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| Frost/ice on our roof |
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| Icicles on our garbage can. |
1.26.2014
If you were worried about us...
1.24.2014
Moving
For those who are unaware, we moved last month. We've been in our new house for just over a month and we love it! Now, our first mortgage payment isn't due for another week so it's an even better deal right now. Here are some pictures I took the other day of our house. Excuse the messes.
Also, on the topic of moving, Ashton learned to move this week. For the past few weeks, she's been rolling to a side but couldn't figure out what to do after that. She finally figured it out! Monday, Ashton rolled over from her back to tummy. The doctor said that once she did it, it would take another few weeks for her to do it again. WRONG! She does it multiple times a day. She's getting faster and faster at it each time. She still hates being on her tummy so once she rolls over, she gets upset.
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| Ashton's room obviously |
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| Spare bedroom. The vacuum cleaner resides there. |
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| Craft/computer/book room |
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| Living room (view from our front door) |
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| Dining area with our new table! |
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| Kitchen It's normally a lot cleaner than this picture. |
Also, on the topic of moving, Ashton learned to move this week. For the past few weeks, she's been rolling to a side but couldn't figure out what to do after that. She finally figured it out! Monday, Ashton rolled over from her back to tummy. The doctor said that once she did it, it would take another few weeks for her to do it again. WRONG! She does it multiple times a day. She's getting faster and faster at it each time. She still hates being on her tummy so once she rolls over, she gets upset.
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| In motion |
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| Another action shot |
1.13.2014
4 Months Old
Weight: 15 lbs. 10 oz. approximately
Height: 25.5 inches
Clothing Size: Mostly 3-6 month clothing. Some 0-3 month clothes fit me still so that's nice. And still in size 1 diapers. Good thing because my parents bought a ton!
Daily Schedule: I have a more predictable schedule now. I wake up around 7am in time to eat breakfast with Daddy. I take 3-4 naps a day and each nap lasts about an hour. Sometimes, I give Mom a break by sleeping for two hours. In between sleeping, I love to play with toys and sit and stand. My parents try to make me to do tummy time but it's not as much fun anymore. I have a bath and a lotion massage around 7 to get ready for bed.
Sleep Status: I go to bed between 7 and 8pm. I wake up after about 7-8 hours of sleeping to eat and I go right back to sleep. Then I sleep for another 2-4 hours.
Special Outings: Nothing special enough to note.
Firsts: First Christmas, discovery of my tongue, and first night with a babysitter while Mom and Dad went out on a date. I slept the whole time. Also, I had my first cockroach in my room. Mom freaked out and grabbed me out of my crib very quickly. Then she yelled for Dad who killed it promptly.
Any big changes: I continue to love to stand and sit up. Also, my tongue is a wonderful thing. I love grabbing Mommy's fingers and "chewing" on them. The doctor says I am probably teething. I just like to chew and lick. In case you're wondering, I still hate the car seat. My parents did drive back from Austin at night, which helped and they bought a big convertible car seat. I seem to like that car seat a lot better but it's still too early to tell if I'm just tricking them. Anything that requires buckling me in is terrible. I despise the car seat, stroller, baby carriers, etc. I love my bouncer but only if you don't buckle me in. Also, I have learned to yell. No longer do I simply cry like a newborn. I'm an infant now and I can yell! Additionally, I have selective memory. I can definitely remember how to position my head so I can lap up water in the bathtub but I fail to remember that shoving my fingers in my mouth makes me gag and throw up. Remembering things is hard work. I continue to battle with spit up and drool so I wear bibs a lot now.
Thoughts from the parents: Three months was a magical transition. She went from tolerating a lot of things to now loving them such as bath time and her bouncer. Ashton's personality comes out more and more. No longer is she just staring around. She loves to interact, which is a wonderful thing! We learn so much about her each day.
Biggest Lessons Learned: The saying, "This too shall pass" is very true. Now we understand why everyone kept telling us that at the beginning. We miss Ashton as a newborn but we also love how she's growing and changing. And yes, the multiple nighttime feedings have passed for now. I'm sure they'll be back soon though as four month shots are coming.
