Do you ever have those moments when you just feel good?  Like the entire universe aligned in your favor and you have an extra spring in your step?  I felt like that most of the day yesterday.  I was extremely productive at work, I ditched the yoga pants for real clothes and made it into the office and finished my to do list in a few hours. I hit the grocery store and stocked up on healthy food.  I uppped my speed during my run and knocked out a few miles.  I also got an itch to DIY and spray painted some lamps that I had lying around and added them to my living room.  My husband wasn't a fan and I just smiled and told him that they may not match the room now, but I'm adding color to our house to make it more "me" and he'll see the big picture eventually.  I'm not sure why I had this smiley, happy, unicorns and rainbows kind of attitude, but I liked it.

Maybe it's because last week is over and I am so glad that I can put it behind me.  To put it simply, last week was hell on wheels.  Saying goodbye to Porter was tough and it took Chris several days to come to terms with goodbye.  Our house was so quiet with Porter gone and Cameryn at my mom's for the week, it was strange.  For the first time in 13 years, we didn't have a dog.  So, we decided that we would get one and we started searching for the best dog for us.  We finally found one on Thursday, she is half French Bulldog and half Boston Terrier, a Frenchton (or Froshton.)  We really wanted a French Bulldog but they are so expensive plus they have a lot of health issues, but by breeding a Frenchie with another breed the health issues are diminished.   I sent a picture of the puppy to my mom and asked her to show it to Cameryn, just to see what she said.  Luckily, she said that the puppy was "super cute."  We'll pick up the puppy on Friday.  We've already named her, she has a bed and a crate (which is a new thing for our family) and Chris and Cameryn painted a dog food table for her food bowls. 

Chris and I worried all week about Cameryn and how she would react to the news of Porter's passing.  She was home for about thirty minutes before she asked where he was. 
I took a deep breath and said, "Well, baby, Porter had to go to dog heaven." 
Her face fell and she said, "While I was gone?" 
"Yes.  He was very sick and there wasn't any medicine to make him better.  But he knew how much you loved him.  He loved you, too.  So much."
And she sobbed.  I held her tight and after about ten minutes I said, "Do you remember the picture of the puppy that Grandma showed you?"
She nodded.
"Well, that puppy is yours.  I bought that puppy and we can pick it up in 7 days."
The tears still rolled but her eyes were a little brighter.  She gave me a big hug and said, "My own puppy?  A little puppy?  I'm so excited!" 
Without our puppy, I'm really not sure that she would have taken the news about Porter as well as she did.  She hasn't asked to read the book, Dog Heaven, which means that she's probably not ready to talk about it yet.  She does make little comments here and there, "We don't have a puppy in our house.  My puppy went to heaven."  or  "Mom, you might need to sweep the floor because we don't have a puppy clean up the food that falls on the floor."
Sigh.  She's sad about Porter.  We all are.
And I am a firm believer that a kid should never be without a dog if the family can make it happen. We're a dog family.  We need a dog.  Four more days.

In the midst of all of the dog drama, Jordin had her first ENT appointment on Tuesday.  She has little to no hearing in her left ear, which scares me but I know that it can change so quickly.  Thursday morning, she had tubes placed in her ears.  The entire procedure, from the time that I left her to when I saw her in recovery, lasted less than 10 minutes and she was under for less than 5.  You know how everyone says how awesome tubes are.. How they'll help so much and your child will be so happy!  Yeah.  No.  Not Jordin.  I told Chris that if Jordin doesn't start sleeping and stop whining 24/7 that we will have the tubes removed.  She has not been as happy as usual since the tubes have been in place.  She didn't sleep for 3 days, less than 5 hrs a night and a 20 minute nap each day.  Hopefully, she can grasp some of my smiley, happy, unicorns and rainbows kind of attitude, and quickly!  I'm chalking up her lack of sleep to her hearing, maybe it's improved and she's over stimulated.  Plus, she's now pulling up and wanting to stand all the time, she's beginning to cruise along the furniture but just a few tiny steps. 

Last week is over.  Thankfully. 
It's a new week. 
A new day. 
A fresh 24. 
What will you do with yours?

I am not a happy pregnant person, and if you asked me while I was pregnant if Jordin was our last baby, I would answer with a resounding, solid, there's no doubt about it, "YES!"  Two healthy girls, there is no need to try for a third to 'go for a boy.'

