Alphabits

First, sorry for our long post.  We've been so busy enjoying the beautiful fall weather, we forgot to make updates earlier this month and a lot has happened. Pictures will also be posted once we find the camera.

Mom went back to work right after Labor Day.  Gabrial (who watched me, Cameron, before Nathan was born) is watching both of us.  It's a nice balance for all of us.  We also have a high school girl, Natalie, come over on Monday nights so mom and dad can play volleyball.  Nathan is usually in bed when Natalie comes over, but I get to play with her most weeks.  In fact one of the last times she was here, I (Cameron) insisted she read me my bedtime book instead of mommy.  And the next morning when I woke up and Natalie was gone, my first words of the morning were "Natalie bye bye" instead of "eat" or "play".

We also got to spend lots of time with our grandparents in October.  Mom was in a wedding last weekend so one of the times she went to a dress fitting, we got to hang out with Grandpa Jim, Grandma Barb, and our Great Grandma Theisen.  Then during the rehearsal dinner, Grandpa Jim and Grandma Barb came down to our house and we got to play with them that night.  So much fun!  Grandma Linda was in town the day of the wedding so she watched us and Grandpa Brian got in late that night so we saw him the next day.  We are so fortunate that we get to spend time with all of our wonderful grandparents.

Another highlight of the last month or two were various family outings.  First, we went to Cheese Days in Monroe in late September.  I (Cameron) got to play in a cornbox (think a sandbox full of corn instead of sand), tour a brewery with daddy while mommy and Nathan hung out elsewhere, watch my first parade, and of course eat cheese.  We also went to Apple Holler in Sturtevant where we had apple pancakes, fed goats, and went through a corn maze. Then later in October, we went on a family trip to the Green Meadows Petting Farm in Waterford.  There we fed goats (but this time we got to be in the pen with them instead of feeding them through a fence), fed sheep from outside a fence, milked a cow, played with pigs, held a chick and a duck, went on a bumpy tractor hayride, and picked pumpkins.  What a lot of fall fun!

CAMERON

I now use 2-3 word sentences.  Some of my first sentences were "Milk please daddy" "Mama new ball" (I wanted mom to get a new tennis ball out for Jesse so I could play fetch with him) and "ball stuck" when my basketball was stuck in my train.  I also repeat lots of words I hear so watch what you say around me!

Mom and dad have been working with me on my numbers.  I have "1" down pat and sometimes will say "2" after "1". I also point and "count" (aka babble, some of which sound like numbers) pictures in my book.

Mom and I have been taking advantage of the beautiful fall weather and many nights we will walk to the park before or after dinner.  Most of the time I walk the whole way there and even sometime run part of the way.  Mom still brings the stroller because once in a while I don't want to walk the whole way home.  I enjoy climbing the plastic "rock wall", swinging (I even pump my legs sometimes) and going down the slides.  I still don't like to go down the big, covered windy tube slide; mom has to go with me on that one.  I also enjoy walking past the house on the way to the park that goes all out decorating for holidays.  Right now they have at least 4 inflatable pumpkins, 3 inflatable spiders, an inflatable cat, and lots of non-inflatable Halloween decorations.  I always point out the pumpkins (one of my favorite words right now) and linger.  And I always want to walk home the same way so I can see them again.
 
We went and visited a preschool last week.  As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, I said "Abby" since it is Abby Burie's preschool.  Mom had to explain to me that even though it was Abby's school, she wasn't there (it was late in the afternoon when we were there).  Mom thinks I have a little crush on Abby since I ask about her regularly and whenever we go to the Burie's, I always say "Abby".  She was my first kiss after all!

Keeping busy sure takes its toll.  I have actually been sleeping better at night; many nights I don't wake up at all now.  One day I was so exhausted (because I refused to nap), that I fell asleep right on the family room floor.  I slept there for about 30-45 mins.

