Playing Catch Up

Today I went back to work after 7 weeks of maternity leave. It wasn't all that difficult. I know everyone says it will be really hard to go back and leave your baby after spending all that time with them, practically 24/7. The longest I'd left Asher was an hour and 1/2 to get the oil changed in my car.

But I feel OK about it. It's kind of been nice to be back at work and know that I was missed and people are glad to see me back. The stressful part is juggling my job, Kevin's job, and Asher. Just as soon as we get used to having a baby, we have to get used to us BOTH working. With a baby. Mercifully we don't have to worry about one of the major issues most dual-income homes have to worry about with young kids: child care. *phew* Thankfully we have helpful friends and really eager grandparents who are happy to help out. There is no way I would have sent my baby to a daycare at this age. NO. WAY.

Anyway...

Since things have been a tiny bit crazy preparing for this transition (and with surgeries and illnesses on top of that), I have been behind in posting my weekend photos with Asher.

Saturday, October 6th was Asher's one month birthday weekend. He turned one month old on Friday the 5th! The time just flew! And he is so much bigger and more alert. He loves being held - especially leaning over your shoulder so he can look around (and then use your shoulder as a pillow when he gets tired).

Saturday, October 13th we were in Tulsa for the weekend visiting friends. It was Asher's first road trip and he did great in the car! He was insatiably hungry - growth spurt, perhaps? ;)

A month of Saturdays!

Today is Asher's forth Saturday being alive. His almost full month of life has flown by so fast. Also, it's almost October - crazy!

It rained all day today - finally; it has been threatening rain for days so I'm glad it's finally arrived. This afternoon it was in the 60's outside. Awesome!

Here are a couple shots of what we did today with our boy.


Oh and I made some kale salad today, too. I never thought I'd enjoy a RAW kale salad but it's actually amazing.


Fresh Kale Salad:

1 bunch of kale, washes and chopped small

1/3 c dried cranberries

1/3 c toasted walnuts

1/4 of a red onion, sliced thin


Dressing:

3 T balsamic vinegar
1 T rice vinegar
3 T olive oil
3 T brown sugar

To taste...

Salt
Pepper
Thyme

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together and toss into the salad.

Kevin and I inhaled the entire bowl together in one sitting. Guilt free. :)

First Day Of Fall - Asher's Third Saturday - 09/22/12

What a lazy day. Asher slept so well overnight but this morning I just lolled in bed with him til almost noon.

Kevin had to work this afternoon and while he was gone Asher and I hung out and enjoyed a slow day with no responsibility.

And I realized it was the first day of Fall. Crazy how this year has gone by so fast and our first Fall with Asher is already here.

Life with Asher Drake

Our little boy is here. September 5th, 2012 at 8:24pm, Asher Drake took his first breath of air and cried a good, hearty cry. He weighed 10 pounds, 4.4 ounces. And he was beautiful. And ours.

Yesterday he was 2 weeks old. However tiring this new gig is - sleeping in 2 hour segments through the night, feeding him all the time, changing about a million poopy diapers a day - it's gone by so fast already. It's very exhausting and sometimes we're just going on instinct but ... It's still pretty great. 

It's great being able to see him filling the role we've been preparing for all these months. Seeing him sleep in his crib (he's so small in there!) and changing his diapers on the dresser we got just for him that's full of clothes that he is now wearing. I've "seen" him for a long time but there's never been a face - like in a dream, I saw just a figure, just the idea of what would soon be a reality - until he arrived and I got to see his little face. His fat little cheeks and baby blue eyes, his long toes and chubby chin. 


I read somewhere that you only get 940 Saturdays with your kids til they turn 18. This blog is just my way of recording the time Kevin and I spend with our son as he grows and changes. Sometimes I find myself wishing he would be older faster and be able to do things on his own. But really I don't want it to go too fast. Hopefully I can jot down a few memories here before he's older and doesn't need me for everything. 


So ... Our first two Saturdays with Asher:


Saturday the 8th:

Spent the day enjoying some amazing weather, late-morning breakfast and a stroll around the yard. 


Saturday the 15th:

Spent a very quiet day being with our boy, drinking hot tea and watching him take in his surroundings in a whole new way. Every day he does something a little different than the day before.