Sweet Peas

Last night I made peas with dinner.  Travis doesn't like many vegetables, so he didn't put any on his plate.  I know Aiden doesn't like peas, so I didn't give him very many.  I never make him finish every last bite of food on his plate, but I do have a rule that he try everything.  You never know when your tastes will change!  So when Aiden asked if he could get some yogurt (his dessert), I told him he had to eat a bite of peas.  He popped one in his mouth and swallowed it whole.  He's learning how to swallow without chewing already.  Cracks me up every time.  Travis asked Aiden if he could have some, so he took a bite and chewed it.  

Aiden said, "Ewwwww.  Don't chew it.  Just put it in your mouth and do this." He then mimed swallowing it whole.

Travis asked, "Why?"

"Because, if you bite it, this comes off," he pulls off the outer shell, "and then it goes pfth," and he makes a wet sound denoting the innards of a pea coming out.

We DIED.  I love it when we get a little insight into the inner workings of Aiden.

Constipated at 4 Months

Turns out the rice cereal was a bad idea for Mila.  I gave it to her once on Saturday and once on Sunday.  The daycare notified me that she spent all day Monday constipated.  It wasn't until that moment that I realized she didn't poop at all on Sunday.  Finally, Tuesday afternoon it flopped over to diarrhea.  Diaper rash ensued.  

I was planning to try giving her oatmeal cereal since that is good for keeping the digestive tract moving, but now I'm afraid to give it to her.  I think I'll take tonight off.  Assuming she's had a good day at daycare today, that will give her a day of normalcy.  I'm still not sure what to give her tomorrow.  Oatmeal cereal or a veggie.  Hm.

I feel really bad because two of my friends watched the kids Saturday night and Ariel watched them last night.  Mila was cranky both times.  I'm REALLY hoping it's due to her bowel discomfort and not because she's That Baby.  You know.  The one that hates all strangers and will only be happy with her own parents.  She loves her teachers, but she's with them as much as she's with us.  I want her to love people and be independent!  Dang it.  Although, the doctor did say she should start developing stranger anxiety at this age.  So maybe it is that.

I'm going to have to start forcing people to hold her so she can experience others, I guess.  I just feel bad forcing my kid on others.  Ugh.

4 Month Well Baby

My baby is growing up!!  I took Mila for her 4-month check up last week.  I thought her appointment was Thursday at 12:45.  Turns out it was at 11:45.  I was an hour late and they couldn't fit us in.  So all that running around, carrying Mila in her car seat and disrupting her day for nothing!  We rescheduled for the following day at 4:30 with a different doctor.  Mila's pediatrician wasn't available for another two weeks and I didn't want to postpone her vaccinations that long.  

So here are the stats:

• 14 lbs (75th percentile)
• 27 in (95th percentile)
• 2 shots and 1 by mouth

Before her vaccinations

The doctor gave us the go-ahead to try rice cereal, veggies and fruits.  We started with rice cereal this weekend.  Mila didn't want to have anything to do with it.  The look of disgust on her face was hilarious.  we aren't supposed to try new food for five days so I'm going to keep offering the cereal to see if she changes her mind (this way, if she has an allergic reaction, I know which food did her in).  I don't know if it's a dislike of the flavor or the texture.  Aiden hated the cereal as well, but he really got into pureed food.  I'm going to try a jar of store bought food before I start making my own again.  So, Wednesday or Thursday I'll offer her something different. Aiden's first food was carrots.  I'm thinking I might do the same for Mila.  Or maybe peas?

Not big on rice cereal.

Force feeding

Mila was super cranky this weekend.  She never had a fever, but it might have been related to the vaccinations.  I'm hoping that's all it was.  A big problem for us is her need to observe her surroundings.  She will get so caught up in watching people around her that she WILL NOT GO TO SLEEP.  I've started putting a burp cloth over her eyes when it's nap time to cut back on environmental overload.  That usually works, but it was a no-go this weekend.  I feel really bad about it too because my friends babysat for us Saturday night and had to deal with Baby From Hell.  It's sad really because she's usually such a happy baby.

Mila likes her mirror.

I am amazed at some of the similarities and differences between Mila and Aiden.  The sleep thing is just like her brother.  One major difference is the closeness.  Mila LOVES to cuddle.  Sometimes she gets so angry when you put her down.  When she's tired, she will rest her head on my shoulder.  It's the sweetest thing!  Except when I need to make dinner and don't have time to hold her.  Usually I can put her in the bouncy seat in the kitchen and she is content just being in close proximity to me.  Aiden is the opposite.  For the most part, that kid has a don't-touch-me policy.  Every once in a while he'll ask to sit on my lap while we read books.  It surprises me every time.  

Mila and Aiden interact more and more every day.  There are always the stressful days when Aiden is cranky and whines the hours away.  Helps me to appreciate the good days more and more.

Phone Photo Catch Up

We've been busy with my dad here.  Lots to do!  One of the things he surprised us with is a new sidewalk to lead from our driveway to the front door.  When we put in the new wall this past summer, it blocked the view of the front door.  So people who have never been to my house before may have trouble deciding which way to walk.  This sidewalk solves that.  It also created a flower bed for me to add some landscaping.  I can't wait to spruce up the wall.  I've got some plans in my head.  Hopefully they turn out as good in reality.  Some of the plants I'd like to use are not availabe yet.  I'll purchase those when it gets warmer.

