My 1st Christmas

I think I have a new favorite holiday. I was pretty keen on Halloween and Thanksgiving, but Christmas might trump both of those. For starters, it seems like we ate all week long to celebrate Christmas (well, mom, dad, and everybody else ate all week long. I was on my normal eating schedule with the same old, same old milk at every feeding). Plus I got to play with ribbon and paper. Apparently I got some toys and clothes and other gifts, but I was definitely more interested in playing with the ribbon and trying to eat the paper. Unfortunately, mom kept taking the paper away from me every time I would rip it off the package and bring it towards my mouth.

The best part of Christmas though was all the people I got to see. Mom, dad and I went to Atlanta for the week where I got to meet Great Grandma Mieyko, Great Uncle Doug, Great Aunt Hally, Santa Claus and a polar bear. Grandpa Brian, Grandma Linda, Aunt Kali and Uncle Tom were also there. And then this week, Grandpa Jim, Grandma Barb, Uncle Keith, Aunt Maribel, Uncle Scott and Aunt Mollie are all coming over to celebrate Christmas since we didn’t get to see them on the actual day. And if that wasn’t enough, mom, dad, Jesse and I had our own little Christmas celebration today since we were once again all together (Jesse didn’t come to Atlanta with us – maybe he was naughty and that’s why or maybe it was because he didn’t fit in the suitcase – I’m not sure).

My first airplane ride was quite an experience. I was pretty cranky on the flight to Atlanta so mom had to feed me the whole time to keep me quiet. I just wanted others to know I didn’t like sitting in the very back of the plane. On the plane ride home, I was much better. Even though I had to wait 3 extra hours to get on the plane, I was in a good mood and didn’t have to eat the whole flight to be happy which I think mom appreciated. In fact, I was making friends with lots of people on the plane. Daddy called me a ladies man. Not quite sure what he meant by that but I think it had something to do with the smiles I was giving the ladies behind me.

So what else have I been up to? I’m rolling around a lot. I like to roll onto my sides, especially while on the changing table. I even did a 360 as mommy calls it – I started on my back, rolled onto my tummy, and then rolled back onto my back. I also giggled quite a bit for daddy one morning. In her rush to come see me giggle, Aunt Kali went splat on the floor. Hope my giggles were worth it! I also love sitting (with a little help) standing (with more help), and flying (with lots of help). My favorite toys of the week are measuring spoons, my teething book, and my vibrating elephant that hangs from my car seat.

I’m still not a fan of that white fluffy stuff. Especially when it’s almost over my head. It was nice to get away to Atlanta for a week and to be able to see the grass and go for outside walks with mommy again. But it sure is nice to be home with my doggy and sleep in my own crib and play on my play mat. It’s almost like having a bunch of new toys since I haven’t seen my own mat, jumper, or swing in nearly 10 days.

Well hope you all had a Merry Christmas too and found joy in the little things like ribbon and paper and the big things like family and faith.

Love,
Cameron

Off the Charts!

I am off the charts! At least that is what the doctor says. At 11 lbs, 10 ½ oz, I’m so tiny that I am not even on the weight percantile chart. At least my height of 24 ¼” has me in the 25% range for my age. To help me “beef up” a little more, the doctor suggested mom and dad start me on solid foods. Sounds like fun to me! Mom got out the spoons today so I could practice having one in my mouth. She forgot to put the food on it though. I guess she wants to wait until we get back from Atlanta before starting this new adventure.

Yup, we are headed to Atlanta on Saturday to celebrate Christmas with Grandpa Brian, Grandma Linda, Aunt Kali, Uncle Tom, Great Grandma Miyeko, Great Uncle Doug and Great Aunt Hally. Should be a fun time and from what I hear, a slightly warmer Christmas than here in Wisconsin. Once we are home and all settled back in, we are hosting the Kruepke side of the family for Christmas so I will get to celebrate again with Grandpa Jim, Grandma Barb, Uncle Keith, Aunt Maribel, Uncle Scott and Aunt Mollie. Two Christmases sounds great to me! Mom finally explained what Christmas was and why there was a tree in the middle of our living room (see my previous blog). One of the ornaments on the tree is my new favorite toy. It’s a miniature See and Say – you pull a cord and the arrow spins and points to an animal. Then when you pull the cord again, it makes that animal’s noise.

My other favorite new toy is the Jumperoo that Auntie Jill and her family lent to us. I’m still not quite tall enough to fully appreciate it, but I do like the lights and noise that the toy makes. And once in a while I actually jump a little when I’m in it.

It’s a winter wonderland here. I heard mom say the other day that we have at least a foot of snow on the ground and we have already received 17.5” of snow this winter. I’m not much for the winter weather as I have to stay home when it’s too cold or too snowy. I like being out and about, whether it’s running errands with mom and dad, visiting friends or family, or walking with mom and Jesse, I prefer having opportunities to get out of the house.

Mom had some friends over last night while dad was out with some of the guys. This was the first time that mom or dad had a social gathering at the house since I was born and I think it went pretty well. Aunties Jill, Lisa, and Lauren were over along with two of my favorite friends, Ben and Abby. I was in a pretty good mood and let the adults hold me and even smiled for Ben and Abby as I watched them play. I was a bit disappointed that mom put me to bed while the party was still going on, but I ended up sleeping right through whatever merriment occurred. I can’t wait for the next party!

