Blurry Weeks

The past few weeks have been a blur!!

The major issue: We had a long weekend for President's Day and relaxed around the house to recooperate from Zach's long season and my volleyball filled weekends. Monday we went out to lunch at Applebees. I ordered a southwest chicken pasta with spinach leaves- it was AMAZING and ate the whole thing. Zach had the Fiesta Chicken with rice and he seemed to like it. Skip to volleyball practice that night- I felt fine until the ride home. I started having major pregnancy symptoms like cramping, acid reflux, etc. All things that I never really had that bad with Aidan's pregnancy- I was MISERABLE. I got home at 10-went straight up to the shower and then laid down in bed. By 11 I was running into the bathroom to throw up. We thought that might be the end of it, so Zach got me some cheerios and some water. Within the hour that was gone too. Pretty much every hour on the hour I spend a little time in the bathroom throughout the night- so I took the next day off. Poor Zach has gag-reflexes that made him almost start gagging from hearing me. Food poisoning while pregnant was awful for me and everyone else in the house. Every since then, I still feel like I am catching up.

Zach is starting to enjoy the quiet life, since basketball is done for now and he is able to get home every day around 4:15. We are both able to ride to school together (except for days that I have to go straight to volleyball) and save some gas money! I have been having a really hard time on Mondays and Wednesdays (vball days). I really do regret volunteering to coach this year, considering that I am driving around an hour each way to get to/from practice and I only get to see Aidan in the mornings when I meet up with Dayna. Come the time that I get paid for it, I might not regret it- but it is definitely too much on my plate right now; however, it is like genetically in my body that I am incapable of quitting something if I told them that I would do it. Good news though, is that since Zach's season is over he is able to get Aidan home early and play with him all night, so even though I am not there, he does get quality daddy time.

Last night Aidan fell asleep on Zach after playing so hard when we got home. For those of you who don't really know him, he NEVER does this. He will only fall asleep in the car seat or in his bed. He is always too afraid he is going to miss something to ever fall asleep in a different place, but Zach wore him out! And yes, he has jeans and no shirt on- we like to instill white trash in our children at a young age :-)

More in Aidan news, our goal was to try to transition him to a big boy bed in March. AHHH! It IS march! I'm not so sure he is ready, but we might try naps in there and see how it goes. But, I am NOT buying another crib so we are going to figure something out. Lord knows the child can physically climb out of his crib, but he has no desire to. He just sits in there and talks to his Illinois pillow and his blankets and stuffed animals. We will see....

He seems to have already figured it out though. I was upstairs with him doing laundry and he was playing in his "big boy room"- I walk in to see what he is doing and he is just laying on his bed with his head on his pillow talking to his toy truck.

We are finally starting to figure our routines in our house out- we did a MASSIVE cleaning on Sunday and got soooo much done. It still feels like we haven't fully moved in because not everything is perfect yet, but it is getting there.

Hence the reason why we needed a major cleaning. Hurrican Aidan destroyed our living room.

25 Weeks

Well, we have finally hit 25 weeks. Getting close to the 3rd trimester. I have been soooo busy throughout this pregnancy that it has gone by so fast. But now, the anticipation is starting to get to me- the whole pregnancy is starting to slooooooow down and feel like it's taking forever. Too bad because I still have 15 weeks. Gah! I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and will find out if they are going to move the due date up a few days.
Best story of the month- my son hitting the terrible twos and the 18 month stage. Now that he is 20 months, he is all over the place throwing out defiance left and right. This includes, but not limited to, saying "no" to everything and everybody. My current favorite was when I ran the bath water while he was in his room playing. I went to get a towel and come back to this....

He got into the bath by himself with all of his clothes on, including diaper and rain boots. At least he was prepared for the water?

Whoa....It's been a while...

Geez, yes I know it has been MONTHS since I have posted anything. Sorry to the out of towners who don't get to see Aidan because of my laziness. So here's the major updates...

Jobs: Zach and I are both working at Pope High School. I am teaching Geography to freshmen (gag!) and Government to seniors throughout the day. Zach is in the special ed department there. I was a JV Volleyball coach and Varsity Asst. coach on the volleyball team at Pope this year (where we won the third straight volleyball state championship this year). Zach is a Varsity Assistant at Westminster and is still in season. I am also coaching club for Tsunami (15-1) and we are really just getting started.

