Welcome to our life...

Oh baby...

2012-01-23T17:37:00.000-05:00

Can you believe the beauty of this little girl?

I can't. No way. I could stare at her for hours. This post is mainly going to be about my baby girl. I am so in love. I think daily, "I have a baby." I try to treasure and hold on to this because it goes so fast! Sloan is 9 months. She needs me. She fits easily on my hip, and I hold her with one arm. I still provide nourishment to her and she has yet to have an ounce of formula. While putting her down during her morning nap, afternoon nap, and at bedtime, I get to hold her in my arms as she lies completely still. It's part of her routine and it's the only time during the day that we truly get to snuggle. As I pace the room with her head on my chest, her paci in mouth, and a blanket over her, I look in the mirror and see her little feet dangling out from beneath. Oh how I love this. Don't they say, it's all about the little things? Oh baby girl, you melt my heart.

Now, let me get to the part that makes my heart hurt. The part that I'm struggling with the most these days. Before Sloan joined us, I felt guilt. On the way to the hospital on April 9, I could not discuss the fact that I was leaving my sweet boy. The slight mention of it brought tears to my eyes. Then, at 12:40 am, April 10, I held my sweet daughter. I did not know this new life, this new little personality, but I loved her. Our lives had changed so much, so fast. Then Asher meets his new sister, I was in tears, but all was well. He kissed her over and over and over. He then quickly focused his attention on any snacks we had in the hospital room. We brought Sloan home and all was still well! He wanted to hold her all the time. He set out diaper changing supplies without me even asking. Such a sweet big brother. He still loves to give her snacks and he was so good at sharing his toys.

And boy can he make her laugh like no other.

Well, recently things have been changing. It's gotten to the point where I hear Sloan fuss or start crying and I think, what did he do? The other day he tried to tickle her neck but kind of choked her and left her screaming. He's gotten so rough. I'm having the hardest time feeling like all I do when Sloan is around is fuss at Asher. I feel that the love that I show to her is so easy. Even when she's doing something she shouldn't be doing, I speak to her in a sing song voice..."Sloan....what.... are.... you..... doing....?" And often it's even said with a smile! Babies are so easy to love.

Let's just say I take a different tone when talking to Asher. It's not sing song and it's usually loud. I try to give him positive attention any chance that I can. He loves Sloan. He will tell you that in an instant. So I guess I'm just having trouble understanding why he chooses to make her mad, lay on her, poke her, take things from her, repeatedly close doors on her or in her face even though he knows it always leaves her upset. I get so frustrated and I feel like a horrible mom at times. I welcome advice. I don't see his actions as cruel. I think they are to be expected. I just want to know the best way to deal with them. Is there something that I can do to make him think before acting? I know he doesn't understand her frailty as he coaxes her to follow him up the stairs. I just feel like my love for them is so different right now: To her, I am still her provider, nurturer, protector. To him, I provide, I mold, I teach, I discipline. From a mother who feels loves equally but differently, can anyone relate?

On my mind...

2012-01-04T15:38:00.002-05:00

(Pause music at the bottom of the screen to view videos)

I have been wanting to blog and to be honest, I've been blogging in my head for weeks now. So many things I've wanted to share, things I think others should be thinking about, I honestly just don't have the time. Even now, there are other things I should be doing but I've just decided that this is going to be priority (for this nap time at least.)

     First on my mind....http://www.wltx.com/news/article/165987/2/Man-is-charged-for-DUI-in-Fatal-Crash-Killing-6-year-old

     What a horrible and sad tragedy. This family goes to my church and were headed there when they were hit by a drunk driver on New Year's Day. This family was doing exactly what they should have been doing by starting the new year in God's house, praising him. I actually drove through this intersection today while running errands and I saw the lines painted in the road marking the impact. I had a discussion with Brent about this drunk driver. I explained that he's in his 20's and to be drunk on a Sunday morning around 10:20, I'm going to guess he does not have a family or kids of his own. There is no way he can comprehend what he has done to this family. I'm sure there is grief and regret but to truly know the impact, I believe you have to be a parent.  Long ago, before Brent and I even had children, I expressed my desire to have a boy AND a girl. I wanted to experience life with both. I used to joke after having Asher, "Well, if the next one is a boy, then we'll be having a 3rd....well, if the 3rd is a boy, then we'll be having a 4th." I'm not sure how many we would have had ~~maybe as many as the Duggars~~ (or how many we still will) but I love children and I love being a mom. I can't say this is the situation with the Longstreet family but to have 3 boys and then Emma, I can bet they were thrilled to welcome a baby girl. Not only was the Longstreet's family changed forever but their extended family, their friends, Midway Elementary, Northside Baptist, and even the drunk driver's family. All of this was caused by the choice to get behind the wheel after consuming too much alcohol. At a Christmas party, I was talking to a highway patrolman who was saying that I would not believe the number of drivers driving under the influence. My response to this was, "Oh my goodness, those are only the ones who happen to be pulled over!" Imagine those who are never caught. I have no particular reason to bring attention to this tragedy other than to encourage prayer for all of those whose lives have been changed, possibly cause someone to think about the consequences of driving drunk, and encourage a relationship with the Father. I am so thankful that the Longstreet family knows where Emma is and knows that they will meet again.

Another story that has moved me recently is that of Ben Breedlove and his sister's speech at his funeral. I know, I know, enough with the sad stuff already but then that's life. Ben got a glimpse of Heaven and he could not explain the peace that he felt there. Our life on earth is filled with sadness and I've mentioned before that our preacher has said, "If you aren't in your storm now, one day you will be..." I daily, and sometimes multiple times daily THANK GOD that all is well in my life. Of my closest family members and friends, none are currently suffering or fighting a life threatening illness. I am so blessed right now, but I know this is my earthly life and unfortunately it brings heartache and loss at times. I know that there is a life after this one. One of my favorite shows is I Survived: Beyond and Back on the Bio Channel. We will see Brent's mom, and Asher and Sloan's Mimi, my dad's parents, all of Brent's grandparents, and so many other's who have accepted Christ and gone on before us. I am comforted to know that when my Storm does come...and it will, that I will not go through it alone. It will not be easy.  I will need prayers. But who better to have with me than the God with supernatural powers that can bring supernatural healing. I pray this for the Longstreet and Breedlove families.

The Storm, Casting Crowns

It's that time! Has it really been 3 years?

2011-12-18T23:27:00.000-05:00

Oh my little man... Wow, didn't think I'd get so emotional, but thinking of my baby boy and what he means to me burns my eyes. 3 years ago today, I was in labor. I was 36 weeks and 6 days. I drove to the hospital after teaching a full day of kindergarten and had Brent drive from Sumter to meet me there. I called the assistant principal in tears while alone and pacing the hospital room. I told her that they weren't going to let me leave and that they wanted to proceed with induction due to leaking amniotic fluid. I wasn't due until January 8th and I had planned to do so many things in those last few weeks. We did not have bags packed, we had planned to purchase our travel system over Christmas break, which was to start the following day. It was a Thursday and I had been looking forward to the class party on Friday and I felt I was letting my kids down. Plus, I'm a planner and this wasn't part of my plan, but I put it in God's hands, and Brent coached me through a natural childbirth. Our sweet Asher was born at 1:30 am, Friday, December 19 weighing 6 lbs. 2 oz. and 19 in.

The Miracle of Life

Sleepy but so in love...

Our first family picture

I remember that first night of sleep. Such an amazing feeling. So in love with my new baby boy. I slept in the hospital bed with Asher in his bassinet right beside me and Brent on the couch on the other side of the bassinet. Any little noise Asher would make would stir us and our hands would often meet as we both just had to put them on our little miracle while he slept. It was surreal thinking that our love and marriage created this beautiful life.

I was in love.

And I still am.

I'm treasuring the last hours of being able to say that I have a 2 year old. When he wakes in the morning, he'll be 3, and I'll be in denial. The love you have for a child is so amazing. Oh my has he been able to push my buttons recently. He really wants nothing to do with me. He's all about his daddy. He gets me every day and much of that time is distracted time while I'm doing other chores or caring for Sloan. He gets daddy for an hour every evening, on Fridays and the weekends. Daddy time=play time. I'm Ok with this. Because I get to stay at home, he doesn't think my time with him is as valuable, but I also know that Brent is an AMAZING daddy. My children are so blessed and I don't blame Asher for loving him the way that he does. One can't help but making the correlation between the unconditional love we have for our children to the love of the Father. God loves us even when we push his buttons and want nothing to do with Him. I thank God daily for Asher's health, sense of humor, pride, strong will, shocking intelligence, and sweet, sensitive heart. God has big plans for our little 2 year old. I'm so glad I was chosen as this precious boy's "mom." Happy Birthday to my "little man" and Brent's "best buddy." We are so blessed to have you, and it's hard to remember a time before you, but one thing is for sure, you make our day's brighter, our arms fuller, and our hearts overflow.

A little video...

2011-10-17T23:21:00.001-04:00

So, I'm thinking this little lady is going to be an athlete like her daddy. I feel like she's been scooting forever. This video is even several weeks old so she's much faster now.

(Pause music at bottom of screen)

"Umm...I'm going to give her coffee." Glorious! He's done this several times, I just always seemed to miss getting it on video. So glad I captured this one. If you're my friend on fb, you've already seen this. I, personally, could watch it over and over. Sweet girl, she's such a trooper. : ) Oh, notice how he takes the time to scrape the cup clean. Love my kiddos.

I have a minute!

2011-10-15T23:41:00.000-04:00

Look at me! I'm back! It's 10:30 and I should be doing other productive things but Brent is in the backyard with friends watching football around the fire pit and the kids are asleep. So, we just got back from a mountain vacation with my parents to Sapphire Valley and it was AMAZING! I ate so many sweets. I truly acted as if my entire mission for the trip was to find pastries. I always complain that there's no small bakery in Lexington or even Columbia that I can visit. Yes, we have cupcake shops and Krispy Kreme and oh yes, I am a fan but I'm looking for a non-chain bakery that smells of yeast and sugar when you open the door. Ones that sell bow ties and bear claws and apple fritters. There's Tiffany's over on Two Notch but if you know of others, please share. Wow, I seriously sound like I have a problem ~~and I do have a small one~~.
Anyway, I would love to share pictures but they have yet to be loaded to my laptop and I really don't want to take the time to do it now. My laptop is basically out of space so I now have to work through my external hard drive and it's just not too fun. So, I decided to open a recent folder and share a few from it. I immediately found myself smiling and loving these next few pictures. They were taken in September while we were at Fripp Island. They are so genuine. A true moment captured through the lens. It's one of my favorite times; Mornings that Brent is off from work, first thing, but hopefully not too early. Usually, Brent goes to get Asher. Seriously, you should hear the disappointment from him when it's me. I go and get Sloan. We then meet back up in bed to cuddle and chat.

Test Shot

(No flash looks best but often leads to blurred shots. If you know how I can change this, please share.)

Attempt #1: Ha!

Attempt #2: HAHAHAHAHA!

Attempt #3: Well, not frame worthy but I SO love it.

Yep, that's my family. My little family of 4. I am often amazed at the love that I'm capable of feeling for these guys. I'll admit, the first 2, maybe even 3 months of Sloan's life I wanted to fast forward. I was having emotional issues, Sloan had colic, I was sure I would never leave the house again, Brent went out of town for 2 weeks, and my perfect Asher schedule had been rocked. Well, Sloan just turned 6 months, Asher is almost 3 and they could not be more fun.

Asher tells the best stories that always begin with, "One day...," he's so, so smart, he has the best sense of humor, and he says the best blessings. One night after dinner at the mountains, a man stopped me as we were walking out of a restaurant and said, "So, is the whole family a Gamecock fan or just the little guy?" Ha! He had heard Asher thank God for the Gamecocks in his blessing. Well, the man ended up being from Chapin so we all had a good laugh. Asher's blessings are different every time. You never know what he's thankful for: The light, a lamp, a fan, obviously whoever is sitting around the table and he names each one, food, the day. Just to name a few.

