Six months

Baby boy is growing, but not gaining weight!  Here are is stats:

Height: 26 in (25-60 %)
Weight: 12 lbs 13 oz ( > 5%)
Head Circumference: 17 1/4 in (50%)

He's growing and moving so much now.  His favorite toy is his door way jumper and he literally jumps for hours in it.  He studies objects with his hands and eyes and loves to stick anything in his mouth.  He expecially loves to suck on my hoodie ties.  He loves to bounce in my lap and his sitting up on his own, but falls over still.  He has fallen off of the couch and figured out how to climb/fall out of the bumbo seat.  From that fall he got his first bruise on his head and I felt like the mother-of-the-year! :)  Joking...I felt like crap after seeing him fall like he did.

He is also, as of last tuesday, eating organic brown rice cereal with water and bananas!  Grandma T. tought me how to feed him and I couldn't be more pleased with the fact that he is eating from a spoon again.  He needs the calories and I'm hoping that this helps him to gain some much needed weight. 

He is still a horrible sleeper, but that may be because he is always hungry...or he just loves to see me all of the time. :)  Weird...I'm really not that pleasant at 12:00am, and then 1:35am , and then 2:00am and then....you get the point until it's time to get up at 6am, or until the hubs wakes up at 4am.  Needless to say, I may never sleep solid again, but that's okay...I love my fam. :)

Check out my photo blog for cute photos of him from a month ago (link is on the left sidebar) and here are some others from a couple weeks ago.

Five Months! (and a venting session)

Quick post today while Asher is sleeping and since I can't figure out how to use our Mega cool ladder to get some new clothes down for Asher and put my maternity clothes away I have nothing better to do than to post.  Sometimes I wish Shem were at my disposal at all times of the day to show me how things work and to keep me from doing dumb things like breaking the garbage disposal with rocks.  Yes.  I broke the garbage disposal by putting rocks in it and then turning it on.  That was a month ago and this weekend will be the first chance he's had since school started to fix it.  Let's hope the new disposal goes in without 50 trips to Home Depot and an ulcer to go along with it.

Asher is such a good boy, yet at times I can't figure him out.  There are times when I know that he is hungry, but he's so upset or restless that he doesn't stay on and we re-latch about 8 times before I give up and make him wait to try again on the other side.  Nursing has been so hard for me.  I don't think I know of anyone who has had a perfect experience nursing though.  If you have please don't tell me because I might just cry while hugging my chest and rocking back and forth.  I have Mastitis for the THIRD time now and if I get it again I'm done with nursing.  I feel so guilty thinking that and desiring that, but having sore boobs and running a high fever while taking care of a baby is not fun!  Especially when there is a kitchen full of dishes to do.  I wonder if I was even made for nursing at times because of all the trouble we've had.  About 3 weeks ago Asher finally started opening his mouth the latch on!  We've been stuck using the inconvenient nipple shield which is just a pain to wash and have on hand at all times.  I just have to remind myself that this is just a stage in my life right now and that soon enough I'll have my body back until I decide to have another kid.  Speaking of which, I'm all for spacing the kiddos out as much as I can...I think I need a break between each baby.

Anyway, I've had so many problems with my body since having the baby and I'm just done with it all.  I want to new back, new boobs, and I can't wait to lose weight (I've been stuck for the past while and I can't seem to lose anything these days).

Surprisingly that little lump in my throat is gone...venting is good for the soul. :)

Love this pic below even though it's got too much depth of field fuzz on his face!

Now on to Asher.  The little guy isn't gaining weight like he was. He has dropped from the 25th percentile to below the 5th and I'm worried.  I'm supposed to try and feed him 8 times day now, but I can only squeeze in about 6-7 feedings on a regular basis.  I finally have permission to start rice cereal and I think he loves it.  I hope this helps him to gain some weight since he has fallen off the charts recently.  Other than that he is doing super well.  As you can see he loves to put things in his mouth.

