Cami & Noah

Our Little Tarheel

2012-01-31T10:25:00.003-05:00

We were watching Carolina play basketball last Thursday night and Cami ran to get her cheerleading outfit. She loved cheering for the Heels and showing us her moves. We are thinking that this picture is showing what is to come!

Our babysitter Caitlin comes over on Thursday nights for date night for Jonathan & I. Cami couldn't wait to show Caitlin her cheerleading outfit. Caitlin sent us this video of Cami dancing before bedtime! She is dancing to the music from her jewelry box!

Noah News

2012-01-26T15:13:00.002-05:00

Noah continues to be an awesome baby! He is very laid back, on a great schedule, and easy! We are thankful. Noah is eating solids three times a day now and he loves them. He loves to sit in his high chair next to Cami at the table. He laughs the whole time at her! Noah loves his fruit and he doesn't mind veggies if they are mixed with fruit. In the morning I have been putting a banana and a few blueberries in my "Magic Bullet" and he loves it. It's so good that I eat some too! He take two long naps a day and is bed around 7:15 and sleeps almost 13 hours at night.
Santa brought him this...until his feet can touch the ground a pillow works great!
This is Noah's all time favorite activity. He loves his jumper and can spin all around in it. He spends a lot of time in here. Our downstairs only has 2 doors that this can be hooked onto and one of them is the pantry! Yesterday morning as I was getting breakfast ready, he jumped in the pantry and loved it!

Birdhouses

2012-01-23T15:25:00.004-05:00

Ever since my dad put up Cami's bird feeders, she has been concerned about where the birds will live! Birds have discovered our bird feeders in our back yard and we now have at least 20 birds that live in our back yard now. Of course they need a home! On Sunday, Cami went over to Pop's garage and painted 2 birdhouses for them. She painted them both purple and used Bella, my parent's dog, as a stool! She had a lot of fun! Now she wants a place for them a water fountain because she thinks they are thirsty!

First Stitches

2012-01-13T20:09:00.002-05:00

Last Friday Cami fell on her scooter in our cul-de-sac. It landed her 6 stitches on her chin! She was pretty scared and shaken up all the way to the hospital, but as soon as it was time to get stitched up she was perfect! The doctor and nurses said she was the best kid they had ever seen get stitches. She lied perfectly still and was very brave. I also think the pain medicine they gave her was working great! In the above picture she is waiting for her stitches and below is after the stitches!
She gets her stitches taken out on Monday and her chin looks great now. We'll post an after the stitches picture too! She was a tough kid that day!

Noah Laughs

2012-01-11T11:22:00.002-05:00

Noah loves Cami! Whenever she is around his face lights up in a smile. She can make him laugh & smile quicker than anyone. Here's a video of Noah laughing at Cami at lunch yesterday. Cami is calling him "Baby Simba." Simba is the baby lion from the Lion King....it's her name for her brother!

Cami & Pop

2012-01-10T11:19:00.004-05:00

Cameron & my Dad have always loved watching the birds at my parents house. My dad has always had a lot of bird feeders at his house and Cami loves to watch them. For Christmas they gave each other birdfeeders!
Here is my Dad & Cami putting food in her new bird feeder from Christmas. The feeder is right outside her playroom window and she loves to check on the birds!

Christmas Morning

2012-01-10T11:04:00.003-05:00

We had a great Christmas morning with our family of 4! Cami was excited to see what Santa had downstairs. Just like last year, she slept in until almost 8:30 but we enjoy the late start! Cami loved every bit of opening up her stocking, she loves little things and she also found a lot of lip gloss in there which made her happy!
Santa brought Cami a few board games this year and this is her new favorite show, too! She also got new stickers, arts & crafts, a few princesses, a rolling suitcase (what she wanted the most), and a bicycle Barbie (her 2nd most wanted Santa gift).
Here is Cami standing next to her big Santa present....
her very own Rapunzel tower! And of course Rapunzel hair!!! It was hard to take a ton of great pics since we also had a baby to feed and to put down for a nap in the middle of Cami opening her presents! But we had a great time. We played for the morning and then headed to Jonathan's parent's house for Christmas lunch and gifts and then to my parents house for naps, Christmas dinner and gifts. It was wonderful, magical and awesome! Below is a short clip of Cami coming downstairs...she was in awe!

Christmas Eve

2012-01-10T10:43:00.003-05:00

On Christmas Eve we went over to GaGa & Pop's house around 11:00 for a Christmas Eve brunch which was delicious! Wes, Suzanne, Tay, & Will joined us and the kids had a blast playing and getting excited for Santa's arrival that night. I have to get some pics from GaGa! That evening we went to Christmas Eve service at church and brought Pop & GaGa along with us. Cami sat on Pop's lap the entire time and was as happy as could be!
It's hard to see in the picture, but they were handing out sparkle red pipe cleaners for the kids to hold during the service which had a heart on the end of it. Cami held this pipe cleaner up for almost an hour! It was cute to watch!
Our family after the Christmas Eve service (Cami is still holding up her heart!).
A sleepy Noah...
When we got home that night, Cami was able to open one present and it was the present from her Daddy. Jonathan got Cami her first jewelry box with a ballerina in it and a necklace with a cross, her initial, & her birthstone. It was a sweet moment to see her eyes light up as she opened her jewelry box. Cami was super excited that night! She finally went to sleep after leaving cookies & chocolate milk for Santa and carrots & raisins for the reindeer. It is priceless to have kids on Christmas Eve!

Pancakes & Lights

2012-01-10T10:36:00.004-05:00

On Christmas Eve Eve, we decided to start a new tradition. We made breakfast for dinner. Cami loves to help make pancakes and the pic above is her mixing up some chocolate chip pancakes. She took a nap that day in her nightgown and never got dressed!
Noah taking it all in!
After a bath & Christmas pajamas, we had our yummy breakfast and then we packed in the car to look at Christmas Lights! Cami thought it was so much fun and the best part was we just put the kids in bed when we got home! We decided this will be one of our new Christmas traditions!

5 Months Old

2012-01-04T09:45:00.003-05:00

Noah is 5 months old today! It's hard to believe. He continues to be a happy baby all of the time and is an angel. His smile makes you melt and his love for his sister is huge! Here are a few things about Noah at 5 months:
-He takes 2 - 2 hour naps a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
-He sleeps 12+ hours at night, usually 7:30-8:00. The smile he gives you when you go and get him out of his crib is priceless.
-He is eating solids 3 times a day now and loves them! If we are eating and he isn't, he will let us know!
-He is very content to play on his activity mat, with toys on a blanket, or in he excersaucer.
-He isn't trying to roll anywhere yet...I think he is just a content baby that he doesn't care to be on the move...yet!
-He loves his baths at night.
-Everything goes in his mouth!
-He has found his thumb and likes to suck it when he's bored...but doesn't need it to go to sleep.

We love you Noah and are blessed to have you!

Santa Visit

2011-12-21T16:06:00.002-05:00

Cami woke up the other day and told me it was time to go and see Santa! We have had this Santa come to our house for the past 2 years and it has been the best part of Christmas each year. I was looking forward to having him this year too, but he decided not to do house calls this year. I was very sad about that but he is at Triangle Town Center Mall so we knew where to find him!

Cami was so excited to see him that she could hardly stand still! She immediately jumped into his arms when it was our turn and we brought pictures of him & Cami from last year. It was sweet to watch them together! He told us that next year he'd be back at our house for a visit!

After we left seeing him, Cami told me that she forgot to tell him that she loved him! Too sweet! I had our elf, Choo Choo, bring a letter from Santa the next morning and she thought she was a very special little girl!

We are counting down the days until Santa makes his stop this year at our house! Cameron is already planning on leaving him chocolate milk because that is his favorite!

Sweet Noah

2011-12-19T11:40:00.002-05:00

Our sweet Noah is 4 1/2 months old! I couldn't ask for a better baby...he is awesome! Noah is a very laid back boy and hardly even whimpers. He is always happy and content whether he is being held or just watching from a blanket on the floor. Last week he started rolling from tummy to back, but hasn't quite mastered it yet. He loves to grab any toys that are around him and put them in his mouth! Noah is eating baby food and has got the eating thing down! He loves his fruits & veggies. I feel like Noah has been on a schedule since we brought him home form the hospital, but I think that comes from already having one baby and knowing how well we all thrive on a schedule. These days Noah wakes up at 8:00, naps from 9:30-11:30/12, naps again around 2:00/3:30, and then is down for the night at 7:30. He definitely needs a little over 12 hours at night and is sleeping about 4 -5 hours during the day. We are proud that he has learned that we sleep until 8:00 in the morning and doesn't ever wake up earlier! Noah used to like to be held for a few minutes before going down for naps & bedtime, but he now likes for you to give him a hug and a kiss and just lay him down. He quietly drifts off to sleep! Noah's favorite person in our house is his sister Cami. He loves to watch whatever she is doing and she can always bring a smile to his face. Noah loves to sit or stand up with our help and is really enjoying his bumbo seat and exersaucer. We are in love with him and so thankful to have such a good boy!

