Holidays, Birthdays & The New Year!

Thanksgiving Weekend 2011

Thanksgiving was celebrated at my parents house with the entire family, including the Coblapoli's cats, which Aaron spent the entire night chasing around the house and under the bed!  A few times we had to rescue him after hearing him from the bedroom "Help!  Help!  I'm stuck!".  Dad made his famous turkey and it was the best one yet!  We hung out, ate, played games, ate, watched movies, ate, took naps, ate........ You get the idea.  The next day we took Aaron to Old Elk Grove because they were having a Dicken's Christmas Street Faire and they had supposedly trucked in tons of snow for the kiddies to play in.  And by tons, as you can see, they meant a small truck bed of snow to dump in a small business parking lot with concrete parking barriers hidden under the snow and a brick wall on one side.  Totally safe and kid friendly.  What you see in the picture is pretty much the entire area.  Also, the street faire had absolutely nothing to do with Charles Dickens.  So...... yeah.  But nonetheless, Aaron had fun playing in the snow for the first time!  And he took a picture with Santa and even sat on Santa's lap and told him that he wanted Flo (from the CARS Movie) for Christmas.  And so begins the "If you're good, Santa will bring you...."

Aaron's 3rd Birthday at The Old Spaghetti Factory

Aaron's 3rd Birthday was next.  I am still struggling to figure out how to celebrate his birthday so close to Christmas without any Christmas influence.  It's super hard because every place is decorated for Christmas, starting in like, oooooh, NOVEMBER.  So, being that his birthday is December 21st, he's pretty much screwed on that point.  The first year I wouldn't even let Josh decorate the house until after Aaron's birthday.  I had the party at his great-aunt Kathy's house and she was kind enough to follow that rule too.  Do you know how hard that is?!  So the 2nd year we had it at our apartment complex' community center.  Which was ok, but it's kind of a big space for such a small group.  Not to mention NO ONE SEEMS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT PRIVATE PARTY MEANS.  But I digress.  So this year I decided to try a restaurant.  They still had decorations, but mostly in the lobby.  We went to The Old Spaghetti Factory because, well, who doesn't like pasta?  Especially kids!  The party was ok.  He loved his cake (from Freeport Bakery) and all of his gifts, but I think he couldn't have cared less about the lunch portion.  So, next year I'll be back to the drawing board on that one.  The important thing is that he had family and friends there and that he felt like he was the center of attention.

Nordstrom's Breakfast with Santa 2011

For Christmas we started off with our annual Nordstrom Santa visit.  I thought he'd be going to the fabulous Nordstrom in downtown Seattle for most of his childhood, but that didn't happen.  I decided to keep the tradition though and so for the past 2 years he's had breakfast with Santa at the Nordstrom in Sacramento.  This year was the first year he would really be old enough to ask Santa for something so I was pretty excited about it.  He did so well with the Santa at Old Elk Grove and I was hoping for a repeat on that.  Unfortunately for me, that didn't happen.  He wanted to be shy Aaron, not even really wanting to go up to Santa and just talking to him from a distance.  Eventually, we got the picture above, but I really wanted something that was just him and Santa for our card.  Luckily, this Santa was super patient and nice and he came to visit us at our table after we ate and eventually got Aaron to take a picture with him there, which is what ended up on our Christmas card.  Hopefully next year will go a little smoother!  

We spent Christmas morning at our house opening all of Aaron's gifts from us, The Herring Family and Santa, including of course, Flo!  He was so happy to get that car!  Then we all got dressed and headed over to my parents with the whole family again (yes, even the cats).  This year the "adult children" decided to do Secret Santa (best idea ever!) and stocking stuffers for everyone else.  Except for Aaron, of course.  Christmas gifts are really all about the kids anyway!  I think this is one of the better Christmases we've had in awhile!  We were all relaxed, all enjoyed the gifts we got and had fun watching Aaron tear into all the packages!  He was definitely Santa's Little Helper this year!  Eva got a Wii for her Secret Santa gift so we all had fun dancing to Just Dance (all except my grumpy grumperton husband Josh, who won't do anything he considers embarrassing, even if it is just family!).  Even mom and dad got in on it!  It was a good time with great family and good food.  

