THE SHOHEN'S

On the mend...

2012-02-12T13:07:00.001-08:00

Poor Ashley was sick with her first stomach bug last night. She's had a couple of colds, but up to this point we have been lucky to have a healthy child. She was fine all day yesterday, even right up to her getting sick. We had gone to Eli Wagner's 3rd birthday party yesterday at the fire station and then firehouse subs. She was enjoying herself. I'm not sure if she picked something up there being around a lot of kids, or if something was brewing already that we didn't know about.

Later that night daddy left to go work for the Hockey game (he does PT on the players). Ashley and I were skyping with grandma. We were upstairs in the bonus room, and we were showing grandma Ashley's new toy kitchen set she got for an early valentine's day gift. Ashley was playing and having a fun time. Then she crawled over to me, and threw up on the loveseat, rug, and myself. Poor girl. I held her for a few minutes, then brought her to the bathroom to get cleaned up and changed. She actually seemed ok, was happy and laughing again. So I thought maybe it was something she ate. I got her ready for bed, read a story, and put her to bed.

I went to clean up the mess (EWWW), when not two minutes later I hear a sound on the monitor that sounded like Ashley might have gotten sick again. Well, she did. At this point I had throw up in the bonus room, throw up on her clothes in the bathroom, and throw up all over her crib, and a sick, crying baby. So I called Matt and asked him to come home. I think that was the fastest time he's ever made it home.

Daddy came home and held Ashley while I cleaned up. She continued to get sick a couple more times. When she seemed settled, he bathed her and rocked her to sleep. We put her down, she got sick again in her crib, so we had to clean her up and change sheets again. This time I rocked her to sleep. We called the after-hours nurse, and she said there is apparently a bad virus going around. It starts up higher (with the vomiting), then works it's way down later to the lower GI with diarrhea. Fun! She said that we needed to keep her upright about an hour and half after her last vomiting so make sure it works it's way down. So I sat in her glider and held her until 12:45 a.m. Then Matt and I switched. He laid her in the crib and then laid on her floor for a little bit to make sure she wasn't going to get sick in her crib again. I think we made it to bed around 1:30.

Poor girl. She looked so pitiful. And it's so sad seeing a little baby throwing up the way she was. Luckily today she seems a lot better. She's still not 100%--not much of an appetite and does have the diarrhea that they said would come later, but she woke up wanting fluids, is in good spirits and is still wanting to move and explore like she normally does as the day progresses.

Just praying we don't get it now. It's hard to take care of a baby when you have a nasty virus.

It was def an experience...Luckily daddy and I make a good team ;)

Here are some pics from the birthday party (pre-sickness).

Just a couple things

2012-02-10T08:49:00.001-08:00

There's not a whole lot, but wanted to update on a couple things.

First, Ashley may end up with some curls. When Matt was a baby, his hair grew in similar to Ashley's. It was also straight, then at some point it got really curly (sometime between the ages of 1 and 2. Ashley has had one little curl on the back of her head for a while now, but now she's got 3 curls. It's so cute!

Ashley has also started "dancing" to music more. I love to watch her move. :)

She is still fascinated with the moon. She points to them in all her books. When I ask her where the moon is, she goes right to it. In fact, she loves to point at everything now and have me tell her what it is. I have a couple of Valentines Day decorations up including one that says Happy Valentine's Day. She loves to point to it and have me say "Happy Valentine's Day". She lights right up or squeals when I do. And every morning when I get her from her room, she points to the big light in the staircase, and points to all of the pictures on the wall as we walk down the stairs.

She's also taking more practice steps at longer distances, although she still doesn't want to walk on her own yet.

I feel like there's more but I can't think of them right now. Aside from hating this unsteady time with learning to walk since we have wood floors and a tiled fireplace, I really do love this age. She is so much fun and I love watching her take everything in.

SOOOO Cute

2012-02-03T18:46:00.001-08:00

The reason I chose this title is because Ashley has been doing something real cute. We ask, "how much does mommy and/or daddy love Ashley?" And she'll respond by raising her hands up high and we say "sooooo much". It's adorable!

Also now that I'm no longer breastfeeding, Matt has been helping with bedtime routine more often. Well, he has started this thing where after the bedtime routine, he pulls out her ladybug that lights up and projects stars and the moon all over the room. It's really cool. We also point to the moon and stars if we are outside at night. Anyway, last night I was reading Ashley a bedtime story that had the moon and stars in it. She pointed to the moon, then the stars, then up at the ceiling. She was able to put two and two together and knew that the moon and the stars in the book were the same kind that daddy would project up on her walls and ceiling. She's getting so smart.

I do a couple of baby sign language with her. Some people are really big into that. I'm not so much because I am pretty attuned and can basically tell what Ashley is wanting or needing most of the time. But I do some signs with food, such as "more", "all done" (which I made up my own sign for that one), eat, drink. She's been doing the "all done" for a little while, but yesterday she did the sign for "more" for the first time. She also makes this cute lip-smacking sound when I ask her if she's hungry or wants to eat.

Lastly, she got another tooth that came through within the past few days, and she's got a few others that are just ready to come through her gum line at any time now. She's such a good sport, if I didn't see it, I would never know she's teething.

That's all I can think of for now.

The latest

2012-01-31T15:39:00.000-08:00

Just a few things to report. On January 22, Ashley started taking a few steps on her own. Daddy and I practice with her almost every night. He will hold Ashley and have her walk to me, and vice versa. Often she takes a step and then dives to us, but on the 22nd she took a 3-4 steps without the dive. Since then she continues to. In fact tonight Matt called me in because she took 4 good steps from him to her little chair. It won't be long now!

She has also really started walking around the whole house--she moves from furniture to the walls and scales the whole downstairs. Yesterday she walked around the whole house holding a pair of her pants, then today she carried toys around. It's cute.

She continues to point (and recognize) more and more around the house. It's neat to see how much she is learning.

She also continues to mimic. Matt swears she said "yes daddy" last week. She also has been saying "cookie" a lot (or at least it sounds like it, although I don't know what she's referring to since we haven't offered her cookies or said the word to her).

Our friends Jen, and Jim and their kids Lily (3 1/2) and Emma (9 1/2 months) came to visit this past weekend. We had lots of fun with them. Lily enjoyed playing with Ashley and reporting what she was doing. Ashley and Emma didn't interact too much together yet, they played around each other a lot though and did have some cute moments. We had a really fun visit though.

Couple cute updates

2012-01-20T19:13:00.000-08:00

Just a couple cute things...

Sometimes Ashley pats Matt (daddy) on his shoulder when he's holding her. It's so cute. Well, when Ashley gets up in the morning or from a nap, I sometimes rub her back. Well today I picked her up, and she rubbed my back. So sweet!

Another thing, as I mentioned Ashley mimics a lot of things we say. Well she apparently has been mimicking Maddie (the dog) lately too. Maddie started barking/growling when the mail lady came to the door, and Ashley started making this funny growling sound too. Lol. She does it every now and then.

Also, Ashley just loves to feed Maddie. She casually drops her food on the floor for her. I don't scold Ashley, but I do firmly tell her no when she does this. I tell her that it's nice to share, but that's her food and Maddie has her own. Well, when I talk firmly to her, she then proceeds to scold Maddie, or at least that's what it sounds like--almost like she is trying to blame Maddie for her dropping her food. Lol.

Lastly, Ashley isn't walking on her own yet but today she did take a couple of steps. More like a dive. We were on the floor with her, and she let go of the coffee table and took one or two steps and then dove toward daddy. Yay!

Ashley's Friend Party

2012-01-13T18:18:00.001-08:00

Here are a few pics from Ashley's last birthday party with her friends here in Greenville. After our celebrations up north with our families, we debated about whether or not to have one. By that point we were kind of "partied out". But a few of our friends were disappointed when I said we may not have a party, and I already had a cake (Matt and I made a trial-run since it was a different kind of cake pan shaped in a big cupcake), plus I already had the place decorated for Ashley's actual birthday, so we figured why not. It gave us an excuse to hang out with friends. We had a really fun time. The place looked like a daycare though with all the kids and all of Ashley's toys pulled out. Lol. But again, lots of fun. Hopefully the first of many great birthdays and celebrations over the years.

New Chapter

2012-01-13T17:55:00.000-08:00

Well, one chapter has ended and another new one is beginning. Last night was my last night of breastfeeding. It ended on a really great note. We had a couple of bonding moments with good eye contact, and then Ashley fell asleep during it. I just held her in my arms and watched her sleep while I treasured the last moments. At one point I started to tear up even. It's just bittersweet. In one way it's so much fun to watch her grow and I'm excited about all the fun stages to come, but in the same sense I knew that this was the last time I would hold her like this, in my arms as my baby. That chapter was closing. Oh gosh, I'm tearing up again as I write this.

Anyway, tonight was the first night of change. We did our night time routine--we had bath time as we usually do, then rocked in her glider as we do. Then instead of breastfeeding, she had her formula in her sippy cup. She was a champ. She didn't seem upset at all. In fact, she seemed to enjoy holding her cup like a big girl. Then we continued on with our routine of reading books, brushing teeth and saying prayers. She went right down without an issue. I guess I'm not that surprised, she's an easy-going baby who adapts well to most situations. Plus there have been nights when I've worked late, or have been out and Matt or a sitter has put her to bed with a bottle/sippy cup in the past.

Next step--switching to regular milk. You're supposed to start at a year, but Matt's parents were thoughtful and bought us a decent-sized container of formula while we were visiting, so I figured I'd finish that out first.

Well, I'll post more about the journey as we go!

Ashley is (really) crawling

2012-01-09T20:11:00.001-08:00

I know this looks like a strange blog title, because Ashley is really close to walking and has also been "crawling" for months, but Ashley finally started to crawl normally. She has been doing the "army crawl", and had mastered that and got around pretty fast, but she would never really crawl even though we'd show her and practice. The past couple of days she'd crawl a few inches then go back to the army crawl. Today for whatever reason, she decided she was going to stick with regular crawling and already gets around pretty fast. She even figured out how to do this side-crawl thing. I guess she is the type who likes to do things in her own time, in her own way. I like someone who is a leader, not a follower ;)

Couple other quick updates while I can think of them. Ashley is pointing at all sorts of things (which she has for a while now), but now she tries to copy each word we tell her. It's cute.

Also, I forgot to mention, for the past month now Ashley has been cuddly which I absolutely LOVE! She has always been a very sweet baby, and no doubt loves her mommy and daddy, but she was more about having fun and discovering than she was cuddling. I've always given her lots of love and affection, but I'd never force it on her because I want to respect her for the person that she is. Well, now she is a nice combination--she still LOVES to explore and have fun, but she also likes to give hugs and kisses and love on us, especially her mommy. I love it!

Another thing I've noticed is that Ashley is showing more negativity toward things. It's funny, when we go for her doctor well-visits, they always give you a paper with things your baby might be doing at that age. Sometimes I swear it's as if Ashley reads it and starts doing it immediately. Haha. For instance, it mentioned that babies at this age start showing negativity toward things, or even have mini temper tantrums. All of a sudden, Ashley starts doing this. If she is getting into something that she shouldn't be, or if she is having fun with something and we have to move on to something else when she doesn't want to, she now starts to cry and have a little mini fit. Thankfully it's not too often.

I think there is more, but I can't think of them at the moment...will post more if I remember.

Happy 1st Birthday Ashley Grace!!!!

