Sunday, December 27, 2009

Merry Christmas! - Week of Dec. 21st

It was a Christmas week at the Weatherford household! On Wednesday, Cam's godparents, Jo and Chris, came over with their son, Will, to celebrate the holiday. Cameron & Will had lots of fun playing with toys and then, had lots of fun opening presents that happened to be new toys!! The boys had a great time and so did all of the adults. Many thanks to the Alford family, including Jeanne, for the special Christmas gifts.

Christmas Eve included a church service with our friends and neighbors, the Raisch's. Cam was such a good boy during the service and even played on the floor with Emma for part of the time.

Christmas Day was filled with so much activity that Cameron decided to skip his nap completely...
Grandma & Grandpa along with Aunt Tracy helped to make Christmas extra special this year. The big boy certainly was all about opening gifts and playing with the contents- instead of the tissue paper and bags, which was the theme last year. In fact, Cam was so happy about opening everything, that he gladly helped Grandma and Grandpa open one of their big gifts!
At the end of the day, Cameron was already dreaming about next year's Christmas!
A very special thanks to our Ringler family for hosting a beautiful dinner and gathering on Sunday evening. Everything was so delicious and it was wonderful to be in the company of all of you!!
We hope that everyone had a very meaningful Christmas with family and friends.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Early Presents & Recovery- Week of Dec. 14th

Cam was certainly feel well enough to try a few activities. One of his new favorite "toys" is an old keyboard that Chris had in the basement. Apparently, Cam thinks he's sending lots of emails to his buddies as he bangs away at the keyboard. He also held an icicle for the first time which Chris brought in from outside- brrrrr....

Cameron has been adjusting to recovery from eye surgery and has definitely let Chris and Jane know that he does not prefer cold compresses or lubricant in his eyes! However, he received a thumbs up from the surgeon who saw him on Monday to monitor progress.

This week included 2 early Christmas presents for Cameron to open. The first was from his buddy, Julie, whom Cam is lucky enough to see almost every week! Julie gave the big boy some green bathtub foam and a cool cd. He was very intrigued with the whole bag process and kept looking in the bag for the next item.
Cam also opened a present from Great Grandma Mary who sent him the book "A Pirate's Night Before Christmas" which he and Chris had lots of fun reading. Chris has now begun teaching Cam pirate jargon.
The weekend included an outdoor excursion to see the next door neighbor's backyard ice rink. Cam had to wear a pair of Jane's mittens since his parents had to get some new ones for him.

He thought it was quite funny that the mittens were a little large on his hands...

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Eye Surgery- Week of Dec. 7th

Thanks to everyone for the calls, emails and best wishes for Cameron's eye surgery. He was such a brave boy. On the day of surgery, while waiting in the hospital, we found out that his procedure would be delayed 2.5 hours due to an earlier surgery and he wouldn't go under anesthesia until about 1:30pm. Cam hadn't eaten or had anything to drink since 9pm the night before. But, he kept smiling and playing in the DeVos Children's hospital playroom. Surgery went fine and was successful. His recovery was a little rough since our big boy was in a strange place. Chris, Cam and Jane want to send a very special thanks to Annie & Amanda who stayed with us all day and into the night. The day after surgery, Cam actually felt like playing on Chris' keyboard.

Cameron was definitely up for seeing more visitors by the weekend. Grandma & Grandpa ventured in on Saturday to see their grandson and spend the night! We can't thank them enough for staying and spending quality time with Cam. The weekend included some "night soccer" with a very cool early Christmas present from Grandpa Jim!

On Sunday, the family received a special visit from Cam's godmother, Auntie Jo, and her son, Will. Will and Cam had a good time playing with blocks and the "Feel Better Soon" balloon that Cam's buddy, Will brought. As if the day couldn't get any better, Jo also provided a most delicious dinner for the family. Honestly, we can't thank you enough for making the trip and bringing us homemade sustenance!

