big brother, meet little brother...

Today we found out that we're going to have another boy!! I love finding out the gender and seeing the baby. It was great to hear that everything looks healthy and whole.

Right before we went to the hospital for our ultrasound appointment.

A blurry little profile of baby boy #2

It was funny because we kept saying "see the baby?" to Asher today at the appointment, but he is too young to understand that I am pregnant and he just kept giving us confused looks because as far as he is concerned he is "baby".

I know that having babies just 16 months apart will be a handful...(or a couple of handfuls) but I am so excited! It is just right for our family, but I still do reserve the right to feel overwhelmed and scared some of the time, just so you know.

And I know that Asher will be a fantastic big brother!!

Asher at his very first Easter Egg hunt. Thanks for putting it all together Emily! We had lots of fun!!

Grass roots...

With it being an election year, and specifically a presidential election year, Abby and I have decided that we need to be more politically involved. We have always voted (except this last November when we registered late at our new address), but we haven't always been the most informed. So that has also become a goal. I mean come on, we can't just go vote for the next ruler of the free world just because we've heard they could do a good job, right? Well I guess we can, but I'm not really a huge fan of just doing something because everyone else is.

Anyway, I never have been a huge fan of politics but my political awareness and interest have peaked as of late. When we heard that the caucuses were going to happen this past week, we decided it was something that we should go to. We didn't really understand what exactly a caucus was so we figured the next logical step would be to get involved in the "grass roots politics" as they kept calling it. After spending half an hour on the phone with three different offices (our addresses here in the "Village" are weird and the county clerk website didn't want to work with me) I finally figured out what precinct we were in and where our caucus was. Given it was right around Asher's bedtime we decided I would go and fill Abby in, so as 7:00 rolled around off I went to the caucus meeting.

It was held in a home just down the street from our house and as I walked in, there were a handful of people in the living room. An old man greeted me and asked my precinct; as I told him he said, "well great, that makes two!" and motioned to another kid my age sitting in a chair. I'll save some time for all of us and just say that in the end four, yes, four of us ended up going down to the basement of this nice man's house with the task of electing a caucus chairman, vice-chairman, secretary, and treasurer as well as two state delegates and three county delegates...have you done the math yet? Apparently our precinct is pretty much the village and needless to say we didn't have much of a showing. Luckily the kid who was there before me had plenty of experience being involved in caucuses so he ran the show. So the four of us participated in this grass roots process and then went on our way.

The moral of the story: be careful when you decide to become more involved, you might get more than you bargained for. I showed up to the caucus simply with the intent of seeing what it was all about and needless to say I found out; we are now home to the caucus treasurer, a state delegate, and a county delegate. No, I didn't take all three. Abby wasn't even there and was elected as a county delegate, after a phone call of course. I guess there's no doubt about it - we have become more involved...wish us luck.

Little talker...

Sorry that this video is sideways, but I am feeling to lazy too remember how to flip it. Asher is our little talker these days! He says way more words than he signs now. He is really great at imitating what we say. Like the other day, I asked him if my earrings were pretty and he said "pretty". I get the biggest kick out of when we ask him a question and he knows the answer... like when we say "What do you say on the phone?" and he says "hi" or "ok, bye." Or lately we'll ask him "What does a car say?" and he answers "vroom." I love this kid.

Justin's Reading Woes

I used to be a reader.  I read all the time; my school teacher would suggest a book, and when I finished that one I would read another.  I remember reading Jurassic Park when I was about 11 or 12 (I don't remember exactly when I read it, but I know I had read it before the movie came out...at least before I saw the movie and I was 11 1/2 when it came out).  One list I found said it was a 9-12 grade reading level, so I guess a good read for kid that age.  My friend Jay read it before me and I was amazed that he read it in 2 days.  I was never a fast reader, but I liked reading.  I can remember reading such books in my youth as The Cay, Number the Stars, Superfudge, A Wrinkle in Time, Bridge to Terabithia, The Black Cauldron, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Dragons of Autumn Twilight, and Maniac Magee (my first "favorite" book - I think it was the first book I read multiple times) just to name a few.   

