12lbs 2oz and 23 inches (she's gained 5lbs 2oz and grew 4 inches)

All you have to do is look at her and she'll smile. However, shes a bit camera shy and wont do any "tricks" if she sees the camera.

She can roll over from her tummy to her back on purpose and has rolled from her back to her tummy a couple of times on accident.

She loves to stare at her hands.

She loves to laugh and "talk" to her toys.

She loves her Baby Einstien playmat. We're talking one or two hours of entertainment- which means one or two hours of time alone for mommy.

She likes to copy your noises and faces.

She likes to be held up so she can stand.

She likes her baths although she can't splash or do anything yet. As soon as she gets in the water she'll start to relax. She loves getting her head washed.

She sleeps pretty well with only one night feeding now. Yea!

Thats our Cambry Claire Bear at two (and a half) months old!

Alternate Title: Another Example of my Extreme Social Awkwardness

Appropriate response when people compliment your babies cuteness: "Thank you."

Responses that just come out of my mouth: "Yes she is cute, isn't she?", "I know.", "You are correct.", "What do you mean pretty cute? She is ADORABLE."

I just can't help myself.

I have had a seriously hard time thinking of posts to write. I don't want to write about just anything. I want to write about just anything in a funny way.

You see, I've never been a very funny person. You know how in a group of people there's that one person who is completely silent and shy until one unsuspecting moment when they suddenly blurt out something totally awkward and not funny and then everyone is uncomfortable. That person is me. I try to be funny but my mind just does not work fast enough. I like to write because I can think for days and days about how to phrase things and how exactly to put the funny-spin on an ordinary tale (I know what you're thinking. You're thinking "she thinks for days and days and this is all she ever comes up with?).

After I write a post I always call Jim. Our conversation goes somwthing like this:

Me: So, I wrote a new blog today.

Jim: Oh yeah?

Me: You're probably not even going to read it.

Jim: I'm reading it right now.

Me: NO! Don't read it now, you have to read it when you come home so I can see your face. I need to see if you think it's funny or not.

Jim: It's funny.

Me: You probably don't even think that. You probably hate it.

Jim: I do think that. Its funny and I like it.

Me: You are just saying that because you are my husband. Is it funny-funny or just funny.

Jim: Everyone's going to like it. Don't worry.

Me: Mmm...I don't know. Do you think I'm pretty?

Jim: I think you're beautiful.

Me: You probably don't think that.

Jim: I do think that.

Me: You probably just say that because you have to...

Anyway--You get the idea. So, for my small amount of readers out there who do put up with my atempts to be funny, and I do mean funny-funny, I promise I'll spend days and days thinking of something to post. Just please don't leave me for another funnier and better written blog.. My self esteem relys heavily on my stats counter. As you can tell from my conversations with Jim, I need gentle firm reassurance every now and again constantly.

Ha Ha. That's a little fruit humor for ya.

Well, actually it's the fruit of my mothers labor without whom my garden would have fried to death the week after Cambry was born

We also have more basil than we will ever use in our lifetime and some rapidly growing watermelon and pepper leafs. No actual watermelon or peppers...just the leafs.

P.S. Incase you can't tell, thats a cucumber and a strawberry. Yes, it's a strawberry. Don't laugh.

Okay so hopefully the two previous non-baby posts will make up for this baby post.

On Memorial Day, a friend of ours offered to take some pictures of Cambry (it pays to have photographer friends...and friends who own slushy shops (we don't have friends who own slushy shops but if anyone does own a slushy shop we would love to be your friend)). The photos turned out real cute so be on the lookout for Cambry's birth announcement coming soon.

Cambry is very photogenic and she is also very expressive. Here are some of Cambry's thoughts during her photo session.

 "No pictures. Please. No pictures."

"Fine, if you must. But I refuse to smile."

"Oh excuse me...my mom and dad don't call me Princess Poopy-pants for nothing!"

 


"I have many faces. I can do cheesy..." 

"...I can do the monkey face..."

"...I can do the I'm hungry face. I SAID IM HUNGRY"

"Excuse me... I'm eating. A little privacy might be nice."

"And now I am tired."

"I call this my movie star glamour. I could be a magazine cover, I tell ya."

"This is MY 'C'. Do not touch MY 'C'."

"I'm just messin' with ya."

"I'm bored" 

"Huh, did you just call my name? Is it time to eat again?"

"You can't tell in the picture, but this is when I peed a stream right through Daddys arms and onto the carpet." (Luckily mommy was smart and put down the changing pad.)

Don't worry we got some "normal" ones of her too- but I think these ones might be my favorites.

We really could just stare at her all day. 

