Pictures from My Baptism

Since I couldn't fit all my pictures in one post, here are pictures from my baptism/family birthday party. They go with the post "Catching Up - Part 1". And Mama would like me to tell you that it was dada and Uncle Keith letting me play with fire in church. Enjoy!

Love,

Cameron

Catching Up - Part 1

Not sure how many parts there will be to this message since I have been out of touch for over a month. Guess I've been having too much fun in the summer sun. People say I have a tan. Oops.

Let's see, where to start? How about with some general updates. I'm a full fledged crawler going at warp speed. I also love to pull myself up on stuff and stand. Sometimes I try to stand while I'm in the middle of the floor and mama calls it my "downward facing dog position" because I can't stand straight up so it looks like I'm doing yoga. I'm also very good at getting down from the standing position back into a seated position before I take off crawling. One of my favorite new things to do is pull myself up to our window in the living room and wave to anything and everything outside. I love the outdoors. If I'm cranky, mama and dada take me outside and it usually calms me down. Personally, I think they like taking me outside because I don't go anywhere. I just sit there taking it all in. I also can go up steps. Though mama and dada don't really let me go up our stairs. Guess they are afraid I won't know how to go back down.

In addition to moving my legs, I'm learning new ways to move my hands. Specifically, sign language. I can make the sign for bottle and as of this morning, I can also sign for more. I still say "ma ma ma ma ma" when I want something or more of something. But now I can also use my version of the sign (clapping my fist with my other hand). I also wave lots and once in a while will make the sign for doggy (patting my thigh with my arm like I'm calling my doggy). I also am very curious and love to open and close doors. Unfortunately my favorite doors to play with, the kitchen cabinet doors, are now locked. I do have one cabinet that is my own, but that one is not nearly as much fun to open as the "forbidden" cabinets. I still wiggle my way into them when mama or dada has them open.

My tooth count is now at 2. Both on the bottom. My 1st tooth is really big now and my 2nd tooth just came in Sunday/Monday. Aunt Kali helped me pick out a toothbrush and toothpaste and I love brushing my teeth. Heck, I get a big ol' grin on my face when it's time to brush my teeth. I'm sure that makes my Aunt Kali proud (she's a dental hygienist).

I still swim once in a while, just not in lessons. I enjoy swimming a lot more now. Mama took me while we were on vacation (see part 2 for all my vacation stories) and again on Saturday at Great Grandma Kruepke's pool.

Sharing is something I am now learning to do. I'm very good at giving Jesse his toys and I like to "share" whatever I pick up off the floor while crawling. But sometimes I'm not as good at sharing. Like when I was playing with my cousin Caroline and I took her teething ring from her and I wouldn't give it back to her. But usually I'm pretty good about sharing my toys.

Notice I now refer to "mama" and "dada". This is because this is what I call them. I started saying dada in early June. I didn't say mama until June 26th. And the very next day I started saying "nana". Grandma Linda thinks I'm saying Grandma. I'm really saying banana. I'm a very food focused guy. I tried halibut last week. Pretty good. I also got some fresh raspberries from our backyard this morning. Yummy!!! I'm not as keen on my mushy meats and veggies from a jar, but if I can pick it up with my fingers and eat it, I like it! Cheerios are my favorite finger food, but I also like cottage cheese (yes the curds are finger foods), any soft fruit but especially "nana" and kiwi, and bread. I had an early birthday party with my family and Mama made me a carrot cupcake with nana frosting. Delicious! I also discovered how much I love balloons at my party.

My biggest news of all from these past 6 weeks though is that I am now baptized as of Sunday, July 12. I didn't cry at all when the water was poured on my head. Every time Father Jason came by me, whether it was to anoint me with oil or make the sign of the cross on my forehead, I was completely fascinated with him. You'll see me with my godparents, Uncle Keith and Aunt Kali, in one of the pictures. All my grandparents were there, as were all my aunts and uncles except for Uncle Tom who couldn't make it out from Seattle, and two of my great grandmas.

Mama has been on a garage sale kick lately. I'm loving it because we usually come home with some new-to-me toy or cute clothes for this fall. She already bought my Halloween costume, a winter coat, umbrella stroller, a Lil' People construction set with lots of cool construction equipment like a demolition ball and forklift, my own lawn mower, a big bag of Duplo blocks, and this cool ride-on car. Now she's on a mission for a big wheel, a Lil' Tykes table and chairs, bike trailer and a regular stroller. Lots of fun stuff for me! Which is why I don't mind tagging along. I just wish garage sales had shopping carts because I love to sit up high and watch everything.

