Walkin' the Walk

Just a little something that took place today...








Way to go, Aiden!

Short video of the first steps later - and how we got him to go for it! Let's just say he didn't want to walk, but we knew what would motivate him enough to take those first steps!

First (FULL) Haircut

We took Aiden for his first full haircut today. He's already kind of had a haircut - Mammaw recently cut the hair on the sides of his head. He was able to get by with that for a while.

But he was in desperate need of a FULL haircut this time. I could deny it no longer. A friend recommended Snip-its, so we went for the cut today, since Ryan had the day off (forced day off b/c the office is moving to a new and closer building!) and our weekend is already too busy to fit this in. We were worried that Aiden would move around too much - b/c that's what he does. But he ended up doing so well! He sat on Daddy's lap and played with a little toy that the stylist shared with him. He never fussed or tried to move out of the way while she cut. Well, once or twice he leaned a bit and gave her a funny look, like "what exactly are you doing to my head.....," but that was the extent of it. It was a really great experience. Aiden didn't cry. And I didn't even cry! At the end of the visit, he got a treat, too. He doesn't get that yet, but I'm sure by the next time, he'll figure it out! They also have tvs for little ones to watch here, but ours was never even turned on. I'm actually glad for that b/c I think it can be a little much, and why do it if it's not necessary. Now, if he was a bit older and really fighting it, I might feel a bit different, but for now - it was not needed, and I'm glad the stylist didn't even go there. She was great with Aiden, too. Things went much better than we expected, to be honest!

Sitting on Daddy's lap - getting squirted before the cut!
I love his expression here!!


What's going on here, lady??
This was about the most fight he made. Very well behaved!


See...he's even smiling and sitting still while she cuts away! How great is that?!


Looking more like a little man now...
Made me rethink this haircutting business a bit!


Ending things with a mohawk!


Getting his treat from the machine - Aiden got a little fish that you squeeze.


Ok, the mohawk was just temporary.
I totally would have let him leave with the mohawk, though!
(This was supposed to be a picture of us with the Snip-its guy - this is what I get when I ask Ryan to take a picture of us with something... An example of why I take most of the pics and why I am not in many of them.)

Why Aiden will never eat cake again

Ok, that's not quite right, but we hope to soon find out what he should possibly never eat again. Here's the story...

Aiden was having a great time at his birthday party. Lots of friends showed up to play, and then it was time for CAKE! Aiden had a big blue smash cake that ended up having a very thick layer of icing. After having the time of his life rubbing icing all over his face, Aiden had a terrible reaction to it. We saw that his face was red when Ryan wiped it off, but after we got him upstairs to really clean up in the tub (b/c that kid got the stuff EVERYWHERE), it was much worse and he ended up with hives ALL over his face, neck, part of his back and chest, and part of his arms - basically everywhere any amount of icing touched. It looked bad enough that we rushed off to the Emergency Room with no hesitation. Camden was very scared when he saw Aiden - he immediately started bawling and was extremely worried.

This was NOTHING compared to how red he got soon after this.
His entire face, neck, some of his chest, and some of his arms were bright, bright red and COVERED in hives.

Aiden seemed to be breathing ok and wasn't fussy, but he looked terrible and was rubbing his face a lot...and he was coughing a bit. Anyone that has visited an ER knows it takes longer than it should to see someone, so by the time we saw the first nurse, the redness was almost gone - and by the time we got to see the doctor (over two hours later), it was even more almost gone, which was good on one hand, but we also wanted them to SEE the reaction. We didn't have a camera with us, so the only pictures we have are ones we took on the drive to the ER with the camera phone and were able to show those to the dr (we like to have photographic records of all of these kind of reactions, etc...). We don't have anything fancy like an iphone, just a regular flip phone, so the pics aren't the best but did what they needed to do. Aiden did rub his face a little while the doctor was with us, so some of the redness came back. They gave him half a dose of benadryl. His throat and ears looked fine, which is a good sign. My mother has severe food allergies (to just about everything you can be allergic to), and her reactions are respiratory, so we were concerned about that with Aiden, even though he seemed to be breathing just fine - good to have those things checked out.

We also talked with the lady that baked Aiden's smash cake at a local bakery, and she told us what ingredients were in the icing. We're thinking it was either a reaction to the food coloring or the soybean oil - most likely the coloring. We have a check-up scheduled on Tuesday already, so we'll be speaking with the doctor and perhaps be on our way to an allergist soon to possibly go through some testing (hopefully for just these things and not a whole lot of other testing at this time...we'll see, though). We want to do whatever it takes to make sure we find some answers so we know what to do from this point on, of course. We've had a few scares when it comes to Aiden and his skin, so we're not taking it too lightly, and food allergies aren't anything to scoff at, either. He IS doing well right now, though. :) And we're very glad we've been feeding him natural, whole (organic when possible) foods up to this point! I wonder how many babies show up to ERs and Urgent Care centers on their first birthdays from reactions similar to this? I would not be surprised if it happened more than we thought, really. I know Aiden never got any sugar or anything artificial up to this point...

The culprit...

After Aiden's dr appt on Tuesday, I will postwhat happened, if anything significant does happen. Hopefully we'll get some answers soon so we can decide what our next steps are. We keep hearing that first reactions are the mildest and the ones following get worse with each occurrence, so we definitely do not want something like this to happen again. This was bad enough!

On a positive note, the party was a lot of fun and we were so happy to share the day with so many of our friends. (Unfortunately some showed up after we left and we really missed seeing them!) We are VERY thankful for Ryan's dad and step-mom that were visiting with us. They took over while we rushed off. They stepped up in such a big way, and I don't know what we would have done with out them. THANK YOU Gary and Susan!!!

We did manage to get a few pictures. Here are the ones from the party...

