16 months old

Asher, you are 16 months old today!!And such a big boy compared to last September 11th!

Sizes:
clothes – 18-24 month
shoes – 5.5
diapers – 4

Loving his new Adirondack chair from Nana and Papa!  It’s where he watches cartoons in the morning!

Food:
Asher loves his dairy!  Cheese, Milk, and Yogurt are always favorites!  He also loves crackers and bread.  :)  His staples are chicken nuggets, quesadillas, ham lunch meat, and grilled cheese sandwiches.  We still try to give him whatever we’re eating, usually he eats it.  He loves peas and broccoli.  We’re working on mastering spoons and forks.  He can use a fork with help, but hasn’t quite grasped ‘stabbing’ his food yet. 

He also love ice cream!!  Here he is devouring a baby cone…  :)

 

Personality:
Asher is still Mr. Personality!  He dances all day long.  He dances to commercials, toys, and of course, when we play music.  He dances in his car seat, his stroller, while he plays, when we eat...  I’ve never met a child who moves like him.  It brings a smile to everyone who meets him!  :)  We love our dancer-boy!

I feel like this past month has been an explosion of learning and development!  Asher is talking all the time, mimicking us like crazy. 

• Some of this words are: mama, dada, doggy, Daisy, banana, cracker, uh-oh, truck, cow… He will amaze us by trying just about any word we say – we worked on “Buckeye” a lot today!!
• Some of his animal sounds are: Ruff-Ruff, Moo, and Roar!  We’re working on cluck, quack, and meow.
• Asher knows lots of his body parts including his: eyes, ears, mouth, head, nose, and tummy!

Here he is “helping” fold the laundry! :)

Asher also understands SO much.  If we say, “let’s take Daisy out” he will run to the back door.  If I say, “let’s go bye bye” he will go to the garage door.  If we say, “Let’s go get the mail” he will run to the front door.  And of course his favorite, “Time for a bath!”  To which he runs to the bathroom door.  :) It’s fun to see what he is picking up and learning every day.

At night we pray before bed and he is starting to understand how to fold his hands and he will say something when we say Amen – sometimes it sounds like “MEN” and other times not so much.

We read a book about baby animals.  On each page the animals are doing something like eating or playing.  On one page there are snuggling bear cubs.  Each time we read that page Asher turns around (from sitting in my lap) reaches his arms around my neck and snuggles in.  It melts my heart EVERY time.  We read that book a lot!! :) 

Daisy is also often on the receiving end of hugs and kisses from Asher!

 Favorite Things:

*Elmo and Barney (still)

*his Paci (still)

*DOGS!!!  Dogs are definitely his newest obsession.  He loves his dog and any other dog he sees!  Books with dogs, tv shows with dogs… he is dog-crazy!

*His grandpas!  And the feelings are mutual!  (Obviously he loves his grandmas too!  I just loved these two pictures too much to pass them up!)  :)

 

Sleep:
Asher has been waking up at night more often lately.  Thankfully it’s not every night!!!  I think it has to do with getting his molars.  Some nights Asher ‘fights’ going to sleep as he talks in his crib for up to two hours!  Other nights he doesn’t make a peep when we lay him down.  He’s still a pretty good napper, though teething seems to have messed up some naps lately.  He will nap anywhere from 1 to 3 hours.  Usually they are about 2 hours long though. 

How is possible that each new day with Asher is more fun than the day before?!  He is such a sweet boy and getting SO big.  We can hardly believe our eyes and ears sometimes and thank the LORD every day for His precious gift. 

*  *  *  *  *

It is fun on the 11th of each month to look back at all that Asher has learned in the past 30 days.  I’m amazed at what he learns in just a few days lately.  He’s growing by leaps and bounds.  On this 11th though, I would be remiss if I didn’t also look back on something that changed our world forever.  My sweet little 16 month old boy will have no first-hand recollections of 9/11.  Just pictures and accounts in history books.  
Thinking of that day brings tears to my eyes when I remember all the lives that were lost, all the stories of bravery, and the reality of evil in our world at such a magnitude.  My own thoughts and words are definitely inadequate to reflect on a day like 9/11.  So, simply put, I grieve with those who are grieving today and I give my gratitude to the men and women around the world and here at home who keep us all safe, not forgetting their families who miss them every day.  And ultimately I am thankful for a Heavenly Father who is, and was, and always will be on the throne!

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." 
John 16:33