Andy, Megan, Parker & Cole

New Family Pics

2012-01-08T20:25:00.000-08:00

Hello World!! It's been a long time! One of my many resolutions is to blog more frequently. Our boys are now 4 & 1. I can hardly believe it! They are so fun, sweet, wild & crazy! I wanted to capture their personalities in film, so we met with Laura at Watermelon Photography in late November. I LOVE every picture she takes! If you were to visit right now, you might find our house wallpapered with these. So, here are our most recent family photos! Hope you like!

Cole's squishy face grin!

So proud to be 4!

Wishing you MUCH LOVE & all the best in 2012!!

Back to School!

2011-08-29T21:49:00.000-07:00

Today was Parker's first day of school! Can you tell he was super excited about his new back pack??

Parker wanted Cole to be a part of his pictures. He kept asking if Cole could come to his classroom, too. He's such a sweet big brother...most of the time, haha!

Walking into school...

Outside his new class, the blue room. Blue is Parker's favorite color, so this went over well!

While I was a little nervous about how he would settle in, it was all for not. Parker did great! He found his seat and got to work on his puzzle. I was a little sad on my way to the car. Summer went by way too fast and before I know it this guy will be FOUR years old!

Luckily, I had this guy to hang out with & cheer me right up!

Oh, how I love my boys!!

Beach Pics 2011

2011-08-03T09:20:00.000-07:00

No trip to Destin would be complete with out some pictures on the beach! We ended up with over 500 pictures, so it was pretty hard to narrow down! It's always fun to compare and see how the kids have grown from year to year. Here are just a few of my favorites from this year!!

Beach Boys

2011-07-20T19:49:00.000-07:00

First of all, to my handful of readers, I'm sooo sorry for my lack of posts! We were on vacation in Destin, been fightin' some ear, eye & tonsil infections, been getting new teeth, not taking many naps, making stuff for JoJa Q and trying to get caught up on all the house/laundry fun that never ends! :)

We had a great trip to Destin. Lots & Lots of fun in the sand & surf!

I Love the beach! If I could pick up Dallas and set it seaside, I totally would. I think Andy feels the same way, so it's no surprise we're raising a couple o' beach loving boys. No matter what was going on, both boys were always up for some fun in the sand. I can't wait to take them back next year! Here's a few pics of my beach boys!

Sunscreen? check. Hat? check. Fake smile? check. Now can I go to the beach??

Right after Cole realized he was wearing a sun hat, but before he tried valiantly to remove it...

Parker LOVED seeing his name in the sand!

Cole LOVED sitting in his lil' pool.

Silly skinny boy!!

Cute chunky monkey!!

I think we've entered the Superhero phase. You'll be happy to hear Spiderman also enjoyed the beach, ocean & pool. Parker also did lots of "saving the day."

I have about 600 more picture to go thru. Am I a little shutter happy? Perhaps.

But until then, hopefully this will tide you over ;)

Cole is 5, er...ahem, 6 months old!

2011-06-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

So again, let me aplogize for being so behind on blogging!!

This little cutie is 5, er..ahem, 6 months old!

As always, time is flying and I want to push pause!! He's growing and changing so fast!!

Cole has started eating babyfood, been promoted to the big tub with Parker, is sitting up, is "crawling" and has his 2 middle bottom teeth. He's been baptized, gone swimming, celebrated his first Easter, been to the aqaurium, the arboretum and slept thru his first movie.

He's now in 6-12 month clothes and a size 2 or 3 shoe. He wears size 3 diapers. He eats 5 to 6 times a day and has solid food 2 or 3 times. He's sleeping thru the night from around 9pm to 7am. He's napping 2 to 3 times a day and ususally (fingers crossed!) one nap is around 2 hours.

He's still a very big boy!! At his 6 month appointment he weighed 21 lbs (93%), was 28 inches long (91%) and had a head circumference of 18 inches (92%).

He discovered that he could stick his tongue out and does it all the time!

He's found his thumb and loves to suck on it, his 2 middle fingers or his whole hand! He's given up most pacifiers, but occasionally likes to chew on his wub-a-nubbs.

These days, he's all about tummy time! It's darn near impossible to change his diaper! As soon as I lay him on his back, he's trying flip back onto his stomach. We now have a basket of toys on the changing table to distract him long enough to get him dressed.

Although he can sit, again, he prefers to be on his tummy. He's far too busy trying to chew on something he's not supposed to have (Parker's toys, cords, lent, shoes.....) than to sit still and play.

He continues to be the sweetest, happiest baby ever! Whenever I see his big blue eyes & precious smile, my heart just melts. He smiles all the time. And he loves to smile & scream! He found his voice and uses it all the time. I love hearing all his cute baby babbles. We have lots of "conversations!" Andy's concerned that Cole may talk just as much as Parker. I don't know where they get it....Poor Andy!!

He's also discovered his toes! He loves to grab and chew on them. From a sitting position, he folds his body in half to chew on his feet...it's a pretty funny sight. I'll try to snap a picture.

And he's officially mobile!! He "crawls" with an army crawl, bear walk, belly flop, roll combination. It seems to get him where he wants to go. He does get up on all fours, but hasn't put it all together. A few times this week, he pushed himself from a crawl position up into an almost sitting pose, but he tends to tip over before he sits up all the way. He also LOVES to jump....in his saucer, jumparoo or in your lap, this kid can jump! He even tries to jump when he's laying on the floor. We're building some serious leg muscles here. He's such a busy bee!!

We continue to love him sooooo much!

Being his mama is such a joy & blessing. I thank God for him every day! & his brother! More on what that little dude has been up to soon!

Better late than never....

2011-05-21T20:26:00.000-07:00

It's come to my attention that I'm a bit behind on blogging....

It's such a bummer because I love to blog!! But lately I just haven't had the time. After a day of keeping up with Parker and Cole, getting this house sorta clean & organized, making meals, doing laundry, running errands, getting kids fed, bathed, in bed, and making cute things for JoJa Q boutique, I just don't have much time left. I can either sleep or blog, and I've been choosing sleep. Afterall, it is usually around 1:00 am when I make said choice. I'm really hoping to find a few extra minutes here and there to devote to my blog. I really have missed it and I know my handful of readers have missed seeing these cute boys.

So better late than never.....Happy Easter 2011!!!

My bouncing boy bunnies

Our Lil' Fam

The Jackson Cousins

My bunnies with real bunnies

And lastly, Cutie Cole.

Can you tell in the picture that he's the sweetest baby ever??

Just sayin'...

Soon to come....Cole's 5 months old, Cole's 6 months old, Soccer, School's Out and next week we start swim lessons! Things are kinda crazy round here! But I love every minute and wouldn't have it any other way...except for maybe a little more sleep, wink-wink!!

Brotherly Love

2011-04-04T22:17:00.000-07:00

Can you tell how much Cole adores his big brother??

Seeing these little guys interact just melts my heart.

Love them!!

Can You Believe It??

2011-04-04T21:30:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? I'm four months old!

See my shirt? And my hand??

This month I mastered rolling over from my back to my tummy. I'm a pro at flipping over now and I can really hold my head up. I sometimes surprise myself at how fast I can flip over!

Despite my flipping skills, I still don't love tummy time. I get frustrated and Mommy has to flip me back over. It's a fun game and we play it all day long....

This month I visited Dr. Bill for my well check. My stats are impressive!

Weight: 18 pounds, 11 ounces, 95%

Height: 27 inches, 95 %

I'm still a good eater. I eat 5 to 6 times a day or every three hours. I nap 3 or 4 times a day and sleep through the night, from 11 to 7. Every once in a while, I wake up around 4:30am for a snack. Really, I just like to keep Mommy on her toes. I'm still wearing size 3 diapers and size 3-6 month clothes, although next week, I'll officially be into size 6-12.

This month I went on my first trip. We traveled to KY to visit Daddy's family. I was an awesome traveler! I was great on the plane and slept in a little tent at night. My parents are no longer terrified of traveling with two kids!

I continue to be the happiest, sweetest baby ever! I can charm anyone with my cute grins and big blue eyes. My main dislikes are being strapped in my car seat and not getting enought attention. Luckily for my parents I'm easy to to please. Just pick me up and I'm all smiles again. Mommy gives me lots of kisses. Daddy loves to make me laugh. And Parker always makes me smile and translates what I'm trying to say. My family loves me so much!

Stay tuned! I can't wait to see what I learn next month!

Pajama Party!

2011-03-16T07:34:00.000-07:00

I like dressing my boys alike. It's super cute when they coordinate. Parker loves it when they match, especially their pajamas.

Sometimes I even join in on the fun :-)

Looking forward to some days in our pjs this Spring Break!

3 Months!

2011-03-15T20:12:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe Cole is already 3 months old! (Actually as I write this, he's 4 months old. Hopefully that post is coming soon!) This month, as always, just flew by! He's a fast growing boy. He's up to 16 pounds 3 ounces and 26 inches long. This month he was promoted to size 3-6 month clothes and size 3 diapers. Cole continues to be the best baby ever...in my unbiased opinion ;) He's happy about 95% of the time. His fussiness is almost always relieved by eating, walking around or getting out of his car seat. His hair, while thinning, is reddish brown. He's worn off the sides and back, but still has lots on the top. His complexion remains fair and rosy toned. His eyes are still big, blue and gorgeous. I really think they might stay that way. Andy has dark brown eyes, I have hazel green, and Parker has such dark brown eyes, I never imagined we'd have a blue eyed baby.

Cole has found his voice and has lots to say. He keeps us entertained with coos, ah-goos, gurgles, grunts, laughs, chuckles, growls and howls. He loves, loves, loves, his playmat and will lay there and play happily for up to an hour. He knows to kick the side to turn the music back on and can easily reach/grab the toys. He really likes the side to side motion on the swing (Thanks Chase & Jennifer!!!) Cole enjoys his bouncy seats and has recently started sitting in his bumpo. His newest trick is inch worming across the floor on his back. One night he made it all the way across our family room. I think his favorite source of entertainment might be Parker. His eyes follow him everywhere and he ALWAYS has a smile for his big brother!

The biggest change this month (for Mommy anyway...) was moving Cole from our room to his nursery. I realized he was almost 2 pounds over the weight limit of his bassinet and after lots of "encouragement" from Andy, I gave in. Parker was in our room for 4 months, so this was a big step. For Cole, the transition was seamless. And thanks to a video monitor, I'm doing well with it, too. He sleeps in his crib from 11:00 to between 6:00 and 7:00.

And lastly, just look at him! Not sure he can get much cuter...again, my unbiased opinion! He has been such a joyful blessing! As Parker would say "We love him to the moon and back!!"

