Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

First off, I had a birthday. And I turned 30. I've been dreading this birthday, not because I think 30 is so old, but I don't want to get to 40!

40. IS. ONLY. 10. YEARS. AWAY! That's crazy. I don't even have my act together yet! But 30 is the new 20, so that still gives me some time.

Secondly, we had a lovely Christmas. Ryan and I were so excited for Cannon. It turns out that Cannon is still a little too young to "get it." He really could have cared less about opening presents, but he did have fun playing with all the toys. Everything Cannon got has been a success and it's so nice to have a new variety of toys in the house. Next year he'll get it for sure!

We had Rick, Kristina, and their kids here for Christmas. And I actually had a couple days off from work to spend time with everyone. It was nice to just be with the fam. My mind has been so cluttered lately and I didn't even get one picture of Cannon with Cole and Lyla.


I'm not really a cake person (unless it's beyond quality), so Ryan got me a massive donut instead of cake.


And I have to say that I enjoyed every bite!


Giant bowling fun courtesy of Aunt Shae.


Cannon got this fantastically cute rocking horse from Ky and Jeff


Cannon opening his Woody doll


Cannon LOVED these Santa hats at my dad's house. He still likes to wear his hat around our house.


At my dad's we made sugar cookies and decorated them. For him, the best part of decorating cookies is just to eat them.

Tonight we are going to play games, drink sparkling cider, and eat junk food to celebrate the new year. And I think I'll indulge a bit in my very special lavender chocolate that Ryan got me for my birthday. Here's to a fulfilling 2011!

Holy Moley!

So I was dressing Cannon the other day and I tried to wipe the dirt off his arm. It didn't move. Oh, a scab? No. He got his first mole! And there is another one on his upper thigh. The funny thing is that I have a mole on my arm in the same place as Cannon. Genetics are weird. Speaking of genetics, Cannon is turning more and more into Ryan everyday (personality wise). Here's the proof:

shoe fetish-Ryan
doesn't want to take off the shirt he is wearing-Ryan (when he was a kid)
absolute love for teddy bears-Ryan
lover of asparagus-Ryan
favorite flavor is mint-Ryan
football enthusiast-Ryan
a fish out of water-Ryan

Are you seeing a pattern? Keep in mind that these are things we have not taught him. I'm sure there's more and will be more! I love my guys! I love seeing Cannon's personality unfold, whether it comes from me, Ryan, or the unknown.



Enjoying a chilly day at the dog park.

The Dentist, Thanksgiving, and Old School Jammin

Cannon and I went to the dentist the day before Thanksgiving. My cousin Eric is a dentist, so it's not a big deal. Although, it's kind of a big deal since I haven't been to the dentist in 11 years! I know! I have no excuses except for the fact that I am the biggest procrastinator ever! I wanted to take Cannon with me so that he gets used to going to the dentist. He happily accompanied me and hung out with the assistants while I had my x-rays. They gave him a toothbrush and a toy monkey which kept him occupied for quite a while. He sat on my stomach and watched as they cleaned my teeth. After 11 years, I have only to report a small cavity (my first, by the way) which hopefully can be brushed and flossed away. They will check it a year from now to see if it needs to be filled.

For Thanksgiving we went to my dad's house. He makes the BEST turkey and this year was no exception! He did a regular and a smoked turkey, which were both fantastic. We ended up getting a cold front in that afternoon and it got really chilly outside. I think the hallmark of the evening was roasting marshmallows in my dad's outside fireplace. I love smores and Cannon was able to enjoy that gooey goodness for the first time. He ate a few bites of one, but then he went and helped himself to the plain graham crackers and marshmallows. I don't think he cared for the chocolate.

Random Updates

I usually don't go this long without posting, but ever since I started working we've been really busy. So here's what we've been up to.