Ask me now.  My voice wavers, my eyes cloud over, my lips form words but no sound comes out. 

I look at Jordin, who was seven months old on Monday, and I just don't know. I don't know if I am done.

Financially, we have to be.  Three children creates a new dynamic - a bigger vehicle for me, a bigger house, higher childcare cost, more groceries.  Financially, there are times that we struggle with only two children, and I don't want to have to worry about how we will pay the bills if we had three.

Then Jordin flashes me a sweet smile, slobbers my face with a kiss, waves her arms with excitement as I walk into the room, and my heart skips a beat. 

But what if we had another girl?  Oh my.  I might actually lose my mind.  Mentally, I'm not sure I could handle it, and that is reason enough to be done having children.  But, my children are so different.  Cameryn was (and still is at times) a crying, whining, screaming non-sleeping mess of a baby.  She is so much more pleasant as she gets older, challenging, but she is a funny child with a big heart.  Jordin is SO different and those crying, screaming, non-sleeping days and night have been replaced with laughter, smiles, and precious sleep.  Part of it is because we're not rookies anymore, we kind of know what we're doing this time around.  Both of my girls are awesome and I wouldn't trade any moment with them and replace it with another, but I am actually terrified of what will happen as they become tweens.  And what would happen if we tried for another and had another girl?  I may never be the same again.

But what if we had a boy?  How our lives would change.  There would be blue in my house!  Cars!  Trucks!  My husband could teach his boy how to throw a baseball or football, because isn't that a dream that all dad's have?  And maybe, just maybe, I'd have a "mommy's boy" since both of my girls love their daddy so.

I spend most of my nights playing with my girls and watching the two of the interact with each other.  I try to tame a wriggling baby on the changing table and have to call Cameryn to come in and talk to her, because Jordin simply adores her sister and Cameryn standing there calms her.  I know that they will share a bond that I will never understand, because I never had a sister.  I watch Cameryn cheer Jordin on as she does tummy time and begins to pull her knees under her.  I laugh every day when Cameryn asks me if Jordin has teeth yet and I answer no.  I love that big gummy smile but I dislike how grumpy she is from teething for so long.

Then the sadness sets in that this could be the last time that I watch my baby learn how to crawl.  The last time that I am greeted with a big gummy smile and slobbery kisses.  The last time I get to see all of these 'first' moments, and my heart skips a beat, but this time because its filled with doubt and I am not sure if I am ready for this to be my last.

I know that God will guide me in the right direction.  He'll let me know if we will be a four or five person family.  I have put my faith in him.  It may take a few months or years, but eventually, I'll know.  Until then, we are a happy family of four and I am soaking up every moment, every first (every last?).

This weekend we laid low.  We watched our Gamecocks show up to play less than stellar football and, at halftime, we had had enough so we packed up the kids and headed to Boo! at the Zoo.

Both kids wore Tiger costumes and my inner Gamecock cringed.  Cameryn's costume is from last year.  I didn't want to ruin this year's costume (a peacock!) in the foam party! 






Hello, cute baby shoes!

I've got a lot going on this week.  Just life stuffs.  But.  I want to drop in and give you a few randoms.

1.  I wore skinny jeans for the second time and they give me a little pep in my step.  I'm all fashionable and stuff and am even considering buying colored skinnies.

PJ and Jordin practiced sitting up and having a conversation.




It's always so relaxing when they visit. We did nothing all weekend but play with the kids, eat yummy food, and laugh.  And of course, watch a football game.  Or two.

I have big babies, there is no doubt about that.  The first few months with Cameryn, I was all sunshine and rainbows about my newborn.  Babies are cute, right?  What could someone say about my super cute baby?  And then, I learned to put on my armor when leaving the house, to go full on mama mode.  I learned to expect to hear comments from strangers, or even people that I knew, at Target or Walmart about the size of my baby.  I found out, the hard way, that people have no filter when it comes to babies and because it is a baby they think they have a free pass when talking about them.  "Look at the size of her!  What is your Mommy feeding you?  You're a big girl!" 

I was met with the same criticism at daycare from a parent whose children are sitting right next to mine.  Yesterday, I ran into daycare to pick up Jordin, and I really was running because I wanted to see Shana, whose baby just started there this week.  Her six week old is so damn cute but I rarely see her because our schedules are so different.  I am holding Lakyn while Shana and another parent, who is standing there with her child, are talking.  After a few minutes, I hand Lakyn back to Shana, and pick up Jordin.

