Happy Fall, Y'all!

This year, we each got a pumpkin to carve. Hunter did an amazing job on his baby pumpkin, don't you think? haha :) I'm so proud of our little pumpkin family!

Look who's almost sitting up!

Please excuse the sour ending... 90% of our videos end with Hunter spitting up. Just gotta love that good ole acid reflux!

The Exersaucer: part exercise, part flying saucer

Ok, so that's probably not how Evenflo would describe their product. They'd probably refer to it as a learning environment or creativity center. Me? I call it a life-saver. Hunter loves it and Mommy loves being able to do the dishes to the tune of a happy baby.

Check out our big boy manning his domain in his bunny slippers:
(the bunny slippers have grippies on the bottoms, which help him stand up extra tall and spin around to his favorite toys faster)

A Solid Performance

Tonight, we introduced "solids" on recommendation from the pediatrician. It was no surprise that Hunter loved his rice cereal, since he's always had an appetite the size of Texas. But, we were surprised at how well he responded to the goo-filled spoon fulls. Check out our little cereal-eating-cutie in the video below.

Baby Talk

Thursday night while we were watching TV, Hunter was spending some quality time in his bouncy chair and all of a sudden I heard this noise - sort of like a "aahhh--oohhhh" - I looked at Jamie and asked "Was that you???" He said nope, it wasn't him. I knew it wasn't me, so that only left one other person... I immediately looked down at Hunter and there he was smiling and wiggling. And then it hit me - HE JUST SAID HIS FIRST COO! He sat there looking up at us, so proud of himself! So, needless to say, Jamie and I spent the next hour sitting on the floor in front of his chair talking to him as he wiggled and let out the occasional "aaaahh oooh" or "ooohhh aahhhh" or sometimes even a "waaaa ooooh". I almost cried as I sat there watching our baby boy wiggle and open his mouth hoping a noise would come out, thinking to myself, "he's growing up already - my tiny baby is growing up already."

Although he's still trying to figure out exactly how to make the noises, you can tell they are very intentional - not the grunts, cries and squeaks we're used to hearing. My mission this week is to capture it on video, so you all can see how cute it is! Wish me luck!!

Daily Dose

He just loves bath time!

Hunter the Houdini

It seems our little guy is a Houdini of sorts. No matter how well we swaddle, he always manages to get his little hands out so he can suck on his fingers, his arm, his hand, anything really. At just one day old he had little bruises on his arms from sucking on them. We've tried everything, including introducing a pacifier - but he still loves to have his hands near his face.

This is how I put him to sleep today:





































And this is him after only a matter of minutes:




















The best part is he wiggles free without even waking up!

Welcome Home, Hunter!

Between nursing, sleeping and trying to eat somewhere in between, I haven't had much time for the blogosphere. But I know many of you are dying to see pics of our newest addition, Mr. Hunter Jackson Cannon, so here they are! Many, many more to come.

Hunter Jackson Cannon

Born April 28th, 2009 at 4:51 am

8 lbs 2 ounces

20.75 inches long

Our perfect baby.

Proud Daddy.

Home sweet home.

First bath at home!

What was I just complaining about...?

As if getting chased by a bear isn't enough... then she gets hit by a car? Ok, my worst day isn't looking so bad anymore! Interesting name choice, though. She's got to be out of her mind. But, then again, the woman did just get chased by a bear and hit by a car - I'm sure she wasn't thinking clearly when she said that.

Click here to read the story:
FOXNews.com - Pregnant Woman Hit by Car While Fleeing From Bear - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News

Ok, I do love this place...

After a stressful week that drove me to tears yesterday, I remembered today why I love where I work. Over 50 people from five departments gathered in one room to surprise me with a baby shower, complete with a pot-luck breakfast, gifts and cake! So much fun!

I have to say, it's nice to work at a place that values the family dynamic. Did I mention there are 12 women who are pregnant right now? Several of which are due any day now. It's a sight walking down the halls for sure. Bellies, bellies, everywhere. In fact, I fully expect to see at least one co-worker in the hospital delivering while we're delivering.

