Kanan and Fireman Garret pose for Mommy

A local Fire Department just opened today and so families eveywhere came to the gorgeous property to watch the ceremony, eat hotdogs and cotton candy, take tours, sit inside the firetrucks, experience smoke simulations and learn safety tips, as well as dress up in fireman clothes.

Kanan and I got there around 11 o’clock and endured the humid morning by keeping ourselves occupied with the excitement of the fire department. Kanan did all the above minus the food. He really enjoyed getting behind the wheel of one of the firetrucks. And during the smoke simulation, when Fireman Garret told us to get on our knees and crawl out of the house, Kanan decided to lay down in a yoga position coincidentally called “child’s pose” until we gave up our Kanan calls and I picked him up and carried him out of the “fire.” It was funny. Later I waited for 15 minutes in line with my spirited child (mother’s of spirited children understand what I’m taking about) to get a cool plastic fireman hat, but learned they ran out just two people ahead of us. We then decided to leave for lunch instead of wait in the much longer line for free hotdogs.

Here is a cute picture of Kanan. Feel free to see more through the Flickr thumbnails down below. He doesn’t look impressed, but he did enjoy himself. He just didn’t like holding poses for his silly mom and her darn camera.

Kanan made a linguistic leap this last week in his communication. He is pure boy and just like his father in that he LOVES being outside, water, and wheels. But he just might be a chatterbox like myself. In the last update I had given a list of words he could say, but the list DOUBLED in the last week! Here is the updated list with the new words in italics. We are sooooo impressed and of course, we think our child is brilliant. Doesn’t everybody? (Winks)

Kanan’s Words

1. Mom (mum)
2. Dad (dada)
3. doggy (duggy)
4. kitty (kitty)
5. car (cah)
6. light (light)
7. flower (flohwr)
8. Yes (yuh or yah)
9. Can I have that? (canahada?)
10. cracker (cacka)
11. choo-choo train (coo-coo or coo-coo chen)
12. Grandma (Gama) 
13. Night Night (nana)
14. basketball (basketball).

Some words that he understands, but doesn’t use are “no,” “are you hungry?,” and “eyes.” When I read a book, I ask him “where are baby’s eyes?” and he points at baby’s eyes. It is so cool. When I ask him if he’s hungry, he will either get all excited and look toward the kitchen or even say “ya” or if not, he will just talk to me in his babytalk about something I don’t understand but is obviously not food. If we say “no” he stops and stares and then he either listens and stops or he will slowly do it while watching us in order to test if we are serious or not. The little booger!

While Kanan has been sick for the last half of this month, he is still reaching milestones and is in good spirits. He can stand without support and balance on his own for a good 5 seconds and Mike told me today that he stood by himself for a good 30 seconds last night. He is also starting to push his toys along the floor as he shuffles behind upright on his knees. (Note to self: add push toys to Kanan’s Christmas list). Just this morning he found his favorite puppet Mr. Cat and picked it up and hugged it affectionately. It was the first time I have ever seen him show affection to an inanimate object and I awed in adoration at the sight. He loves Loves LOVES his big boy baths and plays in the water every night before bed. My sister babysat Sunday night while Mike and I went to a Christmas show in Coronado Island with some family and she said that Kanan did not want to get out of the tub. She had to empty and refill it 3 times because the water turned cold. He played for an hour until his hands were so shriveled, she made him get out regardless of his cries.

Kanan is also getting very good and chewing his finger foods. He smacks his gums together so proudly. He is eating pieces of shredded chicken, ground beef, pasta, cheese, raisins (cut in thirds), canned fruit, cheerios, and deli meat. He has recently decided he no longer likes peas and will spit them out at the first bite. He loves food so much now, I have to make sure and prepare him a snack if I plan on having one, because if he can’t have a bite of what I’m having or if he is not eating when I’m eating, he flips! So I have to either prepare a snack that Kanan can try from my plate, or make him something also.

While we have yet to take him in for his 9-month-checkup, on our scale he weighs 21 1/2 lbs (as of a week ago), which seems to follow his typical pattern of one pound a month.

Mike and I fall deeper in love with him every day. He is such a joy to have and we are so grateful to be blessed by his playful spirit and his innocent glee for life. Watching him awe over simple things like light bulbs and carpet fuzzies has given us a new perspective on the little things we used to take for granted everyday. I recommend that everyone (if mentally and emotionally capable and financially ready of course) experience parenthood. It is by far the best thing I have ever done in my life. Life has developed a vigorous purpose that I have never once felt before. It is very fulfilling.

Click HEREfor pics. Videos for the last couple of months are still in process of uploading to the internet. Ever since I got this new camera, I’ve had problems uploading my vids to Picasa. I think the quality is too high and so it is a bigger file and therefore, too big for Picasa to handle. I may have to upload my videos to photobucket and try it that way.

Here Kanan plays with his new play center and his 10-month-old friend

Deagan on Thanksgiving Day.