My Little Princess

2006-02-11T17:59:00.000-05:00

NAKED BABY - January 21, 2006
One day Kami was bored playing with her usual toys so when Grandma and I were changing her, we took off her pants and then her shirt and let her play on the bed all naked. Talk about big smiles!! She loved it and rolled around all over the bed. These are some of the pictures we were able to get. She'll probably hate me for it when she's older but I couldn't resist sharing. And, we finally got a picture with her Grandma!

2006-02-11T17:50:00.000-05:00

I GOT MY EARS PIERCED - January 17, 2006
Now that I had my second series of shots, the Dr. said I could get my ears pierced so Daddy and I went to the local mall where he picked out my birth stones and I got my ears pierced. I hardly cried. Check it out, you can see the ear ring in my ear!

2006-02-11T17:06:00.000-05:00

MY FIRST FOOD - January 16, 2006
It's the new year and some new first's for my little princess. Kami had her 4 1/2 month check up on January 16, 2006. If you had a chance to hold her, you wouldn't have been surprised to find out that she weighed in at 18.4 lbs and measured 25 1/2 inches. This was a gain of almost 4 pounds since her last visit on 11/15/05. This visit included her second series of shots which she handled really well. Daddy was able to join us that day so it was a family affair with lots of questions like when can she start eating solid foods. Well, as you can see, the Dr. said we could start with single foods like cereal, vegetables and fruits. We have captured a few different eating times. The first one is with cereal. This was at Grandma and Poppy's house. As you can see, she tried to feed herself. The next picture is Daddy feeding her carrots. It looks like she really is enjoying them until you see the next picture. She wasn't sure about the taste and texture but we can assure you, it hasn't stopped her. The last picture is her tasting green peas. What's been wonderful about this new experience for us is that she has eaten everything we've tried. This includes cereal, carrots, peas, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, apples, pears, mangos, cantelope, plums and one of her most favorites are the home made ice pops that I make with watered down apple juice.

2006-01-11T21:51:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! - January 2006
2006 came in pretty quiet. I worked that day and fell a sleep before midnight. Cam hung out with the neighbors and Kami slept. But, New Years Day was special as Kami and I went to have brunch with Grandma and Poppy while Daddy slept. Here are some pictures of Kami on the 1st day of 2006. I dressed her in another outfit she got for Christmas. Again, this is one from her Aunt Lori. As I mentioned before, the hat she received from Nicole and Josh match the colors so well of so many outfits including this one. The jacket is too cute. I don't know if you can tell, but my little princess is certainly filling out this outfit!

2006-01-11T21:29:00.000-05:00

MY FIRST CHRISTMAS - December 25, 2005
It's hard to believe that my little princess celebrated her first Christmas. Needless to say, I'm sure she won't remember a lot of this first Christmas but as one who loves to capture special moments, I had to get some pictures of Kami opening presents. The pictures below are of Kami opening her presents from Grandma and Poppy. You have to admit, she really does look like she knows what she's doing. But really, I know she loves the paper although the new Fisher Price light up stacking toy did make a big hit although it was too big to fit in her mouth!!

Christmas wouldn't be complete without a special Christmas outfit. Again, my Aunt Lori out did herself. Here are a couple of pictures of Kami in her "Christmas Pixi Outfit". She loved wearing this as there were bells that hung from each red and green triangle which would ring whenever anyone held her or she moved around.

2006-01-11T21:23:00.000-05:00

MY NEW HAT and Blanket

Kami received one of the most wonderful gifts from Nicole and Josh. It was a blanket and hat that matched. This is another one of my favorite pictures. Could Kami's eyes get any bigger? Just so you know, the blanket is the same pattern. The colors match so many of Kami's outfits!

2006-01-11T21:08:00.000-05:00

YOU MAKE ME LAUGH - December 22, 2005
I just love this picture. It was taken at a very special event where Kami met a lot of new people. My cousin, Michelle was celebrating her graduation from school as an RN and Kami was at the get together before the graduation. It was so great to see her so comfortable with so many people. I also had to enclose a picture of my cousin, Michelle, now an RN!! Can't wait to ask her all sorts of questions .. just like my Grammie!