With all these moms, there have been a ton of baby showers, but I'll have to say, I'm pretty sure ours trumped them all. Probably because with the jobs Jamie and I do, we interact with a lot of different departments, in addition to our own home departments. In other words, we have a lot of friends who are very interested in our little man! This baby is not only our new addition, but also a unique new addition to our work family. We can't wait to introduce him to everyone!

38 weeks!

How your baby's growing:

Your baby has really plumped up. He weighs about 6.8 pounds and he's over 19 1/2 inches long. He has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold his hand for the first time! His organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If he's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If he's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time he's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after he's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

How your life's changing:

For many women, the next couple of weeks are a waiting game. Use this time to prepare your baby's nursery or to take care of necessary tasks you may not get around to for a while after your baby's born. Take naps, catch up on your reading, and spend uninterrupted time with your partner while you can.

Some swelling in your feet and ankles is normal during these last weeks, but call your practitioner without delay if you notice excessive or sudden swelling of your feet or ankles, more than slight swelling of your hands, any swelling in your face or puffiness around your eyes, or have a sudden weight gain. Also let her know immediately if have severe or persistent headaches; visual changes (such as double or blurred vision, seeing spots or flashing lights, light sensitivity, or a temporary loss of vision), intense upper abdominal pain or tenderness, or nausea and vomiting. These are symptoms of a serious condition called preeclampsia.

Finished!

Almost ready!

Last Sunday, our kitchen transformed into a baby gear gallery thanks to our good friends Somer and Josh. Their son, Noah, is about to turn two years old, which means he's outgrown all of his baby clothes and gear. In fact, he'll be two on May 4th - our due date. And, whether or not our little guy's birthday ends up being May 4th, it's still pretty neat that we share the date. It means, of course, that the clothes will be the right size for the right seasons (granted we don't have a 10 pound baby).

Clothes, toys, burp cloths, bibs, a bathtub, johnny jump up, stroller, car seat, hats, shoes, socks, diaper bags, and the list goes on. We are so lucky to have such great friends!!

After unpacking everything and getting it all put away, the nursery is very close to being finished! All we need now is our sweet boy to fill the room with coos and goos and cries and all those wonderful little baby noises!

36 weeks!

Only four more to go!

How your baby's growing:
Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of his first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely he's in a head-down position. But if he isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly. (Thank goodness we're already head down!!)

Childcare

Consider our eyes wide open. Open to the crazy world of childcare. Having completed two of our daycare tours this week, I'm just hoping it gets better than this! The two facilities we toured this week were at opposite ends of the spectrum. The first one being relatively cheap (around 1k/month) but not the nicest facilities... in fact the baby room was a bit alarming and I'm not sure I even remotely trust the director.

The second one was not cheap (think mortgage+car payment+another car payment) but oh was it nice. It was clean and refreshing - the babies looked happy and alert, the older kids were equally happy and content. There were classrooms - not areas - for the different age groups. The baby teacher is a registered nurse. It's only a mile from our house. But, again, it's A LOT of money...

So, we're left wishing for a happy medium. I mean, is a clean, safe, perfect daycare for a reasonable fee too much to ask? Apparently it is. When you live in Cary, at least.

And the search goes on...

35 weeks!

Welcome to the home stretch, y'all!

How your baby's growing: Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

How your life's changing: Your uterus — which was entirely tucked away inside your pelvis when you conceived — now reaches up under your rib cage. If you could peek inside your womb, you'd see that there's more baby than amniotic fluid in there now.

Oh dear! Oh dear! What a very important date!

First of all. HOLY COW. DO YOU SEE THE TICKER??? ONLY 41 DAYS LEFT. People, that's only a few days over a month!!! Whoa. Ok... regrouping... regrouping... not freaking out... not freaking out...

HOLY COW. ONE MONTH.

Ok, I'm officially done freaking out ...until tomorrow. :)

Today officially begins our 34th week! So, here's the weekly scoop on everyone's favorite little guy:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate him body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

How your life's changing:
By this week, fatigue has probably set in again, though maybe not with the same coma-like intensity of your first trimester. Your tiredness is perfectly understandable, given the physical strain you're under and the restless nights of frequent pee breaks and tossing and turning, while trying to get comfortable. Now's the time to slow down and save up your energy for labor day (and beyond). If you've been sitting or lying down for a long time, don't jump up too quickly. Blood can pool in your feet and legs, causing a temporary drop in your blood pressure when you get up that can make you feel dizzy.

