Happy 5th Birthday Aiden

The many faces of Aiden.....how true this picture is. You can be sweet and affectionate, you can be silly and funny, you can be a wild man, you can be mischievous and rotten, and sometimes you can just 'be'. Funny how your 5th birthday is hitting me the hardest. Is it because you and your brothers are growing up so fast? Is it because seems so old compared to 4? I see a lot of changes in you this past year. You are definitely growing up.


Looking back at baby pictures of you, I came across so many that made me smile, laugh, and even cry.

This was one of the ones that made me cry. This was taken at Children's Hospital in St Louis after you spent 4 days there when you were barely 2 weeks old. While you were there, I saw you go through some horrible procedures and tests that made you cry out in pain. You had tubes going into every orifice of your body. The hardest part was that the one thing that would give you comfort, couldn't give you. Since they weren't sure if you would need emergency surgery or not, you were kept on IV's and I couldn't breastfeed you. It was killing me. Your story had a happy ending....you didn't end up having the disease that was first suspected. This picture was taken moments after all of your tubes and IV's were removed and I could cuddle you like I wanted and nurse you finally. Little did we know you would end up needing surgery a few years later but for something totally different....your first, and hopefully your last, hernia!

Your first trip to the pumpkin patch. I'm not sure you were awake for a lot of it!

Your brothers were so enamored with you when you were born. They came home from school everyday and couldn't wait to hold you and talk to you.

Drew and Aiden

Noah and Aiden
You were so lucky to have your cousin born just 4 days after you. You have been best buds ever since. It is so fun to watch you two play and talk. It's like you are in a world all your own sometimes.

It looks like you guys were trying to kiss here. :)

You were my little follically challenged little boy. Your brother's had haircuts by their first birthday but your hair took its sweet time. It was busy growing those gorgeous dark blonde curls that you sport now.It was worth the wait!

Aiden 10 months old
Aiden 2 years old

Your second Halloween you dressed up like a lion. This was taken at the Halloween party at your brothers' school. You didn't even go to school there yet but you won the costume contest anyway. Who could resist the cutest lion ever?

My sweet Aiden, what a journey we have been on together. 5 years that would never have been the same without you. You definitely complete our family and add a lot of spark to it. You are inquisitive, determined, spirited, affectionate, funny, smart, and all ours! Some days you challenge me to the point where I want to rip my hair out and other days you call me your "pretty princess" and give me more love, hugs, and kisses than I ever thought I could have. I love you Aiden Sunshine. Happy 5th Birthday to you. I look forward to MANY MANY more with you.
I asked you this morning if you felt any different now that you were five and you said "yes, cause now I'm a little bigger." Yes baby, you are.