Cams 1st Birthday in Pics

Happy Birthday Sweet Baby Boy!

WOW!  I cannot believe a year has gone by.
I remember this time last year-
being amazed at how much nicer of a hospital Beaumont was...in ALL ways.
being amazed at how much quicker and easier my c-section went this time
puking during the c-section because of the meds..  eeeww, I know.
being so happy that I was able to breathe and not feeling the way I did the first time
at the last minute changing my mind about watching him being pulled out.  I told them NO, no way did I want to see it.  Then I am sitting there waiting, and I think about the fact that this would be my last chance, and that I cannot wait ANOTHER second to see what he looks like!
I remember feeling so at Peace during this time and my hospital stay.  I only cried once during my entire stay there about my Mom.  It was the last night, and I think it was the going back to face reality part that made me feel sad about her.
I remember feeling like a complete family.  There is just something about having two that does that too you.

Well, Here is a year in review of Cameron : 

Mister Cam is such a BIG BIG Boy!  He is sassy, and funny, and oohhh sooo lovey!  He was such a savior for my family at this time last year.

He already fights with his sister, and knows exactly what he wants, and how to cry and pout to get it.

He is SOOOO Close to walking, I really cannot believe he has not take off yet.  Just yesterday he has even become more brave about taking steps.

He does this super cute little smaking noise with his mouth.  The noise is cute, and the way his lips pucker, oh my gosh!  Makes me want to eat him up right now just thinking about it.

He pulls hair, and is good at it.  He always gets a tight grip, and usually wraps it around so you hardly have a chance at prying his fingers off.

When he hears someone say Ya, he claps his little hands and gets a big smile.

He jams.  This has to be the funniest thing.  He has this little too cool guy jam he does when he hears music.  I HAVE to get this on video.  His face is just too cute.  He looks around like "what, what, I am badass"

Bottom line:  HE LIGHTS UP MY WORLD!

PICTURES!!!!!

Here are some overdue pictures Dear Blog Readers.

BIG Boy!  Cam standing in the living room.  I was trying to get a "cool" pic of him with the sunglasses on.  Look how tall he is!

Maddie yelling at me.  For what, I do not remember.  She is a Camera ham!

Burfday Suit!  :)

Who wants to eat him up first???  I DO, I DO!  Check out his snarle tooth!

Summer Time Fun

I just included this one cause isn't he just soo handsome? This is actually his "worried" face. Daddy was deflating the air-matress and he was worried. lol.


Life is SO fun, especially with Pancakes (cam's first pancake...chock full of mashed bananas :))


Fun with Cousins!


Mustard: everyones favorite condiment.


Taking Mister Penguin for a walk.


Trampoline fun with CJ


Fun on the Trampoline


Water Balloon Fight @ the Hartwig Family Reunion


Water Balloon Fight @ the Hartwig Family Reunion


Dora Bike, a loaner from our friends Mindy and Rick. Gotta love good friends.


Dora Bike, a loaner from our friends Mindy and Rick. Gotta love good friends.


She came outside like this! Put the boots on herself, and only had a pull up on. It reminds me of the Govenor in StripTease. Lol.

The Bike & The Heartbreaks

When you become a parent, you will soon enough feel your heartbreak a million times over. I am serious. There is nothing big enough in your life to give you the heartbreak you will feel when something good does not happen, or something bad does happen to one of your kids. And I do suspect that there are more to come, and maybe even some heartbreaks that hurt more than the ones I have felt thus far.

There are MANY things that have broken my heart since Maddie has been born. But none as big so far as a dumb bike. That is right... I said- a DUMB BIKE!

Maddie has been infatuated with bikes since I first started training for my 3 day. Which was back in March. As we would go around subdivisions she would point out bikes and even said to me a couple of times "Maddie Bike".

Then fast forward to us going camping with our friends, and their kiddos bringing bikes camping. Maddie would get on their bikes and really none of them fit her very well. For her 2nd birthday I was adament about getting her a bike, but the truth is, I cannot figure out which one is best and well now that we are watching money, I really have some "rules" about the bike she gets. I either want her to be able to ride it for a while, or I want Cameron to be able to ride it next season if she is to outgrow it, and I want to be sure that she can use it right now. So the week of her camping birthday weekend I go to the store and I look at all the bikes. I really have no idea which one to get and we have already plopped down a lot of money for the camping trip. I found one that I thought might be good and it was on sale, so I called DJ to see what he thinks (why I don't know) and he talks me out of it all together. But I wanted so badly for her to get her own bike camping! Her birthday comes and goes and still Maddie does not have a bike and she still continues to be obessed with bikes.

