Busy Boy!!

I have been meaning to update this forever but I just haven't found the time...we have been soooo busy since the last post!  I'm going to try to keep my words short this time because I have a lot of pictures I want to post ;) 

Ashton and I went to the zoo in June and had the best time.  Fist of all the weather was out of this world!  So it was the perfect day for it...Ashton was very intrigued with all the animals this time (as opposed to last time I tried to take him to the zoo and I spent the whole time trying to get him to notice the animals!).  Here are a few pictures from our day:

Monkeying around

staring contest with the penguin

staring contest with an elephant

staring contest with a fish

staring contest with the kid next to him at the hippo tank

one of his favorite parts...some construction going on in the zoo!  Of course!!  Trucks, tractors, and more!!

The best part of his day...the train ride!!!!  He was SO excited!!  He absolutely loved the train!!

However, he was not so sure about the tunnel the train had to go through ;()

While the weather was warm, but not miserable, we took full advantage!!  Walks everyday (sometimes 2), daily trips to the park, and visits to the pool!  We also took part in a walk for ALS in memory of my friend Maria's beautiful mom, who was a victim of the terrible disease!!  RIP Judy!!

Ashton has started showing an interest in going potty on the 'big potty' again, since getting his new Diego potty seat ;)...To keep up his excitement I got him some big boy underpants and after he goes potty he gets to put on his new underpants for a while...he loves them, so hopefully he will keep up the good work!

Over the July 4th weekend we finally made a long overdue trip to TN to visit my parents.  The last time we were there Ashton was 6 mo old!   I know, I am a terrible daughter!!  Anyway, it was a great visit.  We played outside in the pool (even when Ashton was napping...lol) and just hung out.  Kristy and Dustin came over to visit, and Ashton got to finally meet his aunt Kristy!  (not to be confusing, he has met her before but it was before he could distinguish who was who).  We didn't get many pictures of our visit but Brian was able to capture, what was sure to be one of the highlights for Ashton, a picture of Ashton getting a ride on Pop Pop's "tractor"...

Busy Boy Con't

It has been extremely hot outside lately so we have been trying to find alternative things to do.  My sister Laura found a website that offered free kids bowling at certain bowling Alley's in our area.  We thought this would be a nice change and something fun to do with the kids.  We decided to meet the other night and then get dinner together...we have learned bowling is not a good idea for kids under 5!!  and we brought 3 kids under 5!!!!! LOL!!  Lets just say it was definitely a learning experience...haha!  Here are a few shots of Ashton in action at the bowling ally...

He tried to use this ball but it was too heavy so he had to use the pink ball with the girls!

Though it was challenging, it was something different and I think Ashton liked the floor there because he ran in a big circle for about 25 minutes straight!!  lol

Finally I will leave you with our most recent event...Ashton had his first experience with a babysitter over the weekend.  Brian and I went to a concert with some friends and had a great referral for a sitter, so we went for it.  It went great!  Our sitter was sweet and responsible and did what we asked...not to mention Ashton was a fan of hers! ;)  So it was a nice Saturday night out for us and him, however on Sunday he was CRAZY!!  He was so irritable, frustrated, whiny, we couldn't do anything to please him!  And then I gave him this...

and I realized what it was....MOLARS!!! BOOOOOOOOOO!!!  So that is what we are dealing with now.  He seems a little better today than he was on Sunday so hopefully he keep improving!  Until next time!! Adios!!

Outside, Outside, Outside!!!

Well we have been outside as much as possible this summer...it is definitely Ashton's favorite place to be.  No matter what, it doesn't matter if it is 103 degrees with no breeze he would play outside all day long if he could. 

Ashton has really started embracing toddler hood!!  He is more destructive than ever and getting more and more stubborn by the minute!  LOL  He is a boy who knows what he wants.  He thinks everything is a hammer right now.  He will take his "hammer" (whatever he has in his hand at the moment) and "fix" (bang on repeatedly) everything...he fixes the wall, his toys, the frig, the dresser, Elways bed, the dishwasher, the oven, the table, and I could go on and on and on.  He has definitely confirmed that we should not get anything nice and new (furniture, decor, etc) until he is older.  Ashton is still working on smiling with his teeth...