So that’s about all from here. I did laugh again for mom the other night and one day I kept rolling over from my tummy to my back, but have refused to do it on my own again since then. I can be stubborn at times just like my mom. I keep learning new things and am just taking it all in. It’s a big and sometimes confusing world to me, but I sure enjoy all the new experiences I have. In case I don’t get a chance to write again before Christmas, have a wonderful holiday season.

Love,

Cameron

P.S. Despite what it looks like in the picture above, Jesse was not actually trying to eat me. He was just telling me about different animals at the zoo and this was his imitation of a lion. You should see his impression of a monkey...

Turkey Time

Happy Belated Thanksgiving! I had my first Turkey Day and spent it in Madison at my Uncle Keith & Aunt Maribel’s house. I got to meet their dog Jordan and had a lot of fun with him. He even gave me a kiss on the face! Both grandpas and grandmas were there along with Uncle Scott and Aunt Mollie and of course, mom and dad. Poor Jess had to stay home since we didn’t have enough room in the car for him and my play mat. It was a hard decision, but I went with the play mat. Plus, with Jordan there, I figured I would have a dog to entertain me. But I was happy to see Jess when we got home and I think he was happy to see us too. The only real bummer about Thanksgiving was the Seahawks made a pathetic showing against the Cowboys. Yep, I watched football as that is a favorite tradition of both mommy and daddy and they didn’t want me to feel left out.

This week I experienced my first real snowfall. I am not a fan of snow. It’s cold and wet. Not a good combo. Maybe when I’m older and can actually play in the snow, I’ll appreciate it more.

Another big milestone for me – I am now grabbing and moving my toys that hang over my play mat. In fact, I sometimes get such a good grasp that I yank the toys right off their links. I especially enjoy my vibrating dog. I haven’t figured out yet how to pull this toy and make the dog bark and vibrate, but mommy and daddy will do it for me and then let it tickle my face as it vibrates. I also like the chimes and am starting to really like the keys that hang above my head. Even when I’m not on my play mat, I like to grab things. Like the wipe mom uses to cover me during diaper changes so I don’t pee on her. I also like to grab my butt when she is putting on my clean diaper. And I still move my legs a lot – I stepped in my poopy diaper yesterday because my legs were moving faster than mom. I guess I’m easily entertained. I am also entertained by sucking my thumb. I have discovered that I can put just my thumb in my mouth instead of my whole darn fist. Much easier (and tastier).

Grandpa Brian and Grandma Linda visited last week so I’ve been able to charm them with all my noises and facial expressions. One of my favorite noises to make is smacking my lips. I also squeal once in a while, but still no laughs since the first one a couple weeks ago. We (mom, Grandpa Brian, Grandma Linda, and me) went to Chicago to meet a family friend for lunch. The Hu family is originally from China but lives in Chicago for 9-10 months of the year. Grandpa and Mr. Hu have known each other for almost 20 years. It was neat seeing all of the bustle of the dim sum servers (a traditional Chinese meal where servers bring around small appetizer-like dishes of Chinese food and the whole table shares many different plates). Apparently I slept as we drove in and out of Chicago so I missed seeing all of the skyscrapers up close, but I could see them from our table in the restaurant. What a big city. I can’t wait to go back in nicer weather so I can see more of the city.

The other big news from here is that mom went in to work the Friday before Thanksgiving and left me at home with daddy. The few other times she has gone in to work, she brought me and I would just sleep in her office. But that Friday she went by herself and daddy and I hung out. I think it was a bigger deal for mom than for me. I got daddy time and lots of naps so it was a good day for me. I guess she is going in again tomorrow as she tries to ease back into work before going back “for real” in January. Although I have really enjoyed having mommy home, it will be nice to have some new entertainment during the week. She went in again Monday and Gabrial, who will be watching me when mommy goes back to work “for real”, watched me as a trial run. I cried a lot of the time because I wasn’t as used to her. But once daddy got home, I ate and got better. I think if I see Gabrial a few more times, I won’t be so anti-social around her. I think it was hard on mommy to be away from my cute self all day because she sure was clingy when she got home. What’s a boy gotta do to get some time away from the ‘rents? They are going for an overnight trip on Thursday and Friday and leaving me with Aunt Mollie during the day and Grandma & Grandpa Kruepke at night. We’ll see who takes it harder – me or mommy and daddy. My money is on mommy & daddy – I’ll be living it up with my aunt and grandparents and probably won’t even notice mom and dad are gone!

Finally, when I woke up the other morning, the house had a tree in the middle of the living room and snowmen and reindeers all throughout the house. Not sure what strange decorating mommy and daddy are doing, but I better go investigate. Maybe the next time I write I will have an explanation.

Love,
Cameron

Kickin' Chicken

Well I still love using my feet, hence the title of this blog. It’s what daddy says to me a lot when we are playing. But now I am also starting to use my hands more to explore. I will now grab toys hanging from my play mat and I even hugged a stuffed animal last night. Of course everything I grab ends up in mouth. How else am I supposed to know how my toys taste?

Mom continues to take me everywhere. I enjoy getting out of the house, but most of the time I just fall asleep in the car and miss all of the sites. We are still working on the whole sleeping in my crib thing. I gave my parents a nice gift on Sunday night and slept all the way until 5 am. I think it freaked them out a bit when they woke up and it wasn’t 2 am. But of course I am a tease and every night since Sunday I’ve woken up twice – once around 12:30 or 1am and then again around 4:30am. I feel bad about my 4:30am wake up call since daddy gets up for work at 5, but when a growing boy’s gotta eat, he’s gotta eat.

