Cannon goes swimming

Originally, we weren't going to take Cannon swimming this year because he's not old enough to wear sunscreen. But we changed our minds when we were invited to my cousin's little girl's birthday party. I got Cannon cute little swim trunks and a swim shirt that blocks the sun. Cannon enjoyed the water, but he didn't like the sun in his face. There wasn't a lot of shade in the pool and he didn't like wearing his hat, so his swim time was pretty short. However, I found it to be a refreshing way to get out of this 107 degree heat! We had a fun time at the party and out of six babies/toddlers, Cannon was the only boy.

p.s. I apologize for the busty pics of me. It's a bad angle and my swimsuit does need a little alteration.




His sunglasses are still too big for his peanut head.




This is my cousin Jared and Ella, the birthday girl. She just turned two.


Later that day, Ryan gave Cannon a bath in his parents' kitchen sink.


Blue just has to be a part of everything! I have caught her playing in this by herself. She likes to get the rings that hang down.


Laying in the sunshine is part of her morning routine.

2 months old

Cannon had his two month well check on Monday. Now that Ryan is home for the summer, he was able to go with us. Before the appointment we each took a guess at how much we think Cannon would weigh. Ryan guessed 11lbs 2oz and I guessed 12lbs. Well, I was right! Cannon is 12lbs even and he is 23.25 inches. He is 75th percentile for length and 50th-75th for weight. Since birth, he has gained 5.5 pounds! He is getting to be our big little boy. On the other hand, he has a peanut head, only in the 5th-10th percentile for that. I guess that's better than having an overly grown head.

Cannon's pedi was impressed with all the things he is doing: sleeping through the night, rolling over from tummy to back, holding his head and chest up when he is on his tummy, smiling and cooing, and tracking with his eyes. She checked his belly button (now I can call it a belly button instead of umbilical cord) and said it looked great and she didn't feel his hernia. We also got a prescription for his reflux (finally!) which he takes twice a day. But the sad thing about this visit was that he got lots of shots. He had to have five! I was nervous about how he would react. I cuddled him and held his hands, which was more sad because he was so happy and smiling. He wasn't phased by the first shot, but he screamed with the other. The nurse was extremely fast and she got it done in no time. Miraculously, he took the pacifier I brought him. The whole crying time lasted less than a minute. We were proud of him! The shots didn't seem to affect the rest of his day or night, but we'll see how today goes.

Cannon is a great baby and we are so happy he is in our family. We have a pretty good schedule going for him. He wakes up, eats, plays, and goes back to sleep. He has lots of favorite things. He loves to take a bath and LOVES water. He loves the way it sounds and he loves the way it feels. I am sad that he will miss swim season this year, but I can't wait to take him next year. Being the typical boy that he is, he loves to be naked. In the evenings when he is fussy, I take off his clothes and lay him on his back. This keeps him content for quite awhile. He loves his hands and feet to be rubbed. In the evenings when I get him in his pajamas, he gets a lotion rubdown. He smiles so big when I massage his feet and hands. Cannon LOVES music and just about any kind. This is Ryan and Cannon's favorite activity to do together. Ryan plays a variety of music for him, but I think Cannon's favorite band is the Beatles. He really likes the song Blackbird, it gets him every time. Cannon loves to be outside. Unfortunately, it's been so hot and sunny here that we can only go outside in the morning or after 8 pm. Sometimes we'll go out during the day with Blue, but we always stay in the shade. Cannon's favorite toy is the mirror above his changing table. He coos and smiles and kicks his feet. He gets so excited to look at it. Cannon loves to be cuddled and sung to. I just knew that he would be a cuddly baby and I love it!

Cannon is almost a perfect baby. He does have a temper when he is mad about something. The people at church witnessed this on Sunday when I walked the halls with him. He was so loud I had to take him outside. We have also noticed that sometimes he stays angry. This only happens during a fussy period (such as the evenings). He will get content with something and if his moment is ruined, he can never go back. For example, we were at Ryan's parents house one evening. Cannon had been fussy, so I stripped him down and layed him on their ottoman. He was so happy just laying there and kicking his legs. He had been there for at least ten minutes when Toni decided to hold him. The second she picked him up he screamed. So she layed him back down, but he wouldn't have it. His moment was ruined. There have been similar situations with Ryan and me. This is something he is going to have to overcome.


Here he is this morning, getting a little fussy before his morning nap. This is when I give him to Ryan and they play some music.


He had to voice his opinions, but wait...


Here comes the yawn!


Ahhhh, relaxation has arrived.

Father's Day and Cannon's blessing

We had a really nice Father's Day and it was even more special because we had Cannon blessed at church. What a great way for Ryan to spend his first Father's Day! Ryan gave a beautiful blessing and made everyone cry. Beverly was awesome and recorded it on her blackberry so I can transcribe it. Cannon was fast asleep during the whole thing. Ryan said that he was making his billy goat noises, but I didn't hear them. After church we had everyone for dinner at our house. Being the bad photographer that I am, I forgot to get a family picture. I did get some pics of Cannon in his blessing outfit, but they didn't turn out as well as I had hoped. He was a grump when I tried to take his picture, so time was limited.

