Sunday, May 29, 2011

a year of happy blessed-ness

Asher Clark (our happy and blessed little boy). It was just one year ago today that you and mommy were in an ambulance on our way to Abbott hospital in Minnesota from Covenant in Waterloo Iowa. Why? Because one year ago today, at 6:30am you tried to come out. Mommy was having contractions, you were head/face down and pushing.
This is you, Asher -19 weeks and 1 day old.  May 29, 2010
Through tears that Saturday morning Mommy and Daddy and Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Andrew and Aunty Liz and Grammy and Papa and Aunty's Cal, Anna and Bird were so scared and prayed that our Mighty God would keep you inside; growing healthy, big and strong. We all wanted to be able to meet you, and kiss and hug you- because we already loved you!


And after many tests, procedures, 8.5 weeks of total bed rest and an additional 4-ish weeks of modified bed rest and the answered prayers from and ARMY of PRAYERS (from all over the US and around the world)- guess what? Jesus did a miracle last summer and allowed you to stay growing inside until over 37 weeks!  You were born. And we gave thanks! He gave us YOU!
Asher Clark,  May 28, 2011
Wow!!! What a difference a year makes.

We're just overflowing with thankfulness for our Little Mr. Asher Clark Johnson today! Oh how God has shown himself powerful and faithful and merciful and loving through it all. Every time I'm out on a walk or laughing with our Blessing - or taking a shower for that matter-- I'm extra grateful.


I'm thankful for the privilege of holding you. Kissing you. Having you in our family. Playing with you. Listening to all your new noises. Laughing with you. Praying and singing to you. I'm thankful for the community of friends that came along side us and carried us through some rough months. I'm grateful for how last summer and you joining our family has strengthened Mommy and Daddy's marriage. It grew us in our relationship with God. Begun to help heal broken hearts.


Baby Boy, through you we're learning to give thanks in all things!
Praise the LORD!


סֶלָה


selāh

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

golf balls and clouds

It was a great evening to get out and hit balls. So all three of us packed up and headed to the driving range. Asher was most fascinated by the grass. And he would smile at the occasional passer by.


Then, on 5.10 we were on the edge of a crazy storm. We hardly got anything at all, but the after party was awesome. I've only seen clouds like this once before. Pretty neat.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

7 month Asher

Our happy little Asher, 7 months
This has been a huge month of first's for your Asher! Nearly every day you did  something new, you are developing so well- and SO FAST! Little Shmuv's we are treasuring every single second of your little babyness while it lasts.
 
Month 6, Week 1
4.15- You rolled from your back to your tummy for the first time!
You try to sit up for longer periods of time (still not more than 15-20 seconds)

Week 2
Every once in a while you wake up around 2 or 3am to just jabber for a while and then fall back asleep.
4.19- Your first tooth popped through! (Bottom, front, right) and the BFL looks likes it'll be popping soon. You didn't do too bad, it was about 3 days of really cuddly, sad, sleepy Asher and it came through.
4.21- You rolled from your back to your tummy again.
4.22- 2nd tooth! Your bottom, front, right tooth came through. That's two down buddy! And only... well- ALOT to go.
You've started to reach out to us when you we say "up please" and put our hands out to you. You will also start to reach out if one of us is holding you and we hold out our hands and say "come?"-sometimes you choose to stay with the person holding you and sometimes you want to switch people. Pretty cute.
4.23- We helped Landoman celebrate his first birthday. Lots of family came to the party too; you were taking all the noises and commotion in; we realized just how quiet our own house usually is. Many of the sounds took you by surprise.
4.23- You found your toes! Today you grabbed at your feet and toes for the first time. You try to put them in your mouth.
Week 3
You haven't been talking as much in the night.
You've enjoyed being outside a lot more. The wind is fascinating to you- you open your mouth and stick out your tongue; I think you can feel it better that way. (It's like you're trying to taste the air).
When you sit in your bumbo chair you rhythmically thump your right foot on the surface below for long periods of time.
You've also started to reach for things around you to grab.
4.24- Your first Easter! We celebrated in Des Moines with the Caven's and Larson's. Grandma and Grandpa Johnson had lunch with all of us. Auntie Anna came home with us to spend the week playing with you.
4.24- We took you to the park for the first time. It's about three blocks away from our house, the weather was warm and it was a perfect way to end Easter Sunday.  Daddy gave you your first swing ride, and you were SO happy. You smiled the whole time buddy.  Then he took you down the slide on his lap, and you weren't sure about that activity.  We got some adorable pictures to remember this first.
4.25- You rolled over several times in a row today, both directions. You were SO pleased and proud of yourself. And this new trick has gotten better each day since then. You're going mobile.
4.25- We fed you your first little bit of oat cereal. It was your first "solid" food, and you did great.  You opened wide, wanted more, swallowed pretty well for your first time. I don't know if we'll give it to you every day but now we know you like it!
4.29- You easily and purposefully switch toys from hand to hand, and you really enjoy squeaky and rattle-type toys.  You like to turn your wrists in little circle motions back and forth. So cute!
4.30- You started to make the sound "Bababababa" for the first time. (this adds to your cooing and grunting a new form of jabber!)
4.30- Aunty Anna and Uncle Paul were in Minneapolis so we met them for supper; they love you little man! And you seemed to think they were pretty cool too.
You DO NOT like long car rides. We think this may have something to do with your car seat being snug on your roley-poley little self. So today we ordered you a big boy Britax convertible seat.  Hopefully that helps.

Week 4
No more night talking.
You sleep with your arms free now in a sleep sac (no more woombie now that you're a rolling machine). You most often chose to sleep on your side.
You are very content to play happily by yourself. You're such a sweet, happy baby.
You love to be tickled and have developed quite the heart melting belly laugh.
5.1- You push your tush up in the air for a second or two, almost to all fours.
5.2- You pulled your socks off and played with them and your toes for the first time
5.2- you figured out how to roll all over the living room, positioning yourself to be able to reach for toys you wanted. You reach out to try and get everything around you.

Daddy's Corner:
So your official name is Asher Clark Johnson.  We liked your first name a lot and your middle name is also your dad's middle name, your grandpa's first name and your great-grandpa's middle name. But we have also called you so many other things during your life.  Where to begin?  Your first name was "Blobbert," because it was the most accurate description of your early ultrasounds.  When we found out that you were a boy, we started calling you "Little Mister" and "Little Guy."  After you were born, the names became more numerous and varied.  There were food-based names that your mom used: "Sweentness," "Tiny Muffin," "Little Muffin," and just "Muffin." There were military based names that your dad used: "Captain Cute," "Corporal Cuddles" and "Colonel Crank."  There were derivatives of you real name, including: "Smasher," "Crasher," "Dasher," "Splasher," "Masher," "Basher," and "Flasher."  Then there were names that didn't fit into categories, such as: "Infant," "Baby Bluvo," "Tiny," "Little Friend," "Friend," and your dad's favorite, "Schmuvs."  Someday we are confident that you will learn your real name, but you can always know that we feel very blessed to call you "Son."  
Love, DaDa
Asher 7 months

Monday, May 9, 2011

mommy's day


What a wonderful Mother's Day it was. It started with a leisurely out to eat breakfast (see top rleft picture of Asher sitting in his Bumbo on the table- he smiled at everyone around-it was busy that day). Then home with my boys to chill and relax. Dada helped Little Mr deliver a really cute corner-chewed-slobbered Mother's Day card to me. And my in-law's sent me a beautiful bouquet of gerbera daisies to help me celebrate.

I've been blessed to be a mom for two mother's day's before this one -(2009 with Ruttigar in heaven and Bennet inside; 2010 Little Mr. Asher still growing inside-before he tried to get out at 19 weeks). I won't forget the mixed feelings of sadness and joy those two years; sadness for my own self and my own loss mostly.  Those two day's were very different than today. I knew I was a mommy already, but oh what a joy it is to be able to HOLD the gift of Happiness in Asher cradled in my arms! What a BLESSING Asher Clark is to me (us).

God has upheld us through low valley's and he has indeed been faithful. He is always good. All the time.

Lamentations 3:21-23 (NIV)
"Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."


(The Message)
"I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed.
 I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—the feeling of hitting the bottom. But there's one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope: God's loyal love couldn't have run out, his merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over). He's all I've got left. " (emphasis mine)
(thanks Charity).

Saturday, May 7, 2011

random fun


Aunty Anna and Uncle Paul were in town in April and we grabbed supper with them.
They were completely in love with you baby boy!
You were really good while we ate too. 
Mesmerized Baby Blues
(He was feeling grumpy)
It was one of those days. 
He had to be plugged in. Mommy needed a break.
You understand.


We have really been enjoying spending time outside since the weather finally turned nice!
And in the bottom right is my shout out to our house (not done yet).  We're on an improvement rampage.
Recoating the driveway, arrogation, seeding, flower planting, weeding, trimming, and we're getting our house PAINTED at the end of June! YAY! NO MORE PEACHY PINK!
Owning a house is a lot of work and MOOOOLA.   :-P
I'll be sure to post pictures in about a month with all the updates.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Asher's first bites of solid food

Little Man, on April 25th (you were 6 1/2 months old) you took your first bite of solid food. Before then you had nothing but breast milk. (obviously it was nourishing your chubby little self completely.  So it was just for fun and to start practicing with the spoon that we gave you oatmeal. You thought it was delicious! And opened wide every time the spoon came near. You also tried to help get it in their quicker (see the pictures of your little messy patties stuffing the spoon in your mouth)? Well done Little Friend.

We continue to let you try out different flavors of organic fruits and veggies several times a week. But we don't push it; if you don't feel like eating from the spoon that day, we skip it. So you're not eating any meals this way yet. And that's perfectly fine. (Although it would be REALLY nice if you'd drink from a cup, or sippy, or straw, or bottle...we've tried them all...you don't get it. But we'll keep practicing). You seem to enjoy oat cereal mixed with fruit the best.

Now.
Peas.
On the other hand...
You were not a fan.
I've mixed them with different flavors. nope. not having it.

You are your fathers' son.
He hates peas too.

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Aunty Anna comes to play

When Aunty Anna (AKA: Asher's Baby Fairy) comes to play, scarcely a sad face can be found. For this Aunty wonder swoops in to the rescue of her sad nephew or stressed out sister. Her visit came at just the right time. I was feeling like I was at the end of my rope-Asher had just cut two teeth and the weather was crappy, and I was just emotionally and physically exhausted and in need of Dr.'s apt's hair cuts/colors, in and out errands, etc. Ahhhhhh. Relief came that whole week, and together we accomplished everything on my long to do list and then some. PHEW!

Asher started rolling in giggles and has begun to enjoy playing a little rougher (meaning- rolling more, being tickled, etc).

Thanks Anna for coming to visit! We love you!

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