Day Twenty Eight 2/28/2011

Wow...I cannot believe today is the last day :( I have had so much fun with this and hope to keep up with this blog and continuing to find the joy!

Final day of the Joy of Love: Future.

Day Twenty Seven 2/27/2011

Day Twenty Six 2/26/2011

Day Twenty Five 2/25/2010

Day Twenty Four 2/24/2011

Day Twenty Three 2/23/2011

Oh facebook! Seriously, how did we all live without facebook for so long. haha. I have to admit, I do enjoy going into the picture archive on facebook and seeing my little munchkin grow. I think it makes me a little sad to see how fast he is growing so I don't look too often. when I was trying to decide which pictures to post for this challenge I chose one that I took from last summer at an outdoor wedding and the other was taken this past fall at an indoor wedding. It is amazing to see his baby face disappearing between the two (taken about three months apart). This particular challenge makes me realize how thankful I am that I LOVE photography. I have a gazillion pictures of Aidan growing up. I feel like I am not missing a thing as it is all captured in pictures and a little on video. I know when I am older and Aidan is grown these pictures and this journey with Willette's class will be the moments I treasure the most.

Taken July of 2010



Taken end of September 2010

Day twenty two 2/22/2011

Day Twenty One 2/21/2011

Day Twenty 2/20/2011

Day Nineteen 2/19/2011

When their gone.

I have to say I do not like it when Aidan is gone. Yes the house is much cleaner and I can get my school work done, but it is so quiet. There is no pitter patter of his feet running around the living room, no giggling, and certainty no "Momma" being screamed from the other room when his television show has ended (as much as the drives me crazy). Of course, I do like being able to get some things done like doing my chasing, taking a shower, cleaning, and getting my school work done. I know that if I can get those things done in the 8 hours he is gone at school each week that I can spend more time playing WITH him. Which is how it should be. Anyway, this is how it is when he is gone...

Day Eighteen 2/18/2011

Going out is always a challenge. Aidan never wants to leave the house! He is always involved in something and does not want to stop. He usually either tries to hide (like he did today), or he wants to bring everything he can fit in his hands (and mine). Of course where ever we go he falls asleep in the car, but he does have fun when we get there. I try very hard to to my chasing when he is at school so he doesn't have to. Anyway, today we were getting ready to go out and he was told he had five minutes left before we had to put on our coats. I usually get mine on first so he knows his five minutes are up. As I am putting on my coat I see him climbing under the table in our living room. I hate having to drag him out so I do my best to talk him out. I have been successful so far, but it usually involves a bribe of some sort! I hope that some day soon he realizes that 90% we go out it is to do something fun!

The first is from my camera phone:

Day Seventeen 2/17/2011

Today's challenge is staying in. I have to say this is one of my favorite things to do (when all the housework is done, if not I end up doing things instead of relaxing). Our night to "stay in" is Sundays. I usually rent a movie for Aidan and I to watch. I love cuddling on the couch with little man and this is the only night that he ever sits still long enough to do it :) Anyway, our night consists of dinner (usually pizza or whatever else Aidan requests). After dinner we get all of our necessities over to the couch. This consists of cozy blankets, stuffed animals, drinks, etc. Then Aidan and I head back to the kitchen to make popcorn. He helps be put it into the big bowl and we run over to the couch to start the movie. I love seeing him watch and get involved in the movie, the way he laughs, hides under the blankets, and says "oh no"! Of course these are all old and new Disney movies so they are not really scary. I hope we can carry on this Sunday night tradition on for many years to come.

Day Sixteen 2/16/2011

Today's challenge was a self portrait! I laughed at this one. I mean really, how in the world an I going to get Aidan to sit still long enough to get a self portrait!! Of course it would be nice to have one considering I am always behind the camera and no one ever takes pictures of Aidan and I. Then it hit me; I knew exactly what to do. Thinking back to day 10 and where Aidan is the most comfortable I thought I might have a chance at getting a picture of the two of us. Granted it is not the picture I would love to hang on my wall, but it would capture who we are today. So here it is, our self portrait...

