One Year Photos

Yeah, I'm a bit early on these, but seeing as how I wanted to use some of the photos on Aiden's birthday invitations, I needed enough time to get the photos, order the invites, and get them in the mail so folks have time to make plans! I LOVE LOVE LOVE how these all turned out!

First Playdate

Aiden & I headed over to Lawrene's house on Saturday so that he, Quentin, and Rachel could all have a playdate. We had a fantastic time! Lawrene made us a delicious lunch (tortelini with vodka cream sauce, a salad and garlic bread for the adults; plums and tortelini for the boys, and formula for Miss Rachel). Afterwards, the we took the kids down to Quentin's playroom and took a lot of photos while the kids played. It was so fun to watch the three of them interact. They're all pretty close in age; Aiden is about 5 weeks older than Quentin, and just over three months older than Rachel. I feel lucky to have great moms around, and now that this will be a monthly event, I'm really looking foward to it!

A fun night

For Valentine's Day, I got Mike & I tickets to last night's OSU v. M*ch*gan hockey game. OSU hockey was another date activity we enjoyed early in our relationship, so like ice-skating, it's fun to revisit those times. It's also nice that I got the tickets for only $5 a piece through work :) Unfortunately, the game itself wasn't very good (we actually left between the 2nd and 3rd periods because it was 4-0 in favor of those nasty Wolverines), but at least OSU took the opportunity to remind UM of how we have OWNED their football team in recent years with some pointed "trivia" on the scoreboard. Classic. :)
Since John, Abby & Sean also attended the game and also decided to leave early, we all headed over to Rooster's for a few beers afterward. We had an awesome time telling & listening to each other's crazy stories. Mike was definitely in his element as the Friday Night Fights were showing on a TV within our view, and he could espouse his boxing knowledge. He also laughed harder than I'd ever seen at a particularly goofy story of his (I think the details are better left untold here). Definitely a fun night out :)

Before My Eyes

Aiden is changing so quickly right before us, and it's starting to really startle me a bit. Everyday he has a new sound, a new expression, and a new talent. He's trying to form words, like "go" and "I love you" (though "Dada" is still his favorite), he's DEFINITELY getting a little attitude (he's NOT afraid to tell you what he does and does not like), and he's really starting to get a hang of his maneuverability. He gets into EVERYTHING--the cupboard, the fireplace (even though it's blocked off!), the "restricted area" behind the recliner, and anywhere else his little heart desires. He will, however, probably stay away from the carbon monoxide detector from now on; he pressed the test button earlier this week, and its shrill cry pretty much scared him to death until Mommy came to the rescue.

I'm loving every second of this. :)

And now a few pictures of this little goofball so you can see what I'm talking about--check out those silly expressions!!!

Happy Valentine's Day...

...from Fire Marshall Aiden!

Eleven Months Old

I don't know what scares me more--the fact that Aiden is now 11 months old, or the fact that I'll be throwing a birthday party a month from now! Time just continues to fly, and Aiden continues to develop at his own pace.
A few of Aiden's 11-month facts:
--Eating is still a bit of a roller coaster ride, but I daresay it's evening out a bit; he's not fighting me as much most days, and even on his bad days I'm no longer worried that he's not getting what he needs (there's your update, Krystyn--sorry I haven't been able to respond to you, but you'll hear why if you read on...:)) Thanks for all the ideas and encouragement from everyone--it helps more than you know!
--Our little guy is now the proud owner of FOUR pearly-white teeth; the second top tooth FINALLY popped through earlier this week!
--Now that he knows how to crawl (as I documented earlier this week), Aiden is constantly on the go; I keep finding him in weird places around the house, and I've only turned my back in the blink of an eye! He's definitely going to keep me on my toes--probably for the next couple years.
--Last night, the little booger started the crouching moves (where he's on his hands & knees, then lifts himself to his hands & feet, then back to his hands & knees). He's also a whiz at pulling himself up on furniture and walking along side it while holding on. He's really picking this stuff up quick.
--It is so fun that Aiden knows exactly who DaDa is; he even knows what time Mike is supposed to get home in the evenings, and will start look at the back door and say "Dada." I'm still working with him to say MaMa, and we even have tried to say Aiden, too.
That's about as much updating as I'm up to right now. Things have been a little crazy for us for the past couple days; on Wednesday, a we had ANOTHER wind storm, similar to the one that came through in September. Unfortunately, we weren't as lucky this time, and we did lose power Wednesday evening at 10:30 (luckily after I'd gotten to watch American Idol), and STILL haven't gotten it back; truth be told, we're not supposed to get it back until midnight on SUNDAY. ECH. Needless to say, we'll have to trash everything in the fridge, and I'm more than slightly worried about our pipes bursting in the cold. We are lucky that Mike's parents don't mind us staying with them, or we'd all be shivering in the dark! So obviously, this month Aiden's photos were taken in Mimi & Grandpa's den. Look for some special pictures next month as I'm actually going to shell out the money to let a professional take Aiden's monthly update photos.
Until then, I hope you all stay warm and keep your power!

Feeling Like a Bad Mom

Aiden gave me a heck of a scare this evening, not longer after I probably gave him a heck of a scare. We had some rough thunderstorms race through the area, and when the hail started falling and the wind kicked up, I got concerned enough to wake Aiden up (quite rudely) from his nap and make him sit in the basement with me. Not long afterward, the weather calmed down a bit, and I brought Aiden upstairs. We sat on the couch, me mistakenly feeling like he was probably still a bit sleepy from his nap. So much for that. Before I knew what was happening, he crawled face-first off the couch and landed on the floor. You can see the damage in the photo--the bump on the forehead and the cut underneath his nose. I suppose it could have been much worse, but I feel like I got my Bad Mommy Wake-Up Call tonight. I'm just going to have to do a better job. Aiden knows this, too, as during the two times I've turned my back on him this evening, he has once ended up pulling a cord from an electrical outlet, and then crawled under the bed in the guest bedroom.
Like I said, I'm just going to have to do a better job.

He's crawling :)

On the Move from Kimberly Cotter on Vimeo.

So I got a haircut...

...whaddya think?