Some days I just need a little inspiration....a little positivity in my life...a little 'everything is going to be OK.' On those days, I'll usually turn to my husband - he always looks on the positive side of things and usually always knows what to say. But I also love browsing my Quotes Pinterest board and my funny board. I've pinned silly quotes...uplifting quotes...funny ones...and maybe even some that some people may think are 'inappropriate.' But in any case, just going through these boards when I'm having 'one of those days' can often put things in perspective for me - or at least give me a little chuckle. Lately I've been on this board more often than not - life is pretty hectic, crazy, and stressful these days. So I wanted to share a few of my favorites for you all on this Thursday. Enjoy!!
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Phew! What a weekend. That's all I can say. Kids should not be allowed to get sick. Thursday I left work at noon to go pick Camden up. I took him to the doctors later that afternoon and he was diagnosed with croup. My poor little baby :/ So our weekend didn't turn out exactly as we had hoped but it was still a good weekend!! Friday my mom watched him in the morning and Matt left work early to stay with him in the afternoon. So needless to say, we hung low Friday and most of the weekend. Friday night after Camden was in bed I went to Wegmans to get some of the food for his 1st birthday party (I can't believe it's in 2 weeks!!!!) Saturday morning I went for a 9 mile run while Camden took his morning nap. After that, we all got ready as we had booked a mini photo session at a local park. I can't wait to show you all the pictures once we get them!! I saw some preview pics and they're SO cute. Once we got home, Camden ate some lunch and went down for his afternoon nap. I then headed to this little princess' 3rd birthday party! Once I got home, we all just hung out and played and Camden was asleep for the night around 6:15!! Matt and I spent the rest of the night getting things together for his party and working on a bunch of random stuff around the house - nothing too crazy. Sunday we got up and around & headed down to visit my Grandpa who was in the hospital (no worries - he's OK!) We dropped Camden off at Matt's sister's since we didn't want to bring him to the hospital. While there we got to meet their brand new boxer puppy, Oliver!! <3 Sooo flippin' adorable and I'm soooo glad Camden got to spend some time with his Aunt Googie, Uncle Pauly, and cousins!! Once we got home we just hung out, played, and did some food prep. I was also able to squeeze in a quick 3 mile run while Matt attempted to get Camden down for a quick catnap. Camden has learned how to do 'cheers' and it's one of his favorite things to do right now. It's just the cutest thing ever (oh and you should ask him what sound a monkey or elephant makes - talk about a whole lotta cutest right there ha-ha) We finished up our weekend with getting things ready for the week and laundry. I'm looking forward to Camden feeling better this week and celebrating his first Halloween this weekend!! On Friday we're all going to a Halloween party at his daycare - trick or treating, then to the library, then back to daycare for a little party. Then on Saturday we're off to a Halloween party at the fire station where my brother in law is chief at!! Should be pretty fun!
Whoever said dressing little boys isn't fun clearly hasn't been shopping for boys clothes recently. Sure we don't get to shop for cute headbands or bows. Or those adorable little leggings or ruffled shirts. But we do get to shop for cool hats. And adorable sweater vests. And preppy button down shirts. Did I mention baby-sized bow ties and suspenders?! <3 So yeah - us boy moms have just as much fun as little girl moms. And now that the temps are cooler I've been on the look out for some fun, cool, fall inspired outfits for my little man. Here's what I've got my eyes on (all from my Pinterest board...of course!) I mean seriously - does it get any cuter?!........I think not!!!
And, of course, a couple pictures of my little guy all decked out in some uber adorable, preppy fall clothes! Better lock up your daughters - he's single and ready to mingle ha-ha Well - well - well. Look here - another post from yours truly. Am I actually getting my act together with this blog and going to post regularly!? I sure hope so - I do enjoy all of this but unfortunately it's always pushed to the back burner since it's not high on my priority list. But at least I'm here now and my intentions are good...let's hope I can keep this up! In any case, here we are - Monday again. I haven't done a weekend recap in quite some time so I'm here today doing just that. We had such a fantastic weekend and I loved every second of it (except for the migraine I had Saturday, of course!) It was exactly what I needed - and yet it makes the Monday blues that much worse! After C went to bed on Friday, I headed out to find him a winter jacket. I was lucky and ended up finding him two jackets. I went to a local kids' clothing resale shop and got great deals. I love living so close to these sorts of shops. It's all brand name, like new or new clothing at a fraction of the cost of new stuff. I got two jackets (one still had the tags on it!) for about $25! You can't beat that!! After that I hit up the gym real quick before heading home. On Saturday I woke up with a nasty migraine - ugh! After I fed Camden and we played for a bit I sucked it up and headed out for a 6 mile run. Even though I didn't want to go, I knew I always feel the best when working out (same holds true when I'm sick.) This time of year is my absolute most favorite time to be outside running. Last year I wasn't running and was VERY, VERY pregnant. So this year, I'm soaking it all up and trying to get outside to run as much as possible. I felt good while running but once I got home the migraine was still there and I was not feeling good at all. Camden was already up from his morning nap and Matt left to go to Cross Fit so C and I just hung out and played. Once Matt got home, I was able to close my eyes for about half an hour before I had to nurse Camden and get lunch ready. After his afternoon nap, we headed out to meet up with Matt's sister and her family and Matt's mom to go on a train ride! Once we got home from that we ate dinner and Camden went to bed. Once he was safely tucked in for the night Matt and I worked on some Christmas projects and binge watched Quantico. Anyone else watch that show?! If not, I HIGHLY recommend it!!! Sunday Camden was up bright 'n' early. We were supposed to attend the annual Breast Cancer walk but it was just too dang cold out. So instead C and I played while Matt grocery shopped. I put Camden down for his morning nap and then was able to head to Pilates class. Once I got home we did some arts 'n' crafts projects, we carved our pumpkin (Camden LOVED playing in the pumpkin guts as you can see from the pictures ha-ha), roasted up the seeds, did a bunch of baking and cooking, and played lots and lots!! I was able to scoot out and run errands & get a haircut during his afternoon nap which was so nice! After his nap, we headed to the library. Camden was in his glory with so many books just EVERYWHERE!! We played cars with a mom and her 16 month old daughter (then a couple older kids joined us as well) and just had so much fun! It was our first time at our town's new library and we'll most definitely be visiting there as much as possible!! After dinner and bedtime, Matt and I wrapped up the weekend with laundry, cutting Matt's hair, coloring mine (bye-bye gray hairs!), and getting ready for the week. Weekends with my little family rock my world <3
I must confess ~ I must confess ~ that I wish Camden would sleep in later in the mornings. However, I am grateful he goes to bed early and sleeps through the night so I guess I can handle an earlier-than-I'd-like wake up time.
