Happy Almostiversary

Today I wished my husband a "Happy Almostiversary."

5 years ago today we would have been married. 9.25.04 was our original wedding date. But today we've been married for 5 years and almost 8 months.

We chose the 25th as our special day for somewhat sentimental reasons. As kids, we began dating on November 25, 1997, less than a week from when we first met each other. So, the 25th seemed like a perfect date for us. Furthermore, we chose September as I have always loved Fall and figured that an autumn themed wedding would be even more beautiful.

We were engaged shortly after 9.11 happened, but we had planned to wait until after I graduated in 2004 before we took the long walk down the aisle. Still, I searched and planned and prepared for one of the biggest days of our lives. What a dreamer I was! I found the perfect dress for me, a beautiful shade of aubergine (eggplant for those of you "regular" folks out there!) for the bridesmaids to pick out their own style, and wished for some gorgeous oranges and golds in the floral creations to compliment the purple hues already selected. The dresses were ordered in late fall 2003 and we expected it would take some time for their arrival.

And then a huge wrench was thrown in our "plans." I laugh to even say that now.

Jake was called up to be deployed to Afghanistan. He got the call on Friday, January 30th, just a few days after my final semester in college had begun. We had plans to go to a wrestling meet that night with friends, and I had forgotten a few things back at home, so called him in hopes that he could swing by my parents' house and pick them up for me. When I called him he told me he was already on his way...and I could just tell that something was wrong. Jake never just showed up without calling to let me know he was on his way. I knew something was up, and I just had a feeling it wasn't good. In fact, I think I knew what he was going to say before he even arrived and shut my ever-open RA dorm room door.

He made me come sit on his lap, and he held me tight while he delivered the blow that he was being deployed. All our "plans" were shattered! After we sobbed, we had to make a new plan...we made phone calls to our parents, siblings, the church, and finally to our friends. We met up at with a bunch of those friends at a bar that afternoon for what we called our "last supper" as we chided that we would not eat the rest of the week to fit into our dresses. The priest had given us some options and we agreed to be married in a week, on the 7th of February at 7 PM. After a blustery week of winter, and preparations amid doctors visits for Billy the Kid(ney), college classes, work, etc. we were married amongst our closest family and friends.

Now I have been married to my best friend for almost 6 years. And every day of that has been an adventure. Not always good, but never constantly awful, the years have brought us to our highest peaks and lowest valleys together...even when we were apart. This man who has brought me so much joy still makes my heart flutter. I tell him constantly how sad that it makes me that we only get just this one lifetime together. But it's my ever-present reminder to seize each day and love without abandon.

Happy almostiversary, baby.

Final Countdown

Well...the marathon relay is in less than a week. At this point I am thinking, "What was I thinking?!"

I was so naively agreeable to this when it was presented to me.

"Who wants to run the marathon relay?"
"Oh...me! Oh wait, I don't run. I probably don't even know how to start...Can I learn how to run 3.2 miles in 9 weeks?"
"Sure."
"OK!"

Seriously. What was I thinking?

Last week Jake & I ran 2.75 miles...before that my longest run was 2 miles. So, the natural progression was to go for 3, which I attempted on Saturday.

It was AWFUL. Let me repeat. AWFUL.

I've considered why it was such a horrible experience. Here are some of the reasons I've come up with:

~ I had just done my hour-long Stroller Strides workout prior.
~ I was alone...usually I run with a partner (a friend or Jake, the baby & the dog).
~ TMI: I had my period.
~ I had only ingested coffee and water that day.

OK...so I feel lke I have some pretty valid "excuses," but this time I don't want excuses. I want results. I want success. And that "run" was a colossal failure. It put me in a really bad mood, too, for much fo the rest of the day.

So...I need to move past that. And...run 3.2 miles on Sunday! I don't think I'm going to make any sort of great time...in fact, I've had nightmarish moments where I believe that the actual marathoners are going to scream things at me, such as "Get out of my marathon!" Let's just hope that doesn't happen!

