Picture Clothes

Tomorrow is picture day at Addy and Cameron's school. I'm excited because they offer taking photos of both kids together which is fun. I know school photos are typically cheesy, but I've found I love them. There is something incredibly sweet about a cheesy awkard school photo. I am hoping that this year I am able to convince Addy that she can wear her picture clothes on regular days as well. Last year we made a big deal out of her new "picture shirt" and as a result she never wore the shirt again because it was her "picture shirt" that could only be worn on picture day. I couldn't find a way to argue that logic with her.
Funny enough last year she got a t-shirt from her school that had her picture on it and that was her first suggestion of what she should wear this year for picture day. Luckily, we have chosen something else to wear, however, it remains to be seen if that outfit will ever be worn again.

L is for Luella

Addy has a playdate with her friend Luella last weekend and it truly dawned on me what big girls they are now. Addy has known Luella since she was about 9 months old and the two are so similar it's unbelievable. The cutest part is now Addy can actually say her name, before it was always "Wu-ewwa."
The two played together for hours with barely an issue, although there was one heated moment on the deck, but luckily Brian was able to run interference and they quickly moved on. They played dress-up, they played outside, they compared dance moves and they read books. At one point they said they were tired and wanted to lay down for awhile, but they came back down after about 3 minutes. Apparently that was enough to recharge. It was so fun and I'm so grateful Addy already has such a good friend.

9 months

Cameron is now 9 months old. I really can't believe it. At his appointment he came in with the following stats:

Weight: 22 lbs 4 oz- 75%
Height 29 1/4 in- 80%
Head 18" - 50%

The Dr. said everything looks great and he is exactly on schedule developmentally. He eats like a horse now, it's sometimes hard to find enough to offer him for each meal. He still makes the funniest faces when trying new things. He just got another tooth putting him at 7. He absolutely loves crawling towards cords and lights and tries sticking his fingers into the sockets. We still have some babyproofing to do, I think we are in denial because Addy just never pushed the limits. Cameron will crawl right towards a plug in and then turn and look right at me, shake his head no, and then proceed to try and unplug whatever is there. He knows and he doesn't care, it's so funny. He says "dada" consistently and makes a few other sounds but doesn't yet call something by it's name and hasn't said "mama".

So far he never cries in the morning when I drop him off at daycare and still remains his charming self with strangers. I'm sure the stranger danger stage is coming, but so far so good. He usually waves, smiles and is such a happy baby overall. He is finally reaching his limit of "love" from Addy and just shoves her away, but luckily she is unphased as well.

My favorite moment this week was when Addy was offering us the pretend cupcakes from her pajamas and she stuck her hand out for Cameron to "take" a cupcake and he totally did. He stuck his hand to his mouth and made an eating sound. I think he legitimately thought she gave him something to eat, but still it was adorable and it made Addy so excited.

The Help

The weather is just beginning to change and so this weekend a lot of time was spent in the kitchen cooking, and then cleaning. Luckily for Brian and I, we have Addy to help cook and Cameron to help clean. 

Whenever there is stirring or mixing to do, Addy is all over it (and it's usually all over the counter). And the very second the dishwasher is opened, Cameron bee-lines it over and is ready to grab and pull at whatever he can. 

Our big little helpers. 

A is for Apple

The other night after work, I walked in the door and heard, "Mommy, Mommy I have homework tonight!" Two minutes later during dinner Addy declared, "I'm done eating, I want to do my homework now." Sure enough Addy received her first packet of "homework" to do. It included a large "all about me"poster to be filled out and several worksheets involving letters and numbers. Addy choose one with an apple first. She colored it in and then traced the word "red." She then practiced the letter B and the number 3. She was so focused and interested it was amazing. Brian and I were so proud we were speechless. I honestly never would have imagined that at 3 (ok almost 4) she would already be doing so many things like this. I think if we had let her she would have stayed up for the next 3 hours just to finish it all that night. If only I could bottle up this enthusiasm and save it for the future when I'm sure she won't be quite as thrilled about homework. We are all definitely going to enjoy this stage while it lasts!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

On Sunday Adelyn got to go to her very first baseball game. I don't know who was more excited, Brian or Adelyn. Brian had a special day planned for just the two of them and I think he had been dreaming about this day since first finding out we were having a child. It was Family Day at the stadium so Addy got a free cape which she loved! Brian said she was very patient during the entire game and never whined once. That's certainly better than I've ever been at a baseball game. Addy loved the play area but seemed most excited about the popcorn. She couldn't wait to get some. We had been teaching her the "take me out to the ball game" song and she got to sing it at the stadium. It seemed like a perfect daddy daughter day. I think Brian already has plans for next year!

Bon Appetit

Cameron has suddenly acquired an appetite that is difficult to keep satisfied. He's not overly picky, but the quantity he requires has become quite impressive. Puree's do not keep him satisfied so it has been an adventure in seeing what he will eat. He loves solids, and the more the better. The other day he tried lasagna and loved it. Brian swears he was saying "mmmmm" when he took this picture. He will have seconds or thirds on everything. We are so lucky that our kids are such good eaters, I can only imagine the amount of cooking I'll have to do in the coming years to keep these appetites in check!

New Swing

We swapped out a swing on our swing set and Cameron loves it! He smiles the whole time he's in it. I seriously cannot believe this is my little baby, he is growing up so quickly and looks like such a big boy! How is this possible?

Giddy Up Cowgirl

Addy had a play date with her friend Harper last weekend and we discovered they have a horsey to ride in their living room! It was awesome! Addy loved it and can't wait to go back again.

Fair Games

We decided to take advantage of the last day of the State Fair and we made our first ever visit. It was a really fun day, once we got there. Of course Cameron cried the entire drive to the fair, luckily it was only a half hour drive. Addy was extremely excited about the fair, even though she'd never been to one and didn't really know what it was. We started with the animals. Addy liked the rabbits, but was scared of the cows and the pigs were too smelly. This girl is definitely my child.
We were so proud of her when it came time to ride the rides. She went on some of the biggest rides in "Kiddieland" including her first-ever roller coaster and the high flying swings. But our proudest moment was when she did this obstacle course. She did it all by herself, she had to cross several bridges and climb up a big cargo net wall. She was definitely one of the smallest kids, but she made it through and down the big slide at the end. I was so proud of her and definitely had a moment when I realized she is not a little girl anymore.
Cameron had a great time as well. We had him in the carrier and he didn't cry at all. He waved to everyone and even clapped when Addy went on the rides. It was so cute!
We enjoyed some fried food, but didn't get any food on a stick. We'll have to save that for next year!