I must confess ~ s'more Oreos are my JAM! I'm so bummed they were only a limited edition flavor. And even more so, I'm bummed I didn't stock up on them when they were available!! I must confess ~ I ALWAYS have something in my Amazon cart. I love, love, love Amazon Prime! I must confess ~ I wish I could buy ALL of Target. I must confess ~ I'm in dire need of a hair style. What I've got going on right now just ain't workin'. I must confess ~ my son's forehead is huge. I just hope he grows into it someday :-p I must confess ~ I'm a total salt addict. I must confess ~ my son is a total mama's boy and I hope he never stops being one. I must confess ~ there are certain parts of my pre-baby life that I miss but that doesn't change the fact that being a mom is amazing and I wouldn't change anything for the world! I must confess ~ money WOULD solve all my problems. I must confess ~ that all my gray hairs are out of control. I need to get better at dyeing it regularly. I must confess ~ I start my Christmas shopping in like July/August (sooner if I can...since I'm being honest here!) I must confess ~ I didn't want to throw my son a 1st birthday party (I am NOT a party planner and it all stresses me out!) But, of course, we are having one for him. I must confess ~ everyone was right. I'm loving the iPhone now that I'm used to it. I must confess ~ that I love that Camden eats super healthy and that he actually loves (for now) all the healthy foods we feed him. I just hope he continues on this path. I must confess ~ a blog post of mine wouldn't be complete without a cute picture of my uber adorable son. I mean c'mon - look at that face and that combover The end. Dear Camden, Here we are again. Today you are 11 months old...just one month shy of being a 1 year old. My, oh my, how the days are flying by!! I feel like I repeat myself every month but I only speak the truth. You are truly the light of our lives. Every day is so much fun with you. You're smart. You're sweet. You're funny. You're high energy. And a total mama's boy! You're absolutely perfect in our eyes. You're growing up to be such a little boy - it's amazing to us how much you grow every single day. Though you are still tiny, you are clearly more of a little man now than a baby. Though I miss the newborn days you really are so much fun right now. You have a sense of humor. You're ticklish. You 'get' things now. You communicate with us and understand so much more than I thought you would at this age. You are smart - so incredibly smart. And you're sweet - you are a total love bug and loving being with mommy and daddy. You amaze us every single day and every day we're so incredibly grateful for you. We are so lucky to be your parents. I ask daddy every day how we got so lucky to be your parents. Keep growing - keep learning - keep being YOU!! Camden - I can't tell you how much I love you. I love being your mama and I KNOW daddy loves being your dada. I love watching you grow. I pretty much just love everything about you. Keep doin' what you're doin'. You make so many people so very happy!! We love you so much, buddy! Love always, Mommy & Daddy WEIGHT - We don't go to the pediatrician's until November so I have no idea. If I had to guess I'd guess he's around 17.5lbs.
LENGTH - no clue - we'll just wait to find out at appointment. CLOTHES - For the most part he's in 6 months or 3-6 these days. But he has some 0-3 pants that still fit. SLEEP - He's still my little sleeper and he's still on the same schedule as he has been on. Naps are usually an hour but sometimes we'll get a REALLY good nap out of him. He is asleep by 6:45-7:00pm and wakes up around 6:30am usually. He's typically asleep between 8:30 and 8:45 for his morning nap and goes down at 1pm for his afternoon nap. DISLIKES - getting his diaper changed, having something taken away from him, being overtired, getting water in his eyes during bath time. LIKES - books, stuffed animals, his wood animals, balls, eating, being outside, getting chased, playing peek-a-boo, walking using his walk-behind toys, hanging out with mommy and daddy, and putting items in a bucket and then dumping it all out and repeating the process!! EATING - He eats breakfast, lunch, and dinner plus 2 snacks. We stopped the purees and so he eats all finger foods now. We're still nursing/supplementing. His favorite foods are eggs, watermelon, tomatoes, black olives, homemade applesauce, and the baby pancakes and muffins I make for him. The kid can seriously EAT!! MILESTONES - As I mentioned we stopped purees. I loved making his food but it is nice to have one less thing to worry about. He has also dropped the bottle. He uses a sippy cup at daycare when he drinks his milk and he also gets a cup of milk with dinner. He says dada, mama, and nay-nay (not sure what that means - maybe 'night, night'), and yeah. He signs 'more', 'up', 'milk' and 'finished.' He chats all day long - it's so dang cute!! He knows some of his body parts - like his belly and nose and we are working on ears and feet. And I can't even begin to say how much he gets now - it's amazing, it really truly is. This section would be SO long if I listed everything. Knowing he's growing and developing just makes my heart swell <3 OTHER - We play a game with Camden using these wood animals he has. He likes us to line up 3 or 4 animals and ask him to find a specific animal. He gets most of them correct - it's amazing and makes us so proud. We are now working on colors using this same game. We also went apple picking for the first time as a family and also to a couple different pumpkin patches. You LOVE pumpkins - you wanted to take them all home with you!! It was so stinkin' cute. I'm not a confident person. Never have been. Never will be. By nature I am independent, humble, and your classic perfectionist. I've never been proud of myself, even when I've accomplished some pretty cool things in my life. Even though to most people these things are pretty significant, I always view it as someone did it faster, better, or sooner than me - there's always room to do better so whatever I did just isn't good enough in my eyes. (I know, I know - being like this causes a lot of anxiety in my life and I feel like I'm always carrying a heavy weight on my shoulders...big issue I deal with.) But anyways, when I found out I was pregnant my number one fear was being a good mom. I was so worried I wouldn't know what to do. I was so anxious my motherly instincts wouldn't kick in...that I wouldn't be 'a natural.' I was constantly afraid of being judged.
These last almost 11 months have been trying to say the least. Being a parent is no joke. Being a working parent is even more challenging. But lately I can confidently say that I can take a step back and actually say I'm proud of the parents Matt and I are. I'm proud of my son. I'm proud of the way we've done things. I'm proud of our parenting style. I'm proud at how happy, sweet, healthy, independent and well-adjusted our son is. I'm proud of how we're doing things. I'm proud of what we've accomplished. I'm proud of the decisions we've made in raising a child. I could brag quite a bit here (because isn't that what mommies do?!) but I'll spare you all :) In all honesty though, Matt and I talked a lot about how we wanted to parent and how we wanted to do things. And some of those decisions aren't agreed upon by a lot of people. But that's OK. Matt and I are confident in our decisions and we stand up for them and our thought processes. I'm more than happy to explain to people why we do what we do so they can understand our point of view and can see why we chose to do certain things. I don't always agree with what others are doing and I may think my way is better (for lack of a better word) - but so long as the child is happy and healthy - I don't care what decisions the parents make. There's so much judging going on when it comes to being a parent - let's all just be supportive of one another and the decisions parents make. You know the saying - it takes a village to raise a child - and it's the truth! But no matter what....our kid is clearly thriving - he's super smart, he's happy, he's healthy....he's absolutely perfect. And that's all that matters <3 Hey everyone! It's me Camden (shhh don't tell mommy or daddy I'm on the laptop - they don't think I'm old enough for 'screen time' yet as tehy call it!) But anyways, I always hear mommy talk about her blog and I have no idea what that is, so I figured I'd check it out. I'm growing up so fast and learning so much I want to check everything out and figure things out. I'm learning so much every day - there are just so many fun and interesting things to see and learn about!! Anyways, you know how nosey my mom is - always on Facebook and Instagram -always reading blogs - always just being nosey and wanting to know everything. I heard her talking to daddy the other day about some of the blogs she reads daily. I guess it's pretty popular to do a 'day in the life' post these days (sounds boring to me actually!) BUT I figured that it'd be pretty quick and easy for me to write about so I'm jumpin' on the band wagon. Mom and dad have me on a pretty regular schedule - and I kinda like it. I love being on a routine and it seems to work well for all of us. We have a lot of fun every day and I love hanging out and playing. So here you go (I'm showing you what a weekend day looks like for me. Mommy and daddy go to work during the week and though I have lots of fun at daycare I thought it'd be way more cool to tell you about all the fun times I have with mommy and daddy on the weekends!) 6:15 - This is about the time I usually wake up, though sometimes I give mom and dad a break and sleep in until 6:30 or later (but not too often - I don't want them getting used to that!) I'm sure they'd like it if I slept in later but in my defense there are just too many toys to play with and too many things to see and do!! On Saturday mornings daddy lets mommy sleep in so he comes in and gets me. After he changes my diaper we head downstairs to play for a bit. Right now I love books, my Fisher Price Laugh and Learn piggy bank, and my Playskool Busy Gears. On Sundays, mommy gets up with me. She really loves this one on one time with me - she is always kissing me and hugging me and making me giggle. 7:00 - I start to get hungry around this time. I'm still getting mommy's milk though I think I might be getting too old for it. I just like to pull her hair while I eat and everything around me is so distracting that sometimes I don't drink for long. But anyways, after I drink my milk in the morning I get to eat the good stuff!!! My favorite breakfast foods are Cheerios, scrambled eggs, and these super yummy pancakes mommy makes me. She says they're all healthy and good for me but I don't care about any of that - all I care about is that they taste YUMMY!!!! After I finish breakfast it's back to playing for me!! Besides the toys I listed above, I love to go around and look at the flowers/trees outside, play in my ball pit, knock down any towers mommy or daddy build for me, listen to music, and get chased around the house!! It's all pretty fun if I do say so myself!!!! 8:30-8:45 - *YAWN* Yup - I'm pretty pooped at this point and ready for a nap. I love to have books read to me before I go down. After a couple books I go right to sleep and usually take a pretty good nap. 10 - I'm awake and it's snack time! I like to eat some watermelon at snack time or a yummy muffin mommy made for me (she makes me the best stuff - she tells me all the time how I have to eat healthy so I can grow big and strong like daddy!) After snack I like to play some more. I might also tag along and run some errands with the parental unit. If it's nice out we like to get outside and go for a walk or go on a hike. Other times we head out to visit family or friends for the day. I'm pretty easy going so I just go along with whatever they have planned.
12noon - It's time to eat again - YAY!!! I enjoy some milk and then will eat some fruit puree along with some finger foods (shredded chicken, black olives, baby pancake, puffs, etc.) Mommy says I'm getting too big for purees so soon I'll just be eating regular food. I'm good with this - I've mastered my pincer grasp and can shovel food into my mouth like a champ!!! 1-ish - I'm ready for my afternoon nap. Mom and dad are pretty strict with my schedule and try to get me down right at 1, but they do tend to be a bit more relaxed with this nap, especially if we're all out and about. I usually sleep for an hour or longer - I have to recharge my batteries so I'm all ready for an afternoon of fun!! 3 - Snack time - woohoo! I get more milk and maybe some puffs or Cheerios or fruit - I'm not picky...I'll eat whatever they put on my tray. Afterwards, we'll play some more - or go run more errands - or whatever mom and dad need to do - I just go along for the ride and scope everything out. 5:45 - dinner time! We all sit down and eat dinner together now. When mommy plans the menu for the week she tries to make baby friendly dinners so I can eat what they eat. If it's not though - no worries, I'm just as happy eating some shredded chicken, tomatoes, black olives, and a veggie. I like it all!! 6:15 - "Rubber ducky you're the one....you make bath time so much fun!" I just love it when daddy sings that to me - it makes me laugh. I really love bath time now - except when water gets in my eyes!! I love to splash and play with my toys!! 6:30 - By this time I'm pretty sleepy. I've had a full day and I'm ready to hit the sack. After I drink some milk, mommy and daddy read to me, then sing me a couple songs. I'm exhausted and just ready to be in my crib and I'm usually fast asleep by 6:45 or shortly after. And that's it - a day in my life. Pretty fun, huh?!?! Dear Camden, Where do I even begin? Today you are 10 months old. In 2 short months you are going to be 1. Yes, that's right - 1!!!!!!!! I honestly have such a hard time wrapping my head around that. I seriously feel as if it were yesterday we were bringing you home from the hospital. Each month with