Mandy Smith (in Grimes) took some amazing pictures of our little guy. He has such a personality and these pictures really show that! Now that he is walking, he wasn't interested in sitting still for a picture. We love you stinky!
Monday, December 29, 2014
Monday, December 22, 2014
One year later
One year later....
Oh how our lives have changed. We don't go to movies anymore, we can't just drop everything and run errands, we don't sit and watch hours of T.V. each night.
And I wouldn't change a thing! Now we spend weekends curled up on the floor playing with Camber. Instead of hours watching T.V. we go days without even turning it on, watching Camber instead.
I have learned so much in the last year; I have changed!
I used to be a major planner. I would have plan A, B, and C. Don't get me wrong, I still like to have a plan, but Camber has taught me that I just need to take it as it comes, because I can't be in control of everything. And try as I might, I can not control Camber. If I make plans, thinking he will do something specific, such as take an hour nap, then he would sleep for 2 hours (or 30 minutes). He has really gotten on a great schedule now, but he still does his own thing.
When I was pregnant I read EVERYthing possible. I read blogs, magazine, and books about labor and delivery. I was fully prepared. I took classes, talked to others, and read, read, read. And then nothing went the way it was supposed to. I read and read about nursing and then we dealt with not nursing right away because of the NICU, and then Camber having tongue and lip ties. I read books and books about caring for babies.
And none of it related to Camber. Everything the books said should happen didn't. "Babies get their two bottom teeth first, between 4-7 months." Not if your name is Camber: he gets four top teeth and two bottom teeth all at the same time when he is 11 months old. "Babies are supposed to start sleeping through the night at 6 months." Not Camber. "Newborns sleep all the time. Maybe in a bassinet, swing, or bouncy seat." Not Camber. He slept in someone's arms for the first three months. And it wasn't for lack of trying!
People didn't understand, people didn't get it, but that is ok. We know Camber is amazing and awesome! He may do things his own way. He is determined, smart, and lovable!
Looking back, if I could do it all over again, I would have held him more and worried and complained less. I would sit and snuggle him, kiss his soft little head, and breathe in his baby scent. I wouldn't worry about every little thing, knowing it will all work itself out. I wouldn't complain about having to hold him for every nap or get up during the night to feed him.
Looking forward, I don't plan to read another single book about raising kids. I am just going to figure it out as we go!
So my advice for new moms:
-Relax. Don't worry about things so much. Go places, do things, enjoy it as best as you can. Know that the days are long, but the years are short! It's ok to hate it some days! It's ok to cry.
-Read what you can. And then take it all with a grain of salt. Know that your baby isn't going to read those same books, so they may not do anything the books say. There is nothing you can do about it. It will all be ok!
-Ask for help. It is ok to reach out. Even to complete strangers, people you met on a Facebook group that have similar stories. Find support groups. Talk. Playdates aren't for the newborn babies, they are for the mamas!
-Don't worry about showering. You'll be able to shower when they are older. :-)
-Don't worry if your baby doesn't do what your friends' babies are doing. They aren't going to sleep the same, eat the same, or play the same. It's great to have friends to ask questions to, but try not to compare.
Oh how our lives have changed. We don't go to movies anymore, we can't just drop everything and run errands, we don't sit and watch hours of T.V. each night.
And I wouldn't change a thing! Now we spend weekends curled up on the floor playing with Camber. Instead of hours watching T.V. we go days without even turning it on, watching Camber instead.
I have learned so much in the last year; I have changed!
I used to be a major planner. I would have plan A, B, and C. Don't get me wrong, I still like to have a plan, but Camber has taught me that I just need to take it as it comes, because I can't be in control of everything. And try as I might, I can not control Camber. If I make plans, thinking he will do something specific, such as take an hour nap, then he would sleep for 2 hours (or 30 minutes). He has really gotten on a great schedule now, but he still does his own thing.
When I was pregnant I read EVERYthing possible. I read blogs, magazine, and books about labor and delivery. I was fully prepared. I took classes, talked to others, and read, read, read. And then nothing went the way it was supposed to. I read and read about nursing and then we dealt with not nursing right away because of the NICU, and then Camber having tongue and lip ties. I read books and books about caring for babies.
And none of it related to Camber. Everything the books said should happen didn't. "Babies get their two bottom teeth first, between 4-7 months." Not if your name is Camber: he gets four top teeth and two bottom teeth all at the same time when he is 11 months old. "Babies are supposed to start sleeping through the night at 6 months." Not Camber. "Newborns sleep all the time. Maybe in a bassinet, swing, or bouncy seat." Not Camber. He slept in someone's arms for the first three months. And it wasn't for lack of trying!
People didn't understand, people didn't get it, but that is ok. We know Camber is amazing and awesome! He may do things his own way. He is determined, smart, and lovable!
