One Year Ago...

Excerpt from my blog one year ago today:

It's hard to believe this is the last day of the year. 2009 has been a good one, and I'm really looking forward to 2010. I have no idea what kinds of things I will be able to say this time next year, but I should have a little kid toddling around a year from now. I wonder what they will look and act like. I wonder if I'll be back in school yet. I wonder if I'll miss working, or will be fully enjoying Mommyhood and not thinking twice about a paycheck. I wonder what Casey will be doing at BP this time next year. I wonder if Charley will enjoy having a toddler around (and I would imagine so, since that will mean that more food ends up on the floor for him to eat!). Crazy to know that I'm right on the edge of a year full of change. I think I'm starting to actually be ready for it.

 I can now say that I do indeed have a little kid toddling around now, which is crazy. He looks and acts just like his Daddy in a lot of ways (but has my facial expressions, which is pretty entertaining at times!). I am not back in school yet, and while I think about going back, I am not quite ready yet. I don't miss working much at all. I do think about paychecks sometimes, but only occasionally. Casey and BP are still in a relationship, and I think it's still a good one, so no complaints there- even with the year the company has had. It hasn't been easy for him, even though he doesn't work directly with everything that happened in the Gulf. Work keeps him busy, and stressed, but he seems to be handling it well. I am very proud of him for how hard he works to make sure I can stay home with Keaton and that we are all taken care of... he really works his tail off, and always has.

So I read that paragraph from one year ago, and of course the biggest thing missing is Charley Brown. I don't know how many times I've written about how much he would love this time in Keaton's life, but I'm 110% sure of it. I still picture him sitting under Keaton's high chair, waiting for food to fall. They both would have loved that. I can see Charley standing by Keaton as he learns to walk. Maybe it's just Charley's spirit that's here with me, reminding me of what life would be like if Lymphoma had not come reared its ugly head. I don't mean to torture myself, I just imagine what could have been. But now I look on to 2011, and all of the questions and unknowns that it brings. I had a pretty good idea of how things would look now, but next year is a mystery. Keaton will be almost 2. We may or may not have a new dog. We may or may not be living in Plainfield. Who knows?

I do know that 2010 was the most incredible, emotional, life-changing year of my life, and I look forward to what's to come.

-Ash

Crawling, Teeth, and Christmas

Well, I really slacked this month. I hate doing "catch up" blogs, but the last week or so has been significant. I'll try to give you the highlights...

Keaton started crawling on Friday, December 17th, and has been inch-worming himself around ever since. He didn't get much practice while we were in Topeka, but he got a lot of practice walking with various family members. He prefers to stand now and gets ticked when we sit him down. If he has something to stand up against it's fine, but when he wants to stand up against me, it really wears me out! Probably because he loves to bounce when he stands, too... man. Fun things to come... I think.

He's on his 5th tooth now. It's super close to breaking through, and he's been really fussy today, so I wouldn't doubt that it'll break the skin by this evening. Five teeth since September. The kid's been busy!

Christmas was great, but it went way too fast. On our way to Topeka, right before the state line between IL and MO, we hit a coyote. It ran out in front of the car, and although Casey tried to avoid it, it hit my right front tire and ended up spinning around in the tire guard (which completely broke off the car), killing it. Thankfully it didn't kill our car and we were able to keep going, but it cost over $1300 to get fixed when we were in Topeka, and we had to borrow vehicles from our families to get around. Luckily we had nice weather- it was in the 30s and 40s all week, so we avoided the junk we had last Christmas. At least we didn't get the blizzard that the East coast got recently! We really lucked out.

Keaton THOROUGHLY enjoyed Christmas. He especially liked the gift tags and bows, and ripping off the wrapping paper. He has so many toys now, I think we should start adding a room to the house just for his stuff. He racked up, though... clothes, tons of toys, books... not bad at all for his first Christmas! We got to see the majority of both families, but of course we could have used a few more days to see everyone we wanted to. As usual, our schedule was pretty packed, and I tried to take naps whenever Keaton did so I could get through it all. I think that worked, for the most part. Casey was great and would take Keaton around 6 in the morning and allow me to sleep a little longer, especially when Keaton didn't sleep well at night. It happened a few times and I was always thankful for the extra sleep.

Casey and I had a great Christmas, too. He got me a wide-angle lens for my camera, which we put to good use during our time in T-town. We also got a waterproof digital camera that's small, and I look forward to using that at swimming lessons! Casey got some equipment for his computer which he wanted, and is now busy trying to upgrade our home computer (I donated some money to him, too, so he could get a few extra things he wants and because I had no idea what to get him this year... I don't really understand much of what he talks about when it comes to computers, but he's excited about it, and that's all that matters to me!)

Other highlights of the trip include: Seeing my Dad in White Christmas.. he did a terrific job!! He said he only had a few lines, but he really stole the show. I am really glad the held the show over so we were able to see him- it was definitely worth it. Great job, Pops!!

I also saw family members this year that I don't normally see, which was a nice change from the norm. We went to my cousin's house in Lawrence on Monday night, and Keaton was the center of attention. He loved playing with his older cousin Miles, and I have funny video of Keaton basically tackling Miles and cuddling with him. He loved flirting with Ashlynn and Christy, and enjoyed taking pictures of himself with Ashlynn's iPhone. On Wednesday I got to see my cousin Jessika and meet her 3 children! The oldest was still in the womb when I saw Jess last, at our wedding... now she's six! Time goes too fast. I really enjoyed spending time with the kids, and Keaton loved all the attention. He loved it so much, in fact, that he decided to start SCREAMING when he wasn't happy about something. As I predicted, that behavior has gone away now that we're home. I was getting a little worried- I'm not really sure how to handle that type of behavior right now! How do you discipline a 10 month old? Advice is welcome.

Hmmm...what else. I got to see my girls Sara and Lindsey, have lunch with Jeremy, and saw Kyle and his family as well! It was a nice, brief trip home, and it's hard to believe we've been back for 2.5 days already. Back to the snow... back to the grind. Although I'm tired, I wish we could have stayed home longer. Oh well, there's always next time.

That's all I have the energy to write about right now. Keaton's napping and I think I might, too. Again. :)

Hetrick Family Christmas, 2010

-Ash

Fussy Pants

I have been so MIA this week!! Hmmm... how to summarize... I always struggle with that.

Work went okay last Friday. It didn't end the greatest, but that's okay. I left pretty stressed about something I wasn't sure of that was left behind, but I haven't gotten any phone calls telling me I did it wrong, so... I assume everything is fine.

Saturday we went to Bass Pro Shop to get pictures with Santa. After walking around a bit (Keaton was napping) we realized that we had to get a ticket to get in the picture line. Long story short, we were at BPS for about 2.5 hours. Someone 'promised' us we would be in to get a pic with Mr. Claus by 11:30 a.m., but we didn't end up seeing him until around 12:15 p.m.. Here is the result:

Sunday... I'm drawing a blank.

Monday our Christmas cards arrived. And Keaton was a fussy guy most of the morning.

Tuesday... worked on Christmas cards, and dealt with a fussy guy again. He took a one hour nap in the morning, and a two hour nap in the afternoon! I was so surprised, I kept going back in his room to check and make sure he was okay. Of course he did NOT sleep well that night... he woke up at 11:30 p.m. and would not go back to sleep. We slept out on the couch until around 4:30 Wednesday morning when Casey got up for work. He offered to stay up with Keaton for a few hours to allow me to sleep, which was glorious. We went to Keaton's final swimming lesson that morning and got his certificate of completion! Yay! He also got to ride in a little canoe that the swimming instructor brought, which he really enjoyed. Hopefully we'll get in the same class next session so he can swim with Blaine and A.J. again... he really liked them a lot. He was better in the afternoon, from what I remember, but I kept in mind that even my swimming instructor noticed he was pulling on his ears a bit.

Thursday we went mall walking in the morning, then I drove around awhile to let Keaton nap. We ran some errands and got quite a few things done. I spent most of the afternoon working on Christmas cards. Again, Keaton was fussy for large chucks of the day.

That brings me to today. He woke up at 1, 3, and 5:30 this morning. He didn't go back to sleep until around 8:30, and then it wasn't for long, so I called the Pediatrician to make an appointment and see if his problem is just teething, or if he's got an ear infection. He's just been really moody lately, and I would rather know what's going on, especially before we go to Kansas this weekend! Hopefully it works out okay... I'll try to update later before another week passes without posting.

Some new things this week: Keaton can High 5. He's working hard at the Army crawl. He's sort of pulling up on things (something he hasn't done much of yet) and he's still rolling around everywhere. He can turn off a light switch now, has tried Saltine crackers and arrowroot cookies, and loves to grab a blanket (or the shower curtain) and play peek-a-boo. He can 'monster growl' on demand now. Hopefully I'm not forgetting anything else. I was just interrupted as he pushed himself forward on the carpet to get his binky... he's getting closer and closer to crawling!! We might hit the Crawling by Christmas deadline after all!!

-Ash

Separation Anxiety... the adult version.

