Eating Solids!

"I'm eating solids!" shouts Camden, proudly. He started solids a little over six months old, and he hasn't looked back since! He loves to eat peas, sweet potatoes, carrots, bananas (both pureed and bite-sized pieces), pears, apples, zucchini, squash, rice and oatmeal cereal, puffs, yogurt melts, and wheat teething biscuits. He was not a huge fan of asparagus (he threw it all up from making himself gag over it), avocado (I should have pureed it), and cauliflower (I'm so glad we finally finished those pesky cauliflower containers!). Next up, we will try cherries and more bite-sized table food. I love getting to try out all of the recipes from my Cooking for Baby cookbook. And, if you think making baby food is hard, you are wrong. It is so easy! Most of the time, I just steam, roast, or boil his food, let it cool, and puree it up for him! Then, it gets poured into small freezer containers and stacked in the freezer. He absolutely loves it - I think he knows that it means he is a big boy, and I am comforted in knowing exactly what is in his food. No artificial sweeteners, no high fructose corn syrup, no genetically modified ingredients. Just plain fruits and veggies! And, this teaches him to like the tastes of the foods themselves and not the flavors of all of the additives! Also, he likes to sit in his bumbo chair and watch me make his food, so he even participates in the preparation!

After a really great meal of green peas - sometimes he likes to wear his food!

Proof of the battle we had over cauliflower - I'm not sure how much he actually ate during this meal. The funny thing about cauliflower is that the recipe book actually suggested serving whipped cauliflower to the rest of the family as a healthy substitute to mashed potatoes. I think that we will not be trying that after our experiences with trying to feed it to Camden.

Again, Camden: 1, Cauliflower: 0. We were actually counting down the number of cauliflower containers in our freezer, and Neal and I would have to take shifts while feeding it to him. I would do the first half of the container, and Neal would take over for the second half of the container. Camden also decided that he liked it best warmed up. He still was not very fond of it! He would actually close up his mouth, and shake his head no when we tried to give this to him! What a silly, smart little boy!

Camden is also figuring out that we are usually eating something good whenever Neal and I sit down for a meal. He stares at us and watches our mouths! He even tried to stand up in his high chair at a restaurant and steal food from Neal's plate! He can't wait to be a big boy! So, now, we always try to make sure that he has bites of food to enjoy while we are eating, so he can practice eating with the rest of us. I am so proud of how he is learning to eat! However, he still loves to nurse, and I make sure to nurse him first, so he gets the majority of his nutrients and protein before his baby food meals - just in case he decides he is full before the meal is over!

First Rangers Game and Easter

For some reason, my pictures are backwards, but at least they are here! Camden enjoyed his first Ranger's game with during a visit from my parents in April, and he loved it! He did very well (even during the fireworks for each home run), and I was impressed with how well he ate in his sling while I was standing up in the women's restroom! We did leave a little early, because the Rangers were clearly going to win, and we were all very tired! That same weekend, we celebrated Easter! Here are some pictures to highlight the events! You may want to start from the bottom and scroll up.

My two favorite guys! So handsome! We also enjoyed a very yummy Easter brunch at Kassandra's in Keller. If you have not tried their banana caramel French toast, I would highly recommend it!

I just love that sweet little face!

Isn't that the most adorable Easter outfit?

Classic Camden face - he has become such a ham for the camera!

Easter picture with Mommy - I love my little man!

Checking out the Easter bunny's nose - he has become very curious about many things in the last few months!

Meeting the Easter bunny (our friend Dave) at a church event for kids and families in Lake Como, Fort Worth. Our small group was in charge of manning a bounce house. We had fun, and Camden was not at all scared of the Easter bunny - next year could be a different story. :)

Opening Easter presents from Grammy and Paw before the Rangers game! He still likes to listen to his Easter card song - he tries to figure out where the music comes from!

Enjoying his Easter chick! He loved his Easter goodies!

It was a Friday night, so there were lots of people at the game! Camden spent most of the game on my lap. I was definitely not as excited about ballpark food with the little guy in tow. I had to eat fast, so that others could get a break to eat, too. He had fun, though!