So that is my last 6 weeks in a nutshell (minus my vacation stories which are in a separate posting). It's hard to believe my first birthday is quickly approaching. Time flies when you're having fun and from all the smiles on my face, you can tell I'm having fun!

Love,
Cameron

Da

Lots has happened since my last post. Most exciting to me is my new ability to move and move quickly. I have progressed from my army crawl to regular crawling at times. I also like to climb things, especially mommy and daddy. But I also like to try and climb onto the sofa, out of the pool, and off my changing table. I can also go from laying down or crawling to the sitting position. Mom didn't know I could do this until she found me sitting in my crib one morning. Standing is another favorite thing for me to practice. When I stand near the sofa, I will often take both hands off of the sofa at the same time for just a little bit while standing on flat feet. I guess my balance is pretty good at times. But I still get my share of bumps and bruises from falling, running into things, pulling things down on to me and all of the other mischief I cause. In fact, the other day, I closed the closet door on mommy and wouldn't let her out. I'm a pretty funny guy if you ask me.

My food selection has greatly increased to now include meats (even ground turkey - not just the mushy jarred stuff) and a variety of finger foods including bananas, cheese, avocado pieces, and my favorite - Cheerios! It's now a lot easier to take me out to restaurants because I can sit in the high chair and eat with everybody else.

I had my last swim class today and it ended on a much more positive note that some of my other classes. I think it helped that mommy and daddy were both at today's lesson and the last one we went to. In fact, today I even went under water and only cried for a short bit and then I was fine the rest of the class. I am sad though that I won't see Michaela again until the fall :-( But at least I can still go swimming in the pool the Buries gave me. In fact, I used it for the first time this summer last night. I had fun splashing around and playing with the fishes. I enjoy spending time outside and didn't want to come in even though I was starting to get cold.

This week has been a fun one. Daddy was off of work again so we got to play a lot. On Tuesday he and I met mommy downtown for lunch and then we went into mommy's work so all her coworkers could see how much I have grown. I sure turned on the charm for them. In fact, I was so charming I got a cool bright green stuffed dragon from Laura. Thank you Laura!

Then on Wednesday we went to Appleton for a minor league baseball game. The action is a lot closer than the Brewers game we go to. I suppose it helped that we were in the fifth row right behind home plate for the game in Appleton. I was enjoying myself enough that we stayed until the 8th inning. Daddy even caught a t-shirt during the game. How cool is that! Too bad it's a bit large on me.

In addition to baseball games, I also get to go to mommy and daddy's softball games once in a while. At the games, Aunties Katie and Jill kindly keep an eye on me and I get to play with Ben, Abby and Eli so it's a lot of fun. But because I go to bed so early, I don't always get to go to the games. The last game I went to, on May 27th, I was really crabby all day so mommy and daddy took turns watching me as they felt guilty making Katie take care of crabby ol' me the whole time (even though I know she doesn't mind). One inning when mommy had me, she noticed a little white poking through my gums - yep, my first tooth came up. But as quickly as it cut through, it went right back down and has yet to make another appearance.

I got to see both grandparents this week - I spent last weekend with Grandma and Grandpa K while mommy and daddy were at a wedding in Chicago and then saw Grandma and Grandpa H tonight using Skype. It's pretty cool to watch people on the computer screen when I can't see them in person. I'm lucky I get to see all my grandparents and aunts and uncles as often as I do. I also saw my cousin Caroline on Memorial weekend. She is catching up to me in size and will soon be as active as me. I can't wait until I can actually play with her. Right now we just watch each other and I try to grab her fingers or face.

Finally, in time for father's day, I can now say another word (I used to say "Ge" as in doggy) - da which is short for daddy. Although I say it to anyone and at anytime, I think it still makes daddy proud. I am definitely no longer a momma's boy. I am constantly looking for my daddy and like to spend lots of time with him like I got to this last week while he was off and mommy was working. We're celebrating father's day tomorrow since mommy didn't realize it was the third Sunday of the month and not the second Sunday of the month and she and I will be in Seattle on father's day while daddy is at home. We have a fun day planned which includes making breakfast for daddy, going to the driving range and batting cages, picking up Ponza Rottas for dinner and relaxing with daddy. I made him a special gift and card, but shh don't tell him. It's a surprise.

