Campbell's a Walker!!!

We're so proud of our baby . . .



Thanks PT Kathy for all of your help!

Art Collection by: Campbell

I love the fact that I now can display Campbell's art work on fridge . . . .

Adventures in Campbell Sitting!

Watching over Campbell is a full time job . . . the moment you turn your back . . . she'll find something to entertain herself . . . like toilet paper!

We have also discovered that she has a knack for cooking.  This morning she and Martha made french toast.

I think the kitchen set that we bought has helped her develop this talent!

To end this post, I want to put some video of Campbell's evening at the park.  She and I went to one of the local parks on Wednesday and we had so much fun.  Normally we spend our time on the toddler slides, but since the park was empty . . . we spend our time on the big kid equipment.

I'll admit . . . her adventure spirit caught me off guard . . . the video ends abruptly, but you can imagine why . . .

She really enjoyed this little slide

Again, not realizing that she was a thrill seeker . . . her going down this caught me off guard!

The USMC Mud Run

Today I (Robbie) participated in the USMC Mud Run located on Ft. Jackson. Other than 20 pushups this morning, I really didn't train for this (regretting this now).

Here is my team . . . Only a Face a Mudder Could Love.

Christie, Joe, me, Michael

Here is my uniform for the run

We realized that Gov. Sanford (yes the infamous Gov. Sanford) was running 20 minutes behind our start time . . . we ran into him before the race.

1 hour and 17 minutes after we began . . . we crossed the finish line.

Look at those faces . . . we survived the USMC Mud Run!!!

Okay, you know the post would not be complete without some sort of story . . . so here it is. Our start time was 2:07pm. Gov. Sanford's start time was 2:29pm. We just kept telling ourselves . . . we cannot let the governor beat us. With about 10 minutes left in the course (4.3 miles total), as we prepare to mud crawl through a rice paddy, I look next to me and yes, there stands Gov. Sanford. My comment to him . . . "damn it Gov. Sanford . . . we had a 20 minute head start and here you are!" Needless to say . . . he beat us!

Ethan and Macy also got to participate in the Mud Run. They ran in the Pollywog run for kids and had a blast!

Here's the take off! Macy is the little girl in the sleeveless shirt and you can't really see Ethan because he's behind the other kids in front. This was the point that Ethan left Macy in his dust...or mud.

Here is Ethan trying not to run over the slower kid in front of him.


Here they are after the race. None of the other girls' hair looked as perfect as Macy's!

Here is Macy crawling through the mud. It only took a little coaxing.

Ethan was a little more enthusiastic!

Our Trip To DC

This trip to DC was doubly special. First, we got to visit with Julie, Dean, and Jacob and Zack plus I (Martha) got to meet several of the moms and their babies from the preemie support message board I'm a member of. This board has been amazingly supportive since Campbell's birth and I've "known" these women since their babies were all born. Several of them happen to live in the DC area so when I knew we were going to see Julie's family, I knew I had to schedule a visit with them!

Here are Campbell and Zachary climbing on a tomato at the Pizza Garden at the National Zoo.

Here is Marino...one of Campbell's boyfriends. He is a fellow preemie and adorable!

Campbell crawling through an olive in the Pizza Garden.

Campbell was walking all over the Pizza Garden!

Look at these gorgeous preemies! Here is Campbell with Cameron, Evan, and Marino.

Isn't Marino so cute?

There was a petting zoo at the National Zoo. Campbell wasn't too sure about it...

Campbell with her Diet Cherry Coke and Sunchips. What a big girl! (just a joke...the coke at least, that girl loves a chip!)

Jacob and Campbell crawling through the prairie dog tunnels.

The preemie mamas and our miracles!

Thanks to Sara and Laura for sharing this great weekend with us!

The cousins loved to color together!

Zack, Campbell, Jacob

We celebrated my birthday while we were there with these great cupcakes decorated by Jacob and Dean!

video

Campbell and her Aunt Ju-Ju

She did so great on the flight! After we landed, all the people around us were saying how good she was.

Campbell enjoying some in-flight reading.

Greetings from DC

Well, we made it . . . DC Day 1 was a success! We flew out yesterday from Charlotte at 5:52pm and landed safely in Baltimore around 7:15pm. This was Campbell's first flight and trust me . . . there was a nice debate the day of . . . should we or shouldn't we do the baby Benedryl. We didn't and Campbell was perfect!

Campbell's flight!

FYI - we're staying with Martha's sister Julie, Dean, and their two boys.

Today was a jam packed day, well sort of. It was one of those days that you feel like you went everywhere and saw everything, but in retrospect, we really only went to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. However, three children (Zachary, Jacob, and Campbell), the trip in with three Metro transfers, and the one stop to the Museum wore us out!!!!

One of the Metro stops was in this mall . . . I don't remember the name of it . . . but it was big!

All of us on the Metro . . . Campbell's first subway ride!

Julie and the caravan-o-strollers stopping to take a picture in front of the Washington Monument

I will say the Metro ride in was a bit scary . . . we were over the Potomac River when CNN reported about the Coast Guard's attack on a hostile boat . . . which turned out to only be a training exercise . . . thanks CNN for making 9/11 even more upsetting!

Anyway, like I said, it was a great day. As I type this, Martha is out at dinner with some "preemie" moms from the area. They are all having a much deserved mom's night out. Also, as I'm typing this, I hear Campbell snoring in the baby monitor . . . she's worn out from her busy day.

Tomorrow, we're heading to the National Zoo where we'll meet up with several more preemie moms, their husbands and kids. I think most of the kids, all preemies, are around Campbell's age.

In the famous words of Ice Cube, "It was a good day!"

It's going to be another great day tomorrow!

"Chatty Cathy"

That's Campbell's new nickname around here.  She recently has been "chatting" up a storm!  A lot of it is still babbling and jabbering but it seems to have meaning, even if she's the only one who knows it.  Also, it seems like every day she imitates or learns a new word.

Here is a very short video of the word that Nana taught her yesterday...so cute!

First (real) day at Preschool

Sure you're saying "wait, I thought there was a post this summer about the first day at preschool"...  Well, you're technically right.  But that was summer and it was only two mornings a week.  This time it's "real" and it's 5 mornings a week. 

Luckily, Campbell did pretty well.  She cried when I dropped her off and was fussy every once in a while but she played and she ate snack and overall had a good time.

Here's our big girl getting ready to leave for preschool.  You can tell she wasn't in the picture-taking mood.  Wasn't she so cute?!  Gotta love a smocked dress.