Illness: 1 Family: 2

I'm giving us the win on this one. After a very long, frustrating Saturday night DH and I managed to defeat Cameron's first cold. She still has some sniffles and a touch of a cough but considering how well she slept last night I would say the worst is behind us. I've decided to document our approach here for future reference.

1. Call the pediatrician's office. Neither of us wanted to go into for a sick appointment and Cameron's fever was only 99.5 which didn't worry us. I called to ask about what medications I could use to alleviate some of her symptoms. Because Cameron is over 12 pounds she could get some medications. Otherwise they didn't need to see her unless her cold lasted longer than a week or her fever spiked above 101 degrees.

2. Humidifier. It was packed away after the winter but we pulled it out and DH bought some extra filters.

3. Medication. Interestingly I don't really self-medicate but I am an adult and can handle feeling miserable from symptoms. Cameron can't. I gave her two doses of Tylenol over a 24 hour period. I also used a saline spray twice. She screamed for about a minute while I was administering and suctioning it out but seemed much more comfortable after. The doctor's office said we can give her 2.5 mL (1/2 a teaspoon) of Benadryl. I gave that to her just before her last bottle and she was out like a light.

4. Boppy. Instead of placing a pillow under the crib mattress I decided to use the Boppy as a way to elevate Cameron while she was sleeping. I used it for naps during the day and she slept for 90 minutes at a stretch. It worked just as well through the night.

DH had to do one pacifier insertion at around 1:30 AM. After that I had to wake her up at 4 AM for a feeding and then again at 6:30. She has no fever and coughed only twice before heading out to school. I claim success! Is there anything else experienced parents recommend for the next time. Sigh. Yes, I know there will be a next time...

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go

Today is my last day of maternity leave. For the past three months I have exclusively worn my mommy hat. BigFinance's policy is to shut off all access to company systems while on parental leave. That means no email, no phone calls, nothing but focusing on my little one. Isn't that wonderful?

Of course now that means I have to put my work hat back on and get my brain functioning again. I will be switching projects at work which is a good thing in a way. I will be able to have a ramp up period which makes things a bit easier. The downside is that I have to learn a ton of new things in a short amount of time.

Cameron decided to celebrate my return to work by keeping me up all night. She had a very slight cough yesterday that turned into a full blown cold starting at 10:30 PM. I alternatively fed her, rocked her and held her until 5:30 AM when DH took over. I called my pediatrician's office and was advised I can give her some Benadryl for her cough. I did give her some Tylenol for her fever and will probably do that again if it gets above it's current 99.5 degrees. The cut off for staying home from school? 100 degrees. Here's hoping she doesn't hit that. And if she does, DH will have to take over...there is no way I can jump ship my first day back at work. Here's also hoping tonight goes better and I get more than 3 hours of sleep!

How have other people handled their first day back? I plan on working 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM so I can pick up Cameron from school by 5 PM. Will I break down and leave earlier? How many times will I call to check in on her (especially because she is not feeling great)? How long will it take us to get a morning routine down?

All tuckered out

Apparently this week was a little rough on Cameron. The not sleeping during the day at school has resulted in a lot of sleeping on Saturday. She's also been a little cranky and I hear her coughing every once in a while. Not very frequently but definitely more than the occassional cough infants do. DH had a slight sore throat a few days ago so I'm going to hope that it is something slight and passing and not something she picked up at school. Because getting sick just one week after starting daycare? And just as I'm heading back to work? Life would not be that cruel to me!

Cameron and I had our regular playgroup today and she made it about one hour before she was a ready for another two (!) hour nap. Poor little girl.

Charlie checks out Cameron as she plays in her Bumbo

Cameron and Mommy spend some quality time together. Cameron plays with two of her "boyfriends".

Ed, Farrah and Michael

DH told me that Farrah Fawcett died yesterday. He then asked me who would be next. I responded, "What do you mean?" DH told me that everything comes in threes. Ed McMahon, Farah Fawcett, so who would be next? I though David Carradine might apply but was DH argued he died too long ago to count.

Never in a million years did I think that Michael Jackson would be that third celebrity. We were watching the news and the anchor (Brian Williams, I think) announced that they had been planning a retrospective on Farrah Fawcett but Michael Jackson just died so they were going to focus on him. I'm sure Farrah appreciated being upstaged like that!