No... not *that* kind of adult version.

Even though I 'quit' my job, I agreed to fill in tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. while the agents have their Holiday Party. I am already a ball of anxiety, mainly because I will not see Keaton all day long, and by the time I get home, he'll be ready for bed.

Part of me is sad, but Casey put it into perspective for me tonight: He sees Keaton even less than that on week days. I know he will be in good hands, and I'm not really even worried about that- I'm more worried that he will be super fussy (like he was the past 2 days!). He's so used to having me around- hopefully he doesn't have stranger anxiety... but he sees Kelley at least once a week, so I don't think he will. Still, I can't help but feel a little lost. I have a feeling I'll be busy enough at work that I will not have to think about it much- or at least I hope that will be the case so I can focus. I know the minute I start missing him, it'll be hard not to think about him and the day will drag on and on. See... this is the reason why I'm not at all ready to go back to work anytime soon.

In other news, Keaton attempted to crawl today. The last 2 days, he's been stretching out more when I lay something in front of him that is just out of his reach. He's getting SOOO close... I still think he'll have caught on by the time Christmas rolls around. He is hanging out with older kids the past 2 weeks, and I can see a difference in him- he really likes to watch them, and is a little more outgoing when we get home. Today he saw a toy he wanted to play with while he was standing, and attempted to walk toward it. He's still wobbly, but if we hold his hands, he puts one foot in front of the other pretty well now. He is starting to be better at standing by himself, too.

Another funny thing he has done the past few days is shake his head 'no'. The funniest part (that I have yet to get on video) is when he is babbling to himself, and then shakes his head and sometimes lets out a little sigh! It is too funny... I love listening to the little conversations he has with himself. I will try to get it on camera- the problem is, he's distracted every time I turn the camera on, so I have to be sly about it. What a funny little guy we have. :-D

Anyway, I'm going to attempt to calm down now and get some sleep soon. While I will miss him tomorrow, I'm sure he will be okay, and it will be good for me to get out for a day. I think it'll probably be good for him, too.

-Ash

Snow and Santa

Chicagoland received 3-6 inches of snow overnight last night. We were supposed to drive down to Urbana-Champaign to see friends today and watch the USC game, but Mother Nature decided to curb our plans. Instead, our friends Tim and Kelley, who live on the street behind ours, invited us over for dinner. We had time to kill until dinner at 4, so we decided to take Keaton outside to experience snow for the first time. I'm not sure how he felt about it... he did well while we were holding him, but bawled when we sat him down by himself. He also tasted it, and was NOT happy with the result.

After playing outside, Keaton was super sleepy and took a 1.5 hour nap... the second long nap he took today. (He's either feeling better teething-wise, or going through another growth spurt! If the longer naps could be more of a habit, though, that would be WONDERFUL!) Meanwhile, Casey and I decided to try our hand at making french fries (which was fun, and they turned out well!). We ate lunch, and then Keaton woke up and we played inside and watched the USC game until it was time to go to Tim & Kelley's for dinner. Keaton got to play with his friend Nolan, and another boy named Nicholas, so by the time dinner was over (and the game, which was not so great), Keaton was exhausted. We brought him home, and he barely made it through 'dinner' before passing out. In all, it was a pretty fun day, considering we were basically stuck at home.

I should also mention that Keaton got to meet Santa for the first time yesterday! I started mall-walking with some other Moms on Thursday, and we found out that Friday there would be free breakfast with Santa. He did great, and didn't cry! He stared more at Mrs. Claus, though, who had a shimmery dress on that was a bit more interesting for him. I think we'll probably take him once more so Casey can go with us and we can get more pictures. Here's one from the mall:

I guess that's all for now! So far it's been a nice first half of the weekend. And it's stopped snowing. Woo hoo!

-Ash

Say what??

An awkward thing happened to us last night at dinner. We sat Keaton in a high chair, and a man and woman sitting across from us started waving and smiling at him. They told us how their 6 year old looked 'exactly' like Keaton when he was his age, and then showed us a picture. (I couldn't really see it, but smiled anyway.) Then the man started having a conversation with someone on his phone, saying, "There is a little boy here, probably a year to 18 months old, who looks just like..." Wait, what? My kid, 12-18 months old?? I corrected him, and then he proceeded to tell me how "huge" Keaton was for his age. Ugh... sometimes I really dislike people. I shouldn't care too much, but it's awkward and I really don't know what to say. I find myself justifying his size, and feel bad about doing so. He's in the 60th percentile. He's not 'huge'. He may wear 12 month clothes and be half my size, but he's not a giant. (Remember, I'm the size of a 4th grader!)

Anyway, enough of that. We went to IKEA last night, in search of a couch to replace the old, ugly, huge one that is currently residing in our living room. We found one that we like, but realized that even with the Cyber Monday sale, we would not save much money on it. We're going to wait it out and see if it goes on sale in the following weeks/months. After IKEA, and the awkward incident at dinner, we headed to Bed Bath & Beyond, a store I haven't been to in over a year. I forgot how much I enjoy it there. We found some really cute stocking hangers... now I just have to search for stockings for the 3 of us. I haven't found any I like, so I think Keaton and I are going to run to Hobby Lobby this afternoon and get some plain ones and some fabric paint so I can put our names on them. The only ones we have right now are 3 stockings for Charley Brown (which made me tear up when I found them) and one for "Peanut" that Grandma Harding made for him last year. We are trying to decide what traditions we are going to start this year. Next year we may do Christmas at our house, and then drive back to Topeka afterward. I guess we'll decide in time.

Another upcoming event is Keaton's first birthday. It sounds like both sides of the family want to come up for it, so we are going to start thinking of ideas... we may have one party for friends and another for family. Either way, Keaton will get his own cake and I plan to take a ton of pictures!!

Mr. K is fighting sleep again... (sigh). I'm trying to stay strong, I just liked it when we could put him down when he was sleepy and he'd go to sleep on his own... it was a good month. Now we're back to square one. I hate Cry It Out!! I hope this stage is over soon!

That's all for now. I need to hop in the shower whenever he finally decides to take a nap. More later!

-Ash

That's gonna leave a mark...

Much like Humpty Dumpty, Mr. K had a great fall yesterday. Into the Christmas tree. He now has a Harry Potter-esque scratch on his forehead, which looks much better today, thank goodness. He is so curious these days, and is rather fearless... he has started diving for things he wants and doesn't seem to worry about the consequence. Soooo... of course, right before pictures with Santa, we have a battle wound. I'm just glad it wasn't horrible because it could have been a LOT worse. At least it didn't scratch his eyes, or anything. Hopefully it heals quickly!

In other news, we have officially decorated the house for Christmas. It's the most decorating we've ever done. Now I'm kind of in decorating mode and feel like I need to put up pictures and make the house look better. I blame the cold, crappy weather for making me a bit restless in the house. I hope the snow and ice stay away so Keaton and I can go out and do things instead of being stuck in the house for long periods of time! I think I need to move back to the South.

I guess that's about all for now. I'm trying to get Keaton to nap (he's been awake since 6:30 so we're going on 4 hours now...) and am trying to have energy myself. The house is a mess from unpacking our Christmas stuff yesterday so I have a lot to do to make it look decent again!

-Ash

Thankful

Yesterday was Keaton's first Thanksgiving. I think he enjoyed it- I know he enjoyed having the Hetricks here. He ate turkey and rice, green beans, and tried mac and cheese for the first time (and loved it!). He has been pretty vocal, and has not slept well at all (I blame teething, as usual, but it's been kind of rough the last few days and we think it is probably from over stimulation). The rest of the family watched him on Wednesday night while Casey and I went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Pt. 1). Good movie by the way. When we came home, we found out that Keaton woke up at 8:45 screaming, and would not go back to sleep. Everyone tried to help calm him down, but it took about 45 minutes to really settle him down and get him back to sleep. Ugh... I feel bad (not that I could have done anything to make it different) but it's the first time he's woken up like that in months, and of course it would be when we aren't home to calm him down. I'm kind of worn out right now, mainly because we have tried feeding him with a bottle, sippy cup, etc., and he won't take anything but the breast right now. I feel like I need to be around all the time and am nervous about having anyone babysit until this phase is over. Hopefully that will be by December 3rd when we go to Casey's office Christmas party.

Enough complaining from me! The title of this entry is THANKFUL, and I'm not expressing that very well right now. I am thankful for my amazing family and friends. I have a ton to be thankful for, especially this year. A loving, hard-working husband. Beautiful, intelligent baby boy. Wonderful, supportive parents, in-laws, and friends. Cars that work, a roof over my head, and clothes on my back. And so much more. I am very thankful for all the people in my life that make it as blessed as it is. When times are tough, or things aren't going quite the way I would like them to go, I can step back and think about what I have, and be happy.

The Hetricks are going home this afternoon, and of course, their time here has gone really fast. We got some shopping done on Wednesday, tons of cooking (and eating) and game playing done yesterday, and more shopping today. (I stayed home with Keaton so he could take a decent nap.) It has been a good visit, and I'm looking forward to our trip home in December. Hopefully those of you reading this had a great Thanksgiving as well. :) Less than a month until Christmas!! (That is insane.)

