A Southern White Christmas

Let me begin by acknowledging that I'm well aware of the fact that I have readers in the Wisconsin, Colorado, and Michigan areas-- places where snow is about as rare as Starbucks or McDonalds. And really, while I've called North Carolina home for seven years now, I'm originally from the Northern Virginia area, right on the border of Maryland and DC (read: I also saw a decent amount of snow growing up).

Still, after living in the south for the better part of a decade, snow becomes exciting all over again. If so much as a flurry falls from the sky, the entire population of the state parades to the grocery store to stock up on milk and bread- just in case we're going to be barricaded inside for weeks due to 2 inches of snow. Schools announce their cancellations days in advance.

And when we find out that we're going to experience our first white Christmas since, like, 1947?! Well, it's hard not to get caught up in the anticipation.

And so, when we woke up to several inches of snow on Sunday morning, I layered Camden's clothes (he has no real snow clothes-- hey, it's the south!) & headed outside to watch him experience his first big snow.

Alright, I'm ready to go! Let me see this snow you speak of.



This is what all the hype was about?! I'm not so sure how I feel about it.



On second thought, I think I love it.



Yes, a white Christmas is so rare in the south that we were nerdy enough to run outside and take a picture of our house with a snowy lawn.

Merry Christmas, Baby (A Recap)

I'm still in semi-disbelief that Christmas is over and we're winding down the last week of 2010. I'm fairly confident that we were put in some kind of time warp this year and experienced every day, week, and month in turbo speed.

So, yes. Christmas is done. It was Camden's second Christmas, and his first Christmas with real presents from Santa. Last year, when he was a cuddly sleeping lump, he got a few new outfits. This year, Santa must've gotten the memo that Camden was a very good little guy & he was showered with more gifts than any one year old really needs. Have I mentioned yet how much I absolutely loved shopping for Camden? Having a kid makes you feel like a kid all over again when it's Christmas time. It's just one of the many, many perks of parenthood.

We had our gift exchange and Christmas dinner with Matt's family the weekend before Christmas. Camden had a blast at his aunt and uncle's house. I alternated between being terrified he'd break something in their gorgeous, fancy (but extremely un-babyproofed home) and being afraid that he'd dive head first into their glass coffee table or fall down their winding staircase. Thankfully, we escaped with no broken keepsakes or bones and had a great time. Camden scored some fun new toys, we managed to get a decent family photograph after several failed attempts, we ate a delicious dinner, and Mommy enjoyed a nice, big glass of wine. Success.

On Christmas Eve, we headed to my parents' house for dinner and a sleepover. My younger brother, Chris, was in town from Chicago. We ate another yummy meal and headed to bed early (well, some of us anyway. Daddy AKA Santa had plenty of toys that needed assembling with the assistance of Uncle Chris).

I was unsure how Camden would react to his toys on Christmas morning. I thought he'd either a) be more interested in the boxes and/or tissue paper than the gifts or b) find one gift he really liked and not be interested in playing with anything else. I was wrong on both counts. Camden was in awe of all of his gifts and devoted equal time to inspecting and playing with nearly every toy.

After our traditional Christmas morning breakfast (oyster stew, minus the oysters for those of us who can't stomach even the sight of those slimy creatures and omelettes), my sister's family came over to exchange gifts. The house became a chaotic whirlwind of flying wrapping paper, excited squeals, and some very happy little boys. All in all, a pretty perfect Christmas morning.

I had visions of capturing Camden in his adorable Christmas PJs, happily enjoying his gifts from Santa. I soon realized that in order to make this vision a reality, one must remember to actually pack said adorable PJs. That's what happens when you pack a suitcase while drinking a delicious glass of sparkling white wine. Ah well.

Growing up, Santa Claus always left our gifts unwrapped & displayed on a chair where we could easily see everything when we first came downstairs in the morning (because, let's face it, Santa doesn't have time to wrap presents for every kid in the world. Let's be realistic). Santa decided to continue this family tradition with Camden:




Where to begin?!



Everything was SO exciting:



My very own laptop:



Playing some music with Pop:



I love Christmas!



(That lovely slash across his forehead? Was caused by Tupperware, believe it or not. And, of course, the injury happened just in time for Christmas pictures. Isn't that the way it always works?)

