Thanksgiving and Happenings

The boys are growing so fast, yet it can be the small things that remind me that they are still my babies. Aiden got his first ear infection- wait- let me correct myself- got a double ear infection for the first time and it is the first time he got any type of ear infection. Besides moving his room around and displacing him, he has been sick. I have been sleeping near him or with him, for days now. He just wants me to be near him. As I type this, I am sitting in his room in the rocking chair listening to his breathing change from being awake to being asleep.

Eli is almost crawling. For weeks, he has been pushing himself backwards or rocking...but tonight, he actually lifted his arm. Crawling will fast be approaching. I was looking at pictures of when I was pregnant with him...it was not that long ago but yet so far away.

I must say, it has been sweet to have Aiden near me only because he has never been a cuddly child...and lately, he has been so close. I am sad it takes him being sick, but I do enjoy the closeness of him.

Trick or Treat

Aiden had a blast with Halloween this year. We went to visit Russ' coworker first. We then we went to my brother and sister-in-law's church for trick or trunking, which was an absolute blast! My sister-in-law was dressed as a moose, and it scared him to death!





He seems to be afraid of anyone with a costume that has his/her head covered. It took him a bit to get warmed up to the idea of asking people that were dressed up for candy but he got it. We then went to his great grandmother's to visit.



Eli was very ready for his supper, so while Russ fed him, I took Aiden door to door. After the first house, Aiden was ready to go! He knew what to do and was running! It took quite some time for Aiden to calm down and in the process, couldn't eat dinner due to his excitement. At bedtime, he looked at me, said goodnight, and bye-bye. That was my cue! He was one tuckered out boy!

Fall Time Fun

We took the boys up to Harvest Hill Farms a few weeks ago to find that they weren't open yet. But a nice man told us the petting farm area was open as well as the little cafe. Well, it turns out that is all we needed! Regardless of the cold winds, we played for over an hour just looking at the animals and at the little playground in front of the cafe...and the best part, we didn't pay for a darn thing (except for the multiple handfuls of feed for the animals!). Aiden did a great job feeding the animals; he kept his hands nice and flat. He learned a new word that day too- llama! He loved them! He also thinks of horses now when you say, "Pretty," because I told him that the horse was pretty. :-)

It's Fall

Eli just had his six month checkup (at almost 7 months old). He is 20.5 pounds and 29 inches long. His brother at 10 months was 21.5 pounds and 29.5 inches. I think Eli will be passing him at 10 months old. Eli also has two teeth!!! So cute! Not the biting his mom part, but his teeth are cute! Eli is also pulling himself up. I think he will be walking before Aiden too. It is amazing how Eli watches everything Aiden does and how he wants to do what he is doing. Just having that model, you can see how differently and quickly the second one grows. I need more snuggle time with that little man because before you know it- he will be as big as Aiden!!!

We went apple picking a few weekends ago, and it was really fun. Here are some shots of our little adventure.

Eli is Eating Solids

He started a few weeks ago. Rice is delicious but veggies and fruit are not so good, in his opinion.

Aiden's First Trip to the Amusement Park

We went down to OOB last week, and we decided that Aiden could handle a ride. We put him on one that had different trucks and went up a little hill. Well, he didn't have much of an expression on his face except for his clapping, but when we tried to take him out of the ride, he insisted on going on it again. We then went on the Merry-Go-Round, and he rode on the zebra. He was much more hesitant about this ride, but once it got started, he was pretty thrilled (even though he looks scared to death in the photo below).

Eli's Baptism

We had a beautiful mass thanks to Father Bob Valiencourt. He sang the entire set of prayers during the preparation of the Eucharist. It was beautiful. Deacon Bob performed the baptism during which Eli slept.

Where Did He Learn That?!

