got what was leftover. The boys couldn't get any in, but I managed to win us two goldfish.

After that game Stephen and Asher played the duck game where you pick out ducks and win whatever size prize the duck corresponds to. Asher won a big prize so daddy let him pick whatever he wanted. Asher decided on an inflatable Diego from the show Go Diego Go. It's his latest obsession. He's been walking around with a backpack on for days.

We couldn't stay long after that because we didn't want to kill the fish, so we ran to the pet store to get a tank and food and then headed home for lunch and naptime. Both kids are still asleep. But without further ado meet Edward and Bella (yes, it's a Twilight reference).

Busch Gardens, again

2009-09-23T20:35:00.002-04:00

While my parents were here we went back to Busch Gardens. It was a completely different experience than last time we were there. The weather was cooler, it was less crowded, and this time we actually got to ride some of the rides. Isla even got to go on her first ride, the carousel. She loved it so much it put her to sleep. My parents were great. They went on some rides with Asher, they watched the kids so Stephen and I could go on rides. It was a lot of fun.

Chesapeake Rubber Duck Race

2009-09-23T20:18:00.002-04:00

My parents were here for a long weekend, so on Saturday we decided to go to the Chesapeake Rubber Duck race. They had tons of activities for kids and Asher was able to get his hand painted, play a fishing game, and win a couple of prizes. He also enjoyed watching all of the ducks be dumped by the crane. The duck race itself, wasn't all that interesting until the ducks got loose. There were several boats and a diver attempting to get all the ducks back where they were supposed to be.

Tinkerbell Costume

2009-09-18T16:25:00.003-04:00

We decided that this year we are going to coordinate for Halloween. Asher will be Peter Pan and Isla will be Tinkerbell. Stephen will be Captain Hook and I will be Wendy. I haven't decided if I will make or buy Asher's costume, but I did decide to make Isla's.

After Isla was done modeling her costume Asher decided that sissy was having way too much fun in her wings. He insisted that he also get a turn wearing them. He put them on and then ran around saying, "I fly." Luckily daddy missed that, I don't think he would have been too happy.

When Nukes Get Together

2009-09-15T17:23:00.002-04:00

A couple of nights ago a friend of ours came over for dinner. He, like Stephen, is a nuke on the sub. After playing a couple games of Mario Kart they decided to have their own race down our hallway. Total nuke-like train of thought. Asher rode his motorcycle, Will rode the tricycle, and Stephen rode the half-disassembled Cozy Coupe. I'm not quite sure who won the race, but it was a lot of fun to watch. I only wish I had gotten it on video.

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-15T16:44:00.002-04:00

On Labor Day weekend we decided to have a staycation. Stephen was off for the long weekend, so we wanted to make the most of it. We'd looked into going to D.C. but decided to stay a little closer to home so instead we spent the weekend in Williamsburg. We spent one day at Busch Gardens and then the next two at The Great Wolf Lodge.

Busch Gardens was crowded so we didn't get to go on any adult rides, but we did take turns taking Asher on the kids rides. I was really surprised by how many rides he was able to go on. Asher had the time of his life, but honestly the highlight of the day was when he got to meet the Sesame Street characters in the new area of the park. It was easily the most crowded area of the park, but it was still worth it. Isla did great all day too. The park has several designated nursing areas, so it was nice to be able to sit in the a/c and feed her in privacy. The only downside to the day were the agressive bees/yellow jackets. They would literally divebomb you when you had food or drink. Stephen almost got stung at one point while I was running away carrying both kids. That had to be a sight to see.

I'd never heard of Great Wolf Lodge until Stephen suggested we go there. They have several locations across the country. The lodge was gorgeous and extremely kid friendly. The major draw of this place is the massive indoor waterpark they operate in the lodge. But they also have nightly storytime and an animatronic show in the lobby. We spent a short time in the waterpark on Sunday and the entire day on Monday. Stephen and I took turns sitting with Isla while the other rode slides or took Asher into the kids areas. The water slides were fantastic and a big hit with the both of us. Isla even got to take a short dip in the outside pool before the rain set in. Overall we had a great time and would love to go back.

Playdoh

2009-09-05T00:47:00.002-04:00

Yesterday afternoon I decided to let Asher try using playdoh. He'd tried it once at the child waiting center during my pregnancy appointments, but he was more interested in eating the playdoh than actually playing with it. Yesterday was our second go-round with it and he did excellent. That is other than constantly asking to play with a different color than the one he had just been given. But that's normal toddler behavior. He enjoyed using different cookie cutters (Halloween, but that's all I had), but mostly just poking the "doh" with a measuring spoon. He also enjoyed copying mommy and daddy once he came home and joined the fun too.

Mixed Berry Trifle

2009-09-05T00:36:00.002-04:00

The other day I came across a recipe for a raspberry trifle. I'd never had a trifle, but it looked amazing, so I decided to give it a try. I'm attempting to broaden my horizons with cooking/baking. So I've been experimenting with all different things, the slow cooker, desserts, etc. The trifle took forever to make, because it was such a process, but the whole family loved it. I didn't have the exact ingredients, so I substituted raspberry jello and yogurt for strawberry instead. I also used frozen mixed berries (blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, and strawberry).

Here's the recipe straight from the Betty Crocker box.

1	box Betty Crocker white angel food cake mix
1/4	cups cold water
2	cups boiling water
1	box (8-serving size) sugar-free raspberry-flavored gelatin
2	packages (10 oz each) frozen sweetened raspberries, thawed
3	containers (6 oz each) Yoplait® Original red raspberry yogurt



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	About Concordance™

1.	Move oven rack to lowest position (remove other racks). Heat oven to 350°F.
2.	In extra-large glass or metal bowl, beat cake mix and cold water on low speed 30 seconds; beat on medium speed 1 minute. Pour into ungreased 10-inch angel food (tube) cake pan. Do not use fluted tube cake pan or 9-inch angel food (tube) cake pan, or batter will overflow.
3.	Bake 37 to 47 minutes or until top is dark golden brown and cracks feel very dry and not sticky. Do not underbake.
4.	Immediately turn pan upside down onto glass bottle until cake is completely cool, about 1 hour. Run knife around edges; remove from pan. Tear cake into about 3/4-inch pieces.
5.	Pour boiling water on gelatin in large bowl; stir until gelatin is dissolved. Add raspberries. (If desired, remove several raspberries and reserve for garnish.) Refrigerate gelatin mixture about 15 minutes or until thickened but not set.
6.	Layer half each of the cake pieces, gelatin mixture and yogurt in 3-quart glass bowl; repeat. Garnish with reserved raspberries. Refrigerate at least 2 hours until firm. Cover and refrigerate any remaining dessert.

Botanical Gardens

2009-08-31T10:52:00.002-04:00

On Saturday we decided to go to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. We'd heard a lot about it and finally decided to check it out. We're so glad that we did. It was beautiful! We spent a nice 3 hours just walking around, and we didn't even see the whole garden. I think we are planning on going back when my parents come to visit in a couple weeks. Asher loved being able to have some freedom to walk/run around and not have to be in the stroller the entire time. Isla was content to sleep.

There was a really neat garden for kids with different themed areas. We enjoyed looking at different types of fruits and vegetables growing, as well as walk through a desert themed area with different types of cactus. It was getting unbearably hot so we didn't make it through that whole area, but we did let Asher cool down in the fun kids fountains they had. Next time we go we'll be more prepared with a swimsuit and towel, but he had fun nonetheless.

Friday Picnic

2009-08-31T10:42:00.002-04:00

Stephen had a three day weekend this weekend after working for more than two weeks straight. It was nice weather, despite what had been predicted. We had been planning on going to DC for the weekend, but decided against it with the Kennedy funeral. Instead we stayed close to home and did day activities. On Friday afternoon we decided to pack and picnic lunch and head to the park for some sunshine. I'm not much of an outdoorsy person, so eating outside with bugs was a challenge for me. Asher loved it though, and that's what matters.