La Casa: Well since about May/June we were homeless- yay! Our lease ended on the apartment that we were at and we definitely did NOT want to resign. Our goal was to buy a house, but we didn't want to rush anything, so we moved in with my mom for a few months. We went through quite a process in the home-buying department. Not awful, just lots of offers put out there. Sorry if you are trying to sell your home- me and Zach would have been the people you hated. Last time I checked, we are in a housing crisis, so yes we are going to low-ball you. If you don't want the offer, see ya later, we will find someone who will sell their house for cheaper than you.

The PERFECT house came on the market in a different neighborhood (and city) than we had been looking at. We went to look at it, and it was in our price range. An unfinished basement (at this time, we thought our price range included NO basement, so we were shocked that we could get the space and then be able to work on it in the future).

Our realator Linda Monroe is the most amazing woman ever. She was a long-time family friend of the Darlings and is INTENSE to say the least. Half the time I can't even understand what she is saying on the phone because she talks a mile a minute and has this amazing go-go-go personality. She got to the house before us and happen to see that another house was for sale across the street.- but it was a little out of our price-range and a little bigger than we had intended to buy.

She asked if we wanted to see it- and we did. It was BEAUTIFUL. This was ten time better than the house we thought "was perfect" right across the street. It was a foreclosure, but amazine news- it was on the market just long enough for the bank to come in and put brand new carpets down and brand new paint up- and A FULLY FINISHED BASEMENT. It would be MOVE-IN -READY! WHAAA??? 5 bedrooms, two and a half baths, and three walk-in closets just in the master bedroom. Linda called the bank, and that afternoon they had dropped the price 10,000 dollars from what the listing said. Oh my Lord, this was too good to be true. But it was true, and we moved in late October. We are still in the process of "decorating." What a great problem to have= we don't have enough furniture/pictures/decorations to fill the house. And great news for Zach is that we moved in at the perfect time for him to have ZERO yard work. Oh yeah, and did I mention that they left a huge hot-tub on the back screened in porch? Oh and did I also mention that they took the freakin oven racks out of the oven with them?? Who does that? (Hot tub>oven racks though)

Babay News: Oh yeah, we are having another baby! Baby D2 (I really want to call him R2D2) will be here May 29th (remember Aidan's b-day is May 28th and mine is May 30th). It is a BOY! Amen to not having to buy anything new. He is healthy and happy and moving, and I am gaining weight like there is no tomorrow. I gained 50 lbs with Aidan so my goal is to NOT have a "I am actually a few pounds away from 200" scare again...we will see.

I think that is it for now... stay tuned.

Amazing Weekends

This weekend was full of lots of memorable moments. On Saturday, I got to go to a Bridal shower for my girl Ashley Weider. I played volleyball with her at Berry and she is getting married in August. It was soooooo great to see her and her fiance, Justin, and some other teammates Taylor and Leah. I love them to death!! Wish more would have been able to come. I don't have any pictures- maybe I can steal some from Taylor and put them up later~

Sunday was complete with a great church service at North Metro. It was baptism Sunday, so it was great to watch the testimonies of all of the people who were baptized that morning. We had Poppy's birthday party at Lunch on Maine- he turned 94 on Thursday!!! Amazing! Then we came home and played with da bebies in the pool.

This is officially how Aidan starts off the day. He lays on the cute dog pillow that Wes and Ally got him, drinks his bottle, and watches cartoons (I know, he is not supposed to be on a bottle at 1 yr, but the sippy cup is not working!)


Next, we get nakey and watch cartoons.

The mornings are VERY slow for us.... haha



Next we moved outside and got in the pool, played with the water hose, and had a blast.

Little Miss Riley.

Babysitting both Riley and Aidan at the same time was....interesting. At one point, Aidan was eating dog food while I was holding Riley. While tucking her like a football, I was pulling pieces of dog food out of Aidan's mouth. Haha. Precisely why two this close in age will NOT happen for me. Ahhhhhhh. Riley is also very.... needy. I will just go ahead and say it. Praise my sister! I got very lucky with the temperment and personality of Aidan-bug. He is so self-sufficient and self-entertained. Right after he was born, he was sleeping in his own bed in the other room. Riley needs to be held all the time- which is great when you want to cuddle- not so great when you have other things you want to be doing... like SLEEPING! Ally is doing great though! She is a great mommy! Thank goodness I had an easy baby, that's all I have to say!

