12 Months

Well, it happened.  Asher turned one on February 1st.  We celebrated and celebrated and played and played.  All month long :)

I was barely able to take his last monthly picture.  He won't sit still for anything!

12 Month Stats:

Weight: 19.5 lbs
Height: 29.5 inches
Overall Report: A+

We have a healthy, happy one year old.  HOLY COW, it's weird to write that!  Here are few things Asher is up to these days:

Mobility: Walking, walking, walking!  He started about two weeks before his birthday, taking small steps here and there.  Now, he's practically running everywhere and crawling is very much a pastime.

Size: He's still a small fry.  His weight falls in the 7th percentile.  He's still in 12 month clothes although his length/height is outgrowing that size quickly.

Food: He successfully made the transition from formula to milk, although we still offer a bottle around bedtime because he can use the extra calories.  He eats almost anything we put in front of him but is like anyone else - sometimes he's hungry for something and sometimes, not so much.  His favorites are bananas, berries and chicken and turkey (or "gobble, gobble" as he calls it!)

Activity: With the warm winter we've had lots of opportunities to play outside.  We love walking the sidewalks, playing with chalk in the backyard and explore the dirt and grass.

Sleep: For the most part, sleeping through the night!  This took some serious work in November but it paid off.  He goes down around 7:30pm (sort of a joke - he gets wound up before bed but thankfully he'll wrestle in his crib, putting himself to sleep) and wakes up between 5:30 and 7:00am.  We've only had a couple of hiccups lately, due to teething.  Naps, we're still at two a day and Asher is a napping champ.  He goes down in the morning at 9, in the afternoon around 2:30 and both are usually an hour and a half or so.

Teeth: For a long time Asher had seven teeth, all in front.  But just after turning one he started teething again and we're starting to see MOLARS!  Painful but helpful when eating "gobble, gobble" :)

Learning:  This one could be a completely separate post...that would go on forever.  I've been told that from here on out their learning is exponential.  The one thing I will say - talking to a baby early is completely the way to go.  They really do understand everything.  So mommy note for the future Jones bambinos: talk, in full adult sentences, all the time from day one. :)

Asher right now knows:
 - Animal sounds when you ask what a _____ says or show him in a book.
 - Off, on, up, down
 - Ouch, hot, yuck
 - Yum, food (he calls it naan)
 - Asher, mom, dadeeeee, Papaw :)
 - Banana, blueberry, apple, onion, cherrio, gobble, gobble
 - Eye, hair, mouth, arm, hand, belly when you ask, he'll touch them.
 - No and Yes
 - Truck, car

Asher surprises me everyday.  He learns so quickly, remembers things very well and is showing independence and defiance, which I know, is completely normal.  He now brings me books constantly, to which we'll sit wherever we are and read.  Just recently I've found myself more often watching him as he plays, pushing his trucks, trying to figure out puzzles, talking to his animals.  It is the coolest thing to watch your kid grow and learn and I feel blessed to be a part of his process.

More to come on the birthday celebration but for now, Happy First Birthday, Boo Boo.  Your mommy and daddy love you more than words.  You bring us joy and challenges everyday and we love it.  Life with you is a true blessing.

9 Months...oops!

Ok, so it's November 28th and I'm just now publishing Asher's nine month update.  Baaaaaad mommy.  I've let time slip by.

Nine Month Stats:

Weight: 17.5 lb.

Length: 27.5 inches

Overall Report: Super healthy!

Asher is getting to be SO MOBILE!  He started crawling as he turned the corner on nine months but since our last post he has made some serious progress with his mobility.  He's a pro at crawling, pulling up, and moving from the couch to the ottoman.  He even tests his ability to stand alone a little!!

Mr.Man still likes solid food, now eating three times a day but has backed off on how much he consumes.  This month we made a big and difficult decision to start transitioning to formula.  Mommy has been bit, ALOT.  My guess is that it's a result of the introduction to more solid foods and the decrease in my supply.  After numerous instances of screams, tears and ending our nursing sessions early we thought it best to move to formula and pumped milk.  I'll just say that this was harder than I thought - not physically but emotionally.

The last mention I'll make is about teeth...as previous stated, Asher is biting which implies he has teeth. SEVEN to be exact!!! (as of November 20th.)  While I miss the gummy baby smile, it's kind of fun to watch him grow into a boy. Here's a shot where you can see some of these pearly whites making their debut.

Month 10 is coming up soon!!  (and a post about a skunk, pumpkins and a turkey leg.)

8 Months

Oh me oh my, the eight month mark has passed us by!  Well, to our defense we left town on October 1st and were gone 12 days...that's a post for later time and date.

Yes, Asher is well into eight months and he's on the move.  No well-check this month so we don't have current stats to report but we do have some fun things to share.

Asher has been...

On the move - Our little man is crawling!!!!  Like crazy.  And he also has learned how to sit up on his own, meaning he can go from laying to sitting to crawling to sitting to crawling and so on.  In fact, he thinks this activity is sooooo cool you'll often find him in this sequence instead of playing.  Sitting up has also made bath time more fun.  The newest trend though is pulling up...I recently watched him pull himself up to a standing position using the open dishwasher as support.  I'm in trouble.

Our little mimic - Asher is turing into a little monkey.  He is starting to copy movements and sounds.  His words (most of which only we can identify) include mama, dada, light, more, banana and woof.  He has also learned how to clap, thanks to cousin Bella and is getting the hang of waving!

Eating well - Asher has yet to meet a food he doesn't like...unless it comes in a jar.  Seems starting him out on home cooked meals has caused him to be particular.  Because we were going to be on the road for 12 days this month I knew I couldn't make all his meals so I tried feeding him peas and carrots in a jar.  He rejected both.  On a separate note, he has two bottom teeth and it seems four more on top are coming in...so we'll see an upgrade in his meals here soon.

Expressing an opinion - Seems that Mr.Man is coming into his own.  He actually has an opinion about things and isn't shy about expressing that opinion.  We've seen it most at the end of the day or when you take something out of his hands.  The expression of disapproval doesn't last long but it is quite clear.  On the positive side, he's started to think things are funny and his laugh is just too precious, if you ask me.

All in all, he seems to be right on track with his development.  Everyday he keeps us smiling, laughing, guessing and scratching our noggins as we watch him grow, learn and develop into a little man.  I'll tell you one thing, it is SO FUN to be Asher's parents!