Candid Cameron, Part II

Enjoy some more of the funnies that come out of my CK's mouth... aka, Candid Cameron!

One day we talked in detail about who can and can't have babies in their tummies.  Finally, after a moment of silence and deep thought, Cameron Kate said:  "I don't have a baby in my tummy.  I have boobies.  Well, I have nipples."

One day, after her usual brief nap, I told I was tired of her taking catnaps.  The following day, when she woke up, she proudly declared, "I took a dog nap today!"

CK:  "Does God have a mommy?"
Me:  "No, but we are all God's children."
CK:  "No, God DOES have a mommy... Her name is Jessie Peele!"

During a particularly bad tantrum, I calmly responded to her by saying, "Oh, OK."  Which was followed by her screaming, "DON'T SAY O!  THAT'S A LETTER, THAT'S NOT A WORD!!!!!!"

Me:  "We need to go by TJ Maxx."
CK:  "Is that Daddy's Daddy?"  (FYI, my husband's name is TJ.)

Randomly one day when we were eating lunch...
"I like that God gave me eyebrows."

After I realized she'd unbuttoned her skirt...
"Cameron Kate, why did you unbutton your skirt?"
"It was too tight... Mama, it was KILLIN' ME!"

Another random question, this one directed at one of my friends visiting from out of town:
"Do you like canned tomatoes?"

After I got my haircut, I walked in the door and CK ran up to me, touching my hair...
"Oh Mama!  You look so pretty!  Your hair looks so 'cutted'!"

CK LOVES to eat vegetables, but only if they're dipped in ranch.  We always have to tell her not to dip her fingers in the ranch.  Finally, one day she replied, "But I'm a vegetable, too, so I can dip into the ranch!"

Yet another random statement... this time when we were on our daily stroller walk around the neighborhood...
"Mama... some days I like chickens, and some days I don't."

While deciding whether to hold a toy in her right or left hand...
"Well, my hands are learning how to share."

Me:  "Cameron Kate, will you stop getting so big?"
CK:  "No, mommy, because I like to reach the counters!"

CK:  "Mommy, when will my friends be here?"
Me:  "They should be here in just a minute."
CK:  "Okay, I'll count to 'just a minute'... 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-JUST-A-MINUTE."

And a personal favorite...
CK:  "Mommy, are you going to go to the 'hostible' when it's time for the baby to come out of your tummy?"
Me:  "Yep, and then when we're both strong and healthy, we'll come home."
CK then exclaimed in the most excited voice, with a look of absolute joy and surprise on her face:  "Then we'll have our OWN baby!!!!!" :)

Happy Hump Day!

By the Numbers, Again...

I haven't done one of these posts in awhile.  So here goes nothing!

86 - the number of years my Granny had on this earth, and we celebrated her amazing life and incredible heart this past weekend.  Saturday was tough, but I feel so blessed to have had so many years with her and so many memories to lean on.

8 - days until CK starts preschool!  It's definitely going to be bittersweet, but I know she will love it.

4 - the number of weeks my new niece has been with us!  I can't believe it's been 4 weeks since my little sis became a mama.  I spent a weekend in Charleston snuggling sweet Skylar Ann, and already miss her so, so much!

11 - weeks until Rocky's due date!!!!

9 - well, almost 9 - months we've been in GA!  It's gone by SO fast, and because of some incredible friends, it really does already feel like home. <3

1 - the number of accidents CK has had in her big girl panties... yay!  Though we only wear them around the house, it's progress, people!  (#ihatepottytraining)

0 - the number of out-of-town trips I have planned before my due date... woohoo!  This is such a relief, since this past weekend's 15 hours in the car over the course of 48 hours wrecked this big ol' pregnant body.

2 - how many sizes too small all of CK's shoes are...  Woops.  I went to get her feet measured, and apparently didn't realize how much they had grown lately.  Needless to say, we've got some major shoe-shopping to do.

