mommy moments:: just one second

These days we have had our share of bumps and bruises.  It seems our little man is becoming more and more of trouble seeking toddler.  Everytime we turn around he his knocking over a water dish, getting into garbage, or climbing up the stairs.  We can't keep up with him! 

We do our best.  We childproofed.  We set up gates, plugged outlets, and got rid of the big hazards.  What they don't tell you?  Kids need constant supervision---even in an empty padded room.  I swear Kannon finds trouble anywhere! 

So lately, our days are never complete without a cry, bang, or bump.  I am not as quick as I used to be and with Dale working all the time I seem to be catching Kannon when he falls.  All it takes is one second.  One quick second, when I should have been behind him or holding his hand or moving something out of the way.  But I wasn't.  I looked away.  I was preoccupied.  I simply wasn't there. 

And it only takes one second. 

Kannon fell down the stairs on Saturday. 

Kannon pulled a 450 degree oven door open trying to hang on the handle on Sunday.

He fell of the bed this morning, stuck his fingers in the VCR at noon, and was climbing our stepladder by 1.  This kid never stops.  We sound like horrible parents!!! 

But the truth is, we do our best, we are teaching our son, telling him no, and he is learning from his own mistakes.  Since falling down the stairs, he has now learned to back down them instead of going face first.  He avoids the oven now and cries when we say no.  It is all a learning process (for all of us!) and no matter what we do, how perfect we are, there will always be bumps and bruises. 

And when my little man falls, I am always their to catch him with comfort, love, and lots of kisses.

mommy moments:: always use a diaper!

Kannon has a habit of waking up with a wet diaper that smells like a locker room.  Dale sometimes gags during diaper changes because the sweaty acidic urine smell is too much at 7 am.  Kannon ate zuchinni and turkey sausage last night and apparently that combination created a fowl aroma that none of us could tolerate.

So off with the diaper.  We decided to give the man some fresh air.

20 minutes had passed and Dale and I both forgot that Kannon was crawling around diaperless on our friends floor.  Then, we heard it.  The grunting, the red face, the stillness.  Kannon was pooping.  Before Dale and I had time to realize what was going on and slap a diaper on, Kannon pooped on the floor.

Sorry Hanna and Ian.  We cleaned it up and you would never know, but today, Kannon pooped on your floor.  Oops.

Mommy Moment #3

I meant for the "Mommy Moment" post to happen more frequently and offer a little a humor into our sometimes chaotic life.  Truth is, every moment is a mommy moment.  Some are a funnier than others (like when I fling poop across the room), others are sentimental, and others are just plain full of frustration.  These moments happen all day, every day and rarely do I have time to sit down and document. 

Today, however, is a real mommy moment.  Today, Kannon is 7 months old.  For the first time since Kannon was born, I looked at him not as a newborn, but as the little man is starting to become. 

Our day was easy.  We slept in, made pancakes, and laid on the living room floor.  We played outside and took a nap.  Kannon laughed, picked up blocks, and tried to crawl.  He was in charge, he made all the decision--like going for the red block instead of the blue.  He flirts, giggles, and knows how to get attention.  Kannon is a charmer. 

7 months ago, Kannon was just being born.  He was perfect, peaceful, content, and my heart grew bigger than ever.  He is still perfect and peaceful, but he is so much fun now!  I am not going to lie, I loved him as an infant and can't wait to share those days again with bean#2 but this age is so amazing!  Everyday is full of learning and everyday my heart grows bigger and bigger at the awesomeness that is motherhood. 

No poop in this mommy moment, just straight up love.  Happy 7 months.

Daddy Logic

Kannon has been sick the past few days--nothing really serious, just a mild cold, cough, and stuffy nose. Nonetheless, it has kept us waking up on the hour, every hour, to comfort Kannon while he experience his "first cold".

It is hell. My heart breaks at every cough and I am struggling every moment between calling the doctor and "letting it pass".

He is getting better but now that his nose is looking somewhat like Niagara Falls and our bulb syringe disappeared (thanks Sascha) we have no way to get those cruddy boogers out. How do you tell a 4-month old to blow?

Dale's answer: Just suck them out.

!#&(*&$!(#*$&!(#*$& Whhhhaaat???

Of course, he didn't say he would suck them out.....he was asking me.

So that's right, I sucked my son's boogers out. With my mouth. It was a bit salty, really not all that different from own.

