Isn't he the cutest?

Here are a bunch of random photos I took today. We were a little bored this afternoon. Good news - I got Aidan enrolled in the daycare I originally wanted him to go to, thanks to some help from a coworker. I was worried I'd have to take him to some crazy untrustworthy place off Fort Hood. His first day will be Tuesday!

7 weeks old!

Aidan is 7 weeks old! (Well in a few hours he will be anyway.)

He's doing well since we got back to Texas. He's been sleeping great. *knocking on wood* A lady at my work was able to make a few phone calls to get him into a child development center on Fort Hood, so I just need to register him and go through some sort of registration and he'll be ready to go to daycare. Luckily this weekend is a four day weekend, so I'll still get a few days with the little guy.

I get to talk to Dan every night for now, which I'm thankful for. He's doing pretty well, just a lot of Army training. He's going to the range to qualify with his M16 Thursday. He'll be leaving Saturday, but he doesn't get orders until then, so we don't know where he's headed for sure. More training somewhere I'm sure.

Photos from our trip

Dan with Aidan shortly before we left Killeen

We took a last minute trip to visit my grandparents (first time great grandparents I might add) as well as cousins and my aunt.

My blog gets a makeover!

What do you think of the new look? Just a side note that I switched this blog over to the new format, and now you guys can comment freely without being a registered user. YAY! I know that was a pain for many of you, so comment away!

Good times...

So for those of you who don't already know, the lovely Army denied my leave and I had to return to Texas. My mom and I drove back from MO and she flew back. Definitely would have been rough by myself.

I had to go to work today, but because of the short notice about returning to work, have no daycare set up. The CDCs on post have a backed up waiting list, or so they told me, so Aidan came to work with me today. We lasted an hour and a half, then just went home. I expect tomorrow will be much of the same. Aidan didn't really like being at my work, he cried the entire time. I don't blame him. Somebody I work with is going to try to talk to the person in charge of Child and Youth Services to see if she can get us a spot earlier than April.

Aidan and I made our first trip grocery shopping by ourselves. That was interesting...I put him in his baby carrier (the kind that holds the baby facing you on your chest/stomach). He liked it for the most part. He was looking all around excitedly. (Didn't want to put him in his carseat because he doesn't like to be in it when he's awake, maybe it's the straps or something.) Towards the end of the tip, he did start to get fussy, then he just fell asleep, which I didn't expect at all.

I think he's going through a growth spurt because he is eating constantly, which makes things crazy for me. The same thing happened when he was 3 weeks old. It was great when it was over.

It's not so bad being back here with Aidan. Once we get into a rhythm, I'm sure we'll be fine. I just have to figure out the easiest ways to do things by trial and error. It'll be so sad to take him to daycare, but that's definitely the only way I'm ever going to get anything done.

I apologize to those of you I need to call or email (especially Michelle, Heleena, Belinda. There just aren't enough hours in the day lately. At least if I post on my blog, you guys know what's going on with us. I'll try to post some more photos from our Missouri trip, but I'm just too exhausted tonight - and it's only 9:30.....Off to bed...

More Aidan pics

Aidan and his aunt Gretchen

br>Aidan in his snowsuit from his grandparents Heleena and John


Aidan with his cousin Justice


snuggling with daddy


enjoying bath time

chilling in his bouncy seat

Aidan had a big moment today - HE SMILED! I was pretending to eat his chin and making funny sounds at him and he smiled a real smile at me. I was so excited I was screeching, probably scared the little guy a bit. Oh well, it was amazing. Still trying to capture a smile with the camera. Aidan is meeting so many new people this week. Yesterday he met his aunt Gretchen and today he met his cousins and his aunt Michelle. Of course they all loved him.

Dan said he met a guy at Fort Jackson who knows the commander of the unit they're with and he said they're headed to Qatar. Not great news, but it could have been worse.

Here are a few photos from the past few days....

