Morris Plus Two

Morris Plus Three!

2012-01-27T15:12:00.005-05:00

Back to the blogging world as I introduce to you baby #3 growing in my belly. Right now he or she has been baking for 16 weeks. This time around, I am feeling so much more tired and moody. I am showing sooner and bigger than ever. It is all so worth it though. Our whole family is excited. To tell the grandparents we put Camden in a "I'm a big brother" shirt. No one got the message. It even took Aunt Katie a while before finally I just took a picture of Camden and showed everyone how cute he looked. Then they all figured it out! So needless to say, it is not wise to post an important announcement on your kid's shirt.I was only 6 weeks pregnant at the time so we have really waited about a month ago to tell everyone else. Boy, it is so hard waiting. You would think I would be used to it by now, but no.

Well, here I am today at 16 weeks.

Camden's 2nd birthday

2011-10-31T14:53:00.004-04:00

We are a little late blogging this but I did want to mention that we have a new 2 year old in the house! He's the one with the best hair and sweetest laugh. The one who loves to snuggle and wrestle. He's our boy! We love you Camden, forever and ever.

For his birthday, family from Florida and South Carolina came to celebrate with us. He had a cookie cake for his Diego-themed/Football party and cupcakes on his real birthday. YUMMY!

Happy 9th Anniversary to us

2011-10-31T14:44:00.002-04:00

I love this man! I think we still are looking good after 9 years of marriage. For our anniversary we left the kids with Yaya and Papa, headed to Calverts and enjoyed lots of laughs and good food as we reminisced about all the memories we've had together.

First Day of MMO

2011-08-16T14:52:00.003-04:00

Boy oh boy, these kids are growing up fast. I hate that it has taken me this long to get back into blogging. I hope to continue especially since the fall will include lots of fun activities like the Mom's Morning Out program for Camden and a 3K program for Millie, Cam's birthday, a wedding, and the holiday celebrations. Both the children did great with the drop off this morning. I celebrated my solo time by getting a pedicure with a new friend and then a trip to the dentist for a filling. While at the dentist, I received a phone call from the MMO program saying that Camden had been crying off and on. I didn't need to come and get him because he was settling down but they just wanted to let me know. I really appreciated the update especially since this was his first day. Millie got to be picked up in the carpool line. She loved that. Apparently she enjoyed herself. She said "it was good," and she "shared a puzzle with a boy and a girl."

Camden will attend on Tuesdays and Thursdays while Millie will be there 3x a week, Tuesday through Thursday.

Daddy is so cool!

2011-07-21T22:40:00.007-04:00

We're thinking the kids are pretty close to being ready for some camping. First we will start in the living room, then move to the backyard in the fall. Hopefully by next spring we can take them to a campground and camp out for real! Here are some photos from the fun this evening. And, no, they did not sleep in the tent. This was what we did for our family time after dinner.

Matt's Birthday and then some...

2011-03-25T21:21:00.004-04:00

Happy 3rd Birthday, Millie

2011-03-13T14:51:00.013-04:00

Millie turned three on Friday! Her Aunt Lauren and Grandpa D'Amico came to our house to celebrate with us. My phone was ringing non-stop with birthday wishes. It was such a joy as her mother to see Millie's face light up each and every time she got to talk to someone special. The morning was jam-packed.

After cheesy eggs for breakfast, Millie opened her presents. She got lots of summer clothes and a Fancy Nancy book from us, a chest full of princess dress up from Grandpa, butterfly wings from Aunt Lauren and Uncle Luis, a beaded necklace craft, ink stamps, a dress, a swimsuit and coverup, and a game all from Yaya and Papa and a couple of sweet books from Aunt Leigh and Uncle Andrew.With her birthday girl shirt on, we were headed to the library and then later to pick out cupcakes at a specialty bakery. However, on our way to the library, Millie revealed she wished to bypass the library and go straight for the cupcakes. What a surprise! Our now-three-year-old would rather eat sweets than read books. Huh... So off we went to Neopolitan where she chose a chocolate cupcake with very green icing.

Next stop was a Toy Town, a new large toy shop, where we were basically the only patrons the entire hour we were there. The kids enjoyed the princess castle bounce house and everything else. We managed not to buy anything. Only one came out kicking and screaming, and unfortunately it was the birthday girl, but hey!, it was time for lunch.

Dinner was interesting. She chose Ramen Noodles and mandarin oranges over mac n'cheese which is her favorite.

Saturday was the big party day! A few of Millie's little friends and their parents joined us for the Little Mermaid-themed Birthday Celebration. They played a couple of games. One was sort of like pin the tail on the donkey only with Ariel, a flowered barrette and lots of peeking. The other was a treasure hunting game. We filled the kids' ball pit with lots of fun trinkets they could find and take home with them. That was all fun but I think most of the fun was had outside on the playset. The party moved outside where the men were stewin' up some Lowcountry Boil for lunch. It was delicious and such a delight not to have to worry about cooking it all in the kitchen.

Of course we could not avoid a princess cake this year because after all, Ariel is a princess too!
The party was a success, but we could not have pulled it off with out the amazing decorating skills of my sister and dad. They were awesome to pitch right in! Thank you!

Camden is 18 months old now!

2011-03-05T21:12:00.011-05:00

Camden turned a year and a half on Friday, March 4th. It is truly hard to believe that he was born a week before Millie turned 18 months old. We celebrated the day with ice cream sandwiches, pizza and more ice cream. Kids and dads just can't eat enough ice cream.

Camden is now walking straighter. He has been wearing his orthopedic supports in his sneakers since February 16th. He is talking more but really just words that Matt and I can understand. Mostly he says the beginning of a word and then points to show us. Matt taught him how to say "Run, get to the chopper!" (quoting Arnold Schwarzenegger from the Predator movie) He's hilarious and says it all the time, even at random. His favorite part of the day is evening which involves all of his favorite things eating, bathing, eating again, reading, and sleeping.

He's using utensils but prefers his hands more. He likes to help make messes. He may turn out to be a lefty.

He shows excitement by squeezing his fists and smiling real big.

He's a curious monkey. This is literally where I found him Friday afternoon. Trash intrigues him. Also this week, he walked to me with a screwdriver in his mouth. How and where on earth he found that, I'm still not sure. I bet we'll be visiting the ER before his second birthday. I don't know how we've managed to avoid it thus far. I have to keep my eyes on him at all times or else he'll find the worst place to be in our childproofed home.

His endless obsession with wheels is the sweetest thing to watch. Every car toy in our house can usually be found upside down. It's Cam's signature move.
We are in love with our boy. He brings so much joy to our family. He's got a well baby check-up on Monday. I am wondering if he weighs the same as Millie. I think it's close. He's already in some 2T clothing.

They are my favorite way to spend my week day.

January to Now

2011-02-05T21:02:00.010-05:00

Millie is almost 3 years old! She knows when her birthday is and has asked for a cake with stars and sleeping beauty on it. I'm not sure where she came up with that but I think we can pull it off. She says all sorts of things these days. She chases this imaginary mouse around the house all the time, she likes to play tea party, she loves mothering her babies and pushing them in the stroller especially outside, she's always cooking up something in her play kitchen and she loves dressing up. She is all girl!

^First BooBoo from falling off of our bed^

^This dress belonged to her aunts^

^Strolling her baby on the Savannah River Walk^

^First Snow^

Camden has been walking since Christmas Day, loves to make everyone laugh with a bucket on his head or pushing his cheeks together to make a "chubby face" and has a total of 10 teeth. All first molars have begun to erupt, but we're still waiting for his lower laterals to appear. The best part is that he's becoming more independent and is mainly happy when left in the care of others, like in the church nursery. I thought the day would never come! He is always getting into trouble too. Typical hiding places are in the pantry or in our master bathroom drawers. One of those drawers is what gave him a black finger nail but that doesn't stop him.

^He is so curious!^

^the "chubby face" and "bucket head"^

^First Fingerpaint for Camden. It's one of Millie's favorite things to do.^

^Camden's usual happy pose^

^They love each other^

If I haven't already mentioned, we have found a church, called In Focus Church, just down the road from us. IT ROCKS! I have joined a small group and it rocks too! Matt has joined a men's group that meets after the kids go to bed. This church has thought of everything!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-28T14:07:00.009-05:00

Good morning, Christmas!

I have never ever seen Millie and Camden so excited about anything else before. Millie didn't fall asleep on Christmas eve until nearly 10pm. I'm wondering what the future Christmases will be like with our bundles of joy bouncing off the walls for Santa. It's going to be awesome, I'm sure!

Well, Christmas exploded at our house. Santa brought lots of goodies for our good little children this year. A train table, a rocking horse, a fire truck, a race track, clothes and more toys came for Camden. Millie got her beloved Strawberry Shortcake, build-a-bears with princess clothes, a Dora big wheel, movies, dress up costumes, clothes and more toys came for Millie. Now don't go thinking that Santa and Mommy and Daddy gave all those presents away. Most were given by family members who feel it's their familial duty to spoil our precious children. I received some "spoiling" too. Didn't have to lift a finger for food preparations; Plus a pampering gift card and a date night gift card. We cannot wait to use them. Matt and I haven't had a date night in a while. Oops, we did get to go see Harry Potter on Christmas night, compliments of my Dad.

Us girls in our Christmas pj's.

Mia read a Christmas story about Santa and Jesus.

Cam was so anxious to open his gifts!

Needless to say, Millie was anxious, too!

The night before Christmas with Aunt Meg

My dad and me on Christmas morning. So happy he could be with us!

Millie in her new dress up and Cam playing with the big wheel

New Strawberry Shortcake

New shades!

Matt's dad with Christmas dinner on the grill. 3 tenderloins = 14 lbs of delicious meat!

Here are the children with their Aunts and Uncle. Goodnight, Christmas!

Millie(33 months) and Camden(15 months) update!

2010-12-15T14:59:00.007-05:00

At what point do you stop counting the months? I think for Millie that time has passed but its just so easy when their "month-iversaries" fall exactly a week apart. Cam's on the 4th and Millie's on the 11th. Well they both have changed a ton so I figured now is as good a time as any to tell you about them.

For Millie: She pretend to have Mommy's milk with her babies (long after my breastfeeding ended with Camden). She's asking more and more questions. Her favorite question is "Where are we going today, Mommy?" Candy corn has been her favorite treat since Halloween. She is telling us periodically that she has to go potty. She has lots of pretend voices. She can get her own water from the refrigerator faucet and loves to fill up a couple of cups for her brother too.

