A letter to my son on his 2nd birthday

My sweet, sweet boy Asher. Today you turned 2 years old! I can't for the life of me understand how it's even possible that 2 years have passed since the day we first got to see you. What an incredible journey this has been to share with you, my curly-haired boy. This year has brought so many memories, new adventures, and changes in you...

You started out age 1 as such a baby. To look back at pictures from your 1st birthday, I'm struck in noticing how small you still were; still a baby, with chubby cheeks and all. This year you learned how to walk, run, climb stairs, go down slides, talk, sing, feed yourself, among endless other milestones that were a joy to witness and experience with you. It always makes me smile, and oh so proud, to see you doing or learning something new. The excitement you express is a joy to watch.

We saw, this year, a passion for all things with wheels emerge within you. Not a train, truck, tractor, bus, ambulance, fire truck, plane, helicopter or motorbike goes by without you taking notice and commenting. You have somehow learned the model name of all your dinky cars, and not a day goes by where you don't play with them; Lincoln, Buick, Audi, Hot Rod, Firebird, Charger, and Dune Buggy. It amazes me that you remember this. I often have found you lying on the ground watching the wheels as you push your cars around.

Friendships emerged this year in an amazing way! You often talk about Noah, Marek, Maaike, Josiah, and Lauren, calling them "friends". You love to play along side these tots, often hugging and laughing with them. You have learned to say your sorry or give a hug, which is what you usually choose to do, when you've hurt someone. You know when someone is sad and feel sad with them. Your understanding of friends has even spread to you saying "Mama, Papa, Asher, friends". I'm glad you express love, my boy, and I hope you always have enthusiasm for those that you love!

More than ever I've come to know you as a timid and shy boy, who is slow to warm up, easy to get frustrated, and loves the familiar routine more than anything. I think you come by these traits honestly as I certainly see aspects of myself and your Papa in this description. Your thumb, and some one's sleeve, are always close by as a comfort to you, and Jams and your monkey are never far behind!

This year had it's share of challenges too; learning how to walk, teething, and endless ear infections were at the top of our worry list for a long time. In these moments we have come to rely on Jesus more than ever, and that has been such a good thing for our family to walk through together.

Speaking of Jesus, we're still reading that bible every night, but this year you got a new one. You know this as part of your familiar bedtime routine. For the longest time every time we sat down to eat you would say "Amen!" I hope Jesus is always the light of your life, my boy, and I pray that through these years together we would be able to help you to know and love Him.

I hope you always, always know, Asher, that you bring a joy to my heart, hope to my spirit and give that sparkle to my eyes. I am so proud of who you are and am so excited to see who you are becoming. I'm thankful for each and every day we have to live, learn, laugh and love together. No matter what journeys are ahead of us, I will love you always, and am proud to call you my son.

Love,

your Mama

A year in photos

Happy 2nd Birthday Asher!

Here's a picture for each month of Asher at 1-years old:

12-months

13-months

14-months


15-months

16-months

17-months

18-months

19-months

20-months

21-months

22-months

23-months

I can't wait to see what changes this year will bring, little boy!

A bonus on Wordless Wednesday!

Asher has been hearing this song a lot lately, so it's no wonder he sings it to himself as he's going to sleep. He'll be hearing a lot more of it very soon too because TODAY is Asher's LAST DAY as a 1-year old! I can hardly believe it! I'll have lots more to post about this in the next few days, in between birthday parties and all. How many parties does one boy need, I ask? Well my boy needs 2, I guess; one for his family and one for his friends. Should be lots of fun!

Wordless Wednesday - what happens when Asher is just too quiet edition

boy builders

Maybe it sounds kind of silly, but a part of me always wondered what sorts of activities Greg and Asher would bond over.


When I think of father - son relationships, as stereotypical as it is, my mind goes to sports for some reason.

Or cars. And that's just really not Greg.

Well, when I woke up from my much needed nap this weekend, I realized I need not worry about this question.

In addition to music, it seems Greg and Asher have a lot of things that they like to do together!

And it makes perfect sense when I think about the guys in my life;

building! They both love building!

Engineering - how things work - this makes perfect sense!

There's a lot of details involved in such work,

but of course half the fun is wrecking what you made anyways!

As long as you're having fun together, whatever you may be doing,

that's all that matters anyway!

PS - I also caught these boys wearing rubber boots and playing in the mud this weekend!

Lately I have been....

... wondering if I will ever really fully know who I am and what potential I am capable of - feeling amazed at the infinite potential in all of us


... thankful for the consistency of old, loving friends in the midst of changing social ties


... looking forward to a fun couples night out next weekend


... amazed at the new things Asher comes out with


... proud at the numerous people lately who have said to me that Asher is so "cute and smart" for his age


... wanting to stretch my cooking abilities and expand my menu selections - cooking class?


