I think I last left off right before Christmas. As you can see from the pictures on our website, Camryn had a wonderful Christmas season. She LOVED making cookies for Santa. She was such a big girl and helped with every step of the process. I really had to step back and let go of the control - as soon as I did that, it was all good. And, I must say that she did a very good job! Santa must have been very appreciative because he ate the ones she put out for him. Speaking of Santa, he actually came a day early for us since he knew we would be traveling to see Grandma and Papa on Christmas Eve. She woke up on Christmas Eve to a lot of presents under the tree just for her! The big highlights included a stuffed Rocket (she is obsessed with The Little Einsteins), a digital camera, and a huge doll house. She must have been a really good girl because Santa left way too much stuff for her. He certainly must not have seen any of the temper tantrums she has been known to have lately!! Later that day, we made the 5 hour trip to see Grandma
and Papa in Meadville for a few days. We were looking forward to lots of snow for Camryn to play in, but there wasn't any!! What is up with that?!?! We had a wonderful time there and Camryn got to play with Zachary. It was a great trip, but it always goes so quickly. Luckily, when we got home, we still had a week to enjoy before heading back to school. To conclude our holiday festivities, we had a little New Year's Eve party here at home. Camryn was lucky enough to stay up a little later and play with a friend of hers, Allison. And, of course, we were excited for the big Rose Bowl game on New Year's Day. Again, we had some friends over for the game and we were all decked out in our PSU gear. Unfortunately, it didn't help our Nittany Lions pull off a win, but we had fun anyway.During that week at home, we had 3 doctor's appointments to keep us busy. On Monday, we went to "Mommy's doctor" to check on the baby. On Wednesday, we had Camryn's 6 month follow up with the ENT to check on her tubes. Fortunately, the tubes are still in place and doing their job. They have been a life saver for her because she hasn't had one ear infection since she got them. Then, on Friday, we had her 30 month check up with the pediatrician. She officially weighs 33 lbs 15 oz (89%) and is 37 3/4 inches tall (91%). So, she is still our big girl!!! The doctor was very pleased with her progress and was very impressed to hear her talking in complete complex sentences. I guess I just take it for granted that she has always had above average verbal skills. Although, it is those same skills that are giving her the ability to argue and negotiate!!! Ahhh, the joys of a toddler!!!
Once we got back to school, we all tried to get back into the routine of it all. It is always difficult to do when you have so much time off to begin with!! Camryn was eager to get back to school to spend time with her friends - she must have been tired of spending time with boring mommy and daddy! After that, we finally did get some snow on Martin Luther King Day that stuck to the ground long enough for her to use her sled (it is about time - she got it for Christmas LAST year). So, we all went out to enjoy our little hill in the back yard. She was having a blast!!! She carried her own sled up the hill and giggled the whole way down again. She even let mommy and daddy ride with her a few times! I didn't think we were ever going to get her inside, but the promise of some hot chocolate did the trick!
Some more excitement included finally having our ultrasound to see this new little baby of ours. I was so anxious to see the little one and to see if everything is developing normally. Fortunately, everything appeared to be normal and the baby appears to be healthy and cozy. I love having ultrasounds and could stay there for hours watching. This time was different for us because they now have the 3D/4D technology at our doctor's office. It was amazing. Yes, it is a little creepy, but it is still amazing. We thought it was funny, though, because this little baby was acting identical to Camryn when we had her ultrasound - covering its face so we couldn't get a clear shot. Gotta love that this one is already acting like its older sister!!! The baby also appeared to want to suck its thumb - it kept opening its mouth and its little fist was right there - so close!!! Again, I could have watched for hours! And, of course, this baby is already measuring to be about a week ahead of where it should. It weighs approximately 15 ounces. So, I am assuming it is inevitable for me to have another large baby!! We also found out that my placenta is located in the front of my uterus this time. This isn't a problem at all, but Chris is irritated that I put my placenta where he can't feel the baby. The placenta acts like a cushion for all of the kicks and punches, so we don't feel it as strong as we would if the placenta was somewhere else. Sorry, Chris! And, no, we didn't find out what it is - it will be a surprise for all of us!!! 
Last, but not least, poor Camryn has been having a rough few weeks. Last week, she caught a nasty bug that was going around her daycare. We had several fun filled days of vomiting and high fever. She has never been this sick and it was starting to really scare me. She wouldn't eat or drink and we couldn't get any Pedialyte in her at all. She was pathetic. She was so lethargic - a complte 180 from her usual personality. There wasn't much we could do for her. I was home with her on Friday and she didn't want to do anything. She didn't want to sit in the chair, cuddle, lay on the couch...nothing. She finally went into the kitchen, laid down on the floor and fell fast asleep. She NEVER sleeps anywhere other than in her bed, so this was very unusual. I tried to move her several times and she fought me every time - she wanted to stay there. She ended up sleeping there for an hour and a half! I felt like a terrible mother because I let her stay there, but it was the only thing making her happy! Finally, on Saturday, she started to show some signs of life again and began to eat a tiny bit. She was back to normal on Monday, so she went back to school. But, it wasn't over. We ended up having a snow day on Wednesday and we took her to the doctor for the terrible cough and congestion she has. So, she is back on antibiotics and her nebulizer treatments 3 times a day. Blah. It really never ends! We seem to go from one thing to the next, so I hope we get a bit of a break after this!!! I am not sure how much more she (or we) can take!That brings us up to date. Good thing because I am tired and need a nap. Chris is playing Wii, so it seems like a good time to do that. Too bad as soon as I try, Camryn will get up from her nap. Yup, the story of our lives!
