Let Her Stay Little

A few nights ago, at the dinner table, Mr. Stannix and I had another conversation about homeschooling vs. the school system. Growing up, I was home schooled for almost half of my schooling career. I loved the fact that in my elementary years I was at home with my Mum and family learning and growing and taking part in different opportunities that were presented to me outside of an elementary classroom on a farm. Life couldn't have been any better! I did my school in the morning and got to live life to its fullest all afternoon. We played on our jungle gym, fed chickens, learned about life, and laughed the afternoon away on the swings or making mud pies.

On Sunday, we had a lesson in Relief Society from a talk titled "Let There Be Light!" by Elder Quentin L. Cook.  We discussed pros and cons of homeschooling our children as well as our belief in the school system and our communities. We basically came to the conclusion that, like Elder Cook says, "we should be a source of light in protecting our communities."

Mr. Stannix has always supported me in my aspirations to home school our children. My biggest reason for wanting to is not that I don't believe in our school system (because I attended public school and enjoyed it), but more because I want our kids to be able to be kids. I want them to be able to enjoy life at a young age instead of being in a classroom for six hours a day. We talked about how important it is for us to believe in the school system and to believe that there is still good in the world. And if we support our school system, our kids could be that light in helping to protect our community.

At the end of our conversation, Mr. Stannix and I agreed that our kids would always know that we strongly believe in the school system. We want them to be successful and to pursue a secondary education. We want them to delight in knowledge and to work hard.

Just before the conversation was finished, I had to clarify with Mr. Stannix that he was still okay with me homeschooling for part if not all of their elementary years (of course he was). For some reason, my eyes started getting all watery. I re-explained that the only reason I wanted to home school our children is so that they could enjoy being kids. It's such a short time. I wanted them home so that I could teach them and love them and instill in them a value for family relationships and a love for their Savior. I explained that I couldn't imagine Camilla as a five year old being away from me for so long in a day and that I wanted her home, safe with me, for at least a little while (at this point I was crying).  I think that when Camilla does go off to school, I will be crying my eyes out! For some reason, I like my children close by where I can hug and kiss them whenever I please and watch them grow and change. I couldn't imagine anyone else doing that for me.

Mr. Stannix agreed with me and came around the table and embraced me in a big hug and said, "That's what I love about you". And I'm glad he does. So, for as long as I can, I am going to enjoy every new word, every new discovery, every expression of love, every giggle, every bedtime story, every spiritual moment, and everything else that may come our way until our children enter the big world on their own!

A Wa-Wa-holic

Last night, Camilla was super tired around 7:30, so we started our bedtime routine. Lately (since she's had her cough) she always wants to go to bed WITH her whole sippy, instead of just with a little drink of water. Sometimes in the middle of the night, she'll wake up yelling "WA-WA!!" over and over until I go in and find her sippy under her covers or at the bottom of her bed, or on the floor. After a strawberry milkshake and en episode of Smallville, Mr. Stannix and I decided it was time for bed and went upstairs. Before lights out, I like to check on Camilla and make sure she has covers etc. I tip-toed into her room to the sound of her deep breathing. She was laying on her back with both arms up under her head, elbows sticking out to the sides, and her sippy resting close bye. She looked very peaceful and angelic. I noticed her sippy was upside down and didn't want it to leak, so I very gently lifted it up, turned it over, and sat it back down maybe centimeters from where I found it. All of the sudden I heard the word "Wa-Wa" (water) whispered on an exhale and a little arm reached for the sippy and cradled it snug in a one armed hug. It was almost as if it was one of her most prized possessions and she was guarding it in her sleep. Her eyes didn't even open and she kept breathing in and out deeply. The funniest part, I thought, was that she was asleep through the whole thing!! I quickly, quietly as I could, tip-toed out of her room and burst out laughing at my bedside. I related the story to Mr. Stannix, actions and all, and we both laughed really hard! I had to hold my baby belly I was laughing so hard... That kid cracks me up!

In other news, I went and got my hair cut today for the first time in a very long time!! I'm pretty sure it's been over a year. It was nice to get it all thinned and freshened up. I think it's going to take me a bit to get used to the new look (especially the side bangs), but it wasn't a horrible cut.

