12 months. 52 weeks. 365 days. 8760 hours. 525600 minutes
all mean the same thing,
Camden Kingsley is one today!
This year we have had many downs and so many incredible moments with our boy. It has been a hectic experience but also a humbling one.
He is our favourite and we are so thankful to be his parents.
It was a fun year. it was a tough year. it was a good year. and the year went by way too fast!
The word passionate doesn't even begin to describe Camden's personality. He enters each day with powerful energy (by this I mean the powerful energy he uses when he is trying to hold you off kicking and screaming blue murder because you want to change him, Wayne and I have said that he sounds like something out of the Exorcist movie lol), exerting his will and energy into everything that he does.
Extra vocal lately always doing this, doing that, he hardly ever stops to sit down for a moment or two! This month I managed to get him to watch Barney for all of 2 minutes before the light from the lamp in the lounge distracted him and he started pointing at it with that little surprised face that he makes every time he sees a light - Priceless!
Camden even eats on the run these days. Some days he will sit in his high chair well-behaved and eat dinner with us but most days he refuses to be restrained and on those days he takes little bites here and there between totally unpacking the tupperware drawer or trying to pack every item he can possibly fit into the washing machine.
His strong will and high energy make him very fun and sometimes tiring to watch while he scampers about singing to himself, always singing this little one.
I was asked the other day what Camden fears and the first thought that came to mind was, NOTHING...ok except the mixer when we are making icing, he clearly doesn't like the sound and screeches this high pitched screech and points at it for you to switch it off while he sports this angry frown on his face.
He is a true joy to be around!
How big?
Gets up off the floor without holding onto anything anymore
Says "no, no" when you tell him you are going to change his diaper or get him dressed
Points to the nose and eyes of his rocking dog when asked
Rocks like a crazy animal on his rocking dog that Wayne's parents bought him
Properly high fives
Has becomes fascinated with his and daddy's bellybutton
Says "Thank you mom"
"Strokes" Marley's fur coat, he is still a little rough but we have moved on from him just grabbing a handful of hair and pulling.
Shares his food with Marley, well sometimes because most times he just teases the poor dog, dangles the food in front of him and then takes it away.
Kills himself laughing when Marley gives him kisses (licks his face)
Mimics mommy with the hairdryer, tries to blow dry his own hair.
When you say "Ta" he sometimes gives you the item he has, before he would pull it closer or hold on tighter and walk away.
Waves bye bye, well every time he sees you walk out of the door lately he waves.
Claps his hands, especially when you say "Yay" or sing the Happy Birthday song.
Granny Michelle taught him how to do the shocked or surprised look, so he opens his mouth and makes this aaahhh sound every time he sees the light.
Is obsessed with the lights in the house, points at everyone in each new room he goes into at home.
He makes you pick him up so he can switch the light switches on and off. He has definitely figured out this month how a lot of things work, pushing buttons, switching lights on and off. You can often see him concentrating when playing with a toy trying to figure out how to put something back or how it works.
Slept out for the night for the first time. He slept over at the Guesthouse that Wayne's parents were staying at.
When he hears the chime that the alarm makes when a window or door is opened in the house, he crawls to the front door to see who is coming in, even if no-one is there. He just associates that noise now with people coming into the house.
Plays peek-a-boo, well he has for a while but now he is covering his head with a blanket or a toy to hide himself and then quickly takes it off to see you standing there and laughs from his belly.
To those of you who have been following these updates over the last year but may have missed one or two, see all of Camden's monthly updates here:
Tall and Heavy come to mind.
Still no idea, his next check up is only on the 30th of July. Judging by the change in clothing size Camden has grown a little bit and filled out somewhat.
Clothing Size:
Same as last month, some 18-24 month clothing still and other 2 to 3 year clothing. He is still on a size 4 plus diaper so it is strange that his clothing change but this doesn't change much, perhaps he has a small tush.
Eating:
Not the best month for eating. Like last month he seemed to have a dip in his eating. Some nights he refused to eat and went to bed just with a bottle. I have been really concerned about this but the creche says he eats in the day around the other children and sometimes he eats at home so on the days he refuses we leave him because we haven't noticed a change in his weight, if anything it has increased - this child is heavy to carry around! We are trying not to fill him up on too much milk or get him too used to the idea of just having milk because it seems he has taken a liking to his bottle over his food and this we do not understand. Food he absolutely loved before he would literally pull his face up and spit the food out?!
