Aidan's First Camping Trip

If we had to sum up our camping trip in just one word... well, it would be WET. It rained every single day we were gone. But, if you gave us just TWO words to sum up our camping trip... well, they would be WET, but FUN, too.

We still had a great time, despite the rain. The sun did decide to pop out every once in a while and we enjoyed a quick hike and lots of gorgeous scenery. We were also able to snap that photo we'd been looking forward to:



It's really hard to tell, but Aidan and I are standing in the very same spot that I was standing in when I was still pregnant with Aidan, back in October. Of course, this time we were in the clouds and you can't see the town below, but I can assure you it's the same spot. =)

Aidan seemed to enjoy every single aspect of camping, which is great since we're such a camping family. He loved the nightly campfire (especially falling asleep on Mommy's lap!), he loved eating at a picnic table, lounging in the hammock, hiking (riding in the backpack carrier), and enjoying the fresh mountain air. But, most of all, what he seemed to love the most... just being able to spend some quality time with his Mommy and Daddy. And, I have to say - that was my favorite part, too.

Taking a little hiatus...

Aidan, Alex, Noah, and I will be gone for the next few days... We're headed up to one of our very favorite places in the world - Lake Placid, NY. We'll be camping at the Adirondack Loj Wilderness Campground.

I'm so excited about camping - I absolutely love to camp and I haven't been able to during the past two summers. In the summer of 2004, I was pregnant with Michael and then, last summer, I was pregnant with Aidan.

I guess you could say this is Aidan's second time visiting Lake Placid. He went with us when I was a little more than twenty-seven weeks pregnant with him...

It will be fun to get a new picture with him OUTSIDE my belly!

Alex and I are already learning that camping with a baby is a little different than we're used to. Who knew someone so much smaller than us would require so much stuff?!?! =) Good thing we have the Blazer - we're able to find enough room for all of our things as well as Aidan's.

So, I won't be posting on the blog for the next couple of days. We're the type of campers that camp, in the wilderness, with the bears and racoons, without the TV, laptop, and internet. It will be nice to just spend some quality time as a family and maybe get some hiking, kayaking, and swimming in there, too!

Aidan's First Tooth Popped Through Last Night

Sweet Potatoes and Turkey

I continue to give Aidan opportunities to self-feed, using the Lil' Dippers. He is always so proud of himself when he is able to "do it myself, Mommy" and I love the look of accomplishment on his face.

Well, last night Aidan had sweet potatoes and turkey for dinner. I put the baby food in a bowl (then in the microwave for a couple of seconds - cold potatoes and turkey just doesn't sound too appetizing). I figured I'd let Aidan try to scoop up the food with his Lil' Dipper. Well, before I could suction cup the bowl to the table (we have a couple of special bowls with suction cups for grabby little hands like Aidan's), Aidan proceeded to pick up the whole bowl, bring it to his mouth and dump it ALL OVER HIMSELF. Then he started to lick the bowl like a dog. Guess he's spending too much time with Noah! =)

After I laughed hysterically for ten minutes (and Aidan joined in the laughing, he didn't know why but he thought it was funny that Mommy was laughing), I heated up some more turkey and sweet potatoes and Aidan enjoyed those via spoon. Not by licking the bowl and not with the Lil' Dippers. When he was done eating, Noah assisted in the cleanup...

Needless to say, he got a very thorough bath that evening. He definitely lives up to my nickname for him - my little monster.

I'm no longer just Marsha. I'm Mommy.

Before marriage and children (and still when I’m by myself), I was cautious to never do anything to look foolish in front of others. Dance? No way! (Well, I would get on the dance floor pretty liquored up – I’m sure that was a sight to see!) Sing? Hell no! Make funny faces and noises? What kind of classy woman does that?!?! I was even shy to sing a song on the radio in front of my husband. It would have to be at very quiet levels and turned away from him while in the car.

Having children changes all that, doesn’t it? To bring joy to their lives by acting like a total idiot is what every parent strives to do. From birth, we make squeaky little noises and goofy baby talk to prompt a gassy smile or a first laugh, and then we laugh like lunatics when we accomplish the task. We pull out Fisher Price’s Learning Puppy and dance and sing in high-pitched voices to make our babies chuckle and sway. We watch the Wiggles and want to get them involved, so we start dancing like Greg, Murray, Anthony, and Jeff. Any mom who doesn’t know the words to Hot Potato (first of all is blessed, how did you manage to escape that?) must have her head buried in the sand. To sing Hot Potato with full hand movements and dance along with your baby is a rite of passage, the louder and more out of tune, the better.

