Camden's 2 week pictures

I better post these because he may be 6 months old before I have time to blog again. He's so perfect! The photographer said she hardly had to edit them because his skin is so perfect. He gets that from daddy.

WHAT!?! Camden's 8 weeks already!

Where the heck does time go? Now I completely understand why my friends with 2+ kids never have time to talk on the phone.

Dr. Hodges scheduled me a cesarean Tuesday, March 16th at noon. I had contractions all weekend, but when they checked me I still wasn't even to a 1. They prepped me for another cesarean and Mike waited anxiously in the hallway. A nurse asked him if he needed anything for his jitters, but he declined. I can only imagine how nervous he must have been sitting in the chair outside the operating room while they got me ready. I felt much more at ease this time, I even remember laughing with the doctor and nurses. I already had an idea how things would go, but it was even better than I imagined. The staff told me over and over how the surgery would go and kept me informed during all of it. The anesthesiologist even took pictures for us and gave me a play by play since all I could see was the blue screen.

Mike did wonderful and got awesome pictures. He even got the very 1st picture of Camden with just his head out and one arm up on my belly (picture above). My dad said, "It looks like he's army crawling out of you." Camden screamed quite loudly even before he was all the way out of my belly. I should have taken that as a forewarning of days to come. lol Mike zoomed at all the right times. We had many conversations about using zoom and cropping out the wall behind him. :) Mike got a picture of Camden's 1st weight, 8 lbs, 9 oz. He got several of cutting the cord and the 1st moments he was here. Camden Micah was born at 12:34 pm March 16th, 2010 and is absolutely perfect. Daddy did amazing, too.

I guess I assumed Camden would be a fairly easy baby since he seemed so calm in my belly and Mike is so laid back. I thought Drew was a difficult baby. WRONG! Camden has been very fussy, temperamental, and needy since he was 2 weeks old. The 1st 2 weeks breezed by. Mike was home a lot because work was slow, we had tons of visitors, Camden slept all the time, and I felt great after my c-section. Then he turned 2 weeks old...

Camden has been colicky, wants to be held 24/7, and cries about absolutely nothing most of the time. I've had many days of just sitting and holding him because every time I would put him down he would scream. Everyone told me to enjoy this time, but to be truly honest, I didn't. I know I will look back and miss the times of just holding him. I'm such a doer, its hard for me to sit still. Mike had an easier time sitting and holding him for hours.

Camden hates the swing, boppy, sling, and laying down. He slept for 10-15 minutes at a time my entire maternity leave. I had plans of cleaning/dusting all the wood trim in our house, reorganizing my recipes, sewing cloth grocery bags, and several other tasks. Oh my gosh! DID I FORGET WHAT ITS LIKE TO HAVE A BABY! Not only did I not get one of those things done, I had to have my mom and sister-in-law each come over once a week so I could fold laundry, pay bills, and open my mail!

When Camden was 3 weeks old I bought Mylacon drops hoping that would help his colic and gas. It didn't work. At 4 weeks, I took him to our fabulous pediatrician, Dr. Lee, and she gave me a prescription for Pepcid. He had been throwing up almost everything he ate and hated anything but being held literally ALL the time. I was at my wits end. Pepcid cost $85 dollars a month, but at that point I didn't care, much. :) I have since got a prescription for Zantec that is a little cheaper. We won't be having to buy birth control with all the screaming Camden does so that is saving us some money. (To our mom's, I'm just kidding, I am buying birth control and we're using abstinence. lol).

It was a bitter sweet day April 27th, when I went back to work. I missed my clients and having adult conversation, but at the same time Camden transformed into a little bit easier baby between 5 and 6 weeks old. My mom and sister, Cassie, have been watching him and it was a little rough at first, but I think him and I have adjusted. Camden only slept 20 minutes the 1st day I worked and 30 minutes the 2nd. I started pumping and bottle feeding when he was 4 days old so he'd be used to a bottle but I didn't even think about him being so used to being with me 24/7 that it would be an adjustment for him. He is doing much better now. A couple of clients suggested I cut dairy foods out of my diet and Camden has done a 180 since then. I think he may be lactose intolerant. Drew had to have soy formula once I stopped nursing, but he never cried like Camden has. I don't know why I didn't think of cutting that out earlier. He still is a little fussy at night, but nothing like he was. I'm going to keep him on the Zantec for at least another month and see how it goes. Maybe I found the solution! YEAH! I told Mike, "If I was trying to diet and cut out dairy I don't think I could do it. Doing it for my baby makes it so much easier." Mike replied, "Maybe its the constant screaming that makes it easier to give up." lol Yes, that is true. I'd much rather give up dairy (yes, even ice cream) than caffeine. I need the caffeine to keep up with all these boys!

Grandma Lisa has taught him to stick out his tongue and he smiles at Aunt Cass all the time. Nana Debbie got the 1st real smile April 20th when Camden was 5 weeks old. It wasn't even gas or anything! I got my 1st smile the following Friday, April 23rd. Now he is smiling all the time especially in the morning and coos at you. Camden rolled from his tummy to back April 10th, at 3 and a half weeks old and again May 5th at 7 weeks. Camden LOVES to be naked and would be totally content chilling in a diaper all day.

Life is getting easier and Mike and I are adjusting well to having a new baby. Drew would smother him to death if I didn't keep telling him not to kiss and hug his brother so much. Drew has done great with him and loves him so much. He tells me all the time Camden is so cute and how much he loves him. He can hardly stand it when Camden sleeps those 10-15 minutes and wants to wake him up. I've threatened Drew's life if he wakes him up! We've only had one time that Drew was onry to him. Camden was 3 or 4 weeks old and I was busy doing other things. I came into the living room to check on him and Camden had stickers in his hair. I told Drew I was going to put stickers in his hair and see how he liked it when I pulled them out. Drew said, "No, that will hurt!" Yes, and don't you think it will hurt your brother when I pull the stickers in his hair out? Ugh!

Mike is a fabulous daddy just like I thought. He has been amazingly helpful and with all the stress Camden has caused I thought we'd be heading for divorce by now. Mike text me the other morning and said, "Even with all the crying he does he's still the best thing ever and makes me love you even more. I'm so lucky to have all of you in my life." I could have cried. My husband is so wonderful and does so much for us. I couldn't feel more loved lately. Life is good!