79 Shots...

2011-02-03T18:12:00.000-08:00

Today I took 79 pictures of the boys. Of the 79 shots, there are

16 where Parker looks cute, but Cole is distracted by the ceiling fan...

9 where Cole looks cute, even though he's about to be strangled...

12 where Parker looks crazy and Cole looks worried...

19 where one and/or both boys are blurry...

21 where one and/or both boys are over this photo session...

2 where both boys are looking at the camera...

and 1 that I love...

of my two favorite boys!

Sadly, you can't see their coordinating Valentine's shirts very well.

I guess we'll have photo session round two next week :)

2 Months!

2011-01-25T09:57:00.000-08:00

COLE IS 2 MONTHS OLD!!!

Side note: He's 2 months & 2 weeks old, but I'm running about 2 weeks behind on life these days so bear with me ;) Also this post is very detailed for when I have time to fill in the baby book someday. Feel free to just look at the pics!

Cole's second month of life flew by even faster than his first. I'm sure I'll say this every month, but he's really just growing too fast. At his 2 month appointment he tipped the scales at 14lbs 9 oz and was 24 inches long! He is still in 0-3 month clothes, for another week or so, and he was just promoted to size 2 diapers. He's obviously a good eater and is happy nursing or taking a bottle. He eats every 3 hours during the day and is starting to sleep for longer stretches at night. A typical night for him is to go to bed at 11:30pm and sleep until at least 5:30am. Although today he didn't wake up until 7:30am!!

He continues to be in the running for best baby ever! His personality is an answer to many prayers: almost always happy and laid back. This month Cole has really turned on the charm with lots of smiles and coos.

He's so active lately. His arm & legs are so busy!! I call him the "Irish Babe" because his hair has a reddish tint and when he's wiggling it looks like a baby version of Riverdance. He's most happy laying on his back, looking/grabbing at his toys, someone's face or a ceiling fan. We've started tummy time, but it's not his favorite activity. He can hold his head up much better when he's being held. He enjoys his bouncy seats and is starting to like his Taggie toys. His favorite place to sleep is still someone's chest. He loves bathtime and his wubbanubb...a pacifier attached to a small stuffed animal.

There are also things he dislikes....He absolutely hates having his nose suctioned and nails trimmed. He knows the bulb syringe on sight and starts crying when it's headed his way. He cries real tears now, so anytime he's sad it's even more pathetic :( He hates being buckled into his car seat, but sleeps most of the time he's in it which makes running errands easier. He seems to be quite gassy, but not upset by it. I've yet to determine if certain foods I eat cause his gas. As long as he's not upset or uncomfortable I'll stop worrying about it, just consider yourself warned when you hold him ;) Over the weekend, Parker called Cole a "machine toot." He must've picked up on us calling him the toot machine.

His eyes are still big, beautiful blue and they melt my heart every time I see them.
He keeps them open most of the time, taking it all in. It goes without saying that he's been the perfect addition to our little family. Mommy, Daddy & Parker love him so much! I feel so blessed to be Cole's mother and thank God for him every day! Can't wait to see what developments next month brings our way!

Snow Fun!

2011-01-09T20:59:00.000-08:00

We had some serious snow today!

While this guy was sleeping all warm and cozy,

these guys were hard at work!

Their masterpiece?? Our snow family!

Snow fun!!

Now back inside for some hot cocoa!

Fun times!!

2011-01-01T15:21:00.000-08:00

This week we introduced Cole to the Rainforest Bouncy seat.

At first he just stared at the lights & enjoyed the music and nature sounds.

The he became more and more animated. I could tell he was working on something. I assumed it would be some sort of diaper situation...

First, it was a sweet little grin....

then he grabbed the monkey ring!

I can't remember the first time Parker grabbed a toy. All of a sudden it was just something he could do; but I know this is the first time Cole grabbed something. I had to document his new trick. I know it's alot of enthusiasm for such a small accomplishment, but I don't get out much these days ;) Please note, his cheeks & the emerging dimples above his fingers...chubby baby parts are definetly my favorite!!

All this fun sure does wear a fella out.

Parker has been having fun, too! He and Daddy have a new game called "What could be in this big box of balls???" Here are some pictures. Can you guess how it's played?

Here's hoping that 2011 is full of family, friends and loads of fun!!

Happy New Year!!

Hey, Santa!

2010-12-27T20:10:00.000-08:00

Last week, Andy and I took the boys to see Santa.

Parker was a big fan and Cole slept the whole time.

I enjoyed it because I got to dress the boys in matching Christmas sweaters. (Yes, I've become one of those mothers!)

Parker did have a few talking points to cover with Santa....

He wanted to know where the reindeer and sleigh were.

He wanted to tell Santa his other name was "St. Nick."

And lastly, he wanted to "order" his trucks. (That's really what he told Santa and us afterward...silly boy!!)

I love the holidays. But I really love experiencing the holidays through the eyes of a child. It adds another layer of joy and awe to such a special time of year.

Visiting Santa...yet another thing to love about this season!

Sweet Baby Cole

2010-12-27T19:58:00.000-08:00

Here are Cole's newborn photos, round two. Or as Andy calls them "Naked baby, lots of hats." Either way, I enjoyed taking them almost as much as I like looking back at them. He's already grown and changed so much since that day....I kinda want to freeze time.

Here are my favorites!

If Only...

2010-12-22T21:22:00.000-08:00

If only there were 27 hours in a day, I might get my to do list done.

If only I had started shopping before having a baby, I might not have to resort to gift cards.

If only I were more organized, every room in the house might be clean.

If only I needed less sleep, I might have time to work out.

If only my days weren't so full, I might have time to blog.

But lucky for me, my days are full...

Extremely full of these sweet boys...

And I wouldn't have it any other way!

I feel so blessed to be their Mommy. Love them!!

Cute Boys...

2010-12-01T20:02:00.000-08:00

Parker's new favorite activity is to "go in Cole's room and take pictures."

He loves to hold his "little fella" and smile. Cole looks a little smushed in a lot of their photos together...but still cute!

Cute Brothers...

Cute Cole...

Cute Parker...

Cute Andy...

Parker actually took this picture of Andy. Pretty good for a three year old!

I think we may have another photo enthusiast on our hands!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-12-01T19:49:00.000-08:00

We hope your Thanksgiving was tasty & terrific!!

New Brothers

2010-11-18T20:28:00.000-08:00

What do you do when you're three and you have a new baby brother??
Well, if you're Parker.....

You ask to hold him. A lot. And then you smother him with kisses. Lots of kisses.

You lay in his crib with him.

You read him books. Lots of books.

And you even share your blue blankie with him.

Which is amazing, because you don't share blue blankie with anyone!!

So far you're a big fan of your "little fella." We'll see what you come up with next week!

Look!

2010-11-18T19:34:00.000-08:00

Look who's already one week old!!

Sweet baby Cole!

Cole is a week old today! This first week has gone remarkably well. We've been home for 4 days and are settling into a routine. Cole eats every 2 to 4 hours and sleeps/hangs out the rest of the day. He seems to be very content unless he's hungry. He's awake much more than Parker was as a newborn. We've had a couple of night sessions where he didn't want to sleep, but was content to look around and be cuddled. I was happy to oblige! If I had to find a negative, it's that he waits until his diaper is off to go potty. Where we'd normally use 2 diapers, we end up going through 3. If this keeps up we may need to invest in Pampers stock. :) Honestly, I'm just trying to take it slow and savor these days. I know how quickly he's going to grow and change. Keep your fingers crossed his laid back personality is permanent!

The Arrival of Cole Hunter Jackson

2010-11-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

Baby "Roger" is finally here! Last Thursday, November 11th, Cole Hunter Jackson was born! He arrived at 12:25 pm. He weighed 8 pounds 1 ounce and was 19 1/4 inches long. He has dark blue eyes and lots of dark brown hair (which explains all the heartburn!) So far he has been a sweet, laid back, cuddly baby. He only gets fired up when he's hungry or having a diaper change. If he's wearing a hat, I think he looks so much like Parker. When you can see all his dark hair, he's a totally different baby. Cole is such a welcome addition to our family. I truly feel blessed beyond words.

Cole arrived via planned c-section. It was great! Compared to his brother's induction then emergency c-section, this was a much easier and calmer delivery. Our only hiccup of the day was getting rear ended on our way to the hospital. We weren't hurt, but our poor (brand new, didn't even have license plates yet!) car sustained some damage. It's headed to the body shop tomorrow. Good thing I can't drive for two weeks! Luckily we kept our sense of humor and still made it to the hospital on time.

Parker has done a great job becoming a big brother. He's so sweet to Cole! He loves to hold and kiss his baby. He keeps calling him "little fella" and it's the cutest thing ever! I feel like he's grown up soooo much overnight. I was really worried about how he would handle all the changes and he's been doing really well! I think it helps that he got to spend 4 fun days with Mimi, Nana & Papa. It was such a relief to know Parker was having a blast while we were in the hospital.

We came home a day early and are trying to find our new normal. I'm feeling pretty good. Andy has taken a week off work to be here with us and it's been wonderful. He's such a good Daddy to Parker and Cole. He's also been taking great care of me. I can't imagine doing any of this without him. I Love you, Babe! Here are some pictures of Cole's arrival and our time in the hospital.

One last (giant) belly pic:

Meeting Mommy & Daddy:

Sweet baby Cole:

After his first bath:

Our Family of Four:

Parker meeting his brother:

All dressed up &

Ready to go home!

Off to start our new life together!

I Can't Wait

2010-11-10T12:45:00.000-08:00

...to see my feet.

...to not have heartburn.

...for baby to have a name other than "Roger."

...to see Andy holding our tiny (or not so tiny) newborn.

...for Parker meet his little brother.

...to hear those first cries.

...to meet this baby!!

I want to see him, hold him, kiss him & count little fingers & toes!

Prayers that all goes well tomorrow!

I'll update as soon as I can!

Dinosaur Delight!!

2010-11-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we took Parker to see some life size, animatronic Dinosaurs. Needless to say he was pretty amazed! He was also a little bit scared. They moved, roared and were quite ferocious. It was a beautiful day and a great way to spend it with our lil' paleontologist!

Trick or T-Rex!

2010-11-01T21:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween 2010! This year we attended Owen & Liam's 2nd annual Halloween Party. First, a yummy pot luck dinner and then we hit the streets for tricks & treats! I know you're surprised to see that Parker went as a dinosaur. He was a T-Rex, or "sharp tooth" to be exact.

My lil' T-Rex

Lots of Roaring & Stomping...

Twelve Trick or Treaters

The first house had candy & a pet snake. Our T-Rex was very interested in his fellow reptilian creature.

Dino with Daddy

& Mommy

Princess Skye, Froggie Luke & Dino Parker...all were too distracted by the candy to look at the camera. This is the best picture I could get of all three together. Sugar overload, perhaps??

