Did I forget to mention....

That you have your first official illness? You have been such an incredibly happy and healthy baby all this time. I can't really say if it was breastfeeding for six months or staying with Mrs. Cara and avoiding daycare germs or what, but we were so pleased that you had not been sick.

And yet, when we got to Abilene on Saturday night, we were told that you had been running a low grade fever and were kind of cranky and drooling like crazy. So we just assumed more teething! But then on Monday morning, I noticed that your face was a bit red and splotchy, which I took to mean that you were allergic to something. I started frantically washing sheets and toys in case it was that, then I analyzed all the foods you had been eating and wondered if you had something that didn't agree with you.

Around noon on Monday (since we were thankfully home resting up instead of me going to work), your daddy said to just take you to the doctor if I was so worried about it. I had already gotten Dr. Keith's approval to give you a tiny bit of Benadryl, but it did nothing, so off we went. Thankfully, our pediatrician's office could see you at 2:00. It was our first time to sit in the "sick child" waiting room. We always go for "well child" checkups and don't have to park in Germville. You were pretty happy to watch all the bigger kids and didn't squirm too much while we waited. The doctor said that it looks like a viral rash, not contagious thank goodness, and that there is nothing that will really make it go away. She said you probably had the virus earlier and this is just a late symptom. She did give us some baby Zyrtec, but it didn't really seem to help either.

The most unfabulous part is that you were a bit more cranky than usual and could not seem to sleep through the night. You would go to bed at nine and wake up crying at 10:30. Then again at 3:30 (your favorite time of night, I think). Just last night, you finally seemed to be back to normal and sleep well. The rash is still there I think, but your mood definitely seems better.

Bad news is that Rachael sent me a message today that Emerson has a rash now too. Nice job on spreading the love.

Seven Habits of Highly Effective Babies

...Or all the cute things that I want to remember you doing recently. Let's see:

1. Suck only on your left thumb. The right hand must be free to do other things, like shake your crab rattle or pull on your hair so it sticks straight up.

2. Once you are up on all fours, rock back and forth until you are exhausted and must flop back down on your tummy. There is not currently anything enticing enough to actually get crawling for. Maybe a cell phone, someday.

3. Pretend that you are only vaguely interested in eating your dinner until about halfway through the jar of food. Then, demand that mommy shovel it in your mouth as fast as possible and make impatient sounds in between bites. Just for fun.

4. In order to make Mommy fully appreciate cuddle time later, don't give in to it for now. Squirm as much as possible, especially when you are actually very tired. If Mommy tries to win by holding you closer, you can always head-butt her and ensure that she backs off.

5. Donate some of the clothes you have outgrown to Africa since Mrs. Danielle and Mrs. Lisa are heading there this week. This ensures that Mommy will definitely buy you more (big sale at Crazy 8! Woohoo!), and it is just a nice thing to do in the first place. There are lots of babies that will gladly wear them for a long time.

6. Drooling is an art. Think of it as an accessory to any cute outfit, and try perfecting a half circle shape of wetness on the front of all shirts and especially fancy dresses. Now that you have learned to pull off bibs, this should be an easy task at any time of day.

7. Books are fine for reading, but better for tasting. Try your best to grab a corner and insert it in your mouth before Mommy realizes. Board books should be specifically made to stand up to this rigorous enjoyment anyway. :)

Sweet Carolina, Part 2

Your Daddy seemed to think of everything! Our room had beautiful roses waiting for us, and it was close to downtown Asheville so we could see the sights and enjoy more good food.

We ate at a great place called the Tupelo Honey Cafe, where your daddy discovered that he is a fan of shrimp and grits! We topped off the meal with some biscuits and their famous honey.

The next day, we headed about an hour and a half away to Bryson City to go white water rafting. I am so sorry that we didn't get a picture of us decked out in our huge lifevests, but we didn't want anything to happen to our nice camera! There were some interesting folks way out there in the backwoods... Daddy was a bit disappointed that it wasn't more rough and exciting (sadly, no one fell out) but I was just fine with it!

