Peas, Pears, & Bumbos! :)

As I mentioned in my last post, Aden has started to try out some solids! And so far his favorites are peas & pears. :) Here are a few photos of his happy, messy first solids experience.

Aden has also just started to sit up with a little supportive help. It's so fun to see him growing up!! Instead of letting him lean against pillows, though, we decided to get him one of those ever popular Bumbo seats. He isn't quite sure what to think of it yet, but he sure does like sitting like a big boy!

Last, but not least, here's a photo of Aden holding his head up so well!! And of course he is looking at himself in the mirror. It seems we are raising quite a vain baby boy!! :) He loves to sit and stare at himself in the mirror. It's so funny!

5 Days & Counting...

Well, we are 5 days out from our last day in New York. It's been a great 6 months full of absolutely amazing adventures, blessings and surprises. But we knew it wouldn't last forever, and now that we've had our fun it is time to say goodbye.

The movers come on Tuesday to make a list of the items we will be moving. Then they come Wednesday to pack everything up, and Thursday to move everything out. We will be leaving around noon on Friday, shortly after Harold's graduation ceremony. What a wonderful way to spend my birthday!! :) It's been a long two years for us, and we couldn't be happier that this Nuclear Training Program is finally coming to an end.

We have been spending our last few days in New York with our close friends we have made here. We are sad to know that they will be leaving us and going to Washington State. :( But we've been careful to take lots of photos and to keep every memory made here with our friends close to our hearts. These times will always be remembered. :)

Well, of course in every post I feel like sharing photos of Aden is a must!!

He has been changing so much lately!! Two of our newest updates are the highlights of our lives right now!! Aden has learned to roll over!! :D He will go from his belly to his back and sometimes he even makes it from his back onto his belly!! :) His pediatrician said that he is "very advanced"... ;)
And for our other update??

Aden LOVES peas!!
That's right...who would have thought that any son of Harold's would ever love a vegetable??! Aden has started the transition into solid foods...very, very slowly...but we are happy to see him enjoying the process. :)

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Daddy & Aden

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Trying out his new hat from Grandma Becky

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Mommy's First Mate :)

Hello, Virginia...

Naval Base Norfolk, USS Enterprise

Well, Harold and I received our orders today...as the title states, we are moving to Norfolk, Virginia and Harold will be deployed to the USS Enterprise. We aren't sure about a lot of the details right now, but we are leaving next Friday (March 18) so we'll get things figured out soon.

It's a little bittersweet for us right now...Harold has worked his butt off in school and has remained at the top of his class through the entire 2 years so that we could eventually have our pick of places by the end of this stretch. But alas...2 years down and all of that hard work and they are sending us to a place that wasn't even on our choice list.

As you can guess, Harold is having a really hard time with this.

But we knew it could happen! Yes we did. And we are going to not only accept it, but embrace it. We have prayed through this entire experience, "God, let Your will be done. Send us where we are needed and where You want us to be. And help us to understand it." Well, God has chosen Norfolk, and that is where He needs us to be and where we will be living for the next 4 years.

Now we are dealing with our frustrations and learning to accept this path God has chosen. We know we are always in His capable hands and underneath His protective wing. With Him, anything we do will be great.

Anyway...now that we know where we are going and when we have to be there, we can plan our trip home. So as soon as our plans are made, our blog will know. ;)

New York City

Harold passed his final exam...(YAAAAY!!!) So to celebrate, we decided it was about time we made the 2 1/2 hour trip into New York City! We hopped on a train, found a hotel and put on our walking shoes! It was a great trip...here are just a few snapshots (we had almost 500 photos) from our first family vacation. :)

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Aden enjoying a little rest in between exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History .

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Harold and Aden trembling at the sight of the carnivorous dinos.

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Aden & his new Teddy Bear from FAO Schwarz

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Daddy picked out some sweet shades for our favorite boy. He's not quite sure about them yet...

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Harold showing Aden what is sure to be his favorite toys. I know he can't wait to begin a new lego collection for him. :)

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Trading up? I sure hope not...for that price tag, he'll have to stick with the jogger... :)

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Harold ordered a beer sampler from Heartland Brewery.