And then this happens:

"OMG!  She's so big!  How old is she?" says the mom that I have never laid eyes on until today.
"Almost four months."
"She is almost four months?  My child is eight months and not that big.  WOW.  Big baby." 

Then she gives me The Look.  You know, the one where you know you are being judged.  She cut her eyes at me, she raised her eyebrows, and she made that sound that is half-sigh and half-disgust through her nose. 

"How long does she sleep at night?"
"About 8 hours."
"Right, she (pointing to her child), doesn't do that because she isn't that big."
Shana cut in, "Lakyn sleeps eight hours and she isn't that big either."
"Oh."

And then I turned my back and started talking to the teacher.  There was so much that I wanted to say, that I could have said.  You know like, "Yes, my child is big.  And so are you.  You look like Amazon woman.  Your feet could be mistaken for Big Foot."  But I didn't.  Because those words wouldn't be acceptable to say to a parent or a child.  No one should have to feel as if their child isn't good enough.  Damn Mommy Wars.  They need to stop.

Body image.  The past two weeks it has been in the headlines almost every single day.  Gaga. Katie. Demi. Stacy London.  Every single one of them has battled an eating disorder.  We are told to, and we strive to, teach our children to love their bodies to respect them, that they are good enough.  Yet, at every doctor's appointment they are compared to other children their age and given a percentage of where they stand, and in turn, parents get so caught up in this percentage.  The cycle continues because we let it.

We don't talk about being fat or ugly in our house.  We talk about being healthy and why eating healthy food and exercising is good for our body.  It is what works for us in our house.  I try and I try and I try to set the example for my children and the world around me wants to break me down, break my girls down. 

I will not let it.   

Some days... I feel like a complete failure when I go to bed. 

Some days.... I feel like I haven't spent any time with Jordin when she comes home, because she is exhausted and goes right to sleep.

Some days... I am so frustrated because the laundry doesn't do itself, the bathrooms get dirty too quickly, and I don't want to vaccuum.  Again.

Some days... I feel as if everyone needs a piece of me when I get home and there isn't enough time in the day to do anything for me.

Some days... I wonder how it is that Cameryn and I can be so much alike.  Sun and rain.  Fire and ice.

Some days... I wonder what it will be like when my girls are older, will we get along? Or will our relationship be strained like it is with my own mom?  Will the girls be best friends and giggle late at night? 

Every day... I pray that my girls will feel this way.  That every day, IS the best day.

I don't have the Twitter.  But, if I did, here are some things you might have seen on myTwitter feed this past week, in order and in more than 140 characters, of course.

Friday:  My husband went to the grocery store and spent our weeks allowance on frozen and processed foods, white bread, two apples, a bag of grapes and a carton of strawberries. No veggies.  Man food, fo' sho'.  I've survived on oatmeal. #firstworldproblems

Saturday:  Gamecocks win!  DJ Swearinger is my hero.  Clowney is a beast.  Dylan Thompson has one hell of an arm.  I love my boys in the Garnet and Black!  #southcarolinaistherealUSC




Sunday:  The baby didn't sleep.  The three year old doesn't nap.  I've been up for almost 24 hours.  Thank god for my Keurig.  #coffeeismybff


Monday:  My husband has the day off, sends the kids to daycare, does a few things around the house.  I call home to check in at lunch and ask what he's doing.  He's watching a movie.  I try to have a conversation and he says, "Let me talk to you later.  I'm in the middle of this movie."  I hang up, resenting him a little.  When is the last time that I had a day to myself, at home, to sit in silence?  #jealousmama  