2012-01-04T18:25:00.002-08:00

A year ago today at 12:43 a.m., God blessed Matt and I with the greatest blessing, our daughter Ashley Grace. Words can't express our love for her. I love my baby girl!!! Can't believe she is 1 already! This has been the best year of my life!

We had a great day. When Ashley woke up, I came in singing Happy Birthday to her, then I had the kitchen all decorated for her. She was fascinated with the decorations, and had fun playing with her birthday balloon while she ate. I made her a special breakfast.

Daddy worked a 1/2 day, then he came home and we took Ashley to the Children's Museum. We had a lot of fun. She played in a wind tunnel, went "grocery shopping", played house/kitchen, milked a fake cow, played with fake farm animals and water display. Fun day.

Also, Ashley is getting really close to walking now!!! She is on the move, getting around really fast. She can move to different pieces of furniture, walks along the walls, climbs up the stairs really fast, etc.

Today, on her birthday, she stood on her own (without holding on to anything) for about four seconds. She also walked by herself with her toy walker.

She is doing great. She "talks" a lot, mimicking words we say. She has also been singing, saying "ahhh eee ahh eee" a lot. It's so cute.

Yesterday we went for her 1 year wellness visit with her pediatrician. All is looking good. She is now 29.75 inches, which puts her in the 73% for her height, and 20 lbs, 3 oz, which puts her at 36.45% for her weight. She dropped from 49%, but the doctor said he wasn't concerned because she is eating good and is just really active. She is right on track with all of her milestones, and is happy and well adjusted.

Highlights from Ashley's 1st Birthday Celebrations

2012-01-04T18:25:00.001-08:00

Well, these pics are all out of order. I tried moving a couple, and it ended up deleting some in the process. Not sure if there is a way to fix it, so I give up! Anyway, like I said there are some that are mixed up, but here are pics from Ashley's birthday parties.

Highlights from Christmas

2012-01-04T18:24:00.000-08:00

Some highlights of the trip....

Grandma's house used to be my grandparents house, so it was really nice to be able to bring Ashley to the same house where I came for many special holidays. I know my grandparents were smiling down on us :) ....

Our family going to church together on Christmas Eve (we missed Cheryl)....Going to Aunt Lil's house on Christmas Eve, again, many of my favorite childhood memories from special holidays were in that house, so it was cool to now bring my child there to celebrate. Watching Ashley have fun opening gifts, and watching others have fun watching her and enjoying her. Having our traditional Christmas breakfast (and dinner). Grandma always goes above and beyond to make the holidays special.

Having Christmas/Haunkah part 2 with Matt's family--having a nice dinner together, and being together to open gifts and again share in the joy and excitement with Ashley.

Ice skating!!! Lots of fun. Ashley didn't partake this time, but maybe in the future.

Lots of good times!

May be the last post of the year??

2011-12-20T18:29:00.000-08:00

I figured I'd take a few minutes to write since it may be the last post for 2011. We are leaving for our great travel north in 3 days. Wish us luck! Ashley has been on a few long car rides, but this will be the longest. It will also be the first one we take since she has been on the move. She doesn't quite like being "contained" anymore now that she can crawl, "walk" while holding your hand, and climb.

Our first stop will be to NY. We are going to my mom's for a few days to celebrate with Aunt Cheryl and Aunt Kristyn. Grandpa is also coming from PA to stay nearby so he can see Ashley for her first Christmas. We will also be visiting with mommy's aunts, uncles and cousins, as well as some friends. Then we will go to Matt's parents for a couple days, then all of us will head to Philadelphia to stay while we visit both sides of the family. Oh, and I have a wedding that I'm in in the midst of all that...Phew, I'm tired already!!!

I am very excited about it being Ashley's first Christmas. I am excited to watch her reactions to things, and to see things through her eyes.

Couple quick updates. I am down to just one feeding as of today. Originally my goal was to be completely done by the time we went up for the holidays, but I spread things out too much. Plus, my friend Christi had said "you may want to keep the nighttime feeding a little longer". When she said that I was like "no, I'm ready to be done"...but now that Ashley has been weening off, and I know that my time is coming to an end, I'm not wanting to end the last one quite yet. The night time feeding is the one feeding where we still have a sweet bonding time, and often Ashley will fall asleep in my arms. Today I just watched her, and held her in my arms. She just looked so happy, secure and at peace. I realized how much I will truly miss that time, and how special it really is. It's funny, before I had her I was not too keen on the whole breastfeeding idea, and now here I am sad that it's coming to an end...Lol.

Ashley is just doing great. She is climbing on and up everything. She holds onto the furniture and walks around, she holds your hands and walks all around the house, and she has even mastered climbing up the stairs (always with an adult right behind her). Such a big girl!!! I am just so proud of her.

Last week I brought her to visit my old LPC supervisor, Dr. Burton and his wife Irene. Dr. Burton is one of the most intelligent people I know, and he's an excellent therapist. He and Irene were so impressed with how smart Ashley was. From birth everyone has said how alert and attentive she is. Dr. Burton could just see her processing new things as we played with her. He also thought she was so happy and well adjusted. It was nice to hear coming from him :)

Well, I guess that is it for now. Stay tuned.

If I don't get a chance to write before the end of the year, I just have to say that 2011 has been the best year of my life. I am so happy with my wonderful husband and daughter!!! I love them both so much, and I have treasured all of our great times together.

Getting some practice

2011-12-16T19:14:00.000-08:00

Ashley has had some practice opening gifts. She'll be a pro by Christmas. Ha ha. Like most babies, she was fascinated with the wrapping paper and boxes :)

Ashley has lots of people who love her so much and thought of her this year. Some requested that she open the gifts early so that she could get some use out of them for the holiday season, which is why we opened early.

Matt and I also exchanged gifts, and Ashley opened one or two special presents from us early. Since it's Ashley's first Christmas, I wanted to do our own little celebration together with our family before going to celebrate with the rest of the family members. I bought her a special Christmas book that I hope we can read each year as part of our own Christmas tradition. Here are some pics.

More to share

2011-12-11T11:47:00.000-08:00

I just posted an update yesterday, and I already have more. As I mentioned, Ashely has been pulling up on things for a little while, and is really mastering it now. Well this morning Matt went to go get Ashley out of bed and yells "quick, turn on the monitor (we have video so we can watch her). I click on the picture, and there is Ashley standing up in her crib with a big smile of accomplishment on her face. Since this morning, she is now pulling up, and walking around the whole crib. We are so proud of her!

Of course, I am also a little nervous. We had taken out her bumpers (as the pediatrician recommends to do until they are 10-12 months to prevent suffocation) when she was only a few weeks old. We kept them out (had breathable bumpers for a while, then nothing once she started pulling them off) this whole time. Well she knows how to get up but not down, so she fell and bumped her head pretty hard so we put them back in today. I am so excited to have them back in since it looks beautiful, I just hope that they will be safe.

Having a child is definitely a humbling experience. It shows us how much we really DON'T have control over things. You feel kind of powerless. I can't keep Ashley in a bubble (nor do I want to over-shelter her), I just wish I could keep her safe from getting hurt, both physically and emotionally. Part of me is so excited and so proud of her, and admires her bravery and determination. Then there is the other part that is scared while she is so unsteady and unaware of dangers. But, just need to remind myself that God is in control.

I am writing this now while I'm watching Ashley on the monitor, "learning as she goes". It made me think of how it must be from God's perspective. God is supposed to be omnipresent--always with us, watching over us. It must be hard at times for God. He loves us so much--supposedly more than we love our own children which is hard to fathom a love even greater. Seeing us making mistakes and walking into potentially dangerous situations must be hard to sit back and watch, even more so than it is for me to cringe and watch Ashley on the monitor. Although then again, God knows the bigger picture and has all things, good and bad, work for the greater good. So maybe it's not as rough, who knows. Ok, enough rambling :)

Also Ashley has started pointing to things and tries to say the word. When she is sitting in her high chair, she loves to point up at the light. When I say "that's a light", she gets this huge grin on her face. She is also learning more about cause and effect. We turn the light switch on and off. We also have a remote that turns the Christmas lights on and off. It's really used for the Christmas tree, but this year I have it set up for the lights on the mantle since it's tucked away and plugged in where Ashley can't get to it. She realizes that she is controlling it, and loves turning them on and off over and over.

Today she already figured out how to climb and stand up in the pack and play, and since just posting yesterday Ashley has gotten even faster at climbing up. Matt had the refrigerator open while he was making himself breakfast, and he said that within 5 seconds she had climbed up on the shelves. She is one smart little girl.

I hope when she reads this someday she will know how very proud of her we are!

Couple quick updates

2011-12-10T09:19:00.000-08:00

Just a couple quick updates....

First, Ashley is pulling herself up pretty good these days. When she first started, it took a lot of work (and some frustration) before getting herself up. Now she does it pretty effortlessly. She is also able to climb up on almost anything--tables, chairs, dresser drawers, even smooth walls. Nothing is off limits with her :)

She is also just starting to learn how to transfer from one thing to the next. For instance, she was holding onto the locked baby gate at the foot of the stairs, and transferred to the wall/other babygate. She can also transfer from holding onto something, to taking your hands to walk.

Ashley also balanced herself standing up without anything for a second or two. It's a start.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2011-12-03T19:41:00.000-08:00

Well, it's my favorite time of year again! I absolutely love Christmas. For me, it's not about the presents--first, there's the real meaning of Christmas, Jesus' birth. Then I love love love the lights, the music, the "magic" and excitement, Santa, the Christmas traditions and fun time with family. I am so excited to share all of this with Ashley this year.

We have already started our celebrations. When grandmom and grandpop were here, we went to visit Santa for the first time. I was actually surprised by Ashley's reaction. She is not a shy girl, and she usually will go to anyone happily. But she wasn't so sure about Santa. She didn't cry, but she looked like she was about to. Then she started to warm up to him, and became curious with him and his beard. She never seemed too thrilled though.

Grandmom and grandpop helped watch Ashley while I decorated. We saved the Christmas tree decorating just for our family though. Matt, Ashley and I played Christmas music and decorated the tree. Ashley loved the lights and the ornaments. We had to put the tree in the dining room this year. Ashley is in full force exploration mode, crawling and climbing up so I didn't want to put the temptation there. I can still see it from the couch, and we put lights on the mantle.

Along with santa's visit and decorating the tree, we also went with one of Matt's coworkers and her daughter to the Spartanburg tree lighting event. They have a big tree that they light up, vendors, shows and displays in different store windows. It was cold on the night we went, but lots of fun.

Ashley's First Thanksgiving

2011-11-28T20:21:00.001-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving. Grandmom and grandpop drove down to be with us. We started off watching the Thanksgiving parade, which is a tradition of mine. Then Grandmom, daddy and I all cooked while grandpop played with Ashley. She had lots of fun climbing up, practicing walking with her toy and holding his hand, and hanging from the gate watching us cook.

We had a really nice meal. We tried a couple different variations this year, some we'll keep and some we'll discard. Daddy made a sweet potato crunch that will be a new yearly tradition! With Ashley's naps changing, her schedule was a little off. She napped during most of the Thanksgiving dinner, but luckily she woke up and joined us for the last 1/3 of it. She enjoyed trying most of the new foods.

After dinner mommy and daddy played and bonded with Ashley (she missed us while we were cooking), and grandpop and grandmom took care of clean up. After relaxing for a bit, we went over to the Wagners to have dessert with Peggy, Wayne, Matt, Christi, Eli, Katie and Sara. We had a nice time visiting for a little while before it was time for Ashley's bedtime.

