Just the Five of Us?

So, for those of you who live under a rock (or aren't Facebook friends with me), we have some news...

We are so thrilled to announce the upcoming arrival of of the newest (and last!) little Allenby.  Baby Goose (as the boys affectionately refer to him/her as) is due in late March on my Dad's birthday!  I love that this little one shares a due date with my Dad's special day, and although they probably won't actually share the same birthday, it's fun to think about the possibility.  (My mother-in-law's birthday is earlier that same week, but the likelihood of me actually giving birth to a child early is slim to none.  Both boys were six days late, so I'll probably end up with an April baby!)

Scott and I went back and forth for months (years?) about whether we wanted to try for a third baby or if our family was complete with our two boys.  We love our little family just the way it is, and practical concerns (financial, space in our house etc...) weighed heavily on us.  We talked this subject into the ground every single day and finally we decided to just stop talking about it for a little while and see how we were feeling in a few weeks.  One day Scott came home from work and said, "I've been thinking a lot these last few days, and I just really feel like our family isn't complete yet.  I also don't think it makes sense to make a decision like this based solely on finances...a lot can change and we just never know where we'll be, but I know we'll make it work."  Well, although he had been swaying me a bit towards his "no third baby" side with some legitimate concerns for a while, it didn't take any convincing for me as I was always leaning towards wanting just one more.

My concerns differ a bit from Scott's.  Finances will definitely be extremely tight, but my fears revolve more around the fact that I have to push another large Allenby baby (so far we have Camden weighing in at 9lbs even and Micah at 8.5lbs) out of me and endure excruciating back labor one more time...and the fact that I'm bound to get mastitis about 6 times in the first year of breastfeeding...and the fact that many nights a week during the school year I will be on my own attempting to put three kids to bed instead of just two...and the fact that right now, when I read bedtime stories to the boys, I have one arm around each of them with their heads resting on my shoulders and I just don't have another arm and shoulder for this third little person.  I'm sure we will have moments where we are overwhelmed and while we're scrambling in the zone defense we may sometimes reminisce about the good ol' man-to-man days, but I know for a fact that this little life is going to complete our family, that we will love him/her unconditionally, that s/he will be a great playmate for our boys and that Micah and Camden will love their little sibling and they will all take good care of each other.  Based on my experience with Micah's birth, I know that even if I'm nervous and feeling a little unsettled in the final days before Baby Goose's arrival, my heart will grow the moment I lay my eyes on this child and I will never be able to imagine my life without them.  I feel so blessed to be experiencing pregnancy again, to lie down with my boys and let them snuggle my belly and talk to the baby. We are just continuing to pray that all goes smoothly throughout and that little Baby Goose is healthy and content in there.

Does this mean I have to change the title of my blog?  Again?  (What was I thinking when I originally titled this Just the Three of Us?)  Thanks for all of your excitement!  It's gonna be a wild ride!

My Sweet Boy

I am loving watching my boys grow up.  A huge part of me wants them to stay little forever.  I can't seem to get enough of their kisses and snuggles and giggles, and truth be told, I'm terrified of having teenagers.  I mean, it's just so scary to think of all the trouble kids get into these days.  I just pray that we raise good boys with a strong conviction and a strong faith - and even though they will still mess up, hopefully they won't kill me in the process!

Anyways, Camden has been such a joy recently.  From the time he turned two until sometime this fall following his third birthday he was very challenging.  He is very strong willed, and we were in a season of many tears, perceived injustices and frustration.  But recently he has been so much fun.  He's more patient with Micah.  His imagination is incredible.  He loves to act out stories (we "played" the Three Little Pigs four times in a row today!).  He loves to read.  We will sit and read for 45 minutes at a time, sometimes multiple times a day.  He loves games - he honestly beat both Scott and me at Go Fish recently and we play a round of Guess Who every morning at the breakfast table!

 Lots of games in the closet...

Playing in their kitchen...

Camden loves to strum on this little guitar and make up songs...

 A masterpiece!

 Camden wrote his name all by himself!!!!!