-Ash

PS: Another random note- Keaton tried pancakes this morning (without syrup, of course) and really liked them. He is starting to eat different types of food now and not gagging quite as often, so that's a great sign! Woo hoo!!

Love this kid

I've written quite a few short entries lately, but now for the good stuff... pictures of Keaton. Enjoy!

This face brings me joy every time I see it!!

Love his eyes in this one... and you can see his little bottom teeth!

It looks like he's saying, "Mommy, please stop taking pictures..."

FOUR

It's official- Keaton has four teeth! I was tickling him this morning and took a peek on top while he was laughing (because he won't let me feel around in there with my fingers right now) and to my surprise, there was another pearly white on the upper left. For all I know, it could have come in yesterday- he was drooling a ton and had things in his mouth constantly. Wow.

That's really about all for today (so far)... we had breakfast and Casey's raking the yard. Soon I have to get my butt in gear and start cleaning to get ready for Thanksgiving and the arrival of the Hetrick family. I've got a lot to do! PS: Keaton tried scrambled eggs for the first time this morning. So far the jury's out on what he really thought about them, but he did put them in his mouth and chew a little. Then gagged. (As usual.) We'll try again later.

-Ash

Toe-riffic

Well, I broke another toe. At least, I'm pretty sure I did. And it was pure and simple clumsiness. I now have one toe on each foot that is colorful and a little less straight. Awesome.

In other news, Keaton is super close to crawling now. He is rolling all over the place- over toys, laptops- anything that could get in his way. I wouldn't be shocked if he were crawling by Thanksgiving at this rate! Let the baby-proofing begin!

I had a nice day today with my boys. We went to Schaumburg to visit our friends Melanie & Eddie that had a baby girl named Amber four weeks ago. Keaton did well and smiled at her when he saw her sleeping in her crib, which was super cute. He also really enjoyed the company of Vivian, our friend Dongxia's little girl. He loved watching her hop and skip around Mel & Eddie's apartment. Whenever she was near him, he couldn't take his eyes off her. He loves watching older kids... especially girls. :)

I guess that's all for now- Case and I are watching Dexter. I'll try to update again soon!

-Ash

No means... ?

I'm currently listening to my 9 month old cuss me out via the baby monitor. He got woken up by my neighbor after only about 10 minutes of sleep, and now he won't nap at all... it's been almost 4 hours now. So I put him in his crib, hoping he'll do it on his own. He's not crying, just sort of yelling syllables at me. Funny to listen to, as long as it doesn't turn into a meltdown.

This morning we met up with our friends from Cradle Talk at Barnes & Noble for Storytime. It was fun to have the four boys together again, and I think we need to do it again soon because we had a ton to talk about and didn't listen so well today. Oops. We didn't get kicked out or anything, which is good.

So this afternoon I had an interesting phone call from work. They asked if I wanted to work one day next month. This is strange because I thought I had told them that I was finished... so I'm not sure what to do. I also don't know who would watch Keaton from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. that day. And if I say yes, does that mean they'll think I can do it again? I hesitate because I would like for no to mean no. But I'm a pushover, and I'm not sure how to say no to people (a second time). I was proud when I did it the first time, so I'm sure I could do it again... I just wish I didn't have to. Ugh.

I guess that's all for today. Keaton's still chattering (although the 'cussing' has switched over to giggling and excitedly sucking in air, which is equally hilarious)... hopefully he'll decide to nap soon. I am tempted to as well. :)

-Ash

Charley Moments

I absolutely hate writing sad blog entries. If I could, I would never write one. But over the past 29 years, I have found that writing is by far my best therapy. So although it hurts, I've gotta write about Charley Brown.

Today I was doing laundry in the basement and stumbled across a few old pictures. The one that got to me was the very first picture I took of Casey and Charley Brown, the day we brought him home. Punch to the gut numero uno. Then I saw his costume from Halloween last year... punch #2. It made me think of our Christmas stuff this year, and Charley's stocking. I guess these are just things that will come up over the course of the year, but sometimes I feel like everything hits me at once. I am not sure what I would do if he were here now- I know it would probably be crazy with a baby who will be mobile VERY soon... but I can't help but think about how much fun they would have had together. I am so glad Keaton likes animals as much as he does- we are thinking about getting another one sometime in the not too distant future. No one will ever replace Chuck, though.

So I guess that's really it for today. I have done pretty well with the Charley subject for the most part, but it still hits me every now and then when I find his things around the house. Glad I have a place to go to let it out.

-Ash

29 (for the first time)

My 29th birthday was yesterday. The first one, at least. My boys took me out to Joe's Crab Shack for lunch in Schaumburg, where I proceeded to eat the largest amount of crab I have ever consumed in my entire life. We're talking three huge clusters- every last bite. It was kind of ridiculous. And 100% delicious.

We then went to the Woodfield Mall and walked around for a few hours while I attempted to find something for my birthday. I guess indecisiveness does not get better with age, because I couldn't find anything and left empty handed. I had fun hanging out with my boys, though, so it was an enjoyable afternoon. We stopped by The Cheesecake Factory before heading back home, and grabbed a few slices for the road. I am enjoying the second half of my Caramel Pecan Turtle Cheesecake as I type this. YUM. So I guess I can say I ate well and had very good company for my birthday. Not bad for the big 2-9.

Casey took Mr. K with him in to work* this afternoon so I could have some alone time, which I haven't done in forever. *(He is having problems connecting to his work server from home and went all the way there, only to find out that he has to go back in later because there is a problem with the connection that can't be solved today and he has to get things done for a meeting tomorrow. Suck!) I drove to Target to try and find something for my birthday, and walked all around the place for almost an hour before giving up and coming home. Now I'm waiting on the boys to get back. I hate that now that I have some money in my pocket, it is burning a hole there and I'm anxious to spend it. Hopefully that will subside soon.

It's also amazing to me how lost I feel when Keaton's not with me! I think that actually means that I need to do this a little more often so it's not as strange. It is good for him to spend time with his Daddy and good for me to do my own thing once in awhile. I'm thankful that Casey thought to take Keaton along so I could feel refreshed mentally. :)

I guess that's about it for now. Not sure what else is in store for the day, but I know tomorrow Keaton and I have the fun task of taking in my car for maintenance- hopefully it won't take a long time and he'll be a happy camper.

-Ash

3 Quick Things

A few things... sorry for the short post, but I've got a lot going on!!

1) Mom just spent 6 days here. They went way too fast. Keaton and I already miss her! Our fridge is stocked with food, Keaton is enjoying his new toys and wardrobe, and I spent some quality time relaxing with Mom and enjoying her company.
2) Casey's on his way back from Salt Lake City right now. He should be home in the next hour!! Woo hoo!
3) Keaton got his 3rd tooth today! It's also his 9 month 'birthday'... and he attempted to pull himself up today- using my shirt. Thankfully we were not in public. He started waving this past week, too. I'm sure I'm forgetting other things but I will hopefully remember them in the next post.

I know there are plenty of things I should write, but for now I'm going to pick up the house a tiny bit so it looks decent for Casey when he gets home. And finally, tomorrow I turn 29... for the first time. ;-D Looking forward to spending it with my boys!

-Ash

What I Like About You

If you click on the picture, you might catch a glimpse of the little teeth again!

Mr. K continues to amaze me... here are a few of my faves:

1) He has started patting me when I feed or burp him.
2) He sings now. It's hilarious. Okay, not so hilarious when we're out in public and trying to listen to other things (i.e. Storytime, my counselor, etc), but pretty great at home or in the car.
3) He likes to cuddle, especially when he's tired... he gives little hugs and sometimes open mouth kisses. He also cuddles with his stuffed animals- especially Ernie!
4) The belly laughs are the absolute BEST. He has such a cute laugh, and I think Case and I do anything and everything just to hear it.
5) He smiles when we go get him out of the crib. This is especially nice after he's had a good nap. Sometimes it's even highlighted by a big, excited squeal!
6) He thinks it's funny when I wear a hat, and likes to pull it off my head. This should make the winter months entertaining...
7) He rolls and rolls and rolls now, and when he gets to a place where he wants to be, he gets a HUGE smile on his face. Especially if I notice he's done it and acknowledge him. Too funny.
8) He peeks around things now.It's especially cute in the high chair when he peeks to see the toy he dropped.

There are probably a bunch more, but those are the main ones of late that are noteworthy. Such a fun kid. :-D

-Ash

Refusing the bottle...?

[Hey, fair warning- this first paragraph is about breastfeeding. Please skip to the second if you aren't interested.]

When Keaton was first born, he would not latch. He would either scream because he was hungry, or fall asleep as soon as he latched, but it took awhile for him to get the hang of it. Now, though, we have the opposite problem- he won't take a bottle! I thought at first that the milk from the freezer was old or something, because he wouldn't take it. But yesterday I pumped right before we left for an appointment, and he refused the bottle completely. I wonder if his teeth are bothering him? I never know for sure. But I do know that with his top tooth coming in, nursing is getting more painful every day, and I need to find a way to get him to drink out of a bottle or sippy cup. Any helpful hints? I'm at a loss right now.