It was a nice day, and just a great time to reflect on all of our wonderful blessings. This year's biggest blessing sat at our dinner table--our newest family member, Ashley. God blessed Matt and I with her, and to him I will be forever grateful.

Oh boy!!

2011-11-21T17:59:00.000-08:00

So today Ashley figured out how to pull herself up on things all by herself! We're in trouble now :)

For a little while, she could pull up from sitting position if she used our legs to push off against. But tonight she went from a crawling position to pulling herself completely up--first on her toy, then on the coffee table in the bonus room.

What a big girl!

Also, today Ashley and I had a fun time at the park. It was a gorgeous day, 75 degrees, so we had to put on short sleeves and go take advantage of the nice weather. She had a blast on the swings.

P.s...when Ashley looks back on this and wonders what's up with daddy's mustache, NO that is not the style "back then". November is "Movember", where men grow mustaches for prostate cancer awareness. Daddy just chose the goofiest mustache there is. Although by the time she is old enough to read this, she'll know her daddy well and won't think anything of it :)

The latest

2011-11-20T18:12:00.001-08:00

Not a whole lot to update on, but wanted to write about the latest happenings....

With Christmas being a month away, we will be traveling up north to visit with family and friends, and I am also in my friend Cortney's wedding a few days later, so my goal is to be done with breastfeeding by then. So a couple of days ago I cut out a feeding. Ashley is down to one time first thing in the morning, and then before bed. Midday she is drinking breast milk from a sippy cup. No more bottles. My plan is to let my body adjust to this for the next week or so, then cut out the morning feeding (replace with milk in sippy cup). I think we are both ready. When Ashley was younger, it was a wonderful bonding time. We still have our tender moments, but for the most part Ashley is wanting to play and is distracted, and I am just feeling ready myself. But I am so glad we had this time, and I am sure one day I will miss it.

Also now that Ashley is getting older her naps are changing. Up until recently, Ashley would wake up and eat around 7 (give or take a half hour), then she'd go back down for another couple of hours until about 9. She'd then be up for about 3 hours and then back down, then a very short nap 3 hours later, then going to bed between 8/8:30. I have to say, it was wonderful (especially being able to "sleep in" with a baby. It was also nice because Matt would have 2-3 hours with her after coming home from work before she had to go to bed. We are lucky it has lasted as long as it did. Now Ashley is wanting to be up more, and sadly I have to do away with the morning nap. She stays up and plays in crib for about an hour (she is very happy and content in her crib), then naps for about a half hour, if that. I am thinking I'm going to just cut it out and keep her up, then just do two--one late morning, then one mid afternoon and then earlier bedtime around 7/7:30.

Another thing that is changing is diaper changes/getting dressed. That is one thing I miss. It sounds strange but that used to be one of my favorite bonding times. We'd play and laugh and have so much fun. Now this time is probably the most exhausting part of my day because Ashley wants to play, crawl and explore and is trying to turn and crawl away the whole time, and gets upset when she can't. I try to have her hold things or help which sometimes helps her to lay still for a few minutes. But she is a girl on the move!! :)

Ashley started grinding her teeth lately, which apparently can be a sign that her back molars are coming in. I guess the grinding side to side is a way to try to alleviate some of the pain and pressure. She also has moments where she's fussy, which is not like Ashley at all. Overall she's still the happy and sweet little girl though. She's also been waking up whimpering/crying throughout the night (but quickly puts herself back to sleep), which also makes me suspect it. I hope it's a quick and relatively painless process for her.

Other than that not much has changed. Ashley is still having a blast exploring her world.

I recently was working on our Christmas cards, and I chose one that allowed multiple pictures so I picked some from the entire year. It's amazing to see how much she's grown and changed, and to see the person she's blossomed into. BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE.

Here are some recent pics--A couple are candid shots I took while Ashley was watching her show--the second one was when she noticed I was taking pics. The other two are some great shots that daddy took of us.

Halloween pics and visit from Ashley's Great Grandpop

2011-11-11T17:35:00.000-08:00

I just realized I never posted any pics of Ashley from Halloween!!! Here's a few...

Also a few pics from Great Grandpop Mike's visit with his friend Lenore.

Lil' Miss Independent

2011-11-11T17:09:00.000-08:00

So Ashley is really becoming independent. When it comes to eating, she loves feeding herself. It's even getting to the point where she doesn't want other food that she cannot feed herself. I've had to feed her something at the same that she's feeding herself something else. Lol. I'm proud of her! She's been enjoying new things like eggs, french toast, different veggies, pastas, meats, etc. Basically she likes to sample everything we're having, with the exception of the foods that they shouldn't eat until later. Also, on the rare occasion that she has bottles (like when I'm out or at work), she is now drinking it out of her sippy cup (she has been drinking water out of it for a while though).

She is majorly into exploring things. She has started climbing up on the fireplace, although she hasn't quite figured out how to get down yet. The other day she was hanging halfway off, kicking her legs. It was funny. I am of course always nearby to make sure she is safe. She also was learning to climb up the stairs tonight with daddy's assistance.

She started pulling up on her bathtub, I think she is ready for the regular bathtub now!

Ashley has been talking a lot lately. She really mimics a lot of things we say, it's so cute. One day I was coming downstairs for the morning, and the heat wasn't on yet so I said "brr". She copied me. She also tries to call our dog Maddie, and sometimes it really sounds like she's saying Maddie. My favorite is that she is saying mama a lot!!! I just love it!

She also likes to turn the pages when we're reading. Another cute thing she does now is gives "eskimo kisses" where we rub noses together.

She's been doing lots of fun things. She LOVES being on the floor crawling and exploring. She still plays with toys, but she's more interested in scoping out every inch of the house. She's had play dates with friends. On daddy's 1/2 days when he watches Ashley while I'm at work, he recently took her for a hike, then another time to the park. We always do lots of fun things too. Today we went to the bookstore to the play area, and then they had story time.

Ashley is lots of fun, and again we are so proud of her.

Here are some recent pics of Ashley, including her Christmas pics that we took the other day. I know it's early, but we had a coupon that expired in Nov, and I wanted to beat the holiday rush. Ashley was so cute!

10 Months Old!!!

2011-11-04T12:13:00.001-07:00

My baby is 10 months old!!! Where is the time going? It's going so fast!!! I can't believe my "baby" is already 10 months!!! She's no longer a little baby, she's turning into a sweet little girl! She's already wearing 12 month clothing since she's so tall, she's feeding herself a lot, on the move and exploring. It won't be long before she's turning one...crazy....

Correction...make that 8

2011-10-29T17:32:00.000-07:00

So I was wrong. This morning I was changing Ashley's diaper, and she smiled and I was able to see her top teeth, and apparently she's got not one but two more teeth that have come through. That makes a total of 4 on top and 4 on the bottom. Oh my!

Also, today we had some fun family time. Matt had to work part of the day, but in between we went out for bagels this morning, then tonight we went for a walk around the lake then came home and carved pumpkins and made pumpkin seeds.

Ashley wasn't too excited. She's been a little fussy the past couple of days between having shots and all those teeth coming in at the same time (now I see why, poor girl), and she hasn't grasped the concept yet. But we let her play with the pulp, and feel inside the pumpkin. She also drew on her pumpkin (with mommy's help). She also had fun entertainment--daddy was dancing to "their song"--Everybody's Shuffling (Party Rock Anthem). Either he dances for her while Ashley laughs and kicks her feet to the beat, or daddy helps Ashley "dance" to it, and they have lots of fun.

6 Chompers!

2011-10-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

So Ashley's tooth finally popped through...that makes a total of 6 teeth now, 4 on the bottom, 2 on the top. Thank goodness she stopped biting! Lol.

Also, yesterday Ashley started waving/saying "bye bye" in the mirror.

9 Month Doctor Appt

2011-10-26T11:14:00.000-07:00

So Ashley had her nine month doctor appointment today at 9 months, 22 days. Unfortunately, I had to miss. I missed last time due to needing to go to a continuing education course, so this time I made sure I could go and arranged my work schedule to be there (I work Wednesdays). However, I got horribly sick last night and was still sick today. First Matt was sick (and he NEVER gets sick, I think I've seen him sick like 2-3 times in the 9 1/2 years we've been together). We even went to the Urgent Care with him. They thought it was food poisoning since he had had a burger cooked medium just a few hours before. But apparently it was a virus, because I got it shortly after he did. I am praying poor Ashley doesn't get it.

So anyway, sadly I had to miss it again! I feel bad because I haven't been able to be around her all day, and now I can't comfort her if she is feeling bad after her shots. But she's got a great daddy whose on top of things, so that's good.

Anyway, everything went great. Matt said she did great and barely cried. Her weight is 19.33, which puts her in the 49th percentile. She is now 29 inches, which puts here in the 84th percentile. She's tall like her mama.

She is right on track with her motor skills, language and development, and emotional/behavioral development. Everyone is always commenting on what a happy, good baby she is. We are so proud of the little girl that she is becoming!

Moving on up...

2011-10-23T11:17:00.000-07:00

It's funny that the last blog has a picture of Ashley in her car seat, because that is the last time you'll see her in it. She has officially moved up to the "big girl" car seat!! We had moved the seat belt straps up to the last top slats in the infant carrier a little while ago. When we did, it made it very snug and hard to buckle. Now with it being fall and her needing to wear a jacket from time to time, we knew it wouldn't work anymore so we just switched it over to the big car seat. Still can't believe it.

Older pics from this month--Ashley's first Clemson Football Game

2011-10-22T18:07:00.000-07:00

Forgot to post these. I know it was a special occasion for daddy, so wanted to post some pics from our first family Clemson game.

Fall Fun

2011-10-22T13:26:00.000-07:00

Few quick updates....I try to make them quick since I post while Ashley naps.

First off, on Tuesday Ashley started pulling up on things on her own. She pushes against daddy's legs since she doesn't know how to plant her feet, but then she does the rest herself.

She also has been really enjoying feeding herself. We've let her try lots of our meals and snacks.

Last weekend we took Ashley to a pumpkin patch while Grandma was here visiting. She had lots of fun seeing the animals, "driving" the tractor, riding in the wheel barrow, and touching and exploring the different pumpkins and gourds.

Couple cute updates

2011-10-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to mention a couple quick updates while it's still fresh...

First, yesterday Ashley started clapping. I had her Baby Einstein video on while changing her diaper, and she just looked at her show and clapped. Now she's been doing it a lot and gets so excited about it.

She also started making "fish lips", particularly when she's eating her yogurt. She also strums her finger over her lips making "music".

Oh yeah, just thought of a couple more--she also has started "singing" to music. So cute!!! And she is figuring out how to get the cheerios into her mouth :)

More teeth!

2011-10-11T06:19:00.000-07:00

So yesterday 10/10/11, I was playing with Ashley. She loves to hang upside down. While she was upside down I could see in her mouth, and her top two (middle) teeth have broken through!!! Yay! That makes a total of 5 teeth! She also has another bottom tooth that's just waiting to break through gum line any day now. What a big girl!

With those teeth, she has been learning how to chew new foods--teething biscuits (she tried yesterday for the first time), cheerios, etc. She's doing great! She also discovered how to smear her food all over her tray this morning. Lol. I didn't quickly wipe it up--sometimes in life you have to get a little messy and have fun. I figured I'd let her explore and have fun.

She also has started sucking on her thumb every now and then.