Ed McMahon was not unexpected. He's kind of become a tragic figure over the past few years. Apparently he spent all his money and was constantly in danger of losing his house. Ed sunk so low to earn money that he even shelled for some "money for gold" company alongside MC Hammer.

Farah Fawcett was also sad because of her anal cancer. Now that's a tough cancer to talk about given the name, don't you think? Plus her idiot son decided drugs was preferable to helping his mother during her time of need. I have to say, it was nice to see Jacklyn Smith again on TV (aside from her Bravo TV show). That woman looks just as good now as she did on Charlie's Angels!

So the only shocking death of the three was Michael Jackson. At 50 years old he died of a heart attack. My first thought was drugs. 50 isn't that old even for a very strange and plastic surgery addicted man. But no details have been released yet. Like Ed McMahon, Michael has also had money problems. Crazy for a person who owned the Beatles catalog. And of course his alleged pedophile predilections. I feel bad for his three kids and wonder if they will end of with anything of his supposed $20 million fortune. A long fall from when he was a billionaire...

Over the next few days, Farrah Fawcett's death will fall by the wayside as it has been coming for the past 3 years with her terminal diagnosis. Ed has basically already been forgotten. But the interest and reporting on Michael Jackson will continue for weeks. What do you think will come out about him? Will we learn more about his kids? His skin condition? His finances?

Slowly adjusting

We are three days into school for Cameron and we are all slowly adjusting. It has helped that my friend Helen is in town to keep me distracted from thinking about Cameron too much. My biggest issue so far? Naps. Or rather the lack of naps. I've been picking Cameron up at 4 PM so she can get at least one hour long nap before her last two feedings and bed time. That won't be happening next week when I'm back at work and I pick her up at 5 PM.

Cameron has been napping for about 30 minutes twice a day while at daycare. I expressed my dismay to the teacher and asked if her transition would get better. While assured it would and that they are swaddling her (but not the super swaddle) I am still very nervous about how much she is sleeping during the day. She used to nap for about 6 hours while I was home with her. And was rarely crabby, even in the evenings. Now, even after her one hour third nap, she is a crab monster in the evenings. I shudder to think how bad it will be when she doesn't get that long last nap.

I appreciate that she is interested in everything and won't sleep but I question how hard the teachers are trying to get Cameron to sleep and stay asleep. With 8 other infants I can't imagine they have the time to spend keeping her asleep. I'm also not happy with the level of detail they are providing in her daily log. Basically it is just a list of dirty diapers. They should at least tell me which feeding she doesn't finish her full bottle at (which they said they would originally). I also want to know if she's "talking", getting tummy time, etc. I just want to scoop her up and get out of there not spend 10 minutes asking questions. Plus, it is usually a different teacher at the end of the day than in the morning. Am I crazy? Should I be pushing for more written detail?

On the plus side Cameron has been sleeping either through the night or close to it with a wake up at 4 AM. It is kind of a pain when she sleeps until 5 AM because I have to hold her off until 6 which can get dicey. So, any thoughts about napping? Will Cameron start sleeping more at school or will I just have to suck it up and deal with a crappy evening?

Cameron in an adorable dress and leggings that Auntie Helen gave her. Cameron is tuckered out after a long day at school

Daddy decided to be silly and put a sock on Cameron's head. Auntie Helen gets a snuggle in.

Updated: Cameron had a wonderful day at school and napped for almost 4 hours, including a two hour long nap! I promise to try and not expect miracles and just hope that as the days pass Cameron does learn to nap better in a more hectic environment than home.

Cameron: three months old

Dear Cameron,

Today you are three months old. It has been a wonderful three months for us with lots of new adventures. You have moved into your three to six month clothing so I know you are really growing up!

You have starting holding your head up all the time but still have a bit of the bobble head. You like to lean forward while sitting in your car seat or in our laps to build up your stomach muscles.

Another new thing for you this month is the drooling. And spitting up. Mommy and Daddy have learned to be very prepared with a burp cloth at any given time.

You are absolutely fascinated by your hands. You will grab for anything you can and always seem to be stuffing a hand into your mouth. You are also quite the little talker. Daddy likes to listen to you talking over the monitor when you first wake up in the morning.