So after a wet and wild afternoon, we thought we would take a little detour on the way home on the famous Blue Ridge Parkway. It turned out to be a three hour (de)tour! But Daddy had a great time driving through all the hills and beautiful landscape. We stopped at a few scenic overlooks but realized we would never get home if we kept it up!

There were even these beautiful flowering bushes planted all along the highway.

And the tunnels were pretty fun too... I think we counted 12 on our little stretch.

So that night, we had one last dinner with Josh and Laura and wanted to have some real southern barbecue. You know, the vinegar base is very different... So we went to the Fiddlin' Pig! That's right. They had a bluegrass band playing and even had a group of cloggers performing. It was so loud we had to move out onto the patio for Addison's sake!

We had such a wonderful time enjoying each other's company and not caring about a schedule. We sure did miss you, Cameron. We could not get home fast enough on Saturday night and arrived just in time to give you a bath and last bottle of the night. You got to see all the family and were a happy (drooly) girl for everyone.

Thanks for letting Mommy and Daddy enjoy a wonderful anniversary trip!

Sweet Carolina, Part 1

Hey Baby Girl,
We had such a wonderful trip and couldn't wait to get home to you on Saturday! Thanks to our fabulous hosts - Josh and Laura - we were able to drive from the airport in Charlotte and have a spare vehicle to borrow for all our touristy exploits.

Our first evening in Asheville, we enjoyed dinner while catching up on all the happenings here in San Antonio. They were especially happy to hear about all our CBC friends that are having babies, since they are expecting baby number 2 in mid-August (who I think will be named Kaitlyn). Josh is a police officer there in Asheville, so most evenings he would meet us for dinner and have to go back to work for a late night.

We decided the next day we wanted to go house hunting, and look what we found!

Pretty impressive, huh? The Biltmore house itself takes up four acres and has 250 rooms! It's the biggest private residence in America, and let me tell you, the tour was exhausting! No elevators, four floors of stairs up and down, and you didn't want to miss anything. Beautiful artwork, fabrics, and pretty impressive technology since it was built before 1900 (like the lights in their indoor swimming pool!) We also toured the beautiful acres of gardens and saw the most spectacular variety of roses.

They even have an enormous greenhouse...


With every kind of plant imaginable! My favorite were the orchids, since I have never seen one with so many breathtaking blooms!

All that walking was making us thirsty, so we drove over to the winery for a tasting! We were mostly pleased with the white wines and even brought home a few bottles in our luggage. Here's Daddy enjoying his samples...

It was a great day that had more surprises in store for me! Daddy found us a beautiful little Bed & Breakfast to stay in called the White Gate Inn & Cottage. We highly recommend it if anyone is visiting the area! The garden there was so lush and beautifully tended, and had a fountain running all the way down the side of the house.


So much more to tell you, but this post is getting long....

Gardens & Movies & Showers, Oh My!

Hey Little Girl,
We had such a nice weekend that I figured I had better write it down now before all the excitement of our vacation takes over! Saturday morning we went and picked up my car after getting the A/C fixed. Then we ran a few errands and headed home with ten more bags of mulch (Daddy did ten earlier last week) for the front garden. I should really take some pictures of the before and after because it looks so much nicer! I got to spend a few hours outside after Daddy pulled tons of weeds, and I told him that even though I got all hot and sweaty, it was so nice to be outside and feel productive. I kept walking past the gardens as they got worse and worse, and it was driving me crazy! But we certainly can't just let you hang out with me and get a sunburn, so we tend to stay inside all the time. After our trip, I think we will tackle the back garden in hopes of having it all looking nice for our annual 4th of July party!

Back on topic now... Saturday evening we were thrilled to have a date night, so we hurried over and dropped you off at the Pattesons huge and lovely new house. They live in a fabulous neighborhood with cute little community gardens and a huge pool. Made me think how short my commute would be if we lived nearby! :) So our evening was spent at the huge Palladium theatre, where we had a nice quiet dinner and then went to see "Angels and Demons." Fortunately for us, it was only showing in the VIP Theatre, which is 18+ only. You can take drinks or food in there, and there are fewer seats because everyone gets a huge leather chair! It was the most fabulous movie watching experience ever! And the movie was pretty good too!

