1. Yesterday (Jan. 25) was my mom's birthday and Sunday (Jan. 24) was my grandma's birthday! Happy birthday to these very special ladies!! We took grammy out for her birthday dinner last night...we all enjoyed some yummy Mexican food.
2. I told Chris last weekend that we might not get to take Asher out to dinner anymore until he settles down a little bit. I had a brain lapse and we set ourselves up for failure again when we went out for my mom's b-day last night. The kid goes crazy at restaurants. He will not sit in a high chair for more than about three minutes. He won't eat baby food, he ends up throwing puffs/cheerios on the floor, he tries to grab EVERYTHING in sight...I'm nearly sweating by the time we leave and I've usually muttered a few naughty words throughout the meal. We try to entertain him with snacks, toys, etc. but Asher wants to play with the knives or eat the napkins or stick his hands in the ranch dressing. He's zooming into toddler mode and there's no turning back. Seriously, it's exhausting.3. Carter has been pulling out his little camera lately and taking pictures of all of us.
Last week when I was cooking dinner, I even caught him laying on his tummy taking pictures of Asher...trying to get right down on his level. That's my boy!!!
If we're not hamming it up enough for him, he'll say "Cheeseburgers!"-- that's exactly what I say to him when I want him to smile. Cracks me up!!
4. Along that line, Carter's been popping off with some pretty funny Carterisms lately.*Every.single.day when I pick him up from daycare, Carter comes running to me and shouts "I didn't have any time-outs today!" This is great cause for celebration as we were having a rough spell several months back. Immediately following the "no time-out celebration," he asks the exact same two questions every time. "Where's daddy?" and "What we're having for supper?" I gotta give the kid points for consistency.
*Carter will finish up with his lunch or supper and say "my tummy is full." Not 30 seconds later, he'll say, "I need a snack." The kid would have snack 15 times a day if we let him. You can never be too full for a snack :).
*He'll get so excited to tell us something he'll start rambling something off and then get stuck..."Um...um...ummm...What I'm trying to say, mom?"
*He's trying to figure out the use of the phrase "I'm just kidding." Sometimes it's logical, sometimes it makes absolutely no sense, but he thinks he is pretty cool by saying it. Example: "I got that red ball for Asher, mom. I'm just kidding...I'm just kidding." So random.
*Whenever we compliment him on something, he replies with "I'm getting big. I'm getting very big like dad."
5. I was visiting a friend in Topeka last weekend and saw a commercial for Playhouse Disney Live which is a live show coming there next month. It includes the characters from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Handy Manny, Tigger & Pooh and the Little Einsteins. We're contemplating taking Carter to it...I'm pretty sure he might pee his pants with excitement as these are some of his favorite shows.
6. We've had a few days of pleasant temperatures in the last couple of weeks, so we've gotten the boys outside for a bit. Carter brushed up on his baseball skills (some hits...some whiffs)...
...while Asher familiarized himself with grass, rocks, sticks, etc.
Then they had fun giving high fives through the screen door. I often wonder how long that screen door will last with two rowdy boys living in the house??
7. Asher and I spent a whole day together, just the two of us a couple of weeks ago. We drove to Beloit for his 9-month pictures (he was soooo smiley!!), went to the dr. for his 9-month checkup, met Grandma and Papa for lunch in Salina and also got Asher his very first haircut. I have no pictures to document this milestone because I was by myself and I thought it was more important to hold him still in the chair rather than take pictures. I will be taking pictures at his second haircut and we'll just put those in the baby book...he'll never know ;). The haircut is very cute by the way--bye bye, mullet!8. While at Asher's 9-month checkup, we learned that he is in the 3rd percentile for length. Not 63% or 23%...just 3%. He's a shorty. And he's dropped a little to 50% in weight. Somebody told us this weekend that he looks like a little bowling ball and his pants almost look square...we had to laugh. He may be short and round, but we sure think he's cute...we'll keep him :).
9. These shoes are made for walking...and that's just what they'll do...
Little man just wants to walk these days. He's wearing shoes to daycare now because he can't stay on two feet in his socks on Irene's wood floors. If you offer him your fingers to hold on to, he's happy as a clam and will steer you all across the house. (Check out those svelte legs, too. You can tell he's been workin' out ;).
These shoes are also made for eatin'.
10. Last but certainly not least...the boys have an announcement to make: 
And we're all SUPER excited about it!!!
My sister and her husband are having their first baby around August 1. Yay for a new cousin!!! Congrats Jay and Lindsay!!
Little man has been working on his crawling skills for about a month, but finally mastered it on Dec. 29. He is a baby on a mission now and nothing is safe...he is loving his newfound mobility!
He's also mastered the art of bending down to pick something up and popping back up to the standing position.
And he is SUPER excited about getting into his brother's toys...I have a feeling things are going to start getting interesting around our house. 
Speaking of getting into things, this is what kept Asher busy while I was getting ready this morning. No wonder he was being so quiet...
"What?!?"
And this is what happened when I took the magazine away (including the wad that he was chewing on)...
Mean mommy. 
The great grandkids (minus Maddie).
Aunt Cat & Grandma with Carter (and Breckyn).
Willy Dog giving Asher some kisses.
