100 Days of Aiden!



Date: May 30, 2012

Weight: 16.3 pounds

Height: 27 ½ inches



Sunday marked the 100th day that my little man has been in this world. I cannot believe how the time has flown and how much this little guy has grown. He has doubled his birth weight and grown six and a half inches! Every day brings something new to learn and experience with him, and I am soaking up every minute of it. It seems like Aiden is feeling pretty comfortable around 16 pounds right now but he continues to grow in length. In the next few weeks we are going to experience a lot of new things, including his very first time in a pool! I cannot wait to see his reaction, hopefully he takes to the pool like he takes to his baths! I am working on a collage of the first 100 days of Aiden which will be posted as soon as possible but since it is Wednesday I had to get his Weigh-In up!

 Caught my little man having a good dream :)

First California Weigh-In!

Aiden & Daddy!

Well the time has come, Aiden and I are in California! It was a tearful goodbye at the airport on Tuesday(at least on my part) and hard to leave Dave knowing that it will be a big chunk of time before we get to see him again. I was extremely nervous about flying with Aiden, but of course, it turns out there was no reason to be. The little man slept through both flights and did not even make a peep! He used our layover in Atlanta to be awake and chat with the people around us, basically use up all his energy so that he would be exhausted for our 4 hour flight. Even though he was an angel it was still a little rough for me, because he is such a big boy and a sleep squirmer! My arm was ready to fall off after that flight! It was the smoothest LAX (Los Angeles Airport) experience, anyone probably ever had. We walked off the plane (which landed almost 30 minutes early) and the car seat and stroller were right there waiting for us. I took Aiden for a quick change, then we hit the elevators and the moment we stepped out and turned I saw my mom and Dad headed to baggage claim. I called out to them, there was a quick exchange of baby and hugs when I saw my luggage on the carousel! Some nice man helped me get one of the suitcases off, my cardboard box was in perfect condition and all my luggage was easily identifiable by the socks I tied to them! :) I know, cardboard boxes and socks..I thought it would be a good theft deterrent and would simultanesously allow me to recognize my new luggage. We got everything packed up into the car and headed to ouyr temporary home for the next couple months.
Today I set up the Wii, so we could continue Aiden's growth charts and the Weigh-In Wednesday tradition. Aiden is adjusting to the new surroundings like a champ but I know that he misses his Daddy, as do I. We can't wait till he joins us in California, I hope he knows how much we love and appreciate him. I'll keep you all updated on our future adventures now that we are in a brand new state!



Date: May 23, 2012

Weight: 16.3 pounds

Height: 27 inches





3 Months Old!!!

The toys he pushed the buttons on!!!

One arm out!

Almost all the way out!!

I love the moment before I get the shirt over his head,
he looks like a little robot. 

Yesterday our little man reached the 3-month mark! I do not know where the first three months have gone, I can already tell that time is going to fly by so much faster now that I am a parent.
:) On our Weigh-In Wednesday Aiden did something new for the first time. He pushed the buttons on one of his toys to make it play music! :) He has done it three times in the past two days, and every time I swear that I get more excited than he does(even though he gets a huge smile on his face). I just find everything he does so impressive, but him pushing the buttons really pushed me over the top. He is also quite the escape artist when it comes to his swaddle, almost every morning he now has at least one arm out but this morning he had both arms and the swaddle was down around his lower belly!


Tomorrow we get to take family pictures, I will post them as soon as I can. I am so excited!!!

Final Memphis Weigh-In

It is a bittersweet day, the last day we weigh-in before Aiden and I head out to California. We will still continue to do our weigh-ins from California, but it will be all in brand new surroundings for my little man. Yesterday was our first less than perfect outing with Aiden. We went to a sports banquet for Dave's old school, where we both coached, and found out that our baby really doesn't like a room full of people shouting and clapping. He was less than thrilled to be there, and during the second half of the banquet Dave took him out into the hall to cheer him up. I guess we are going to have to slowly work him up to being accustomed to that kind of ruckus. I need you all to keep your fingers crossed for our plane ride, I am really nervous about traveling with a baby. Tune in next week for our very first California Weigh-In!!

Date: May 16, 2012

Weight: 16.3 pounds

Height: 26.75 inches

First Mother's Day

I just celebrated my first Mother's Day as a mom, and it was all kinds of wonderful. It actually started on Saturday night, we went to Drive Inn to see The Avengers. The movie was incredible, and we got to watch it in the comfort of our car with snacks that we packed. I love Drive Inns, it is a shame that there are so few left these days.

