And here’s Aidan’s new summer ‘do!

2. This sweet baby is changing every single day. And growing like a weed because he doesn’t. stop. eating. (Holy. tired. mama.)

3. I can’t believe I’m starting to work again next month! I’m excited and a little bit nervous…

4. Liam looks just like Aidan did as a baby but with dark hair, and it makes me so happy. Although sometimes, I call him Aidan. Oops.

5. There were some crazy storms, hail, etc. going on while I wrote this blog entry. Hope everyone stayed safe!

6. I went outside and picked up some hail and took it inside to Aidan. We’re talking golf ball-sized hail. He was ecstatic. I was ecstatic it ended quickly.

7. Aidan got his cast off on Friday. It’s really as good as new.

8. I have a date with a 3-foot, 50-pound boy tomorrow.

9. We’re going to see Rio.

10. I’ve been taking a LOT of pictures of my little Liam, and I think *somebody* was getting a little jealous…So this happened…

Love that guy. Isn’t he looking more and more like his daddy?!

2. In utterly perfect timing, Aidan fell off the monkey bars last week at the park and broke his poor little arm. Ironically, his mama did the exact same thing in the exact same way at the exact same age…No more Little Gym, no more swimming classes, no more recess…no more getting out all of that crazy energy.

3. Went for an ultrasound on Monday, and it looks like this baby is just the peanut his brother was when he was born. He’s measuring only 6 lbs. 9 oz., give or take a pound.

4. Did I mention I’m ready?

5. http://www.nutelladay.com/nutella-recipes/ Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

6. Deciding on a preschool is hard! I can’t decide whether to keep Aidan where he is or move him.

7. We’ve been having dryer problems since we moved into the new house a couple months ago. Turns out, the builder never made a hole for the vent. So the dryer is venting NOWHERE. Isn’t that the most random thing you’ve ever heard of? I thought it was.

8. I need calm music recommendations for during the delivery. I’m trying to load up my iPhone. Suggestions? I have some Norah Jones and that’s about it right now.

9. Guess I should probably pack the hospital bags. Oops. There’s always something.

10. Maybe next Tuesday, the baby will make an appearance? I can only hope…

Until next time. Birth story coming tomorrow!

We had some green eggs and green toast. You missed out if you didn’t have breakfast at our house.

1. We just moved. Over the holidays. And it was insane. Enough said.

2. I’m done with all my editing (doing my happy dance), and now I just have to wrap a few albums from 2010, and that’ll be a wrap!

3. Aidan was on cycle break from preschool, so we needed MANY activities to entertain the little monster. I’ve been blog-stalking quite a few crafty, creative mamas for ideas that I hope to share on the ole blog soon! We’ve been baking, crafting, and been enjoying some much-needed quality time. I’m so ready for the slow season (and maternity leave!)

4. I just entered my third trimester, and I have NOTHING accomplished. This poor baby has nothing that wasn’t handed down to him by Aidan. I’ve been feeling really bad about that, but as soon as we are done unpacking and I get caught up on all my albums, that will become my focus.

5.  I’ve been researching cloth diapering. It’s true, I may have lost my mind. We shall see.

6. I’m SUPER excited for Aidan’s belated birthday party this weekend. We’re having it at The Little Gym, and I know the kids are going to have a blast. Aidan loves going to his weekly class, so I’m sure his friends + cousins will like it too. Pictures to come!

7. Poor Aidan has a bad, bad birthday. I feel horrible his birthday is just 3 days after Christmas. I really do. This year, we had to postpone it by more than a week because of the move and the general chaos that encompasses our lives lately. It actually worked out well because it’s been a sort of birthday week (well, closer to 2 weeks). My mom came over and we had pizza and watched Toy Story on his actual birthday. Then we took him to the movies the next day, it was the first time our family has been to the movies together. We were going to see Tangled, but I messed up the times, so we actually saw Yogi Bear, and Aidan loved it. Then today, I volunteered at Aidan’s preschool, and we brought cupcakes and sang Happy Birthday, and then his party is Saturday. I’d say that’s a pretty long, festive celebration of turning 4, if I do say so myself!

8. After watching Yogi Bear, Aidan has been walking around the house saying, “Hey Boo-Boo, have you seen my cookie basket?” No matter how many times Dan and I tell him it’s PICNIC basket. Oh well.

9. The new house mows our grass and shovels snow for us. That’s a dream come true for me!

10. I promise to try to remember Ten on Tuesday for next week, so don’t forget to stop back by!

The best part? My little helper. You may recognize him. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Killer smile. And nearing 3.5 feet tall.

Aidan loves helping his mama bake.

This was our first time making biscuits from scratch…and they were pretty heavenly, if I do say so myself.

We also made beef chili, and it was the best chili I’ve EVER had. So good, and both of my boys loved it as well. You can find the recipe for both the biscuits and the chili HERE. Happy eating.

On the way to my mom’s house, it had already started to snow, so Aidan had to catch a few snowflakes.

