SCOTT & BRITTANY OLSEN

We have arrived

2012-02-01T12:05:00.000-08:00

Greensboro, NC

Camden was a great traveller! He did have a few crying bursts out of boredom, but for the most part he was just the happiest baby...content with a new toy, looking out the window or smiling at the passengers behind us. Everyone kept commenting on how well he was doing. Such a sweet relief! He slept most of the way on the long flight to Atlanta, thanks to a little benadryl. Everything just went so smoothly. We seriously went directly from the airport, to a rental car, to our hotel without a hitch...no lost bags, delays or missing our connection or anything like that. It was completely a stress free trip! Amazing! So glad we are finally here! So far we are really enjoying everything.

What I noticed first about North Carolina: the trees. Flying in at night we could see all the lights glittering through the branches. It was a sight to see. I can't wait to see all the greenery come spring. The next thing was the southern accents & yes sirs and yes mams. My favorite thing to say now: Thaaaank Yew! So far everyone has been very friendly and polite. The weather has brought crispy cold mornings and toasty warm afternoons. I haven't really even needed to wear a jacket outside. I quite like this place.

Scott's birthday was on Monday! We tried to make it a special day for him. It was a simple but fun day. We ate at Carraba's Italian Grill! This cake was from the weekend when we celebrated with fam in San Diego! So yummy!

For now we are living the hotel life while our possessions are trucking across the country. Not the funnest thing with a 7 month old...but it's not like this suite is any bigger/smaller than what we are used to ;) Camden is climbing & pulling himself on everything...meaning he falls and tumbles a lot. He has a few bumps and bruises to show for it. Poor baby! We got lots of baby proofing to do in our new place!

Enjoying the bitter biscuits Grandma Farrow bought him for the trip! Thanks Mom!

Scott's been working from home/hotel this week. Camden's a good helper/distractor!

Got the keys to our new place yesterday! It was exciting to see it in person. I love it. It is perfect for us. Scott did a good job on his rental finding trip! Now just can't wait to move in!

The front of our cute lil 2 bedroom townhouse!

Took a little stroll through Battle Ground park yesterday. Historical monuments and statues honoring war time heros dot the walking paths. Pretty neat to take in the history around us! This park is just minutes from our house.

Lots of pretty sticks :) Can't wait to see them full of leaves in the spring/summer!

We will keep you updated on our new and upcoming adventures! Stay tuned :)

A Whole 7 Months Old

2012-01-19T23:37:00.000-08:00

At 7 months Camden is...

Crawling & now climbing and trying to pull himself up on things. He loves to stand while holding onto something. He hasn't perfected this yet and it kind of scares me to death but every time I see him climbing up on something he looks like such a big boy to me! When did this happen?!

Picking up finger foods and wanting to feed himself. No more of this baby food!

No teeth have made an appearance yet.

He tried crab, salmon, mushrooms, yogurt, olives, limes, oranges and liked them...what can I say, the boy likes food! Okay, the limes were a little too sour but he seemed quite interested in the taste. So funny!

Weighing in at 19 lbs and 1.5 oz.

Had his first little sickness this past week. He had no other symptoms than a nasty fever that lasted 3-4 days. It was really sad to see our little energetic boy so mellow and all hot and uncomfortable. Poor baby boy!

He loves to go out & he loves people. Everywhere we go he is just the friendliest and smiliest baby. He is really good at making friends real fast!

Getting more on a nap schedule during the day and sleeping a little better at night...still wakes up every 2 hours after midnight but at least he gets a good chunk of sleep in there from about 8-12.

Loves to jabber & gut laugh.

He gets so excited when we clap our hands and say, "good job baby" when he does something fabulous like sleep for more than 2 hours, poop or eat really good! HaHa! He loves the attention.

He is no longer a sweet smelling newborn. Nightly baths are a must. He gets to be quite the stinky boy by the end of the day :)

He smiles and excitedly flails his arms and legs when daddy comes home. Melts my heart.

Has grown some more hair & he has the biggest feet and hands! He's gunna be a tall boy!

His hands & fingers are doing more these days....like pushing my hands away when I am trying to wipe his face or nose or just grabbing at anything and everything that he shouldn't!

He is getting so strong & quick. I feel like I have to be one step ahead of him at all times & he is so much more wiggly now. Changing him is one of the most challenging parts of our day :)

Wakes up crying but as soon as I pick him up and start walking around he is just the happiest baby. Every morning with Camden has been like that. I love our happy mornings together...after the crying that is :)

He is still very cuddly...before and after his naps. Even though he is so much more wiggly and just a moving everywhere, he still enjoys cuddle time with mom. I love it!

He will play with his toys for a time so I can get something done here or there. He does get bored with them so I have to rotate which toys I put out for him so it seems like there are new ones every day. It is so cute to see him crawl/fall into the toy basket and reach for things!

Every day he is becoming more of a little person. Today Scott pointed that that he has almost been outside of my belly just as long as he was in there! Wow! Oh how we love our growing boy! He amazes us every day.

& one more thing I thought of that I want to remember about Camden at this age is the way he plays with his hair when he is tired {just like his daddy did when he was a little guy!} It is the sweetest thing!

Last beach day

2012-01-16T22:04:00.000-08:00

Saturday we headed to Newport Beach one last time before we are outta here. It was a perfect wintery beach day, not too cold and not too hot. It was Camden's third time to the beach in his little 7 month old life. He enjoyed the wind in his face, watching the waves crash & feeling the sand beneath his toes! This boy is a true Californian ;)

Family pic!

This boy loves his daddy!

Starfish on the pier!

Name in the sand!

Sandy toes!

The momma's gotta get some pics in too!

Oh I just love those chunky feet!

Classic Camden face!

All in all it was a perfect day! We sure will miss the CA coast!

We have a crawler

2012-01-13T11:40:00.000-08:00

Camden began learning how to scoot around 5 months, the end of November. It was amazing to me because we didn't even do anything to teach him. Just all on his own he has been meeting all these milestones & since then he has progressively learned how to full on crawl. He will be 7 months next Thursday & I just can't believe how fast it happened! Each day he gets faster and faster, farther and farther just exploring new rooms, objects and textures! We have had to completely baby proof the house and I constantly have my eye on him. He usually goes for things that have cords, lights or that is metal and shiny but one day I found him with the white rubber tip of the doorstop in his mouth....something I never crossed my mind as being a hazard. Good thing I pulled it out before he started choking on it!

He seems more like a little person to me than a baby now that he can move around. It is fun to see his personality shine through. He plays more independently and happily with his toys now which allows me to get a few more things done around the house...except for now I have to check on him every 30 seconds between tasks. The other night when I was getting ready, doing my hair to go out to dinner, I couldn't hear him tinkering with his toys anymore so I go to check on him and this is what I found....

He had crawled into a little square cubby in our bookcase that was just his perfect size! He wasn't even making a peep so I didn't find him right off the bat which scared me for a second...but then all of a sudden I saw these two little legs sticking out and wiggling. It was hilarious!

These are the fun parts of being a parent. Watching your child grow and progress and experience new things for the first time. It is a pretty fun journey...especially since he makes us laugh so much through it all!

Our favorite thing is to make/hear him laugh. It is the best! He will laugh at the most random things and never the same things more than once...so we are glad when we can capture it on camera! I have watched this over and over. Camden even likes watching it too. It is pretty funny stuff! Enjoy :)

Letting him cry it out

2012-01-12T15:04:00.000-08:00

The sleepy eyed little culprit :)

Wow, Today I woke up feeling so spry and rested! It is amazing what a few consecutive hours of sleep can do for you! Camden slept 5 straight hours from 10 pm to 3 am last night and it was true bliss. Now you are probably thinking, that isn't the best nights sleep, but believe me...he hasn't slept this well in months!

This definitely constituted a blog post.

He has never been that great of a sleeper. I can count on one hand the number of times he has slept through the night and he is almost 7 months! He just would rather stay up, play and not miss a thing.

I have come to accept the facts but lately it has become quite unbearable for all of us. He truly reverted back to a newborn waking up every hour or two screaming for no reason and after the holidays and being held all the time, he did not want to sleep anywhere except in our arms. If I put him down he would wake up in minutes time!

So the past two weeks I have let him take naps in my arms and sleep the whole night in our bed but that didn't make things any easier. Some days he just wouldn't nap at all and then during the night he would wake up upset for no reason every hour. Sometimes he would be hungry sometimes not! It seemed like we never got a break.

We have been contemplating sleep training him but didn't feel like it would be worth it since we live in a 1 bedroom apartment and the fact that we will be moving in just a few weeks just did not make sense. We would probably have to do it all over again with the time change and new surroundings and what not. We figured we would just tough it out till then besides I was sure we would wake up all the neighbors through these paper thin walls...but after these two weeks we were at our wits end. I told Scott, "I don't think I can take 20 more days of this!"

We have tried to let him CRY IT OUT multiple times before, each time caving in because we couldn't take the crying. Before it felt like cruel and unusual punishment, but last night was different. We were ready, he was ready, the timing was right. He was bathed, fed and placed safely & snuggly in his bed...We were doubtful it would work but after 10-15 minutes of crying & screaming he was miraculously, peacefully sleeping! Scott and I looked at each other in disbelief. Miracles do happen!

It wasn't as hard this time to let him cry. My heart wasn't pumping out of my chest this time like it used to, listening to his sad cries, feeling guilty letting him just fend for himself. This time letting him cry it out felt like I was doing something important and necessary for my baby and we, the parents, were ready for the end product...Even though the first few minutes honestly felt like an eternity and peeking in to check on him tore at my heart a little (he looked like a mad little lamb trying to get out of his pen), I am proud to say we put an end to this madness and have seen the light!

We will see if we get the same or better results tonight*, but for now I am at least glad to say it has worked so far. He even took an hour morning nap & just went down for an afternoon nap in his own bed! Hooray! 2 solid naps in one day?! That never happens! All of a sudden I have so much free time. Sleeping baby = happy baby, happy momma, happy family! Haha!

*I am happy to report that night 2 went swimmingly. After just 5 minutes of crying he was out. It is working well for nap times too. He only cries for 2-3 minutes and the boy sleeps! Yay!

New Years 2012

2012-01-11T09:41:00.000-08:00

Just a few pics from a beautiful day in San Diego touring the USS Midway with the fam!

Christmas Traditions

2012-01-04T23:22:00.000-08:00

This Christmas was extra special celebrating our babe's first Christmas. It is always fun experiencing things for the first time with baby Cam. Gifts felt somewhat superfluous this year. Camden was the only present we needed under the tree!

