One Year Ago...

I had a two week old son.  A constant stream of house guests.  Sore, cracked nipples.  A hormone imbalance.  And no way of knowing just what life would look like when the dust settled.  I couldn't imagine life six months down the line.  My eyes were still adjusting to the haze.  Slowly, very slowly, the fog lifted.  In a few weeks time, I learned the need that was behind each coo.  Which diaper cream I preferred.  How to pack a diaper bag.  That my body would produce enough milk to sustain life and to trust it.  To relax and enjoy this little miracle that turned my life upside down.

Aug. 11, 2011

8 Days Old

We eventually found a routine.  Regular nap times, bedtimes, feedings.  We found a way to incorporate his schedule into ours without giving up our identities of Husband and Wife.  While Aiden was learning how to smile and roll over, I was learning how balance work and family.  The scales always teetering back and forth but never bottoming out.  I dreaded the daycare drop off but needed the recharge of adult conversation and sharing in the success of wonderful company that supports the intricate web of motherhood, wifedom and career.  Day by day he grew and he grew...

Nov. 15, 2011

Nov. 27, 2011

Milestones kept coming when they should.  We had a good sleeper, a good eater and a good temperament from the get go.  Each day we look forward to the next morning and not for when he can walk, or when he is potty trained or when he goes to school.  The words "I can't wait for..." are not uttered in this house.  Every stage is special.  Even the middle of the night wake ups will be gone before we know it.  I never thought I'd miss breastfeeding, but sure enough when it was over, I found myself missing the intimacy I'd never have again with my son.  How will I manage to hold onto a lifetime of memories and look forward to what is yet to come knowing that they too will only take up more space?  Will I forget his first steps in order to make room for his first home run?

The calendar pages continued to flip.

A year's worth of Holidays were making their appearance.  But a birthday still seemed like a distant date months away, never inching closer.  No way could I have been a mother for almost a year.  No way could one year's time practically erase the 32 years that came before it.  What did I do with all of my time?  How did I manage to fill up each night with prime time television?  Why did I think I had the right to judge other mother's waiting in line at the grocery store?  How did my heart pump with all that extra room that I didn't even know was there?


Feb. 18, 2012

May 9, 2012

Dec. 23, 2011

Sounds that resemble words can be heard in our house.  An inquisitive mind and tiny pointer fingers are always anxious for an answer.  He has his favorite books and toys.  He dances when he hears music.  He runs through the house and climbs on whatever he can get his feet on.  He has a perpetual bruise on his forehead and the cat usually gets the better of him.  But despite all the bumps and thumps, he continues to go back for more, always staring down a challenge.  He knows it's easy to be fearless when mom will always be there to kiss away the hurt.  And I will.

So, the big day finally arrived.  Our family and friends came to celebrate his birth once again.  We had cake, gifts and opened our home to our dear loved ones and shared just a glimpse of the love and laughter that we get to experience everyday.  And when bedtime came, I rocked him and sang to him just like I do every night...through tears of joy and reflection.

Aug. 4, 2012

Aug. 4, 2012

Aug. 12, 2012

I've found that life now is a comfortable chaos.  We still sit down for dinner together as a family most nights.  We play outside when we can.  We splash in the tub to wash away a day's worth of exploring.  Then the house turns quiet and we ready ourselves for bedtime.  We read.  We rock.  We sing. We dream.

My birthday wish for you is that I hope you have all of this one day.  Happy First Year of Life my Little Love.

Aug. 21, 2012

Cherish the Love

So much has happened in just a few months.  He is growing up so fast.  There are days my heart wants to explode with pride and others where it breaks because I can never get these days back.  All I can do is hold on tight and enjoy every moment…

We have still been dealing with Ear Infections.  So, on July 6^th, we had ear tube surgery at Waverly Health Center.  Aiden did great.  Mom did great too!  I think the hardest part was putting a tiny hospital gown on my baby.  But he sure was a little cutie!

Everyone was right.  It was very quick and he was back to normal by that afternoon.  We are hopeful that ear infections will now be few and far between.  We are also hopeful that runny noses and lingering coughs are in our past too.  He has been such a trooper through all of them and rarely let them get the better of him.  We didn’t lose too much sleep these past 6 months! Thank God!