Oh - and I apologize to those of you who email me and don't get a response. It's been difficult for me to get anything done. Our schedule has been really messed up since we got to STL. Forgive me, I'll try to write soon!

We're in MO!

Dan and I survived the drive to Missouri. It took us 16 hours, only 2 more than it used to without Aidan. Not too bad. He pretty much slept the entire trip, only woke to eat, so we would stop for him and then get right back on the road.

This morning we took Dan to the airport. He's now in South Carolina and we're very sad. He said it's not too bad. They're treating him and the others called up on IRR very nicely, I guess because they know these guys are getting a raw deal. Anyway...I've just been trying to get caught up on some much needed sleep, which hasn't been very easy. I'll post more when I'm feeling up to it.

1 month photos

Well, he's not waking up, so I quickly grabbed a couple while he was sleeping. Doesn't he look huge?

Posting on consecutive days!

It's a miracle! Not really, Aidans just went to sleep early tonight and I can't sleep, unfortunately. I figured I would give you guys a little treat.

Have I mentioned that Aidan discovered his hands recently? He now puts his hands in his mouth, then makes a panting noise as though he thinks he's about ready to eat. Crazy guy. He also can pull my hair now. Lucky me. Seriously though, he MUST be the cutest baby in the whole world am I right? Today Dan went to hang out with some friends, since we're leaving Killeen on Thursday. I took Aidan to the PX (stands for post exchange, which is basically a Walmart on post, only nicer stuff). Anyway, he didn't like that at all, so we bought diapers, the new Katharine McPhee CD and left ASAP. Then we went to the car wash. Not sure whether it was the cd or the sound of the water, but he went to sleep right away. It was nice because he's been super fusy with this cold he has.

The doctor gave me some nasal spray to put in his nose to clear out his sinuses. Let me tell you he REALLY hates it. He screamed like I've never heard him scream before.

Aidan still hates his bouncy seat. He also hates his bassinette. Basically all the stuff we have he hates. He likes to sleep in my arms, and he likes to sleep in our bed. Go figure. One thing I just discovered today that he likes is his baby carrier. I strapped it to me and put him in and we went for a little walk to get the mail. He seemed pretty excited to be outside. He was turning his head around the entire time to look at anything and everything. It was cold though, so I didn't stay out long. Dan's parents bought him this great snowsuit, so maybe tomorrow I'll put him in that and take him for a walk. I definitely need to get out more. Staying in the house with him all day makes me crazy.

I think my hips are finally re-aligning from giving birth. I was walking pretty strangely for a few weeks....Tanya was making fun of me. Then I read that it's because your hips get out of wack. So, I'm feeling pretty good, almost back to normal. Just need to lose a few pounds, well, ok a lot of pounds. But it was all worth it to have our little angel. I'll try to get some more pictures when he wakes up from his nap. He looks adorable today in little overalls...

Aidan's a month old!

He's growing so fast. We had to take him to the doc today because we gave him a cold. Poor little guy. He's now weighing in at a sturdy 9 pounds. It's amazing how quickly he's gaining weight, especially after having problems those first few days. He's eating constantly, so I guess it's to be expected.

Our internet hasn't been working much, plus Aidan keeps me pretty busy. It's hard to find time to do just about anything these days. Anyone wanna do my laundry? :)

These pics are from last week, but you get the idea. He's growing into a baby, instead of a newborn.

We're trying to get things ready to leave. I'm headed to St. Louis and Dan is headed for Fort Jackson for the time being. Thanks to all the well wishers. We still don't know what his situation will be. Crossing my fingers and saying a prayer.

It's amazing how little sleep you get as a parent. When I was pregnant, especially in the last few weeks, I would wake up every couple hours for no reason. I think it was my body getting ready for Aidan. I usually do ok, but once it's been a few days in a row of insufficient sleep, I get crazy. Dan has been helping out though. He's WONDERFUL with Aidan. I wasn't sure what to expect, especially since he doesn't have any experience with children, but he's learning so quickly. Dan is particularly good at getting the little man to fall asleep. He's even woken up a couple of times in the middle of the night to feed him a bottle so I can get a few hours of consecutive sleep. Now that's a great feeling.

