Friday, June 5, 2009
Whew!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Learning our letters
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
History is Made
On this day, Tuesday, January 20, 2009, history has been made. For the first time ever, a black man has been elected and inaugurated into office as President of the United States. Barack Obama is now our proud leader, after a long campaign ended with victory for the Democratic party, including his running mate, Senator Joseph Biden.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have
traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a
small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy
river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The
snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our
revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be
read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when
nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country,
alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our
hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let
us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let
it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let
this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes
fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift
of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.I know I am in good company, as I pray for Barack Obama as he settles in as his new role as Commander In Chief. For every day, there will be new struggles, I hope that he is surrounded with the support and wisdom necessary to carry out the immense responsibilities that lie before him. Best wishes to his beautiful wife, Michelle, and their class-act of a family, as their lives change forever. And we as a nation, put our trust in our new leader today.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Happy Birthday Aidan!
Are all these presents for ME?
For me?!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
My baby is one year old today!
The 4 hours I waited, from my recovery from general anesthesia and surgery, until I was able to see you after your time in the NICU seemed like forever, but this first year of life seems to have gone by in the blink of an eye.
It was never completely smooth-sailing, even from our first few days in the hospital. Daily bloodwork, and twice-daily forehead screens for bilirubin levels, due to quite a bit of jaundice, kept things interesting. By the end of day 2, Aidan was put on a bili blanket (the blue lights you see underneath his blankets in the picture above) to attempt to bring his bilirubin levels down.
Finally, we were able to go home! And the next week was rough, as any family with a newborn knows. We were sent home with our own rented bili blanket machine to use, and were told to have him on it as close to 24 hours a day as possible. Luckily, Aidan was a laid-back, happy baby, who didn't seem to mind it at all.
I was totally in denial how yellow he really was, until a few months later I looked back at pictures of him during his first week! And this is where he spent that first couple weeks - in his Moses basket, hooked up to the bili blanket, sitting on the coffee table in the family room!
The week was filled with dr visits, more bloodwork, more bilirubin testing. Supplementing with formula, anxiety that he is not eating enough, pumping, and more dr visits. But luckily after a week of this, he was much improved. His color was so much better, he was eating again like a champ, and was given a clean bill of health. And our bumpy road smoothed out again, just like that.
And a year later... here you are, my sweet boy. Full of laughter, personality, smiles, babbles, new teeth, new tricks, and so much happiness. You have made our family complete. I can hardly believe you are a year old already, and that you are leaving your baby days behind you. Happy birthday Aidan!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
This makes it official, huh?
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Christmas Pictures!
Ava and Daddy rip into their gifts - Bounce Back Racers remote-control cars!
Aidan with his reindeer antlers *and* Santa hat!