Almost 4 Months?!

Man, I'm so bad at blogging nowadays!! I had sat down to write 2 and 3 month updates but I inevitably got pulled away by my sweet boy and just never got around to finishing them. So if this post ends up being short or disorganized, you'll know why ;]

I cannot believe that Camden is going to be 4 months old on Tuesday!! The time has seriously flownnnn by! It's crazy. He's gone from a tiny little 6lbs 12oz squishy, sleepy, totally immobile newborn to a 14ish pound smiley, super active, rolly-poley, happy little guy! I love watching him grow and change. I was looking through some of his newborn pictures last week and it made me a little sad that he's grown and changed so much so quickly. But at the same time I LOVE being a part of his daily development. I love spending my days with him, getting to know him better and watch him learn so much about the world around him. He's such a curious baby. It's fun to expose him to new things and watch his adorable expressions and reactions. I love everything about being this sweet boy's momma! It's the most tremendous blessing I've ever received.

Over these past couple months Camden has had a lot of firsts! I've forgotten to write down dates for some of them (shame on meeee) but they're all photographed in my mind. I'll just share some of his recent developments...

• He smiles all.the.time now! It's awesome. He'll crack these big, gummy smiles constantly!
• He knows who I am, as well as Jake, my parents and my brothers. He'll smile at us when we talk to him. 
• He knows his name and he'll look at me when I call it out. Most times he smiles when he hears his name, too. 
• He's great at bearing weight on his feet. He loves to be held in a standing position a lot. He'll stomp his little feet around and wobble back and forth. So. Cute. 
• He also laughs now! That's an amazing sound! He started with little giggles here and there and now he'll have some real belly laughs from time to time. 
• He loves to bounce! He has a bouncy chair that he plays in everyday and it's his favorite. He loves to put on a show with it, such a little ham. 
• He can blow raspberries. I blow them on his tummy when I change his diaper and he's started to learn to do them too. It's so cute! Usually they result in baby spit everywhere, haha. 
• His motor skills are improving like crazy! He can grab, pull, push, turn, flip pages, and so many other things! He loves to put everything he can reach in his mouth. He also enjoys grabbing his binkie out of his mouth and throwing it, haha. He's a champion hair puller now as well. 
• He rolls from his belly to his back (did it for the first time May 22nd) and his back to his belly (first time June 13th) now, too! He doesn't hate tummy time anymore, which is nice for everyone. He usually rolls right to his back as soon as I put him on his tummy. Lately, though, he's been trying really hard to crawl! He can schooch around in circles and move forward a little. I have a feeling he'll be crawling before we even know it!
• He's much more aware of his environment. He loves looking at everything around him. Now that he can see so much better he's become very curious. Obviously any movement captures his attention but he especially likes seeing plants/leaves blow in the wind, and he likes watching Phineas and Ferb (yes, seriously! Though we don't watch much TV at all with him around).
• He's leery of strangers. I've read this is normal for his age but he's really developed an aversion to people he doesn't know. He's not unfriendly by any stretch of the imagination! He just gets quiet and gives funny looks like he's grilling them, haha. He has his favorites now. 

I'm sure there are some things I'm forgetting- like I said, he's growing and changing so fast! It's incredible. My perfect little almost 1/3 of a year old baby boy! Nutso. Strangers love to talk to him. They always ask how old he is and say that he's a cutie. I've noticed that the second most popular question I get about him (more than his name!) is "how does he sleep?" And honestly, it really irks me. Why do people make it seem like sleep is the most important thing? No, my baby doesn't sleep through the night. I'm not ashamed to say it. He isn't a naturally good sleeper. But you know what? He's extremely happy, healthy, and very well bonded to me! Anyone who sees us together can tell that we share an incredible bond. To me, that's the most important thing. I would rather my baby fully trust me and know he can rely on me to meet his needs even in the middle of the night then have him sleeping through the night. That will come eventually. And even though it might not seem like it when you're overtired, sleep really isn't the most important thing. Camden is a very active baby. He has a hard time settling. He's also been a champ at nursing since he was born and his appetite wakes him up. No big deal. We're learning how to care for his extra needs at night. So please, stop asking me if he sleeps through the night yet and giving me a sad reply when I tell you no. It's okay! My baby is happy and healthy! He'll sleep through the night eventually. In the meantime, I'm soaking up all the nighttime snuggles I can get because he'll outgrow them sooner than I'd like! Okay, rant over. 

Camden is the most amazing baby ever. He's sweet and lovey. He's fun to watch and interact with. Being his momma is awesome. Simply awesome. I love that boy more than I could ever express! <3