Growing so fast...

Dan and I took Aidan to the hospital yesterday just to be weighed. I was so curious how he was doing. He seems to be growing so fast, he looks bigger every day and his clothes continue to fit better. Anyway, Aidan weighs 7 lbs. 14 oz! Almost a pound bigger in just 3 weeks. The lactation consultant said he's doing really well. His sleep schedule is still insane. Sometimes he does great, and sometimes I get no sleep. 2 nights ago he slept for 6 and a half hours straight. It was amazing. I've updated Aidan photos on the link in the previous post. Check em out if you're bored.

Such a good baby

Sorry I've been about blogging, I know many people look forward to Aidan updates. It's hard for me to get anything done these days, much less get on the internet. Sooooo.....What's new? Aidan is sleeping better, although we're still trying out new methods. We bought one of those sleep positioner things last night and he slept in the bed with us - didn't work too well. We're going to try the bassinette tonight. I'll let ya know how it goes. Yesterday Aidan had his first trip to the mall. Because of the terrible weather we've been having (icy gross wintery weather) I haven't been able to do any walking, we decided to walk around our little mall last night. It felt great to get out of the house, that's not something I do much these days.

Aidan seems like he's growing so quickly. His newborn clothes fit him great now - hard to believe a premie outfit just fit him not too long ago. I now completely understand why people say your children grow up right before your eyes. He tries so hard to hold up his head, then it wobbles to the side. It's amazing how strong he is already. He can grip Dan's finger really tightly and won't let go. It's really sweet. Right now he's having gas problems, so he makes all kinds of strange noises in his sleep.

Dan didn't go to work today. The weather and the roads were so horrible, and people in Texas/military can't drive worth a crap, so he just came home. Not that Aidan and I minded spending the day with Dan.....Friday is his last official day of work. He's going to spend the last two weeks at home spending time with me and Aidan before he leaves for stupid Army stuff. Still no update on that - probably won't know anything until he gets to Fort Jackson.

Dan and I are going to St. Louis around the 1st of Feb. so Aidan and I won't be alone right after Dan leaves. Hopefully this will save my sanity. This is going to be the most difficult thing I've ever had to do, so please forgive me if I act a little crazy. I'll be in Missouri for many weeks. Still working on all the logistics with the Army though...Hopefully many of you will be able to meet the little man when we come for a visit!

Aidan photos

Per my mom's request, I am posting a link to an online album that contains virtually every photo of Aidan that we have at this point. It also offers the option to have prints made, if anyone wants to. The link is:
http://new.photos.yahoo.com/ndpoppe

Aidan likes to go to bed at 5 a.m.

We already knew Aidan had his days and nights mixed up, but 2 nights ago was the worst. He didn't go to bed until 5 a.m. I was so exhausted. I thought things were supposed to get better as they get older - granted he's still not THAT old. Anyway, last night I thought was going to be a repeat of the previous night. I decided not to put him in his bassinette or his crib. This time I slept on the couch and put him in his car seat. That's where he loves to take his naps during the day, so I figured it was worth a shot. Sure enough, we got 4 and a half hours of sleep in a row. That's the most he's ever slept at night. I really think he just likes the feeling of being snuggled closely. His crib and bassinette are just too big and cold. I feel like a bad mom leaving him in his car seat, but it's what he likes.....And I actually got some sleep.

Aidan is almost 2 weeks old

Can you believe it? I can't!

Sorry I've been bad about updating the blog lately, but the little man keeps me pretty busy. Dan's parents left Sunday, his sister left Monday, and my mom and sister left yesterday. It's really quiet here now, just me and Aidan during the day. He still has his days and nights mixed up, but we're managing. I found out last night that he just doesn't like sleeping in his pack n play. He actually seems to prefer his crib, which does make me a little sad because that means he's not in the room with us. At least he's sleeping though.