He also slept a lot yesterday and I am a little surprised that he has not gotten up for his normal feeding yet. I am wide awake. I wouldn't mind if he skips a feeding during the middle of the night, but my body has gotten used to it now so this morning I was tossing and turning for over 30 minutes before I decided to get up and write. I can always nap later.

I guess that's about it, just a little unsure of how to go about the whole bottle thing. Suggestions are appreciated!

-Ash

November Milestones

In 8 days, Keaton will be nine months old. In 9 days, I will be 29. Oh, November... so much in store.

So far this month, Keaton has learned to say "Dada" (November 1st) and is working on his 3rd tooth. We ended up taking him to the Pediatrician yesterday because the night before, he was pulling on his right ear. I was sure he was getting an ear infection. I'm happy to say I was wrong- she said his upper right front tooth was about to pop through at any time. He should have his two front teeth by Christmas... which means we have to ask for something else this year. ;)

He just took an amazing 2 hour nap, which doesn't count the hour nap he had earlier in the day. Sleeping is starting to get better around here... although I hesitate writing that because I know it could relapse at any time. They say that any time babies reach a new milestone, usually their sleep is affected. He is on the verge of crawling now, and who knows what else. Every day he does something new. This week (and pretty much since we went to South Carolina) he's been talking. I think if he's "behind" his other friends on the movement front, he's definitely going to be an early talker. But I was, too, and I haven't stopped. Maybe Keaton will have a blog of his own one of these days! ;)

Our doorbell on Halloween.

I can say now that he is 'sleep trained'. Sometimes I wonder if they are really training the parents instead of the kids when they talk about sleep training, because it took a lot of will power for me to put him down in his crib to take a nap. Now I can put him in when he's wide awake, and 9 times out of 10 he will fall asleep on his own. He's been sleeping longer at night most nights this week, too. Last night he slept from 7-7, only waking up once to eat. I hope we're on to something here!

I just got one of his big toys out so he could play, and a spider crawled across it... I screamed, and he thought it was funny. Then he imitated me! He's done that a bit lately, too. A girl squealed on a commercial, and he squealed back. One of the kids in our neighborhood made a loud 'Woooo' noise and he did it back. It's so fun to watch (and listen to) him learn!

So I'm sure I'm forgetting other things he's doing right now, but those are the main ones I could think of and I wanted to write them down before I forget anything. I may have to print this blog out into a book instead of keeping track of his baby book- I think I've done much better at writing things on here than I have in either of the books we have at home. I made the Japan blog into a book, so I may as well do the same with this one some day.

That's about all from me- I'm going to go play with the dude.

-Ash

And then there was one...

Somewhere on this planet, along with all our missing socks, lies a large pile of Soothies pacifiers (commonly referred to as "Bink" in our household).

It is ridiculous how many of these we've purchased in the last 8 months. The things are huge, so you'd think they'd be easy to find. Wrong. They bounce and roll for yards at a time. Once during our Mother/Baby class, Keat's Bink fell out and rolled all the way across the classroom. Someone 20 feet away from me said, "Did someone lose a pacifier?" and I raised my hand in awe.

It wouldn't be so terrible that we are unable to find what has to now be a double digit number of them if my son were not addicted to them. He learned to put Bink in by himself at 5.5 months. If I hide one in his toys, he seeks it out like a bloodhound on the trail of an escapee. If he could crawl, I might send him loose to track down the fallen brethren that have got to be somewhere in this house. Alas, I can now account for ONE Bink, which is currently in my son's mouth as I type this.

If I were smart, I would have either 1) bought stock in the company that makes these things, or 2) taken them away before Keaton's addiction started and before he found comfort in them while teething. Now I panic in the wee hours of the morning when he wakes up to eat and I can't find one. Just this morning I was crouched on the floor of the nursery, yardstick in hand, fishing the one that fell underneath the crib during the night.

My hope is that one day he magically wakes up and no longer cares for them anymore. Until then, I hope we stumble upon their hiding places so this mid-morning 'panic' can subside.

-Ash

Halloween 2010

Today was Halloween, and by most standards, it was a pretty normal day. I took Keaton shopping and we got a few things we needed (and plenty we didn't) while Case was at home working. We took Ernie (Keaton's stuffed Owl) to Build-A-Bear to get a costume. Yes, that is as strange as it probably sounds- I just thought it would be funny if Keaton was dressed as an owl, and Ernie was dressed as a... whatever. And Uncle Billy & Uncle Clay (my friends from Columbia) gave Keaton a gift card to the store, so what the hey. Ernie made a very cute Doctor (as did my hubby when he dressed up last weekend for the event at the Lincoln Park Zoo). :)

Anyway, the weird part happened when Keaton and I were driving around... his toy frog that sings songs suddenly started singing in a different voice (lower than normal) and started stuttering- pretty sure the batteries were out of whack... but it freaked me out a little. Then it kept singing the same parts of a song over and over and then would start over again. It was just strange, and it reminded me of this stuffed dog I used to have as a kid. It started singing once and wouldn't stop- I thought it was possessed. I think I ran to my parents and started crying. I think I watched too much Child's Play as a kid and thought dolls or stuffed animals could come to life. Not...that...I think that...now... or anything....

Another strange thing happened tonight after Keaton had gone Trick or Treating (we went to 2 houses, really, and then hung out at my friend Kelley's house for about 30 minutes before coming back home to greet kids). A group of kids came to the door, and one of the boys said, "I feel bad for Charley Brown. I miss him. It's too bad he had to DIE." What do you say to that? The way he said 'die' was also a little unnerving. Anyway, Casey and I were both like, "Yeah, it is too bad." Not much more to say after that. I remembered Chuck in his Pumpkin costume last year, greeting all the kids at the door. Ugh... I miss Charley Brown too, kid.

Anyway, I think Keaton had a good time seeing the neighborhood kids dressed up, and he seemed to like being outside. When we were at Tim and Kelley's he started flapping his 'wings' and looked like he was trying to fly... it was too funny. Here's a picture of that...

The kid passed out around 6:30 tonight, and although he woke up once briefly, he's been sleeping ever since. He skipped his afternoon nap today, so I hope this means he'll sleep through the night. He finally did last night, and didn't wake up until 4:30 this morning to eat. He went back to sleep until about 8:30 this morning. He's doing better for the most part... we'll see how tonight pans out.

In all, a pretty good weekend. I can't believe it's almost November. I can't believe I'm almost 29. And on that note... it's time for bed. :)

-Ash

Mo-Ti-Va-Tion

Today was such a great day with my boys. It actually was so good, I remembered longing for it when I was at work so many months ago... I feel like I've finally filled that void I'd had for awhile.

I'm not sure why I've felt a little empty. I think it helped that today Casey was not stressed about work stuff- he just got back from a 2 day trip to Tulsa (his second in as many weeks) and because of that he took a Saturday off. I was also strangely motivated to get housework done today- something that rarely ever happens- so we were both on the same page and got the house cleaned, vacuumed, mopped, etc, within a few hours. We had time to spend quality time with Keaton, paint our pumpkins, and rake the yard (Case did that... I will not take credit) all before dinner.

It helps also that Casey noticed that I've worked harder to get things done over the past week. Things I normally put off- laundry, dishes, normal housework- I actually did more of this week. I cooked meals, too. I'm thankful for whatever motivational bug bit me this week, though, because it's made life a lot less stressful and a lot more enjoyable this weekend. *Note to self... reread this entry someday soon when motivation levels are low again.

Keaton didn't sleep so great last night (again) but after he woke up around 5:15 this morning to eat, I put him back in his crib and he talked himself to sleep. It was funny to listen to him jabber to himself. Of course I didn't sleep during that part, but it was nice that he wasn't crying for once. He took a small nap before noon, and then another nice, long nap this afternoon around 3. The best part was, all 3 times, I laid him down while he was wide awake, which was a goal of mine lately so he could learn to sooth himself to sleep. (In retrospect, I would have done this loooong ago. There's that hindsight again.) It has worked fairly well, and with the exception of a few days this week when he has almost totally skipped his morning nap (and was fussy as heck because of it), he's done much better. I can only hope he starts sleeping through the night again. I don't mind waking up with him once to feed him, but he's been really inconsistent about that since we returned from our trips to Kansas and South Carolina (meaning he'll wake up 2 or 3 times during the night), and sometimes will not go back to sleep afterward.

I'm looking forward to his first Halloween tomorrow!! I'll take a ton of pictures, of course. So far it's a great start to the weekend. :-D

-Ash

Blah blah blahg.

Keaton's asleep an hour before his normal bedtime, which is always a little unnerving to me. Will he wake up in an hour and not want to go back to sleep? I guess we'll find out. Hopefully he'll sleep well tonight- it's been pretty hit or miss lately. If I were tired, I'd go to bed now too. Instead, I blog.

