The last few weeks have been filled to the brim with "firsts" for Adylin....and our family! I can't remember what life was like before her, but I do remember I got an "un-interupted" shower every now and again!
Miss Adylin is a pretty good baby! There are things that she REALLY hates, and having a bath is one of them! She would do ok until she had her first "real" bath. Before her cord fell off, we just had wash rag baths and she really didn't mind those, but water is not her favorite thing!! She has no trouble sharing her frusterations with me either!! She screams and fusses until I snuggle her up in a towel! Even with all of the screaming, Aiden LOVES to help give her a bath! He asks every night if it is bath night! I have had to rotate their bath nights so that he is available to help or he gets all sorts of upset!
The Sunday before Thanksgiving was also Adylins first time meeting my dad! He had been in the hospital since she was born, and the pediatrician thought it best if I waited a few weeks to take her to visit at the hospital. Luckily, Dad got to go home and see her a little sooner! (I'll admit it, I used her has bait to get him motivated to go home!)
It was love at first sight! My dad was absolutely head over heels for her the second he saw her! He cried a little, and so did I! I just kept thinking how glad I was that he was still here to meet her!
I have never told anyone about a conversation that my dad and I had just after he was diagnosed. We had been trying to get pregnant again for about 18 months,and I had been on pretty heavy fertility drugs for about 6 months at the time. I knew that I couldn't handle my dad being sick while taking the drugs. I couldn't go 10 minutes without breaking down crying, and I knew that being on all the hormones wasn't helping. My dad came over one afternoon just to talk, and I was having one of my moments. I had made the decision to go off of all the medications until I knew what was going to happen with my dad. Part of m felt like I was giving up, and the other part of me knew that I needed a break. My dad looked at me and said, "Melissa, I have no doubt that there is a little girl waiting for you somewhere. It may be one that is already here and needs a home, or it may be one that is waiting for you to calm down enough to get her here yourself. Something good will come out of this, I know it!"
I couldn't imagine anything good at that moment. I felt like my whole world was collapsing around me and at that momement I felt very calm. I decided to throw myself into cancer. I planned a fundraiser for my dad and did countless hours of research on Mesothelioma. I let myself worry about something else.
Just a few weeks later, I made a call to my dad that really did change our whole outlook on cancer. He had just found out that his surgery had been postponed because of a heart problem and things seemed all down hill again.....but when I told him my news he sat for a minute and the phone was silent. He sobbed and told me that he knew why I was calling.
So, in some round about way, I give some credit to my dad for the little miracle I have now. I think he feels a strong connection to her because of the circumstances, and I hope that he uses his second chance at life to get to know her!
Ady also experienced her first Thanksgiving! We ate at Chuck-a-Rama for dinner, which I think should be a tradition! It was fantastic and no clean up! After lunch we made the normal rounds of visiting.
We stopped at my dads, and at Davids parents and Ady got to meet alot of her cousins! Davids nephew Samuel was right at the door when we walked in wanting to hold her! I thought it was sweet! He is 13 and didn't want to let anyone else have her! That is not typical of a 13 year old boy!
That Sunday we had our first outing to church! Aiden was so excited to show his baby to his teacher! I remember church being such a trial with Aiden. It seemed like the second we sat down in the chaple, Aiden took that has his que to cry! I hardly ever got to sit through any meetings! Adylin did great though! She slept and I got to just sit and hold my baby! I have never enjoyed chruch so much!
My baby is 5 week old and the time has just flown by! I do like this stage though...she is smiling now and I feel like she knows I exist!
When it was finally time to board our coach, Aiden wanted to give the Elf his ticket all by himself!
The kids situated themsleves together and patiently waited the departure to the North Pole!
They got cookies and hot chocolate and they got to answer some "trivia" questions about Christmas. Just as we were headed into the North Pole, all the kids came to the side of the trian so they could see!
Just simply looking out the window wasn't quite enough for Aiden....Uncle David helped him hang out the window....just so he woulnd't miss anything! :)
The train slowed down and all the kids saw Santa waving to them! (The North Pole was a little less white than I had imagined!)
Santa was able to get on the train and visit all of the kids! Aiden was so excited!!
Santa talked to each of the kids and even gave them a little bell as a souvenier!!
Even Little Miss Ady got to meet the big guy!
The kids had a ball ringing their bells and singing Christmas carols as the train headed back to the station!
The Elves came around and gave everyone red noses as we sang "Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer."
The kids loved the train ride! After all that excitement everyone was hungry! My Aunt and Uncle bought everyone pizza and we headed back to the hotel to eat it! This was the BIGGEST pizza I have ever seen! You can't tell from the picture just how big it was!! It was HUGE!! 
Aiden slept likehe had had the time of his life that night and the next morning, the kiddos snuggled in bed and watched christmas cartoons together....well Ady fell asleep, but Aiden liked to think they were watching them together! :)
All the kids had a great time! David and I thought about making the trip an annual tradition for our little family!
