all about Asher!

Some of my favorite moments with Asher:

Sometimes when I'm feeding him and I'm almost about to put the spoon full of food into his mouth, he opens his mouth and lets out a huge burp

Clapping with him. He's just started clapping and amuses us with his great timing- he'll start laughing and clapping when we flush the toilet or blow our noses.

Watching him play with my hair brushes (his favorite toys). He'll grab ahold of one and travel around the house with it in-hand for an hour.

Listening to him babble "mamamamamama" and "num num num num num..."

Watching him eat a banana. He holds a big piece in his hand and chows down on the whole thing. He's amazed that he can just keep stuffing it further and further in his mouth. Downside is he covers his whole face, body, and hair with banana smooshies and later I find it ground into our carpet. Who knows how it got from the kitchen to the carpet. Hah!

Holding him when he's tired, because he'll rest his head on my shoulder, pull his knees up underneath him and cuddle into my arms. This melts my heart.

Kissing his soft cheeks and watching him laugh and try to grab my hair

Some of my not-so-favorite moments with Asher:

Asher yanking my hair out. I now have little sideburns where he's pulled or broken bits of my hair over the past 6 months.

Waking up every day to the sour stinky smell of his daily morning poopy diaper.

Suctioning or wiping his runny nose. He hates it and screams bloody murder.

Having to tell him "no." He's slowly but surely learning the meaning of this dreaded word, but it's still sad seeing him look so dejected after being told no.

Hearing him cough when he's sick. It sounds so tiny and helpless and makes me wish I was sick in his place.

I just love my sweet boy.

10 month updates- he crawls really fast, pulls up on everything, stands for a few seconds without holding on to anything, walks along things, claps, signs "milk," knows the word "no," sleeps from 7:30 to 7:30, doesn't like to cuddle during the day, loves to cuddle when he's tired, drinks 4 8-oz bottles of milk, eats breakfast lunch & dinner (normally baby food plus a piece of bread, a banana, some kind of meat, and little baby snacks), and he says "mama" and "dada" but doesn't really associate us with the words. He's growing up so fast! I miss the days when he would just lay in my arms and nurse all day. But I'm really looking forward to when he can call me by name and hold little conversations with me. :)

Off to watch my Sunday night show. Tata!

for the love of a chair

I have a slight obsession with decorating. Slight, because I live in a tiny space and have about 1/2 a wall left to decorate. I love pretty things, and I love making my little house a home. It's all about making my family's space personal, functional, and fabulous!

I used an Amazon gift card (thanks Mom!) to get this book for my birthday. I love it! I first saw it in Anthropologie and have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to splurge on it. I love the way it helps you determine your personal style- it doesn't limit you to just "modern" or "transitional." I think I'm a "feminine/organic/clean/comfortable/

glamorous/tailored/cozy." Wow. That works for me!

http://www.adoremagazine.com/

Check out this online magazine. So cute and lots of great ideas!

I'm always on the lookout for fabulous items on craigslist. Last night, I came across this chair. My wonderful husband hopped in the car with baby and me (in the rain) and off we went to gather my fantastic new find!

It is now sitting in a corner that once housed a baby swing and exersaucer. Said swing and e-saucer are now chillaxing in our storage unit. They should have been moved there a month ago. Asher apparently is too good for such toys. :)

I can't believe how big he's getting. He'll be 9 months in 5 days. He's crawling like a maniac, pulling up on everything, and not quite standing on his own yet. He says "mama" and "dada," although I doubt he knows what he's saying. He's starting to develop an adorable need to be cuddled. He went through a couple months where he just wanted to crawl on his own and not be held. He sleeps from about 7:3o pm to 7:30 am. He wakes up babbling and playing with his blankie. I can't even begin to describe the amount of joy he's brought into our lives. I love peeking in on him and seeing this...