We were thrilled to hear that you had a great evening too. Mrs. Danielle said that you are a very happy baby and that you love to just watch everyone. She agreed that you are a good eater too! You were a little bummed that we had to wake you up to get you in the car and again when we got home, but Daddy put you right back to sleep again. Thanks for being so easy going and giving us a great night out for our anniversary!

Then Sunday after church, you and Daddy got to hang out while Mommy went to throw a baby shower for Dr. Kara! We can't wait for Baby Morgan to arrive in late June (says Kara) or early August (says her doctor). Mackenzie is so excited to be a big sister and we know that you and Morgan will be great friends when you are bigger. We had a wonderful time with lots of friends and tons of food, and Morgan is officially decked out with tons of clothes and goodies.

I told Kara that organizing everything after the shower was one of my favorite things. I loved seeing all the tiny clothes and imagining you in them, putting away all the little blankets and toys and just picturing you with them. Of course, that was also one of the few times when your room was perfectly neat and organized, so I am sure that Daddy loved it too!

Well, the packing frenzy is almost over and tonight we head to Abilene to drop you off with Grammy. You are also going to spend one day each with your Grandpa and Gigi and your Savta and Sabba. They couldn't let you hang out in Abilene and not get to have you all to themselves! I have to admit that we were a little overwhelmed with how much stuff we need to bring since we know they don't have a house full of baby stuff. And as I was thinking about how many days we are going to be apart, I wondered if you would miss us and be cranky... Okay, I might have hoped a bit that you would miss us, but I seriously doubt it. You seem to be up for anything!

We are going to miss you very much, but know that you will have a ball with everyone. And a happy Mommy and Daddy are always better for you too! We are so looking forward to relaxing in North Carolina and seeing some old friends. Three cheers for our Mini-Moon!

Five Years Ago Today

Baby Cameron,
Today is your Mommy and Daddy's five year anniversary! Time is such an odd thing, because I can still remember that day so vividly like it just happened, but I also feel like we have grown up and changed so much. I remember the way we looked (oh to be young and thin again), how it felt to wear my delicate lace dress, how exciting it was to be taking off for our honeymoon to Puerto Vallarta... I had never really been on a fabulous vacation like that before. I had already begun to move my things down to San Antonio to our first apartment together (totally booted your daddy's things out to make room in the closet for all my shoes), and it was weird to think that I had never lived anywhere other than Abilene in my entire life. We were so excited to be just far enough away from our families that we would be forced to make it on our own.

I remember how your Papa (who miraculously wore a tux and straight tie) said he was impressed that I didn't seem nervous right before he walked me down the aisle. I told him that I wasn't at all, that I was just ready to get the wedding part over and just be married! As the wedding date got closer, all the details just seemed pointless. "Oh, so you want to pick out and buy vases that completely don't go with what I had envisioned in my head, Mom? Who cares... You are paying." The funny thing is that I will probably be the same way with you someday!

Truth be told, we had decided back in December that we wanted to be married, but I didn't really get my engagement ring and a proper proposal until Valentine's Day. Your daddy wanted it to be a "surprise" and to make it very romantic. I assumed we would have a special dinner or something, but that Saturday morning, he made me breakfast and popped the question with a poem and a specially decorated box for the ring. He even got down on one knee in my tiny apartment kitchen and I cried right there in my pajamas.

So when June finally rolled around, it seemed like we were finally going to have a paper officially saying what we had known a long time ago - that we were permanent. But to us, the wedding was more about a commitment to God than to the government. We both believe that God has made us for each other, to love and fight with and support each other until we croak. I remember hearing a friend's wedding vows where instead of saying "until death do us part," they said, "until one of us shall lay the other into the arms of Jesus." It still gives me goosebumps.

