The Big Birthday Party

I tried to post this a week ago, but the pictures wouldn't upload.  And they still won't.  Sorry folks!

I can't believe I haven't blogged about the boys' first birthday party yet!  So here goes...
Their birthday was on Friday, we picked blueberries at Sheila's on Saturday, and Sunday we had their party.  That morning was a bust for naps.  The new/current schedule at church is prayer service at 9:15 and worship service at 10:30.  The boys schedule is all kinds of off because of these darn first year molars.  It doesn't seem to matter what time they go to bed at night, they are up at 6am.  They're back down at 9am for a nap that might be 45 minutes or as long as 2 hours.  They have an afternoon nap 3 hours after they wake up from the morning one.  I'm very frustrated by the whole thing because those teeth have been 2 months coming now and I really like schedules.  I also really like having 20 minutes (or more) to get up and shower and feel prepared for the day instead of hopping out of bed whenever they wake me up.  But I can't get up before 6, my body just won't do it.  I'm a night person and I haven't figured out how to change that, if it's possible.  ... Sorry!  Anyway, back to the birthday party day.  They fussed all through prayer service and refused to sleep (they were crying when I went to peek in on them and that's not normal for them).  So we left.  We got them home and napped and ready for lunch.  The afternoon went better, so after their second nap, everyone came over (around 3:30 or 4).  When I say "everyone," there really weren't many people.  My parents came down, Andrew's mom and sister & her fiance came.  It was very small, but that was just fine.  We had their cakes outside to try to contain the mess, but it was blazing hot.  Sheila made all the cakes for us!  She used the Little People animals we had just gotten from a friend to top the cakes!  Aidan just dove right in after we sang to them.  Jordan just looked at us and then at his cake as if to say, "really? what is this?"  But he finally got a little taste and then they both had fun devouring half their little cakes.  We also got them some fun cups - they look like balls and have crazy straws - they were a big hit.  We came inside right after they finished their cakes, it was only 1000 degrees outside and miserable.  They opened their presents and played with them all.  They got a mailbox, a baseball set, and new books from Mimi & Grandpa, two new big trucks from Adrienne, and I wrapped up the wooden letters I bought at a yard sale a couple months ago.  They had a great time and we got a lot of pictures.  After presents, we grilled out and had their big cake and then it was about bedtime.  It was a good end to the big birthday weekend!

And I know I didn't post about this either, but neither of them had any trouble with the adenoidectomies.  They both had to be woken up from the anesthesia afterwards.  Aidan tried to drink some juice right away (always hungry) and threw up a bunch of phlem.  Jordan fought sleep more and was restless and (I think) nauseated most of the day.  Aidan was playing and happy by the time we got home, but both took good long naps the rest of the day, too.  There's been very little snoring since!  yay!

Blueberries

The Saturday after the boys birthday, we went over to Andrew's parents house to pick blueberries.  They have new neighbors who have stables and all kinds of fun things - like a pig.  Here are the pictures from that morning.

Aidan actually stuck his finger up the pig's nose!

They both got to sit on a horse and loved it!

This little girl is 3.  She takes the horses out by herself and rode a little for us.

Both boys loved the fresh blueberries!  They were picking them off the bush and eating them as fast as they could!!

Busy busy!

Sorry for the lack of posting the last two weeks.  The boys are constantly on the move!  They're walking all over the house!  They're still not totally stable, but they're getting more confident every day.  They've learned how to make the vroom vroom sound with their mouth and they do it every time they see a car or truck.  They have a counting book that they love to read - 8 is big trucks and 10 is busy babies.  Jordan only wants to see the trucks and Aidan only wants to see the babies!  Aidan has started loving on stuffed animals, too.  He gives them  hugs and kisses.  He spotted my old monkey up on the shelf the other day.  I used to sleep with this thing, Sammy, and he's probably the ugliest toy in the room now.  His fur is all matted and not soft at all, but I got him down to see what they'd do with it.  Aidan loves him.  And actually, Jordan likes him a lot, too.  Melts my heart  :)  They surprise us everyday with the things they learn and remember.  Like this morning, we were all in the boys' room and I said it was time for a nap.  Aidan crawled (fast) for the door, smiling and shaking his head "no" all the way!  He's finally gotten the connection of when I say "no" and shake my head.  He now shakes his head when I say "no" (to him or Jordan), and the other day, he shook his head at Jordan because he didn't want to be touched!  They both sign "light" and "fan."  Jordan is trying to sign "outside."  It looks just like "light," but he reaches his hand toward the door.  They love to be outside.  I just wish it wasn't so hot!  It's too much for me to take them out there alone (and they don't like to crawl on the grass).  I'm excited for fall and them being more steady on their feet.  Andrew won a Dell gift card from a webinar he did at work, so we got a video camera!  I love it.  There will be many videos to come, I'm sure.  I'm really glad Blogger has that capability now. 

