Sunday, February 27, 2011

Post 8 - A picture of something that makes you happy

We are behind a post, so here is our 2nd one for today...

Ashley:

EASY!!!!

Ryan: (aka copycat) ha ha!



Post 7 - What I would find in your bag

Ashley:
1. Keys
2. Pen
3. Work badge holder that I am not using
4. Lotion
5. Pen drive
6. Change
7. Mail that I need to put stamp on and drop in the mailbox
8. Claritin
9. Excedrin
10. Hand sanitizer
11. Gum
12. Inhaler
13. Vaccination schedule for Connor
14. Sunglasses
15. 3 more things of hand lotion
16. Another pen and a marker
17. Wallet with all of the regular things you put in your wallet: credit/debit cards, pictures, ID, and so on.
18. Work badge
19. Chapstick

Ryan:

Ryan opted out of this one! ha ha.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Post 6 - A picture of you a year ago and a picture of you now. Explain how you've changed.



About a year ago...
   
 Ashley:

Now!

Well, I'll state the obvious. I am about 30 lbs lighter than I was a year ago! ha ha. I was pregnant with Mr. Connor at the time, so therefore I have become a mommy, duh!! I think my views on everything have changed in the past year since becoming a parent. It really isn't something I can explain other than I look at things differently. 

Oh...and my definition of a "good night's sleep" has changed considerably!:)

Ryan:

My outlook on life has definitely changed!  Seems like everything I do now is to try to make a better future for our family, no more living day to day!  Oh, and the 30 lbs that Ashley lost through child birth....I found them over the past year! (Ashley interjects -- no he has not!!!)

Now!


Thursday, February 24, 2011

Post 5 - Nicknames you have and why you have them

Ashley:

I have not been called this one for years, but growing up I had the nickname 'Pooh Bear'. I am told it came from my cousin's mother, and I guess it stuck for awhile when I was a baby & toddler!

I sometimes also get Ash, but not very often. Some other nicknames in middle and high school were Schell (maiden name) and Frosty (because I got my hair highlighted).

I guess I don't have a nickname that has stuck for my entire (almost) 26 years!

Ryan:

Britty

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Post 4 - Someone you wish to switch lives with for a day and why

Ashley:

This was a hard one for me!! But, after much pondering and asking Ryan for ideas, I've decided that I would want to switch lives with my Pop when he was in his teens/early 20s! I love to hear stories about how things were "back then" and about the prices of things compared to present day. I think it would be neat to see how much things have changed in the past 80 years.

Ryan:

This is easy!  I'd love to switch places with Connor for a day.....so that I could experience what it is like to be carefree and without stress.  Except, of course, when you have to worry about who will change your diaper.  We always wonder what he's thinking and it would be cool to actually know for once.  Maybe the vacuum cleaner really is his arch enemy?? Maybe eating the carpet really does satisfy some taste that he's craving??

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Post 3 - Short term goals for this month and why

Ashley:

1. As the weather starts to warm up (hopefully), take Connor outside for more walks and fresh air. We've been spending too much time indoors because of the cold, windy weather.

2. Sign Connor up for swim lessons. He LOVES bath time and I want to get him in the pool before this summer when we take him to Meme's pool.

3. Try to not be so negative at work. This is going to be tough because it is easy to fall into a rut. Being negative is not going to change the circumstances at work, but maybe being positive will make them more tolerable.

4. Make more crockpot meals on the days that I am home so that Ryan doesn't have to cook as much (I hate to cook).

5. Cut back on my ice cream consumption (see prior post) by (not to) one bowl per week. :)

Ryan:

1. Have a safe and fun trip to Vermont with Connor and Ashley!

2. Finish my first MBA Class - this 20 page final paper is going to be killer.

3. Eat healthier.....when work and school create stress I tend to eat more or eat the wrong things.

4. Help Ashley cut back on her ice cream consumption.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Post 2 - A habit you wish you didn't have

Ashley:

This one is easy for me .... my love affair with ice cream! I am in the bad, bad habit of eating a fairly large bowl of ice cream every night right after Connor goes to bed. And, not the low fat kind..oh no... the full fat Turkey Hill brand. YUM! Lucky for me, I am still nursing Connor and I can afford those extra calories, but as soon as I stop nursing, I am going to have to be more careful. For those of you that are confused and don't know what I am talking about, nursing burns an extra 500 calories per day! Woo hoo! Although I don't have to worry about calories right now, I should probably worry about all of the fat that is in that ice cream!

Ryan:

All too often I take a pessimistic viewpoint on situations before I have the chance to evaluate the big picture. I have a tendency to jump to these pessimistic conclusions and stick with them…no matter what others say or do. Luckily, Ashley keeps me on track and always has an optimistic view to counter mine! She’s the yin to my yang! haha

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Post 1 - Introducing ourselves...

I thought it would be fun for both of us to write in this post and compare our different viewpoints.

From Ashley's point of view:

I am not really sure where to start...but here it goes..