2009 August - Aiden's FIRST Birthday (NC Party)

And here are August pics so far...Not too many, but there are a few from his actual birthday, where we went out to eat and Aiden got a little tiny cupcake - and some waiters from The Cheesecake Factory sang to him. :)

2009 August

If some of you out there took some pictures at the party, could you email them to us so we can have copies? Since we were busy with all that party-throwing business, we didn't get as many as I normally would. ;) Thanks! Email is daisyryan.adkins(at)gmail(dot)com.

Needless to say, this was a birthday we will NEVER forget! And maybe the most expensive birthday party we have thrown in quite a while, too (thanks to that ER bill)... We did notice that Aiden has had big skin issues come up around both birthdays so far - his tushie troubles when he was born (and the big stuff with that happened around day two) and then this on his first birthday (two days later....hmmmm....). Let's hope this isn't some sort of trend.

My Baby Turns ONE

Sometime in the next few days or next week, I will post with pictures and updates on Aiden and his FIRST BIRTHDAY, which was yesterday, August 6th. We have a big birthday bash happening tomorrow, and we celebrated yesterday with dinner out with the family and MaMaw Sharon. Aiden enjoyed some yummy veggies at the Cheesecake Factory - and then went to town with a little cupcake. We handed over one of those "two-bite" cupcakes, which was plenty big enough to him. He picked it up like he knew what he was doing and just ate every last bit of it. THEN our waiter and a couple others came by to sing to him and give him some ice cream (with a TON of whip cream, which we quickly spooned off). I think he really enjoyed himself!

And yes, in case you're wondering, I did shed a tear or two. I woke up and told my little baby "Happy Birthday" and couldn't help recalling how wonderful it was to meet him one year ago. That day is still so fresh in my mind.

If you haven't read Aiden's birth story....

• Aiden's introduction (just a quick intro and slideshow of pics) - Click HERE
• And his birth story - Click HERE - The cons are listed before the pros. I wanted to end the post on a positive note. :)

More pictures coming soon!!

The Great Thing About Parenting...BREASTFEEDING Part TWO - Extended Breastfeeding

As Aiden nears his first year mark (THIS Thursday!!), I know one issue at the forefront (for some other people) will be...when are you going to wean him??

Welcome to Part Two of the breastfeeding discussion...EXTENDED Breastfeeding. If you read the first part (the post before this), you know the drill. Be nice. No debating/bashing. No rights or wrongs. This is just about sharing what we do/think/feel/etc.

When I had my first son ten years ago, I was 19 years old and just went along with the mainstream parenting methods. I thought it was great to nurse until the first birthday if you could, but I (like most that I knew) thought that was enough and you should stop then. I never got to the year mark because my milk went away, so I don't know how I would have felt when that year was up. This time around, I am a very different mama. I expect to nurse Aiden until he is two years old or to let him self wean. Who knows - he may wean himself before then. I'm not so sure I would EXPECT that the way he nurses now, but it could happen. I haven't thought much about breastfeeding past that point. As one of my teachers long ago (as in elementary school) used to say...we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. At this point, I am not sure I would be comfortable nursing a child past the age of two, but I realize that could change. I am on an online group where a soon-to-be-mama started a conversation about extended breastfeeding, saying she didn't think she could nurse past one year because she didn't think she would be comfortable with it. Someone else had a great point...those babies don't get to be a year all the sudden. It's gradual. And when it's so gradual in that way, you don't think of your babies as being older...you still see them as babies. So, nursing a two month old and a year old baby aren't all that different when you get there one day at a time. And that is so true. I don't think about that kind of thing when I nurse Aiden now. Whose to say I will feel one way or another as that TWO year mark approaches.

So, why two years?? Why not stop at one? There are a number of reasons.

For one, why wean at a year? Who says that is the right age and why should we just buy into that? First of all, each baby is different and has different needs (same goes for the moms, I would think, too). There are benefits to baby (and mom) with nursing, and they don't suddenly STOP when that baby hits twelve months old.

One benefit from nursing is how the breastmilk works with brain growth. They say that breastfed babies grow to be slightly more intelligent than their non-breastfeed counterparts. Research is now showing that there is a time of brain growth in the second year of life and that these children could benefit even greater from being breastfed during this time.

Attachment. Is your child suddenly ready to stop nursing at the age of one? Maybe he/she is! But maybe not. In my case, I want Aiden to wean when HE is ready to stop nursing. If it is important to him to continue, I am comfortable with that. He won't nurse for the rest of his life or for that much longer, when you look at the big picture. For those of you that think babies that continue to nurse into their toddler years will turn out to be clingy, dependent children, research shows that these children turn out to be more independent and self-confident. These children feel safe and are more trusting and, therefore, feel safe being more independent.

Nutrition. There is more fat and energy content in breastmilk from a mother nursing more than a year than earlier on. Interesting. Here is some more info along those lines... 448 ml of breastmilk during 12-23 months contains:

• 29% of energy requirements
• 43% of protein requirements
• 36% of calcium requirements
• 75% of vitamin A requirements
• 76% of folate requirements
• 94% of vitamin B₁₂ requirements
• 60% of vitamin C requirements

Less illness and fewer allergies for nursing toddlers. The immune factors in breastmilk increase in concentration during the second year and also during the weaning process, according to the kellymom.com factsheet. Toddlers that nurse are sick much less often than non-nursing toddlers. Asthma is also less common.

Did you know that the WHO recommends breastfeeding up to two years? Here is the statement from their website: Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to 6 months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond.

There is some other great information at kellymom.com. Here is a section on breastfeeding - there is a heading for nursing past the first year and one on weaning, if you are interested.

Honestly, I only recently read some of this info. I've heard a lot of it for a while now, which made the decision to nurse past the first year an easy one for us. But I haven't done a ton of research on the topic and just recently discovered the kellymom website. I don't need a lot of research or stats to convince me to continue to nurse Aiden. It is what I feel comfortable doing as a mother. I want him to self-wean, if at all possible, because I feel that is what is best for HIM.