Watching the game with Daddy - Neal and my stepdad were sitting on the row above us, and so we had to pass Camden up to them a few times. Later on, a couple who sat quite a few rows above us, stopped us and commented on how cute our little guy was, and they asked what happened to his hat. It turns out that they were watching him more than the game!

Watching the game with his Grammy - he was passed around quite a bit during the game. There was also a lady sitting next to my mom who kept wanting to touch his fingers, and Mom did her best to keep her away. I know he's cute, but that doesn't mean I want everybody to touch him!

Camden accepted his certificate celebrating his first ever Rangers game - such a cute idea!

Group picture after the game - he never fussed once! We had so much fun!

Catching Up

Even though it's three months later (I have a young child - that's my excuse!), here are the six month stats I promised: weight 17 pounds (50-75th percentile), height 28 inches (90-95th percentile), and head circumference 43.5 centimeters (25-50th percentile). And, he did still cry during his shots, but, in general, he did very well at his check-up. His pediatrician was still very supportive of how we are feeding him, etc. Ok, so now I have this down for my records!

After Camden's six month check-up, Neal started his new job (which is going very well! We love his company, and he is so happy there!), I finished the school year, and we began hosting the grandmothers (they swapped every other week) to help take care of the little man. I am so grateful for their help and enthusiasm (sometimes a little too much :) ), but I am so, so, so very happy to be home with the C-man! I know it was a very special time for Camden's Nana and Grammy, but it was often a very stressful and anxious time for me. It was often hard to leave him at home to go hang out with junior high kids. In the fall, Camden will start preschool, and again, I know it will be great for him, but so very hard for me. I just can't believe how fast he is growing up!

So, the best way to update you all is to post some pictures from the last few months. Check out what we have been up to!

Well, blogger won't let me put captions under my pictures, so from top to bottom, here we go: We met Neal's sister and mom for breakfast at the Ol' South Pancake House - yum! This was right after Neal started work, and he showed me his office that morning. I'm so proud of him! Camden also likes to wear Neal's hats and practice standing, and of course all of that playing makes him take really good naps. This was one of the last pictures of him sleeping in his bassinet. :( Now, my big boy is sleeping in his crib upstairs! Make sure you read the next few posts to see what else we have been up to this spring!

Spring Break, etc.

I know it's been awhile, but as usual school and not having any free time have gotten in the way of blogging. But, I'm back! First off, we have really enjoyed taking family walks, and since it has been brighter outside with this warmer weather, Camden has started sporting his sunglasses. I just had to get a shot of Neal and the little guy before they went on a walk. How cute are these two? Neal said that while on their walk, people stopped and honked and waved at the two of them. I sure hope they were paying attention to the road! My spring break was a couple of weeks ago (this shows how far behind I am), and we decided to spend the week visiting Camden's grandparents. First, we travelled to Athens to visit Neal's parents. We mostly just relaxed around the house and played with Camden. Neal's parents had set up his old crib and a changing station for us to use while we were there. They were set up for us to stay for a month if we wanted! Also, Neal's mom had saved every one of his toys, books, and stuffed animals, which I was able to see. Camden played with some of the toys, but I think he may have been a bit overwhelmed with all of the choices, because he wasn't as excited as I thought he would be. I think I understand why Neal is always so eager to clean out our closets and sell or give away anything we aren't using. :) We will probably keep a couple of Camden's important things for grandchildren to play with, but after we stop having children, I would like to donate or sell items to kid's resale shops, so other little ones can enjoy those items instead of paying for a storage site to keep things in boxes for thirty years. I think that Neal and I would like to keep as a goal for ourselves to not ever have so much "stuff" that we have to use a storage facility. But, I also understand how hard it can be to let go of things that have so many important memories attached to them! On Sunday, we went to the church where Neal grew up, and they met Camden for the first time! You would have thought we had a celebrity with us - everyone wanted to meet him! Neal's dad played with Camden during church and let him fall asleep on his shoulder - so sweet. Somebody did wake him up after church, but since Dr. Helf was holding him, no one dared to ask to hold our little guy. I kind of appreciated that, since he is not always happy about being passed around. We also took him to Neal's dad's office to weigh him, and Camden now weighs 17.5 pounds! Today, I am taking him in for his six month check-up - I can't wait to see how tall he is, too! On Monday, we drove to Houston to spend time with my family. While there, we stayed with my mom and stepdad, and we met my dad and his wife for dinner. My little sister Madisson loved getting to see Camden.