Now fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. I clean my Dads house, and I try to walk over there, to help with my training, but this time I decide to ride my bike over there because I was running out of time and had some other things to do- but still wanted the physical exercise. When I get home, I say to my hubby in a joking manner, "HMMM, wonder what I should spend my money on...??? A manicure, a pedicure, maybe a dinner out". As we are sitting on the couch Maddie keeps talking about a bike, and I say I wonder what is making her bring that up. DJ tells me that when I left for my Dads she watched me ride off on my bike, and kept saying "Mommy Bike"! So, I mention that my bike is outside, and somehow Maddie misunderstands and she thinks I told her that WE GOT HER A BIKE OUTSIDE!! (enter heartbreak #1) It was seriously the saddest thing to watch her. She says YEAH!!!!!!!!!!! MYYYYYYYYYY BIKEEEEEEEEEEEE, YEAH!!!!! Clapping hands and getting so excited and wanting to go outside to "Go See My Bike!" I so very sadly tell her NO Maddie, there is no bike out there for you. Then DJ is teasing me, "Guess I know what you are spending your $50 on. Honestly if it would not have been so late, I would have taken her straight to the toy store to pick out her bike. A couple days go by, and I haven't forgotten about the bike, I have saved the $50, but I haven't gone out to get her one again. Then one of my friends post a Facebook Status about how they spoil their Son cause they just bought him a Sand and Water Table for no reason. After reading that I just cannot help it, I think it is ridiculous that my daughter does not have a bike. I mean that is basic, right, it isn't even like I am spoiling her by having a bike, she doesn't even have 1. (enter heartbreak #2 about the fact that we do not have the money to properly spoil our daughter). So the very next day I pack up the kids and take them to Toys R Us to get her a bike. She had a blast in the toy store getting on all the bikes and she even picked herself out a "HAT" (helmet) which I did not tell her she needed...she knew about this all on her own. (so observent aren't they). So I look over EVERY bike, and I cannot figure out which one is best to get. It is hard cause it seems like one is too small, the next size too big. I settled on a big wheel type bike, but they do not have any girly ones, and so I bought a Harley Davidson one- it had a key pad and made sounds and stuff, and she played with it for a while. However, it is in a box, and I am not even sure she knows it is a bike. I feel slighty bad that I did not get her a girly bike with tassles like every girl dreams of. (those were heartbreaks 3 & 4) But I tell myself it is ok cause next year we will get her her girly bike.

I get the bike home and get a BIG no way from the hubby, becuase it is a BOY bike. Which really was my point, so they both can ride it next summer. And besides Girls can ride Harley's. Anyhow, he never puts it together, I get over it because like I said before it was in a box, and I don't even think she realized we bought a bike that day. Then I decide the $50 would better be spent on groceries, so I go out to do errands, and DJ brings out the bike from the garage for me to take back to the store. I pack up my car, and as I leave I say good-bye and I grab the bike in a box. I head for the gate and Maddie starts running following behind me screaming "HEEEYYYYY!!! THAT MYYYYYYY Bike!!! (Enter Heartbreak #5 and the biggest one of all). I had no idea she KNEW that was a bike. Really. I just stood there frozen for a little while, and then, I did the number ONE bad parenting thing..... I TOTALLY put the blame back on my Hubby. Lol. I said "Well we have to take it back to the store cause Daddy says it is a boy bike!"

So, on my way I went, feeling like the suckiest parent ever. I mean, really I know I am not, and I know it is not important for kids to be spoiled with material items. But at the same time you cannot help but to want to give your kids EVERYTHING their little heart desires. Even when you KNOW that it is not always best for them.

(is anyone still reading) Well if you are, I will talk about heartbreak #6...that was tonight. There was a man on a bike riding down the street as I got Maddie out of the car. she noticed him right away and said "Bike" Pointing to him. Then she says "mommy, where MY bike?" I answer "You do not have a bike Maddie." She answers "Yeah, My Bike. M'ere (come here) and she takes me to the side-door of the garage and so I open it for her. She takes me over to where the box with the bike in it sat from the day I bought it till the day I took it back. She stopped put shrugged her shoulders and said "where bike at?" Ok, I get it, she always knew all along that that box was a bike! Why are kids so smart?

I saw my Mom

in my dreams last night. Or I think it was actually earlier this morning.

