Cannon meets Uncle George

We got a nice surprise on Wednesday night when we got home.....Uncle George called to say he was in town for the night on business and wanted to see us and meet Cannon so we all headed out for a nice dinner.

George is Aaron's uncle from Maryland and it was so good to see him since it had been a while. In fact, it's always good to see family. We love and miss them all so much!

Thank you Uncle George for calling us. Come back anytime to see us.....and bring Aunt Nancy!!

Road Trip!

We took our first family road trip to Charleston, South Carolina this past weekend. It was the annual golf tournament for Aaron's college baseball team and Cannon and I decided to tag along. We stayed in Isle of Palms with Aaron's best friend Justin and his family.

Friday night is always a cookout at a teammate of Aaron's and it was good to see everyone. Saturday me and Justin's wife, Kristi, and all the kids did a little shopping and hung out until the guys returned from the golf tournament. Saturday night a group of us went to dinner and then out for a couple of drinks. It was our first time leaving Cannon with a babysitter......and yes, I survived yet another "first". On Sunday we went over to Folly Beach to see my best friend Kerri and her family.

Cannon really was in awww with meeting so many new people and he loved looking at all the kids.....I can't wait for him to be one of those kiddos running around with them.

Once again I am so thankful for such wonderful friends not only in mine and Aaron's life but now in Cannon's as well. And THANK YOU Justin & Kristi for making all the arrangements! We sure do miss you guys!

Friday nights party pooper!

We had to bribe Cannon with toys to sleep in his pack & play.

The boys!

Cannon loved looking at Dez!

Cannon finally met the twins, Will & Isabella.

TEXAS...the place I can't wait to take Cannon!!!

My best friend Kerri.........she's waited a long time to meet Mr. Cannon!

Pimp My Crib!!

Cannon hanging out in his crib at daycare!

100 Days of Life!

I work with a very sweet guy name Vincent who is originally from China. When I became pregnant he would always tell me things that the Chinese culture would do when women got pregnant. He is always so kind to me and since Cannon has been born, he is constantly stopping by my desk to ask how Cannon is doing and to show his thoughtfulness.

Well the other day he asked me if I was going to celebrate Cannon's 100 days of life? I told him that I had never heard of such a celebration. Vincent told me it was a very big deal in China for babies on their 100 days of life.

So while it is not so much a "southern" tradition to celebrate this milestone, I did wake up and thank God once again for the precious son we have in Cannon. Thank you too Vincent for always expressing your kindness to me and Cannon. You are a pleasure to work with!

Where's Cannon?

This is how I found Cannon sleeping the other day. Thank goodness it was a quick nap silly boy!

You Were Suppose to be Asleep!

And here is how I found Cannon on another nap......talking to Mr. Turtle!

Half Asleep or Half Awake?

For the past week, I have been using a pretty set schedule for Cannon's feedings and it seems to be working well. Here is his normal reaction now when I change him into his pajama's and get him ready for his last feeding of the night. And he stays this way throughout his bottle before settling in for a good nights sleep.

God is better than a monitor!!

Now that I am a parent, there is a whole new set of worries I deal with on a daily basis; one of them being Cannon's sleeping preference. Since he was weeks old, he has been a tummy sleeper and that has always kept my ear snuggled up a little closer to the monitor at night and my feet running to his crib to check (just one more time) to make sure he is breathing.

I recently came across this saying while reading another blog where a new mommy was dealing with the same fear of having her baby sleep on her belly instead of her back like all the books and doctors advise. God IS better than a monitor and it's my prayer every time I put Cannon down for sleep in his crib. I ask God at night to protect his body and rest his mind. God is the one who blessed us with Cannon and He is the one who I put my trust into with Cannon's life.
And just like the prayer that was prayed for me when I was a baby, I also pray for Cannon.....

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep:
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.

Sweet Dreams Cannon!

Burping is Fun!

Some of Cannon's biggest smiles and cutest laughs come during trying to get him to burp. His legs have become so long that we sit him on our leg and let him look around while we try to get that sometimes impossible burp out of him.