Sloan is basically pulling up and pretty much crawling anywhere she wants to go. She has a bow or ClippityCUTE (these are made by a dear friend of mine) in her hair ALL THE TIME. Yes, they're precious but the sweet girl needs them to keep the hair out of her face! She's got her 2 bottom teeth, lets you know what she wants, thinks her brother is her personal jester, and has a smile that will make you melt.

This afternoon, I took a blanket out in the front yard and sat with Sloan while Asher rolled through the grass, rode his tricycle, pretended to mow, and just showed me how fast he could run. Tears come to my eyes when I think of how special these guys are to me. I know I mentioned "blessed" in my last post. Well, it is so true. Now, I wish I could just put time in Slow Motion.

Wowzers!

2011-10-06T23:07:00.000-04:00

Ok, it has been MONTHS since I've made time to sit and do anything with the blog. You guys have been neglected but it's all good. I'm back. Maybe not for long but this is a start. Obviously, we are now a family of 4 and I could not love my kids more. As you can see, they're pretty fond of each other as well.

Today, Asher even pretty much suggested that I have another baby sister for him. Well, don't know about that, but love that he even liked the idea. He also told me that when he gets older he's going to have a baby in his belly. Well, I explained that his wife would have the baby in her belly and that he would be the daddy. He then just restated that he would have a baby in his belly when he grew up so I moved on to the next conversation. He has been the best big brother. When she was younger, he would jump at the opportunity to lay out my supplies for a diaper change. He now jumps to be the one to make her laugh when she's beginning to get upset.

My little guy will be 3 in December and Sloan will be 6 months on Monday. They fill my days. Period. I would love to be a stay at home mom forever. I'm not sure Brent agrees but I would love to pick them up from school every day if I could. I mean, at what point will your children not need you? I'm 31 and I certainly don't know what I'd do without my mom. I thank God for her often. Well, I don't have long. Just wanted to do a little updating. We're happy. We're healthy. We're busy. We're Blessed.

2011-05-08T02:07:00.001-04:00

Today, I am thousands of miles away from the love of my life, but the realization of her role in my world could not be clearer. She is among so many things, the mother of my children, and today, I want her to know what that means to me.

When we chose to bring our children into this world, we became parents. For better or for worse, we were it. They were “stuck” with us. From the moment their little hearts began to push life through their bodies, they depended on us. They depended on their mother. For nine months, during their development, Mom sacrificed a comfortable life for aches, pains, heartburn, physical alteration, mental and emotional strain, and a limited diet. Day after day providing life to our children; first from inside their fluid home, and into the countless feeding required for another 9 plus months of life. I have to pause just to let this sink in a little. My son and daughter, I would do anything for, but never have I HAD to do anything for them to sustain their lives. My wife, their mother, is solely responsible for keeping them alive for 18 months straight. Protecting them, feeding them, keeping them warm and giving them the love only a mother can give to nourish the heart and soul of a child. I try to imaging the satisfaction that it caries but I cannot get past the colossal weight of responsibility that overshadows everything else. I know she loves it, and is happy to do it, but it takes God given strength on so many levels to be a mother.

Now that we have two children, our world has changed. Kristen continues to sacrifice day in and day out as I am at work. She has very little time if any for herself as her daily and weekly list never seems to end. Every moment of her life from the time she wakes to the time I get home (late) she is giving to our children. I try to help when I get home and am able to do what I can, but She is still on as Mom. I know as Sloan gets older she will grant some more time to Kristen for non-mom roles, but right now, Kristen is on duty 24-7. I know this post could apply to most, well, a lot of moms, but there is more than just fulfilling the duties of mom I recognize in Kristen. It is her willingness to be the mom she is, even when I cannot be the dad that I need to be.

I know my wife loves me, and my children adore me, (Sloan has smiled at me a coupe of times) but I often do not make life easier for Kristen, and I realize this. I work an hour from home so I leave most mornings before my family awakes at 6:45ish. I own a business and am a working member who has many roles throughout the day. I hold the integrity of my company very high so my days are very busy as I am very happily involved in day-to-day operations. Phone calls and texts are sparse throughout the day and it is not often if ever I leave the office before 6:45 or 7:00 putting me home at 8:00 at night. By this time Asher is either ready for bed, or ready for a bath to get ready for the night. That means Kristen is without me for 13-14 hours a day. I do get Fridays off which is very nice, but 14 hours is a long day to be a mom without help. (Not including the time I work from home on “days off”)

Along with my passion for my work, I try to stay healthy and fit. This takes time. More time away from my family and wife. I am usually out of gas after work, so the weekend tends to be the times I squeeze in activity.

And then there my nature, my desire, my propensity to get involved with things that ultimately take me away from my family. Some fall into the category of fitness such as the Mud Run, 5k’s, Adventure races, volleyball tournaments, mountain biking. Some fall into the category of work like weekend presentations, conferences, half week and week long trainings, after hour meetings, events, sponsorships, etc. Some are just plain amazing like my trip to Utah to play one on one volleyball in the desert, the 2 weeks at the inaugural Warrior games last year, my visits to Florida, training camps in San Diego, and now another 2 weeks at the Warrior Games this year.

Combine all of this with my nature to “do” and be active and what you get is a man who is not always the best help at home. With a small glimpse into my world, it becomes very clear how much the mother of my children sacrifice for me.

I do recognize that much of what I do has a positive impact on my family and wife. I want financial security, a long healthy life, and world experience for them and that does not come without some sacrifice. But the point of my rambling today is to give credit where it is due. Kristen, my wife, in all of her selflessness gives me the ability to be the man I am. She provides for our family what I do not, cannot, or have not to ensure that we are a family, and an amazing one at that. She allows me the opportunity to do these things, sometimes against her will, and for that, and for so many other reasons, my wife is an amazing mother, and an amazing wife.

So today, as I am thousands of miles away from my family, I want Kristen to know, I want everyone who reads my words to know, I am thankful for the mother she is, the wife she has become, and the family that she has created. I Love the mother of my children and thank God for her.

I am sorry this mother’s day will not be what she would wish for it to be and that I can not be with her face to face, but she has not left my side from the day I met her.

Happy Mother’s Day My Love.

2011-04-11T16:07:00.001-04:00

So, we pull into the hospital, contractions every 4 minutes, 8:30ish and after about 30 minutes the contractions began to get more intense...really really intense. Kristen fought through and did so well. I couldn't be more proud of her. Kristen was a champ as they continued to pick up in intensity and as the time grew closer we called in the big guns.

The Dr. came in toting his bag of magic and began to describe the epidural process. He was awesome and made an instant connection with Kristen and I, right before he plunged a 2 inch needle into the area adjacent to her spinal chord. "Here comes the bee sting." He stated.

"That's nothing compared to contractions" Kristen replied. (mind you she endured 3 contractions while he was prepared to insert the epidural.)

Now it was time to check and see how far along Kristen was...Oh my, ready to go and not even able to feel the effects of the meds!! The Dr. came in and said let nature take its course and give her some time, so we waited. The epidural had set in and "Contractions" was once again just a word and not a declaration of unparalleled pain. Time passed and Kristen's mom was here and the nurses asked if Kristen was ready to push. Kristen tried and with amazing success Sloan's entry into the world began. A few very painful (yes painful, epidural took away the contractions...but the rest was for her to feel) a few pushes later our daughter was born.

In that instant, our family of three became 4. What an amazing feeling. I was now the proud father of a daughter, and a son. She was amazing. 8 lbs. 5 oz. and 21 inches long. She was awake, loud, and curious about the world around her. Having a second child was different, but no less amazing and special. I fell in love with my wife and my life all over again.

We never would have guessed she would have dark hair...and decided to style it like daddy. She was beautiful. Troy and Papa were very patient and it was all worth the wait!

Wow. What a experience. Now it is time to soak it all in and spend some amazing time with Sloan and Kristen in the Hospital.

A Lesson in Patience

2011-04-07T16:34:00.000-04:00

So, it's Thursday. On Monday, I'll be 40 weeks and my due date will have arrived. Every morning I wake up and think, make the bed, put on real clothes, keep the house clean, put on makeup and do hair, because today just may be the day!! Every night I go to bed, I actually hope that nothing happens. I would feel so bad calling on a friend to come over in the middle of the night to stay with Asher as Brent and I are off for the hospital. Also, I just find the idea of having contractions during the beauty of the day much more appealing.

Bags are packed and on the dining room table, a small list is compiled of last minute items to grab such as cell chargers, pillows, Brent's razor, etc. The baby carrier is in Brent's car ready to bring baby Sloan home. Asher's embroidered, "Dr. Asher" scrubs are out so that he can wear them when he sees his baby sister for the first time. Cameras are charged and cleared ready to be filled with photos and video never to be forgotten. Monday, I had my 39 week appointment and was told by the Dr., that things were happening and he didn't think I'd make it another week. Tuesday, I dusted the house, washed clothes, and had an old friend visit with a precious outfit for Sloan. Wednesday, we had Toddler time at the library, lunch out with friends for a dear friend's birthday, I vacuumed, and ended the night at Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey. This is a class being offered by our church and while Brent makes the money, I pay the bills, and thought it would be beneficial. Although, last night was about Insurance and I'm just lost. (Ok, sorry for my ADD moment.) Today, I started the day thinking, "Oh, what a beautiful day to have a baby!" I spent the morning giving Asher my quality time, on the floor, playing with his toys. I then pulled him around the neighborhood in his wagon before ending at the playground where a neighbor stopped by and shared parts of his train with Asher. It was then time to head home for lunch. Well, while walking, we passed a little girl and her babysitter having lunch on a little table in her driveway. While passing by, I spotted CHEETOS! Ok, yes, they've always been good but for some reason today, I knew I had to have some. Fortunately, I'm quite a food hoarder and I knew there were some in the top of our pantry, I was just hoping they had been tightly sealed because it had been a while. So, we headed home, spread a blanket out on our front porch, and had a picnic. Although Asher normally drinks water, I let him indulge in a Capri Sun Roaring Water because he had kept his pull up dry all day! Asher, not being a fan of peanut butter, had a ham and cheese sandwich, grapes, and cheetos. I had an all natural peanut butter (Smuckers is the best) with strawberry fig preserves (made by my grandmother) sandwich, grapes, cheetos, and milk? Yes, milk. For some reason, it just went perfectly. Wow, this blog is really showing my ADD side but basically, I'm saying I've stayed active and I'm ready to welcome little Sloan whenever she's ready.

Wednesday at the library

Today on the playground

I'm also saying that I've realized there are some things we just need to enjoy and not take for granted. If Sloan had come Tuesday, it would be amazing, and I'd have my daughter, but think of the little things that would not have occurred. God, has a plan and God has things happen in His time. Asher has been the most amazing little boy today. So sweet, making good choices, and letting me love on him. This morning, he came across a small insect near the windowsill of our kitchen. Our conversation went like this (I actually wrote it down)...Asher: "Mom, mom, look, bug." "It's not moving." Me: "Oh, well, it might be dead?" Asher: "Put batteries in it!"
I guess I am continually amazed by the things that we take out of God's control. A while ago the doctor mentioned that once I got to 39 weeks we'd start talking about an induction. Well, sure enough, on Monday the doctor asked if I'd like to come in the next morning and either schedule the induction or actually go ahead and have it. I wasn't paying much attention because I knew Brent and I agreed that wasn't our choice. Would it be convenient to have one? Absolutely. Would it be exciting? Of course! Would I be selecting Sloan's birthday and taking timing out of God's control? Unfortunately. I understand there are times that they are needed and if I get to 41 weeks or more, that may be our choice. My mom actually went a week over with me and I was 8 lbs. 6 oz. but she ended up going into labor naturally without the help of drugs. Oh, and believe me, Sloan's size is surely on my mind and every day that goes by I'm thinking..."there's one more ounce!" I'm just working on letting go. Every night during our prayers with Asher, Brent and I both mention patience and God's timing. So, that's just something that's been on my mind. Please keep us in your prayers and I'll surely keep you updated! For now, I'm going to enjoy giving Asher my undivided attention.

