Teeth!!!

The last few weeks, well, a month to be honest, Camryn as been miserable with a capital M!! At first she was sick, to the point where she was so  stuffed up she couldn't sleep unless we held her almost upright, and then when we thought she was getting over that, we found the telltale signs of swollen white gums... Her first tooth popped through on March 27th, and the second followed one week later. For the last  few days I've started to recognize my happy little girl again, thank goodness!  I can see three more on the horizon, but at least I know what to expect this time! I remember Connor being a little cranky when teething, but nothing like this!!!  She looks pretty cute with her new chompers though, am I right?

I guess her new teeth made her want to try out some more textured foods -  she's been really wanting to chew things lately! So, today we made rice for lunch, (always a hit with my picky boy Connor!), and it was a giant hit with Camryn as well, as you will see!

She seems to really LOVE food (just like her mama!) so I am hoping she won't get the picky gene that Connor seems to have, although he's been doing some good eating of late also!

He's especially loving all the candy the plethora of Easter Bunnies brought him, thanks to three sets of Grandparents, and some Aunts and Uncles that also love to spoil! But, even more than chocolate, he likes hunting for Easter eggs! We had to do it two mornings in a row!

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Earlier this morning Connor was very eager to play with his dump truck, he will sit on it and ride around on it, but every time he'd drive by Camryn, she'd giggle and reach out to grab it, so, with much nervousness and trepidation, I gently placed Camryn into the dump truck, and let Connor her push her around. I have never seen her smile so big, or giggle so loud! My nervousness subsided enough that I got my wits together and grabbed the camera. Connor actually really seems to shine when he feels 'responsible' for his little sister. He kept saying, "Don't worry Mom, I won't dump her out!" and he even filled the truck with toys for her to play with during her ride!

(Yes, this is what my living room always looks like! I clearly need some better toy storage, or better yet, a playroom!)

One of my goals for this summer is to take the kids out for a bike ride each day, in the hopes of losing that Mommy Tummy! We have a bike trailer, and we bought helmets for the kids to wear, but, Connor's just barely fits, and Camryn's is clearly way too big!

Are helmets mandatory in these things? Being as it's been nearly a decade since I have ridden a bike, I'd feel much better if they were both wearing them, but, what good is a helmet that doesn't fit?

Bathtime fun, and a little look back...

Connor and Camryn are becoming closer and closer each day. Camryn is so enamored with Connor; her face literally lights up when he walks runs into the room! As much as I want Camryn to stay a cuddly little baby, part of me is looking forward to the fights that will come between them, because with that will come a lot of fun, and an incredible bond, I am sure!


I've got a blogging friend with beautiful twin girls (Hi Lissa!) and when I read her posts and watch the videos and pictures, I sometimes wonder if I had my kids too far apart, and will they ever share a bond like her twins do? Well, obviously twins have that a special bond that comes from being together from the very moment of conception, but each day I can see Connor and Camryn getting that bond as well, and becoming more and more like 'siblings' then the big boy and the baby blob! Camryn is becoming more and more of a little person, and Connor is starting to interact with her as such... and well, it's adorable!

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I always told myself that no one would ever see this picture, but I'm really starting to love it - it sums up the way I felt the day Camryn was born so effectively, that I finally had to share it:

This picture was taken shortly after I got out of the recovery room, when I am holding Camryn for the first time. If you've read Camryn's birth story, you know that it was a pretty intense event! As they were wheeling me back to my room, covered in warm blankets to help stop my shaking, I was crying like I never have before! I remember taking Kleenex from a box they had placed on my chest saying, "I don't know why I'm crying, I'm happy!!"  In this picture I'm talking to my mom, and telling her Camryn's name. Her middle name, Mina, is after my mom, whose name in Dutch is Harmina.  Derek and I have had this name picked out since we were pregnant with Connor, and, a small part of me knew I had to be having a girl this time, because I knew I had to name her after my mom!  I see so many emotions in my face here... relief, joy, exhaustion, and yeah, probably even some disappointment about having another C-Section. 

I think that's what made me post this today, actually. I still need to come to terms with the fact that I will never birth a baby the way my body was meant to. In the end, how my beautiful babies got here is pretty insignificant, and even though I know that, I still struggle with feeling like I have missed out. I still think about this often, and hopefully, over time, I will find my peace with it.

More food, and more fun!

On Monday we had Camryn's 6 month check up, and also a weight check for Connor.

Connor's doing well - he was 28 pounds and change, and just over 36". he's gaining slow and steady, as per usual! He's been a pretty good eater these last few days, more willing to try new things, so I'm considering that a giant leap in the right direction!

He's still loving school, and will ask pretty much every morning if today is a school day! He no longer even hesitates when I leave, he just says, "Bye Mom!" and heads of to play! I've been asked to take on the role of Treasurer for the Preschool next year as well! It's a little intimidating, but I'm going to meet the current Treasurer next week and learn the process! I'm excited to be involved in Connor's school, but hoping I don't get overwhelmed once I go back to work out of the home, also.


Connor and Camryn are starting to play together, and it's pretty adorable! Connor will head over to give Cam a toy or dance and sing for her if she's unhappy and I can't get right to her. It's so nice to see the love between them grow! I think that Connor is finally realizing that she is a person and not just a blob that cries and poops! (Though he still does ask for 'the pink stuff' (aka the Febreeze spray) when he gets a whiff of her dirty diaper!!

