The Journal of Two Childless Parents

Day One: Leaving Canon
Nonna and Poppa have asked to keep Canon this week until we come back to Birmingham for an Engagement Shower for Sam and Alicia next weekend. As work has steadily becoming more and more hectic, we agreed that that might not be a bad idea. So this morning, after getting Canon ready for church, we loaded him into Nonna's car and watched them pull away. We left shortly after to head back home.

Day Two: Dinner and a Movie
This is actually a tradition that we started with Josh and Mary about three years ago. Because you have to eat dinner at 5:30 in order to make a 7:00 movie and because we just can't make ourselves eat until at least 7:00, we usually opt for the "Purse Dining" experience. It goes a little something like this.
6:50 Approach Krystals drive-through and place order.

6:53 Stuff bags of food in oversized purse to sneak into theater.

6:58 Buy movie tickets as quickly as possible before movie attendants notice savory delicious smell of burger and fries.
7:00 Find seat and enjoy food in the dark while the first previews roll.

This is a much easier process if the theater is fairly empty, as was ours on this particular night. You can barely see the head of the one other man in the theater.

Date nights are so much fun!!


Day Three: Joint Commission Arrives
Joint Commission is basically the Boss of the Boss in the healthcare world. This is a small group of people that come to a hospital every four years and check to make sure everything is running correctly. Barry had his first experience with Joint Commission as a Resident, but now as the Interim Senior VP, his reponsibilities have changed quite a bit. It's going to be a long week!

Day Four: Work-aholics
I have decided to mimic the work ethic of Barry this week and work a little later than usual. As a non-tenured teacher, I still have to be formally observed and evaluated by my principal. I know she's observed several others in my situation so it can't be too long until my turn arises. Might as well be as prepared as possible. Barry is still working hard to appease the visitors at his hospital. So far, so good.

Day Five: Observation
While teachers are normally observed during Reading or Math, the new system that has been put into place allows for observations at any time during the day. So, I was not too surprised when my principal came into my room at 1:30 this afternoon to conduct her evaluation. Thankfully, my late night yesterday worked out. Though my lesson wasn't in my plans, I was well prepared and conducted a very short but somewhat interesting lesson about Earth Day. On another positive note, Barry's hospital is still getting good marks. Joint Commission will be gone tomorrow. In keeping with our original plan of returning to some of our pre-Canon traditions, we ordered Kyoto take-out and met Josh and Mary at Kyle and Mandy's for dinner . . . ah, the good old days!


Day Six: Road Trip
After meeting Sam and Alicia in Montgomery, we finished the drive to Birmingham to stay with some old friends - Jamie, Bob, and Eleanor Dabal. Nonna had requested that they keep Canon an extra night so that Big Mom could spend some time with him. While we were very eager to see him, we agreed and decided to stay up late hanging out with our friends. Of course, late turned out to be somewhere close to 11:30, which sadly is very late for us!!!

Day Seven: He's Back!!!
Nonna and Poppa brought Canon to Jamie and Bob's house around lunch time today. The last time we got him back from them, Canon wanted attention only from Barry. He didn't care about me or anybody else in the room - only his Da Da. This time, I decided I wasn't going to get my feelings hurt again. When they drove up, I walked outside a few paces ahead of Barry. Canon looked at me with a sleepy, grumpy expression then turned his head toward Barry and immediately began fidgeting in his carseat. That was my hint that this reunion would be much like the last one. I helped Poppa unload the car while Barry got Canon. I carried bags upstairs, listened while Nonna told me various things I needed to know from the previous week, and pretty much did everything I could think of that would keep me from trying to pick him up (which would inevitably lead to him fussing and my heart breaking). Finally, after a few minutes of loving on Barry, getting acquainted with Eleanor, and exploring the Dabal's foyer, he finally came to me and reached his hands up for me. The wait was so worth it! It's such an amazing feeling to be wanted. For the rest of the weekend, Canon gave Barry and I equal attention and my heart remained intact.

That night we had so much fun hanging out with friends we haven't seen in awhile. Sam and Alicia got some great gifts (which we later crammed into the back of the Tahoe along with all of Canon's gear from Nonna and Poppa's). Because Canon was a little nervous being in a new place - and I'm thinking he may have been a little worried that we would leave him again - he refused to go to bed and ended up spending some time with us at the party. He was a big hit, especially with Lydia whom he repeatedly ran to for a big hug. I love that he is beginning to recognize more and more people!

We had a wonderful week doing some of the things that we don't get to do that often (like going to the movies and working late with no guilt), but it is so much better having Canon home with us. Things are just more fun when he's here!
Even milkshakes are better . . .

