Our Little Owlet

There isn't much to post about, as I'm finding to be true most of the time these days... I suppose that's a good thing! I'm also finding many people aren't really caring too much to view this blog, so PLEASE either comment or email me and tell me 1) if you read this blog 2) if you would keep reading if I kept writing 3) if you would follow a different blog if I decided to end this blog. Now that we have Asher's health under control for the most part, it seems like an appropriate time to gear the blog to other things besides 100% Asher. We originally started this blog solely to share pictures and updates about Asher when we were going through hell with him during his infancy... it was far more efficient to do that than to have to restate the exact same thing over and over and over when our time was VERY precious and we honestly had far more important things to do (care for a very sick and miserable little boy). In keeping up Asher's blog, I've confirmed that I have a lot to say about a lot of things, and I've also learned SO many things on this journey so far. I'd like to be able to share those things more openly so as to possibly help others, but that wouldn't really fit on an "all about Asher" blog.

Ross and Asher were both recently sick AGAIN for about two weeks... and about a week into it I finally caught it too. I suppose that's what a week of not sleeping and constantly wiping a snotty nose (that's not your own) will do to a person. Such is life, I suppose. We are all currently healthy, and we didn't have to bring Asher to the doctor or get anyone antibiotics this time. I did go to the doctor because I thought I had strep throat, but thankfully the test was negative.

I recently organized a play date with my MOPS group at Connor Prairie in Fisher, IN. It's a cool little place about 20 minutes from our house. It's pricey, but the membership fee is pretty reasonable, and we had so many MOPS moms with memberships and free visitor passes, we all got in for free that day! Asher just LOVED IT. He's been talking about it nonstop ever since. They have an animal barn, among many other things, and he LOVED seeing the sheep, goats, and cow. He got to pet a baby goat, a lamb, and a baby calf, so he was pretty tickled with that. They also have a hiking trail, numerous historically themed things for kids, as well as a pretty extensive play area inside with lots of "science stuff" that would be great for older kiddos. They have a hot air balloon that Asher was just amazed with, as well as a windmill display that he was/is absolutely obsessed with. OBSESSED. We may be buying a membership there this next year with gift money, as it's an easy, fairly close drive and Asher really got a kick out of it. He's dying to get back to the zoo soon (we went two weekends ago and he had a blast), and he also asks to go to the park often, where we just returned from tonight. He has been asking since before Christmas to go back to the splash park, and I keep telling him we can't until it's hot but what 2.5 year old understands that?! It's a sprinkler park down the road from our house that he loved last summer and can't wait to get back to this summer. He only has a few more weeks of Kindermusik this year, but we already have him signed up for next year because he really really loves it... and music/song/dance exposure is fantastic for little developing brains. Asher will be starting his first swimming class/ intro to water class at the end of this month and doing it weekly through the beginning of August, which he is so so excited for, and can't stop asking about it. Unfortunately, he thinks he's going to get to swim with a dolphin, because when my sister's family was in Florida, my niece got to swim with dolphins, so he's thinking of that picture he saw when he thinks of his swimming class... he's going to be so disappointed to find out only Daddy and some other kids with their mommies/daddies will be in the pool! After his swimming class is over, he's going to be in another park district class for the month of August called Mini Movers in Motion... basically letting them run and jump and climb to music from what I can tell. I was less than impressed with the last park district class we did, but it is close, cheap, and short... and I'm doing this one with a friend from MOPS so hopefully it's enjoyable.

This July will mark TWO YEARS that we have been living in Indiana... that seems crazy! Honestly, it's taken this long to feel acclimated and we are finally starting to meet people and to feel settled here. Who knows what is next! I can tell you this, we will NOT be moving again anytime soon! I finally have the house mostly decorated, so we are going to be staying here for a very long time. Ross' job is going really well, he's crazy busy and is working over-time on many weeks. We are thankful for Larson and the fact that they value him enough to keep him on staff remotely and that they have faith in him to begin a satellite office here eventually.

His "Farmer Asher" hat!

His "big boy bed"! He LOVES it! It was a totally smooth transition with zero trouble so far!

Smoothie face

Watching the hail! The storms are fierce in central Indiana!

Watching Titi's cable while they were in FL :) Asher was in heaven!

This child would stay at the park all day, every day if he were allowed

Last night in his crib!

Easter 2014

Indy Zoo

Mother's Day 2014

On our way to play in the water at Titi and Uncle's

Easter in Watseka

Visiting Papa and Nana's farm

Connor Prairie

The Favorite Game

Row Your Boat

This winter has been brutal... in many ways. The temperature and snowfall has been record-breaking. We're not impressed. Also, illness has plagued our family for the last few months. We had a LONG stretch of health until January hit, and Asher has pretty much been sick since then. Between him being sick and my nieces all sharing their own illnesses with each other, we have only seen them a handful of times the entire winter... which especially sucks when they live down the road. They haven't ever gotten each other sick, but when Asher's sick, or when the girls are sick with something else, we stay away from each other to keep the healthy kids healthy. This has apparently been a very bad winter for illness all over, and it's no different at our house. I'm. SO. OVER. IT. It's incredibly frustrating to say the least. I know that when you leave your house and go out in the public you run the risk of infecting yourself or your kids with the bazillion germs out there. Obviously that's the case... what I don't understand is why SO many people find it totally acceptable to cart horribly sick kids all over, and to bring them to homes and play dates and classes and EVERYWHERE, infecting everyone in their path. Asher's gotten sick from the library (he ALWAYS gets sick from there, so that's why we never ever go anymore), from church, from his music class, from a play date at another family's house (where someone else brought their super sick kids), etc. So pretty much we can't leave the house with him unless we want him to get sick for 2-3 weeks. It's infuriating, and I'd better just leave it at that. SO. OVER. IT. Last Friday, he finally got over a 3 week illness of a sinus infection. By Thursday, he was sick AGAIN with a croupy cough, fever, stuffy nose. UGH.

