Imagine a world where everything is Daddy. When Asher wakes in the morning, the first word he says as I come into his room is, “Daddy!” and he points to the door. He will crawl over to our bed and climb in next to Brian, lying his head on his shoulder, all the while chanting, “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” like a mantra. If Brian is taking a shower, Asher will sit at the bathroom door and pound on it. If that isn’t effective in making Brian appear, he will sit and wait for him all the while chanting, “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” like a mantra. When the door opens and Brian emerges, Asher is in Daddy’s arms and the world is all right again.  Read more... (1012 words, estimated 4:03 mins reading time)

It’s a defining moment when you begin to see yourself in your child, and you realize the things he has in store for him. Fortunately, Asher has mostly Brian in him, so he’ll always land on his feet, but it’s scary to think the trauma he could put himself through before he lands. It truly is amazing to see so much of Brian and me in Asher. While I have always said, “He is his daddy’s boy!”, I am constantly reminded that he has a bit of me in him as well, particularly when it comes to things not “being the way they’re supposed to be.”  Read more... (1075 words, estimated 4:18 mins reading time)

Finding the time to sit down and write this week has not been a problem for me; rather, I have struggled with finding ways to describe the events of the week. Nothing life changing or monumental in the eyes of the world, but for Brian and me, Asher’s adventures this week have begun a new chapter in our home. Not only has Asher shown an uncanny awareness of life around him, he has begun to respond to us in ways that show his personality and his spirit. I find myself wondering if I’m ready for this; for it seems my little boy is growing up before my very eyes.  Read more... (812 words, estimated 3:15 mins reading time)

We celebrated Asher’s 14 month birthday this week with a bang…another ear infection, cutting not one, but both bottom one-year molars and a week of intense fussiness. Each morning or naptime, when he awoke, it was like dealing with a bear just coming out of hibernation, and it took almost every ounce of self- control for me to not just leave him in there to fuss at the walls around his room. I didn’t want to deal with another day of not getting anything done around the house, of not being able to leave him for two seconds, or of having my legs grabbed constantly while I fixed dinner. It didn’t help that I wasn’t feeling well either…with a sore ankle swollen beyond recognition and a cold starting to dance its way into my head, all I wanted was to sleep and live life on my terms.  Read more... (774 words, estimated 3:06 mins reading time)