New Years Day brings another celebration for the Anderson family because it happens to be Auntie Carol's birthday!  This year was a big one for her- 75!  We were so glad to be able to be there to celebrate with her and the rest of the family as we all gathered together in Huntington Beach.  Having lots of family around means lots of arms eagerly waiting to be wrapped around Camille.  She was such a trooper as she moved around the room being smothered with hugs and love.  As we all know, Auntie Carol is the true belle of any ball but Camille came in at a close second!

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We ended our Christmas celebration spree on Saturday in Camarillo at Uncle Mike and Aunt Susie's.  Camille was very excited to see and spend time with more of her family.  Our celebration included 3G (Great Grandma Gail), Grami Jami, Grandpa Gar-ball, Uncle Kirky, Auntie Lindsey, Uncle Mike, Aunt Susie, Derek, and Allie.  During our time together we enjoyed playing numerous rounds of Mexican Train, eating delicious food, going on walks, and just relaxing.  It was great fun, but we're sure Uncle Mike and Aunt Susie were happy to have their house back when we all finally left! :)

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Christmas day found us in Huntington Beach with Papa Roly and Daniel.  We arrived the Tuesday before and enjoyed relaxing and soaking up as much sun as possible.  On Christmas Eve day we were joined by Tara's 3 1/2 year old niece.  Keira is a wonderful big cousin and loves "Baby Mille."  Tara's brother and sister-in-law, Chad and Kelly, along with Auntie Carol joined us for Christmas Eve dinner.  Christian's brother and sister-in-law, Kirk and Lindsey, joined us on Christmas day.  Camille thoroughly enjoyed all the attention from uncles and aunties and thought that tearing paper was too much fun!  It was truly a very, merry Christmas!

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At five months Camille is doing so many new things!  She has new sounds for being excited, tired, impatient and a high-pitched one that she makes whenever she chooses.  She has found her toes and enjoys sticking them in her mouth when getting dressed or a diaper change.  She is rolling over like a pro these days and has just started tucking her knees under her belly in effort to crawl.  She continues to love bathtime and is super excited about her bath time toys and new tub.  We adore her and are enjoying every moment and new phase of her life!

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We were all healthy and excited for our trip to Quincy to celebrate Christmas with Tara's family.  The trip was long but Camille did incredibly well considering.  We arrived in St. Louis on Friday evening and were greeted by our friend, Kori.  We spent the night at Kori and Tom's house and were happy to finally be able to meet little Riley.  Camille and Riley were hilarious upon being introduced, we wished we would have video taped it!  Mid-morning on Saturday we were picked up by family friends, Reggie and Amparo.  We finallly arrived at Nana and Grandpa's house on Saturday afternoon and while we were there we got to enjoy time with Grandpa, Nana, Uncle Kurt, Uncle Bret and Jessica.  Although our time was short, it was wonderful!  Camille thoroughly enjoyed all the attention, especially the evening sing-a-longs with Grandpa and Nana!  We celebrated Christmas on Sunday morning and Santa was generous to all of us, especially Camille who recieved her first doll, a talking puppy, new bath time toys, three beautiful new outfits and much more!  How blessed we are to have such a loving family.

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The day Papa Roly had to leave we got new visitors- Grami Jami and Auntie Pam!  Although the weather cooled off significantly, they brought sunshine!  We had a wonderful time relaxing at home, walking around the mall and to nearby parks, and even enjoying our first date post baby while they babysat! 

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Thanksgiving Day was spent with Roland and Daniel who drove up on Monday to be with us.  It was a dreary day outside, but there was a warm and sunny atmosphere inside as we all worked together in the kitchen to prepare our feast.  Camille was as darling as ever and just adored being with her Papa Roly and Daniel.  We have always had so much to be thankful for, and this year is no exception.  I think we all agreed that top on our list was a smiling little 12 lb. bundle of joy.

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Today is Camille's four month birthday!  Unfortunately, she had to visit the doctor today and get her next round of shots, never fun!  She took it like a champ, though!  We were all impressed, doctor included.  She weighs 12 lbs. 4 oz. and is 24 3/4 in. long.  The doctor told us that she is perfect (which, of course, we already knew) and is growing and meeting her milestones right on schedule.  She is a bubble-blowing, high-pitched squealing, giggling, razzing, scooting, smiling little angel!

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This week has been a tough week for both Mommy and Camille.  Mommy got sick on Tuesday and by Wednesday Camille had the same bug.  She had a fever of 103.7 at one point and was very mellow and moaning a lot.  Thursday she visited the Doctor who told us to change our travel plans as we were supposed to fly to see Tara's parents and brothers over the weekend.  We are now planning our trip for December and hoping our baby girl gets better soon.  She is still coughing and raspy, but slowly getting back to her old self.