I love my job! All of the jobs I've ever had have prepared me for this one. You all know how much I love Cannon and being at home with him, but I love that my job fulfills other needs I have. I love that I get to use my skills and knowledge when I otherwise wouldn't be able to. I love that I am treated as a respected professional, as well as expert, and I am given a lot of autonomy with this job. There are a lot of changes going on at my work and they are looking to me for answers. In my previous work experiences I've always had to report to a supervisor and I was given much feedback on how to do my job better. With this job it's a little different. I do have a supervisor, but her background and education is different than mine and so she is not there to micromanage me. In fact, this is the first time they have ever had my position. Since it's a work in progress, I get to do things the way I want to (within some guidelines). There is so much work to be done. I didn't think they realized just how much help they needed and they definitely could have made this a full time position. And I would honestly love to be doing this full time, but I would desperately miss Cannon.

I'm still not fond of leaving Cannon. Sometimes our week gets so crazy and busy that I feel like I haven't given him the quality attention that he needs. He is such a sweetie and has been so flexible with everything. I've definitely had to prioritize my responsibilities so that I am not wasting time. I pretty much don't watch TV anymore, except a few shows that we TIVO and maybe an occasional movie. The house has also seen better days. I just want to make sure that I get some good playtime in with Cannon before we have to leave each day.

We've also all been sick. Ryan has a cold. I have a cold/sinus infection. Cannon got his second and third cold (of his whole life) within a month of each other. He had a cough that wouldn't go away and his asthma wasn't under control. Luckily we were able to get in to see his asthma doctor. She thought that he did have a cold, but it was a virus first that turned to bacterial. She gave him a prescription for an antibiotic and we'll follow up with her next month. Things seem to be improving with him, but he makes me nervous because that's how we ended up in the emergency room last spring.

Cannon has been just as crazy as ever with his personality. About a month ago he figured out how to open the front door! This was a daily occurrence, but it seems to have slipped his mind for the moment. However, he has also come to the realization that he's tall enough to reach things off the kitchen counter and other "high" places. So far, he's managed to get a butcher knife, a box of batteries, and open the little drawers to my jewelry box and pull out things. He's really good at opening almost any kind of lid, so we have to really keep an eye on him.

Cannon has also started talking more. He went through this language explosion thing for a few months where he was saying a new word almost everyday. I was keeping a list of the things he could say, but I stopped counting after 50. That has slowed down a little, but I've noticed that he's using his words more to communicate and not just saying random words. Some of my favorites are "help" and "up." My least favorite is, "NO, NO, NO, NO!" And yes, he always says it four times. I've been working with him on putting two words together, but he's not quite there yet. He's so close though! I did hear him say, "Mom. No." But I think it was two separate ideas. I love that his receptive communication is well established. He understands most things we tell him and I can explain things to him. This has helped to diffuse tantrums before they start.

It's a good thing Christmas is right around the corner because Cannon is in need of some new toys. He is starting to get into pretend play, which I love! He will roll his train and say, "Choo, choo!" He likes to play with guys and animals and will make flying sounds as he moves them through the air. And he likes to play with the fake food and play kitchen. Since he has been going to nursery he likes to color more than he used to. Unfortunately he likes to draw on himself, so we might have to invest in those color wonder markers. He also likes to play with legos, blocks, balls, and cars. Just your typical boy!

Superman and the Hot Dog

We had a pretty low key Halloween this year. Friday was trunk-or-treat at church. Saturday we went to a fall festival. Sunday we passed out candy to the trick-or-treaters.

Cannon got plenty of candy at the trunk-or-treat. And since he doesn't know what candy is, Ryan and I are currently enjoying the stash. He loves his costume and was so excited to wear it on Friday. He saw it on Saturday morning and insisted on wearing it. I'm glad he is getting good use out of it.


The hot dog, Superman, and the moldy pumpkin (apparently they don't last much longer than a few days in humid weather).

Scarred For Life?

This may be one of those times when you mess up your kid for the rest of his life.

A couple of weeks ago we went to our neighborhood Halloween festival, complete with a haunted trail. We figured that Cannon was too young to "get" all of the spookiness and we took him along. At first he was fine, just chillin' in his stroller. I could tell that he thought it was weird, but not scary. I took him out of his stroller to hold him so I could see his face and talk to him. That's when this guy jumps out and scares Cannon half to death! The rest of the time he was definitely freaked out! Afterward, we talked about the haunted trail and tried to add some humor. During family prayer at bedtime, we asked that he would have good dreams and good feelings. He slept peacefully and we thought nothing of it anymore. That is until now.

