Back in late June, I took my first major trip and got to go visit my aunt and uncle in Boulder, Colorado. It was a very eventful trip from the eyes of an infant, and a little more mellow for my mom and dad, but I think they had a great time as well. It all started on a Wednesday night. My mom got off work early, so we headed up to Portland well before dark and settled into my Auntie Jenn and Uncle John's loft that they were kind enough to let us use. There were lots of cool new toys there that I got to play with!
Being as there was not a crib there, I got to sleep in the bed with mom and dad. Which is always great, but then they woke me up at 3:40 in the morning! They are always complaining about me not sleeping enough at night, so why in the world did they wake me up? Whatever. They kept me up, mom gave me some milk, then they packed me into the big overnight backpack and we went walking down the city streets for about a mile. Mom was carrying me and my carseat (which was weird) and dad had this huge suitcase and another backpack that he looked like he was struggling with a bit. At any rate, then we loaded onto this thing that was kind of a cross between a bus and a train. I was pretty tired, but this was all so new, I just couldn't fall asleep. This thing (I heard my parents call it a MAX) took us to a HUGE building with so many people and lights where everyone was carrying suitcases like my daddy.
We waited on a long line, then another long line, then I got to play on the floor for a while, then we got on another line and into another strange machine where lots of adults were sitting in chairs all facing the same direction. By this point, I was so exhausted, I just curled up on mommy's chest and fell asleep. After I woke up, I was still in the same place and just got to play on my mom and dad's laps for the next two hours. They kept making all this fuss about what a good kid I was being. We got off the first machine (a lot of people used the word airplane) and onto another one just like it where I got to play on their laps and giggle at kids behind me for another hour or so. When we got off that one, we walked out to where a bunch of cars were and this guy who looked strangely familiar to me picked us up and we drove in the car for a while - I think I slept some of the way.
Finally we got to a house, but it wasn't my house. It was smaller, and really hot. Mom set me on the floor (did I mention I hadn't had a proper nap since 3:00 AM and I've become really attached to mom and dad and I was in all kinds of strange places in one day). I mean she just plopped me on the floor with no warning and all of a sudden these two strange (yet also familiar) faces swooped in on me and gave me big goofy grins. I didn't know what to do, so I cried. Hard. Mom had the sense to pick me back up and get my used to the place first before doing that again.
Later in the day we took a walk to a park which was really fun. I got to swing, play in the grass and daddy even let me play on the big kid toys that are made of metal and rock back and forth. Well, I got so excited, I moved quicker and stronger than dad was expecting and fell flat on my face onto that metal. Man that hurt. I sure got a lot of attention from mom and dad though. There was lots of talk about blood and scars though. So I cried some more. Hey - I'm just a baby.
The next day, I felt a little more like myself finally getting a full night's sleep in a crib. After being given asparagus for breakfast (yuck, what was that all about?) We headed out late in the morning and went for a long dayhike, up in these rally cool mountains called the Flatirons. They are just right outside of Boulder and apparently a very popular area as there were lots of other people and lots of other babies in backpacks like mine. It was a fine hike and I got to spend most of the time on Uncle Carl's back. It's hot there in Colorado. I'm glad I get to ride everywhere I go - those adults sure were sweating a lot. I took a nap towards the top. I know, I can sleep anywhere!
On the way up:
I guess this is why this area got the name Flatirons, although Daddy likes to call them FlatTrons.
After having lunch, we decided we'd better hurry down. Boulder is notorious for it's afternoon thunderstorms, and the skies were getting dark. Daddy carried me this time, and he made good time, but we weren't quite fast enough. Just as we got out of the trees the rain started. And it came down hard. And then it turned to hail. I know I have a nice pack and all, and it has a cover on it, but it doesn't have covers on the sides and the hail was coming in sideways at me. And it hurt and it was cold, and I didn't like it. So I cried. A lot. All I had on were shorts and a short sleeve top! But they got me in the car fast and I felt better pretty soon after that.
Camden "wrote" this about two months ago, and that is where things have stayed. I had some time today to see if I couldn't get things caught up before Cam's first birthday. That's right, I said FIRST birthday. Our little munchkin is almost one year old already if you can believe it. So I'm going to blow through things here and just hit the highlights of the last four months.
The rest of our Boulder trip was great. Paul joined us for the weekend and we all did an amazing overnight hike in an area called Peaceful Valley which is just over an hour outside of Boulder and at the edge of the Rockies. Camden did great (aside from a little trouble in the middle of the night) and the scenery was absolutely stunning.
The Rockies and approaching the meadow where we would set up camp.