Well I'm off to my next adventure. Or maybe just bed.

Love,
Cameron

Lions, Tigers and Bears - Oh My!

I have been a busy boy since I last blogged. Last weekend was Mother's Day so daddy and I made mommy pancakes and a fruit smoothie for breakfast in bed. We also brought her the newspaper so she could read while eating. Mommy was sick so I don't think she got to celebrate too much and I didn't see much of her that day as she spent most of it in bed or sleeping on the floor. But I got lots of daddy time so it was a fun day for me.

The day before that we went to a party and there were lots of little kids. I wasn't even the littlest. Ok, maybe in size, but not in age! I got to play with their toys and found that I really enjoy pushing around cars. The very next day, mommy got out a train for me to push around. She also brought out an elephant on wheels that I can pull around. I don't really pull it, but I like eating the rope that would be used to pull it.

I am really getting around these days. I'm not completely crawling, but I can do an "army crawl". I guess I just want to be like my daddy. I can cross the whole room and get into lots of mischief because I move quite well and pretty fast. Especially if I'm chasing a plastic bottle. I'm also opening and closing any door I can. I learned the hard way today that it can be hazardous to play with doors - I pinched my fingers in the coffee table door. Mommy and I didn't realize that it was slightly open so I got my finger stuck and tried to open it more. I'm sure that won't stop me from exploring more.

This past week was extra special as I got to meet my great-grandpa Kenny and great-grandma Allison. They came all the way from eastern Washington on a train. Pretty cool. I sure smiled big for great-grandpa and really enjoyed great-grandma holding me and talking to me. I get to see them again in June so that is something for me to look forward to. After mommy and me dropped them off at the train station on Thursday (they are going on to New York to visit mommy's aunt and uncle), mommy's car died so I spent my Thursday afternoon stuck in an unmoving car. How boring. Fortunately somebody from mommy's work came and jumped us because the person she asked at the train station to help us said no. How rude!

As I mentioned in my last blog, I went to my first Brewers game earlier this month. The game wasn't that good (the Brewers lost), but it was still fun to watch everything. I even stayed for 6 innings - about 3 more than mommy thought I would. I can't wait to go back, but in the meantime I sometimes get to watch the Brewers on TV. Of course I am rooting for Mike Cameron the most!

Swimming has been a challenge. I am very afraid of having to put my head under water so I spend the whole class nervous and cranky. Even though mommy hasn't made me put my head under for a couple weeks now, I still am not liking the pool. Except for when we get to chase the balls. That's fun and sometimes I forget that I'm in the pool. I also like it when Michaela comes over and gives me a hug when I'm scared. I think both mommy and daddy are going to come this week so hopefully having them both there will help make me feel better. At least I still like my baths a lot. I splash away and chase the ducky and eat my washcloth in the bathtub.

Today I went to the zoo for the first time. We saw the elephants (of course!), giraffes, three types of bears, hippos, big cats (I woke up from my nap right outside the cheetah's cage - what a way to wake up!), peacocks, and lots of cows. I liked the animals that were moving the best. The elephants were pretty active so they may have been my faves today. I'm sure that would make mommy proud since those are her favorite animals. And if you look closely at one of the pictures I posted, you will see it is a bear lounging in a hammock. How cute is that!

We were at the zoo as part of the Cystic Fibrosis Great Strides Walk. I don't know much about CF, but I know that my cousins both have CF so I am joining mommy and daddy in supporting this great organization in hopes that their research will help Lauren, Tyler, and all others with CF live longer, healthier lives. For more information, you can visit mommy's CF Great Strides page: http://www.cff.org/Great_Strides/KristineKruepke. It's not every day that a 9-month old like me can educate all you adults so I'm excited to have this opportunity.

One last note - in keeping with my tradition, I would like to give a few big shout outs to the May birthdays in my family. First, happy birthday to Aunt Kali and also Uncle Keith. They both celebrated their birthdays since my last post. And next week is Grandma Barb's birthday so in case I don't write between now and then, happy early birthday Grandma - I am looking forward to celebrating with you on Sunday!