Happy Halloween! Can't wait to see what we are next year!

Happy 3rd Birthday Parker!!

2010-11-01T20:20:00.000-07:00

Happy 3rd Birthday Parker!! I can't believe you're three already! You really enjoyed your birthday. We celebrated with all your friends at a Diego/Gymnastics Party. You wore your birthday shirt that Mommy & Miss Erin made for you. It's been a big hit. You would wear it everyday if you could.

You really loved your cake. It turned out super cute! We've all enjoyed helping you finish it off.

Here you are with some of your friends at your party. Coach Chris did a great job!

Go Parker Go! Swinging on the vine, just like Diego!

At the end of your party, you got a birthday medal.

Then you got to be Simba from the Lion King...since you were King for the day.

Lastly, everyone sang Happy Birthday to you. You blew out your candle and dug into your cupcake with enthusiasm! You know how to eat some dessert...just like your Mommy!

Mommy & Daddy with our birthday boy!

The past three years have flown by!! You seem so grown up! You're potty trained. You sleep in a full size bed. You pretend with such imagination & creativity. You say the funniest things. You're incredibly curious. You can "read" at least a dozen books. You can belt out a riveting ABC's. You bring so much joy & happiness to our lives. Being your Mommy is such a blessing!

It's so hard to believe you're three. And it's even harder to believe you'll be a big brother in 10 days!!

2010 Bike A Thon

2010-10-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

Last week Parker's preschool had their annual fundraiser, the Bike A Thon. Parents (& grandparents...wink, wink) pledge an amount per lap, the kiddos bring their "bikes" to see how many laps they can ride & voila! the school raises money to purchase supplies, curriculum, etc. I think had Parker pedaled his Harley (instead of walking it around the track) we could of raised a bit more money for the school, but I was still really proud of him & his 4 laps!

At the starting gate:

Hey Emma!! I like your princess bike! Do you like my Harley??

Wanna Trade??

Okay!!

Taking a break from all the non-pedaling....

Parker's cute class: The Green Room

Such Fun!

Birthday posts coming soon!!

What's New Round Here??

2010-10-19T15:40:00.000-07:00

What's new around here?? Not much. Still pregnant. Still 2 years old. Just keeping busy with our usual routine....but all of that's about to change! Parker will be 3 on Monday!! We're celebrating with a Diego/Gymnastics party on Saturday. Parker is so excited about his birthday and so am I! I can't believe he's almost 3. I really feel like we brought him home from the hospital yesterday and now he's a real little boy. Time is flying!!

Baby "Roger" will be here in no more than 22 days! I'm feeling pretty good. We found out last week that he's breech and doesn't have a lot of room to turn. I'll be having a c-section anyway so it's not a big deal. It just makes things a little more uncomfortable. Dr. T had predicted a 8.5 to 9 pound baby and I think she's right. He certainly feels big! (See side of blog for updated giant belly pic!) I have an appt with Dr. T on Thursday. We'll see if there's any news to report. Andy & I finally finished "Roger's" Nautical Nursery. I love, love, love it! (In case you were unaware, I have a LOVE of all things nautical. If I could pick up DFW and move it next to the ocean, I would in a heartbeat!) Here are some pics of "Rog's" Room:

I think all we have left on our Roger to-do list is putting his real name on the wall & washing all of his clothes, towels, blankets, etc. Oh, and buying diapers....lots and lots of diapers....

Fun Times in Ft. Worth!

2010-10-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

One sunny Saturday we decided to head to Ft. Worth for a day of fun. We've been trying to squeeze in some fun activities before Bambino's arrival. We hit the zoo, Joe T. Garcia's & had a ball! Here are some pictures from our day:

Parker & his ticket to the zoo

Here he is planning out our route...

Mommy, Parker, Bambino & the Elephants (always Mommy's favorite!)

Parker's favorite: the Komodo Dragon! Their starring contest lasted along time!

This wagon was also a big hit!

Last but not least, Parker rode the carousel with Daddy.

After that we hopped on the zoo train, had some ice cream before lunch & headed to Joe T. Garcia's for yummy mexican food. A good time was had by all!

Next on the list? The State Fair, a Dinosaur Exhibit, the Aquarium, & the Pumpkin Patch!

Hopefully we can fit it all in before November 11!

Growing Dinosaurs!

2010-09-23T20:18:00.000-07:00

Lately Parker has been OBSESSED with Dinosaurs!! It started sometime over the summer, when he saw Ice Age: Return of the Dinosaurs. Then Nana & Mimi provided some Land Before Time DVDs & dinosaur toys....sprinkle in a few books & episodes of Dinosaur Train and Voila! You have a crazy almost 3 year old, who pretends to be T-Rex about 60% of the time.
One day I stumbled upon a "Grow your own Dinosaur" kit. It was a huge hit with Parker! You drop the egg in a container of water and let it sit for 3-4 days. Your baby dinosaur grows & hatches slowly out of the egg. I was very impressed with his paitience. We checked on baby-saurus several times a day & Parker wanted me to take pictures of his new "baby."

Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 3:

Day 4:

Ta-da! A new baby something-saurus!

I'm wondering how long this obsession will last... While I enjoy his impersonations, which are surprisingly accurate, I worry that the roaring, stomping & mayheim will be disturbing to his baby brother. We have purchased a powerful sound machine for baby to drown out Parker's antics and Bambino's coming home outfit now has dinosaurs on it. Fingers crossed the baby has heard enough inutero roaring that he'll be unfazed.

Oh well, such is the life of a second child :)

The Big 30!

2010-09-10T20:38:00.000-07:00

Andy recently celebrated his 30th birthday! We had several nights of fun to comemorate the occasion. We started by celebrating with our friends. This group of five has been friends since jr. high and they all have birthdays within days of each other. Their wives thought this was a great excuse for a group birthday party. We had a fun patio, drink specials, the hamburger man and cupcakes. What more could you ask for??

Here are the birthday boys: Chase, Andy, Arfeo, Kyle & Brian

Their party planners/wives: Amanda, Holly, Jennifer, Megan, & Shelby

Yummy Cupcakes!

Me & My birthday boy!

The next weekend we celebrated with our family.

I realize now that we both wore the same outfits to both parties....

Not sure what that means... For me it's that I'm running out of things that fit & For Andy probably that he wears the first shirt hanging in the closet ;)

Parker giving Luke some love.

The kids singing "Happy Birthday"

Opening Presents....

Surprise!! It's an iPad!!

The next night (in different outfits) Andy & I went on a date to the new Gold Class Cinema Movie Theatre. It was great! It'll be hard to go back to a regular movie theatre.

I'd say Andy had a great birthday & it's well deserved. He's such a great husband & father. Parker & I are so blessed!! It was so much fun to help him celebrate this milestone. Can't wait for the next 30 years!

Singin' & Dancin' in the Rain!

2010-09-09T21:07:00.000-07:00

What do you do when you get caught in a monsoon on the way home from Gymnastics??

Put on your Thomas boots, go outside & play in the rain!

If you're Parker, you sing & dance...watch out Fred Astaire!

Singing...

and Dancing...

in the rain!

Oh, how I love this little guy!

Firsts...

2010-09-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

The last half of summer flew by and I can't believe it's September!! Yesterday was Parker's first day of Mother's Day Out. We were both really excited! When we got to school, he became a little shy and wanted to go to last year's classroom. I was worried there might be a melt down in our future, but he did great. Here's a few pictures from the morning: Getting ready, walking into school & getting sidetracked by the "tickle bushes." I didn't get any photos of him in the classroom. I was too busy trying to get him settled.

After dropping him off, I headed to meet Andy at the Dr. for a bambino check up. Everything looks good. Bambino's heartbeat is strong and steady. He's a busy boy! We could hear lots of movement on the heart monitor. (And I feel lots of movement all the time!!) We think he's a big boy, too. I'm 29 weeks, but measuring at least 30, if not 31. I passed my glucose test, but am a tiny bit anemic. Overall I feel pretty good. We scheduled our c-section for November 11, 2010 at noon. At first it was at 5 am, but we pushed it back a few hours. We figured it's our last chance at a good night's sleep for a few months. :) Bambino will join the party 10 weeks from today!

In August, Parker started taking Gymnastics. I'd been looking for air conditioned activities that would burn lots of energy, and there's a gym not far from our house. In the beginning it was a parent participation class. Being 7 months pregnant and wrangling a 2 year old through the course was a bit of a challenge. Luckily for me, Parker was promoted to the 3 year old class! Now I get to watch while Parker follows Coach Chris' directions. Today was his first time on his own. It went really well and I finally got to take some pictures of his class!

Between MDO, bambino & gymnastics, it looks like we'll be staying busy this fall!

Parker at the Park!

2010-08-25T20:54:00.000-07:00

Slide!

Stairs!

Swing!

See-Saw!

Sidewalk!

Slip!

Smiles!

Sonic Slushy & So Sleepy!!

Stayin' Cool...

2010-08-15T15:21:00.000-07:00

in our backyard pool!

Slide!

Splash!

Fun!!

Parker's Big Boy Room

2010-08-15T13:21:00.000-07:00

Andy and I have been working on Parker's big boy room for a long time and it's finished! As I mentioned in my last post, Parker loves it! We're so happy with the way it all turned out. Here are some pictures of all our hard work:

Parker's Bed:

Book shelf & toy area:

Some framed pieces of Parker's art work:

The entry wall: (P can't wait to hang his coats on the hooks this winter!)

A homemade baseball clock:

Cozy chair & dresser:

Pictures above his dresser:

Ta-Da! We're so happy to have finally finished this project.

Next stop, Bambino's nursery!!

Mommy, Wow! I'm a Big Kid Now!

2010-08-12T16:13:00.000-07:00

That's right! For a few weeks now Parker has been sleeping upstairs in his big boy room!! I was so so worried about this transition. I didn't know how he would feel. I was worried our sound little sleeper would be up all night. I was afraid of him falling down the stairs. You name it, I'd worried about it!! But it turns out that was all for nothing.

Parker LOVES it up there!! He loves his big bed (he's in a full size now) and he has yet to wake up in the night. He doesn't even get out of his bed once we lay him down. He's still napping like a champ, anywhere from 2.5-4 hours! Whenever we have guests, he takes them on a tour of his big boy room. He's so proud and we can tell he appreicates all our hard work.

Here are a few pics from his first night upstairs:

Daddy & Story Time. We ALWAYS read 4 books before every nap or bedtime :)

Rocking, Prayers & Kisses with Mommy

All tucked in and ready for bed!!

Showing us how he was going to sleep in his "big boy bed."

Too cute!