Then, on December 29th my sister-in-law had a baby!!  So now I'm an auntie!  I was SO excited!!!  I only wish I could see him in person!  

And now the New Year is upon us.......

I think things are starting to look up for us and most people I know.  I can only hope that this trend continues and grows in the new year.  

I wish all of you a wonderful, happy and prosperous 2012!  

On the eve of Aaron's 3rd Birthday......

I invite you all to look back to his 7th month - YES, he was only 7 months here.  And now we remember the "CHUBBS"! 

Our Christmas Card Preview from Shutterfly!

Polka Dot Christmas Wishes Christmas

Shutterfly has classic, elegant Christmas invitations for your party.

View the entire collection of cards.

You're Welcome, Society.

This boy knows how to say:

"What the hell/heck?"

"Woot Woot! Holla!"

"YOUR MOMMA!"

You're welcome, society.  You're welcome.

HOWLOWEEN

Halloween?  Make that, HOWLoween!  This year October turned out to be a busy month for us and we never got around to the pumpkin patch.  Then, a few days before Halloween Aaron caught a cold and of course, gave it to me.  (Side note: if anyone in the house gets sick, I WILL CATCH IT).  So, not only did we not do our usually October family fun, but we didn't even get around to decorating or costume shopping before Aaron and I were down in the dumps. 

Josh was running around on the Eve of Halloween searching for a suitable costume.  What makes it even more sad was that this was the first year that Aaron actually knew what he wanted to be for Halloween and we just couldn't find it!  Chubbs wanted to be a pumpkin.  He'd been saying it all month.  "Dadda, I'm gonna be a pumpkin and you're gonna be yeeh-yok" (aka yogurt for all you non-Aaron speakers).  But apparently, pumpkin costumes in a size 4 toddler are hard to find, especially the day before Halloween!  SO, I sent Josh to Gymboree (I called ahead to make sure they had costumes in his size) and his choices were Zoo Keeper or Werewolf.  Ok, so the obvious choice is Werewolf.  I mean, who the heck wants to be a zoo keeper for a Halloween?  And what kind of costume is that anyway -- khaki shorts and shirt with a badge?  WOW.  Big whoop.  So Josh brought the Werewolf costume home, I showed it to Aaron and he seemed pretty excited about it so we tried it on and he loved it!  He was all smiles!  Phew.  Saved on that one!

We decided to spend Halloween at my parents' house because they live in a neighborhood with lots of families and plus, they had at least some decorations out.  I wasn't even sure Aaron would go trick or treating since he'd never gone before and he doesn't even really know what candy is.  The past 2 years (Year 1: Chubby Skeleton, Year 2: Pirate) we had gone to the zoo's Halloween event.  But we taught him how to say trick or treat, dressed him in his costume and then I asked if he wanted to go trick or treating to the "Halloween houses" and he said YES!  (Thanks to books that his tia Bea & tio Sonny gave him and to a few cartoons, he already understood the basic concept of the holiday).  So off we went on Aaron's first trick or treating adventure!

I have to say, he kind of loved it.  He tried to go into the first house because he thought there was more to see in there.  He loved all the decorations and loved saying "trick or treat" to everyone.  Chatterbox that he is (wonder where he gets that from?  READ: Josh), he wanted to talk to every single person at every house we stopped at.  "Trick or treat!  I'm going to the Halloween houses!" or "You have a cat!" or "We are walking to the houses and saying trick or treat!" or "You are a witch!".  Haha!  What a ham.  We only did a handful of houses because it's a lot of walking for such a little guy and that werewolf hood was HOT!  So eventually we went back to Grandma and Grandpa's were tia Eva and Grandma Yvette were  handing out candy.  Aaron did one last trick or treat at their house and got 2 new Cars toys from his dad (Sarge & Filmore).  Then we dumped all the candy he collected in our bowl to hand out to others!  Recycling candy! 