On Saturday he was creeped out by his jack-o-lantern! He wouldn't help me carve it, he didn't want to touch it, he even begged to go inside (if you know Cannon, then you know that all he wants to do is be outside). When it was all lit, he backed away from it.

I got an even worse reaction when I put on disguise glasses (you know, those glasses with the nose and mustache). When he turned around I was wearing them and I said, "Hello." He gave me a creeped out look and started to back away. I proceeded to explain that it was just mommy and then he FREAKED! He screamed and cried like I have never heard him! I took them off and he came to give me a hug. I wanted to show him that they are fake and when I reached out for them he freaked again. Ryan had to hold him and I put them back on and took them off several times so he knew it was just me. Then I got a mirror and let him look at himself when he put them on.

Then we went to play group on Wednesday and all the kids were in their Halloween costumes (Cannon included). The girls he didn't mind since most of them were princesses or fairies or something like that, but he was so afraid of the boys wearing masks!

I feel so bad that I traumatized him! Now I have so much work to undo what I did. Sorry Can Man.

Here he is trying to get away from the pumpkin.

18 Months and Counting

Last Thursday Cannon turned 18 months and I feel like we've turned a corner. We're in to new territory now and I am starting to see him slowly go from baby to boy. Sniff sniff. I miss my fat baby, but I love watching his personality emerge. He is a little person with his own ideas and agenda. I love it! He's a perfect fit for our family.

He had his well check today, which went well. He's basically a big guy. 34.25" tall (95th percentile) and 28lbs (75th percentile). This time he got to stand on the big adult scale, which he did willingly. I think it would have been a bigger fight to get him to sit on the infant scale.

Here are some other facts about Cannon:

-instinctively knows to laugh at gas
-thinks words like "pamphlet" and "product registration" are funny
-favorite hummus flavor: roasted red pepper
-turns his music on when he reads his books
-favorite shape: circle
-favorite color: purple
-favorite vegetable: zucchini
-gets his groove on to almost any music, but prefers classical or swing style
-when given the look, he will retrieve the object out of his mouth and bring it to you
-says more than 50 words

On Sunday he went to the nursery at church for the first time. The week before I took him to meet his teachers and see his classroom. His teacher's name is Gigi and he was saying "Gigi" all week. All week we talked about going to nursery on Sunday. And when the time came he went right to his teacher without a fuss! They said he played well, sat for the lesson, folded his arms for prayer, sang the songs, and ate his snack. I was so proud of him! I was expecting some sort of crying or hesitation from him, but I guess not! He did get a big bonk on his head when he collided with friend, but they said he only cried for a few minutes and then he went on his way. I hope the following weeks will go as smoothly!

I've Been Hired

Today was my first day at my new job. I'm happy about it. I'm not wild about leaving Cannon (even if it is just for a few hours each day), but this is the best thing for our family right now.

I've been looking for a job for awhile. I applied to so many different jobs (full and part time) and had a few interviews, but nothing felt right. I thought that I would probably look for something at a really nice child care center so I could take Cannon with me. I was offered a full time position at a nice center, but I turned it down. I just had a bad feeling. They even called me back to try to negotiate! I finally came across something that I knew would be a perfect fit. I applied, but didn't hear back from them for awhile. I prayed that I would at least get an interview. Well, I got the interview and I got the job! So what is it? I am a parent educator for a substance abuse facility for women. This means that I will be working 20 hours a week (generally Mon-Fri 4-8). This facility allows clients to bring up to two children (under the age of 6) to stay with them while they are receiving inpatient treatment. The kids attend a nearby child care center while the moms attend their classes and therapies. My job will be to help them learn how to be a parent including discipline, attachment, play, nutrition, sleep, and anything else they need help with. I will also train the evening and weekend staff on child development and such since they are lacking education in that department. I will also teach a parenting class once a week and do lots of other things too. There are a lot of changes going on at this facility and they said my position is a first of its kind and still a work in progress. It all sounds fun and challenging!

