Paragliding Update On Daddy

So I hate to say "I told you so;" no, wait a minute, I would love to say "I told you so." When I talked to the genius on the phone the other night, he informed me that he had sprained his ankle while paragliding. My words are, of course, dripping with sarcasm as I write this, because I would have hoped that he would have been smarter than this since his livelihood depends on his body being healthy. Thank goodness that it's only a sprain and thank goodness he's not on his way to school just yet!

Do You Remember Where You Were?

I do. January 28, 1986. I was in my third grade classroom when another teacher came running in shouting that the shuttle had exploded. The shuttle named Challenger whose mission, among other things, was to launch the first teacher into space. Our teacher allowed us to drop everything and we spent the rest of the afternoon packed with other classes in front of a television so we could watch the coverage. This memory is so vivid for many reasons. The most important reason was that I had always loved space and I had wanted to be an astronaut someday. I was saving to go to Space Camp. When my class went to the library, I would check out books about the stars and planets because it was all so fascinating. I really thought with my eight-going-on-nine-year-old brain that the space program and its astronauts were invincible. This was an incredible reality check for me. Please remember these astronauts today on the twentieth anniversary of their deaths.

In the back row, from left, Mission Specialist Ellison S. Onizuka, Teacher in Space Participant Sharon Christa McAuliffe, Payload Specialist Greg Jarvis and Mission Specialist Judy Resnik. In the front row, from left, Pilot Mike Smith, Commander Dick Scobee, and Mission Specialist Ron McNair.

Picture Source:

http://www.spacetoday.org/SpcShtls/ChallengerSevenPhotoNASA.html

The Best Mom Ever

Aaron has reached that stage where he doesn't want to play with any of his toys, i.e. things he is supposed to play with, but wants to play with things that are much more fun, i.e. things that he shouldn't be playing with. As a result, Mommy has reached the point where she is tired of hearing the whining and screaming so Aaron now has an AAFES bag full of catalogs that he can chew on and wad up to his heart's delight (with constant supervision, of course). I always told myself that I wouldn't become one of those parents who will give their child anything just for some peace and quiet, but that went out the window a long time ago!

Can't A Dude Get Some Privacy?

Baby's First Nikes

Aunt Bethanie and I took the boys, Aaron and Baby Stiehl, to St. Louis yesterday to do a little shopping and I saw a Nike gift set with little Nikes and a matching hat. I couldn't resist. Daddy has a little problem with me buying Aaron shoes ("He can't even walk yet! Why does he need shoes?!"), so instead of buying really cool ones with shoelaces and cool tread on the bottom and everything, I bought these with velcro that essentially just serve to keep his feet warm. They're so awesome, though!

Look At What Daddy's Doing!

Daddy is on a three-week mission right now to New Zealand, periodically making trips down to Antarctica. During his free time, he has been keeping himself busy by mountain-biking and this new little hobby called paragliding. It's fairly self-explanatory by looking at the picture what it's all about. However, when he was explaining it to me, he lost me at "...then you jump off the cliff"! Gotta love how adventurous he is! You can read more about paragliding here.

Look, Lisa, This Is What Blue Sky Looks Like!

So pretty! I'll try to bring some back when I fly back to Washington!

My Little Man

I have reached the point of realization that my tiny, little baby is becoming a boy; and sometimes much worse, a toddler boy. Don't get me wrong, I love the sleeping through the night, the playing with the toys and the fact that he now recognizes his daddy and I as his parents and as people that he sort of digs. However, he has started the oh-so-lovely throwing of the tantrum when he doesn't get what he wants RIGHT NOW. I have also figured out that the reason it has been so easy to put him to bed at night by just laying him down and allowing him to fall asleep on his own is because he just doesn't like to be rocked or held in any way, shape or form that resembles being held like a baby. He arches his back and fights until you rearrange him to be upright. This made the airplane ride to Missouri tons of fun, as you can imagine. It is very true when they say that they grow up fast so I guess I better just get used to it! I still miss my little snuggle-bug, though!