I will dance with Aidan in public areas if we hear a snappy tune and it will make him laugh. I’ll sing with him in front of other people (in fact, we do this every week at Gymboree!), not caring what my voice sounds like. I’ll blow raspberries and mimic faces to exaggerated proportions to make him laugh.

I lick my finger and clean his face with my own spit. I lick his fingers when he gets baby food on them and there isn't a baby wipe close enough, for if I leave him with icky baby fingers, when I get back he'll not only have icky baby fingers, but icky baby legs and hair and arms and face... I sniff his butt to check on his diaper status. If I meet another mom at the mall or on the street, we can talk for fifteen minutes straight about poop, vomit, and other bodily fluids without even exchanging first names. I have fully embraced my mom-ness. I am no longer just Marsha. I’m Mommy.

Yes, to be a mom is many things, and I appreciate the gift of living in the moment and the joy that Aidan gives me. I appreciate him showing me that laughter and having fun is a priority and as long as we are embracing life to the fullest, there is nothing to be ashamed of.

Our Little Fish

One of Aidan's very favorite things to do these days is swim. Aidan's Grandma and Grandpa May have a beautiful (and big!) pool in their backyard and they told us that we were welcome to use the pool while they're out of town this weekend. We decided to take them up on their offer and we had a very nice afternoon yesterday, swimming with Aidan. Here's a video of Aidan swimming (he really can swim - he kicks his little arms and legs like crazy!):

Aidan also enjoyed swimming with his Daddy. Here's a video of the two of them having fun together (wait until the very end of the video - you'll hear him laughing!):

Lucky for us, Aidan slept VERY WELL last night. Swimming seems to be the trick to getting him to sleep (at a decent hour). Looks like we'll be spending lots of time at Grandma and Grandpa's house for the rest of the summer!

Aidan is Seven Months Old

Happy Seven Month Birthday to Aidan!

I know I say this every month, but I still am in shock that SEVEN months have gone by since Aidan's birth. Just like that. Where does the time go? It’s like I blink my eye and my little boy who couldn’t even hold his head up is now a very rambunctious seven month old.

This past month was a little rougher than previous months. Probably due to his teething. And separation anxiety. Two things that SHOULD NOT be allowed to happen in unison! Even so, he manages to giggle and smile about 99% of the time. He is such a happy little boy and that makes me happy - I must be doing something right!

Right now his favorite things to do are:

• Eat
• Swim
• Play in his exersaucer
• Play with his blocks
• Throw his toys at Mommy (and then watch her pick them up)
• Laugh (his laughter is usually directed at the cats or the dog)
• Take baths
• Play Peek-a-boo
• Tummy Time
• Stand (with assistance)
• Cuddle with Mommy
• TALK (he LOVES to talk!)
• Take walks in his stroller
• Practice crawling
• Give wet, slobbery kisses
• Gymboree Classes
• Flirt
• Pet the dog
• Pet the cats

His least favorite things to do are:

• SLEEP (he has been an absolute BEAR with sleeping lately)
• Have his face wiped after eating a messy biter biscuit
• Sit still =)
• Be away from Mommy

Even with his occasional fussiness, every day I tell myself - “It can’t get any better than this. THIS is the perfect age.” But, it does. Every day is better than the last. It is amazing to watch this little person, who the man I love and I created, learn and grow. Every day he learns something new. And, fast, too! His little brain is processing a thousand new things a day and it is so awesome to watch as it happens.

And, not only is he growing intellectually, he is most definitely growing physically as well! Alex and I weighed him on one of the produce scales at Wegmans (our grocery store) *shame, shame* and he weighed in at a hefty 21 lbs 12 oz! This was with a diaper and clothes on, but still... he is quite a butterball. No wonder he's earned the nickname "Thunder Thighs"! He is also in size 4 diapers and 12 Month clothes!

Who knew parenthood could be so much fun?!?!

Happy seven months, kiddo - I love you.

Happy Seven Month Birthday to Aidan

Today is Aidan's Seven Month Birthday! Despite my protests to STOP GETTING BIGGER (and older!), he continues to grow, learn, and thrive. We're so blessed.

Happy Birthday, my beautiful baby boy...