He does pretty good, but he (of course) will only do it when HE wants to, never when you ASK him too.  He went thru a phase where he always wanted his glasses on, so there are a few pics in this with them on, however he is over it now...he wants to make sure they are an option if he chooses to put them on (so they always have to be on hand) but he never keeps them on for more than a few minutes.  I recently decided that it was time to give in and cut Ashton's hair.  It was so hard for me to do it but it was getting more and more out of control and everyone thought he was a girl...even if he had on a basketball jersey and shorts everyone still referred to him as "she" or "her" so I thought it was only fair to him to have a chance to be thought of as a boy!!  So......here is before

and here is after...

Pretty handsome if I do say so myself!!  He loves to get his haircut...we have cut it 3 times since the first cut because he asks for it...lucky for me!!  We have been keeping busy running around and we try to get together with my sister Laura and Ashton's cousins at least once a week.  They came over today and we went to the "BIG" park, as Ella would say, and then came back to the house for some lunch and some play time before they had to head home.  The toy that got the most attention was the bike.  Here, it was Ava's turn to ride the bike but Ashton just couldn't wait to get on, so he hitched a ride!!

Because I always get up, get Ashton ready, feed him, and send Brian off to work before I even look in the mirror, Ashton is usually waiting on me before we go anywhere here is what he typically looks like when he is waiting on me...

We have already made it back to IN once, since the move, for Brian's cousin Jason's wedding.  It was a great visit and Ashton got a lot of Mimi time which he loved!!  He even got to stay with Aunt Pam and Uncle Dave one night, which he really seemed to enjoy!!!  Ashton still loves time with Dada!!  He follows him around, imitates him every time he is "on the phone" "driving" or "working to make some money", and is willing to wait for Dada to finish up some work to get it...here he is outside Dada's office waiting for some one on one time!!

 Last weekend we went to Ava's first dance recital.  I wasn't sure how Ashton would do but he ended up lasting (almost) to intermission, which was about an hour and 45 minutes!!  I couldn't believe it!  He loved clapping for the dancers and he would yell out "good job" and "ballerina's" and when Ava's group went he yelled "again"!! He was cracking me up!  Ava did a great job, and she looked so cute...I don't have any pictures but she was a doll!!  That pretty much brings us up to date...I will try to update this more frequently the rest of the summer!!  :/  I'm not making any promises thought..haha!

Moving is for the Birds!!

Most of you already know, but for those of you who do not...we have recently relocated to St. Louis, MO.  We moved here because Brian had been traveling here (and to Chicago) for several months because business was better and we finally decided to move so he wouldn't have to be away from home so much.  So, that is the reason I haven't updated the blog since March!  We are finally all settled in and getting to know the area.  Ashton has been so great during all the craziness!!
I have to go back to Easter for a second before I go on.  Aunt Tammy had everyone over to hang out, enjoy some great food, and have our annual Egg War!  Ashton had a great time running around and playing with Gus (a friend of the families little boy).  I didn't get any pictures of him while we were there but I did take a picture of him on the way down there...(side note: he has come full circle with his feelings towards the car...some of you might remember the horror stories of our attempts at traveling with him when he was younger, he HATED the car!!)

Now as you can see, he is completely relaxed with his legs crossed and arms behind his head (which is one of his favorite ways to sit/lay...I have ultrasounds of him like this in my belly!! lol).  One of Ashton's Easter presents from Mimi was a personalized backpack.  Ashton loves it!  He likes to just put it on and walk around...here he is playing with the sliding glass door at the new house.

Ashton has been growing up so fast, every day he is doing something new and usually hilarious!  He still likes to go shopping with Mommy, however he no longer has the patience to sit in the designated spot for him so this is how we shop now...

He has been getting into hiding and having mommy try to find him.  I imagine as he gets a little older his hiding places will get a little more challenging but for now I have to do a little acting...haha...here is one of his favorite hiding spots right now

Ashton and I met Laura, Ava, and Ella at this place called Dream Play Recreation the other day and had a great time, here is Ashton making a little video message for daddy while we were there...

Ashton has been practicing his ABC's lately and it is the cutest thing ever!  He sings A B C D E X G and then just starts singing "ABC's" "ABC's" while fluctuating his tone...I love it!  He has also been practicing smiling WITH his teeth...

please ignore his hair...I know it looks crazy, it was one of those days that his hair won the battle!!  Two weeks ago the weather felt like we were in the dead of summer...it was so hot!  So we went and got a few things for summer and then a cool front came thru right after!  So here he is modeling one of his "summer" purchases but he is dressed for fall weather!!

That pretty much brings us up to date.  I will leave you with one more video I caught of him trying to be just like daddy (which is his favorite thing to pretend to be!!)  Enjoy!!  This won't let me upload this video for some reason but I will work on it and put it up as soon as I can figure it out!  Sorry!!!