Time to cook dinner! At cooking club today, I taught my students how to make Rachael Ray's Penne-wise Pumpkin Pasta today. Maybe I'll try it...

anthro-spensive-ologie

So my birthday is coming up, and my sweet husband asked me what I wanted... I asked him if he remembered the things I've hinted at all year, but the poor guy has to deal with me saying "That's what I want for my birthday!" every single time we walk by Anthropologie's front display window. So I decided that I really like one of their winter outfits. Sad thing is, the total cost for the boots, coat, tights, dress, and headband is about $1200. Beyond ridiculous. Even if I made a million dollars a year I wouldn't spend that much on an outfit.

So my goal is to use the Anthro outfit as inspiration to find and put together my own outfit- only about 90% less expensive. :)

So far, I've found boots. Amazon-$80. I'm going to have to pay Burlington Coat Factory a visit if I have any hope of finding a coat around $50. Dress- eh...who cares? No one will be able to see it under the coat anyway. Tights and headband will have to come from Anthro, unless I get lucky in some random store and find similar items for less.

When asked what he thinks about this, my hubby says, "No comment" and shakes his head.

I'll show him! And if I can't, I'm sure I'll love whatever he gets me for my b-day. =)

pregnancy tissue

Is there a point where you just stop reading? Stop caring about what's going on in the world around us? Are we supposed to live naively and pretend that everything is just fine?

I just read the New York Times Mag article about abortion, "The New Abortion Providers."

I teared up through the whole thing. I don't understand how a human being can actually get excited about the prospect of abortion being available at your local family physician. I don't care if it's your "right," if it helps get rid of a problem, if it solves something you don't want to deal with, and if it means that finally women have power. Please. Women's lib doesn't equal humane and readily available murder.

The lady who wrote the article refers to the aborted contents of the womb as "pregnancy tissue."

Yay for women's lib! Yay for the progressive rights of women! Yay for getting rid of that darn "pregnancy tissue." Thank goodness there's a way to solve the results of our immorality without actually giving up immorality. Thank goodness I can have sex with whomever I want and not worry about getting pregnant, because I can go to my family doctor and destroy the contents in my womb.

Maybe in ten years we'll have come as far as to be told to call our children "Post-pregnancy tissue."

I love my pregnancy tissue. He's perfect. He's the love of our lives.

May God have mercy on us.

6 month mommy!

Wow. I can't believe it's been 6 months. 25 weeks of ooey gooey slobbery boy. And I can't get enough of him!

Work has gotten significantly harder with a crawling baby who wants to cuddle 24/7. So we started Mother's Day out this past week. He goes for 5 hours a day twice a week. Which gives me much-needed time to cram my 40-hr-a-week job into 10 hours! :) No...not really. Chris helps me out and I work at night if I need to.

We've finally got Asher on a schedule. After a few nights of crying it out, he goes to sleep for naps and nighttime with only a couple minutes of whining. Last night, he crashed the second we put him in the crib. Yay for schedules! I am totally not a "let your baby cry..who cares" type of mom. However, after reading multiple sleeping books with all sorts of differing views, the basic thing I gathered from each one was that a tired baby cries. If your baby is well-rested, he's going to go to sleep easily. Funny how that works! So if you have your baby taking good naps, and if he get put down for sleep before he gets over-tired, he will sleep well. If you don't think so, just try it. Yeah, he might cry at first. Duh...he doesn't want to stop playing! But after a few nights of him protesting his bedtime, he'll learn that bedtime is bedtime. And you'll be able to close the door with a content sigh of relief, and prepare yourself for the next day of being the best mommy to your baby. I really do think that by not allowing your child to go to bed, you're doing him a disservice. That's all. :)

Fun splurge of the week: Jcrew.com is having a huuuuge sale! I stocked up on tanks, cardigans, and a new pair of size 8 pants!!! This past Monday I finally hit my pre-pregnancy weight, and I'm proud of it! (Not really sure why, though, because my sweet tooth has been at an all-time high lately!)

