Transitions

Someone is making a transition. A transition that's taking me by surprise.
Things are changing so quickly, time is moving faster than I could ever imagine.

At school, Cameron's teachers are working on getting him ready for his transition into the toddler class. He has a couple more months until this will all take place, but they're working with him now to make sure that he's progressing towards a smoother transition when the time comes.  Of course as parents, that's all we want right? Prep work, working towards goals and smooth transitions.  Except, when it actually is time to make those changes I find myself holding my breathe a little. He's not a baby anymore. he is, but he isn't - he's in between.

At school, they've taken away his bottles, he's drinking everything from a sippy cup these days.  Even bigger, they are moving away from baby food and only doing table food. At home we're still working on this, especially since I just stocked up on everything I could in the name of "baby food". When Cameron's teacher told me that he's been eating the table food so well that she was going to stop using the baby food, I melted a little bit. Then I said, "I need a chef at home!" It amazes me that he's this big already. Big enough to eat what we eat?! It was just yesterday that I was catching up on any sleep that I could with him on my stomach and never putting him down. I mean wasn't it?

So with all of these changes and adjustments I thought I'd take a moment to share some of our favorite things (when it comes to Cameron) the last few months. Things that we love and things that he may not be "growing out' of as quickly - or ever.

*  Muslin Baby Blankets - (it really doesn't matter which brand)

Here he is in September playing with it overhead.

Cameron loves them for snuggling and for playing. They are so large they can be used as a sun shade, the beginning of a great fort or even to swaddle an infant that might be on the chubbier side of life. We used these last summer when it was too hot for a pajamas and a swaddle, he slept in his diaper and one of these blankets swaddled around him.

*  Baby's 1st Toothbrush - At first I thought this thing was all gimmick, but really it's a great teether! If it's brushing teeth, working gums and cutting teeth at the same time - I'm sold!  As Cameron has gotten older, I've purchased a few other kinds of toothbrushes but none of them shine a light compared to this one.

*  Baby Mum-Mums, but we call them Num-Nums. This has got to be Cameron's favorite go-to snack.

* Pacifier's: Yes, we use them. Yes, it's a hard habit to break. We've progressed from the hospital kind though:

*  These toss and go sippy cups:

next up - straws!

*  Blooming Bath:  This was given to us as a gift when Cameron was first born and it's moved through all of the transitions with us. It's perfect for keeping his bum from slipping in the bathtub. Plus it's colorful and fun too!
 

*As for toys and other things, it changes daily. He enjoys things that move, that make sound, simple things that can be oh! so entertaining! We repeat things over and over again when he finds it interesting. Something as simple as putting a small ball or his pacifier into a cup and then dumping it out, clapping his hand on the hardwood floor or seeing his reflection in the microwave can make him laugh so hard.  That genuine, wonderful, deep belly laugh is what we live for!

We'll take this in between stage and rock it out.  It only means that there's another stage around the corner.
Transitioning Mama, over and out.

I Work Out

No seriously, I promise I do.

When Tim and I moved back into Austin from the "country" a few years ago, I started doing the Relentless Boot Camp that Crossfit Central has to offer.  It took me at least 3 days to walk normally again and find my groove, but then I was hooked. I had heard from a lot of people that Crossfit was somewhat cult-like and even though I wasn't doing the full-speed, indoor classes, I could see how people "drink the koolaid". 

Eventually, Tim joined me and well, these days, I'd say he's pretty much addicted to the burpee-lovin', pull-up raising, double-under groovin' movement known as Crossfit. I stopped going to boot camp when I was pregnant because I was concerned with the intensity of the workouts.  They say that it's perfectly fine to do it while pregnant, to just know your limitations, etc. but I was nervous and didn't want to jeopardize anything. So, I walked the neighborhood.  Tim has continued on without me, far surpassing my knowledge of the crossfit lingo and has moved indoors with "the big boys". Sure he still likes to drink beer, and occasionally we eat cheese (and other non-paleo stuff), but the competition and the athleticism is what drives him to return each time. It's nice knowing the adrenaline that he feeds off of and the tension/anger/frustrations that he could potentially builds up is used for good and not evil. It's productive, fun and motivating.

After getting back into the workout scene, now with child and child-like expenses, I couldn't justify the cost of crossfit for both of us, nor could I commit to the time frame. Not yet at least, I'm gradually hoping to work my way back into Coach Karen's classes. That means I have to reunite myself with burpees though and I really hate burpees.  So for now, Tim does crossfit and I work out at another local gym with a sort-of-want-to-be-ish-boot-camp class.  I'm still doing the movements that I like to do and I have a place to get my cardio in all at 5:30 in the morning. Sure I'd much rather be in bed at that time of day, but it gives me the flexibility to get my work out in before Cameron wakes up and it doesn't take away from my evenings with my family.

In one of my classes recently we tried a yoga move that I had never done before and I couldn't believe how difficult and challenging it was! That night I went home and showed both Tim and my Sister.  We all sat around for maybe 15 minutes trying our hand at it. Guess who was able to do it first try? Yup, the cross-fitter of the family!  

stolen from here

 Grr! It was so frustrating! I tried to blame it on the fact that my legs were too long and too heavy, but my sister called me on it and said that we just didn't have the core strength needed. She's so smart! It got me thinking though, is it harder for women to get to that level of core strength because we have the insides to carry children? 

The best part of this rambling story: I considered what it must look like if you were walking past our house and looked in the window to see three grown people on the floor trying to do some crazy yoga move and laughing hysterically at each other.  What am I going to do when both my Sisters are away at college next year, I hope they both continue to call me out when I need it (even from afar).

Bloglovin

I'm not sure who all reads this lovely blog of mine or if I even have followers, but if you use Google Reader that will be closing in June so I've moved to "Bloglovin" to keep track of all the blogs that I read. Maybe you should too?

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Swim Lessons Anyone?

We tried our hand at swim lessons over the weekend. Of course we went to an indoor, heated pool where the only job for the people there is to teach people how to swim, and expose children to the pool.  I was pretty excited about this for us and for Cameron. We're water people and we spend lots of time at the lake, we also have a pool in our backyard and I want Cameron to be a fish! 

Cameron did great, but the flow of the class and the swim school weren't really what I was expecting. They definitely get an A+ in cheesy-ness, but I was a little disappointed overall.  I know it's going to take more than one class to get used to the idea of being in a pool and have Cameron doing the butterfly stroke, but I was just expecting more.  I definitely wasn't sold on the package of swim lessons.

We watched, we listened and we'll work with Cameron on our own this summer at home and at the lake. If we need a "refresher" we'll go back, or I will look for something different and more our speed. 

I do love this little munchkin in the water though.

Regardless of what silly song the swim instructor was making us sing (see video below), he's got to be the cutest little polliwog!

For most of the time he was happy to be in the water with his Dad and play, but there were moments where he wanted to rebel and not go along with the standard instruction.

Hmm...sound like anyone else you might know?

These two are so alike, sometimes it surprises me just how much.

P.S. I think by mid-summer, Tim will probably have one of these little pool-style, jungle gyms built for our pool. It was by far our favorite part of swim lessons.

Letters

In the past week, I've come across a couple of different things that have gone "viral", messages to young women, and letters to sons.  After reading them, I found myself already worrying, "how do I teach him all of the good stuff?" And not only how do I teach him, but how do I make sure that he gets it. like really gets it.

There's motivation, self-esteem, independence and then there's how to make sure he's a good person to others. KINDNESS is my under-lying rule of thumb, how do I explain that kindness isn't just a rule...it's a lifestyle.

#1 is motivating and moving

The Nike Ad That Changed My Life

You were born a daughter.

You looked up to your mother.

You looked up to your father.

You looked up at everyone.

You wanted to be a princess.

You thought you were a princess.

You wanted to own a horse.

You wanted to be a horse.

You wanted your brother to be a horse.

You wanted to wear pink.

You never wanted to wear pink.

You wanted to be a Veterinarian.

You wanted to be President.

You wanted to be the President's Veterinarian.

You were picked last for the team.

You were the best one on the team.

You refused to be on the team.

You wanted to be good in algebra.

You hid during algebra.

You wanted the boys to notice you.

You were afraid the boys would notice you.

You started to get acne.

You started to get breasts.

You started to get acne that was bigger than your breasts.

You wouldn't wear a bra.

You couldn't wait to wear a bra.

You couldn't fit into a bra.

You didn't like the way you looked.

You didn't like the way your parents looked.

You didn't want to grow up.

You had your first best friend.

You had your first date.

You had your second best friend.

You had your second first date.

You spent hours on the telephone.

You got kissed.

You got to kiss back.

You went to the prom.

You didn't go to the prom.

You went to the prom with the wrong person.

You spent hours on the telephone. 

You fell in love.

You fell in love.

You fell in love.

You lost your best friend.

You lost your other best friend.

You really fell in love.

You became a steady girlfriend.

You became a significant other.

YOU BECAME SIGNIFICANT TO YOURSELF.

Sooner or later, you start taking yourself seriously. You know when you need a break. You know when you need a rest. You know what to get worked up about and what to get rid of. And you know when it's time to take care of yourself, for yourself. To do something that makes you stronger, faster, more complete.

Because you know it's never too late to have a life. And never too late to change one.

JUST DO IT

Whether God had given us Cameron or a girl named (insert fun name here), there are lessons and ideas, concepts and traits, gifts and ideas we want to breathe into our children.  How do we do that constructively and effectively? I obviously don't have all the answers - I'm a rookie remember?  I'm pretty sure it's starts with an open and honest relationship...from there we all take our own path in parenting.

I know that there will be plenty of letters (and lessons) that I will want to give Cameron: "Congratulations", "Don'ts", "Happy Birthdays", "Try This Instead", "You're a Rockstar!".  I can't share all of those letters here and now, but I can share these two pieces that I read that got me thinking about my parenting path.  I hope they touch you a bit too.


#2 is emotional, raw and oh so real. (I'm not going to copy/paste it, I hope you'll follow the link to read it)

A Letter to My Sons About Rape

-----------------------------------------------------------
One of many letters to Cameron after reading both of these:
Dear Cameron, I hope I can teach you all the good stuff so that you are aware of all the bad and can call it when you see it. I hope you're the super hero among your friends, the kid that wants to sit with everyone at the lunch table - not just the popular kids. I want you to be smart, I want you to have your Dad's gift of always being able to make everyone laugh and smile. I hope that you grow up a leader, an adventurer and oh-so-wise, far beyond video games and sports. Although, you know I love sports, and pac-man. I pray that you always reach for new things and grow as a person. Be Proud. Be happy. Be kind. Protect and Love others. Bottom line: Be You, don't ever be scared to Be You! There will be many more of these random letters in your future, and truth be told, they will probably all have a lot of this mumbo-jumbo in it, but that's because I love you. to the moon and back, Mom

Bluum

I've heard of a lot of different companies that will share samples monthly in different lifestyle categories. There's one that's a beauty box, one that's more household and then there are some more geared for babies and kids. Recently, after reading about bluum here I got excited about the balance between mom and baby stuff and decided to give it a try.

I received my first box a week ago and although I loved the packaging, I was a little bummed that there wasn't more inside. I haven't tried all of the items yet, but slowly I'm working my way through the items and giving my feedback on the bluum website.

It's funny, at first glance I had one reaction towards the contents, but then after actually using some of the items, my opinion had changed (for the better).

I'm looking forward to seeing what else is out there for moms and babies that is not on the mainstream trend. Obviously the good stuff doesn't miraculously just end up at your house; it takes word of mouth, research and some trial & error to find the "goods"!

I'll keep you posted on what I find out. So far, I thought the silliest piece in the box was the little "pocket pony" book, yet it's perfect for Cameron's little fingers. It keeps him busy and even though the story is kind of silly, it's just the right size for an impromptu story when we need one!

10 Months!

Dear Little B,

Happy 10 Months! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

You're cruisin' along these days! You're watching everything, curious and always wondering.  Your facial expressions are priceless.  Your Dad is already concerned with the scowls you give us.  When there's something you want, boy do you have a way of letting us know!

You've got your Mom's eyebrows, or at least you can use them to enhance your expressions just like I can.

You get a kick out of putting one thing into something else.  You love making sound; clapping your hands on the hardwood floor, talking into an empty paper towel roll, banging on the side of a plastic tub.

You're eating more and more table food, trying new things and telling us how you feel about them. I think we're all pretty excited for Easter since we gave up ice cream for lent.  You and your Dad love sharing milk shakes.

On the weekends you love to catch up on  your sleep. You've gotten so good at naps! I hope that sticks for a long time!

You are so fun Cameron, you keep life interesting and we couldn't be more grateful for the extra love that you have brought to our life!

Happy 10 months stud!
We love you to the moon and back!

A New Game

We started playing this game with Cameron where we stack the blocks and he knocks them down.
Then it progressed into putting the stacked blocks far away and making him crawl to them to knock them down. Little by little we make the distance between him and the blocks greater. He thinks it's hysterical, especially when we react to the crashing of the blocks.

This game works for us, it's fun and entertaining...that is until something distracts him. Something like the oven --- then we have to put our discipline "no" hat on. I don't really like that hat, but it's needed sometimes. (Just ask Tim!)



It's going to be a good weekend, the weather is going to be gorgeous and well the Irish man I married and I are excited to wear green and celebrate!  Will you be having a green beer this year?

An Obituary Worth Reading

'Best Obituary ever' written

I'm guessing it was my Mother that got me hooked on reading obituaries. I can't think of anyone else it would have been. I can give her the credit for getting me started in this somewhat odd quirk, but I have no one but myself to blame for the extension of that. I try to hang on to the good ones. Not just the good ones, but the obituaries that really stand out. I think I have 3 saved. Ok, maybe 5. If it's ever time to write one, or to write my own, I want it to be real, entertaining even. I don't need people to believe that I had a white-picket fence, or that I was a perfect gem. Hopefully the love shines through regardless, at least if it's done well it should.

Anyway, this morning on yahoo's homepage there was an article about how this obituary has gone viral. The daughter of the man who passed didn't think that her Mother would allow it to be run the way it was written in their local paper. Yet, she said it was who her husband was.

They're portrayal of who this Man, Father, Husband was made me smile, get teary-eyed and even say a prayer for their family. Isn't that what an obituary should be?

Like Mr. Harry Stamps, I too sometimes question daylight savings time.

Love is All You Need

Sometimes it's not about the milestone or the big plan.
Sometimes it's just about doing something together.

I told Tim the only thing I wanted to do for my birthday was to do something fun as a family. Go somewhere we haven't been with Cameron, share some laughs and make some memories.

We started at the Capital of Texas Zoo. That failed miserably. (Picture sad animals, terrible location and  in one word - scary!)  So, after a quick 20 minutes walking through the guinea pigs, rats and goats, we high-tailed it back into reality  Austin. We met up with a friend and enjoyed an evening on South Congress.

It honestly didn't matter what we were doing as long as we were together making a memory!

Birthday Wish Granted.

I love these boys so much.

33 Things

I turn 33 today. When in the h-e-double-hockey-sticks did that happen?
If we only knew then what we know now right?
In celebration of this new age, here are 33 random things about me, in no particular order.

1.  I love a good baseball game. I love a good "pickle" even more.
(baseball term, but yes I love pickles too)
2.  I can tap dance, but I can't do a cartwheel.
3.  I once won an award for having the best tan.
4.  I lettered in academics in high school. Not because I was that smart, just because I did my work.
5.  I changed my major and transferred schools, but still graduated college in 4 years. Why was I in such a rush?
6.  Yes, don't worry, I had fun in the process.
7.  I worked at a sports bar called Gooey Looey's in college. I held the record for selling the most shots.
8.  I can raise one eyebrow, curl my tongue and flare my nostrils.
9.  I have never water-skied before.
10. I wish I had half the fashion sense that my sisters have when I was there age.
11.  In 3rd grade, I was Frankenstein's Bride for Halloween and my boyfriends initials spelled ACE.
12.  My first concert was The Beach Boys, I was 8.
13.  I have a hard relationship with my eyebrows. They drive me crazy.
14.  I used to make faces on hot dogs with ketchup & mustard when I was a Birthday Captain at Putt-Putt.
15.  My Step-Dad made me walk around the block dribbling a basketball in middle school. yup.every.day.
16.  Tim says he decided he wanted to marry me on a road trip.
17.  I like to talk in accents.
18.  My DARE officer's name was Officer Guzman. Apparently he was quite the ladies man.
19.  The year I got married Austin flooded; we've been in a drought ever since.
20.  Growing up I wanted to be on Kids Incorporated or The Mickey Mouse Club.
21.  Yes, I can still sing both theme songs.
22.  I once drew a Heinz 57 bottle for a class project to represent my nationality/heritage. I still have it.
23.  I don't like peanut butter. In fact, the smell really grosses me out.
24.  I have never done a drug that wasn't prescribed to me.
25.  My thighs believe that queso is evil, but my heart sings every time it comes near.
26.  It never fails, when I go for a run I end up having to go to the restroom.
27.  When I was in 7th grade some "mean girls" flushed my glasses down the toilet.
28.  The beach calls my name. seriously.
29.  Spite & Malice is my favorite card game.
30.  I fainted one time in my life. in a bar. downtown. it was really awkward. and so embarrassing.
31.  I love being a Mom, but I freak myself out when I say things like, "Cameron's Mom" or "my son".
32.  I love a good adventure.
33. and to laugh so hard it hurts.

It's amazing where our path leads us isn't it? We spend so much time trying to control it and figure it out, but then when you're there, you can't even explain how you got there really. You can't imagine just how different it could have been/would have been if you had just taken one step differently.

What a difference a year makes. Time flies by and memories shine bright.
Here's to good momentum and believing in the path we're on.
Cheers!

Celebrating This Guy!

Tim's birthday was on Monday this year, which isn't exactly the best day to celebrate a birthday. So we celebrated in one way or another for 5 days straight. What am I saying, since I've known him he's celebrated a birthday week...why on earth would that change now. :)

Most of the celebration was spent family style, but the above picture was taken on our lunch date when I got to surprise him with a trip to the Yeti warehouse. For those of you that may not know what a Yeti is, check them out here. These bad boy coolers are insane! I kept giving Tim a hard time that he wanted a cooler made of gold because they are so expensive.  I'm impressed at how heavy-duty that they are, especially for those people that are outdoors-y, but I'm also a little skeptical at the price tag. Either way, Tim's face when he found out where we were going and then when he got home and named it, made that "cooler made of gold" all worth while. 

Let's just say if it's good enough for the Duck Dynasty guys -- it's got to be good enough for the birthday boy! 

Cameron, meeting PePe' the Yeti!

Cameron got to where his overalls (so cute!) again when we went to a ranch-style birthday party with a skeet shooting tournament! Please don't judge the pink ear protection. It worked and that's all that matters!

Happy Birthday to the guy that keeps our home running on smiles, love & friendship!

We love you!

A Case of the Sillies

We played with our photo booth last night.

(take notice of those pearly whites!)

It gave us a case of the giggles!

We played in a pretend aquarium.

And danced in the clouds.

Then Tim got home, and the super sillies started!

Roller Coaster Rides

and this. I'm not even sure what to call this.
So. Funny.

Happy Friday! Guess who's birthday we're celebrating this weekend?!
Cameron & I even have a surprise up our sleeves this year!