CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! Our little man is offically one year old. It's crazy really to think about it. And I must admit everytime I see his sweet face today I can't help but remember every detail from this day one year ago. So in memory of it I'm going to share that day with everyone before I start on the millions of updates and then years from now Aiden can read this blog and about the day he came to join this world. =0) 
So one year ago today started like any other pregnant day had for us, rolling out of bed, barely and rather huge. We had a scheduled doctor appointment for that day so we could meet another doctor in the practice, in case my doctor wasn't available for delivery. We met Dr. Russell and I feel in love with her. She had done her residency at UNMH, she was funny, honest and when I asked her "how much longer," she just smiled and said that I wouldn't make it to my due date (which was 15 days away). As we left the doctor's office I told Dave that if anyone other than my doctor (who was on vacation, but assured us she'd be back before we delievered - and I told her no she wouldn't - haha!) had to deliver me, I wanted it to be her.
So after our doctor's appointment (around 10am) we went to Trader Joe's to pick up some snacks and the back pains that I had complained to the doctor about began to intensify. David asked if he should not go to work and I said I was fine and I just needed to lie down before I met Natalie for lunch. A couple hours later, my back pains haven't calmed down and I was hungry! I pull into the parking lot of Olive Garden next to Natalie and she looks at me and asks, "Are you ok?" To which I said, "Ummm, no, I think I'm in labor." She of course became very worried and tried to convince me to go to the hospital, I however said no and that we should calcuate the time between contractions as we eat yummy Olive Garden.
So we order food, calculate my contractions, which are steadily getting closer and only in my back. As I'm pacing around, on the phone with the doctor, a very freaked out Olive Garden employee offers to call someone for me if needed. We finish lunch and with doctors orders head back to the hospital. When Dr. Russel saw me she smiled and said, "Yea I thought I might see you back today," and let's me know that she'll be the one delivering me (YAY!). I of course started crying, part of me was convinced it was false labor and Natalie and I head to the maternity ward and call Dave. He of course doesn't beleive me at first and then rushes to the hospital. 
So we get settled into our room and they come in and break my water for me. From that point my labor becomes way more intense and yet there is not a single contraction felt in my tummy, great back labor - supposedly the hardest of them all. Fantastic. So lying down is completely unbearable because every contraction is radiating through my back, so I walk, for hours. I pace, I eat ice, I breath and I refuse drugs, until transition starts. At that point I had decided I would change my mind and take them, but a wonderful nurse I had, told me I'd have to wait till the nurse change took place, a lie yes, all because I had expressed how important it was for me to go all natural and knew I'd need some help and encouragment from her. So it was her way of helping me achieve my goal. 20 minutes later and with help from Dave and Natalie I gave birth to our little man at 8:05pm. I only screamed once and then apologized in fear that I had scared some other moms about to start labor and though it was really hard it was also so empowering. 
So that's the story of how our little man came into this world, thanks for listening! LOL. Anyways. So things around here have been extremely hectic, as always. We actually celebrated his birthday a couple of weeks ago when my parents were in town and had a nice dinosaur themed party. We had a bbq and I made a special dinosaur cake for my little man. It was nice to have just family and a few close friends to celebrate it with. Then the following weekend we had our playgroup birthday party. So we had about 14 kids and all the parents there to celebrate all of our little ones first year. So I, of course, went totally overboard making about 100 cupcakes for the party. It was so nice to meet all the dads and the kids were just a riot to watch! 
For the 4th of July we headed down to Oregon to spend some more time with my family and Aiden saw his very first ocean! On the way there we spent a day at Cannon Beach and he was quite the little sandmonster. I wish everyone could have seen how cute he was, crawling in the sand and water. He also got a lot of play time with his cousin Dylan and loved to watch his new little cousin Sophia, I think they're all gonna be great buds!
As far as all the new things he is doing since our last post I don't even know where to start! Yesterday we noticed another new tooth, so that makes 5 and we're pretty sure 6 is on it's way. He is almost solely walking and while he is taking 25-30 steps at a time, he falls and we get to enjoy the last little bit of his famous crab crawl that we will miss so much. He's the only kid I know that loses his footing while crawling. He has started to sign to us a lot more lately, telling us when he wants milk, food, more of something or if he is all done, regularly. 
Aiden is still as obsessed with balls as ever! I think both Dave and I are sooo ready for him to learn a new word it isn't even funny. I did get him to say duck in his bath yesterday, but besides that it's strictly "Dada, Mama and BALL" anymore. He wakes up from his naps whispering "ball," while lying with me the other day he started from a dream said "ball" and hit me, then fell back asleep, points at everything and says "BALL" - I mean the kid has a one tract mind.
He is still as funny as ever with food. Only now he needs a fork for it to be considered food time, he just loves to be like the big kids!
That's about all for now, we're just enjoying the summer time and enjoying our little man. Tonight we'll be spending the evening wondering where the last year went and most likely I will be fighting back the tears. I'll post some more random pictures from the past few weeks so you guys can have your Aiden-fill. Hope all is well with everyone, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers! 
