Smiles and Non-Smiles

Yes, Baby Jack has learned to smile.

It was about two weeks ago (when he was 5 weeks old) that all the sudden he just looked up and gave us a big, gummy grin.

He will pretty much smile at anybody, but he prefers to smile at Asher and Daddy.

Asher prefers not to smile for photographs.

But really, if you were busy making sure all of these cars were in the right place you wouldn't have time to smile either.

Asher at The Little Gym

Every week Asher and I spend a morning at The Little Gym. It's a mommy and me gym class that we take with his friend Prim. Of course Prim (and most of the other kiddos) come with their nannies, but Asher gets to hang out with his mom.

Here's some highlights from this week's class.


Asher's favorite thing about The Little Gym...Bubble Time!


My self-absorbed almost two year old loves that there is a whole wall of mirrors so that he can watch himself.


Asher's second favorite thing about The Little Gym...Balls! Sometimes they want the kids to kick the balls instead of throw them. You know, like soccer. Although Asher hates cheese he is American enough to know that balls are for throwing. Leave the kicking to the other kids.


Check out Asher on the high bar, his current favorite piece of gym equipment. He has recently learned to climb onto a high mat and then sort of jump/fall and grab the bar. He swings until he can't hold it any longer and then loves falling onto the mat.


Asher rockin' the balance beam.

And now for the grandmother's...another Asher video.

Asher's New Stuff

Well after finally deciding that I would just get Asher a twin bed I ended up getting him an IKEA bed that is bigger than toddler size, but smaller than a twin. I really was all for the twin, but I found this one used here in Bangkok and it matches his crib.


I think now my plan is to keep Asher in this bed until our first Stateside (he will be 4) and keep the little baby in the crib (or the crib converted to a toddler bed) until then. When we get back from Stateside I am hoping we can get them some fun bunk beds. Since Asher's new bed is bigger than a toddler bed I'm not worried about him out-growing it before then.

The downside: it's a funny size. I sort of realized this when I bought it. But I wrongly assumed that if IKEA made a funny sized bed they would make funny sized bedding. I was wrong. While they do make a fitted sheet, they don't make anything else that will fit this bed. I was frustrated until I got online, realized how cheap toddler bedding was at Target and got our my measuring tape. Turns out a toddler size comforter will fit Asher's bed nicely and my wonderful neighbor, Aunt Marsha, will just make some fitted sheets for me.

I found some bedding that is perfect for Asher and sort of coordinates with the crib bedding we already have. The Hampton boys are going to have a pretty cute little bedroom!


He loves cars and I can't wait to see how excited he gets when he sees this stuff. I don't think we will be able to use the sheets since they will be too small, but we will get to use the comforter, pillow case and the little car pillow.

And Mimi of course found the perfect accessory when she was at Target last week.


A car bean bag! She is going to take all of the beans out and bring it with her and we will refill it once it gets here.

The plan for now is for Mimi to ship the bedding (unless somebody happens to know somebody coming to Bangkok????), so hopefully we will have it in the next few weeks. Asher has absolutely no interest in sleeping in his big boy bed right now, but I hope the cars will entice him.