What can I say about Cameron?

Well, for one thing,  

he's 3! 

(Well, he'll be 3 around 2:30ish-- I think-- tomorrow.  My memory is fading and I can't remember the exact time he was born.  I'm a bad mom.)

Here are some pictures of Cameron from the years (there are so many, I just picked some of my favorites).

 One of his first bath experiences... didn't seem like he enjoyed it too much.

But I think he learned to like them!

'

Another drunky one.

Cameron was always a happy, chill baby.

Just a cute face here.

He sure does love that thumb.

And walking in other people's shoes (including my church shoes, but I don't have a pic of that).

He's also had a variety of hairstyles.

From the uber long...

To the barely there...

To incredibly curly.

Sometimes he doesn't like to listen...

And he's often afraid of the unknown.

But he adores his Daddy.

He's growing up so fast.  I can't believe it's been 3 years since he joined our family.  He's grown up so much in the last year.  He's in preschool and has learned a ton.  He loves drinking Daddy's root beer (any soda is root beer to him).  He loves being around other kids and playing outside.  He loves loves loves his sister, Charlotte and is really good with her.  He knows his ABC's, his numbers up to about 20, I think (although he usually skips 14 and 15 for some reason), he knows a lot of animals, colors, shapes, and loves "structions"-- construction vehicles like cherry pickers and rubber-tired backhoes and dump trucks.  He loves to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and asks me to say, "Yay" after he sings it if I happen to fail to do that!  He also loves to sing "Happy Birthday." I have no idea how much he weighs or how tall he is.  He was supposed to have his check up tomorrow, but I had to reschedule.  And I'm sure he won't mind not getting shots on his birthday!

Some of his favorite sayings are:

"What are you talkin' 'bout?"
 Me: "Cameron, why did you pee in your underpants?"  Cameron: "Because it's wet."  Uh, what?
"Why?" "Why?" "Why?" "Why?" "Why?" "Why?" "Why?" "Why?" "Why?" "Why?" "Why?"
"I need a hug."
He told my mom before we left VA, "I'm going to miss you."  I think that just about made her year.
"I love you."

Cameron was a really chill, mellow, happy baby.  He's always been very sweet-natured and kind.  He's also very compassionate to me and Chad and his sister as well as other kids.  He's kind of shy when he first meets you, but he warms up pretty quickly and loves to have fun.

We're so grateful Heavenly Father sent Cameron to our family.  He's a great example to us and he's a lot of fun to be around.

We love you Cameron!  

Happy Birthday, Buddy!

Well, I'm in the East.  I've been here for almost 2 weeks visiting my family and relaxing a bit.  I came with the kids two weeks ago tomorrow and Chad came a week later.  We had a lot of fun with my sister and her husband and a bunch of family (including Chad's parents and brother and sis-in-law and their kids) over the weekend.  But of course, I didn't take pics.

Sunday, we drove down to Nags Head, NC to hang out at the beach for the week.  Here are the pics.  One more day here, then we drive back to Richmond on Sat.  Then Chad and the kids and I will fly back to Madison on Sunday.  I'll be sad to leave, but glad to get back to a routine.  I sure do love vacation, though!  It's been great having my mom get up with the kids every morning!  You're the best, mom!!

 Nags Head, NC (really, we're staying in Kitty Hawk)

 

Cameron loves the slides

Yup-- I still got it

Charlotte loved eating the sand

Grandma started brushing the sand off of and out of Charlotte's mouth

She didn't like that

Back at the SeaScape with grandpa

The weather was crazy the next day

But there was a pretty sunset

Back to the beach

Chad thinks he's nautical-- like the stache?

The water was freezing-- Cameron loved running away from it

This is Jockey's Ridge-- some sand dunes in Nags Head

Walking up the dunes... what a workout.  We were all pooped when we got back to the car.

Today

5 years ago.  Dang.  We've aged each other!

Pictures

Posting pictures tonight took forever!  I knew the videos were getting old, though.  So here they are.  Man.  Sometimes this blog kills me! (Only because it can take forever to do one post!)

Sunday before church (Cameron was wearing his Easter tie and carrying his phone in his shirt pocket).

It was such a nice day that I washed the car today.  This is how Charlotte kept herself occupied. (I know my mom will cringe at these-- that's not oreo cookie on her face.)

Cameron had a lot of fun while I washed the car, too.  A little too much fun.  This is our makeshift timeout.  He's visited the timeout spot a few times today.  Oh school... next week is too far away!

