Bound by Love

Where we are now......

2011-08-23T19:31:00.000-07:00

The Roses are on the move! Aaron has been transferred to Nashville, TN and we are thrilled to be moving to our number one choice!! Life has been crazy lately, and it is going to get even crazier as Aaron commutes for the month of September and I continue working in Birmingham. We feel so blessed to be able to move to a city that we truly love and are lucky enough to already know a few people there, including one of my very best friends! I think it will make the transition much easier for me, since I was worried having never lived far from my family. When we ask Camden where we are moving he replies, "Nash-o-bill!!!". The kids are doing great and growing like little weeds :)

Camden is three and a half years old. He is the best big brother a gal could ask for and sillier than ever! He is constantly singing, dancing, running, and jumping. If you know him you know that he also enjoys his downtime, for sure! He is such a cuddly little guy and still loves to sit and curl up with mommy or daddy. He is an incredibly picky eater and lover of bubble gum. Camden LOVES more than anything to ride his bike or new spark razor scooter.....he just loves making it "shoot out fire". He is also very artistic and is always up for crafts, play-doh, and puzzles. I enjoy hearing his side of the story as he tells me about him days. Camden has my heart.

Hadley is fifteen months old and our silly little wild child! She is dainty, sweet, and very dramatic. She loves jewelry and shoes like nothing I've ever seen! This is truly engrained in her. When we are out and about and see jewelry racks the sweet thing cries as she reaches out for anything anyone will hand her. She does the Itsy Bitsy Spider, sings and dances, loves peek-a-boo, loves being tickled and chased down the hallway as she moves as fast as she can and loves to sit on my hip all. day. long. :) She just started walking this week. She took her first steps at 13 months, but just yesterday has started walking more than crawling. It is SO cute! She is so tall and skinny and looks just precious trying to maneuver her sweet little (giraffe-like) legs.

Aaron is working, working, working. He is such an amazing husband, father and provider for our family. Every single thing he does is for us, and I am so grateful to be his partner in this amazing life God has blessed us with. While Aaron does work about 70 hours a week, he still seems to find a good balance in life and spends all of his off time with us (he just lacks in the sleep department). Our kids actually spend more time with him than most because half of his working time is while they are in bed at night.

I am so happy with where life is taking us. This next month is going to be exhausting and stressful, but it will all be worth it once we get settled into our new home!

The Protector

2011-03-17T18:02:00.000-07:00

The other day I heard Camden whisper to Hadley as he hugged her, "I will never ever let anything happen to you". He is the sweetest three-year-old big brother there is! Hadley is such a blessed little girl to have him as her protector.

Even if sometimes he is a little bit rough.....

He calls her his best friend...

Is infinitely patient with her.....

and plays so well with her....

We are so thankful to have such a perfect pair!

baby mine :)

2011-03-08T20:11:00.000-08:00

Nine months.....

happy -mommy's girl -flirtatious -crawling -two teeth -lover of all foods -pulling up -so in love with her big brother -tall and thin -says "bye bye", "uh oh", "papa", "bob" -gives kisses when asked -dainty -sweetest baby girl voice -plays pat-a-cake -starting to be more of a cuddle bug -sleeps 12 hours at night -2-3 naps per day -loves peek-a-boo -hates being left anywhere by mommy -lights up when she sees her daddy - loves bath time with her big brother -waves -nursing baby -sweetest giggles -pacifier addict -not very ticklish -has all three of our hearts in her little bitty hand

She is growing up!

2010-11-21T20:33:00.000-08:00

This morning was very exciting for Camden and Hadley. He got to feed her solid food for her first time and they were both pretty stoked about it. He was so sweet and eager to help out his baby sister and keep her chin nice and clean. Meanwhile, Hadley was loving it and slurping the rice cereal off of the spoon, a major perk (among many) for waiting 6 months before introducing solid foods. Life is even more fun these days as Cam and Hadley are starting to interact so much and REALLY love each others attention.

The cereal this morning was the first thing Hadley had ever eaten other then breast milk. I love that I have been able to provide all she needs up until this point. I really enjoy nursing and am so thankful that I have been able to share the experience with my babies. It truly is the best thing for them and it is an extra perk that nursing means oodles of mommy-baby time! I had to supplement with formula for Camden because my job at the time did not allow for me to pump enough to keep up. I am so thankful to have a job in which I never have to leave my little ones so I can continue to provide all of the nourishment my baby girl needs throughout her first year.

Time flies!

2010-11-16T19:17:00.000-08:00

I can't beleive how quickly time is passing these days! Hadley is five months old and cute as a button. She is still a super talkative little girl and there is no sweeter sound than her little voice. She has recently found her toes AND started to sit up by herself (still supporting with her hands). She and Camden are SO in love with each other and he calls her his best friend. If she is ever fussing he can cheer her up just by paying some attention to her. Life is so amazing and we are so blessed with such wonderful babies! Isn't this the cutest smile you've ever seen?! No word describes Camden these days better that SILLY! He is such a funny little kiddo and the things coming out of his mouth lately have us laughing out loud. He is 100% a big boy these days and LOVES proclaiming to me that he doesn't need a high chair...or pacifiers....or a crib....or diapers EVER again! a post to come on that NEXT :) This is a picture I took of him the other day when I told him to look cool :) LOVE HIM!

I love them.....

2010-11-08T20:04:00.000-08:00

And they love each other :)

Roses at the Pumpkin Patch!

2010-10-12T12:34:00.000-07:00

Last Friday the four of us spent the day at a local pumpkin patch. We all had a BLAST! Camden enjoyed riding a pony, playing on inflatable slides, riding a train, and a carriage pulled by a TRACTOR! He was an angel the entire time and slept great on the way home. Hadley is always a happy girl when she gets to hang out outside. Nothing in the world makes Aaron and I happier than seeing our kids so happy and having so much fun. We were very thankful for such a fun relaxing day together!

Right Now......