My Little Shepherd

2011-12-19T11:33:00.002-05:00

Last week Cami had her preschool Christmas program. The 3, 4, & 5 year olds were all in it and the 3 years old were the shepherds! Cami was very worried the night before that she wouldn't be the pink shepherd, but her sweet teachers made sure she got the pink shepherd costume as soon as she walked into school!

It is hard to see Cami but she is on the first row in the middle. They sang 4 songs and the program was precious! She has been singing all of her songs around the house ever since the show and I love to hear her sing these sweet songs about Christmas. I was proud of my little shepherd and so glad that she knows the true meaning of Christmas! She can't wait for Santa and to celebrate baby Jesus!

Some Christmas Pics

2011-12-11T21:36:00.003-05:00

Some Christmasy Pics of the kiddos. My mom and I took some pictures of them the other day dressed in their red & green. I love them so much!!

O Christmas Tree!

2011-12-04T22:19:00.003-05:00

We went to the Ho Ho Forrest (that's what Cameron calls it :)) today and picked out our Christmas tree! Cameron had a blast running through all of the trees and telling us what she liked about each one. We made it home with "the one", lighted it up, and tonight after dinner we decorated it. Cameron was more than excited about each ornament she unwrapped and was thrilled to put them on the tree. I loved having her as a helper this year!
Noah loved looking at the lights and watching his sister working hard! He was in awe of the big tree! What a cutie!
Here's the finished tree! I am sure that ornaments will get played with daily and moved around often, but I am so thankful to have a little girl that is so excited about each and every thing Christmas!

CHOO CHOO

2011-11-30T16:35:00.002-05:00

Choo Choo is our elf. He arrived from the North Pole the day after Thanksgiving this year! Cami wrote him many letters this past month begging for his return. She was very worried that he didn't remember where she lived! She was more than excited when she found him sitting in our snow village with a sticker she had put on him last year! Choo Choo is a great part of Christmas for us and we are happy to see him every morning!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-30T16:04:00.003-05:00

Our Thanksgiving festivities started off with Cami's Thanksgiving feast at preschool. They had a great snack and then made turkeys for their craft.
Cami's favorite part was showing off Noah to all of her girlfriends! They loved tickling his toes.
When we got home, we wrote what Cami was thankful for on each of the turkey's feathers. It was such a cute craft that I will have to remember it for next year!

We celebrated Thanksgiving with both of our families on Thursday and I failed to take a single picture! The Stephens came to our house for lunch and then we went to my mom's cousin's house for dinner. They have horses on their property and a huge wrap around front porch...it is the kind of place where thanksgiving should happen :)! Gobble...Gobble until next year!

15 Weeks Old

2011-11-21T21:08:00.002-05:00

Noah is 15 weeks old! He definitely isn't a newborn anymore! Noah continues to be a chill baby and is a joy to have in our family. Here's to a little update for my little man:

-For the past 2 weeks he has been sleeping almost 12 hours at night. He goes down around 8:00 and we see him around 8:00 in the morning. He wakes up in the morning and talks a bit and then waits for us to come in. I love getting him out of his crib in the morning because he looks up at you and gives you the best grin!

-He is eating every 3 - 31/2 hours during the day and we dream feed him at night around 11:00.

-He takes 2 long naps a day; one in the morning and on in the afternoon. He does take a short nap during lunchtime.

-He is such an easy baby to put down to sleep. Swaddle and love him for a few minutes and he happily drifts off to sleep.

-He is wearing 3-6 month clothes and in size 2 diapers.

-He is in love with Cami! Whenever she is in the room, he follows her with his eyes and she gets him to smile the most!

-He loves playing "pattycake", playing on his activity mat, chilling in his swing, and watching baby einstein!

-He is obsessed with his hand in his mouth these days and can produce some drool :) !

-He wants to sit up so bad! When you hold him he is constantly leaning forward trying to sit up. We have put him in his bumbo seat a few times to continue helping him grow strong.

-He is such a joy and a good baby!

Jonathan and I continue to say that life hasn't changed much by adding Noah to our family. We thought Cami was a good baby, but he is an awesome baby! We look forward to celebrating his first Thanksgiving and Christmas in the next few weeks!

Flower Girl

2011-11-13T21:27:00.002-05:00

Our good friends Cait & Jared got married this past Saturday, 11/12/11. They had an amazing wedding at Fearrington Village and Cami was asked to be their flower girl. She has been more than excited for weeks and the day finally this past weekend. She was precious!
Cait has 8 nieces & nephews that were also a part of the wedding. The girls played ring around the rosie with the bride!
Charlie, Cait's youngest nephew, was the ring bearer. Cami & Charlie were too sweet! They loved playing with each other, holding hands, and as you can see below dancing!
The video below is of Cami dancing before the reception started. She saw the spotlight and the cake and had to have a few twirls for herself!

Thank you Cait & Jared for making one of Cami's dreams come true! She will never forget this day! We pray that God will bless your marriage in amazing ways!

Halloween 1, 2, 3, & 4

2011-11-08T15:22:00.002-05:00

Cami was Ariel for dance class...
Rapunzel for preschool...
Mulan for our neighborhood...
and Sleeping Beauty at GaGa's work! It was a fun week with many costume changes! Her preschool teacher said just wait until high school...she will go to 4 different proms and have different dresses for each!

Big Sis Cami

2011-11-05T23:26:00.004-04:00

Cami adores Noah and he loves her! It is so sweet to watch them together. Noah loves to watch everything she does. Cami always brings him toys, talks to him, sings him songs, and the other day she brought some books and I peeked in the room and saw this...I am so thankful for how sweet she has been to him. We haven't seen any jealousy at all and Cami is always looking out for her brother. I can't wait to see how their relationship grows throughout the years. I am so blessed to have them and so thankful for the love they have for each other! Enjoy them dancing together below!

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T09:59:00.002-04:00

Happy Halloween! We celebrated Halloween yesterday. We started by carving pumpkins with Daddy...we'll post pics of them lit up tonight! Then we had our neighborhood Halloween party. Our neighbors all meet in our cul de sac and each family brings a crock pot of their favorite soup. We all eat dinner together and let the kids run around in their costumes and then it's off to trick or treating. We love it!
Cami & our neighbor Bailey off for some trick or treating!
Cami was Mulan...Disney Princess Warrior. This was her 3rd costume of the week! I will post about all of our events!
Trick or Treating with our neighbors! Halloween 2011 was great...we'll see if Cami makes it out again tonight for Trick or Treating...I have a feeling she will talk us into it!

First Fieldtrip

2011-10-19T16:03:00.004-04:00

Cami had her first field trip with school on Monday. We went to the pumpkin patch! All of the 3 year old classes were there. Cami & Sophie T. were in class last year together and became friends right away. This year they are in different classes, but still love to play together!
They were happy to see each other!
Two of Cami's classmates: Sadie & Harlan...we hear about them all the time...I think they are inseparable and Harlan is Cami's boyfriend!
Here they are walking through the fields searching for pumpkins! They were still on the vines and we had to pick them off. They had fun looking for just the right one to bring home.
Here is Cami with one of her favorite people these days...Ms. Kristine! She is Cami's teacher. Cami rode the hay ride back from the pumpkin patch with her. We are so thankful for Cami's teachers and her new friends this year. She is loving preschool!

Noah Talking

2011-10-14T15:59:00.002-04:00

Here's a video of our sweet boy talking. He loves to smile and oohh & ahhh. Enjoy!

2 Months!

2011-10-06T10:54:00.003-04:00

Noah was 2 months old on Tuesday! Here is a picture from his 2 month check up. He weighed in at 12lbs 14oz (75%) and 23 inches tall (50%). Cami was 13lbs at 2 months so it seems he is growing just the same as his sister. Our doctor was very happy with Noah's growth and his temperament. He had 3 shots, a few tears, and 2 blue bandaids to make it all better!

We are in love with him and he is such a peaceful baby. Always content and happy! He falls asleep on his own for all of his naps & bedtime. He is sleeping 10 hours at night and a few times has gone as long as 12 hours. He loves to watch Cami play, sit in his swing, and talk to whoever will listen. He has gone on lots of walks, daily rides through the carpool line at preschool, out to a few dinners, Target trips, and to church. Our family feels complete with him by our side. We are so thankful God blessed us with Noah!

