Lexy Rumbling...

Yes, I am a loser...I never post anymore ;( Sorry about that...I guest blogged over at www.edgeofthelemon.blogspot.com yesterday. Sometimes Chris likes to post things on his blog that illicit a response from me :)

ANYWAY, I went to capture Lexy's hiccups on video the other night and he started moving all around...that is what this little clip is of...you can also see the hiccups on the lower lefthand side of my stomach.

Lexy from Michelle Collins on Vimeo.

Baby Alexander...

So I know it's been 12 years and a day since I posted on here...I'm just not motivated lately...the kids keep me busy...Amy keeps me busy and I've been trying to do more things for myself before baby number 4 comes...BUT I just had another ultrasound and thought I would share some pictures...I had pictures at 25 weeks done and then now at 34 weeks...I'll post a few from both sessions...

Profile Shot (25 weeks)



Big Yawn...(25 weeks)



Already a little thinker, my man... (25 weeks)



Perfect little foot...it's crazy that I can tell he has my toes...all the kids have my toes... (The remaining pictures below are all 34 weeks)



Flexible...



Baby Alexander best be working on minimizing these ginormous balls before D-day!



Looking like Adler for as much as I can tell...








So according to this blog, it looks like I have 41 days to go until my due date...scary! This pregnancy has crept up on me like none other. So far, I've gained 9 pounds and I just started measuring on track...I've been behind about 2 weeks up until now. According to babycenter, this little man weighs roughly 5 pounds and is around 19 inches long :) He'll be here soon!

Parenting, Baby #4, And Finally A Few Pictures...

One of my friends on facebook had this as her status the other day: "Sometimes I get so caught up in the memories of the impossibly wonderful things that have happened to me that I forget to believe that more can happen. I don't have to hold on so tightly to the past and the identity I was so proud of possessing. There are many more "I never thought" experiences to come if I am optimistic." ~Juliana Hoffman

Juliana's always been impossibly smart. Future forward thinking and literally comes up with ideas that I would have never thought of. When she wrote this though, it resonated with me. Lately I've been thinking that Ayris just might not get a sister afterall. Once I found out this little man was in fact, a boy, I had already made up my mind that we'd try for number 5, four to five years from now. But the more I think about it, the more I think 4 will be enough. Obviously I can't speak for what the next four years hold but I do know that when I recently went to McDonalds to rent from Redbox, I found myself envious of all the teenagers that were there just hanging out. It reminded me of my high school days when there weren't any real plans...you could just hang out all summer and do whatever you wanted (whenever you weren't working that part time job that is)...I was telling Chris when I got home that night that I missed just being able to jump up and go somewhere...wherever, whenever we wanted. I remember when we first started dating, we would go get groceries and then go back to the house...spend an hour cooking and then the rest of the night just hanging out and talking. Gone are the days of having a quiet meal followed by hours of conversation =) And I'm not complaining but I am trying to be realistic about the future...and if I'm having another kid 5 years from now, that prolongs the extra time that we could have reconnecting, when the kids get a little older and are more self sufficient. But, this brings me back to Juliana's quote...it IS easy for me to rely heavily on my memories of the past when I could do as I pleased, but honestly, if given the chance now, I don't think I'd know what to do with myself after a few days. What's that about the grass always being greener??...So I may envy the teenagers who seem to have all the freedoms in the world but what they don't have is the unconditional love and adoration of three, soon to be four, little people at their feet.

As I was rocking Adler tonight, I was thinking about how crazy he drives me on a day to day basis. It irritates me to no end that he cries all day, everyday unless I am giving him 100% of my attention. Neither Ayris nor Ash were ever like that. I just get so frustrated not being able to accomplish anything (like yesterday when I thought for sure I could paint an entire bathroom while he took his afternoon nap...yeah, after about 45 minutes, he woke up and the next two hours were either spent listening to him cry OR trying to paint while I held him on my hip...it was super awesome...and I was super cranky by the end of the day =), but then I remembered something someone said about their very needy baby, "At times it is, yes, frustrating; but still amazing that I have what she needs--that my child's greatest distress is comforted simply by my presence." And tonight as I rocked Adler, I remembered that. Instead of letting my patience be worn to a tattered thread, I should be overjoyed at the fact that he wants and needs me as much as he does...because one day, I won't have that =( Still, at times, it CAN be overwhelming, because quite frankly, he's a completely different child with Chris...and Chris knows it. He's Mr. Independent when Chris is on duty, with hardly a need in sight...but as soon as mama returns, the world is falling apart if he's not literally attached to me.  At this point, I'm torn...part of me feels like I need to give in to his every demand...and hold him close for the next three months...but the other part of me feels like I need to encourage his independence from me, otherwise, the transition in having a new baby might be overly difficult for him??? Yet another dilemma in parenting!

