Asher's first haircut

Well, I guess I have held out long enough and the time has come for Asher to get his first haircut.  I don't know why I feel the need to hold out - it is just hair that will grow back, but for some reason, I always wait until it's just a little too late to finally give in and take the plunge. It's not like he has been asking to grow out his hair and I am going against his wishes.

I knew it was time to give in when he was looking up at me from his fringy 'do with bangs in his eyes and the swoop just wouldn't stay to the side.  So we sat him in the chair and asked for a little boy haircut!

Asher did a fantastic job!  He sat pretty still and there weren't many tears.  He was tolerant for scissors, brushes, blowdryers and trimmers.  He hadn't had an afternoon nap so he was a little grumpy and clingy but overall, he was great.  And the end result - I think he looks adorable!

California love

This past week, we had the opportunity to spend time in California visiting both GeeGee and Safta, Zadie and the gang! We started out in LA, spent a few days with GeeGee at the house, doing fun activities and going for walks, and then drove up to Visalia on Wednesday for the next part of our California adventure.

Everyone flew into town and by Wednesday evening, it was the four of us, Linda and Claude, Patricia, James, Harvey and Rachel.  We filled the house with bags, babies, noise and fun.  The boys all had a great time paying together and sharing toys and tubs and it was cute watching them all interact together.

On Friday, we loaded up the cars again and headed back to Hollywood for the next round of fun.  We had a gorgeous house in the hollywood Hills so we could all spend more time together.  

Our last adventure was to Universal Studios where we spent the day trying out new rides, dodging raindrops and convincing Riley to try new things.  We all had a great time on the rides and spending our last day together.

On the last day, we went back to GeeGee's house for a few hours of visiting before heading back to the airport and going home.  The only part of the week that didn't go to plan was the ride to the airport.  We had an Uber driver who got us pretty close but 1.5 miles away, the traffic was terrible and we made the decision to walk the rest of the way to make our plane in time.  So with 2 kids, 2 suitcases, a stroller and carry-ons, we hoofed it to the airport - along with the other passengers who made the same decision. It wasn't an ideal way to end the trip but we made it and that's all that counts.

We had an amazing time on the West Coast and can't wait for our next visit!

Hasta la vista helmet!

Last week, we were supposed to go get Asher's head laser measured to see if we could be done with the helmet, but as luck had it, the scanner was down and we couldn't get an official measurement or suggestion on if we could stop with the helmet.  But the scanner is back up and running so I told them that we had to come in this week.  They fit us in the schedule and I got to spend some extra time with Asher around lunchtime.  He was happy to be sprung from school and even happier that there were toys to play with!

If you remember from the first scan, they put him in a little do-rag to hide his amazing hair, lay him down in the scanner and 2.5 seconds later, the scan is done.  A few buttons here, a few calculations there and voila, we are given the clear to stop using the helmet!  

Asher started off with a difference of 11.5mm from one side to the other.  The suggested level for a helmet is anything over 6mm and today, we measured at 4.2mm!  That means that we are done and that the helmet will find a new place to rest - and we can spend all day looking at Asher's adorable face with all that hair.  I think he looks like a totally different kid, and everyone keeps saying how grown up he looks without the helmet.  Now we just have to ease him into a few activities and remind him that he will hurt himself if he knocks around as there is nothing left to protect him.  Depending on the level of bonks, we may just put it back on him for protection!

I was hesitant at first to put on the helmet but 3.5 months flew by and besides getting knocked in the mouth a few times and having to work hair drying time into the schedule after bath, it really wasn't that big of a deal.  It absolutely worked the way we wanted it to and now moving forward, we will know that we did everything we could to keep him as perfect as possible!

Election Day

Well, Election Day has come and gone and while I am certainly not happy with the outcome, I can say that I am glad it is over.  The past 18 months has been an epic battle full of lies, mud slinging, frustration and fear but the country has voted and we will see what is to come.

I have never been political but found myself engaging in this election much more.  Thanks to Stacey for my daily education, I can say that I am more knowledgable on the subject of politics - and while I am certainly no expert - I feel confident in what I learned through the experience.  I hope that we also opened Riley's eyes to the idea of democracy.

We didn't watch much coverage through the primaries and debates because I didn't want him hearing and seeing much of what was happening, but instilling the idea of making your voice heard and voting as soon as you can is one that we will continue to focus on.  When he did see the nominees on tv, he would ask why the boy was mad and yelling and would ask if we wanted the girl to win.  Yes, we wanted the girl to win...  