For the remainder of the night, Aaron helped me hand out candy to the rest of the kids by running to the door and saying "Happy Halloween!" to all the trick or treaters!   All in all, I think it was a great night even though we didn't prepare as much as we would have.  I think we all enjoyed the night, and, we all enjoyed each other.  What more could you ask for?

Happy Halloween!!!!

Too Cool For School

That's my kid, in a jean jacket, headed to his first day of a preschool daycare program.  He is just too cool.  I should have popped his collar.  Aaron won't be going to this school full-time, or even part-time really.  It's more like a drop off basis type thing.  But Grandma & Grandpa were out of town for the week to celebrate Grandma Yvette's birthday (Happy Birthday Momma!) so we needed a back up.  And luckily were I live currently there is one right across the street.  They take kids from infants up to 12 years old for before and after school daycare as well as all day care that includes playtime and curriculum.  They even throw in some Spanish and Potty Training!  Woot!  Of course, by throw in I mean more like I just paid $191 for 3 full days of care.  And THAT, my friends, is WHY he won't be going full-time.  

It is a great back up and resource to have and he seemed to like it, though I'm sure he thinks of it more as play time than anything.  But it's something new for him and it gets him to socialize with other kids, keeps his brain working on new things and I'm sure (hopefully) they do a lot more activity than we do with him since on our days off we just want to relax.  But his Grandpa & Grandma take him on adventures like the story time at the library which he loves.  In fact, the teacher at the school said Aaron knew most of the stuff they were going over so he was able to join right in.  :)  Hooray for reading to him since he was a baby!  He loves his books.  In fact, he has a Blues Clues video that he watches where Blue reads Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and I kept telling him I would buy it for him once I found it.  The other day we were at "the circle market" (aka Target) and there it was!  I think Aaron saw it as soon as I did and he immediately started "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!  Will there be enough room?".  He would not let go of the book once it was in his hands!  

This of course, doesn't bother me at all and I never consider books as toys or "gifts" in the sense that he has to ask for them as a special treat because every kid should have books!  Now toys, that's a whole other issue.  Frankly, his bedroom is more like a playroom with more toys than furniture but as the only small child in the immediate family -- it's to be expected I guess, right?  But since birthday #3 and Christmas are coming up and just wanna put this out there -- he has plenty of toys!  He does grow out of clothes constantly, however and is now wearing between a 3 and 4 Toddler.  He's also a size 9 Extra Wide in shoes.  PS - he now comes to my waist.  Granted, I'm only 5' but still.  It's a bit daunting to see your (almost) 3 year old be almost half your height already. 

Aaron is still naked potty trained for the most part, but we are practicing with underwear more often and that's still hit and miss.  On his big boy bed, well....... Being with Grandpa & Grandma for a week while Josh and I were on vacation in Myrtle Beach, SC meant that he got to sleep with Grandpa & Grandma in their bed and that put us back a notch or two.  So now we're working again on getting him to sleep on his own in his own bed again.  Having a toddler use you as a head pillow while simultaneously kicking your husband in the kidney (Ow! My pancreas!) and smacking you in the face is not a good way to sleep my friends.  Not At All.  

But this boy, this boy is a crack up.  He as learned that saying "What the hell?" gets a funny reaction out of adults so he's been using that phrase quite a bit more often.  He still loves his singing and dancing.  He still falls asleep faster to Dave (Matthews Band) faster than mostly anything else.  He is still really into The Cars movie and practically every day asks his dad "Can we go to the circle market and get another toy?".  Right now we're on the hunt for Flo & Ramone!  And a kid friendly cd player/radio because he loves music.  And momma's gonna teach him to shake his booty!

Life with Aaron is wonderful.  


The rest of our adult life is stress and work and bills and debts and chores and everything else YOU are also going through.  And today, if I wasn't before (I totally was), I am now most definitely the 99%.  But this blog isn't about that so .......


I'll just say again life with Aaron is wonderful.  He reminds us to love, to smile, to dance to sing, to laugh.  


If you ever need a reminder, just let me know and I'll send you a picture of Aaron! 

Big Boy

Oh My Goodness, so many changes!  

