Pause Button

Can someone please tell me where the pause button is? On our life right now. I just want to hit pause so I can really soak it in and make sure I enjoy every millisecond. I was just rocking Campbell in her chair for a few minutes before putting her to bed. Travis usually does this, but he had to work late tonight so we had a few quiet minutes to cuddle before bedtime. Lately she's so independent and such a "big girl" that it's quite nice when she's sleepy and wants to lay on me. I was just having a moment, thinking about this stage in her life, and in our lives.

What an amazing time for Campbell right now, and in turn for us. She is turning into a little person. Everyday I get a little more insight into her personality, who she is, what she likes, what makes her tick. It is truly fascinating to watch a person develop. She's learning so much, so fast. I feel like each day Travis comes home from work, I have an "oh yeah, you're never going to believe what she did today" story. And each day, he's so impressed because it's always something we had no idea she could do! These are just the little things I'm talking about. But my oh my, how sweet those little things are.

I have a collection of mental images in my head of the place where we are right now and of our little baby girl. I am trying to get those images burned in my head because they are so precious. Like when we strip her down for a bath, and send her down the hall in front of us to the bathtub. She is waddling down the hall with her bow-legged chubby little baby legs and a tiny baby hiney, just as happy as can be. And it never fails, she always pees on the bathroom floor when we start up the water. Ha! Or her new found love for dancing. She bounces when there is music on TV, when I sing, when we just tell her to dance. She's a dancing fool and takes so much delight in being able to move to the beat in her head (which is not always quite in synch with the beat of the music, but she's getting there!). Or how about how she moo's? All of a sudden I realized this noise she was making was her "moo." I'd been trying to teach her to moo like a cow. Everytime she sees a picture of a cow in a book or we say cow, she makes a noise much closer to that of an elephant. I love her moo, and I especially love how proud she is of herself when she sees a picture of a cow and makes the sound. The recognition in her eyes and the smile on her face is just plain adorable. And last, when we are coming home from being out and about, I'm holding Campbell while I unlock the front door. Every single time my key turns in the lock, she laughs like someone has just told her the funniest joke in the world. How great is it that coming home and the anticipation of opening our front door makes her so happy? I always end up laughing right along with her, it's contagious.

I guess my point is I want to pause and enjoy these tiny little parts of our big long lives so I don't ever forget them. I don't want to rewind, I don't want to fast forward, I just want to sit right where we are and enjoy the moment.

Cookie Monster

So you think Campbell's our Cookie Monster? Wrong. Campbell is our Cracker Monster.

THIS is our Cookie Monster.

Lexi. This past Wednesday, I was running around with a ton to do. Travis' Mom was coming Wednesday night to watch Campbell while we went to the Bobcats game. I had errands to run, cleaning to do, and still needed to grab a shower. Lexi polished off an entire package of Chips Ahoy cookies, as well as part of a package of uncooked rice and the dried flavor mix. You'd think I'd panic right? Nope! The weekend of my baby shower, Lexi ate an entire batch of chocolate chip cookies and an entire batch of brownies. Whoever said chocolate is really bad for dogs hasn't met Lexi. She never even got sick or had an upset stomach! And the rice...well that was old news too. A few weeks ago, we pulled up in front of the house from church and heard Lexi inside howling. We had no idea what was wrong with her. We ran inside to find her frantically pacing by the back door. The reason? She gotten into a rice mix - only this time she'd eaten the whole package...including the zesty spicy sauce mix. Ouch. She went out quite a bit that day, but was fine. We didn't think much of it.

But the other day when she ate the cookies and the rice, I called the vet. They kind of freaked out. Not about the cookies, but about the rice! Apparently their concern was that the uncooked rice would expand in her stomach and potentially explode. Yikes. So they insisted I bring her in to induce vomiting. Not exactly how I planned to spend my morning!!! Lexi is fine. We are trying to be much more vigilant now about keeping food off the counter since she can obviously reach it.

