February Fun!

With the holidays and Aiden's birthday, I wanted to just post some fun updates and pics of the kids. There are a lot of times I struggle with working part time and being home with kiddos, sometimes wishing I did more of one or the other. But when I look back at these blog posts and see how lucky I am to be able to spend so much time with my kids while still enjoy having a career, I can't imagine life being any different.

Aiden:

Oh my dear sweet Aiden. He's growing up so fast, sometimes I wish I could press the pause button. It still amazes me how much he changes each day, from the words and sentences he speaks to the emotions and thoughts he expresses. He's my little helper and sidekick, always wanting to carry something for me or just "help Mommy".  It's true what they say, boys love their Mommies... and you know what? I love it!

LEGOS!

My handsome boy looks so grown up!

Aiden is still semi-enjoying preschool.  Music is still his favorite part and we often sing the songs together at home!We reached a bit of a kink when the focus of school became potty training (he can't move to the 3 year old class until he masters this milestone). He's not quite ready for it, and it is slowly becoming a source of stress for him and me, so suggestions welcome! 

Silliness with the Aunties!

Aiden still adores Rocky. We have to constantly remind him that he needs to be a bit gentler with Rocky since he's getting older, but Aiden loves chasing him around the house and wrestling with him. Poor Rocky, he's still a good sport about it.

Madelyn:

My sweet little Mady is now 9 months old! Having 2 kids made it hard for me to cherish her earlier months since we were so busy, but I'm making up for it now since she is so cuddly and so much fun! Mady is a little spark plug, so curious, so attentive, and knows what she wants! She LOVES being held, loves hugs and kisses, and is the most happiest baby!

Mady is pulling herself up to stand really well now and starting to cruise along furniture. I think that she would do it a lot more often if she didn't realize that she can get where she wants to go faster by crawling! I'm hoping that she'll walk soon... although I think we'll be in serious trouble then. She loves to get into everything!

My pretty girl

I love her smile and the sound of her giggle makes me smile from the inside out.

Look at that hair!

Mady is such a fast crawler! You had to keep an eye on her every second or else she'll disappear!

Mady is so snuggly, especially during nap time... and I am more than happy to oblige!

I absolutely LOVE this face!

Mady is much more adventurous that her brother was. She has no fear!! I'm hoping that she'll be able to get her big brother to join in on the fun!

Mady loves to put EVERYTHING and anything in her mouth! We have to watch out for this one!

Vic jokingly says that Mady's sanctuary is behind the couch. She'll often crawl back there to just sit and look out the window. I wonder what she's thinking?

Mady's newest update is that we discovered that she is severely allergic to peanuts!! Who would have thought!? We're hoping that she'll grow out of it, but it seems unlikely. After a visit to an allergist, we also found out that she is allergic to eggs and mildly to shellfish. I'm so sad for her! This is definitely a life changer for us since her reaction was so severe. We have to be careful about what we feed her, what we buy and what we give to Aiden. It makes me apprehensive about taking her to different places since there are so many variables that we can't control. But I am determined to find safe and yummy alternatives for her, so again, suggestions welcomed!

Although he wasn't all that thrilled about her at first, Aiden truly loves his little sister. He may whine and complain when she plays with his toys, but I know that he cares for her. He often asks "Where's Mady" when she's not around, always says "oh no, baby sister not happy" and "what's wrong, Mady?" when he hears her cry. He loves making her laugh, especially when she's sad, and freely gives her lots of hugs (and the occasional kiss, when prompted). Now I understand what it means when parents say that the greatest gift they gave their kids was each other.

How did we get so lucky?

Happy Birthday, Aiden!

Happy Happy Birthday, Aiden!

I can't believe that Aiden is 3... 3!!?? Where did the time go! I am so proud of the little man he is growing up to be.