Some current faves:
- reading the Toys R Us ad or Lego catalog
- being read to
- going to the library
- my Wacker Neuson (dad's work) matchbox truck; I used to sleep with it every night until I lost it
- blankie (aka a cloth diaper/burp cloth I carry everywhere with me and sleep with it too)
- chips and salsa or crackers and salsa or even spinach and salsa (ok, the last one is not a fave, but I will eat a bite or two of spinach if I can dip it in salsa)
- cinnamon on anything, especially applesauce or toast
- any breakfast cereal
- going to the park
- playing in the leaves
- playing hide-n-seek and asking mom or dad "are you"? for where are you

Finally, I am a celebrity!  My picture was included in a recent issue of Metroparent, a local magazine for parents.  The issue featured kids in the kitchen and mom submitted a picture of me helping with the dishes.  Granted it was taken over a year ago, but I'm still very helpful with the dishes.  In fact, I put away the Tupperware containers and lids, cutting boards and measuring cubs and help unload the rest of the dishes.


NATHAN

I am now up to 1/2 cup of rice cereal in the morning and again in the evening.  My first "real" food was avocado in mid-September.  I made plenty of faces while eating it, but now I eat it willingly.  Since then I have also enjoyed mama's homemade pears and apples, bananas, mangos, papaya, green beans (ok maybe I didn't really enjoyed these as mama's had too much texture for me), peas, yogurt, prunes, carrots, sweet potatoes, white potatoes and zucchini.

I still don't roll over unless someone nudges me over.  I do enjoy tummy time much more now, especially if there is a toy in front of me to grab at.  Some of my favorite toys include rings, plastic keys, my doggy that vibrates when you pull on it (doggy travels with me everywhere as it is attached to my car seat), burp cloths (I have watched Cameron carry his around so now I want to have one too), anything hanging from my playmat, my play piano, and my elephant toy.  But my favorite toy of all is a person.  I will smile at anyone and enjoy just hanging out with people.

One of my newest "tricks" is I say "dada".  Well it's actually more like "dadadadada" but I say it a lot.  I laugh when mommy repeats it to me or says "mamamamama" in her attempts to get me to say her name.

I am quite a good sleeper at night, but not so good during the day.  I go to bed around 6:30 each night and usually don't wake up until 6:30 in the morning.  Once in a while I will wake up in the middle of the night or the early morning, but I go back to sleep pretty easily.  Naps are a different picture.  I rarely take a morning nap in my crib for mommy.  If I do, it's usually a short one.  So if she doesn't want to fight me over it (and I usually win), we will run errands during my nap time so I can sleep in the car.  I will take an afternoon nap, usually around 12:30pm-3:30pm.  However, these past two days my mouth has really been bugging me and I wouldn't nap yesterday until I fell asleep in daddy's arms around 5pm.  I also woke up in the middle of the night very fussy which is not my usual sleep pattern.  Hopefully I pop a tooth soon and all of this is worth it.

Some current faves:
- reading before bedtime (unlike Cameron did at this age, I actually sit still for books)
- being held by just about anybody
- smiling
- fruit and multigrain cereal
- my elephant toy, rattle, and the star stacker that lights up; those toys will get me to move around and crane my neck while on my blanket
- and my favorite of all is my big brother Cameron; I sure light up when I see him!

Finally, my stats from this month:
Height: 25 3/4 in (same as Cameron @ his 6 month)
Weight: 16lbs 8oz (almost 3 lbs more than C @ his 6 month)
We are growing boys!

Love,
Cameron & Nathan

Puppet Show

Guest writer: Mom aka Kristi

Here's one of those moments you want to remember forever as it was just too cute.  I went in to check on Cameron as he was making a lot of noise while he was supposedly napping.  He had an elephant puppet on his hand and all his stuffed animals in a circle around him and he was jabbering away - almost as if he was giving his stuffed animals a puppet show.  What a character!

Pictures - Nate's Baptism & Cam's Planes

Pictures from the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum (McMinnville, OR 8/12):

Future Pilot

The Spruce Goose - it is HUGE!

Cameron was in 7th Heaven with all the planes!

Pictures from Nathan's Baptism (8/22):

On the Road Again

We have been busy boys!  We left for Atlanta July 29th.  That was Nathan's first plane ride and he did pretty good.  I (Cameron) love airplanes so I was fascinated with being on one.  For about 20 minutes.  Then I got a bit antsy, but still did good.  It was a late night though as we didn't get to Grandma and Grandpa's until almost midnight.  Although it was hot, we still had a lot of fun.  My favorite part was running through the fountains in the city square of a nearby city.  I also got to swim in a kiddie pool grandma had set up, crawl through tunnels into a tent, and play with a bunch of mom's old trucks.  Dad went home on Sunday, but mom, Nathan and I stayed until Tuesday.  Then on Wednesday, we all (grandma and grandpa too as they were both in Milwaukee) went to Brookfield's National Night Out where I got to sit in a police car, look inside an ambulance, and see all the hoses and knobs on a fire truck.  It was really neat.

