Our Everchanging Life

One Year Old

2009-07-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got Aiden's one year pictures done! Believe it or not I had them done at Sears and they did a great job. We had a party in Madison at my moms house with over 40 guests. Aiden had a blast, even though he just looked around at everyone trying to figure out what was going on... I will try to post the pictures from the party as soon as I download them to my computer.

The picture with the crane and heart pillow and picture of Aiden's papa, are items Ellis gave Aiden before he passed away. I surprised Justing having these done. The crane is because Ellis was a crane operator and so is Justin, the heart pillow is the pillow Ellis used after his heart surgery to protect his chest when he would cough, or stand from sitting, that kind of thing, the stuffed animal has a harley davidson jacket on that Ellis gave Aiden and Ellis loved Harley and the picture Ellis had that frame made for that picture of him and Aiden.

5k

2009-06-17T20:52:00.001-07:00

This past weekend Justin and I walked out first 5k. We worked hard to accomplish something we never thought was possible and we did it! I was so worried I wouldn't finish in the hour time that they allotted but I made it is 51 minutes. I couldn't believe it. Justin walked it in 41 minutes. We were so proud of ourselved. My mom, sister and brother in law RAN a half marathon. That is 13.1 miles. My mom is such an inspiration to me. She has been training for a few years for marathons and she is awesome! Justin and I started this week working on a 8 week beginners running program. So far so good. Only on day 3 though. Monday I walked/ran 30 minutes. I thought I would die. But I pushed myself to finish. I could here my sister in the back of my mind saying "Don't quit Jame you can do it."
With Aiden getting older I want to set a good example for him. I was him to be able to say..."yea well my mom runs marathons." I know how awesome it is to say that to people. I want to show Aiden that exercise and being healthy is a very important part of our lives. I have abused my body for long enough. Now I have a motivation and a reason to strive to live my life in the best way possible. And who else could be such motivation than my son who I live my life for! It will be a long journey for me to get prepared for a marathon but I will do it!!! Hold me to it!!
Another motivation is the recent passing of my father in law. He had heart surgery in September and after his surgery he lost alot of weight and started to exercise and take better care of himself. But in the end it was just to late. I know he would want Justin and I to start now taking care of ourselves. The last mile of my 5k I devoted it to Ellis bc I knew he was pushing me. The heat was exhausting and I didn't think I could push on but I knew he was there telling me "Jamie, I know you can do this"..and I did it!! I miss Ellis so much, even though I wasn't really close to him, I think about him every single day. The fact that we will never see him again (in this life) is just unreal to me. But I know that he is in such a better place than us and he would be soooo pissed off if he knew anyone was upset over his death. We will always, always love you Ellis!!!
Another crazy event approaching is Aiden's one year birthday. I cannot believe it. Has it really been a year? My little tiny baby that I just walked through the door with on June 25 2008 is going to be a year?? I have been a little..ok..more than a little emotional about it. He is such a blessing to us. I never realized how much you could love someone until I had Aiden. The love a mother has for their child is unexplainable. Ok I have to move on...I am dying here..haha! On a side note, Aiden is actually walking. It is so cute. He walks with both arms out like a zombie. Every time he walks he just smiles ear to ear like "look at what I'm doing mommy." His little 2 inch long legs just go full speed until he falls. It will try to post a video of it soon. He still isn't saying much but to him he is. The bad thing is he has one of my old cell phones and he puts it up to his ear and "talks" ninety to nothing. The other day he had his hand going talking up a storm on the phone. He also takes the remote and points it at the tv. Not good!!! It is bad when those are the things your son has learned out of everything you have spent in a year teaching him!
Well I suppose that is all of the "news" going on around here. Hope everyone is doing well. Hopefully I can get some pics up soon!

Changes...