Camping with Cousins

2011-10-04T20:35:00.002-04:00

Last Saturday Cami went over to GaGa/Pop's house while Jonathan & I went to the State football game. Her cousin Taylor came over to play for the afternoon and my parents set up a tent on their back porch. The girls had a ball! They played in the tent for over an hour without coming out and after dinner they had smores and a campfire. It was a perfect first camping experience...especially since they got to sleep in their cozy beds!

Good Morning...Good Friends

2011-09-30T14:55:00.002-04:00

This was my view this morning from in my house. Cami and our neighbor Lane played on the front porch. It was a beautiful morning and a great one to play on the porch. Of course Cami is in her nightgown still...she loves it!

Wednesdays

2011-09-30T09:16:00.002-04:00

Wednesday mornings we stay in our pjs all morning. Cami goes to preschool Mondays, Tuesdays, & Thursdays so Wednesdays is our break in the week to have a lazy morning. Cami loves having a few hours in the morning to play and we have tea parties, princess balls, play dress up, make cupcakes out of play-doh, and arts & crafts. Noah is napping and I have time to just enjoy Cami!
After Noah's morning nap, we get him dressed and ready for the day and then we head to Cami's dance class! I asked her to pose and this is what I got :).
She is in a dance class with 2 of her friends from her preschool class and she loves it! Her teacher is Ms. Sandra and is wonderful with the kids. Cami always comes out of class very happy! Then we head home, have lunch, naps, and wait for Daddy to come home. We love our lazy mornings and our dancing afternoons on Wednesdays!

My Kids

2011-09-26T15:55:00.002-04:00

Cami is still in love with Noah! She loves to snuggle with him as you can see from the picture! Noah is doing awesome and continues to be a super chill baby! He is 7 weeks old and for the past 2 weeks has been sleeping all night long and waking up around 7:30/8:00. He is asleep for the night around 8:30 and then we dream feed him a bottle before we go to bed. We have had the occasional night where he is up later, but he has been pretty consistent at being asleep by 9:00. It is such a blessing to no longer be waking up in the middle of the night! He spends most of his day sleeping but we are starting to get smiles and cooing!

Cami is a busy girl with preschool 3 days a week and dance another day a week. She loves school and is having a blast. She has a boyfriend, named Harlan, that is in her class...I hope to get a picture of the 2 of them soon! At home, Cami still loves to play with her princesses and castle. Her imagination can keep her entertained for hours! We started to get the Halloween decorations out and she has loved each and every pumpkin. I can only imagine how excited she will be for Christmas! Cami continues to be such a joy to have at home and is always making me smile.

Here's to a new week and cooler weather this weekend!

What we have been up to...

2011-09-20T15:35:00.002-04:00

Playing with smurfs...
Snoozing in our car seat...
Playing hair dresser...
Playing hard!

Snuggle Time

2011-09-14T16:47:00.001-04:00

Cami loves to snuggle with her brother! Some days Noah helps me read books to Cami before her nap and Cameron loves it! Noah is taking after his sister Cami in the sleep department...they both love to sleep in in the mornings which we are thankful for! Last night Noah slept the whole night through for the 2nd time. Cami was sleeping through the night at 5 weeks and Noah will be 6 weeks tomorrow. Jonathan and I hope it's a trend that continues!

Any resemblance?

2011-09-13T13:27:00.001-04:00

The picture above is Cami at 5 weeks and the picture below is Noah at 5 weeks.

5 Weeks Old

2011-09-08T10:40:00.002-04:00

Noah is 5 weeks old today! It's hard to believe...it has gone by so fast! He continues to be such a sweet baby and a joy. He hardly makes a peep and is easygoing and laid back! We went to the beach this past weekend. We had to make sure he got at least one beach trip in before next summer to make sure he likes the beach. And he did awesome, he slept in this little tent our friends Becky & Trey let us borrow. Jonathan put Noah's toes in the sand and the ocean! It was great to have both our kids at the beach. I look forward to next summer !
Noah is starting to be on a good schedule. He eats every 3 to 3 1/2 hours and takes 3 two hour naps a day with a cat nap before his bath at night. He has been sleeping 4 - 5 hour stretches at night. We give him a dream feed bottle around 11:00 and then waking up once at night with him. This morning my alarm went off at 7:00 and I realized that Noah had slept all night! He actually snoozed until 7:30 this morning. His big sister Cami did this at 5 weeks, too! Jonathan and I were excited! Hope the trend continues!

Our transition from 1 to 2 has been very easy so far. Jonathan and I were talking last night about how Noah has just fit right into our schedule and hasn't changed life too much at all. It does take a little longer to get in the car and out the door, but I can't complain! We are very thankful. I do need to be better about taking pictures of him...life has been busy lately with Cami starting school and I don't want him to have the second child no picture syndrome!

Preschool is Back!

2011-09-06T10:18:00.003-04:00

Today is the first day of preschool for the year! Cameron is now in the 3's class and she couldn't be more excited. I told her last night that today was the first day back to school and she said, "Yeah! Thanks Mom!". We got up this morning, ate breakfast, and got dressed earlier than we have all summer. But she was ready to go! I know that she will have another great year in school...I look forward to watching everything she does this year!

One Month Old!

2011-09-01T21:49:00.002-04:00

Today Noah is a month old! It doesn't seem like it was 4 weeks ago that he was born and at the same time it seem like he has always been a part of our family. He is a sweet baby and we are really enjoying him. Everyone asks, "Are you sleeping at night?" And I am! We put him to bed around 8:30 when Cami goes to bed, Jonathan gives him a bottle around 11 and then he is up to eat around 3:30/4:00. So I am only up once a night to feed him which isn't bad at all. His last doctor's appointment was last week, his 3 week check up. His stats were: weight 10lb 1oz and 21.5 inches. He had gained a little over a pound and grew an inch since his 1 week appt. The doctor said he was doing great! We are thankful to have him!

Cami Ballerina

2011-08-31T16:41:00.001-04:00

Cami started dance class today! She was so excited! She got dressed an hour early and continually asked if it was time to leave yet. She loved it...I can see a Ballerina in our future!

Princess Party

2011-08-29T21:09:00.011-04:00

Cameron wanted a pink & purple princess party for her birthday this year and that is just what she got! Our house was decorated in pink & purple and sparkles. I love decorating for a party and this one was my favorite so far! It was fun to be girly :)

We decorated our dining room into a princess castle with lots of tule, balloons, hot pink table cloths, and pom poms.
Cami and her cousin Tay Tay. Taylor made a crown for Cami before she came to the party and Cameron loved it!
Cami had 10 little friends over for her party and they all came dressed as their favorite princess. They decorated purple tiaras and they did a princess sticker page. The tables were covered with necklaces and rings which the girls loved!
For lunch, we served peanut butter & jelly sandwiches that we cut out with a tiara cookie cutter, fruit kabobs, and pretzels. The girls were so excited though they hardly ate :).
As the girls were eating lunch, the doorbell rang and Ariel showed up to wish Cami a Happy Birthday! The girls all immediately ran to the front door and surrounded the princess!
We gathered all the little princesses into the living room and Ariel read them a story and answered lots of questions. Cami was in awe!

Ariel sat next to Cami as we sang her Happy Birthday and she loved every minute of having a real princes in her house!

Before the girls left, we took pictures of each of them with Ariel. And of course we had to take a family shot, too. Prince Noah was fast asleep during the whole party but I am sure he is glad that he missed out on all of the purple & pink!
The princess party was a hit and was so much fun to watch. As Cami's friends arrived that morning she called each of them by the name of the princess they were dressed up as. It was sweet! On a side note, this was the morning that Hurricane Irene hit the coast...we woke up at 6 am without power and threw her party without power. A few candles and opened windows was all we needed...the girls had no idea and everything was great! Happy Birthday sweet Cami!

Happy Birthday Cami

2011-08-28T21:56:00.005-04:00

My sweet princess Cami, you are 3 years old today! Happy Birthday! You are a constant joy in our lives and your Daddy & I love you very much!

You have grown up in so many ways this past year and we are so proud of you. You went to preschool two days a week and loved everyday. We saw your self confidence grow and your imagination take off! You always wore a smile on your face when I dropped you off each day and loved to sing all of the new songs you learned. You made new friends and grew in so many ways. You changed your name to Cami and to be honest it fits you perfect! There is nothing that you can't say! You still amaze us each day with your vocabulary and lately you have loved speaking in an English accent. You also have a great memory and never forget anything that is said or done. You love to make up songs about anything and everything, you get this from your Pop :). You have loved going out and about this year from the movie theater, to Target, to the bookstore, and even to get your fingers & toes painted. The holidays were so much fun this past year and you fell in love with Ho Ho (Santa).