Mrs. Potato

Today has been a rather slow day. Camilla has been getting up earlier, and even though we lay in bed until 8:00am, I'm usually pretty tired still! She eventually gets tired of laying in bed and demands "Much" (lunch) and "Food" because she's hungry. And if we really don't listen, she jumps down and moves the suitcase blocking the stairs which pretty much makes you have to go downstairs with her. She's pretty smart....

We made breakfast for us and Daddy before he left for school. I spent most of the morning being pretty productive, cleaning, dishes, dusting, and tidying. I lost steam around lunch time and have felt pretty lazy ever since. Camilla went for a nap after lunch and I played on the computer, puttered around and sat on the couch looking out the window. I had big plans for baking this afternoon, but with our oven broken, it wasn't going to happen. So I waited around for Camilla to wake up. After an hour and a half (usually the total duration of her nap), I decided to cozy up on the couch and close my eyes for a few minutes. It turned into a much needed half hour nap and I woke up to a drool covered sweater sleeve. Seconds later, Camilla was up and ready to go. 

We then played with Mrs. Potato head for a few minutes together. It's been a while since she's played with her because she started sticking the ears in her ears, the nose up hers etc. Today has been good so far! She loves her "Tatoe". Our landlord then showed up and fixed our oven for us. It was kinda neat to see how a gas oven works and now I know what's wrong next time it happens! Looks like we're having pizza tonight!

A Promise Kept

A little bit freezing after leaving the warm water

Camilla is such a water baby! She loves swimming at the pool so so much! Daddy promised her that we would go swimming today and she talked about it all weekend. As we got in the car she exclaimed "Nimming!!!" and was excited the whole way to the pool. When she got her suit on, the excitement grew some more. The last few times she's really enjoyed wearing a life jacket and having some "freedom" to move in the shallow waters. She loves the balls, and loves to play catch with Mommy and Daddy. Today she enjoyed some sliding and relaxing in the warm water. We floated around the lazy river a few times and enjoyed sitting and relaxing in the shallow water. She's also getting used to water on her face and some extra splashing.  It was a great two hours and we were all wrinkly when we finally got out. She really didn't want to leave!!

When we got home there was a message on our phone from my little brother! He got a very special letter in the mail today with "Elder Hudkins" on it. After my parents got home from work they got the family on speaker phone and opened his mission call! It's hard to believe that my brother will be hitting up the MTC on June 29th! We are absolutely thrilled for him!

Our Little Snorter

Today was a pretty good day! The only downside about 1:00 church is waiting all morning for it! We had a one hour family snuggle in our bed after Camilla woke up, and then got up and got ready for church. It was not my morning. I tried to curl my hair with hot rollers and it totally didn't work out! I also have a wardrobe malfunction with my ever growing stomach and am down to one skirt that actually fits. Not much longer though! While we were waiting until it was time to leave we had some fun tickle sessions and Camilla got giggling really hard. It totally made me smile. We left the house an hour early as per usual to make it to the church for choir. As I was walking my shoes kept coming un-done (silly Velcro). Choir went really well and Mr. Stannix did a great job watching Camilla (like he always does). During Sacrament meeting I was released from my calling as ward choir pianist which brought mixed emotions. It was a calling that I really enjoyed doing because I got to play on the piano, but I was slightly relieved as I've been stressing about how I'm going to feed a new born when I have choir and then organ right after (2 hour block).

After the Sacrament was blessed and passed I hopped off the organ to sit with my hubby and little girl for the rest of Fast and Testimony meeting.That kid seriously cracks me up. I should have been more serious and I'm sure my face turned red as I giggled in the third bench from the front, but I couldn't help myself. I mentioned in my last post that Camilla was sticking a finger up her nose at breakfast the other day. She started doing it in the middle of the meeting, so I said (very seriously) "No, that's yucky" and gently pulled her hand down. At that point a devious little smirk appeared on her face, and she slowly started raising her finger to her nose again. Well, after about the third "No, that's yucky", she was grinning from ear to ear and decided TWO fingers would be even more hilarious. There was no stopping her now. So I let her. The worst (not really) part was that she was standing on the bench for all eyes to see. After a few seconds with both fingers up her nose, she discovered something fascinating...she could snort! And that she did for the next couple of minutes. A snort followed by a little giggle (repeat). It was soo hard to distract her, and I couldn't be serious enough to stop her if I tried. Mr. Stannix and I just quietly giggled and smirked at each other across the bench. Is that bad?