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Sundays are football days around this house.  You can never train a child too early to vote for the right team, so Camille sits next to us in her 49er cheer outfit and cheers right along with us.  This past Sunday was a particularly exciting game, you can see she really enjoyed it!

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We had company again for Halloween this year.  One of Christian's high school classmates and her husband joined us for the evening.  They are due with a baby girl on February 1st.  We enjoyed some soup together, handed out candy to all the kids that came to our door, and took a walk around the neighborhood.  Camille had missed a nap earlier in the day and, unfortunately, didn't enjoy the walk very much and was put to bed shortly after we got back.  A big thanks to Auntie Susie and Papa Roly for the Halloween clothes!

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Just a few photos from this past week.  She's growing so fast and now fits into an outfit her Nana got her when she was just one week old!  Thanks, Nana!  Last week Grami Jami sent her a hat to keep her ears warm so of course we had to try it out!  It was VERY cold outside (45 degrees) so it was good timing.  She wasn't quite sure what she thought of it.  She kept trying to get it off, but when it wouldn't she finally gave in and enjoyed our walk.  Thanks for the hat, Grami!

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Every day is a new day!  Camille is smiling, gurgling, blowing bubbles, sucking on her fingers, rolling over, babbling, and sleeping longer at night!  She weighs 10 lbs. 7 oz. and is 24 inches long.  She loves to sing along with mommy and daddy and has made a new friend who she sees every time she looks in the mirror.  What a joy she is!

• Photos- Updated with NEW photos 10/24
  

This weekend Camille got to meet Uncle Kurt and his girlfriend, Trish.  It was worth the wait, she adored Uncle Kurt!  Although here only a short period of time, we hope he left filled with smiles and love from his newest niece.  See you in November!

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The day after Uncle Mike and Aunt Susie left we had more company at our house, Grami and Grandpa Gar-ball who stopped in on their way to the San Juan Islands in Washington.  It was so fun to have them visit for a few days.  We got to go shopping one day and bought Camille some new outfits since she is fast outgrowing all her newborn clothes!  She's actually starting to fit into 0-3.  We hope you'll visit again soon!

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This week is another busy one at our house and we couldn't be more excited!  It started on Sunday with the arrival of Uncle Mike and Aunt Susie.  They flew up and traveled around the Portland area before coming here.  We took a walk to the mall, watched some good football games, visited the Rose Garden and Japanese Tea Garden, and thoroughly enjoyed each others company.  Thanks for coming to see us!  Come again soon!

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Camille is such a happy baby and makes our hearts happy every day!  This week she spoiled us with one night of 6 1/2 hours of sleep!  We know it's possible, now if only it could be more consistent!

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Time passes by so quickly.  Camille is two months old!  She has reached 10 lbs. and is looking and feeling more like an infant than a newborn.  She smiles and coos so much, which we just adore!  She loves practicing standing, her legs are so strong and she holds her head up very well.  She also loves being sung to and will laugh and coo along with whomever is singing.  We hope you'll be able to view the movies, they are priceless!  She brings such joy to our lives every day.  We are so blessed! 

• Photos- Updated with NEW photos 9/23
  

We were so excited to be invited to go to the 49er game on Sunday with Dean and Candy Hadley.  Being that it was Camille's first, it was extra special.  Grami Jami gave her the most darling 49er cheerleader outfit, which she wore proudly.  She was too cute and she did great!  It was a hot, hot day in San Francisco but she tolerated it just fine.  She spent most of her time in the portable bassinet we carried with us.  It was perfect for shading her from the sun and allowing her to take a nap.  We had a great time and left feeling elated that the 49ers beat the Seahawks!

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Thursday we left Capitola and headed to Grami Jami's house in Galt.  On our way we had a quick stop in Woodside and Camille got to meet many of mommy's co-workers and students.  Camille was quite a trooper for all the riding in the car, she did great!  Being at Grami and Grandpa Gar-ball's house was so much fun.  Mommy and Camille decided to stay an extra week, which was very hard on Daddy, but he flew back on Friday and joined us for the weekend.  Camille enjoyed spending the week swinging, jogging (in the jogging stroller), playing in the grass, swimming in the pool and spending time with Grami and Grandpa.  On Sunday we got to join Grami, Grandpa and the Hadley's for Camille's very first football game- San Fransisco 49ers v. Seattle Seahawks.  It was an exciting game and even more so because the 49ers won!!

• Photos- Updated with NEW photos 9/23
  

Monday morning we continued our journey north to Capitola.  Camille did outstanding with the road trip.  We had a wonderful room at the Venetian hotel, right on the beach.  We spent our time relaxing, enjoying the sunshine, walking around the quaint little town and eating delicious food.  Wednesday night we celebrated Papa Roly's 60th birthday with dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Shadowbrook.  The time passed far too quickly, but we had a memorable trip and are all thankful for the time together.