Someone (I don't know who it was because I wasn't told and I didn't ask) recently had a short conversation with someone else that I know... This someone was surprised to find out I was still nursing Aiden when he was about to turn a year old. Well, he's just nursing for comfort. I assure you, the child nurses for nourishment, for the milk. Yes, sometimes it is for comfort, but the majority of the time, the child is hungry. Well, she's just nursing him to sleep. No. I don't nurse him to sleep. Sure, he nurses before naptimes and bedtime, but AFTER nursing, he gets a story and other parts of his routine before going to sleep. And even if he is nursing to calm down and prepare for sleep, what's wrong with that? Other questions were about baby food and him eating other things. Trust me, the boy can eat. But if he wants milk, nothing can substitute, as far as he is concerned. He will tell me (by signing) when he wants milk...and he wants it right then, too, whether it's naptime, whether he just ate lunch, or regardless of where we are. He wants MILK. And I can tell he is getting plenty of it. I still let-down (and I have a very active let-down) every time he nurses. If he misses a feeding, I can tell, if you know what I mean.

Now, I don't feel the need to become defensive with my discussion. I don't feel defensive about this person asking questions, even though they were clearly trying to say that Aiden did not need to nurse at this point. I said in the last post, though, that I had not yet experienced the dirty looks or comments about nursing or nursing in public. I know that might change once Aiden is clearly older than a year old. I know more people have an issue with nursing a toddler than nursing a baby. So, I'm trying to prepare myself for this. I would love to hear how some of you have dealt with this, are planning on dealing with this. How did you handle or do you plan on handling it? What about those of you that think it's unnecessary? Why do you disagree with it?

Ok, it's late, and I'm off to bed (sorry if this post seems scattered - I'm exhausted!). After I eat some cake that my mother-in-law brought us (she came today to visit for the week). Then I'll nurse Aiden and bring him to bed with us, once he wakes in an hour or so. :) And yes, we'll continue to co-sleep and nurse at night, too. But we're working on not nursing to sleep at those times (per the No Cry Sleep Solution methods...seem to be helping so far!).

Share what you want! Just remember the rules. :) Comment on blogger, be nice, no debating. Thanks!!

The Great Thing About Parenting... BREASTFEEDING

I haven't done anything with the parenting series for a while. Things have been just way too busy to sit down and take time out for a serious post, especially one that requires me to think clearly, take the energy to come across as knowing what I'm talking about, and perhaps through in some research. This post might not involve as much of that as I want, but I am hoping to at least get the post WRITTEN and maybe even make some sense.

This post also has two parts to it...one being about breastfeeding in general. The second part - extended breastfeeding (past the one-year mark). One thing at a time, though...

Now, if you are new to the blog and aren't familiar with the parenting series, please feel free to see the post introducing it all HERE. See the other posts/topics HERE (diapers, co-sleeping, vaccines...). Basically, this is a friendly place to share the way we each do things, how we feel about it, what we think, etc. Key word - friendly. No bashing allowed. No debating. This is not about right vs wrong. Disagreeing is fine, but watch your words, please. Also, for those of you that follow along via email subscription or facebook, comment on the actual blog so we have the discussion all in one area.

Ok - I have breastfed both of my children. Camden was nursed up to 6-7 months, when my milk went away. After about a month of doing everything possible and everything a lactation consultant suggested, I had to give in and go to formula full-time. He simply was not getting enough milk from me alone, unfortunately. Not a happy month for me. Aiden is still going strong nursing at (almost) one year. Aside from my milk going away with Camden, nursing has been really easy for me. I never had any clogged ducts, no cracking of anything..., no problems with latching. It was a very natural thing for me and for both of my babies. They both went right to nursing like they were pros from the start. I don't take for granted how easy breastfeeding has been; I know many people that have had different experiences. Feel free to share yours - good, bad, indifferent, etc.

With that, I must say that I really don't get it when people say they have a hard time breastfeeding. Let me explain before some of you get a little defensive...... I'm not saying you don't have a hard time and that you're making it sound worse. No way. I believe you. I know a number of mamas who have struggled big time with breastfeeding. Some ended up going the formula route, and some stuck with it (through some REALLY rough times, too!) and breastfed for quite a long time (so proud of those girls!!). What I am saying, though, is that I don't understand those struggles because I haven't been there; it's hard for me to know what it's like. I can't understand the frustration and the stress that goes along with it. It's just like anybody who hasn't nursed can't really understand the closeness and bonding that comes from breastfeeding. I think it's one of those things you have to experience to get - either way.

Maybe part of my love for nursing my boys has stemmed from how easy it was for us; I don't know. But I do know that it is one of the most rewarding things I have ever experienced. Aiden is still a frequent nurser, always has been (frequent but fast), and we sit down many times each day for our nursing sessions. It's always so much fun and relaxing for me. He's quite the wiggler and gets distracted easily. He'll look up at me, play with my face, play with his feet, show me how the fan goes round and round (yes, while nursing), play with my hands - it's definitely an interactive time! As fun as it is most of the time, there are times when I can be heard saying..."Are you done Aiden? Or are you going to drink more milk??? Which is it?" (insert a tone with slight frustration and impatience). He hears a noise, sees someone walk by in another room, just about anything, and he has to turn to see what it is (sometimes without unlatching properly to do so...). But for the most part, breastfeeding is a wonderful time for us, even when he is being distracted.

Since Aiden has always been such a frequent nurser (as in it was just recently he started going up to three hours between nursing sessions; sometimes it's more frequent than that - sometimes it's longer), I've had to learn to plan things around breastfeeding. And I've had to get used to the idea of NIP/BIP (nursing/breastfeeding in public). You quickly learn how to do that without it hardly being noticed when you HAVE to do it so much. I know this can be a controversial topic, and many people have experience negative reactions to NIP/BIP. I really haven't. I have breastfed Aiden COUNTLESS times in public, and nobody has ever said anything to me or even given me a dirty look. One time I thought someone was giving me a look in a doctor's waiting room, but when we walked by after our name was called, the lady smiled at us, so I think it's safe to assume there was no dirty look. I don't have to nurse out in public as often now, but when we take our road trips or we are out for more than a few hours, it will be necessary. If I can go to a dressing area or the car or a more hidden area, I will do that. It's easier on everyone that way, especially with such an easily distracted baby! I used to use a nursing cover when Aiden was a newborn, but he will have nothing to do with that now, so we don't cover, but he is big enough to cover up anything that doesn't need to be seen by others (or I do have a hand I can use). It's never been a problem or much of an issue, really. I feel fortunate. I know of others that have had problems, but I also have heard wonderful stories from friends with great NIP/BIP experiences, including people telling them not to bother covering up that baby. Nursing is a natural and beautiful thing, and I'm thrilled when people treat it as such. If you're interested, here is something I saw recently (there are different versions online that I've seen - some have had the pictures removed by the websites, which is kind of sad...). It's comparing the reactions to NIP/BIP and the other ways we see breasts in our everyday media, etc... "Breastfeeding is Offensive" If this link doesn't work, I can post another that should.

On that note, here are some "offensive" pics of me nursing Aiden (obviously, I do not think they are offensive...and could you even tell for sure that I was nursing if I hadn't said so??).

Covered up in the early months...

Stopping to take a peek at Mommy

We even have to eat when we're at the beach!

Another part of me having to learn to be ok nursing in public is that Aiden never took a bottle. We tried a couple times, but when he wasn't into it at all, we didn't push it. It wasn't something we felt was necessary. I supplemented some when Camden was a baby because I worked very part time from the time he was three months old up to nine months old - and it wasn't enough time to stop and pump, so he would get a bottle. I've always wondered how much that contributed to my milk going away, even though "they say" you should be able to do that and have no problems. So with Aiden, I never supplemented, and we didn't push a bottle with breastmilk, either. I would rather be able to nurse him longer than have the convenience of using a bottle (which really isn't all that convenient compared to breastfeeding, in my opinion). Honestly, I don't like the idea of giving him formula at all. This was not a sacrifice to me.

We have room-shared since Aiden was born and began bed-sharing when he was about five months old to make it easier to nurse him at night, since he woke so often to feed (and still does). I haven't spent much time at all away from Aiden at all - how could I when I am his primary source of food? He does eat solids now (and boy does he like to eat!!), but that never really slowed down the breastfeeding much. So, yes, for Aiden's first year of life, my own life has pretty much revolved around breastfeeding. And that's ok. I'm doing what is best for him, I love doing it, my husband is in agreement; so there are no problems with it in our family. Even my older son is perfectly fine with me breastfeeding. The very first time he saw Aiden after the delivery, I was nursing Aiden, and Camden got wide eyes, and you could tell he was wondering if he should look away. I asked him what he thought about it, and he said he wasn't sure. I said - well, you're just going to have to get used to it because this is how he eats! And...that he did. Immediately. He knows this is just how babies eat, and there is nothing wrong with it and no need to feel embarrassed or worry about how to act/where to look. It's not an issue in our home, which is how it should be (for us). I even have some pictures that a friend took of me breastfeeding Aiden when he was around six months old. She took other pictures of just him, too, but the nursing ones are by far my favorite. They are BEAUTIFUL (if you want to see them, just let me know - I'm ok with sharing as long as they are not on the world wide web for all to see. I can send you the link to view them - they are not public if you just go to our photos, however.), and I am so thankful we have those pictures. To me, nursing is one of the best and most rewarding experiences in this entire world.

I think we've all heard the benefits of breastfeeding...

• Healthier babies (less illness) in the present and long-run and in so many ways. I won't list them all - it's easy to get this info.
• Breastfed babies are less likely to be obese later in life
• Breastfed babies' poop smells better/sweeter (well, it's true)
• Smarter babies (research says it's just slightly so)
• Faster weight loss for moms that nurse (get that baby weight off!)
• Moms are at reduced risk for breast/uterine/ovarian cancer
• Moms experience less postpartum depression
• Saves money (formula is expensive, breastfeeding is free/cheap)
• Ingredients are all natural and change to baby's nutritional needs throughout nursing
• Helps babies attach to moms (and moms to babies)
• Convenient - no fixing/washing/carrying bottles/formula/etc. Breastmilk is ready when needed!

There are more. Feel free to add in the comments. I'm just doing a quick run-down. I'm not going to mention all the research behind the benefits of breastfeeding to everyone. Just have little time right now. I will share a few websites that are interesting and have great information...

Kellymom.com - Articles/info are evidence-based; this website is often sited/recommended for gathering info on breastfeeding (and other topics)
Dr. Sears - Breastfeeding topics
WHO (World Health Organization) on Breastfeeding
World Breastfeeding Week 2009 - Going on THIS WEEK! I just happened to find this out as I was writing this. What great timing, huh? Any of you doing anything for this? There are events all around the world to celebrate/support it.

Share any other sites you think are worthwhile. There are many more out there, I know!

And...while I feel I have not done this topic justice in any way, this is all I am writing at the moment due to time constraints and a very huge to-do list for the day. I will post soon about the second-half of this topic...EXTENDED breastfeeding. Later today, so stay tuned!

Now it's your turn!! Remember the rules - no bashing and BE NICE. Post on blogger in the comments section. If you're reading via email or on facebook, there will be a link on the title of the post - click that to come to the blogger post and share your comments. Thanks for reading (and sharing!). Looking forward to seeing what others have to say.

Friday Fill-Ins

1. It's time for BED. But am I there?? Obviously not.

2. My couch; it's not a bad place for relaxing a bit at the end of the night.

3. I must be tired - or overwhelmed - b/c I can't think of anything great to say to most of these tonight. My mind is just too overloaded, I think...

