Well Check-Ups

Today, Aidan and Noah went to the dr. for well child visits. I had delayed taking Noah so that I could get two done at once. Our new insurance has kicked in, so my copay was less, which was nice. Aidan was worried he'd have to get a shot today, but I wasn't sure if would have to. Noah, on the other hand, would definately have to get a couple of shots.

It began calmly. Chris was off today, so we all headed to the pediatrician's office. The nurse got the weight and height of the boys--Aidan is 42 inches tall and 37 lbs, while Noah is 39.5 inches tall and 35 lbs. No wonder people think they boys are twins! Aidan had to have a hearing and vision screening for school, but he still didn't want to cooperate. Poor Noah had to get his thumb pricked so they could do some blood work on him, and he screamed bloody murder! While the nurse went to get the dr., Aidan decided to cooperate on the vision screening, so we all watched as he passed with flying colors. Once Dr. M came in, though, things got a bit hairy. Aidan did ok for his exam, but he was still afraid he'd get a shot. Noah watched with wonder as Aidan had his exam. Then it was Noah's turn, but Noah did not like that idea at all. Dr. M was patient with him, and he finally calmed down for his exam. Next, we had a nice chat about eating habits and Noah's speech. As we discussed Noah's speech, we briefly touched on what could be causing his speech delay. Dr. M hestitantly said there is a slight possiblity he has autism. She didn't want to even say it, because she doesn't really think this is the case, but she wanted us to watch for signs over the next six months and then we'll re-evaluate. She suggested that we get him more involved with other kids and see how he develops. We all truly believe that it is nothing more than a simple speech delay, but we will follow him closely the next few months. I'd be lying if I said that simply mentioning autism doesn't have me worried and concerned, but I'm trying to stay focused. His speech has come a long way, and I can only hope and pray that he will continue to make great strides.

Eat Mor Chikn

I cannot believe that Aidan is now 5! Where has the time gone? Only yesterday, he was born a huge baby boy, causing me to push for 3 hours before he was delivered. Now, he's in Pre-K, playing baseball, and learning at leaps and bounds.

We had Aidan's 5th birthday party on Sat., Feb. 5 at CFA on Scenic Hwy. We had discussed what kind of party Aidan wanted, and though he initially wanted a CEC party, I did some research and discovered that CFA was highly rated for birthday parties and a bit more frugal than other places. In fact, it appears that each individual CFA determines what they will charge for birthday parties. Some places rival CEC or Monkey Joe's, while others simply charge for the kids' meals. I was happy with what CFA in Snellville gave me for my money. They told me they would set up a table for the kids with a tablecloth, provide a balloon for each child, let the kids order what they wanted in their meals, give them ice cream, and have the cow present. Nothing seemed simpler to me! We invited the entire Pre-K class, but I knew they wouldn't all show up.

On Friday, after 5.5 hours, I had made Aidan's Super Mario cake from scratch. We decided to blow up Aidan's Mario balloon on Saturday morning, and when we went to Party City, the balloon was deflated by the time we went to check out. They refilled it, and once again, the air escaped. I felt bad for Aidan, but there was nothing I could do--no place actually sells the Mario mylar balloons. I had ordered it online from Birthday Express. Chris got off of work early, and we went to CFA around 5:15, about 15 min. before his party. People trickled in--several people who had not RSVPed showed up, and I was glad, because I only had about a half dozen RSVPs. As luck would have it, it was also daddy/daughter date night, so there was a violinist and arch made of balloons, as well as black tableclothes and candles on each table. All of the kids began playing, and we ordered a small nugget tray for the adults to munch on. After all the kids arrived, we ordered their meals. Honestly, the children were amazingly quiet during dinner! We got them ice cream, and the cow came over to help sing to Aidan. He was beaming with excitement! Next, he opened those presents!! All of the kids were excited--Aidan got lots of fun toys! As the party wrapped up, I passed out goody bags to the kids (filled with pencils, pads of paper, Play-Doh, Smarties, fruit snacks, a crazy straw, and Mario candy). Aidan was walking on air that evening. Once we got home, he ripped into his new toys, and he, Katie, and Noah had a blast trying everything out. I heard some of the kids say Aidan's party was the best they had ever been to! Needless to say, fun was had by all, and we had some exhausted kids that evening!