A Growing Family

Bath time! 

Ayden is the sixth grandchild on my side of the family and the first on David's side... Until today!!! David's brother and his wife welcomed their baby boy into the world this afternoon! We can't wait to go meet him in a little over a week. They live up North and we plan to drive up as soon as they are settled at home and ready for company. Babies, babies all around and our baby isn't the baby anymore.

When I was changing into my PJs in the closet tonight, I came out to find Ayden lying on our bed, playing with David. The way Ayden was positioned gave me a flashback of when he was tiny. He really has become such a big boy recently.

I so wish someone could do this to me, it looked so fun!
Ayden is a thrill seeker, just like his mama :)

My dad has gotten a huge kick out of a lot of things since he has spent more time with Ayden but how he turns around backwards to not only go down stairs but also to cross over any bulky threshold is probably my dad's favorite. We have such a funny little boy! I suppose he got tripped by the threshold into the garage at our old house one too many times for his liking and has chosen to err on the side of caution when dealing with any such obstacles.

Putting Ayden to bed has become my favorite part of my role as mommy. I can vividly remember dreading the nights early on, before I had grown accustomed to being tired and before I followed my gut about co-sleeping and was working hard to sleep train. Now I look forward to it! Every moment of our routine is so special. Getting him ready for bed is a task and a half because he just wants to play and won't lay still but once he's changed it is just the best. It starts out with the three of us playing and chatting.

Then David leaves us to go take care of our dinner dishes or some other household task while I get Ayden to sleep. He actually doesn't nurse all the way to sleep now. He nurses until he's had his fill and then we play. It is different than any playing we do during the day, though. Bed time play has a different feel; it is more sweet and snuggly. He has started giving me "kisses" which usually consists of him smoothing his face against mine and making a "mmmmm" sound, because we say, "Mmmmuah" a lot when we kiss him. He climbs and wallers all over me and thinks it is hilarious. He points out my eyes and nose or finds my belly button and I do the same to him. We take turns shaking our heads at each other, which somehow he also finds hilarious. He giggles and giggles and sometimes I second guess whether or not he was ready for bed at all. And then it happens. He calms down all of the sudden and lays next to me while we watch the animals from his soother projector go around and around on the ceiling. We make the noises for the animals that pass and his current favorite are the birds. Then the most amazing thing of all, he snuggles his head into my neck and just falls asleep without my having to do a thing. Every single time that it happens I become acutely aware of what I would be missing if I had been successful in my sleep training and am so ever grateful that route did not work out for us. These moments are ever so sweet, and even more fleeting, and my life will have been more fulfilled having as many of them as possible in it. Ayden is always sweet and had always enjoyed being held, but during the day he is a busy toddler who loves to play. Bed time is when i get my fuzziest snuggles and I am so happy that I am with him during the sweetness of his sleepiness.

With Ayden consistently sleeping longer stretches during the night it is amazing how far we have come sleep-wise in a year. There was a time when I thought I would never feel rested again but that time has passed and every night seems to get better and better (knock on wood!!).

Anything awesome happen in your life today? Please share!!

~Sarah