Not only am I a poop juggling, diaper changing, burping, spit up covered mom---I am a snot sucker. Do I get the supermom award of the year for this?

4 Months!!!

I was going to post this a few days ago but we wanted to wait until we got the official stats at Kannon's 4 month appointment yesterday.

Kannon is weighing in at 14 lbs 1 ounce and measuring 24 1/2 inches. At his 2 month appointment Kannon was a little on the small side but he has caught up now nearly doubling his birth weight!

As usual, the doctor gave us praises for growing and raising such a beautiful and healthy baby. Kannon was all smiles until the shots came....



He cried for 20 minutes--coughing, crying, and tears streaming down his face. We got home and he slept most of day away in my arms begging for warmth and comfort.

We got a little scare last night, when Kannon's temperature spiked to 101.4 and he clung on to me like a little monkey. After some tylenol and a warm bottle, he fell asleep and thankfully woke up with things back to normal this morning.

Now that things have returned to normalcy, here are some updates:

1.) Kannon is growing rapidly and has finally moved out his 0-3 months clothes and into his 3-6 months clothes. Of course, those clothes aren't going far now that #2 is on the way!



2.) We have discovered that Kannon like tummy time spent completely naked. We lay him on top of some cloth diapers and he rolls from belly to back over and over again. He hasn't quite rolled from back to belly yet, but he's trying!




3.) Kannon's little hands are reaching for everything. I can no longer type with him in my lap as he attempts to mimic my typing, deleting emails and writing non sense. He has started going after anything in his reach, including our cat's tails!



4.) We have discovered how to make Kannon laugh. He is ticklish on his chest and sides and goes bananas if you tickle him. It is the most soul satisfying laugh I have ever heard!

5.) Kannon is afraid of guitars...YES, GUITARS! Dalyn tried to serenade him and he immediately starting crying! She changed the tune and Kannon was soon trying to sing along with her.

6.) Kannon has started using his voice in other ways than just crying. He spends most of his morning talking to his monkey, elephant, and lion. Dale and I just listen and try to interpret all of his mutterings.



7.) Kannon has graduated to the big bath, after he consistently tried rolling himself out of the little tub. He is much happier now that he has room to splash and bathe.



Kannon is the center of attention around our house. We love the challenges we have with Kannon. Likewise, we adore every small moment with Kannon, the glimpses of love and happiness that he reveals. Some-days, it is hard, but Dale and I have learned to humor ourselves in the challenges and take pride in our successes. I find myself racing home during any errand or trip to the office just be home with my boys! I cant get enough waking hours with Kannon.....and I still sneak in at night just to give him a kiss!

Mommy Moment #2

I meant to post this a few weeks ago, but I am still reliving the shame every time the UPS man comes to our door.

I was quietly nursing Kannon in preparation for a nap. Sometimes, he falls asleep while nursing and I have to quickly pop him off, lay him down, and sneak out the door without a peep. Usually, I don't have time to make sure all.....err, parts are covered.

Well, on one such afternoon, I put Kannon down, turned around and ninja'ed my way out the room being careful to avoid every loose board in our floor. I shut the door just as the doorbell rang and I quickly ran to the door to greet our UPS man.

Conversation went something like this:
Me: Hi!
UPS: errr, hello. Sign here (pointing to clip pad)
Me: Ok (struggling to keep Emma behind the door, glancing down, I noticed, one very uncovered, very public BOOB!)
Me: (laughing at this point) I bet you dont see that everyday!
UPS: (Awkwardly laughs and walks away)

A few days later the same UPS man returned, blushing before he even reached the door. This time, I made Dale answer the door. I bet he was disappointed.

Some days, being a mommy means not having a second to pee, drink water, eat, or even cover up!

and.....We are back!

After a weeklong adventure in California, enjoying sunshine, grass, and warm air, we have finally returned to our cold Montana air. We are thrilled to be home, back in our own beds, rooms filled with playmats and bouncers, and even more excited to walk naked to the bathroom in the middle of the night without fear of being caught!



Our week in CA started off great as Kannon survived the 2-hour flight to LA. He was awake the whole time checking things out around us. He loved staring at the lumberjack sitting across the aisle and I am pretty sure would have grabbed his long beard had Dale not been in the way! We finally landed and Kannon sacked out quickly in his carseat giving us a chance to savor our traditional first stop at In-n-Out. mmmmmm.....animal style.



