helper

Asher doing his favorite chore. He's my little Roomba!

While we're here talking, let me just tell you about our recent excitement. We are deploying operation early potty training around here, just trying to get the little bum used to the little potty, no serious expectations yet. Yesterday we successfully and happily sat on the potty for 20 minutes, but in the end flushing would have been futile. Alas, I was content in his lack of resistance and sometimes that is just enough. I knew, however, that he was do for #2 any minute, so I let him roam the halls with just a shirt on, diaper free with the intention of keeping my hawkeye open for any sign of "effort." I stepped for a SECOND into the kitchen to throw away a piece of paper only to glance into the dining room to see Asher, hands behind his back, hips jutted forward, happily streaming all over the hard wood floors. Seriously you guys, there was some machismo going on in that dining room, I wish I had video of THAT.

laugh-a-thon

At least once a day I turn off the sink from doing dishes or pause from doing some other chore to see this. It is a major highlight in my day and reminds me of the joy I should have in all situations, no matter what greyness the day lends or what heartache I might feel, there is always reason to giggle. Uncontrollably. For no apparent reason. Will is REALLY funny.

echo

Asher is 10 months now, it's hard to believe only 8 weeks separate us from his 1 year birthday! This past month has brought many firsts for little Ash. "Dog" is the first real word we can put in his vocabulary, and while everything is "dog," it started with learning that Frankie is a dog, so we figure it counts. He calls all the right things dog, it's just that everything else is also dog. We're hoping he never learns "cat," we really don't like cats.

Asher has also finally gotten his very first tooth! It's a little tiny nub on the bottom, but it's there! I'm sure more are soon to follow suit. He's eating lots of little foods he can pick up. For breakfast we break up a waffle and some fruit, he loves grilled cheese sandwiches and plums and graham crackers. I'm glad to be passed the stage of spoon feeding him everything, though that is still the only way I can get him to eat his veggies.
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On a sadder note, Corey and I got some news on Saturday that was just heart wrenching. A family in our church has experienced immense loss, I can hardly bear to think of it. Larry Mason, father of two beautiful little princesses (3 and 18mos) was involved in a car accident on Friday night that took his life. He was working 2 jobs to support his beautiful family, and in coming home very late in the evening, he ran off the road. The best guess is that he fell asleep at the wheel. I just can't imagine the pain and heartache and loss of faith that his wife, Rachele, must be going through. I only write this here to ask that those of you who read this please pray for their family. That Rachele is able to somehow find an ounce of peace, trust in a plan she can not possibly understand, that the church can support them and lift them up and care for all of their needs in the upcoming months.

Never let your loved ones out of the door without a proper goodbye.

yappin'

Certainly saying something profound.
Would you expect anything less?

metal head

We have tried to expose Asher to music in it's various forms.
Here he shows his preference for metal.

whoa big boy

He's just so big already!