Tinkle Tinkle

Well, I've been feeling better re. the inner ear thing. AND THEN...

a stomach bug entered our house. NOOOOOOOO!!!! I went to check on the kids one night before I went to bed and noticed that Cameron wasn't anywhere near his pillow and was on top of his blankets. So I moved him a little and woke him up. A little cough later and WAMMMMMMO! Buckets of vomit spewed forth all over his bed. I ran to get a towel and yell for Chad and when I came back, WAMMMMMMMMO! More vomit. By this point, Chad and I agreed to split up duties. I was to give Cameron a bath and Chad would take care of the sheets. I took Cameron into the bathroom and he started crying. Poor kid wanted to hug me, but I only gave him a half-hug since he was covered in...

WAMMMMMMMO!! At least this wasn't as much vomit as the two times before. And then WAAMMMMMMOOOOO! Into the toilet this time. Yikes.

So I plopped him into the bathtub while I cleaned up the bathroom floor, rug, and toilet. NASTY stuff. And I have a terribly weak stomach, so I thought for sure I'd lose it.

Once in the bathtub, Cameron was fine. Everything got cleaned up, sheets were changed, and we put Cameron back to bed. He said he felt a lot better. Charlotte had woken up, but just played quietly in her crib. Nice.

The next day after dinner, Cameron had to make a WAMMMMO trip to the kitchen trash can. Ugh. I really couldn't stand it much longer.

Charlotte was sick, too, although her sickness manifested itself in crankiness and MAJOR blowouts. I don't breastfeed her, so blowouts aren't a usual occurrence at our house. But multiple times a day, I would pick her up and notice a nasty, yellow, wet mark on the back of her onesie above her diaper. Great.

Oh, and it's been especially great (sarcasm) cause Charlotte slipped in the tub last week. So now she screams bloody murder when I sit her down in the tub, again when I pour water on her back, and even more when I try to wash her hair. Awesome.

SO THEN, Chad and I went out for pizza one night to celebrate his proposal being signed off and at 2am, I woke up to go to the bathroom and thought I would lose my dinner. Really? I mean, really? Didn't I just post about this 6-week-long illness I was just getting over and now THIS? UGH.

But, like all crappy things, it's coming to an end. Yes, thankfully, I'm feeling a lot better today. It was sad cause our friends and old neighbors came into town for a visit, but we couldn't see them cause I was too sick and I was also afraid this stomach thing was pretty contagious. Interesting how Chad never seems to get sick... Hmmmmm. Maybe he knows something I don't (something other than the constant hand-washing, laundering, and sanitizing I've done for the past two months!).

Ok. Enough of all of that. Here are two videos (I'm doing more videos lately cause I got a small video camera for Christmas and it's a lot smaller and easier to whip out then my big, honkin camera) of Cameron. He's kind of quiet, so you'll have to turn your volume up.

Enjoy.

It's finally March

I've been waiting for what seems like years for Spring to arrive. Alas, we still have snow on the ground. BUT, it's been in the upper 40s/lower 50s the last few days with rain. Which means, melting snow!

I've been sick for the past 6 weeks with a cold, inner ear virus, and another cold/sinus issues. I've been to the doctor at least 4 times, had a CT scan on my sinuses, blood work done, and had countless phone calls with nurses. They all think (and I finally came to the same conclusion through a lot of prayer and some promptings) that this is a crazy virus. I've had two blessings and know I'll get better.

So, needless to say, this has been quite trying for me... mostly because I've been kind of dizzy/out of it and really tired with a lot of sinus headaches. But, I feel better this week already. Still not 100%, but I'm getting there. And we're going to the Temple on Saturday which is something I really need. It's been.....


ONE YEAR since we went to the Temple. I know. Slap me on the hand. I'm pretty ashamed. But I felt that I was too big and pregnant after last March to go. Then Charlotte came in July and if you have kids, you know how hard it can be to go to the Temple. (Even though that's a horrible excuse.)

So, things are good. I read my patriarchal blessing tonight-- something I've needed to do for months, but kept putting off and then forgetting. And I really felt the love of the Lord for me. And, like I just mentioned, I so needed that. I've felt really alone being sick, feeling like no one else knew exactly what I was/have been feeling. And I also kind of had this doom and gloom picture of the future-- that I would never get better, that I would always feel awful and wouldn't be able to do fun things with my kids, etc. Not really sure why I was so dramatic about this cold/virus/cold thing. All I know is that Satan really got a hold of me-- made me doubt my faith in priesthood blessings and in Heavenly Father's love for me, in general.

Don't worry... I know better!

So, on to some lighter things. Here are two videos I took of the kids over the weekend. And sorry for my baby voice in them (I think it's totally annoying), but I was trying to get Charlotte to talk.

Enjoy.

(Oh, and it was a Sunday afternoon and the kids had really no clean clothes. Please don't think I let Cameron go to school the way he was dressed!)

Some more videos

Five years ago today, Chad and I met. We met at a Valentine's Dance on Feb. 11, 2005 and were married 6 months later, August 12, 2005. Yikes!





This is a pic of our first date. Guess Chad knew something I didn't-- that he'd need a momento of that occasion!