Today I sat him down in the Bumbo while I dried my hair.  He loves the sound of the hair dryer and like to watch me when I'm getting ready.  He loves to sing (scream) when he wants attention or when he starting to get tired or hungry.  Most of the time it's cute, but if you let it go on too long it kind of drives you crazy until you pick him up and he smiles at you knowing that he won.  He enjoys being in the same room as me and just watching me work on dinner, dishes, or anything else.  He loves his feet!  He holds his head up like a champ and he as excellent control.  He still loves to stand in your lap and has recently decided that sitting in the corner of the couch is much more enjoyable than laying on the floor or the boppy pillow.  He had his first fall off of the couch too and that wasn't so enjoyable.  Luckily he was okay.  I think the doctor freaked me out more after the fall with all the talk about what could happen to the baby with a fall, but whatever, he's okay.  He falls asleep every time we go running in the jogger and never sleeps when we go into the grocery store (he likes to look around).  Since I've been working in Primary lately Asher gets to hang out with the ladies in Relief Society and they fight over who gets to hold him. :)  It's so nice to have such awesome women be so willing to watch my baby for a while...I love it and I can tell that they love and enjoy him a lot.

Cheap Food!

I've just discovered www.bountifulbaskets.org and I think it's going to change my life and the way I shop!  I picked up my first basket this past Saturday and it was quite the experience and I was impressed.  It's a food co-op and it's volunteer based, so no one is paid and your $16.50/basket goes all into the food you buy!  I have to admit that I had fun waiting for the semi-truck to arrive and then we had to unload the truck and divide the food among the baskets.

You should try it out for yourself!  I hear that the produce is so fresh that it will last a couple of weeks.

Today I feel crappy

Asher is four months!  I can't believe how much he has grown and developed in this short time.  Here are some stats:

Weight: 12 lbs. 1.5 oz. (5-10%)
Height:  25 in. (50%)
Head:  16 3/4 in. (50-75%)

I think I need to feed him more because he's not gaining weight like I though he was; however, he is much taller!  I want to start him on rice cereal with breast milk, but my pediatrician said to wait until six months.  Any thoughts on this?  I'm open to opinions because I actually feed him some rice cereal for 3 days in a row because he was showing some interest in my food.  He surprised me when he was very excited about a spoon with food on it and he kept most of it in his mouth!

He may just be a skinny lean machine, but this kid is smart!  The doctor said that developmentally he is about six months! 

-He is so smiley!!!  This kid will make your day and he is a tension diffuser.  Just one look and poof, the anger goes away!

-He gets passed around a lot at church and every week someone new tells me how responsive he is and that he is charming.  My kind of kid.

-He has eaten rice cereal with breast milk and has shown much interest in what mom or dad is eating.

-He grabs and plays with his toes!!! (I couldn't wait for him to do this and he's a pro at it already!)

-For the past week he has been sleeping beautifully!  From about 9:30pm-6:30am.  Love it!!

-I am afraid of this one because it means he will probably never hear me when I call his name, but he becomes fixated on the television when I let him watch it.

-He will look at me when I call his name.

-He smiles at me when I get him in the morning.

-He rolls/turns/grabs/sucks/ while on his play mat.  Some days I find him on his side grabbing at the giraffe, other days he has turned 180 degrees in order to look at himself in the mirror, and on most days I find him grasping the monkey and pulling it like crazy.

-He is very strong and loves to stand up in our laps.
-His favorite thing to cuddle with is a plain white wash cloth!

To change subjects (and to add some pictures), Asher got some shots today and even though he took it well, I thought it would be fun to document him with his battle wounds in a semi-melancholy state.  Truthfully, he slept afterward and has been very much his happy self.

In the words of Asher:

Today I got some shots, so I feel crappy.

 Not just in one leg...

...but in both

 This is how I look when I'm a little sad.  It makes my Mom go crazy taking pictures of me because apparently, I'm super cute.

So now I'm just chilln'.

 With my cute sad eyes and my perfect little pose.

