Something I post every year...

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 6 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…

Today, we had an early celebration for his special little day of his. He woke to streamers, balloons, gifts, friends and pancakes. We went to the Nicklecade where Emily, Jesse and Rory won him over 500 tickets so he could have whatever his heart desired, which turned out to be a giant inflatable Spider Man along with many tiny treasures of which he shared with Teagan.

Amazing

Best Mail, EVER!

This Kindergarten picture is ridiculously cute. It's almost sickening.



I've made and mailed him a couple of cards over the past few months. He's either referring to that or the Wolverine trading cards I sent him before Halloween... probably that. Either way, I see love letters to 3rd grade girls in his not so distant future.

Alden's been sick these last few days. I guess Austin went to check on him around 1am in the morning and found him asleep, on his bed room floor, laying in a pile of vomit. Poor little dude. When we talk on the phone he tells me about how his tummy hurts. He broke the news of him being sick late last week, the conversation went something like this...

• Alden: "Dad, I've got to tell you something and it's going to make you real sad."
• Me: "Oh? Tell me."
• Alden: "I'm really really sick. My tummy hurts and I have a headache. It makes you so sad, huh Dad?
• Me: "The saddest."

It's hard being away, especially when he's feeling so vulnerable and helpless. At least I know he's in good hands. I'm thankful he has the Mom that he does. I wouldn't want it any other way.

Alden: "Mom, where were all the kids from school today?"
Candace: "They were visiting their families."
Alden: "Hm... No Mom. I think they were at Walmart because it's Black Friday."
Candace: "What?! Where did you hear that?"
Alden: "I just thought of it when I was playing."

Yearrrrg!

Alden is spending the week with my Mom. He called me last night to tell me about his bowling adventures. Apparently, he found a pretty rad arcade game that sucked his attention - he was pumped. Yes, my son is a gamer geek. It's true.

My brother send me this photo of him yesterday. Haha.

NEWS FLASH of horrid proportions!

This was an email that Candace sent me this morning. I still can't believe this happened, we were both literally speechless.

Bare in mind, he is ok. You should know that prior to reading this, it gets a little intense...

---------------------------------------------------

So, yesterday at work I received the most horrifying phone call of my life.
It went something like this:

"Alden is missing."

My stomach sank, my heart froze.. I didn't know what to do.

Alden's day care picks him up every afternoon right as school lets out. He literally steps off the sidewalk and in to their van; doesn't cross a parking lot, doesn't have to walk anywhere... comes right out of the school doors and gets in.
But yesterday when they arrived, he didn't come out.
Eventually they sent someone looking for him, only to have the teacher say "he left and went to wait at the doors already"... so they did an all-page through the school. They checked the bathrooms, the library, the playground, no Alden.
When I got the phone call the daycare driver had all the other kids holding hands and scouring the neighborhood next to the school, yelling his name. The teachers were doing another search of the building.
I was asked if anyone else could have picked him up, if he has friends that live nearby, if he knows anyone in the neighborhood and could have gone to their house.
"No, no, NO! He was there, he should still be there!"
She said a teacher was coming and she needed to call me right back.
I didn't hang up-- scared to death and frozen-- but the line disconnected anyway.

I sent Austin a text that Alden was missing, so he started to panic also and called wondering what to do.
Then my other line rang.. it was the driver again. She was crying.

"I have him, I have him," she kept saying, "he's here. We found him." This was forty minutes after school let out.

So, apparently, Alden thought he "missed the bus". He gathered up his things and went walking down 27th south. He stopped at a cross walk and waited to cross, but no cars were stopping. He continued down the street.

An older lady was watching him out of her window, and knew he was too little to be by himself. She went out and grabbed him, asking him where he needed to be. He tried to explain that he missed the bus, "the one with the green writing", but couldn't say the name of his daycare. She walked him back to the elementary school where they found a teacher who had been looking for him, and eventually found the driver.

Alden told them all he thought he could get back to the daycare if he walked.

I am still having a hard time wrapping my brain around the event.. picturing little Alden making his way down the street all by himself.. and thank god for that lady who took him back! Anything could have happened.