I did it!

So, the Couch to 5K program is kind of changing my life.

When I started, I just began. On a whim I said "yes" to being on a marathon relay team, and I had to figure out how I could go from basically the couch to running on this team! Yeah...crazy, I know!

I began the first day with a 5 minute "warm-up" walk, and then alternated 60 seconds jogging to 90 second walking for 20 minutes. That was the most running I had done in probably 13 years!

And today, I just ran 2 miles. That's what it said to do today...a 5 minute "warm-up" walk, then "run 2 miles, or 20 minutes." Hmmm....well, apparently it was more like 12 minute miles...but I DID IT! I DID IT!

Marketing Genius?

I seriously saw this today and just had to share with all of you...

I was driving on a busy street and stopped at the intersection where a large grocery store sits. As I pull to a stop, I notice one of those motorized carts that folks can use inside the store...being driven by a large chicken. Well...not a chicken, per say, but a person in a chicken costume. Oddly enough, it was a well-made, non- freaky chicken costume, if I might say so myself. So, the chicken is driving the "hover-round" and waving at passing vehicles. Upon closer inspection, there are cooked rotisserie chickens just chillin in the basket of the hover-round, and on the basket is a sign for $3.99 rotisserie chickens.

Seriously. Marketing genius?!

I had to shake my head and laugh. I actually saw a woman, mid-turn who was talking on her cell phone, pause to wave at the hover-round rotisserie chicken. It was hilarious.

In other news, our fun tonight included wearing a collander on our heads with a very-pregnant friend. Guess whose idea it was to put a collander on our heads?

Training Update

I'm about a week behind in my training. When I started this marathon relay training, I had 9 weeks to prepare before race day. I should currently be on week 6. I am just going to be on week 5. Uh, oh....

Overall, I've been really proud of myself. Never before have I had the drive...the determination, to get up off my bum & do it. For instance, one day I was to go out & do my workout. It was a hot, humid day and I could have stayed inside in the A/C...especially after the rain came. It rained right before I was going to go out...I even had my tennis shoes on and was ready to go. I could have called it quits right then & there. But then the rain cleared, it had cooled off just a tad, and I said "Let's do this!" And I did.

Then I have the days where I think, "What the heck did I get myself into? Why did I ever agree to this?!" It's scary. Sure, I think, "What if race day jitters have me in the porta-potty all morning?" Lord, I hope that doesn't happen! But then I pull myself back to reality and say "Look, self. You have already come this far. A few short weeks ago you were barely walking the dog around the block. Now you are able to RUN! That's fabulous...GO YOU!" As one fellow Team Stroller Strides marathon relay mama Abbie said, "It's not about how fast you do the marathon...it's about the fact that you are doing it." Such truth. I definitely cannot claim that I am a "fast" runner at all...in fact, sometimes I feel as if I am merely shuffling...but I am out there and I'm trying, and most days it feels pretty good....once I'm done.

I certainly haven't had the experience, yet, when it feels good TO run. In fact, my last workout I set out on the bike path with my husband, baby, and the dog. I just couldn't regulate my breathing...my first steps into the jog, I just felt it wasn't going to be a good run...and it wasn't. I felt tired, sluggish, heavy, and grumpy during and I felt the same way after. I tried coming up with a rhythm to breathe, I tried listening to the creek rushing by, the crickets chirping, and the birds calling to each other...and it did get me through, but I still felt like crap during and afterwards. I guess some days are just going to be like that.

But then there was the day I did two workouts in one day. First I went and did an hour-long workout with my Stroller Strides friends...and then I came home and did workout #11 with ERin. It's OK...I thought that was a little crazy, too! 2 workouts in one day?! I know...but honestly, I felt AWESOME the rest of the day! And I rewarded myself, not with a DQ Turtle Oreo Blizzard (but OMG seriously those are to die for) but with an awesome pair of workout pants from New York & Co. Nothing like a hot-mama to hit the trail! I found out that day that I can run a non-consecutive mile in about 10 minutes & 40 seconds. Not bad for someone who was doing almost nothing just a few short months ago...