So I've been hearing about all these natural disasters that are happening lately. Earthquakes, tornados, fires. It makes me sad for the people who loose thier homes and for all the deaths. It also makes me think about what I would do if that happened to me. Hurricanes and floods are the big things around here and although they never quite reach our house, they are a very serious threat.

I read on Hollywood Flakes blog about her emergency plans, which got me thinking of our emergency plans. We don't have any. My mom always talks about food storage and 72 hour kits, which also got me thinking. We don't have any.

I told Jim that if we are hit by a natural disaster we should just plan on dying.

If you read Jims Blog then you probably have read about our attempts to eat healthy. There was that week we tried to eat organic. Then there was that week we tried not to eat out at all. Then there was that time we switched to whole wheat everything (this one actually stuck and now I prefer brown rice, pasta, and bread to white). We have not been completely successful at our many attempts, but I like to think that we are at least a little bit healthier. Almonds for snacks instead of candy (although Kroger better stop putting those Nerd Ropes on sale), more salads and fruits, baking instead of frying, less fast food. It's all gotta count for something. Jim calls it our Bark and Pinecone diet.

My mom likes to tell me the story of when I was young and it was just me and her, appearently we ate dinner at Wendy's every single night. Then she met my dad who liked to cook and who liked to be healthy and he ruined that great tradition. (He also reformed us and made us start keeping the house clean...but that's another story). After they got married, I grew up eating "healthy" so you'd think it would be easier for me to adapt to the whole bark and pinecone thing.And when I say healthy, I mean healthy. (Jim would usethe word deprived.)

Let me explain the severity of it:

• At my fifth birthday party I had healthy pumpkin cookies instead of cake. No one ate them but me. At my 7th birthday, I had whole wheat strawberry shortcakes with sugar-less whipped topping. I thought they were a great treat, I didn't know there was better stuff out there.
  
• I've only been trick or treating a handful of times and most of those times we would "trade in" our sugar treats for other "treats"- string cheese was my favorite. (Jim just about passed out from shock when I told him that story.)
• We ate whole wheat everything, carob instead of chocolate, oatmeal cookies that I'm pretty sure just consisted of oatmeal and rasins and thats it, veggetables up the wazoo (where exactly did that word originate from?), fish and chicken, all the good stuff. If it said soy or sprouts or sugar-free cardboard on the package, we ate it.
  
• Our mom gave our primary teachers sugar free suckers to give us when they gave treats to the class. I never did understand how those were supposed to be better for us than the sugar treats. They always gave me the 'rreah... as in diarreah. Too much info? Of course the sugar treats also have ill side effects. The first time I had cotton candy I was 21 and I threw up blue all night. The first time I had pop rocks I was 22; they made my eyes water and I spewed them out all over Jim. I occasionally get a craving for chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate ice cream with chocolate syrup but after I eat it I always feel yucky.

So, if eating bark and pinecones and sugar-free cardboard is what it takes to feel good about my health, body image, and general well-being then bring it on. It's really not so bad once you get into it. And hey I didn't die from eating healthy when I was youmg so its probably not going to kill me now. Probably. I've even trained myself to eat tomatoes and bananas. Those of you who know me well can pick your lower jaw up off the floor now. Thank you.

P.S. I still do not eat beans, nor will I ever eat beans. I know what I like and I know wht I don't like and I DONT LIKE BEANS.

P.P.S. Cambry is getting her own blog so this blog doesn't turn into more of a "look at my cute kid" type of a blog (which is fine but not what I want). However, until I actually find time to get that up and running, here is a picture of Miss Cambry Claire, you know, for the grandparents.

Thank you everyone for your nice comments and emails! The general consensus: Cambry's a cutie! Here are some things about baby Cambry.

Cambry LOVES to be cuddled and touched by mommy and daddy and grandma (especially head massages and face touches). Cambry DOES NOT LOVE being touched by the Dr.

Cambry LOVES sleeping and if we let her would probably sleep all day and night.

Cambry  LOVES looking at her daddy's face.

Cambry LOVES her hands and her mouth.

Cambry LOVES looking adorable- which is not hard for her to do.

Case in point:

Red hair like daddy!

A little sleep smile.

Home from the hospital...she's not that impressed.

She's daddy's little girl.

Grandma went to get her some preemie clothes since she doesn't fit into all her newborn or 0-3 yet. She reminds me of a little baby doll.

I love to look at Jim taking care of h. He always looks like this when he is looking at her.

I am so lucky.

Cambry Claire Marquardson

May 16, 2008
9:33pm
7lbs and 19 1/2" long

Beautiful, perfect, and probably the cuteest little redheaded baby EVER!