Aedan: 14 Months, Week 4 (Week 65)
In my last post I forgot to include that on Monday, July 20th, Daddy and Samantha went to a Cubs vs. Reds game in Cincinnati. I asked Ben to write about their time together, so here are some comments and pictures about their time together:
"Jenny and I try to take Samantha on a Daddy (or Mommy)/Daughter date every now and then. It had been a long time since I had taken Samantha on a date, and she had been asking me about when we would go on one again. The Cubs have been playing pretty good baseball this season and I knew that the Cubs were in town. So, I decided on Monday morning that it would be fun to take Samantha on a Daddy/Daughter date to the Cubs vs. Reds game in Cincinnati.
I had taken Samantha on a Daddy/Daughter date to a Reds game in September, and we had gone with my parents, Aunt Jeni, and Alaina to a game in April. We weren't all that sure how Samantha would handle the game because she has been having trouble staying up past her bedtime lately, but it was the Cubs...how could a daddy turn that opportunity down?
So, I bought tickets in the upper deck for $8 a piece figuring we would probably walk around a lot. We had an early dinner at home and left for the park around 5:40. We got downtown in good time, but Cincinnati is doing quite a bit of construction down by the stadium. So, it was after 6:30 and we were still not quite at the place I wanted to park. But, there was a parking place for $5 and I decided we could do it (even though it was about 3/4 a mile from the stadium). Samantha got tired of walking pretty quickly because it was hot, and I put her on my shoulders. We got to the stadium around 7:00 in perfect time for the 7:10 start.
While Ben and Samantha were at the Cubs game, Aedan and I hung out at home. We played outside for awhile before he got tired and was ready for bed. He was asleep by 7:50, giving me the rest of the night to get caught up on things.
Something new I started with Aedan since returning from vacation is no longer attempting to nurse him before bed. I cut out the morning nursing time near the beginning of July, and I was planning on cutting out the bedtime nursing time at least by the beginning of August. However, Aedan has shown little interest in nursing lately. Many nights it became a big struggle instead of being a pleasant, bonding experience. Sometimes he would nurse for a minute or two, but most of the time he would just act uncomfortable, pull away, and cry. It also ended up that Aedan seemed to not really want to let me hold him or cuddle with him, maybe because he assumed I was going to try and get him to nurse. So Sunday, July 19th was the first day I tried just rocking him to sleep with his pacifier, not even attempting to nurse him, and he didn't care one bit. I figured I would end on a positive note with the memory of the good nursing session in West Virginia the first night we were there when he fell asleep nursing. We made it past a year, which was my ultimate goal in the first place. I could tell we were done and was at peace with weaning him. It was nice to just be able to snuggle my little boy to sleep, and also to have more freedom since I don't have to be the only one putting him to bed anymore. Now Ben and I can take turns with the nighttime routine, and I can be out at night or for a weekend without having to pump.
In addition to transitioning out of nursing, we were also in the middle of a transition with napping. While we were on vacation Aedan took morning naps in the car most days while we drove. Once back home, I was always a little unsure of whether to put him down for his morning nap. Sunday he didn't get a morning nap because of church at 10:00. Monday he didn't get a morning nap because we were at a play date. Tuesday he didn't get a morning nap either. I tried laying him down for one because he was acting rather cranky, but he didn't want to fall asleep in my arms and he didn't fall asleep once I laid him down in his crib. After about half an hour of hearing him play and make noise in his crib, I decided to just get him up so that we could go to story time at the library instead. Aedan usually does okay when missing a morning nap, it just makes him extra tired at lunch time, and sometimes he will fall asleep in the car on the way home from wherever we were for the morning. When it is finally time for his afternoon nap, he has no trouble falling right asleep because he is so tired, and he usually ends up sleeping for close to three hours or more. Here is my little guy sleeping in his crib during nap time on Tuesday afternoon. He sleeps a lot like me, with one leg straight out and the other knee pulled up, sort of on this side and sort of on his tummy. I also love how he has his little hand up by his mouth, just to make sure his pacifier hasn't gone anywhere.