This has been a really good experience for Parker. And for me! Parker has done so well with this change and I'm really proud of him. I'm starting to have (a little) less anxiety about other big huge transitions coming this fall...like the whole baby brother thing! And more importantly I've learned that there's no point in worrying about change until it happens.

We'll see how long it takes me to forget that lesson & get back to worrying...maybe a day or two!!

Highlights of my day

2010-07-22T21:51:00.001-07:00

Today was a good day. Parker was well behaved. He did a good job with potty training. We had a baby sitter for a couple hours this morning, so Parker had fun & I was very productive. (It's amazing what you can do in 2.5 hours sans toddler!) Bambino now has 10 cute burp cloths that I made during nap time. Andy made a yummy breakfast for dinner. I'm almost caught up on laundry (I took a hiatus last week-big mistake!) And our house is almost clean... knock on wood! All in all, it was a pretty typical good day. But there were a couple of highlights I thought I'd share just because they made me smile....

The 2 dozen roses Andy gave me on Monday have opened up & smell gorgeous! I think one of my favorite things is walking into a room to see & smell beautiful flowers. I also LOVE the vase they're in. Sara picked it up for me during her travels to Taiwan and it's so pretty. Thanks Sara, Love it!!

And lastly, this is how Parker came out of his room earlier today.... No pants, tractor underwear to match his tractor shirt, socks, mittens, & a Santa hat. Then he proceeded to race around the house "pulling his deers" and brushing his "long white beard!" Then we had to read 'Twas the Night before Christmas. Apparently, it's Christmas in July 'round here!

Some days this kiddo really cracks me up!!

Fingers crossed he's this much fun for Nana, Papa, & Mimi this weekend. Andy & I are going on a "stay-cation" for our anniversary and couldn't be more excited! See you next week!!:)

See you at the movies!!

2010-07-22T21:03:00.000-07:00

One day last week I decided to take Parker to see a movie.

Needless to say he was excited about the idea!

And a little surprised!

For his first movie experience we headed to the Studio Movie Grill for Madagascar 2. The have a summer children's series where they show older movies early in the day for $1 per ticket. Parker was very happy about his swivel office chair & lunch options. Here he is checking out the menu, saying "I want chicken, fries, ketchup..."

He behaved really well. He stayed in his seat & watched the whole movie. Aside from flirting with the cute girl behind us, he was darn near perfect. It was a great way to spend the morning & most importantly, it was air conditioned! Megan:1, Texas heat: 0!

On the way out, he quickly found the poster of what we had seen.

I think we have another movie lover on our hands. He comes by it honestly, as mommy, & especially daddy love the movies! Welcome to the club little buddy!

7 Years!

2010-07-19T13:42:00.000-07:00

July 19th, 2003

Andy & I got married after dating for 8 years!

July 2004: On vacation in Orlando, Florida.

July 2005: Our 2nd anniversary trip to San Diego, California.

July 2006: In Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

July 2007: Parents-to-be on the beach in Destin, Florida.

July 2008: Parker makes 3! His first vacation to Destin, Florida.

July 2009: Our 6th anniversary night out.

July 2010: Parents-to-be (again!) on the beach in Destin, Florida.

The past 7 years have been so fun & full of love. There's no one else I'd rather have for a partner in this life. Andy's such a great husband, father & friend.

Here's to hoping we're all smiles next year when baby makes 4!

Beach Pictures!

2010-07-14T22:19:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for family photos! I love them...especially on the beach! Lucky for me, we had some pictures taken last month while we were in Destin (On the beach, in matching outfits & everything!!). The photographer was super nice and she got some great shots! Hopefully we'll be seeing her again the next time we visit. :)
If I could I'd post all of them, but here are a few of my favorites:

The Jackson Family:

Our Little Trio:

Parker in the sand:

& surf:

Andy & me:

AJ & KK's cute crew:

And this one is just sweet! Papa & Luke:

Bambino Update!!

2010-07-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

This week we had our 20 week sonogram. It's always nice to see the bambino and check on how things are developing. Everything is growing and developing the way we would hope. Bambino is very healthy and even measuring about a week ahead size wise...not too surprising since we (read: Andy, wink-wink) tend to make big babies. Here's a cute little profile shot. I definitely compared these to Parker's to see if there was any in utero resemblance. I couldn't tell. :)

The most exciting part of this sonogram was confirming gender...It's a BOY! We were pretty surprised to hear that the 80% girl prediction & 2 Intelligender girl test results were wrong. Needless to say we are super excited to be having another boy! We've had so much fun with Parker & we think he'd love a brother. Now we can start getting ready for this little guy!

Parker had been talking about having a baby sister since before Christmas. Once we told him we were having a baby, he immediately started talking about having a baby boy. I mentioned this to my doctor and she said toddlers always know what their siblings are going to be. I should have saved myself some money & just asked Parker...kinda crazy!!

And Bambino, I'm sorry that I posted a picture of your little boy parts on the Internet. I promise I won't do it after you are born.

Here's another sweet profile shot. He has his hands clasped together like he's praying. Wow, he's already a good Christian boy....

Oh, Wait! Now he's flipping us off!! Shoot!

I think we're going to have our hands full come November!

Fun in the Sun!

2010-06-29T19:56:00.000-07:00

We recently went on a vacation to Destin, Florida. We go there about every other year with Andy's family. We had so much fun! Parker is a regular beach bum! (He comes by it honestly, as are Mom & Dad.) He loved playing in the sand, riding the waves, looking for crabs & his daily snow cone. Luckily while we were there, the oil was not. The beaches were white and the water was clear, except for some algae. We love it there and can't wait to go back in a year or two. Here are some pics from our fun in the sand & surf:

Daddy, Parker & Mommy in the water.

Parker in his "cool dude" shades.

Mommy & Daddy playing in the sand.

When it came to putting sand or water in the bucket, Parker was all business!

He loved floating in the water!! He called it "riding the waves" & was in hog heaven.

Sweet Skylar also loved the sand!

Three little munchkins ready for the beach.

Happy Little Beach Bum!

All dry and ready to go back to the condo or "vacation house" as Parker named it.

Each night we went out to dinner at a different yummy restaurant. Parker really liked shrimp & cod...although he kept calling it chicken :) When it got dark, there were crabs to be found and puzzles to be done. Our condo had 4 large jigsaw puzzles on a bookshelf and we completed all of them. By we, I mean mostly Andy, but with a little help from me, AJ & KK. Here are some pictures from our summer nights:

Daddy, Parker & Mommy.

Nana & Papa.

AJ, Ally, Skye, Haley, KK & Luke.

Parker found some small palm trees & was in heaven.

He's very into "cha cha" coconut trees thanks to Diego.

Ally & Haley made some new friends!

Me & Andy.

Here's Parker busting a move in the hula-hoop contest at Fudpucker's. Note the intense concentration :)

Parker & Daddy crab hunting.

Parker & Skye were more into the flash lights than anything else :)

A big ol' crab that Andy & AJ caught & brought upstairs to show everyone.

Andy working on puzzle number 3 of 4. There was also a beach scene, a golf scene and one of only dice. In 50 years, I know what we'll be doing to pass the time at the retirement home!

Thank you Nana & Papa for such a great vacation! It was so nice to spend a week relaxing on the beach & having fun with everyone. We loved it and can't wait to go back!

My Poor Neglected Blog...

2010-06-27T20:24:00.000-07:00

My poor neglected blog... I really want to try to keep things up to date, but haven't been able to find the time. We've been to some fun birthday parties, gone on a family vacation to Destin, spent lots of time swimming in the pool, and are starting to try and get ready for baby #2. Sadly by the end of the day, I'm more likely to nap on the sofa than log onto my blog. I think my fatigue is due to chasing my 2 year old in the 100+ degree weather. Pregnancy wise, I'm feeling pretty good and moving (growing!!) right along. This week marks the halfway point of this pregnancy, 20 weeks! Pretty hard to believe! November will be here before we know it. We have a sonogram on Tuesday to check out the bambino & confirm gender. I promise to post some updates of all our summer fun soon! Stay Tuned!

Goodbye Mother's Day Out, Hello Summer!

2010-05-20T16:05:00.000-07:00

Today was Parker's last day of Mother's Day Out. He's officially a graduate of the Rainbow Room! We celebrated the end of the year with a party. And what better way to get ready for summer than a sprinkler, bubble machine, watermelon & cookies? I think the cookies & the bubble machine were the big hits of the party. Splish-Splash Rainbow Kids!

Think he likes the water?

How do you get 7 two year olds to sit on a bench? You bribe them with cookies!!

Parker & his teachers: Ms. Jane & Ms. Marina

And just for fun, here's Parker on his first day of school & his last day of school:

I didn't really think there was a big difference until I looked at them side by side. I think our little man is growing up. Crazy how fast the time is flying!!

I'm have to admit I'm a little sad school is over. Parker loved going to school and seeing his friends. He learned so much this year and his teachers were great. I'm really going to have to step up my game to keep us entertained and busy this summer!

Bluebonnets!

2010-05-18T20:42:00.000-07:00

Up until recently we had a gorgeous field of bluebonnets growing near our house. I had envisioned getting great pictures of Parker sitting nicely in the bluebonnets. I even thought of hiring someone (aka: Sarah or Tom) to do some family shots in the flowers. What can I say?? I love bluebonnets! After Andy nixed the family photo option, Val & I decided to get some pics of the kids. While it didn't go quite like we planned, (Read: Both kids ran around like they were monkeys just escaped from the zoo!!) we did get a couple of cute ones.

A side note: I did fix Parker's hair before we left the house. He's into "crazy" hair these days, where he messes up all my hard work in about 15 seconds! Oh well, the tousled look is in, right??

I think he's still pretty cute, even with the crazy hair.

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-17T20:16:00.000-07:00

Better late than never....here's how we spent our Mother's Day: Andy & Parker took me out for brunch and gave me tickets to Wicked. Yay!! I love Wicked and am so excited to see it again, especially from some great seats!

In the afternoon we headed over to Nana & Papa's house with Mimi, AJ, KK and crew. We had a delicious dinner, courtesy of Papa. That man can grill!! I need to beg him for his BBQ sauce recipe.

This is how I'll always remember Mother's Day 2010:

Yes, Parker is wearing goggles. He found them in the pool toys & wore them for hours. We tried some photos without the goggles, but he was too concerned with getting them back on his face to smile. Oh, well. No shortage of personality here...

Mimi & Parker, pre-goggles

Goggle Boy!

Skye was equally enamored with the bubbles!

KK, Luke & Skye

I love this pic of Uncle Andy & Luke!

We had a great day! I am so thankful to be Parker's mother. Everyday is full of adventure and fun & I thank God for him daily! I also feel so blessed to have such wonderful mothers in my life. From my own, to my mother in law, to grandmas, to all my friends who are mom's; I know so many special ladies who are awesome mothers. I appreciate all the advice, support & love! Happy Mother's Day 2010!

