Eight months

My baby boy is eight. months. old.  I'm sure I'll be just as shocked when I say eighteen months, eight years, and eighteen years.  Much has happened this past month and I had to start a running list of Cameron's new tricks and some old ones that he's mastered:

• In general, Cam has become a lot more vocally expressive this month--squealing, grunting, screeching, whining a bit, and babbling.  The most exciting part of all this is that he can babble "dadadadadadada" :)  It's only a matter of time until he connects those sounds with "daddy" and is calling Dave by name!

• Cameron learned that his tongue can do funny things and his mouth can be used to make some pretty entertaining noises (for both of us!)

• At the beginning of May he mastered the art of rolling by completing about a half dozen rolls in a row, with a little help from me positioning him on his belly.  He no longer gets upset when he wants to move from belly to back.  He still prefers rolling to the right rather than the left.  Aaaand, he surprised me by rolling from back to belly for the first time while we were FaceTiming with Nana.  He was motivated to get the TV remote--big surprise ;)

• On a recent trip to Target, I bought some Puffs to see if Cameron would be interested in self-feeding and was surprised to see how quickly he "picked up" this skill.

• I've been making some of Cameron's food (though not as much as I thought I would be) and he has been adventurous to try new tastes and a bit thicker textures this month.  He enjoys many combinations of these fruits: peaches, prunes, pears, bananas, apricots, apples, blueberries, mangos, avacado (weird that that's a fruit) and hasn't turned down any of the veggies I've offered: green beans, peas, carrots, squash, sweet potato.  He has also started eating meat (pureed, of course), so we can add turkey and chicken to that list!  

• Little man has been working extra hard to grow some new teeth--at least two from what I can tell!  His right front tooth has popped through and another one on top (the one next to the front left tooth) is just starting to show.  I can't tell if there's a third one or not, but the poor guy has a big purple bruise on his gums from all his hardcore teething.  Cameron seems to be handling it well and the new pearly whites haven't caused much irritability or trouble sleeping.  He has been a little more clingy at times but hasn't needed ibuprofen during the day and only a handful of times at night.  Sometimes I don't think there's going to be anything left of his poor fingers because of how much he chews on them!   

(It's come through even more since I took that picture a week or so ago.)  

Here are a few other moments I captured this past month:

  

 As always, we are looking forward to what the next month has in store for us and our growing guy!

Loving a little rebellious soul

Who, Cameron??  Yep, I'm talking about my sweet little boy and have had this post on my heart and mind for a few weeks now as Dave and I prepared to dedicate him at church this past Mother's Day Sunday.  As hard as it is to imagine and admit with Cameron being just shy of 8 months old, the sobering fact remains that our seemingly innocent son was born with a rebellious heart, not inclined towards the awesome God who created and loves him unconditionally, but rather towards himself and all the things that this world has to offer.  By dedicating him in front of some of our family as well as our church family, we were simply acknowledging what has been a truth for Dave and I since we knew we wanted to have children and found out we were pregnant with Cam: that is, he is a gift entrusted to us in order that we may help him grow up to know the greatness of God and the saving power that Jesus alone offers.

"I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted me what I asked of Him.  So now I give him to the Lord.  For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord." 1 Samuel 1:27-28

After hearing a convicting sermon about the apostle Paul being on trial and his steadfast faithfulness to the truth in the midst of accusations (Acts 24), my hopes that Cameron will grow up to be a man of unwavering faith were amplified all the more.  At the end of the service that morning Pastor Horner said something to the effect of "What greater gift could a mother receive, especially on Mother's day, than to know that her child (or anyone in her family, for that matter) has trusted Christ with their life?" Amen to that!  I earnestly pray that Cameron's heart will be softened to the Gospel as he grows up, learns about his sinful nature, and sees Dave and I making mistakes, asking for forgiveness, and turning from our own selfish ways.  I hope he clearly sees our reliance on and thankfulness for God's grace through all of what life brings.

"Enough pictures already, mom!"