 And he's drawing people now!!!  This is our family.  Love it!  :)

One thing I love about Camden is that he has no sense of what is expected of him or what the world deems appropriate or acceptable for a young boy.  This is probably due, in part, to the fact that he's not in daycare or preschool and he doesn't have the huge influence of other children in his life yet.  We have plenty of play dates and he goes to Sunday School at church, but he's not as influenced on a daily basis by other children as he would be if I wasn't home with him.  We also don't have a television, and although he watches a few select shows that we get out of the library and watch on the computer (his favorites are Curious George, Thomas and Word World) he doesn't see any commercials and he doesn't know what toys boys are supposed to play with.  As a result, two of the things on Camden's Christmas list were a dollhouse and a tea set.  Many parents would probably cringe if their son asked for these things, but I was proud to give these gifts to him.  We gave him my old dollhouse that I played with as a child and my sister passed along an extra tea set (a real, breakable one!) that she had and he loves both of them!

In his own little world...

Tea with Paige...

 Apparently, three year old boys can't smile like a normal person!

Although Camden is happy to sit down and have a tea party with friends, he is also a crazy, active, energetic little boy.  He loves playing trucks (his new thing is causing huge crashes with all of his matchbox cars).  He loves to wrestle, play basketball and football, have pretend mountain bike races (which consist of him sprinting around the circle in our house), put on circuses and tons of other fun and imaginative games. 

 The boys in their three-point stance...

 Here is a short clip of the boys playing basketball and football in the house.  This happens on a daily basis! 

A couple months ago we had the following conversation while we were driving in the car.  Be still my heart!

Camden:  When I'm 29 I can drive this car.  You and Daddy can say, "Take Micah to the store" and I'll take him in the car with me.
Mama:  That would be so nice of you.  You know, you can probably drive this car when you're sixteen...that's when you're allowed to drive.
Camden:  No thank you.  I'll wait until 29.
Mama:  You might have a family when you're 29.  Do you think you'll have a wife and maybe some kids?
Camden:  No, I think I'm going to live with you forever. 
Mama:  Awww....I would love that!
Camden: I want to stay with you forever so I can play with Micah. 

He is always coming up with new ways to make us smile.  I'm so thankful for the little boy he is turning out to be.  

Tired

It's been a challenging few days in our house and sometimes I just can't even believe how hard parenting is!  Especially parenting a toddler!  Eeek!  I feel so incredibly blessed that I have the opportunity to be a stay at home Mom.  I really honestly am so lucky.  But sometimes at the end of the day I look back and think...gosh...today was a battle and I am exhausted!  I guess no one said parenting is easy.  And the wonderful, rewarding moments always outweigh the moments when I want to cry...but phew, today I am wiped.  I always feel tired and hungry too...and then I remembered today that my body is working like crazy as I am still nursing Micah multiple times a day and night.

In the middle of a rough day with Camden yesterday there was an uncharacteristically quiet moment and I peeked around the corner and he was sitting on the couch by himself reading his little children's Bible.  It was such a good reminder for me to stop and remember to seek God all day, every day.  I've been praying daily that the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control - Galatians 5:22) will be more evident in my life.  Especially in how I raise my children.

I love my boys more than anything else in the entire world and I am SO blessed to be with them during these formative years...even when it's hard. Tonight after they both got out of the tubby they ran around the entire upstairs naked just cracking each other up.  When I put Micah's football jammies on, Camden asked if he could wear his matching pj's so he and Micah could be twins.  They love each other so much and they gave me a little gift there that I will treasure always.  I love my boys.

Gender - painted toenails and little boys

If you have a minute, click here to watch a three minute clip from Good Morning America to get a little background on this post...

 This advertisement, which was sent out to J Crew customers in a recent email, has created quite a stir.  I'm sure many of you have heard about it.  The ad shows the President and Creative Director of J Crew painting her son's toenails pink.  Oh the outrage this simple picture has created!  One psychiatrist wrote on a Foxnews.com column, “This is a dramatic example of the way that our culture is being encouraged to abandon all trappings of gender identity.”  Another woman from the Media Research Center called the ad, “blatant propaganda celebrating transgendered children.”  Are you kidding me?  Maybe it's the sociologist in me, but this kind of commentary makes my blood boil.  First of all, what child wouldn't find nail polish fun to play with?  Kids like to paint.  Kids like to make messes.  Kids like to dress up.  Kids like to imitate their elders.  Girls and boys...what's the difference? 