For Camden: He likes to practice using a fork and spoon. Food flies everywhere! He twists bottle caps on and off. He's very good at building blocks already. Great dexterity. He stands up on his own without holding on to anything. He has taken a couple of steps at a time. He's got a singing voice. He has 7 teeth. In addition to yes, no, and eat, he signs dog, please and thank you. His first words include "Yes, stop and truck." And after 14 months, we finally realized he does have security blanket, thanks to the discovery from his Aunt Katie while babysitting them the weekend of Matt's Citadel reunion.

Just yesterday, I took Camden in for a check up. He weighs 23.5 lbs, is 32" tall and has two angry ear infections. I was especially pleased with his physician this time. She took a look at his feet because the subject of walking came up. His feet turn in severely which is the probable cause of his late development. It's called metatarsus adductus. They referred us to physical therapy for an evaluation. She said the waiting list is at least 2 months so it would be good to get on it now just in case he's not walking by then anyways. Does any one out there have any experience with this or physical therapy in general?

Santa!

2010-12-15T14:59:00.001-05:00

I'm happy, I'm sad, I'm angry! I don't know what I am!

Giving Thanks!

2010-12-01T15:41:00.003-05:00

God is good. He has given us family and friends with whom to share our holidays. I am so thankful for my little family. We took it easy this Thanksgiving. Spending Wednesday evening at Mellow Mushroom and chowing down our scrumptious pizza. Then Thanksgiving day in Columbia with the Morris family for an enjoyable dinner of fried turkey and all the fixin's.A couple of the highlights of the day were Millie and her Aunt Meg diligently and patiently building the gingerbread house (Millie could not stop talking about it all week) and watching the kids play in the abundance of leaves in the front yard. They had a blast! I love all the giggles!

Party in the kitchen!

2010-11-23T21:06:00.002-05:00

I've almost given up on our Christmas card photo. This may just be it! You vote.

The Kids' New Playset Completed

2010-11-12T22:14:00.002-05:00

Halloween 2010

2010-11-08T14:33:00.004-05:00

This year Millie picked out her costume as Tinkerbell. Sticking with the theme, Camden was Captain Hook, and Matt was Peter Pan. We made skeleton faced pizza for dinner and apple "mouths" for fun. We did not carve our pumpkin surprisingly. The pumpkin stayed outside with the rest of our Halloween decorations, and we must have just forgotten about it. The kids enjoyed trick or treating around the block and tasting some of the candy along the way. After trick or treating, Millie helped Mia hand out candy to the neighborhood kids. I think she liked that more because she got to see all the kids in different costumes. Camden slept well that night even after two lollipops.

What's Millie doing these days?

2010-10-26T20:21:00.003-04:00

Millie is now 2 1/2 years old. These last few months have been quite a ride with our preschooler. She has grown by leaps and bounds. She is almost fully potty trained. Bedtime is the only time she tells us she has to "go." Maybe it's a stall tactic. So, we're waiting for the day when she tells us she has to "go" all other times of the day. Other than that, she stays dry while she's awake. I have to admit though that I remain anxious every time we go out (which has not been a lot), afraid she might pee her pants.

As many of you know, I bought two books recently on parenting a strong-willed child because Millie's behavior had been textbook "terrible twos." Disobedience everywhere. No matter what I asked/told her to do, she decided to do the opposite. This was especially hard to deal with when I was out alone with both children (one on my hip) and Millie screaming/kicking/wailing in the aisle. Her behavior made me wish I could just walk away and pretend she wasn't my child. It's hard not to feel embarrassed. So far, one of the suggestions from one of the books that has worked for me is giving Millie two choices: I say nonchalantly "do this or time out/no movies/no dinner (just kidding)". Works like a charm. I've found my wonderful child and it's a beautiful thing.

She's learning so much I hardly know where to begin. It hasn't been real structured though- I need to get better at that. Specifically, Millie loves discovering and acting out opposites like open and close, in and out, that sort of thing. She's tracing letters with chalk which I am amazed by! She purposefully hides toys and books either from us or Camden. She can count pass 10 and she usually does it in a playful way. When we say "me too," she says "me three," then we say "me four," and back and forth until about 14 or 15. It's pretty comical. She jokes around a lot (wonder where she got that from). She likes to ask silly questions. When potty training, I would ask her "Where do we peepee?" She answers correctly "in the potty," and then goes on to ask "Do we peepee go in the sky? in the tree, in the toy," and on and on.

She is more opinionated now about what to wear, eat and play with. She is all about dress up and dressing up her baby brother too. He's such a sport about it. They play so well together- praying it stays that way.

Last weekend, Matt and his Dad started constructing the kids' new backyard playset. I snapped that photo to capture her efforts towards the building project.

Our visit to Steed Dairy Farm

2010-10-15T21:26:00.007-04:00

Fall is in the air! We celebrated the cool weather today by going to our local Steed Dairy Farm. It was the best family fun experience I've had all year! Let me tell you this farm had things I've never seen all in one place before. Matt said they should have season passes. So here goes the list of fun:

a jump pillow, a corn kernel "sandbox", horse swings made out of tires, a baby calf born just minutes ago, a preschool only playground with a pipe slide, loads of sand everywhere for Camden's enjoyment, shaded picnic tables throughout, Chick-Fil-A!, adult pipe slides three-stories high, rubber duck races using manual water pumps, big hayride and toddler hayrides, a clean petting zoo, a milking cow, photo opp displays, pumpkins, corn maze, and cows galore!

Oh man, have I worn you out yet? It was AWESOME! We even got our hands-stamped to go back tonight but we didn't. Instead, we went out for ice cream at Brusters! To top it all off, I have my husband back and the kids slept in this morning until 8am! Maybe they're training themselves for the time change??

Needless to say, today was a perfect day!

Camden turns 13 months old!

2010-10-04T20:38:00.007-04:00

Our Mister Messy-Mess is already 13 months old. He has spent this last month transitioning to one long nap a day, sleeping from 7pm to 7am (most nights) and getting into everything off-limits.

Here's what he's doing:
- he's said his first real word "that" while pointing at "that"
- imitates a whale "ah-ooh-ga!" He learned that from his new Go Diego Go dvd. He'll say it whenever he's asked what sound the whale makes. It's so funny!
- he's figured out how to get a laugh out of you too. He'll repeat whatever he's doing that you're laughing at over and over again.
- he kisses and hugs all the time.
- he's signing more, all-done, yes and no. We're working on "please" and "thank you".
- he loves playing peek-a-boo.
- he loves chasing the vacuum cleaner.
- he's strong too! he can move our iron bar chairs across the room.
- he loves taking things apart and putting them back. He's becoming his sister's clean-up helper.
- he opens, shuts, climbs, slides, stands (for about 5 seconds), marks with chalk, throws, rolls, and catches a ball.

This month he's experienced some discipline and more "no, Camden" scolds. He's been in timeout most days since September 27th for getting into the dog bowl, Millie's potty chair and our fake plants. For timeout- I put him in the pack n'play for a minute. He handles it well. That's where he has solo playtime a couple times a day anyway.

Camden is still in love with his mama. He nurses 1-3 short times a day. I see an end to breastfeeding probably this month, unfortunately. He's just so busy, and his food intake is a lot more. His favorite food is yogurt, and he could eat it for every meal. He has no problems drinking his milk from a sippy cup or straw or my glass. And for the record on average, he eats more than his sister does.

We love our boy!

Lazy Sunday at the Morris's

2010-09-27T13:42:00.003-04:00

Loving his Granddaddy

Baking pumpkin bread with her Mia

Camden's First Year Stats

2010-09-22T21:41:00.003-04:00

Last week-First tooth appearance!

Our little guy had his 12 month marathon check up at the Ft. Gordon hospital this morning. Although we were there for 3 long hours, he was a trooper. We liked the mommy and me time. Sadly, he got three immunizations and 1 finger prick. We picked up some tylenol and he's good to go!

Here are the latest stats:
Weight: 22.5 lbs (41%)
Length: 30.7" (73%)
Head: 18.7"(78%)

Climbing up and on top of tables and stools

Proud sister who had to show off her teeth too!

Happy First Birthday, Camden!

2010-09-06T23:12:00.014-04:00

Camden is the big number one! "Cam the Man's" first year has ran passed us leaving lots of crumbs. He has eaten his way to a whopping 22 lbs (I'm guesstimating), and without any teeth yet, he's had to gum it all! He's crawling, pulling up and standing but only for a second or two. He is all boy. He's throwing and rolling balls, turning wheels, pushing match cars, pounding tables, clapping blocks together, climbing stairs, dancing and won't leave his momma alone for a minute! Most days you'll hear him say Daisy, Mm-Mm, Dada, Ya-Ya-Ya (which my mom is really proud of) and lots of d-d-d-d-d's.

We celebrated Camden's birthday all weekend long. Matt flew into town on Thursday night. He greeted both of the children when they awoke on Friday morning. Then, we headed to the Oldsmar ice rink where PaPa coaches, and Millie and Cam got to get on the ice. Millie's never been in skates before which is probably why she was rather anxious and intimidated by it all. I think she just needs practice. I mean, the girl can twirl on land like it's nobody's business! Camden on the other hand was over the moon by the cool wind and speed as Papa skated him around. We ate lunch at Mel's Hot Dogs- one of Cam's favorite foods.

Saturday was the big birthday so the night before we decorated YaYa and PaPa's play area and kitchen with balloons and banners galore. Camden had a happy day of whatever he wanted. Millie opened all of Cam's gifts throughout the day. Then she would tell him what he got and play with it too. His gifts included a Fisherprice basketball hoop, a play tool bench, a big blue ball, 2 books, 2 movies, lots of trucks and foam dinosaurs. Millie learned quickly that "sharing" was the number one rule today. I ordered his cake from Publix and with that came a free smash cake. Cam knew exactly what to do once his candle went out. Cake went everywhere.

Saturday evening came along and while the grandparents took the kids to the park, Matt and I got a date night to celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary. We went to the mall and got some new clothes . I liked my new jeans so much that I wore them to dinner at Brio's Tuscan Grille. Our gracious server decided that Matt didn't have enough lobster and shrimp on his fettucine so he got it piled on. Our desserts were on the house too!
Camden had another birthday party at my sister Lauren's house on Sunday! With a new football, more trucks, more family and more birthday cake, he/we had a whole lot of fun!