Cleaning up the floor tonight after feeding Keaton dinner, I couldn't help but think of Charley, and how I wouldn't have much cleaning to do if he were here. I sure do miss that guy. I saw his costume from last year down in the basement last week. I remember how excited he was sitting by the front door on Halloween and watching the little kids come by. Ugh... everything is so bittersweet right now. I miss the guy so much and I have great memories of him, and can't help but feel like we got robbed a bit by his passing. But who doesn't feel that way when they lose a loved one? All I can do now is try to remember all the good times. There were a ton in his 6 years with us.

Well, my kid has decided to wake up now, so I may have to cut this short. I hate being pessimistic when he goes to bed early, but since he rarely stays asleep whenever that happens, I sort of expect him to wake up at some point. I wish he liked sleeping as much as I do!

Case gets home tomorrow! Woo hoooo!!!
-Ash

So [NOT] smooth.

I am not a person you would call 'smooth'. In fact, I'm pretty clumsy. I would probably be entertaining to watch doing normal activities. Yesterday, for example, we had this crazy wind storm which I would ideally not be out in, but we needed groceries. After about an hour of shopping, we trekked outside and braved the intense winds. Between getting Keaton out of the shopping cart, catching the shopping cart as it tried to blow away, getting the huge back door slammed on me while trying to put bags into the car, and attempting to open the car door to leave and having to use my entire body weight to do so, I'm sure someone could have gotten a kick out of it. The wind was ridiculous, but I felt about the same when I got into the car. (So that's where the bruise on my leg came from... it all makes sense now...)

When I got home, I pulled into the driveway and quickly shut the garage door behind me so the wind would not be a factor. Keaton was asleep in the car seat (and really needed the nap, as he was getting a little fussy near the end of our shopping trip) so I took him inside and put him in his crib. I then realized that I could not easily open the back car door to get the groceries out without opening the garage door, which could potentially wake him. I decided to wing it and opened the back door as far as it would go (not far) and took the bags out one by one. One of the bags had a little hole in it, which ripped open and most of its contents fell on the floor. (Sigh). Sometimes when things like this happen to me, I am reminded of incidents- normally in movies or on TV- that are similar. This one took me back to Home Alone where Kevin is walking down the street carrying all of his groceries, proud at what he had accomplished, and the bottoms drop out and groceries go everywhere. The look on his face is exactly how I felt. Sometimes I just hope God is watching and is entertained by my clumsiness. :)

I remember trying to explain what "clumsy" was to one of the foreign students once, and he asked me if it is an illness. I laughed, but sometimes it feels like it might be. When I've got it, I've got it BAD. Sometimes my timing just works out and I do things smoothly- but that is very rare. So rare, I can't even think of an example right now. But more often than not, I am the Queen of Clumsy. (Flash back to me tossing a pop can to Casey, who was down the hallway in his old apartment in Manhattan, and I threw it into the wall, where it then ricocheted into the adjacent wall. He still makes fun of me for that. And I don't think anyone was ballsy enough to try and open the can.) Does anyone remember the entry where I broke my toe on the bouncy seat? That's what I'm talkin' about.

I hope Keaton doesn't get 'blessed' with the clumsy gene. And while I could, I will not give examples of Casey's clumsiness on here, it just wouldn't be right. But if we're lucky, it'll skip Keaton altogether and he won't have trips to the ER or stories of embarrassment like his parents do.

That is all.

Spoiler Alert

We recently started watching Dexter and are finally on Season 3 out of 5. *No worries, I won't unveil anything here, for those of you who haven't seen it yet.* So far, I LOVE IT. It is nice to watch them all on DVD because you don't have to worry about commercials or cliffhangers. It is not nice, however, to be 2 seasons behind and find out plot twists while innocently watching Access Hollywood. Curse you, Billy Bush! He was interviewing someone about a show they are on and then he said, "Wow, I can't believe _____ happened to your character on Dexter, and _____ did it!" Ahhhhhhh!!! Not cool. I was so mad, I yelled at the TV and startled Keaton.

In happier news, Keaton started swimming lessons today. He did great, and seems to like the water just like I used to. He won't actually learn strokes or anything, of course, it just gets him used to the water. We sing songs and play games, and it allows the Moms to get a little workout. I may not be overweight, but I sure am out of shape! I think my legs may be jello-y tomorrow. :)

Case is on his way to Tulsa again tonight. He went last week, too, for work. At the beginning of November, he'll be in Salt Lake City for the AIChE conference. Hopefully it'll be the last big trip he has to take for awhile... I hate when he's gone! Hopefully Tiny Man will sleep well for me tonight. We are currently hanging out on the couch- he's getting sleepy so maybe he won't fight it tonight.

Halloween is this weekend!! Can't wait!

-Ash

Highlights

Highlights of the day:

• Keaton is taking nap #3 in his crib! The current one was ideal- he was wide awake when I put him in, and he fell asleep on his own. I hope this becomes a habit!

• Taking Mr. K to Walmart and seeing our happy greeter guy, who finally got to meet Keaton. About a year ago I was waddling around Wally World and he noticed I was pregnant... I am surprised we haven't gotten to see him since then- with Keaton, at least. He gave the guy a big smile, and the guy (Claudio) said, "His smile is just like his Mama!" :-D

• I have gotten a lot of good feedback on Keaton's costume, which makes all the time I spent very worth it. Not only that, but I hadn't tried it on him before until we got to the zoo, so there were a lot of things that could have gone wrong- I'm happy to say it fits well, and he's an adorable little owl! I'm glad it worked out so well, and I'm also glad I didn't have to sew a pattern or anything. Fabric glue and velcro did the trick. :)

• The weather here is crazy, but we skipped the super severe weather this morning. The winds are insane, but luckily the tornadoes that were close by skipped by Plainfield. Keaton and I almost got blown away while going in and out of Walmart earlier.

Pretty excited about Keaton's swimming lessons that start tomorrow! And my haircut... it's long overdue.

-Ash

Baby Talk

"Boo boo wah wah". This is Keaton's newest 'phrase'. I can only guess what it means, but he's saying it a lot now, clear as day. He also says Mama on a somewhat regular basis now- and we've noticed he only says it around me, which would imply that he knows who I am! :) He likes to say it most when he's hungry or mad. Makes sense to me.

No "dada" yet. We are saying it to him a lot every day, but he's holding out on us. He's not saying D sounds at all yet, but I think we're close. He still says "ankooo" and "aguuu" and "whooo" (which was super cute on Saturday when he was wearing his Owl costume and hooting. :-D I need to upload pictures of the costume. We didn't get a picture of him standing up in it, but there were some cute ones with Casey, so I will add those soon.

I am excited about Halloween this year, even if it means that we dress him up for 30 minutes, take him around the neighborhood, and then hang out at home and pass out candy. I'm not even totally disappointed that I'm not dressing up this year, because it's been more fun getting Keaton's costume ready- I guess I'm living vicariously through him. I look forward to dressing up next year, though, when he can understand a little better. My parents always made Halloween so much fun for me- I only hope I can pass that on to Keaton.

That's all for now- I'm trying to re-train Keaton to sleep in his crib since vacation screwed him up again... he just started rubbing his eyes so I put him in the crib- so far no tears. This is tough! Here goes nothing.

-Ash

SC Summary

Here's what I remember about South Carolina- a week later:

1) Had brunch at The Gourmet Shop in Five Points Sunday morning. It was great, but it reminded me of the days when he'd bring Charley Brown with us and sit outside at the tables. There were quite a few dogs there Sunday, so he was on my mind a lot. It got worse when we walked around the other shops, too, because I noticed a sign on one of the shop windows that said the dog that was a fixture at the shop had died earlier that week- of cancer. Throw in the fact that we walked near the store that used to be Three Dog Bakery, and I lost it. I haven't cried in awhile about Chuck, but the memories were too much that day. And just like that, I was okay again.

2) Spending most of Monday in the Department seeing people. I got to see almost everyone I wanted, some longer than others, but we were exhausted by the end of the day. That night we had dinner at my friend Jenny's house with she and her fiance Colby. They have 2 dogs, and Jenny's roommate Patty has another dog, which provided hours of entertainment for Keaton. We have video (thankfully) of him laughing harder than I think he ever has before when the dogs would bark or catch their ball. It really was hilarious all the way around, and I can't wait to (someday) upload the video... toooooo funny.

Well, I was going to update more, but Keaton's awake for some reason right now so I need to go check on him. He's not been sleeping through the night since we got back from Kansas. :( Boo....

-Ash

SC Vacation

I had forgotten how much I had missed South Carolina. We've been here since Wednesday and I am enjoying every minute of it and trying to really take it all in. I am going to have a hard time going back to Illinois, I'm afraid.

