Turning up roses

Today I went with my friend Andrea to volunteer with decorating floats for the Rose Parade. I didn't know until recently that all the floats in the parade are decorated with only flowers, fruits/vegies, etc. No paint or man-made deco. Here I am peeling leaves and spreading petals on irises.


This is the Lions Club float. Guess that makes sense.


This is part of the Farmers Insurance float. It's a gigantic Indian with these bears and a horse behind it.


This is the bear's eye. Coconut/palm husks for hair and [pepper corns, various seeds and salt crystals make up the eyes.

Quilt Rack

I ordered a custom quilt rack to hang Asher's bedspread, and it finally arrived. Pretty, huh? I planned to hang it full length with clip rings, but that made it too high, so I just folded it over.


Sometimes Asher wakes up too early ... before 6, and he'll often go back to sleep if he's being held. So, you'll regularly find us sleeping together in the La-Z-Boy til 7:30 or 8.


The boy was SO tired and SO hungry that he fell asleep while grandma was burping him, fingers lodged firmly in the mouth via suction.

3 Months!

Here's the link to his new photos at Costco.

Tom to the Rescue

Ken got a new job today!! Yay!! Not just any job, either. It's his dream job — one he's been chasing for three years... He'll be working at Tom Anderson Guitarworks. Anderson makes high-end electric guitars. Ken explained it like this: If Gibson and Fender are the Mercedes and BMW of guitars, Anderson is the Ferrari. Anyway, Tom is a gem to work for, we hear, pays well, has good benefits, etc., so he has virtually no employee turnover. Seriously, the dude who's leaving (moving to Colorado) that vacates a spot for Ken is the first employee to leave in three years.


Anyway, he starts next Thursday. It'll be interesting to see how I do by myself all day with Asher and no help. Anderson works four 10s, so they have Mondays off. So, on work days, DH will be gone from 7:15 til 6:15 (their shop is about five miles from us... nice!).

Then again, I'm supposed to start working some next week, too. Guess it's time to schedule some granny nanny hours!

Thursday

Today we went to the mall so that Asher could meet Santa. See his blog for a picture of that.

It's been raining for a few days, so it's really miserable to be outside. You'd really think they sky was falling for how people freak out and forget how to drive when there's moisture in the air. We got Asher's 3-month portraits done yesterday, but I accidentally left the CD with the images at my office. I went by to get it today, and found that my secretary had mailed it to me, so it should be back in my hands by tomorrow. Then I'll post a few more of those, or a link to the album or something.

Have you seen the ads for the Smart Lidz? I wonder if they really work...

Ken and I have become really boring at Christmas.

Him: What do you want for Christmas?
Me: Maybe a mixer. Or a food processor.
Him: Where should we get it?
Me: Costco. What do you want?
Him: A ProTools bundle.
Me: Where should we get it?
Him: Guitar Center, so we can take advantage of their no-interest financing.
Me: Guess I better put the Costco stuff on my AMEX so I can earn the points.
Him: Should we just go buy our own presents?
Me: I guess. Merry Christmas.

Guess it'll be a lot more fun when Asher is old enough to appreciate presents!

Here are the boys watching something on the Food Network.

Three Months!

Chillin'

Watching Rachel Ray...


Santa and his elves.

Holiday cheer

Well, we got our annual Christmas picture done today. It was hard enough in years past to get the dog to cooperate. Now with a baby in the mix, it's a miracle to get something presentable!

Sheesh

I must've been busy lately, because it's been too long since I last posted!

We finally decided to trim Asher's "old man fringe," which was the longer, thicker hair around the nape of his neck. The top is starting to grow in, but the back is still bald from rubbing on the mattress, car seat, arms, etc. So here's Ken doing the buzz.


Smiling and talking with daddy.


Don't forget to check Asher's blog, too. He'll be hurt if no one reads it!

House

My friends are selling their Newbury Park home. If you're interested, here's the info.

Asher's blog

We took Asher to the pediatrician today. I'll let him tell you about it ... He started his own blog today!

Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving, we drove to Redding to hang out with Ken's parents, then down to Sacramento to his sister's place (Lori). Here's Asher with his Grandpa Adams.

Couldn't resist this outfit.

Four generations... Ken, Charlene (Ken's mom), Doreen (Ken's grandma), and Asher.

