Boston - a weekend of firsts

So I finally have a moment to sit down, write and enjoy some peace and quiet with no one home. Well except for Biscotti and he is actually trying really hard to get my attention today for some reason. Ok, so with the exception of him, I get to relax. Cam is at daycare today and James is at work. I want to fill you in on my trip to Boston a couple of weekends ago. We left on a Friday and drove down, Jim, Debbie, Cam and I. Cam did really well in the car ride down. He only fussed a little bit when he was tired, but finally managed to fall asleep for the last part of the ride. We stopped half way to eat at McDonald's (there was nothing else better in this little town), but it was great because they had a playland for kids. At the end of our meal, we took Cam in there and I crawled up through the tunnels and down a slide with Cam. He loved it! We captured it on video too. After lunch we got back on the road and upon arriving in Boston just after 6pm, we headed to a store to pick up a stroller for Cam. That night in our hotel room Cam was on the loose and then all of a sudden he decides it's time to take a few steps! I've been waiting for the moment! The only thing that was missing was James. I wish he could have been there to see him take his first steps. So all weekend long, Cam practiced taking a few steps and falling down. It was so cute. On Saturday we shopped for a bit and had a great lunch at this restaurant called Stephanies, which I learned last week that just a few days after we ate there, so did Salma Hayek with her kids. Pretty cool, though it would have been cooler if we had seen her there, but I digress. 

Our hotel was great. It was right downtown and close to everything. We had a crib in the room, but Cam refused to sleep in it and would only sleep in the king size bed with me. I thought this would be ok, but boy was I wrong. Between Cam rolling over, twisting around, flying arms and feet in my face and in my side and then worrying that he would wake up and crawl over the big barricade of pillows and fall on the floor, I barely got any sleep on this trip. And to top it all off, Cam was waking up at 6am to start the day. I told James that I would never go on a trip without him again. Now, don't get me wrong; Debbie and Jim were an incredible help on this trip and I loved how they invited me to come along, but it's still hard to do it on your own in a non-baby-proofed hotel room with a baby who is into everything, when you want to shower or get dressed or feed him breakfast. Someone always has to be watching him. Maybe it's because I was unprepared for a trip with a baby? You have to pack so much. I didn't have a high chair which made it difficult to feed him and it wasn't until the last day we were there that I clued in to use the stroller. Duh! That could have helped me so much. Live and learn, I suppose. 

Jim was great to take Cam on many walks around the park and many times whenever we were out eating places. Right now, Cam can't stay in a high chair for very long. I'm not sure if it's just a phase, but he wants to be on the go, all the time. It makes it difficult to go out and enjoy a meal, so we may take a break for awhile. lol So before Debbie was about to start the marathon, Jim and I took Cam to Boston Commons - which is a huge park. The sun was shining and it wasn't too cool out. Cam enjoyed the scenery and we even took him on his first carousel ride in the park. He loved it! On most carousels they have just horses, but as I was in line to get on, I spotted a giant cat that he could sit on and when it came time to get on, I was scurrying to find it when the mother in front of me came across it and put her hand on it for her daughter. I stood right behind it thinking and wanting to say, "back off lady, the cat is for my son, so keep walking!" Fortunately for us, her daughter wanted nothing to do with the cat and I quickly placed Cam on before she could change her mind. Jim stood on the sidelines with the camera and got some great videos and pictures of Cam enjoying the ride. (I'll post some pics soon when I get them). 

Later on that day, we tried to get to the finish line to see Debbie cross, but everywhere was blocked off, so we stood near the end of the race and finally spotted Debbie. She made it an incredible time of 4:05! Way to go! As we stood there watching all the runners and everyone cheering people on, it made me realize the appeal of running such an event. The hype and support from everyone is amazing. If you are a runner, after the race, people everywhere you go, congratulate you and think you are some kind of legend. Who wouldn't want all that praise and attention?! I can really see how it would feel so good. Now do I see a marathon in my future... ummm probably not. I don't think my body could handle it. I'll just stick with the half for now. 