It's ALMOST that time.....(Continued it seems)

2011-04-03T19:26:00.000-04:00

Well, well, well, 39 weeks tomorrow! Little Ms. Sloan continues to stay cozy and comfy where she is. I'm currently sitting in a rocking chair on my front porch while Brent mows and Asher naps. Don't worry, I first asked if he minded if I updated the blog before getting lazy in the shade while he does manual labor, so I'm not a horrible wife. Actually, internally, I want to get in the house and clean and straighten but I kept running through so many thoughts that I just had to share first. After sharing, yes, I will be inside making the house look great because I don't know when things are going to happen and I want to come home to a clean house with my new little bundle.
   I know things are definitely changing and becoming tighter, slower, warmer, and achier, but still no stretch marks. They could still be so much worse than they are. I could have 6 or 8 in there and I think about those moms often. Don't worry, I have things pretty easy it seems, and honestly, people who see me can't believe I'm as far along as I am. To me, I just can't imagine being any larger than I already am. Today at church I was telling Brent how warm my hands were. I seem to ALWAYS have cold hands. Not now obviously, and I even mentioned how they could now be used as heating pads. Well, Brent jumped at this and had me warm his lower back during the service. : ) I needed his help or assistance to stand and when it came time to sit I pretty much let myself collapse back into my seat. All of this has taught me how much I take for granted when I'm not 30 lbs. heavier. I can't wait to sleep more than 2 hours without a bathroom break, run to the phone without worrying about running to the bathroom first, get the massive U pillow out of my bed and make room for my hubby (we both realized that we slept better if he sleeps in the downstairs guest bedroom and he's been there for the past week or so), lay on my belly, lose the back pain, put away the Zantac and Tums, and just be quick on my feet again. Now, let me mention, these things are so minor when you think of the AMAZING thing that God has created our bodies to do. Through me, He is creating new life, a new soul, a person who will impact the world. And, he can do all of this in just 9 months, 6 of which aren't even uncomfortable for the most part. So, are these things slightly bothersome? Yes. Am I still amazed by God's work and natural plan? Always. And yes, I would do it all over in a heartbeat.
   My current fear and prayer request is the delivery. Knowing that it will come any day, at any time, at any place and I would love to have another all natural delivery. I pray for Sloan to be healthy. I'm not even worried about the lack of sleep this time because I know what's coming. How will I find a way to love her and be as attentive as I was to Asher when he was born and could have my undivided attention? These are the things on my mind.
   I'm actually looking forward to the hospital stay. If you know me, you know I love food. I love the "room service" way of doing things. With Asher, I'd have laptop in my lap before dialing down to the kitchen. On my laptop, I had typed all the random goodness that I wanted delivered so that I wouldn't leave anything out. Actually, Brent documented this with a video. : )

I actually attempted to share, but it doesn't look like it's going to work. I may try again later.

Just today, I told Brent how I look at it as a little vacation that I'm looking forward to. Time away to stare, hold, and nurse my little baby girl without a care to washing clothes, cleaning house, or having to go anywhere. Asher will be in the care of my mom, his Nah Nah, and there's no better place for him. So, as this new life changing event approaches, I'm still savoring my little family of 3. We made a homemade pizza after church and that'll probably be the last one made without little Sloan sitting in a carrier on the island watching our actions. I have the perfect routine and schedule with Asher that works like a dream, and I'm about to start from scratch. Basically, God is good. God is good in all things. God is good now, God is good through changes, and God will guide us through this new adventure and life changing event. Thank God! : )

The very soon to be...Big Brother

It's ALMOST that time!!!

2011-03-29T15:49:00.001-04:00

So, it's March 29...I'm due April 11. Asher would have been born on March 21, the day I turned 37 weeks. I'm now 38 weeks and counting. Yep, she's gaining one half to one ounce EVERY DAY! I think of how crazy this time is. The life of my little family of 3 is going to change drastically and I have to admit, thinking that I can say "the kids" while referring to my own family rocks my little world and makes me feel old. It's so hard to fathom that I'm going to love little Sloan with the same passion and intensity that I love Asher. So much of my time now is focused on buying, preparing, and planning. Honestly, it's quite frightening knowing that having Asher is already like having my heart so vulnerable but now it will be doubly so. I can't wait to see if she looks like Asher? Will she have the same beautiful beach blonde hair? Will she be under 8 lbs.? Yikes- I'm already thinking not. This baby girl can stretch so far across my abdomen that I feel she's got to be long, I was. I was also 8 lbs. 6 oz. Let's just say, I can't wait to hold her in my arms and have my child content in my arms again. Asher will cuddle, just not for long. : )

On to my little nesting project from yesterday... Asher has a little fabric square that we keep in the car and call his "lulla bug." I'm not sure he's necessarily attached but it's just habit that it stays in the car and goes into his lap for car rides. He leaves it there and I believe it gives an element of coziness along with texture. Asher's was from Bunnies by the Bay. I have yet to find one that I liked for Sloan. So, after having a sewing machine for 2 1/2 years or so, I learned to thread it. I first had 2 dear friends assist while I made a pillowcase dress. I got so excited I went out and bought fabric for 2 more dresses. I also bought materials to make Sloan her own "lulla bug." Yesterday, I actually sat down and pulled out the machine and gave project 2 a try. I'm quite pleased....

My 2 fabrics and ribbon choices

I pulled out the scrap booking tools, which probably haven't been used since college, to cut the fabric. I saw this done in a tutorial.

I'm sharing all of this because, yes, I am quite impressed with myself. I'm much more of a "sayer" than a "doer." And this, I actually did! Look out etsy!

So, Sloan now has her own little lap buddy for car trips!

4-D Ultrasound

2011-02-13T15:22:00.000-05:00

So, Asher was delivered at Lexington Medical Center because I was still teaching and had my own insurance. Sloan; however, will be delivered at Tuomey Medical Center because I now stay home and will be delivering under Brent's insurance. With Asher, they automatically scanned 4-D while doing my normal ultrasounds and we received free copies from his ultrasounds. Because I was glucose intolerant, which basically means not bad enough to be labeled as gestational diabetes but still having some glucose issues, they gave me an extra ultrasound at 34 weeks. Here are a few of our little Asher...

Asher sleeping away and sucking on his left arm while having his right arm up by his head...

They then buzzed my belly trying to get some movement. Here you can see he opened his eyes.

And apparently, he wasn't in the mood for company as he threw up his hand as if to say, "leave me alone."

This one just shows how he was a little cramped in there...

Well, this time around I was not labeled as glucose intolerant, so I was not going to get that extra ultrasound, they did not do any 4-D scans or pictures, and honestly Brent and I wanted them. : ) Not only that, but at my 20 week appointment when we found out it was a girl, we were told in a slightly different way. They did the ultrasound but never showed us the sex. She actually handed me the towel to begin wiping off my belly and I was very confused. I said, "Oh, we wanted to know the sex." She said smiling, "Well, you've got to work for it." She then gave me small wrapped box to open. Inside, there was a small pink bear key chain. Well, as exciting as that was, I was a little bummed that we never got to truly see for ourselves. She did give me a picture that had the arrow pointing to certain parts saying, "It's a girl!"

This past Friday, Brent and I decided to make an appointment in Columbia at a place called Wee See Imaging just so we'd have that extra ultrasound and some pictures to share with Sloan one day. We were able to see that it was a girl with our own eyes and now have a DVD and CD of photos. Overall, the pictures are not quite as clear as Asher's and she had some difficulty getting Sloan to cooperate and move her hands away from her face but it's still very cool to know what's going on inside. Apparently, Sloan's face is right behind the placenta so she had to have me on my side to get a better angle. Here is a small clip showing our baby girl. Towards the end, you can actually see her open her eye an give a small smile.

Looks like Sloan may be a thumb sucker or at least she is here...

Just a sweet picture...

Here, it looks like she's covering her ears and her eyebrows are clearly scrunched.

I asked if we'd be able to tell how much hair Sloan had and she said let's check. She said usually you can see little white spots that represent hair but Sloan has distinct little lines. This one shows that our little girl will have a head full of hair like her brother did at birth.

Just look at all of that light blonde hair!! The nurses all commented on it. : ) They say it's very rare to have a blonde newborn much less, one with so much blonde hair! Oh, I can't wait for this moment again. There's nothing quite like it.

I'll end with one of my favorites of Sloan. Here she's looking truly like a girl with her hand delicately folded under her face and making pouty lips, which I'm sure she'll try to use to get her way.

So, if things go like they did with Asher, who came 3 weeks early, it's possible I'll have some actual photos of Sloan next month! She's due April 11. We'll just have to wait and see!

Glorious Sleep, Glorious Morning

2011-01-19T16:10:00.000-05:00

So, I've been thinking. I love sleep. I especially love to wake up when my body tells me to or when I hear my sweet Asher talking in his crib. This time comes between 8-9 am. I am so blessed that this has become my "norm." I know my little world will be rocked in a few months when Sloan joins us and she does not know how glorious it is to sleep AT NIGHT.

I'm not a napper. Actually, I'm not even a fan. I have many requirements (hee hee) that must be met in order for me to fall asleep....comfy clothes, a cool dark room, a heavy cozy blanket, etc. I'm also a fan of making the bed first thing in the morning and it's just not worth messing it all up again just for me to be awake groggy and sometimes grumpy after a nap. : ) Yes, with a new baby and Asher, I have a feeling my views may change and the bed may go unmade so that it can be revisited later in the day and I'm preparing myself for this.

So yes, there will be changes with a newborn but I also realized that this may be the only time in my life where things are slow paced in the morning. Soon, I'll be looking for a preschool for Asher and they usually begin at 9. An alarm will have to be set for this. After preschool, then there's real school. Goodness gracious, an early alarm will certainly have to be set for that. This will continue for the next 12 years! Actually, longer than that since Sloan will then be in school and if we have a 3rd, then even longer. I will be the mom that celebrates school breaks, celebrates snow days, celebrates summer.

I guess I'm just thinking out loud. I was just a little overwhelmed when I realized how quickly life changes and the potential of life to get crazy before we even realize it. I thank God that I consider myself blessed to have this time. And I thank Brent for setting his alarm, being quiet as he gets ready, and not resenting me as he struggles out the door while the house stays quiet and still. For now, I'm going to enjoy my slow mornings, lack of scheduled A.M. activities, and the quality time with my little man that I would not trade for anything.

Good Morning Sweet Buddy

Always eager to help with breakfast...

A quality breakfast. I actually have Brent to thank for this one.

Brent captured this sweet moment from the balcony. Asher enjoying his morning milk, watching his favorite morning show- Mickey Mouse, and giving some love to his baby sister.

Very Moved...

2011-01-12T15:58:00.002-05:00

This Sunday at church, just as every Sunday at our church, I was so moved. The songs always move me to tears and just bring this emotion over me that I can't control. I don't really understand it. I think pregnancy may have something to do with it but I'm always so overwhelmed. So thankful, so grateful, and so ashamed of the little work I'm doing to spread God's glory. Brent and I are so careful to bring our Bibles to church with us but do they get that same use Monday-Saturday? No. I think during the service of how I'm going to get home and blog my heart out about the message...but I get home, get busy, and misplace my notes. So, for now, I'm just going to leave you with this video. Please listen carefully to the words and listen to the end. It's my favorite part. I hope it gets across some of what I'm feeling....

First, scroll to the bottom of my page to pause the music.

The Stand by Hillsong United

Thinking back...

