Hotter than a Cape Codder

Well, o.k., Cape Codder's aren't really hot, per se, but no-one said that this blog thing was supposed to make sense.

This weekend, Aden got another taste of the beach life, as we went up to visit Great Grandma Fleck, and saw Grandma Marjorie, who was visiting as well. Needless to say, good times were had by all, and Aden charmed the proverbial pants off everyone he came in contact with. The highlight was definitely our trip to the beach on Saturday - even though it wasn't exactly summer weather, we couldn't keep the little dude out of the water! All he wanted to do was wade in the surf. We're pretty psyched to take him swimming for real when the real warm weather hits...

Of course, we know what you're here for - more rock, less talk. So on with the pictures!

Kay-ray-zee baby action

All kinds of action's going on around here, as befits the season. Aden was just issued his U.S. certificate of foreign birth - now we just have to get his U.S. passport, and the kid will be set!

Grandma Marjorie is visiting this weekend, and helping out with morning baby duty, which has been great for Melissa and I. And as always, Grandma Marjorie came bearing gifts and clothes, which is great for Aden!

In development news, he's... well, developing. Aden has learned how to say Grammy Barbara's name, and it's his favorite word... except when we're trying to get him to say it to her over the phone. He figured out how to climb up on things previously out of reach by using smaller, movable things, as steps. So yes, we are in trouble.

But now YOU'RE in trouble too, because we're going to overload you with ten (count 'em, TEN!) photos of serious cute-inosity. Look upon these and tremble in fear (and cuteness).

Dancin' in the streets

Today's update is actually from Melissa:

Spring really has sprung… and there is no better evidence than the action yesterday afternoon on Carrington Ave. Carrington is more than home to Aden’s back-up-parents Bill and Tori. It is also the dead-end street where a bunch of families hang out to let the dogs play, let the chillins roam, and the grown-ups drink a few pints of Steve’s home brew (go Steve!).

With the warmer weather upon us it was time to “take it to the streets” and get back to the awesome tradition of sitting on the stoop. The kids had a blast (notice the picture of Josie where her ability to fly into action is captured on film... er... digitally). Aden wasn’t starving, freezing or sick and managed to have a fine time playing his favorite game, or what we call “free range chicken.” He will not be cooped up! Baby Matthew (aka the boy in the pictures below who's not Aden or Julian) keeps us all on our toes. He is his own man and quite capable of amazing feats of independence.

I just can’t think of a better way to spend an afternoon. During our visit, Tori remarked that Aden has only been home for six months. I usually concede that time flies, but in this case, it just feels like he’s been with us (and part of the Carrington crew) forever. Happy spring everyone!

Ah, Spring - a time for renewal and whatnots...

Dear Blogosphere -
It's been so long, it's hard to know where to begin. Aden's been growing like a weed (he leapt from not even showing up on U.S. growth charts to hitting the third percentile), plowing through paperwork (last bit to handle: his U.S. birth certificate), running like crazy and babbling up a storm. Easter turned out to be a great holiday - we spent it at Grandpa & Grandma Bob & Leslie's, and Aden ate his first cabbage pierogi... and his second... and his third. To our immense pride, he loved them! He's quite the cosmopolitan little dude. He also cleaned up at the egg hunt, finding the most eggs (though I'm pretty sure that Leslie pre-loaded his basket with a few), and got the best gifts (namely, a tricked out racecar that plays "You Can't Touch This" by M.C. Hammer).

Last weekend, we went out to the Small House on the Cape (thanks Ann, Rachel, Mary & Small House crew!), where Aden had yet another great time! Aden got to spend some quality bonding time with his pal Julian, and took his first walk on the beach. Of course, it was pretty cold, so he didn't go in the water, but the resulting pictures are pretty fantastic. If we could have just photoshopped a helmet onto his winter bunting, the photos could pass for Aden's first steps on the moon.

Now that's it's getting nice out, and that we're past the painful days of flu & teething (that was a tough combination), we're hoping to take more pictures and keep the blog in better shape. Keep your eyes open people, because there are bound to be more adventures posted soon. But here's what you really came for: the pix!

Triple threat in slopeside antics

Last weekend, Aden went on his first ski trip. He didn't hit the trails, but based on his high-energy antics over the weekend, it won't be long before he's swooshing down the bunny slopes... and then it won't be long after that until he's bombing down the black diamonds!

This trip, however, was all about getting to know the joy that is ski-in / ski-out accomodations. It's easy for the adults to watch a kid when there's so many folks around. More people = more distractions for the little dude. Case in point: Aunt Jess jumpstarted Aden's gymnastics career by helping him climb up her front. His buddies Julian and Leo came along too, so they all got to hang out and chat about their nutty parents... and lay around and eat their feet. You know - what all the cool babies do.

Words fail me every day

Yep, it's been a while since we last posted... but it hasn't been for lack of activity. Things have been abuzz around the house, let me tell you. The biggest news has been of the bipedal sort: there's some serious walking action going on in Aden's direction. In fact, today he was pretty much jogging laps around the house.

All of this has been pretty exciting, and pretty exhausting. He's managed to draw blood three times in the past four days (mouth, eyelid, and mouth again), all from falling. It hasn't slowed him down much, though. I don't think that anything can slow him down much.

So, while there are literally hundreds of photos for me to sort through, I'm only posting two. Think of them as Dr. Aden and Mr. Hyde - two opposite (but equally hilarious) poles of a tiny personality that's evolving very fast. Feel free to come up with your own captions for the two sides of Little Mr. A, and if you think you've got something that captures his particular brand of je ne sais quois, post it in the comments...

08ification

Today, I received this frantic e-mail from a reader of this blog: Dear Jeremy - since your last post indicates that you, Melissa and Aden were trapped in the snowfields of Maine, we assume that you remain there today. As such, we have contacted the police, the National Guard, and the Mounties to find you and bring you home to safety. Hang in tight, buddy - help is on the way!

However, not to burst anyone's bubble, but we're not trapped in the snowfields of northern Maine at all. In fact, we've been through quite a few adventures since that last post, and we've been safely back home for many days now. Here's the short-form to catch you back up to speed:

1) Aden got to visit Cape Cod to meet all of his extended relatives, and had a great time. He loved hanging out with his many cousins. David, Julia and Emma were all very helpful, and Aden was psyched to meet so many friendly people who were only a little bigger than him.

2) After meeting the fam, Aden celebrated the New Year in Providence. At least that's what we thought. We were surprised to wake up on January 1st, 2008 to find the NYPD on our front doorstep, holding a very sleepy and cranky Aden. Apparently, they found him in Times Square after the ball dropped, trying to bite Ryan Seacrest's ankle on national TV. We're not quite sure how he got out of the crib and found the keys to the car, be we sure are proud of our industrious little kid.

3) Aden's gotten to go to daycare a couple of times now, and loves it. Except for the part where we drop him off. And the part where we pick him up. Everything in between, however, is totally awesome.

4) Aunt Wren and Uncle Joe have been hanging out here in Providence, and Aden has been exceptionally happy to get to hang out with them. Yesterday (and I am totally not making this up), he even exclaimed "Aunt Wren!" Of course, we haven't gotten him to say it since, but it was pretty darned exciting.

5) Slimy and Slimier is no longer Aden's favorite game. His new favorite is called "Hide Under a Table or Chair, Jump and Giggle With Surprise When an Adult Peeks Down and Finds Me." We are currently accepting submissions for a shorter name for this game.

And that's about it... we will be sure to update sooner next time... especially if he manages to get a chunk out of Seacrest's ankle. Now that would be some serious news!