I spent a full day there today just training and going to meetings. I was amazed at how my mind was flooded with ideas to help the program! I am really excited to get to work! Kylene was so nice to watch Cannon for me today and I have to admit that I was so busy that I didn't think about him until after several hours had passed. Of course on the way home I couldn't wait to see him! I feel really lucky that I still get to spend most of the day with him, even though I will be giving up some family dinners and bedtime. I am excited about sharpening my professional skills and being able to help other families and children. I thought about my salary from this job compared to the one at the child care center. When you factor in that I would have had to pay a portion of Cannon's child care (50% discount for employees), I am still making more money working part time than if I would have taken the full time child care job. And I get to spend more time with Cannon. During work today I had a feeling that this is where I am supposed to be working. It's a peaceful feeling to know that you are doing the right thing.

Even though it's a little bit thrilling to leave this tantrumming toddler into the hands of another caring adult, I'm sure the novelty will wear off eventually. I am a little bit nervous about leaving him on a regular basis since I have never done that before, but I'm sure we'll get used to it. I am starting to get that sinking feeling inside, oh man I have to work tomorrow, but it's all psychological. That's just the lazy side of me coming out! I'll have to be more diligent in keeping up with my daily chores to make sure everything gets done. But mostly, Cannon and I will have lots of fun times together each morning.

Sweet Berry Farm

Last Saturday we took an hour trip out to Marble Falls to go to Sweet Berry Farm. It's a fabulous place and we had a great time, but the lesson we learned is do not go on the weekend! Everyone and their dog was there! Ryan and I aren't really crowd people, so the next time we go will be on a weekday for sure. The highlights of our little trip included pumpkin pie ice cream, petting the goats, picking flowers, and touring the endless exotic pumpkins and gourds. Cannon had fun doing his thing, just running around.

I was a little bummed because there were thousands of great photo opportunities and I only had my non-good camera with a low battery. The good news is that I finally ordered a battery for my good camera which should arrive today or tomorrow! So get ready for some awesome pictures soon!






So much fun picking flowers!


Our final selection included an apple gourd and a pumpkin.


Here's my bouquet arrangement.

Time to Say Goodbye

Last weekend our neighborhood pools closed for the winter. So sad. It was still hot on Saturday, so we went for one last swim. Cannon and I had gone swimming earlier that week and I was boasting to Ryan how Cannon would jump off the step, swim out, turn around, and swim back to the step all by himself. Since this effort took every bit of energy he had, he could only do it two or three times during our first five minutes of being in the water and he couldn't do it again during the rest of our swim time. I really wanted Ryan to witness this feat of strength and I really wanted to get it on video. Of course, with Ryan being present, Cannon acted like he had forgotten everything about swimming.

We have had such fun swimming this summer. I'm sad the pools are closed, but maybe we'll find an indoor pool to continue swimming. The other thing I really enjoyed this summer was getting to ride our bike to the pool. It made it so fun and easy. Cannon LOVES riding in his bike seat and luckily that is something we can keep doing all year round.


Despite the look on his face, he was really excited about going for a ride.

Blast From the Past

I remembered that I had some of Ryan's baby clothes in my cedar chest, so I pulled them out to see if they would fit Cannon yet. I'm glad I remembered, otherwise I would have missed out on this sweet opportunity.




Bell-bottom jumpsuit



I have also come to the conclusion the Cannon is looking more and more like Ryan everyday. Don't get me wrong, I think I am in the mix somewhere.


That curly fro, now where have I seen that before? Hmmm.





That's me at a year old. Cannon obviously has me beat in the hair and teeth department.


Just turned two here.

He's Growing Up!

And way too fast! Here's the proof:


He likes football games now!


Last year he didn't.


He has huge feet! Maddi's foot on the left (13 months old), Cannon's foot on the right (16 months old).


Not only has he learned to pick his own nose, he knows how to pick donkey noses as well.


And he gets to wear cool outfits like this.

The word on the street is "uh-oh," which suits him well since he's usually caught in an uh-oh kind of activity.

I never could imagine that he could get cuter everyday! Oh how I love this guy!

This..

...is what makes grocery shopping possible.



Yes, he is wearing cowboy boots. He's cool like that.

Shoe fetishes...

He is in love with ALL of his shoes, especially his cowboy boots.

Boating Fun!

