the asher monster

for all you asher fans out there, here's a quick asher update and some recent pics. he's still growing like it's going out of style. he's recently been focusing particularly on cultivating the most smoochable chubby cheeks. he's a big, healthy, happy babe. and he's really strong. he's now sitting on his own, standing up against objects on his own, rolling himself over and generally getting more and more mobile. and he's *so* close to crawling. he's lifting himself up off the floor and holding all his weight on his hands and feet, like a spider. a baby downward dog. it's really cute. actually, technically, he is crawling... only backwards. he puts his hands on the ground close in front of him and pushes up with his arms straight and then lowers his weight back down, one arm length back, over and over. scootch scootch scootch.

and the really interesting part of it is he seems like he gets the idea that crawling can get you closer to something. and even though it has never worked that way, he thinks it just might work this time. so he'll be lying on his belly, arms outstretched, with a little piece of yarn or other grabbable thingy just at his fingertips, then trying to grasp at it he flicks it away. then he makes an attempt at crawling for it. scootch scootch scootch, backwards he goes. and in between each scootch he sprawls out and reaches for the yarn. nope, still can't reach. scootch. reach. scootch. reach.

he has a favorite song: the itsy bitsy spider, with the hand motions included. sometimes he'll be very upset, we can't discern what he's saying, and the itsy bitsy spider is the only thing that gets his attention away from the upset and brings him back to calm enough to help us start over and figure it out. and he likes singing, especially group singing, in general.

he often treats us to songs of his own, experimenting with the highs and lows, intonations and inflections of his voice.

one of his best friends is 'mister baby', his own reflection, his alter ego dans le miroir. when he's over the sink with a pee or washing his bottom he grins and coos and laughs at mister baby. when we leave the bathroom we always say bye to him before we go.

he still naps regularly 3 times a day and sleep fairly solidly for 9 to 10 hours.

the teething saga continues with no visible results.

we've started baby sign language a while back now; and the signs we're making with him so far are for nursing, peeing or pooping, all done, or for help (usually i use this one for helping him sit or stand up).

he has double-jointed thumbs like his papa and he pushes them into things in a cute funny way. he'll press his thumbtip onto a tabletop and pivot his hand up and over his thumb while he sings.

today he is 6 months, 22 days old.

asher cuteyface

bj and asher

hungry babe

let the drool rain down

here you go

baby eats mama