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After Papa Roly's party we packed up and headed north to Camarillo to spend the night with Uncle Mike and Aunt Susie.  We were so happy to have the opportunity to introduce them, along with Grandma Gail, to Camille.  Cousins Zac, Bonnie and Derek were also there as well as Derek's daughter, Allie, who seemed quite smitten with Camille.  What fun to get to meet more of her family!

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Camille had her first plane ride from Portland to Long Beach.  She did very well the whole trip!  Mommy nursed her during take off and she slept the rest of the trip.  Papa Roly was so excited for us to be be there.  He greeted us at the airport and took us to his house.  We had a wonderful time there.  Saturday night Camille met her Holevas cousins and on Sunday she met many more of the Anderson relatives at Papa Roly's 60th birthday celebration.  She stole the show and loved every minute of it!

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We thought we'd share some videos we've taken this past week along with a couple new photos.  Camille continues to grow every single day.  She smiles at us so much and we love it!  She also has been having longer "wake" periods (although you wouldn't know it from the photos!).  She got weighed on Monday and at that time weighed 8 lbs 11 oz. and is 22 inches long!  We're excited for Camille to take her first plane ride on Saturday.  We're heading down to Huntington Beach to celebrate Papa Roly's 60th birthday!  Be sure to check back for more photos!  Also, we added more photos from when Tara's brothers visited that you won't want to miss!

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Alot has happened these past five weeks!  Camille has met most all her immediate family and those she hasn't she will get to meet soon!  She is a ray of sunshine in our lives and we just can't get enough!  She is holding her head up on her own, cooing, smiling, and practicing her scooting during "tummy time!"  She loves to be held, rocked, and sung to.  We hope you enjoy the photos, it was too hard to choose just a few!  A big "Thank You!" to Nana Russell and Great Auntie Susie for the adorable outfits used in our photo shoots.

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We've had such a wonderful time this past week!  Uncle Bret and Jessica arrived on Tuesday and had a few days with Camille all to themselves.  Uncle Chad and cousin Keira arrived Friday evening which has made for a very fun full house!  During their visit Camille has kept up her rigorous schedule of eating, looking around, then sleeping.  Keira seems to be quite smitten with her new little cousin and loves to hold her while sitting on the couch.  We're excited for Auntie Kelly to join us on Saturday and have the opportunity to finally meet Camille.

• Photos- Updated with NEW photos 9/2
  

We can't believe our baby girl is already a month old!  She is such a joy to us and we're so happy to be able to share her with you.  She is changing every day and we are enjoying every moment.

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Camille thoroughly enjoyed having Auntie Lindsey and Uncle Kirky here with us.  We had a wonderful time together with trips to the mall, the park for a barbeque, and the coast!  Camille was happy to give them both lots of opportunities to practice changing diapers while they were here.  We couldn't believe it was the first time for both of them but they are pros now!

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A big day today with a visit from Uncle Kirky and Auntie Lindsey.  We are so excited for them to be here and Camille has enjoyed the day snuggled up getting to know them.

• Photos- New Videos Added 8/16
  

Mommy and Daddy can't believe how fast time is passing already.  Camille is two weeks old and to celebrate, she had her two week check-up!  The Dr. said for her to keep gaining weight, so Mommy and Camille are doing what we can to make that happen! She continues to eat every 2.5-3 hours day and night. She loves to look around while awake and of course, we just can't take our eyes off of her. She makes the most adorable little sounds we've ever heard. All we want to do is hold her every second.

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Camille has been so lucky to be able to meet her all Grandparents. Grami Jami visited for just a few short days and then Grandpa and Nana Russell arrived. Shortly after their arrival we picked up Papa Roly. What a wonderful time and special memories to have them all here to meet our sweet Camille.

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We went to the doctor today for Camille's first check up.  She is gaining weight and heart and lungs are healthy.  I think the doctor said she is "perfect" which we already knew, of course! It continues to be very hot but Camille seems to really like that! She is eating well, pooping well, and appears to be very observent and curious about her new world. She's PERFECT!

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It has been so hot this week! One day it got to 110 degrees!! We've been camping out downstairs on the couch and sweet little Camille has been sleeping on the circle couch. The nights have been very short, waking every 2-3 hours!! Mommy is very tired, but so overwhelmed with love that she hardly notices. We've taken her on two excursions, one to Starbucks and the other to Costco. She did great! What an angel she is.

