One year old

Happy Birthday Camden!

My child is officially 12 months.

Which means I start counting in years, and halves, and not in months...

and that means my baby is no longer a baby, but a toddler!

*tear*

1 year ago I was nervous, anxious and very very excited to meet him.

I knew life would never be the same.

I figured I would love being a mom... but really, I didn't realize I would love it this much.

At one year Camden...

is freaking adorable.

his favorite expression is still the "oh" face

he is walking/running around like crazy

he is the happiest, friendliest guy you'll ever meet

he makes friends with everyone, and flirts with all

(the cashiers at grocery stores just love his cheesy smile with accompanying wave)

he says dada, mama, moo, no, ball, yay

he dances to all music (including hymns and cell phone ringtones)

he is obsessed with elmo

he shakes his head "no" when I say his name sternly

he loves the bath tub and cries when he has to get out

he follows memo around everywhere

he loves sporting events and cheers, clamps, and boos...he even yells when other fans are yelling

he loves to eat...

I can not eat anything without him spitting out his binky and opening his mouth for a taste

he pets mommy's hair (sometimes lovingly, and sometimes not so lovingly)

he gives high-fives

he gives the sweetest kisses

he likes to wrestle with his dad and chase his parents around the house

he loves to point to things he would like a closer look at...

(in hopes you will take him to see it)

he likes to climb on things

he has a strange fascination with Mem's food

he makes us laugh daily

it is impossible to be in a bad mood around him because he is almost always smiling

At his 1 year check-up, he weighed in at 19 lbs-- the 10th %

And he is in the 50th % for height

He has grown so much since he was born...he was a mere 6 lbs 3 oz and 20 1/2 inches

not even on the charts for weight, and the 15 % for height

I still can't believe I have a kid as cute as this little guy!

(7 months)

I keep telling Ryan we can't have any more kids, because there is no way they could be as cute as Camden! :) Then that kid would have some sort of complex for the rest of his/her life...

(1 day old)

(2 months)(3 months)(8 months)(11 months)

Party for the Birthday Boy

On November 25th, our little baby turned one.

So what did we do?

Threw him a party, of course.

Because surely a one year old will completely remember his first birthday bash... and it really will mean so much to him right?

(I highly doubt that, however, his parents wanted to throw a party for themselves and their friends...in his behalf)

And there were many times that I did think to myself, "Man, I'm putting a lot of effort into this when really I could put Elmo on and give him some wrapping paper and he would be just as happy."

But, anyone who knows me knows that's just not me.

So, big birthday bash it became...
The party was a hit!

Fun games. Good food. Great friends and family. Awesome Cake (courtesy of the talented Emily Judd). Cutest one year old ever.

(Caution: Picture overload)

Highlights included:

*Camden diving nose first into his cupcake

* London stealing Camden's Elmo as soon as he unwrapped it, and then running up the stairs to escape

* Camden kissing Penny every chance he got

* Camden ignoring all his new toys and going head first into the drink bin

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAMDEN!!!

Hope your party was as much fun as we thought it was

Thanksgiving

I love the holiday of gratitude.

I love the smell of wonderful goodness coming from the kitchen.

I love my mom's cooking...especially the yams, idaho potatoes, and delicious stuffing.

I love gathering together with family.

I love that each new Thanksgiving reminds me of Thanksgivings past.

I love being reminded of all that I have to be thankful for.

This Thanksgiving we headed up to Idaho

(We drove during a crazy snow storm! The normal 3 hour drive clocked in at 6 hours!)

We were able to spend the holiday with my parents and my brother Brian and his family.

It was small and simple and lovely.

I couldn't help but think of where we were last Thanksgiving...

in the hospital, with our newborn peanut.

It wasn't the best tasting food I'd ever had

(but that cafeteria does have a decent menu)

But I had a lot to be thankful for.

This year, I am thankful for my husband and baby boy,

our wonderful family and close friends,

our fantastic neighborhood and ward,

my health and happiness,

and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Happy Thanksgiving 2010

Happy Autumn

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird

I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."

-George Eliot

Why?

I have come to love nap time.

Not my nap time (I'm an awful napper)...Camden's.

It just gives me a chance to 1)rejuvenate 2) get a few things done 3) occasionally regain my sanity

So, when the little man decides to forgo his nap I get 4)none of the above.

That = no bueno.

Yesterday I had Camden and London for our weekly baby-swap. Obviously he did not want to nap for fear of missing out on fun with his buddy.

I understood and (somewhat) patiently dealt with his semi-fussy afternoon, all the while thinking that he would just take a longer nap later.

Unfortunately, that nap did not happen either.

Brecca and I went to run a few errands (in preparation for Camden's first Birthday!)

and neither one of the kids was in a good mood...good things we can laugh about everything...including our children screaming in the store, in the back seat, in the strollers

To make a long story short, I VERY much enjoyed my hip hop and yoga classes tonight.

There was no crying.

And when I got home, I was a much more pleasant mommy.

I have decided that all children take wonderfully long naps in heaven.

This is Halloween

Halloween used to be awesome.

I remember putting a lot of thought and effort into my costumes at one point in time...sadly, this phase ended when I turned 13.

Ryan and I usually get invited to some sort of Costume party, and 30 min before, we are scrambling to put together something that doesn't look too overly lame.

Which is why last year we went as a butterfly (8 months pregnant) and a butterfly catcher... the year before, we went as little bo peep and a sheep. (hilarious! Ryan wore all white, black shoes, black gloves, a white beanie with black socks as ears, and I made him paint his nose black... I think he still hates me a little for that one)

Anyway, the awesomeness returned when Camden entered the scene.

And let me tell you, there were no lame costumes this year (probably because Ryan and I didn't dress up).

Camden was the cutest Dragon you ever did see!

We took Camden around to the grandparents...tried to trick-or-treat...and then had some friends over for a Halloween feast!

Halloween is so much better when you get to experience it as a kid...or when you have one :)