Cam & J

Catching up on life in pictures...

2011-09-17T18:49:00.000-07:00

I have been a terrible blogger, I know!

But, in an attempt to catch you all up, I will include some pics..

We are incredibly blessed... love Austin... love being a family of 4 plus Jake :)

Trying to get a pic as a family these days is quite the challenge...

Avery is a ray of sunshine.. she has the sweetest personality and smile and we just adore her...
These two keep me super busy!!
Here I am trying a photo shoot of the two of them... this was as good as it got. :)
The pool in the backyard has been a hit. Avery is constantly watching Dylan...

It's a crazy, but wonderful life.. told in pictures

2011-04-16T18:50:00.000-07:00

love them...

2011-03-15T18:20:00.000-07:00

The Birth of Avery Camryn

2011-03-04T17:57:00.000-08:00

Avery

2011-02-24T18:04:00.001-08:00

We're home... I don't need to write much more than that... relief and joy are in our hearts...
Our sweet girl is as sweet as ever and seems much more alert and content...

Cameron and I are convinced through the power of so many praying that a supernatural healing happened for her...

For three Dr's to see NEC (now in which I know 1/4 babies diagnosed with dies)... and then to have the XRays the next day not show the signs of it to the Dr's at the hospital, is a miracle.

We are incredibly grateful. Any parent knows that once you love your child and know them (even in the womb) you are in love, your life is forever changed, and would never be the same without them. To see them hurt and sick turns your world upside down.

Thank you everyone for your encouraging words, prayers and support.

Thank you most of all to God for healing our girl...

Avery

2011-02-24T06:03:00.000-08:00

Wanted to give a quick update on Avery...
On Monday, we took her to the DR because she was bleeding heavily from her rectum.
After spending 2.5 hours at the DR's office, getting an xray, and having being told it could be anything from a milk allergy to a tear on her bottom (very minor things), we found out that it was much more serious.

The Dr looked at the XRay and had two other pediatric radiologists look at it and concluded that they thought it was NEC ( a very serious illness).. They told me specifically not to google it and that we were to rush her to Dell Children's hospital in Austin. I overheard her talking with the DR at Dell and talking about whether to send an ambulance and at the same time she exploded blood from her bottom, I was hysterical.

Cameron was already on his way to work (thinking it wasn't going to be a serious prognosis... and I was alone at the Dr. Thankfully one of my best friends works at Dell in the NICU, and she was able to talk me through a lot...

Cameron's dad was in town and able to take care of Dylan, which was an incredible blessing...

We took off for Dell as soon as Cam could pick me up and rushed her up there (of course at this time it was rush hour)

We arrived at Dell and took her up to the NICU and it was awful... Lots of Dr's and nurses coming in and hooking her up to machines, trying several times to get an IV started on her, and try to educate me on what was going on...

I was pretty much hysterical... The first things we were told was that I couldn't nurse her for the next 7 days and that she was not going to be able to eat... Pretty much at this point in her life, that is my job, so it was heartbreaking for me to hear. They also told us it would be a minimum of 7 day stay and explained what NEC was...

That was all day one... I was completely out of control emotions wise.. Cam was much more calm, but there is no way to feel like anything in the world is right when your baby is in the ICU...

Since then it's been a blur. We have had so many people praying for us and are convinced that is why things have turned out as they have.

Yesterday the DR came in and said they had ordered two more XRays since the original and now were not seeing any signs of NEC...

She was cont. to bleed quite a bit so there was still major concern, but the initial thoughts were worse than what they then were thinking...

There's much more I could write, but long story short, they are thinking Avery most likely got an infection which led to a low GI bleed. She has not bled for the last 16 hours... If she makes it to 24 (today), she will be able to go HOME!

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement!
Will keep you updated and pray she will be able to be home with us tonight!

Avery Camryn

2011-02-16T08:49:00.000-08:00

Announcing the birth of our sweet baby girl:

Avery Camryn

Born: February 7, 2011

6 pounds, 6 oz., 19 inches long

Sweet as can be!!

We are so in love with our sweet girl! She arrived on Monday...

Here's a quick recap for all the ladies who want the details:

5:30 am--induced

11 am-epidural

1:30 pm--INTENSE pain, the Dr. checked me, I was at a 7, and she predicted I would deliver in a couple of hours...

1:45--Unbearable pain, I called the nurse and as soon as she walked in I had the major urge to push. She checked me, and told me we were gonna have a baby. I was in so much pain, but I do remember looking at Cam and both of us tearing up...

1:50--started to push, the nurse could see her head, they called the DR. (who came into my room running and out of breath) and 15 more minutes later our sweet girl was here.

Side note on all of that.. when I delivered her the nurse and DR were like "wow, fastest OP delivery..." I had no idea what they were talking about... but our little Avery had turned herself face up inside the birth canal and came out sunny side up. That is the explanation of the severe pain I experienced.

She is a doll.... cute as can be... looks much different from Dylan, and after two nights of crying all night and hardly sleeping, she is now a dream... Wakes up every 3 hours and only by whimpering....

We are doing great. Dylan ignored her for the first couple of days,,,, but now is talking to her, violently shoving the paci back in her mouth and is becoming more and more interested in her.

We are incredibly blessed and it is so wonderful to be a family of 4...

Here's some pics of the last week:

My two boys...sporting their new IA state gear from Gpa and Gma Staff...

She is so tiny... leaving the hospital under 6 lbs... the paci dwarfs her face...

She is so lucky to have such a wonderful dad...

My sweet parents who drove all the way from Iowa... they stayed at our place and took care of D while we were in the hospital...

Our first times holding her....

It's cold here in Austin...

2011-02-03T05:42:00.000-08:00

It really is... this week the highs have been in the 20's... Pretty crazy for the Southies...

I love this picture of Cam and D. Honestly, Cameron is such a great dad! He loves being with Dylan and is so hands on, exploring with him, showing him things, and taking such good care of him. They really are two peas in a pod...

Jake has been feelin' the cold, too.. Every night he curls up on Cam's side of the bed and goes into a very deep, dream-rich sleep. He is such a good dog, and we love him so much.

Neither Jake nor Dylan have a clue that our "little love" is a few days out... it's gonna be a shock to the system....

what's going through my mind these days..

2011-01-27T08:02:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that she will be here in 11 days or less...(induction date set for Feb. 7) I am so excited to meet my little lovely...

I feel like the last few months have flown and the whole pregnancy I have just wanted her to already be here and to be done being pregnant. But now, I want time to slow, I want a few more minutes here and a lot of hours there. Mostly, I feel emotional when I think of my sweet D. I love my time with him. I love every day I spend with him and can't wait until he wakes up from a nap so we can tackle our day together. I love watching him with Cam and seeing the sweet, special bond that they have.

I am not looking forward to the sleepless nights and being so tired, and I wonder how I will fair with such an active boy to entertain during the day....

I remember when I had D... just sleeping during the day with him and holding him for all of his naps. This time around will be different... that's for sure...

Yet, I already love our little girl... I am excited to meet her... will she be dark haired or blond? Will she look like D? I already dream of shopping for prom dresses, decorating her college dorm room, planning her wedding, and being her biggest fan and I can't wait! I feel connected to her more than I did when pregnant with D just because I KNOW... I know how much I will love her and how my world will never be the same, and I never would want it to be...

All that being said... I am blessed. I am so thankful for my sweet D and can't wait to meet little lovely.

This may be the last post.. so here is a pic of me with her only 2 weeks away...

And this is the little one who has no idea what is to come...

Christmas part 2

2011-01-16T06:42:00.001-08:00

Well, this part is a little shorter than the first... We headed to Ames first thing on the 26th to be with Cameron's family until the 30th...

We had a good drive there and had a great time celebrating Christmas with his family that day...his parents are so good about being willing to celebrate when the time in convenient for us, and since his dad is a pastor, and has services on the 24th and 25th, it works best for us to come after that is over so his busy work time is complete and he can relax...

We celebrated Christmas with Cam's sister and her hubs, Josh, his grandparents, and their former foreign exchange student, Tamara who was in town from college...

With the Staff's, we do a present exchange which is nice and simple... makes for no stress in the buying and transporting presents department...

