Sweet Cameron... already turning 1!

It's hard for me to believe that it has already been a year since sweet Cameron was born.  Time passes much too quickly with the busy lives we have.  It's hard to stop and just enjoy all the wonderful moments, though we try.  In a way, I have been preparing myself for the reality of Cameron turning one.  With Emerson I was just merrily going along having fun with birthday planning and the night before she turned one it all sort of hit me.  With Cameron it has been on my mind constantly... this little voice reminding me that he is growing up and is slowly turning into a little boy.  Still a baby, but well on his way to outgrowing so many things that make him a baby in my mind.  Things like how mobile he is... how he has begun feeding himself... getting ready to drop bottles entirely for sippy cups... So I have been holding him a little longer at night... giving him even more kisses... adoring his precious smile and grin.  This is part of our nighttime routine...after getting in pajamas and brushing his teeth we snuggle. When he is sleepy he lays his head on my shoulder and I LOVE it so much.  I just hug him back feeling the weight of his head as it rests and it is often at that point that tears fill my eyes... the overwhelming emotion that comes through me.  I'm so thankful for him... even though it has been a year I sometimes can't believe how blessed we are.  So tonight, it was no different.  It was a little later because we had gone to the golf club to take pictures, but after he was ready for bed we snuggled.  He laid his head on my shoulder, and I cried.  I told him how much I loved him and that I couldn't believe he was about to be a year old.  Sweet little boy was so tired that after snuggling a little he was ready for me to lay him in bed.  As I left his room I was a little sad... though when I think about it I shouldn't be.  What a wonderful year it has been watching him grow, even if it has happened too fast!  This time last year I had no idea that I'd meet him the next day, but I'm so thankful.  A year ago I sat in this same spot on the couch, but I was over 50 pounds heavier and was so uncomfortable!!  My belly round and stretched to hold this amazing little boy.  If I close my eyes and enjoy a little silence I can think back to that feeling... of rubbing my hand over my belly and feeling him move.  Motherhood is such a gift... an amazing adventure.

To my sweet little Cameron... Tomorrow you turn ONE and we have some really fun stuff planned for you!!  I'm taking off from work to enjoy some extra time with you on your big day.  We will see how you like some cake, which I have ordered from Walmart thanks to the tip from Laura (thanks girl!) and then next Saturday we have your birthday party with family and friends.  Happy, Happy Birthday little man...  I love you so very much!!  

Here are two pictures from my first moments with Cameron... one right after he was born when we first met and the other is a few hours later when we were laying skin to skin.  I love these pictures capturing those special moments.

This last picture is of me giving Cam his last bottle.  Oddly, we have gone through all of the formula after mixing it half/half with milk over the last week or so and tonight was the last of the formula.  Tomorrow we will officially move to using sippy cups only with the organic milk... So I fed him the last one... it isn't the end of cuddles while he has milk because we will definitely hold on to that for a bit longer... though I know it won't be long before that changes too and he is running around drinking his milk!

Bluebonnets 2013

This year we took bluebonnet pictures at the JC Penney headquarters instead of the field at Fujitsu.  Apparently we did not get enough rain in the area so bluebonnets were not as abundant as in years past.  It has been a little bit of a bummer that the field at work did not have as many as it has always been nice to drive by the sea of bluebonnets.  With this being the case, I was also disappointed because I wanted pics of the kids, but then I heard, through my sweet friend Barbara, that there were bluebonnets at JC Penney.  One night a couple of weeks ago we headed over to get pictures.  I hoped to get some of both kids together, but it wasn't in the cards.  :)  Also, I realized after taking the pictures how very little I know about using the camera and changing the settings as most of my pictures have shadows on faces and I think some of that is corrected with settings.  Still, I got some cute pictures!  As we were getting stuff loaded in the car a sweet couple saw us and offered to take our pictures, which was so nice!  She asked if I minded if she changed off "auto" to manually select settings, which I of course did not mind! In just a minute or so she took several great pictures of us and the kids were looking for pretty much all of them.  They probably were wondering who she was... so I think the plan for a good picture is to find a stranger to talk to them so they will both look at the camera!!  :)