Looking back, if I could do it all over again, I would have held him more and worried and complained less. I would sit and snuggle him, kiss his soft little head, and breathe in his baby scent. I wouldn't worry about every little thing, knowing it will all work itself out. I wouldn't complain about having to hold him for every nap or get up during the night to feed him.
Looking forward, I don't plan to read another single book about raising kids. I am just going to figure it out as we go!
So my advice for new moms:
-Relax. Don't worry about things so much. Go places, do things, enjoy it as best as you can. Know that the days are long, but the years are short! It's ok to hate it some days! It's ok to cry.
-Read what you can. And then take it all with a grain of salt. Know that your baby isn't going to read those same books, so they may not do anything the books say. There is nothing you can do about it. It will all be ok!
-Ask for help. It is ok to reach out. Even to complete strangers, people you met on a Facebook group that have similar stories. Find support groups. Talk. Playdates aren't for the newborn babies, they are for the mamas!
-Don't worry about showering. You'll be able to shower when they are older. :-)
-Don't worry if your baby doesn't do what your friends' babies are doing. They aren't going to sleep the same, eat the same, or play the same. It's great to have friends to ask questions to, but try not to compare.
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| Lauren Campbell Photography |
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| Mandy Smith Photograpy |
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Christmas Letter
I got a little behind this year. Trying to get Camber's one-year/Christmas pictures taken, getting ready for Christmas, and planning a one-year birthday party, I just didn't get a Christmas letter sent. So here it is.
Better late than never.
Our letter has always been from our dog, Carly Moe's, point of view.
Better late than never.
Our letter has always been from our dog, Carly Moe's, point of view.
____________________________________________________________
Happy Holidays from the Taylor Family,
Last year
Dad and Mom kept telling me that my life was going to change; I wasn’t going to
be the baby of the family anymore. Boy, they weren’t kidding. On January 5th, 2014, Camber
Douglas Taylor entered our family. When
he first came home things weren’t much different, although he sure cried a lot
when I was trying to sleep. Mom stayed
home with Camber and I for a few months, and we did lots of snuggling. But
then, this summer, Camber started to move! He was rolling and crawling, but I
was still fast enough to get away.
Then just last month he started
WALKING! Can you believe that!? Well
neither could I. It’s definitely harder
for me to get away from him. I can still run up and sneak in a lick or two, and
get away most times without him catching me.
Camber has
been so busy his first year. Learning all of his motor skills: rolling,
sitting, crawling, and walking. He now
has a whole mouthful of teeth (which he decided to get all in two weeks). That
meant not a lot of sleep for the whole family for those few weeks. Camber is such a fun, crazy, lovable baby. I
can’t imagine our family without him.
Dad (Doug)
started up a new business in June and has been so busy! He does window tint,
car/truck accessories, and vinyl wraps and decals. His new business is called Auto Addictions
and is located in Waukee. In his free
time, he loves playing with Camber. In fact, I think he is more excited for
Camber’s Christmas presents than Camber is.
Mom
(Lindsay) is busy teaching 5th grade and being a mom. She loves being able to read books with
Camber (and me too, of course), play with all of his toys, and go do fun
things. They have taken Camber to the zoo,
Science Center, farmer’s markets, Minnesota to the Mall of America and Lark Toy
Store, many trips to see family and friends, and a bunch of other really fun
things.
They are
busy planning for Camber’s one-year birthday party! It is going to be an Oh
the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss theme.
Camber has the cutest outfit to wear!
We hope you
all have a fantastic year and please bookmark our blog so that you can keep up
on all the fun things we do! Love to
all!
The
Taylor Family,
Doug,
Lindsay, Camber, and Carly Moe
Friday, December 5, 2014
11 Months Old
Camber has been SO busy this month. His biggest accomplishment was learning to walk! On Sunday (at the beginning of November) he took two steps, then Monday he took four, Wednesday he took 6, and then on Thursday he was off and he hasn't slowed down since. Every day he seems to get more stable and faster! It is so fun to watch him go! We know it won't last, but right now he doesn't seem to get into as much because he is so focused on walking he doesn't stop to mess with stuff (this doesn't mean that he doesn't get into things, because believe me, he does. Just not quite as much as I thought he would when he started walking). We are trying to enjoy it now, knowing this phase won't last long :-)
With walking comes lots of bumps and bruises. Camber has had his fair share of bumps. He always seems to be around a wall when he falls instead of just in the middle of nowhere. The other day we were looking at the neighbor's Christmas lights across the street and he tripped and fell right into the window sill giving himself a nice big goose egg on his eyebrow. Mama may have been more scared than Camber and when he started laughing at me crying I knew he was ok. (Although I was packed and ready to go to the ER). Think of what those doctors and nurses would have said to me. Ha! Thanks goodness Doug was able to come home right away and calm us (mostly just me) down.
Camber now looks like quite the tough guy with his first true black eye! I am just hoping it goes away by next weekend when we are going to be taking his one year pictures. And I really need to get a picture taken for his one-year birthday invitations.
