Ice Skating

Ah, winter. The weather is chi-i-i-lly (but no ice like up north). Miri got a hockey stick and skating sweater for her birthday, courtesy of the Massachusetts Myers. That means one thing...time to hit the ice! We drove past the crowded malls to get to the crowded skating rink only to learn that Miri was deemed too little to venture onto the slippery stuff. Apparently, it's "dangerous" for her to ride on Daddy's back (which made sense to us once we thought about it). So, while one parent skated, the other watched Miri walk all over and make lots of friends. We had a great time and can't wait until she is old enough to skate with her cousins. The squinty eyes in the picture are par for the course now for Miri these days. We think this is how she smiles. Check out her teeth!

Rasslin'

It's cold here in DC. The days are short. It's dark. Sometimes Chris and Miri just like to do a little rasslin' to pass the time inside. Take a look.

Thanksgiving Fun

We were so lucky to have a crowd at Thanksgiving time this year -- it sure bits a plastic mattress in a Cincinnati hospital!

Erica's parents arrived on Monday night and spent the week taking care of Miriam (thanks guys!), hanging out at our house, and sharing in some birthday fun at Miri's birthday party #2. At left, Miri plays with the toy from Grandma and Grandpa and models an oh-so-cute hat her Aunt Vida knit for her. Unfortunately, Miri apparently has learned to close her eyes when she sees the camera -- she gets that from her dad. [We think the Grandparents look great, however!]
Chris' brother Mike came down with the Myers clan -- Ann, Matthew, and Damon. The boys had a great time celebrating "Mirsy's" birthday. We think it was the frost-your-own cupcakes that won them over. Miri loved her Worcester Sharks hockey stick and hanging out with the big boys. Cousin Pearce made an appearance with his dad and "Gogi" (that's grandma for those who don't speak Pearce yet). Erica's cousins, Gabe and Ilana also stopped by to join in the fun. What a crowd!

We loved being at Grandma Margery's with the whole family for Thanksgiving #1. Miri had bells on, literally. For dinner #2 we headed to the Ross family home and got to see the whole Ross crew as well as Aunt Laura. Miri had birthday party #3 (ai, the spoiling has begun!) and was showered with more presents, while her parents indulged in more pie, more sweet potatoes, and more stuffing. We're just barely at the point where we can eat again...

One Year Old!

We can't believe we have a one year old! A year ago, we were eating Thanksgiving dinner in a Cincinnati hospital overlooking the old Gruen watch factory that Chris' great-great grandfather built. Now we have a walking, (almost) talking one year old!


Here are some highlights from her big day.

Miri enjoys some apple crisp. Sugar and butter....yum!

The happy family!

Here is Miri enjoying her birthday singing.

Trip to Philly

Last weekend we had a great, quick trip to Philly for the wedding of Erica's school friends, Anna and Tal. The wedding was beautiful, the couple was thrilled, and we had a chance to get our dancing shoes on! How was it that Mommy and Daddy were able to party the night away? Rachel and Morris! Yes, our dear friends looked after Miri and their daughter, Pardes. Pardes was still euphoric over the Phillies' World Series win; Miri is waitin' till next year for the Nats. The two had a great time playing at the park and chasing each other around the house. We all got a chance to hang out Sunday morning and feast on challah french toast. The visit was way too short, but we look forward to seeing the whole family again soon.

Election Mania

Finally!! It's over...and we won! Words can't really describe how happy we were to see the results last night. Miri got to vote in her first election (Daddy let her touch the screen for Obama/Biden), and she emerged from the polling place with her very own "I Voted" sticker. At right, she eats breakfast while waiting in line (one hour!) to vote.