On Tuesday evening, Daddy had softball practice for the team that he is a part of through OBF. They practiced over at the community park, so we decided to make a family trip out of it. There were several other friends we saw at the park, so Samantha was having a good time playing. Her friend, Daniel, who she calls her best friend, was there because his dad was practicing as well. They really get along and play well together. I like seeing Samantha making new friendships. Even though we were out until close to 9:00, the kids did pretty well. Aedan was getting pretty tired toward the end, so we all ended up just sitting on the bleachers and watching the rest of the practice while the women talked. We may not come every time they have a practice or a game, but the weather was too nice to pass up playing outside on this warm summer evening.
Wednesday, July 22nd was a big day, as it was Ben and my 9 year anniversary! It's hard to believe how much has happened in the last 9 years: living in Texas for four years, seven years of graduate school and a Ph.D., two kids, and a new job in Oxford. I feel like we are in another transition period in looking toward the future. Our years of being poor graduate students are over, and we are looking forward to the possibility of a tenure track position somewhere for Fall 2016. The next place we move will most likely be our permanent residence for many years, a place where we will put down roots, and a place where our kids will go to school. It's so strange to think about the finality of that when it seems we have been so transient for most of our married life. These past 9 years have been challenging and wonderful, humbling and encouraging. We are a stronger couple now than we were then. We understand each other and work together on such a deeper level. I love Ben more and more each day and year as I see how hard he works for our family, how diligent he was in pursuing his Ph.D., how much he loves and cares for his children, and how he is always there to support me and love me, looking out for my best interests. I can't wait to see what the next nine plus years hold for us, our marriage, and our family. Ben, I love you so much!
Ben and I had a fun day planned for our anniversary on Wednesday. Back in April when we went to a Cubs game, it actually got rained out and the rain date just so happened to be the 22nd. Upland Grandma volunteered to go come to Oxford to watch Samantha and Aedan so that Ben and I could go out for a nice anniversary lunch and then go to the baseball game.
Here is Aedan the morning of our anniversary. He is a cutie and certainly loves his pacifier. Samantha's comfort object was (and is) her blankie. She still sleeps with it every day at nap time and and bedtime. So far, Aedan's comfort object seems to be his pacifier. We tend to save it just for when he is going to sleep at nap time or bedtime. However, sometimes it makes its way downstairs in the morning.
We fed the kids lunch and then Grandma arrived for the day. Ben and I left for Cincinnati, had a leisurely lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, and then made our way to the ballpark for the Cubs vs. Reds make-up game. It was so nice to be out together without our kids and to celebrate 9 years of marriage. It was fun to be able to sit and enjoy each other's company, focusing solely on each other and not on entertaining or keeping track of kids. We have always enjoyed going to baseball games together, and the weather was perfect for a baseball game. Plus, the Cubs won! So often Ben and I forget to take pictures of the two of us together. We have plenty of pictures of our kids, but not many with just us. I made sure we took a couple while at the ballpark that evening. :)
Ben and I didn't get back from the baseball game until around 11:00 p.m., so Grandma planned on spending the night at our place before leaving on Thursday morning to go back home. Aedan was acting pretty tired that morning, so I decided to try laying him down for a morning nap. However, he fought it quite a bit, taking close to an hour to finally fall asleep. I wasn't sure if it was because of teething pain because I could see his right canine tooth trying to poke through his gums, or just because he was ready to be done with his morning naps. It's hard to know what to do when he acts sleepy but then won't fall asleep. We spent the day at home anyways, giving me time to get the house cleaned before my parents arrived the next afternoon.
Ben has been taking Fridays off from going into campus so that I can attend the Zumba class that Beth teaches a little after noon. Because of him staying home from campus, we decided to go play at the park for a little while that morning. We hadn't been to Hanover Park much this summer, and it was a little crowded with summer camps from the Y, but the kids had fun climbing on the playground and the pretend train, swinging, and playing with the rocks in the digging area. I think the rocks were Aedan's favorite part. He watched the older boys digging and dumping and wanted to copy everything they were doing.
