In Love

Tonight after coming home to relieve the baby sitter we got to talking with her about the new baby while waiting for her mom to pick her up.  Reminiscing about Aiden's infancy, Jason said something that I will probably remember until the day I die.  Something that literally made me fall in love with him all over again.  He said "I can't wait to have another baby in the house."  He said this to some one else, not just to me.  He meant it.  He's excited for another baby.  I've known since the day Aiden was born that he was a wonderful loving father, but he never ceases to amaze me with his paternal love.  Upon hearing that, all the doubt, fear, and anxiety that comes with anticipating a baby just melted away.  Even though he's gone a lot, I know that I couldn't have a better partner in this adventure we call parenthood. 

Tough Momma!

I, being 31 weeks pregnant, moved our piano across carpet about five feet over and two feet back.  Oh yeah, I feel like a toughy right about now....and am exhausted! 

The Great Carseat Debate

While many parents still have children the same age as Aiden in rear facing carseats, I'm looking into the state regulations on booster seats.........

Aiden is just too big!  We moved him forward facing at 1 and it was such a relief.  He was so tall that his knees were up by his chin before then.  I was constantly worried about that.  The switch to forward facing was the best thing we've ever done.  And now, at the ripe old age of two years and two months, I'm looking into booster seats.  Why?  Same reason, he's too big.  Our current carseat will actually turn into a booster, so it's not that I'm looking to buy one any time soon.  But the five point harness is getting a bit short.  The seat directions says that the top of the harness needs to come just above his shoulders.  Well, it's been a long time since that's been the case and it's on the tallest setting.  I feel like using a carseat improperly is more dangerous than moving him to a seat belt a little earlier than suggested (the carseat says we shouldn't move him until age 3...........).  I was extremely happy to find out that California state regulations do not put an age minimum on any thing but switching from rear to forward facing, but instead a weight minimum which seems much more reasonable as kids grow at many different rates.  To legally have Aiden use the booster seat (a seat with a back that utilizes the built in safety belt of the car and positions them appropriately for the child), he needs to be at least 40lbs.  That number is so much more attainable than keeping him in the five point harness until he's three considering how two months ago he weighed 33lbs and has been growing non stop. 

Needless to say, when the baby is born we'll be weighing both children because I suspect he'll be getting pretty close to that 40lb mark by then. 

Excited for Baby #2

My best friend took me baby shopping the other day.  She's moving away really soon and wanted to get us some stuff for the baby before she leaves.  Sitting on my couch looking through all the stuff we bought, bottles, little tiny binkies, the boppy pillow with a new cover, and the rest of the strictly little baby stuff, I realized something: we're having another baby.  I know what you're thinking, "...duh!"  I always knew we were having another baby, but I've been so focused on preparing Aiden for his baby brother, preparing myself for all the hard work of rearing two little ones practically on my own, and mitigating family visits, that the actual baby sort of slipped my mind. 

Another baby.  Another little bundle of joy.  Another tiny person with a personality all his own. 

I'm excited now.  All the fear that I was feeling, the worry, the anxiety, seems to have melted away.  I'm excited to meet this little boy that I've been carrying for thirty weeks.  I've cherished every little movement, well, sort of.  It's painful this time around.  But now, when he moves, pokes something out and pinches me, I'm actually liking being able to feel his little body with my hands as I push him back.  I actually went and looked through Aiden's old newborn pictures to hopefully get a glimpse of the new baby.  You know what I saw?  Surprise!  They look just like Aiden.  I don't know what I was expecting.  I just can't wait to meet this little guy.  To see him face to face.  It's very odd to feel such love for a person you've never even met.  I just know how much I love the one I already have, and know that I'll love this one just as much. 

Only ten more weeks, I guess.  Maybe less. 

Aiden's Mommy & Me Project: Update

This little boy surprises me every day!  It's been three days since we've started our project together and we're both hooked!  Yesterday we had zero melt downs.  He was just happy and had fun gluing, placing, and sticking all the pictures and stickers.  I thought I couldn't be happier or more proud of him.  That was until this morning.  He got his scrapbook down off the table and wanted to look through it.  Admittedly, it took me a while to take the hint.  After watching him open it up and flip back and forth between the only two complete pages I finally figured it out.  "Hey, baby, do you want to work on your scrapbook?!"  He was in his seat at the table before I could even get the supplies out. 

I love that little boy more than anything and am so happy to have found something that we can enjoy together. 

Aiden's Mommy & Me Project

With baby Delforge #2 on the way, I've been looking for ways to stay connected with the wonderful son I already have.  I got the idea of doing a scrapbook with him from a post from one of my favorite sites, Offbeat Mama.  Upon reading the post I was instantly in love with the idea.  We're still working on our magazine collection, so all we had to work with today was one of my old Cosmos...luckily, like all magazines, it was full of ads, which means plenty of appropriate pictures that caught the eye of my two year old boy. 

What a trip!  I tried to keep my cool and be patient with him, and was mostly successful, with the exception of one meltdown when I had to take the safety scissors away from him.  I mistakenly thought it would be a good idea to try to teach him how to cut with scissors.  Yeah, between him only being two, being super independent, and having the world's biggest temper, that just didn't work.  When I eventually realized this, I took the scissors from him, which prompted the most pathetic display.  It was really difficult to be patient during that scene.  It was a long road with a few more melt downs over when to use the glue stick and when to put the cap back on and leave it be, but it was still lots of fun.  When I had his attention, he picked out the pictures that appealed to him: a pair of bare feet, a popsicle, a cracker which he dubbed a cookie, and a motorcycle helmet (Yeah, that one caught me off guard).  I let him put the glue on the back almost by himself.  I had to show him how to use the glue stick and added some extra glue to be sure it'd stick.  Then had him place the pictures on the page exactly where he wanted...which happened to be right on top of one another.  But that's where he wanted them, so that's where they went!  After that I got out the stickers and let him pick which ones to use and where to put them.  When we were finished I dated the page and held it up for him to see.  He said "All done!" very loudly and with such pride and we put it in his book.

All that fighting was so worth it.  He was so happy and proud of what he had done, and so happy when I showed him that he had his own book to put his pages in.  I'm hooked.  We'll be doing this hopefully every day.  I know that if I persist, keep in touch with my patience, and constantly try to make it fun for him, that it'll eventually be a smooth, completely fun and meaningful project for us to do together.  I'm looking forward to tomorrow's session!