My Grandma Moon has made it quite the special tradition of making each of us our own, unique and beautiful Christmas stocking. They are so festive and bright. I love seeing them hung each year! It is always exciting to see each new addition as our family grows. It was especially exciting this Christmas to see our little family of 3 stockings all completed and hung by the fire. Camden's turned out beautiful! (She made Scott's the year we were married!) A lot of work, detail and care go into these stockings! They are such a beautiful momento and legacy of love from our Grandma Moon. This year I got to take them to display in our home for next year :) I can't wait. Thank you Grandma!

For Christmas eve we baked our traditional red velvet cake with Grandma's recipe. I got to add the red food coloring and frost the cake. It turned out beautifully. I love this cake and the meaning and tradition behind it! It always brings back so many memories of Christmas past and it tastes amazing!

We feasted a wonderful feast and afterwards went around the table and said what Christmas meant to us which turned into a tender and spiritual time of story telling and testimony sharing. Maybe a new tradition? We had our traditional talent show of course and also got to open our warm and fluffy Christmas pajama's from our Nanny, Grandma Farrow! It was a special evening!

Christmas morning we were awakened by Brinley's exclamation, "Santa came!" We all rushed out and opened our stocking stuffers and gifts from santa! Oh wait, we can't forget Dad's graceful heel click before gift opening commenced....another new tradition perhaps? It's always fun to see the excitement on little one's faces as they open Santa gifts...Actually the best faces were made by the big kids as they received their new iphone 4s from Santa! I can't even remember what Santa got us. Candy? Maybe we were bad this year! ;) Church on Christmas day was so meaningful and the music was beautiful. I sort of wish Christmas was on a sunday every year!

Camden's favorite part of opening gifts was definitely the wrapping paper! The next day we found a few pieces of foiled wrapping in his diaper. Whoops!

It was so wonderful to be with family and to celebrate fun traditions, yummy foods and gifts during this time of year! I am most grateful for the gift of our Savior. This Christmas I had so much more admiration for the mother of Christ. What a special baby boy she had! I hope to keep Christmas in my heart all year long!

Focus

2012-01-04T23:21:00.000-08:00

‎"I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family." - Thomas S. Monson

Wow, where to begin. With all the coming and goings of the holiday, life took quite the upswing. It was so nice to have a two week holiday to spend with Scott and all my family down in San Diego. Now things are slowing down a little and we are getting back to our normal routine. I seem to have a lot to catch up on blogging-wise yet I am totally slacking in the photo download and upload departments so my holiday documenting and blogging have come to a stand still for now.

No matter. Our holidays were super. The babe was so precious and happy to be so loved by all. We celebrated our 3rd anniversary and went out on a hott date. Christmas was excellent and New Years was grand...more on all that to come later, I promise.

We move cross-country in 23 days. Oh so much to do. All with a teething/bouncing/crawling/busy baby boy whom I completely love and adore and can't get enough of. Oh he is the cutest.

I decided on a word for this year. Last year's word was COURAGE. It found its way into my prayers, heart and head every day and FOCUS is my word to focus on for 2012! It will be my new mantra, my quest to be a little better. Being a wife, mom, sister, daughter, friend, designer, blogger, primary teacher...etc. is quite a balancing act and often I bite off more than I can chew. This year will be a journey in simplifying, prioritizing and focusing on what truly matters. Often my perfectionism gets in the way of this, wanting to do everything 110% with every detail in place, but I am learning to let go of the unimportant. I can still do things to the 110% but with the big picture in mind at all times. Does that make sense? I want a clear picture of my days and what I can take on. I want to be the best at what is most important in life and not worry about the things that are of little significance in the eternal scheme. I want to hone in on what truly counts. So here's to days full of meaning and less fluff!

2012 is going to be a great year! So excited for what lies ahead.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-17T16:15:00.000-08:00

Let there be love, peace & joy to everyone this Christmas!

6 Months New

2011-12-15T15:24:00.000-08:00

Camden is a whole 6 months! Can't believe he has been in our family for half a year now...Oh how times flies! He is learning things so fast now & just getting so big! Camden still enjoys waking up every hour of the night as well as taking tiny lil cat naps during the day. There's just too much he wants to do and explore to have time for sleep ;) He is scooting/army crawling around all over the place and is just so curious and interested in the world around him. A few weeks ago he began sitting up all by himself and within the last few days has been babbling all the time...babababa. It is the sweetest sound! Camden is such a good eater. His favorites foods are sweet peas, spinach, zucchini (he loves his green veggies) & bananas. He doesn't like anything orange yet. So funny! He is definitely go go go now but oh so fun and interactive. We are just loving this stage! He is constantly making us laugh. It is hard to have a bad day with this smiley boy around! So grateful to have such a happy & healthy baby boy! Happy half birthday little man!

18 lbs 3 oz (60-70%)

27 3/4 inches (92%)

46 cm head circ. (92%)

Weekend Getaway

2011-12-11T17:18:00.001-08:00

For the Thanksgiving weekend we took a fun lil road trip up the coast. Just me, the hubs and baby Cam. First stop, the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley. Such a neat place, totally redone since last time I visited. It was fun to learn more about Reagan's life and the history during the years he served as president. That's Air Force One behind us. We even got a little tour inside.

We spent the night in Lompoc, CA. Camden's first hotel stay & in the morning we had a fabulous breakfast and then drove through beautiful wine country to visit Solvang, a quaint lil Danish city! We walked around touring the village city and got some goodies at Olsen's bakery. Too much fun!

Our last stop was Hollywood's Walk of Fame & back home in time to visit with Grandma and Grandpa great! All in all it was a great holiday weekend. So refreshing to get out and see a little more of your own backyard ya know? The drive was beautiful and a much needed getaway for our lil fam. Camden was so good in the car & made us laugh and smile the whole trip. We never had to drive more than a 2 hour stretch so it was perfect! So nice just to be able to focus on our little family for a change. Now just looking forward to Christmas Vacation and time with more family! Yayy! To view all our pictures from the trip click HERE!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-28T20:52:00.001-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving at home with our lil family eating at Claim Jumper. We figured if we went through all the trouble to make our own Thanksgiving dinner we would have leftovers for months! So to Claim Jumper it was! Dinner was way yummy. Camden even enjoyed some pureed pumpkin and sweet potato! Our little man was the star of the day. So grateful for our Camden baby. It was a fun and peaceful holiday spent together...different to be far from family but glad we got to call and skype with both our fams. It was nice to reflect on all that we are thankful for & so nice to have Scott home with us and to spend a long weekend together. My heart is happy and full...and so is my belly!

Prayer & Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T14:34:00.001-08:00

I am thankful for prayer and for a loving Heavenly Father who hears and answers me. I may not have the words to tell him what is going on in my mind and heart but every time I have petitioned him for help and encouragement He has known exactly what I needed and He presents me with a rainbow right around the corner.

He helps me see things in an eternal perspective and to have gratitude to turn what I have into enough.

He turns my complaints into positives and my struggles into triumphs.

He helps me to remember it's not happy people who are thankful, it's thankful people who are happy.

He helps me to embrace my life and those I love with all my heart.

He helps me to behold my little one and see and appreciate him for who he is, a spirit child with divine attributes.

He helps me to go on no matter what stands in my way...

& I am so very thankful to Him.

{When life knocks you on your knees, you are in a perfect position to pray.}

Hello from baby land...

2011-11-21T14:10:00.001-08:00

Camden is 5 months new.

These days he is mastering...

Grabbing & playing with his feet
Reaching out for things
Sitting up
Scooting around
Blowing bubbles
Laughing and smiling so much
Flirting and making friends wherever we go
Getting more curious & so much more aware of the world around him
Loving to suck on the tags of all his toys

& those are just the things I can think of right now.

Can't believe our little Camden is almost a 1/2 a year old! He is getting so big and it makes me a little sad but oh how we love our little man. He is so much fun and brings so much joy into our lives...can't say that enough!

Camden has opened up a place in our hearts that we didn't know existed! There aren't quite words enough to describe the love a mommy or daddy has for their baby. It is a love you don't know until you know, ya know? People can try to tell you what to expect but I could have never truly understood till I experienced motherhood myself. It is the most fulfilling role I have ever lived in my life, and I love it.

Camden is making me a better person and I am so glad to be his mom. He is an absolute blessing in our lives!

Happy 5 months baby boy!

Santa came early?

2011-11-16T13:28:00.001-08:00

Before...

& after!

Yay! We finally got the last of our gifts from Ellen!!!

Behold our washer and dryer neatly wrapped under our...uh Christmas Tree.

Lately our apartment has felt like a real life game of Tetris! We are continually having to organize and rearrange things to fit and we may or may not be starting to feel claustrophobic in our small space but hey, we make it work!

These cardboard boxes took on quite the transformation don't you think? After some dollar store gift wrap and bows they now add lots of holiday cheer to our home :)

Visit to Twin

2011-11-11T11:26:00.001-08:00

Camden loved his first plane ride to Twin Falls, Idaho.

He was smiling the whole time and even took a solid nap!

First time at Grandma's house! Exploring the new addition.

Just hanging out with Aunt Jess!

So glad we were able to visit Mrs. Harvey. We all had tears in our eyes as she loved on baby Cam and said how she couldn't believe she got to meet Scott's baby. It was a really beautiful moment.

She is such a sweet lady. Crazy to think this might be the last time we see her.

One night we made Homemade Twixx! So fun!

Check out that carmel and adorable apron!

MMM They turned out super yummy!

The finished product!

Getting sushi with Grandma and Grandpa...

& visiting Jess at Kiwi L!

Frozen Yogurt is oh so good!

We had such a fun time visiting! It was so sad to leave! The road trip home from Vegas took 2 hours more than it should due to Mr. Camden. He does not like riding in the car for very long. I don't blame him! But we made it home safe and sound.

Halloween

2011-11-11T10:32:00.001-08:00

So my Halloween post is a little overdue. Heck, I've already got Christmas decorations up :) but I wanted to document Camden's first Halloween as a spooky skeleton.

I think he was a little spooked himself haha! Oh we just love this little man.

Happy Fall

2011-10-27T17:07:00.000-07:00

XOXO

East Coast Bound

2011-10-20T23:37:00.000-07:00

Wow, so finally got the babe to bed and had a little time to search for the best restaurants & places to visit in Greensboro, North Carolina. I don't know about you but I'm ready for some good Southern BBQ and a trip to the Civil Rights Museum.

In just 3 more months we will doing just that & calling Gboro our new home!

It's going to be a bittersweet thing, moving far from family and the Golden State, but we are excited for a new adventure. A new adventure that includes a lower cost of living and holding on to each other because each other is all we've got. I am so looking forward to those 2 things especially because a girl's gotta look on the bright side right? Always! A bigger place for less mula a month and becoming a stronger family unit sounds like a good thing to me.