On our way home from the park, we stopped by someone's house to pick up a gas grill that I bought from them in their moving sale. We have been wanting a gas grill for quite some time, and she was selling her Weber grill for only $40. We decided it was too good of a deal to pass up. It was a bit interesting fitting it into the back of the Santa Fe, as the door wouldn't close shut, so Ben actually ended up sitting in the back with the grill, holding the door closed while I drove back home. It was not the ideal situation, but it worked, and we got it home. We were excited to plan some grilling out in the near future.
Ben took care of giving the kids lunch while I went off to Zumba class. I got back in time to help him put the kids down for their naps, and then I was able to shower and get ready for my parents to arrive that afternoon. It's always nice to have them visit us here in Oxford. We get good time together, and they get quality time with the kids.
Chicago Grandpa and Grandma always offer to watch Samantha and Aedan for us so that Ben and I can go on a date, and we always make sure to take them up on that offer. We decided to go out on Friday evening. We made them homemade pizza to have for dinner and then went to Cincinnati for dinner at Chuy's. We just love that restaurant, and it is much more enjoyable when we get to go by ourselves and enjoy a relaxed, quiet meal. They were having happy hour while we were there, and I decided to try a margarita since I'd never had one before. It seemed like a good thing to do when out on a date at a Tex-Mex restaurant without our kids, and also since I am no longer nursing and am not pregnant, so I didn't have to worry about how it would affect my milk supply. I got a mango flavored margarita and Ben got a strawberry/lime flavored one. Mine was delicious, hardly tasted like alcohol at all, and I'm glad I tried it. Ben and I had a wonderful date together, and we felt spoiled having two dates in one week, one for the Cubs game and then this dinner out. It's important for us to spend time together to reconnect like this because our family is only as strong as our bond in marriage.
Since my birthday ice cream cake didn't turn out quite how it should have in West Virginia, Ben decided to make another ice cream cake and call it our anniversary cake. He made it before my parents' visit so that they could help us eat it as well. So on Friday night when Ben and I got back from our date, we all had ice cream cake together. Samantha was expecting some and wouldn't have let us forget about that.
On Saturday morning Samantha and Aedan had a good time playing with Grandpa and Grandma, reading books together, and getting out lots of toys. I saw my dad sitting on the couch reading to Aedan and couldn't resist taking a picture of the two of them. They were so cute together. As soon as I brought Aedan downstairs that morning and he saw Grandpa, he went right up to him with a huge smile on his face.
After awhile of playing in the sand, we decided to take everyone Uptown so that Ben and I could get some fresh produce at the farmer's market and so that the kids could play in the fountains. I was originally thinking we could go to the zoo or something like that on Saturday, but we have had some pretty hot weather which would make it not so much fun to walk around the hills of the Cincinnati Zoo. Plus, the fountains and park Uptown are just as much fun to the kids anyways. After we got our fill at the fountains, we went across the street and had lunch at Chipotle before coming back home for nap time.
Here are Daddy and Samantha making silly faces for the camera once she woke up from nap that afternoon.
The rest of the weekend with my family was spent just hanging out and spending time together. We tried out a new recipe for them on Saturday night called Zucchini Lasagna Rolls, which were really very tasty. Then, Chicago Grandpa and Grandma got to experience our after dinner ritual for the summer: playing outside, which eventually turned into a water gun fight with the new water guns from Upland Grandpa and Grandma. It was a warm night, but the cold water from the hose cooled you off significantly. It's so nice having a large outside place to play with open areas of grass and even a driveway. We have definitely taken advantage of this aspect of where we live.
On Sunday we all went to church together and then tried out another new recipe of crock pot Italian sloppy Joes. I like trying out new things and having company over gives me an excuse to make it. We also had some banana blueberry bread for dessert, which was very delicious. Samantha had two pieces and would have eaten more if we let her. That girl just loves homemade bread. Chicago Grandpa and Grandma stayed in Oxford until about 4:00 p.m. when they decided to head home so that they could get home at a decent time and we could get ready for VBS that night.