We made a big deal of the fact that it was a special thing that we got to go and vote and Riley woke up on election morning and asked it it was time to go.  Although next time around, he will hopefully understand the difference between the fact that we are 'voting' rather than 'boating' - gosh was he disappointed when I told him that we weren't going on a boat...

People are now saying that they they are ready for the next four years to fly by and for the next election to come, but I can't say the same.  They next four years are when my babies will be growing up, so I want to enjoy the time and not wish it gone  I am apprehensive of what a Trump presidency means for the country but am confident in the fact that no matter what happens outside my door, I can always come home to my family where I will feel safe and loved and happy with a smile on my face!

Trick or Treat!

Happy Halloween!  The countdown is over, the costumes are on, the candy is collected and I am exhausted!  Riley has been asking for weeks when he could wear his Iron Man costume and the time has finally come.  He got to wear it twice, actually, as we had a practice run this weekend for the Halloween parade and a birthday party, but tonight he got to wear it for the real deal of trick or treating.

We went to Bibi and Zee's house for dinner.  After the meatballs were devoured, we suited up and headed out.  Zee and I took Riley around their neighborhood and let me tell you - they must bus kids in cause there were hundreds and hundreds hitting the blocks around them.  Riley started out strong but half way around the block gave up and insisted that Iron Man needed to fly, so Zee carried him.  Even just going half way around the block, though, he still made a pretty good haul (and I got a few snacks too)!

Meanwhile, Asher stayed with Bibi to hand out candy and seemed to do pretty well.  He liked seeing the kids and most of the costumes, until one scared him and he was done.  It was also past his bedtime too, so I can't blame him for being upset and ready to leave.

I left a big bowl of candy at my house and was half expecting it to be empty when we came home cause a teenager got a hold of it, but we get so few kids in my neighborhood that more than half the bowl was left when I came back.  Oh well, more for me!

We missed having Chris here but knowing that he won't be going to this same conference next year makes me happy - now I have a whole year to come up with outfits for us where all four of us can dress up together!  The suggestion box is officially open!

Getting ready for Halloween

It seems as though Riley has inherited Safta's affinity for Halloween and has been asking for  weeks to decorate the house in anticipation of the upcoming holiday.  Who am I to deny him this pleasure so last week I took him to the Dollar Store and let him go nuts in the Halloween aisle.  He clearly had a vision cause he knew exactly what he was looking for and knew what to avoid.  The only thing I had to veto was a motion activated wiggling rat - I just couldn't be on board with that one.

Chris and the boys decorated the front yard last week and I think it looks great.  Be sure to look at all the places they decorated - even the guest skeletons saying hi from the front window.  We will be going to the Halloween parade tomorrow morning and then to a Halloween birthday party so we will be getting a lot of mileage out of our costumes this year - stay tuned for pictures!

So our house may not be the most decorated house in the neighborhood, but I am totally ok with that.  We all know that Zadie and Safta's house will be the house in our family that knows how to dress the part and Riley is hoping the the witch who tells stories will still be out when we go to visit Visalia in November.  

Tiny tooth time

It's hard to get a picture to prove it - especially when toys are being swung at my face - but Asher has 2 tiny teeth coming on the bottom!  Chris felt one at the end of last week and we have been keeping an eye on it, and today I saw the second one breaking through. 

He has been waking up a few times at night, usually just wanting his paci, so we are hoping to get back to his full night sleeps soon - but also, I just know that he is going to look so freaking adorable with little teeth in place, so I also want them to come in already.

Asher is doing a great job eating and has learned to mash up all kinds of food without teeth. He loves avocados and bananas, chicken and pancakes, eggs and cantaloupe.  To be honest, I don't think we have come across a food yet that he doesn't like.  And all 23 pounds of him can prove that he is a great eater!

Update: I got a picture where you can see his tiny teeth!

Asher is 9 months old

We just got back from the beach - which will get its own blog post - but I just wanted to take a minute to recognize the fact that Asher turned 9 months old while we were out of town.  

He is a very happy guy and everyone who meets him says two things.  1. That he is very happy and smiley and 2. That he is a big baby.  I can attest to both of those!  He is almost always in a good mood and makes friends easily.  And he weighs over 22 pounds which is getting more and more difficult to tote around.

