Summer Going by so Fast...7 Months Old

Camber and I had such a fun, first summer together!!  We were able to lounge and relax at home and also go out and do lots of fun things!!

He has grown and changed so much this summer and everyday he amazes me with his personality!  I am going to miss spending my days with him, but I am also excited for him to get to make new friends at daycare and for me to meet my new "kiddos" for the year!

Camber has been to lots of mama/baby groups and playdates, explored at the Blank Park Zoo, and ventured to Minnesota to see the Mall of America, LegoLand, Ikea, and a huge toy store, Lark Toys.  We were able to go swimming a few times this summer and spend a lot of time outside, which is always a favorite of Camber's.

He has also learned to CRAWL, so our lives have drastically changed! I can no longer put him on his blanket with some toys and get things done in the kitchen, start dinner, or even go to the bathroom without being worried about what he is going to get himself into.  He pretty much loves anything that isn't his toy :-)

We have a stinker!  I am not exaggerating this statement.  Camber has learned how to snort when he isn't getting what he wants.  It is hilarious (and really scary because I see glimpses of our future).  I will put a few pictures of it below, but it's hard to get a picture of. I want to try and video it, because it's pretty fun (for now).

Doug is back on his own again as he opened a new shop called Auto Addictions at the beginning of June. He is doing window tint, vinyl, and lots of accessories! He is busy and loving his new adventure! 

Daddy decided that Camber needed a truck of his own.  Although he is much too young for this, Doug plans to "get it ready" for Camber to use in a few years :-)

Miss Moe is able to ride in the back :-) (she didn't love that idea)

Camber LOVES anything outside!!

Someday he will be able to do it without any help :-)

"Hi Mommy!"

"I'm ready to go down the slide."

The phrase "getting into everything" has just begun.  He now crawls and loves to explore! He never crawls for his toys, but always crawls to things he isn't supposed to be getting!  :-) 

Loves his walker!

                                    Camber loves swimming with Daddy!

We spent a morning at the Blank Park Zoo. Camber loved watching the animals!

 

He is our little monkey!

Tigger!

Has a tail!

Look at that cute tail!

The day he learned how to stand up in his crib

We have started Baby-Led Weaning, which is just letting babies learn to feed themselves.  Camber has had tons of foods and LOVES them all!  His favorite was steak, but he has tried chicken, pineapple, peppers, bananas, avocados, cantaloupe, watermelon, and green beans.

 

Steak is his FAVORITE!!

We went to Minnesota for our family vacation this year. It was just a short, small trip for Camber's first vacation and he did AMAZING.  Doug and I kept saying, "Who is this kid?!"  He did great in his car seat, which was such a relief! He took naps and LOVED everything that we did. We went to the Mall of America where we ate at the Rainforest Cafe and did some shopping.  On Sunday we went to Ikea and then went out of the way a bit to Kellogg, MN and found the best toy store EVER! Lark Toys is a toy store of over 20,000 square feet of fun! They have their own hand-crafted wooden carousel and tons of toys! Camber and Doug were in heaven!  It was definitely the highlight of our trip and I am glad that I googled "toy stores in Minnesota!"  It was a great vacation and we can't wait for many more!!

He did such an awesome job in the car!                                                       

After walking around the Mall of American and doing a little shopping we stopped by the Rainforest Cafe!  Camber was so entertained by the fish tank! He kept grabbing for them!!

 

 These pictures are from Lark Toys in Kellogg, MN. Definitely worth the drive!! Loved it!

He loves his puppy dog (and she loves him too)

 

We went to Indianola for the National Balloon Classic. It started raining so we didn't get to stay for long, but Camber did get to see a few balloons take off! It was fun!

These pictures show Camber's snort!  They are kind of blurry, but you can see his nose scrunched up!

While in Panora for Panorama Days we were able to see my Aunt Marilyn, Uncle Alan, Aunt Carla, and Uncle Martin.  We also saw the parade!!

 

He loves pulling himself up in his crib, on his toys, everywhere!  He has also found the door stop, which is a new favorite.  

                                                                                    Someday he will really be doing this!

Waiting at the Doctor's office!  

Such a sweet, brown-eyed boy

                               

                                     

                                     

Seven Months Old:

Crawling EVERYWHERE!

Pulling himself up on EVERYTHING!

Ready for School...What?!?!

That's right, I said it! I'm ready for school.  Now don't get me wrong I am going to miss hanging out with my little bubba. I am going to miss him like crazy! I love our days spent together doing whatever we want: relaxing at home, running errands, visiting with friends, taking walks, taking naps, and so much more. But I am also ready to meet my new kiddos and to start a new year.

I love being a teacher; it makes me who I am. And yes, I am already starting to feel mom-guilt because I know I won't be able to spend as much time with Camber as I want. And yes, I am already starting to wonder how I will juggle everything: being a teacher, being a mom, being a wife. But I also know that being a teacher makes me a better person, a better mom, a better wife.

