Happy Birthday Dear Daddy

First, happy birthday to my daddy. Tomorrow he adds another candle to his cake. Except he can’t eat cake because he gave it up for Lent. I wanted to give up green beans, but mom wouldn’t let me do that. Mommy wanted me to give up my “midnight” snack. I occasionally will sleep the entire night (from about 6:30pm-7:30am), but I still wake up once a night for a “midnight” snack (more like a 3am snack). If you ask me, it’s a long time to sleep without waking up. And sometimes I wake up really wet which I don’t like, but I don’t really fuss about it either. But most of the time, I just like to see mommy and daddy during the night to make sure they are ok.

On Friday I tried my first non-fruit or veggie – tofu. Let’s just say it didn’t go too well. Mom mashed up some tofu for me, but there was something about the texture that I did not like. I kept coughing and making faces until she finally gave up. But then I didn’t want to eat anything with texture for the next two days. So no papaya, no banana, no peas and definitely no tofu.

Mommy and daddy are trying to teach me sign language. I comprehend the sign for milk – whenever mommy makes the sign, I get all excited. They also use signs for hungry/eat, more, bath, and doggy. Mom thinks doggy will be my first word so maybe I’ll make it my first sign too. She thinks doggy will be my first word because I love Jesse. I talk to him in the morning while I’m in my highchair eating. I give him hugs when he sits tall and mommy stands me next to him. I love petting him and don’t mind when his tail wags in my face or he barks really loud.

This weekend was spent watching basketball (don’t worry, it’s the only TV I ever get to watch). I got cranky tonight because both of my teams lost. Oh well, now at least mom and dad won’t be as interested in the games I hope. Yesterday I did take a break from basketball to send well wishes to our friend Elizabeth who is going to Afghanistan in June. I’m not quite sure where Afghanistan is, but it sounds far away and kinda scary to me. I am very proud of Liz and the sacrifice she is making. Apparently daddy did something similar before I was born so I am proud of him too. Anyway, Liz and Jared hung out with me on Thursday night while mommy and daddy went to dinner together. They are so much fun; I was smiling and laughing and was a very good boy for them. Earlier this month, Lisa and Scott stayed with me and I had a blast then too. Auntie Lisa sang her version of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star to me and made me laugh. I’m lucky that I have so many great friends. Ok, technically they are mommy and daddy’s friends, but they are my friends now too.

Tuesday was one of my favorite days ever (I know, not saying much considering I have only experienced only 217 days so far). It was really warm and sunny out so mom and I went for a walk and then afterwards we sat on a blanket in the shade in our backyard. Mommy brought out a bunch of my toys so I could play while outside. She also showed me the grass, leaves, and pointed out a helicopter flying over our house. I watched Jesse run around the yard and got to experience many new sights, sounds, and smells. I also got some cool sunglasses to wear while outside. I was in a pretty good mood on Tuesday. I even let mommy read to me and I giggled the whole time she was reading a story about Biscuit the dog. And then that night I got to hang out with daddy while he cooked out. That meat sure smelled good. I can’t wait until I get to eat good food like burgers and brats. Notice how a lot of my stories are about food. I get that from my mom.

Well another couple weeks have come and gone and I am still constantly on the move and learning lots. I know play with my toys some instead of just eating them. Though I still stick everything into my mouth, I actually use some of my toys as they were intended. For example, I just learned how to pull the lever on my see and say today which made mommy very proud. I also learned how to throw some of my toys. It surprised mommy a bit this morning when I chucked a plastic shape across the room. I also enjoy dropping my toys on the ground and watching mommy or daddy pick them up. Ah, the joys of being a child and having your parents wrapped around your finger!

Love,
Cameron

I’m Baaaack and Sittin’ Pretty

Well it’s been a while. Mom and I just got back from Atlanta on Tuesday. We were supposed to be home on Sunday, but it snowed at Atlanta’s airport on Sunday and Milwaukee’s airport got 14 inches of snow on Monday even though our house got none. Crazy weather. But it meant I got to spend two extra days at Grandma and Grandpa Heimbigner’s. That was fine with me, but I missed daddy and Jesse a lot. Daddy had to stay home, but I got to see him via a video on the computer and even caught a glance of Jess. It was cool, but a little confusing.