Monthly Pictures:
Monthly Video:
What the next month should bring: Nothing too exciting unfortunately.
Height: 25.5 inches
Clothing Size: Mostly 3-6 month clothing. Some 0-3 month clothes fit me still so that's nice. And still in size 1 diapers. Good thing because my parents bought a ton!
Daily Schedule: I have a more predictable schedule now. I wake up around 7am in time to eat breakfast with Daddy. I take 3-4 naps a day and each nap lasts about an hour. Sometimes, I give Mom a break by sleeping for two hours. In between sleeping, I love to play with toys and sit and stand. My parents try to make me to do tummy time but it's not as much fun anymore. I have a bath and a lotion massage around 7 to get ready for bed.
Sleep Status: I go to bed between 7 and 8pm. I wake up after about 7-8 hours of sleeping to eat and I go right back to sleep. Then I sleep for another 2-4 hours.
Special Outings: Nothing special enough to note.
Firsts: First Christmas, discovery of my tongue, and first night with a babysitter while Mom and Dad went out on a date. I slept the whole time. Also, I had my first cockroach in my room. Mom freaked out and grabbed me out of my crib very quickly. Then she yelled for Dad who killed it promptly.
Any big changes: I continue to love to stand and sit up. Also, my tongue is a wonderful thing. I love grabbing Mommy's fingers and "chewing" on them. The doctor says I am probably teething. I just like to chew and lick. In case you're wondering, I still hate the car seat. My parents did drive back from Austin at night, which helped and they bought a big convertible car seat. I seem to like that car seat a lot better but it's still too early to tell if I'm just tricking them. Anything that requires buckling me in is terrible. I despise the car seat, stroller, baby carriers, etc. I love my bouncer but only if you don't buckle me in. Also, I have learned to yell. No longer do I simply cry like a newborn. I'm an infant now and I can yell! Additionally, I have selective memory. I can definitely remember how to position my head so I can lap up water in the bathtub but I fail to remember that shoving my fingers in my mouth makes me gag and throw up. Remembering things is hard work. I continue to battle with spit up and drool so I wear bibs a lot now.
Thoughts from the parents: Three months was a magical transition. She went from tolerating a lot of things to now loving them such as bath time and her bouncer. Ashton's personality comes out more and more. No longer is she just staring around. She loves to interact, which is a wonderful thing! We learn so much about her each day.
Biggest Lessons Learned: The saying, "This too shall pass" is very true. Now we understand why everyone kept telling us that at the beginning. We miss Ashton as a newborn but we also love how she's growing and changing. And yes, the multiple nighttime feedings have passed for now. I'm sure they'll be back soon though as four month shots are coming.
Monthly Pictures:
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| Common face while in the car seat. The convertible car seat seems to be much better so far. |
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| I had to buy that onesie when I saw it! |
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| This is her bald spot/mullet. |
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| Happy as can be. |
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| We were practicing standing for water-skiing season. |
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| Trying to lick up the water |
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| Bibs have become a necessary component of her wardrobe. She drools too much and gets her clothes soaked. |
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Chilling out in her high chair that she got for Christmas. She's ready to go but it will still be a few more months before she eats in it. |
1.06.2014
Last Christmas Break
Even though I've transitioned into parenthood where school vacations and days off no longer exist for me, I am still enjoying my last Christmas break as a graduate student. This semester was the hardest yet mainly because Ashton came earlier than we anticipated. I also had to conduct a full-blown research study with IRB approval, which consumed much of my time. I tried to get ahead in my coursework but Ashton didn't think that was a good idea. She wanted my attention instead and when it comes to a cute little baby or graduate school, the baby always wins. I passed both classes with A's so I still have my 4.0 but GPA doesn't really matter in grad school. At least I don't think it does. I have two more semesters and then Joseph is planning to start his master's degree.
