Swimming!

We just got a new toy and decided to try it out at the pool today. Check out C's moves!

9 months

Asher is 9 months old and finally decided not to be an infant anymore. Within the last 2 weeks he has sprouted 2 teeth and gone from not interested in moving (even rolling over) to caterpillar crawling and lunging into a crawl position. Watch out world. His growth has also started to surpass his sister's.
Stats: 19.5 lbs (exact same as C as this age, 30th percentile)
30.5 inches (1.25" longer than C, 97th percentile)
On hands and knees below, glad I was able to document the drool that is constantly dripping down his chin.  Newest trick: blowing raspberries. In the car it can keep him entertained for 30+ minutes. Also adds to the drool mess.

Bath time is always an adventure, the kid loves water. Newest nickname: Splasher.

Teddy bear comparison, now (9  months) and at 2 weeks. About 10 inches, 12 lbs of growth in 9 months!

One last picture for Opa Myers:

Memorial Day Weekend

Parade:

Water fight:

Pool:

Enough said.
What is this guy so happy about?

He (we) just finished our SCUBA certification in that fairly grimy quarry pond in the background.
Bring on the summer!

May

Ugg. This month is going too fast. Our yard/garden needs some serious attention and that won't happen until there is a Saturday with both parents in town and available... hmm. July maybe? Sorry neighbors. The month began with a half-marathon. No action pictures 'cause I kicked butt and beat the paparazzi to the finish line. I beat my 2010 time by 4:00 minutes! This is how we celebrated:

I know what you are saying, if you don't have photographic evidence, it didn't happen. So here is the proof: if you look closely you can see the salt deposits in my eyebrows.

The circus elephants marched through our neighborhood again. This year there were even protesters to make things interesting. 

Vet day at OSU - way cool. One of Cadie's career goals is to be a "muskrat doctor" and she was in heaven. Loads of animals that she could pet/hold, face-painting, food, freebies, and a tour of the vet hospital complete with dress-ups that she got to take home. 

Don't worry little chick, she loves pork.

The biggest smile of the day goes to the kittens. 

Asher didn't seem to care too much about the animals (llamas in background), he was more worried about the grass touching his bare legs.

And then he spent an hour like this:

Is there a doctor in the house?

Teddy bear surgery:

The list continues

Even with daily baths, serious moisturizing, and 2 prescription ointments, Asher has continued to have flare-ups with his skin - bad patches of eczema that he finds and scratches sometimes until bleeding. The pediatric dermatologist recommended we visit the allergist. We already see a great allergist for Cadie so we introduced Dr. Phil to Asher. There are a lot of things about allergies that I don't understand but this is the basics of what we learned from Dr. Phil:

• Asher's reaction to milk and soy is one type of allergic response where the digestive system is so irritated that it starts bleeding.
• The other type of allergic reaction is the response that we usually think of for allergies: hives, rashes, swelling, itchy mouth/throat, or congestion. This type of response can be tested for with a scratch test or a blood test. Asher's eczema could be an allergic response.

We had Asher's blood drawn and got the results back last week. Asher's blood tests show that he is allergic to... drum roll... milk, soy, eggs, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, and dogs. This poor kid. It is likely that he will outgrow many of these but in the meantime we have some adjustments to make. I've been on a "allergen-free" diet for a week and I'm not sure if it has made a difference yet. We will continue the experiment. 

Despite all of his discomfort, he is still a really happy boy and LOVES solid food. So far, any mushed up mess will do. 

Feed me! (Just not anything with milk, soy, eggs, wheat, peanuts or tree nuts)

Cadie speak

I sit in an observation room with a monitor while Cadie meets with her speech therapist. Occasionally I wish I had an intercom so that I could do some yelling, I mean discipline. But this week I had a few reasons to chuckle. Overheard on the spy cam:
"At our house we have different rules, no smoking and no making messes!"
"My baby brother likes to hide his neck."

Easter

I've started this post a few times but can't seem to find the time to finish it so here are the pictures (most important) for the grandparents.

Miss Cadie in her Easter dress:

Decorating eggs didn't happen until Easter day but it happened.

Unfortunately, this is how little dude spent the day, sick again.

 My monster awesome eggs including a flying purple people eater.

Cadie's angel monster egg.

Asher sits! 

6 months old

Little dude is 6 months old!
Stats:
27.5 inches (80th percentile - same length as C at this age)
16 lbs. 8 oz (30th percentile - 1 lb lighter than C at this age)
Rolls over to sleep - doesn't find it important enough to do at any other time.

The nickname "Rasher" doesn't fit anymore (thankfully) and so we are trying out "Basher" as his favorite way of playing with toys requires hitting with them over and over again Bamm-Bamm Rubble style.

Other goings on: nice weather - trying to garden, science experiments including exploding volcano, and a visit to the OSU dinosaur museum (the term "museum" used generously here). Asher eats and eats and eats - not sure where it is all going.

 And there there was the pinewood Derby - for Eric and his VW van.