We arrived Wednesday morning, and went straight to the Chemical Engineering Department. We couldn't check into our hotel until 3, so we had time to kill, and we were most anxious to see our 'family' in the Department while we're here. It didn't take long for people to find out we were in the building, so Keaton got to meet a ton of people all at once. Maybe it's better that way, I'm not sure. He seemed to enjoy all of the attention, though- which is becoming a common theme on this trip. More on that later. Wednesday night we went out with our friend Eyma and had dinner and drinks. Then it was time to put Mr. K to bed. He hated the Pack N Play, so he ended up sleeping next to me in bed so we could both get sleep. Not so much fun.

Thursday we woke up and slowly got around to head to Charleston. We made it there before noon, had a tasty lunch at the Crab Shack, and went to Folley Beach. I took a TON of pictures and some video of the boys on the beach. I think Keaton enjoyed it, until a big wave came up and smacked him in the face. (We didn't actually take him out in the ocean, we just stayed right where the tide came up so he could get his feet wet.) He coughed a bit and the salt water cleaned out his nose (the saline drops got to rest for a night, so that was nice... haha)... but he was fine. He took a wonderful nap on the drive back to Columbia, and then we got ready to go to dinner with friends at Carolina Ale House. Dinner was nice (although we watched KU get the crud knocked out of them by KSU... such is life) and Keaton had fun meeting everyone. He also noticed that the Georgia women's Volleyball team was sitting behind us. All it took was the attention of one of them, and it was like a domino effect- soon almost the entire team was oooohhhing and aaahhhhhing over the kid. And he Ate. It. Up. My mom got him a shirt that says "Lock up your daughters"... it's becoming more appropriate every day, I think. Such a flirt!!!

After dinner we went to Walmart to try and look for a mattress or something that would be suitable for the PnP to make things more comfortable for Keaton, in hopes that he would actually sleep there through the night. We finally decided to get a sleeping bag to cushion the bottom of the crib because the padding they provided was shotty. So, we got back to the room and set up his bed, and Case and I went out in the living room. I spent the evening being paranoid about the sleeping bag and how fluffy it was. I think I woke up every hour to make sure Keaton was okay and hadn't rolled over or anything. Thing is, the bag was so fluffy that he sank down into it like a little nest and it ended up keeping him warm and didn't allow him to roll over. He did well almost all night (even though I didn't... thank you paranoia) and seemed happier in the morning and well-rested. I was thankful for the nap we took around 10 before we headed back to the Department to meet up with the staff for lunch. We went to DiPrato's, one of my favorite restaurants in Columbia. They have the most delicious Pimiento Cheese dip with pita bread... it's probably good that I temporarily forgot about it until we got here, because I know I would have craved it in IL and nothing would come close to the Columbia version. Lunch was nice, and it was great catching up with the office ladies. Keaton enjoyed the attention. I see a theme here, don't you? :)

We headed back to the Department after lunch. Keat was long overdue for a nap, and got pretty fussy, but we were able to see quite a few more people before we got in the car and went to the West side of town to meet Casey's cousin and my friend Aaron at Starbucks. Keaton took a nap on the way and woke up happy when Aaron and Christy arrived. It was a nice visit.

After a trip to Babies R Us to try and find a better mattress solution, we went back to the hotel and rested until dinner at 6:30 with Billy, Clay, and Patrick- my non-USC friends. Keaton did probably the best he has the whole trip during dinner- he was terrific! He sat up in the booth with us and 'chatted' with the boys. I think he enjoyed nothing being strapped into a high chair the whole time- in fact, we asked for one, but he ended up sitting in the Japanese-style booth with us (deeper, flatter seats) and never really needed any support the whole time. It was nice to eat the majority of my meal without having to hold him or help feed him because he entertained himself or was entertained by the boys or the waitress most of the time.

After dinner, Case and I took him to a new frozen yogurt place on campus called Yoga-hut. Then it was back to the hotel and off to sleep. Mattress #2 didn't work and he slept next to me again, but this time we both slept well.

I guess that's all for now. I'm going to attempt to nap with Keaton for a bit so Casey can get some work done. We're having lunch with Dr. Monnier and his wife, then tonight we're going to dinner with some students from the ChE Department. So far, vacation is going very well. :-D

-Ash

Curse you, Columbus

Dammit, Columbus... you really messed me up this week.

I have to order my prescriptions through a mail order company that our insurance covers. So far, this has never been as convenient as it sounds. There has almost always been a problem with it one way or another- either with me ordering it or the company taking longer to ship it. Last week I realized that my Rx would run out while we're on vacation, so I ordered it online... thinking it would arrive before we leave early tomorrow morning. Then came Columbus Day yesterday, and the hiccup in mail delivery. Ugh. I have now created a headache for myself... today we received NO mail at all. This is not good.

I called my doctor to see if they could get something for me and cover me through the week- I'm still waiting on them to call back, and getting more anxious as the time goes by. I was also hoping the mailman was just really slow today. So far no luck either way. Oh, and not that I need it right now, but my paycheck was accidentally put in the mail by mistake, so I'm waiting for it to arrive, too.

It's moments like this that really hit home for me that I could use some work in time management and thinking ahead about things. Boy do I feel like a moron! But for now I'll blame Columbus.

-Ash

Just kidding, Chris. I should have cursed the mailman... after all the back and forth phone calls to the Doctor and Walgreen's, the mailman drove up just minutes after Walgreen's called to let me know the Rx had been filled and I could pick it up. Of course, the Rx (and paycheck) were in the mail. Timing is a little off today. Argh!

Lil Punkin

One of the events I was most excited about this time last year finally came true; We took Keaton to the Pumpkin Patch today! He wasn't the smiliest guy on the planet, but I think we got some decent pictures. We tried going yesterday with our friends in Schaumburg, but it was 80 degrees and INSANE with people. We parked and walked in, then turned right back around... not to mention the fact that Keaton fell asleep while we were trying to find a parking space. I'm glad today worked out- we decided to get there shortly after it opened, and beat the crowds and heat.

We got pumpkins that look like us- I got a paler pumpkin than Casey's, and although I was tempted, decided not to get one that was white... it was probably a little too accurate. :) We got a little baby Keaton pumpkin. I can't wait to decorate them! I will take pictures and hopefully post them soon. If they aren't here, you can always check out Flickr. We also got Keaton a tiny little one, which he could hold in his hand and enjoyed teething on.

Ahhhh- Speaking of teeth, I almost forgot!!! Keaton got his second tooth on Friday! It's right next to the first one, on the bottom. Those are some SHARP little teeth. Yikes!

I guess that's about all for today. Casey's mowing the lawn, Keaton's sleeping, and I'm procrastinating cleaning the house. Guess it's time to get on it.

-Ash

Control

Sometimes I wish there were a remote control for life. I would definitely pause some moments (much like the Twix commercials where time kind of stops and you get a moment to process what's going on). I would rewind a lot.. And record would be nice, so when I totally forget things I could replay them in full detail and be like, "Oh yeah, that's what happened!" Man, it would be nice. I think I would not fast forward much- especially now that Keaton's doing so much and I feel like time's going too fast as it is. Mute and volume might come in handy, though. So many buttons... so much control.

We have four remotes for the entertainment setup in our living room. People like Casey who are technically inclined have no problem with them. Everyone else, including yours truly, cannot figure out why we have so many, what they all do, and why we can't just get a Universal remote. But for him it makes sense, because there are specific buttons on each remote that a Universal just wouldn't have. I wonder how important these buttons really are, and more specifically, what they do. But it's all about control. You have control over more things and more possibilities with more buttons. A Universal remote cuts corners and makes things more simple than they necessarily need to be.

There are just too many ways to make the connection between a remote control and life. If I were a remote, I would be a Universal. And if I could, I would have more control over my life.

-Ash

Smarty Pants

After yesterday's insanely long entry, I thought it might be nice to update on some things Keaton is doing lately.

As far as food is concerned, he now likes green beans, squash, and today he decided he liked chicken with apples. He tried chicken risotto with mangos at home, but promptly spit those out in disgust. Apparently my parents' dog wouldn't even eat it... haha! He is getting the hang of eating these little yogurt drops that melt in his mouth, and has pretty much mastered picking them up and putting them in his mouth all by himself. If they start to come out, he will take one of his little chubby fingers and poke it back in. He also started saying "Ah" for us on Sunday night, and will either say "ah" or "AHHHHH!!!" depending on how hungry he is. :) It's nice that he does that now, though, because it's easier to tell when he wants more. Today he tried a real sippy cup for the first time, and seems to like it better than the beginner sippy cups we were trying to use earlier. It may be because his gums hurt and he's having a harder time biting things, but either way he tolerated it better than previous attempts.

He is not even close to crawling yet, but he loves standing up. In fact, if I sit him in my lap and give him my hands, he pulls himself to standing. Some people have told me he may totally skip crawling, which I'm not ready for at all... but it's fun to see the smile on his face when he realizes he's standing up. He's still in need to some good quality tummy time because his arms aren't quite as strong as they should be at this point, but I'm not too worried and I know he'll get to where he needs to be soon. I'm propping him up more when he's on his stomach so he has to use his arms more.