While I'm on the subject of parenting, I got a lot of comments on my last post...reassuring me that yelling is normal with this many kids, or not to be too hard on myself...or questioning why I'm striving for perfection, etc, etc...I realize all of the above...I know I'm not the only mother who loses her patience and for the most part, I think I'm a decent mom, but I do feel like if I don't continually question what I could be doing better as a parent, that I'd just be settling...I don't want to just be an "okay mom"...if I'm going to have 4 children, and stay at home with them, I want to improve upon my downfalls...and look at all of my mistakes as opportunities to learn and do better by them...so that in the future, I can be proud of my accomplishments as their mother...and hopefully will have been a good example for them when it comes time for them to begin their own parenting journey. I digress.

I haven't talked about baby #4 much because honestly, this pregnancy is flying by...with Adler being the handful that he is, I'm not even giving much thought to the whole thing this time around except for when this little man starts moving around or has the hiccups. BUT I did have my glucose test last week and passed it--yea for no gestational diabetes! I'm pretty sure I'd be a miserable pregnant woman if I had to cut out sugar and carbs. Also, I was measuring 21 weeks instead of 24 weeks and I was so excited to hear that because my initial thought was "Well good...maybe this baby will actually be small!"...then I get home and tell Chris about it and he says "Oh, so does that he might be late then? Like your due date is off?"...um say what?!? I'm not carrying this baby any longer than 40 weeks so the dates better not be off! (I know the dates aren't off...the ultrasound actually showed me at a week earlier than when I was due)...still, it's funny how different our thought processes were on the matter =)

Other things to note about this pregnancy...I won't be surprised if this child comes out with a 6 pack of root beer when he's born. I've NEVER had cravings with any pregnancy...and I'm not even sure that I'd call this a craving but I do know I've been drinking a lot of root beer AND I've not even been waiting for a sale...I've been spending like 3 bucks on 6 bottles of root beer...and many of you may recall...I made Chris wait for like a month to get him more diet pepsi max because I knew that the memorial day sale would have the 12 packs priced at 1.50...so that's just how hypocritical I am.

ALSO, for whatever reason, I am obsessed with blue and white stripes lately. I bought two blue and white striped towels at Target for 12 bucks the other day and that subsequently led to a $100 bathroom makeover...paint, rugs, candles, more towels, etc...and I'm not even done yet...pretty sure I'm going to paint the woodwork white now because I don't like the natural wood paneling against the light blue walls. I'm also wanting the entire house painted before the baby comes. I called Chris last week and was like "Yeah, so I want you to do something that you're not going to be too excited about"...his response "What do you want me to paint???" ...he knew exactly where I was going with this. I will paint the whole house myself but I need him to paint the living room...we have like 50 foot ceilings and I wasn't too excited to be up that high when we painted it the first time...there's no way in h*ll I'm getting up on a ladder while I'm pregnant...so that job will have to be passed on to Chris. In my defense, I don't know why he really cares when I want to paint...I never ask for his help...he told me the other day though that our house is getting smaller because of all the paint I've put on the walls...ha ha ha...he's so funny =/  Seriously, guys just don't know what a difference a can of paint can make! And like I told him...he's hardly here...I live in this house 24/7 and need a change of scenary from time to time...luckily, I have a great guy that is willing to support my neurotic tendancies regardless of whether he thinks they are necessary or not =P

Finally, I should probably post some pictures as it's been a while...here are a few from my trip to OK:






And here are a few of Adler rockin' the Huggies jean diaper...






