It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

After our whirlwind Thanksgiving weekend, we are back in Tulsa and getting ready for the next holiday.  After swearing that we weren't going to put up a tree this year (Ayson is Grabby McGrabberson, and he pulled papa's tree over on top of him this weekend) we decided it just wouldn't be the same without one.  We put it up in the breakfast nook, so it wouldn't be as easily accessible, but where we could still enjoy it.  

Ayson "helped" me decorate it while Aaron put the lights up outside :)

Such a sweet little helper.

 

Path of Destruction

Aaron and I joke that Ays is a little destroyer :)  You can always tell where he's been because he leaves a path of destruction behind him.  He's seriously worse than a raccoon!  If he can get a drawer open or pull something off a shelf...he will! 

 He loves to pull his clothes out of his dresser...

and this would be an hourly scene around our house.  No matter how hard I try or how close I watch him, this always seems to happen.  He is QUICK! 

Look how proud he is of himself! 

Eating, as always with Ayson, is still an experience every time.  Once he gets bored of eating, he starts feeding the dogs and making silly faces.   

Basically doing everything he can to avoid eating ;)

He has learned how to get his own snacks...which is pretty cool!  I love this snack holder!  It might be the best invention ever.  

The lid keeps the snacks in the bowl, while allowing him to reach through it to get his snacks.  And he is all about it!  He loves to be able to grab a big boy snack all by himself.

The Joys of Family Pics

Before we had Ayson, choosing pictures was relatively easy.  Since adults know how to smile and look at the camera, you could be picky...Analyze every aspect of each picture and choose the one the was "most flattering" of everyone involved.  Toddlers teach you that you can no longer be so critical of yourself.  If everyone is smiling AND looking at the camera...it is a winner!

We went out with Angela recently to try and get a Christmas Card worthy picture.  Literally, out of 109 pictures...we ended up with one.  ONE! One picture that had all of us smiling and looking at the camera.  Ayson was a bit of a challenge.  He didn't want to smile, and definitely did not want to look at the camera.  Oh well, at least we got one...and 108 more to look back on and laugh about all the new and fun challenges Ayson brings us on a daily basis.  Here are some of our favorite, unedited outtakes.  ENJOY!  

Ok, so I edited this one a little :)  I just love it!  It was just a random unposed picture that turned out amazing!

Look at all the leaves guys!

Another favorite

This was my absolute favorite spot.  So pretty!  Ayson would never look at the camera though...little stinker!

A forced tickle smile.

Thank you Ang, for enduring our dysfuntionalness :)  Now, you will all just have to wait for the Christmas cards to see the winning picture.

Prematurity Awareness Day

Today is Prematurity Awareness Day.  A day dedicated to the tiniest little miracles in our world.  Of course, this is near and dear to our heart because of Ayson's prematurity.  Recent statistics show that 1 in 8 babies are born too soon (before 37 weeks).  Many of them struggle to survive and some will never make it home.  We were the lucky ones.  We got to walk out of the NICU, after 51 days, with our baby.  

We owe his health to the amazing NICU team at St. Johns, and also to the March of Dimes.  Their work over the years has led to advancements that helped save Ayson's life.  That is why we will continue to support and be involved with the March of Dimes to help raise money and awareness about the seriousness of prematurity.       

MOLARS...AHHHHHH!

Dear Molars...oh how we hate you!  And when I say we, I mean ALL of us in this house.  Poor little dude has at least two molars that are coming in, and boy has he been a bear for the past week.  This would be a pretty good representation of Ayson since our last post.  Grumpy, grump, grump.  We feel so bad for him...at least he's got more than one coming in at a time.

In other news, we have been stacking blocks (he can go three high now!)...

working on puzzles...

and going to football games.  Uncle Jesse won his first round playoff game on Friday.  Go Foyil Panthers!!!!

We also had Ayson's 15 month check-up last week.  This was him sitting in front of the door waiting for Dr. Gordon...too funny!  He wasn't nearly as excited to see her when she came in ;)  

We are excited to report that he is growing like a rockstar!  We are officially on the normal growth chart for his actual age in all areas.  No more preemie charts for this kid!

