I made a mental note...

not to blog about Christmas until our tree was down and all the decorations were put away. I'm a scrooge on the 26th. I want my house put back together without the looming to do list hanging over my head. That was taken care of yesterday so prepare yourselves for pictures!
We had the best of both worlds this year because it was David's family's year for Christmas. So we only had to drive 25 minutes back and forth. We got to sleep in our own beds and have our own Christmas morning but still had plenty of time up at the Jacobson house with family. Needless to say Ashton spent a LOT more time in the car than usual. His face usually started out like this... But by the drive home he usually felt like this...

David's family is SUPER musical. They all play a band instrument and every year on Christmas Eve whoever is home plays Christmas songs together. Well, this year was pretty monumental because ALL 6 kids were home for Christmas and even Chanelle had learned how to play the flute since the last time we were there. So they had a full on band this year - it was REALLY cool to hear. It usually ended in one of the boys laughing into their instrument and making hilarious noises by the end of the song.

While David was trying to figure out if he still remembered how to play the clarinet Ashton followed him around wanting to touch it. So we gave him a recorder and everytime David would start to play Ashton would blow it as loud as he could right along with his Dad. It was the cutest thing in the world.

We gave Ashton a moment alone on the stage.

We also put 2 Settlers boards together to make a game large enough for 10 of us. It was really fun. I can say that because I won!!

It's killing me that these next few pictures are not aligned and have no order to them whatsoever. Some day I'll figure out how to align my images.

This is Ashton and his first Jacobson cousin Knightley. That was the look he gave us right before he snatched that Santa hat right off him.

Here are the proud dads with their sons. Ashton and Knightley were born almost exactly a year apart. Ashton decided he wanted to be friend with Knightley so he grabbed his hand or he was going for the bottle.

Here's us infront of the biggest real tree I've ever seen in my life in a house. It took up half of the living room.

Christmas Morning!! Note: all of our ornaments are above Ashton's reach. He actually bit through one of David's glass snowmen. But that was the only casualty suffered this year.

This was Ashton's sweet squishy airport I got for $12 at a consignment sale. He LOVES it.

Ashton checking out David's loot.

A cool animal train from David's parents that actually moves.






And what would Christmas be without atleast one mess to clean up?

It was such a great holiday that we don't want it to ever end. Ashton was spoiled constantly by his aunts and uncles and is loving all the excitement of new toys. Baby Hannah even got a few new clothes. I know I am VERY pregnant because as soon as I saw the little onesie that said "I'm the little sister!" I started to cry. I had some awesome pregnant moments as well but I'll save those for another day.

Luckily Christmas break lasts almost another 2 weeks for David so we don't have to get too sad. We're spoiled and get to go to Utah to be in the snow for a few days too after new years!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!!

Today I found...

a bread pan in our bedroom.
a cupcake pan under the table.
and a cake pan in the hallway.

Ashton discovered that just opening drawers was for amateurs. It's more fun to take the stuff out and push it around the house.

Also funny Ashbug story from a couple weeks ago. Picture this: We're up at David's parents house and Ashton had practiced going up and down the stairs atleast a few times. Then we brought him downstairs and to keep him busy we gave him a whistle. He kept breathing in and out of it to make it whistle. At one point I think David has Ashton (who knows where David thinks he is) and David's mom says, "Where's Ashton?" (the whole family is downstairs) at the moment we all quiet down and we hear the whistle at the top of the stairs. We realized the whistle was WAY more effective than tying a bell around his neck (which was a viable option). Gotta love it.

Pictures later. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas! Many of you will be getting cards AFTER Christmas because I've been too lazy to get more stamps.

Ashbug in the stroller...

I'm so glad my sister Mandy got a picture of this. David & I spent a good chunk of T-day weekend laughing at this. Ashton would sit in the doll stroller and push himself backwards around the kitchen and up and down the hallway with his feet until he hit something and had to stop. And without fail his shirt slid up every time so he looked like a little chunky man wheeling himself along. Good memories. Thanks Mands for having a camera ready when I didn't!

Came and went in a blur...

I can't believe it's already December. The week of Thanksgiving flew by so fast I took a total of 6 pictures. We played Wii Fit, Texas Hold 'Em (I won on Weds - which means I had the biggest stack of sweedish fish and skittles at the end of the night), Mormon Bridge, and watched Whale Wars. It was a GREAT week. On Thanksgiving we sat around and had our usual FHE and my Dad asked us to share a "bump" or trial we were grateful for this year. David & I both cried as we talked about Ashton's surgery and how much we learned from that experience. It was humbling to watch my brothers and sisters talk about their experience this year and how it had brought them closer together. I love that my parents never let us leave a family weekend or vacation without a small "family meeting" to share our testimonies and love for our Savior. Needless to say it was a memorable Thanksgiving and worth it even if Ashton pooped 4 times on the plane on the way home.