We are reminded every day how wonderful are family and friends are!!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Trimming the Tree- Week of Nov. 30th


With the Thanksgiving holiday over, it was time to put up the Christmas tree! Cameron was happy to help Grandma put some of the ornaments on. When Chris came home from work that day, Grandma told him that she & Cam 'trimmed the tree.'

Chris asked where the scissors were!!

Cam's gotten quite attached to a few stuffed animals. He loves to snuggle before naptime and bedtime with his Curious George monkey and Gerber bear. He will hold them until he falls asleep.

This week included the first snowstorm of the season. Chris took Cameron outside just when the snow started Thursday evening. By morning, there was so much snow on the ground and especially on the back deck!

Chris and Jane ventured out Saturday evening for Chris' company holiday party at Van Andel Museum. Jane couldn't resist snapping a picture of her handsome boys!!
Please think of Cameron on Wed. Dec. 9th as he heads to DeVos Children's Hospital for outpatient eye surgery. Thanks everyone!

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Many Thanks for Thanksgiving! - Week of Nov. 23rd

It seems that there is so much to be thankful for every year. Our family, friends, good health and of course, we are also thankful for our faithful blog followers...we know who you are:)
Thanksgiving was a busy week for Cameron.

On Thursday, he had a "photo shoot" with Grandma and Grandpa for their Christmas picture. The official greeting card photo is not shown. (*note that Chris & Jane were not invited to be in that pic, so they took their own- ha, ha!)

Then, the big boy enjoyed all the Thanksgiving tasty treats including mashed potatoes, turkey, cresent rolls, and the list goes on. A new eating venture for Cam was Jane's 'veggie pizza' appetizer which consists of baked rolled cresent dough covered with a cream cheese/ranch spread, complete with chopped veggies on top.

The weekend included Cam's nanny, Anne, settling into her new Grand Rapids townhouse with Ronda.
Chris, Jane and Cameron all pitched in.
After a long day, Cam snuggled in to Anne's favorite Steeler's blanket.
Doesn't he look so very cozy?
We hope everyone had a chance to be this cozy after a tasty Thanksgiving dinner.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

My Friend Elmo- Week of Nov. 16th

Cameron received Elmo as a gift last Christmas. He seemed to like him...from a distance. Now that Cam's older, though, Elmo really does appear to have become a friend. Not only is he trying to "talk" back to Elmo, but he also likes to grab his nose!

The whole family is very excited that Annie, Cam's nanny, will be moving to Grand Rapids next weekend!! She'll be closer to Cameron and will have a very short commute to work. A big treat for Cam this week was to have Annie give him a bath. He sure does love that water...

Walking with his braces has been getting a bit easier and with Cameron, if you make anything fun, he's usually game. So, Chris came up with the idea of having Cam go through the curtain to see what was behind it in our basement. As you watch the video below, remember that he is working ever so diligently to walk in his new braces, yet the little boy can't help but smile and laugh all the way!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Tearing up the Treadmill- Week of Nov. 9th

Cam's social calendar was pretty busy this week! Neighbor and good friend, Patti, stopped by on Monday to spend some time with Jane & Cameron. He was showing off his cool airplane, showing her how the door opened and closed and how all the people worked.

Cam had fun, as always, with his Grandma. He never disappoints when it comes to making people smile and laugh:)
After Grandma's visit, the big boy had quite the hair cut with friend, Mandy. This was the first time she had to use the clippers on Cam since his hair has really grown so fast. He wasn't too sure about the whole thing, but after it was all over, he enjoyed a tasty sucker.

With the beautiful weather still holding, Chris & Jane took Cameron over to Cascade Park where they enjoyed some time on the swings and the slides. The family is hoping there still may be another park trip yet!

Cameron has to walk every day in his walker and he's still getting used to those leg braces. Annie, Chris, Jane & Grandma work with him to help the big boy through this transition.

For some added exercise, Chris took Cam on the treadmill and the boy really seemed to like it!