The trip was great, Boston is such an amazing city and recommend it to anyone. So this weekend was the weekend of firsts. It was Cam's first time in the States; Debbie's first Boston marathon; Cam's first steps; and Cam's first time on a carousel. What an exciting time and now we can't wait for the next trip. Virginia Beach, you're next! 

Uneggspected turn of events

So it started off to be a great Easter Sunday. Cam woke up (too early of course) but seemed to be in good cheer. Maybe he knew spring was in the air or maybe he knew he was getting some gifts because it was a special day. We didn't go overboard on spoiling him. After all, he is not quite yet 1 years old, so he won't very well remember what he got for Easter when he was only 11 months old... We got him some clothes, a book, a teething toy and some grobags (sleep sacs). I know, not very exciting gifts, but like I said, he's not going to remember, so why not get him practical things that he needs right now. I should have known that today might be an off day when Cam decided that he didn't want his morning nap at his usual time. And why is it, that whenever you have to get ready to be somewhere, they never nap?! Since James went to go workout at his parents' place, I thought once Cam goes to bed, I'll finish getting ready for Mia's christening. We were excited to go celebrate. I saw Mia's outfit in a pic Erin had posted and couldn't wait to see her all dolled up. I even got Cam a new outfit so he would be dressed for the occasion. So as Cam decided to play instead of sleep, I figured I should just relax and enjoy this time as I will be back at work soon and won't have as much time with the little guy. I even got to experience him walk across our living room taking the most steps I've seen him take so far. It was incredible! It makes me sad sometimes when I think about going back to work because I don't want to leave him, but I know it will be good for him. It will help him learn and develop and teach him things I probably couldn't. I just have to keep telling myself that. :)

Anyway, back to today. We got to Mia's baptism and it was lovely service. Mia looked incredibly adorable, as usual. Little girls are just so darn cute in their little dresses and jewelry. After the ceremony we headed to Jane and Jeff's for dinner and as I am finishing my dinner, James notices that Cam has blood all over his hands. We find the source, Cam's fingertips are bleeding. Now how did that happen? I of course blame James since he was watching him, but I know it could have happened under anyone's watch including my own. But no time to point blame, we need to stop the bleeding. Cam is now uncontrollably crying and squirming so it's hard to get his fingers to apply pressure and have all of us finding out how deep the cuts are. Two of his fingertips are cut, deeper than paper cuts which evidently hurt, and since Cam is tired and hasn't really eaten his dinner, it's not making it any better of a situation. I tried to stay calm, but let me tell you, it's not easy watching your little boy scream and cry while bleeding. I could feel the tears starting to fall down my cheek. Everyone is trying to talk and ask what does he need, but I can't answer because I don't want people to see me weak in this moment. I can hear everyone, but for some reason I am like in my own little world, thinking about what to do, how to calm him down and wanting James to just pass him over to me, his mommy, so I can comfort him. Between James, Grandpa and Grandma there to help apply pressure and ice, inspect the cuts and wash them, I gave him some tylenol and he eventually fell asleep in my arms. We had to leave the party early and get Cam home to bed and make sure he was ok. As we drove home, I sat in the back seat, Cam was passed out and for the whole ride home, there was an awkward silence. I'm sure the both of us kept having thoughts race through our minds of how this could have happened? Shat could have been done to prevent it? What was it that he cut himself on anyway? And it's no one's fault. 

Just as we approached our building, Cameron woke up from his power nap and looked around all confused and wondering where he was. He finally started babbling away and put an end to our silence. It felt good. He's ok. We're all ok. Just an uneggspected turn of events, that's all.

Jetsetter

James and I had booked a trip to NYC a few months back and we finally were able to go at the end of March. It was a fantastic trip. It wasn't your typical relaxing getaway, but it was nice to be away nonetheless. We left Cam with his grandparents for 5 days and 5 nights. It was tough to do, though I didn't cry when we left, which I thought I totally would. I knew he was in good hands and the fact that Cam gets super excited and is all smiles with his grandparents is incredibly reassuring. My only worry was that he wouldn't sleep that well. As it turns out, he was great. I didn't have to worry at all. He slept well, ate well and got along without mommy and daddy, just fine. So well in fact, that when we arrived back home, he couldn't have cared less to see us. lol We thought, for sure he will be so excited to see mom and dad and come running up to us with wide open arms for a great big hug. Boy were we wrong. I picked him up to squeeze him and he only squirmed in my arms to go back to grandma. Welcome home to James and I! haha

In all honesty, I am glad that he was fine without us. It makes me feel better about when I have to go back to work and leave him with his daycare provider. Speaking of which, Cam is starting half days in a couple of weeks, and will work his way up to a full day. I hope he does ok there too. In the meantime, I've got to teach him how to hold his own bottle or drink his milk from a sippy cup. Right now, he seems to place both arms behind his head and lay back for me to feed him. Who made him king?! lol It would be funny if he ended up doing the same while at daycare. I better work on that. I think I spoil him too much. 

So I think this month is going to go by so quickly. Not only do we have Cam starting daycare soon, but I am heading to Boston next weekend to cheer on James' mom in the marathon. They have graciously offered to bring Cam and I along for the trip. I've never been to Boston before, so it should be so much fun. I feel like I am becoming a jetsetter. First, New York, then Boston, and then in the summer we are off to Virginia Beach for 2 weeks. It will definitely be something to look forward to once I am back to work. However, I am not looking forward to leaving Biscotti for that long. I need to either find someone to come stay at my place or put him in a pet hotel and I'm not too sure he will go for that. He is also spoiled with having a fresh glass of water on our bathroom countertop, drinking water from my fingertips in the shower and sleeping on my pillow with me every night. I can't help it, I love the little guy so much. It will be difficult to leave him. I always tear up when I go away. And he really misses us when we are gone too. Anyone want to come cat sit in a nice condo downtown? lol I better start looking into that before it stresses me out. I'm sure Biscotti will be just fine as well. I shouldn't worry so much about these things or else I'll end up becoming a hermit. Yikes.

Here are some pics from our trip to NYC. We shopped until we dropped - literally. And James didn't even complain once! My feet are still aching and it's been a week since we've been back. I think I actually got sick of shopping once our trip was over. But who am I kidding, I'll be back to normal once I hit the stores in Boston next week! hehe

Still waters

When it comes to bath time, Cam gets so unbelievably excited. As soon as he hears the shower or bath run, he boots it right to the bathroom. He is becoming more and more like Biscotti everyday. (If only he would grow some hair). hehe Every night, we think ok, this will help him calm down for bed and he'll have some fun time and get to bond with his dad. Boy are we wrong. Every night, as Cam gets excited for his bath, it ends up being such a struggle (for us as the parents). You see, Cam is one of those babies who doesn't like to be contained, strapped in seats, sitting still or not being able to move - this includes in the bath tub. Why can't he just sit there and enjoy playing with his toys like normal babies in the tub? He is constantly standing and crawling and grabbing at the faucets, the drain and all our products on the shower caddy. And when I tell him to sit down, he just laughs and thinks it's funny. (What a guy!) I'm surprised he hasn't really gotten hurt yet from all the tumbles. Needless to say, his bath time has now been cut short due to his lack of cooperation and inability to follow the rules of the water. As I recall during one our swim classes when he and all the other babies had to go in this boat, he was the one that had to climb overboard. I hope this doesn't mean that he will be the one to break all the rules? He certainly is keeping me on my toes. It's a wonder why I haven't lost all the baby weight by now. Anyway, I hope one day he will calm down and enjoy a peaceful bath that lasts longer than 5-10 minutes but for now we'll just have to keep up with the tides. 

No sympathy

I thought I would try something a little different today. Most of the time when Cameron falls or takes a tumble or Biscotti swats or scratches him, the plan is not to react. If you react, then he will usually cry. If you laugh it off or redirect the focus, everything is fine and he just smiles or continues on with his day. So as Cam pulled open the stove drawer on my big toe, (ouch!) I wanted to see how he would handle my reaction, so I fake cried. Apparently to him that is funny. I thought he may look at me and want to give me a hug, but he wasn't having it. He laughed it off. There was no sympathy going to come from him at all. Maybe he is just doing what I do to him? A taste of my own medicine perhaps? All I was looking for was a little hug or even a snuggle. Maybe next time... or maybe when he actually understands it all. One day. 

