Baby Velcro

Baby Velcro is the term I'm using to describe a baby who has been literally stuck to me for the past week. I didn't coin this phrase, I found it while doing google searches on things like "what to do when your one year old child will not let go of you...ever." Campbell is typically such an easy-going, rarely fussy, not clingy, goes to anyone, plays well kinda baby. This week - someone must have swapped her out when we weren't looking, because we have had the complete opposite! I seriously considered calling Jo Jo from Super Nanny for an emergency visit.

First, before I go on a rampage about my needy child, I should say that despite the Baby Velcro issue, we had a wonderful Christmas in Virginia with my family. We went up on Christmas Eve and arrived around lunchtime, and returned Sunday afternoon. My parents were understanding of her attachment issues and still managed to have lots of cuddles and good quality time. They spoiled all of us with gifts, food, food and more food, help with Campbell, and just great company. We really enjoyed our time with them, and feel pretty bad that Lexi decided to play tug of war with their carpet. :( Lexi won. :( I'm already anticipating Christmases in years to come when Campbell really understands what is going on. It was still fun even though she was more interested in a noodle from the pool this summer than she was any of her gifts!! Celebrating the holidays through the eyes of a child is something pretty special. My Mom and I took Campbell to the Christmas Eve service at church. It was a family service, so it wasn't too inappropriate each time she made noise. Thank goodness for a bag of Cheerios which we rationed out that got us through the service. Each time the congregation clapped, there was a 10-second delay, and then Campbell would clap. Adorable!!

The baby velcro issue started before we left town. As I had mentioned, Campbell had a terrible cold which is luckily almost gone. On Monday morning, which was the 21st, I woke up sick. Like throwing up all day. NOT fun with a baby that wouldn't leave my side. She was not letting Travis near her, which didn't help me at all, and I'm sure really hurt his feelings! Thankfully I got over my stomach bug, and got well enough for us to take her to the doctor. She was barely eating and was so lethargic and cranky. That's when we found out Campbell had her first ear infection! No wonder! On top of cutting all four molars and another tooth closer to the front, poor baby had hurting ears and a terrible headcold. Thank goodness for antibiotics which seem to be doing the trick.

I felt like a koala bear or a mama kangaroo this week. I love my daughter to pieces, I really do. But a little space would have been nice every now and then! I really feel for parents with clingy babies, and I pray that this was just a little phase that stemmed from being sick. I am so glad she seems to be feeling better. Once we got back home last night, she was playing with her toys, walking around independently, and even spending some time with Travis. She was completely boycotting him this week, so we are totally relieved that she is returning to her status of Daddy's Little Girl! Hallelujah!!!!!! We are also happy to announce that Campbell has a REAL first word! She's been saying Da-Da for months. She definitely knows that Travis is Da-Da and calls him that sometimes, but she also uses Da-Da for many other things. Same with Ba-Ba (which is what we call her bottles) and Ma-Ma. But while in Virginia, it is evident that Campbell says Ka-Ka. Cracker! If you give her a cracker, she holds it up and says Ka-Ka over and over. It is SO cute! She has a word that she can use in the right context - walking and talking! Oh my!!

Campbell is loaded up with more new clothes, toys and books from Christmas. We are home safe and sound and we are all slowly but surely getting over our colds. We tried to remember what Christmas is really about and be thankful for the other really important December birthday. Do you think Baby Jesus was ever Baby Velcro to Mary? I doubt it...

Very few pictures were taken this Christmas as my hands were usually occupied holding my little 25-pound bundle of joy. It would've been nice to get some of Campbell with her grandparents, great Grandma, aunts, uncles and cousins...but she was pretty much just with me! Oh well, next year!! But here are a few from Christmas morning, and one showing her sitting in her big girl chair, attempting t0 drink big girl soymilk from a big girl sippy cup!

Sick of Being One

Campbell turned one just over a week ago, and unfortunately, she's been sick ever since! Other than when she was really sick at birth...Campbell really wasn't sick in the first year. Once or twice we thought she had a cold coming on, but it never amounted to anything. I think we can officially chalk this up as her first cold. Yippee!