In other pet news, we are sad to report that we've been having some major issues with Harley. We have been treating her for some urinary tract problems for well over a year. The medical issues will seem to be fixed, but yet she continues to pee outside her litter box. The vet says that now it's not even clear whether the problem is medical, behavioral, or a combination of the two. The problem is getting out of hand, and it's really affecting our quality of life. The "cat pee hit the fan" a couple of weeks ago when Harley peed on some of Campbell's things. It's not safe and it's not acceptable and we have been talking to our vet about what to do. Yesterday, we moved Harley outside to her new retirement condo - our garage. Our garage is detached and we weren't currently parking in it because we'd been working out in there. So we decided as a temporary solution, we'd see how she did outside. We have a nice radiator-style heater that has a thermostat, so we turned on the heat, put a radio out there for her, and took all her cushy beds, blankets and towels out to the garage. She did really well yesterday, and even stayed in the garage overnight. The vet suggested she may even like it out there better. She was obviously miserable in here and acting out, so maybe a change of scenery will be appreciated. We had planned to do the move gradually, but decided it might be even more traumatic for her to go back and forth. Eventually, if this garage thing seems to work, we plan to let her start exploring the backyard since it has a six foot high fence. We are at the end of our rope and just looking for ways to let Harles stay a part of our family without ruining our house and all our things! It was a sad day for me and I'm still not too happy about kicking her out. But I know it has to be done and I am looking forward to having a cleaner house and less worries. Wish us luck during Harley's transition time!!!!!

Tragedies and Miracles

I didn't fall off the face of the Earth. I know it's been a week, which is a little unusual for me. I didn't really have any details to bore anyone with. And then there's that old saying, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all! The weekend was kind of a bummer with bad news. First, there was a terrible tragedy at my parents' church. A wonderful family that I grew up with lost their 25 year old son. He was actually killed, and his roommate was charged with his death. To make matters even worse, both families are active members at the church. I know their church was totally rocked by this horrific event. The day I heard about it, I tossed and turned all night dreaming about it, and I'm pretty far removed. I can't imagine the impact this tragedy will have on those families and all those close to them.

Then we had a death in the family. My aunt's father passed away this weekend. This is my mom's brother's wife's dad - if you can follow that. I was also very sad for them and their loss.

And then to top all that off, the news is a collection of devastating pictures and stories of all the devastation in Haiti. All these terrible things happened in the world, and here I sat in my happy little home with my sweet, safe and healthy family. So...I just didn't have much to say! I guess instead of being silent, maybe I should vocalize my concern and prayers for all those people more directly affected by those events. I have been making a very conscious effort to lift them up in prayer and hope that someone, somewhere, felt it!

On an extremely happy note, yesterday brought good news to a close friend's family. My friend's sister became a mom yesterday! A long journey finally had a happy ending when her adopted son was born healthy. Wow! Talk about good news. I know the sister too - she did some sewing for us for Campbell's nursery, and I could not be happier for her and her family. Boy, did we ever need that good news!!

Don't get me wrong, we didn't just sit around the house and sulk all week. Campbell and I have been enjoying getting outside on the playground now that the weather has turned nice. We have been to storytime, playgroup, and my Thursday morning Oasis started back up again. So I guess we've actually been kind of busy! We're off to storytime again this morning because Campbell had so much fun last week. I mean, how could she not, they ended with bubble blowing - her favorite!!

Counting my own blessings and trying to remember everyone in need right now!

Thirteen Months Old!!

OK, I know I say this all the time. But I really mean it this time. I think Campbell has grown and changed more in this past month than she has during any other month of her lifetime! Sure, in other months she had huge milestones like rolling over, crawling, eating table food, walking, etc. There is no huge thing that Campbell mastered this month. There is just a laundry list of little things that have totally amazed us this month!

First - her babbling is becoming more like talking everyday. Cracker is still her best word. She knows how to ask for one, she knows what the different cracker boxes look like, she knows when I'm eating one and not sharing...this girl knows her crackers!! She has the m, d, b, g, n and k sounds down pat. She can now imitate a sound that we make and usually gets it right. She calls her Elmo doll "el-bo" and can accurately refer to us as ma-ma or da-da. She doesn't call out for us yet, but definitely identifies Travis as da-da and me as ma-ma. Ah, how sweet it is to hear her say our names!

Even more impressive than her ability to talk has been her ability to understand this month. We had no idea she was capable of listening and following a command. Yep, she is! It all started when I told her to go into her playroom and get her purse. She got up, walked in there, and returned with her purse. I thought maybe it was a coincidence, but she quickly proved it was not! She got a baby doll for Christmas and she calls her Baby. You can tell her to go get Baby, to hug Baby, to put Baby in her stroller...and she does it all! I think the most clever stunt she pulled relates to Travis' iPhone. He often calls his Nanny on that phone, puts it on speaker phone, and we try (sometimes successfully) to get Campbell to say 'na-na' to her Nanny on the phone. We realized the other night that she was trying to get his iPhone by asking for na-na! She took it into her playroom and left it there. A few minutes later we said, Campbell, go get Nanny! Sure enough, she went directly to the playroom and emerged proudly holding out the phone to show us! So cute...we were stunned. She says bye-bye in the appropriate context and can wave simultaneously. We're working on only having a paci in bed, so she now drops the paci into her crib, waves at it, and says bye-bye!