4. Being a mother is the best thing I have ever known. I feel it is my calling.

5. My husband is simply wonderful. He loves me more than I could have hoped.

6. The last time I laughed really loudly was earlier today. Aiden has this "fake laugh" that is hilarious. He'll laugh his loud, fake laugh, then I'll laugh, and then he'll laugh back. And we just go back and forth for a few minutes. It's a lot of fun. :)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting in bed soon (though still too late), tomorrow my plans include ordering Aiden's smash cake for his party next week and then going to an outlet mall to do some serious shopping and Sunday, I want to finally finish mulching the front flower bed - the constant rain keeps stopping me from getting the last little bit finished! Then I can show the before and after pictures from the flower bed - what a difference! (And a lot of work...)

Signing - Can someone clarify?

We use a few signs with Aiden and are adding a little more now that he's really starting to catch on. While we aren't doing a whole lot (mostly signs having to do with eating/nursing), the few we do use really are helping. It's so nice to have Aiden be able to tell us what he wants sometimes!! BUT...I'm wanting to try to fit in "please" and "thank you" now....and I'm having a hard time with the difference between "thank you" and "good." We just have a book that has drawings of babies/toddlers (My First Signs board book). For "thank you," it says "hand touches lips then moves forwards." For "good," it says "fingertips touch lips then move away." But the pictures look identical. So...can someone clarify what the difference exactly is for us?

Also - Becky, turns out we have been doing "all done" a little wrong, but the correct way is different from how you do it. The book says to have hands open, palms up, and then flip them down quickly. We were just doing the palms up part (and add in a little twisting of the hands b/c it's cute and hard not to do it). I guess we forgot to look and check to see if we were doing it right. ;) The book states the signs are "based on" ASL...

Thanks to anyone that can help with the "thank you" and "good" confusion!!

gDiapers deal ends soon!!

I posted about the "sweet deal" on gdiapers earlier this month (check it out here if you haven't read it). Well, the coupon code is good for less than one week now!! So, if you've been putting off putting your order in...you had better get a move on! Start here.

I've already passed the ten uses to get my gdiaper gift certificate (thanks everyone!!!), and there is no way I could get to the top to get the trip to gdiapers HQ in Portland (the two ladies at the top were at 130 uses or so each a few days ago!!! Can you imagine?!). So.....if anyone else has a code and are still trying to get to their ten and earn that gift certifcate - post your code in the comments section!! And others wanting to order, check those codes before using mine. Let's help each other out here! :)

Code is good through JULY 31st - next Friday! Which means...order NOW. ;) Some of you already have - let us know what you think of the gs so far, if you so please.

Photos from KY Visit

I'm just today getting to even put one of the memory cards in the computer to view some of these pics myself.... (If you know me, you know that means I am SUPER busy b/c that's always the FIRST thing I do!!) Anyway, here are the pics from our visit to KY last week/weekend. We were in town for three days (and two days on the road with lots of stops here and there). We fit a LOT in - got to see a lot of family members and friends.

Enjoy the pics!

Visit to KY - Visiting friends & the boys' birthday party!

PS - For those of you that use gmail...You can subscribe to our pics. Whenever we upload new albums, you'll get an email. When you view the album, look near the top of the column on the right - just click "Add to favorites." We don't upload all that often, so you won't be overwhelmed with tons of emails, so go ahead and subscribe already! ;)

Heads Up

If you're one of my beloved readers - I'm sorry for the lack of posts lately! I have lots of things to post about but am seriously lacking the TIME needed to do so. We're soooo incredibly busy lately, more so than we want to be. To be honest, we (Ryan and I) are feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything we have going on. And to be even more honest, things aren't going to let up until August is over, or nearly over, at least. Many of the things are great things that we are excited to be doing or participating in (in some way), such as so many family members coming to visit us, finishing projects at the new house, Aiden's birthday party, many other baby birthday parties, wedding events out of town (state), and the list goes on...great things that we look forward to - but we are BUSY for sure. And with Aiden as active as he is, I get practically no down time during the day anymore. Usually his naptime is "me" time, but we're struggling with naps lately, and when he DOES sleep, I have too many projects that I can only do while he's napping, so...there goes "me" time, right?

Sorry for all the excuses - you'll just have to bear with me for the next month or so. Then I hope to get back to the parenting discussions, recipes, and all the other things I like to blog about!! So many posts are already in my head...I just need to find some time to actually write them out.

Thanks for reading and understanding! :)

Friday Fill-Ins

Doesn't feel like Friday to me... We've been in KY since Wednesday evening, so it feels like the end of the weekend already! I haven't done the Friday Fill-Ins in quite a while, but thought I could fit one in today. :)

Answers are in bold.

1. Salmon and asparagus make a quick and easy dinner. That is seriously my favorite quick meal - can be on the table in about 15 minutes, is delicious, and is so good for you, too. Can't get better than that! That or a burger and fries from Five Guys...

2. No Other Gods by Kelly Minter (The Living Room Series) is the book I'm reading right now. I recently joined some other Mamas that do a weekly Bible study / playdate, and this is what we are using right now. Pretty interesting. Not really a BOOK that you sit down and just read, but it's about the closest I can get to reading a book right now - unless you count Guess How Much I Love You and The Very Hungry Caterpillar...

3. July brings back memories of camping out at Blue Licks, like we used to do every summer after Mom and Gene got married. That and swimming.

4. The fact that Aiden should have been put back to sleep when he woke up early was obvious to me. Not so much to Daddy, who was the one that went in to get him. Mommy never got him back to sleep after that...

5. They say if you tell your dreams...I don't know what they say. I say, why keep them a secret?? Say them out loud and you might be more likely to make them come true.

6. Give me time to think it over, and I will think and think and think. I'm rather indecisive. One reason why I research things to no end.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to visiting one of my best friends, Sonia, and her kids and seeing her new house in Lexington, tomorrow my plans include seeing a lot of loved ones and having a big birthday bash for both boys since we're here in KY near a bunch of family and close friends, and Sunday, I want to have a quick and cry-free drive back home to NC, with a stop to see Ryan's dad and stepmom along the way! You can never be too sure how Aiden will do with the long car ride, and we're always crossing our fingers for the least amount of crying.