Merry Christmas!

Camden's second Christmas was a blast and Santa was very good to him, but more on that later. For now, I just wanted to say Merry Christmas from our family to yours.

And what a difference a year makes.

Last Christmas (and one of my favorite photos of all time):



And this year:



Merry Christmas...and now it's time to go wait on the snow.

Comprehension & Mischief

Camden understands so much these days. Show him a page in a book & ask him where the dog, ball, bird, or fish is-- and he'll squeal with excitement and then point a chubby finger towards the subject matter. Ask him where your nose is on your face. He'll show you (and then he'll place a hand on each of your cheeks, draw your face to his, and try to head-butt you. Or maybe that's only when I'm the one doing the asking.)

He's also great at following simple instructions. When it's time to read, I'll ask him to bring a book to me & he'll walk over to his collection, pick one out, and bring it back to me. Then he'll plop down in my lap. This also works out well when Mom is being lazy and it's time for a diaper change. "Camden," I simply say, "Go bring Mommy a diaper." Sure, he might bring me 6 or 8 balled up diapers, but they work just as well.

With this age of increased understanding comes an increased curiosity-- and an increased desire to get into mischief. Over the past few weeks, it's become common for me to find one of Camden's toys floating in Maggie's water bowl. When I go to get something out of the pantry, I often find one of his cars sitting neatly on the shelf next to a box of cereal. Also, I've found a Cheerio laced carefully through a branch on the Christmas tree, just like an ornnament. My most amusing discovery to date? Yesterday, I opened the fridge to get some milk & I found Camden's winter hat sitting on one of the shelves. Inside the fridge. I'm not quite sure how my mischievious little guy pulled that one off!

Now, for some photo evidence. A little background: Camden was completely quiet, which is always, always a dead giveaway that he's about to get into some sort of trouble. I snuck around to the dining room (where we hide Maggie's food and water bowl) and sure enough, there he was!

Oh, Hello Mother. I'm just about to stick my hand in Maggie's food bowl and then put a foot in her water bowl. I mean...nothing.


What? You act as though I'm not to be trusted!


Whatever, I can't fight the urge anymore.

I'm 30. How did that happen?

"Remember when 30 seemed so old
Now, looking back,
It's just a stepping stone..."

-Alan Jackson, Remember When

PS- Guess how I'm spending my 30th? Reporting to jury duty bright & early this morning. I wish I was kidding.

Dreams of MLB

Every time Camden picks up a ball and hurls it across the room with his left hand, I look over to find Matt beaming like a kid on Christmas morning.

"Look, he used his left hand again," he'll say excitedly.

Because, you know, left handed pitchers have a huge advantage in Major League Baseball. And if Camden is going to be a Baltimore Oriole one day, he'll have an easier time making the team if he's a lefty. Pure and simple logic, right?

But conversations like these inevitably lead me to think about my younger brother. Put simply, he is not an athlete. But that didn't stop my parents from signing him up for every sport known to mankind when he was a kid. Let me clarify: my parents aren't the Stage Parent types. They didn't put unrealistic pressure on us, ever. I think they truly believed that they just hadn't found the "right" sport for my brother to play, so they kept searching. He tried soccer, baseball, basketball, football, wrestling, and bowling. Most attempts were short-lived, lasting only a season or two. I think it was some time after he quit the wrestling team in high school that we all realized that he simply wasn't an athlete.

As "After School Special" as it might sound, my brother truly came into his own towards the end of high school. He excelled in all things creative. He put together a band with his friends & booked small gigs. He wrote songs. And stories. When he stopped trying to be something he clearly wasn't, he found himself. (I know, I know- cue the sappy end-of-episode music.)

If Camden dons the orange and black one day? You can bet Matt & I will be in the front row at Camden Yards, cheering him on (and probably holding up embarrassing homemade signs).

If Camden decides that golf is more his speed? We'll be thrilled. And I'll do my best to overcome my long-standing opinion that watching golf is about as exciting as watching paint dry.

If he decides to try out for the basketball team, Matt will take him to the court on weekends to perfect his free throws.

