First hike

Some friends called us and invited us on a hike today. How perfect that we had Cameron's new backpack to try out!

We drove out to Point Reyes on this gorgeous (hot) morning and set off on what would be a 5ish mile hike. Since we were so close to the coast, the weather was actually quite lovely. We slathered on the sunscreen and donned our hats. And just like during our test run around the block, Cameron seemed to like it a lot! He was all smiles and giggles for most of the hike. I think he really likes riding up so high.

And it wasn't until we were on our way back to the car that he figured out that he was capable of taking his hat off. ;) I've got to make a chin strap for that hat before our next hike!

Happy Father's Day!

After we got home from the wedding, we enjoyed a late lunch with Chris's parents, and his brother and family. When we got home from lunch, we decided to test out the present that Cameron got for Chris: a backpack carrier so he can go hiking with us. Now he can ride in style!

We just took a little walk around the block, but Cameron was laughing and squealing like it was some big adventure. Hopefully we can try it out for real next weekend!

Happy Father's Day, Dude!

Wedding weekend

A good friend of ours got married this weekend, and Cameron seized the opportunity to get all dressed up. He couldn't let his dad show him up, right?

The bride found an adorable little tux, and after I hemmed the pant legs, it fit Cameron quite well! It was complete with a jacket with tails, bow tie and cummerbund...so cute!

The wedding was a lot of fun. Cameron joined us for the ceremony, and then went to hang out with Grandma while Chris and I enjoyed the reception. I hear he did really well, falling asleep in his Pack 'n Play back at the hotel with almost no hassle. We got back late, and then he was up early (but normal time for him), so we didn't get much sleep. But he impressed everyone (me included) with how well behaved he was, so I consider the weekend a big success. :)

Speaking in tongues

Maybe Cameron likes rubbing his tongue against the tops of his new teeth? I don't know. But we're seeing a lot of this lately:

Looks like he'll be blowing raspberries in no time...

8 months!

 

I can't believe how big my boy is getting. Not just in size; he's looking so grown up these days!

Signing?

For the past few months, each time Cameron has been given milk, we've been doing the sign for it. (It looks very similar to the motion you would make with your hand as you are milking a cow.)

Well, for the past week or so, Cameron has been doing this thing with his hand that looks very much like the milk sign. Only, I'm not sure if he's just playing around with his hand, or he's actually trying to communicate! Sometimes he does it with his hand vertically (like we do), and sometimes he does it with his hand horizontally.

I don't want to miss out on something he's trying to tell me, but surely, he's not hungry as often as he makes that motion. I'm mostly chalking it up to him playing around at this point. But it makes me think that communication really isn't that far away, and that's both exciting and scary!

First "real" haircut

Daddy and son bonding time. :)

Teeth, updated

I was able to snag a picture of Cameron with his mouth open, and when I zoomed in, there were the teeth! They're a little crooked, but I assume they'll straighten out eventually. Neither Chris nor I ever needed braces, so obviously, he won't either. ;)

He's in more pain these days (and nights), and I've resorted to giving him Motrin several nights to help him sleep. Poor guy. Nature can be so cruel!

Road trip!

I was about to hit the ceiling with my vacation time at work, so it was time to take some days off! Chris took a week off too, and we decided to take a road trip down to LA to visit Chris's sister Kelley.

I must admit, I was nervous. Though we had tried, Cameron had never successfully napped in his Pack 'n Play, nor had he slept there overnight (well, since he was swaddled and 3 months old, anyway), and we were going to expect him to do both these things while we were gone. Couple that with a baby who is teething and waking up at odd hours anyway, and I wasn't sure we'd get any rest at all!

The first hurdle was the drive. But, he proved to be very well behaved in the car. Sure, he got fussy at times and we had to stop and walk around at some rest stops, but overall, he did very well. Most of the time Chris and I rode up front together, and occasionally one of us would sit in the back and try to entertain him.

The second hurdle was sleep. Naps did suffer, but nighttime sleep was okay. It took a little longer than usual each night to get him settled down, and then there were periodic wake-ups due to teething pain. The last night we were there I gave him some Motrin before bedtime, and we all slept better that night!

Now, for some pictures!

Once we got down there and settled in at Kelley's house, we played around, and Cam got to meet LouLou. We just took it easy that afternoon.