2009-05-02T13:41:00.001-07:00

Today as I sit here and watch Aiden crawl around and be independent I just can't believe we have survived ten months of his tiny little life. I looked back at my blog today to some of the posts before I had Aiden and it seems like just yesterday I was taking "belly pics" and getting everything prepared for him to come. I remember I was so anxious to be induced and when he was here all I could thing was...man, all those nights I sat up thinking and watching TV I should have been sleeping. Especially after Aiden was born and I was up all night every night. Now that he has gotten older, I realize how bad I had postpartum depression. I was very very depressed when I had Aiden. I don't feel like I really "enjoyed" being a mommy or having such an angel until he was about 4 months. I wish I could go back and not worry so much about the small things and enjoy the beginning of his life. I would just worry and worry about every single aspect of his and my life. I worried about him eating, sleeping, his rashes, if he cried I felt a feeling of sheer panic, I wondered if his stomach hurt, or if he had gas, or if he was sleepy. It was a constant worry I never, ever relaxed and enjoyed him. So to all the new mothers reading this, or soon to be moms don't worry about the small things. Everything will be fine. As long as you give your child the love and care the they need everything will be ok. I promise. One day may be harder than the other but in the end everything will work out!
Anyways, I also wanted to share about a special person that I have really become close to. I have know her for a while and just thought "oh she's just Ellis's girlfriend", but after Ellis passed away I have really gotten to know Anne Marie very well. She is just such a caring a sweet person. I feel like alot of the time she doesn't understand why different things have happened in her life but I can already tell so many positive things that have come from such a devastating and tragic event. Anne Marie if you read this know that you have such a strong support system. We will always be here for you. You are Aiden's grandmother too! :) We love you so much and we thank you for making Ellis so happy! In his last days on earth he knew you were there right by his side every single day and night.
Okay enough with the sappy mess...No real changes have happened here. Aiden is crawling like crazy, in to every single thing he can put his hands on. He is pretty independent. He will sit in the corner with his toys and dance and play for the longest time. Kinda nice for me because I can get a lot more done around the house. If he doesnt get his way..you know it. He will do this pitiful whining cry. If we tell him no he looks at us for a minute and then gets big alligator tears in his eyes. Very cute. We are just loving watching him grow and become a little toddler too soon!
Believe it or not..we are about to have to start planning a one year old's birthday party. Has it really been a year?? I will let everyone know the details as soon as we know what we are going to do. Anyway Aiden is up from his morning nap. Hope everyone is doing great!!

Camo Pics

2009-04-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

Since I have been threatened lately about not updating my blog I am just gonna update until yall are tired of reading about my crazy life!! :) Anyways here are some pics of you know who in camoflauge. A local photograher here asked us to be in a calender she was working on so we of course took advantage. Hope you enjoy.

Easter Pics

2009-04-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

This year we spent Aiden's first Easter in good ole Mississippi. It was great to be with family. Here are some pictures of Ellis' memorial and Easter.
The first pic we are in front of one of Ellis' motorcyles.

Justin, Ashley, Aiden, Anne Marie and I at Ellis' memorial

Jill, Aiden and me

My stepdad Clark and me

My grandmother, mom and of course chunky butt

Aiden in his Easter best

My dad and Judy

Aiden and Callie (my moms cat)

Gone But Never Ever Forgotten

2009-04-14T08:22:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted this yet, because honestly I just haven't come to terms with it yet. However, I hear Ellis in the back of my mind saying, "awe hell girl move on take care of that baby." So I here I go..

Ellis (Justins papa) passed away on April 1st at 6:00pm. When he took his last breathe he was surrounded by his closest family. In the end Ellis was fighting so hard to breathe and his girlfriend Anne Marie sang "Amazing Grace" to him and he peacefully took the last breathe he will ever breathe.

As I sit here and write this post I still cannot believe it. Sometimes it is so hard to understand why God takes people so very special to us. But we have to solely trust in him. His memorial was in Nebraska for all of this work friends and family and then he had on here in MS at a church that his distant family founded. His service was surrounded by his motorcycles (which was his passion) and all of the things he enjoyed.

If Ellis was here and I knew the past few months were some of his last I would write him a letter and this is what it would say..

Ellis,
Even though Justin and I have been together for almost ten years I have only become to know you personally in the last two. At first I just really didn't know what to think about you. We have always had a laid back, if something is wrong just silently deal with it kind of family. But then you came along and were as outspoken as they come. I always was a little scared when you would ask us to come to a restuarant with you bc if someone got your order wrong or if they weren't just exceptional with service you ALWAYS let them know. However, through all of that you taught me to stand up for what I want.
You have done an exceptional job in helping raise your two sons. Even though both of them have your temper...:) they have the kindest heart. You have shown them to stand up for what they believe. You have taught them to be strong hard workers and take pride in their jobs. You introduced them into the world of construction and that is their passion because you showed them how.
I will never forget your laugh. I will never forget the time I wanted to pay for dinner and you told me to shut up. I will never forget how you always told Aiden he was "papa's baby". I will never forget how your eyes lit up when you saw Aiden. I will never forget how Aiden's eyes lit up when he saw his papa.
I promise you Ellis everyday I will teach Aiden all about you. I will show Aiden to be strong and stand up for himself like you did. We will at least once at day point to the sky and wave to papa. I will show the pictures of you to him and he will know you as if you were still here.
I am sorry you had to go. But you will never ever ever be forgotten, after all how could anyone forget you. We love you more than you will ever know!
Love,
Jamie

The Precious Man you are Praying For..