March Madness!!

This seems to be a reoccurring theme, starting off the blog with a quick apology for taking so long to update, but sorry non the less!!  Ashton has been busier than ever!!!  He is so active and incredibly talkative!!  He has gotten really good at putting two words together...for example; if he see's my water bottle he'll say "mama's water", if he see's any chap stick he says "dada's chap"...etc.  Here he is with some of dada's chap...looking pretty cool if I don't say so myself!!

He loves playing with other kids (or just watching other kids play lol).  He seems to be fascinated with them!!  He is still very sweet...loves to give kisses and hugs to everyone (once he is comfortable around them of course)!  Now, though he is very loving and wonderful, we did have our first public meltdown on Monday.  I was mortified!!  We had an ENT apt that morning, which he did pretty well at, as far as doctor apt's go with him...so I decided to take him to chick-fil-A for lunch and to play in their play area.  Well, when we got there he was so excited to get Nug's (chicken nuggets) but once we sat down to eat he would have no part in it!!  There were too many kids to capture his attention.  So, I decided to go ahead and let him play for a little bit and figured we would eat once he got it out of his system...ROOKIE MISTAKE!!  After about 20 minutes in the play area I asked him to come eat and told him when we were done we could come back and play...I was obviously reasoning with myself because as soon as I went to pick him up he went into full tantrum mode, complete with throwing himself on the floor and blood curdling screams!  So I had to attempt to carry my 30lb. screaming child (who is pushing and kicking trying to get down) with one hand, while I gathered all our food with the other while apologizing to all my onlookers!!  Once I got him in the car and we were headed home he kept asking for nugs...of course!!  Other than this very isolated incident, he is usually wonderful in public!  Brian was in Vegas over the weekend so Ashton and I went to Monkey Joe's for some fun and afterward we had a fancy dinner date...here we are after our meal

 Mimi and her friend Jim recently came over and watched Ashton to give Brian and I a much needed date night!  Of course they didn't come empty handed!!  They brought Ashton a new bike and a basketball hoop!! He loves his new toys, here he is after he just finished up shooting some hoops!!

Ashton recently had his first experience with the flu which wouldn't have been complete without a complementary ear infection!  He was miserable for about a week and it was about 2 weeks before he was himself again!  We are so glad that is over, but this is a pic from when he was sick watching a movie with dada...

As I mentioned earlier, Brian was in Vegas over the weekend for his cousin Jason's 4 day bachelor party.  They all had a great time...Ashton missed his daddy so much though and when Brian got home and went in his room to change his clothes Ashton demanded to take his shirt off too and just wanted to cuddle with his daddy...it was so cute I had to snap a quick shot.

That's about it...we are excited for the weather to get warm so we can get outside more!! He loves to take walks (as long as he is actually walking) and loves going to the park!  Should be a fun summer!!

The Start of a New Year!

Ashton has fully embraced toddler-hood.  He is into everything, he wants to do everything on his own, and he has more energy than I ever imagined him having!!  At his 18mo check up he was 29.2 lbs. (86%), 31.5 inches tall (83%), and his head is back up in the 99%!!  Needless to say, he is a big boy!!  He talks all the time...some things he loves to say are: Starbucks, waffles, blank, El's (reffering to Elway), neighbor, sheets, sit, all done, all gone, dada's, mama's, cars, and truck among many others.  He has recently shown an interest in dressing up...especially like daddy!  Here he is trying to walk in daddy's shoes (trying is the key word)

Brian was out of town for work a couple weeks ago and for approximately 2 days all he wanted to do was wear daddy's jacket

( Elway is always keeping an eye on him)

As you can see he decided my headband was a nice accessory as well.  One of his new favorite things is to build a fort on the couch.  This started out with us just propping up the pillows and throwing a blanket over the top...that was enough!  Well, that didn't last very long...

Now...it is a project!!  Including our own make shift slide!  Here is a shot of Ashton in the slide...

Ashton is a great eater!  Thank God!  However, he isn't very easy to feed anymore!  He wants to do everything himself, which isn't a bad thing...messy...but not bad!  Here he is enjoying an English muffin while running around the house, because sitting down to a meal just doesn't do it for him!