The sidewalk is not quite finished.  The project was supposed to be two-day deal, but turned into a week.  We still need more pavers, pea gravel and soil to level the ground around the new raised portion of the sidewalk.  No walking in puddles to get to my house dangit! 

I love how a project starts as laying a few pavers and turns into leveling the land in my front yard.

Stupid sideways photos.  I don't know how to fix them at all now.  This happened on my home computer as well.  AHHHHH.

The first weekend my dad was here, he made us pancakes for breakfast.  He made his infamous Mickey Mouse pancake with raisins for the eyes, nose and mouth.  Aiden got to watch him make the cake.  He LOVED it.  He ate the entire thing.  He refused to let me cut it though, so it was quite a mess. 

We had a mini-Valentine's Day party after my dad got here.  He bought us lots of candy and cards.  Ariel came over with alcohol gear from the bar.  Not the most ideal thing for a child to be wearing, but Aiden really enjoyed the wrist bands from Jagermeister.  They turned into arm bands when he got a hold of them. 

Showing off his muscles.  He had to concentrate to "flex".

Aiden has also found a friend in Phage recently . He's our male cat that has always been really easy going.  I think we're going to have to get male cats from here on out.  The females are all too spastic for me.  Anyway, Aiden loves to give the cats each a treat in the morning when he wakes up.  It's so cute.  I told him they only get one each, so he gives them each one and then the cats beg for more.  Aiden throws his hands up in the air, gets this high-pitched voice and says, "There's no more.  That's all." and he puts the bottle back in the cabinet.  Love him.

He also likes covering Phage up for nap time.  He finds every one of his blankets he can get his hands on and tucks the cat in.  Phage just lays there and takes it.  Even if Aiden accidentally lays on him too hard.  He just yelps and waits for Aiden to get off. 

On Saturday and Sunday mornings Aiden lays in bed with us and watches cartoons.  Phage has started plopping down right in Aiden's lap and basking in the attention.  Such a needy cat.  Thank goodness Aiden is here to help.

PS - We're trying to grow Aiden's hair out (in case you didn't notice the shag).  We haven't quite decided how to cut it since his hair is still baby fine.  His hair IS a little wavy, but I was sort of thinking something like this or this.  It's a work-in-progress, I guess.

School Lunch

I can't remember if I have posted about this before.  So if I have, please forgive me.  I have been reading through the archives of a blog titled Fed Up With Lunch.  It's written by a teacher that ate the school-provided lunch at the elementary school she worked at every day for a year.  She chronicles her daily meals, how they made her feel, what students had to say about it, etc.  She also mentions that the kids only have 20 minutes to get to the cafeteria, collect their food, cut it, eat, then get back to class.  Most of the meals look horrible.  That's not what my school lunches looked like.  Ours were cooked in an oven in bulk, then scooped out into each tray.  These meals just look icky. 

I've been getting very interested in school lunches as Aiden is getting closer to attending school.  I've seen some of the food they prepare at his daycare, and it's not too bad.  Definitely doesn't look like the stuff in this blog.  I always enjoyed "hot lunches" when I was in grade school.  It would be nice if Aiden was able to enjoy the same thing, but if the food looks anything like this at the school I may have to make his lunch more often than not.

After Mrs. Q (the blogger's pen name) finishes her year (which was published in book form as well), she begins documenting the food she sends to school with her preschool-aged son.

How did you guys feel about your school lunches?  Or did you bring your own lunch every day?

Fantastic Three

Sunday was just as fantastic.  We had originally made plans to go to the beach with my new co-worker, but it started raining.  RAINING!!  We are months overdue for some rain, so it didn't bother me in the slightest.  Instead, we went over to my co-workers house and let the kids run rampant.  Travis got called out on a job before we left the house, so he wasn't able to go with us.  After a couple hours of play, we headed home.  Aiden and I ate sandwiches on the ride home so all he had to do was climb in bed when we arrived.

Travis pulled up immediately after us.  I was exhausted.  Aiden has been getting up once a night for as long as I can remember.  It's probably only been a couple weeks, but it feels like forever.  So after Aiden fell asleep, I passed out as well.  Travis watched football in the living room all by his lonesome.  But I know he enjoyed a few hours to himself. 

I woke up to my alarm an hour and a half later and hopped in the shower.  I could have slept the rest of the day away.  It was dark in my room because of the rain.  PERFECT napping weather.  Aiden woke up soon after I got out of the shower. 

We decided to go to Marble Slab for ice cream.  We got Aiden a cup of vanilla mixed with M&M's and assorted sprinkles.  He almost ate the whole thing.  Thankfully he was full about the time it turned into a bowl of ice cream soup.  Travis and I had waffle cone bowls.  I tried a combination of mocha ice cream mixed with graham crackers.  It was awesome and I'd like to go back right now and have more.  RIGHT NOW.

