thoughts and inklings of an artist...

clean as a whistle

sunlight and texture

again, no need for loud toys that take an hour to put together. asa is intrigued by the sunlight here and the texture of the carpet. sat there for the longest time (if you can see, his trails of drool have made their way into his diaper).

asa's soap box

asa is surrounded by a multitude of colorful, musical toys. but as you can see, an empty soap box brings him the most joy. he also loves the white huggies wipey box (in the lower left corner)...will play with the pop-up lid for forever. glad to know if we were stranded on an island...my kid could easily entertain himself with coconuts and bamboo sticks (no need to play in any dharma stations). isn't it crazy how much stuff there is in the world today for babies? what did kids play with in the 1600's...1700's? i think moms today should burn all their kids' toys like the women of the sixties burned all their bras. then give their kids a bunch of wooden toys and chickens and rocks to play with. then in about twenty years give all the kids a test and see how well they score...they'll all probably be geniuses.

our very own michelin man

it was brought to my attention that my last post didn't make sense. sorry about that. i was cooking dinner and trying to feed asa at the same time a few weeks ago, and this is how things ended up (i am not much of a multi-tasker as you can tell). i ended up finding the pureed carrots a couple of days later in the folds of asa's arms (that was even after a bath!)....hence that is where the carrots were hiding...

great hiding place

one guess as to where the carrots are hiding...

our emotional eater

bless his heart...he's quite the sensitive kid. ;o)

past few weeks

man, the past about month and a half...well, to be frank....have sucked butt. life has been challenging and pretty much trying. i have been exhausted. my body has hurt from head to toe. pajama bottoms and baseball caps are my friends. so to name a few obstacles we've encountered: six month growth spurt (equaling extra feedings), teething (equaling sleepless nights resulting in extra feedings as a last calming resort equaling an exhausted mom), vaccinations, the time change, asa's first cold (lasted a week...no infection thank goodness), asa's po-po being "adjusted" (we're going to have him circumcised when he turns one...long story), and forgetting how to sleep through the night as a result from all of the above...sigh. wooo! good night nurse in the morning. i share our hardship with you only to remind myself that this too shall pass. asa has slept through the night the past four nights. his cold is gone. he's taken a liking to some solid foods. his new favorite fun activity is jumping in his boingy seat...hours if i'd let him (boing! boing! boing!). and pet smart makes some great chew toys (j/k). i am posting these pics to remind me that it does get better. when i look at them, i melt and somehow completely forget about the loooong nights. i love my kid. it's all so worth it (but...don't ask me that at three in the morning when i stub my toe on the laundry basket full of dirty clothes as i am tripping to the crib to blindly feel for the pacifier that gets spit out thirty seconds after i crawl back in my warm snuggly bed with my warm snuggly husband). :o)

yeah, buddy, you're not the only one yawning... ;o)
we love you sweet boy!!!

happy easter

praise god from whom all blessings flow! :o)

kissin' friends

asa has an obsession with peoples' faces...that is if you let him. he loves to suck, drool, and slober on noses, cheeks, and chins. asa didn't waste any time recently. within minutes of meeting aunt mimi for the first time, he went straight for an open mouth kiss. no shame in his game.

oh how he loves his aunt mimi!

guitar lessons

papa teaching asa how to play the guitar

*the real story behind this picture....we had a full, fun day with out-of-town guests, and asa had just woken up cranky and crying from a short-lived nap and was a mess. so we plugged him up and played guitar to calm him down because our babysitter would be arriving in an hour, so david and i could go play in a badminton tourney (yes, we're dorky like that). we ended up forfeiting our quarter final match to go home to a baby that just couldn't be consoled...oh my, how pictures can be deceiving! :o) what a night...sigh.

grandparent lovin'

happy valentine's day!

asa sends his love, snuggles, drool, and wet, open-mouth kisses to all his friends, family, and girlfriends. we hope that you each are having a wonderful valentine's day. valentine's day should be celebrated everyday. we love you all...so very much.

hey, baby...how 'bout a kiss?

wait! you can't leave without giving me a kiss!

depth of friendship

i am amazed how the heart can feel for another. a former UVA volleyball player. an aunt from hilton head. an orlando pastor. a matron of honor. an RA from college. a husband. a son. for the past twenty-two years, my life has been a journey woven through several cities and states. so many people. as an outcome, a cast of characters has evolved. each member playing a part in my journey. whether going for a jog in my mind or physically present...my life is changed. my heart sighs. words are unspoken. kindred spirits are in communion. david experienced this depth yesterday with the man pictured below. their friendship affects me. amazing men. gentle spirits. beautiful hearts. mj, kate, asa, and i are blessed.