Happy Birthday, Barry!

After our eventful weekend in North Carolina, we didn't think Barry's birthday could be very exciting. We were right! But I was determined to make it at least a little bit special for him. So, after work, I picked Canon up from Mrs. Sharon, then went to kidnap Barry from work to take him to dinner. We took him to the Red Elephant, a new restaurant in town that serves pizza, salads, and delicious funnel cakes! They were having their Grand Opening, and were eager to try it. Eric and Lauren went with us to celebrate.

After dinner, Barry and Canon wrestled around on the bed for awhile. As you may know, this is Canon's favorite place to play. There have been times where he has stood beside the bed, reaching up and whining to get up there. It's his own personal playground.
We don't mind too much, though. If it's getting late, and we need to wear him out quickly, we just throw him up there and toss some pillows at him. Here is a video of Canon and Barry wrestling the night of B's birthday. I didn't think anything of it while I was recording, but watching it later I realized how rough they play. Canon doesn't seem to mind, so I guess I can't be too worried.

Snow Day

Barry and I had been begging our friends for weeks to set aside a long weekend to visit my parents' house in Saluda, NC. We finally set a date for Valentine's Day weekend. This weekend also marked Ed and Barry's 29th birthdays, so it would be doubly special to all be together. We all took off work that Friday so that we could drive to the house on Thursday night. As it turned out, because of the snow that most of Alabama received that Friday, my school was canceled anyway!

Our guests included Ed and Leslie, Sam and Alicia, and Tracie and Wyatt. The ride to the mountains was easy enough - boys in one car, girls in the other . . . as usual. We arrived in NC about 2:00 a.m. Eastern time and went to bed soon after. All but Barry, Canon, and I were going to Sugar Mountain early the next day to do some skiing. While everyone else skiied, we hung out at the house, taking naps and watching TV. Sometime in the mid-afternoon, it started snowing. They were the tiniest of flakes, barely worth mentioning, so Barry and I decided to go into Hendersonville to eat lunch and go to the grocery store. By the end of our lunch, the snow was definitely coming down harder, but we didn't think a thing of it. We stopped at the store but only got some snacks and drinks because we were planning to meet our friends back in Saluda for dinner when they returned from their trip. This was a major mistake.

Once we got in the car to start the 20+ mile trek back to Saluda, we realized how quickly our little snow flurries were impeding our safe travel. Our first call to our friends included a discussion of the possibility that we might just want to eat quickly before heading up the mountain to the house. The next call - only minutes later - involved the introduction of the idea of take-out and eating at the house. Soon after, Barry instructed me to call our friends and inform them that we were going straight to the house, and they should follow suit. It is important to mention here that while we were on a windy, two-lane road, our friends were on a major interstate and were not feeling the stress of the icy roads as we were. I'm pretty sure they thought we were overreacting.

There is so much that I could write about to clearly illustrate the stress and anxiety that accompanied that twenty-mile stretch of road, but I'm pretty sure if I tell you that it took us over an hour and a half to drive it, you might get the idea. There were cars on the side of the road, cars (including ours) fish-tailing from side to side as the wheels grasped for traction on the icy pavement. All I could think about was the fact that if something happened to our car, I was going to have to figure out how to keep Canon warm, safe, and somewhat happy until help could come. Thankfully, my husband is somewhat of a stellar driver, and I was not faced with this predicament. But I will say that I had my doubts as we drove up the mountainside along a road with no guardrail. Prayer works, people!

We had to park about 1/4 mile from the house and walk straight uphill the rest of the way, but I accepted that situation with a smile. I carried Canon while Barry pushed a stroller full of groceries up the steep drive. When we finally arrived at the house, we got back in touch with our friends who, apparently, were experiencing some of our stress and anxiety. They decided to pull off and spend the night in a hotel. Barry was relieved! We watched the Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics and enjoyed a family night.

Our friends returned the next day (on Ed's birthday!) and we were eager to share our stories in person. We spent the rest of the trip enjoying the snow, relaxing, and sitting by the fire. Sam and Alicia brought Canon this adorable bear suit. I have to admit, I was a little skeptical when I first opened it, but it was perfect for our Snow Day!

This is my parents' mountain house. It's truly an amazing place - you can't help but be happy here.

That night, we decided to go into town for dinner. We knew the risk we were taking and ended up having to walk back up the hill again to the house. Barry carried Canon this trip, and I am so proud to report that he was worn out and his back hurt from carrying him! I really can't brag too much about my strength . . . I was running on pure adrenaline when I carried him up the night before.

