I finally got a pic him standing!! He's starting to do it more often now. Yesterday, I was going through our mail...looked down and saw him standing there all by himself with a piece of mail in his hands! Haha...he likes to do it when you least expect it :)
Oh my...this may be one of may favorite pictures of little man yet! Now that he's got some toofers he LOVES to show them off. I don't know what got into him yesterday, but he was grinning from ear to ear...all day! I just love our happy lil' guy.
Such a cheeseball!
Literally, all day! His cheeks have got to be sore :)
We took the the boys to the Drillers game last night. Although it rained on us right when we got there. It ended up being a great night, and not too hot once the sun finally went down.
Two little baseball buddies. They watched the game together...
then both fell asleep together. Luckily we were able to find some dry spots on the blanket to lay them down on. Wet butts and all, we had a great time at the game!
Ayson also got to see pretty Miss Isa today. She came by to give Ayson a birthday present! He really likes his new ball popper :)
He likes to grab the balls off the blower at the top, and also get down on his stomach so he can watch them go through the tube at the bottom. Lots of new things to discover and play with... Thank you Fowler's for the fun birthday present!
I'm starting to feel a little anxious...Ayson will be 1 in two weeks! How is that possible??? I am putting together a slide show for his party, and all his pictures from the last year put with music, has the tears flowing for this momma! Dorky, I know, but I can't help it! Hopefully, I will have seen it enough times by the party that it won't turn me into a blubbery mess :)
Anyways...on to what's been going on around here lately. We have stayed pretty busy. We had a playdate at the pool last Thursday with Diane, Isa, Karie & Avery. Ayson was quite the little ladies man that day. We had so much fun that we forgot to take any pictures, except for this one before we left. We just love these little girls and their mommies too :) Such big kids already!
We also went to dinner with the Norvell's. (Man are we going to miss them when we move to PC!) We tried a new restaurant in Brookside called Wolfgang Pucks. It was really good, and Ayson was a pretty good kiddo the entire time. Taking him out to eat is either great or a complete disaster, but luckily he was on his best behavior. He really loves Michael, and he doesn't get to see him very often, so Ayson was excited that he could join us for dinner. Usually it's just Maria, Ayson and I because the guys are working hard all the time!!!!
Ayson is a pro at pushing around his walker now. He can even stand up all by himself without hanging on to anything. He did it the other day for more than 10 seconds. We have yet to catch it on camera though, he still doesn't think its that cool, so he doesn't show it off too much:)
Now, on to Ayson's eating adventures. He tries pretty much everything that we are having if it is baby friendly. He does great with baby finger foods and will try almost anything you put in front of him. At our last pediatrician visit, she told us that we need to try and pack in a few extra calories to Ayson's diet, as he is still a little underweight, so we have started adding a little butter to his meals...which he LOVES! Who doesn't love butter though?! I also learned that avocados are a great source of "good" fat, so we tried some last week. I mashed up an avocado and mixed in a little splash of lemon...success! He loved it...and the best part, whatever is leftover turns into guacamole for me :)
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| More avocados please!!! |
Ayson is also down to only one bottle a day right before bed. He has been doing this for about a month and the transition has been really easy. He is a pro at drinking from his sippy cups now, so eliminating the last bottle will be pretty easy once we decide to do it.
And finally, we went to AC this weekend to see everyone. Ayson had so much fun playing with Kierslynn. They were chasing each other all over the house, and she had him giggling the whole time. It was so fun to see him having a great time with his cousin.
After a long day, little man was tired and fell asleep on Nana's shoulder...too sweet. Can't wait to see everyone in two weeks for his birthday...sniff, sniff, tear!!!
Ayson and Braeden were pretty excited to be able to hang out today. It had been awhile since our last play date. We took the boys to a story time program at the library. We realize that reading is so important and Ayson shows a lot of interest in books, so this was a great opportunity...and even better, it was FREE!
The session was geared toward infants and toddlers, so it was a lot of fun! They read several different children's books, we sang songs, and even got to play with bubbles at the end. The bubbles were a big hit...Ayson stared straight up at the ceiling and watched the bubbles fall all around him.
Haha, too funny! Who knew bubbles could be so captivating.
After story time, we met Aaron for lunch at Senor Tequila. Ayson got his first taste of cheese and beans and everything yummy in life :) He is def my child in this department...we couldn't get it into his mouth fast enough.
After lunch, B and Sheri came over for some more fun. I love it that they are actually able to play now.
It's so fun to watch them interact. They swap toys, share toys, and "talk" to each other. Prematurity hasn't slowed these two down at all!!!!
And finally...the wheely cow. His first birthday present arrived in the mail today (A big thank you to Laura Lee and Richard). This little guy is too cool. Ayson has fun pushing him all over the kitchen floor and he even knows how to sit on it like a big boy!
He actually hangs on to the handle and bounces up and down on it, like he is riding a bull. Perfect for a cowboy fan!!!!
We haven't had too many pictures of little man lately because he hasn't been feeling so great. He has had a sicky bug that hasn't wanted to go away. He is starting to act a little more like himself today, so hopefully he is about to kick it.
Look at all that hair...its looking like it may be curly!
At least he hasn't lost his appetite! Here he is trying pancakes for the first time. He didn't really like them...he's not a big sweet eater. I think my dreams of him digging into his birthday cake, may end up being just a dream ;)
Oh, and look at those teeth! He has 5 now.
We took Ayson for a walk last night...even though it was blazing hot! But, he was fussy and a stroller ride is a magic calmer. He likes to lean forward in his stroller now. It looks hilarious when we are moving because his hair is always blowing in the wind.
Here is the rest of the crew. We had to take a break for the puppies....they were HOT!