Four Weeks Old

2009-08-28T00:10:00.003-04:00

Isla is now four weeks old. These four weeks have flown by in an instant and a sleep deprived blur. It's been really neat to compare pictures of her to pictures of Asher to see how similar they look. Personality wise she is a completely different baby than he was. He was so easy going and has always liked to sleep. Isla is a total girl and is so high maintenance. If she's awake and not eating she is crying. She seems to be having reflux issues, so hopefully her doctor's appointment tomorrow will make her a happier baby, because something has got to give. I hate seeing her in pain.

Rainbow Cake

2009-08-26T12:04:00.002-04:00

Let me preface by saying, I am not a baker, in fact this was my very first attempt at baking anything. My husband on the other hand makes all of our birthday cakes and he's really great at decorating them too. Anyways, I've been trying to get back into some sort of normalcy between juggling the two kids. I have been attempting to cook dinners and last night decided that while the lasagna was in the oven that I would try a fun little recipe I had come across a few days prior, rainbow cake.

It turned out to be a fun dessert. I used cool whip mixed with pudding for the icing, so it wasn't an overly sweet treat either. Everyone enjoyed it, especially Asher who cleaned his plate. Just beware though, too much food coloring will leave you with a green reminder later.

Consequences

2009-08-22T14:01:00.002-04:00

Parenting a two year old is difficult, this is the time in which you are molding the child into the person he will become in the future. We have been trying to work with Asher to understand that his actions have consequences. This afternoon I was on the phone with my parents booking their flight to come visit in a few weeks. While I was occupied with that Asher took it upon himself to make confetti out of his Goldfish crackers and throw them all over the carpet. Normally we just send him to his room for time out, but today I took it a step further. I brought out the vacuum and made him help me clean it up. He was terrified at first, then after a minute or two he didn't want my help, he wanted to do it on his own. It may not be that big of a deal, but to me it was a huge step in treating him like a big boy.

Parent's Visit

2009-08-21T00:08:00.002-04:00

My parents visit was a nice one. They drove up and were in town for a little over a week. They helped us immensely; from cooking, changing diapers, entertaining a rambunctious two year old, holding the baby, and making sure I got out of the house. Stephen was working really long hours the week they were here and I know without them I wouldn't have been able to manage. Their visit made me realize just how much I really do miss them, even with our disagreements.

Three Weeks Old

2009-08-20T23:21:00.003-04:00

The past three weeks have gone by in a blur. Stephen was off for ten days, then my parents came to visit for a little over a week, and now I have been on my own as a mommy of two for a few days now. We've been trying to work ourselves into a routine, but honestly it's been pretty rough on me due to lack of sleep. It seems as if all I do is feed a baby, change a baby. And if one baby isn't crying the other probably is. I know it will get better, but as of now it's rough.

I am loving having my baby girl finally here in my arms and out of my belly, but I'm really missing being able to devote all my attention to Asher. Luckily he is an amazing big brother. He throws away diapers for me, covers her up, and gives her lots of kisses. I'm glad that he has transitioned so well. As well as a two year old can possibly do. He hasn't shown much jealousy towards Isla, other than a couple instances over the boob. Tantrums have increased a bit, but that could just be because he's two now.

Isla's Birth Story

2009-08-02T23:34:00.002-04:00

My induction was scheduled for 8:00 am on Thursday morning, so we were all ready and out the door around 7:15. After I got all my paperwork done they got us into a triage room to start my IV, take blood, and start me on the fetal monitors. Once I got all hooked up the doctor checked me and determined I was dilated to 3 cm and 50% effaced, as well as having regular contractions, though I couldn't feel them. They started me on my IV and we waited to get into a regular room. At one point I had a blood pressure drop and nearly fainted. The nurse said it was probably because I was already in early labor before I got there, but I'm not sure and it didn't happen again.

Shortly after 11:00 the nurse finally started my pitocin. At 1:00 the doctor came by to check my progress and I had dilated to 5 cm and 60% effaced. I sent Stephen home with Asher around then so that he could have a nap. I labored on my own while reading a book until 4:00 when the doctor came in to check me and break my water. Progress at that point was 6 cm and 80% effaced. I was slightly discouraged that I hadn't made more progress, but once my water had broken things started to really get intense. At 5:30 I just couldn't stand the pain any longer and got my epidural. I hadn't decided before labor if I would get one or not, so I tried to go as long as I could without it. I was checked again at that same time and was dilated to 7 cm.

30 minutes later, yes 30 minutes, I was fully dilated to 10 cm. It's funny how I knew too. First I got really nauseous and vomitted. Directly after I had bloody show and then I felt pressure. The same series of events happened when I had Asher, so I knew without a doubt that it was baby time. When I asked the nurse to check me she was doubtful, but it goes to show that a woman knows her body, because to her amazement I really was fully dilated.

Unfortunately this was the middle of shift change. So I was forced to wait and hour and labor down some because baby was still a little bit high up. When the nurse finally came in to do some "practice pushes" I made it through one and a half pushes before she told me to stop and ran out of the room to get the doctor. The doctor was getting his gown on when I said "I feel like she is coming out on her own." He turned around and caught her. No work on my part whatsoever, she was just ready. The doctor kept saying that it was the easiest delivery he's ever had. It was pretty easy on me too.

I had a minor tear and required a couple stitches, but nothing like the episiotomy I had with Asher. Isla weighed in at 7 lb 7 oz, a whole ounce bigger than her brother. I'd say I did fairly well controlling my diabetes since she was such a perfect weight. We were in the hospital until Saturday night, they would not discharge us a minute before 48 hours because of the diabetes. Though Isla never showed any problems from the diabetes, she had perfect blood sugars after birth and maintained her temperature well.

Breastfeeding is going fantastic. I was able to nurse within the first 30 minutes of her birth and she latched on within the first couple minutes of trying. She's a champion nurser and my milk was in before I even left the hospital. Which also meant she didn't lose that much weight and was down to 7 lbs even when we left.

Big brother Asher is doing fantastic with her. He was even in the delivery room with us when she was born. Upon her first cries he was telling her "baby shhh." He likes to pet her hair and show me her toes.

Putting the HIGH in high risk

2009-07-27T16:52:00.002-04:00

This afternoon I went for my last NST. Isla passed in about 45 minutes, so no big issue there. At every NST they check my fluid levels because I am at high risk for placental deterioration because of the gestational diabetes and insulin. I've been sitting around 10 cms for several weeks now. Today my AFI came back at 4.3. The tech wasn't even able to find two out of the four pockets of fluid. From what I've read or been told by the doctor anything under 8-10 is a cause for concern. So the u/s tech excused herself to go speak to the doctor. She came back in and said since I'm being induced in a couple days they aren't going to worry about it and that I was free to go.

I know that less than 5 cm is dangerous (Google: Oligohydramnios) so I spent the whole car ride home crying hysterically because the Navy is notorious for brushing you aside (my one year ordeal with the cyst in my neck for instance). So I made Stephen call my high risk doctor. She told him that at 5-6 they will generally induce right away, but because I passed my NST they are just going to put it off til Thursday and that if for any reason I don't get my kick counts to go straight to triage. How reassuring right? I feel like my baby is in some huge danger and no one is taking it seriously. I'm not complaining about waiting 3 more days, but if something is wrong now why not do something about it now.

Happy Birthday Asher 7/25

2009-07-26T11:44:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was Asher's birthday. We got up and I made him a special breakfast, chocolate chip banana pancakes (complete with strawberry topping and whipped cream). After breakfast was bath time and then he got to open up his presents. Thank you so much Granny Nanny and Papa Woppa for his raincoat and boots. I'm still trying to get him to sit still long enough to get a picture of him in it. He was spoiled as usual and there are still several things in the mail on their way to him.

In the afternoon we took him to the Children's Museum. We'd gone back in January and he had a good time, so we knew he'd love it even more now that he is a bit bigger. The lady at the desk when we got there was super nice. 2 year olds require admission so when she asked if he was two, I told her "not until 8:17 tonight." So she didn't charge us. Asher had the time of his life. He's become extremely interested in trains so the highlight of the trip was the train room. He spent over an hour just playing with the train tables. He also enjoyed the grocery store area and the bubbles.