We enrolled Asher in Kindermusik at the end of January. He LOVES it so so much. Unfortunately, he's missed more than he's attended due to illness, and no doubt due to catching viruses FROM Kindermusik. All the kids get their own instruments, so things aren't shared there, but they have many many classes and it appears as though toys and instruments are never cleaned/sanitized... not to mention the moms and kids that come to class very very sick, coughing and sneezing all over everyone, and with runny noses dripping down past their mouths. It makes me CRAZY. Kindermusik is incredibly expensive, and it's something that we have to greatly stretch to afford for Asher... now we are thinking that we have to pull him out of the class due to the fact that we are paying a lot, and he barely gets to go because he's always sick. Incredibly frustrating. He loves it so very much, he really gets into it, and he LOVES to sing and dance and really enjoys music. We're planning to enroll him in an "intro to water" class this summer to introduce him to swimming in a pool and water safety. Ross is also anxious to put him in a toddler soccer class, but I'm not sure how much Asher will want to do that, as he has shown almost no interest in playing with balls.

Asher is now totally smitten with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. We do not have cable, but regularly get him books and dvds from the library. He fell in love with Mickey Mouse immediately, and for his tv time every morning, now he only wants Mickey. The problem is that we do not get Disney Jr channel, the only channel that plays Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episodes. I've tried to talk Ross into cable, but it's expensive, and we are already stretched thin with me staying at home with Asher (which we feel is extremely important and a non-negotiable). The Mickey phase does not seem to be fleeting, he just adores it and plays with Mickey toys that my sister lent us all day, every single day. He's obsessed!

We are sick of winter (since it's SPRING!) and ready for warm weather and the END to cold/flu season. We are looking forward to trips to the zoo, and Asher is chomping at the bit to get back to Papa's farm to see the tractors/cows/chickens/cats. He talks about it every day! We hope to make another Watseka trip in the near future to visit family and for Asher to see the farm again. It makes for a LONG day since we can't really spend the night there, but every once in a while it's worth it.

We are planning a trip back "home" to the Wheaton/Aurora area in the summer for me to attend a VERY dear friend's baby shower. We are also plotting to plan a mini semi-local vacation for some time (to see family), so we will see how that plays out.

I picked out a very nice bed and bedding for Asher, and watched and watched and watched the price, so we got both on a VERY good sale. We will be transitioning him out of his crib soon. He's doing fine in the crib still, but is getting too big for it! He's SO tall!!! He's excited for his big boy bed, so hopefully that's a pretty smooth transition. He has zero interest in potty training at this point (he JUST turned 2 1/2), so it's not something I plan to push, as I think that is the exact wrong thing to do. He is getting excited for "underpants", thankfully I found some Mikey ones, so we hope that helps. When the warm weather finally comes, maybe we will try then if he's ready.

He's talking in complete sentences and paragraphs. He can spell and READ a handful of words including his name. He's quite advanced in language for his age. He can count to 100 unassisted, to 100 by tens, and also to 20ish in Spanish. He can identify probably 100 animals, as well as every shape and color (and has been able to do this for a long time). He's now into identifying labels/titles/gender, so that's been interesting. His early language acquisition has been quite astounding, but honestly I forget most of the time how rare it is for a kid his age to have such language skills. He's a bright bright boy... and SO FREAKING FUNNY. He's hilarious, and loves getting laughs from us. He's super silly most of the time. He's quite hesitant of new kids and takes a long time to warm up to other kiddos, though he's pretty friendly with new adults. The old ladies at church just adore him and gush over his beautiful eyes. He's a handful, but such a treasure to us!

Cousins!

Eating at the organic grass-fed creamery for Daddy's birthday!

He's getting so BIG!

the "calm down jar"... or "the ocean", meant to calm down a crazy tantrum-throwing toddler!

"The Helping Bear"... he sits on the counter and watches, then "helps" Asher clean up when the timer goes off and it's time for nap/bath/bed. It works well most of the time!

Christmas 2013! I can't remember if I posted this, but it's like the ONLY picture we have with all of our immediate family on my mom's side.

One of the very few play dates we had with the cousins this winter due to illnesses on both sides

Poor sick buddy!

Sick AGAIN

Helping Daddy feed the squirrels and birdies!

Kindermusik with Mrs. Kim! He LOVES it!

A visit from Mimi!

His REAL mini stethoscope from his pediatrician!!! He was so tickled! She bought it for him (since we see her so much, and since she's so impressed with his vocabulary/language... he always talks about her stethoscope when we see her)