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Enjoying his own bed :)

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Aden & his sweet baby blues make my heart melt every time. He did SO great on our trip! I couldn't be more proud! He is so handsome and so well behaved. At 2 1/2 months old, I certainly did not expect such a smooth trip to such a huge city. We were able to do almost everything we wanted to do at a nice easy pace for Baby and not too far over budget... ;)

I'm really glad we were able to go and get away for the weekend. And now Aden has been to 2 of the largest cities in the United States by the time he is 3 months old! A world traveler already... :)

Mommy's Memories

Moments to Remember

Aden is my most favorite gift. God has blessed me in so many ways, but none of my blessings are so great as the gift of Motherhood. I have never felt more love, more pride, or more worry for anything or anyone in my entire life. It's an incredible thing, to experience carrying a baby as he grows inside my belly, and giving birth to him (even 12 days late!). And then to hold him for the first time and to give him his first kisses and hugs as we make sure he is happy and safe in his big new world. I'm so proud to be able to say that I am Aden's Mommy.

A friend of ours gifted us a set of mini Navy uniforms for Aden. They match Harold's uniforms right down to the little anchor on the chest. I dressed him in one of them for the first time and I couldn't help but get teary. He and his Daddy are so alike and seeing him in that uniform made me think of sending Harold off for his first deployment. My heart hurts every time the thought crosses my mind...but especially when I held Aden in that uniform.

I know we can handle it, though. God never gives us more than we can handle...even when it feels as though that isn't true, I have to believe that it is. Otherwise I'd be an emotional wreck!!

Aden & Mommy :)

I feel for the girl who falls in love with this boy someday. I just don't think I could ever share!

Our Happy Boy

Aden is full of stories!! He is talk-talk-talking ALL DAY LONG! He talks while he is eating...sleeping...staring...playing...and especially while he's getting his diaper changed. He loves to throw his hands up over his head and let out a big grunt which always sounds like he's saying "Whoooooa!" He also does this when he thinks he is going to sneeze but then it just doesn't happen. He is such a goofball! It's so fun to see his personality beginning to develop. He is quite the entertainer!

Aden making his "whoa" sound. He thinks it's hilarious :)

He definitely loves the spotlight! He is not shy when it comes to the camera. Whenever I pull it out and he sees it a giant grin comes over his face. I like to remind him to smile for the camera, but he rarely needs the nudge.

Aden is just all smiles! :) He is the happiest little boy we've ever seen. We just love having him in our life!

Valentine's Day!

Forever & Always

I was surprised today, when I returned home from grocery shopping with my favorite boy, to find a box from ProFlowers.com sitting on our doorstep. :D YAY!! FLOWERS!! Our 2nd Valentine's day together as a married couple and this year definitely beats last year. Harold is the love of my life and I appreciate everything he does for me and Aden...but last Valentine's Day...well...let's just say Harold thought it was in May...

So we ended up hitting the 50% off sales the following day to make up for our first Valentine's Day...haha. But it was fun anyway and we still got to enjoy lots of chocolates and a teddy bear. :)

Who needs a holiday to love on your spouse, anyway? We don't! But it's nice to know that I was on his mind this February 14th. And now I have a great centerpiece!! Gorgeous tulips and a box of chocolates go a long way to brighten up this dreary February in New York...

Which reminds me...We still haven't received our orders yet!! Ugh!! But hopefully soon. They told us we would know by today...but alas...no orders. Oh well, we will be celebrating today anyway because today Aden turns 2 months old!!

2 Months Old Today!!

I am so in love with Aden's sweet smiles and his adorable laugh! I could listen to him laugh all day long! And who couldn't look at this smiling little boy and not get a huge smile themselves?? I certainly can't! He is the greatest Valentine's Day gift ever!!

Aden and I spend all day together, and even though I love every moment I get to share with him, my favorites have to be right around bed time when his eyes get droopy and all he wants to do is snuggle up under my chin and drift off to sleep. I love my little boy!!

Aden's Play Gym

Here's a video of Aden in his play gym. :)

All About Aden

This past week, we brought home a play gym for Aden. He is 7 weeks old now and has officially decided he is bored with the life of a newborn. He no longer likes to be cradled in our arms, he only wants to sit up so he can see over our shoulders. He doesn't like it when we hold his bottle, he wants to do it himself. (He can't quite do this yet...but he certainly likes to think he can) He also has gotten over his swing. It is too slow and the mobile isn't entertaining enough. So, of course, we simply had to find some more entertaining options for our growing boy!

I went out with some friends and, after an hour or so of shopping, finally picked the right one for him...including a spinning mobile, 20+ minutes of music, 15 different toy attachments and a bright and colorful light show. For now Aden is perfectly content to stare at the spinning mobile, and occasionally the lights. He loves the hippo that dangles in the center of the mobile and laughs at it ever time I turn it on. The look on his face says it all, "Mom, you are the best!" (At least in my mind, that's what he's saying)

He loved the play gym SO much that after about 20 minutes or so of kicking and waving his arms and smiling, cooing and laughing...he crashed. He was out like a light and it was pure heaven for me. Nap time!!

