Correction...make that 8

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!

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

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!

On a deeper note

I wanted to switch gears and and blog about God. Right now I am doing a bible study called Ezer. It is for women, and it teaches us about our purpose and calling in life. It's been a great study so far. It talks about how our roles as women continually change throughout life--how life is fleeting, and nothing is permanent. Even our roles as wives and mothers change, and could even be gone in an instant. The purpose is to teach us that our identity is not in what we do, not defined by our roles, but by who we are on the inside and to God.

The study explores what we are called to do. One thing is nurturing. It does a great job at looking how nurturing can be corrupted (intentionally or unintentionally), and what the real goal of nurturing is and what it looks like.

Moving on up...

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

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

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

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!

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

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!

Last 8 month update

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.