Too Hungry to Wait!

On Sunday, we took a road trip to meet Camden's dad so Camden could go with him to KY for a couple weeks. We meet about halfway, just as we get into WV. Ryan's mom and David decided they would meet us there, too, so that they could see the boys and have lunch with us. David made a trip out to his garden before they left, and he brought us a bunch of veggies. In one shallow box, there were a bunch of tomatoes, along with other things. When we got home that night, we left the veggies out to put away the next morning. The eight hour drive plus stopping time - plus having a baby that is not wanting to get back in the car seat after the first or second stop... - all of that kind of takes it out of you, so you don't want to do much by the time you get home.

In the morning, the veggies were still there, of course. I'm in the kitchen fixing Aiden some breakfast while he plays at my feet. Ryan had left the shallow box of veggies in the floor. (Can you see where this is going?) I turn around after putting something in the microwave and look down to say something to Aiden. This is what I see...



I guess he was just too hungry to wait for me to fix him some breakfast. He decided a nice juicy tomato would suffice. He was just eating away!


Hmmm...eat another bite or drop it over the edge???


Another bite.
(THEN he attempted to drop it. We're working on this "we can set food back on the tray when we're done with it" thing.)

I just thought this was hilarious!! Had to share!

PS - Don't you just love the messy bedhead hair??

Happy Birthday, Camden!

Hard to believe that I am now the mother of a TEN-year-old. But I am, as of this past Sunday. It's not just that I don't feel like I'm old enough to have a ten-year-old, but it also just doesn't seem like it was really ten years ago that he was born.

I don't have Camden's birth story posted on blogger since there probably wasn't any such thing at the time. I didn't even have an email account until after he was born... So, I'll give a quick run-down of the day he entered this world.

Pregnant with my baby boy. I was around 8 months pregnant here - see how big that belly was?! (And I am standing straight, too.)

Camden was actually born on his birthday, but he almost arrived much sooner. We knew we were expecting a large baby, and the doctor kept telling me he would induce labor early... first it was a month, then moved to three weeks early, then two, then one... I actually went in for the induction the night before the due date. Sunday was my Papaw's funeral a couple hours away, and we drove straight from that to the hospital.

The prepping for the induction sent me into labor in the middle of the night, so I never went through the actual induction. I went into labor so quickly that I couldn't get medication, and that turned out to be horrible because I had back labor from Camden being backwards (and those of you that have experienced that know how painful it really is!!). They did try to give me some morphine, but it never kicked in before I was rushed out for an emergency c-section because the baby was too large to deliver naturally. I was pushing for over two and a half hours (not in labor for that long - PUSHING for that long) - with a room full of people watching. I went in thinking I wanted my husband and my mom in with me and NOBODY else, but once you're in that situation, you don't really care one iota! So Alan (my husband at the time) and my mom were there...along with my mother-in-law and my best friend, Patsy. (I think this was great birth control for her!) They finally realized this baby's head was just not fitting through, and without much of a warning, I was wheeled out to surgery. That was pretty scary because we had never discussed the possibility of a c-section (though you would think we would have, knowing the baby was on the large size...nobody expected this large, though!).

I don't remember much at all from the surgery other than holding onto the nurse in front of me as the spinal was done. (Not a big fan of needles, especially large ones in my spine.) And then there was all the throwing up during the delivery. The ENTIRE time. Me throwing up. (We now know I have a reaction to narcotics...such as morphine that was given earlier and is also in the spinal...) I remember the doctor asking to try to stop for a moment while he made the incision. And then when he tried to pull Camden's head out, it was so big he had to push him back in and cut another inch to fit him through. The scar even showed this (until I got my new one from baby number two). I don't remember much else, though. I know they showed Camden to me for just a split second, but that was it. Everything was such a blur and moving so quickly - a drawback to having an emergency c-section. Then I didn't get to see Camden for such a long time because it took extra long for the numbness from the spinal to wear off with me.

Camden came out weighing the surprising weight of...10 lbs 15.2 oz (less than 1 oz away from being 11 lbs) and was 21.5 inches long. He was born Monday, June 28th at 12:13pm. Best day of my life.

There were two other babies in the hospital at the same time as him - both of them were under 5lbs! No worry about a mix-up there!

