Baylor vs Aggies

Camille went to another Baylor home game this weekend with Matt, Nana, and Papa. She loves going to the games. She was so excited to go on Saturday that as soon as we were done at the pumpkin patch, she was ready to drive straight to Waco (though we were not yet ready). I actually stayed home so as not to tempt fate with going into labor away from home. Camille said that she was ready to go to GG and Boppy's house (her great grandparents who live in Waco) and that Nana would buy her more Baylor football beads and a coloring book (as she got the week before at the football game). I corrected her, and we remembered to pack the beads, coloring book, and her pom-pom for the game. Camille had a great time at the sold-out game and thought it was fun to watch the Aggie Band especially. She loved popcorn and even shared some with others. It was fun to pull down her new hat over her face.--Stephanie

Photos with GG and Boppy

Matt had to bribe Camille with fruit snacks (which worked like a charm) after the late evening football game to sit for photos with GG and Boppy. She’s not shy of GG and Boppy, but you know that 3 year olds love to choose options other than the ones we suggest.--Stephanie

Belly Picture

Here is a picture of my growing belly. Just about 1 week left until the baby arrives.--Stephanie

Pumpkin patch

Camille has been looking forward to visiting the pumpkin patch for several weeks. She asks me every time we go to the grocery if we can get a pumpkin. We wanted to wait for Matt to finish his testing and then have a nice weekend for our pumpkin patch adventure. Last night I told Camille that we could go this morning (Saturday). This morning Camille woke before dawn and talked to herself in her bed until the first glimmer of light when she called me upstairs to get her. The first thing she said when I walked in her room was that she was ready to go to the pumpkin patch. I stalled her a couple of hours with making pancakes for breakfast, etc. Camille had a great time playing in the hay bale maze and choosing a pumpkin.--Stephanie

Camille in her "Learning Tower"

Camille loves to be in her "Learning Tower" in our kitchen so she can safely be at counter height. --Stephanie

Costume Parade

Camille had a costume parade at her school on Friday morning. It was a cold, blustery morning. The children came outside and paraded around the parking lot to show off their costumes. Camille didn't see me for a while and was obviously having a wonderful time. I felt sorry for some of the kids dressed in costumes without sleeves (since it was cold). I figured that Camille wouldn't leave a hat on for any length of time, so I suggested wearing the clown costume we had instead of the Baby Bop costume (which doesn't look like much of anything without the hat). She was happy being a clown because she recently learned about clowns at a friend's birthday. --Stephanie

more pics

Matt just found these pics hiding on the camera. One is of Camille sitting on my lap when she was sick with a cough, and I was just trying to hold her upright so she could get some relief from coughing. Another is of Camille and her Papa loading his car in the rain. Camille loves to get wet.

The baby is still breech. I think we're opting out of trying to externally turn the baby because of low success rates, risks, and reported discomfort with the procedure. So, if the baby doesn't turn on her own, I'll have a c-section. It's not my ideal situation, but it will all work out. I'm at 36 weeks now. The count-down is on.--Stephanie

Camille loves the baby

Camille likes to touch my belly. She wants to feel the baby move but has very little patience, quickly announcing that she thinks the baby went to sleep.

We had a sonogram last week but the guy running the sonogram couldn't tell us much. My doctor didn't call to give us any results over the phone. She had previously said she would only call if there were a problem. The one notable thing we did find out is that the baby is breech. Hopefully the baby will soon turn head down. I have another doctor's appointment tomorrow, and I'm interested to see what the doctor plans. I'm thinking she'll probably want to try to turn the baby pretty soon. I've read way too much about breech births, so hopefully that won't be in my future. I'm not really worried. I am just eager to have a plan.--Stephanie

Photos--better late than never

I don't know why I had trouble adding pictures to the Blog last night. It didn't work after multiple tries. I finally got it working today. It seems like I'm often having trouble getting photos uploaded. Do you other bloggers have this trouble too?

Camille's new school

Camille started her new school last week. I think her teachers are excellent. Camille comes home with very messy and with lots of projects to show for it. She's doing lots of pre-academic activites and having a great time. She often comes home with some kind of mask or headband related to some theme of the day (like a red-eyed tree frog, for example). She is learning more school rules like no running inside. This is a much more structured and rule-oriented environment. While kids will be kids, the classroom feel under control and not so chaotic. Though the teacher said that Camille was never sad for long after I leave in the mornings, today was the first day that she didn't try to keep me from leaving. Camille just ran in and gave the teacher a big hug, and the teacher told Camille where she could sit. Camille hardly looked back at me. I was a little unsure what to do because I didn't want her to feel like I'd snuck out without saying goodbye, but I didn't want to make a big production of leaving when she seemed to be going to class so easily. I did catch her eye on my way out the door and blew her a kiss. She looked a little unsure, but I confidently walked out. I think so often kids read the face of the parent in deciding whether or not to be upset. Camille is making friends and has all good things to say about school.

Matt got a new camera so he's fooling around with the settings in these photos. The one of Camille sleeping was taken in almost complete darkness.

I'm staying busy getting projects done around here, including organization of a year and a half worth of photos into albums, and resting as needed.

