No more bottles and other Big Boy accomplishments

To some people this might not be a big deal but to me it’s major. It’s been just over a week since Cameron waved Bye-Bye to the bottle and has not looked back! I thought he was going to have an issue with it but apparently not! It was a slow process…we started with the morning bottle which didn’t seem to phase him at all…then there was the midday, just before afternoon nap bottle which, again, didn’t seem to be much of a problem. Then the one I was most concerned about was the bedtime bottle, but we just decided to try switching to a cup one night and he didn’t even seem to care! As long as he got milk somehow he was a happy camper! So apparently the one who was still attached to the bottle was MOMMY! It’s just that the bottle was that last little tie to him being a baby, and now he’s a full fledged toddler, sippy cup and all! I know it’s cliché, but they DO grow up so fast!

Other big boy accomplishments lately include waving bye-bye at appropriate times (as opposed to just random waving before), playing peek-a-boo, pointing to or grabbing his feet when I ask him where they are, and sometimes using a spoon to eat with. Ok, maybe he’s not quite ready to graduate from finger foods to using utensils, but when given yogurt or pudding he will dip the spoon in and lick it off, then dip again…you get the picture. While this process is painstakingly slow since he only gets a tiny drop on the spoon at a time, it’s a pretty big accomplishment in my book, and it's so cute to see how proud of himself he is! He’s also been really good about going to bed lately, which for a while was becoming increasingly difficult! I don’t know what’s changed other than we’ve just been really good about sticking to our bedtime routine which seems to help. For the longest time I was having to hold him and rock him to sleep, but some nights it would take 20 or 30 minutes of this before I could leave the room and it was getting out of hand! So now I turn his aquarium on and turn the lights out and I’ll hold him for 1, maybe 2 songs then I lay him down awake and leave the room. He usually cries for a minute or two but that’s it and he’s out like a light! Last night he didn’t even cry when I left, he just gave me this “I love you Mommy” look (the one that melts my heart…) and closed his eyes. So sweet. I don’t know what we’ve done to deserve to have such a wonderful little person in our lives but we are so truly blessed!

Though of course there are those tantrums that have been going on lately too, along with the big boy attitude…but I don’t want to spoil Cameron’s angel reputation for you just yet! ;)

I haven't taken many pictures since the holidays...shame on me...but here's a funny one that Daddy took of him out in his sled today. The poor kid can hardly move with his giant snowsuit on but he's warm at least! And yes, Daddy is pulling him down the driveway instead of through our yard full of snow. Don't ask me why because I'm not sure!

Getting into the new year

Well the holidays have come and gone and it's a brand spanking new year. Big whoop. Don't get me wrong, Christmas with Cameron was great this year and I'm so very thankful to be starting a new year with our son home with us, but I just don't get too caught up in all the "new year, new beginnings" hoopla.

I guess it doesn't help that my first day back to work after the holidays included someone from my department being let go due to downsizing. Oh yeah, Happy F*&$#@! New Year! It was shocking, and very sad because she was a good friend who has been with the company for a lot more years than me. And as much as I was breathing a sigh of relief that it wasn't ME (this time at least) it still stings and your world is shaken up when stuff like that happens. Oh yeah, and as if that wasn't bad enough they are restructuring our department for like the 15th time in the last 5 years and I no longer report to the same person but have a new boss who I HATE!! Ok...hate is a strong word, I don't hate her as a person, but I don't like her management style and I'm not happy to be reporting to her. She's a control freak and she has this manipulative way of asking your opinion on things but twisting everything around until you just end up agreeing to do stuff however she wants it done. It's hard to explain but trust me it's a lot different than how things were with my previous boss (who I LOVE working for) so it's going to be an adjustment. The good news with that situation is that my old boss is still around but in a different role, so we can actually hang out as friends more outside of work without that weirdness of her being my boss, you know?

So enough about that saga...what's up with Cameron you ask? He's doing wonderfully, and he had a great Christmas. He got so much stuff, so many cool toys, and what does he play with while we're at my parents house for the holidays? My mom's coasters and one of the cardboard boxes that one of those cool toys came in. Humpf. But now all his loot is togther in one place at our house and it looks like Toys R Us exploded in our living room! Every night as I'm straightening up and putting everything "away" (we don't really have anywhere to go with it all so away just means in a pile in the living room) I wonder where did all this crap come from?? So I thought I would take half of it and put it in a tote in the spare room and rotate things out once in a while but as I'm digging out of the bottom of the toy box to the stuff he hasn't touched in months he suddenly decides he DOES want to play with that teething book that just the other day was so boring it didn't get a second glance. But just TRY to put it away somewhere that I can't get to it and it's the most exciting thing in my toybox all of the sudden! Little stinker.

So he's a busy boy with lots to play with. He's not quite walking on his own yet but he does toddle back and forth from me to Daddy or from me to furniture, etc. He CAN walk, he just seems to be lacking the confidence to just take off and go. Plus if he really wants to get somewhere in a hurry (like somewhere he knows he's not supposed to be...) then it's just quicker and easier to crawl than to have to try to balance himself while walking. But it won't be long and he'll be running away from us and then we'll be in trouble!

Other than that the biggest changes I noticed recently are how much more he's able to communicate and how much he seems to understand now. He's not really using words that we can decipher just yet but "Da" seems to be a very universal statement. "Da" can mean this, that, yes, no, and many other things just by him changing his tone or pointing. It's amazing how much you pick up on to his language if you pay attention. Now if only I could get him to say Mama...

With that I'll leave you with a few pictures since I know that's what you were hoping for all along. I'm hoping to be a better blogger in the new year and post updates more often but don't hold your breath!

Here's Cameron "helping" Mommy wrap gifts!









He got the movie Madagascar which he LOVES for some reason. There aren't many things on tv that hold his attention but he will sit and watch this movie for quite a while. He opened this gift and just sat there and stared at the picture on the case for a few minutes, I think he thought they were going to come to life or something!








Don't you have enough pictures of me? It's starting to hurt to smile so much...

Ahhh...life is just better when you have a balloon and a puppy!