"What a long strange trip it's been..."

A year ago today, my littlest guy was born. It was a pregnancy filled with stress and his arrival was nothing short of a huge relief!

He spent 12 days in the NICU where I work and struggled to gain weight and remember to breathe...

but he came home to meet his big brother and they immediately formed a bond that will never be broken!

Aaron at 3 months was still remembering to breathe, trying not to stress us out with his hospitalizations, and was a really fussy refluxy kind of baby. His favorite position was being held in the Bjorn. It felt like the first six months of his life dragged on and I couldn't wait till he was older and not in so much pain!
At six months he was alot more pleasant and had more fun interacting with everyone. I could see the light at the end of the reflux tunnel, and I was starting to wish that time would slow down!
Nine months and he was a little doll. He was sitting and crawling and smiling and laughing and he was totally loving life!


And at one year old he is a love. He makes me crazy and happy all at the same time. He throws fit of screaming and laughter in the same 30 second time period! He has taught me that things just aren't always going to go as planned, and that's ok! He's kept me on my toes thus far and I can't wait to see what else he's got up his sleeves!

Happy birthday big boy! I love you tons!

The many faces of Charles William

Charlie shows off his new haircut with great enthusiasm!

Week one of marathon training (recap) and more!

The boys in their jammies being super duper cute!
Abby (Aaron's future wife) joined in for the photo shoot!

These kids are just too cute!

Aaron went for his second haircut. His hair grows just like his brother's...really fast! He was great, once again, and sat in the chair himself!

Showing off just how handsome he is with tutu...

My parents' dog Gracie...she is so photogenic!

Aaron practicing his "what, I'm innocent" look in my parents' playroom (well, the playroom at their house for the grandkids...not their playroom...you get what I mean!)

See, he looks so innocent and sweet but boy can he turn on the drama when he wants! Right now, as I type, he's throwing a fit because I won't hold him. I'm trying to teach him a bit of, "learn to amuse yourself" and he's learning it, very slowly. For the longest time, he turned on the tears, and I ran to him thinking something was terribly wrong...that's the only time Charlie ever cried....but I am realizing that Aaron turns the tears on quickly and fiercely to get whatever he wants...and it's worked for him. So, we're all learning, I hate to hear him cry but when he's screaming and in a matter of miliseconds after he's picked up, he is laughing, I feel like I've been duped...ah, the second child!

So, marathon training! I signed up for my second marathon December 11, 2010. It's the Rehoboth Beach marathon...my parents have a house in Dewey so we can all go down and be a part of it which is cool. I started my official training this past week just to get me motivated to do something regularly now...I have 9+ months till the marathon, which is more than enough time to train, but I want to leave room for any craziness that may occur now having two kids, plus we're going on vacation in September and I don't know how militant I'll be with my training while cruising the Caribbean!

So each week I will try to report my previous week's accomplishments and set some goals for the following week. Writing it here will help me keep track and will help keep me accountable! Not that anyone really is reading this, but for those that are, I don't want to disappoint! So...

this week, I ran 4 days, and did weights on a 5th day. My longest run was 4 miles, my average length being 3.2...my goals for this week are to run 4 days, longest run being 5 miles, my average being 3.5 miles...wish me luck!

Lessons for Charlie

We recently enrolled Charlie in a few lessons at the YMCA which is two doors down from us. He goes to "biddy ball" on tuesdays and they learn how to kick a soccer ball, run the bases, play basketball, and hit a ball off a tee. It's really cute and Charlie's favorite part is that he is allowed to run inside!
We also enrolle dhim in swim lessons. He was in swim lessons when he was 18 months old but after a few months we pulled him out because his asthma was getting worse and worse. Our wonderful pediatrician informed us that indoor swimming pools often aggravate asthma as the chlorine fumes are airway irritants. No clue! I did some research and found that this is in fact true! So now that we are off asthma meds two years later and he's been healthy through several colds, we decided to try again. This time it's him and the instructor (and a few other kids). I sit on the sidelines and watch. He did surprisingly well and was only the slightest bit tearful in the beginning. He was afraid that if he got tired of holding onto the side he'd fall under. Then he discovered that he could touch the bottom and it was smoothe sailing!
Here's the instructor taking them for a ride to the deep end. Charlie is strangling her from the back!

All three of the other boys had taken this class several times so they were pretty comfortable, but Charlie will get the hang of it! We do swimming on thursdays...I can't imagine what it'll be like when Aaron and Charlie are both doing things!

Happy Birthday Bode!!!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY BODE! WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!

Birthday fun for Bode!

We celebrated my nephew Bode's 2nd birthday last weekend! I made a fun Elmo cake for him and we had an absolute blast!
The party was at a rec center near my sister's house in Lititz. We had pizza, ate cake and then swam in the indoor pool!

he boys all had a blast but Aaron especially loved the water. He loves the bath so I wasn't surprised but man did he love the pool!

Bode with his cake. Last year I was taking it easy so I could go to work and make money since Alex was unemployed and I kept having complications with the pregnancy. It was decided that driving 1.5 hours to go to Bode's party was not worth the risk of something happening that far away from my doctors. So I didn't get to participate in his one year birthday. Little did we all know that Aaron would be born less than a week later!

I was thrilled to be a part of Bode's birthday this year and so excited that he loved his cake! When Christy first showed it to him he said, "Elmo scary"! Hahaha...but Elmo is also yummy!

Notice the bump on my sister's middle...she's preggers! Having a little girl in a few months!

Aaron with his devilish grin!

Snuggle time!

Sorry!

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted but I've been busy enjoying this cuteness and going stir crazy in the house. yes, I'm sure you have all heard (or are well aware b/c you live here) that we had a ridiculous amount of snow dumped on us recently. Last weekend it was 28 inches, and then tuesday through wednesday another 18 inches...not to mention the 26 inches we got in december before Christmas...yes we've had record breaking snowfalls this winter...woo hoo! Great for us, I guess. I'd be alot happier if the city had managed the streets better. It's downright miserable driving around here!
So anyway, the boys are stir crazy, Alex and I are stir crazy, but we're managing alright. I worked through both storms so Alex bore the brunt of the constant children dealings, while I dealt with that some and was trying not to die while getting to and from work! Fun times!

Aaron is still super cute but is in the process of getting 4 teeth at once which makes for shorter naps and some more neediness. Still nothing compared to his newborn period, but a little extra fussy.

Here's Charlie in our garage during last weekend's storm. It continued to snow for another 11 hours beyond this accumulated amount if that gives you any ideas of what 28 inches is like! He had fun helping Alex and I shovel, but our snow shovel broke and there are none to be found in the city!

We did not bring Aaron out in this, which I'm sure is terrible, but he doesn't have any real snow clothes. He got to watch from the warmth of the house!

Aaron is doing much better feeding himself lately, and eating human food, not just pureed stuff. He's almost one years old! Makes me sad and excited all at the same time!

Charlie decided the other night while I was painting my toenails that he wanted his done too. Normally he asks, I say ok, and he says nevermind. This time he wanted it, and when I only painted one he got upset and "wanted all 10 done mommy!"

I obliged thinking it was pretty hilarious, but I hope others don't think it's inappropriate...it's not like he's walking around in flip flops right now!

Oh well, he's pleased with them!

Aaron got his first taste of the please touch museum last monday since he's been mobile. He had a great time!

Everything went right in the mouth which is expected and not as gross to me since he's my 2nd kid!

His first on camera nose pick! Actually he was just pointing to it, we're working on body parts...you know, "where's Aaron's nose?..."

Hope everyone is faring well in the snow! Happy Valentine's day!