Okay, okay! I got the message! Judging by the comments left on my previous post, I'd say I dropped a major bomb! Back to the ol' drawing board....

Hmmmm....where to start?

Well to begin with, everyone is finally healthy -- Thank goodness! Aidan still has a little cough, but we're starting to think that it's likely caused by a case of infant acid reflux. I'm going to be calling the doctor's office tomorrow to schedule an appointment to have him checked out. Poor little guy. Sometimes he's fussy and restless while we're feeding him and he nearly always regurgitates after he's done eating. Acid reflux disease, or GERD, is a fairly common diagnosis in pediatrics. Some studies have estimated that as many as 40% of healthy, thriving children under the age of 6 months have abnormal amounts of acid reflux. With all the spitting up, drooling, and regurgitation that he experiences, I'm pretty sure that we're going to be told that he has GERD. Despite all of this, he is still just as sweet as can be. He is such a happy baby; always giving mommy and daddy lots and lots of smiles! Those are my favorite! He sure knows how to start and end a day the right way -- with lots of smiles! We could all probably learn a lesson about living from this little fella!

Abby is also doing well. Her HSP (see previous post: Science Experiment) has cleared up completely with no apparent signs that she ever had a problem to begin with. She's just as ornery as ever! She has really taken a liking to her baby brother. She often calls him "Buddy" or "Buddy Aidan". She likes to ham-it-up for him, singing and dancing in front of him while he sits in his bouncy seat staring at her like she's crazy. Someone (sorry, not sure who) gave Abby this little Elmo sing-a-long toy. It has all the traditional kid songs being sung by Elmo and there is a little microphone that she can sing into. She'll press one of the buttons and one of the songs starts to play ("There was a farmer who had a dog and Bingo was his name-o. B-I-N-G-O" -- you just sang it, didn't you?!). She'll then start hopping around and singing the words she knows, usually nearly falling into Aidan's seat. We have to holler at her a dozen times to "slow down" before she hurts herself or the baby, but that's about as useful as offering a nun a drink. She is such a goof ball!

Steph is finally feeling better as well. I spent a day cleaning up the basement a couple weeks ago (I should spend a few more down there!), making room for her treadmill and my bike. We're trying to eat better and work out more often. She's been very disciplined and she's been going down there as often as my schedule and the kids will let her. It's tough being a firefighter's wife! God bless her for putting up with me and my crazy work schedule....I love that woman!

I've been riding my bike again, although not outdoors as I would like. I am using an indoor cycling trainer that lifts the rear tire off the ground. The drive wheel (rear tire) gains resistance that mimics a road surface by contacting a 2 1/8" aluminum roller. It's not as much fun to ride the bike with the trainer in my basement as it is to hit the road and go, but it is nice to be back on the bike. I've got myself set up with my heart rate and cadence monitor and I'm getting my butt kicked by Coach Troy a few times a week. I'm attempting to train for some bigger rides for the upcoming season. Now I just need the weather to break so I can get the bike out doors. I'm going to start working on the cycling page soon, so look out for updates.

Everything else is humming right along. I'm as busy as ever at the Firehouse, with some pretty major changes for the agency forthcoming. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait a few weeks to provide that update.

We're looking forward to getting out of town at the end of April to head south to visit my mom, sister, and grandparents. We need a vacation so darned badly! I'm looking forward to showing my good looking wife and kids off to everyone in the Sunshine State....We're all going to show up looking like Casper the Friendly Ghost and his wife and kids. I can't wait to get out of town!!!

Thanks to everyone for their input on my last post. Now I know better than to post anything other than pictures and news of the family! The only person who showed me any love was Sarah, and she even took the time to give some more good Leap Day facts. Thank you, Sarah!

I guess from now on, I'll keep my updates limited to family-related topics only!