Loren and I always knew we wanted to have children. We started trying to get pregnant about six months after we were married. As it turned out, it wasn't as easy as we were expecting. Two miscarriages and two years later, the dream to become parents finally came true.
We welcomed Ashton into the world in December of 2007. He came by c-section after 23 hours of labor and 2 hours of pushing. The birth completely wiped me out, but it was worth it. We had a healthy baby boy, weighing 8 lbs 11 oz and measuring 21 1/4 inches long. And boy oh boy, was he beautiful.
Ashton had the sweetest temperament as a baby. He rarely fussed, he was a great sleeper and he was so happy. He developed a few minor health issues: eczema, cradle cap, reflux, asthma and a peanut allergy. Breast feeding was an absolute nightmare for the first six months. Ashton was a lazy eater and he had slow weight gain as a result of it. At 4 1/2 months he actually weighed a few ounces less than he did at 6 weeks. But, with some help from the lactation consultant, we got his weight up and nursing became a joy after that.
Ashton has always been very sharp and had excellent communication skills. We started introducing baby sign language to him around 6 months. In the beginning, it seemed like he would never get it. But, a few weeks shy of his first birthday, he suddenly started producing the signs all by himself. Words followed soon after.
As a toddler, Ashton was very fond of cars, trains, planes, musical instruments (of which he can name several) and he absolutely loved Toy Story. From January to March of 2010, Ashton was Woody, Loren was Buzz and Kelly was Jessie. And he never lost character. When we were out and people asked him his name, he said, "I'm Woody." He would even pray, "bless Buzz and Jessie." One day, while reading a Sesame Street book, he pointed to a picture of Grover and his mom and said, "That's Grover. That's Grover's Jessie."
Ashton loves to play "big brother." He often pretends that his stuffed animals are siblings. We usually get one of the carts with the attached cars while we do our grocery shopping. On a recent shopping adventure he said to me, "Mommy, I wish I had a baby sister to sit in the back of my car."
Ashton is a healthy and energetic 4 year old. He's recently discovered the wonders of super heroes and Star Wars. He loves to dress in costumes and has an amazing imagination. He attends preschool twice a week and he is thriving. He's getting so smart, learning to write, spell and he's even doing 1st grade level math.
Ashton loves his daddy! They love spending time together. Ashton intends to be just like his daddy when he grows up. Together they fix things around the house, take things apart to learn how they work, build forts and rockets and have all sorts of adventures. They also love to play with Legos and do science experiments. Ashton especially loves when it's "Boys Night" (when Mom goes to Relief Society activities or to the temple).
Ashton is also a great helper. When I ask him to help me with something, he often sighs, "oh goodness," but when it's done he'll run back and eagerly say, "What else can I do for you, Mom?" He is Mommy's shopping buddy and loves to go to the mall (most likely because we play in the children's play area and almost always get a sucker from See's Candies). He's also very affectionate and he always wants hugs and kisses, especially when he's sad.