I canNOT get enough of this face!

Friday we drove up to Apple Hill for donuts.

No explanation necessary!

Asher at 2 months

Sabbath

Asher was tired when we got to church today, so here he is, sleeping in the cradle in the nursery. He really liked the rocking; went back to sleep immediately each time he started to wake up.

Ken played music with the praise band today. Here are Dan and Ken, gettin' their worship on.

This is just for reference, so you can see how TALL Asher is getting! He's 8 weeks now; tomorrow is his two-month birthday!

Finally!

I had this idea many years ago, and am so glad someone finally came up with it! I wish I had the know-how to have been the one to get rich from my brilliant idea... Anyway, this is available at Costco.com.

The Daybreak Duo® sunrise/sunset simulator lets you wake up to your own personal sunrise, naturally. Only from Apollo Health - The Body Clock Experts.™ Your Body Clock Affects Your Sleep, Mood & Energy. For decades, doctors have recommended light therapy for treating mood and sleep problems. This is because a center in your brain's hypothalamus (called the body clock) uses the light found in natural sunlight to regulate sleep, wake and energy cycles. If you struggle with sleep, mood or energy, your body clock may not be getting proper light signals. A Better Way to Wake Up - Naturally Your body knows when to wake up from the light/dark signals it receives. Unlike the sudden jolt of your alarm clock, your Daybreak Duo® creates a sunrise that wakes you gradually, the way nature intended. You'll Sleep Better, Too 8 of 10 Americans struggle to get out of bed in the morning, and have problems sleeping at night. Traditional alarm clocks compound this problem because they wake us by startling us out of our sleep, preventing us from completing the final stage of sleep. This is vital to feeling energized when we wake, and being ready to sleep at the right time. Dawn simulation restores the balance of sunrise/sunset that our bodies crave. Now for the first time ever, dawn/dusk technology typically reserved for Sleep Labs is available for use in your own home.† Wake Up With Gradually Increasing Light - Instead Of A Harsh, Jarring Alarm. The Daybreak Duo® eases you into the morning with light that increases over a period of time you specify. This allows your body to complete the important final stages of sleep. Awake Refreshed, Reduce Grogginess When you feel that you just can't wake up, it's probably due to your body clock being out of synch. Dawn simulation helps readjust your body clock by giving it properly-timed light signals, so that you wake up refreshed and ready for the day. Fall Asleep Faster With Your Own "Sunset" if you have trouble falling asleep at night, the Daybreak Duo® can help your body adjust with a simulated sunset of gradually-decreasing light. This causes the body clock to shut down production of "active" hormones and start producing melatonin to induce sleep.† Works With Your Existing Lighting The Daybreak Duo® works with the bed-side lamp you already have in your bedroom, making it easy to install and use immediately. You don't need additional accessories and you don't have to redecorate! Additional Daybreak Duo® Features: Three ways to wake up: light, music, or backup alarm Works with most standard bed-side table lamps (lamp not included) Attractive, interchangeable faceplates (three faceplates included) Touch-screen for easy programming. AM/FM radio Snooze/nap functions Adjustable sunrise and sunset length (15 minutes to 2 hours) 2 Wake time settings 3 Radio presets - remembers 3 of your favorite stations for instant tuning. Orange backlit screen - won't disturb your sleep like white, blue, or green displays. Adjustable screen intensity - bright during the day, and it auto-dims during sleeping hours. ETL approved, US & Canada Sleep Better. Wake Refreshed. Have More Energy. Improve Your Mood.™

Grinnin' at Granny

Bathtime Fun...

Asher hated baths early on, but it was because he was suspended on a net out of the water, which allowed him to get cold. We found that he loves his bath if he's submerged and/or floating. So, here he is during today's bath. And no, those are not my hairy legs. :o)


After a bath he's usually so worn out that he just collapses. A clean, sleeping baby. Ahhh.... heaven.

Today we took Brady and mom's two golden retrievers to the dog park to socialize. Asher enjoyed the Bjorn for the first time, mostly because he's strong enough to hold his head up, so I can fold down the headrest flap for him to look around. Yay!