But our busy travels didn't end there.  On Friday August 6, we flew to Seattle via Denver, took a shuttle van to a hotel in Bellevue where we picked up our rental car, drove to Aunt Kali's in the next town over, ate a quick dinner and then drove 2 1/2 hours to Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Heimbigner's house.  Whew what a long day!  I got to sleep in a hide-a-bed which is the first time I slept in a bed off the ground.  Dad put pillows around me so I wouldn't fall out.  Nathan slept in the bathroom.  (Editor's note - my grandparents have a large carpeted bathroom that fits the pack-n-play very nicely and it is attached to the bedroom Greg & I were in so it works well.  It's not as odd as it sounds!)

Here are some of the highlights of our trip out west:
- Cameron swimming in a zero depth pool at the Ritzville Park
- Cameron going down slides on his own for the first time

- Nathan meeting many of his extended family
- Both boys playing with cousins Kyle, Lauren, and Tyler
- Fresh, delectable, juicy, can't be beat Washington peaches
- Peacocks at the Maryhill Museum
- Lots of windshield time throughout eastern and southern Washington (driving from Moses Lake to Hood River - there were some roads where we wouldn't see another car for several miles)
- Wine, wine, and more wine (okay so this was a highlight for mom and dad, not Cameron and Nathan)
- Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum (see photo gallery in a separate entry): we saw the Spruce Goose and it was HUGE; there were also lots of helicopters, and even some NASA craft in addition to all of the airplanes.  Heaven for Cameron!
- Only 2 meltdowns due to lack of sleep; both were in restaurants
- Cameron sleeping in queen size beds while in our hotels in Oregon.  Lots of pillows surrounding him to keep him from falling out!
- All 4 of us sharing a room for most of the trip and yet everybody slept fairly well
- Taking a ferry across the Willamette River- Gorgeous weather: No rain and lots of sunshine!  In fact, Seattle was setting records while we were there.  It was 98 one day.  Kali and Tom don't have A/C so we used lots of fan and a portable (and loud, but effective) cooling system to keep comfortable.
- Watching Cameron call for Harley
- Nathan pooing all over his Uncle Tom while Uncle Tom and Grandpa Brian watched the boys so Kristi, Grandma Linda, and Kali could go to a spa (Greg was already back in WI at this point)
- Grandpa Brian changing his first diapers since becoming a grandpa; we think he felt sorry for Tom after Nathan pooed on him and cut him some slack by offering to change the diapers
- Running through the water at a water fountain park on one of the hottest days in Seattle
- Cameron flossing for the first time (and Aunt Kali will be proud - he loves it and has done it every night since)
- Making friends on the airplane ride home: Cameron was sitting next to two boys (maybe ages 6 and 10?).  At one point, he had two Incredible Hulk figures, an Iron Man figure, King Kong, a Transformer and two stuffed animals on his tray thanks to this two kids.  They entertained Cameron quite a bit and were great at sharing their toys!
- Coming home and seeing Jesse and daddy again and sleeping in our own beds (Greg only stayed in Seattle through the 13th; Kristi and the boys stayed through August 18th - had to get home before Cameron turned 2 so we didn't have to pay for his ticket!)

CAMERON

Can you believe that I am now 2???  I had a fun Sesame Street party with lots of friends (hence the family picture above with all of us in Elmo shirts).  Though I was not in the greatest mood at the beginning, I eventually cheered up and played with Ben, Abby and Eli.  Mom made me a banana split cake (graham cracker crust, strawberry ice cream, bananas, cool whip and chocolate chips) to go with the pasta bar.



My vocabulary continues to grow.  Some of my favorite new words include:
- battery (when a toy isn't working, I say "battery" in hopes that mom or dad will fix it aka replace the battery)
- thank you and bless you
- rain (also used when it gets dark since I associate darkness w/ rain)
- bus, truck and crane
- guy (for my Lego motorcycle driver)
- play
- home
- gas
- stinky (used when pointing at the garbage, somebody's socks or feet)
- messy (used especially when Nathan's eating)
- ring (for Jesse's toy ring)
- and everybody's favorite - NO!  I started using this word on my birthday

I still wake up most nights screaming.  Once in a while I fall back asleep on my own, but often I want mom or dad to come comfort me and get me water.  Hopefully I will grow out of this phase soon.

