Happy 2nd Bday, Cameron!!

Cameron will be 2 tomorrow.  I was going to get this whole picture post ready and then publish it tomorrow, but I figured I should just do it now.  Just know his bday is tomorrow, Cinco de Mayo.

It's been really nostalgic for me the last few days as I've thought about what I was doing two years ago.  I think it means more to me this year since I'm pregnant.  I think, "Wow.  If I had gotten pregnant around the same month as last time, I would be having our second child now!"  But since I didn't, I still have 2+ months to go.

Just a little note about the last two years...  

Cameron has been such a joy to us.  Sure, there were times I wished I wasn't a mom because of all the crying or tantrums.  But Cameron has made us so happy (why we decided to have another kid-- hopefully she won't be a beast!).  He's really sweet and kind and funny.  I love watching him learn and grow.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Cameron!  We love you!

(This was me two years ago, not now.)

These next two pics are the drunky pictures.

And since you've seen more recent pics on the blog (and I'm getting tired of this humongously long post), I'm adding just a few more new pictures.

"Yes, I am 2!"  

These are monkey glasses he got from my family.  Pretty funny.  And btw, it took some work to get his fingers to stay like that!

Hee hee! :)  I love this face.

Do you ever wonder...?

This morning, I decided to dry my hair curly.  It doesn't always work and I ended up putting in a ponytail since I was going to the zoo and it was warm today anyway.

But as I was drying my hair, it made me think back to the good old college days when a boy I liked told me he liked my hair curly.  The next day, I wore it that way, but didn't want him to see me-- then he would know I did it just for him.  So I got ready for class and peaked out my front door to make sure I didn't see him in the complex.  The coast was clear.  I went back inside to get my backpack and then headed back out the door.  And who should I run into?  This guy!  I'm sure I turned bright red (which is extremely easy for me to do).  He told me later that that's when he knew I liked him.  We ended up dating for a few months and even talked about getting married.  But nothing came of that... thank goodness.

So I was thinking about all of this as I was drying my hair (talk about stream of consciousness!) and I just became so grateful for the way my life has turned out.  I thought about being married to Chad and having such a fun kid in Cameron.  And the fact that I'm pregnant with our daughter.  And I just felt good.

So, do you ever wonder what your life would be like if you had chosen another path?  I really don't know how it would've been had I married that guy I dated in college.  But I'm really glad for the way things turned out.  

Just wanted to share.

Easter

My parents flew into town last Thursday to spend time with us for Easter.  It was great to have them here.  We went shopping, went to lunch, hung out with Cameron, and most importantly, they rented a truck and moved our piano and some other unused and HUGE furniture and are taking it back to VA as I'm writing this.  My sister will use a few of the pieces we didn't need anymore for her new place when she and her hubby move to Blacksburg this summer.

It was good for them to see Cameron.  He's changed quite a bit since they saw him at Christmas.  I can't imagine how different he will be when they see him again in July when the baby comes.  Oh, and let's not forget I'll have two kids by then!!

Thanks so much for all you guys did!  It was hard to see you go last night, but I know we'll see you so soon!  And I'll really put you to work then!

This year is the first time we really celebrated Easter with Cameron.  He wasn't even a year old last year, so we knew he wouldn't get it.  He didn't totally get it this year, but he knew he got candy and was happy for that.  

It was a little early, so he's looking kind of out of it

It's amazing how you can make a super blurry picture look somewhat decent by making it black and white and enhancing it!

Grandma and Grandpa gave Cameron an early bday present (his bday is next month)... it's his own little laptop!  Now he'll finally leave our computers alone!  He seems to like to get on there, but once the "work" starts (most of the activities are learning ones), he gets bored after a few minutes.

We went to the park yesterday afternoon for some swinging and an Easter Egg hunt.  It was Cameron's first hunt and he did pretty well.  It would have been more fun had it not been so windy.  But he still got a TON of candy!  (Chad dressed him yesterday to be ready for the hunt... notice his camo pants and hat and his bright orange shirt.  Funny Chad).