So...that's what's been going on...training, chasing a very busy 19 month old, and trying to snuggle my husband any chance I get. And tomorrow is a new day...

And then he kissed me...

Tonight was one of the best nights of my life.

You know when you have your first kiss and it's completely memorable because you're excited and shocked and you feel like you're floating on a cloud?! That was me. Tonight.

First kiss. He kissed me.

My boy walked up to me and put his hands on my shoulders and leaned in and smacked his little lips right onto mine.

Twice.

*SIGH* It was SO adorable.

This is what it feels like to be totally and ridiculously in love with two...a man, and our boy.

Oh, POOP.

On Wednesday we had dinner with K, Asher's birthmom. She's had a busy summer post-graduation with working lots to save for a car and getting ready for her first semester of college, so we hadn't seen her since her graduation party in June. We had a fun dinner at Red Robin (on the suggestion of many of my dear mommy friends in Stroller Strides), complete with kid-friendly fare and a red and green helium baloon for the road.

After dinner we decided to go play on the playground at one of our favorite parks since it was such a gorgeous night. When we got there Asher threw a bit of a fit, as his daddy wouldn't let him jump into the duck pond, so we quickly headed toward the playground area. The play area is complete with 2 sets of swings and two separate playgrounds for big and little kids. Asher had such a fun time climbing the stairs, crossing the bridge, exploring, and zipping down the slides. K's parents and brother joined us after awhile, and they, too, enjoyed watching him at play. They all especially enjoyed how he turns himself around to go down the slide (similar to how we have taught him to go downstairs!) Even with the tube slide, which he had to be lifted up into, he would turn himself around mid-slide! He is such a funny kid.

He played nice, and he played hard. By the time we were winding things up at the park, it was getting close to Asher's bedtime and he was exhausted. Just before we were saying our goodbyes, he biffed on the mulch and got a faceful of dirt and woodchips. We brushed him off and he shook it off like a good sport, then offered some "hand-blown kisses" to all and his sweet "Byyyyyyyye!"

It was bath night anyway, but there was no way I could put him to bed as filthy as he was. His dirty little fingers even had remnants of blue fingerpaint under the nails from an art project he had finished earlier in the day at the sitter's. So into the tub with my little muchkin to scrub and soak. Asher just loves bathtime, and he loves, too, when we wrap him up in his towel to be "Stork Baby." Lately, though, he loves running around sans diaper in his room after his bath, and since this is the only time he gets to be without a diaper, I oblige his spirit of fun and freedom for a few minutes. That particular night my mom called and we were chatting as he had his streak fest around his bedroom. I told her I needed to get off the phone, however, as I didn't want him to pee in his closet, so she soon let me go.

Another favorite game of Asher's is "hide in the closet." Any closet will do, whether it's a regular door or a sliding one. He loves hiding inside and emerging with a "Peekaboo!" or a "Rawr!" to scare you! He had been running back and forth around his room in and out of the closet, but nearing the end of my mom's phone conversation, he hadn't popped his little head out. When I finished the call I went over to the closet door, telling Asher it was time to come out and get his diaper & "Shark jams" on. Upon opening the door I was met with the darkness and a stinky smell. My little man was standing there looking down and then he looked up at me with a look of confusion and disgust.

He was standing in a pile of poop. I gasped, and grabbed him by one arm, sweeping him up across my belly, with the other hand poised under his rump to catch anymore emerging poo. He, of course, thought this was hilarious. I rushed him to the bathroom to clean him off a second time. It was laughable and totally gross all at the same time. Such is the life of a mom - hilarious and ridiculously nasty at times!

Yes, No & #2

Asher doesn’t say “yes.” Perhaps he can’t say the word yet, or he hasn’t learned it, but so far he does know the word “no.” Imagine that. He’s 18 months old!