We are taking him in for his 9 month check-up next week so we will see where he stacks up, but I know this linebacker, bruiser of a baby is going to be tipping the top ends of the chart.  But at the end of the day, he is so happy and healthy and cute, and those are the most important things to be checking in on!

Happy 4th Birthday Riley

On Friday, we were able to celebrate Riley's 4th birthday with a family Spider Man party!  He has been looking forward to it for weeks and as soon as it turned September, he asked every day if it was time yet for his party.  

I was in charge of the planning, the food and the cake and Chris was in charge of the decorations.  At his request, our menu was chicken nuggets, french fries, fruit, vegetables and cake and we decorated with Spider Man balloons, masks, plates, napkins, candles, signs and party blowers (I think Chris bought everything Spider Man in the store)!

With mojitos in hand, we were ready to party!  It was the perfect night for a party and even Asher was in a great mood and ready to stay up late to party.  We were missing some family members but partied with everyone present.  And when it comes to presents, Riley made quite the haul!

I think it was just the party that Riley was looking forward to and he will get to celebrate with his friends at school on Monday with cookies and Spider Man goodie bags.  Thanks to everyone for helping us celebrate!

And by the way, I had a great birthday too!

Hey batter batter!

This weekend, we celebrated Labor Day with the age old tradition of heading out to the ball park - and this visit was especially significant as it was Asher's first visit to a baseball game!

It was the perfect day to go to a baseball game with blue skies and the sun shining.  Chris picked the perfect seats that gave us a great view of the field while sitting comfortably in the shade.  Riley was pretty into the game at first, but once he saw someone eating chicken tenders, his sights shifted and that was all he was interested in.  So we indulged and he enjoyed his meal - until he saw the cotton candy man.  Then, all he ever wanted in life was cotton candy.  We said no about 12 million times and kept our cool while telling him no over and over again.  Riley did not keep his cool and almost made us leave right then.  

To distract ourselves from the near meltdown, Asher and I busied ourselves with a photo shoot.  He really enjoyed being at the game and overtime the music came on and people started clapping, he would look around and get excited.  His favorite part of the whole game was clapping!  

We lasted about 2 hours and ended up leaving around 6 to get home in time for bedtime and bath time for Asher.  Overall, I would say that it went pretty well - but we will also probably be waiting a few years before we try to go again!

8 Months!

As of yesterday, Asher is 8 months old, and as of today he is 35 weeks old.  No, I am not usually still counting how old he is in weeks - it just means that he has officially been growing on the outside as long as he was cooking on the inside!  And grow he has!

Our little chunker is as perfect and healthy as can be.  He has a very pleasant disposition and has quite the personality.  He isn't afraid to 'tell' you what he thinks and is a very happy baby.  He is eating so many different fruits and vegetables and he hasn't made a face at one of them yet.  He loves bath time and the music, will lunge to grab Addison's fur and thinks Riley is just the best person in the world.  If I have to go upstairs to grab something and Asher starts crying, I just ask Riley to sing to him or make funny noises and immediately Asher starts laughing and is happy again.

Asher is making great progress with his helmet - we are seeing changes to his head shape and it does not hold him back from anything.  He is rolling all over the place, sitting on his own for minutes at a time, lifting up his head and shoulders and is starting to think about scooting.  He is still having physical therapy but now every other week.  The physical therapist is very happy with his progress and our next goals are crawling and standing.  I guess it's time to baby-proof again!

And with his helmet, Asher is making friends wherever he goes.  So many people stop to tell us that they love his helmet and we've had dozens of "Go Buckeyes"!  And with the start of college football season, I'm sure he will keep turning heads wherever he goes.  

Got any gum?

For weeks, Riley has been saying that he wants bubble gum but then appeased himself by chewing on green beans, grapes or cereal and saying it was gum - which I was very happy about.  Then yesterday, a friend gave him gum in a goodie bag and he pleaded to try it.  So I gave in and let him try it, supervised of course.  Here is what happened:

And then one minute later, this happened:

I think we'll wait a while to try again...

Safta & Zadie come to visit!

This past week, Safta and Zadie came to visit us!  The timing worked out well that they were able to come to Pittsburgh the week between camp and school where the boys were out of the JCC and had lots of free time to visit.