2010-09-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

Aaron is the rock of our family and works so incredibly hard to provide for us. He works a million hours a week to make our life, present and future, so fabulous. No one in the world makes Camden and Hadley (or me!)laugh and smile the way Aaron can. I thank God for him every day!

Camden is two and a half and silly as ever! He talks constantly about ghosts, dinosaurs, and robots. He is still our sweet little cuddle bug, and rocks as a big brother. Watching him interact with Hadley makes me so happy to see all the love he has for her. she will certainly be well protected! He is talking more and more every day and his imagination is amazing to watch and hear about. Camden potty trained pretty much on his own about a month ago. He just started back at MDO and we just love his teacher, Ms. Sylvia. They got to paint at craft time on Thursday and she wrote on his note that he wanted to paint all day....I believe that! He is a very artistic little guy, and loves nothing more than drawing and listening to music. I so look forward to seeing where life takes our little man, just not too fast!

Hadley is three months old and sweet as can be! She is a LOT like Camden was as a baby. Very cuddly, very smiley, and LOVES to be held all day (even the same ways Camden did). She has been sleeping through the night ever since she was five weeks old, which leaves me feeling refreshed and ready for each new and busy day! Hadley loves her blankies and pacifiers and falls asleep on her own while watching her mobile. She is SUCH an easy baby! :)

I am just loving life as a stay-at-home mommy. I feel incredibly blessed to be able to spend so much time with my little ones. I also get to see Aaron much more now because we used to work opposite shifts. I am such a proud mommy and wife and could not be any happier!

Thanks be to God!

Let me tell you a little about my baby girl

2010-08-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

Hadley is quite a mommy's girl! and I am just soaking it all in, since I know she won't be this way forever. There are very few times when she is fussing that it takes anything more than me holding her to solve the problem. My best friend, Ellen, always talks about how she looks so incredibly happy and content in my arms and I just LOVE that!

She is a VERY talkative baby. Every time she sneezes she lets out a big sigh afterwards....every. single. time. So cute! She is always up for a chat. All you have to do is say hi to Hadley and she is talking right back to you in the sweetest little girl voice I've ever heard. Her voice is already soo much more feminine than Camden's was, as it should be.

Her hands are one of my favorite things about her. She has long fingers and they are always looking so cute. When she is concentrating on anything, such as eating, they are stiff in the cutest little mannerisms.

I am so incredibly thankful to be Hadley's mommy!

This girl is all smiles!

2010-08-11T21:25:00.000-07:00

Hadley started smiling when she was five weeks old and hasn't stopped since! There is nothing wrong in the world when this sweet little baby girl smiles at me.

One month already!!!!!

2010-07-20T21:01:00.000-07:00

I can NOT believe that our sweet Hadley's one month birthday has already come and gone! I thought time flew by with one child and it is going twice as fast with two! She is so sweet and we are all thankful that she is in our lives'. Camden is always concerned that I am going to leave her everywhere we go.....to the point that there are occaisonally tears if he thinks I am forgetting her. I am so relieved and thankful that the transition of going from one child to two has been so easy. Camden welcomed his baby sister with open arms and we have yet to have any issues. He does occaisonally pretend to be a baby, but it is very cute and not out of control. I certainly do not mind having to "tiny babies" to rock :)

A Sweet Soul

2010-07-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

Two years ago I met one of the best friends I have ever had. It was purely by chance that we met, but I treasure our friendship more than she will ever know. As a new mom I was coming into my own in this world as the person I had always dreamed of being, a mom at last! I always knew I wanted to be a mommy; it is the only thing I was ever passionate about. Then as my son was placed in my arms, I was the happiest girl in the world. But, then what, I had thought about how I would love and hug on my babies for the past twenty-two years, but there is so much more to being a mom and parent than that. Karen has taught me so much about all of the extra steps and the backbone pieces involved in rearing children. Everything from singing more to making sure they say their prayers every night to being the very best advocate I can be for them. She is always there for me when I need a laugh or an open ear. I don't even think she knows what all I have learned from her, but I certainly do and I thank God that she is in my life each day.

Babies Don't Keep

2010-07-07T20:33:00.001-07:00

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Then there were four.....

2010-06-24T07:36:00.000-07:00

Hadley Marie joined our family June, 2, 2010. She is perfect, beautiful, and such an amazing gift from God. We are all so in love with her, especially big brother Camden! I was induced that morning at thirty-nine weeks, and it was a long slow going day. I am blessed with the most amazing husband, and am so thankful that he was there with me all day taking such great care of me and making everything perfect. At 5:30 PM I was only dialated 2.5 cm and assumed we had a VERY long night ahead of us. We told everyone to head home and wait for our phone call. Then the nurse checked me at 7:15 PM and I was 9.5 cm. I think if I went into labor on my own it would progress very quickly! We made lots of phone calls and all of the grandparents made it back with time to spare. They got everything set up, my doctor came in after delivering another baby, and I was ready to push at 7:50. With my first contraction my doctor informed us that Hadley was sunny side up…….not what I wanted to hear! He then said, “not for long, though”, and turned her with my next push. Hadley was placed on my chest at 8:03 PM and it was one the very best moments of my life. There is nothing in the world that will ever top the feeling of saying our vows at our wedding and meeting our precious babies for the very first time. I have chill bumps just thinking about it.

Camdens first "Real" haircut

2009-11-19T17:37:00.000-08:00

After I had always just kept his hair from getting too crazy or long for the first eighteen months of his life, I decided it was time to give in to my mom and sister and take him for his first big boy haircut. He actually sat in my lap while she cut his hair, but once it was over he posed for this precious picture in his cape with his new short look. Is he a cutie or what?!

One and Three Quarters.

2009-11-13T18:33:00.000-08:00

He is my best little buddy, and a has a newfound love for lollipops.

He is a big sports fan, and would have watched the little boy practicing baseball for hours.....well a lot of minutes :)

He loves airplanes, and anything else that might be above him in the sky. He loves them soooo much that he almost fell backwards trying to check out what was flying overhead.

