It's his brthday...

and I couldn't be more thankful to have him to walk through life with. Although, these days it often seems as though we are running.

and to have him by my side to lead and teach us.

and to carry us through the difficult times as well as the good times.

Not to mention he provides for our needs and often most of our wants!

Thanks for loving us ALL well! We love you today and always!

Two Months...

and thriving!

I can hardly believe we are starting in on month three with this little man. We had his two-month check-up last week. In a month he has gained two whole pounds. Aiden weighed in at 10 lbs 8 oz. He was 22 1/2 inches tall. Both in the 25th percentile. He is growing! Aiden is a very content baby. His disposition couldn't be more different than that of Anna's as a baby. Not to mention he rarely spits-up. I can count on one hand the number of times he has, which is the exact opposite of our Anna who had such stomach issues. We can use the same burp cloth for a week for him, while with Anna we had one in every corner of the house. Thankfully, Aiden is finally beginning to nurse well. It was a slow start. He is our sweet boy who is starting to engage us more and more with his big blue eyes. He smiles the biggest when he sees and hears the voice of his proud big sister. Anna continues to be enthralled with her baby brother. When she wakes in the morning or from her nap the first question out of her mouth is, "Where's Aiden." She wants to be where he is. She is thrilled that he now has time on his play mat because that means they get to "lay together." She can actually be face to face with him on the mat. Aiden's toes are full of more love than most toes as that is where we try to get Anna to kiss him. Of course sometimes she can't contain herself and has to kiss his sweet head. She also loves to hold his hand and sing to him, count for him or just stare sweetly into his eyes. Some of Aiden's favorite things are having his head washed. This look of complete contentment comes over him and he begins to coo. He really enjoys the bouncy seat, especially when it is vibrating. He loves having his back patted firmly, even when he doesn't need to burp. It is very relaxing to him. Of course, like his sister he sleeps on his tummy. We just don't tell his doctor. :) Aiden can still sleep through anything-bright lights or loud noises. And the minute the vacuum, shower or hairdryer are turned on this little guy is fast asleep. Just this week we put him in the baby bjorn for the first time. He automatically falls asleep when he is placed in there. Like his sister he loves to be held close and will fall fast asleep on your chest within minutes. If only we could get him to go longer stretches at night between feedings.

Weekend Fun!

We headed back to the beach two weekends ago. But this time with two other families. Anna LOVED having live-in playmates. Once again the weather was amazing and exceptionally warm. Fun was had by all!

For the past two years our good friends have hosted a gathering for all the little ones. The children have a blast playing together in their costumes with all the outside toys you can imagine and yummy food is enjoyed by all. This year we didn't even attempt to get a picture of all the kids together. It was just a challenge to get pictures of them individually, looking at us and smiling. Here are a few shots of our little cowgirl and our sleeping cow!

Comparisons!

Anna Catherine and Aiden Caleb

I recently came across some pictures of Anna that were similar to ones we have of Aiden around the same age. I've always thought they had the same nose. This definitely confirms it!

AWAKE!

A few more beach pics...

Here are just a few more pictures taken with our other camera that show what the little man was up to at the beach. The first day it was just Kevin, Anna, Aiden and myself. Aiden spent time out with us on the beach sleeping away in a small tent. Then grandmommy and grandaddy arrived, after saying goodbye to the Kenglas, and we were able to spend some more time with just Anna and even sneak away for some walks on the beach just the two of us! Anna informed us she was tired at the end of the day on Saturday after running with daddy, digging in the sand, chasing seagulls and jumping waves . She quickly picked up her shoes and headed inside to get in bed (bottom right picture). There was no stopping her or convincing her of staying longer. She was pooped!

A little sunshine...

on this cold and dreary day! Last weekend we headed to the beach for a long weekend. The weather was unseasonably warm, breaking high temperature records. Anna had more fun than we could have imagined.