Kannon had his share of meet & greets as he met someone new practically everyday we were there. He loved every moment of it, smiling at every friendly new face, and practically reaching out to be held! I think he has a future as loverboy....so girls watch out this boy will break your heart!







Kannon's world was turned upside down with all sorts of new activities and sights. He saw grass, the ocean, blue skies. He felt warm air and we took him swimming for the first time! All those adventure filled days left our little dude pretty pooped because for the first time he slept through the night!!!! At least almost, he woke up most nights to eat once around 3 am and then would quickly fall asleep until 7 am or so.







We had a great time and hope to return to CA again but for now, we are resting in our own beds--taking a vacation from our vacation and dreaming about our next adventure.



I have decided my blog needs a little structure so stay tuned for some much needed changes!

Its ALIVE!

I am of course referring to Kannon, who now at 3 months old, is a completely different baby. Its like a light switch went off somewhere in that little brain. No longer is he sleeping 20 hours a day, rather he spends more time smiling, laughing, and flirting with his folks.

I knew that 3 months was going to be a big milestone. Everyone says, "thank god, that 4th trimester is over" because really the first 3 months are not that different from pregnancy...only instead of being inside my womb safe and sound, he is out in the world. Seriously, thank god those 3 months are over. They were amazing. I already miss Kannon's tiny feet, sleeping face, and eyes full of alarm every waking moment of the day. But now, I get smiles, laughs, and the sweet recognition of my face every single minute of the day. I am in love.

Kannon will be 13 weeks tomorrow. I learn more about him everyday as I discover his world and he discovers mine. So far:

1.) Kannon sings the blues. Yes, the blues! We have a mixed CD for him that a friend made and he goes crazy, bouncing his feet and squawking whenever Muddy Waters comes on. It is the most adorable thing....who knew babies had a taste for music!

2.) Kannon hates tummy time. I have known this for quite a while and have tried my best to overcome the terrible tummy times but we never last more than a few minutes before breakdown. I thought I could kiss rolling over good bye. Then last week, I placed Kannon in his crib on his back only to hear screaming two seconds later. I raced in to find Kannon on his stomach. He rolled over and I missed it!!! He hasn't done it since, but I still have hope.



3.) Kannon has discovered he can reach and grasp objects. He has taken to grabbing earrings, my knitting, yarn, toys, my nosering, whatever he can find. Yesterday I found him on his activity mat with both his hands caught in his toy rings....he practically handcuffed himself to his mat.

4.) Naps are no longer executed with ease. Kannon used to go down for a nap like a champ, but now it takes putting him in a carseat and leaving the house in order to get a little shut eye.



5.) Kannon loves to sit up. He can't pull himself up yet but if sit him up in your lap or in his boppy, he will sit like that for 30 minutes or so. It is his new favorite position.

6.) Who said white guys don't jump? Kannon loves to jump. He has discovered his doorway bouncer and thrills himself jumping around. Adorable.

7.) Peekaboo! This has become our new favorite game. Every diaper change we play a little round of peekaboo that sends Kannon into laughing hysteria....although they don't really sound like laughs yet, more like donkey snorts but you get the idea.

8.) Kannon loves Dale, but lately, at Dale's nighttime feeding, instead of being greeted with smiles, he is greeted with frowns...its as if Kannon is thinking "what, no boobies this time? Whah!"



9.) Kannon loves naked time. He stands stronger, sits up better, smiles and laughs more the second those clothes come off. Lets hope he didn't get my genes and avoids his future as a streaker.



10.) Forget coffee when you can wake up to this smiling creature. Dale has been pulling Kannon into bed with us in the morning and I wake up to pretty blue eyes, long black eyelashes and a smile complete with dimples.

11.) Kannon got his first haircut when I snipped his rat tail. There was 2 inches of hair growing freely below his baby bald spot and I had to say goodbye. Now its resting peacefully under some tape in his baby book instead of haunting my dreams.



12.) Kannon had his first play date. Our friend's 6 month old, Silas, came over and Kannon loved this kid! He smiled at Silas, trying to grab his nose. Silas wasn't too fond of the affection as he acted more confused than pleased. Anyhow, I suspect that they will be spending more time together in the near future.