At 11 months, there is no holding him back!  He walks all over the place and gets into everything.  Every night while I cook dinner, the floor gets littered with pots, pans, Tupperware, bibs, bottles and anything else he can get his hands on.  The kitchen looks like a bomb went off!    He claps when you ask him to play Pattycake, he lifts his arms up high when playing “So Big!”, he can wave Hi but cannot say it yet.  What can he say?  Clock.  Yep, Clock.  Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Vann!  He points at things now.  And Daddy has taught him how to Sword Fight with their pointer fingers!  Boys will be boys no matter what the age.  J

Much to my dismay, this time is going way too fast.  But the party planning sure is fun!

Our moments together as a family just keep getting better.  There are already so many great memories and I can hardly wait for what's to come.  But, I know it'll be here to fast, so we are sure to appreciate and love the moment we're in.  Every new skill, every new milestone, every new mess will soon be a distant memory.  And, we will miss them.  

Enjoy a few of our favorite snapshots over the past few months!

Catchin' Up!

I've got some catching up to do! 

Aiden is just over 9 months old now.  He knows patty cake and his favorite part is when we bake a cake as "fast as we can"!  That and when we mark it with a "Beeeeee" on that cute little belly of his. He is quite possibly the cutest, sweetest little boy we know.  :)

There is no stopping him now either!  Crawls all over the place and makes a b-line for all the places that are off-limits.  He walks behind his push toy, he pulls himself to standing on just about everything and thinks that banging and dropping his sippy cup is the best game ever!  He is all boy, that's for sure.  It won't be long and I'll be emptying out pockets of dirt and scrubbing out grass stains every night.

He has a mouth full of teeth.  Four on top and two on the bottom.  They help to gnaw on all that table food he is getting now...when he can get it in his mouth...and keep it there.  Those darn peaches are slippery little devils!

He also has his last "free" ear infection.  I'm sure tubes will be in our future.  Thankfully, he is such a good natured little monkey that other than a little fussiness he seems to manage the pain quite well.

He is getting ready for his first sleep over without Mom.  Tim and I are flying to Vegas this weekend for some rest and relaxation, oh, and some fun with friends too!  We are in desperate need of some adult time and a break from baby monitors, pacifiers and animal crackers.  While I am quite sure Aiden will be just fine and have lots of fun with his big cousin and Aunt, Uncle and Grandma, my anxiety has yet to peak.  Mommy's first time away overnight!  It is going to be a hard goodbye and I am already looking forward to our return and seeing that big toothy grin. 

That's all for now!  Going to be a busy summer!

Where did that animal cracker go?  Why are you laughing?

Say Cheese!

CRUD BE GONE!!!

Ugh.  Will it ever stop?  Ear infection after ear infection.  Antibiotic after antibiotic.  Cough after cough.  Throw in a runny nose and a wheeze and you get a very frustrated mommy.  His second ear infection just won't seem to go away and now he has developed a double ear infection.  Do I have the only child who can actually get an ear infection while ON antibiotics? 

Lucky for us, our little monkey is still sleeping pretty good most nights.  Isn't screaming and crying from pain.  Just more of a whine and tempermental.  Anything sets him off.  And unfortunately, there is a lot to set him off.  Antibiotics, ibuprofen, saline spray all on top of the wiggle worm diaper changes.  It most definitely hasn't been a fun couple of months.

But, he crawls.  He smiles.  He tries to pull himself to standing.  He laughs. He falls and bangs his head.  He chases the cat.  He drops things for you to pick up.  He still hates peas.  He babbles.    He snuggles.  He makes life better.

Ready, Set, Go!

Oh my how the time continues to fly!  7 months and counting...
Two teeth, two ear infections, crawling and a whole lot of da da da's. 

His 6 month Dr.'s appointment showed his first ear infection.  Mom felt awful because that lingering cough since New Year's was probably a sign things weren't quite right.  The waking up throughout the night whining wasn't from teething or just being more socially aware..ear infection.  The occasional ear tug wasn't from teething either...ear infection.  That fever...oh wait, there never was a fever.  It is just so hard to tell at this age just what is going on.  Dr. assured us it was no big deal and the antibiotics took care of it in a matter of 10 days.  We had our angel baby back.

And then the two bottom teeth showed up on the same night Aiden decided to try out his first crawls.  Both Tim and I puffed out our chests with pride.  But the next morning, I was a little sad.  Tomorrow he'll be graduating High School...so it seems.  Maybe that whining, ear tugging, night waking could have been teething after all.

Low and behold, the snow finally fell, albeit in Wisconsin.  Tim was able to pack up the snowmobile and head north with the guys.  Aiden decided it'd be fun to get another bad cold and keep me up all weekend.  As I'm laying in bed at 2 AM, pillows propped around me, 3rd hour of Law & Order, baby sleeping on my chest, I think "oh please just let me put you back in your crib".  And then, "I take that back, I will do this as many times as you need and as much as you want...forever."  Love my little boy.

