Early Birds

Busy weekend at our house! The alarm went off before 5 a.m. on Saturday morning. Travis got up to get prepared for his fifth and final triathlon of this season. I got up soon after because I couldn't sleep - I guess it was nerves and excitement for him. Campbell and I didn't get to go this time. We signed her up for swim school at the aquatic center and Saturday morning was the first day. Travis insisted we go and that he would be fine crossing the finish line without his cheering section. I wasn't crazy about him competing alone...or about me going to swim school alone...but both turned out just fine!

Travis did great as always. I think this was his fastest time of all five he's done this summer. All he can talk about is how he wants to work on his running before next year, so I guess this year was just the beginning!?! I admire his discipline and motivation. He is swimming in all of his clothes because he's lost so much weight! The sport becomes expensive when you have to buy all the training gear...and then a new wardrobe! ;) I'm so proud of him.

I'm also so proud of Campbell. Travis and I will both be at swim school this coming Saturday so we can get some good pictures. Let me tell you - this baby is a trip! She was the star of the class! The youngest swimmer, by far. But also the most animated! The other kids ranged from probably about 13 months to 2 1/2 years old. We all got in the water with our babies, and that's when Campbell's splashing began. And it never stopped. She was so excited and having such a blast splashing with all her might, both arms waving around, smiling, soaking her face and anyone within a ten foot radius! It really is a sight to see the littlest baby in the class going wild like that. The instructor asked if she could use Campbell to demonstrate. Of course Campbell obliged, and then became the example for every new skill. The entire class was laughing at my girl's genuine giddiness. She was so stinking cute! We sang songs, splashed, kicked, splashed, held onto kickboards, and splashed some more! I was so impressed at Campbell's willingness to grab onto the kickboard and get lower in the water. I'm excited for the weeks to come and cannot WAIT for Travis to see her in action.

Sunday morning...5:30 a.m. ...the alarm went off again. I don't know why we punish ourselves... We headed back to the triathlon to just watch the second day of competition for fun. We had a friend participating in her first triathlon and ran into another friend doing his first as well! It was really neat to see them accomplish such a huge physical (and mental!) feat. Later that day, we walked down to the neighborhood park and introduced Campbell to the swing. Big shocker here - she loved it!! She giggled the whole time. We'll be frequenting the playground from here on out.

We had to get up early AGAIN today for a doctor's appointment on the other side of town. Not that we usually sleep in, but it's been rough getting out the door so much earlier than usual. I'm ready to slide back into our normal morning routine! Here are a few pictures from our weekend fun! Getting ready for Swim School

Holy Water and Lake Water

Two Saturdays ago, we went to Greensboro for the baptism of Evan Westall. Evan is the newest addition to the family for our friends, Bob and Melissa. Bob is one of Travis' best friends from college. It's hard to believe that their firstborn, Peyton, has grown into an adorable 17-month old and is a BIG SISTER! We went to meet Evan soon after he was born and of course in that short time, he's already grown and changed so much! Melissa is a fabulous hostess and as always, had a gigantic spread of food for all of us to enjoy. We also got to spend time with Rodney and his daughter Hannah who just blew me away this visit with how much she's grown up. She looks more like a pretty 'tween than a little girl these days! She's super sweet and such a little lady. Rodney is the very proud godfather to little Evan. So proud in fact, that I caught some grief from him for my delay in this post. So, my apologies to the new godfather. :) We really loved spending the day with good friends and celebrating such a special time with the Westalls (and Rodney). :) :) :)

The Holy Water

Godparents Rodney and Jill on the left, Melissa, Evan and Bob on the right!
Rodney (aka The Godfather) with Campbell

On to the lake water...

This morning I needed a change of pace, so I took Campbell back to my new favorite spot, Jetton Park.

Forbes Magazine just rated Huntersville, NC as the number two place in the country to move to!!!! OK Forbes, I disagree. Check out these pictures, and tell me how we didn't get number one??? This park is about 7 minutes from our house. I feel like it's bragging to show this - I mean, how lucky are we to live this close to the lake? But don't get too jealous, it's not like we have a boat or anything cool like that. :) I got a great workout - was able to walk about 3 miles on the shaded trails with lots of hills. Then we stopped at the "beach" and hung out. There was a fantastic breeze coming off the water and Campbell snoozed in her stroller for a bit.

