2009 Best.Year.Ever

2009 has been a joyous and blessed year. Despite anything else that may have occurred this calendar year, the birth of Matthew Garrett Campbell on September 18th was the happiest and most significant event all year long.
Now it is time to look forward to 2010 and all the new and exciting adventures that year will bring.
Matthew will not likely be "rockin" in anything New Year's Eve except for a recliner (sorry Dick Clark).

Both Matthew and his parents will probably be sound asleep and miss the ball drop in Times Square at midnight. But based on his current schedule, Matthew may be awake to see the stroke of midnight in Los Angeles (3 a.m. Eastern). He might not be able to enjoy the black eyed peas and collard greens directly, but milk, formula, rice cereal and juice might bring just as much good luck.

Happy New Year!

Christmas in Dixie

Lights on the Lake in Delta

Matthew had a wonderful Christmas!

He made his first trip to Alabama and liked it so much that he stayed for four days. He also got to see a lot of people he's seen before like Cowboy, Mama Dot and Uncle James. As well as a lot of people for the first time on both Big Mama and Big Daddy's side of the family.

Matthew was always the center of attention.

And he was by far the recipient of the most gifts.

He liked playing with Big Daddy

Sleeping with Big Mama

Cousin Campbell Ann holding Matthew

And he even got to play with some cousins.
He also met a lot of Great Uncles, Aunts, and a house full of Cousins from both the Brimer and Campbell Families.
Matthew's mother and father also took part in an Alabama tradition of exercising their second amendment rights. Unfortunately, the second amendment to the constitution does not guarantee the right to be accurate with the arms you bear. It seemed like Mark and Big Daddy expended more than two shotgun shells for every clay target they broke. Big Daddy stated he would rather hit golf balls into the pasture than shoot clays because with golf balls, he "didn't miss as much". Danielle on the other hand was pretty good with a short gun; and even when she missed the center mass of a target she struck a location that would have caused some serious regrets by a potential attacker. Matthew easily slept through all the gun-fire. Unfortunately it was too cold to fish, but otherwise a good time was had by all.
Matthew is learning new tricks every day. This week he will get to spend a lot of time with his Aunt Devin!
Something both parties will certainly enjoy.

Nestled

All snug in their beds

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads

Life

of the Party!
Matthew was definitely a hit at Saturday evening's little Christmas.

Oh Boy!

Bouncing on his Granddaddy Charles' knee

Look at all the wrapping paper

Time for a power nap

Posing for pictures in his Pajamas

Over the river

And through the woods, to Grandmother's house we go...

Thankfully via a car, not a sleigh

Matthew is on his way to Grandma's for what is affectionately know as "little christmas".

Also, today Matthew is 3 MONTHS OLD!
Three-month-old Matthew, a.k.a Mr. Wiggles, does not like hold still for pictures; so the pictures his parents have taken lately have been very blurry. He also seems to be able to anticipate a camera flash and puts his hands in front of his face (this is just another way to say he's gifted).
It is simply amazing how much Matthew has grown and changed in the past three months. The number of clothes he has outgrown is only matched by the number of clothes he has grown into. Maybe his family members will be able to either distract him or hold him down this weekend so that there will be some good pictures of the little boy to share......
As over the ground we go.

Hat

It's getting colder in Watkinsville. As a result, the need for Matthew to have his head covered to keep him warm, has increased. The thick, footy pajamas that serve as Matthew's clothing 90% of the time actually do a pretty good job of keeping him warm. Additionally, Matthew continues to increase his caloric intake as he prepares for winter. However, if it were up to Mark, Matthew would wear a hat every day. (This is probably due to the fact that Mark would prefer to wear a hat himself every day.)
Saturday was especially cold, and Matthew wasn't wearing a hat; so Mark let him borrow one.

Do you like my hat?

Countdown to Christmas

Matthew has been sick this week, but it appears that he is getting better and is showing a lot of signs of being his normal, happy self. Matthew is very blessed to have a Big Mama and Grandma that are willing to drop everything and come look after their sick grandson so that his parents did not have to miss too much work.
Now that this week is winding down, it's time for the Countdown to Christmas!
It's less than two weeks until Christmas morning. Matthew has been wearing festive outfits for quite some time already. He is also very interested in the pretty glowing tree in the corner of the living room, although he is not quite able to rearrange the ornaments yet.
Matthew's parents are also probably more excited about Christmas this year than they have been since their own childhood. Singing Christmas songs, watching Christmas shows, and the sense of anticipation is increasing every day. The impending deluge of Christmas gifts for Matthew from the aforementioned grandmothers will also be part of Matthew's first Christmas. It is impossible to be a Scrooge, when you've got a Tiny Tim living in your house.

Caption Contest

Matthew has been feeling under the weather lately. He has been sniffling, sneezing, coughing, and aching...but he can't take that kind of night time medicine. Earlier this week had to take an over the counter medicine that appears to work grape great for its intended purpose. The medicine is purple and has only one minor side effect.

Since there are too many possibilities to caption this photo, please choose from the list below or leave a suggestion in the comments section.

Yay, Kool Aid!

Violet, you're turning violet!

I triple-dog dare you!

I'm not cold, why do you ask?
and finally; Barney, the purple dinosaur, was delicious.

Santa and Will

Matthew had a very busy Sunday and had a lot of pictures taken. The pictures of Matthew and the fat man in the red suit were not available at the time of this posting. But Mr. Kringle was not the only person Matthew got to see.

Matthew got to visit with his friend Will Lawson. Will is 13 months older than Matthew and provides a great preview to Matthew's parents of what to expect in the future. As the picture above shows, Will is definitely the go-to-guy for when Matthew learns to say "Cheese!"

Matthew and stuffed Santa

Also learned this weekend, when you are not yet able to walk, the likelihood of having things written on the bottom of your socks increases dramatically.

Christmas Decorations

Matthew got a visit from his Big Mama and Big Daddy this weekend. They really came to Watkinsville just to see Matthew and spend time with him, but also worked under the ruse of helping his parents put up Christmas decorations. Now Matthew has a very pretty decorated Christmas tree and lots of lights and wreaths up on the outside of the house.

Matthew smiling at his funny Big Daddy

Matthew could not decide who to root for in the SEC championship game, so he decided to pull for sleep. It is only halftime, but sleep is winning by two touchdowns.
Matthew's daddy also told him that the Georgia Bulldogs were playing the South Carolina Gamecocks in the ACC championship game tonight, but even though Georgia and Carolina won last weekend, he is suspicious of that statement.

The lights are up, the weather is cold, and the fireplace is roaring. So far, Matthew's favorite Christmas song is Rudolf the red-nosed Reindeer.

Everybody is looking forward to Matthew's first Christmas!

Black Tuesday

Matthew's mother went back to work for the first time yesterday. It was a very emotional day.
Evidently Matthew stuck with his typical routine of eating and sleeping and behaved himself for Ms. Vicki.
The family is continuing to adjust to the new schedule.

Before day care

After day care

Matthew also had a good time at Papa and Grandma's over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Matthew with his cousins on the Whittle side.

There were considerable wardrobe adjustments including hits like the John Deere boots seen above

And questionable warm hat attire.

Matthew also got to meet his Aunt Georgia and cousin Drayton (Ariel and Savannah not pictured).
There is a rumor that Matthew will also get to meet a fat man with a white beard this weekend. Stay tuned.

Recruitin'

Matthew was contacted this week by the University of Georgia Athletic Association.
They need his help, and they need it today. The busiest shopping day of the year.
The Athletic Association's employee Christmas list will most likely be shorter this year, so they don't need Matthew's help shopping for presents. They need his help scouting talent.
The holiday shopping season affords the opportunity to review a large group of people in a unique setting. Reports seem to indicate that this economy coupled with the deep holiday discounts will result in the type of agressive attitude that is highly valued on the football field. The Dawgs needs help at every position. But as Matthew makes his way through the malls and shopping centers of Eastern Georgia and Western Carolina he has been tasked with looking for talent to fulfill specific roles. Again, instructions are that talent is the key, and the age or gender of the prospective football players is not an issue.
Defensive tackle prospects are most likely to be found in the appliance section. Heavy lifting demonstrates both the lower and upper body strength necessary for the position. Additionally, anyone with a rear end more narrow than a nearby 42" LCD TV would not have the body type that could stop the run or pressure the quarterback in the SEC.
Safety is another position Matthew will be looking for while he is out and about. The key to this recruit would be an ability to keep the action in front of them and not allowing their rival patrons behind them. Also must be able to execute the procurement of items and not let go under pressure.
Finally, quarterback. Decision making is the number one priority. Matthew will not even bother to scout players in the sections with high-end items. A willingness to give away money will translate in a willingness to give away the football. Matthew must find a prospect that is able to read the retail employees and react to exploit their weakness. They might have to employ various tactics, depending on the sale situation.

There are some who might read this post with a skeptical eye. After all, Matthew has only been alive for 10 weeks of the current football season. But he has seen all he needs to, and is more than happy to help his daddy's alma mater. His parents have no doubt that he will do a great job, certainly better than some of those currently being paid to evaluate talent. Besides as his family will gladly tell you, He's Gifted!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It is Thanksgiving week and Matthew is looking forward to one thing....

No, not that...

Or that.
He is looking forward to spending time with the Whittle and Dunaway family!
Although the addition of the rice cereal to his diet has taught Matthew how to gobble, he doesn't yet know anything about turkeys. Matthew also doesn't realize that he has two turkeys in training.

Next year they might look more like this.

The Campbell family has certainly been blessed. This year they have so much to be Thankful for!
Happy Thanksgiving Everybody.

Final 2009 Home Game

The Georgia Bulldogs are playing the Kentucky Wildcats this weekend.
The game is late, hopefully Matthew can stay awake to watch.

