Say Cheese!!

Coming up on 5 months!!!

When Jenn and I started this blog, we didn't think many people would take notice. Turns out alot of you guys are complaining that we haven't posted anything new in ages. For this, we are sorry...so here you go.

Aiden is only a few days away from his 5 month birthday and he is doing GREAT!!! At his last doctor's visit, he was 24.5 inches and 14.4 lbs. He's always smiling and giggling and is such a well tempered kid. I couldn't ask for more.

Last month, Bubba (the nickname that has stuck) has traveled cross-country to NYC and did a great job on the plane. He slept the entire flight there and was happy on the way back. He got meet his aunt, uncle, cousins, and alot of my buddies for the first time. It was a blast. Within the next couple of weeks, he'll be traveling again to West Palm Beach and to San Diego. I really hope the kid likes the beach considering its in his parents' genes.

He's also eating food now. LOVES banana custard, fruit yogurt, and vegetable beef and can't stand peas, chicken noodle, and squash. He did figure out Vader exists. Bubs was playing in his exer-saucer and when Vade came up for a lick, Aiden just grabbed onto the dog's face--whiskers and all. When he finally let go, Vader was so surprised that he just walked away. Soon after that, Aiden started to cry because he wanted Vader to come back.

Attached are some pics that are relatively current. I hope everyone is happy to see how Bubs has progressed and we'll keep this going.

'til next post...

Mr Pretty Eyes!

The Mommy Report

Mr. Pretty Eyes

Okay, so I admit it. I wanted Aiden to look like Andy. You know like the families that you look at and the boys look exactly like... Brothers. Not JUST brothers, but have the same hair same eyes and so on and so on. I have always said that Andy has such beautiful eyes that I wanted that for Aiden, but you know what? Aiden has the most AMAZING eyes! The longest black eye lashes you ever did see and dark brown eyes. They are entrancing. Of course, I am completely head over heels in love with him, so you will all have to judge for yourselves.

I told Lael that I wanted to call someone to tell them how beautiful his eyes are, and Lael laughed. Seriously, everyone should be so lucky to have these eyes. Blue, Brown, Black... I guess the color doesn't matter. Beautiful eyes are just that... Beautiful.

Monday Aiden will have his 2 month well check up at the pediatrician office and first round of immunization. I'll let you all know how that goes.

More later from the Mommy Report.

A Day in the Life...

11:30 PM. The darkness behind my eyes is starting to fade. I hear a grumbling...could be my stomach...could be my diapers. Either way I'm not feeling too happy. Should probably let somebody know how I feel.

Who is this hairy guy picking me up? What's this stuff he's trying to give me? This isn't the good stuff. He's trying to give me Boone's Farm for Babies. Where's the good stuff? Maybe if I cry, he'll give me the good stuff.

WAIT A MINUTE!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! I don't want to go for a walk. I'm hungry!!! This guy is dense. I keep crying and he keeps walking around. I don't want to see the kitchen. I've seen the backyard. Stop the walking!!! Put me down!!! WAIT! What is this other hairy thing coming at me? Stop licking my face!! Pick me up!!!!

Okay good...going back upstairs. Why is he laying me down? I don't want a new diaper!! Stop with the wet wipe...ITS COLD!!! WWWAAAAAHHHHH!! WAAAA.....OOoooh. I feel better in these dry goods; but it won't fill my stomach. I sense a good shriek coming....

Oooh....the life giver has me now. She knows what I want. We're on the same page. Should I give a little wimper to keep her on her toes? Nah...she's getting ready now.

How sweet the elixir of life tastes. I can keep drinking and drinking 'til my stomach bursts. This is pure heaven. This is pure joy. This is pur.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

You put your big toe in...

you take your big toe out. You put your big toe in and you scream and you shout!!!

Yesterday Jenn took Aiden to the pool to try and beat the 102 heat. The moment she put his toe in, he screamed his head off. So she took him out for about 20 minutes and decided to go in again.

New try same result.

If this is how he's going to deal with being in the water, I'm not sure what we're going to do. Being a water-based family, it may not be a pretty sight.

The Mommy Report

Sleep with one eye open...

I'm not sure how it has happened, but Aiden has us all wrapped around his tiny little fingers...

The child wants to be rocked to sleep every day! Not just everyday, but every TIME he falls asleep!!!! Once you lay him down he sleeps with one eye open, and if we leave his sight he's up and crying!

How does he know how to do that?

He has a bouncy chair that vibrates, and sings. We put him in that from time to time so that he will sleep soundly, but it is unfortunately on a timer that automatically shuts off. It does not matter how soundly this child is asleep, once the vibration stops... Crying.

Is it possible that a 5 1/2 week old infant really could be smart enough to do this? Apparently we have a genius on our hands. The cutest little genius you ever did see.

We're in BIG trouble with this little guy.


More later from the Mommy report.

Holding Mommy's hand.

The Mommy Report

A Mother's Rant

Just because I HAVE to go there...

"Pretty soon he'll be awake for longer periods of time, and then he'll sleep for longer stretches."