Ayson is obsessed with the dishwasher for some reason. He can be in another room, hear the dish washer open, and will come speed crawling into the kitchen. We can only hope he will be this interested in it when he is a teenager =)
And finally, be sure to check out Ayson's Birthday wish list if you need any ideas. It keeps changing every day :)
Oh mylanta! This sweet little thing will be 1 in less than a month...Craziness! Here is his birthday invitation...didn't they turn out great! Thanks Ang!!!!
So, if you didn't get one in the mail (I'm sure I forgot someone), consider this your personal invitation. We would love for you to come help us celebrate Ayson's big day!
Wow, if that picture doesn't bring back a whole flood of emotions! Little man...only a few hours old, so tiny and helpless. This is the exact picture that came to my mind when I saw a commercial for a new show on Discovery Health.
"NICU" is a 10-part docu-drama about the day-to-day care it takes to sustain these tiny little babers. I know we will be watching, as it was a journey that we will never forget, and since most of you were along for the ride with us, I thought you might be interested in it as well.
Here is a link to the show's website. It starts this Thursday on Discovery Health.
http://health.discovery.com/tv/nicu/
Ayson is starting to discover that there might be something to this whole walking thing. He loves to walk while holding onto our fingers, while pushing his walker, and while hanging onto the furniture. Which, as I was informed by the good Dr., is called "cruising." So there you go, not only is this blog entertaining, it is educational as well :) Here he is "cruising" along the couch. It cracks us up because he always lifts his right leg up really high when he is walking sideways.
And here's another video of him pushing his walker. It's crazy how good he has gotten, in just a short time. We still don't have steering down quite yet...watch out, crazy driver!
This cool little contraption is called a PeaPod. It is so great, because it is a travel bed that folds up small enough to pack away in a suitcase. But, it has quickly become Ayson's favorite new hangout. I got it out the other day to see if he might want to play in it, and to my excitement, he did! We just throw a few toys in there, and he will crawl in and out of it, and entertain himself for awhile :) Success!!!
He thought he was pretty cool leaning up against the side.
It came in handy today while we were trying to get some yard work done. I promise this isn't some kind of kid torture:) And despite his face in this picture, he sat inside the tent for at least 20 minutes, playing and laughing, just watching us work. It worked out great to keep the sun off of him and the mosquitoes out too!
Ayson is finally about to kick this cold he's been battling for the past week, so he has been in a much better mood! He was being such a smiley little bear yesterday. Such a sweet smile =)
This smile looks a little more mischievous...ornery, ornery, ornery!
And today we tried some home grown tomatoes, straight from Mimi's garden. They were so yummy! He was all smiles before tasting them, and afterward, still happy! Although I think more of them ended up in his lap, than in his mouth.
I have had several people ask me what Ayson "wants" for his birthday, so I have compiled a list of suggestions. Click on the tab at the top of the page that says "Ayson's Birthday Wishlist." Of course, this kid doesn't want for too much, so just having you at the party would be as good of a gift as any :)
Little Mr. Man is starting to get the hang of his walker. Instead of sitting down when it starts moving, he is walking right along with it. He has also been especially talkative today...he was so excited to show off his walking skills ;)
Ayson also had an appointment in the Neonatal Follow-up clinic this afternoon. This is the specialized clinic where he is seen by several specialists in one location. We are so happy to report what we already knew...little man is doing better than expected. In fact, he is performing some motor skills at the level of an actual 11 month old, and is right on or ahead for his adjusted age in all areas, which is 9 months. He also weighed in at 17lbs 7oz. The neonatologist, Dr. Gus, was so impressed with Ayson's progress!!!! It's always good to hear great news that reinforces everything you were thinking :)
Ayson had a blast on his first 4th of July! We went to the Riverwalk Crossing in Jenks with Mimi and Bruce to eat dinner, then watch the fireworks.
His shirt says "little firecracker" and he definitely was that all night :) He never wanted to sit still the whole time because he was so interested in all the was going on around us. But, as soon as the fireworks started, he was mesmerized, and didn't move a muscle! He LOVED them, and wasn't a bit scared of the loud booms.
We had such a great time and can't wait until next year :) Here are some of our favorite pictures from Ayson's first 4th.
After our fun night with Mimi & Bruce, Ayson got to have another fun day with Papa, Sharon & Cousin Nicole. Nicole was visiting from Iowa...and we were so excited to see her again!
We decided to go bowling this afternoon, and brought along Ayson's bumbo, so he could check out all the action.
We weren't sure if he was actually going to sit in it, but he was so busy watching us bowl, that he didn't seem to mind.
Hanging out with Sharon & Nicole.
Playing with Papa Doug. He loved Papa'a spiky hair...it was too funny!
Then he decided that he was going to try and bite his head. It was so funny that, of course, I had to grab a pic before we told him no ;)
We had a great weekend filled with lots of family! Thanks everyone for coming to visit...we love you all!
This cool little contraption is called a PeaPod. It is so great, because it is a travel bed that folds up small enough to pack away in a suitcase. But, it has quickly become Ayson's favorite new hangout. I got it out the other day to see if he might want to play in it, and to my excitement, he did! We just throw a few toys in there, and he will crawl in and out of it, and entertain himself for awhile :) Success!!!
He thought he was pretty cool leaning up against the side.
It came in handy today while we were trying to get some yard work done. I promise this isn't some kind of kid torture:) And despite his face in this picture, he sat inside the tent for at least 20 minutes, playing and laughing, just watching us work. It worked out great to keep the sun off of him and the mosquitoes out too! 
Ayson had a blast on his first 4th of July! We went to the Riverwalk Crossing in Jenks with Mimi and Bruce to eat dinner, then watch the fireworks. 