Some BIG News!!

2010-05-16T19:18:00.000-07:00

Drumroll please.....

Our little Parker is going to be a BIG Brother!

We're happy and excited to let you know that we're expecting baby #2 in November. We are so looking forward to meeting this new member of our family! I can't wait to see Andy with a tiny newborn again & to see Parker be a big brother. My official due date is the 17th...just in time for Thanksgiving! I'm almost 14 weeks along and starting to feel human again. I have been very sick at night & pretty tired during the day. I'm hopeful that moving into my second trimester will be the end of feeling under the weather. Even with the morning (noon & night) sickness, I'm sooo thrilled about this baby!

Have you ever felt blessed beyond words??

We've had a few sonograms so far & the bambino is developing right on track.

At 12 weeks, our doctor predicted, with 80% certainty, that it's a GIRL. Dr. G. then said I can shop for pink, but need to keep my receipts & I can't cry if he's wrong and it's really a boy :) We're looking forward to the end of June when we will know for sure! Either way would be fun!

Here's a pic of "her" face:

Here's a profile shot:

I'll try to keep you updated on all the baby news. That's all I know for now.

Oh, and by the way, I'm huge!!! I'm in full on maternity gear! I look as pregnant as I did with Parker at 5 months. A little bit worried as to how large I'll be come November... I'll put up a giant belly pic next time :)

(Those of you who already knew about this, just pretend to be surprised!)

Fun in Florida!

2010-05-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

We recently took a trip to Orlando. Our friends Clint & Nina were getting married & Poppy and Momoe live there, so....2 birds, 1 plane ticket :) It was such a fun weekend. We really enjoyed getting to visit with family & friends. The weather was great & we got to stay at a fun new resort. It was equipped with a waterpark that Parker LOVED!! He's becoming quite the waterbaby. Several times this week he's requested baths just to play in the water. Sadly our tub isn't equipped with water slides & fountains, but it's holding steady until it's warm enough to hit the pool. Here's a few pics from our weekend:

Thanks to Poppy, Momoe, Erin & Gpa for a great weekend!! Congratulations to Clint & Nina!

Rake, Bag & Gloves, Please!

2010-04-05T21:23:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, Andy & Parker were playing in the backyard. Our flower beds were FULL of weeds & Andy decided to work on them. He sent Parker in to ask me for his rake, gloves & a garbage bag. I gathered everything & gave it to Parker to take out to Andy. A few minutes later Parker came running back in and asked for a rake, gloves & a garbge bag. It took me a few minutes to realize he wanted the items for himself. So we found our winter gloves, a potty-prize rake & a grocery bag. He was ready to work! He stayed outside the whole time "helping" Daddy. Parker wants to be just like Andy. I love seeing my two guys doing things together. It's just too cute!!

Happy Easter 2010!

2010-04-05T20:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter 2010! We had a wonderful day! We started off with a great service at church & then headed to Nana & Papa's for the rest of the day. Mimi Sue & Mimi Barbara were there to help celebrate. There were lots of baskets, eggs, goodies & way too much yummy food! Here's a bunch of pictures from our day!

Happy Easter 2010!!

Easter Party

2010-04-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

Hippity Hoppity Easter's on it's way! Actually it's come & gone, but I'm behind as usual!! Last Thursday was Parker's Easter party at school. First they had a visit from Mr. Easter Bunny, aka: Emma's Dad. Parker wanted NOTHING to do with the easter bunny!! I even told him that it was John in a silly costume, but nope...no pics with a giant bunny this year. In fact Parker keeps telling me he only likes "tiny bunnies" and wants the big bunny to "get away!"

Then it was off to the playground to hunt eggs! Parker found a dozen.

Parker & Skye after the egg hunt.

Then it was back indoors for cute easter themed party games.

This pic of Skye enjoying her loot cracked me up. She is getting to be quite the comedian.

But the biggest attraction for Parker & Skye was sweet little Liam. While he was trying to crawl & explore, they smothered him with hugs & kisses until he was rescued by his mama. Sorry Liam!

At the end of the party, the kids gave their parents the cutest little flower pots. They painted the pots & planted the flowers themselves....with a little help from their teachers. Parker was so proud of his plant! Can you tell?? Mommy, Parker & our plant. I'll try really hard to keep this flower alive!!
We also enjoyed having an out of town guest last week. My sister, Erin, came to spend part of her Spring Break with us. We had lots of fun & shopped till we dropped....literally!

Parker really enjoyed having an extra playmate. For the first couple of days he kept calling her "everybody" then shortened it to "buddy." I think by the last day he was using her name correctly.

We're looking forward to our next visit with "everybody!"

Busy Boy!

2010-03-19T19:49:00.000-07:00

Oh, Parker! These days you are such a busy boy! Don't get me wrong, you are so much fun right now & I'm loving your personality! But I feel like if I turn my back for a second, chaos will most likely insue. Like the other day I left you in the kitchen, fully clothed, happily having a snack. I return 5-7 minutes later to a pantless wonder, eating crumbs out of the toaster, on the kitchen counter!!

We've been blessed with beautiful weather lately and have spent lots of time outdoors. You love the park! You even asked to go there at 4:45 this morning ;) You're newest "hobby" is using your dump truck and gardening tools in the mulch at the park.

Although you're just as happy running around....

And climbing the rock wall to go down the big slide, over & over & over again!

You are so into accessories right now! Sunglasses, vests, hats, shoes....You are always stylin'!

We've also been spending lots of time in the backyard. You love playing soccer! (Still not too interested in baseball....) When you score goals, you throw your arms in the air & cheer. I love your enthusiasm & can't wait till you get to play on a real team!

I'm itching to plant some new herbs, veggies & flowers! I think you'll be the best helper. You love your new gardening tools & you're quite into digging, watering....

& mowing! Let's hope you haven't inherited your parents "black thumbs."You have become such a motormouth!! The things you say crack me up! Like this morning (at 4:45 am) when you told me "I happy you're in my family, Mommy" or "I missed you!!" when I was only gone for two minutes. Or when you told someone "My Daddy drives a brown (UPS) truck!" (Sorry to disappoint you kid-he's an attorney.) I think I need to start writing all this stuff down. I'd hate to someday forget all the cute things you say.

Yes, Parker, you are definetly a busy boy. But you're also sweet, funny, crazy and kind & I wouldn't change a thing! (Except for maybe the 5 am wake-up calls....)

Lil' Sluggers

2010-03-15T20:31:00.000-07:00

We're alive!! So sorry for the lack of posts. We've been busy lately. But we're back and I'm hoping to get back in the swing of blogging! I've really missed it!

This spring we're trying out a baseball class called Lil' Sluggers. We've been 4-5 times so far. The first class was a bit of a disaster (we both left in tears....) but I thought we should try again. The past couple have been better. The biggest challenge, besides that the classroom only has 3 walls & P likes to escape to the arcade, is that Parker isn't all that in to baseball. Oh, well! It's a fun thing to do together and I love making memories with my little guy!!

Parker and Owen "sharing" the blue dot.

Parker, Coach & "Alligator hands." It's how they teach them to catch a ground ball.

Parker using his "Alligator Hands."

Running with a green ball...

Time for an Agua break!

And everyone's favorite time of class....STAMPS!!

Can you tell....

how much this guy...

loves him some stamps!!

Dear Blog...

2010-03-06T15:00:00.000-08:00

Dear Blog,
I'm so sorry that I've been neglecting you. Things have been a little crazy lately and I just haven't had the time. I promise you're still a priority and that I have not forgotten you. Not to worry, I've still been taking lots of pictures. In fact, so many I'm not sure of where to begin catching up. My plan for tomorrow is to get organized and up to date. Till then, please forgive me. I'm hopeful we can still be friends.
Yours Truly,
~M

Reasons to Love Snow

2010-02-13T11:28:00.000-08:00

The snow has come and gone, but we enjoyed every minute of it! We spent lots of time watching the snow & talking about it. Once Daddy made it home, we played in it for about an hour. We all had fun, but Parker especially enjoyed his first snow play.

Here are 10 reasons I love snow:

1. Seeing the pure joy on Parker's face!

2. This guy building a snow man for...

3. this guy.

4. This guy adding "hair" to Daddy's masterpiece.

5. Trees that look like this:

6. Parker learning to make & throw snowballs at Daddy....

7. and Mommy!

8. Free snacks!

9. Because I love spending time and making memories with these guys!

10. Last, but not least.....Hot Cocoa!!

Yay for snow days!!

How Cute!

2010-02-08T22:57:00.000-08:00

How cute is this

sweet, precious,

almost 5 month old?!?!

Oh, how we love Baby Luke!!

And just for kicks...I liked the above shot of Skye & Luke,

Papaw Tom & all his grandkids,

& this sweet pic of Parker & Ally.

Hope your Superbowl celebrations were just as cute!

Sometimes....

2010-01-29T09:31:00.000-08:00

Sometimes

this two year old

can be so darn sweet!!

I think it has something to do with the puppy dog eyes!

The Joys of Potty Training!

2010-01-25T20:30:00.000-08:00

We've now been working on potty training for a little over a week. Parker is awesome at using the potty....as long as he doesn't have on pants. I'm so proud of how far he's come & He's so proud of himself!

"I ready Basketball!" This is what I heard after he put on Daddy's shoes and got his basketball. Daddy plays basketball 2 days a week and coaches our nieces' team. I think Parker's caught on.

"Choo Choo Baseball." This is what I heard after Parker donned his train boots during a round of T-ball. (He's holding a baseball in case you can't tell.)

"Funny Bunny go Wee-Wee." Do I really need to explain this one? He found it hilarious to be a bunny and sit on the potty! So did I! He's also wearing his train boots, but since there are no pants, I had to crop them out of the photo.

Oh, the joys of Potty Training!!

Pump it up, Junior!

2010-01-25T20:07:00.000-08:00

Last week we went to "Pump it up, Jr." It was lots of fun and I remembered to take my camera! Parker is all about the bounce houses these days. He has no fear! We were there with Cutter and Owen, but he really wanted Mommy to experience the fun. I got to crawl, climb and slide.

Here's "Evil Knievel" coming out of the obstacle course.

And down the slide...

Climbing the ladder for the "big slide."

And going down the 20 ft slide head first!

Lastly, I thought this was an interesting way to ride. He managed to make it across the room and REFUSED to ride on it the traditional way. I sense a stubborn streak in this little man...he must get that from Dad ;)

This week we...

