Life Is A Dance

Last night was the final night of the Oregon High School Dance and Drill State Competition. Having been a member of dance team throughout high school, and having coached after high school, I naturally love to attend each year. But even more important, my sister, Annie, still coaches high school dance team, so we love to go to support her and her girls. Geri and I loaded up the girlies (if you think we're getting Kam started early, you should know that Makenna attended her first competition at the ripe ol' age of 2 weeks!) and headed into Portland.

We all had a fabulous time. Kam slept through the majority of the competition, Sierra and Makenna were content snacking on popcorn and admiring all of the costumes, and I got my dance team "fix" for the year. We also got to visit with old friends, and of course see Annie and her daughter, Sonoma.

I snapped a few pictures, though none are great (I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with my camera ~ any suggestions on a good camera are welcome!).

Sweet Sayings

The other day Makenna and I were on the floor admiring Kam and how she's grown and changed so much in the last few weeks. The following is one of the sweetest conversations I've had with my daughter who is no longer the baby of our little family.

Makenna: She's so tiny, Mama
Me: Yes, she's a tiny little pumpkin, isn't she?
Makenna: Does Kameryn have Jesus in her little heart too?
Me: Yes sweetheart, she does.

Always deep in thought, my sweet Makenna. I could tell she was happy to hear that even tiny little Kam has Jesus in her heart. What a treasured moment for this Mama.

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder?

So, Miss Kameryn likes to be right next to Mama at all times. We catch our Zzzzs together, we eat together, we clean house together (and I use the words clean and house VERY loosely), etc. If I try to put her down even for a moment, I'll get an earful (thank goodness for my best pal, sling). Anyway, this morning she sacked out on my lap during homeschool with Sierra and Makenna, and she seemed unusually content, so I carefully moved her to our bed so that I could get a quick load of laundry switched over and clean up the breakfast dishes. She wound up sleeping for almost an hour . . . without me . . . and I'll tell ya, I missed her.

Tell me you wouldn't miss this little pumpkin if she weren't permanently attached to you, I dare ya.

Splish Splash!

The sweet smell of a freshly bathed babe is just too much for me!
Kam likes the bath too, though it often results in
Sierra and Makenna joining in on the fun.
4 of us in one bath tub . . . it's a bit snug.
But I love it!

Of course a good, long nap is in order

once the bath festivities have ended.

It's the law.

Headin' Out West

Last week my dear friend and fellow homeschooling mom, Amanda, informed me that the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center was closing this week. Though we had planned on making this field trip a little later in the year, we decided we didn't want to miss the opportunity, so away we went on Friday afternoon. We enjoyed a short film, and the many displays. It was the perfect addition to our pioneer studies.

A Little Getaway!

Four weeks ago life pretty much consisted of growing our newest little addition. It was feeding (or preparation for feedings) around the clock, daily hour-long drives to the doctor for weigh-ins, hospital visits, tests. When I say there was no sleep, I really mean NO sleep. Not broken sleep, or a little sleep here and there, I mean not a wink. She required feeding every two hours, no exceptions. Breastfeeding wasn't an option because I had to quantify everything she was taking in. That meant feeding her through a syringe. By the time I would pump, mix the breastmilk with preemie formula (not my choice, but, hey, you'll do anything to grow your little pumpkin!), wake her enough to get her to eat (this was often the hardest chore), get her to actually take an ounce or so, mark it all down in my book (oh yes, there was documentation of every feeding, every diaper) then clean out all the pump parts . . . well, we were back to it being time to pump again. It was an exhausting couple of weeks, to say the least. But even among the worry and sleep deprivation, we felt so blessed to have our precious daughter at home with us instead of in the NICU.

Today life is so different. Only a few short weeks later our precious Kameryn is growing like a weed ~ well, a little weed. Daily weigh-ins are a thing of the past. Syringe feedings? No way! She is now breastfeeding like a champ. We're still up at night, of course. She's only 5 weeks old, people. But now our night time feedings are a special time for the two of us, not a time filled with worry and feeding calculations (how much math can one be expected to do at 3am?). Every day is such a joy.

So, my point (yeah, I'm actually getting there), is that had someone told me a few weeks ago that we'd be able to leave the house as a family, and actually take a mini vacation . . . well, I would've laughed out loud! But it has happened, and I'm so happy. Big sisters, Sierra and Makenna, have been through so much in the last couple of months. Having Mama hospitalized for two weeks was rough, and the couple of weeks following Kameryn's birth were equally hard. The girls really deserved a little fun. And I'm happy to say that we found it at the Great Wolf Lodge!

We made the trip to Grand Mound, Washington (about a 2 1/2 hour drive) on Wednesday. All the while the girls knew nothing of our plan. We picked up Nana and Grandpa to come along, and after about an hour in the car Sierra started getting suspicious. Imagine the looks on their faces when we pulled up to the Lodge. They were so excited! And rightly so, the water park was amazing! 84 degrees, water slides, wave pool, rafting, forts . . . it was just what we needed! Kam enjoyed herself too ~ come to find out, 84 degrees is just the right temperature for a little sugarplum to kick back and take a snooze!

Sierra and Makenna had Daddy and Grandpa running and playing all day, while Mama and Nana got to watch and take care of Kam. I did sport a bathing suit for a short while (which was brave of me considering I am in no shape to be wearing one at this point!), so that I could go on the raft ride with Jeremy and Sierra, and a few slides with the girls, and I must say it was too much fun! We will definitely be going back in the near future!

Five Weeks Old!

Our precious Kameryn Faith is five weeks old today. This day is special in another way too; as it happens to be her due date. What a blessing she is to our family, our sweet and tiny Kam. Now that she's gaining weight steadily, we can breathe a sigh of relief, and truly appreciate each and every moment we have with her. She is most certainly our little miracle.

Birthday Wishes

Sweet Makenna Nicole is now 4 years old! My baby isn't a baby anymore.

Pretty happy with her new panda . . .

Is There Anything Sweeter . . .

Than a little one finding her thumb?! Uhhh, it just makes my heart melt! Our little Kam is three and a half weeks old, but I often find myself wondering how we ever managed without her. What a sweet little bundle she is!

Welcome Kameryn Faith!

After a two-week stay in the hospital, and a whole lotta drama and worry, we welcomed our precious Kameryn Faith into this world. Born on January 27th, at 35 weeks, she's a tiny miracle who brings us great joy!

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

*Playing in the snow with children, How-Tos* (Use pictures, below, for visual aid)

#1. Bundle up. Start with a warm layer, add snow bibs, scarves, hats, (enormous) gloves, super plush and bulky parkas, and snow boots. Once the little sugarplums are unable to move a muscle, you'll know you're set! Just as you're ready to head out the door you will hear "I have to go potty!" Peel off layer after layer, send them to the bathroom, then start again from the beginning.

#2. Once outside fling yourself into the snow and start vigorously moving your arms and legs to create the perfect snow angel. Repeat this step 42 million times all throughout your yard.

#3. Sneak a nibble of snow when no one is watching ;)

When you've had your fill of the fluffy white stuff, come in for some hot cocoa!

Enjoy these special moments with your own sugarplums. They grow so quickly!

Holiday Traditions

For the last several years we've been searching for a tradition we can call our own, and this year we found an outing that we loved ~ a visit to the Pittock Mansion. The girls and I made the drive with my mom and mother-in-law, and had such a wonderful time ooohing and ahhhing over the decorations. The pictures don't do it justice, but I promise you, it was well worth it!

*Note: No flash photography was allowed, please forgive the blurry pictures! :)