Pumpkins in the Park

Today was Eli's preschool Fall field trip.  They got to go to Sedgwick County Park and play. go on an adventure walk and have story time, have smores for snacks, and pick out a pumpkin.  The kids all had a blast.  A boy in Eli's class, Maddox, informed me that Eli is his "best friend" and they played the entire morning.  Cora joined up with the girls in Eli's class and you would have thought she was one of them.  They all hugged, held hands, played etc.  It was adorable!  Asher was a trooper and enjoyed watching the action.  I love watching my kids have fun!

October

Fall weather has arrived and with it the painstaking task of getting clothes, coats, socks, shoes, jackets, etc. on three kids :-).  I love Spring and Summer and have a hard time with Fall and Winter.  At least we have some amazing holidays to look forward to or I would boycott them forever!  I already miss the kids running around naked, playing in the backyard barefoot, etc.  We will make the best of it and try to stay sane!  I have been making pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pies, and tomorrow is Eli's field trip to get pumpkins and play in the park.  Embracing it folks!  October is our crazy month of travel and business.  I am clinging to every moment of family time.  Brandon had church stuff that took up the weekend and two evenings and we all really missed him (notice above picture in which Eli cried for an hour staring at Brandon's work badge picture).  It helped that I am leaving for Tahoe with Asher on Thursday, so I kept reminding them that they get Daddy all to themselves for 3 1/2 days and told them all of the fun things he has planned.  They are really excited and don't seem to be upset by my leaving (not surprised at all considering I am with them 24hrs and they never care when I go as long as they get Daddy time).  I think Eli and Cora are going to have a blast, and I am really excited to join my mom and brother in Tahoe, and see all of my family at my cousin's wedding.  Asher deserves some one on one time as well, so I am looking forward to that as well!  I took Cora out on a girl's date last night and we had so much fun.  She is just a joy!  All these ladies kept fawning over her at Panera and after they'd leave she'd say, "That little lady was so friendly!"  I just wanted to cry she is so cute.  Very thankful for these kiddos...living the dream!

We've been having a lot of fun around here...but that has left little time to write!  We enjoyed a wonderful visit from Brandon's parents.  We grilled, got Paletas, went to my niece Korey's birthday party, the boys went to the airshow (for 5 hrs) while us girls had a tea party and walked to the playground, found four discarded chairs from a yard sale that matched our other two perfectly (so now we have 6 chairs that match...amazing), and just enjoyed catching up!  I'd rather be with my family than anywhere else.  I feel very blessed to have such amazing people praying and supporting us! 

Reborn

We got to experience the beautiful miracle of two monarch caterpillars becoming butterflies over the past month.  What an amazing rebirth!  Every day we checked the chrysalis and it was obvious they were both going to hatch this week.  We had so much fun watching them hatch and watching them out in the garden while they dried out.  It was so beautiful to watch them fly away and I can't wait to do it again in the future.  The following are some photos of Cora singing and dancing for the butterfly (she was very concerned it was going to fly into her mouth ha ha). 

4 Months

Eli said it best this morning, "Asher, you need to stop growing up because I want you to be my little boy forever!"  Asher is not a newborn anymore.  He is a chubby little happy baby who loves his family and loves life.  You can just watch him soaking in what the older kids are doing and enjoying the newness of the world around him.  I love to view the world with new eyes.  He reminds me to look up and just take a moment to watch the leaves shaking in the wind.  I want to freeze him right now, but instead I will just appreciate every stage we get to go through.  At 4 months Asher:

1.  Weighs around 14.5 lbs and isn't as chunky as Cora was, but pretty close!  He has his 4 months appointment in a week and I can't wait to see how big he is.
2.  Is standing on his legs and will strain and push with his legs to make you lift him up so he can be a big shot!
3.  Loves his jumper and messing with the toys on it.
4.  Finally likes tummy time because he can mess with toys and hold his head up high to watch what is going on around him.  On his back, he can actually scoot a little by pushing his legs.
5.  Grabs at toys, shirts, blankets, hair, etc.  Anything he can get his little chubby fingers on he will go after.  I am moving all the little dangerous toys to the kids rooms because everything goes in the mouth.
6.  Gnaws on his hands, drools, and spits up quite a bit.
7.  Has started screeching and squealing.
8.  Will sometimes go up to 7 days without pooping (which leads to some uncomfortable moments, but is actually quite normal for breastfed babies).
9.  Loves showers and baths
10.  Blows raspberries
11.  Is wearing 6 month, 6-12 month, and 6-9 month clothes
12.  Is called a few nicknames such as:  Ash, Ash man, Asher the smasher
13.  Laughs and is very ticklish

14.  Loves toys now

15.  Took a bottle and was babysat for the first time and did great...never cried once for my parents (while Brandon and I went to the Broadway Lion King). 

16.  Has been put in the nursery at church to sleep (hoping he can spend some time in there every Sunday to get used to it)

17.  Rocks to sleep with paci and is still getting up at least 3 times at night (yawn). 

18.  My favorite moment is going to get him out of his crib when he wakes up and he always is startled and SO happy to see me. 

19.  Is VERY friendly and VERY flirty!  Everyone always comments about how smiley he is.  He will start "talking" and smiling at anyone who talks to him.