New Photo of Asher

A couple of days ago we had some pictures of Asher taken by a couple who is trying to start a photography business. Since they are trying to build their portfolio they took the pictures for free and we can use them as we want, so that was a pretty good deal for us! We have only got one back so far, but it turned out great, here it is, our handsome little man...

He's Here!!!

At 7:15 Monday evening we welcomed into the world our new baby boy, Asher Bailey Stewart He weighed in at 7 lbs. 4 oz and 20.5 inches long.

The labor was very quick. I went to the doctor's Monday afternoon and at about 3:30 he stripped my membranes. I really didn't expect it to do much since it didn't the last 2 times. I took Trever to work and Ayana and I went home. Around 4:30 I started thinking that I might be having contractions but wasn't really certain. By 5:15 they were about 3 minutes apart and I was making arrangements for someone to babysit Ayana. At that point I though I still had a little bit of time to go and was making Ayana dinner. Within another 15 minutes my contractions were about a minute apart, so Ayana's dinner just went with her to the babysitter. I picked up Trever from work about 6:20 and we headed to the hospital. We got there and started registering (which seemed to be taking forever because I was in some serious pain by then) but a nice off duty nurse saw me and took me right up to labor and delivery while Trever finished up the registration stuff. Luckily the doctor was already at the hospital and came right away. He gave me my anesthesia about ten minutes after I got in the room and about another 10 minutes after that Asher was here. All in all I couldn't have really asked for an easier delivery.

Asher is a little angel. He started eating right away and hardly ever fusses. He sleeps really well, in fact I have to wake him up to make sure that he eats often enough. Ayana seems to be adjusting well. She loves to look at Asher and today at play group when another kid was touching him she came and stood watch over him like his little bodyguard until the other kid left. She seems to have the makings of an excellent big sister.

Basically, we are ecstatic. So excited to have our new little family member. Thanks for all your prayers and well wishes. Enjoy the pictures!

Still Waiting

So I know that I am not due until Monday, so I should be patient, but my doctor has been telling me for 3 and a half weeks now that he expects me to go into labor anytime, so I am getting anxious! We are so excited to meet this new little one and end the waiting game. The doctor has stripped my membranes both of the past 2 Mondays, and everyone I talk to says that put them into labor within 24 hours. I guess this baby is just happy where it is for now. I am scheduled to be induced on Thursday morning if I haven't gone into labor by then.

Other than being tired of the waiting all is well. Trever got a new planer, so hopefully that will help his progress on the crib at least a bit. Of course he is doing well in his classes and things are going well at work.

Ayana is cute and sweet as always. She loves toddler lab on campus and is one of the more well behaved kids in the class which of course pleases her parents. She definitely does not suffer from separation anxiety, she runs right into the room the second they open the door. She is not very good at sharing yet, but hopefully that will come as she spends more time with other kids and when the baby is here. She goes to play group 3 times a week and toddler lab twice a week plus nursery on Sunday, so she is starting to get a lot of interaction.

We are participating in a community garden project this summer through the University. We went today and helped plant some seeds. Ayana and I helped with the children's garden we planted some sunflowers and sweet peas to be the outside walls of a house. Next week we will plant a pizza garden (a section of the garden that we will plant in the shape of pizza slices with the veggies, herbs and spices you use on a pizza). Ayana loved putting the sunflower seeds in the holes I made her and covering them up. She was pretty upset when we finished and there were no more for her to plant. We also helped plant some corn and beans. Other people planted carrots, lettuce, radishes, and a few other things. We are looking forward to lots of tasty fresh veggies as the summer progresses. As part of the project we are also supposed to have classes to learn how to can, so I am excited to gain a new skill and help build our food storage.

So as usual. life in the Stewart family is wonderful! We are happy, healthy and well. Hope you can all say the same!

2 weeks and counting...

Well, as of today there is officially 2 weeks to go until my due date. I am so happy to have made it this far, though now I am ready for the baby to come! I really don't mind being pregnant. I am blessed to not have too many aches and pains, and when they come they are more like sharp twinges that go away quickly rather than constant aches. So I am just excited to meet my new little one and find out if it is a boy or girl. Trever is working on the crib for the new baby, but I have a feeling the baby will arrive before its completion. Oh well though, it can sleep in the bassinet for a few weeks without any harm. Trever is very busy with school and work and watching Ayana so I can get a little sleep here and there, so it's hard to find the time for the crib. After the baby is born though I will be home for about a month, so I can watch Ayana in the evenings while he build away!

Ayana seems to have decided that talking is fun, and she now says Uh Oh, and when she plays peek a boo she says "Where'd she go" and then "here she is" after she moves her hands. She says Da for Dad, but still no Mommy, oh well she'll say it when she's good and ready. She is starting a program called toddler lab next week. It is a program on campus to give the early childhood education majors real life experience. She will go for about 2 and a 1/2 hours a week and get to play with other toddlers and such. It seems like it will be more learning through play then formal teaching, but I think it will be really good for her. We met with the student assigned to her and the goal she is going to work on with Ayana is talking more. I am hoping that being around other kids that are talking will inspire her.

We took Ayana down to our local nature park yesterday to feed the ducks. I was worried that they might scare her, but it was quite the opposite. She didn't want to throw the popcorn to them, she wanted to walk right up and have them eat it out of her hand, but of course they just ran away from her. All in all she seemed to enjoy it. She loves animals, she will chase birds around the yard, and sit and watch bugs for as long as Mom and Dad will let her. She did get pretty traumatized when Trever picked up the earth worm she was watching and moved it to the grass. She was very upset that she couldn't watch it move across the sidewalk anymore.

So all in all life is grand here in the Stewart household. Trever is finding his courses a little more challenging this semester, but enjoyable. We are a very happy, and blessed family!