D got totally spoiled and got some great, creative gifts... two of his favorites being a tent and a big cardboard house that he can play in...

Unfortunately, our second day there, Cameron's sister, Bri came down with the flu. Cameron made the call to get us out of there in hopes of not catching it...

Sadly, we had only been there a day...

We headed out pretty quick after she got sick and decided to go back to my parent's house...

Unfortune struck us, though and Dylan and I both came down with the flu the next day. It was terrible... Cameron lucked out and didn't get it before he headed out to drive back to Austin. I was throwing up non-stop for 24 hours and Dylan was so lethargic and miserable. My mom pretty much just held him in her arms around the clock while he slept. I am so grateful we were at my parent's house and my mom could take care of Dylan. There is no way I could have...

On the 30th we decided to go ahead and fly back since it would have been over $700 to change the flight... We were both pretty sick and it was two miserable flights... but we made it.

When we got home, we recovered from the flu but then got really awful colds.... it was just painful... I was so sick, so tired, pregnant, and not able to do much of anything... Cameron was wonderful (although by this time he was sick, too) in taking the lead with Dylan, getting him out each day and caring for me...

Two weeks later, I will still sick and so miserable.. I ended up going to the DR and finding out I had bronchitis and the beginning stages of pneumonia... man... it was the never ending sickness. Finally on antibiotics, I am not almost all better.

Needless to say, it was a crazy second part of our Christmas. I have never been so sick in my whole life and now am so thankful to be feeling good and be able to get up and about...

Now, I am onto nesting, because our baby girl is going to be here in 3 weeks! Let the busyness resume!

CHristmas

2011-01-16T05:56:00.000-08:00

What a crazy time it was...

Originally we had decided that we would all drive home together this year... with airline tickets, boarding Jake, and renting a car we easily hit over a grand just getting home... but then with me being 8 months preggo and Dylan hating to be in the car for over an hour, needing to bring tons of things with us (presents, baby gear, etc), we opted for me to fly with Dylan (who still flies free until May) and then have Cameron and Jake drive up (saving us from boarding Jake and having to rent a car in the midwest, plus have all of the gear you need to bring that seems so essential once you have a kid...

SO that was the start of that decision... I flew solo with Dylan the night of the 21st directly into my hometown... for $75 extra it is so worth not having a 2 hour drive once you have already completed two flights alone with an extremely busy 18 month old. Dylan actually did pretty well on the flights. We invested in a portable DVD player, and I don't think we would have made it without good ol' Curious George on DVD.

Dylan LOVED the phones in the airport... a great way to keep him preoccupied since it was late.. we didn't arrive until 11 pm...

It actually worked really well to have him in the stroller, my carry on bag below, me strapped with the backpack... all at 8 months preggo... I am a little proud of myself! :) hehe

We had a great time in Sioux City. Cameron arrived on the 23rd and we stayed through Christmas hanging out with them. It is a joy to see my nieces and nephews, hang out at the house, eat a lot, see Dylan play with his cousins, get spoiled and pampered at my sister-in-law's beauty salon and just be home. It's only once a year that my whole family gets together, as we are quickly growing and all getting busier by the year.

Dylan's niece, Cecily and him playing with calculators...

I love this pic... all of the Taylor grandkids... notice Dylan's pleasant face... the kid always has an opinion...

It gets more fun each year... we all exchange gifts, so it is quite the time of present opening... this year D got into it and loved him some fun new things...

Dylan and Immanuel

First time playing in the snow...

Immanuel and Janelle

This was a fun activity for about 30 min... Bella pulling D in and out of the pack-in-play...

My mom and I...

The kids playing games...

D sleeping on the go....

And we're off to Ames...

Our house...

2010-12-20T18:35:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to put pictures up of our house now for months...

We have had so much fun moving in, painting the ENTIRE inside, and finding new things to add (mostly from craigslist)..

Here they are in no particular order...

This is the "back room" living room... french doors to the right lead to the back yard....

THis is the view from the front door... the "front living room", then leads to the breakfast area and kitchen (to the right)
"front" living room
another view of the front living room..
I forgot to get any pics of the upstairs, so we will save that for another post...

December happenings

2010-12-20T18:24:00.000-08:00

Cameron made Dylan a playhouse out of large boxes, and it has been quite the hit...

It's gotten a little "cold" here in Austin, cold enough to justify a hat, I guess. Although I had to laugh at myself the other day as I was asking a friend if it was too cold to meet up at the park with the kids. (it was 50 degrees out)
We went out for a night with our besties... and the best part was that we sprung for a sitter and left the kiddos at home...
I spent an hour trying to get a photo of Jake and Dylan together... this was the best shot I got. Most of them Dylan is all over Jake and Jake looks slightly stoned.
Have we mentioned how much we love this kid???

A picture that makes me laugh

2010-12-01T20:02:00.000-08:00

Dylan loves music. He came running into the room the other day like this and I am glad I had the camera right there.

Preggo

2010-12-01T19:58:00.000-08:00

When we moved to Austin I met these two great girls. We ended up all having our first babies within 5 months of each other. Now we are all preggo with #2 and are within 2 months of each other. I am due in early Feb, Emily (middle) is due mid-late Feb, and Carey is due in April.

Thanksgiving in CO

2010-12-01T19:44:00.000-08:00

This year we flew out to CO to see Cameron's sister and her husband who live there, and meet up with his parents as well. It was a great time. One thing that I love about my in laws is that they are very relaxed and are totally cool with you relaxing on the couch and reading a book... which is a little piece of heaven for me these days.

Let's just start off by saying that going to the airport is like giving Dylan a large dose of baby crack. He goes WILD! He isn't bad or a crier on the plane, just CRAZY busy and will not sleep. In the airport we must have ridden this escalator up and down at least 50 times.

It was so fu n to see Josh and Bri's place and hang with them. They are so sweet to our boy...
We got to go on a short hike and CO is absolutely beautiful.. the weather was in the 50's and just perfect...
Cam and I feel so blessed to have our boy loved so well.. It was also a nice break for us to be on the couch and not always running after Dylan. They were good entertainers...
The boy and his grandparents...
I am so thankful this year. Cameron and I feel incredibly blessed. God has provided so much for us this year and we do not take it for granted.

Weekend in Dallas

2010-11-23T18:55:00.000-08:00

We went up to Dallas last weekend to see some of our dear friends, Michael and Marna. They have a little girl who is just a few months younger than D.

We had a great time hanging out with them, watching football and being treated to Michael's great cooking...

We are so blessed to have such dear friends... it truly is a sweet season of life and Cameron and I are counting our abundant blessings

A visit from friends

2010-11-17T17:52:00.000-08:00

This weekend our dear friends, Kelly and Mark came to visit us from Wisconsin. With them they brought their sweet daughters who we got to meet for the first time. We had so much fun catching up with them and exploring Austin with our families.

We:

went to Zilker Park

Ate Tex-Mex

Went to the Children's Museum

Explored South Congress Street

Had amazing hand tossed pizza

Went out for BBQ

Played Quirkle

Watched the kids play and play

caught up on life

We managed to get a lot in in a few days and are so thankful for them to make the trip.

Halloween

2010-11-14T21:11:00.000-08:00

Halloween was sooo much fun this year... Dylan really got into it and we are loving seeing him enjoy the holidays...

Pre-party at our friend's home.. Dylan was digging the candy apple minus the candy part...

Our little cowboy... complete with boots from his Aunt and Uncle in Colorado..
One of his favorite things to do on a daily basis is to walk the neighborhood and knock on doors... so this holiday was perfect for him... he loved knocking and putting candy into his basket..
We had so much fun and it was a fun night to meet a lot of our neighbors...

Trip to the pumpkin patch

2010-11-14T21:02:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back we took a road trip with some friends to a local pumpkin patch.. Dylan had a blast...

He is in LOVE with tractors..
His best buds, Vera and Elliott
loves those tractors
great friends on a wonderful day, what more could we ask for...

Too cute... getting ready for sister

2010-11-14T17:16:00.000-08:00

The other day I am working on the computer, and D brings his stuffed animal over to me and does this on the floor... completely unprompted...

He is going to be such a great big brother! I can't wait!

Major cheeser

2010-10-03T19:37:00.000-07:00

Love him forever

Trip to Clearwater, FL

2010-10-03T19:22:00.001-07:00

Cameron and i got away for a trip to Clearwater, FL for four nights. It was absolutely wonderful! My parents came and stayed with Dylan, and spoiled him. It was so great knowing that he was in such good hands while we were away.

20 weeks pregnant
Cameron enjoying the pool. Cameron found a beautiful resort for us to stay at right on the beach, it was heavenly!
We got to go to two movies, as any parent knows: a real treat
We spent lots of time on the beach... so beautiful... white sand, perfect temp. of the water, and lots of sunshine
We went put put golfing... one of our favorite dates to go on...
We even got in some Chipotle, so Cameron wouldn't go into withdrawls...
Had lots of fun together.. going on 8 years of marriage, and couldn't be happier...

I am so grateful to be doing life with my best friend!

It's a girl

2010-09-15T16:48:00.001-07:00

Not much else to post but that...

We had our big sonogram today and found out we are expecting a girl!

Due date was confirmed of Feb. 15, 2011.

We are so excited!!

A sweet baby girl!!

The music man...

2010-08-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

Everywhere I look, Dylan is up to something new, and usually in some high place that he has crawled to...

The kid loves raspberries...

2010-08-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

I love my family

2010-08-24T19:59:00.001-07:00

It is pure joy to have such a wonderful family... I am so blessed...

Splash park

2010-08-24T19:57:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about Austin, is that there is so much to do...

I follow a blog that shows different kid friendly things to do in the community each day...

I am trying to be better about picking up and heading somewhere new...

We did recently, and Dylan has a blast here at the splash park...

If you want to know what I looked like at age 6

2010-08-24T19:53:00.000-07:00

This is my niece, Bella. I LOVE, love, love spending time with my nieces and nephews... When I get the rare chance...

Crazy month..

2010-08-11T18:38:00.001-07:00

It's been a crazy month...

Here's the quick re-cap....

-Cameron has been busy patrolling the streets of Austin, and is really enjoying his job

-I finished up teaching summer school.

-Dylan is now busier than ever, and beginning to start the terrible twos...

-I was offered a great contract working with Eanes, (Westlake School District) for the next year. I will be doing In home training for families with special needs as well as being a homebound teacher for a kindergartner.

-I got the flu, then gave it to Dylan, then Cameron's parents came into town and also caught the flu from us... all in one week

-Saw Cameron's sister, Bri, who took Dylan down a very large, fast slide, which gave him a brush with death...

-At the end of that week, Cameron's parents took Dylan back to Iowa with them for 4 days

-Cameron and I had a few days being just us. It truly was glorious. We missed our little man so much, but had a great time hanging out together: going on dates, running errands, catching up on sleep, and just being together

-I flew home to Iowa. I got so lucky to be the only seat on the plane with a non-working vent. Therefore, I spend the whole turbulent flight throwing up.

-Spent a night in Omaha with my mom for a girl's night.. Ate at Spaghetti Works, went to the Body Exhibit, and stayed in a 5 star hotel

-Saw my little man again and never wanted to let him go

-Went to my hometown, Sioux City. Got to see my niece and nephews, hang out with the rents, have breakfast with my brother, see his new home, and get spoiled at my sister in law's salon.

-Got to catch up with one of my best friends in my hometown

-Went home, and felt so good to be our family together again. Dylan laid down in between us and put each hand on our heart, as if to say, don't leave me again, I need both of you.

-Remembered that although life is busy, I am blessed beyond words and thank God for all he has given us.

our son

2010-07-06T12:55:00.000-07:00

I love our son.

He is always into something.

On the fourth of July, we were home just as, as Cam was working.

I decided to be productive and put in a load of laundry.

Our laundry is in the garage.

So, I quickly went to start the water and then come right in.

In a split second (seriously) Dylan shut the door and managed to lock it.

Reminder--this kid is only 13 months!

I raced to the door to find it was locked securely with me outside and Dylan and my keys and cell phone (and AC) inside.

What to do....

I didn't even have my phone!

I raced to the neighbors... most of whom were out for the night. I finally found one and tried to call Cam. He didn't answer... of course, because he is on patrol! I am thinking what to do and then I tried dispatch to find him. As I am on the phone with them, Cam calls and was able to use his cop abilities to race through the city to come to our rescue 45 min. later. For most of the time Dylan found it hilarious that I was yelling in at him to open the door. The last 10, though he was pretty scared. But, then thought it was great to see his Dad racing to rescue him.

Again, this kid is only 13 months old and has already managed to lock me out of the car and house.

What's next???

Grandpa and grandma come to visit

2010-07-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

Cameron's parents came for a few days to visit. We have had a rare time of tons of rain while they were here. They were so sweet to let Cameron and I get away for a night to a hotel, which was glorious! We had a blast sleeping and hanging out together.

Best friends.. I am so grateful for my hubby! He is the best!
Dylan and Grandpa and the cell phone...

Dylan is as busy as ever and quite the entertainer!

Things that make me smile

2010-06-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

The kid loves hummus

2010-06-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

Dylan loves him some hummus. He is very picky, but we have found that if he can dip his food, he is totally into it. So yesterday I just put the jar of hummus on his tray and we shared dipping crackers into it. It was a big hit. :)

Dylan is one

2010-06-03T18:04:00.000-07:00

It's hard not to go down memory lane when your first baby turns one.

I can't believe how fast the time goes. I have always heard parents say that and now that I am in the parent's shoes, I know it is true.

I honestly thank God every day that he allowed me to be Dylan's mom. He is such a sweet, amazing child and I am in awe of the responsibility of being his mom. I feel so blessed to be a part of his life and love every moment of being a mom.

Through pics, take a little trip down memory lane with me...

Dylan and I on his first b-day....Dylan LOVES his daddy. He lights up like a Christmas tree when he sees Cam. Cameron is such a good dad to him.
Cameron and Dylan: 2 days old
Dylan and I: 2 days old
And yes, this is me 3 days short of having my sweet boy. It is incredible to see this and think that is was HIM in there, waiting to rock our world.
Thank you God for our sweet boy and the blessings you have given us!

Where to start???

2010-06-03T17:41:00.000-07:00

Life has been busy...
in the last month, Dylan turned one years old,
We moved into our first home,
Cameron graduated from the Police Academy and is now on patrol,
--big life changes for all of us...

Moving was quite the chore... at least I wasn't 9 months pregnant like the last time.. Thankfully Cam's dad came, my mom came, and our good friends helped out a lot.
We celebrated Dylan's birthday a bit late... it is hard to believe he is one already! He is such joy and we love him so very much!
My mom was such a help. She took great care of Dylan. She also was a great partner on all of the projects... we painted, put cabinets together (started our business idea called, "the blind leading the blind", shopped for new stuff, has lots of Chick-fil-A, and of course coffee runs.
This is it:
more pics to come...
home sweet home

He's done!

2010-04-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

He is done! After 8 months Cameron has graduated from the academy. I am so proud of him!

Cameron's parents made the trip down for his graduation and it was fun to share the event with them...
I actually got to pin the badge on Cam. (as you can see from the oh so flattering angle ) :)

As I came on stage I shook the Chief of Police's hand and he said, "Wow, you are happy." I thought about saying "HECK YEAH, I am! This has been a long road, buddy." But instead I said "yup!" like the dork I am.
Doesn't he look so handsome?
Can we be more excited?

Way to go Cameron!! We love you!

police news..

2010-04-06T19:36:00.000-07:00

Cam found out this week he'll be working in east Austin, where he was hoping to end up. He was really excited to be placed with his good academy buddy Rob (pictured with his daughter Anya) there, too.

brothers

2010-04-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

Dylan loves Jake's kennel... it's weird, I know... whenever we leave, Jake needs to go in there and is rewarded for doing so with peanut butter in his kong. Now the battle has started when I get ready to leave, I open the kennel for Jake and DYLAN scoots in there before Jake. Jake is definitely a push over, so the other day I see this.... Dylan got in first and shut the door on Jake. Poor sweet Jakey.

updates

2010-04-06T19:19:00.000-07:00

My mom came to visit and it was simply wonderful. She watched Dylan for me so I could work a long day, and Cam and I were able to get away on several dates. I love my mom so much and she is such a servant, and little D clearly loves her.