It was truly a special morning and I am excited about the opportunities to explain more of what this means to my baby as he grows up into a little boy.  I know we'll face challenges as Cameron learns about obedience and what is right and wrong according to God's word, but watching him grow and learn from his failures and mistakes is sure to be rewarding.  And thankfully, we can trust in a sovereign God to do the work in changing our little rebel into a true worshipper.  I love this quote by A.W. Tozer and want to record it here as a reminder to myself, Dave, Cameron, and any other kids we hope to be blessed with someday: "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us."  (The Knowledge of the Holy)  

On a lighter note, be looking forward to a fun-filled post with all the things Cameron has surprised and entertained us with this past month--coming soon!

The 60 Day Juice Fast

I've read and heard some things lately about juicing, so this piqued my interest when I came across it today.  If you'd like to check it out or enter for a chance to win it in the giveaway, visit the website below!


A Wise Woman Builds Her Home: My Husband's New eBook: The 60 Day Juice Fast! 

Seven wonders of Cameron's world

Here's a short list of seven wondrous things about Cameron at this fun age of seven (and a half) months:

1.  I really enjoy how it sounds like he's actually saying words sometimes.  I took this video for Dave last week and was surprised and thoroughly amused when I heard him say what sounded like the word "kisses".  We often say this as we're covering his sweet cheeks and belly with them throughout the day.

2.  The way he snuggles his face into Dave's or my shoulder as if he's giving a hug :)

(obviously he isn't snuggling on our shoulder in this picture, but it looks like a hug nonetheless :))

3.  How he likes to play with people's faces as he examines their different features (nose, mouth, rough beard or smooth skin) and how he plays with my hair (although he gets a little rough tugging at it like a toy sometimes!)

Upon examining someone's face, he often times sticks his hands in their mouth.  Aunt Ashley was a good sport!

4.  His easygoing temperament.  Most of the time he is a happy guy and likes a good mix of activity and time chillin' by himself.  He is generally content whether being held or carried around, laying down playing, bouncing around, going for a stroller ride or quietly relaxing in his crib.  

Strolling with Tigger from Uncle Jeff & Aunt Katy's recent trip to Disney!

Snoozing in the church nursery

5.  It melts my heart how he's able to recognize mommy and daddy and can find certain objects when asked.  i.e. "Where's Chewy? (He'll scan the floor or if she's recently passed by, he'll know which direction to look.) "Where's Wolfy?" (His NC State Pillow Pet...he knows where this sits on the dresser in his room and will crane his neck on the changing table to find his buddy.)  "Where's mommy's hat?" (He'll grab at it and try to take it off), "Where's the fan?" or "Where's the light?" (He'll look up if we've recently pointed it out.)  Oh, and I love how his face lights up when I give him a favorite toy (almost anything that makes music) or when I ask if he wants to sing.  A guaranteed smile comes when he hears "Row, row, row your boat".  

He also recognizes my phone and knows when I want to capture one of his many sweet faces :)

6.  I'm impressed at how quickly he's learned to balance himself which allows him to now sit steadily on his own.  If I'm leaving the room I'll put the Boppie behind him, but he seems to have a strong little torso and will often reach around for a particular toy he's interested in.  

7.   The happy faces I am blessed to see every day:

See the TEETH?!

Complaining about complaining

I do it many times a day. Silently to myself, or on a walk with a friend, on the phone with my mom, or to my dear hubby who does it so infrequently it almost annoys me sometimes! Complaining is unproductive and discouraging.  It's annoying.  It sometimes feels good in a moment of venting, but really serves little purpose in getting anything accomplished.  As a small example: in the amount of time I spend dreading the task of cleaning the toilets in our house and talking about how much it bugs me that they never stay clean, and being convinced that there's something wrong with our water, and thinking of new ways that I can make that particular chore less frequent, I could EASILY have them all cleaned and have time left over to bake a cake.  And decorate it.  And eat it.  Seriously.  I spend far to much time dwelling on the things on my to do list that I don't feel like doing rather than prioritizing and just getting them done.  

