Snips & Snails & Puppy Dog Tails

I don't think there is anything much cuter in this world than watching little boys with their daddies. From the moment the ultrasound tech proclaimed "It's a boy!" and Matt practically did cartwheels of joy across the room, I've daydreamed about witnessing the special daddy/son bond develop. For the first few months of his life, like most babies, Camden was pretty exclusively a momma's boy. Because most of his time back then was spent alternating between eating and sleeping, he always wanted his food source close by. No milk producing boobies? Then put me down, thank-you-very-much.

And then one day, Camden woke up to the world around him and became more than just a sleeping lump attached to my boob. He started observing. He started imitating. He started laughing. He started becoming a little boy. And that little boy began realizing that his daddy is pretty darn cool, even if he lacks the ability to lactate.

Our daily routine involves following Matt out to the backyard each morning before he leaves for work and watching him water the garden and plants. I hold Camden's hands as he walks around the yard, following his daddy's steps and observing everything his daddy does. When it's time for Daddy to leave for work, we stand in the driveway to wave goodbye and I watch as Camden's smiling face turns into a very stoic, serious expression as Matt drives away. And when Matt walks in the door at the end of the day, I've never seen a tiny face light up so quickly. This kid adores his dad.

I know it's just a matter of time before the two of them are out in the backyard playing catch, or heading off to a Little League game together. There will be Cub Scout meetings, nights camping out in our backyard, and roadtrips to Major League baseball stadiums. I can just hear Camden's little voice saying, "Daddy, I want to help!" or "Daddy, can I come with you?" as he follows two steps behind the man he'll spend his life looking up to.

This father/son bond is a pretty awesome thing. An added bonus? When it comes time to chat about the birds & the bees, I get to hand the reins to Matt. Because, you know, I wouldn't want him to miss out on that bonding experience either.

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And because it's been too long since I've posted a picture of Camden, I just had to squeeze this in. I was asked to help out at my old job for the afternoon earlier this week and I was (thankfully) able to bring Camden along with me. He was an excellent co-worker. We spent our time eating puffs and applesauce, dancing to the radio, jumping in the Jumperoo, and answering the occasional phone call. But being a working man at 8 months old took its toll on Camden as evidenced by the picture below: