Since the birth was so quick, we were able to bring Aidan and Gwen’s mother Lorraine up to visit later that evening.  Both were quite eager to meet Quinlan, but Aidan’s excitement was palpable.

Of course, he wanted hold his little brother.

I spent the night at home with Aidan and Nana while Gwen and Quinlan spent the night in the hospital.  When I returned the next day, Gwen had her blood sugar level tested and it came back a little high.  As a result, we were led to believe that they’d be spending another day.  When the doctor came in, though, and reviewed Gwen’s chart she was pretty enthusiastic about getting us out of there!  So, we gathered up our stuff and took some obligatory photos:

We have a picture just like the next one but of Aidan:

We got Quinlan and Gwen home — less than 24 hours after he was born! — and there was more brotherly love:

And, even the next day (ignore the wild hair please), Aidan was interested and helpful:

I think we’re off to a good start.

This year Aidan ‘got’ Hallowe’en.

He picked his costume out with his mother several weeks ago while they were at Old Navy … he wanted to be a bat, but they didn’t have any in his size.  Instead, he chose to be an elephant.  And, was quite happy to be an elephant.

Nana and I took him down to the False Creek Co-op to Trick-or-Treat since our neighbourhood here in Fairview is *awful* for Trick-or-Treating.  Case in point: we got a total of 4 kids all night long.  Listening to some of the people down at False Creek, by 7:30 pm some of them had gone through 150 or more.

Anyway, Aidan had a grand time, knocking at the doors (yelling “Knock knock!” each time) and mostly greeting everyone with a “Trick or Treat!” and a “Thank you!”.  There were a few occasions of raiding the candy bowl before the person actually offered the bowl, but it was pretty good.  And, he was pretty excited to be getting candy, often telling me “Look at all the candy I got!” as he left houses.

The rain held off and it was pretty warm to boot.  By the end of our hour out, he was getting tired and spooked by some of the costumes and decorated houses.  The excitement was wearing off and his toddler mind was starting to process some of what was happening around him.  There were a few houses with ’scary’ music playing that he shunned, and by the end of it, any moderately sinister pumpkin was enough to disqualify a house in his mind.  No matter, he had plenty of fun and got more than enough candy.

The door of last house we went to was answered by a cute little girl about his age wearing a bee costume.  He just stopped and stared at her.  I don’t think she even got a ‘Trick or Treat!’.  She looked at him and happily gave him some candy.  He continued to stare.  She gave him a big smile and asked “Want more?” and proceeded to give him more.  I had to pull him away.  After the door shut, he turned to me and said “That was a very pretty bumblebee!”.  We headed back to the car for a short drive home and in addition to admitting he was tired (he never does that!) he also told us about the pretty bumblebee.  Very cute!

Aidan attends his first day of preschool a little later today. Here’s some pics of his outfit. He looks so grown-up!

Tonight Aidan was pretty tired after a hard day being a toddler.  Aside: today was also a pretty successful day on the toilet training front.  Fingers crossed.

Anyway, back to tonight.  Going to bed, he wanted a book to be read to him.  However, we’d already been through the pre-bedtime negotiations and we’d settled on watching a Peep.  After Peep, it was off to bed and he managed to grab a book and tried to keep it with him in the bed.  Retrieving the book sent the toddler into hysterics.

After a little bit of intervention, the boy asked for a Kleenex.  But he didn’t want a Kleenex from the box in his bedroom, oh no.  He wanted one from upstairs.  In the face of this clear delaying tactic, the request was denied.  Hysterics continued.  And continued.

Off and on for another 15 minutes.

So, I paused the news (oh how I love our PVR) and went downstairs, Kleenex in hand.  I went in, handed it to him, and he said “That was very nice, thank-you.”  He then put his head on the pillow and said “Good night!”  And I went back upstairs and an hour later … I haven’t heard a word.  He has clearly gone to sleep.

And equally clear is the fact that he was so very upset about having to use a downstairs Kleenex instead of an upstairs Kleenex.

Toddler logic.  Go figure.