In just one year...

We went to the pumpkin patch a couple of weeks ago and I am really getting caught up now thinking about how much has changed in just a year... Here is Aedan last year at the pumpkin patch - crying because I tried to lie him on a pumpkin by himself...

And here he is this year (no big smile since he was 1/2 asleep!) :

My baby is growing up so fast!!!! He's still bald and chubby and sweet, but other than that, he has changed soooo much!!! I love seeing all the changes, but I just wish I could slow it down a little - it seems like yesterday that he was that tiny crying baby!!!

More Words... :-)

We are talking more and more around here! Aedan now says (reasonably clearly):
Mama (also "my mama")
Dada
Nana
Gaga
ChooChoo (doodoo)
Ball (ba)
Shoe (doo)
Uh-Oh
Night-Night (ni-ni) (meaning pacifier!)
Banana (na-nana)
More
Snack (nak)
Cup (up)
Read (ee?)
Meow
Roo (elephant sound done while raising his arm like a trunk)
Rar (lion sound)
Mmmm Mmmm (monkey sound, done while bouncing like a monkey)
kitty (ki)
tee (TV)

He also occasionally says:
nay (horsey sound)
ooo (moo-cow sound)
u-u (buck buck - chicken sound)
uf uf or ow ow (dog sound)
bebe (baby)

Hugs and Kisses

The past week or so, we have had a VERY affectionate little one on our hands. He gives big hugs (he'll run up to you just to hug you!) and huge, slobbery, open-mouthed kisses!

The past couple of days, he has started kissing EVERYTHING special... first it was the animals, and this afternoon it was the pictures in his books... He knows he's being silly and giggles the whole time, too!

Animal Play, School Days, and More

We are finally back home after two weeks without power due to Hurricane Ike. Aedan's favorite part of being back is playing with his animals again! He will carry around a toy for Pixel or Angel as they follow him (running!) around the room, giggling the whole time! He is also learning to pet nicely, throw a toy for Angel and hold toys for Pix to bat at.... Soooooo cute!

Aedan is also finally back at school. I picked him up early the other day so that I could take him to his doctor appointment and his teachers were so sweet about him, calling him their "model student!" After we were so worried about him napping (he lays down on his mat and goes to sleep all by himself!) and being left (recently he doesn't even cry when Nonna leaves!), this is just such a releif! I'm also really excited that this year he gets art time, outside time, and books read at school - he has even asked Ms. Teri to read to him! He looked so cute and tiny sitting with his class at their little table for lunch. He is the youngest in the class and you can definitely tell!!!

Speaking of the doctor appointment, we LOVE our new pediatrician! Aedan's doctor since birth, Audrey Tamm, just took a position at a hospital as a pediatric hospitalist, so we switched to another doctor in the practice, Joseph Edralin. Dr. Edralin came in and sat down on the floor to play with Aedan immediately and actually did all of his examination down there! He was also really sensitive to our concerns about vaccinations, and very knowledgeable and thoughtful about the issue! We're soooo excited since we were really worried about losing our sweetheart pediatrician, Dr. Tamm!

Mommy's Little Monkey

Talking has finally, finally "clicked"!

Though "Mama" is still really rare and often mixed up with "Nana" ("Dada" and "Gaga" are pretty much interchangeable too!) - I am finally hearing it.

His favorite word remains "snack" but "cup" is coming in a close (and convenient!) second... We know where his priorities are in any case! He is so funny saying "cup" - it's really "up" (without the "c") and then he sticks his little lower lip out as if that's a required part of the word!

Aedan also says "night-night" ("nae-nae") which really means "pacifier"...), "kitty-cat," ("ki-ca") "banana" ("na-na!" - his favorite snack), "read," ("ee") "uh-uh" (for "uh oh"), and "no." He still signs very well for "no" (shaking his head), "more" (ASL - putting hands together), "come on" ((he uses his whole arm to gesture and nods his head that direction!) and "please" (ASL - rubbing chest).

The favorite new trick, however, is animal sounds. When he's in the right mood, we have heard a sheep, a rooster, a chicken, a dog, an owl, a bird, and a duck. However, we CONSTANTLY have either a little monkey or a kitty cat along with us. It is utterly adorable!!! He loves to look at pictures or videos of monkeys or kitties too and will go to the computer or his books and ask for them by pointing and repeating the sound! Soooo cute!!!!

Sick....

I honestly think we need some sort of super-power as parents that let's us freeze time in the world around us when we are sick.

I have a cold. (And no, the irony of the fact that I have a "cold" in 90 degree weather is not lost on me.) It is not life threatening or incapacitating. I'm not staying home from work or calling the doctor. However, chasing after a 14 month old and constantly providing new and exciting activities as well as cleaning up after the same feels like cruel and unusual punishment right now. I just want to be able to curl up on the couch, watch tv, and eat some Jello. Doing that right now would mean having a five pound cat, a ten pound dog and a twenty-four pound monkey all climbing on or around me crying for bites of Jello. All of course, to the tantalizing musical interludes of Backyardigans....

Technically, I could ship off the monkey at least to his grandparents, but then of course I would worry if he was happy or not, missing me or not, etc. plus, I would miss out on one of my few free days with him... Thus, my original comment about needing to freeze the world around me, indulge my selfish sicko desires, and come back when I am feeling better.

Honestly, the freezing power could be used for so much as a parent... time to clean, cook, go to school, work, or party without missing a beat... hmmm - somebody get on that, please?

Welcome to McCarthy Baby Dayze!

Hello blogging world! Welcome to our little corner of the earth - cluttered with toys, books, animal cookies, diapers, and lots of love!

We are a young family in The Woodlands, TX just trying to survive and thrive amidst the challenges of work, school, parenting, family, friends, and life in general.

We're nothing too unique or special, but we'll gladly share all of our daily highs and lows as well as those special moments that make it all worthwhile.

Just to introduce the main players in our daily drama...




AEDAN is our beautiful baby boy. He is into everything right now. He loves to run, climb, dance, and generally make you dizzy with sheer energy. A few of Aedan's favorite things? Animals, food, his Mommy and Daddy, books, noise-makers (especially his keyboard), balls (or anything else he can kick across the room), and -of course - anything he can climb on or in.






MATT is Aedan's proud and very loved Daddy. He is an EMT, a telemetry monitor, and a nursing student, but still finds time to be a great dad. Right now, Matt has only one day every other week off, so family time is scarce, but well-used! Matt also runs several successful web forums and his own blog and enjoys photography and gaming in what little spare time he has.









And then there's me... Mommy, theater arts teacher, and your new blog host... Not too much exciting here! I am in my LAST year of full-time teaching (only until Matt graduates) and basically can't wait to be a stay at home mom. I love taking Aedan to Mommy and Me classes and play dates and run an evening playgroup for busy moms called the "fireflies."




MORE TO COME!!!