Wiggin' Out?!



Aidan showing off his crazy 'do.





     No, that is not a wig on our little guy's head. It's just his God-given hair in all it's cute and soft (as only baby hair can be) glory!

     This picture reminded me just how bad Aidan needs a haircut, but I am having a hard time actually doing it. Why? His hair is his 'thing,' his trademark, and is (by far) the trait that gets commented on the most when we are out and about. Everyone LOVES "all that hair!" Will he still be cute without those long locks? Duh! Of course, but that doesn't make them any easier to part with.

    We already attempted (and failed) to trim his hair ourselves once about a month ago, so I will be making him an appointment soon. I will definitely post a before and after pic if when he gets his first official haircut!

Why...

    ...did I ever try Nutella again?!?! I say 'again' because I had originally tried Nutella back in college a couple of times and discovered that I had to be ...ahem, not sober... to enjoy it without having an allergic reaction (I'm allergic to peanuts). Weird? Yes. I am now totally addicted to, obsessed with, in LOVE with; ok, you get the picture, this heavenly concoction!!!
   
     I should know by now that I am going to enjoy anything with chocolate in it; and thus, should have avoided it. The allergic reaction I had back in college made it easy to avoid... until last Saturday. That was the day my chocolate addiction got the better of me and I tried it again after watching Aric enjoy an almond butter and Nutella sandwich. Consequently, I will forever blame thank him for re-introducing me to it. Ha! I successfully taste-tested it without a reaction; and no, I did not require an alcoholic chaser. I proceeded to finish the way too small bottle in less than a week.
    
     It's oh-so-good on toast, fruit, waffles, or just a big spoonful by itself! Heck, it would probably make peas taste good! My favorite is Nutella and bananas on waffles... nom nom nom! ; p I know you're itchin' to try it now, so go ahead... just don't say I didn't warn you when it takes over as it's own food group in your diet. ENJOY...

7 Months?!?!

     Aidan is 7 months old today! Where has the time gone? I can't believe how much he has grown and learned in that time;  his 'stats' (as of 9/9/2010): 19 lbs. 8 oz. and 25 in. long! Aidan is an expert at rolling over and sitting up now. He doesn't crawl yet, but he gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth so I know it's coming soon.
     Aidan, you make me smile, laugh, and so happy everyday! I love you! Here are a few pics from earlier today...

Aidan's take on Chris Farley ; p




Just chattin' with mama.

 

Look at that hair, those cheeks... ahhh, everything! : D





 He's getting closer and closer to crawling!



*NOTE*: My good friend, Katie, helped me out with my blog header... you like?! Thanks Katie!!





Time Traveler Mama

This video took me on an emotional roller coaster. I relived the past 7 months (tomorrow) in 3 minutes. It made me happy, sad, relieved, excited, sentimental, and amazed at how incredible motherhood is! I may have also sobbed shed a tear or two. If I had to add one, it would say (similar to a couple in the video), 'You are not perfect, but you are the perfect mother for your baby!' <--- I am still learning to believe this one myself. What would you add?!

Insert Foot In Mouth

     Do you ever wish your words really were in a little bubble like they are in the newspaper comics? That way if you wanted to take them back you could just suck them back into your mouth. I do. I'm sure we've all done it at some point, and I do it all too often. For example, after complimenting my sister-in-law on her pearl necklace, I proceeded to tell her that I want to get a nice pearl necklace when I am older because it just seems like something one wears when they get older. Really Ashley, really??

     Now that I am a mom, I find myself trying to remove my almost permanently placed foot from my mouth quite frequently. If I had a nickel for everytime I said, "My child will never..." or "If that was my child...," Aric and I wouldn't be eating so much mac n' cheese living off of med school loans. It would take days for me to list all the 'I nevers...' I so arrogantly adamantly proclaimed about parenting BEFORE I was a parent.

