45 Weeks: Let It Snow!

Dear Asher,

Last week was what many Seattle area people dubbed Snowmaggedon in advance of what we all assumed would be a light Seattle type dusting of snow. We were all proven wrong when we received eight inches of snow over a 36 hour period of time. Your first real snow adventure! It was so much fun to experience the snow with you (or at least it was at first until we were all freezing!). We had the best time sledding on the golf course with Aunt Chris, Delaney, Kyle, and Daddy.

Looking like some sort of sea creature in your snow suit!

My cute and cuddly snow baby!

Sledding with Daddy (Grandma was concerned you didn't have a helmet on!)

Playing the drums with Daddy at Grandma and Grandpa's house
(If you end up going to WWU and joining a drum circle- I blame your Daddy)

Sucking on your toe...sigh

44 Weeks: More Pictures & Video

Mommy looking scary doing one of her projects!

Making Mommy laugh with funny faces!

 Chillin' in the Target shopping cart.

Looking out the window at the woodpeckers.

On a walk with Baby Santiago

Baby Santiago and his beautiful little mouth

43 Weeks: Pictures & Video!

Dear Asher,

Mommy is behind on posting so I'll just be uploading pictures and video for the next few weeks in order to best get caught up. This week you went to music class for the first time and loved it. It was so much fun to chase you around as you chased the bigger kids around. You were the youngest kid there by about six months and the only non-walker, but that didn't stop you from keeping up with them! It was especially funny when a bigger kid tried to steal a ball you were holding onto. You wouldn't let go and held on so tight. We don't have to worry about you being bullied! :)

First time trying yogurt with Daddy

So happy to be standing and "walking" around

Going down the "slide" at music class

Crawling through the tunnel at music class

Mommy's birthday dinner

42 Weeks: Standing on your own!

Dear Asher,

You are officially able to stand on your own. Today was the first time you did it outside of the bathtub and you quickly did it three times in a row. We are so proud of you, but of course Mommy started crying when she saw you do it. I can't believe how quickly you are growing up, it makes me so sad and happy at the same time to see you growing and learning so fast. I'm only sad, because every day with you is truly a gift and it's hard to think that one day you won't be a little baby anymore.

The other exciting news is that you started saying Mama and holding your arms out to me when you say it. You have said Mama for quite awhile now, but I've never known if you mean me when you say it until the past week now. Any time you are hurt or sad or want my attention you say "Mama!" with your little arms out and it just grabs my heart. I tell you "you can have whatever you want when you say that." I know this is something I'm going to have to change, but for now how could I not pick you up and cuddle you every time you say that? :)

Last night was your first New Year's Eve. You have had a cold all weekend so we had to stay in and have a quiet night, but it was perfect regardless! We had Grandma Jane and Grandpa Jerry over for dinner and then after you went to bed we all missed you and decided to play Yahtzee and pinochle out of boredom. ;) Your grandparents went home right before midnight and so your daddy and I did a countdown with Bella and Lucy and then at midnight we celebrated 2012 and thanked God for an incredible 2011 and asked for His blessings in 2012. Today on New Year's Day, your daddy and I jumped in Lake Sammamish with a ton of our family for the annual Polar Bear Plunge. You stayed home with Grandma Mary while we did it and then we had Grandma Mary and Grandpa Don over for a New Year's Day dinner. We can't wait to enjoy 2012 with you, Asher and we look forward to many exciting new adventures with you. We love you so much- you have made 2011 our best year yet!

Standing with Daddy- you let go of the magazine basket just after I took the picture

Mommy and Daddy get ready to jump in the lake

41 Weeks: Christmas Time is Here

Dear Asher,

Your first Christmas has come and gone! It felt like a dream, it came and went so quickly! We loved every minute of it. You seemed to love every minute of it as well. We had Christmas Eve at our house and had nearly 40 family and friends over. You stayed up until 8:30pm and then went to bed and managed to sleep through all of the noise. We were very impressed. Santa even came to visit- you weren't interested in sitting on his lap by yourself. I can't blame you, he was wearing strange glasses and looked suspiciously like your uncle Brad. On Christmas Day we went to Grandma Mary and Grandpa Don's for brunch and then to Grandma Jane and Grandpa Jerry's for dinner. It was a wonderful Christmas and we will never forget the joy of having you as our best Christmas gift this year!

The other exciting event that happened just before Christmas was the birth of your Godparents Peter and Maria's baby. Santiago was born on December 18th. He is much awaited and prayed for. We are so excited he is here and I know you will be a big friend to him, Asher!

Grandma Ralphie (your GG) with her grandchildren and great grandchild

GG and Grandma Mary

Grandpa Jerry, Grandma Jane, Mommy, and Daddy

Santa and Baby Asher

Get me off of this "Santa!"

Baby Asher in a Nordstrom Bag 

Asher and Lucy in a box

Look Grandpa, No Hands!

Helping Uncle Patrick Open a Present

Christmas Day Family Photo

Peter and Baby Santiago

Mommy and Baby Santiago

40 Weeks: Try and Catch Me!

Dear Asher,

You have quickly mastered crawling! It seems like it happened overnight! I used to be able to set you down on the rug with some toys and you could barely crawl so I could still go into the kitchen and get stuff done while watching you play. Now if I turn my back on you for a second you are into the dog food, or crawling into the bathroom, or trying to get into the fireplace! Everything has become a potential baby danger and it seriously happened overnight! You are especially adept at crawling on the hardwood floors which amazes me. That is actually where you really mastered crawling surprisingly.

We have been enjoying the Christmas season so much this year as we get to see it through your eyes. Mommy and Daddy celebrated their 6th wedding anniversary this weekend. Daddy surprised Mommy with a wonderful night away while Grandma Mary baby-sat you. First Daddy took me out to lunch and then with a gorgeous sunny Seattle day as the backdrop he took me to the church where we were married. It was wonderful to be back there together. We then went to stay at the hotel where we had our wedding night. Once we got to the room I happened to notice something crawling on the pillow and screamed- it was a bed bug! Oh no! The hotel (which is a very nice place by the way!) didn't have any listings on the bed bug registry so maybe they are just getting an infestation? Who knows? We didn't want to stick around to find out so we quickly checked out and were blessed to get another hotel room at the Salish Lodge. We had never stayed there before and it was amazing. We sure missed you while we were gone, but you had a blast with your grandma and it was definitely nice to celebrate our anniversary in such a special way!

Grandma lets you practice feeding yourself = messy meal times!

Trying on Grandpa's ski hat