It's also so much fun seeing the world through her eyes. Everything is so fun, new and exciting. Yesterday I took Ashley grocery shopping. I like to show her things and tell her what each item is. They have out halloween stuff including pumpkins and gourds. We had fun picking up different gourds and feeling the different shapes and textures. I wish we all kept that "spark" throughout our whole lives, because really the world really does have so many great mysteries and excitement.

Pics from mommy's birthday

2011-10-07T09:52:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple of pics from mommy's birthday. This one was extra special, because Ashley was here to help me celebrate this year!! I got to spend the day with my girl having fun, then daddy and I went on a date night while Ashley played with her babysitter Katelyn that she hadn't seen in a little while.

Pics from yesterday at 9 months old!

2011-10-05T18:35:00.001-07:00

Last 8 month update

2011-10-03T12:59:00.001-07:00

Just a couple little updates before Ashley officially turns 9 months.

First, yesterday 10/2/11, Ashley finally said "dada", and Matt got to be there to hear it for the first time. Ashley has been "talking" (babbling) a lot lately, a variety of "ma" and "ba" and lots of jumbled words. But yesterday it was clearly da da. We were driving back from visiting our friends Jen and Jim (and Lily and Emma) in Florida. I was in the backseat with Ashley for part of the drive since it's so long, and I'm always saying "say mama" and "say dada" and she finally did it. It was cute!

Other latest...Ashley is really moving fast with her army crawl and getting into EVERYTHING.

At 9 months you can incorporate more solid kind of foods, so I just bought her these freeze dried yogurt melts that she chews on, then it dissolves in her mouth. She's getting the hang of it. Started some chunkier baby food today.

Last week we lowered Ashley's crib to the very bottom. She can stand up/hold herself up, but she hasn't actually learned to pull herself up on her own yet, but I have a feeling that will be here before we know it and we didn't want her to surprise us one morning while the mattress was still higher up.

On a negative note, Ashley has started biting me more frequently during breastfeeding. My mom always tells me how I did that to her once, and so she used a stern voice and said no, and I started crying and never did it again. I did that with Ashley. I thought since I rarely talk sternly or yell that it may be effective, but she just laughed and continues to do it. Grr...So now I stop feeding her and sternly say "no, all done" when she does it, hoping she'd see that if she wants to keep eating she can't do that...but instead, I think she has used that to tell me when she is finished eating. Sigh. We'll figure it out, and if not she'll be drinking bottles very soon. Lol.

She has just started having a (mild) reaction when strangers are holding her. I know it's a normal stage, but I'm surprised because Ashley is NOT a shy girl. It's only happened once or twice, and I have a feeling it will be short-lived.

Other than that, we've just been busy with the usual--playing, learning, spending time with friends, visiting friends and family.

Last weekend Matt had continuing Ed in Charlotte, and Aunt Kristyn came to Charlotte to see about potentially moving there, so we all got a hotel together and visited. Kristyn, Ashley and I looked around and checked out apartments.

This past weekend we went to Jacksonville to visit the Lastingers. We went to Lily's soccer game, Jen and I went out for lunch and had one of our 4 hour talks which I love, we went to the playground, and then Matt and Jim went to a football game together. We had a nice time. Unfortunately Ashley got a cold. She was fine at home, started getting a runny nose during last couple hours of car ride, and was totally congested and sick by the next day. The girl never gets sick, then the two times we've got fun plans away she gets a cold.

Today my Aunt Lil and cousin Wendy came to visit. Aunt Lil was vacationing and visiting friends, and was stopping through on her way back. Wendy lives about an hour and a half from us, yet sadly we don't get to see each other much with our busy schedules, so I was happy they could both come.

Well, I think that's about it. Tomorrow Ashley will be 9 months already. Crazy....You go 9 months pregnant, which feels like forever when you are anticipating the big day when you meet your sweet little baby, and now we have doubled that in a flash. I was listening to a sermon for women. It was talking about how our roles as women are continually changing throughout our lives, and how life is fleeting. So true...I came home and told Matt how I don't want it to be fleeting, I have loved this past year, both with Matt and Ashley, and I wish I could savor it.

I think I feel it more because a lot of parents go through empty nest when their kids move out. It's like you have these children who are such a huge part of your life for so long, and then they move out and you have to discover a new role and life change. It's hard for lots of people...Non church goers view their children as "theirs". But going to church, they kind of "train you" from the beginning to know that your children are not yours, they are God's, and God has honored you by entrusting you with the gift of children, and raising them up. The church also prepares you that your children will leave you one day, as they should, to go out and live their own lives, and tells you that our job is to give them wings for life. I think going into it knowing that just gives you a different perspective on things. It's like I know this parent role, where my child lives with me and I can care for her is not permanent. And I WANT her to grow up and make a life for herself. That is healthy. And I pray she has a happy and healthy life, filled with all the good things. But knowing someday this precious time will end, or at least be different, is bittersweet. Just have to make the most of all the blessings I have while I have them.

Oh my!

2011-09-23T05:33:00.000-07:00

So now that Ashley is moving, her name has been changed to "little monkey"...she is "crawling" all over the place, climbing, stretching all over trying to get down, arching herself backward, etc. I'm in trouble! Lol.

She loves discovering new things. Yesterday she crawled up to her dresser to look at the knob. Then she realized that if she pulled on it, she could open up the dresser drawer, and continued to do so a dozen times in a row :)

It's fun to see the world through her eyes, and to enjoy the fascination she has for the things that we come to take for granted as adults. The world is her oyster.

9/13/11--Big Accomplishments

2011-09-13T19:35:00.000-07:00

So the past couple of days Ashley has had some big accomplishments. I (think) I already mentioned how Ashley started to do the "crab walk" a little--laying on her back and pushing with her legs. Well, just last night she started taking a few rolls to move around. She rolled herself a couple of times off her play blanket and onto the hard floor. Then tonight while I was out, I apparently missed the beginning of her first crawl!!! The whole reason I only work one day a week (and would be home full time if we could financially afford it) is so that I don't miss out on anything. I want to see all her milestones. Well tonight I go out with some friends for a whopping 2.5 hours, and she starts crawling!!! Matt said he put her cups on one end of her blanket, and she pushed off of his hand, and "crawled" (more like the army crawl and only using her right leg) across the blanket!!! My baby is getting sooo big! We already put up the baby gates last weekend, and it looks like we'll be baby-proofing the rest of the house this weekend for sure!

Here are some recent cute pics of her...the first few of her practicing walking.

Ashley is famous!!!

2011-09-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

So yesterday Ashley got to experience something that most babies don't. She got to meet/talk to a famous actress (Elizabeth Banks), AND she and I got to be in a movie!!!! How exciting!!! A few years ago, my friend Beth Pistolis had gotten into acting and also doing these "extras" roles, and so she had heard about an upcoming movie called "What to Expect When You're Expecting". They were filming in Atlanta, GA and they were looking for babies and pregnant women. So, since everyone's always saying how cute Ashley is and how I should submit her pictures to things, I figured I'd send hers in for the heck of it. I didn't hear anything for almost 2 months, and figured they had already filled the spot.

Well, a few days ago I received an e-mail from the Christopher Gray Casting company saying that they may want to use Ashley for a filming on Friday. So I sent in my paperwork to them, and asked a couple of questions (one being where it was located so I could get a hotel room nearby, another important one about some of the paperwork), and didn't hear anything back. So once again, I thought maybe they had filled the spot or weren't interested since it took me a few hours to respond back to them, and had figured we'd missed our chance. Well, 7:30 pm the night before, I get a call from the company telling me they wanted us there for an 11:30 appointment for a pool scene. They also asked if I'd like to be in it as well. Soooo, had to throw a bunch of things together (they give you a hotline # to call with wardrobe info and other important instructions, but it wasn't provided until late at night, so had to pack a few things in case), book a hotel room, and drive to Atlanta at the very last minute. It was a late night by the time we got to bed, and Ashley woke up a little earlier than normal.

The day of worked out great. I sometimes have a hard time making it to things on time with all the things I need to pack with me and take, but I was actually early for once. Lol. We got there (in our bathing suits for pool scene), hair and makeup done--I was at the hotel getting ready while Ashley napped, so I had to be quiet and didn't have long so I didn't do anything out of the ordinary. Once we were there, we were rushed right onto the set. We got a chance to say hi and briefly chat with Elizabeth Banks (basically just introducing ourselves, and she commented on how cute Ashley was and how she couldn't wait to see her baby).

Basically, Ashley and I were in the background playing together in the pool. The main actress (Elizabeth Banks) just found out she was pregnant, is so excited that she runs along the pool and jumps in to tell her husband the news. There was one guy "swimming laps" next to them, and then we were further back in the pool playing. I didn't know if I would be in a crowd of people or not, but it was just us.

They really didn't give me much instruction, I just played with Ashley the whole time. With the actress shouting and jumping in, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to pretend I didn't hear it and just continue playing, or if I should turn and look...So I did a little of both with the takes, so we'll see what they use. It was funny, Ashley always makes her happy squealing noises--well on one take, when Elizabeth comes running and shouting her news, Ashley starts squealing along in the background. Haha. Too cute.

Sooooo, we'll probably be in movie for like 2 seconds in the background where you're not noticed, but it was still lots of fun and a cool story to tell. I joked and said that we're famous now.

Even though we'll probably be in the movie for like 2 seconds, we had to stay on set for like 5.5-6 hours, because they had to do "practice runs" without the actress jumping in, then she had to actually jump in once or twice and we would have to wait for them to dry her off and redo her hair and make up.

I felt bad because there were two other babies/parents. They came shortly after we did, and they waited and waited all these hours for their scene, and they never really got one. They did one scene where they recorded Ashley's feet kicking around underwater, and then the other two babies did the same, and then that was it. You never know what role you're going to get (or if they're even going to use you at all) until you get there I guess. So I was glad we got a bigger role since I had driven 2.5 hours there.

Ashley always amazes me and makes me so proud. She was SUCH a good baby and good sport. We did the drive, went to bed late, and then she went hours without a nap, and she was still happy the whole time. I think we got lucky with such a fun role, where she got to play and enjoy herself. But there was also a lot of sitting around, and she just had fun with toys and the other babies and staff. It wasn't until we were all done and getting ready to leave that she had had enough. Poor girl looked exhausted and was fussy. We were invited to stay for this elaborate meal which would have been nice and a great way to network, but poor Ashley was done and her needs were more important.

It was a fun experience and would do it once in a blue moon, but after seeing what's involved, I would never subject my child to real acting. It's kind of selfish--long, tiring days for kids.

The staff there was awesome. They made it a "fun" environment for Ashley, and if I didn't know any different, you'd think we were one of the main stars. They didn't treat you like "just an extra"--they kept checking in on us to make sure we were comfortable in the water, they offered us drinks, food, warm towels, etc. Very nice people.

So, the movie will come out sometime in 2012, can't wait to watch! We'll be owning a copy of the movie for sure. I can't wait to tell Ashley about it when she's old enough to understand.

More updates

2011-09-08T14:58:00.000-07:00

Wanted to write a quick update while Ashley was napping and I have a few minutes...Here's the latest on her in a nutshell.

At 8 months we cut down on breastfeeding to 3 feedings, and started adding more foods--yogurt and cottage cheese, and upping some of her current food amounts. It's funny, it's as if she had read the memo from the pediatrician's office, because it's like she just knew it was time to ween back--she started seeming disinterested in breastfeeding, and more concerned with everything going on around her.