Here is a picture that displays one of the better burping sessions..... because as all of us parents know, sometimes burping isn't always a fun moment!

Could It Be???

Red Hair?? In just the right light, Cannon's hair is becoming more and more red....could it be...another redhead on my side of the family??

My great-grandmother, Ida Mae, was a redhead and my sister's fourth daughter, Brena, came out with a full head of red hair. I would love for Cannon to have red hair, they would look great with his beautiful blue eyes.

We pray both his hair and eyes don't change but if they do, we won't mind, we will continue to love him just as he is!!!

Cannon's Faithful Friend

Now that Cannon is discovering his hands, they have become his best buddies! The kind that never leave your side and that are with you through everything.....literally!! Wide awake or falling sound asleep, Cannon's faithful friend is never far away!

Our First Week of Daycare is Now History!

Well, our first week of daycare is now behind us and we survived....yes, ME & Cannon!!!

I went everyday at lunch and spent time with him. Some days he was awake and a couple of times he wasn't so I just sat and stared at him while talking to the other kids. I love the room he was able to get into and I love his main caretaker. He is the youngest baby in the room at the moment and seems to have adjusted well with everything that is new. New sounds, new things to look at and new people to see. Everyday I thank the caretakers for loving him and taking good care of him during the day. They are the angels God has given us to watch over him while mommy & daddy are away for the day!!

Leaving for daycare as happy as can be!

Coming home EXHAUSTED!

WHAT???

While the week was flying by and we were adjusting to our new schedules with daycare, something wonderful happened......

Cannon turned 3 months old!!!

Things I have noticed with my baby boy.....
- he is discovering his hands
- he loves the color red
- he loves to look at himself in the mirror and laugh
- he loves watching tv (or trying to watch, mommy doesn't
allow this just yet)
- he loves more and more hanging out in his crib and listening
to his music
- he is now sleeping 8 hours or more at night before needing
his paci to sleep another 2 hours

We Love You Jack Cannon!!!

My Last Week as a Stay-at-home-Mommy

My maternity leave has officially ended and it's back to work.....here comes the tears!!!

This past week I took a little extra time to be "in the moment" with Cannon and has I did that I sat at times just thanking God over and over for blessing me and Aaron with the opportunity to be at home with him for the past 12 weeks. I won't say it was always easy, I won't say I didn't have days where I cried both sad and happy tears, I won't say it got a little lonesome at times being at home with a newborn but I will say IT WAS ALL WORTH IT!! And not being a permanent stay at home mom is not an easy decision to make when you have your first child in your arms day after day. It wears on your heart and it messes with your mind; however, Aaron and I feel we aren't making a right or wrong decision but one that works for our family. It will mean we will have to work harder at having quality family time but we are up for the challenge. As I've asked before, please keep us in your prayers as we move into this new chapter of our lives.

Here is a small glimpse into this past week with Cannon! Enjoy!

Monday was normal....just trying to get back into our daily routine without daddy being around to keep us company. No pictures to report.

Tuesday was our first "test run" at daycare. Since I had a meeting at the office at noon, Aaron and I took Cannon into daycare for the first time around 11:00am. Here is a picture taken before we left the house. After my meeting, I went to Target to walk the isles. I wasn't in there more than 15 minutes when I had already ran into several moms pushing babies in strollers....my heart was melting!!! All I wanted to do is go get my little boy and hold him tight and never let him go again but I was good though and stayed gone until picking him back up at 5:00.

Wednesday was my day to continue trying to get Cannon to sleep on his back. Since he was a newborn, he has always slept on his tummy and that is not allowed at daycare until they can roll over. This has been one of the reasons I was so upset about daycare. I didn't want to be the mom who had the baby that wouldn't sleep because she taught him a bad (or should I say different) habit. So...here is my proof Cannon can sleep on his back even if it is only for an hour or so before he becomes aware of the trick I played on him! The next pictures are to prove that he didn't stay mad at me for long and that happy smile returned to his beautiful face!!!!