The next day was Valentine's Day, so the boys surprised us all by cooking a huge delicious breakfast. Sam even brought Alicia an enormous Valentine's balloon. Canon especially enjoyed it.

We loaded the car later that afternoon and headed south. Though filled with some very desperate memories, we had a great time with our friends. I think next time, we'll go in the Fall when the leaves are changing. I've never heard of anyone being stranded by fallen leaves.

He's Walking!

I was fully prepared for the fact that Canon would not be walking before he turned 1. So you can imagine my surprise when, at 10 1/2 months old, he took his first steps.

Barry had just come home from work and, as usual, he and Canon were so excited to see each other. Barry held a toy out in front of Canon, and to our surprise, he shuffled his feet toward Barry to grab the toy. Of course, I grabbed the camera to record his second set of steps. Enjoy!

As 2009 Draws to an End

What a year it has been! A new house. A new baby. A new outlook on life. Is there anything more I can say but 10 . . . 9 . . . 8 . . . 7 . . . 6 . . . 5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .

Christmas in a Nutshell

Yeah, like condensing Christmas to a Blog entry is possible. However, I am going to try.

When I was looking at all of my pictures over the month of December, I was made aware of how many Christmases we actually had this year. While the sentimental side of me wants to pay tribute to each of them with a separate blog, the working-mother side of me is just too pooped. So, here is our Christmas in a nutshell. Some seemingly meaningless moments may be made into a much bigger deal than they should be, but hey! It's baby's first Christmas, and his Mama can do whatever she wants!!

Our first Christmas was bith best buddies Sam and Alicia. Sam has always been the best at giving gifts, and this year proved no differently. He gave Canon his first Christmas present (that he actually got to open), a walker that he, of course, loved. He shocked us all by actually walking around with it. We had no idea he could do this yet! Sam and Alicia spent the whole weekend with us, then returned to Mobile to get back to the real world. Thanks Sam & Alicia!

Our next Santa visit came from MyGoo and Amelia who came to deliver presents from the Hamilton family. Their visit was made even more special when my best childhood friend, Wimberly, showed up with them. We haven't seen each other in years (sad, really) and it was so great to catch up.

We had a great day together. Canon and I took them to a local spot for lunch, then we played in the park and opened some presents. Canon got his first (of many, I hope) nutcrackers from MyGoo and Doc. Nutcrackers are one of my favorite Christmas decorations, so when my Mom suggested starting this as an annual gift for Canon, I could not have been more excited.

He opened plenty of other fun things as well including some toy balls from Uncle Bert, Aunt Dauren, Graham, and Avett. He also got a "Baby's 1st Christmas" ornament that Steiney needle-pointed.

He and MyGoo spent some quality time together since they would not see each other again until after the new year. He sure loves his MyGoo!

And finally, our last Christmas. We spent the actual Christmas weekend in Birmingham and Winfield with the Moss Family. It started with a night in Birmingham at Big Mom's house. We opened lots of presents and had a delicious breakfast at Cracker Barrel the next morning. Canon's favorite thing was climbing in the opened boxes!

We then drove to Winfield to have Christmas with the Barry's. Canon got his second push-toy of the year (there were more to come) - a Winnie the Pooh airplane from Nonna and Poppa. Nonna was eager to give it to him, so he actually opened it on Christmas Eve. It couldn't have been planned any better. He loved his toy so much, that he was completely consumed the next morning while the rest of us enjoyed our gifts. Thanks, Nonna and Poppa.

Nonna's family showed up later that day. Barry's grandfather, Dr. Barry, made an especially good impression on Canon. They spent many quality hours together, touring the Christmas decorations at the house, singing lullabies, and sitting together to study even the most mundane things, like sippy cups! I've already offered to let him live with us whenever he is ready and willing.

On Christmas afternoon, Canon was very ready for a nap, but of course he was having too much fun to just lay down and close his eyes. So, like a good mother, I left him screaming in the Pack 'n Play until he wore himself out. Well, Dr. Barry wouldn't stand for that. "I'll get him to sleep" were his exact words, and he did. When I walked in to check on them, this is what I found:

It was my favorite Christmas present.

The following are some Christmas pictures that I couldn't help but share. It snowed Christmas morning, Canon's first time in the snow. Please pardon my attire. I got new boots that day, so I had to put them on immediately. Don't they look good with my pj's?

Annual Moss / Barry family photo.

I just have to brag for a second. I made these picture frames with my Cricut as gifts for various people. I thought they turned out pretty cute!

Naps with grandparents are the best!

Happy Birthday, Luke!