I'm very excited to see new things and meet new people as well and what better time in our lives to do just that. I'm also very excited for Scott to start & experience something new within the company as an RBIS (Retail Branding and Information Solutions) Global Project Leader! Woot woot! Over the past several years, Avery-Dennison, best known for their label and office products, has become the largest global supplier of tickets and tags for apparel, and an increasingly important player in the retail industry. Bet ya didn't know that the sticker and tag on your new jeans you just bought was made by Avery did ya?! Pretty cool stuff.

We know we will be in NC for at least a year and then we will be back at the see-where-life-takes-us/where-the-Lord-wants-us stage again after that!

It is going to be grand.

4 Month Stats

2011-10-20T23:30:00.000-07:00

15 lbs 13 oz (70%)

26 in long (85%)

44 cm head (90%)

I can not resist that face. Gets me every time :)

Camden is 4 Months!

2011-10-07T23:22:00.000-07:00

Can ya believe our little guy is 4 months old already?! The time has absolutely flown by. He is changing so much & getting soo big! The other night I was putting him into his crib and OH MY he was heavy! When did this happen?! I couldn't believe it. My baby is growing up!

It sure is fun watching him grow. His little personality is coming out even more and more. He sure is an active boy, no longer a content little newborn. All four limbs are always doing something, going in every direction and I am constantly trying to find ways to entertain him. He loves the outdoors and being out and about. As soon as we get out the door and the sun shines down on his little face he will stop fussing. It works like magic! We were at Disneyland yesterday and he loved every minute of it...he wasn't even interested in eating he was just so mesmerized with everything around him!

We live for his little smiles and adorable laughs! He jibber jabbers all day and drools like crazy. Camden prefers being upright and standing when you hold him and wouldn't mind being held all day. He loves being on his tummy and rolling around. He will let me read a few books to him at a time. He just loves looking at the pictures! Camden is getting more hair on top of his sweet little head. It is so soft and fuzzy...I could kiss his little head all day! He loves his diaper changed and laughs when we get him dressed or tickle his lil feet when putting socks on.

I love how he tries to eat your face when you kiss him and how he lets you know when he likes or doesn't like something. He has definitely found his voice. He welcomes the day crying as if to say, "Mom I am so done with this laying down thing...lets get up and go somewhere NOW!" Once I pick him up and prop him up on a pillow on our bed, tell him good morning and commence snuggle time, he is all smiles! I love our little routine in the morning. Evening times he always seems especially busy and fussy when we, the parents, are always the most tired. We take turns putting him to bed which is super nice!

Camden still loves his baths. He gets all relaxed and then super excited, splashing the water everywhere! He has become quite the hair puller and is starting to grab anything within his reach! He has been doing really well eating solids this last week. He makes the sour scrunched up face when trying new foods. Camden is 100% more fun than my Baby Alive growing up. Haha! I love it! Camden seriously gets so excited when Daddy comes home...It just melts my heart into a puddle every time. He has started teething so he has been chewing on everything including his little fists and hasn't been the happiest camper lately but man alive, we sure love him!

I can't believe how much my little baby is growing up. Each week brings something new! You feel like you finally got something figured out and then BAM onto a different challenge. Being a parent sure is fun and everything I thought it would be, but you definitely have to be ready for the whole package...The good days and the bad, the laughter and the tears! Good thing the laughter outweighs the tears and makes this all so worth it! Love you baby Camden. Happy 4 months!

Oh and after reading the letter my cousin, Elder Pliler, wrote from his mission in Chile this week, Camden decided he wants to be a missionary someday too!

Love at First Bite

2011-10-02T23:25:00.000-07:00

Oh our baby Camden is growing up! He has changed so much this last month & we are loving this stage. He tried his first bites of rice cereal this weekend and wasn't so sure at first. He made these cute scrunchy faces and looked at us all funny but after a few tries he really started warming up to the idea of solid food {even though it was still pretty soupy!}

He was hilarious to watch. Half of the cereal ended up dribbling out of his mouth onto the bib and everywhere else! We got some good video of the whole thing don't worry!

He really did so good for his first time! So proud of our little guy!

Oh and love the Boon Spoon...Greatest invention I tell ya!

Yay for trying new foods!

Next up on the menu is homemade carrot smash. I couldn't help myself...I was so excited to make my own baby food! Just two carrots made 9 servings! We will see how he likes these in a few more days after he gets the rice cereal down.

Bring on the fun...and orange mess! Yippee!

Happy 22 to Me

2011-10-02T22:49:00.000-07:00

The 26th was my birffday and it was a perfect day...

...filled with fam, fun and yummy food of course!

So fun to celebrate with family! We missed you Blakey!

Camden slept 9 hours straight through the night just for my special day!

Too bad I still woke up a few times haha but what a lil sweetie. He always sleeps so good at Grandma's house!

The weekend could not be complete without angel food cake strawberry chocolate bites! They were gone in minutes...So good you should try them!

Thanks everyone for the wonderful birthday memories, wishes and presents. Now that I'm a momma birthdays seem to have even more of a special meaning & wow I feel pretty lucky & loved!

Family Photos

2011-09-19T14:34:00.000-07:00

We had a grand old time getting our family pics taken by our sweet friend Geri when Camden was about a month old. So happy with how they turned out!

Take a look over here to view the rest!

So big

2011-09-15T15:50:00.000-07:00

Look at our big little boy! We just love him to pieces!

3 Months

2011-09-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

Thank you Grandma Great for the beautiful quilt from the Phillipines!

Being parents to this baby is the most amazing journey. Every new experience with him is so much fun! This past week he laughed for the first time, learned to roll over and went swimming for the first time! It is so neat to see his personality coming out more and more each and every day. He is his very own little person and I just love getting to know him! Being a mom is everything I thought it would be and so much more! It is miraculous and amazing and unique and difficult and rewarding all at the same time! It is the best!

Camden sure does have a lot of energy and keeps us very very busy. Whenever he gets super excited he squeals in delight! It is the cutest thing! The drooling has definitely begun & soon he will be rolling around everywhere. He has slept through the night a total of 3 times....not the greatest sleeping record but we will still give him some time. Hopefully he will come around soon but for now we have adjusted to this new norm. I am holding my baby tight and snuggling him every opportunity I get because I know he is just going to continue to grow and grow! He has already outgrown the newborn stage and is totally a baby now. It kind of breaks my heart but at the same time it is exciting to look forward to the next milestones heading his way! He is adored by everyone that comes his way and his daddy is so completely smitten by him it is just too adorable. Every day with baby Camden is a good day. I am learning so much and loving every minute of it. I wouldn't have my life any other way!

"Whenever I held my baby in my arms, I used to think that what I said and did to him could have an influence not only on him but on all whom he met, not only for a day or a, month or a year, but for all eternity - a very challenging and exciting thought for a mother." /// Rose Kennedy

The Great Balloon Ride

2011-09-02T22:58:00.000-07:00

On the last night our fam was down visiting we got to ride this giant orange helium balloon 400 feet high in the sky over Irvine! It is the only one of it's kind in the United States & it just happens to be in our backyard...& it is completely free!

While we waited for our turn to go up they had an awesome carousel to ride and we just had to take a few family pics!

Oh and a few hundred pics of this cute face! Kidding...well only half kidding! :)

Then up up up we went into the sunset! It was perfect timing!

When you are so high above the ground you get a pretty neat & different perspective. Everything looks so little and yet so vast and immense! Kind of awe inspiring!

It was sweet Jessica's 19th birthday! We hope it was an "uplifting" one!

Looking out, one side of the balloon was rural mountains and airplane runways & the other was busy california city life. Pretty cool!

It was an awesome and unique experience! I would so do it again!

Cam seemed to enjoy it too!

On the drive back home! Sigh! There are definitely some things I am going to miss about living in California that is for sure. Palm trees just remind me of home! We should be finding out any day now where our next job rotation will be taking us. Ahhh! I'm so excited/anxious to find out!

Cousins

2011-09-02T22:56:00.000-07:00

Camden got to meet 2 of his cousins for the first time this past week...

& boy did he love all the attention!

They were pretty sweet to one another!

Cousin love is a beautiful thing! (So is Camden's double chin hehe!)

We miss you already! & Camden can't wait to meet his other cousins someday too!

Disney Day

2011-09-02T20:21:00.000-07:00

Camden's first time at Disneyland at 2 1/2 months old and he did great! He rode a few kiddy rides and even Pirates with us and just loved being outside all day! He loved being in the carrier with Dad and looking all around. It was pretty hot, sunny & crowded but that didn't stop us from having an awesome, fantastic day!

It was Carson and Briley's first trip to Disneyland too! They had a blast!

We had an extra special visit with Auntie Rapunzel & the dashing Flynn!

Briley was a little star struck to see her fav princess!

A quick stop at Toon Town...

& Camden LOVED It's a Small World. So much so, he got all relaxed and fell right asleep! Such a fun and cute ride...one of my favorites!

It was a very fun & busy day at Dland! We practically did the whole park!

So glad we could do it all with fam!

Our Mini Me

2011-09-02T19:47:00.000-07:00

Daddy 1986 & Camden 2011

It is so fun to compare baby pics...especially when they are wearing the same outfit! This boy totally looks like his daddy! Like father like son! So neat that Grandma Olsen saved this cute outfit for Scott!

Mommy 1989 & Camden 2011

At first I couldn't see much of me in him but now I'd say he's a pretty good mix of both of us...I think he has my lips and round eyes! What do you think?!

Blessing Day

2011-09-02T19:44:00.000-07:00

Little cheeser on his blessing day!

It was so fun to finally dress him up in his blessing outfit...all in pure white. I practically balled my eyes out dressing him for the occasion & not to mention during the blessing. Scott did such a wonderful job. Man I am baby! :) We just love our sweet boy!

We are so blessed to have such an amazing family & so glad the Olsens and Stangers could come down to be with us for a whole week! Love you all!

Camden's blessing day was a very special day. It made me realize what a precious gift we have been given and how great our responsibility is to raise him up right. I am so in love with my little family!

Old Town

2011-08-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

It was so much fun visiting the newly remodeled Mormon Battalion Center in Old Town San Diego. Definitely a must see if you are in the area! It is a awwwesome. Camden loved being out and about and enjoyed time with Grandpa and Auntie Brin! We topped it off with lunch at Acapulco with a beautiful view of the city...an Old Town family tradition. Awesome day :)

Angels

2011-08-22T16:07:00.000-07:00

Camden & his buddy Cash with their daddies!

We had a blast at Mormon Night with our friends the Carlsons a few weeks ago at the Angels Stadium! It was fun to take our babies to their first baseball game. Camden did so well! It was a little chilly up in our nosebleed seats and pretty loud with all the screaming and whistling fans but Cam is already an avid sports fan that is for sure ;) He was totally wide eyed and loving every minute! It was the latest we have stayed out since our babe was born so we were pretty pooped haha but so glad we could spend some fun time out with friends!