As I got older, my reading habits began to wane...in 9th grade english class one of the assigned readings was To Kill a Mockingbird, which I didn't read (and is now on my list, don't you worry); I think that was to in part to the fact that the teacher and I didn't get along very well, at least not initially.  Anyway, by the time I entered high school I was a big Star Wars fan (a fact to which some of my friends - and wife - can attest) and as sophomore english began I was on somewhat of a Star Wars kick, trying to read all the novels that picked up where the last movie, Return of the Jedi, left off.  I did my first book report on one of the books and began reading another.  I don't remember exactly how it came about, whether it was after the next book report or before it was due but the teacher, who will remain unnamed (she was formerly married to a somewhat well known musical talent) and who I also very much didn't get along with, told me I couldn't do any more book reports on Star Wars books and that I had to read something else.  Of course I took that to mean that she was forbidding me to continue reading such mindless rubbish, and in rebellion I just stopped reading; not just assigned reading but also most of my recreational reading, and that rebellion continued on through high school.  For example, in 11th grade english class we were supposed to read The Last of the Mohicans.  I read the CliffsNotes (and those only partially) then enjoyed the movie when we watched it in class.  Needless to say I haven't recovered much from my rebellion in the years since.  School takes half the blame simply due to the fact that any "free" reading time I've had in the last five years has been (or should have been) spent reading textbooks or research articles; the other half can just be attributed to me I guess.  Sometimes I have a hard time staying awake when I read, but mostly I just don't make the time - my rebellion effectively broke my reading habits.

This is already turning into a long post, and I'm sure you'd much rather be reading about and looking at cute pictures of Asher (and I don't blame you), so I won't go into much more detail.  I still enjoy reading, it's just hard to find the time.  I also seem to be somewhat limited in my reading interests as of late.  In the last few years I have read the Harry Potter books; Eragon and Eldest; The Magician's Nephew, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and half of The Horse and His Boy.  I've listened to the other half of The Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and The DaVinci Code.  I think that's about it, do you see a pattern?  (Oh, I also read The Giver with Abby over Christmas break.) 

And here's where you, the faithful readers of this wonderful blog (if you're still reading) come in.  I need some suggestions.  I need suggestions about not only what but when.  When do the rest of you find time to read?  I do have my own list of books I'd like to read and I should probably start there, but I'd like some suggestions.  I'll put my list in the comments to save space here, but it's a good mix: some fiction, a few leadership/self-improvement books, and a little non-fiction - though most of those are church books which would probably also go in the self-improvement category.  So anywho, if you've made it here and care to make a few suggestions I'd much appreciate it.  I'll add them to my list and squeeze them in between reading about therapeutic exercise and neuroanatomy.  Ahh, the life of a grad student!

On a more encouraging note, my almost 1 year old son already seems to be picking up on reading.  It's very fun to not hear any noise from him, and when you look he's sitting on the floor flipping the pages of one of his board books. Hopefully he won't fall into the same trap his dad has!  (There, I made it worth your while and included a picture of and story about Asher, so you can now say you've gotten your Asher fix for the day!  You're welcome!)

Children's Museum!

We had a great time again this week at the Discovery Gateway museum with our friends! Each time we go there Asher seems a little older and able to enjoy more things. This time he especially liked the construction zone and the garden area. I am always amazed at how brave and independent he is. (and tough! he got stepped on a few times...) He just takes off and goes out to discover the world! Eventually, if I'm lucky he'll start to look around for me to show me something fun that he has found.

It's kind of funny how unaware kids are of how much time and energy mom's spend making the way clear and safe for them to just go out and do what they want to do. I know that watching and making sure that he is safe and helping him get unstuck when he finds a tight spot at the children's museum is a small thing, but it makes me think about and feel very thankful for a mom (and dad...) who did those small and big things for me. When you're the kid you're often too busy learning, and doing, and pushing your way though obstacles to see who is making it all possible for you in the first place.

Thanks Mom.

big boy jammies...

Asher in his new pajamas. Man, where did my baby go? All I see is this big boy!





















Asher has been a fantastic sleeper lately!

new do...

Bath time is fun and all, but lately I've needed to find new ways to amuse myself while Asher plays in the tub. Today I had fun making soapy new hairstyles. Asher was busy screaming "BABY!" to his reflection in the metal spout so he didn't even notice what I was doing until I showed him a mirror.

jungle fun...

Asher picked his big stuffed tiger and elephant to play with this morning, and of course he had his favorite jungle blanket too!

So we went out to the living room to play with them and I asked Asher if these guys were his buddies and this is what he did.

I bet it's pretty fun when your toys are as big as you are!

Sweet Asher giving the tiger hugs and kisses. While we were playing I started telling Asher what sounds the animals made and asked him if he could do it too, but I didn't really expect him to be able to do it yet. He surprised me with the cutest little tiger growl and elephant sound I have EVER heard, and then we were doing them for the rest of the day! So fun.

a little bit of baby sign...

Asher is getting fantastic with his baby sign. It's fun to be able to have him tell us what he wants at least some of the time. He is such a quick learner. I also really love to see the way his little hands do the signs because it's not quite like we show him, but it is so cute to watch! Some words that he signs are: More, Food, Please, All Done/Finished, Change (when he is dirty), and Bedtime/Nap time.