The next day we took a ride on the little train in Griffith Park.

And then went to the zoo (we had to meet Sophie's relatives, after all!).

The next day we went to the aquarium in Long Beach, where Cameron enjoyed watching all the fishes swim around!

Thanks, Kelley, for hosting us. We had a great time!

We have teeth!

Cameron's two bottom front teeth have finally made their appearance! They are just starting to break through the gums. I tried to get a picture, but he wasn't very cooperative. Heh. I'll try again later.

I've tried giving him some teething tablets, and also put some frozen cantaloupe in a mesh feeder bag for him to chew on. So far, he's dealing with it pretty well. **knock on wood**

Status: congestion

We made it through the winter and flu season unscathed, and for that I'm very thankful. But now, Cameron appears to have his first cold. It's pretty minor, but it's hard to see my baby in any kind of distress!

His nose is very stuffy, so he's doing a lot of breathing through his mouth. This makes it hard for him to eat, so feedings during the past few days have been taking a v.e.r.y long time. But he's still in good spirits, and is still sleeping pretty well at night (thank goodness!).

I've tried saline drops, but they don't seem to help all that much. I just want him to sneeze it all out! Do you think that if I held a tissue in front of his nose he'd know to blow? ;)

He's a swinger, baby

Today my mom, Chris, Cameron and I piled into the car and went to a local park for a baby shower for my sister-in-law. Very close to the picnic area was a playground, and I spied some baby swings. Since Cameron has been having such a good time in the jumperoo, I thought he would probably enjoy the swing too.

And he did!

Rolling

Cameron has been very close to completing a roll from his back to his tummy for a little while now, but today he actually did it unassisted. And since I was working from home today, I actually got to witness it. :)

First Mother's Day

What a wonderful day it was!

Cameron woke me up at 4:30am to eat (not the wonderful part), but then went back to sleep until 7:00. When I came downstairs to get him, I noticed that some presents were waiting for me in the living room (it was too dark at 4:30 to notice!).

One of the presents was a photo mosiac that Chris and Cameron created for me; it's so cool! From far away it just looks like one of the newborn photos we had taken when Cam was 9 days old.


But up close, it's comprised of many of the photos we've taken of Cam thus far.


I love it! I think I'm going to take it to the office with me so I can look at it every day.

Chris made me a yummy breakfast, and Cameron obligingly took a nap so we could eat uninterrupted. :) We visited with my mom for a little while, had a visit from Susan and Gene, and then went out to run some Sunday errands (but we didn't make it to the Farmers' Market because it was too rainy, boo). And we finished off the day with some sushi take out. Yum!

Happy first Mother's Day to me!

Got my hair 'did

A little over a week ago, I got my hair cut for the first time since Cameron was born. And boy was it overdue! Part of the reason that I waited so long was because my trusted stylist picked up and moved to New York. The nerve! And I became overwhelmed with the task of finding a new person to trust, so I procrastinated.

But thankfully, I got a great recommendation for a stylist within walking distance from my office who actually listened to what I wanted! (To be able to wear it curly or straight, with no face-framing layers, and to be able to put it in a ponytail.) Yay!

Before:

After:

7 months!

My little man is getting so big!

This past month we have heard a lot of laughter and a lot of high-pitched squeals. And peek-a-boo is the newest fun game to play. Often when Chris is holding Cameron, I will duck down behind his back and pop up over one of his shoulders or around the side of one of his arms, surprising Cameron by where I choose to reveal myself. He gets a big smile and giggles when he sees me appear; it's quite fun! :)

Cameron is getting much better at eating off a spoon. He's now had apples, butternut squash, peas, carrots, and sweet potato (another attempt, with a different potato!). His favorite thus far seems to be peas.

He is sitting up very well on his own now (with only the occasional topple backward).


And he's consistently rolling from his tummy to his back, though we're still waiting for a complete roll from back to tummy.

He can still fit into some of his 9 month clothing (pants, mostly), but we've had to switch to 12 month onesies and sleepers. Though he's outgrown the 9 month sleepers we had, he doesn't quite fit into the 12 month ones we bought. They are definitely designed for a taller, thinner baby. I figure he'll fit into them eventually, as he gets more mobile he will begin to "thin out". But for now we need to look for something with bigger arm holes and more give in the thighs. :oP