Tuesday:  #mykidsaredamncute 




Wednesday:  8pm, baby goes to bed, husband goes to bed, Cameryn goes to bed. 
8:30pm, Cameryn cannot hear the music playing in her room. 
8:45pm, Cameryn cannot get comfy.
9pm, Cameryn is still not comfy and is now crying.  I'm frustrated and tired, beginning to feel myself unravel.
9:15pm, Cameryn is still crying.
9:30pm, Cameryn is hungry.  DUH!  Because she should have been asleep an hour ago. 
9:45pm, Cameryn tells me that I didn't feed her.  (I did.)  And what I did feed her was junk.  (True, but its what she wanted for nighttime snack.) 
10:00pm, Cameryn is now screaming.  I go get a snack for her (apples and milk) and she refuses to eat it and instead sits and scream cries  I lose my shit, seriously.  I am yelling. 
10:05pm, I begin to remove toys from her room, which is what we do when she is not listening and having a tantrum.
10:05pm, I should have removed myself from her room at this point.
10:10pm, Chris wakes up and comes in to talk to Cameryn.  Who, calms down, eats her snack, rolls over and goes to sleep.
10:15pm, Chris says to me, "Are you going to let her go to sleep or are you going to yell at her some more?"
10:15:30pm, I realize I'm an ass and acting just like my mother.
 #parentingfail   #IdontwanttobemymomwhenIgrowup   #mykiddrivesmeinsane  #needbeerfordinner   #Iamtheworstmommyever

I want to remember the moment when Cameryn and Jordin first met.  The smile that Cameryn had and the tears that I fought back.  How that one moment changed my life forever.

I want to remember my quiet moments with Jordin at 3am when she is full of smiles and coos.  Because one day she'll be a teenager and come stumbling home at 3am and there will not be smiles and coos.

I want to remember how funny Cameryn is at the age of three.  "Mommy, when I grow up like you I want to be a grown-up kid."  Me too, Cameryn, me too.

I want to remember the way that Cameryn says things.  The way that she will light up, clasp her hands together, and say, "I'm so 'cited!" when she is excited about something.  The way that she gets very serious and says, "Stop 'peating me.  You're 'peating me."  when I repeat something that she says.

I want to remember the way that I can peek into our living room from the kitchen and see Chris play with the girls.  The way that he holds Jordin and helps her to practice sitting up.  The way that he and Cameryn sit and snuggle on the couch.  The way that he loves them, so very much.

 I want to remember each and every little moment with my family.  They are going by way too fast.

6 weeks

I turned an uneventful 31 on Saturday.  I don't even feel old.  Turning 30, I felt old, but 31?  Eh.  No biggie.


Someone sent this to my office, for me.  I'm glad someone else agrees.

Jordin is already two months old (I hope to have an update on her after her doctors appointment tomorrow!)  She is a big, michelin baby, just like her sister was.  Giving her a bath is like cleaning the wrinkles of an english bulldog.  She's long and I'm sure she has doubled her birth weight.  She is such a chill baby compared to Cameryn at this age.  She rarely cries, she smiles all the time, is already trying to laugh and jabbers to us nonstop.  Her little coos are the sweetest thing.  I don't remember Cameryn smiling or laughing this early, or maybe I just didn't pay enough attention?



7 weeks

8 weeks

9 weeks

I cried on Monday night after my first day back at work.  I cried because I missed a full day with my girls.  I didn't get to see Jordin's pretty blue eyes because she was sleeping when I dropped her off at daycare and then she slept the entire evening.  So, when she's awake I'm trying to soak up every single second with my girls because now, I know. I know that this sweet baby stage doesn't last and soon Jordin is going to be running around my house wanting to listen to Ozzy Osbourne with her Daddy.   I missed hearing about Cameryn's day too because she'll only talk about it to the person who picks her up from school and it wasn't me.

I forgot about this part.  I forgot how difficult it is to be a working Mommy.  How difficult it is to juggle work, kids, husband, home, and me.  I'm not that sleep deprived (thank goodness Jordin is already sleeping 4-7 hours a night!) but I'm still tired from trying to get it all done.  One of these days I will find a routine that works for us.




Speaking of routines, I need a new workout routine.  Because the state of my a$$ is ridiculous.  I'm not having much pain, at all, and think that my tailbone is almost completely healed (thank you, Baby Jesus!)  Yes, I've lost all 17lbs that I gained during my pregnancy, plus a few more (I blame it on breastfeeding because I'm a professional Golden Oreo connoisseur!), but I need to tone up (because I am a professional Golden Oreo connoissuer.).  I borrowed Insanity from a friend of mine and thought that I would give it a try.  I took the fitness test and if its possible to fail, I did.  I won't give up but dear god, you have to be insane to do that work out.  It's appropriately named, for sure.  I almost face planted doing some kind of push-up.  I've been running a few times and struggled with controlling my breath so there's another challenge for me to overcome.  Right now, the biggest problem is that I need to find time in the day that is mine.  And one day, I'm sure I will.  I'm just not sure it will be anytime soon.

Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart. - Winnie the Pooh

Has it really been four weeks since my last post? Wow. So, while I have been home, I've discovered that Will & Grace reruns are on Lifetime every single day for several hours. I love me some Karen! And, I am also relieved to know that the Lifetime channel actually is good knot something.

 And, speaking of tv, Big Brother is back! Any other BB lovers out there? Any early favorites or predictions?

Jordin is growing like a weed. She weighs a whopping twelve pounds at six weeks! I apparently produce heavy cream instead of regular breastmilk. I'm really trying to exclusively breastfeed as long as we are both comfortable and doing well. She seems to have a much better latch than Cameryn did so I am much more relaxed when she nurses. She is currently nursing every 2-3 hours, morning and night. She sleeps well, for the most part, but because of her reflux she hates to be flat. The first few weeks she slept on the boppy pillow and currently she is asleep in her crib on her side. She already sleeps better, and longer, than Cameryn did at this age. I am so thankful because I was a complete zombie until Cam was a toddler due to lack of sleep!

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I'm not so dumb about it this time around. I don't rock her to sleep like I did Cameryn and when she cries or fusses in her crib I don't immediately run to pick her up. She really is a good baby and has such a mild temperament. She is starting to smile when she sees us and she laughs in her sleep, which I think is hilarious. What do they dream about?

Cameryn hasn't adjusted well, at all, to her sister. I had this fear that it would happen. She does love her, but hates that she is no longer the center of attention. She has spent a lot of time with Chris lately but what she really needs is more mommy time! Her attitude stinks and she thinks that I cannot see her while I am nursing Jordin and tries to get away with everything. We have really tried to make her feel special, but this week has been challenging. I feel so bad for her because she is going through a big change, but at the same time I want her to get over it already. The nightly tantrums have resulted in her room being stripped of all of the things that she loves and she has to earn them back one good day at a time. We do have a pile of gifts for her that we have pulled from when she has an especially good day. I know it's a phase and it's already better than it was a few weeks ago, but oh my goodness, I am so ready for it to be over! Keeping her on a schedule has been the best thing for her. I don't know what I would do if she was at home instead of school everyday. I am so not cut out to be a stay at home mom. I love my girls wholeheartedly, but I would, for sure, be keeping vodka in a listerine bottle if I was at home all day everyday with the both of them!

As for me, I am hanging in there. The days and nights can be long but I am really trying to soak up every moment with my girls. I know that Jordin will grow so quickly and I cannot believe how old Cameryn looks to me now. I used to look at her and see some "baby" features but as soon as Jordin was born, somehow they disappeared!

I had my postpartum checkup yesterday and was not cleared to go back to work and instead I was referred to a chiropractor, immediately, to have my back adjusted to see if it would provide some relief for my tailbone and lower back. I am still having a lot of pain in my lower back, especially at night, and I still do not sit comfortably in a hard chair thanks to the tailbone. Basically, I'm a mess! A dislocated tailbone is such a stupid injury. Otherwise, physically, I am great. I did lose all of the 17lbs that I gained while pregnant, plus two more. Hopefully once I am able to workout again (I am dying to run again!) that I will be able to drop a few more pounds and and tighten up.

Mentally, I am okay. I am broken hearted as my beloved Nana passed away two weeks ago. We all traveled up to NC for her memorial. I miss her every single day. We all stayed at her house and I kept waiting for her to walk in at any moment. And then, last week, I had the strangest experience. My Nana always used Jergens lotion, in the cherry almond scent. While I was putting Cameryn into the car I got a whiff of that scent and it stuck with me for the next twenty minutes or so. There was no one else around and I'm sure that I looked completely insane sniffing the air like a dog, but it was so incredibly real.

I just knew that after my last OB appoinment on June 13 that I would have to be induced - again.  My doctor wasn't holding out much hope that I would go into labor before my due date and the next available induction date was June 20th.  I was so disappointed.  I was so over being pregnant. 

I joked with my family and friends that it would be really neat for Jordin to be born on the 14th, then all of the grandchildren on my side would be born on the 14th (Cameryn is October 14 and Quinn is March 14). 

