Blessings

On February 3, 2013 we had Ash blessed at The Fairmont Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  His grandfather Hal Fields blessed him and in the circle was Aaron Taylor, Marcel Giles, Kyle Oler and Josh Flade.

It was a record setting day for baby blessings.  At one point, they thought we were going to have five.  We ended up having three blessings and two confirmations.  After they were done, we only had about 10 minutes left for testimonies.  Our ward is full of new babies right now.  It really feels like Heavenly Father is sending down the troops.

Ash's blessing was beautiful.  I know, because I recorded it and have watched it about fifteen times.  He was blessed with patience, wisdom and courage.  All things I need to work on, so I can help these blessings come to be.  Or maybe he will help me learn them.  The part of the blessing that sticks out to me the most is he was blessed to be a fountain of joy to his family.  That has already happened.  His smile and the face he makes when he sleeps have already filled my soul with joy and delight.

We were so blessed that my parents could come into town for the blessing and to meet Ash for the first time.  I am so grateful my dad is able to bless him.  I am also thankful my mom bought him this adorable blessing outfit.  He looks so cute.  I want to dip him in glitter and hang him on a Christmas Tree.  Sorry for the picture overload.  I mean... you're welcome for the picture overload.  Who would want to look at this face just once?

I think this is what he must have looked like in the circle.  I know it's not very reverent of me, but if they allowed it, I'd hang a camera from the ceiling of the chapel just to know for sure.

This is how River felt about the whole thing.  Just kidding, but he was definitely worn out.

Ash and his pops.

Nothing better than a baby falling asleep in your arms.

Ash and Nomee together at last.  Hurricane Sandy couldn't keep them apart forever.

A family shot... we're almost all smiling.  The next picture that we took features River rolling a car across Ash's head and Ash crying.  Guess we better stop here.

I love my family.  I am blessed.

New Post

No really, it is a new post.  It just looks very similar to the last post, since I haven't updated my blog in a month.  Shame on me.  I repent.  Let's move on.

Ash At Three Months

He never wants to be set down.  Never.  Ever.

Not only must you hold him, but don't even think about trying to sit down while you hold him.

He can giggle.  They are short little giggles and sound a little like Jabba The Hut, but I will pretty much do anything to hear them.

His eyes are still blue.  I'm starting to think they will stay that way.

He finally got to meet his Pops and his Nomee. (My parents.)  He sure loved having those extra arms around to carry him all the time.

He is a big flirt.  Sorry to break it to you ladies... he smiles that big for everyone.

Blowing raspberries is his favorite past time and he drenches every onesie he wears.

He took his first airplane ride.  We went to Phoenix, Arizona and he got to touch his little tootsies to grass for the first time.  He loved it.

He has been going to sleep for the night around 7:30 pm.  He usually wakes up at 10 pm to nurse and then again at 3:00 am and then again at 6:00 am.  Sometimes he sleeps through the 10 pm feeding.  I wish he would sleep through the 3:00 am feeding instead.

Most of his naps are still 45 minutes "long".  Combine this with his lack of contentment at being set down and you might be able to understand why I haven't blogged in a month... or done anything else for that matter.  Good thing he saves his biggest smiles for his Mama.

Ash is an eater.  If this kid is awake, he wants to be eating.  He weighed in today at 16.9 lbs.  I have every intention of getting him on an eating schedule, but his cries are so pitiful and he chugs down the milk like it is laced with chocolate, so I feel like he must need it.  I just wish he would at least take a bottle every once in awhile.  I have a gift certificate for a pedicure that I would love to make use of, but my role as sole provider/human pacifier is preventing such pleasures.

He is pretty much the noisiest eater you'll ever hear.

We were able to bless him when my parents were in town.  He was kind enough not to cry through it, or spit up on his outfit.  He looked like an angel.  Well more like a chubby cherub.