My brothers and I in a pretty amazing valley.
Chillin around camp:
We were pretty relaxed for the rest of the trip, just hanging at Carl's. We spent an afternoon at the local river and Carl and Keith took a short inner tube ride down some rapids that were raging a lot higher than average for this time of year. It was an uneventful ride home. Cam did great again and on the MAX back in Portland he was an absolute freak and screamed in joy the whole way home. The other people on the train thought it was amusing at first, then I'm sure it got old. By the time we walked in our door at midnight, Gracie was waiting for us and did her usual "talking". Camden was so tired and disoriented he looked at her and started crying uncontrollably grabbing onto me for dear life. By the morning all was back to normal.
Fourth of July was a nice weekend. We had great weather, lots of the cousins showed up and I felt like I actually had some down time for a change. No crazy adventures or stories to tell. Lots of eating, swimming and playing with the baby.
Camden's first swim in the Smith River.
Are we singing off key?
Breakfast.
July was pretty uneventful. After maternity leave wiped out my PTO, any little vacation I take has to be followed by some solid work to build up a little more time off. Reading through my journal, I noted that this was about the time we decided we had to let Camden cry it out. Up until this point (he is about 8 months old at this time), he was still waking at 12:00, 2:00 and then 5:00 or 6:00. We would coddle him back to sleep for two of those wakings, and I would feed him on the other one. We thought 8 months was enough of that, and decided the only solution was to let him cry. Keith was nice enough to take that on as I give in way too easily. So he sat up with him and after about two or three nights of crying for about 20 minutes, he was sleeping from 8:00 PM until about 5:00 or 6:00AM. I'd feed him at that point, and usually take him back into bed with me for another little snooze.
Fourth of July was a nice weekend. We had great weather, lots of the cousins showed up and I felt like I actually had some down time for a change. No crazy adventures or stories to tell. Lots of eating, swimming and playing with the baby.
Camden's first swim in the Smith River.
Are we singing off key?
Breakfast.
July was pretty uneventful. After maternity leave wiped out my PTO, any little vacation I take has to be followed by some solid work to build up a little more time off. Reading through my journal, I noted that this was about the time we decided we had to let Camden cry it out. Up until this point (he is about 8 months old at this time), he was still waking at 12:00, 2:00 and then 5:00 or 6:00. We would coddle him back to sleep for two of those wakings, and I would feed him on the other one. We thought 8 months was enough of that, and decided the only solution was to let him cry. Keith was nice enough to take that on as I give in way too easily. So he sat up with him and after about two or three nights of crying for about 20 minutes, he was sleeping from 8:00 PM until about 5:00 or 6:00AM. I'd feed him at that point, and usually take him back into bed with me for another little snooze.
It was heaven, but it only lasted a couple weeks, then he got sick, then we went up to Gig Harbor, then he got sick again, then we got lazy, and then he got sick again - this time leading to an ear infection (he had a string of colds with a mild case of roseola thrown in there somewhere) and we were pretty much right back where we started. So about two weeks ago, we put the proverbial foot down again, let him work it out on his own, and now he's back to sleeping straight on through until about 6:00 or so. The nice thing about this kid (since I can't seem to get myself to bed before midnight) is that he'll go back to sleep after that early morning feeding allowing me a couple more hours of shut eye at what is always my groggiest time.
So that's the story on sleep. For a while there I was wondering if I'd ever get 6 hours of sleep in a row again let alone 8. There is a light way off there at the end of that tunnel.
Misc summer pics:
About 8 months old. Backyard bath.
Just over 9 months and checking out the garden.
What is so funny?
Reading. Yes, that is one of the favorites and we have it memorized.
Just before Bea left for Italy. Mid-August.
In late July I journeyed up to the Seattle area and made it to our annual girls' hike. It was a tradition started about 10 years ago back in Bellingham, WA as a bachelorette 'party' where just the girls went out on an overnight backpack trip. We try to make it happen every year whether we are celebrating an upcoming wedding or not. With babies and busy lives, the group is always a different one, but always a fun one. I hemmed and hawed about going as it was a long drive for me and I was still breastfeeding and everything seems so much harder with a wee one. With Keith's support (my manny), I was able to make it happen. I debated on taking Cam with me on the hike, but decided I had enough milk stored up and packed up my obnoxiously heavy (yet efficient), battery operated breast pump and left the baby with Dad and had some great girl time on the trail.
Camden got to chill with this big kid while the mommies were away. What a doll.
