3 Feet Tall!

Cannon turned 2 on Thursday and we've been partying ever since! Here's a recap of all the events.

Thursday

Since it was Cannon's actual birthday day and all, I wanted to have a fun day with him. So we went to the zoo. Cannon went to the zoo last August in Salt Lake, but this was his first time at the Austin Zoo. For those of you who are not familiar with the Austin Zoo, it's not fancy - at all. It's very "Austin." It's small and laid back. Actually, all the animals that are there are rescue animals, so that kind of makes it special. Personally, I like it for little kids. It's not super expensive and you can see all the animals and do all the things in a couple of hours or less.

There are tons of peacocks and rooster that roam around, along with a pet cat. Cannon was very interested in the peacock until it made a very loud coo, or caw, or whatever sound they make. It really startled him and then he got really scared when it approached us (flashback of the geese at the park). So off we went to see the rest of the animals. He really had a great time and loved watching all the animals. His favorites were the monkeys, tigers (one was swimming), tortoises, sheep, goats, and birds. After we rode the train we wanted to eat lunch. Silly me, I forgot to bring the delicious and healthy lunch I had packed for us. So, we had to settle for a cherry snow cone and a corn dog.

Cannon cried when we left the zoo, but I promised him we would return another day. His top two favorite parts of the zoo were feeding the animals and riding the train.



He LOVED feeding the goats, sheep, and llamas! The goat liked the food so much that he tried to climb over the fence!







He didn't even have a tantrum when we had to get off the train.

I had to work that evening, which I was really bummed about. I didn't dare ask for another day off when I have had two days off each week for the past three weeks. I took Cannon to Ryan's school in the afternoon and then they went and had a birthday dinner at Chiles. Cannon enjoyed his favorite, macaroni and cheese, or "pasta and cheese" as he calls it.

Friday

Cannon had his well-check in the morning. He is 31lbs and exactly 36 inches! He is 90th percentile for height and has a normal weight for his height. Other than that, there is really nothing else to report. Developmentally, he is doing everything he should be doing. He did have to get one shot, which he was very sad about. He was crying in my lap and I told him we were all done and that we were going home. From his cry, he said, "Home," and then started laughing. So I guess it wasn't that tragic.

As a little plug for myself, I'll mention that Cannon's pediatrician asked me if he was still rear-facing and you all know what I said. She was happy that I knew about the new guidelines about keeping your kids rear-facing until at least age two (not one) and she told me to keep him rear-facing as long as possible. It made me feel good that our little doctor's office is getting the word out there!

In case you are wondering, here's what a very tall two-year-old looks like rear-facing.



Saturday

Today we had Cannon's birthday party at my dad's house. My dad has the best backyard for parties. There is plenty of room for running and playing and it's all shaded. The party was pretty low-key. We ate food and let the kids run around outside. Cannon got lots of fun gifts. Lots of Thomas the Train items (he's a little bit obsessed), golf clubs, puppets, and a trampoline. Yes, a trampoline! It's a kid one with a net all the way around. My dad and cousin set it up so the kids could play in it. I think it's really cool and I know we'll get a lot of good use out of it!



I made a train cake (cupcakes) to go with the train theme. I'll let you be impressed, but believe me, it was pretty simple to make.





My dad wanted Cannon to open the trampoline at the beginning of the party so that they could set it up for the kids.





For about a week, Cannon has been singing Happy Birthday. At the end of the song he always pretends to blow out the candles. So finally his moment arrived! He was so excited to finally get to blow out his candles!



We ate our cupcakes.



And opened presents. He enjoyed opening the gifts until...



...he opened this card from my sister Shae. It was a Shrek card that plays music when you open it. And that pretty much ended everything. That card trumped it all until it got wet in the fountain and it fell apart.



Luckily when we got home he was able to open his package from my mom, which included a musical card that sings Happy Birthday. So perfect!



And he got to wear his new pajamas from Nana!

There are many things I love about Cannon. Here's glance into his life and personality right now:

• I can really see the Italian in him coming through - his favorite food is pasta.
• I love that he is starting to talk in little sentences.
• I love that his "blankie" makes everything better.
• He still loves music and requests that Ryan and/or I sing to him before bed.
• He loves to read, but is very selective of the books he chooses.
• He makes adorable face when he really wants something (it's really hard to resist!).
• He requests tickles, which means he wants his feet to be rubbed.
• His play is becoming more complex and imaginative.
• As much as we try to stick to his schedule, I love that he can be flexible when need be.
• He recognizes pictures of Jesus and from the scriptures.
• He likes to pray and is starting to say his own prayers too.
• He is starting to learn colors (blue, orange, green, pink).
• He can count to three and will name random numbers up to 10.
• He requests agave with his pancakes.
• All breads are referred to as "toast."
• I can't keep him away from water, unless it's time to take a bath!

Bummer Week

So I think my bummer week started on Sunday with Cannon's croup, which has lasted all week. I think his grumpiness has subsided and he's getting back to his regular adorableness.

