Hunter, meet snow.
Snow, meet Hunter.
Showing posts with label home-sweet-home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home-sweet-home. Show all posts
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Happy New Year!
Hello.
Testing 123.
Anyone out there?
For those of you faithfully checking our blog for updates, I'm so very sorry. Since my last post about Hunter's check up, we've been very busy, and unfortunately, it hasn't all been the good kind of busy. We've been faced with challenge upon challenge during the last few weeks of 2009. I'll do my best to recap what we've been through below and I'll be uploading pictures from the holidays and more recent adventures soon.
In November, we watched our bouncing baby boy become lethargic as he fought a terrible case of H1N1, at just 6 months old. With fevers topping 102-103 for over 3 days, we were forced to feed him pedialyte from a dropper when he wouldn't eat. As we prayed and watched and waited for the tamiflu to start working, we felt helpless and afraid of what could happen.
Then, shortly after, we prayerfully watched our beautiful Aunt Suzie fight a strong fight, and then, sadly, lose the battle to cancer. Her Christmas funeral was one of the most bittersweet moments of my life. We knew she was not suffering anymore and was rejoicing with the angels over Christ's birth, but it left a gaping hole in our family.
But, looking beyond the last 6 weeks of the year, there are many, many smiles in 2009. It was a big year for us, with lots of huge changes. I'm reminded of the day - way back in 2008 - when we decided to start our family, the months of negative pregnancy tests, that one glorious morning when we found out we were pregnant, and the flood of emotions that came with it. We were so happy, so excited, and so scared out of our wits at the thought of the being parents. That day changed everything about 2009. Everything.
I remember deciding that our apartment just wouldn't do and the many late nights looking at house after house trying to find the one that would fit our new little family, all while feeling the exhaustion and nausea of the first trimester. Then, finally, we closed on the house just before the start of 2009. The day we got the keys, we ran through each room and up the stairs to the soon-to-be nursery to imagine all the possibilities. I remember the signs that God sent us, showing that he was watching over us and confirming our decisions, and the days and nights we worked to ready the house for the biggest change of our lives. Step by step, we prepared for the arrival of our little CanCan.
Then came that sweet morning, when I woke up at 4:30 feeling a little different than usual. I remember so clearly the look of utter shock on Jamie's face, when I woke him up to ask him to write down my last contraction. And, after 23 hours of labor, I remember the most joyous day of my life. April 28. The day I held my son and kissed his sweet face for the first time. The day I became a mother and watched the love of my life become a father.
The next three months would include lots of guests, all excited to see our little guy, and lots of firsts. I remember being so proud of every little thing he did, including the very first time he squealed, feeling so undeserving of such a perfect creation, but knowing definitely that I was created to be Hunter's mommy. Sometimes, I try to forget the many - MANY - nights of hourly feedings, diaper changes and soothing. But, they are part of our journey to 2010, too.
The following months held the frustration of attempting to balance work and motherhood, while constantly feeling like a failure at both. We started daycare and commenced the weekly doctor's visits with Hunter. In 2009, he had 3 ear infections, Swine Flu, multiple colds and viruses, and as my last post references, a bout of seizure-like behavior that sent us reeling into a long night at the emergency room, CT scans, Xrays, blood draws, and eventually an EEG with a pediatric neurologist. We were terrified of what they would find, but relieved to receive a benign diagnosis that won't have any long-term effects.
So, we welcome 2010. Please come in and stay a while. Bring with you new memories to erase the heartache of the past several weeks. Build on the mountain of joy that is our son, the mountain of joy that was our solace last year. Grow our family closer and more content with our haves and help us be less focused on our have-nots. Let us decide to cherish one another and pursue that which is good and just. Let 2010 be better than 2009.
Testing 123.
Anyone out there?
For those of you faithfully checking our blog for updates, I'm so very sorry. Since my last post about Hunter's check up, we've been very busy, and unfortunately, it hasn't all been the good kind of busy. We've been faced with challenge upon challenge during the last few weeks of 2009. I'll do my best to recap what we've been through below and I'll be uploading pictures from the holidays and more recent adventures soon.
In November, we watched our bouncing baby boy become lethargic as he fought a terrible case of H1N1, at just 6 months old. With fevers topping 102-103 for over 3 days, we were forced to feed him pedialyte from a dropper when he wouldn't eat. As we prayed and watched and waited for the tamiflu to start working, we felt helpless and afraid of what could happen.
Then, shortly after, we prayerfully watched our beautiful Aunt Suzie fight a strong fight, and then, sadly, lose the battle to cancer. Her Christmas funeral was one of the most bittersweet moments of my life. We knew she was not suffering anymore and was rejoicing with the angels over Christ's birth, but it left a gaping hole in our family.