I also like to sit up with my back against the sofa, but whenever mom makes me smile while I’m sitting nicely, I start tipping over. Eventually I will learn to keep my balance. I’m also doing a little better with tummy time. It helps when I can see Jesse as he is my favorite thing to watch. Whenever he comes near me, I get a big ol’ grin on my face. I can’t wait until I can play with him more. Right now I just watch him and he watches me and occasionally he will come over and sniff me.

A few other faves of mine these days include sitting in my bouncy chair in the bathroom while mommy showers. I like watching the cool patterns on the shower curtain while playing with the toys hanging from the chair. I think mom really appreciates being able to shower regularly without me screaming for her attention. I also enjoy watching the bears hanging from my swing while mom and dad eat dinner. Although I usually only last about 10 minutes in my swing before I get grumpy (I’m probably getting tired while they are eating dinner, hence the grumpiness), it gives one of them enough time to swallow dinner so they can actually eat together. They’re learning how to work with me so they can still enjoy some of the simple pleasures in life like eating and showering.

Speaking of eating, mom and dad continue to take me out to lunch. We’ve met daddy for lunch during the week a couple times and then on Fridays we usually go out as a family for lunch. Most of the time I’m well-behaved. It’s neat having a family tradition already.

Well that’s all from here. I’m off for a play date with mom’s friend Jea and her daughter Bella and I don’t want to be late!

Love,
Cameron

Coo Coo Cuckoo

First, in honor of my daddy, Happy (Belated) Veterans Day. He served our country and I am very proud of him and all of our other veterans, past and present.

I definitely keep mom and dad on their toes with all my new developments. I started cooing a couple weeks ago and can be pretty vocal when I’m in the mood to chit chat. So mom and I have a conversation each morning where she tells me what we’re doing for the day. We usually don’t stick to the original plan. Apparently my nap schedule and my ever-changing moods disrupt our plans. But we still get out of the house a lot and see lots of things. Our latest favorite activity is to go walking at the mall. And if I fall asleep, I think mom does some shopping as I seem to come home with a new outfit each time we go. Mom makes me take a nap in my crib before she will take me to the mall. I do like to sleep in my car seat, especially this time of year when I get all bundled up in a warm coat and my cool new hat (see picture). So I usually only sleep 30-60 minutes in my crib and then let mom know I’m ready to go. What a sucker!

My new best friend is my dog Jesse. When I’m cranky, mom calls Jesse over and I usually will stop crying so I can watch what he is doing. I think he burps as much as I do. Pretty soon, I will have to start blaming my gas on him and maybe nobody will be the wiser…

A few other faves include sucking my fists ALL THE TIME! I don’t mouth a lot of my toys yet as my fists work just fine to suck on as demonstrated in one of the pictures. I am starting to enjoy my rattle and will occasionally grab it, but then I usually drop it so I can suck on my fists. I still like kicking, especially when I’m on my play mat because I have a kick board on one side that makes music when I kick it. When I’m playing, the music is constantly playing as I am always kicking the board. That is unless mom turns the music off on me when she’s had enough of the same songs over and over and over again. I am becoming more of a fan of classical music as that is what I get to listen to when I am put to sleep at night and for naps. Mom even has a CD of a string quartet playing REM songs so I still get my REM fix once in a while at night.

I attended my second wedding last weekend. I was very well behaved and stayed quiet the whole ceremony this time. I got to see two of my aunts and uncles as well as Grandpa and Grandma Kruepke and two of my great-grandmas. In case you couldn't tell, I'm the dapper young man being held by daddy in the picture. I even dressed up for the occasion.

I suppose I should fess up about the bald spot on the back of my head. I know I’m a bit young to be balding, but there is a perfectly good explanation for it. Because I’m not allowed to sleep on my tummy and I’m not a huge fan of tummy time so I only stay on my tummy about 15 minutes a day, I spend a lot of time either laying on my back or sitting with my head against a head rest in my swing, bouncy chair or car seat. As a result, I have a bald spot on the back of my head because I can’t sit or lay still so I’m constantly moving and rubbing the hair right off of my head. Eventually my hair will fall out and grow back in and hopefully by then I’ll be sitting up on my own and not always leaning and rubbing against stuff.

Here is a funny story for you (at least I think it’s funny – you’ll have to ask my mom if she agrees). One of my new favorite games is airplane Mommy puts me on her lower legs and lifts her legs so I fly in the air. She had the bright idea to play this game shortly after I ate. She also had her mouth open because she was making airplane noises. Let’s just say, my spit up bomb landed only about a centimeter away from mom’s mouth. That would have been a tasty treat I’m sure. I think she learned her lesson as I noticed a spit cloth nearby when we play and she doesn’t play this game right after a feeding anymore.

I think I made up for my spit up bomb last night. While mom and dad were getting me ready for bed, we were talking. Mom imitated a sound I made and I found her imitation pretty funny. So I laughed. She imitated my laugh and I laughed again. They got pretty excited both times I laughed so I’m pretty sure I have them smitten with me even more. Man are they easy to please. I just have to make some new noise or do something new and they get all gaa gaa over me. Chumps!

Finally, my mom’s coworker Laura asked me to let the world know I was actually awake for her visit last week. This is a first since I tend to sleep through all of mom’s trips into the office and I slept through Laura’s first visit to us. I was not the greatest host that particular day as I was only pleasant for about 15 minutes, then I needed to eat, then I was good again until I pooped. Then I was good again once I was changed. At least this is how she described her visit. My story is I was good the whole time.

