I found his giggle spot

Tonight- before it was time for Parker to go to bed- we were sitting on the couch- Parkerman on my lap facing me. I would say "upside down" and he would bend backwards and look at the TV upside down- then bring his head back up and smile at me...we did this a few times and when he bent his head back to look at the TV I found his tickle spot! Now, my son is ticklish ALL OVER- and will laugh anywhere he is tickled- but under his chin on his neck is the prem-o of tickle spots! I started to tickle his exposed neck when he was looking upside down and he laughed like I haven't seen him laugh before! In return- I laughed- then he laughed, then I laughed.....oh my goodness...what a fun never-ending cycle!!!

A Year in Review

Wow- tomorrow morning at 8:58am it will be one year since our little love bug entered this world. I think back where I was this time last year and it's amazing what has gone on...

February 2, 2009 Blake and I were spending our "last night" as "just us" together. I was panic stricken as I could NOT imagine that life with a baby would be blissful and fun- and I just KNEW that Blake and I would no longer have the love we had for each other because everyone said that once you have a baby, your life (and marriage for that matter) would be "over"...by over I meant no excitement, no fun, etc.

February 3, 2009- 8:58am I hear the first cry of my baby boy entering the world- what a beautiful sound! (at least to us it was :) )


One month: Falling more in love every day...thinking how could I love any other stage more than this one:

Two Months: He smiled for the first time, and got to go to the church nursery for the first time! Also- got his first cold! Yuk!
Three Months: Really smiling now!! We are having SO much fun! He also laughed out loud this month, rolled over and went swimming for the first time!

Four Months: Starting to become a REALLY happy baby...his little personality is starting to come alive! His hands are ALWAYS in his mouth during this stage!

Five Months: Can life get any better than this stage? Barely starting to sit up...

Six Months: We had a six month birthday party where he got to try rice cereal for the first time!!! Sitting up on his own

Seven Months: He got his 1st two teeth!!!

Eight Months: Got to experience his first Halloween...he was a sock monkey!

Nine Months: Watch out...he is crawling!!!! He got his top two teeth and first hair cut...as you can see, he needed one!


Ten Months: He is starting to eat table food..i.e. not just baby food or mashed up table food...now that he has good teeth he can chew a lot!!He is also starting to learn how to walk! He also got to experience his first Christmas!

Eleven Months: Got his first molar! Whew! He is now a walking man!!


Twelve Months: Coming Soon.....


This baby boy changed my world and by change I mean for the better! My heart opened up to love another human being in a way that I NEVER imagined. I fell in love with my husband in a way that I never imagined and I began a life playing a new role that would be more fulfilling than anything I have ever done. The fear of my new life I had the night before Parker entered this world was all a myth...I can't imagine my life without Parker in it and I would never want to imagine it.

I love you, baby boy! Happy Birthday!

I wouldn't trade it for the world...cha cha cha

(Sung to the tune of La Cucaracha)
For a big, huge house,
Or for a super nice car...
I wouldn't trade it for the world,
For a lot of cash,
Or lots of nice clothes...
I wouldn't trade it for the world,
For nice jewelry,
or for nice restaurants...
I wouldn't trade it for the world,
For a high rise,
or a high paid job....
I wouldn't trade pulling my baby boy in his red wagon for the world. cha cha cha...(this line didn't quite go with the song tune...but hey, you can make it work)

Yes- I sung this to Parker yesterday as I am pulling him in his new red wagon. I am pulling him and he is saying his only true word that he knows...."uh-oh" and then I would repeat "uh-oh" and he would repeat "uh-oh" and we went on and on. It was such a moment....I am so grateful that I can be the one to talk to him as he learns new words- I am so glad that these little moments that would seam boring to someone else are moments that fill my heart with joy. I am so glad that we get the opportunity to experience life together....just mommy and Parker...and of course our favorite daddy when he gets home from conquering the world for us. :)

I wouldn't trade it for the world...

A new addition

Yesterday, January 26, 2010 I found out that I am expecting baby #2! What a shocker that was!!! On Monday, January 25th, I took a $.99 pregnancy test that I bought at Dollar General- it came back negative. As I was out walking with some neighbor moms on Tuesday, I was telling them that I had thought I was pregnant, but not to worry- my $.99 test cleared it up for me! One of the moms looked at me with this serious look and said "I wouldn't be so sure...it took my sister FIVE of the $.99 tests before it told her she was pregnant!".....WHAT??? Well, this mom happened to have a spare pregnancy test on hand and passed it over to me- I promptly went in and took it, and this is what I got:


Whew...Blake was at work and I had Parker and our neighbor's little girl, Liv, over here and I began pacing around- taking deep breaths in and saying to myself "okay...I am pregnant...okay...I'm pregnant...I'm pregnant". Blake got home- I showed him this picture and enjoyed the look of disbelief and then excitement after hearing the day before I was NOT pregnant!

It was so exciting- but now the countdown begins. I have 9 months to cherish, enjoy and soak in every minute with JUST my little baby boy. I have 9 months to seek out every opportunity to cuddle, love on, play trucks with and go to the park with JUST Parker. My absolute joy, and love of my life....how could I possibly love another baby as much as I love my little man? It is unimaginable to me to think about- but I know that I will love and cherish this new baby just as much, but it's just hard to truly believe that!