For the next couple days, I continued to throw up constantly (actually, by then I was dry-heaving, which is not a lot of fun when you just had your stomach cut open). I remember how terrible I felt and how painful it was. But I also remember that every single thing was worth it because I had the MOST perfect baby ever. Camden was absolutely beautiful. We all said he was born with a tan because he had such dark skin. And though he was large, he was not fat at all - just looked like your typical three-month-old! And everything between us came naturally. He went straight to nursing with no problems, even though we didn't see each other for a couple hours after he was born. He did spit up a bunch, even in his sleep, so I kept him in his bassinet right by my side when we slept - I trusted myself more than having him in the nursery. I don't remember anything being difficult about having him, except for the physical pain I was going through. Everything else was smooth sailing, it seemed.

Camden in the Christening gown my mother made (we had to leave it unbuttoned in the arms and back because he was so big!)

Camden's hospital photo

One year old!

Ten years later...it's not always smooth sailing, but I am so grateful for the decade that I have been given with Camden. He is such a joy to me, and I love him more than life itself. The two of us have been through an incredible amount together, more than he understands at this point. But I think it has made us so extremely close. Do you know that he will still hug and kiss me in public?? Ever since he got on the bus that first day of Kindergarten, I have been expecting him to tell me to stop because he doesn't want to be embarrassed. But he never has (yet).

We haven't had Camden's big birthday celebration yet. We'll be having one when we visit family in KY in a couple weeks - a joint celebration for his and Aiden's birthdays. (If you'll be in the area, please join us!!) And we'll have a party with some of his friends when he is back home (he's currently visiting his dad in KY). The downside of having a summer birthday is being able to have everyone around to celebrate with you - we already attempted one party here, but so many people were out of town that we are waiting longer. Camden did get his gift from us, though - a basketball goal for the driveway. We had it in the garage covered up (still in the box) and made him go and find it himself. It should have been easy as it was the new thing that suddenly appeared and was under a blue tarp, but he still was a little confused until he got some help. ;) Then we spent the night before his birthday playing Wii video games and eating big homemade banana splits (cakes will come soon).

Looking for his gift...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY BABY BOY. I love you!

Video of the Day Comment...

Apparently the video I posted last night doesn't show up in emails for those getting the blog via email subscription. (Is that true for all of you getting it in your email?) Not sure why this is. It shows up in the Reader, but... Anyway, for those of you that get the blog posts via email, just click on the title to be brought to the actual blog so you can view it.

It's totally worth the effort. ;) Totally. You will be falling off your chair from laughing so hard! (If not, then I don't know what you're problem is...)

SOCCER!

This season was Camden's last season with the Stars, since we're moving a couple cities over, and he'll be joining the soccer league in Holly Springs. The Stars had a good season this time around; they usually do fairly well. We've been blessed with good (fair) coaches who focus on learning the game, playing well, and having fun - winning games are a plus but not what it's ALL about. They made it to the finals this time around in the tournament, losing to their arch enemy (can't think of the name of the team now...). This other team is rough, has a rough-acting coach, and they don't always play all that fair (ok, that's a bit of an understatement). It is the team to beat, and we just didn't make it this time around. But making it to the finals was still really great and something to be proud of. It also meant three games in a row - with a little time in between but not enough to go home. Long day. But worth it. (I did overhear a parent from the other team comment that the Stars were a good team, and that these two teams seem to take turns winning against each other. I can think of more times that they beat us, but it was nice to hear a compliment from a parent from the team we don't really like.)

After celebrating with the team at Dunkin' Donuts, our family headed on over to a gelato party in town, where Camden and I discovered our favorite flavor ever, and we've tried quite a few! Henry's Gelato in Cary hosted the U.S.'s first ever HAPPY GELATO party, something that is more common in Europe but is apparently on it's way to the US. The best flavor ever... Well, I thought the "Berries of the Forest" was great and was about to get that (and be able to share with Aiden since it was fruit-based), but then we tried the Classic Swirl - velvet vanilla, bananas, strawberries, and chocolate chips...a lot like a banana split. It was heaven!! Oh my... And I did give in and let Aiden have a taste (with no chocolate, of course!). His reaction to the cold taste was funny, but he soon got over that! Pictures of him tasting it is in our June album online.

Back to the soccer part of the post....

