Have you checked out our store lately?

I've made a ton of changes and added hundreds of new items. Check them out, I think you'll like them! If you have any suggestions for new products or designs, I'm all ears. Of course, the store is still a work in progress, but I'm happy with where we're headed. And, the cherry on top is that, so far, it's been very successful!

Here are some of the newest designs...

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Sickness.... continued.

I'm still sick. Blah.

I think Aidan caught a bit of it, he's got a tiny little cough now. Other than that, he's been acting his normal (clingy) self.

I can't wait for this stupid cold to go away. Very, very soon. *wink*

Our Day at the (New York State) Fair

The BIG tub!

Aidan has been enjoying his baths in the "BIG tub" for the past couple of weeks... Tonight was the first night I brought the camera up with me during his bath. Enjoy!

Michael's Second Birthday

Two years ago today, Alex and I had the privelege of holding an angel. Our angel. An angel whose heart was so pure that God decided his place was in Heaven, among the other angels.

Sometimes it feels like it's been twenty years since Michael was born. So much has happened in the past two years... The struggles with infertility, the joy of overcoming it, and then the worry throughout my whole pregnancy with Aidan. We are so blessed to have two beautiful baby boys. One will remain a baby in my heart forever while the other is growing like wildfire before my very eyes.

Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday that Michael was born. I can close my eyes and see his beautiful face, the small patches of light blonde hair, his skinny little arms and legs. I remember the smells in the delivery room, the sounds, the sadness. The grief. The mourning. I remember it all like it just happened the other day. I don't think I'll ever forget that day. The rush of emotions when you're told that your baby's heart has stopped beating. It was (and at times, still is) overwhelming.

This morning I was brought back to that day. August 27th, 2004. The day that my beautiful angel was born. But, today, instead of the overwhelming feelings of sadness and grief, I felt feelings of joy. Joy because Michael sent Aidan to us. Joy because I know that Michael can feel no pain. Joy because I know he has three Great-Grandpa's and two Great-Grandma's who most likely spoil him rotten in Heaven's playground.

We celebrated Michael's short time on earth this afternoon. Alex, Aidan, and I were joined by friends and family and we released a dozen balloons at the cemetery. I hope Michael enjoys them and shares them with his friends. Afterwards, we all came back to our house and had a nice dinner and some birthday cake.

Michael, I love you more than words can say. I miss you so much. Love Always, Mommy

Ummm... who do I call for a sick day?

I'm sick. Waaaaah.

I thought I had been spared - Alex had a horrible cold about a week and a half ago and when it came and went without me catching it... well, I was pretty proud of myself for not catching it. Looks like the joke's on me because... Guess what? I caught it!

I feel so icky. Sore throat, no appetite (hey, maybe that's a good thing!), extreme exhaustion (not such a good thing), a constant headache, muscle aches, and, well, the list could go on and on. To top it all off, it looks like I've given it right back to Alex. So not only am I sick, but he is, too. Poor Aidan. At least he's been spared. Well, so far.

Of course, today of all days (when I'm feeling my worst), Aidan decided to wake up nice and early this morning - 6:30am. This is after a full week of me having to wake him up at 7:30am every morning!! Anyway, he was up bright-eyed and bushy tailed this morning and I feel so bad because all I wanted to do was crawl back in bed and sleep all day.

I put him in bed with me this morning for his first nap at 8:30am. I just couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. Lucky for me, he fell right asleep and slept for a good two and a half hours. I felt a little better after that, but still... Who do I call for a sick day?

"I'm feeling great! Up and at 'em, nice and early for Mommy!"

Weekend Guest

We have an overnight guest this weekend - Blaze. Or, "Uncle Blaze" as we affectionately refer him as when talking about him to Noah.

Aidan is enjoying having him here, as is Noah. Of course, we are, too. We had a lot of fun playing together this afternoon. I don't think Blaze knows quite what to make of Aidan, but he is such a good-natured dog, we have nothing to worry about with him.

Employee for a Day (and a new 'boyfriend' for Mommy!)

Aidan and I were 'temp' employees for Grandma May today. The person that usually works with my Mom was on vacation this week so we got to help out.

Aidan enjoyed playing with the kids, although he was rather clingy to Mommy (which is nothing new these days). He really enjoyed lunchtime, sitting with the 'big kids' - Aidan in his highchair and the other kids all around him (about 15 kids total!). He even impressed me and napped for an hour this morning in Grandma's Pack-n-Play. He decided to skip his afternoon nap, which made him cranky and extra-clingy but he eventually gave in to his exhaustion and slept for an hour, either on Mommy's chest or Grandma's (we took turns). He also went on a temporary strike from eating which concerned Mommy to no avail. Turns out he was just super-stressed being in a new environment (for such a long time, with naps and all). I was able to get two Stage 2 baby food jars into him throughout the day and Grandma and I also got him to drink some water from a cup (like a BIG BOY - one of his favorite things to do) so it was okay. He gulped down his two bottles once he got home, though. Poor baby. Looks like we're going to need to spend some more time at Grandma's house while the kids are there so he can be more comfortable there.

