Vegas Baby!

Last week Moises had a conference in Vegas. So Asher, Elie and I thought we'd tag along; plus, my mom and step-dad frequent Vegas pretty often and met up with us there.

The first night was pretty miserable. Asher hadn't taken a nap on the plane and then he was up WAY past his bedtime which equals an over-tired, cranky toddler who can't wind down. Those moments when Asher would finally drift off to sleep, Elie would start fussing because his nose was all stuffed up from the dry air, which would wake Asher, who would start screaming, upsetting Elie even more. This "wake-up" tag lasted all night. At 4:00 a.m. Moises says to me, "We're not doing this again! You guys are no longer invited on these conference trips!" We were very cranky parents the next day. But after we took it easy that first day and caught up on some rest, it got better.

Despite that first night and all the work involved in traveling with two children under the age of two it was worth it. The boys and I really enjoyed hanging out in Babi and Bampa's room, relaxing, watching videos and playing with all the toys they brought along. We went out to some great restaurants (my favorite was Enoteca San Marco by Mario Batalli---very casual but delicious food!) and you just can't beat the people watching in Vegas!

We went to the pool briefly a couple of times (it was too hot for the little ones to be out too long). My mom introduced Asher to the Humpty Dumpty statue that he became obsessed with. About three times a day he would request to go see Humpty Dumpty and hold his hand. My mom also showed him how to stomp on all the floor lights at the Venetian shops which you'll see in the video. He had to give each one a really good stomp right in the sweet spot. Oh and in case your thinking I'm strange for putting a harness on my toddler- I use to think that before I had kids- it is one of the best inventions ever!

Feeding the Ducks

It was perfect weather today, not too hot, not too cold, sunny with just a little breeze. We were on our way to the children's museum when I started to think we really should do something outside to take advantage of the perfect weather. There happens to be a beautiful pond nearby with a lot of ducks. So we swung by the gas station to pick up some bread to feed them. It was a lot of fun; we even saw some baby ducks! I couldn't get a very good pic of them because they were too fast for me. I think Asher's favorite part was throwing the bread in the water!

Who does Asher resemble most?

His mom...
...or his dad?

Elie's Two-Month Well Check

We went in for Elie's two-month well check today and Dr. Omar says he is doing great!

Weight is at 11 pounds 14 ounces (50th percentile)
Height is at 22 7/8 inches (50th percentile)
Head Circumference 38.6 cm (25th percentile)

Aunty Em

We were just in Des Moines last Thursday night for an event. It just so happens that we know this lovely girl, Em who lives there and could babysit Asher. She's the daughter of Moises' business partner. Moises, Elie and I went to the event while Em and Asher hung out at the hotel having a party with stickers, coloring books and ipod touch.

My Boys!

You can usually get a smile out of Elie when you tickle his little chin! He's been smiling for a week now.

Our Tour of the Fire Station

Last week Asher and I took a trip to the fire station. Our timing was perfect because just as we were arriving to the station one of the engines was pulling out with the sirens and lights going. Asher was in awe with eyes wide like saucers!

They gave us our own private tour. We got to sit in an old fire engine from 1949 (in the picture below) as well as one used today.

Attentive Big Brother

Moises and I feel very lucky that Asher has adjusted so well to his new baby brother. We thought he would do pretty well but we didn't realize he would be this affectionate. Watching how the siblings interact adds a whole new dimension and excitement to having children; it really completes the picture.

It's so cute to see how attentive Asher is to Elie. If he is crying he'll give him his pacifier, rock his swing and ask, "what's wrong?" If Elie is peacefully sleeping, Asher will come up and give him a little kiss. In this particular video clip, Elie had a stuffy nose, so Asher tries to offer a kleenex.

Asherisms

Asher just keeps getting funnier and funnier with the things he says and does. Here are just a few:

• He has a little obsession with stickers. He sometimes gets a little carried away and plasters them all over walls, floors, mirrors, or any other surface. This is why the "removable" stickers are the only ones allowed in this house. He also mistook some postage stamps he found in my pocket book for stickers and went to town on those!

• Asher loves to draw. So one of his favorite things to draw is circles or coloring in any wheels he finds in his coloring books.

• Last week as we were on our way to the zoo, Moises and I were talking about all the animals we were going to see, "We're gonna see some monkeys, and zebras, and giraffes, and what else?" Asher responds, "And trucks, and motorcycles...." So we get to the zoo and as we're walking around, Asher seems a little aloof. We figured he must be hot and ready for a nap. But as we are leaving the zoo, walking back to our car he springs back to life and starts pointing out all the big trucks and school buses. Moises and I just look at each other and start cracking up. Maybe we'll skip the zoo and hit the monster truck show instead!

• Now when Asher drinks out of his cup he imitates the gulping and breathing noises Elie makes when he's eating.

• He's my new personal trainer. On our morning run the other day as we were barely chugging up this hill like The Little Engine That Could, Asher yells, "Faster Mommy, Faster!"
  

• When he sneezes he says to himself, "Bless you, thank you, you're welcome!"

• We had some guys over hanging our mirror. As they were working on it, Asher yells through the banister, "Hi man!"