If you remember, I mentioned before that I missed the final game in the tournament... Short story - When getting ready to leave that morning for the first game (and possibly for the entire day), we were all doing our part to get out the door on time. I ask Ryan, "Did you check the diaper bag for diapers?" Yep, he told me, there are three in there; we're set! And out the door we went. After game 1, Aiden had a number 2.... I go to change his diaper and guess what I find in the bag? One diaper ready to be worn and one outer gpant (with no insert in it, so we can't use it). No third pant whatsoever. *BIG SIGH* But we might be on our way home after this next game, so...might be no big deal. Right? Except we don't go home then b/c the Stars win. And Aiden is in need of another change very soon - too soon to wait until after the game to make the 25 minute drive home. Ryan can't make the drive while I stay behind b/c Aiden needs the change and can't stay with me, but he'll also need to eat during that time frame. So, you guessed it - I get to drive home to get the diapers. Without breaking any laws, I rush to do diaper duty and a quick nursing session. (Aiden is typically done in 5 minutes when he's nursing to EAT.) I make it back, get out of the car, and we're on our way to the field when I hear....the long whistle blowing, indicating the END of the game. My heart sunk. I missed the entire final game. I never told Ryan how much it really bothered me that I missed that game.

Anyway - I take a bunch of pictures throughout the season. No surprise there! Here are some of the shots of my baby and his team.

Camden Soccer Spring 2009

Survey Says...

I have a friend...who has a friend that is in the beginning stages of writing a book on marriage. She's planning on sharing her own experiences but wants input from other married couples across the country. If you want, join in by filling out the survey posted below. If you would like, you can share your name (first name only if you prefer), city, and state. (Or remain anonymous if you really want.)

I will say...if you are going to take the survey, only do so when you have a few extra minutes on hand. Well, more than a few. I sat down one night while Ryan was getting a Friends episode ready, expecting a short (maybe even five-minute) survey. It took maybe 15 minutes or so? I'm pretty thorough with open-ended questions,though, so the length might depend on how you answer. But I would give it a good 10-15 minutes. By the end of the "marriage survey," my husband was surely getting impatient...maybe I should have commented on that in my answers. ;)

Hope you participate! Maybe you'll be quoted in her book.......................

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=WRoHgjplQ3NBwZKpJCKL6A_3d_3d

Feel free to post this (facebook, blog, etc) or pass on to anyone you know that might join in. Thanks!

Video of the Day

This is hilarious! Thanks for sharing this, Ginny! I was in tears from laughing so hard by the time I finished watching this. I needed the laugh, even if it was almost midnight when I watched it - totally worth it! I never knew this was such a strange video, though... But if you need a laugh, watch this!! HILARIOUS!



From creator: Ever wish songs just sang what was happening in the music video? Well now they do, in my sixth take on Dusto Films' "literal video" concept!

Enjoy!

Back from Vacation

Sorry about the lack of posts lately.... Becky commented yesterday that I must be busy b/c it's not like me to go 10 days without a post. ;) Very true!! After the move, we immediately had family in, and the day after they left, friends arrived and then we left for vacation! I've had very little computer time and absolutely no time to blog. As fun as all of this was, I think the next time we move, we will put a little more time between all the different activities!! We still have plenty to unpack, and it seems endless since we have had so much other stuff happening.

Anyway...Vacation! This was Aiden's first vacation, first time camping. We went with one of my best friends, Sonia, and her two boys - who happen to be similar ages to my boys. Camden and Justin are the same age, and Aiden and Christian are almost a year apart. To me, the older boys are almost like brothers with the way they act.... When they get together, it's like they've never been apart. They pick up right where they left off - usually arguing over every little thing. It's all a competition, nothing is off limits. But they still manage to have a lot of fun together! I think they'll grow up to remain good friends. (They almost have no choice since their moms are so close!) They had a lot of fun camping - getting to just be boys and do what boys do! They played with toads (they are all over the campground!), play soccer/volleyball/basketball, there was a huge chess game nearby, and they just got to run around a lot!

Aiden and Christian will soon follow and become great friends, too, I'm sure. They couldn't do a whole lot together right now b/c of their ages and where they are developmentally, but they will soon outgrow that and be good friends. (Once again, they pretty much have no choice.....) Sonia and I had wanted to have some great girlfriend time, and I don't think we got nearly as much as we wanted! I know I didn't. It's a lot of work camping with a toddler and an infant!! We all knew it would be, but it pretty much takes all of your time, energy, attention... And the little boys are on different schedules with naps and all, so it was difficult to get some one-on-one time with just us mamas. That was probably my least favorite part of the trip. (Next time, right, Sonia?!)

My favorite part.... When Aiden went down for his naps. I would nurse him and then let him play on his own in the pack & play in the tent. I would lie on our bed and read and watch him...he would do his little version of gymnastics until it tired him out. Then after he was asleep, I would lie there and read, usually dozing off right before he woke. He wakes sometimes after about 30 or so minutes and will go right back to sleep if someone is there and lays him back down - then he would sleep for a good while longer. But it was so nice to have that quiet time for me, too. I never get to read for fun much (I started rereading Fast Food Nation - good reminder of why not to eat fast food.....), and I certainly never get to lie down and relax any during the day. It was wonderful being somewhat lazy for an hour or so. (This would have been a good time for girlfriend time if it weren't for the fact that I knew Aiden would wake early and need to be put back down; he needs his naps, too! And Christian was on a different schedule usually, so it was hard to coordinate and have time for us ladies.)