He has the whole world ahead of him, well the world and that big ole belly :)

I thank God everyday for this amazing son he has blessed us with.

What a Great Big Brother He Will Be!

2009-10-28T14:04:00.000-07:00

We are beyond thrilled to announce that Camden is going to be a BIG BROTHER! When I told him that there is a baby in my tummy he closed one eye in order to peek into my belly button with the other. When he saw no baby by looking in my belly button he laughed hysterically at me! What a precious little boy we have been blessed with! Apparently just wearing his "big borther" t-shirt to the park inspired Camden to work on honing his independence. He was being a bit of a stinker as he insisted upon mastering a few skills. He successfully climbed a GIANT slide without any assistance from Mommy.

He unsuccessfully tried to figure out how to get his helmet on all by himself. Too Cute!

I am eight weeks pregnant, already! After about a week and a half of feeling pretty horrible, I feel like myself again! All three of us are thankful for that! I have lost the battle, and we plan to find out the sex of the baby in January!

They are the best of buddies.

2009-09-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

This is.....

2009-09-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

This is the day that the Lord has made.

We will rejoice, and be glad in it!

Trike!

2009-09-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

Saturday Camden turned 19 months old! He is now out of the stage of using months when telling people his age :( haha, I am okay with my baby growing up, I guess :) We are having so much fun these days as Camden is learning new things and saying new things everyday. As Aaron put it, "he is just so little bitty, but such a big boy all at the same time".

Recap!

2009-09-04T18:27:00.000-07:00

This is probably going to be long. I just want to get a list going of milestones that Camden has hit. I can not believe he is already eighteen months old! I love being his mommy more than anything in the world, and I am so thankful for the amazing partnership Aaron and I have. God has blessed me in ways I never could have imagined, and I so look forward to what he is going to do next!

Here we are exactly three months before Camden joined our family.

It snowed only one time on January 19, 2008. Three and a half weeks left as a family of two.

Camden was born at 10:10 PM on Tuesday, February 12, 2008. He weighed 8 lbs, 15.4 ounces, and he was 21.5 inches long.

Camden started smiling socially when he was seven weeks old, and has not stopped!

Three months old! laughing with Daddy :)

Six months old. Camden started sitting on his own and got his first tooth during his sixth month. He babbled a ton with a very deep baby voice.

Nine months old!

Camden started crawling right at ten months old.

Camden was a frog for his first Halloween. When we went trick or treating, he wore a crown and was his cousin Camilla's Prince Charming.

Camden had to have a tube placed in his left ear, after a horrible ear infection that would not clear up after multiple rounds of antibiotics. He started sleeping through the night just two days later.

One year old! Sweet as can be. We are so thankful to God for this amazing gift he has given us. I am so thankful to be Camden's mommy.

Fifteen months old! Camden started to really come out of his shell during his fifteenth month. He started talking much more AND walking!!!

Eighteen months old!!!! I can not believe my sweet baby is a year and a half!!!!!! We are so thankful for him, and he is just the perfect son for us.

These days Camden is:

running, talking, and playing.

He says regularly: Mama, Dada, Bob, Camilla, all done, uh-oh, oh no!, duck, cow, moo, quack, eat, bye-bye, peace, hey, muah, Jake, car, ball, shoes, please, and all sorts of animal noises (pig, cow, duck, cat, dog, horse, fish, bird, lion, tiger).

He loves to give hugs and kisses, and cuddles more than any child I have ever met.

He is sleeping about 11-12 hours at night, and takes a 2-3 hour nap on Aaron everyday. He sleeps with a blankie made for him by his best friends grandmother. Every night we read, "On the Night You Were Born", "5 Little Puppies", and "I'll See You in the Morning".

He throws and catches balls with Daddy and Mommy. Camden enjoys playing outside more than anything in the world, well except for cuddling, maybe :)

a day week at the beach

2009-08-04T18:40:00.000-07:00

An entire month ago we returned from vacation to the beach. It was our very first family vacation, and really could not have been any more amazing or perfect. We drove down to stay at the Sells' condo on Thursday, July the ninth. We had an easy ride down, although Camden did whine a bit and refused to sleep until we were almost there. It was just nice to be getting out of Birmingham and away from all work, just the three of us.

We got to the condo, unloaded the car, and had lunch at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Cafe. We all enjoyed some delicious burgers, and all of the women doted on Camden. He was being quite the ham! After lunch we were off the the beach. Camden loved the sand, the waves, the sunshine, and we all enjoyed the breeze off of the ocean. The entire time we were there, the weather was just perfect. It was not too hot, breezy, no rain; we could not have asked for anything better!

This is Camden saying "peace" at the restaurant.

Camden loved the water, but seemed to enjoy playing in the sand even more. He played for well over an hour all by himself one day.......adorable!

It was a much needed break, and Aaron and I could not have enjoyed it any more than we did. We are so in love with Camden, and are so thankful that God blessed us with the perfect little boy for us.

My Dear Son

2009-07-18T19:41:00.000-07:00

At Seventeen Months you are amazing me every. single. day.
You:
love your cuddle time in the mornings
are a picky eater
LOVE animals
make the funniest animal noises
sleep through the night...at last
are learning to run
love to brush your teeth
rub on arms while being held
say "peace" instead of "bye"
have ten teeth
have six teeth on their way through
love to explore outside
are fascinated by water bottles
are 34.5 inches tall
weigh 29 pounds
put your feet in my face to smell them while I change your diaper
laugh histerically at yourself and at Daddy
blantantly ignore us while laughing to yourself
are the most ticklish child EVER
share well
clean up after yourself
like your drinks in cup holders
LOVE music and dancing
like to swim
love to throw flowers in the pool
have a tan and an adorable pale booty
drink hemp milk
take 3 hour naps with Daddy every day
make me the proudest mommy
and bring the best smiles to my face

I love you with all of my heart!

One Lucky Little Guy!

