Thankful for my Big Girl . . .

I love that there is a holiday dedicated to giving thanks . . . and although I try to do it all year round, this months blogging will be "thankful" posts.

I am thankful for Camryn, my baby, Big Girl.

I need to write this post for a few reasons - first, I don't want to forget so many of the things Cam does right now . . . and she has been a royal pain this past week and I need to remember the happy things for a minute. Its a long list, so I won't feel bad if no one reads it. Also, this is not a my-kid-is-better-than-your-kid post. I am pretty sure if Camryn was your kid you would throw her out the window, and vice versa. I just don't want to forget any of these little things I love so much!

Cam has moved into her BIG GIRL BED!!! I was nervous about it because she is so young, but Dane was super optimistic and finally just decided we were going to do it. We have had her room set up for a few months (since before Kenzie was born) and Camryn learned that it was HER room and HER big girl bed, even though she wasn't sleeping in it. She played in her room and we would read stories on her bed, but she was still sleeping in the nursery crib. The first couple nights we would lay down with her till she fell asleep. She actually fell off the bed the first night - and we found her asleep in the middle of her floor when we checked on her. After just a couple nights - she loved her big girl bed and for naps when she is tired, she will often just walk in her room and lay down on her bed or tell me she wants to "go big girl bed". When she wakes up - happy or upset - she stays on her bed till Dane or I go in to get her. It has been a huge blessing to have this transistion be so easy . . . it even makes up for what a terrible sleeper she was up until she was about 11 months old. :) Camryn is already growing up too fast . . . she is learning to talk so well, it amazes me every day. Some of my favorites are:

• She always lets us know if Kenzie is sleeping or awake: "Neh-nie PEEP-in" or "Neh-nie WAKE" or if Kenzie is upset "Neh-nie sad" or "Neh-nie crying". She is so sweet to her little sister. She runs up to Kenzie, gets right in her face and says "HI NEh-nie, HI HI" all day long. Cam tries to share everything with Kenzie and even likes to hold her. It is pretty cute because Kenzie recognizes Camryn's voice and face and smiles whenever Cam is near.
  
• She says - Here you go - when she gives people things. My ultimate favorite was when we were feeding the goats on our morning walk - and as she gives the goat a pretzel - "Here-a-go Goat". When she brings me things - she says "Here-a-go Mama, thank you". She is better at saying thank you when she gives things then when she gets things.
  
• When I am nursing Kenzie, I ask Camryn what Kenzie is doing and she says "Drinkin' milk".
  
• Camryn loves prayers . . . when we tell her we are saying prayers, she quickly folds her arms and often says "Ah Bah-der" (Heavenly Father) before the prayer begins.
  
• We gave Camryn our old camera to play with when it broke and now she puts it around her neck and walks around the house looking in it saying "MILE" (smile).
  
• She loves to count and sing her ABCs . . . she often skips numbers ("mumers") and letters unless we do it slow with her, but it is still absolutely adorable to hear her singing to herself in the bath or in her room. Ring-around-the-Rosie is one of her favorite games (besides chasing and doing flips with Daddy).
  
• She LOVES to draw - we color about 10 times each day. She has learned most of the colors and will often just pick up a crayon, say the color, throw it down and move on until she has named all of them. Then proceeds to color on her paper or coloring book. This does cause some problems as she is now SUPER picky about what color cup she gets a drink from, or what color jelly bean she gets after sitting on the potty (not potty trained yet, but we are trying to get her familiar with the toilet so she gets a BEAN when she is willing to sit on the potty).
  
• Ever since we went to the zoo - when we tell her we are going for a ride in the car, she will often say "a-mals?" wondering if we are going to see animals.


• Camryn already has a great imagination. She takes turns giving her bath toys rides on a green ring "Op-puh-pus turn", "Dah-pin turn" (Octopus turn, Dolphin turn). She loves to play with her little fisher price horse and cow - they jump and fly and slide down anything remotely resembling a slide. She loves to take them outside and throw them down the big slide on the playground. . . while saying "WHEEEEEE" and then slide down after them and do it over and over again. Of course - she plays with her baby dolls like they are real - taking them for walks, putting them to sleep, changing thier diapers, and feeding and burping them.


• Camryn loves to read stories. She picks out a book and run to me "STO-WIE, read -it mama!!!" She usually just wants to skip to her favorite part in each book.


• Monsters and BUZZ (Toy Story 2) are still her favorite movies, but she also still loves anything Sesame Street (thank you YOUTUBE). Her new favorite cartoon is SUPER WHY on PBS - she LOVES "Pooper Wy" and "Alpa Pig" (Super Why and Alpha Pig).


• She loves to run and jump and even walk backwards. She runs around the island between the kitchen and family room yelling "nun, nun, nun" or "nun fast". Then she will stop and slowly walk backwards "ah-kin' back-ards".


• Cam is quite prone to falling down - whether she is running or walking she usually ends up on her knees or flat on her stomach at some point from falling. We have taught her some fun things to say to keep from being upset "WHoops" or "Ear ME" (dear me) or "Noo-ness" (oh my goodness). She is one tough cookie. She is so used to falling that she loves to just jump and land on her bum . . . she calls it "fallonbum" and then laughs.

I am so very very THANKFUL for my BIG BABY GIRL!

She really is sweet as can be (most of the time) and ALWAYS brings so much joy to our lives.