2010-01-14T19:59:00.000-08:00

It's one of my resolutions to blog weekly, so here I go! Unfortunetly we've had a pretty quiet week. 2 days of Mother's Day Out, a trip to Barnes & Noble/the mall, and a bounce house outing. It sounds busier than it was (and I didn't photo document any of it!).

Parker's really into cooking right now, both real and pretend. Tonight I made a casserole that needed smushed corn chips and, boy, was Parker the man for the job! Last week I made pizza, and Parker floured (& floured & floured & floured) his dough for a good 45 minutes. He helped me cut up canteloupe with a plastic knife. And if you need a pretend happy birthday cake, you now know where to look!

On Christmas Eve we made cookies for Santa. Parker had so much fun! At first he was all business, then he really got into the mess of things. Santa and I are both hoping for this to be a yearly tradition. He's lots of fun in the kitchen these days. And who knows? Maybe a future top chef!!

When Parker and Skylar are at Nana's house they've found a new game. It's called "hide in the pantry and eat as many Doritos as possible before we get caught." I think this is just a peek into all the future mischief they'll be making!

And lastly, here are some cute pics of Parker with his Nana, Papaw & Mimi. Poppy stopped by last week for a visit, but sadly we didn't get any cute pics.

Today we started potty training!! I'm a little nervous, having never potty trained before. So far we haven't had any accidents and Parker seems very excited about it. Keep your fingers crossed that all goes well!

Maybe this is Parker closing the door on diapers! We'll see!!

I'll keep you posted!

Happy 2010!

2010-01-06T20:42:00.000-08:00

We hope everyone had wonderful holidays! Ours were both busy and relaxing. We spent lots of time with family and friends. It was great to experience Christmas through the eyes of a 2 year old...full of so much joy and excitement! Now we're looking forward to all the adventures and fun a new year brings. I promise to be better about posting what we're up to...it's one of my many resolutions!! :) Wishing you all great things in 2010!!

The elves have been busy 'round here!

2009-12-18T12:30:00.000-08:00

We are all decked out for the holidays! Santa's elves have been busy...and by elves I mean me! Parker and Andy have been helpful, but most of the decorating has been my job. Mostly because I want everyroom in the house to be festive. It's starting to look a little like Santa's workshop exploded! I'm just happy to have it all finished and enjoy it for a few weeks.

This is Parker's first ornament he made at school. Is it not adorable?? I was so happy to help him hang it on our tree. And, boy was he proud. It took us a few tries to find just the right home.

Here's the ornament I made for our tree this year. And by made, I mean I bought it and wrote our names and the year on it. :)

A few days after Parker came home with his ornament, he brought home this precious angel. He kept kissing it and "accidently" removing the halo.

It's been the perfect topper for his Christmas tree. He loves having a tree in his room. It may have to be a permanent fixture.

Here's our big tree. Andy helped me decorate it. I think we did okay! Parker's done really well with it. He messes with a few ornaments here and there. Oh, and he adds to our decor! He likes to put his stuffed animals in the tree. I'll try to get a picture. It's pretty funny to find a big yellow duck sitting in the middle of the tree.

Here are our stockings, hung with care. In hopes that Santa will soon be here!

These are some cute frames I found. They're made from old ceiling tiles. I added bows to make them more festive. I might have heard Andy muttering about having to see one more bow....

Lastly, here's our family room tree. It seems a little sparse on ornaments. In the future it'll be full of Parker's handmade creations. I can't wait!

Now this elf is off to finish her shopping, wrapping, ribboning, and bowing!

Santa Baby!

2009-12-17T18:24:00.000-08:00

Parker & his Santa Hat. Oh, how he loves this hat! It's gone to Kroger, Target and today he packed it in his bag for school. It's almost too small, but he seems to enjoy wearing it. I think it's pretty cute. And, of course, I like it with the matching shirt...

Here's his new "fake" smile. He squints his eyes and says "cheese." While I prefer his genuine grin, he's actually smiling and looking at the camera so I'll take it!

Today was his last day of MDO until after the holidays. We celebrated with a little party. He and his friends made a Santa face and heard a story. The goody bags were also a hit! I'm sure he'll miss his friends (and I'll miss trips to the grocery store by myself) but it'll be so nice to have some down time with my guys over the holidays. :)

The Jackson Five

2009-12-02T20:04:00.000-08:00

Last week KK and I tried to get some cute pics of all the kids. Ever since Baby Luke joined the party, we've needed an updated group shot. I don't know what it is about being 2 years old, but Parker and Skylar are over having thier picture taken. They would much rather play than sit still and smile. After several rounds of jingle bells and promises of Dum-Dums, we did get a few cute pics.

Not that I'm biased, but I think it helps that the kids are all so darn cute ;)

The Jackson Five

AJ & KK's Cute Crew

Haley

Ally

Skylar

Luke

And as promised, Dum-Dums for everyone!

And speaking of cute kids, Jennifer and Madison came over today. We ate lunch, played, chatted and made some crafty items out of diapers. Oh, and took pictures of Madison!! I so miss the days when Parker would sit and smile. Good thing I have Miss Maddie around!

What a precious baby!!

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all!

2009-11-27T21:24:00.000-08:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We spent the day at Nana and Papa's house with Mimi, Uncle AJ & Aunt KK and crew, and a good friend who's family is out of Texas. We ate way too much, watched the kids play, the Cowboys win and the Aggies loose, and Skyped with out of town family. All in all it was a nice relaxing day with people we're so thankful for!

Mommy and Parker getting our Veggietales fix before lunch. Parker is obsessed with Veggietales!! It's the first thing he asks for in the morning and the last thing he wants to do before bed. He even dreams about them! Last night he was talking in his sleep about Larry and Bob...too funny!

Eskimo Kisses for Daddy!

Our Little Picasos, Parker and Skylar, loved the art easel! They erased and drew and erased and drew for hours!!

I finally got a pic of sweet baby Luke and his pretty Momma, KK! So cute!

Today we opted for rest instead of fighting the crowds on black Friday. This is the first time ever I haven't battled the crowds for bargains!! And I didn't even miss it. I think I'm going to be kicked out of shop-a-holics anonymous :)

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy holiday weekend!!

Where have we been??

2009-11-18T19:34:00.000-08:00

We've been sick!! First, Andy came home sick a week ago Friday. He was down for about four days. I thought I had successfully taken care of him and Parker without getting sick, but I was wrong! I started feeling bad last Tuesday and am just now getting back on my feet. It's been rough 'round here. Thankfully Parker has remained healthy. (It leads me to think he might have carrier monkey-ed our illness to us!)
Right now my camera has a layer of dust I'm itching to shake off! I'll try to catch some cute pics and post them soon!
Hope you're all healthy and happy! Take your vitamins!!

The Big Orange Pumpkin Farm

2009-10-28T20:29:00.000-07:00

We recently took Parker to a pumpkin farm. We thought he'd enjoy it...and I thought there might be cute photo ops! It was a great way to spend the afternoon. Despite the 2 lane country roads where my husband becomes Mario Andretti, it was lots of fun. I definitely recommend the Big Orange Pumpkin Farm for a pretty day with no plans!

First we feed the animals. There were goats, sheep, and cows ready for snacks. Some of the really hungry critters pulled the cup right out of your hands! Parker preferred the "baby goats." They were a little more laid back.

Next up a tractor train ride! While Parker enjoyed this, I felt a little too big to be on the tractor train. It took some creative maneuvering just to get in there. I'll spare you the play by play pictures Andy took. And the seat in the barrel was a 2 by 4! How it didn't crack under my behind, I'll never know! Next year he'll be big enough to ride alone. (Thank god!!)

We turned him loose in the pumpkin field. He ran around like crazy!

He enjoyed collecting pumpkins. He was quite selective and built up quite a pile. I was afraid there might be some tears when we didn't take home his 8 favorite pumpkins. Luckily we lured him away from his pile with an...

Empty bounce house!! A sight I had never seen! It was like a unicorn. For those of you without little ones, usually bounce items are full of much bigger, wilder, crazy kiddos. If you put a 2 year old in there, you are guaranteed a broken bone. We took advantage and let Parker jump his little heart out. Daddy supervised!

We also went on a hay ride, ran through a hay bale maze, and ate a hot dog.

I'd post pictures if I hadn't ran out of battery power. :(

All in all, it was a fun filled afternoon! Lots of activities, beautiful weather, and a happy 2 year old. And all for the bargain price of $7!

Right On Track

2009-10-26T20:05:00.000-07:00

Today was Parker's 2 year check up. According to his doctor, he's right on track. He's now 28 pounds (65 percentile) and 38 inches tall (92 percentile). His head was 19.75 inches (85 percentile). For the first time in his whole life, his head was NOT his biggest percentile. He's officially out grown being a bobble-head baby.

The doctor predicted his adult height to be around 6 foot 1. His exact words were for me to "get my licks in now, because by jr. high, he'll be bigger than me." Not shocking that he'll pass my staggering 5 feet 4 inches. It was also nice to confirm the "cold" we have (AGAIN!!) was allergies and that his asthma is under control.

I finally had my camera at an appointment and took a few pictures. The doctor asked him about all his body parts. He knew all of them, including his heart. I was surprised by that one. His feet were very interesting today. I don't think he'd ever noticed the lines on the bottom before. Maybe we need better lighting in our house....

"What shot?! I have to get a shot?! Shoot!!"

"Oh, Wow! A sucker? Gee...thanks! I'll use both hands so I don't drop it!"

"See Mommy?? Orange Sucker!!" That he really did say and it was cute!

He throughly enjoyed said sucker. Not only did he suck on it the whole drive home, but he rubbed it all over his face and stuck it in one of his ears. We needed about 10 wipes to be sucker free, but it was worth it.

Next stop, potty training! We're going to need a lot of suckers....and wipes!

Happy Birthday Parker!

2009-10-26T13:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Parker's 2nd Birthday. We had such a nice day together!

Here's our day in photos:

We went to lunch with Nana, Papaw and Mimi. Here is Parker waiting for his food, with his hands folded, smiling nicely. Now that he's 2, he's so mature! Yeah right....This lasted about 5 seconds, but it sure looked cute!

"Winking" at Papaw.

Running off his birthday cheesecake down by the creek.

"Mommy, horsey says Neigh, Neigh!"

After lunch, KK, Haley and Ally stopped by with a birthday surprise for Parker. He inhaled his second serving of "happy pumpkin cake" and loved his lego Elmo.

Thanks again for being so thoughtful!

Daddy even passed on the Cowboy game to spend time with his little guy.

Here's a comparison, Parker at 1 year vs. Parker at 2 years:

We can't believe he's 2. Time really is flying! He's talking in sentences and learns 10 new things a day. For example, he loves to get water from the fridge, pour it on the floor with an "Uh-Oh," and tell me that the floor is "sippery." He then gets a towel and tries to clean it up.