On Saturday we packed up and headed to Lake Austin to go boating with my family. This was Cannon's first time on a boat and I think my dad was more excited than anyone! Cannon was his usual self, just chillin'. We rode the tube together and then we found a cove for swimming. Usually Lake Austin is a too cold for my style, but the water was perfect!


Cannon loved helping Grandpa drive the boat!

We had a great time and we all took long naps when we got home! Unfortunately, Cannon had a fever when he woke up. I took his temp and it was 104.5! Cannon slept in bed with me that night, but it turned out to be a pretty rough night. He still had a fever all day on Sunday and a little one when he woke up this morning and he has been refusing to eat. However, he did make an exception for a package of Rolaids this morning, to which I had to call Poison Control. Oh, the joys of being a parent!

Utah Trip

Cannon and I spent a week in Utah to see my family and friends. We had a great time and the weather was absolutely gorgeous! I left my good camera at home (I did find the cord to charge the battery, but I can't find the battery!), so I was stuck with the lame one. The pictures aren't my finest (even after photoshop), but I'll be positive a person and be grateful that I had a camera. I specifically picked that week, because my dear friend Kim would be visiting at the same time. She and her family live in Amarillo, but it's still eight hours from here. We have been dying to get the boys together, so this was our chance!

Cannon was happy and content wherever we went and hardly had any tantrums. He had so much fun playing with his cousin Kennedi and it was fun watching them!


It was nearly impossible to get a picture of them together, smiling at the same time!


On Wednesday, I went to Lagoon with one of my best friends, Stacey. It was her work Lagoon day and she had an extra ticket! My mom and Merci watched Cannon and I got to spend the day having fun and catching up with Stacey. I had such a fun time! Her worked served us dinner and had a raffle. I even won a $25 gift card to Sky Box restaurant! ~Actually, I took Merci out to dinner and it ended up being a $50 gift card!


We went to the zoo (which was Cannon's first time) with Merci and Kennedi. We met up with my Aunt Jill and her two little boys, Ben and Alex. I think our favorite part was the bird show. They trained the birds to fly right over the audience, just inches from your head!


Cannon enjoyed swimming at my mom's house, even though the water was freezing!


My Uncle Dave and Alex came over and Alex really wanted to swim. So he and Cannon swam together. Alex is so cute with little babies and he kept calling Cannon "Buddy."


We also swam at the rec center across the street from my mom's neighborhood. It has an indoor pool with a nice kid area. Kim and Clayton came along and I finally got to meet my blogging friend, Shirley, and her little boy Ryan. The boys were born about a month apart, Clay in February, Ryan in March, and Cannon in April. Seated left to right is Cannon, Clay, and Ryan. Aren't they cute?


On Sunday we went to a birthday party for Kim's nephew. Just to clarify, I am also friends with all of Kim's siblings too. We grew up together and they were like my second family. The party was fun and they had lots of kid things to do in the backyard.


We also visited my Mimi who is 87. This was my rocking chair when I was little and now it's just right for Cannon.


It's customary for me to do a photo shoot with Kennedi each time I see her. Although I didn't have my good camera, I still got a few cute pics.

Beach Bums!

Ryan came up with an awesome idea for a mini family vacation.

On Monday we drove to College Station. Ryan's aunt and uncle were out of town, so they let us have their house, complete with a pool.

On Tuesday we swam all day.

On Wednesday we drove to Houston to visit the aquarium downtown and then we drove to Galveston to go the the beach!

On Thursday we swam and Cannon got to play with Cole. Then we went home.

I couldn't believe it, but I left my camera at home! Kristina was nice enough to let me borrow her camera on Wednesday. I took a million pictures, but her are a few that capture our day.


Cannon LOVED petting the baby sting rays and would laugh every time they swam to his hand.


If you look closely, you can see a white tiger sleeping on the rock.


We rode the carousel, ferris wheel, and train.


This was Cannon's first trip to the beach!


He loved wearing his sunglasses, but he kept trying to take off mine!






He did not like the taste of salt water!


He loved the sand!




And he loved just walking around.











His new word, "Cheese!"



The water was crazy warm and the air was hot! We had such a fun day and a fun week!