Recently...

2011-08-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

Just a smilin boy, hanging out with mom...

Love all the cute faces he makes.

& when he sleeps with his arms above his head. Haha too cute!

Check out our matching puj booties and blankets from Ellen & Camden already trying to hold hands with girls! ;)

We love life with a 2 month old...

It is amazing how the smallest little babe can take up the most room in your heart!

2 Month Stats

2011-08-16T23:23:00.000-07:00

Camden was such a brave little man after getting his shots. He only cried for a little bit but it was the saddest cry ever :( Made mommy cry too! He was such a trooper and snuggled his "best best luvvy" the rest of the day! He had a slight fever the first night & was pretty fussy the next few days which was really awesome...Not! Poor babe. So thankful for our modern day medicine though & for such a strong healthy boy!

Camden's 2 Month Old Stats:

12 lbs 8 oz (Exactly 5 lbs from birth!) 70%

24 inches long 80%

41 cm head circumference 90%

Sacrifice Brings Happiness

2011-08-14T16:27:00.000-07:00

via

"The sacrifices that fathers and mothers make for their children ultimately will result in the greatest happiness for those making the sacrifices. In ALL of human experience, there are no joys more tender, no love more sweet, no fulfillment higher than that found in the family.

Those who honor the calling of righteous parenthood will find their souls refined, their hearts purified, and their minds enlighted by the most important lessons of life.

They will rise to far greater heights of happiness than those who engage in the narrow and ultimately unsatisfying pursuit of self.

May we sacrifice and labor to rear a strong generation. A generation strong enough to resist the siren songs of popular culture, a generation filled with the Holy Ghost so that they may discern the difference between good and evil, between legitimate tolerance and moral surrender.

May we arise in faith and in love so as to prepare the way for the great millennial reign of Christ, a day to come when in every village and city of the world, boys and girls will play in innocence, & every child of God know the peace of a happy home."

from Defending the Family in a Troubled World

by Elder Bruce D. Porter

Best 6 Weeks

2011-08-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

These past 6 + weeks have been some of the very best weeks of my life!

Man we love this baby, can you tell? He is just the most precious thing and we are bursting at the seams with love for him! Never thought we could love so much!

Camden is getting so big so fast. He is just changing every week and is now out of his newborn clothes and on to bigger diapers! We are loving this stage where he can recognize us a lot better and is just more alert to noises and things around him. He is smiling lots more and working on his social skills all the time :) I wish I could bottle up his sweet baby smell. I am always kissing his head. I love how he is a mirror image of his Daddy and how he gets so excited for his diaper changes! He makes the cutest little noises and I love hearing him from the other room just babbling to himself! Camden loves to be on his tummy. He has quite the strong neck and loves to look all around. He also just loves to cuddle and be all snuggled up to us! He is getting so long & his hair is thinning out on top. He kinda looks like a lil old man. Our lil guy is just too funny & cute for words!

...He slept through the night a few days ago only waking up once at 3am which was so nice to catch up on sleep but then the next night he only slept for 3 hours at a time and then the last 2 nights he has been up every single hour??!! It is hard to know how he is going to sleep on any given night. I do know the white noise app and Swaddle Pod we got him has really helped though....Basically we go to bed each night listening to a torrential downpour with our kid in a straight jacket! Haha. He loves it though! It is so funny how his left arm always makes it out the top in the middle of the night. He is quite the wiggler!

I could go on and on about things but uhhh to sum it up it is quite the feat taking care of this little one and my brain is working on very little sleep but we just love him all the same and can't believe he is ours to keep. I am super de dooopery thankful for such a wonderful husband who is so supportive and helpful and loves his little boy so much. I couldn't do it without him that is for sure!

We got our family pics done {by Photo by Geri} this past week and I am so excited to see how they turned out! Like sooooo excited! Camden was such a sweet angel baby when we took them. Guess he is just so used to having a camera in his face ;)

Look how much I have grown from a few days old to now...

Here's to Español & Happy Mornings

2011-08-01T11:01:00.000-07:00

Camden's first Español Lesson with Daddy :)

Happy boy just wakin up with Mommy {hence the yawns!}

Cute little mover! He brings so many smiles to my face!

So Kissable

2011-07-30T18:40:00.000-07:00

We love you little buddy! XOXO

Time for a Nap

2011-07-27T18:10:00.000-07:00

This is what we do somewhere between 1 and 3 PM everyday but today was an especially exhausting day...

Started out with a lovely walk in the park with Anna then a drive to Fullerton to pick up Camden's birth certificate. I get lost on the way due to my dumb gps. Takes longer than I thought SO have to feed him in the car on the side of an inconspicuous street...and change his diapy. Then had to find a bank close by to get cash because I forgot to do that before I left. Baby is screaming in the backseat, radio static is not working this time. The only music that did work was some some dumb rap music. Didn't want my baby's ears listening to that crrrrap! Feeling helpless and like I want to cry.

Feed him again in random Von's parking lot in front of US Bank. Call the OC Registrar's office, lady gives wonderful directions, get there then have to parallel park, take out stroller, put car seat on top, stroll into the place & after an hour and a half of all this.....it takes 5 short minutes to walk in and out the door with his birth certificate. True Story.

Haha oh well. At least we got to get out of the house and had a fun drive discovering new places & now Camden's birth is officially officialized (that is not a word) on paper. This all called for a trip through a fast food joint's drive thru to get some grub. I pretty much never eat fast food but now I'm pretty sure fast food AND drive thru's were invented for moms out running errands. Carl's Jr. is the first place I come to so I bought an overpriced combo meal and scarfed it down while driving before I even made it home.

Finally we get home, lug in all our baby stuffs, and take. a. nap! Whew! What a day! Now I am feeding the babe once again, smiling at his cute little smiley faces, blogging and waiting for daddy to get home all at the same time!

Today I am reminded of this quote.....

"If we can't see the funny side of life, we are going to miss two thirds of what this is all about!" {Gordon B. Hinckley}

Off to change another diaper! See ya!

Smiling Away

2011-07-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

Finally caught Camden smiling on video!!! He doesn't like to be sitting there by himself for very long so he usually starts pouting at the end of the videos haha but his smiles are just so sweet! Can't get enough of our smiley boy. Enjoy!

Little Cutie

2011-07-21T12:49:00.000-07:00

Baby Camden is 5 weeks old today!

He is becoming more and more smiley and alert (I promise he was smiling lots before I took this video! Still trying to document that!!!) and loves to coo and "talk" with mommy in the mornings. He has a very good vocabulary for 5 weeks old don't you think? ;)

Bath Time Fun

2011-07-19T13:35:00.000-07:00

So we thought our bathroom sink was too small to bathe him in and well it almost is...but he is pretty much the perfect fit! Camden just loves his baths!

"Don't worry mom, just kickin it in my spa!"

Love his sweet little reflection in the mirror!

Gettin all warm & bundled up!

Look at that adorable double chin! Haha he is so funny, we just love our little guy!

Got our swaddle on

2011-07-19T11:13:00.000-07:00

Fussy pants no more! Yes, swaddling this boy works wonders. We kind of forgot about it for a few days but now morning, day and night we got our swaddle on & oh oh it's magic you know!

See! It puts him right to sleep! Love those cute baby lips! I just want to kiss on them. I'm always smothering this boy with kisses. It's what mommies do I tell him!

Baby Cam just loves his swaddle. He is such a sweet little prince...and the pea! Hehe!

Smiley

2011-07-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

Our little stinker is 1 month old now. It has been a whirlwind adventure so far! We may not get a solid night's sleep & our house may not totally be clean these days but our life is totally wrapped up in his. It is amazing how such a small little person can really change your life in such a big way. Babies sure are a lot of work!! Camden's cute smiles, coos and snuggles make all of this just so worth it though! He just melts my heart on a daily basis. I have had so many precious mommy moments already, some days I just tear up when I am holding him and looking down into his sweet little eyes. I love when he is crying I can pick him up and he is immediately comforted because he knows that I am his mommy. It is the best feeling in the world! We love our little Camden so much! I wish they would stay this small for always...although I wouldn't mind getting a full night's rest, so keep growing strong little guy! ;)

It's Summertime!

2011-07-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

We welcomed in the summer with Camden's first visit to Huntington Beach!

It was pretty bright and windy...

...so he enjoyed just chillin' in his carseat and sleeping the whole time!

He's such a cute little surfing dude! I was a bit nervous to take him out to the beach when he is still so tiny but he did great and it was nice to get out & about! We had lots of fun.

It was nice to have Grandma and Grandpa Olsen with us too!

We enjoyed a very fun weekend with them! So glad they could visit.

Camden also went to church for the first time this Sunday. We just went to the first hour. He was a good baby and slept through the whole meeting only making a few little peeps!

My sweet boys taking Sunday naps!

This was on the 4th of July just before we left when Camden was just the cutest, happiest smiling boy. We enjoyed a fun time with family at San Elijo beach. Sad we are missing out on beach camping with my family this year but glad we got to visit for a few hours. Maybe we will get to go next year when Camden is 1 and wants to eat all the sand...fun! We enjoyed watching the many firework shows from the freeway on the way back home!

We are so glad it is finally summer & so glad our baby boy is here to enjoy it with us.

Even if he has been doing more of this lately...

We still think he is pretty cute and will just have to keep him ;)

& that is all for now folks!

Our Little 2 Week Old

2011-06-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

This little guy has brought so much love and laughter into our lives. He is just the cutest little poop. Even nights when he is a little fussy and we only get a few hours of sleep he is just so sweet and peaceful in the morning you can't help but just want to cuddle with him all afternoon.

He really is a good baby and we are loving every second with him. It is so cute to see him look up into our eyes and coo and make cute bubbly baby noises. His favorite place is in our arms. He never wants to be put down :) It is hilarious to watch him when he poops. We laugh every time. He totally enjoys his baths and stroller rides. He loves to cuddle with his mommy all day and loves when daddy comes home!

I can't believe Camden is already 2 weeks old. His cheeks are a little more full these days and everyday I see him change and grow a little more in some way. We are learning so much as new parents like never to leave a diaper off his bum for more than 2 seconds and not to change him anywhere else except the changing table or else. Haha! No but really he is already teaching us so much like to have patience, be understanding and of course to love unconditionally. There is a new lesson to be learned every day. Our lives are forever changed by our new sweet little baby and we can't imagine not having him in our family. He is just our little slice of heaven! ...Oh and we can't stop taking pictures of him either! :)

Camden's Birth Story

2011-06-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

It all began early Wednesday morning around 4 am. I started having some painful contractions but they were only about 8-10 minutes apart. Still, it made me happy that my body was doing something on it's own before I went in to be induced. I couldn't sleep any longer and was just so darn excited that in just a few hours we would be getting this labor really started.

