asher at 2 1/2

My beautiful boy is now 2 1/2 (as of a few weeks ago). I'd been wanting to sit down with him and get some good portraits but it just wasn't happening. Then I caught these images the same morning I took the ones of Miriam below. He was being so sweet about smiling for the camera. And doing a real smile on demand doesn't happen often with kids this age! I just adore him. I think he looks so grown up in this first photo. I can see how he's more and more boy and less and less baby, even if he does still like to say he's my baby.

I'm amazed by how much Ash has changed in the last 6 months. He is talking SO SO SO much. It took him awhile to catch on to English but man now he can say anything and everything. The only unfortunate thing is he still uses Fs for Ts and Ds at the beginning of words. And trucks are his favorite thing ever so we hear a lot of what sounds like a certain swear word. :-)

Asher can be oh so sweet. He's really into asking for hugs when he doesn't want to go to bed. He is such a mama's boy and SUCH a charmer! He's still nursing although we have set more rules and he only nurses morning, before and after nap, and before bed. Hoping to reduce this more in the next couple months. He sure loves "nurse milk". He gets this sweet little smile on his face and says "Nurse, please?"

He is actually quite polite with his pleases and thank yous. When I say "You're welcome" he says back "welcome" in the adorable little sing song way.

The other favorite thing he says is if you ask him a question to which the answer is yes, he will often say "Yeah-ah, I di-id." It is hard to type it how he says it but it is SO cute.

Of course he can throw a tantrum with the best of them. And he's prone to violence at times. He also has a thing for turning everything into a gun with accompanying sound effects. He is such a boy! And yet he loves to cuddle and take care of baby dolls too.

He is really into labeling adults either a Mommy or Daddy or a Man or a Lady. Usually he insists they are Mommys and Daddys even if they aren't. He also usually refers to himself as "You" which we find hilarious. He knows his name is Asher and has recently started using that more but if you point to a picture of him and ask who it is, he'll say "You" and pat his chest. Although I haven't noticed the past few days he's started using "me" as well. It's so fun watching him learn and figure things out.

He also loves to cuddle with me and say, "This MY mama!" And he says "I yuh you, Mama" which just melts my heart. 

One more adorable thing is he never says the word kiss, he just does the kissy noise... as in "I *kiss kiss* Mimi?" and then he kisses her.

Asher is a wonderful little guy to have around. He is so entertaining and delightful. I love being his mother and I love having him as my little friend.