2010-12-18T10:19:00.003-05:00

     So, I woke up this morning at 8:30 and all was still quiet in my house. I rolled from my right side to my left and felt my baby girl shift sides completely in my belly. : ) I must have woken her up because she immediately began to bump around.
     This flashed back to 2 years ago last night...I was 36, almost 37 weeks pregnant and after a bathroom trip I realized I was leaking blood. They say some spotting is normal during pregnancy, but since I never had, and the blood was leaking at a somewhat fast pace, I called for Brent and with shaking hands I called the Dr. He agreed that due to the circumstances I should go to the emergency room and be examined. It was a Wednesday night, probably close to 9:30, when all of this happened. I remember grabbing my purse and rushing out the door. Brent drove and I can remember reclining my seat and feeling for signs of movement. There were no tears but there were prayers on the way to the hospital that night.
     After all the normal tests, temperature, blood pressure, baby heart rate, etc. I was hooked up to monitor contractions. The screen was going crazy. Mountain after mountain on the screen and yet I was feeling nothing. The nurse informed me that it's normal to be having contractions and not feel them. Ha, this is glorious I thought. I can handle this...I wasn't very dilated so there was no need to worry about labor just yet. They said even with all that was going on, I could still carry until my due date- January 8 and it was only Dec. 17 and that all was well. Relief! We headed home around 11:30.
     The next morning, December 18, I returned to teach my kindergartners, and Brent returned to work in Sumter. I had noticed tiny spurts of fluid throughout the day and told a few teachers on my team. I felt completely normal, I just had these little spurts of fluid. I went through the entire day until my planning period, which was the last period of the day. My team : ) oh, they were so cute..."what in the world are you still doing here?"  "It's OK, I feel fine. Let's get some planning done." With their pressure, I went to the principal and told her what was going on. She said my class would be covered for dismissal and I should go ahead and get things checked out...again. I called Brent so he could start the hour drive from Sumter and meet me at the hospital. I'm thinking they rolled me around in a wheelchair, which I thought was silly, but it is nice to be pampered every now and then. : ) I remember they had trouble finding an examine room for me. They wanted to do a swab to see what the fluid was. She came back about an hour after the first swab and said it was inconclusive and she wanted to swab again. Second swab and they discovered it was amniotic fluid. "Looks like you won't be going home" the nurse said.  My thoughts: "What? My class' holiday celebration is tomorrow. I have no bag packed. I was about to be on 2 weeks Christmas break and had a long list of things that I wanted/needed to get done. I am a planner! One thing on our list was to buy the car seat!" Calls were made to family and friends. I was brought to a room, a delivery room! I asked for a doula, which had been part of my "plan." They informed me that there had been a lot of births that day and all of the doula's had already been used. I expressed my desire for a natural childbirth and that I really wanted to delay pitocin. I had heard, and they agreed that it can make labor pain more intense. One nice nurse who was going off duty used a marker to draw a black dot on my foot. This was a known pressure point, which may help induce natural labor. She also gave me a sucker and said something about the sucker on the roof of my mouth helping induce labor. Well, you can bet, I was sucking that sucker and Brent was massaging that pressure point! : ) We realized we would have a little time on our hands. Brent went home to pack the essentials, my parents and brother weren't there yet, it was about 8:30 that night and the Dr. came in to inform me he'd like to go ahead and break my water to get things progressing.  They also wanted to go ahead with the pitocin. : ( Apparently, once you're leaking amniotic fluid, they want to have the baby out within a certain number of hours or your risk of infection goes up significantly. Well, I'd already been leaking since early that morning. And let me just tell you, after realizing quantity, I'm so glad my water did not break in front of my little 5 year olds! There could have been possible traumatizing. : )

There were times I was like, I can handle this...women throughout time have been able to handle this...

Followed my moments like this...

Although Brent says there were times I asked for the epidural, I met my goal of a natural childbirth. And at 1:30 am on December 19, 2008 I gave birth to Asher Fielding Petersen, 6 lbs. 2.3 oz.

I had moments like these...

(Thank you to my family, who were troopers through the night.)

(Meghann & Troy, thanks for making the middle of the night trip!)

And FINALLY I got to eat! : )

(Kristen R., thanks for chatting at approx. 2:30 in the morning)

What's this? I have a moment!

2010-11-15T15:44:00.001-05:00

     So, I decided to travel to Orangeburg for the day. Actually, Asher decided by saying, "Nah Nah's toys?" as I got him from his crib this morning. I had planned on finishing dusting and vacuuming the upstairs but I liked Asher's idea a little more. : ) So, after breakfast we headed to see Nah Nah, Papa, and Uncle Troy. Lunch at House of Pizza is always a plus. Oh, and I guess I'm officially showing because I had a lady say, "I thought you were pregnant but I was afraid to ask." Yes, I'm 4 months along and at that in between, awkward, "is she just pudgy?", stage. I don't mind though because the elastic waistbands are out and they're glorious!
     There's something so wonderful about coming home. It's kind of like a mini vacation. Food is prepared and provided for me. Love is abundant- not only for me but also for my son. My "To Do" list goes out the window.

     Haha, OK, that was all from Nov. 10. I'm going to guess Asher woke up or my ADD kicked in and I moved on to something else. Actually, I just remembered...mom told me that she had taped the Oprah episode where the family lost their 3 children in a car accident and then they were blessed with triplets. I was in Cape Cod when that episode was on and had missed it.

     It's actually now, Nov. 15 and I'm in Orangeburg again! Brent, Asher, and I made the trip yesterday for lunch. We brought the trailer with all of our palms and seasonal outdoor plants to put in my parents' greenhouse. Brent and I drove separately so that he could leave early this morning and head to work while I get the day to spend with family (and have Brent's car serviced at my dad's station). Mom, Asher, and I enjoyed breakfast together; mom, dad, Asher, and I enjoyed lunch; and mom and dad have meetings tonight so Troy, Asher, and I are going out for dinner before I head back to Lexington.

     I guess I want to take a moment to Thank God for so, so many things. I am thankful for an amazing family who loves and supports me, for a husband who works hard and supports the freedom I have with my days, for a beautiful son who loves life and adventure, and for the new baby who's now not just bumping but kicking around in my belly. As I pray for others whose family members are ill, I am so thankful for the health of all of those who mean the most to me...

Out at my parent's property...

And, one of the bump just for fun. : )

19 weeks and counting!

Welcome Fall?

2010-10-19T22:29:00.000-04:00

Ok, we're excited about all the seasonal changes and (somewhat) cooler weather. I'm actually really excited about our electricity bill because our air/heat has not had to turn on. We decided to take a family trip down the road to a local tree farm for some great fall photos. Poor Asher...in the photo below I had him in a sweater and it was 85 degrees outside! Don't worry, we were quick and I brought a shirt for him to change into. As you can see, he didn't seem to mind the temperature...

Welcome Fall, we're glad to have you and look forward to all of the changes you bring. (I, personally, am looking forward to the elastic waistbands) : )

Oh my, Oh my...

2010-10-12T14:02:00.000-04:00

Asher lifted Mickey off the potty, looked inside, and said, "Nope." : )

Ok, let me begin with saying we are against Asher watching TV. Fortunately, he's never been very interested. I think watching TV means being still and he's just not into that. Well, at some point I must have shown him Mickey Mouse and now he requests it if the TV is being turned on. I do let him watch the 8:00 morning episode while he enjoys his morning milk. I actually love this time because we cuddle and enjoy the show together. My mom even found a Mickey Mouse that's about Asher's size that he enjoys. So, when it came time to consider a Halloween costume, it only seemed right that we let our little guy be Mickey Mouse. Well, last year I went with the already put together store bought outfit and decided to get creative this year so I'm piecing together parts from different stores but I think he's going to be super cute- as always. : )
While searching for parts to his costume, we came across this lion outfit. I honestly can't remember the last time I laughed until I cried. Well, this lion costume had me rolling. Asher wasn't a huge fan so we let him take it off before I realized I must have it on film. So, here's a video showing Asher in the lion top. He was probably wondering why we had freed him only to put him right back in it. I kind of wish we had purchased it just to have a good laugh later on.

(Scroll to bottom of screen to pause music.)

Just for fun...

2010-09-23T17:20:00.000-04:00

(Scroll to bottom of screen to pause music)

A little overstimulation at Babies R Us. He first began doing this unprompted. I believe he would have continued down the row had there been more.

This is from early August but just thought it was funny...

This is from a day I wasn't feeling well and had to create additional entertainment. He did it over and over (when he wasn't using the cushion as a slide).

Football time!

2010-09-23T08:04:00.000-04:00

(To hear video, pause music by scrolling to the bottom of the screen)

So, our family pulls for the Gamecocks. Am I anti- Clemson? No. Does Asher have a cute shirt that says, "I eat tiger and my veggies?" Yes. Again, it was a cute shirt! : )

Ok, after viewing the video you can't hear Asher's sweet voice as clearly on the blog as you can in the video. : ( Guess I'll search through more video. He really does have the cutest voice and pronunciation.

One year later...

2010-09-17T00:27:00.003-04:00

I've been putting off this blog. I wanted to post on August 7, which would mark the one year anniversary since Asher had surgery. I guess I knew it would be painful to go back there, to look over pictures, and to re-live what we felt and saw. The bright side is that we are now on the other side. God watched over Asher, the surgeons, the anesthesiologists, the nurses, and all hands who were laid on our amazing boy.

Actually, this brings me to another point. I claim Asher as our own. Our preacher mentioned on Sunday how with the birth of his first born son, he raised his son in the air and said to God, "He is yours. Do with him as You will." We spoke of Abraham and Isaac and the sacrifice Abraham was willing to make. Our preacher mentioned how this promise, which he made to God, became more difficult as his son grew and felt more like his own. This is something I will also be working on.

Leading up to Asher's surgery, there is one song that moved me more than others. The first time it truly hit me, I was actually sitting in the Zaxby's drive-through and I do believe I was hiding tears behind my sunglasses by the time I got up to the window.

(You can pause the music by scrolling to the bottom of the screen)
The song is Blessed be the Name. Please take time to listen, think of the words, and be amazed at how Mighty our Father is. The part that got me the most was, "You give and take away, You give and take away, my heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be your name." It was God's will to bring Asher out of surgery without complications. But...even if He hadn't, He should be praised. I still can't sing this at church without being emotional. Actually, I love all of our music at church, and I am quite often emotional regardless. : )
Some of you may not know what exactly went on during surgery, and I'll spare some graphic details. I will say that the incision goes from ear to ear over the top of Asher's head. A large portion of Asher's skull was removed, cut apart, and then placed back together in new locations to create a smooth forehead and room for Asher's skull to expand with his growing brain and body. The CT scan shows hundreds of tiny dots. Each of these dots represent a screw. Asher has dissolvable screws and plates and I now know how strong they are because Asher has truly tested them in the past year. Immediately after surgery, Asher had a drain tube, which was removed after 2 days or so. His orbital bone was also altered and contains screws. By the night of surgery Asher was so swollen he was unable to open his eyes (this is normal). Swelling continued for 2 more days but on that 3rd day it went down and Asher was able to see through tiny openings; regardless, he was a happy baby at this point. We kept ointment on his incision, his stitches dissolved, and even with his white blonde hair you have to look VERY close to notice the scar. Asher still has some soft spots and with our next CT scan and Duke visit they will let us know how they are filling in. Just to show the amazing healing power of our Father and prayer...

The morning of surgery

Immediately after surgery

At this point the swelling was so bad, Asher was unrecognizable. I choose not to share photos of the swelling at its worse. I posted a picture just so that all who came in knew what our little guy looked like.

Eyes are open just enough to go home!!

God's miracle and gift to us, 1 year later...

So, right now, all is well! And I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but as our preacher has said before, "If you aren't in your storm now, I can guarantee one day you will be." Take time to listen to track 10 below or for lyrics click here and remember who to turn to in your time of need.

Baffled....

