Birthday Party Weekend

So the birthday party weekend is over and things are starting to go back to "normal". Grandma Lori, Grandpa Frank and Uncle Jay came in from my side of the family as well as Grandma Jennine and cousins Callighan and Tristian from Bert's side. We all had a great time, mostly just hanging out and enjoying each other's company. The party went very well, and it looked like everyone had a nice time. We rented out the clubhouse to have more space and I'm so glad we did or it would have been really packed in our house. I kept the decorations pretty minimal with some balloons and a banner that I made with all of Camryn's monthly photos, showing her grow from months one through eleven. I also had a playroom with some of Camryn's toys and a poster that Nicole designed for me that "Camryn's World" instead of "Elmo's World" which came out awesome! Camryn had a good time playing with her friends and she looked so cute in her special birthday tutu. We had pizza for lunch and cupcakes for dessert. We sang Happy Birthday and gave Camryn her smash cake, but she just poked at it and licked the icing off her finger. I wasn't disappointed because we didn't have the luxury of throwing her into a bathtub. I'm convinced the girl doesn't like cake, that was the fourth time I offered her some, I know this because we've been to three other birthday parties recently, and she has turned down the cake each time. Crazy!

Tomorrow is Friday and our plan is to have no plans and relax. Saturday I'm going on a girl's night out with Heather and a bunch of other girls. It's been a while and long overdue.

In new Camryn news she is now walking nearly 100% of the time. She will still crawl if she really needs to get to something in a hurry, but she likes walking back and forth and bringing me things from her kitchen. She is very smart. When I tell her "I love you" she starts blowing me kisses, she brushes her hair and her teeth and wipes down her own highchair tray. I'm one very proud mom of a one year old girl!

**Almost forgot to mention, we took Camryn for her 12 month dr appt, she is doing great! 20lbs 10oz (37%) and 30 1/4" tall (79%). She is also on whole milk and totally off bottles! What a big girl!

Bert and Camryn with the Boys.

Playing with Tristian.

These were so delicious.

The birthday girl with her friends.

Lalalala Camryn's World!

Hanging out with Uncle Jay - who spoils her rotten!

Weekend Trip to the Lowcountry

We are back from our incredible family trip to Charleston/Isle of Palms and are already planning when we can either go back for another visit or stay there forever! We stayed on Isle of Palms which is this ritzy beach community in a resort called Wild Dunes. It had everything ranging from condos up to multi million dollar mansions. They had tons of pools, tennis, golf, restaurants, a spa, bike rentals, a pavilion with live music, a private beach, you name it! I honestly didn't even care about going into Charleston once I got into the resort. The first day we got in and got groceries and got settled into our condo. We went out to dinner to a restaurant called The Boathouse and had lots of yummy seafood and Camryn got lots of attention in her (well actually Emersen's) #1 onesie, and they brought her out a nice bowl of whipped cream for her birthday, since it's her favorite! Then we went back to the condo and put the birthday girl to bed and listened to some music over some cocktails on the patio.

On Saturday we got up and went to the beach! Camryn liked the sand and the ocean. She sat on the edge of the blanket and scooped the sand into her pail. We also went for a walk along the water and got a few seashells. After a while we decided to go to the pool and relax there. Then Camryn took a long nap and Bert watched football while I stayed at the pool! When she woke up we drove into Charleston, went to the straw market, walked around some other shops and went to dinner at a restaurant called Hyman's per Calvin's recommendation. We went early but by the time we left there was a line down the block! Very yummy and Camryn flirted with the manager and got a free scoop of ice cream!

Sunday we went back into Charleston and went to all of the historic sites. Next time I'd like to do this on a carriage ride so someone could tell us more about the history of the area, but we got to see a battle site and some beautiful homes. After that we got in some more pool time and went to Morgan Creek Grill for dinner. This was my favorite restaurant, they had live music and really good food.

Monday we decided to get up and hit the road. Unfortunately we hit really bad traffic and Camryn was really whiny in the car for some reason. She just couldn't get settled down. I felt bad for her and also bad for us! We survived the ride, and all in all had a really great trip. Now it's time for family to come into town to celebrate Camryn's birthday this weekend. Should be a really fun time!