This past year you have fallen in love with the Disney princesses. You know every story of every princess as well as their prince. You love all things girls and you always wanted to wear a skirt that twirls. You still call Daddy your prince and me Majesty. We had an awesome time watching the magic of Disney unfold in front of your eyes this past Spring. Your Daddy & I will never forget that special trip that we took just the 3 of us! You have been so much fun to take out on adventures. Daddy and I have loved taking you on dates and spending one on one time with you too! This summer your love for the beach and the pool have stayed strong and you even took swim lessons. You were a fish in the water and were swimming underwater by the beginning of summer!

We have always said that God gave you a special joy in your heart that is seen by those around you to brighten their day. This hasn't changed a bit this past year. You still make everyone smile around you and teach others to enjoy the simple things in life. Through preschool and church this year your love for God has also grown and developed. You know that Jesus lives in your heart and that he created the world. The other day I asked you where you had picked your flower from and you told us that Jesus made it. You also tell us that God gave us your baby brother and that God knows best! We are thankful for your sweet heart and your love for God.

The biggest way that you have grown up this past year has been over the past few weeks when you have become a Big Sister! Your love for your family and especially your new brother is huge. You have taken the role of being a sister with a lot of grace and excitement. Thank you for always helping us take care of him. I know that he will grow up knowing everyday that he is loved by you!

Cameron I love spending my days with you and watching you learn, grow, and play. You are my best friend, my biggest helper, and my sweet daughter. I love you more than you will ever know! Your sweet smile and laughter are contagious and your hugs are still the best! I told you today that it makes me sad that you are another year older, but excited to see what the year holds for you. I look forward to watching you start taking dance class, begin another year of preschool, hold your brother's hand, enjoy the magic of the holidays, love your Prince (daddy), and continue being my best little friend. I love you sweetheart...Happy 3rd Birthday!

Love Mommy

Bath Time

2011-08-22T22:15:00.002-04:00

Noah had his first bath last Thursday night on his 2 week birthday! I was thankful to be able to put him in the tub. At first he was a little upset but as soon as he started getting warm water poured over him, he was in heaven. He also liked to look over at himself in the mirror. Since then he has been getting his baths each night like his big sister Cami!
Cami is still creating tiaras in the bath...she makes everything she does fun!

An Afternoon Snuggle With Daddy

2011-08-20T09:44:00.001-04:00

Big Sister Princess Cami

2011-08-18T09:10:00.002-04:00

Everyone asks, "How is Cami doing with her baby brother?". Cameron is doing wonderful and it feels like we have always had him as part of our family. She has renamed herself Big Sister Princess Cami these days, but I'll take it if it makes her feel extra special.

She loves Noah so much and I haven't seen any twinge of jealousy (yet). Cami loves to snuggle with him, whether it is on the couch or watching morning cartoons in our bed. Whenever I am changing his diaper, she brings me a new diaper and already has it open and ready. She also puts his pacifier back in if he needs it and loves to help me pick out his clothes each day.

Last Friday night we had a special big sister date night with just Cami, Daddy, & Mommy. We took her to Chic-Fi-La and to see The Smurfs. We are going to try to continue to do special things with just her! Our babysitter, Caitlin, has also been an awesome help by taking Cami to do a lot of fun things this past week! I am very proud of her! She turns 3 a week form Sunday...I can't believe it!

The picture above is our new bath time ritual....bubbles! She loves to play with them and make herself princess crowns on her head :) !

Noah: Week 2

2011-08-17T16:10:00.002-04:00

Noah will be 2 weeks old tomorrow! It's hard to believe but at the same time it feels like he has always been a part of our family! He is sleeping in 4 1/2 - 5 hour stretches at night which means Mommy is only waking up once a night! During the day he eats every 3 hours and then takes about a 2 hour nap. We do get to see him awake for about 20 minutes at a time. He is a sweet boy!
Big Sister Cami is being wonderful and absolutely loves playing with Noah. Here she is playing paper dolls with him one morning. She would show him each princess and discuss their dresses with him. She also loves to snuggle with him on the couch and in mommy & daddy's bed in the mornings!
Noah has already been to Target, a baby shower, the pool, to Daddy's office, out to lunch, and to get cupcakes with his sister. He is already getting used to the hustle and bustle of our life. We love this little guy!

Photo Shoot

2011-08-13T22:52:00.002-04:00

Here are a few pictures from a photo shoot we had this past week. I love them!! My good friend Joy Phillips is an incredible photographer and I can't wait to see all of the pictures that she took of my two kids! Check out her website at www.joylynphotography.com. Thank you Joy!

1 Week Old

2011-08-12T12:11:00.002-04:00

Noah was one week old yesterday, August 11th. It was also his due date, but he decided to come a week early just like his sister. He had his one week check up at the doctor and he passed with flying colors! He has gained 6 ounces since Sunday which means he is eating like a champ. He still has the sweetest personality and is an awesome baby! He now weighs 8lbs 11oz!

Everyone asks...are you sleeping at night? And I am! Since we brought him home from the hospital, he goes to bed when Cami does, around 8:30, and then wakes up every 3 hours to eat. The past 2 nights he has been doing 4 hour stretches at night which has been wonderful! We put him to bed at 8:30 and we woke him at 8:30 this morning...he was up twice last night at 12:30 & 4:30. So we are proud of him!

We had his first photo shoot on Wednesday from our favorite photographer Joy Lyn...I will post a sneak peek. I can't wait to see them all!

Hanging At Home

2011-08-09T18:37:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we hung around the house for most of the day except for a trip to Target! Of course that was my first outing with both kids alone and they did great...where else would we go? :)

Cameron is in love and is always cuddling her baby brother. The other day she told me thank you for having him!
Here is Daddy and his 2 kids! It's been funny to say "kids" but we are so happy to have two now!
Cami built herself a tent under our kitchen table and played with all of her "babies" for an hour, she was having the best time. I am so thankful that she has such an imagination!

Noah Pics

2011-08-06T23:08:00.003-04:00

Noah has been such a sweet boy! His first night home he was an angel, waking up every 3 1/2 hours to eat and then immediately going back to sleep in his crib. It was a very restful, peaceful night. Today, he slept mostly but this evening he opened his eyes for awhile to check out the world around him. We love him so much! We hope for many more nights like last night!

Little Brother Is Here

2011-08-04T16:44:00.002-04:00

Noah Carter Stephens arrived last night at 12:30 a.m. He was 8lbs 7oz and 21 inches long. So far he has been a great baby, very relaxed and has hardly made a sound. Cami is so proud of her brother and can't wait to take him home! More updates to come!

First Scooter Fall

2011-07-28T15:54:00.002-04:00

Last night Cami had her first scooter accident. She has gotten so fast on her scooter that we are always telling her to be careful and slow down. Well I think she may understand now :) ! She scraped up her nose and has a busted lip. She cried hard but after a popsicle and snuggling with her daddy she was a happy kid again!

When I grow up...

2011-07-27T20:47:00.002-04:00

For a few months now Cameron has been telling us that when she grows up she wants to be the Tooth Fairy. Yesterday she told me she changed her mind. I asked her what she wants to be now and her response was, "When I grow up I want to be BARBIE!"

Cami Dates

2011-07-26T09:24:00.002-04:00

We have been having so much fun the past few weeks enjoying our family of three before baby brother makes his debut. Cameron is such a joy to take out and about with us, whether we are headed to dinner, the movies, listening to bands, or even to friends' houses. We have been having some fun family date nights!

The top picture of Cami and her daddy is from last Friday night. We went to Brixx for pizza and then went to see the Winnie The Pooh movie. Cameron loves to go to the movies and she is already counting down the days until she can go and see the Smurfs!

The bottom picture is of Cami and me on one of our day trips to Wrightsville Beach. Tower 7 is a mexican restaurant on the beach that Jonathan and I have always loved since we were in college. Cameron has fallen in love with it too and we are so thankful!

Cameron is so excited and ready to be a big sister, but we are savoring our time with just her! We need to plan our next night out!

Friday Nights

2011-07-16T15:27:00.002-04:00

On Friday night we did exactly what we did last week. We went to North Hills to listen to the live music, ate ice cream, and danced. Cameron had a great time and our neighbors came with us this week. Here is a picture of Cami and Bailey, our neighbor, making wishes in the fountain. Jonathan and I are having plenty of dates with Cami until baby brother comes. Tonight we are off to dinner and the Winnie the Pooh movie!

Messy Art Camp

2011-07-14T14:35:00.004-04:00

Cameron has been in Messy Art Camp at her preschool all week long. She has loved every minute of it. They have had so much fun and her teachers have been super creative about teaching them all the different ways they can paint. Today they got their hair spray painted colors and Cameron wanted her to look just like her My Little Ponies! She was so proud of her hair when I picked her up from school. They have also painted with their toes, have thrown painted tennis balls at a canvas to paint, have tie dyed t-shirts, have changed colors of yogurt, and have played with lots of glitter! She has been in camp from 9:00-1:00 each day and every night asks if she can go back the next day. Today when I picked her up she looked exhausted, but she talks a mile a minute all the way home about what they did that day. We have been so happy with camp this week and how much fun Cami has had going! Tomorrow will be her last day of Messy Art Camp!

Nursery Sneak Peek

2011-07-11T15:22:00.002-04:00

Here is a sneak peek of the nursery. I am working on getting everything ready! My mom is currently making a curtain to go over his window!
My mom recovered the cushions on this rocker from when I used it in Cami's nursery and the nightstand was in my nephew Will's room!
The bedding is a sea blue and chocolate brown. This crib was used by my nephew Cole and niece Taylor. We converted Cami's crib into her big girl bed, so we were in need of a crib! My favorite part of his room is his name decal. It looks great in person! And if you look closely it reads Noah! His name will be Noah Carter Stephens. Noah - just because we have always liked that name. Carter - a family name on Jonathan's side. Stephens - he doesn't have a choice :)

I will post more as I get other things done!

Friday Nights

2011-07-10T17:34:00.002-04:00

Cameron loves live music and the summer provides a lot of opportunities to hear some! The past couple of Friday nights, Jonathan & I have taken Cami to hear a few bands playing around Raleigh. She loves to dance, to clap at the end of the songs, and to just be with mommy & daddy. We have enjoyed taking her out on the town and have decided we'll keep going as long as she wants to go.

This past Friday night we went to North Hills. They have music from 5:30-7:30. We got gelato and listened to the band. It was a great way to start off the weekend. Cami does call them Marching Bands no matter if it is one guy with a guitar or a 5 piece band. She loves our Friday nights now!

Swim Lessons

2011-06-27T16:11:00.003-04:00

Everyday this summer, Cameron's confidence at the pool has grown by leaps and bounds. She started jumping off the side, going under water, and desperately wanted to swim. So we signed her up for swim lessons. She has now had her third lesson with Ms. Katie and we couldn't be happier. Cami swims a few feet now under water and loves her lessons. Below is a short video of her swimming today. It is a bit hard to capture good pics & videos when you aren't trying to be seen! She is our little fish!

Baby Brother

2011-06-26T16:52:00.002-04:00

It is hard to believe that Cami will soon be a big sister! Everyone she sees she tells them right away and that her baby brother is growing in mommy's belly. She is so excited to meet him and daily kisses my belly and tells her brother she loves him! She tells us that she is going to rock him when he cries, teach him how to walk & talk, help feed him, hold his hand when he is scared, and she told us he can even sleep with her if he needs to at night. Cameron's excitement makes me more and more excited each day for him to be a part of our family.

I am now 33 1/2 weeks along which means in about 6 weeks we will be meeting our little man. Jonathan & I are looking forward to holding a little baby again and can't believe the time is almost here. I am feeling great during the day, but by nighttime I am feeling almost bruised from there not being enough room in my belly for this growing baby. I can't complain though, this pregnancy has pretty much followed my pregnancy with Cameron in the way that it has been a walk in the park. He gets the hiccups several times a day, just like Cami, and she even has felt them!

We are working on getting his nursery put together. I will post some pics as soon as I hang a few decals and things on the walls. The colors of his room are chocolate brown and a Caribbean blue. The walls are painted, his crib is made, and there are even washed clothes in his drawers.

My sister in laws Suzanne & Holly and my mother in law gave me a baby shower this past week. (Thank you!) It was wonderful and perfect and a lot of my friends, neighbors, and loved ones came to shower us with love. I received a lot of wonderful gifts from diapers, to toys, to boy clothes. Cameron has enjoyed playing with all his baby things! I think I can already tell this is the second child because I don't think I have a single picture from the shower! We didn't even think of taking pictures!

I will post a picture soon of my growing belly and of the nursery!

What we have been up to...

2011-06-23T15:38:00.008-04:00

We have been missing for awhile in the "blog world", but we have been having a lot of fun and staying busy. Here are a few pics to let you know what we have been up to and I promise to be a better blogger! Here is Cami being silly on her way home from the beach. I took this blanket to the hospital when she was born and just now she is becoming attached to it!
A few weeks ago we met, Caitlin, our babysitter at the beach to play for the day! Cami thought it was the greatest to have her there with us!

Our good friends Becky & Trey had their first baby, Avery. We visited them in the hospital and then Cami & I went to their house too. Cameron fell in love with little Avery and wanted to hold her the whole time!
I have been playing with Cami this summer and getting ready for our little boy to join us at the beginning of August. This is the only belly pic I have and it's in my bathing suit! Can't believe I am putting this up, but I am in my bathing suit pretty much everyday between the pool and the beach. I am feeling great and we are looking forward to meeting him!
And here is Cami in the sand. She has spent almost a day a week here at the beach since preschool got out. It's her happy place...and mine too! Life is just better with your toes in the sand.

3 Summers In A Row

2011-06-23T15:29:00.005-04:00

Almost 1...
Almost 2...
Almost 3...

She loves her bucket! We went to the beach yesterday and she played in her bucket for over an hour. We are thrilled she still loves to sit in it and entertain herself. It gives us a chance to sit and relax to. Next summer we'll have 2 buckets...Cami's and one for her little brother!

Dinner With Cinderella

2011-06-03T16:47:00.003-04:00

We had dinner one night at 1900 Park Fare. This is a character meal with Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine, & the infamous stepsisters. This was a highlight of our trip and we would highly recommend it! Cameron's first princess she fell in love with was Cinderella. We knew we had to do a meal with just her to be sure Cami got some good time with her!
The food was great and the service was wonderful! Each character comes to your table, talks with you, takes pictures, and of course signs autograph books! In the middle of dinner, Cinderella's song, "So This Is Love" starts to play and her and her prince dance in the middle of the room.
Lady Tremaine & Cami....the stepmother was great and hardly broke a smile!

Anastasia & Drizella stole the show for the adults with their jokes and great sense of humor!
Of course Cami made a little friend while we were at dinner. This little girl was sitting next to us during dinner and then they both got up and danced together before we left.
We ended the night with the light up parade in the Magic Kingdom, which was awesome! There was also extra Magic hours at the Magic Kingdom so we took advantage and rode a lot of rides without any lines at all! It was a great night!

Disney World Part 1

2011-05-30T08:21:00.009-04:00

The first week in May we took Cameron to Disney World as a special Big Sister trip! We were all very excited but she couldn't wait! Cameron has a love for Disney that I think she was born with. Even before we went, she knew all of the characters and especially every princess and their prince! Here we are on our first full day. We went straight to Magic Kingdom to show her Cinderella's Castle.

As soon as we walked in a Castle Show was starting which was a show with all of the main Disney characters as well as the princessess. I think Cameron was amazed! And then the magic of Disney all started...
Here is Cameron at Rapunzel's (the newest princess) Castle. I waited over an hour in a line for her to do this while Cami & Daddy rode rides, but it was worth it. Once we got in, the kids were entertained with coloring and dancing!

And then it was the time we had been waiting for! Cameron & her Daddy waiting anxiously for them to appear!
Rapunzel and Flynn were wonderful! They spend a few minutes with each child and took a lot of pictures, too. Rapunzel loves Cami's braids and in our house her braids are now referred to as Rapunzel braids! Rapunzel also told Cameron if she brushed her hair everyday that it would grow long....so she brushes it everyday in the mirror now!
Of course, a family shot with the famous Rapunzel and Flynn. More pictures to come! I promise to post all of the Disney pics this is just about 2 hours of our trip...we had so much fun and we cannot wait to go back!

Beach Day

2011-05-26T15:18:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was our first beach day of the summer for our family. We had a great time and once again, Cameron loves the beach! She would stay there for 10 straight hours if we let her. This summer she loves the water! She won't go past her ankles unless we are by her side, but when we are with her she loves to jump in the waves.
Here she is with Daddy just relaxing in the sun...trying to be just like him!
When she wasn't in the water, she was in sand building castles or making sand cupcakes. She plays so well at the beach and we hardly hear a word from her. Our plan is to make it there once a week this summer. Next summer we will have 2 kids there so we want to take full advantage this summer to spend some fun time there with Cameron!

Playing in GaGa & Pop's Yard

2011-05-23T15:30:00.003-04:00

Cami always loves to play in GaGa & Pop's yard. I think she pretends that she is Tinker Bell in Pixie Hollow when she is there since their yard is beautiful. Yesterday her cousin Taylor and her wore these crowns around in the backyard that my mom made for them.

I promise to post some pictures from our Disney trip as soon as I sort through them...we had the best time and cannot wait to go back!

Daddy Came To Preschool

2011-05-18T08:24:00.002-04:00

Yesterday at preschool was Cameron's turn to bring a birthday snack. Even though her birthday isn't until August, they are celebrating the summer birthdays this month. Cameron brought cupcakes to share with all of her friends and her daddy!
Cameron's teacher has been begging Jonathan to come in and play guitar for the kids and yesterday we made it happen. Jonathan played guitar and I led a few songs for the kids. In this pic, they are playing drums on their sand buckets. We had a lot of fun and Cameron thought it was really special to have her daddy at preschool!

Princess Preparations

2011-05-07T21:03:00.002-04:00

On Wednesday we went to Aunt Dana's hair salon and got Cami's haircut (her 2nd one!). She absolutely loved it! She was very serious and quite professional the whole time, never wanting to not be looking in the mirror. She sat more still than I think I ever would have! She was getting her princess hair!
On Friday, as an early Mother's Day treat, my mom, Cami, and I went to get pedicures. This was Cami's first time coming and just like her haircut, she sat perfectly still as she got "Princess Pink" painted onto her toes. She had a lot of fun and it was the best $4 I have spent on her in a while.

Now that Cami has princess hair and toes we are ready for our trip. Jonathan, Cameron, and I are headed to Disney World tomorrow morning for 5 days. We are looking forward to some sweet family time as well as watching Cameron's face light up with magic over and over again. She has known about the trip for a while now, but I think when we wake up tomorrow and head to the airport she will know it is really here!

Rapunzel

2011-04-28T22:48:00.002-04:00

Cameron is in love with Rapunzel! The new Disney movie Tangled came out on DVD a few weeks ago so Rapunzel is back in our house now. Cameron did see Tangled 3 times in the movie theater, too! She has all the Tangled characters and she sleeps with them every night. She loves Rapunzel for a few reasons: she has "yellow" hair just like Cami, she loves the color purple just like Cami, and she wears her hair in braids in the movie just like Cami does almost every day. GaGa & Pop gave Cameron the official Rapunzel dress for Easter and she immediately put it on and wore it for the afternoon. She even finished her Easter egg hunt in it! In 2 weeks we will be in Disney World and Cameron will get to meet "the real" Rapunzel! I can't wait!

Getting Married Dress

2011-04-24T22:10:00.003-04:00

Cami has been in love with white dresses for a long time now. She calls them "married dresses" and she has had her heart set on one for some time now. Well, GaGa pulled through and delivered a getting married dress for her to wear Easter morning. She loved it and looked like a sweet little angel on Easter morning.

Easter Morning

2011-04-24T21:54:00.006-04:00

Cameron has been really excited about her visit from the Easter Bunny. Her one request was a hula hoop! She woke up this morning and the Easter Bunny had left her a trail of eggs all the way downstairs to her Easter bucket. She loved picking each egg up and getting closer and closer to her goodies.
A happy girl!
The Easter Bunny didn't forget the hula hoop! Cameron also had lip gloss, a few "Littlest Pet Shop" friends, a puzzle, candy, and a few new sticker books in her Easter bucket.
She loved her morning! It was fun and a bit rushed! I set off our alarm, couldn't remember our password for when the Alarm System called, had the police come to our house, tried taking pictures of Cameron opening her Easter surprises, and got Cameron dressed & her hair braided for church all in a matter of 45 minutes!

Birthday Beach Day

2011-04-21T21:07:00.009-04:00

Yesterday Cameron and I took my mom to the beach for the day for her birthday! It was a beautiful beach day and Cameron was as happy as she could be to be at the beach.
Her bathing suit bottoms are a little big this year if you look real close you can see for yourself!
It was 80 at the beach, but the water was still too cold for me to go in. Cameron didn't mind and laid in the puddles that the ocean made most of the day. She was so happy to just have her toes in the water.
Cameron's cousins, Cole & Taylor, were also at the beach. They are on Spring Break from school and are staying at the beach for a few days. Cameron had a blast playing with them for a few hours!

Easter Party

2011-04-14T16:54:00.008-04:00

Cami had her Easter party at preschool today. They started off with an egg hunt on the playground.
Cami and her friends checking out their loot!
Their Easter snack: sliced apples, and cupcakes. Aren't the cupcakes adorable?!
As you can see Cami devoured her cupcake and left the apples for later! She was one happy girl!
A lot of their artwork was on display today as well. Here is Cami in front of a few of her masterpieces. The picture of herself to the left of her she made her first day of school in August. The picture to her right is a picture they made out of bandaids...Cami made Rapunzel hair (notice the long row of bandaids!)

Cami's First Love

2011-04-12T22:10:00.002-04:00

Cameron is absolutely head over heels in love with her Daddy these days. She adores him, hugs him, kisses him, laughs with him, loves to play with him, and they even have there own special things they say to each other.

Jonathan is getting his MBA and is in class 2 nights a week. This is his second year, but this past semester Cameron has been wanting him around at bedtime and on Mondays & Tuesdays he is sitting in class instead of kissing her goodnight. One night she was in tears over wanting to see him and I was at a loss of how to get her to sleep. So I told her to go and pick out one of Jonathan's t-shirts and she could sleep with it. Since that night, her "night night" blanket has been replaced with this t-shirt. It is sweet, she sleeps with it every night!

Also, Jonathan and her go out on special daddy/daughter dates every week. Cameron loves this time with him. They usually go to Monkey Joe's, Yogurt Mountain, or to the lake to feed the ducks. When they are about to leave I always ask if I can go too and she lets me know that it is just her & Daddy, but she reminds me that she loves me too!

Last August for her birthday, she got Cinderella and ever since then she has called Jonathan her "Prince". I pray that he is always a prince in her eyes! I love the bond they have with each other and am so thankful to have a husband that treasures his little girl so much!

A Cameron Update

2011-04-10T21:57:00.002-04:00

Cameron is growing up before our eyes and is turning into such an awesome little girl. She is 5 months away from being a 3 year old! I can hardly believe it. I wanted to write down the things that she is up to lately. I hope you enjoy them:

-If you ask Cameron what her name is, she will quickly tell you, "Cami". So around here she is Cami these days. It really started as soon as she started preschool this past August and it has stuck. We like it and she loves it!

-She tells us many times a day that she is going to be a Big Sister! She is so excited to meet her baby brother and always tells me that she is going to be my big helper and teacher brother to play, walk, & talk. She loves to hug my belly and give it a kiss!

-We are never surprised by what comes out of her mouth because every day she tells us things we had not idea she knew. Last night I told her it was time for bed and she said, "Let's talk about this." She also came out of her room after playing the other day and told me that all of her "babies" were "safe and sound." Who knew she knew that? She also was playing school with my mom and told her, "If you stop talking, you may learn something!" At times she talks my ear off, but most of the time it is fun to have conversations with her about anything and everything.

-She loves going to church and loves to sing her church songs in the car. She doesn't hesitate to tell you that Jesus lives in her heart and that God loves her from her head to her toes.

-Every night before bed her playlist for us to sing is, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Jesus Loves Me, and I See the Moon.

-My allergies have been bothering me a lot and last night they were really bad. I told her I didn't feel good. She politely asked, "Do you have a fever?" and then this morning she wanted to know if I felt better as soon as she saw me.

-She loves to help cook in the kitchen. She pushes a kitchen chair up to our island and is ready to help!

-Her favorite movie right now is Disney's Tangled. The "prince" in the movie is named Flynn and she has told us numerous times that she loves Flynn. She even told my mom that she had kissed Flynn!

-Cami loves, loves, loves preschool and I have seen her grow and change so much this year from being in school. She is the youngest and the tiniest in her class, but that hasn't kept her from being one of the leaders either. Her teachers told us at our conference that she is a charmer and is adored by all, especially the boys!

-The girl loves to have her nails painted and puts lip gloss on all the time!

-She still prefers playing outside then inside. She loves her scooter, playing with the neighborhood kids, and of course running through the sprinklers (which she has already done!)

-Cami loves our IPad and knows exactly how to get to her games and start playing them.

-If you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up she will tell you, "The Tooth Fairy!"

-She loves to dance and is always a ballerina. She has some killer dance moves and she is always happy to show you them.

-Her imagination is still huge and she can play with anything she finds and entertain herself for hours.

-Cameron is such a sweetheart these days, always wants us to know that she loves us, and always aims to please. She is awesome and at a wonderful age right now!

Our Cheerleader

2011-03-28T14:53:00.002-04:00

Even though the UNC Tarheels lost last night, they had a little cheerleader cheering them on through the whole game! Take a look...

One Day Soon...

2011-03-27T11:10:00.002-04:00

One day soon we will have pictures just like this one! Cami is going to be a big sister to a little brother...We couldn't be happier! There is just something wonderful about a little boy in his board shorts running on the beach. We can't wait until this August when he is born and next summer when he will put his toes in the sand!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T15:48:00.002-04:00

Cami had a St. Patrick's Day party at preschool on Tuesday and they even had a leprechaun visit their classroom! Today Cami and I wore our green and she chose to go to the lake and feed the ducks. The weather was gorgeous so here are some pics...we had a great time and even had green ice cream after lunch thanks to Chic-Fi-La! Happy St. Paddy's day!

