alone time

Asher- You're amazing. This week you've been playing in your room all alone or in the pack 'n play in the living room for literally hours on end. Like right now you've been playing with a few toys and flipping through books in the living room quietly talking to yourself. This has afforded mommy some much needed time to catch up on your baby book blogging. I'm so thankful you enjoy looking at and reading books. And that you know how to play by yourself so well. Actually mommy could probably stand to spend more time interacting/playing/teaching you a little more these days. You're growing up so fast!

SO- expect some of my blog abandonment issues to get resolved soon!

You zoned our for a sec while eating, so cute.

Also, this week you have turned a communication corner...a funny example:
-Last week Daddy and I were teaching how to use the hair brush, and you got it right away. Brushing the top and back of your head with the soft bristles. We would say "Oh SO HANDSOME", "good job", etc to you. Flash back to two nights ago... Mommy and Daddy were talking in the kitchen while you ate supper and somehow it came up in conversation for Daddy to throw in a "SO HANDSOME" about something not related to you and when he said it you instantly got your little food/goo coated patties up and started stroking the sides and back of your head. It was absolutely adorable, funny and messy. We were shocked you had remembered and did it without prompting! LOL!

-Yesterday, after months of trying to show you how to sign please and more, you just magically started signing please. Perhaps it had to do with the fact you never get sweets and mommy had shared a nibble of a rice krispie treat you thought was super yummy and wanted more. Cuz I asked you just once, "Show mommy more-please" and wha-lah- you did it! It so great to know you are actually understanding what we're saying buddy!

-You consistently say "HI" when you notice us walk into a room, or return home. You get SUPER excited if one or both of us have left you with a babysitter or friend and return home -you greet us with an elated, happy, delighted smile, squeals and laughs. You do that at the church nursery too. (♥) You have never cried when we leave you and from all reports we've gotten have not cried about us being gone either. You're just a happy and content little man. Thanks buddy. It makes our life easier.  

-There are a multitude of other words you say and VERY notable highlights as of late. They're coming soon~

1 point One

One year, one month

Asher words:

Mao- mAo -(we're not sure sometimes if you mean more or NO) sometimes you use it as exclamation and sometimes as scolding

Dada & Mama -and you know who you mean

Books

Watch

Hot

Hat

Sock(s)

Hi

Uh-Oh

Mo -more

B-bb-bbbbbr -car sound as you push it around

Discovered how to "fake" laugh -and then you think that's pretty funny

We taught you how to brush your hair last week and said "Oh SO handsome" now when we say "so handsome" you run your hands through your hair and play with the back of your head. SO CUTE!

Other noteworthy details:

You have 12 teeth (four on top, four on bottom, four molars).

Turbo crawler

Walks holding on to things

Stands up alone

Loves to play with shoes

Gives snuggles with hips and giant open mouthed kisses (and excited bites)

Sleeps from 7:20pm - 7 or 8am with no waking

Plays happily alone for 1-2 hours at a time (reads books, and play w/toys)

Adores baby's and children

Dance-dance-dances to music 

Strongly affected by music- you are especially vulnerable to settling down or sleep when we play a song on your Baby Einstein: Naptime Melodies CD {Bonnie (references melody My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean)}  2 minutes and 09 seconds of pure baby bliss I'm tell'n ya!

Happy bather once again, voluntarily lays down and plays in water

Likes to be outside, spots birds and squirrels now

Enjoys wrestling and playing rough with Daddy

Elated to hug and cuddle your blankie and "bear" 

Still nursing about 3 times per day

Prefer to feed your self

Not a picky eater really, if you get to eat it your way. You eat banana's like they're going out of style!

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Family photo's by the lovely: ginazeidler.com

ONE

ONE YEAR OLD ASHER CLARK: adored, loved, cherished, busy, precious, assertive, sweet, chubby, affectionate, adorable, happy, silly, determined, vibrant,  climber, investigative, strong-hearted, sweet, self-entertained.

One year old, Tiny sch-muffin, firstborn, baby boy: your mommy and daddy are so grateful for your little life. You've blessed us in countless ways son. We thank Jesus for you often.

We continue to pray that the Lord will show you your need for Him at an early age and you will want to know Him personally and live fully for Him, and that He will use you to love others well.

On your birthday weekend we celebrated YOU with family in Waterloo.
Your first birthday party was pretty low-key, small and informal but very fun.

Happy first birthday Asher Clark Johnson. May it be the first of MANY!

a('s) nursery

So, although it needs some tweaking (gotta fix the curtains, and arrange the dresser top, and find a small reading chair for Asher, and a sling book shelf) his nursery was finished last month.

I can't believe I let it slide until he was nine months old! I was in no hurry. (Honestly, I was a little too timid during pregnancy to decorate a whole room, because I had "just in case" syndrome- and not in a good way).  The first several months he wouldn't have noticed anyway. No biggy. The only reason I would now recommend new moms to have the nursery completed before baby comes is this: the new little one creates all kinds of reasons to "do it later" or "maybe I'll finish it when dad comes home or grandma comes to visit".  E-hem. It doesn't happen. Just do it before the little love child arrives and be done. lesson learned. oh well.

These are some snap shots from this morning.

Asher seems to enjoy his new room!

He likes it so much he could (does) eat it!

Any thoughts on preventing this?... some sort of bumper?

I painted white stripes on the wall. Love'n FROG tape!

We went with a burnt orange/red accent color.

The sling bookshelf will sit under the pictures. When I order it.