Birthday Girl!

Playing in the sand.

Smiling after a great seafood dinner!

Beautiful view of the marina from the condo.

First Steps that we actually got to video!

Vegan food for the Soul

I have so much to write about I don't even know where to start! August has really flown by and while it's still so hot, the mornings and nights are getting cooler, so I know Summer is winding down. This past weekend we had aunt Rebecca and her boyfriend Chris here for a visit. We kept really busy by going tubing down the "Hooch", going to the aquarium, doing the coke tour, dining out and eating in! One day Chris and Rebecca were in charge of dinner and they made soy tacos and they were honestly really good. We also ate at a vegan soulfood restaurant. Not bad....seriously! Jan watched Camryn while we went tubing but Camryn came along to everything else and was really good and I think she really enjoyed herself! The weekend went by too fast, and I think we were all sad to see it end!

This coming weekend we are taking it easy because next weekend is out big trip to Charleston! let me just say, I need it! I can't wait to relax for a couple of days....Ahhhh! The weekend after that is Camryn's first birthday party! We are having in the clubhouse of our subdivision just to have a little extra space. We've got lots of family coming into town so it should be great! I also decided that Camryn and I are taking our first girls trip together. Bert is going out of town for a weekend in October so Camryn and I are going to drive down to Tallahassee and see our buddies. So I can pretty safely say that this next month is going to be fun, but busy!

Little Camryn is really starting to look more like a toddler than a baby. She is not quite walking but she takes 4 or 5 steps at a time. Her balance is getting better she stands without holding on, clapping her hands. I gave her her first mini haircut, just trimmed her bangs, but I think it made her look more like a big girl! She raises her hands in the air when we say "touchdown"! She has her real laugh and a fake laugh that I think she uses when she just wants to appease us! She's a really good, easy baby, but she can throw a nice little tantrum every so often.

Cooking in her very own kitchen (thanks grandma Lori!)

Playing with Aunt Rebecca

Peek a boo!

Summer Lovin'

I'm loving these lazy summer days, but not really loving the extreme heat lately. Fortunately we have an awesome pool and have been taking advantage of it lately. Lucky little Camryn probably goes to the pool three or four times a week and she loves it! She especially loves the kiddie pool because she is the perfect height to stand in her float and have her feet touch the bottom so she can run around and chase the other kids. She likes the big pool too, I push her around and she chews on her pool toys.

Speaking of chewing on things, our little beaver was starting to gnaw the finish off of her crib, so we bought this crazy railing cover contraption and it is hideous but at least it will protect the crib. The crib converts into a full size bed and I'm sure she wouldn't like it in 15 years to have to see chomp marks all over her footboard!

We've been giving Camryn more and more table food, but she still has a lot of babyfood too. We gave her refried beans at a mexican restaurant a couple of weekends ago, and she loved them! We had tacos a couple of nights last week and I bought beans as a side and she loved them so much! After about ten bites we switched to something else because I was scared that she would get a stomachache! She also loves banana pieces. She and I split a banana almost every day!

She definitely wants to walk and walks around the house holding our fingers or her baby walker, but she's very cautious and isn't ready to let go quite yet. She still falls over a good bit! I am always calling her "little drunk lady" because she'll be standing against the couch and tip over out of nowhere, or she'll just start hiccuping or giggling out of the blue.

As far as the rest of the Gary household, we are all doing well. Work for me has been good the last few months, and I'm so glad to be at home with the baby. Even though it can have it's stressful moments, I wouldn't want it any other way! Bert is good, loving his job, enjoying his break from school until next semester, and taking a much needed guys night tonight. Miller is learning how to navigate over the maze of baby gates, and becoming more daring when it comes to Camryn, I'll even catch him rubbing up against her for some love, maybe they will be best friends after all.

