People have asked me if I feel any different, and besides the fact that I have been sick with a flu-like virus all week long, I really don’t. However, it got me to thinking about this milestone birthday year, where I am, where I’ve been and what the future looks like. I guess I better backtrack and say, yes, I might feel a little different, but it’s a feeling of anticipation and not of “age.”

I’ve never really thought of 30 as old, but I have been mindful of the history of Jesus. He was 30 when he started his three-year ministry, and I’ve looked up to this age as a landmark year to start a new decade off on the right foot. Good timing, too, because we just finished a sermon series on modeling Jesus and making every effort to live like him. To further prove a point, I received my annual birthday letter from Mr. Dan Stroup last week, and wouldn’t you know that’s exactly what he wrote about? Mr. Stroup was my middle school teacher. He is an amazing man for many reasons, but thankfully CBS Evening News picked up on one reason and aired this little segment a few weeks ago. I’m pleased to be among his 2,800 former students that receive a birthday letter every year.

So, where’s the list? The full list is written in my personal journal, but I’ll share three (which is a dividend of 30!). I don’t want people to get the impression that my life is all bells and whistles and everything is perfect. If you’ve read my blog much at all, you’ve seen my struggles with certain issues, and they affect many of my decisions and thoughts. Turning 30 is a pretty good reason to adjust some of those thoughts toward a straighter path.

Contentedness - I’ve touched a little on this before, but it’s something I’m daily striving for. This falls in basically every area of my life right now: family planning, our house, cars, vacation, jobs… I do love my life, but there’s always something more that would just “make it better,” you know? A house with a second floor would be great for those rough nights with Wes, but we’ve learned to avoid the squeaky wood planks in the floor. A nicer car would be great and would last us for years (I’d really like a Subaru Outback), but we’ve appreciated that we currently don’t have a car payment. And while I’m ready to talk Kid #2, Steven isn’t interested to venture into a family of four. I’m learning that our family unit is pretty great as it is. One of my aunts said once, “when you’re aching for a new baby, hold the ones you have tighter.” I think about these words often, and I’ll tell you, it helps.

Generosity - Sure, we tithe and give to those who ask, but I can do more. One example: I’ve kept all of Wes’ baby things with the thought that we might use them again. I guess it’s still possible, but my attitude of clingyness has been pretty horrible. I failed to lend out my maternity clothes to a coworker, and I felt terrible about it her whole pregnancy. I mean, I borrowed tons of maternity clothes and have accepted hand-me-down toys and clothes for Wes from others, so why not do the same? I’m slowly giving away Wesley’s outgrown things, and I’m doing a much better job of not attaching memories to everything. What’s the point in giving if you don’t do it lovingly?

Hospitality - Before we became parents, we had people over all the time. YouTube parties were a hit, and we’d have nearly 50 people in our little house. I was much better at keeping house at that time, and I’ve gotten busy and lazy. I am embarrassed to have people over, as I have little confidence in the cleanliness of all surfaces and of my cooking and baking skills. I think Pinterest has derailed me. There’s no way I can keep up, but you know what? People probably don’t care all that much. I feel like we’ve lost connections with some of our friends over the years, and I want to repair what I can, develop deeper relationships and form new ones. My parents have a solid group of friends that have been close for over 30 years. I want that. And I want that for Wes, too.

Lots to think about in the next ten years, but I’m ready.

The post 30 for 30 appeared first on The Shattucks.

The plan was to leave midday on Friday, but we had a rough Thursday night and ended up at the pediatrician the following morning with another double ear infection. (That’s four in 6 months, for those of you counting.) Saturday morning’s departure wasn’t so bad – it was one less day of figuring out nap schedules away from home – and we enjoyed a happy-go-lucky kid, especially since we gained an hour driving north.

If you drive along 65 around the Lafayette area, you’ll pass miles of wind turbines. Wes was awestruck with the alien-looking things, and, in reference, he kept signing “star,” which I believe is a pretty close description. We picked up the train to head into Chicago, and again, Wes was amazed to see, hear and ride a real-life train. You better believe he signed “train” and yelled “WHOA” pretty much the entire 45 minute trip. I’m not ashamed to say that my beaming pride was evident as people oohed and aaahed over my adorable son.