Here's Ayris on her last day of school with the 4 plants we put in pots for her teachers...


And her happy sun...too bad he's hardly here in MN.  She might as well just color snow all over the ground since it's going to be back in a few months.


A handful of the pics I pulled from my phone...


LOVE this picture of Adler.  He could have been the prettiest girl baby ever with those squishy cheeks and long eyelashes (not that girls ever get the long eyelashes like boys!)




One of Ayris' drawings of her and I when we had our most recent mommy/daughter hotel stay...


Adler being all chill in his sleep...


Here are the towels that I was saying caused me to do a total makeover on the bathroom...and guess what people...the 12 bucks I spent on them...yeah, they're now 4 bucks a piece at Target AND there's a dollar off coupon--UGH.  They are coming through looking more black but they're a navy blue...


And here's what I mean about the wood paneling...don't you think this lighter grain wood just ruins the room?  That's why I'm thinking they need to be white....


And I mentioned my blue and white stripe phase right now...pretty sure I'd buy this boat if we had the money and a place to store it SOLELY for the fact that it's blue and white striped.


While Ayris was spending the week with Grandma Callie, I thought I'd take the boys out to get some pictures...yeah, not so much.  If I haven't mentioned it here already, Adler is a little weird when it comes to grass...he flips out when you put him on it.  So he was not happy when I was trying to get these.  The kid also has a recent aversion to water...he hates baths now and will not step foot in the kiddie pool without screaming his head off.






Asher being Asher...


And that's all I have for now =)  Tomorrow I'm going in for an elective ultrasound of baby #4...I'm going to have two ultrasounds done (one now at 25 weeks and one later, probably closer to 35 weeks or so) and then a newborn shoot once he's born...I'll get a bunch of 4D pictures and two 30 minute videos of the little man doing his thing on the inside.  I'll see if I can figure out how to post that later!

A Mommy/Wife/Friend/Overall Person in General Overhaul...

First, I should start off by saying that I just got back from a 6 day vacation to Oklahoma.  Much of the visit was great and exactly what I needed.  I felt a renewed sense of self and as though I was returning armed with more opportunity to be better as a mom...as a person altogether.

Before leaving for Oklahoma, I had been thinking of ways that I could do this...become a better version of myself.  And I thought of doing some kind of mom project...a list of sorts that I could go through, either by checkmarks or by way of repeating certain actions/beliefs each and everyday...and I was going to make regular posts on here to keep myself accountable (that in addition to having documentation for the kids once they're older that I wasn't perfect...because by the time they're old enough to care about this blog, I will have achieved perfection in their eyes right???)

I had scribbled down a few things on the plane and even during my trip as they would come into my mind:

~Pray more.  Lots more.  Depend on Him a little more instead of trying to win every battle myself.
~Learn new things about my kids everyday (which could also be read: spend more time being with them instead of doing everything else around the house...I'm just still trying to figure out how the rest gets done??)
~Get into more of a structured routine...I used to like the idea of not having anything set in motion each day and having everything lax...but I don't necessarily know that it's as beneficial to the kids as I thought it might be.  In addition to this, I'd like to get them back on a sleep schedule instead of allowing them to stay up until 10 or whenever it is that I go to bed...I'm starting to think I can't mentally handle being with the kids from 6:30 in the morning until 10 or so at night without having naps or scheduled bedtimes.  I want them in bed by 8 so I can have two hours for myself, which I won't feel guilty about because of the previously set goal...which was to spend more time with them during the day instead of doing things that I need/want to get done)
~Eat in more, and out less (Basically, quit wasting money on eating out so that when I want to drop $200 at Pottery Barn on blue and white striped cushions, I don't have to feel as guilty as I normally would about it. =)