It was also sad to leave Kim behind on Monday, because it might be a really long time before we see each other again.

When we got back home on Monday, I got a call from my sister Shae letting me know that my Aunt Susan had passed away. My Aunt Susan had Huntington's Disease and was getting to be in her final stages. So although it wasn't a complete shock, it's still a little sad. My paternal grandfather and another aunt also passed away from this disease, plus several of my dad's cousins/aunts.

Then on Friday my little niece Jade had to stay overnight in the hospital. She's been vomiting and having terrible stomach aches. The doctors haven't completely diagnosed her, but they have a few things in mind.

And finally, I have a cold now. Or maybe it's allergies. I honestly don't know, but I feel yucky and I have fog head. I hate fog head. I get bugged when my mind isn't clear. I've never had allergies before (I know what they all say, when you move to Austin you get them). I don't really want to admit that I have allergies because somehow I feel special knowing that I have lived here 10 years and I have been able to defeat them. I'm going to be special and say that I have a cold. And I'm sure I got it from Cannon, or the airplane, or work.

But there was some good stuff this week too. We got a bunch of really nice free stuff (toys galore, winter clothes for Cannon, books, furniture and more) from this house (it's a long story); Cannon and I went swimming (outside) today; Ryan cleaned and organized the house and did the laundry all by himself; our cars our fixed and we had the money to do so; Ryan bought me some more chocolate to add to my chocolate drawer; and as of today, Ryan has lost a total of 40lbs!

And it's pictures like these that make me smile!


Typical Cannon, making the computer his business and enjoying a hat.


Yes, this is how he fell asleep.

Trip to Amarillo

Thursday of last week Cannon and I flew to Amarillo (courtesy of Kim). It was so fun to get away and not have to go to work. It was great to spend time with Kim and her family. I think we've only seen each other twice in the last five years, so this was a special treat!

We mostly just hung out and spent time with our boys, which was exactly perfect for me!



Cannon was great on both flights. Each time, we had to stop in Dallas, but we didn't have to change planes. On the way back, I let Cannon get out of his car seat and walk around in our row. As he watched all the people leave he waved and said, "bye" to each person. It was so cute and I could see how he brought a little bit of happiness to each person.


Kim surprised us with matching Thomas pajamas for the boys. They were so excited to wear them. Cannon and I surprised them with matching trains for the boys.


One day we went to see this train. It's not a working train, but maybe one that was used in a parade. The boys had fun climbing around in it.






Later that day we went to the park to feed the ducks. When we ran out of bread Clay decided to feed the ducks his mom's camera!


Kim was able to retrieve it out of the pond. Unfortunately, the camera did not survive. However, the memory card did.


I decided to cut Cannon's hair on Sunday night. Here he is sporting the "baby poncho!"


Also, on Sunday night Cannon woke up a couple hours after going to bed with a bad asthma attack and a barking cough. He was pretty freaked out from not being able to breathe. I gave him his emergency inhaler and it helped to open his lungs. Erik is in nursing school, so he was able to listen to Cannon's lungs with his stethoscope. He also gave Cannon a priesthood blessing before we headed to the urgent care. The doctor diagnosed Cannon with croup (no surprise there) and he gave him a steroid shot. Cannon was upset with the shot, but immediately felt better when the nurse offered him a sucker. After almost a week, Cannon is finally on the mend. But he still sounds like he has a cold.

Our little trip was so fun and it was relaxing for me. Thanks Kim for your very generous hospitality. Thank you Clay for letting us take over your room, crib, and toys. And thank you Erik for keeping watchful eye on my little sickie.

$36.29...

...is how much it costs to replace two Thomas the Train library books. Thanks Cannon.

Brilliant Idea..NOT!

So my not so brilliant idea was to put Cannon in a toddler bed. He's been acting up during bedtimes and nap time, so I thought why not make it worse! Actually, I've been thinking about it for awhile. Ryan and I decided that this would be the weekend. Our original idea was to convert his crib to a toddler bed, because I thought it would be an easier transition. The guard rail is in our storage unit, but Ryan couldn't find it. However, we could find the toddler bed that belonged to Rob and Bev's kids. They had two and they gave one to me and one to Kristina. I could tell that we got Jade's because it had a couple of pink stickers on it. We also thought that we would just put Cannon's crib in the guest room so that Lyla or Ally could use when they are here. Of course when we were getting the bed from the storage unit, we found the guard rail to the crib. But since I had already moved the crib to the guest room, we decided to stick with plan B. We got it all cleaned up and put together and ready for Cannon. We had talked about the new bed and he jumped on it and played on it. When it came time for nap, he wouldn't have anything to do with it. I ended up rocking him to sleep, which was a rare treat for me, and then placing him in his bed. He only slept 1 hour and 15 minutes, but I wasn't too bothered by it. So then tonight we tried to get him pumped about his new bed. I recorded him jumping and playing on his bed (he loves watching videos of himself, so I thought it would help). But when it came down to it, he refused to go in his bed! I laid down with him for awhile and let him cry for a few minutes. Ryan gave up some of his March Madness to go be with him right now.