you gets better and better. You are such a good boy - you always have been since day one and I hope that continues. You're thriving and growing and learning so much every day. It's incredible to see you become a little person. You are such a happy baby all the time (except when you're tired - but hey, I don't blame you. I get fussy when I'm tired too!) You are such a little sponge - soaking everything up - watching everything around you - trying to figure out how everything works. Mommy and daddy love teaching you new things and watching you develop new skills. It's such a joy. Being your parents is the hardest yet most rewarding and incredible thing ever. I don't know how we got so dang lucky to get such a perfect little boy but we are so incredibly grateful. You are the light of our lives and you make us so happy. And we know we aren't just biased - everyone compliments on us on what a good, happy, smart little boy you are. We are so proud of you and love you so very much! Keep growing. Keep being the smart, funny, sweet, cute little boy that we love so very dearly. Keep growing. Keep learning. Keep being YOU! We love you!! Love always, Mommy & Daddy WEIGHT - On 8/25, he weighed 15lbs 10oz so he's definitely over 16lbs at this point (especially at the rate this kid is eating - my goodness he eats a ton for a kid his size - it's quite astounding actually ha-ha)
LENGTH - On 8/25 he was 2' 3.7" or 27.7" so really I don't know how much he really grew in a few weeks... HAIR - it's grown in quite a bit and still pretty light - I'd say a dirty blonde color right now. EYES - big 'n' blue - I think we're past the point of them changing so we've got a blue-eyed little boy on our hands....lock up your daughters!!! CLOTHES - I don't even know to be honest. For shorts he's definitely still in 0-3 or 3 months, same for rompers. For pajamas he's wearing mostly 6 months. For shirts/onesies he can wear 3 months or 6 months. I don't know what this winter will be like. I feel like he needs 0-3 or 3 for pants because he has a tiny waist but he needs a bigger size for the length. So I dunno - he'll either be sporting highwater pants all winter or will be wearing suspenders every day to keep his pants up!!! DIAPERS - size 3....we ran out of size 2 and didn't feel like buying more since he'll probably be out of them shortly anyways so we're making size 3s work. SLEEP - still a great sleeper...at night! He sleeps 7-6:15ish. His naps can vary - he still takes 2 naps and we shoot for each one being an hour or longer but sometimes one is only half an hour. DISLIKES - getting his diaper changed - especially when he's tired, being off schedule, getting something taken away from him (holy temper tantrum!!!!) LIKES - music (it's soooo stinkin' cute when he dances!), opening/shutting doors, being outside and looking at the flowers, books, being chased around the house, food (seriously he eats SO MUCH!!!) EATING - the kid eats like a rockstar - seriously. It's amazing how much this kid can pack away. We switched up his schedule a bit a couple weeks ago - he now gets breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with 2 snacks. For breakfast he'll nurse and then have some fruit and scrambled eggs or pancakes (I found this GREAT recipe for pancakes - just 2 eggs, a banana, and some cinnamon all blended up and cooked like regular pancakes...perfect for babies and so much healthier!!!) After his morning nap, he'll have a snack of cheerios maybe or some more fruit or something like that. At lunch he gets a 4oz bottle/nurses, 2oz of fruit puree, and some finger food (such as veggies, chicken, olives, etc) At 3pm he gets a 4oz bottle/nurses. We now eat dinner as a family around 5:45 so he'll have 4oz of a veggie/combo puree along with some more finger foods. Then before bed he gets a 5oz bottle and also nurses. MILESTONES - gives kisses, gives high fives, says da-da, yeah, ba-ba and lotsa of other sounds and babbling, he uses baby sign language - he has a sign for 'want' and he can sign 'more' and 'all done' and sometimes he'll do 'eat.' He can also walk using a walk behind toy so I have a feeling he'll be walking sooner than later. He babbles a ton and understands SO much. For instance, if you say 'OK Camden let's go night night' he'll go over to a pillow and lay his head down - it's so stinkin' adorable! He's also really quite funny - he is a total goofball and makes us laugh every day!! He also now has 6 teeth. OTHER - You had to start at a new day care unfortunately. It's been a big adjustment for you (and us too!) but once you get used to it I think you'll thrive there. You're such an easy going kid that I know it's all going to be just fine!! There's so much I want to say. So much to catch ya'll up on. So much to share with everyone. But quite honestly - there just aren't enough hours in the day and this space is always the first thing to be put on the back burner (*ie - this post took me over a week to finish.) I know I keep saying I'm going to get better at this and I keep trying to do it all...but I can't. But today I did want to pop in quick and do a quick little All About Me post I've been seeing in the blog world recently. So enjoy...and I hope to be back to this space more regularly sooner rather than later...
20 Questions 1. Favorite food: Hmmm...this is a tough one - I seriously LOVE food! I honestly don't think I can pick just one food to call my FAVORITE!! So I'll go general and say Italian because it includes a lot of my favorite things like fresh bread, pasta, seafood(cacciuco anyone?!?!), etc. Ooh...but I do love pizza...and fresh fruit...and cotton candy...and burritos...(do you see my issue here?!) 2. Flip flops or high heels: Flip flops all the way. I wish I were a high heels kinda girl but I'm just not anymore. I do love me a great pair of wedges though - I can totally rock those!! 3. Favorite places to shop for yourself: I really don't shop for myself - sad but true. When I do need to find stuff I usually head to Marshalls, Old Navy, or Target. 4. Standard Coffee order: I'll only drink coffee when I'm able to add loads of yummy creamer to it which isn't usually available at coffee places (not to mention it all needs to be dairy free.) So very rarely do I order coffee when out and about - it's usually something I only drink at home when I can doctor it up to my liking. However, when I do go to Starbucks my standard order is a sugar-free vanilla soy steamer. 5. Road trip must have snack: water, some sort of candy, pretzels, and fruit!! 6. DIY or hire it out? I'd say we usually DIY with the exception of painting. I'd love to hire it out more but we usually don't have the funds to do that. 7. Top 5 TV shows: TV what's that?! Who has time to watch TV these days?!?!?! When I do get the chance I love Grey's Anatomy, The Voice, Graceland, OITNB....and I can't think of what else we watch (hashtag mommybrain) 8. Favorite Book: There's no way I can pick a favorite book - I love to read and there are too many great reads out there!! 9. Favorite Form of Exercising: running and pilates 10. How tall are you? 5'3.5" (and yes that half an inch is important!) 11. Do you try something new at restaurants or stick to your favorites? a creature of habit and usually stick to my favorites. I have been known to switch it up though if the mood strikes me (which isn't often!) 12. One make up item you can't live without: just ONE?!?! Ummm - I'll have to say foundation/concealer 13. What's on your nightstand? a lamp, 2 baby monitors, ipad, and cell phone. 