 And here's one more looking-straight-up-into-the-camera-shot for my Mom because I know it will make her get all lovey-dovey and make her ogle over me. It's almost like I'm in baby GQ  :)

Did I mention that I have Mastitus again!!!  Yeah, fever peaked at 102.7 yesterday and I just about lost my cookies.  I'm feeling much better today thankfully since it's 82 degrees out!  Thank you Washington!  I'm loving summer in September!  I may even take the babe to the beach tomorrow and take a dip.

Love this kid...

...now only if he would take a nap today. :)

 The frowny face.  And some cool off-camera lighting!!

The happiest baby!

Change

So, this is one of those posts where I get all philosophical.  Okay, I'm really not that smart, but I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about my life, friends, and basically my goals and ambitions for the future.

Today, especially, I'm feeling really sad about not going back to work.  I feel like a phase of my life has ended and that there is no turning back.  This is kind of an odd feeling to me because I complained a lot about my job, how busy I was, never being able to feel like I was ever caught up, kids acting up at times, and waking up at dark thirty just to get to work on time.  Aside from all of my complaining I genuinely loved my job.  I loved the kids, my friends, the office ladies, my bosses, the random things that would happen when it snowed, the learning...oh, how I love to learn and read and then teach others what I've learned even if I feel like I taught X concept in the worst way possible.  I was never afraid to admit that I didn't know everything to my students, in fact I loved that they knew that I was still learning.  I loved being and feeling like a professional...I was a professional and I worked dang hard in school to make it happen! :)  Yup, I'm proud that I made sacrifices in my life in order to move myself forward.  I may not have know Spanish the best, or known the best teaching methods but I feel like I did a decent job at what I did and I would gladly take an opportunity to further my education and go back to teaching if/when it may present itself.

Now that I'm moving on from working full-time outside of my home I'm focusing on my family.  I feel so much joy when I think about all of the things I'll get to do with Asher and for Shem now that I'm home.  Since becoming a mom I've learned that if something doesn't get done around the house right away it's fine.  I don't have to be perfect, but mostly just keep taking care of the things that matter most and Asher pretty much is at the top of that list right next to taking care of myself.  I'm hoping that I won't be a bum and waste time in the usual ways (I'll be the first to admit that facebook and blogs distract me a lot during the day) and I do want to keep moving forward.  Things are going to be different around my home and I'm hoping that where Shem and I used to split a lot of the work I'll be able to take over. I'm hoping that this school year will be less stressful for him since I'll be taking care of most things around the house.

I'm also going to get my body in shape again.  I have time now!  And hopefully Asher and I find a jogging stroller soon that we like so that we can get out and run during the week.  I have some personal goals to get really good at yoga and in April my friend Julie and I are going to run a 1/2 marathon together!  All I have to do is start running now. :)  I'm at a point where I feel like my body is ready to be used again and it feels great to be ready to move.

I'm also excited to focus more on making and building some friendships.  In the past I've felt like I didn't have any friends at church and I blamed it on being at work all day.  Turns out that I had friends at work!  I  also feel like I have a tendency to not let people into my life for a lot of dumb reasons; my house is too small, we don't have toys, I work all day long, we don't have kids, my house is dirty, I'm still in my pajamas, etc.  The only person that I have truly let into my life and who knows me better than anyone has been Shem.  He made it so easy for me to open up and to truly be myself (turns out I'm really a goofy girl and I think of really weird things).  I know what a blessing a few girlfriends, or even a best friend can be to a married gal, so it's time to let people into my life...my very imperfect life, but I promise I am kind of cool...in a totally geeky and weird-humored kind of way.

Things are changing, I've changed and life is going to be great...different, but great.

 Me and my reason for change.  8/28/2011

What he does when I'm not watching

My life pretty much is my kid now, so therefore the blog is about the kid as well. :)  Today, while making breakfast, Asher decided to turn a full 180 degrees on his play mat in order to see himself in the mirror!  He loves to swat at it, rattle the monkey (which he never lets go of), and stare at himself!  So cute!  My baby is growing up and learning sooo much...when I'm not looking.  How does anyone even let their kids go off to school!?  The thought of my child learning so much without me watching is kind of hard to bear.  I want to be there with him to see all that he does and learns.