Camden says his favorite part of the trip was....toads, s'mores, swimming (beach or pool). His least favorite...sunburn and then the saltwater on top of his burn (he burned around his eyes, so he couldn't wear his goggles, and the skin around his eyes were really sensitive, esp when he was in the ocean). Camden's a natural at camping (except for the work involved in taking things down to leave - but who likes that, right?). I think Ryan disliked the humidity and the heat that set in the last day and night (it was in the upper nineties, at least). He doesn't do well in the heat. And we left late and some of our "schedule" got messed up - he doesn't like that either. He says his favorite part of the trip was playing in the pool with both of the boys. Least favorite - sunburn. He got it bad! We think the rays must have been especially strong or something b/c just about everyone got burned. I even was a tiny bit burned for a day or so...and I NEVER burn! AND we all had on sunscreen - liberally applied and often. Our motto is - better too much than not enough. We use it VERY liberally - we're not stingy with sunscreen in the least! Poor Ryan, though...he got it the worst, I think. :( Aiden's favorite would probably be getting to be carried around everywhere (not many places he could crawl around on...). Least fave - probably having the ocean forced on him. Surely it will grow on him and he'll quickly become a beach baby. Surely.

With all the work it was, though, we still had a good time. Honestly, it wasn't the best vacation ever, but it wasn't the worst, either! ;) And although we had to constantly be on-call with Aiden, he did REALLY well as a camper! He napped well, he ate well, he did fine being in a new place around new people. He really was pretty easy-going about it all. Well, except for the ocean... Not a fan just yet. We'll have to work on that. We might go back for a day in August to get in some more time to help him like it....whether we want to or not (right...........)

We did our camping at Wilmington, next to Wrightsville Beach, here in NC. (Not my very favorite beach or place to camp - we were spoiled last time we went to where Sonia usually goes in VA Beach - but it was still decent. Nothing major to complain about.) We cooked almost all of our meals over the campfire - burgers, chicken, veggies, fried potatoes (I forgot how much I love fried potatoes), a big breakfast, etc, etc, etc... The boys helped a lot and got to learn how to do a bunch of the fire-making and cooking on their own. They also were on dish-duty for the week - whoever volunteered first at each meal got to choose: rinser or washer. Great way to get them to volunteer quickly, and without complaining a whole lot (good idea, Sonia!). No s'mores until dishes were done, too (which also helped them get to work!). ;) And of course, we had s'mores every night. No other way to do it!

We went out to eat at Dockside Restaurant one evening - I got a fish sandwich....and it must have actually had a lot of sand IN it. I had to send it back b/c no way was I eating that (which I hate doing...makes me nervous!). The next one was good, though - and they gave us free desserts. I guess sometimes messing up the order pays off..... ;) The food was decent other than that, but it takes FOREVER to get the food! The chocolate pecan pie, though...so yummy! Don't think I would go back, though.

It rained the first day and in the middle of the night the first couple nights, but that's not always a bad thing... Rained on night one the last time we went camping, too. It helps cool the weather down a bit. It didn't really get to feeling too hot until the last full day, and we just stayed in the shade that day.

Went to the beach a couple times. The older boys loved it, of course, and could have stayed all day, even if they were already sunburned from time at the pool. It was Christian's first time to the beach, and he seemed to really love it! Playing in the sand, splashing in the water, even sitting on the boogie board on the edge of the water. Aiden, however, did not. Check out the pictures to see his reaction... Poor guy. The second trip to the ocean, he did finally decide he could deal with the sand and was crawling all over it (before, he was happy to stay on his blanket under the shade). Right before that happened, though, the camera battery died. (I keep telling Ryan we need a backup battery b/c it always dies right when I want to take an important picture and it doesn't show when the battery is going down, like it should. He says, no...we just need to be aware but don't need another one. Umm...yes, we do. I told him it would die on the trip, and it did. Right before something really big happened. He knew I wasn't too happy when it did. Aiden even smiled once while in the water - b/c Camden was making him laugh - and no pictures of that, either. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..........) We did get some video of Aiden at the beach and will try to get that up soon (along with the other million videos we have yet to share.... It just takes so much time that I don't have, but I hope to get to it soon!)

