Happy 2nd Birthday, Asher!

Sweet Asher,

You have certainly lived up to your nickname, "Hurricane Asher."  We knew having a little one so many years after your brother was going to come with its challenges...and it certainly has!  You give us a run for our money on a daily basis.  You are full of "spit and vinegar" and can be oh so naughty sometimes.  We am told by some of our closest friends that your energy and "naughty" behavior is "normal" behavior for a child your age and that we had a false sense of what a typical 2 year old acts like because your brother didn't do all the things you do.  Ha!  Even though you challenge us, we love you from the bottom of our hearts.  You bring so much joy to our lives. This year has been an adventure and you have definitely taught us to exercise patience, but we wouldn't change one thing.

We can't believe that you are already two.  Where has the time gone?!?!?  You have grown so much in your second year.  You are still a little bitty thing, weighing just over 22 lbs., but your doctor assures us that your growth is on track.  You were sick a lot this year.  You got tubes in September and they worked for awhile but you still were so congested and we discovered that they had stopped working and that was why you kept getting ear infections.  It has been recommended that we do a second set of tubes and adenoid removal.  We also discovered that you were allergic to dogs--a major bummer considering we have three and you love to snuggle them! 

You don't talk much yet but definitely know "mama" and "dada."  You refer to Noah as "Woahwa."  We have been told that your speech will improve once you have your second set of tubes and your adenoids removed.  You love your brother more than anything in this world and the feeling is mutual.   You are 100 miles an hour all the time.  You run and play and climb constantly and you love to be outside.  It is immediate tears when it is time to go in.  You love to kick a ball and we think you will eventually really like soccer.  You also have quite the arm on you so we won't rule out baseball either. 

    

You are a super picky eater.  We thought your brother was bad.  Nope!  You love pizza, refried beans, Sister Shubert rolls, and cheese crips.  You will eat mashed potatoes with chicken hidden in it but if a piece of chicken is presented to you, or a piece of anything other than the above mentioned foods, you simply look at it and toss it on the floor.  You won't even try it!  It's infuriating!  You do love "squeezies," though.  The puréed squeeze pouches of fruits and veggies are your favorite.  It's a good thing you will eat these, otherwise you wouldn't get any fruits and veggies in your diet.   You also love yogurt puffs and anything crunchy like a cracker or cookie.  You are still nursing just a little bit before bed.  Mommy is pretty sure that you won't ever give it up, if she doesn't force you, and mommy isn't quite ready to do that yet. :-)

You enjoy watching Word World, Baby Bum (YouTube), Curious George, and Sesame Street.  We can't figure out why you love the Baby Bum shows so much, but you are mesmerized by them and they are educational so we are fine with it. You also still love music.  I sing to you every night before bed and it settles you down right away.  We play a lot of Pandora Rockabye Baby too.  You adore it. 

You have become a pretty good sleeper.  Naps are easy now.  Bedtime is challenging if Mommy isn't home to put you to bed.  You give Daddy a hard time because you know he can't stand to listen to you cry.  You have him wrapped around your finger.

You had a couple of major "firsts" this year.  You saw snow for the first time and took your first flight on a airplane, and you did pretty good.  We visited Auntie E and Uncle Christoper and the boys in Washington.  You had so much fun playing with their toys but mostly you just wanted to get into and eat the cat food!!

You are such a happy boy and love to laugh and giggle.  We have enjoyed watching you grow and develop over this past year.  Even though you are naughty sometimes, you always make us laugh and we love that you are full of spirit and fire.  We can't wait to see what next year brings. 

                 

We love you to the moon and back, Asher Kenneth!  Happy Birthday!!

Love,
Mommy, Daddy, and Noah