7 Months!!

September 1st marked two things for us this year:

1. The start of Dove Hunting Season
2. Asher is 7 months!!!

We know the first only because we can hear the hunters from our house...we woke up to gun shots that morning.  Nothing like living in Texas!

Asher is busy, busy, busy.  Here's what he's up to, lately:

 - Rolling all over
 - Napping more consistently, sort of (we are trending in the direction of two naps a day, longer than 45 minutes)
 - Babbling up a storm
 - Getting up on all fours and push up position
 - Eating very well - right now up to two meals a day (one fruit, one veggie) plus nursing four times a day
 - Showing some serious personality - he has a "cheese" smile, this big, almost fake smile that he'll give when he's in a goofy mood.  He seems to ask questions according to his tone and inflection and is also figuring out how to use his hands very effectively.  Let's just say he's like a little monkey and you have to watch your stuff - he'll steal it very stealth-like!
 - We're having a blast right now in the Jones house.  Mommy's settling in to her new full-time job as homemaker, daddy's career is rockin' along nicely (recently making an exciting transition over to Microsoft yet still has a home office!!) and just enjoying living life.

Serious concentration...

Using the tongue for balance.

Partial "cheese-smile"

Oh It Was Grand!! Part II

(A continuation of the last post...)

Sooo...after all the fun and festivities in Casa Grande, Austin, Asher and I departed Monday morning for the Grand Canyon.  My mom and dad were also en route, towing their fifth wheel.  I had mentioned previously that we left our home with a tent packed in the back.  Yes, yes, we were headed off to camp for four nights.  With a baby.  In the summer.  Thousands of miles from home.  A few things that made this possible:

1. Asher is a pretty easy baby.

2. The temps at the Grand Canyon rim are actually really nice.  80s during the day and 50s at night.

3. Notice I mentioned my parents were headed to the same spot, with their luxurious trailer (not even joking, the thing has a fireplace and TWO flat screen TVs)...that was our plan B for little man in case the tent was a bad idea. 

We would be half crazy if we thought we were going to drive all that way without a backup plan!

We set up on Monday evening and slept our first night in the tent.  Success!!  Asher did amazing, I woke up every hour checking on him :)  The plight of a mom, I suppose.

Tuesday we waited out the rain, met up with some family that decided to stick around after the reunion and take a train up to the rim and then caught the sunset that night.  It was my first time to actually see the canyon.  Without getting to gushy, it was profound.  I love how God's earthen creations make me feel so small.  For me, it's an emotional experience.

 Wednesday we all hopped in my dad's truck and spent the day site-seeing and hiking along the rim.  Austin captured some fantastic pics:

That night we settled in at the campsite and finalized our plans for the next day.  You see, there's this hike that my dad has been talking about for the last two years.  The Bright Angel Trail.  At it's longest point the trail is 18.6 miles and a 4,380 drop in elevation from the rim to the river and back.  My mom had agreed to stay with Mr.Man while I joined Austin and my dad.  

The plan was to feed Asher that morning, right before leaving and then hike out an hour and half.  Then I would turn around and head back while the guys carried on.  If I'm being honest my real plan was to pump enough milk for one bottle so I could stay with the guys the entire time but thanks to poor planning and change in altitude I couldn't pump anything (at camp we were somewhere around 7,000 ft.) so we had no bottle.  My fault!

We woke up early Thursday morning, dropped Asher off with Gigi and embarked on our journey.

We took the trail into the canyon - switchbacks, shear drop-offs and a steady decline providing a completely different perspective from the minute you begin.  It was amazing.  

I turned around about a mile and half down and made my way back to the top so I could get back to Mr.Man while my dad and Austin continued on, attempting to fulfill the goal of making it to Indian Gardens, 4.6 miles down from the trailhead.  They made it there by late morning, ate a snack and headed back.  Roundtrip they hiked 9.2 miles, descended and then climbed 3,060 ft and they completed it in six hours.  Talk about champs!!  

The experience was such a success that we're all talking about hiking in further next time, with backpacks and intentions of staying over night.  Here's why: seeing the canyon from the rim versus being IN the canyon are two completely different experiences.  My mom makes a fair statement when she says "I've seen the Grand Canyon, I've hiked the rim, it's beautiful but I'll probably never go back."  That makes complete sense for her - she's terrified of heights and we're lucky to get her to the rim! Poor thing.  But if you're not afraid and you don't mind the shear drops on the trail, once you get inside the canyon, it's a different place.  Every angle of the trail gives you a different perspective.  

Ok, enough about that, I could go on and on.  Some details about Asher and this trip.  Let me just say he was AWESOME!!!!  He was a rockstar when it came to sleeping in the tent, he seemed to enjoy exploring the campsite and generally was agreeable to tagging along whether it was with us or with Gigi while we were away.  Of course, like any baby he had his moments.  Squawking in the evenings, squealing in the early morning while rolling around on our sleeping bags (I'm sure the neighbors loved us) and wanting to nurse more because of the altitude.  But all in all we will definitely do this again.  I will admit, we did enjoy the luxury of a clean shower at my parents place though...that was the one area where we avoided "roughing it".  It was just easier with Mr.Man.  

The drive home was fairly straight forward (no pun intended.)  We followed my parents, stopping in Santa Rosa, New Mexico for the night and made it home by 7pm on Saturday.  Funny side note that I feel the need to document - all those miles on the road and being gone 10 days and Asher didn't have a blowout until we were 30 minutes from home :)  I think we had all had enough by then!

I'm so grateful we took the leap of faith and did it all.  We learned a ton, spent time together as a family (the three of us and the extended family, too!) and got OUT - outdoors, in nature, something we love.  I'll cherish these memories always and look forward to making more.

A special thanks to my mom - Gigi - for being there during an awful moment for us and Asher, to both my parents for camping with us and lending a helping hand and to Ghirin Newton for sharing his winter clothes so Asher could stay warm at night!!

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!