First of all, Aaron is finally in his big boy bed!  Josh and I went to IKEA and gave in to getting him a toddler bed which he totally loves!  He was so excited to get in it after Josh put it together that he could barely wait for me to put the sheets on first!  So far, he's been really good about sleeping in it too.  At first, he didn't even leave the bed.  It was almost like he didn't even think about it.  This last week he's just starting to get up out of the bed after Josh and I leave the room and either try to sneak out of the room, or get toys to play in the bed.  And the last 2 nights he's been a bit more needy - wanting the light on and wanting one of us to lay down with him.  It's so strange how it seems to have actually regressed instead of the other way around, but I guess we should consider ourselves lucky we're not like one of those families on Super Nanny.  Not YET anyway!  

Secondly, thanks mostly to Grandma Yvette, Aaron is what I like to refer to as "naked potty-trained"!  As long as he's naked from the waist down, we're all good for going in the potty!  So most of the time at our house, he runs around without pants so he can do his business properly.  Then he loved to run out and announce "MOMMA!  I went PEE-PEE!".  Grandma is now working on getting him to tell us when he has to go while he has a diaper on.  And we've bought undies for both houses so we can practice wearing those too.  He does tell us sometimes when he has to go and asks us to take his diaper off, but that is about a 20% chance at best.  So for now, I'm happy to let him run around half naked in my house if it means less accidents.  Plus, I get to pinch those cute buns every once in awhile! 

Everything else is good.  He's growing taller and leaning out, though he's still in a size 4T even though he's only 2.5 years old!  Right now he's really into the Cars Movie and he's got Cars toys and cars undies.  We try not to spoil him too much, but with 5 adults who see him on a daily basis and him being the only kid -- let's just say he doesn't NEED anything.  Well, he's always needing new clothes since he seems to grow out of them so quickly, but you catch my drift.


He's definitely an only child and wants everyone's attention -- All The Time.  But that's usually if we're all together.  If it's just me and Aaron or mom and Aaron for example, he plays all by his little ol' self and he's totally fine.  But if he has an audience he definitely wants to be the center of attention!  

He's getting to be more and more of a "big boy" though and it's so fun to watch him grow and change and develop.  He loves stories and books.  He loves music.  Loves to sing and be sung to.  And he loves to shake his booty!  I totally taught him that.  Tee hee!

Yes, he's growing and this December he'll be 3.  He's my little "big boy" and I love him more than anything. 

Working Momma

Well, it's been almost a month now and I think Aaron and I both have transitioned into my full time work status pretty well.  The whole family really, because it's taking all of us to see that this happens.  My sister Eva and I carpool to work.  She brings over her dog so our dogs can have a play date while we're gone.  We take Aaron over to grandpa & grandma's house and we're off for the day.  Josh gets off work earlier so he picks Aaron up and takes him home to wait for me to get off. 

Aaron wakes up every morning by me putting on PBS and opening his door so he can hear it.  And like clockwork, as soon as he hears Clifford the Dog, he's up and bouncing in his bed saying things like "I wanna see Clifford the Dog" or "Let's go in tia's car to grandpagrandma's house".  (Grandpa and grandma are one word to him).  He's so excited to start his day with  his grandparents and I have to say that for the most part, I'm enjoying being back at work.  Sure, I stand next to his crib and extra few minutes at night after he's asleep and his hugs and kisses are longer than normal, but that's to be expected, no?

I swear Aaron gets taller everyday.  I keep looking at him and think that the time is going by too fast.  Part of me wants to make time move slower but on the other hand, I can't wait to see what kind of man he'll become. 

He's already wearing a 3/4 T in clothes, a size 8.5 extra wide in shoes and though he's not potty trained yet, I tried buying underwear in "his size" to see if they would help the potty training process along and they were too small for him!  He looked like a baby sumo!  (Or fat guy in a little coat....... )  He surprises me with this love for trucks and cars.  Such a boy thing to love so I shouldn't be surprised, but it's not something Josh and I taught him or even showed him.  I'm sure it was a cartoon or a toy or book that he got that started this obsession.  Josh and I try hard not to assign gender roles to toys or colors but the kid likes what he likes and he loves his silly trucks!  He's got dumpsters, race cars, tractors, trains, shovel trucks, fire engines, etc.  You name it, he's probably got it.  And he loves his animals.  He knows all sorts of animals, ones that I don't even know!  I think he's watched a bit too much of that Diego!!  LOL.  Humpback whales and chinchillas.  Yup, he's got those down! 