Wow, guess I had a lot to say. Mom says I’m a talker and now you know why. I think I take after mommy and Grandpa Brian in that sense.

Love,
Cameron

Hail to the Chief - ME!

Well it’s hard to believe it’s November with the weather so nice. Because it has been in the 70s, mom has taken me on walks in many places. Today we went to Frame Park and walked around the Fox River. I got to see lots of bright colored leaves. Yesterday we walked the Glacial Drumlin Trail and also took a little unscheduled detour through a neighborhood. Mom thought she could get back to the car through the neighborhood, but eventually realized there were no sidewalks from the neighborhood’s entrance to our car and the two-lane road was not safe to walk on so we had to turn around and back track. She only went off the trail and into the neighborhood because I was making such a ruckus with my crying and she felt bad for the two women walking right behind us as they had to listen to me for a good ½ mile before our little detour.

We also got to walk over to the Elks Lodge this morning so mom could vote. She was very proud of how well behaved I was. I didn’t make a sound the whole time she was in line. Fortunately there were only 2 people in front of her so it went quickly. Daddy didn’t have that same luck as he had to go after work like most everybody else. Only 18 more years and I’ll be able to vote too!

I experienced my first Halloween on Friday. Mom and I handed out candy to the trick-or-treaters. It gave me an opportunity to scope out costume ideas for next year. This year I dressed up as a ghost. Boo! Unfortunately mom and dad didn’t actually take me trick-or-treating so I didn’t get any candy. What cruel parents.

Mom is working with me on a nap schedule. So far I have been cooperating in the morning. In the two whole days we have been doing this, I have started my morning nap around 8:30am both days. And, I have taken those naps in my crib. Big difference from last week’s blog. We’re still working on the afternoon naps. I say mom is to blame for me not taking a consistent afternoon nap as she always has me out and about in the afternoon. Something about the nice weather and wanting to walk. But I did sleep in my crib for about 45 minutes this afternoon so that’s a start. I think mommy is going to be the disciplinarian – she’s already enforcing arbitrary rules.

I finally got to meet our friends, Victor, Ann and Erik. Ann likes holding babies so she held me for a while. And then I demonstrated for her and Victor what happens when people are holding me and don’t walk around. I cry. A lot. Now they know what mommy and daddy go through almost every evening – lots of walking laps around the house! Note - you will see in the picture that daddy is holding me, but not walking. And I am crying. A lot.

Not much else here. Just waiting to meet my future girlfriend, Allison Veronica Olson, who was born on Thursday. In the meantime, I will keep busy with a play date on Friday and I think tomorrow mommy and I are going to visit daddy for lunch. And I’m guessing we’ll probably go for more walks since that seems to be mommy’s favorite activity with me. I suppose she is just taking advantage of decent weather before the cold, crummy winter weather arrives.

Love,

Cameron

REM: the band and the deep sleep

I'm back!

Although I don’t have any new milestones to report, I have been keeping busy. Last weekend I was surrounded by women who were fussing all over me. We were at my Aunt Maribel’s baby shower and this was the first time some of mom & dad’s cousins and aunts saw me so lots of people wanted to hold me. What the life!

And now this week, Grandma Linda is in town so I’m getting lots of attention and eating it right up. Boy do I have everybody wrapped around my little finger. Now if only I could shake this cold. Once again mom left me at the gym’s day care for a couple hours and I came home with a cold. Guess I won’t be going back there soon.

I’m not sure if it’s my cold or if I’m actually getting better at sleeping, but last night, I went 9 hours – all the way until 6:15am! Now if you do the math, you will realize that I didn’t actually go to bed until 9 pm. A bit past my bedtime, especially while under the weather, but apparently I won’t go to bed unless both mommy and daddy put me to bed. Monday night, mom tried to put me to bed while dad was at volleyball and I was up 15 minutes later. Mom was a bit surprised by this since I fell asleep on the changing table and seemed pretty drowsy while feeding after that.

Last night grandma was babysitting again and sure enough, I was still wide awake when mommy and daddy came home. They took me through my bedtime routine of changing my diaper, giving me my vitamins, feeding me, swaddling me and letting me listen to classical music while I drift off. I went to sleep with no protest then. Should be interesting tonight as daddy will be home with me while mommy goes to volleyball. I’ll let you know in my next blog whether or not I cooperated.

At least when I’m not sick, I’m also taking more structured naps. Usually one in the morning about an hour or two after I wake up (as long as I don’t sleep in until 9 or 10am as I have done a few times). Then I sometimes, not always, take an afternoon nap. I think mom likes having a more predictable nap schedule. Even though the times vary, she’s getting better at telling when I’m tired and putting me down for a nap. The only problem is, I will only take naps in my car seat. I don’t like to sleep in my crib or the pack and play for naps. I know it may sound silly, but I have my opinion and am free to exert it. I think I get this trait from mommy.

Last, but not least, I am mesmorized by the sound and movement of Dancing with the Stars. I like Julianne best and mom is rooting for Warren Sapp. This is the only show mommy lets me watch. Well this and sports and REM music videos from VH1 Classic. I think she is trying to turn me into an REM fan as we also listen to them in the car. Daddy’s taste in TV is much better. He will watch the Simpsons with me and of course football. One day though, mommy and daddy were watching a behind the scenes episode of Mythbusters and laughing hysterically so I decided to laugh along with them even though I couldn’t see what they were watching. They sure enjoyed my little squeal of a laugh.

Well I am off to go enjoy some more grandma time. Grandparents sure do know how to spoil so I love spending time with all of my grandmas and grandpas and they seem to enjoy me too!