He's also really into choosing my footwear these days. He likes for me to match him. If he's in soccer shoes, Mommy should be, too. If Parker has on brown shoes, why would Mommy wear black?? I've actually changed my clothes to go with the shoes he's selected. It seemed easier than trying to explain the theory of coordinating accessories. I feel like that's more a 3 or 4 year old conversation.

I'm also wondering how long it will be until he drives. Yesterday before lunch Parker and Daddy were playing in the garage. Parker took Andy's keys, got in his car, put the key in the ignition and tried to turn the car on. Luckily he's not strong enough, but he can match the symbol on the key to the right car. Scary!!

My favorite thing about Parker right now is how caring he can be. He'll ask me if I'm ok, give me hugs and kisses, says thank you without being prompted and tells me he loves me. It makes my heart melt! I love him so much and feel so blessed to be his mom. We'll see what the next year brings!!

All Aboard!!

2009-10-21T20:19:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was Parker's 2nd birthday party. It was a train themed event. We had train napkins, cakes, balloons, a conductor outfit and a "choo choo car" to give rides to all our friends. You people know how I love a theme!!

Parker had a blast!! We're so thankful to have had our friends and family help us celebrate this special day. We had so much fun, we forgot to take pictures! I promise Andy was at the party, he just didn't make any photos. Here's some pictures from the day:

Isn't this the cutest conductor ever?? Don't be surprised when you see this outfit next weekend. It's also our Halloween costume. Two birds, one outfit!

Parker was so excited about his "Happy Cake!" He's still talking about it. Thanks to Traci's Temptations for doing such a great job. They were as tasty as they were cute!

All our other goodies! The best thing about a morning party....yummy breakfast breads and Gayle's delicious fruit dip!

All Aboard the Big Blue Choo Choo!

Parker and Mommy on the train.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the train, kiddos and parents!

Parker and his cousins.

Parker was adamant that his great grandmother, Granny Wanda, hop on the train with him.

I love this picture of Emma. She's loving her cupcake and collecting trains...not even 2 and she can already multi-task!!

Parker and his railroad crossing sign...just what every 2 year old needs!

We had so much fun! Good friends, beautiful weather, cupcakes, and a choo choo car....what else could anyone ask for??

What a Cutie!

2009-10-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

Parker and I were playing in his room the other day. It's been super rainy lately and we've been playing indoors a lot! We've been working on Parker putting his own shoes on. This is the first time he did it by himself. What a big boy! It's hard to believe that a year ago he took his first steps. What a difference a year makes! While his birthday isn't till the 25th, we'll be celebrating this weekend. Hopefully we'll get some cute pictures of Parker and his friends on the "Big Blue Choo Choo" train.

What a cute little Andy! This is my new favorite picture!!

Parker putting his shoes on all by himself!

People tell me that Parker is a "Mini-Megan." I've never believed it...until I saw this picture. Pretend that you told me something shocking and funny. Now tell me this isn't the face you'd see! This totally supports my "Parker looks like Andy, but makes my facial expressions" theory. Stay tuned for birthday party pics!!

A Day At The ZOO

2009-10-05T18:59:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Daddy and I took Parker to the Zoo. It was a beautiful Saturday, everyone was up and ready to go early, and we thought it was a great way to spend the day. We had so much fun! It was probably the first of many trips to visit the animals!

Parker and Daddy checking out the lions.

"Two Elephants, Daddy!!"

Parker loved feeding the birds! He thought it was the coolest thing ever. We spent about 30 minutes in this area. He was surprisingly quiet and gentle with the birds, despite his excitement.

"Yum-yum for Birdie."

He had to stand on his tip-toes to reach. So Cute!

His current favorite book is about bears. He thought this open log was a bear cave. He was so excited to hibernate and look for honey!

After the "bear cave" it was on to wrestle alligators.

Then we rode a merry-go-round.

"Hi Daddy!!"

We finished up our trip with a ride on the train. It was a yellow train, so there was some debate on whether it was a "choo-choo car" or a school bus. By the end of the ride it was a train. Parker wanted to sit with Daddy. Can't you tell they're best friends? So cute!

Welcome Baby Luke!!

2009-09-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

What a weekend! Uncle AJ and Aunt KK had a sweet little boy on Saturday. Luke David was born at 11:07 am, at 8 lb 8 oz and 20 inches long. KK had scheduled her induction for the 22nd of this month, but Luke was ready to join the party early. He and his father share a birthday! He's super cute and we can't wait to cuddle him again soon! I apologize for not having any pictures of his parents holding him. I'll be sure to get some next time I see them.

Here he is! Is he not the cutest?

And already wondering about his crazy Aunt Mimi and her camera!

Parker was very excited about his new cousin. It'll be good to have a boy in the family to play with. I hope they grow to be best buddies! Here's Parker trying to peek in the nursery!

Big Sister Skylar!

Big sister Haley!

Big Sister Ally!

First Day of School!

2009-09-07T19:04:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday was Parker's first day of school. He did great! He walked right in (wearing his backpack) handed his lunch to his teacher and was off to play. No tearful drawn out goodbyes for either of us. I did feel a little sad walking to the car alone, but quickly recovered at the mall...I had birthday shopping for Daddy to accomplish!

The good news: He LOVES school! His teachers have great things to say (so far) and he's adjusting well. Almost every morning he asks to go to school. I can already see a difference in him. He cleans up better at home and seems smarter already! Today he was making up his own verses for "Wheels on the bus," now Parker on the bus says Hi and Kitty on the bus says Meow.

I feel like if I blink he'll be ready for kindergarten. I love the little boy he's becoming! There are moments when I miss my little baby. And we still have the occasional meltdown that reminds me he's only 22 months. All in all, He's so much fun these days! I wouldn't change a thing!

What have we been up to??

2009-08-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

What have we been up to lately? Well, nothing overly exciting. A few play dates here and there, a few trips to Target, sprinkle in some soccertots, swimming, lunch with Emma, and that's about it. Lately at night and on the weekends, I've been trying to get my house organized and clean (a never ending battle!) so I haven't posted in awhile. Sorry!! Here are some pictures from the past couple of weeks.

Sweet Owen trying to push his buddy Parker in the swing.

Noble, what a cutie! Look at his curls!

Miss Emma, already into accessories!

Parker and Baby Madison having a staring contest.

While at Chase and Jennifer's, I picked up my camera to turn it on. Parker immediately yells "Cheese!" and busts out this big smile. Lisa and Jennifer are now wondering how many pictures I actually take and feeling sorry for Parker!

Parker's first taste of a chocolate milkshake. He gulped about half before Daddy took it away. You'll notice his death grip on the straw :)

Well it was bound to happen eventually. Seeing that Sarah and I like a lot of the same clothes for our boys. Parker's usually a little preppier and Owen's more rocker-cool, but on sporting attire we seem to agree. We showed up to soccer last week in the same outfit. I feel like in this picture they're trying to figure out who looks better in their tank top. Both are equally cute, of course!!
Soccertots can really wear a kid out!

Good thing it's time for stamps!

Parker and Emma practicing for lunch at school next week!

Nana's birthday was last weekend. We worked on telling her Happy Birthday, Nana. He's been saying "Happy Nana" all week. Maybe next year we'll get the birthday in there, too.

Parker relaxed on Sunday by watching a movie with his buddy Elmo.

My cute nieces after a dip in the pool!

Next week Parker starts school! I'm both excited and worried about it. I've been away from him plenty, but he's always been with family or good friends. I'm not sure how he'll react to a classroom setting. Luckily he's with his cousin, Skylar, and good friends, Owen and Emma. Keep your fingers crossed that all goes well!

I've picked up a couple of books about school trying to prepare him. His favorite parts involved the school buses. On yesterday's Target trip, Parker spotted this bus across the store. He started saying "School bus, please mama!" really loudly and I gave in. At least he was polite. He has played with it non-stop since I took it out of the box. I've been able to cook dinner, fold laundry, take a shower and post all this. It might be the best toy I've ever purchased!!

Waiting on a Woman...

2009-08-17T14:46:00.000-07:00

I'm training Parker to be a good boyfriend or husband one day. I'm teaching him paitience! Or I guess I could be training him to work retail. Oh, well!

One of his new favorite things to do these days is wait for and greet our guests. This particular day he was waiting on Mimi.

First he opens the shutters so he can sit in the window by the door...

Then he tries to open the door for our company.

Then he celebrates their arrival with a little dance.

He's so fun these days! I think we'll keep him!

Learning to Dive

2009-08-16T18:49:00.000-07:00

One evening we were swimming at Nana's with the fam. The girls were working on their diving skills and Parker was amazed. After observing for a while, he told Daddy "Parker dive." Daddy put him on the side of the pool and he put his hands over his head...

And jumped in!

Parker's been pretty cautious around the pool this summer. It was surprising to see him jump in the water 50 times. Maybe he's getting some confidence from his cousins! Here's cute Skye jumping in. Can you tell how much she loves the water?

Parker and Daddy having fun in the pool!

And what's better than a cuddle with Nana after all that hard work in the pool?? Such fun!

My Beautiful Nieces!

2009-08-16T18:02:00.000-07:00

Last week Aunt KK and I tried to get some cute pictures of all the kiddos. Parker was a little wild (read:the minute his feet touched the ground he took off like a shot!) so it ended up being just the girls. We got a few good shots...not as many as I would have liked, but it's hard when the little ones out number the grown ups :) Here's a few of my favorites.

And seriously, could these girls be any prettier? I swear they just get cuter every year! Uncle AJ is going to have his hands full in a couple of years!!

Ally, age 9, Skylar, age 20 months, Haley, age 10

Sweet Skye

Ally

Haley and Parker (this is the only picture he made it into)

New Hat, New Shoes, New Face!

2009-08-13T13:28:00.000-07:00

So sorry for the lack of posts! Things have been a little crazy round here. Parker and I (and most of our friends!) were sick last week. I've also decided to redecorate (again....Poor Andy!) so I've been busy looking for furniture, etc. And I have numerous photo books to create!
I promise to try and post more frequently!! I have lots of pics to put up. Here's a few to tide you over....
New Hat: Parker in his puppy hat. I think it's the cutest thing ever. He loves to wear it. He looks so grown up to me when he accessorizes. My only complaint is the lack of tail in the back :)

New Shoes: We're still infatuated with Elmo! For Parker and these slippers, it was love at first sight. While shopping at Babies R Us, I let him get a little too close the shelf and we had eight pairs of these in our cart. He was a little upset when only one pair came home with us, but he did get to wear them out of the store. I'm sure it's only a matter of time until they make an appearance at Target or the grocery store :)

New Face: Lately Parker's been making this squishy nose face. I think it's pretty cute. It took me a while to get a shot of it.