We love how happy you are when you wake up from a nap. The first thing you do is smile and it just lights up our hearts.It has been a busy month for you. First you met your Bumpa and saw your Grammy again. Auntie Helen also came to visit. You visited uptown Charlotte for your first Taste of Charlotte. You had lots of playdates which prepared you for meeting your cousin Lucy. It also helped ease you into your first week of daycare.

Next month is a big transition for Mommy as I head back to work. But I know I won't be able to wait to see you every evening and spend lots of time with you on the weekends. I will print out lots of pictures for my desk so I can think about you all the time.

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

A wonderful day all around

Apparently I am not cut out to be a stay at home mom. Why? Because today felt absolutely liberating. True, I won't be back at work until Monday but it was wonderful to spend most of the day not thinking about Cameron. Scratch that. I thought about her all day. I just didn't have to think about her in terms of doing something with her or for her.

Cameron wears a special outfit from her aunt Allison for her first day of school.

The house felt oddly quiet after I got back from dropping her off (20 minutes round trip) and it was weird to not have to be quiet while walking around or carry a monitor. I cleaned, talked to my sisters, pumped and then went to the mall. And while at the mall I didn't have to think about the following:

• Do I have the diaper bag?
• Will the carriage fit through the store and in the changing room? (I'll have to do another post about how bad stores are about this)
• Does she need a diaper change?
• Does she need to eat?
• Will I be home in time for her next nap?

Me? Extra work while Mommy runs errands? Never!

True, I did have to pay some attention to the clock to be home to pump again but there's a lot more flexibility with pumping than breastfeeding. Plus, now I can see how much she probably gets off of me at her regular feeding times. Very eye opening! I think that with a consistent volume at daycare Cameron might be dropping a feeding. But we'll see.

I called the school around lunch time just to check in. I was told that she had already napped twice (good) and eaten two bottles (also good).

Cameron is ready for her first day of school

After picking Cameron up from school I discovered she had two very short naps (like 15 minutes) and one long 90 minute nap. She was just about to fall asleep for her last nap so I quickly scooped her up and cuddled her. I got snuggles and smiles from her right away. The teachers told me she had a wonderful day which was great to hear.

Cameron is sleeping as I post this for her final nap of the day. We both survived and I would argue thrived during Cameron's first day of school!

Updated: Of course Charlie had to go and throw up all over the carpet as soon as I posted this. Isn't that always the way?!?

Hoping for a smooth start

Tomorrow is Cameron's first day of school. I'm going to take my sister's advice and call it school. Mostly because it makes it sound less like I'm abandoning Cameron than by calling it daycare. Yes, I am a crazy mother, what's it to you?

I plan on dropping her off at what will be her regular drop off time: 7:30 AM. I'm doing this for two reasons. First, DH is traveling so I can't stick him with the drop off and save myself some tears (mine). Second, Cameron's nap starts around then and if I don't drop her off before her first nap I'll have to wait until after her next feeding. I liken it to ripping off a Band-aid. Send her in early and pick her up early.

Fortunately I have some things to keep me occupied. My friend Helen is coming into town on Tuesday so some cleaning needs to be done. And I need to head out for some clothing and shoe shopping. I need some professional looking wear to get me through my first few weeks back at work. Why not wear my old stuff? Two words. Baby weight. Plus any woman will tell you that buying and wearing new clothes is an immediate pick me up. And I will need that for my return to work.

I'm kind of looking forward to dropping off Cameron at school in addition to being extremely reluctant. Let's face it, three months being basically solely responsible for another human being can be very tiring. Now I won't be tied to a nap schedule. No, instead I will be tied to a pumping schedule. I'll let you know how that goes. I'm not optimistic but it must be done.

Depending on how cranky Cameron is (I've been warned) I will try and post tomorrow about her first day. Wish us luck!

Happy first Father's Day to Jeremy!

I finally got sucked in

For years now I have had people telling me that I would love the Twilight series. After all, I am an avid fantasy series reader. But I scoffed at the suggestion. I am a bit of a fantasy snob and don't really like books set in the "real world." I much prefer the Tolkien type genre of creating whole new worlds and everything associated with them. True, I did devour Harry Potter but who didn't?

Well, I finally caved and bought the first book of the series when I saw it at BJs in hardcover for $11. I had been in a bit of a book slump lately with little reading going on. For me this is unusual. I used to read at least a book a week and usually several. But Twilight reinvigorated my appetite for reading. I picked up the other three books in the series before I even finished the first. And I am very happy that every book in the series is out. No waiting for the next book (hello Patrick Rothfuss and Robert Jordan, I'm talking to you!) which is pure heaven for a quintessential fantasy reader.

