More Pictures from the Ohio Trip

Camden just after he successfully rolled over.

Camden is starting to master sitting up.

While his buddy Gavin napped, Camden took a turn on the jumperoo.

Gavin eyes down Camden as if he missed his last meal.

Gavin doing what he does best. Eat.

Back home, Camden enjoys time in the jumperoo.

Visiting Ohio

Camden got his first opportunity to visit my hometown and home state of Ohio last weekend. We took a little extended weekend and flew back to Dayton to visit Ba Noi (grandma) and Om Noi (grandpa) Nguyen. Camden got a chance to fly again. He was a little more fussy on this trip than he was for the Phoenix trip. On the way out, he slept pretty well until the captain decided to announce we were landing. The "ding" startled him and the rest of the plane paid for it. He wasn't too bad, really.


On the way home, we had a little trouble getting him settled down only because our flight was slightly delayed. We got boarded fine, but they had delays in pushing back from the terminal. As a result, Camden got restless. We just kept begging for the plane to move so that the motion would calm him down. We had some very nice and understanding people around us, so that made it a little easier. Once we were in the air, he was fine. As soon as the "fasten seat belt" sign went off, we walked him around and he was all smiles.


So, in between flights, there was lots of Camden show and tell. On Friday, we drove to Columbus to visit my college friends, Nevin and Sheila Colvin. They have a 7 month old, Gavin. Some call Gavin a baby. I call him Godzilla. I mean look at the picture, Camden is in awe of this kid. Gavin is about two and half months older and weighs 8 lbs more than Camden. Gavin is weighing in at a beefy 23 lbs! He's just an adorable little kid, though. We really enjoyed letting the boys hang out with one another. Here's a short video of how it all went down.

On Saturday, a couple of my high school buddies stopped over. Jeff Wilhite, Jason Seifert, and Chad Pettit all made time to stop by and meet Camden. Camden didn't last very long with them since they came over around the time when it was time for his nap. That let daddy catch up with the fellas for a bit, which was nice.

Later that afternoon, my parents' good friends Mr. and Mrs. Phan stopped over. The Phan's have been very kind to my family over the years and most recently during my father's recent brain aneurysm.

It was nice to see them again and catch up on their three sons and the most recent addition of their granddaughter Isabella.



Next on the agenda was a visit with avid blog readers, Chris and Kelly Bethel. We made the short trip from my parents house to the Bethel estate in Bellbrook. They recently moved into a gorgeous new home and it was nice to finally get to see it. Unfortunately, Kelly had a migraine and wasn't feeling well enough to hang out with us. And unfortunately for Kelly, Camden was a little fussy and crying a bit more than usual. Crying baby plus a migraine headache equals a short visit. In any case, it was nice to squeeze in some time with Chris. I'm sure next time Kelly will be in better spirits and can enjoy Camden more.



The last major visit to speak of was with my good friend, Becky. Becky is quite the entrepreneur having recently expanded her cake business into a 15,000 sq. ft. monstrosity named elé. The new store is emaculate. If you live in the area, go check it out. She has almost every kind of sweet treat that you can think of and you can enjoy any one of them with a cup of joe at the onsite coffee shop. Oh, not to mention her huge selection of cakes, from specialty to wedding. Becky treated us to a chocolate eclair and we promised Camden a treat of his own on our next visit.

The rest of the weekend was spent with Ba Noi and Om Noi. We needed to make sure they got their Camden fix and I'm sure it's never enough. The weekend went by extremely fast, but it was nice to introduce Camden to some more people. We'll post some more recent pictures directly on the blog soon. In the meantime, you can always check out Camden's online photo album. We usually update it a bit more frequently than the blog.

Rest for the Weary

Camden slept for 10 and a half hours last night!! That's the longest stretch of sleep he's had yet! We're very excited and we hope this pattern of quiet nights continues. It's been a busy couple of weeks and there's lots to update. More later....

Camden's First Solid Meal

This morning we gave Camden his first bowl of rice cereal. Here's what transpired...

