Camden Turns One!

My sweet baby turned one last month. I can hardly believe how fast the year went. I still remember his birth and the events leading up to it like it was yesterday. I suppose that's not something I'll easily forget! The year has been amazing, and I am just amazed at how much our little boy has grown in just 365 days. From a helpless, little babe to an active, busy boy, his little personality is sprouting daily. He is so loved, and will continue to melt our hearts with his sweet, toothy grin and crazy hair!

His first birthday party was a huge bash! I started planning 6 months in advance (ok, may be a bit crazy), but I can assure you, it took every bit of 6 months to put all of this together. We had about 60 adults and roughly 30 kids at our house on May 5th. Thanks to my Mom and Mother-in-Law who helped a ton with the food and "manning" the kitchen, the party went off without a hitch.... if only our birthday boy had been feeling well. He was sick the day of his party, and was not his usual self. Regardless, I'm so happy that so many people were able to come and share this happy occasion/milestone with Camden, Bobby and  me!

Thanks to the amazing and oh-so-talented Krista Jones (who is also the Graphic Designer behind MB Photography's new branding!) for driving down from Annapolis to document the party for us! I knew I would be running around and wouldn't be able to take many pictures, so I'm so grateful that she was able to capture so much!

I had so many Instagram pictures from the past year and I wasn't sure what to do with them, until I found THIS template! It's perfect for the size of pictures (and the quantity) and just had it printed by a canvas printer!

This is actually a "chalkboard" banner, so it's reusable! Camden's smash cake was homemade, organic Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.

Krista also designed the invitations! They were so cute!

The party favors were for the kids and were just cupcake boxes with baseballs and vintage baseball cards! I used bakers twine to tie the card to the box. The baseball cards I found on Etsy and I hand-lettered the names on all the baseballs myself.

Homemade Sangria... this didn't last long.

My attempt at a DIY wreath... I made the little flag bunting and tied the twine around an existing wreath.

It's not a southern picnic without some chocolate pie!!

We had a cotton candy machine at the party (thanks to my brother-in-law for being the designated cotton candy maker!). One of our local hardware stores rents party equipment like that. It was very inexpensive for the rental, and the supplies were inexpensive as well. But it did take 3 Engineers to figure out how to work the machine!

We had some lawn games out for the kids. Since there were so many small kids there, planned activities weren't the most successful! Thanks to my other Brother in law who brought his hand-made Corn Hole tables!

We had a total of 8 pies that day. My mom made homemade apple pie (with homemade crust, of course) and they disappeared. I was left with a whole chocolate pie and pecan pie afterwards, which was totally fine by me!

Bobby's parents: Nana and Jido with the birthday boy!

My parents: Grandma and Grandpa with their NINTH grandchild!

Popcorn bar... Regular, Caramel and White Cheddar. Yum!

THIS is my boy and his adorable smile. He was feeling a little better here.

Even my sweet nieces came up from Raleigh. We had a sleep over at my house after the party with them :)

I picked up a bunch of flowers from our local Scarborough Farms that morning and arranged them myself. Thanks to Bayside Bride for the tutorial on the twine-wrapped flower container!

All the Cousins on the Wise side!

Resources:

Camden's Outfit: Zara Baby
Photo Booth Props: Paper Source
Fabric (Table cloths, back drop, etc): Fabric.com
Mama's Polka Dot Dress: Anthropologie
Cake Banner Sign: Etsy
Photo Booth Wasahi Tape, Camera & Film, Photo Book: Amazon.com
Flowers: Scarborough Farms, Southern MD
Peanut Basket: Pottery Barn
Baseball Party Favors: Balls from Walmart, Cupcake Cases, Baseball Cards
Oversized Balloons and White Paper Lanterns: Amazon.com
Paper Straws
Photo Display Template, Printed at WHCC
Sangria Recipe
Chalkboard made by Melissa
Chocolate Pie Recipe - Do not skip the meringue topping!
First Birthday Hat - Etsy

What's in my Baby Bag

I love bags. Purses in particular. But what may be surprising is that I've never owned a "designer" handbag! All of that changed when I became pregnant almost two years ago and set my sights on a Kate Spade Baby Bag. It was big, adorable, trendy, and had lots of fun pockets to put lots of fun baby stuff in! As my due date got a little closer, I began to fill it with lots of things I had read about on other blogs - Mama Essentials. Over the course of the past year, and with our needs changing as Camden became less an infant and more a toddler, our diaper bag contents have evolved.

