February

February is my birthday month. Although technically I was born on the 6th, I like to spread out the celebration. The funny thing is, though, this year I was more excited about my son each day than my birthday.  He's just so darn cute! Justin, Parker and I took a road trip down to Portland for the weekend. We met my cousin, Kelly and her fiance, Travis for lunch. It was the first time the boys had met and Kelly and Travis' first time meeting Parker. Next, we arrived at Ryan and Heidi's house. It turns out that Ryan, Justin and Ian had something special planned for Heidi and I's birthday. They took us wine tasting! I've always wanted to have this experience so I was super excited! We had an absolute blast! Delicious wine and the best company anyone could ask for!

That next day was Super Bowl Sunday. Heidi and Ryan had some friends over to watch the game. While Parker enjoyed staring at the screen, he was the only one who hated exciting plays. Everyone would cheer and he would cry. I ended up covering his ears most of the 4th quarter.

Not a fan of cheering

Football with Daddy

Along with the fun in Portland, we also celebrated my birthday with my parents, Lenny and Sandie. They treated us to dinner at BJ's. Love their pizza, beer and pizookie! Standard form: Parker filled his diaper and passed out.

I party 'till I pass out

Parker's first Valentines Day consisted of going with his Mom to Bible study, and getting a date night with Sara Nielson (what an amazing friend we have!) while Justin and I went out.

So much love!

Parker turned 4 months on the 28th. This month he has made progress with his motor skills. He is grabbing toys better and bringing them to his mouth. He also found his new favorite toy: his feet. Parker wants so badly to sit up. When lying on his back, he strains to lift his head and shoulders off the floor. He enjoys when I hold him in the sitting position. Also, Parker is starting to bear some weight on his legs. He likes to be held up and smiles when we root him on. Parker's personality continues to be mellow. He loves to know what is going on. He's always looking around, head on a swivel, taking in the world.

Working those core muscles

First time in the activity center

On the 28th, Parker had his 4 month check up and vaccinations. He is about 50% on all his measurements.
Height: 25 1/2 inches
Weight: 15 pounds 3 ounces
Head Circumference: 16 3/4 inches

At Dr. Clapper's Office

4 months old today!

A couple cute pictures:

This guys loves the camera

Bath time is a favorite...splashing's fun!

How awesome is this?!

Daddy/Son cuddle time

January

Parker is continuing to grow and learn like crazy. He changes every week and it is so exciting to watch! He is holding his head up really well, so we started putting him in his Bumbo chair. Parker seems to really like sitting up and will be entertained in his chair for 10-15 minutes before his head starts getting heavy.  

Our little guy is also arching his back and really reaching his head when on his stomach. He recently has started to grab for toys more often and put some objects to his mouth.  He likes to feel the ribbons on his taggy blanket that Grandma made him.  

Parker is starting to "talk" more often. He like to think he's having conversations with us. We will talk and Parker will respond with "oooooo" or "oooohhhh" sounds.

Parker also enjoys looking at himself in the mirror. I'm not sure if he knows it's him, or if he thinks he has a baby playmate, but he's loving it. He'll smile and squeal at the mirror. What a ham.

One very special thing we did this month was head to La Canada, California to visit Justin's Grandma.  We hadn't seen her in 2 years, and really wanted her to meet her great grandson.  Justin and I were very excited about the trip, but also nervous to travel with a baby. We are great travelers and good packers, but it's a whole different story with a baby! How do we get through security? How do we make sure our 11 week-old doesn't cry the entire flight?! Turns out, it's not too big of a deal. We decided not to bring a stroller. We carried Parker in his car seat through the airport. Security wasn't so bad, although Parker wasn't so excited to be woken up to be carried through the metal detector.  On the plane, Parker drank his bottle during take off and was lulled to sleep by the sounds of the engine and subtle turbulence.  He slept the entire time except for 5 minutes when he decided to spit up all over himself and we changed him!

We stayed 3 nights at Grandma Audrey's house. She has a super cozy house that makes for a really relaxing time.  She was absolutely in love with her Great Grandson! She loved holding Parker and looking at him while he gave her smiles! Parker loved Great Grandma's ceiling fans and was entertained by them the entire time! Grandma lives close to Justin's Aunt Suzanne and Uncle Gordon, so we spent a lot of time with them. We were lucky because Justin's cousin, Annemarie's son, Jackson was having his 2nd birthday party that weekend so we got to see many of his family members in the area. It was a lot of fun for Parker to meet everyone and to visit!