So for my final Christmas Break, I enjoyed doing some of this:
Sleeping in with Ashton for the first week or so. Then she started going to bed around 7:30, which causes her to wake up around 6:30am. But I find myself getting much more done when I wake up early.
Reading fun books like Cook's Illustrated cookbooks and Large Family Logistics (Our family is very large...)
Baking for our ward social, Joe's Christmas work parties, and yummy dinners. I made whole wheat rolls for the first time as well as making my Great-Grandma Banning's rolls. Also, I tried some new recipes for cookies and treats.
Packing, moving, and unpacking in our new home. We LOVE our new home. The best part: we don't have a landlord anymore telling us what we can and cannot do!!!
Spending time with family in Austin for Christmas
Magnifying my calling. The week Ashton was born, I was called to be the primary chorister. I love it but it's challenging. I spent some time being creative and setting up plans for this year. I'm excited for the year ahead of us.
Loving my baby girl. Let's be honest, this is the highlight of my life!
So for my final Christmas Break, I enjoyed doing some of this:
Sleeping in with Ashton for the first week or so. Then she started going to bed around 7:30, which causes her to wake up around 6:30am. But I find myself getting much more done when I wake up early.
Reading fun books like Cook's Illustrated cookbooks and Large Family Logistics (Our family is very large...)
Baking for our ward social, Joe's Christmas work parties, and yummy dinners. I made whole wheat rolls for the first time as well as making my Great-Grandma Banning's rolls. Also, I tried some new recipes for cookies and treats.
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| Great-Grandma Banning rolls. They turned out pretty good. We had them when the missionaries came over for dinner and they gobbled them up. Then again, what 19/20 year old young man wouldn't eat a free meal. |
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| Cookies and Cream Cupcakes. They were a little denser than I wanted but still tasty. |
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| Mint chocolate chunk cookies. These are my new favorite dessert! I've made them three times since discovering the recipe. |
Packing, moving, and unpacking in our new home. We LOVE our new home. The best part: we don't have a landlord anymore telling us what we can and cannot do!!!
Spending time with family in Austin for Christmas
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| Hanging out Christmas morning. |
Loving my baby girl. Let's be honest, this is the highlight of my life!
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| Reading to Ashton. She is most attentive in the bathtub. |
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| This is the face she gives when you make a cool sound. |
12.31.2013
Christmas 2013
Ashton had a wonderful first Christmas. Santa brought her outlet covers and 3M Command strips to hang a quilt her aunt made her. From family, she got some cool books, toys, and her first ornament. We spent Christmas in Austin and had lots of fun there with family. It's weird not to have snow for Christmas but it's awesome to walk outside in jeans and a t-shirt!
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| She is mesmerized by the Christmas lights. I'm not sure if I want to take down our tree with how much she loves it. |
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| Starring at something. |
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| Super excited about outlet covers |
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| One of her favorite tricks is sucking on her top lip. |
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| Very amused during gift opening. |
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| Playing with her first ornament. |
12.18.2013
A Walk Down Memory Lane
When we were in the hospital with Ashton, the nurses kept commenting that we were laid back parents. We were completely fine with Ashton sleeping in the bassinet and letting her stay there. She loved sleeping so we did not see the reason to wake her up constantly just to look at her. When we left the hospital, we had to wake Ashton up every three hours to eat, which was annoying but was necessary for her to grow. Once the doctor told me I could stop doing that, life was even better! Ashton slept anywhere, any time, and for several hours at a time. Here are some pictures of her early sleeping styles.