It was still raining when we got home.  Still raining?  So weird.  I let Aiden run around the yard and play in the rain.  He loved it.  I folded laundry in the garage and then attempted to do a little gardening.  Yes, in the rain.  We have a bunch of tomato plants that have not survived the drought and I figured it was time to pull them up.  I had pulled up the second plant by the roots and was banging the dirt off when I felt a bunch of stings on my hand.  I looked down to realize what I thought was dirt was actually fire ants.  There was a nest of fire ants in the roots of the plant and I had pissed them off.

I ran inside to wash my hands as quick as I could.  I don't know if the venom sits on the outside of the skin at all, but I figured it couldn't hurt.  Turns out I only got bit three times on my left hand.  Twice on my pinky and once on my ring finger.  Thankfully it hasn't swollen out of control like I've done in the past.  But it's still bad enough that I can't wear my wedding rings.

For dinner we had BBQ stuffed baked potatoes - one of my favorite Texas meals.  It is so much better with real BBQ, not the kind in a tub from the grocery store.  Either way, it hit the spot!

See?  Fantastic Sunday.

Oral Fixation

Aiden likes to eat things he shouldn't.  I'm just going to preface with that.

I don't know how often I have walked into a room to find Aiden standing there guiltily with his mouth shut, but obviously full of something.  Since I know he hasn't had anything to eat for hours, I question his behavior.

"Aiden, what's in your mouth?"

Mouth stays shut and he gives his head a little shake.

"Aiden!  Open your mouth!  Spit it out!"  I immediately stick my open palm under his chin. 

"Cat food?!  Gross Aiden!!  That is gross!  Do not eat cat food!  What will they eat if you eat all their food?"

He's now got chewed cat food/slobber smeared across his chin.  Seriously.  It's gross.  This cat food routine happens at least once a week.  It must not be half bad if he keeps going back to it.  I should try it.  I might get back to you on that.

The other night I heard Aiden get his 'piggy' bank off the shelf (its actually a monkey head) when he was supposed to be in bed, so I go in to take it away and tell him its night-night time.  He's got the guilty, mouth-is-full-but-shut face on. 

"Aiden, what's in your mouth?"

Denial routine again.

"Aiden! Open your mouth! Spit it out!" I immediately stick my open palm under his chin.

He spits out the plug to his 'piggy' bank.  It's huge.  It's larger than a quarter.  Maybe the size of a silver dollar.

"GROSS.  Seriously kid, you've got to stop putting random items in your mouth.  Now go to bed."

There's this new thing he's been doing.  It'll be a good 30 minutes after we've eaten a meal or snack and I'll realize he has something in his mouth.  I go over, assuming it will be some random item, and tell him to open his mouth. 

It's food.  He has been sucking on his last bite for THIRTY MINUTES.  Sometimes it's a piece of broccoli.  Sometimes it's mushy cracker.  Sometimes it's yogurt.  How he keeps that stuff in his mouth for so long without gagging is beyond me.  I mean, yogurt?  COM'ON.

Now when he says he's ready to get down from the table, we have to wash his hands AND check his mouth for that last bite.  "Swallow your food" is becoming a common phrase in my vocabulary.  And I thought that was a given.

Mud Bugs

Saturday Travis and I celebrated our 5 Year Anniversary together. We went to Ariel's in the morning so Aiden could go down for his nap there. I was hoping he would sleep longer than he did. He woke up before we had to leave for the movie, but he did well with us leaving him. We went straight to the theater and watched The Hangover 2. It was the same concept as the first movie, but it did not disappoint. There were a few fairly disturbing parts, but all in all it was hilarious.

After the movie, we stopped for dinner at a Greek restaurant I haven't been to in a while. That really hit the spot. We managed to get back to pick up Aiden and have him in bed on time.

Sunday morning was similar to Saturday. Travis went to Home Depot to pick up some tools he needs for the new job. Aiden and I got up and hung out for a bit and ate breakfast. When Travis got back we headed to Ariel's before Aiden nap time.

One of our mutual friends is currently attending Texas A&M and he's in the corps. Part of being in the Maritime Academy is going on a summer cruise in the battleship-like boat. I actually don't know which boat they are going on specifically, but he is going to some pretty amazing places. If I didn't worry about being seasick, I would be more jealous of him. Ariel and Robert threw a bon voyage crawfish boil at their house Sunday afternoon.

One of Ariel's other friends just had a baby three weeks ago. Her name is Jodie Reef (hippie name - ha!) and she is SO tiny. I remember when Aiden was just a little frog like that. =}

We have been to many cookouts at Ariel and Robert's house in the past two years. This was the first one I thoroughly enjoyed because Aiden was able to entertain himself so well. It was always difficult in the past because there is usually only one other kid at their parties for Aiden to play with. He's also easier to play with now, so several of the other adults took time to hang out with him.



We introduced Aiden to crustaceans. He got to hold a crawfish and "pet" a crab! He was a little weary of the crawfish at first, but then we had to hold him back because he kept reaching in to play with them.



Aiden ate a good amount of crawfish from the first batch. The first batch is usually the least spicy because there isn't as much crawfish boil in the water yet. He really seemed to like it. He kept saying, "More? More?" The ladies next to me at the table helped peel some crawfish for him.

Allison (pictured on the right), is expecting a baby girl in a few months. Ariel and her took some time to dote over the baby so mom could eat a little and play a game of bags.

Saturday evening, Ariel went with a friend to catch blue crabs to boil as well. She caught at least 30!

