Merry Christmas!!

Well, Santa came on the 27th when we returned from Brian Head!! I took Cameron upstairs so everyone could set up the presents. When I brought Cameron down he was all excited about the bouncy horse Santa had brought. He walked towards it with his hand out and looked at it in awe. It makes noises so he was all interested and wanted us to put him on it. Of course his little legs are too short so we have to hold him on it...might be a while unless he hits a really big growth spurt.

This was the first time Cameron really started to understand how to open presents and showed some interest...at least for the first few. He would rip off a piece of the wrapping paper and then look inside to see what was in it.

About halfway through he sat in a pile of his presents and played with a new outfit by putting it (and wrapping paper) on his head. He loved that everyone watched and laughed at him. We made the mistake of leaving his popcorn popper (little push toy) unwrapped and out in plain sight because he kept trying to go for that instead of finishing his unwrapping. He also seemed pretty taken with a roaring dinosaur flashlight from Grandma Beth...probably because it made noise and was one of the earlier things he opened. It was a bit distracting.

Once we got everything opened up, we started taking it out of the boxes so he could play.

Here he is hugging his new dog...when we really get this one working I'm sure he'll be taken with it because it can learn to say his name.

This picture is just for Norm. We opened the box and he ripped it out and it went right to his mouth. He seemed a little upset as to why it was empty...we thought maybe you should've put some milk in it for him. ;-)

Cameron loves removing the candy canes from the tree and eating them...and getting them all over everything!! Part of the reason we left a baby gate up around the tree so he couldn't get to them unless we got it down.

Grandma & Grandpa Graham got him this puppet dog that barks songs when you move his mouth. He was so exhausted that he fell asleep on it. Apparently there was just too much Christmas excitement!

Trip to Brian Head.

This year we decided to go up to Brian Head for Christmas weekend. Not only did we have built in baby sitters with Grandma & Grandpa Graham...but it was Cameron's first real white Christmas. Our trip got a little delayed due to snow in Dallas (go figure). So we didn't make it up there on Christmas Eve as we planned...so we got up there early in the day on Christmas.

We made our Christmas dinner there and then we got in some sledding time. It was too cold for Cameron that night so we took him out the next morning. This was his first time playing in snow. He really wasn't sure what to think of it all. However, there was a lot of entertainment watching Dad, Uncle Adam & Grandpa Malcolm sled down the hills and roll around in the snow. Poor Cameron was so bundled up he looked like the poor little boy in A Christmas Story that can't put his arms down in his snow suit.

He got pulled around in his sled and even got to ride down the hill solo!







Grandpa was lots of fun! We watched him go down the hill on his head and try standing up in the sled. He took lots of spills. Even threw Grandma in the snow! He made a snow angel and then I sat in it.



Poor little guy was freezing when we finally got him back inside!! While we were there we made a nice bed for him on the floor in a sled. He didn't sleep too well though...woke up just about every 2 hours and usually ended up in bed with mom & dad. Especially when he would get up out of bed and we'd feel his little hands walking along our bed. Definitely not ready for a toddler bed!

This is a video of Cameron's first solo ride down the hill in his sled.

Here is a video of Cameron loving the snow...he kept trying to eat it off his mittens.

Forgot a Video

I realized I forgot to add one more video to the last post. Cameron has started really playing with cars. The funny part is he makes the "vroom" sound as he drives it around (or across) the coffee table.

Officially Walking!!

We are considering today Cameron's first real day of walking! He has been doing a few steps here and there and falling. There was just no interest. We would try to force him to walk with us and he would rip his hand away and get back down to crawl. Today he decided it was time because he started walking along the walls then just went. It's still pretty slow going, but he can bend over to pick things up and get back up to walk...and when he loses his balance he squats down then gets right back up. Crawling is still faster, but he is officially a walker!! Look out world. The video is not great...we were trying to make him walk to get a video so he quit halfway. But you get the point.



He has also become quite the little helper/handyman. This kid loves power tools. When David was baby proofing Cameron was crawling all over him trying to see what was going on. Or when he was working on the computer...Cameron was right there to watch. Notice the screwdriver in his hand!




Cameron has a new look. He drops his chin to his chest and looks up at you...like he's looking over his bifocals. He does it to get a laugh. He is always the entertainer when sitting in his high chair.



Loves playing with phones!! And everything converts to a phone (even a stuffed donkey).

He also loves to bounce. He's just barely tall enough to play with this toy. It's funny to watch him because he has to tilt to get one foot on the floor to jump...the other kind of flops around in the air. This one gives him a good work out. He goes in constant cycles...get on (usually needs help because he can't get his leg over the horse), jump for 10 seconds, get off the horse...then do it all over again.