I've been meaning to post this earlier, but now I feel like we're at a consistent place as far as baby items are concerned. I want to share with you some of MY favorite things that are super useful to us since we're always on the go.

I do not take my diaper bag with me everywhere: trips to the grocery store, lunch with friends, a walk to the park, etc... the bag stays at home or in the car. The bag I have is large, and at times inconvenient for me to lug it around just for some quick errands. If taking the large diaper bag is not an option, we have a smaller pouch that holds diapers and wipes, which we'll put in one of our bags (Bobby even has a Man-Diaper Bag, which I bought him for his first Father's Day last year) - say to visit a baseball game, or other event.

Hopefully any new mamas out there will find this helpful!

What's in my Baby Bag by mcwise featuring a lip gloss

Kate Spade zip around wallet
$178 - couture.zappos.com
**A larger wallet that I can transfer to any bag and not feel completely lost. 

Bare Escentuals lip gloss
$15 - sephora.com
**For Mama

Aveeno sun care
$8.79 - amazon.com
**This is great on Camden's sensitive skin

Neat Solutions Table Topper C(18Ct
target.com 
***THESE ARE A MUST-HAVE!!!

Ella's Kitchen Apples Apples Apples, 2.5-Ounce (Pack of 7)
$11 - amazon.com
**I have made Camden's baby food, but these are great for on-the-go snacking!

Crocs Toe Bumper Flops Flip Flops
$25 - piperlime.gap.com
**I get so many compliments on these. Not normally a big fan of crocs, but they are great for warm weather, pool visits and exploring in the yard! 

Johnson's Baby Hand & Face Wipes
$2.99 - drugstore.com
**When hand-washing is not available.

Curad Mini First Aid Kit
$2 - drugstore.com
**Just in case!

The Original Sophie the Giraffe Teether Toy
£12 - amazon.co.uk
** Camden used this since he was an infant. He still loves it!

MATCHBOX MISSION FORCE Crime Crew
$9.99 - mattel.com
**For those times when you're waiting....waiting....






Other Items:
1) Kate Spade Stevie Baby Bag - They no longer carry this pattern, but I love the other options!
2) LifeFactory Glass Baby Bottle with Sippy Cup Lid (we have used these bottles from the beginning with nipples, but switched the lid as he's gotten older)
3) Cheerios
4) iPhone 4 - my lifeline!
5) Kashi Fiber Bars for a Mama Snack
5) PlanetWise Wet Bags for Cloth Diapers - Large Size
6) BumGenius Elemental All-In-One Cloth Diapers

I am totally obsessed with Polyvore - another Social Network. You can follow my creations HERE! If you're a Mama, what must-have's are in YOUR diaper bag? I'd love for you to share!

Also, I started a new monthly series over on my Photography blog. To celebrate the first post in the series, I'm hosting a giveaway of some of my favorite things! Go on over and check it out!

Camden: 1 Year Old

I'd be lying if I said I haven't been emotional these past couple of weeks. My life has drastically changed over the past year, but I wouldn't trade anything for what we have now. My life, it seems, is being completed... all part of HIS plan. Every breath, every tear, every squeal of excitement, every pout and every prayer during the day has become part of our lives and our souls.

From a tiny, still babe in my arms, to an active, very healthy little boy, Camden has taught me so much already. I never imagined the quantity of things these little babes do in their first year. Their brains go from very little to functioning children in just 365 days. I've learned patience and gentleness like I've never known before. I've prayed more, sung lots of songs, kissed away more tears, cleaned up more Cheerios and confided more in my husband than ever before.

I knew my life would change, but never so profoundly.

This week, I logged the final details into Camden's baby book for his first year. I little shred of sadness entered my mind, but then was completely wiped away by all the joy I felt when I thought about all the fun times that lay ahead of us in the coming years! I'm blown away daily by Camden's budding personality and physical ability. Realizing now that I was once bored in my prior life, God gave me a boy - a very active boy, and my life is very seldom boring!