2006-01-11T20:43:00.000-05:00

PARIS, HERE I COME - December 2005
Gifts are wonderful and Kami has been so lucky to get so many wonderful things. The picture below is of an outfit her Aunt Lori from Napa bought her. Check out the beret. It is so close to being too small it's not funny. And, how appropriate that she's sitting in front of the picture of her Aunt and Uncle's wine label.

Another great picture of Kami is the one below in the bunny snow suit. It's not as big as a regular snowsuit but it is perfect for that in between time in the winter. Thanks Aunt Lori, Kami just loves this outfit. Grandma and Poppy took this picture on one of their walks.

2006-01-06T10:56:00.000-05:00

OH CHRISTMAS TREE, OH CHRISTMAS TREE ... December 11, 2005
As in all first events with My Little Princess, Christmas was even more special as her Daddy had a couple of firsts, as well. We went Christmas tree hunting with my Aunt Beth and Uncle Bob. It was so much fun and perfect conditions for finding the right Christmas tree. This was a first for Cam as he never had a live tree before. And, besides that, he got to cut it down. I helped (well, a little) and Kami was so excited by it all that she fell asleep.

Check it out .. here's what our first tree looked like. Check out the star on the top of our tree. It took a couple of days to find the perfect top but it was worth it.

2006-01-06T10:50:00.000-05:00

CHRISTMAS CARD PERFECT! - It took a couple of sittings but here is Kami's official Christmas card picture. I thought I was going to have a repeat of our first attempt but after a little coaxing by her Poppy, she gave us a picture perfect smile!

2006-01-06T10:35:00.000-05:00

MY FIRST SANTA PICTURE - November 25th. Mom and I went shopping the day after Thanksgiving with Kami at our local mall. We hadn't planned on having Kami's picture taken with Santa but when we saw him and there was no line and Kami was in such a good mood, well - as those with babies know, you jump at those opportunities. I was really surprised as she didn't even cry. We'll see what happens next year!

A week later, I started thinking about Christmas cards and decided to have a professional picture taken. These next two pictures are after my first attempt. Kami did not cooperate but when we got home, she was in a much calmer mood. By the way, I didn't use any from our first try.

2006-01-06T10:22:00.000-05:00

SMILE - Kami is growing so fast and when she smiles, it's hard not to smile back. Her whole face lights up! Here are a couple of pictures - one with Kami sitting in her Baby Einstein at Grandma's house and the other at home in her little vibrating chair. Doesn't she make you smile?

2006-01-04T22:23:00.000-05:00

My First Thanksgiving - November 24, 2005
Cam and I are so thankful to have our little princess. And, as thankful to have family near by. Kami's first Thanksgiving was spent on Roosevelt Island in New York City with my Mom and Dad, Aunts Brenda and Sonia and cousins Chris, Toby and Chris' two kids, Caitlin and Dylan. This was special for the kids because they went to the Thanksgiving Day Parade while they visited NYC. Maybe in a couple of years, we'll take Kami when she's a little older. Here are some pictures from Thanksgiving Day. They are Kami with Aunt Brenda, Caitlin holding Kami and Dylan with his Indian hat sitting with Cam. Too bad his feathers fell down. I can't wait until Kami get's to make these special little holiday things.

2005-12-27T07:09:00.000-05:00

MY LITTLE PUMPKIN ON HER FIRST HALLOWEEN - October 31, 2005
Our trip to Jacksonville ended on Halloween. Kami's GiGi bought her a little pumpkin outfit. She was a big hit for everyone who saw her that day. Our flight back to New Jersey had a stop in Atlanta where we had a chance to see some of our good friends as we had a fairly long lay over. It was such a great trip to have Kami meet all of her Daddy's family and a bonus to get to see our friends in Atlanta.

MY NANA - October 29, 2005
While in Jacksonville, Kami met her Nana for the first time. The first time they saw each other, Nana cried. It was so special! Kami is so lucky to have Nana in her life. While we visited with her, we were treated to some good old home cooking. This is where Kami's Dad learned to cook. Beside the picture of Nana and Kami, there is a group picture of Nana with all her kids.