2009-03-29T07:27:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics to go with the name of the man you will be praying for....He is precious and needs you..

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We need a strong prayer chain!

2009-03-29T07:13:00.000-07:00

Last night was the most awful day of our lives. We got a call at 1:30 am this morning from Justin's dad's girlfriend saying, "the emt is here and they are doing CPR on your dad." Long story short he(Ellis) had a massive MI and needs your prayers. He is unresponsive at the moment. Please pray and tell everyone you know to pray for this man. He is such an awesome man and I know he wants to have many more years with his grandbaby! He loves Aiden soo much! Today he will have a CT to test for brain function. Please pray, pray, pray! Aiden needs his poppa!!

Motorcycle

2009-02-14T10:50:00.001-08:00

Yesterday Ashley (Justin's brother) suprised Aiden with a gift and this is what it is....

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However, there is some controversy about the motorcycle. Ashley bought it for fun. It is not intended for Aiden to ride ANY time soon! Just a fun thing for Aiden to have for the moment. I don't necessarily agree with him EVER riding a motorcycle, honestly. But we will cross that bridge when we get there! But you have to admit it made some REALLY cute pics!

Little Update

2009-02-05T10:21:00.001-08:00

I usually just post pictures because for some reason I don't ever have anything really to talk about but I did want to share something to anyone who reads this that is a mom or soon to be mom. Every since Aiden started eating solid food I would go to the grocery store usually every other day getting all of those little jars of baby food. After it got old having to find somewhere to store all the jars, and not knowing exactly what is in the baby food, and wondering if these foods have all of the nutrients in them, I started looking around on how to make homemade baby food. I must say, it is the easiest and most convienent thing I have ever done. I know alot of you will say, I don't have time for that I work all day..but it takes maybe an hour to make enough food for two weeks. And the benefit to the baby is wonderful. You just buy fresh fruits and veggies (I usually buy organic if they have it and if they don't I don't sweat it) cook them for about 10 minutes in water, then puree. Thats it! Depending on how much you make you can put the rest in ice cube trays, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze. After the food is frozen pop it out of the tray, put in a plastic bag and store. I sound like I am advertising huh! Ha I just want to share because I really feel like the benefit is so great for baby. You know that you are giving your baby hormone and pesticide free foods. How great is that. Every mom wants the best for their little one, right. Oh and there is an awesome website that shows you how to mix a lot of food and exactly how to do it. It is wholesomebabyfood.com. The best website ever.
Anyways, everything here is going great. Justin is working 7 days a week, 12 hours a day. :( He will be off of that schedule in a week and a half though. I am about to go crazy but I try to find fun things for Aiden and I to do during the day.
Aiden has two little teeth in the front, that I can never get a picture of, and another one coming in on the side. It is sooo cute. His personality is developing more and more every day. He definetly has a red headed temper. My mother in law heard it first hand on the phone the other day. When Aiden is done eating, he doesnt calmly "start playing" or "turn away" he SCREAMS, and throws his body back all the while he is choking on his food that is still in his mouth. Don't quite know the reason for this, but somehow I have GOT to put an end to it. Otherwise, he is growing so big and healthy. I can't wait for the summer so we can go the the lake, fishing, crabbing, and swimming in the pool. Well I hope everyone is doing well. Let me know if you were wondering anything else about the homemade baby food stuff! Pretty much any questions you have are on the website. Hope everyone has a very blessed rest of the week! :)

Jamie

Day at the Park

2009-01-19T15:12:00.000-08:00

Today it was a beautiful day here in good ole Lake Charles, LA so I packed up Aiden and headed to the park. Here are some fun pictures that I took. Hope you enjoy and hope everyone is doing well!

Christmas..and more!

2009-01-05T18:26:00.000-08:00

Here is a long overdue post. We had a wonderful Christmas with family in Mississippi. Aiden of course got more toys and goodies then he (and we) know what to do with! He was so cute opening his presents. I had to start the paper and then he went to town. Aiden is now eating cereal (and screams when he is done, might I add) he is going to eat us out of house and home eventually! Everything is going great here in Lake Charles. Justin is enjoying his job and I am enjoying his hours! :) It is really nice being closer to family, and being able to wear short sleeves in the middle of winter. I have been looking at the weather lately in KCMO and and SO glad we don't have to spend another winter there. It was a rude awakening for us southerners to have to drive in snow and ice going to and from work. I remember being a nervous wreck leaving work, especially being prego driving down roads where all you see is snow...and no lines! VERY SCARY! But no more of that! Hopefully! As for our new years, we went to a friends house and stayed until about 10:30 and then called it a night! Aiden was sleepy and so was Justin! ha we are getting old! We went home to my moms house where they were celebrating with some friends and when midnight hit (from my bed) I could here them celebrating. So I knew the new year had come. So I closed my eyes and went back to sleep! Funny how things change when you have a baby! But I wouldn't change it for the world! Here are some pictures from Christmas and us home with family! Hope everyone has a great 2009!

