asher's two

our little asher celebrated his second birthday this weekend and it got me to thinking...
there are a lot of things i never knew before asher came into our lives. he has really broadened my horizons.
so to commemorate this oh-so-auspicious of occasions, i thought i'd make a list.

before asher, i didn't know...
1. i would ever be on a first name basis with several different doctor's office staffs
2. what to do when a child swallows windex (the poison control lady was SO nice!)
3. how to go through a cps investigation. it sucks. it really, really does. all because he thought it'd be a good idea to face-plant onto a tile floor
4. how it feels to see your baby roll over, learn how to sit up, and all sorts of other milestones you miss when you start with toddlers
5. how kids could get so dirty while eating. now i see it. i really do. he basically bathed himself in his dinner. and finger painted with his chocolate milk. really creative.
6. what a screaming banshee sounds like. it's interesting, especially in public.
7. how hilarious it is to see a little guy attempt to be a big boy like his brothers (and be pretty good at it)
8. how much a curly-headed boy gets called a girl. yes, i have four boys. not three boys and a girl. no matter how many times you ask, the answer is still the same.
9. how you could possibly willingly care for a child at the hospital even though every fiber of your being wishes you and your child were asleep in your own beds and not on a gross fold-out couch
10. how much a kid could like getting licked in the face by dogs. -i'm talking pure, unadulterated excitement and joy. ew.

asher, thanks for being patient with daddy and i as we learn through trial and error (lots of error) how to be the parents of a truly wild and wonderful little man. you're pretty great. -i'm not gonna lie.