Stayin' on Bentley Way

It's been so hard to keep up with my blog lately. I have had a busy couple of months with work, Bert has a lot going on with school and the baby is literally all over the place. The main reason I'm keeping this blog is to help me remember Camryn's milestones, because she changes so quickly, it can all be a big blur. It's also nice to share our goings-on with friends and family, although I'm not sure if anyone really reads it anymore.

We had a great Fourth of July weekend, went to a couple of fun BBQ's and enjoyed some pool time. Camryn absolutely loves the pool, and Bert and I are like a couple of kids in there taking our turns on the water slide. I also found out that a bunch of stay at home moms meet at the pool weekly to have playdates, so I went the last two times to see if I could make any friends in the neighborhood with babies Camryn's age. The moms are nice enough (but I think they are a little predjudiced about working moms), so we'll see...

In other news we decided to take our house off the market. There are too many foreclosures in this neighborhood, that no one wants to pay what we were asking for our house, which is less than we paid for it. We are gonna stay here for a while, and hopefully will be able to get something bigger in a few years.

In Camryn news, she has now learned how to climb the stairs! She's fast too! Also she can stand without holding on to anything for a few seconds. She also nods her head yes, especially if you do it along with her. So I'll say "Camryn do you love mommy? Yes?" Nod. "Camryn do you love to poop? Yes?" Nod. It's funny because she looks so serious about it.

In not good Camryn news, we had our first trip to the ER Sunday night. Camryn didn't eat much solid food for two days, threw up three times and had a fever that wouldn't go down with Tylenol. She looked pretty miserable so we decided to take her in. In hindsight we probably could have waited and took her to the pediatrician the following morning, but we were pretty panicked. Fortunately we were in and out of the ER in the all time record time of 1 hr and 15 minutes. Camryn is back to her old self now.

That's about all that's going on in our home. We booked a weekend getaway for our anniversary to Charleston. Camryn is coming with us and we actually leave on her birthday, so we'll definitely order a dessert that night at dinner and give Camryn a little to smash, and I'm sure the waiter will just love us! I can't wait, we are going to have so much fun!

July 4th outfit, on July 3rd!

Pool time!

I'll take a dozen eggs, some frozen waffles, and a baby!

Tiny Dancer's Encore

Tiny Dancer

Rock A Bye Baby

I think we officially spoiled the baby! For the longest time Camryn would have her bottle and try to squirm out of my arms and pretty much wanted to be left alone and put into the crib to fall asleep. Suddenly she would have her bottle and just cuddle up in my arms or lay with her head on my shoulder and it was so sweet so I (or Bert) would just cuddle and rock her to sleep. Well now she HAS to be rocked to bed. She’s addicted! And it’s naps too! I tried to put her down for her nap and listened to her scream until I couldn’t take it anymore. I scooped her into my arms and she was asleep within a minute. I guess I could have bigger problems then a sweet baby who wants to sleep in my arms.

On another note, the past weekend was great. Saturday we met up with Calvin and Duane who were in town for a white water rafting trip, and we went to Seasons 52 for lunch and did some shopping. Sunday was Bert’s first Father’s Day. Camryn got him a travel mug with her photos on it, and I made him some of his favorites, including biscuits and gravy and a cheesecake. Definitely not a low calorie kind of day. I hope he felt special because he really does do such a great job as a husband and father.

This coming weekend we have Emersen’s first birthday party, which is crazy since I feel like she was just born!! Not to mention she’s about 10 weeks older than Camryn so that means I’ll have a party to start planning soon. Although anyone who knows me knows I’ve been mentally planning it for a while!

For some new Camryn party tricks, she is now dancing. She just sits in her highchair and bops her head around. I have a video I’ll post. Also she was saying “hi” but I’m not sure if it counts as a “first word” since she repeats it. I think I’ll count the official first word when she says something on her own and looks like she has an idea of what it means.

