Happy Birthday Leighton!

The night before you arrived...

One year ago today....

4:55am - Checked into hospital - dilated 2.5cm & 50% effaced
6:55am - 3cm dilated
7:30am - Daddy ate my breakfast

7:55am - Started Pitocin

9:30am - Epidural....ahhhhh.
9:48am - 5-6cm
10:05am - 8cm - you dropped quickly & so did your heartrate.
10:27am - 9cm - 90% effaced...but cervix is off to the side a bit.
11:21am - Dr Catterson broke my water.
12:16pm - Dr Catterson checked - not ready to start pushing - but fully dilated.
12:30pm - Time to push!
12:34pm - Leighton Asher is born! 7lbs 8oz, 20 1/4" long


Big brother Brecken meets you for the first time.


This morning, you woke up shortly after 5am & wanted a bottle. You snuggled with mommy on the couch & fell back asleep. I just watched you sleep and gave thanks for you & all the joys you bring to our lives. We love you Leighton! Happy Birthday Baby :)

Run& Play...I think.

And the winner is.....Paige. She is the only one who guessed the correct lie - "I want 4 children". I'm sure many of you are surprised because I have ALWAYS said I was going to have a passel of children. I do still waver on this a little....but I'm fairly certain that we have decided that 3 is a good fit for our family, if God allows.

Truth #1: I have wanted to learn how to play guitar ever since playing in Praise Band at our Manhattan church with Charlie. He is an AMAZING guitar player & I love to listen to him play. I really miss playing little ditties with him & the rest of the band. Maybe I'll put guitar lessons on my wish list at Christmas time....or maybe I'll ask for Guitar Hero - is that one step closer?

Truth #2: The 1/2 marathon... My cousin & her fiance are into running, so I am inspired. Chuck actually recently completed the 1/2 marathon in Orlando this year & they both plan to run it next year.

So, after publishing the '2 Truths & a Lie' post, I decided to try out the running thing. Note to self: When running for the first time (in a long time) after having 2 kids....don't attempt it while pushing 50 lbs of kids in a jogging stroller up an incline. Go solo...on a flat surface. Duh. After pushing them for about 5 blocks I thought I was going to die. At that point, I thought about my blog & realized that I posted two 'half-truths'.I waver on 2....the kid # (because it is truly the most amazing experience) and the 1/2 marathon. It depends on the day which one looks more daunting. I'm so wishy-washy.

2 Truths and a Lie

My brain is drained right now for blogging, so we'll play a game. Which of the following is the lie? Leave a comment & see if you are correct later this week :)

1. I want 4 children.
2. I want to learn to play guitar.
3. I want to run a half marathon.

Well, that was a trip!

Last night we packed up the family & headed to Manhattan so mommy could get a haircut. Ideally, mommy would have went alone, but it didn't work out that way. The trip started out a little rocky with demanding/whiny kids & a grouchy mom. Thankfully things got better.....daddy & the boys played in a park during the haircut......and then daddy & the boys picked mommy up....which is when things got worse. Here's a brief synopsis:

1. Leighton started screaming right when he heard my voice & knew I wasn't getting him out of his seat.
2. Brecken started singing Wheels on the Bus at the top of his lungs, which made Leighton scream louder.
3. We drove through Dairy Queen so we could quickly get on the road.
4. While waiting in the drive through, Brecken starts chanting Octopus which actually sounds like 'APPLE PISS' (again at the top of his lungs). Thankfully he stopped when it was our turn to order.
5. We leave DQ and start eating - Brecken is eating fries & keeps teasing Leighton with them, putting them in front of his face & then eating them. Leighton is just now starting on table food & this ticked him off b/c we weren't letting him eat them. So, mommy turns around and yells, BRECKEN, IF YOU DON'T KEEP YOUR FRENCH FRIES TO YOURSELF.... and then realize how ridiculous that sounds & start laughing....good disciplining right there.
6. Brecken proceeds to tease Leighton, stick his hands & feet & fries in Leighton's car seat. Leighton continues to scream because of this....and everytime he comes close to falling asleep, Brecken would start chanting APPLE PISS again.
7. I turn around again & this time yell, BRECKEN, DO YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO LEIGHTON SCREAM??? CUZ IF YOU DO....... How am I going to finish that? Cuz if you do, keep doing it? Cuz if you do, that really makes mommy mad!? Yeah, second failed attempt....couldn't really go anywhere with that one either.
8. Aaron & I finally just stop trying (to discipline/calm) and eat our Blizzards. Brecken sees us doing so & says, Brecken Ice Cream.....I say, it's gravy. Oh the lies

They both finally settled down when we were about 10 minutes from home. What a fun family trip! I could have skipped the haircut b/c I pulled it all out on the way home.

It's a Girl!!!

Cow, that is.  We are celebrating our first birth in our Grass-fed Beef operation.  Our little heifer was born on April 26th while we were in Chicago, which is why I have given her the name Chica.  Aaron has informed me that it is against the rules to name our cows....because they WILL be sold.....or slaughtered.....  So - if any of my faithful readers are interested in some Grass-fed Beef, you know where to find it!  I promise I won't tell you the cow's name.