14. What's one thing motherhood has taught you? Hmm I've only been a mommy for just over 9 months so this is hard. I guess it's that they really do grow up so fast so to enjoy every second with them. Your time with them is precious so soak it all up every.single.day. 15. Music that reminds you of high school: Gotta go with Backstreet Boys...'N Sync....NKOTB...you know all those boy bands. 16. If you could live anywhere in the world besides your current city where would you live? Hmm either Lake George or somewhere in Arizona. 17. Tell us something about you we might not know: Hmm let me think....I think I'm mentioned a lot of the quirky things already on my blog - like that I am deathly petrified of deer, I'm lactose intolerant, my husband and I went to school together and grew up in the same small town. Umm...I'm thinking - I'm thinking. Oh I know - I HATE, HATE, HATE the movie The Wizard of Oz (sorry to all you lovers of that movie out there - I know most people love this movie!) 18. Websites you read/browse (besides blogs): yahoo.com, Facebook, Pinterest, Etsy - that's about it I think. 19. Morning person or Night owl? Morning person - though, in all honesty, I don't think I'm either ha-ha I'm great from like 3-5:30 ha-ha 20. Favorite Breakfast meal: Ohh breakfast foods...a weakness of mine. You can't go wrong with chocolate chip pancakes...or donuts. Yup - now who wants to bring me both of these?! Like right meow...YUM! YUM! Dear Camden, You are 3/4 of a year old...how'd that happen already?!?! I can't believe I'm starting to plan your 1st birthday party - how insane is that?! Anyways, life has been pretty crazy and stressful for mommy and daddy lately but you are a constant source of joy to us. Every day (no exaggeration) we say how dang cute you are and how lucky we are to have you. You bring so much happiness and love, not only to us, but to everyone. You are so incredibly loved by so many people!! You are constantly on the move these days - you never sit still anymore. You crawl at top speed (mommy loves to chase you around the house - you laugh so hard when I do this!) and you continue to pull yourself up on anything and everything. Playing with you is just so much fun these days - you really PLAY and definitely have your favorite toys. You're also obsessed with books - so much so that at night I have to cover your bookshelf with a blanket when you nurse so you aren't distracted by them (gotta say I LOVE that you love books so much!) You also love being outside and still love flowers. I don't know where this comes from but it's just about the cutest thing ever. You understand so many words now, including eat, bottle, hungry, ball, flowers, high chair, books, milk, up, etc. You've started to show an interest in using a spoon yourself so we've been letting you play with it after we feed you. Soon we'll probably give you a bowl of food yourself and your spoon and let you go at it (such a big boy you are!!) Your smile and laugh are infectious - seriously, no matter how hard of a day we've had, the second we see you it all goes away and life is good again. I love walking in the door after work every day and seeing your face light up and give me the biggest smile ever - melts my heart EVERY. SINGLE. time. You are so incredibly sweet and easy going. There isn't a single thing we'd change about you - you're just perfect for us and we are so grateful we are your parents. You are the light of our lives. Keep on doing what you're doing. You're an amazing little boy. We love you so much!! Love, Mommy & Daddy WEIGHT - We don't go to the pediatrician's office until the 25th so I'll update this after we go. But according to our home scale he's around 15lbs *(update - at his appointment today, 8/25, he weighed 15lbs 10oz - 0 percentile.)
LENGTH - no idea...we will have to wait until his pediatrician appointment to find out *(update - 8/25 appointment he was 2' 3.7" or 27.7" which is the 25th percentile.) HAIR - it's really filling in. He never lost his baby hair (except for the bald spot on the back of his head from rubbing his head back and forth) but now it's getting a lot thicker. It also has a slight red tint to it - I wouldn't say his hair is red but at certain times I can definitely see a little red in it. EYES - still blue! I know I say it every month but everyone still compliments him on his eyes whenever they see him - he's got gorgeous eyes and eyelashes!! CLOTHES - for shorts or rompers he's in 0-3 still. For onesies he still wears all his 0-3 but I also broke out some 3-6 ones and they fit him (a little long and baggy but not too bad.) For pajamas he's in 3-6 months. DIAPERS - size 2 Pampers - size 3 for overnight. SLEEP - Camden still sleeps like a rock star. Most nights he's asleep by 7pm and sleeps until the morning. Lately he's been 'sleeping in' and not waking up until 6:15-6:30. Naps....naps are a different story. He still takes 2 naps a day but they aren't as long as they had been in the past. One nap is usually an hour and then the other is usually 1.5 hours. SOMETIMES we get a 2 hour nap but that doesn't happen too often these days. But he always happy when he's awake so I guess this is jut how it's going to be. DISLIKES - getting his diaper changed, being overtired, having something taken away from him that he's not supposed to have (like my cell phone or shoes - he throws a total temper tantrum!) LIKES - music (can't wait for him to start attending music classes this winter - he is going to LOVE it!), splashing in the tub, books, looking at flowers (I'm tellin' ya - this kid is obsessed with flowers!), me (total mama's boy and I LOVE it!), swinging, being outside, playing with all his toys, opening/shutting doors, waving (to everyone and everything!) EATING - still doing a combo of breast milk and formula (nurse in the morning...4oz combination bottle at 11 and 3...quick nurse at night along with a formula bottle to top him off.) As far as solids go, he LOVES to feed himself. In the morning he'll have some cut up fruit and a few cheerios or puffs. For lunch he eats a fruit puree along with some cut up veggies and/or fruit. For dinner he has veggie purees and then some finger foods (chicken, carrots, peas, melon, etc.) When it comes to finger foods he LOVES cheerios, watermelon, and peas the most. He also really likes the 'popsicles' I make him - pureed fruit that I freeze in little .5 oz molds. MILESTONES - He 'talks' more and more - lots of 'da' and 'ga' sounds coming from him. He is currently working on his 3rd tooth. He will toss a ball to you and be very interactive when you're playing with him. He's excellent at transferring between objects when holding on and will walk (more like a shuffle) along the ottoman. And he's a master at climbing stairs - oy!!! OTHER - You're goofy...and sweet...and loveable...and happy...and laid back...and all around perfect (to us at least!) We are also going on our first family vacation next week!! You'll have to excuse my absence from this space lately. I don't know what my deal is these days. I was doing so good at blogging again. And it felt good to be active on here again and posting sort of regularly. But lately...lately I feel like I can't keep up with life. I have so much going on my head is constantly spinning...I'm constantly trying to prioritize...constantly trying to just keep myself from drowning. And unfortunately, this space is suffering because of that. But I'm still here...and I'll definitely try my best at posting at least once a week (but no guarantees!) So bear with me...and send cookie butter and wine please!!!