Mommy (and cling-on Aidan) spent the majority of the day with Ryan, a sweet little 2 1/2 year old boy. We had fun playing outside (riding bikes), counting to ten, learning our colors, and reading books. He is now officially Mommy's new boyfriend (don't tell Alex!). He even cried when his Daddy came to pick him up and take him home... Poor thing. We'll have to go and visit him again soon.

Our Little Cookie Monster

Aidan's newest Vehicle...

Aidan loves to be pushed around in his "Cozy Coupe" car, but it sometimes wreaks havoc on our backs. He's not quite big enough to touch the ground with his little feet and it doesn't have a seat belt, which concerns me a little. He tends to lean out the side where the door opens so half the time he's leaning halfway out the door. Still, he loves it so we let him play, we just watch really closely.
So we were excited when we found the "Push Around Buggy" today. It has a seatbelt (which is important to me) and there's a long handle so pushing Aidan around is much easier. As soon as we got home, we took it for a test drive (around the block! Who needs a stroller now?!?!). Aidan LOVED it!
Looks like the "Cozy Coupe" will be put away for a while and we'll use the "Push Around Buggy" until Aidan is old enough (and long enough!) to use the "Cozy Coupe"... Now all we need are warm days with lots of sunshine... =)

Aidan is Eight Months Old

Yesterday, amazingly, Aidan turned eight months old. Could someone please tell me how this happened? I’m not going to be satisfied with anything less than theories incorporating quantum physics and equations I don’t understand. Because I don’t think there’s any simple way for me to comprehend it.

Some days, it feels as if Aidan came into the world eight short days ago. Other times, well, it seems more like eight years. Regardless of how it feels, we have proof. Aidan has grown from a cute, sleepy blob into a little boy who’s incredibly vocal for his age, able to entertain himself (for the most part), play the piano (and by play I mean bang), laugh, and as of yesterday, wave to Mommy and/or Daddy. It is absolutely, without doubt, the coolest and most amazing thing I have ever witnessed in my life.

Whenever I walk into a room, Aidan smiles. But it’s not just a smile. It’s something much more radiant than that. As if someone punched a hole in the sky and funneled all the twinkling lights of the universe into his eyes. It makes me proud to be his Mom and lets me know, when nothing else seems to be going right, that I’m not so bad after all.

Happy Eight Month Birthday to Aidan!

Today is Aidan's Eight Month Birthday! He continues to be a joy in our lives (even with the no-sleep thing he's been doing lately).

Happy birthday, my beautiful baby boy. I love you.

"I'm eight months old today!"

Grandma Time

Aidan and I spent the day with Grandma May yesterday. We went to the Zoo and the mall. Unfortunately, Aidan wasn't in the best of moods - he didn't sleep too well the night before (as has been the usual for the past couple of weeks) and so he was cranky. It also didn't help that he's teething (four teeth!) and he's come down with a pretty nasty head cold.

Even being a little cranky, Aidan did enjoy spending time with his Grandma. His favorite parts of the day were watching the sea lions and playing in the kid's play river at the Zoo, spending some time with Michael (at the cemetery), playing with Grandma's tape measure at JCPenney, and eating lunch with Mommy and Grandma.

Thanks, Mom. We had fun. =)

The famous Handbook...

In previous posts, I've mentioned the fact that Aidan apparently didn't read the handbook. You know, the one where he's supposed to be doing exactly what all the baby books say he should be doing...

Well, guess what?!?! Aidan FOUND the handbook! Now we just have to get him to actually follow what it says... *wink, wink*

Who does Aidan look like?

Welcome Amber Rose...

Yesterday I had the privelege of holding a beautiful little princess named Amber Rose. She was born August 10th and she is such a tiny thing! (Especially compared to Aidan). When I held her yesterday, she only weighed 5lb 14oz!

I picked her up and it was like holding air... so surreal. I can't believe Aidan was almost that small once. He's gone from this:

to this:

in less than eight months!

And, I also wanted to add a quick congratulations to Amber's mommy and daddy - Barb and Scott. She's beautiful!

Hello???

Aidan has recently discovered the joy of talking on the phone... even though the only word he knows how to say is Mama.

The grandparents definitely enjoy talking to him anyway.

Soooooo BIG

Aidan continues to grow like a weed. Can you guess what size pajamas he's wearing in this picture?



Did you guess?!??!

Okay - I'll tell you.

2T

Yep, 2T. That's equivalent to 24 Months!