Miss Picky

Since my last blog a few milestones have passed. One being my birthday! Unfortunately Bert was out of town last week on business but I made the most of it and brought the baby to Provino's and met some of the girls from work for dinner! When Bert came back to town we celebrated by going to Benihana and to see Shrek in 3D (we've seen every Shrek movie together). He also got me a dozen roses and a gift certificate to the spa, so I think I forgive him for missing my birthday. Camryn got me a nice card, she said it was all she can afford :-)

Camryn and I had a good week even though Bert was gone. She did her best to take it easy on me although she was cutting a tooth so two of the days she was easily agitated to say the least. We missed him a lot and are very grateful to have him home, and very grateful to Jan for coming an extra few hours to give me some time to work and a little break!

Almost forgot to mention that Camryn had her nine month dr. appt on June 4th! She now weighs 18 lbs, 11oz. (47%) and is 28 1/4" tall (73%). The doctor said she's very healthy and is doing great!

She is just getting so big! This morning she sat and ate her banana pieces like a big girl. She also loves the Gerber cheese puffs, which is interesting because she used to hate them. I also gave her some baked blueberries tonight which I think she liked. She's actually becoming quite the picky eater, and it's not from a lack of me trying! Here is a list of current food failures:

frozen green beans

no salt added canned green beans

peas

strawberry

american cheese

cottage cheese

chicken

I'll just keep on trying, I suppose!

Camryn is also walking with assistance and cruising along the furniture. I plan on getting her one of those toys where she can push it along and practice her walking. She is also repeating us if I say "Camryn say mama", she'll say "mamamama." Also she's learning the meaning of "no" and she doesn't like it! Must get that from me. For example she'll be headed for the catfood and we'll say "Camryn NO, NO playing in the catfood!" And she'll put her head on the floor and start to cry! Little diva!

We also had Camryn's picture taken at the Target Photo Studio. Here is one of my favorites:

My Sweetie Girl!

Putting a Ban on Teething

Well life has been so busy lately I feel like my head is spinning and it's only about to get busier! This past weekend was really nice, we went to a wedding and decided to make a night of it and had Jan watch the baby overnight. Of course I woke up at 6:45 missing her so we headed home early! Sunday we relaxed and had an impromptu block party which turned out to be a lot of fun, and Monday we ran some errands and took the baby to the pool for the first time! It was fun and Camryn didn't seem at all bothered that the water was FREEZING. As a matter of fact she tried to jump out of her float a few times into the pool.

As far as Camryn news goes, she finally cut a tooth and now I'm wondering why I was wanting one to come in so bad, she was miserable for about three days. I tried Tylenol, which works but I don't want to give her a ton of it, and these homeopathic teething tablets, which maybe, kinda, sorta, possibly work a little, as well as the standard teething rings, wet wash cloth etc. If she gets this crabby for every tooth, I'll just hope that she stays toothless :-) She also is picking up major speed on her crawling and her favorite things to go for are the cat food and dvd player! She also is clapping her hands and it's so darn cute! I really can't believe she'll be nine months old tomorrow!

In other people's baby news, Karen had baby Wade last week. He is so cute, and has the biggest cheeks ever! I couldn't hold him at the hospital because he was hooked up to tubes from some respiratory issues, so hopefully I'll get to see him this weekend and give him some snuggles.

This coming weekend should be fairly relaxing. I am hoping to see SATC2 with Heather, go see baby Wade, and help Bert get back up for his week long business trip to Plano, TX. Not looking forward to him being gone a week. I hope Camryn is on her best behavior for me!

A Little Ham in the Sky

We are back from our week in NY! We had a great time, and kept an action packed schedule. I was proud of Camryn, once again a good little traveler. On the way there she was great on the plane. She didn’t cry and mostly just hammed it up for the other passengers and blew them kisses. When we landed one of the women gave her a gift of a ceramic angel from Puerto Rico! In NY we kept busy by visiting friends and family, going shopping, going to the Museum of Natural History and Central Park, eating more pizza then I care to admit, and of course going to the graduation! My family doted on Camryn and babysat so Bert and I could have some free time. While we were there Camryn learned some new “party tricks”. She learned to pull herself up to stand, point at things, drink from a straw and make that ah-ah-ah sound by pushing her hand up against her mouth. We also found out she loves cheerios! She got some really fashionable summer clothes from a children’s boutique that my mom used to shop for me at, and I can’t wait to dress her up.