Anyway, enjoy the pictures we DO have.

2009 June Camping Trip

Friday Fill-Ins

1. I grew up thinking I couldn't wait to grow up and be an adult. Now I often wish I was a child again. Life was so much easier back then...(in some ways)

2. Facebook was the last website I was at before coming here, unless you count Google Reader, which is where my blog subscriptions go - and where I got today's Friday Fill-Ins.

3. Why don't you join facebook (and add me as a friend) if you haven't already? It's the place to be - besides my blog, of course. ;)

4. Watching some Friends helps me relax. Ryan and I watch an episode many nights before going to bed. He's waiting on me to watch some right now. I think he's getting impatient....better hurry!

5. Thanks for the help this past week, Mom and Gene!! Gene installed the fans in our living room and bedrooms, as well as the new chandelier in our dining room. The fans were a mess to do b/c he kept running into problems with the ceiling/wiring/etc. But being an electrician, he knew what to do and was a HUGE help!! He also installed the diaper sprayer (we went a couple days without it b/c of the move - and I now know that thing is worth it's weight in gold!) and fixed a door that was barely out of alignment and will now shut easily. And Mom helped me figure out what plants were growing in our yard under the mess growing on top of it all - and she helped with the landscaping up front. The previous owner had the place professionally landscaped and then clearly never touched the place - it is a MESS, and the front was transformed. We found great plants/bushes under all the crabgrass. Wait till you see the before and after pics!

6. The landscaping in front of our house was very off-putting. Now it looks great. I think our neighbors probably love us already just for that.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching a Friends episode with Ryan and then getting to bed before midnight (or one...or three am....) - something that hasn't happened once in the past two weeks, tomorrow my plans include installing Aiden's new car seat and having it checked (where the inspectors will say how wonderfully I have installed it, as usual...b/c I get serious about car seats and all that jazz), working in the yard a bit, cleaning and unpacking some, getting some baby proofing items (so Aiden won't crawl into shelf corners and things like that), and welcoming some friends that are joining us for the week and some that are passing through (we'll have a house FULL tomorrow night) and Sunday, I want to enjoy some time with one of my best girl friends and pack to go on vacation with her and her beautiful boys (and my beautiful boys, too, of course)!

Happy weekend!!

TEN Months!

Aiden turned ten months almost a week ago - Saturday, June 6th. It has been just a little busy around here, and I've had about zero time to get on the computer, so I am just now getting around to posting this.

Weighing in...
20lbs and change (just weighing on our scales at home, so the ounces part is missing)
29 inches

Cutie patootie
He is already looking more like a little boy than a baby it seems...

Favorite things:

• Getting into everything he's not supposed to. Is there some innate knowledge about what is off limits that suddenly kicks in as soon as babies learn how to crawl or something? As soon as the child learned to move around (and move rather quickly!), his toys became of little interest. And he seems to know he is getting into stuff he's not supposed to. He'll be crawling toward the kitchen, for example, and I'll say "Aiden...." - he'll turn to look at me, give this mischievous grin, and then continue on his way, almost as if he's laughing about the fact that, yes, he knows he isn't supposed to be going in there. Meanwhile all the toys from his basket in the living room are strewn about but completely ignored. And when I pick him up to move him, he grins. And once placed back down, far away from the trouble and next to toys...he goes right back to where he was just removed. I keep saying he is very persistent - and he IS (as opposed to stubborn - might as well put a positive spin on it!).
  
• Feeding himself. The boy loves to eat! Finger foods are at every meal now, and he is loving it! So far, he still lets us feed him from the spoon, too. Pretty much anything that is food is allowed in his mouth, regardless of the way in which it gets there.
• Water. Put his water bottle in front of him at any time, and he will drink, drink, drink.
• Kissing. Say "awwwww..." and you'll probably get a big, wet, open mouth coming your way. He pretty much attacks Camden with kisses. And if he gets close enough, he'll attack other babies, too. He seems to know that it's the thing to try when we're telling him "no" about something. Can he already be that manipulative?? It is hard to resist him being so sweet.
• Showers. He gets pretty excited when we get ready to go in the shower in the mornings. He plays near the front while I shower, and he knows exactly how to plug up the tub and let the water fill up. I'll turn the stopper to let the water back out, and he will plug it right back up.
• BOOKS! Oh my goodness does the child like his books! He will pull them off the shelf of the entertainment center (on his level, so it's perfect for a little bookshelf for him), one by one. He'll turn it, twist it, look at all sides of it, and then drop it and pick up the next one on the shelf. He'll go through this until he has every single book on the floor. It's hilarious to watch! And he will carry a book around while you're holding him, just clinging to it with both hands, one on each side. How cute is that?! He's even trying to SAY "book"!! He'll say "buh" over and over when you ask him anything about a book. But don't try to take the book away, even to read it. No, he wants to hold it.
• His snack ball. He found it one day and figured out how to open it. I have yet to watch him open it, but he's snuck it a couple times. He'll pick out the puffs and eat a few...then just dump the rest and continue eating away, happy as can be.
• Shoes. Not to wear...but to (attempt to) chew on! Put them on his feet, and he tries to kick and kick, wondering why they won't come off. (It's kind of funny watching him try to kick them off.) But if he finds them out, he can't wait to get some part of them in his mouth (and will get pretty mad if you take them away).
• Daddy coming home from work. He gets really excited when Ryan comes through the door and will crawl to him and beg for him to pick him up. It's rather cute. And I think Ryan likes it just a little bit... ;)
  