For dinner we took him out to Red Robin. I had been planning on cooking, but the museum wore us all out. Asher was most excited that he got a balloon before dinner. The waitress overheard me say something about his birthday, so she arranged to have the staff sing to him. The shock on his face was priceless. He also enjoyed him ice cream sundae and made a mess of himself with it.

Since Asher enjoyed the train table at the museum so much. When we got home from the museum I went on Craigslist to see if I could find one for him. It must have been meant to be, because one had just been posted and it was for a fantastic price. So after dinner daddy went to pick it up. And Asher hasn't stopped playing with it since.

By that point it was already wayyy past Asher's bedtime and we still hadn't gotten around to having cake. So we quickly sang happy birthday and let him eat his cake. Didn't daddy do a great job of baking and decorating the cake?

Chuck E. Cheese 7/24

2009-07-26T11:22:00.002-04:00

On Friday night, after Stephen got home from work, we decided to take Asher to Chuck E. Cheese for a pre-birthday dinner. Chuck E. Cheese is synonymous with overpriced and crowded, but it's a birthday tradition. Last year my mom and I took him the day after his birthday (daddy was out to sea). Asher enjoys just running around and watching the games. He would be perfectly fine with not playing any games, he just likes the lights and sounds. But daddy would never be able to go to an arcade and not play games. He's such a big kid. Hehe.

Memory Lane

2009-07-22T20:14:00.004-04:00

Asher will be turning two years old on Saturday. It's amazing how fast time has flown and now we are about to start the journey all over again when baby Isla arrives. In two years Asher has grown in so many different ways and now he's become his own little person. The things that made him a baby are quickly fading and he is a real "big boy" now. I thought I should post some pictures of his growth over the past two years.

Mommy & Asher Day

2009-07-21T18:06:00.003-04:00

I'm usually not very confident to venture out on my own with Asher. When he throws a tantrum it can be a bit much to handle, especially at 9 months pregnant. But this afternoon I decided to be brave and go out with him since Stephen would be working late. He was cranky before we left the house, but to my surprise he was an angel while we were out. He and I did a little shopping. I had to get some wrapping paper to wrap his birthday presents. MY BABY WILL BE TWO YEARS OLD ON SATURDAY! I can't/don't want to believe it. Time moves so quickly. After shopping we grabbed some lunch and then spent over an hour at the playground.

Video Blog

2009-07-15T11:35:00.005-04:00

I thought it was due time to share some recent videos of Asher. He is learning so much every day and is constantly making us laugh. Some of his newest accomplishments include being able to say the numbers 2 and 5 when counting to five.

He has also learned to sing "Row Row Row Your Boat."

And he knows quite a few of his body parts.

If you are a family member reading this blog in e-mail form you must come to the blog itself in order to actually see the videos.

Isla's Nursery

2009-07-13T15:03:00.002-04:00

I have finally finished nesting, the house is clean top to bottom and everything is in it's perfect place. Now we are just waiting on the most important thing of all, for Isla to make her appearance. I'll schedule my induction at my doctor's appointment on Thursday, but if she doesn't come on her own before then, she'll be here the week of the 27th.

Last night we put the finishing touches on Isla's nursery. I wanted to do a ballerina theme, but surprisingly it's kinda hard to find things that go with that theme. So I had to be crafty and make a lot of things. I made her tutus, wall letters, mobile, and bows.

Artwork

2009-07-11T15:54:00.003-04:00

I've always envied the mommy's with refrigerators full of their child's artwork. I stay at home with Asher, so up until now he's never really been away from me. That is, until my pregnancy became high risk. Now I am up at the hospital 2-3 days a week for doctor's appointments. Luckily I am seen at the Naval Hospital, yes I did just say luckily, because they have a free service called the Child Waiting Center. I get to drop him off for up to four hours a day while I go to my doctor's appointments. I get to go to my appointments without the extra stress of trying to keep him entertained and he gets to have a taste of daycare.

Every time we pull into the parking garage he gets so excited because he knows he is going to "play." He gets to interact with other kids, play on the playground, and do and play with things we wouldn't ordinarily do at home. I haven't been brave enough to try Playdoh at home, but he plays with it there. Yesterday was the first time I found artwork in his cubby when I went to pick him up. It looks like they used Bingo stampers and crayons, but it is the most beautiful piece of art I have ever seen because my little boy did it all on his own, without mommy's help.

I can't say enough good things about the ladies at the CWC. The whole staff knows Asher's name and they do such a great job of taking care of him. It was really hard for me at first to let him go, before now he'd only been left for brief periods of time and only with family. But we're both growing up and I'm so glad he has a chance to experience some time without mommy. Now I need to start doing some research to find him a pre-school to start in the fall. The experience has further proven to us that he really needs some sort of interaction with other children, and I think it has prepared him for it as well.

Thrifty Living

2009-07-11T15:37:00.002-04:00

This week Kmart has been having a sale on their toys. All clearance toys are 50% off the marked price. Asher's birthday is in two weeks, so we stopped by a couple of stores to see what kind of deals we could score. Today is the last day of the sale, so things were a bit picked over, but we were able to find him a couple of "Wowo" aka Elmo toys for him. He loves Sesame Street, so good deal. While we were there we picked up a couple of Fisher Price toys for Isla for Christmas. Thanks to a $25 Sears giftcard we had left over from last Christmas total out of pocket expense was $12. Had each toy been regular price we would have been looking at $125.

In the next couple of weeks Target will be doing the same Christmas in July style sale with 50% off of their clearance toys. So that's something to be on the lookout for. This time we won't wait until the last day of the sale.

Wall of Resistance

2009-07-10T18:32:00.002-04:00

This is not going to be one of my happy cheery posts, mostly I just want to whine and cry. So this is me just letting it all out. Yesterday I spent over four hours at the hospital. Isla failed the NST, yes again. So they decided to do a BPP ultrasound, which she didn't entirely pass either. I was told not to worry and come back today for another ultrasound. Today she wasn't very cooperative either, just before the 30 minute time limit was up she moved enough for them to pass me. But I am on strict orders to do my kick counts this weekend and if I don't feel enough movement to come straight to triage.

After that whole fiasco yesterday I still had to see my regular OB. My blood sugars are absolutely not staying within range. I am following my gestational diabetes diet perfectly and I keep losing weight, but my sugars are not reflecting that. My fasting numbers have suddenly taken a huge jump, so my nightime insulin was again bumped up and now I have orders to increase it by two units every three days if I am still out of range. On top of that the doctor added on a fast acting insulin for me to take before dinner because those numbers have been on the high side too. Yesterday I had my insulin and ate a salad for dinner, almost no carbs, yet my sugar was still out of range.

My sugars being too high are taking a toll on me. I am cranky and constantly tired. It doesn't matter how long I sleep at night, how long I nap during the day, I am just too tired to function at any point in the day. And I keep getting headaches and nausea from my sugar being too high. My doctor plans to induce before 39 weeks, so sometime the week of the 27th. I just really hope I go into labor on my own before then. Stick a fork in me, I'm done. So done!

Eviction Notice

2009-07-07T16:10:00.002-04:00

The countdown is on! I have less than 30 days until my due date. Little Miss Isla should be here within the month, and the sooner the better. Yesterday I went for an ultrasound to check her growth because babies tend to be larger for mothers with gestational diabetes. Ultrasound measurements can be off, but she is measuring approx 5 lb 15 oz. Which puts her in the 46th percentile for weight. It looks as though I am doing a good enough job of keeping my sugars in line and she hasn't been effected by the diabetes.

More Photography

2009-07-05T22:15:00.003-04:00

This afternoon daddy and I took Asher outside so I could take some pictures. I wanted to get some cute pictures of him before his birthday and since we all got haircuts today, it was perfect timing.

4th of July

2009-07-05T00:00:00.002-04:00

On Christmas I had the stomach flu, so I guess it's only fitting that I have a cold on Independence Day. Most of the day today I spent sleeping and vegging around the house. But when it comes to fireworks, I will do anything to go see them.