Free Zoo Day...

Asher didn't so much care to see the animals at the zoo, but he really enjoyed being outside in the beautiful weather and eating his goldfish crackers!

"Look at what animals mom? Can I have some more crackers?"

Silly Asher playing games with me while I was taking pictures.

Goofy face for the camera. Thanks everyone, We had a great time!!

such a big boy...

Happy 11 months Asher! We can't believe that you are getting so big and strong. I had so much fun with you today!!

Asher did some great things today! He can walk (when he feels like it...) and today he took lots of great steps. He walked all the way to me which was probably 6 or 7 feet away. He is so little it is hilarious to see him walking!!

so sweet...

Asher and I have been down in Orem for the week because I was filling in at Now I Can and when we got home Justin had made a really cool DVD with this sweet little video on it for me. Needless to say, I cried my eyes out! He sure had fun making it, and we're going to do the rest of our pictures and videos together. Having a baby sure changes your life. I honestly didn't know life could be this sweet!

funny faces during lunch...

Asher is learning so many new things these days! He does sign language for "More", he can blow kisses, and today he started growling.

so funny....

Well, last night the three of us had so much fun playing a rousing game of "I'm gonna get you", "Where's mommy?", "Tickle Monster", "Jump. Jump, Jump" and whatever else we could think of. Asher was laughing so hard which was making us laugh so hard! We started playing right before bed time, so Asher was a little wound up, (not the best idea) but it was just too funny to stop. This video was right at the tail end of our Tuesday night laugh fest where Asher still had a ton of crazy energy left over!

i sure am...

Hey, guess what...I am going to have another baby! We are so excited. Sorry that I didn't tell some of you guys, but really I haven't been doing a whole lot of anything lately. I get so sleepy during my first trimester! I am still pretty early - only 11 weeks. The babies (Asher and the new little one...) will be 16 months apart!! I always said I wanted them close :)

My doctor just took this little picture today. I was shocked because she had also done an ultrasound 4 weeks ago when I went in for the first time and it just looked like a little peanut and then today it was a real baby! They develop so fast!!! Obviously these pictures are sometimes hard to see what is going on, but you can see the face, body and two little arms. It was amazing while I was watching it on the screen the baby was just dancing all over the place and we were able to count 10 little fingers and 10 little toes! Everything is going great and I pray that things will continue that way. We love you new little baby!

double digit months now...

10 months old!

beautiful feeling...

We went to President Hinckley's viewing on Friday. It was a little tough because it was cold and snowy, we road the Trax, waited for a few hours, and it was way past Asher's nap time, but we loved feeling the beautiful spirit that was there.

Asher was really getting to his limit by the time we finally made it up to the Hall of the Prophets (where the viewing was taking place). As soon as we walked into the room Asher stopped crying and just laid his head on Justin's shoulder for the rest of the time we were in the building. It was amazing to see that Asher (without the knowledge of what was happening, but closer to the Spirit than us...) could feel something calm and special there!

snack time...

big boy eating his yummies.

snuggle blanky...

asher has really started to love his blanky! his grandma carrier made it for him right after he was born. just lately we will ask him "where is your blanky?" and he'll find it and give it hugs or attack it and bite the little yarn ties. i love the little funny games you end up playing with kids!

not fun...

poor asher was sick a while back with a tummy bug that made it so he couldn't keep anything down... so he also ended up becoming dehydrated. there was one scary night when we even took him to the hospital. we were very blessed and everything turned out ok! he is completely better and back to his old self again.

one thing that i took away from the whole experience was just how thankful i am for justin and that we are in this parenting thing as a team! he was great and made the whole thing easier on me and asher. i was touched by how justin was hurting because asher was hurting.

it was so sad to see this sweet little boy, who never stops moving, feeling so bad that for two days he didn't ever move from our laps. the first time i knew something was really wrong was when asher was crawling over to justin and his arms let out and he fell down (kind of weird, but not unheard of) but then he just stayed down (he has never stayed down before! he always jumps back up and keeps going.) this broke my heart.

we love asher's energy and are so happy to have our busy little boy back!

bubbles...

justin tried some bubbles with asher a while ago. this is just a little clip from the beginning when he still wasn't quite sure about the whole thing. he did start to like them more and more after a while.

We thank Thee, o God, for a Prophet...

I'm probably not the only one doing this, but since the internet seems to be such a good sounding board I thought I'd write a few thoughts.