The rest of the meetings were fabulous! Mr. Stannix took Camilla to nursery and ended up helping out for most of the first hour. When he left she cried for a bit (I was told) but is getting better. After church a sister came up to me and said, "I have to tell you! Camilla was so cute today when I went in for singing time!..." and proceeded to explain how Camilla was lining up the baby dolls in chairs for singing time. A nursery leader also told me that Camilla was "Great today!". It's such a relief to finally see her interacting and playing in nursery. Daddy said she was super happy when he went to pick her up! Before we left to go home, Camilla found a little girl bundled in her stroller and said "Baby!" and proceeded to play with her, hug her, blow kisses to her, make her wave and talk, and make her blow kisses. It was super cute watching them. I think they like each other! Hooray for a friend in Nursery!

I did NOT make her pose like this, she did it all on her own...

Just wanted to make sure I wrote her snorting story somewhere so that we don't forget it! What a character!

The Old Spaghetti Factory

Camilla with her 'Un-toe Mut' and 'Un-toe Kees'

Some of my family is up again this weekend for a visit and we've had them in and out all day. It's been great! We got to spend time with my brothers' girlfriend as well, which was also great! It had been a while since we had visited.  Camilla thoroughly enjoyed the interaction with so many people all afternoon. She threw balls with her uncles, and got balls thrown at her. She mooched cookies from Papa, and gave lots of hugs and kisses. It's so special watching her interact with family.

Tonight, a few of us went out to The Old Spaghetti Factory to celebrate my brother Mike's birthday. My older brothers got to spend some special time with miss Camilla. She got to eat between them at dinner, climb on them, hug and kiss them. It was fun to see her interact with her uncles, she sure kept them on their toes! Her poor 'Un-toe Mut' enjoyed his dinner between feeding her, making sure her booster didn't tip when she would climb out, and trying to keep her sitting and content. She tries so hard with names, and it's pretty funny to hear what she comes up with sometimes! I'm thinking the name she's made for Uncle Mike will stick! 

It was a very enjoyable evening. I love spending time talking and eating with family. The meal was impressive, and the price was definitely right. I am totally a fan of the "All-Inclusive". The waiter was great and even brought Camilla her own little bowl of ice cream for dessert!

Today, Camilla practiced saying "Plees...maaan" (police man) all day long! We had a police car with his lights turned on park outside our house for a good 20 minutes. Camilla liked watching through the window and saying "Plees man" repeatedly. I also learned that I need to be careful how much I say "Michael David" (which I jokingly call Mr. Stannix when he's 'in-big-trouble-mister'). This morning I said it and miss Camilla sternly repeated "MUT DAVEE!!" It was too cute not to laugh.  Kinda like at breakfast when she thought it was funny to shove her finger up her nose...After the second stern "No Camilla, that's yucky" I burst out laughing, and so did Mr. Stannix. She just looked so hilarious with her little grin and piggy nose, and she knew it! Good memories being made at the Stannix's!!

Stone Cold

This morning the Stannix's woke up in what felt like an igloo. Camilla had woken up a few times and walked to our bed saying "Up?". The second time I put her back to bed I noticed her room was freezing cold, but didn't think too much of it. As Mr. Stannix rolled over in the middle of the night I said "Is it colder in here, or is it just me?" and I got a "It's cold". On the plus side, I got some snuggling! Camilla hopped in with us early this morning for a quick snuggle and her feet were like little icicles. We woke up this morning and it seemed almost cold enough that you could see your breath. I know our house is old, but usually it's not this cold. Mr. Stannix bundled up and went down for a shower and even our bathroom was freezing! Stepping into the tub was like stepping on ice in your bare feet. Normally, if we keep the bathroom door shut at night it's super warm inside in the morning! Camilla curled up on the couch with a blanket, honey nut cheerios and her Elmo show for the morning while I started breakfast. As we ate, I thought my toes were going to fall off and wished I'd put a sweater on before coming down stairs. Something was definitely up! After breakfast, I bundled up and made us some hot chocolate to warm our insides. That made things a little more tolerable. I called up our awesome landlord and he came over to investigate for us, since I know nothing about the old school furnace that we have in our house. Turns out the pilot light went out at some point which meant no heat. It was an easy fix and we have an almost toasty house again!