Monday was Labor Day and everyone had the day off. We took it easy by playing in the pool and eating some sweet watermelon. At about 5:30pm, we loaded Matt's luggage in the car and sadly headed back to the airport to send him back to San Antonio.

There is an end in sight to all this training. He will be departing San Antonio and heading to Ft. Benning for Airborne school next week. Because he'll be just a little more than 3 hours away, we plan on seeing him every weekend until mid October when it's all over!

A Whole Week with Grandpa

2010-08-24T14:03:00.010-04:00

So the great thing about my Dad being single again is that we get him all to ourselves. He took the entire week off last week to spend with the kids and me, and we had a blast! We had perfect weather and our awesome children were flexible in their nap schedules so everyone was happy. Every day was filled with an adventure...

MONDAY
at the Lake Park and then lunch at Chick-fil-a

TUESDAY
at the indoor playground at the mall.

WEDNESDAY
at the Florida Aquarium.

THURSDAY
Cam gets turned around, now forward facing in his car seat as we venture to the Lowry Park Zoo with Aunt Lauren too. Millie has her first ring pop and camel ride.

FRIDAY
at the beautiful Honeymoon Island Beach.

Needless to say, we're "taking it easy" this week. That is, if you call potty training easy.

Florida vacation: The Pool and First Official Haircuts

2010-08-09T13:40:00.012-04:00

Since Matt's away, we're spending 6 weeks in Florida with my family. Last week was our first week here and we've spent every single day in the pool. Millie is becoming a fish in the water as she is learning to swim with armbands. I picked up that bathing suit for $5 at Target- couldn't pass it up!
Camden, on the other hand, would rather stay on dry land and pull the little plants off the ground growing in between the pavers by the pool and play with the big basketball.
This past weekend Matt flew in for a very short but very worthwhile visit. I picked him up from the Tampa airport at 1 am on Saturday and he left at 6:30 pm on Sunday. The first thing we did was take the kiddos to get their first official haircuts at a place called ShortCuts in International Plaza. Millie sat in a Barbie jeep while Cam sat in a boy jeep. They both behaved excellently! Millie even got some fairy dust and a tiara in the end. It was a lot of fun and extra special to have Matt there.

Before

After

Before

After
and now enjoying a rewarding snack together on our way to the indoor playground

Millie loves to climb to the top of everything and jump off. It's a good thing her Daddy's a dentist! Camden loved crawling into the cave and playing peekaboo with Matt.

Matt will be visiting again for Cam's birthday celebration which happens to be a 4 day weekend for him. I can't believe our boy's going to be one in less than a month!

Sweet Home Georgia

2010-07-25T15:16:00.005-04:00

All unpacked...and ready for what ever God has in store for us in Evans, GA. Here are pictures of our home. We live in a 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath house with lots of storage and a two-car garage.

This house is the right size and floorplan to meet the needs of our family. Millie's room came in pink and Cam's in blue with a jack-n'- jill bathroom in between. We have a formal dining room that we converted to a play area right next to the kitchen and family room. Two bathrooms, the kids' rooms and 4th bedroom are upstairs while the master bedroom/bath and a half bath are downstairs. The kitchen has granite countertops, nice appliances and hardwood floors extending to the breakfast room. We have a screened-in porch in the back of the house that fits our outdoor furniture and the playhouse. We will be installing a fan out there because the summer heat likes to trap itself on our porch. We'll also be getting a fence and a playset for the backyard (which I know the grandparents are excited to help build) this fall.

The neighbors are so friendly. There's a 2 year old boy next door and a 3-yr old little girl named Amelia across the street. The house on the other side of us is for sale so we're hoping for another young family. Guests are welcome!

front door/foyer
a view from the front door into the living/play rooms
the living room from the top of the stairs
the view of our kitchen from the garage entrance and hallway to the master bedroom
Another view of our kitchen from the bar
breakfast room- pantry closet on right and a door leading out to the porch on the left wall
view of the playroom from the breakfast room
our master bedroom- bathroom on right (with standing shower, jacuzzi tub, toilet room and a huge walk-in closet)

And now upstairs...
the office/guest room
3rd full bathroom in hall
Millie and Cam's bathroom
Cam's room
Millie's PINK room (her crib is almost camouflaged!)
the screened in back porch
a view of the back of our house

Our Saturday at Augusta's Riverwalk

2010-07-17T20:34:00.005-04:00

I keep finding all these things I like about Augusta. Today we discovered the Riverwalk. It's a paved trail that traces the Savannah River which borders Georgia and South Carolina. Saturdays feature the Farmers Market. We went home with a gigantic watermelon, a little bit of okra- just enough for the kids and me, and one yellow plum. Big spenders, I know.

Then we hopped over to the YMCA water park. Thanks to my new friend's invitation we were able to enjoy the 6" deep kiddie pool.

As you can tell, we've been really busy. We also went to the Columbia Zoo last Thursday but I forgot my camera. I've had every day filled with fun. Since Daddy's away, I want this time to go by fast but not too fast that I can't capture the special moments with Cam and Millie. They are growing up so fast.

Camden started the army crawl and learned how to sit himself up from a lying down position just yesterday. Millie told me "I love you mommy." Brought tears to my eyes. Wish Matt was here.

The new house

2010-07-11T22:49:00.002-04:00

Evans, GA is so fantastic. The mall is 20 minutes away, Target is 10 and the grocery store is right on the corner! You just can't beat it! Grant it, Matt's drive to Ft. Gordon is about 30 minutes long but I think he can use that drive time to unwind on the way home. All the boxes are unpacked and furniture is in place, but there's still some painting I want to do and pictures to hang. So for now, you get to see the outside and a little of my awesome kitchen.

This weekend Millie and I made cupcakes! She was so funny at the store and wouldn't let go of the cupcake mix box. The Publix manager didn't want Millie to get upset about giving up her box for a simple swipe at the cash register, so he proceeded to read off the barcode numbers to the cashier. I was floored! What customer service they have! That would never happen at Walmart :)

I broke down and bought a new double stroller to tote our almost equally-weighted kids around. The baby bjorn still works for toting Cam and we like the wagon too, but its nice to have an alternative, especially for long hilly walks.

This week is booked with friends and shopping. Two of my favorite things.

The fourth and Cam turns 10 months old!

2010-07-08T22:59:00.002-04:00

Happy Independence Day! Camden turned 10 months old, we got a new house and celebrated independence day all in the same weekend!

Here are some photos from the day. As you can see, Camden's hair is getting so light. Matt says people pay to have his hair color. We're still waiting on first teeth and first crawl. This little guy just wants to be held by his momma all the time which is probably why he doesn't feel the need to go anywhere else.

Millie is becoming independent for sure! She is now almost 28 months old. These days she enjoys opening doors, hiding, peeling/eating stickers, and making herself at home in our food pantry by delving into the peanut butter or cereals. Needless to say, she's our little HAZARD. I have to keep a close eye on her. We have Millie-proofed our entire new house with much scrutiny.

I promise I will post pics soon of the house. For now, we have to get Matt off to training for the summer and back to some normalcy, if that's even possible, before I can even think about taking pictures. I do love our new house and neighborhood and I've already met a friend!

Camden's 9 months old!

2010-06-08T13:55:00.005-04:00

We have just loved these last 9 months as a family of four. Our little guy is growing so big! He's already a pound more than his sister was at a year old! He's starting to sign "all done" and "more." He'd rather feed himself these days too, so I'm thinking we'll have to transition him to table food soon.

Can you see why his Daddy calls him "Sea Bass?"

Camden's First Haircut

2010-05-18T21:04:00.003-04:00

Before

I had to do it! The power was out! I couldn't get dinner started, I couldn't do laundry and Camden woke up early from his nap. His poor bangs were growing so long. It's not like I could put them back in a hair bow without long term trauma to his masculinity. So, again, I had to do it! I must admit, I come with credentials in "hairstyling." I cut Matt's hair successfully every month. Keeping Camden still was quite a challenge. Enjoy the Before and After photos.

After

Cam the Man is 8 months old!

2010-05-14T14:15:00.003-04:00

Camden is now 8 months old. He can roll, roll, roll 'til no end! He's on his way to crawling but hasn't gotten on all fours yet. He's still all smiles unless I'm out of sight. He's napping like a textbook baby and wakes up happy. He's eating like two babies! He loves to eat! I'm hoping he'll get some teeth soon so we can start him on some snack foods. He loves to jump in your lap or in his jumperoo. Camden lights up in the sandbox, bath tub or little pool. He and Millie love to play together. Cam will sit forever watching her with a toy in his mouth. He doesn't mind playing alone with a basket of toys as long as his belly is full. Here are some photos from his latest trick...sitting on the fire truck!

Matt and the Golden Knights

2010-04-29T20:15:00.005-04:00

Matt had the most amazing opportunity today to jump tandem with the famous Golden Knights. The kids and I got to watch him. They made a video for him and took pictures. I took pictures too. We'll post the video soon on youtube.com. Enjoy!

Camden at 7 1/2 months old

2010-04-22T10:14:00.003-04:00

Camden is doing all kinds of things these days. Just yesterday he rolled over from his back to his belly all by himself as he went after a toy that dropped above his head. He sits up all on his own and when he falls he does it gracefully to his side most of the time. As his mom, I'm really enjoying this stage- just as I did with Millie- when I can sit him down with a box of toys and watch him entertain himself for 20-30 minutes.

Lately, the poor nursery workers can't make him happy though. He just wants his momma. They'll call me down and as soon as I pick him up he's peachy-keen. He drools like crazy and is always chewing on something so I'm sure those teeth coming in are making him just a little irritable. Thankfully, it hasn't messed with his sleep habits. He still goes down for naps and bed usually without any complaints. He eats 3 square meals of baby food and nurses 4-5 times a day.

Because he's such a great eater, he's already fitting in size 12 month clothes. This is much different from his big sister who could where that size until she was 1 1/2. I don't have his official weight but today he has to be the same size or maybe bigger than Millie was when she turned one (18 lbs).

