Big love

I don't know who is more in love, Cameron with her Daddy, or Daddy with his Diva. Either way, it's a big, big love. Undescribable, the love of a child, the love for a child.

Paige is 3!

How can this be? The little darling (my only sister's only daughter) turned three on Saturday and we had a "Birday Pardy" at my house. My family flew up from Midland, and we all partied like rock-stars. Well, okay, Cameron still went to bed by eight every night, but she tried to hang with us! A couple of fun pictures from the weekend . . .

Mama said there'd be days like this . . .

Actually, my mother NEVER mentioned anything quite like life with a two year old and a new baby. And she has been there, my sister and I were a mere seventeen months apart. When I ask her how she did it, how she managed, this distant look comes over her face, and she smiles and says, "I just don't really remember those days".

Today began around one a.m. with the first of several wake-up calls from Cameron. That girl. I fed her, returned to bed. Between four and six I got up with her four more times. At six I started kicking Greg in his shins and begging him to have mercy. He got up and by the time he got to her she had settled back down (this NEVER happens for me). At seven I fed the little booger again, and started the day as Benjamin was now bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. The rest of the day gets fuzzy, but it went something like this:

Change Ben (note that diaper contents are a little frightening).

Change Cameron.

Start breakfast. Notice that my feet stick to the kitchen floor, probably due to the massive bottle of cranberry juice that Ben poured over his head yesterday morning.

Get Cameron down for a nap. Sadly, it's a thirty minute nap.

Change Ben again. Uh-oh.

Change Ben AGAIN. Oh no.

Niece shows up for a play-date. Play date commences. Another Ben diaper. Cameron doesn't nap. Play-date ends.

Clean up kitchen, and wonder if I have brushed my teeth. I have, thank God.

Put Benjamin in for his nap. Oops, diaper check reveals the need for another change. Begin the day-long thought process of wondering what he ate with milk/soy in it.

Change/feed Cameron, get her in for a much-needed nap. Thirty short minutes later she demands my company. Then poops. Change her again.

While I buzz about for the next hour or so, I listen to Ben not-nap. Is that a real phrase? It should be, it's a real condition in this house. Happens about once a week now, and scares me that the immediate future could possible no longer include a napping two-year old. Shudder. So I get Cameron down again and check on Ben. CODE BROWN!!! Time to clean the boy and all of his bedding. Not to mention change him again.

Give Ben a banana and pray it helps. Turn on the TV. Start more laundry. Change Ben. Change Ben. Change Ben some more. Call Greg and tell him that I could be scary when he gets home.

Dinner, change Ben (by this time he cries with every change). Clean up kitchen. Nurse Cameron, who doesn't want to eat, and would rather talk about the milk than drink it. Bathe her while Greg takes over Ben-duty (more like Ben-doodie). Get her jammies on, try to finish the feeding. She won't eat, but when I sit her up to burp her she spits up all over her fresh jammies. Change Cameron, put her to bed.

Take a hot shower and shave my legs (this was the highlight of my day).

Kiss Ben goodnight.

It's officially time for a good old internet glut and some dark chocolate. Lots of dark chocolate.

And tomorrow will be new. Shiny and new. And I think I am beginning to understand my mother a little better. I think she has a form of post-traumatic-motherhood-syndrome.

Bumbo Ben

Yep, folks, that's right. At 30 pounds he still fits. Like a glove.

Mind your manners . . .

This morning Ben came in as I was changing Cameron's diaper (the trouble always begins when I'm busy with her). He was carrying some of her little bibs that I keep by a chair where I feed her. Why he's obsessed with these bibs is beyond me.

I said to him, "Ben, you need to go put those back right now."

He looked right back at me and said "Say please."

I did as he asked.

The Diva

Otherwise known as Cameron. And she is, most definitely, a diva. She requires (demands) hands-on constant attention. We oblige her. As I find myself falling further and further in love with her, I am constantly whispering thanks to my Heavenly Father who created her. No, designed her. He planned her long, dark eyelashes. He knew just how perfectly they would frame her noticeably wide, dark eyes. He actually knows the number of hairs on her sweet little head (he's also keeping count of mine as my once-gorgeous-due-to-pregnancy-hair falls out all over the house). He put that adorable cranberry birthmark right on the top of her head, where I can kiss it any time I want. People call it her 'angel kiss'. I wonder if God let the tiny baby I lost early in my first pregnancy plant that sweet kiss on her noggin before sending her my way. Her hairy back, his plan. I'm just relieved that she's not as hairy as Ben. Designed by Him, knit together in my womb, a most precious gift, my Diva, Cameron Elizabeth.