Her nose is running like a faucet. It's pretty nasty because she tries to rub her nose and ends up smearing it across her face, in her hair, etc. I know, TMI. The runny nose causes her to cough. And then on two occasions, the cough has made her throw up! :( Not spit up, throw up, like an adult. And lucky us, Travis and I have each gotten the opportunity to get thrown up on this past week. This is what parenting is all about, right!?! All jokes aside, we feel so bad for her. She has been really cranky which is so out of character for our happy little girl. She's clingy, fussy, and the weirdest symptom of all...has lost her appetite! You KNOW I've never said that before. Yesterday we were actually pretty worried because she barely ate or drank all day. Thankfully she's eating more today, but still probably only about a third of her normal appetite.

Oh, and the best part? Now I have caught the cold! It was only a matter of time. My shirt is often what she chooses to wipe her nose on. Gross, I know, I'm sorry. I think she must have heard the pediatrician tell me that most allergies are inherited from the mother, and this is her way of paying me back. :) We have spent the majority of this past week cooped up in the house trying unsuccessfully to get her well, so I also have a nasty case of cabin fever. The good news is that Travis is officially on Christmas vacation and not going back to work until 2010. So we'll have some family time and I'll have some daytime help. Yay!!

Onto to happier things...yesterday we battled the winter weather and headed to Marion to celebrate Christmas early. Travis' brother Bryan was in from Texas for a short visit, so the 15" of snow on the ground in Marion couldn't keep us away. We only had about an inch here, but it was mixed with ice and sleet. We had a great day hanging out with all 5 of the Justice nieces and nephew, both of Travis' brothers and their wives, his parents and his Nanny. We had a yummy turkey dinner and then got to watch the kids tear into all their presents. Campbell was sort of cranky since she's feeling bad, but she still managed to hang with the big kids. Now we will just get well and head to Virginia on Christmas Eve to celebrate Christmas again...Reid-style! I'm very sorry to report that I didn't take a single picture yesterday. My excuse is that I was tending to a sick baby most of the day and didn't have a free hand to take pictures. Still, shame on me!

Earlier this week, I got caught up in all of Campbell's allergies and forgot to share her one year stats. Our girl is still almost off the charts!
Weight: 24.15 lbs - 95th percentile
Height: 31 inches - 95th percentile
Head: Forgot the exact measurement, but it was also 95th percentile

And lastly, while I'm jumping subjects...I need to give three birthday shout-outs. First, Saturday was my Grandma's birthday. She turned...well, she'll plead the fifth. Saturday was also my niece, Peyton's, birthday and she turned 6. And today is my niece, Taylor's, birthday and she turned 3. Happy birthday everybody!

The Results Are In...

...and the Justices are kinda bummed!

Campbell's pediatrician ordered bloodwork on Friday after she broke out in hives from her celebratory birthday pancake and Egg Beaters. The poor thing had like maybe 2 bites of each, and her face was one big hive! I was able to sit down with her pediatrician today and discuss the results of the allergy screen. It showed that Campbell is allergic to milk, eggs, peanuts, cats and dogs.

WHAT?!?!?!? OK, so this isn't a total surprise. In some ways, I'm relieved that they finally confirmed her dairy allergy. She's been breaking out every time she eats dairy, and I was so frustrated when the allergist said she was not allergic to milk. Um, OK, then what do you call it when the child's face gets red and bumpy each time she eats dairy, a coincidence? Please excuse my cynical attitude, I was just very annoyed. So with today's results, in a way, I feel validated. It's like a doctor was finally able to say, yeah, you were right, your kid has allergies. But I'm of course pretty bummed that poor Campbell is going to have to live with a tricky diet. And as her mom, it makes me nervous. All her allergies were at the lower end of the spectrum (with the exception of dogs, apparently she's really allergic to dogs - WHAT?!?!?!?). But they are still prescribing an Epipen. Unfortunately with food allergies, you never really know if exposure could cause a more severe reaction than what you're used to.

Let's chat about peanuts for a moment. I eat peanut butter like my life is dependent on it. I eat it out of the jar...on a spoon...daily. I live for peanut butter. It's amazing to me that I ate it while I was nursing her and she had no issues. It's also amazing to me that I eat it in close proximity to her all the time and she hasn't exhibited any allergic symptoms. I guess that's good news, hopefully she doesn't have the kind of allergy that is dangerous if she's simply near a peanut. But I feel like I'm going to have to take it pretty seriously. When her friends are eating peanut butter, she's going to have to keep her distance. And there will have to be a lot of handwashing!