A few of his favorite things:

laughing with his sister
Bella's kisses
teething toys
frozen fruit in his mesh teether thingy
eating
the exersaucer- still!
riding in the wagon outside
the sand box
Daddy

More pictures from our beach vacation

2010-04-13T21:38:00.006-04:00

Easter, Potty Time and a little vacation

2010-04-07T23:09:00.002-04:00

Our Spring Break began with an attempt at potty training on Saturday morning. I set no expectations of how receptive Millie would be to the idea of going on the potty chair. That morning she did pretty well even though we went through several wet panties. She seemed to be getting it. The afternoon was a different story. She was somewhat resistant to sitting on the potty and didn't want to wear any undies what so ever. Things seemed to be digressing. By the end of the day, I felt defeated. I reached out to my potty training expert, Leigh my awesome sister-in-law, to see if what we experienced in the last 12 hours was normal. She said it was, so my spirit was renewed, and I was determined to keep on the potty track tomorrow, which happened to be Easter Sunday.

I had this big plan in place to make it through the couple of hours at church and then back to the grind...

Matt, however, had the urge to travel down to Charleston to spend one of the holiest days of the year with our family. That's a 3 hour+ drive there and back! I'm not sure who's agenda he got, but it wasn't mine... I'm spending the next 4 -5 days on potty lock-down. (Note to self- never never potty train when husband takes the week off. Although it sounds good in theory, it really just forces you to ditch training all together and have some family time. Darn! sarcasm). Thankfully, God made my husband the head of the house and although he dragged me kicking and screaming, by the time I saw the Summerville sign, I truly would have rather been there then at home with lots of peepee-panty laundry.

Camden's first Easter was one for the scrapbooks, but I forgot to bring my camera. I'm relying on pics from my dear in-laws. Please email them to me :)

Our few hours in Charleston prompted us to book a little 3-day vacation back at the beach. We began our venture at the outlets before heading to Wild Dunes in Isle of Palms, SC. We are loving it! They have a big fun Millie-sized playground at the resort. We're staying in a condo 100 yard from the beach! We spent the evening with our Charleston friends Michelle and Paul and their little guy Brayden. Millie and Brayden got pretty close. After dinner we walked to the beach and the kids ran wild! All three of the kids could barely keep their eyes open during their bath. Everything's quiet now. We are so looking forward to another fabulous day tomorrow!

Big Girl Bed

2010-03-30T21:42:00.002-04:00

A while back I wrote about us potty training Millie. The plan was to start at Christmas, but with everything that comes with the holidays, it really wasn't a good time. After talking with lots of other moms, I realized it was probably a good idea to get her out of the crib bed first before we start the training (which will begin this Saturday). So last Saturday morning, Matt converted Millie's crib into a toddler bed with the railing on the side. She has gone straight to naps and bedtimes with enthusiasm ever since! She loves her "big girl bed." In the mornings when she wakes up, she knocks on her door from inside her room and patiently waits for me to open the door. When I open the door, she'll usually run back into bed. She's just so cute, sometimes I join her. And then I get up very carefully because I don't think that bed is meant to hold all that weight.

Millie turns 2!

2010-03-11T23:08:00.003-05:00

If donuts, playhouse, presents, Chick-fil-a, more presents, pizza and cupcakes doesn't spell B.I.R.T.H.D.AY. then I don't know what does. Even though Millie woke up this morning not feeling 100%, I 'm pretty confident she went to bed knowing she was princess for a day (unlike every other day- yeah, right). Her 2 year old doctor visit is on the 25th so we shall know her official weight and height then. For now, my mommy measurements show 34" tall and about 24 lbs.

Millie is talking non-stop and doesn't hesitate to say anything. She loves to color, play with legos, pretend-cook in her kitchen, "talk" on the phone, eat strawberries, watch Dora and Blues Clues, baby dolls, sidewalk chalk, puzzles, Fancy Nancy, any of "Daddy's toys", look at her photo albums of our trip to Disney and her first year, and say "goodnight" to anything that moves, or doesn't. Every night she says goodnight to the cousins next door through her bedroom window, to the moon, to Bella our dog, to her toys, to "KK" (also known as Camden), I mean, anything.

Things she doesn't enjoy are: vegetables, getting shampoo rinsed out of her hair, playing alone while I try to get dinner on the table, eating dinner on most days, and doing what she's told when she's preoccupied with something else. Does this sound like a two year old yet?

I do have to admit though, she's a lot of fun and has got us(mainly her Daddy) wrapped around her lil' pinkie.

For more photos, click here.

Impromptu Photo Shoot!

2010-02-16T22:00:00.002-05:00

Camden is in his baseball gear from his Great Aunt Tracy. He (and I) can't wait for spring and the warmth that comes with it.
I just couldn't pick a favorite! He's so gosh-darn cute!

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-15T21:07:00.004-05:00

We actually got to go on a real date. Dinner AND a movie. Thank you, Aunt Katie!

Today's Favorite Camden Photo

2010-02-07T15:16:00.004-05:00

and then the rest...

and here he is sitting up.

He puts everything in his mouth

A visit from Mia

2010-02-05T14:47:00.003-05:00

Matt's mom, Mia, came up from Columbia, SC to visit these last few days. The children and Mia snuggled together tons in Mia's Snuggie , which has proven to be a pretty handy "blanket." I think I might just have to get me one :) She gave me a crash course in Sewing 101. We actually got my nice sewing machine out of the box for the first time since I got it as a present from her, mind you, about 5 years ago. The machine has all sorts of gadgets and I'm excited to practice my stitching. Last night I hemmed my first pair of dress pants... it looks like a professional did it. I think I might have found a new hobby. Got to make it to Joann's sometime soon to get more fabric, pins, marking chalk, thread, etc... Oh my mind is spinning! (just like my sewing machine, hahahaha)

In other news, Camden tried acorn squash, mum-mums (which after a few sucks on it, he actually ended up smashing and making a mess all over the table instead of eating it) and drank water from a sippy cup. He downed that water like it was going out of style. In the bath, he sucks on his wet washcloth so I'm sure that's probably why he didn't have any problem with it although it probably tasted better than the bath water.
On Tuesday Millie was diagnosed with double ear infections and conjunctivitis. She loves the Amoxicillin and calls it candy. She's feeling a lot better today and the pink eye appears to be gone. We're trying hard to get over this month-long sickness that has plagued our household. I'm praying we're nearing the end and can get on with our healthy lives again.

It's Sleeting!

2010-01-30T10:37:00.002-05:00

Millie calls it "snow" so we'll roll with that. Some of it did stick as you can see. She had a good time for about 20 minutes then her fingers got cold and she wanted to go inside for a snack. It took us longer to dress her than it did to play.

Cereal for Camden

2010-01-28T22:52:00.002-05:00

Camden had his first taste of rice cereal tonight at dinner. I initially sat him in the high chair but as you can see he didn't like it there. So we put him in the center of the table in his bumbo seat and fed him about 5-6 teaspoons. He didn't seem to not like it, but it was late and he was worn out from the day. He was ready for his bath and bed shortly thereafter. I'm posting the video on my youtube account so check it out tomorrow when its up and running.

Camden 4 month Stats

2010-01-27T21:22:00.006-05:00

I feel like a new woman after Day 1 in my recovery from a severe sinus infection and bronchitis. I can finally get my "list" started which has been stagnant and accumulating for about a week now. I'm not back to 100% yet, but was pretty impressed with myself when I at least got the laundry done today.
Now on to our new addition, Camden's, stats from the doctor last Thursday. He was 4 months and 17 days old and...

Weight: 14 lbs, 9 oz
Length: 25.6" long
Head Circumstance: 16.34 "

Some of his favorite things are

sleeping with soft blankets partially covering his face in his swing,
grabbing my hair and not letting go with a huge open-mouth grin on his face,
swatting at my food or drink,
pulling out his pacifier and sucking on the paci. handle,
sitting in his bumbo seat in the center of the dinner table,
playing with Millie while in his exersaucer,
watching sports with his Daddy and letting Daddy move Cam's arms/legs through a vivid narration of the game.
smiling up at Mommy and checking out the action around him while trying to nurse,
laughing rarely but heartily (and boy, do we feel blessed by his laugh. It's so genuine.)
sucking on his fists
and MIRRORS! (He just loves that picture smiling back at him)

Nursing- still 6-7 times a day stretching 2-3.5 hours depending on the time of day .
Napping- 3x a day (usually one long in the morning, catnap between 11 and 12:30 and then another 1 1/2 hour nap in the afternoon)
Night Sleeping- he was waking 2x/night to nurse usually at 10:30pm and then at 4:30am I think out of habit, but that was before I got sick. I have not been able to get out of bed or even stop coughing enough at night to nurse him. And after just a few short nights, he (crossing my fingers) has now started sleeping through the night from 7-7. We'll see if it lasts.
Playing- His tummy time enjoyment level is hit-or-miss. I don't put him on his tummy after he's eaten because then we have a milk mess to clean up on top of an unhappy child to deal with. He's got some incredible head control, so much so, that I put both kids in the wagon, while we went on our walk today. With Cam, I cushioned some blankets around him but believe it or not, he didn't move and sat straight up the whole time around the entire block (1/4 mile). Again, smiling all the way. I was floored though because I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that wagons are for 1+ year olds, but of course, we weren't off-roading it or traveling at high speeds.

This month: Camden will be introduced to some tasty rice cereal and other foods. He'll learn how fun it is to play in the playpen (with his sister trying to climb in to join him, I'm sure.)

Our 4 1/2 month old

2010-01-18T21:17:00.004-05:00

... breathing through his mouth after bath time. See the previous post to read all about our weekend with sick babies.

and here he is again, with Aunt Lauren

Our 22 month old

2010-01-18T21:06:00.003-05:00

... loves her Elmo.

This photo was taken on the day Millie got sick, January 11. She's was sick with one nasty cold for seven days (thank goodness Matt and my sister were here to help for most of the days). Finally she's over it with just a lingering cough. Camden's got a taste of her illness too. Poor little guy has been puking phlegm for the last two days. The other night I went through two sets of my pjs before finally after the last puke and cleaning him up, I just gave up and went to bed without changing. Hey, it was dry by morning and I've washed our sheets so no harm done. How's that for a look into my world of hygiene? Is that too much information? Sorry.