We have had a busy couple of months campaigning with Miri in the swing state of Virginia. Daddy did his part by driving down there, knocking on doors, calling voters, and generally remaining calm and upbeat through the whole process. Mommy did her part by not freaking out when Miri was screaming, crying, fussy, etc. Miri did her part by being really cute (and thus helping get more voters to the polls) and allowing her schedule to be totally disrupted for a good cause. She took naps in the car and at supporters' houses, ate in the carseat, and went door to door in the rain. What a trouper! She never walked more than she did yesterday and she was tuckered out by day's end -- she couldn't stay up for the big announcement, but she awoke to a BRAND NEW COUNTRY!

Halloween

Miri had a great time at her first Trick-or-Treating. Daddy was put in charge of her costume, and Mommy thinks he did a great job (of course, he cheated a bit, thanks to a hand-me-down costume from the Koons in Alexandria — thanks Caroline & Louisa for sharing your flower!). We'll let you decide for yourselves. [Daddy doesn't look bad in his monk outfit either!]

We had a great time visiting the neighbors, but Miri mostly seemed to like seeing all the different pets in the neighborhood. She also enjoyed putting the wrapped candy in her mouth. Mommy, on the other hand, unwrapped the candy and really, really enjoyed it!

Walking and More Holidays

It's been busy here at the Asch household. We constructed our first family Sukkah and enjoyed eating in it, especially during the first part of the holiday when it was a balmy 74 degrees out. When it dropped into the 50s, Chris got excited and Erica brrrr-aved the cold. Miri, for her part, seemed more interested in eating the decorative gourds than doing anything else. [Hey, it doesn't say what to eat in the Sukkah!]

We also had a fabulous time at Simchat Torah services. Miri was a big hit with her stuffed Torah and flag. She joined in the first Hakafah (circuit around the synagogue with the Torahs) and walked all the way around the sanctuary while holding onto Daddy's hand. Mommy was honored with being Kallat Torah, the person who reads the last part of the Torah. Everyone had a blast!

In other news, Miri is officially walking. She has been taking tentative, Frankenstein steps for about a month, but only up to five or six in a row before she would topple over, often face-first. That was entertaining, but not exactly walking. Lately she's stepped up her game -- she will take up to ten steps, wobble a bit, balance herself, and even bend down to pick something up. She loves doing it when we don't have the video camera on, but we caught a little bit of it below.


Let us know if you are enjoying the blog. We love to hear from our fans!

New Year, New Post, New Resolution?

Hello everyone in cyber land. In the spirit of the Jewish holidays, we have to confess, we have been bad (very, very bad) about posting. We are sorry that we somehow missed the month of September (and are nearly half way through the month of October). We promise (promise!) to be better. Over the next month we will let you judge for yourselves if we have really repented.

For now, here is a quick update on what Miri is up to...

*Baseball. Miri loves it all, including watching Mommy and Daddy play catch, attending her first Nats game, and watching Daddy play on his adult league team (and hit a home run just for her today!)

*Enjoying the great outdoors. Special favorites include swinging on the swings at the park and going for bike rides. Mommy got a bike with a bike seat on the back (thanks to a generous ordination gift from her parents!) and bike rides have become a common event in the Asch household.













* Turning Ten Months Old


* Walking? (That's for the next post!)

Trevor Time

What a busy time we have had the last couple of weeks! We returned from a wonderful week in California visiting Erica's parents and before we knew it, Chris was off to the Democratic Convention in Denver. Erica and Miriam started the mommy share this week...more on both of those later.
For now, we have to update you on the California trip. Some highlights:
* Seeing the Costas (Gregg, Jen, Elijah and Joshua) at the Padres game and the mud fight at the beach later that day.
* Lots and lots of grandparent time.
* Seeing Cousin Chase, Aunt Megan and Uncle Ben and traveling to the zoo with them.
* Spending the day with Erica's friend Ryan and her three kids.
* Alone time!! Thanks to some fabulous babysitting by the grandparents, Mommy and Daddy got to go out to dinner, take some walks, and even go camping for a night. Thank you, Seagers!

