12 days and still sane (sort of)

So, Aiden has been in this world for 12 days and I am still somewhat sane. I have had a lot of help and support from friends & family, so that really helps. I feel great and still can't believe that I had a baby less than 2 weeks ago.

We went to the doctor last Tuesday and Aiden had lost about 1 lb and he was still somewhat jaundice. The doctor wanted us to come back on Friday to check his weight and make sure his color was becoming normal. When we went back on Friday, he had put on 8 oz, so she was quite pleased with that. His color was normal and she said that she'd see us at 2 months.

This was Calvin's 1st Easter where he actually understood what was going on. On Saturday, we went to the Eggstravaganzoo at the zoo and participated in an egg hunt. Calvin had a really good time and managed to get 6 eggs! On Easter morning, we gave him his basket first thing and he was very impressed by his new watch & backpack. He was pumped when he saw his new cars & could barely wait for Scott to open them. Grandpa Paul, Grandma Sherri, Aunt Skylar & Uncle Connar came over after church to see Calvin & Aiden and brought Calvin a basket with goodies. Later that evening, Momo & Grandpa brought food & we had a nice dinner with them.

Although Aiden looks exactly like Calvin, he is the complete opposite. Calvin would never let me put him down, including at night, which made it very difficult to sleep. With Aiden, I am actually able to do things around the house. He is sleeping for good stretches at night... sometimes they can be as long as 4 hours. I can't complain at all!! Aiden has a ton of hair compared to Calvin and it already has a red tint to it. Calvin loves his baby brother and is constantly giving him hugs & kisses. I can't wait for Aiden to get bigger and see the two of them interact. So far, Calvin has been very good at sharing with Aiden... always trying to give him snacks, juice and his toys. Let's hope this continues in the future.

Aiden Michael Gardner

We are proud to announce the birth of Aiden Michael Gardner on Friday, March 14 at 1:18 p.m. CST. He measured in at 8 lbs 10 oz and 20 1/2 inches. He has a lot more hair than Calvin did and it has a reddish tint to it. Otherwise, we think he looks just like Calvin.

Everything went perfect and we left the hospital yesterday afternoon. I am feeling awesome and don't even feel like I had a baby on Friday. Here are some pictures of our newest addition.

My Boys, the Zoo & Tennessee Snow

A few weeks ago, the weather decided that it wanted to be 75 degrees, so we decided to take advantage of our zoo membership. We loaded up the boy and took the 5 minute drive to the zoo. Calvin's favorite part of the zoo is the monkey that swings back and forth on the trees & ropes. I get more enjoyment from watching Calvin than seeing the animals. We've gone twice already this year, and are usually there for over 2 hours. It's nice to get out of the house and get some fresh air.

So, less than two weeks after we have 75 degree weather, we get several inches of snow. Needless to say, Calvin appreciates the warm weather MUCH better than he appreciates the snow. Now, I'm not sure how that happened considering I'm from Michigan and Scott's from Canada. So, the whole morning, he kept going to the window, pointing and saying "snow, snow". We finally got outside (after putting on his snow suit... thanks Gma C & Papa H), and he absolutely FREAKED OUT! I think we forced him to stay outside for 5 minutes, and it was probably one of the most traumatic events in his life so far.

Calvin got sent home yesterday with nasty diapers and had to stay home again today. It's looking like he'll be staying home again tomorrow, so Scott & I have been taking turns staying home with the little monster. It's so hard to watch them suffer and not be able to do anything. I went to the doctor today, and have made a little progress, but nothing significant. So, it looks like Aiden Michael will be joining us on Friday... YEAH!!!!

We will make a post once Aiden joins us.

C'mon Down, Baby Aiden!

One of the nice things about having an OB nurse down the hall & having a maternity lab around the corner at work is that when you think you're having contractions, they can tell you whether or not you're crazy. So, what I thought are contractions, really are. This makes me feel a lot better because a) I don't think I'm going crazy & actually know what a contraction is and b) that means nature is taking it's course.

There was a class in the maternal lab, so they were able to see real readings, as opposed to ones from a dummy. Now, some may classify me as a dummy, but I'm talking about the doll dummy. Anyhoo... Aiden decided to move around while I was hooked up to the monitor, so the students were able to move it and find his heartbeat again. I had a few contractions, but nothing consistent. The OB nurse said that I wasn't in labor, but that I was on my way. She said that she wouldn't be surprised if I had Aiden this weekend. Now, obviously I'm holding my breath, as it could be any second or not until next Friday. But, I'm staying optimistic that I'll go on my own this time. C'MON BABY AIDEN... Mommy is more than ready for you!!!!

The countdown has begun...

Not that it hadn't already, but the official countdown to Aiden joining the family has begun. I went to the doctor today and found out that I am a "loose" 1 cm dilated and 70% efface. This is a decent jump from last Thursday's visit when I was 1 cm and 15%. We went ahead and scheduled for me to be induced next Friday, March 14, but she said that she thinks he'll be here before then. YIKES! I mean, I've know this day was coming, but it's still surreal.

So, full panic has kicked in, as I haven't packed my bag, Calvin's bag or gotten the car seat re-installed. Seriously, what the heck was I thinking by not having all this stuff done before today?

If Aiden joins us tomorrow, he'll share a birthday with Grandpa Paul (Scott's dad) and if he joins us on Thursday, he'll share a birthday with Momo (my mom).

Well, that's it for now. We'll definitely be posting more info. as things progress.