Camden, My oh my! Here we are...ready for another monthly update! I can't believe you're another month old. I feel like it was just yesterday I was writing your 1 month update. Time sure does fly (and yes, I know I say that EVERY month but it's so true!!) You have grown leaps and bounds this past month. I don't even want to try to say everything you're doing now in fear I'll forget something. But let me just say you are such a JOY!! Your personality has grown so much over the last month - you smile and laugh a lot more and don't seem as timid/shy and serious all the time. Don't get me wrong - you're still a pretty laid-back, chill kinda dude, but you smile and laugh so, so much more now!! You'll even give strangers a great, big gummy smile these days - you are quite the charmer and flirt with the ladies!! :) You are constantly on the move and so much fun!! As much as I love the newborn stage, this might be my most favorite age. Your daddy and I agree that right now you're pretty perfect and it's the best of both worlds - you are still little and snuggly and a baby BUT also so much fun and interactive now. We are lovin' this age so, so much!! You love to stand - it's all you want to do. We think you'll be walking sooner than later (slow down little one...stay little!) You also LOVE food!! You're really enjoying this whole solid food journey you're on - there isn't much you won't eat (you even like green beans now!!) You definitely prefer veggies over fruit, with squash, peas, and sweet potatoes being your absolute favorites right now. You're still a little peanut but you're definitely growing and filling out. You are definitely a momma's boy and I'm lovin' it!!!! But you also just love your daddy to pieces. You got to spend a whole week with him when he had a week off between regular school session and the summer session. I think you loved being home and spending that time with him (so much so that you didn't want to nap in fear of missing out on something with him!!) We are trying to enjoy summer with you as much as possible. You went on your first boat ride, went to your first parade, and was able to pet a baby goat for the first time - all over the long 4th of July weekend. We love experiencing all your firsts with you and look forward to many, many more :) As I say every month, keep doing what you're doing. You are such an amazing little boy and are SO, SO loved!! We love you so much!! Love, Mommy & Daddy WEIGHT - My guess is about 14.5-15lbs
LENGTH - We measured him at home and he's about 25" or so. HAIR - he keeps getting more and more of it :) It's so light - I love it!! It's currently perfect for a mohawk which I love giving him - he looks so stinkin' adorable with it all spiked <3 EYES - he's got gorgeous, big blue eyes <3 everyone compliments him on them :) CLOTHES - 0-3 and 3 months for clothes - but finally moved up to 3-6 for pj's!! He has worn a couple 6 month onesies - he swims in them but they're summer clothes and I want him to be able to wear them at least a few times. DIAPERS - size 2 SLEEP - he still sleeps great (though I'm super nervous about the 8 month sleep regression.) He's usually awake between 5:30 and 6 most mornings though which isn't ideal but hey...I guess it's not horrible. We will often turn the music on through his monitor and about half the time he'll put himself back to sleep. He still takes 2 naps - one at around 8:30 and one at 1 (each nap usually lasts an hour to an hour & a half.) He will occasionally take a catnap around 5 that lasts about 25-30 minutes. At night he's asleep by 7-7:15. DISLIKES - waiting to be fed, being overtired, getting his diaper changed, having his mouth/nose wiped LIKES - baths (finally!), eating, me (such a mama's boy!!!), waving hi/bye, music, building towers with daddy and knocking them over, flowers (seriously - the kid is OBSESSED with flowers - he LOVES them!), balls and his ball pit, his Fisher Price puppy, puzzles, reading books, and opening/closing things (doors/tops/etc.) EATING - basically the same as last month - still either nurses or has a bottle at 7, 11, 3, and 6. If he's awake super early in the morning Matt will bring him downstairs and he'll have a bit of banana or a few puffs before nursing. Then around 12:30pm he'll have 2ounces of fruit and around 5:30 he'll eat 4 ounces of veggies or veggie/fruit combo. After lunch and dinner we will usually give him a piece of something he can feed himself - like a slice of avocado or sweet potato or a fruit 'popsicle' (I just pureed some watermelon in the baby bullet and froze them in these Munchkin molds - they are the perfect size for him and I can't wait to experiment with different combos and flavors for him.) MILESTONES - I don't even know where to begin with this....the last month has been HUGE in this area. He pulls himself up. He can go from his belly to sitting up. He blows raspberries. He waves hi/bye. He does patty-cake. It's crazy...where'd my little newborn go?!?! OTHER - I feel I'm forgetting so much because it's been such a huge month for him - I'm sure the second I publish this post I'll remember something else I wanted to include in this update!! He still only has 2 teeth but I think he's currently working on more. He is constantly on the go and always moving and grooving!!! He's doing great with solids - loves eating and trying new foods. He does good with a straw sippy cup and is working hard at perfecting his pincer grasp. As you can see in one of the pictures, we are officially a gated community. He's a typical boy and loves balls and anything that makes noise. We recently started putting him in his play pen (if we need to go to the bathroom or do something) and he does great at playing with his toys by himself. We always try to cram as much as possible in during the summer. Now that our little man is here, I wanted to create a summer bucket list for us. Our weekends are busy but that doesn't mean we can't squeeze in some good ol' fashioned family time in this summer...some baby friendly and others not! Here's what's on my bucket list... ~ Go to as many of the local festivals as we can ~ Go boating as much as possible ~ Enjoy our first family vacation ~ Make some homemade (edible!) finger paint for Camden and let him create his first piece of artwork (that I will proudly hang on my fridge!!!) ~ Go to a Drive-In movie ~ Experiment with making baby friendly 'popsicles' so Camden can enjoy a treat this summer ~ Go to an outdoor concert ~ Go on a family hike ~ Go to the zoo together ~ Go to the park and pack a picnic lunch ~ Take Camden swimming/to a local splash pad What's on your summer bucket list? I hope ya'll had a fantastic 4th of July! It was so nice to have a 3 day weekend with my little family. I soaked up every second and loved being home and spending time with the hubs and my little guy (not to mention we finally had some perfect summer weather and it was glorious!!) I had a couple moments this weekend where I just started to tear up because my baby is growing up so fast. Being a working momma is so hard because I feel like I miss out on so much & there are times I just look at my little baby and start crying because I don't want him to grow up!! Any other mommies out there that do that too?!?! It's amazing to see all the things he's learning and doing now...BUT I want him to stay little FOREVER!! But...onto our weekend happenings. It was a long weekend of a lot of FIRSTS for C. First up - C's first life jacket and boat ride... First time rockin' my kettlebell shirt (it'd be even cuter if daddy was wearing his matching one!) and mohawk! First parade... First petting zoo experience... First bonfire of the summer (for mommy & daddy that is!) mommy and daddy can't wait til you're big enough to enjoy bonfires and s'mores with us <3 First time rockin' a tank top and showing off the guns... And finally the first professional photographs taken Sunday afternoon (hopefully I'll have some sneak peek photos to show ya'll in a few days!!)