Aiden wasn't sold on the idea of sitting still in the chair for pictures...


...until we gave him a book and then it was all good.

Least Favorite things:

• Diaper changes. He's back to not liking being put down for a diaper change. He yells out and then twists his body to get up. Poopy diapers can be especially fun. (That's sarcasm, in case you couldn't read into that...) If he's expecting to be nursed (because he's hungry and we're suddenly in his room), then he gets especially mad!
• Being told "no" when he tries to eat his books. He doesn't like that so much. Sometimes he'll just throw the book. Or he'll look at you and then put it right back in his mouth. I'm telling you - it's like he knows when he's doing something he's not supposed to do - and he is almost enjoying doing it anyway! He's been doing this with the cell phone, too. He was at the point where he would know not to put it in his mouth...but now he'll look at you and then do it anyway! Are we in for some trouble?? I hope not...
• Hats. Well, it's not so much that he doesn't like them...but he's realized he can take them off. So now, instead of leaving it on for a long amount of time, he pulls it right off the second you put it on. On, off. On, off. But if you put another toy in his hand at the same time - he seems to forget about it and leaves it on.
• The Pack & Play! Not a fan. We've only used it as a bassinet so far, and that hasn't been done for quite a while now! But we needed to use it at the new house while painting and doing some work - to play in a tiny bit and also for naps. Oh, he did not like that, not one little bit.
• Not getting food immediately after being put in the high chair or upon seeing anybody with food or in the kitchen. And if you use the magic bullet food processor and then turn it off, you'd better be ready to feed him. He knows that thing is for HIS food, and he expects it right away. The kid loves to eat and doesn't want to wait for it.
• Being put into his car seat when he is really tired. He will scream and cry. And scream some more. He's usually fine going into the seat. No fuss at all. But if he's really tired...it's not fun for anyone. :(
  

His shirt says "Inspi(red)"

He is pretty worried, as you can tell, because we took the book away and he couldn't see it.

New developments this past month:

• CRAWLING. He is EVERYWHERE.
• Eating all sorts of finger foods. He pretty much eats what we're eating at dinner now, with some restrictions and alterations.
• He got his seventh tooth in. He now has all four across the top.
• Aiden is improving with his sleeping! He goes down for naps better and often sleeps for an hour to almost two. If he gets up earlier, I can usually nurse him and get him right back to sleep to finish a longer nap. He's going down for Ryan at night and not needing me to come in. He usually wakes between 10-11pm to nurse, and lately Ryan's been going to him instead - and he's often going back to sleep without nursing or fussing about it.
• He can kind of pull himself up, as shown in the picture (he did this all on his own). He'll be doing it all the time in no time. Right now, he just has no idea that he has to hold on to keep himself up. Those legs are just too wobbly, and he can't seem to figure out that he has to work to keep from falling over. If we don't have arms nearby, he just topples right over, completely clueless... He'll figure it out soon enough.
  

Look what I can do!

Friday Fill-Ins on Sunday...

...because we moved on Friday and haven't had one extra minute. Still don't, but I'm taking a very quick break (while Ryan isn't around to scold me for being on the computer). ;)

So...here they are! Let's see how short and sweet I can do this...gotta get back to work! Answers in bold.

1. We are now living in our new home.

2. My favorite thing for dinner lately has been anything quick and easy - and things we actually have ingredients to, which is tricky since most things have been packed away!