And bust a move, of course.

Little Brody opening presents.

They found the candy stash.

This wasn’t from Christmas Eve, but it fit today’s blog post theme, so here it is. The infamous gingerbread house, courtesy of yours truly + Aidan. Not too shabby, if we do say so ourselves.

Of course Aidan had to have a little taste.

Then it was Christmas morning. I have to start by saying that last Christmas was fun. It was the first year that he really “got” the whole Christmas thing, but this year was on an entirely new level. There was so much excitement this year, and it was amazing to watch. Unfortunately, our lives have been super, duper crazy, and not in a good way. Lots of chaos going on, so there wasn’t much time or energy to even spend on Christmas, but that morning when he opened his gifts was magical. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so excited….

Mostly because of this guy….

And this guy….

Oh yeah, this guy is totally his favorite. We’re a little obsessed with Toy Story 1,2 and 3 about now.

Hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season with the people who mean the most.

PS   My baby turned 4 today. More on that soon! Happy birthday, Aidan.

All photos were edited with a fun little ap called ShakeItPhoto.

First up, snowball fight…

Then it was time to make a snow angel.

Then Daddy and Aidan played a little tackle football.

My favorite little scrunchie face.

Love this kid.

October is by far my favorite month, and fall is my favorite season. There’s nothing better than the leaves crunching under your feet, the beautiful colors in nature, the scent of autumn candles, and the warm sip of apple cider in your mouth. Love it all.

This year we made a trip out to Eckerts to pick apples (with which we made some really yummy apple crisp), we picked out pumpkins at Rambach’s, visited Grant’s Farm with Aidan’s cousins, and had a blast carving our pumpkin and trick-or-treating with Dan’s parents. It was a great month, though it passed a little too quickly and was a tad too warm for my liking.

First up was picking apples.

Then it was pumpkin time.

Making, uh, sand angels…

I love this next shot because it reminds me of this one from last year...

Wiped out.

Then it was time for soccer with Opa.

And last but not least, football boy!!! He didn’t want me to take any pictures, he just wanted to go get CANDY.

Love you buddy…Thanks for a great October.

Just last night, we happened to stumble upon some old videos of Aidan when he was a tiny baby. Videos he had never seen…And when he did see them, he was fascinated. He wanted to watch every single one. At midnight. And we did.

And even though he’s almost 4 years old, he’s still the same. He still has the same infectious smile, the same little giggle, the same love of the outdoors, the same love of sports, the same sweet disposition, the same love to snuggle. I really hope all of those wonderful qualities stay with him over the course of his lifetime because I absolutely love each and other one. I love you little “big” man.

Love this guy.

He was so proud to bring his big boy back pack that his Oma sent him.

During his 3 shorts years of life, he has played soccer, had swimming lessons, did a gymnastics class, but I knew baseball would be a good one to try… Honestly, I think baseball is his absolute favorite sport. He knows Albert Pujols’ face and number. He recognizes most teams by their picture and will say their team name. If we’re in the city, he MUST see Busch Stadium. He adores all things baseball. From the National Anthem, to the peanuts and Cracker Jax, and even baseball movies – most notably Angels in the Outfield and Rookie of the Year. When we watch those movies, he even puts his little baseball hat over his heart and stands very still until it’s over. That in itself is a small miracle.

When I found out our YMCA had t-ball for 3-year-olds, I knew I had so sign him up. He was so excited when I told him. On the way to what I thought would be his first practice, he asked if they would sing the National Anthem. I didn’t have the heart to tell him no, so I just kind of avoided the question. He did forget about it, but when we got there and realized someone had told us the wrong day, Aidan was absolutely devastated. I’ve never seen him so upset. No injury could match the pain he felt that day, and it completely broke my heart. I’m actually sitting here tearing up at the thought. That’s how serious it was. He sobbed, and we sat on the curb of the parking lot for a good 10 minutes while I had to explain to him that his t-ball wasn’t today. His team wasn’t here. All the little boys out on the field were older, bigger, more advanced t-ball players. T-ball for little guys didn’t start for 2 more weeks. I had to wipe his tears and bribe him with a trip to Target where we bought him a new glove, a bat, batting helmet and a t. And then his dad met us at the field where we played baseball for a good hour and a half. He didn’t care about the playground. He just wanted to play baseball, and he probably would have played until the sun went down.

So there you have it. An understanding of just how monumental this first t-ball practice was. He was so intense, listened so well to his coach, encouraged the other boys, ran hard, and even tackled a few teammates to get the ball. (We did have a discussion about tackling.) What a great day. And of course, I brought my camera. I am SO going to be that mom. Sorry, buddy.

So focused!

Could he be any more excited?!

Told ya. Tackling at t-ball.

And his favorite part – batting! I love the look on his face. And yes, he does bat lefty. The other parents at t-ball were very impressed…See the little twinkle of sun on his helmet? I love it.