She kept trying to touch his eyes, she kept saying, "Baby!" and she really wanted to hug him. We still haven't found out what my dad wants to be called, but I'm going with Grandpa Mike for now. Also, at Christmas, my dad's wife said that she wanted to be Mimi, but I haven't heard if that's what she decided on for sure.

Anyway, it was fun to see my dad enjoying his grandson. Also, Camden played with one of my old toys (he definitely had plenty of toys to choose from at his grandparents houses), which my mom thought she didn't have anymore, but she had recently found in the attic. He absolutely loved the busy box! This was a present that I received for my first Christmas, and honestly, I thought it could have been retired. However, Camden loved it!

So, I couldn't really keep him away from the busy box. He is such a smart boy! I love watching him try to figure stuff out - he gets this very serious look on his face, and he really concentrates on how to do everything. I think he may be an engineer some day. :) Also, Camden loves to play the piano on his activity table, so we let him try out the piano at each of the grandparents houses. Neal's mom tried this with him, and he loved it, so I had my stepdad play with him in Houston.

Maybe one day Paw will be his piano teacher? I found out that my stepdad used to teach piano lessons in college, so he might teach Camden a thing or two when he's older.

Camden also wore his sandals for the first time on St. Patrick's Day, and he looked absolutely adorable in his green!

He loves to smile for the camera now! We also enjoyed many great meals out with our parents over break, but unfortunately, I caught a stomach bug on Thursday night and had to drive home sick on Friday. I was miserable!

Thankfully, my mom and Neal helped out with Camden while I was feeling sick. I pretty much fed him while they took care of giving him a bath, changing diapers, and keeping him entertained. I learned how hard it is to find the extra energy to care for a healthy, busy baby when you are feeling so sick. I guess that's just part of being a mom. I was also worried that I would get so dehydrated that I might run out of milk for Camden, but I never had to supplement once! Somehow, my body still made it work, even though I knew I wasn't making as much as normal. And, he stayed healthy!

Look at that sweet boy reading with his Grammy!

He also enjoyed a new walker from his Aunt Madisson - he managed to find the one baby hook that was left on it from when she had it and pull it off multiple times. I think we are really going to have to baby proof some things in our house! Like I said, he's a smart one!

His new favorite face - I love it!

And in other news, Camden has his first two teeth coming in on the bottom! He didn't really fuss, although he has been chewing a lot more. Neal just sort of stumbled on it while giving him his vitamins. We were so excited, and it reminds me of how fast he's growing up!

This picture is of his first tooth. Now, he has a second one coming in right next door to this first one.

My sweet boys. :) Camden sometimes likes to try on his daddy's hat! Today, Neal is starting his first day at his new job, and we are so excited! I think this is going to be a really good fit for him, and Camden gets to hang out with his aunt and his grandmothers during the day.

Love him! Well, nap time is just about over, and I need to get the little guy ready for his six month appointment. I am loving this day at home - I'm getting a little taste of what the summer will be like! Stay tuned for six month stats!

"Nothing"

Ok, so I know that I don't usually get very "deep" here, but tonight I feel the need to stray away from my typical latest updates on baby C and focus on some new "stuff" I'm learning as a parent. First off, some background info.

Neal and I recently (3 weeks ago) started attending a new campus that has become a part of our very large church. It's closer to our house and the current Sunday morning assembly times work really well with Camden's feeding/nap schedule. He has napped through church for the past two Sundays, and it has been glorious! Also, he goes to the nursery while we go to class, so we get to have some time where neither one of is having to keep him happy and entertained. We can focus on some adult time. Even though I have been a nervous wreck with him in the nursery, our son has adjusted like a pro. In fact, I think he likes the attention that the nursery helpers give him. He's one of the cute ones, so he gets held a lot. :) But, I digress.

So, we have been enjoying our "new" church home. Each week, we meet a new couple or two or three, and we end up having great conversations and even exchange contact info in hopes of meeting up later on. Also, we have run into other friends that we know from our small group who have been giving the new campus a try. I personally love the size and the welcoming qualities of this church. Even though the worship times are going to change to accommodate the new growth, we will still probably stick with it because we are enjoying meeting new people.

