Nine years ago today

Today is my sweet Aidan's 9^th birthday! I have no idea how 9 years have flown by without me noticing, but I am very proud of the young man he is becoming. I remember being so excited for my 1^st baby boy to be born. Being a first time mom I of course went in to the hospital at the first sign of a contraction. I was living in Phoenix at the time and my mom was 3 ½ hours away in Lakeside. I remember calling her and saying "do not come down here yet, but I am going to the hospital to check if I am in labor" After I was told at the hospital that I was having nothing more than the normal Braxton hicks contractions I tried to call my mom back only to be told that she had got in her car and was on way down to be with me. She arrived at my house that night and announced that since she was already there her and my sister would just stay until the baby came. 10 days later I finally gave in to her requests to give the old castor oil trick a try. I went in to real labor that day. After way too many hours of labor Aidan came into the world. He was special in that his dad and I got to pick his birthday….. his head and shoulders were out at 11:59 P.M., the rest of him was not out until 12:01. The Dr and nurses on staff asked us what we wanted for his birthday we decided on the 29^th, since his dad's birthday is January 29^th.

I don't remember a whole lot about being in labor. I know I had a epidural and didn't feel a thing, which for me made it an amazing experience! The Dr. put a mirror at my feet so I could watch my baby be born. The first few days are a blur, but when I held my boy for the first time I fell head over heels in love. Aidan was a fabulous baby, always happy and sociable. Breaking him of bottles was easy, pacifiers were a bit harder as at the ripe old age of 12 months when I decided to take them away he was smart enough that he hid them EVERYWHERE in my house! In the toes of rarely used shoes, in the floor heating vents, in the cupboards in the kitchen…. You name a place and there would most likely be a pacifier there! Aidan was exceptionally smart from very early on. He had quite a few of his favorite books memorized by the age of 18 months, and he would "read" them to me all the time. He was also especially adorable (or maybe I am biased) Aidan has been a rock in my life. He was my lifesaver when his dad and I divorced. I adored him and he brought me joy and happiness in the darkest times of my life.

As you can see Aidan has a heartmelting smile, and loves to show it off! He also has loved his aunt Angie since the day he was born..... they have a special bond that I have never seen in extended family before, and they have kept that bond strong over many years and many miles!

I won't lie, the last few years in Aidan's life have been tough ones. He has lost 2 stepfamilies on his dad's side, he witnessed his dad punish his 14 year old brother in a way that his dad was arrested and convicted of felony child abuse, he was diagnosed as manic depressive and with bi-polar disorder, and then we sold our house and have lived first in our camp trailer and then at my parents house for the last 6 months. He has seen too much and known too much heartache for any 9 year old boy to get through, and he has pulled through it all and come out a better person. He now has a closer relationship with his dad that I can ever remember him having. He also loves and trusts his stepdad (there was a period where he put up a wall, after losing 2 stepmom's) He still has that wall at times, but for the most part he just loves.

Aidan has grown into a great big brother to little Zander, and I know that even though he is not always nice and sharing with him, he loves that little guy more than the world.

Since we are still in Phoenix at the resort we took Aidan to see the new Adam Sandler movie Bedtime Stories, then had a impromptu party in a grassy area off the highway. We picked up a yummy chocolate grasshopper cake that he picked out at Safeway, and he got to open his presents before his dad came and picked him up for a few days visit.

I love you my Aidan boy, never forget that!