37 - the number of times I probably roll over throughout the night.  My poor husband.

3 - how old CK will be on her birthday, which is quickly approaching.  How is she almost 3?!

5 - days until the Clemson/GA game - yessssssss college football!!!!

60 - the usual MAX amount of time CK will take a nap.  And she's up, so off I go.  Happy Monday!

2/3

Hello third trimester, it's nice to see you... :)

We're 2/3 of the way through... This pregnancy has simultaneously gone by painfully slow and incredibly fast.

In one breath, I WANT time to tick away so I can hopefully be holding a healthy baby boy/girl in my arms...

Yet, I also want time to - well - take its time... because I want to savor this probable last pregnancy, and also savor my time with my CK, just us two.

I don't take a single kick, punch, or even discomfort for granted.  As big as I'm getting, I still cannot believe we're actually here, counting down the weeks (12 to go!).

I've officially started going to the doctor every other week.  I've been feeling really good lately, until, like, yesterday.  All of a sudden I'm feeling big and uncomfortable, and the nausea is rearing its ugly head again (nooooo!!).  I'm hoping it's just a result of being tired...  Like I said, though, I'll gladly be big, and uncomfortable, and nauseous, if it means Rocky arrives in 12-ish weeks, strong and healthy.

As always, thank you to my family, my friends, and my readers for your constant thoughts, prayers, well-wishes, hopes... <3

The progression so far...

Beginning of 2nd trimester

 14 weeks

20 weeks 

 24 weeks

 26 weeks

28 weeks

Granny.

She drove a white Mustang.

She picked all four of us up, every summer, to spend a week with her in Myrtle Beach.

I always knew when we were pulling into her neighborhood - I'd giggle at the fact that the trash cans were IN the ground, thinking it was so silly.

Her house had these interesting looking bricks, between which the cement seeped out.  I always thought it was so cool.

We'd bound into her house, running all over the perfect vacuum lines in the carpet to get to the toy closet in the guest bedroom.  Within minutes, her house was taken over by us, and she loved it.

We spent the hot summer days on the beach with her, or at Myrtle Waves, or at Maze Mania.  Oooooh Maze Mania.  A life-sized maze where you ran between high wooden fences to find the cheese.  It would take us hours to get in and out.  And, she'd happily watch and cheer us on from the observation deck.

Late afternoons were usually spent playing putt-putt.  She had the patience of a saint.

We'd gobble up her delicious homemade dinners, usually followed by an oatmeal cream pie found in her fridge... and then the games began.  Uno, Yahtzee, Skipbo - we'd play and play and play for hours, laughing and giggling and making memories around a white wicker kitchen table with a glass top.

Granny, you loved us fiercely, and with your whole heart.  And we always knew it, always felt it.  Always looked forward to the week we got to spend with you, each summer.  You came to every graduation, shower, wedding you could - pulling up in that white Mustang, wrapping us up in your hugs - the best hugs.

The last time we were together, I shared with you our pregnancy losses, our infertility struggles.  We talked for hours.  And then I asked you if you had any piece of advice for me moving forward with my life.  And you said, "Honey, you just gotta do the best you can, in all that you do.  That's all you can do.  Do the best you can, and it'll all be okay."

...

I know you so wanted to be around for the birth of our next baby... but now you are in a better place, watching over me and this little miracle - and that brings me so much peace.

I already miss your sweet voice, your giggle, the cards you mailed us for every occasion.  I miss mailing you Cameron Kate's sweet drawings to brighten up your room, pictures of her so you could see how much she's growing.

Granny...I miss YOU.

Your heart, your spirit, your selflessness, your genuine heart will always live on, as long as we're around to tell stories about our Granny.

Rest in peace... I love you so, so much.

WHY

You guys.

I promise I'd be blogging more frequently if I wasn't always having to answer the question WHY.

Two and three-fourths is an interesting age of toddlerhood... an age laden with hilarity and timeouts and losing patience and hugs and kisses and independence and WHY WHY WHY.