Happy weekend, everyone!

Happy Anniversary, Babe!

No time for sappy sentiment at the moment. We've been on the road for 12 hours (with stops here and there along the way) and are with family in KY. But today is our wedding anniversary, and I wanted to at least take a moment to say how blessed I am to have Ryan as my partner in life. He is awesome and so much more than I deserve. He treats me better than I could have ever hoped, and I am constantly amazed by the love he gives me.

Just a few wedding faves. This is all I have with me to share at the moment, too (we're at my mom's - on her computer).

I was going for the naked-on-my-wedding-day look here...that's really why Ryan's smiling. ;)

One of our favorites. Love this one.

By the way, ALL day on the road + motion sickness is not my preferred way to celebrate our anniversary. But, hey, at least we were together all day!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, BABE. LOVE YOU BUNCHES!! Thanks for three wonderful years!

ELEVEN Months!

I can no longer deny that Aiden is "almost one year old" now... The next month will be it, so there's no more putting it off with "he's almost ten months" or "he's almost eleven months" and you can't say "he's almost twelve months" because...that's the same as a year. So....he's officially almost a year old. (Turned 11 months on July 6th - hence the 4th shirt...it says "I'm a little Firecracker"!!)

Gotta give him a book to sit still.
There were just a few good pics this time around b/c even with the book, he was a MOVER!

This past month we've seen a lot of development with Aiden's personality, especially him learning to express his likes...and even more so, his dislikes. He started out learning to whine and quickly learned to screech and scream when he didn't like something. But there have been many other things he's picked up on that are even more fun than that, so.....

Favorite Things

• Anything other than his toys. You can set the basket of toys in front of him, and, yeah, he'll take some things out and play for about ten seconds (if you're lucky) and then move right onto every single thing he shouldn't be playing with. It's like as soon as they become mobile, their eyes open up to the rest of the world, and they just HAVE to check it all out.
• My fig tree - or the dirt in the pot. I can turn him away from it over 50 times a day, easily - and he immediately goes right back to it! It's a large pot, so I can't just put it up out of his reach. (Anyone know of good ways to babyproof a plant?? One that you can't just put up on a table/shelf?)
• Screeching. He realized he can make noise just for the fun of it, and he often does. Doesn't bother me. Does it bother folks in the grocery store when he realizes his voice can be REALLY loud there? I don't know. Don't care, either - he's happy and entertained while I get things done. He also likes to grab things from the cart just to drop them over the side. I do care about that.
  
• The camera. It's very hard to get a picture of him looking at me because he immediately charges toward the camera. So we have quite a few pictures of him crawling at the lens. He's still cute, whatever the viewpoint. I think so, at least.
• Pulling up onto anything he can. The kid is everywhere and into everything. He does NOT sit still or understand the concept.
• Mommy's belly button. When he's done nursing - or taking a break to look around (he's quite nosy!), Aiden will sit up and look down at my belly button and poke at it. He even tries to say "belly button" - you can tell a slight difference between when he's trying to say it and his typical "ba ba ba"s. I try to get him to notice his own belly button, too, but he's more interested in mine. He has even tried to blow raspberries on it - very funny!
• Getting up at 6am. Good times. He used to sleep regularly until past 8 (waking up lots, of course, but not up for the day until then - or later), but now he's up by 6. There are pros, though. He is more consistent and predictable with his morning nap now, and it makes me get up and actually accomplish more.
• Shoes - he thinks they're for chewing, not for wearing.

• Door stoppers - you know, the kind that stick out from the wall and have that white soft tip at the end...We've had to remove all the white tips b/c he immediately learned how to get them off within a second - and would put them straight into his mouth. Guess we'll have to get out the superglue.
• Electrical outlets, even with the protective covers... Friends and people that have reviewed different ones online have said, once the covers are on, the babies don't even pay any attention to the outlets... Not so here. Aiden is intent on figuring out how to get those things off!
  
• Doors, drawers, bags - anything that can somehow be opened and might have something in it.
  
• Cheerios - those are like little magic circles that he loves to eat up. Those or his puffs. They are necessary.
• Pointing. He points at everything he wants or likes or sees...
  
• Paper - loves to tear it up. We have paper parties every now and then where we let him have at it with the magazines, ads, papers we are ready to put in the recycling. It's a blast!!
• Teething tablets - I think he's addicted. He sees the bottle; he must have it. He even shakes out of the excitement (seriously, I think he's addicted to these babies!) Once he has the bottle, he does not let go!
• Opening and closing doors (not all the way - just sitting there and opening and almost closing it. Over and over.)
• The vacuum. He CHASES after it when we use it. Cute - but I wish he was a little more hesitant because I have to really try not to get his fingers!
• The fans, now that we have some. One time, I put my arm up and moved my hand in small circles and said, "Round and round and round it goes..." - He immediately did the same, and now whenever he sees the fan, he sticks his hand way up high and makes the circles. Babies are so smart!!
• Kissing noises. He'll purse his lips and smack them like he's kissing. He will do this on his own and sometimes right before he kisses you. WHEN he kisses you, he doesn't do it, though. You might get a closed- or open-mouthed kiss. You never know. He'll also do a "mmmm" sound when he kisses (because we always go "mmmmmwah!").
  