Do you think we look alike here? Most people tell me I look just like her.. good news for me!
Little D is BUSY! He got some new long jammies from Grandma Staff and is already wearing them out!
He is loving the spring, and being outside...
We were at the grocery store the other day and I look to see Cameron in line at the floral dept. A few min. later they came back with these balloons.. they were an enormous hit with Dylan,, he carried them around everywhere.

I heart Gold's Gym

2010-03-17T14:28:00.000-07:00

A friend's recent post is inspiring this one.

Cameron and I love going to the gym. We started going when we lived in California and for the first time in my life I tried the gym work out classes and got hooked. In Cali, I was hooked on spin classes and Body Works (a class that incorporates using small weights for an hour)

When we moved to Austin, we joined Gold's Gym because my work had a pretty stellar deal.

I am now in love with Gold's Gym.

I went almost every day when I was preggo which kept me in great shape.

Since having Dylan I have discovered to my utter delight that they have free childcare. Starting at 5 weeks old, Dylan has been a regular there. For me, it has been such a blessing. On the days that I struggle with going, I tell myself I will be a better mom for it. And I really think that I am. As I have gotten older and slightly wiser (at least I hope), working out has become less about fitting in those skinny jeans and more about how I feel and what I am doing to be healthy.

When I go to the gym, I leave feeling SO good. I have mentally had a break, gotten some endorphins going and worked my body so that it is physically healthy. My heart is strengthened and I am investing in my future as well as my family's by ensuring I am healthy and around for a long time.

The childcare is great for Dylan. He enjoys being around the other kids, crawling in a big area and playing with new toys. I really think that because he goes there so much he doesn't have any separation anxiety at all when I leave him anywhere. I LOVE the ladies that work there, and to top it off, my two besties also go to the gym, so often we meet up there for some uninterrupted talks on the elliptical.

So that being said, if you are considering joining a gym, I say go for it! It is definitely worth the extra amt. of cash each month. It's an investment in your health, mind and even your kiddo's social life... and I have figured it out to be about a dollar for an hour of childcare and workout. Now that is a killer deal!!

His cute/ugly face

2010-03-17T14:25:00.000-07:00

Ok this is his new face for when the flash is on... we can't decide if it is really cute or a little ugly (in a cute way) :)

A night out with friends...

2010-03-12T07:31:00.000-08:00

Our friends Leah and Kyle are expecting their first baby.. we couldn't be more excited!
The girls in my small group

Leah, Me, Jenny, and Carey

It snows in Austin!

2010-03-12T07:06:00.000-08:00

Just about every time I talk to my mom it is snowing back home, but for a rare chance it snowed in Austin and ironically I was really excited about it!
Dylan enjoyed watching it, too...
I love this picture... I came into the room to see this and my heart just melted. On the right is our friend's dog, Molly who stayed with us for a few days while he was out of town. Let me just say having all three was quite the workload!

Things around here...

2010-03-10T17:39:00.000-08:00

Things have been busy around here... only 6 more weeks for Cam in the academy and we have to say we can't wait!! But in the meantime, we continue to enjoy life and hanging as a family...

Cameron's first taste of soda....
Cameron's mom came to visit for a weekend....
Dylan now has added spaghetti to his short list of things that he likes to eat...

9 months!

2010-02-16T05:58:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we ventured on a new hiking spot and had a fun time (although it was quite a short hike).... Beautiful views of the city off of Hwy 360...
Jake continues to be our sweet boy, loving to be outside and so gentle with Dylan...
Dylan had his 9 month check up yesterday. He is healthy and doing well! He is small--went down to the 10th percentile in weight at 17.5 pounds. He is in the 50th percentile for height at 28.5 inches. The Dr. was a little concerned since he doesn't like to eat a lot and had his iron levels tested. They called in the afternoon to let us know he is anemic and will be on some vitamins for the next few months to get his iron levels up. I continue to fight the eating battle with him... really what he wants to eat is pizza, mac and cheese and peanut butter and jelly. Sigh...

He Moves

2010-02-13T08:39:00.000-08:00

We joke a lot about how busy I am during the day. I am a stay at home mom , but I don't "stay" much of anywhere. Dylan is constantly moving. He also seems to love cords and electronics: pretty much anything that is not a toy. We love this about little man, he is so adventureous and spirited. I just cannot express enough how much we love him and enjoy his "little" personality.

Swings

2010-02-11T08:15:00.000-08:00

Every day is something new with this little guy. Every weekend we go walking at Town Lake and this weekend we walked by the park and decided to see if Dylan would like the swings. he did, , of course! It is amazing to me to see how much enjoyment we get out of him enjoying even the smallest things.

Busy boy

2010-02-06T08:08:00.000-08:00

I went to get Dylan from his nap the other day and he was standing in his crib! Each day is something new!

Last night Cam just started shooting some pics and got some fun ones of little man..
You can see his top teeth here... and he is finally getting porky!
He loves juice!
New favorite hobby,,,, looking in the fridge and puling items out.. I swear this kid doesn't even play with toys anymore.. he only likes to be entertained by things that aren't his...
It is sooo much fun with this little man... and soooo busy!

the current pics on my camera

2010-02-03T09:11:00.000-08:00

We went out to dinner last night and Dylan had a blast eating black beans. I am not sure if he was more pleased to be eating the beans or getting them everywhere!

Dylan and his girlfriend, Vera. He loves to hang with this pretty girl...
In this picture I think he looks like my mom...

boys

2010-02-01T09:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I walked into our room to find this...

I love how Cameron encourages Dylan's curiosity..

I imagine there are days in the future of these two playing poker..

Dylan Crawls!

2010-01-24T13:46:00.000-08:00

Here is some fun video we shot just recently --

Days with the little man

2010-01-20T18:40:00.000-08:00

I really cannot express how much I love being a mom and how grateful I am to have Dylan and such a great hubs who works so hard to provide for us. It is a joy to be a stay at home mom and I am very grateful to Cameron for his providing that for us..

We are so in love with each other (celebrated 7 years of marriage this month) and with our sweet son. I love the times that Cam and I sit back and talk about all of the things we love about Dylan and how we are so proud of who he is!

Here is our list from what I can remember of our last conversation...

We love that Dylan is so inquisitive... he is constantly looking and exploring

We love that he is flexible.. he loves people and to go new places

We love that he gags on foods that are not of his liking... he is like his papa and picky already

We love that he loves to be with us.. he loves to look at Cam and play with mom..

We love that he says "dada" now and when he wakes up in the morning I hear him singing..."dadadadada"

We love that he loves to be outside

We love that he LOVES other kids...

We love that he is so comfortable around all dogs and scoots all over to be by them

We love that he would rather do something himself than have us help him. (gets that from his mama)

We love that he would rather yell than cry

We love that he is now dancing when he hears Sesame Street songs

Seriously.. the list could go on and on...

Here's some pictures to capture what's new in his world...

Still loves the bath...
Still loves his doggie..
Loves toys and is into cause and effect toys now..
Trying to share with his buddy, Eli...
Remains chill in all environments.. taking a nap (mummy style) while we are out shopping..
Now only will eat what he feeds himself... he does not like baby food and does not like to be fed from anyone.. unless he can wrap his little mitt around the spoon and assist.. loves black beans and rice and of course cheerios!
Such a ham!
Now is taking two naps.. and sleeping for 12 hours at night! Heavenly for mom!
When he wakes up and I come in the room to get him he is peering out of the crib rails waiting for me to come in singing and cooing and then smiles so big when he gets to come out!
Likes to eat, but VERY independent!
Life is truly a joy! Thanks be to God for our family and his provision for us!

Christmas happenings!!

2010-01-07T08:54:00.000-08:00

Christmas at home in Iowa..

Bella and Dylan
Jakey and Dylan at the park..
Dylan is now eating in his highchair...
Coffee and breakfast at Panera with my brothers..
Dylan hanging out with his cousins..