If he decides to follow in his uncle's footsteps and start a band, I'll be proud to be a groupie. And if he gets the lead role in the school play, Matt & I will be the cheesy parents who show up every single night to give him a standing ovation.

Because no matter what Camden decides to become, we'll always be his biggest fans. And there is only one thing I truly want him to be:

Happy.

One Year Appointment & Stats

At Camden's one year check-up, it was reinforced to me once again how important it is to truly like your child's pediatrician. It's such a relief to know that we've found the right fit for us. This well child check-up was the first one in a very long time that I left feeling encouraged instead of discouraged. Yes, I am still smitten with Dr. Wonderful.

First thing's first: weight. Camden is (still) a skinny thing. Or, as his pediatrician described him, lean & muscular. He's just over 19 pounds, which puts him in the 5th percentile for weight. Instead of telling me to force feed him butter & sour cream like Dr. Obsessive frequently suggested, he simply said, "Well, look at you & look at your husband. What do you expect?" He told me that Camden is active, healthy, & thriving and that's what's important. (Side note, because I found this funny: Matt & I used an online calculator to determine our own weight percentiles. Guess what Matt's is? Yep. He's also in the 5th percentile.)

We also talked a lot about food. He told me that Camden should be eating primarily table food now, which I knew. I'll be honest, though: prior to this doctor's appointment, I had still been feeding him some pureed baby food. My reasoning? It was easier for me to monitor how much he was eating this way (because Dr. Obsessive had drilled it into my brain that Camden was too skinny). Dr. Wonderful told me that if I try to count every bite he takes, I'll drive myself insane. Clearly, it didn't take long for him to peg me as the Type A control freak that I am. He told me that children Camden's age rarely sit down and eat what we would consider a full meal; that they actually just "graze" and snack a lot throughout the day. So, it's my job to offer him healthy foods throughout the day & it's Camden's job to tell me when he's full. Even when I don't agree with him.

We've also begun the weaning process over here. I've cut out one feeding so far, and will cut out an additional feeding every 2 or 3 weeks. I'm guessing that the middle of the night nursing session & the very early morning session will be the most difficult to cut. And if they take a little longer to get rid of? Oh well. I'm going into this weaning process totally relaxed and with an open mind. Giving myself a deadline seems silly and needlessly stressful.

So, obviously, we've introduced cow's milk. I would not call the inital introduction a smashing success; Camden would take a sip and then pull the cup out of his mouth and stare at it in disgust. Sometimes he'd throw the cup across the room. One time he even opened his mouth and just let the milk come rolling back out of it. But Day Two went much more smoothly & things have continued to improve since then. Apparently milk is an acquired taste. At least Camden seems to think so.

Now, for the fun stuff!

At 12 months, Camden:

• Is constantly on the go. He walks, he runs, he climbs-- he's basically unstoppable.
• Talks in his sleep. We've heard lots of "ba" and "ma" while he's sleeping.
• Is nursing 4 times in a 24 hour period (5am, 2:30pm, 8:30pm, 12:30am).
• Is starting to drink cow's milk.
• Is eating more table food. His favorite foods are: peas, pasta, Gerber cheese puffs, American cheese, banana pieces, avocado pieces, Honey Nut Cheerios, & chocolate pudding.
• Loves to dance! He dances to everything-- commercials with music, his toys that play music, his Daddy's singing. If it has a beat, he will stop whatever he's doing & dance.
• Claps his hands.
• Will point to things in books, ornaments on the Christmas tree, parts of my face, etc. (If we ask him where something is, though, he'll turn & look but will not yet point to it)
• Will look down at his shirt if we tell him "Camden, your shirt has a ___ on it."
• Smacks his lips when someone else is eating or drinking something he wants.
• Still only has 2 teeth (bottom) but is currently working on the top two.
• Weighs 19 lbs, 1 oz and is 30 inches tall.
• Loves to kick & throw balls around.
• Says "Mama". He still says "Dadada" (though not TO Matt yet) & we think he's trying to say "ball" and "byebye".
• Is completely obsessed with Special Agent Oso.
• Continues to be my awesome napper & terrible night sleeper (though nighttime sleep is, thankfully, improving).
• Enjoys Story Time at the local library.
• Is so much fun & such a blessing to us.