After checking into the hotel, we took a quick walk around Magnificent Mile before settling in for naptime. Thankfully the excitement from the morning worked its magic, and Wes knocked out cold within minutes. Steven followed suit. So I got to read in an overly comfortable bed above Chicago while the boys rested. And you know what? One of the absolute best things about 4-star hotels are the hot showers and the complimentary toiletries. Their sleeping allowed me to test out the mini spa treatments in fancy packaging and actually wash my hair.

From the 9th floor of our hotel, Wes loved to watch the cars and busses (and sign accordingly) pass by. He was ecstatic when we hopped on a bus to the LEGO store and later the John Hancock Observatory. (PS – The Observatory is cheaper than Willis/Sears Tower, the lines are totally manageable, there’s a cafe at the top and the views are just as good, if not better.) Stroller riding is fun to an extent, but a wiggly toddler needs to wiggle, and that he did – 100 floors up. We got some meager photos, but the trip was super fun. I didn’t understand until later today, but the incoherent sign that Wes performed all that evening was “night.” Duh. We were up there and looking over all the lights of the city as the sun set.

Today we took a quick trip to Shedd Aquarium. We did have a couple meltdowns prior to seeing any fish, but once we did, Wes was in heaven. He couldn’t get enough. And no matter if it was a snake, eel or stingray. They were all signed as “fish.” He was beside himself with excitement, and I couldn’t help but laugh at him.

A few pieces of advice about Shedd – GO EARLY. We arrived just an hour after it open and the lines were already long. Also, BRING A STROLLER. Even if your child ends up walking the whole trip, having a stroller or wheelchair automatically puts you in the “accessible line,” which is at least 1/3 shorter. For real. And if you bring a 19-month-old? Skip all the extra exhibits and just pay the $8 general admission. You’re saving yourself at least $30 each, and in our case, Wes was done after an hour.

So I know this post is heavy with sign language talk. Maybe you are on the fence about whether to introduce it to your kids. Or maybe you think it’s a damper on language development. Or maybe you just don’t even know that it’s a trend! I was hesitant to keep at it because I’m pretty terrible with follow-through, but it’s worked really well for us. I didn’t know just how well until we came home tonight. Wesley was getting ready for bed and carried on an entire conversation with me with his grunts, few words and limited signs. Without any prompting from me, he signed “fish,” “train,” “bus,” “star” and “car” over and over again. Heavy emphasis on the train. He remembered the whole weekend’s events and wanted to tell me about it!

Some kids are talking more fluently than Wes at his age, but this is the way he is able to communicate right now, and his little face just lights up that he CAN, and that I understand. It’s now a two-way conversation. And golly, if it takes a trip to Chicago to figure this out, well, where to next week?!

The post Chicago with Love (and some signs) appeared first on The Shattucks.

Our Ashbaugh family Christmas was a large one. It was the first time in several years that all the aunts, uncles, cousins and great grandkids were able to make it. Minus one spouse, we were a party of 33. It was truly special to have the nearly entire family together, and I know my grandparents loved it all.

Steven brought the Wii U to the extravaganza, and I’m pretty sure my favorite part of the day was my 2.5-year-old nephew’s attempts to contribute to the 5-person game, only to get stuck in a corner and announce periodically, “I just scored!” What a fun day.

Christmas Eve is always spent with my parents and my sister’s family. The kids are getting old enough to really get excited about the presents under the tree, and that makes Christmas all the more fun and special. We lost Elli to impatience halfway through our Christmas brunch, so the rest of the day was spent sipping coffee, eating biscotti and enjoying each other’s company. Perfect.

Christmas Eve service was beautiful. However, I spent more than half of the service in the hallway due to Wes’ discouragement that the ceiling fan was, in fact, not spinning. He was adorable in his red tie.

We were lucky to have a laid back, quiet Christmas morning. Wes opened a few presents after we got coffee and actually woke up. By 1o am, we were in the car and heading to Ohio for Christmas Day with the Shattucks. I always enjoy the ride over on Christmas day because it was then that we made phone calls to family and friends with news of our engagement in 2006. It’s fun to reminisce.

Shattuck Christmas is always crazy with loooooots of presents and wrapping paper and chaos and then everyone veges out for the remainder of the day. We snack on clam dip, sausage dip and cookies all day long. It’s just wonderful. Wes followed Pa around the house all afternoon, pointing out the various clocks in their house. While Wes was entertained, I got to play with my silly little niece, who was fascinated with taking goofy photos of ourselves.

We headed home that night because BLIZZARD 2012 was headed to Indy. The next morning we woke up to only about an inch of snow, but it accumulated as we began hibernating for the next two days. We left the house only to shovel/play in the snow (of which Wes is not a big fan)…

…and to check out Christmas at the Zoo, which was amazing. The newly fallen snow made a beautiful backdrop to all the lights and animals at night. It is definitely worth doing again next year.

Since we’ve been spending so much time with Wes, we’ve noticed a few things. 1) He’s walking EVERYWHERE. He is getting fearless, and it’s totally unlike him. Now he’s even trying to climb stairs! 2) He eats far better if he’s sans tray in his high chair – sitting at the table. He’s pretty big stuff. 3) Transitioning from a 2-hour nap to a one-hour nap is happening whether we like it or not. 4) Grapes are like candy.

Steven and I do not go back to work until after New Year’s Day, so the rest of the week’s plans remain unplanned. Just soaking up family time and spending an afternoon here and there with friends is pretty much the best vacation ever.

The post Christmas Break appeared first on The Shattucks.

I caught him in action tonight. Complete with a face plant.

The post Wes Walks the Line appeared first on The Shattucks.

(I know, right? Cutest kid ever.) I decided – on a whim – to get his “ears lowered” today. He did as well as can be expected. Mildly tormented, sure, but overall good times.

I would’ve loved to get my haircut here. You get to sit in a race car with a personal TV screen showing cartoons.

And even though there were a few tears, everything is perfect with a balloon! I go back tomorrow to pick up his official certificate and photo to document the occasion. My dapper little guy.

The post First Haircut appeared first on The Shattucks.

Mom got pretty exhausted by me, I know. But seriously, nothing else sounded appetizing except Cheerios. And so what if I’m snotty? It’s gonna just keep coming, so it really doesn’t make sense to wipe off my face all the time.

But it got better. I started sleeping better again, too. And I had time to focus my energy on moving these stumps of legs again. All these adults think it’s so great when I do this thing where I move one leg in front of the other. It’s tough, but man, do I ever get lots of smiles and laughs! I’m pretty close to trying it without hanging on to one of them.

I even figured out a way to get around for the time being.

The adults also like it if I try to repeat words to them. Seems it help, too, because they’re giving me the things I want. Finally. So I’m telling them about the motion of a ball in different reference frames, how clocks work, the history of the model car and so forth. It seems to make them happy.

And last weekend, we went to a farm that was growing a strange kind of orange ball. We ended up taking home 3 of them of various sizes, but they’re still sitting on the front porch. I don’t understand the point of the phototaking with these things, but it was still a fun day with the ‘rents.

Seems to me each month that passes gets easier to live with Mom & Dad. They’re pretty cool, I guess.

The post As told by Wes: 15 months appeared first on The Shattucks.

Land’s End

It’s Thursday night. While I’m itching to snuggle with Jake and Lucy at home, I’m glad we have one more full day at Hilton Head. It’s been fantastic. I love the southern end of the island we’ve made home for the last several days. We’ve talked with locals and frequent fliers every time we’re outside. The people are friendly, and well, they like to steal smiles from Wes. Who doesn’t?

Apparently we chose wisely because two different couples (mind you, we’ve only seen empty-nesters, retirees and groups of long-time friends during this week) have told us that it took them several trips and several years to “settle” in Land’s End and South Beach. And once they found it, they haven’t looked back. And it’s no wonder – Sea Pines in general is absolutely gorgeous, but there’s also something charming about the end-of-the-road. You get as private of a public beach as possible, surrounded by green marshes and dolphin families in the Sound. It’s a gentler part of Hilton Head.