On the plane ride back about halfway through Camryn got tired and crabby. She was fighting sleep and finally sleep won and she passed out on my shoulder. I was so uncomfortable but didn’t want to move and wake her up, so Bert suggested today I go get a massage, and of course I took him up on that offer, it was wonderful.

This week Bert starts up his Summer session, so he’ll be really busy over the next eight weeks, which means I have extra baby duty, but as I always say when he’s done it will all be worth it. On the bright side the pool is about to open so when he’s studying on the weekend I can take the munchkin out for some fun in the sun!

Aunt Rebecca with Camryn

Hanging with Ali and Nicole in CT.

An Exhibit at The Museum of Natural History.

She's officially a crawler!

Well I have to say my first Mother’s Day was nice and relaxing! Camryn must have known to be extra nice because she’s not much of a cuddler and we cuddled in bed while Bert made me breakfast. He even got one of those breakfast in bed trays! We spent lots of family time together and then I got some “me time” and enjoyed a mani/pedi. I also got some beautiful tulips from my mom, which was so sweet of her to do.

Also Camryn has hit a huge milestone. She is now crawling forward. She had been taking a few little crawls here and there but last night she really started to get the hang of it and today she is really crawling around! Time to start babyproofing! All I have done so far is stick the outlet covers in the downstairs outlets. She is also pretty much holding her bottle full time, which has been a big time saver, now I can get ready for the gym and she can feed herself at the same time-shaved 10 minutes off my morning routine :-)

For some reason she has been the pickiest eater lately! We got her these melting yogurt bites that I tried, they’re yummy, but when she eats them, she looks like she’s sucking a lemon. I ended up eating her little cheese puffs cause she hated them and I love anything that resembles a cheeto! I was giving her this babyfood that was bananas, apricot and oatmeal (sounds good to me!), she ate a few bites then pursed her lips. I then broke out the green beans, ate the whole jar! I was worried about how’d she would like yogurt and she actually really seems to like it, except she’s been spitting up more, so I may have to stop feeding her one of the foods that she actually likes. I’m pretty sure she’ll grow out of it, and I find it more funny than anything.

Tomorrow we are off to New York for Rebecca’s graduation. I’m so proud of her! It’s so crazy, that my little sister is graduating college. I remember when she was Camryn’s age. Time is really just flying by!

I’m sure we will have a great time on our trip. I’m planning on seeing some old friends and family, and it will be nice to get out of town. I already know that Camryn is going to get spoiled rotten by her family!

Daddy's 34, Camryn's 8 months, and Mommy's Holding Strong at 29!

Last weekend was interesting to say the least! We woke up to thunder and lightening and decided that it wasn't smart to do the march of dimes walk. Then the skies cleared and we decided to do it. We got there and then the skies re-opened and we did the four mile walk in the rain! We had bought a rain cover for the stroller but it was junky and poor Camryn's legs still got wet and she cried the whole last mile! I read that the walk that we did hit their financial goal, so I felt good about that! We also had planned a little block party that we had to cancel so pretty much the weekend was a bust.

This weekend has been much better! Yesterday was Bert's birthday and we had a fun family day! We cashed in his free Provino's dinner, and it was delicious! Camryn was a good girl, and we let her have a bite of daddy's ice cream. We came home and put the baby to bed and listened to Michael Jackson and had some drinks! Bert skyped with Toby and they had some drinks together while both sitting at the own homes. Boy, how times have changed.