Cameryn woke me up at 4am on June 14, poor thing, she was fighting another UTI.  I got up with her, helped her go potty and got her back to bed.  I got back into bed and I felt a contraction.  I didn't think much of it and dozed off.  I had another one and another.  I decided to start timing them and they were about 10-15 min apart.  I stayed in bed until 5am, got up and had breakfast, thinking that if they were real contractions, they would stick around.  They were still fairly consistent and each one just as intense as the last.  I took a shower and texted my girlfriend at work, letting her know that I wasn't coming into the office.  I woke Chris up around 6:30 and let him know what was going on and asked him to get up and shower, just in case we had to rush Cameryn to school.  He took Cameryn to school around 8am and decided that he wouldn't go into work either. 

10:30am, the contractions stopped. Just like that.  I was so frustrated.  How was it possible?  I let Chris know that he could probably go into work later that afternoon if he wanted to since it didn't seem that Jordin was going to make an appearance!  I started cleaning random things (looking back a few days later, I realized this was a big sign that it was going to happen soon!) I scrubbed spots in the carpet, I cleaned lampshades, and organized my hospital bag for the second time that morning.  I had lunch and then decided that I should nap.  I slept for about an hour and woke up to an extremely intense contraction.  I also lost my mucous plug (which, by the way, is disgusting.  It's like elephant snot!)  The contractions were still 10 minutes apart.  We loaded up the car, went to get Cameryn from school, and headed over to Stephanie's house where we knew Cameryn would be comfortable if I did end up going into labor.  I hadn't called my mom yet to let her know that the contractions had returned.  I didn't want anyone getting really excited, I sure wasn't!  We arrived at Stephanie's around 3:30 with contractions still 10 minutes apart.  Within an hour they went from 8 min to 6 min to 4 min., so we said our teary goodbyes to Cameryn and made our way to the hospital.

I was admitted to the hospital around 5:45pm and was ready to go in labor and delivery by 6:45.  When they checked me the first time I was 7cm!  They laughed and asked why I didn't come to the hospital sooner and I told them that not only was I more comfortable at home, I didn't want them to tell me that my cervix wasn't changing and send me home!!  I asked for an epidural and was informed that I may be too far along for one by the time that the anesthesiologist was done with a patient in ICU.  This wasn't my ideal situation, but it worked out as he was able to come up and give me some sweet relief by 7:30pm.  A nurse checked me again after the epidural and told me that I was fully dilated and effaced.  I asked for my water to be broken and started pushing at 8pm. 

Girlfriend did not want to come out.  Not only was the incredibly long umbilical cord wrapped around her neck, she was sunny side up (face up), so each time that I pushed she dropped into the canal but when I stopped she was sucked back in.  Pushing was so much more difficult for me this time since my epidural was in full effect.  When I had Cameryn, I felt pressure and pushed almost immeditaly after it was administered and could still "feel" while pushing.  This time?  I felt nothing and pushing seemed so pointless, I didn't even know if I was doing anything!  Finally, the doctor asked if it was okay if he used the vacuum to assist in getting her out.  At this point I had been pushing for twenty minutes (for five breaths instead of the usual three) with very little progress, so any assistance was welcome! 

Jordin Elizabeth arrived at 8:29pm on June 14th.  She looked almost identical to her sister, but much more petite!  Jordin measured 18.5in while Cameryn measured 20.75in.  They have the same nose, mouth, chin and dark hair. 

She is perfect.





I noticed on Friday that I was in a lot of pain, but not where the pain should be.  I had pain in my tailbone.  Standing up took my breath away and brought tears to my eyes.  Sitting down was painful.  Laying down was painful.  I was taking motrin but it wasn't touching the pain!  I finally asked for something stronger, but since I am allergic to codiene and breatsfeeding, there wasn't a lot they could prescribe.  Finally, I was given some norco (it does contain codiene, but it's synthetic, so it doesn't bother me, thank god!), which helped, but I was still extremely uncomfortable.  My doctor finally gave me the bad news - I had a dislocated tailbone.  Ouch.  It will take some time to heal, but it will eventually heal on its own. 

Cameryn loved her baby sister at first sight.

Chris and Cameryn decided to go camping.  In the backyard.  Chris was adamant that Cameryn have the most authentic camping experience as possible so last weekend he and Cameryn started planning their event for Saturday night.

I laughed.  And laughed.  And laughed.  Because I know my kid.  Yes, she is a free spirit and she likes to be outside and get dirty, but she is also all girl and very much like her momma!  Camping is fun when someone else is doing it.  Don't get me wrong, I've camped in the national parks of Nepal and India, but it doesn't make sleeping on the ground any more appealing! 