Cannon also turned two months! In light of this he decided to roll over from his tummy to his back! Just to make sure he really knew how, I tried it again, and again. He did it three times. The first two times he went towards his right and the third time he rolled over towards his left side. I tried it this morning, but he didn't want to.












This is a picture of me on my blessing day. I am about two weeks older than Cannon in this picture.


Grandma and Grandpa Rees fell asleep on our couch after everyone left. They were both snoring.


This is a picture of Ryan and Cannon. I framed this picture and gave it to Ryan for Father's Day.

What can you buy for $100?

Apparently a lot, when you are frugal! I took out $100 cash from the ATM. Ryan and I have been living very frugal lately and we boast by how much we have been saving by using coupons and other tricks. Here's what I got:

-3 shirts and 1 skirt at Burlington Coat Factory (they're more than great coats!)
-1 mama makeover including haircut, highlights, and my makeup done (courtesy of the fine gals at Merle Norman on West Anderson Lane and Shoal Creek)
-1 chicken finger kids meal at Sonic (this was for me)
-dinner for two at TGI Fridays (including tip)
-1 blessing outfit for a cute baby boy (including shoes)
-2 Father's Day gifts (one for my dad and one for Ryan)
-1 birthday gift for my dad
-2 packs of cards

I got all that for less than $100! How, you say... Well, first of all I have to say that sacrifice brings blessing. We have been trying really hard to spend less and we have been blessed in ways that help us succeed. But here's the real break down:

-Burlington Coat Factory is my new favorite store. Besides the HUGE selection, their prices are great and they always have a ton of things on sale. The shoes for Cannon's blessing outfit were under $2.
-My mama makeover was a surprise. I had scheduled to have my hair cut (not highlighted) with Kathy at Ryan's mom's store (Merle Norman). When I got there she asked if I wanted to be one of her models to help promote her services. She said she would not charge me for the hair cut and highlights! I said great and that she could do whatever she wanted to with my hair. She took before and after pictures. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me, but I will get a copy of the pics and post them later. Dana, the aesthetician, wanted to do my makeup so she could practice. She did a smokey eye on me and even gave me false eyelashes (Kylene, you would love it!). Although it was free, I did leave Kathy a tip. It was very nice of them and so much fun for me! I love my new haircut! I can wear it curly by just letting it dry on its own. It's perfect for a new mom and perfect for the summer.
-After my mama makeover, Ryan and I went on a hot date. Well, it was just to TGI Fridays and we used our coupon for the buy one get one free entree. Apparently you can use it as many times as you want until it expires.
-For Cannon's blessing outfit, I made it. Let me back up before you get so excited. I am not a seamstress. I know the basics of sewing, but I can't follow a pattern. I usually just invent some way that makes sense to me. I couldn't find a cute blessing outfit for Cannon and I didn't want to spend beaucoup bucks on something he would only wear once, even if it is a special occasion. So I had an idea in my head. I used a short sleeved, white collared shirt that someone gave me and I sewed it together with the bottom half of a little girls white romper that I found at the Goodwill for $1. I cut the romper in half and took off the elastic around the leg holes. It's not perfect, but I think it turned out pretty well.
-For the gifts, I did pictures. I printed off some pictures at the photo store. The first time I went, I spend about $2. Later on in the day, I came up with another idea that required me to print out more pictures. I went back and the cost would have been about $3, but I had accumulated money on my expired membership card that covered the cost. Too bad I didn't realize that earlier in the day. Oh well. I framed the pictures in frames and photo mats I already had (I have tons of photo stuff, some of it never used). The other Father's Day gift for my dad is a stepping stone molding with Cannon's feet prints. I found this at Michael's on sale. I also found the cards at Michael's for $1 for each package. I used my 50% off coupon making it 50 cents.
-The kids meal at Sonic was full price, but I saved money and calories by not buying an adult meal.

So that's how I did it.


This was the day after I got my hair done (this was at the end of the day, so it's a little messy). I let my hair dry by itself, which is a miracle! I am not wearing any makeup, but if you look closely you can see the false eyelashes. I will post some good pictures soon.


This is the end result. Not bad for a crazy idea. I think Ryan was a bit concerned when I initially told him that I was going to make Cannon's blessing outfit.


Here's my cutie boy being cute.


Claudine gave us a lot of her baby stuff that they don't need anymore. Cannon is still a little small for this seat, but he'll be big enough soon.


He loves to look at the mirror thing I have above his changing table. It's his favorite toy to look at. He smiles and coos at the baby in the mirror (although I'm not actually sure he can see himself, maybe he just likes the colors and patterns).

Blue graduates!

On M0nday, Blue graduated from her beginner obedience class! She has learned a lot, but still has more to learn. We will probably enroll her in the intermediate course. We have learned that Blue is a very smart dog, has a lot of energy, and is VERY social!


Here is a family photo with the new graduate. Yes, she is wearing a graduation cap. Oh, Cannon has become interested in watching Blue.