Camryn is about to hit the eight month mark tomorrow! She is growing before my eyes. Her hair is getting long and starting to curl! She sits around saying mamama and dadadada and lots of other blabbery words. She likes to sit in her pack and play and play with her toys. We have lowered her crib and she has pulled herself halfway up. Still not crawling forward, but she can get around if she wants something! As far as non babyfood items go, we have let her try grits (like), mashed potatoes (dislike???), and ice cream (like). She loves water out of her sippy cup. She is trying to feed herself her puffs, but she holds them and licks them and they get melty, sticky and gross. She can wave hi/bye-bye, but only does it when the mood strikes. When someone else is holding her and she's had enough she reaches for me, or when I go to pick her up out of the highchair or pack and play she holds her hands up in the air. Looking forward to more milestones. Maybe teeth?? :-)

Baby's First Ball Game

Camryn, Bert and I caught a Braves game this past weekend, and had a fantastic time. We got to Turner Field about an hour early so we had time to walk around. We took Camryn to "Tooner Field" which is the kids section, and they have lots of games for the kids to play. Camryn was too young for it, but she loves to watch the other kiddies. We had decent seats and thankfully a really nice guy next to me. Camryn was sitting in my lap and quietly "petting" him! He was a great sport and laughed it off. We made it to the bottom of the fifth when Camryn started getting really squirmy and decided that was our cue. Later that night we went to a local ice cream shop called "Ice Cream Social" and Camryn had her first taste of ice cream! She liked it, but believe it or not she isn't wild about the sweet stuff. She loves peas, green beans and spinach-anything green! I'm sure that will change eventually. I mean what kid prefers peas over ice cream??

Even though I've been saying this for about four months now Camryn is teething. (Really this time!) I can see the bumps in her gums. I expect to see some teeth very soon, but in the meanwhile I'll savor that sweet gummy smile!

This weekend we are doing the March of Dimes Walk and I am praying for no rain. There is a 60% chance right now and I've been checking the forecast about every two hours! I am going to go rain or shine, but I don't want to bring the baby if its crummy out. Maybe I'll take up auntie Karen on her babysitting offer if the weather isn't on our side!

March for Babies

Bert, Camryn and I will be walking next weekend on the March of Dimes, March for Babies. Please consider sponsoring us as we walk to raise money to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. Please click on the link to donate or to learn more about the March for Babies.

http://www.marchforbabies.org/personal_page.asp?pp=3439247&ct=4&w=4328322&u=heathergary

Can the weather just stay like this all year?

This past weekend has been so relaxing and fun, I told Bert I feel like I'm on vacation! We started off the weekend by going to a Greek restaurant and frozen yogurt for dessert on Friday night. Saturday we went shopping, and enjoyed lunch outside in the absolutely perfect weather. We came home and sat outside with Bert while he washed the car. Then Camryn and I had some mommy/daughter time while Bert went to his friend's birthday party.

Today we took a drive up to Dawsonville to Amicalola Falls. We took two short, stroller friendly hikes, spent some time at the falls, and then headed over to the lodge for lunch. When we got there they had a park ranger showing different birds to the crowd. I was afraid Camryn was going to be a vulture's lunch.

Camryn is doing great. She really wants to get around on her own. If I put her down on the hardwoods, she does these half push-ups and slides backwards through the house. If she's on carpet or in her crib she'll get on her hands and knees and rock. I know as soon as she figures it all out I'll be on the chase!

Spring is in the Air

Lots has been going on at the Gary house so I'm just going to try to hit the key points so this won't be the world's longest blog! Last weekend was nice, Grandma Jennine came to visit and we had a great time. The highlight of the trip was hanging out together at the Cherry Blossom festival. We had amazing weather, and just walked around and looked at crafts. Camryn was strapped to Bert in the baby bjorn and was wearing her "single" bib. She got so much attention! The men were saying to Bert, "Single? She better stay that way! Huh, Dad?" Pretty cute!

The other day, Camryn visited the Easter Bunny at the mall, and wasn't scared! She looks more bewildered than anything, but I'm just glad she didn't cry!

Also Camryn is now eating puffs (little star shaped grain snacks) and drinking from her sippy cup! I have to feed her the puffs for now. It's funny, she holds one in each hand, I call them her "treasures" and then I feed them to her! If I try to hold one in front of her for her to take, she moves her whole head toward my hand! As far as the sippy cup goes, if she's in the highchair I have to hold it for her, but if she's in the boppy, laying back, half the time she'll hold it herself.