The Pink Scooter

2011-03-14T15:47:00.004-04:00

This is Cameron's favorite toy and has been since she got it for Christmas from her Pop. She rides it everyday in our cul-de-sac and is really good on it too! She goes super fast and smiles the whole time. Jonathan even had to buy a scooter for himself so he could scooter with his little girl everyday when he gets home form work. She loves her pink scooter and prefers to be outside most days, so it is a great way for her to get some energy out. She is a little bossy over it though and won't share it with anyone in the neighborhood. If she has to go inside for a minute or wants to play with something else she carries it with her!
This was our look yesterday....hot pink sunglasses and her ballet tuutu from Aunt Dana! She is a little girly :) !

My Sweet Girl

2011-03-02T21:40:00.002-05:00

A Bowling Birthday Party

2011-02-26T15:12:00.002-05:00

Friday night we celebrated Nana & Cole's birthdays and we had a bowling party. We all met at the bowling alley and bowled for a few hours, shared pizza, and of course sang Happy Birthday with some cake. Check out Cami's little shoes....aren't they adorable? She loved them!
Here is Daddy & cousin Cole helping Cami bowl. She had the hardest time picking up the ball, but then she set it on this little rack they had and all she had to do was push the ball. She thought she was hot stuff!
Daddy gave her a few pointers through out the night.
We had a blast and hope to do it again soon...who knew you could bowl with a 2 year old?

Dance Class

2011-02-23T20:47:00.003-05:00

On Mondays Cameron takes a dance class through Raleigh parks & rec. She loves every minute of it and is excited for Mondays to come around so she can see Ms. Bethany, her dance teacher. Here is a small video of one of the warm up songs from class. Enjoy!

Favorite Places

2011-02-13T22:45:00.002-05:00

Cameron has several favorite places these days: the bagel store (Brueggers), Monkey Joe's, the book store (library), dance class, the Mickey store, and the one & only Stein Mart. She loves Stein Mart and could be entertained for hours in there. My mom and I took her there last week. She immediately walks to the reading glasses and picks out a pair, they are all bright and have rhinestones on them. She wears them the rest of her time in the store. She also has found these little bags in the kids department with little puppies in them, this trip she carried 5 on her arm. She also loves to play with all the jewelry and pretend to cook in the home department. Here is a quick video...she was way too busy to stop for a picture. She kept telling us she was going on an adventure to find the animals! Who knew Stein Mart would be so much fun for a 2 year old?

Night Out With Mom & Dad

2011-02-11T22:53:00.002-05:00

On Thursday afternoon, my mom & dad were trying to think of what to do for the rest of the afternoon & night. They talked about going to the gym, doing some work, etc. and then all the sudden they said let's go to Monkey Joe's! Off we went! We had a great time and almost had the entire place to ourselves. We raced down the slides, played basketball, and laughed a lot. Afterwards we went to Lynnwood Grill for dinner which was just as much fun. I had pizza, colored a picture, and danced to the music. It was such a fun night out....I am glad that they decided to spend it with me just being us!

Valentine's Party

2011-02-10T14:55:00.002-05:00

Today at preschool Cami had her Valentine's party with her class. They ate a lot of treats that left a chocolate mustache afterwards! Here is a picture of Cameron and her friend Sophie T. They adore each other!
After snack, they made a Valentine craft to take home. As always, Cameron loves anything that she can use a glue stick with.
Before heading home, Valentine's were delivered to each of their "mailboxes" and we were able to take them home and open up cards from all of her classmates. She had so much fun! We even went to Chic-fi-la afterwards with a few of her best friends in class!

Bring A Bear To Preschool

2011-02-03T09:00:00.002-05:00

Last week Cameron's preschool class all brought a bear to school with them. Of course Cameron chose to bring her purple bear (her favorite color & mine!) with her. She woke up that morning and said, "My purple bear comes to preschool?". She was excited to have him riding with her that morning. They painted with their bears, played with their bears, sang bear songs, watched the Corduroy Movie, had Teddy Grahams for snack, and even had Bear Awards. Cami's bear won, "most Grape-licious Bear". It was such a fun day for her and her friends!

First Haircut!

2011-02-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

Cameron got her first hair cut last week! We went and saw her Aunt Dana and she was more than excited to give Cami her first cut. Cami wanted Dana to give her Cinderella hair and so that is what she got! She sat perfectly still on Daddy's lap with the I Phone of course!

Yogurt Mountain

2011-02-01T15:57:00.001-05:00

We recently got a new yogurt shop down the street from us, Yogurt Mountain. It really is amazing...it is entirely purple and lime green down to the spoons! They have about 20 different self serve flavors and then you also add your toppings. This has become one of Cameron's favorite new things to do is to go and get ice cream and her favorite topping is mini gummy bears. Here is a picture of my two favorite people enjoying our new favorite treat!

Cami's Last Christmas Wish...

2011-01-23T21:51:00.005-05:00

The last item on Cameron's Christmas list has now been completed! Read her shirt! Probably in October Cameron started telling us that she wanted us to have a baby and it was a top item on her Christmas list. We don't know where this came from, but the girl is much smarter and in tune with the things around her than we are. She has been requesting "a baby in mommy's belly" so I told her that she needed to pray for it to happen. So at night when we would say her prayers, she always prayed for a baby in mommy's belly and to keep it safe. Someone told me that if a sweet 2 year old was praying for this to happen it would soon enough! A few weeks before Christmas we found out the good news and are excited to share the news. We will be expecting a sidekick for Cameron August 11th. When I ask her who gave her the baby in my belly, she says, "God did!" She is already being a big sister and checking on my belly and making sure that I am doing good! We are looking forward to the adventure ahead!

Preschool

2011-01-18T20:44:00.002-05:00

This morning Cameron & I were running a few minutes late to preschool. I was too late for carpool line so I had to walk her into her classroom. I am so glad we were late today because I was able to watch Cameron and her sweet friends together this morning. As soon as we opened the door, all of her girlfriends in her class yelled, "Cami!". They all ran up to her and gave her a huge hug (we were only 5 minutes late!) and then they quickly all held hands and started playing "ring around the rosies". It was so sweet to see her friends and her love each other so well. I am so thankful for her school, for her teachers, and her first preschool class. It has been such a blessing to our family!

Big Girl Bed

2011-01-12T21:24:00.002-05:00

Cameron has been asking for a big girl bed since before Christmas and even put it on her Christmas list. Santa hadn't finished making it by Christmas Day so he left her a note telling her it was on the way. After every nap and every morning, Cameron woke up talking about Santa making her big girl bed at the North Pole. She also told us that ChooChoo, her Elf on a Shelf, would be bringing it to her. On Tuesday we surprised her with her big girl bed and of course Choo Choo made an appearance!She was so excited and still is! She has officially taken 2 naps and is on her 2nd night sleeping in her bed. We have warned her that she cannot get out of her bed unless Mommy or Daddy are with her and so far she has done a great job of listening! It is great to check on her at night and be able to just lean over and give her a kiss on her cheek! Here's to yet another milestone in Cami's life!

Sleds & Angels

2010-12-30T15:30:00.001-05:00

Snow Days

2010-12-30T15:20:00.001-05:00

Frosty the Snowman did a great job sending snow my way this year! It started Christmas night and snowed until Sunday. It was a lot of fun to play in....we played outside on Sunday & Monday. I didn't want to ever come inside...we sledded, threw snowballs, built a snowman, and Daddy taught me how to make snow angels. I can't wait for Frosty to come back!

Santa Came!

2010-12-25T14:47:00.003-05:00

I walked downstairs this morning and this is what I found! Santa came last night!
I climbed up in Daddy's lap and opened up my stocking first! It was one of my favorite things...it was filled with lots of fun things to play with including a Hello Kitty flashlight that was on my list!
This is my Big Girl Stool that Santa left for me. He also left a note on it that said he was still working on my big girl bed at the North Pole but that I would get it in a few weeks. This stool is for me to use to climb up into my bed.

Here is my guitar! This was my top wanted gift on my list this year. My daddy has one and I really want to learn how to play songs on it. Santa also brought me new stickers, rain boots, Cinderella's castle, a train set, Beauty & The Beast movie, a new tea set, a few things for my kitchen, and....
a new princess dress. This is Belle's dress, isn't it beautiful?
Playing in the middle of all of my toys! I didn't take my pajamas off until noon when my cousins Cole & Taylor, Aunt Holly & Uncle Ryan, Aunt Dana, & Papa came over for brunch. My Nana is in the hospital...I miss her but I know she needs to be there to get better! Much love! What a wonderful day! I am off to GaGa & Pop's this afternoon to celebrate with TayTay, Bubba Will, Aunt Suz & Uncle Wes. I love Christmas!

