By the way, Mike created this heartfelt e-card that we wanted to share with everyone.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Christmas Update
We celebrated our first Christmas with Cameron, and although he's much too little to understand the magic of Christmas, I still think he had a good time.
Cameron LOVES the busy ball popper that the Salladins gave him, and this might actually be my favorite new toy of his too!
We Skyped with the California Graveses and Salladins in the morning - Skype is the next best thing to being together in person! Here's a picture of Mike and Cameron Skyping.
Cameron LOVES the busy ball popper that the Salladins gave him, and this might actually be my favorite new toy of his too!
My parents came over in the afternoon, and Cameron received another one of his favorite gifts - a toy with gears that spin around and plays music. After dinner, we headed out to catch a little of the tacky light tour. For those of you who haven't seen these kinds of Christmas lights before, the owners of each house transmit music over the radio and then they synchronize the lights on their house and yard with the music. It's pretty neat.
Christmas was fun this year, and I'm already looking forward to next Christmas to see how much Cameron will enjoy it. And now that we're finished with Christmas, it's time to start thinking about Cameron's first birthday party!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Cameron's Christmas Photo Shoot
The week of Thanksgiving, I took Cameron to get his pictures taken for Christmas. He was either in a really good mood or really took to the photographer (or both), because he was super smiley in his pictures, as you'll see below.
A few people have already seen the pictures, and here are the comments we've received so far to prove Cameron's cuteness:
"When I look at these pictures, I can see that he may grow up to be a good looking guy. After these pictures, I think he could be a model." - Mike Graves, proud papa*
"Cameron is totally owning his inner fierceness in these frames." - Tyra Banks
"Cameron is so handsome. I think he just may be good looking enough to be a fireman." - Jane Graves, proud nammy
"That Cameron is so hot right now." - Mugatu (Will Ferrell's character in Zoolander)
"Cameron's so cute he could be a part-time model." - Bret and Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords
I, for one, think his pictures turned out adorable!
*This statement was not fictionalized in any way. These words actually came out of my husband's mouth.
A few people have already seen the pictures, and here are the comments we've received so far to prove Cameron's cuteness:
"When I look at these pictures, I can see that he may grow up to be a good looking guy. After these pictures, I think he could be a model." - Mike Graves, proud papa*
"Cameron is totally owning his inner fierceness in these frames." - Tyra Banks
"Cameron is so handsome. I think he just may be good looking enough to be a fireman." - Jane Graves, proud nammy
"That Cameron is so hot right now." - Mugatu (Will Ferrell's character in Zoolander)
"Cameron's so cute he could be a part-time model." - Bret and Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords
I, for one, think his pictures turned out adorable!
*This statement was not fictionalized in any way. These words actually came out of my husband's mouth.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Peace Out Pump
DISCLAIMER: The following blog entry will only be of interest to our female readership, specifically mothers. To all you men out there, you will most likely be completely disinterested in this post, even though the word "breast" is mentioned quite a bit.
When Cameron was born, I knew I wanted to breastfeed as long as I could. I wasn't sure what would happen when I returned to work when he was three months old, but my goal was to continue to breastfeed until he was six months old. Fortunately, my work made it very easy for me to pump during the day - a private room with a couch and bathroom was made available to pump whenever I needed to, and I was able to pump twice a day without question. So six months came and went, and on and on I pumped.
As Cameron got older, he became more easily distracted while breastfeeding, so I had to start nursing him while lying down on our bed. He was fine with this for awhile, but then about six weeks ago, he just would not cooperate anymore and kept getting up whenever I laid him down to nurse. He would suck for a minute and then roll over and get up to play. There were also a few biting incidents - all I can say about that is ouch! I finally got tired of fighting with him, so he became exclusively bottle-fed about a month ago.
I had totally bought into the "Every Ounce Counts" campaign, so I still pumped twice a day at work, and we mixed formula with breastmilk in Cameron's bottles. Since he stopped breastfeeding, my milk supply really started to decrease. It got to the point where I would pump three times a day and get lucky if I could pump 5-6 ounces. So after much thought and consideration, I ultimately decided to stop pumping this weekend.
I feel a little guilty that I'm not breastfeeding Cameron for one full year, like all the experts recommend. But I'm proud that I was able to surpass my initial goal and feed him breastmilk for 10 months. To be honest, it has been great this week to not have to carry my pump and supplies to work every day, and it's been really great not having to interrupt my day to pump at work. My refrigerator is also looking forward to the extra space that's available once the breastmilk has vacated the lower shelf. My checking account, however, is not looking forward to the increased formula usage...
Here are the lessons I learned over the last few months:
1) Breastfeeding is a beautiful bond between mother and child. I will never forget one of the first times Cameron latched on while we were at the hospital, and his little face looked up at mine. Such an indescribable feeling.
2) The human body is amazing. It is incredible that a mother's body knows how much milk to make for her child and what nutrients and antibodies to include in the milk!
3) It's not embarrassing to breastfeed in public. You are doing what's best for you and your baby, and most people just don't even notice.
4) At first, I felt handcuffed by breastfeeding an infant every three hours. But then it got a lot easier once Cameron and I both knew what we were doing, and it was an enjoyable experience. I have such fond memories, and I'm so glad I was able to breastfeed for as long as I could!
A big thank you to my sister-in-law for generously lending me her pump all these months!
When Cameron was born, I knew I wanted to breastfeed as long as I could. I wasn't sure what would happen when I returned to work when he was three months old, but my goal was to continue to breastfeed until he was six months old. Fortunately, my work made it very easy for me to pump during the day - a private room with a couch and bathroom was made available to pump whenever I needed to, and I was able to pump twice a day without question. So six months came and went, and on and on I pumped.
As Cameron got older, he became more easily distracted while breastfeeding, so I had to start nursing him while lying down on our bed. He was fine with this for awhile, but then about six weeks ago, he just would not cooperate anymore and kept getting up whenever I laid him down to nurse. He would suck for a minute and then roll over and get up to play. There were also a few biting incidents - all I can say about that is ouch! I finally got tired of fighting with him, so he became exclusively bottle-fed about a month ago.
I had totally bought into the "Every Ounce Counts" campaign, so I still pumped twice a day at work, and we mixed formula with breastmilk in Cameron's bottles. Since he stopped breastfeeding, my milk supply really started to decrease. It got to the point where I would pump three times a day and get lucky if I could pump 5-6 ounces. So after much thought and consideration, I ultimately decided to stop pumping this weekend.
I feel a little guilty that I'm not breastfeeding Cameron for one full year, like all the experts recommend. But I'm proud that I was able to surpass my initial goal and feed him breastmilk for 10 months. To be honest, it has been great this week to not have to carry my pump and supplies to work every day, and it's been really great not having to interrupt my day to pump at work. My refrigerator is also looking forward to the extra space that's available once the breastmilk has vacated the lower shelf. My checking account, however, is not looking forward to the increased formula usage...
Here are the lessons I learned over the last few months:
1) Breastfeeding is a beautiful bond between mother and child. I will never forget one of the first times Cameron latched on while we were at the hospital, and his little face looked up at mine. Such an indescribable feeling.
2) The human body is amazing. It is incredible that a mother's body knows how much milk to make for her child and what nutrients and antibodies to include in the milk!
3) It's not embarrassing to breastfeed in public. You are doing what's best for you and your baby, and most people just don't even notice.
4) At first, I felt handcuffed by breastfeeding an infant every three hours. But then it got a lot easier once Cameron and I both knew what we were doing, and it was an enjoyable experience. I have such fond memories, and I'm so glad I was able to breastfeed for as long as I could!
A big thank you to my sister-in-law for generously lending me her pump all these months!
Friday, December 10, 2010
The best looking babysitter in town
I just wanted to offer a heartfelt and public thank you to our friend Tim for agreeing to watch Cameron this evening while his wife and I attend a work related holiday party. It is very kind of you Tim. I promise to bring you back some eggnog.
I also wanted to provide you with some quick information about Cameron's schedule. I was going to tell you when I dropped him off, but thought it might be a little too much to remember. I'm not really particular, as long as the following things occur in the outlined times:
5 pm - Drop off
5 to 5:30 - Free play time
5:30 - afternoon sing along. We are doing a holiday theme right now. It must include the 12 days of Christmas Muppet version. Cam really enjoys miss piggy's "5 golden rings" part, so please try to give that voice a little pizzaz.
6 pm - morality and/or social tolerance time. Lately I've been using multi-racial puppets, acting out common stereo-types, then saying "no" in a firm voice.
6:30 - start of dinner. The first course tonight will be 2 cubes of sweet potatoe mixed in with 2 ounces of milk and four tablespoons of whole grain cereal. This will be followed by a lovely spring vegetable mix and a rice and lentle baby food. He will wash that down with some water and approximately six cheerios for dessert. His meals are typically served to taste and are presented with decorative lettuce.
6:50 - Usually this is bath time. Note: YOU WILL NOT BE DOING BATH TIME. I just don't feel comfortable with you applying his ointments. Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
7:00 - This is when he spends about 2 minutes on his Bidet. I don't think you have one at your house, so I'll just bring our portable bidet.
7:02 - Nightly cool down and play time. I was thinking it might be fun to position your son under the minature basketball hoop at your house and have Cameron dunk on him repeatedly.
7:15 - Ego affirmation time.
7:30 - Nightly Bottle - Four ounces of un-pasteurized breast milk.
7:45 - Pick up time
I think that's about it. I can't really think of anything else. Oh yeah, we have been trying really hard lately to discourage any sort of vulnerability or weak negative emotions. So if he seems sad or fatigued, please either make him laugh or pinch him until he becomes angry. Again, thanks in advance for watching him. I hope ya'll have fun. See you in a few hours.