2010-08-22T21:45:00.000-04:00

Ok, there's nothing that will drive you to blog than an experience that just blows you away. Unfortunately, this blew me away in a bad way. So, after a great weekend of visiting with friends Friday night and driving to Orangeburg to visit and spend the night with family on Saturday for my 30th birthday, Brent, Asher, and I are heading home around 6 this evening. We take Hwy. 1. Brent remembers he needed something for work from Lowes so he runs in while Asher and I wait in he car. We're pulling out of Lowes and see a "clearly" homeless man sitting on the curb across the street. By "clearly," I mean this man could have been cast in a movie. Thin, gray hair, shirt that looked as if it were once white, sandals, beard, and dirty all over. I think to myself, what if that's Jesus or what if this is a test. I mention to Brent that that man sure looks homeless. He responds, "He does, do you want to buy him a meal?" I'm thinking WOW, I'm so glad he thought that too. I mean, the man was sitting on a curb right beside a Popeye's Chicken so we decide to head through the drive through. We decided on a three piece chicken meal with mashed potatoes and gravy, a biscuit. and sweet tea. Sounds yummy and filling to me!?! So, the man is sitting on the curb beside a stop light on my side of the car. I roll my window down and say something like, "We thought you might like something to eat" while holding the bag and drink out of the window.  I had planned on ending the conversation with something like, "God bless you, have a great day."
     Ok, this is where things get interesting....his reply is something like, "What do you got?" Me: "Chicken and mashed potatoes with a sweet tea." Him: "Hmm, no biscuits in there?" Me: "Um, I believe there is one biscuit. Sir, do you not like chicken?" Him: "Not really" (I believe that at this point Brent chimed in with something like "We were trying to do something nice, don't take it if you don't want it." Brent was a little more perturbed than me. I was still in a small state of shock.) So, I had already handed over the bag while he's telling me he doesn't like chicken. He said, "Well let me see" as he begins to open the box and I stare at his black hands, nails, and crust in the inner corners of his eyes. Me: "Sir, if you don't want the meal please hand it back to me and I'll get out what you'd like" because as I mentioned before, I like chicken and Brent and I had planned on eating left-overs at home but I wouldn't mind eating chicken instead. Well, too late, he's in the box and I knew at this point the meal was all his because I was not taking it back. I still held the tea in my hand as Brent had had too much. I'm not sure if we said anything or if we just pulled forward to pull away as he said, "wait, I want the tea!" As we continued to pull out he screamed, "F*** Y** B****!" All while swinging the bag of food over his head into the near by flower bed behind him.
     Oh my goodness...first of all, I've never been told the F Y part. Second of all, I don't believe I've ever been called a B! I'm SO non-confrontational and do not like friction or disagreement. I was in shock! Brent drove down the road a little ways and turned back around to see what the man was doing. Well, as we went back by he was enjoying the mashed potatoes. So, here's where I'm lost. Did we really intend to bring joy and nourishment and cause anger and hatred in the process? Was Satan using this man to make us think twice about doing good deeds for strangers in the future? I just don't know where everything went wrong? If it were just me, you bet, that man would have his tea and I would have pulled away in shock for his lack of appreciation. Brent's opinion, the man needs to be taught a lesson on gratitude. I don't know who's right out of Brent and I but I do know that this man was wrong. As I mentioned before, this incident just has me baffled and saddened so I just had to share. Please don't let this story stop you from thinking, "What would Jesus do?" in certain situations. I do, however, hope that your story has a much happier ending...

Where does the time go?

2010-07-30T23:35:00.000-04:00

Goodness gracious it's been a while since I've had the leisure time to sit and type! My last post was about Asher waking in the night. I ended up calling the pediatrician and speaking to a nurse. I guess I was looking for permission to let him scream it out. : ( We had let him do this some as an infant but I guess we felt now he really knew what was going on. She said they've had them cry for 4 hours before and that toddlers are smart enough at this age to know that if they wake and scream, mom or dad will come and give them undivided attention. So, Asher cried from 2:50 a.m. to 5:10 a.m. Brent and I pretty much stared sadly at the monitor as Asher cried and cried. This story does have a good ending however...Asher has not woken up and cried during the night since that night and I'd say it's been 2 weeks or so?
The issue has now transitioned to nap. My normally 2 1/2, 3 hour napper has decided he will now nap for 45 mins. to maybe an hour. Anyway, I don't want to just purge my problems so I'll just stop there.

I'll move on to all of the good things that are going on. Asher loves to run (especially away from, or to, mommy and daddy)! He talks all day long and says new words daily. He now lets his daddy give him his nighttime milk. He has always enjoyed books but especially now. He sings with pretend words and uses the granite in front of the fireplace as his stage. He loves anything that goes "broom broom." He has this new thing where he gets close enough to you, throws his arms up into the air, and then falls into your arms. He thinks it's so funny and I appreciate his trust but just have to be ready to catch at all times. He loves to say "bye bye" so much that he sometimes says "bye bye" to his toys when he leaves the room. Today he even went up to a full length mirror, said "bye bye," gave himself a kiss in the mirror and then said "hug" and wrapped his arms around the mirror before walking away. Oh how I love that little guy!!! : ) Now just a few photos to show what we've been up to...

Asher plays drums at the Lexington Peach Festival, where we also enjoyed peach ice cream, peach cobbler, peach tea, peach zinger, peach honey, and even brought some peaches home.

I love these guys...

The 4th of July on Lake Murray

At my parents' pond property...

He does always seem to be the center of attention...

At Ansley's 2nd birthday, there was a little jumping on the bed before going to bed.

Riley and Asher's misplaced kiss goodnight.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my amazing brother and Asher's Uncle "TOY!"

HELP! Sleep Regression at 18 months?

2010-07-08T13:24:00.000-04:00

Oh my, how our little one has changed at 18 months. So, we're going from 3 hour naps to 1 1/2 some days to 3 hours others. From sleeping through the night since he was teeny tiny, to waking up screaming almost every night like he's had a bad dream. I don't understand. I'm writing now because I'm getting frustrated and I don't want to be frustrated. I googled, "18 month sleep" and many parent comments came up about sleep issues at 18 months. Why is this? He also went from waking up and just rolling around talking to himself to now standing and calling, "mommy" "daddy" even "Na Na" right away. I'm looking at the monitor now and he's laying down but I've already gone in there twice to put everything back in his crib. Now, I'm just leaving it out because I don't want him to use that as his fishing technique to reel me back into his room. I just don't understand what's going on!?! Some nights he cries briefly and goes back down on his own. Other nights he screams uncontrollably and we have to go in there. He's great while we're holding him but then clings to us and begins to scream when we try to lay him back down. Moms and dad's out there, any similar experiences? Should we be doing something differently? Is it just a growth spurt? Fortunately, I read that he will get through this and go back to his normal amazing habits. I just hate going to bed at night dreading what the night holds and also that his 12 hours of good sleep is being disrupted.

This is a first from yesterday...Asher has never fallen asleep while eating lunch! After I cleaned him up and changed his diaper, he slept for more than three hours. So obviously, there are still good days.

Asher turns 1 1/2

2010-07-03T16:25:00.000-04:00

So I wanted to go ahead and get these on here before too long. They were taken June 19 when Asher turned 18 months. We did something special when he turned 6 months only it was a strawberry cupcake with icing ~~because that's what I wanted~~ so obviously, at 6 months we wouldn't allow him to eat it ~~but his mommy did~~. It was just a good photo opportunity. Basically, we don't give Asher sweets or things with added sugar. Brent and I just feel there is so much growth and development going on that we want to make sure he's getting his nutrients from foods that count. I made his one year birthday cake, which was an apple cake with whipped topping. So for his year and a half, I made a blueberry muffin with whipped topping. I agree, the whipped topping surely is not as good without the added sugar and as you'll see later on, he wasn't a huge fan. He actually ate it upside down so that he didn't eat any whipped topping.

My Masterpiece

Sampling the whipped cream

"Hmm... maybe if I turn it over I can bypass the white stuff..."

"Oh yeah, now we're talking. Hey, thanks mom for finishing off that top layer for me." : )

Who knows what he was thinking here. Probably, "Why do you guys have to take pictures of everything..."

Now, just a few to show the many precious faces of Asher...

He finished the day by "going PP" in his own potty. You guessed it... I have a photo, I just chose not to include. : ) I know, for those old John & Kate Plus 8 fans, I'm a little like Kate when it comes to documenting firsts! (No matter what they are.)

Broken Arrow

2010-06-29T23:43:00.001-04:00

(Just added to the Playlist.) Ok, I giggle a little just thinking about what crosses your mind if you visit the blog and Broken Arrow begins to play by Rod Stewart. I LOVE this song! It's funny because I go for long periods of time without hearing it but when I do, the volume goes up. It seems like such a powerful song and yet Brent and I had a deep discussion in the car one day about what we each thought it was about. Turns out, we both had different ideas. So, I welcome interpretations...scroll to the bottom, go to track 23, and turn up the volume. You have to listen to the whole song because it definitely gets stronger. Oh, it's even better sung with windows down in the car. : ) Enjoy!

Tim, I look forward to hearing what you have to say about this one. : )

A day at the Zoo

2010-06-26T16:15:00.000-04:00

We recently decided to get a Zoo membership. There's truly more than we can ever really appreciate (or Asher can handle) in a day, and living in Lexington, the Botanical Garden entrance isn't far at all. By the way, I can bring one guest with me so let me know if you ever want to plan a trip! Children 3 and under are free. We went one toasty day last week...

Oh he wanted to get in so bad...and it was hot enough that I couldn't blame him.

He was just as happy playing with a large stick in a bamboo forest.

Love this one. My favorite part of the zoo is the gorillas. I could seriously watch them for hours, and I have so many more pictures. This one is just my favorite.

I was telling Asher about the monkey. Thanks to Head to Toe by Eric Carle, Asher is a fan of waving his arms like a monkey.

Brent insisted we go feed the birds. I never knew about this area and now I'm afraid a trip to the zoo won't be complete until we've given the birds some nectar.

One last ride before heading home. Asher needed his nap.

Until next time!

WE LOVE PLAY DATES!

2010-06-24T14:52:00.001-04:00

So, now that we have settled into a later nap time it's a little easier to get together with friends. It's amazing how being home all day can cause you to crave socialization ~~and unfortunately sometimes I get it from Bravo~~. It's just hard to balance between the getting out and about and then getting everything done around the house. I am the queen of a "To Do" list, just ask Brent, my problem is that I add to it and change it daily so that it is impossible to ever complete! Ugh! Enough about that... last week we were able to get together with Heather and Morgan Kate. Heather and I have known each other for as long as I can remember. I'm hoping Asher and Morgan Kate can be buddies as well. At this age, there is a little more "parallel play" than interaction with each other but their mommy's sure had fun!

Just look at all the toys! Asher's looking like, "It wasn't me!" : )

I don't remember how many times we had to put them back into their chairs. They're used to being strapped into a high chair and enjoyed the freedom to eat on the go.

I'd say they were pretty sleepy after all the playing.

Time to go "Bye Bye," these guys needed a nap!

Father's Day on the Lake

2010-06-22T14:41:00.005-04:00

Let me first show you how Brent's weekend began. I had Shari's Berries delivered on Friday. I had to put my finger in the photo just to show the massive size of these things!

Saturday, I cooked a yummy dinner but didn't take any photos to document. Sunday, Brent and I kept the 2 year olds during extended session and then we ran by the house to grab our stuff for the lake. We joined my mom's family at Lake Murray for a delicious lunch and fortunately we had some time on the water before the storm came in.

Happy Father's Day Dad!

Asher was so comfortable on the boat. He looked like he would have just jumped right in.

Loved snuggling with my baby boy.

He kept smiling so big! I love when he shows off his teeth.

I may look like I was enjoying this but I was a nervous wreck. Brent told me not to worry, he wouldn't let Asher go anywhere without him. I got more comfortable and things were actually smoother when I went faster but it was still a short ride.

Another first! Asher steers the boat!

He was a little more concerned with the horn.

As Asher swims he says, "kick, kick, kick."

What adults do on a large raft when you have no fear of it flipping...

After a full day of church and then the lake, this little guy was pooped!

Happy Father's Day Brent!

2010-06-19T22:32:00.021-04:00

At 1:30 in the morning on December 19, 2008, Brent felt a new love...

Oh believe me, this is the tiniest sampling of the many photos I have of these 2 together. I can't explain the pride I feel in knowing that Asher has and will continue to have Brent as his role-model in life. I used to say of Brent, "You're just so capable." I realize some may consider this an interesting way to describe your husband but he can truly do anything he puts his mind to. We laugh at all of the jobs he had growing up but they truly taught him so many things. And what they didn't, he taught himself.
Brent finds the positive in things and would do anything for his family and friends. He is so caring and giving. He is an amazing listener. (Poor guy because I am horrible). He gives the best advice. He knows his priorities and I am thankful that they are where God would want them to be.
Father's Day is a day to show appreciation and thankfulness. Asher is a little young to recognize these things, but one day he will realize how blessed he is to have Brent as his "Da da." Asher will be a better person because of Brent's guidance, protection, and unconditional love. Thank you God for this. I guess we should have more kids so they can all be so blessed. : )
My prayer tonight is for all of those who have lost or do not know their fathers. When you recognize all that you have, it's difficult to not think of those who are without. I pray that they get to know their Eternal Father and find another role-model to guide them in this short life on earth.