 

  

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Camryn's appointment went well also! She's 14 pounds and half an ounce, which is almost a full pound less than Connor was at 6 months. (Why do I continue to compare them? I don't know!) The Dr. gave us the go ahead to feed Camryn anything that I want to (no dairy, of course!) saying that there is no correlation between delaying foods, and the likelihood of an allergy developing. He said peanut butter, eggs, chocolate, all of those things were okay, as long as the consistency was appropriate for her.  I still think I will hold of on those things until a year though, there's so many other things I want her to try first, anyway!

So, I made her some steamed apples, pureed and then strained to an absolutely silky perfection... i added just the right hint of cinnamon...they were divine, if I do say so myself! I had given Camryn a slice of apple to suck on while I was making them, and she went absolutely batty for it, so I was just giggling with the anticipation of how happy she would be to try my applesauce! I mean, she devours rice cereal like it's going out of style, so this has got to be a step up, right???

Wrong!!! She acted as if I gave her a lemon!!! She kept opening her mouth up for more but would give this unpleased face after every bite! Of course, when I think about it, it's the first thing she's ever eaten with a real taste, so I bet it was pretty overwhelming for her! I now add it into her rice cereal, and all is well again!

 

  

  

We've also started using the bath ring for her, and now she and Connor can bath together without me in there,(without me in the tub, I mean, I'm obviously still in the bathroom! I reread that and realized I sounded completely negligent!) and I think they have a pretty good time! I have to use a towel to keep her from slipping, but I think she's totally loving having a little more freedom! 

Well, that's about it for now! Looking forward to spring, and being able to have the kids outside together!

They're growing up!

 

It seems like the kids got bigger in the last few weeks. 

Camryn: We started her on rice cereal this week, and she loves it so much, it's incredible! She will literally giggle when she sees the spoon come towards her! It's such a far cry from Connor who would only swallow rice cereal by accident! Camryn has been eagerly groping at our food for over a month now, so I finally gave it a try! I had always planned on waiting until she was 6 months old, but I feel bad now, like I should have started it a month ago! She was Definitely ready!

  

She's also almost completely sitting unsupported! She does great until she tries to reach for something that is a little too far away! She's had a few soft bonks on the head, but she's a tough little chicklet!

Connor: He's doing excellent in school, and he loves it very much! The teacher has commented on his excellent verbal skills, and how well he keeps up with the other kids, most of which are almost a year older. This of course, makes me pretty much as proud as can be!  

On the other hand though, well, he's three! He's becoming VERY assertive and headstrong. Stubborn like his father, and dramatic like his mother! I've had to carry him kicking and screaming into the van with no coat and shoes more times than I can count - he just refuses to cooperate sometimes, much to my dismay! 

He's a ham though, and I love his silly sense of humor and how he never forgets a thing!

Here he is making a "grumpy" face. And yes, his shirt IS on backwards, because he wanted it that way! 

And here's my happy man... I must have said "monkey butt" because that's pretty much the only way to get a natural smile! Yep - he's 100% boy!

Oh yes, I did it!

I got Camryn's ears pierced! She's exactly 5 months today, and I had an appointment to get Connor's hair cut because he starts preschool February 1st.(Can you believe it?!?!?) and they do ear piercing  there and well.... here she is!

She handled it like a champ! Of course, she cried a little, but it was not much different than her vaccinations, and much less traumatic than all the bloodwork she needed when they were testing for her milk allergy. She doesn't even notice when you touch them for cleaning or anything!

 I went back and forth about doing this ever since she was born. I think it looks just adorable, and yet, it didn't seem right to put her through pain just so I could see how cute she looked with earrings. But, I guess my curiosity won out, plus I wanted her to get them before she would be messing around with them herself, and I could take care of all the cleaning and it would just be done with! I am a fan of piercings(I've had 9 myself) so I guess I was a bit biased!

 I also got her weighed today - she is 13lbs 4.5oz, and 25.5 inches, which is slightly smaller in weight than Connor was(13lbs 12oz) and the exact same in length.

Happy 3rd Birthday Connor!

For some reason this birthday felt like a big one to me. Connor is turning in to a 'big kid' right before my eyes, and is so wonderful and so terrifying all mushed in together!

Maybe it's especially emotional for me now that I have Camryn and I remember that Connor used to be as small as she is.  It's amazing to see the beginning again, when it seems like an eternity ago that Connor was a baby.

This year we celebrated with dinner out at Chuck-E-Cheese on Connors actual Birthday, with our good friends Beth and Jamie.

Connor had a really good time, and wanted to play rather than eat, which is pretty much the essence of what is Connor.

We waited to open presents until after we got home, even though it was already a late night!

  

I actually wasn't planning on even making Connor a cake, since he doesn't really eat cake, but at the last minute I thought I could make a cake that resembled a piece of lego, and with Connor's help, I think it turned out not too shabby!

Connor had been asking for a soccer ball for his birthday, even going as far as to explain that he woudl know just which one it was because it would be wrapped like a circle! Well, of course we had to oblige!

I think Connor may still need a little practice with it though - something to work on when the weather turns nice!

All in all, Connor's third Birthday was a great success! It was fun seeing him really understand what it meant! If you ask him when his birthday is, he can tell you it's January 12th! We also celebrated at Auntie Theresa and Uncle Gord's house on the 16th of January. It was a combined party for all the January birthdays in our family: Mine- January 9th, Uncle Gord, January 11th, Connor - January 12th, Derek's - January 15th, and Emree, Connor's cousin, January 22!

Connor learns to skate!

Despite it being fairly chilly New Year's day, we decided it was as good a time as any to get Connor out on his new skates! He did so well! I was very proud of my little man!

 

  

Derek is apparently wearing the helmet to set a good example for Connor, but he admits to me that he feels it nessecary to protect his brain because it's been nearly a decade since  he's been on skates!