Aiden at 3, in a nutshell:

- Favorite foods: Fruit, black beans and rice, pizza, chicken nuggets (I think he may turn into one soon), fruit by the foot, Grandma's pho, shrimp chips... actually chips in general, honey nut cheerios, mac and cheese, and M&Ms!

- Favorite TV Shows: Paw Patrol, Bubble Guppies, Mater's Tall Tales, Team Umizoomi, and Blue's Clues

- Favorite Games: Angry Birds (The Star Wars and Go versions), matching games and puzzles

- Favorite Toys: Trucks (especially monster trucks and construction vehicles), cars (anything related to Disney Cars and matchbox cars), legos (especially ones that build cars), Thomas the Train, and play food (he loves to make me eggs and have picnics)

- Funny Things He's Saying Right Now": "Mommy, the red hand means don't walk", "Top secret, do not open" (thanks, Auntie Elizabeth), while in the car 'Mommy, why are there so many cars on the road?", "Mommy, I poops", "Uh oh, baby sister crying... I'll get it!".

- Other Things he's Into Right Now: Aiden LOVES music, singing, and dancing! He can break it down! Enjoys cooking (especially when it involves cracking eggs), loves looking at reviews of toys on youtube and then finding them at the store (true story).

To celebrate Aiden's birthday, we threw him a Transportation Party at Kidville. Let me tell you, this place is the lazy parent's answer to a birthday party. It is one stop shopping! They took care of everything.. from decorations, to food, to the cake, to entertainment, to goody bags and took care of setup and cleanup! Not to mention the fact that the party was super fun! It incorporated all the things that Aiden loved, including art and running around!

Aiden was so excited for his birthday. We watched shows and read books about birthdays and we practiced saying "I'm three!" when asked how old he was. He would say it with so much enthusiasm and add "Happy Birthday, Aiden"!

Aiden making a drawing by rolling cars through stamp pads. The kids also got to play with play do and decorate wooden airplanes!

Riann and Sofia building towers!

We were so happy that the whole family was able to come help celebrate!

Loving my little birthday boy!

Hi Kai!

Stretching before a little gym time!

Bubbles!

Aiden and Logan popping bubbles

Mady loved trying to pick them up

Mini car roller coaster... Aiden must have rode it a dozen times!

Mia in the bouncy house!

By far Aiden's FAVORITE part of the party was the zipline! I was pretty surprised that he was brave enough to try it since he tends to be pretty timid when it comes to things like that. But I think it was a huge help that Logan was there to lead the way. Go Aiden!

Blowing out the candles for the big 3! We are so blessed to be surrounded by so many people that love and care for Aiden. It wouldn't have been the same without everyone there!

Happy Birthday to my favorite little guy. Mommy and Daddy love you more than words could ever say. I hope you will always be the sweet little boy you are today! We can't wait to see what amazing things are up next! But don't grow up too fast!

Aiden's birthday month also brought the start of swim class! We'd been trying to get him back into swim classes for awhile, but was never able to make it into the class. This time, Mommy and Daddy were determined! I had taken Aiden to swim class when he was around 6 months old and, at the time, it didn't seem like it really made much sense. He didn't really like the water that much, nor did he enjoy the structure of the class... mainly that it had any structure at all. He was much more content just splashing in the water and doing his own thing.

Since going to the beach this past summer, Aiden has really started to become more interested in the water. So now was that perfect time to get him back into it... and... SUCCESS! He loves it! We decided to make swim class a Daddy/Aiden thing, since his art class was a Mommy/Aiden thing. So off my boys go, once a week, while I get some quality Mady time.

Here are some pics from his first day of class:

Floating on his stomach

Practicing his kicks!

Vic says that Aiden is doing great in class. The teacher even used him as an example when teaching the kids how to jump into the water. Aiden LOVES jumping into the pool (thanks to Grandpa teaching him how at the beach!). He still needs to get a bit more comfortable floating on his back, but his kicks are getting better and he can dunk his head under water! My little water baby!

What a wonderful January!!