Family Fun

June is the month of family for us!  Not only did Eric's brother and family join us (technically that was in May, but whatever), my brother, et al came to visit the first and second weekends in May.  A little background for you: my brother Jim and his wife, Jennifer, live in Atlanta with their two kids, Stella and Harper.  We don't get to see them very often.  In fact, the last time was last summer when we all went to Disneyland together.  This was also their first chance to meet Ashley.  Okay, I think you're all caught up now :)

We all got to hang out during the first weekend they were in town at my parents house.  Unfortunately, Stella showed up with an ear infection but we still managed to play in the pool without her getting her ear very wet.  My parents held a barbecue on Sunday afternoon for family and friends, which was a ton of fun.  The slip and slide seemed particularly memorable - from us adults attempting to slide down what seems like a very short slide (don't you remember how, as a kid, the slip and slides seemed so long?  Doesn't seem that way when you're an adult) to the little ones being pushed along the slide (or drinking from the wading pool at the end). 

Jim, Jennifer and kids went down to Yuma to visit her family for the week.  I had tickets to see Les Miserables on that Thursday night (absolutely amazing production!  I may just be more emotional now but the show was so good, that I found myself with tears in my eyes. at least the other girls around me were tearing up too, that made me feel better).


The next weekend, they were back in Phoenix.  Friday night we got to have adult night out where we had a yummy dinner at Cheauvront and drinks at St. Francis.  Saturday, the guys hit the track to watch ???? and then went on to Magnums for some drinks and cigars.  The ladies stayed home, played with the kids, and then relaxed while they napped.  This was followed by a late afternoon swim and steaks for dinner.  Sunday they flew back to Atlanta, which made us all a little sad. 

In true Pedersen style, we have more pictures of the two weekends than anyone would really want to look at.  Here are just a few of the highlights:

Memorial Day Weekend

Eric's brother, Patrick, came to visit with his wife, Denise, and their three kids, Tre, Tori and Alex.  We hadn't seen them in years but they recently moved to Colorado, so it's much easier to get together.

They arrived early Friday morning and spend the day taking care of Ashley while Eric and I went to work.  That night we all went to Dave and Busters for dinner and some games.  (Coincidentally, Dave and Busters is the old Jillian's where Eric and I first met).   We all had a blast playing video games and Skee Ball.  It was fun being a kid again.

Saturday, Ashley went to Grandma and Grandpa's house while us big kids went out to play.  We went to the lake where some friends of ours have boats.  They've got a great set up at the marina so we didn't actually go out on the lake.  The kids got to play in the water, on jet ski's and paddleboats.  The adults mostly hung out, had a few drinks and enjoyed the weather. 

Sunday was spent at my parents house where we swam, barbecued, and played Bocce ball.  This is also the only day that we manage to take the camera with us.  In fact, most of these pictures were taken by my mom. 

On Monday, we all grabbed a quick breakfast before they started their drive back to Colorado.  The weekend was a lot of fun and we hope to get the chance to get together again soon.

3 Months

It’s been so much fun watching Ashley grow and change. She loves to coo and tell us stories. She’s most talkative right after she eats. When we talk to her, she’ll just stare at our mouths, which makes her smile and coo. She has also perfected the shy little smile where she half-smiles and looks away at the same time.  it's adorable.  She’s also very observant. She loves to look around the room and take things in. She watches us as we move around and is starting to try to turn and look behind her. She also loves to look at the ceiling fan.

Ashley went for her first dip in the pool, just very briefly.  She didn't mind being in the water at all.  She just hung out like always.  After a few minutes, we dried her off, dressed her warmly and she promptly fell asleep.

We got to celebrate our first mother's day.  Eric had to work so Ashley and mom made brunch for my mom.  We spent the day hanging out and then Eric made me dinner after he got off work.  The dinner was fantastic and he brought home the most beautiful tulips.  Even more importantly, I managed not to kill the flowers wihtin the first 3 days, which is something that usually happens.  Let's just say I don't have a green thumb. 

One of her favorite places is to lie on the play mat we have. She likes watching all the toys dangling above her but she hasn’t made too much of a move to grab at them. When lying on her back, she is starting to dig her heels in and try to push. Sometimes this results in her butt coming off the ground, other times it results in her moving a little bit. She also loves to do this on the changing table, which can impede progress at times. She’s starting to tolerate tummy time a little more. She’s always been a strong little baby, holding her head up from the beginning. She likes to look around while on her tummy but after awhile, she just gives up and puts her head down.

Ashley’s been drooling a lot lately. She loves to put her hand in her mouth and suck on her fingers. If we don’t keep a bib on her, the front of her onesie gets completely soaked. There doesn’t seem to be any teeth on the way in, though.

She’s turned into a great little sleeper. She’s usually gets tired between 8 and 9pm and will start rubbing her eyes. Once we put her down to sleep, she’ll stay asleep until around 6am. We still swaddle her as it helps her calm down to sleep but she’s starting to be able to completely get out of it by morning time. It looks like our swaddling days are numbered.

It’s a good thing that she likes to sleep because mommy went back to work on May 23rd. It was a sad moment for all but we’re surviving. Ashley is in a great home daycare not far from where we live. There are 5 others under the age of 2 and there are two employees. They take great care of her and she’s the only girl so they definitely love having her around.  This is a shot of Eric dropping her off for her first day at daycare.

She’s still fitting into her 0-3 month clothing but she’s starting to get a little big for them. Her 3-6 months clothing is all washed and ready. Mommy can’t wait to start dressing her in new little outfits as she grows into the new size.