5th Birthday Party Fireworks!

Aidan, your fifth birthday party was one for the record books. It was  cold March day, and the snow from our big storms had just started to melt. Everyone was ready to get out...everyone was ready for a party.

Everyone was ready for your party! And man, was it a good one! It even ended in some fireworks!

The scene: the Little Gym.

The rules: Have fun, bounce around, do lots of fun activities, led by fun counselors.

The Guests: It felt like almost your entire class from school came, including your best buddies Lennon and Barron.

And of course, your best life buddy, Julia, was there too...showing off!

Brady came too!

As did Asher, Hollis and Willa, the Long triplets, and so many other wonderful friends.

Then, the real fun began!

You all gathered up, and you- being the birthday boy- got to show everyone your very own, spur-of-the-moment special trick:

Everyone got to participate, and play, and pretty much get really sweaty, crazy, bouncy and happy!

There was hopping...

Dancing...

Dog-piling...

Parachuting...

People may have started to get a little tired...but no worries. Everyone woke up and partied on!

You bequeathed your special birthday-spot-of-honor in the center of the parachute to your sister. So everyone sang happy birthday to you, while you spun Julia around in a circle!

Then they busted out the big guns...the air track. Which, as you know, makes everything get even more CRAZY!

And you, as the main party animal, were soaking it all up, taking it all in, and having a phenomenal time!

..despite the late hour and physical exertion...

Then, you were hoisted up high in the air, and marched toward your Birthday celebration grand finale!

Pizza...balloons...

...Angry Birds Cupcakes, made by your mommy...

...and Singing!

Now here's where I'll pause, because here's where the fireworks came. And all the signs were there: You didn't want to eat pizza, you drank a suspicious amount of water, your looked a little pale. And it all seemed to happen in slow motion. I almost got there in time. But I didn't.

"Happy Birthday to you!"- the last line was sung.

You blew out your candles.

Cupcakes were passed out and cupcakes were devoured.

3...2...1...

<slow mo Daddy...> "Oh no...he's going to...."

BARF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See I promised you fireworks! You spewed like the fourth of july all over that green table cloth. I quickly escorted you away from the table and then knew you were going to spew again. So, I went somewhere to give you a bit of privacy...behind the counter. Where you spewed again...and you had quite some distance on that--- you even hit one of the counselor's purses. 

You had some puke on you, and didn't like it. So you stripped out of your pants and shirt immediately. Then, I knew that look on your face. I picked you up, grabbed the dirty clothes, leaped over the pile of vomit, and ran through the Little Gym to the bathroom at the back. We made it just in time for you to puke for the last time in the toilet.

You didn't cry. You weren't upset. You were mostly naked and you said "I threw up just a little bit." We washed your face, called your Uncle Jeremy to bring us the back-pack which had some spare clothes in it...but unfortunately no extra underpants for you. So...you put on Julia's underwear willingly, got dressed, and...totally rebounded happily.

You marched out of the restroom unashamed, unembarrased, and ready for more Little Gym. You started playing some more, and soon your party-goers joined in again.

"I just threw up just a little bit," you told them.

Epic. Totally Epic. 

Reviews were mixed. Some girls who were sitting directly across from you at the green table didn't get splashed, but were slightly appalled and apparently had awe-struck looks frozen on their faces. Some people at the opposite end of the table didn't even know anything had happened.

Brady, who was sitting right next to you, watched you vomit. Didn't move a muscle. Continued eating his cupcake and exclaimed "This is the BEST party ever!"

And it truly was. You know how to party, buddy. And we were all so honored to celebrate with you...a party with fireworks and true friends.'

Happy Birthday!

 

Just like Starting Over

Little One, remember when I said this might be a Potbelly Pregnancy?

Well, what they say about parents forgetting all about pregnancy being the only way they would do it over again may have a grain of truth to it.

Your Mom has remembered the basics and is mastering them: the nausea is back with a vengeance, the cravings are coming fast and furious, but causing more nausea and she has to pee quite frequently.

But, we forgot some of the finer details like: deli meat bad for pregnant ladies!

Oops! Don't worry, you'll be perfectly fine. Only 3 delicious Wreck sandwiches before we recalled that deli meat rule. But, it's better safe than sorry.

So, on Sunday, your mother, brother and I ventured back to our old stomping grounds, where we hadn't been for at least 2 weeks: Freebirds, home of the pregnant woman's favorite chicken quesa-ritto. Oh, and Long John Silver's too.

And today your Mom craved and at Deep-fried God-knows-what at Long John Silvers.

So, we forgot about the deli meat. But, we forgot how triumphant the minor victories and news updates along the way make us feel.

Your Mom got blood work done at your first sonogram, and then again 5 days later. We got the results yesterday: the hormone levels rose from 5,000 to 18,000! I don't really know exactly what that means, but it feels like cause for celebration because, generally, it means we're right on track, you're growing like crazy and week 6 is a good week. (Edit: Dr. Bertrand later told us that those numbers showed 'every indication of a healthy pregnancy'...so...pretty much exactly what I said!)

Even with the nausea. And the dead-end cravings ("I'm starving, but nothing sounds good!). And the near vomiting. And the soreness. And the exhaustion. And the nausea...and that's just how I'M feeling!

These are all signs, along with the bloodwork, that you've left the starting blocks and are right on track for your 9-month marathon.

And for all the little milestones along the way, we'll be there, cheering you along and cheering for ourselves too.

Who knew that starting over could be the greatest thing since sliced bread (hold the meat).

Month 4 week! Daddy and Aidan's day of fun!