     Now that I am a parent, I see how very wrong and naive I was about so many things. Aidan LOVED to suckle on something when he was a newborn and I could only let him nurse or suck on my finger for so long; therefore, I understand now why someone might give their child a pacifer. I can definitely relate to a mom that 'just can't let her baby cry themselves to sleep' because there is nothing harder than ignoring your tiny baby's plea for help or comfort. I sympathize with a mother that gives her baby formula because breastfeeding was too challenging or not possible for them. While I'm glad I stuck with it and it may be natural, it was hard and did not come naturally to me!

     So, to all the moms out there, this is my humble apology. To everyone else, I hope this post helps stop the spread of Foot-In-Mouth Disease!

Unanswered Prayers

     Yes, this post is partly inspired by the Garth Brooks song. If you don't know this song I definitely recommend checking it out, it's a good one! Ok, onto the unanswered prayer I am thankful for...
     Up until VERY recently, Aidan has only slept through the night a handful of times. I have tried E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G I can think of to change this (short of just letting him cry it out). I have also prayed and prayed for him to sleep better at night. Aric and I have been handling the sleep deprivation pretty well for two people that could, at one point, sleep until noon in college. However, this past month it caught up with us and we have been snapping at each other often. We usually work it out pretty quickly, but it was just that... a quick fix. I was starting to feel that there was a distance growing between us. The distance seemed to be gaining mileage faster than we could make ground back to each other.
     Fast forward to a few weeks ago, Aidan was awake at 3:00 am for the umpteenth time since he was born. After sleep walking into his room to give him his pacifier, I went back to bed and started crying in frustration. As Aric turned around to comfort me, I told him that I am worried that this 6+ month (and counting) stretch of sleep deprivation is going to cause some big problems in our marriage. Did I mention I can be pessimistic at times? And a little over dramatic when I am upset? : P
     I will keep the details of our late-night conversation between Aric and I. Suffice it to say, I never thought that covering an almost non-existent space between us in bed during the wee hours of the morning would immediately stop and reverse that ever growing distance between us. So I thank God for not answering my constant plea for Aidan to sleep better at night!

Sorry, this is probably a little heavy for my second post ever, but this is me! Also, how else am I going to get readers/followers?! Ha!

Introductions...

ME:
     I am an introvert, but can be very outgoing once you get to know me. At first I seem laid back, but once you get to know me you know that I like to have a plan and like things to go my way follow that plan. I grudgingly admit to being a pessimist, but I am working on this with the help of my ever optimistic husband. :) I like to have fun; although, pre- and post-Aidan fun are two very different things!
     I will forever be a Colorado girl! I LOVE my Denver Broncos and CU Buffs!! I love the CO mountains and I believe CO has the best weather. After living in FL for a year, I have definitely found a new appreciation for the snow and cold. I do NOT miss driving in the snow, though.
     I am a stay-at-home-mama to my handsome son, Aidan. I love him a gazillion times more than I love chocolate chip cookies (if you know me, that's A LOT)! He has taught me so much about love, life, motherhood, and myself in the past (almost) 7 months. I hope that I can continue to make him happy, watch him grow, learn from him, and be the best mom I can for him!

 ARIC:
     This is my hubby, Aric. The old adage 'opposites attract' definitely applies to Aric and I. He is an extrovert and, as previously mentioned, he is a 'glass half full' kind of guy. Aric is the most kind, patient, funny, and overall amazing man I have ever known! He loves CO, the Broncos, and Buffs almost as much as I do. ;) If he could make a career from being a ski bum, that's what he would be doing.
    Instead of a ski bum, he has chosen doctor as his (future) career. He works very hard everday on his studies. I commend and respect him so much for this because I could never do what he does and he does this so that I can be home with Aidan. I know he will be an GREAT doctor someday!
     I love, love, love this man!

 AIDAN:
     This is our super cute, chubby, little guy, Aidan. He warms my heart and makes me smile everyday! Although, he has also been known to drive me crazy on occasion. He likes predictability and doesn't do well in new situations. Hmm, I wonder who he got that from... He loves walks, being in the water, car rides, and rough-housing with his daddy! I can't believe how fast he is growing. He has inspired me to start this blog.


So this is our little family, the three A's! I hope other moms enjoy, gain comfort, and maybe even learn from this little glimpse into my journey through motherhood and our life in general.