Santa Visit

2010-12-21T21:09:00.006-05:00

My neighbors came over this afternoon to play and all of a sudden we looked out the front door and look who was coming up my driveway! Ho Ho!
I was so excited to see Santa that I didn't hesitate at all to climb up in his lap....it was really him! I couldn't believe it!
He read all of us the book of the true meaning of Christmas.

And then he read a few of my Christmas books, too. My friend Lane is sitting next to me...we could have had Santa read to us all night!

Then I told him about my Christmas list; guitar, pink soccer ball, purple rainboots, and a Hello Kitty flashlight! Then I asked him about his reindeer and of course Mrs. Clause!
Before Ho Ho left tonight I showed him all of the ornaments on my Christmas tree. He was so great...I truly love him!
I gave him a lot of hugs and squeezed him tight before he left. He told me to be a good girl and I may see him next year!
And off he went to get on his sleigh and head back to the North Pole. What a great night....can you believe he came to my house?

A Preschool Christmas

2010-12-16T21:39:00.004-05:00

On Tuesday, my class had our 2 year old Christmas show for our parents. Next year we will be old enough to be in the big show with the 3 & 4 year olds. We sang 3 Christmas songs and
played a little music too. I have been singing all the songs at home and in the car, but once I saw everyone watching us I decided I didn't want to sing at all. So I just sat on the stage.
This is Ms. Patsy and she is our music teacher. At the end of our performance she asked us who's birthday was on Christmas and I jumped up and said, "Baby Jesus"! I have loved learning the Christmas Story and I have enjoyed singing Happy Birthday to Jesus, so I was excited to answer my teacher's question.
After our show, we went back to our classroom and my mommy had brought baby gingerbread houses for us all to decorate. It was so much fun! My Nana & Papa came to my performance and my Nana helped me with my house too!

These are my teachers, Ms. Amy and Ms. Alana. I love them so much and talk about them everyday!
Merry Christmas preschool! I will miss you and I can't wait to come back after Christmas!

Santa Snow

2010-12-04T21:22:00.003-05:00

This afternoon it began to snow. I woke up from my nap and looked outside the window and there was snow everywhere! I told mommy that it must be Santa Snow. She said that she thought so too. She told me that Santa decided to give us some snow today to let us know that he was thinking about us!

After dinner we headed outside for a walk and to play in the snow. I loved making snowballs and throwing them as far as I could. It was great! My mommy had to pick me up and carry me inside because I didn't want to stop playing. I did get to stay up a little late tonight and play which was wonderful!
Thank you Santa for sending some of your snow....I can't wait to see more....I love you!

Ho Ho Forest

2010-12-01T22:15:00.005-05:00

Tonight we went back to the Ho Ho Forest! It is my third time since Thanksgiving...it is just a short walk from GaGaPop's house and I have gone their once with them, once with my Daddy, and then tonight to get a Ho Ho tree and take it home.
It is such a fun place to go. I love running around all the trees and playing hide n seek. All the boys that work there my mommy taught when she was a teacher so they all give me as many candy canes as I want!

I even decided to strike a few poses tonight by the trees. I can't wait to decorate our Ho Ho tree this weekend. What a fun night at the Ho Ho Forest!

An Update From Mommy

2010-12-01T21:39:00.002-05:00

I wanted to take a moment to write about what Cameron has been up to these days. She is growing up so much and surprises me everyday with what she tells me. She is such a joy in our lives and we are so thankful to have her as ours! Enjoy reading about all she does these days:

-Cameron is still doing great with using the potty. She was potty trained in July and hasn't looked back since. She has adjusted perfectly with using the potty in public, in preschool, at church, and letting whoever is with her know that it's time to go. I am so proud of her and don't miss the diaper days!

-Cameron is in preschool 2 morning a week and absolutely loves it. She is the youngest in her class, her birthday is 3 days before the cutoff and we decided that she would do just fine in the 2 year old class (she is in there with kids who are now turning 3, so she is the baby). She asks to go to preschool almost everyday, loves her teachers, and her new friends. She has a preschool boyfriend...Hudson and a new best girlfriend...Sophie T.

-Since she has started school she now calls herself Cami and always introduces herself to others as Cami. We still call her Cameron a lot at home, but we use Cami too!

-She loves the Disney Princesses. She knows them all by name even though she has only seen Cinderella. She has tiny figurines of each of them that she sleeps with every night and calls, "Her Babies." She also sleeps with a small Olivia (the pig).

-We gave Cameron a dollhouse for her birthday and she could play in it for hours. She loves to put them to bed and drive them around in her car.

-She loves anything that is little to play with like the Littlest Pet Shop, Tiny Fairies, Little People....anything small enough to fit in a pocket.

-She is into doing everything "by myself" right now, like climbing up in her chair and getting her backpack out of the closet.

-She loves going to church as well and has a blast in her 2 year old class there. Cameron is in a small group within her class and I know that she is learning a lot! They are talking about praying this past month and how God hears you when you talk to him. Cameron is a praying kid and I do believe she is understanding what it means to pray. At meals she closes her eyes and holds her hands together and says, "Dear God, Thank you for my family, friends, and food. Amen" She also prays in the car and at times before bed. She loves to pray for her family and friends...this is her prayer for people "Dear God, Pray for Daddy, keep him safe, Amen." It is so sweet to hear. Her latest prayer almost every night is for me to have a baby in my belly....she keeps asking if there is one and informs me that she would like a baby sister. I tell her to pray and she does! Too cute!

-I love teaching her about the holidays and we had fun with Halloween & Thanksgiving. Cameron could tell you that the pilgrims came on the Mayflower to see their friends the Indians. And she can already tell you that Baby Jesus was born in the manger on Christmas Day!

-Cameron is really into matching these days. Everything has to match her shirt which is cute most of the time except when we are trying to get out of the door and her jacket doesn't match!

-She is in love with Christmas, Santa, Ho Ho, and her Elf on the Shelf "Choo Choo". Her Christmas list has been made since September and I cannot wait to see her face on Christmas morning.

-She is a daddy's girl right now and prefers him to put her to bed and to do just about everything.

-Cameron loves to snuggle and we love that too! The other morning Cameron and I woke up and watched an entire movie on the couch together.

-She likes to call Jonathan and I by our first names every now and then.

-Her vocabulary is amazing and everyday she tells me something I had no idea she knew. And her memory is very good, too!

-She loves to be outside riding her scooter or bike or playing with her friends. We have the best neighborhood kids and a cul-de-sac so we play a lot outside.

-Cameron really reminds me of a 10 year old little girl in a 2 year old's body. She is too cute!

Once again, we are so thankful for this little girl in our lives...she is more than we could have ever imagines. Seeing the world through her eyes each day has been a blessing and I am honored to be her mom.

Happy Birthday Maloy

2010-11-22T21:47:00.001-05:00

My friend Maloy turned 2 on Saturday. Here we are at her birthday painting party. I am sitting next to her mommy and Maloy. We are painting Dora!
Here's a picture of my friend Anna Grace. She got a bit messy while she was painting!
And here is my masterpiece. They gave us the brown paint first so we all started painting Dora, but soon I asked my mommy, "Where is Dora?". I couldn't find her, but Mommy did do a good job on the flowers didn't she?
It was a fun party and we all had a great time. Maloy was the last of our playgroup friends to turn 2. Happy 2nd Birthday Maloy!

Breakfast

2010-11-22T21:28:00.000-05:00

This is how I like to eat my breakfast....how about you?

Happy Birthday Suz & Daddy!

2010-11-13T15:01:00.002-05:00

Last night we went to GaGa & Pop's house to celebrate my Aunt Suz's birthday and also my daddy's birthday next week. I went over a little early and helped GaGa make cupcakes!
Here is my cousin TayTay and I....we have so much fun playing together these days. She's wonderful and I love her! We made birthday hats for everyone to wear and we ran around and laughed a lot!
See...we made everyone wear our hats all night! Happy Birthday Suz and Daddy!

Happy Halloween Eve!

2010-10-30T22:05:00.001-04:00

I can't ea

Halloween Hoot

2010-10-29T14:40:00.007-04:00

Today my playgroup girls and I went to the Halloween Hoot at the library. We all wore our costumes and went to story time that was all about Halloween!
We sang songs, danced around, and even listened to a story.
Here are my girlfriends: Kinsley, Anna Grace, Maloy, & me. I think I was the only one dancing to this song!
I was Cinderella, Maloy was a ladybug, Anna Grace was Minnie Mouse, and Kinsley was Tinker Bell!

After story time we all went trick or treating around the library! It was a lot of fun and tonight I am going to my church for our Fall Festival. I can't wait because there are ponies...which means I get to go for a pony ride!