Just for my own sanity, here are the reasons why I wanted to do this:

1. To foster his independence and power with sleep times
2. He can climb out of his crib, although he doesn't do it very often
3. Do this now when he can't open doors (technically he can open doors, but he hasn't mastered it yet)
4. Do this now when there aren't any other changes in his life going on
5. Hopefully this will help him learn to sleep in a bed, so we won't have to take a pack-n-play on trips

This is one of those mom moments where you're not sure if you're doing the right thing or the right thing for the right reasons. I have a few more tricks up my sleeve, so I'm not ready to call it quits yet!

Last picture of the crib:



New bed:


By-the-way, he doesn't like sleeping with a pillow.

San Antonio

Today we took a little day trip to San Antonio. We first stopped at Sears to pick up Cannon's pictures, but they weren't ready yet. Then we went to Toni's Merle Norman store. Kylene did my eyebrows and makeup. Cannon ate lunch there and then we left during his nap time so he would sleep in the car.

When we got to San Antonio our first stop was Lulu's Cafe so we could finally taste that three-pound cinnamon roll! And here it is:


It was pretty tasty too.

Then we went to visit the San Antonio Temple. We didn't go for a session, but rather we wanted Cannon to have a temple experience. So we just let him walk around outside while I took pictures. We pointed out the Angel Moroni and now that's all he wants to talk about! Moroni, Moroni, Moroni!







Afterward, we went across the street to the bookstore. They had an Angel Moroni kids toy, so we had to get it for Cannon. Apparently it wasn't as good as the real thing. The whole ride home he kept saying, "More Moroni. More Moroni. Moroni again," with each request louder than the first. Finally he resorted to saying please. Hopefully the pictures we took will appease him until next time.



On the way home we stopped at Mamacita's in San Marcos. They have the BEST tortillas which are made fresh in their tortilleria. Cannon enjoyed watching the tortillas come out of the little machine.

We had a great time and it was a nice way to spend the day together as a family.

I Want to Remember This

I updated Cannon's baby book the other day and I realized that I don't want to forget these little moments and the funny things that Cannon does each day.

One of my favorite things he does is his prayer face. Any time we tell him it's time for prayer he does his version of closing his eyes and folding his arms:


Hilarious! I don't know why he has to open his mouth too, but we chuckle each time.

Awhile ago I bought Cannon a potty seat and a potty chair in hopes of planting the seed of "potty learning." I know he is nowhere near ready to actually be potty trained, but I thought this would be a comfortable way to ease into things. He tells me when he has gone potty in his diaper and he used to sit on the potty, but now he refuses. I got a Mister Rogers potty book at a garage sale and it's one of his favorite books right now. It's actually a pretty good book, but Cannon wants to read it over and over and over again. He still won't sit on the potty, but he has figured out other ways for his seat to be useful:


Ta-da!

A couple of months ago Cannon got really interested in animals, particularly farm animals. I had intentions of taking him to the zoo, but the weather or time always got in the way. For Christmas we had given him a little barn set with animals, which at the time, he wasn't very interested in. One night he just started playing with it. He made the animals do things, he was talking to them, and putting them where he wanted them to go. It was really fun to see him take his play to the next level. So for a couple months we read about farm animals and talked about them. The other day we went to Half Price Books and on the way there I told him to think about what kind of book he wanted to get (I kinda just said that not really expecting any result). Well, we looked at the kid books and I showed him some that I thought he would like, but he wasn't really interested. Then all of a sudden he kept saying choo choo book. I thought maybe he saw one, but I didn't see any. I looked through the books and found a Thomas and Friends board book and it was love at first sight! So now it's all about trains. He loves that book so much he wants to sleep with it. I did let him watch a Thomas and Friend show. It's only 18 minutes long and he only gets to watch it once a day. He get SO excited to watch it every morning after breakfast. And the other day we went to Zilker Park to ride the train, but you've heard that story.

Cannon has also been interested in who is a boy and who is a girl. Today he pointed to Ryan and said, "Daddy is boy." I guess that was his first sentence! He always points to himself and says boy and he points to me and says girl. But he still gets confused if I ask him, "Cannon, are you a boy or a girl?"

Last weekend we had Cole and Lyla here while their parents were in Florida. This was the first time Kristina has left them overnight, but they did pretty well. Cole was super easy. He did really well and didn't get upset or have any tantrums. Lyla did pretty well too, but she was teething and I think she really missed her momma by the last day. I'm mad at myself because I didn't get any pictures when they were here! I did try, but my battery was dead. Cole and Cannon got along pretty well. They loved playing together and getting in trouble together. At times, however, Cannon did get jealous and protective of his toys, which came out in the form of hitting. But he did getting better at waiting for his turn with things. He usually got jealous when I was holding Lyla, but he had some nice moments too. It was like one big party with all three kids, but we had a fun time together.