I also wanted to provide you with some quick information about Cameron's schedule. I was going to tell you when I dropped him off, but thought it might be a little too much to remember. I'm not really particular, as long as the following things occur in the outlined times:
5 pm - Drop off
5 to 5:30 - Free play time
5:30 - afternoon sing along. We are doing a holiday theme right now. It must include the 12 days of Christmas Muppet version. Cam really enjoys miss piggy's "5 golden rings" part, so please try to give that voice a little pizzaz.
6 pm - morality and/or social tolerance time. Lately I've been using multi-racial puppets, acting out common stereo-types, then saying "no" in a firm voice.
6:30 - start of dinner. The first course tonight will be 2 cubes of sweet potatoe mixed in with 2 ounces of milk and four tablespoons of whole grain cereal. This will be followed by a lovely spring vegetable mix and a rice and lentle baby food. He will wash that down with some water and approximately six cheerios for dessert. His meals are typically served to taste and are presented with decorative lettuce.
6:50 - Usually this is bath time. Note: YOU WILL NOT BE DOING BATH TIME. I just don't feel comfortable with you applying his ointments. Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
7:00 - This is when he spends about 2 minutes on his Bidet. I don't think you have one at your house, so I'll just bring our portable bidet.
7:02 - Nightly cool down and play time. I was thinking it might be fun to position your son under the minature basketball hoop at your house and have Cameron dunk on him repeatedly.
7:15 - Ego affirmation time.
7:30 - Nightly Bottle - Four ounces of un-pasteurized breast milk.
7:45 - Pick up time
I think that's about it. I can't really think of anything else. Oh yeah, we have been trying really hard lately to discourage any sort of vulnerability or weak negative emotions. So if he seems sad or fatigued, please either make him laugh or pinch him until he becomes angry. Again, thanks in advance for watching him. I hope ya'll have fun. See you in a few hours.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
And he has risen again
Bingo is back. And he returned without any voodoo from our son. Bingo was found at the pound earlier today. I can just envision my dad walking back to the car with Bingo under his arm and a triumphant look on his face like Greg Focker had when he returned with the fake Jinxy. It is a happy day in the Graves family. Bingo lives. And all and all it seems like he has a new lease on life. Apparently he lied about his age at the pound (telling them he was only ten years old) and took advantage of the opportunity to have some cosmetic surgery done (a mole removed from his face). Looking good my friend. Welcome home.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Let's Get Metaphysical
Weird things have been afoot. Things for which I have no answer. Things that make me question the very fabric of my existence. First, my family's childhood pet vanished. Bingo-the-dog literally disappeared without a trace. He is a 16-year-old beagle who is legally blind and deaf, so the probability that he got very far on his own is small. And unless somebody took offense at his timidity or odor, I don't think there is much motive for abduction / assassination. According to the investigators on the scene, there were some signs of a struggle (a knocked over flower pot), but no traces of blood or other animal prints. Animal attack is unsubstantiated at this time. In the end, my family remains mystified. But I think I have the answer. When Mindy informed me that a coworker had a cat disappear on the same evening, it became clear. There has been a pet rapture. Which means, unfortunately for all of you who still have your furry friends, some pets have been Left Behind. Reilly, your soul was not prepared...
But that is not all. I also learned that my son is a healer. His hands are like unicorn tears. As thirsty visitors to our house well know, the water device on the refrigerator does not work. It hasn't worked for over 5 years. Well, that was true until the Cam laid hands on it. Earlier this week, he batted at the water tube under the fridge and began babbling in tongues. Friday evening I watched in awe as my Aunt placed her cup to the fridge and voila... there was water. Because I refuse to believe that my nine-month-old son is a better mechanic than me, I think it's clear that he possesses magical powers. And even though my Aunt probably ingested an ungodly amount of bacteria from drinking water that has been sitting still in a tube for over five years, there was still great celebration for the miracle. Since that night I have had Cameron bless all my fantasy football rosters and Mindy has been frantically searching his forehead for any indication of a lightning scar. We are also flying Cameron to California immediately to see if he can conjure Bingo back. If the Magic Cam doesn't work I don't know what else to do. You will be missed Bingo. Enjoy sleeping indoors (aka Heaven) and say hello to Sam for me.
But that is not all. I also learned that my son is a healer. His hands are like unicorn tears. As thirsty visitors to our house well know, the water device on the refrigerator does not work. It hasn't worked for over 5 years. Well, that was true until the Cam laid hands on it. Earlier this week, he batted at the water tube under the fridge and began babbling in tongues. Friday evening I watched in awe as my Aunt placed her cup to the fridge and voila... there was water. Because I refuse to believe that my nine-month-old son is a better mechanic than me, I think it's clear that he possesses magical powers. And even though my Aunt probably ingested an ungodly amount of bacteria from drinking water that has been sitting still in a tube for over five years, there was still great celebration for the miracle. Since that night I have had Cameron bless all my fantasy football rosters and Mindy has been frantically searching his forehead for any indication of a lightning scar. We are also flying Cameron to California immediately to see if he can conjure Bingo back. If the Magic Cam doesn't work I don't know what else to do. You will be missed Bingo. Enjoy sleeping indoors (aka Heaven) and say hello to Sam for me.
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