Who needs a Nuk when you have fingers?

Since the day he was born, Aidan has been quite attached to his Nuk (pacifier). The first few nights of his life, his father and I hardly got any sleep because Aidan would cry every time his Nuk fell out of his mouth.

Well, now that Aidan has discovered how tasty his fingers (and thumb) can be, he really could care less about his Nuk. In fact, when we put it in his mouth, he pops it right back out because he'd rather suck or chew on his fingers!

Pooped...

Aidan isn't the greatest napper - especially when we try to get him to take a "scheduled" nap, like in his crib. However, when he decides that he's tired AND ready to nap, there's no stopping him! He has found some very unusual places to nap:

Like, leaning on Daddy...


Or, in the middle of being burped after lunch...


He most definitely takes after Mommy in this respect. I used to be able to sleep anywhere. Now that I'm a Mommy, I am a much lighter sleeper - waking up for every little noise, afraid that Aidan needs me!

Signs of new life...

The majority of this afternoon was spent cleaning our backyard - raking, bringing out our patio set, etc. Of course, Aidan went along for the ride in the sling with Mommy.

What really brought home the fact that it really IS spring (besides the great weather we've had these past couple of days) are all the signs of new life. My tulips and hydrangeas are starting to peek their way through the mulch, there are buds on our rose bushes, and there are ladybugs!

Here are some pictures of our "spring cleaning" this afternoon:

"And... we're walking..."

Yesterday was one of the first nice days, weather-wise, since Aidan was born. We took advantage of the beautiful weather and took Aidan for his first walk around the block. Of course, Noah and Daddy joined us!

Little Helper...

Aidan spent some time this afternoon helping me clip coupons for our weekly grocery shopping. He made sure to point out his coupons to me (Huggies)!


I've had people make fun of my coupon-clipping in the past, but, hey - it's just one more reason why I'm able to be a stay-at-home mommy and enjoy every little minute and every little milestone with my son!

Big Person, Little Person

It's sometimes difficult to capture Aidan's size in pictures. One sure way is to place Aidan next to Daddy. Here they are sharing the couch. Note that Noah is *hoping* that Daddy will share his lunch, too!

"Hey, Mom! People are gonna think you never take me out of this thing!"

Laundry...

Babies make laundry. We're doing a load or two every other day. Compare this to doing a couple of loads during the weekend pre-Aidan and it seems like we're swamped with laundry. This morning, Aidan quite enjoyed the convenience of his being transported downstairs in a laundry basket:

King of the House...

It's not difficult to see who has quickly become "King of the House"...

How to Soothe a Fussy Baby...

How do you go from this... (note the pouty lip)

to this...

to, eventually, this?

By doing THIS, of course! =)

Big Boy Stroller

We recently ordered a "big boy" stroller for Aidan and it arrived via FedEx yesterday. We set it up this afternoon and Aidan took a nice "test drive" in it. He wasn't too sure at first:

But, quickly decided it was a nice ride...

We're looking forward to putting it to good use when the weather gets a little warmer (and also for our trip to Disney).

Look closely...

Look closely and you might see him grow... He's taking a quick nap before dinner.



I keep telling him that he's not allowed to grow up so fast, but he doesn't seem to listen. Oh, well - I guess we'll just have to have another little one!

The Bumbo Seat

We found a new container for Aidan, the Bumbo seat.

His first spin in the Bumbo:

Prime seat for supervising dinner preparations...

The Mommy Diet (cont'd)...

31 pounds below pre-pregnancy weight! Yay!

'Nuff said =)

A Typical Evening at Home...

This is a typical evening at home with our family:

Noah is sound asleep on the couch:

Casper is sound asleep on the couch:

Aidan is sound asleep on Mommy's lap, Patches is next to Mommy (usually sound asleep), and Mommy is the only one awake!

Baby Joey... (as in Kangaroo Joey)

I ordered a sling about a week ago and we received a couple of days ago. While I enjoy using the Baby Bjorn, I had been thinking about getting a sling as well so we'd have some options. Another mother recommended a sling to me so I decided it was worth it and ordered it.



Well, Aidan absolutely LOVES it! Especially when he's fussy - as soon as I put him in the sling, within five minutes he's asleep. Works like a charm! It's also easier to get things done around the house because he is lower in the sling versus the Baby Bjorn. I'm really glad I decided to get it and I think Aidan is too!

Step by Step...

Well, we're getting there. With the crib sleeping, that is. We definitely have to take it step by step.

This morning Aidan slept in his crib for about an hour. He woke up at 7am for his normal 7am feeding. When he was done eating, I put him in his crib. He was awake for about ten minutes before drifting off to dreamland. It was nice to be able to do some laundry and other household chores without Aidan attached to me! (Although I do enjoy having him in either the sling or the Baby Bjorn). Anyway - he started fussing around 8:45am and I went in to get him at 9am.

I tried again this afternoon, to put him in his crib for a nap. I'd like to have him nap from 1pm to 3pm (or close to those times), so I put him down around 1:15pm. He was quiet (but awake) from 1:15pm to 1:30pm. He started fussing around 1:30pm and I went upstairs around 1:35pm and turned on his mobile (which he LOVES) and put his pacifier back in his mouth. This "pattern" of him being quiet for about ten minutes, fussing for another ten, and then me coming upstairs to comfort him lasted until 2:30pm. It was then that I actually picked him up out of his crib and rocked him to sleep in my arms. When he was asleep I put him back down in his crib where he slept for about fifteen minutes.

Oh, well. We're getting there... Step by step =)

1500+ Pictures!

Wow! In a little over two months, Alex and I have taken over FIFTEEN HUNDRED pictures of our sweet little man! All I can say is THANK GOD for digital cameras! I cringe, thinking about how much money we would have spent on "regular" film.... We do have a home photo printer, which is nice because we can print the ones we want to frame and/or put in an album, scrapbook, or baby album. I just hope all of these photography "sessions" don't give Aidan a complex!

This is a photo mosiac of every single picture we've taken of Aidan thus far (I think the final number was 1568)... And, no - I didn't make this myself. I used a special photo mosiac program...

How Much He's Grown...

Look at how much Aidan has grown in the past seven weeks!

Three Weeks Old

Ten Weeks Old