Aden napping in his play gym. :)

Boo-Bear

The same day that I bought the play gym, I took an opportunity to venture into Jo-Ann's Fabric store. It wasn't a planned trip, but the biggest one in the area happened to be only a few stores down from the baby store I purchased the gym at. So of course I had to take a few minutes and stroll through the lovely land of everything nice. If I could live there, I totally would. As long as Michael's was my next door neighbor. Anyway, I had seen a little bear blankie toy thing that I thought was so cute...and apparently it's the thing to have in the infant world. But it retailed for nearly $25!! I couldn't imagine spending that much on such a tiny thing that could easily be made...so I decided to check out the possibility of making my own version of the bear blankie.

So I priced the materials and came home with less than $5 spent...and now Aden can be one of the cool kids with his very own bear blankie which has been affectionately named, Boo-Bear.

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His face is a little long...but I am very proud to say that I free-handed this little fellow. Let's hope he withstands the teething stage... :)

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Aden's little blankie I made also. $5 for two blankies definitely beats $25 for one...

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Success!!
He loves his Boo-Bear!! :)

A New York Winter...

It's been a good day, getting the blog caught up on all the amazing things that have gone on in our lives over the past year. It seems that since the moment Harold signed his contract with Uncle Sam, life has been moving so fast...one thing after the next we have been changing, moving, growing and finding our place in this fast paced world. If anything, the Navy has been a blessing. Some days it's hard to think of it that way...like when Harold is working mid shifts from 7 pm-7am for 7 days in a row or when those 12 hour days turn into 14 hour days and dinner goes uneaten. It's life...and we've discovered that for every 'bad' thing there is something so good. Together we've decided that at the end of the day we would much rather focus on the good and let the bad teach us how to make life even better...or maybe help us to realize just how good the good stuff is.

Our 2 year anniversary is coming up. It's amazing to me how much our lives have changed in such a short amount of time. When I think about the wedding, 2 years seems like a lifetime. It feels like it was so long ago. Since then we moved to South Carolina, Harold graduated from the toughest academic training program in the military, we moved to New York, I gave birth to our son Aden, and now we are waiting on our new orders so that we can plan our next big adventure. We have an incredible journey ahead of us...one that has had the greatest beginning. I can't even imagine what God has in store for us down the road.

For now, we are in Saratoga Springs, New York hiding away in our apartment...not because we are loners or because we are indoorsy people...but because the world around us is buried underneath nearly FOUR FEET OF SNOW!!! Yes...we love snow. We love winter. But right now I'm just about done with winter...and every last flake of snow. Aden and I have spent many weeks cooped up in our 2 bedroom apartment, watching the snow fall again and again while Harold switches from shift to shift working so hard and doing so well in his final stretch of school. And now I'd like to be able to get out and enjoy the outdoors! Thankfully we should be receiving new orders around Valentine's Day and Harold will be graduating March 4th!! Which means we will be coming home!! My favorite thing about being away is just how much I've learned to cherish my time with friends and family.

Which reminds me...before I end this...for my best friend Molly: I love you and I miss you and I'm so proud to be your friend. Your mission to China is already an amazing testament of your courage and faithfulness. You are truly gifted and I know God has great things waiting for you there. I can't wait to see all the photos and to see how your life is changed by this experience!! :D ...and I'm really excited for the souvenirs!! ;)

I have a lot more to update and get caught up on...but it's so much that I just can't do it all in one day! Until next time...

Aden Lee Phythian

Aden Lee Phythian

December 14, 2010
9:50 PM
8 lbs. 13.4 oz.
22 inches long

Our first look at our sweet baby boy.

Daddy and his son.

My boys :)

The newest love of our lives

The last day in the hospital :)

Aden in his going home outfit

Thank Heaven for Little Boys

...and the TWO became THREE...

Very slowly our lives were changed with the arrival of our son!! Here are the photos of my pregnancy all the way up to 1 day overdue...yep...he was overdue...by 12 days!! But after the first day, I didn't feel much like taking pictures anymore...

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We're pregnant!! We found out at 5 weeks along.
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17 weeks along, one week before we found out we're having a BOY!!
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21 weeks along
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25 weeks along
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26 weeks along
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27 weeks along
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28 weeks along
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30 weeks along
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32 weeks along
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36 weeks along
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38 weeks along
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40 weeks & 1 day...


...continued in next post...