Flash forward two and a half months and Ashton sleeps pretty well at night still (maybe one feeding a night). However, her daytime naps and wake periods were getting difficult. Ashton would take 45 minutes naps and then struggle to stay awake longer than about 45 minutes. To get her down for a nap, I would walk, rock, shush, swaddle, stand on one foot and jump (not really but that's what it felt like) for an hour to get her to sleep. Normally, she'd be crying for most of it until she lost all hope and crashed. Then at nighttime, Joseph and I switched off every half hour or so trying to get Ashton down to sleep. Once she was asleep in our arms, we'd put her in the crib only for her to wake up ten minutes later. Literally from about 7pm to 10pm, one of us was in her room walking circles trying to get her to sleep. Needless to say, we barely saw each other at night. Joseph and I talked about how to best help her sleep better and everything we read said, "Do whatever it takes until 4-6 months when you can do some sleep training." We discussed waiting until after her four month shots because her two month shots were a shock to her sleep cycle.
Flash forward to yesterday. Ashton took four naps, each being at least an hour, two of them being 1.5-2 hours long. She went to bed at 7:30pm after I laid her in her crib with her eyes open and then woke up at 6am. She didn't cry at all before falling asleep ON HER OWN! How did we get here? We let her cry it out.
I know, research says don't do that until the baby is 4-6 months old. But, we prayed a lot about it and felt it was best for us. And we called our pediatrician and my mom who said go right ahead. Friday night was our first night and she and I both cried strongly for about 20 minutes. Then she fussed and went in and out of sleep for another hour. At 10pm, I fed her quickly and she fell asleep immediately. Saturday we started to see a difference in her naps already. While they were still on the shorter side, she was falling asleep after being swaddled and held for about five minutes! Saturday night, she cried strongly for ten minutes and fell asleep. Sunday, she took a two hour long nap and we had to wake her up for Church. She cried for a few minutes Sunday night but not too much. Monday, she took two long naps and fell asleep while grocery shopping. And last night, no tears at all! We also started a bedtime of 7-7:30, which is great because it gives Joe and I a chance to catch up in a quiet house.
I'm sure she will need to relearn the skill of putting herself to sleep again but I must say it was not as bad as I thought it would be. And we feel she is old enough to know that we still love her. Every morning when we come and get her, she smiles and coos at us so she still loves us.
Here are some pictures of her from the other day happy as can be with bubble making.
Flash forward two and a half months and Ashton sleeps pretty well at night still (maybe one feeding a night). However, her daytime naps and wake periods were getting difficult. Ashton would take 45 minutes naps and then struggle to stay awake longer than about 45 minutes. To get her down for a nap, I would walk, rock, shush, swaddle, stand on one foot and jump (not really but that's what it felt like) for an hour to get her to sleep. Normally, she'd be crying for most of it until she lost all hope and crashed. Then at nighttime, Joseph and I switched off every half hour or so trying to get Ashton down to sleep. Once she was asleep in our arms, we'd put her in the crib only for her to wake up ten minutes later. Literally from about 7pm to 10pm, one of us was in her room walking circles trying to get her to sleep. Needless to say, we barely saw each other at night. Joseph and I talked about how to best help her sleep better and everything we read said, "Do whatever it takes until 4-6 months when you can do some sleep training." We discussed waiting until after her four month shots because her two month shots were a shock to her sleep cycle.
Flash forward to yesterday. Ashton took four naps, each being at least an hour, two of them being 1.5-2 hours long. She went to bed at 7:30pm after I laid her in her crib with her eyes open and then woke up at 6am. She didn't cry at all before falling asleep ON HER OWN! How did we get here? We let her cry it out.
I know, research says don't do that until the baby is 4-6 months old. But, we prayed a lot about it and felt it was best for us. And we called our pediatrician and my mom who said go right ahead. Friday night was our first night and she and I both cried strongly for about 20 minutes. Then she fussed and went in and out of sleep for another hour. At 10pm, I fed her quickly and she fell asleep immediately. Saturday we started to see a difference in her naps already. While they were still on the shorter side, she was falling asleep after being swaddled and held for about five minutes! Saturday night, she cried strongly for ten minutes and fell asleep. Sunday, she took a two hour long nap and we had to wake her up for Church. She cried for a few minutes Sunday night but not too much. Monday, she took two long naps and fell asleep while grocery shopping. And last night, no tears at all! We also started a bedtime of 7-7:30, which is great because it gives Joe and I a chance to catch up in a quiet house.