Secondly, I'm pretty sure I know plenty of very masculine men who were dressed up by their older sisters when they were little and turned out just fine.  The concept that at such a young age, girls are only to play with "girl toys" and boys are only allowed to play with "boy toys" drives me nuts.  I'm not gonna lie, Camden loves trucks.  He loves getting dirty.  He seems to be a natural athlete.  He is very physical.  But, he is also sensitive.  He loves to read.  He loves to sing and dance.  He loves to snuggle.  He loves to push Buddy (his little felted bunny) or Green Monkey (creative name, huh?) around in his stroller (gasp!) and the other day he pretended to be pregnant with twins and put stuffed animals down his pjs (double gasp! Yes, our friends just gave birth to twins...Camden wanted in on the excitement!).  Are we setting our child up for a lifetime of torment?  Does playing with a stuffed animal or even a doll mean that our two and a half year old is going to automatically be gay?  OR are we allowing our child to learn to play.  To create.  To imagine.  The way he takes care of his little stuffed animals and tells me to be quiet when they are "sleeping" makes me think that he's going to make a pretty great Daddy someday (and he already is a great older brother!).  Is there something wrong with allowing our sons to develop a sensitive side? 

And I'm not on my own with this one.  Scott and I were watching an episode of What Would You Do? on television recently that tackled a similar topic.  Hidden cameras captured how people reacted to seeing a young boy in a toy store begging for a doll.  They then took it a step further and had the little boy wearing a dress.  Scott and I were glued to the show, discussing different people's reactions to the situation and how we would handle something like that ourselves.  I said something to the effect of, "I would have no problem with Camden playing dressup and wearing a dress at home or at a friend's house, but I'm not sure I'd want him to walk around in public like that."  Scott shocked me with his response: "Why not?  He's two years old...it really doesn't mean anything." 
Let's be clear here, I'm not going to actively encourage my son to wear dresses and paint his toenails, but I'm also not going to judge those parents who do.  And I'm not going to make assumptions about those little boys and their sexuality.  And I'm not going to stifle my child's imagination, just because he might be crossing gender barriers with the toys he chooses to play with.  I'm kind of proud that among the matchbox cars, fire trucks, train tracks, hockey sticks and blocks that litter our house, you can also find a "doll" stroller, stuffed animals, and a little doll who likes to have his imaginary diaper changed. 
Camden brought Buddy and his stroller with him when we ran a few errands last week.  We were quite the pair with our two strollers and we received so many smiles from friends and strangers alike as we walked around the stores.  People struck up conversation with him and wanted to see his little toy.  He was proud.  And so was I.

What do you think?  Do/would you let your children play with toys that aren't marketed to their specific gender? Do you think there will be long-term effects on allowing children this freedom?

It Won't Be Like This For Long

This has been a tough week.  After having Scott home for most of vacation, it's been a difficult transition for all of us to watch him go back to work.  And this week is even busier than usual as he's traveling with a group of students and until today had only seen the boys for about an hour since Sunday.  Now I can't really complain, because I know many people whose husbands travel for work for weeks at a time, and I just can't imagine how tough that must be.  But for some reason, this week has just been exhausting.  Camden is two and a half and they don't call it the terrible twos for nothing.  The other day we went over to my sister's for breakfast and by the time we had left to go to her house at 9:00am he'd already had at least three all-out temper tantrums.  Now, not every day is like that...sometimes he can be an angel, but this week I've felt like the frazzled mom who just can't seem to keep up.  I look like a mess (that's pretty normal - I can't blame that completely on the kids...it probably has something to do with the fact that I don't own a hairdryer, the only hairbrush I own lives in a little drawer under the passenger seat in the car, I don't own or even know how to apply makeup and I haven't slept for more than a 2-3 hour stretch in months (almost years)), I am tired and I feel torn in a million directions.