I am lucky that Chris was able to take the week off of work too, so he was in charge of the kids, the grandparents and the daily activities.  They filled the week with visits to the zoo, the Science Center, Mt. Washington, a ride on the Gateway Clipper and more.  I was able to spend time with the family after work and for dinner time and it was nice to be able to catch up with Linda and Claude.

Because Safta and Zadie know how much Riley likes convertibles - and since they weren't able to bring theirs with them, they upped their game and got Riley his own ride - a BMW at that!  He drives it in the driveway and he is learning cool tricks like 3-point-turns.  His car even has its own parking spot in the garage!

Riley was so happy with the visit and Asher was really excited to meet his grandparents.  Thanks for taking the time to visit us Safta and Zadie! We're already looking forward to our visit to Visalia in November!

It's helmet time!

Well, the day has finally arrived for Asher to get his helmet!  I have been waiting for this day with mixed emotions as there is no way to know for sure if we made the right decision to move forward with a helmet, but at the end of the day, I am telling myself that it is better to do small and temporary things now for long-term results.

Asher has a mild/moderate case of plagiocephaly (or flat head) and the helmet is a tool that we will be using to even out his head and make it perfect and round.  We have been doing other things to help prevent more flattening, like physical therapy and positioning, but they only help so that it doesn't get any worse.  The flay spot has been there since he was born because he always favored one side over the other, especially when sleeping.

I have been worried that he would be uncomfortable and hot but when he was fitted today, he didn't really seem to care that much that he had a new accessory.  We are easing into it with one-hour chunks, then two, four and eight, working our way up to wearing it 23 hours a day - all but bath time and cleaning time.  In theory, he will wear it for a few months, up until he is one.

I have a whole plan on how to decorate the helmet but it takes time and planning, so stay tuned for the final outcome.  In the meantime, take a look at that cute helmet headed kid who doesn't seem to have a care in the world!

The final countdown

We are now within the final countdown until Chris gets home and everyone in the house is really excited!  Just being able to say 5 days, now 4 days, now 3 days feels really great - and I know that Chris is just as excited to be home and see us all.

I have to admit that I was really scared about this month that he was going to be gone, but now that it's almost over, I can say that it went pretty well.  Between hiring someone to be here after camp on some days, being invited over to BiBi and Zee's house and Riley having sleep overs, Aunt Stacey and Uncle Brad having Shabbat with us, and me learning how to get by alone with a routine, I am happy to announce that we all had a very successful month  - something I am very proud of!

That being said, I do not know how people choose to do this on their own.  Parenting is exhausting and all consuming for two parents as a team, but when you are all alone, its a whole other story.  Asher has a way of sensing just as I am about to fall asleep and decides he needs his pacifier then.  Riley has a way of knowing when my patience is wearing thin and decides to throw a fit then.  But at the end of the day, we are all functioning very well.

It helped that Chris was able to communicate pretty frequently - I was able to keep him posted and send pictures and videos and we were able to Skype a number of times so Riley could talk to him and Asher could see him and smile back.  Thank you technology!

We made the most of our time while Chris was gone and did all the things that he doesn't love - we had play dates and went to birthday parties, we went to the History museum and had lazy time at the house, we made peanut butter and jelly for dinner and ate all kinds of vegetables.  

Knowing that I have to do this again next year isn't something that I am looking forward to - but now that I've done it and know what is possible, I will not be dreading it either.   

Thank you to everyone that helped this month - it was very much appreciated!

Roley poley

Guess who started rolling today? Asher rolled from his tummy to his back, a trick we have been working on for a few weeks!  He was so proud of himself the first time that he gave a good giggle - I think he was reacting to my cheering more than anything.

He is still working on rolling back over to his tummy.  He gets really close but his arm always gets in the way and acts as a blockade and he does;t get how to move it.  He throws his weight so he is on his side but doesn't quite get the umph needed to get all the way back.  I have a feeling, however, that this next trick isn't too far into the future.

He looks pretty proud of his accomplishment, don't you think?

Totally Tubular

Today was Round 2 of ear tubes for Riley.  Yes, we've done this before, but Riley is part of the lucky minority of kids that not only get to get ear tubes, but get them twice!  I am hopeful though that with the new set of tubes, they will prevent future ear infections, especially when that season comes back around in full swing.