Dale and I went on our first date since Kannon was born and we are looking forward to many more now that we know what Kannon's schedule is like.

We have a great routine and look forward to those 6:30 bath times and 7:00 bedtimes when I finally get a break. But I will admit, even after Kannon is asleep I have a temptation to sneak in and look at him because I already miss him and the long night's sleep between us.

Life is great. We have gotten into our groove and forgotten what 8 hours of sleep used to feel like. We love taking our little man out into the world to show off. And we are excited to take Kannon on some of his first few trips! We are headed to Bozeman on Thursday for my 24th b-day (hopefully Dale wont give me the same thing I got last year!) and then we are headed to California February 10-17th to spend time with Gigi, Nana, Papa, Uncle Sam and the rest of the family.

I hope to report more in the coming weeks but I am busy with my Etsy stuff and am hurrying like mad to fulfill these orders! So pardon my absence!

Bath Time!

Kannon loves his bath time. I love his bath time. It is the only time during the day when I get to focus 100% of my attention on Kannon, playing, swishing water, and scrubbing those chubby thighs. He is content,peaceful, happy--I suspect that he feels a little more at home in the warm water. After his bath, we have a little baby massage, get dressed, and nurse and Kannon falls fast asleep (for now 6 hours!) probably still dreaming of his bath time.

My Winter Wonderland

They all say "sleep when baby sleeps" but with the loads of laundry, dishes in the sink and the 178 new emails in my inbox, chaos would ensue if I slept when the baby slept.

I am a mom, a wife, a pet owner, a VISTA, and a woman with needs but I am no superwoman and the cleaning fairies stopped coming a long time ago, so when the baby sleeps---I work. Actually, I scramble trying to get as much done during my little one's three hour nap. Laundry is thrown furiously into the washer, the floors swept with rage, the emails carelessly sorted through and if our dog is lucky, she gets a few tennis ball tosses into our forgotten backyard.

Today, I ignored my house, my computer, and my dog. Just as the snow drifted outside, I drifted into my own winter wonderland, with a sleeping baby on my chest, a cat on my feet, and a dog by my side. When I woke up, my little one's eyes peered up at me and he beamed the biggest smile, clearly happy about the arrangement.

My laundry is still talking to me. The dishes are angry. And the dust bunnies are attacking my floor but hey, at least we had the perfect nap.

Our 1st Thanksgiving

Before the baby was born we had decided to have Thanksgiving at our house. I know this was a lofty goal seeing as we would have few hands to juggle both turkey and baby. However, with careful planning, extra hands, a moby wrap, and quick recipes, our Thanksgiving was successful!

After a month of living off freezer food, cooking was a privilege I enjoyed--even though I was up until 4 am preparing food and feeding a fussy baby (who clearly sensed the excitement in the air). However, even with a few hours of sleep I rolled out of bed excited to begin our feasting day.

Our menu:
Oven Roasted Butterflied Turkey
Apple-Cider Glazed Ham
Orange-Balsamic Roasted Beets & Carrots
Zucchini Gratin
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Pie
Candied Yams
Roasted Green Beans
Brussel Sprouts
Mac & Cheese
Cole Slaw
Pumpkin Pie
Apple Pie
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Rolls
Bacon-Wrapped Dates
Cheese Plates
and so much more....

Whew.....I cant believe I fit all that in my belly (this is where no longer being pregnant had its clear disadvantage as I no longer have room to eat like a horse). Granted, everyone took part in preparing the Thanksgiving feast whether it was preparing a dish or holding a baby, and this year, the food was extra special.

Thanksgiving wouldn't be what it was if it wasn't for the few mishaps that can cause laughter, chaos, and sometimes a tear. Even with our confidence and expertise, we weren't protected from the usual T-day hiccups. Our 26.6 pound turkey didn't fit in the oven as planned. We had a few small grease fires (quickly put out and prevented with our newly converted muffin pan for grease trapping). We forgot the stuffing in an oven downstairs and left the cranberry sauce in the fridge...ooops. The disposable plates were too flimsy and somehow I ended up shoving mashed potatoes up my nose (only to be caught by everyone who saw me racing across the room for a napkin).

All in all, everything came out great. We sat in camp chairs. Drank beer from plastic cups and used our sleeves for drippings. The turkey was perfectly moist and cooked evenly (butterflied, roasted at 425 for 3 hours). There was no shortage of beer or wine. Listening to everyone compliment the food made the effort worth while. The best part was the pumpkin cheesecake topped with eggnog ice cream and pared with some Irish coffee.