Asher's talking even more!

2010-06-17T12:51:00.005-04:00

(First Pause Music by scrolling all the way down)

So, I figured out that if I change my settings to the older version of blogger, the icon came back. Enjoy our little guy. Doesn't he just have the sweetest voice? Sorry that my videos always seem to end abruptly but I send them from my phone to email and they won't let me send them if they're over 30 seconds.

Notice when he says "thank you" he pretends to hand me something. Love it!

And yes, he's wearing Easter PJ's in June. Hey, why not spread the joy of Christ's rising all year long? Plus...they still fit! : )

2010-06-16T22:58:00.000-04:00

Let me begin by saying how awesome my parents are! Mom stayed the night so Brent and I were able to have a date night. Dad is amazing for letting mom come (often) and supporting all the time that she is able to spend with Asher without making her feel bad for being away. They both love him so much. I love watching them interact.

So, I really wanted to try this Chinese buffet and maybe ~~absolutely~~ it wasn't the best place for a date, but they had crab legs on the buffet! Anyway, won't be going back there. We were not impressed, but we were able to look at each other, talk, and worry about what was on our own plates and that was well worth it. Thanks again mom and dad!

These next photos I just had to include because they're precious!! This is from this past weekend. Yes, my son is still in his PJ's. Oh I can't wait to see all of the wonderful things that they will do together... : )

On a very different note, does anyone know why my icon to load videos would have just disappeared? I think it used to be beside the "link" and "insert image" icon and then one day it just wasn't there anymore so I haven't been able to load videos. : ( Asher's been talking up a storm. He's at the point where he will repeat any word you want him to... so I'd love to share a video!

This boy loves the beach!

2010-06-05T23:30:00.000-04:00

This photo is from a few weeks ago when mom, Aunt Jan, Brent and I spent a random day on the beach. Let's just say the glory days of my fully extended chair, with monogrammed towel chair cover, sunglasses on, book or magazine in hand, enjoying the sun, smell, breeze, and people watching are.....well, over. Ok, so I guess sunglasses on and people watching are still a part of my day at the beach but my eyes are on Asher and no other. And don't even think about extending that chair unless Asher wants to try and use it as a seesaw. He's a busy boy and loves to squeal as the wave comes. It's so cute. He can't really walk as the waves are pulling back out into the ocean. Let's face it, it's quite the illusion even for an adult but for an explorative toddler, I believe he thinks he is sliding at a fast speed as the water rushes past his little feet. And for the observer, one may think there is something other than water in his sippy cup.
Well, we're beach bound tomorrow! I'll be sure to catch some more of these amazing moments to share. And maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to take a moment to enjoy the beautiful ocean view.

In the beginning...

2010-06-04T15:56:00.000-04:00

It all started in 2005. (Please ignore time stamp on photo. It was not 2 am : ) ). We were actually about to head to 5 Points to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. I (think) I had just finished my student teaching at Brent's school. We just started dating in March so we had not been seeing each other long at all. We just look comfortable with each other because we knew that this was different.

After dating 9 months, we flew to stay with his parents in Connecticut. It was the first time I met them, and I loved them right away (of course, they helped make Brent who he is today). Brent and I took the train into NY for a night. I won't go into all of the amazing places we were able visit and things we were able to do in such a short amount of time, but the most amazing thing that occurred was our engagement! On December 19, 2005- the same date that our son, 3 years later, would decide to enter the world- Brent got down on one knee. Of course, I said YES! This photo shows us right after the proposal in front of the Rockefeller tree! Believe me, it was FREEZING, that's the only reason I would have my glove off. : )

Six months after our engagement, on June 3, 2006, we were married at the First Baptist Church, Orangeburg, SC. It was a beautiful day and I honestly can't remember another day that all of my favorite people were gathered in the same building. Brent and I both take our marriage seriously. A preacher once said, "Put your focus and your attention on your spouse, and your children will turn out just fine." We firmly believe in this. As Asher and our future child(ren) grow, we have agreed that they will know the value of "our" time. We will not wait until they go to bed to connect and catch up on our day but do it while they are awake. We made a decision to be with each other and there is no other option. We agreed that the "d word" would be removed from our vocabulary. Yes, we have amazing times and a secure love, but we also have issues. Best friends have issues. Families have issues. We know that no matter the issue, with communication, prayer, and effort...all will be well in the end. So, we take things day by day, often have to remind ourselves to be appreciative, and after 3 months we're still on Day 4 of The Love Dare. And we're OK with that...

So, why the walk down memory lane you wonder? Yesterday we celebrated 4 years of marriage. When I say it, it doesn't sound long at all. I had a post in the works that would show our past 4 anniversaries but something went wrong after loading the photos and I've just lost motivation for now. So, instead I'll leave you with:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

I heard once to see if "I" can replace "love" in this verse:
"I am patient, I am kind. I do not envy, I do not boast, I am not proud. I am not rude, I am not self-seeking, I am not easily angered, I keep no record of wrongs. I do not delight in evil but rejoice with the truth. I always protect, always trust, always hope, always persevere."

I've got a lot of work to do!

One of his many talents!

2010-06-01T23:28:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I realized there are SO many pictures that I have to share. I take at least a hundred a week I'd say. So rather than putting it all off, I'll add a few (I can't promise every day) but when I get the chance. Asher pulled up his little puzzle box to use as a seat as he created beautiful music. Thanks Ansley for letting Asher borrow your piano. I don't see him tiring of it any time soon. I even played a little "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey. Oh yeah, 8 keys can provide many musical possibilities. The Pooser/Petersen crew has quite the musical ear. My parents said I could take the piano from their house, since they bought it for me when I was 8! I think I may have to take them up on their offer soon! Just in case one day Asher doesn't want to share! : )

Wounded Warrior Games

2010-05-17T12:16:00.000-04:00

Brent's team wins GOLD in Wounded Warrior Games (Click for video)

It's pretty safe to say that Brent was severely missed over the past 15 days. He went to the Olympic Training Facility in Colorado to coach the Marine volleyball team in the Wounded Warrior Games. I can't say that I was completely supportive of this decision. I also can't say that I was as nice as I could have been when he was able to call and catch up. I can't believe I am admitting this, but I actually resented him some for choosing to take 2 weeks of vacation time from work and leave his son and stay-at-home wife. I told him how he's the bright spot at the end of my day and I just couldn't imagine going through the day knowing that (honestly) there'd be no relief, no shared responsibility, no break. I know Satan was sticking his ugly head in my thoughts and emotions. He went as far to say that "Brent only took a week and a day off when Asher was born and yet he can take 2 weeks off to go away and have fun without his family!?!" The good thing is that I'm able to recognize Satan's voice and use my Christian knowledge to push him away.

This morning I took time to watch videos of the games, look at pictures, read quotes, and cry. I am so blessed to have a husband who would sacrifice time from his family, work, routine, and change lives of those who've lost so much. Brent is the bright spot at the end of my day but why not share that light? He changes lives wherever he goes. He is so positive, energetic, crazy, and he is amazing with words. He has the knowledge and skill of volleyball that guides others to gold medals! I only wish I had taken the time to look at all the videos and thought about all the lives that he was changing instead of selfishly thinking of how he was changing mine? As I watched this video (and others), I saw soldiers crying as they achieve a great victory that they may have thought was lost with their mobility. So, this morning my thinking is different. I am so thankful for Brent's opportunity. I am so thankful for the wounded soldiers who have a new found feeling of accomplishment. I am so thankful for the memories that have been made. I am so thankful that my eyes have been opened.

Mother's Day to this "Mama"

2010-05-09T22:24:00.000-04:00

So, I want to begin by thanking my husband for his dear posts. I've struggled with him away but I know that Brent lights up a room with his energy and positive attitude and I'm glad he's been able to share that with some wounded warriors. I know that this day may have been difficult for Brent since it's his first without his mother but I am glad to see that he knows she's having a better time in Heaven than she could have ever experienced here on earth.

I'm taking a moment to reflect on Mother's Day. This is a day that children show appreciation and make their mother's feel special. Well, Asher didn't quite get that memo, but his daddy did try to make it special from afar. I took a moment today to appreciate the gift of being a mom. What Asher means to me and what the future will hold for us. There are many who struggle with infertility or even those who are still searching for their soul mate. I am so thankful that God has allowed me to find Brent and experience the joy (and many other emotions) of being Asher's "Mama."

My Precious Boy...

Always Busy...

Always ready for adventure...

Lots of personality...

Curious...

And he sure knows how to make his "Mama" proud!

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T06:10:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day Mom...Thank you for everything that you have done for me and for all that you have taught me. I love you and miss you.

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T06:04:00.000-04:00

She is my strength, my sustenance, my safety. She is my fun, my tears, my laughter, my fears, my cuddle, my sweepy, my baba, my mama. She is my more, my all done, my cleaner, my wiper, my ride, my everything…she is my mom! And I am her Asher for now and always. Happy Mother's Day Mama!

Peaks and Valleys Vol.2

2010-05-08T20:04:00.001-04:00

H E R O

I sit here typing this blog with a welling of tears in my eyes, the song “What do I know of Holy” playing in the background, and my head spinning with thoughts and emotions. I am a full week in to my journey in Colorado Springs now and I have never been so amazed at the power of God, and the power of human will. I am surrounded by miracles everywhere I look.

The wounded warriors that I am working with are all soldiers who have been injured during duty. The extent of their injuries extend from gunshot wounds, lost limbs, TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), loss of vision, loss of hearing, paralysis, and the list goes on. I am so honored to be in their presence and constantly in such awe of them. Yes, I have always been conscious of the dedication, risk, and sacrifice of the men and women in the armed forces, but seeing them day in and day out, I have a new perspective. I will never see the word HERO again in the same light. Not only for what they have done for our country, for us, for me, for my son to live in freedom and grow up with hope; or because they have lost what we each take for granted on a daily basis, or for the lives lost, or even for their continued service to the country; these hero’s have redefined HERO for me because they have not given up, not on themselves, not on others, not on life. In the week I have been here, I have yet to hear a single warrior complain, make excuses, or even give me less than 100% of what I ask. They press on with pride, with dignity, and with a desire and purpose that I could only dream of obtaining. I am so honored to be a part of this event. I hate to say, as a coach I am sure I have only taught my athletes a mere fraction of what they have taught me. This is so much bigger than a competition for medals and for the promotion of the Marine Corps; it is a true celebration of the spirit of Man!

I want to share an example of the Spirit I have seen present in these men;

Chuck, a blind, double amputee, who has terminal brain cancer, refuses to be helped down the stairs. He is competing in 3 swimming events and has never been seen here without a smile on his face. He was chosen to carry the torch for the Marine Corps and due to his lack of vision, it was suggested that someone assist him. When asked who he would like to assist him, he chose a good friend of his, also a warrior, who has lost the use of his legs. With the hint of skepticism in the meeting evident, Billy, the soldier without use of his legs said come on Chuck, wheeled over to where Chuck was waiting and proceeded to push him across the room. Chuck raised his hand in triumph and we all broke in to applause…Who am I to be blessed with the company of such people?

I Love you Kristen Petersen. Thank you for your sacrifice and for allowing me this opportunity. What you do for our family, for me, and for our son goes overlooked and unmentioned more often than not…You are amazing! I miss you and adore you.

Peaks and Valleys Vol. 1

2010-05-01T10:34:00.000-04:00

I was doing so well with the blog…and I could list a slew of excuses as to why I have been so slack, but I chose not to. I am going to try to do better.

PEAKS AND VALLEYS vol.1

I am on my way to Colorado Springs, story later, and I can’t get over my life. I guess everyone’s life is full of the same ups and downs, but is fascinating to me the depth of life’s valleys and the altitude of the peaks. I read this book that was not so great titled Peaks and Valleys. In the book the author states “What you do during your valleys, will determine your next peak. And what you do during your peaks will determine your next valley.” I am a firm believer in this and try to learn from my valleys and make the best of them, while not forgetting to look closely at what got me there in the first place and how to get out of it as soon as appropriate. The same goes for the peaks, look around and enjoy the time there, what good is it if you do not, but also look at what got you there and how you can make your stay there longer and more frequent.