Last week, we tried to go to a class for young families/young marrieds/singles and ended up in the young families (but really people who have children in college, but don't want to admit that they are no longer young families) class, and we were somewhat disappointed. So, this week, we made a point to find the right class, and the topic happens to be "Nothing." Literally, they are looking through the Bible for references to the word nothing and designing lessons around those passages. This week the lesson was over Romans 8:38-39 about how nothing can separate us from God's love. I liked how the teacher seemed to try to make it personal by bringing up stuff from his life experiences and he had good points. However, it is always frustrating that people in college or the just out of college age group often seem to refuse to talk in Sunday School. Neal and I encountered this same response when we co-facilitated a college class on Sunday mornings when we lived in Little Rock. We even tried the cool, post modern Nooma videos, but they were still very closed off. Anyway, maybe they will open up more as we get to know each other better.

Speaking of Nooma videos, the teacher showed one that we had already seen called Lump. I vaguely remembered the title from when Neal and I watched them 6 years ago. But, as we started watching it, I remembered seeing this particular one, and I remembered that I had thought, "Oh, that's a cool way to illustrate how God will always love us, no matter what we do. Nothing can separate us. Cool." Then, I forgot about it, and moved on with life. Now, as a parent watching that same video, I thought, "Whoa! I completely understand how God can love us even when we mess up. I love Camden that much!" I almost teared up in the middle of the class. The speaker in the video (Rob Bell) tells a story of his son doing a few things he shouldn't and how when he gets "busted," he is so ashamed that he runs and hides under the comforter in his parents' bedroom. When his dad comes home, he pulls back the blanket, holds his son (who is sobbing), and tells him over and over again that nothing he does will ever make him love him less.

Now, I have a hard time picturing Camden ever doing anything wrong, because he is still too young and innocent to know right from wrong, but I think about how I put up with his fussing, I change his diapers (even the stinky ones), and I make sure he has plenty of milk to drink - even when I don't feel like it, or I'm tired, or I'm frustrated, simply because I love him, and I couldn't imagine not doing those things for him. I know that the time will come when he'll disobey me, but even then, I will be reminded of why I love him so much. And, that's just a fraction of how much God loves us!

Neal and I were discussing this on the way home from church, and we pointed out that the teacher in our class mentioned that even people can say to each other that we will love each other no matter what, and that nothing will come in the way of that love. We're not supposed to have exceptions, but sometimes, later on down the road, we realize the exceptions or the things that make us love others less. So, because of that, I think it is sometimes hard to remember that God does not have those exceptions, and he never falls out of love with us. Having that reminder today made me realize how important it is for me to keep loving the ones I have been blessed with in my life - no exceptions.

Now, watching that video, I have a very clear picture of God holding me and all my imperfections and whispering over and over again, "Nothing you can do will ever make me stop loving you. Nothing. Nothing." I think that becoming a parent is one of the ways that He is teaching me about His love for me, and I am so thankful that I get to experience this. I'm also so grateful for our church family!

Feeling Blessed

Since we ended up with 4 snow/ice days, I thought I would bless the blogging world with an extra post for the week. I know - two posts in one week! That must be some kind of a record for me! First of all, on the topic of being snowed in, I would love to share how blessed I felt this week to be stuck inside with my two favorite gents, Neal and Camden. We played, laughed, caught up on dvr (until the bulb in our tv died today :( ), cooked delicious meals (so glad our freezer/pantry were well stocked, and went on a journey (more on that later). I felt like this was a mini-vacation. I had no responsibilities, no where to be (even if I did have somewhere to be, there was no way I could leave to get there), and plenty of time. I will admit that I spent an unhealthy amount of time on facebook, but I also did some cleaning and spent the majority of my time holding my sweet baby boy. I feel like this semester will be much easier now that I had this extra bit of time. I couldn't help thinking how blessed we were as we sat in our warm, comfy pj's in our warm, comfy home while enjoying many a hot meal and tv marathons. I know that there were others in our part of the world who weren't quite as lucky. Sometimes I get caught up in worrying about the little things in life, and it was a week like this one that reminded me of how much I have to be thankful for and how little I actually have to complain about.