Tonight as I tried to get the boys to bed I just felt so frustrated.  At first with the boys...and then at myself.  Micah was tired and hungry, but I usually try to get Camden to bed first so that I can lie with Micah and nurse him (it just takes longer to get him to sleep and Camden has a hard time giving me the quiet space I would need to successfully get Micah down).  I rushed Camden through the bedtime routine.  He pooped on the potty (every single night he does this!), I helped him brush his teeth, get him in his jammies and we snuggled in to read two books.  Meanwhile, Micah is screaming like crazy in his crib as he waits for me.  I'm trying to rush to read Camden his books (of course he picks two wicked long books so I'm trying to convince him to read different ones and he's getting sad because he doesn't want to) and so I rush through two books, turn off the light and just hold him for a minute or two while I listen to Micah wail in the other room.  After rushing out to get Micah, change him and bring him into bed, I was feeling so sad about how I treated Camden during our bedtime routine.  It's such a special time.  Some day I'm going to miss those snuggles, miss those stories, miss singing him lullabies.  I snuck back in after I got Micah down.  Camden was still awake (he wasn't sad at all, not really in tune to how I was feeling, but just having a hard time falling asleep) and I crawled into his little toddler bed with him and just held him.  I told him I was sorry I didn't spend more time with him and I told him how much I loved him.  Sometimes I feel like I want him to grow up so fast, these toddler days are tough, but when it really comes down to it I love my little boy just the way he is.  I need to make sure I don't let myself get too frazzled, too stressed, too rushed.  I don't want him to remember me that way.  As I held him tonight I kept hearing two country songs in my head.  Darius Rucker's It Won't Be Like This For Long and Billy Dean's Let Them Be Little.  Both these songs are wonderful reminders of just how quickly these days pass.  How important it is to enjoy these moments.
Here are the lyrics:

Let Them Be Little
I can remember when you fit in the palm of my hand.
You felt so good in it; no bigger than a minute.
How it amazes me you're changin' with every blink.
Faster than a flower blooms, they grow up all too soon.

So let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give 'em hope, give them praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let 'em sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.

I never felt so much in one little tender touch.
I live for those kisses, your prayers an' your wishes.
An' now you're teachin' me how only a child can see.
Tonight, while we're on our knees, all I ask is:

Please, let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give them hope, give them praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let 'em sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.

The so innocent, precious soul:
You turn around, an' it's time to let them go.

So let them be little,

'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give them hope, give 'em praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let them sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.

It Won't Be Like This For Long:
He didn't have to wake up
He'd been up all night
Layin’ there in bed listenin’
To his new born baby cry
He makes a pot of coffee
He splashes water on his face
His wife gives him a kiss and says
It gonna be OK

It won’t be like this for long
One day we'll look back laughin’
At the week we brought her home

This phase is gonna fly by
So baby just hold on
‘Cause it won't be like this for long

Four years later ‘bout 4:30
She's crawling in their bed
And when he drops her off at preschool
She's clinging to his leg
The teacher peels her off of him
He says what can I do
She says now don't you worry
This’ll only last a week or two

It won’t be like this for long
One day soon you'll drop her off
And she won’t even know you're gone
This phase is gonna fly by
If you can just hold on
It won’t be like this for long

Some day soon she'll be a teenager
And at times he'll think she hates him
Then he'll walk her down the aisle
And he'll raise her veil
But right now she's up and cryin’
And the truth is that he don't mind
As he kisses her good night
And she says her prayers

He lays down there beside her
‘Til her eyes are finally closed
And just watchin’ her it breaks his heart
Cause he already knows

It won’t be like this for long
One day soon that little girl is gonna be
All grown up and gone
Yeah, this phase is gonna fly by
So, he's tryin’ to hold on

‘Cause it won’t be like this for long

Love Grows

A friend of mine is expecting her second child in just a few short weeks and she asked some of her close friends how they prepared themselves for #2.  The second pregnancy is often so different than the first.  You're often too busy chasing around #1 to notice every little movement or kick of the little one inside of you and without the need to buy all new baby items and a whole new wardrobe (and often without another baby shower to shower you with gifts) it sometimes seems like the birth of this second child can just sneak right up on you.  After hearing her air a few of her concerns and thoughts earlier today, I've been thinking all day about my experience carrying and birthing Micah...and what an emotional ride it was.

I remember feeling so worried that I couldn't possibly love another human being as much as I loved Camden.  The usual response that I heard when I mentioned this fear was, "Your love doesn't have to be divided between the two of them...Your love multiplies and you suddenly have more love to give."  I have to say, that this statement is SO true at this point.  I love both my boys more than words can even describe.  I would give my life for them at any moment if it meant they could live their life to the fullest and find happiness.  It almost hurts inside when I think of the love I have for both Camden and Micah.  But this didn't just magically take place the split second that I pulled Micah up onto my chest in that hospital room.  There were a lot of emotions that brought me to this place and I thought I would share them with others who might be expecting a second child and don't know what to expect!