New Aiden Pics

2008-12-09T19:57:00.000-08:00

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Finally..a new post

2008-12-06T19:47:00.000-08:00

This post finds me in Lake Charles, LA. We packed up and moved here the weekend before Thanksgiving. Lake Charles is a nice size area close to lots of lakes and even a beach somewhere close I do believe. We are now only 5 hours or so from home. We moved into another apartment until we figure out if we are going to live here for a while, or just temporarily. Honestly, I wouldn't mind living here, I kinda like it! I will post pics as soon as I figure out where the charger is for my camera. I need to invent a charger locator for all of my electrical devices. I can never ever keep up with any of them! My family loves how I never answer my phone because it is ALWAYS dead!
Anyways, on to a bigger and better subject, Aiden is doing great. He is so funny with his little personality. He keeps me laughing, especially after his uncle Ashley taught him to spit at everyone and everything. He puts his lips together and blows until his whole shirt is wet with drool. He sits up now with a little assistance. Every once in a while he will take a nose dive into the carpet if he looses his balance. I believe he is about to cut teeth because over the past week he has been waking up every couple hours or so. Not exactly sure what is going on now. You know it is something different every day!!
I hope everyone is doing great, sorry the post is short and not very interesting but I am a nurse, not a writer! :) I will post pics soon!!
Love, Jamie

Trick or Treat

2008-10-31T15:28:00.000-07:00

Actually this post has nothing to do with halloween but it only made sense to put that as the heading today!! Aiden had his four month old checkup today and she said that Aiden is "just a perfect little boy". So you really couldn't ask for a better visit. Except the fact that he had to get immunizations, it was only two shots rather than the five last time. OUCH!! Since Aiden is four months old here are some fun "milestones" he has reached. Aiden smiles at every singe thing. If you even look in his direction he smiles from ear to ear. Aiden grabs for objects and as soon as he gets them they go straight to his mouth. Aiden also likes for daddy to grab his hands and "walk" him around the living room. He is very ready to join conversation. If he is eating and someone talks he stops everything and looks them until they are done speaking, and continues to eat. As far a sleep goes, he does not like to take a nap, he told me yesterday that napping is for babies! :) His hands are his favorite toy and pacifier. The drool is UNRULY! Every day he develops another trick, and keeps us on our toes! We love him so much! The doctor advised us to try rice cereal. Aiden really liked it. I will post some pics of his first big boy meal! Hope everyone is doing well! HAPPY HALLOWEEN! These are just some cute pics of Aidens new jumper! He loves it. He also likes to suck on the seat! Only my son! :)

The Sad Truth

2008-10-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

So tonight as I wrestled with Aiden for all of about uhh...2 hours rocking him, and holding him like I always do, did I realize that he doesn't really need me to go to sleep anymore. Since he was born when he gets sleepy I lay him down in my arms, give him his "pacy" and rock him until he quietly falls fast asleep. Well, the past couple nights when I even lay him down in the "sleep position" he screams bloody murder!! :( All I could think was he must have a stomach ache, what did I eat today that is affecting him, maybe he is having bad reflux, or maybe he just isn't sleepy (as he rubs his red eyes and yawns).
So tonight after he ate I gave him his pacifier laid him down, (thinking the other nights he has fought sleep something else had to be wrong), and he just started screaming. So I kept him up a little, packed my clothes, came in the living room and sat him in my lap, sitting straight up and starting singing to him like I always do and off to sleep he went. Simple as that! No pacifier, no rocking, no nothing from me just my cracked and out of tune lullaby. WHAT? Does my son really not need me to cuddle and nuzzle him when he is sleepy. I guess the older he gets the more independent he gets. But as far as me....it is kind of upsetting. My baby is growing up so fast. From day to day he changes so much. My next problem is.. what is a easier way to get him to sleep other than keeping him up 2 hours past his bedtime until he just falls out from pure exhaustion? I am not sure how I feel about just lying him in his crib and letting him scream until he falls asleep. Any suggestions? I just had a very eye opening moment tonight and felt I needed to share! Now I will go to sleep from pure.....exhaustion!!