Hiking as a family Christmas Eve morning...
More and more skype.. with Aunt Bri..
Fun times with my sweet friends.. Lindsay was in town from Memphis and we had a great time catching up..
Grandpa and Grandma Staff visit for the New Year..
Jake raked in the presents this year...
Dylan got to open gifts... he got a ball popper from Dad..
Jake got BOB, a new stuffed animal...
A blessed Christmas it was!

funny

2009-12-17T13:21:00.000-08:00

I love this pic and just had to post it. We decided to do a fun pose with the girls last night at a going away party for our sweet friends, Emily and Joe. This sums up our times with them.. always fun!!

friends

2009-12-16T12:37:00.000-08:00

one of the best things about Austin is the friends that I have made... and staying home with Dylan allows us lots of social times out during the week....

above is my life change group that I meet with once a week... i love these girls!

Carey, Leah, and I...

My friend, Emily and her boy, Nate...

A few weeks ago, Carey, April and I met up at Chick-Fil-A for lunch. We were quite the crew with the babies and all.. I am sure these will be the pics we look back on and laugh about someday!

December happenings..

2009-12-07T07:30:00.000-08:00

A few pics of our sweet little man... He is about to crawl.. watch out!!!! Dylan is at such a fun stage, although I think I say that with every stage he is at. He is rolling everywhere, talking all of the time, and very inquisitive. Cameron and I are so in love with him and he is such a joy!

2009-11-30T09:50:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T08:03:00.000-08:00

This weekend was a blast! Cameron worked Sun-Wed. to have four days off and it was fabulous! We missed our families but managed to have a great time here in Austin...

Here's what we did...

Dad and Cameron hanging out on Thanksgiving at our friend's house...

We went to Gruene, TX for the day... an old city that has the moto, "slowly resisting change since 1874.." (no joke)

They had lots of fun, unique shops that we went through and Dylan loved looking at all of the toys...
loves him some candy...
he is eyeing all of the Dr. Seuss stuff to the left...
Dylan has his first tooth (bottom left)...
We babysat our friends dog, Molly. Jake and him had loads of fun!
We are so thankful for our family this year... we are incredibly blessed...
Dylan got his first haircut from dad....
Cameron so enjoyed being home with Dylan and getting to spend some quality time with him. Dylan LOVES to read and grab pop up pictures in books...
It was so nice to have a long weekend together! What an amazing time of thankfulness in what God has given us!

This weekend...

2009-11-23T08:03:00.000-08:00

This weekend was so fun I just had to share...

Our church did a weekend where we did not meeting in a building but found a place to serve as a village group (geographically based smaller groups in our church).

Our village did some landscaping for a member's neighbor. It was so fun and amazing to see everyone come together to serve this family.

We went to a birthday party of one of Dylan's friends this weekend. It's fun and weird to be in a such a different stage of life... kid's birthday parties on the weekends...:)

The birthday girl, Lois with her sweet parents.
I like this picture because it is taken with a little boy who is 5 days older than Dylan. He is much bigger than Dylan, but at 50% for their size range. It shows how little our little man is still. Dylan loves other babies and tries to interact with them continually. I think this little boy had enough here. lol

A trip up to Waco to visit the Hallorans

2009-11-21T06:49:00.000-08:00

Cameron's best buddy lives in Fort Worth and they had their sweet baby girl, Haley, just two and a half months after Dylan arrived. We met up last weekend to meet the kiddos and have them meet each other half way in between Fort Worth and Austin in Waco. It was so fun to catch up with them and see the daddies with their babies. Lunch at the restaurant was at times comical with babies crying, yelling, being fed, almost falling off the table: and we'll stop the details there! :)
The pictures are a bit grainy since we took them on our cell phone. Our camera is broken. (sniff)

Dylan was quite a trooper, surviving 4 hours in the car in one day! Here he is being carried in my dad after the trip. We rarely get cuddle moments with this little one since he is so busy, so Cam is lovin' it.

God's faithfulness!

2009-11-20T07:50:00.000-08:00

We have been busy... but happy!!

A month ago, I was in a car wreck that totaled our Honda Pilot. Thanks be to God that we were in an SUV, because the mechanic said that it could have been very bad if we weren't. When he pulled the car apart, it was clear the entire frame was bent and was unfixable.

God is faithful to us. Money has been really tight and we have often been thinking of how we would make ends meet while Cam is in the academy. Through this wreck we were worried we might not be able to afford or be approved for another loan for a car. God provided another Pilot for us that Cameron will be getting today in Arlington, Tx. (about 3 1/2 hours away). It is the EXACT same car, color, interior, etc. except one year older, but has about 10,000 miles less than our other!! Plus. we are getting it for $500 less than we paid a year ago. The extra cash will help us pay off some debts and be able to buy a new camera to replace ours that recently broke.

Cam's schedule got re-routed this week because rain is due today and they were on the driving range all week. So he is off today. Icing on the cake is that a good buddy of Cam's is going to Dallas today and is able to drive Cam to get the car so that we don't have to take Dylan for 7 hours in the car in one day. His wife is also able to babysit Dylan for me while I have my MRI for my back. Amazing how God works out the little details in life.

Dylan's Stats at 6 months

2009-11-18T08:13:00.001-08:00

Weight: 15 lbs 6 oz. (20th percentile)

Height: 26 1/4 (50th percentile)

The doctor was a little concerned about his weight being a little low, so I will take him back in a month for him to be weighed again. Other than that he is a happy, healthy boy!!

Dylan's First 6 Months Video

2009-11-16T19:31:00.000-08:00

Janelle put this video together and did an awesome job. It really gives a good snap shot of the last 6 months for us. It has been an fun journey with our little boy so far. God has been so good to us and him. We count our blessings every day. He is such a fun little guy.

Happy Halloween

2009-11-01T14:31:00.000-08:00

This weekend we had a great time celebrating one of my favorite kid holidays! We went to a Halloween block party/outreach at our good friends house. There were a ton of kids there and it brought Cameron and I back to our childhood. It was sweet to watch them all running around living the life as superman, batman, Dorthy, princesses, etc.

Even Jake caught the spirit dressed up as a chicken.

Halloween wouldn't be complete if Cam and I didn't make a feeble attempt to dress up as Chipotle burritos and score two free burritos for doing so! Dylan is not quite sure what he thinks about that in this pic!!

Sleeping

2009-10-31T18:29:00.001-07:00

Ahh.. We are getting it down.
Dylan now takes three naps a day (for about 45 minutes each) in his crib.
What a feat for us to have accomplished and I have to say I am proud!!
Each day I put him down and then go check on him after about 5 minutes.
This is how I found him the other day. I have to say, it does NOT look too comfi!

Date

2009-10-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

Cameron and I got to go on a date Sunday night to see the comedian Brian Regan who was here for a night in Austin.

We had a blast and it was Soooooo good for us to be able to be out with no little dude. We ate dinner at a coffee shop downtown and were able to talk uninterrupted for almost 2 hours.

The show was so great! We laughed the WHOLE time!!

YAY for date nights!!

Thoughts on being a mom

2009-10-29T11:58:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we went to the mall and this is Dylan and I in Brookstone. I am sitting on a massage chair that was doing free wonders for my back. Ahh, to relax and be out and about.

Despite being really sore from my car accident, I am feeling so blessed. I love being a mom. I feel like it is what I was created to be and my heart is overflowing with love for my son. I feel overwhelmed at the responsibility of being a mom. I have always agreed with people who said it is the most important job in the world. Now, I know it is true. And knowing that and understanding it in the flesh now, it is overwhelming. I pray everyday that God would give me wisdom to be a good mom. I feel so inadequate and so undeserving of such an amazing blessing. I want to give Dylan the world, the best chance at life, and pray for him all of the time. I have never begged God like I do now. It's been years since I have prayed on my knees; and let me tell you, it's becoming a habit. God is in control and I realize daily there is only so much I can do or give him and the rest is left up to me trusting God with my sweet boy.

Being a mom has given me a greater appreciation for my mom. Sometimes I think, "wow, my mom loved me this much!" I appreciate how she wants to care for me and always wants to be able to advise me in the best way. I see how she loves me and my siblings despite our short-fallings and now I understand. A parents love in unconditional. There is nothing Dylan could do to make me stop loving him.

When we were in the car accident I raced to Dylan's door and just held him so tight and THANKED GOD that he was safe. I will never be the same since I had him. He is so precious and I do not take for granted one day with him.

Sometimes I wonder if I am doing it right or if I am good enough to be the best mom for Dylan that I can be. I have held tightly to the verse of thinking of what is noble and true. Each day I do my best and pray for God's grace and wisdom in my parenting.

Just feeling very thankful today when the temptation is to be down about having a sore back and not being able to go to the gym. :)

Thanks God for my sweet baby, creating me to be a mama and giving me abundant grace.

An Accident

2009-10-24T14:13:00.000-07:00

On Thursday night I had a dream. I dreamed that I was driving with Dylan in the car and we got hit and our car (a SUV) tipped over.

Friday morning I headed out with Jake and Dylan to go to a Halloween party that my friend from church was throwing for the kids in our church. We headed up north to the party. I left Jake in the car and Dylan and I hung out for awhile.

As we went to leave I loaded Dylan up as usual. As I shut the door, I remembered the dream and I actually opened the door and readjusted Dylan's seat belt. Then I put sweet Jakey in his. I shut the door and thought nothing of it.

A few minutes later while going down a pretty busy street I was going through an intersection with a green light when a car crashed into my side and Jake's side of our car. The car hit us, we hit the curb, we teetered and we rested. I immediately ran out and raced to get Dylan who was already crying. I held him and thanked God that he was ok. Jake was also ok and I am fine except for some soreness in my neck/back.

The next couple of hours were spent getting things all settled and getting home. I drove home but when we got home Cameron noticed that the back axle/shocks were completely severed so thank God again that we all were able to make it home safely.

I am so thankful to God for his protection. Something like that makes you realize what is truly important in life!!

These pics were taken as we were loading up to leave! Dylan is a monkey for Halloween :)

Feeling down

2009-10-21T13:04:00.000-07:00

With the hope of being more transparent with my life here I go...

Today I am feeling a little down...

I left my cell phone up north at a friend's house yesterday and it took me over an hour to get it this morning in traffic.

Jake persisted to convince me to stop by Town Lake on the way home. He had a great time, but didn't listen to me and wouldn't retrieve his toy in the water.

I came home and the house is a mess. I feel like I can never quite keep on top of things

I decided to clean out some things and try to de-clutter... thus making our place more messy

My sweet baby is now a major yeller. He yells A LOT of the time. And not the cute little squeak you may be imagining in your mind. Then when I look at him he smiles. He's not mad, he's just a major yeller.

My sweet baby only stays preoccupied for about 10 minutes. Then, he wants to be entertained in an entirely different way.

After I was tired of the screaming and entertaining I decided to go for walk number 2. I found Jake's missing leash after 15 minutes of looking (hidden under his doggy bed) and then walked outside with Jake and Dylan. Went to the car, managed (with a lot of struggling) to get the stroller out with one hand, drop Jake's leash and have him run off. Got baby loaded and Jake in tow, walked ten minutes and then there was a torrential downpour. Then I found myself running back to the car, loading it up and then running to the apt. with Jake and Dylan. I got to our apt. and then it stopped raining.

I came inside, Jake jumped up on the couch with his muddy paws. I yelled at him. Then I say down and cried. Then Dylan started to yell. I found myself crying and laughing.

In writing this, I by no means want a pity party. I just want the world to know that I am done with the days of saying everything is perfect here and acting like I have it all together. I love being a mom, a wife, and the owner of the most spoiled dog. But some days, you have to laugh and cry a little to make it through.

To-Do list

2009-10-20T16:56:00.000-07:00

Since I have become a stay at home mom, I have daily to do lists and it's not like these things get done all together in 20 minutes anymore. Now it is a daily list that I hope I can have at least one thing crossed off at the end of the day.

Sometimes I have to write things like:

take Jake for a walk

unload dishwasher

so I feel more productive...

Here is my list for today:

take Jake for a walk

read

empty dishwasher

go to mom's lunch

make a salad to take to the lunch

sort the mail

shred old mail

check email

workout

email friend

call my two new mama friends

Today was a productive day and I got all but 3 done. Now, I am exhausted..... :)

The BOB: Jogging stroller

2009-10-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

Today I used our jogging stroller for the first time. My teaching team from last year went in together to get this for us and I have been dying to use it since Dylan arrived. The reason it has been so long in coming is that your baby needs to be 5 months to ride in it. (I didn't know that at first) It is a super nice stroller and rides amazing.

Today Jake was feeling especially bad for himself and I was on my way out of the door to the gym when I looked back at him and thought, why not do the workout outside. Sidenote.. it has been BEAUTIFUL here in Austin the last few days. Today it was in the 70's and it's the weather I have been waiting for.

All that said, I have been at Town Lake for the last three hours. I ran for an hour and then walked for two. Guess who didn't sleep the entire way? That's right, my sweet Dylan. He is not a sleeper! Which is such a bummer, but he ADORES being outside and so do I, so that is our daily routine.

We all had an amazing time and all I have to say is that I better be Jake's favorite after today. (He is sound asleep on the couch snoring.)

Dylan eats

2009-10-16T18:08:00.000-07:00

We knew he was ready when he started reaching for our Chipotle burrito.......

Dylan ate cereal for the first time this week. As I was reading in the baby book, it said multiple times, most babies do not like their first meal. Well, our little opinionated man had a positive opinion for this one... He wanted more and more. He even pushed the spoon further down this throat as Cam fed him. He's got some Taylor in him!!

Two new babies!

2009-10-16T17:41:00.000-07:00

This week two of my closest friends had babies!! We are in the same small group and their babies were only 4 days apart!!

Carey and her sweet baby, Vera.

Emily and her sweet son, Nate

Yay for new babies and new moms to share life with!!

He slept through the night!

2009-10-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting for this night!! Last night Dylan slept from 8 pm to 5 am! I woke up at 4 am thinking was I so sleep deprived I don't remember getting up? Nope! I am SO hoping this will be the new routine!! Look closely at the pic, our sweet boy sleeps with his booty in the air. Too cute!!

My Sweet boys

2009-10-14T10:54:00.000-07:00

Rents come for a visit

2009-10-11T06:23:00.000-07:00

This week my parents came for a visit from Iowa. They came in on Wednesday and left on Saturday. It was nice to have some company with me during the week. They spoiled Dylan and Cam and I were even able to get away on a date on Friday night. (Although I was fighting sleep the whole time, :) We so wish our parents were closer by!!

Out to dinner at Chuy's, some good tex-mex!

Dylan and his mama

Proud G'parents

My mom and I had a great time during the days. My dad would steal away to read the newspapers and tool around, and we took off for long lunches and trips to Target. I took my mom to Cafe Milano, a cute cafe that a friend of mine owns. She loved it and we ended up there twice, the second time for three hours. We had great panini's, dessert, and coffee. The best was some sweet conversations to top it off. Dylan was a trooper, sleeping most of it in his sleepywrap.

Jake and his couch

2009-10-11T06:19:00.000-07:00

Cameron took this picture of Jake the other night. Jake apparently found enough motivation to start the process of leaving the couch and then decided mid-way that it was either too much effort or not worth the risk that someone would take his spot.

Sweet friends

2009-10-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

Last night I got to hang out with two of my dearest friends that I have met in Austin. Our hearts have been knitted together this last year and our time is always so sweet. Lindsay was in town from Memphis and we had a great time catching up on the last two months at our favorite spot, Cafe Milano.

Fredericksburg Trip

2009-10-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

During Cameron's two weeks between jobs we planned a little getaway to Fredericksburg, TX. This is a quaint town about an hour west of Austin. Our plan was to enjoy the hotel and just window shop through all of the quaint stores and shops. The weekend was rainy, and so we did just that. Dylan was fascinated by all of the toys in the toy store and Cameron was equally so.

Dad and Dylan hanging out in the hotel...

Unfortunately, we decided to try the local Mexican place and both got the "flu"or food poisoning... Cameron getting it the worst. It made for a long night in the hotel and the remainder of the weekend sick, but at least we got one day there to play!!

Trip home to Ames

2009-09-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we made a trip back to Ames, Iowa. Apparently our little guy is quite popular with the g'parents. :)

Three things I love here:

The look of concentration on Dylan's face.