2009-06-24T18:35:00.000-07:00

Dear Aaron,

All of my life I dreamed of having oodles of babies and a marriage very similar to that of my parents. I dreamed and dreamed, but as I grew and matured I learned more about the world we live in. I no longer thought my life would ever end up as I had always pictured it to be. I came to the conclusion that my mom is just one of the lucky few with a "dream" husband. Over time my expectations fell lower. I pictured myself as a married woman, but lost the image of a loving, intimate, partnership. Growing up no longer was so exciting, at all. Until, that fateful day at the softball game. It was instant attraction, and you truly swept me off of my feet. I fell hard and fast. The day we got married nearly two years ago I was so excited, nervous, anxious, and happier than I could have ever anticipated. It was THE BEST DAY of my life. You were finally my husband.

As I carried our son, you took such amazing care of me, and proved to me that the life I once dreamed of was now mine to live. You never let me lift a finger, you rubbed my feet and my back anytime I gave you the slightest hint that I could use it, you talked to me about our little one and rubbed my ever growing tummy every. single. day. You told me over and over to relax and enjoy the time I got to carry our son inside of me. I truly did enjoy ever single day of being pregnant and feeling Camden wiggle and kick. I have such amazing memories of being pregnant, and I have you to thank.

As we welcomed Camden into the world and into our lives', you continued to amaze me with your love and devotion to our family. We were both so amazed by the love we felt for Camden, and spent hours upon hours staring at him, and gently touching his sweet, soft skin. As he grows, I can see the relationship between you two growing day by day. You are such an amazing example for him to follow. He has, in you, a leader, a friend, a playmate, a confidante, and I know you are and will be his biggest fan. Nothing in the world makes me happier than being mommy and wife to you guys. I could never get enough of watching the two of you play, even when I am jumping out of my skin as you throw him about. I look forward to what is to come for our family, and am so thankful to have your hand to hold along the way. You gave me the life I once dreamed of, and it is better than I ever could have imagined.

Thank you for everything you do for us. We love you SOOOOOO much, and hope you enjoyed your day. Happy Father's Day!

He just LOVES his animal book!

2009-06-07T11:38:00.000-07:00

Always a good time!

2009-06-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

This week, I was so lucky to get a week of vacation off from work as the family I work for headed to the beach. I did a lot of relaxing and spent tons of time with Aaron and Cam. Camden and I took another trip up to Nashville to see some good friends of ours. Camden and Tyler were so cute together and I am enjoying seeing the boys grow up together. They are both very sweet boys, not to mention two of the most handsome kids I have ever seen!

Karen has quickly become one of my very best friends, and I am incredibly thankful to have her in my life. She is an amazing mother, and I know that I am a different and better mom because of her. I can very easily slide into what can be too laid back way of life, and let a lot slip by me. Karen has unknowingly taught me when it is okay to live a carefree lifestyle and when I need to step up to the plate in an agressive fashion. I appreciate her honest and caring approach to life and friendship, and know that she has got my back :). She took these wonderful pictures of Camden for me, and I can not wait to get a few printed! Thank you so much Karen for inviting us into your house, we always have a wonderful time. Next time we will have to stay longer,though.

My Little Buddy

2009-05-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

Here we are. He is my little buddy, and I love being able to take him all over the place with me. I am so blessed to have my job, and Camden loves going to work with me to play with Jake. He is just the sweetest, cuddliest, most smiling ~~baby~~ toddler I have ever met. We are so blessed to have him in our lives'.

Camden is just growing up soooooo fast! He is talking more and more these days, and repeating a lot of what we say. He is understanding so much, and I can tell he loves being able to answer "yes" and "no". He is an animal lover (especially birds), and is a very gentle giant. When I take him to work with me, he just loves on Sara (4 months old) all day long. He loves to touch her feet and hold her bottles.

Every morning when we get up, he takes a LONG time to wake up. We cuddle on the couch and watch cartoons for a good hour before he is ready to eat breakfast or play. Thank goodness for that cuddle time, because neither myself nor Aaron are morning people.

At almost sixteen months old, Camden is eating very well with a fork, but is a VERY picky eater. He spits out veggies of any form every. single. time. The only way to get them into him is to puree them and mix into spaghetti sauce. He loves fruit, chicken, pancakes, peanut butter sandwiches, coconut milk yogurt, and eggs. When we go to the grocery store, he has a fit if we walk by the fruit section without giving him what he thinks are balls to hold in the cart.

Speaking of fits, Camden is coming into his own as a toddler. He might be more like me than we originally thought. When he gets upset his face goes through a progression of motions very slowly. He starts with squinting his eyes, then he scrunches his nose, then the mouth falls open, and THEN comes the cry. When he is angry all of this is usually followed by him throwing his body on the ground to bang his head (hard) on the floor. If his is not in a position in which he can fall to the ground (i.e. high chair, car seat) he hits his head with his hand or anything he is holding to show his anger. We are just thankful that most days these are far and few between, and somedays not at all. We have been blessed with such a good natured baby.

He is an angel at the pediatrician's office, and just sits still on the table while the doctor pokes and prods. He screams while getting his shots, but immediately calms when I pick him up, and gives the nurse a smile and wave "bye bye" as she leaves the room.

His favorite thing to do is go to the park and go down the slides. He goes down in any way he thinks of at the time. We have a bit of a wild man on our hands when it comes to the slides. The swings are another story. He used to LOVE to swing. He would laugh and giggle the entire time. Apparently, he is just too aware now that he is hanging by chains. He swings for a second, looks up at the chains swinging him, and is DONE.

I am one proud momma, and could not dream of a life more perfect than the one I get to live. I am so thankful that God has blessed me with Aaron and Camden, and enjoy serving him as I walk through life.

He really could not be any cuter!

2009-05-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

Camden is on the move "big boy style"! I just think watching him toddle around has got to be the cutest thing I have ever seen.

He is a bit unsteady, but is quickly building his balance.

Seriously?

