Three Weeks

I can't believe my baby is already three weeks old! I swear I fall in love with him more each day which I don't even know how it is even possible to love him any more! He is just the sweetest thing in the world. He is already such a mommy's boy which I love. This week was pretty low key. He still doing the newborn thing of sleeping and eating with only a small amount of awake time each day. We have been having some feeding issues. We are still trying to get that all worked out. It made for a more fussy and vocal baby. He sure can cry loud when he wants to. Even though he has his fussy moments, he is remarkably easy to calm down. Usually if I just hold him and make some "shushing" noises, he calms right down. I pray that we work out the rest of the kinks with eating so he can be my happy baby all of the time.

I think that I did a better job this week of giving Ashlyn more one on one attention this week. We had a fun week of playing just the two of us while Dawson napped. Ashlyn is starting preschool this week. She will go two days a week from 8 to 12. She will be going to the daycare she went to while I was working, so she knows all of the kids. She says she's excited to see all of her friends again. I hope her first week of school goes well. The only tricky part will be getting her ready and out the door and to school on time. It's going to be a lot harder with three of us to get ready. I guess I will figure it out.

I'm going to try to post every week with new pictures since Dawson is already changing so much and I want realatives who live far away to truly get the chance to watch him and Ashyln grow!

Since Ashlyn refused to take a bottle as a baby, I'm making sure that Dawson gets a daily bottle. Ashlyn LOVES getting the chance to help and feed her brother. She's a natural.

Joey and Ashyln went to see Gnomeo and Juliet last weekend, and this is Ashlyn in her glasses. She just loved this movie by the way and has talked about it constantly since she saw it.

Dawson and Alli

Ashlyn loves taking pictures with her brother

Just lounging around

Such a sweet baby

This is the shirt that Dawson wore on Valentine's Day. It says "Prince Charming".

I love the way he cuddles.

Giving her brother a kiss.

Trying out the swing for the first time. He likes his swing.

Funny face

Ashlyn goes Bowling

Joey has been wanting to take Ashlyn bowling for a long time. Today the weather wasn't nice, so we decided it would be a good day to try some bowling. It was pretty busy and we had to wait a bit for a lane. Ashlyn seemed to have a good time. She threw her ball so lightly it took forever to get to the pins which was pretty funny to watch. Joey had to help her, but she got the hang of it. She said she liked bowling and we may go back another day when the weather isn't nice.

Here is the score card for the game.

Ashlyn at the park

On Saturday of this week, the weather was sort of nice so Joey and Ashlyn decided to take advantage of it and go to the park. They met up with Ashlyn's friend Catelyn and as usual the girls just had a great time playing together.

Valentine's Day

This Valentine's Day was much more simpler than years past. I'm not a fan of the holiday, but I try to make it special for Ashlyn. Last year I went all out and decorated and made a very fancy dinner. This year, with a two week old I just didn't have the time or energy to put forth all of that effort. So, this year it was simple but still special and Ashyln seemed to have a great day.

Excited waiting for her special pancakes.

We found special pink pancakes to make for breakfast. Ashlyn's favorite breakfast is pancakes and she thought they were even better in pink.

Yummy!

Playing outside with all of her dolls.

Ashlyn's gift

We got a special heart shaped pizza which Ashlyn thought was the neatest.

Ashlyn to Disneyland

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Ashlyn got the chance to go to Disneyland with my parents about a week after Dawson was born. This was the third time that Ashlyn has been to a Disney park. From what I hear, she was definitely at the perfect age this time. She had a great time last year when we went to Disney World, I just think she was still a little young to fully appreciate the magic of Disney.

We had been building up the trip for weeks and Ashlyn was so excited this time. It was all she could talk about. When the day finally arrived, she could hardly contain herself. She came into our room in the morning, and in a whispered voice said, "I'm going to Disneyland today." She had the biggest smile I have ever seen on her face. I think that she was also very excited to spend some one on one time with two of her favorite people: Gram and Papa. My mom said that when the plane took off she said, "I love this! I'm higher than the birds".

My parents said that Ashlyn just had the best time in the world. She also got to go to the beach one day. My parents actually gave her the option of going back to the beach or to the zoo the following day, and she chose the beach. I guess she is quite the beach girl. My mom said she had the time of her life at the beach. She was collecting shells, getting in the water, etc. She loved it!

Ashlyn also loved Disneyland. She got to meet all of her favorite princesses. She had a great time talking with all of them. My parents said her favorite rides were The Jungle Cruise (she thought the animals were real), Toy Story (who doesn't love that ride?) and It's a Small World. It's a Small World was also my favorite ride as a kid so I'm happy she enjoyed it as much as I did. The day they had to leave, Ashlyn put up quite a fight and didn't want to leave Disneyland. I don't blame her, as it is the happiest place on earth. I hope we get to go back soon and I get to witness all of her excitement and happiness.

Below are some pictures. I will do my best to describe them even though I wasn't there.

Ariel is still her favorite, and she was just as happy this time to meet her.

Walking with Papa on the beach.

Getting her feet wet

She had a great time collecting shells.

Dirty beach feet

She just loves Pluto.

With her dolls, which go everywhere with her.

She even got to meet Woody!

On Dumbo with Grandma. Grandma said she loved going high.

In front of Cinderella's castle.

I absolutely love her expressions in all of the pictures with princesses. So cute!

Clearly having a great time!

Meeting Ariel again.

Wearing 3d glasses

She always loves carousels no matter where she goes.

At the San Diego zoo with Papa,

The zoo had a play area that she just loved.

Ashlyn the butterfly

Doesn't she look like she belongs at the beach?

She looks so happy!


Ashlyn has had that Ariel doll since she first went to Disneyland when she was ten months old. That doll hasn't left her side since. She kept telling everyone that Ariel (her doll) was going to get to meet her mom. My mom said that the hostesses at the Ariel restaurant that they ate at got quite the kick out of that. Here is a picture of Ariel meeting her "mom".

With Bell

Rapunzel or Tangled as Ashlyn calls her, is one of her new favortie princesses.

On the jungle cruise, Ashlyn was so excited to see her favorite animal, the hippo.

It's a Small World

She loves riding the teacups with Papa

Snow White

Ariel again. It looks like she got to see her quite a few times.

Meeting Aurora. My mom said she was by far the nicest princess. She sat with Ashlyn for a while and had a great conversation with her. She told Aurora all about her new brother. Aurora even took her to see the ducks.

Always a silly girl.