My first peak, that I have been on for quite some time, is my marriage. Now, we do have our peaks and valleys, but when your valley is still far above sea level it is not that bad! My wife is amazing in so many ways and I want to be better at showing it. It is amazing to me how easy it is to lose sight of the beautiful and blessed things around you everyday. She works so hard day in and day out to raise our son Asher, and then has to deal with her second child…ME! She sacrifices sleep, sanity, order and sometimes-needed socialization to give Asher everything he needs to grow into a great boy. She is doing an amazing job and I am so proud to be her husband and father of her child. With Mother’s Day approaching, I want her to know more than ever how great she is and how much she does for our family. I have the easy job! I hope she knows this now and for always.

Speaking of Mother’s Day and Valleys, My mother, Carole, passed away on the 13^th of March. She battled pancreatic and lung cancer for over 20 months. There is no feeling in the world like losing your mother. I say the word “losing” with hesitation because one of the most wonderful things about my mom is that she has taught me so many things that will never leave me. I am human, and there are the things that I miss;

Our conversations

her amazing smile

her laugh

her outstanding cooking

her female perspective

the way she made my dad smile

the way she looked at my son

her beautiful garden

the feeling of security that only mom can give you in her arms

I think about her often. I know she is with God and is happier than she has ever been, that alone makes me ok with this. My mom is amazing, and I remember how wonderful she was each time I think of her. Raising three boys and a husband…Petersen boys nonetheless! Working all of her life, providing so much stability for us, teaching us, training us, molding us into who we are today. I asked her on more than one occasion, “What did you do to make me who I am today?” I am proud of the person I have become and though I would have done some things differently in the past, I am so blessed to have the life I have, the morals and values I believe in, and the courage to take action when needed. She would always say that she was blessed with amazing children and an amazing family; she said she didn’t do anything but love us to death. And she did. Even in her final days, when it would have been easier for her to take the hand of the Lord, and go to the place of no pain or suffering, she stayed for us. I had not spent that much time with my family since before Chris went to college, 1989-1990. Day after day we celebrated mom’s life, reconnected, laughed, cried, played, ate…we enjoyed our time together. Our family is close, but this was amazing. My uncle Bill, mom's brother, and aunt Brenda were there and I have never felt so close to them in my whole life. Mom did that for us. When there was seemingly nothing left to give, one of the most selfless people I know continued to give more. She is and has always been an inspiration to me and I only hope I continue to make her proud by living a selfless existence, and by making a difference in this short time on earth we call life.

Monkey See, Monkey Do!

2010-02-10T11:40:00.000-05:00

First let me share a few for fun...

Ok, so I know I keep mentioning how much Asher continues to pick up. Well, he sometimes plays with the remote. I caught him doing this...

He continues to shovel food into his mouth until he even has to hold his hand over his mouth to keep it in. I don't understand it, it's not like we take it away. I promise this is not something he's learned by observation...

Another, just for fun. Here he is playing with his great-grand dad's mustache... Doesn't he look like it might bite? : )

Whoa Now!

2010-01-28T12:02:00.000-05:00

Ok, so Brent reminded me that not too long ago, I began my last post with, "I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this age." What a difference a few days can make because my little boy seems to be letting us know what he wants and doesn't want quite often. When he doesn't get his way, he has a new head thrash. He throws his head back and fusses as if ~~his world is over~~ something is just horrible. When he grabs something he shouldn't have and I ask for it back, he takes off running, and I mean running all while smiling and looking back at me. Ok, this is pretty cute too, but I try to remember my mommy discipline face. He has also mastered the gymnast arch of the back when he wants to get down out of our lap or arms. The scary part is I had Kindergarten students who had similar behaviors by this I mean fits when they didn't get their way. I just hope and pray that I am doing everything right. I often have to remind myself, he's still just a baby. Brent and I both have undergraduate degrees in Psychology so there's a lot of analyzing in the Petersen household. We ~~think~~ thought we ~~have~~ had everything figured out. So, enough about my parenting worries let me point out a few of the fun things that have been going on.
Asher has started cleaning up after himself! It's so cute. He's becoming so independent and HE wants to brush his teeth, comb his hair, wipe his mouth and tray. Yesterday, I had him wipe up something off of the floor and without even telling him or ever explaining the purpose of a trash can, he walked over to the kitchen trash and threw his paper towel away! He learns so many things even when we aren't teaching them. I'm thinking for 13 months, he's a pretty bright little man. Must take after his daddy. I will however claim the strong willed, wanting to get his way, part of his personality or of course this could just be typical for 13 months. : )

Our Sweet Boy

Finally facing forward!

A sleepy boy after waiting in the hospital to see our new nephew Breck. I love moments like these...

The Petersens

A day trip to Rock Hill for me to visit my friends and Asher got to play with his.

Ansley (5 months older), Asher, Riley (11 days younger)

A sweet kiss from Ansley

New Nephew!

2010-01-24T20:08:00.000-05:00

God has blessed my brother Ryan and his wife Dayna with a beautiful baby boy. Breck William Petersen was born 8.3 pounds 20 inches on January 20th. Asher can't wait to play!

A full head of dark hair!

Sweet baby cheeks!

Little Ella is already in love with her brother. She will be a great big sister.

Brent, Ryan, and Chris welcome in baby Breck. We were able to take a similar picture for both Ella's, and Brennan's birth and believe it or not I had the same shirt on in all three. (this time I planned it).

Breck January 22, 2010

Brennan April 1, 2005

Ella July 20, 2007.

What a miracle life is. Thank you God.

2010-01-20T16:21:00.000-05:00

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this age!! Maybe it's because I'm a teacher at heart, but every day I can see Asher learning new things, naming things, pointing to things when I quiz him, it's just so much fun. His personality is amazing. I should have known this considering he's Brent Petersen's son. He's just got a great sense of humor. I can see where discipline will soon come into play. It has already but it's been simple things like, "no touch" "hot" more warnings than anything else. Well, he now likes to grab things that he knows he shouldn't and just giggle as he runs away with me close behind him. He grabs clean laundry when it's taken from the dryer, often my underwear for some reason, and he runs to dangle it over the banister upstairs! It's like he truly knows what he's doing and just thinks it's so funny. Oh, if you haven't met my little man, I hope you are blessed with his presence soon. Wherever he goes, laughter and smiles are sure to follow. Scroll down for a few photos and videos. (Remember to pause music at the bottom of the page to hear the videos) - Kristen

Ok, so this is the fun I was referring to. We stayed at my parents this past weekend while Brent helped with a project. My mom is Asher's personal comedian. She can get him to laugh like no one else!

Our oven doesn't get "hot" on the outside while it's cooking, although, it did the other day while it was self cleaning so I had to make sure Asher stayed away. He's so good now at identifying things that are hot. It's pretty crazy actually because they are things that we never taught like the grill, the fireplace (even when it isn't on), a pot on the stove that he can see steam from, and ovens at other places like my friend's house and my parents'.

Ok, so I asked him if he was sleepy and he was so cute as he layed all the way down on his blanket. I ran and got my phone to tape and had to coax it for video so it's not as good as it was the first time but it's still cute.

Secret Life of Bees

2010-01-19T21:47:00.000-05:00

If anyone has the time to sink into a good book, or a good book on tape, I recommend The Secret Life of Bees. It is such a great story of the heart. -Brent

Asher Updates...

2010-01-07T22:35:00.000-05:00

Could he look any more excited about his birthday!?!

A little assistance since fire is a "no touch."

Our sleepy boy after an eventful day...

Asher had an amazing birthday and he was surrounded by many great family and friends. Christmas was also fun as Asher is quite more interactive than he was last Christmas at 6 days old! Every morning when I get him out of his crib I'm excited to see how he's changed. It seriously seems like he changes that often! He recognizes SO many words now. I started making a list and then wondered if it was really worth it because it seems to grow every few hours. His spoken language is still much more limited compared to what he understands and signs. Of course, he is only 1 year old! I know, I will appreciate each stage an not waste it while looking forward to the next.

My mom is Asher's personal comedian. Seriously, she can get him to laugh like no other. Well, her latest interaction involved karate chopping while saying, "hiyah!" Oh did he pick that up like the little sponge that he is. He's chopping everything and saying, "yah!" I even tried to hand him a toy the other day and had it chopped out of my hand with a, "yah!" Oh, thanks mom! No, I'm hoping that just as easily as it was learned, he will forget about it. Although, it is quite cute while it lasts. Kristen

Wild at Heart

2010-01-07T21:29:00.000-05:00

I have begun my next book on tape. Wild at Heart by John Eldredge. WOW! I have to say I have been really excited about getting into this one. I have had several people recommend it to me over the last few months and it has been great so far. I do want to say that I am not yet done thinking deeply on the other book, Crazy Love, that I just finished. It has really made me think of things in a different way, but I just couldn't wait to start this one. Anyway, Wild at Heart is book about the true soul and heart of a male. One of my favorite parts is when the author talks about how men are strong and fierce by nature, and that Jesus, though most always seen as kind and gentle, is both fierce and strong in the face of his enemies. This book gives wonderful support from the scripture and for someone like me who has only limited knowledge of the Bible, I find it not only fascinating, but exciting. I will warn you, it had me wanting to take a weekend and head out to the wilderness to find my true heart in self discovery camping trip...who knows, maybe someday. I found it interesting that I blogged earlier this week about people who don't like their jobs, and this book talks about how men, and women as well, get "stuck" in jobs and routines that are not true to their heart. Men need adventure and a battle, and if men can not find it in their everyday life, it will come out in another way. Having an outlet that either challenges us or allows us to create or save something or someone is mentioned often in the book. So much pent up anger may be due to a lack of fulfillment in our lives. I am excited to see where the book continues. Happy day...and let it snow!! Brent

LOVED

2010-01-06T21:10:00.000-05:00

I am so blessed! I have a wonderful wife who I am so in love with, a son who I am so in love with, a God who I am trying to Love more and more each day, a family I am so in love with, and each day I to am loved. What a feeling. And how fortunate I am that my son is so loved. We spent some time with Uncle Troy and his girlfriend Kayla tonight. I am so happy that Troy has such a deep love for my son, his nephew. I can see the future, all the time spent around those who want the best for him and all I can think about is how fortunate he is. How many children grow up without the deep rich love that my son is engulfed with? Loved so much by a God they have not yet meet, but void of earthly love. I appreciate all the people in Asher's life who give him love and prayers each day of his life.

We all have a purpose

2010-01-05T23:13:00.000-05:00

Today watching some people work, I had to wonder, why would anyone do something for a living if they did not enjoy what they do? Money, security, a means to an end, feelings of being trapped, unqualified to move on, lazy, complacent...scared of change and risk? I have to say, I have had plenty of jobs in my short time here, Kristen and I joke about it all the time. Some jobs have been summer jobs just to get some extra cash; power-washer, banquet hall dish boy and server, substation employee. While others have been for the experience and the opportunity to try something new; Technician for an engineering firm, Calvin Klein sales, Home repair business. Every job I have had served me a purpose, and though some were more enjoyable than others, I can appreciate them all. I would not want to do any of those jobs for a living, or for a career, but they were magnificent stepping stones that taught me diversity, hard work, and helped to fine tune my future. I Love my job. My job is more than a career choice, it is a life choice. I am a teacher. I am a teacher and a learner; they go hand in hand. I try to learn everyday and I try to teach everyday. I can't imagine my life without learning, growing, sharing thoughts, inquiring. I would love to think that there is a job, a calling, a purpose out there for everyone. I am sure God has a plan and a design for us all. It hurts my heart to see people where they are not happy...especially if they have a choice. I pray that they will discover their calling and trust in God. He will not lead them astray. I am so blessed to have found my calling.