I'm sure she will need to relearn the skill of putting herself to sleep again but I must say it was not as bad as I thought it would be. And we feel she is old enough to know that we still love her. Every morning when we come and get her, she smiles and coos at us so she still loves us.
Here are some pictures of her from the other day happy as can be with bubble making.
12.12.2013
Three Months Old (A day early due to moving)
Weight: 14 lbs. exactly. Almost double my birthweight!
Height: 24.5 inches. Two inches in a month! Mommy is eating lots of vegetables to help me grow nice and tall.
Clothing Size: 0-3 months right now for the most part. The pants are still pretty big on me so I'll keep wearing those. Some onesies and dresses are getting tight. I will move up a size in a few weeks.
Daily Schedule: Here's my schedule from the other day. Woke up at 9:15am. Ate and played with Mom. Took a walk and then went down for my nap around 10:30. I am starting to only take 45 minute naps so Mommy often helps me fall back asleep after this short nap. I slept until about 12:15pm. Then I ate and played again with Mom. She tries to have me play in the car seat for a few minutes to see if I will ride better in the car. I think it's a lost cause. Then Mommy put me down around 1:15 for my afternoon nap. This time, I slept in my swing until about 3:30. I woke up to eat and went on a walk in my stroller. Then I took another nap at 4:45 to 6pm. When I woke up, Daddy was home and I had to play with him. I got fussy around 6:45 so I took a bath and Mommy and Daddy started my bedtime routine. They put me to sleep in my crib around 7:30. I woke up around 8:15 and again at 10pm to eat a little bit more. Then I slept about 7 hours and woke up to eat at 4:45am. I go back to sleep again after that for a few more hours.
Total diapers we change daily: Too many if you ask me. Mommy and Daddy are always checking the line on my diapers. I prefer it to be blue (wet). I like it that way.
Total outfits we go through daily: Mostly just one. Except I haven't learned how to handle the enormous amount of saliva in my mouth so I drool sometimes. This causes wardrobe changes
Sleep Status: At the beginning of this month, I went through a sleeping hiatus. I decided to boycott the crib and sleeping on my back. For about a week, I had a terrible cold plus pain from shots so I slept in my swing or in my parents' arms. After this regression, I went back to sleeping 6-7 hours a night. Rarely, I surprise my parents by sleeping from 9pm to 9am! However, I continue to show my parents that I am like Houdini. I can break free of a double swaddle. After two nights of waking up Mom by doing this, she went to Target and got a Halo Sleep Sack.This failed as well so they're back to swaddling me extra tight. I like it this way. However, the last few nights, I have found a way of slipping my arm out of my nightgown sleeve and getting my arm out without breaking the swaddle.
Special Outings: The park to play soccer and going to lunch with my uncle and aunt
Firsts: First Thanksgiving, first long car ride, and first time standing and sitting with assistance
Any big changes: I am talking a lot more lately. I love to talk when Mommy sings to me, especially when she sings "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree." Also, I have discovered that I can stand on my feet for about a minute. Sitting with help is pretty exciting too. I'd rather sit and stand than play on my back or tummy. I also boycotted the bottle this month.
Thoughts from the parents: Children are a blessing from above. Ashton makes us smile every day but she also keeps us on our toes. Just when we think we have this whole "parenting" thing down, she throws us another curve ball. Seeing her change and learn is such a privilege.
Biggest Lessons Learned: NEVER SAY NEVER! Before having Ashton, I claimed I would NEVER let my child sleep in a swing, I would never let my baby sleep on her tummy, I would never rush out to the store to buy something just because I thought it might work, I would never buy a different type of bottle to see if that would work, etc. I have learned to never say never. Ashton has slept in her swing a lot, she has slept on her tummy (with supervision), I ran out to Target two days in a row to try a special swaddle blanket that failed, and I bought a six dollar bottle, which may or may not work.