3. The neighbors have three dogs that go bark! bark! bark! They also have a baby the same age as Aiden. (And invited him to come swim in their baby pool the other weekend....while the dogs sat there and watched. No thanks. Those dogs are pretty big and scary looking to me. But the neighbors do seem to be nice.)

4. A nice long walk around our new neighborhood is something I could use. Maybe in a few days when we can relax a bit more and take time to do something other than unpack.

5. I could use some good news. It seems lately that most news lately is not so good - poor health for some, people not getting along, things breaking or costing too much money (that last one is more with us while the others are more with others). Let's have some more good going around now, shall we?

6. When all is said and done, I'll be able to relax a bit more. But ALL is never completely said and done, is it? It seems there is always more to do.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting all the big stuff into the new house, tomorrow my plans include Camden's soccer tournament (could be three games if they do well - spread throughout the day with no time to go home in between) and Sunday, I want to UNPACK lots of stuff and get some things put away and cleaned up before some company arrives during the week!

Update....Camden's team DID do well - went to the finals and came in second place. It was a long day (and I missed the last game, which I HATED, but it couldn't be helped - will explain later), but the team did really well and deserved it. I'll give more soccer details later, along with pics! For now...it's back to unpacking!!

Our Model Baby

Aiden's a celebrity!

(I almost typed "ya'll" at the end of that...but I caught myself. Yikes! I may live in a southern state where many people say that, and I may even be from KY - which some people consider to also be southern....but I am not one of those people that has "ya'll" in my vocab, no offense to those of you that do say it. Thanks but no thanks.) ;)

Click HERE to see what I mean! How awesome is that?!

Sharni, the lady that owns this website, The Nappy Shoppe, is now selling gdiapers from her store. She makes the most wonderful cloth liners for gdiapers - called gflappers. My favorites are the ones made with organic bamboo velour. Oh my, what softness!

And she is now making these blankies out of that organic bamboo velour!! I am dying to get one (or two or...) for Aiden. This material is the softest stuff ever! Plus, it's ecofriendly. And organic.

If anyone is itching to get me, I mean AIDEN, a gift for whatever reason....this would suffice. Maybe a light blue on one side and brown on the other or the light blue and medium blue or light blue with light blue? She's even looking into getting some satin edging to put around the edges... As you can tell, I haven't put much thought into what kind of blankie would be perfect for Aiden. Clearly.

She's almost out of brown, though, so you might want to step on it......you know, if you really wanted to make me, I mean AIDEN, smile. ;)

If those of you with little ones are interested in getting a blankie for YOUR little one - she has pictures of the material, along with some of the blankets she's already made and sold, on facebook on her business page and on her website. She just started doing the blankies to sell, and those babies are selling like hotcakes!! She's already running out of some of the blues and the brown.

She's also selling these really adorable diaper bags on her site. She and another lady are making them. I would also LOVE to get my hands on one of these. (Hint, hint...) For Aiden, you know, and all his stuff we have to lug around. ;)

Chew on THIS

Last night I went to tuck in Camden, and as he was putting his book away, he asked, "Can we move to Europe?"

What?? Where on Earth did this come from??

He's reading Chew on This: Everything you don't want to know about fast food by Eric Schlosser, the same guy that wrote Fast Food Nation. Chew on This is the children's version of the first book (more for middle school ages and up, but Camden's an advanced reader, and we read this together a few years ago - because I wanted to know what was in it, as well - but he's reading it again now). (I will let you know there is a part that mentions how either Santa or the Easter Bunny isn't real - can't remember which one - the first time we read through this, I just skipped that part b/c Camden still believed. Now he knows, and it's fine for him to read that. But if your child still believes...just cluing you in. You might want to read it out loud to him/her in that case...?)

In this book is ALL SORTS of things you don't want to know - but SHOULD. After reading it the first time, Camden learned a lot and changed his way of thinking when it came to eating at places like McDonald's...for a while. I'm glad he's revisiting the book, and on his own (he just up and decided to read it again one day!) because he might change his way of thinking even more so now. Some of the topics have to do with what's in the food, how it is really prepared, how the animals are treated, hormones they are given while alive, the marketing towards children, how workers are treated in factories where the toys are made, etc, etc. This list goes on!! After reading these books and watching the documentary movie Fast Food Nation (which I did let Camden watch, too) a few years ago, we have certainly cut down our fast food dining, and we are VERY picky about where we WILL eat. And we haven't eaten at a McDonald's in YEARS!! No kidding. Well, I did stop through and get pancakes one morning when I was pregnant, but it's only because I was craving them BIG time (any pancakes, not McD's) and they were one of the very few things I could eat at that time with the morning sickness - and Camden doesn't know. ;)