Love,
Cameron

As promised, I posted pics from my swim class. Swimming did not go so well today. I cried almost the whole time, most likely because I woke up a bit early and was getting tired. Plus, I think I remembered that swimming = putting my head under the water and I don't like that. The substitute teacher must have taken pity on me as she did not make the class do the head under water activity today. Sucker! The only good things about my swim class today were that I only slightly freaked out when the shower was started and Michaela was there. She gave me a couple hugs and that made me feel better.

Grandma Linda was here visiting last week so that was fun and then this week daddy was off of work so I got to play with him lots. He and I hung out all day Thursday since mom didn't get home from her work meetings until 9pm. I really enjoy playing peek-a-boo using my blankie to cover me and I give high-fives. Daddy got me a really neat toy that has spinning balls which are fun to grab and throw. I also like my new baseball bat - more for eating than hitting.

So what else is new? I can "cruise" along the sofa while holding onto the cushions. I'm especially good at this if there is a remote, cell phone, or book on the other end of the sofa as incentive. I'm starting to pull myself up from the floor to a standing position while holding onto the sofa or I can also do it while holding onto a plastic storage container to use as leverage. I still haven't figured out how to go from laying to sitting, but got close one day on my changing table.

Did I mention I get into everything? And I mean everything! Mom had me at a bookstore and put me down on the floor a little ways away from the shelves. Well it wasn't far enough as next thing she knows, I'm pulling all the books off the shelf. Lesson learned mom - I like books and will stop at nothing to read them. Or eat them. I also like to eat paper so if mom or dad (though mostly mom) isn't quick enough, I will grab the nearest paper item and try to eat it. And I really enjoy closing the cupboard door, pushing and pulling the drawer in the cupboard, and playing with the Tupperware containers and lids. It keeps me entertained while mom is in the kitchen.

It was really warm out about 10 days ago so I got to spend the day outside and went to the park with mommy, daddy and grandma. That was a fun day. I watched Jess run around, saw a helicopter, and picked some grass and tried to eat it. I even got to have a picnic. Mom fed me my cereal and banana and sweet potatoes while we were sitting on the blanket outside. I'm hoping we have more picnics. After all, eating is what I do best! Yet amazingly I'm still a little peanut - only 15 lbs, 12 oz and 27" long. Despite being classified as "underweight" (or off the charts as I like to call it), I still look like I have a baby belly and roly poly legs, but I guess I still have some growing to do. I don't mind as it means I get to eat even more!

Tonight is a big night for me - my first Brewers game. Sports is obviously a big part of my life - look at my parents and you'll see why. I've watched a couple Brewers games with them on TV and last week went to my first NFL draft party. I only protested a few picks.

I better go get ready - we have a potential babysitter coming by today. Apparently mom and dad want to have a pool of neighborhood sitters so they can play softball together this summer and go out once in a while.

What a life I live - sleeping, taking naps, eating, drinking milk, getting held, getting bathed, lots of playing and people constantly making a big fuss out of me. It stays like this forever, right???

Love,
Cameron

Lil Water Bug

The big news is that I am walking and talking now. Ok, you caught me - happy belated April Fools Day. I didn't get around to posting last week so I had to throw in an April Fools joke today. Although I babble when I'm happy and when the dog is around, I'm not quite saying words yet. And walking - heck, I'm not even crawling yet. I roll to get places and sometimes I do a sideways, butt in the air "scootch" when I want to go somewhere. Despite my lack of crawling coordination, I can get from point A to point B if point B has a favorite toy waiting for me.

The actual big news is that I started swim lessons last weekend. Or as mom likes to call them, "water acclimation" lessons. Whatever. I was swimming. I wasn't too sure about the big ol' pool at first, but after about 7-8 minutes of being in the water, I was ready to kick and splash. Can't say I was grinning ear-to-ear (in fact, I had my infamous serious face on for most of the lesson), but there were no tears (at least not while in the pool) and I did smile for Michaela and her grandma. She was the only girl in the class so I will have to be really charming to get her attention. So far she seems to like me - she kept coming over by me in class. I guess swim lessons are already paying off - I enjoy my baths even more and have a jolly ol' time splashing around in the bath. In fact, I think I got daddy pretty wet last night with all my splashes.