I continue to be a decent eater.  While we were at Taste of Madison yesterday, I had mac and cheese, jerk chicken (wasn't as big of a fan of it this year as I was last year), mango shrimp, opor ayam (an Indonesian dish of chicken, potato, bamboo, and lemon grass in a coconut broth), chicken peanut stew with injera (an Ethiopian flatbread) and a strawberry-pineapple-coconut smoothie. 



NATHAN

I think mommy and daddy's favorite news about me this month is I now giggle.  I don't do it very often (usually requires tickling - I have yet to really laugh at goofy faces) and half the time it's a half-laugh/half-cry thing.  But it sure makes mom and dad happy to hear my cute little laugh!

I still haven't rolled over yet, but I sure am trying.  I do enjoy being on my tummy more now, especially if Cameron, Jesse, mommy, daddy, or a fun toy are in front of me.  I am also enjoying the jumperoo (thank you Buries for letting me use it!) and the exersaucer.  But my favorite thing of all is to simply be held and watch everybody around me.

Mommy started me on solids last Saturday afternoon.  Because I am so fascinated with watching other people eat, mommy was not surprised at how quickly I opened my mouth when I saw the spoonful of cereal coming at me.  However, most of it came right back out and I refused more cereal after about 4 bites.  One day I "ate" my whole bowl (most of it ended up on my bib or on mommy) but lately I have not been very interested in cereal.  It could be because I have my first cold or maybe I'm just not as big into solids as Cameron was.


Also, because I am using the high chair, Cameron has moved to his travel chair.  I think that upset him at first (he tried to push the high chair over while I was in it; fortunately for me mom was right there and stopped him and he's not quite strong enough anyway), Actually, I think he was more upset that I was using "his" bowl, but now he's ok about me eating in the high chair.  Yesterday morning he actually pointed to the high chair and said "Nate" since he knows that's where I sit.  I feel bad that I keep taking all of my brother's things (toys, attention, clothes, etc), but it's sure nice of him to share.

Finally, my baptism was held on August 22nd (see photo gallery in a separate entry).  I sure looked dapper in my suit!  It was a fun day with family and some yummy Japanese food.  A busy month for me and my brother!


Love,
Cameron and Nathan


Some additional pictures of Cameron at play:

Summer Fun

We have been busy boys this month.  There have been lots of celebrations and parties including three parties over the 4th of July weekend.  The first was a birthday party for my aunt Mollie's dad where we got to watch a clown put on a show.  Then we went to our great grandma's house where I, Cameron, went swimming and used an inflatable boat in the pool while Nathan met Grandpa Jim's side of the family.  The next day Nathan met Grandma Barb's side of the family while I played with bubbles, bean bags, and balls.  The next weekend we went to a birthday party for dad's cousins and nearly got blown away by high winds and thunderstorms.  Given my fear of thunderstorms, I fared pretty well and wanted to watch the heavy rain.  Despite the weather, it was a lot of fun as I played on great grandma's tractor, ate lots of yummy food and Nathan impressed everybody with how content he was just sitting there watching everything.  That same weekend we went to a festival on the south side of Milwaukee, aptly named South Shore Frolics.  Here are some more highlights from early July.

CAMERON

I was not a huge fan of the fireworks that went off on the 4th of July, but overall had a fun holiday.  Mom's favorite moment of mine was after playing for a while with Hannah, one of my distant cousins, I went running across the yard towards her and tried to give her a big bear hug, but knocked both of us over.  Being the gentleman I am, I did try to help her up as seen here.

I am also quite the climber these days.  The sofa, chairs, my step stool, etc.  This means I get into even more stuff on the tables and counters and in my quest to get new places, I got stuck behind the sofa the other day.  I have also tried to climb into my high chair, but according to mom it's too high and she stopped me from trying much to my chagrin.

I also have more responsibilities now too.  When mom empties the dishwasher, I help by putting the lids away.  I also will sweep the floor with my new broom.  But the biggest change this month is I use the toilet instead of my diaper for most poops and sometimes for potty too.  I am very proud of this accomplishment and so are mom and dad.  Mom especially - she has only changed a handful of my dirty diapers in the past two weeks!  I also make sure Dolly gets her diaper changed (I do it myself with a little help as seen here).  I take good care of Dolly.  Yesterday I brought her upstairs with me so she could take a nap too because she was tired.  I even had mom put her in a sleep sack like me.  She has the same naptime/bedtime routine as I do.  In a sleep sack, fan on, read some books with Ella the Elephant being my favorite one right now, music on, drink some water, and then goodnight kisses.  If a step is missed, I will let you know!

Another highlight of my month was the phone call I made to Grandma Linda.  Mom was upstairs getting Nathan up from his nap and she could hear me jabbering to myself, or so she thought.  However, when she came downstairs, she saw me in my box fort talking on the phone to Grandma.  Fortunately I had used the speed dial to call Grandma Linda instead of calling the last number dialed (my doctor) as they would not have been as chatty with me as Grandma.

Another favorite highlight was going to the train show with dad and Grandpa Jim.  I really enjoyed seeing all of the huge model train displays.  Grandpa and dad held me so that I could see everything.  There was plenty to point at.  I didn't get to go into the child's play area because it was so crowded.  That's OK as I was plenty entertained by the moving trains.

And finally, I had my first kiss last weekend.  Yep, Abby planted a wet one smack on my lips last Sunday at her brother's baseball games and I did nothing to stop her.  In fact, I think I kissed her right back!  Although it was not captured on video, I do have a cute little clip of Abby and I the weekend before flirting with one another.  Ahh, love is in the air!


NATHAN

Although I'm not nearly as active as my big bro, I hold my own.  In fact, this month, I  have a few new accomplishments to share.  For starters, I am regularly grabbing or swatting the toys that hang from my playmat and car seat as seen here.  I also love looking at the mobile in my crib.  I can also sit up (with assistance) so sometimes I get to use my big bro's chair.

I am still a good sleeper, even when people other than mommy or daddy put me to bed.  I'm not particular as long as my tummy is full and I am swaddled.  Mommy and daddy tried to wean me off the swaddler, but I protested by waking up several times during the night so that experiment has been shelved until we get back from vacation.  Yep, my first plane ride is coming up tomorrow.  We are going to Atlanta for a long weekend to visit Grandma and Grandpa Heimbigner and then a few days later we are going to Seattle to see Aunt Kali and Uncle Tom and meet my other great grandparents as well as other family.

I also have become quite vocal.  Although I enjoy babbling and cooing, my favorite new noise to make is a squeal/squeak.  Sometimes I do it when something is funny or entertaining and sometimes I do it when I want attention.

My favorite highlight of the month was last Saturday when mommy and I got to spend the whole morning together just the two of us while daddy and Cameron where at a train show with Grandpa Jim.  First mommy and I went to a farmer's market and got some pattypan squash and green peppers.  Later that morning we went to downtown Waukesha and walked around before stopping for lunch and gelato for mommy.  We ate outside and there were lots of motorcycles that drove by so every time I heard one, I would turn my head to see.  After lunch we went and helped mommy's friend Lauren pick out flowers for her wedding.  It was exhausting making all those tough decisions so I fell asleep in mommy's arms after giving my opinion.

Love,
Cameron & Nathan

B-17 Bombers & Brotherly Love (aka War & Peace)

We have been busy enjoying the beautiful summer weather.  A few highlights of our month include cheering on our friends Ben and Abby as they raced their bikes in the Kiddie Classic bike race in downtown Waukesha, attending Wings Over Waukesha (a display of aircraft at the Waukesha airport) and having lunch in downtown Milwaukee a couple times (once with Aunt Kali and then with mom's coworkers).  We also took daddy to brunch and the golf range for Father's Day.  We are very blessed to have such a great daddy.  Here are some more updates from each of us:

CAMERON

Wings Over Waukesha was one of my favorite things this month.  The coolest plane was the B-17 Bomber.  I love airplanes so seeing them up close and personal was very neat.  To top it off, on our way home from the grocery store later that day, the B-17 was preparing to take off so we parked near the airport and watched it take off.

I now have 12 teeth, including 3 molars, with at least 2 more teeth on their way in. I also have a new bed.  It's really just my mattress with the box spring added.  No bed frame yet, but I imagine soon enough.  However, I'm not a huge fan of the new bed because it's harder to get out of to get my toys and books.  As a result, I have voiced my displeasure a few nights this week.  Though mom did enjoy that I called out "mama" the other night instead of just screaming.

I am still quite the daddy's boy and like to emulate him.  Here is a video of me helping him sweep the garage.  I also love figuring out how things work and my latest thing is buckles.  I will latch the buckles in Nathan's car seat when he is not in it.  I also will buckle myself in to the shopping cart if mommy doesn't do it fast enough.


Finally, I am a proud big brother, though I can't wait until I can actually play with Nathan.  Overall, Nathan is pretty cool, but I'm still very curious about him and don't realize he is much smaller than me. I try to pick him up once in a while much to mom and dad's chagrin. And when I give him his pacifier back, mom says I'm too rough (I hear that a lot too when I'm playing with the dog).  I did come close to stepping on him one day too.  Mom did not like that at all and now doesn't let me walk anywhere near him when he is on the floor getting changed.  But most of the time I am good around him and do my best to entertain him.  Here is a video of me dancing to mom's favorite band, REM.  I'm pretty sure this got a smile out of Nate!

NATHAN

I have discovered my hands!  I love sucking on them and now use my pacifier less as a result.  I also am starting to grab and swat at things as seen in this video.  I am also growing nicely and have outgrown a lot of my clothes already.  Mom has me mostly in 3 month and 3-6 month outfits now.  I also enjoy baths much more now.  In fact, the other night I didn't cry at all during my bath.

I still sleep well.  Most days I will catnap in the morning, usually in my car seat as we take a walk and/or run errands.  Some days though I will sleep in my crib if we don't have other plans.  Then I take a longer (about 3 hours) afternoon nap in my crib.  It usually coincides with Cameron's nap so mommy and daddy get a little down time during the day.  My bedtime is typically around 7:45, which also coincides with Cameron, but lately I have wanted to stay up until 9:30 on some nights.  At least I am quiet when I am up late.

I had my first fever two weeks ago and then had another one last week.  Fortunately it didn't last long and I wasn't bothered by it.  In fact, mommy only took my temperature based on a gut feeling (I spit up a bit more than usual that day) otherwise we probably would have never known I had a fever.

Finally, my highlight of the month is watching my big brother who I absolutely adore.  I am constantly watching him when he is near.  In fact, there are times where I am a bit fussy and then Cameron comes around and it calms me down.  When he is upset, I often will cry too. As he walks by or stops to say hi, I smile back at him.  Here is a video of me smiling at my big brother as he "plays" with me.  I am very fortunate to have such a cute, entertaining, sweet brother.

Love,
Cameron & Nathan

Terrible Twos?

CAMERON

Mom and dad think I'm starting my terrible twos.  Perhaps it's because I am extra whiny lately and like to throw my toys when I get frustrated.  However, I attribute my recent cranky behavior to all the teeth that are coming in.  I now have 3 molars and at least 3 more teeth that have cut through the gums, but are not yet erupted through all the way.  I also wake up one or more times many nights a week.  Again, I blame the teeth.  Mom and dad aren't sure if it's the teeth or possibly some nightmares.

There's not much that scares me so far, except for thunderstorms.  My poor babysitter Emily was with me the last time we had a thunderstorm and since it was only the second one of the year, mom and dad didn't know for sure that I was so terrified of them.  I especially don't like the lightning and prefer to stay up in my room with the blinds drawn, fan and radio on, and an adult hanging out with me.  If I'm downstairs, I keep pointing out the windows, want to be held and will get upset until it stops.  I also associate heavy rain with storms so sometimes now I get a little upset when it's raining hard.  Or perhaps that's because I can't go outside and play, my favorite thing to do.

When the weather is nice, we spend a lot of time outside.  As you can tell from the picture to the left, I enjoy helping daddy plant trees and bushes.  I also enjoy the nature walks mommy takes me on.  It's simply us (and Nathan in the baby carrier) walking up and down our street looking at the trees, birds, ants, and other things that catch my eye.  I usually come home with a souvenir from our nature walks.  Leaves are my favorite, but sticks and stones are also interesting.

I'm still a little peanut, but am finally in 18 month clothes, except for long pants.  Despite my size, I'm still a big boy according to mom and dad.  That means I now take a bath in the regular bathtub and don't use the plastic bath anymore.  That's for Nathan.  I also sit on my potty seat on the toilet though I don't actually use it to go yet.  However I still let mom and dad know when my diaper needs to be changed by grabbing or patting my wet diaper.

My vocabulary keeps expanding.  Aunt Kali visited us from Seattle this past weekend and taught me how to say her name, her dog's name (Harley) and Uncle Tom's name. I also will say people's names when I see pictures of them.  For example, when I saw the picture of Aunt Kali and Nathan included in this posting, I said "Kali".  Not bad considering I just learned her name this weekend while! Here I am saying some (not all so don't feel slighted if you are not mentioned) of my favorite foods and people (and sorry - haven't figured out how to edit videos yet so the talking doesn't start until about 30 seconds in.)

My diet is also expanding.  Mom was making a homemade tomato sauce the other night and not knowing what it was, I begged for some of the raw onion she had cut up.  I liked it enough to come back several times asking for more.  I also had asparagus for the first time last week.  Mom pureed it and made a pesto sauce out of it for our pasta.  She is trying to get me to eat more vegetables and that trick actually worked.  She put small pieces of spinach in my peanut butter sandwich the other day and I ate most of it too, but found some pieces and picked them out.

One of mom's favorite moments from last week happened when we got to the gym for her water aerobics class.  We got out of the car and as soon as I realized where I was, I started to get excited and kept saying "play" because I get to play with all the cool toys at the day care.  I'm still not much for playing with the other kids, but I do keep an eye on Nathan to make sure he is having fun too.  This is quite the change from pre-Nathan when I would scream when mom dropped me off, but then would be fine as soon as she was out of sight.  Because I'm doing better and mom would like me to continue building my social skills, she may enroll me into a daycare or preschool group for one morning a week this fall or winter.

One of daddy's favorite things I do right now is how I say "please" and rub my belly (my version of the sign for please) whenever I want something.  Usually it's food I want, but sometimes it's to go down in the basement and play (daddy and I's favorite place to hang out together) or to read a book or something else fun.  But it's hard for dad or mom to resist my cuteness when I say please.  I've got them wrapped around my finger!

Finally, my highlight of the past few weeks included visits from friends and family, trips to the park where I enjoy going down the enclosed tube slide the best, and lots of outside time.  One of my favorite activities was watching my friends Ben and Eli play their first coach-pitch baseball game last weekend.  They both played really well, had lots of fun playing and their team won on top of it all!   Here is a video of me practicing my cheers for Ben & Eli.  I can't wait until I'm old enough to play too.

Love,
Cameron

NATHAN

I am definitely a growing boy!  At my two month doctor's appointment last Tuesday, I was 11 lb 8 oz (50%) and 23 in (75%) long.  I am quickly growing out of my clothes and wear 3-month clothes now.


As you can see from my pictures, I'm quite a happy little boy.  Although I tend to get a little crankier in the evening, especially if I didn't nap well during the day, I am full of smiles.  I love watching the toys hanging from my bouncy seat and will sometimes accidentally swat at them.  I also do good with tummy time, but prefer to be upright rather than on my back or stomach.  Maybe that's because I'm still a gassy guy.

For a while, I was napping at the same time as my big brother which I think my mommy appreciated.  However, this past week I have not been so cooperative with naps.  In fact, I have been very stubborn about taking any sort of nap.  I will fall asleep in the car, but then I wake up once we stop and won't go back to sleep.  Or, if mommy puts me down for a proper nap in my crib, I stay awake and complain until I get moved into her arms or into my bouncy chair or car seat or baby carrier.  I've also been stubborn about going to bed the past few nights too.  But once I'm asleep, I have been going until 4:30 or 5:30am most nights.


I have managed to stay healthy except for a visit to the ER almost two weeks ago.  My car seat and I took a spill off the kitchen table after the seat tipped over while mommy was putting me in it.  I am fine, but it was scary for mommy.


Mommy calls me the mellow one (except for when I'm refusing to sleep, or during my super cranky period tonight).  Yesterday when mommy, Aunt Kali, Cameron and I were out to eat, I spent the whole meal just peacefully sitting in my car seat.  I did the same at dinner too.  The waitress didn't even know I was there until we were getting ready to leave and mommy was buckling me back in.


Love,
Nathan