So tonight even though I felt horrible, we decided to brave the crowds and go see fireworks in Virginia Beach. We were planning to see them at the beach itself, but I was told that it would be a madhouse with parking, so we opted to go to Mt. Trashmore park instead. Well that was just as much of a madhouse, just closer to home.

We got close to the park only to find out that parking was full and had been for a while because every business nearby had a full parking lot and people everywhere. People were getting in accidents and it was kinda scary. In the end we opted for sitting in the tailgate of my SUV and watching from the old Circuit City parking lot. The icing on the cake was an extremely irritable toddler who had no interest whatsoever in watching the fireworks and found watching traffic loads more exciting. Sigh.

3rd of July

2009-07-03T23:32:00.002-04:00

We're enjoying a nice summer 3 day weekend for Independence Day tomorrow. Stephen got home early from work this morning, made breakfast, took care of Asher, and let me sleep in. We had a lazy morning and then this afternoon we headed to the pool. Asher is finally starting to get some confidence in the pool and we can let go of him for short periods of time.

Later on we headed to Chesapeake City Park to take in some music and fireworks. We got there at a great time and found the perfect place to put our blankets. The fireworks were great and Asher was in awe. Which seeing his face, makes everything so worth it. Everything was planned perfectly too, because within 5 minutes of the fireworks ending it started to rain.

Father's Day

2009-06-23T12:27:00.002-04:00

We celebrated Father's Day early since we we drove home on actual Father's Day. We got all dressed up and took the men to Longhorn for a celebratory dinner. The food was good, the service was horrible. The waitress got me so upset that I didn't even leave her a tip and we usually tip 20%. It really was not the Father's Day meal I had planned in my head, but at least we all got to be together.

Asher's [early] Birthday Party

2009-06-23T11:39:00.002-04:00

My due date with Isla is the week after Asher's birthday, so that puts a bit of a kink in planning anything around his actual birthday. While we were in Florida we had a small party for him and hopefully we'll be able to do something for him up here in Virginia after Isla makes her debut. I was slightly disappointed that the majority of people invited to the party were unable to make it, but in the end it really didn't matter. The people that were meant to be there, were there. My parents were there. Miss Laura was there. Marcie was there. Miss Laura is the mother of my friend Chris who passed away from complications to a double lung transplant (Cystic Fibrosis). I was so happy to see her because she is a lot like Chris and for a moment it almost feels like he is still around. Marcie is one of those true-blue friends, she has never ever let me down, and we've been friends since the 4th grade.

Asher's party theme was one called Mod Monkey and it had cute little balloons and plates that said "I am 2." So I went off the monkey theme and found inflatable monkies, palm trees, etc. I even found a "pin the tail" type game with Curious George on it. It was a lot of fun to decorate for. His party was also a pool party, which was nice considering the temperature that day broke 100. It was really neat for me to be having my son's birthday party in the same place I had countless birthday parties.

Ollie Koala's

2009-06-23T11:25:00.002-04:00

In Jacksonville there is a place called Ollie Koala's, which is similar to Chuck E Cheese. It's much cleaner and better organized too. One hot afternoon Stephen, my mom, and I took Asher to play and run off some energy. The games only kept Asher's attention for a short time, so it was up to daddy to win tickets for us. Which daddy did a great job because one machine spit 450 tickets out at him, and he thought he had broken it. Asher was most interested in the climbing tower and going down the slide. He got stuck and one point and I had to climb in to get him. We stayed there for a couple of hours and all had a great time. Before we left Asher got to pick out a prize, so he ended up with a puppy stuffed animal. He is such a sucker for stuffies.

Florida -- Part Two

2009-06-23T11:14:00.003-04:00

While we were in Florida we took the time to see several of our friends. It's much harder now that we are adults and on different schedules, but we still managed to see several of the people that matter most.

We also took advantage of some of the restaurants that we don't have up here in Virginia. Stephen, Asher, and I went to Steak & Shake one afternoon for lunch and another day my parents took us to my favorite hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant, Cha Cha's.

Florida -- Part One

2009-06-23T10:54:00.002-04:00

Saturday, the 13th, we drove down to Jacksonville for leave. I haven't seen my parents since February which is the longest amount of time I've been apart from them, so it was really nice to go home. We had a nice relaxing vacation, my step-dad had a ball cooking for us and taking Asher to the beach and mall. He plays the tough guy, but he's a total softie when it counts. My mom had to work, she's saving her vacation time for when Isla gets here, but we still had great mornings with her.

NSTs

2009-06-12T16:51:00.002-04:00

Going for NSTs (non-stress tests) for Isla has become my usual weekday routine now. I have to go the the hospital twice a week and get monitored for anywhere between 20mins - an hour depending on how well baby cooperates. Which she usually doesn't, she likes to move away from the monitor and make the nurses hunt for her. My NSTs are also a subject of controvery at the moment. We are supposed to be leaving on vacation tomorrow, but my OB is very concerned about missing a week of NSTs. Hopefully I'll be able to have them done at the Naval Hospital in Jacksonville.

Saturday Party

2009-06-09T12:19:00.002-04:00

On Saturday we went to a birthday party for one of the guys on Stephen's boat. We were a little apprehensive about bringing Asher along because he was the only child coming. We were assured that Asher would have a blast because despite the adult guest list the party was nothing but children's games. Sure enough we all had a great time playing with water balloons, swimming, sack races, bean bags, and limbo. It was even quite humerous when daddy got peed on by Asher. We had just gotten out of the pool and he was wearing a swim diaper (they don't soak up liquid they just contain other waste) when daddy felt something warm dripping down his side. Poor Stephen had to drive home shirtless.

Friday at the Beach

2009-06-09T12:05:00.003-04:00

On Friday Stephen's boat held a beach party/bbq at one of the local bases. The weather was supposed to be terrible all day, so we were not planning on staying long. We got there, ate, and sure enough it began to rain. The rain lasted at most 10 minutes and then the sun came out and it was beautiful. We ended up staying there for hours and had a really great time. Especially Asher, who had a blast playing in the sand with several other kids around his age. The beach was really nice as well because it was on base property it was closed to the public, which meant it was extremely clean and not crowded.

Gestational Diabetes update

2009-06-02T11:11:00.003-04:00

I went for my 30 week appointment yesterday afternoon. I've lost 2 lbs since my appointment with the nutritionist on Thursday, so I am doing pretty well on the Gestational Diabetes diet. I am still measuring ahead, currently measuring 34 weeks, but because of my small amount of weight gain (12 lbs) they aren't too concerned yet.

Unfortunately my fasting blood sugars in the morning are well out of the acceptable range. They want them between 60-90 and mine are between 110-120 every morning. Both the OB and Nutritionist have told me there really is very little I can do about bringing them down without medication. I've tried different bedtime snacks, no bedtime snack, waking up in the middle of the night for a snack, exercise. Nothing brings down my numbers. So the OB called the high risk doctor and they decided to go ahead and put me on insulin at night. She originally wanted to start with Glyburide, an oral medication, but the high risk OB said I needed to go straight to insulin. I go to the Naval Hospital this afternoon to learn how to inject myself and I'm scared to death.

They are also permanently sending me to the high risk OB, so no more visits with the doctor I have been seeing my whole pregnancy. I'll be seen weekly by the new OB and I'm going to have NSTs (non-stress tests) twice a week. They are also scheduling me for an ultrasound to check her size as well. I feel like everything changed so fast. All of a sudden I have this high risk label and everything is so much more complicated.

Nutritionist Appointment

2009-05-29T13:02:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I went for my gestational diabetes "class" with the nutritionist at the Naval Hospital. Stephen *gasp* actually got to leave work early to watch Asher so I didn't have to drag him along with me. It was the first time I've been on the L&D floor at the hospital and I was pleasantly surprised, for a Naval Hospital it was very clean and maintained well. I'm slowly becoming a little more relaxed about having to deliver there. It's just hard to trust anyone related to military medical after that horrible fiasco with my Thyroid last year. The what-ifs haunt me all the time.