We checked into the hospital at 8am and got the best room in the house, right on the end! We made extra sure to remind all the nurses that I was Group Strep B (GSB) positive and they were all very concerned and supportive about me getting enough antibiotics. I ended up with 5 doses by the time Camden was born, the recommended amount is 2, so I was very thankful that my baby and I were doubly protected.

When I went in, I was still only dilated to 1 cm so they started me on a low dose of pitocin. Then we just had to wait for things to get going! 5 hours later, around 1pm I was still only dilated to 1 cm. It was kind of disappointing that nothing more was happening! My contractions were however, getting closer and closer together and much more intense so I decided to get my epidural. They told me it would also be helpful to get the epidural now to help relax and open my cervix so I felt good about getting it at this point and boy was I glad I did. It was sweet relief! I no longer had to grimace, squeeze Scott's hand or breath through the pain. I simply watched the contractions on the monitor as I laid there completely painless :) I was able to be on my feet and on the birthing ball up until this point but the rest of the labor, because of the epidural, I had to stay in bed...which really wasn't all that bad though there were some times that I wished I could get up and walk around. It was a long day in bed!

Shortly after, around 3 pm, I was dilated to 3 cm so my doc broke my water and they upped my pitocin. I didn't even feel when he broke my water because everything down there, including my feet and legs, were completely numb. It was the weirdest feeling trying to tell my feet to wiggle and nothing happened...I just felt like dead weight. Thankfully, a few hours before pushing time came I regained feeling in my legs and feet!

So my awesome husband, Mom and I were still patiently waiting for more things to happen. My nurse told me she likes to deliver on her shift so hopefully this baby would be here at least by midnight?! They told me to try to take a nap so that I would have my strength for delivery, whenever that would be. I took a few short cat naps here and there but mostly just continued to eat ice chips and suck on lollipops...I had about 4 before my nurse said I shouldn't have anymore! I also was visited by my loyal visitors...My family was just so excited for Camden's arrival they couldn't stay away! :)

Midnight came and I started to feel really uncomfortable and lots of pressure on my back. The pressure was most likely from baby moving down into the birthing canal but I was still only dilated to 3 cm! The anesthesiologist was called back in and shot a mix of drugs right into my epi line. I felt immediate relief and was able to take a 2 hour nap! It was the best thing ever because when I woke up I felt completely rested and little did I know that soon I would need all the energy I could get!

My new nurse came in to check me around 3am and I was at a 5 1/2 - 6. This was good news! Within the hour I started feeling more pressure so they decided to check me again and I was almost at an 8! Then I started to feel even more pressure and a burning pain and began to worry that my epidural wasn't working...but no, it wouldn't really be helping with this kind of pain. I was now at a 9 1/2 and felt the urge to start pushing!

I gave a good few pushes but my nurse said we would have to wait to push more til I was fully dilated or else I would probably tear really bad. There was no way I could wait, I told her, but I agreed to lay on my side for at least 10 minutes and try to hold it in. I never thought I would be a screamer in labor but at this point I didn't care. I was in the most pain I have ever felt! I had no idea this part would be this painful. I thought the contractions would be the worst! So I screamed and screamed through a good 3-4 contractions as I hung on to Scott and my Mom for dear life like a crazy lady! I was hoping that the door was closed and that I wasn't scaring the other pregnant ladies in the other labor rooms.

I then came to my senses, a little, and knew screaming wasn't going to be productive so I tried focusing on breathing through it all. Everyone told me what a good job I was doing and I just yelled back, " I know, I know okay!" Haha. I said quite a number of things that I probably would not have said in any other circumstance. It was funny for Scott and my Mom to see a whole other side of me come out...also maybe a little embarrassing, but no worries, no swear words slipped out!

I was able to resume pushing once I was at a 10 and the nurse let me feel the top of baby's head! Wow, this was really really happening. It gave me the motivation I needed to get through the next little bit of pushing. I told myself I could do this! I was getting so close. I could feel every push bringing Camden that much closer into this world. Thing was, Dr. Gray was no where in sight. I knew I was about ready to give birth so I told the nurse to just deliver the baby. I kind of yelled at her to just do it herself but she said she would have to get the doctor, since he was on call. So she went into the hall and yelled for the doctor to come.

Now it was go time! Once he got into the room, a few long minutes later, I then proceeded to yell at him too saying,"Dr. Gray get this baby out of me!" I think I even yelled at him to just reach up there and pull the baby out, I was so ready to be done pushing! Just a few intense pushes later and little Camden made his true arrival!

I saw his little body slip right out of me and the nurses placed him on my chest shortly after. I felt immediate relief and couldn't believe our sweet baby Camden was here. His amazing little cry was music to my ears. We all burst into tears. It was the most amazing moment of my life! Pure happiness and true accomplishment filled my whole being! He was born at 5:45 am on Thursday June 16th after almost 2 hours of pushing and 20+ hours of long labor!

He weighed in at 7 lbs 8 oz and was 21 1/2 inches long! Camden scored an 8 and then 9 on his apgar and has nursed like a champ since his very first hour. I made it out with just a few stitches. Recovery has not been a trip to Disneyland but I am so glad he is here safe and sound and I would gladly go through this all again, he is so worth it! I am such a proud momma! I could not have had this baby without the help of my Mom and wonderfully supportive husband by my side every step of the way. My nurse Heather was also pretty amazing, she too was so patient and encouraging. I felt so blessed!

We stayed 2 nights in the hospital because of our concerns with GSB. It was nice to recover a little in the hospital and be monitored and educated by the nurses. We had some of the best nurses and the hospital food was amazing. Not that it was really truly amazing but I was just so exhausted and hungry, it always tasted so darn good. I didn't understand why Scott and my Mom wouldn't finish their hospital meals?!

After 48 hours we were ready to go home. It was the funnest thing to be able to put him into his little car seat and take him home. It still seemed so surreal that this perfect baby was ours to keep! Having baby Camden was such a special experience and I am so glad I went through all that I did to get him here. He is such a sweet little spirit and I am so blessed and thankful to be his mommy! The bond we have is amazing and the love we share just continues to grow and grow! Scott of course loves his baby boy so much too. He is such a great daddy and it is amazing to see them together...my two sweet boys!

Introducing...

2011-06-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

Camden Scott Olsen

We are having such a wonderful time getting to know our sweet little one. He is such a great baby and we feel so blessed. Camden is 5 days old now! He eats & sleeps like a champ and is perfectly healthy and strong. Everything he does is total cuteness...He has filled our home with so much love! We can't get enough of our sweet baby Camden.

40 Weeks

2011-06-14T17:43:00.000-07:00

No, I am not smuggling a watermelon under there!

So we made it to 40 weeks & lemme tell ya, I am so ready to have this baby!

I've been trying to walk and keep active while still trying to rest and save my energy...hoping that one of these days baby Camden will decide to come. On Saturday we tried going on a 3 mile walk to see what would happen. We walked to the movies, saw Water for Elephants and walked back. It was a fun date but nothing babywise happened at all. All that came from that trek was a sore back, feet and hips! I am under the impression that really nothing you try will help...baby is just going to want to come when he wants to come.

So yeah on top of the emotional waiting game that has been the last few weeks and my poor sore lil swollen body, my belly has been non stop crazy itchy and burning & trying to sleep with an actively kicking 6-7 lb baby inside you is not all that fun && all the rest that comes with being 9 months pregnant...it just isn't so glamorous.

This morning I was practically in tears and nervous for what my doctor would say at my appointment. To my surprise he pretty much said...you are dilated and full term, lets induce this baby! I was sure he was going to say...lets wait another week or so, So I was prepared to start the water works, but no need to put up a fight, he was all for getting this sweet baby here & on his due date too!

Inducing this child was not my first choice on how this would all go down but

I just know he is ready to come out he just needs a little nudge or two ;) I've actually had more contractions today than the usual so he could technically come before tomorrow, you just never know...

...but for sure tomorrow morning we are checking in at Hotel St. Jude, as my doc calls it, and getting this show on the road! Kind of surreal to know when this little guy will be on his way out! Scott and I are both a lil nervous and excited but mostly just really excited! Wish us luck!

Look how much we have grown...

Haha...Funny that I thought my belly was "so huge" at 20 weeks!

Have Hope

2011-06-09T13:42:00.000-07:00

I just want to blow this quote up in a mega huge ginormous size

and plaster it all over my walls...

"Fear not, be of good cheer.

The future is as bright as your faith."

--Thomas S. Monson

I have always loved this quote and I have really been able to apply it to just about every facet of my life...especially during the times when I have been a little less patient than I should have been or felt disappointed over the curveballs life has thrown at me...Or when I have felt helpless and distraught over the conditions of this morally decaying world and what it means for my future family. I even remember reciting this quote over & over in my head during hard times in college when I didn't think I could go on any more. It always gave me that extra boost of...I can do this!

Family motto? I think YES!

We all really do have such bright futures ahead of us if we just keep on keeping on and focus on the eternal goal and perspective in life! There is no need to fear!

It is such a great reminder that...

& that if we just keep our heads up and

have faith in His eternal plan and

center our lives on our Savior, Jesus Christ...

The future really is as bright as our faith!

Gettin Crafty

2011-06-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

Look what I made...

{Braided Headband}

{Lima Bean Wreath}

Oh and yes I am so crafty I can make people...

Not quite finished with this one though! ;]

HAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE!

Waiting on the world to change...

2011-06-05T17:04:00.000-07:00

So since we are still waiting around for this little guy to get here I guess I will post some more. Here are pics from the lovely shower all my favorite ladies put on for me. It was a perfect lunch outing at the Elephant Bar in Rancho Bernardo! It was fun to have so much family in town & great friends so share the time with.

The next time we go down to my parent's we will ~~probably~~ have a child in tow. So crazy to think baby C could come any time now! Every time I call my mom she thinks I am calling to tell her that I'm going into labor...so does Brinley. Haha.

We just can't wait for this baby to get here! 10 more days!

(But I wouldn't mind him coming tonight ;)

Sister friends.

"Grandma...so simple even a child can operate."

Yummmy chicken salad.

All dee partiers.

Opening presents...

The cake that turned everyone's mouths super dark blue. Whoops! Haha.

Love our faces. Something must have been really funny!

My baby Camden inscribed necklace that made me crrrry like a little baby. Thanks aunt Kelee! I soo love it!

I just get so emotional seeing his little name written out. It's like I'm really going to be a momma soon or something?! I guess it is STILL so hard to believe how much our world is going to be changing soon. Come on baby C! Everyone's waiting for youuuu.