Our beast of a furnace

This morning Camilla and I took in our program at the library. She had fun, like she always does. We then headed to the doctors for a pre-natal checkup. Camilla was very good for me and sat so nice. The baby is healthy and well. Just over a month to go! Camilla fell asleep on the way home and is now napping on the couch in her jacket and hat. At least she's warm!! I think I'm off to get some lunch and do some baking this afternoon!

Happy blogging!!

Highlights

Smooching Mr. Stannix on the stairs before he left for School today

Watching the excitement on Camilla's face, and hearing her squeal with delight as we spotted Daddy's bus come home, and then Daddy walking by the window (she always waves sweetly and blows a kiss)

Plugging in my new (to me) deep freeze

Camilla turning her garlic toast into a horse and making it 'neigh' and run around the dinner table

Watching Camilla play tenderly with her little baby doll, saying 'I love you' and giving her kisses

Going on a Costco run (to buy meat for my deep freeze)

Sharing dried mango with Camilla before she went to bed

Killing four yucky bugs in my house (less to worry about later!)

What Matters Most

Today, I have been thinking a lot about what matters most. I've been thinking about how I show love, how others show love to me and my family, how I use my time, what I place value on etc. As I thought about this, I got to spend some special time with Camilla reading, playing, building towers and giggling. She definitely has a love of laughter. When it came time for a nap, I could have just rushed through the motions, given a quick hug and kiss, and left her to fall asleep, but instead, I took my time. She said her little prayer, and crawled into her bed. I scooted her over and pulled up her covers. We then spent a few minutes reading a story (which she has practically memorized) and laughing. I gave her some water, and lots of kisses. As I left the room I heard a little voice ask "Hut?" and I turned around and gave her a huge hug/squeeze. She went to sleep no problem after that, I guess she felt more secure. I let her have her book to fall asleep, and heard her "read" it through once. After all was silent for a few minutes, I looked in to find her snoozing with her book covering her face. She must have been super tired! I went down stairs smiling, glad that she went to bed happy and content. 

I watched a video today titled "What Matters Most"  which takes bits an pieces from a talk given by Thomas S. Monson. I loved the message that he gave. Part of it talked about filling our days with the things which matter most. I've spent the majority of my day thinking about what those things are for me and how I show my love to those around me. I also thought about how lucky I am to have a husband who loves me and does things to show me he loves me. Last week, he spent an hour and a half chipping all the ice off our walks so that I wouldn't slip and fall and risk hurting the baby. Almost every night that he is home, he does my dishes after dinner and goes above and beyond. Sometimes, he does the dishes of the entire day! But he always finishes up his job by wiping down all counters, the sink, and the garbage. He also shines the taps! My kitchen literally sparkles when he is finished and I appreciate it! Those are just a few of the things he does to show me that he loves me! I am richly blessed! I hope that I may be able to fill my days with things that matter most and keep that eternal perspective!

What Would You Do

....if you walked into your kitchen and saw this?

I almost had a half heart attack. Camilla climbed up on the table today so that she could get my car keys from the ledge. I arrived just in time to catch her as she jumped off the edge. It makes me a little nervous that she climbs on the table because it isn't sturdy at all! The other day a screw fell off while I was kneading my bread, hopefully the one leg will hold out! The other morning I came down stairs and she was crawling all over the table and in and out of chairs. Her other favorite place to climb is onto the back of the couch. Finding her standing on the table has been my excitement for today. Mr. Stannix's class was canceled, so we have had a very quiet day at home. It's been nice to relax. Camilla snuggled in bed with us until 9:00 this morning which was the best thing ever! I think it's the first night in a while I've gotten close to 12 hours of sleep.

Pink Juice

Today has been a fairly good day so far! Camilla got to wear her new dress to church. She loved it and enjoyed twirling and jumping in it. Nursery was a success, partly. She cried for ten minutes at the beginning, but eventually settled in.  When I came to get her she was ACTUALLY playing with the other kids instead of just watching on the sidelines. Each week gets better and better.