However, when fear and anxiety about this new adventure well up in my mind and my heart I have to remember how this all began. On October 30, 2009, Blake and I decided to quit preventing pregnancy. We decided that we were not going to prevent- but if GOD wanted to prevent He could. We gave up the conception of another child COMPLETELY into God's hands and God's perfect timing. We prayed that God would allow me to conceive when HE knew it was the perfect time and when HE knew I as a mother and Blake as a daddy would be able to handle it. So here we are now....I am pregnant....God's perfect timing- I must trust and be at peace with. So- here we are...all 4 of us :) God is good- now we have to just pray and trust that the little baby in my belly is growing into a healthy baby boy or girl- and focus on this wonderful time with just the 3 of us!

One of my moments...

Today was too gorgeous not to go for a walk. I loaded Parkerman into his stroller and we went walking- on our way back towards the house we stopped off at the park so that I could experience one of my favorite moments. I picked Parker up and sat him on my lap facing me- I sat down on a swing and he laid his cheek on my chest and we just experienced life for a moment- quiet and peaceful- with each other. I kissed him on the top of his head and looked out at God's beautiful creation hoping that I could soak in the moment so that I could never forget it. Even though Parker was a handful today- kind of fussy- a little irritable- that moment on the swing washed all of my frustration away and reminded me that even when things aren't perfect- I can still have perfect moments with my little love bug.

Wednesday Favorites

Today was an absolute blast- it was a normal Wednesday- but a fun one. Parker and I ran to Baby's R Us to pick up a few items- since we had some spare time we walked over to Toys R Us to go play with fun toys that we can't afford to buy. Oh my goodness! We had so much fun! First, I handed Parker a foam sword...he loved it- and every time he hit me with it- I pretended to get hurt and he just laughed and laughed! We then went down the "huge stuffed animal" isle. Every stuffed animal I picked up and playfully showed to Parker he got this overly excited look on his face! I could do this for hours! Let's just say- I am enjoying the stage where I can take Parker to a toy store- play with the toys- then put them back and still have a happy child! ha! :)
Next...on to the chiropractor, HEB, the bank and home! Once we got home...the fun really started. After Parker ate a big snack we went into his play room to play...as he was crawling into the foyer to go chase his dump truck he caught a glimpse of Nika...the boxer dog. We then had to proceed into the living room to play with Nika and Abby (my little shitzu dog). Parker would crawl over to Nika and she would turn and look at him and begin coming over to him and he would squeal and quickly start crawling frantically (while laughing) towards me! Then Abby would come over and he would start yelling and laughing at Abby! Then the dogs would start rough housing and Parker would just LAUGH AND LAUGH! He is also walking REALLY well now and he would walk over to me and over to the dogs with the biggest cheesiest most wonderful heart melting smile on his face! We did this for about 30 minutes and I must say....that was 30 minutes of Heaven!
Now- off to bath-time! Now, we all know that I love bath time- so this was a typical precious time- however, at the end of the bath- Parker was standing up holding on to the side of the tub while I am sitting on the floor, leaning on the side of the tub and we are facing each other...Parker points and me, then tries to stick his hands in my mouth to grab my teeth....I closed my mouth over his hands and then blew my cheeks up really big and pretended to spit his hands out...we did this over and over while Parker was laughing so hard he got the hiccups.

Now- my little love is in bed- and as I type this wonderful memory of today- my heart is overflowing. Thank you God- for my little piece of Heaven on this Earth- thank you that he is healthy and with us- it is only because of you, Father- that anything good is in my life.

I love bath-time

Bath time used to be a chore for me...one more thing to mark off my Parker "to-do" list before he went to bed; but now I see it as another cherished memory. It is so fun for me, to sit and watch Parker learn how to maneuver in the water and stand up and sit down and stand up and fall down and stand up and squat down....over and over and over again. This is a quiet time between he and I to just sit and be with each other.
I love how when I am running his water, he crawls up and stands next to the tub in joy filled anticipation of getting in.I love how he hands me his bath book and as I open it he sits on his knees with his hands in his lap and a look of utter glee on his face as I begin reading the words. It's amazing how I can read the same book over and over again in one bath-time- and every time I open that first page- he lights up with curiosity and joy.
I love how he can be playing with a toy in the water and then look up and see me and get so happy and move over to the side of the tub where he can stand up and point at me.
I love how he sits and studies his toys- trying to figure out how they work.

I love how when the water is running he stands up and holds on to the faucet with one hand and runs his other hand under the water as if he could grasp it and hold on to it.
I love how he tries to experiment with the water by getting his face so close to the water that he almost goes under water and then popping up with a surprised, yet excited look on his face.
I love how he splashes his hands so hard into the water that it splashes him in the face and scares him.
I love this little boy with all of my heart and I love spending these little seemingly insignificant moments with him- yet in his world...and now in mine....they are significant, because it's us spending time with each other and cherishing every moment possible.

I love bath-time!