38 Weeks

2011-06-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

So here I am in all my 38 week prego glory!

Feeling pretty ready now. (Way more so than the last 3 times I have said that. Haha!) Just feeling more and more tired, huge and uncomfortable :) My dreams are all about labor & delivery these days and I've been eating lots of peanut butter, watermelon, oranges and popsicles to get me through these warm summery days!

I've been having lots of regular BH Contractions and am 1 1/2 cm dilated and 50% effaced...which means he could come tonight or next week. Who knows! Now it is just one big waiting game. I have no clue when this little guy is going to get here but it could be any time now!

Doc says baby shouldn't be getting any bigger than 7 lbs

....so he is just the perfect little size.

Had my last baby shower and spent some fun time with family this past weekend. We had a blast & ate lots of good food....My fam always knows how to party and tucker the prego girl out. Can't believe my brother is all graduated and an Eagle Scout! So excited for all his new upcoming adventures.

This week I washed and folded all of baby Camden's newborn clothes.

So fun! They are so tiny!

Now that we are just weeks (days?) away from this baby's arrival and actually in the month of JUNE it is feeling pretty surreal that he will be here this soon. I think this is the first time I have actually felt a little nervous...Just nervous of the unknown really, I have never done this before!!!!

We found out I am Strep B Positive which makes me a bit more nervous because I lost a sibling to Strep B...but I will be able to get the needed antibiotics during labor and if need be, baby can get some extra once he arrives so that everything will be A okay! Just another thing to worry about but we are going to do all that we can to insure baby Camden's arrival is a safe and healthy one!

Scott & I are both so excited for this new adventure in our lives and feel so blessed to have been shown so much love and support by our family and friends. We have so much to be thankful for.

We were driving around the other day in another part of town and saw some apartments we were thinking about living in when we first got here to Cali. We were saying how different our experiences and friends would have been if we would have moved there instead of where we are now.

Makes you realize how each decision you make should be made with prayer & by following the Lord's path we are always blessed. We are blessed in ways that we don't always see at first but down the road as we put some of the points together we see what the Lord truly had in mind for us & we are so glad that we followed His plan because He knows all!

From this little epiphany one day at a stoplight in front of some apartment building I learned that we just have to continue to trust in the Lord in all that we do and remember that everything that happens to us in this life is for a reason....good or bad. I am so grateful for the power of prayer in my life and especially for the knowledge I have of my Savior and that He has provided the WAY for me and my family!

I saw this quote recently and LOVE it as it is so applicable to the next step in our lives...

"We hold in our arms the rising generation. They come to this earth with important responsibilities and great spiritual capacities. We cannot be casual in how we prepare them. Our challenge as parents and teachers is not to create a spiritual core in their souls but rather to fan the flame of their spiritual core already aglow with the fire of their premortal faith......"

- Elder Neil L. Andersen

Stay tuned for baby Camden's arrival! 14 more days and counting! :)

Congrats 2011 Grads!

2011-05-28T19:41:00.000-07:00

We attended my brother Blake's high school graduation this week!

It was a pretty exciting moment.

He is super stoked to be done and heading to BYU-Idaho this fall!

Blake with his sisters...

& all the fam that came to support...

We just love our brother. So proud of you bro!

He keeps us pretty entertained around here. We will miss him lots!

It was fun to look back when I graduated just 4 years ago!

Can't believe my little bro is all growed up...almost :)

36 Weeks + Baby Shower

2011-05-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

So I was pretty proud to say I painted my own toenails this week! I'd say it was worth it even though I practically passed out while doing it. This will definitely be the last time I will be doing that myself before the baby gets here. Lol!

Here is his cute little head/profile in the 36 week ultrasound. In real time we could see him snacking on something and sticking out his tongue. So cute!

You can't see it very well but this is showing his little foot at the top. He pretty much filled up the whole ultrasound screen he is just getting so big.

Here are his 36 week stats...

Weight: 5 lbs 11 oz

Head circumference: 32 cm

Fluid levels: 11 cm

Position: Head down, facing out

Gender: Still a boy! {He is not a shy one}

Belly pic 36 weeks!

A couple ladies from church were just the sweetest things and threw a baby shower for me!

Yummy cupcakes! Loved the mint frosting!

MMMmmm berries! My fav!

Just giving me some great mothering advice!

Brin was my little sidekick all evening!

Such a ham!

The lovely guests!

So glad my mom, sisters and grandma could come.

Getting ready to open some baby gifts in ma rockin churr!

Love these name blocks!

Cute little swim suit!

Some sweet onesises...

& cute pants to match...

...this boy is going to be all set!

Thank you everyone for the great gifts and simply for coming...It was such a fun time! I was totally pooped by the end of the night :)

Hawaiian Twist Smoothie

2011-05-17T13:25:00.000-07:00

Since the weather is warming up a bit we have been trying lots of new smoothie recipes & I have been craving bananas lately so this smoothie especially did the trick!

Seriously...take a sip, close your eyes and you will think you're in Hawaii!

Hawaiian Twist Smoothie

1-2 bananas, coarsely chopped

1 can chunky pineapple + juice

1/2 can coconut milk

1-2 tablespoons sugar

6-8 ice cubes

Place everything into a blender & blend until smooth!

Pour into 2 fancy glasses & enjoy!

35 Weeks

2011-05-11T17:00:00.000-07:00

I am 35 weeks today and I am definitely feeling it. Pregnancy is becoming less fun every day. Haha. That sounds terrible but really I just want this baby to be here with me!! Oh and guess who made an appearance today? Little stretch mark number 1 {Well at least I think it is a stretch mark!?} ...Not so sure how I am feeling about that. I am just feeling so huge and tired and ready to have this baby! The excitement and anticipation of it all is just so high.

Please come fast little baby Camden! I can tell he is getting more ready to come out too because he is just moving around all the time and seems to me he isn't very comfy any more all folded up inside me! Next week we get to do the last ultrasound to check his position & fluid levels and make sure everything is a okay in there. I am hoping we can see how much or how little hair he has too!

I'm reading all up on Breast feeding, Labor and Delivery {I absolutely LOVE the Baby 411 books I got from Ellen. I like them even better than the What to Expect book!} and we went to our first birthing class last Saturday....2 more to go. It was fun and informational. I definitely feel like knowledge is power. It has made me feel more at ease and more of what to expect even though I am pretty sure I have no idea how it is all going to go down. Scott even enjoyed the class too!

I still need to buy the little things for the baby. It has been getting hard to not buy everything all at once because I still have 2 baby showers coming up. I feel like end of May I will feel all ready and prepared and have every newborn necessity and that will be the best feeling. I am definitely a planner. I have been scared to buy too many newborn clothes though because I have heard how quickly they will grow out of them...which means I only have about 3 new born onesies and 2 outfits.

5 more weeks to go. Getting so close and yet it still feels so far away! Hopefully this baby will come sooner than later...but I guess that is every pregnant women's wish. & I still can't figure out how the pioneers did this!

La Vie En Rose

2011-05-11T16:02:00.000-07:00

Scott and I went on a fun & romantic date Friday night to celebrate just the two of us before baby gets here! He planned it all himself...

We ate at La vie en Rose. A totally adorable and quaint French place right in the midst of our very own Brea.

The service was great...They wouldn't let our water glasses get the least bit empty and the plating was so fun and colorful.

Caesar Salad

It was definitely super yummy too! The meal was practically free with some giftcards, which is always a plus!

Atlantic Salmon & Veggies

We had a very nice weekend....even did a little car shopping. It was just fun to look and walk around the lots. We even test drove a Kia Borrego that the sales guy tried selling to us for 12K more than what it is worth....he was quite the character. Pays to do your car homework! Pretty sure we won't be going back to that guy!

We even drove down Sunday to have dinner with my fam and celebrate Mother's Day with my Mommy. I stayed til Tuesday to see Blake and Brooke perform in their show choir's annual Pop's Concert. They both were so fun to watch! Super talented kiddos. Brought back some fun memories of when I was in their place and crazy that Blake is already a Senior?!

...Baby Camden was really grooving to the loud music. Seriously every time the music got loud he would move around like he just got woken up. Too cute!

My Mom and Brin brought me back home and even came to my 35 week doctors appointment yesterday!

All in all it was a pretty happening, fun weekend! Now just counting down the days til our little guy is with us...not very much longer to go. We are on the home stretch with 5 more weeks to goooo! :)

Ellen's Mother's Day Show!

2011-05-06T17:07:00.000-07:00

...Was a dream come true! Seriously I had the most amazing time going with some very lovely ladies and were given the most amazing baby shower gifts!

{Shout out to Anna for getting me a ticket! Thanks so much girl!}

It was Ellen's biggest mother's day giveaway yet! We went away with $6,500 worth of stuff and YES we were completely freaking out! Every new gift announcement brought chills to my spine. We were practically crying when Ellen announced she was giving us each brand new washer and dryers from Whirlpool....Totally were not expecting that. Oh we also got to see Kate Hudson who is expecting her 2nd child. She was super cute. I just love her! Romeo and Chelsie Hightower from Dancing with the Stars were guests as well...

It all was so overwhelming and exciting and now today I am totally tuckered out with a sore back and hips from dancing it out with Ellen and 300 other pregos every second of the show. We seriously were either standing and cheering or up and dancing way more than we were ever in our seats!

Thanks again Ellen for the great gifts! We are so excited to use ALL our great new baby gear...Now all we need is our little guy to be here!

We started out the day with lunch at the original, oldest remaining Bob's Big Boy in LA!

Look at all those prego bellies! We are all about to pop!

Arriving at the Warner Bros. Studios! So excited!

Pics from the show that I yanked from Ellen's Facebook page. I just happen to be looking directly at the camera! Haha & Stephanie is on my left & I think you can maybe see Anna on my right?!

We are somewhere back there in the audience. I think you can see Julia's hands in the air! The perk about being in the last row was that we were the first to get to leave to pick up our giveaways...it still took 2 hours!!!

After the show with our gift bags...Then it was on to pick up our big ticket items! The 2 hour wait in that steamy hot parking garage was SO worth it! Anna and I made it fun...We even had enough time to rock out to our Rockabye Baby lullaby renditions of Kayne West! Haha!

So stoked about the 6 month supply of diapers!
{& 6 month supply of Plum Organics baby food! Yay!}

Just some of the great stuff we got....pretty much takes up our whole living room. Where in the world are we going to store all this??! :)

...If you missed the show you can see video clips of all the giveaways HERE and HERE!

You can even enter for a chance to win all the giveaways

from the show on Ellen's website!

Picture Perfect

2011-05-04T15:44:00.000-07:00

Our happy little family portrait painted by sweet Brinley.