 

When we got home from church Mr. Stannix poured himself a drink of juice, the kind that really stains. While we were busy figuring out the pilot lights on the gas stove and prepping lunch, Camilla sneakily climbed up to the table and enjoyed the tasty beverage. She was dipping her hand, and then licking it off. By the time we realized what she was doing, her entire hand was stained pink/purple. It's pretty funny to look at. Luckily, none got on the new dress! We are now off to enjoy the rest of our evening together!

Family Time

This morning was great. Camilla came into our room at eight and I picked her up for a cuddle. She closed her eyes again as soon as she hit the pillow and we had a nice family snuggle. Her feet massaged Daddy's back while she tossed, and we finally had to wake her up just before nine to get ready for our day. After breakfast, Mr. Stannix and I had the opportunity to attend the temple together. It was really nice. Camilla had a blast playing with her little friend while we were away. We got home and made up some lunch and took our time eating it and visiting at the table. Camilla was in a crazy funny mood because of the lateness of her nap and was shaking her head around and chatting our ears off. After lunch, we went upstairs and got ready for a nap. Camilla got cozy in her bed and we read a quick story. She had a fabulous two hour nap, it's not often that she does this. Mr. Stannix also had a fabulous nap, and I puttered around getting some things done that I've wanted to for a while. It was a quiet day, but it was nice to spend time together. My siblings are up tonight and it's been a blast! We look forward to spending the rest of the weekend with them.

St. Patrick's Day

Today is a rather blah day. The sky isn't blue, and the sun isn't shining! I guess we've been pretty luck the last few days with all the blue sky and sunshine. Camilla and I needed something to do, so we spent the afternoon making/decorating cupcakes for St. Patrick's day. It was super fun! She's such a great little helper, especially when it comes to licking out the icing bowl. 

We whipped up a white cake mix (with a little green food coloring of course), and let them bake and cool while we built block towers in the living room.

Camilla especially loved tasting the "ICE-AAAAAAAAA!" for me.

She licked out the bowl without saying too much while I went all artsy on the cupcakes trying to create shamrocks. It was the quietest I think our house has been all day.

We then tasted our cupcakes to make sure the end result was yummy, and boy was it ever!

After all the fun was done, it was time for the girly to go for a nap. While I waited upstairs for her to fall asleep, I amused myself by throwing tiny pieces of balled up toilet paper down the hole in our floor, trying to hit Mr. Stannix who was studying unknowingly in the chair beneath. It didn't last long because I had a hard time containing my laughter, and then accidentally drooled down the grate almost on Mr. Stannix. Our house is super old, and for some reason has these holes in the floors of the bedrooms covered with, what could be compared to as chicken wire. Our room peeks into the living room, and Camilla's room into the kitchen. It was too much fun, I couldn't help myself....

Happy Early St. Patty's day!

Days Like These

Today has been great. Camilla slept until 9:30 this morning!! After Mr. Stannix got out of the shower, he asked if she was alive, and I assured him she was breathing when I peeked in at her this morning. She woke up such a happy, giggly, talkative little girl. It is mornings like these that I absolutely love being a mother. We had a lot of fun together this morning. She was a total nutt and I love it when she gets in that mood. She's growing up so so fast!!

We had a tickle session on the floor this morning and she tried to distract me from tickling under her arms by putting them up and saying "Hut?" (hug). So I tickled her and then gave her a hug. She wrapped both arms around my neck and squeezed me really tight. Then she placed both her hands on my cheeks and pulled me in for a good smooch. There is nothing better than hugs and kisses given willingly! I loved it. I also got to play my piano for a long time while she quietly played at my feet. I loved being able to watch her quietly play with her toys while I got to fill our home with music.

Before dinner, Camilla discovered the unattended cake on the kitchen table and decided to help herself to some. I'm not sure how much she actually ate before I caught her, but she definitely wasn't very hungry for dinner.

I was also able to catch her "Hello" on video today as well as an "I love you". The quality isn't the best because it was just on my camera, but it's still pretty funny.