Now let's chat about the animals. The doctor started his discussion with something along the lines of "because she seems to tolerate the pet dander now, there's no need to discuss getting rid of them yet." Again...WHAT?!?!?!?! I'm going to pretend like that conversation never happened and just be extra diligent about vacuuming. Maybe three times a week? Fun times. Her doctor is so nice and very compassionate, so he didn't mean that in a harsh way. I guess his job is to protect the child so it's easy for him to mention "getting rid" of the animals. Campbell and Lexi are pals. Campbell loves to do face plants on the dog bed. OK, maybe I need to regulate that activity. But we have never noticed a problem related to anything but food. Maybe an itchy eye here or there, but thankfully she seems to tolerate that allergy well. Let's pray this continues! Lexi and Harley are members of this family, something I feel very strongly about. Of course I feel strongly about my baby girl's health too, but I think it's something we can all live with.

Shew! So now that I went off about the animals to make myself feel better, let's chat about this milk and egg thing. Take a look at anything you eat. Anything. Chances are, it's got either milk or egg in it. For instance, the whole wheat bread Campbell often eats has milk in it. And she is fine! He said we can continue feeding her foods like that, which may contain small amounts of milk or milk protein but that she has eaten without issue. But we won't be introducing any new dairy foods, and she certainly won't be having any egg foods. Unfortunately for her, looks like she may have to endure another vegan cake for her second birthday!! :( Gross!

There is hope that this isn't a lifelong thing. Many children outgrow allergies within a few years. In the meantime, we'll just have to be vigilant, plan her meals in advance when eating on the go, and get creative with our menus at home. She'll be the kid that packs, not buys. At the end of the day, I'll just try to be thankful that we caught her allergies before they posed a significant risk to her. And also thankful that they don't appear to be severe based on today's results. And I'll have to remind myself of these things each time I am mumbling about making a dairy-free, egg-free meal! Hey, she'll be a healthy kid if she lives on fruits and veggies!

First Birthday Bash

On Saturday we threw a birthday bash at the house for Campbell's first birthday. What a perfect day it was! We are so thankful for all the people that love Campbell and came to hang out on Saturday. Many drove several hours to be here! It was a blast!!!! Campbell had so much fun - everywhere she turned, she had little friends, family, and big friends to play with! She did great when it was cake time. She didn't mind the singing and all eyes on her. She dug into her hot pink vegan cake a little hesitantly. She wasn't too thrilled about getting her fingers dirty, and wasn't too thrilled about the taste of her vegan cake either. (I can't really blame her, I tasted it). We gave her a fork and she was happier when she was eating in a more civilized manner (even though she is FAR from mastering the fork!!). She eventually managed to get hot pink cake smeared all over her face and body, like every new one year old should do. A quick bath, and she returned to the party! She was exhausted Saturday night and it has taken her a day or so to get back to normal after all that partying. Our friends and family were so generous, and Campbell is having so much fun with her new toys, books, adorable outfits, and her very own chair. So I am...you can't imagine how relieved I am to have some new titles to read, and new toys to pass our time. I feel like a kid at Christmas with all this new birthday loot! ;) A special thanks to Holly for being in charge of my camera and catching all these great first birthday party memories on film while I was wrapped up in the party. Travis and I were so happy with how Campbell's birthday party turned out, and someday we'll show her these pictures to remind her just how much fun she had too!

Enjoy these pictures of the big celebration! (Birthday tutu is courtesy of Aunt Jen - precious!!)

ONE YEAR OLD!!

It's hard to believe that this day is finally here. Campbell's first birthday! It's hard for me to put into one post what this past year has meant. Let's start with what has surprised me. Campbell - not a surprise. We got a lot of funny looks when we told people we were expecting because the baby was coming so soon after the wedding! But Campbell was not a surprise - she was a very well-planned, welcome blessing. However, her arrival was a bit of a surprise. My blood pressure shot up three weeks before my due date, so Campbell came early. Travis' big thing with a January 1st due date was that he wanted the tax deduction. We got it! Also a surprise was how sick poor little Campbell was at birth...that we'd leave the hospital without her...and spend the first 12 days of her life going back and forth to the hospital...praying and waiting to bring our miracle home. Another obvious surprise - the red hair and blue eyes. The blue eyes were less of a surprise since Travis (and every other Justice!) has them. But if you'd told me I'd have a redhead with blue eyes, I'd have told you that you were crazy! I adore her fair skin, bright blue eyes, and light red hair, as well as that red head temper that is slowly surfacing... She is such a pretty baby, and I'm not biased at all!! Another surprise was how easy it has been to put her first. I would've described myself as pretty selfish before having the baby. But having a child just kind of wipes that away, and it's been easier than I thought it would be to make sacrifices for her. She's just so worth it, I just love my new life as her mommy. We were surprised yet again when Campbell was only ten months old and started walking!! Her doctor had even told us to not be disappointed if she was a little late just because she's so big. She showed him! Campbell is walking really well these days. Sometimes I'd even call it a slow (and sloppy) jog!