Fun Photo Day

2008-10-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

I have some fun pictures of ,you know who, that I wanted to post! Aiden is always the subject of all of my posts because he is all my life consists of! I think I need to get out more! HA! :/

If you are wondering about our daily changing "moving status", as of now Justin has to work until Wednesday of this week, and then..uhh we are not sure yet. Maybe Nebraska, maybe Virginia..as for me...maybe the crazy house. All of this unsure business is about as nerve racking as anything, it drives me CRAZY! Eventually we are going to make it back to Mississippi so Justin can finish his degree. He really needs to finish school considering he was on the deans list, always made awesome grades, and all of his teachers absolutely loved him.

As for me, I want to continue to stay home with Aiden at least for a year. I feel this is the best thing for him for now. Maybe when we move I may get a PRN job and get out a few days a week, but who knows. I love my job as a RN and I feel like the longer I am off work, the more I forget. Not a good thing to do in my line of work! So anyways, I hope everyone is doing well.

Also, I wanted to tell everyone to take a few minutes today and tell your loved ones how much you care about them. Unfortunetly we never know when our time will come. I feel like my job at Children's Mercy has made me appreciate my son more than anyone could imagine. I am so thankful for his health, and the health of my family. Life is so short and precious, lets enjoy every second of it!! Okay..I am done now! :) Love you all

Oh and another thing, I put a LG computer monitor, dell keyboard, speakers, and a mouse for sell on ebay if anyone is interested let me know!

Early Halloween

2008-10-02T18:09:00.000-07:00

While we were in Mississippi, mom and I decided to dress Aiden in his halloween costume and take some fun pictures. They turned out too cute not to share! Hope you enjoy!

Mississippi...again

2008-09-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

Aiden and Papaw Clark

Mommy's Helper

Sucking of the hands

Aiden when he was 9 weeks
We are back in Mississippi for a quick visit! Justin had a week off in between jobs so we decided to come home and visit all the family and friends. We will be returning back to Kansas City for five weeks for Justin to help finish the previous job and then....well who knows! We are not going to Texas anymore as of now. However, I will keep everyone updated where our travels will take us next! Aiden is just growing and learning so much every day! He has developed such a silly little personality. (I wonder where he got that from) He now will put he tiny little fingers around rattles and toys and look at them very intensely, then stick them straight in his mouth. He also absolutely loves to suck and chew on his hands. Such a silly boy! As for now, everything is going great, Ellis is on his way to recovery, and life is just about perfect for us. Oh also, we went to Nebraska furniture mart and went furniture crazy. We bought a new couch, chaise, crib, and dresser. When we get them I will post pictures! I am VERY excited to see them, also to see if they will fit in out apartment! :/ Also, as soon as I am home for more than a day.. I promise to all of my work friends I WILL come visit! Hope all is well with everyone!

Finally Home

2008-09-09T10:39:00.001-07:00

We finally made it home Sunday afternoon after being in MS for a week, Arkansas for a week, then as soon as we got back, we headed to Nebraska for Justin's dad. By the way, Justin's dad is doing GREAT! He is recovering really well. He had a double bypass and an aortic aneurysm repair. Thanks to everyone who took time out to say a prayer for him!! Justin and I are just trying to settle in back to our old routine. Not easy, especially with my little sweetie. Aiden had his 2 month shots last week, he was fussy of course, but since his shots he has had a congested cold (no fever). I am not to sure if it has something to do with the immunizations or not. But we are doing great for now, hope everyone is doing well! I posted some promised pics of out trip out of town!

Prayer Request

2008-09-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

Today we are in Lincoln Nebraska. Yesterday Justin came home from work, pulling off his clothes( b/c he was working in the rain) saying "we have to go to Nebraska, they think pop is having a heart attack", so I jumped out of the bed with Aiden and threw everything but the stuff we needed in bags, and off the Nebraska we went. Me, Justin, Aiden and Rufus. So after many tests they found out the Ellis (Justin's dad) has two blockages, (they did an angioplasty on one) and an aortic aneurysm. Many of you know Justin had this same issue two years ago. As of now he will have surgery Friday, which will repair his aortic aneurysm. They will go in and put a graft the whole length of the dilation. I know MANY people read and keep up with my blog, when you are finished reading this, I ask that you take five minutes and say a special prayer for him. God always pulls you through when people come together in prayer. Thanks for all of your support and we will keep you posted.