2009-04-28T18:12:00.000-07:00

Last week my family and the family I am a nanny for passed around a nasty cold. It was no fun for anyone involved, promise. Camden seemed to be all better for a day or two. Saturday he had a high fever all day, but seemed much better on Sunday. Monday came with lots of drainage out of his nose and eyes. I felt terible for my baby. Today I got and appointment for Aaron to take him to the pediatrician. He has a horrible, terrible ear infection in his right ear (not the ear that he has a tube). They left with a prescription that will hopefully bring some relief for my son. His poor eyes were crusted shut this morning. Having his eyes cleaned is NOT Camden's favorite morning activity, trust me. The picture above is from Saturday. I just hurt for Camden when he is not feeling well. I ask that everyone pray that he can kick this ear infection with antibiotics and we do not have to get a tube placed in his right ear.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T18:01:00.000-07:00

Catching up........

2009-03-29T17:56:00.000-07:00

I have not been so wonderful about keeping up with this blog, which upsets me. All I can do from here is try harder....right?

So I decided to devote this post solely to what my sweet thirteen-month-old baby is up to these days. Camden is a big boy and weighed a healthy 26 pounds at his 12 month check up seven weeks ago. I am guessing that he has gained a pound or two since, maybe more. He has six beautiful pearly white teeth, and shows them constantly with his big grin. He is a giggle box. No one gets better laughs than Daddy, though. He is becoming such a toddler, and I can tell he is understanding so much that we say to him. I am a proud mom, and could not be more in love with Camden.

From the time he was born, I thought he would be an early walker. He held his head up constantly at 3 weeks, and rolled over consistently starting then. Anytime he was placed on his tummy, he would flip (out of pure anger). He was what seemed to be very close to walking at 8.5 months, and we were sure he would. Then he got that horrible ear infection that after five rounds of antibiotics required a tube being placed in his ear. After the tube, he began sleeping through the night for the first time in his life. He was sleeping in our bed, though. He started to begin cruising along furniture much more after the tube. I, personally, am convinced that he would have walked early had he not been dizzy for months from the infection. Now he is 13.5 months old, and just two days ago he took his first two solo steps!!!! YAY! I do know that he will be faster and into even more once he is walking, but he is HEAVY!!!!! He does walk on his knees and it is very cute, but his knees must hurt.....right?

Back to sleeping.....Once he was consistently sleeping through the night in our bed, and we knew he was no longer in pain, we knew it was time for some sort of sleep training. I followed the advice of one of my very best friends, and read "Good Night, Sleep Tight" by The Sleep Lady. After just one weekend, Camden was going to bed drowsy in his crib at a decent hour everynight!!!!! I did enjoy our co-sleeping days, but it is a good feeling to put Camden down in his safe and comfy crib at night. I am working full time as a nanny now, and am really enjoying my baby-free time at night.

Camden is becoming more and more verbal. He calls Aaron "Daddy" or "Dada", and *finally* started calling me "mama" when he is happy (rather than just out of anger). He has started signing "more" and "all done". I just started working on them within the last month, but he picked up very quickly. He has a love for birds, and looks for them whenever outside. He calls out "Birdahhhhh". That is probably my favorite. He also says "ball", "baby", and has starting making a funny giggle when answering yes (but not completely consistently).

I feel like the luckiest mom in the world to have such an amazing son, and look forward to watching him grow each and every day.

One year pictures!!!!!

2009-03-15T20:25:00.000-07:00

My wonderful friend, Karen, took these of Camden during our trip to Nashville last weekend. Camden enjoyed his cake, but once he had enough, he was done with it.

A few great smirks, and splashing around

2009-02-22T19:51:00.000-08:00

My, Oh My!

2009-02-14T21:51:00.000-08:00

It has been a wild and crazy week or two! It started with a visit to the ENT. It turns out that Cam's persistant problems with his left ear were actually one ear infection that refused to heal! The doctor recommended placing only one tube in his left ear. He did a few tests to be sure that his right ear was as healthy as it appeared. All tests confirmed his thoughts, and we scheduled Cam for surgery the following Tuesday.

Saturday the seventh we celebrated My sweet baby's first birthday with our family and a few friends. The party was wonderful, and Cam had fun being passed around, and loved on. We went with a puppy dog theme, and my sister made an amazing cake!

Tuesday the tenth Camden was scheduled for surgery :( I was a nervous wreck! We all got up much earlier than anyone in our family does, and headed to the hospital. Camden was not thrilled about being up so early. He wore his jammies, and got to stay in them for the procedure. Getting a tube placed in his left ear was far less invasive than I had thought, thankfully. Fifteen minutes after he left our arms, he was brought safely back to them. I can not express the relief I felt in my heart to have him back in my arms. He was a bit fussy, but mostly sleepy. We were released immediately, and headed home. All three of us slept for three and a half hours, and woke at noon. Camden continued to be groggy for the rest of the day, but woke up refreshed the next morning.

Thursday the twelfth, my sweet little Camden turned one year old! My goodness, how fast the year flew by! I am amazed by it! It is quite a bittersweet feeling. He is our baby, and always will be, but now he is also our toddler. We had a wonderful day! I had to go to work for a few hours in the morning, and Camden and Aaron played for a while then took their daily nap. I got home at about one. Camden and I went to the park for a few hours, and had a blast. Then we went over to Grammie's house, and had dinner and a small cake for Cam.

Thursday night Camden went to bed late at ten, but amazingly did not wake until eight the next morning!!!!!!! Woo hooo!!!!!! Finally it seems he is going to be able to get some reall sleep! He repeated it on Friday night, and slept from 9-9. Tonight he went down at 8:30, so we will see how the night goes...... hoping for a repeat!

What makes my Monday?

2009-02-03T21:01:00.000-08:00

As I was browsing blogs this evening, I ran across the blog of a mommy of 6 children. Her newest post was What makes my Monday?, and I am going to follow her lead, and create a way to add my favorite pictures of the week to my blog. Sooo....enjoy!