The Morning Shift

I usually take all the baby feedings between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. (sometimes that's one, sometimes it's three or four!). Then anytime after 5:30 or 6, I wake Ken, who takes over so I can make up the night sleep. This morning, I got up about 8:15 and found this...


Aren't they sweet? Asher had a really good night last night. He went to sleep about 9:30, woke at 1 to eat, back to sleep by 1:45, and slept til 6. Yay! (Aparently, then he slept a bit more!)

I'm a Wrapper

I'm officially a wrapper. A baby-wearer. It's really trendy these days to "wear" your baby, but I'm not as hard-core as most of the granola-heads who are so militant about it. I was really fading from the path after Asher just would not adjust to being carried in the ring sling. But I recently discovered the wrap (thank you Tammy and Christye), and Asher and I are both converted believers! I bought a Moby, but you can easily make your own (it's basically just five yards of material; no buckles or ties or anything).

Ash falls asleep within 60 seconds of strapping on, and will sleep contentedly for three hours while my hands are free to be on the computer or pay bills or whatever. We've started going on walks as a whole family (Ken, me, Asher and Brady), and it's much more convenient than strapping into the carseat and pulling out the stroller.

The only problem with baby-wearing (for us) is that Asher is a little heater; he radiates all the time. So, with the two of us together, it gets really warm. Fortunately, the weather is turning cooler, so we both enjoy the time in the wrap outdoors.

Here we are after our evening walk. The pacifier is on the little blue leash. Oh, and I finally found a hat that stays on this boy's enormous head! It's a knit one I found at Target, and seems to be perfect. He doesn't normally need a hat (note the aforementioned heat radiator), but on our extra cool night walks when it's in the 50s, it's perfect. Yay!


Beyond the wrapping, we're really doing great. We're starting to get into a routine and a schedule of sorts. It's becoming easier to figure out what Asher wants/needs when he cries. And we traded in our glider/ottoman for a La-Z-Boy rocker recliner. So far, it seems to be working better for us, mostly because of the reclining feature. Sometimes the baby doesn't go back to sleep well after his 5-6ish a.m. feeding, but he'll sleep in our arms/lap. So, if he looks like he's not going to settle down in the crib, we just cuddle up with the Boppy pillow in the recliner and sleep an extra couple of hours (a very uncomfortable prospect in the previous non-reclining glider).

Well, I suppose I should head to bed for some shut-eye before the next feeding. Seems like they come so quickly, but he's actually starting to spread out to 3-4 hour intervals during the day and 4-5 hours at night, so that's much better than the 1.5-2 hours it was before!

50s Fun

1-handed so I can't type much, but thought y'all might enjoy these...

Smiling

We finally got Asher's first smiles! (Well, Ken did, anyway.) I knew he was on the verge, because he's been grinning, but he finally smiled big. We didn't get the big one on video, but this clip follows it.



Also, good news on the hearing front. Test results show that Asher's right ear is on the low end of the "normal" range (yay!), and his left "may" have a moderate loss. They want to wait and retest him at three months. Much better news than we were expecting. Praise the Lord!

Now he's been sleeping for the better part of six hours. Makes me nervous about how the night will go. I better wake the boy up and keep him awake for the next four hours!

Passed Out

After his bath, Asher was so mad that he wore himself out and collapsed from exhaustion. Yay!


Hangin' out with Daddy.


And grinning for Grandma!

Purring

This video is about a month old, but thought you'd enjoy it... Asher, purring.

Wednesday

So we had Asher's ABR hearing test yesterday, but won't know results on how severe his hearing loss is for a few days. Stay tuned. In the meantime, here are a few irresistible pics...

Fires

There are at least half a dozen fires burning in Southern California, including one in the Santa Rosa Valley, which is just a few miles from me. It's making the sky look like this, a view from our balcony:

Pics, anyone?

Here we are on our way to get one-month pics taken...


The chubby cheeks create a pacifier ring. :o)


We sneaked a quick pic in the studio while we were waiting for our portraits to print.


Getting too big for the portable sleeper bed!


Today Asher had his first nap in his crib! Til now, he's been in the sleeper or Boppy in the living room or in the Pack-n-Play in our room. (Yes, I'll be removing the stuffy and the pillow.)


Took Asher to my office one day last week. He ate, then feel asleep so hard that he didn't even notice when I set him on the desk to change his diaper.