Cameron's fairy wand. Ok so it's really a little mylar balloon. He LOVES balloons!! We bought him this little one thinking it would last a while. He waves it around like a wand.

And this is Cameron looking at the baby in the oven. Ok, so there's not really a baby in the oven. He was looking at what was cooking inside...then discovered his reflection. He spent a little while giving the "baby in the oven" kisses.

The other night we took Cameron to the Magical Forest. Companies around town sponsor christmas trees so you can walk through and see all the lights & decorations. Then they have a few rides for the kids, santa pictures, and food. It was way too croweded!! We really wanted to take him on the train because he was so excited watching it, but the line was so long. He never would've made it. We got a Santa picture (though he wasn't that great)...and Cameron wasn't so sure about sitting on his lap. After a stroll through the lights we were done. You will see from the pictures Cameron was usually too busy looking at the lights and other kids.

And we had to do this one!! Family joke!! We couldn't go anywhere growing up without stopping to look at equipment. Or standing next to the big tires to just how big they were. LOL.

Then my baby sleeping so peaceful, which he has not been doing lately. I think he's teething. Of course Cameron won't let me look in his mouth to really see how close they are or what's going on. He appears to have 2 more teeth coming in on top (his canine teeth). He has not been sleeping well at all. We are lucky to get 3 hours out of him at a time before he wakes up crying. Hopefully they come in soon if that is really the issue.

Swine Flu & Virus Free!!

We have been swine flu free here for a few days. Cameron is feeling so much better! Just his ruptured ear drum left to heal. He HATES his ear drops! It's a screaming battle with me practically sitting on top of him to hold him down. He thinks it's funny though when we pretend to put them in Daddy's ears.

You will also notice in the pictures that the damn bottle is back!! Just when he was off them for a few days, he got sick. I swear he got sick just to have his bottle back. He wasn't eating and we needed to keep the pedialyte flowing...a bottle ended up being the best way. So third times a charm to get him off them AGAIN! We will be starting that task soon enough.

This is the destruction Cameron can cause in a matter of minutes when you turn your back. He then tried to pick everything up and stick it through the bars of his crib. Not quite what I had in mind to clean it up. These days he is like a little cyclone. Goes right behind you and destroys what you have just picked up.

Have I mentioned before how much Cameron LOVES to read?! Well, that is an understatement. Most parents take batteries out of toys to stay sane...I dream of hiding his books for a day. The same three books (mostly because they are the only ones he has out right now) over, and over, and over again. One after the other...or sometimes just the same one. I no longer care about Corduroy's trip to the doctor, or that Grover & Big Bird can play basketball as a team. LOL.

He still loves to throw things! Lately he is throwing stuff at the cat...or throwing the dog's toys at at her. He thinks it's hilarious. Is also highly entertained by playing catch. He throws pretty well. He is also still a screamer!! Will also cover his ears and scream. He is definitely going to be a sports fan...at least for screaming & clapping (very short video...he is not cooperating and usually stops as soon as the camera comes out).

I almost forgot to post these...pictures of Cameron & Serafina's first date. :-) Back before Thanksgiving Bella and I took the kids to the tree lighting ceremony at Town Square. We took a picnic of food to eat and watched the little parade. It was FREEZING!! The kids were all bundled up and still cold. They did really good though. Best part of the night for them were the sirens & police lights...not so much the parade or Santa.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know this is really late! The last 3-weeks have been crazy though. Everyone here has been sick...most of all Cameron! Today we are on day 11 for him. It started off with a virus. We had him to the ER that first Sunday. As of Tuesday he was still really sick so we saw his pediatrician. She discovered 2 ear infections and we started him on antibiotics. Two days later, he was still really sick and he fevers were not subsiding...so back to the doctor we went. We changed his medication. Over Thanksgiving weekend...still sick and high fevers! Yesterday we found out somewhere along the way he picked up swine flu. So we have started on medication for that now too. Poor little guy! Not sure how much longer we have. We are told he is contagious until he can go 24-hours without a fever...hopefully that's not much longer.

David was also sick Wednesday & Thursday of Thanksgiving week...so we pushed our turkey dinner to Saturday. Not very eventful. Cameron cleaned out his cupboard...and did a lot of lounging around.

He did eat a little bit of his dinner. As you will see from the video, turkey made him a little wild & crazy. While he has ibuprofin in his system, you would typically not even be able to tell he was sick. As soon as it started to wear off...his fever would spike and he was down instantly.