~Clean something everyday (I feel like I'm cleaning 24/7 but it's always just maintaining the house, I want to do something that makes me feel as though I've accomplished something each day...today I went through all of the mail and packages that were left in the week that I was gone so the table could be completely free of clutter...in addition to my regular schedule of picking up the house...tomorrow I'm cleaning out my closet and I have a feeling I'm going to be donating like crazy...I only wear like 3 different pants and 10 different shirts so why do I have 1200 other things?  Oh yeah, cuz I'm going to lose weight at some point and fit back into them...I'm over that).
~Do something exciting/fun with the kids everyday
~Send more cards...that are actually handwritten, because I think it's just as rewarding, if not more so, to give versus receive...so in doing that, I'll be putting into myself as well.
~See more of the good and less of the bad (I focus a lot of everything that they are doing wrong instead of all the good that they are accomplishing in their young lives...and I might as well extend that to Chris and myself as well...I need to focus on the positives in all of us).
~Find things that I'm thankful for every.single.day. (this one isn't hard but I'd like to start this up with the kids as well)
~Start doing things that I'm either uninterested in but know is good for me (exercise), or that I'm too lazy to do (sewing), or that I don't want to do (eat right)...basically, just start doing things little by little that I'm not too interested in doing and hope that in the end, it will become a positive.
~Have more patience...like ALOT more.
~No more yelling.  Ever.

So that was the beginning of my list.  I wasn't finished but today the main goal was going to be to focus on the kids and not to lose my patience...therefore resulting in yelling.  The day went pretty well.  Ayris and I had a really good talk that was preceded the night before, with this exchange: 

Me:  "Ayris, I want things to change around here for the better. Starting tomorrow I want you and I to work
harder on really listening to one another...so there's less frustration on both of our parts and we can start
having better days"

Ayris:  "Okay mom, but what's in it for me?"
 
Little stinker!
 
So today I was going to run some errands after Adler's nap.  Asher ALWAYS wants candy when we go to any store...I had told both of the kids that they could both pick out one thing as long as they could behave and get along with one another.  Not two minutes pass and I walk out to the garage with Asher screaming at the top of his lungs because Ayris is pinching his cheek.  I ask her why she was doing it and she says she was mad...mad about what, she didn't know.  So I tell her that she will not be getting any candy.  Then I proceed to ask her why she thinks that is...she didn't know...so there begins our long conversation about listening to me and how when she's upset or angry, she needs to find another way to deal with it (aside from her usual tactics of hitting or pinching or screaming at the top of her lungs)...I suggested that when she feels herself getting upset, she let that person know how she's feeling before she goes off and hits them...and that I would try to do the same thing (I don't EVER hit them...but I told her I would take my own advice and before yelling, I would calmly tell them what I was upset about), I told her that people respond to kindness better than anything else so she could more than likely resolve whatever the issue was if she just tried that approach...she then told me that she didn't know how to be any other way but mean.  I pointed out the 3 nice things she had already done today and then suggested that if she still felt like she didn't have a handle on "doing mean things" she could talk to God about it...and she was very interested in that idea so we went through all of the ways that she could do that...and lastly, that she could just take some time for herself in her room to calm down if she felt like she needed the break.  I also told her about how I was in the same spot in the family (first born female) and that I actually thought she had it harder than I did growing up because my sibling didn't come for almost 7 years after I was born...so I brought recognition to the fact that I know it's difficult to be her...so yeah, I left that conversation feeling good about myself because often times, I don't take the time to have these in depth conversations...bad mom, I know...I'm trying to change!  So she's good, I'm good, she's even okay with the idea that she's not getting candy at the store.
 
Fast forward like 3 hours later...Adler is cranky because he has refused to take a second nap...and the kids start nit-picking at each other...I calmly remind them of our previous discussion about treating each other with respect...and that they need to focus on loving each other more instead of constantly fighting about one thing or another.  5 minutes after that little reminder, Asher is flailing his body around on the floor and Ayris is screaming...and finally, I just join in and start yelling.  And welcome home old Michelle...new Michelle lasted for less than 24 hours.  At which point, I grab Adler and head upstairs to start crying...for a good long while...because I've let myself down and I've gone and yelled at the kids...which was the ONE thing I didn't want to do today.  And I cried and I cried and I cried...until I felt stupid enough about it...then I stopped.  I then I cried some more when Chris called and told me I was a good mom...actually a great mom and a good wife...which then made me laugh because I was just "good" at being a wife...which is totally not how he meant it...but it's so true...I focus more of myself on the kids than I ever have on him (except for when it was just he and I)...I just see him as an adult who can fend for himself and who is also WAY BETTER BEHAVED...not to mention, he pretty much listens to everything I say and does everything I want.  Thank GOD for Chris...it's nice to know I have at least one person under my control.  (I kid, I kid =)  But seriously, he's a good boy.
 