7 Month Old Aidan, standing in his crib early this morning...

Laundry

The lint trap in our dryer is an interesting place lately. Aidan is a teething machine and spends most of his day looking for trouble. Because of the teething, everything he encounters goes straight into his mouth. And I do mean everything, including, at times, entire sections of cat or dog. I try to keep up with the sweeping and vacuuming, but my skills as a housekeeper leave much to be desired, so I frequently find myself snatching some small object off the floor just before it becomes Aidan's next snack. Invariably, I then stuff whatever it is into my pocket and forget about it -- that is, until laundry day.

Mostly what I find and then launder is your run-of-the-mill household fuzz -- pieces of cat or dog fur, long strands of my hair, half-crushed Wagon Wheels, pieces of junk mail Aidan decided to rip into shreds, bits of waffle that I let Aidan gum during breakfast. Some of the items are a little more interesting, at least when they turn up in the dryer. I've found batteries, coupons, shredded cheese, and an entire bag of 100 calorie Graham Crackers. Thankfully, the bag remained closed so the laundry was spared.

I admit I'm going a little crazy about picking things up off of the floor and some days think longingly of the day when our son will develop the presence of mind not to eat rocks. Or grass. Or cat. More often, however, I find myself wishing that it could always be this easy. Wishing that the threats would always be so clearly identified, so easy to remove, small enough to fit in my pocket and be carefully laundered before they are dumped in the trash never to do us harm. For now, while he is still so young, I can at least pretend I have control, but I know the older he gets the less I will be able to protect him from every hazard in his path. So I suppose I will do just what I can for now, and try to teach him to face the bigger challenges on his own, and how to fold them up and cram them into his own pockets until I can run them through the dryer and throw them away.

"Everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) goes into my mouth!!"

Girls Night Out

Aidan joined Aunt Terri, Grandma May, Great Aunt Gail, and I on our monthly "girls night out" tonight. He had a great time -- we went out to dinner and then back to Grandma's house for a quick dip in the pool. He had a blast playing with Aunt Terri - playing in his new "car" on the driveway and then swimming in the pool. He LOVED being able to swim up to the pool steps and just splash around. It must have tired him out because he is sound asleep, in his crib. Thankfully! He hasn't been a really good sleeper lately due to his teething.

And, can you believe I actually forgot to bring the camera tonight?!?! Thankfully, Grandma and Great Aunt Gail's heads were screwed on straight tonight (unlike mine... must be due to the lack of sleep thanks to Aidan!) so they took some cute pictures. I'll post them when I can get my hands on some copies.

In the News

A Tribute in Honor of our Precious Son

On Aug. 27, 2004, a tiny angel graced us with his presence. He came into this world as quickly as he left and he only ever knew love. My son Michael has given us a lot since his death that I'm sure most parents never expect from their child. He showed us first what parental love feels like, an emotion so strong that there are no words to describe it and the only way to experience it is to be a parent to another. Michael also showed us grief and what it really feels like to lose the thing you love most in the world. He taught us how precious life is and to cherish everyone and everything in it. Michael opened our eyes to a different side of life that I know we didn't really want to see, but through that we have met amazing people and learned more than I think we'd care to know about pregnancy.

By opening this new door in our hearts, Michael has allowed us to love each other more fully. I never thought that I could love my husband, Alex, more than I already did, but every time I look into his eyes, I fall more deeply in love because we have lived through this together. Michael's death also gave opportunity for new life and I know that he was there when his baby brother entered the world on Dec. 20. You see, we miss our little boy every day and we still cry often because he's not here, but we also know what a blessing his short stay was.

I hope you all take time out today to remember our beautiful angel, Michael Alexander, by loving each other a little bit more and taking time out for what is truly important.

Feeling HOT HOT HOT!!!

I don't know what the official high temperature was today, but I do know that it was HOT. Very, very HOT!!! The weather gage in the Blazer said 98 degrees at one point, but who knows how reliable those things are sometimes. Alex hates this weather - hot and humid. I, on the other hand, absolutely LOVE it! I guess opposites do attract, huh?

Aidan most definitely puts up with the weather with minimal fussing, but he does seem to have sweat glands more like his father than me. (Sorry if that's too much info!) You should have seen the little beads of sweat pouring down his sweet little face today... Poor baby. We tried to stay inside, with the air conditioning, as much as possible.

Aidan did get to enjoy one of the tasty treats of summer for the first time today... a POPSICLE! He had a blast making as much of a sticky mess as possible. After I gave him the popsicle, I kicked myself because I should have undressed him down to diaper only before giving it to him. It would have made clean up a little easier! Oh, well.... Aidan enjoyed the cold, refreshing ice and I had fun watching him savor it. Noah even got in on some of the action - he got to eat the pieces that Aidan threw on the floor!

