ONE

It has been a couple weeks since I have updated the blog, and there are many things I want to recall and write down, and SO many pictures to post and moments to remember. But the biggest piece of these past few weeks has been celebrating Camryn's FIRST year of life. What a year.

One day old

One year old

Our baby girl is one. She smiles at us, chatters at us, shows emotions like excitement, fear, happiness, sadness, frustration. She eats food off my plate, crawls like a little speed demon toward the bathroom when she hears the bathtub water turned on, likes to be silly with her sister, and has this screaming game that she likes to play with her where they scream back and forth at each other, then giggle, then do it again.

She is a little person with a little personality that gets bigger every day.

This first year with TWO kids has been a challenge, a joy, a life-changer. In the beginning I felt fear with just being alone with both of them at once - it was two straight weeks before I had both girls by myself for a full day. We survived. :) And since then, we have found our groove as a family of four. Last week, Ryan had to travel for work for a whole week, and it was just me and the little ladies for the majority of the time, and we made it.

This first year with Camryn was different than with Taylor, not only because it was kiddo number two, but because I went back to working full time. The beginning of the school year was stressful. Really stressful. There was a time when my teaching partner came into my room at lunch, where I had stayed to try to get work done, and she asked me how I was doing, and I just cried! (She was a significant part of helping me through those first few months - an ear to listen and as a working mommy herself, she was a good person to be able to relate to and share frustrations.)  Figuring out the work, general life, and mommy-role balance was tricky, especially with Camryn not sleeping through the night (usually up multiple times!), and then about a month and a half into the school year we added in the sickness and ear infections that started popping up - which lasted for almost 5 months. Also, figuring out how to continue nursing while working a 9 hour day was tricky, and exhausting at times. Evenings felt full of chores - laundry, bottle cleaning, bag packing for the next day - and left less time for just being able to play and enjoy being with the girls.

But, we made it through those rough patches, Camryn is healthy and sleeping well, and we are now at a place where I feel like life is more manageable and happy. :) I love my job and what I get to do, and I love being a mommy, and I am slowly but surely figuring out how to do both of those roles better.

So now we reach the age of ONE! One is great. There is independence, but still a desire to snuggle and be held. She wants to try new things all the time, and doesn't throw a tantrum (yet) when we tell her no. She is starting to be able to communicate more, and babble simple words like mama and dada. She smiles and laughs - the BEST sound in the world!! And when she goes past just taking a few independent steps and launches into full-on walking? Oh the fun we will have with that new ability - Taylor will love all the new things her favorite playmate will be able to do. I can't wait for this summer with these two. :)

Things I want to remember about Camryn at ONE year...

** Size 3 diapers, 12-24 month clothes

** Sleeping through the NIGHT!!! Tubes were the best decision we could have made for her. We have made it our longest stretch without antibiotics since last October - six full weeks - and I am excited that the only reason we will be going to the doctor this month is for her one year well-child visit next week. And she sleeps. It is wonderful.

** We call her crazy Cam because she so busy! She is a fearless little lady - climbing on anything, launching head first off of things like couches, beds, the trampoline. She also loves climbing up our stairs.

** Eating goes pretty well as long as it is something she can put in her own mouth and doesn't have to be fed it off of a spoon. She is LOVING blueberries right now - would eat half a pint by herself if I let her. She does really well with fruit, veggies, yogurt/cheese, and grains, but can be a bit more hesitant when it comes to meat.

** One year old means we start weaning from bottles, and also start weaning from the "good stuff" to move onto drinking cow's milk. She was not a huge fan of the Vit D milk we were trying from a sippy at first, but after gradually adding more and more of it to her bottles, she is starting to warm up to it. I am hoping that we will no longer be sending bottles to daycare next week!!! 

** She LOVES walking with her new zebra ride along/walk along toy... back and forth, back and forth, she will walk tirelessly with it across the living room :)

** Bath time is a favorite

** Two or three steps on her own...can't wait until she starts WALKING!

** Still only 2 teeth!

** Does the cutest little head bob/hip shake when she hears music

** We'll find out just how big she is at her doctor appointment next week! 

Can't have a post without pictures :)

This girl does not want to lay on her back for these pictures anymore...but tried to get one last one :)

It didn't last long and she was off and crawling... :)

Sweet smile

New favorite toy!

We love you Cam!! Can't wait to see what this next year will hold for you!