"Once he puts on some weight, he won't nurse as often and then he'll sleep for longer stretches."

"Around six weeks babies start to sleep for longer stretches."

"If you give him a bath right before bed, he'll sleep more soundly."

"If you take him out to the fresh air before bed, he'll sleep better."

All of these statements have been told to me by other women and mother's. My response...

BOLOGNA!

He is awake most of the day, he's put on the pounds, he's pushing six weeks, I bathe him before bed, & try the fresh air gig... NONE of which has allowed Lael and I more sleep.

Just to give everyone an idea... Aiden was up last night at 11:00, 12:30, 2:30, 3:15; 4:30, and 5:45. He's been up since 5:45am.

Sleep deprivation is a funny thing. It does funny things to you. For me, it can make me grouchy, sometimes just looking at Aiden will make me emotional and cry, it at times makes me easily frustrated. Just ask my husband.

I think women know this and make up ideal situations about when and how babies begin to sleep. Don't get me wrong, I cling to the "ideal situations" trying all of them.

I'll let you know when one of them works.

And another thing...

When did taking a shower become a luxury?

I mean, bathing should be part of everyone's daily routine right?

Wrong.

I may start the shower, even get undressed and Aiden will start crying.

Yesterday, Lael got in the shower while Aiden was asleep in his swing. I was in the loft ironing his clothes when Aiden began to cry. I stayed ironing and listening, knowing that sometimes he will fall back to sleep. A few seconds later, I hear a loud drop (probably the soap) and Lael opening the shower door saying to Aiden, "It's okay buddy." Aiden's crying turned into screaming, BANG! (another drop) and Lael frantically begins talking to him. "Hold on Bubba." I hear from the loft. BANG *#@* another drop. At this point, I could have grabbed him, but I was dying to see how Lael would handle the situation...

Within seconds, Lael is pushing my bedroom door open. A towel half on half off, a robe half on half off, soap suds still on his legs with Aiden in hand. "Something is wrong!", Lael says frantically. "Nothing is wrong." I say, "he's just ticked that you didn't pick him up quick enough." "WHAT?" Lael says in disbelief.

Does he think I'm kidding?

Maybe he has a new perspective on why I'm still in my pajamas when he comes home from work.

More later from the Mommy Report.

Look at me!!!

The Mommy Report

Why Does Motherhood Have to be embarrassing?

Let me tell you a little story... I worked with a very nice girl in VIP at Bellagio named Lorraine, who had an adorable two year old boy. She once told me one of her embarrassing motherhood stories and it went like this...

One day she took her son Auggie with her to the grocery store. As they were shopping down one of the aisles, there was a rather large, hairy man coming from the opposite end of the aisle. This man was not just hairy, we're talking furry everywhere! Arms, shoulders, back legs etc. etc. ect. Lorraine said she was very conscious not to look in the man's direction as he was approaching, as she did not want to stare. (did I mention he was in a Gold's Gym tank? You know the teeny tiny ones?) As she proceeded to get close to the man, Auggie (the adorable two year old) stuck out his finger pointing directly at the man as they passed him in the aisle, shouting "EWW EWW EWW EWW EWW".

Mortified, the poor girl did the only thing she could think of... RUN OUT OF THE AISLE IN SHAME.

Embarrassing right?

Or how about Andy... When he was two years old, I made the grave mistake of taking him with me to the mall. Macy's to be exact. He squirmed out of my grip and took off running. I went to chase him, and lost the little brat. Irritation turned into frantic, psychotic behavior as I lost view of him and could not find him. I turned into one of those moms, you know the ones, screaming "Andrew" at the top of my lungs. As screaming turned into crying, A nice older woman came up to me to ask if my son "Andrew" was a very cute little blonde toddler. "YES!" I said my panic increasing as I prepared to hear he had been kidnapped, and had already left the store!

"Well", she said, "Every time you get close to him he giggles and moves to another rack. Check in the middle of the circles and you'll find him, he was just, (pointing) right there as I approached you."

Needless to say, I said to myself, "Self, if he's alright, he's DEAD!" I found him, a few seconds later, and beat him. (not literally, although I REALLY thought I might.)

Embarrassing!

Now I have a topper! Some man, (I say man because no woman would invent this devilish contraption) invented the breast pump. It's really fun!

Not!

You get to milk yourself for 20 minutes just so your husband can take one of the late night feedings. (The things you'll do when you are sleep deprived) Have you ever seen a cow being milked? Yeah, NOT cute. Now mind you, this contraption is ELECTRIC!!! So last night I'm "pumping/milking" myself when Lael leaves the room for a second and leaves the door open. Just then... MY BROTHER WALKS IN!!!!

He quickly shields his eyes screaming, "Oh my G-d, I'm scarred for life!" HE'S SCARRED? I'm mortified!

EMBARRASSING!!!!!

The moral of this is simple... Motherhood is a series of embarrassing events! I tell you this not to freak anyone out, but to warn the people I care about who have not been as "fortunate" as I have been to have had children.

I wish someone would have warned me!

Ahhh... The things we do for our children.

More later from the Mommy Report.