Here's where we are at One Year Old:

- Weight: 20 pounds, 8 oz (24th percentile)
- Height: 31 inches (88th percentile)
- Illnesses: Stomach bug + Inner Ear Infection right at 12 months old
- Diapers: Primarily cloth diapering and going strong
- Nursing: Once a day, first thing in the morning. Otherwise, cows milk from a bottle (yes, I know, not a zippy cup yet)
- Food: Mostly table food, and some purees. Still mostly homemade. Loves: spinach, squash, lima beans and chick-fil-a nuggets. Oh, and cheese.
- Sleep: Two 1.5 hour naps a day. Sleeps 10-11 hours straight each night.
- Walking: Able to walk independently for almost 2 months now. Add in climbing, crawling, dancing and running.
- Speech: Mimics everything. Definite words include "roughly": mama, dada, truck, tractor, doctor, diaper, cheese, get down/drop down, shoes, snack, Jack-Jack (his cousin), toe, tickle, window, bum (our word for "private parts"), Jeep, keys, cat, cow, dog, owl and car noises.
- Signs/Gestures: More, please, diaper, airplane, finished, shakes head "no" and "yes," milk. Points to things he wants/sees. Dances to music, claps hands, starting to use fork and spoon independently.
- Favorite things: Henry & his crib blanket, pacifier, noise maker, sitting in the Jeep, chasing Killian, taking showers, and sitting in "big chairs."

This boy melts my heart daily, and also is beginning to try my patience. He is often solemn, but also giggles when he is so moved. He loves music and dancing and already has a hold on my heart. Lord help me the day he decides to leave his Mama.

Here's the one year comparison... taken exactly one year apart. (Newborn photo by "The Beautiful Mess," One Year photo taken by me as comparison!).

Stillness + A Kiss

The night is still and quiet... except for my sweet and restless, little boy.

He lays in the middle of our bed (an unusual treat), nestled into the crook of my arm, his feet resting on Bobby's sleeping chest.

Daddy's tired and has to work tomorrow. Mama's tired and slightly irritated that her boy won't sleep. Humming quietly in my throat, I hope that my voice soothes this babe, who desperately needs to sleep. He grabs a few fingers from my hand, which lays across his own chest, sucking his pacifier vigorously.

A few moments pass like this as I finish humming. My baby removes his pacifier, lifts his head up to look at me, blows me a kiss and shares the most contented, cheeky grin I've ever seen...erasing all irritation and replacing it with pure bliss. At 3:00 in the morning, that's exactly what I needed.

Camden, my little heart & soul.

52 Weeks + Spring Fun

It's here. And I never thought it would be here, but it's here. My baby turned 52 weeks on Tuesday. Although he's not officially one yet, our weekly picture routine has come to a close. If I hadn't been fussing over Camden to get him to hold still for the picture, I would have been crying. If I had been crying, then Camden probably would have hugged me and patted my back like he does to his stuffed animals when he thinks they're sad. And then I would have cried even more, because my baby is not really a baby anymore.

He laughs, he gets mad, he wines, he signs and communicates, he blows me kisses every morning when I'm nursing him.

I can't believe how big he's gotten over the last year. Shoot. Just looking at his 3, 6, 9 and 12 month comparison, he's such a different baby! But I suppose that's bound to happen.

We had lots of fun this week. I've been trying to prepare for his FIRST birthday party this weekend so we've been busy, but we still had time to be outside and enjoy the nice weather! This boy loves to be outside, and even better, he loves to get dirty and splash....and occasionally take a drink from the garden hose.

Tomorrow he turns one and my heart will explode with sadness and joy all at once. Can someone please pinch me?

He was soaked by the time we came inside.

Just taking a little drink.

He loves sitting on "big chairs," as we call them. Or our "big bed" in the mornings.

We walk every day up to get the mail. He loves looking at the truck! If he could run, he'd be doing it.

My sweet trouble-maker. I tell him "no" a million times, but the toilet paper roll never ceases to fascinate. I'll know I forgot to close the bathroom door when the entire roll is emptied on the ground.

The year. This makes me so sad, but so happy all at the same time.