... lacking motivation to get Asher's new room ready. There's a lot to do in that current disaster zone


... talking about marriage and how it changes with the stress of raising a young family. So glad I'm not alone on this one

... wanting an office/work space in my home

... watching too much TV for my own good


... feeling baby boo kick and move and squirm around more and more


... trying to figure out a name for this little person


... visiting doctors offices


... wiping a lot of noses, including my own


... wearing t-shirts and rubber boots


... planning a certain two-year old's birthday party


... doing a lot of dishes


... thinking up some fun and relaxing family time for this summer


... thinking up some fun and relaxing ME time for this summer before my world changes again


... missing running - it's even hard to believe that I used to do that!


... taming my selfish desire to want more, and not always doing a good job at it


... needing some serious God time


... longing to get into a good book, but haven't made the time


... reminding myself to call my grandmother, but I never seem to remember when the time is right

Cruise day 7 - Princess Cays, Bahamas & our return home

Our final day of our cruise started with a special surprise for Greg!


Since part of our reason for going on the cruise was to celebrate Greg turning 30, the cruise line had balloons outside of our bedroom door for the day. It was a fun way to come back to our room throughout the day to see these.

Day 7 found us in Princess Cays, Bahamas, which is the cruise lines private beach on the Island of Eleuthera. It was a total beach day, and it rocked!


We also had a scheduled shore excursion - a glass bottom boat ride - which was great. We got to boat over coral reefs and observe the life within.

The pictures don't do it justice. The water was so crystal clear, and it was cool to see all the neat stuff living under there. The Bahamas have the clearest salt waters in the world! Amazing. We saw lots of neat fish, a sting ray and a sea turtle.

We swam in that beautiful water on the beach and hung out in our beach clam shell that we had rented for the day.

The beach was beautiful and I could have spent all day there!

That night we had to have our luggage out before we went to dinner as the cruise staff took care of getting it off the boat for us. We enjoyed dinner at the buffet and caught the evening "Farewell Variety Show" with some of our favorite entertainers from the week. We watched half of a movie under the stars - "Love Happens" - but it wasn't that great so we didn't finish it.

Pulling into port the next day was a highlight for Greg, and he was up before the sun taking pictures again.

Disembarking the boat was very well organized by the cruise and we had no troubles getting our transfer to the airport, or flying home. It was a long day though, as we only pulled into our driveway at 10PM that night, and had been up since about 6:00.

My overall impressions of the cruise:

- It was fun and there was LOTS to do! Never a dull moment on that boat, and we didn't even do 1/4 of the things you could have done.

- I really enjoyed the chance to visit several countries on one trip and not having to do any of the planning.

- The trip was maybe not as relaxing as I could have used, or expected it to be. We didn't have to get off the boat in every port, but we just wanted to. I would have liked another "down" day.

- I'm not sure I would choose anytime dining next time. Although it's a risk of getting put with people you don't connect with at the scheduled dining, we also would have liked the opportunity to get to know some people a bit better. With anytime dining, you dine with different folks (or by yourself) every night, so you meet lots of people, but you never really get to know anyone.

- I think I always had a bit of residual fear floating around being on a boat in the middle of the ocean. Maybe it's just the pregnant worry side of me coming out, but the "what ifs" were at the back of my mind.

- The food was really great, but I could have used more vegetarian options, especially at supper. A salad bar does not qualify as a vegetarian option.

- Breakfast was my favorite meal of the day, every day.

- I wished the pool areas weren't so busy, and that it hadn't been so difficult to secure a lounge chair to lay in the sun.

- I loved the chance to have fun and connect with Greg again. I felt like I actually saw him as a real person again, and not just my husband. I think in everyday life we can forget to actually "see" what's right in front of us. It was great to "see" Greg again, for who he is, and all his little quirks that are so him.

- I loved the break from the everyday routine. It was awesome to have no worries or responsibilities for a week.

- I missed Asher like crazy, but it got easier as the cruise went on. I was reminded of how important it is for me to take the time to do things for myself and my marriage. It's hard to do that with a young family, but I know it was good for all of us. I also especially noted a change in the relationship between Asher and his grandparents - they definitely seem closer now.

Our reunion with Asher was great. He was just coming down with a flu the day we picked him up, so he wasn't feeling the greatest. We arrived at my parents place bright and early, and the little bugger was still in bed! When he saw me he let out a whine and a little cry and then he just wanted to cuddle forever on my lap and suck his thumb. That was totally great by me!

When I first saw Asher after not seeing him for more than a week, I was struck by how different he looked. We had just had his hair cut before we went on the trip, so I think that threw me off because he didn't look like I remembered him looking. He also seemed SO MUCH bigger to me, especially taller and slimmer. I remember people saying over the last couple of months that Asher seemed to have gotten taller and looked more like a toddler, but I couldn't see it myself. I definitely got it when we returned. He doesn't look like a baby anymore at all! I was also struck by how tiny his voice seemed. He sounded different; his voice seemed so innocent and little. It was awesome to hear him laugh again. So while it was sad for our dream vacation to be over, it was so great to return home to life with Asher again. I'm so thankful for my family, and I was definitely reminded of that during this trip!