Here is Blue with the rest of her class. Campbell is on the left and Tyson is on the right. I think she is really going to miss her friends! She really enjoyed playing with them and got so excited every time we drove to Petsmart. Blue was the youngest in her class and obviously the smallest, but she had the biggest personality! She would walk into the room thinking she owned the place.

Here are some other pictures of Blue sleeping. She is so odd sometimes.


Ryan had randomly placed Brownie (the over-sized stuffed dog) next to Blue's bed. Before long they were curled up next to each other. Sometimes I wonder if Blue thinks Brownie is a real dog. She used to bark at him, but now she drags him across the room and wrestles.


I was surprised she let me take her picture.




Of course she has to lay on top of the clean clothes.

Here are the pictures of Cannon's room that I promised I would post. Last night he slept in his real bed for the first time. It was a smooth transition and he didn't miss a beat! Although this morning, he spit up all over his sheets. Crib sheets are the worst to change!


Here is the view from the doorway.


This is the view from his closet.


And this is the view from in between his crib and changing table.

Good boy, bad girl

Cannon was a good boy last night. He ate around 9:15 pm and then went to bed and slept until 4:30 am, ate, and went back to sleep until 8:10 am! I had actually gone to bed at 10:30, so I got a good night's sleep too.

Blue, on the other hand, was a bad girl. I was on the computer this morning while Cannon was napping. Blue, I had thought, was napping too. I came out to find that she had chewed up two of Cannon's board books. They are made with the idea that babies will mouth them, not puppies!


That is a very guilt look!

Cannon is now 6 weeks old and getting big! Yesterday, I put away all his newborn clothes. His size 3 month clothes fit him perfect, which means he doesn't have much longer to wear them. I have also put him in 3-6 months clothes. I am surprised at what fits him. It looks so big on the hanger, but it ends up fitting him. Cannon is also more alert and awake more during the day. We have a pretty good routine going for us. He loves to looks at faces and will study the faces of new people. He is smiling more and is a little more interactive. We play patty-cake and he likes for me to stretch his arms high. Ryan blows raspberries on his belly and sometimes he will smile for that. I discovered today that he likes it when I kiss the corner of his mouth. He gave me big smiles for that! It's funny because that's where Ryan likes to be kissed (he says it tickles). Also today, Cannon stopped crying to look at a toy when I shook it. He was on his play mat when he started to fuss a little. I shook this lady bug toy that has beads in it and he immediately stopped crying and started to look at the toy. He followed it with his eyes and head when I moved it to the other side.

On Tuesday I had my 6 week postpartum check-up. Everything looks good and I only have 10 more pounds to lose until I get to my pre-pregnancy weight. I am not doing any official exercising, but I try to stay busy during the day and we try to go for walks. The other night we took a family walk. This was the first time I put Cannon in the stroller without the carseat. I laid the seat down, but he got mad. I think he thought I was trying to put him to sleep. Ryan carried him half way and then I put him back in the stroller, this time sitting up a bit (which he liked much more). He likes to look around and see everything.

Exciting times

So we have been pretty busy around here. Finally, after 1 month, 1 week, 1 day, and 23 hours, Cannon's umbilical cord officially fell off (all of it)! So this meant he got a bath and he loved it! The pictures are below. Actually, his first bath he took with me. I had just got out of the pool and I was all wet and he was fussy so I stuck him in with me. The pictures are of his second bath, which he took today. He was so relaxed that he could of been in there for an hour. Blue was the one who was upset. She kept looking into the bathtub and whimpering and looking at me. I guess she was concerned about Cannon's safety.

Last week, from Wednesday until Sunday, we baby-sat for our good friends while they took a trip to NY. They have four kids, ranging from 8th grade to 1st grade. Grand total: two boys, two girls, my newborn, one dog, and a partridge in a pear tree. We had a busy week getting the kids to all their after-school activities, but overall we had a fun time. Here's what are week looked like:


Ryan is definitely the most popular one!


Cannon and I enjoyed the sunshine. I also enjoyed the pool.


Our view from the house.


Okay, it was a cardinal, not a partridge.


Daisy

The girls were so excited to have Cannon sleep over and they loved to hold him! In fact, he was like their little doll. Here's what happens when you leave girls with a baby. I have to say that Cannon was a good sport about everything.


Yes, that is Cannon in a doll's bed.


Take note of the pink heart sticker on Cannon's left cheek.


Paige and Cannon.


At least he was enjoying himself!


We also played lots of games.

Here are some cute pictures of Cannon. The rest are posted on his website.


Cannon loves to look at his new toy.


Cannon and Daddy sticking their tongues out at each other. They also have the same hair-do.


Cannon is strong and can hold his head up really well. When you hold him in a sitting position on your lap, he can hold his back and his head completely upright and straight.


This picture is for my mom. She loves Cannon in his white pajamas. Unfortunately, this was the last time he wore them because he has outgrown them. :(

Okay, bath time pictures!


My boy's getting chubs!




Oh, blue!


Cannon's hair goes curly when you get it wet. I couldn't get it all in a picture, but you get the idea. I can't wait until is stays curly!