Through some clever finagling, I managed to swap my telecommuting day from Thursday to Friday, since today (Friday) was a half-work day (due to Independence Day weekend), I could work from home til noon, and be free to be with you 100% just in time for your Mommy to go to work!

And the day started off with a bang. I was upstairs working when I hear your Mom whisper-yell (a skill all parents need to learn s they can yell at their spouse and get their attention without waking the baby)...she told me to peak into the nursery...and this is what I saw:

Your Mom saw it too...that shouldn't be visible above the crib rail, should it?

No way!
You're on your tummy!

This was my first morning to see the evidence of you doing what you've secretly been doing all week in bed! You were sleeping on your tummy (and blending in quite well to the crib sheets too...we've got to stop dressing you in baby camouflage)!

Video of the son rise.

I was amazed with you, but then again I'm pretty amazed that I was amazed, because we've been super amazed with how grown up you're becoming all week!

Last night as I was reading you your bedtime stories, you reached out and were grabbing the book! Holding on to it...

The other day we were bathing you and you grabbed on to the bath toy and just held on to it!
Even you look amazed at that!


And Daddy and Aidan day proved to be no less amazing! Today as we were playing tummy time the second I put you down on your back, you rolled immediately over to your tummy and stayed there for a long time, just looking around, scooting in a circle and watching your dogs play (or laughed at them for looking so forlorn).


Becoming a dad makes people overly sentimental...and we can't help it. This morning, I just lay down next to you on your multi-colored play mat and was talking to you, playing with you and having a really good staring contest with you. You smiled and laughed and looked confused and farted. You went through just about all your awesome faces. And then iTunes played a mean trick on me (about as mean as playing a "cotton: the fabric of our lives" commercial in front of a menopausal woman.) ITunes played the song that Ben Folds wrote for his son, which goes like this:



And while the song was playing you just stared at me...looked deep into my eyes. And I sang to you. And by the time I was singing the second round of "Everybody knows, it hurts to grow up. And everybody does. So weird to be back here. And let me tell you what, the years go on and we're still fighting it..." ...and then the part where he says "you'll try and try, and then one day you'll fly away from here." I started seeing you growing up before my eyes...growing a head of hair, falling asleep at a carnival and me fireman carrying you home, you leaving for college (Go TUFTS (if we can afford it), and I started tearing up. Twice in one week this happened to me. Stupid Toy Story 3 made me do the same thing when Andy was leaving for college, and now here I was welling up. But, college is not for 17 years and 6 months, so let's make the most of every minute we have together.

So, it turns out your old man is kind of a softy. Don't tell anyone. Okay, fine, tell whoever you want! I ain't ashamed!

I dried my single tear, you farted again and drooled all over the place and we decided to go downstairs so I could feed you. You got pissed at me and screamed at the top of your lungs. Thank to an insider tip, I figured out that you were telling me you needed to be burped, so we walked around and I patted and rubbed your back for about 20 minutes until--- burp! -- a teeny tiny burp. Was that it? Perhaps! So I took you downstairs, and you downed your entire bottle in one go! Amazing!

While you sat in your new green chair (thanks Uncle Taff and Aunt April!), you were playing with "Green Man" (also known as the notorious Crinkle Frog!), and you were holding on to him by his handle. Yes, actually holding on tight! I picked you up and you picked Green Man up! You held on to him for a good long time.

Then you napped like a pro...from 2:30 til 5:00!

During dinner, you were having a conversation with your Mommy and me...we would ask you questions and you'd reply (of course it was all gobbles and garbles and jibber jabber baby flabber fun stuff). Your Mom said, "I have a feeling you're gonna be a talker, just like your Daddy!"

To which I replied, "That Aidan...he always has to have the last word!"

And then your Mom added, " Like you." Totally disproving her point, since she, in fact, had the last word.

I even tried my hand at bathing you for the first time tonight, in honor of Daddy/Aidan day, even though your Mom was here. Normally I'm towel boy/dinner man, so while your Mom bathes you, I fiddle around with dinner and then when it's time to get out of the tub, I swoop in and catch you with the towel. But tonight, we switched it up. Your Mom and I cooked dinner together, ate (at which we had the aforementioned conversation), and then I got to bathe you! I did a pretty good job, I must say. You were shining like new.

And I was beaming. We put you in pajamas, read you a story, then picked you up to put you in bed and, while your Mom was holding you, the lullaby was interrupted.

You had to amaze us once more before bedtime: you threw up all over your Mommy's arm and your shoulder. I was on clean up duty, and your Mom asked me to check the floor, and I didn't see anything there.

The lullabies continued...and I looked down and noticed two new white spots on Preston's back, where he didn't have any white spots before. Good aim son! Now that's amazing!

To finish off this amazing day, your Mom and I sang you "The Rainbow Connection," and then a riveting Beatles medley consisting of "Golden Slumbers," what we could remember of "Carry that Weight" and "The End."

...and in the end
the love you take
is equal to the love
you make.

Wise words. Today I felt the love; and even though I feel the love every day since day one when I first saw you and you held my hand, this was extra special because it was Daddy and Aidan's day all by ourselves (unless you count the dogs...which, apparently, you did...because you puked right on one of them).

And thus wraps up the week marking your 4th month on the planet! Happy monthi-versary week, Aidan!

I can't believe how much you've grown in just one month.

Here you are at 3 months:

And here you are at 4 months old (on the dot!)

Let's see that again. 3 months: 4 months!
I know as the weeks go on, you will only get more amazing! I love you, son.