So that was my day...I ended it feeling as though I'm either going to be yelling my entire life or crying...I'm not sure which is better...I think the crying part is probably better for the kids...maybe it's better for me too...It's just not a usual emotion for me...perhaps I'll just blame it on the pregnancy.  Ultimately, this wasn't even the worst day I've ever had...not even close...I just think I had this ideal scenario in my head that if I did my part (spent more time focusing on them, didn't yell, had result driven conversations, treated them with respect while loving them in a way that they felt it day in and day out) everything else would just fall into place...I didn't factor in that their behaviors as children were probably going to take more than a day to adjust. 
 
But I think what made the day SO overly emotional for me was that I came back from my trip feeling new, inspired and ready to take on any and all challenges that were thrown my way...even Chris commented about the difference he saw in me...and in less than 24 hours, I felt like I was already back to the person I was trying to leave behind last week.
 
Someone really near and dear recently said: "The soul that seeks perfection in this imperfect world will never be at peace."  And honestly, most days, I don't feel as though I'll ever be at peace...I do seek perfection and I'm pretty sure I came straight out of my mother with high expectations for myself and everyone else in the world already in place...but according to Emerson "The years teach much, which the days never knew" so I will try to keep in mind that I am only 30 (ONLY...that feels forever old), and I still have a lot to learn...I can't expect change in a day...I would like it, but apparently shouldn't expect it...so tomorrow when the sun rises, I shall try again.  And then again, and then again and then again...because knowing my children, it might just take 40 days and 40 nights.  Maybe even longer...but I'll keep trying, because I'm a mom, and we never give up on our children.

Dear Sophie...

I've loved this video since the first time I saw it...makes me get a little teary eyed each time...and I wish it'd come out about 6 years ago so I would have thought to do something this creative with my own kids.

One More For Baby Number Four!

I forgot to mention the stats from today's ultrasound...

I'm due October 5th which would make me exactly 20 weeks today...they are showing me at 20 weeks and 6 days so maybe I'll go early??? No inductions this time (unless of course I go much over 40 weeks...I have 8 pound babies when being induced a week early so I'd be scared to go much over 40 weeks but I have faith this little big boy will come before then...I am excited to actually be surprised like I was with Ayris...just waiting and waiting for something to happen.  I REALLY want my water to break...I don't know why...I've just always wanted it to happen...in Target, working out...sitting in a restaurant...wherever, I don't even care!  Anyway, back to baby...he's measuring about 13 ounces and he should be around 10.5 ounces according to baby center...so go figure that he'll already huge for his age...at only 20 weeks we already know so much about this little man...he's huge, he's stubborn and he likes to give the finger!  Oh, and I'll add that he must be drinking his amniotic fluid all day long because I have YET to sleep through the night since getting pregnant except for one night when I didn't get up to go pee...in the first trimester I was getting up anywhere from 2-3 times a night...and now I can usually handle just getting up once, sometimes twice...but honestly, the second trimester is when you're supposed to get a little relief from the middle of the night bathroom breaks...but not with this one.

Lastly, the baby name poll is up...there's only two names up right now that we're considering...so get clicking so I can see whose name is preferred...Chris has picked one and I've picked the other...I'll tell you who later =)

Happy 1st Birthday Adler!

