Annual Alden Post

In the spring of 2003 news came, we're pregnant!!! Our lives instantly change.

Months later, we find out we are to have a little baby boy. Excitement, tension and all things good and bad consume us. Adding to the stress, news was received by the Doctors that put a wrench in our stomach. Due to an anomaly in the ultrasound we are told there is an 80% chance our child could have down syndrome or cystic fibrosis. We stayed positive and went into team mode, our pregnancy was one of the best periods of my life.

Finally, it's time!

The most intense and emotionally filled moment occurs in both of our lives, Alden Michael Leslie Purkey is born. He is delivered, not breathing and eyes closed. They suck the goo and liquid from his lungs and the first sound he makes is a gasping baby scream. Instantly, all control of my own emotions fall helpless and I cry.. I cry like a little girl. His umbilical cord was cut and the Nurses wrapped him in a blanket and thrust him into my arms. We rushed him into the next room where I cleaned him and held our new born little boy.

He was healthy and he was... he is perfect.

Every nurse on staff that night lost the bet on how much they thought he would weigh. Due to the tiny stature of his Momma, it was anticipated he would be heavily underweight. Nope, 7lbs 6ounces, we like to call that part "Vegan Power". :)

In the last 7 years since that tremendously amazing day, Alden has grown to be the most adorable and intellectual miniature person of his age. He is loving and loyal and most of all forgiving. He knows and understands more about life than most people I meet on a daily basis. He is my reason for everything; he IS my life. I love being his Dad more than anything I've ever experienced in life…

I love you, Alden. I hope this is the funnest birthday to date.

Christmas snow

2010 Christmas Cards!

What's better than a hotel?

Alden: "Teagan, you know whats better than a hotel?"

Teagan: "Um.... god?"

Alden: "Ha! No, Hotels! Hotels are better because of room service and pools and big TV's and you can get anything you want there, gods aren't even real."

Teagan: ".... what?"

Pre Thanksgiving Visit

Worst days

Mini Golf

Beach Day!

Downtown SB Adventures

Summer Ball

Waiting Rooms

Today I was diagnosed with a case of "stay away". Consequently, I'll be working from home for a couple of days until the meds do something, which just happens to fit in nicely with my Alden fix. The silver lining, so they would say. So I would say. I do say... as a matter of fact.

Sunday of a different sort

My little helper today. I REALLY didn't want to go in today but couldn't avoid it. We are reconfiguring the furniture in our building and I've been slacking on it due to my current workload balanced with party time with Alden. So, today we went in and made a party out of getting the first phase of the project done - he was very helpful!

Today also marks day seven of the agreement we made last week, things Alden must do every day in order to get his Iron Man mask. He was ever so happy to finally pull it down off of the counter and slide his tiny head in. Haha.

We bought some of those diving sticks at the store the other day. There are 6 variations, each one valued at a different amount of points. I must say, all of this summer time swimming sure has paid off - he's able to swim to the bottom and gather up anywhere from 1-3 sticks at a time before coming back to the surface and swimming to the edge of the pool. I think we can confidently say he now knows how to swim! I'm so proud!

He also got a new toy that will go along nicely with his mask - which he gets tomorrow! This thing is rad, does a high pressure squirt that goes really far and a grenade style burst of water. Very cool toy.

Contracts & Deals

He's been trying to hustle me into buying him this Iron Man mask for weeks now. Every couple of days we stop by the grocery store to pick up this or that, all the while he taunts and asks. Well, today I finally caved... with stipulations.

If he does these things every day for the rest of the week, it's his on Sunday. I think that's pretty fare, especially the part about popsicles.

Family Home Evening?

UNO victory against six year olds tastes soooo good I had seconds. This is pay back for those 3 mini-golf hole-in-one's last night!

... I spoke to soon. I just lost with TWENTY SEVEN CARDS in hand!

Hole In One

We set off to do some routine grocery errands but were disappointed when drove across town to find everywhere we intended on hitting close. Since we were out and about we thought it a good idea to make some fun out of it. So, the party started with Del. Duh, who doesn't consider Del a party all in itself...

Then we went to the shottiest "fun palace" ever. A building the size of a walgreens (maybe) had a bowling alley, mini golf, arcade and go-carts. We'd driven by it a few times before but have never managed to peek our head in the door. I had asked Alden if he'd ever went mini-golfing, which he hasn't. He really wanted to give it a try so we did just that. How humbled was I when the little turd got THREE hole-in-one's... on a mini gold course! You know, the crazy courses with the windmills and tiny moving trucks on the course - yeah, he did that.

I sincerely love that my six year old son is better than me at EVERYTHING. Haha.

Heaters

While watching Sandlot today, Alden had the urge to practice throwing fast balls, straight into the sofa.

Tent Event Saturday

Today was the second day of the WWBW tent event. Alden and I went back to check out the Gibson custom shop trailer and geek out over gear in the retail show room. Alden has decided that he's determined to play drums. I think I'll try to get him some practice pads that he can take back to his Moms.

We took a break after being outside for a couple hours to watch a cartoon on my computer while I caught up on some e-mail. Oh, the perks to having many monitors.

After the event we went to JW Chens and the dollar theater. All in all, we had a pretty fantastic day.