Aidan already looks a little different to me. He is bigger, and he is filling out his clothes better. Here are a few more recent photos.

Aidan update

Isn't he precious?

My mom finally gets to meet the little guy!

Tanya holds him.
Dan feeding Aidan milk I pumped.


Aidan is doing great. He continues to gain weight at a healthy pace and has turned into a great eater - It runs in the family :) Tanya and my mom finally made it to visit him and love him bunches. He doesn't fit into any of his clothes. The only thing that does fit is a premie outfit. Who would have guessed? So much for thinking he was too big. My swelling is finally starting to go away. I think my feet still have a bit of it though. Hopefully it will go away soon. Here are a few more photographs...

End of week 1

Well, tomorrow my little baby is going to be a week old. Hard to imagine. Aidan is doing very well...He originally had lost a lot of weight, too much weight at his 2 day appointment. We've had 2 appointments since then. At the first, he gained 5 oz. in a day. At the second, he gained 3 oz. They say he's doing great now. He was just having a few problems nursing, but we've solved those issues.

I think he gets a little cuter everyday. His cheeks are getting chubbier...I love him more than I ever imagined I could. It's a cliche I know - but so completely true. Dan and I went to WalMart tonight while John and Heleena watched Aidan. We were only gone an hour, but it was rough. I just thought about him the entire time, and I know Dan did to. I'll post more pics of the little angel tomorrow. Did I mention he's a wonderful baby? He is, he is usually calm and very laid back. Hope he stays that way.

A few Aidan pics

Aidan's birth story

Well, I've finally rested enough to write about Aidan's birth story, so here goes....

I worked a full day on Wednesday, went home, ate dinner and then Dan and I watched Invincible (a great movie by the way). At about 9:30 Dan left to give a friend a ride home from work. I went to the bathroom and that's when my water broke. I couldn't believe it, but there was no doubt it was my water breaking. I immediately called Dan to come home. Then I called my mom and told her what was going on. So Dan came home and was kind of freaking out, running around the house asking what needed to be done. I had previously packed Aidan's bag, but I hadn't yet packed my bag, so that was a disaster. I knew we needed to get to the hospital. We ended up hauling three bags of stuff to the hospital. I called Labor and Delivery to tell them we were on our way. Dan was so flustered that he ended up taking the VERY long way to the hospital. Eventually we got there, went up to triage were they tested the fluid to ensure it was my water that had broken. Once it was confirmed, they immediately took us to a birthing room where they hooked me up with an IV. Though my water had broken, I wasn't having very strong contractions at that point, so they began putting potocin into my IV every half hour to speed things along. And it sure worked. I was about 3 centimeters dialated, 50% effaced at that point, about 11:30. A couple hours later, the contractions were becoming really strong and frequent. My blood pressure became dangerously high, so they gave me some sort of pain meds through my IV. It made me really loopy. It took the edge of the contractions, but by no means took away the pain. My blood pressure did go back down to safer levels though, which was good. That didn't last very long, because the pain became really overwhelming.

At around 3 a.m., I finally had enough and told them to bring on the epidural. They came in at about 3:30 to put it in. Things felt like heaven neary instantly. They asked me how the contractions were feeling. My response? What contractions. Highy recommend the epi. Anyway...Two hours later, after a little nap, they came back to check on me. I was 5 centimeters, 90% effaced then. My regular doctor was scheduled to come in at 7 a.m., so they told me he would be coming in to check me at that time. So around 7:15 he came in and said I was ready to go, but Aidan was still a little far up the birth canal, so we were going to wait about an hour to start pushing.

