5 Months Old

Well, Aidan is 5 months old today! Sniff, sniff! I love seeing him meeting his developmental marks and learning but it's bitter sweet to see him growing up so soon. He's still my little one and I need him to stay teeny tiny! Since we are still breastfeeding we haven't started baby food yet,(per discussion with pediatrician and researching breastfeeding- weaning to food) that will be a whole other venture in and of itself as I plan on doing home made baby food.....eep! I am tentative and very excited all at once about this.......As for Aidan's goings on this month.....

~Aidan's is sitting up a good bit more, he sits up straight and stays that way if being held, and can sit up unassisted for a few seconds....we are working on that one.

Aidan is SUPER social now. All smiles, giggles and coo's, left, right, and center. He's very into watching others eat so I know he's getting close to wanting to try. He's also a rolling monkey! Roll, roll, rolling all over the place! That and giggles! Oohhhhhhhhhhhh those beautiful giggles! We are such a lucky family to have kids that NEVER (well...have YET to complain about Aidan or helping him) they LOVE their baby brother so much! Michael was playing with Aidan and really had him cracking up. Sigh.....love those moments!!

I'm such a sucker Momma....this little one is still sleeping in our room because I can't bare to be parted with him at night just yet...so we use his real crib for play time and naps ( all the fluffy pillows, blankets, and so are removed before this just so those of you who would be worried about the EXTREME fluffiness of his bedding and smothering chances). Speaking of which I forgot how entirely frightening this movement stage is.....where they roll over in their sleep and could smother on blankets and so on....freaks me out! That and I am NOT prepared for the crawling!!! Must BABY PROOF HOUSE BEFORE MATT DEPLOYS!

Aidan getting a bath from Matty. Aidan LOVES water!!!! He's all about splashing and talking to you during his bath.

Toe grabbing! Soon he'll be sucking on those lil piggies.

There is a ton of squirming and shaking on tummy time (which he isn't hating so much now) he gets annoyed that he can't go and he wants to go, go, go!

See that face!!!!!! Our little punk rocker is just too cute! I am rather prejudiced though..lol

Naps..........sigh...I already miss the days where he would sleep for hours on end. Right now he takes 20 minutes naps all willy nilly throughout the day if you lay him down in the swing, his bed or anywhere else, but will sleep for 2-3 hours in my arms.....spoiled much? Haha...so my own fault!

But once he sleeps.....oh the beauty of a sleeping Angel.

Well.....that's it for now! Our angel is growing up, teaching me all about raising a baby all over again.....and cute as a button while he does it!

Reading Party

One of the fun things we do when Dad is out of town (to keep away the loneliness) is have a "reading party". Each kid grabs a book, or in Matty's case 5 small ones, a treat and climbs in Mom and Dad's bed. Lights go out, except for candles and one lamp, and it's silent, silent, silent (except of course for the rare giggle or oooooo out of the kids).

Michael was reading his "Oceanography" book, (which is massive), Cody is on "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" and Matty was reading his "Lego firefighter's" book and I am reading part 4 of the Morganville Vampires series. Love them!

Matty just had to read to Aidan.....omg is that NOT TOO CUTE!!!!

I just love my boy's and I love their love of reading and love for each other (some days they really do care! lol).

Boy's....Mommy loves you all so much~!

Blueberries

This month we went to pick blueberries as a family and I have to say it was a really fun family activity! Suggestion.........uhhhhh where tennis shoes and bug spray..lol there were just a FEW spiders in the bushes...hehe. Our frg group leader Sherry happened to send out an email that suggesting this place (just out chaffee gate) yet another reason to be involved in frg....points for team frg! It was really fun! Even Captian grumpy pants fun. It was almost like kissmet, we (the boys and I) had been watching Food Network the night before, watching Alton Brown make blueberry pie and blueberry buckle and the kids REALLY wanted to try them out, and then there was the email from sherry just sitting there! Fate much?!

So after about 20 minutes in the blazing heat picking berries we had about a gallon (only $3.50!!! can you believe it!) and headed home. So my 1st attempt at a blueberry pie didn't turn out quuuuiiieeettt like I had planned....It wasn't pretty, which is one of my requirments for food to be acceptable for me to serve to my guests. That and I sort of doubled the recipe to make two pies and forgot to double the thickener....DURRRR ...It was a very ugly blueberry soup in a pie crust..lol but the recipe tasted great! We froze the rest so at least I can make another attempt. We are also planning to try the blueberry buckle ( a cross between a blueberry cake and cobbler),whole wheat blue berry pancakes and muffins! It's all in this new quest to try and eat healthier....yeah yeah so pie and cobbler and muffins aren't all that healthy but at least we are making deserts with a healthier fruit..lol

Freedom Fest, FRG, and Trace Adkins

We were really fortunate that on a day that was 104 out, that we were working the FRG (family readiness group) fundraiser booth. We had shade galore and the breeze practically saved us with an infant! Freedom Fest this year was held on the Air field here on Fort Polk, and that was a concrete jungle. No shade anywhere! Without that shade we wouldn't have stayed more than an hour or two I'm sure.

We have been having so much fun working with the FRG lately. I'm getting to know some really fantastic ladies and their families. That's what it's all about! Getting to know one another and supporting each other. For our fundraisers our awesome FRG group leader Sherry and Amazing Co-leader Jessica had us set up to do a lollipop prize pull (here are Jessica's adorable daughters helping out) colored hair spray, and glow sticks. Usually at our FRG functions, especially the fundraisers, we have a major lack help, especially of the male persuasion. That was NOT the case this time! We had so much help! It was awesome! It made the day fly by and the heat not seem nearly has daunting.

Jessica and Sherry setting up.

Jessica and I ....and there is Cody in the background being goofy.

Jessica setting up the glow sticks, trying not to break them.

My boy's all wanted to have their hair painted and hey it was good advertising. Next time....note to self....WEAR GLOVES! My fingers nails still have hot pink and green stains..lol

My kids were over all great helpers. They didn't make it through the day without fussing and whineing a bit but for 10 hours or so....uh ya, they were awesome! Thanks boy's!

The National Guard had a booth there showing off the #88 car...which frankly I couldn't give a hoot about but this is Matt's favorite drivers car.

All that shade made my day so easy! I was able to stay and help out at the booth all day without having a fussy boy! Thank heavens!

Here are my little Benedict Arnold's, they wanted their faces painted from the frg booth next to us, aww who can deny them that. Matty's choice was that he wanted to be a camo guy so to paint him brown like a brown guy...omg that kid cracks me up.. I love that my kids don't see color like that but that he See's it as actually being great for camo........sigh.

Now, to the real fun! The Silver Wings! They are a group of military personal that skydive for PR. It was so cool! I love hearing the kids voices in the background oooo-ing and Ahhhh-ing.

We also lucked out and Trace Adkins was here to preform this year. We were still working the booth during the concert but Matt snuck up front for some pretty good pictures!

Then as the dark set in, and the booth was winding down....the silliness set in. Russel, Petterson, and Matt being goofy while helping pack up and tear down the booth.

Fire works,music, friends, food and family, fundraising for a good cause while celebrating our great country's Independence.....it was a really good day!