It's a Splish Splash Saturday Night

Oh. My. Goodness.

Check this out. God Bless that woman (and her family) - I just thank God it's not me! (NINE KIDS!!! YIKES!! And, they're all living in a one bedroom apartment?!?! Like I said -- Oh. My. Goodness.)

Baby Love

I love his chubby cheeks, the extra chin that turns his neck into a great, hidden mystery, the dimples on his elbows so deep they are really divots. I love the soft, sweet orb of his belly, the creases in his thighs that look as though they were deep-cut by a raging river over millions of years, the way his fat little ankles bulge out over the perfect rectangles of his feet.

I love his eyes, grey then blue. I love the locks of hair that are beginning to curl right above his forehead. I love the ridiculously long fringe of his eyelashes, his mouth, still slightly crooked that reminds me of the months he spent banging his head up under my ribs, the tiny pink kiss of a birthmark on the back of his neck.

I love how he delights in staring at me until he gets my attention and then quickly turns away with a giggle when he sees me look at him. I love the dirty look he gives me when he is trying to find his pacifier and put it in his mouth and I do it for him - I can just hear him thinking, "Mommy, I can do it myself." I love the way he holds his hand out to me and squeals, demanding that I escort him to the kitchen or to one of his favorite toys on the floor. I love the look of determination and bliss on his face as he stands on his own, holding onto a couch, chair, or table. I love that he looks at me for approval and praise.

I love the elaborate syncopation of his fingers running through my hair as he falls asleep. I love cuddling him as he falls asleep, watching as he struggles to find the energy to keep running his fingers through my hair and then collapses, his head lolling back on my lap with a sweet little sigh. I love putting him in his crib and watching him fling himself onto his stomach and pulling his knees up under him like a piston ready to fire. I love going in to get him when he awakes and finding him sitting in the corner of his crib, peering through the slats of the crib, watching for the door to open and breaking into grins and giggles when he sees his rescuer has arrived.

I love the way he eagerly grabs his gerber puffs, biter biscuits, or wagon wheels and shoves them in his mouth, always saving a piece or two in his clenched fist to eat when his supply runs out. I love the way he hands me pieces of his food, or toys, or lint he finds on the floor and then peers into my hands to see what I have, finally thinking better of his generosity and snatching the item back.

I love even the crying, the sad or angry or hurt tears, the temper tantrums, the howling in frustration, the laughing when I tell him no, the hitting my face when he eats, the long nights of no sleep. I love it all.

I love his laugh, not best; I couldn't pick a single thing I love best, but perhaps as first among equals. I love the way it rolls and peals and starts and stops in fits. I love that he is starting to find his own humor. I love it when he laughs at me, and even more when he laughs with me.

I love being here every day, for all of it, for every small step and large step and every step in between. I love being a mommy, being this kind of mommy, being almost always within the sound of voice he finds more and more every day.

What do you love? (I'd love to hear your comments -- What do you love about your kids (or kids special to you)? Or, even better, what do you love about Aidan?)

Rain, rain, go away...

Today it rained. All day. No, scratch that. It didn't just rain, it poured.


That's okay, though. We decided to have some fun inside the house. We played ball (where we roll the ball to Aidan and he rolls it back to us). He sometimes picks up the ball and throws it at Noah, too.

Can't you tell Noah is just thrilled with Aidan's new game?

Recently, too, Aidan has decided that his very favorite toy is... (drum roll, please)

A plastic cup! (See, he's easy to please!) He loves to crackle the cup, throw it around, gum it, and roll it around. It definitely keeps him busy... well, that is, until one of the cats or Noah (or Mommy) walk by and he wants to play.


We also had our first Level Two Gymboree class today. We've been attending Level One classes, which were for babies 0-6 months old. Level two is for babies 6-10 months old and Aidan absolutely LOVED it! He got to play with the equipment (tunnels and slides and really cushy playground equipment). He was also really interested in watching the babies who knew how to crawl. He wants to crawl so badly but just hasn't learned how to get his big ol' tummy up off of the floor! It was funny, too, because he was bigger than most of the eight and nine month old babies! The moms and I would chat and they would ask how old Aidan was (or vice versa) and I would assume that their babies were the same age as Aidan. Nope! Eight, nine, and even ten months old! Aidan is just very strong and very solid! =)

All in all, we had a good day, despite the rain.