Vacation Bible School (VBS) started at our church on Sunday night, and Ben and I volunteered to help lead the Bible lesson for the preschoolers. Even though they had childcare for volunteers' children, we planned on trading nights so that way one of us could take Aedan home early and put him to bed. VBS was scheduled to end at 8:30 every night which is much too late for Aedan. He usually starts showing signs of sleepiness and crankiness once it hits 7:30, and one night of being out late is fine, but four nights in a row would just be too much for Aedan to handle. The women working in the nursery wouldn't like having to deal with a sleepy boy every night.
The church provided dinner for any volunteer and their family starting at 5:00 p.m., which was very nice and thoughtful, much easier than trying to prepare and eat dinner at home in time so that we could be at church by 5:45 to start welcoming children. We all went together, and I decided to teach the lesson on the first night. Ben hung around for awhile in order to help as a floater in any way people might need extra help. Then, when it got close to 7:00 p.m., he picked Aedan up from the nursery and brought him home to put him to bed at a decent time. Meanwhile, I stayed at the church to teach the Bible lesson to the preschoolers, and Samantha enjoyed attending her first ever VBS. Each kid was part of a crew that had a leader and an assistant. Samantha's friend, Henry, from preschool came to VBS as well, so that was fun for her to be able to welcome someone new. Samantha really enjoyed her crew leader, Brian, and they got to do fun activities like sing songs in the big church, make a craft, play games outside, and of course, learn the Bible lesson for the day. She really enjoyed her time at VBS, but not getting home until 9:00 tired her out as well. It tired out Ben and me, too, as teaching preschoolers is not necessarily where we feel gifted, but we were taking it as an opportunity to stretch ourselves beyond our comfort zone and help out in an area of need. However, Ben and I also enjoy our family evenings together of dinner and time to play with the kids, as well as downtime with each other once the kids are in bed, and we did not get that during these nights of VBS.
Monday morning Ben was off to campus, and I had to take the kids to a WIC appointment. We ended up being there over an hour and a half for re-certification, and it was all I could do to amuse the kids and keep them occupied in the tiny waiting room area. Luckily, I packed snacks and that took up some time, but I had no idea it would take that long or I would have come better prepared. We got home for lunch and nap time. Then, Aedan napped almost all the way until it was time to go to VBS, while Samantha napped and watched her show up until it was time to get ready for VBS.
We ate dinner at church again that evening, which is a little hectic since our children get somewhat distracted when eating with large groups of people. However, it was still much easier than eating at home before leaving. It was Ben's turn to teach that night, so I acted as floater for awhile. However, since it was the second night people knew a little better what they were doing and where they were going, so I couldn't find too many tasks to keep me occupied. The nursery workers were outside taking the kids on a wagon ride, so I waited until they returned before taking Aedan home. I will have to try and post a picture of Aedan sitting in the little wagon train. It was SO adorable, and he was having such a great time with his new view and being pulled along with his friends. When I saw Aedan on the ride, I went inside and told Ben to look out the window at him as well. They also made sure to take pictures of the kids on the ride to include in the slideshow at the end of the night. Samantha loved seeing her little brother up on the big screen.
Once Aedan and I got back home that night, he and I played for a little while before it was time to give him a bath. I took a couple silly videos of his one-of-a-kind laugh. He loves to be tickled and chased, especially if you say, "I'm gonna get you!" He immediately takes off running. Aedan is such a happy, fun-loving little boy. He makes me smile and brightens our day.
As I was giving him a bath and watching him play, I decided that we don't have nearly as many naked bath pictures and videos as we have of Samantha, probably because bath time is more of a "get it done" type task rather than the play time it used to be with just one kid. However, I decided to take some pictures and videos of Aedan that night. The videos were cute as well, but I don't want to post any full frontal naked pictures or videos to the internet, so these are the best choices.
(Blog about July 21-27, 2015)
No comments:
Post a Comment