I swear, anyone who has been a visitor in our house throughout the past five months or so has commented on CK's never-ending curiosity.  It's like a normal why-asking-toddler on steroids.

All day, everyday.

I remember when the WHYs first began, back in February-ish.  I thought it was cute at first... I specifically remember thinking, "Awww, the 'why' phase is beginning!"  Now I know I should've been more like, "PLEASE LORD HELP ME GET THROUGH THE WHY PHASE."

About a month later, we were on our way to Charleston and it took twenty minutes for me to explain to her why she had a left foot, and a right foot.

That's when I knew it was gonna be bad.

Now here we are, neck-deep in this inquisitive phase, and I CAN'T HAVE A DRINK.

I don't know if all toddlers are this "curious," or if it's just mine.  But I am not kidding when I say that every single thing that comes out of my mouth is immediately met with "WHY?"

The other day I asked her, "Why do you always ask, 'Why?'"

To which she replied, matter-of-factly, "Because when you say something, I like to say 'Why'."

So there's that.

I used to be all "I need to foster her curiosity," and so I'd give some knowledgeable, mama-professional, kid-friendly answer full of facts.  And then I lost my patience.  And so then I tried, "I don't know," but she was on to me - she'd quickly scream, "YES YOU DO KNOW MOMMY!"  And so now I tend to stick to "Because I said so" or "Because that's how God made it" regardless of the reason for the WHY.

And on Fridays, when T gets home, I tell CK that I will not answer any more WHYs until Monday - if she wants to know WHY over the weekend, she has to ask her Daddy.

:)

So you guys, I promise I want her to be inquisitive and curious and knowledge-seeking and everything, but...

I'm tired, 

and hormonal, 

and thirsty for some alcohol.

Five on Friday!

Hellooooo August!  Kicking off the month with my normal Five on Friday...

O N E
Omgomgomgomgomgomg...
MY BABY SISTER HAD HER BABY!!!!!
Skylar Ann shocked us all by arriving early!  I couldn't believe it.  She is so perfect, and it is going to be a dream come true to watch my little sister as a mom.  I cannot wait to go to Charleston in a couple weeks and scoop up this beautiful baby girl!!

And yes, this picture is right after my little sister had Skylar.  I looked like I got run over by a stampede of buffalos when CK was born, and she could literally walk down a runway.

T W O
I cannot thank y'all enough for the thoughts, prayers, emails, messages, calls, and texts concerning my most recent little scare with Rocky.  After getting a full blood panel done, checking all kinds of things having to do with hemoglobin/iron/etc., I got a call last week that all levels are on the very low end of the normal range!  So while there are still some things we need to do to try to boost my iron, and we aren't necessarily out of the woods, we were so relieved that, at this point, no further testing is needed.  I go back in a couple weeks and plan to have a detailed conversation with my doctor about everything. But for now, we are breathing huge sighs of relief!

T H R E E
And speaking of boosting my iron, T and I bought a Ninja!  We scraped together some old Best Buy gift cards and ended up getting it without spending a penny.  Since it arrived, we've been throwing together some healthy and delicious green smoothies.  Such an easy way to increase my iron intake, and as a bonus, CK loves them!  Ninja for the win!!

F O U R
Oh, my Cameron Kate.  Tomorrow is the day.  The big day.  The day when we switch her from her crib to her bed.  How is she old enough to sleep in a big girl bed?!  Fingers and toes and everything else crossed that all goes well with the transition!!

F I V E
Yesterday, I baked homemade chocolate chip cookies, from scratch.  Y'all, it's almost impossible for me to make cookies and NOT eat the dough (which you cannot do when you're pregnant!).  So what did I do?  Pulled out my trusty eggless cookie dough recipe from Pinterest and quickly whipped up a bowl so I could snack on it while I baked the cookies.  Crisis averted!

Have a great weekend!!