But, looking beyond the last 6 weeks of the year, there are many, many smiles in 2009. It was a big year for us, with lots of huge changes. I'm reminded of the day - way back in 2008 - when we decided to start our family, the months of negative pregnancy tests, that one glorious morning when we found out we were pregnant, and the flood of emotions that came with it. We were so happy, so excited, and so scared out of our wits at the thought of the being parents. That day changed everything about 2009. Everything.
I remember deciding that our apartment just wouldn't do and the many late nights looking at house after house trying to find the one that would fit our new little family, all while feeling the exhaustion and nausea of the first trimester. Then, finally, we closed on the house just before the start of 2009. The day we got the keys, we ran through each room and up the stairs to the soon-to-be nursery to imagine all the possibilities. I remember the signs that God sent us, showing that he was watching over us and confirming our decisions, and the days and nights we worked to ready the house for the biggest change of our lives. Step by step, we prepared for the arrival of our little CanCan.
Then came that sweet morning, when I woke up at 4:30 feeling a little different than usual. I remember so clearly the look of utter shock on Jamie's face, when I woke him up to ask him to write down my last contraction. And, after 23 hours of labor, I remember the most joyous day of my life. April 28. The day I held my son and kissed his sweet face for the first time. The day I became a mother and watched the love of my life become a father.
The next three months would include lots of guests, all excited to see our little guy, and lots of firsts. I remember being so proud of every little thing he did, including the very first time he squealed, feeling so undeserving of such a perfect creation, but knowing definitely that I was created to be Hunter's mommy. Sometimes, I try to forget the many - MANY - nights of hourly feedings, diaper changes and soothing. But, they are part of our journey to 2010, too.
The following months held the frustration of attempting to balance work and motherhood, while constantly feeling like a failure at both. We started daycare and commenced the weekly doctor's visits with Hunter. In 2009, he had 3 ear infections, Swine Flu, multiple colds and viruses, and as my last post references, a bout of seizure-like behavior that sent us reeling into a long night at the emergency room, CT scans, Xrays, blood draws, and eventually an EEG with a pediatric neurologist. We were terrified of what they would find, but relieved to receive a benign diagnosis that won't have any long-term effects.
So, we welcome 2010. Please come in and stay a while. Bring with you new memories to erase the heartache of the past several weeks. Build on the mountain of joy that is our son, the mountain of joy that was our solace last year. Grow our family closer and more content with our haves and help us be less focused on our have-nots. Let us decide to cherish one another and pursue that which is good and just. Let 2010 be better than 2009.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Yo ho ho, It's a Pirate's Life for Me!
For Hunter's first Halloween, we decided to dress his cute booty in pirate garb. The best part is that his costume was 100% homemade and cost less than $10. For his shirt, I grabbed a plain onesie and created an iron-on using an image I found online. I added the phrase, "Arrrrgggg... wipe me booty!" and voila, we had the majority of the costume complete! I made a simple cut out and tacked it to a hat from his closet and used the scraps to make his eye patch. He loved it! And, even though the hat and eye patch only stayed on for a few minutes in the morning, Hunter the Pirate was a big hit at daycare! As for Mommy, I was happy to send him to school in a costume that would be comfortable all day.
Saturday night, we decided to go all out and finally get around to meeting all of our neighbors. Going with the pirate theme, Jamie and I rummaged - or should I say pillaged - through our closet for some scurvy-worthy garb. What we came up with surprised us both! The only thing missing was a pirate's best friend - his parrot! Hunter's costume took about an hour to make and was met with lots of smiles around the cul-de-sac.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Rest and Relaxation
For those of you who have been to our house, you know we've got a huge deck that overhangs the downward slope of our backyard. But, until recently, it was just a deck. Yep, we had a beautiful, but sadly empty, deck. Jamie's grill was all alone out there! But a couple of weeks ago, my brother came to our rescue!
Hunter loves being outside, so I know he'll appreciate the new additions!
Check out the awesome outdoor furniture he built for us:
The smile of a job well done!
Hunter loves being outside, so I know he'll appreciate the new additions! We also bought a hammock, too! A hammock that so conveniently spilled me out onto the deck floor as the neighbors gazed on. Lucky me. I had an audience for my most recent most embarrassing moment! And, of course it was a total wipe-out, complete with a little girlie squeal and a loud thud as my bottom landed on the metal hammock frame, followed by the whoooosh of the hammock fabric swinging above me from the momentum of my fall. I guess if you have to embarrass yourself, you might as well do it well. So, I laid there flat on my back staring up at the bottom side of the hammock, laughing so hard I could barely get up. As Caitlen would say, GO BIG OR GO HOME!!!!
Here are a few pics of Hunter with his favorite Uncle :)
This is how Hunter watches TV.
Here, he was totally amazed by the antics on Deadliest Catch.