A few nights ago during this 90+ heat wave, Russ and I took the kids down to the beach after dinner. Aiden was hesitant to go even half way down towards the water, and I saw some small kids playing. So I asked him if he wanted to see the little boy. We were able to get him to at least get towards the somewhat solid sand, so that we weren't stepping six inches down. We were playing with bubbles and sitting on the sand, when a little boy (turns out he was 9) started to say hi and just kept looking at us. He wasn't sure how to engage. So I asked Aiden to say hi back, and I explained that the boy wanted to meet him. With that, he stepped forward holding out his hand! He wouldn't say hi, but he wanted to shake his hand! The little girl that was with this boy came over and said hi as well; Aiden proceeded to also shake her hand! It was so sweet, and Russ and I sat bewildered wondering where he could have learned that. We have two theories- Russ says he shakes his hand as part of their hand shake (I have never seen this handshake). My theory is this book:

30 Pounds for Me!

This was last June. Hit the photo to make it bigger so you can actually see...



This is me now...


The biggest difference is in my face- hence the now shot. I have a long, long way to go...but every bit helps, right?

Proud

I am so proud of Russ! He has lost 70 pounds. Check it out!

Before- a size 48 pant and almost a triple xl shirt



After- a size 42 pant and an xl shirt

Look Ma- I won an award!

I won an award from Meredith! Yippee!! http://thenextinstallment.wordpress.com/

So here are the rules that go along with this particular award:

Thank the person who gave you the award.

1.Share seven things about yourself.
2.Nominate bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic!
3.Let your nominees know about the award.

Well, seven things about myself....I will try to make this interesting...

1. I love anything with peanut butter in it- especially english muffins with butter and peanut butter. My husband thinks it is disgusting, and I think it is pretty close to good sex! OH MY- did I just type that!?

2. I love playing the game, "If I made 100K..." I like to live in la, la land.

3. When I get to a weight I am comfortable wearing a bathing suit, I am going to find a way to get some money and go to an island just with my husband.

4. I require at least 6 hours of sleep, but to make me happy I need more than 7.

5. Even with my sleep requirements, I still think it is important to fit in me time, friend time, family time...I just wish there was more time.

6. I love both of my children for different reasons because both kids are very different.

7. My husband did something recently a lot of men wouldn't do, but did it for us, and I love him even more for it!!!

I haven't really found any new bloggers lately...but a blog that I absolutely love to read is The Pioneer Woman- you will see her on my reading list. She is a lot of fun!

Sleep Upsets

For Russ' birthday, we went out on a date night- no kids- just us. It was lovely. When we got home, Aiden was still up at 9:15 at night. It happens. He didn't want to go to bed- he freaked out- he wanted to play with the 10 year old that was with her mom watching the kids. I don't blame him. Well, with that and with the fact that he has been getting time outs and being sent to his room, we now have a problem on our hands. He won't go to bed! This is a kid that really never gives us an issue when it comes to bedtime. We can put him to bed before he is ready with a few books to boot, and he will sit quietly in his crib for an hour before dozing off. Now, he screams, hollar and freaks out. Oh- and he only seems to love his mom at bedtime now. No daddy- just mommy. This has been quite difficult for me since I still can't seem to adjust to having no time for myself in the evening to go for a walk or anything.

Last night, he was ready for bed- it was 9:30...so one book, a few minutes of rocking and no problem. But I will not have a child that goes to bed this late. I can't take it and it won't happen. Time will heal this, right?

Our Family

We had to bride Aiden with a PEZ dispenser so that he would sit long enough for a photo! :-)

I Love You!

My favorite time of day is when Aiden and I read books together before bed. He and I giggle, give each other kisses and snuggle. It is wonderful.

Last night, after reading, I had him facing me on the rocker, and I asked him if he could say, "I love you." He looked at me, smiled and wrapped his arms around me.

I love you, Aiden. My sweet, little boy.

Aiden's Evaluation Results

Aiden's evaluation was great! They did a great job! He had a blast showing off for them, plus they had all kinds of neat things for him to explore, which turned out to be his biggest downfall. They way they score is using a standarized test; a score of 85-115 is considered normal. They looked at five areas of development, and he scored well on all of them...but speech- he was at an 87. If we had him screened earlier, he would have been below normal which we knew. He scored low in one other area- cognitive development. His score was a 77, and it was this way because he can't sit and play with something for 5 minutes. He should be able to be enthralled with something and focus on a toy for that long, but he can't. We were not surprised to hear this. I was first noticing this when we would give him a bucket to fill and empty or to stack blocks. He never has liked blocks. If Russ and I build something, he will happily knock it over but he won't take the time to build it. If I give him a bucket, he will happily carry it around but he won't fill it to dump it. He will dump any container we fill though! If he had scored low on speech and cognitive, he would have qualified for services.

They are going to come back and look at his tactile issues. I am concerned about it, and they are happy to do the evaluation. I will keep you posted on the results.

The other thing they mentioned is how he is still walking part time on his tippie toes. This can become an issue because it keeps the leg muscles tight and can inhibit the way his leg muscles grow, etc. So we are doing some physical therapy on his feet by stretching them out when he lets us!

One more thing to note- my lovely son has said dada forever. Wouldn't you know when they gave Aiden some plastic figurines to identify, he said, "Mom!" I was shocked! Now he says, "Mom" all the time!

Aiden Speaks!

For a long time, our doctor was concerned with Aiden's speech, but we weren't worried. We felt that he knew how to sign to communicate, and we believed that because he is a boy, it would just take him longer. In speaking with others, they all said the same thing, "Boys just take longer to talk and when he does start talking, he will be speaking in sentences!" Well, Aiden turned two, and he was only saying a few words like dog, dadda, and ball (a bit more but that is all that comes to mind right now). Then Elijah was born. Aiden's temper got worse with frustration. We decided we would call child development services like the doctor had suggested. Well...

Wouldn't you know it- in the past month, he seems to have picked up a new word on a daily basis. The best was when was got him to say Vaughn- he can't say the g sound for grandpa or grandma, but on Father's day, he walked right up to Vaughn and said, "Vaughn." It was so cute. Russ loved it when Aiden walked past the trash can and just blurted out, "trash!" I can't wait for the day when he actually calls me momma. He only says it when he is upset but when I ask him who I am, he says nothing.

Next week is the visit from Child Development Services...so let's see what they think.

So Little Time...

It has been a while since I have had a moment to blog, and really, I need to be paying bills right now, and really, I need to be working at my job- not my personal life. But I want to take a minute or two to just get some thoughts put out there.

1- Having two kids is hard in numerous ways
2- You think your personal life is over after having one child...add a second
3- I just want 10 minutes a day to work out
4- I just want another 10 minutes to go the bathroom and maybe read a magazine too...at the same time or in seperate places
4- I love my children deeply and do not regret them
5- I just regret that my usual organized self can't pull it together
6- I have a call in a few minutes to talk about Aiden's development...hope that we can get him talking- it would help with our struggles with him lately

I have to go pee before this call...see- no time!

My First Week Back

I am minutes away from leaving work to go home and see my family. What a week it has been! Easy for me...but not for my mom. Elijah had only had four bottles before this week started. It takes my mom over an hour for each feeding- 4 ounces! He was so jolted by me not being home, that the first few days, he would only cat nap 10-20 minutes at a time. By the end of the week, she did get a few longer naps out of him. I have had most nights with 6 hour stretches of sleep because the poor little baby is so tired! Aiden hasn't enjoyed sharing his memere with Elijah. He has been very tempermental and short fused. Last night, he went to bed without supper because he threw such a fit!

Work wise- easy!

Let's see how next week goes!

My Maternity Leave

I am now in my sixth week home...with last week being my last week home. It has been one crazy maternity leave! With the first week, it was running out each morning by 8am to get Eli's blood work done as well as a two year checkup for Aiden. My hip was really out of whack to the point where I couldn't walk, so I was also fitting in chiropractic appointments...and still am. I can finally walk but it took about three weeks. My second week home, Aiden woke up with a fever of 103! The week Carolyn came to visit, I had a 24 hour flu bug but it was more like 36 hours. The second day consisted of major sweats...it was really fun!

Elijah is a really good baby, but he is not as easy as Aiden. He doesn't like to sleep on his own- he either needs the boob, to be on you, or to be swung in the swing. This has been problematic for my sleeping. A couple of nights this week, I have stayed on the couch because if I move him, he wakes up, and usually from 9-1 or 2, I can get a good stretch in. I remember with Aiden, that was the only sleep I needed...but I think with two kids, I require more- not less. I am really worried what is going to happen when I go back to work. We will see what happens.