(GRANDPARENTS...if you're reading...these are some of the reasons we don't eat at these places. It's not just that it's junk food...it's also about quality, health, and all sorts of things related to how they run their businesses. So when we ask you NOT to take the kids to McDonald's or other fast food places, please understand why and go along with us. Thanks!) :)

Anyway...I digress...When I came in to tuck Camden into bed, he had just finished reading some of the information on chickens and how they are butchered in many factories in America. It's really sad and gross, and if you care at all about animals (and I mean even just the tiniest bit), you would be horrified at some of the stories. I won't go into detail....but I'm not exaggerating at how horrific it is. The first time Camden read this book, he would keep coming back to this topic; it was clear that it really hurt his heart knowing what happened to the chickens at these slaughterhouses. The book also discusses how European countries deal with these issues, having the chickens breathe a gas that "painlessly knocks them unconscious." There are many pros to this method - it's more efficient, better for the birds' welfare, better for the workers in the plants, and doesn't affect the quality of the meat. But it does cost more. (I would be willing to pay a little extra, though, and I'm sure more people would if they knew what went on in American slaughterhouses. And this is just with the chickens...he hasn't gotten to the part about the cattle slaughterhouses again yet. It can be even worse there.)

So, while we have no plans on moving to Europe in order to be able to eat chicken that was killed more humanely, I am very proud of my son for caring so much and wanting to be proactive in some way. And it's a good time for us and him to start thinking about what we CAN do. I'm not going to stop eating chicken (just being honest), but there are things we can do to change some of our ways. I did consider telling Camden he could stop eating chicken. I would support that if he chose to do so. I know a number of people that don't eat meat because they do not support these kinds of practices. I'm not sure I could give it up...though it has been a thought from time to time; just don't think I could do it! Time to brainstorm other ideas, though, I suppose!

If you haven't read either of these books or watched the documentary - check them out!! I recommend the books more than the documentary because it gets more into the behind the scenes information, while the documentary (from what I recall) is more about what happens to the guy that eats McDonald's straight for however long and how it affects his health. But definitely get the book(s)!! And let your children read Chew on This, too!

Now...any thoughts from you guys? Any ideas? Especially ones that a nine-year-old (he'll be TEN THIS MONTH - oh my!!!) can get into? Please share!!

Moving!!!

Moving date is THIS Friday!!! Oh my....

This is going to be a busy week... There is something every day. Soccer practice Tuesday, Playdate Wednesday, Swim class Thursday, Moving starts super early Friday. Doesn't sound like a lot, I know, but I still have an entire apartment to PACK UP on top of everything!! And with a baby at my heels (or going in every OTHER direction, is more like it) at the same time. We have taken some things to the house already, but MOST of the apartment still has yet to be packed. The stress is setting in.....

On that note, if anyone wants to help out with the move on Friday, you are more than welcome! We have hired movers to get the furniture and other big stuff. So, it's not necessarily muscle we're needing. But you can certainly come help us set things up if you want. Or just check out the place. Or be on baby watch (otherwise Aiden will be spending a lot of time in the Ergo carrier on my back). We'll provide some sort of food, of course. Let us know if you want to help out! Email, comment, call, whatever! :)

House Update

We've been slaving away at the new house, mostly painting on the boys' rooms. They look great! We did some fun stripes in Aiden's room, and Camden opted for a single color in his - which will look great with his current bedding and new bedroom furniture that we'll be getting in the fall. I know some of you warned us how much work all this painting would be, especially the stripes in Aiden's room. It has been a while since I painted anything like this, but it really wasn't bad at all. The painting was easy, actually. The hard part has been trying to do it with a baby around - a baby that does not want to be confined to a play yard or an activity jumper (boy he loves that thing when he wants to play in it - but when we need him in it for a bit b/c we have supplies everywhere...no sir!). And then also having a bored 10-year-old that doesn't really want to help watch his baby brother play in the one open space he can... Anyway, we still managed! And the rooms look great!

We've done some other stuff around the house, too. Ryan mowed the lawn - after dishing out a nice chunk of change for a new lawn mower, weed eater, and all that good stuff. We've bought fans for all the bedrooms and living room, along with a new chandelier for the dining room (because the one that is in there now is just NOT ok). We've taken a lot of kitchen items and boxes of other things to the house already - things that don't need to be on carpeted areas b/c we're having the carpets cleaned later this week (and they're being cleaned by GREEN means!).

Here are some updated pictures... Same album as the other house pics, so just go to the ones you haven't seen!

Our House