Camden's First Bonspiel

We packed up the family, Oliver included, and spent this past weekend in Mankato, MN. Our friend's Megan and Vinh (aka. The McChungs) host an annual curling bonspiel, or tournament, for our friends so we decided to mix it with a visit with Grandma and Grandpa Sindt. If you're not familiar with curling, it's a fantastic sport. I won't spend time explaining it here, but you can learn more here.

Mankato is nearly half way between Holstein and Minneapolis, so it turned out to be a pretty good meeting place. Megan's parents graciously offered to host all of us at their farmhouse in Mapleton, MN. The McCabe's farmhouse was the perfect location to make Grandma and Grandpa feel right at home. Their house is huge and had all the amenities a farming family could want. All the amenities a baby could want for that matter.

Having grandchildren of their own, the McCabe's had plenty of baby gear. They equipped us with a pack and play, bouncy seat, and toys of all sorts to keep Camden entertained. But it wasn't a gimmicky baby contraption that kept us all entertained. All we really needed was a blanket.

On Sunday morning, Grandma Sindt laid Camden on his stomach too see if he would rollover, as had been widely reported that he could. Within seconds of setting him down, Camden was on his back! I barely caught the tail end of it as I had looked away for just a moment. So we laid him on his stomach once again to see if we could get a repeat performance. After a few minutes of struggling, he did it again! Only this time he banged his head on the carpeted floor. He didn't hit his head very hard, but it was enough to startle him and he began to cry. All while the rest of us chuckled and cheered. Kim was there to immediately comfort him.

Vinh took some great pictures with his new digital SLR, and we look forward to getting those and posting them here soon. Thanks again to Vinh, Megan, and her family for hosting our family's mini reunion and we look forward to the annual trip again next year.

By the way, today is Camden's 5 month birthday!

Daddy's Birthday

Today was Daddy's birthday and Camden came through with a wonderful surprise! I'm going about my business at work, when some unexpected visitors arrived. Kim had colluded with a coworker of mine and secretly scheduled a surprise visit to my office.

They arrived with a birthday cake to share with the rest of the office. It was such a pleasant break in the day to see them both and get to show Camden off to everyone. He was in such a good mood and he made sure to let everyone know. He was cooing, laughing, smiling, and generally chatting with everyone that wanted to listen.

It was a great way to celebrate my first birthday with my son.

The Cold Season

Camden has kept us on our toes the last week or so. We took Camden in for his 4-month checkup last Wednesday and everything checked out fine. He had a mild fever, and at the time, the doctor said should run its course in the next few days. He wasn't showing any additional symptoms that would be cause for alarm.

Later in the week, Camden's fever introduced a sneeze and later a runny nose and then a cough followed. We did all the home remedies that we could including giving him a 20 minute bath, a steam shower, and periodic lotion massages to keep him comfortable. His fever didn't really worsen, but it was enough cause for concern that we took him to the doctor on Saturday. Good news was the doctor said we were doing everything right, so that was reassuring. There wasn't a whole lot they could do because it was a virus.

On Monday, his symptoms seemed to have worsened. He had a really bad cough, kind of like a smoker's cough. And his sneezes were turning into snot filled projectiles. So we took him to the doctor again and this time he was officially diagnosed with an acute respiratory virus, which is similar to RSV. Apparently, it's quite common this time of year and spreads easily through the daycare system. Again, nothing the doctor could prescribe to make it go way. It just has to run its course. We did get an accurate assessment from the doctor on how long it might last. He said days 7-8 of the illness would be the toughest and they were.

Kim and I are fortunate to have very understanding employers and coworkers. Neither batted an eye as we rearranged our work schedules to stay home with Camden.

On Friday of this week, Camden really started to come around. Still not 100%, but he was smiling again. We hadn't seen that beautiful, toothless, gummy smile in quite sometime. It was soothing to see him appear comfortable again. Yesterday, he was smiling AND laughing. Signs are looking like he is on his way to full recovery although he still has a lingering cough. His appetite appears to be back to normal now and we will be introducing rice cereal in the next week or so when he's feeling like himself.

