Break on Through

Ah, it's been a long time since I've worked on the computer with a baby sleeping in my arms. I could put Aidan down, because he is the first of my kids who allows you to do that, but I don't want to right now. Eric and Liam and Brendan are at the 4th of July festival and I just want to hang out with this sweet baby.

So, three boys. I had been trying everything I could to coerce Aidan into being born. I reeaalllyy thought he would be a few weeks early. I went for my last checkup on his due date, and we decided to schedule an induction or whatever it's called for the following Tuesday. After I got home I considered calling to make it for Friday instead, but I'm glad I didn't. Saturday I thought I had pulled something in my back because of all the yard work I'd been doing. I stupidly lifted some giganto bags of mulch, and then was worried I'd hurt the baby, but alas around 5:00 it occurred to me I might be in labor, and I was. My Dad and Eic's brother came over to take the kids to the classic car show, and Eric and I got to the hospital around 7. My water didn't break this time, and if I wasn't already overdue I wouldn't have gone in as early as I did because I wasn't 100% sure I was really in labor, but I did and I was and at 11:04pm Aidan was born.

I had no idea what to expect from him. I felt him moving at 14 or 16 weeks, like the earliest time possible to feel movement, and it wasn't "fluttering", it was real moving. He never stopped moving from that point on, and after Brando I knew it really is possible to have a child who is not, shall we say, as Zen as Liam. If I die and have never had to bail Brendan out of jail, I'll consider mine a life well lived. Aidan though, Aidan is calm and pensive and actually will lie down in his crib and sleep. Or even not sleep, but lie there. It seems that Liam and Aidan will alternate between the bass and the guitar, while Brendan's on drums. Liam is, as usual, a doting and responsible big brother, and Brendan has really stepped up to the plate and shown a lot of love for his new brother. I know and appreciate how lucky I am. And I sincerely hope they will let me meet up with them that summer they backpack around Europe, that's all I have to say.

This last month has flown by. A week of it was taken over by us trying to decide if we should move to California to take a really awesome job Eric was offered, but in the end we decided not to do that. That was definitely one of, if not THE hardest decisions we had to make as adults. But I think we made the right choice. Also, though Brendan digs Aidan, the whole new baby situation kind of threw him off his schedule and so he's been having a rough time sleeping and has been melting down daily.

Aidan's doing great all around. At one month he's 12 1/2 pounds, which means he's gained about a pound a week, like his big brothers. He's smiling and starting to coo and has laughed a few times. But mostly he just looks around when he's awake and observes. He loves when Liam and Brendan talk to him.

I cannot believe it's July, but it's been a great summer. Tomorrow our neighbors have a brunch for the whole block and then we all walk down the street for the parade. And at night we'll go to the fireworks, if Brendan can make it that late.

Happy 4th of July!





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