Those are all the surprises I can think of. On to a quick list of what she's been up to lately. She talks quite a bit. The problem is we don't always understand her language. We used to hear a constant ba-ba-ba-ba, but now her vocabulary has expanded to include quite a bit of da-da-da-da (you can imagine who loves that), a few ga-ga's, ka-ka, and a ma-ma on rare occasions (I'll take what I can get). In the past week, she's started trying to eat her oatmeal and applesauce with a spoon. It's a messy endeavor but she is so proud of herself when she gets it to her mouth successfully. That crazy red hair has a few curls in it and it is getting longer by the day. We rarely get an "oh, HE's so cute" anymore, for which I'm very grateful. She loves being around other children at church, at playgroups, with her cousins, and with our friends' kids. Her one true love is books. She has become quite the bookworm! Most of her playtime is spent carrying books from her playroom to the living room. We read the same four or five books over and over and over again. She used to cry, I mean really cry, each time we got to the last page. Now she understands when we tell her to go to the playroom and get another book, which is nice, and keeps the tears at bay. She is really starting to understand us - she will stick out her tongue on command (thanks to the frog in one of her favorite books), she gives us hugs and high fives (sort of).

I could go on for hours about all the cool tricks Campbell has figured out in this past year. But really, the most special thing about Campbell is the sheer joy she's brought to our lives in the past year. Our hearts are full and our days are happier because of her. We hear the pitter patter of her little feet stomping around and the sweet sound of her little giggle. I swear if we could bottle up her smile we could achieve world peace. Campbell, your Daddy and I love you so much and we are so proud of all you have become in this first year. You have such a sweet spirit! We look forward to each new day, week, month, and year we get to spend with you. Dream big, little girl! We know there is a lot waiting for you in this big world and we are just so thankful we get to help you chase your dreams.

Happy First Birthday, Campbell! Here is a stroll down memory lane, from the first picture ever taken of Campbell and through the first year.

This morning when Campbell woke up, we went in to get her singing Happy Birthday, with the video camera rolling. She looked at us like we were a little crazy. Then we brought her downstairs to see her new farm. She seems to love it!! Travis took today off to celebrate and get the house ready for the big party tomorrow. We decided to take Campbell to IHop for a special breakfast treat - her first pancake! We know pancakes have dairy in them, but the doctor said it's ok to give her dairy even though she generally has a mild reaction to dairy. We also ordered her scrambled egg substitutes. The pancakes would also have egg in them, something she has never eaten before because babies can't have eggs until they are one. Sure enough, about 5 bites into her breakfast, she broke out in mild hives, which is normal for us. We switched the eggs and pancake out for a banana. Things were sort of OK, but by the time we got home, it was not the reaction we were used to. It got SO much worse than the picture above. Terrible, red hives on her face, a very uncharacteristically lethargic baby, and then it spread to her eyes. Red bumps all around her eyes, cheeks, forehead, and she was really itchy. So we did what every parent longs to do on their child's first birthday - race them to the doctor's office! She is fine, sleeping like a rock now after being pumped full of Benadryl. The bad news is they wanted to draw blood, so we had to put her through that on her birthday. The good news is that for the first time, they found one of her tiny veins! When we go back on Tuesday for her one-year check-up, hopefully they'll have the results of the full allergy screen, and some answers!!! A few months ago, the allergist only did bloodwork for a dairy allergy. With a full vial of blood, they should be able to run a full screen and hopefully tell us what's going on. Poor thing, who wants to be stuck on their birthday?!??! She was very brave and patient, and I'm sure when she wakes up, will forget about the drama and enjoy her new farm. My next task is to find a recipe for an egg-free cake before tomorrow!!!!