Speaking of one-year, can you believe in less than one month my little guy will be one. How did that happen!? I am so excited (and a little sad, because time has just flown by) to be celebrating our little man! Operation Birthday Party Planning is in full swing, along with hustle and bustle of the holiday season!
Camber got to enjoy his first Thanksgiving dinner. I would say his favorite was definitely the turkey (the kid LOVES meat) followed in a close second by sweet potatoes! I have since tried to give him sweet potatoes, but he is far from interested!
We were able to play for a while at the Science Center and it was fun to see Camber really able to play with some of the activities. He was really into the water station and the dinosaurs!!
Doug really wanted to take Camber sledding so we bundled him up and found a great hill. Camber loved it although he could barely move with all the clothes we had on him :-)
Doug and I (and Camber too) get a little stir crazy having to always play inside. Especially now that Camber is walking it would certainly be nice if we could get outdoors more. But we can't, so we make do with the things we have. Doug tied a workout band to the top of our ottoman and made a ride for Camber. He loved it.
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| This was one of the first videos we have of Camber walking. There is a longer one on Facebook as well. |
With walking comes lots of bumps and bruises. Camber has had his fair share of bumps. He always seems to be around a wall when he falls instead of just in the middle of nowhere. The other day we were looking at the neighbor's Christmas lights across the street and he tripped and fell right into the window sill giving himself a nice big goose egg on his eyebrow. Mama may have been more scared than Camber and when he started laughing at me crying I knew he was ok. (Although I was packed and ready to go to the ER). Think of what those doctors and nurses would have said to me. Ha! Thanks goodness Doug was able to come home right away and calm us (mostly just me) down.
Camber now looks like quite the tough guy with his first true black eye! I am just hoping it goes away by next weekend when we are going to be taking his one year pictures. And I really need to get a picture taken for his one-year birthday invitations.
Speaking of one-year, can you believe in less than one month my little guy will be one. How did that happen!? I am so excited (and a little sad, because time has just flown by) to be celebrating our little man! Operation Birthday Party Planning is in full swing, along with hustle and bustle of the holiday season!
Camber got to enjoy his first Thanksgiving dinner. I would say his favorite was definitely the turkey (the kid LOVES meat) followed in a close second by sweet potatoes! I have since tried to give him sweet potatoes, but he is far from interested!
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| Camber's Thanksgiving Craft from Daycare |
We were able to play for a while at the Science Center and it was fun to see Camber really able to play with some of the activities. He was really into the water station and the dinosaurs!!
 |
| He is always trying to figure out how things work and this picture shows that exactly. Look at that face! "Hmm, let me just see how this works!" |
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| He would just stare at this contraption. His eyes would follow the ball the whole way. |
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| Found a friend to share with :-) |
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| Daddy was pretty good at getting these things going; Mama, not so much |
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| Daddy may have had more fun than Camber |
Doug really wanted to take Camber sledding so we bundled him up and found a great hill. Camber loved it although he could barely move with all the clothes we had on him :-)
We stopped during one of our shopping excursions to play in the play place at Valley West Mall. Camber LOVES to climb all over everything. And as many germs as I know are crawling all over, I love letting him burn off some energy, so we just wipe down when we leave!
Doug and I (and Camber too) get a little stir crazy having to always play inside. Especially now that Camber is walking it would certainly be nice if we could get outdoors more. But we can't, so we make do with the things we have. Doug tied a workout band to the top of our ottoman and made a ride for Camber. He loved it.
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| All bundled up and ready for the snow! |
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| It's hard work playing. Had to stop of a rest! (this lasted only seconds, in fact I am surprised we caught it on camera) |
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| Also climbing on everything! |
I had decorated for Christmas while Camber was napping and when he got up and came downstairs he was amazed at all the new things and the lights (and thinking he couldn't wait to get into it all). He has done a pretty good job (so far) with all the decorations!
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| This kid LOVES pictures! |
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| Camber's elf is watching! |
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| Best present we could have ever hoped for |
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| Daddy gave his job of putting the angel on the tree to Camber this year. |
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| Pretty! |
Another big thing for Camber this month is teeth! As of ten months Camber didn't have a single tooth. Not one. Then all hell broke loose. I had always heard they get their bottom two teeth first, so any time we thought he was teething we would check the bottom. I should have known Camber wouldn't do "what is supposed to be done." Because he decided to get ALL FOUR of his top teeth at the same time. It's be a super fun couple of weeks, with minimal sleep and lots of snuggling! Poor guy, I can't imagine how that feels! They still aren't all the way in, but overnight he is going to look like such a big kid with four teeth!
Well we now have an 11-month old! That is so crazy! It has been so fun to see Camber grow and change each month with these pictures. Only one more month to go! I bet Camber is excited about that (because I don't think he loves when I make him do this).
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