Day Fifteen 2/15/2011

Oh the power of a kiss! Aidan's boo boos can be healed with one of Mommy's kisses, and he has managed to find that power for others. When ever Aidan has a friend at school or a play-date and someone gets hurt, he is the first one there with a hug and a kiss. He is such a sweet little boy. I have to say that I will be kind of sad when my kisses no longer have that power. There is just something about Aidan running up to me for kisses that I love. If he thinks I am sad he will run up to me, give me a kiss (usually on my leg) and look up with this big blue eyes and say "better?" I love his innocence; wouldn't it be wonderful if we could solve all of the problems in the world with a kiss :)

Day Fourteen 2/14/2011

Today's focus was jewelry. Obviously, Aidan does not have any jewelry. However I though about a gift that was from him. As a single mom of a toddler, I do not get many cards or gifts from Aidan. Nobody ever thinks about taking Aidan out to the store and letting him pick out a card for me on holidays. Which is okay, I don't ever expect anything. This past Christmas my good friend Jessica went above and beyond. She purchased a necklace in the shape of a heart for Aidan to give to me on Christmas. Seriously this brought me to tears Christmas night. It was so thoughtful of her to do. The necklace has writing on the inside that says, "A mother holds her child's hand for a short while, but their hearts forever."

Day Thirteen 2/13/2011

Routines. Aidan's routine consists of snacks, tv, books, tools school, sports, and tantrums :) Each morning Aidan wakes up and makes his way upstairs to surprise me. I can always hear him and he hides behind the doorway as I ask "who is there, is that you corona?" Aidan laughs and peaks his head out with a big smile. It is a great way to start the day. Aidan runs to the couch to catch an episode of Jake and the Neverland Pirates (his new favorite show). I fix him juice or milk with his breakfast of circles (fruit loops) or french toast sticks. We get ready for school in which he pouts about going and has cries when we get there. Of course as soon as I walk out the door he stops and has a great time. When I pick him up he never notices when I walk in. He is too busy reading or doing puzzles. When we get home Aidan loves to watch more tv. I usually let him for a bit and then break out the books, alphie, the tag reader, or some other educational toy. Aidan always likes to try and fix things as well with his toolkit. Some nights we have swimming and others we have soccer. Our days are filled with fun in one way or another. My favorite part of the day is the morning. There is just something about that hour we have before school that is special. During the week it is exactly as I wrote it above, while on the weekends Aidan likes to get up early and come snuggle in my bed. We turn on the tv and watch cartoons together. I love spending time together and the mornings just work out really well for us.

Day Twelve 2/12/2011

Oh how I love Aidan's eyes. They are so beautiful! He has those eyes that are blue, but can be different shades of blue depending on what he is wearing and the scenery around him. I love that one day his eyes are a deep blue and the next they are a bright blue. Of course I have touched on this early about how his eyes are full of wonder and innocence. I hope he keeps that level of wonder throughout his life. Anyway, these are some of my favorite pictures of his eyes...

Day Eleven 2/11/2011

Dreams. I am not sure what Aidan dreams about. I don't know what he wants to be when he grows up. I do know that he laughs in his sleep and it is by far one of my favorite things about him. Aidan has been a co-sleeper for quite some time. Thankfully this past month he has decided that the firetruck is cool and sleeps in there now. When he did co-sleep, he would giggle in the middle of the night. I would wake up and glance over at him and he would be in deep sleep, but laughing. It is the cutest thing ever. I am so glad he has happy dreams. He has a great sense of humor and I think he gets that from my mom. She would laugh at just about anything. I see a lot of that in Aidan. Whatever Aidan dreams of doing or being I hope they all come true. He is a great kid and has has had things happen in his two years of life that shouldn't have. Of course he doesn't know the difference yet, but will in a short amount of time. I hope he grows up to be a strong individual. I hope he knows that people can take control of their own lives, but cannot control the ones around them. I hope he knows that his dad did not leave because of him. I hope he knows that he is loved and no matter what I am hear for him. I hope he dreams big and I hope he pursues those dreams. I hope that I can make some of those dreams come true for him. Dreams are an important part of life and I hope Aidan goes through life always has a dream that can put a smile on his face.

Day Ten: 2/10/11

Where he's most comfortable: the car!! Funny when I think about it. Aidan is very much a homebody, he loves to stay home. However when he is home he is always on the go. I never get him to nap even when he needs it. When we do go out, as soon as he gets in the car he falls asleep. I guess there is something to be said for being bundled up and squeezed tight (car seat). Of course with him being so comfortable in the car it is hard for me to get anything done. I always feel bad when he falls asleep and I have to wake him up to go in the grocery store or wherever we are going. So now I just leave super early and let him sleep before we are scheduled to do anything. I try and make him more comfortable by taking off his coat so he doesn't get too warm. I hope that one day he grows out of this habit. Especially since gas prices are going up!! It gets expensive just driving around so he can nap!!