Speaking of pre-pregnancy weight... does anyone else besides me think it's hokey that these celebrity moms look better than most teenage volleyball players with no kids? Unless they removed all of their insides to make room for their baby belly to go backwards, not forwards, then I think surgery is definitely the answer to this perturbing anomaly.

This wouldn't be a complete post without a special shout-out to the most amazing man in the world. My husband. I don't really have the right words to describe him right now. I just love him so much. He is the hardest working man I know. He takes such good care of me and his son. He shows me every day how much God loves me. And I think he just happens to be the best youth pastor around. Even when people fail to notice everything that he does (and he sure does a lot, people), he doesn't bat an eye. If it were me, I'd be standing on the roof, shouting at everyone to look at me, see what I've done, hello are you blind?! Anyway... he doesn't do that, doesn't need to do that, and still keeps going every day with the same passion, drive, ambition, and heart that he had when I first met him. How did I get so lucky?

Today=

• answer one and a half million Kmails from my new families. This first week of school is always crazy!
• Clean house
• Take pictures of my newly decorated living room!
• Date night with the man described above
• Try a new recipe for black bean burgers. Weird but true, I think I like veggie burgers better than beef burgers!

Happy weekend! yay!

do the asher dance!

I love being a mom.

I do have to admit, sometimes I'm amazed that I got through the entire day without pulling my hair out or giving up, but when I compare the good days/bad days, the good ones definitely come out on top.

I haven't written much about Asher. I better get started, since he's the reason I love being a mom! Speaking of not doing things, I also haven't even STARTED his baby book. Should I confess more? I have no idea what immunizations he's had, what he's weighed at his last 5 doctor appts, or what his eating schedule is. Breastfeeding does that to you, I guess. He eats a lot, and I lose track :>)

Asher has got to be the easiest baby ever. Seriously. I don't want to talk about it TOO much, just in case I jinx myself on the next baby.

What I love about him-

He sleeps like a baby. Yes- he DOES prove that saying true. His morning routine is my favorite thing in the whole world. He wakes up and just lays there smiling until I pick him up. He holds his arms out now...so darn cute! Then we dance around while he wakes up. He looks like a little Chinese man right after a long night's sleep.

He only cries when he's hungry. His crying rarely gets louder than a pathetic wimper. When I torture him by making him wait to eat (not on purpose..like when we're in the car or when I'm in the shower), he sometimes surprises us with some pretty loud screams. But it's so cute, I can't help but laugh! I'm sure that makes him love me even more.

He loves to cuddle. He used to not like being on my shoulder, but now he just sits there looking up at me or sucking on my shoulder. He drools like a crazy man. And no, he's not teething. Not yet. Just drooling.

For the most part, it's pretty easy to keep him entertained during the day. Sometimes it takes moving him from the bouncer to the bumbo to the swing, but eventually I find out sometime he likes, and that takes care of him for an hour or two.

I could go on forever!

He sleeps like an inchworm now, on his tummy with his legs tucked under him and his butt in the air. Melt my heart cute.

Last, but not least- his smile. He has his daddy's smile that's for sure!

That's about all the cuteness I can take. All 5 months, 13.5 pounds of cuteness. That's why I love being a mom.

bringing up boy :)

One of the books I'm reading for triple S, the seminary-wife program I'm in, is called "bringing up Boys." So many things in the book are standing out to me... and I think God is really trying to open my eyes to the answer that's been sitting in front of me for 4 months... Ever since the baby, I've struggled with all the typical working mom/stay at home mom stuff, as well as what my purpose in life is, even wondering what good 4 years in college to get a degree is if I don't put it to good use. I've been asking God to just show me what he wants me to do, and to help me feel successful in being a stay-at-home-mom, and to really show me what is the MOST important thing to focus my life on right now.

I DO work as a teacher from home right now, so that's made my degree useful, obviously, but in the future, and as Asher gets older, life changes and there are just so many things to think about.