We all love this big boy.  River has been going through a rough adjustment patch, but Ash is his comforter.  Some kids have lovies, or silkies, or binkies, but River has Baby Ash.  He rubs his foot or his head and it calms him down.  It is not always convenient to have him hanging on us, but I never want that love to change.  We are still tired and we definitely need more space in this place, but our little Ash makes it all worth it.  He blesses our house with joy.

River at three months.  I think I'm going to add a picture of River to all of these monthly posts for comparison.  If I'm really motivated, I might even go back and add them to the first two.

Two Down

Ash at two months...

He has had a few nights of 5-6 hour sleep stretches, but usually reverts back to 3 hours.

He smiles a lot, especially at the toys above him on his swing or anyone that is talking to him.

He likes to be carried facing outward.

He does not love to take a bottle and puts up quite a fuss.

Not only is he picky about taking bottles, but he has decided he only likes to nurse on the left side.  This makes for some awkward unevenness in my life, if you know what I mean.

He hates binkies.

He likes baths as long as you can keep him really warm with a space heater in the bathroom and the hot water flowing.

We swear he can say hi and I love you. (more like aye and ah oo)

He loves sleeping on people, but is getting more used to his bassinet.

His naps are still all over the place and he's been snapping awake after only 45 minutes.  Boo!

He weighs in at a whopping 15 lbs and is 25 1/2 inches long.  His pediatrician called him a giant.

He mostly wears six month clothing.

His eyes are still blue... we are starting to wonder if they are going to stay blue.  River's didn't change until he was 4 months old, but they weren't quite this blue either.

He mostly gets called Chug Bug, Baby Ash, or Baby Blue Eyes.

He likes to put up his dukes.

His little fists are still tightly clasped and usually have his thumb tucked in between his first two fingers.  That is sign language for potty and we think it's funny, because newborns are always going potty.

His sleeping face is so beautiful and serene.  It does things to my heart that I can't quite express in words.  I love sleeping babies, but this one is breathtaking.

I'm not going to lie, the first month flew by, but this one felt longer.  I think we have made it through a lot of the fussiness, but we're looking forward to month three and four where things usually (not trying to jinx myself) get a little bit easier.

Putting up his dukes.

The usual suspects.

River at two months.

Regression Depression

For me, the hardest thing to deal with as a parent is when your child achieves a momentous milestone (like sleeping five hours straight) and then however long later (3 days) stops doing it.  I blame the many sit-coms I watched growing up that infallibly had a sleep through the night episode if any of the characters became parents.  It has been drilled into my brain that once a child sleeps through the night, all the hilarity (tears) end and sweet, sweet sleep begins, never again being interrupted until the teenage sneaking out episodes begin.

Thankfully, I have been down this road before, so the inconsistent sleep patterns of a wee babe aren't utterly devastating to me like they were the first time around.  I knew better this time, but I will always be an optimist and I had hoped for the best.  Optimist or not, if one more lady at church says their baby slept through the night at five weeks and never fusses while it is awake, I will wipe the floor with her.  Okay, only one mom said that to me, but it is the last thing a Christian woman should say to someone that looks as tired as I do.

Yes, Ash is an easier babe than River.  Yes, I am better prepared with what to expect this time.  Yes, I have already given up any notion of free time... but this is still hard as holy heck and I can't wait for the sweet bliss of a regular sleep schedule to arise.  Taking a 2 hour nap 2 days in a row at the same time and then not doing it again is cruel.  I need to know when I can get stuff done. (Get out of my apartment before I choke to death on the egg shell colored walls.)

P.S.  I am pretty sure I need a 12 step recovery program from the book Babywise.  Even though I haven't picked it up since River was a newborn, I can't get their 3 hour feeding cycle out of my brain and I feel horrible guilt and anxiety every time I feed Ash sooner than that or feed him to put him down for naps.  Other books even say it is okay, but because Babywise was the first sleep book I read and I was in such a desperate place when I read it, it is stuck in my brain like gospel.  Can we say intervention now please?

Golden Oldie

We came across this fun short my husband and friends did in LA. I almost died laughing. Good times! Be sure to turn the volume up.
Deadbeets

Sean | Myspace Video