Now, on to the story of our journey! Neal and I knew that we had a four month check-up scheduled for Camden on Thursday afternoon, and while it was still pretty nasty outside (the temps were pretty much staying in the teens and twenties for most of the week and that kept everything covered in a thick sheet of ice), we thought we might be able to get out to take him there. Neal tried scraping/shoveling the driveway. No such luck - it was too solid and too frozen. We thought about trying to slide our car out of the driveway and cautiously driving the one mile to our pediatrician's office (her office is in our neighborhood - so convenient!), but Neal did not want to leave either of our vehicles parked on the street, because we had seen too many cars sliding all over the street outside of our house. It would have been way too easy for someone to hit us (especially since we are on the curve of two streets). So, the next logical plan was to bundle up and walk to the doctor's office. Since we were eager to get out of the house and take care of this appointment (we knew it would be hard to get a new one with all of the other cancellations that would be trying to reschedule later on), we put on our warmest clothes, strapped Camden onto Neal in the infant carrier (Neal was more sure-footed than me), and set out on our trek to the pediatrician's.

We actually did quite well. We made it in less than half an hour. No one slipped and fell, and they did not think we were too crazy for walking to the appointment. I felt so proud of what we accomplished, but I was dreading walking back. At the doctor's, we found out that Camden weighs 15 pounds, 2 ounces (65-70th percentile), is 26.5 inches long (95th percentile), and his head is 43 centimeters around (60-65th percentile). He also had to eat (twice) while we were there, and the nurse acted like I should have been embarrassed for her to see me feeding him when I thought that all medical personnel were usually pretty professional about that, but maybe she is just not that type. ;) Anyway, I think that our little boy is figuring out what happens at the doctor's office, because he only cried and screamed when we would lay him down on the exam table. Otherwise, he was happy to be there. Oh, by the way, he usually gets his shots when he lays down on the table. He screamed through all of the vaccinations (two shots and one he had to drink) and when the doctor layed him on the table to check out his reflexes. I thought it was really sweet of her to sing to him, but he was not buying it.

So, after our appointment was over, we bundled up and began our journey home. However, we did not go ten steps before someone pulled over and begged to give us a ride home. We only hesitated about the fact that we did not have a carseat before we gave up and hopped in. I was secretly praying that someone would stop and offer us a ride. It turns out this family lives on the street behind us, and they are often out with their little girl, Harper, and their dogs. Hopefully, we will run into them when it is warmer outside. After that, Neal and I were exhausted and we rested while Camden took a nap.

Today, we finally ventured out and took care of grocery shopping, even though we would have made it (it is embarrassing how much food we keep in our house) without a trip to the store, it was nice to stock up on new provisions. The grocery store was pretty crowded, but I didn't mind too much, because I felt like it had been too long since we had been out in the world. And, we picked up pizza from Papa John's! We had been craving this treat, so it was nice to be able to get out to get it!

Now, we will enjoy the rest of the weekend, watching non-HD TV, but we should feel blessed that we have extra TV's to use while our nice one is on the fritz. By the way, Neal ordered a new bulb, but we will have to wait to see when it will be available as they are on nationwide back order. We also have plans to pig out on our favorite junk foods while watching the Superbowl tomorrow night. The first year that we were married we moved to Fort Worth right before the Superbowl and we didn't know anyone yet, so we had our own party - just the two of us. However, we cooked enough appetizers and junk food for a huge party. We had so much fun - and way too many leftovers, but we still bring up that memory. So, we decided to recreate that tomorrow night, but this time it will be considerably downsized. We were each allowed to choose one appetizer and one dessert. We also agreed on one dip that we have both been craving (guacamole!)! I can't wait to snuggle with my guys some more.

And, I leave you with a photo montage of more Camden After Bath Hair :)

Profile shot with a side grin
Another profile shot

Preach it, baby C!

I love those baby blues! Enjoy the rest of your weekend! I know, I will. ;)

Catching Up!