I've always known that when I eventually had kids, I wanted to stay at home with them. Even if it meant having a lower standard of living, giving up certain things, etc. But you can't help but wonder, what was the point of going to college and spending 4 years studying to just have kids and stay at home. Well...this book has put a lot of things into perspective. It's kinda like a wake-up call. Duh! If I can put my selfish thoughts aside, and if I can block out all the US culture/women's lib craziness/materialistic mindset stuff, then I can clearly see what I'm supposed to do, at least for now. I'm sure tons of women would argue with me, and yeah, and lot of stuff they would say would probably make sense. What about ME? What about all the money I spent on my education? What about my place in the working world, making a difference, fulfilling my purpose in life, making money, gaining respect, feeling successful, putting my smart brain to good use!..... Yeah, it all sounds really good. But honestly, my baby boy is more important to me, than me. And if I can learn (and accept and not feel guilty!) to really truly enjoy and love being there for my boy, then the less important all that other stuff starts to seem. The work place can be really rewarding, but to a mom, in the end, it's not what really matters. Here are some passages from the book that were really powerful...

"...the trouble we are having with our children is linked directly to routine panic and the increasing isolation and detachment from , their parents. Furthermore, boys typically suffer more from these conditions than do girls. Why? Because boys are more likely to get off-course when they are not guided and supervised carefully. The are inherently more volatile and less stable emotionally. They founder in chaotic, unsupervised, and undisciplined circumstances...Yet nearly half (49%) of all school-age children in America do not come home to a parent in the afternoon--they are either alone or in the care of someone other than Mom or Dad....Today, when the culture is in a tug-of-war with families for control of our children, we can't afford to be casual about their care and training."

"Your task as a mother, in conjunction with your husband, is to build a man out of the raw materials available in this delightful little boy, stone upon stone upon stone...I believe this task must be your highest priority for a period of time. It will not always be required of you. Before you know it, that child at your feet will become a young man who will pack his bags and take his first halting steps into the adult world. Then it will be your turn. By all expectations, you should have decades of health and vigor left to invest in whatever God calls you to do. But for now, there is a higher calling."

Quote by President Clinton's old deputy counsel: "A word about family. You have amply demonstrated that you are achievers willing to work hard, long hours and set aside your personal lives. But it reminds me of that observation that no one was ever heard to say on a deathbed, I wish I had spent more time at the office. Balance wisely your professional life and your family life. If you are fortunate to have children, your parents will warn you that your children will grow up and be gone before you know it. I can testify that it is true. God only allows us so many opportunities with our children to read a story, go fishing, play catch and say our prayers together. Try not to miss a one of them."

kitchen love

Today is a lovely day. Too lovely to just sit and watch movies or read.

I've already done 5 loads of laundry- 1 more to go, which gave me plenty of time to think about what I want to do today.

It's 3:00.... mid-afternoon. Too late to plan an all-day trip anywhere, to early to go out for dinner.

Finally decided what I want to do. Cook. Bake. And cook some more!

So I looked up some recipes that I want to make for a special someone's birthday this summer-

Creamy lemon crumb squares

Artichoke and Spinach dip

Mushroom phyllo bundles

Cheddar puffs

yes please!

Baby is fed, sleeping, and stuffed in lovely carseat. We're off to Kroger!

recipes thanks to http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/

homemade carmel popcorn

The girls from my Bible study are getting together for movie night tonight, and I volunteered to bring one of my fav. snacks. The house smells like popcorn and caramel. MMMmmmmm. Too bad I just started P90X today, which includes following a nutrition guide that somehow does NOT call for caramel popcorn. Ripped trainer dude (don't remember his name atm) says if someone offers you a forbidden food, just say, "No thanks. I'm not eating that for 90 days." Yup, that simple.

