First Braves Game

On July 15, 2012, Camp and I experienced our first Atlanta Braves game together. My husband is a huge fan of the Braves, and his team spirit has kind of rubbed off on me. I was excited for the game, but the best part was experiencing one of Camp's firsts right along with him!

After a lovely church service and a delicious lunch at Tin Lizzie's with Jen (my bff) and Mark (her husband), we all headed over to the ballpark. We found a great parking spot in the shade and set out for a little walk in the heat. Camp has outgrown his first Braves onesie, so I wanted just had to get him something new to wear for the game. We stopped at every t-shirt stand asking about prices and availability until we found the perfect tee for the little guy at the last stop. It also happened to be the best price! Now to get him dressed...

And get some family pictures...

We had to rearrange plans for the game, so we didn't know until Sunday morning that we would get to go. Time to buy tickets!

Finally inside the stadium, the first thing I spotted was a giant Braves pig! Naturally, we had to get a picture with it.

Off to our seats, way up high, but in the shade.

Camp seemed right at home with plenty of people watching and baseball action. As usual, he found the big screen right away.

After awhile, Jen helped me find the first aid station where they had a private, air conditioned room for nursing Camp. It was heavenly. Cooled off and with a full belly, Camp was ready for more baseball. He practiced his tomahawk chop until he fell fast asleep in my lap.

We enjoyed a great game, with a win by the home team! Thank you, Jen and Mark, for taking us out to the ball game.

Happy 31 Flavors Birthday to our favorite Atlanta hosts!

Baby, You're a Firework!

Happy Belated Independence Day!
For the Fourth of July this year, we hosted a little pool party at my aunt and uncle's place downtown. We grilled hamburgers (and by "we" I mean the guys because I didn't actually have anything to do with the grilling process), and everyone was kind to bring side dishes and desserts to share! Camp played in the pool for a couple of hours and then took the longest nap in history. It was so fun to celebrate the holiday with some of our local friends and their little ones! Sadly, the Howell family saw no fireworks this year. Mama and baby were in bed fast asleep after a day of splashing, laughing, and attempting to stay sunscreened.

(Please don't hate me for posting this picture.)

Our Little Sea Turtle

Last Sunday after church, we headed over to Sullivan's Island for a beach day! Katie and John Bigbie came with us to join in the chaos fun. We had to pack a car full to make sure we had everything we needed for taking a baby to the beach. It was a little bit of a pain to get all of our "luggage" out to the beach and back, but in the end, it was totally worth it.

It turned out that we chose a spot that is great for kiteboarding, so all of the local kiteboarders were camped out right by our little cabana (aka tailgate tent that only stayed put because we tied it to the warning posts). We all were very entertained by the kiteboarding stunts. I think this might be a new addition to my bucket list. It looks pretty difficult though.

Kiteboarding

 It is official. Camp is a beach bum. He was so happy out there with the sand and the water. As he scooted on the sand, he reminded me of a baby sea turtle trying to reach the surf. He played for the longest time, but then he just rested with me on the lounge chair. He was perfectly content to feel the wind against his face and see the colorful kites zigzagging in the air. What a sweet day with our little baby sea turtle.

Sandy boy

Ocean swimming

Sand beard

Camp at 7 Months

Camp turned 7 months old on June 11! We are getting pretty close to 8 months, so I think it's time for this post.

These monthly picture are getting near impossible with Mr. Piggly Wiggly.

Personality:
Camp is not giving away the smiles quite as easily to strangers. However, if you smile really big at him or say something complimentary to him, he will usually flash you a grin. He has been unusually fussy the last few weeks in the church nursery and in the gym childcare. I assume he's having some separation anxiety. He is still very glad to be left with or held by anyone, but I guess he has some time limitations set for himself on "stranger" bonding.  Now that he can do more on his own, he can entertain himself for long spurts of time. Lately, most of that involves him moving and exploring constantly.

Size:
I suspect Camp is close to weighing 20 pounds and might be 29 inches long. It doesn't seem like he's grown much in the last month, but his carrier is getting very hard for me to transport.  He is mostly wearing 9 months clothes, but his 6 months onesies still fit him!

I'm growing past you, Mr. Owl.

Development:
Camp is on the move! He is much more stable with sitting up, but he won't sit there for long because he's scooting and belly crawling all over the place. He has built up the skills over the last few weeks, but he can even crawl over pillows and gets himself wherever he wants to go. At first, he mostly just did a helicopter move where he would use his arms and legs to rotate himself around on his tummy. He would scoot a few feet forward and sometimes backwards. He also figured out how to "crab walk" where he would use his legs to push himself backwards on his back. At a week shy of 8 months, he is still moving with both his arms and legs, but he keeps his belly on the floor. I am quickly learning how much energy it takes to keep up with him now, and I also think we need baby gates!

Let's get out of here!

Sleep:
Camp's sleep habits continue to stay the same. He wakes up between 6 am and 7 am, usually takes three naps a day, and goes to bed about 8 pm. He still wakes up in the night about once a week or so.

Eating:
We are still breastfeeding, and I'm so proud of our accomplishment with that!!! Camp nurses 4 times a day. He eats veggies, fruit, or rice cereal/oatmeal along with his lunch and dinner milk. He has also tried out Baby Mum Mum's (a rice rusk cracker type treat) with his taste buds.  I don't think it had enough flavor for his liking, but we'll keep trying. We go 4 to 5 hours between feedings during the day, so we have a lot more flexibility with our activities now. My son definitely takes after me with eating...give it to me and give me plenty of it!

I'll try anything. Even this chalkboard has a good flavor.

Playing and Fun:
Like I said, now that he's crawling around, this is his main form of play. He mostly likes to outsmart (or maybe outrun) his mom as he tries to go after cords, electronics, and flip flops. Our favorite game now is wrestling on the bed or couch. Camp laughs so hard when I lift him up and "drop" him down on the pillows or cushions. I never thought I would enjoy roughhousing like that with him, but it really has become our thing. He definitely enjoyed playing on the beach, and I hope we can take him a few more times this summer. It has been too hot for us to walk with the stroller in the neighborhood, so Camp has to settle for riding in the grocery cart or taking a stroll in the mall. His new favorite toy: a straw. Also, I made him three different discovery bottles out of old formula bottles we had from the hospital. I put small colorful beads in one, clear and white stones in one, and water with red glitter in one. He seems to really like rolling and shaking the three bottles. I'm excited to see what other household items we can turn into toys and learning experiences!

Having fun with cousin AvaRose

Dear Sweet Camper,
You are mommy's joy. I feel incredibly blessed to love on you every day. I wish I could freeze time so we could keep you as a baby for longer, but God has great plans for you which include growing up. Let's enjoy every moment we have together while you are growing strong and learning about the world around you. Keep smiling, laughing, and loving!
Love,
Mommy