Smooches and Giggles

The Stannix's have been feeling very 'under the weather' the last couple of days. At night our house echos with coughing, sneezing and sniffles. Between the three of us it's enough to drive anyone crazy! We are hoping to be on the mend soon. At breakfast, Camilla had some porridge and she brought a guest. Her little "No-No" joined us for porridge. I guess he was really hungry, because Camilla shared every bite with her plastic friend. On the second last bite of the morning, Camilla threw it all up...Gooey porridge everywhere. Noah made it out un-gooed, but Mommy, not so much. Off to a warm bath she went. We then both snuggled on the couch with her cat show and she zonked out. She had a rough night.

Although she felt sick last night, she was in super good spirits. We had a lot of fun in the evening together as a family. We shared lots of giggles and memories.  Daddy and Camilla looked through the blog book and Camilla had fun pointing people out and telling us stories as she scanned the pictures on the pages. When I tucked Camilla in, we chatted for a few minutes, then gave hugs and kisses. She loves the word "Smooch" so we call our kisses smooches now, or "Mooch" as Camilla likes to say. I bet I got a hundred of them before bed last night! She kept asking "Mooch?" and I'd lean in for a kiss. After the kiss, she'd exclaim "Mooch!!!" and I'd say "Yes, a SMOOCH!" We were rather silly when I think about it, but it was oh so fun. It eventually got to the point where she would put her hands on my cheeks and pull me in for a smooch exlaiming "Moooch!" and I'd go "EWWWW!" and she'd start giggling. Each time she broke out laughing, it was harder and harder for her to contain herself. By the end we were both laughing hysterically!! I left the room, blowing her kisses on the way out and waited on my bed for her to fall asleep (in case she decided to get out of bed). As I was laying there I hear "Kiss?" and little kissing noises as she kissed her baby doll. Then I hear "Hut! ooooohhh" as she gave her doll a big hug. Then I heard "Squeeeeeze!" as she squeezed her tight. Then I heard "Nite-Nite...Baby", and her baby say "ma-ma?". Super cute to listen to her little conversations at night with her baby. I love that kid! It was so rewarding for me to hear that as a parent and to feel that I'm doing something right. It's moments like these that I never want to forget! I've been cherishing each snuggle, each giggle, and each moment I share with Camilla lately knowing that soon my time will be split between two kiddos.

A Lazy Saturday

It's a lazy Saturday at the Stannix's. Breakfast was more of a lunch and lunch became munching on left over brownies for the afternoon. Camilla was up at the crack of dawn and didn't want to snuggle in our bed. She was a busy girl all morning, but still very tired. Her actual nap didn't last long at all, but she zonked out with me on the couch when I brought her down stairs for another good hour. Presently, she's still sleeping. I had to get up because my legs were going numb. Mr. Stannix has had a very relaxing Saturday, which is great, he deserves it! He's indulged himself in Harry Potter for the day and enjoyed snuggling under a blanket on the couch with the sun peeking in occasionally. I woke up with a terrible sore throat/cold/stuffy nose and have been resting a lot of the day as well. Once the kiddo wakes up, I think we are up for a family outting to the swimming pool. Camilla needs some 'jail break' time away from the house. She was so excited when we mentioned swimming to her this morning! In other news, check out her latest trick! The first time she did it on the big couch it was almost a perfect head stand...Not sure where she learned it, but she sure likes it!

Snuggles

Camilla woke up this morning with some killer bed head. We've had a rough couple or three nights around here. Last night was a little better, but the night before last she was up practically every 15 minutes screaming "Mum!" and "Water!!". A few nights ago, she was so tired that when 7:00 rolled around she practically put herself to bed fully clothed. I changed her into her jammies while she was half asleep and kissed her goodnight and off she went. It was pretty funny.  Yesterday, she was so overtired from not sleeping well at night that she kept zoning out and her eyes kept glazing over. After almost falling asleep at the lunch table, I put her for a nap which lasted a grand total of about 20 minutes, after which she woke up screaming and crying. We snuggled on the couch, but she really wanted her Daddy! I think it's a combination of a bad case of sniffles and some teething again.

When Daddy got home from school, Camilla was so glad. She and Daddy snuggled on the couch like this for over an hour. She would stick her hand up the sleeve of his sweater, draw on his palm with her little finger and cling onto his sweater. It was super sweet to see the two of them together. Just before dinner she recovered some energy and her and Daddy had a nice game of kick ball. She laughed so hard that she was vibrating, and sounded almost like a grampa. It cracked me up!

