The Christensons: Camden turns one

When Ellie was a baby, I was purely excited for every new stage she reached and never looked back. But with Camden, it's different for some reason. He is my little baby, and now that a year has passed, it means he is that much closer to the end of babyhood.

Camden at 10 days old

Camden at 1 year old

When I was pregnant with Camden, I sensed his mild, innocent spirit. He is still a happy, calm boy.

I'll never forget the night he came into our lives in such an unexpected way. (and place!) I remember thinking how surprisingly peaceful it felt to have him born in our home and to just be able to stay home and go to bed afterwards. I'll always cherish those first few weeks of snuggling with Camden in bed, because, as Clay warned me, he wouldn't be allowed in there once he got a little older. With Ellie, I was way too nervous to ever sleep next to her. But because I have been less anxious with my second, and because he would NOT go back to sleep sometimes unless he was lying next to me, it was a necessity. And I loved it. I have tried to get him to sleep next to me since, but he won't. Bittersweet.

I'll also never forget how gassy/colicky he was for the first 4-5 months. It can't all be butterflies and fairy dust, right? :) But Clay swooped in as the super-husband he is and helped immensely every night. And he still does, because as sweet as our baby boy is, consistent sleep just isn't his thing.

A few more tidbits about Camden at one year old:

-He's still nursing strong. He isn't showing any signs of wanting to stop. Ever. Wish us luck.
-He is a mama's boy to the max. Sometimes I have to hide from him to get something done because if he sees me, he wants nothing else. With that said, he is much better at playing on his own than Ellie was at this age.
-He is already such a boy. He loves digging in dirt, mud, sand -- anything that will make a mess -- and chasing balls, banging things, and rolling trucks along the ground.
-He gives the best kisses. Open-mouthed and accompanied by an "awww" sound. He's also a snuggler.
-He loves his big sis. They play with each other now and make each other laugh and I'm convinced there's nothing better to watch than my own kids making each other happy. I guess having multiple kids is worth it after all. :)
-His blonde hair, blue eyes and dimples are melting hearts everywhere.
-He crawls like a madman (ever since he was almost 8 months) and shows no desire to walk. I'm cool with it.
-He loves to say mama (obvs), uh-oh, duck, quack, milk (mok/gok) and attempts to say a bunch of other words.
-He loves when we read books to him.
-His trademark move when he is excited is getting up on his knees and flapping his arms. We call it "raptor arms."
-He wants to eat everything in sight, but because of his food sensitivities and eczema (which we're sure he'll grow out of, like Ellie did) we steer clear of gluten, sugar, nuts, eggs and dairy.

Clay often reminds me how I was worried I couldn't love another child as much as I love Ellie. I had nothing to worry about. I love my son more than I could have imagined and we have such a sweet bond. He makes me baby hungry for more little boys! :)

Now, for some pictures from his splash party!

We chowed down on vanilla bean buttermilk and chocolate fudge cupcakes and pizza.

The kids had a blast on the Slip n Slide.

How cute are those baby glasses? Thanks auntie Kira. :)

He's pointing to his favorite person.

I made Camden a gluten, dairy and sugar free cake. As gross as that sounds, it actually tasted pretty good! Apparently Camden did not agree. He wanted nothing to do with it.