Canon Goes Under the Knife

Though I haven't written much about it, Canon's chronic ear infections have been a big part of our lives for the last few months. Since Christmas, he's had at least three, and there were a few others before that. When he began running a fever a couple of weeks ago, we decided it was time to visit the ENT. As we suspected, the doctor recommended that Canon have tubes put in his ears. I was relieved. Besides the ear infections, he's had a runny nose since last July, and his balance just isn't getting any better. (Yes, I realize that this might not have anything to do with his ears, but a mother can hope, can't she? I'm certain DHR will be knocking on my door soon to question the dozens of bruises on his forehead).
They say that this kind of procedure is worse on the parents than the child, but I have to say that I wasn't worried about the actual surgery. I was worried, however, about two things: 1) Canon's behavior on the morning of the surgery, and 2) the possibility that we will have to go through it more than once (still worried about that one, actually).
We were told at our pre-op appointment that Canon would not be allowed to eat or drink anything after midnight the night before his surgery. I may not have mentioned this before, but Canon is the type that likes to be fed IMMEDIATELY after waking up. When he was still taking bottles, I used to have one ready for him when he woke up so that he could drink while I changed his diaper. Otherwise, he would pitch a royal fit and just ruin both of our mornings. Since the bottle has disappeared, I still fulfill his thirst and hunger needs IMMEDIATELY before progressing with any other part of our morning. As you can imagine, I was worried that this particular morning would go particularly badly.
Fortunately, the worst did not happen. I woke Canon up and raced him to the car before he had time to protest. By the time we reached the hospital, he seemed to have forgotten about breakfast altogether. His normal morning moodiness did kick in eventually, so the nurses took us back to our room a little early.
I wasn't expecting it, but they had a little baby hospital gown waiting for us. It was so cute, as you can see. I just love his big belly!

I normally don't let him play with my cell phone, but I felt sorry for the little guy this time. He also enjoyed playing with the bed / TV controls.

Before long, the nurses came in and gave him his "loopy" medicine. He didn't do anything ridiculously hilarious while under the influence, but it was pretty funny just to watch him. He would look at Barry, then shake his head a couple of times (kind of like a double-take) before looking at him again. His head would bob up and down, as if he couldn't quite hold it steady. Again, so cute!!! He was very affectionate, which I loved. My normally independent toddler actually wanted me to hold and hug him - priceless!

When they came to get him for surgery, I walked with him to "the doors." I'm so used to handing him off, saying "Bye, Bye" and getting away quickly before he gets upset that I really didn't take much time to reassure him before going under. It wasn't until I was half-way back to the room that I realized I could have been a little more sensitive with my departure. Note to Self: Work on Walking-Away techniques.

The doctor called back to the room after the surgery to tell me that everything had gone well but that it was pretty disgusting. When he cut the eardrum, lots of gunk flowed out. I'm not surprised - his pediatricians have been noticing lots of fluid back there lately.

It wasn't until the nurses brought him back to the room that I felt like a completely incompetent mother. Because he wasn't allowed to have anything to eat or drink before the surgery, I didn't pack a sippy cup for fear that he would find it in his bag and get upset. A horrified "No Sippy Cup?" from the nurses made me want to cry, so I did what any paniced mother would - I blamed it all on Barry (because they knew him!) who showed up heroically only moments later with apple juice, a cup, and a straw. Canon, who had never drank from a straw before, sucked down two cups of apple juice in no time. He also ate a bowl of Fruit Loops and a cereal bar before we were discharged.

The poor guy was exhausted, but after a one hour nap, he was back to his old self again. We spent the rest of the day playing and hanging out. I also held him as much as he would let me . . .

Easter 2010

As I planned for this year's Easter celebration, I was so excited that this was Canon's first Easter. His first Easter basket, first Easter Egg Hunt, first everything to do with Easter. And then I realized . . . this isn't his first Easter. He was exactly one month old on Easter Day 2009, and his terrible mother didn't do a single thing for him. So yes, this is his first Easter basket, his first Easter Egg Hunt . . . but it's actually his second Easter. I guess you could say we're teaching him humility? Generosity? Forgetfulness? Surely there's a meaningful lesson in there somewhere!!! At least I got these precious pictures of him in our yard. No family picture this year.

Maybe we're teaching him to make up for the things you do badly by having all of your friends over. The Parrishes, Yates, and Chavers came over for a Pot-Luck Easter lunch. We also had some new friends: One of Kyle's partners, Emily Jones, brought her two kids over as well. She lives in our neighborhood, and her husband was recently deployed to Iraq.

After lunch, we hung out in the park for most of the afternoon. We had to alternate nap time because we had limited sleeping options. Eventually, all of the kids were rested and happy. While the other adults lounged in the adirondack chairs, Barry walked around hiding eggs for the older kids to hunt. There may still be a few hidden in some higher branches!!

And we can't forget Canon's obsession with putting Easter baskets on his head. While Luke and Colt were napping, Canon played by himself with the unused Easter baskets.

You never know how tall your child is getting until he starts taking his own food off the table. Canon really loved Brandy's cheese straw cookies.

Before long, we realized that it was dinner time, so we pulled out the leftovers and just kept eating. Aren't holidays the best!?!

Mr. Bucket Head

After posting "You Should See the Other Guy," a sad but true story about the many meetings between Canon's head and the floor, I got quite a few responses regarding the need for Canon to wear a helmet. As it turns out, he had the same idea. These pictures were taken on Easter Day. While all of the other kids were out hunting for candy-filled plastic eggs, Canon had his mind on protective head gear.

Obviously the helmet wasn't enough, so he also found a gun . . . just in case the floor decides to fight back harder next time.