Crazy Love

2010-01-04T22:09:00.000-05:00

I have begun reading the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Well, let me clarify. I would not want to offend any readers out there so i will come clean. I use the 2 + hours I spend in the car a day to "read" or listen to books on tape. I say reading...others would not agree. Anyway, back to the story, I have started "reading this book and it is about finding a relationship with God and truly Loving Him. I came to a part in the book when the Author was talking about how much God loves us. Imagine, he gave his only son for our salvation. What love!!!?? He made a reference to his daughter and his love for her. How much he wanted to give to her and protect her, and lead her down the right path. Being a new father, I have to say, my eyes have been opened to so much. Listening to Francis, all I could do was to picture Asher, my son, my first and only son, in harms way, mistreated, ridiculed, or even have his heart broken.. My breathing became somewhat shallow and a tear came to my eye. How could any of this happen to such an innocent soul? How could my perfect little boy ever be a target. I tried to imagine the Love I feel for him "multiplied by infinity and taken to the edge of forever" to grasp God's Love for us and for his son. Not only could I not fathom that unearthly love, but it lead to me to a realization that almost made me sick. Could I give my son Asher to save others? Sacrifice my child for the salvation of others? Wow! And then, to think that each day, I would live among thousands of people who I sacrificed so much for, while they never really appreciated my loss, my sacrifice for them. People would just take for granted what is, and not how it has come to be. We are so blessed and so Loved...return the favor and appreciate all that has been given to you.

Our little man is almost 1!

2009-12-15T21:47:00.000-05:00

A quick update on everything. Asher is learning more and more every day. He recognizes words and he'll wave, pretend to talk on the phone, and all of those other cute toddlerisms although everything is dada, mama, or nahnah. Mostly dada these days. He's REALLY not liking his car seat even though it's new and big. I can't wait to turn him around, although last Tuesday at our Duke check-up, he was only 18.4 lbs. We're waiting until 20 lbs. to turn his seat around and at the rate he's burning calories, it may be a while. He's not a picky eater at all and I love that. He ate brussel sprouts this week and didn't mind them at all. I wasn't even sure if I liked them and after a quick sample, it looks like Asher will be eating them alone. Anyway, I have 2 cute new videos that I just had to share. Both of these are from today...

Asher is walking EVERYWHERE! He's gotten very confident and recently has learned the word "kick." He's not able to score goals yet but he sure does dribble! Oh, please excuse the hand towel on the floor, he pulled it down earlier. : )

This was just too funny not to share. Of course every parent loves to watch their child respond to tasting a lemon. Well, Asher has always had a slight reaction and then gone back for more. He seemed to really enjoy them. Until... tonight at dinner. It was like he'd never tried them before and it was shocking to him. Later on during our meal, he also began to make faces at his lima beans, which he'd had last night for dinner and today at lunch, so maybe he was just tired of the beans. Anyway, enjoy the expressions!

2009-11-13T10:48:00.000-05:00

So, Brent and I decided to go away to Greenville for the night. To be honest, the trip was motivated by food. There are 2 restaurants there that I love so we went to one for lunch and the other for dinner! : ) We stayed at a hotel downtown so it was easy to walk the streets and browse during the day and it was still easy to get back to the hotel for Asher's naps. It was a great time to get away from house chores and just enjoy family.

We call our friend here, the suicidal goose.
There's an amazing park right on main street.

He was amazed by the tall water fountain.

Fall leaves at their best!

Our room was awesome. We just realized Asher doesn't nap or sleep well when he can see us in the room! We even covered the sides with towels but he still knew we were there!

When we first got there, he seemed to love his crib! I just think he was glad to be out of the carseat.

The kid loves to handle a steering wheel. He looks so natural too. Hands at 10 and 2!

2009-11-13T10:34:00.000-05:00

Fun at the State Fair with Ansley- They hide their excitement well : )

I had to take this to show that it's official...he's got curls!

Fun with Papa...

Always so intrigued with the guitar...

First family trip to the State Fair...

Chatty

2009-10-01T15:12:00.000-04:00

Too Funny! You'll need to scroll to the bottom to mute my music. You've got to hear this little girl!

">

Our little turtle

2009-09-16T13:30:00.000-04:00

Ok, this video is about a month old but it shows Asher in his Halloween costume (minus the matching pants). I just wanted to try it on for size and reaction of course! The shell throws his balance off a bit. He was a trip! Scroll to the bottom of the screen to pause music.

Fripp Island with family, friends, and good food!

2009-09-16T12:10:00.001-04:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com
'>http://

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Update

2009-09-16T09:49:00.001-04:00

So, I realized that I rarely update the blog...1. I rarely get on the Internet anymore, 2. Asher is all over-crawling, pulling up, following me from room to room so when he's napping, it's crunch time 3. I don't find Blogger to be a user friendly program, 4. So much happens in so little time that I feel there's just too much to post and write about. Needless to say, it overwhelms me. I've decided that I'm just going to post some random pictures and update as best I can when I actually have time to sit down. Hope you don't mind! On another note, I'm all for visitors to our home so let me know if you're around Lexington and I'd love to have you stop by and see the little man in action. : )

2009-08-07T15:24:00.000-04:00

Asher is out! He is a champion and true warrior. Our baby boy is sleeping peacefully without the standard breathing tube. Everything went very well. Asher only needed 2 ounces of blood from mommy and me(we are not sure who's he got). We will post pictures in bit. Thank you all for your prayers there is no doubt they helped so much.

2009-08-07T12:38:00.000-04:00

Asher has been in surgery for 4 hours and is still doing well. They are working on the sutures as I type this. Thanks for your continued prayers.

2009-08-07T09:26:00.000-04:00

Enjoying some playground time in FL during Easter.
Taking a break from playing.
Sweet cousin Ella gives some sugar to Asher.
Cousin Brennan strikes a pose while his kung-fu grip holds tight to Asher!
The Petersen kids...second generation. (Brennan, Asher, Ella)

2009-08-07T09:02:00.000-04:00

Enjoying the outdoors.
First flight to Mimi and Papa In FL.

My wife is beautiful...just like her son.

2009-08-07T08:53:00.000-04:00

A child left to his own devices... notice the near neck-breaking stretch.
Soon he will be pimpin out the pegs on the wheels for his tricks.
First Sink Bath! Oh I remember those days.
Just like Daddy, he loves his fruit.
So Happy!

Our Baby Boy!

2009-08-07T08:38:00.000-04:00

Asher continues to amaze us each and every day. Just recently he decided to crawl, pull up and even with assistance(a great deal of assistance) put one foot in front of the other. He is such a happy baby. His hypnotic smile has a new addition! His first tooth has broken through and can be seen and felt. We are so blessed to have such an amazing son.

Today Asher went into surgery. He left our arms after a quick and peaceful nap and walked to the OR with the Dr. in Asher style, observing the world. We are so blessed!

New pictures

2009-03-20T12:22:00.001-04:00

Asher gets so excited when Uncle Troy plays for him.

A view of my parents' back yard and pond. I LOVE spending time there.

How precious is he!

So obviously, we feel at home visiting my parents. Brent played with the tractor and I wore only the most comfortable clothes (and obviously little make-up.) Asher; however, dressed to impress. : )

Asher's first 4-wheeler sighting. There will be many more as long as he drives like Brent and not his Uncle Troy.

Foreshadowing of years to come...

Asher loves it when I make him dance. Brent doesn't like the cheerleader tone I use while making him dance.

He makes the cutes expressions while carrying on conversations.

Here's an updated picture with his friend Ansley. You can see he's grown quite a bit.

That's a comfortable baby there!

Whatching mommy fix dinner.

OK, so he may hate us for this one down the road, but I had to share it. I don't know if all babies' bottoms are this small, but we compare Asher to the bearded dragon. You know, the lizard with the wide abdomen and then it's body gets tiny where it's legs extend?

Another visit to Orangeburg. Can't you tell this is one loved little man?

This is when Brent's brother and sister-in-law came to town. When the babies are away (or asleep) the parents will play!

Asher's first trip to the Zoo. Daddy just gave him a meal on the run.

The fam.- Brent and Asher, Brent's brother Ryan, their little girl and our amazing niece Ella, and our sister-in-law Dayna at the zoo.

Asher watches Ella play

Brent and I were curious to see what Asher would look like with mommy's hair.

Asher loves his great-grandma. He was just sleepy. As bad as it may sound, Brent and I love to see Asher poke out his bottom lip when he's about to cry. It's just so cute!

Our little man loves to put weight on his legs. He's good at it too. Don't worry, Brent will make SURE Asher crawls before he walks. It has to do with all the muscles that are developed when a baby crawls. You'll have to ask Brent more about it.

We love Asher in overalls and he's got quite a few pair. The only problem is that they always seem to ride up and give him a diaper wedgie. At least there's plenty of padding!

This is from our first overnight visit to Orangeburg. Papa needed a Sunday nap too. Enjoy this photo while you can. Dad may force me to take it off. : )

2009-03-20T12:22:00.000-04:00

To stop the music, scroll to the bottom and pause so you can hear Asher talk to you. He's become quite the chatterbox. He talks best when laying on his back.

2009-02-25T13:34:00.000-05:00

Love this expression...
To think he's now 2 months and this is part of the outfit I had brought for him to wear home from the hospital. Ha! According to the pediatrician, Asher's in the 1 percentile on length. We'll see how that changes because he seems to grow overnight!

Uncle Troy can't get enought. He really knows how to bring out the smiles too. The challenge is keeping his attention long enough to get him to smile.

This would be a rare day where I made it out of my PJ's and actually left the house. Don't get me wrong, I'm loving PJ's.

Smiles are coming a little easier these days and I'm loving it! : )

Now that's a cute bottom...

2009-02-09T15:18:00.000-05:00

Our first family trip to the Lake Murray dam. The weather was amazing!

Asher's first pair of faux shoes (they're socks). Here he's ready for a run.

Nah Nah holds Asher as he wears his first pair of real shoes.

Happy Asher

Sad Asher

Everyone says that Asher looks like his dad. This is us putting it to the test. : )

Happy Asher

Sad Asher

This is one of my good friends, college roommates, and she was due to have Riley the day after Asher was due. Oh, her name is Kristen too. Asher and I went to Rock Hill to visit her for the day. I think Asher was a little tired of all the photos at this point.

Asher visited his good friend Riley. She wanted to chat but he just wasn't that interested.

2009-02-09T15:15:00.000-05:00

Ok, Brent has been keeping up with this but he wants me to take over a little so....I'll do my best. I do know there are a lot of great pictures that we haven't shared so I'll get some of those up for you guys to enjoy!

2009-01-24T22:35:00.000-05:00

Hold on tight!

Look at our big boy feeding himself!

2009-01-24T22:12:00.000-05:00

A few more unprompted photos of Asher as he continues to grow.

A moment in thought.

2009-01-12T22:32:00.000-05:00

Anyone need tickets to the gun show?

2009-01-12T22:06:00.000-05:00

Kristen took this while Asher was taking a nap!

Are you sleeping again???
Papa snuggles close to his bundle of joy aftr a long trip from Florida.

Mimi and Asher sharing a quiet moment.

Mimi and Papa watching over Asher as he salutes with a stellar fist pump!

2009-01-12T21:56:00.000-05:00

A beautiful wife, a beautiful mother!

I like to call this his first GQ pose.
Our handsome boy!

2009-01-03T22:54:00.000-05:00

Asher dreams of sweet sugar plums as angels whisper in his ear.

There is nothing like the gaze of mother's eyes.

2009-01-03T22:40:00.000-05:00

Asher and his good friend Ansley having a great discussion about how the world looks from their backs.

Daddy enjoys some of the slower moments of the day with his baby boy.

Asher explores his new jungle playland!

The long nights, a gentle embrace, and the heartbeat of a loved one leads to an afternoon nap.

2008-12-30T21:49:00.000-05:00

Asher explores the world face down! While down there he decides to work out the neck a bit.

2008-12-29T20:56:00.000-05:00

Infant Power!

2008-12-29T20:45:00.000-05:00

Asher's guard dog Luna watches him sleep.

Asher gets his first sun bath! Don't worry, it was only for a couple of minutes.

2008-12-28T14:21:00.000-05:00

Sleepy time Christmas Day.

Our prescious boy continues to melt our hearts.

2008-12-25T19:40:00.000-05:00

Just in case anyone wanted to know if Brent had started Asher's volleyball training. Nice swing, obviously hitting cross court with the twist of the wrist.