Camden is over the hump and getting/feeling better by the hour. Tomorrow I'm dropping both of the kids off at the church for "Mom's morning out" and going back home to sterilize my house. Wohoo, party at my house from 9-12pm! Who's with me?! (crickets)

New videos on youtube.com

2010-01-09T13:41:00.003-05:00

Hi all,

I've posted some fun new videos of Millie and Cam on youtube.com. Click here. They should satisfy your fix for now:).

Love,
Brooke

Millie and Cam playing

2010-01-06T21:33:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2010-01-02T14:36:00.003-05:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas season.

Camden at 3.5 months

2009-12-21T19:34:00.002-05:00

Camden's now 3.5 months old. His demeanor has totally changed. He's more alert now and likes to swat at his toys while in his bouncy seat or exersaucer. He enjoys tummy time and likes to play on his back too. He's happy as long as he can see me. You'll find him most days taking his naps in his swing, usually up to two hours. He sleeps very well in his crib but only at night. If I lay him in his crib for a daytime nap, then he usually wakes after 30-45 minutes. He's takes a bottle like a champ while he's in the nursery during church service or Mom's morning out every Tuesday. I'm not sure how much he weighs now. His 4-month well baby appointment is January 12 so we'll get his stats then.

Santa Babies

2009-12-12T19:46:00.004-05:00

This morning was very productive. Millie and Camden (along with her cousins) got to visit with Santa. Millie learned a lot about patience as the line was about 45 minutes long. As you can tell, Camden slept comfortably on Santa's lap. Afterward, we picked out a live Christmas tree for our new big living room. Then off to Chick-fil-a to celebrate our grand adventures with no spills or accidents!

This evening we started decorating the tree. With Millie's busyness (and you all know what I'm talking about), I was afraid Millie would aggravate our poor Christmas tree this season. To avoid that sort of situation we allowed her to help us hang the ornaments. It was a great intro into our expectations of not pulling at the branches or trying to eat the tree or something. She had a wonderful time and we had fun video-ing her decorating the tree. It's a really long video so I'm not going to post it, sorry.

Millie and her box

2009-12-06T21:06:00.001-05:00

She found some fun with this box during our move this weekend. Matt cut out some windows for her and she added her pillow and blanket.

Camden's 3 month old now!

2009-12-06T21:04:00.002-05:00

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

2009-11-30T14:23:00.005-05:00

This holiday was spent with my dad, stepmom Pat, brother, his family and our friends Josh and Megan (unfortunately, not shown here). Leigh and Pat put the dinner together (baked turkey and all the fixin's) and the guys took care of frying the turkey. The place cards were made by my niece and nephew with their hand prints and everyone's name written out. Camden's placecard was coupled with mine- all too fitting. We brought over our big swing and Cam enjoyed that most of the day. Millie played with the cat, Feona and her cousins. With all that and the parade and football on the tv, it was a great Thanksgiving. We were missing you though, Lauren and Luis.

On Friday at midnight, Pat and I waited in line outside to get into Toys R Us for their early Black Friday sale. Two and a half hours later we had successfully made it home with a new outdoor playhouse and little shopping cart. I got the playhouse for a steal so the cold and rainy weather was totally worthwhile. Pat and I laughed at ourselves the whole time too. I went back to bed for about 3 hours then up again to head to Walmart, Home Depot and Target. While I was asleep Matt and my brother trekked over to the Post Exchange for more deals- mainly for the new TV now taking up nearly half of our dining room. We're excited to install and enjoy it in our new house (see photo) this weekend.Thanksgiving weekend, Matt and Millie took a trip down to Columbia to visit my in-laws. She came back with some tap shoes, leotard and ballet slippers- too cute. Mia always hooks Millie up with new and fun stuff. She's been walking around all morning today with her slippers on.

As for today, we got the keys to our new home! We'll move in on Thursday. Hoping we can make the move all in one day. Matt got Thursday and Friday off which never happens. I'm thinking that installing our new TV was his secret motivation to get those days off. Whatever the motive, I'm just happy to have him. And, my Dad stayed behind to help with the move too.

Here's Camden and Matt- taken today. He's starting to look like his Daddy.

Camden's Two Month Doctor Visit

2009-11-17T13:03:00.002-05:00

The doctor gave us this sheet that talks about feeding our baby. It reads, "Breast fed babies continue to nurse every 3-4 hours." HA! Yeah- no that's not the case for our growing baby. He eats every other hour during the day. Awake for an hour and asleep for an hour, like clock work. On Saturday, though, he took a 3 hour nap! That has never happened before. Other than that one time, he's pretty predictable. His last nap usually ends around 4:30pm. We keep him awake until his 7pm bedtime. The routine has really paid off. Camden is sleeping up to 8.5 hours straight (7pm-3:30am). After a feeding he goes right back to sleep until usually 7am. This 10th week has been bliss.

Camden is smiling and cooing every chance he gets as long as he's being held. Put him down and he is not a happy baby. Put him in the swing, though, and he'll fall asleep. He's getting the hang of the Bjorn carrier although he hasn't slept in it. Instead he likes to look at all the fun stuff going on around him.

As for Camden's 2 month stats:
Weight: 12lbs, 15 oz. (75th %)
Length: 24.29" (90%)
Head: 15.75" round (not square, haha)

He's growing big, and I'm one proud mama!

Millie at 20 months and Cam's now 10 weeks!

2009-11-13T13:13:00.009-05:00

Man oh Man, where has the time gone?

Life just gets sweeter and sweeter with our two fantastic munchkins. I've got to be honest, though, I'm still really scared (for lack of a better word) to take them anywhere by myself. I guess I'm just not excited about getting stuck with two crying babies. Not like that would really happen because they would both be well-rested and a snack readily available but still... I'm taking my time and easing my way into normal life again.

I don't want to jinx myself but for the last couple of nights (since Veteran's Day), Cam has been waking once at night!! We have positioned the fan just outside of Millie's room (which is right next to Cam's room) to mainly drown out the little peeps we hear from Cam at night. I had been going right in to feed him at every little peep and found that really I was just lulling him right back to sleep after a little snack. That can become really tiring and I know he can go longer than an hour between feedings.... I was getting up like five times every night and feeling the wear and tear on me in the morning. Both Millie and Camden deserve a more energized, happy mommy. So now that he's 2.5 months old, he's becoming a pro at sleep (day and night) whereas Millie was sleeping through the night at 5 weeks!

Can you tell that sleeping babies makes me feel accomplished?!

Anywho, Cam is smiling all the time now and its not just random. If you smile or make a silly face, he'll give you a big ol' smile right back! He's ticklish too- anywhere. When you tickle him, its almost as if he give a silent laugh. He gets all squirmy and gives another big smile back.

Bathtime has become my favorite time of day. Cam and Millie bathe together as I'm sure you have gathered from the heading picture. Millie is learning not to splash her brother and Cam is learning not to pee on his sister. Its a joyous event!

Millie is a riot. Everyday she puts a spin on something ordinary. She likes to suck on pacifiers as a toy. She'll sit in her brother's swing and rock her babies. She's big into sidewalk chalk, puzzles, stickers, and ELMO! My goodness, she loves her Elmo. She's finally fitting into 24-month clothes as I am enjoying the hand-me-downs from her 3 year old cousin. She tinkled in the potty on October 26th... and hasn't done it since. Again, we are still planning on potty training in December.

Next time you hear from us, we may be living in a new house as Ft. Bragg is moving us somewhere else on post. Exciting times!

Millie's First Haircut

2009-11-07T19:56:00.003-05:00

...courtesy of Daddy. Millie twirls her hair. This morning she had her finger stuck in this gargantuan knot when I got her out of bed. We tried and tried to loosen it. Eventually, Matt got the shears. Needless to say, Millie wasn't so excited about the whole ordeal.

Can you see the knot?!

...and Our Frog

2009-11-01T21:10:00.002-05:00

Halloween with our little Princess

2009-10-31T22:04:00.003-04:00

Millie enjoyed Halloween as a princess this year. Camden was supposed to be a frog (get it?, princess and the frog), but he was resting during the peak Halloween hours. Anyways, Mia, Millie's grandmother, made her precious costume.

And, here she is with her cousins.

Trick or Treating was a hit, too! She was running from house to house saying "treat" for an hour and a half! All that candy, just for mommy! Thanks Millie!

Our pumpkin unveiled...

2009-10-27T13:23:00.003-04:00

Sunday we carved our pumpkins. Correction: Matt and Millie carved their pumpkin while I am still undecided about what I want to carve on mine. Any ideas?

Before (clean)

After (covered! Bath before lunch!)
Matt chose this design because Millie loves the moon and stars.

Pumpkins!

2009-10-24T19:52:00.006-04:00

We ventured off to the pumpkin patch twice on this rainy Saturday. The first attempt was one hilarious blooper after another. Millie's been battling a runny nose lately. She choked on phlegm (we think) and barfed all over herself in the car seat. We were totally unprepared- no water, no change of clothes, go figure. So instead of the pumpkin patch, we headed for the Chick-fil-a drive thru for water and bite to eat. While Matt placed our order, I jumped out of the van, jogged my way to the local Kmart, and booked it to the pharmacy for a thermometer (which we were lacking at home) just in case Millie was really sick. She's not sick and like we all do, she felt much better afterwards.

Next was naptime, so we chilled out at home and promised to try again later. Once we got there Millie went C.R.A.Z.Y! We could hardly keep track of her as she was running everywhere trying to take home all the pumpkins. We told her if she could carry it, we would take it home. One thing's for sure, she was very tenacious no matter how big the pumpkin. We ended up with 5 pumpkins and 2 mum planters.

We couldn't even keep Millie still enough for a photo, so here are the best we got...

Little Momma

2009-10-23T12:54:00.002-04:00

So what has Millie been up to these days, you ask?

She's into everything and that's what makes her so much fun! Seriously! This morning she opened up her bottom dresser drawer (the one containing all the randomness I don't know what to do with). She got out her floaty bathing suit, bigger sized shoes, and her Santa hat. I put them all on her per her request and we took lots of fun pictures together. She would get even more motivated for more pictures after seeing herself in the mirror. She is learning to laugh at herself and loves to make you laugh. She's Mother Hen to her babies too. She burps, rocks and strolls them all around the house. Here's a picture of her trying to pacify one of her babies.

Can you believe Camden's 7 weeks old today? I can't!