• Photos - Updated July 30, 2009
  

After spending 2.5 days in the hospital we were given the go-ahead to take our darling girl home. She wore the same dress that Tara wore home from the hospital when she was born. How special it was to introduce her to her new home. It was one of the hottest days of the year which made us laugh and tease that she probably felt like she was still in the womb! Grami Jami arrived just in time to be there to take her home and was able to take some wonderful "coming home" photos for us.

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Our baby girl has arrived!! We can't even begin to describe how overwhelmed we are with love for this precious little baby. After a 6 hour labor and 30 minute delivery Camille Scarlett Anderson was born July 23, 2009 at 10:49am weighing 7lbs 5oz and is 20.5 inches in length.  She is absolutely beautiful. She is healthy, we all are happy and so excited to begin this new chapter in our lives.

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Playing the waiting game!  Baby is due July 29th but we're wondering if he/she will make an early appearance.  Tara has spent lots of time preparing for Baby to be here and we are both so eager and excited!

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We were so lucky to have our sister-in-law, Lindsey, fly up and visit for a week.  She and Tara spent the week painting the baby's room, cooking, and shopping.  She has amazing talent and the baby's room is more adorable than we could have ever imagined!  It was a fun, productive week!

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Janet and Gary came up for a long weekend in June.  Tara took Janet with her for the last day of school and she was incredibly helpful in getting things packed up and cleared out!  We were able to visit Abby and Brandon and were excited to have Brandon come spend a couple nights with us and help with assembling the baby furniture.  We love having visitors!

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Stacy and I have been friends since college, and were actually college roommates.  She has been teaching in Taiwan and I haven't seen her nearly as much as I wish I could.  This summer I was so lucky to have her come for a visit while she was in the states.  We had a wonderful time together visiting her childhood home, walking around downtown Portland, and cooking delicious meals for Christian.  I hope we can do it again next year!

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A few belly shots!

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While we were in Loma Linda our family surprised us with a baby shower at Andy and Danielle's house.  What fun!  We had a wonderful afternoon and evening with our loving, generous family.

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For Memorial Day Weekend we flew to Southern California to celebrate our sister-in-laws graduation from Dental School.   We stayed with Kirk and Lindsey and had a wonderful time celebrating, relaxing and enjoying a yummy barbeque before heading back home.  Congratulations, Dr. Lindsey Anderson, D.D.S!

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For my actual birthday weekend came another surprise from my sweet hubby.  This time, a trip to St. Louis to see my family!  We left early Saturday morning and flew First Class to St. Louis.  My parents and little brother met us at the airport and we spent the rest of the afternoon, evening and following day enjoying each others company.  My older brother, Kurt, was able to join us for dinner along with family friends.  Mother's Day was spent shopping and dining and then the long trip home.  What a lucky girl I am!!

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What an incredible surprise!!  I knew he was up to something, but never would have been able to guess exactly what!  Christian began my 30th birthday celebration a little early this year with a surprise trip to San Francisco.  I flew down on Friday and was met by Janet at the airport.  We ate breakfast at Bay Watch Cafe in San Mateo and were joined by my dear friend, Andrea.  Next, we headed to Woodside Elementary to see my girls!  A surprise baby shower that afternoon was the perfect way to see wonderful friends and co-workers.  Finally a delicious dinner with more friends!  The following day was packed with activity as well!  It began with an early morning Fun Run followed by a parade, May Pole Dance, lunch and then on to San Fransico for another delcious dinner with friends later that evening.  The weekend ended way too quickly, but the memories will make me smile for years to come!

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It is wonderful to have a yard with space for a garden!  We were so excited to get started that we began a small greenhouse indoors in early March.  As soon as we had a non-rainy day we were outside preparing the square for planting.  We're hoping to have a summer filled with treats from the garden!

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It was wonderful to have Christian's dad, Roland, come up for a week long visit this April.  He took some time to go on a field trip with Tara's kindergarten class, he visited with some old friends and family that live in the area, and the there of us visit the Tulip Festival.  We're excited to have him come back in July/August to meet his new grandbaby!

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A special treat this weekend with a visit from our niece, Brandon.  She spent the night with us and the next day we got to see her perform several routines at her Taw Kwon Do meet.  We think she did outstanding!

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In February we took a break from the rain and went on a "Babymoon" to sunny Hawaii.  We spent the week in Waikiki on the beach.  It was a wonderful, relaxing week in the sunshine!

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We had been contemplating a pool table for the living room for quite some time and decided it was time to go ahead and get one.  It was quite the exciting event to watch as it was assembled and we were so eager to finally get to play!

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We kept our Christmas tree up a bit longer than usual this year which made our home very festive when we hosted Christian's mom and stepdad in mid-January.  While they were here we also got to see Abby and Brandon who came over for a visit as well.

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