And now it's Monday...YUCK! I've only been a mom for a little over 7 months. But in those few months I've learned a lot...and yet, still have a lot more to learn. So I wanted to share some tips 'n' tricks I've learned so far. There's so much to learn as a new parent that any and all information is valuable in my opinion. So hopefully this information will be helpful for others - whether you're a new mommy or just planning to become a mommy in the future at some point!
1) Buy gripe water. Camden is a super easy baby. But when he was a newborn gripe water was a life saver. I didn't start giving it to him until he was a few weeks old though (approved by the pediatrician, of course!) Gripe water is great when they've got an upset tummy or a case of the hiccups that they just can't seem to get rid of. One word of caution though - once the bottle is opened it says to throw away after 6 weeks - just something to keep in mind (maybe start off with a small bottle of it - it is expensive and you don't want to waste it.) 2) Get a video monitor. I think this is a given for most people these days. It doesn't have to be a super expensive one - just one that'll allow you to see your baby. Babies make a lot of noise when they sleep. Being able to see the baby lets you know if he/she is really awake and needs your attention. If you didn't have a video monitor you might go in to their room with every sound they make and could possibly wake them up unnecessarily. 3) Swaddle! Swaddle! Swaddle! I know - I know. Not every baby likes to be swaddled. But I STILL recommend buying a swaddler and bringing it to the hospital with you. If you swaddle your baby from the very beginning I firmly believe they'll take to it. And I don't mean swaddling with a blanket - get a real swaddler (like this one that we LOVED!) 4) Promote good sleep habits and environments the first day you're home (not only at night time but have a nap routine as well.) For us this meant a few things that I'll outline (FYI - not to brag or anything but my EBF baby was sleeping 10+ hours a night around 5-6 weeks old and was sleeping a good 6+ hour stretch when he was around 3 weeks old...all in his crib!) - Start a bedtime routine the very first night you're home. For us that means going upstairs, putting pj's on him, turning on the sound machine, feeding him, reading a couple books, say our 'good nights' and 'I love yous' and turning the mobile on. At 7 months old we still have this routine (with the exception of the mobile - we don't use every night but still do use and often we'll sing a couple songs to him after we're done reading before we put him in the crib.) It doesn't matter what you do as part of your routine. All that matters is that you stick to this routine each night. - Don't be too quiet around the baby when he/she is sleeping (especially important in the very beginning!!) When I was home on maternity leave the TV or music was always on. I vacuumed while he slept. If someone called I didn't talk in a low voice. I'd bring him down to the basement in his sleep cove while I ran on the treadmill and watched a show on my iPad. He slept through it ALL. - Don't engage with them in the middle of the night. Have a night light or small lamp that you can turn on so you don't need to turn on the room light. Don't talk to them. You want them to learn that the middle of the night isn't party time. Whenever Camden would wake up in the middle of the night, I'd go in, turn on the little night light, change his diaper, nurse him, and put him right back in his crib without saying a word to him. Sometimes, he would need a little extra attention and we'd either pick him up and rock him for a few minutes or just rub his back so he'd settle himself enough to get back to sleep. He has always been GREAT at putting himself to sleep. - Promote the difference between day and night. We have blackout curtains in his nursery. But during his nap times I make sure the curtains are open. I did the same thing when he was super little and he slept in his sleep cove downstairs for naps - the living room curtains were open and/or a light was on. - Even though these bullet points make me sound super strict, don't forget to cuddle and love up on your little one. Babies thrive on routine and consistency but that doesn't mean it should be like that ALL the time. I've definitely had many times he napped on my chest and I've rocked him to sleep - those are the moments I treasure more than anything...babies and mommies both need those special bonding times <3 5) Listen to your intuition and do what works best for YOU! So if none of the stuff I listed above fits your life or what you think is right - then don't do it. It's your baby. Your life. You know what's best for your baby. What worked for my baby might not work for yours. And what works for you might not work for me. And that's OK. So get to know your baby and figure out what works best for you all. Having your baby's best intention as your #1 priority is all that matters. Listening to your gut is THE #1 piece of advice I can give :) There is so much I have learned and yet still so much to learn! What are some of your top parent tips and tricks? ...that people judge me because both my husband and I have to work.