My parents watch him during the day so my mom has decided to try and do the potty training but he seems pretty resistant to it right now.  I've heard from many parents that boys seem to take longer than girls.  And I've also heard of a few stories about different parents that have kinda forced the issue and it backfired causing the kid to be really late in being potty trained.  So I don't feel so bad about him not being there yet and I certainly don't want to force the issue.  I am hoping though, that by the end of the year he'll be on the potty bandwagon because I'm kind over the diaper thing!!

Aaron has also recently started to throw fits (you know, those I didn't get a toy so I'm gonna throw a fit right in the middle of the store types).  He'll also just open his mouth and YELL right at us, face red and tears streaking, if we tell him "no" or "don't do that".  Yeah, it's awesome.  Like, being stuck with hungry alligators in a moat awesome.  We're still trying the time outs though he seems to handle it a little bit better when I do them than if Josh is the one telling him to go to his time out spot.  Probably because if I say he's getting one, HE IS!  Don't mess with momma!  Haha....  Hopefully he'll get over this phase really quickly!  (Please dear GOD!)

Things are going well.  I might even say that they're starting to look up a bit.  I can see a twinkle at the end of the tunnel.  But Aaron, as always, lights up our lives anyway. 

I just turned in my SAHM card (gulp)

I am a huge ball of emotions lately.  I knew that when we moved to California, part of the reason was that we would be close to my parents so that I could look for some part time work when I was ready (which is totally laughable because I would never be ready).  And so, being that the economy sucks, the job market in California is ridiculous and Josh seems to be in job that is permanently temporary (ie, low pay & no benefits) I applied for a job.  I only halfheartedly applied for it seriously knowing it was low pay and thinking that they wouldn't even call me back.  WRONG.

Not only did they call me back, they had me interview three different times.  THREE.  The entire time span between interview 1 and interview 3, I was going insane trying to balance emotions and logic.  The entire process seemed like trying to catch and control a runaway train.  Do I take it or leave it?  Wanting to take something and knowing you should, are two completely different things.  Yes, the pay is low (that alone makes me want to cry because it's seriously almost HALF of what I made at UW) and yes, the hours are closer to full time at 32 hours a week, but they do offer insurance, which we are lacking.  And it seems like a welcoming environment.  I think they were a bit confused as to why, after looking at my resume, I'd apply for a job like an administrative assistant.  They asked me in each interview if I was OK with doing these "menial" tasks and if I was sure I wouldn't get bored and leave after 6 months.  They had good reason to think this I suppose.  But my focus has changed, and my priorities are at home now.  I love being at home with Aaron.  And someday, we'd like Aaron to have a sibling.  For me, that means less focus and time at work and more at home.  So in that regard, this job works out just fine.  Part of me still wants to plant my feet on the ground and stomp while screaming "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" at the top of my lungs.  I'm sure on my first day at work, you'll see scratch marks on the walls and door frame of my apartment as I'm being dragged out of the front door.  BUT, I feel (hope, pray) that this was the right decision.  I'll guess we'll all find out together........

In the mean time, Aaron is growing and talking (talking talking) more and more.  He loves music, loves to sing and dance (though he can be shy at times).  He's so smart and he amazes me everyday.  Currently, we're hoping to get him a new, big boy bed.  I thought about a toddler bed until I saw how small they are and knew Aaron would be out of it in a New York minute.  So I think we're going straight to a twin bed.  He's still not potty trained, but I am SO ready to be done with diapers.  Seriously.  I think he's ready to be out of his high chair too, though we've had to prolong it because we have a high table and he can't sit in these chairs (think stool height) on his own.  So that means we'll be shopping for a new table as well.  Yup, this boy is definitely growing.