Back to P90X- I barely got through the first workout (only 48 minutes) without keeling over and dying right there on my tiny living room floor. The thought of doing this for 89 more days, and especially as the workouts increase to 1.5 hours, there is a huge cloud of doubt in my mind that I will actually make it. However, the thought of never being able to fit in my old pants again is enough to get me up at 7 am and push through the tortuous agony that is working out. I mean, gimme a break! I took naps, ate chinese food, and waddled around for 9 months...this is definitely a life-style change.

Baby update:

Asher is 12 weeks old today!

• He rolled over today! I heard him crying from the other room and it sounded muffled, so I ran in to see him on his belly! Oh boy....here we go. Next it'll be crawling! Being a mom is starting to feel pretty real right about now!
• He smiles now. His mouth is huge!
• He is laughing, moaning, screeching, grunting, and cooing.
• He blows spit bubbles and rivals any "Drool Monster" that has ever existed. He goes through at least 3 bibs a day.
• He interacts with people now and will hold a cooing conversation.
• He can grab things, but can't let go yet.
• He just found his feet! Next week he'll probably be sucking his toes.
• Favorite thing: He sleeps through the night the majority of the time. His bedtime routine is around 9-10 until 5 or 6.

I've been wanting to do this for a while. I could add a lot more to both lists, but here my top few-

Baby things I've found extremely helpful:

Boppy: My ultimate favorite baby thing. Its nickname should be Backsaver.

Rocker glider: I can work on my computer and nurse at the same time. Lots of people told me they never used them. I can't imagine not having it. It also helps me just sit and enjoy the peace and quiet of nursing.

Travel system: Even though it's heavy, it is so handy to be able to carry him in his carseat.

Wipies: I know this is silly, but I used to work in a day care, and they freaked out if you used more than 2 wipes per diaper change. I will gladly spend a few more dollars a week to wipe my baby's butt clean to my heart's content.

Husband who gives me daily back massages: Couldn't do it without him. Well I could, but Massage Envy prices keep him more than willing to shell out freebies. :)

Baby things I still haven't used:

Baby timer app on our iPhone/Itzbeen timer. Seriously...we gave up trying to time feedings, poops, and pees the day we got back from the hospital. Asher made it pretty clear when he was hungry, and he sure didn't have a problem filling his diaper. It's pretty much impossible to get a tiny baby on any kind of schedule anyways.

Half my parenting/pregnancy/baby sleep books. I wish I had time to read all of them, but I don't. The one I will say is the most helpful: Your Baby's First Year: week by week. I like reading one chapter each week. It's easy to get through, concise, and not pretentious. My least favorite book- Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. Even though I agree with the basic foundation of helping a child get his days/nights straightened out and giving a baby what he needs when he needs it, I hated how I had to read 8 million pages before I got to the POINT. Seriously....WHEN is he going to tell me how to have a happy child?

Bottle warmer. (we just run the bottle under hot water)

My top 5 favorite things about being a mom:

1. Getting to experience a kind of love I never could have imagined.
2. The sense of pride I get to feel when people ooh and ahh over him.
3. Watching a human being grow and develop from day 1.
4. Having Chris as my baby daddy :) I always knew he'd make a great dad!
5. The smiles Asher gives me when I talk to him.

Nursery idea for next baby......i love this!

My "splurge" of the week (splurge in quotations because I used gift cards!):

I can't wait to bake a giant cupcake for someone! Have a great day!

obamacare

Here are some bits and pieces of articles I've read...

I'm still waiting on hearing back from some people I asked to give me their thoughts. Once I get a good view of both sides, I'll be able to better form my opinion.

Because the Obama administration is guaranteeing that Americans will only pay a set proportion of their income for private health insurance, the state will end up picking up the bill. That's hard to reconcile with the administration's assertions that the "reforms" will reduce the fiscal burden.It highlights the core problem: private insurance is a weird and deeply flawed way to provide universal healthcare coverage.- http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/22/2853179.htm?site=thedrum

The main argument for a “public option” is that it would increase competition. However, if the federal government creates a health care plan that it controls and also sets the rules for the private plans, there is little doubt that Washington would put its private sector “competitors” out of business sooner or later.

