Brothers

"To the outside world, we all grow old. But not to brothers. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts..." ~Clara Ortega

Sharing tummy time together -

And giving Asher one of many kisses each day -
Bath time together -

And sharing mommy and daddy's bed -

Having deep conversations about trains and such -

Every morning when I go to get Braden out of bed, he asks if Asher can get in bed with him...so sweet -
Spending time together on the activity mat -
Decorating the Christmas tree together -
"Your my best buddy, my favorite friend. We'll always be pals, from now until the end." ~ Unknown

Halloween

Okay, so better late than never right....here are some pictures from all the Halloween festivities. Braden went as a spider and Asher went as well....himself!

The only picture I got of our visit to Gentry's Pumpkin farm...of course my batteries died just after we got there -
My Itsy Bitsy Spider at the Ghouls at Grassmere party at the Nashville Zoo -
In costumer, enjoying dinner at the zoo with his friends, Graham and Mac...each of these boys have younger brothers, so there were actually 4 baby boys in tow in the strollers behind the kids -
Stopping long enough for a picture -
So we decided to start a new Halloween tradition in our house...on the Friday before Halloween, we carve pumpkins, make pumpkin pizzas and then watch the Charley Brown Halloween movie (can't remember what it is called...the Great Pumpkin Swap...maybe). Anyway, here are some pictures from our fun night...

All the boys carving pumpkins -
Asher, 5 weeks old and wide awake for all the festivities -
The finished product -
Braden and his pumpkin pizza -
On Halloween night, we went trick or treating with our friends Mac and Devon and Parkes and Rebecca and their kids and ended the night by eating pizza, chocolate and wine for the adults! The countdown is on for Thanksgiving now and then on to Christmas...can't believe how fast time is flying these days!

Our first month

Our first month as a family of four has come and gone and I honestly can't believe it's already over. On one hand, it seems like time is sitting still (especially on frustrating nights like tonight...it's 2:30am mind you and yes I'm up...why...ask little Asher), but on other days, days when both of my babies curl up in my lap for stories or days when Braden flashes his big smile and says "hold Asher," days when I look at Braden and realize that he too used to be as small as Asher...it's in those moments that I realize that life is passing so quickly. To say that I want to freeze time at this exact stage of craziness that we are in would be a lie...Asher had his days and nights confused since day one, so that has meant lots of hours sitting, rocking, bouncing, popping the pacifier back in all in the wee hours of the morning. So...we are tired, my house looks like a wreck and I'm lucky if I get showered or eat lunch myself. Meanwhile, we are operating on a non-stop 3 hour schedule of nursing, playing and napping, nursing, playing and napping...however, if I can step back from the chaos and the exhaustion and realize that this too is but for a moment, I realize that my babies are growing up so fast. All that to say, we survived the first month. I will say, it's funny how quickly you forget how hard the newborn stage is, how exhausting, how demanding, how unpredictable and how frustrating it all is. Let's just be honest, despite my many prayers, Asher has not been a good sleeper from day one. He had his days and nights confused for about the first 10 days he was alive which meant one of us was up with him every night from midnight to 5am...boo...especially considering little Braden is up at 7:30 the next morning. Thankfully, we for the most part, have come through that, however he is not so great about naps (some days only 30 minute catnaps all day long). Oh and then there are the random nights like tonight where he will just wake at 2:30am needing his pacifier...BUT...if I can look past the frustration of a sleepless baby, little Asher is a very sweet boy. He seems generally very laid back, calm and quiet. He is extremely cuddly and loves being held. My favorite moments with him are after I nurse him, when he lays so quietly on my chest, with his little legs curled up like a frog and his head nestled in my neck. It's in those sweet moments that I love him being a newborn, so small, so needy, so innocent. All that to say, we are surviving and trying to enjoy these first few weeks as a family of four. Asher's stats for this month are: weight-9lb 10 oz, length - 21 inches. Oh and the best news is that he started smiling for us this past week...such a sweet reward to all the labor of caring for this tiny little guy.

Here are Braden and Asher sharing the boppy for tummy time -
There is nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby...

Braden holding Asher -
Asher, wide awake (probably after his 10th catnap of the day) -
Braden, kissing Asher -

Welcome Asher Keith Madison...

Asher Keith Madison made a VERY quick entrance into this world on Saturday September 26, 2009 at 9:09pm. He weighed in at 8lbs 2oz and was 19 inches long. The entire labor from start to finish was only 2.5 hours long and we made it to the hospital all of 30 minutes before he was born. Let's just say the whole thing was much more intense, much quicker and much more traumatic than I had planned. The quick, intense labor was very stressful on little Asher too, but after a vacuum delivery, they were able to get him out and he is healthy and beautiful. Here are some pictures of our first few moments with this sweet child...what an amazing blessing to hold new life in your hands!!

Holding my baby for the first time...this truly is an amazing moment -
Asher was still a bit traumatized by the quick birth at this point, so he was still crying -
In the 4D ultrasound pictures we have of Asher in the womb, he has his little hand up by his face like he has it here...in fact since we've been home, we've noticed he likes to keep his hands by his face -
Oh how I pray I remember how tiny and cuddly this sweet baby is -
My bigger baby coming to the hospital to meet his new baby brother...it's amazing how big Braden suddenly looked -
Seeing Asher for the first time -
My three boys -
Braden absolutely loves Asher and is always kissing him and hugging him. Here he is counting his toes to make sure they are all there -
Leaving the hospital as a family of four -
Braden holding Asher for the first time -
Sweet Asher at home and asleep...I love what funny positions he will sleep in -
Wide awake (this usually happens only in the wee hours of the night)...
Both of my babies...these are precious moments when I can hold both of my children safely in my arms...oh these moments will pass way too quickly -

Well, that's all for now...we are sleep deprived, exhausted and oh so blessed...

The countdown is on...

only 6 more days till my due date! Wow, where has this time gone? It seems like ages ago that it was that January evening when Austin and I found out I was expecting another child. These past 9 months have been so dear to me and as we close the door on this chapter of our lives and jump into the next chapter, I find it all very sentimental. Each time we sit down to eat, I find myself wondering, is this the last time we will eat together as a family of three, or each time I read stories to Braden before bed, I wonder if this is the last time I'll have to squeeze him on my lap as my oh so pregnant stomach threatens to push him off. I find myself reaching back to hold his sweet little hand in the car, hoping, praying that when little man arrives in just a few short days that Braden will know how much we love him and how special he is to us. I know this will be such an adjustment for him and I would be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous about it. However, I cannot wait to hold my new son in my arms and I cannot wait to see what he looks like, to know his unique personality and to see in what ways this new child will richly add to our lives. I just pray Lord that you will bind these boys together, that their friendship will run deep, that they will walk beside each other, encourage each other and support each other throughout the rest of their lives. What a beautiful thing to have a brother to journey through life with...

Here is Braden as we read stories under his "tent" the other day -

"Chattanoona"

Several weeks ago, Austin, Braden and I took a quick trip to Chattanooga or "Chattanoona" as Braden says for a little last minute trip as a family of three. We had such a great time enjoying Braden as he enjoyed the aquarium and the children's museum. He had a blast and it was such a special time for us before our little family changes and welcomes baby boy #2 any day now. Chattanooga is a great place to visit with kids (in fact I was a little jealous of all they have to do)...we plan to definitely go back again as a family of four. Here are some pictures of our little trip:

Braden playing at the water station in the children's museum...this was the first exhibit we saw when we got there and Austin and I didn't think we'd ever see the rest of the museum b/c Braden had so much fun splashing -
Okay so if you haven't stayed in a hotel recently with your kids, I'll go ahead and let you know that the cribs they have are TINY...I mean Braden could barely even fit in it...so we decided to put him in bed with us for the night. Austin and I don't do this at home, so it was such a treat to have him snuggled so tightly all night...although I don't think either one of us slept much b/c Braden slept with his feet near our head all night and every time he moved, we both woke up. Still it was well worth it. Here he is snuggled with Austin watching cartoons the next morning -
Playing in the fountains outside of the aquarium...thanks Ashley for the heads up about bringing a change of clothes! Braden was soaking wet only 5 minutes after we arrived at the aquarium -
Braden stomping in the shark cage. He LOVED looking at the sharks -
This picture just cracks me up...Braden's little legs are so long. I'm pretty sure he was looking for a shark here - Taking a little break while Momma has contractions -
My sweet boys -

Braden's first day of school...

Braden had his first day of school yesterday and although I had a really hard time letting him go, his teachers tell me he did great. He even took a nap at school which is shocking to me considering my little guy is so attached to his crib. He was most excited about his "Lightning McQueen" lunchbox and the fact that his stuffed animals Moo and Puppy got to go to school with him. When I went to pick him up, he was so proud of his little craft he made at school. We hung it on the fridge and today, he kept pointing to it with a big smile on his face, telling me that he made that at school. I have to say that although the tears definitely flowed for me yesterday (okay really all last week), it was really nice having some time to get some stuff done...especially before little man makes his appearance in 3 weeks or less. I'm just so happy Braden had such a good first day...to celebrate I took him on a little date to go get some ice cream after I picked him up. I love those special dates when it's just the two of us. Here are some pictures of my little man's first day:

Showing off his lunchbox -