Love,

Cameron

Homage to the Rays

What a weekend I had. Like the Tampa Bay Rays, I went from worst to best overnight. Literally. According to my parents, I had my worst night yet on Saturday night. I screamed from 5:30pm-10:30pm with little reprieve. I was quiet during the car ride they took me on in hopes it would make me fall asleep. I didn’t fall asleep, much to their chagrin, but I was at least quiet during the ride and gave their ears a short break. Finally, dad made a desparation run to the pharmacy for some Gripe Water (it’s a concoction of ginger, fennel, and sodium bicarbonate or something like that to help the tummy). Well it must have worked because I finally went to bed shortly thereafter. But I was up at my usual 1:30am and 4am feedings. I did sleep in until 10am though. So that was my worst night. Then the very next night, I had my best night yet. I slept for 8 whole hours – from 8pm until 4am. Granted I didn’t want to go back to bed at 4am so mom had to stay up with me until 6:30am when I finally gave in to sleep thanks to a little of that Gripe Water stuff. If mom was smart, she would have given it to me when I ate at 4am instead of waiting until 6am. Duh!

I got to spend lots of time with family this weekend. Grandpa and Grandma Kruepke came over Saturday because one of mommy’s colleagues, Kamela, trained mom, dad, grandpa and grandma in infant and child CPR. Then Sunday, we went to Grandma and Grandpa’s house and visited while watching football. After the first football game, we went to Uncle Scott & Aunt Mollie’s house to watch the Packers beat the Colts. So once again, mom, dad, and I spent a Sunday watching football.

Not much else to say. I’m smiling a lot and am awake and alert quite a bit during the day. I still don’t take many naps. If I do nap, it’s usually a catnap. What a life! Hope you all have a good week and enjoy the fall colors.

Love,

Cameron

Needles & Naps

I’m back (and better than ever!) My big news is I survived my first round of immunizations. Don’t get me wrong, I did cry and scream a bit, but mommy was able to soothe me with one of my faves – mom’s milk! I definitely enjoy eating and am gaining weight at a healthy rate. I am now 10 lbs 2 oz and in the 25% for weight. That sounds lower, but I was only in the 10% range at birth so it’s definitely an improvement. I am 23 inches long which is in the 50% for height and my head is 37 cm round. Gotta have room for my good ol’ brain. Hopefully I get daddy’s smarts.

Because of my immunizations, I have been sleeping a lot since yesterday. I went a whole 8 hours between feedings last night, but because I woke up around 11:00pm with gassiness, I didn’t give mom & dad as big of a chunk of sleep as they probably would have liked. But I slept in until 9am today so I’m sure they were happy with that.

Wednesday was a big day for me. I got to visit both daddy and mommy’s work. We went to daddy’s office so mom could get her flu shot. I was really good that morning and was awake the whole time, but nice and quiet. Then we went to mommy’s office so she could pick a few things up and do a little work. I slept through the whole visit to mom’s work again so her coworkers still have not seen me awake.

Not much else to report here. Oh yeah, I should probably tell you I wasn’t very cooperative on Monday at yoga class. We had to leave early because I decided I didn’t want to participate so I cried until mom got me back in the car. Maybe this week I’ll play nice. We did stay long enough so I could get my infant massage. I timed that right!

Finally, I realized I forgot a few other favorites so I am going to add to my list from last week. And because I’m still a bit cranky about getting needles stuck in both of my legs, I am also going to include a list of least favorites. So here you go.

More faves:
1. Kicking my legs
2. Eating
3. Crying (I don’t particular enjoy crying, but I should do it a lot while I’m awake – I don’t want mom & dad to forget I’m around…)
4. Car rides
5. Walks with mom & Jesse (and sometimes dad gets to join us too)

Least faves:
1. Naps
2. Hiccups – and I get this a lot
3. Gas – and I get this even more
4. Naps
5. Did I mention I don’t like to nap???

Love,
Cameron

Cameron in D

Happy Sunday!

After having a rough sports weekend last week and yesterday, I am happy to say that I got to celebrate a Packers victory over mom’s hometown team, the Seattle Seahawks. We watched the game at the Burie’s house and there were lots of kids there to watch. I was the youngest, but someday I will get to run around and play like all of them. Watch out Jared, here I come!

This was a big weekend for me. Not only did I go to my first Packer party, I also attended my first wedding yesterday. Dad’s cousin Kori got married and I was pretty good. Mom did have to take me outside during the last half of the ceremony. She was a bit disappointed to miss the last part, especially since cousin Brian was singing and she enjoys listening to him. At least we got to hear very first song of the ceremony, Blessed the Broken Road (one of mom’s faves – she sings it to me and plays it on the piano for me). Then we visited my great-grandma before going to the ceremony. As soon as dinner was served, I decided to get cranky. Apparently I have a knack for knowing when mom & dad are trying to eat and that’s when I get fussy. After dinner, I was nice again for Grandpa Jim who held me for quite a while so mom and dad could get a couple dances in before taking me home. I get to go to another wedding in November so pretty soon I’ll be an old pro.

Mom and dad started a new bedtime routine for me this week to help me know when it’s time to sleep. If it’s bath night, we start with a bath and then I get changed, take my vitamins, get my nose drops if necessary and then I get fed and put to bed. Last night, I didn’t wake up for a feeding until 3:30am. Mom and dad sure liked that! Most nights I cooperate, but if they try to put me down before 8 pm, I won’t go to sleep. Like tonight, they tried to put me to bed at 7pm and eventually mom had to come get me and once 8 pm hit, I feel asleep in her arms and she was able to put me to bed with no resistance (I snuck out of bed to post this blog, but shhh don’t tell mom).