So, Alden and I had a long talk about what to do if he thought he got left behind at school again. I told him no one would ever, EVER forget about him; that someone will ALWAYS come and pick him up, and that he needs to go to the office and wait if he doesn't see the van.

AAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH.

Stalone

I haven't spoke to him since our good bye on Sunday. Sometimes I get really worried when I don't hear back from missed calls or texts. I know they're probably just really busy... it doesn't stop one from thinking of the worst though.

I think rather than do anything else, I'd prefer to have a thumb war & arm wrestle battle today. He's watched Over The Top way too many times and always knows how to bring it back for the shake down.





I miss him...

Good Bye

It's time for another good bye. Alden bid his little friend Teagan farewell. It was adorable. They told one another that they will be friends forever and that when they are not with one another, they miss each other. Haha.

This thing, good bye, it makes my stomach turn and my hands shake. I don't know when it will be that I get to see him next, it's usually never more than a month... sometimes two. Still, not knowing is the scariest feeling I've ever had to deal with. At this point I'm at a loss at why I am not here, with him. I thought I was doing something noble, something good for his future... this fact is starting to unravel and may actually not be so absolute.

Coming to and end

This trip has been absolutely perfect. We've done nothing but everything that matters; park days, baseball days, homework everyday, reading more than we ever have and books fit for older little boys, bored games, craft days, long walks, forts, epic battles, hiking, cooking in, FAMILY hangouts and endless adventures. I do not want to leave!

Avenues Street Fair

We went to the street fair in the avenues today. Alden and Teagan had their faces painted, ate free cotton candy and had an all around good time.

Farmers Market

We did our best to get out of the house early in the AM to hit up the Farmers Market in downtown SLC. Jen and Key bought a plethora of local produce. Alden and Teagan ate fruit samples and had balloon animals/swords made.

Serious conversations of tiny minds...

Alden: Dad, can I ask you something?
Me: Sure Alden, you can ask me anything.
Alden: What do you want me to be when I grow up?
Me: Haha. Well, I want you to be whatever you want to be.
Alden: But Dad, where do you want me to work.

I'm laughing a good one right now but trying really hard to contain composure as I can tell he's dead serious and not taking the laughter well.

Me: I want you to work, or for that matter not work, wherever you're happy.
Alden: Dad... can I tell you where I want to work?
Me: Yes, please do.
Alden: I want to work at the Toy Store.
Me: The Toy Store, huh? Haha. Now, why's that?
Alden: I want to work at the Toy Store because I love to look at Toys all day long.
Me: That's makes pretty good sense. I think that's a pretty fantastic idea.
Alden: Dad?
Me: Yes?
Alden: Can I tell you where else I want to work?
Me: Of course!
Alden: I want to work at the Baseball Park, not the small one, the big one. I want to work in the Baseball Park and play Baseball when I get big. I want to work in the Toy Store and I want to play Baseball in the Baseball Park. Can I do those things?

Things just went from being way too hilarious to getting all choked up and feeling incredibly proud that this imaginative little boy is ours...

Me: Yes, you better believe that you can do those things. You can do anything you want.
Alden: I love you Dad.
Me: I love you too, Pipsqueek.

KINDERGARTEN

Holy smokes!

I can't believe he is already starting school. His Mom worked some sort of sorcery and got him into the nicest grade school I've ever been in. He loves his teacher to death and has already made 5 friends in his first week. He's all about doing his homework and tells me in detail at the end of everyday about all the awesome things he learned in class.

The main purpose of me coming to town this week was so that I could be a part of this tremendous step in his move into the kid realm. I think this is where I need to grasp the arms of my chair and realize tomorrow he will be in Highschool, kissing birds and getting into trouble. Sheeesh.

I'm so proud of this little man.

Baseball!

Today was the last Bees game of the season. Alden, Jen, Teagan, Todd and I made sure to be a part of it. The game itself was awful and I didn't end up watching much of it. Instead, I played a mean game of catch with Alden, watched him climb trees, took him on the train and played in the playground. Epic.

Labor Day

There's this spot in Draper that Candace and I used to hike to. There is a couple of hidden waterfalls, just small ones... a neat little rock overhang and lots of tiny creatures. Jen, Alden and I decided to add this spot to our list of places to be today. I packed us a tasty lunch and we set off.