Then that night Abbey, Emily & I went to the Park City Outlets at midnight to Black Friday shop. This was my first time. I actually got 50% off then 10% off on top of that and then another 15% off at Carters. Thank goodness for cupons! So instead of spending $120 I spent only $24. When we walked into the store I walked over to the girls section with Emily and then I got so nervous I went back to the boys side to shop for Ashton. Poor Emily had to walk me through this girl stuff. Now that I've got my girl mindset I've already shopped for some REALLY cute stuff. I'm going to have to pace myself. Hannah is going to be one well dressed little chica.

Here are some of the pics from the weekend.

This is Ashton, Kate and Kimball waiting at the ultrasound place in the mall in Provo. David & Ashton watching Cally get her ultrasound.

Kimball & Ashton enjoying Ashton's birthday present from Nana & Papa a super cool bathtoy set.

David & I turned on the Christmas music and put up our tree and decorations last night.

I'm posting this picture for one reason and that is because I know things are going to get interesting. We've barracaded the tree in with what we had on hand. I'll keep you posted on the further measures we will have to take to keep Ashton from pulling it down on top of himself. If you know Ashton you know that David & I will have to get really creative since I refuse to buy baby gates for our 950 sq ft apartment. So far he's only managed to get off one ornament but that's mainly because we spent the morning at the doctor's office for his 1 year appointment.

He's tall and skinny just like his dad (75% for height and 25% for weight) even though they both are garbage disposals. I hope Hannah is blessed with those same Jacobson genes!

Happy Birthday Ashton!!

How did he go from this... ... to this SO fast???

Ashton scored for his birthday. David & I keep saying we're going to rewrap everything and give it to him for Christmas. Okay, we won't but it's fun to say.

David's family came down down to open presents and eat cake with us. Ashton got his very first football from his Poppy Jake. It's soft so he can palm it and squish it right into his mouth. One of the coolest/most thoughtful gifts was from David's little sister "Aunt Boo". She made him a book of his life so far full of his favorite foods and things he likes to do. He loved it and flipped the pages again and again and suprisingly didn't put it in his mouth for the first 10 minutes. I'm going to tuck it away for another year and read it to him when he can fully appreciate how cool it is.

And because Ashton is really only known as "the Bug" at our house we decided he needed a bug cake. So we made him a caterpillar.

He was LOVING life. He kept stuffing frosting into his mouth with a look on his face like "I don't know what I did to deserve this but please don't stop."

He was chugging the water as fast as he could only so he could fit more in his mouth.

Our new tradition: A friend of mine had a great idea to have her kids paint on a small canvas every year on their birthday. When they accumulate they will act as a border on a wall and we'll all see how he has grown through his little artwork!

It took him a few tries to learn that the paint was NOT frosting. Poor kiddo cried until I washed out his whole mouth and then was happy to continue dipping his fingers in the paint.

I didn't think he would really get the concept of keeping it on the paper but he actually didn't get messy at all. He just kept grabbing new colors over and over and rubbing his hand around in the same spot. So this year's art has a VERY brown theme.

Happy Birthday Ashbug we LOVE you little man!!
We're off to Midway tomorrow. And we'll be doing the famous mall ultrasound to find out if Ashton's going to have a little brother or sister...so stay tuned.

There will be snow!!

I have been checking the 10 day forecast for Midway for the last 2 weeks.
You will see HERE that there will be snow for Thanksgiving!
I never knew how much I loved snow and needed it in my life until I started my 3rd year here in TX. It's pretty safe to say that David & I have decided that we will end up somewhere with snow.
So in celebration of finding out there will be snow I dressed Ashton all up again.
Who knew that his new jacket would match his eyes perfectly.