Dear Baby Bird, Little Man, Stinker Winker, Baby Boy,

I was awfully worried I wasn't going to bond with you like I did with your older brother and sister.  It didn't seem possible given the fact that I had maternity leave with both Ayris and Asher so they got their very own 6-8 weeks with me alone...and you little man...well you were just going to be ushered into chaos as soon as you got home...so I felt like I needed to make those 2 days in the hospital count.  And I did.  I remember bringing about 10 magazines, my laptop, my camera and a few other things to keep me busy (because I was convinced that those 2 days would be a vacation where I'd get lots of stuff done!) but all I wanted to do was snuggle up close with you in the bed.  After you came home, I was feeling surprisingly close to you...moreso than I had with the other kids...I found out a few weeks in that breastfeeding (or in my case pumping) releases hormones that make you feel more attached to your baby.  I was afraid that when I stopped (after only 6 weeks or so) that connection would be gone...but it turned out that you were the perfect baby.  You slept a good majority of the day for a really long time (of which your brother and sister never did!) and you weren't fussy at all...seriously, I was liking you pretty hardcore...I'd even venture to say that you were a favorite during that time.  Unfortunately you became a crabby pants around 7 months and are still going strong, so you're off my favorite list for the time being.  I kid, I kid.  Actually, I'm not kidding...you are a crabby pants BUT I'd hate for you to think that I have favorites???  AND honestly, you're so stinkin' cute, it's okay...just between you and me though...that cuteness is going to wear off fast when your little brother comes...baby bird might get a kick from the nest a little sooner than he'd like =)  Seriously though, I couldn't ask for a happier baby for the most part...you have your moments but overall you're very good...you're pretty laid back and can be independent as long as I'm in the same room...you LOVE your brother and sister and think your dad is pretty cool too...obviously I'm your favorite and I don't expect that to change anytime soon...not even when you get married...you hear that?  Mom before wife...mom before wife...that was the deal as soon as you entered the world...I'd always be your number one =)  Just know that you'll always be my number one too...in addition to all of your siblings of course.  I'll love you forever and always!

Our Male to Female Ratio Is About To Become A Little More Unbalanced...

We are now going to be a household of 4 to 2.  As evidenced by the below photo...



Is it just me, or does this kid look like he belongs in Whoville with that upturned nose and rounded chin?  I'm renaming him Baby Who. 


Not looking quite as much like a Who in this picture...


This is his arm...or rather fist...looks like he's ready to punch someone.  He actually flipped off the ultrasound tech...I WISH she had printed a picture of that!  She spent about 10 minutes trying to get a shot of this kids nose and lips and he just would not show her...he'd either flip over right as she was trying to get the shot or he'd put both fists in front of his face...he eventually gave her the finger...she was like "Oh look, he's giving us the peace sign....OH wait...maybe not."  Let's hope this isn't an indicator of his personality to come =)


This was our little sendoff once we got home...three balloons do not = triplets...although I feel large enough to be housing triplets...it was just one balloon for each child so far...Adler was being a cranky pants though so he did not get in on the fun...he got a nap instead.


The balloons actually read  "Thank You God"...




And then the kids sent them flying...






Asher keeps wanting to send Jesus more balloons now =)

As discouraged as I thought I might be, I'm actually quiet happy...I left teary eyed just knowing that I can now refer to him as a him and be right...I feel like I know the person inside whose finally started letting me know he's there...a little more than I knew him before...before he was genderless anyway.  So yea for baby boys...unfortunately it's a nay for naming boys.  I REALLY want to use my girl name...but I have a feeling we'll be trying to even out the playing field in a few years anyway...so maybe, just maybe, we'll still get Ayris a sister yet. 

I'll be putting up a name poll next...

BTW, the voting for the gender poll...it was 6 votes for girl and 5 votes for boy...

A Mish Mash of Sorts...Again...

Some of these pictures are still from January...I pretty much skipped February and most of March...even some of April but here are a few from the past couple of months. 

We had family in town from Oklahoma for my mom's 50th...of which, I got no pictures...and we also celebrated Mother's Day...which was made awesome by Chris...he got up with Adler early in the morning and then made me donuts (my favorite) and then gave me the whole day to myself...which was basically spent lying in bed watching the 4th season of Friday Night Lights.  He even took the kids to Target to pick up flowers for the grandma's and then went to their houses to drop them off...

Adler had tubes put in this past Friday because he was up to 12 ear infections in the past 5.5 months...his demeanor has gotten a bit better during the day but he's not magically sleeping through the night yet like we were hoping would happen.

Aside from those three things, I can't think of what else has gone on in the past few months...it's just too crazy here...my perfect child Adler became a lot of work in the past few months (because of the ear infections and teething, etc) so there's less time to take/edit/and blog pictures...but hopefully there'll be more time now that he's showing slight improvements over his mama neediness. =)

I'm pretty sure this daddy/daughter princess ball was sometime back in January??  This was taken right before they left...