Cost or a federal health board could be the deciding factors. President Obama himself admitted this when he said, “Maybe you’re better off not having the surgery, but taking the painkiller,” when asked about an elderly woman who needed a pacemaker.

- http://fixhealthcarepolicy.com/research/obamacare-one-pill-two-pill-red-pill-blue-pill/

If leading Democrats allowed for separate votes on each issue, instead of demanding one vote on a single, massively unwieldy bill, then popular reforms would have been enacted many months ago, likely with substantial Republican support.

Finally, a long bill is a partisan bill and the president knows it. In 2009, Republicans repeatedly asked Democrats to consider individual bills so they could vote for the reforms that made sense, and vote against those that didnt. Ironically, many Democrats now recommend the same approach.

Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/columns/oped_contributors/Size-of-health-care-bill-is-an-issue-86124092.html#ixzz0kAjWWZu5

Raising taxes in the middle of a recession is just about the worst thing to do, but what choice do you have when you pass a HUGE bill that you can't afford?

spring break!

Paying off debt. This has been one of the hardest but most rewarding parts of our marriage. Chris and I started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University class the week after our honeymoon. We were the youngest couple (by at least 10 years!) in the class, and we were also the only couple to attend every session (14 weeks!) haha...we were desperately trying to have perfect attendance so our class fee would be refunded. Hey...$100 was a lot to us!

"Living like no one else, so that we can live like no one else" is SO worth it! If you haven't taken the class, do it! Who cares if we don't drive the newest cars, go on fancy shmancy vacations, or live in a new house, if we can do it later with no debt! Living in downtown Dallas definitely amplifies the fact that we are "living like no one else" for the moment, but I've also come to realize how much it has opened my eyes to the meaningless things in this world vs. what really matters. To know that soon we'll have a good down payment on a house, a decent savings account, a car replacement fund, and no debt, makes it all worth it! Now.... I can't say I've done a perfect job at "living like no one else." My weakness is going to the mall and getting just that "one" thing I've been eyeing for months. But I think it keeps life fun and it doesn't exactly break the bank. :) I know I've written about FPU and debt before, but it's such a huge thing and writing about it helps keep me grounded and looking forward to reaching our goal.

On a lighter note, Asher slept for 5 hours, then another 4 last night! Saturday's sleepless night must have caught up with him. I actually woke up before he did this morning and had time to cook breakfast!

To-do today:

1) Put away mountain of clothes and organize closet and dresser.

2) Shopping. Yes...after that whole debt-free talk it sounds crazy, but I need some stuff that I can wear while I'm waiting for this baby weight to go away! I'm working at it, but having to wait 6 weeks to exercise hasn't helped. My maternity clothes are all too big and stretched out, and my pre-maternity clothes aren't exactly fitting. :( I plan to take the baby and my strange new body to Buffalo Exchange, my favorite store! At least I'll save money on "slightly-used clothes!"

3) Plan out the rest of my spring break/last week of maternity leave. redbox here we come!

It's Thursday!

I love Thursdays! Thursday is one of the only days that my husband gets to stay at home, all day, with no where to go, no meetings to attend, and only one short class. Thursdays make me happy. :)

Today we woke up late and went for a run down Swiss. Well, Chris ran while Asher and I walked. Yes... we still walk on Swiss, even though an old man was murdered there last week. Poor guy. The news reporters speculate that it wasn't a breaking and entering, but that it was his son or someone that knew him well. So I'll still venture out on my favorite street stroller in hand, but only if Chris goes as our bodyguard. :) The only weird encounter was a strange teenage guy with both hands in his trenchcoat pockets, walking up and down the street. As we passed him he made sure to graciously inform me, "Watch out for the spit. I spit dude. Dude...I spit!" Me: (quietly) "umm....ok....thank you." Trenchcoated teenager: "So yeah I spit. I mean...it's big. Watch out for that loogie. It's huge. Have a nice walk."