I simply CAN NOT believe Camden is almost ONE YEAR OLD!

2009-01-17T20:33:00.000-08:00

I just can't grasp it! How is it even possible that my sweet, tiny, little, itty-bitty baby is pretty much a toddler?

The fact of the matter is that: he is a toddler, he is no longer a tiny baby, he has replaced all of those hours he used to spend asleep with active, non-stop going activity, he is learning to talk, and trying his hardest get around a bit faster day-by-day.

I'm a big kid now!

2009-01-13T16:44:00.000-08:00

Camden went to his very first day of Mother's Day Out, today! He did very well, but refused to nap, which was no surprise to me whatsoever. He was EXHAUSTED when we picked him up, and did not even make it out of the parking lot! He is going to go on Tuesdays and Fridays.

He seemed to be in a pretty good mood, once he got that nap!

Sooo.... if you are happy and you know it clap your hands. I know Camden sure is! And I made it through the day just fine, although it did hit me like a ton of bricks as I walked out of the building without my bundle.

What a pain in the ear!

2009-01-04T19:18:00.000-08:00

It seems Camden has yet another ear infection in his left ear, or possibly the same that he has had for sixish weeks. We are going to conquer it this time! He is not comfortable, and spends several minutes out of each hour attempting to remove his painful little ear from his head. It is his left ear that has really been the problem, but today, he is pulling on his right ear, as well! What a painful feeling it is to be his mommy, and not be able to take his pain away! I feeling I am sure to feel many, many times throughout his life, I know, but nonetheless incredibly painful!

Happy New Year!!!!!!!

2009-01-01T18:57:00.000-08:00

Aaron, Camden, and I wish everyone a healthy, happy new year!!!!

Merry Christmas to all!

2008-12-28T19:27:00.000-08:00

We had such an amazing Christmas, and made memories that will never be forgotten. This was Camden's first Christmas! We started the festivities on Christmas Eve, which is also my mom's birthday. We met at my parents for my mom's birthday get together, and she opened her presents from everyone followed by a delicious cake my sister made. After that, we headed to my grandmother's house to celebrate Christmas with my dad's side of the family. Camden was an angel, and got his very first taste of opening presents. It was great to get to see everyone! Later, we went to the Christmas Eve service at church. Camden behaved himself, but was not too thrilled about sitting in my lap for an hour. We headed back to my mom's house to hang out with my parents, sisters, brother-in-law, and niece. It was a late night for everyone! Camden is just now getting closer to being on schedule....three days later.

All three of us had an amazing first Christmas as a family of three, and look forward to many, many Christmases together!

Camden on his radio flyer

Cam on his awesome bulldozer he got from his awesome uncle, Nathan

My new favorite picture of Cam and Aaron

Playing with his new activity box from Nana

His absolute favorite present....baseball

New pictures!!!

2008-12-14T20:11:00.000-08:00

We had some pictures taken by a great friend of mine. Aaron and I did not have any pictures of just the two of us, and Shannon kindly fixed that. I love every, single picture, and can not thank her enough! I hope you enjoy them!

Giving Thanks!

2008-11-27T22:48:00.000-08:00

Today is Camden's first Thanksgiving, and it was a wonderful day. We kicked off the day at Gigi's house, and enjoyed a delicious lunch completed with homemade pound cake. Mmmm! Then it was time to leave, and head to Nana's house. We were greeted by Cole and Nana, both of whom were thrilled to see Cam...of course. After ANOTHER delicious meal, we hung around to spend some time with relatives that we do not get to see so regularly. We had a blast. We headed home when Camden was ready to sleep, and Aaron and I watched a movie (which was not all that great, although spending time together WAS!).

I am soooo thankful for the life God has blessed me with.
I am thankful for......Aaron, my amazing husband, who continuously amazes me with his
deep love for me and Camden. He is the kind of father that many kids can only dream of.

Camden, my precious baby boy. He is the happiest, most cuddly, smiley, silliest baby I have ever met. I feel so incredibly blessed to be his mommy, and love the bond we share. I also can not get enough of watching the two men in my life interact. Camden loves me, kisses, hugs, cuddles with me, and wants me when he is sleepy or fussy. He counts on Aaron for his laughs. Aaron gets the best chuckles out of him, and I see nothing except pure happiness beaming from both of them when they are playing together.

My family. We live half a mile away from my parents, and are very thankful for all they do for us. It means so much to all three of us to be able to pop in anytime. My sisters are some of my best friends, and I talk to them quite regularly. Camilla is a real light in my life. I love her as if she is my own child, and can not stand going too long without seeing her, if only for a hug. Adrian for being my very first brother. He takes amazing care of Chrystie and Camilla, and is a great addition to our family. My in-laws have been nothing but supportive, and love us with all of their hearts', as we do them.

My wonderful girl-friends, who have helped me through so much throughout my life, and I continue to depend on for advice or just an ear to listen. I consider myself to be a very good friend, and truly value my best friends. They are not just people I chat with. I love them. I try to always be there for them, no matter what the situation.

These are the people for whom I am most thankful. Although, my thanks are not limited to them. A few months ago, Ashley Hadley asked me to go and visit Church of the Highlands with her. I was eager to check it out, as I had heard soooo many great things about the church, Chris Hodges, and the members of the congregation. It is a non-denominational church, and I am truly in love with it. Thanks to Ashly inviting me to go with her on that Sunday, I have really made a turn in my life, and the meaning behind it. I am so thankful that she invited me to go, and thankful for all of the changes I am making. I am, beyond all of these things, thankful for our Lord.

My husband just doesn't understand it.

2008-11-22T15:53:00.000-08:00

Aaron just can't quite understand how I could enjoy reading the blog of someone I have never met. For those of you looking for a fun, interesting, and extremely addicting blog to confuse your spouse with, check this out.

MckMama is hosting another one of her wonderfully fun contests. I invite you all, whoever you may be, to check out the Small FryDay Contest.