Throughout my pregnancy, and particularly in my third trimester, I felt like I was cheating on Camden.  How could I possibly love him as much if I was bringing another child into this world?  Would I be able to give him the attention that he needed?  Would I still be able to rock him to sleep at night as I had every other night of his short little life?  Would he know that I loved him even when I was always holding his new little brother?  I would often rock him to sleep during those last few weeks and would feel a sense of loss.  My eyes would brim with tears as I felt his little body drift off to sleep and I wondered if he would still be my little baby when I had another little baby to love as well.  The idea of this second little being entering the world felt a little strange.  Who was this little guy that would turn our world upside down?  We knew we wanted to have another baby, and we wanted them to be about two years apart, so he wasn't a surprise...he was (and IS) a blessing!  But it still felt strange to me.

And then it happened.  My little Micah entered the world.  He was perfect.  Precious in every way.  I literally pulled him out of my body and onto my chest whispering "I love you. I love you. I love you" over and over again.  I wanted him to know he was wanted. I wanted him to know he was loved.  And I wanted to reassure myself that I could love another being as much as I loved my first.

Introducing Camden to Micah in that hospital room was a beautiful moment.  I saw my two boys together for the first time.  Two brothers that would hopefully, one day, consider the other his best friend.  Two brothers that would laugh together.  Cry together.  Beat each other up, but also stand up for the other when he needed someone to.  I'm already seeing this friendship develop.  Camden was the first person to ever make Micah laugh.  He loves him so much and I know Micah will idolize Camden as he continues to get older.

Over the next week or two, my emotions shifted even more.  I don't know if this is normal, if it was the hormones or something else, but I suddenly became very protective of Micah.  He was my baby.  He was helpless and tiny and so new to this big world.  I was fiercely in love with him - more than I could have imagined during my pregnancy.  In some ways I started to feel distant from Camden.  He was trying my patience.  Things that didn't used to bother me were bothering me.  I didn't know how to divide myself between the two of them, when one seemed to need me so much more than the other.  I gave Micah to Scott and read books with Camden.  I put him to bed when I could and we shared those quiet moments together.  But something had changed.  My love had multiplied like everyone told me it would and he suddenly wasn't my only love.  (I do love Scott too...don't get me wrong!   I'm just focusing on my boys here!  Love you, Hubby!)  I was afraid to admit these feelings to anyone.  I didn't want to feel any sort of animosity or frustration towards my firstborn.  But when I shared these feelings with my sister she reassured me that it's totally normal.  In fact, many, many, many new mothers experience that distancing from their firstborn - and everything would find it's balance in the end.  She was SO right.

But it took some time.  And that's what I wanted to share with my friend (you know who you are).  It's OK to feel like this pregnancy was different than your first.  It's OK to feel like you need to psych yourself up a little bit for this upcoming birth.  It's OK to feel a little disconnected from this being inside of you that you haven't met yet...and once he or she arrives, it's normal to feel pulled and strained and confused on how you're going to love both of your precious children.  But it will all work out just how it's supposed to.  Your love will grow.  Your love will change.  You won't be able to imagine your life without both of your babies.  It may take a day, a week, a month...who knows...but before long you will find that balance and your love will be overflowing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.  1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a

Television

I have a love/hate relationship with TV.  I don't want to watch television, but I do.  I don't want to get excited about certain shows, but I do.  I don't want it to be something I schedule certain evenings around, but I do.  Grrrr!  I don't WANT to like tv...but I DO!  This is actually something that really bothers me.  I grew up without a television...and I kind of liked it that way.  My parents tell me that my sister and I didn't know what to ask for for Christmas because we weren't aware of all the newest and coolest toys.  I didn't know what I was missing, and honestly, it really wasn't much!  I wrote a long research paper in high school about the negative effects that television can have on children and my teacher was so fascinated by some of the things I found in my research that he passed the paper around to some other teachers in the school.  He and two or three other teachers all got rid of their television sets after that!  Scott and I are probably not going to get cable when we move into our new house, and honestly, I'm kind of excited about it.  If it's not available it will be much easier to avoid.  (And it doesn't hurt that I can watch most of my favorite shows online the next day if I still want to keep up with what's going on in the world of pop culture).  I don't want Camden and Micah to grow up glued to the television.  We limit how much and what we watch in the house with Camden, but he already LOVES to watch an occasional show.  He'll wake up from a nap and immediately ask to "watch show" and when I say no I then have to deal with a mini-tantrum...it would be so much more enjoyable if it wasn't an automatic desire for him.  BUT, (and there is a big but here), I do love the option of television when I'm just having one of those days and I need a little time to breath on my own.