I now completely understand why teens went crazy over this series. It has beautiful people, romance, action and whining. Based on the photos I've seen in UsWeekly, the casting director did a great job with the two leads in the movie. I think what I like the best about the books is that Bella is a completely normal girl. No one special. And frankly, that describes 99% of all high school girls which is probably why they now all think they will land an "Edward" of their own.

I don't want to ruin the plots for anyone who hasn't read the books yet but the fourth book is definitely a stretch in terms of believability compared to the first 3. True, nothing is believable about vampires but I mean it comparatively. I'm only a 1/4 of the way into the last book so it might improve plot-wise. Quite a few people (including my mom) think that Bella was too whiny of a character. Perhaps I am still too close to adolescence (stop snickering) but I think her attitude is spot on for her age and situation. She actually kind of reminds me of Buffy a little bit (in terms of the Buffy/Angel plot). But a lot clumsier.

So if you have some spare time and spare cash (only the first two books are currently in paperback) I recommend you read the Twilight series. It will really suck you in. He he he he. Has anyone read the book and seen the movie? How does the movie compare?

Mmmm, can I get ketchup with that?

Cameron has discovered her hands. She's always been pretty grabby with them but over the past two weeks she has really started reaching for and holding objects. She is now completely bored with her kick activated bouncer and only wants to hang out on her playmat where she can reach for all the hanging animals.

Another cool thing is that Cameron can now hold up her head most of the time. She is still a bit of a bobble head but does a great job in general. A side effect is that the bald strip on the back of her head is starting to fill in.

Hopefully this all means she is more coordinated than her mom and will actually be able to play sports!

Mommy, Esq. gave this to Cameron because Ned liked it so much. Looks like good taste runs in the family!

Cameron is just making sure the chicken doesn't fly away.Who needs a pacifier when you have hands instead?

One less than fun development has been the drooling. I hope that phase doesn't last long!Look at me sitting up so straight and pretty!

Charlie makes a cameo appearance in this video. It's about as involved as he gets with Cameron for now.

Fussy eater

Cameron has been a very fussy eater lately. She keeps pulling off and crying. I was at my wits end so did the typical mom move. I Googled it. What did mothers do without the Internet?!?

I was really worried that Cameron was just not getting enough food from me to keep her happy. But based on my research she is fine and has enough appropriate diaper changes each day. I so wish I had my own scale for her just to double check but that's just my Type A personality talking.

It turns out that Cameron just wants her food very fast and doesn't want to work for it. She seems to favor the hare over the tortoise. My solution? Add in an extra feeding so she doesn't get frustrated.

I found a couple of really great links I wanted to post here for current and future breastfeeding moms:
http://www.askmoxie.org/2008/02/qa-fussy-baby-w.html
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/fussy-while-nursing.html

Cameron's extra feeding now means she eats consistently every 3 hours. It adds another nap too but since we will just have to deal with that on the weekends, I'm OK with it. Plus that means her naps are shorter which I think is a good thing for daycare. It was sometimes a battle for me to keep her asleep for 2 hours and I had a dark room and cradle swing.

Has anyone else experienced this an increase in number of feedings? I figured she would reduce her feedings as she gets older but it appears with breastfeeding that she needs more. I assume if I had a larger supply at any given feeding she would not need the extra one. Will my supply eventually increase so we can reduce the number of feedings or am I stuck with every 3 hours?

Planning for Cameron's first day of daycare

Is anyone surprised that I am already in planning mode for Cameron's first day of daycare? I thought not! The daycare provides the following for us: wipes, bibs and formula. I need to provide bottles (since she will be getting breast milk), diapers, and anything else I want. The daycare changes all infants every hour (unless napping) so that means a lot of diapers to be sent along each week!

Here are the other items I plan on packing in Cameron's bag:

• One extra outfit
• One extra pair of socks
• Pacifier
• Swaddle blanket
• Diapers

Should I have an extra onesie just in case? Is there anything else I might be missing? I will probably not be doing full days for the first week. More to ease me into it than Cameron!