I know that it has been awhile, but we have had a busy few weeks! I have had to adjust to being back at school after Christmas break, and we have either had people in town, been sick, or gone on day trips on the weekends in January. This past weekend was the first time we had nothing to do, and while the weather was amazing (highs in the 70's and sunny), my allergies were acting up so I spent most of the weekend inside. I'm still getting over these allergy issues! By the way, I never used to deal with allergies, but then I got pregnant about a year ago, and it seems as though I will be fighting allergies for the rest of my life. Obviously I am no longer pregnant, but the allergy flare-ups continue! Add that to the growing list of ways I have already sacrificed my body for my child. But, when you get to wake up to this face each day,

wouldn't you say it's worth it? :)

A few updates for the month, Camden experienced his first snow:

He loved it!
I loved that we used socks as mittens to keep his hands warm. :)

Such a happy boy!

We also participated in our church's baby dedication.

(We are in the center of this picture.) We actually forgot to call the church to inform them of Camden's arrival, so we only found out about the baby dedication the day before, but thankfully they were able to include us in the festivities. At first I thought it wouldn't be as special since it was all of the babies born in 201o (which explains the huge crowd from this picture), but the reception before the church service was really neat. Camden was given two Bibles, a cross for his nursery, a diaper bag tag, and we met with an elder and his wife who prayed over our family. The prayer was really heartfelt, and even though we didn't know this particular elder, he really captured some of our hopes and dreams for our little guy in his prayer. It was also great to see many of our friends who have had babies over the last year and get to celebrate with them as well. I can't believe that at this time last year, we were just finding out that we were expecting our little bundle of joy, and now he has been with us for four months. I find myself thinking a lot about what we were doing at this time last year, and how we couldn't wait to meet our little guy and learn all about him. What a huge difference one year makes!

Also, one of Neal's best friends, Jared, came to visit us recently and he hung out with Camden. He loved getting to cuddle with him and play. I think Jared secretly wishes that he has a little one of his own - even though we used to tease him that he never wanted to have kids!

Jared also helped Neal put together Camden's Around the World play table. He loves it already, even though his legs aren't quite long enough for his feet to touch the ground. I have a feeling that our little guy will spend a lot of time in this over the next few months. He was fascinated by the bright colors and all of the moving parts! Camden has also started to enjoy his Johnny Jump Up - we have it hanging in the doorway to this nursery, and he loves to spin and practice taking steps in it.

He has also started rolling over from his tummy to his back and from his back to his tummy! He used to hate tummy time, but now, he loves to hang out on his tummy. It looks like he is trying to do push ups! Pretty soon he will be scooting and sitting up. I'm not sure I'm ready for him to grow up so fast, but I'm so proud of all of the things he's learning to do.

This picture was taken after a bath. We love his "after bath" hair - it stands up completely straight! He also gets a little "faux-hawk" that does not require any extra styling to stay in place. :) He is already so stylish! Camden has also discovered some new sounds. He sometimes sounds like Tarzan when he talks. O - e - o - e - oh! He loves to put his lips together and blow like he is making toot sounds (such a boy!), and this is what he does whenever he finishes eating or he is happy. At church on Saturday night, he kept making this noise towards the end of Rick's sermon, and he doesn't know what "Shh!" means yet, so I had to distract him with his plastic keys. However, those were almost as noisy as his noises! This prompted Neal to decide it was time to find out about our church's nursery. We went and visited and found out that they take babies as young as two months old, and there are different rooms for different age groups. Everything seemed really clean and everyone was very nice, so we may try it out during the sermon next week. I know it will be good for him, but I'm worried I will be a nervous wreck while he is in there! Expect an update on this soon!

Camden with his new Bible from the baby dedication at church - he is wearing his Valentine's Day shirt from Grammy, and he is my "prince charming." :)

This picture shows how he is starting to try and sit up on his own, but he doesn't last very long! So adorable!

Well, the main reason why this post is happening is because we had a snow day today, and I just found out we have another snow day tomorrow! Two bonus days with my little guy this week! I'm so excited! I know we will have to make them up later on in the year, but it's still nice to get extra time with my little one when I didn't expect it. Oh, and I'm also enjoying the extra time with my hubby, too. :)

On Thursday, we will go in for his four month check-up and shots, so expect an update on his stats soon! I do know that he is at least 15 pounds, because that is what he weighed at 3 and a half months (we visited Pop's office a few weeks ago during a day trip to Athens). What a chubby chunker! But, he's a pretty cute chubby chunker!