Wow. Needless to say, Asher and I strolled onto the street and on to the opposite sidewalk.

After our walk we came back and ate chicken fajitas. And considering I just walked three miles, I helped myself to my favorite treat in the whole world right now, Ben and Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch. What a way to lose the baby belly!

My wonderful news for the week: Asher slept for 5 straight hours last night! I put him down at 10:45, went to sleep at 11, woke up to him crying at 12, fed him, and then woke up at 5:30 for his breakfast! What a kid. I'll chalk it up to our long mall trip yesterday. Riding around in a stroller must have really worn him out!

Speaking of my mall trip...

I was quite disappointed in my intended splurge of the month. The yellow Anthropologie shirt turned out to be plain ugly. So I headed on over to my favorite window-shopping store instead, Kate Spade. And I left my favorite window-shopping store with these:

Don't you love window-shopping? :D

Plans for the day:

1) Go to post office, buy stamps, put stamps on thank-you cards, mail cards!!!!

2) Dust the house

3) Go to Whole Foods for some fresh fruit

4) Catch up on 24

5) Enjoy watching Asher smile- he's started responding to us with smiles! It melts my heart...

Verse of the day:

Psalm 139:13-16

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Honest Scrap

The "Honest Scrap Award" comes with a caveat or two. First, you have to tell your readers ten things about you they may not know, but that are true. Second, you have to tag 10 people with the award. Third, let all the people you've given the award to know they've gotten in (comment on their blogs or something). And, finally, make sure you link back to the person who awarded you. Well.......none of my friends still do blogs, so I don't have anyone to tag, and no one tagged me. I guess it has to start somewhere, right? :)

1. I am terrible at writing thank-you notes. I always eventually get them out, but it can take months. I don't know what it is...I'll write them, stamp them, seal the

m, but finding addresses is what takes me the longest.

2. I shamelessly watch Meet the Kardashians. What can I say? They are hilarious.

3. I can't go to bed with

out the kitchen being spotless.

4. I love decorating my future house. Online. haha! I'll pick out my furniture from Pottery Barn, accessories on from Anthropologie, and various things on Craigslist, which won't even be there by the time we buy a house. It keeps me from over-decorating our own apartment. :)

5. I spent the first ten years of my life in the Philippines as a missionary kid.

6. I don't enjoy swimming because you can't wear contacts in the water, so I'm half-blind and can't see a thing.

7. For the most part, I would rather stay at home with friends and cook dinner, watch movies, and enjoy girl-talk than go out on the town. However, after being pregnant and somewhat limited from certain activities, I can't WAIT to go out dancing with the girls and have a fun night out!

8. I cry every time I watch "A Baby Story" on TLC.

9. I am a little overwhelmed with all the responsibilities that come along with parenthood. Just a few of the things overflowing from my to-do list: check on status of husband and Asher's new insurance, figure out where his birth certificate is, figure out how to pay all the hospital bills, call insurance company and ask why certain things are on our deductible and not on our co-pay and vice

versa, clean house and do laundry, figure out when to pump and how much to pump and when we might possibly need a bottle, learn how to deal with a large heavy stroller and baby everywhere I

go, ....the list goes on forever. And I only have 1 1/2 weeks left of maternity leave. ahhhh!

10. I am going to be a SAHM and WAHM! Stay at home AND work at home

mom. I feel so blessed that God put this job in my life. Two years ago when I was freaking out about not finding a teaching job, he had exactly what I needed waiting right ahead. Thank you God!

Things I would like to blog on next:

1) my birth experience

2) pictures and videos of Asher

3) life as a SandWAHM

4) My favorite baby items/what I've found to be really usefull

5) my etsy shop!

I'll leave you with a few lovely pictures :)

Our future bed. love.

My splurge of the month! Does it get any more spring-y than this?

Rice-krispie treat cake with chocolate marshmallow icing inside! How cute would this be for one of Asher's birthdays!