The daycare feeds Cameron according to her own schedule which is nice except for two issues: she's picked up an extra feeding in the last week and I don't really know how much she eats off of me in general. I am planning to send 4 four ounce bottles with her with the hope that she only needs 3 of the four and I can do two feedings before bed. That is in addition to the middle of the night feeding and morning feeding. For other moms who breastfed before starting daycare is that enough ounces to send along with her? I will provide the daycare with a schedule but also leave it to their discretion/experience as Cameron needs.

The biggest plus to Cameron starting daycare a week before I go back to work is that I can nail down a routine for her and also have my days free. I need to figure out a good pumping schedule and do some shopping. I haven't tried on my work clothes yet, post-baby, and have a feeling I will need a few roomier outfits to get me started. Sigh. Apparently unlike the denizens of Hollywood breastfeeding isn't all I need to get back my pre-baby figure!

The Smell

For the past few months DH and I have been catching a whiff of a terrible smell. It isn't there all the time. In fact it is only rarely that the odor wafts across us and we look at each other and say, "Did you smell that?"

At first we thought it was the dog farting. Or the baby pooping. But it was a bad garbage-y smell but worse that that. We only smelled it in a couple of places, usually when sitting on the couch. It lasts for about 30 seconds, tops, and then disappears, sometimes for a couple of hours or days only to return again.

We have done everything possible to try and track down the smell. We checked the closets, the pantry, moved the couch and shampooed the rug. We crawled around and held our noses to the air while sniffing. We smelled in closets, by air vents and in cabinets. And nothing. No seeming origin for the smell. Has anyone else experienced this? Should I just assume it's some small animal that died somewhere and eventually it will decompose and we won't smell it any more? Ah, the joys of home ownership!

Cameron meets more of her extended family

The sweet spot of the weekend must have been when we had 3 children all sleeping at the same time for about an hour. Pure bliss! I even got a nap in at the same time. Cameron and I had a wonderful time visting family. Not only did we spend two nights with A. and her family we also got to see my brother Andrew briefly and my sister, Mommy, Esq.

I'm glad I know I can travel with Cameron by myself but I am also glad to be home. Next week is our last week together before she starts daycare (boo), so I plan on spending lots of quality time together.

Cameron is a lot bigger than the last time Uncle Andrew saw her at one week old.

Mommy, Esq. calls on her twin parenting to hold both Lucy and Cameron. Doesn't Cameron look jealous of Lucy playing in the bouncer? Don't worry, she got pleny of playtime there too. Cameron and Lucy are already best buddies.Shhh, don't tell DH but don't I look like I can handle two kids?

A successful first airplane trip

Cameron was up a little earlier than normal today but that was the only repercussion from our travels yesterday. DH dropped us off at the airport and we breezed through security. I wore Cameron in the Baby Bjorn and had no problem with the metal detectors. Security didn't even bat an eye at the two bottle of milk I sent through.

I fed her a little before boarding the plane and it was very uncomfortable. Not in a "people are staring at me" way but more of a "the arms on this chair aren't high enough to support me as I am feeding her not to mention how narrow the chair is" kind of way. We boarded first and got settled in the window seat. My two seat mates were about to be first time grandmothers so they cooed over Cameron and complimented her incessantly. I approved.

Cameron fussed just a bit before take off, more because she was ready for a nap than anything else. She slept on me for about 30 minutes of the 1 hour flight. I fed her out of a bottle while we landed and she did great. We also had our first diaper change in an airport bathroom. The set up is actually a lot better then the tiny changing stations in most public restrooms.

My only two complaints were that I need an extra hand sometimes and her bottles leaked from the pressurization of the cabin. Thank goodness I put them in plastic bags or her diaper bag would have been a mess.

We don't have much planned today aside from a long walk and perhaps lunch out. I will post cute pictures as soon as I can. Hopefully she will do just as well traveling when we return on Sunday.

Cameron's first trip

Cameron and I are about to embark on our first trip together. We are hopping a plane to Baltimore to visit A. and her family. It will be a 48 hour trip which is about my limit for my first trip with an infant. Mommy, Esq. will be flying in Saturday night so we will be having a very short triplet reunion. My brother, Andrew, is also in the area for work. So if his job permits I'll get to see him too. DH is staying home so wish me luck in traveling with Cameron alone!