In addition to being cute and sweet and bright...this month she introduced us to her evil twin. :) She taught us what it's like to have a very clingy, cranky, sick, teething, mommy-crazy child. I took this picture today looking down. I saw a LOT of this in the last month, but thankfully, she's returning to normal and this was just taken when she was sleepy today. (If you look close, you'll see those molars that were part of the problem!!) She still has her mommy moments, but we've had several occasions lately where she was with Travis and wouldn't come to me. Daddy's little girl is on her way back we hope!

Campbell's walk is often a jog/shuffle. Not to say that she still doesn't crash a lot, but she is becoming much steadier on her feet and gets around extremely well...and fast! She is able to crawl up the stairs on her own, with one of us of course right behind her to catch the inevitable stumble. Bathtime has gotten a little challenging as she decided out of the blue that she hates having the shampoo rinsed out of her hair. She stands up in protest and demands that bathtime end immediately. We are still working on this one. To my dismay, one of her favorite pastimes is playing in Lexi's water bowl. She likes to splash in it, and then she likes to put things in it...like her sippy cup. Nice. I'm sure there's no bacteria in there, right?? She is drinking straight soymilk now - no more formula! She has FINALLY figured out how to tip up the sippy cup to drink out of it, and we are using bottles less and less. Over the next month or two, we hope to say bye-bye to the bottles for good!!

We are adjusting well to the news of her food allergies. It doesn't seem like a big deal to always pack her a meal when we're on the go. We've never known any differently, so it really hasn't been a huge change. I get a little bummed when I think about all of the things she can't taste and enjoy, but I hope that she'll outgrow the allergies and someday know the joy of a Reese's peanut butter cup!

I won't be doing the posed pictures in the chair anymore. I'm kind of sad that era is over, but she's one year old now and we fulfilled the first year photo tradition. I've got a few pictures below from the past week or so of Campbell playing and just being herself! Love you, you adorable little thirteen month old cracker-aholic!

Campbell has been working hard on using a spoon. Sometimes, she is successful!

Other times...she just doesn't have time to bother with a spoon.

Still a bookworm! This month she has started "reading" a lot more on her own. Instead of insisting we read them to her, she spends a lot of time flipping through them by herself, staring intently at the pages. Or just chewing on the cover. ;)

The Hair. Aaaah. Sometimes it's wilder than others. Today she just had messy waves in the back. But right after a bath, she often has complete curls all over the back! She sports everything from a feathered look, to a Carol Brady-style flip out, to a wavy mullet, and occasionally the Mad Scientist. But regardless, we LOVE those wild, red locks!

Saying Thank You

A few months ago I wrote about a meeting I attended at the Levine Children's Hospital for a potential to serve on their Family Advisory Council. This council is for parents of previously hospitalized children and works with the hospital to improve their goal of family-centered care. Seemed like a really neat way for me to give back, considering a monetary gift isn't an option now. I was blown away by the parents I met at that meeting and their stories. There wasn't an ounce of doubt in my mind that I wanted to be on the council. However, our story was so minor compared to all the ones I heard that day. These parents had sick kids - and I mean REALLY sick kids. Campbell was really sick, but she was curable. We spent twelve days in the hospital total, whereas some of these families have spent years of their lives in and out of the hospital. This council is chosen based on applications. They had a huge interest and could only select those families that they felt could bring a new perspective to the council. Therefore, I was doubtful that I'd be picked. I put some thought into writing my application. I even ended by saying that I understood that I may not be what they are looking for. My plea was that I be considered because there are many parents like us with sick kids...who will get better. That didn't make it any easier for us when we were faced with Campbell's hospital stay. We represent the parents whose stay may be short, but the feelings of helplessness and worry are still very real. I asked that they consider my perspective and my desire to help, and that if they didn't choose me, I understood and would still like to volunteer in the future. Further, from our short stay, I didn't have much that I'd like to change about the hospital. Instead, I just wanted to say thanks. And the best way I could find to do that was to be a part of a council like this.