We also had the opportunity to see some of our college friends, Patrick, Jamie, Justin Blaine, Missy and Ashlea, before we left on Sunday.  It's always entertaining to see these friends and it was special for Parker to meet them.  

When we arrived home from California, we were greeted by the first snow of the season! We received 7 inches at our house and were snowed in. Justin was unable to make it to work, so we took advantage of our snow day. Our friends, Josh and Rachel Snyder came over to sled and play in the snow. Justin put Parker in the front pack for his first sledding adventure. In true form, Parker slept through the whole thing!

Parker and Daddy Sledding (very carefully!)

At the end of the month, Parker is sleeping about 8 hours straight, usually from 8pm to 5am. Then sleeps again until 8am. He is reaching for toys. His body is never still, always grabbing and wiggling. He's not super coordinated, but he's definitely getting better.  He sucks on his fingers and is drooling more. Parker is still rolling from his tummy to back and has started rolling from his back to his side. I imagine that pretty soon he'll be fully rolling over. He's growing up so fast!!

Presentation Sunday

The last Sunday in January is Presentation Sunday. In commemoration of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple by Mary and Joseph 40 days after his birth, many churches pray for couples who are desiring to have children, but have encountered difficulties in doing so.  Last year, this was us.
In the fall of 2009 Justin and I decided we wanted to have a baby.  We had tried to get pregnant on our own for about a year before we started seeing doctors for assistance.  I could sense something was not right earlier, but my doctor told us that many couples simply take several months to conceive, so we kept trying on our own.  It was very frustrating to know something wasn't right with my body, but to not be able to do anything about it.  Many people get pregnant so easily, so for it to take a long time for us was upsetting. It's hard when people ask, "When are you going to have kids?" Because we didn't know.
We were lucky to have some friends who had shared their own struggles with infertility.  It turns out that 1 in 4 couples have difficulty getting pregnant, so we were not alone. Initially I was embarrassed to tell people, but once I did share it with close friends, I felt so much better. In 2010 my doctor started me on Clomid, a hormone pill that helps with ovulation.  I could tell that it was making a slight difference, but it was not enough. After a few cycles, my doctor told me that she wasn't confident enough in her knowledge of fertility issues and she referred us to Seattle Reproductive Medicine. We started going to see them in December of 2010.  I immediately liked it there because they doctors and nurses were so warm and caring. The doctor assured us that she would get us pregnant. She did many tests and an ultrasound to first figure out what was keeping us from getting pregnant. She agreed with my regular doctor that I was not ovulating, but she was unable to find a reason.  The doctor decided that Clomid was the best way to go for me, and with better timing of the pills with ultrasounds to make sure they were working, she felt it would be a good first step for us.
Our good friends, Heather and Craig, had been our support system throughout this process and had met with us several times to share their story. They had their daughter, Emily after several years of effort.  They invited us to Presentation Sunday at Cedar Park Church in Bothell.  We had committed to go with them several weeks prior, but on the morning of, we were not excited. We didn't know exactly what it was all about, and felt awkward going to a service all about infertility.  When we got there, we were surprised to see so many couples and young families at the service. The Pastor talked about God and his desire for us to have families and that anything is possible through him. After his message, he passed the microphone and let couples share their stories. Time after time, couples spoke about their struggles and their success stories. There were couples that had been told by doctors that there was zero chance of them ever getting pregnant and then God blessed them with a child.  It was reassuring to hear that God can make miracles in these families, so I know He can do it on ours.  At the end of the service, the Pastor invited all the couples who wanted prayer to come up to the front of the sanctuary to be prayed over.  Justin and I went to the front, knelt down as many people laid hands on us and prayed.
One woman came and prayed with us for awhile, but she kept stopping in the middle of her sentences and would say, "God wants me to tell you, Fear Not. Keep Faith".  We didn't know exactly what was meant by that, but it felt good knowing that God was there for us.  When I told my friend, Tiffany, what this woman had said, she got excited: "That's what God said in the Bible when good news was ahead!" It was 3 weeks later that Justin and I found out I was pregnant!
Luke 2:10: "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy".  
In Luke 1:12 an angel of the Lord said, "Fear not, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth."
Luke 1:30-31: "The angel said to her, "Fear not, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus."
This year we made a point to go back to Cedar Park. This time we are on the other side. It's so often that people can speak of coincidences. I don't believe Parker was a coincidence. He was a miracle. God gave us our baby in his perfect timing. This year we went back to celebrate our miracle and to share our story. Last year I was there in tears of sorrow and longing. This year I had tears of joy and gratitude.  We got to share with the congregation about our son and to pray for couples that are currently trying to conceive. I believe that many of these couples will be back next year sharing how God has blessed them with a child.