It's a Boy!

Elijah Quinn was born on March 6, 2010 at 12:34pm. My labor started on Thursday night, and he finally showed himself on Saturday! He has been such a joy. His jaundice kept us busy the first week with a blood draw every morning our first week home, but we are getting settled...not into a routine just yet...but we are getting there. Nursing has been super easy this time, which is fantastic. I feel spoiled. Aiden is doing well with the transition. I think if he could talk, life would be even easier!



Check out Russ' blog for all the details! http://www.ourlittlemonkeyboy.com/

Aiden Turns Two!!!

Last weekend, we celebrated Aiden's birthday! He was fantastic. I was afraid it could go in the other direction. There were 20 people there! All family, too! Aiden was just getting over his cold, and his pregnant mommy got the cold, so I was feeling just super! The night before the party, Russ and I attempted to make these cakepops that were suppose to look like Elmo and Cookie Monster. It was a true cake wreck. So the morning of the party, we had to go order a cake from the grocery store, which I wasn't too happy about. I like my cake! :-)

Aiden was such a joy, and he really knew he was the center of attention. He really hammed it up! The best part was him opening his presents because he has figured out how! Plus, his reactions were just priceless and so humorous! I wish I had remembered the video camera. His ohh's and ahh's and hand clapping were hysterical!

Time to Learn How to be Gentle

Regardless of what others think about gender, we have introduced a babydoll to Aiden. We have seen him use gentle skills much better with this doll than with the dogs. We have also seen him do imaginative play for the first time. It was pretty incredible. Here he is with his new baby.

Aiden is a Monkey for sure!

Russ and I sometimes feel like Aiden hasn't changed in weeks, and then bam! over night, he is a new child with new skills. He just amazes us. Well, on Saturday, he turned into a monkey. I found him on top of the entertainment center. I took pictures (not thinking I was encouraging him) to show Russ.

As you can see, he is very proud of himself! The little booger!

The Little One Update

I haven't forgotten that I am pregnant; there just isn't as much to report! :-) I am seeing a different doctor, so my ultrasounds have been only twice, and when I do go to the doctor, we talk. I had my last appointment yesterday. I am happy to report at 33+ weeks, I have only gained 10 pounds so far! Woo hoo! I am super excited about that. I asked the doctor to check to make sure the baby is head down because when this baby moves in extreme positions- like completely around- I actually lose my breath! And it is usually when I am driving home on the highway! The other night I was sitting on the exercise ball and laying back onto Russ (who was sitting on the couch), and I was able to stretch out my belly. Well, I think the baby liked it too...the baby's bum stuck right out on my right side making me very lopsided! It was hysterical! A few nights earlier, I was feeling my belly for the baby. Well the baby kicked me back! Twice! It was cool but I have to admit, it kind of scared me too! I know there is a baby in there but when you don't see it but only feel it...hard to explain. Anyways!

Lastly, I asked the doctor if he was of the same thought of my last set of doctors about inducing me shortly after my due date if I don't go into labor sooner. He is because of something to do with my blood thinners. So, regardless of what happens- we will have this baby by March 19th or so! :-)

So Many Good Things...

Aiden is up to so many things these days that are worth mentioning. (Well, I think so anyway.)

He is loving to chase bubbles. He thinks they are great- plus, he can say bubbles! Tonight Tanner ate some bubbles, and Aiden and I laughed and laughed!

He is saying many new things: dog, ball, duck, bubble, up, down- the funny part is is he only says the first half of these words except for bubble. He can say all of that.

He loves to take showers, and really loves them when I splash him with water. He thinks it is hilarious.

Yesterday, we bought him a little doll to teach him how to be gentle. He is not gentle with the dogs AT ALL! So we are trying to get him to be more gentle. Well, he is in love. He loves this doll. Some men out there might have an issue with it but you know what??? This is the first time I have really seen him take on imaginative play. It is really fascinating.

He is asserting himself more--trying to tell us what he wants, how he wants and it when. This isn't the best feature due to tantrums and whining but it is necessary and good to see him grow!