Two months later, I got the word that I was chosen! I was so excited, I can't even tell you. I just feel like this is a phenomenal way to celebrate Campbell's complete and speedy recovery from the potentially fatal bacterial infection she was born with. Today was our first meeting. We spent the majority of the time telling our stories and getting to know each other. Next month we'll get down to business and start finding ways to suggest positive changes at the hospital. But wow...what an inspiring and humbling morning to sit in a room among all those brave parents. The only wavering voice while telling their story was my own! I had the least sick child of everyone there, and yet I was the only one nearly in tears while talking. I think the other parents have become so used to the sickness, they are somewhat desensitized when it comes to talking about it. I, on the other hand, don't relive it too often. So it is fairly emotional for me to recall the first few days of Campbell's life and the fear Travis and I experienced. On top of that, their stories were so touching that I was already an emotional basketcase by the time it was my turn!! It is really an honor to serve on this council and I'm excited to really get started next month! I feel really good that just a little over a year later, this is finally my way to say THANK YOU for sending me home with a healthy baby.

My "reason for being thankful" was the only child in the nursery they provided today! She did extremely well for over 3 hours, in a new church, with a babysitter she'd never laid eyes on. Apparently she didn't fuss once, played hard, ate a huge lunch, and even took a little nap. I was so relieved and so proud of how she did. You've gotta remember, I'm a stay at home mom, so it's a big deal for Campbell to do something like this. (And for me too!) And I'll tell you what, after hearing the stories I heard today, I will think twice before I complain about Campbell's food allergies!! It was really nice to get a healthy dose of a perspective and such powerful reminders of how blessed we are to have our health.

What the heck, North Carolina??

Seriously, 27 degrees? Really? Is this for real?

There are a lot of reasons I live in the South. One very important reason is the weather. I am way too weak to endure cold weather. To me, "cold" is anything south of 55 degrees. I realize I don't live in the deep South, and yes, it gets a lot colder than 55 in Charlotte. But really, I'm just a wimp and not equipped to handle it. For one, I hate all things bundle-y. You name it - coats, hats, scarves, gloves - hate 'em all. Sure I think they look cute, but as functional pieces of my wardrobe - can't stand 'em. Unless you're going outside for a long period of time, I just don't see the point. You put on all these bulky, itchy layers for a brief run to the car. Then you can't drive because you can't bend your arms, nor can you turn your head to see out the back. You pump the heat in the car and then you sweat. Same thing when you reach your destination. You then have all these layers to strip out of and carry around and the whole process just makes me hot. And if you think I hate being cold, you really don't want to be around me when I get too hot! (Ask Travis, I was pretty much boiling for the 9 months I was carrying Campbell, and I was miserable to be around). How do you people up North handle this all winter long? I'd be cranky all the time too! HAHA That was totally a joke, we'll see if my Northern friends read the blog... So anyway, enough of my ranting. Let me just conclude by saying that I'm not particularly enjoying the cold snap we're having this week with temperatures barely making it into the mid 30's at the warmest part of the day! Travis was outside all day today at the Panthers game, so something tells me he's not enjoying this weather either!

Campbell is finally feeling better and getting somewhat back to her old self. At the very end of her regimen of antibiotics, she broke out all over one side of her face. BRIGHT red. Turns out she's allergic to amoxicillin. Sometimes the reactions don't come until you're well into the dosage. We'll just add that to the growing list of things our baby girl is allergic to! She is much less of a leech this week. :) (I know, kangaroo/koala/velcro was a much nicer mental picture - sorry). We're still having some issues with her insisting on me doing stuff for her instead of Travis, but she is making progress and we'll accept her baby steps for now. We hadn't been to our church in almost a month due to her cold, her birthday party weekend, and traveling for the holidays. I was very nervous to drop her off because I thought I'd have to peel myself away from a kicking and screaming baby. Something I would NOT excel at!! But she did just great. We got her one of those little snack traps that she can carry around her cheerios in. She thinks she's hit the jackpot with it, and apparently it kept her quite entertained this morning while I was in church! Thank heaven for snack traps! :)

Well, it's now 2010. 2010 - wow!! Travis and I rung in the New Year quietly at home and watched the Tech bowl game. Truthfully, I watched the first 3 quarters and then watched the backs of my eyelids. New Year's Eve just isn't what it used to be! haha But you know what? In all honesty, what could be better than having a nice relaxing evening at home with my family? We visited with some friends earlier in the evening, watched a little football, lit a fire, changed into comfy clothes, and chilled while our little angel slept her way soundly into the new year up in her bed. It was perfect. 2009 was a phenomenal year at our house. We got to watch our baby grow into a little person who is babbling, walking, and exploring the world before her. 2010 is sure to be another great year and I'm looking forward to just living one day at a time and soaking up all this year has to offer us. Happy New Year!

This Hokie cheerleading outfit was a Christmas gift from her Hokie grandparents.

The best cheerleaders stick out their tongues for pictures, right? And yes, those are legwarmers...omg.