Now I feel like I'm going to miss out on a lot of his growing, but I'm relieved and happy to know that he'll be taken care of by family.  And he loves his Grandpa Howard & Grandma Yvette.  He asks practically everyday to go over to see them or his tia Eva.  To him it's like they're one entity sometimes!  It's more like "Can we go see grandpagrandmatiaeva?".  And anytime I'm on the phone he's practically screaming "It's Grandpa?!  It's Grandma?!".  It's adorable. 

Well, we're definitely in for a new chapter in life and changes for all of us.  But change usually equals moving forward, so it's got to be good, right?

Hope you're all well out there in cyberland.  Have a wonderful 4th of July from our family to yours!!  

Where does he get this stuff?!

 

Seriously, I just don't know where he gets this stuff but it's hilarious!

After taking off Josh's hat:

Dadda, you're a mess!

Watching the sun set:

The sun is sinking.

His new favorite thing to say to me whenever I walk into the room:

Momma, get back in the kitchen!

When I was holding him:

I'm a boooooy.  I'm a boy.  And you're a girl!

After hearing his belly growl:

Momma, I'm hungry.

Every day, at least once:

OW!  I have a booboo.  You've got to kiss it!

At every single meal:

Are you all done?

Anytime he falls down:

I'm okay!

 

He saw a spider web today and said:
Yucky!  That's a yucky!  I wanna take it to the trash can!

This boy, I tell you -- He's just adorable!  Everyday he says something new and funny. 

 

Colored eggs, Easter baskets and Ladybugs.

Happy Easter!  Easter started on Saturday afternoon for us when Josh and I helped dye his first Easter eggs.  We did it outside on the patio because of course, there were a few spills.  But he thought it was a lot of fun and so blue fingers and spilled dye was worth it.  Then on Saturday night I went to Easter Vigil Mass with my parents.  It was my first Easter Vigil lead by candlelight and I thought it was pretty neat.  Josh stayed home with Aaron since the mass was past his bed time and anyway - a 2 year old at mass?  Not so much. 

Since I got home late on Saturday, I went to bed right away and set my alarm for 6:30 am so I could wake up and put the pot roast to cook.  Yeah...... too bad my brain didn't want to wait for the alarm because I woke up at 4:30 am, then again at 5:00 am.  I figured the universe was trying to tell me to get the heck up so I rolled out of bed and worked on the pot roast.  Around 6:30 am I was back in bed.  I didn't fully go back to sleep, but I did get a bit of rest in before Aaron woke up at 8 am.  

Tia Eva was the first one over on Sunday and she brought Aaron live ladybugs so that he could release them!  He was pretty impressed and enjoyed trying to pick them up (though he unfortunately squashed a few before Josh came and picked him up!).  The whole Coblentz Family came over for Easter (mom & dad, Eva, Natalie & her fiance Meg) and we all enjoyed a yummy lunch.  Everyone brought something and we all savored everything.  Except Aaron.  He just wanted a PB&J!  LOL.  And he got it.

After lunch we had the Easter Bunny (Natalie & Meg) hide the eggs and then we took Aaron out to hunt for Easter eggs for the first time.  At first he was like "Wha???" but by the 3rd egg he was totally into it.  Even after he found the last egg, he still wanted to look for more.  But when he came inside he found the basket & gifts the Easter Bunny (all of us) left for him.  Toys, coloring books, gummies, an Easter book, crayons, all natural treats and ONE chocolate covered marshmallow egg.  His first.  He loooooves him some chocolate.  So he ate all the chocolate off the top half of the egg and then he was done with it.  I was sort of glad because we don't really give him candy.  I figure he eats enough junk already, he doesn't need to add candy to that!

The rest of the day we just spend relaxing and enjoying each others company.  It was a lovely Easter.  It's so nice to be able to watch Aaron really enjoy and comprehend something new.  New experiences and familiar faces.  That's a good combination I'd say.  

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter as well!

Seeing Spots

Spots, freckles, moles, beauty marks....... Whatever you call them, I've got 'em.  I've got a ton, in fact.