Finally updated

Some random tidbits:

• Wahoo for the 2nd trimester. I'm 14.5 weeks. My due date for all of you who asked is May 11thish.
• I won't be posting a floating baby on the side of my blog because I think I'd go crazy with a daily reminder of how many days are left. Sorry, you'll all just have to remember that by mid-May we should have a new little baby.
• I have an awesome midwife who comes to me for all of my appointments. It's so nice not to drag Ashton to a Dr.'s office every month.
• We just found out that Medicaid will cover any hospital transport if needed. Yay. Now I no longer have to panic about not having maternity coverage.
• Found out that one of my favorite people is now EVEN higher on the favorite list because she can sing every word on the Beaches soundtrack. I've NEVER met anyone my age who can keep up with me. (my sisters just might be in shock that I know someone as crazy as me) Bette Midler fans unite!
• Ashton turns 1 in 10 days. Where does the time go?
• In 11 days I will be on a plane to Midway! Pray for snow and for the next 11 days to fly by.
• There is nothing better than knowing we're having homemade pizza for dinner and that there will be A&W rootbeer for the occassion.
• The crib biting saga was solved. I threw a heavy blanket over the entire side of the rail. He has only pulled it off once and seems content enough to chew ontop of the blanket in his "marked" corner.
• We got a Flip video camera and we love it. Here are some recent videos.

On this first one you'll have to turn up the volume kind of loud to hear what I'm saying. Ashton only sits still for the first page of any book and this is what I caught on tape a couple weeks ago.

This video is a month old but it's hilarious. Ashton figured out how to pick his nose. Sorry, you have to witness our poor dinner choices for him. Chicken Divan and graham crackers.

Yes, I regularly let my kid run around in a snow hat and diaper.

Ashton sported his new hat around. And since it was 80 degrees in Dallas today I figured I should take off his clothes to help him stay cool.
Side view. Is is time to go to Midway yet??

Just because they are cute.

Are you keeping track of the biting crib saga?

Ashton=3 Crib=0

I tied the rail down with floss.

It was no match for him.

Here we go again!

I left this up as David's desktop a couple months ago to fill him in on the big news. Poor Ashton really did just want to chew on the test which was kind of gross, so this is as close as I let him get.

"Hard to sense, the darkside is..."

Ashton in his pregame outfit. He tried to eat his little Yoda face. Even though the Trunk or Treat started early Ashton was tuckered out. He doesn't mess around when he's tired at after 7:15 his face pretty much always looks like this.

His light saber is supposed to be green I know.

And since David & I didn't get around to getting costumes together it was PERFECT that Lizzy and Josh from our ward came as Queen Amidala & Annakin.

Ashton probably had the most fun of the night with these two. They were about the cutest Star Wars trio there ever was.

And just to let you all in on how nerdy I am I keep using Yoda's voice when I read David my blog title.

Dealing with teething...

It's no secret that since the day Ashton was born he has wanted something in his mouth every waking moment. He usually prefers food but he'll bite whatever is within reach. A few weeks ago he started gnawing on his crib. I'd go to get him out and he would have splinters in his mouth- it was really sad and funny. We bought the little $8 gummy rail thinking our problems were solved. Wrong.We underestimated him. That very day he pulled it right off and started biting that same spot again. I'm so glad we only got a WalMart crib. The crazy thing is there aren't bite marks anywhere else on his crib. It's like he has marked his territory and only likes that one corner.

Because of the lighting you can't tell just how deep into the wood he has gotten. He has made some good sized little grooves. So we superglued the gummy rail on... we'll let you know if that withstands the wrath of this little man's teeth.

A day at the Dallas Zoo

Ashton loved this giant turtle. And the penguins came right up to the glass so we could see them.

And then in the children's area there was this cute stream where the kids could wade in the water. So I held Ashton's hands and we went walking in it. Well, he started trying to sit down and the rest is history.

Look at those huge puppy dog eyes I couldn't not let him get soaked.

I let him sit in the cold water and splash for a good 15 minutes. He would have been happy there the whole day. I think this is why David & I are going to get a membership next summer.

And this is how he left the Zoo today. Totally white trash but I've already decided I'm going to be that kind of mom that just doesn't care. Or atleast I'll pretend like I don't.

Hair Cut, Spaghetti & Wheel!

Spaghetti night is always a favorite around here. We give Ashton a portion almost as big as David's and he is happy for a good 20 minutes.
He also got a much needed hair cut. We didn't document the event because it was a chore enough getting him to hold still.
It's not exactly even but we'll get Emily over here to fix it soon enough.

Just in case you're wondering where more than half of that spaghetti went.

David & I have an unhealthy obsession with Wheel of Fortune. I used to be 5 minutes late to the church on Wednesdays for activity days all because I just had to watch the bonus round before I left. We're convinced that someday we're going to go on couples week. Ashton loves to watch the wheel. He'll stop mid crawl to watch the colors go around in a circle. Hey, atleast we're helping him learn his letters right?