I have lived in PA my entire life...I was born in Myerstown, spent most of my childhood in Lewistown, went to school in Huntingdon & State College, and have now settled with my family in Hummelstown, PA. Do I like it here?? Most of the time... Other times I feel like we need to experience other places in the world. This is all we know. Don't get me wrong... I like living close to family and having the support, but I still feel a pull to try something new...Maybe some day?

When I think about my childhood, I remember how painfully shy I was (Ryan has brought me out of my shell)!! I grew up dancing... oh, how I loved ballet, and oh, how I miss it now. Cheerleading competitions also took up a big chunk of my life growing up. I also remember the fun memories I shared with my good friends Jenna, Chrissy, Heather, and there were/are many more. I remember how much I just wanted to graduate high school and start my adult life...not realizing how simple and easy things were! I would never go back, but life was easy!

Ryan and I started dating when we were freshmen in high school. I know it sounds silly, especially back then, but I just knew he was the one. If one of my nieces were to tell me that they met "the one" now at the ages they are at (17 and 18), I would chuckle and think they were crazy. But, I really knew that he was the one. He is my best friend, and I would be 100 percent lost without him. We dated throughout high school and college. He proposed to me on my 21st birthday and we were married when we were 23 years old. We just celebrated our 11th Valentine's Day together and our first Valentine's Day as parents.

Connor Thomas entered our world and turned it upside down on 6/27/10 which makes him 8 months old right now. He is the absolute best thing that Ryan and I have ever done. He is such a sweetie pie and he melts our hearts every single day. He absolutely LOVES his daddy and looks just like him.

We want more babies, but we don't know exactly when. I guess we will know when the time is right.

I went to school to become an ultrasound tech and that is how we ended up here in Hummelstown. I work at Hershey Med part-time. Ryan followed and got a job with The Hershey Company as a Supply Planner which means lots and lots of sweet treats for me.

Right now I am enjoying messing around with photography. My only subject has really been my son, Connor. I am loving it and hoping it is something I could possibly make money off of in the future.

Well, I guess that is us in a nutshell!

From Ryan's point of view:

Our small (but growing!) family consists of Ashley, Connor, and Ryan. Connor is our 8 month old son who, at 18.5 lbs, seems to fill up every room he is in with smiles and laughter. He is quite possibly the most curious little boy in the world and now that he is becoming mobile we are surely in for some chasing around the house. Since June of last year Connor has been the center of our world and he’s made every day and everything we do more enjoyable!

Ashley is the calm, cool, and collected mommy who could win mother-of-the-year hands down. She has embraced motherhood with open arms and always sees the best in each new thing that parenting brings. Her devotion to her family makes life much easier for both Daddy and Connor! But, she is more than just a mommy….she is a wife, a daughter, and a friend. Everyone who knows her would tell you that she is someone that they trust and confide in. She’s the best friend anyone could hope for!

Ryan is the logical and practical daddy who keeps everyone on schedule and within budget! He is looking forward to teaching Connor everything that little boys need to know (and maybe some things they shouldn’t, too!).


..Post 2 coming soon!

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Approaching 8 months!

It's been awhile since my last post; we have been busy as usual! I don't want to jinx myself, but Connor has had a great run of night time sleep!! It has been about a week and 1/2 where he has slept from 8:30-4ish, gotten up to eat, and then gone back to sleep until around 7am! We feel like a whole new family!! We did have one night where he had a bunch of wakings, but it wasn't so bad, especially since we were rested! He has been a little "off" today and I am wondering if yet another tooth is in the midst. He also hasn't been napping as much during the day, so I am thinking maybe that is helping him sleep better at night. Despite not getting much sleep throughout the day, he is still a pretty pleasant baby!

We had a run of great weather this week! Friday we hit temps in the 60s! We were able to go on a bunch of walks with daddy, Liz & Ravi, and Libby & Emily. Connor's great uncle, Dennis, also took him for a stroll or two while he babysat for us last night so that Ryan and I could help Liz celebrate her birthday!

We are getting extremely excited for our upcoming ski trip to Killington, VT. We leave for VT in two weeks! I think we are most nervous about the 8+ hr drive with an 8 month old! We are thinking about making the drive over night. I am sure we will have a lot of pictures to post from that trip!

I have been simply amazed at how much Connor has been getting around on the floor the past week or so. He has been rolling for about a month, but now he can scoot around a little bit and move in a circle to reach a toy if he needs to. He isn't crawling yet, but I am sure that is not too far off. I am actually hoping that crawling waits until after our VT trip because I am sure the condo where we are staying is not baby proofed! Speaking of baby proofing, we need to do that.

I mentioned in my last post about how Connor grabs the blinds when he is on his changing table. Well, no amount of no-nos were getting him to stop so we decided to rearrange his nursery! ha ha. He now claws at the wall!

Another milestone Connor has recently met is feeding himself! I gave him a "puff" the other day while he was in his highchair to try to keep him content so I could clean up the kitchen. A "puff" looks like a cheerio but dissolves much faster than a cheerio. I really didn't think he would pick it up and put it in his mouth, but he did! The last time we gave him one he couldn't even pick it up off the tray! He only gets the "puff" in his mouth about 1/2 of the time, but that is great! I am amazed by how fast he is growing. Ryan and I have noticed that he has been grabbing the puffs with his left hand; maybe we have a lefty? He has also gotten the hang of using a sippy cup and understands that he needs to tip it up in order to get anything out of it.