Sometime also in January...showing off those cute little teeth!


Ash with his sister's hat, pink white bear, spiderman pajamas and pink sippy cup...he is definitely the character in this family =)


I decided to let Adler feed himself his macaroni...which ended up landing him a spot in the bathtub...


I swear he was messier than these pictures let on...I have been feeding him ever since...


Ash in his Despicable Me goggles...


Ayris wanting in on the action...notice her lovely bruise on the forehead...the same type of "egg" bruise sent me running to the ER when she was about 16 months or so...as a first time mom, I was pretty sure the huge bump on her head that was growing by the second was going to bust open and explode all over the place...luckily, it's not as scary the second time it happens =)  On top of that, she seems a little less breakable at almost 5.5.


Sophie taking advantage of the diaper basket before I had a chance to put more in...




Chris wanted this picture taken of Adler with his cane because Adler is obsessed with it...I still think Adler looks like a mini stripper about to throw his leg up on the pole...


This was taken almost 6 weeks ago when Adler finally started walking around 10.5 months.  He has been our earliest learner as far as walking is concerned...he started around 10 months and had pretty much stopped crawling a little after the 10.5 month mark...


On our walk to the park...looking at Daddy...


This was the view in front of us...Ayris pulling Asher in the wagon...I thought this was pretty funny...Ayris doing all of the work and Asher just chillin...


Adler's first time in the swing!




I think Ayris looks crazy grown up in this picture...I can't believe we've managed to grow a child for almost 6 years now...and that Ash is coming up on 4.  The weird thing is that I see these children aging/growing before my eyes...but I don't feel as though I'm moving forward in age...mentally, I'm still the same.  My body, on the other hand is starting to slack in it's fat burning obligations which is requiring more work on my part than what I'm willing to put in...I found myself in a one hour aerobics class last week that left me feeling like the baby I'm growing should really count for more than just 300 additional calories burned for me...he/she is younger afterall, and far more fit than myself at only 20 weeks of gestational age I'm sure...=)


The kids, after being cocooned by their father...


Ayris has been taking my camera in the car in hopes of catching the baby geese out and about...she hasn't gotten any steller baby pictures but these clouds were pretty good...considering the sky hasn't been that awesome until recently.


Not sure what Adler was concentrating on here but I love the little tongue hanging out...


Adler sporting his peacock style hairdo one morning...I am STILL in love with this kids hair...once it starts getting too long though, the back oomph starts to lose it's luster so I've already taken him in for two haircuts...the stylist says he has like 3 collics (sp) back there?  He might not appreciate it when he's older but lots of women swoon for his hair...he got 3 compliments alone on the day of his surgery =)


Just being my cute little man in his cute little chair...


I wanted to throw this in because it's one of few that I have of him not smiling widely...he actually looks kind of annoyed for some reason...


Happy to be outside for an off nice day...




We celebrated Adler's 1 year birthday party yesterday since we'll be in Florida this weekend...this was him on that day...riding high on Daddy's shoulders...borrowing his sunglasses...


Not sure what's going on with Daddy here but I liked his expression...


Seriously one of the cutest little boys you've ever seen right?




This was just a goofy looking picture to me...with the lack of hair showing and the ears pushed out...


Trying to get a shot of the cake before Adler dug in...


A little hesitation at first...Adler is cautious with what he eats...anytime I stick something up to his mouth, he'll crane his head back to look at it first...not sure if he trusts me or what???  Like I'd give him something unfit =)


It's definitely getting better...


Cake ended shortly after this picture was taken...he started throwing it on the floor!


And all the icing made his face break out...


One of my favorite pics of the day...RJ and Adler.


I'll be back on Wednesday with the final gender update...of which, I just put a gender poll at the top of my blog page...go vote...it's just a click...Asher guesses girl...Ayris guesses boy...so it's 50/50 as of now...seriously, go click on it...even those of you who get the blog through email...just go to the website =)  Otherwise, I'll make ya'll wait until we get back from Florida for the results =)  Cuz I'm evil like that.