The green Iowa grass.

Papa and his grandson.

Jeremy and Cam hanging out at the hotel.

The Staff clan

My family made the trip to Ames and we were able to spend a night together, too. Below is my sweet niece, Cecily.

Papa Staff and Dylan had lots of talks and lots of exploring together.

So fun to see my mom. She is always eager to hold her grandbabies.

It was so fun to see my sweet nieces, Claira and Bella with Dylan. I remember the days they were born like it was yesterday. How time flies!

Two sweet grandma's. One tired little guy.

This is my favorite picture. This is four generations of Staff's. So special for Dylan to have a legacy of faith and love. Dylan's middle name is after his great grandpa, Don.

Grandpa and Grandma made the trip down from Racine to see us. It was so fun to see them again. Dylan was quite smiley with them.

We are blessed to have our families. Dylan is blessed to be so loved by both.

Two photos that make me laugh

2009-09-12T19:28:00.000-07:00

The other day we were downtown having breakfast and this is who we see waiting to cross the street. Only in Austin!

My two sweet boys!

Happy

2009-08-27T20:40:00.000-07:00

Dylan's face sums up how I am feeling right now. Today was Cameron's last day of work at Academic Superstore. He is now on "vacation" for the next two weeks before he starts the police academy. We so need a vacation together. Funds will not afford for us to be flying to Hawaii this time, but we are determined to have some fun and relaxation these next few weeks. We sooo need it! Time just seems to go by faster and faster and this season of life has been short on the family time. It will be so nice to hang out together as a family and finally draw a sigh of relief from a long year.

It has been a hard year, and yet a year filled with some of the biggest blessings. As many of you know, we have really struggled this year with what God was to have for us. Graduating from seminary we imagined we would be heading to a church to be in full time ministry. God likes to do the unexpected and now Cam is heading for the police academy. It is neat to see how God has worked out all of this for us through a time of a lot of questions and hurt. Cameron is truly so excited to be a police officer and get to do ministry in a whole different way. He has been gathering his gear, training physically and memorizing "10 codes". Watch out Austin, there is a new cadet on the loose. I think I am going to come up with some of my own wifey "10 codes" like, bring home some milk tonight or be sure to clean up the bathroom later...

Feeling reflective tonight as another season ends and one begins. Excited to see what God has next: somehow it is always an adventure!

August happenings

2009-08-18T20:25:00.000-07:00

We are in busy mode of August, except this year, neither of us is going back to school. It seems strange--but also nice! August kind of marks the end of our first year here and also marks some new beginnings for us...

Cameron will start the Austin Police Academy Sept. 14!! We are so excited about this adventure to come. I am very proud of Cam, there were over 800 applicants for the academy and he was in the top 10% that was selected out of that number. We went to orientation last week and found out a lot of good info. It sounds like it will be quite the challenge, but an adventure as well.

We continue to LOVE Austin. It is truly home here for us. We have a great church, sweet friends, and love the culture of the city. It will sure be nice when it cools down, though. :)

Here's some random pics from the month.

Dylan loves to stare at himself in the mirror. He is very intense, loving to stare at toys, trees, and does sit ups to try and look at things.

Out on a hot night in Austin. Dylan, Jake and I went to watch Cam play ultimate last Tuesday night. Dylan loved the warm air.

We went on the Austin Bat Boat tour with friends last weekend. Very interesting!

He is such a heart throb! He is constantly smiling and talking to us. He is so laid back and such a sweetheart.

This boy is active already! He loves to sit up, look at stuff and move!!

Jakey: the misadventures

2009-08-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

One question.... does he really need this many pillows to be comfortable?

Apparently he thinks so!

Professional Bullriders Event with Auntie Bri

2009-08-05T07:30:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we went down to San Antonio to see the bull riders in an event that Bri (Cam's sister) works for and was in town for....

It was so fun to go to the event and to catch up with Bri and get to see what she does....

Dylan loved the event and was content the whole time.... This little man is already a true texan...lovin' the heat and now the rodeo....

We went to a true Texan diner where they served 4 pound cinnamon rolls... Let me just say "incredible" to sum all of that up.

The cinnamon roll was about the size of Dylan. :)

It was such a fun time, blessing to see Bri, and great "Texan" experience. Come visit anytime y'all!!!

G'parents come to visit

2009-07-30T19:34:00.001-07:00

I got a facebook message on Tues of last week from Cameron's mom saying "see you soon!" To make the story short, Cameron's parents came in last minute to visit--mostly to see Dylan. I have realized one of the greatest ways to love someone is to love their kids. Already, I have found this to be so true for us. It meant a lot that they wanted to see him and to see how much they love him.
We got to go on a date!! It was wonderful and so good for us to have some time alone to talk. Thanks Poppa and Nonna.

Nothing like some good BBQ on a Sunday. Rudy's was a fun place to end the weekend..

Sweet friends

2009-07-29T16:26:00.000-07:00

We have been so blessed to have made such good friends in Austin this last year. Last weekend, we sadly had to say goodbye to some of them. Our good friends, Lindsay and Jeremy are headed to Memphis to follow the Lord's call. We will miss them dearly but are excited for the new adventure in their lives to come!!

Family Photo

2009-07-21T16:16:00.000-07:00

Trying to get a family photo: need I say more???

Jakey: the misadventures

2009-07-21T15:57:00.000-07:00

Jake is about the best dog anyone could ever ask for...

but he doe shave some slip ups once and awhile..

here is the latest:

Cameron or I take Jake out in the mornings to run. Often we will go to the middle school right next door, to Aud. Shores, or on a run through the neighborhood.

I decided to take Jake to the track and run a few miles with him the other day. We always hope that another dog is there that we can let Jake off leash with so he can really get a romp.

When I was there, an outdoor fitness class was going on and the instructor had his dog there as well. Jakey was dying to say hi, but I kept him on leash until the class was over so that Jake would not run through. As the class was over, I asked if the dogs could play.

The dogs had a great time playing and the instructor was telling me about his class. The last thing I remember him saying is the flyer is right in here...

He walked to his VERY nice suburban and then I felt the swift breeze of air as Jake lunged inside muddy as all getout and sat in the driver seat. I yelled at him to get out and then he proceeded to run through the back and leap out of the back. I quickly glanced in and saw Jake's muddy paws all over his clean, beautiful champagne colored interior.

What do you do in that situation?

Probably not what I did.. said -- I am so sorry and then looped Jake back into our run this time away from the middle school....

Whoops...

Jake also LOVES Dylan. He is very gentle with him and always listens to us with him, but has picked up a very annoying habit. I will leave Dylan somewhere for only a few minutes...ie. to go to the bathroom, change the laundry, grab something to eat... and the minute I get up Jake races to where I was sitting and sits or lays down right next to Dylan (where I was). This is a picture of him doing it today... annoying but cute.

Let's see...

2009-07-13T14:47:00.001-07:00

Throughout the week I have lots of ideas of what to blog about and then when Dylan finaly does go down for a nap, I think what in the world do I have to say...

So, here's the latest of what we are up to...

1. Heading to Town Lake several nights a week. Dylan now loves the snugli and loves to look up at the trees and of course he loves the crazy Texas heat. I have been running and Cameron has been staying by the water with Dylan and Jake. It is a treat for me to be able to have some alone time and run. I am up to 4 miles and am working toward the 10 mile loop by the end of the summer.

2. Dylan is 2 months old and growing like a weed. He is super long and skinny. He is growing out of his 0-3 month clothes in length, and on the the 3-6 month ones. The only problem is that he doesn't quite fill them out width wise yet. I am sure it will come soon. He is now falling asleep by himself at night and last night slept for a whopping 5 hours at a time! Yay! I have found that I love clothes from the GAP for Dylan. They are "little man" clothes and so fun to get for him. :)

3. Cameron's grandparents came to visit for a few days. They got to meet Dylan and Dylan was able to meet the man he is named after. It was a sweet time to spend with them. We hung around the house, went out to eat a few times and got lots of smiles from Dylan.