It has been a long time since I've eaten blue crab. The last time I did, it was with Travis for an anniversary dinner at home. Travis caught the crabs himself and then we attempted a mini-boil at home on the stove. We turned down the lights and lit some candles for our romantic dinner. I took a few bites of the crab to find it was really mushy. I felt horrible, but I did not want to eat it, so I asked Travis if his was mushy as well. He said yes, so we turned up the lights to see if it was under or over cooked. Turns out we were eating the gills. The meat itself was fine, but I was so grossed out that I didn't want to have anything more to do with the crabs.

This time, I got a refresher course on how to properly open the crab so you can get to the meat the easiest. It was delicious!

Calgon, Take Me Away

Aiden seems to be doing much better in the anger department. It's still not okay, but at least he's not trying to pull off my skin every other minute. I made sure to spend lots of time on the floor with him last night, playing with toys. He was in a great mood the entire time. Maybe this is a sign he needs a live-in play buddy? Ha! Soon, but not just yet.

One of his canines has broken through the gums, so I'm hoping that's a huge culprit here. He hasn't been eating well for a week or so, but last night, he ate like we'd been starving him on purpose. It was awesome to see him happy to eat again. He's been sitting in a booster seat with us at the table for a couple days now. It's fun, but I worry about needing the seat when we have guests over. I'm thinking about switching his high chair into a regular seat, so we have all the seating possible.

I started giving him probiotics in his morning milk this weekend. I'm not sure that it is helping just yet, but I'm pretty sure it will take a while to balance out his natural flora. He's still pooping in the bath tub at every bath. (Although, I don't think I've mentioned that on here before.) Alexa pointed out that the warm bath water might be softening things up and relaxing him enough to let it go. Makes sense. But it would be great if he would stop doing that. It's gross and that means we have to deal with letting all the water out, cleaning the tub, then filling it back up. Gah.

It's cold. I know it's not as bad as up north, but it's cold. It was 26 degrees on my drive into work this morning. According to the weather channel, it was 20 degrees when I woke up, with a wind chill of 9. Just so you know, we are not equipped for such temperatures. Our water heater is in our unheated garage. That means it has to work extra to remain heated. Then the water has to flow through underground pipes and in the exposed pipes under our house. Needless to say, it takes several minutes for the water to warm up on the faucet side of things. We put a blanket on the water heater a year or so ago and I know that helps a bit.

This wind is a little ridiculous. I was grateful when Travis pointed out that our house was on the first block with electricity this morning. I guess the wind took out a bunch of power lines. Half of Galveston island is included in this. I was all excited to actually make it out the door on time this morning, and then I didn't have a flat tire. Yay! Only problem is that every stop light on the island has been turned into a 4-way stop. It took me forever to get from one side to the other.

Speaking of tires, Travis had me put on my repaired tire last night. So now I can change a tire with confidence! It wasn't that hard. I think my only problem will be getting the lug nuts off. It took a lot of jumping and kicking for me to get them loosened. Travis informed me that this was a good way to break off a lug nut stud. You win some, you lose some.

I heard Chicago has 13 inches of snow and counting. My mom is stranded at my aunt's house up there this week. (Fun place to be stuck!) My dad has 8 inches of snow so far and it's still falling from the sky. He went without power for a while, but that's back on so everything's coming back up to temp. My brother's got a snow day from school, but it sounds like the entire county is having a snow day. Stay warm folks!

Halloween Candy

Kit Kat Happiness from Nicolette Ward on Vimeo.

Tacos

Aiden found some straws. As punishment, I made him wear a birthday hat.

Joe's Crab Shack playground

Ramby Retreat

Travis and I tried to keep this past weekend as low key as possible. For one, we had a crazy previous weekend filled with lots of activities due to Aiden's birthday party, 4th of July and family being in town. Two, Travis has a herniated disk in his lower back and he really needed the rest. He has decided to go back into work today, so I wanted his weekend to be one of recovery.

I'm trying to think and I honestly cannot recall what we did Friday night. It was that memorable. I'm pretty sure I read (currently on The DaVinci Code and loving it) and Travis pulled out an old Playstation 2 golf game to play.

Saturday we had omelets for breakfast and then chicken salad sandwiches for lunch. Aiden is eating everything these days. It's so fun introducing him to new food, which is pretty much everything.

For lunch, I met up with Rachel and her friend to see Eclipse (finally!) at a movie theater/grill. I LOVED it. It was definitely the best one thus far. It gave more insight into more of the characters' backgrounds and we delved into the heart of THE love triangle. Ever since I saw Twilight, I've had a problem with the actor that plays Edward. When I read the book, Edward was much more manly and good-looking than Robert Pattinson. Sometimes I have to sit back and remind myself that Edward became a vampire when he was 17, so it only makes sense that he is not a big, buff man. Still, that's now how I pictured him in my head.

I supposed Robert Pattinson wouldn't be that bad, except that he always comes across as whiny. I'm sure that is supposed to be his I'm-in-emotional-pain face, but that's not what I get from it. The great part is he toned that face WAY down in this film and for that, I am grateful. Rachel also made an excellent point that the movie does not do a very good job of making you want Bella to get with Jacob. While reading the book I was always torn between the two, even though I knew Bella needed Edward more. Okay, okay. Enough of the Twilight Saga talk...