Not much else happened this week as mom didn’t take me anywhere since I was recovering from my cold. I’m feeling better now. So to wrap up, I’ll leave you with a list of my top five favorite things this week (inspired by a friend of ours who sends out a top 5 every month). In no particular order:

1. My fist, especially sucking on it or making a “fierce” pose – ask Uncle Keith what that means

2. My mobile – sometimes it soothes me at night if I’m cranky

3. Sticking my tongue out at daddy – it’s a game we play; he sticks his tongue out at me and I stick my tongue out back at him

4. Being held by anybody, especially people other than mom & dad

5. Smiling :-)

So there you have it. Have a great week!

Love,
Cameron

Moo

Hello again! Since my weekend was so eventful, I thought I better blog about it right away.

I had my first encounter with a cow other than moo-cow (aka mom) this past weekend. As is mom & dad’s annual tradition, we went to a friend’s family farm out in Jefferson county for a fall day of fun. I was a bit too young to participate in the pumpkin search, but it was fun watching all of the older kids running around looking for the hidden pumpkins. Maybe next year I’ll be able to participate. We ate lots of yummy fall foods – well at least mom & dad did. I just had milk. How boring when there were over 8 different desserts from which to choose. The pictures with today’s posting were from our day at the farm. As you might be able to tell, the weather was beautiful – sunny, clear, and pleasantly crisp. Plus it was fun getting to meet more of mom & dad’s friends like Krisy & Eric and Maria & Chris and their two kids, Grace & Ryan.

That was definitely the highlight of my weekend – that and watching the Brewers win their first postseason game in 26 years. Too bad football Sunday (and the rest of the weekend in Wisconsin sports) was such a bummer. Daddy & I spend the entire day on Sundays watching football, but this weekend the Packers didn’t do so well.

Monday was a busy day for mom & me. First, Maria and her son Ryan came over to visit. Then, mom & I went to Mommy & Me Yoga where mom massaged me and then used me as a weight while doing yoga. I was really good – I was awake for the first half of class and didn’t make a peep. Then, I fell asleep during the part of class where it’s just mommy doing yoga without me. I slept a lot on Sunday and Monday because I am fighting my first cold L So Monday afternoon meant a visit to the doctor. Now I have to sleep upright whenever possible and I have this funky machine (a vaporizer) in my room that keeps it moist while I sleep so I can breathe through my nose better. Hopefully I feel better soon so I can go to a wedding and a Packer party this weekend.

And the last part of Monday, other than Monday night football of course, was mom went and chopped her hair off. Now I can’t grab it as easily. Maybe I’ll have to start pulling her glasses off her face instead.

Oh and my other big news – I wore my first 3-month old outfit yesterday. It looked smaller than the rest of the 3-month old clothes I have so that’s probably why mom picked it out for me. I am getting close to 10 lbs. I was 9 lbs 13 oz with my clean diaper on yesterday so by next week I will probably hit the 10 lbs mark. I’ll keep you posted!

Love,

Cameron

My Roller Coaster Ride

I am now over 6 weeks old. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long since I graced my parent’s world with my presence. I sure have changed a lot over this short period of time.

This last week was full of ups and downs for me. I watched the Brewers clinch their first postseason appearance in 26 years and then watched them bomb their first two games. Mom said she is kind of happy now that she didn’t make an effort to get tickets for the postseason the way they have been playing.

Another up is that I am growing at a healthy pace. I am now 9 lbs 7 oz, up from 9 lbs 2 ½ oz last week. On the downside, I peed all over myself and the scale while getting weighed. That’s what happens when you take all my clothes off and make me cold. You would think mom would have figured that out by now, but she keeps exposing me to cold air – to weigh me, to change my diaper, to dress me, etc.

Another up for me was meeting my new friend Eli. He is 3 ½ years old and loves the Brewers as much as I do. He told me today when he has a baby (hopefully not for about 25 years per his mother), he wants to name it Cameron. That’s cool. After lunch with Eli and his mom, I got to spend quality time with daddy and Jesse so mom could go get a massage and run some errands. I had a good time sleeping in daddy’s arms.

Mom took me to the gym on Thursday. While she was at her water aerobics class, I stayed at the gym’s child care center. This was the first time since I was born that somebody other than mom, dad or grandma H watched me. I had a good time and was well-behaved, but I think mom was a little nervous about this first. It’s good practice for her though since she will eventually have to have people watch me when she goes back to work in January. She did enjoy the uninterrupted, hot shower she got to take at the gym after her class since I was still at the child care center.

Apparently I have been a bit uncooperative this week with my sleeping and awake times. For example, yesterday I took multiple 30 minute cat naps here and there, but didn’t take a “real” nap until 7 pm. I don’t like to go to bed for the night unless it’s after 8 pm so when I feel asleep at 7, mom and dad didn’t even try to put me down for the night. They know I would have fought it and been cranky at them for trying. I have been sleeping pretty well for about 4 or 5 nights a week, but then every few nights or so, I don’t want to go back to sleep after my early morning (e.g. 4 am) feeding. At least sometimes after keeping mom and/or dad up at that early hour, I will sleep in until 9 or 10am. I’ll eventually start sleeping through the night, but right now I rather enjoy getting up every few hours for a midnight snack.