Face-lift!

BLOG-OVER! I started my little blog just before Benjamin joined us, and I have so enjoyed posting sweet news about him. Now Miss Cameron joins the fun, and well, it just seemed like it was time to spruce things up a bit. Maybe the fact that I'm completely sleep-deprived and unable to be my normal Type-A self lead me to seek help in 'perfecting' my blog. Regardless, I hope you enjoy it. More soon. For now, it's nap-time in my house, so I'm off to join my little ones in dream-land.

Sweet Pea

Isn't she darling? She's even darling at midnight, three a.m., five a.m., and six a.m. At least she was last night. She's rolling over like a pro, at three-and-a-half months, and continues to delight us with her smiles and giggles. Even Ben gets regular smiles from her now. Ben still scares her silly sometimes, he's yet to decipher what 'indoor voice' means, but we're having fun, and that's what matters.

When Mommy's away . . .

What about you?

i am: a blog junkie

i think: about my loved ones, near and far, all the time

i know: i am incredibly blessed

i want: my children to know and love Jesus

i have: a wonderful husband

i wish: i could clone myself to meet all of the immediate needs of my little ones, and have a clean house at the same time

i hate: when the kids in our neighborhood are unkind to Ben

i miss: my niece Paige terribly

i fear: loss

i feel: tired, but happy as Cameron keeping me up all night must mean she's a healthy, thriving girl

i hear: sweet silence, as Ben is playing at his grandparent's house, and Cameron is napping

i smell: my lavender & rosemary diffuser

i crave: dark chocolate

i search: for Ben's sippy cups constantly

i wonder: sometimes, if I'm getting through to Ben (he's two, he's very two)

i regret: not having my children earlier

i love: hearing my kids laugh, it's a magical sound

i ache: for my friend Sarah, her little boy is so sick

i care: about what my family eats

i always: organize things

i am not: good at letting the little things go

i believe: that this is the best time of my life

i dance: with my silly Ben when we watch the music scene in Cars, and with Cameron when she needs some soothing

i sing: (terribly) "Lullabye" when I rock my babies

i cry: almost never

i don’t always: get the much-needed daily shower

i fight: the aging process

i write: on my blog and via email, rarely a real note

i win: most arguments

i lose: sleep when I'm anxious

i never: go a day without chocolate

i confuse: my words, now that sleep deprivation is at it's highest level

i listen: to Greg reading Ben his bed time stories

i can usually be found: in my sweet house, with my family

i am scared: of big gross bugs

i need: to vent when the day has been long and hard

i am happy about: the sweet, small moments that remind me why I'm here at home, being their mother, and that this job is so worth the hard times

What about you?

Fourth of July

No big Fourth of July pictures . . . Ben ran a fever, so in we stayed. We did have yummy tenderloin for dinner (thanks Mimi and Papa), and enjoyed a quiet Friday together.

Sleeping Beauty

Guess who slept 8-1/2 fabulous hours last night?

Flashback Friday

I still think they look a lot alike . . . What do you think? The first picture is of Cameron at ten weeks. The second is of Ben at about four months.

This Little Girl

She has stolen my heart. Not that I have forgotten Ben doing the exact same thing. Somehow, it just suprised me to have it stolen all over again. It's amazing how deeply a mother loves her babies.

Father's Day

To Greg, whom I have loved from the moment we met . . . You are the husband/dad of my dreams. I couldn't have survived the last years of pregnancy and sleep-deprivation without you! Thanks for going on this wild ride with me, and for loving our children like only you can.

And of course I took some new pictures of Benjamin and Cameron, to 'gift' the fathers in my life. Enjoy.

Seriously?

So this morning I attempted a shower. Not a long, luxurious shower. No shaving, no deep conditioner, just a quickie. I had finally gotten Cameron to sleep, she had been up since six a.m., and it was close to ten. Benjamin had about a hundred cars to play with in the bathroom, and so begins my shower:

Ben opens the closet in the bathroom. Bad sign.

Ben: Open this?

Me: No, Ben those are Mommy's breast pads. Put those back, please (yes, I said please).