• Weight 20lbs 6ozs (5th percentile...WOOHOO!)
• Length 30 3/4in (39th pecentile)
• Head Circumference 47cm (45th percentile) 

Ayson is also caught up developmentally, doing everything that a 15 month old should be doing.  And we were given the okay to switch him from his preemie formula to whole milk.  Big kid...here we come :)

How Many Are You?

This Many!!!!

Ayson will proudly show you how old he is now.  So cute!!!!

And along with being one comes another big boy milestone...facing forward in his car seat.  Which brings me to another exciting milestone...20lbs!  That's right, this little guy has finally reached the 20lb mark!  And it was just in time because his legs were starting to get scrunched up against the back of the seat.



So, how does Ayson like his new "view" on life?  ALL SMILES :)

 

OWIE!

Ayson had his first real owie this week.  I felt so bad for the little dude!  Who would have thought that this unassuming can of spaghetti sauce could wreak so much havoc?!

  

On Tuesday, Ayson was playing in the pantry, grabbed the can off the shelf, then dropped it on his foot :(  OUCH!  His big piggy took the biggest blow.  It immediately turned black and little man screamed for what seemed like forever.  There was so much pressure built up behind the nail, that it needed to be relieved.  Luckily, we knew just the right person for the job ;)  Aaron put a small hole in the nail bed to relieve some of the pressure.

That worked for a couple of days, but by Thursday, his whole nail was swollen again and looked like it was going to fall off.  Poor little dude was crying and limping around the whole morning until, he took care of the problem himself!  He was standing next to the entertainment center and apparently put enough pressure on his toe, to make all the blood underneath the nail bed release.  And where did it go, you ask...ALL OVER the tv.  Haha...Now that's some serious pressure!  Needless to say, little man felt way better after that, and his big toe is starting to look somewhat normal again.

So, now he can concentrate on big boy things such as drinking from a straw!  He loves his new straw sippy cups we got him.  He drinks from them like a pro!

He also loves these little Gerber Graduate drink boxes.  He was doing so good with them until he figured out that he could squeeze the box and it would squirt out everywhere.  Of course, that was more fun!  So, now we empty them into one of his straw sippy cups to let him drink it.  I know, we are NO FUN at all ;)  

Arkalalah

This past weekend, we went to Ark City for Arkalalah.  Now, for all you non-ark citians, Arkalalah (pronounced Ark-ah-la-la) is a fall festival held the last weekend in October each year.  There is something about a small town festival that is exciting.  Growing up, it was the carnival, and the greasy food and being in the parade...now that we are "adults" and have moved away, we look forward to coming back for Arkalalah to see old friends and to enjoy all the excitement through Ayson's eyes.

We took Ayson home for Arkalalah weekend last year, but he was quarantined at the house because he was just barely home from the NICU.  This year, we got to take him all around to enjoy the festivities and he even participated in the kiddie parade!  The kiddie parade, is for the kiddos ONLY!  They get to dress up in their Halloween costumes and walk down Summit (Main) Street in AC, in front of a pretty big crowd!  There are awards given for best costumes, etc.  

This year, little man was a Doctor for Halloween...pretty creative, huh ;)  But, we couldn't resist!  They had the cutest baby scrubs in the OSU bookstore, and we just had to have them!  So, we completed the look with one of Aaron's stethoscopes and a surgical cap made by Nana!  He looked so official!

Lil' Dr. Wilcox 

Hope, Kierslynn and Ayson at Memaws office before the parade.

We couldn't believe he actually left his hat on!  Once we were done with pictures, it was time for the parade.  But wait, we had one more addition to his costume...

Aaron and I spent the morning creating an ambulance for Ayson to push in the kiddie parade.  

We knew he wouldn't ride in a wagon, or want to be carried in the parade, so we came up with the idea to turn his walker in to an ambulance that he could push.

It was a great success!  He was passing people left and right during that parade.  He was a man on a mission :)

You really can't get an appreciation for how funny this was until you see it.  He had his head down and was pushing away.  Everyone was ohhhhing, ahhhing, and laughing along the parade route.

So, here it is...Ayson's debut in the kiddie parade.  (Sorry for the bumpy video, I was trying not not bump into any kiddos along the way.)  This went on for the length of the parade...he's a crazy man, I'm telling ya!  We look forward to many more Arkalalah's to come :)