Besides saying "mama" last week, he's making a lot more noises lately. He hasn't really said "da" as much, but we're working on it. 'Ga' and 'ba' are pretty common, though, as well as the old favorites 'whoooo' and 'ankooo'. Sometimes it sounds like he's trying to make a sentence, and he spouts out a bunch of sounds together. He now uses a lot more expressions, and has been raising his eyebrows a lot when he realizes we are talking to him or we understand what he wants, which is normally followed by a sweet little smile. Yesterday I said, "Where's Daddy?" and he looked up to a place Casey normally plays Peek A Boo with him. He's really catching on to things and it's neat to see him learning so much!

I'm sure I'm forgetting something so I'll try to remember and update again later.

-Ash

Topeka Trip, take 2

Let's try this again. The 10 day Topeka trip went well... now we're already back home and trying to get life back to normal. Whatever that is. :)

I will try my best to recap our time in Kansas. Here goes:

Thursday: Our flight went well. Keaton did great on the plane! He's really getting wiggly but luckily he slept most of the time. No tears, either! Woo hoo! For the life of me, I can't remember what we did this day. Yikes.

Friday: My high school reunion started Friday, so we went to the tailgate before the football game. Keaton did absolutely great and had a fabulous time flirting with all the girls- mostly my friend Haley's 2 year old daughter, Brecken. I told them that they shouldn't be surprised if some day he knocks on their door and asks to marry her, and that I would do my best to raise him well in the meantime. :) We had fun seeing people and showing off the Little Man. That night we went to The Rooster Tail and had fun catching up with more people. We even did a photo booth (I will attempt to remember to scan the pictures later- they were pretty funny).

Saturday: We woke up super early- about 6:30- to head to KSU for Family Day. We met up with Leslie and her boyfriend Mitch when we got to Manhattan, then headed to tailgate before the game. The weather was so weird that day- a storm was moving in, but it didn't look too threatening so we decided to go to the game anyway. We ended up getting seats in the highest part of the stadium, which would have been cool if the thunderstorm hadn't gotten worse, and was headed right for us. We saw some of the most amazing storm clouds I have ever seen! I regret not taking the camera to the game. Anyway, the girls and I went downstairs to the restroom, when suddenly we heard the announcement over the PA system that the game was postponed due to lightning. People started pouring down the stairs, and like a salmon swimming upstream, I weaved in and out of people to try to get to Keaton and Casey. Mitch and Casey had Keaton, his stroller, the diaper bag, and anything else we left up in the stands, and were trying to come down to be out of the storm where we were. I finally reached them, and took a second to look at the incoming storm- the clouds were dark, and there was rotation in the middle of them. Again, something I have never witnessed in person. They opened Bramlage Coliseum and everyone started running in there for shelter. It was a little crazy... luckily it passed quickly and then the sky cleared up and the weather was beautiful. We ended up going back to the game and left with Keaton at the 3rd quarter. Casey wanted to check out the Engineering department so we went there while the rest of the family stayed at the game. Then we met up with the rest of the family and took Keaton to the Student Union to get him some KSU attire... for Casey, of course. Shortly after that, we headed back to Topeka so we could go to night #2 of the THS Reunion. I caught about a 45 minute nap before it was time to get ready for The Rooster Tail take 2. Saturday night was fun- maybe a little less fun than Friday- but it was great to see quite a few more people that I hadn't seen in years. I also found out that my friend Amy from high school is pregnant with twins!! So exciting!! For her. I would probably have lost my mind. ;) She's going to be an excellent Mom and I know she will have some adorable little babies!!

Sunday: Hmmm... nope, don't remember. Oh yeah. Case left for Chicago in the afternoon. Sad times. :( Sara, Lindsey, and Jeremy came over for a few hours to visit, which was fun. Turns out that Casey got home and couldn't get in our house because he left the house key with me in Kansas... my Dad returned our house key to him when we got to Topeka, but he thought it was for my parent's house and not ours. He ended up having to break the screen on our office window to get in... this was after waiting for 4 hours for a locksmith that ended up not even coming. I felt so bad for him, and worse because there was nothing I could do to help. Needless to say, there will be a spare key here soon.

Monday: Visited the office of the dentist (Dr. Kelly Deeter) I used to go to when I lived in Topeka. He and his staff are the only reason I ever enjoyed going to the dentist- they are all amazing, and it was great seeing them again! I think the last time I saw them was right around the time I got married, so it's been at least 7 years. Keaton flirted with the ladies (Does anyone else see the theme here? He's a complete flirt!!!) and I think they really enjoyed meeting him. We enjoyed a nice lunch with my Mom at Jose Peppers after the office visit.

Tuesday: I think I just remembered why I couldn't remember parts of the week... my allergies were out of CONTROL at home, and I was hopped up on Benedryl most of the time. Actually, it made me really tired, so I suppose I wasn't really 'hopped up'. I sure did take as many naps as I possibly could! I think we went shopping with Mom to get Keaton some Jayhawk attire, which was too much fun. Leslie came with us while De got her hair cut.

Wednesday: Met up for lunch with my Mom's friend Joan, her granddaughter Brooke that I used to play with as a kid (and who went to school with Casey and Valerie). We had a good time, and Keaton had fun flirting with Brooke's daughter, Ashlynn. Daniel and Shelley stopped by later that day to see Keaton. I think this was one of the days Keaton was SUPER fussy and drooling up a storm. Teething sucks!

Thursday: I visited Kyle's Mom and introduced her to Keaton. He loved their cat, Gus, and would smile and make little noises at him whenever he would walk by. My kid loves animals!! Afterward, I went back to Dr. Deeter's office again to see a few ladies that weren't there on Monday. It was great seeing them again! Keaton enjoyed all of the attention, of course. :) We went back to my parents' house. While playing Peek A Boo with Keaton, he looked at me and said "Mama". I almost started crying- it was his first real word, and he said it direcetly TO me. It was priceless... I kept getting teary whenever I told anyone about it. My kid knows me by 'name'!! :-D
That evening, I went out for coffee with Sara and Lindsey. It was exactly what I needed, and I'm really glad we got to do it. It was a nice mental break from the little squeaky boy and all the craziness of the week so far. I got back to my parents' house and picked him up, then drove out to meet the Hetricks at Billard Airport. They were getting ready for their 30th anniversary dance on Saturday and were putting up lights. Then we went out to their place and Keaton and I passed out.

Friday: Keaton and I went grocery shopping with De and Val to get ready for the bonfire at their place that evening. We ran into the Shrimplin grandparents at Walmart, and they got to see Keaton and how much he's grown. I don't realize how much he's changed until other people notice it... he really has grown up a lot since July. Sitting up, eating solid foods, babbling, and attempting to stand are just a few of the milestones he's reached recently. So proud of him. :)
Keith picked Casey up from the Kansas City airport that afternoon, and flew him home via helicopter, which was a fun arrival. Keaton and I were super excited to see him, and things felt like they were back to normal right away once he arrived. I was so tired from the rest of the week, running around like a chicken and taking Keaton everywhere. He's so big now that I get tired just putting him in the car! We barely got to see him before people started arriving for the bonfire. We had a fun time with my parents and the family friends visiting from Iowa, roasting hotdogs and marshmallows outside. Keaton got sleepy around 7:30, so we took him inside and thawed out from the chilly evening. It was the first day of October and the weather sort of hit that home... I even put Keaton's monkey hat on him and his fluffy fleece pajamas. :)

Saturday: The day of the party. We spent a lot of the morning and part of the afternoon laying around and trying to rest up for the evening events. Around 2 pm, the family got ready to take family pictures. They only took about 30 minutes, and then we were headed to my parents' to drop off our luggage so we could head to the airport the next day. After grabbing a quick bite to eat and chatting with my parents, we went to Billard to help with any last-minute details before the start of the party. Keaton took an awesome nap, and ended up making it through most of the party without having any meltdowns, and enjoyed all of the attention he got... which was a LOT. He fell asleep and stayed in De's office for over an hour in the Pack N Play before we put him in the car to leave.

Saturday after the party was a pretty eventful evening in itself. Keaton started crying, and my Mom had a panic attack as we were leaving. We got home, and Mom still wasn't doing well. We got Keaton to sleep, and Mom took some medicine that normally helps her feel better, but it wasn't working. We also realized that we had left some things at the airport, so Casey considered leaving to go back and get it. After a lot of discussion, and a lot of miscommunication, Casey left for the airport and Mom thought she was getting better, so I went to bed. Shortly after I was in bed, Dad knocked on the door and said he was taking Mom to the hospital. Since Casey wasn't home yet, I stayed there and obviously couldn't sleep because I was worried. He came back and about 5 minutes later, my parents came back home; Mom started feeling much better right before they got to the hospital, so she had Dad turn around. Luckily everything worked out and she was okay- she gave us quite a scare.