The view from last week's night game.

Please consider the remainder of this post a Choose Your Own Adventure Edition.
If Georgia wins the game Saturday, head upstairs and look at Matthew's picture below.

Woof, Woof, Woof!

If Georgia loses a close, heart-breaker, turn back to the living room and look at the next picture.

Awww, Better Luck next time Guys!

If Georgia happens to lose in a blow-out,
storm outside and let the neighbors hear you follow Matthew's lead in the final picture.

What are you doing!

Regardless of what happens, Go Dawgs!

Two Months!

Matthew Garrett Campbell is two months old today!

He went to the doctor for his check-up.
Matthew is now 23 inches long and just a couple of gumdrops under 11 lbs; he weighs 10 pounds, 12.5 ounces. He is a growing little boy.

The doctor said that he can also start to have some cereal in his bottle at night. He did not specify whether Fruit Loops or Frosted Flakes would be best.  Undoubtedly, Matthew will enjoy either.

People in the know say that the cereal should help him sleep longer too.

What dreams may come

Fun Stuff

Matthew's weekend was filled with lots of excitement.
Big Mama and Big Daddy came to visit and watch Matthew during the aforementioned Georgia game. Big Daddy was so excited to see Matthew that while traveling north on the Georgia country roads, he may have broken the speed limit for the first time in 30 years. Also, the grandparents came bearing the first Christmas presents long before anyone has even had a chance to talk to Santa.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Mark and Danielle got a chance to see a lot of their friends before the game this weekend. Herty Field was hoppin'.

 The above picture was not taken during a home football game.

Matthew's parents also had the opportunity to watch the football game in better seats than they are accustomed to (thanks Lawson's). However, the game was so exciting the seats were not utilized very much due to the standing and shouting. Despite spotting the Tigers 14 early points, the Bulldogs were able to escape with a close, hard-fought win.

Escaping

The Auburn fans back in Watkinsville were in a much better mood post-game than expected. Evidently, nothing eases the pain of a loss by your favorite football team quite like time with a grandson. Matthew spent the day showing off his new tricks like smiling and cooing.
During a photo session at Miss Heather's Sunday afternoon, Matthew was not interested in smiling. There he was showing off his pouting and crying skills. He was much more cooperative for the previous photo-op with Heather when he was still in utero. Based on the previous pictures, Matthew will undoubtedly look fantastic in the pictures that were taken. As soon as pictures from that session are available they will be posted here.

Guys Night

Thursday evening Matthew's mama had a opportunity to spend an evening out of the house with her friends. That left Matthew at home with his father.
Thankfully, Robert Lewis, whose wife was out with Danielle, brought by pizza from Depalma's and a Guy's Night was in full effect.

After a few short hours listening to Man Stories, Matthew's life was improved. His knowledge base about important things like hunting, guns, money, travel, etc. was drastically expanded.

There was no girly talk, or any estrogen influence what-so-ever; with the exception of  the bottle of breast milk around 7 p.m. (estrogen is not all bad).
As a by-product of an evening with the guys, Matthew's appetite has increased as well.
This is in addition to a little bit of football Thursday night, with a full weekend of football ahead.
Now that Matthew is 8 weeks old, he should probably have this type of evening more often.

Busted

Despite the fact that he sleeps frequently, Matthew does not like to sleep. The more alert and aware he becomes, the more he fights the siren song of slumber. Some might speculate that he is afraid he is going to miss something, others might say he is just being stubborn; either of these hypotheses could be explained by genetics.
Actually accomplishing the task of getting Matthew to sleep is a job with immediate rewards, silence, relaxation, and relief. There are times when his parents do too good of a job at soothing, and actually fall asleep themselves before Matthew does. Unfortunately, that is quickly remedied by Matthew through either physical movement or vocalization.....
Imagine that it is 3 a.m. and Matthew will be hungry in about 2 hours. He is held close with a subtle bounce and the aptly named pacifier in his mouth. Matthew's breathing has become relaxed and regular. His eyelids have finally closed and his limbs are no longer tense. Then, just as you lay him down, his eyes spring open like search lights on a prison yard during an escape.

The freedom that sleep provides is doomed.
You've been busted.
It's going to be a long night.

Family Feud

It is Georgia - Auburn game week!

The football game between the Bulldogs and the Tigers is Saturday night in Athens. Big Mama already came up last Saturday to watch Matthew so that Danielle could attend her first Georgia game of the year.

This Saturday, Matthew will be outnumbered at home as Big Mama, Big Daddy, and Cousin Campbell Ann (all Auburn fans) will be with Matthew; while Mark, Danielle, and Haley go to the stadium where the Georgia fans will have the crowd advantage.

Hopefully everybody has a great time! The Dawgs look to get after Auburn and keep the War Eagle shouts to a minimum. At the end of the day, Georgia fans like Matthew hope to be barking instead of crying.

GO DAWGS!