On Sunday morning, I awoke to a stack of pancakes brought to my bedside; including one that was in the shape of Mickey Mouse! I told David that since he had already promised to take us to get family pictures before I left, that he could count that as my Mother's Day present. In my mind, that was more than enough because it was something that I had really wanted. Well, David had something else up his sleeve, he took Aiden and I to the Zoo! I have wanted to go the Memphis Zoo since I moved here over a year ago, but something always came up and I never got the chance. Now that I am about to move back to California, I was sad because I figured I had missed my opportunity to go to the zoo(which is rated one of the best zoos in the entire country). I was so excited when I found out that we were going there for Mother's Day, other than the family photos, it was the best present I could have dreamt of. We had a wonderful day, the weather was cool and slightly overcast which had all the animals out and about. All of our favorites were there, and we got to see some of the most playful cats I have ever seen. It was the biggest outing we have ever taken Aiden on, and I was thankful to have that before our big trip to California. Aiden was perfect all day, and I got my first taste of what it would be like feeding him in public. Even though I know a lot of the animals are probably too far away for him to see, he seemed to have an amazing time. He was happy and alert, constantly looking around, trying to soak it all in except for the hour or so that he fell asleep in the stroller. We took photos and played around, just having a marvelous time as a family. It was perfect. I am so glad that we got to have this experience before we leave, it is going to be nice to have this memory to hold onto while we wait for David to join us in California. I am so thankful for how special he made this Mother's Day for me, I feel truly blessed. If that were not enough, he took me out for a delectable sushi dinner that we gobbled down, in what seemed like seconds, because of our long, wonderful day. We enjoyed five different sushi rolls (which he ordered because I like to be surprised) and every one of them was magnificent, it was impossible to pick a favorite. Usually, I can easily pick one I like above the others, but he picked so splendidly that it was like I was eating a whole platter of favorites. :) 

Lucky for me I don't have to come off my Mother's Day high because sometime within the next week I get to take family pictures with the two wonderful boys in my life. If you hadn't noticed already I have a little bit of a photo obsession. :) I hope that all the Mother's in my life(especially my mom, grandmas, and aunts) had an amazing day and got to feel as special as I did. I am thankful for all of you and I am honored to have you as a part of my life, thank you for setting an example for me and helping me be the best mother I can be for my son.

This is one of the funniest things I have ever witnessed an animal at the zoo do!! :)

Incredible Oatmeal Cookies

Adorable little guy!

Well I have missed the past couple Food Fridays but I am going to make up for is in this post. For as long as I can remember, I have not liked Oatmeal cookies. I don't know if it was a flavor thing or a texture thing, for some reason they just always have rubbed me the wrong way. My fiance' loves oatmeal cookies (he loves all cookies) and we have a big tub of Quaker oats left over from when my mom was in town. I decided that I would put my prejudice aside and try my hand at oatmeal cookies. I have to say, I love these cookies! I do not know why the sudden change of taste, or if it only applies to these specific cookies, only time and other tastings will tell. This batch of cookies only lasted a few days in my house, I am sure that the same will be said for you if you try your hand at these little bites of happiness.




Incredible Oatmeal Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cup oats
1 cup Raisinets 
1 cup chopped walntuts
(It is all about the last two ingredients!!!)


Preheat oven to 325 F.
Cream butter and sugars. 
Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla.
Combine dry ingredients (ingredients in red) in a separate bowl, then slowly incorporate into the wet ingredients. 
Mix in oats, Raisinets, and nuts. 
Drop heaping spoonfuls on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 16 minutes.
Leave for 5 minutes on pan before removing to cool on wire rack.

B is for Bath!

                        Aiden Stats

Date: May 9, 2012

Weight: 15.7 pounds

Height: 26.25 inches

It looks like Aiden has leveled out in his growth, just gained a few ounces this week! He is happy and healthy, still fitting in his 6 month clothes! Aiden is starting to get too big for the infant setting in his bathtub, which makes me really sad, but I am happy that it has a "bigger kid" setting.

We have been busy packing for our big trip to California, we have a lot to do and only 12 days to get it done! Since Aiden is too small to help me physically pack, he offers his assistance by cheering me on and keeping the conversation going. By the way he tries to talk now, I can tell that he is going to be quite the chatterbox once he learns "real" words. Although I am in no hurry for him to grow up, I cannot wait to hear all the amazing things he has to say! 

4 Things I Never Knew/Understood About Babies

1) Babies are not sound sleepers. Well, I should say they are not always sound sleepers. Whoever came up with the term "sleeping like a baby," was delusional if they were referring to a peaceful sleep. There are brief periods when Aiden sleeps perfectly still, his breathing is quiet, steady and even. However, the rest of the time he is squirming, flailing, snorting, whimpering, and for the most part he continues to sleep through it. I, on the other hand, wake up to all of his little sounds, which makes my sleep considerably less than it should be. Other than hunger, the one thing that consistently wakes Aiden up is a sudden twitch or jerk of his body. These sudden movements can be controlled by swaddling(wrapping your baby tightly in a blanket) or as my mom and I like to call it, putting him in a baby strait jacket.