This has gotten entertaining, such as when we ask him funny questions and he responds with “no” (see "Hilarious" post). Recently on a family trip to Ohio, to entertain us all, I asked Asher, “Do you want a baby sister?” and he responded with a long “Nooooooo…..” So I asked, “Do you want a baby brother?” which was met with a flat “No.” OK. Such is life.

Last night my sister was visiting and she, Asher & I were busy playing in his room before bedtime. She taught him a funny trick with the hamper, he showed his “hide & seek” skills in the closet, and we all had a few good laughs. His vocabulary is ever-expanding with things like “ball,” “water,” “bubbles,” and he loves to point and “show” us new things. I thought I would demonstrate to my sister how funny he could be by expressing his feelings about wanting a brother or sister. So, again I asked “Asher, do you want a sister?” to which he replied again, “Noooooooo…..” Ashley and I both laughed at that, so onto the next question. “Asher, do you want a brother?”

And then he shocked me. “Brother,” he said clearly. Hmmmm...interesting...

Workouts #2 & 3

Well, I did it. I was brave today. I wore a tank top while working out.

Granted, I should NOT wear a tank top. My arms are all jiggly. They are not tan. They are gross. But, it was hot, and I went outside to work out, so I got all gutsy and decided to wear one. No one yelled nasty things out their car windows at me and my "flags" so I guess that's a good thing. Perhaps someday I will have amazingly sinewy, strong arms like my Stroller Strides leader. That girl has ARMS. I should hate her, but I don't. I love her because she has awesome arms and because she is ever encouraging, even when I don't believe in myself.

Another good thing I did today was my Couch to 5K workout #3. It was to be a brisk 5 minute walk, followed by 60 seconds of jogging, followed by 90 seconds walking (AKA recovery) for 20 minutes. Today was the first workout where I didn't feel like I was dying. I even kind of enjoy the way my abs hurt after jogging. This is good stuff, people.

Workout #2 was while we were in Colorado. The air up there is THIN. My mom joined me again as a "guest trainer" on #2 and she heard me say a lot of naughty words like $#*&! but she just kept me going. We did more than the suggested 25 minutes, and I did a little more walking than I was supposed to, but I still was out there busting my butt to try. That post-workout didn't feel as good as the first. I was sore for 2-3 days after, so I skipped workout #3 for the week and decided I'd be a tough mom and do 4 workouts this week. Yes, I think I've ingested the crazy.

So, workout #3 was tonight. It was a humid evening, and post dinner, plus a headache, but I knew I had to do it. I took a few Ibuprofen and filled my Stroller Strides water bottle. Asked the hubby for some help in getting me, Sadie, & Asher out the door & onto a leash and into a stroller, respectively. Waterbottles, stop watch/cell phone, and poop patrol bag in hand, we set out to meet my sister at the bike path. She has a shorter distance to the park than we do, so she met us around the school and we continued our brisk walk together to the bike path. I asked her if she thought she could do the workout, and ever up for the challenge, she said yes on the spot to being my 3rd "guest trainer." GO SISTERS! I was on stop watch/dog duty, and she pushed Asher in the stroller. When we got 11 minutes out we switched roles with her taking Sadie & me taking the stroller & Asher, and we turned around and finished the workout 10 minutes later back where we had started. I think my boobs actually hit me in the chin at one point during the workout, which caused my sister to snort in disgust at me, but gave me a bit of a chuckle. Next thing on my list, invest in a few more Title 9 five dumbell sports bras!

Marathon Mama?

You all know that I am not a runner.

A few times in my life I have "tried" but I am always very ambitious & then fail, after a mere 1 or 2 attempts. However, through Stroller Strides, the new group I've been working out with locally on Tuesdays & Saturdays (with Asher!), I've been offered an opportunity to try again.

There is a marathon here in the Quad Cities the last weekend of September. The leader of SS, Sara, has asked if any of the "running mamas" would like to put together a relay team to complete the marathon. Ever ambitious, I responded to the post, and was encouraged by another (thanks, Abbie!) to look into the Couch to 5K program. What was I thinking?!