And I do love my guilty pleasures of which I have quite a few.  Confession: I love reality shows.  Not The Hills or Real Housewives of New York or Jersey Shore (Is that a reality show?  I've never seen it).  Not that type of reality show.  I love Dancing With the Stars, The Bachelor/ette and American Idol type of reality shows.  I will forever be fascinated by how dedicated and committed the actors, musicians, comedians, athletes are to learning how to dance on Dancing with the Stars.  It is so impressive to me how these people put their careers on hold (*I know they are making major money being on the show, but their not usually doing their "normal" job at the same time*) and put so many hours into learning and practicing dance.  They get so emotionally and physically spent and it is fun to see how they improve and struggle through the season.  One thing I like about The Bachelor/ette and American Idol is that the people on these shows really are real people.  Now some of them are total wack-jobs there to try and get their fifteen minutes of fame, but others are just normal, everyday people who wind up being household names.  I mean, you have to admit it's pretty cool that Carrie Underwood was a young girl from a tiny town and is now a best-selling Grammy-winning artist.  I find it fascinating to hear the backgrounds of certain people, to hear their stories and to wonder how I would handle certain situations if I found myself facing those same things.

Two current stories have just broken my heart.  This guy just auditioned for Idol last night and has a heartbreaking story.  But he's so inspiring, so devoted, and it makes me happy to see people like this on television.

And this woman is currently on The Bachelor - what a story she has...

I like stories like these...I want to root for these people.  I want them to find happiness and success...and I don't want to give up my TV.  We'll see what happens when we move, but for now, I have to run, American Idol is on.  Seriously.

Snow, Bouncing and Sleep

 We had a wonderful day today.  Although Scott had to teach a class this morning and then travel to Holderness for a basketball game, we still managed to get some family time in.  It was cold outside, but Camden and Daddy had fun watching the ski races over at the ski area and playing outside in the snow together when they got home...

 My very handsome husband...

 Our happy boy...

 After a quick lunch, Camden convinced first Mama, and then Daddy, to play his favorite game..."Boing Mama! Boing on ball Dada!"  (This game means that Scott (or I) sit on our exercise ball and bounce Camden up and down on it as high as we can - this game is much more fun with Daddy than it is with me...)  I lay on the floor with Micah during this to see what his perspective is...kinda fun!

 Resting with Daddy after lots of fun...

 Gotta love the glowing ears...  :)

And I'm not here to start a debate with anyone or tell you what is right or wrong when it comes to your child's sleep, but I will say that snuggling up with my baby in bed, feeling his breath on my face and his warm little body against mine is the best feeling in the world...the best part of each day. 

Here's Micah with me today...

 And Camden with me at just three weeks old...

Oh we just love our boys and our little family...Thankful for squeezing family time in even on a work day.

Camden's New Toy

After majoring in Sociology in college, and learning a great deal about gender roles and gender issues in society, I vowed I would never force gender stereotypes on my children.  I thought I would be anti-blue/pink in dressing my children, but I have to admit, I love finding cute little boy clothes for my boys and it's nearly impossible to avoid the color blue!  I've softened my opinion in that area, but I still really want to be conscious about not placing my boys in certain activities based solely on their gender rather than what their interests are.  If Camden wants to take gymnastics or dance or something like that, I'm hoping that we would encourage him in whatever direction his passion takes him.  We try to buy toys and books that aren't too gendered as well (although Camden is super into trucks and legos - how did that happen?  I don't know!).  Although Camden seems to be all-boy, we gave him a present recently that he is just in love with!  We gave him his new doll stroller earlier this week as a present for being such a great big brother to Micah, and he has been pushing around his little green monkey in it all week!  We love that Camden is nurturing, caring and gentle with Micah and although these aren't typically thought of as "boyish" qualities, they are certainly qualities we want our children (male or female) to have.  All I can say, is Camden is going to make some woman very happy some day and is going to be an amazing father.