During swim class we sang songs, practiced safe exits and entries out of and into the pool, used the kickboard, and had some free time to play. I chased balls around the pool during free time. We don't have class this Saturday, but in two weeks, daddy and/or grandma will be coming with us so that will be fun. There was another daddy there last week taking pictures. I like cameras a lot, probably because I see one almost every day. At one point during class, I kept looking at the daddy taking pictures instead of paying attention to what mommy was trying to teach me. Maybe next time mommy or daddy will take pictures so I can share some with you.

Although I was tear free (and as mom is relieved to point out, poop free) during class, I did cry before and after class. Mom turned on the shower before class to get us wet and I did not like it a bit, even though she was just gently splashing water on me and didn't even have me under the running water. She diligently tried again after class to rinse me off, but I was not having it. That's ok because I got a nice bath when I got home so I got clean.

Last week was very busy for me. I was up in West Bend last Tuesday with grandma and grandpa. Then Wednesday mommy and I hung out together, ran some errands and took Jesse to the doggy doctor. He was brave when he got his blood drawn and all his shots. He didn't even cry. I wish I was that brave. Then aunt Mollie came over on Thursday and played with me.

Friday I went and played with my friends Katie and Ally. This was the first time I met Ally. She is two months younger than me so it was nice being around someone my own age (and not being the youngest!) Being the gentleman I am, I held her hand while we were both laying on the ground. And then I tried to poke her in the eyes while grabbing at her face and if that wasn't enough, when she was getting changed, I tried to eat her sleeper while it was unzipped. Yes, always the gentleman.

Saturday I got to share my gentlemany antics with Bella. She's the cutie sitting in the chair with me in one of the pictures posted. She gave me lots of hugs and enjoyed petting my head. Apparently I was quite the ladies' man last weekend between Katie, Ally, Michaela and Bella. This week has been a little quieter which is fine by me since I have not been sleeping well and am kinda cranky.

I did get to go to the park yesterday. I swung in the baby swing while a cute little girl showed me how to use the big kid swing. Her older brother showed me how to use some of the other toys and even raced mommy and me down a slide. We won. My favorite slide is the one that's enclosed so it feels like you are sliding down a tube. It was also the longest so we got to go a little faster. Plus, as we slid down it, all the colors of the tubing whizzed by so it was neat to watch. I wasn't even scared being inside a tight space. Maybe daddy can go to the park with us tonight so one of them can take a picture of me on the slides. Mom did get a picture of me in the swing and as you can see, it was a pretty nice day yesterday.

A few other fun notes. I discovered how to pull the elastic straps off my diaper. Last night I even tried doing it through my clothes. That will be fun for all if I start doing that regularly. I am also learning how to wave. It looks more like an arm flap, but I will "wave" back at people. I am also trying to figure out how to sit up from a prone position. I can get about 30% of the way up, but then either I'm not quite strong enough to sit up all the way or I simply don't know how to finish the task. But I'm pretty strong-willed so I imagine I will figure it out sooner rather than later.

And of course, it's baseball season!!! I watched part of the Brewers first game on Tuesday with our neighbor Patty. That was until I took over the remote and changed the channel and then she didn't know what channel the game was on (we have 300-some channels so it's not exactly easy to find) so that was the end of my baseball watching for the day. Good thing though as they lost the lead shortly after I changed the channel. Yesterday's game was much better. My namesake hit a home run to give the Brewers a lead and then mom's favorite pitcher not only pitched well, he hit a 3-run homerun. Of course I didn't get to see this game since it was on so late. Maybe I'm bad luck so I better stop watching as long as they keep winning.

I added one more food to my list - egg yolk (hard-boiled). Not a fan. It has a funny, dry texture. When mom mixed it with a little milk to make it less dry, it became sticky and icky. I'm all about texture and will cough and cough and cough to make my point when I'm eating a food with a texture I don't like. But at least I tried it.

Well I'm outta here - got a big day ahead of me. I am taking it upon myself to celebrate my Uncle Tom's birthday on my own since I won't be able to see him until June. I think the festivities will include another trip to the park, some singing, and some cake and ice cream. Ok, so the last part is probably wishful thinking, but it never hurts to ask, right? You never know what sleep-deprived parents will say yes to! Happy Birthday Uncle Tom and hope your special day is as fun as my day will be.

Love,
Cameron

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