How my son saved (saves) my life

Usually, my blog posts on this blog (yes, I have more than one) are full of pictures of my beautiful boy and our crazy life.  This post attempts at a little more serious note.  Humor me.

I credit my son with saving my life.  He has done and will continue to do so.  I remember a conversation with my sister weeks after the in vitro procedure that resulted in my perfect little man.  I remember saying to her that when you are a single person with no children, you are naturally very self-centered because there is no one to think of and make decisions for except yourself.  It is not snobbery or selfishness because it is not usually intentional.  It is just the natural way of progression when your life consists of one person.  I am also not calling this a character flaw.  It is what it is.

The conversation with my sister was this, "I am tired of having only myself to care for and to love."  And then... Aiden was born.  And he saved my life... in more ways than one.

Suddenly, looking at this little perfect pouty-lipped face in the hospital bed, I spent the 3 hospital days thinking of what I wanted for this child and how we were going to get there together.  I did some real soul-searching that first night (okay, maybe the second night... the first night I think I just crashed hard after 36 hours of hard labor) and found that there were holes in my life that needed to be repaired, cut out or filled.

In the last 20 months, I have gained an even stronger connection with God, I have changed my language (no longer like a sailor...), eating habits, exercise routine, work schedule, and schooling.  I have gladly given up the high-powered career that I once fought 70 hours a week for.  I have given up cheese and butter.  I have become friends with Mr. Treadmill.  I have prayed more than in the rest of my years of life combined.

What I am will be a direct reflection of what my son will be - or at least what he will consider to be normal.  I hope that by the time my son can look back on his childhood, he will say that his mother had fun, patience, healthy habits, and a strong spirituality.

A good friend of mine said, "Aiden has taken the hard edges and softened them.  Relaxed the stress lines in your personality."  What a beautiful compliment for my son.  

And that is why I have done what I have done.  I am doing it to say thank you to the son who saved me.

Infestation

We have a full-blown infestation at my house.  It is driving me INSANE!!

Okay, so I don't know if you can have an infestation of static cling, but if you can, we have it.  EVERYWHERE.  How exactly does static cling breed?  I would like to know.  Clothes, couch, bedding, dog... it is everywhere.

Anyway, on to real fun...  my Mister is PURE BOY!  He would play with his trains/cars/trucks/power tools all day everyday.  He brings me books about trains/cars/trucks/power tools to read.  And he takes it all so seriously.

All from one day of fun.  

My favorite?  Aiden staring at the dog staring back.  Considering Roman usually just runs frantically from Aiden, this is a priceless picture.

Phil is a liar!!!

That little rat called Punxsutawny Phil (the groundhog) is a liar.  Early Spring. Whatever.  THIS....

is what happened.  Bad rat.  BAD!

Okay, so it is beautiful and will bring much-needed water to the state.  But...

Anyway, the antibiotics are finally starting to kick in after a 9 days.  I kinda have a voice today and am not running a fever.  I am only coughing up one lung instead of both today as well, so things are looking up!

Orphan Child

I would like to start by saying:  I don't want motivational statements on my Halls Cough Drops.  "Seize the Day"?  I am going to seize your throat and choke you.  It would be okay if it would say "Bless your heart.  Eat the ice cream.  I know it is 7 points on Weight Watchers, but, sweetie, you are sick.  It is okay.  Eat it.  You will feel better."  Who thought of that crappy idea anyway?  Motivational cough drops... pleeeease.

My child probably feels like he is an orphan child.  I have been so sick for over a week with pneumonia with no sign of it letting up.  We spend a lot of time snuggling and watching Thomas, Mickey Mouse, Cars, and Madagascar.  I haven't been able to sing or read to my son in over a week because I have no voice.  I don't mean that I am hoarse or groggy, but I have no voice.

Mister whispers to me now.  Even when he gets grumpy, he whispers to me.

But it is not all me.  He has a no-pants thing lately.  And a "let me mess up my hair even though my Mom just fixed it way cute.." thing.