Listen to the service and us sharing at: http://www.cedarpark.org/docs/podcast/20120129am.mp3
We are the second couple to share, about 1/3 of the way through the audio.

December

Our little family has started to get into a routine. Parker is consistently eating every 3 hours.  He eats then is awake for 30-60 minutes before his next nap.  He usually goes to sleep a minute or two after we put him in his crib.  Since he is a good sleeper, we are able to take him out a lot. We're trying to get the most out of this phase, as we realize this won't last forever.  Parker goes with us to restaurants, church and shopping.
At his last doctor's visit (the beginning of December) he was 20 3/4 inches long and 7 pounds 15 ounces. Parker seems to be a very content baby. He rarely fusses unless his is hungry or ready for bed.  He is more alert, always looking around, wide-eyed taking in the world. Parker enjoys being on his play mat, doing tummy time, and sitting in his bouncer chair. He loves looking at lights...the Christmas tree being his favorite. Parker tracks objects and voices with his eyes. Our boy has started to smile when we kiss his face or make silly faces. It is so fun to watch his face light up! We are looking forward to seeing more of this in the next few weeks.

 We caught Parker smiling on camera for the first time December 11th.

Grabbing his first toy!

Roscoe enjoys the toys more than Parker

Parker loves the Christmas tree lights

Supervising Dad hanging ornaments

He also is really enjoying bath time.  He likes the warm water on his body. After, he is very relaxed and happy.  It's good to be clean!

Justin had his First Western Properties Christmas party at the Alexis Hotel in Seattle. It was, as always, a lot of fun. He is blessed to work with amazing people. Parker came along with us, and was way more popular than Justin and I.   We ended up staying the night at the hotel.  We ordered room service, slept in and relaxed. Parker got spoiled and slept with us a good portion of the night.

Sleeping like a King

We decided to take a stroll around town in the morning. Parker got his first look at Pike's Place Market. There's no place like Seattle during Christmas! People watching is at it's best: street performers, Christmas lights, and shoppers.

Parker thinks he's a ninja in this picture

December 15th was a big day for Parker. We weighed him and he was 9lbs 5 oz. He's getting big! He's definitely filling out.  His cheeks are chubbier and he has a tiny roll on his thighs. Cute! Also, he rolled over from tummy to back 3 times in a row! His strategy is to be up on his forearms and to throw his leg over to get going.

Now he's getting good at it! Most of the time as soon as I place him on his belly, he works on flipping over. He will roll 2 or 3 times before he gets too tired to do it again.

Rolling over at 7 weeks

Towards the end of the month, Parker could hold his head up pretty well. His next and back are strong. He arches his back and is able to hold his head up to look around. He is also kicking his legs and moving his arms a lot more. He sort of bats at the dangling toys on his play mat. I'm not sure if he is doing it on purpose, but we'll go with it. :)

Parker's first Christmas was so special! It was really fun for Justin and I to have our son with us, as we get to start new family traditions and to continue old ones.

Again, the ninja pose...

On the 23rd, we went to my parents' house.  We made pizza on Dad's Traeger grill and played games. It was fun to just relax. Mom and Dad have a ton of Christmas decorations and a lot of lights. As you can imagine, Parker was in heaven looking around! On Christmas Eve morning, we had some of my friends (Scott, Rachel, Jon, Carly and Allison) over to brunch. It was so fun to get everyone together and for them to meet Parker. I love my friends and that no matter how long we go without seeing one another, it's just like old times when we reunite! Soon after they left, our family started to arrive. What a fun night! We decorated gingerbread houses, ate a DELICIOUS meal, visited and opened presents.

