Camille Turns 11!

About a month ago, Camille turned 11!  Here are some great things about Camille:

1.  She's alive!  When she was born, we didn't know if she would be able to stay here with us.  She weighed just 1 lb. 5 oz. and was more than 16 weeks early.  But she received priesthood blessings and good medical care and we are so happy Heavenly Father let us keep her here.

2.  She has a great imagination.  When Camille has friends come over, she loves to play imagination games with them, including dress up.  I love the costumes she puts together.  Her older brothers and sisters don't dress up any more except for Halloween, so I love that she still likes to do it.

3.  She loves to give hugs.  If you visit our house, you will get at least one hug from Camille.

4.  She works hard at school.  School is a little challenging for her, probably because of her early birth.  But she continues to diligently work.  She's in a regular class and has a teacher who likes to give lots of assignments.  She has a hard time finishing everything at school so she brings it home and it's hard for me not to do it for her.

5.  She's getting good at drinking lots of water.  We found that the secret is for Camille to read a book while she slurps up her water with a straw.  Transplant patients are supposed to drink a lot so Camille's goal is 9 cups a day.  Yesterday I bought some silicone straws which she can't flatten as she drinks so her drinking has been a little faster.

6.   Camille is cheerful most of the time.  Every morning she comes down to the kitchen to drink her water before she gets ready for the day.  She greets me with a hug and sleepy but cheerful.

7.  She has learned to ride a bike!  Camille's gross motor skills have been delayed her whole life because of her early birth so this was definitely a challenge for her.  Plus, she finds it pretty scary.  But we have persisted and now she can ride her bike most places around our neighborhood.  She's still not at the point where she chooses it over her scooter, but she'll do it.  I am really grateful that she has been able to reach this milestone which will help her become more independent.  For example, recently after her piano lesson at Grandma's house, she stayed to play with her cousins and then rode her bike home the one-third mile by herself. 

8.  She's thoughtful and kind.  She asks us about our day.  She is also thoughtful in her prayers and can be kind in other ways.

Holding her new niece right after she was born.

With her niece, 5 years later.

9.  She likes to read, especially comic books and graphic novels.  I have boxed up all the comic books so she will read harder books that will improve her reading level which is a little low right now.

In the playhouse that the Make A Wish organization gave her.

10.  She loves sweets, especially chocolate!  She will do amazing things for a few chocolate chips.  Even when she wasn't eating anything else and relied completely on her feeding tube before her transplant, we could get her to eat grasshopper cookies and whipped cream.

We're so thankful and glad that Camille is in our family!