7 Whole Months

Today my baby boy is 7 months old.

These days Asher's all about talking and laughing and smiling. Some of my favorite moments are when Judah or Addise goes over to him to "play" with him and inevitably they start giggling together. It's just the best thing a momma could ask for.

This has been a big month for Baby Asher. Here are a few highlights...

• He moved from sleeping in the bassinet in our bedroom to (kind of) sleeping overnight in his crib...in the same room as his big brother and sister. Let's just say we're still adjusting.
• He's rolling over and over and over again. Belly to back. Left and right. He's on the move!!
• He's getting up on all fours and rocking. Crawling is coming soon. I can feel it.
• The two things I hear most from others are "is he always this alert and active?" and "is he always this happy?" Yes and yes.
• He's drooling like it's his full time job, but no teeth on the horizon.
• There have been valiant attempts at eating rice cereal and many varieties baby food. He acts like we're feeding him poison. He's still just a milk baby.
• He wants to be in on the action. We've noticed that when the party moves to another room without him he gets mad. We're seeing early signs of a temper. Yikes.
• His new favorite activity: the exersaucer!!!!! The boy can spend up to a couple hours a day batting and chewing and spinning and bouncing. Proof of said activity below.
• The kid doesn't do naps. Literally, he's into 20 minute power naps a couple times a day. We're currently experimenting with a new method to get him to sleep more, but he's a poor 3rd child with no hopes of a silent house for long baby naps. (sigh)
• He's also talking ALL THE TIME! His "vocabulary" is expanding as he tries on new sounds, including screaming. It's so blasted cute I can't handle it.

This is a Getz family song. A song sung to me hundreds of times when I was little. A song now sung to my kiddos hundreds of times. Asher's now heard it enough that when I start singing it to him he smiles his big, open mouthed smile - every single time!

Momma's boy!!!!

He really is always this happy.

Perfect.

Ready to take Disney by storm.

On his first Thanksgiving. Dude loves this toy! Dig his baby faux hawk??

He celebrated his 7 month birthday by taking a 3 hour nap...MIRACULOUS!

Despite what we think we needed, God knew we needed this little guy. He's bringing immeasurable joy to our family, healing to our biggies, and deep nourishment to Brian and me. We are truly blessed the God remembered our prayers all those years ago and saw fit to bring us THREE beautiful babies.

I came into our bedroom to find our three kids had conquered Daddy. I don't know what's cutest: Judah placing his Dad's arm over him, Addise as King of the Daddy, or Asher rolling over onto Daddy's shoulder.

Half Year (ALREADY?!)

I believe the cliches - I CANNOT BELIEVE ASHER'S ALREADY 6 MONTHS OLD! This is going by too fast. Way. Too. Fast. We didn't get these early months with our first two (wail and scream and cry) and we don't plan on them again, so we are truly enjoying - savoring! - everything about his infancy.

What started almost exactly 1 year ago as a shocking and terrifying positive pregnancy test has turned into our 3rd greatest blessing. Asher is perfection. Pure joy. The best baby. The most wonderful addition to our family.

We took naming our son seriously. Just a few weeks before his miraculous arrival, we landed on his name: Asher means "happy" and "blessing" and Zacarias means "God remembered". Every day I think of the weight of his name and how he's already living into it. He is truly the happiest baby (barring the most adorable pouty face he makes when he's really expressing his disappointment with life). He's slept through the night for a couple months (more or less) and he doesn't even wake up crying in hunger. He wakes up with a smile. He finds excuses to smile and giggle profusely. He flirts with all the girls - batting his long eye lashes and flashing a gummy smile. He's content with the world, loves his swing, eat/sleeps/poops like a champ. Though a preemie, he's quickly made up time in every area. Perhaps he's so happy because he gets lathered in kisses everyday by his siblings, momma, and daddy. He's so very well loved.

Asher's our little Benjamin Button look-alike blessing. We cannot imagine life without him, although a year ago we couldn't imagine life with another child. It's humbling to know God remembered our prayers from y-e-a-r-s ago and gave us this miracle. We are soaking in every moment of these early days with Asher.

Our little Harry Potter wrapped up, all clean.

Bald boys at the happiest place on Earth.

Knawing on fingers has become a way of life. So has drool.

Let's call this his Zoolander face.

Stop it. They don't make 'em cuter.

Trying rice cereal for the first time. It didn't go so well.

Spitting. Kicking. Smiling. It's a full time job.

Checking out his new "friend".

Asher Zacarias, we love you like crazy. You have blessed our life immeasurably and filled our family with joy.

Referralversary!!!

It started as a morning like any other morning. But not at all. Brian was in Fort Wayne visiting our families for a week. I had just finished a very sweaty P90X workout and was finding my breath again when my iPhone rang. "Christian World Adoption" was on the caller ID. I lost my breath again and answered the phone with hands shaking.

Two years ago today I received a phone call that changed our lives.

"Hello?"

"April, I have your referral. A 2 year old boy and 6 month old girl. Would you like to hear more about them?" Of course, YES! Our case manager patiently and thoroughly gave me all the details and next steps while I stifled back tears and attempted to calm my racing heart. 

In my original post 2 years ago, I wrote these words:

"I hung up the phone and LITERALLY started wailing on my knees in what will be the kiddo's bedroom [currently our workout room]. Friends, it was a few steps beyond ugly crying. I was out of control - almost hyperventilating. Dripping sweat. Tears flying out of my eyes nearly horizontally. Mouth contorting between crying and laughing. But I knew I had to call Brian immediately because the emails were being sent to both our accounts."

 And so our journey into an expanded family began.

Then...Those huge eyes captivated me...

Now...2 years after the THE CALL!

Then...When I first laid eyes on you!

Now...Our 2 1/2 year old sweet girl

If you want to take a stroll down memory lane with us, you can read the original three posts about them here: The Call, Lil A and Baby T, and my favorite post - Referral Day.

Who would've guessed that 2 years later we'd have a 3 1/2 month old son, too!?!?! God's funny like that. Celebrating today!!!