Happy Birthday, sweet red-faced girl! ;)

Things I Never Wanted to Learn About Diapers

I've never wanted to be that mom whose conversations were reduced to discussions about dirty diapers. Sure, I'll mention a diaper here or there, but there's a lot more interesting things about parenting than changing diapers. Well, I have to break my own rule and take a moment to vent. At night, Campbell wears these special overnight diapers that are $30 a case. $30!! So in my mind, these things should be like Fort Knox, right? The past two mornings, Campbell has woken up in a sea of gel-like crystals. What in the world, you might be saying? Most people don't know that diapers are actually filled with these tiny gel balls that are what makes them super absorbent. I unfortunately know this because I've had the pleasure of vacuuming them off the floor, emptying them out of the crib, washing the crib sheets, and bathing my child first thing in the morning to get them off of her body!

What the heck? For $30 a case, I expected to live in ignorance and never have to understand how a diaper works, or rather DOESN'T work! I think the solution might be to buy a larger diaper even though she's still on the low end of the weight range. We'll see how that goes...

I have much more important things to think about than diapers though. Campbell turns one on Friday! This day last year, I was at home on modified bedrest after having been in the hospital the night before for high blood pressure. The bedrest didn't change anything, and so I was admitted to the hospital on the 10th, and Campbell was born on the 11th! I'm definitely strolling down memory lane this week and reflecting often on what I was experiencing this time last year. Anticipation, fear, excitement...and being uncomfortable and REALLY large!! ;) Preparations are in full gear for this weekend's big birthday bash on Saturday. SO EXCITED to celebrate the fantastic year we've had with our little monkey.

These pictures were taken one week before Campbell was born. WOW.

"Campbell, Meet Santa..."

Campbell's reply, "Um...no thanks. Maybe next year."

Travis' company put on another really great event yesterday for the families, Milk and Cookies with Santa. I was so grateful for this event. Now we can avoid the crowds (and germs!) with Santa at the mall. We dressed up Campbell in her new holiday gear, courtesy of GrandDeb, and headed downtown. Campbell was absolutely giddy! She couldn't contain herself! I don't know if it was being around other children, the room to walk/run/crash, or just the holiday excitement...but she was crazy and oh so happy! She was grabbing onto every adults' legs there, walking from person to person, just working the crowd! The shyness seems to be fading...and fast! ;) She was especially interested in ripping the decorations off of the coat drive box, checking out the older kids' snacks, and carrying around an Elmo paper cup she got.

All was going great until...

She saw him.

She maintained a safe distance and thought maybe she could escape unnoticed, but then he spoke to her. Oh no, no she was really in for it! We put her on Santa's lap and got the exact reaction we expected.

Somebody get me outta here! This big guy in the red suit is VERY scary!!

She faked a quick smile, tried to squirm her way down, and safely escaped Santa's grip. :)

After the traumatic introduction, we went to a conference room where they had crafts set up. Travis made Campbell a Christmas door hanger for her room. Note the picture of my handsome Martha Stewart below. Then we went back to see Santa and tried to squeeze in a family picture thinking if she was sitting with me instead of Santa, it would work.

Nope.

Santa read Twas the Night Before Christmas to the kiddos and Campbell sat still for a few minutes. Then she decided to go on snack patrol and try to snag cookies and pretzels from unsuspecting big kids who were actually still listening to Santa.

After Santa was done, we took Campbell down to Founder's Hall to see the Singing Bears. So cute - these big bears sing Christmas carols and play orchestra music every hour on the hour. Once again, crazy baby! She was ALL OVER the place...walking up to everyone, just begging for attention! In no time, she has transformed from a baby who is walking...to a toddler we can hardly keep up with. Seriously! She's a fast little sucker!!

We had a great day. Campbell was EXHAUSTED which worked well for us. We took the baby monitor and went next door to our neighbors' holiday party after she went to bed. Lucky for us, the houses in our neighborhood are REALLY close together so the monitor worked. She was completely zonked out and didn't make a peep while we enjoyed some good party food and catching up with a couple of neighbors.

One final picture to demonstrate this crazy hair, I hope you can see it. This is before I fixed it for Santa pictures. Travis was appalled when I licked my hand and rubbed her hair down. I kind of was too - OMG...do mom's really do that??? I just did, so I guess so! Seriously, this red hair is growing in every which direction these days. It's hilarious, and has a mind of its own. I think she needs some "product."