And then there’s the fun of the Marina next door. We’ve gotten ice cream nearly every night, swam at the pool half a dozen times and talked with the parrots living in the courtyard.

Cruise pointing

Earlier this week we ventured to Harbour Town, which is the postcard focal point of the island. The small red and white lighthouse is – there’s really no other way to describe it otherwise – cute, and the marina surrounding it is clean, classic and fun. We took a dolphin cruise from Harbour Town and counted nearly 20 different dolphin! Did you know that whales are considered dolphins? And that every dolphin has a dorsel fin as unique as a person’s face? In the words of our cruise tour guide, “Aaaaabsolutely!”

Wes has been the center of attention during our stay. Everyone comes up to us and asks us questions about his age, how he likes the beach, etc. One little adorable boy, about 5 or 6, fell in love with Wes during the cruise. The two played peek-a-boo for a half hour or more. Wes squealed and brought smiles to all around. The little boy’s family hung around us, asked us similar questions about Wes and we enjoyed some friendly conversation. After the boy and his family left to walk around the boat, Steven turned to me and said, “You know who that was, don’t you?” No, of course I didn’t.

Apparently Steven saw a facebook photo posted by The Salty Dog (you know, the world-famous restaurant down the road from where we’re staying) the night before of a few staff posing with former Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson. Sure enough, he and his family ended up on the SAME DOLPHIN CRUISE as us. And that little boy? YUP. Kevin Richardson’s SON PLAYED WITH WES. And I TALKED WITH KEVIN RICHARDSON without realizing who he was. Of course the dolphins weren’t nearly as intriguing as our discovery during the rest of the cruise. We spent the last half hour trying to get discreet photos of the “landscape” with him in the background. I won. I get the prize. I won’t post the photo publicly to be nice to his sweet family, but you better believe Steven posted it on his facebook wall.

Yay, friends!

Yesterday we headed to Charleston to visit with my longtime girlfriend and two kids. They have lived in the Charleston area for several years now, and I haven’t been able to visit. It really didn’t make sense NOT to see them since we were so close in proximity, so we made arrangements to meet in Mt. Pleasant and take the ferry to Fort Sumter. Her 3-year-old, Liam, wasn’t so interested in the ferry trip itself, but once we got to the fort, he was enthralled. His reaction to everything was priceless! I’ve never seen a kid get so excited about an old sword or a cannon. At each plaque containing several paragraphs of historical moments from that spot, he’d ask Angie to tell him what happened. He and his little sister warmed up quickly to Steven, and we all had a fun day despite 3 tired children without naps!

Sea Pines Forest Preserve

Today we took a brief walk through the Sea Pines Forest Preserve. Beautiful, cool place. We spotted an alligator, several turtles and many other interesting creatures while among the big old winding trees and marshy pools. The pesky mosquitos got the better of us, however, and we didn’t get to stay as long as we’d hoped. When Wes is older, it will be great to go deep into the preserve to scout out birds and reptiles.

We’ve noticed that Wes seems to thrive best in a home-life environment. Meaning, he’s not so good in public anymore. He’s still a sweet kid and will usually give lots of smiles to strangers, but at home he’s happy, giggling and pleasant. He naps and goes to bed well when given this time to roam the floor and play independently. In fact, he’s adapted so well to this villa (we spend the whole morning at home each day), that he’s learned new “tricks!”

• The morning we left for vacation he started pulling himself up to stand. He was still shaky at the beginning of the week, but now he confidently pulls himself up wherever he can!
• Until today, Wes would complain and be scared when he pulled himself up and got “stuck.” We’d have to him him sit back down. Now he is up and down and crawling around everywhere.
• Wes’ signing has been sloooooow to say the least. He knows and understands signs, but he barely showed any interest in communicating back. Today he’s happily signing “milk,” but that seems to be all the time now, haha.
• He is also pointing at everything he deems interesting. He’s been doing this for a few weeks now, but there’s been so many new things for him to discover this week that he’s been a pointing machine.