I'm glad I didn't bring Camden as the hike was kind of steep, there were a horrendous amount of mosquitoes and we spent part of our evening in the midst of an impressive thunder and lightening storm. Despite that, it was a gorgeous hike, we had plenty of DEET and the rains didn't hit until right after dinner. It is always great to see those girls and so hard to believe a whole year goes by before I can see most of them again.
The girls. Who are very adept, I must say, at shielding rangers from pumping moms!
The dog.
The view. Cathedral Peak.
Camden did a two week stint of "swim lessons". Should be called "getting your baby used to the water" lessons. He did great, and we lucked out with the weather as it was at an outdoor pool. He wasn't too fond of the water slide though.
In early August (Cam is now almost 9 months) we drove back up to Washington again and gathered at my parents' place with my brothers and their ladies. The weather did not cooperate, but we still had a fine time. We forced ourselves out to the lake for a swim even though the sun didn't come out, played games, and of course stared at and played with the baby. On this trip he started to let go of furniture and hands and would stand temporarily on his own. His other skills at this stage are unpacking things (especially laundry baskets), spinning things, banging things together or on the floor, and playing peek-a-boo. And he LOVES being chased...especially after bath time.
Family at the lake.
Brothers.
Camden exploring mom and dad's back yard.
Cool little canoe trip on the way home.
Somewhere around this time we also started him in daycare. We held off as long as we could, but Keith picked up a couple big projects and it became a necessity and financially made sense to do so. He did surprisingly well - the staff says he is an easy baby and mostly sits around and plays all day. I attribute his increase in illness to being there of course and the only other downfall is he really doesn't nap well there. But overall, we are happy with the place and think it is good for him to have that exposure.
Mid August, John, Jenn and Bea left for Italy for 2 months and my mom came down to house and dog sit for them. Great to have my mom down, sad to have our dear friends gone for so long. It was really nice for my mom to get to spend so much time with Camden - she feels a little badly being so far away, so this was a great chance for her to really bond with him. Keith continued to work full time, so she was the daycare lady most days. About this time, Camden's language skills really started to pick up. His first sign was "round and round". John and Jenn have big ceiling fans that he loves to stare at and he started moving his hand around in a circle every time we would say round and round. He has been saying "dodgee" (dog) for a while but around this time started blowing out his nose and making a grunt every time he saw a dog (his version of a woof or bark).
On September 1 (Cam is 9 1/2 months old), he took his first unaided steps! And we were lucky enough to get it on video.
A couple weeks went by where he didn't do much else besides walk while pushing a walker, or creep along furniture but then by the time he was a little over 10 months old, he was walking with purpose, that being his preferred mode of travel. Now, he is not even a year old yet, and sometimes we have a hard time keeping up with him, and it is scary how fast and how quietly they can move. You can't let your guard down for a second.
September 5-6, Mom, Cam, Keith and I went to bits and pieces of the Eugene Celebration. A weekend of music, arts and food. We heard some good music and got some nice photo ops for Cam.
The Ken Kesey bus!
September 9-15 my Aunt Irene (my one and only aunt) came for a visit from New York. She had a grand ol time hanging out with Camden and probably was the instigator of his now almost obsession with books. Just before she got here, he was really starting to get interested in books and was quickly developing a couple favorites. His behavior was borderline OCD (we tease) because you could never stop reading them to him (or god forbid he would cry) or if you grabbed the wrong book, he'd throw a fit. Aunt Irene mailed him a whole box of beautiful books (some of which are now his favorites) and had no problem reading to him all day long. The two of them got along great and it is a shame she lives so far away.
Breakfast.
While she was here, we spent a weekend out at the coast at John and Jenn's beach house. It was a lovely weekend (despite the fact that my back had just gone out) and the weather was gorgeous. Camden absolutely loved the beach. He was able to play in the sand this time and didn't feel the need to eat it.
I love this one because it looks like mom is about to fall over, and Camden is rock solid.
The last weekend in September, we left Camden with both grandpas for a night while Keith and I and Melody and my mom and Merv went and saw Lewis Black at the Hult Center. Despite a heckler who barely five minutes into the show yelled out, "You suck Black!" which was then followed by everyone in the audience yelling back and forth and Lewis Black standing on the stage with his head in his hands shaking his head at the idiocy of it all, it was a great show. A clever comedian with hilarious delivery.
Which brings us to October, of which today is the last day of.....Happy Halloween!
The rains have come, the leaves are all falling off the trees, and it gets dark pretty damn early. Not much happened in October, and I am really quite stunned that tomorrow is November. We went on a nice fall hike with my parents to Blue Hole. Keith and I did this hike while I was pregnant and we missed the blue hole effect as there was too much water, so we had been wanting to go back. A very nice, easy, perfect length hike to take an 11 month old on. He still tolerates the big pack, but would much rather be on the ground walking or up high on someone's shoulders.
