Comparison

 I knew this pregnancy would be different, but I can't believe how much bigger I am and differently I am carrying.  Yet, even though I feel huge, I have gained about half the weight as I had by this time when I was pregnant with Ayden.

This is @ 28 weeks preggo with Ayden.

This is last week @ 27 weeks with baby girl - still have 3 more months to go!

Our Crazy and Creative Boy!

It was crazy hair day at school!  He talked about it for weeks leading up to it and was so excited when I told him we could buy some colored hairspray.  Turned out pretty cute :)

A few weeks ago, Ayden randomly asked if we had any big cardboard boxes because he wanted to make a helicopter.  After I went to Costco, I gave him those boxes, but he said they weren't big enough.  Luckily, daddy happened to see a HUGE box at work and brought it home.  Ken & Ayden built this awesome cardboard helicopter, complete with a turning propeller. Now we just have to figure out where to keep it for the next couple weeks before he is "done" with it.

Our little baseball player

We signed Ayden up for T-Ball this year. The season hasn't started yet, but Grandpa and Grandma Jill bought Ayden a "real" baseball glove.  Ayden has a pretty good arm, but definitely needs to work on the catching part.  He and Grandpa had fun playing catch in the front yard.

Our new niece!!

Violet Adellae Noelle Groom was born on January 12th.  She was 8 lbs and 21 inches long. A big baby, considering she was 10 days early!  Matthew and Dominique are such great parents.  I can't wait for our little girls to be great friends.

It worked out well that she delivered at the same hospital that I will be delivering at.  We got to see the labor and delivery rooms, waiting room, and regular rooms.  Ayden got to know his way around and see what it's like to have a baby (the kid-friendly parts). 

Ayden's first glimpse

So beautiful! LOVE the little bow the nurse made for her little hat!  I'm going to be making that request for our little one!

Auntie Jennifer

 Ayden is so sweet with her.  He is very gentle and was so excited that he "put her to sleep"

Disneyland Day 3

Our last day at Disneyland we continued our trend of getting there when they open to enjoy a few short(ish) lines. 

Ayden looked forward to riding the Matterhorn for two days.  Unfortunately, it was down on day 2, so we were excited to see it was up and running on our last day.

We hit the last of the rides in Fantasyland that we had not ridden yet...

 ...and a couple that he wanted to do again

We headed over to California Adventure when they opened.  Ken wasn't feeling well at this point, but was a trooper and rode a couple of rides with Ayden in A Bugs Land

All ready for the 3D movie

 Ken's "not feeling well" turned into "really sick" when we went back to the hotel for lunch.  He was hoping that some sleep would help, but Ayden and I headed back to the parks on our own.  While we missed Ken, we did all of the attractions at California Adventure that we hadn't done yet.

Then we headed back to Disneyland because Ayden wanted to go back to Toontown.

We got some dessert (ice cream & cotton candy) and found a good spot to watch the Fireworks.  We were so bummed to two previous nights because the Fireworks had to be cancelled.  It was so exciting that they were "on" on our last night.  We were bummed that Ken had to miss them, but they were worth the wait! 

I didn't get any pictures of the fireworks.  I had not anticipated that I would have to hold Ayden so he could see the fireworks.  It must have been an interesting sight - a 5 1/2 month pregnant woman with a 50 pound 5 year old on her back and a backpack on her front (in addition to the belly).  Too bad we don't have a picture of that!



Thank goodness for my phone - it gave Ayden something to do while we waited.



Disneyland Day 2

Our second day was the "Magic Morning" where we got in an hour early (7am). There were still quite a few people, but we were able to hit fantasy land and the Finding Nemo ride with minimal lines!

I read a tip online that it helps to get to Toontown just as they open, and that the line to see Mickey is shorter.  We still waited about 1/2 an hour, but it wasn't too bad.  Ayden was excited to be able to ride the roller coaster twice while I waited in line.

After our lunch break each day, Ken needed an ice coffee from the 7-11 across the street from our hotel in order to get him through the rest of the day!

This may be the best self portrait we've ever taken!

We got our churros!!

Dinner at the Rainforest Cafe

 After dinner, we walked around Downtown Disney for a little while.  Ayden had a blast at the Lego store!

I think he would have sat there for an hour if we had let them

Cinderella's castle all lit up!!

Disneyland Day 1

On December 27th, we drove from Los Banos to Anaheim.  We didn't plan very well because we hit the outskirts of LA at 5pm, so it took us about 2 hours just to get through to the Disneyland area.  We got checked into our hotel, unpacked, then went to bed early to rest up for three big days at Disneyland and California Adventure.

Ayden was tall enough to ride on every single ride, except for California Screamin' (about 1 inch too short).  He was all about the roller coasters and "fast rides".  My boy is a thrill-seeker!!  We wondered if he would remember any of the last trip we took to Disneyland, and there were a few glimpses of memory here and there, but for the most part, it was like he was seeing everything for the first time!  See how little he looked last time we went to Disneyland in 2009

Even with Ken & Ayden complaining about getting up so early, we hit the park when they opened each morning, including 7 am for our Magic Morning.  This was the smartest move we made as Disneyland especially was the most crowded I have ever seen it!  The morning hours were when we were able to ride the most rides with the shortest lines.

All ready to go!!

The first ride!

Cinderella's castle was so beautifully decorated for Christmas

Ayden needed a map to show us where he wanted to go....everywhere!!

We headed over to California Adventure before they opened so we could get fast passes to World of Color.  We found the Paradise Pier area practically empty, so we took advantage of those short lines and rode every ride!

This was the first of many Goofy sightings

Woody

After going back to the hotel for lunch and a little nap for Daddy break, we headed back to Disneyland just in time for a parade!  We snagged a spot near the huge Christmas tree!

Ayden insisted on taking our picture many times throughout this trip.  He told us he was very careful to make sure he got the "tippy top" of the tree in the picture.

The newly re-done Star Tours in 3D.  This was the only ride that I wasn't supposed to ride, but I did anyway.

Ayden getting ready to help Buzz blast Zurg

Ken wanted to make sure that we got a picture of him as a pack mule.  I did my share of carrying the backpack and pushing the stroller, but while he was staking out our spot for World of Color, he looked like this.  The first day was the only day we actually took the stroller.  We decided it was easier to make Ayden walk, which he didn't complain about too much, especially once we bribed him with cotton candy!  Our compromise was to take the shuttle back and forth from the hotel, rather than walking it four times (this may or may not have been Mommy's request, just as much as Ayden's)

Pictures do not even begin to show how amazing the World of Color show was.  It was dancing fountains meets Fantasmic, plus lasers, music, and so much more.  We were all mesmerized and it was well worth the stress of making sure we got a fast pass and waiting for an hour (easy for me to say since Ken was the one who waited while Ayden and I went on the Little Mermaid ride and grabbed some pizza for dinner) .