I'm so framing it and putting it in baby's nursery!

Isn't it precious??

I love it.

Classic

2011-05-01T16:26:00.000-07:00

I feel officially pregnant now.

I went to the store for one item....

Dreyer's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream.

The guy at the check stand looked at me, my belly to be precise, and then at the ice cream and just had to say something about it.

& I just felt big and pregnant and laughed all the way home about it...

until I got a spoonful of the chocolatey peanut buttery goodness. Mmmmm

At first I craved pickles. Now I crave chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream.

Typical but awesome and that is all I have to say about that...

Don't judge, I'm 8 months pregnant! ;)

6 more weeks to go baby! {Or maybe a little less perhaps??}

Stuffed Peppers + Spanish Rice

2011-05-01T16:05:00.000-07:00

I have been inspired lately by Our Best Bites cookbook that my Aunt Kelee...I mean...The Easter Bunny, got me for Easter :) I have always liked reading their blog but it is kind of nice to have the recipe book with beautiful pictures to get my cooking vibes going...

{Scott has especially liked this cookbook because I have been cooking more than the usual menu lately!}

SO I have always wanted to make stuffed peppers but always thought it was going to be a huge major cooking production and that you needed a lot of fancy ingredients so I just never got up the courage to make them....until now! I even made homemade spanish rice from scratch....my Grandma Moon would be so proud! It was actually really easy and something kind of different and soooo delicious to add to our menu.

So yum! You have to try making these!

I used about 5 different recipes for inspiration and then just used what I had on hand to whip it all up:

Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers

Stuffed Red Peppers

Bacon Corn Stuffed Peppers

Corn Stuffed Bell Peppers

So if you are looking for a fast, cheap, easy & delicious meal look no farther than here!

I even made extra filling and froze it in the freezer for next time!!

Can't wait to make these again!

Golden Years

2011-05-01T14:48:00.000-07:00

Scott and I are so lucky to have such wonderful grandparents! All 3 sets of our living grandparents have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversaries within the last few years and each partnership is a supreme example of great love and devotion to us. We are so inspired by their love. It gives us something to really live up to! It seems 50 year anniversaries are especially rare these days so a half century of marriage truly deserves commemoration!

I recently came across a really neat quote about Marriage and love...

“Few things are more beautiful than a couple in love. Whether newly married or celebrating a golden anniversary, couples who keep love alive, who endure the ups and downs of life together, deserve our admiration. We may consider them lucky, but they will tell you that it's not luck that keeps them in love. It's choosing to stay in love, all along the way. They have come to know that love is a behavior, a series of actions and choices.”

& that is the truth...

...This quote reminds me of our beloved grandparents and the awesome legacy they have laid before us to follow.

Just last weekend we were able to celebrate my Grandpa and Grandma Moon's 50th with an amazing dinner, talent show in their honor, 2 truths and a lie trivia game and a video presentation spanning their life achievements and adventures. It was a wonderful time! I love my grandparents so much! Here are some of my favorite priceless photos we were able to use in the video...Aren't they precious!??

GQ.

Love the hair.

Grandpa with my Uncle Rob & my cute Mom...she looks just like Brinley here!

Baby Brittany...ME on my blessing day...

Almost a year old...

6 years old...

{I will spare you the awkward teenage photos with my grandparents...}

& at our wedding!

Love you Grandpa and Grandma Moon!

Thank so much for your wonderful support and never ending love & example

and we know you are going to be just the greatest great grandparents to our baby! How lucky is he going to be to have all these wonderful people in his life?! :)

Oside Beach Bonfire

2011-04-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

We had a fun little mini family reunion with the Pliler and Farrow families this past weekend during everyone's Spring Break. It brought back a lot of fun memories growing up when we would have bonfires during the summers with all our cousins. We had a blast singing by the fire, reminiscing and telling funny stories, roasting marshmallows, peeps and hotdogs, eating pasta salad and taking lots of fun pics!

Funny/awesome stories...

I wore one of Scott's sweatshirts because mine no longer fit. My Dad almost asked me why I had a basketball under my sweatshirt and then remembered, "Oh yeah your preggo!" Hahaha. Oh Faja!

It was great seeing Nanny and Bompa taking jumping pics.

I also learned of a few stories about my Mom and Dad that I have never heard before....like how just recently my Mom in an angry mother bear rage slipped and fell in the middle of a field hockey game on the way to tell another mother her daughter's language was so foul it was causing my sister an asthma/anxiety attack.We were laughing pretty hard a few times! Sorry Mom.

Another great story was hearing about how my cousin Garret followed a guy in his car and pulled over to tell him he needed to stop hitting his child and that there are other ways to deal with anger. Pretty courageous.

Seriously when I really think about it, how I feel about spending time with family is a lot like the constant crashing of the waves upon the seashore. The shore never tires of the ocean's waves washing up and down the seashore because the shore only gets more polished, more beautiful and more renewed each and every time. Each and every time I get to see and spend time with my family that is how I feel. Even if it is just a simple conversation through Skype or a phone call, I can feel of my family's love and support and it simply washes away my troubles and gives me added meaning and strength to go about my days.

I am so grateful for the blessings and knowledge of eternal families, that we can be together forever! As my Bompa always says, "Family is heaven on earth."

It truly is awesome to enjoy a fun evening at the beach with family, especially since you hardly have to spend any money to do so! Besides bringing some foodies and paying for a parking space it is a pretty free done deal! I can't wait to have another summer bonfire soon! I love living close to the beach!

32 Weeks

2011-04-20T17:15:00.000-07:00

I feel like I can't stretch out any farther but everyone keeps telling me that my belly is going to get bigger....and now I am sort of believing them. I really am feeling my baby grow more and more each day and he seriously has the moves to prove it!

There is something pretty surreal about watching a tiny foot move across my belly and something pretty uncomfortable about getting jabbed by a baby elbow in the dead of night! It really is neat to watch him move all around and see my belly get all wonky like though...it never gets old. We can hardly wait to meet this little kickboxer!

I might also add that I have been feeling dog tired and quite out of breath these days, started feeling some BH Contractions...like a few every day and bending over is a lot harder than it used to be too. I even feel a bit unbalanced with the bowling ball that is in the way :) Seriously sometimes if I drop something I don't bother picking it up until there are other things to pick up off the floor in the same area...haha. I feel great most of the time though and can do most things...Sometimes I have to remind myself that I am 8 months pregnant, although all I can think about is baby baby baby!

I can't believe there are only 8 weeks left til baby Olsen is here! Every day it becomes more and more real that this is actually happening! No going back now either...D day is coming! YAYY! A lot of big changes are coming our way and we are kind of terrified but way more excited than anything!

Another seriously cool thing is that a friend got me a ticket to the Ellen DeGeneres Show taping on May 5th in Burbank. The whole audience is 1st time expecting mothers! Last year they gave each member of the audience 3k worth of baby stuff. I'm just a little bit excited! Seriously such an incredible opportunity! It is going to be awesome!

Launching - Ever Love Design

2011-04-18T14:46:00.000-07:00

I am going to let you fellow bloggers in on a little secret of mine...I love to design! I love designing just about anything you can dream up from digital prints, blog headers, fun quotes, invites and announcements, to church lesson hand outs, labels and flyers! I've learned a few tricks of the trade in my visual media, design and advertising classes and until recently I have just designed for fun and for my family but figured I would let the world know so I could start sharing my designs with all of you!

Welcome to Ever Love Design!

If you are teaching a lesson in church and would like me to design a hand out of some sort or if you are wanting to send out graduation or birth announcements, eagle scout court of honor or birthday party invites, or even if you would like a fun personalized print to frame in your home including your family motto or favorite quote...I'm your girl!

I am open to lots of customization and willing to create just about any design your little heart desires. {In the future I hope to be a little more specific with types of designs and what styles are available but for now, the sky's the limit!}

With the purchase of one of my designs you will receive by email, a high resolution personalized digital file that you can print off yourself from home, email to friends and family, or have professionally printed at a local or online lab! Purchasing an Ever Love Design has many perks...

• No shipping
•Online proofing of your design
• Receive your order in only a few short hours
• Print as many as you like
• Fully customizable to your requirements
• Unique and CUTE!

Drop me a line with a description of your request and I would be happy to create a lovely, affordable design just for you!

Email me for pricing information and any questions/inquires at...

ever love design @ gmail . com

Comment on this post or
"Like" my page on Facebook
and receive a 10% discount on your first order!

Visit everlovedesign.blogspot.com
for more updates and promotions!

Thanks for stopping by!

Just Reminiscing...

2011-04-14T16:10:00.000-07:00

Just been looking back through all our pictures today. Seeing where we started and where we are today is pretty cool. I'm so glad to be on this journey called life with my love and best friend, Scott! We are pretty perfect together! So excited for the many wonderful times to come & so very excited to add a little guy to the mix!
Only 62 {ish} more days to go!

Pretty Things

2011-04-13T16:11:00.000-07:00

So you might not think toilet paper rolls are very pretty but I will admit I have been hoarding them in order to save up a collection to make some wonderful things out of them...like this fancy dancy wreath!

Scott has been poking fun of me for my growing stash in the bathroom but he was quite impressed when he saw what I could do with them. I have lots of other ideas up my sleeves too because well, this wreath only took up about 5 rolls and I have tons more to use up!

Haha...Let's face it, I have been going through lots of TP lately on a count of having to go like every 10 mintues so might as well transform them into something new and awesome right?! So for now this little pretty wreath is just hanging in the kitchen but soon it might find itself with a fresh coat of spray paint in a fun color in another room?! But i sort of like it this natural color...

Hmm...Oh the possibilities!

So what else could we do with these babies...

Well this next little "craft" might seem a little elementary but I saw some cute little birdies in the yard yesterday morning and decided they needed a little snack. I knew TP rolls would do the trick....Brought me back to my kindergarden days where I first made one of these bird feeders! I simply slathered on some peanut butter and sprinkled on some granola and other seeds I had in my spice rack and hung it up outside with a little string! Too funny! This would be a fun one to do with little kiddos.

Seriously if you get a hankering to make some empty toilet paper roll crafts there are plenty of ideas out there. Don't just take my word for it! Just check some of these out! Simply Google: Toilet paper roll wreath, wall hanging, flowers...whatever, and you can find a lot of fun transformational ideas for something you already have around the house. (Well at least I am hoping you have some around!)

It was fun playing around with a different medium yesterday & pretty sure I made lots of glue gun cob web messes! Hope you have enjoyed my little tour of TP roll crafts!

To the Beach

2011-04-11T13:05:00.000-07:00

On a perfect sunny day we go

To the beach
Where a chilly sea breeze blows

To the beach
Where all the good vibes flow...