I was weighed at the start of my appointment, so as of yesterday I've gained a whole 14 lbs this pregnancy. I am so freaking proud of myself. I gained 50 lbs with Asher's pregnancy and I resolved at the very beginning that I was not going to let that happen again. I made the nutritionist's job very very easy because I already knew how to use my glucometer and I've been testing and writing down everything I've eaten in the past week. She was quite impressed. I guess most of her patients are a bit noncomplient with the gestational diabetes diet.

She looked through my notes and was very happy with what she saw. I am keeping my after meal sugars down into the acceptable range and I am well under my alloted carbs per day. She actually told me I could eat more if I wanted to. The only problem that we both forsee are my fasting sugars in the morning. I need to keep them between 70-90 and I have yet to have a single one below 110 since I began testing. Unfortunately there is very little I can do to help that with diet. It'll be up to my OB to prescribe insulin, but it is almost certain that it will be the case, especially as my pregnancy progresses and I become more insulin resistant.

We went through a power point presentation about the food table and nutrients, everything I leaned in my college nutrition class. Usually the schedule patients for a follow up visit, but since I am already doing everything right they don't need to see me back unless I feel like I need it later on. It was a nice pat on the back to be told I'm doing everything right. Thank goodness for Stephen being my backbone. He's been reading the labels on everything and cooking me super nutritious meals and then reminding me about when it's time to test my sugar. He really is the best.

Swimming

2009-05-26T12:52:00.002-04:00

Last year Asher was a little fish when we went to the aquatic center. He loved the water and never wanted to leave. This year he is a little bit scared of the pool. It takes him a good 30 minutes to work up the smallest bit of confidence and actually enjoy swimming. Hopefully as the summer goes on he will learn to love it again.

Strawberry Festival

2009-05-24T19:04:00.002-04:00

This morning Stephen got home from duty and we went to church. Then this afternoon we checked out the the Pungo Strawberry Festival in Virginia Beach. Traffic getting to the festival was insane and luckily Asher snoozed the whole time. The festival itself was pretty busy and there was lots to do. Rides, food (that I couldn't eat), music, vendors, livestock. We checked out the animals first and Asher liked the pigs. Here's hoping we don't catch swine flu. LOL. Our plan was to walk around for a while and then take Asher to do some rides, but by the time we got back to that area everything was closing up due to the rain. We spent a good two hours there just walking around. Asher and daddy shared a funnel cake. And since my after lunch sugar was 90 (needs to be under 120) I allowed myself one bite. Shortly after it started to rain and people began closing up, so we decided it was time to leave too. By that time we were drenched, though it was a welcome feeling since it had been so hot.

Gestational Diabetes

2009-05-22T21:53:00.003-04:00

I just can't win. I don't think I will ever have an "easy" pregnancy. With Asher I had preeclampsia and had to be induced early. So far I've been able to avoid a repeat case, unfortunately I wasn't able to avoid gestational diabetes this time around.

Last week I took the one hour glucose test and was absolutely floored to hear that my results were a whopping 175. So this morning I went in for the dreaded 3 hour glucose tolerance test. I knew it wasn't going well from the very beginning and wasn't too surprised that the doctors office had called before I even had my last blood draw.

My fasting level was 117, and the cutoff is 120. If it had been over the 120 the test would have ended there and I wouldn't have had to drink the glucola. I brought along my own glucose meter so that I could know my results right away rather than wait through the holiday weekend. My meter may have been off slightly from their results, but these were my readings. My meter read 225 after the first hour, 167 after the second, and 87 after the third. Apparently if any number is above 200, it is an automatic failure. A chart I found online shows that I failed 3 out of 4 of my blood draws.

So now I have to make an appointment with the dietitian for next week, pick up a new meter and supplies and then follow up with my OB a week and a half. I have to test my sugar four times a day and if its elevated then they will refer me to high risk and start insulin therapy. I am scared out of my mind. Diabetes runs in my family and I do not want to go down that road.

Stephen is being a wonderful husband and racked his brain tonight to figure out what I could eat for dinner. He made me a stir fry type meal with steak and veggies. Then for desert I had some fruit salad that I had made yesterday. We must have done something right because my two hour glucose was 116 and it needed to be under 120. It's cutting it close, but for just starting out we're going in the right direction.

Asher's Turn

2009-05-19T15:59:00.002-04:00

I gave it a try taking some pictures of Asher this afternoon, but he isn't the most cooperative subject. I bribed him with M&Ms which worked for all of two minutes, but I got a couple of cute shots. I'll try again eventually, but I'll make sure I have daddy as my reinforcement for a well behaved kid.

Fun Photoshoot

2009-05-19T10:58:00.004-04:00

I found a really awesome curtain panel yesterday at the thrift store, so I grabbed it to use as a photography backdrop. While Asher was napping Stephen and I did a mini photo shoot. I'm still practicing with post processing, so the editing on them may be a bit wonky. I've got to read some more then maybe I'll fix them up again. But here are some of the shots. I think I am gonna try with Asher later on if he cooperates.

Potato Festival and Fireworks

2009-05-17T00:08:00.004-04:00

This afternoon we drove down to Elizabeth City, NC for their Potato Festival. From the pictures and their website it looked like something similar to the Fernandina Shrimp Festival that I always looked forward to when we lived in Florida/Georgia. The drive was about 45 minutes, not to bad at all. The festival, well it took us less time to see it all than to make the drive. But we had a nice time getting out of the house anyways. We let Asher try his hand a his first carnival style game where he was to pick a duck from a pool and win a prize. He was very impatient waiting with me in line and was not happy to give the duck back after he was done. But once he got to go and pick his prize everything was right with the world. He ended up picking a tiger stuffed animal that he has carried with him at all times since then. Even making mommy and daddy give it hugs and kisses too.

Later on this evening after we got back and Asher took his nap, we attempted to add Stephen onto my T-mobile plan. Uh it was a fiasco and still isn't situated. But we had been planning on going and seeing fireworks at the town's Jubilee. The T-mobile crap too forever and I was having pretty horrible contractions, so the best we could do as far as the fireworks was watch from the Food Lion parking lot. I was crying and disappointed at first, pregnancy hormones. But Asher still loved it and that's the whole reason we were going in the first place.

PS. Thanks to Layla for the info about Picnik for the collages.

3 Day Potty Training: Day Two/Three

2009-05-11T13:54:00.003-04:00

Day two started off in a great way. Asher was damp when he woke up for the day, but used the potty without any problems. From there we put him on the potty at regular intervals and we had much more success than the previous day. By naptime we had only two accidents. Which was a huge improvement. We were thinking that this was going to be a breeze. Ha, yeah right.

After naptime was a completely different story. Asher started holding his pee and poop until after we took him off the potty. He just flat out refused to use it. We'd put him on and sit there for up to 30 minutes and nothing. Then we'd put his underwear back on and within two minutes he was soaked. That became the pattern of the rest of the day. He'd completely backtracked and he was purposely using his pants rather than the potty. By bedtime daddy was beyond frustrated and put Asher in a diaper. I guess we failed.

Now we are on day three. I woke up this morning saying that I would listen to Asher's cues as to whether we should proceed with potty training today. Daddy is at work, so I am completely on my own. So what cues have I seen today? The child won't even go near the bathroom. He's always followed me to the bathroom since he could crawl. Today he won't even follow me down the hallway. The verdict, not ready.

The e-book suggests waiting 6-8 weeks and trying again. So I guess that's where we go from here. My dreams of only one in diapers are slowly fading.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T12:36:00.003-04:00

We aren't doing much today due to our potty training endeavor. But my wonderful husband and sweetie pie son are still making my Mother's Day a special one. This morning they gave me my gifts. And Stephen has been letting me relax this morning. It's turning out to be a great day.

3 Day Potty Training: Day One

2009-05-09T23:19:00.002-04:00

For several weeks Asher has been showing signs of readiness for potty training. He hates having a wet or dirty diaper and tells me "poop" whenever he needs changed. We've had an e-book about a 3 day potty training method, so we decided to try it.