She also has started "scooting". She has been turning around in circles on the floor, but she hasn't been very interested in crawling. We've practiced with her, and she doesn't seem to want to (although practicing walking is a totally different story--she loves that). Anyway, she has started doing this crabwalk kind of deal. She lays on her back and has started pushing up/forward with her legs. It's cute.

She has also started "sucking her thumb". I'm not sure if she is actually sucking or gnawing on it, but she puts her thumb in her mouth.

Also, maybe about a week ago she figured out how to turn on her mobile in the crib on her own :)

9/4/11--My baby is 8 months old!!!

2011-09-04T20:15:00.001-07:00

Some other 7 month milestones

2011-08-25T18:44:00.000-07:00

-Learning more cause-and-effect

-fascinated by the garage door opening

-really noticing the environment around her--gets very distracted when eating

-recognizes who mommy and daddy are: if you ask her where daddy is, she will turn to look at him

-can kind of wave

-takes steps while holding mommy or daddy's hands

-scoots around in circle

-really loves her baby Einstein videos, smiles and laughs at her favorite parts

-REALLY grabbing for things, especially mommy's face

-biting everything, including us. Does not seem phased by us firmly telling her no when she bites us...we're going to be in trouble when she's older!

-Also, she really hasn't used her paci (pacifier) much in at least a month, but she'd occasionally use it and would use it more for teething and chewing on it. Well, after our vacation, I had cleaned her wubinub paci's and had both of them on the drying rack for 2-3 days. I realized she hadn't wanted or needed them for a few days, so figured we'd stop giving it to her completely now so we don't have to ween her when older.

-one cute thing she does: now that she has 3 teeth, she's been sticking her tongue out on the opposite side of her 3rd tooth through the gap. It's sooo cute!

First Real Vacation

2011-08-23T11:55:00.001-07:00

So last week we took Ashley on her first "real" vacation. Granted, we've traveled different places with her and she's been to the beach already, but this was the first time we stayed in a condo or "vacation resort" kinda deal. Daddy, Ashley, Maddie the dog, and I went on a Shohen family vacation with grandpop, grandmom, Uncle Andrew, Aunt Lauren, and a couple of their friends. We went to mommy and daddy's favorite beach--Destin, Florida. We even stayed in the same condo that we stayed in the last time we went, with lots of fun and special memories.

We had a nice time--we spent a lot of time on the beach and at the pool. Poor Ashely got sick for the first time right before leaving, and still had her cold and runny nose for most of the trip. She was a good sport though, and still seemed to enjoy herself despite it.

Some other fun highlights of the trip were renting a boat for the day, and going snorkeling, swimming, and to this cool spot where the water is only a couple feet high and they have a water trampoline, water slides, and food vendors all right there in the water. It was cool.

We also had most dinners together as a family which was fun--we enjoyed a lot of seafood...yum! We also had a couple of movie nights together, went miniature golfing, played cards, went to the outlets, etc. Daddy and I even got to go enjoy a date night on our last night there while grandmom and grandpop had fun with Ashley and took her swimming in the pool.

We also got a chance to visit with Ashley's Great Uncle Don and Aunt Jackie. It was nice to see them again and they were excited to meet Ashley.

Ashley did great with the car ride--in fact I think this was the best trip yet, both ways even! All in all, the trip was great. I was thinking of how lucky Ashley is--she has two parents who love each other very much, who love her very much, and she's only seven months old and she's already had a lot of great experiences and opportunities. I'm so glad for that!!!

2011

2011-08-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

So I just had to post a blog about all the crazy weather-related things that have happened in 2011, so Ashley can hear the stories when she is older. First, we live in South Carolina where it snows once or twice a year, sometimes it sticks, sometimes it doesn't. We usually only get a couple inches at most (which I love). Well, just a few days after Ashely was born, we had the "big snowstorm of the decade"--approx 7-8 inches, which is a ton for down here. Everything shut down. It worked out really nice for us because Matt was able to stay home with us longer after Ashley was born.

Since then, we've also had a couple of incidents where it hailed golf-ball sized hail in the middle of summer. It would start off as a very hot day. Then the storm would come in out of nowhere. It was pretty crazy.

Now we've got Hurricane Irene coming through. Not sure if we'll get hit or not.

Well, just a few minutes ago I was sitting on the couch while Ashley was napping, when I feel the couch vibrating. And then I realize everything is vibrating. It wasn't major--nothing fell off the walls or anything, but everything definitely shook. Apparently there was an earthquake that just went along the whole East Coast. Crazy stuff, and Ashley slept right through it!

Latest on Ashley

2011-08-09T19:25:00.000-07:00

Well, we've had some good and bad experiences lately. About a week ago, we were visiting (Aunt) Kristyn again. We went to help her buy her very first brand new car. She had done a ton of researching, but wanted help with crunching numbers and interests rates so she wouldn't get hassled by the dealers. It was fun going with her, she was like a kid at Christmas--sooooo excited and nervous all at once. We also were looking around the area(s) as a possible place to move to at some point.

Anyway, while we were there we had a scary experience. Ashley was sleeping in the same room as us in her pack and play. Well, we were all sound asleep. Sometime after midnight she woke up hysterically crying. I know Ashley's different cries, and this was different from the typical ones--something was wrong. She sounded scared and was inconsolable. Nothing we said or did calmed her down. Finally I nursed her and she settled down and went back to sleep. She seemed perfectly fine the next day.

I spoke to the pediatrician and she said that she may have had a nightmare, and it could have been a result of traveling, being off her regular schedule and going to bed later than normal. So I figured that was the end of it. However, we had another one two nights ago. This time she was back in her own room and on her regular schedule. We tried talking to her, getting her to focus, singing to her, rocking/walking with her...nothing helped. Poor girl. It scary and upsetting seeing her so upset. I hope they don't become a reccuring thing. Apparently there's not much you can do to prevent them or to help them.

On a good note, Ashley got another tooth. I noticed it broke through today. Another bottom. If you were facing her, it's on the right side of two middles. (This could also play into the crying in middle of night, although she's been fine during the day). Can't believe my baby has 3 teeth now!

She also has her first cold, or again possibly more teething stuff--she had a low grade fever, runny nose and congested. It's cute how she has fun with the new discoveries of what her body does. She was even entertained by her runny nose, she kept trying to sniff in and out, and kept trying to lick her runny boogies. Lol.

She is just so fun. She has such joy and fun with life. She loves discovering new things. She loves to grab EVERYTHING, including my face and hair! She wants to put everything in her mouth.

She also is learning more about cause and effect--she can push things down, or push buttons to make things pop up. She gets what she's doing.

She is talking more...when babbling, she still says mama, baba, and I've heard dada a few times. The biggest thing is that she recognizes/knows who mommy and daddy are. I said where's daddy?, and she turned and looked at daddy. And another time when I was out, Matt said that Ashley's face lit up when he said it was mommy.

Will update more soon!

August 4, 2011--7 months old, wow!

2011-08-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

Latest

2011-07-25T12:28:00.000-07:00

Matt took Ashley to the doctor on July 22nd for her 6 month visit (although she was closer to 6 1/2 months by the time she went). I had a continuing Ed course that I had to attend, so I had to miss her appointment. I felt awful not being there, mainly because she was getting her shots and I know how upset she usually gets after them. But, I guess this is part of giving her "wings" in life. Luckily Matt said this was the best visit yet, and that she only cried for a second or two afterwards.

Anyway, Ashley is now 16 lbs, 13 oz, which puts her at a nice "happy medium"--55% for her weight, and she is 27 inches, which puts her at the 80% for her height. The doctor said she is doing great and right on track with feeding schedule and all her developmental milestones.

Ashley is now sitting up much better--still not 100% there, but can sit up pretty good for a decent amount of time.

-she is loving most foods. She likes to "help" mommy by grabbing onto the spoon sometimes. She used to sound like a guinea pig (meaning she'd whine between each bite to make sure I'd feed her...lol), and now she started this bear growl in between. Haha.

-she is doing better with her sippy cup

-Matt let her gnaw on his banana the other day and she loved it

-Loves playing with a variety of toys--she is figuring out how to pop open/push down toys

-She continues to love her jumparoo

-Has fun playing peek-a-boo now

-She loves to reach out and grab at EVERYTHING, including mommy's face. She thinks it's hysterical when she sticks her fingers in my mouth and I pretend to bite down/chew on her fingers through my lips

-She thinks everything is a chew toy, including mommy and daddy. I'm trying to teach her not to bite us, but we're learning ;)

On a side note, a couple cool things. When I was at this continuing Ed course, they were having us practice this anchoring technique where you think of these positive visuals that just elevate your mood and make you feel happy. You can combine memories. I used a couple of Matt and I, and combined some Ashley ones: when I brought Ashley home and was just overwhelmed with love and happiness, special times of rocking her to sleep and being enamored by her, the time Matt and I were dancing with her to a sweet song, bath times, along with fun memories at her changing table. You would think changing a diaper would be on the bottom of the list, but Ashley and I have so much fun--we laugh, play, sing, she puts her feet in her mouth, kicks...Her smiles and giggles just melt my heart.

Another cute side note--About a month ago we started with a new babysitter named Katelyn Ammons for the day that I work. My friend Laura Heatley was watching her for a few months, but she was considering going back to work more. Also, I think it was challenging juggling 3 little ones, and having to feed Ashley while trying to get her boys ready for bed. It was also hard for me having to pack up 5 bags (between baby stuff and work stuff) and getting to her house on time...so this babysitter Katelyn comes to the house, which is soooo nice. I don't have to rush around anymore, Katelyn plays with her while I finish getting ready so she doesn't have to sit around, and it's nice for Ashley's routine so she can sleep in her own crib for naps and stuff. Katelyn is also great with her--she takes her for walks, plays toys and reads to her. Anyway, last Wednesday she had gone down for a later nap, and slept late. Matt and I had both gotten home earlier than normal and Ashley was still sleeping. By the time she woke up from her nap, Matt and I were both racing each other up the stairs to go greet her. I just thought it was cute how excited we both were to see our baby girl after being away from her for the day. She is one loved little girl!

Above are a couple pictures of Ashley and her babysitter, Katelyn.

4th of July fun and latest happenings

2011-07-11T18:59:00.001-07:00

Wanted to update on the latest. For the 4th of July (which also happened to be the day Ashley turned 6 months old), we visited Aunt Kristyn in Virginia for the weekend. Grandma had flown in to visit with Kristyn, so we drove and met them and spent the weekend together. On July 2nd, it was Matt and my 5 year wedding anniversary. Grandma gave us $ for a gift which we used to go out to a nice dinner while they babysat Ashley for us. Aunt Kristyn happens to live 2 blocks from the beach, so it was awesome. We spent time there. Although Ashley had seen the beach when we went to the boardwalk in Ocean City NJ last month, this was her official 1st trip to the beach, and going in the ocean. We had a great time. I was so happy to see that Ashley is a beach bum like her mom and dad. Matt and I could spend the whole week relaxing at the beach, and we had said that we hoped our child(ren) would enjoy it as well. Ashley had fun lounging in her tube, she even had her feet up at one point...lol. She also had lots of fun in the water. She was kicking and splashing. It's the most excited she's been so far in the water (aside from her bathtub, haha). She also had fun sitting at the shore, and digging her feet and hands in the sand, and trying to catch the waves as they came in. Lots of fun memories! When we weren't at the beach, we were playing with Ashley (she was the star of the show), hanging out catching up, and playing some fun games. Daddy and I also took Ashley to meet the Reinhart family, which is a friends family that lives in VA. It was a fun trip. Unfortunately we had to drive back on the 4th of July, and Ashley slept through the fireworks that we saw in passing...however the night before we saw some going off near Kristyn's apartment, so she got to see those at least. Grandma drove back with us and stayed for the past week. She had lots of fun quality time with Ashley, she can't get enough of her!

