Back Pressure

On Sundays Meagan and I tend to dress Asher up so that he is looking dapper for church, as we've shown with a few pictures in the past.  Today he was looking good as usual, with a striped onesie shirt, some cute little overalls, and his little black shoes (the ones from grandma Anderson, as he's already grown out of the ones from grandma Dobbs).  Asher is sleeping peacefully through church in my arms, and then stirs awake.  Normally when he stirs awake he is wanting to eat, but today he was quiet and peaceful so he just hung out.  Suddenly I hear a bit of grunting, followed by the explosive, squirty fart sound of Asher filling his pants.  Other members of the congregation (within a 15 foot radius or so) look over, smile, chuckle, etc.  I'm laughing as quietly as possible, and my buddy Justin leans forward from behind and says "can you keep it down up there?".  I recover and continue listening to the sermon.  Asher is still peacefully hanging out, so we're good, but I can see a look in his eye that says he's not done.  (the slightly red, rimmed with water kind of look).  Sure enough a couple minues later, an even louder squirty fart erupts.  The same people are looking over and chuckling, I'm crying with silent laughter, but Asher is feelin good.  After another couple minutes he starts looking hungry too, so we figure it is time for Meagan to step out and take care of everything at once.  She takes him from me, and shows the huge wet spot up the middle of his back, where the poopiness had soaked through his DENIM overalls!  I later found out from Meagan that his onesie was just filled with poo.  So we finished church in a spare pair of pajamas, and Meagan is currently laundering the soiled clothes in the hopes that this particular onesie won't be stained after just one wear.  Alas, we have no pictures of his cute outfit today, but we exchanged it for a good story.  I'll take it.

#Eric

Sleep is fickle.

So last night Asher went 6 hours between feedings for the very first time!  Hooray!  It was such a blessing.  He ate at 9:00 then only woke me up once to eat at 3:00 and then slept until 7:00.  And that was after he pretty much slept all day yesterday!  I couldn't figure out what was going on with him yesterday!  I just could hardly keep him awake.  It really spoiled me.   I got so much done.  I had time for myself.  And I was worried that he wouldn't sleep well at night, which I didn't end up needing to worry about at all! 

It's a good thing though that he let me rest like he did last night, because today... he won't sleep at all.  It's 2:00 in the afternoon and I think he's maybe slept 45 minutes (three short little cat naps) combined.  He's fussy as all get out and I know he's exhausted but I can't get the poor little guy to wind down. He'll jabber and smile and then cry, and then stop and look all around like my happy little boy and then cry.  Not really excited to see what happens tonight.  Fickle, fickle sleep. 

Looks

When my parents were here, they brought various baby pictures of me because we were wanting to see if there was any resemblance between Asher and my baby self.  When my mom saw one of Asher's pictures, she went immediately to one from the pile.  I took the liberty of scanning it and placing it next to that picture of Asher.  What do you think?

As we keep saying, the lower half of his face seems to be mine.  The eyes (thank goodness) appear to stem a bit more from Meagan at this point.  Can't wait to see how  his features continue to change into the little boy he will become.

#Eric

My happy 7 week old boy!

We've actually had a fussier day today, so I'm going to keep this short and just provide you with the following sequence of photos that make these difficult days absolutely worth it!  Oh and the shirt was his xmas gift from daddy.  He bought it off one of his favorite websites ThinkGeek - for all things techgeek.  I actually enjoy quite a few things on the site myself, but anyway his shirt is a videogame term for a newbie.  We wore it today for dad, but it's still a little big.  Makes him a look a little bigger than he is, but he's not that small either.  7 weeks today - at least 13 lbs. :)

#Meagan

New Year

We've been into 2012 now for nearly a solid week, and still didn't get any mention of it into the blog.  We spent the first part of new year's eve at our friends the Pisney's house, and then came back home to relax into the new year. We watched the ball drop, took our little family picture, then zonked out.

And here's another family picture from New Year's Day morning before church.  Asher was looking quite dapper and we just couldn't resist.



Looking back on the last year, it's amazing to think of all that has changed in such a short amount of time.  Last March when we were two, free to do what we felt like, with little responsibility but for ourselves.  Then overnight you become parents.  They give you a baby and send you home.  Surely the biggest trial by fire I know.  But Asher sure is a blast, and I wouldn't have it any other way.  Some things that have changed in just my first six and a half weeks of parenting:

- I don't check if he's breathing as often.  (still do it, but not as often)
- I've added a specific tone of voice to my repertoire.  It's an odd one, but it makes him smile, so I'll keep it.
- I've learned how to change diapers.  Yep, Asher's was my first ever, and I only plan to change those of my children.  And maybe eventually my wife.
- I've become confident in holding/handling a baby (not as fragile as you might think)
- I don't mind getting various bodily fluids on my clothes.  Most of my shirts end up with small spitup stains on the shoulders.
- When I hear Meagan make a startled/concerned sound, it is now generally due to her getting peed and/or pooped on while changing Asher.
- I love and cherish him more each day
- I appreciate Meagan more each day for everything she does.  She's an amazing mother and is doing a fantastic job with Asher.  I am so thankful for her.

Finally, I had the joy and good timing of taking this picture of Meagan and Asher.  Bring on the cute!

New year's resolution: Start patronizing the Y instead of just donating, as we currently do.  Gotta lose my sympathy weight.

#Eric

6 weeks

Well Asher's six weeks today!  Sorry we missed the 5 week mark, but we were out of town at Grandma and Grandpa Anderson's and it just didn't get done. It was great to be with family again, even though over the last six weeks since Asher was born, Eric's been home 17 work days plus weekends, and we've spent 27 calendar days with one grandparent or another. What a blessing!  I've really not had all that much time with Asher by myself, without someone else's support.  At times it's easier than I expected, when he smiles, coos, sleeps, and is just his adorable self, which thankfully is the majority of the time.  But there are times, it's more difficult than expected too.  Most often when I just can't get enough sleep, or feel overwhelmed by the mess that continues to grow in every room of our house, or the rare times when he cries and cries without being able to asses the cause and it just about breaks my heart. When it gets overwhelming, I try to turn first to prayer, but I also wanted to share a poem that my mom shared with me that really just helps me step back and put some things in perspective.

Babies Don't Keep

by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,

Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,

Hang out the washing, make up the bed,

Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,

Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due

Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew

And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo

But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo

Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?

Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow

But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

This time of life is short and it is precious. And isn't he adorable? 

This one was just too cute to pass up.

#Meagan

Best Present Ever

Look what I got in my stocking!!!  :)

#Meagan