During all of this, Camden continues to develop new skills. He's becoming much more grabby and is able to hold objects in his hands now. One of his favorite things right now is his Iowa State scarf. He pulls at it and puts it in his mouth (which reminds me, we need to wash all the stuff he's been putting in his mouth). He's holding onto his rattles now and entertains himself with new noises.

Tummy Time

Well, rumor has it that Camden actually rolled over for the first time. As his Daddy, I can't confirm that because I haven't actually seen it happen yet. But his teacher, Traci, at daycare called Kim immediately. Then Mommy was able to replicate it at home, but not while Daddy was there. We tried to capture some video of the momentous event. Since he didn't actually roll over, it's just a cute tummy time video. Enjoy.

Camden's First Christmas

Merry Christmas from Steve, Kimberly, Camden, and Oliver!

Achoooo!

Camden caught his first cold last week. Not sure where he contracted it from. Could have been daycare, could have been the flight. But the timing for his cold was a bit inconvenient. Not that there is a convenient time, but we probably would've chosen for it to happen while we had the comforts of home.

Nonetheless, last Friday morning, he woke up congested and had a runny nose. He also puked up a load of mucous. Nice image, huh. The sight of that just sent Mommy into tears. It's hard to see your child sick and uncomfortable. It's such a helpless feeling. We started a hot shower to steam up the bathroom so that we could give him a steam treatment. That seemed to help a little bit. He didn't appear to have a fever.

We called the nurse's line to get some advice. Good news is we had tried everything they suggested (steam shower, check for fever, make sure he's able to eat, etc), so that made us feel good. Unfortunately, there's no medication you can really give to a baby his age with a cold. He just has to ride it out. And so he has. He's still got a runny nose every once in awhile, but it's not too bad. Mommy and Daddy managed to catch cold while in Phoenix too. So the Nguyen's were a mess the whole trip. We're all feeling pretty good as we head into the Christmas holiday.

Up, Up, and Away!

We realize it's been awhile since we've blogged and our sincere apologies. As with everyone else this time of the year, it's become quite hectic. Our last few weeks have included the following:

• Camden's first two weeks in day care.
• Camden's first flight.
• Camden's first (and hopefully, ONLY) minivan experience.
• Camden's first cold.
  
• Camden's first Sindt Christmas.

We'll cover all or most of those topics in subsequent posts. Camden's been doing great in daycare. He's made so many new baby friends including Mason, Charlie, Henry, and fellow Buckeye baby Annabelle. Camden even has his first giiiiiiirlfriend. Her name is Paulina and they've been hanging out A LOT. They even slept next to each other! Don't worry, it's all innocent :) Recent daycare activities have included feet painting and generally being cute. His teacher, Tracy, says he's quite the charmer. He coos and smiles at everyone.

Camden also experienced his first flight last week. We packed up the family and went down to Phoenix for a little fun, sun, and to celebrate Dr. Auntie Paige's graduation from her PhD program at Arizona State. Oh, and we squeezed in an early Christmas celebration, too. Grandma and Grandpa Sindt flew out of Mpls with us and it was sooo nice to have them help us at the airport. Those days of traveling with only a carry on are long gone.

We felt like we were prepared. We had least one bottle for him during take off and landing. Camden did wonderful. You barely even knew he was there. He slept almost the entire time both ways. I remember having a lot of anxiety before boarding, not wanting to have that crying baby everyone dreads when they get on a plane.

We told ourselves, however, that if he did get fussy that we'd do what we could to calm him and not worry about what anyone else around us was thinking. It's not like we want him to cry. He's a baby and he's going to cry. Thankfully, we didn't have to worry about it. As we deplaned in Phoenix, the friendly NWA flight attendants (I know it sounds like an oxymoron) presented Camden with a "First Flight" certificate signed by the Captain. It was very nice.