By 9 pm, our house was empty, our fridge full, and our bellies working on their second wind. Unfortunately, we were headed to bed to wake up for the famous black Friday sale, all the while Kannon slept peacefully in the arms of family and friends.

Famous Last Words

"Its okay, I dont need a burp rag." Seconds later, my perfect baby expels the entire contents of his stomach into my hair, lap, sheets, and of course, himself.

The lesson here, always use a burp rag, unless you have just given up on staying dry--which lets face it here, I have.

The sad part, I was too tired to change the sheets, so I just put a towel down and slept over it. Three days later, I still havent changed the sheets, but at least I did take a shower!

The Boob Shark.

My boob shark.

You have heard it before, the unmistakable sound from "Jaws", the 'da-duh' that triggers goosebumps and forces you to look around and check your back and make sure there isnt a feeding frenzy taking place.

That sound has been replaced by "wa-wah's" echoing in our bedroom, requiring me to pull out my boob and bite my lips as my little "boob-shark" latches on in an all too familiar frenzy.

The mere smell of milk sets him off and he begins to root around furiously in search of his target--the ever so forgiving nipple. God forbid, he loses sight of his target in the darkened room, as he will latch onto anything--a finger, a shirt, the sheet-- only to spit it out with anger and rage.

For whatever reason, my little angel who nurses so peacefully during the day turns into "Jaws" at night. Hence the reason we have started calling him, "the boob shark", so nursing mothers and sore nipples beware because when the lights go down, the boob shark is on the prowl.

My Mommy Moment

I lounged around yesterday in my bathrobe. It was really the first day I didn't brush my teeth, change my clothes, or even wash my face. I took a nap, fed Kannon, relaxed etc.

I got up and noticed I had babyshi* all over my lap. Apparently, Kannon had a blow out and I didn't notice. The sad part, I checked his diaper and it was still clean from the previous diaper change a few hours before. So, who knows how long I walked around with babyshi* on my robe.

The best part, I still wore the robe because I was too tired to put on clothes.

It was a true mommy moment.

Our Firsts...

Everyone remembers their first kiss, their first love, their first car and usually remember such with fondness and nostalgia. This past week, Dale and I have shared many firsts with our son, firsts that we will always remember, even if our little one forgets.

It is amazing that in only 11 days Kannon has grown up so much. He is more alert with each passing day, gazing into the world around him. He spends much of his tummy-time exercising his head and neck muscles and even more of his time smiling, although fairly spontaneous, its still adorable.

Our Firsts for this week include:


(He looked something like this)

1.) First trip to the doctor. The nurse thought it was hilarious that even though he was stripped to his diaper on a cold mat, he still slept, completely stretched out!



2.) First trip out of the house. We went to the brewery, where yet again, he slept. Then we went to Target and the Mall for a few supplies.



3.) First bath! He LOOOOVVEED his bath. He especially loved having his face and hair washed. So, bath time will soon become an evening ritual.



4.) First stroll to the park. We made this a family affair and carted the dogs along (we had to kick the cat out of the stroller though!). The long walk apparently made him hungry as he wanted to nurse as soon as we arrived!

5.) First trip to the bar! We celebrated the last night of family in town by going to James Bar. He slept. No one would have guessed that we had a baby in a bar.

6.) First cloth diaper change! We made the switch yesterday to cloth diapers. He had so many blow outs in disposables and now, we are (so far) blow-out free! Plus, we love the fluffy bum!

7.) First stretch of sleep! Kannon slept for 5 hours straight last night!



8.) First time in a baby sling. We went hands free and put Kannon in our Moby wrap...he slept the whole time while I got caught up on emails and Dale cleaned the house!

9.) First night of gas....This broke our heart! Kannon was not and could not get comfortable. His face turned red, he was crying hysterically and refused breast, swaddle, swing, and everything! Finally he let out this HUGE fart and passed out. I think the french onion soup I ate for dinner may have hurt his little tummy.



These are only some of the many firsts that we will experience. I get emotional peeking ahead in our baby book at the spaces for "1st day of school" or "1st tooth". I cherish our time with our son as any mother and father will admit, they grow so fast!