I write this on the morning of Aiden's 1st Birthday Bash, in complete disbelief that it has been one year since Aiden joined our little family. In some ways, it seems like yesterday we were walking him back and forth in our bedroom, fraught with worry because he was having breathing difficulties the night we brought him home from the hospital. In other ways, it feels like he's always been an integral part of our family and I can barely remember life without him. But doesn't that perfectly sum up parenthood? It is equally fleeting and yet eternal.
Aiden is heaven in boy form. He has the sweetest temperament of any baby I've ever met. Wes and I have always noticed a sort of twinkle in his eye. He is a snuggler and I can't get enough of it! I'm more addicted to him than even the worst sugar addict.
We're not sure where Aiden got his blue eyes. He is the only one out of thirty extended family members with baby blues; some serious recessive gene expression going on here. I'll take him! At twelve months, he has six teeth...four on the top and two on the bottom. This makes for a pretty hilarious picture when he snarls his lips, furrows his brow and crinkles his nose in protest! He is roughly as tall as Liam was at this stage (top of the charts), but far less chunky. He is only in the 75 percentile for weight; a waif, but a solid one. Compared to his peers, it seems he is filled with lead just like his brother.
It's amazing to me how different Liam and Aiden are; they came fully equipped with their own opinions about the world. For example, Liam always despised showers as an infant while Aiden revels in them. To this day, Liam becomes upset at the sound of blenders and hairdryers, while Aiden is only shaken by Liam's reactions. Aiden started doing pat-a-cake around five months old; it was never Liam's thing. When Liam started dancing at six months old, he rocked back and forth. Aiden does the twist. As different as they are, they are already showing signs of the great love they have for each other. Liam could be shouting at his brother, frustrated that he was "wrecking" something Liam cherishes, and Aiden just laughs and laughs at Liam with total delight! Liam is a perfectionist, while Aiden seems to be more accommodating. My theory is that Aiden had such a rough arrival into the world; he's just happy to be here! I think the Brothers Charles will balance each other out nicely in the years to come as they face life's challenges together.
Aiden's vocabulary is as impressive as Liam's was at twelve months. To my sheer delight, his first word was "Mamma," uttered at a mere six months new! Wes won't hear the end of that for the rest of eternity, most likely. He now says several other words regularly: Dadda, uh-oh, hi, bye, ball, yay. He has also said the following words a few times: duck, thank you, Aiden, Papa, Grandpa. He loves to quack like a duck, howl like a wolf, and make the elephant sound. If asked how old he is, he just may hold a finger up to show you. Big boy! If you want to melt, ask him to do pat-a-cake for you or "how big is Aiden? SOOO big!" His arms barely reach above his head.
He first rolled from his front to back at almost five months old, and he used rolling as his mode of transportation for the next six months or so. Then, he figured out how to crawl backwards and in a 360 degree circle which served him well for awhile. On February 3rd, 2013, he crawled for the first time with his tummy off of the floor (not easy for a twenty-five pounder!), but didn't crawl more than three or four steps until three weeks later. Even knowing he can get around without help, he seems fairly content to stay in one place and observe his surroundings or watch his brother at play. (I'm sure the touch-and-feel stage is forthcoming.) He giggles uncontrollably when someone holds his hands to help him walk and loves to pull himself up on furniture. And thanks to the Johnny Jumper, I enjoy a shower every now and then.
This boy loves all kinds of food, even if it has a little spice to it. However, he does NOT like raspberries. He must be in a growth spurt, because he just eats and eats until he explodes (one end or the other...) He is not interested in books at this point. He would rather eat them or aggravate Mamma by closing the pages repeatedly. He won't let me read to him! What the heck? He has finally gotten over his five month fear of driving and he no longer screams every minute of every ride, which is pleasant. He loves to be outside, whether it be the zoo, the pool, the park or a hike. My kind of guy.
Our little fire is the light of our lives. The sound of his voice thrills our souls; his guttural laugh is joy personified. I'm so grateful that I get to be his Mamma! We love you more than the moon and the stars, Birthday Boy!