Despite her being super tired, we were able to catch a program at the Library after our Doctor's appointment yesterday. She had a lot of fun and it was good for her to interact with the kids there. We got to sing a bunch of songs, dance around, be silly, play with shakers and bells and read stories. They ended the program off with some bubble blowing. Camilla now knows how to blow bubbles! She was so excited to see the bubbles pop out of the wand when she blew. It was cute. 

Last night Camilla had me giggling at bed time. She went to bed no problem, but she spent about 20 minutes in her bed talking to herself, her doll, and giggling. It was SO funny to hear the stuff she was coming up with. I wanted to record it so bad. I stood at the bottom of the stairs just listening and smiling. She was making her doll talk. Her doll would say "Mama?" and then Camilla would rattle something back to her. I love listening to her play pretend.

Today she seems to have a bit more energy. It should be a good day!

Thirty Two Weeks

Just a little update on the Stannix babe. I am just over 32 weeks and getting very excited! It seems like this pregnancy is going way faster than the first.  Someone told me that it is probably due to the fact that I'm busy and have a toddler to chase around which causes time to fly by! It seems like the end is coming up very fast and each month goes faster and faster. 

 

My Doctor's appointments are every 2 weeks now, instead of every 4. I just had one this morning and it went well. Camilla is always so good for me. She sits on the chair in the office while I get my blood pressure etc. done. It was nice to hear the heart beating strong again today. Always a comforting sound!

I feel huge in comparison with my first pregnancy. The Doctor said I was measuring small and asked if I did with Camilla as well. With Mr. Stannix and I both being about 5'6", I get pretty lucky to have small babies! Even Camilla was average though weighing in at 7lbs 2oz.

Baby Stats (approx):

Weight~3.75lbs

Length~16.7inches
Cravings~ Anything sweet! Candy, fruit, cookies....

To the Library

This morning Camilla and I ventured out in the -10 temperatures and walked to the library. The sky was blue and the sun was out. It was a great walk! We thought that Sing, Sign, Laugh and Learn was going on today, but they changed it. We still stayed at the library for a little while checking things out though. Camilla got her very first library card today!

Her favorite part at the library was sitting in this 'boat'. Above it is a large fish tank and we enjoyed watching them swim and counting them. Camilla will count to three all on her own, and with a little help she can make it to ten! I say "Four" she'll say "Five". I say "Six" she'll say "Seben". We say "Eight" together. She repeats "Nine" after I say it, and then jumps to "TEN!". Super fun! The Library has such a great program for toddlers. Her card was free, and she got a free book along with it! They had about 10 to choose from and she went through a couple and finally settled on "All Fall Down". She hugged it close to her and wouldn't give it up. We also got to pick what saying we wanted on her card. I thought "I'm happy and I know it" was well suited as that is her favorite song right now.

After a half hour of looking at books, watching the fish, and picking an Elmo movie we decided to bundle up and head for home. Camilla stayed in the stroller for half of the ride, and then walked up our street to the house. She's still on her "Bye-Bye" everything kick, but her new thing today is "O0oO! PRETTY...(something)!"

"O0oO! PRETTY...hair!" When I did her hair this morning.

"O0oO! PRETTY...fish!" When she saw her fish this morning. 

It's super funny to listen to her expressions and the words she chooses to use. It will be fun to read our new books today!

Sitting Pretty

This picture is pre-move, but I realized I haven't posted it on here yet. I think it's hilarious! Camilla loves her little potty, but has yet to actually use it. This was before church when we were all getting ready. She had to brush her teeth just like Mommy and Daddy were doing. 

Her newest thing is saying "Bye-Bye... (something)". 

Yesterday we got:

"Bye-Bye...Fish"

"Bye-Bye...Strawberries"

"Bye-Bye...Cat Show"

"Bye-Bye...Dad"

"Bye-Bye...Mum"

"Bye-Bye...Teddies"

"Bye-Bye...Baby"

Needless to say, she adds anything she can to the end. She's been working really hard at putting two words together and it's fun to hear! When she goes to bed at night, she pulls up her covers and says "Night-Night..Baby". It's pretty hilarious! "House Coat" is her catch phrase and most often used. She also learned how to say "Hello" the other day, but it sounds more like "Eh-llo" (English style). I have yet to catch it on camera...