...that I'm not spending enough time with my son. ...I'm not putting enough effort into my marriage. ...I'll never find that work/home balance I so desperately crave. ...that one day my son will prefer his nanny over me. ...I'm not making the right decisions when it comes to raising Camden. ...to even think about having another baby. Camden's such a good baby I'm afraid of what #2 might be like! :-p ...that I'll never feel rested again. ...of actually having to raise & teach a child (discipline, manners, values, etc) This whole baby thing is easy compared to that I think. ...I'm going to have to miss out on a lot of things in Camden's life because I do work. ...of 'messing' him up. I'm just scared. This whole raising a child thing...it's hard. And it's scary. It's overwhelming and life changing. And if anyone says it's not - they're lying. BUT... bigger than all that is the fact that being a mommy rocks! Those gummy smiles. The slobbery kisses. Those chubby arms reaching up for you. The SNUGGLES. Those are the things that REALLY matter. What are you most scared about when it comes to raising kid(s)? Dear Matt,
June 21, 2015....the first day of summer...the longest day of the year...your 33rd birthday...AND your first Father's Day. Wow - what a day :) I don't even know where to begin. Not only are you an amazing person, husband, son, brother, uncle, friend, teacher and everything else...you are the most amazing daddy ever. I knew you'd be an exceptional father. But I had NO IDEA just how amazing. Camden is by far the luckiest little boy ever to have you as his daddy. Since day one, you have stepped up to the plate. You're not afraid to do anything when it comes to him. You change blow out diapers. You get down and play with him. You use silly voices just to make him laugh. You snuggle him. You help out so much around the house. You do it ALL. Not only do I adore you and love you, but that little boy of ours lights up when you're around. You get the biggest smiles and laughs out of him and it makes my heart swell. I fall more in love with you every single day and I couldn't imagine a better person to share all this with. I hope you know how loved and appreciated you are every day. Camden and I love you more than you'll ever know. Thank you for being YOU. Love you always and forever <3 It's been forever since I've done a Five on Friday so today I'm changing that! Linkin' up with April today... 1) Sunday is Father's Day AND my husband's birthday!! I am really looking forward to it and can't wait to give Matt his presents (one in particular especially - I'll be sure to share with ya'll on the blog next week!) We're going out to breakfast as a family then will spend the afternoon/early evening visiting with family - it should be a pretty great day! 2) There's just something about the warm weather that makes me want to drink fun, fruity drinks. Last summer I was pregnant and I REALLY missed sitting outside having a drink with the hubs or when out at social gatherings. So this summer I'm making it a point to enjoy some downtime and enjoy a drink once in a while (1 drink is my limit though since I'm nursing still!) I've been pinning a lot of fun drink recipes...this one I'm especially excited about (we have lots of mint growing in our garden so this is a great way to use it!) 3) Thanks to Ruthie I have discovered Jane.com. Yup - I am officially obsessed and will be spending some of my Christmas money on some new clothes! They have so, so, so many cute things at such fantastic prices. What are you waiting for? Go check it out...like NOW! :) 4) Matt is participating in the CrossFit Catalyst Games again this year tomorrow. Unfortunately, I don't think Camden and I will make it there to watch him (his heats are during Camden's morning nap) but we'll be thinking of him all morning. Good luck babe and have fun! 5) Tonight Matt has graduation at the school he teaches at and therefore, I'll have a couple hours to myself...I don't even remember when the last time that happened and I can't wait (though I'll probably just end up going to bed as soon as Camden does....exciting, I know!!)
I was going to apologize for all the baby related stuff I've been blogging lately...but then I realized it's sorta my life now. And this blog is about my life...so yeah, sorry not sorry :) Ever since I can remember, I've always wanted to be a mom (though I most definitely went through a period where I wasn't sure I did want kids!) I've always loved babies. I've always been good with kids. Though I've always wanted to have kids...I never remember wanting to breastfeed them. In fact, I always said I wouldn't. The thought of it sort of grossed me out way back in the day to be honest - it was weird to me (and still sorta is to me to be honest even though I know it's the most natural thing in the world.) Not to mention I'm not one of those people who are comfortable with their bodies and nakedness in general. Plus, I was never really exposed to nursing - no one in my family nursed any of the babies we had in the family while I was growing up. Breastfeeding wasn't such a big thing back then - not as much as it is today. So I figured that when the day came and I had kids I'd just give them formula.
But as I got older and breastfeeding became a 'hot topic' I started thinking more and more about it. Once I learned more about it I had the mind set of 'Yeah if I have kids I'll probably nurse' but it wasn't a huge deal to me - it's not something I felt overly passionate about. Once I got married and Matt & I started thinking about having kids I thought more and more about it. Once I became pregnant, it was one of those things we discussed. It was a big decision. I had 100% of Matt's support if I wanted to nurse...and I had 100% of his support if I decided I didn't even want to try it. Ultimately, I decided I was going to give it a shot. I wasn't going to stress over it. If it worked out - great. If not, that's OK too. Either way our baby was going to be fed and nourished and that's all that mattered to us. We attempted nursing shortly after Camden's birth. He really wasn't interested in it at all. In fact, the whole time we were in the hospital he just didn't seem all that interested in eating. I'd say half of our attempts were successful and the others not. While in the hospital, I met with a lactation consultant a few different times to help with Camden's latch (he just wouldn't open his mouth wide enough to get a decent latch!) When we left the hospital I wasn't discouraged that he didn't latch on great right away and that we were still struggling. I wasn't putting a ton of pressure on myself that I absolutely HAD to breastfeed. Once we got home he nursed much better. It took a little while for him to finally get a really good latch but eventually he did. Throughout the first couple months a lactation specialist from my health insurance called me every couple weeks to check up on me. I'd ask any questions I had - she'd give me advice on getting him to latch better - etc. It was great and definitely helped me through the first few weeks. Nursing continued to go well while I was on maternity leave. I never experienced the pain I've heard a lot about. Sure it wasn't smooth sailing the whole time, but I never had it as bad as I've heard some moms have - and I'm so grateful for that. Once my maternity leave ended, I stressed a little bit about how I was going to keep up with nursing and pumping (especially since I personally hate pumping.) But I decided to go on with the same attitude - I'd at least try it out. If I could do it - great. If not, no big deal - we'll switch to formula and be grateful I had at least been able to nurse for the first 9+ weeks of his life. Once I started back at work my supply went down a little and I wasn't getting much when I pumped. So we started supplementing his bottles with formula (at daycare he gets a 4oz bottle - 2oz of formula and 2oz of breastmilk.) I nurse him in the morning and I nurse him before bed (and, of course, at all feedings on the weekends.) And here we are - he's 7 months old and we're still at it. I never expected us to be this successful. I never thought I'd enjoy nursing as much as I do. Don't get me wrong - you won't find me nursing in public or posting any strong opinions on social media about it. But I am proud we've lasted this long. I don't know how much longer I'll nurse for - we just take it day by day. But whether I stop nursing today, tomorrow, or in 5 months - it doesn't matter. It hasn't always been easy but I'll always be so grateful for this time we've had. If I had any advice for any new moms it'd be to give yourself a break and don't put too much pressure on yourself. But if breastfeeding is something you really want to do - don't give up. Give it time. Talk to friends. Get a hold of a lactation consultant. Just hang in there. And if it doesn't work out or you choose not to breastfeed - don't be hard on yourself. It's not the end of the world....I promise. Any questions please get ahold of me - I'm more than happy to answer any questions and/or concerns and share my nursing experience. |
AuthorHey ~ I'm Renée...just your ordinary, 30-something Accountant, new mommy, wife, runner, foodie, & Pinterest addict! Welcome to my newest adventure...stay awhile...look around...and keep comin' back! Archives
January 2018
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