The 3-day method involves going cold turkey on diapers and never looking back. An idea that terrifies me. You give your child lots of their favorite drinks and reward him with favorite snacks for a job well done on the potty. You are to shadow your child and watch for signs that he needs to potty or catch him in the act and bring him to the bathroom to finish. It's about praising the successes, not punishing the mistakes.

This morning was a blur of cleaning up puddles of pee, changing underwear, and trying to make the potty exciting for Asher. By naptime we needed to do our first load of laundry. The score was potty 1 underwear 12. Naptime was our first big accomplishment. He woke up dry and then peed on the potty. Finally a glimmer of hope.

By mid-afternoon my enthusiasm was waning. I started wondering why I got the idea in my head to train him now. Lots of tears were shed on my part. I started cursing the idiot weatherman that predicted a rainy weekend, when all we've seen in sun so far. Someone really needs to fire that guy, he's regularly quite wrong.

Stephen on the other hand is so much better at this than I am. He just rolls with the punches and Asher cooperates for him so much better. Fun daddy I guess. When he takes him to the bathroom I hear giggles and happiness. When I try I get mostly crying.

I just kept trying to remind myself that people have been potty training children for forever. That it would inevitably be a difficult process and we may as well start now. Everything I've read says that the first day or two is hellish, but by day three I will be seeing progress. Oh I hope so.

Tonight, however, it seems like something has clicked or we have gotten down the start of a routine. While Stephen was at the grocery store we had a couple accidents, but then I took him to the bathroom with me on one of my many trips. He sat on his potty while I sat on mine and he peed. I went nuts with praise and dancing. He knew he was doing good because he had a huge smile on his face while doing it. He stayed dry all through dinner, so after we ate Stephen took him to the bathroom. He peed again. This continued on until bedtime with only one accident.

I feel a huge relief now. One day and already making some progress. I am rejuvenated and ready to take on another day of potty training. Way to go Asher!

First Time Bowling

2009-05-05T20:27:00.003-04:00

Stephen got off of work decently early this afternoon, even beating me home from my OB appointment. So we finally made it to the bowling alley before the leagues started. We've been trying to go for the past few days, but Saturday they were full and yesterday was leagues. We ended up bowling 1 1/2 games. The half because there was a computer error that caused our score to disappear. So the alley didn't charge us for our second game. Asher did decently well at his first time bowling. Other than trying to kick the ball, trying to run after the ball down the lane, and the ball getting stuck multiple times.

If you are a family member viewing this blog via e-mail you must come to the blog itself to view the following video.

Haircut

2009-05-04T20:39:00.003-04:00

This afternoon we took Asher for a much needed haircut. Usually I cut his hair at home, but this time we decided to let someone else do it. We went a bit shorter than usual because it's getting warmer out.

Puzzles

2009-05-03T12:18:00.004-04:00

Asher loves his peg puzzles. He will ask us to play with them all day long. It's become part of our bedtime routine every night before we read to him. He'll finish one puzzle, hand it to us, and then ask for another. He's gotten so good at matching the shapes and colors that he can finish a puzzle in an extraordinarily fast amount of time. It truly amazes us. He's one smart cookie.

Here are a couple of bedtime pictures just for fun.

And here are a couple videos of him completing the puzzles. If you are a family member viewing this blog via e-mail you must come to the blog itself to view the following videos.

Our Saturday

2009-05-03T11:50:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was supposed to be a rainy day, same as today, but we have yet to see a single gray cloud. I don't think our weatherman has all of his marbles. But regardless yesterday we took Asher to the park to run around and enjoy the sunshine.

Later on after dinner we went back to the park for a little bit. Then we all went out to get some ice cream. Asher enjoyed using his own spoon and sharing with daddy. And then once daddy's was all gone, sharing with mommy.

IMAX 3-D

2009-04-28T14:13:00.002-04:00

Last night we took Asher to the IMAX theater to go see Monsters vs. Aliens in 3-D. This is only the second time we have taken him to the movies, the first being when we went to see Indiana Jones and he was much smaller then. He slept and nursed through that whole movie. This time around he actually watched the movie. He sat in his own chair with his own popcorn and 3-D glasses and enjoyed it. Such a big boy.

Asher's New Word: Splash!

2009-04-26T17:32:00.003-04:00

Today has been unbelievably hot here in Virginia, above 95. Daddy has been on shift work, so while he was at work this afternoon I cleaned out Asher's water table and we went on our porch to play. I was videoing him and I splashed him, saying the word splash. I was amazed that he repeated it back to me clear as day. We had been so worried about his speech and all of a sudden he's started picking words up daily.

If you are a family member reading this blog via e-mail, you must come to the blog itself to view the following video.

Enjoying Spring

2009-04-25T20:47:00.002-04:00

We took Asher to the park to run around a couple days ago before dinner. It's been such nice weather here.

Pregnancy Week 25

2009-04-25T20:37:00.002-04:00

Due Date: August 6, 2009 -- I am 25 weeks pregnant.

Weight gain: 6 lbs.

Next doctor appointment: I'm trying to get switched to a civilian, so no appt scheduled.

Pictures:

My Artist

2009-04-25T18:55:00.002-04:00

This afternoon I pulled out the easel for Asher to color. I must have been crazy when I decided to let him to use markers. Especially when he decided that he no longer wanted to color on the paper. Luckily I put one of daddy's white t-shirts on him or else we would have a had a huge mess.

Silly Kid

2009-04-22T10:57:00.002-04:00

A couple of days ago Stephen went through our storage closet to get out our baby gear. As soon as it was out Asher staked claim on it as his own. It's a good thing we have two identical bouncy seats, so hopefully it will stave off some jealousy once Isla gets here.

Our Easter

2009-04-13T12:40:00.002-04:00

Stephen had duty the night before, so when he got home from work on Easter morning we got ready and headed to church. Asher did fantastic in the nursery again, when we go to get him he doesn't want to leave.

After we got home we had lunch and Stephen got our eggs ready to dye, a first for both Asher and I. Asher had so much fun throwing the eggs into the dye, but luckily he didn't make too much of a mess. Stephen taught me his family's tradition of having an "egg fight" which isn't really even a fight. My one little blue egg beat all five of his eggs. Asher was most interested in eating his egg, and surprisingly he liked the egg white.

When Asher woke up from his nap we had his egg hunt set up in the house. He was really excited opening each egg and getting the fruit snacks out of them. Once he was done with the hunt he kept shaking his eggs to be sure he had gotten everything out of them. We got him dressed back into his church clothes so I could get some pictures and finally he was able to get his basket. We gave him his dinosaur tent and tunnel a few days early, but he still had plenty of things in his basket. He got peeps, pool toys, and some dinosaur plates, cups, and a lunchbox. He also got some money from Grandma and Grandpa James to use at Chuck E Cheese and some money from Nana and Papa. Papa Hawk and Nay sent both him and Isla personalized bunnies. Thank you all!
Stephen wasn't feeling well so we didn't even attempt to cook anything for dinner, instead we went out to Applebees.

Easter -- Then and Now

2009-04-12T20:46:00.002-04:00

Easter 2008

Easter 2009

Same shirt, same vest, same ears. Huge difference a year makes.

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-11T13:02:00.002-04:00

This morning Asher and I headed out to the Chesapeake City Park for their Easter Eggstravaganza. Stephen is at work, so I was a bit hesitant to go without him, but Asher was a good boy and we had fun. He got to ride a pony and the train. The pony was probably his favorite. He held on like a big boy and didn't want to get off when his turn was over. He also meet the Easter Bunny. To which he gave kisses and hugs. The whole line of people were awwing over him.

The egg hunt itself was kinda crazy. The adults were pushing people out of the way and at the end of it I saw some kids with baskets that must have had 50 or so eggs. Which is just greedy. Asher and I hung back toward the front of the field and he picked up 5 eggs. It was nice too because they had people working the event that walked around and would drop eggs near the smaller kids.

I'm so glad that the weather decided to hold out for today's activities. The forecast was calling for rain, but it's just now starting to get dark out.

Word List

2009-04-08T18:07:00.013-04:00

I finally got around to writing out all of the words that Asher says. There's probably more, but these are the ones off the top of my head.

Mama
Dada
Car
Truck
Duck
Shoes
Cookie
No
Uh oh
Dog
Baby
Bird
Balloon/Ball
Elmo
Hair
Five
Trash
Hello
Bye bye
Ow
Girl
Barney
Boob
Juice
Please
Go
Book
Flower
Bunny
Pear
Fish
All Gone
Boat
Stop
Out
Splash
Shoe On
Tickle

Beautiful Sunday

2009-04-05T18:14:00.003-04:00

This morning we got up and tried out the church that I mentioned yesterday. For the first time ever we left Asher with someone that wasn't a family member or close friend. He did fantastic in the nursery and in fact when we came to get him to leave he wanted to stay and play. I met a couple of ladies and hopefully we'll have some friends come from this.

This afternoon we tried to teach Asher to ride his tricycle around the neighborhood, but he got a bit frustrated, so we decided to go to the park instead. Stephen, Asher, and I flew the kite. Asher did even better than I did, until he let go of the kite strings and daddy had to run halfway across the park to get it. It was a beautiful afternoon and we spent a couple of hours there.

Asher likes Sketti

2009-04-04T23:39:00.002-04:00

A few nights ago Stephen made us spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. Turns out Asher loves it! He'd take a bite and ask for more parmesean cheese. Take another bite, ask for more cheese. In the end the bowl had more cheese than spaghetti, but we figured we'd do whatever it took to get him to eat it.

Kangaroo Jacs

2009-04-04T23:27:00.003-04:00

Today was a busy busy day for us. This morning we went to a few garage sales before going to the local Moms of Multiples sale. We got bunches and bunches of stuff for both kids for next to nothing, but that's another post in itself. Then this afternoon we went to the park and even later to a place called Kangaroo Jacs. A local church was sponsoring the event for the community and they were offering free admission, so we decided what better time to see what Asher thinks of moon bounces. The place was packed and we waited quite a while to get in, but it was worth it. He was terrified at first, but after a couple minutes he loved it. He played his little heart out and went to sleep without a fuss tonight. Luckily daddy was with us, because there are no preggos allowed on the bounce houses. Which was just fine for me, I got tired just watching them. Tomorrow morning we'll check out the church that hosted the event.

The little things.

2009-04-03T10:55:00.003-04:00

There is nothing better than the little moments. Last night I was giving Asher his bath and we got a little crazy with splashing. He splashed me, I splashed him. Then we started throwing the washcloth at each other. I laughed more last night than I have in a very long time. It didn't even matter that the bathroom was a mess of water. It didn't matter that I looked like I'd gone swimming in my clothes. It was a moment with my baby that I will always remember. It's the little things that make being a mommy so great.

Shopping for a girl is so much fun!

2009-03-26T12:36:00.001-04:00

Since we found out two weeks ago that baby-to-be is a girl, Stephen and I have been having a great time shopping for girls clothes. We have also decided that her first name will be Isla pronounced eye-la. We're at a complete loss for a middle name though, so hopefully she'll have one by the time she is born.

As for clothes, Stephen is so funny because he picks out tons of frilly dresses and we are both so picky about what we like and don't like. She is going to be a total girly-girl because most of what we have gotten so far are dresses. I'm also crazy for hairbows, ya know the huge ones that scream "I'm a girl," but I refuse to pay boutique prices so I've started making them.

Here's Isla's loot so far:

The rest of this stuff was bought from Goodwill/Salvation Army. Most of it brand new with tags, and a good majority nice brands; Gymboree, Hanna Andersson, Ralph Lauren. I am a hugeeee bargain shopper and I'm not afraid to admit it.

NYC Vacation

2009-03-23T11:10:00.003-04:00

On Friday morning we left Syracuse early and headed for NYC. It snowed part of the way there, but it wasn't too bad. We stayed at the Doubletree in Jersey City and took the PATH train into the city. The subway was so confusing to me, but luckily Stephen had it all figured out.

The PATH train brought us all the way to Harald Square and we did the tourist thing and headed for Times Square first thing. We adapted pretty quickly to the way the streets were numbered and how to get where we needed to go. In fact we did so well that people were asking us for directions.
We walked all up and down 5th Ave and saw many of the famous stores and sights in the area.

The evening of our first night there was the Twilight DVD release party, which was one of the things I was most looking forward to. We even had a special celebrity guest and one of the actors from the movie showed up. It was a late night and we didn't get back to the hotel til after 1am.The next morning we slept in and took our time getting ready. This time we walked up Broadway all the way to Central Park. We even had street vendor hot dogs. LOL.

We explored for a while and then took Asher to the Central Park Zoo. He loved the polar bear and penguins best.

By the end of the day we were exhausted, so we got some souvenirs and headed back to the hotel a little earlier than the previous day. It's a lot to take in and a day and a half doesn't give you nearly enough time to see everything. We stuck mostly around midtown and didn't venture too far off. Next time we'll try to do more.

Sunday morning we had planned to take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty, but we overslept. So we went to Liberty State Park and viewed it from the shore. Then it was time to head home.

Syracuse Vacation

2009-03-23T10:52:00.002-04:00

We left on St. Patrick's Day to start our vacation. We got to Syracuse late in the afternoon and stayed there until Friday morning. While we were there we got to see a bunch of my family. I have a huge family (my mom is 6th out of 7, plus there is one adopted) so I have tons of aunts, uncles, and cousins.
While we were there I got to visit with my dad, which was an...experience. Long story short, I don't really know him well, I don't particularly like him, but he isn't doing well and it was the "right thing to do" as far as visiting him. I also managed to track down my half-brother and spent part of an afternoon catching up with him.

I took Stephen and Asher around to experience some of the best things in Syracuse. Such as Heid's, which has the best hotdogs and coneys ever. And Asher got to ride the carousel at Carousel Mall and play at the playground in Marcellus park.

Most of our time there was spending time with my Aunt Peach's side of the family. I've always been closest to my cousins on that side of the family. I even got to see my cousin Amber's new baby Julian. My cousin Denise has always been like a second mom to me. We had dinner at her house on Thursday night for Scott's birthday.

Pregnancy Week 20

2009-03-23T10:48:00.002-04:00

Due Date: August 6, 2009 -- I am 20 weeks pregnant.

Weight gain: -2 lbs. I'm finally starting to gain some weight, but I'm still below where I started.

Next doctor appointment: Sometime in early April. They are moving and I have yet to call and schedule.

Pictures:

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-03-14T21:50:00.002-04:00

Today I turned...gasp...the big 23. I totally refuse to believe that I am that old. I mean that's mid-twenties, which is almost 30. I think I'll just keep telling myself that I'll be 21 forever.

My day started off with a midnight call from my awesome mommy singing happy birthday. Followed by a text overnight from my BFF Valerie. I also got phone calls throughout the day from my MIL Renee, Marcie, and my dad. Not to mention countless messages from friends on Myspace and Facebook. They all made me feel very special.

This morning Stephen went out early to get some Dunkin Donuts for breakfast. Asher was thrilled to be able to eat "cookas" for breakfast. The weather here was pretty dreary all day so we didn't even make it out of the house. But I still had a wonderful day with my two boys. This afternoon we pulled out all of Asher's old clothes and took out all the gender neutral stuff for the new baby. I had a great time going through it all. It's amazing how small some of those outfits are, it's hard to believe Asher was once that small. Stephen made my birthday cake, I love when he makes cakes because he goes all out on the decorating. Asher loved the cake so much he was covered head to toe and needed a bath promtly afterward.

My day was just perfect, low-key and everything I could have asked for. I got a new point and shoot camera since our last one broke. I'm so excited that I won't have to take my huge camera on vacation. And the best part of all...it's pink! My birthday gets to continue all next week with my big trip to NY.

The BIG ultrasound

2009-03-13T21:41:00.003-04:00

This afternoon I went to the Naval Hospital for my 20 week ultrasound. Stephen was able to get off of work and be there with me. Which was a good thing since it was Asher's naptime and the ultrasound took almost an hour. The baby looks great, the heartbeat was 163 and baby is weighing in at 10 oz. The tech was super sweet and really took her time to explain what everything was. We were a bit concerned about the heart due to family history, but we were assured that everything looks perfect. The only thing that we need to watch is the location of my placenta, it's really low, but not covering the cervix. If it were covering my cervix then I would probably need a c-section. Most of the time the placenta will move up as the pregnancy progresses, so hopefully mine will continue to move up. The baby is really low and head down, which is probably why the kicks I feel are not as strong as with Asher. Baby was being stubborn at first and did not want to turn over so the tech could get all the measurements, so she had me use the restroom to see if that would help. I did a little dance while I was in there and sure enough baby moved and we were able to get all the pictures they needed. The tech didn't keep us in suspense too long over the gender. She was having a little trouble seeing at first, but she told us she never gives up. So after a couple minutes we were able to see without a doubt that baby is a....

GIRL!
We are so excited to have one of each. I am so relieved that we can be done if we want to be. Though I'm sure once I'm not pregnant anymore that I'll begin to miss it. We'll see. But for now we are totally content with two. Later on this evening we went to a couple stores to pick out some cute girly outfits. Surprisingly my husband is extremely picky about what girls clothes he likes. He's into all the frilly dresses and I kinda like the more brightly colored outfits. So we kinda counteracted each other and didn't end up buying much. Which is good because my birthday is tomorrow and we are going on vacation next week to celebrate it.

Gorgeous Saturday

2009-03-07T17:02:00.002-05:00

Today the weather was gorgeous here in Virginia, a nice mid-70s and sunny. Stephen got home from work this morning after a duty day yesterday, so we decided to get out of the house. We spent the morning garage sale-ing, with a nice find of ducky stuff for Asher's bathroom. My car needed new base stickers, so when we found our way out towards the shipyard we took care of that too. Then we took Asher to a park near our house to run off some energy. Asher had a great time going down slides and climbing. He was cracking us up when we put him in the swing because he put his arms up as if to say "Look ma, no hands." I guess we used a lot of energy this morning because after the park and lunch we all took almost a 3 hour nap. Which is unheard of from Asher.

New Uniform

2009-03-04T00:13:00.003-05:00

The Navy has recently switched over to new uniforms. I can't say that I am a big fan of the change, I will forever love the Johnny Cash's, but alas the Navy doesn't take sexy into consideration. Stephen on the other hand loves his new uniform, it makes him feel more military and he says they are as comfy too. The day that his uniform arrived I asked him to model for me, this was the result.

Snow Day

2009-03-04T00:04:00.002-05:00

On Monday we got some snow that actually decided to stick to the ground. While daddy was at work Asher and I took a nice little walk around the neighborhood to enjoy the falling snow.

Big Boy Bed

2009-02-24T22:15:00.003-05:00

Asher started climbing out of his crib a couple days ago. I tried taking out the bumpers hoping that it would deter him, but that was to no avail. We've had a twin bed set up in his room since we moved here, but today we went out and bought super cool dinosaur sheets so it really feels like a big boy bed to him. He slept in the bed wonderfully on Friday night, so here's hoping tonight and future nights are more of the same.

Fun Forrest

2009-02-24T22:06:00.002-05:00

Stephen got home from work a little earlier than usual this afternoon, so we decided to check out a local playground that we had heard of called Fun Forrest. It's only a mile or two from our house and it is the largest playground that either of us had ever seen. Sure beats anything we had in Georgia. Asher had a great time exploring and we didn't even get to see it all. Today was a cold day, so we couldn't stay out too long. I'm thinking it might be a nice place for Asher's birthday party, if I'm not on bedrest by then.

The Potty

2009-02-24T22:02:00.002-05:00

We have just started to introduce the potty to Asher. I'm not sure that he's totally ready for it, so we aren't pressuring him. But he has been letting us know when his diaper is dirty, which I guess in the first step. Mostly he just likes to put the potty on his head. Every so often he will sit on it, so that's progress.

New stroller

2009-02-21T13:23:00.002-05:00

Stephen and I picked out our double stroller a few days ago after testing driving some of our favorites at Babies R Us. We went with a Sit and Stand model since Asher is gaining his independence, but the model we chose converts from a traditional double to the sit and stand, just in case he isn't quite ready or if we are going somewhere that he will be spending a lot of time in the stroller. After breakfast this morning Stephen decided to put it together and test it out.

Pregnancy Week 15

2009-02-15T18:21:00.002-05:00

Due Date: August 6, 2009 -- I am 15 weeks pregnant.

Weight gain: -6 lbs. At this point with Asher I had gained over 10 lbs, so to be down 6 is kinda nice.

Next doctor appointment: Thursday, 2/19.

Pictures:

St. Augustine

2009-02-15T18:10:00.002-05:00

Today the weather held out long enough for us to go to St. Augustine. My mom can't walk too far, so we went and walked around the Castillo de San Marco. Asher was a pill most of the time, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. It was a nice end to a wonderful trip home. I didn't get to see everyone that I wanted to see, I didn't get to do everything that I wanted to do, but there's always next time. Which isn't too far off, the plan right now is to come back at the end of March. Tomorrow is the long drive back to Virginia. Ugh I hate it there.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-15T17:55:00.002-05:00

My hubby flew in on Valentine's Day from Virginia. It was nice to see him after almost a week and a half. Asher was extremely shy when he first saw daddy and took a little while to warm up. Since then it's back to the norm and mommy is back to being chopped liver. I was enjoying all the Asher attention too. Stephen had a pajama gram sent to my parents house for me. A nice comfy pair of maternity pajamas and slippers too.

We went on a date later that night, but it didn't go as planned. We tried to go to a local Putt-Putt golf, but apparently they went out of business, so we had to go a bit farther to Adventure Landing instead. I got two hole-in-ones! By the time we were done there all the restaurants were closed so we grabbed some fast food and came back to the house to sleep because we were tired. It was a fun night out anyways. I mean, hey my hubby even opened doors for me, a picture worthy event for sure. It's not often we are kid-less and after the new baby comes dates like this will be even less often.

Beach take two

2009-02-15T17:48:00.002-05:00

On Friday we took Asher to the beach again. It was a bit warmer this time and the water was at low tide. Asher had a wonderful time dragging me in the water. He kept running up to the waves and jumping in them. We both got soaked, but we had fun. Unfortunately he decided to eat sand and got an upset tummy. I mean he ate a huge fistful, which made me gag. After the beach he was pooped and took an extra long nap in grandma's lap.

Downtown Jacksonville

2009-02-15T17:27:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday and Wednesday we met up with Kate and Jack again for playdates. We went to Kids Kampus at Metropolitan Park one day and the other we went to MOSH. The boys had a great time and it was nice to get out and enjoy the wonderful weather. MOSH was kinda a let down because two exhibits were closed, which equates to a large part of the museum. But the toddler play area made up for it. The boys could have stood at that water table all day.

Jacksonville Beach

2009-02-08T19:47:00.002-05:00

This afternoon my parents and I decided to take Asher down to the beach. I didn't pack for beach weather, so I had to run by the dollar store and get him a hat, a cheap onesie, and a bucket & shovel. But it was worth it. The weather was beautiful, mid 70's, though it got a bit chilly once the sun started going down. Asher had a blast chasing birds and digging in the sand. He is a total water baby because the chilly water didn't seem to bother him. He kept running back for more.

Home sweet home

2009-02-07T21:32:00.003-05:00

Asher and I drove down to Jacksonville on Thursday to see my mom because she had surgery. It was a surprise so she had no idea we were coming down to visit. She was upset at me for driving so far, but still very glad to see us.

Since we have been here we have been catching up with friends. Today we went over to Kate and Jack's house for a playdate and out to lunch.

Afterward we went over to Marcie's parents house so I could get some cuddle time with baby Suzana. Marcie and I took Asher to our old elementary school so Asher could play on playground there.