When we arrived in Phoenix, Auntie Paige had been nice enough to arrange for us to use a minivan during our stay. Ok, ok, ok...I've been outspoken about not wanting a minivan and today my stance is still firm. But I have to admit that there were some nice conveniences. It had the automatic dual sliding doors, automatic rear hatch, and a lot of space. It was nice to be able to fit 5 people + Camden in his car seat comfortably. Oh, and our SUS (sport utility stroller) fit nicely in the rear.

Our version of the mom mobile was, however, severely lacking in some areas. There were no flip down screens for DVD viewing, or even satellite TV for that matter. There was no sun roof and no GPS unit either. The captain's chairs didn't swivel and there wasn't a place to fit a card table like in the new Dodge commercials. So from an amenity standpoint, this ride was a disaster. My "no" vote for the minivan still stands.

This post is getting a bit long and it's getting late. I did have to pause while writing this to feed Camden. He's sound asleep now. Let's hope he stays that way for another 7-8 hours. We'll cover Camden's first cold and his first Sindt Christmas in the coming days.

Day Care

Last Thursday, Camden started his first day of day care. It was a day of mixed emotions for his Mommy and Daddy. Kim has done such a wonderful job with him and it's hard to let go. Kim starts back to work tomorrow, so we wanted a few days to go through a little dry run.

Mommy was a wreck the day before day care started. Like I said, she's done such a good job with Camden and there's been so much mother-son bonding. She is so conflicted with letting someone else take care of him. Which is very understandable. We're trying to look at day care as a way for Camden to socialize a bit. The teachers at his day care are so good. They'll have him learning sign language, playing with other babies, and so much more than we might have time for or think of.

I've never spent any time in a day care, so I was amazed at how much the day care ladies can handle. They proficient at feeding one baby, comforting another with a song, and watching as another crawls around the nursery. It may seem like there's too much going on for them to keep track of, but it's an interesting display of controlled chaos.

How did Camden do? Well, by all accounts he did great. He seems to be adjusting to the change just fine.

So Kim starts back to work tomorrow. Conveniently for us, the day care is on site at Kim's work. I'm hoping that it will make it easier for Kim to go back to work because of it. She's free to stop in and check on Camden anytime she wants. Heck, it's even close enough for me to stop in during my lunch hour, too. Tomorrow starts a huge change to our daily life. It'll take some time to adjust to it, but Camden's such a good kid that I think he'll make it pretty easy for us.

Camden's Christening

For a precious baby boy:
Lord, protect this little boy
Who's loved so very much,
Show him everything there is
to see and hear and touch.

Thank You for Your presence
on this holy Christening Day....
May You lead this precious child
forever in Your way.

Sunday, November 25th was Camden's baptism. The event took place in Holstein at St. Paul Lutheran Church (the church I went to as I grew up). We asked my sister, my brother and my soon to be sister-in-law to be his Sponsors. Everything went so well! Grandma Sindt worked her sewing magic as Camden didn't quite fit into his baptism outfit.

Camden did really well during the service and exceptionally well during the celebration at the font. He only spit up once, fussed very little and seemed to enjoy looking at the congregation. We were quite pleased. We will always have such fond memories of Camden's first Thanksgiving Holiday and will always remember the promises we made at his Christening.

After the church service we celebrated the baptism with a big dinner held at Holstein's Community Center. We had barbecue ribs, chicken, and cheesy potatoes. Followed by tea ring, pumpkin pie, and a chiffon cake with strawberry/raspberry compote and whipped cream.

It was a rather large group with many long time friends of mine able to join us. Some who I haven't seen in a couple years. We couldn't have had a a more wonderful day!

A big thank you to Grandma and Grandpa Sindt for all the planning and execution. A special thank you to Aunt Paige who has made two trips from Phoenix during a very busy, very special time in her life (finishing her doctorate! My little sister is so dedicated and smart!).

And to Uncle Tony and Aunt Lisa who also have made two trips from Chicago to spoil the new little man. What great Godparents they will be to him.