Tomorrow we are going to the park with the Harrison's and the Mansfield's, and then they are coming back here and I'm making dinner. I am trying to make mostly Passover dishes, and hone my skills for future Passovers! One day Camryn will be my little assistant chef, and Bert can be off the hook!

Also on Sunday we are celebrating Easter. Tonight we dyed eggs and made chocolate dipped peeps! For dinner we are going to grill up some wings, which I don't think is very traditional, but we'll be spending time together so that's what's important!

Also want to thank Grandma Lori for the tons of spring and summer clothes! Camryn definitely has a fabulous wardrobe thanks to her and Frank!

Savannah Trip

We just got back from a four day weekend in Savannah, and Camryn's first stay in a hotel. I am so proud of that little girl. You would think she's a seasoned traveler! We got a suite at the Inn at Ellis Square, so that we would have two seperate rooms and not have to tip toe around at 7PM when the baby goes to sleep. Not to mention Camryn wakes up in the middle of the night to talk to herself (probably reflecting on her day :-) ) and it wakes me up, and she just falls right back asleep, and I'm left wide awake!

We met our good friends Amanda, Chris, and Camryn's possible future husband Matty there for the weekend. On Friday when we arrived we did a little shopping and exploring and went to a restuarant called Tubby's for dinner. We sat on the deck and enjoyed the weather and the company! That night we put the baby to bed and brought Chris and Amanda over the monitor to watch the baby while Bert and I went out. We had suites next door to each other so that worked out really well. We just went to a pub and had some drinks and got to have a mini date night.

Saturday we took the trolley tour and went to Forsyth Park for lunch. We brought the babies to the playground, and put them together in the same swing and pushed them. They both loved it! We also did a wine tasting and found another place for an outdoor dinner. Then Bert and I watched Matty on the video monitor while Amanda and Chris went out for oysters and dancing!

Sunday the weather was crappy so we went to the mall and I signed up to audition for Wheel of Fortune, but the wait was too long, so there go my dreams of meeting Pat Sajack :-) We went to Bennigans for dinner and totally pigged out on junk food. I think we're not used to eating like that because Bert was green by the time we got back and got sick! Apparently I have a cast iron stomach, because I was just fine.

Camryn hardly cried or complained the whole trip. As a matter of fact we were walking up to the hotel and I heard a lady tell her friend, "that's that baby that everytime I see her is smiling!". The only times she got even a little fussy was when she was tired because she didn't want to nap with all the excitement!

Here are a few pictures from the weekend:

Then and Now

The first picture is the day we brought Camryn home from the hospital, and the second one was taken today. She is wearing the same onesie in both-except one is size "newborn" and the other is "nine months." She is growing so fast!

Six Month Stats

Weight - 17.1 lbs (69%)
Height - 27" (86%)

We took Camryn for her six month well visit last Monday and it turned into an "unwell" visit. She had a double ear infection and was sounding a little wheezy, so the doctor decided to push her shots back, and she was put on amoxicillin and a nebulizer. She hates the medicine, and she has pink liquid all over her face by the time we're done. She figured out that if she keeps spitting (imagine car motor sounds) she won't have to swallow her meds. The nebulizer on the other hand, she usually takes like a champ. She'll just sit on the chair with me and let me hold the mask to her face for about ten minutes. Tomorrow she goes back for a re-check and hopefully she'll be done w the neb.

The weekend was great. Went by too fast, of course. Friday night I got the evening "off duty" and went to dinner with a few friends at Bonefish Grill. Saturday we went to the outlet mall, and Saturday night we brought the baby to my uncle's house and the family all doted on her while Bert and I got to go to an engagement party. We had a great time, but of course after a few hours I was ready to go get her! She got a stellar report card and they offered to watch her again anytime!

This coming weekend we are going to Savannah with Amanda, Chris and baby Matty. I promise to take tons of pictures, because I have been slacking lately. Can't wait to get away for the weekend and spend some time with Amanda and fam!

Six Months Old Tomorrow!