Monthly Pictures:
Monthly Video:
What the next month should bring: First Christmas, moving into home (Friday and Saturday), and celebrating the New Year
Height: 24.5 inches. Two inches in a month! Mommy is eating lots of vegetables to help me grow nice and tall.
Clothing Size: 0-3 months right now for the most part. The pants are still pretty big on me so I'll keep wearing those. Some onesies and dresses are getting tight. I will move up a size in a few weeks.
Daily Schedule: Here's my schedule from the other day. Woke up at 9:15am. Ate and played with Mom. Took a walk and then went down for my nap around 10:30. I am starting to only take 45 minute naps so Mommy often helps me fall back asleep after this short nap. I slept until about 12:15pm. Then I ate and played again with Mom. She tries to have me play in the car seat for a few minutes to see if I will ride better in the car. I think it's a lost cause. Then Mommy put me down around 1:15 for my afternoon nap. This time, I slept in my swing until about 3:30. I woke up to eat and went on a walk in my stroller. Then I took another nap at 4:45 to 6pm. When I woke up, Daddy was home and I had to play with him. I got fussy around 6:45 so I took a bath and Mommy and Daddy started my bedtime routine. They put me to sleep in my crib around 7:30. I woke up around 8:15 and again at 10pm to eat a little bit more. Then I slept about 7 hours and woke up to eat at 4:45am. I go back to sleep again after that for a few more hours.
Total diapers we change daily: Too many if you ask me. Mommy and Daddy are always checking the line on my diapers. I prefer it to be blue (wet). I like it that way.
Total outfits we go through daily: Mostly just one. Except I haven't learned how to handle the enormous amount of saliva in my mouth so I drool sometimes. This causes wardrobe changes
Sleep Status: At the beginning of this month, I went through a sleeping hiatus. I decided to boycott the crib and sleeping on my back. For about a week, I had a terrible cold plus pain from shots so I slept in my swing or in my parents' arms. After this regression, I went back to sleeping 6-7 hours a night. Rarely, I surprise my parents by sleeping from 9pm to 9am! However, I continue to show my parents that I am like Houdini. I can break free of a double swaddle. After two nights of waking up Mom by doing this, she went to Target and got a Halo Sleep Sack.This failed as well so they're back to swaddling me extra tight. I like it this way. However, the last few nights, I have found a way of slipping my arm out of my nightgown sleeve and getting my arm out without breaking the swaddle.
Special Outings: The park to play soccer and going to lunch with my uncle and aunt
Firsts: First Thanksgiving, first long car ride, and first time standing and sitting with assistance
Any big changes: I am talking a lot more lately. I love to talk when Mommy sings to me, especially when she sings "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree." Also, I have discovered that I can stand on my feet for about a minute. Sitting with help is pretty exciting too. I'd rather sit and stand than play on my back or tummy. I also boycotted the bottle this month.
Thoughts from the parents: Children are a blessing from above. Ashton makes us smile every day but she also keeps us on our toes. Just when we think we have this whole "parenting" thing down, she throws us another curve ball. Seeing her change and learn is such a privilege.
Biggest Lessons Learned: NEVER SAY NEVER! Before having Ashton, I claimed I would NEVER let my child sleep in a swing, I would never let my baby sleep on her tummy, I would never rush out to the store to buy something just because I thought it might work, I would never buy a different type of bottle to see if that would work, etc. I have learned to never say never. Ashton has slept in her swing a lot, she has slept on her tummy (with supervision), I ran out to Target two days in a row to try a special swaddle blanket that failed, and I bought a six dollar bottle, which may or may not work.
Monthly Pictures:
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| Sunday Church |
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| We can't believe she's three months old already! |
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| This is her favorite way to sit/interact. She loves talking when you do this. |
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| Dad's version of playing together next to the toaster and knife set |
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| Don't miss the drool line coming down. She is such a fancy little girl. |
Monthly Video:
What the next month should bring: First Christmas, moving into home (Friday and Saturday), and celebrating the New Year
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