On Christmas morning, we woke up about 8. Parker's first Christmas consisted of putting on new jammies, watching his Mom & Dad open his stocking and, again, staring at the tree lights! After breakfast, we packed the car and headed to Justin's parents' in Lakewood. We opened presents and then Grandma Jane came to visit with Parker. We had a relaxing day and a yummy dinner (Holmes' family recipe gumbo) followed by games with our friends Tiffany and Derek.
We had a terrific Christmas. Parker was absolutely spoiled with gifts. He is such a lucky boy and he doesn't realize this, but I know he can tell he is very loved!

Excited for Santa!

Grandma made a stocking that's just the right size!

I can't believe how big Parker's getting! While he's still wearing newborn clothes, he's been getting too long for some of them.  It's sad that I'm already having to put away some of his precious outfits! At his two month appointment on the 28th, he measured 23 inches long which is 54 percentile. He is 10pounds 13ounces (29percentile). In 2 weeks he gained 1 pound, 8 ounces!  His head circumference is 15 1/4inches (22percentile). It's crazy to think how fast he is growing! Justin commented that he looks more like a baby than a newborn. People warned us they babies grow up before you know it and now we understand!

Parker's First Month

Parker's first few days and weeks have been a whirlwind.  We've had visitors many of the days. Our family and friends are amazing! It's been so nice to have received such love, gifts and meals! We are so blessed!

Our son was three days old on Halloween. Grandma and Grandpa came over for the day to celebrate.  It was a big day with lots of firsts.

First Pumpkin:

Justin carving away

First Costume:

Parker's not so into the costume

Our little pumpkin!

First Bath:

Along with the excitement of the holiday, we've just been adjusting to life with our new addition.  There's been lots of cuddling and just spending time staring at our son. It doesn't get old!
Here are some snuggle pics:

Meeting G

With Mom

The 3 Boys

Passed out at the Doctor's Office

One of my favorites

It's so much fun to be at home snuggling, but we are also determined to get out into the real world. Here are a few of our attempts to be "normal".
Justin took Parker for his first walk in the stroller. We've made it to church, gone to a birthday party, and out to eat sushi!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was a lot of fun this year because of our new addition.  We spent it with the Holmes side of the family.  Parker got to meet Great Grandma Jane, Aunt Dana & Uncle Mike, and Cousin Aaron. It was really fun to visit with family and to just relax.  We have a lot to be thankful for this year!

Visitors at the Hospital

Parker Thomas Holmes arrived at 5:47am on Friday, October 28th. He weighed 7pounds 7ounces.  He was 20 inches long. We spent about 2 hours getting to know our son before the 4 anxious grandparents got to visit us in the labor/delivery room.  They had been waiting all night to meet him.  There were tears of joy and lots of hugs.

Grandma & Grandpa

Gramma & Pop

A few hours after Parker arrived into the world, and after my epidural wore off, the nurses took Justin, Parker and myself up to the recovery room.  Our friend, AJ, was there for the ride.  As they wheeled us out of the delivery area, we got to stop at the nurses' station and they played Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star throughout the entire hospital. They play it every time a baby is born so everyone can stop and celebrate! Pretty cool.

The Postpartum Room

Uncle Ryan & Aunt Heidi

The rest of the day was pretty much a blur for us. I was drugged up, and we were all sleep deprived. Although we don't really remember it all, we were lucky to have many family members and friends stop by to visit and to meet baby Parker. It is so nice to know we have so many people supporting us through our journey as new parents! Here are some of the first meet & greets.   

Jer & Jodi Durr

Cousins Amanda & Alyssa

Alli (not sure why this won't turn!)

Aunt Jill

The boys

Great Grandma Vreeburg

Uncle Ian

Cousin Rachel

Josh, Debbie & Gemma Parnell

Auntie Allison

On Saturday morning Justin and I felt comfortable enough to head home.  We were excited to bring Parker to his house. It would be nice to just relax and get adjusted to our new life with a family of three. My OB and Parker's pediatrician gave us the blessing to check out around 2:00.  We packed up, put Parker in his car seat, and the nurses put me in a wheelchair to head to the car. Tiffany and Derek Bluhm happened to show up for a visit at that time, so they helped us carry everything and even acted as our photographers!

Parker falls asleep without fail within seconds of getting into this car seat