Oh, It Was Grand!! Part I

Recounting Asher's first big adventure...

It was 7am on a Thursday morning and we were pulling out of the driveway, the Tahoe all packed up.

Baby in his car seat - check
Clothes and toiletries for 10 days - check, check
Tent and camping supplies - check, check

Destination: Arizona.  First stop, Casa Grande for a family reunion.  Every three years my family gathers to reconnect and this time my grandparents were hosting the event. 1040 miles, estimated to take 17 hours by car - without a baby.  Let's just say, we made it in just under 21 hours - with a baby - without stopping for the night!  Although, that was not the original plan.  We had hotel reservations in three different cities between Frisco (where we live) and Casa Grande.

We made it to Las Cruces, New Mexico by dinner time and Asher was doing FABULOUS.  So we decided to have dinner, stretch our legs, feed little man and dress him for bed.  If he slept through to our destination, great.  If he blew up, we had Plan B - hotel reservations between us and the finish line six hours away.

Mr.Man smiling as we drove through El Paso, 45 minutes outside of  Las Cruces.

We rolled into Casa Grande just after 1am.  After unpacking, setting up and showering off we were in bed by 2:15.  SUCCESS!!  It was a bit of a push for us but worth it.  We recovered all day Friday, just resting and catching up with family as they arrived into town.

Here's the Reader's Digest version of the rest of the weekend...

Saturday - the whole family visited Rooster Cogburn's Ostrich Farm where I took a ride on the monster truck and Austin and Asher fed the animals and birds that were a part of the petting zoo.  Picture a roadside stand, out in the middle of the desert.  Behind the stand, acres of ostriches, deer and a pen full of Lorakeets (a small bird.)  No air conditioning, no indoor bathrooms.  Lots of dust, poop, cacti and heat but the kids had a blast feeding the animals.

One bird isn't so bad... 

Wait - maybe not so great?!

Oh, Gigi has FOUR!!??

Austin gets an award for wearing that straw hat to protect Asher from the Arizona sun.  And yes, he's wearing black nail polish.  And yes, that's my mom.  I never claimed I have a normal family.

After the farm it was off to Canyon Lake for a ride on a Steamboat.  A two hour drive to get there, then lunch, then two hours cruising on the lake.  It was a beautiful day to be out on the water.

Finally we headed back to towards home.  Last stop: Rawhide, an old western-themed establishment where we were to have dinner.  By the time we reached the restaurant our little trooper had had enough.  We had been on the road since 8am and in and out of the heat all day.  Mr.Man got sick...three times...the last time all over Gigi (my mom.)  I felt terrible for both of them!  And no one prepares you for the first time your little "throws up".  Oh, you just hurt for them.  Needless to say, Austin and I headed back to the hotel immediately to settle in the for the night.  After his bath, Asher was chipper and rolling around on the bed but wasn't interested in dinner.  He went down for the night like a little champ and slept solid.

Sunday was church (which Asher and I skipped to rest up), and lounging around.

Sunday night was the finale - dinner and dancing with the family.  The Spanish flag was up for grabs and the three Alegria boys took it.  The next reunion will be in Lake Tahoe.  Side note: passing the flag means whoever accepts it coordinates the next reunion...a serious task, for sure.

The grand finale dinner.

Sounds like a whirl-wind tour, right?  It was.  Looking back Austin and I should have calibrated Asher's "fun" to keep him from exhaustion and getting sick.  We kept saying "we'll watch his signs" but either we missed them or he's a silent sufferer.  We'll know better for next time.

Aside from our personal drama it was so great to see everyone.  It's not often you get us all in one room.  While attendance was less than in year's past it was a privilege to spend time with our loved ones.  For those that weren't able to make it this year - you were missed but we look forward to seeing you soon.

Favorite memory of our time spent in Casa Grande: watching our family meet Asher for the first time and love on him so much.  Such a gift.

A close second for favorite memory: the after party in the hallway on the fourth floor of the Holiday Inn. That's right folks, keepin' it classy.

Photo compliments of the lovely Joy Alegria ;)

Stay tuned for Part II of our adventure...

6 Months - Half Way

Dare I say we're half way to one year? Mr.Man is growing, learning and really coming into his own now that he has hit six months.

We waited to post this month's update because our pediatrician appointment wasn't until the 8th.

Six Month Stats:

Weight: 14lbs 13oz - a feather-weight!!

Length: 26.5 inches

Overall Report: Doctor says she gives him an A+!

While his weight is VERY low (6th percentile - he's only gained a pound since his last appointment) the doctor said not to worry and just keep at the nursing and solid foods. All of his other measurements and motor skills are right on track if not above average.

Asher's been a very busy boy over the last month...

He's tried a number of solid foods: peas, broccoli, zucchini, avocado and bananas.

He join Austin and I on a road trip to Arizona where he met lots of family, stayed in a hotel, camped at the Grand Canyon and had many mini-adventures.

Not to mention his motor skills are changing and improving daily! He's rolling, scooting on this back, briefly sitting alone and honing his hand-eye coordination.

Mr. Man is coo-ing, laughing lots, continues to say "da-da", loves his exersaucer and playing on the floor and is overall a very happy baby. He sleeps through the night (roughly 7:30pm until 6:30am) but doesn't nap consistently which I'll take instead of having it the other way around. He's also started flirting which I find highly amusing. It's this little smile where half his mouth curves up and he gets this look in his eye...incredibly charming if you ask me :)

5 Months

Well, hello! This monthly update will be different from the rest in that we did not see the doctor this month. So we have no statistics to report. What we can share though is Asher has recently had TONS OF FIRSTS!! Each month gets more and more exciting as we watch him grown and learn...