I rushed home after the movie. Since Travis' back is injured, I don't want him running after and picking up Aiden any more than he has to. When I got there, Aiden was being is new regular cranky self, so I had to relieve Travis. That night we rented Legion. I always find apocalyptic films intriguing, but I was a little disappointed in this one. There were some scary parts (which I am not a huge fan of), I thought the graphics were good (unlike Wolfman, which was stupid), but it was lacking somewhat in the dialogue. Eh. Still good for a laid back Saturday night.

I told Travis that I am going to start renting some movies I want to see. He doesn't have to watch the movies with me. He can go play his video games, work in the garage or watch whatever he wants on TV. I just got so frustrated at the RedBox on Saturday when I saw how many movies that are out, that I know Travis will not want to sit through. He does not like dramas, romance or independent films. All of which are my favorite genres. I like action and comedies, but they are not the bread and butter of the film world.

An-y-hoo! Sunday was awesome. We spent the morning at home. We let Aiden play outside for a little while (this walking thing is awesome!) and went for a walk (should have brought the mosquito net for Aiden). After Aiden's nap, we headed towards Kemah. We had damage to the gazebo we bought for the birthday party, so we wanted to exchange that. After making a quick stop at Walmart (I NEEDED What to Expect the Toddler Years), we continued on to the Ramby's. Or Ramby Resort, as I've decided to start calling their home.

We went swimming in their pool and spent the entire evening sitting on their back porch. It didn't feel that humid, although that could have been because we were all wet from the pool. Aiden had a BLAST playing in Blair's water table. So much so, that they let us borrow it for the summer. Aiden just splashed and splashed and splashed! He started this new game in his last bath. I'd much prefer that he keeps that to the outdoors, although that will be really hard to control with our new tantrum-toddler.

Travis and I have decided to take Alexa's advice and postpone weaning Aiden off his bottles for now. He is already dealing with a lot with this move to the new classroom and resulting drop of one daily nap. Plus, we're pretty sure he's working on cutting another tooth. It is just too much at once and there is no reason to push him so quickly. We'll give it another go after he has transitioned into this new way of life.

Final Cake Face

I took a REALLY long video of Aiden eating his cake that I haven't even watched yet. I also took a short video at the end to show the final product.

Final Cake Face from Nicolette Ward on Vimeo.

Aiden's doctor's appointment yesterday was NO FUN. According to the charts, he is really small for his age (between the 10th and 25th percentile in weight; they messed up his height measurement, so not sure about that). The doctor was not concerned about it since this is where he was right after birth. She said it's probably normal for him, especially if he is eating okay - which he definitely is.

Aiden was being his (as of late) normal cranky self at the appointment. I had to change his diaper while there and found out that he has learned how to scream. Not yell, not cry, but scream. It is horrid. I'm wondering if he didn't pick that up from the toddler room?

This appointment had a first for us - a finger prick. They used a lancet to prick his finger, then proceeded to squeeze out a mL of blood. I don't know if that is a normal measurement that most people would understand, but that is A LOT to squeeze out of a little ring finger. It took a good three minutes of pure fighting and I thought it was worse than the heel prick they did when he was a newborn - and they had to prick him twice at that visit. THEN, as soon as that was over, they gave him two shots. He was still crying at that point because he was furious about the band aid the nurse had put on his finger to help staunch the blood flow.

We immediately gave him a bottle to help calm him down. Speaking of, Travis and I discussed the bottle situation with the doctor and she said he no longer needs a "bottle" (even if it's just milk in a sippy cup) at regular intervals during the day. She recommended just cutting out the bottles, but still offer a full cup of milk at meals and snacks. She said it will probably be rough for a few days, but eventually he'll get the idea. I've decided to cut out his last two bottles, but keep his morning bottle for now. I just don't have the energy to deal with that every morning, and I would feel better if there was some sort of weaning involved.

Here it goes!

Toddler Room

Folks, we have got a cranky baby on our hands. I don't know if it's his recent change of schedule, or all the chaos that we've been enduring with family in town, or teething, or maybe an ear infection? Thankfully he has his 1-year check up this afternoon, so hopefully we'll be able to rule out or confirm the last one or two. The schedule issue is a different story.

Aiden moved up to the next classroom at school on Tuesday. The teachers told Travis when he picked up Aiden on Thursday evening. The teachers had told me before that they would give us at least a week's notice so we could work on changing his schedule, but I guess they forgot. I didn't want to change his schedule the day before his big party, so we decided to wait until Sunday. Because of Independence Day, the daycare was closed on Monday. That meant we had two days to work on starting his transition.

It is pure hell, people. He has started to get tired and cranky just an hour or so after waking up in the morning. Then he is a fussy-butt right up until his nap at 11:30 am. He sleeps the entire two hours, then wakes up a much happier version of his self. But then again, about an hour before bedtime he brings out the cranky guns again.

I am also fumbling while trying to figure out his bottle/feeding schedule. He has to stick to the daycare's meal schedule, but we need to fit in some bottles still and I don't know when to put them. I don't think it's working the way we've been doing it, so we are going to change it today.