When did my little baby turn into a little boy?

THANK YOU

I just wanted to take a second and say THANK YOU to everyone who has contacted me regarding my last posting. I am happy to hear that we're not the only ones dealing with a cranky, clingy kid. I guess misery loves company, huh?

Aidan was a bit better today - he even took a nap for a little more than one hour. He probably would have slept longer but the &*#%$! dog decided to bark at the mail lady and woke him up. Oh, well.

I'm planning on going to the library on Monday and checking out a couple of books on developing healthy sleep habits for infants and children. I haven't yet decided if we'll try the "cry it out" method. I know, for sure, that Aidan's teeth have been causing some discomfort so right now my main concern is making sure he's as comfortable as possible. (Even if it does mean he's a temporary appendage...)

Soooo tired...

Everyone in our household (including the dog) has been pretty cranky lately. Why, you ask?

Well, Sir Aidan has been flat refusing to sleep. For a good week or so. I thought the sleep deprivation was supposed to occur in the first couple of months, not now! Guess Aidan didn't read the handbook.

He's been yanking on his left ear for a couple of days so I thought he might have an ear infection. After all, we've been in the pool every single day - maybe he got some water in his ear. So, I called the doctor this morning and we were able to bring Aidan in this afternoon. I was hoping to talk to the doctor about suggestions for getting Aidan to sleep (if he suggests "cry it out" or he is opposed to it, should I be giving him Motrin (as suggested by my mother), rubbing Jack Daniels on his gums (as suggested by Alex), etc.). Well, our appointment went something like this:

We arrived on time (well, maybe a minute late) and once we checked in, we were sent to exam room number three. We waited in the exam room (and Aidan played with the white tissue paper)...





We probably waited a good five to ten minutes, but it wasn't that big of a deal. Aidan was having fun with his new "toy" - the tissue paper.

So, the doctor walks in...

DR: "What can I do for you today?"

ME: "Well, I think Aidan might have an ear infection. He's been tugging on his left ear and I remember you saying that they do that when they're teething, but I just wanted to be sure."

DR: "Okay, well, let's have a look..." (And he pulls out his ear thingy and checks Aidan's ears)

DR: "They look fine. Nope, he doesn't have an ear infection." (He's putting away his ear thingy and walking towards the door)

ME: "Does it look like he's teething, then?"

DR: (Coming back into the room; looking into Aidan's mouth) "Yep, looks like he has
four teeth on the top coming in. That's probably why he's been pulling on his ear..." (Now walking towards the door again)

ME: "Well should I be giving him Motrin, then? It kind of feels like I'm drugging my son to go to sleep."

DR: "Sometimes that's what you've got to do. The medicine companies don't tell you this but the only way the medicine is gonna kill you is if you mix it with alcohol. And I don't know very many babies who drink Whiskey Sours." (Laughing, as he walks out the door, closes it behind him.)

Needless to say, I left there feeling even more confused than I felt before going. Normally he is an excellent doctor, taking time to answer all of our questions and reassure us that we're doing a good job with Aidan. Now everyone has their bad days and I'm sympathetic to that, I guess I'm just feeling a little ignorant. I really have no clue what to do with Aidan's sleeping habits.

He used to be such a good sleeper, always falling asleep at exactly 7:30pm and sleeping through the night. Now I have to almost force him to go to sleep (rocking him, feeding him, singing to him). Last night it, literally, took me one hour and fourteen minutes to get him to sleep. And, don't you know, he woke up about forty-five minutes later and flat refused to go back to sleep. He ended up in bed with me where he fussed for over an hour before falling asleep.

Normally I'd ask Alex for help with this kind of thing and he's been really good about offering to help, but the thing is - Aidan is smack-dab in the middle of his separation anxiety phase. He doesn't cry, but literally screams (at the top of his lungs) until I pick him up and hold him. Thankfully, he isn't like this 24/7, there are times when he'll let me at least go to the bathroom, but those times are few and far between.

So I guess I don't know what to do. I'm willing to try the "cry it out" method and let him cry, but, number one - it would break my heart to listen to him scream for hours on end (and Alex is a bigger sap than I am so I couldn't leave the house and let Alex deal with it), number two - I don't know if he's screaming because he's in pain due to teething (FOUR TEETH!)(although I do put Baby Orajel on his gums, along with Hylands Teething Tablets, and Infant Motrin), and number three - (and I know this is stupid) I don't want Aidan to hate me. I guess I was just looking for a little advice (and reassurance) from his doctor and since I didn't get it, I don't know what to do....

So if you've tried to contact me over the past week or so (e-mail, telephone, etc.) I haven't responded because Aidan has been clinging to me like Saran Wrap and he won't let me go. Alex jokes that if he could, Aidan would climb right back up into my belly... Now wouldn't that be a sight to see? =)