So now you are up-to-date with my weekly happenings and I am off to start my weekend!

Love,
Cameron

Take That Tummy Time!

Hello again everybody. I am now 5 weeks old and changing everyday. Mom is taking me out to more places so I get to explore the world, or at least Metro Milwaukee. For example, she took me to visit where she worked on Monday. Although I slept the whole time, my understanding is mom’s coworkers were very excited to meet me but disappointed they couldn’t see my blue-gray eyes. A few of her coworkers wanted to wake me up, but mom reminded them of the saying “Let a sleeping baby lie.” Especially since I don’t like to sleep much during the day, unless I get to go on a car ride. Then I will fall asleep for about 3-4 hours. And that will be my only nap during the day. I don’t want to miss a thing so I gotta stay awake!

If I slept more, I would miss all the football games on Sunday (and sometimes Saturday and Monday) that my parents watch. Go Packers and Badgers! I would also miss observing the neighborhood as mom takes me and Jess on nice long walks each day. We’re up to 2-3 miles a day depending on the weather and my mood. If I’m content, mom takes us the full 3-mile route. If I’m fussy, we don’t go as far. And if I’m real lucky, we take a walk at night and dad can join us.

I also keep mom and dad busy with all my bodily functions. I’m spitting up more now and got one of dad’s nice work shirts all dirty the other night. And that’s not all – on Monday, I had my first diaper blowout that made a mess of my nighty-night outfit. Shortly after that, I peed through my next outfit and got mom wet since she was holding me. Then as she changed me into my third outfit of the morning, I peed on myself and all over the changing table. Mom wasn’t quick enough changing my diaper – guess she thought it was safe to leave me exposed to the cold air since I had just peed. She guessed wrong.

I’m pretty sure I made up for all of my bodily functions last Saturday (9/20) when I smiled for the first time (not counting all my gassy smiles I’ve had since the day I was born). It made mom get all emotional. She’s so silly. It’s just a smile J

And then today (9/25) I got mom all excited about something I did. She had me on my tummy on my play mat – something she calls “tummy time”. Apparently it’s supposed to help strengthen my neck muscles. I think they are already pretty strong as I like to hold my head up a lot. Anyway, I am not a huge fan of tummy time so I decided to do something about it and used my arms to move from my tummy to my back. I guess I’m a little young to be doing this, but when there’s a will, there’s a way.

So what will I do next? You’ll have to read my blog to find out! That, and I haven’t quite decided yet what my next endeavor will be so stay tuned…

Love,
Cameron

Mommy's Gift

Wow – it’s been a while since I last wrote and boy has time flown. I am including a picture of me at 2 weeks old (in the blue) and 3 weeks old (in the chair) so you can see how I am growing. A week ago Friday, I was already 7 lbs 6 oz so I’m probably closer to 7 lbs 12 oz now – a full pound more than my birth weight. On Tuesday, I will be 4 weeks old! So what has happened in the last 2 weeks?

I got to meet my Aunt Kali, Uncle Tom and their dog, Harley. I think I weigh more than their fluff ball. I still have a ways to go until I weigh as much as my dog, Jess. Aunt Kali loved holding me and she tried to get Uncle Tom to change my diaper. He did once and I have no complaints about his work. I also got to meet Katya Berman who is 11 days older than me. I thought I had a lot of hair on my head – she has me beat! But it was nice being around somebody my own age for a change.

I just moved to my crib last night. Although it’s nice to have a room to myself and not have to share with my parents and dog, it takes moo cow (aka mom) a lot longer to get to me when I’m hungry. And boy do I like to eat. I also like to make my voice heard during the day – a lot. And occasionally in the middle of the night I get cranky and just want mom or dad to hold me for a few hours, like last Sunday night where I was up from 1 am-6 am and then was a sour puss during the day. They don’t seem to enjoy being awake in the wee hours of the night as much as I do.

Dad and I hung out on Thursday so mom could have her first baby-free night out. She went to a movie with her sister while dad, Uncle Tom & I watched the history channel. It was a nice break from watching sports and 80s hair band videos. Mom & dad are getting their first night out together tonight while Grandma & Grandpa Heimbigner watch me.

I’m getting stronger every day. I love to hold my head up and look around. I’m mesmerized by lights and I enjoy staring at mom’s DVD collection. I prefer falling asleep while being held, but once in a while I’m tired enough that I will go to sleep fine in my crib. We have family walks on evenings where the weather is nice and that is fun to see all the neighborhood sites, but sometimes mom drives a little crazy and I get crabby. I enjoy pulling mom’s hair and playing “bouncy” with dad. He makes goofy noises while bouncing me up and down into the air. Mom is a little more boring with her games, but she does let me spend time on my activity mat where I love to look at myself in the mirror. With a face like this, do you blame me?

August in Review

Mom decided that I am now old enough to take over my own blog. She says I have more free time than her. I'm not sure why she thinks that - I'm busy sleeping, eating, filling my diaper, and observing the world.

Anyway, I had quite the exciting August. As you may have read in the previous postings, I was born almost 2 weeks ago already. Since coming home, I've been adjusting to my new environment. I have a big black dog, Jesse, who likes to bark really loud while I'm sleeping. Good thing I'm a pretty sound sleeper so it doesn't bother me much. I know he's just letting mom & dad know somebody is coming to the door as he likes to make sure I'm safe. When I cry, which isn't often - only when I'm hungry, cold, getting my diaper changed or being bathed - Jesse will come check on me to make sure I'm ok. He sometimes joins me while I'm being fed. He likes to sniff me, but he hasn't tried to lick me. It's been fun getting to know my dog and I can't wait until I'm big enough to play with him.

