Our baby is 1 year old already. Last week I wrote about my cake-baking fiasco for Cameron's first birthday and did not EVEN talk about her eating it.

I never once mentioned how ecstatic she was to FINALLY get insane amounts of sugar at her fingertips. She seemed pleasantly shocked to find mommy giving her permission and actually urging her to be messy and eat ALL the cake and icing she wanted.

And THAT she did. Once her little hand found the icing there was no stopping her. She was SHOVELING it in. Really! I have the video. Hand to cake, hand to mouth, hand to cake, hand to mouth.

It was one smooth motion that didn't even call for swallowing. At one point I got too close. I guess she thought I was going to take it from her and she put her hand up to ward me off. She touched the camera lens and the rest of the video has an icing smudge on it.

Well like ALL good things....they come to an end. Her sugary-sweet one-year old celebration was followed by her not-so sugary sweet "I am so hyped up I can't take my nap" tantrum.

And let me tell you: for CAMERON, that is a major deal. This child sleeps 12 and 13 hours at a time. I know what you're thinking: You lucky WOMAN. But seriously her sleeping is getting ridiculous. I know I shouldn't complain, especially if she is still sleeping that well when our new baby arrives because I'll need my rest, but I don't get enough time with her right now.

Unfortunately I'm a working mother, so we had to make the decision to put Cameron in daycare. That means during the week, I only get to see her before and after school (yes I STILL call it school.) Here lately we get home at 5:30 and she is asleep by 6 p.m., sleeping until I wake her at 6 a.m. the next morning. I miss her. We never get to play anymore. It is a struggle to get her to stay awake to even finish her supper and bath.

She's like one of those narcoleptic patients you see on The Learning Channel. Everywhere I sit her, she just falls over asleep. In her food, on her dad's lap, in mid air when throwing her up for a game of "upsy daisy".... You just can't keep this kid awake. Well, she had to get her shots last week and the doc says she is fine. Everything looks good, she's not suffering from narcolepsy, maybe just a growing spurt. He did mention her eating habits might change. That she may get pickier, and I remember thinking to myself, not Cameron. She eats any and EVERYthing. We're talking about a child who had crab legs at 10 months old. Sure enough, Dr. Walker was right. It was like she heard him, and just followed cue. This week she doesn't want her usual scrambled eggs for breakfast, so we tried oatmeal. Nope no good.! Bananas? NO! Nutri-grain bar? NO! Cereal? NO! Cake icing? ......just kidding.

But sure enough I found that she'd eat pear slices in heavy syrup. I guess since her birthday cake she has a taste for the sugary good stuff.

I know why they tell you to start kids on veggies before sweet foods if you ever want them to eat veggies.

It's because after they discover sweet stuff....It's all over. I had to hide her bite of eggs in WITH the pears with heavy syrup to get some protein in her. I know, I know, it's awful. I'm sure some of those organic, home grown, "Mommy & Me" parents are out there gasping in horror that I've destined Cameron for a life of obesity, but hey, it got food down her throat for the time. Gimme a break. Thursday morning she did better she ate oranges, raisins AND a few bites of eggs, but then got sent home from daycare with a fever, so we made a trip BACK to Dr. Walker.

He said her ears, throat and chest were clear. We're just giving her Tylenol for 24-48 hours till she feels better and thanking the Lord she wasn't sent home for biting, communicating threats or school vandalism cuz she was ill when we dropped her off.

On her behalf, she is cutting a new tooth. She is getting a new one on bottom, giving her a total of FOUR now.

Although I've gone to EVERY website available and talked to EVERY Doctor, Nurse and mommy I know I'm still unclear whether or not teething causes fever.

I guess it will forever remain a mystery like Area 51 in the desert or JFK's death conspiracies or why men can't stop and ask for directions....but THAT my friend.....is a WHOLE nother column.

Holly Lamm is classified advertising manager and lives in Elkin.