Riley was a total pro and aced the ear tubes Olympics.  He showed no fear and was really a champ the whole way through.  From waking up early to being wheeled into the operating room, recovery and moving on, he was always in a good mood and had high spirits - making the whole day a lot easier than last time where we weren't able to communicate what was happening as well.

With Chris in Israel, it was key to have the right back-up in place and BiBi and Zee really stepped up to the plate.  From the minute they walked in the door at 6am, we had everything down to a science so we were able to get Asher to school, Riley to the hospital, have him recover at their house where extra hands were on deck and be a support system for me.

On top of all of that, Addison had an ear infection that had to be taken care of too, so Stacey to the rescue by getting us an appointment this afternoon at a new vet that I now love!  She now has clean ears and medicine that will stay in for 2 weeks so I don't have to do anything - yey!

And with all of that happening in the past 16 hours, it is now time to go to sleep!!!

6 months

This morning, I took Asher in for his 6 month check-up and he passed with flying colors!  This little chunker weighs 17 lbs 11 oz which sounds (and feels) like a lot but just puts him at the 50th percentile for his age.  His height is at the 60th percentile and for someone who was born 5 weeks early and only weighed 6 pounds, there is no sign of being a preemie!  He is trying to say a lot, is doing really well at eating his food and is a squirmy worm.  Next step is to get him to start rolling over and to sleep through the night.

I have now not slept through the night for over 8 months (he woke me up at night even before he was born) and I'm ready for a full night sleep - hopefully in the coming weeks.  The doctor said that we should stop swaddling Asher and give him a pacifier when he cries at night but don't take him out or feed him, otherwise, that is what he will need to fall asleep all the time.  I am happy to say that he fell asleep pretty quickly tonight and is sleeping spread eagle, for now.  I'm sure he'll wake up soon but with any luck, it will be a quick visit and then we can both go back to bed.  Stay tuned!

Foodie baby

Guess who's eating real food?  Mr. Man can't seem to get enough milk so Asher has been working on eating oatmeal for the past two weeks and today, he tried bananas!  He isn't great at it yet and he certainly makes a mess, but he is trying and getting better at it each week.  He liked the idea of bananas today, they just seemed to be a little too slippery to stay in his wiggly tongued mouth.

Asher likes to hold a spoon to help but he keeps getting it in the way and gagging himself - so we have a little more work to do.  So this kid will go bananas for the first few days and then we can figure out what's next on his grand foodie adventure.

The Hershey Tradition

This weekend, we continued the Asman tradition of starting off the summer with a family trip to Hershey!  And with our growing brood, it was quite a feat that everyone was able to come together to one place for a quick weekend of family time, relaxation and chocolate!

It looked like we were moving in for a month with all of the things that we brought, but with 2 kids under 4, we pretty much had to bring one of everything.  From water wings to tennis rackets, a cooler and a baby chair, we were ready for just about any situation.  Turns out we would have just been fine with bathing suits cause we were all pretty happy just spending hours at the pool.  This was Asher's first time swimming and he is a water baby just like his big brother.  Everyone was checking out his big baby thighs in his adorable swim suit and he was quick to make new friends.  Riley showed no fear and had hours or fun jumping off the edge of the pool.

We went to Chocolate World, played (and won) chocolate bingo, celebrated Arielle's birthday and had a great time before everyone goes in every different direction for the summer.  I hope this is a tradition that we can continue as the boys grow up because I love being able to share experiences with them that I had when I was growing up!

Moving on up

Yesterday, the boys participated in their Moving Up ceremony!  This is the end of the school year for Riley, but just another day for Asher.

The babies don't really perform much, but boy do they put on a show!  As the youngest baby in the room, Asher got the place of honor in the front of the stroller.  The teachers paraded the babies in, some of them shook their shakers and they put a smile on everyone's faces.  Asher found me in the crowd behind the camera and gave me some happy smiles! 

Riley and his class had been practicing a song for weeks - "Pre-K, Pre-K Here We Come" and they did a great job during their performance!  Riley was quite the multi-tasker and managed to give a song and a dance - showing everyone in the audience his belly for the majority of the song.

The boys are so lucky to have such a big cheering section and we are so happy that we have such an active and involved family.  Thank you to everyone for coming to the ceremony!  

Riley got to take part in the graduation festivities, including a train ride in the back field.  No flesh colored balloon sword like last year - which I don't think he'll ever be able to live down. Now Riley gets to start camp on Monday!