Then I put her on a towel to play and she was giddy. I think she thought we were back in the Outer Banks! Not quite, but it was a really fun morning and a great change of scenery for us. I was quite happy that she didn't feel the need to go off the towel and get all sandy - that's my girl, I don't like to get dirty either! I'm really pleased with how our photo shoot turned out as well. A lot of these pictures are similar, but I couldn't pick so I just posted them all. Enjoy!

Favorite. Picture. Ever.

Our morning ended with drinks on the beach. :)

That Was Then

When I see Campbell now at eight months old in all her smiley, chunkiness...it's sometimes easy to forget her rocky start to this world. As you may recall if you were around in December, we discovered shortly after Campbell's birth that she had a Group B Strep infection. Our baby girl was sick. Very sick. This infection, if not caught early and treated, is often fatal in babies. By the grace of God, the infection was caught very early, had not crept into her spinal column, and responded well to the antibiotic treatment she was given. After a grueling twelve days in the hospital, they handed us our perfectly healthy baby girl and sent us home to start our new lives together.

Not everyone is so lucky and I was reminded of this over the weekend. After our stay in the NICU, Travis and I agreed that if we ever picked a cause to give money to, we'd love to give to the Levine Children's Hospital where Campbell stayed. But at this point in our lives, there isn't an abundant supply of extra cash to make huge donations to the hospital. We do have something to give though - and that is our time. That is why I was so looking forward to attending an informational meeting to volunteer on a family council at the hospital.

Children were welcome to attend the Saturday morning meeting, so Campbell and I went while Travis did a long morning workout. For an hour and a half, we sat around a table in a conference room at the hospital in awe of the stories we heard, the struggles, the small and large victories. Each parent there has either had or currently has a child in the hospital. Their stories were very moving. Campbell was very sick, I cannot make light of that. But her sickness was so minor compared to the stories I heard. Some families will be going through heart surgeries for years to come, chemotherapy, genetic disorders, and even coping with the loss of a child. The stories were heartbreaking.

But there was another aspect of this meeting that was far from heartbreaking. It was heartwarming. These parents who have been through so much, and many who continue the fight for their childrens' health, somehow find the time to volunteer. They just want to find a way to make it a little easier for the next parent who has to go through it. I was so touched by this. I was also very comforted when one of the parents said that it doesn't matter how sick your child is. There's no comparison game. If your child is sick, your child is sick. It doesn't matter that someone else's child is sicker. Your primary concern and worry is your own child's recovery. That is very true. The fact that other babies were more sick than my own didn't diminish the fear I felt one bit. This point was made by a mom whose daughter has been in and out of the hospital for her entire life. It amazed me that she could understand my fear and sadness after all she had been through.

For months after Campbell was born, I had a hard time looking at the pictures of her when she was first born because it made me so sad to see her hooked up to all the wires. Let's be honest, it still makes me sad. The pictures bring back the emotions that I felt when we learned that she was not well and wouldn't be coming home with us. I remember so well how I felt like I'd been kicked in the chest when the nurse practitioner told us she had the infection and they'd be doing the spinal tap in a few hours. When I see the pictures from that night, it takes me back and I have to remind myself that things turned out OK - something I didn't know would happen that night. For the longest time, I couldn't watch A Baby Story on TLC, which was one of my favorite shows, because it made me sad to see all the normal births and healthy babies. I guess I was mourning the fact that we didn't have that picture perfect hospital stay and trip home together. But as she grows older and the months pass, it's become a little easier for me to accept. We got the best gift ever - which was a CURABLE infection and an absolutely precious baby. I have to look at those first pictures and think, 'that was then, this is now'. I need to cherish the memories of her first few days, even if it wasn't what I had imagined. I need to be thankful each and everyday for her health and for our health, something I know I take for granted all too often.

I'm not sure if I'll get the opportunity to serve on this committee at the hospital or not. There is a selection process involved and they are looking for parents with a wide range of experiences in the children's hospital to share. I hope there is a spot for me to try and help someone that may end up in a situation like ours. But if not, I hope I'll find some other way to give back. After all, they took care of my baby and no matter how hard I try, I will never be able to say thank you enough for that.