New foods Connor has had since my last post: bananas, blueberries, squash... next on the list is broccoli (nervous about this one and that it may cause some tummy aches) and some pear flavored yogurt.

Foods Connor is protesting: any and all things green!!

I am absolutely over my anxiety with Connor sleeping on his tummy -- there is no stopping him from doing it!

One of my friends and fellow bloggers is doing a 30 day blog challenge. I loved the idea so much that I think I am going to try it too! I am going to try my best to do it every day, but that may be impossible the days that I work. So, instead of a 30 day blog challenge, I am going to call it a 30 post blog challenge! Starting tomorrow...

Post 1 - Introduce our family
Post 2 - A habit that you wish you didn't have
Post 3 - Short term goals for this month and why
Post 4 - Someone you want to switch lives with for a day and why
Post 5 - Nicknames you have and why you have them
Post 6 - A picture of you now and of last year and how you have changed
Post 7 - What I would find in your bag
Post 8 - A picture of something that makes you happy
Post 9 - Songs you listen to when you are happy, sad, bored, excited, mad...
Post 10 - Something you are proud of in the last few days
Post 11 - A picture of somewhere you have been
Post 12 - What you ate today
Post 13 - A moment
Post 14 - Your favorite birthday
Post 15 - Something that upsets you
Post 16 - Something that makes you feel better
Post 17 - Something that makes you cry
Post 18 - Your fears
Post 19 - Your favorite place
Post 20 - Something that you miss
Post 21 - Where you see yourself in 10 years
Post 22 - Favorite vacation memories
Post 23 - A song to match your mood
Post 24 - A TV show you are currently addicted to
Post 25 - Something you don't leave the house without
Post 26 - 15 facts about yourself
Post 27 - Something you could never get tired of doing
Post 28 - Your day in great detail
Post 29 - Hopes, dreams, and plans for the next 365 days
Post 30 - One last moment

So there it is.... could be fun! Hopefully Ryan can do it with me, although he's a pretty busy guy with taking classes for his MBA right now.

Until next time!!...

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

7 months old...and yet another tooth!

Have I mentioned that I really, really dislike the whole teething process??? Connor got tooth #4 this week! He does great during the day (minus the cold symptoms he gets with his teeth), but his night time sleep is greatly interrupted! Last night, he was in bed around 8:30 pm and then was up screaming at 10:30 pm. He also had wakings at 11:30 pm, 1:30 am, and a few others that I cannot remember. The night is a blur. Ryan and I are longing for the night when he starts sleeping better. One or two nights a week, he will have a good stretch of sleep...around 6 hours. On top of the bad nights, he is also an early riser and not the best napper during the day!! He baffles me!! ha ha. We are super happy and lucky that he is so pleasant during the day!

Connor's "thing" this week is clicking his tongue. He does it nonstop! As I write this, I am listening to him over the monitoring clicking away! He just woke up from his nap and is playing by himself in his crib. Every now and then I hear him say da-da and blow raspberries (two more of his favorite things to do right now). He has also decided that he is going to become a tummy sleeper which has given me a little bit of anxiety. The "experts" now say that back sleeping is best for babies. But, I cannot control his rolling. He has become quite mobile lately and has mastered rolling from his back to his belly and from his belly to his back (both left and right ways)!! He can pretty much get wherever he wants. I think crawling is probably right around the corner. I just mentioned he likes to blow raspberries...the kid is phenomenal at it!! He can really blow some good raspberries!! :) In addition to all of that, Connor has also found his hair and learned how to splash with his arms and legs in the bath tub! The past few days he has been pulling his hair and wincing when he does it, yet he continues to do it again and again!

Connor turned 7 months old last Thursday -- where has the time gone?? He is really growing. I swear every day he does something different and new!

Connor is beginning to learn the word 'no'. I know he really doesn't understand right from wrong just yet, and I really don't want one of his first words to be no, but there are a few things he does that definitely warrants a stern no, no, no!!  For instance, with the delightful teething process that we are going through, he likes to bite everything, including my shoulder!! He can bite very hard, and it hurts!! When he does it, I'll tell him no. Sometimes I get a smile back, and other times he'll start to cry like I just broke his heart! He also likes to pull on the blinds while we change his diaper. We naively placed the changing table next to the window!! I try to tell him no when he does it because he really pulls on them hard! I am sure there are many more no, nos to come as he starts to explore a little more.

We have discovered a new place for Connor to play! He loves, loves, loves to sit in the laundry basket with a bunch of toys. He'll sit there for hours!



Connor also went to his first Hershey Bears game!! As you can see below, he was really excited!:)



Well, since this is Valentine's Day month, I guess I'll share the Valentine's Day pictures that I took of Connor a few weeks ago.









That's all for now!