Apparently I'm pretty popular - I got to meet a lot of people while I was still in the hospital. And, I've also had a lot of visitors since I came home. Grandma Linda has been here for most of the time I've been home helping out mom & dad and spending time with me. It's been great having her around. I've also had visits from Uncle Scott & Aunt Mollie, our family friend Sue, our neighbors John & Rosemary, mom's coworker Laura, the Buries - "Auntie" Jill, "Uncle" Kurt, Ben (who says he will teach me how to play), and Abby, and of course, Grandma & Grandpa Kruepke. It's been fun getting so much attention and meeting everybody. I even stayed awake for the Buries & Grandma & Grandpa today.

I experienced my first shopping trip yesterday. Mom & dad took me to Babies R Us. I heard mom say she should buy stock in the store for as much as they shop there. While we were at the store, I was sleeping peacefully when another kid on the other side of the store screamed. I decided to scream back before going right back to sleep. Mom said it was pretty darn cute. I just wanted that kid to know he interrupted my sleep.

I've also been on a few walks around the neighborhood. Mom can't walk that far yet since she is still healing, but I'm hoping sometime in the next week she will take me further as I like to look around and see all the sites. That is if I'm not sleeping.

Well I think that's my August in a nutshell. Oh yeah, my "namesake", Mike Cameron, has been playing well for the Brewers. Mom & dad have watched a few games on TV with me and he had some key hits or great catches in all of the ones I've seen. I'd like to think it's because I'm his lucky charm.

When I have some extra time, I will be posting a photo album online so I will include the link in a future blog. But for now, I need to get back to my eating, sleeping, filling a diaper, and observing the world...

Our Little Wiggly Worm - One Week Old

Here is a pic of our little wiggly worm (aka Squirmy Worm). Notice how he manages to roll onto his side while sleeping with his hands tucked under his cheeks. Or as Grandpa Brian asserts, he is simply praying. He is constantly moving around while sleeping, while awake, while changing, while feeding. Hence his nicknames.

His first week has gone by so quickly. Here are some firsts during his first week of life:

- Visit to the doctor: Friday

- Bath since delivery: Saturday

- Spraying his diaper changer (both Greg & Grandma Linda have been victims): Sunday

- Pulling of mom's hair where it actually hurt: Today

- Sleeping through the night: ok, so not quite yet (wishful thinking), but he did give us 3 1/2 hours of continuous sleep last night and then another chunk of nearly 3 hours. Can't complain for a newborn!

He also has quite the grasp and likes to hold his head up and when he's not tired, he's pretty good at it already. Cameron lets you know when he doesn't like something as he will push it away. He loves being swaddled and eating and hates having skin exposed (so bathtime and changing time become Cameron screaming time). He's pretty mellow when not wet or hungry so hopefully he stays that way :-)

Not too bad for the first week of life...

Welcome Cameron James Kruepke

Cameron James Kruepke arrived August 19th at 7:52 PM. He was 19 inches and 6 lbs 12 oz!!!!

My water broke a little before midnight so we ended up at the hospital around 1 am on the 19th. After walking the floor a few times, contractions became more regular around 2 am. As they would occur every 5-10 minutes, I didn't get much sleep. Greg, on the other hand, took advantage of caught some zzzzs.

After several hours of more frequent and more severe contractions, I finally gave in and asked for an epidural around noon. Shortly thereafter, I was given pitocin to help progress the labor as I was not very dilated. I don't know why I didn't ask for the epidural earlier - it was grand compared to the pain of the last few contractions I felt before being doped up. I especially appreciated the meds when I could feel a little pain from the contractions through the anesthesia later in the afternoon. I could only imagine what they would have felt like without the epidural. Though I will say it is very weird to not be able to use your legs and then when you touch them, they feel like puffy marshmallows.

Labor was fairly smooth except for one rough patch. Cameron became distressed shortly after the pitocin was administered and his heart rate dropped significantly. My blood pressure also dipped pretty low so all of a sudden there was a room full of nurses trying to reposition me as they believed the cord might be wrapped around Cameron. It's a good thing I was out of it from the meds and dozing in and out (sleep was only possible once I had the epidural - another reason I'm glad I got it so I could recoup some before delivery) as I did not realize the severity of what was going on at the time. Poor Greg, who was fully cognizant, had to watch all of this happen. Fortunately, after several attempts at repositioning me, Cameron's heart rate stabilized. It did drop again a little bit later but after that round of repositioning, he was steady the rest of the time.

I started pushing around 6pm and around 7:30pm, I could tell his head was getting close to crowning, if not already. Greg, the trooper that he was, was a great coach. He was supportive, yet clear in direction, and I could tell from his facial expressions and tone of voice when good things were happening so that motivated me even more. Also around this time, Mike Cameron of the Brewers was driving in a run. No, that's not where Cameron got his name, but it makes for a good story.

Once Cameron was born, the doctor put him on my belly and gave me the honors of identifying whether he was a boy or a girl since we had opted not to find out prior to his birth. Because a friend told me a story recently about a proud grandma who mistook the umbilical cord for little man parts, I checked twice before saying we had a boy. That was probably the most emotional part of the day and definitely made the previous 19 hours, heck the previous 9 months, worth every second.

Mom, Dad, Cameron & Jess ("big brother" aka the dog) are now all home and a bit tired, but doing well. More to come after mom & dad settle in & get some sleep!