4. I have been researching immunizations for Dylan. Since I am a special education teacher this is a huge concern. There is said to be a link between immunizations and Autism and I have spent hours researching it. I have decided that I am in favor of immunizations, but am doing an alternate schedule. This means that I will have Dylan being given his shots once a month rather that every two months. I will only have him given one live virus at a time and no more than two immunizations together. This is so that the body is not overloaded with the shots. I also am going to have his titers checked after each immunization. Often, there is only need for one of the shots when it is recommended the child get a series of 3. When the titers are tested through the blood we will be able to see if the immunization is still active and he doesn't need the booster. I feel like I am in totally new territory here, being a mom has given me such a great sense of responsibility realizing that I am so responsible for Dylan, his health, and his safety. I pray that God will give me the wisdom that I need to be able to make good decisions for him.

5. That's about it for now...

Random Pictures

2009-07-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

Life is Sweet

2009-06-30T14:42:00.000-07:00

Life is Sweet... I am looking at my baby boy sleeping right next to me and appearing to be dreaming of milk. He is such a joy--but life is a little harder these days! I feel like one day I totally have this down, am riding on cloud nine because the pediatrician tells me I am a natural mom, and then the next day when Dylan has been crying for a long period I think, "Am I doing Anything right??"
But looking at him right here next to me I know he is the greatest joy in my life and that I am so blessed.
I am loving being a stay at home mom. I wrote my letter of resignation this week for school and feel great that this is where I am supposed to be. It was a tough decision, since I really love being a teacher. But Cameron and I came to the conclusion that we would never regret me being home with Dylan. What a blessing it is to be with him and to trust that God will provide for us in this decision.
Cameron and I are learning a lot about being parents, making mistakes, learning from them, trying new things, trying the things that worked for us the last time, and growing in this experience they call "parenthood".
I am so busy at home, but then sometimes wonder, "What the heck did I do today?" One thing we sure have learned about our little boy is that he loves to be outside (like his mama), but then again we are in Texas, and it is hot!! The little dude like to be outside in a sleeper and he is happy as a clam. And sadly, he hates the AC, it could be a long summer folks!! :)
I think this is about the most scatterbrained blog post yet, but hey, it's what you get from a busy mom who is short on sleep and gearing up for another walk outside in the sauna. :)

Days with Dylan

2009-06-20T04:12:00.000-07:00

Grandma comes to visit and the first few weeks

2009-06-12T08:39:00.000-07:00

My mom came to visit us 2 weeks after Dylan was born. It ended up being really good timing. It was nice to have the first week just Cameron, Dylan and I, and it was nice to have the second week just Dylan and I as I was figuring out the whole mom thing. My mom was such a blessing to have here. She loved Dylan and was such a servant to us. She changed all his diapers, took a morning shift so I could get extra rest each day, made us several meals, took us out several times and so much more. It was nice for me to have someone here with me during the days, too since Cameron doesn't get home until 7-7:30. One of the best parts was that she babysat for us two nights and we got away for two mini dates. One of them we went to Mozart's on the lake for coffee, the other a quick dinner to Olive Garden. It was fun to be just the two of us again.

On another note, I think that I am adjusting really well to being a stay at home mom. I truly love every minute of it. The days go so fast and I feel like I am so busy. Yet at the end of the day when I tell that to Cam and he asks me what I did, I really don't know. I try to only go out one time a day since it is a lot of work and takes a lot of energy from Dylan and from me. :) I also try to spend as much time with Dylan as I can, just taking in how remarkable he is.

The hardest part has been balancing Jake and Dylan. Jake is only a year old and still needs a lot of exercise and attention. He has been truly awesome in adjusting to Dylan, but he still has his needs. I have ventured to some dog parks a few times, but it is a TON of work to keep track of him and keep Dylan safe. I have discovered the SLEEPY WRAP (thanks Abby!) which is amazing. If you are an active mom, this is the thing for you. It is a soft wrap that holds your baby right up to you and the baby loves it and feels so secure. This wrap is my lifesaver. I use it to go on walks, hang out with friends, going to the park, and do chores around the house.

I am trying to get back into the groove of working out again. I have been going on a couple of walks a day with Dylan and Jake and when my mom was here even got to the gym a few times. It is something that I continue to need to prioritize. I find that I have so many excuses Not to, but that it is sooo good for me and I need to continue to keep myself healthy. Today since Cam's rents are now here, Jake and I went for a 30 minute run. Painful at the time, but I feel awesome now.

I think that about covers it for now. Thanks for reading!

First weeks home

2009-06-09T08:04:00.000-07:00

I will try to capture the first weeks home here with some pics....

So now I am on a roll and will continue with the update. The first few weeks home with Dylan were really great. Cameron was able to take 4 days off and it was so nice to have him around to help out and spend time with Dylan. For me, I thought labor was going to be easier, and the recovery harder. It turned out to be vice versa, which in the long run was better for all of us. Dylan is a really great baby and only cried when he needs something. Such a blessing! our friends have been truly wonderful and have been such a help.
I am loving being a mom. I never knew my heart held such a capacity to love so deeply. I don't even mind getting up in the night for him. It is so fun to be a stay at home mom. I find that my days fly by and I treasure every minute that I get to spend with my son. Life has been a little trickier having a baby and a dog. Jake was a little sad in the beginning, I think he was feeling the effects of less attention from us. I make it a point each day to get out and exercise with him and Dylan. Life is at a sweet spot for us right now. I feel like I have never been happier or more content that being here each day with my little guy.

Dylan

2009-06-08T16:38:00.000-07:00

Life has certainly changed for us really quick. I feel like it has been so long since I updated everyone and have a few limited minutes to do so now. :)
Everyone asks about labor and so I thought I would give a short update on that and then try to catch up with the blogging from there. Cameron and I decided to move on the weekend of the 10th. We have been trying to cut our monthly expenses and when talking with our apt. complex found out that we could reduce our rent by $200 a month if we moved across the apt. complex that we are currently living in. We decided this would be great for us and let us move before Dylan arrived rather than in July when our lease was up. So, the whole weekend we moved and as anyone who has moved knows, it was more than we thought it would be. I ended up carrying a lot, because I wanted to help and felt great. We were finally finished with the move and all out of the apt. on Monday night.
I had been wanting to take some time off of work before the little guy came, but found myself scrambling each day at work just to get a few more things done. I really wanted everything to be in place before I left, so I ended up working right up until Monday, even thought I was having contractions at work.
Tues. I decided to take the morning off and woke up at 5:30 in the morning. My water had broke. Not wanting to be dramatic, I thought I was fine and we headed to the dog park about 8 am. We were there about 10 minutes before my water really started. I told Cam and we decided to go home. I called labor and delivery on the way home and they said to come in right away, that once your water has been broken, you need to deliver within 24 hours. We were so excited.
We got home and frantically packed bags and headed to the hospital. I really had it in my mind that it was going to be a quick and relatively easy labor and delivery. I thought this since my mom's was and I figured I would follow in suit. Not true. My labor was 22 hours until delivery from when my water broke and 15 hours from when contractions started to the end result. Cameron was an awesome coach and was so encouraging to me. I never imagined it would be so hard, but it was so amazing to finally meet Dylan. He is such a joy and we are so in love with him.

Things around here

2009-05-31T11:34:00.000-07:00

Hi all. As you might imagine things have been pretty busy around here. Busy and good. We are loving life with Dylan and adjusting fairly smoothly. Enjoy some pictures of recent days if you have the time!

They can be found here: http://gallery.me.com/camstaff#gallery

Announcing the arrival of Dylan Donald Staff

2009-05-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

A few of my favorite things...

2009-04-17T21:39:00.000-07:00

It has been so fun to get a few things for our baby boy. My mom sent us these Levi jeans to the left and a friend gave us the New Balance shoes. To the right is the first outfit that we picked out together from the Baby Gap courtesy of a gift card from Justin and Lea.. It is so fun to think of little man wearing these preppy things...

I feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends in Austin. My sweet girls here to the right threw me a beautiful baby shower a few weeks ago. It was such a sweet time, good friends, and made me so excited to be getting ready for my little guy.

I am getting so excited to meet him. Our biggest question is who he is going to look like... blond or dark haired, fair or tan... I had a dream last night that he was blond like his daddy, but then Cam reminded me that my dreams are often inaccurate. (for example, I had three dreams that we were having a girl.) :)