Unlike Mommy, Esq., I will not be traveling with an entire nursery. A. has everything I need so aside from some clothes, diapers and bottles Cameron and I will be traveling light. She even has an extra car seat and I can use her pump. I've decided to have Cameron in the Baby Bjorn for the trip and check my carry-on bag. Just me, Cameron and a diaper bag will be on the plane. I was surprised when I tried to check in online that because I will have a lap infant I have to check in at the airport. Is that a US Airways policy or all airlines?

A. and I plan to take oodles of pictures of Cameron and Lucy. And of Finn of course! I think that Lucy is bigger than Cameron now even though she is almost 4 weeks younger! I'll try to post while traveling but if the blog gods don't cooperate it won't be until Sunday night. By then I will be an experienced parent traveler. Scary thought...

Will it really be OK?

I've been a wreck for the past 24 hours. Cameron and I went to her daycare to meet the teacher and get all the paperwork for her start date of 6/22. And I almost cried several times while there not to mention once I got home. I am not feeling good about leaving her in daycare. The place was a zoo when I got there. Granted, it was lunch time so there were subs for the breaks teachers were taking and the director was out of the office.

I was very disturbed at the site of all the infants on the playmat. Can I really be sending Cameron into that group to basically fend for herself? 7 other infants is a lot when you see them spread out on the floor. Some were crying, some were falling asleep in swings or bumpos. And I could only picture my sweet baby not getting enough attention. Or sleep.

I didn't get a great vibe from the head teacher so I think I need to go back. Because frankly we don't have many options at this point. I came home and started calling other daycares but they are all basically the same in terms of number of infants. Not to mention the wait lists. Years of wait lists. The teacher didn't really come over to interact with Cameron which I didn't like. And I asked about swaddling and she reluctantly agreed to swaddle Cameron.

I'm looking for a little reassurance from the blogging world about this. I was up for hours last night worrying about how daycare could affect Cameron. So please share your stories about daycare and relieve some of my stress!

I swear I was watching her grow

Cameron has decided to ignore conventional wisdom and embark on a growth spurt in her 11th week. This is her first growth spurt that I've noticed and I'm exhausted! She is feeding about every 2 hours (starting at 4 AM) and I have to supplement because I'm not producing enough. Or rather, I'm not producing it fast enough for the little glutton.

I got her up for her playdate we hosted and I swear she was bigger than when I put her down. Her clothes are definitely stretching to the limit which means next week we are moving into the 3-6 month stuff. Has anyone else experienced what I have in seeing their children physically grow? Or am I going crazy?

Cameron is a sweetheart while Grammy and Bumpa are in town Cameron's affection for her toy presages her growth spurt.

At least I can blame her one day

DH was trying to be nice. A couple of weeks ago I came to him with a strand of hair in between my fingers and asked, "Is this a gray hair?" DH is an expert on gray hair having started turning gray at age 18. He glanced at it and responded, "No, it's blond." I was relieved and went on with my day.

But my suspicions grew as I started seeing an odd sparkle when I looked in the mirror. Blond doesn't sparkle. And I was forced to admit it, without DH's help. I had a gray hair. Actually two gray hairs. Do they come in pairs normally? The weird thing is they are coming out of my widow's peak. So there is no way I can "hide" them behind other hair. But I'm not willing to start dying my hair yet, so they will stay for now.

I am already plotting about how to use this to my advantage when Cameron is older and acting out. Yes, I know that it's heredity that determines when we start going gray but the timing is too good to pass up. For consideration:
"Every gray hair on this head is because of you!"
"I never had gray hair until you were born!"
"Do you want to give me more gray hair!?!"

How about the rest of you? When did you start going gray? How quickly can I expect my two hairs to multiply? What other good one-liners can I use?

A fun weekend with the grandparents

Grammy and Bumpa flew into Charlotte on Thursday afternoon for a long weekend visit with Cameron. DH and I are just along for the ride :-) Unlike past visits we had absolutely nothing project-wise for them to do so Bumpa has managed to squeeze in a couple of naps.

Their visit coincided with Taste of Charlotte so we hopped into the car and headed into the city to battle the crowds for a couple of hours. The weather was actually perfect (last year it was pushing 100 degrees!) and we had a chance to sample some of the local restaurants' wares. Cameron was absolutely wonderful. She slept for about 20 minutes and then people watched the rest of the time. She didn't even get cranky despite an abnormally short nap.

Cameron is enthralled by Grammy. She is wonderful at singing songs and playing games with Cameron.