Sunday we left for the airport after lunch, and made it back home by about 6. Keaton did great on the way home- despite the teething issues, he really did well with all the travel this week Again, I'm so proud of my kid! We spent a pretty lazy day at home today, but it was nice to lay around in my pj's and cuddle with Keaton all day. It has been nice to be home, but I already miss my family a lot. It was great being home for 10 days and getting to see people I haven't seen in years. I feel like I made the most out of my time at home- heck, I probably did more than I should have- but it was worth it. It may not have been worth the extremely long recap in this blog, and I kind of doubt anyone is still reading at this point, but I figured it would be nice to try and remember as much as possible. I'm sort of amazed at how much I've already forgotten. Time flies when you're having fun!

-Ash

Topeka Trip

I wish I would have posted earlier in the trip, because I've been home for a full week now and most of it is a blur. The Topeka High Reunion went pretty well. There are a lot of people I wish would have come, but a lot that I was very happy to see as well. As usual, I didn't take enough pictures, but hopefully others did and I can steal some of them later. Friday night was a lot of fun, and the tailgate was nice because people got to meet Keaton. Strange how Facebook made the reunion a lot less awkward- for me, at least. I felt like I knew were most people were now, and it was easier to catch up with them (and even some I barely talked to much in high school) thanks to FB. Weird, I know. I guess it pays to be a stalker.

I have plenty more to write, but tiny man (who is teething hard-core the last few days) just woke up and wants some attention. I will attempt to write more later!

-Ash

I'm out.

In honor of being consistent (something I am continuously striving to be but not very successful at so far in life) I am blogging at work. However, this is the final time I can say that, since today is my LAST (full) DAY. :) I probably shouldn't be so happy, but really, nothing is phasing me right now. The internet could shut down, a jackass attorney could come in and yell at me, and the phone could ring off the hook, but nothing is bringing me down today.

Sometimes I picture myself in the scene from Half Baked, looking around and pointing at people, saying, "F-you, f-you, you're cool, f-you, I'm out." But I won't, because I like people here (for the most part) and do not want to burn any bridges. It's kind of fun to picture myself doing that, though, because it would be pretty out of character for me. Instead I will go quietly, knowing that I was lucky enough to get a job here when it looked like there was nothing out there for me. I remember being pretty upset and depressed looking for a place to work, and then how lucky I felt to be given a chance to work here. Yes, it was stressful. Yes, I hated it at times. But I am pretty sure I've felt that way at every single job I've had so far. It just comes with the territory I suppose.

Heck, even being a Stay At Home Mom can be stressful. I can't say I really 'hate' any part of it, but it's tough. I keep saying it's the hardest, most rewarding job I have ever had. I get paid in kisses and smiles (and spit up and other things), which is better than the tiny little paychecks I get here. It's better than any BIG paychecks I've gotten here, too. Time with him is priceless, and I'm really glad I get to spend more of it with him and less of it with printers that don't work, computers that are slow, and people who are grumpy. I'm ready to be home.

Speaking of home, I had a fun night with Casey and Keaton last night. Keaton sat in his high chair while Casey and I made experimental brownies. No, that's not another reference to Half Baked, either... Casey wanted to jazz up the boxed brownies by adding peanut butter and marshmallows, and they turned out well. Keaton seemed to enjoy watching us buzz around the kitchen, and sat there quietly for quite awhile while we worked. I love how observant he is. He is usually completely content just watching people and does not need to be entertained all the time. Shortly afterward, he ate and passed out for the evening. Casey went to a movie around 10, and I stayed up later than I should... I got wrapped up in making my previous blog about Japan into a book. For less than $40, I will have a hard cover version, with pictures and everything, of my Japan experience. I'm pretty excited to see the final product- it should arrive at the beginning of next month. For anyone who may be interested, I did it through Blog2Print.com. I'm glad they have this option so that all of my memories aren't lost if the site shuts down someday. The only downside I saw was that there is very minimal editing you can do to the layout, but overall, I'm just glad to have the memories in print form.

I guess that's about all for me for today. I work 2 hours tomorrow night, then I'm OUT. :)

-Ash

Houston, we have a tooth!

Finally, after months of drool, pain meds, and fussiness, WE HAVE A TOOTH!! It wasn't there yesterday morning, but by afternoon it had popped through the gums. (If you're wondering, it's the lower front tooth on the right.) Yay!!! I had to wait until he was passed out yesterday to actually see it because he refuses to let me look in there, and sure enough, there was a tiny little point sticking up. :) It's through even more this morning. I wonder what he'll look like with teeth! I guess we'll find out very soon. My little guy is growing up!

He also started this funny growling thing last night. I'm not sure where it came from but he thinks it's pretty entertaining. I like it more than the fake cough!!

I think we're going to have a play date with Kelley and possibly Danielle this morning, so it'll be nice to get out of the house while Casey's working so we don't keep interrupting him... it's hard not to when he's home, so I have to pretend like he's not here at all so he can actually get work done. If that doesn't work out, I may take Keaton out to search for his Halloween costume. We've decided to only dress him up this year since he won't be Trick or Treating long, and we don't have any costume parties or anything to go to so it won't be worth the three of us getting totally dressed up and spending the time and money to have a theme if he won't even remember it anyway. Next year should be more involved.

That's all for this morning. At the rate he's going this week, he may be walking by Monday!


-Ash

More Milestones

New Keaton stuff:

He now rolls from tummy to back.... YAY! That was all I wanted him to learn right now since he kept flipping over in his crib and getting ticked when he couldn't flip back over. He flipped twice during Cradle Talk yesterday and then again after we came home. I finally got it on video for Casey, too!

We are about 99% certain he said "mama" last night. Casey and I were eating dinner and listening to Keaton on the monitor, and Keaton was crying (as usual) while in his crib because he didn't want to sleep. He was pretty pissed, when suddenly we heard "mama"... I looked at Casey, who looked at me and said, "Yeah, I heard it, too." Crazy stuff! It sucks that he said it out of anger, and I probably won't really 'count' it until he says it on a regular basis, but it was still nice to hear. :) I think he also says "huh uh" (he shakes his head when he does it, so I'm pretty sure he knows what it means) and it almost sounds like he says "Hi" sometimes. I could be reading into all of it... is it only by accident? Besides the huh uh thing, it's probably coincidence... but we'll see!

He's still doing the 'wiggle wiggle' and 'click click' thing. He also started eating finger food last night. I bought the little peach yogurt melts at Babies R Us yesterday, and I think he's a fan. He got most of it in his mouth, but quite a bit of it on the floor, high chair, and even some in his hair and behind his ear. He loves peaches, but they are an absolute mess to clean up. He now sticks his fingers in his mouth and/or grabs the spoon when I'm feeding him, so he gets it all over his hands, then touches everything in sight. But it helps him learn, so it's kind of fun when I stop thinking about how messy it is and start focusing on how much more he can do now.

He also sat in a high chair at a restaurant yesterday for the first time. He realized it, too, and was pretty excited and happy about it. We sat near the front door, and he loved watching people come in, especially if they noticed him and talked to him. He's such an attention hog!

Casey's working from home today (with the exception of right now- he had to go in for some training) but we have enjoyed his company this morning. He gets to do the same tomorrow, too. It's nice to have him around, even if he is locked up in the office working on work. We take what we can get! :-D

My last full day of work is this Sunday, and then I work 2 hours Monday night and I'm DONE. Then next Thursday we fly home for my 10 year high school reunion. I think it'll be fun... hopefully we get to see a lot of people and hopefully Keaton travels better than he did in July. I hope he actually sleeps this time! Looking forward to being home soon.

-Ash

Guessing Game

Something very interesting happened last night. Keaton only ate a tiny bit of food while sitting in his high chair and ended up falling asleep in it. He continued to sleep (in his crib) for 4 hours afterward. We woke him up at 10 so we could change his clothes and diaper, then he slept another 4 hours. He had a low-grade fever around 9:30 this morning, so I think he wasn't feeling well and it's carried over to today. I really can't tell if it's teething or if it's something more... hopefully both will get better in the very near future. It's tough having a 'sick' kid... or just an abnormally fussy one.

Not much is going on other than that. Casey's busy working on building a new computer (or upgrading our old one... he has yet to decide) and has spent quite a bit of time researching said computer, which I know makes him happy and probably relaxes him a bit. It's good that he has something like that to think about other than work. The guy wakes up around 4 every weekday to go in to work, and while he's trying to get home earlier so he can see Keaton before bedtime, sometimes he's not able to leave when he wants and I can tell he is disappointed when he comes home and Keaton's already getting tired.

This is another reason why I'm glad I am not going to work anymore after this month (even if it's only 2 days) so I can really spend some quality time with the boys. September 20th is my last day. I basically thought December was my last month there last year when I was about to have Keaton, so I've already said my goodbyes one time, and I'm not feeling the sadness that I felt back then. This feels like the right thing to do. Now I just have to figure out what my next step is. School? We'll see. I still have a desire to go, but I'm not ready yet to have someone watch Mr. K while I'm in class. I'm sure I'll figure it out one of these days.

Speaking of Mr. K, he just woke up from another nap, so I'm going to tend to him and hope he's feeling better. Poor guy. I hate teething!!!!

-Ash