asher update

asher's now 34 weeks 3 days. so roughly 7 1/2 months. crazy! 8 months ago i was pregnant. that is just crazy to me. i can't even think to what my life was like before a living baby graced my life. talk about change! i thought i'd start doing updates here to keep my friends and family in the know about all of asher's doings. so here we go...

• asher now laughs at himself in pictures. i'm not sure if he knows it's him or if he thinks a baby is walking through the wall, but whatever the case, he laughs at them
• he now zerberts, a lot. and he particularly likes to do it with a mouthful of yogurt. fun times.
• all of a sudden he'll burst into bouts of laughter. but not belly rolling laughter. it's more like 1 deep chuckle. then he'll wait for a few seconds and do it again. he'll just stare off in space and do it over and over again.
• he's a chatterbox in the mornings and after eating. he talks and talks and screams and talks. it's hilarious.
  
• he bites me. a lot. i think he's actually trying to kiss me because he only does it when he hugs me and it's only on my cheeks or chin, but he likes to use his new teeth. i'm trying to stop him, but to no avail. plus, i secretly like the kisses.
  
• he also likes to grab, pull and pinch. yes, we have a brute on our hands.
  
• he has a major personal space thing going on with every one except me, steve and of course, his girlfriend hazel, whom he likes to hold hands with. yup, it's already started!
• he likes to do things himself. he hates it when people move his hands to something. he wants to figure it out himself...not sure where he gets that!
  
• foods he's tried and liked: oatmeal, applesauce, sweet potatoes, carrots, pears, peas, brown rice, yogurt and cinnamon
• foods he's tried more than once and hates: bananas and avocados. we'll be trying these again.
• when we feed him solids, he rocks back and forth in his highchair between every bite.
  
• when i sign the 'eat' sign to him, he smacks his lips.
• he smacks his lips when i pick him out of his crib at night to nurse him too. funny!
• when i go into his room to get him in the morning he gives me this huge smile and giggle.
• he helps me carry my water bottle downstairs every morning and loves it. when i grab my water he reaches out and smiles this huge smile. it's so funny!
  
• he loves to look at himself in mirrors. he laughs and laughs and then flips the mirror over to find the baby on the other side. or he'll tilt the mirror to see me and then look at me and laugh.
• every time i bring the camera out, he smiles. i think we have a blue steel on our hands.
• he has found 'his boyhood' and i have never seen such brutality. steve thinks he's going to rip it off and is constantly telling him not to pull at it...it's pretty funny. as soon as the diaper comes off, the pulling and squeezing commences. i always heard that little boys do it, but i never thought it would be so much! naughty.
  
• he still hates tummy time and i honestly think he'll pass the crawling phase and think he may just scoot like his friend hazel.
• today he took steps all by himself with his walker. crazy!
• he still only has 2 teeth, but let me tell you, he knows how to use them!
• he is starting to sign 'nurse'.
  

i think that's it for now. stay tuned for more asher updates.