Technical difficulty.

I have lots of great video to upload. That being said, www.blogspot.com and uploading videos are currently fighting. I am determined to help them work out their problems and hopefully get some video uploaded for your viewing pleasure this week. In the mean time...enjoy this bath picture. Everone loves a bath picture.



Allyson

Big boy!

Mom and Dad aka Grandma and Grandpa Ballinger came in for the weekend. We had a great time while they were here and Asher even got to spend all day Monday being spoiled by them while his mommy and daddy went to work. Just before they left I stole my mom's camera card and downloaded all of her pictures for the weekend. Don't worry, I gave the camera card back:) As I was looking through the folder tonight I stumbled upon this awesome picture.

Asher was cheesing it up for someone. I love knowing that he must have been smiling for Grandma or Grandpa:)

Loving our big boy!
Allyson

Valentine's Card

What's this?
'Happy Valentine's Day! I love you! Mommy'
Mommy is so nice. I hope she knows she is my valentine.
Dad...not while I am reading...
Enjoying our very grown-up boy,
Mark

What a difference a year makes.

Valentine's Day 2010...3.5 weeks old.

Valentine's Day 2011...12 months/ 3.5 weeks old.

Asher, we never thought it was possible, but, we love you even more today!
-Your proud mommy and daddy

My Valentine

Thanks for being you. I love you!
Mark

Normal.

Milk...check.

Two bouquets of oreo pops...check, check.



Ok, ok, this isn't normal for us, but I had to make these for centerpieces for a baby shower. What is prettier that oreos, cream cheese, and white chocolate? Not much. Not much.

Good news is that I gave every single oreo pop away and my jeans are thankful:)
-Allyson

Nap time.

It must be Sunday again!



Still enjoying every nap,
Mark, Allyson, and Asher

SLOW DOWN!!!

Will someone please slow down the time? I looked at my baby last night and this is what I found.


I am pretty sure that I took this one yesterday.


Happy Weekend.
Asher's Mommy

Super Asher!

We had a Super Bowl party at our house with the teens on Sunday night, but lets be honest, it was more like a "let's play with Asher" party. I have to say, our teens love our sweet boy. Watching Asher learn to love them is really fun to watch as well!

He did a little hanging out with the boys...

A little hanging out with the girls...

Played a little piano...

And basically had a great time!


Much love,
Mark, Allyson, and Asher

The tent.

Asher got this tent/tunnel for his birthday. It is obviously not my normal decorating style but the little guy loves it so we love it even more! I can just see Asher and his daddy camping out in the living room one night in the near future. I of course will be sleeping in my nice warm bed:)
Enjoying our sweet boy,
Mark and Allyson

Gloves

As Asher gets older, we get little glimpses of the little boy that he is becoming. He will do something like eat all the icing off of his cupcake and skip the cake part which is all Mommy. (I can remember my Aunt Sally always saving me a corner piece on the cake so that I could get more icing...thanks, Sally!) The next thing we know Asher is doing something that is completely Mark. We love watching all of the ways that our personalities have meshed into our little boy. Here is a funny example of how Asher is completely his daddy's little boy.

It is a little known fact that Asher's daddy can be found running around town without his coat, but never without his gloves. I don't know what it is, but Mark loves his gloves...looks like someone is more like Daddy everyday.






Happy Monday,
Mark, Allyson, and Asher

Sunday afternoons

There's not a better way to spend Sunday afternoons than this.Enjoying every nap,
Mark, Allyson, & Asher

The Party Part III: The cake.

Remember when you were a kid and you created a scene by flipping through 25 pictures really fast? Scroll down with that same idea.

Hope you enjoyed the party pics! The blog will return to every day life as we know it...raising a now 1-year old boy.

Love you all!
Mark & Allyson

The Party Part II: The presents.

What am I going to do with all of these presents? I jokingly told Mark we should have purchased shelves for Asher for his birthday so we would have a place to put all of this stuff. It might not have been a bad idea! Don't tell Asher, but I have stashed some of it and I am periodically going to get one thing out a month until summer...sneaky, sneaky, sneaky:)

In all seriousness, thank each of you so much for the great gifts. Asher geniunely plays with it all. He just floats from one cool thing to another...

Here is the gift table before the "guests" even arrived. By "guests" I mean people we aren't related to:)

Asher might be the only kid on the planet that likes the cards...

This was evidently a really good one.

And the unwrapping begins...

More presents...

More presents...

More presents...

Still more...

More...

More...

More...

More...

Asher was so tired of opening that he tried to hide in the paper at one point:)


Basically, we are trying to say that Asher received a TON of really cool thoughtful presents. He loves them, and we love YOU!

Next up, the CAKE!
Mark, Allyson, and Asher