I'm sure he was thinking, "Whoa, those crabs are HUGE!!!!"
This is how Hunter watches TV. Here, he was totally amazed by the antics on Deadliest Catch.
I'm sure he was thinking, "Whoa, those crabs are HUGE!!!!"
Thank you, Cameron!! We love you!!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Special Guests
This past week we had two very special guests. My Grampa and Great Uncle Jon stopped by our house for a few days on their way to see the rest of the family. They drove all the way from northern Michigan - a whopping two-day, 1000 mile trip - to see us.
Me, Grampa Clay and Hunter
Hunter and his Great Grampa Clay
Hunter and his Great Great Uncle Jon
And as if seeing them wasn't enough, they came bearing gifts! As I mentioned earlier, our family is full of very talented carpenters - my grandfather being one of them. For our wedding, he surprised us with a hand crafted hope chest that sits in my living room and gets compliments from everyone we host. This time, the surprise was for Hunter, but I can tell you it surprised Hunter's Mommy, too! Check out the beautiful hand crafted high-chair my Grampa made for Hunter. It is so beautiful and I just can't say it enough - I am lucky to have such a wonderful family.
Me, Grampa Clay and Hunter
Hunter and his Great Grampa Clay
Hunter and his Great Great Uncle Jon
Monday, May 4, 2009
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.
Our perfect baby.
Proud Daddy.
Home sweet home.
First bath at home!
Hunter Jackson Cannon
Born April 28th, 2009 at 4:51 am
8 lbs 2 ounces
20.75 inches long
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!Sunday, April 12, 2009
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!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Makin' room for baby...
This weekend was spent almost entirely inside the house, working - working - working. That's right, we're getting ready for our little guy. While I've got a whole list of projects that I'd like to get done before May 4, I know that they won't all get done - and surprisingly - I'm ok with it. Two of the biggest projects that HAD to get done were painting the nursery and making some storage room in the attic.
Thankfully, I am blessed with a family of carpenters who can build just about anything, and one of them agreed to come spend the entire weekend helping Jamie and I get ready. My wonderful little brother drove up after class on Friday, brought all his tools (tools I didn't even know we'd need), and stayed all weekend. Knowing you can totally trust the person who's cutting a giant whole in your ceiling is a REAL blessing :)
By noon today, he and Jamie had knocked out both projects like a well-seasoned team. The nursery is now a beautiful shade of blue and all my Christmas decorations are safe and sound in the attic. Not to mention I had two of my very favorite men in the whole world with me all weekend. What more could a 7-month pregnant woman ask for?! I am so lucky!!
As promised, here are pictures of the two projects.
Thankfully, I am blessed with a family of carpenters who can build just about anything, and one of them agreed to come spend the entire weekend helping Jamie and I get ready. My wonderful little brother drove up after class on Friday, brought all his tools (tools I didn't even know we'd need), and stayed all weekend. Knowing you can totally trust the person who's cutting a giant whole in your ceiling is a REAL blessing :)
By noon today, he and Jamie had knocked out both projects like a well-seasoned team. The nursery is now a beautiful shade of blue and all my Christmas decorations are safe and sound in the attic. Not to mention I had two of my very favorite men in the whole world with me all weekend. What more could a 7-month pregnant woman ask for?! I am so lucky!!
As promised, here are pictures of the two projects.
Project #1: Creating more storage
(aka "Project Make Room for Baby Toys")
When we bought the house, we just had a little attic access hole,
meaning you had to hoist yourself up into if you wanted to get in the attic.
We decided a walk-up ladder would be much better!
Cameron working on the finishing touches of
the stairway to storage heaven.
Looks like it's always been there, huh?
Add some plywood to create a floor and voila!
We've got another 70 square feet of storage!
Project #2: Paint the Nursery
(aka "Project Get Rid of the Ugly Green Room")
Goodbye Green, Bring in the Blue!
First coat... it's looking good!!!
Don't worry, it's not that dark.
It's the perfect navy blue, which apparently is
very hard to capture with a digital camera.
(aka "Project Make Room for Baby Toys")
When we bought the house, we just had a little attic access hole,
meaning you had to hoist yourself up into if you wanted to get in the attic.
We decided a walk-up ladder would be much better!
Cameron working on the finishing touches of
the stairway to storage heaven.
Looks like it's always been there, huh?
Add some plywood to create a floor and voila!
We've got another 70 square feet of storage!
Project #2: Paint the Nursery
(aka "Project Get Rid of the Ugly Green Room")
Goodbye Green, Bring in the Blue!
First coat... it's looking good!!!
Don't worry, it's not that dark.
It's the perfect navy blue, which apparently is
very hard to capture with a digital camera.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Under Construction
We're taking this weekend to do some work around the house, including painting the nursery! Pictures to come :) Check back on Monday!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Good news!