...Best weekend ever

Just the two of us, you and I

Baby Dreams

2011-04-08T14:17:00.000-07:00

So last night while in a deep slumber I had the most vivid, wonderfully terrible dream, aka nightmare! I just had to write it down because it was so crazy.

I was hanging out with my Mom and sisters in my old room just talking when all of a sudden baby's hand punches my belly and I can actually see his hand and tiny fingers protruding out a few inches! I've had at least 5 dreams where this has happened but this time when I grabbed ahold of his hand, magically all of a sudden a beautiful clean baby came out of me through my belly, no pain involved. I just pulled him right up and out of me! He looked just like Scott! I yelled to Scott and my Dad to come see. I couldn't stop kissing my sweet brand new baby. It was incredible to see and hold him and touch his soft dark hair and look into his dark blue eyes!

Then all of a sudden within a few minutes he started shrinking into what looked like a tiny plastic toy baby and then I remembered he wasn't fully developed yet and we needed to get him back into my womb, pronto! I started yelling and panicking and grabbed the phone to call my doctor but he wasn't there and so I had to talk to this lady who didn't know anything. I asked her how I could save my baby and she said, "Sorry this is the end. I can't do anything for you. We can't get him back in your womb." So I started yelling at her and she didn't say a thing. I kept yelling, "I want to speak with Dr. Gray! He can sustain my baby! There's technology to do that kind of stuff you know! I want to speak with Dr. Gray!!!!" I woke up crying real tears and then started reassuring myself that it was only a dream, only a dream...but it still felt so real!

So now that I was awake and back to real life, sort of, I put my hands on my belly so I could feel him kick and know he was okay. Of course he was up and kicking at 4 in the morning! Normally I would not want him to kick so much while I was trying to sleep but this time it was a sweet relief! It was a really terrible, awful dream but it was also fun to see and hold him and give him lots of kisses...That part was fun! I can't wait to do that in real life!

Pregnancy dreams are just crazy!

30 Weeks

2011-04-07T17:41:00.000-07:00

Feeling really pregnant right about now. Baby is getting heavy for my little bod and I am beginning to settle into that 3rd trimester exhaustion thing. He is also bouncing off the womb walls 24/7. I don't know if this is a precursor for times to come, meaning that he is going to be a busy little guy, or if that is just how every baby is in the womb....but man, this boy can kick!

This past weekend was nice to listen to general conference at my parents...especially with little kicks tickling my belly when the prophet was speaking. It was kind of surreal to think at the last few general conferences I was thinking and preparing spiritually for becoming a mom and now it is really happening! {Elder Scott's talk on the Eternal Blessings of Marriage was my fave this conference. He sure loves his wife. I think I bawled through the whole thing!} I did a little sun tanning between sessions on Saturday but don't worry I used spf 45. Haha. I am not risking a burn during pregnancy...no way! Anyways, it was nice to be out in the sun and get some Vitamin D!

The last few days I've gotten really crafty and completed 6 baby projects! Yeah really...6! I usually get 2 done in that time so I was pretty excited! I sewed some towel bibs and more burp cloths. The towel bibs were super easy and I basically just came up with my own way to make them. I seriously finished the neck part in less than 5 mins with the help of some of Scott's old Tshirts! {Scott even had to try them on when he got home....and I mean he tried on the bib, not the old tshirt! Haha!} Now that is my kind of craft! I think they turned out pretty cute.

We also purchased a pack n play, stroller and carseat this week! We spent less than $300 on everything....Including a swing that I purchased a few months ago that was $20 at this little thrift store! I'd say we scored. I can't wait to use everything. We already set everything up...of course I had to right?! So that was really fun. It is weird/awesome to see his little bed in our room next to our bed and imagine him in it! So excited! Just 10 more weeks...yayy...although that feels like forever to me! June 15th here we come!

Once Upon a Springtime

2011-03-31T14:31:00.000-07:00

What have we been up to lately? Crazy fun stuff is what we have been up to! We seriously feel so blessed. First of all...thanks to Scott's work we were able to stay at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort and Spa in Dana Point last week! It was so nice and relaxing! They treated us like royalty! No way could we ever afford to stay here ourselves so it was nice to enjoy it while we could...especially while it is still just the 2 of us! My breakfast of just an OJ, bagel and fresh pineapple was a whole 30 bucks! Haha! I was able to drive down to visit my familia while Scott attended seminars and presentations and even golfed the last day!

I love my family! They were able to see our babe in 4D along with us! He is so very loved already! I'm so glad everyone enjoyed the experience and that we got some really good views of his sweet face and how he is all positioned in there! We can't wait to meet this little guy in person!

Scott has been wanting to get a bike to ride to work for a while now. Since we don't live very far from his work this will save on gas money and be some great exercise! He found a great deal last weekend and brought home this baby! Her name is Topanga...like from Boy Meets World! Haha!

So many fun birthdays were celebrated in our family this month! It was Brinley's 6th birthday so my Mom kidnapped Brin from school and took her to Disneyland! We had a blast getting her all done up at the Bibbidi Bobbi Boutique. She was transformed into a beautiful princess right before our eyes! She loved every minute & kept saying what a happy day she was having!

...Some people may think that our life here in California is just a party, well it isn't. We have great times when people visit and with Scott's work and our family we get to experience and see the sites but then really it is just a normal life with nice weather and really expensive rent. So don't be jealous on the freezing gray blah days. Life is what you make of it and happiness is where you want to find it really. I have the same amount of blah days here as I did in Idaho. So really don't envy, just come visit so we have an excuse to go out and play!

Baby in 4D

2011-03-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

Baby Camden at 28.5 weeks! Cutest little profile We've ever seen!

Another cute baby face. Just look at those chubby cheeks!

He is all folded up inside there! You can see both his legs and feet in front of his face and his hand above his head here!

Cute little baby leg, foot & toes all stretched out! We have quite the gymnast in there!

I love this one. You can really see how squished he is! He is even giving us a thumbs up.
Just hope he is comfy in there for now!

Sweet sleepy baby....see you soon!

I Heart Stripes!

2011-03-21T16:22:00.000-07:00

Exhibit A: My side of the closet

Exhibit B: Baby's side of the closet

Notice any similarities?? Hmm...maybe the fact that half of the clothes I have purchased so far for baby Camden are STRIPED & the fact that the last few shirts I have purchased for myself have STRIPES! Now this might have been planned but really I do assure you that it was all very accidental! Quite the coincidence no? I just noticed this the other night and had to take a pic! Funny how things like that happen! I guess I am just loving stripes right now...I better slow down before this kid has all striped clothing!

Shopping for baby things is too much fun! I seriously have to take out half the stuff in my cart before going to the check out because everything is just too cute I want to buy it all! Haha! So far I have bought him a few cute church outfits, awesomely handsome summer outfits as well as some cuddly sleepers and onesies! I also bought one blanket to match his crib bedding and some touch and feel baby books that were just so colorful and fun not to buy...See what I told you...too much fun!

I just recently finished registering at Target & Babies R Us which took me forever and a half because there are so many choices...but it was really fun too! {So go checkout my registries!} We also just bought our first stock of diapers!! {Via Amazon Mom & Target} I have felt weird buying them until now...now that people can actually tell why I am buying the diapers! Haha! It is just so much fun preparing for this baby to get here! I need to stop buying stuff though because I'm sure I will get some fun/good/needful things at my showers! :)

All this preparing just makes me so excited for his arrival! I just can't wait to hold my baby in my arms instead of in my belly! I am getting a little weary of this being pregnant thing but this week I will be entering into the 3RD TRIMESTER! Holy Cow...when did this happen?! It really is coming fast so in the mean time I am definitely enjoying this time and the time I have to spend solo with my hubs! He is so good to me and we have so much fun together. I just know he is going to be the most loving and helpful and greatest dad there ever was! He is just as excited as I am for our baby to get here & I can't wait to see him with our babe!

This was the first outfit we bought for our lil one right after we found out we were having a boy...I just love the little footsies and doggie on the bum. Too cute! I can't wait to see him actually in all his outfits! Can't wait!

86 Days til baby's due date!!!

Home Sweet Home

2011-03-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

We survived a month away and oh how lovely it has been to be back home. It has seriously felt so so good to be home! Our small apartment never felt so spacious & I can't get enough of this sunshiney weather! Scott has been enjoying getting back to his regular routine at work and I have surprisingly been busy busy busy which is usually not the norm. I blame it on my nesting instincts! I have been non stop organizing, cleaning, cooking and buying stuff for this baby boy ever since we got back. So funny right?!

I had my 27 week appointment today and am measuring 27 inches, meaning that baby boy is roughly 2 1/2 pounds. Doctor says he will probably be an 8 pound baby! Whoa! I got to hear his little heartbeat just like always but this time asked if I could record it so I could bring it home for Scott to hear too!

Isn't that the sweetest sound? I love it.

Oh and that is Dr. Gray. He is pretty cool too.

I also took the Glucose Tolerance Test today and was a wee bit nervous for it because all I have heard about it is that the drink tastes nasty and makes you feel sick...Well to my surprise and delight I had quite the opposite experience!!! I had a normal breakfast in the morning before my dr. appointment (fried egg, toast with peanut butter & small glass of milk) and scarfed down lunch (half a pastrami sandwich and some rasins) a half hour before I went into the lab, so I was already feeling good. Once I got there I downed the orange soda like drink in a minute flat and secretly wanted another. It was pretty darn tasty! Then I got to sit in this cute little room with a comfy recliner and watch Anne Burrell on the Food Network. I love her! Then after an hour they came and got me to go take my blood and I think I was actually smiling when she poked me. It was a lovely experience let me tell you! I just hope to hear the actual test results are just as lovely. The doc says no news is good news, so we will see!

We also got to go to this Maternity Open House thingy last night and they explained the whole process from labor to delivery to hospital stay to discharge. Our eyes where open wide the whole time..."Is this real life? Is this really happening?" Haha. Well not just yet but soon! 2.5 months to be exact! Crazy that in just 12 short weeks our new little addition will be here.

What was also pretty cool was that we won a free DVD in the raffle. The lady was telling me how great it was and I said, "Yea yea I've already read the book and seen this DVD in my infant/child class. I wanted the Boppy Pillow!" Haha. No I didn't say exactly that. It is actually a really neat DVD. It is about Dr. Karp's Happiest Baby on the Block...which explains the 5 S's and how to soothe your baby. Interesting stuff! I'm exited to watch it again and for Scott to watch it with me. Anyways...after all that fun we skipped off to Ross and bought Scott some new shoes and shirts, test drove some strollers at Babies R Us and ended the night with some Tutti Frutti frozen yogurt and a sweet game of Jenga. Life is good!

& here's my 27 week belly pic...