respect the van

asher watching has quickly become a favorite pastime around here

what a difference 5 months makes. our friends ryan and judi came over last weekend and brought their daughter kayla, who was born this past summer. although the size difference was astounding, we know that asher will be catching up quickly. at his dr. appointment today, he weighed 7lb 13oz, having put on over 2 oz each day since monday when he weighed 7lb 4oz. our doctor told us that they are only supposed to put on half an ounce a day. apparently he has never seen our boys eat.

asher probably looks more like ryder than isaac at this point and if that is any indication of his personality we are going to have another huge ham on our hands.

brad an arja brought us mexican food and homemade coffee cake the other night. they also brought a tool set for the boys which was a huge hit.

aunt beth, uncle derek and my mom came over last night for some play time

isaac started playing "lick monster" while they were over.

everybody got a lot of exercise running away from him

especially aunt beth, who served as a pack mule

although i used to swear i would rather die, we bought a minivan a few weeks ago. while you can say that you don't like the way they look or the soccer mom connotation you might associate with them, you simply cannot deny that they are insanely practical. doors that open at a click of a button, seats that fold and move for easy configuration, and profile low enough for the boys to climb in and out by themselves all mean that having three 3 and under is not nearly as tough as it could be.

a few months ago i caught a glimpse of myself from the outside as it were, and all of a sudden i realized i was a middle aged dad. i change diapers, i give baths, and i buckle carseats all week long, but for some reason it was a surprise to realize that if a stranger looks at me, they are simply going to see a mid-30's father who is looking a little more fatigued than normal the past couple weeks. i just don't normally see myself through that same lens. maybe the van will help...