2009-10-23T12:32:00.002-04:00

Lots of epiphany moments have occurred lately.
1. Camden is an eater! I feel like a walking milk cow. He's eating every 2 hours during the day and will go a 5-hour stretch at night. I've decided that I don't think he's getting a full feeding each time for one reason or another. My biggest clue was that he's not content after he eats and he won't latch anymore. He's been taking a bottle from everyone else, so this morning after I nursed him, I gave him a couple more ounces of breastmilk in a bottle, and he was happy as a clam. While I'm figuring him out, I'm going to try to pump every 2 hours to keep my supply up. I'll use the bottle with daytime feedings and nurse him through the night starting today. (This may be to much information, but this is MY journal :). For those moms who have done this, tips/advice are welcome! I'm excited about this plan selfishly because Cam's not the cleanest eater and I'm excited about smelling like my old self again and not sour milk :).

2. Camden is a tummy sleeper. I feel like I'm breaking every rule I set for Millie with this little one. I have no worries about him on his tummy. We've got the video monitor on him while he sleeps and he is constantly moving his head from one side to the other so I know he's got that skill. He's seems to be more jumpy on his back and startles himself awake too often.

3. Millie's got a box fan on full blast in her room. This blocks out any and all noises from the outside. The fan will remain in her room until Camden is in a good sleep pattern and wakes up happy. Right now, he screams "I'm hungry!!!!!!" at first peep, and I'm not all about having two unhappy babies awake simultaneously. Some have told me that Millie would sleep through his cries but at times, that's not the case.

4. Camden doesn't sleep during walks in the stroller. This may change. With Millie, it was almost guarenteed she'd get some snooze time in while strolling through the neighborhood but Camden would rather see the world instead of the back of his eyelids.

5. I can do this. 'Nuf said.

5 weeks with Camden

2009-10-08T14:36:00.007-04:00

Tomorrow Camden turns 5 weeks old. We will be on the road on our way to Tampa, FL for my sister's wedding next weekend and making a pit stop in Jacksonville for my cousin's wedding this weekend. So I figured I better get this update in before the craziness of the next 10 days ensues.

It was around this time that I discovered the Baby Bjorn magic for Millie. Well, for Camden, the magic happens in his car seat. He likes to sleep sitting up. We've wedged his crib and brought out the vibrating infant seat. I rotate car seat, crib, infant seat, and sometimes the boppy during his daytime naps. At night, he's strictly in the car seat. This boy is almost sleeping through the night! For the last 3 nights, he'll go to bed between 7 and 9pm, wake at 1:30am for a feeding and then again at 5:30am. Millie's been getting up a little earlier than usual- around 7am- but it's perfect because Cam won't wake again until 8am. That way, I get Millie set with a little b-fast and Blues Clues all before Cam's next feeding. It's a lovely cycle which I pray will continue or improve :).

Another interesting fact about Camden is that he enjoys his tummy time and often falls asleep there. Being the paranoid mama about SIDS, I move him on his back to sleep. I'm sure all you old-school mommies are reading this thinking my babies slept on their tummies and they're just fine, and even some moms I know do it now... I'm just too nervous to keep him that way.

And, maybe it's because this my second time, but I really feel like I know him better than I knew Millie at 5 weeks old. I remember when Millie was 4 weeks old- it was the breaking point for me. My dad and family were in town. Millie wouldn't stop crying and I couldn't figure out why. I even had to step outside to cry and breathe. Family, you remember. We took her to the dr and they prescribed some reflux meds which I refused to give her. Just changed my diet and eventually all was well. But, with Cam, it's different. I go through all the basic needs (hungry, gassy, sleepy, etc) and voila, he's all better. He even falls asleep easier. No bouncing, singing, crazy hold needed. As long as his needs are met, he's fast asleep. For example, a minute ago I took these pictures, I took a minute to upload them, and then I look back and there he his fast asleep. Such a sweetheart.

As for Millie and her crazy self, I'm uploading a video on youtube this afternoon of her spinning herself dizzy over and over again. She's quite the entertainer. Today she brought my Camden's pacifier. He was unhappy during a diaper change (pretty typical). Here's an attempt to get a sibling photo. We have yet to be successful at that. Millie is just won't sit still.
Speaking of sitting still, the biggest news about Millie this week is SHE WENT POOP IN THE POTTY! She'll tell us when she has to go "poopee" so one night last week, Matt sat her on the her potty chair and she went! I could hardly believe it. Looks like potty training will be in her near future. Maybe during the Christmas holiday when both Matt and I can tend to her. Right now, I just feel much too overwhelmed with two babies to do it on my own.

Ok enough talk... here are more photos from the last two weeks:

Camden at 3 weeks old... and Millie too

2009-09-30T13:39:00.003-04:00

We retired Camden's newborn clothes this morning. He's officially outgrown them. He slept in a cute monkey suit he got from my Aunt Pam and Uncle Art last night. He's only worn it a couple of times so I figured we'll get one last use of it. Once we got him in it, it was too late to change him again... he couldn't even straighten his little legs, but he didn't seem to mind and he looked too cute in it. Sorry I didn't get a picture... but here are some others taken just a minute ago for your enjoyment. He sleeps so much its really hard to get a photo of him awake.

Camden has also been sleeping in his crib the last couple of nights. He grunts and groans so much during the night that neither Matt nor I were getting any good rest. Although I have to nurse him at least 3 times in the night, I'm happy to do it so at least one of us gets a good night's sleep. Cam's been a little iffy around 4 in the morning as he has a hard time going back to sleep. That's where Matt comes in. Since he's got to get up in an hour or so, he's been great at taking over. You see, Matt's got this awesome trick he does. I call it the "Dance and rock while holding baby" trick. Unable to be duplicated, it lulls Camden right back to Snoozeville every time.

And not to forget Millie, she's enjoying the luxury of spoons and forks these days. Although she hasn't graduated to bigger foods other than yogurt and applesauce and sometimes she digresses to her fingers (probably from watching Dad- Just Kidding).

The first two weeks with Camden

2009-09-21T12:30:00.003-04:00

Cam had his two-week check up today. He weighs 8lbs, 3 oz now and is still 20.3 inches long. He's in the 25th percentile all around. Everything went well at his appointment other than the nurse kept calling him a her. Oh well. He is eating like a champ and growing just perfectly. His next well baby visit will include 4 shots (ouch!) in 6 weeks.

Here are some other photos from this week:

Big Sister Millie is 18 months!

2009-09-15T14:28:00.006-04:00

Millie turned 1 1/2 years old last Saturday! She truly shines as a big sister now. I don't know if it's me or what, but she has matured so much since her baby brother was born just a couple of weeks ago. She's not showing signs of jealousy or being clingy. She wants to say hi to Camden in the morning when she wakes up and in the evening when she's going to bed. She likes to blow him kisses, touch and point to all his features, and calls him "baby." Her transition to sisterhood has exceeded my expectations thus far.

She's reached some milestones too:
- she can use a fork and spoon but would rather play with them and eat with her fingers.
- she blows on her food whether its hot or not. If it "hot", she'll tell you.
- she loves to look at books
- anytime she sees a star (be it the flag, Macy's sign, you name it!) she'll start singing her rendition of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" all while reaching her arms above her head and opening/shutting her hands like their twinkly stars.
- she now has 6 teeth on top and still only two on the bottom
- she makes animal noises like Moo and Ssss for the snake
- She can say Dora, backpack, Blue and notebook... might be indicative of the month we've had... she's watched way too much tv then I like but with all the events this month we've settled for the tv as entertainment.
- She can say "bubbles" and loves them outside.
- She's taken her diaper off a couple of times and tells us when she's poo-pooed. We brought out the potty seat this week and she stepped in it like it was a stool, then talked in it to hear her self echo... she's not quite ready for the big potty yet. thank goodness, 'cause I'm not either!

She weighs 21 lbs, 6 oz and is 33.19 inches long. Still lingers in the 10th percentile for weight. I have a feeling she'll be there a while.

Last Saturday

2009-09-14T13:18:00.002-04:00

We had a full house last weekend visiting to meet Camden. Uncle Leo, Aunt Meg and Aunt Katie came up for the afternoon from Charleston. My mom flew in from FL and will be here for the next two weeks! Yea!

Camden's Birth Story

2009-09-10T11:14:00.005-04:00

After an evening of season opening football games, I hit the sack around 11pm feeling just dandy. Lo and behold, at 2:30 the next morning on September 4, I awoke to a gush of fluid without the usual accompaniment of contractions. This was strange territory for me because all I had to pull from was my labor experience from Millie. With her I had contractions all day, followed by water breaking and then active labor. I didn't know what to do other then tell Matt and then try to go get some shut-eye. Well, the sleep attempt wasn't happening... my gut and my early morning googling told me that a birthday would be imminent. Shortly thereafter I called the hospital who urged me to head on over and then my brother who answered the phone without a hello saying "I'll be right over" (to stay with Millie who was sleeping soundly). Andrew took our last pregnant photo shot and, we loaded up the car, again... and again... and again. Poor Matt, took endless frantic trips back and forth before we eventually left the drive way with everything but the kitchen sink.

We arrived at the hospital, discovered I was 4 cm dilated and were admitted to the LAST available labor and delivery room by 6:30am. Superstition of the full moon that night inducing labors came true. The doctor administered some pitocin to move the labor along around 9am. I received a rundown from the anesthesiologist about an epidural which was a part of my birthing plan. She would wait until I requested the epidural and then head right in to give it to me.

Two hours later, I was in some major pain. My contractions had dilated me to 7 cm and the baby's head was "right there," said the doc. I asked for my epidural, but unfortunately, the only anesthesiologist was at work with a c-section patient. After getting that news, Matt and the nurse would probably concur that I responded somewhat inappropriately, blessing out everyone and everything. I might have seemed mad, but I was actually scared. Scared of birthing this baby au natural. My mom had done it (five times), Matt's mom and many moms before me, but I never imagined that would be me. I felt utterly helpless but totally in control all at the same time.

At 11:40 or so, I was directed to move from my sitting position which felt best and lie down on my right side. Only one more contraction followed before I HAD to push that baby OUT. Who knew that doctors had wings? I didn't even notice the five or six medical personnel who were suddenly in the room. One push later...

Camden Matthew Morris was born at 11:54 a.m. He weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces and measured 20 inches long. Camden entered the world with an extensive wail and a head full of dark hair. He arrived 15 days early at the beginning of a long 4-day Labor Day weekend. We had been praying for a healthy baby boy, an early and quick delivery and a smooth transition for our new family of four. God blessed us big time and for that we give praises to Him.