Day Nine 2/9/11

Today's challenge is about passions and hobbies. Aidan is passionate about swimming. He loves it! Which actually surprises me a bit. When Aidan was 10 months old he fell into our pool right in front of my eyes. Of course, like any mother would, I jumped right in the pool and pulled him out. He was in the pool for mere seconds, but when I pulled him out he was initially unresponsive. (Let me say this is the worst way to ever see your child and I hope no one who reads this ever has to experience that). I thought to myself how could he not be responding, he is supposed to be scared, crying, and clinging to me. Only he was doing nothing. I immediately began to do CPR and he then he gasped for air and began crying. Only he was not making eye contact and it was not a normal cry. I called 911 and the paramedics, fireman, and police all arrived in moments. Aidan was rushed to the hospital where his X-rays came back clear (no fluid in lungs) and his scans came back that there was no brain damage. What a relief. However they transferred him to the children's hospital to make sure he was okay through the night. The doctors believe that he went into shock when he fell into the pool which caused him to be unresponsive and his temperature dropped. Thankfully with worming blankets, Aidan eventually calmed down, slept, and when he woke up he was my little boy who wanted his mommy. When we were finally released from the hospital with my little swimmer, he was unharmed and unaffected by the experience. I learned that a child can drown in twenty seconds. Believe me when I say it happens fast, and it can happen while you are supervising. Shortly after the incident, Aidan began mommy and me swimming lessons. This has been therapy for me more than him. He loves the pool and is just a little fish. It is so rewarding to see him be able to fall in a pool and find the side. He can pull himself out of the pool and can float on his back unassisted too. Granted I never let go of his hand while we are near water, but it is comforting to know I am doing everything I can to make sure he can help himself if he does fall in somewhere again. We swim twice a week for lessons and try to get to a pool at least one more day for fun. He enjoys it so much and it would not surprise me if he was on a swim team as he gets older.

Day Eight 2/8/11

Gift from the Heart. Aidan loves stickers and it is his new obsession. He creates sticker pages for me all the time (basically I give him a piece of paper and he puts stickers all over it). He does this several times a week and after he completes his sticker masterpiece he runs over to give it to me. Of course I get very excited about his excellent sticking job and immediately put it on the refrigerator for all of our guests to see. This is definitely a gift from the heart. He is so proud of himself and works very hard on each one until they are perfect. He is very meticulous with his art work. I love that about him. At daycare he often gets frustrated with the teachers when art time is over and his masterpiece is not quite finished the way he wants. He gives them "the look" and it always outs a smile on their face (because it is so cute). It often makes me wonder what he will grow up to be. What ever it is he will make sure his work is perfect and the best he can do. Which will make me very proud!

Day Seven 2/7/11

Generations:
The pictures below are my dad and Aidan. We currently live with Grandpa while we are getting back on our feet, and there is such a special bond between Aidan and him. I found out I was pregnant with Aidan at the very end of September 2007. My parents spent 6 months in Chicago and 6 months in Florida. So I knew they would be down at the end of October. We were in the process of moving to a new house and I thought it would be fun to wait to tell them and decorate the baby's room with a crib and some paint. That would be the last room we showed them when they came to see the house! I knew my mom would be SO excited as this would be her first grandchild. Unfortunately that never happened. On October 8th I received a phone call from my dad at abut 3:30 am. My mom collapsed on the couch and was non responsive. She was in the hospital, but on life support. My brother and I rushed up to Chicago on the first flight available. When it was confirmed that there was no brain activity, my dad decided to take her of life support. I never got the chance to tell my mom I was pregnant. During the process of making arrangements for my mom it came out that I was pregnant. I think it was the one thing that kept my dad going. He knew he was going to be a grandpa. Now that we are living with him the bond between the two is amazing. Almost like there is a little piece of my mom in Aidan.

Day six 2/6/2011

Who they love:

A good high school friend and I reconnected when I moved back to the Chicago area. She has a daughter named Charlotte who is about 8 months older than Aidan. They are completely in love with each other. Seriously, if they get married they are going to have the cutest slideshow ever. The pictures below where taken earlier this year, we were not able to get together today with Charlotte, but I wanted to keep up with this project so I am somewhat cheating. Next time the two are together I plan on snapping some more pictures and adding them to this post.

Day Five 2/5/11

Love to hate. That is the focus for today. Honestly I debated between two different ideas for today. The first, which I choose not to do, was Aidan's helping hands. He loves to help out. He will turn the thermostat down to 60 when there is a blizzard outside, he will put away coronas toys and bones in the bathroom and kitchen cabinets, and he will gladly put his shoes away by putting them in the garbage. Yes, we have actually thrown out pairs of shoes because of this! All of these things actually put a smile on my face and help me to laugh out loud throughout the day. The next idea I had is a little more frustrating for me so that is why I figured I would focus on that. (First of all let me apologize for these photographs. This room is in the basement and it has NO windows!! I am not very good with using a flash and mainly photograph using natural light, so these photos are not anything to write home about.) This is what I love to hate:



Why would I love to hate this bed you ask? After all what kid would not LOVE this firetruck bed. Unfortunately MINE!! I don't get it, this bed is so cool...It is a bund bed, the engine is a toy box, and it is a firetruck!!! Well it is not that he does not like it, he is just not a fan of sleeping anywhere but with me. Since we are still getting back on our feet after my ex-husband walked out, so we are sharing a room in the basement of my fathers house. Hopefully we will each have our own home and rooms again soon, but until then this is how it is. I am not complaining about it, after all I do have a room to sleep in when so many do not. Anyway, my son loves to snuggle with me and I have to admit I love it too! With that said, I would love it after our snuggle time he would sleep in his bed. The bed that my father built for my older brother when he was about Aidan's age. My dad was a firefighter and a builder :) This bed is special and unique. It is something that should be cherished, and it is. My son is too young to realize how lucky he is to have this bed, and that all of his friends want to sleep over so they can try it out! We have made lots of progress this last month and hope that it continues. I am going to love the day he goes to sleep at a decent hour (or takes a nap again...how I miss those) and sleeps in his oh so cool firetruck bed!









Thanks for stopping by again! I am loving this project :)

Day Four 2/4/11

What they wear was todays focus. When I think of what Aidan wears the first thing that comes to mind is his cape! However I have already captured that in day one. So the next thought that came to my mind is:



I LOVE JANIE AND JACK!! Seriously, I have a problem. Aidan wears lots of Janie and Jack! I rarely buy anything that is full price from there, but I am a huge bargain hunter and get some great deals. I am lucky enough to be considered a "regular" at the store and they often will find hidden deals that are sitting in the back for me. I love that their clothes are all part of collections. So I can get several pieces and create many different outfits. So wonderful when traveling! Not to mention that their clothes are excellent quality so they last forever.

The next thing I thought of when I read "what they wear" is that Aidan wears his heart on his sleeve. He is so sweet and he shows every emotion he has. Maybe that is just part of being two, but I admire him for it. So the next few pictures are showing him in his Janie and Jack winter coat, playing in the snow, eyes full of wonder, and his heart on his sleeve. (Yes I did capture three of four days worth of focuses in these pictures!)

Day Three 2/3/2011

Before I start on today's focus, I wanted to say thank you to all of you who have stopped by my blog to look and those of you who took the time to post a comment. Your kind words mean the world to me and I appreciate each one! Thank you.

Today's focus is "Then and Now." I had so many ideas for this one! maybe comparing his first pair of shoes against his shoes today...but I no longer have his first pair of shoes. Then I thought I could compare hand prints from the day he was born with his hand print today, but I did not have an paint handy, and they are still cleaning up from the blizzard. So I started looking through all my old pictures of little man. Boy did that bring back some memories :) It amazes me how big he has grown in just two and a half years. As I was flipping through pictures I noticed that one thing hasn't changed at all. So that is what I wanted to focus on. What is the same from then until now. We have gone through many changes these past couple of years, and it is nice to see something that is the same. After all, life is full of changes; change happens all the time. So it was neat for me to see something that hasn't changed: the bond between Aidan and Corona. They were instant friends and that friendship has become stronger with each day. Corona gets beat up a little more by his buddy these days, but the love is still there. Here are some shots of Aidan when he was a newborn and now (what has changed), along with today's focus: pictures of Aidan and Corona, then and now (what hasn't changed). Enjoy!

First what HAS changed:
When he was born:




When he first figured out how to crawl, he was SOOO happy to be able to move around!


Aidan now:


Now what HAS NOT changed:
Corona and Aidan at the beginning:






Aidan and Corona today, still best buds!





Once again, thanks for stopping by, we will see you again tomorrow!

Day Two 2/2/11

Today's photo challenge is how they look. When I saw that this was the focus for today I got very excited. I knew exactly what I wanted to capture. I am absolutely in love with how my son views this world. His eyes are full of wonder, excitement, and amazement. He is curious about everything he sees. I look at his precious face and hope that I can keep that innocence and wonder alive for many years to come. Last night was start of the big blizzard here in Chicago. So today when little man woke up he rushed to the window to see how much snow was on the ground, but not before giving his best friend, our mix-breed dog named Corona, a hug. Aidan is such a sweet little boy! The first picture is from that moment, followed by him looking out the window.






The rest of these photos are capturing him and his personality. They are more about todays focus, than the first two, but I felt I needed to post them as well. I cant get enough of his eyes (and his long eyelashes). They truly say it all. Enjoy my day two photographs...







And then there is the "what are they talking about" look {one of my favorite looks from him; its hard not to smile when I see it}



Thank you for checking out my day two! I hope you come back and visit tomorrow!