Now, maybe that will entice his parents to jump back on the exercise machine themselves on a daily basis:)

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Piggyback Rides & Cool Legs- Week of Nov. 2nd

Cameron's been working very hard, getting used to his new leg braces. He will be wearing them all day, except for during sleep, to help correct the way he walks.

It's been a tough transistion for him, but like every other challenge, he will conquer it.

The biggest challenge for Chris and Jane was finding shoes to fit over the braces... since Cam's regular shoe is a 4w, his new shoes are 7 extra wide- thanks to Sears for being one of the only places to carry the unique size.

Another accomplishment for Cameron this week was saying goodbye to his last bottle.
He was still drinking a night bottle before bedtime, but now he has his evening milk in a cup with a straw. He handled that change like a champ!

With all of Cam's hard work, he had playtime as well. 'Horsing' around is a favorite activity for Cameron & his Dad and piggyback rides have now been added to the list!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Happy Halloween!- Week of Oct. 26th


Each week seems to bring about a new adventure for Cameron in some way...this week he practiced walking with his new leg braces. They look similar to soccer shins in that there is clear plastic all around. It is a big challenge for Cam because he was accustomed to walking without the braces, but we know he will persevere, just like every other obstacle he's faced... look for the cool leg braces pics in next week's blog.

Halloween is always a fun time of year for the Weatherford family, because of the pumpkin carving creativity! This year, Cameron picked out a white pumpkin, which Chris happily carved up for him. Actually, Chris carved all 3 pumpkins this year and as you can see, one of them had an unfortunate accident with a stake and a glow stick. Cam is still wondering how this happened...

Cameron was a skeleton this year and his parents tried (not so successfully) to spike his hair for a scarier appeal. He loved seeing all of his friends across the street and had quite a few bites of tasty Halloween chocolate! After all that excitement, our little treater was pretty wiped out!

Chris surprised Jane with a beautiful bouquet of roses for Halloween. Cameron still prefers the chocolate, though, and with lots of it leftover, he's in for a tasty treat every day next week!!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween...

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Park Slide- Week of Oct. 19th

Cameron's week started off with an impromptu trip to Ada Park with both of his parents after work... it was such a beautiful, warm fall day, the family had to take advantage of the great weather.

Cam had a great time playing in the leaves, exploring all of the different colors and textures.

A new adventure he experienced was going down the big slide with his mom. He wasn't scared at all and giggled when they reached the bottom. Chris thought that Cam might want to try a little tree climbing and push-ups on some branches.
Of course, a little "daddy" assistance was needed for this exercise, but Cameron really enjoyed himself.

The rest of week was filled with typical Cameron activities: trying out different foods (melon is his new fav), continuing his daily walking, and of course, playtime.
Saturday and Sunday were a big treat for Cam- Grandma & Grandpa came in Saturday to spend the night and take care of Cameron while Chris & Jane ventured north for a wedding and then back to GR to see 'Big Sis' Lauren.

On Sunday, after Cameron slept in until a little after 10 (!), the entire family went out for brunch at Sundance. Great food and a great big thanks to Grandma & Grandpa for Cam-sitting!!

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Pumpkin Patch- Week of Oct. 12th

Cameron split his time this week between his Grandma and Annie while Jane was working. It's obvious how much fun he has with both of them! Many walks outside and practicing puzzles were the hottest agenda items.

Saturday was a busy day as the family ventured over to Bos Greenhouse to pick out their pumpkins!
The sun was shining and it was a beautiful, crisp fall day. After much deliberation, three pumpkins were chosen.

Chris is the master carver and needs time to decide what he & Cam will be designing, so stay tuned for their creations in an upcoming blog...
After Cameron's nap, Chris, Cam & Jane drove up to the cottage to see their cousins and friends in from out of town. It was an evening filled with great food, games, and lots of laughter.

Sunday School rounded out Cam's week and after church, the family stayed at Cascade Fellowship for a wonderful dinner with some new friends. All in all, a great week.

Now, don't you wish you could have a smile on your face like this all day long?