Camden With Family

2009-09-07T14:09:00.003-04:00

Millie is more interested in birthday cake than her new brother

D'Amicos checking out their new cousin

Aunt Katie and Uncle Kevin

Sleepy Baby

Camden snooz'n on granddaddy

Introducing Camden Matthew

2009-09-06T21:25:00.004-04:00

On Friday, September 4, 2009, at 11:54 a.m. Camden Matthew was born. He weighed 6 pounds 12 ounces and was 20 inches long with a full head of dark brown hair. Our new family of four is adjusting well with lots of help from family. I'll post later about the birth story for those of you dying to hear it. Here are some photos for your enjoyment in the mean time...

Night Night

2009-09-02T12:32:00.004-04:00

Ladies and Gents, Boys and Girls... the time has come!!!

Millie just walked me to her crib and asked to go "night night!" She literally asked me to put her in her crib to take a nap! I've been waiting nearly a year and half for this legend to turn true! Unbelievable! Love her!

37 weeks and counting

2009-09-01T14:49:00.002-04:00

Uncle Art and Aunt Pam come to visit

2009-08-29T23:11:00.004-04:00

My Aunt and Uncle are en route to Hershey, PA in their rockin' RV. Here are some photos from our evening with them and Leigh, Andrew and their kiddos at the local Smith Lake campsite.

Daddy says "Smile, Millie!"

2009-08-29T23:08:00.001-04:00

and this is what she did...

Millie and her MagnaDoodle

2009-08-25T13:29:00.002-04:00

Millie is starting to color now so I thought a magnadoodle would do her some good. She really enjoys it. This should be a good activity to travel with too.

Baby Shower and Anniversary Celebration

2009-08-23T13:15:00.008-04:00

Yesterday morning my wonderful girlfriends, Heather and Lindsay, threw me a shower in honor of Baby Camden. Since our small group and MOP's has not met for a while, it felt good to get the girls together again to celebrate this fun occasion. My favorite part about the shower was the blessing and prayer over Camden and his entrance into the world. And, then there was this fabulous cake, Lindsay made! Yum! Thank you to all my friends who made this day so special!

Later Millie went to Leigh and Andrew's to spend the night while Matt and I traveled to Raleigh for shopping, dinner and movie for our 7 year anniversary. We just love dates especially when there's a reason to celebrate. That will probably be the last date night we get before Camden comes. Which is crazy to imagine! Funny things about last night: we bought nothing, watched a mediocre Julie & Julia, but chowed down on a delicious dinner at PF Chang's. I got a lot of stares as we "belly"ed up to the bar. No one said anything because really we were just there to eat dinner rather than wait 2.5 hours for a table. I got some high-fives from bar folks as we were leaving which were apparently for the baby. I didn't know quite how to respond other than return the high fives but still felt it was a little strange to say the least.

Wholly Moly! Week 35

2009-08-18T16:10:00.005-04:00

Compare with Week 37 with Millie. He's still got a lot of growing to do, but I feel like I'm about to pop!

Millie's 17 months old now!

2009-08-12T10:55:00.008-04:00

Another month has passed us by. Another month closer to meeting Millie's baby brother. Millie knows where baby Camden is too. She'll point and kiss my belly. She's such a sweetheart and a very loving addition to our family. This month she's been:

- pretending a lot... that she's asleep, making something in her kitchen, drinking from an empty cup, talking on the phone, hiding, or she'll get on all fours like a dog and crawl around the house.
- wearing necklaces, bracelets almost everywhere she goes.
- peeling pages in her board books and labels off her toy food.
- scribbling with crayons.
- obsessed with magnets on the refrigerator.
- saying new words like "eye" and pointing at her eye (or rather, poking out her eye), "go, go, go" which she learned when I tell her to get out of the bathroom because its not a play room, "bye" accompanied by a wave, "Bewa" meaning Bella.
- walking herself to her room for naps and bedtime. Especially for bedtime, either Matt or I will ask her if she's ready to go to sleep and she'll look at us and walk straight to her room. That's our cue to stop everything, grab her water, baby, whatever she needs for bedtime and haul ourselves to her room before the opportunity passes!
- Speaking of bedtime, every other day or so Matt will put Millie to bed solo. We've been doing it as a team but with this baby coming we want her to get used to just Daddy tucking her in at night.
- waking around 8am every morning which has been such a blessing because I don't have much energy these days and need all the sleep I can get.
- eating like a toddler: enjoys the sweet stuff, declines food if she's pre-occupied, doesn't want to sit to eat but she knows the rules, and has a keen ear for the word "snack."
- transitioning to one nap a day. She may go every other day without her second nap, but will sleep if we put her down in the morning so she's not quite ready yet for just one.
- loving Ice Pops-- you know, the kind that you buy warm and liquidy in the store and freeze for your enjoyment later. With all this heat, we share at least two a day.
- playing on the playground and going down swings all by herself! I still tend to stay real close to her because I'm scared she might fall and that's at least 5 feet. But, alas, she's Miss Independent and has no fear of her own to slide down and do it all over again. The climber/slide combo we got for her this month has helped her build up her courage.
- building towers with one-peg legos.
- sitting at the table instead of her highchair for mealtimes. We've put up the high chair (unless we have company and need the chair) until Camden can make use of it in about 5 months or so and brought out her booster seat.
- she's more aware of her diaper now and will grab it often but she's not indicating that it's dirty yet so I'm just considering this a preliminary sign to potty training.

That's about all I can think of, although I might be adding more later.

Love to all!

P.S. I forgot to mention... she says and points to her "eye" simultaneously. She popped out 3 more teeth for total of seven (one molar and the remaining two top front incisors). She's been sleeping on her pillow and not just a bare sheet for a week now. Most times, she's not using it but that's where we lay her and I'm hoping she realizes the benefits soon.

Bye, Bye Fly!

2009-08-06T11:19:00.002-04:00

Summertime in Bragg comes with one big pesky fly problem. I've never seen anything like it before I came here. They love to be all in my house and everyone else's for that matter. I'm the worst at killing them with the fly swatter. My aim is horrible! Yesterday Millie and I went around the house with our matching swatters trying to "shoe" those flies away. There was one lingering in Millie's room for days, and I was determined to get it! While I'm saying "shoe fly," Millie's saying "bye, bye!" At that very instant I turned around to watch her and bam, she hit the fly with the swatter. Quite an aim! High-five, Millie!

Baby Fat: week 32 update

2009-07-31T12:30:00.002-04:00

What do you get when you combine a wedding reception with lots of late night ice cream and other sweet goodies? 6 pounds. That's how much I've gained in 4 weeks! In total so far, I've gained 22 pounds and I've only got one more month of this preggo body to go. Considering I gained 45 lbs during my first pregnancy, I can honestly say I'm really ok with 22 lbs. Now, its highly likely that I'll tip the scale even more within the next 6 weeks but again, I'm ok with that as long as I don't gain 23 more pounds!

A Baby Named "No"

2009-07-31T10:17:00.003-04:00

This morning I asked Millie what her baby doll's name was. She responded with a loud and certain "No!" This is the baby she slept with for the first time last night. When Matt went to check in on her late last night, he said Millie was still holding strong onto "No. She was holding her tight this morning when she woke up, through breakfast, while playing outside and during our walk around the neighborhood, too. I wonder if "No" will wind up being one of those security toys that moms talk about.

Camden's Nursery

2009-07-27T10:30:00.004-04:00

Here are some photos of our nearly completed nursery. The room is so small. It was hard to get a good picture of it all in one photo. Putting his letters on the wall above his crib is all we have left to do!

The first photo is the nursery entry way. Because it is also being used as a guest room there was really no other way to arrange the crib. The entry is kind of a tight squeeze but gives the room a nook-type feeling, I think.

We re-finished my old wicker toy chest for more storage which was very nostalgic for me. I found the throw pillows and dog frames from TJMaxx which gives it a clean look and coordinates the furniture together.

As you can see, we did not go with a traditional dresser for him. We kept the metal bookcase we had that use to hold Matt's school books and moved Matt's books into another bookcase in the living room. Then I just used baskets to hold all his clothes, diapers, burp cloths, etc.

The closet happens to be crammed with all of our winter clothes, luggage, and maternity clothes. Needless to say, we have limited storage space. We originally thought about putting shelving or sconces on either side of the two dog frames but we still needed a place to store Matt's guitars. So we decided to hang the guitars up instead. It keeps them away from babies' hands yet easily accessible.

Update on Pregnancy (almost 8 months)

2009-07-22T11:00:00.004-04:00

I'm 31 1/2 weeks along in my pregnancy and really have only 6-8 more weeks to go until our baby boy's birthday! I definitely feel like my belly is so big and it's really hard to imagine and remember just how much bigger this baby can grow. Right now, he's about 3 lbs and measuring about 16 inches long. I'm praying for a 6-pounder like Millie was when she was born. That would give me another easy delivery. Certainly, the Lord will answer that prayer, right?

We have decided on his first name, Camden. The name came from one of Matt's pediatric patients whom he treated. Matt shared the name with me and we both agreed it's perfect. It's unique, Southern, and a name he can grow with. If you google his name, the name, Camden, doesn't have a specific meaning. We like the idea of Camden defining his own self and are so interested to see what he will be like. We're not sure yet what his middle name will be, but I'm thinking it will be a family name.

His room is nearly ready. Thankfully we were able to find his crib, and the room is already painted a pale Carolina blue. I was really stuck on bedding until yesterday. Millie and I took a trip to BRU and I decided to go with a baby blue minky dotted bumper and cotton baby blue dust ruffle. The fitted sheet has matching blue, sage and chocolate polka dots on white. Sense was knocked into me when I realized this room also needs to serve as a guest bedroom. I couldn't/wouldn't go too wild with the decor. Next I'm getting a rug, wall decor and pillows (for the sofa bed) to liven up the room and bring in the greens and browns. A trip to Pier One, TJ Max and/or Lowes (surprisingly) should have what I'm looking for.

My next doctor's appointment is on the 27th then we'll really see just how big he's gotten.