Undoubtedly anyone who reads this blog has heard of the passing of President Hinckley.  We were at my parents'  house, and my brother's girlfriend got a text mentioning President Hinckley had died.  We check the news channels and nothing (it was only 8:00), but they were talking about it on the radio.  I mentioned that I had actually had a thought that morning about how things work when he passes.  I have to admit I have had thoughts now and then, usually in the shower in the morning, wondering if that would be the day we heard the news.  Maybe that's a bad thing to admit, but I think I was just bracing myself for the inevitable, even though some would liked to have thought that President Hinckley was going to be here forever.  And despite bracing myself, I found myself shedding tears for his passing, and rightly so.

Like many in my age group have mentioned in the news interviews and things, President Hinckley was the prophet of our generation.  I was a youth when he delivered his "B's" talk and when he talked about one set of earrings and no tattoos.  He was the prophet I testified of on my mission; I was blessed to be in Ukraine when he visited the people there for the first time.  I can without a doubt say he was instrumental in the forming of my own testimony because he was God's representative during those years when my testimony was becoming my own.  Then I think of my younger brothers who are 17 and 19, or Abby's younger siblings who are 19, 13, and 10.  He's the only prophet they've known.  He by far hasn't served the longest, but when he's been the prophet for your whole life - or half your life in my case - and done so much for the growth of the Church, I hope that his death has an impact.

I'm happy his family was able to be with him when he passed.  I'm happy he's able to be with his wife again, whom he's greatly missed.  The thought that has the biggest impact on me though, is that he's returned to that God and Savior of whom he has been testifying his whole life.  Can you imagine the feeling in the room when he, or any past prophet, passed?  I'd like to think that He was there, ready to personally escort His beloved servant home.

I love and respect President Hinckley.  What an amazing man, a true example of a man of God.  I had hoped, ever since my mission, to meet him personally, to shake his hand and express my love, respect, and gratitude to him.  Now I'll wait, but that's okay.

As we listened to the radio driving home last night, Abby asked who I thought would get more coverage, President Hinckley or Heath Ledger, the young actor who died last week.  We turned on the news when we got home and of course, being in Utah (and being KSL), that's all they talked about for the entire newscast besides the 10 minutes for weather and sports.  This morning I checked the national news shows; one had a 10 second blurb during their check of the "rest of the news", the other, who had a whole special on Heath Ledger last week and was still talking about him this morning, said absolutely nothing.  So I guess that answers the question.  It's a little annoying for sure - not only was he our Prophet but a great man and leader in our country - but I know what he meant to me.  And while he may not receive the attention from the mainstream media of our country he will have the attention of 13 million people around the world who are church members, not to mention the countless other friends and leaders with whom he had association during his many years of service.

We have a family friend who, if I remember the story right, left the Church after the death of President Kimball.  For some reason or another, his death broke her testimony.  I can't help thinking how many people will end up doing the same.  We have to remember though that while President Hinckley was a great man - no doubt one of the best the world has known - that this wasn't his church.  I know he'd be the first to point that out, and has on many occasions.  This is the Lord's church.  We'll mourn our Prophet's passing, and then the Quorum of the Twelve will meet and appoint his successor, the First Presidency will be reconstituted, and the work will move on.  It will move on just as it did when the Prophet Joseph was martyred, and just as it has after the passing of the other 13 men who have led the Church.  My son will hear his words quoted just as I have heard the words of Joseph, Brigham, President McKay, President Lee and all the other prophets.  Unfortunately my children will never know this great man, but they will know his teachings and testimony, and they will know the next prophet, and the next and the next.  The work will move on.  In fact, I think President Hinckley's passing will cause people to ask even more questions..."I've heard of this man, who was he and what did he stand for?"

I've been told I'm a good writer but I feel like I've written a bunch of ramblings.  Hopefully they made sense, and if not they made sense to me.  I know that we have living prophets today and that President Hinckley was that prophet, and I know that his successor is and will be.  I know that this church is lead by a living God and his living Son and I'm grateful for that testimony.

Farewell, President Hinckley.  Thank you for your example, service, and testimony.  As we sometimes said in Ukraine, "do zustrichiy na nebesach" - until our meeting in heaven.

getting ready for church...

isn't he handsome?!




















asher has been doing this silly new laugh lately were he throws his head way back and shuts his eyes really tight. he's our funny boy!

p.s. check out the two top teeth coming in. way to go, asher!
















i couldn't ask for a better little baby!!!

lots of new toys...

we had a great little outing the other day with my friend stacy and her little boy adam. we took the boys to the children's museum at the gateway mall. adam was old enough to love it all and asher did really well too. first we spent some time in the area for little kids and he had fun, but he really liked being with the big kids. there was also an area that had hundreds of balls to play with that both the boys really liked. we are so lucky to be able to do fun things like this with such great friends. what sweet little boys!

he just likes to do what the big kids do.

i bet he doesn't even know that he looks like a shrimp when he is with them :)