They Change And Grow So Quickly

Never, until I became a mom did I understand and appreciate the value of the saying "they change and grow up so quickly". Cam's 12 week birthday is today and not only have the past 12 weeks of our lives been amazing, they have gone by quickly and have not been without daily adventures, learning experiences, surprises and blessings. We have settled into a routine and have learned how to party like rock stars during the day.... and when I say party I mean seriously party with poopy diapers, a little dance off with baby tunes and some milk to top it off. Wow, the term "party" is a whole different concept for us these days! Cameron has lost his "newborn" look... and not without a few tears and protests from me! The day he grew out of his bassinet was a sad one for me. He is now sleeping through the night in his crib (this whole concept of sleeping through the night did not however receive any protests from Rob or myself)!
I can't wait to go to sleep at night for a couple of reasons- of course one of the obvious reasons being I am so tired that sometimes I can hardly make it from the couch to our bed, but the more important reason being that I know when the sun comes up, I will walk in to Cam's room, peer in to his crib and will be greeted by the most genuine, gummy looking smile, sparkling big eyes and unconditional love from the absolute cutest little face in the world! I love it... it makes my day, my night and everything in between.It makes me giddy and full of excitement, as if I am a small child on Christmas morning. Cam has a vibrant spirit. He is funny, charming and lovable and I admit, all I want to do all day is kiss him and his chubby cheeks...no wonder I can't get anything done! His smile give my life meaning and my days purpose.

I am getting the hang of this "mommy hood" job. As I said previously it was hard to jump in to a job with no prior experience and surprises around each corner. I now know that even with a "manual" there is nothing that can prepare you for parenthood and the wonderful and exhausting times that follow. I would now feel confident adding "mommy" and the description of my duties to the top of my resume. Being a full time mom is also the highest paying job I have ever had- as the payment is pure and unconditional love.

Rob, Cam and I flew down to Palm Desert for some sunshine, warmth and relaxation. Oh, how vacations are now different with a baby! We arrived at the airport with the stroller, car seat, 2 carry-ons each and a suitcases over 50lbs in hand....hmmm.... I guess the packing issue only gets worse when you have a baby. The funny thing is now instead of the suitcase being filled with my shoes and outfits, it is now it is full of breast pumps, diapers, A&D ointment and of course plenty of cute outfits for Cam. We took our jogging stroller (of note Rob, Susie and I are running a half marathon in a couple of months, so Rob and I thought it would be important to keep up our training while on vacay). Because we had a baby and all hundred pounds of gear to accompany him, we were able to move to the front of the security line, so wee were able to move right to the front in the wheelchair and stroller line....bonus! The security officer looked at me a little perplexed as I tried to wheel the stroller (with car seat attached and Cam sleeping in it) through the security machine..."First time"? were his only 2 words...did I look bran-spanken new at this? I think I was a total give-a-way. 20 min later and having to re-assemble the stroller, re-attach the car seat, get Cam re-situated back in it,fan myself off from the hot flashes, we were finally on our way to the gate. "Nurse going up and going down" was the only thing I needed to remember in traveling with a 10 week old according to his Dr. I have to admit, the only part of flying that makes me nervous is the take off.....once we reach 10,000 feet I seem to be fine, but going up is a different story. Well, now I had other things to worry about (such as whether or not Cam was nursing enough to prevent an ear ache). So before I knew it, the little bell rang indicating we had reached 10,000 feet and I had forgotten we had even left the ground. Nice... I was liking this distraction. He was such a good boy... we both fell fast asleep and did not wake up until we were headed down to the warm 80 degree sunshine. Never will I look at a mom traveling with a baby in the same way again. Before having a baby, I would just hope that the baby on the plane would stay quiet for my own sake, now I will always hope the baby travels well for the mother's sake!

Cam loved Palm Desert. He relished in the warmth and even got a little swimming in. Rob and I bought him a frog floaty and he chilled in it like a pro (of course never unattended)! He is a baby after our own hearts....loves a little R and R in the warm sun!

Cam has reached so many milestones in the past 3 months.His smile lights up a room! No wonder my face hurts all the time.... I have laughed and smiled more in the past 3 months than I have my whole life! I can sit and stare at him for hours on end. He is tracking noises and visuals, turning to the sound of Rob's or my voice, grabbing on to small toys, tells us daily stories through his babbling and coooing, and stares at Bailey as Bailey continues the search in figuring out who this small little guy is and begins to come to the realization that Cam is here to stay.

A few of Cam's favorite things so far in this big world:
eating, eating and more eating!
pooping- he truly thinks its funny when I am changing his diaper (or maybe it is the "poopy diaper" song I sing to him???)
bath time
his stuffed toy- octopus
his book- "that's not my bunny"
his play mat and mirror- loves to look at himself
having his hair washed
being snuggled in his towel under the heater fan in our bathroom
looking at lights- off and on
having his hair brushed
going outside for walks
looking at the trees and sky and listening to Bailey search for sticks and squirrels
cuddling with mommy and daddy...and Bailey
going for runs as mommy, daddy and Susie suffer the long miles and he stares endlessly at his octopus and roasts under the 50 layers mommy makes him wear...
listen to mommy sing ridiculously funny made up songs that make no sense.
Patty Cake, Patty Cake Bakers Man....
starting to look at his hands and grasp on to toys- particularly his bumble bee.

We have enjoyed our walks around Greenlake and especially our weekly walk with our friends Meghan and JJ. My to-do list continues to build and my coffee continues to wait for me in the microwave (although I only have to re-heat a few times now). Who would have known that something so small can dictate those big "to-do" lists. Cam is by far the youngest "boss" I have ever had! I treasure each second we spend together and relish in each moment, each smile, each cuddle and each discovery. My "to-do" lists will just have to wait- and I am really OK with that.


"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new." ~Rajneesh