You all know what Campbell looks like now. So below I'll share a few pictures from the beginning. You've come a long way, baby!!

That Was Then

The first time I held her in the NICU. I have never been more scared in my life. First Night in the Hospital

One by one the tubes came off.She was eventually well enough to get a much-needed bath...And finally some clothes!

It's hard to believe that this was how it all started. But it's our story, and we are thankful for the "Then" and the "Now."

Eight Months Old!!

Wow, how the time has flown. EIGHT MONTHS?!?!?!??! Everyday Campbell is less baby and more little girl. It's exciting and sad at the same time to see her grow up. Seriously, how does it go so fast?? She is really getting geared up to crawl. She can scoot a little bit if she gets really frustrated, and is learning to balance up on all fours. She will sit up and lean forward until she falls into a crawling position, and then her belly hits the floor. But it won't be long until she's able to lean over and take off! She's weighing in at 21 lbs 11 oz these days!! In case that means nothing to you, let me put it like this. She is 8 months old, and the clothes I'm buying her are size 18 months! :) Needless to say, she's growing like crazy and is not only big, but also tall! Her hair is coming in more each day as well. It's definitely still got a red tint to it, especially in the sunlight. The tooth count is up to six, although the last two of those six are taking their sweet time to come in. And I think they may be the reason she's become very restless and fussy in her sleep at night. We hope this is short-lived!! Campbell recognizes Travis and I both from across a room. When he comes home from work at night, you can just see her focus on his face and then start smiling and waving her arms with excitement. It's adorable to watch! Similarly, she made my day at the church nursery on Sunday when I snuck up on her in the Exersaucer. When she saw me, she broke into the biggest grin possible with a little squeal...and so did I. She still seems to have a lot of Travis' personality traits. She's calm and cool and really easy going. Campbell continues to be a baby who just goes with the flow and is content as long as she's fed! There is another side to Campbell which I'm starting to see which definitely has my influence. The girl loves attention! I'll watch her if we're out in public. If no one is looking at her or talking to her, she will turn on the charm, make eye contact with people, flash them smiles and giggles, and just show off - just to get attention! That's my girl!!!! She is just the sweetest little thing and reminds us on a daily basis how blessed we are to have such a wonderful baby in our lives! Happy Eight Months, Campbell!

This month I even taped the sign to the chair, but it didn't stand a chance...

And now a few from dinner last night so you can see how Campbell eats like a big girl now! On the menu - turkey, avocado and steamed carrots! Must-get-food-in......mouth! Shew, this eating business is hard work!

Big Girl Food

Since we got back from the beach, I have drastically changed Campbell's menu! I had just had it with the baby food. You've heard me vent before about all the spit up. It has always been bad - but it was being taken to new levels of bad now that she was eating things like "turkey, rice and barley" or "chicken with mixed vegetables." Gross! These meals were bright orange, smelled like dog food, and would reappear for HOURS after she ate them. Campbell's pediatrician has been encouraging us to try finger foods since she was six months old. We'd experimented with a green bean here or there, but hadn't really given it a go. Well, it's go time! This past week, Campbell has probably only had one or two jars of baby food, and that was only because we were on the go. She has been eating all sorts of new big girl foods, has not had any allergy issues, no choking, and is very happy! AND she is not hardly spitting up at all! I think she does a better job digesting the food she has to "chew". She has three teeth all the way in on the bottom, and three up top that have broken through her gums and are growing in as we speak. But she does a great job of mashing the food with her gums! Campbell now eats fresh avocado, steamed carrots, steamed zucchini, turkey, white toast, pasta, brown rice, big girl applesauce, and lots of bananas! I am really enjoying giving her fresh food - I feel good about it, and it's obviously sitting well with her since she's spitting up so much less! She was frustrated at first because all of those foods are slick and mushy and it's hard for her to get a hold of them with her little fingers. But now that she's getting better, she really enjoys it. It is a MESSY process (especially the avocado - we both look like the Hulk when she's done eating) but well worth the extra trouble. Lexi has gotten to try all of these foods as well because Campbell likes to toss her a few bites. :) But it's really fun and I'm enjoying making her "real" meals!!