Scared

So, lately I've been getting more and more afraid of having two kids.  I know I was nervous to have one, but I had no idea what it all entailed.  So I think I was more afraid of the unknown.  But the littlest things lately will trigger a fear within me.  How do I get up in the morning with two kids?  Like, which one do I get up first?  Cameron has been super clingy lately.  How will I handle that transition as a new person joins our family and Chad's working?  How do I share my love with two different kids?

I know for some of you experienced moms of two or more, this isn't a big deal.  I mean, I'm sure every mom has these feelings at some point.  It was hard with Cameron and somehow I made it through, so I'm sure I'll make it through this time, too.  I also know that Heavenly Father doesn't give us a spirit of fear, so this is coming from somewhere else.  But I'm still a bit apprehensive.  

Any advice is welcome!

What's with this water thing anyway?!

Well, I've been a little crampy the last few days.  I don't mean crampy as in I'm having contractions and am in labor.  But I feel like I'm on my period.  It was suggested I drink water.  I've been chugging water all morning!  And of course, peeing all day.

I have an apt. with my OB in about a half hour just to make sure things are ok.

But it made me wonder about why water is so crucial when you're pregnant.  Obviously, I know the baby is living off of the things I eat and drink and takes my energy, etc.  But I thought I would know for sure if I were dehydrated.  My sis-in-law went into early labor because she was dehydrated.  And my friend fainted while pregnant cause she didn't have enough water.  It's just crazy to me.  I don't feel that thirsty.  If I did, I would drink!  It's also hard cause I haven't been through this before.  With Cameron, I was at work and had a bottle of water at my desk and drank all day long.  But I don't think about it when I'm running errands or cleaning the house.

So, I'll post an update later, but in the meantime, I'll be drinking more water!

**Update: I have a UTI.  Nice.  But at least the baby's heartbeat was strong and my cervix hasn't dilated at all!  I could only imagine how nice (note the sarcasm here) it would be to be on bed rest for 15 weeks!  So this is a huge blessing!  A little antibiotic and I should be good as new.  But I'm still drinking the water.  And cranberry juice.  Yuck!

General Conference

I wasn't sure how it would go watching General Conference today.  Chad is at a school conference all day, so it's me and Cameron.  How was I supposed to keep him quiet for two hours (at least quiet enough for me to hear something)?  But he did pretty well.  We had a picnic on the floor and just hung out on the couch and did puzzles, etc.

I'm very grateful for General Conference.  Each time conference season comes around, I have mixed feelings.  We watch or listen to it on the internet and many times fall asleep.  As Cameron has gotten older (yet not old enough to do big-kid activities to keep him occupied), it's been a lot harder to pay attention.

But I felt a sense of renewal today, even just hearing bits and pieces of the first session.  If you've never listened to it, here's a link.  I'm always amazed by how inspired the leaders of the church are.  The economy is on everyone's minds and I know a lot of people are worried.  A lot of the talks during the first session were about being prepared and not fearing.  It gave me some hope to know that Heavenly Father is aware of me and knows my struggles and what I worry about.  

Zoo and pic of me preggers

A few weeks ago, Chad had Spring Break.  We made it out to the local (FREE!) zoo on a nice, warm day.  Cameron did great job walking around until the end.  He got really upset that he had to get back in his stroller and decided to throw all of his snacks and his drink on the ground.  Nice.  We were all a little tired!

This picture doesn't do these fish justice!  This was seriously the biggest fish I've seen in real life.  I couldn't get over it.

Alright.  Here's a picture of me pregnant-- a week or more ago.  I'm sure I've grown a bit since then.  I took this picture cause I was feeling really fat and gross one night and decided to look through pics of my last pregnancy.  I would guess I'm around the same size now that I was then, but I wanted to take a picture to prove it.  I chose this picture to post because it's dark and the angle made me look a bit smaller than I am!  Ha!  Taking a picture of yourself is a lot harder than I thought it would be... at least with my lens.  And please forget my cluttery room.  Eeeeh!

Cameron's Easter outfit.  Too bad he won't wear it on Easter.  We have Stake Conference on Easter and it's a broadcast.  LAME!  My parents will be in town and have graciously offered to help watch Cameron for us so we don't have to try to entertain him for 2 hours in the dark at church!  Thanks mom and dad!