Birthday!

 I was not sure if Aiden would realize that it was his birthday, or that he would grasp any idea of what birthday would mean. I definitely underestimated him. I am currently having trouble with making him accept and understand that EVERY day cannot be his birthday. Since his birthday party he has been asking me for "birthday" at least four times a day. I know it is partially my fault for having two parties for him, that would confuse any two-year-old.  At his second birthday party, we sang Happy Birthday to him, he blew out the candles and shouted, "Again!" I brought his little brownie back into the kitchen, lit the candles again and brought it back for him to blow the candles out again. He looked the candles, looked at all of us and pointed around the room while saying "Sing!." So, we all had to sing the song again, before he would blow out the candles. This year's party was Mickey Mouse themed, and I thought that it went pretty well. Aiden knew right away that it was a birthday because of all of the balloons and decorations. At the birthday brunch we had french toast bake, hashbrown casserole, biscuits & sausage gravy, a fruit tray, yogurt parfaits, blue berry muffins and coffee cake muffins. It was quite a spread and I was proud that I made it all myself, well except the fruit which was cut by my husband. Aiden did so well opening his presents, he was genuinely excited for all of his gifts, except for a few clothes that got a resounding "No" and were shoved back into the bag more quickly than I thought possible. I am so grateful that everyone came out to celebrate Aiden turning 2, it just would not be the same without being surrounded by family and friends. Aiden is enjoying all of his gifts, now that we are back at home (even the clothes). I have almost found a place for everything, which is a super exciting thing for me! I wish I had more pictures of his birthday, but alas I did not retrieve them from my father before I left. Hopefully, I will get them in a few weeks and be able to post them. Also, I am working on Wedding Thank-You's, I am hoping to have those out in the next couple weeks as well! Yay for fun mail! Hope you all had a terrific February, we sure did!

Last Post Before 2

Aiden loves his shopping cart!

This is the last blog post before my little boy turns 2, before my baby officially becomes a toddler. It has been a roller coaster of learning, laughter and lessons. I would not trade a single moment of it. I know that raising him will probably end up being the single most important thing I do with my life, and  I am honored that I get to be his mama. As we enter the "toddler" phase of his life, I hope that I can be the patient and loving mother that he deserves. I hope that I handle his meltdowns with grace and poise, and do not lash back in my frustration. I know that no matter what happens, I will continue to feel blessed beyond belief that this amazing, cute, smart little boy is mine. Just like I mention every week, his vocabulary is getting more expansive and impressive. He is saying some of his alphabet, counting numbers, singing songs, and just amazing me every day. Lately, he has been cracking me up because he says " Pe Ew" when something is smelly or he has soiled his diaper. The kid is a bundle of laughs! Although I am sad that the "baby" chapter of his life has come to a close, I look forward to the future with wonder and excitement at what the next chapter will bring.

I Love His Sideways Glance :)

Pe Eww!

He cracks me up!

Mom is an Annoying Word

Asleep at last... ;)

Just put together this present from Grandma & Grandpa
Aiden LOVES it!!

Usually, I write about how wonderful life is and how fast the time is passing by. This week has been a little rough though. I never realized how annoying the word "mom" can be and how my adorable little child can drive me totally up the wall repeating it over and over again. It would be one thing, if I was not acknowledging him and he was trying to get my attention. However, he just says "mom" repeatedly even when I answer him. I think he likes trying to get under my skin because when it gets to a point where I think that I am going to burst from annoyance, he cracks up laughing and runs down the hall. Every time I face a parenting hurdle like this, I gain even more respect for all those extremely patient moms out there. I consider myself to be a pretty patient person, but even my patience wears thin and I long for the moment where he goes down for a nap and I get to enjoy my hour of silence. Does this make me a terrible person? Maybe, but I made a resolution to be more honest about all aspects of my life and not just always paint a picture of perfection. I think it is okay to get annoyed with your kids, it does not mean you love them any less. It just means your human. I did not realize until recently, how important it is to take a few minutes every day for yourself. I used to think that people who did that were selfish and self-centered, now I realize it is a necessary measure to keep your sanity.  Right now I am trying to plain Aiden's birthday despite obstacle after obstacle, hopefully I will see many of you there in just a couple weeks!