Other fun updates:

-Ashley is learning how to sit up. In fact, on her 6th month birthday she sat up for a good period of time on her own before tipping over.

-She has been discovering more foods--lots of veggies, starting to introduce fruits, and cereal. She is enjoying most of them and become more skilled at eating them.

-She is noticing Maddie the dog a lot more now. She smiles and reaches out to her. Maddie also comes up and gives kisses. It's cute--they'll be friends.

-A few weeks ago she added "ba" or "ba ba" to her vocabulary.

Back from our adventure

2011-06-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

Well, we had quite and adventure!! Ashley and I left on Thurs, June 9th to head up to NY. She and I flew alone since daddy had to stay down to work. Between checking into airport, 2 flights, a layover, and getting a rental car and driving to grandma's, it turned out to be about a 10 hour day. I think Ashley cried a total of 20 minutes all day. She amazes me. She is such an incredibly good baby--very resiliant, flexible, happy and easy going.

Our trip started off visiting grandma and Aunt Cheryl. The next day we went to Jodi's wedding where she got to meet lots of people, including some of mommy's good friends from high school. The next day Ashley got to meet most of mommy's family. Some people traveled from PA to come meet her. We had a fun time visiting. Then we spent the evening with grandma and her friend Vince.

The following day mommy's cousin Nicole and her fiance Brian came to visit. Then mommy's special friend Jennifer Case and her daughter Isabella came to visit. We had fun with the babies playing together. We then went to visit mommy's aunt June and uncle Alf, so we could also visit with grandpa some more. Then we had more fun time with grandma.

On our last day in NY, mommy's old neighbor and friend, Julie (Barrett) Warlikowski and her two kids, Candace and Quinton came to visit. Then we went to visit grandma at her work--which is also mommy's old high school--we visited with grandma's friends, and mommy showed me her old locker and got to see her old favorite teacher who is still there, Mr. Brown. When we returned, mommy's cousin April stopped by to visit, then we packed up and grandpa drove us down to Grandmom and grandpops in NJ. It was a TIGHT squeeze in his little Fiat car, but we made it!!

We celebrated grandmom's birthday with her, grandpop, grandpa, uncle Andrew, aunt Lauren, and one of grandmoms friends. We got to skype with daddy since we were missing each other!

On the next day, mommy's old college roommate, Amy McManus came to visit. We hung out at the house, then went to eat and walked around the mall. She loved seeing me!

We then drove down to Liz and Bob Mazzeo's house. Ashley and Malayna got to meet, and we played together the next day before leaving.

From there, we drove to Marci, Michael, Trent and Gavin Whitby's house. We left shortly after arriving to go to Ocean City, NJ. It was Ashley's first time seeing the ocean (although we didn't go on the beach), and visiting the boardwalk. We had a fun time. After we went to Trent's little league baseball game and got ready for bed.

The next day we were very excited to go pick daddy up at the airport! It had been a whole week away! We then drove to his Aunt Jayne's house, where we stayed until we left. We hung out with his cousins Josh and Ethan, then grandmom came. We went to another baseball game to watch Ethan play, where Jayne and Ed met us. After we went for icecream to celebrate their win.

The next day mommy's friend, Keeley Sullivan, came to visit. We went to eat at Red Lobster, then went shopping to get a few goodies for daddy's first Father's Day. We had a fun visit. Later that night Ashley stayed with the family while daddy and I went to a rehearsal dinner for the wedding.

The next day grandmom took Ashley into Philadelphia to pick up grandpop, and also to help great grandpop with his flea marketing. Mommy had a few hours of quiet and nothing to do, which was WONDERFUL after all the crazy running around. Then we played with Ashley and then went to Mike and Elizabeth Palumbo's wedding. Aside from the bride and groom, Ashley was the star of the show!

The next day was Father's Day. We gave daddy breakfast in bed and he opened some gifts from Ashley. Then to celebrate Father's Day (it was Matt's 1st official), we first went to grandmom's side of the family for brunch and to visit, then later to grandpop's side to visit and for Alyssa's h.s. graduation party.

The next day we visited with great grandpop and his friend Lenore and grandpop. Then grandpop drove us to airport. Our flight was delayed, which meant we would miss our next flight, so grandpop had to drive us to the Baltimore airport...we had a few hours, so we got to get some yummy seafood and then walk around and see some of the sights in Baltimore. Then we were finally home.

Sigh....As you can see, we had A LOT going on!!! Again, I am just so amazed with what a good baby she is!!! She did GREAT!!!! Despite all the traveling, moving from place to place, people and teething, she was still happy and a delight! We couldn't ask for a better baby!!!

Some of Ashley's firsts:

-Attended two weddings

-Attended two baseball games

-Went to the ocean for the first time

-Met mommy's side of the family

-On June 12th, Ashley got her first tooth!!!! Her bottom left (if facing her)!

-Started doing acrobatic moves! Lol

-Yesterday (June 21)--tried cereal for the first time

-today:started nodding her head "yes"

6/4/11--5 Months and New Firsts

2011-06-04T20:31:00.001-07:00

So today my baby girl is 5 months old!!! Time is just flying. It makes me sad to think that this is time I will never get back, it's so precious! It is such a fun time though.

Ashley has had a lot of new "firsts"...At the very bottom is an older picture from April when she took her very first plane ride at 3 months old.

Then she has been making new discoveries with toys...learning how to play on the toy piano, learning how to bounce on her own in the jumparoo, etc.

Just last night, Ashley finally rolled over from her back to her stomach (you can see the picture of how hard she'd been trying). Unfortunately, I missed it--she was in her crib to go night-night when she did it, I turned on the monitor picture screen and saw her flipped over. She did it twice.

Ashley also had her first trip to the zoo--she slept through most of it though.

She also has had some fun experiences--she went on her very first speed boat, and went swimming for the first time--the first time in the lake (Lake Hartwell), then the following weekend she went swimming in the pool twice. We didn't capture any pics, but it was fun. The water was still somewhat cool, but she didn't cry or scream. She started off somewhat indifferent to it, then started to enjoy it more and kicked and splashed some.

Ashley has also discovered her voice. She does this loud squealing sound. It's pretty comical.

The new "first" that I am most excited about is that Ashley said her first word...and guess what it was??? "Mama"!!! It was on May 19th. She said it a few times. It made my heart light up!! I still don't know if she makes the association with the word and me, although one time Matt was changing her diaper, and she looked straight at me and said it...so maybe?? Either way, I'll take it! :)

It's been an exciting journey. I love my baby girl so much!!!

P.s...I also threw in a picture of Ashley and daddy on his 30th birthday--his "first" birthday as a daddy, and also in a new decade!

Pics from past couple weeks

2011-05-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

Here are a few recent shots of Ashley, along with a few from her "Stockton Aunties'' visit, and from Mother's Day. It was my first official Mother's Day and it was very nice! Matt made me breakfast in bed--yummy french toast, and gave me a gift certificate to get a massage!! Later that day we went and had a picnic at the park. It was a fun, relaxing day. I told him that this is such a special time--we get both the joy of celebrating being a parent to such a special little girl, and we also are in a time of our lives when our parents are alive and well to honor and celebrate as well.

Ashley's Stockton Aunties came for a visit. My friends Michelle, Keeley, Liz and Jenn came down for a few days. We had a fun time! They loved meeting and playing with Ashley. We also went out to eat a couple of times, shopped till we dropped, played some games, caught up on life and reminisced about our college days..

The top pics are most recent. Ashley has discovered her feet, and I took a cute pic of her multi-tasking, one hand in the mouth and the other hanging onto her foot! She is too cute!!

Before I Was A Mom

2011-05-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind
and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests
or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of
having my heart outside my body..
I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond
between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom.

_____________________

Borrowed these from a friend's blog...

Inspiration for Mothers.

I love reading things that inspire me as a Mother. I am always searching. I am always learning. I found these two poems last night and I wanted to share them. They are so very true.

It’s not so much what you say
As the manner in which you say it;
It’s not so much the language you use
As the tone in which you convey it;
“Come here!” I sharply said,
And the child cowered and wept.
“Come here,” I said –
He looked and smiled
And straight to my lap he crept.
Words may be mild and fair
And the tone may pierce like a dart;
Words may be soft as the summer air
But the tone may break my heart;
For words come from the mind
Grow by study and art –
But tone leaps from the inner self
Revealing the state of the heart.
Whether you know it or not,
Whether you mean or care,
Gentleness, kindness, love, and hate,
Envy, anger, are there.
Then, would you quarrels avoid
And peace and love rejoice?
Keep anger not only out of your words –
Keep it out of your voice.
~Author Unknown

I took a piece of plastic clay.
And idly fashioned it one day.
And as my fingers pressed it, still
It moved and yielded to my will.

I came again when days were past:
The bit of clay was hard at last.
The form I gave it still it bore,
And I could fashion it no more!

I took a piece of living clay,
And gently pressed it day by day,
And moulded with my power and art
A young child’s soft and yielding heart.

I came again when years had gone:
It was a woman I looked upon.
She still that early impress bore
And I could fashion it no more.
~ Author Unknown

4 Months Old!!!

2011-05-04T19:52:00.000-07:00

Our baby girl is 4 months old today!! Hard to believe it! Here are some pictures from today.

Ashley has officially moved from a cuddly little baby into the fun and exploring stage. She now (not so gently) likes to grab and bat at things, including your face (nose, mouth, etc). She thinks it's hysterical.

She also does this thing where she opens her mouth wide, and almost suck on your face. She does it a lot after I give her kisses, so I swear she is mirroring me and trying to "give kisses" back. It's all nasty and slobbery, but I think it's sooo sweet at the same time.

Also, when I am burping her over my shoulder, she now likes to feel the texture of the couch or her rocking chair fabric.

She also definitely giggles now. It's too cute. Along with noises, she has now started other noises, like her "guinea pig" whimpers/whines every now and then. That new milestone I could live without, but she's still a sweetie!

Also, she has figured out how to scoot herself from the middle of the crib down to the bottom by kicking her way there. She kicks so hard that you can hear it from downstairs. Lol.

I have a feeling she will be rolling from her back onto her stomach soon, since she is getting about 3/4 of the way there.

She continues to be a joy and blessing. It's a mixed feeling--in one way I am sad to see my young little infant growing up so quick, but at the same time it's been so fun watching her grow and change. It is so much fun and she just gets cuter and cuter. I love my baby girl!

Wow, 4 months old...

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T15:43:00.000-07:00

3 1/2 Month Update

2011-04-20T19:45:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been full of fun and discoveries for Ashley.

First, a couple of weeks ago she giggled for the first time (even before she rolled over). I was blowing on her belly and she laughed. She didn't do it again until tonight, so I wasn't sure if it was an actual giggle. But tonight Matt and grandma heard it too (grandma is in town visiting).

Ashley also is getting strong! Before, we'd hold her hands and she'd pull up to sitting position, but now she pulls herself all the way up to standing position. She loves to stand. Matt thinks she'll be walking before crawling.