But speaking of snuggles, I have recently become very fond of his snuggles before bed and just as of last week he has fallen asleep with me while lying in bed when we were at James' parents' place. Since he now has trouble going to sleep in the pack and play, I have discovered he will fall asleep with mommy lying down in bed with him. I love these precious moments. It could be that since I have given up breastfeeding that this way I feel that bond with Cam again and that he still does need me during his most vulnerable times. I will treasure these moments and hold on to them as long as I can. That is, just as long as it doesn't become a habit where this is the only way he will fall asleep. ;)

TGI..M?!

I've come to like Mondays and sometimes even wish for the weekend to be over just so that they come even more quickly. I am crazy? Well I would be if I was still working and wishing for Monday but since I am off, it really doesn't matter what day of the week it is for me. So the reason for my Monday obsession is tv. I have a line up of 3 shows that night to watch and get so excited. Tonight is the final episode of the bachelor. Yes, I watch the bachelor. Sad I know, but I suppose you could call it my guilty pleasure. And I know there are others out there who watch the same thing, cause always when it comes to the last episode, everyone's status on facebook changes after the person chooses. It's quite amusing actually. Anyway, I just had to get that out there, cause I am anticipating for it to be 8pm and it's only 10:30 in the morning.

So now onto other exciting stuff. Today Cam is 10 months old. I can't believe how fast time has gone by. In 2 months he will be 1 years old! Eeeek. That is such a huge milestone and I am already thinking about his birthday party. I want to make it really special for him even if he won't remember it. But speaking of remembering, this past weekend, James was over at his parents and they were watching old videos of when they were young. James was so happy to have those and to be able to look back at the way they were, their hairstyles, voices and how they gave their dad a chocolate bar for his birthday and then a cd holder. Boy times have changed. We both thought we should start taking more videos of Cam so that he too can one day sit down and watch them and see what he was like as a child. I've taken a few videos so far and with Cam's birthday approaching, I get more and more excited about filming that special day and see his reaction to everything that goes on. These are the moments that I look forward to experiencing and sharing with loved ones. As I was lying in bed last night, I kept going over and over the videos of Japan's earthquake disaster and devastation and cannot even fathom what that country is going through and the amount of loss and suffering. With Cam now in my life, I have such a different perspective on life and how much he needs James and I, so to think that mothers and fathers and childrens' lives have been lost or forever changed is just so heartbreaking. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those suffering right now.

Care 

Oh what a feeling!

So yesterday was spa day. A group of my mom friends and I had booked the entire spa to ourselves to enjoy a facial, massage and pedicure sans bebés. I was so excited to be pampered, have some chit chat and indulge in some treats as well. I was able to run 16k yesterday morning so to sit back and relax was certainly well deserved and as much as I missed the little guy, I have to admit, I loved to have some freedom again. I think I was way too relaxed and maybe I have been these past few days because I have now forgotten things so much lately and this is not like me. Maybe I'm just feeling too distracted? I've forgotten my purse twice at someone's house this week and now yesterday I forgot my ugg boots at the spa. What is wrong with me?! Maybe I still just need more sleep. Aside from my forgetfulness, I have been starting to feel like my old self again and getting my body back. I have completely weaned Cameron off of breastfeeding - yay! Maybe I have mentioned that before, but it is finally starting to feel good. The first time I gave him a bottle of formula, I cried. Not sure why, but I did. It could have been the start of him feeling not so attached to me anymore and eventually not needed me at all (even though I seem to be the only one able to give him a bottle, which defeats the purpose of me weaning him) but that's a whole other story. Anyway, it feels good that I no longer have such a short window of possible freedom anymore. Oh what a feeling! On top of that, I am feeling good about my running longer distances. I mean I still dread having to go on Saturday mornings, but once I'm out there, it really does feel great and when I finish it's amazing to have started my weekend off feeling refreshed and energized. Now if I only I could get my head out of the clouds and stop forgetting things. How long does this "baby brain" thing last for anyway? It better be gone by the time I go back to work, or else I'm in trouble!