I've been so busy trying to keep up with every day life that I missed Aiden's one month home with us day, April 5th and his 15 month old day, April 3rd!! What on earth has happened to me?! :) One good thing is I haven't forgotten Tay's lunch again. But today after taking Tay to school, pulled in our drive and realized I'd left Scooter on his leash outside while we were gone. Not a big deal I guess, but I never realized I'd done that, of course, until I pulled in our driveway.
I use to say that having babies killed brain cells. After I had Taylor, I felt like I'd lost my mind a few times, couldn't keep things straight, forgetful. Although I didn't give birth to Aiden, I still feel the same thing - like I've lost it some days. Yeah, so this is normal I hear, still feels weird to be out of control sometimes. Ekk! I have to say though, I've gotten a little more relaxed about keeping everything just so for so long. I'm somewhat of a neat freak, but I've gotten very relaxed in my old age! Just got to let things go sometimes. I'm learning.
Aiden has been home with us for a month. In one way it seems like he's been here forever and another way it seems like it's been so short. But I think mostly, it feels like he's been here with us a very long time. He's adjusting well, getting braver and braver every day. He'll venture into other rooms in the house and play. After a few seconds, I'll hear him get a little uneasy and I'll call to him and he'll make his way back to where I was, or I'll go see what he's up to. We'll play in his room or the living room or the kitchen, it's pretty much wherever we end up at that moment.
The one thing that still has me puzzled is his sleeping in his crib at night. As of yesterday, Aiden has been home with us for one month and 3 weeks of that time he has slept in his crib, for the most part. He has slept in his crib, in his room, by himself for over a week now, almost 2 weeks. Every time I lay him down awake, but drowsy, he jumps up and cries when I leave his room. We have a great routine at night. He knows it very well. He's known this routine, pretty much the whole time he's been home with us. It hasn't changed. (I'm a sucker for routine myself, very predictable most days!) But every time I go to lay him down, he cries when I leave the room. Most nights it's only for about 30 seconds, sometimes less, sometimes right under a minute. But he does cry every night. It's not a hysterical cry either, just a I want my mama cry. But he does get quiet rather quickly and does go to sleep. He does wake/cry/cry out in his sleep just about every night. The times he does this is not predictable at all. But most times when I do hear him it's 2-5 am in the morning. He'll wake/cry/cry out in his sleep for different intervals. He'll cry for less than a minute, quiet for 3 minutes and then cry again and so on till he falls asleep. His cries/wakings/whining time intervals are all over the place. I don't go in to check on him, because he quietens down pretty quick each time and he's not hysterical.
I know it's only been a month. Everyone tells me he's doing so well, and I'd have to agree with everyone! :) He has adjusted very well. And I do know night/sleep time is the hardest part for Aiden to get use to and the longest to get adjusted to. During the day, Aiden has moments where he wants me to pick him up, the arms go up and the whining starts, and will escalate if I don't pick him up rather quickly. If he gets to a full blown cry before I can pick him up, just as soon as I do, it's like a switch flipped and he's stopped crying instantly and is happy as a lark! Which makes me think, he's just spoiled... ? It's that little thing, Aiden will act differently with Mike than he will with me. Meaning, he acts more needy when I'm around. But I am his main caregiver too. As far as picking him up when he wants, Mike and I disagree on this. Mike says get him interested in something else right then and I won't have to pick him up. But I, on the other hand, think I should pick him up, that I'm helping him with security and so on. So which is it? I'm a little confused on this part.
Nap time is a different story. He will NOT go in that crib for a nap. I tried the second day he was in his crib and he cried, and cried to the point of hysterical. Yeah, that should have been my first hint, duh! Just thought he would eventually go to sleep - NOPE! So he naps on our living room floor for now. I'm just happy he'll nap now. He'll nap between 45 minutes to almost 2 hours. Sometimes he'll take 2 short 45 minute naps a day and others he'll take the almost 2 hour nap, but I do have to help him get back to sleep most times. So I guess that's progress in itself! :) I've read where if they alternate the one long to the two short naps a day it's okay. So after reading that, I knew it was okay, just as long as he gets a nap! :)
I really believe Aiden was carried A LOT when he was in Korea. At 14 months he was hardly walking at all. He now walks mostly, still learning balance, and will crawl some, but he seems to prefer walking now. So it's all a change, getting use to new everything! He's done really great! He'll drink whole milk out of a sippy cup and really seems to like it. Likes to drink water out of a sippy cup too. He's a busy little bee, loves to throw everything!
One thing that he does do lately that I love is, he'll lean his head in to me for me to kiss his sweet little forehead or face! He'll also press the side of his face next to mine sometimes too! It's just the sweetest thing and well ... yeah... melts this mama's heart! :)