Wordless Wednesday - "making pancakes" edition

prenatal visit #3

Date: April 19 = 20.5 weeks pregnant

baby boo's heartbeat = 140 BPM

weight = 150.9 lbs (that's almost 6 pounds this month - ouch! I guess that 24 hour all you can eat buffet on the cruise is showing it's effects! I take solace in the fact that I've gained only 15 lbs so far and I'm already over half way there - that's not so bad)

blood pressure = perfect

- I now get to pee in a cup (aka pee on my hand) every prenatal visit.

- The results from my ultrasound: it's a boy! The placenta is perfect and is in a good location, and the baby looks healthy.

- Still have to repeat that Hep B blood work, and will do that this week. I had to wait until it had been 4 weeks since my last TwinRix vaccine, which it now has.

- Baby boo was moving around quite a bit as the doctor was trying to listen to his heart rate. I guess we have an active little boy in there!

- Asher has been saying, since we had the appointment, "hear baby". It's pretty cute!

- I inquired into what my chances of having this baby early were, since Asher came a week ahead of schedule, and it's just a guessing game. The Doctor said I probably won't be late, but history means nothing in predicting when this boy joins the world!

- The tiny bit of spotting that I had a few weeks ago is nothing at all to worry about - fewf!

Cruise Day 5 - 6 - Cozumel, Mexico and a Sea Day

Wednesday March 31 we spent the day in Cozumel, Mexico. Our ship actually docked in the port this day, so it was nice to not have to take the tender boats.


We had planned a full-day excursion to see the Mayan Ruins of Tulum and had to take a 45-minute boat ride to the mainland of Mexico - the Yucatan Peninsula - and then an hour long bus drive to get to the ruins. After that boat ride, I felt like I was on the verge of throwing up and passing out, so this is what I looked like for most of the bus ride.

Thankfully that feeling passed! We finally arrived to the Mayan Ruins of Tulum. It was CRAZY hot this day, and there was literally no shade during our 3-4 hours at the Ruins. Thankfully the Ruins were right on the edge of the ocean so the breeze felt great.

I can't tell you too much about the Ruins because our tour guide was a little difficult to understand and went off on a lot of tangents. What I can tell you is that the Ruins are really old, and really big, and really precisely built around the sun and moon. In fact one particular building is situated just so that on the Summer Solstice (the longest day of the year) the sun lines up in a certain way and lights up the building. Pretty cool stuff. It was really interesting to walk around this place that was so old, and had so much history; to think of how these people lived and built such magnificent temples is a wonder.

In addition to lots of old buildings, we saw a lot of these guys walking freely around.

We also ate lunch at an authentic Mexican Restaurant - so good! The salsa was amazing!

We made it back to our ship just in time to leave Cozumel.

That night we just ate supper at the buffet since there was a bunch of evening entertainment that we wanted to catch. Supper in the dining room is always 2 hours long with all those courses to eat, so we thought the buffet would be a better choice.

That night we saw a Hypnotist, Joshua Seth, perform. It was pretty cool, and hysterical. A guy sitting in the same row as us got hypnotized and his kids were sitting next to us; he was pretty funny! I was so close to convincing Greg to go for it since we knew no one on the boat. It was a no deal though. We also watched a "Movie Under the Stars" this night on the big screen theatre outside by the pool. It was pretty cool to sit on lounge chairs with warm blankets and fresh popcorn underneath the stars! We saw Blind Side with Sandra Bullock and it was a really good movie!

Our sea day on Thursday April 1 was such a nice break from the last 3 long and busy days at port. Greg routinely woke up in the middle of the night just to look outside and watch the water and the sky. He got some pretty cool pictures, too!

It was so black at night, being in the middle of the ocean. It made the moon and the stars that much more amazing to see.

We also saw lots of this:

Since I love being surrounded by the "bigness" of the ocean, it was a comforting sight and sound for me.

We spent some time in the pool, lounging in the sun (after waiting for a chair to free up), walking the boat (super cool wrap around deck), hanging on our patio, eating and reading on this day. It was a great break!

We also had an afternoon nap, and this is when I thought I was going to die. We were passing between Cuba and USA during the afternoon, and as Greg and I were both napping, we were woken to these huge booms and vibrations. It sounded like our ship had been hit with a missile and we were all going down. Greg, of course, had his bedside binoculars out in 10 seconds flat and discovered that there were 2 fighter jets practicing in the sky above us. The sounds and vibrations we were experiencing was the sound barrier being broken by the jets. It was crazy and I've never experienced anything like it. Greg was in heaven.

Thursday night was our second formal night, and we opted to take our own pictures instead of having to pay the $25 for the professional shots. Here we are on our balcony:

A little windy, but still warm. And here's me and that baby boy growing in my belly! I'm 18 weeks along here.

We had a super fancy supper and saw another Comedian, Troy Thirdgill, for entertainment this night; that was a great laugh. I really felt like Greg and I got to connect and enjoy each other's company on this day. I certainly could have used more sea days!

One more post about our trip to come on our day in the Bahamas and our reunion with Asher.