My cousin Catherine is getting married this month and all the kids in both of their families are in the wedding in some way.  My boys are riding in a wagon (prayerfully) being pulled by their cousin.  Originally, the bride wanted all the girls in white dresses and boys in white shirts with black shorts.  I waited a little late to get those things and ran out of money and time.  So I talked to her about it and I'm making them john-johns to wear!  I'm so proud of myself - the pattern is from the 70s and I've had to look up several terms online, but they're almost done!  I have to hem the second one and put the buttons & buttonholes on and then I'm done!  I used madras cloth, which is a lighter weight plaid that doesn't have a front & back to the material (which is excellent).  It's white background with blue & green lines and I love it.  One will have blue buttons and the other will green.  I've been holding off on the buttons because I need my Singer (newer) machine for the buttonholes, but I still need to finish that hem on the old Kenmore.  Anyway, I'm hoping to have them done by Tuesday afternoon because we're going to portrait party.  This is new to me, but the photographer lets someone host the party (like a Mary Kay/Pampered Chef/Premier Jewelry type thing) and all the guests get 20 minutes with the photographer.  There is no obligation to buy, but you can choose whatever you like out of what she gets.  I don't know that we'll buy anything, but it sounds fun (and I never make it into the pictures with the boys AND they just turned one).  So I'd love for them to wear the outfits I made them!

Here are some recent photos:

Do they know what to do with a camera or what?

I did not put him in there - he did that all on his own!

And of course, Monkey Jordan climbed into the shelf.

Aidan & Jordan are 1!

1 year.  It has been 1 whole year since my baby boys were born.  And they're not even babies any more.  They're toddlers.  Jordan walked last night!  (I said I just wanted them walking by their birthday, and I got it!)  I'm sure I'll have a nice long "reflecting" post to share, but I'll save that for another day.  Today, we celebrate the boys!!  They are so silly.  Aidan is officially walking - he now stands up from sitting without pulling on anything and just starts walking across the room!  He never gets more than 5 or 6 steps, though.  And Jordan has gained the confidence he needed to let go and take steps on his own.  He's a monkey (climber), though.  I usually let them help pull the clothes out of the dryer (because they will whether I want them to or not and it's easier to let them "help") and put them in a laundry basket.  Then they like to push the basket around the house.  We've taken "rides" in it before, so Jordan thought it was perfectly natural to climb into while I wasn't looking!

So I had to put Aidan in because he's not a monkey.

let the poking begin!

I finally got pictures of him climbing into my grandmama's old chair.

whatcha doin', bubba?

They've gotten into giving kisses, too.  Just before their nap this afternoon, we were reading a Mirror Me book.  It shows a face on one page and the opposite page is a mirror so you can see the baby make the face.  Aidan started giving the baby kisses this week and today, Jordan did it.  Then after Jordan kissed the baby in the book, the boys leaned in and kissed each other!!  How sweet is that?? Last night, they took a bath in my big tub, just for fun.  Aidan kept seeing himself in the round metal covering and giving that baby kisses, too.

Aidan now likes bananas.  He really likes to hold a half of one and just take bites - and he does really well with it!  Jordan doesn't care for bananas, but he likes blueberries.  The only ones I've had to give him have been frozen and I've just run a little warm water over them.  Aidan isn't a fan, but I think it might just be the cold and not the taste. 

Here's Aidan with a little too much banana in his mouth:

He's started doing this thing where he smiles, but squints at me when I go to take a picture of him!  I guess the flash is too bright.  But they know to smile!

We're working on waving, but they don't always see Andrew leave in the morning and I hardly leave them enough to teach them "bye-bye."  Aidan usually just sticks his hand up in the air and Jordan sometimes waves both arms up and down.  They LOVE books.  After breakfast, they usually go to their room and play for a few minutes while I clean up the kitchen.  When I go to check on them, Aidan grabs a book and crawls up in my lap.  We have to read all the books in their room 9 times.  Then I convince them to go into the living room and once we're there, Aidan grabs a book and crawls up in my lap.  Then we have to read all the books in the living room 9 times.  I'm very serious, almost literally 9 times.  They love it.  I love that they love books, but it makes me sleepy doing all that reading in the morning!  But they fuss at me when I don't start reading, so we read.  We bought an inflatable ball pit for their birthday that's a Little People train engine.  It's been living in the living room and my room on days I don't want it out there.  They love it!

check out Aidan's face (in the back)

Here are the only pictures I got this morning of them in their birthday shirts:

Jordan above, Aidan below