So as the school year fast approaches and I am nervous about sending Camber to daycare, although I know he is going to the best place possible, I am excited to get back in my classroom!  During our Instructional Leadership Team meeting yesterday Karen asked us what we were going to do to go that extra step, that extra one degree.  I couldn't come up with an answer right away.

After much thought I decided, creativity.  I wouldn't consider myself a very creative person; I am a rule-follower, pretty black and white. But this year I want to focus my energy on creativity and really foster a place where kids can be creative.  Where they can try new things, be vulnerable, make mistakes, and learn!

After reading another blog by a friend and awesome teacher I continue to be inspired to do what is best for kids. Lots of changes coming to my room this year!  So excited!

So even though I might not be ready for lots of meetings, having to wear something other than yoga pants, packing my lunch every morning, or pumping at school (ugh, a whole other battle story), I am very excited to meet my new kiddos and get this year rolling!

Update: Operation-Summer Sleep

Operation: Summer Sleep  

 Camber was doing amazing at taking naps. He would show signs of being tired after being awake for about 2 hours. I would take him upstairs, turn on his fan, give him kisses, and lay him in his bed.  I would walk away, leaving the door open just a crack.  I would come downstairs and turn on our video monitor and watch for a few minutes as he settled himself in, usually by turning on his stomach and sucking on his bink. He would be asleep in minutes.  About an hour to an hour and a half later he would wake up, rested and happy.

 Please notice the use of PAST tense in the previous paragraph!

     For the last few days Camber has become a different baby. I put him in bed when he shows his tired signs, still after about 2 hours, and he now just plays and plays and plays.  He even gets upset and doesn't want to sleep! He has also learned how to SIT up in his crib and is very close to pulling himself to a standing position!  I will go in and lay him down again, which makes him very mad!  And two minutes later he will be sitting again!

Notice his little grin, such a stinker!

   He also goes to bed with a binky (that damn thing!!), which he has now figured out how to throw launch out of his crib.  Oh boy, does he think it's funny when I come in the room. He giggles and laughs when I hand his binky back to him.  And two minutes later, right after he sits up, he launches it again.  So I had a clever idea: I'll put three binkies in bed with him.  What did he do? You guessed it, he launched all three out!

   Doug came home for lunch today and Camber was just "sitting" in his crib. Doug said, "Just let him get up." (Because he doesn't understand the monster Camber will turn into if he is overtired). So I took his advice (why on God's green earth would I do that-I am not sure!). And brought Camber down to play while we ate lunch.  Camber played and laughed at Daddy, thinking he was the coolest thing since sliced bread.  After lunch Doug joked with Camber, "Now you be a good boy and go to sleep for Mommy."

I begged Doug to stay! I pleaded! I all but laid behind his truck to keep him from leaving.  But he left.... and Camber did NOT follow his Daddy's rules by being a good boy and going to sleep for Mommy!

Camber sat in bed, played, did a little crying, but did not sleep.

Hi Mommy! Have you come to play with me? Or just give me back my binky?!

This is how he eventually fell asleep.  He was sitting and put his head down between his legs, folded right in half and went to sleep! That can't be comfortable. We will need a trip to the chiropractor after he wakes up to adjust his little spine. But he is ASLEEP!

This is a picture of our video monitor. If you think I am going into his room to get an
actual picture, and risk waking him up, you are crazy!

So from all of this I have learned two things:

 #1. To my parents: I'm so sorry! I'm sorry for all those times I wouldn't go to bed! For every bedtime I cried my way through, begging to stay up longer. I am sorry for asking for another drink of water, saying I need to go to the bathroom, or crying because I was afraid of the monster under my bed.  I see visions of future bedtimes with our son (and they aren't pretty!) and I am instantly sorry!

#2. All these people who write books on baby sleep, can stick it where the sun don't shine (to put it nicely). I have read just about EVERY book ever written on baby sleep.  Books about baby's sleep patterns, books that encourage cry it out, books that say don't ever let your baby cry it out, books by doctors, books by moms.  And you know what every one of them has in common: none of them have a damn clue how to get my baby to sleep AND not one of those authors has shown up at my house to prove their method works!

I have tried everything, and I am not here to get into the debate of cry-it-out  vs. don't cry-it-out or even share my opinion on the matter.  I have tried it all, except crawling into that crib myself to lay down with him. Which I have half considered! I hope it doesn't come to that :-)

But then last night, as he was peacefully sleeping in his bed, I turned to Doug and said, "Oh he is so sweet, maybe I'll go pick him up and snuggle him for a minute."

Ha! I only thought that for a split second!

Oh how I love my little stinker (who acts WAY too much like his Mama!)

This is Camber trying to pull himself to a standing position. He is so strong!

                 But he is so sweet. Look at the precious, little smile!  Oh I love him so much!