Merry Christmas!!

I know this is belated but we just back from good ole Maryland. We were there from Dec 16 - Dec 29.

The trip was great. Ashton did great on the airplane (11 hours each way) since he slept 95% of the time. Ashton got to meet all his family members including some that even I have never meet (Uncle Dale, Aunt Laura and cousin DJ on Adam's side).

We stayed with Nana (Mom-Deb) the entire time. It was perfect for us and much easier than staying at a hotel.

Leaving is always bittersweet. It was especially hard this time since we have Ashton. It is hard to think that the next time the family will see Ashton he will be walking or crawling.

Here is a slideshow of just a few of the 600 pictures I took.

Ashton is 4 Months Old!

I can't believe my little man is 4 months old! Where has the time gone?

a friend of mine started to list of things her little girl can do each month so I thought I'd do that as well.
As of now here are a few things Ashton loves to do/is doing:

He can roll over (he did this on Friday, Dec 11th) for the first time.
He laughs out loud when we sing to him.
He grabs all and everything including my hair.
His bed time is 7:00 pm and usually sleeps till 11:00 pm
He finally got to put his toes in the sand at the beach last week.
He found his "private area" while in the tub and grabs on it..lol!
He likes to suck on any and everything (my face, my arm, fingers)
He started to drink out a bottle, finally!
He can stand while hold onto my fingers.
He loves to play in his jumparoo and spin the toys. He laughs the entire time.
He still hates tummy time
He is starting to try and sit up while in his swing or anything where he is at an incline.
He likes to grab his toes/feet while he gets his diaper changed
He still HATES his car seat and getting his clothes changed
He is such a morning baby (he gives me the biggest smiles in the am)
Oh, and he is a mamma's boy:-)

Here are a few pictures. We have a Dr. appointment tomorrow so I will be sure to post some stats.

One year ago today...

we got those 2 pink lines:-) I can't beleive that it's been a year already and that Ashton is almost 4 months old. We are so blessed and I could not be happier!

Cardiology Appointment

Today we had the scary cardiology appointment with Dr. Shirai. We are happy to say that Ashton's heart murmur is innocent.

Innocent murmurs are common in children and are quite harmless. In any group of children, a large percentage is likely to have had one at some time. Innocent murmurs also may disappear and then reappear. Most innocent murmurs disappear when a child reaches adulthood, but some adults still have them. When a child's heart rate changes, such as during excitement or fear, the innocent murmurs may become louder or softer. This still doesn't mean that the murmur is abnormal.

Sometimes, when a doctor first hears the murmur through a stethoscope, he or she may want to have other tests done to be sure the murmur is innocent. After that, there's no need for a cardiac reevaluation unless the patient or doctor has more questions. The child doesn't need medication, won't have cardiac symptoms, and doesn't have a heart problem or heart disease. A parent doesn't need to pamper the child or restrict his or her diet or activities. The child can be as active as any other normal, healthy child.

We have to follow up when Ashton is two years old. Yay, that everything looks great!

Mommy got a new camera and is having a blast...

so here are a few randoms. I still have tons to learn, but having a nice camera to capture all those moments is priceless!

First Day with Auntie Gayle

Ashton was lucky enough to spend a couple days with Auntie Gayle, his new sitter. She is a lovely lady from Alabama who retired here with her husband and four kids (who are now grown). Ashton's first day was ok. Auntie Gayle mentioned that it will take a little time for her to interpret his cries and that she did have to put him down a few times to assist with the other kid's lunch (I can imagine that Ashton was doing that high pitch scream he would pull on his mom-mom and daddy).

I had the best intentions to take pictures but forgot since I was so happy to pick him up and get him home so I could cuddle with him, but we did take some once we got home. You will see in the picture that Auntie Gayle takes notes though out the day on how much Ashton ate at what time, his naps and dirty diapers. Once he gets older she will let us know what he played with and with whom.