the future is not the past

Thanks again to Robin for the custom onesie...

up with the future

you lookin' at me?

Asher has become a good companion on walks around the neighbourhood. Flowering current in the backgound...

shake

Ii discovered that if I toggle quickly between this photo and the next, I can make Asher play his shaker balls and dance. I suppose I could post a video...

shake

balance

One of Asher's favourite passtimes is to balance on my hand. He really seems to enjoy it and is amazingly adept at keeping himself upright and not making erratic movements.

little redneck

More than any of us, Asher is a local.

with papa

hoodies

Asher in his first hoodie.

pond walk

Asher and I had one of our most successful expiditions yesterday, making it around the pond without any major melt downs. It is a challenge, as he is still so sensitive to the world, to the sun in his eyes or the wind on his face. And by the same sensitivity, he makes for a fine companion.

grasp on the world

Asher is just beginning to use his hands to reach out and to grasp. Here, ironically, one of the first times he held onto something more deliberately, a branch of Scotch Broom. We just need to get him to grip the loppers...

peace

He is the picture of serenity when asleep.

dukes

The last few days, Asher spends a lot of time examining his right fist and seeing how it can move.

cock eyed

Asher is smiling and laughing a lot these days...still hard to capture with a digital camera, though.

effort

We're trying to give Asher time on his belly every day, not that he enjoys it very much. Now he is getting more interested in the external world, though, the persian rug holds some interest.

limbs

Asher is getting much more engaged with the world through his limbs. His movements seem relatively random, but at the same time they are very expressive. It seems that he is on a fast track for locomotion...

trout's wisdom

Kurt Vonnegut just died. I read him in my 20's and remember being held by the boldness of his words and vision of the world. I just came across a great tribute to KV on one of my new favourite blogs, at Crossroads Dispatches. In the piece, Evelyn pulled this quote from Breakfast of Champions.

"There was a message written in pencil on the tiles by the roller towel. This was it:

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LIFE?

Trout plundered his pockets for a pen or pencil. He had an answer to the question. But he had nothing to write with, not even a burnt match. So he left the question unanswered, but here is what he would have written, if he had found anything to write with:

To be the eyes and ears and conscience of the Creator of the Universe, you fool."

Asher is still connected to this purpose. The rest of us are trying to remember.

pacific

I see babies around with pacifiers, happily sucking away while there parents drink lattes at Starbucks. As with Jolly Jumpers, we are holding the line on pacifiers--rubber ones, at least. Asher does enjoy to suck on a little finger though and it especially seems to help him relax a little when he is stiff and crampy. I have no doubt that he would also be happy to bounce away for hours in a springy harness, but I don't think it would serve him in the long run...

patterns

It is amazing to watch as Asher's very earliest patterns, things he brought with him from the womb, morph over time. This is one of his patterns, with his right fist up. Just yesterday was the first time I could see that he was really looking at himself, checking out his clenched hand as it hovered in front of his face.

reclined

Another position that Asher enjoys sometimes, reclined on pair of thighs. As here, he is often more interested in his hanging cube than in whoever is supporting him.

eye on the cube

Here is Asher, with a little help from Zena, sparing with his "cube," the mindshape that hangs above our bed. It certainly holds his attention. This photo reminds me of images I have seen of Bruce Lee sparing--the sense of complete focus and relaxed awareness.

growth

It is amazing how quickly Asher is growing these days...I think he must be getting up to around 14 lbs (that's a stone for British readers).

first buzz

We have acquired out most overt and unaesthetic baby gear, a bouncy chair courtesy of our friends Lia and Adam. As much as we are not thrilled with the look of the chair, though, we are happy to have it. Asher enjoys a certain amount of time in it, awake and looking about, or dancing, as he is doing here. He will also stay asleep in the chair sometimes--it has a vibration function, which seems to help.

He still likes time in his hammock too and get quite vigerous in his kicking.

another perspective on life

sky pilot

Asher strapped in and ready for an excursion. Driving in the car is one of the few ways to be sure he will sleep, but we haven't resorted to driving for the sake of putting him to sleep (yet). I have been tempted to run a red light to keep him from waking...

Unfortunately, at the rate he is growing, we will will need another carseat in a matter of weeks.

crying days

In the interest of being representative, I thought I should include an image of Asher wailing. It is part of our lives for the moment, but gradually things are getting better. Better all the time.