First Time to Roll Over

Asher has become very active. He started rolling over on his own while playing on the floor. It was just in one direction and he had trouble rolling back. Now, he practices rolling in both directions on the floor and in his crib. He's even found that he prefers sleeping on his tummy, as most babies do. And...he's just now starting to "inch worm" his way around. He tucks his knees up into his chest and pushing himself forward. He doesn't make it very far right now but I have a feeling we'll see that change soon.

Speaking of movement and activity, he's also become very fond of his exersaucer. This new toy allows him to stand up AND play! A concept he finds quite novel. He gets a lot of serious work done in this thing.

First Time in the Pool

A big thanks to the Arnolds for hosting a fabulous Fish Fry over the Fourth of July weekend. Asher loved their pool and seeing all his friends. And so did we ;)

First Time Eating Solids

The pediatrician said we could wait until six months before trying solid food but Mr.Man was showing some clear signs that he was ready. Poor kid would stare us down every time we would eat in front of him, smacking his lips. Almost made me feel guilty. So, we decided to dive in and try it out. We're happy to report that he LOVES food so far! Here's a few pics of his first meal.

So serious about the first bite..

The doctor recommended starting with fruits and vegetables, then trying grains after nine months so we decided to start with avocado first and now we're on to peas. Both have been a big hit!

First Word

This one could possibly be debated since he is so young but both Austin and I were there when it happened and we both saw and heard the same thing so we'll go with it and call it official. During Fourth of July weekend I was rocking Asher in his room and Austin came in to say hi. He crouched down and got close to Asher's face and Asher reached out and said "Dada". SO SWEET!! I gasped and said "Did you hear that!?" And Austin sweetly and calmly smiled and said "Yep". It was the most tender moment. Now, we're just waiting for Asher to say it again :)

Mom's Big Change

The last "first" we have to report is I am no longer employed - by Wells Fargo at least. Yep, I've decided to hang up my career for awhile to focus on family so I am a full-time stay-at-home mom. My last day was July 1st and while it was bittersweet I've hardly taken a moment to look back. I'm hoping to post about the transition soon.

I'll leave you with one more pic...until next time!

4 Months

Hello! Mom went back to work in April so it's been awhile since our last post. Mr. Man hit four months on June 1st and is having a blast learning and growing.

Four Month Stats:

Weight: 13lbs 11ounces

Length: 25inches

Overall Report: Perfect!!

Nursing: Truckin' right along, eating well. Asher's growth is right on track.

Sleep: Lots of change with this recently. We have dropped the swaddle and our the middle of the night feeding. Little man knows his schedule (just ask daddy what the end of bath time is like!) so needless to say, he needed some "help" with the changes.

Houdini - I mean, Asher - let us know that we were past the swaddle stage by breaking out of it after every sleep period. See Exibits A and B.

So we started by dropping the swaddle during nap time. A big thanks to Grandmum and Bea (our nanny) for help on this. We dabbled to see how he would do. At first he struggled as his new found freedom would startle him but over time he calmed and it got easier.

In the midst of this nap time experiment, Asher had a few rough nights of randomly waking up so we decided to go cold-turkey and drop the swaddle all together. We figured rough nights were in store regardless. After about four or five nights of Austin and I taking turns to calm him with the paci, a warm hand and soft shushing, Asher got the hang of it and settled in.

With all the change we thought it wouldn't hurt to try and wean him of the his 3am feeding, too. Doc said that he was big enough to sleep through the night without it. This didn't take much. A couple of nights calming him in his crib, he fell right back to sleep and didn't wake up till the morning.

I'm happy to report that we've gone six nights of SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!!! We realize this may not be "it" but we'll take what we can get and are so proud of Mr.Man.

Mobility: He's a movin' and a shakin' :) Asher loves playing on his back and tummy, sitting in his Bumbo, rolling on his side and most of all he prefers to stand, with some assistance.

The biggest change in the last eight weeks has been mom going back to work and Bea joining our family. Bea is our daytime nanny until July 1st and all three of us LOVE HER!! Austin and I constantly remark how blessed we are to have found such a great match for our family. We also joke that she is Asher's personal trainer. She works with him everyday on his strength and coordination and we have definitely seen a difference in his physical abilities. We'll definitely be sad when her time is up. Bea ROCKS!

Unconditional Love

Seconds into holding your child for the first time there's this thing that begins to grow within you. Surely it started before birth but once they are in your arms you can no longer deny it. You would do anything for them, regardless of circumstance. Your heart beats differently.

Before becoming a mom I knew my mother loved me but I didn't understand how she loved me. It was just always there. Many times I took it for granted. She was my mom and she was suppose to love me, no matter what. Then I held Asher. The unconditional love I felt for him was overwhelming and completely organic. I couldn't help it.


Today, on Mother's Day, I think about how my mom loves me. Unconditionally. Whole-heartedly. The best way she knows how. And I can now say I understand. We aren't perfect. I know as Asher's mom I'll continue to get things wrong. But one thing I will always do is love him, the best way I know how. Unconditionally.


Mom,
Thank you for always holding me so tight. Thank you for teaching me independence. Thank you for teaching me to take crap from no one. Thank you for showing me it's ok to be me. And thank you for showing me how to pray. I am who I am today because of you. I love you.


And to Patti, Austin's mom,
You have treated me as though I was your own. Thank you for always taking interest in me, genuinely lending an ear. Thank you for your positive and encouraging spirit. And most of all, thank you for showing me Jesus. You are the most Godly woman I know. I love you.


To the moms who love us and love us well, Happy Mother's Day.