And then...cough, cough, cough, despite the fact that his cold cleared up a couple of weeks ago.  So, off to the Dr. we go and sure enough, another ear infection.  Same ear.  Three in six months is the steadfast rule for ear tubes.  I guess we will wait and see what month 8 does for us!

Two teeth, two ear infections, crawling and a whole lot of da da da's.

But what fun he has taking a bath now!

He learns something new each day and we wake up each morning as though it is Christmas.  The excitement of what the day will bring as we watch our baby boy grow up before our eyes!  And that cat tail that he loves to watch so much?  Look out!  He's on the move!

In Six Months...

It takes six months to build a single Rolls Royce. 

In six months’ time, Aiden has sharpened his vision and his hearing.  He has discovered his ears, his hands and his feet.  He has learned to smile at things that make him happy.  He has a laugh now that comes from his belly.  He has gone from only being able to look at the ceiling to rolling over, spinning around and sitting up.  He can grab a block with one hand and put it in the other.  He has learned how to make raspberry noises.  He has learned to eat from a spoon.  He has learned to love sweet potatoes and hate peas.  He has learned that yelling will get mom and dad’s attention. That watching the cat’s tail move around is pretty neat.  That his arms and legs will make him mobile someday soon.  He has learned that when mom or dad leaves the room, we will come back.  That a pacifier goes in his mouth.   That mom will always pick him up if he cries.  He has learned to look around the room when he hears a familar voice.   That dad will be there in the morning to feed him.  He has learned that Goodnight Moon means goodnight kisses are coming soon.  That he can trust the big people in his life.  In six months’ time, Aiden has learned that he is safe and loved. 

In six months’ time, I have learned patience.  I have learned plans change.  That breastfeeding makes me proud.  That weekends with my boys beat nights out with the girls.  That making time for my husband is even more important than before.  That I don’t want to be too busy to cook a meal most nights and that it is important to eat as a family every night.  I have learned that dirty toilets and messy counters aren’t the end of the world.  Routines make for happy babies and happy homes.  The helpless feeling you have when your baby is sick is probably far worse than your baby actually feels.  I have learned to ask for help.  That getting your baby’s foot caught in the stroller doesn’t make you a bad mom.  I’ve learned that being a mom is the most important job I will ever have.  That I will never live another day without worry.  In six months’ time, I have learned that there is no greater love on this Earth than a mother’s. 

Six months may get you the finest piece of machinery money can buy, but I created a miracle in nine months.  I win. 



Our Miracle



Sittin' Pretty

Well, it's been a big week here.  Aiden has had two major developments in the last 7 days.  First of all, he can sit up all by himself!  Still a little wobbly, but he can do it! Now granted, he can't get himself in the sitting position, but once there he is good to go! Very exciting.  It's amazing how quickly little ones can master a skill.  Just a few weeks ago, he'd tip right over.  Just a few days ago he'd balance for seconds and then tip right over.  Just two days ago he'd sit up nice and tall and then fall backwards.  Yesterday, he sat up and didn't tip over.  Instead he played with his toys and he squealed with delight at his new found skill.  I think he's amazed at how different the world must look from his new vantage point.

As for his second development...he had his first turd.  Yep. Big Boy Poop.  But it was fleeting.  This morning's was almost halfway up his back.  Certainly baby book worthy though. 

What else is new?  Well, I tried my hand at homemade baby food this weekend.  For the most part, it was a success.  Pears, sweet potatoes, squash.  Piece of cake.  Rice cereal?  Not so much.  Aiden gagged on it and looked at me with disgust.  Ha!  I would agree, it was crunchy.  It shouldn't be crunchy.  Next time I'll use a recipe and measuring cups.

Everyone always says they grow up so fast.  Now I know what they mean....

Meet our Little Monkey

Hello Family & Friends!

Welcome to our Blog! I've been meaning to start this for awhile. I figured it would be a good way to keep all of our family and friends around the country in the loop of our wonderful life here in Iowa. Please feel free to "follow" our little Monkey Trax. But beware, he moves quick!

To start, he is 5 months old already! Our life has changed so much since August 11, 2011. There have been miles and miles of milestones! Sleeping thru the night? Check! Rolling over? Check! Eating solids? Check! He is even starting to sit up! Such a good little monkey. He fills our home with love and laughter. Even more than before. Just look at that face!