This weekend also saw the first real laughs from Cameron. Adorable! Bumpa is a soft touch and even let Cameron fall asleep on him once for a nap. DH and I realized that we have been remiss in letting Cameron hang out in just a diaper so we rectified that this weekend.

What's that I hear?

I am here to tell you that Mommy Ears are not a myth. In fact, they could be a super power. I find myself waking up at 12 AM or 1 AM and wondering why I'm awake. Turns out I hear a small stirring sound from Cameron and it's like a marching band in my ear. I jerk awake and lie there for a couple of minutes waiting to see if she needs a pacifier or is falling back to sleep on her own. I even keep the monitor over on DH's side of the bed so I supposedly can't hear as much. Yeah right.

Normally I am a light sleeper but being a mother has taken it to a whole new level. Funny thing is I also find myself waking up even when Cameron doesn't stir. She is usually up around 3 AM for a feeding and if she isn't then I find myself wide awake, staring at the clock and wondering if she is going to sleep all night. And if she does sleep all night will she be up at 5 AM instead of 7 AM and then her whole feeding and napping schedule will be thrown off? Yes, these are the things I think about in the middle of the night.

I wonder, is it just mothers who have super hearing or do dads too? I haven't heard of one yet...but you tell me!

While Cameron has definitely started learning how to reach for things she isn't actually pointing at anything here. I'm sure that will come soon enough.

Daddy dances with his little girl.

Product review: the FURminator

Anyone who had a dog that sheds will tell you it is an uphill battle to tame the dog hair in the house. I think it's even worse in a home with hardwood floors because I can see the clumps of dog hair as a I walk through the house. The hair has a bad habit of accumulating on the stairs and any place I can see while feeding Cameron. I notice it and then forget about it once Cameron is done only to see it all over again at the next feeding. It drives a Type A personality like me nuts!

While having dinner at Amanda's a friend of hers mentioned the FURminator. DH expressed immediate disbelief at the testimony that it is an amazing comb for cats and dogs. Because we live in the Internet age I immediately Googled it (http://www.furminator.com/shedless.cfm) and watched the videos. It looked like the answer to our prayers. Our prayers of laziness by only wanting to brush the dog every once in a while rather than every day during shedding season.

I planned to pick one up last week while getting more dog food but the item is so popular the pet store was out of stock. I asked the clerk if the boasts about the product were true and he said, "I've never seen anything work better." So I made a special trip once they restocked and picked up the most expensive brush I've ever gotten. Charlie is about 60 pounds and I got the medium size brush.

As soon as I got home I cut open the package (why do manufacturers make it so hard to get to the actual item you buy?!?) and took Charlie outside to test it out. And it was AMAZING! If you have a dog or cat that sheds, run, do not walk and spend your hard earned money on this product. It totally works. After about 5 minutes of brushing Charlie I had a mound of dog hair that would normally take about an hour of brushing to get. I would post a picture but I had to clean up the hair before the wind blew it over the yard. Even DH has become a believer although he is holding off on unconditional support until after Charlie's next bath.

I can't wait to see if it really reduces the dog hair in the house but considering how much I got off Charlie today, I'm sure it will. Has anyone else tried this product? Do you like it as much as I do?

Can't she stay this way forever?

Cameron and I had a playdate today. And a lunch with some of my co-workers. So it was no surprise that she didn't nap well. Fortunately I paid attention to my Weissbluth and she was in bed asleep by 7:30 PM with only 20 minutes of crankiness.

At our playdate Cameron got to interact with a 4 month old and two six month olds. And I was amazed at how active the 6 month olds are! One of them zooms around in his walker and is already commando crawling. I am far from ready to deal with a more mobile baby. I love that Cameron is content to stay in her bouncer and coo at her toybar while I'm washing dishes. Or I can start her bath while she is lying on her changing table. Plus she is so snuggly!

While I look forward to seeing Cameron grow and change and learn lots of new things I also am already mourning her infant-hood for how brief it will be. It's kind of like having a puppy. I just want her to stay this small forever! Am I alone in this wish? Is this why people have more kids?

I've given up on tummy time on her playmat and started using the Boppy instead. As you can see, Cameron likes it much better! And this is a great shot to see how blue her eyes are now. Blueberry blue just like her Daddy.

A few people have told me how cute she is while we are out and I respond, "Well, I think so too but I'm biased!" My grandmother says I should just say thank you but I can't help it...