Sleep:
Good days and bad days. good weeks and bad weeks. Camden has suffered with a few snotty noses this winter and when this happens his sleep is definitely disturbed.
Some nights we are blessed with 10 hours of Camden sleeping and other nights we are in the room 3 to 4 times to see what is up with our little champ. Most times when we go in his room he is sitting up with his head bent down and he is crying or whining. We put him down, cover him up and he goes back to sleep. We assume he is perhaps cold because he kicks his blankets off all the time. If you go into the room five minutes after you have put Camden to sleep at the top of his cot he is almost always sideways or facing the other way completely with no blankets on him. He dislikes his feet being covered with the blanket and will kick it off the minute you put it over his feet.
Towards the end of this month he seemed to be napping for longer periods in the morning, roughly 3 hours from 08h30 to 11h30 and then refusing the nap in the afternoon and really putting up a fuss. Most times he would scream and cry and then settle but just play in his cot or get up to mischief for the hour that I would leave him in there.
 |
| I should be sleeping but let me peek at mom and dad hanging up the washing |
He would be extremely miserable if he didn't nap in the afternoon and want to go to bed by 17h30 some nights. Could this be a sign of him already wanting to drop that afternoon nap? No way...his afternoon nap is what gets us through the night, if he doesn't nap in the day properly then he doesn't sleep well that evening.
Movement:
Literally trying to run around the house. So funny to watch, he catches a speed wobble most days and will go crashing to the floor, get up and try again. Camden does not sit still for one second.
Milestones/New this month:
-
Throws the ball to Marley (our dog)
Says "no, no" when you tell him you are going to change his diaper or get him dressed
Points to the nose and eyes of his rocking dog when asked
Rocks like a crazy animal on his rocking dog that Wayne's parents bought him
Properly high fives
Has becomes fascinated with his and daddy's bellybutton
Says "Thank you mom"
"Strokes" Marley's fur coat, he is still a little rough but we have moved on from him just grabbing a handful of hair and pulling.
Shares his food with Marley, well sometimes because most times he just teases the poor dog, dangles the food in front of him and then takes it away.
Kills himself laughing when Marley gives him kisses (licks his face)
Mimics mommy with the hairdryer, tries to blow dry his own hair.
When you say "Ta" he sometimes gives you the item he has, before he would pull it closer or hold on tighter and walk away.
Waves bye bye, well every time he sees you walk out of the door lately he waves.
Claps his hands, especially when you say "Yay" or sing the Happy Birthday song.
Granny Michelle taught him how to do the shocked or surprised look, so he opens his mouth and makes this aaahhh sound every time he sees the light.
Is obsessed with the lights in the house, points at everyone in each new room he goes into at home.
He makes you pick him up so he can switch the light switches on and off. He has definitely figured out this month how a lot of things work, pushing buttons, switching lights on and off. You can often see him concentrating when playing with a toy trying to figure out how to put something back or how it works.
Slept out for the night for the first time. He slept over at the Guesthouse that Wayne's parents were staying at.
When he hears the chime that the alarm makes when a window or door is opened in the house, he crawls to the front door to see who is coming in, even if no-one is there. He just associates that noise now with people coming into the house.
Plays peek-a-boo, well he has for a while but now he is covering his head with a blanket or a toy to hide himself and then quickly takes it off to see you standing there and laughs from his belly.
The week leading up to Camden's birthday we had Wayne's parents visiting us from Nelspruit. It was lovely to have them with us and awesome to see them bonding with Camden again, the last time they saw Camden was in December 2014.
We celebrated Camden's first birthday with family and friends at his Mickey Mouse party that my mom helped me put together. He also did a Smash the cake shoot, but more on those two later!
We celebrated Camden's first birthday with family and friends at his Mickey Mouse party that my mom helped me put together. He also did a Smash the cake shoot, but more on those two later!
Camden, our little hurricane...you are by far mommy and daddy's biggest blessing and the perfect addition to our little family.
You have rocked our world!
We love you.
-
Mommy ~ Twelve months post-partum:
I never reached the goal weight I wanted to reach but I am eating healthy, training at the gym again and emotionally feeling loads better and this makes me feel better about myself. It has been a long tough year for me emotionally and one massive learning experience but I made it and things can only get better from here on out. Just short of 8 months before our wedding, this makes me nervous but very excited!
To those of you who have been following these updates over the last year but may have missed one or two, see all of Camden's monthly updates here:
