11 Month update

Cameron is almost 11 months old! I can't believe it. He has finally learned to crawl (in his own wierd way) and after a lengthy visit from the Early intervention specialists will be receiving services to learn how to crawl better, pull himself up and to get walking. I have had a concern about his shoulder for a while and now that EI is involved they will be able to give us some answers. In the gross motor category he is at about a 6-8 month level. In everything else he was right where he needed to be. I think part of this may go back to this winter when He was so sick and had such a hard time breathing we couldn't put him on his belly alot. No worries though, I'm sure he'll catch up in no time and be running around with brady!
The things cameron can do right now, clap his hands, uses the sign for more when he wants more food, we can give him whole foods now like chicken nuggets with out cutting them up and he takes nice small bits and eats great. He's pretty much off the bottle, he really prefers his cup. He says mama and dada and papa, loves blowing raspberry and playing with his toys. Through it all Cameron has remained a good sport about everything, but I think he is very frustrated that his body can't do what his mind is trying to tell it to do. I will have an ISFP meeting (individual family service plan) with the EI specialists and I will be coming to the table with my set of expectations and concerns. As a parent in the special education field this was a hard pill to swallow, but I just need to be happy that he will get the help he needs and know that I will follow through with whatever they would like us to do. I can't believe only onemore month and my baby will be 1!

My First Baseball game

Hi Everyone, It's me Brady! On sunday I got to go to the spinners game. I had lots of fun despite the hot temps. It was 91 degrees on the field. I got to go in the bounce house, ate a whole box of popcorn all by myself and had some icecream. Although we only stayed through the sixth inning (it was getting close to bedtime) I had a really fun Day!!! Thanks Dziadu and Dad for taking me to my first game!

Disney World, Here We Come!!!!

We've decided the time is coming to venture out on a vacation with the boys. Disney World is our destination, and we are planning to go in March. As it turns out, I will be attending a three-day conference for Sanborn, but we are going to stay six nights so that we'll have some family time. We'll also be traveling with another young administrator from the District, his wife, and their two children (ages 2 and 3).

Now that we have told Brady, he keeps asking us if it is time to go. It is going to be a long six months if he keeps that up!!!

"The Boys"

Just think.....in a few years, these 4 boys will be part of a great football team of DiPippos, Wicks, and Stacks. Here we have Brady Stack, Cameron Stack, Shaun Wicks, and David Wicks. Due up soon: Thomas DiPippo.

62-23-48 HUT!

Go Team!

Dave and Brian's Hawaiian Pig

Start with one 30-40 pound pig, cleaned. Fill the cavity of the pig with 10 whole onions and bread stuffing. Close cavity up by wrapping the pig in butcher twine. Inject a flavor marinade of honey, soy sauce, and pineapple juice into the meat. Cut about 30 slits into the skin and stuff with whole garlic gloves. Place the pig on a spit and put onto charcoal grill. Use heavy-duty aluminum foil to make a drip tray to catch the pig drippings during cooking.

The grill needs a hot fire, so start your fire with a 50 pound bag of charcoal. Plan on adding about ten pounds every hour. You may want to "preheat" the charcoal in a chimney starter before adding it to the hot fire to keep the temperature constant.

Every 10 minutes, mop the pig with a mixture of apple cider vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, and maple syrup. The pig is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 161 degrees. Allow the pig to rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Cameron can Crawl!

Cameron woke up Thursday with a brand new skill...the ability to crawl, and he practiced it all day by crawling all over the house. Here is a sneak peak of the action:

StoryLand!

Yesterday, we took Brady to StoryLand with the Wicks family. The boys (david and Brady, that is) had a blast, despite the rainy conditions. I'm in the process of making a video of our day. Once it is complete, I'll post it. For a more detailed description of our day, visit Pam's blog at www.legendofme.blogspot.com.

Fourth of July

As you can see fun was had by all on the fourth! As you can tell Brady isn't fond of having his picture taken so we don't get many of him these days, ah the life of a two year old. We had lots of fun, the weather was pretty nice, we were able to saty out on the deck most of the day, the kids played the adults chatted and we finished off the day by watching Pop goes the fourth on TV seeing as the kids had to go to be and we couldn't go see live fireworks!

9 month stats and no more baby food!

Here are som pictures of Cameron enjoying his watermelon. This child has pretty much sworn off baby food. I think this is definately early than when Brady gave it up. We are working hard on getting him to crawl. I have resorted to putting cheerios or goldfish on the floor and with a lot of work he eventually gets to it. At his last Dr. appointment Last Friday he was 20 lbs puttin ghim in the 40% and 30 inches long putting him in the 90%. Believe it or not he is following Brady. he's a pound or two heavier but just about the same percentiles. I think he's starting to level off. It's just his cheeks that make him look bigger. But who can resist those cheeks, I mean honestly!!!

update on Pappa

As you can probably tell from the picture this was taken on the fourth of July! As most of you know my dad had quadruple bypass memorial day weekend it has been about 7 weeks and he is doing Fabulously!!!! He's doing his cardiac rehab 3 times a week and is now driving again. He has come so far from where he was 7 weeks ago when I saw him on life support after his surgery. It's weird to say, but I feel like my dad is changed man for having gone through this, he is smiling whole heartedly again, he's laughing at the little things and really taking the time to enjoy his family. I think we have ALL changed for the better having gone through this. We are stronger as a family and as individuals, so dad although this was not a fun experience for you, we have all gotten something out of it, so I guess all I can say is Thank you! Thank you for being the strong person that has shown us what true courage really is! We love you and will continue to pray for your speedy recovery!

Lets Start Walking, Cameron!

At his nine-month check-up, Cameron's doctor was a little concerned that he has not started crawling, pulling himself up, or walking yet. The doctor recommended that we get early intervention services into the house to work with Cam. This has prompted Erica to kick up her work with Cameron to help him get back on track. She is convinced that we'll see results really soon. Here's a video clip of Cameron's first walking session with Erica...and a reminder of Brady's walking sessions at the same time two years ago.

Lazy Summer Days

We've finally had some decent weather...not too hot, not too cold...but perfect for hanging out by the pool.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy fourth of July, everyone! The Stack family spent the day by having a cookout for friends and family. Camon was, well, being Cameron, and Brady helped Dada fix the front door by replacing a door handle.

Nine Month Update, by Cameron Stack

Well, I've now spent as much time in the outside world as I did in Mommy's belly. I can't believe how old I'm getting. Here are some of the milestones I've reached so far:

Food: I have now moved almost completely to solid foods, although Mommy still tries to sneak some fo that baby food in when she can. I love eating crackers, Cheerios, goldfish, watermelon, and anything else I can get my hands on. I'm still learning how to use a cup liek Brady uses.

Locomotion: No, I'm not crawling yet, but I'm pretty close. I can sit up, in fact I love sitting on the floor and playing with my toys.

Other: This weekend, Mama and Dada finally put my carrier away for good. Now I get to sit in a big-boy car seat. When we went to Lowe's this afternoon, I got to ride in the blue race car right next to Brady. We each had a steering wheel, and it was lots of fun!

Everyday I'm learning more and more. I can't wait to start walking so I can play with Brady all day long!

Brady the Ringbearer....Take 2!

Brady can now say he has been in TWO weddings... both times as a ringbearer. Yesterday, my cousin Cassandra was married to her high school sweetheart Scott. What a day for a wedding, the weather was perfect! The ceremony was at All Saints in Haverhill (the same church Erica and I were married at) and the reception was at Brookstone Park in Derry. The night was capped off by a 30 minute fireworks display....what a way to end a wedding.

Brady did AWESOME as a ringbearer. Erica and I were so worried that he wouldn't walk down the aisle, but as always, he never disappoints us.

Congratulations to Scott and Cassandra!!!

He can swim!

Brady LOVES his new "wet suit". He's a natural swimming in the water this summer!

Three Summers in the Pool

It is really hard to believe, but this is Brady's third summer in the pool. I thought I'd post a picture from 2006, 2007, and 2008. Interestingly, there doesn't seem to be too many differences in the past two years.

The weather is 90+ and it should stay this way most of the week. I guess summer is officially here!

What's It Gonna Be?

My brother Jason and his wife Christina are expecting (if you didn't know). They are due sometime in late October...I think.

Anyways, they had their first ultrasound today. I'm happy to annouce I will again be an uncle, but I still don't have a nephew.

Yep, they are having a girl. Congratulations Jay and Christina!

Now....the next stop is guessing their name...hmmm......

Brady's Famous Pancakes

Brady says his pancakes are easy to make. Here's what he said you need to do:

Combine 1 egg, 2 cups pancake mix, 1 1/4 cups milk, and some vanilla extract in a bowl. Spoon mixture over a hot, buttered griddle and cook until bubbling. Flip and cook the other side 30 seconds more.

Stack them high and cover them in maple syrup for a yummy meal, anytime!

Cameron Vision

Daddy's OCD

You know it is Springtime because Dada's OCD has returned. His OCD comes out in two major ways:

1. He is obsessed with having a crystal clear pool. We opened it this weekend and Dada has been working tirelessly to get it cleaned and ready for the summer season.

2. Dada is VERY obsessed with his lawn. Do you see the picture of me standing between the criss-cross lines from the tractor? Dada and I cut it twice a week, and he is always putting down fertilizer and watering it. He says he has to make it look good now because by August, everything will be brown and dead. Oh, I hope I don't turn out like him!

That's all for now!

-Brady

Prayers Needed

On Thursday morning my father went in for a heart cathaterization due to an irregular stress test, about a half hour into his test I got a call from my mother telling me that my father was going to be transfered to Catholic Medical Center as he needed a quadruple bipass. Needless to say I was in shock! Brian and I went up to the hospital after he got home from work and from the hospital my sister and I stayed at our mother's house so we could be with her to go to the hospital in the morning. We went to the hospital for 9:00 saw my father and they took him into surgery at 11:30. Then the waiting began. We were told to go to the family waiting room in ICU because that is where he would be comming out. We had brought things to keep us occupied, carsd, word searches, magazines, snacks. We took walks, went to the chaple and said prayers. We tried our best to keep things light for all of sake. None of us wanted to broach the subject that he wouldn't make it through the surgery. We reassured our mom that no matter what happened we would always be here for her. At about 4:30 a nurse came out and called the Clarke family, our stomach's dropped, surely he couldn't be done already, it had only been four hours, we had been told this surgery could take up to 8 hours! The nurse saw the nevousness in our eyes and quickly told us he was done and doing great! We would be able to see him in about an hour. We waited and went into ICU when they called us. The image of my father laying in that hospital bed with tubes comming out of every part of his body and a tube going down his throat keeping him breathing will forever be burned into my memory. He was covered in blankets, even his head, all we could really see was his nose. I had all I could do to keep my composure, I almost felt as though I was looking into his casket. I quickly brought myself back to reality and tried to stay strong for my mom and sister. I went over to my dad, held his hand and told him he did great. I told him he had come through the surgery in record time we were told and he only needed a triple instead of a quadruple. My mom and sister both said a few words and we shed many tears, The hardest part was leaving him with that image in our heads. They told us he wouldn't wake up until the next morning. The next morning my mom and I went up first thing in the morning. The breathing tube was out and he was doing better. Although a few oxygen concerns kept him in the ICU for an extra day he was finally moved to the CCU and is doing so well. We're hoping he'll be off the oxygen tomorow and coming home on Wednesday. I can't tell him how proud of him I am, He has taken all of this in stride. Many men may sit and play the why me game,but not my dad! He's looking at this as a new lease on life! He can get himself healthy so he can see all of his grandchildren graduate from college and get married and see their children, and one day be called great pappa!!!! We're cheering for you Pappa, you are forever our hero and we're your biggest fans!!!!!