So back to my plane ride. Mommy had to pack a lot of stuff for me. I felt bad at all the bags and things she had to haul around the airport with us, but she seemed to have a system that worked well. Most everything was piled into my stroller and then she carried me while pushing the stroller. I liked being up high and seeing everything that was going on. Once on the plane, I didn’t want to nurse even though it would have made my ears feel better. Fortunately for me, mommy and everybody else on the plane, mom brought bottles as a back up and I ate willingly from those. I also made friends on both flights. On the way there, we sat next to a pilot who was hopping a ride down to Georgia to visit his son. He talked to me about planes. On the way home, we sat next to a young man who admitted he was nervous about flying next to a baby as he never had before (and I think mom was a bit nervous about having a young guy as a seat mate rather than a fellow parent or grandparent who might be more understanding), but the guy was great. He made faces at me and played with me and entertained me. I think I entertained him too. I felt bad though because at one point I fell asleep and he sneezed and startled me awake so the passengers around him were teasing him about waking the baby. At least I napped pretty good on that flight despite the sneeze waking me up. On the way out to Atlanta, I got way overtired and because the snack cart was parked right next to us for about 20 minutes, I was too distracted to sleep. I get easily distracted these days. If I hear a sound while nursing, I’m looking around to see what it is. If there are people around, I don’t want to sleep. There’s just too much to see in this big ol’ world!

Atlanta was really warm when we first got there. I think it was in the 70s. Mommy had me in just a onesie so I got to play with my toes for the first time in a while and we took a stroll in Grandma and Grandpa’s neighborhood. It’s usually too cold in Wisconsin this time of year for bare feet and outdoor walks. I got to play with a musical bongo drum and a different toy piano so that was fun. And I watched mom, grandma and grandpa all do yoga and other activities on the Wii. What a strange name. I also had my first ride in a shopping cart. I definitely prefer being able to sit up and look around than being stuck in my car seat while at the store. I’m a pretty good sitter these days. Sometimes I fall over, but somebody usually catches me.

Our Saturday in Atlanta was a bit eventful from what I hear. I didn’t really notice what was going on, but apparently mommy choked on a piece of pork while we were at a restaurant and Grandma had to do the Heimlich maneuver on mommy. Mommy was ok after that, but she did have to go to the hospital to make sure the pork was no longer lodged. I’m glad she is ok and mommy is glad she got trained in the Heimlich and CPR so she could stay calm in a scary situation and help Grandma treat her.

On a happier note, I’m doing a bit better at sleeping through the night, though I’m still very inconsistent. Some nights I will go from 6:30pm until 5-something am. Other nights I wake up screaming around 9pm, like tonight which is why I'm posting to my blog at 10pm. I do have my good nights though. One time this week, I actually slept in until 10am. I think mom was a bit worried since I normally like to get up around 7:30am, but I think with all the excitement of traveling, I was just plain ol’ tired. Then yesterday I took a 2 ½ hour nap which really threw mom and dad for a loop since I am lucky to take an hour long nap. Mom and dad are hoping this Daylight Savings thing doesn’t screw my sleeping up any. I think they kinda like having some baby-free time in the evening, though I can’t imagine why.

Daddy and I get some buddy time on a regular basis now as mommy teaches a business planning class in West Bend on Tuesday nights and takes kickboxing on Saturday mornings. So daddy and I hang out and make each other laugh. I sure enjoy my time with daddy. Nothing against mommy, but daddy is sure a hoot. Especially when he makes goofy faces or says words like “bacon” in his funny voice. I can’t get enough of his antics.

Not much else to report from here. My new favorite toys are kitchen utensils, specifically plastic serving spoons, Japanese soup spoons, mixing bowls, and Tupperware cups. I can’t wait until I’m allowed to open the cupboards and help myself to these “toys”. I’m also still very fond of my piano. In fact, anything that lights up and makes noise is a winner in my book. That includes cell phones, I-pods, the new Wii, and other gadgets that mom and dad have but won’t share with me.

Enjoy your weekend and a special birthday greeting to my friend Kelly.

Love,
Cameron