The Class of 2027 attended the first birthday party of fellow classmate, Luke Chavers, today. While Luke won't actually turn one until next week, we celebrated early to make sure the whole class could be in attendance. Canon, Ava, Colt, Julia, Collins, Adelaide, and all older siblings made an appearance at the event.

It was a memorable occasion, complete with new noise-making toys, babies who regularly stole toys from each other, and a giant cupcake. Not to mention the fabulous banner made by the Birthday Boy's Mother! Future Birthday Party Planners for the Class of 2027 will need to work hard to outdo this phenomenon. Personally, my money is on Julia Blank. Her dad is quite the Baby Birthday fanatic!

While this picture was not actually taken at the birthday party, these two are just too cute.

Christmas Carols (Revised Editions)

As we enter this Christmas season and I begin to decorate my house, I can't help but to hum my favorite Christmas tunes softly to myself. As things have changed so much in our family in these last few months, it seems appropriate to also change the lyrics to these Christmas carols to fit our new lifestyle. Of course, I have to share.




Oh, Christmas Tree
Oh, Christmas Tree,
Oh, Christmas Tree,
You're smaller than you used to be.

Oh, Christmas Tree,
Oh, Christmas Tree,
Because our nine-month-old baby . . .


Would pull your branches to the floor
And eat your ornament decor

Oh, Christmas Tree,
Oh, Christmas Tree,
We'll see you next year . . . maybe?

What Child is This?
What child is this,
Who will not rest?
It's late into the evening.

You're belly's filled.
But you won't be still.
You've shown no signs of sleeping.



This, this is Canon Moss,
At nine months old, he is the boss.
Haste! Haste! He's out the door . . .
I give up! Your dad can take care of it. . .


All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth,
My two front teeth,
Yes, my two front teeth.


Gee if I could only have my two front teeth,
Then I could eat more than mushed up carrots.

Road Rash

Many have heard this classic story, but, of course, I have to record it so that we never forget the day Barry threw Canon into the street.

It was a dark and stormy night. No, really . . . it was dark and stormy. We had just parked outside of Kyle and Mandy's house to pick them up to celebrate Mary's 30th birthday. We were sharing a baby-sitter, so we had Canon with us. I unstrapped Canon from his carseat and handed him to Barry to carry inside. After passing Canon off to his responsible father, I turned back to grab the diaper bag. It was then that I heard an unmentionable word yelled in the dark of the night. By the time I made it out and around to the front of the car, Barry handed me a screaming Canon and told me to get inside quickly to make sure he was ok. Barry was very shaken up, and I worried that he was just as upset as Canon.

When we got inside, the whole story finally came out. Barry had accidentally stepped into a 4-ft. deep hole at the end of the driveway. Kyle and Mandy live in an older section of town, and apparently these holes were once used to store trash. When Barry stepped into the hole, he fell forward a bit and worried that he was going to land on Canon. To save him from such a crush, Barry did what any rational adult would do in this type of situation . . . he tossed Canon out in front of him . . . and into the wet street.

We're not sure exactly how he landed, but by the time Barry made it to Canon, he was covered in wet leaves and dirt. Once in the light, we saw that he had several scratches on his head but no other major damage was done. He cried for just a couple of minutes, then we stuck him in a sink full of warm water, and he was good as new. Barry and I could not say the same for ourselves.

Don't you wish adults could bounce back from traumatic experiences this easily!

9 Months

In such a crazy month, we've almost overlooked how old this little one is getting. He's still got the sweetest personality, rarely fussing or frustrated. Now that he's crawling he's a bit harder to keep up with, but we're managing. One of the best things about this age is that you can really tell that his memory is developing. When I take him in his bedroom to undress him for his bath, if I put him on the floor, he crawls straight to the bathroom, then pulls up on the side of the bath to wait. It's so much fun!

Here are some pictures from our growing monster. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving 2009

What an event! This year, we traveled to Saluda, NC, to celebrate Thanksgiving with the Hamilton family. In attendance were Doc and MyGoo, the Trey Hamiltons, the Gregory family, GGMama, the Williams family + Rene (Mary Canon's boyfriend) and, of course, us. My little brother, Robert and his wife and kids couldn't make it this year. Robert just recently started a new job, and he wasn't able to take time off so soon. It was, to say the least, a very full house. GGMama literally slept in the closet. (She refuses to take up a whole bedroom by herself, so MyGoo and Doc put a twin bed in their enormous closet to appease her!).