New Pictures of Cameron

A couple weeks ago, Erica and I took Brady and Cameron to get some new pictures. As you can see, the two-year-old is noticeably absent from ALL of the pictures. Why, you ask? He thought when we got to the studio that he was at the doctor's office, and he wasn't going to sit on the table without a fair amount of kicking and screaming. We all know he doesn't exactly have a good history with doctors. So, we cut our losses and got some nice pictures of Cameron instead. At least the trip wasn't a complete waste!

Solid Food...Its About Time!!!

Cameron has gotten the chance to experience some "real" food this past week. It all started last Sunday with my blueberry pancakes. This week, Cameron got his first taste of Sal's Pizza crust. Brady used to love it, and Cam does too.

We know this is an important milestone for us, because once Brady started eating this food, he was less and less interested in baby food. We fully expect Cameron to be the same way.

Great job Cam!!!

I Love Smiling, Smiling is my Favorite!

Hi guys, its me, Cameron! Mama and Dada think I am sleeping up in my crib, but little do they know, I snuck a laptop upstairs and I have now decided to blog.

Do you see me in my go-around toy? I love walking around the table playing with all of the toys. I can get some good "air" in my jumperoo too. Sometimes Brady comes over to play with me. Sometimes I think it is funny to scare him by yelling in his face when he isn't expecting it. He usually runs away. Hahaha!

Today, Mama and Dada took Brady and I to KidsFest in downtown Haverhill. Brady and I sat in our stroller together. Brady likes to sit in the back, which means I get the front seat to look out at all the people. We had pizza, we walked through Candyland, and we saw lots of cool things.

This week I have FINALLY gotten the chance to eat good food just like evryone else. For breakfast this morning, I had some of Dada's famous blackberry pancakes. They were great!

Tomorrow, I think I might teach myself how to walk. Just kidding!

So long for now!

Cameron

Getting to be big boys!

The other day I was looking in Brady's baby book and saw that we had started giving him a sippy cup and cheerios by about 7 months. So I pulled out a sippy cup and put water in it and gave it Cameron. He immediately took both handles and started using it as a cup. He hasn't quite gotten the hang of sucking the water out, but he knew what to do with it. This is the same child who refuses to hold his own bottle. when I bring his hands up to hold his bottle he lets the bottle fall out of his mouth, maybe I need to get a bottle that has two handles like the cup. Do they even make anything like that. He also Loves the freedom of being able to 'run around' in his go around table!








Our other Big boy is certainly holding his own. We go outside whenever we can and we are proud to say that at 2 and 1/2 Brady has mastered the rock wall! He's such an athletic kid. We hope this will mean college scholarships, because with the price of gas we just may have to pick our favorite child and that's the one that will be allowed to go to college! (Just kidding)

No More Crib!

Today, dada turned my crib into a big-boy bed because I was playing on top of the railing after my nap. So now, I can climb in and out of my bed when ever I want. Mama and Dada explained to me that I need to stay in my bed when it is time to go to sleep. The ball is now in my court to show them that I can do it.

I'll let you know how it is going on a future post. Bye for now!

Brady

Update by Dad the next morning: Brady was a little confused by the lack of a crib, and at one point, made one attempt to leave the bed and open his door. He was quickly ushered back to his bed and told he needed to go to sleep, which he did. Eat your heart out SuperNany!!!

A Tale of Two Different Kids

Brady couldn't give up his pacifier (aka binky) until just a few months ago. When he was a baby, he just couldn't calm down without it. Other parents always used to tell us that their child never really used a binky, and we just couldn't figure out what we did wrong.

Now we know....it was nothing. Cameron never really took to a binky, ever. We've finally decided to get rid of all of his since he doesn't use them, so our house is officially binky-free. Perhaps this is a case for nature over nurture?