2005-12-26T16:08:00.000-05:00

MY FIRST PLANE RIDE - I GET TO MEET GRAMPA CAMERON AND GRANDMA SOPHIA - October 27, 2005
Living in New Jersey is difficult in that Kami does not get to see her Dad's side of the family as often as we wish we could. What a special surprise when details were worked out for us to fly to Jacksonville to meet Grampa Cameron, Grandma Sophia and all her Uncles and her Aunt Nicole, her God Mother and cousin DJ. This trip was a lot of firsts as it was Kami's first plane ride as well as her first time meeting her grandparents. Kami did great on the plane ride and when we arrived, Grampa Cameron was there with a video camera capturing the first moments as we came off the plane. It was so very special and Kami did so well with everyone. And, Daddy, was so happy to see his Dad, brothers and sister. He was so proud of his little girl and couldn't wait to show her off. It's been a long time since Cam's family has been all together so it was a lot of fun sharing our little princess with everyone! And, the best part was the CD that Grampa Cameron made for us that captured all our special events as well as earlier pictures that we had mailed to him.

Here is a group picture of Grampa Cameron with his children and grandchildren.

Grandma Sophia was really good with Kami. You should have seen the huge stuffed dog that Kami got. Her Dad calls it "Killer" but it is the softest most gentle toy she has.

This is Kami's only Aunt and her God Mother. Nicole was so excited when she heard that she would be having a niece. We are so proud to have her as her God Mother and we know she will play a big role in her growth.

Could it be possible to have too many Uncles? I don't think so. Here is a picture of Uncle Elliott with Kami. I can't wait for her to get to know him better as she gets older.

Uncle Marcel has a little boy, Kami's only cousin at this time. His name is DJ and he was so good with her. So you can see why Kami is so comfortable with her Uncle. He's done this before :>). We hope that Marcel can visit with DJ often so they can get to know each other better.

And, here is DJ with his cousin. Don't you just love the big smile on DJ's face and Kami with her tongue hanging out?? I don't have any picture where Kami does not look happy to be in his arms. Come visit often, DJ!!

Some More October Pictures
When we visited Aunt Beth during the apple and pumpkin picking, we also made tie dye t-shirts. But, it isn't the season for t-shirts as you can see with her fuzzy one-piece to keep her warm.

2005-12-26T14:54:00.000-05:00

APPLE and PUMPKIN PICKING WITH AUNT BETH and FAMILY

The fall is a good time for apple pies and picking out pumpkins in preparation for Halloween so when Aunt Beth told me she was going on her annual trip to the farm to do both, we joined along. I've included a picture of the farm we went to and a sleepy Kami on the hay ride. It was fun, nonetheless, and my Mom made some great apple pie with the apples we picked. Don't you just love the picture with the sun glasses? That's my cousin's having fun with Kami.

The Fall is Coming - October 2005
Here are some various pictures taken in October. The colors are perfect for this time of season.

GiGi came to visit the first weekend in October. Kami just loves her and laughs and smiles so big when she sees her.

Atlanta comes to Jersey City and the Big Apple - September 25
One of my good friends from Atlanta came to see the baby, Cam and I. Cheyenne had never been to the New York City area so she was excited about the opportunity to spend time with us as well as going in to see NYC. Here are a couple of pictures from Cheyenne's visit. Don't you just love the picture with the carrot? We had such a good time walking around the city while Cam and Kami spent some alone time together.

2005-12-26T12:58:00.000-05:00

September 2005 Pictures
At one month old, Kami is proving to be such an alert and happy baby. Here are a few pictures taken of Kami in September. The picture with the pink bunny slippers were a gift from Sham and Aunt Sonia and the picture below with the green hat and boots were from my Uncle Bobby and Aunt Barbara (with the help of my cousins, Lizzy and Katy) in Glen Ellen, CA.

UNCLE BEN VISITS - September 11th, 2005
When I told my brother, Ben that he was going to be an Uncle, he was so excited. Ben lives in California so we don't get a chance to see each other so his visit meant a lot to Cam and I. Ben is Kami's God Father. He can't wait for her to grow up so he can take her places -- probably a Giant's or Yankee game. Here are a couple of pictures of his visit. If anything, it was too short!

SEPTEMBER IS A BUSY MONTH - Melissa Visits from Florida
Kami has no idea of what a treasure she is and how lucky she is to have so many "extended" Aunts and Uncles. Her life will be so blessed with our friends. Here are a couple of pictures from her Aunt Melissa's visit on September 8th. We had so much fun catching up while Melissa bonded with Kami.