 

2) Babies fingernails grow faster than the speed of light and can be used as serious weapons of destruction. Okay, so I am exaggerating a LITTLE, they are not serious weapons of destruction but it is surprising how much damage one little nail can do to both you and your baby. Honestly, I have to clip Aiden's fingernails every 3-4 days or they will grow to a weapon length. I have cute little claw marks on the back of my neck and chest from his little hands digging into me. Clipping his nails is no easy task either, he likes to jerk and pull his hands away; smiling like the whole process is a big game. I guess when you have a solely milk-based diet, it makes sense that your nails grow incredibly fast, I just never thought about it before or realized the implications it had.

Getting his diaper changed!

3) Everything that I thought was gross about babies before doesn't phase me at all now. I have to admit it always weirded me out when I saw people breast feeding in public, but now I get it. I have no problem changing my little man's diaper, it is just a normal part of my day. I have been peed on, pooped on, vomited on, and spit up on and it just doesn't phase me. The only thing that I really get upset about is how Aiden is feeling when he has thrown up. It is impossible to get frustrated or angry with Aiden because he smiles up at me and makes me forget everything else. Every day I am with him, he makes my heart melt and I love him even more.

4) You can never have enough pictures of your own child. I always wondered why people had hundreds of pictures of the baby, and I have to admit I would get tired of seeing those pictures after about the 15th one. After having my own little miracle, I completely understand the "photo obsession" that takes hold of parents. Of course when you have an incredibly cute (handsome/adorable/precious) baby like I do, it makes it particularly hard not to be constantly snapping pictures. I just want to capture every moment, gesture, facial expression and milestone because it is all so incredible to me. So, forgive me in advance if I try to show you 20+ pictures of my perfect little angel!

First May Weigh-In!

Hooray, it is my new favorite day of the week, Wednesday! I love the little ritual we have created of finding out my little guy's measurements after a nice, warm bath. I think that Aiden may look forward to this day almost as much as I do, this kid loves his baths! This week we didn't really have an increase in length and we had a little bit of a decrease in weight but rest assured, I am told that it is perfectly normal. Our last Weigh-In was at night(we had a really busy day) and we usually do it in the morning, so I am pretty sure that that accounts for the few ounce difference that we have this week. I am not complaining it means that he will fit in his clothes a little longer! 
We got some news yesterday, my parents bought Aiden and I a ticket to California for my birthday! In 20 days we will both be soaking up the California sunshine and the love of our family, this will be the first time that they all get to meet Aiden(other than my mom)! I am so thankful for the generosity of my parents, the understanding/supportiveness of my fiance and the opportunity to see my family whom I love and miss so much. 

Aiden Stats

Date: May 2, 2012

Weight: 15.4 pounds

Length: 26 inches

I love his poses!!!

Aiden & Daddy!!

I would just like to point out in the bottom two pictures Aiden is wearing his first Angels outfit!!! :)

Closer to 30

My "Little" Family

My Wonderful Parents

Fun Times in Vegas!!!

Aiden and Mommy

Fabulous Family

Feeling the Love 

Cousin Craziness!!! :)

Well, I am officially closer to 30 than 20 today and I admit that I feel more grown up than I ever have before. I think becoming engaged and a mother probably has something to do with that, since those are really the only things that have changed in the past year.(I find it funny that I say "only" when they are two of those biggest life-changing events I have ever experienced.)  I feel older yet I still feel like the kind of person who still wants/love Robin Hood themed birthday parties( I actually just recently had one with that theme). As my age increases, I am getting the sneaking suspicion that my childlike enthusiasm and nature will not decrease; which should inspire some good times with my young one. My birthday rolling around makes me look forward to planning his, to all the fun we will share together in the future. It is funny how having a child changes your view of things, how it makes you see the world in a different light. I have had a lot of time to think about what I want for my birthday, and other than health/ happiness for my family, all I really want is to be surrounded by them. Having a child just intensifies the need for family (in my opinion), or at least my need for my family. I want Aiden to have the same great experience that I did, growing up in a strong close-knit family. A group(or groups) of people that love spending time together and are there for each other through thick and thin. The security you feel knowing that no matter what happens, these amazing, wonderful people are going to be there for you and you always have someone to which you can turn. I want him to feel as loved as I have felt my whole life, and although my love for him abounds, I know that it is not the same as having the family arsenal of love in your back pocket. We are trying our best to get Aiden out to California, to be engulfed by that waterfall of love, it is just taking longer than I'd like. I just need to learn to have patience and trust that things will work out the way they should. I am thankful to have a family to go home to, I am thankful for the family of my own that I have started and I look forward to the two of them converging in the (hopefully) not too distant future.