Out of Town

2008-08-29T09:08:00.001-07:00

I know many of you are wondering if I fell off the face of the earth...the answer is not quite! I spent last week in Hot Springs, Arkansas with my sister and brother and law. We had a great time. Aiden got to meet his great grandmother and great aunt and uncle. I have lots of pictures but I am unable to post them to the blog until I get home. Aiden also has his first boat ride. He absolutely loved it. He loved it so much he slept that night from 9:00 until 7:00 the next morning. After that I thought ' yeah he is finally sleeping through the night' but no such luck. The next night he woke up twice like he used to. This week we are in Mississippi visiting with my mom and stepdad. Aiden has met all of my moms side of the family. Needless to say, Aiden has been a bit overwhelmed and I know he is ready to get home to his daddy! We will be leaving Saturday to go back to Hot Springs to meet Justin and he is going to take us the rest of the way home. I really have enjoyed spending time with my friends and family. There is nothing in the world like being with the ones you love! I pray that God will continue to bless our family with all the love, closeness, and many blessings that we all share. Hope everyone is doing great! I will post lots of pics when i get home!

Day at the Market

2008-08-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

This weekend Justin's dad and his girlfriend came to visit. We had a great time and it was really nice to get out of the house and have some "adult" conversation. Sunday we went downtown to the farmers market, bought some fruit and vegetables and had some yummy bbq for lunch. It was exciting because it was mine and Aiden's first big outing. He did great! He wasn't a big fan of the sun though. Here are some pictures of the weekend. Also, I had to do one of the hardest things today. Over the weekend Justin and I decided that it would work out best if I stayed home with Aiden. With us being up here alone, and Justin's demanding job, we feel like the best thing for our family right now is for me to be a stay at home mom. In saying that I had to call my job today and tell them I will not be coming back to work. :( I am really sad about it. I worked with some of the most awesome, and caring people you could ask for. It took a while but we finally all got to know each other and found out we all have alot in common. (I think my accent kinda threw them off) haha! So to all of my coworkers that read this, thank you so much for taking me in and showing me the ropes while I was there. I had an amazing preceptor who is an awesome nurse, and person. I hope the next job I work everyone will be as close and awesome as yall are. THANKS AGAIN! Also Justin is more than likely getting laid off the end of September, if not sooner. When he does we are going to move closer to home to be with our friends and family! That part I am not sad about. I am just not me without my family and friends. I am going to come and visit everyone at work before we leave to say goodbye. Hope everyone is doing great!

2008-08-05T09:05:00.001-07:00

So I must update on the rash! The rash is finally starting to heal . I think it was newborn acne, that was irritated by the heat. Considering our air conditioner in our apartment NEVER works right and they come out and jack around with something saying they "fixed" it, only for it to work right for about 3 days. I am so fed up. To all who reads this, tell all of your friends to NEVER rent at Wild Oak Apts. They are awful, and falling apart. Even the maintence man told me that these apartments are not old enough to be experiencing all the problems it has, and that they are very cheaply made. They are cheaply made and the apts charge an arm and a leg for rent..okay..I am through ranting! :) Whenever Aiden gets upset the rash gets red and irritated but then when he is calm they are fine. Also I don't think he has colic. Well the last two nights he has been a little fussy, but easily consoled. I think the problem may have been the fiber one bars that I started eating for breakfast last week. :/ As soon as I stopped those he hasn't had any real issues. I also bought some Mylicon to help out some, which I was kinda hesitant to give b/c I am an OCD mom who is scared to try new things with her son. HA. My sister and her husband are coming to visit next Wednesday and I couldn't be more excited. I keep counting down the days, maybe even the hours sometimes!! I know she is excited to, she only got to see Aiden in the NICU right after he was born before she had to go home. She hasn't even held him yet. Oh and Amber, a friend from work, said Aiden looks like me! YEA YEA! That is the first person that has said that. I am so happy. He just had to fill out some to start to look like mommy! Anyways, hope all is doing well!

Video For the Grandparents

2008-08-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

I made this video this morning of Aiden. Nothing special but just wanted the grandparents to see how he is growing and smiling(he only did a partial teasing smile in the video) :) and cooing. Justin and I are kinda worried that he may have colic. Starting at about 5pm he will cry off and on until about 930 or 1o. We try to feed him, change him, bathe him everything and nothing helps. So I hope, God willing, that he does not have it. Maybe it is just a growth spurt or phase he is going through. If its not one thing its another. Every single day is a new day...literally. But we are more than thankful that he is a healthy little sweetheart with no medical issues. We are truly blessed!!
Oh by the way, sorry about the spit up part of the video, I didn't know how to edit it! haha. Everytime Aiden is on the floor Rufus has to be right there.

The Rash...