The main problem with complaining is that it reflects an attitude of ungratefulness and a skewed perspective on God's goodness. Wait a minute. Am I suggesting that  you and I be GRATEFUL for dirty toilets. Yup. In some sense at least. I'm not saying that I enjoy what makes our potties get colorful stains of mildew, mold, and everything else deposits in there, BUT I will say that I am thankful to have the privilege of being blessed with this house that has three bathrooms (when people all over the world lack even one dignified space to do their business) AND that they can be used with such conveniece by myself, my family and friends and anyone else who stops by!  My point is this: complaining doesn't change the fact that I'll have to clean and do other mundane chores.  I want to live a more joyful life and complaining is no means to that end.  In fact, it is downright sinful and I am clearly guilty (in many areas in addition to cleaning the commodes). So please, friends, if you catch me being a grump, give  me a gentle reminder (or a smack, if needed) that God is good. (And that dirty toilets aren't going away anytime soon so I should probably get over it :))

This devotion got me thinking about all this.  I hope it will encourage you to have a fresh perspective on those things which often tempt you to grumble and complain, AND that God would "refresh you with a new outlook on life!" as the author wrote.   

Lewisville Easter Weekend

Last Wednesday Dave and I packed up and prepared for Cameron's first long car trip to spend Easter in my Louisville hometown with my parents & brother + sister-in-law.  We left just after 3p.m. in the hopes that Cam would nap, then be awake for a couple hours, and then sleep for whatever was left of the 9 hour trip and I'm happy to report that he did just that!  He was a really good boy and I had fun sitting in the back entertaining him while daddy drove most of the way.

Thursday was spent settling in and enjoying time with Nana and Pop-E after they got off work early.  Dave and I were able to enjoy a special kid-free double date night with Tara and Ben while the grandparents got a shot at babysitting and putting the little ones to bed.  I wasn't sure how Cameron would adapt to this new and different environment, but he made it easy and slept well the whole visit...thankful for that!  Jeff and Katy got in town late that night, so it was a treat to wake up Friday morning and spend the entire day as a family, lounging around, grazing on food, playing with Cameron...and, if I'm being honest, with all our iPhones and iPads.  Oh, technology :)  Enjoy the following collage of pics from the first two days of our trip!

Hunger Games :) 

Look at those teeth!

The plan for Saturday was to have as many friends as we could fill my parent's house for a barbecue and that we did!  We were blessed with beautiful sunny skies and mild temps that allowed us to sit, eat, and play outside.  THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE WHO CAME TO VISIT!  These friends are a great blessing and I cherish any time spent with them!

Bocce ball

Kyle & Tommy

Chel, Tim (& baby!)

Mr. and Mrs. Chesser

Love these women

Whoopsie!

Friends since childhood: Jeff + me + Tara + Tyler and our growing families 

Preggie mamas

Can't hardly wait to meet these babies!

BFF

Oh Graeter's, how I love thee

dominated.

Conjoined twinsies

My dad, the chef :)

Shewwwie!  30+ pictures down and a few more to go until I'm done recapping this memorable weekend! (Can you tell I had fun playing with my new camera?)

Last, but certainly not least, Cameron experienced his first Easter (sleeping through most of the service :)) at Southeast Christian Church.  We were reminded of the hope that is available through the RISEN Christ, not only for all of eternity, but also for our present life here on Earth.  Because He paid the penalty for our sin AND defeated death, we can look forward to the day when there will be NO MORE tears, suffering, mourning, pain, death, destruction, sin, or hatred--that is GOOD NEWS!!  We can also look to Him to help us through whatever comes our way each and every day.  Truthfully, I didn't walk away from the church service being hit by the goodness of the message, but God graciously reminded me of this the other day when I was feeling discouraged about my roles as a wife, mother, homemaker, and all-around Christian.  I'm trying to hold close this truth as I realize how dependent I am on the joy, strength, and grace it takes to be all God has called me to be.  I resting in the knowledge that "He who began a good work in (me) will carry it on to completion" (Philippians 1:6).  AND finally, I'm trying not to get caught in the trap of constant comparison and sometimes envy of others! Check out this post to get a better idea of what I'm talking about.

So, all in all, it was truly a special weekend with friends and family and remembering again the amazing power and hope given by God through His Son.  I hope yours was the same!! I'll leave you some of the last pictures from our trip:

Easter basket from Nana and Pop-E

"Christ the Lord is risen today, Aaaalleeeluuuuiiaaaa"

Uncle Jeff :)