Thursday was the REAL test run for how life was going to be from now on. I had a dentist appointment at 8:00am so I woke up and pretended as if I was going into work. Cannon was dropped off at daycare around 7:50am and I continued with my day. I picked him up that afternoon around 4:30. Aaron worked late so I gave Cannon his bath without his assistance. Usually Aaron and I do bathtime together and make it a family event. I stay and clean up the bathroom while Aaron get's Cannon back into his room and dried off. Cannon and I still managed to get this task completed but we missed having daddy to help out. AND....I'm happy to report that Cannon is doing great at daycare!!

Friday was spent hanging out with my girlfriend Wendy. We went out to lunch where I had another "first" with Cannon. He decided to have a poopie diaper during the middle of eating. I didn't have the camera with me so I will spare you that event but here are some cute pictures from that day. The big (Texas size) bear was given to Cannon by his Aunt Becky. Thank You Auntie B!!!

Yeah for Saturdays!! We love when the weekend comes and we can be a family all day! The weather has been nothing but rain off and on so we didn't do much during the day. That night we went over to Larry & Karen's for dinner. Cannon got to meet a lot of new people who have been wanting to get their hands on him. This was another first for us as Cannon was not at home for the first time when it was his bedtime. He did fine and enjoyed a nice long nap before we headed home for the night. Cannon sleep again through the night and life was good!!

Sunday......one word......RAIN!!! And lots of it! So again we didn't get to enjoy anything outside or go anywhere but that didn't stop Cannon from being happy and being the light of our lives! As you can see from the picture below, Cannon loves to look at himself in the mirror while on his changing pad. I get a kick out of seeing him kick his legs and flap his arms.

Lots of Smiles and My 1st Mother's Day!

Another week of Cannon's life has flown by again but with each and everyday I see so much change in him. His little personality has started to take shape. He knows just how to light up my whole day when he awakes with that big smile of his and keeps it on his face all day!! Even a short trip to the doctor's office last Monday because I was worried (remember, I'm a new mom)about his congestion still didn't keep this little guy from being happy! What more could any mommy or parent want for their child but to grow up, be happy and do great things. This is what I wish for everyday and pray to God for Cannon's life.

Saturday was the annual Bluffton May Festival on Calhoun Street. Cannon did great even in the 90 degree heat we were having. He got to enjoy his mid-morning bottle underneath the large oak tress next to the May River down by the Church of the Cross......what a beautiful day!!!

May 10, 2009.....my very first Mother's Day. What???....Me....a mom?....Oh yeah....Cannon really is my son and I'm not dreaming......this is my life and it is GREAT!! The day couldn't have been any more perfect with the sun shining and getting to spend the day hanging out with Cannon and Aaron. Life isn't just great, it's the life I have prayed many prayers to have and it's the life that makes me whole.

If your reading this and your a mother, I hope your heart is overflowing with the joys of motherhood. As crazy as it can get being a mom, I believe there is nothing more rewarding than knowing you can love a child far deeper than you ever knew love before. And this brings me to thanking my mom for loving me for the daughter that I am and for the mother I have become because of that love! I love you mom!

Weekend Pic

This sums up our weekend here at the Wheat household.....lots of sunshine & smiles!!!

I know my family in Dallas endured a lot of rain this weekend but I hope besides that everyone had a wonderful and blessed weekend!

An Okay Ending to this Rollercoaster Week!

Happy Friday Everyone!!!

After a couple rough days this week and a rough morning today, I decided Cannon and I needed to get out of the house and go shopping. Once we got back home he was in a much better mood and I was kicking myself for spending so much money. My excuse was (in case your reading this Aaron) is that Cannon starts daycare in a couple of weeks and he needed more clothes. Yes, that dreaded word....daycare. I think that has contributed to some of my sadness this week as well when we got the papers to fill out. With less than two weeks away, I know I will really have to continue to fight with my heart about this decision. Daycare is not a bad place, I am not a horrible mother and Cannon will not suffer as a child. I know these things just like I know the ocean has waves but as a new parent it is still going to be a difficult day when I return back to work and drop him off. I ask you to please keep me, Aaron and Cannon in your prayers as we get through this new chapter in our lives that is approaching.

Thank you Fasciano's for Cannon's CUTE outfit!!