And so does my boy.  Aaron has 4, including this one on his knee.  The others are one on his arm, one on the back of his knee and one on the side of his torso.  Not that I'm counting or anything.  ;)

Don't worry about the Band Aids.  There was no injury.  Aaron just decided to dump the box of Band Aids while I was trying to take this photo.

Will he?

Sometimes I wonder.......

Will he remember ...

The smell of the blanket he's sleeping on?

The sound of the wind chime outside?

The warmth of his momma?

My face as he cuddles up to me?

My eyes filled with admiration?

My arms filled with love?

Will he remember us in this moment?

I hope so. 

It's been 3 months you say?!

It's been 3 months since my last post?!  Whaa????  Yeeeeah.... about that --


I'm kind of at a loss.  It's not that a lot hasn't happened.  It's just that I guess I'm not feeling very inspired to write lately.  And I certainly don't want my posts to be boring.  But I think you'll have to settle for boring at this point.  Except for that picture.  It's pretty adorable, isn't it?  That was his St. Patrick's Day shirt.  He said that it had a "flower" and a bow on it.  


Aaron I think is on rapid speed right now.  He's developing faster than I can blink.  He's talking in full sentences sometimes, knows tons of new words and I'm sure learns new ones everyday since he repeats just about everything we say now.  Sometimes he'll come back from his grandparents' house with words I don't even use!  So for example, the other day I was changing is diaper and he pointed to his nose, sniffed in and said "mocos".  YEAH.  Chalk that one up to Grandma Yvette and her allergies.  


He loves to sing and loves music.  He drums on the trash cans in the kitchen, plays his mini piano (a hand-me-down from yours truly) and sings the full Itsy-Bitsy Spider and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.  He also requests Fly Me To The Moon from his dad, because that's what Josh sings to him to go to bed.  He dances to the intro to Curious George and to Yo Gabba Gabba sometimes.  It's not really a surprise though because both Josh and I are really into music.  I'm thinking of starting "Music Mondays" for him!  Introducing new music to him on a weekly basis.  And my new music I mean a new Dave song every week.  Haha - just kidding.  (Sort of, not really).


Usually during the weekdays we'll wake up and I'll fix him some breakfast, sit him at his little table in front of the tv and we'll have "school time".  Aaron's great-grandparents, Henry & Jo, sent Aaron the So Your Baby Can Read dvds and so I've been playing those for him in the morning and we call that "school time".  He'll usually watch a dvd and a half before he loses interest, but he IS paying attention and knows some of the words now.  He even asks for school time sometimes!  


Aaron has also been wanting a play buddy lately and so he's always dragging Josh, my mom or me to play cars, or blocks or something else he's really into at the moment.  "C'mon momma, let's go play cars!".  It's totally endearing.  I might have to join a mommy play group or something so he can play with other kids!  

I really do wish I could just give him a sibling, but we're trying to be smart about it and not emotional.  So hopefully I'll find a job soon so we can lift ourselves out of this small hole and maybe next year...... 


Right now he's got us, his grandparents and his tia Eva to play with almost everyday.  And of course, his "buddy" Ulrich.  Haha!  Sure, Ulrich is usually running in the other direction and hiding under the bed, but Aaron doesn't notice!

Some other things that amaze me about Aaron -- we read him books often and so there are a few he knows well.  And he'll literally sit down with the book and "read" it to us!  He tells us the whole story!  It's so adorable.

He also knows the way to grandma's house!  LOL!  Seriously -- if we're driving to my parents he knows we're going to grandpa & grandma's house.  And if we're on our way to Eva's he'll say "Tia Eba's house?  Tia Eba's house?".  He knows we go over a freeway bridge when we're going to her house so he says "up the hill!" before we even get there and "down the hill!" when we're at the top.  He's so smart!!  That's totally from me.  LOL.  ;)


Yes, Aaron is doing well.  And is well loved.  He's always the best part of my day.  


So since I haven't been updating the blog often enough, please feel free to check out my Flickr page and my YouTube page.  The YouTube page has some new stuff for sure.