Last night we shared some more sweet moments as we had family home evening. We got to sing some songs with Camilla before we went into the lesson. One of the songs was "Ring Around the Rosy".  She LOVED it. After each time we sang, she would exclaim "HAND! HAND!" and grab each of our hands and try to pull us up off the floor to sing it again. We did it I bet 10 times. As we started the lesson she tried to sing it and do the actions to show us she wasn't done yet! We then looked at pictures and she pointed out Jesus and the prophet. It was so fun to watch her. 

I truly feel like I'm 'Sitting Pretty'. I am so blessed to have this new little house, a sweet little daughter and a loving husband who holds the priesthood in our home. I also feel blessed that we are able to welcome another little one into our family and I am very looking forward to meeting him/her.  I have a month and a half to go and am still feeling pretty good. The hardest part right now is sleeping. My legs will often go to sleep, get sore, or cramp up in the middle of the night and poor Mr. Stannix gets woken up by me jumping out of bed to ease a cramp, or complaining about how sore my legs are. I often take a couple trips a night down our creeky stairs just to stretch my legs and grab a glass of water. Other than that though, things are going great, and May couldn't come quicker!

Time Together

Last night Mr. Stannix and I were able to enjoy an evening together after the girly went to bed. We've been so busy these last few weeks with packing/unpacking, moving, visiting with friends, and getting settled that it's been a while since we spent some quality time together. It was nice. After Camilla went to bed, we sat around our kitchen table and enjoyed chocolate covered strawberries and good conversation. We shared ideas, made some goals and are very excited for the next little while. When we finished chatting, we snuggled up on the couch with two bowls of ice cream and relaxed. The house was quiet and still and it was nice to just sit there and soak it all in. We even ended up getting to bed at a decent time, which hasn't happened in a good few weeks. It felt good to wake up this morning after a full nights sleep. It was a much enjoyed, much needed evening!

"Nemie" The Fish

Nana dropped in the other day to give miss Camilla her very first pet! When she first saw it, she picked up the whole tank to bring it to where she wanted it. The water was sloshing back and forth and I felt sorry for the poor fishy. We tried to name it Nemo, but Camilla settled on Nemie. We're on day two and it's still alive. It's already avoided a few falls thanks to Mommy's quick reflex's. Camilla has fun with it. We feed it in the morning and watch it swim around a bit. When she leaves the fish she says "Bye Bye....Fish". She loves to feed it, and I'm sure if fish could get fat, this one would.  It should be a fun little pet for her. We've kept it at the dinner table and it amuses her while she eats.

 Watching Nemie swim and eat

Feeding Nemie some grub

Giving Nemie a kiss

Hopefully this fish has a very long life and will continue to avoid falls, tipping over, and little fingers in the tank!

Home Sweet Home

The Stannix's have finally moved above ground! We finally got our phone and internet back today (it only took 3 days). I am super excited to have contact with the outside world again via the phone and blogging. The move went very well thanks to family and friends. We had a lot of help and appreciate it very much! I also discovered that Mr. Stannix is a speedy little unpacker. We already have all but maybe two boxes unpacked and pictures up on the wall! This little home has been such a blessing in our lives and we are very grateful for it. With the furniture arranged the way we like it and pictures to cover our walls, it now feels like a warm, cozy little place. We have enjoyed being able to have our own space without anyone up above us. Camilla is adjusting very well to the new place and loves the big windows and the sunshine. She likes to stand on the couch and look out the front window at Daddy while he shovels, or watch for him to come home from school. She also likes to look for airplanes when they fly over. It's been so great for her to finally have windows she can see out of! We are looking forward to spring/summer when the snow is gone and we can enjoy the brand new park that is not even a block away. Camilla will have so much fun there this summer! While Mr. Stannix was loading up the car at our old place last week, Camilla enjoyed running along the snowbanks in the backyard. It was fun to think about our experiences there. I will miss the large yard, and our garden but I am looking forward to making use of the firepit in the back yard of our new place this summer!