Asher enjoys looking at and talking to himself in the mirror, so I put one at his level.

the play box

All the toys in the sink

A few weeks ago I bleached/cleaned every single last one of Asher's toys. (Yes I'm a little bit of a clean freak- but only about "sick" germs -vrs dirt, grass, etc) Anyway, this is beside the point.  I must say that I was pretty pleased to discover that ALL of them -pictured above- fit into one side of the sink!

Why am I so pleased?
Because it's my goal to not smother him with toys. I want to give him room to be creative with what he has. -Not that we will deprive him of toys, but we will limit the amount of them. He so happily entertains his own little babyness for nearly 45 minutes at a time, give or take. He will play with or chew a couple of toys, then crawl around and stand and walk from thing to thing. -Usually talking or yelling rather LOUDLY. (man boys are SO much louder than girls)!

We keep one small basket downstairs of little things for him to play with; and he's more interested in climbing, crawling, or trying to get the remote controls. (how do they always know that the one you gave them is the play one, even if it used to be the "real" one)?!

Upstairs we have a little toy bin next to the chair, and he enjoys taking all the toys out, plays a bit and then moves on to other things around the room.

Checking out one toy at a time

The cupboards are filled with "toys"

Asher loves playing in the kitchen while I work. Things like bowls, spoons, pots, empty jugs, etc are among his favorite forms of entertainment. Chewing, banging, rolling, unloading...  I love that he doesn't have to have toys to be play/learning.

He is fascinated with babies. He squeals with delight at the
sight of them, wants to kiss them, and touch them.

He likes books. I've hit several garage sales this summer and expanded his book collection. I highly recommend this form of purchasing books. I want him to be around books from a very young age, and I don't want to have to take them away from him because after he was done looking at (or kissing, as pictured above) the pictures he decided to gum a page or two. At .25 or .50 cents I'm ok with it.  We read while he plays sometimes too. I want him to love books, and to always have access to them.

Imagination development is an essential quality that often gets stifled by stuff in todays culture.
My theory (so far) is buy a few high quality things and let him loose, to learn to play and entertain and learn on his own. For gifts we hope to give him things like music classes, or swim lessons, or tumbling classes, or books rather than stacks of nearly unused toys in every room.

We'll see how long this theory lasts.
What's your theory or thoughts?

10 month Asher

Month 10, Week 1
You play quietly in your room with toys for nearly an hour, all by yourself. Nice WORK!
7.12  -Pulled himself up to standing in his crib (he was really wanting out).
7.13 -You became the proud owner of your fifth tooth- the Top Left (beside the front two) FINALLY (those two side teeth kept moving up and down for weeks and have been about thru for a long time- lots of drool and chomp'n).
7.14 -The sixth tooth pushed through too! Top Right (beside the front). PHEW!
7.15 -We bought a tiny whale pool, you are loving it, but often decide it's most fun to crawl out onto the grass and get dirty, explore and eat (the grass, leaves, and rocks). VERY busy.
7.15 -I think you started bouncing to music for the first time. (I had country playing, and you hadn't heard that before).
7.15-17 -You are SO fast at crawling now! And SO BUSY. We turn for a second and you without fail will zip your little self into the bathrooms. Your favorite is daddy's. I think you like the registers on the floor (which you also have learned to lift up and take off, so smart).

Month 10, Week 2

7.17-18 -you've noticed when the sun hits the floor, and you are fascinated by touching it.
7.18 -patty-cake it is! Over the weekend Daddy taught you how to clap! And now you think you're big stuff, sitting there banging your fists together "clapping" while we sing the rhyme.
7.20 - You've pulled yourself to standing  several times today. The railing is your favorite place to do it.

7.23 - Buddy, you climbed two stairs by yourself. You can hurdle yourself over most anything now.

Month 10, Week 3

7.24 - Now, instead of snuffing in and out really fast when you're pleased about something you've changed it to a sucking in of air that sounds like you have asthma. Kinda a loud inward breathing scream.  And you've figured out how to do this when you nurse too. (yes, this annoys mommy a little). Good thing your phases go by fast.
One phase that's still dragging on is the whole strong dislike for diaper changes and clothes applications. You turn, and cry, and wiggle, and complain about both. We try to tell you that if you're just still and cooperative it'd be done a whole lot quicker; you don't seem interested in testing our theory.
7.25 -Feeding yourself. Today you fed yourself shaved turkey, noodles, shredded cheese and cheerio's, and you did a great job of it. (super messy, but no choking, etc)!
7.30 -In Waterloo all of the Bohlen side got together to celebrate Great Grandpa Bohlen's 80th birthday with him!

Oh look, your nursery got done at age 10 months! YAY!

he climbs

After maneuvering himself into a stand on the first stair, Asher decided he could go ahead and climb the stairs by himself today. (stairs in the literal sense, meaning TWO whole stairs all by himself). OH BOY! He can also crawl over us, over large objects, and can prop himself to standing most anywhere.

Little Mr. Asher is quite pleased with his accomplishment

It still takes him a while to get up (that won't last long, I'm sure)

He does a lot of concentrating

He still would prefer to go up "like a big boy" -one foot on each step up,  half flying up the stairs. 

he stands

The Little Whipper Snapper added standing on his own to his quickly expanding repertoire. Like crawled over and wriggled right up.  He was SO proud of himself. (wrinkled his nose, smiling, and snuffing in and out really fast).

I grabbed my phone and snapped fast, but this is today!

Last Monday (7-12), I walked into his room after naps and he was standing in his crib... but he didn't do it again after that. So I don't know if it counts for real. Since then we've done lots of practice walking and helping him get into a standing position.

Today he's decided to stand several times alone, the railings are his favorite place to do it.

Good work Asher!