Thanksgiving Turkey Coma

We loaded up the Camry this past holiday weekend and made the four and a half hour drive to Mommy's hometown of Holstein, Iowa for Camden's inaugural Thanksgiving. As you can see from the picture, Camden wasn't immune from the trytophan laced turkey that was transferred from Mommy to baby.

Camden did really well in the car. On the way down, he slept for a full two hours before we decided to stop for gas and lunch. Once the car stopped moving, I think that disturbed him and he decided to wake up and have lunch himself. Once we got him back in the car with a full tummy, he was out like a light for the rest of the trip to the farm.

Camden had many visitors throughout the weekend. Camden got to meet his cousins Sierra, Tessa, Joe, and Luann. Kim's childhood friends, Amy and Ann Buenger (yes, they're twins), also stopped by to say hi.

Camden's sleep schedule is getting much better. He's been getting to sleep around 1030pm or so and sleeping until about 4-430am. After a short feeding, he usually goes back to sleep until 7am or so.

Lots more to update on from this past weekend. Camden was baptized this past weekend as well. His sponsors, Uncle Tony, Aunt Lisa, and Aunt Paige all made it back for his special day. Kim will blog about that later and we have some great pictures to share. In the meantime, here are some more random pictures from this weekend:


Camden nearly rolls over.


Amy Buenger with Camden.


"Hey you look like that other person!" thinks Camden. Ann Buenger feeding Camden.


Camden is the apple of Mommy's eye.


Little Brady Hirschman devouring some BBQ ribs at Camden's baptism celebration lunch.


Camden's new friend, Lucas. Lucas is 1 month old.

Camden's 1st Win Against Michigan!

What a lucky kid. Camden gets to start his life 1-0 against Michigan :) And he couldn't be happier.

GO BUCKEYES!

Camden Has Something to Say

Babies 'R Us Coupon

Found another 15% off coupon at Babies 'R Us for those that are in need of baby stuff. It's only valid until December 2nd, 2007. When it comes up for you to print, make sure you print as many as you need. That or plan to make a few trips to your copy machine. You can't return to the page after you've closed your browser.

Starting To Figure Things Out

Camden is a little more than 2 months old now. Each day continues to bring new joys for us. He's beginning to become more aware of his surroundings and even responding to them. He's responding to our voices more and coos back at us when we talk to him as if we're having a conversation.

Camden has his own language and we're doing our best to decipher it. He also seems to have tremendous control of his neck. I'm not sure what's normal for his age, but he appears to be holding his head up really well.

His hands are his latest discovery. He holds them in front of his face and follows his fingers. He's also sticking fingers in his mouth now. A habit we're trying to help him curb early, but not sure how much success we'll have with that.



Sleeping is still somewhat sporadic, for both his parents and himself. A couple of nights ago he actually had 5 straight hours of sleep. He's probably going for about 3-4 hours at a time right now. He's taken to the bottle really well. Almost too well, for his Mommy's liking. Camden rarely "bellies up to the bar" anymore if you know what I mean.

I mentioned that each day we experience something new with Camden. Obviously, everyday brings something new for Camden too. In the spirit of doing something new everyday, I was made aware of an interesting blog. There is a woman in New York who is trying to do something new everyday. She started the day after she turned 29 and is continuing until her 30th. She's journaling everyday and it's a pretty interesting read. Check it out.

Littlest KG Fan

Last night Daddy and Camden watched our old friend Kevin Garnett make his debut with his new team, the Boston Celtics. It was tough to see KG in a uniform other than the Minnesota Timberwolves. It's a shame that KG had to leave Minneapolis. It's not just that he is a great player, but he is a great person.

Apparent in the passion KG shows for the game, he is the consummate professional. You never hear a bad thing about him. He's never been in trouble with the law and when push came to shove for him to be traded, he didn't say a word.

Before we had Camden, I always hoped that our child would have a quality local sports hero like KG to admire. When I knew we were going to have Camden and the news of KG leaving hit, I was disappointed to say the least. I guess Camden can still admire from afar, just like his Daddy had to with his childhood sports hero, Michael Jordan.