Morris-Crews Wedding Weekend

2009-07-16T16:32:00.004-04:00

Last weekend we traveled down to Charleston for Matt's sister Katie's wedding. We have been so excited about this weekend since their engagement because it was at the beautiful and peaceful Middleton Place Plantation. We stayed there at their Inn which was such a bonus. If you clicked on the link, you'll notice the front page picture of Butterfly Lakes and that big open field. That's where the ceremony was held and it was perfect! Katie looked so so pretty, of course. Everyone at the reception can vouch that Millie danced the night away. She stopped a few times to rest her head on my shoulder, get her second wind, eat a couple of strawberries and then back on the dance floor. She was Miss Independent and kept up with whatever the big kids were doing.

Also during the weekend, we picked up Baby 2's crib because I couldn't find it here in Fayetteville and got to have lunch with our friends, Lisa, Josh and their 2-year-old Miles. Miles and Millie got cozy in the van.

The weekend was perfect! Matt and I have been to over 50 weddings together, and they never get old. Its like we're renewing our vows at each and every ceremony. Funny enough though, this time I was a little distracted with our 1 year old on my lap trying to keep her still and quiet.

We've got two more weddings in this year, both in October- my cousin Jonathan's and my sister' Lauren's!! Woohoo!

It's just like me not to have any important pictures like of the bride and the ceremony. I left that to the professionals.

Millie turns 16 months old!

2009-07-14T10:44:00.004-04:00

This month has been full of fun events and experiences. We've taken trips to James Island, Myrtle Beach, Columbia and Charleston. We've celebrated her cousin Andie's birthday party at Chuck E Cheese's and stayed out late on the fourth of July and Aunt Katie and Uncle Kevin's wedding. Millie's hair has grown and size 18 month clothes are actually fitting now. She's different in many more ways this month:
- She's feeding herself with utensils when we put the food on the fork or spoon.
- She can wear pigtails and bows can last up to an hour if she doesn't see herself in a mirror first.
- She's got some funky dance moves including stomping and head bopping.
- She's got an obvious singing voice- big contrast from her regular talking voice, and sings in her own words quite often.
- "No, no, no" is her favorite phrase and a sign of her alter ego. For example, Millie knows she's not supposed to get into Bella's dog bowl. On times when I find her with a handful of Bella's food, she'll simultaneously shake her head and say "no, no, no." Her mind says no but her body does the opposite. It's hard to keep a straight face to discipline, but directly to time out she goes.
- Speaking of time out, we use her crib to remove her from the mess she's made and to give us some time to clean up. We are using the timer to indicate when her "time out" period is over, usually after 5 minutes. Millie is over the crying stage of being put in time out... she'll just talk to herself until we come to get her and explain in one-year-old terms what she's done wrong and what we expect next time. Hopefully consistency will pay off in this arena.
- She's substituting the word "yes," with a big teethy smile.
- Because she's climbing on everything she's also more effective at getting down from the couch and stairs. We're looking into purchasing an outdoor climber/slide before baby boy get's here.
- She's understanding and working on the "sit and push with her legs" concept on the her fire engine and lion.
- Mommy's little helper likes to clean up however tends to get more distracted to play with each toy she picks up so it takes a little longer, and the Lord is working on my patience in this category.
- Her newest word is "Mommy, Mommy," which I adore!
- She's stacking cups and playing with legos now.
- If we ask her to point to something, she will, or she'll grab our hands and show us what she wants.
- She drinks all her milk now.
- New favorite veggie is Avocado... is that a veggie or a fruit? I don't know.
- Her favorite show is Blues Clues which also accompanies us on long trips in our minivan!
- In the last week, she'll hold up her finger when you ask her how old she is.
- She's clucking with her tongue and makes fish kisses with her lips.

This may very well be the last full month with just Millie since the baby is due on September 19 (we're hoping he arrives early). Our schedule is open so we should be spending lots of time outside, in the pool and out with friends. Fun!

Photos from Myrtle Beach with Family, July 2, 2009

2009-07-12T20:36:00.002-04:00

Fish Faces

2009-07-08T21:12:00.002-04:00

Millie's got a new trick! Her Daddy taught her this one during dinner this evening. She's such a little entertainer!

Downtown Charleston

2009-06-28T21:22:00.005-04:00

We were in Downtown Charleston over the weekend. We were ill-prepared for Millie to take a dip in the fountain so needless to say Millie was not so happy when her dip was short-lived. Poor Matt was getting too wet to let her dive right in. The bottom picture displays her sad tantrum afterwards.

The Citadel

2009-06-28T21:20:00.002-04:00

At the Citadel, enjoying a walk on the grounds. Millie's running everywhere she goes now so the parade deck was the perfect place for her. I think she made it to the other end in less than a minute.

Visiting Laura and Josh in James Island

2009-06-28T21:15:00.005-04:00

Our vacation continued as we traveled to James Island in our new mini-van, "Pearl." Here we are at Folly Beach after dinner at Taco Boy on Folly Beach. Millie got soaked and made friends with everyone on the shore. I got a couple of videos I'll post soon on youtube. Such a social butterfly, she is. I have a feeling we're going to have our hands full when she's a teenager. No fear and so talkative. Sounds like someone I know :)

Swimming at the Grandparents' House

2009-06-28T21:05:00.003-04:00

Each June the residents get a week or two off to graduate the second years and promote the first years. We are officially half way through this thing. Yippee!

So, we decided to take advantage and visit with Matt's parents and sister in Columbia. The pool was a very comfortable 85+ degrees and the weather was perfect. Millie liked the pool but preferred to roam the backyard, follow the cat and climb the steps more than anything.

During one of our evenings, Matt and I got a date night. We had an hour to kill before our movie so we skipped over to Carmax to look at minivans. This inevitably started the series of events which led us to purchasing our Sienna, not from Carmax... but thanks for the test drive! It's funny to think that we might not have gotten a new car had it not been for the early arrival to the movies. But, really, I don't think we would have had a better time to do it. Millie wasn't with us and we didn't have another baby in tow which is what I was envisioning if we had waited until after our boy got here. I would not have been a happy camper and I know for sure we wouldn't have gotten the deal we did. Six hours of negotiation and a free lunch later, were were the proud owners of "Pearl."

Van Power!

2009-06-24T20:31:00.002-04:00

"Brooke, Matt, you just found out you'll be a family of four! What are you going to do next?"

We're buying a new car! Here it is! Proud new owners of a 2006 Toyota Sienna. We've now joined the van bandwagon. We love it!

We're Professionals

2009-06-14T22:13:00.002-04:00

Millie's 15 months old today!

2009-06-11T11:42:00.008-04:00

Millie is 15 months old today, and the days go by faster and faster each month. It seems like just yesterday that we sold our Hanahan home and moved to Ft. Bragg, but it was exactly a year ago! Twelve months later, Millie is a new kid... no more baby :( Here's what Millie's been up to this month:
-first five freckles have shown through. I'm waiting for some spots to appear on her nose like Matt and I had when we were kids, but none yet.
-finally, has two teeth on top to make a total of four. one lateral and one central.
-dances and moves correctly to "If you're happy and you know it...". She learned that in her music class.
-her hair has gotten a lot longer and I'm not sure how to tame it.
-she's climbing on anything
-she's likes to un-velcro her shoes
-she can climb and sit on chairs her size
-she's learned to say words like "basketball" and "boo"
-she's signing so much more effectively now. The other day, I said thank you to someone and she signed it without me prompting her to do it. The parroting begins...
-She talks a lot in her own language.
-She knows and points to mostly all her body parts, recently she learned elbow and knee.
-We joined a book exchange and got a book in the mail called "Busy Baby: First 100 words." There's photos of animals and people in it. It's her new favorite book and she takes it to bed with her. Matt went in to get her Saturday morning and found her flipping through the pages in her crib.
She is still such a joy to be around. In Millie's 16th month she's got her cousin Andie's 5th birthday party and her Aunt Katie's wedding! Such a social calendar already!

Baby Boy Ultrasound at nearly 25 weeks

2009-06-08T10:14:00.003-04:00

Our baby boy is growing so fast. I can't believe we're more than half way through this pregnancy. Keeping up with a pre-toddler makes time fly! I had another ultrasound last Thursday from the request of my OB who said they didn't get a good picture of his heart. I was glad to go back in to see our baby one more time (probably the last time before his birthday). The heart looked great as we knew it would- all four chambers, beating at 158 bpm. He was sleeping for the most part during my appointment so he had is legs curled up under him and hid his boy parts. Of course, there's no need to confirm his gender all over again.

I was determined to get a good profile of him this time... as you can see in three of the shots. And the other one is of the front of his face staring straight at the camera. Looks like this little one is going to have our chin. I had to remind myself these pictures are almost skeletal and that chin isn't quite filled out yet, luckily.

I've got my monthly OB appointment this afternoon. Yippee!

FL vacation Pt 2

2009-06-04T11:06:00.004-04:00

I didn't take a lot of pictures at all on this trip for some reason. Hopefully, some family will send pictures they took, especially from the shower (Lauren and Leigh?).

Here are my Dad and Millie at Build-a-bear where each grandkid gets to go for his or her 3rd birthday. We were there for Erin to build her bear, err, Hello Kitty :)

Here's Aunt Lauren trying so hard to keep Millie happy before lunch.

The Tampa Airport has this great indoor playground. Millie learned to go "up" the slide and then eventually, down it.

FL Vacation Part 1

2009-06-04T10:36:00.004-04:00

Millie and I took a trip to FL from May 28-June 3. We spent the first half of the trip with my mom and that family for my brother, Glenn's high school graduation and the second half with Dad and that family for my sister, Lauren's rockin' bridal shower which Leigh and I hosted. We did a fabulous job and I must say the food was stupendous! Millie was a great traveler and has jumped back into the swing of our routine already this morning. I on the other hand am feeling the drawbacks of sharing a seat with a 1 year old on my lap with limited leg space on the plane. But, that's nothing a little rest and relaxation at the pool this afternoon can't fix! Please check my youtube account soon for some funny videos of Millie on the plane ride and Millie saying her(my) new favorite word.

Millie busy with mommy's trash on the plane(be sure to watch that video).
Leigh and I at Glenn's graduation

Happy day for Mom and Glenn
Where we found Millie most days at my Mom's house at the bottom step. She liked the challenge of trying to climb over and seemed to be content going up and down the one step.
Millie and her new kitchen! Isn't that an awesome garage sale find courtesy of my YaYa?! And thanks to Leigh and her van, it made its way to our house this morning!