Kissy face

Least Favorite Things

• Being changed. I don't know if it's that he really dislikes the changing (diapers or clothes) as much as he dislikes being expected to lie there patiently while you do it. I let him sit for as much as I possibly can, so he's only lying down for a moment to actually do the diaper part, but man he is wiggly! And try to change him when he's expecting to nurse - oh no, he will not have that. And he is much worse with Ryan - either that, or I am better at handling it. ;)
  
• Hearing the word or seeing the sign for "milk" and then not getting it right away. You have to be careful what you say around him.
• Having something taken away from him. He gets a tad angry. And lets you know it.
• Going to sleep with blankets over his feet. He will kick and kick until the blankets are off of him - especially if he's on his back or side. If he's falling asleep on his tummy, he might tolerate it. And if he's almost asleep and you try to sneak the covers on - he might be fine or he might wake up because it annoys him. It can be very frustrating when he's in our bed and I'm trying to sleep, too - not only because I want the blankets on me but also because I know he'll get cold after he's asleep, so I want the blankets on him.
• The ocean...he was not a big fan. I told Ryan we need to go back before the summer is over to get him used to it. ;)
• His activity bouncer. Sometimes when I'm making dinner, I can put him in that if I give him some puffs/cheerios on the tray. I'm trying not to do it often b/c I don't want to create that habit... But he's not too fond of being in it these days. Can you blame him??
• Standing. He does not want you to try to get him to stand and just hold your hands - or to try to get him to hold your hands and walk. He CAN do it. Just doesn't want to. At all.
  

New developments this past month

• PULLING UP - he figured this out right at the beginning of June. I knew he was on the verge.
• Signing!! It's like something clicked! He already could sign "milk" - but now he's doing "all done/gone," "more," and sometimes I think he's trying to sign "drink" (but that's uncertain). It is adorable when he signs "all done" b/c...well, he's just cute! (Picture putting up your hands close to your shoulder, palms up - he does it really quickly and shakes his hands a bit.) "More" looks like he's clapping almost, but Mama can tell the difference. His claps are more like a smack while his "more" sign is more like he's kind of grabbing his hands together for a second pulling them apart, and then doing it repeatedly - and he does it when he wants more to eat, so... (The sign for more is bunching your fingertips together and then bringing each set together, back and forth - does that make sense??) He hasn't signed "eat" yet, either, but he understands it. ("Eat" is bunching your fingertips on one hand together and bringing the tips to your lips.)

Aiden signing "all done"

• He is taking longer naps. I think being in the house and napping farther away from the noise helps. He regularly naps for more than an hour, almost two. He typically sleeps for three hours before waking after going down from the night.
• Eighth tooth is in. And two more are on the verge of cutting through (they have been a big pain lately). So, Aiden has all four on the top and all four on the bottom now.
• When he comes to our bed at night, usually around 11 or so, I nurse him and when he's done - he rolls over towards his Daddy and goes to sleep. It is so cute! Sometimes he has a hard time falling asleep, but often he just rolls right over onto his side and then his belly and goes to sleep, sometimes with his hand reaching out to Ryan's back.
• He's a little mischievous and sneaky. ALREADY. If you give him more than a few bites of food on his tray at a time, he'll take them and drop him over the side of his chair. But what's sneaky about it....he looks at you to see if you're watching while he reaches over the side...he keeps watching and if he's getting a reaction or you're looking, he'll drop it. If you're not looking, he will often put it back on the tray or eat it. See...sneaky! He's started doing this with putting the food into the seat next to his leg, too. And he does it when we're outside next to grass - he'll watch you while reaching over to pull up grass to try to eat! He knows he's not supposed to, and he doesn't even look at what he's doing - but keeps his eye on you the entire time. I'm wondering how much we're in for in a few more years.... (Are you laughing at me yet, Mom? Saying...payback's a..... Hmmmm?) And boy is he persistent. You can move him away from something ten times in a row and get him distracted with something each time - and he pushes to go right back!
• When he has something he shouldn't and we come over to him, he looks up at us and holds out whatever it is - and lets go when we take it! It's like he knows he's caught and is surrendering.
  
• He thinks "no" is a funny word. We really try to not say it often, but even if we say it in our meanest voice possible - he just looks at us and might even actually laugh. Then he'll proceed to do whatever it is he was doing to begin with. We might be in trouble.
• He was throwing his cup/water bottle whenever he was in his high chair and done drinking for the moment (like he didn't realize he could just set it down). We've been working on that, and while he still doesn't think he can just set it down on the tray, he will hand it over to me so I can put it on the table. (If I'm not there to take it, he will drop it over the side.) It's an improvement!
• He will try to feed us bites of his food sometimes. He actually let go of some cheerios while trying to feed us the other day.
  
• When he hands something over as if to share it, he'll actually let go sometimes and let you have it - but he expects it to be given right back. Hopefully we're on the road to learning to share.
• Just something I find kind of funny - When we're out, he watches people like a hawk. When they try to talk to him, like you do with babies, he will just stare at them. They'll try to get him to smile or laugh or...ANYthing. He'll just stare. I almost can't help but laugh. You can NOT MAKE this child smile. He doesn't fuss at them or get upset. He just looks at them with a straight face!! Cracks me up. That's just AIDEN for you.
• He FINALLY decided he would drink from a SIPPY cup or a sippy with a straw. It's funny that he hasn't wanted to do the sippy thing but wanted a water bottle like the rest of us. It is helpful that he will use a sippy, though, in case he is going to drink anything other than water b/c only water goes in the water bottles.
  
• Camden has been in KY for two weeks. When Aiden sees his picture, he points and points at it. There is a picture of the two of them over the changing table. If I ask where Camden is, he points to it and gets excited!
  

Mama can get him to smile!

Weighing in...no change since last month (20lbs, 29 inches). But that's kind of to be expected, especially now that he's moving around so much!

Long post!!! (Ryan says, "As opposed to your usual short ones?" Ha. Yes, it's longer than usual, even.) I could go on. This has been a big month for Aiden!!

Snapfish Steal

If you're like me and barely ever print up your digital pics....go over to snapfish.com to get in on their promotion they just extended. It was supposed to end tonight and is now going on until the 13th. 50 4x6 prints for just 50 cents (plus tax and s&h, of course). Use coupon code PENNY to get the savings. Pretty good deal!

May Photos?

Apparently I forgot to post the May photo album.... This past month has been pretty crazy with the move, family & friends in town, and vacation - on top of everyday life. So, here it is!

2009 May

June Photos

Here's our June photo album online. Enjoy!