The marathon is 9 weeks away. I realize this is a huge attempt. There are some longer "legs" of the relay, but the 4th leg (running off of Arsenal Island into Moline for the hand-off) is 3.2 miles, and that seems a much more "tackleable" number for me. Am I crazy?

I officially started my "training" this morning at 7:30 AM with my mom, her running partner Cindy, Husker, Sadie, & Asher in the jogging stroller. I did ask them, "Do you usually run at this pace, or are you doing this on my benefit?" They laughed & said they are slowing down now in their "old age" but maybe just a little faster. Hell. I was just proud of myself for getting out there. From my point of view, I was running with the pros here. These ladies have run marathons, by themselves, so for them to ask me to join them on a Saturday morning was pretty cool.

It was a nice 76 degrees, but the sun was out in full force. At one point I told my mom I felt like my face was "on fire." Yes. On. Fire. She said, "You're sweating the toxins out." EW. I can tolerate being a Sweaty Betty, but ew.

I'm already thinking frightening thoughts about September 27th. Everyone has different responses to nervousness. I already feel like I'm going to pee, poop & puke. All at the same time. (Hey, I'm a mom, we talk about that sort of thing on this blog.) Ugh. Race day jitters & I'm not even sure I'll make it to my 2nd workout!

Speaking of which, I need help, motivation, some pushes in the right direction to get me, and the 4 other gals across the finish line! So, here's a shout out for assistance.

If you are a runner, a jogger, a motivator, or even a biker or walker...I'd love to have "guest trainers" along my 9 weeks of training for my 3.2 leg of the marathon. Look, my mom & Cindy were the first...I can't stop now! Wouldn't that be awesome to have a different guest trainer for every work out?! Feel free to email me or post a response & we'll schedule you as a guest trainer!

All consuming

My life is consumed by so many little details lately....things that make me feel truly "mom-ish."

Like the fact that my hair looks like shit.

I'm not saying that moms have to look terrible...but now, I do realize how moms can get so disheveled looking. I was trying to think of my last cut & color. I can't. If I didn't write it on the calendar, I can't even look it up. I just know that my hair used to be cute and easy to manage, and all of a sudden it's sort of shaped like a mushroom and my roots are showing hardcore.

Another thing is that my house is in constant disarray.

I digress. I've never been one to be so fabulous at managing at house. However, now I yearn to keep a nice house...but I just don't have the energy or hours in the day. I now KNOW for a fact that my mom was and still is SuperMom...because she truly does it all. I'm still in training. I'm not that good yet. Not even close. No matter if I vacuumed 2 seconds ago, there is already dog hair on the floor. No matter if I just wiped up water on the floor, it's there again because my son likes to play in the dog's water bowl. No matter if I pick up all the toys and put them neatly in the basket. Asher loves to play and discover and pulling the toys out of the basket and taking out all of the books is more fun than neat and tidy.

I ran into a friends' mom the other day at Sam's Club on a diaper run (which ended $96 later with more than diapers in my cart). She said, "You know...if I had to do it again, I'd spend less time cleaning & more time playing!" Amen. Amen.

My life is consumed now by things that feel quite normal, but just a few years ago were totally foreign. The turmoil of having to leave work to take your baby to the doctor for yet ANOTHER ear infection. The stress of having to finally have tubes surgically put into your baby's ears after months of those ear infections. The pure joy you feel in the morning when you hear him wake up and begin talking. The heart-leap when he gets excited every morning to see you and the way he smells like fruit when he first wakes up. The way he says "Mama...mama...." and he means me. The feel of his breath against my neck and the weight of his little body on my chest as we rock before bedtime. The smell of his shampoo lingering in the bath...The way that my refrigerator is begin taken over by fingerpaintings and letter magnets...

There's no place else I'd rather be.

Oh, Sit.

Well....today is one of those "milestones" that I knew we'd eventually hit, but that I was cringing about doing so.