She also LOVES to kick. Her kicks are stronger and more frequent. We play a game where I'll say "are you kicking your momma?" and she'll smile and crack herself up.

Another thing, when I am feeding her, she'll sometimes hold onto my finger which is always precious. Well now she realizes that she can use her hand to guide and move my finger all around which she thinks is neat.

We also think Ashley may be teething already. She is drooling A LOT, and she is now sticking her fingers in her mouth.

Also, just yesterday she started this thing where she sticks her tongue out, curls it, and tries talking at the same time. I think she realized she has her tongue and that it works. It's so cute to watch.

Of course, Ashley is camera shy so when I try to capture these things, she won't do them. But that's why I'm documenting these moments, so I can read about them and recall all the special memories.

She is just getting so big though! This past weekend we went to Jacksonville Florida to visit our good friends Jen and Jim. They just had their new baby Emma, so we went to visit and to help (or at least attempted to). Emma was bigger at birth than Ashley was, but she looked so tiny compared to Ashley which made me realize just how big she has gotten. It made me kinda sad to see how fast the time is going and how my baby is growing up so quick. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE her age now, she is SOOOO much fun. But that's the thing, I love it all so much and wish I had a pause button so I can enjoy this time longer. Just have to make the most of it while it's here. And I sure do love it, and I love my baby girl sooo much.

Ashley rolled over!

2011-04-09T18:58:00.000-07:00

Today Ashley rolled over for the first time! I was at my friend Laura's house, and Ashley and her son Chase were playing on the mat doing "tummy time". Chase is 6 months old and rolling over a lot. Well all of a sudden, Ashley rolled from her belly onto her back! Then she did it again!!! Of course by the time I get the camera out to record her, she stops. She did it again tonight for daddy too! What a big girl! I'll try to capture it sometime soon

April 5, 2011--3 Month Pics

2011-04-05T17:03:00.000-07:00

3/27/11, 11 1/2 weeks

2011-03-27T13:08:00.000-07:00

Well the latest on Ashley...she just keeps getting cuter and cuter!! Every day is so much fun with her. She continues to "talk" even more now. She has a lot more movement and control of her hands and feet now. With her hands, she has a firm grip and swats at things. Sometimes she even swats her hands and arms while she's eating, and hits herself in the face--poor thing. I'm always telling her to be gentle with herself!

A lot of times we recline her in our laps (see second picture down for example)--well Ashley's new thing is to kick mommy or daddy. She finds it rather amusing when she kicks daddy's nose or face, or kicks me as I change her diaper. Lol. She has also discovered how to kick and splash in the bathtub. It makes a big mess, but it's so cute to watch her get excited. Lastly, when she plays on her playmat, she has figured out how to push up off of us to scoot herself across it.

Another new thing is her kisses. I am always loving on her and giving her lots of kisses. When I kiss her cheek, she opens her mouth wide and turns toward me like she is trying to "kiss" me back. So cute!

Ashley also has a bald spot on the back of her head from turning from side to side a lot. Not sure if she is trying to scratch an itch or just finds it fun, haha. She also tracks us from across the room. When we walk by, she will not just turn her eyes toward us, but moves her whole head to follow us.

Her smiles continue to just melt my heart. I am lovin' life as a mommy and wife! The other night Matt was changing her diaper up in her bedroom, and he was playing the song "Don't blink"--we just held Ashley and all slow danced together in her room. It was such a special moment for me, and the song was just a reminder to capture that moment (not that I need it, I don't take anything for granted since I know how blessed we are).

3-13-11, 9 1/2 weeks!

2011-03-13T16:09:00.000-07:00

Ashley went for her 2 month doctor appointment. She is now 11 lbs, 3 oz, and 23 inches tall! She's growing so much. Poor thing had to get her immunization shots, and had such a pitiful cry! She was ok for a little while after, but then got a slight fever and was fussy for a little while. She took some baby tylenol and slept it off, then was almost back to normal.

Here are some updates.

3-1-11, Almost 2 Months!!

2011-03-01T06:35:00.001-08:00

It's hard to believe that Ashley will be 2 months old in just 3 days!!! Crazy!!! Things have been so great. I think it's safe to say that I am probably the happiest I've been. I've got a great husband and father, and a wonderful baby girl who is such a blessing to us.

A lot has been going on, which is part of the reason it's been a while. First, Ashley's other grandfather came down to visit with his friend Shelley. Dad has 2 other grandchildren from his first marriage, but they live in Germany. So Ashley was the first grandchild that he has been able to see and hold in person. He was thrilled to see her and spend time with her. We had a nice visit, comparing Ashley to Matt and my baby pictures. He was calling her MATTilda, saying that she looks like daddy. She definitely does, but she still resembles me too!

The weather was gorgeous when they were down, so we went out to eat and sat outside. Ashley was awake for most of it, and she was just looking over my shoulder at everything. We also took a walk downtown. It was fun. Also celebrated grandpa's 62nd birthday. It was a fun time.

Then my cousin April and her son Tyler came to visit for a few hours. She was in town visiting friends and my cousin Wendy. It was a short visit, but nice. We talked and caught up, then went out to dinner. Tyler was really sweet with Ashley (and the dog Maddie).

Last Wednesday I went back to work for the 1st time. I am only working 1 day a week thankfully. Ideally I would love to stay home full time but financially we can't swing it, and I've also established a great work foundation so it wouldn't be good to leave. But I feel so fortunate to only have to work one day, I can only imagine how hard it must be to go back to full time. I now understand why women cry on their first days back. I was sad to leave her for the day, and didn't want to miss out on anything or any new "firsts". Although she is in great hands with my friend Laura, she's got playmates for when she's old enough to interact, and it's healthy to have a little separation--gives children their "wings" as they continue to grow up. But it's still hard! Lol.

"Aunt" Kim also came to visit this past weekend. Ashley has had lots of visitors in the past couple of months, from near and far! Lots of people love her.

Ok, now for Ashley updates. Gas issues have almost completely resolved themselves thankfully. She is such a happy baby when she's not in pain! She smiles and coos a lot more now. It still makes my heart smile every time. I just love that little girl!

Ashley has also discovered that her hand works in more ways. She has started rubbing her eyes when she is tired, and putting her hand in her mouth to suck or lick. It's cute to watch. She will also grab at my hair from time to time. She has also started making lots of spit bubbles recently, and makes this adorable pouty face when she is sad sometimes.

She is sleeping longer stretches at night. For the most part, it's still 3-4 hours at a time, although she has slept for 6 hours straight a couple of times which has been wonderful. I'm hoping it continues.

We're continuing to get on more of a routine during the day. I'm still trying to work on naps. She sleeps great in the crib at night, but she just loves her swing and is fighting the transition into the crib for naps. We're working at it though....

She just continues to be such a joy!

Ashley's latest

2011-02-17T06:32:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday Ashley turned 6 weeks old. I can't believe it! She has just grown and changed so much over the past 6 weeks.

Just in the past week, she has had some new developments. First, she is smiling and cooing a lot more, and now more out of a response to things like us talking to her or singing to her. I absolutely love it!!! It just warms my heart every time she smiles at me, and I love it when she's "talking" to me. She is such a sweet girl.

Also, her gas issue has been much better this week, so I am able to see a lot more of my sweet happy little girl since she hasn't been so uncomfortable.

She has also figured out that her hands work. She has grabbed/held my hair, she pushes at things (she did that before, but now I think there's the connection and she realizes she has control over it).

She had tummy time yesterday and not only had her head up, but was pushing up with her arms and held the position for a while! She will also push up off of her feet now.

Yesterday I was skyping (video chatting) with my mom. She is ALWAYS wanting to skype so she can see Ashley, so sometimes I'll let her have her time with Ashley while I am showering or making dinner or something. Well yesterday I figured I'd have her see Ashley get a bath since Ashley loves them so much, so I had Ashley in her chair talking to my mom while I went and got her stuff and the bath ready. My mom didn't hear me, but she could tell every time I came into the room and was nearby, because Ashley would turn and focus on me and just give me that special "you're my mommy" look.

I think we are starting to get more into a routine at night...she seems to have determined her own bedtime, and starts getting tired around 9pm. We rock in the glider, read a story, and listen to some lullaby music before bed. When she gets a little older, I will also start prayers with her.

Lastly, we went to the urology specialist earlier this week. He said that in his years of practice and also residency, he's only heard of one other case of this. He said he needed to do some research himself and then get back to us on the best way to treat it. He also wants us to follow up in a month to make sure that the hemangioma has not grown much (thankfully it seems to be staying about the same size so far). I think we're going to start playing the lottery after some of these "rare odds" that we've encountered...lol.

Well that is all for now. Ashley is starting to wake up...

Just some cute pics

2011-02-13T12:02:00.000-08:00

The past week

2011-02-11T10:56:00.000-08:00

The past week has had it's ups and downs...Poor Ashley had a couple of rough days, where she was just soooo uncomfortable with gas. Sometimes she'll burp or toot with no problems, other times it seems to get stuck and she gets so uncomfortable and cries. I have gotten tips from the doctor, on call nurse, friends, family, etc. I've tried everything and nothing seems to help. I'm pretty sure it's not the foods I'm eating (I've cut out foods that cause gas for babies). I think it's that she eats so fast and gulps down her food and gets air bubbles--I can even hear them go down into her stomach when she's eating. I don't know if it's because she is so hungry and in a rush (kinda like her daddy), or the nurse said it could be that my milk comes in so well that it comes out fast which makes her have to eat/gulp fast. They suggested laying on my side or leaning back which I have done since. It helps sometimes. Again, it's hit or miss.

When she isn't gassy and uncomfortable, she continues to be such a sweet little girl! You know that she is so sweet and happy, and wants to be but is just uncomfortable at times.

Here are some pics from her good moments. Today the gas seems to be better, she has been full of smiles and coos. They just warm your heart and make it all worth it.

Also, Ashley has been loving bath time. She enjoys it so much and is always so happy when she's getting a bath. I even gave her a "spa experience", and had soothing music and gave her a massage while drying off...she seems to really like that too!

Pics Taken By Photographer at 9 Days Old, and Family shots at 3 weeks/1 month

2011-02-08T12:31:00.000-08:00

February 4, 2011--1 Month Old Today

2011-02-04T12:48:00.000-08:00

Ashley is a month old today! Technically she turned 4 weeks on Tuesday the 1st, but since she was born on the 4th, we will go with the 4th of each month for the markers to make it easy.

I cannot believe she is a month old already! It has been the best month of my life I think. I am just loving my little girl! I can't get over how much she has grown and changed in both looks and personality. She is much more alert, responsive, and demonstrative. She started smiling (for real) around 2 1/2-3 weeks old, she makes funny grunts, and today she cooed for the first time. She is getting strong with her neck and leg muscles. She lets you know when she is hungry! (I attached a hungry/impatient pic).

She continues to be such a sweet baby--the only time she cries is when she is hungry, gassy (we had a couple of days where the poor thing was having issues and pretty uncomfortable, but thankfully it's improving some), or tired. The rest of the time she is so sweet and pleasant--it makes the rest worth it!

She still sleeps pretty good during the night. She'll typically go to bed sometime between 9-11, then she'll sleep 3-4 hours, then get up again around 6 or 7 in the morning. Can't beat that. We've had a couple of "rough nights" if you can call them that. By rough nights I mean she is up and wide awake and it's taken a couple of hours to get her back to sleep, but when she is up she is happy and wide-eyed. So we can't complain, especially since she is such a great sleeper a majority of nights.

