I have lots to say about Cannon these days, so lets begin.
First off, he has been returned to his crib after two months of sleeping in a toddler bed. Parent mistake #743. We moved him too soon. He did fine for the first month and then it really went down hill. He started taking short naps or refusing to nap. He started going to bed really late, waking up early, and coming into our bedroom multiple times a night. I tried all of my tricks, really tried them and nothing was working. That's when we realized he really needed to be in a crib still. He was so excited when we put it back! He was rolling in his crib like a happy puppy dog. I am happy so say that his naps are back to normal and bedtime is a breeze! I didn't realize how much stress it was causing me, but when we got his crib back in his room it was light a huge load was lifted off my shoulders. Also, since he is getting more sleep, his tantrums, non-compliance, and defiance have all significantly decreased. He has been so much more pleasant and manageable. So that's that and we won't make that mistake again!
Cannon recently had a follow-up visit with his asthma doctor. At our last visit she had talked about weaning him off his inhalers this summer, but since he got croup again I knew that would be a no go. We did do skin testing again to see if he is allergic to anything. Last time he didn't cry at all, but this time he did. My friend is a child life specialist at this clinic, so she was in the room with me to help support him. She brought bubbles, books, and other toys. I also put a movie on my phone for him to watch. I held him in my lap and he was upset, but as soon as they were finished he was fine. No lasting stress or trauma. Surprisingly the results showed that he is allergic to Mesquite trees. And that would explain why he got croup two years in a row at the same time of year since Mesquite trees are a spring allergen. So the new plan is next spring he will be on a nasal spray in hopes that it won't spread to his respiratory system and if that works, we might be able to wean him next summer.
Two weeks ago we started Kindermusik. Kristina has been taking Cole for awhile now and he really enjoys it. I found one near our house and signed up Cannon for a free class. He loved it, so I signed him up for the four week session and the teacher ended up taking $10 off the price. It comes with a music CD and we listen to it in the car. He is starting to sing along to the songs and do the actions. He really loves music, so I think he will get a lot out of this class. Last Friday I took him to a free Little Gym class. He really loved that class too and I think all the equipment challenged him physically, which is a very good thing. Those classes were pretty pricey, so I didn't sign him up. Cannon is so active and I really want to find a gymnastics class for him, but one that doesn't cost as much.
I recently discovered that he can count to 10, except sometimes he forgets nine. This isn't something we have been working on, so it surprised me. But I think he learned it from one of his kids music CD's we listen to in the car sometimes. He loves to sing along to his favorite songs, Apples and Bananas, She'll be Comin' Round the Mountain, Sunbeam, Bringing Home my Baby Bumblebee (just to name a few). At night when he goes to bed he requests a song from me and Ryan. The other night I asked him what song he wanted and he said, "Teach Me to Walk." This is one of the songs in our repertoire, but I didn't think we've sung it enough for him to remember it. I guess I was wrong! It's amazing what they are in tune to and remember at this age.
On Saturday we had a scary moment when Cannon decided to brush his teeth with Ryan's razor! We were SO lucky that he did not cut his mouth! It all happened so quickly and right in front of us. Once again, his guardian angels were watching out for him.
Some of the foods that appeal, or don't appeal, to Cannon really surprise me. For instance, he was happily eating some beets when Ryan tried to give him jello. He refused the jello and preferred the beets! About a week or so later, we offered him jello again. He took one bite and spit it out! We have continued to offer him jello several more times and he really doesn't like it! We really don't eat jello that often and I'm not trying to make him like it (believe me, I love that he prefers beets), it just seems funny to me. I think he likes the taste, but the texture weirds him out. He will eat very tiny bites of it though. He also likes pico de gallo. I LOVE pico and I offered him some one day when we were eating quesadillas for lunch. He dipped his tortilla in it and said, "Mmmm." Then he took the spoon and ate three large bites of it! I guess that counts as a vegetable.
Trains are still the name of the game. Big, little, any kind. He knows lots of names from the Thomas characters too. He's funny with them too. I heard him playing with his Thomas and he made him get the spoon (they are magnetic) and then he said, "Thomas got the spoon! Oh, Thomas. Silly Thomas." He puts his trains to bed too and tells them to go "Nuh-night."
Cannon is a total class clown and he loves to make people laugh! When he's old enough, I think he be a little bit of a smart-aleck. He is already starting now, like the other day when I asked him what he wanted to eat for lunch and his reply was, "Food." He is also very sweet. Lately he has been into giving us lots of kisses. Often when I am holding him, he will kiss my shoulder very softly. He makes my heart melt! The other night we got Chinese food for dinner and Cannon's fortune from his cookie said, "You are a charmer." And that's exactly what he is!
Here are a couple pictures of my water baby. We have been playing outside in the sprinklers a lot lately, but he does get to go swimming with Bev and her kids a lot.
Here's a glimpse of his "charming" personality right now.