There was never a dull moment. We arrived about midnight on Wednesday and were happy to see so much of the family still awake and waiting for us. Thanksgiving day was full of movement as people took turns cooking, cleaning, and entertaining young children. Canon and I were not very involved in this part of the day. Instead we let Barry represent our family in the festivities while we took a two-hour nap. We woke up just in time for the big meal. I unintentionally packed some Turkey & Veggies baby food for Canon, so he was able to enjoy the meal with us. He also had his first taste of real sweet potatoes.

I can't be certain, but I think he enjoyed it.

He was pretty pooped once it was all over, so he took another nap with MyGoo.

The next day was reserved for the Iron Bowl. We did some mild shopping in downtown Saluda and lunch at the Purple Onion before returning home to watch the game. All the kids donned their Alabama attire for the event. Roll Tide! I should mention here that all of the men in the house (excluding my uncle who grew up in Georgia) are rabid Alabama fans, while MyGoo and her sister, Deborah, grew up just outside of Auburn and share GGMama's love for the Tigers. Things remained civil, however, and there was an enormous sigh of relief when Bama scored with less than two minutes left to pull ahead by 5. I think even the Auburn fans would agree that the Tide's win made the rest of the weekend much more pleasant.

After the game, it was family picture time. MyGoo wanted one good picture of all her grandchildren for her Christmas card. Of course, Graham and Avett will be added later, but we made it our mission to take one decent photograph. When a camera is pointing at Canon alone, he's generally pretty happy. He'll smile or at least do something interesting. When Canon is with a small army of people and cameras are flashing, his cheeks get heavy and pull his mouth into the deepest frown you've ever seen. Case in point, the Halloween pictures and now . . . Thanksgiving. At least he didn't cry in any of these.

This is all of us trying to get these poor children to smile.

MyGoo and Doc with the grandkids. GGMama with her grandkids. Several years ago, Trey missed a Thanksgiving gathering because of some commitment he had while in college. My grandmother is notorious for the singing toys she collects from year to year. That particular year, she received a singing turkey. Because Trey wasn't there, we posted a sign on its belly to remind us in the years to come that Trey did not make that particular Thanksgiving event. As fate would have it, this same turkey somehow made it to the mountains this year, and wasn't it fitting that we needed him to represent our baby brother for this year's family photo?

After pictures, the young children opened a few Christmas presents from the family, and we celebrated GGMama's 89th birthday. Aunt Deborah baked the most delicious cookie-dough cupcakes!

About three weeks ago, my dad had emergency surgery to remove his galbladder. As he is still in the recovery phases, he is not able to lift heavy loads or do any strenuous activity. For those of you who do not know my dad, this is a real challenge for this man who never sits still and does everything on his own. I was surprised to see that, for the most part, he obeyed doctor's orders and delegated responsibilities to the younger generations. I think it helped that Canon wanted to spend some quality time with him. If you haven't already noticed, Canon and Doc hung out quite a bit.

It was really a great weekend. The only thing that would have made it better was if Robert, Dauren, and their boys had been able to make the trip. I guess that's what happens when a family gets this big . . .

Just Because

Nothing exciting to write these days, but I wanted to share some cute photos of our Big Guy.

Canon has been falling a lot lately, hence the bruised forehead.

Hanging out in the park with Colt.

Getting ready for football on a Saturday morning with Dad.

Luke let us borrow his walker. This is him teaching Canon how to use it.

And He's Off . . .

It's official!  Canon is mobile. He's been working on it for weeks, and now he's finally crawling.  It has made for some eventful evenings (and lots of extra bruises!). He's always been pretty laid back, and his crawling is no different.  He's not in a hurry - just cool and steady.  He's also pulling up on things - again, causing plenty of extra bruising.  It's interesting to watch him figure all of this out.  It's not just a matter of him grabbing hold of something and pulling himself up.  He has to figure out how to get the perfect distance away from it before pulling up.  He has to maneuver his feet to allow for maximum support (he looks like he could roll his ankle at any minute).  Then, once he's finally up, he has to figure out how to get back down.  I never realized what problem-solvers babies are.  I'll let him show you. 

Bath Time

I have loved each new phase of Canon's life . . . maybe more than the previous ones. I don't think that it's because each new phase is actually better than the ones before. I think that, just like Canon, this is all new for me. When he does something for the first time, it's the first time for me, too. It's just so exciting to watch him do new things, so those new things feel more exciting than the things he's already mastered. Having said that, this stage in his development is the best so far, especially at bath time. While he tolerated bath time in the first couple of months of life, he has started enjoying it more and more as he is able to do more. Now that he is sitting up on his own, he loves to splash and kick and have water poured in his face. It's one of our favorite times together! I think the pictures and video speak better than I can.