A Year In Review

Cannon, baby, my how you've added to our family!  You are so full of laughter (and squeals!) it fills our house and makes our family whole.  It's exciting to watch your personality develop and change.  This is our assessment to date:

• There is no changing your mind when you want something.  No hiding or distracting will deter you from what you have your eyes set on.  You'll be playful and play along, but tease you too long, and watch out!  A guttural scream will erupt!
• You are independent for a one year-old and have no problem leaving us to go explore.
• You love to try new foods, especially the bites that are going into a grown-ups mouth.  You have the biggest and most versatile appetite of your brothers.  It's exciting to feed you new things!
• I wouldn't say you're a 'solid sleeper.'  I mean, you sleep through the night an' all, and take a couple naps during the day, but you don't love to sleep.  You wake up easily and are never grumpy wanting more sleep.  It's probably a necessary trait given you're the third child and are often robbed of sleep.  
• Dad and Uncle Alex (and any other hairy relative, for that matter) agrees that you have an iron grip and have a knack for pulling chest hair to the point of making grown men yelp!  They would swear you enjoy hearing them squeal--which makes you twist and pull harder. 
• You are stubborn, stubborn, stubborn!  There is no greater example of this than nursing versus bottle feeding.  You did not want to nurse your first week of life.  Honestly, you brought me to tears trying to make it work.  Finally, when you decided, you nursed and nursed and nursed. Jump to month seven, I'm returning to work, and you refused a bottle!  Grammy and Daddy fed you with a syringe like a baby bird! I hope your stubbornness pays off for you in life.  Stubbornness often translates into perseverance.

We love you to the moon and back, baby Cannon.  

We are so thankful God blessed us with you to love and raise. 

XOXO,

Mommy

My Daddy Is The Best Because...

Harrison- "He plays the shark game with me in the swimming pool.  He's the best shark. And he jumps off the diving board."

Gavin- "He wrestles with me.  He pretends to be Batman and I'm Black Spider Man."  Me- "Who usually wins when you and Daddy wrestle?"  Gavin- "We both win.  It's awesome!!"

Cannon-Mommy translates my screams and gestures into..."My Daddy is the best because he holds me ALL the time and lets me pull in his goatee and even lets me share his drink.  He's the best!!"

Happy Father's Day, My Love.

Punta Cana 2012

 Gran Bahia Principe
 Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

For Christmas my Dad gifted us with a unforgettable trip to the Dominican Republic.  It was an amazing trip that I've been looking forward to since Christmas.  The anticipation of the trip was second only to the trip itself.  For seven glorious days it was everything I'd hoped for. 

The Bruisers.  Less than ten minutes after this picture was taken the older two boys were stripped down to their skivvies playing in the ocean.  What was I thinking that we could go to the beach and stay relatively dry?  We had to make a trip back to our room to change again before dinner.  But, hey, it's vacation, right?

We were long overdue for a family picture. Updated family photo? Check!

What better back drop then a beautiful ocean?

We  took an amazing excursion on these dune buggys through a jungle trail. Harrison rode with Grandad and squealed with every splash of water they plowed.  

We first drove to a deserted beach with amazing views.  We played in the ocean for a little while before heading to what felt like an 'Indiana Jones' adventure.

 We hiked through the jungle on a path that narrowed and winded through the trees and rocks.  The path led us to caves that, for a brief minute, I questioned what I was doing on this crazy adventure.  I'm so glad I didn't turn around because the cave opened up to this.....a breath taking lagoon.  

 It took some gusto to jump in due to the water being a constant 55 degrees!

Uncle Justin has mastered what no one before or after him will be able to do--come home from a beach vacation paler than when you left. 

It's hard to see here, but Harrison is standing on the rocks about to do an impressive cannon ball into the water.  He was, by far, the youngest person brave enough to jump from the rocks into the chilly water.  Everyone cheered for him when he came up from the water. 

These are the desserts I partook in T.I.D.  (that's three times daily for you non-medical people) I ate and ate and loved every minute of it. 

Eat your heart out 'Beaches Resort' commercials!  

You ain't got nothing on this!

The nightly entertainment ranged from Michael Jackson impersonators to a beauty-like contest crowning 'Mr. Principe' of the resort.  The hosts went through the audience looking for men willing to participate in the contest.  Reluctantly, (or maybe not so reluctant!) my Dad was pulled on stage!  Round after round, elimination after elimination my Dad held his ground.  Through dance off contests and Simon-says games he persevered to the final round where he donned a dress, wig, and microphone and did a spot-on impersonation of Madonna singing 'like a virgin' from the 1984 MTV music awards (yes, that includes the writhing around on the ground. In a dress. My dad.)  My friends, you are looking at reigning Mr. Principe himself! For the rest of the week he was recognized all over the resort!  It's a laugh that keeps on giving.

Gavin was hard to contain.  He wanted to be free to fight the waves and beat the bad guys. His imagination is limitless.

Me and my boys.  These boys could live at the beach.  

The sand, waves, water, fish, people watching...all of it!

Cannon, like his brothers, loved the beach, too!  Although he preferred the sand to the water.  He crawled around like a little baby sea turtle leaving sand tracks as he explored. 

Thanks, Mr. Principe Dad, for a fantastic, unforgettable, vacation.