2008-07-30T19:19:00.000-07:00

Today we had to take Aiden to the doctor because he has a very weird rash. We tried different home methods to try to get rid of it and nothing worked. So off to the doctor we went. Turns out the doctor couldn't pinpoint an exact reason, considering babies skin is allergic to EVERYTHING! He said it is a combination of baby acne, heat rash, and seborrah. He told us to us Lotrimin cream. So we got some, used it and Aiden cried bloody murder. As soon as I wiped it off he quieted down. I put vaseline on it to try and soothe the area and he seems to be somewhat content! HELP!! Anyone have and ideas? I am now using a different laundry detergent for his clothes but I don't know what else to do. We are open to any ideas! The rash is on his back, chest, and shoulders. I posted some pics so you could get some ideas. On a lighter note, Aiden now weights ten pounds! What a big boy he is! Hope everyone is doing great!

4 Weeks Old

2008-07-26T15:11:00.000-07:00

Today Aiden is 4 weeks old. Can you believe it? He is growing up so fast.

Gaining Weight

2008-07-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

We had to have a submerged bath last night after Justin was changing him and he shot poopy clear across the room. He tried to warn daddy with some grunts but it was just too late.

Today I went to a breastfeeding support group. Kinda an odd experience for me. I walk in...look around...and all these women are sitting around with their breasts out having conversation. All I could think was...I am not going to pull out my "business" in the middle of this class with all these women I don't know. I made sure Aiden ate shortly before we left so we wouldn't have to participate in the "group" breastfeeding. I planned on going and talking with other mothers and compare stories. So in I walk lay Aiden down on the floor to get him undressed to be weighed. As I am undressing him he starts wailing, and screaming. Oh my gosh what do I do?? So I gave him his pacifier, he spit it out, I picked him up and his body was stiff as a board as he was in this moment of pure red headed anger. I though about just leaving but, I really wanted to have him weighed to make sure he is getting enough to eat and so on. As he rants, raves and everything else you could imagine I look around and all these other mothers are looking at me like..Um why don't you just feed him. I wiped the sweat beads off of my forehead, sucked it up and just fed him like everyone else. At first I was a little uncomfortable, but then it just seemed so natural. I know many people are completely comfortable breastfeeding where ever they are, but I just haven't crossed that bridge yet. Maybe one day I will. Anyway, that is my crazy story for the day.. :) Oh and another plus I was able to weigh Aiden after he ate to see how many ounces he got. Needless to say he is getting enough to eat! Hope you enjoy the pics! Also Aiden has gained 1lb and 1 oz. He is getting to be such a big boy. His current weight is 9lbs 6oz.

More Random Pics..

2008-07-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

Here are just some more random pictures of Aiden and I sitting around the house. Thanks Whitney for this cute little outfit that you gave him. It is really cute on him as you can see!

More Pics..

2008-07-16T08:37:00.000-07:00

Not happy after our bath! But oh so cute!

Today I had my first post partum OB appointment. Everything is going great. No complaints from me! Oh and I must say...I have lost 30 lbs since Aiden was born. Everyone said the best way to lose weight is to breast feed, and they were so right! Can I breast feed him forever?? Ha, don't think that would work huh? Aiden is doing great, he has started smiling some, usually only in his sleep when he dreams about his mommy! :) Hope everyone is doing great!

Daddy Time

2008-07-11T15:04:00.001-07:00

Oh the dreaded diaper duties. Justin does it without complaint!

Here is Justin, Aiden and Rufus for a little daddy time after Justin got off work! He is such a sweet and loving daddy. Rufus still isn't quite sure what to make of this little human. He just stares and sniffs Aiden trying to figure him out.

The First Dr Visit

2008-07-10T14:39:00.000-07:00

Today we had our one week doctors appointment! Aiden has gained 9 ounces. I was very happy to hear this because I was kinda concerned (b/c for the past few days he has wanted to eat every hour or so) that he wasn't getting enough. However, everything checked out and he is as healthy as ever. It was also nice to get out of the house. I am suppose to "take it easy" for two weeks due to my c-section but I am about to break loose and go shopping!! yeah!! Hope all is going great for everyone.

Hormones....Hormones

2008-07-07T10:25:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! I know some of you have called and I have not called you back, but I have been incredibly busy with all of my family in town. I think I also may have had a little bit of depression, anxiety and just adjustment issues. Thanks to all of these womenly hormones. Just watching all of my family leave and go back to Arkansas and Mississippi was very hard for me! Just knowing that they will not see Aiden for a months or longer really affected me. Also knowing how it affected my family was really hard. But I just put my trust in God and know that right now this is where we need to be. He will take care of the rest! Anyways, I will leave ya with some more pics of the sweet little Aiden!

Fourth of July video

2008-07-06T10:54:00.000-07:00

Aiden on the fourth of July, in his 4th outfit and his Ole Miss shoes! Justin added the music!