We need to celebrate! Unfortunately Camryn will be ringing in her half birthday with a little cold. She woke up with a runny nose but has been in pretty good spirits. Over the weekend she got to spend some time with Grandma Lori and Grandpa Frank, who just loved her to pieces! They also watched her so Bert and I got to go see Avatar in 3D. Our first time going to the movies in about a year!! Mom also made me my favorite soup, about a two week supply, which has been so nice in this yucky, snowy, slushy, miserable weather. I have never seen this much snow in the ten years I have lived here, and let me tell you, I hope I never see this much again! I want the weather to warm up so we can take Camryn back to the park! Oh yeah, we took her there two weekends ago, on the first semi-warm weekend and put her on the baby swings!

Camryn is really loving her toys these days, so we set up her pack and play today so we can surround her with her favorites and let her go to town! She's also really into Elmo. Sometimes when I'm working, I'll sit her with me and put on Sesame Street, she won't really be paying attention to the TV, but when the song introducing Elmo's World comes on, she starts smiling and "talking" to the TV!

We are so happy watching our little baby change and grow from week to week. I have a feeling the next milestone will be some teeth sprouting from that gummy smile!

Fun with the grandparents!

Wills Park

First time in her highchair!

My Little Valentine...

At 5 1/2 months.....

Has rolled back to belly.

Sits on her own.

Has eaten rice, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, bananas, carrots, peas and applesauce.

Looks around when I say "where's Miller?"

Sleeps 7PM to 7AM with two naps in between.

Giggles all the time, especially at her daddy.

Always tries to kick off her socks.

Makes the cutest baby babble noises ever!

In her Valentine's Day dress from Grandma Jennine.

Modeling with Daddy.

Hanging out with Mommy.

Enjoying time with her buddy, Emmie.

Little Miss Big Girl

I can hardly believe our little baby girl is five months old! The past few weeks have been pretty eventful. Camryn got to meet her Grandpa Vinny for the first time and it was awesome, he kissed her toes and got some good giggles. He was a proud grandpa to say the least! She also got to see her Uncle Jay again, and she is crazy about him. I wonder if it’s because we look alike, she just feels comfortable around him.

Camryn is also sitting up on her own now. One day I had her propped up against the back of the couch and all of a sudden she straightened her back and has pretty much been sitting ever since. Sometimes she’ll get distracted and fall over, but practice makes perfect. She has also been eating solid foods, so far rice cereal, oatmeal, carrots, and tonight will be bananas. She seemed to like the carrots the best, but what a huge mess! I was kinda just letting her get messy, thinking, whatever it’ll come out in the wash, but guess what, the carrots STAIN! So we bought the vinyl bibs and last night I fed her in only her diaper and bib. Funny sight to see. She also sat for the first time in a restaurant highchair, on our girl’s lunch outing (sans poor Emersen who had a little fever). She kept looking at Sylvie, like “oh yeah, I’m a big girl too!”

It’s only Monday and I’m already wishing for the weekend. Bert and I are celebrating Valentine’s Day this Saturday. After Camryn goes to bed, we are going to cook up a romantic dinner and just relax and enjoy our time together. Can’t wait!

Mini Mozart? You be the judge :-)

Starting to sit on her own!

It's starting to click!

Movin' on up!

This past weekend was pretty eventful! Calvin and Duane came to visit and got to meet the baby. We did a little shopping, went to my favorite Mexican restaurant Chepe's, and went to an English Pub called Firkin and Crown, while Bert was on babysitting duty. It was such a good time! Bert is taking a turn this weekend and having a boys night out. These nights are few and far between, but it is nice to spend an occasional night baby free and with good friends!

Time to eat!

Tastes like chicken?

Yum-o.

We also gave Camryn her first taste of solid foods last night and tonight. She seemed very confused! I would have to say last night she ate about 25% of the rice cereal and the rest ended up on her face and clothes, and tonight she ate closer to half. I guess practice makes perfect!

More big news, we decided to put our house on the market and look for something a little bigger. Bert says this is the time to buy before the rates go up, so we are gonna start looking, but we definitely plan on staying in the area!