Miri also attended her first Padres game and watched Jake Peavy lead the Padres to a victory. Trevor Hoffman (one of the most underrated players ever!) came in to save the game in the 9th inning. For those of you who don't know, "Trevor Time" is a San Diego tradition. AC/DC's "Hells Bells" plays as Trevor makes his way from the bullpen to the mound to warm up. Before Trevor Time, Miri was happily sitting on Daddy's lap, eating her yummy veggies. Watch what happened next....



It wasn't Miri's favorite moment ever, but we are certain that she will grow up to be a big Pads fan (of course, Daddy may have something to say about that!).

Mommy swapping

One of the things that has been keeping Mommy awake at night (no, it's not Miri, she's a champion sleeper) has been what to do about childcare. Erica started work July 1st and we have been lucky enough to have Andrea taking care of The Big Girl since then. However, Andrea has to go back to college soon (the nerve of that girl!), so we started looking for a permanent solution.

Thanks to the power of Craig's List, we found (we hope) the perfect setup: a "Mommy Share" with Sharon and her ten-month-old son, Anthony. Sharon works part-time as a preop and recovery RN, and she has a very flexible schedule. So, the Mommy Swap is on!

One day a week Sharon will take the two kids while Erica works. Another day, Erica will spend the day with Miri and Anthony while Sharon is away. It almost fell apart before it got started when Miri burst into tears at the first sight of Anthony's dog, and then started freaking out when Anthony got vocal (he is a loud little kid!). But the two did great together when Anthony and his mom visited for almost a whole day on Wednesday. We are cautiously optimistic about this wonderful situation while Mommy and Daddy are at work. Plus, looking after two kids is good practice for the (distant) future!

Mama's home

So, Mommy finally returned from Chicago to find that not only did Daddy do a great job of taking care of The Big Girl, but he also did a great job of posting to the blog at the same time. What a guy! Miri did try to post herself (see below) but instead ended up eating the computer so the old folks were forced to take over.

In other Miri news, she is crawling around everywhere! Baby-proofing has started. Miri's favorite things to eat include any paper (magazines that are on the table, mail, etc.) and cords (lamps, cell phones, computers, cable, internet, etc.) Plastic bags, of course, win out over any toys they may hold inside. Finally, our procrastination has paid off. We still have the jungle and bouncy seat from her infant days. Now they make great toys for her to hold onto while standing. For her eight month picture, Miri decided she wanted to crawl out of the chair, not realizing that she would tumble head first on the floor. Ouch! Good thing we have carpets...The recent fall explains her grumpy appearance in the picture. Her new mobility keeps us busy, but it is so fun that she can now go where she wants.

Two Stooges

Miriam is the first girl of her generation in our family. She has three older boy cousins, and their job will be to toughen her up — smack her around a little bit, make fun of her, toss her around, and so on. That's what family is for, right? (At least that's what Chris' brothers always did to him...)

Cousin Pearce came by Grandma Margery's house yesterday, and he showed Miri a new move — the head butt. Apparently, he does this to the cats in his house. Miri responded in good Three Stooges fashion — with an eye poke. It was quite the scene, albeit in baby-slow-motion! Check it out:

AAAAUUUGGGGHHHHHH! Mom's Away!

That blood-curdling sound you're hearing in the distance is emanating from Sligo Creek Park, or nearby at least, as Miriam realizes that her mom is away for A WHOLE WEEK. (If you listen closely, you'll hear Chris whimpering in the background as well.)

Yes, Erica took off for Chicago to do some training for her new job, so it's time for...Diaper Dad! (Cue "Mighty Mouse" music) With some timely help from Grandma Margery and his new babysitter sidekick, Linda, Diaper Dad leads an withering assault on fussiness, whining, and household dirt. Fearless in the face of atomic weaponry (baby tears), undeterred by the stench of a morning diaper (baby poop), undaunted by the prospect of strolling in the 95 degree heat (baby sweat), he somehow manages to keep the Asch household together in Mom's absence (for three days, at least).

But, man, do we miss her...

Crawling Baby!

There has been a lot of body surfing in the Asch household lately. No, not because it has been flooding (although li'l Sligo Creek has gotten pretty high with all this rain) but because Miri has been experimenting with her crawling. Before this week, the experiments consisted of Miri laying on her stomach, kicking her legs, and waving her hands back and forth. Needless to say, she got nowhere. But she is slowly learning to put down those hands, get that rear up in the the air, and crawl away. She is still face planting a fair bit, but she is now actually able to move around the house.

All this crawling is terribly exciting, but her folks admit to some mixed feelings. Now, we don't know where she is and she gets stuck all sorts of places--under her bouncy seat, between the coffee table and the sofa, under the table. Good thing we lowered the mattress on her crib! Now she crawls around while waiting for Mommy and Daddy to get upstairs to get her up from her nap. Check out the video below. It is courtesy of the Flip, a great video recorder Chris bought Erica in honor of her ordination (thanks for the idea, Laura G.!)

BBQ, Baseball and Boys

What a busy couple of weeks we have had! Yikes! Is this what parenthood is all about??
1. BBQ
We had a great time breaking out the BBQ for its first DC use (yes, as Chris always points out, we're actually in Silver Spring, MD, and thus are not DC colonists, but Erica figures, "Close enough!"). Chris had a great time grilling some veggie burgers and kabobs -- not quite the same as steaks and burgers, but a great Father's Day treat nonetheless. We absolutely love our new deck and look forward to lots cookouts in the future. We want visitors!

2. Baseball
After years (okay months) of lamenting that Miri has no baseball stuff, the past couple weeks broke the drought. Miri was a little jealous that her cousin Chase had three baseball gloves when he was six months old and she still didn't have even one, even though her folks are HUGE baseball fans. Well, Grandma Margery came through with a donation of a glove that Uncle Rob and Aunt Vida got at a game. Even better--it is a Washington Nationals glove! Unfortunately, the arrival of the glove did not lead to better luck for the Nationals who have had 87 different lineups in 89 different games. The only team doing worse seems to be Erica's hometown favorite Pads.

We would have been happy with the glove, but that wasn't all the week had in store for us. Miri also received her very own engraved Louisville Slugger bat, compliments of the Costa family. {Many thanks to Gregg for responding to Chris' latest rant about having no baseball stuff. What a lovely gift!} Miri loves playing with her ball and bat. No word yet on whether she'll be a southpaw, but it looks as if she might be headed that direction.



Scrappy ballplayer : The other day, Miri was playing with her baseball on the kitchen floor. Taking advantage of a moment when her parents were engrossed in reading the paper, she rolled backwards and banged her head on the floor. THUD! We looked down to see her on her back, arm stretched high in the air -- still clutching the baseball! Out! Whaddaplaya! She had to be scooped up and carted off the "field," just like many of her cherished Nats ballplayers these days...

3. Boys
The Quigley boys (and their parents) took the Asch household by storm when they came by for a visit yesterday. The boys loved splashing in the nearby Sligo Creek; Harper got into everything (thus providing the valuable service of showing exactly what steps we need to take before Miri becomes mobile). Aidan took great care of Miri, giving her lots of hugs, kisses and attention. What a gentleman! They left behind a great present for Miri, along with a couple of things dropped inadvertently during the visit. With Cousin Pearce stopping by last week, we are now accumulating quite a cache of "lost and found" boys' items!

Vacation in CA

Erica and Miriam had a wonderful week-long visit in Coronado with the grandparents. We also loved to have a chance to see cousin Chase, a giant who is seven months older than li'l Miri. Here are some highlights.



Hanging out with Grandpa Bill and Grandma Jean




Walking and eating a whole lot!




Seven Months old!








An ordination party for Erica and a welcome to Coronado party for Miriam. Here we are with our good friend Bill Lemei.







Fun on the floor!





A visit with Uncle Ben, Aunt Megan and Cousin Chase!