Full Circle

One of the things that I love about having kids, nieces and nephews is that we get to share with them things that we loved growing up, hoping that they will grow to love them too. For my niece Emilie's ninth birthday, I bought her the first six books of the Nancy Drew series written by Carolyn Keene. I loved Nancy Drew growing up and would always run to that section of the library to get the next book in the series and check it out. Now Emilie can get to know Nancy as well!

Lisa's little girl Coley has also discovered something that we girlie girls loved as kids - Cinderella! She received the DVD that was just released for Christmas and is already driving her poor momma nuts by watching it over and over! You can read about it over on Lisa's Blog.

Look At That Hair!

My sister Bethanie is getting tired of hearing this about Baby Stiehl but just look at that hair! So cute!

Chick Magnet

And you know this!!

Look, Jalyn, I've Got One Too!

Baby Jalyn received one of these Fisher Price puffy balls for Christmas and Aaron liked it so much that Mommy decided to get him one too! He is SO not spoiled!!

Cousins!

Aaron and I are in Missouri visiting my family while Daddy is far, far away on a trip (and yes, Lisa, I am Blogging when I'm away from home! I am officially Blog-obsessed!). This is the first time we have been able to see my new nephew, Baby Stiehl. I never realized how Aaron has grown until I compared him to Stiehl. He's not such a little baby anymore! Here are some pictures of the two cousins together.

Aaron and Baby Stiehl. Look how big Aaron is compared to Stiehl! Stiehl is four weeks old in this picture.

"I like you."

Getting ready to go out.

What's This All About?

I found both of them in these weird positions today. Whatever makes them comfortable!

Another Sleep Update

I guess I didn't jinx it by talking about it because tonight was the second night in a row that Aaron went to sleep on his own. He even went to sleep on his own today for both of his naps. I still have to go into his room a couple of times to put his pacifier back into his mouth and pat him on the back a little bit because he starts to get a little upset, but after about 15 minutes, he's out! Yahoo! Just in time for our trip to Missouri on Tuesday so his schedule can be thrown all out of whack again. Nice.

Crazy Aunt B!

I found this picture and thought it to be VERY Blog-worthy! Love you! Can't wait to see you and Baby Stiehl on Tuesday!

Happy Birthday, Papa!

We love you! See you on Tuesday!

I Shouldn't Talk About This But...

I'm too excited so I must talk about it and so what if I jinx it. Not only has my wonderful, darling son been sleeping from 9:00 in the evening until 7:30 in the morning (give or take a half hour on each side), tonight I laid him down in his crib drowsy but still awake and he went to sleep on his own!! It took about twenty minutes and a couple of times of going in his room to put his pacifier back in his mouth, but after about ten minutes of not hearing anymore from him, I went in and checked on him and he was asleep!

This whole getting him to sleep business has really been traumatizing me because I have read in all the books and heard all the advice that says that you have to teach them to fall asleep on their own so that bedtime is not a huge drama every night. I only made it through two episodes of Supernanny before I vowed never to watch it again after watching these two-year-old terrors scream and cry every time their parents tried to get them to go to bed. I was certain that Aaron was going to become one of those terrors if I didn't quit rocking him to sleep at night. I have tried putting him down before to go to sleep on his own, but it never worked. He would cry and cry until one of us picked him up and rocked him to sleep (by the way, I am always the strong one. Bill is the one who can't take it and goes in and gets him!). However, today he showed me that he could fall asleep on his own. He was waiting for me to finish getting ready to go out and I laid him on our bed because he was getting fussy and he fell asleep! This is basically how everything has happened in Aaron's life; he shows me once that he can do it, then I start to enforce it. Anyway, I will update you after tomorrow night to see if this was just a freak occurrence!