See the evidence below.  Keep in mind that only 5 minutes prior to this picture, he had pants, shoes, and cute hair.  Sigh.

Valentines Day for Real

Drat being an adult.  I really, really wanted to party with my Valentine all day.  Pfftt, I say, to work.

Well, so I had to work.  And I am sick.  Why should it not just be a huge fun day for Mister?

We made Valentine bags for Smedleys - he was going to be there all day and having fun for Valentines! I made Aiden a fun day of food...

Pink pancakes with strawberry syrup at the far left.  Turkey and cheese on the upper right.  Blushed pears in the container on the right.  PB&J sandwiches at the bottom.    Also, there was pink yogurt, pink pudding, and jello shaped hearts.  It was a brilliant mommy moment.

Packaged up with love notes and all.

Too bad he didn't want to eat all day.  Ah, well.  It was more for me than for him.

After work, I decided to try a fun night out.  We went for Mexican food and neither of us ate much, but back home and we watched Mickey Mouse Valentine Adventure.  Then finished off the day with love songs and bedtime.

I have a tradition with Aiden to collect sock monkeys at every important occasion.  So far, sock monkeys have been given at birthdays, surgeries, baby shower, and Christmas.  

Now he has Valentine Monkey.  Cute, eh?

Great day although we have sickness.  

Happy V Day

Happy Valentines Day.

It is pneumonia.  Confirmed.  Too sick to write much.

More tomorrow... including the dang cutest little pics of the cutest little monkey you have ever seen.

xoxo

Buffalo & Sickness

Be forewarned... LOTS of pictures.

I am sick.  Really, really sick.  Someone paid this sinus infection to bump me off.  Some godfather somewhere, I swear.  I look like crap and sound like Glynis Johns (yeah, you don't think you know who she is, but you do... Google her.  Especially, google her in Mary Poppins.... yeah... I told you that you knew who she was...)

But I digress.  Because I don't know for SURE whether it is non-contagious, I didn't go to church and bless the Federal Government's hearts...it was free admission day to National Parks.  So, we took the long 5 minute drive to Antelope Island (the first time for Aiden) and poked around.

I love it there.  Most people say that it is desolate and barren.  I love that it is desolate.  It is a place to think.  And I have done a-plenty of thinking out there.  I broke up with a boyfriend at Buffalo Point.  Don't remember his name, come to think of it... I went there the day after my mother died.  I have studied there in my college days and made huge life decisions among the sagebrush.  I consider it gorgeous, especially in the winter.

But it was almost 60 degrees today, so we took full advantage.  We ate lunch at Buffalo Point.  It was windy but warm... 

Then we left Buffalo Point.  I had the great opportunity to look at this...

Then, there was an older couple who were brushing their horses.  So we stopped and I rolled down Aiden's window so he could see.  The Grandpa shouted, "How's he supposed to know what a horse is if he can't get close... Bring him over!!"  So... we did.  He petted the horse (named Dusterly... most beautiful marbled eyes I have ever seen) and even got to ride him around.  SWEET couple.  They were ecstatic to show off their horses.  I think one of them sneezed on Aiden's hand - the horse.  Not the people.  Ah, well.  There were worse germs to come.

 

Bet this guy was thrilled for me to get a butt shot.  But I was trying to be inconspicuous and get a pic of Dusterly.

Then we went to see the buffalo.  BTW... they were close.. a little too close.  So we just rolled down the windows and stopped the car.  Aiden was allowed out of his car seat to see the "Lolalo's"  

Then off to the ranch.  He really didn't want Mom's help walking around, but he was stinkin' cute in his overalls. 

 Looks comfy, eh?

Perfect weather, perfect place, perfect day.

Oh!  and Valentines Day is going to be AWESOME, in spite of  Mr. Sinus Infection.  

Aiden's lunch is packed.  Tee hee..  Including love notes. 

And there may or may not be a sock monkey in his Valentine future...