I have recently been trying to find ways to harness his energy and give him something to focus on.  I bought flash cards with shapes and colors so we could practice but he refuses to sit still to look at them...instead he likes to take the cards out one at a time and throw them as far as he can then he plays with the box.  I also bought him a coloring book for him to color...he hasn't really conquered this one yet.  I think he likes the idea of it but he will scribble for about 2 minutes (max) and if he doesn't try to eat them then the crayons quickly end up on the floor and He just wants to turn the pages back and forth as fast as he can...and I think in his mind he gets extra points if he rips the pages!!

Just the other day he found where I hid our left over wrapping paper from Christmas...he took no time at all to prove to me that my hiding place was a joke!

As most of you know, we have been having a crazy winter this year!  We haven't really been able to get out and play in the snow...mainly because we don't have any snow gear for Ashton (no waterproof clothes either) and he is growing so fast we keep putting it off...however, with the recent ice storm we took the opportunity to let Ashton get out in the cold and slide around for a bit...he loved it!

Ashton just got done with an antibiotic due to an ear infection and is doing much better now but medicine always leaves quite an impression on his rear so (against Brian's wishes) here is a picture of Ashton "airing out" his rash while spying on the neighbors...

One of my favorite things about him right now is how incredibly loving he is!!!  He loves to give kisses and hugs...he hugs everything including books (as I am reading them!)!  Here is a picture of him cuddling up with Mimi and uncle 'Sock' at our super bowl party.

We spent a couple days with Natalie and Lincoln this week...we went to the indoor play gym and we finally started our swim class!  Ashton is a natural in the water and I have never seen him happier!!  He was the only child in the class that insisted on clapping after every single song or activity, it was the cutest thing!  After class Lincoln came over to play for a little bit and Ashton's love fest continued...He hugged Lincoln every chance he got...

he is the sweetest little guy, he makes Brian and me smile everyday, and we can't wait to see what kind of person he grows up to be!

Finishing 2010 Strong!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and a wonderful New Year!!  We had a great holiday season, we covered a lot of ground and kept very busy but we enjoyed it all!!  We started things off on Christmas Eve...that morning we decided to have our own little Christmas morning...just the three of us and Elway.  Later that day we headed south...destination Mimi's (Brian's mom)...1st stop, Zaharakos for sloppy sandwiches and ice cream (one of many holiday traditions).We celebrated Christmas this year with Mimi, Scot, Bridget, and Chad....also Capone, Cadence, and Elway (the dogs) and Bentley, Tigra (the cats), and Casia and Siesta (the sugargliders...don't ask)...needless to say it was a packed house!!  Christmas morning Brian made our breakfast pizza's (a tradition John started years ago) and Ashton got his first taste...

He loved them (he fits right in).  Then we got right to it and started getting into those presents!!!  Ashton started out well, he was climbing on Mimi and playing with a big brown box...

and was even willing to help his elders open their presents! ;)

However he faded fast and quickly started refusing presents, and would only lay with daddy

...so we knew it was time for a nap...

This actually worked out well because it allowed us (the adults) to finish our gift exchange and do our annual elf on the shelf challenge.  Brian's mom hides the elf on the shelf (who we have named JR) in a VERY difficult spot and we all search for it...the winner gets $20!  Guess who won...

After our fun, Ashton woke up right on Que, and we finished his presents.  He got a lot of great gifts, way too much, but all great!  Here are a few of him in action...

That night Mimi hosted Christmas dinner at her house and the Wright family came over.  We had a nice time and dinner was great!  The next day we had the Scott family Christmas out at the Wrights.  We had great food, fun games, and it was great to see everyone!  The next day we took Ashton to Marion Kay to see Kord, Kathy, and Pam (and bonus..Toni) and for Ashton to get to see the plant.  It was great to get to see them; Ashton enjoyed helping Scot finish up his day's work,

Then over to help out Kathy,

and then he needed to burn some energy so he went for a run in the spice isle,

and finally a couple group shots!

We finished the day by going out to Molly's (one of Connie's friends) for our annual Christmas dinner at her house.  She always has her house decorated to the tee and it is such a cozy place to get to spend a few hours at during the holidays.  That wraps up Christmas...the next day was Brian's birthday, and understandably so, he didn't want to do anything so we had the family come over for some pizza and just hang at our house.  Then Thursday Scot had a meet and greet with our family and Chad's (Bridget's Fiancée) family.  New Years day Bridget and Chad had everyone over for dinner and a slumber party to bring in the new year!  Like I said...we kept very busy during the holidays but had a blast!!

Here are a few more pictures capturing the ever growing personality of our son...
                                           serious but cuddly..

completely terrifying...

made up for it...so sweet

always on the move...

loves cranberries...

and lastly a look he reserves for Mommy!!