Like Father, Like Son

"It's 8:00 in the morning and I'm not fully awake yet. However, I'm hungry so I will grace you with my presence until you feed me, then I must go back to bed." He was back in bed for a nap by 9:30 after much whining and yawning.

Six Month Checkup

O.K., so Aaron's almost seven months old but whatever. Mommy apparently lost the ability to count and made his six month checkup appointment a month late. Anyway, here are his new stats:

Weight: 16 pounds (25th percentile)
Length: 27.5 inches (85th percentile)
Head Circumference: 17 inches (30th percentile)

Still long and lean, which explains why 6-9 month-size pants already fit him perfectly lengthwise but they keep falling off his butt! I imagine this is going to be a problem when he starts to walk!

By the way, can someone please explain to me why head circumference is important and is it a problem that Aaron is only in the 30th percentile for it?

Sleep Update

I'm not sure if God just felt sorry for me or what, but Aaron has been sleeping so much better the past couple nights. We have been putting him down at his normal bedtime, around 8:30, and I only hear from him one or two times during the night in which all I have to do is go in and put his pacifier back in his mouth or just pat him on the back. He has even decided that he doesn't need his bottle anymore that he usually had around 4:30 in the morning. He is now sleeping straight through until 7:30 in the morning which is so great because it works out very well for our 8:00 a.m., Noon, 4:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m. feeding schedule. Pray for me that this lasts!

Happy Birthday, Em!

Today my niece Emilie turns nine years old! Happy Birthday! We love you!

Ladykiller

O.K., in my best Chandler Bing voice, could he BE any cuter?

By the way, he is NOT sucking his thumb in the above pictures; he is actually chewing on it. There's a difference, I swear! We usually don't even let him chew on it, but sometimes he sneaks it in on us.

If Only He Would Sleep So Soundly At Night...

Daddy took this picture of Aaron today during his nap in which he slept for almost two and a half hours. I imagine that he slept so long because he was worn out from not sleeping so well during the night. I'm not sure if he's just having a relapse of getting his days and nights confused or what but Aaron has been waking up lately at least four to five times a night. Last night, it was every hour from 10:30 - 1:30 and then again at 4:30 and 7:00. I'm not sure if he just can't get comfortable or if he's having separation anxiety. Any suggestions would be helpful because Mommy is so tired!

Paparazzi

I was given this nickname over Thanksgiving because I always had my camera nearby hoping to get great pictures for my Blog. This nickname is starting to ring true because every time I come at Aaron with the camera now, this is what I get:

Is it possible to hurt their eyeballs with too many camera flashes?

Just More Pictures

Aaron and his new favorite toy. He is fascinated by the stitching on it.

Aaron opening his bonus Christmas presents from Grandma and Grandpa Q and Aunt Pam and Uncle Brian.

Aaron and Daddy wearing their "teepee creepers."

Bill in his Heisman Trophy stance using our son as the football.

My Poor, Confused Little Puppy

Reagan is really too smart for her own good. And by smart, I mean not so blessedly oblivious to what's going on around her. As I was packing up Molly's (John and Lisa's dog) stuff so that she could go home, Reagan thought that I was packing up her stuff and that she was going somewhere. I then made the mistake of going to get something out of my car, so she followed me, hopped in, and WOULD NOT COME OUT. I literally had to pull her out of there. Gotta love her!

They're Back!!

Our "best good friends" as Forrest Gump would say, John, Lisa, Coley and Jalyn, returned home this past week from their Christmas trip and we got together on Sunday to eat some real tamales from El Paso and celebrate a belated Christmas. We have learned to cherish these times when all of us are together because the Air Force has really made this difficult during this assignment. Someone is always gone. We're so glad they're back!

The future Mr. and Mrs. Q already learning how to share and play together!

Coley has decided that she likes to wear hats.

"Look at me in my new Dora dress!" Such a sweet personality.

"I missed you, Jalyn!" "I missed you, too, Aaron!"