Introducing Bailey Love Herrmann

Check out the latest addition to the Tar Heel fan club:
Miss Bailey Love Herrmann
Born March 12, 2009
to proud parents Mike and Melissa Herrmann.

For those of you who don't know, Melissa and I were college roommates for three years. Needless to say, I was delighted to find out that we were pregnant at the same time
and I'm even more delighted to hear that their baby girl
has arrived healthy and happy!
Congratulations to the proud parents!

33 Weeks!

How your baby's growing:
This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

All Points Bulletin

I know, I know... I've been a little slack on the postings lately. In my defense, we've been a little busy. After all, we have just 57 days until our little guy gets here! Just so no one feels left out, here's an update on all things Allison-and-Jamie:

Doctor's appointment:
All went well at our last doctor's appointment. My blood pressure, weight and belly measurements, and his heartbeat were right on target. It looks like our 3rd trimester is going to be just as uneventful as the first and second, and that's exactly how we'd like it.

As some of you know, we've been circulating through the practice for the past few appointments, since our doctor decided to go and have a baby of her own. Go figure. As much fun as it sounds - it's not. We've seen the pregnant one, the super formal one, the nice one, and the awkward resident one, and even the kookie one (who I think may be on drugs). Just kidding... sort of. Thankfully, our last appointment was with the nice one, again. With seven, yes I said seven, kids of his own, he exudes confidence and he's easy to talk to. You can tell he's been through this a time or seven before. He answers your questions, all of them, in ways that make sense and don't make you feel silly or embarrassed. And, unlike the others, he asks for your questions first thing in the appointment - so you don't have time to forget them! Because after you've hoisted yourself onto the exam table, rolled up your shirt, rolled down your oh-so-attractive full-panel pants, been measured, been slathered with ultrasound goop, and heard your baby's precious heartbeat... it's a little hard to remember all 17 questions you were planning to ask.

When you've been seen by Dr. Seven Kids, you leave feeling proud of your additional 30 pounds and you're totally ok with the fact that you now somewhat resemble an umpa loompa. You feel like you are prepared to do this thing called delivery - even after you've been given the down-low (pun totally intended) on an episiotomy, discussed the ways IV pain meds can make you rather loopy, and talked about cord-blood milking versus quickly cutting the cord. (By the way, all of these were fully discussed at our last appointment, so if you have any questions - I'm now an expert.)

So, over the next 8 weeks, I'll be praying that Dr. Seven Kids is on call when our baby boy decides to make his entry. Everyone's help with this ultra-important prayer request is greatly appreciated :)

Nursery:
The big nursery news this week: WE BOUGHT A CRIB!!!! It's funny how much relief I feel now that we have the crib. I guess, in my silly-maternal-nesting ways, the crib makes that room not just any room - it makes it his room. And, somehow, by providing a place for him to sleep, I feel like everything is going to be ok. This must be a maternal thing, too. Because, Lord knows, there is so much left to do before he comes!



House:
Not much to update here since last week was the big house weekend. We did buy our very first garden hose. One of the blessings of renting for the past 3 years is that we never had a lawn to maintain, thus the lack of yard equipment. So, now we have our very first hose to go with our very first yard.

We also hung up the hummingbird feeder we got for Christmas. I absolutely can't wait for the humming birds to buzz outside the kitchen window! These might be little things, but they sure do go a long way in making this house feel like our home.

Work:
All is well on the work front. Last week, I spent 3 days at our satellite office in Arlington catching up with the rest of the communications team. I'm starting to get some good projects, with some real substance, so that's exciting. For instance, I'm working on our communications efforts surrounding the upcoming Board of Directors meeting in Accra, Ghana. Thankfully, I don't have to travel there - the Ghana team will handle local specifics.

Next weekend, all of our country directors and global leaders arrive in Arlington for the annual week-long leadership meeting. So, Jamie and I will both head back up to Arlington on Friday to help with that. Should be pretty exciting and exhausting.

So, now you know all there is to know :) Night y'all.