Ben: Open this? Open this?

Me: Ben, no, please. Put those back. Ben. Ben. BEN!!

Ben: (Opens breast pads, brings them to the shower door). Open this (an anouncement, not a question, and Ben is now headed for the bathtub)!

Me: Ben, what are you doing?

Ben: Ooooooh, water (Ben turns on the hot water at the bath tub).

Me: Ben, that water is hot, leave it alone. Ben, turn it off. NOW.

Ben: Water, hot?

Me: BEN TURN THAT WATER OFF RIGHT NOW (I start banging on the door of the shower like a mad woman)!

Ben: (Smiling). Ooooooh (as he drops breast pads into the bathtub). WATER!!!

Me: Seriously, Ben, leave the tub alone. NOW!

Ben: (Heads for the toilet, breast pads in hand). Water!!

Me: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (as I jump out of the shower).

Ben: (Seeing that I mean business) Hi Mama.

Me: Hi Ben, stay out of the toilet. I mean it. You put about twenty maxi pads down there this weekend. Can you say "No no"?

Ben: No no, Mama. Baby sad?

Me: I give up (Ben is armed and dangerous, and the baby is now screaming on the intercom).

Could this be why I'm so tired at the end of the day? I'm sure it is, but it's also why I laugh about a million times a day. And it is worth it. So worth it. Oh, and in case you were wondering, breast pads swell up and look like breast implants after soaking in the bath tub several days.

Dirty Little Secrets

Okay, Amy, you inspired this post! I was talking to my friend the other day, and told her that Benjamin eats his dinner (or what he refuses to eat at the table) in the bathtub almost every night. Works like a charm, he eats every bite, and I'm glad for the sweet potato that goes into him, instead of down the drain. Here's my new dirty little secret. That's right, she sleeps on her tummy. Thankfully, my sister sent me her monitor that goes underneath the crib mattress and monitors her breathing and her heartbeat. So, what's your dirty little secret? I can't wait to hear!

My kiddos

Benjamin had his first Oreo experience the other day. I made sure we both had huge glasses of milk (his was rice milk). Sure was fun. Cameron snoozed, allowing us our little luxury . . . Little angel. She is full of drama these days, and we're loving her personality. We're still working on night-time sleeping, but I suppose it just takes time.

Reality Check

So today, on Mother's Day, Greg surprised me a (MUCH-NEEDED) Starbucks card. The caffeine is a must these days. Another cherished gift, Cameron gave me her first beautiful smile. Lastly, Benjamin treated me with something I'll never forget. He wiped his booger on the chair I was sitting in, and then ate it right in front of me. Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day, tomorrow! And every day, as we need it, don't we fellow mothers out there? These days my role as a mom has been stepped up a bit. I'm shocked sometimes at the amount of elbow grease I need just to get through the daily grind. And then I look at my sleeping baby girl or my sweet two-year old boy playing with his matchbox cars, and I know this is exactly the job I want.

Sweet Baby

Small moments

This household is filled with sweet, small moments. Ben checking on Cameron, whom he calls "Baby", Cameron's sweet sleepy sounds, Greg tucking in our children. I love the changes. A couple of new pictures of Ben and Cameron. . . Benjamin now has a pose, and says "Cheese" for the camera!!

Look-a-like Babies

My sweet babies, in their carseat. I think they look so much alike, and yet Benjamin is classic-boy, while Cameron has this delicate side. So sweet, these little ones!

Sweet Girl

The Big Brother

Well, it's official, she's here, and Benjamin is nuts about his little sister. Big sigh of relief! He looks for her everywhere, kisses her constantly, and gets all kinds of upset when she's fussing. Can't say that we blame him. More pictures to come, as these two monkeys take over more of our hearts.

Meet Miss Cameron!

She is here! Cameron Elizabeth joined us April 15th at 8:43 in the evening. The little diva weighed in at six pounds seven ounces, and measures 19 inches in length. We are already head over heals! "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father . . . " James 1:17

The Big Boy Room

Can't believe I haven't posted pictures of Ben's all-important big boy room. I love it, he loves it, and yes, Ellie loves it, too. She spends many hours sleeping in his bed every day. Ben made the transition to his bed like a champ, no questions asked. He still sleeps with his favorite friends, Rein (lamb), Goat (Billy Goat) and Doddie (doggie). And three blankets. It's a full house in that little twin bed.