For those of you who don't know, we have a couple birthdays on the schedule. Of course, the most important is Aidan's 1st birthday this Saturday on the 28th!!! We are having a Mickey Mouse Party. This is him at Party City on the verge of a meltdown. That was a fun experience. The next birthday is mine on the 30th. Can't believe I will be 24. A little less eventful than the last birthday!

Riley Elaine Campbell

Riley Elaine Campbell was born May 11th at 10:13 pm. She was 7 lbs. 2 oz. and was 20 inches. I do have to brag on myself saying that I guessed the weight and height EXACTLY and beat Zach and both my parents! :-)

Ally and Riley about 45 minutes after she was born

Me and my little niece!

Cute little newborn face with her daddy.

Aunt Shawn and Riley

Aidan was very inquisitive. He was a little rough but if we held his hands so he couldn't smack her, he would give her sweet kisses. Haha.

Precious little lips.

Lately...

Life is busy and it is hard to keep up with this thing in the middle of Graduation Tests, EOCTs, Volleyball Tournaments every weekend, an ear infection in each of little man's ears, and the rest of life in general. To tide you over- here is a pic of Aidan in Louisville this past weekend. The girls on my team absolutely adore him and take care of him. These are some of the special sunglasses they gave him.

Elton John Style

Healing and Showers

This one is going to be pretty long since a lot has happened in the past week and a half

This has been the wonderful view of my spring break....

Last Monday I went in for surgery. The goal was to do a bone graft on the shin, but when he "got in there" he saw that my bone was in tact and there was no fracture. He saw that instead, the bone was extremely soft but all in one piece. When he cut into my shin, the area did not bleed like it was supposed to, which means that the area is not getting enough blood flow to heal the bone (which is why it is so soft). He "roughed up" the tissues around the bone (not sure exactly what that entails) and hopefully this will help the bone heal again.

It has been an interesting few weeks.....

Jo and Norman sent me some flowers with balloons and Aidan was giving them to me

Turned out to be a new favorite toy of his

Still trying to be a mommy even if I can't chase after him

Look at that precious face!

On Friday and Saturday I went to the Georgia World Congress Center to see my team play in the Big South Qualifier. I was exhausted both days from being on crutches there (not suited for that!) Sunday, Zach had to work so I wasn't able to go because I didn't have a ride (driving on painkillers not legal). But, overall I was happy I could go a few days- I had already told the girls I wouldn't be able to make it, so it was nice to surprise them.

On the way home from GWCC- we were both exhausted from a day of volleyball.

A few days ago, Zach had to go to work so I was left to watch Aidan by myself for a few hours. I was EXHAUSTED by the end of it. Zach got everything ready for us in Aidan's room. We had the door shut so he couldn't escape and we just read books, played, and looked out the sliding glass door. One thing Zach and I did not anticipate is that I would want to change outfits for my sister's baby shower that afternoon.....with a baby....on crutches. So, I put Aidan in the stroller and pushed him around the house while I got ready. It was quite a sight.....

All of my boys ready to run outside and play

Baby Shower time! Please, crowd around me because I am not moving.

Kristin, Ally, Kathy, Betty, Shannon and Aidan.

Now add Mom to the group

Flirting with the ladies

He was a mess! Running around everywhere.

By the way he is STANDING ON HIS OWN!! Ahh!

Walking with Kathy

And now exhausted...

We went to the Dr. on Monday. He is 23 pounds (75th percentile) and 31 inches (97th percentile!). Everything was perfect and boring, which I love! He has 4 top teeth coming in (which now explains his extreme crying in the middle of the night, which is not like him at all). Best part of the day though was when he did not even cry when he got his shot! I couldn't believe it. SOOO tough!

Lazy-Boy Swimming

Yesterday, Ally and I took Aidan swimming at the pool at WA. Thought it was going to be heated, but apparently they turned it off for the weekend...did not phase little man a bit.

He absolutely loved watching Ally do laps and watched her go up and under the water. So, he wanted to be like her. I had him on his belly kicking around and he kept dunking his face right in the water on purpose- because he saw Ally doing it. It was hilarious.