Tamolitch Falls/Blue Hole a year ago:
The view this time:
A nice ride.
He flies!
He hikes.
Mom and Dad finished up their housesitting duties as of Oct 24 and on Monday I got to see that big girl Bea and her mom again! What a cutie. It's hard to believe these kids keep on getting cuter (even with those ginormous front teeth!). My dad had left earlier and drove to Utah and took a three day canoe trip down a river in a canoe made out of plywood (of my dad's creation) with my brothers. The take-out on this stretch of river was at a point where you had to walk out about five miles and they didn't want to pack a canoe that far, so they traveled on the river in something they could burn at the end. Yep, that's my family for you. No normal vacations thank you very much.
Grandpa also had some good bonding time with both these yahoos.
Mom left last weekend and we (yes, you too Keith) will miss her dearly. She has been wonderful for him. She gets credit for him saying 'meow meow', for grabbing his ear when you ask him where his ear is and for his love of giraffes. And many other amazing skills I'm sure.
Mom and Cam on Spencer Butte.
In the meantime Melody and Dwayne have been back and forth to Eugene several times and have also been instrumental in watching Cam while we both work to minimize daycare needs. He is becoming quite attached to them and always welcomes Melody with open arms and is finally warming up to Dwayne more after a couple days where Dwayne was the sole care provider for a couple hours. Not sure if he's changed a diaper yet, though. Not sure why I don't have more pictures with them in it!
Camden continues to amaze us every day. Everything he does is pretty normal for his age I am sure, but I am still blown away when he says or recognizes a new word, or does some deliberate new action. I could make a list and brag about all the things he does, but god, that would be boring. Oh, all right.....I'll just mention a few that I think are cute or particularly brilliant.
- He recognizes hot things (the fire, something cooking on the stove, a hot cup of tea or coffee) and says "Hot".
- You tell him to bring you his shoes and he starts to giggle, looks around, finds both shoes, picks them up, brings them to you, and falls into your lap so you can put them on. Then as you're putting them on he grunts a little, because I used to make grunting sounds with some of the first shoes that were particularly hard to put on. Then he gets up and walks circles around the house until we go outside for our walk.
- He looks at the clock and says "clock" (Ok, so it sounds like cok...). He also says "truck" when he sees a truck (and this also sounds like cok or cuk).
- He does and recognizes a few signs but only when asked to do them - he hasn't learned to initiate the communication with them yet - some of them are (changing your diaper, bird, round and round).
- He giggles and laughs and then cries when you say "milk" or "eat", because yes, he wants that and he wants it NOW. Yes, he is still a fabulous eater. I think cottage cheese and crackers are his two most favorite things. He will stuff about 10 goldfish in his mouth without hesitation.
- Giggles when he sees his blanket.
- He spit out the binkie months ago and never wanted it again! Yay!
- Says "Ahgee, ahgee" all the time. We have no idea what it means, but we love it.
- In the morning, we all snuggle in our bed together, and he always reaches up to the headboard and grabs my chapstick and pulls the lid off and plays with it for about 20 minutes. He never fails to do this and he never gets tired of it. Very weird.
Although I suppose I should mention that he has some not so flattering traits starting to rear their ugly head, so maybe we'll hold off on the higher education for now. He is starting to fake cry the nanosecond that something doesn't go his way. He throws temper tantrums by flopping his head down onto the floor and crying. He's been out of daycare now for two months with mom being down here, and he is clearly lacking for baby interaction social skills. Now when we go to social situations with other kids and a kid takes a toy away from him, he looks the kid in the eye and does this loud, horrendous, embarrassing-to-be-his-parent scream. Lovely. And tonight, petite, dainty little girl Bea was over (yes, Camden is now taller and bigger than her) and when Camden wants to get by her, he literally pushes her out of the way, sometimes knocking her over. She takes it like a trooper and just looks more stunned than anything. Geesh. How do you teach a one year old some manners? It is very interesting as these two kids grow up to see the boy/girl differences start to show.
I think I'll leave it there and call myself caught up. Clearly he is still the focus of our lives, and we wouldn't have it any other way.
Finally, more pictures.....as always you can see all of them at our Flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/emkeith/ (The link is now also off to the right on this main page).
Ear protection.
Almost 11 months old here.
Drum!
Tiny Tots Halloween Party.
I really get to eat this?
One of our all time favorite pics. The innocence.
Visit to the pumpkin patch.
Sweet.
Family.