I also love the squishy nose grin below!

Stay Tuned! More to come!!

We're Baaaack!

2009-07-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

We're finally back and settled from our trip to Orlando. We had lots of fun and even got to meet Mickey Mouse! Parker had a great time. Thanks to Poppy, Momo, Erin, Sara and Gpa for a fun weekend.

Pictures coming soon.....I only have 500 to sort through :)

In other news, we've been working on facial expressions lately. It's a fun game to play in the car. Yesterday during bathtime, I tried to catch a few on film. I wouldn't enroll him in acting school just yet, but we off to a good start!

Here is "Happy" Parker:

"Sad" Parker:

"Crazy" Parker:

"Tired" Parker:

Tired and crazy are my favorites. For tired he puts his head on his shoulder and makes snorring sounds. For crazy he screams and wiggles around. I don't know where he learned that one!

Yesterday Jennifer and Madison came over to play. We had so much fun. Madison is so cute and sweet! While Parker napped, we had a photo shoot. Here's a cute one. I didn't get any of Parker and Madison together...next time!

These little ones are so much fun and such a blessing!

Happy Anniversary!!

2009-07-20T16:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our sixth wedding anniversary. I can't believe how time flies when you're having fun! I feel so fortunate to be married to my best friend. Andy's such a good dad and I can't imagine where I'd be without him.

Thanks to Mimi for having a slumber party with Parker. We got to see a movie, have a nice dinner, dessert at Cru, and sleep until 10am on Sunday! We haven't done that since college!

Thank you, Andy, for the past 14 years! I can't wait to see what comes next!

Backyard Fun!

2009-07-14T20:57:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we set up Parker's backyard pool. It has a cute little elephant slide/fountain and a palm tree. He loved it! Thanks to Daddy for working so hard in the hot sun!!

Here's Daddy setting up the pool. Parker's helping, of course!

Parker loves the fountain!

So much fun!

What a sweet boy! I can't believe how big he's getting. I couldn't love him more! We are so blessed!!

Soccer Tots Part Deux

2009-07-14T14:03:00.001-07:00

Last week Parker's cousins, Haley and Ally, joined us at soccer tots. Their little sister Skylar is a fellow soccer totter. They were a huge help and we're hoping they come back next week! Here's Parker kicking over his soccer ball tower.... Now he's celebrating with Ally!
A big hug from Skylar! What good friends! Time to clean up. Parker and his buddies....What good helpers!As always, Parker was trying to escape. Skylar thought it was pretty funny to see him stuck between the net and the fence.

Good thing class is over! Abby's all worn out. Luckily she has her soccer ball pillow, too cute! Last week she was "Parker's Abby." I think we may have a little ladies man on our hands. Lock up your daughters, people!

Time for stamps!

Owen was really excited about his stamps! He's an awesome brand new big brother!

Here's Parker in his soccer sunglasses after class.

What fun!

Happy 4th of July!!

2009-07-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

We spent the 4th of July weekend with family; some related and some who have known us for so long they're like family! We had lots of fun and as always are so thankful for our independence!

Parker and his cousins...Haley, Skylar and Ally

What a cool dude!!

Parker thought it was so funny to see a puppy in the pool!

Skye in her goggles, so cute! This girl is a fish! She loves the water and has no fear!

Sweet Baby Madison! Parker loves her, as long as Mommy isn't holiding her. Then it's "Mommy, baby off!!" Could this girl be any cuter?? I think Chase is going to have his hands full in about 16 years!

Parker and his great grandmother. He thinks "Granny Wanda" is so funny!

And last, Parker with two of his loves! Blankie and Mimi, what else could he want??

That Party Was a Zoo!!

2009-06-29T21:58:00.000-07:00

Parker's friend, Mr.N, recently celebrated turning 2. His mom has the best ideas for parties! This year it was a petting zoo. The kids loved it! They were so cute looking at and feeding all the animals. Parker couldn't decide if he was a bigger fan of the animals or the playground nearby, so we spent some time at each. Here are some cute pics from the petting zoo. Sorry I don't have one of the birthday boy. Thanks for a fun Saturday!!

Parker and the Chickens.

We loved the duck as long as it didn't quack!

Precious Miss E. and her new friend, the goat.

Feeding Bunnies!

Parker in his favorite party favor, a cow mask. There's been lots of Mooing 'round here this week... so cute!

Soccer Tots, Summer Fun & Stillettos!

2009-06-23T23:19:00.000-07:00

As an avid blog reader, it drives me crazy when blogs aren't frequently updated. I like to stay up to date with the people I stalk online. That being said, I am so sorry for the lack of posts!! I'm annoyed with myself and promise at least a weekly post from here on out. Even if I have to stay up all night to do it! It is currently 1:47 am....
What are we up to these days?? Well, I am officially a Soccer Mom...or at least a Soccer Tots Mom! Parker started a fun new class called Soccer Tots. It's basically controlled chaos with 9 toddlers, 1 instructor and some soccer balls. They work on soccer skills while playing games and having fun. Parker also works on escaping from the net classroom. He really seems to enjoy it and I enjoy the air conditioning! (Gosh it's hot outside) Here are a few pics:

Parker following diretions!

I think we need to practice the no hands part.
Maybe he'll be a goalie like Haley!

They chase hula-hoops to learn how to run without looking down.
I'm excited about this skill. I'm thinking it'll mean less tripping and falling down....

Parker and Skylar on the slide.

This is where the kids really want to be...the video game section outside the classroom!

When we're not playing indoors, we're playing outstide. I keep buying outside toys for Parker, but what he's most interested in are the planes in the sky and the bugs in the grass. Even though it's hot, it makes for some cute pictures:

Rocking on the Porch!

This picture is so funny! I think he looks just like the cookie monster on his shirt!

Me Love Parker!

In Deep Thought....

So happy running in the yard!

And lastly, I think this may be my new favorite photo! I will definetly be showing this one to the high school girlfriends! Parker is really good at walking in my high heels. It's hilarious! The taller the heel, the more he likes the shoe. (I can feel Andy cringing as I type...) He made it from my closet to the kitchen in these gold stilletos. Boy, was he proud of himself!

On the plus side, check out those calve muscles! Pretty good for a 19 month old!

Where have we been??

2009-06-16T22:24:00.000-07:00

So sorry for the lack of posting!! We were on vacation in San Diego! We had a great time! We're now back home. Parker was an all star traveler. Unfortunetly, he picked up strep throat somewhere between here and California. I have about 1100 photos of the trip. As soon as they're uploaded I'll post a few. In the meantime here are some photos of our cutie from his first swim of the summer:

Parker and Daddy in the pool.

"Blowing Bubbles"

My guys laughing...

Splish Splash!

18 month Photos

2009-06-05T14:04:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you take a rambunctious 18 month old to a photography studio? About 90 minutes of frustration, stress, bubbles, bribery, threats of being an only child, Mommy jumping up and down like a monkey, and a headache!! Oh, and about 5 cute pictures.
I recently took Parker to have his 18 month pictures taken. I know he's now officially 19 months, but I'm a little behind on my posts. I promise to step it up and post more often in the future.
Here are the fruits of our labor:

This was one of the first ones. It was cute, but all downhill from there....

This one is just funny! He looks so grown up to me, like this could be his yearbook photo.

In this one, he was refusing to look at the camera, but it comes across all sweet and angelic....

Here, he was laying on the floor, pretending to be a baby.

This was at the end of our photo shoot. He started running around behind the backdrop to play "Where's Parker??" Which is basically peek-a-boo. At this point, we called it a day.
I'm already looking back at this day and laughing. I love these pictures because he's wild and crazy right now, and we've captured it on film. Sometimes you just need a day or two to appreciate the amount of personality your little ones have.

Playing Outside!

2009-05-25T15:07:00.000-07:00

Parker loves to be outside. This weekend we spent lots of time outdoors. Between working in the yard, playing with friends, and swimming we spent time everyday outside. Here are some cute pics of Parker playing out front.

He discovered ants. He points at them and calls them "buhs," also known as bugs. Luckily they were small, non-biting ants.

Parker helping Daddy with the landscaping. Parker loves lawn mowers! He frequently mows the carpet and tile indoors as well.

Parker running down the sidewalk. He's a fast one!!

"All done outside, Mama! Juice Peas!"

Watch Out Tiger Woods!

2009-05-19T22:56:00.000-07:00

Someone should warn Tiger Woods. There's a new golf prodigy on the horizon....it's Parker! He has really been enjoying his first set of golf clubs. He also wants to be outside all the time, and this is more fun than looking at the grass. I've been trying to teach him the game of Golf.

Stop laughing!! I know a little bit about sports. Although, he does yell "Goal" every time he hits the ball, so maybe Andy should take over....

Here he's putting, or is it driving?? He's hitting the ball with the club!

Here's Parker's "Hole in One." He picks up the ball, and in one movement, puts it in the cup.

The golf clubs also come in handy when you need to point out the planes flying overhead.

What a fun, precious boy!!

Elmo Please!!

2009-05-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

Parker has recently discovered Elmo. He has quite a passion for this red furry monster. I'm not sure how many times a day I hear "Momo Peas??" (which translates to Elmo Please) And since I'm such a sucker....at least once a day, Parker is allowed to watch a few minutes of an Elmo Movie. Who could resist those puppy dog eyes?

Now Parker has decided he needs to watch Elmo, with his Elmo book, Elmo doll and Elmo sippy cup. While I know somewhere marketing execs are jumping up and down, I'm starting to worry that he may be a little too attached to Elmo....

I love that he's always amazed to see Elmo. He's practically memorized the DVD and yet he's shocked to see Elmo on TV.

And this picture is one of my absolute favorites! Elmo was dancing up a storm on TV, so Parker decided he needed some juice. And since I'm pretty sure he learned the sharing thing from Elmo, maybe not all TV is bad for kids.

Parker's New Toy...Mom's New Mess!

2009-05-15T21:29:00.000-07:00

Every week we go to the Gymboree play & music classes. Parker loves them! His favorite thing to play with (or in) is the ball pit. He will spend most of the class there...when mom isn't making him try the other activites! I decided Parker needed one at home. One trip to Super Walmart later....Tada! Here is Parker's new favorite toy.I love that he's so happy in his ball pit. I recall many happy hours spent there when I was young. There's only one problem. It took Parker about 5 seconds to discover throwing the balls out of the pit and all over the house. I keep finding them everywhere! In cabinets, drawers, under the furniture, he even put one in the dishwasher. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to give him 200 plastic balls...

My First Post!

2009-05-13T13:08:00.000-07:00

I am making an attempt to join the blogging world. I think this will be a great way to keep in touch with family and friends! Now if I can just figure out how to do it.... Stay tuned!