The Mommy Saver and Three months!

It's true.  Sometimes moms need to get stuff done, so we have toys.

Asher likes his play mat.  He is learning to grab and is exploring the world around him more through touch and sight.  In fact, he is beginning to see me from a distance.  Not so cool when you want him to forget you and fall asleep, but oh so sweet when you're cooking dinner and you want him to see you from the other room when you call his name.

He loves his hands.  He loves to put them in his mouth, whole fist and all, and then suck on them like I haven't fed him in the past 24 hours.

He's very social and apparently loves to charm perfect strangers!  The ladies who check us out from Costco got him to giggle for them...he hasn't even giggled for Shem or I yet!

We love our little man and we can't believe that he is 3 months old already!  

Four years and we're still so happy!!

The best decision of my life was deciding to marry my best friend four years ago.  I'm so blessed to have such a handy, handsome, helpful, hard-working, and loving guy as my husband.  And he's even the best daddy ever to our son...love that times infinity!  I couldn't have done any better had I chosen to not marry a Thompson!

The photography workshop of my dreams!

Jean and Travis Smith are two of my most favorite photographers in the whole wide world!  I'm kind of hoping to win a seat at the next workshop in the good ole D-town so that I can learn from them (and visit my family :)  Who wants to babysit Bug for me? :))

Here is a link describing the workshop.

http://workshop.jeansmithphotography.com/

Go to this link to enter it you'd like to attend as well!  Who knows, you just might win!

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=193308897

This morning...

...we cooked real food in our almost done kitchen.

 Asher ate his breakfast too.

 And then we played just to make him smile since the camera was out.

Note:  No, I really don't let him eat himself for breakfast...he just LOVES to suck on his whole hand now.  And yes, we did put carrots and celery in our eggs...sooo yummy!

Like Father like Son.

When I first came out to Seattle to meet Shem's family before we were engaged I learned a lot about him from his parents and siblings.  One of the funniest things about Shem is that he can entertain himself for hours!  Even as a kid he would play board games against himself if nobody else was able to play with him.  Well,  it seems that my son is no different.  While making dinner I caught him staring at the ceiling laughing. :)

Eight Weeks/Two Months Old!

I can't believe that Asher is already two months old (almost...not until the 6th)!  It feels like Asher has been a part of our lives forever, yet at the same time he has only been with us for two months.  Life does change a lot when you have a kid and our life has changed for the better.  Our little Asher is a blessing to us.  He has been ever since we found out that we had a good pregnancy.  We love our little one and these are some of the things that we absolutely adore about him:

-He smiles a lot!  And I'm pretty sure that he giggled in his sleep the other morning. :)

-He kicks and moves his arms.

-He does this really cute baby coo/giggle/whine that melts your heart

-He sometimes will hang out by himself in his swing all wide-eyed and happy until I get him, so he must be patient.

-He still loves contrast...a lot...and I think it so cute!

-He will whine sweetly when he wants attention.

-He is finally in size 1 diapers

-He is very strong and can hold his weight while standing supported by Dad.

-He is putting more fat on his body and mostly carries it on his thighs (which is so cute!).

All in all we have a very sweet baby.  We're very blessed to have such a beautiful and good baby.  Here is the beautiful part that I love about him.  I took these photos yesterday after bath time on my bed.  I used my 50mm 1.4 lens and I love the results!

Mom and Dad's visit

My parents and James and Lehi came to visit as well this past weekend for Asher's baby blessing.  We had a lot of fun with them and hung out at Gasworks Park in Seattle, ate some yummy food, toured the USS Turner Joy in Bremerton, took the ferry, and Shem enjoyed playing multiple games with Lehi.

 Lehi turned 17!  I can't believe how old he is now.  I made the cake for him and I loved decorating it!  I want to get into cake decorating now that I'm home.

 The USS Turner Joy was a lot of fun to explore because you could go everywhere on the ship without a tour guide.  Shem even climbed up into the gun where the army dude would sit and shoot the bad guys!  Asher was with him too in the baby carrier.  You can just barely see his face through the glass.