Last week my new mommy friends in the neighborhood introduced Campbell and I to our new favorite walking spot! Jetton Park is just minutes from our house and is on the lake. The trails are paved and all completely shaded. They are hilly, so it's a great workout for me. And after we walked our babies for a while, we went down to the beach area at the lake and had a picnic lunch in the shade with the kids! Then the older ones played in the sand and waded in the lake. I intend to take full advantage of this park before winter rolls around! I can't believe I hadn't found it before!

Lastly, Travis and I are a bit tired these days. We assume it's just those top teeth coming in, but Campbell has been quite restless the past few nights. She'll cry in her sleep, and I mean really cry, pretty much every hour throughout the night. It's not just fussing - it's a loud enough cry that we feel like we need to go check on her to see that she's not stuck in the crib or something. Usually her eyes are closed and she's just tossing and turning and crying really hard. We feel so bad for her because obviously something is making her uncomfortable. We hope this doesn't last long - we are tired!!! We forgot what it was like to be up all night!!!!!!

My Summer Vacation

Things I Loved About My Summer Vacation in the Outer Banks

by Sara Justice

The excitement of the trip that we planned months ago with my parents and my sister's family.

Going to the Outer Banks for the first time, I love new vacation spots!

Duck, NC - such a FUN little area. One day we took Campbell and Taylor to the playground there and to walk out these tremendously long decks over the sound. (The playground didn't last long because Taylor's "legs didn't work" she said, but we had fun anyway).

The beach house. It was big enough to hold us all very comfortably and well-furnished. We were skeptical of a pet friendly beach house we found online, but it turned out great!

Taking Lexi on vacation. She was an angel!

The story from the last day when Lexi ate my Mom's turkey sandwich on the deck, walked inside, and ate my Dad's hot dog off the kitchen counter! HA! She deserved a big lunch after being soooo good all week.

Hanging out with my family for a full week. Priceless.

Twelve adult hands. Everything is easier when there are more babysitters around!

The Hangover. And going to the movies in general! Travis and I hadn't done that since Campbell was born, so it was great to get out and see a hilarious movie with my husband!

"Baby Campbell is a really nice girl." Taylor must have told me this a thousand times and I thought it was adorable each time she said it.

Learning firsthand where the phrase "terrible two's" came from. There's nothing terrible about my niece, don't take that the wrong way. I love her to pieces and was glad to finally witness one of these silly tantrums I've been hearing about for months. As Jen and Leif like to put it, she is really embracing this whole two year old thing. :)

GrandDeb and a rocking chair. My mom had a gift for rocking my baby to sleep on the porch at the beach house, which was much appreciated!

Having a pool in the backyard.

Having a hot tub on the deck.

Drinking champagne before noon and not feeling guilty about it.

Taking our precious daughter to the beach for the first time!

Walking on the beach with my husband. Sounds cheesy, but it really is one of my favorite things to do.

Campbell's ability to hold her own bottle is now mastered (if she's in the mood)!

Winning at the family Scattergories tournament. Making fun of my mom's whacky answers and teasing my dad when he left answers blank.

Learning how to play Texas Hold 'Em. I know you will find this shocking, but I do NOT have a good pokerface.

Matching outfits for Campbell and her cousin, Taylor. Courtesy of GrandDeb and GrandDad.

Campbell making CRAZY progress in the crawling arena. She went from being nowhere close to being very close in one week! We had no exersaucers or chairs or anything, so she spent most of her time sitting on the floor. I think that's why she figured out so many new tricks in a week! She can now lean from a sitting position over to her hands and knees, and scoots around a little bit. She's almost mobile!! (this picture was actually taken when we got home)

Matching pajamas. By total coincidence, Taylor and Campbell had on the same pj's the first night. Too cute!

Seafood.

Drumroll...watching my sister's belly grow. Not because she ate too much seafood. Because Baby H2 will be joining us around Valentine's Day of 2010! Campbell is very excited to have a new cousin on the way. I can't wait to be an aunt again!

Things I Was Disappointed In:

The water temperature of the ocean. It was absolutely freezing! Hardly anyone was in the water. It was ridiculously cold - no frolicking in the subzero waves for me! :(

The spider incident. On our last day, I was in the pool and felt something on my forehead. I thought I shewed away a bug, until a minute later when my mom saw a gigantic spider on my head. HUGE, people, this spider was BIG, ask anyone who was there. When she flicked it off my head, it had babies. Like hundreds of them. So then I was covered in tiny spiders. Yeah, freaked out. In fact, I still feel like they are crawling all over me. :(

The long drive to get there and back.

