Finally, an update!

Well, I'm sure you all thought we were never comming back, it's been so long since we've updated our blog! The summer has been fun and a little busy, and now we're back! Just a few pictures since our last update...

He thought his baby pool was fun in Grandma's backyard.
However, notice the lack of water...there was a leak, Bummer!

I don't know if we even want to go there with this picture,

but we were happy to get this shot.

My brother Chase gradutated from Brighton High School in June.
He also received and is now serving a
mission down at Temple Square as a garden aide.
We are so proud of him!

We were also so excited for the newest addition to our
Lodder family to arrive...
Sweet princess Emma Ann Taylor!
She was born exactly 6 months and 12 hours apart from Ashton.
I guess that could mean they're destined to be best budds!
(Isn't she a cutie?)

That's all folks! Check back again for our HELMET post!

Boy, how five months "roll" by!

Ashton turned 5 months old yesterday! We can't believe how he's grown and how cute he is! He taught himself how to roll over from his tummy to his back on May 8th. He is so proud of himself when this happens and thinks it is way too much fun.

For those of you who are wondering...Ashton weighs 16.6 pounds and is 25.75 inches long-which is surprisingly less than 1 pound heavier than at 4 months.

A Few First's

The last couple of weeks with Ashton have been fun with a few new "First's".

Ashton started solids this week. We've found that sweet potatoes are a favorite, and string beans- not so much.

Chico likes to be a part of the action and is warming up to the boy. This particular event, however, was a first.

Finally! A real stroller ride; one that is actually outside and around our neighborhood! We have been waiting forever to do this. Mom loves to go on walks and especially when
it's with the "Ashy".

A Shave and a Haircut

Yes, he's already had a hair cut--two of them in fact. His first one was on April 1st when he was about three and a half months old. We sure liked his long and thinning tresses, but after that dang I.V. in the head we thought it was time for a trim...

He was pretty handsome before, but we definately love his new stylish image. Thanks grandma "Nanny"!

Pictures worth a thousand words....

We apologize for the lack of updates to our family blog. As you know we have had a brief pause in our lives here at the Alexander household. Instead of reliving every detail of our near-tragic experience we thought we'd share some pictures with you-(thanks to the "Aunt Kimmi's"). We're sorry we weren't able to capture the actual trauma of that day/week-obviously impossible, but we sure wish we had a photo of Ashton on Life Flight! Speaking of--It is quite the experience following Life Flight across the valley in the longest car ride of your life knowing that your "miracle" is struggling to survive. Talk about a reality check!

These first three photos are taken up at Primary's trauma E.R. in the resuscitation room right after the "Team" had stabilized Ashton and we were able to be with him.

During our stay social work came to visit Ashton and offered to take him on a stroller ride. We thought it would be fun since he was starting to feel better and loves to look at things--but we found that "fun" didn't even begin to describe it! We even talked the workers into letting us keep the stroller while we were there to go anytime we wanted. Ashton also quickly discovered the T.V. that was located up at the foot of his bed. He would even turn his head towards it every time we passed it by in the stroller! He now watches "The Backyardagains" and "Blue's Clues" from start to finish every day at least once and he also goes on rides in his umbrella stoller throughout the house daily, so guess where he watches his television shows...from in his stroller of course!!!

Lastly, this picture is of what we think was one of Ashton's favorite part of being at Primary (aside from the "baby wheelchair rides")- the Butterflies! There is a mom who after she lost her baby while up at the hospital decided to make these butterflies for the infant unit with the help of her family. She came and hung from the ceiling all 650 butterflies herself; she wants the sick infants to have something happy and colorful to look at as they get strolled in the hospital beds and look up at the ceiling.
We found a "pink" butterfly on the floor of a hallway after Ashton's upper G.I. and the nurse told us we could keep it! Ashton is sure glad we did. We hung it centered above the head of the changing table and when Ashton gets changed he smiles, and laughs and talks to the butterfly! We sure are relieved, it must bring back only good memories!

We want to thank our family and friends for all of your prayers, support and love over the last couple of years. We love you so much and feel blessed to be so loved in return. Throughout our trials we have learned that we really are in control of nothing, it is how we deal with what we're given that matters; and that FAITH is everything. Life is too short to be taken for granted.

"We never know how good we are until we're called to rise..." -Emily Dickinson

Our first family photoshoot...

And for those of you who have experienced Ashton's fits,
you'll appreciate this shot...(kind of sad actually)

All Smiles and Laughs

Yep, it has happened. We had our very first total blow-out. We are a little surprised, however, that it hasn't happened until now. You know, it's pretty hard to remove soiled clothing without getting the babe completely covered and need another bath...of course this incident may only happen once a bath is complete.
As you can see, Ashton is pretty impressed with himself; and parents forgive many things easily once one of these is flashed...

Great Grandparents sure are GREAT!

We had to catch a picture of Great Grandma Jones and her little buddy while at lunch with his other grandma, aunts, mom and cousins! Too cute!

At only 6 days old Ashton got the "great" opportunity to have Great Grandma Alexander hold him on our first outing on Christmas Eve.

Ashton has had some special visitors this last month. Great Grandma Karen came to play while mom and dad went to lunch.

Great Grandpa Larry came to steal another squeeze from Ashton before leaving town and got to feed him his bottle. How many of you were ever fed a bottle by your great grandpa?

Lucky for Great Grandpa and Grandma Lodder, they got to see Ashton twice in the last 2 weeks. Ashton loves Great Grandma to bite his toes!