Bathtime, drool, and a warm winter coat!

2008-11-21T21:26:00.000-08:00

As we near Thanksgiving, I, as most, am consumed by thoughts of all that mean so much to me. I am so thankful for my wonderful family and friends. I have recently grown very close to a few wonderful women, and they came into my life at such an amazing time. You know who you are!
Oh my, how life has changed so very much! I am working on so many things in my life in order to be the best wife, mommy, friend, sister, daughter, and aunt. The original inspiration for all of these changes are the wonderful men in my life.....

I am so happy with where life has taken me and my family of three.
here are some more pictures, because you know you want to see them!

What a week!!!

2008-11-11T16:30:00.000-08:00

As Camden approaches his Nine Month birthday, he is trying to squeeze in as many developmental milestones as possible! Not only has he begun crawling and waving, he now is clapping and pulling up! Sunday he started clapping, and it is just about as cute as anything could be! He concentrates on it at first, but quickly is able to do it while paying attention to other things going on around him. Then on Monday night, as I was doing laundry, he was playing on the floor with Aaron. He pulled up on a laundry basket. What a big boy we have!!! Today at Grammie's house, he attempted to walk from the coffee table to his exersaucer unassisted! He seems to think he is able to do so. Grammie helped support him, but it might not be too long before we have a cruiser! picture to follow.

A few more pictures, because I simply can not get enough of Cam!

2008-11-04T20:29:00.000-08:00

An incredibly sweet, incredibly loved duo.

My very own frog prince!

Aren't my boys handsome?

Say.."Bye, bye"

2008-11-03T07:36:00.000-08:00

Camden is officially waving, and it has got to be the cutest thing I have ever seen!!!! He is such a sweet, cheerful baby! I am really enjoying this stage in his life. He is so cuddly, and loves to hug on people. The sweetest thing in the world is when he crawls over and lays his head on my lap. He seems to be so laid back, and loves people. Anyone that wants to love on him, he welcomes with open arms. He is an extremely ticklish baby, and giggles at the drop of a dime.

Hoppy Halloween!!!!

2008-11-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

I am still awaiting a picture of Camden and Camilla as a pretty princess and her frog prince, but here is my sweet little froggy. I have always had a thing for frogs, but this one could make anyone's heart melt!

We're going places now!

2008-10-26T21:08:00.000-07:00

Camden is officially crawling. I am not going to say he has a pretty form, but he definitely can get where he wants. It is sooo cute!!! First stop for him....outlets. I am getting some outlet plugs tomorrow!!

My boy and I went on the road!

2008-10-22T21:34:00.000-07:00

Camden and I went to Nashville, TN, to hang out with some friends. We had SUCH a great time, and plan to do it again sometime. Just the two of us got all packed up and hit the road Sunday. Camden was an angel in the car, and we made a short stop at Aaron's mom's house. She was quite pleased to see us, as she had no idea we were coming. After we played and ate, we hit the road again. Camden slept much of the rest of the way, and we arrived at Karen and Tyler's house late in the afternoon. We had a good time just talking. I think I have met my match when it comes to being chatty! The next morning we woke and hit the road again, this time two moms with their boys, as Karen would say. We drove the Chattanooga, and met another friend and her daughters at the aquarium. The babies loved the penguins, and all of us mommies had a wonderful time talking all day. Karen, Tyler, Camden, and I hit the road and headed back to Nashville. Camden and I went home on Tuesday morning, timing things with his morning nap. We stopped in Cullman and Gardendale on the way home seeing all of his grandmothers.

All in all it was a wonderful time. Karen was soooo sweet to have us, and we could never thank her enough. Both of her boys are so very sweet, and I look forward to watching them grow up with Camden.

A pic of the toofies!

2008-10-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

I have no clue why this was never posted. So since I want to have it on our blog, you get to see it now months later :)

Here they are.....Norton (left) and Horton. These are my first two teeth. Norton appeared on September 6, and Horton on October 1. And a few extra pics for everyone.

Where has the time gone?

2008-09-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

I can NOT believe how fast time has flown by since having Camden. He is such a wonderful baby, and we feel so blessed. He is ALREADY seven months old!!!!!! He is getting up on his hands and knees and trying so so hard to crawl. He gets very frustrated, and I know that once he is officially mobile my life is going to change.....more. We went to Hunstville to see Aaron's cousin, Peppy, and his family. Their son, Gage, is fourteen months old, and could not be any cuter. He is so smart, and walks around like he has been doing it for years. Aaron is making a career move into management at The Cheesecake Factory. We are so excited, and Cam and I are ridiculously proud.

We have our first tooth!!!!!

2008-09-09T18:24:00.000-07:00

Camden is feeling so much better these days. He has been actively teething for 2 months. His left central incisor has finally popped through!!! He seems to be so relieved.

Last weekend, we got to meet some friends of ours from Nashville. We had a wonderful day, chatting, and letting the boys play a little. Karen was so sweet to take some pictures of Camden for me. Thank you, again!

Not much else new going on around here. Just waiting for autumn, and cooler weather.

Sweet and Sitting

2008-08-25T20:42:00.000-07:00

Camden was not very interested in sitting for the longest time. He truly thinks he can walk, and acts like we are silly for holding onto him. On Monday, as I tried to get him to practice sitting, he would simply fall to the side and play on his tummy. I suppose he didn't want to sit. On Tuesday, I went to play with him on the floor, and he just sat there playing as if he had been doing it for weeks. He just held his arms out to the side to balance, rather than catching himself. He is getting big so fast, and we are having so much fun with our giggly little cuddle bug.

Such a Ham!!!

2008-08-04T21:21:00.001-07:00

Camden is getting to be such a flirt! All it takes is a look in his direction, and you are almost guaranteed a smile or giggle. Tonight he got the biggest kick out of his Grammie's slippers! He was cracking up...it was too cute! He had his first pick up snack today. It was a rice rusk, and he LOVED it! He is starting to practice with sippy cups, and is doing so well! We can not believe how big he getting, but we are really enjoying watching him grow and develop! He is such a blessing!