Stupid rules that dogs aren't allowed on the beach between Memorial Day and Labor Day. I was so excited to walk Lexi in the surf and we never got too. Oh well...

My picture taking. I don't have any pictures of Travis and I together with Campbell. None of the whole family. None of my mom for some reason. And not nearly enough down at the beach because I forgot my camera one day!

The fact that vacation has to end.

The Dog Ate My Blog

I feel like I need a good excuse for why I haven't been posting for close to two weeks. Should I blame it on Lexi?

Nah, it's not her fault. We were on vacation!!!!!!!!!

I can't even begin to express how much I've missed writing on the blog! This is the longest I've gone in a WHILE! Not that I have a whole long list of readers who were dying for an update on our extraordinary-to-me-but-ordinary-to-everyone-else lives...but still! This blog is my therapist, so when I don't write, I don't express myself. Shew, you can only IMAGINE how much I have to say after all this time! The week before vacation, I was swamped with work (yes, I do actually have real estate business that keeps me extremely busy from time to time) and buried in laundry to get ready for our trip. So there's my excuse. And I'm sorry for anyone who has missed my ramblings. Ok, that's probably only my Mom...

Last night at 8:00 p.m., the taillights of our loaded-up the Yukon, complete with the extra cargo carrier on top, lit up Spindrift Trail as we said goodbye to our week's vacation in the Outer Banks. We arrived in the Outer Banks of North Carolina last Sunday and left last night at Campbell's bedtime. Our exit plan was flawless! Campbell was asleep before we hit the end of Spindrift Trail, she even skipped her bedtime bottle! With a big dinner followed by a bath in lavender-scented baby wash, dressed in her elephant pj's, she snuggled into her carseat and slept the ENTIRE six and a half hour drive! Wow - what a perfect little angel! Next to her, Lexi curled up in her doggie seatbelt and rode home in peace as well. Travis was a rockstar driver and drove the entire way home. I was in the backseat to watch the girls, but since they slept, I chugged a Yoohoo and passed out myself.

Hopefully tomorrow I will post all the details of our trip with my family. I just wanted to explain my absence! :) I felt really funny about advertising the fact that I would be out of town online. But then again, I made a comment about it on Facebook. For some reason I wasn't scared to let all 200+ of my random friends and acquaintances know I was out of town, but felt it "wasn't safe" to say it on here. Ha! A little backwards, I know. :) While I don't have as many pictures as I'd like, I do have some sweet pictures to share from our week in the Outer Banks that I'm excited to upload.

Before our long drive East, Travis competed in his fourth triathlon of the season. Campbell and I were there to watch his spectacular performance. He keeps getting better and better and we are both really proud of his accomplishments. After the race, we packed up the car and headed to Raleigh where we spent the night. Not only was it the halfway point, it was also the location of my dear friend Shannon's bridal shower and bachelorette party! Unfortunately I had to miss all the festivities, but I did manage to stop by her house and surprise the you-know-what out of her! I rang her doorbell with Campbell in my arms. I could hear her as she looked out the peephole - no way, no way, no way, what are they doing here? We had a tearful hello and it was really fun to shock her like that since she thought I was at the beach already. My best girlfriends got to meet my baby girl which was very important to me. I was very sad to only be able to stay for about 30 minutes. I had thought I could manage a few hours, but I really hadn't considered how difficult it was going to be to stay in a hotel room with a baby and a dog. We basically had to unload the entire car for a one-night stay. Then...once the baby was asleep, if Travis was alone he couldn't take Lexi outside, he couldn't go get dinner, he really couldn't do anything. We realized it was very hard to manage this trip with two parents, and nearly impossible to do alone! So...instead of partying with my girls like I'd planned, I just popped in and said hello and then went back to the hotel and crashed. After all, we'd gotten up at 4:30 that morning for the triathlon! It worked out just fine and it was nice to break up the long drive to the Outer Banks.

So that is my "quick" explanation of my absence. I'm glad to be back and hope no one was too upset by my lack of posting. ;) Look forward to a marathon post in the days to come with beach pictures and lots of details of our vacation!!