Asher said his first "bad word" this morning.

For awhile now, he has been saying "Sit" when he is supposed to "sit down." His babysitter informed me that it doesn't always sound like "sit" but a "naughty word" that is very similar. I was aware of this, and have heard him say it a few times, only in relation to his actions (for instance, when he was sitting himself down on a chair).

This morning, Asher was eating his breakfast & Jake & I were trying to get out the door to work on time. For some reason, Jake utters "$#!+"

And, out of the mouth of my dear boy...he repeats.... "$#!+"

I'm pretty sure that time he didn't mean "Sit."

Hilarious.

A recent exchange at our house during dinner.


Asher: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! (*LOUD SCREAM)

Me: (a la Austin Powers) Asher, are you having trouble controlling THE VOLUME OF YOUR VOICE?

Asher: No.

"Drama Like Your Mama"

I've never tried to hide the fact that I am quite dramatic. I can remember going to see the musical Cats with my parents when I was probably about 6 years old. My mom & dad bought me the double cassette tape of the music from Cats, and every day my mom would turn on my tape recorder to wake me up with that music. By the time it came to be the evening of the performance my mom had to remind me that it was the actors & actresses' "turn" to sing the songs. So, although I did not get to perform them that night, I would be happy to "perform" for any family or friends at a social gathering. I clearly remember gathering some family around in the living room at my grandparents' house, and then monologuing "Announcing, the cat, who can now be reborn....and come back....to a different...Jellicle life. FOR WAITING UP THERE IS THE HEAVYSIDE LAYER, with wonders...one Jellicle...only can see. And Jellicles ask. Because Jellicles dare. WHO. WILL IT BE?!" I know. I was probably an annoying child.

Anyway, Asher has a bit of a flair for the dramatic as well. My mom loves to say "Drama like your mama!" when he does something particularly fantastic. I could just hear my mom's voice the other day when he did something quite hilarious, but oh so dramatic.

Sadie dog is a very sloppy drinker. She slops water all around her bowl, and all across the floor. We love her just the same, but we are constantly mopping up puddles.

The other day Asher slipped on some water that was about 10 feet from Sadie's bowl (I told you she's sloppy!). He fell on his back and hit his head and began crying. I rushed over to him and picked him up and held him. Once I had soothed him, I put him down on the floor. He quickly rushed back to the spot where he had fallen. I followed him over there so that he wouldn't fall again. What I saw just made me want to laugh. He moved his foot back & forth over the water on the floor. Then he sat down easily, layed down, and began "crying." I picked him up again and cuddled him, while I mopped up the water with a towel. When the floor was dry, I put Asher down again, and guess what he did? Went to the same spot, "fell down" and began to "cry" again. This time I just had to ignore him, leave the room, and laugh to myself "Drama like your mama!"

The Simple Things

There’ve been some simple things lately that have been bringing me joy in the midst of a difficult/stressful few weeks.

• Sleeping with the windows open on cool nights
• Watching Asher stretch in the morning
• Lunch and laughter with a dear friend
• Sister hugs
• Cheering for my brother at his baseball games
• Sadie snuggles
• Seeing children playing “Ring-around the Rosie”
• Help offered from loved ones when I need it most
• Asher laughing and cheering for me while I workout
• K’s graduation from high school
• Pandora.com
• Losing myself in books
• Hot showers

Hmmm....

I've seen this bumper sticker two days in a row...on my way to work.

Do you think it's an omen?

Should I be worried?!

Chatterbox

Asher is a chatterbox. I don’t know where he gets it…honestly!

He’s been saying “da-da” for a long time, but just recently it seems his language has exploded. He is now almost 16 months old. The word of the week seems to be “Sadie dog”…but sometimes it’s “daddy.” “Mama” comes out when he’s in distress or upset…but of course! Our last visit to the Dr. showed him at 25 pounds! He seems to enjoy most foods, but he has gotten a little bit picky about vegetables. Typical kid!