The only drawback we've had is that she has a hemangioma on the inside of her vagina of all places. Matt was changing her diaper and called me in to show me this red blister-type thing. We googled it, and it sounded like it could be a symptom of diaper rash, but called the doctor to be on the safe side. I'm glad that we did. They can grow pretty large, so we have to wait and see how big it gets. We need to see a urologist in a couple of weeks, but the doctor said today that he didn't think there was anything that needed to be done (she shouldn't need surgery or anything, and should be able to have a normal life and have children down the road if she chooses to).

Aside from that, she got a good health report. She was 8 lbs, 15 1/2 ounces (so they rounded up to 9 lbs today), and measured at 21 inches. Doctor said everything looks great.

She had to get a shot today. Poor thing cried and cried. I felt so bad for her, but I know it's for her wellbeing.

Anyway, life is good. Matt is loving Ashley just as much as I am. He's such a great dad, my heart melts when I watch them together. We were both saying that having Ashley has been pretty amazing, and that's great since the first six weeks are supposedly the roughest.

1-25-11, 3 Weeks Old Today!

2011-01-25T07:05:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe Ashley is 3 weeks old today! I wish I could hit a pause button, and just freeze this time for a little while. I am loving every moment of it!

Some people have said how the first few weeks are a blur, and can be really rough...but I have been blessed to feel really good from the very start--I recuperated very well from delivery, Ashley is a good sleeper so I'm not sleep deprived, and she is just such a sweet baby. So I have been able to take in every moment and savor each one. I know how precious these moments are. There are times when I am feeding her, or when she is resting on my shoulder that I will just sit and stare at her.

People had also shared experiences and warned me about different emotions that may come up in the beginning. I did have some overwhelming feelings, but they were of such intense love. I remember the day we brought her home from the hospital. She and I were alone in her room, and I was rocking her in her glider and listening to lullabies as I fed her. Here I was staring at her sweet face and into her eyes, and the song was singing: "I love your wiggles and I love your giggles, I love your sweet little sighs. I love your nose and your feet and your toes, I love your bright little eyes. When you will leave me, how it will grieve me, I know how the years will fly by...." and on that note I just teared right up. It just hit me at that moment how immensely I loved this little girl. That same day, Matt and I were laying in bed, and I started crying to him, just telling him how I just love her so much already, it was overwhelming. I also told him how it made me love him so much more too--for giving me the best gift that anyone could ever give me, and also from seeing him with Ashley. He is such a great dad already, so loving and caring. He never had experience with newborns, and he just picked right up on it. I just feel so happy and blessed to have such a great husband and such a good dad for my little girl. He has exceeded my hopes and expectations, as I wanted nothing more than to give my child a loving dad.

Here are some pictures from the past 3 weeks...

Welcome Ashley Grace Shohen

2011-01-11T14:04:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at 12:43 a.m.

6 pounds, 9 ounces and 20 1/2 inches

"I loved you the minute I heard your heartbeat. I loved you the minute you were born. Then I saw your face and fell in love some more. You were only a minute old but I knew I would die for you and to this day I still would. When you choose to have a child, you make a conscious decision to allow your heart to walk around outside of your body".

Sunday Jan 2, 2011

2011-01-02T18:51:00.000-08:00

Well, we are sitting here in the hospital, which means Ashley did not make her own entrance beforehand. We tried everything to safely get things started for her on her own so she wouldn't need to be medically induced, but she is apparently quite comfy in there and wanted to come out in her own time.

It was almost comical. One night we got spicy mexican food, had chocolate cake that a doctor recommended we try, drank raspberry tea, took a brisk walk, got a massage with the pressure points, and Matt even tried taking me on a car ride over speed bumps. Tried everything short of the nasty castor oil..No luck...although Matt sure was determined. Haha. So we can testify that the wives tales are just that.

Last night I couldn't fall asleep because the excitement, anticipation and nervousness was already kicking in. Today was the same--Matt and I both had overwhelming feelings--excitement, anticipation, fear, anxiousness, etc...Partially due to being excited to meet our daughter, partially to the fact that our lives are forever changing, and for me, partially due to the fear of labor/being induced...but I only broke down crying twice--haha. Although now that we are in the hospital and all settled down it's been exciting and fun/light hearted.

We picked up mom from the airport, stopped home, picked up dinner, and came to hospital. We skyped with Lisa and Bruce, or grandmom and grandpop, and talked to Ashley's aunts and uncles. Then we hung out and talked. It was fun.

Our nurse tonight was really fun and perky and had a good sense of humor, so that made things good. They started the cervadil medication about an hour ago...hopefully it will take effect and things will be ready to go by morning. I'm hoping we'll be able to sleep tonight!!! It's a big day tomorrow.

I can't believe tomorrow at this time we may have Ashley here with us. Crazy!

12-30-10, Latest Doctor Update

2010-12-30T03:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went to the doctors office--twice. First, I went in for the normal routine check. The doctor said that nothing had really changed since last week, so due to my gestational diabetes he wanted me to schedule to be induced on January 3rd so that the baby does not get too big. He wants me to come in Sun night, and start a cream that is supposed to soften my cervix and help initiate more dilation, then start the induction Monday morning.

As I am waiting in the hallway for them to set things up, I hear the nurse who took my blood kinda whispering to him about something regarding me, but I heard him say "no, the baby's heart rate was good, b/p good, movement is good, sugars are good, she's being induced in a few days, she's fine..." So I thought nothing of it.

About an hour after getting home, another nurse that had been there called me and asked me if I could come back in to do a stress test. I said sure, and asked if everything was ok, and she was like "oh yes, we just want to check everything out with the gestational diabetes". So of course I get nervous that something is wrong and head in soon after.

I went in for the stress test. My regular OBGYN, Dr. Alt is there which is reassuring to see her. I actually haven't seen her for most of my pregnancy since they have you on a rotation so you can meet the rest of the doctors who may be on call the day you deliver. She was there to read the results of the stress test, and said baby is looking beautiful, everything was great, and that I even had one somewhat big contraction during it...So that put my mind at ease.

My only guess is that when the nurse took my blood for the iron test, maybe she ran my sugar level which may have been higher than normal since I had just eaten a few mins before and didn't have the two hours post-testing or something. I dunno...I was just thankful that baby was doing great.

So...came home and updated everyone on the plan, including my doula that we hired to be there to help with delivery. She was saying that if my cervix is not soft, or "favorable" as they put it, then it will not be an easy induction. She said that she does not know of anyone who induces just for the sake of having gestational diabetes. If there are no signs of distress, and the baby is not measuring too big, it's better to let them come on their own. Having had the stress test, I know everything is great, and last week the baby was measuring at approx 7 lbs which isn't a huge baby, so I agree.

I have been saying from the start that I plan to go into this being very flexible, open minded, and open to just about anything--no expectations....But the ONE thing I really didn't want was to be induced, just because it can be very traumatic on the baby, forcing her out before she's ready; not to mention it's a harder, more intense labor for the mother. If there was a medical reason, I'd say absolutely do it, but there doesn't seem to be...

So, yesterday I gave a call over to my office and spoke to Dr. Alt's nurse. I asked her to speak directly to Dr. Alt...As I mentioned, with the rotation of doctors, she had been kind of "out of the loop" with the latest situation. I updated the nurse on things and the latest plan, and also brought up the points that the doula made. I asked her to talk to Dr Alt and see what she thinks. I really respect and value her opinion, as I have been working with her for 3 years and she's been excellent. She is also a mom and has been pregnant herself, so I know she will consider it from that perspective. I mentioned the idea of pushing back the induction date a few days to give her more time to come on her own. It was near the end of the day, so she or nurse will call back in morning (today) after they've discussed it.

After looking over my chart, if she felt it would be better to go with the plan of being induced on Monday, I would go ahead and do that...but if she feels it's fine to push back a little, I would go ahead and push it back a few days.

It is not that we are not excited to meet our baby by any means. Matt has been hysterical, asking every day if today is the day, and wanting her to come. I just want her to come on her own terms. If we do need to be induced, there are other more "natural" ways/wives tales of things that can supposedly soften/stimulate the cervix that I'd probably consider. You hear things like massage (pressure points), sex, walks/exercise, spicy foods, castor oil, etc...Again, I wouldn't put anything into my body (such as castor oil), but would be open to some of the other more natural attempts...but all in all, I don't want to play God. I will leave it up to him to determine how and when he wants her to come. He's been in charge and in control this whole time, why not give this to him too?

Anyway, I will keep you posted on the update after I hear from Dr. Alt...

Update: Dr. Alt suggested we stick to the original plan, and I spoke with the nurse for ten minutes and she went into a lot more detail and reasoning behind inducing. She also reassured me that if my cervix doesn't soften with the medication, they will not go ahead and force the induction.

So...we will wait and see if she comes on her own before then, if not we'll be meeting her in 4 days!!

P.s. Here is the sweet e-mail Matt sent me before the doctor appointment. I wanted to add this to Ashley's blog since all of the postings have been from my perspective--wanted her to read and hear her dad's feelings about her too...

Good morning Lisa,

I saw you were up again last night and I hope you were able to get adequate sleep. I just want to know that I will be thinking about you all morning with your MD appt today. I really pray that everything is going well. I sincerely can't wait to meet Ashley and have an opportunity to care for her. It has been so cool watching you go through these changes over the past 9 months and knowing that our baby girl is growing inside you. I just want to let you know that I am as excited as you are and just can't wait to be a dad.

Love,

Matt

12-26-10, 39 Weeks...any day now!

2010-12-26T16:45:00.000-08:00

12-23-10, Dr. Appt update

2010-12-23T12:06:00.000-08:00

Just the latest from the doctors visit...I went today and they said the baby has dropped, Ashley's head is down nice and low. I am about 1/2 cm dilated (that's 1/2 more than last week at least), and the doctor was guessing that she's about 7 lbs. Everything is looking good!

I have to say, all in all I feel great. Granted I have some sleepless nights--one night I sleep through the night, then the next I wake up to pee and am wide awake for hours, and it's on and off. But that is to be expected for being this far along...And now that she's dropped there's more pressure on my bladder, but I guess I expected the symptoms to be a lot worse from what people have told me. I still feel pretty human and good!

Yesterday was my last day of work before Christmas break and maternity leave, so now I can really be in baby gear! Matt and I are both getting very excited. Every day Matt keeps asking if today's the day, and keeps suggesting things to rush her out! Lol. The other night we were making guesses at when she'll be born, and whose features she'll have--i.e. eyes, nose, ears, legs, feet, etc. Can't wait to see!

I know that there is no perfect parent out there, and that no matter how good of parents people try to be, there's no way that we can possibly meet every need our child has all the time since we ourselves are human with human limitations, and our child's needs may be very different than what we needed as children. But all in all, I hope when Ashley looks back on her life she will know how much she was loved and wanted right from the very start. I hope this blog will help her to see that too!!

P.s...today the countdown says 10 days...Last day in the double digits! Wow!

Dr. Update

2010-12-16T09:47:00.000-08:00

The past few days I have been feeling some "pre-labor symptoms"--cramping on and off, lower pains in groin, and other typical symptoms. They say you can start feeling these symptoms up to a few weeks before giving birth. I went to the doctor today, and I thought for sure that when they checked I'd be somewhat dilated at least, but they said my cervix was still closed. We were kinda bummed to hear that. I don't know why, but I just have this gut feeling that she's going to come early, so I guess I was expecting to hear something. So, no news for now. Will keep you posted...