2005-11-13T17:29:00.000-05:00

MY LITTLE PRINCESS - AUGUST 19, 2005

My little princess has arrived - Kamryn Janae was born on Friday, August 19, 2005 at 9:00 AM and weighed 9 lbs, 5 oz and 21 inches long. I started labor at 8:00 PM on Thursday, August 18th. There are no words to describe this ... for those of you who have had babies .. you know and for those of you who haven't ... call me when you do :>)

But, in the end, the miracle of that moment is one that will stay with me forever. Take a look ...

BELLY PICTURES :>)

One of the things I really wanted were some pictures of my belly so my cousin, Michelle offered to take some of me after my shower. Below are some of the pictures. These are of me less than a month away from Kamryn's arrival.

Here are a couple other pictures that I really like.

And, then there is this picture .. less than 2 weeks before Kamryn was born.JULY 2004 - NEW JERSEY BABY SHOWER

I was very fortunate as I had an uneventful pregnancy. My next four months were routine and the baby continued to grow like a weed. Her Daddy and I spent lots of time talking through names for our little girl as well as adjusting to a new home. It was fun anticipating her arrival and talking about all the things we needed to do and get done in preparation for her birth. At the same time, my Mom was organizing my baby shower. Since the Dr.'s continued to anticipate my birth date as mid-August, my baby shower was planned for July 23rd. By knowing the date, it would give my family and friends a chance to plan a trip as a lot of them did not live near me.

Lucky for me, one of my best friends was able to schedule a few days from work and fly in from California to join me for my baby shower. This is when it all got very real that a baby was going to be in my life very, very soon! Brandi's arrival for my special day and all the activity around the shower was so special. Here is a picture of me and Brandi.

In addition to Brandi flying in for my big day, I had two of my cousins and two Aunts who drove to my shower from up state New York (Brocton). Others who came were my Grammie from Forked River, Aunt Beth and cousins from Beachwood, another Aunt from NYC and an old friend from my Fair Lawn days, Nicole. I also had great Aunts and cousins who were here so the whole day was spectacular. I couldn't have asked for more. Here are a few pictures from the shower!

Aunt Concha, Emily and Grammie

Here I am opening some of my presents.

My cousin, Sham and Aunt's Sonia and Brenda

Me and Nicole

Here's Grammie and Brandi.

We picked a name - welcome my little princess, Kamryn

GOOD-BYE, ATLANTA - WELCOME BABY

On March 26th, my good friends, Jacki, Cheyenne and Jason gave us a going away/baby shower as we were moving from Atlanta, Georgia to New Jersey. It was a big move for us but one that would give us more opportunity and help from family as we started our journey into parenthood. The party was lots of fun with games and gifts for the baby and me. Here are some pictures from the party.

The awesome party people - Jacki, Cheyenne and Jason.

Zeuri and Roni

Sumayyah, Zeuri and Jacki

Cam and I

MARCH 2004

The next big event was my second sonogram at 20 weeks which my Mom was in town for. She brought a blank video cassette to capture what was on the sonogram. This was exciting as we were going to find out if I was carrying a boy or girl. When we thought the first sonogram was awesome, the second one was more than we expected. The baby had grown so much from my last peak at her. I was convinced that she was a boy and her Dad was convinced it was a girl. The anticipation while the technician did the sonogram was exciting and finally she said she would see if she could tell the sex so we would know. It wasn't as easy to find out as the baby would keep it's legs together and after much prodding by the technician, she was finally able to get a glimpse and let us know that she was 70% certain that it was a girl. Cam was overjoyed! I was surprised! And, in the end, all I could do was smile and start thinking of girl names! Here is a picture of my little princess at 20 weeks old.

DECEMBER 2004

I found out I was pregnant early December 2004. I was just finishing school and although it was a surprise, I couldn't be more excited. At that moment, my life changed. I stopped smoking and drinking and my journey began with the hopes and dreams of a healthy pregnancy and birth.

My first glimpse of my little princess was when she was 8 weeks old. It was so exciting to see her although she was nothing but a few centimeters long. Her heart beat was strong and my pregancy was moving along just fine. The Dr's. were estimating her birth date as the 13th of August.