Aiden Lane Bufkin

2008-07-05T14:44:00.000-07:00

Nap time!!

Justin and the babies!

My first bath!

Daddy and Aiden! Look he has his hair!!

Mammaw Clark and Aiden

My sweetie in the NICU. His respiratory rate was high, and they were monitoring him. Luckily he just was a little stressed from the labor and was having some trouble transitioning into this crazy world!

Me holding Aiden a few hours after he was born, I look rough after my 21 hours of labor!!

Aiden was born on June 28, he was 8lbs, 80z!

I know everyone is waiting for some pics, so here ya go!! Sorry the pics are so small I will try to post some better ones when I get another 5 minutes of free time!! :)

IT'S BABY TIME

2008-06-23T08:44:00.000-07:00

Today I had my OB appointment, and guess what??? They are going to admit me on Thursday night and start Pitocin on Friday morning! Yea! I finally get to meet my angel! It is so surreal to me right now. I have dreamed over and over about this, and here it is. I have cared for and carried a living person in my belly for 4o weeks being ever so careful to make sure he gets the best of the best from me and now....I finally get to hold him, love him, kiss him, bathe him and just be his mommy. Justin is ever so excited too. He is like "Okay, we need to get your bag together, and go get a baby book, and......so on! He is going to be such a cute daddy! I will try to keep everyone posted about what is going on, and how the baby is. Another thing I very excited about is I GET TO SEE MY FAMILY!!! My mom and hopefully stepdad will come Thursday, my sister is coming Wednesday, my best friend Melissa is coming Wednesday night, Justin's mom and aunt are coming Thursday, my dad and stepmom will hopefully come Thursday and I will just be surrounded by everyone close to me! So only a few more days on bedrest. Everyone say a prayer that the induction goes as planned. We will keep everyone not able to make it here posted.

Non Reactive Non Stress Test

2008-06-20T10:50:00.000-07:00

Jill and I at my shower in Arkansas
Melissa, Jill and I the best shower hosts in the world!
My most recent belly picture

Just a peek at what I see when I look down!

Today at the I had my Non Stress Test. Justin and I went to the clinic, sat in this tiny room for about 30 minutes monitoring Aiden's every move and his heartrate. The nurse told me that every time he moves to push the button, well he must have heard her say that b/c we waited about 15 minutes just for him to move. Normally he moves all over the place so much my belly looks like a constant tidal wave!! I am kinda starting to think he may be hard headed like his sweet little daddy! :) So to intice Aiden to move the nurse stuck a vibrating machine to my belly which "vibrates the amniotic fluid and startles the baby", well might I add Aiden was NOT happy! He kicked me harder than I think he ever has. He kicked and moved for about an hour straight. It kinda got a little uncomfortable. However, the test went well. They want to see two accelerations with movement, (meaning they want to see his heartrate increase with movement twice) and it did. So the nurse and doctors concluded that he is not under any stress and just happy and content as ever in my belly. Also for those of you wondering, when I went to the doctor Monday of this week I still was not dilated..A SINGLE BIT!! I am so ready for some progress! Any tips on how to get this show on the road??? Today my BP at the doctors office was 108/80?? hummm..what is going on with that? Who knows! So, I will continue to sit on bedrest and go stir crazy!!

New Blogger??

2008-06-19T10:16:00.000-07:00

So I decided, thanks to all the girls at work, to make a blogsite for all of my family and friends out of town to check out what is going on here in good ole KCMO. I guess I will start out by saying...in case you didn't know we are having a baby soon (the due date is June 25th) and we can't wait. Actually Justin and I are getting pretty impatient. Every single cramp or ache I will grab my belly and Justin will stop everything look at me in sheer panic and say "was that a contraction" ? I reply back to him..."uhhh I really have no idea to be honest". I will try to update as I go to the doctor so everyone can keep up with the progress. As of now, I am on bedrest..and just about to go CRAZY, I never imagined bedrest would be so hard. I mean what do you do on bedrest?? Just sit and wait I guess. I had a dr. appt on Monday June 16th and my BP was up to about 140/90. They rechecked it a little later and it was still elevated. The dr came in and suggested we be admitted to the hospital to do some bloodwork and monitor me and the baby. After lying there for about 3 hours waiting for the doctor to look at my BP's and labs and tell me if he thinks I should be INDUCED (I was in a panic), everything looked fine and back home we went..to sit..on bedrest...I have another appointment Friday June 20th, for a Non Stress Test, which just monitors Aiden's heartrate with movement and with rest and makes sure he is not under any stress with my blood pressure being up. So everyone say a little prayer that my little peanut is not stressed in any way. I will update after my appointment.