Ten on Tuesday

1. God has been so gracious and merciful as we have sorted out Asa's growth. 2 weeks ago his tongue tie was corrected and during that week his weight gain returned to "normal" for a baby his age (about 2 oz.). This past week he really kicked the solids up into high gear and blew us all away! He gained TEN ounces in one week!!! Matt, our pediatrician, and I are ECSTATIC! Not only is he gaining how much he "should," but he is also gaining some "catch up" weight making up for lost time. We are thrilled and FILLED with praises!!

after a bath tonight... do you see his tummy sticking out?!?

2. Asa is starting to play around with pushing and pulling up to a stand. He often plays sitting up on his knees when he's at his little lego table or crawling on Daddy or Mommy. Once he sat next to the couch and looked up with a wondering look on his face like he was trying to figure out how to see what was on the seat cushion. And today he was sitting next to the coffee table, reached up with the biggest grin, and got up to his knees. He tried to get a foot under him to stand but couldn't quite figure it out. He pushes up on everything, but that was his first time to try to pull up. UH OH! :)

3. I had the pleasure of hosting a baby shower for our dear friend Lauren on Sunday. We met her and her family through church and our small group. She has a 2 year old daughter who is oh-so-sweet to Asa (and calls all her baby dolls "Baby Asa"), and a new little one is due in a month! Lauren and her husband are waiting until the baby is born to find out if it is a boy or a girl, so we did a pretty yellow and green color scheme. And since they have all the baby basics already, we did a gift card shower. People who wanted to bring a gift brought gift cards for things like Target, Publix, and even Dunkin Donuts. :) It was so fun! We packed close to 20 people into our living room. And all the food people contributed looked scrumptious. The 2 other hostesses came up with a baby/Lauren version of Balderdash (you try to get your team to guess a word, like "baby," but there is a list of words you cannot say in your clues, like "infant, newborn, mom, dad, pregnant). There were lots of good laughs, and I think Lauren had a good time. :) I loved getting to use our home to be hospitable--that was a huge reason for us in making the leap to buying a house so soon after we married.

the night before, setting serving pieces out

sweet Lauren with her mom and sister

decorations

flower arrangements I put together from Michael's

baby themed sweet tarts

I couldn't resist making some burp cloths
("handle with care" hedgehog and "lucky duck" duck)

4. Matt was an ALL STAR during the shower. I had to feed Asa before it started, so he finished putting together little finger sandwiches for me (Sister Schubert rolls with provolone and prosciutto). Then he was planning on going out to play with Asa but got blocked in the garage. Instead they played in the backyard and took a walk a couple blocks down the street to look at the plants at a nearby nursery. And then when everyone was heading out and we hostesses were cleaning up, Matt fed Asa his dinner (peaches + pears). I am so thankful for him and his servant heart. All I had to do was ask (for whatever I needed) and it was done.

the sandwiches Matt helped with

5. Our temperatures here made it to the 70s today! I guess spring really IS going to come!

6. We will be repeating Asa's basic blood work next Monday and then seeing our doctor again on Tuesday. She should have the results of his blood work back by then (fast turn around!) and we'll weigh him again. If everything checks out okay, we won't have to go back until his 9 month well visit!

7. Asa is teething! Those two top front teeth are giving him a little bit of a hard time. I will be relieved for him when they finally break through and he gets some relief.

8. Asa's G-Ma is coming to visit next week! Woo hoo!!! We can't wait to see her. :)

9. We made a head board for our guest room bed. I covered canvases (super on sale!) with fabric that coordinates with the bed quilt. Then Matt hung them from me as if they are a head board. I love how it make it really look like a bed instead of a mattress and some pillows. And I love the bright, happy colors.

before

after

after

10. Asa is EIGHT months old today!!!