Of course,  I’ve also thought that perhaps his advancements this week could be because he’s been around his 2 favorite people 24/7 for days. He likes this. He loves our praises and asks for more. Monday will be hard for all of us as we get back into reality swings. But despite Wes’ crankiness (he’s got yet another cold and yet another bad diaper rash) today, this week has provided an excellent backdrop for a relaxing vacation.

To view the rest of our vacation photos, click here.

Now to finish the last 20% of the last book of the Game of Thrones trilogy before my library Kindle copy expires tomorrow!

The post Shattuck Vacation Part 2 appeared first on The Shattucks.

The week was a true birthday marathon. We got to celebrate Wesley’s life with so many friends and family. It was perfect. And I came to the realization of several things:

Wes is not a fan of cake. It’s too sticky, slimy and weird.

Wes may love wrapping paper more than the present inside.

Opening presents on his actual birthday

Wes has a pretty amazing, loving & funny family. (And even has Indian “parents” who came to celebrate his birth!)

Leah’s family with the Lalls at Wes’ birthday dinner

Shattuck-Attack!

Goofy relatives

We have some “cool” friends.

Muhammad, what what

Jacobs finding some shade

Did you get it? haha

A city-wide water ban is no fun for kids.

Wes and his cousin Anna testing out the water table

Bebe approves!

And our friends are talented artists.

Party attendees predict Wes’ future in a fun board book

I’m sad that I didn’t bring out the camera until later, so I didn’t get photos of the fondue, decorations and cake. Or all the kids playing in the baby pools and water splashing everywhere. But you can certainly see how many people love this little guy. And all that DEAD GRASS.

It was a super fun week. My little boy, who is now in the 75th percentile for weight (he keeps dropping!) and 50th for height, isn’t so little anymore. And you know what? I like it. I’m okay with that. I’m excited to experience his growth into toddlerhood. Let there be many more birthday celebrations! (But maybe not quite this big.)

Click here to see his Month 12 photos.

The post Day 365+ appeared first on The Shattucks.

It’s a very small scoot-crawl, but it’s there! I’ve heard it goes fast from here. Those baby gates I installed 6 months ago may actually come to use (outside of keeping the dogs in the kitchen)! Ironically, he starts therapy next week, haha. My little genius.

The post Scoot over, World! appeared first on The Shattucks.

Here’s a few noteworthy new Wes-isms of Month 11:

1. Waving bye-bye nearly every time we enter a new room. I’m not sure he really understands what “goodbye” really means, ha.
2. Using his pointer finger to check out and discover the world. No, not to point AT things, but he loves to stick his finger into the little holes screws sit in on all his plastic battery-operated toys. He points ON the dogs’ ears, the rug, knobs and pretty much anything he can reach these days. (see video below)
3. Pivoting onto his knees from a sitting position. If a ball rolls just out of reach, he will now turn his hips so that he ends up on his hands with one knee on the floor. Still doesn’t quite know what to do with the crossed leg in the way, but it’s one step closer to crawling!
4. Clapping. All the time.
5. Making underwater noises with his fingers and mouth. I’m not really sure what that sound is called, technically. It’s not a “raspberry,” but I’m sure you know what I mean by “underwater sound.” Wes faces his palm toward his chin and uses all of his fingers to brush his bottom lip while he hums. In fact, Steven and Wes now have a little mimicking game where one will start and the other will call back with his own lips. Cuteness abounds.
6. Saying a very basic form of “doggy” and “daddy.” He lights up when the dogs are in the room and screams, “DAH DAH” and then “GEEE.” It’s pretty similar when he sees Steven walk through the door.
7. Playing the “Uh Oh” game. He loves to throw toys and food to the ground and then say, “uh uh ohhhhh” over and over again. It’s pretty much the cutest thing you’ll ever see.
8. Spitting applesauce all over Mommy. Nothing else needs to be said here.

We are meeting with First Steps later this week to evaluate his gross motor skill development. It may be that he’s just indeed slow to progress, but I feel better knowing whether or not he would benefit with some physical therapy assistance. Who knows? Maybe by the time we head to the beach over Labor Day, he’ll be walking all over the place! Wouldn’t that be a major change around this house?

Enjoy his 11 Month photos here.

The post 11 Months Already? appeared first on The Shattucks.