At 8:20, the nurse came in and said we were ready to begin. Ten minutes into some mild pushing, I asked how long she thought it would take. She said at east an hour. Well, I wasn't up for that. I really just wanted things to be over, so I gave it everything I had. Obviously his head was the most difficult part. Because I hadn't slept at all, I was soo exhausted. Everytime I pushed I saw stars and little spots. I thought I was going to pass out. They gave me some oxygen, Dan fed me some more ice chips and rubbed my head. It only took a half an hour after that, and little Aidan John Welch was born at 9:03 a.m. I had to have stitches because of some tearing.

He weighed just 6 pounds, 13 ounces and was 21 1/4 inches. He's very long and lanky. Crazy long legs, cute round face and chubby cheeks. He has a large mark on the back of his head. They weren't sure if it was a birth mark, or a bruise from the birth, but it seems to be going away - so they think it's a bruise. He is the most perfect baby, and he looks like a little angel. Don't you think? I'll post more soon.

Baby Aidan is here!

Aidan has finally arrived. My water broke at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. Aidan was born at 9:03 a.m. the next morning. I'll write more later, but haven't slept in three days. Here are pictures of him. Dan and I are so in love with him. He's the most amazing thing I've ever seen.....Oh - and he's perfect.

Merry Christmas!

Dan and I had a nice (though very quiet) Christmas. He woke me up eary - about 8:30 because he was so excited to open his presents. Such a little kid, but it's adorable.

I took a few photos around our new place because I was bored. I made a shutterfly album if you want to take a peek. Here's the link: Christmas 2006

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Insomnia prevails

I'm sitting at the kitchen writing you again at nearly 2 a.m. It's 2 nights in a row. Well today was another busy day. Had a few more Christmas things to purchase, and there are always more things to buy for baby Aidan. Today it was cube stackers from Target. Dan built it tonight, I'll try to post pics of the nursery soon. It's just about done - except for the dresser which is just going to have to wait a while. In the mean time I bought a cheap little plastic drawer thingy.

The temperature dropped a lot today. Early in the day I was out in flip flops, t-shirt and knit pants. By the end of the night - we made a late-night trip to Walmart in search of some ant spray (who on earth gets ants in their house in the middle of winter?) and I was wearing a hat, sweater and pants. Still had to keep the flip flops on because that's about all my swollen feet can fit into. Another picture you need to see - my grotesque feet Seriously, I never thought it was humanly possible to have feet this fat. Maybe I could be in the Guiness Book of World Records?!

Have I mentioned my back pain is worse? Much worse. Sometimes it's just numb. Sorry to complain so much. I think that's what you're supposed to do this late in the game though, right?

I think Dan is getting into the Christmas spirit a little more. I had to sneak around today to get his presents and I quickly wrapped them before he got home. He came in with a huge smile when he saw the presents under the tree. Then he started shaking them like a little boy. Then he started in with the 20 questions, and he kept wanting me to give him a hint. I did, but he only got more confused. It's so cute to see grown men act like children. He wanted to open a present tonight, but I told him no way. I guess I should get used to this, it's only going to get worse when Aidan gets older.

Have I mentioned he's still not here yet? Aidan that is. Obviously, I probably won't be blogging from my hospital room. Anyway...I'm fully committed to the drugs now, well an epidural. No silly nonsense about trying the whole natural thing. The only thing I worry about is not being able to feel that I need to push. I watch these baby shows and they always show these crazy mothers who say they feel "serene" during the whole thing - natural birth mind you. I think they're nuts. How can all that pain feel serene and glorious? No thanks. Give me some meds stat please. :) Amy where are ya when I need you? (She's an anesthesiologist, is or will be soon...)

Well, probably boring you guys to tears. Going to try to go back to sleep now. Might not be possible, Dan's giving me a run for my money in the snoring department right now.

Baby Aidan please come out

Today I spent the afternoon and evening walking through 2 different malls. Not an easy task when you're about to pop. The past few days have been extremely difficult because of my back pain. I had some earlier in my pregnancy, but it seemed to subside for several months. Now it is again rearing it's ugly head. I imagine it's because he's getting so big. Aidan definitely doesn't have much room to move around. He's poking my ribs and causing me all kinds of trouble.

I am sooo looking forward to him coming out. I feel like I say that every 5 seconds, probably because I do. :) I think if I was one of those women who go past their due date, I would go insane. I seriously think I would have some sort of mental breakdown. Luckily my doctor already said Jan. 2 will be the latest - hopefully he remembers saying that.

I'm not feeling very Christmasy this year. Neither is Dan. This is probably the most unChristmasy I've ever felt - well except the year I was in Iraq. I'm not sure if it's because of Dan's orders or if it's because there's so much anticipation surrounding Aidan's birth...Probably a combination of both. Also, the weather doesn't help much. This is the first year we've actually stayed in Texas for Christmas. Usually we go to St. Louis where it's much more festive and cold.

Every little twinge I feel I think it could be him coming. Then I realize it's just wishful thinking.......One more day down - How many more to go? That's the magic question. Keep your fingers crossed.

(Oh, and I know the time on this post won't be correct, but it's 2 a.m. and I can't sleep for the life of me.)

My mom sent this - it hits home

THE SANDS OF CHRISTMAS
by Michael Marks

I had no Christmas spirit when I breathed a weary sigh,
And looked across the table where the bills were piled too high.

The laundry wasn't finished and the car I had to fix,
My stocks were down another point, the Chargers lost by six.

And so with only minutes till my son got home from school
I gave up on the drudgery and grabbed a wooden stool.
The burdens that I carried were about all I could take,
And so I flipped the TV on to catch a little break.

I came upon a desert scene in shades of tan and rust,
No snowflakes hung upon the wind, just clouds of swirling dust.

And where the reindeer should have stood before a laden sleigh,
Eight Humvees ran a column right behind an M1A (tank).

A group of boys walked past the tank, not one was past his teens
Their eyes were hard as polished flint, their faces drawn and lean.

They walked the street in armor with their rifles shouldered tight,
Their dearest wish for Christmas, just to have a silent night.

Other soldiers gathered, hunkered down against the wind,
To share a scrap of mail and dreams of going home again .
There wasn't much at all to put their lonely hearts at ease,
They had no Christmas turkey, just a pack of MREs.

They didn't have a garland or a stocking I could see,
They didn't need an ornament--they lacked a Christmas tree.

They didn't have a present even though it was tradition,
The only boxes I could see were labeled "ammunition."

I felt a little tug and found my son now by my side,
He asked me what it was I feared, and why it was I cried.
I swept him up into my arms and held him oh! so near
And kissed him on the fore head as I whispered in his ear.

"There's nothing wrong, my little son, for safe we sleep tonight
Our heroes stand on foreign land to give us all the right,

To worry on the things in life that mean nothing at all,
Instead of wondering if we will be the next to fall."

He looked at me as children do and said, "It's always right,
To thank the ones who help us and perhaps that we should write."

And so we pushed aside the bills and sat to draft a note,
To thank the many far from home and this is what we wrote:

"God bless you all and keep you safe and speed your way back home.
Remember that we love you so, and that you're not alone.

The gift you give you share with all, a present every day,
You give the gift of liberty and that we can't repay."

Is anybody out there?

I never get any responses, sometimes I wonder if I'm talking to myself. Hopefully not, that would make me a little nuts.

Yeah, so Aidan still isn't here. Obviously, or I wouldn't be writing, right? Today I was going through his closet so I could wash some of his things, and I realized that everything in there is pretty much 0-3 months. In the off chance that he's not huge, he's going to be swimming in his clothes. I think he only has 1 newborn outfit??? He does have tons of little onesies and those little sack thingies. I'm so ready to meet this little person, I can't even begin to tell you how ready I am for him to come out. I can't wait to read him books and rock him to sleep. I wonder if he'll have any hair. I doubt it - I didn't until I was about a year old. And I don't think Dan had any for a long time either.

Did I mention our house is *almost* put together? I'm really trying hard to get everything done before we have guests. Just this weekend we finally bought a shower curtain and other accessories for the guest bathroom. It's been bare this entire time. Definitely starting to feel more like home.

What IS this weather?

So Dan and I drove to Austin to go the giant Babies R Us today, and we had to have the a/c on because I was sweating like a mad woman. It was 85 degrees here. It certainly does not feel like Christmas here in Texas.

We didn't even end up buying anything that productive because I was way too indecisive. They didn't have the dresser/changing table I had seen online, but they did have one that matched the crib - only it was $150 more than I had planned on paying. It was $400, and I couldn't decide whether we should get it or not, so we decided to wait and think about it. We did, however, end up buying a bunch of decorations for his room. I'll try to post some photos soon.

I need to get in gear with my Christmas cards - we're just really behind with everything this year. We should probably start shopping for presents too, don't ya think?

No news....

Well I contacted the unit Dan's going to be with, and they don't really know anything. They said the Army is still flip-flopping as far as where they're going. It could be many months before they know. Summer-time is their deployment timeline. So even though he won't be home, he won't be overseas for a while. (*if at all???!!!*) Hard not to get my hopes up. We'll see.

Not much else going on. We had our first birthing class last week. Most of the info was stuff we already knew. I have a breast feeding class tomorrow, and then we have birthing class #2 Thursday. He's going to be here so soon!

Lots of news...

Well, we had our ultrasound. Apparently baby Aidan isn't toooooo big, although he won't be tiny. Right now he's around 6 pounds. Now I read on the internet that babies can gain 1/2 to 1 pound per week in the last month, so he still has the potential to be very large. I meet with my regular OB on Monday, so we'll see what he has to say.

In other good news, not so good news, Dan received orders Friday night to report to Fort Jackson, SC, on Feb. 4 to "support Operation Iraqi Freedom." Now we don't really know what that means, or where he'll be going. From Fort Jackson he'll be going to Fort Benning in Georgia where he'll be put in the 131st MPAD. That's a National Guard unit out of Montgomery, Alabama. I've contacted my own sergeant major so he can find out where the unit is going and what they'll be doing, before Dan gets there. As soon as we know more, we'll let you all know.

I'm just thankful Dan will be here when Aidan is born. So many men in the military miss their children's births and I just think it plain sucks. The Army really doesn't care about your family at all. Anyway - we're trying to stay positive, and I think Dan has been more successful about that than me. I'm trying though. :) Keep him in your thoughts - maybe he'll just stay in the US somehow...

Another pic of the crib

Well I finally got the matching mobile up, and I put the bumper in, although I haven't tied it down. It's all coming together.

Another busy weekend

Aidan now has a crib! I'm thrilled that's finally done. Now we just need to get the matching dresser/changing table, glider and a breast pump, and we'll be all done! This weekend we also bought Aidan a little Baby Einstein play mat. It's adorable...plays music, has lights, animals and a little mirror for him to stare at himself. I was playing with it yesterday. Very fun indeed. :)

We also got our Christmas tree today. We went to the same tree farm we went to last year. The older couple who owns it is so adorable. They sell handmade breads, jellies, peanut brittle, etc. They also have tutherball (which I played all the time as a grade-schooler), a tree house, and they give out hot cider. I love going there. Most people aren't that nice in Texas (at least sincerely nice. It's mostly a fake nice, but that's another issue entirely.)

Dan has a huge paper due tomorrow, so we're not going to decorate it yet. But I'll put up pics once we do. I'm wondering if little Aidan will be here for this Christmas...

Aidan's Baby Einstein play mat.

his crib along with some of his Moonbeam decor.


wooden letters from Target I painted blue. I'm going to attach ribbon and hang them on the wall above his crib .