Fight #283: Transition to sippy cup. As I'm sure I've mentioned before, Aiden does not want to trade out his bottle for a sippy cup. He will drink out of his cup during meals, but when it comes time to one of his three bottle times, he absolutely refuses it. I've tried to stay firm, but it only ends in pain and horror. He won't drink that cup of milk, so then he is hungry, then he just cries and cries and cries. I can only take so much of that before I give in. A couple times, I have not given in, but then he doesn't get any fluids and doesn't have any wet diapers. That doesn't seem like a good thing either. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

The actual class that Aiden is in now is really cute. He has to wear shoes everyday because they go outside a couple times to play. Once a day they have craft time, during which they focus on a letter, color or shape. This week they are focusing on the letter 'B' by coloring or painting the letter 'B' or objects that start with 'B'. I know that he is not actually doing the work by himself, but it is absolutely adorable that he is beginning this part of his life. I have kept every piece of art that he comes home with so far, but I know that has to stop. I won't have enough room to save this stuff after long.

Rachel came across a great idea a while back that I think I am going to try. Basically, it's just a photo album filled with pictures of the artwork. Of course we can keep current pieces on the fridge, or keep a few that are particularly special, but the bulk of it cannot be saved. The question is, "Will I be able to actually throw anything away?"

The other exciting parts of the toddler room are that they have play time and clean up time, and the best of all - they feed him!!! I no longer have to worry about bringing his food in. I also don't have to feed him breakfast in the mornings because he gets it at daycare. That equates to an additional 45 minutes of sleep every morning. Ho-ly-cow. It's amazing. Every morning I wake up in a panic that I have slept in and won't make it to work on time. Then I spend the next hour rushing around like a madman trying to get ready before Aiden wakes up, even though I have plenty of time. I think this will take some getting used to.

Is it bad that I am hoping Aiden has an ear infection? Because that would be an easy fix to this new found crankiness. If it's not, then I have no idea how much longer he will be like this and that really stresses me out.

Baby, Dog, Sister, Father-in-law

Aiden is yet to pick up walking on his own. He will take a couple steps from one piece of furniture to another, but that's about the extent of it. He just does not seem interested in walking without support. Although, he is all about that cruising. Aiden probably walks the perimeter of our living room, dining room and kitchen three times a night. Oh and I can't forget the Kitchen Table Circuit!

We walk him around by holding his hands a lot and the thought of him walking on his own totally weirds me out. It will be so strange once he picks that up on his own! IF he ever picks it up. ;) Just picturing him as a child, instead of a baby, is so abstract at this point. He just gets more and more independent! Now I TOTALLY get why people have more than one child. Once the first one gets out from under that wing a little, you're ready for another one that needs you.

We found out this weekend that Aiden likes spinach. I made fried spinach and he ate an entire patty on his own! I know, I know. Fried food is probably not the best thing to be giving my baby, but who am I to refuse him veggies? Ha! It's funny though, because he wants nothing to do with pureed spinach. Doesn't sound that great to me either, so I can't blame him.

---

Callaway is having another bout of skin problems. This time, the doctor let us refill his medications without bringing him in for an exam. I was wondering when they would catch the drift of things. He's been in THREE times with the same exact problem. They do a skin scraping and nothing comes up positive. Plus, the meds that they send home with him work every time. The problem is they don't work for longer than a couple months after they are gone. His skin was probably the worst it's been this time. Poor guy. He's been on the meds for a couple weeks now and he is completely healed. The doc sent home more steroids than last time, so he's still taking that every other day. That helps, I'm sure.

---

My sister Ariel is bartending at a new place, but she stayed on one day a week at the other club. I was really excited about this change. I was hoping it would help mellow her out. Instead, she's bored. She prefers the busy atmosphere of the club and preparing all the mixed drinks. The big seller at the pub she works at now is beer. And the only thing you have to do to "make" that drink is pull the tap. Soooo, she's thinking about moving back to full time at the club. I am a little disappointed, but at least she tried it!

---

Travis' dad, Curt, has decided to move to Alabama. He and his U-Haul left Monday. He has had a lot of trouble keeping a job near his home, as he is doing mostly contract work. He drives a truck for a company until they no longer need him or go out of business. In the end, there are better opportunities for him in the south, so he is moving to where the money is. His girlfriend and her daughter are moving with him, since they already have family in Alabama. Sadly, Travis' brother Sean is staying in Illinois. His mother has primary custody, so this is how it will be.

Traveling during the holidays should be interesting. He will still be just as far away as he was when he lived in Illinois. Strange how that works out. I don't know if he will go home at Christmas, but he has already decided to go to Louisiana to visit family there. We may meet him there, since that is only 5 hours from where we live. Travis' mom lived in North Carolina for a while, but moved back to Illinois a couple years ago. Now his dad had branched off. Ahhhh!

My First

This was my first Mother's Day as an actual mother. Last year at this time, I was pregnant and that felt real. BUT, I did not yet know my son, or the extreme sense of connection that I would feel for him. This Mother's Day had an entirely new meaning to me. It makes me sad to think of all the years that I did things for my mom on this day without understanding the extent to which she felt about it the holiday. I guess that is just the cycle of life. I don't doubt that Aiden will love me (or already does), but I don't think he will understand the breadth of the feeling I have until he has children of his own.