We recently moved my sister into her first house (yeah for homeownership, I’m SO proud of you, Ash!). We (well…Ashley mostly) was busily painting her new bedroom a bright green color, and so she had an exposed bulb in a lamp for better light. Of course, with Asher toddling around everywhere, he was really interested in that light bulb at his level! We rushed quickly to him as we watched him approaching the lamp, and said “Ouch! Hot!” So, as you might guess…he now enjoys saying, “Ouch…hot!” Just yesterday we were in the car and he was saying “Ouch….hot….dillil (Dylan)!” It truly is glorious to hear. The only thing that DOESN'T sound so sweet is the word "No" which he finally said for the first time yesterday....UH OH!

When I pick him up from the sitter’s, lately she’s said he has talked all day long…and I don’t doubt it! He jabbers to himself constantly, but he also responds to verbal interaction. For instance, if we attempt to redirect him to a more suitable activity (than sticking his hand in the dog’s water dish) he will say “Thank you!” And though we’ve been trying to teach him to sign for quite some time, just recently he’s really begun signing “Eat” when he wants to be fed, “More” when he would like more food/drink, and “Please” when he is requesting something. Just the other day I picked him up from my sister’s place where he was hanging for about an hour, and she said “One….” and he followed with an emphatic “Two!”

He loves to play hide and seek…and just rolls with laughter when anyone will play with him. He thinks Uncle Dylan is especially silly…and even if Dylan just walks into the room, Asher squeals with delight. He is very good at waving & saying “Byebye” now, and if you’re lucky, he might even blow you a kiss! Every day is a new adventure with him.

He still loves to drum on anything....I'm not surprised one bit. Asher's birthdad, A, is a drummer, and so is Uncle Dylan. He has had lots of exposure to instruments and music in his young life, and always relishes a chance to tap on his own special drum, pots and pans with a wooden spoon, or Uncle D's very own "real" sticks! Playing the piano, whether toy or real, always elicits a huge smile, too.

We've gotten so many comments lately on how big he's gotten...how much he's changed, what a beautiful child he is. His big blue eyes and long eyelashes, his blonde curls, his flirtatious little grin (with 4 teeth in front & 3 more making their way into his mouth), and his inquisitive and determined nature seem to endear him to everyone he meets.

Can you tell I'm such a proud mommy?!

Our Beautiful Boy

Asher is now 14 months old. He is walking and VERY busy! He loves to figure out how things work. He likes to say "Go!" "Sadie dog" "Daddy" "Mommy" "E I E I O" "Thank You" "Byebye" & "Baby." He has 4 teeth. He is a very determined little boy he loves to laugh. Here is a picture update so you can see what's been keeping me so busy from blogging!

Playing the piano on Easter Sunday.

Hunting for Easter eggs with dad. "Like my cool shades?"

Random funny picture.
Look at that face...

Hanging with Aunt Ash...

"Aren't me & my daddy handsome guys?"

Funny face...

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day in style! "Here's me & mommy!"

Uncle D & I practice piano & drums together...

"I'm always on the go at Grandma & Papa Bear's house..."

BEEP BEEP!

Too fabulous not to share...

This is the delightful Roquefort Pear Salad recipe I found at AllRecipes.com. At Christmas time I was looking for a recipe that contained pears, as we had a bunch sent to us at work and we needed to use them up before they went bad. So, for our staff luncheon, I made this. Most recently, as pictured here, I made it again for Easter lunch, and today I'm making it to take to a friend's 30th birthday party.

It's too fabulous not to share with all of you. The only changes I've made to the recipe are to use a spring mix variety of lettuce and balsamic vinegar instead of red wine vinegar. It's sweet with the candied pecans and pears, and tangy with the dressing and bleu cheese.

I hope you'll try it & let me know what you think!




Courtesy of AllRecipes.com

Happy Belated Easter!

A bit late, but this gives you a little peek into how big our boy is getting! :) More pictures to come soon!