I was pulling out of my dad's drive-way and on my way out I saw a bright light flash in the window of the door. I just knew it was my Mom and I should look. So I looked into his big window, and sure enough, over she walked to the couch. I could see her bright white hair pulled back into the usual style. She sat down on the couch. I was in my car but my hand started frantically waving and I was yelling so loud "MOMM, MOMM, it's me, I am hear, I see you!" She had a smile on her face but I knew she couldn't see me or didn't hear me yelling to her. Then she changed to an older version of herself when she was on predizone and was heavy and super puffy. Then she was gone. It was so sad. I just wanted her to know I saw her, and I just wanted to go talk to her for just a minute! But she was gone! Now all day I can't stop thinking about her and just how much I miss her. How much I wish I could just see her ONE MORE TIME. It's been almost 10 months. Holy crap that is a long time not to see or talk to your Mom.

Anyhow, I need to start blogging more. Cameron is so cute and I need to get his antics on video and stuff more. He is already pulling himself up. I looked back and Maddie had not done that until she was 11 months old! Wow. I will be back more often, I promise. WIth more pics and videos!

Cam Cuts First Tooth!

Cam woke up when I got home from my scrapbooking night with the girls. He had been sooo whiny all yesterday and did not sleep well all day. Very unlike him. Then today he did not sleep well in the morning but took a long afternoon nap. Then when he woke up later tonight I thought...hmm... wonder if there are any teeth yet. Felt his bottom gums and sure enough, there is a sharp little bugger poking out at me. I can't really tell which ones it is. I know it is one of the middle ones, but it is SO very in the middle that I am not sure. It doesn't help that he won't let me feel it well, and certainly will not work with me to let me LOOK at it!

ooohhhh, my baby boy cut a tooth! No more gummy yummy smiles! boo hoo! Next thing you know he will be walking. ;) OH, and he has become quite the crawler lately. He now crawls army style and also up on his knees. He is fast and very mobile.

I did promise that I would never say anything, but I can't help it, the world should know. He is a SUPER DUPER lover boy. He gives me kisses and puts his cheeks up to mine and says ahhhwhwhhhhhhwe. But then he gets all shy if someone one else sees us. He is total typical BOY. And I love it. I am so happy to have my little boy and my Girl. I really do feel blessed.

AND, he also does this thing... I am not sure I can even describe it and I will probably NEVER get it on video. But when you look at him, he like smiles, and does the deep voiced uuuuuuuuhhhhhhhh, usually putting his head down and jetting his belly out. I am sure this makes no sense to any of you. But when I read this 10 years from now, I bet I will totally have a visual in my head of what it looked like!

Cam Man Cam Man, smily boy! Momma loves you- you bring so much joy!

Memorial Day Parade

This past Sunday was my town's Memorial Day Parade. I will have to say the parade this year was much better than last. But they are super short now. Under one hour. They used to be around 2 hours.

Anyhow, here are some pictures of Cam enjoying the parade. Oddly enough I did not get any shots of Maddie there. I think that is because she was too into her sucker to come be a ham when I got the camera out.

However, I am including a picture of HER from the parade last year, cause I love comparing the two of them around the same time frame. Although Cam is almost 8 months in this picture and Maddie was 11 months. Funny, huh!


Cam cried a bit when the sirens started (maddie never cried) but he also got over it really quick. He also bounced any time a band or music, or anything like that came by.

Mr Cam Man

I love my little boy. We had some fun this afternoon playing with a Ball. He was totally enthralled with the ball. It was his main focus- he would watch it wherever it went, and got so excited when I would bounce it. Well while we were playing he went from laying on his belly to sitting up!! I was so proud. Then he also started to army crawl. I had totally called it. I knew he was going to be an army crawler!

Anyhow, I told Daddy when he got home about the fun we had with the ball today, and he wanted to see it. So we played ball with Cam again, and this time I got some video.

Anyhow, totally cute. This video is from my phone, so it was not the best video, but at least I got it. (oh, and sorry for my obnoxious vocals...but most of you are used to this by now!)

He goes after the ball, then he even tries to bounce it which is what we did with the ball when we get it. Super cute. Then the funniest part is when the ball goes by max he actually tries to use Max's paw to help him "creep" to the ball.

So glad I work from home to be there for these firsts. Even though Maddie had these firsts not too long ago, they are still special with each child!

Summer Vocabulary

Maddie has added some new words to her vocabulary.

These include, but are not limited to, Sandbox, Slide, Trampoline, Swing. See Below for more information.

We got a free sandbox from Friends David and Janette (bonus #1)


Then Papa bought the sand to fill it (bonus #2)





Check out the awesome swing set Aunt Shell and Uncle Ken and family bought for Maddie and Cam. (bonus #3)