2009 June

I'll be posting Aiden's 11-month update soon. I think I have to finally admit that he is almost a year old now...especially after taking photos for his birthday invitations! I hope this month goes by reeaaaaalllllyyyyyy slowly, but something tells me it won't.

Crib Teething Solution!

Aiden has one of the convertible cribs that have the wider crib rails, as I'm sure MANY of you other Mamas do, as well. You can't just get that plastic (or whatever it's made of) rail that fits over the crib rail to prevent those little chompers from making teeth marks once they can pull up and bite into the wood - which they WILL do. We found the rubber strips you can apply by sticking on, but we weren't all that crazy with that idea. You have to worry about it being able to come off cleanly later on, and then some reviews mention babies being able to bite chunks of the rubber off (!!!) or the stuff actually not sticking, which defeats the purpose.

So....we were very happy to find these cloth crib rail covers. They are adorable and match his nursery colors perfectly!! And they WORK! (That is even more important!) It fits just perfectly over the wide railing, and you tie it down in three places. There is a waterproof layer underneath it so the drool doesn't go through and harm the wood. We found these at Babies R Us - online so we had to order, but we ordered at a time when we could get free shipping. I've seen them other places, too - in other colors and materials (I would expect amazon.com would have them, too). And they have a set for the side rails, as well - which we might have to get once Aiden figures out he can reach that part, too. I noticed him making his way to one side rail - walking along the front to get to it - just earlier today. Hmmm... The front cover is about $21 and the set of side rails is also $21. So, no, it's not cheap - especially compared to the rubber sticky strips you can get. But I like not having to worry about what he can bite off and get in his mouth. And this covers the whole rail (not just the edge) without the possibility of ruining any of it (you just untie to take it off). And it's not like the crib was cheap, so I'd rather dish out another $40 to save that $500 crib...

He woke up to discover this on his bed - he really liked it and started playing and chewing on it right away!

Just wanted to share b/c I know many of you have similar beds and will eventually have to find some solution to keeping that expensive crib in decent shape (especially if there will be another baby following this one - or you want to attempt to sell the crib one day). :) I was very happy to not have to resort to the sticky strips.

Oh, and Ryan mentioned the added benefit for us...when we lean over to pat Aiden, we have a little bit of cushion instead of leaning onto the edge of the rail. It's a bit more comfy than the wood digging into our sides...

Aiden taking a big bite of the cover. He likes to bite it and then pull on it with his teeth.
We like that after one tooth mark (or two) that he made while this was being shipped, we won't have any more!

And these pictures are just here for the cuteness factor...

Aiden loves to point at things he wants, especially Mommy. ;)

I LOVE this picture with those big, bright eyes!
Isn't he beautiful! (That's not a question.)

Sweet Deal on DIAPERS!

Many of you know that we use gdiapers. We LOVE them. I know some of you have expressed interest in possibly trying gdiapers, and there are probably some of you that have never heard of gdiapers. I want to share this really great deal with all of you. We highly recommend gdiapers, whether you like disposables or cloth - if you want to know why, just ask, and I'll let you know. (How many people do you know that LOVE their baby's diapers and actually get excited about them, though? That's got to be a sign of how awesome these things are!) ;)

gDiapers has a new "starter" pack of gdiapers that comes with six gpants and liners (the outter part - not the flushable disposable diaper part that goes inside) for just $70 - most gpants are sold for $14 or so for just one, so this is a pretty good deal to start with. The regular starter pack comes with two gpants, liners, and ten flushables, but this "everyday g's" six-pack comes with just the pants and liners, which is great if you use the flushables but especially nice for those of us that use cloth inserts. By the way - gdiapers now has gcloth inserts, too! If you have no idea what I'm talking about with outter pants, liners, flushables, etc - just take a quick peek at gdiapers.com. :) In case you're a new follower/subscriber, I also blog about gdiapers from time to time - to find my posts and see what is so great about these diapers (and the company!), just look to the right column and click on "gdiapers" under the labels.

But what is even better about this new six-pack is that you can get $30 OFF if you use this code:

g1229Adkins

That's less than $7 per gpant - half what the typical cost is!! It's also less than what you will pay for a USED gpant! These babies have a great resale value, so used still usually costs $10 or more. So, when I say less than $7 each for NEW gpants is a great deal - I am soooo not kidding.

To use the coupon code, add one or more everyday g's six-pack(s) to your gDiapers.com cart, enter the code and click the "redeem" button. The price will automatically drop from $70 (regular price) to $40. What a sweet deal!

Please note, gDiapers.com coupon codes are case sensitive, so make sure to enter the code exactly as shown above.

This code is only good through July 31st, 2009, so don't wait to use it!

I also have paper coupons you can use in stores that carry gdiapers (all Babies R Us stores, online at Target, other local stores, Whole Foods, diapers.com.....) and some informational inserts to share if you want! I recently became a gMum, which means that I get to help spread the word - and savings! :) Just let me know if you're interested, and I'll share them.

Keeping it honest....
I do get credit if you use my code. If enough people use it, I get a gift certificate to gdiapers - and if more people use my code than anyone else's, I get a trip to Portland to the gdiapers Headquarters. There are lots of others with codes floating around, so whether you use it or not, please forward my code to anyone you know that might be interested!! :) I really appreciate it!

PS - That picture of Aiden (taken by my friend, Laura) is the one that my friend, Sharni, has on her website to show off the cuteness of gdiapers (which she is now selling). We buy her gflapper cloth inserts and love them!

I suppose the boy's gotta drink, too

After yesterday's post about Aiden grabbing the tomato and digging in while I was fixing his breakfast, I remembered about this other thing I meant to post about. One night last week, we were cleaning up from dinner. Ryan rinsed out an empty milk jug and put it by the door to set it out in the recycling bin after we were done cleaning. This is what happened next....

At one point, he actually had the jug held straight up, trying to drink from it. Guess his arm got tired - once the camera was out, he didn't go quite that high.

This kid never ceases to entertain us!