I hold in my hands...

... a rattle!

Aiden held his first rattle on Thursday, April 17th. It was, by no coincidence, a baseball rattle (hey- I could not find a tennis rattle). The following Monday, he held his first teething ring. Ever since then, Aiden has been experimenting with ways to get it in his mouth- when it is close to his mouth- and he only grabs the teething toys with his left hand. Hmm. Could this mean he is left handed? We did notice that he found his left hand particularly interesting last week. It looks like the family may have another artist on their hands. Or writer (mommy hopes).

Three Months Old

But boy does it feel longer!

Here are some pics we have snapped in the past few weeks. Click on the photo below to view them on Picasa.

Aiden sends his love!

Boy Bernal

Swim Time!

As a proud parent and former swim instructor, it took much self control for Mommy not to burst into tears as Aiden went for his first swim! Thanks to Kristin and Craig, our visiting friends from North Carolina, Mommy and Aiden were able to visit the Doubletree Hotel for a little indoor pool time. The water was warm and the pool empty... we could not have had better luck! Kudos to Craig for having such a great idea!

I would like to point out that both Target and Walgreens do not sell size one diaper "swimmers," so we had to improvise with the 24 pound and up size! At a dollar per diaper, you really prefer a good fit!

Aiden was a little unsure at first (well, by the time we got out the camera) but he warmed up quickly. After ten minutes in the water, baby boy was stretching out his legs to float on his belly and dipping his chin in the water, smiling. Mommy was so proud when Aiden began loosely kicking his legs, froggie style. If there had not been so much chlorine, someone could have held their breath under water (babies up to nine months can naturally hold their breath when submerged into water). The first dunk can be a bit of a shock- so why spoil a good thing?

The funniest part about the entire swimming experience was Aiden's fifteen minute nap mid-swim. Guess the little guy got a bit tired. There is nothing more precious than a baby asleep in the water- sorry there is not a photo of the snoozing water baby!

The Return of G-Dad

Needless to say, Aiden Cole was happy to see his G-Dad this morning.

After a five day trip to San Antonio with Uncle Spanky, G-Dad returned late last night. At first, baby ignored the sound of his voice (perhaps he was... mad? giving G the cold shoulder?) Yet during a particularly fussy moment, when nothing could persuade Aiden to relax, G-Dad pulled out the magic shoulder. Baby was quiet, but still wide awake. In an effort to lull him to sleep, I took over but OH NO. Aiden would have none of that! He immediately began crying- "I want my Ggggg-Daaaad" (this is what I think he would say if he could speak). So the old man gladly took over, and I'll be darned but Aiden Cole hushed the minute he perched on the Magic Shoulder.

I had a brief moment of feeling inadequate, followed by the freedom to internet and eat a snack, which made me thankful that someone possessed the ability to soothe the baby besides me.

G-Dad pulled out the 'big guns' or the Pink Floyd baby lullaby cd, and within ten minutes, baby was sound asleep. In fact, he did not even stir as we put him down for a late morning nap.

We missed our G-Dad. May he not go away for a very long time!

Tiger Cub

Aiden Cole watched his very first NCAA final four game- and the Memphis Tigers won!!! Although our dear G-dad was sorely missed, we all rallied in the second half (A slept through the first half) and cheered on our team. Mom and Aiden were dressed in Tiger duds, and we snapped some great pics for G-dad and Uncle Spanky.

You could feel the tension in the air... we do live in a Tiger house after all, but the poor baby had a naptime nightmare that U of M lost. Aiden Cole woke up screaming and I soothed him back to the land of nod with his binkie and promises that Derick Rose would kick some booty and all the Tigers would improve their free-throw status for the special game.

Several hours and some Indian take out later, it was indeed a close game. The tension finally got to him as Aiden Cole projectile vomited all over Gram at 12.9 seconds... but as the buzzer sounded, we all cheered (and wiped off spit up). Gram was proud to call Aunt Kaki and inform her of our victory as Mom set out to texting the Bernal crew in San Antonio.

A few Coronas and diaper changes later, Aiden Cole lies on his Gram, with sweet dreams of the Tigers winning the tournament. We both want to send a shout out to our G-Dad and Uncle Spanky in San Antonio, watching Kansas beat UNC, eagerly awaiting Monday night's game.

Bath Times

One of Aiden's favorite activities is the bath- he just cannot get over the sensation of water streaming down his body or the sound of gushing water through the large spout. He just loves his bath- there is no other way to describe it. From the moment we turn on the water to the minute he is dressed, Aiden is mesmerized, entranced in a water wonderland that only babies and young children can understand.

There are a select few who have witnessed this phenomena, but I encourage you to see photos or visit us and see the sheer joy in his face as the first specks of warm water land on his fat little belly!