Ready to go in brand new swimming gear.

"Seriously.... is this a joke?"

Lounging around in the pool

He thinks everything he sits in is like a Lazy Boy chair

Ready to play

Lazy-Boy

Hello paleness....

My son (who never GOES in the sun) is tanner than me... fabulous!

Update: I will be having a bone graft (surgery) 3/28 which is next Monday- will write up the details in a few days. We are graduation test testing so I will have some free time!

Good Morning Sunshine :-)

I had to wake Aidan up for one of the first times this year when I was heading to school. Usually his lazy bum gets to sleep until 8 every day- but 6am came early this morning. His philosophy: if she can't see me I am invisible... He usually sleeps with the blanket totally covering his head and this is where I found him this morning.

Face down with the blanket over the head.

s Aidan in his old-timey FSU outfit. Too bad his tummy was sticking straight out and the jacket wouldn't cover it.

I told him that I think he used to be in Olivia Newton John's "Let's Get Physical" music video.

Bath time. Now we have learned that we need both hands to crawl so the mouth is the third hand right?

Things that make my baby boy happy :-)

This is at Chick-fil-a Dwarf House with my Poppy and Deanie. I can't tell you what Deanie was doing but whatever it was it made him laugh hysterically. This picture is absolutely hilarious and makes him look so much chunkier than he really is (which makes me love it that much more!). The cheeks are deceiving!


Playing the piano that my poppy bought for me when I was little is his favorite thing to do at my mom's house. He jams out! He bangs at the keys and laughs and laughs for long periods of time. And, as any parent knows, anything that can hold a child's attention for even five minutes is so worthy of doing OVER AND OVER AND OVER again!

Hi Grandpa and Papa!

We don't ever get to see Aidan's granddads enough - one is travelling and one lives in Sautee-Nacoochee, GA (yes, deliverence country). So here are some videos for you both to look at to catch you up a bit.

Aidan was supposed to be going down for a nap.... yeah right.


Eating the camera


Crawling


Pulling up and laughing

Squealing

Ice Storm 2011

There is something about Zach and I that seems to bring about ice storms each January/February of the new year. Last year, we had Ice Storm 2010 in Lawton. That one, I have to admit, was worse on the trees and the house, but was not too terribly bad on the roads. This one was pretty bad on the roads.


What all started out as a pretty snow storm.....

Aidan was already asleep by the time the snow hit.

But we did take him out to play in the snow/ice for a few minutes the next day. He was not so sure about it....

Again, is a little uneasy about this white stuff....

Dad shows him how to eat it... followed by a face of a child who just ate a lemon.

Looking like a pudge in his snowsuit.

Daddy and Aidan

Mommy and Aidan

The whole family.

Even Uncle Aaron was there to play.

Well, school was cancelled for a total of FIVE days straight, and we are out today for MLK day. So Tuesday is going to be miserable!!! We have been in school for three days this semester and that was almost two weeks ago. I barely remember what I taught so I FOR SURE know that the students remember NOTHING so re-teach time.

In the beginning of the week we were pretty much stuck inside and couldn't drive anywhere- so needless to say we had LOTS of beloved quality time. It was great to be home another week with Aidan and Zach. We did try to venture out a few days towards the end of the week. I decided to go to the mall to exchange a few things (exchange= successful ; traffic on way home = NIGHTMARE). It was starting to get dark on the way home, which means people start FREAKING out and decided to leave their brains at home. The highway was a nightmare so I decided to go back roads. Bad decision, about an hour down the road (approximately 4 miles) there was a street shut down, so I had to turn around anyway and get on the highway. It took me about three hours to get home.

We bought some new furniture from Rooms to Go so we had to get rid of the old couch that we had. On Friday we took it to Adam's house (Zach's brother) to keep in his basement until Aaron (other brother) wants it. Both Adam and Tiffany were at work (haha) and we tried to get the truck up the icy driveway- bad idea- it started sliding backwards so we had to carry the couch up the driveway (my arms still hurt- I'm not used to this heavy lifting anymore).

Now that the ice storm is over- I am probably losing my nice long break in February to replace the snow days. Not exactly sure of it, but I am willing to put some money on it. Yuck.