Happy Halloween

So, for the first time in the short history of this blog, I am updating it in real time (instead of two months after that fact.) It is actually still Halloween as I write this - amazing, I know. Campbell spent her first Halloween as a goldfish (not a chicken, although it is easy to make that mistake). Her Wardrobe Dealer (aka Emma) generously supplied the costume.

I have decided that trick-or-treating with your child is a hundred times better than trick-or-treating as a child. I was offered wine at two different houses! Too bad I still I had to nurse Campbell before bed (but I'm making up for it as we speak).

Here we are with some of the neighbors. Kya was a ladybug and Nicau (pronouced knee-cow) was a Los Angeles Laker. Nicau is only 2 weeks old!

Campbell's Third Trip to MN

In search of authentic autumn weather (something we just can't seem to find in So Cal), Campbell and I again ventured to MN. We were not disappointed by what we found there. The days were clear and moderate and the nights cool and crisp. The vibrant sight of colorful trees and bushes and the smell of dying leaves surrounded us. Our six days there went by too quickly.

Here is Campbell chewing on her toes. I thought it was important to document this feat, since I can no longer chew on my toes, and no amount of yoga will change that.

We spent a Sunday afternoon in the historic town of Stillwater, MN - the birthplace of MN - on the St. Croix River. Campbell got to hang out with her cousins, Simon, Andrew, Clare and Little John (not the rapper, but equally as cool). It's a good thing that she's not yet influenced by her peers because her cousins could definitely teach her a few things that I'd rather she didn't know.

Campbell sporting her hip, handmade sweater - yet another great benefit of being in MN in the autumn.

During our last trip to MN, Micah was mostly interested in hitting Campbell with any available object. Things went a little more smoothly during this trip.


Andrew is Mitch's and my godson and my sister keeps promising (aka threatening) to send him to CA to visit us for awhile (or indefinitely). I think we might be able to handle him. Mitch would just have to take him out surfing all day and really wear him out. :-)

Here is an updated photo of Clare and Campbell. It's amazing how in just two short months, they can change so much.

While in MN, Campbell met another set of twins - Madison and Alison. They belong to a little girl (well, she's grown up now) who I babysat for many years. Madi and Ali are just two months younger than Campbell.

At Grandma and Grandpa's

We spent a couple of days with Grandma and Grandpa in the desert. Campbell loved their dog, Tootsie, and Tootsie loved Campbell right back. In fact, she attempted to lick off Campbell's feet on numerous occasions.

Here is Campbell with her Grandma (who is also her namesake).
Campbell was immersed in a body of water (other than the bathtub) for the first time in Grandma and Grandpa's pool. This was the moment that Dad had been waiting for since we found out we were pregnant with Campbell. Let the surf lessons commence!

Sleeping Beauty

The first question I usually get from friends and strangers is: "Is Campbell sleeping through the night?" The answer is "No." Even at almost 7 months and even with the introduction of solid food (I do know it's just a myth that solid food makes babies sleep through the night), Campbell is still up on average twice per night to nurse. Although it would be nice to get a solid night's sleep, I know that I'll be sad when the day comes when Campbell doesn't need me in the middle of the night anymore.

First Food

Campbell says, "I'm ready, Mom and Dad. What are we going to do?"

"Wait a minute. What is this?"

We started with rice cereal the day after Campbell turned 6 months old and have since tried butternut squash, avocado and pears. So far, Campbell still prefers nursing over eating. I guess she has the rest of her life to eat, so what's the rush.

6 Months Old Already!

Everyone tells me that one day I have a newborn baby and the next day, that same baby is graduating from high school. I believe all those people now about how quickly time goes. Campbell is already 6 months old (almost 7 months now!). We had her 6 month photos taken on October 5, 2008. Again, Scot was kind enough to be our photographer and he took hundreds of photos. Here are just a few of my favorites.

Campbell's Wardrobe Dealer

Campbell would like to publicly acknowledge and thank Emma (and her lovely mommy, Amanda) for so generously sharing her extensive wardrobe. Due to Emma's great fashion sense, Campbell always looks stylish and never even has to wear the same thing twice!

Emma is going to be a big sister at the end of December. We can already tell that she's going to be a great helper for Amanda. She definitely kept Campbell entertained during their two-day visit and we were sad that they had to go home.

Our Fancy Friends

Campbell and I had a splendid (that's a fancy word for great) time on September 11. My friend from graduate school, Amy, and her husband and darling twin daughters, Felicity and Elyse, were vacationing in San Diego and met us in Newport Beach on Balboa Island for the day. Felicity and Elyse, before they conked out for the night (they were on East Coast time...and you can see that Campbell was definitely on West Coast time) updated Campbell on many new things, including a series of children's books called "Fancy Nancy."

Campbell loved being with Amy - she knows a good friend when she sees one. And, Amy, being the mother of twins, could simultaneously hold Campbell and one of her girls at the same time ( a feat that I did not attempt - at least not while standing).

5 Months Old

Campbell is five months old and learning how to sit up by herself. She still needs the Boppy to support her and only lasts a minute or so before falling over. She also recently found her voice and talks all the time. She especially likes to talk in church during the quiet parts of the service. I forgot to take a picture of her on her actual five month birthday. Here she is 5 months and 4 days old.

Toes in the Sand

Campbell had her first day at the beach with Dad on Labor Day (Mitch's work is really busy during the summer so we don't see him very much). No one thought it would take almost 5 months for Mitch to get his daughter in the ocean, but it did. Campbell's virgin feet are touching the Pacific for the very time in these photos. She didn't really know how to react to the cold wet sand.

Bumbo and Bathtime

Since I'm her mom, I pretty much think Campbell looks cute all the time, even when she's mad at me. Here are a few of my favorite pictures of her doing just our ordinary, everyday activities.

Campbell's Second Trip to Minnesota

Campbell and I visited Minnesota again in August to spend some time with the family before the school year began. While we were there, we met up with Melissa from my graduate school program and her almost six-month old daughter, Sonja.

My mom still had the bouncy chair that she used when I was little and Campbell got a chance to try it out. We had to prop her up with blankets to keep her from tipping over. She is pictured with one of her favorite toys - Sophie the giraffe.

Nothing says Midwest more than a rowdy round of Bingo. Campbell was more interested in eating the Bingo card than getting 5 numbers vertically, horizontally or diagonally. I'm sure that the Bingo card was both organic and germ free. ;-)

We spent a lot of time with Campbell's cousins. Pictured with her are Taylore (middle), Matthias (left) and Joshua (right).

Grandma and Grandpa Rusinko celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary while we were home. Quite an accomplishment. Somedays I wonder if Mitch and I will make it to five years....

Campbell's newest cousin -John - was born on July 14. He looks so skinny compared to Campbell. It's hard to believe that she was ever that small, even though it was only a few months ago.

3 Month Old Supermodel

Campbell had her first photo shoot at the beginning of July for her 3 month pictures. Mitch's friend, Scot, was the photographer and he took over 200 photos. I had a hard time deciding which were my favorites - here's just a few. I have decided that since Campbell has a little red in her hair, pink is not her color. Unfortunately, if I don't dress her in pink now, people think she's a boy. But, in the future, we won't be doing any formal photo shoots in pink. ;-)