This year it was a weekend long celebration and I LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT. I made plans to meet the Luck family for a potluck barbecue at the beach with JR's family. That morning, Travis decided to fit in blowing the attic with insulation. Chris R. came over to feed the machine, while Travis crawled around in the cramped quarters of our attic space with the hose. There were a few hiccups (the originally rented machine did not work, one hose got severely clogged, etc.), so Travis was not ready to leave when we needed to. I would have waited, but since I figured Aiden would not last long, I wanted to get out there before his afternoon nap.

Fortunately, Travis was able to meet us down there just an hour or so later. The location they chose to have the BBQ was right on the beach, so we parked right next to where we were sitting. I will DEFINITELY be going back to this location next time we visit the beach. It was so much easier than attempting to cart everything with you in one trip from the Seawall down to the water. We were able to go back and forth from our car with ease.

Since the last trip to the beach with Aiden was not very successful, I did not have confidence that we would stay longer than a couple hours. I was sure to put sunscreen on Aiden before I even got him out of the car. I, on the other hand, decided to forgo the cancer-prevention. I thought, eh, just a couple hours, I should be fine without it. Well, two hours turned into ALL DAY. It may have been cloudy and windy, but don't let that fool you! I AM FRIED. JUST in time for our trip home. Through the airport. With our luggage for two adults and a baby. With shoulder straps. Ahhh! Stupid me. I really should have applied sunscreen once Aiden fell asleep for his afternoon nap. As they say, hindsight is 20/20.

Anyway, the day was wonderful. I think the lack of full-exposure sun helped keep Aiden from getting cranky. We ate lots of food, while Travis and I passed Aiden back and forth. We played horse shoes and bags, but did not get in the water except for our feet.

After the beach, we went home to shower, then came back to meet everyone for dinner at a Mexican restaurant that we haven't been to in a long time. Aiden was such a trooper. He made it all day long without breaking down once. I'm sure it helped that he never got any sunscreen in his eyes! It was really great to catch up with Sara and JR and to see how much their kids have grown. I took a bunch of photos that I will get up later.

Sunday was a fairly laid back day for us, just the family. Travis got Aiden up, grabbed his bottle and laid him in bed with me, so he could run out to grab us kolaches and that horrific gas station cappuccino that is my guilty-pleasure. During breakfast, Travis gave me my Mother's Day gifts. Expensive gifts have never been a part of our relationship, so I was shocked to find my gifts came in two small gift bags: Victoria's Secret and Jared's. Aiden and Daddy got me new perfume, Sexy Little Things Noir with a cute little aerosolizer, and blue topaz earrings. The blue topaz is because that is my favorite stone, not because it is Aiden's birthstone.

While Aiden took his morning nap, Travis worked on replacing our hole-filled aluminum screens with nylon solar screens. Travis is taking off our storm shutters, which has been a source of anxiety for me. On one hand, they are great. The one time we have had to evacuate for a hurricane since living in this house, I was able to walk around to each window and turn the knob to close the storm shutters.

On the other hand, if there is a fire, we have no alternate escape route. I was also worried about the direct sun light affecting our electric bill, but Travis solved that problem by purchasing screens that block out 90% of the sun's rays. It has changed the ambiance of our house dramatically, as we have switched from warm daylight to a cool blue light that filters through the screens. I also believe that the storm shutters are an eye-sore. They make the house look extremely dated.

I already feel secure in our decision to remove the shutters. The house looks SO MUCH better, meaning it should be a little easier to sell the house in a year. I can't wait to see how much the combination of attic insulation and solar screens will affect our electric bill. It's been a green-weekend at our house!

Anyhoo, when Aiden woke up from his nap, we grabbed his lunch and a blanket and headed to the park. We stopped at Wendy's on the way for an easy-on-the-go picnic food. I do have to say the meal itself was very disappointing, but the time by the pond was worth it. Aiden had a good time crawling around the blanket with Travis, tinkering with his toys. We only stayed for an hour and then headed back home.

Travis worked on the screens some more during Aiden's afternoon nap. Another plus about taking off these shutter is we now can reach the outside of the windows to clean them. They were bad. I feel like it is so much easier to see out of our windows now. During the day, the windows just look black from the outside. At night, they are like any other window. I was amazed to notice just how tall our neighbor's pine trees are, now that we can see without the shutters. Travis replaced five out of fifteen of the screens. I think the rest should go pretty smoothly.

For dinner, we grilled the rest of the fish Travis caught weeks ago (we had frozen half of it) and steaks. The best part, is Aiden ate what we were eating. He tried speckled trout, Parmesan rice, green peppers and onions. This new level of eating is SO EXCITING as a mother. I love giving him new things to try. I never would have thought to offer him onions, except that I read it recently in a magazine. He took it on like a champ!

Aiden had some trouble falling asleep, so Travis ended up rocking him to sleep in the hammock. We rounded the evening off by watching the movie Sherlock Holmes (probably would have been better if we hadn't needed to pause the movie several times) and eating Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies. I couldn't have asked for a better day with my boys!