They took a trip to grocery store to get the necessary "camping" supplies:  hotdogs, buns, ingredients for smores, and a hot dog roasting stick.  Chris even took her to the woods, wagon in tow, to collect firewood for their campfire. 

Meanwhile, inside, I continued to laugh because although they were both very excited, I knew that the process of setting up camp would take longer than the actual act of camping...

At 6pm, they started their campfire and I watched from inside because the smell of smoke makes me nauseous.  Chris sat and held the hotdog roaster in the flames for about two minutes before Cameryn asked if they were done yet because she was so hungry.  Three minutes in, she asked if they could just put them on the grill because she was tired of waiting, so,they had grilled hotdogs instead.  She did like making smores, but wasn't a huge fan of all of the ingredients together and preferred to eat the graham cracker, chocolate and marshmallows individually instead.  Chris and I enjoyed the smores, too.  Yum! 

Cameryn was bouncing off the walls and couldn't wait to sleep in the tent.  They headed outside around 9pm.  I helped to carry their supplies outside:  two sleeping bags (both Cameryn's), two pillows, Lola the stuffed elephant, a cooler with water, and two flashlights - one heavy duty 'daddy' light and one Tinkerbell light that made lots and lots of noise.  Cameryn was sure to dress for the occasion in Dora pj's and her best easter sandals. 

They started to settle in.... I asked, one more time, if Chris wanted the air mattress.  He said, one more time, that I had apparently never been camping because you don't sleep on an air mattress inside a tent.




Chris slept in Cameryn's puppy sleeping bag.  Isn't he cute?


I zipped them up and said goodnight, at exactly 9:05pm.



The tent was about 10 feet from my window in our bedroom.  I could hear them laughing and talking and I could also hear her flashlight making all kinds of noise.  A fe minutes later I saw lights shining in my window which made the dog nuts.  This fun game lasted about 10 minutes and then they were quiet.  At 9:27pm, I heard the tent open and little feet come up the steps outside. 

I laughed. 
I knew it! 
Camping was officially over!

Cameryn couldn't get comfortable outside on the ground.  She said that sleeping in her bed was "much more comfy than the hard ground outside." 

Poor Chris.  He was so excited about his camping trip with Cameryn.

Maybe next time!

My girlfriends gave me a baby shower a few weeks ago.  I was definitely not expecting one but I am so grateful for any excuse for all of us to get together and talk shit about people spend some time together.  My girlfriend, Nicole, from Atlanta was able to make the drive up too, but somehow we didn't get a pic together.  We even had a little facetime action with Jess.  I love my girlfriends and I love that our girls will be going to kindergarten at the same time!   

Jenn, Janette, me, and Stephanie

Stephanie is truly a crazy woman.  She and her husband were celebrating their five year anniversary on a cruise all week and they docked in Charleston on Saturday at 7am and she held the shower, at her house, at 4pm that day!  Janette and Jenn provided most of the food and it was incredibly yummy. Janette made some kind of cheesy dip and I couldn't get enough of it. She told me not to ask what was in it, so I didn't!  Sadly, I didn't take any pictures of the decor or the food, but Stephanie discovered Etsy for the first time and went all out with pink and yellow elephant decor!  The baby's room has taken on an elephant theme with the bedding that I finally settled on.  We have also received a few elephant themed gifts from my mom, including a super cute wicker elephant table!  Since most of our family was in town for Cameryn's graduation earlier that day, the timing of the shower worked out perfectly.  The kids helped me open gifts, which they loved.  I laughed because when we got a chance to go through them the next day, there were a lot of things that I didn't see.

Whitney, Cameryn and Madison

Stephanie

Bryce

Cameryn had at least 4 cupcakes during the shower.  People (ahem, Janette!) would say, "Oh you're going to be the big sister!  Have a cupcake!"  So she did.  The poor girl was so sick the next day!




I laugh when I see these pictures!  William and Izabell are a year apart but William loved her.  He chased her, on his hands and knees, and tried to smother her in kisses.  He would not stop and poor Izzy wanted nothing to do with him!  Stephanie had to pry him away!




I loved being able to spend this time with our friends and family.  We are so thankful for each and every one of them and we cannot wait for them to meet baby sister!