I went to the OB today for a checkup. I'm just shy of 35 weeks with this pregnancy. I've been having inconsistent contractions but nothing major. The doctor said today that I'm already starting to dialate and wants to start seeing me every week. She also ordered a sonogram for tomorrow to check the baby because she's so small. This is exactly what happened with Camille at the end that pregnancy. It seemed like the baby wasn't growing, but Camille was fine--just small. These kids both have the Smith/Colvin "short/petite" genes. Matt wasn't a small baby, but that's because he was born several weeks late.

Camille goes for her 3-year check up tomorrow too. I'll be interested to see where she falls on the growth curve.--Stephanie

Camille's castle

I think Camille's favorite gift is the playhouse tent that we bought her. She loves "ringing the doorbell" and then going in and out of the door. Of course, she always wants someone to play with her. She somehow convinced her Nana and Papa to squeeze into the castle with her. It was all pretty funny!--Stephanie

3rd Birthday party

We had Camille's 3rd birthday party this weekend with Carol and Jamey. She was very excited to open presents and have cake. I made a cake with real cream cheese icing, which she really liked. Her only request regarding the cake was that it be green. She blew out the candle like she'd been practicing all year. I never have been any good at writing in icing, so this year I used little candy letters to decorate "Happy Birthday Camille." She insisted on eating every letter off other people's cake slices. She thinks she already turned 3, and I haven't really corrected her. On Tuesday I'll tell her that it's September 19th and actually her real birthday. She'll have a cupcake party at school that day with Dora plate and party hats. I'm going to decorate the white cupcakes with green sprinkles and 3 skittles each. Come to think of it, I should probably make every cupcake have the same color candies to avoid fights. I'm going to send a disposable camera for the teacher to take pictures. I thought about going for the party, but I figure she wouldn't act the same with me there (she'd want to sit on my lap, etc). I know Camille had a great day!--Stephanie

More birthday pictures

Camille has only recently started liking much in the way of sweets. She actually ate most of this big piece of birthday cake! Camille liked wearing her "Birthday Girl" crown but toward the end of her cake eating she decided that it was much more fun to wear like glasses. She is also fully able to eat with a fork, but fingers are much more fun!--Stephanie

More new room pictures

Camille's new room

Camille has graduated to her new big-girl room. She's been in it a couple of weeks and hasn't even looked back to the nursery. Actually, the first night she slept in the big bed I didn't have a rail up on the window side of the bed. During the night she managed to fall down between the bed and the window. At 2am I heard her crying out for me in the baby monitor, and I went upstairs to her room. Her nightlight is bright enough that I can see around the room but I couldn't see her. After a split second of panic I saw her leg sticking up beside the bed and I quickly fished her out from behind the bed. She was disoriented and upset. I asked her if she wanted to go back to her crib for the rest of the night. She said "No, I just want to sleep in my big bed." I grabbed pillows and stuffed them around the bed. She went back to sleep easily/ The next morning I put the rail on the other side of the bed. The bed rails are no statement of beauty, but we were thankful to a former co-worker of Matt's giving them to us. They are really nice because they fold down for easier bed-making.

Camille's room request was that her room be green. Her favorite color is green. My mom shopped around and found a really great quilt and green checked sheets. She was very nice to decorate the room. She has more of a flair for that sort of thing than I do. Though the photos sort of distort the colors, the room is all pink and green. The baskets will be great for organizing her toys. Camille uses a stool to climb up on her tall bed. She loves having her name on the wall and having a magnet board on the back of her closet to display her latest work of art. She sure is growing up!--Stephanie

Barbie Jeep

Camille's Nana and Papa bought her a Barbie Jeep before she stayed with them for a week back in July. She loved it, of course! She remembered playing with her cousins' jeep a few months earlier. The Barbie Jeep has been staying in Houston because we really didn't have a place to keep it here. Matt recently bought rubbermaid shed that's perfect for the jeep and her tricycles now (and for bicycles and other outdoor toys in the future). Here is a picture of Camille riding around our backyard. She's not adept at steering yet, but getting better. It's still a Daddy/Camille contact sport at this point. Camille also loves the shed, which she affectionately calls the "barn." Camille driving into the barn is scary, but luckily everything is made of plastic.

I started my maternity leave a little earlier than expected. My body hasn't been coping with this pregnancy as easily as the first. My doctor and I agreed that it would be best for me to stop working. It's given me more time to rest because Camille still goes to preschool. I've also had a chance to take care of many loose ends around here, resting whenever I need to. Though my belly looks small compared to many pregnant women, I'm already pretty uncomfortable in my 8th month. The baby had found some nerves to pound on, which stops me in my tracks. My body goes kind of involuntary, and I feel like I've been struck by lightning. I found bought a reclincer for my little study, and Matt ran the cable to my little TV. It's been really nice. I've seen Matt eyeing my chair, but he wouldn't dare steal from a pregnant woman. --Stephanie

Galveston trip

Here are a few pictures from our recent trip to Galveston. I think Camille's favorite part may have been sleeping in the hotel bed (instead of her crib). She preferred to eat breakfast sitting on the coffee table (only in a hotel). She loved playing in the sand and the water at the beach. I have more pictures, but I need to have Matt show me how to get them out of my e-mail and onto the Blog.--Stephanie

Camille's new hat

I've recently been terrible about neglecting Camille's blog. Matt and I were able to get away to San Antonio for a long weekend at his birthday July 20th. In this picture Camille is wearing the hat that we brought back for her.--Stephanie

Silly Matt and Camille