8 Months Old

New tricks:

• Aiden can wave. We're working on waving during the correct situation, as opposed to whenever it seems fun.
• He is an expert at going from sitting to laying on his stomach. Can't do the reverse just yet.
• He can put the spoon to his mouth with food on it. It's a slow process though, so a lot of that food ends up in his lap.
• He loves clapping.
• We are working on drinking from a sippy cup.
• We are also working on the pincer grasp.

A couple nights ago I let him go at it with a spoon and some pureed broccoli. Oh man was THAT a mess. He went straight from the high chair to the bath after that one. I was proud of him grasping the concept of using a tool to get food into his mouth though. He'll just need some time to hone the skill.

Drinking out of a sippy cup is also a slow moving task to learn. Sometimes he will drink from the sippy cup, but only if it is juice. He doesn't seem very impressed with water. He also will only drink from the sippy cup if it is upside-down. If it is right side up, he flinches away like he doesn't like it being in his face. Not a big deal except that it is harder to get juice into the mouthpiece when it is upside-down and the pressure-release hole drips on him the entire time. We'll figure it out. Eventually.

I'm stoked he has been working on his pincer grasp with CHEERIOS! I LOVE Cheerios. This is the first food I can fully share with Aiden. Anything else I give him has to be changed in some way to make it edible for a baby. I've been offering him Gerber cereal puffs, but they only have sweet flavors. Funny enough, that is a little bit of a turn off for Aiden. I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of Cheerios as a replacement. I read it in a magazine and immediately rolled my eyes at myself.

A couple nights ago Aiden tried cheese bread. I read that he can have hard cheeses now and I found another article that recommended melting cheese on a slice of bread or bagel. The dilemma for me was should I cut it up in little bitty pieces? Or give it to him whole? I ended up cutting it into slices, so they were the same size as his biter biscuits. He seemed to like it and as a plus, he didn't choke!

Yesterday he was playing at his toy table. One of the stations is a book that has one flip page. When turned, the page initiates music to play. Aiden got SOOO annoyed with the book at that table when he couldn't get the "next page" to turn. =( Poor guy! He's just figuring things out, like books have multiple pages of turning delight, when BAM! Life throws him a curve ball and gives him a one page book. That is glued to the table. Ugh, the NERVE!

Baby-sized Exhaustion

I've seen photos of babies asleep in their high chair plenty of times before. It always cracks me up because I could never understand how a kid could fall asleep in the middle of eating. Now I get it a little better.

Aiden absolutely refused to go down for his last nap of the day. I guess this is what happens. He had his bottle and about half of his mashed potatoes before we handed him his biter biscuit. Travis and I were eating our meals when I looked over to find this.

Poor kid never had a chance.

Asleep in a chair from Nicolette Ward on Vimeo.

Go to my Vimeo page to see the video of us cleaning Aiden up after he had fallen asleep. He didn't wake up once. LOL!

Sunday, Aiden projectile vomited an entire bottle of formula and developed a bit of a fever in the afternoon. That may have had something to do with his dinner table exhaustion. Poor little man.

Turning Point (or is it rolling point?)

Aiden has still to this point, not shown any interest in rolling from tummy to back. He rolls onto his tummy the second we lay him down on his back, but never the reverse. Sometimes when we lay him down at night he rolls onto his stomach. He will lay in his crib like that for a long time, talking away. Until he gets mad because he is tired and unable to fall asleep on his stomach, that is.

For some reason, he does not seem to grasp the concept of turning his head so he can lay down on his stomach. Instead he lays face down in the mattress, upset at the situation. Generally when we lay him down for the night, it takes him five minutes to fall asleep. When he is still jibber jabbering ten minutes after we've put him to bed, we know with almost complete certainty that he is laying on his stomach. To speed things up, we usually go into the nursery and flip him over.

Last night, I decided that it was time we let him fight it on his own. I was hoping for one of two things: 1) He would learn how to sleep on his tummy by turning his head to the side, or 2) he would learn how to roll over. We were in for a surprise. As soon as we laid him down in his crib, he flipped over onto his stomach. I told Travis I wanted to let things run its course, so we left him be and closed the door to the nursery. Five minutes later Aiden was silent. When I realized that several minutes had passed without a peep from our little man, I freaked out and ran into his room.

What did I find? Our son, asleep on his back. That little monster rolled from his tummy to his back!! I have only seen him do that three times before and it has been MONTHS since the last time. I have a feeling that he has known how to do it all this time, but never wanted to do it. Sort of like how he is with his bottle. He can hold it himself, and he will hold it himself if we trick him. But only for a few minutes before he realizes he is unable to completely relax. Then he drops the bottle and gets mad until we pick it up for him again.

That little stinker.

Breastfeeding Tips

For those of you who are not breastfeeding or even interested in the topic, bear with me for a moment. I think this information is important to get out there. I got all this information from my doctor today.

Tips and info for after dropping that last feed:

• It can take anywhere from weeks to months to stop producing breastmilk.
• Consider wearing a tight top or sports bra to help dampen milk production.
• Beware of breasts being hot to the touch. If this happens, check your temperature for a fever. You can still get clogged milk ducts after you are done breastfeeding (which I am learning the hard way).

If clogged milk ducts happens to you:

• Warm compresses and hot showers are your friend.
• If it lasts longer than a day, contact your doctor. She may prescribe antibiotics to prevent or treat mastitis.

This is harder than I thought!!