Monday, October 30, 2017

On the Eve of your 3rd birthday


Tomorrow my baby turns three.
Three whole years have gone by with this guy by my side.
What an incredible blessing he is.

Of course I have been reminiscing about our time together and while looking at pictures of him as a baby makes me tear up (so tiny and sweet) it also makes me smile because I am so incredibly proud of the person he is becoming. So naturally, tonight's post is for my baby who is now a big kid.


Aiden,

You are such a cool kid.

You are playful and sweet, thoughtful and observant, kind and affectionate, a planner and a wild child, determined and eager, sensitive and tough, energetic and focused, my baby and yet my big kid.  Lots of other parents call the twos "terrible," but I will never call this last year or any year with you terrible because it was a year with you in it. This year you have desired more independence and one of your most commonly used phrases has been, "Aiden do it." I've been trying to step back and let you do things, but it's hard to let go as I am watching the baby in you slip away and the big kid step in. So when you say "Mama hold you" when you're scared or tired, it makes me so happy. You also always, always give me a kiss when I ask for it. You don't know how much that means to me.


You have brought me so much joy. Being your Mom is the best thing in the world and having a front row seat to your life is the greatest gift.

Here are a few things I want to remember about you at this very moment in time:

-You are protective of those you love. When we cross the street or are in the parking lot you hold my hand and say, "Watch out for cars Mama!" and "Be careful!" When Alder cries you say, "Make baby Alder laugh." When a friend falls down, you run over and make sure they are okay. You have a heart for others and are intuitive to their feelings.

-You are the BEST big brother. Alder adores you and you make him so happy.


-You love your friends and looks forward to seeing them. You always run in and give your friends hugs and huge smiles (You are such an extrovert like me!)

-You still love cars, but construction vehicles have taken a front row seat. The Bob the builder theme song is always in my head.

-You are the most fun and spunky kid! Seriously, your Dad and I talk all the time about how much fun you are all the time.


-You have one speed...FAST. You don't stop all day long and haven't napped consistently in 6 months.
-You love to learn and have an amazing memory. I love when you say things like "Member when we did that yesterday, Mama?"

-Reading is still one of our favorite things to do together. You study each page and enjoy "reading" to us too. You are currently very into all your (not very spooky) Halloween and Fall books.

-You love having a plan and when I share our plans with you for the day, if it's a plan you like (Polar Express and Hot Chocolate) you say, "That's a great idea, Mama"

-Your favorite game is Hide and Seek. You are the best hider and always give us clues as to where you are hiding by growling or giggling.


-You still vroom cars on chairs and you get so focused on this. You have loved this since you could stand.

-Your imagination has really developed this year. You are always pretending something and it is so much fun to watch you play and to join in on your magical world. You recently started loving super heroes and are always flying action figures around the living room.


-You are potty trained and you did it so well! You better teach your brother how to do it just like you when the time comes.

-You are always saying "I help you Mama." Your favorite chore to help with is the laundry. You really are a good little helper.

-You have been looking forward to Halloween and your birthday for months! We were literally pretend Trick or treating in September. You make everything more fun!

I could go on and on and on and on about you Aiden, but I think I'll go peek in on you, kiss your head and watch you sleep for a few minutes because when you wake up tomorrow you will be THREE and one day closer to being more of a big kid than my baby.

I love you more than I could ever express in words.

Happy birthday buddy.

Thursday, October 12, 2017

A Mama + Her Boys {A Photo shoot}

This photo shoot almost didn't happen...because I locked both boys and my cell phone in the car while attempting to leave the house to get these pictures taken. Big time mom fail. But the boys were fine, the car was parked in the garage, a friendly police officer came and made Aiden's day and we were only 30 minutes late to the studio...and we ended up with these beautiful images. I'm so thankful to have these pictures of me (sleep deprived me in my favorite Mama graphic tee) with my precious boys. I will treasure them forever. 






This season with these boys, I wouldn't trade for the world.

Monday, October 9, 2017

Alder Jacob {7 Months}

*This post has been half written in my drafts for a month. So really, happy 8 months baby boy, but in true second child fashion, your Mama is late with the monthly update. At least I took the picture on time. 

7 months of joy, joy, joy (and very little sleep) with this boy. Alder's personality continues to be very sweet and very laid back (until the middle of the night when he becomes slightly more of a diva, ha). He hardly ever cries or fusses and goes with the flow of our busy lives, but we are starting to see glimpses of attitude when he doesn't get his way. He grunts when we don't feed him fast enough and he has started "yelling" at Aiden when he takes toys away from him. Even though he can't talk just yet, he is very expressive with us and wants to make sure his little voice is heard!
When I walk in to get him from his room each morning, he goes crazy. He bounces and kicks and gets the biggest grin on his face. I'm his favorite and I kind of love it. But his love for Aiden is right up there too. He is constantly watching Aiden and laughing at his big brother and all the loud noises he makes. Their brotherly bond is undeniable and is my favorite thing in this world to watch. And then when Dada comes home he lights up in a whole new way. Dada is the one who makes him laugh the most.
Alder has a very inquisitive mind and love, love, loves when he gets a new toy. I don't remember being so excited about getting out new toys with Aiden at this age, but Alder notices everything about his toys and he interacts with them so well. He is so content just sitting in our family room with some toys set out. He also loves being read to. There are two books in particular he gets especially excited about. Baby, Baby and Sweet Dreams, Peter. He also loves the Indestructible books and Brown Bear, which we had to introduce early since Aiden was obsessed with that book (hence his first words were, "Brown Bear.") 
Besides eating a lot of new foods this month, the biggest milestone is that a tooth has begun to pop up. He is constantly drooling and chomping and i'm excited to see his smile with a few teeth in it. He is also sitting up all by himself and is trying so hard to pull up on things and to crawl. I have no doubt he will be mobile very soon. Alder also visited his first pumpkin patch where I probably took way too many pictures, but a baby in a pumpkin patch is just too adorable. (see below)

A few stats about Alder at seven months: 

Weight: This kid is beefing up again. We don't go to the doctor again until 9 months (and I never think to weigh him at home), but Drew and I joke that Alder is going to be bigger than his brother by Christmas...it could be true. Haha.

Height: His legs are long and he wants to pull himself up to his full height and stand on those long legs!

Size clothes: 9 month

Sleeping: Sleep? What is sleep? Alder continues his sleep strike and still has not slept completely  through the night. But you know what? I am choosing not to see this as a negative thing because seeing his sweet little face and knowing he wants to be close to me is a gift. I am needed. So as tired as I am all.the.time. I am grateful.

Random stuff only parents want to know:

Nicknames: Alder J, Baby, "Lellow" (by his big brother...I asked Aiden why he called his brother "Lellow" and he looked at me matter of factly and said, Marshmallow, Mama. Haha.)

Likes: Splashing in the bath, sleeping on his side with his puppy, the way different textures feel, watching his kitty cats run by him and trying to grab their tails, playing Peekaboo, new toys, being worn (aka close to Mama) on family outings.

Dislikes: When his brother takes his toys, waiting for a bite of food, the fact that he can't stand all the time, sleeping at night.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures of Alder from this month...








I know this next month is going to be a big one. 
I have a feeling you will be crawling and getting in to everything in no time.

Watch Alder Grow...
            One Month Update                        Two Month Update                       Three Month Update
 Four Month Update                        Five Month Update                    Six Month Update

See Aiden at SEVEN months here!
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