But that is what we hope for you! And I pray, even now, that you will have a godly and loving husband who sees you as an equal partner, his "help-meet" as one of my favorite bible verses says. And even though it is far from perfect, I pray that our marriage will be the example to you of how to find and love that person. You deserve a husband as wonderful as your Daddy, who gave me my anniversary card early last night so I would know that he had put thought and consideration into it.

And next week, we are finally going to have another fabulous vacation together! While you get some quality grandparents time in Abilene, we are headed to North Carolina to visit some friends and see that beautiful part of the country. (Burglars beware, we have house-sitters!) We can't wait to have time to just hang out together, to remember what it feels like to be carefree and fall in love all over again. I hear that there are lots of surprises in store for me, so I can't wait to tell you all about it.

Daughter's Best Friend

Well you made it through your first late night thunderstorm. It woke Daddy up at about 1:00 am. I knew for sure you would be next. Then sure enough, your cries echoed through the house. The part I'm most impressed with is that your dog, Joe, is warming up to you. He lets you pet him and you get such a kick out of it. When Joe heard me get out of bed to check on you he raced to you room and sat beside your crib until I got there. You were so tired and fell quickly back to sleep, but when I turned around, Joe was by your door waiting to see if you needed his help.

Hopefully he will be able to keep up when you really start moving!!

Love,
Dad

Home on the Range

So, your daddy and I are tossing around the very distant idea of finding a house a little closer to our friends in San Antonio. Mommy spends an hour every day getting to work and another hour getting home. Traffic stinks. But we know that the housing market has pretty much come to a screeching halt, and we have no idea who would want to buy our house since it has so much space and a barn. We figure we will make a few more upgrades (and probably have to paint over my funky orange kitchen) and pray for a buyer sometime in the next year or so.

Fortunately, we know a few areas of town that would be great to move to, and we think we can afford a respectable house without going overboard. But it is still a very distant thing. Just tossing it out there!

But this morning, I was reminded of the quirks of small town life out where we are. I have about a five mile drive to get to the main highway that runs all the way through San Antonio to my office, and this morning, traffic was all slow as it passed around two police cars with their lights flashing. They were parked on the shoulder right across the street from a taco stand.

My first thought was, "These cops better not be slowing up traffic because they ran in to get some breakfast!" Then as I got closer, I could see that the cars were blocking a giant BULL that someone had hit as it apparently tried to cross the road. Only out in the country.

Best excuse to be late to work EVER. Your daddy said he couldn't believe I want to move closer to town and miss out on crazy things like that.

Everything's Bigger in Texas

Check out mommy's latest purchase for you on Etsy! It even came with six flowers in all different colors that you can change out. You are super fashionable, my little redhead!

P.S. Don't worry, I think you will grow into the flower...

Our First "Pool" Party!

Happy 2nd Birthday to Elizabel! I can't believe she is already that old. Of course, now she is a big sister and all to Miss Olivia. The Pools are a precious family that we dearly love, so we (and everyone else we know!) enjoyed a big birthday bash last night in her honor. Here are some of my favorite photos:

You had a great time watching all the big kids and getting loved on by all our friends.

Here's the birthday girl, Lizzy!

Remember the Ballew twins? They are all grown up and were running everywhere!

The Kerr family was happy to see everyone. Little Makayla is growing fast and is supposedly going to give you a run for your money on the chubbiest thighs. We aren't scared!

Ainslee had a ball playing with all the different water toys and the playhouse in the backyard. She even jumped right in and tried to play with the older boys!

Here's Olivia, another adorably chubby girl! Can I just say how cute it was to see the Olivia books in her room?

Joshua has the cutest smile. Since he is almost exactly a year older than you, we totally approve of a future romance. He's a doctor's son too! Brains and charm...

All the kids wanted to hold the dogs that were running around. Ava and Shelby Dog had a good snuggle moment.

And my favorite.... Nelson figured out that it is much more fun when you throw, I mean gently toss, the kids onto the slip-n-slide. They all had a great time and I heard lots of dads saying that they would be purchasing the giant versions for their own backyards. It was a great evening!