2008-07-24T19:49:00.000-07:00

Please forgive me for my lack of regular posts. I am still new at so many things in my life these days :) I just wanted to post some recent pics of Camden to celebrate him being a whopping five months old!!!! Where has the time gone? He is eating solids, learning to sit unassisted, trying to stand up. He would actually much rather stand than sit, at all.

Here are some picture for your enjoyment.

2008-07-24T19:48:00.000-07:00

On July the seventh, Aaron and I celebrated our one-year anniversary. We headed to Atlanta, Georgia to see Dave Matthews Band. Camden attended his very first slumber party at his Grammie and Poppy’s house. He was a doll for them. Of course, he still woke every few hours for Grammie, but is quick to eat and get back to sleep. Aaron and I had a wonderful night, but missed our sweet, little boy terribly. On the other hand, I am not even sure he quite realized that we were gone for an entire 24 hours.

2008-07-24T19:16:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, June, twenty-first, Camden was Baptized at Asbury United Methodist Church. Lots of family made the trip to come and join in on this day with our family. Camden was an absolute angel as he smiled at Mark Lacey the entire service. After church everyone gathered at Grammie and Poppy’s house to have lunch and hang out with the man of the day. It was all together a wonderful day.

Happy Father's Day Aaron!

2008-06-19T23:17:00.000-07:00

Sunday, June 15th, was a wonderful day. We kept my parents house all week while they went on a cruise to Alaska. We slept in on Father's day, then all went to Ihop. It was delicious, and Camden was an absolute angel. He fell asleep while we were there, and we enjoyed some coffee. We went back to my perents to make sure every thing was nice and clean for them to arrive home that evening. Then we decided that we should get out and enjoy the beautiful weather. We went and bought the necessary equipment to take our little one to the pool. He loved it, and had fun playing with both of us. Aaron had a wonderful first father's day, and we both anticipate the many, many to follow.

Camden is four months old!!

2008-06-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

Camden's four month birthday was on June 12th. He is getting sooo big. He is off the charts in height, and in the 95th percentile in weight! He is rolling from belly to back regularly and just rolled from back to belly for the first time this morning! He talks and coos all the time, and has started really laughing! He truly chuckles it is precious. He is VERY ticklish! Here are some pics for you!

Cousin Love

2008-04-27T12:15:00.000-07:00

While everyone has been so sweet to us and helped us in so many different ways, I need to mention what a joy it has been to watch Camilla interact with Camden. She loves him soo much. He is starting to really notice people and really gets a kick out of his cousin. She is always loving on him, tickling him, talking to or about him, and especially kissing him. I know that they will be such friends!

Two months already!

2008-04-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

We can not believe Camden is already two months old! We are both enjoying raising our little boy even more than we could have dreamed! The last two months were definitely not the easiest, but we loved every minute. We are looking forward to everything we get to teach Camden in the future, and even more so what he is going to teach us!

Camden had his 2 month appointment on 2/15/08. He weighed 14 lbs. 10 ozs. which is the 95th percentile. He was 24.5 in. long, which is the 90th percentile. He got his shots, and was a very good boy. He screamed for about 5 minutes then fell asleep and we cuddled for the rest of the day. He has started talking to us a lot.

The sweetest smiles

2008-04-27T12:02:00.001-07:00

Camden started smiling socially at about seven weeks. He always grinned a lot in his sleep, but now they are actually at you. It can make for the warmest feeling:)

Camden is one month old!

2008-04-27T11:52:00.000-07:00

We went to the park to enjoy the beautiful weather. Our little boy LOVES it outside. We went on a long walk,and he was a very good boy as he rode in the stroller!

Big and strong!

2008-04-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

Camden rolled over for the first time from tummy to back at only three weeks old. He is such a strong little boy. We also went to get his newborn pictures taken at Portrait Innovations. He was very fussy and hungry, but we still got some good ones. Thank God Grammie went with us though. Here are some of the pictures.

Growing like a weed!

2008-04-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

We went for a weight check on 2/18/08 to make sure Camden is gaining enough weight since we are breastfeeding. He was 8 lbs. 11 ozs. When we left the hospital, and he was 9 lbs. 13 ozs. at the doctor. The doctor gave Mommy a high five for the great weight gain.

Camden arrives

2008-04-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

I went to the hospital on February 11, 2008, to be induced. Aaron and I got everything packed and arrived at the hospital at 5:30 P.M. as instructed. I got hooked up to the monitors and they started my IV. At 9:00 they started the cervadil. Aaron and I hung out for a while and he went to sleep. I stayed up all night. I was just so excited that I was going to meet Camden so soon. At 6:00 A.M., the nurse checked me then started the pitocin to get things moving. I had not progressed over night and was still 1 cm dialated, as I had been for two weeks. About an hour and a half later, I felt a gush and my water had broken. The nurses kept checking me every other hour or so with no progress. I began having very painful contractions around noon. I was having nothing but “back labor”. I was in horrible pain, and Aaron was having to constantly rub my lower back for me to be slightly okay. I had one dose of Stadol. Around 2:00 P.M., the nurse checked me and I had still not progressed. I began to get discouraged, and feared of a cesarean section. The doctor came in to talk to me, and I explained to her that the pressure was way too severe for nothing to be progressing. So Dr. Hancock checked me and realized that my water had not broken all of the way! She broke my water and I felt instant relief. The doctor said we would keep an eye on things, but I could go ahead and get the epidural. I had another dose of stadol , since it would be a bit for the anesthesiologist to arrive. The epidural was quick and easy and worked first try. From there it was pretty much smooth sailing, and I progressed quickly, especially for a first- timer. At 9:30 P.M., I felt like I needed to push, Camden was crowning. They got everything set up and I pushed for fifteen minutes. Camden was born at 10:10 P.M. He weighed 8lbs. 15.4 ozs. He was 21.5 inches long with a head full of hair.