We had some friends, Kellen & Becca Hiroto, and their son, Yamikani, stay with us the first weekend of May. They are missionary teachers in Malawi so we haven't seen them since our wedding. It was absolutely fabulous to connect with them and to meet their 2 year old son. Parker loved Yami! He followed around his new friend, calling him "Mee-mew".
Parker is a prayer warrior. We pray with him before dinner and bed each day. He chooses who we pray for. Every once in a while, we get an odd request like "Teddy" or "book", but most often it's for family and friends. Baby Sister almost always gets a prayer. Parker really enjoys praying. He starts saying "Amen! Amen!" when we sit down to dinner. A few times we've been pleasantly surprised when he's asked to pray at other times. The other day, Parker and I were riding in the car and he asked to pray for a specific family member. It just so happened that that person needed prayer at that very moment. Parker asked to pray for him over and over for the 20 minute car ride. Let me tell you, his prayers were answered! I love that we are raising a little prayer warrior. Prayer changes things.
This month has been dedicated to getting ready for our newest addition. We've pretty much decided on the name Hadley. The middle name is yet to come. At 36 weeks, we started seeing the doctor weekly. We went in on May 9th for the standard 36 week ultrasound. It was fun to see her squirming around. She was in breech position, which means her head was up towards my ribs. The doctor said that she might turn on her own but to expect that because of the lack of space the last few week she would stay put. This meant that we would need to deliver Hadley via c-section on the 31st of this month (39 weeks). At first I was disappointed about not having her naturally, but I quickly warmed to the idea. The bottom line is that she's coming into the world safely which is all Justin and I really care about.
On the 16th, Justin and I went to see Dr. Nelson again for the 37 week appointment. After feeling my stomach, she thought that the baby had flipped! I was measuring small (again), so those two realizations gave Dr. Nelson motive to have another ultrasound. This was the best one yet! We saw right away that Hadley had turned head down. As long as she stays put, we will have a natural delivery. Also, she was in good position for a 3D image. We were able to see her beautiful, sleeping face. She has Parker's lips. I know we are bias, but she's adorable! I can't wait to see her on the outside very soon!
I've been having a lot of contractions lately. This girl is getting ready for her arrival!
All this talk about how Hadley arriving launched Justin and I into nesting mode. We've been working on the nursery since. Justin painted it a light shade of turquoise, my mom made the bedding, we've set up the furniture and decorated. It's a lot of work but it's cute! We are very happy with the outcome.
Heidi proved to be the world's greatest sister-in-law because she sweetly offered to throw Hadley a baby shower. She's extremely busy right now, so it was extra loving of her to find the time to honor her niece. She teamed up with my mom to throw an absolutely amazing shower! There were about 15 family members and close friends. We ate delicious food, visited and opened gifts. Let me tell you, people love to buy girl clothes! Hadley's closet is full of pink and ruffles! What a lucky girl!
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Friday, May 17, 2013
April: 17 months old
A highlight this month was going to visit Ryan, Heidi and Ian for a weekend in Portland. We celebrated Ryan's 31st birthday. Parker stayed behind so we could have an adult trip. We kicked it off by going to the Rose Garden to watch the Blazers vs Oklahoma (Sonics!) game. It was a lot of fun. The boys all wore Sonics gear which got a lot of great comments from the hopefuls who want our team back in Seattle. The next day we made a great breakfast with Grandma Jane then headed to McMenamins for lunch and a game of pitch and putt golf. It was a cold, windy day but we had so much fun being crazy that it didn't matter. I decided I like pitch and putt much better than regular golf. I'll play anytime!
Parker at 17 Months:
He is all boy! He loves trucks and trains. He will ask to go on a walk to the waterfront just so he can look for "choo-choos". As soon as it goes past, Parker is asking for another. In the car, I can distract Parker by asking him to look for trucks and buses. He can't say b-u sounds, so when he sees a bus, he yells "ahmeee!!"
I don't think Parker enjoys anything more than the vacuum. This is weird. He will go to the closet and ask for us to vacuum the house. When we do, Parker cheers and claps. When we put it away, Parker almost always cries. We've figured out that if we have him help wrap up the cord and say "night night" while we put it in the closet, there is less frustration. Parker also loves to sweep. He will take the broom and dust pan out of the closet and either sweep on his own, or ask me to do it so he can watch. At least he motivates us to keep a tidy home!
The novelty of brushing teeth has worn off. Park doesn't mind sucking the toothpaste off the brush, but he wants nothing to do with us brushing for him. Lately we've had to hold him down to get it done. Sorry little man, Mom and Dad have to win this one! Right now Parker has 16 teeth, 8 on top and 8 on bottom. He he struggled with #15 & 16. He woke up twice a night for 2 weeks teething. Luckily he usually just wanted a pacifier and for me to lay him back down, so we weren't too tired.
Parker has learned how to tickle. He tickles his teddy and us. One precious moment was at Safeway when he leaned out of the cart to tickle his little sister. He also hugged and kissed my belly. How sweet! I hope he continues loving on her when she's outside the womb!
We are slowly but surely getting ready for our little girl. We got a ceiling fan for her, and I've been purchasing some special clothes for her. At our last doctor's appointment, my stomach was measuring small so we had an extra ultrasound. This was fine with us, because we are always excited to have another look at our girl! The ultrasound results came back very positive. She's 4.5 lbs 16 inches at 33 weeks. This is right on pace.
Parker at 17 Months:
He is all boy! He loves trucks and trains. He will ask to go on a walk to the waterfront just so he can look for "choo-choos". As soon as it goes past, Parker is asking for another. In the car, I can distract Parker by asking him to look for trucks and buses. He can't say b-u sounds, so when he sees a bus, he yells "ahmeee!!"
I don't think Parker enjoys anything more than the vacuum. This is weird. He will go to the closet and ask for us to vacuum the house. When we do, Parker cheers and claps. When we put it away, Parker almost always cries. We've figured out that if we have him help wrap up the cord and say "night night" while we put it in the closet, there is less frustration. Parker also loves to sweep. He will take the broom and dust pan out of the closet and either sweep on his own, or ask me to do it so he can watch. At least he motivates us to keep a tidy home!
The novelty of brushing teeth has worn off. Park doesn't mind sucking the toothpaste off the brush, but he wants nothing to do with us brushing for him. Lately we've had to hold him down to get it done. Sorry little man, Mom and Dad have to win this one! Right now Parker has 16 teeth, 8 on top and 8 on bottom. He he struggled with #15 & 16. He woke up twice a night for 2 weeks teething. Luckily he usually just wanted a pacifier and for me to lay him back down, so we weren't too tired.
Parker has learned how to tickle. He tickles his teddy and us. One precious moment was at Safeway when he leaned out of the cart to tickle his little sister. He also hugged and kissed my belly. How sweet! I hope he continues loving on her when she's outside the womb!
We are slowly but surely getting ready for our little girl. We got a ceiling fan for her, and I've been purchasing some special clothes for her. At our last doctor's appointment, my stomach was measuring small so we had an extra ultrasound. This was fine with us, because we are always excited to have another look at our girl! The ultrasound results came back very positive. She's 4.5 lbs 16 inches at 33 weeks. This is right on pace.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
March
Parker loves to show off. He likes to tell people what he knows. When he sees a stranger at the store, he will point to a light of fan and proudly name it. Lately he's been pointing to me and saying Momma!
At 16 months, Parker is testing his boundaries. He will reach for things he shouldn't, then look back at us to see what we will do. Usually Parker is fairly easy going and will follow directions. When he's tired or hungry, however, he may throw a fit. This means he whines and stomps his feet. He will say, "no, no, no!" and either hit his teddy or try to hit us on the leg. If he's really mad, he will hit his head against the wall. We're trying to ignore most of it, except for the hitting. He's been getting much better. I've seen him think about hitting something and then doing "soft touches" and pats instead.
Parker loves to feed himself. He asks for a spoon or fork at every meal. This makes for messy meal times. Yogurt everywhere! Parker has also been more selective about what he eats. I usually give him choices to pick from. He use to eat absolutely anything in front of him. Now, he's turning down watermelon and various types of vegetables.
Just before Easter, I brought Parker to see the Easter Bunny. Our visit with Santa didn't go too well a couple months back, so I wasn't sure how it was going to go over. To my surprise, Parker was very excited to see the bunny. He can't do bu sounds, so he says "may-may". He was pointing and waving at the bunny with a smile. The bunny came over to say hi. That's when Parker became tentative. I held Parker and coaxed him to do high fives, knuckles and to pet the bunny. When it was our turn for pictures, Parker when right up to him, but he did not want anything to do with sitting on his lap. He wouldn't even sit next to the bunny. That meant I had to be in it. Parker sat on my lap and stared at the bunny. It was pretty cute. Definitely better then our screaming Santa pictures. Hopefully next year he will be more comfortable. I'm hopeful!
On Easter morning, Parker was very excited about his basket. He got MatchBox cars, new spoons and forks, and a battery-powered bubble wand. He was so happy about the bubbles, he wasn't interested in his first egg hunt. Once we showed Parker that the eggs contained his favorite treat, fish crackers, his tune changed! It took Parker a bit to catch on. He was good at spotting the eggs, but wanted to stop and eat the fish as he went. Finally, Justin put Parker on a toy car and wheeled him around the room from egg to egg. We hid 20 eggs. Parker got bored after 15. When we got around to it the next day, Parker was able to find that last 5 all by himself and brought them to me to be opened so he could chow on his treats! We spent the rest of Easter Sunday with the Holmes side of the family. It was a sunny day, so we were outside most of the time. Parker played with his bubbles and we all enjoyed a boat ride around the lake. It was a great family day!
As the weather is starting to improve, we've been spending more time outdoors. We've gone to the zoo several times this month. Parker's favorite part is not the animals, but walking around and exploring. He will literally stop and touch every fence and rock. There were polar bears play fighting 4 feet away from us, and Parker watched for maybe 4 seconds before marching up and down a nearby set of stairs. He's definitely a boy! One exhibit that does hold Parker's attention is the petting zoo. Parker loves to feed the goats. I thought he'd be apprehensive, but he charges right up to them and holds out the food pellets. He laughs when they lick his hands. Pretty cute!
Parker's baby sister is getting big! My belly is growing larger by the day. It's so fun to see her move in my stomach. Her kicks are very strong. We aren't sure how much Parker understands about a new sibling. He can point to my belly and say, "baby" or "sister" but that's about it. We have been talking a lot about it, so hopefully that will help prepare him.
Some of my girl friends threw me a spa themed baby shower. It was really special to be able to get together and celebrate my daughter! I have the best group of friends! The baby got tons of adorable outfits. Girl clothes are the best! I can't wait to see them on our baby!
At 16 months, Parker is testing his boundaries. He will reach for things he shouldn't, then look back at us to see what we will do. Usually Parker is fairly easy going and will follow directions. When he's tired or hungry, however, he may throw a fit. This means he whines and stomps his feet. He will say, "no, no, no!" and either hit his teddy or try to hit us on the leg. If he's really mad, he will hit his head against the wall. We're trying to ignore most of it, except for the hitting. He's been getting much better. I've seen him think about hitting something and then doing "soft touches" and pats instead.
Parker loves to feed himself. He asks for a spoon or fork at every meal. This makes for messy meal times. Yogurt everywhere! Parker has also been more selective about what he eats. I usually give him choices to pick from. He use to eat absolutely anything in front of him. Now, he's turning down watermelon and various types of vegetables.
Just before Easter, I brought Parker to see the Easter Bunny. Our visit with Santa didn't go too well a couple months back, so I wasn't sure how it was going to go over. To my surprise, Parker was very excited to see the bunny. He can't do bu sounds, so he says "may-may". He was pointing and waving at the bunny with a smile. The bunny came over to say hi. That's when Parker became tentative. I held Parker and coaxed him to do high fives, knuckles and to pet the bunny. When it was our turn for pictures, Parker when right up to him, but he did not want anything to do with sitting on his lap. He wouldn't even sit next to the bunny. That meant I had to be in it. Parker sat on my lap and stared at the bunny. It was pretty cute. Definitely better then our screaming Santa pictures. Hopefully next year he will be more comfortable. I'm hopeful!
On Easter morning, Parker was very excited about his basket. He got MatchBox cars, new spoons and forks, and a battery-powered bubble wand. He was so happy about the bubbles, he wasn't interested in his first egg hunt. Once we showed Parker that the eggs contained his favorite treat, fish crackers, his tune changed! It took Parker a bit to catch on. He was good at spotting the eggs, but wanted to stop and eat the fish as he went. Finally, Justin put Parker on a toy car and wheeled him around the room from egg to egg. We hid 20 eggs. Parker got bored after 15. When we got around to it the next day, Parker was able to find that last 5 all by himself and brought them to me to be opened so he could chow on his treats! We spent the rest of Easter Sunday with the Holmes side of the family. It was a sunny day, so we were outside most of the time. Parker played with his bubbles and we all enjoyed a boat ride around the lake. It was a great family day!
As the weather is starting to improve, we've been spending more time outdoors. We've gone to the zoo several times this month. Parker's favorite part is not the animals, but walking around and exploring. He will literally stop and touch every fence and rock. There were polar bears play fighting 4 feet away from us, and Parker watched for maybe 4 seconds before marching up and down a nearby set of stairs. He's definitely a boy! One exhibit that does hold Parker's attention is the petting zoo. Parker loves to feed the goats. I thought he'd be apprehensive, but he charges right up to them and holds out the food pellets. He laughs when they lick his hands. Pretty cute!
Parker's baby sister is getting big! My belly is growing larger by the day. It's so fun to see her move in my stomach. Her kicks are very strong. We aren't sure how much Parker understands about a new sibling. He can point to my belly and say, "baby" or "sister" but that's about it. We have been talking a lot about it, so hopefully that will help prepare him.
Some of my girl friends threw me a spa themed baby shower. It was really special to be able to get together and celebrate my daughter! I have the best group of friends! The baby got tons of adorable outfits. Girl clothes are the best! I can't wait to see them on our baby!
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
February
February started off better than ever because we took a family trip to Maui! Justin and I were in need of some sun. We've been to the Wailea Marriot in south Maui before so we knew what to expect taking Parker. We got a ground floor, ocean front room so that we could relax on outside and get sun while Parker was napping. Rachel and Scott DiBello happened to be planning a trip to Maui at the same time, so we invited them to stay at our hotel. What great luck! It was so much fun to spend time with them since they live in California. Rachel is pregnant with a little boy and is due just a few days after our baby girl. We got to catch up and talk babies which was a lot of fun.
Parker hadn't spent much time around water, so we were a little nervous how he'd take to it. He loved it! He was shouting "awa" (his word for water) all the time because everywhere he looked, he saw a fountain, pond, pool or ocean. We had to watch him like a hawk because he would just take off for any body of water he could find. He even tried to swim in the lobby koi pond a few times. The hotel offered a kid pool with sand, 1 1/2 feet of water, water slides and fountains. So fun! Parker was a little cautious once in the water, but he loved splashing around the edges. At the ocean, he loved playing in the waves with us.
We were lucky that it was humpback whale season and there were hundreds of whales right off shore from the hotel. We got to see them breaching, slapping their tails, and we could even hear them when we went underwater! Scott and Justin went scuba diving and could hear them the whole time while looking at turtles, tropical fish and coral.
What an awesome trip! I can't wait to go back as a family of 4.
The day after we got home, I had my 30th birthday. We were jet lagged, so Parker and I caught up on sleep. Justin had to go to work, but we celebrated the following weekend with both friends and family. Justin threw me a party with many of our good friends. It was fun to get a big group together- something we don't do often enough anymore. I am very lucky to have such loving people in my life! I can tell already that this is going to be a wonderful year!
Parker hadn't spent much time around water, so we were a little nervous how he'd take to it. He loved it! He was shouting "awa" (his word for water) all the time because everywhere he looked, he saw a fountain, pond, pool or ocean. We had to watch him like a hawk because he would just take off for any body of water he could find. He even tried to swim in the lobby koi pond a few times. The hotel offered a kid pool with sand, 1 1/2 feet of water, water slides and fountains. So fun! Parker was a little cautious once in the water, but he loved splashing around the edges. At the ocean, he loved playing in the waves with us.
We were lucky that it was humpback whale season and there were hundreds of whales right off shore from the hotel. We got to see them breaching, slapping their tails, and we could even hear them when we went underwater! Scott and Justin went scuba diving and could hear them the whole time while looking at turtles, tropical fish and coral.
What an awesome trip! I can't wait to go back as a family of 4.
The day after we got home, I had my 30th birthday. We were jet lagged, so Parker and I caught up on sleep. Justin had to go to work, but we celebrated the following weekend with both friends and family. Justin threw me a party with many of our good friends. It was fun to get a big group together- something we don't do often enough anymore. I am very lucky to have such loving people in my life! I can tell already that this is going to be a wonderful year!
New Year, Lots of Fun
January 8th we had an ultrasound to check up on our new baby. Justin and I were excited to find out the gender. We saw pros for having either, and said we'd be excited no matter what, which is true. At previous doctor appointments, we had two professionals guess that the baby was a boy for various reasons. Because of this, we were certain more blue was in our future. When the ultrasound tech said we are having a girl, my first reaction was to say, "Are you sure? How sure are you?" Once it sunk in, Justin and I were thrilled! It will be so fun to have one of each. We are looking forward to adorable clothes, cuddles and frilly things. Parker is sure to be a fabulous, loving, older brother. Yay for pink!
The second week of the month, our friends, Alicen & Brian Potucek invited us to their family cabin in Packwood, Washington. Their friends, Abby & Sean came as well. Parker spend the weekend chasing around 2 and 3 year old girls. He loves watching big kids, so he was entertained the entire time. Saturday morning we went up to White Pass for sledding. This was Parker's first real time in the snow since last year he was only weeks old. He was not a fan. It was super cold, so after 5 minutes he was shaking, saying, "all done" and headed for the lodge. Hopefully next year he will be more into it. The adults went skiing/boarding, but I opted to stay back at the cabin with the kiddos. It was such a relaxing weekend and fun weekend.
Parker has been getting his first 4 molars. This means a lot of drool, ear aches, pain and waking at night. Parker is pretty tough so when he's up at night crying we know he's not feeling well. Poor guy. One night Parker was crying inconsolably. There was nothing I could do to calm him. Justin came in after a few minutes to help. Parker looked at him, stopped crying immediately, pointed at his Dad's chest and said, "chest hair". We were shocked first of all that he knew those words, but that he was excited enough about it that he was able to calm down. Then he happily went to sleep. Whatever works, right?
Parker has begun testing his boundaries. He knows what is off limits in the house, but every once in awhile, he will do something just to see what we will do. He may open a drawer he shouldn't meanwhile saying to himself, "Noooo". Or Parker may look at us with a fire in his eye and stretch his hand towards something to see if we will stop him. We're trying to be consistent and hopefully his games will get boring soon.
Parker has a big vocabulary at this point. Here are some of the words he's saying:
Momma, Dadda, Pop, Grandma, Grandpa, Curt, Heido, RyRy, E-E, Kitty, fishy, sister, baby, shoes, milk, turkey, cheese, pasta, bread, Eggo, Cheerios, banana, yogurt, lemon, blankey, teddy, light, wall, door, window, toys, bath, water, all done, more, please, up, hold you, bless you, thank you, mail
Animal sounds for: cat, dog, bird, cow, bear, sheep
Sounds for car and Justin's electric razor
It's fun to see him pick up words. Most of them through direct teaching, but some of them he's learned on his own. We don't remember teaching him 'wall' or 'mail" but he's used both in the correct context on his own. It's so cool that babies are such sponges at this age. I guess it's time we watch what we say and watch on TV in while he's around!
We were invited by our friend, Brian & Alicen Potucek to stay at their cabin for the weekend in Packwood. We went with their friends, Abby & Sean. It was such a relaxing weekend! The best part was taking the kids up to White Pass for sledding. It was freezing so Parker only lasted a few runs before he headed for the lodge. The older girls, Brea and Kyler tried out skiing and snowboarding for the first time. They did great! Justin and I are excited for Parker to try next season!
The second week of the month, our friends, Alicen & Brian Potucek invited us to their family cabin in Packwood, Washington. Their friends, Abby & Sean came as well. Parker spend the weekend chasing around 2 and 3 year old girls. He loves watching big kids, so he was entertained the entire time. Saturday morning we went up to White Pass for sledding. This was Parker's first real time in the snow since last year he was only weeks old. He was not a fan. It was super cold, so after 5 minutes he was shaking, saying, "all done" and headed for the lodge. Hopefully next year he will be more into it. The adults went skiing/boarding, but I opted to stay back at the cabin with the kiddos. It was such a relaxing weekend and fun weekend.
Parker has been getting his first 4 molars. This means a lot of drool, ear aches, pain and waking at night. Parker is pretty tough so when he's up at night crying we know he's not feeling well. Poor guy. One night Parker was crying inconsolably. There was nothing I could do to calm him. Justin came in after a few minutes to help. Parker looked at him, stopped crying immediately, pointed at his Dad's chest and said, "chest hair". We were shocked first of all that he knew those words, but that he was excited enough about it that he was able to calm down. Then he happily went to sleep. Whatever works, right?
Parker has begun testing his boundaries. He knows what is off limits in the house, but every once in awhile, he will do something just to see what we will do. He may open a drawer he shouldn't meanwhile saying to himself, "Noooo". Or Parker may look at us with a fire in his eye and stretch his hand towards something to see if we will stop him. We're trying to be consistent and hopefully his games will get boring soon.
Parker has a big vocabulary at this point. Here are some of the words he's saying:
Momma, Dadda, Pop, Grandma, Grandpa, Curt, Heido, RyRy, E-E, Kitty, fishy, sister, baby, shoes, milk, turkey, cheese, pasta, bread, Eggo, Cheerios, banana, yogurt, lemon, blankey, teddy, light, wall, door, window, toys, bath, water, all done, more, please, up, hold you, bless you, thank you, mail
Animal sounds for: cat, dog, bird, cow, bear, sheep
Sounds for car and Justin's electric razor
It's fun to see him pick up words. Most of them through direct teaching, but some of them he's learned on his own. We don't remember teaching him 'wall' or 'mail" but he's used both in the correct context on his own. It's so cool that babies are such sponges at this age. I guess it's time we watch what we say and watch on TV in while he's around!
We were invited by our friend, Brian & Alicen Potucek to stay at their cabin for the weekend in Packwood. We went with their friends, Abby & Sean. It was such a relaxing weekend! The best part was taking the kids up to White Pass for sledding. It was freezing so Parker only lasted a few runs before he headed for the lodge. The older girls, Brea and Kyler tried out skiing and snowboarding for the first time. They did great! Justin and I are excited for Parker to try next season!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
December
We started out the month with an awful stomach bug. Parker started throwing up on Tuesday. I was out on Wednesday, and Justin on Thursday. Let me tell you, it's hard with everyone being sick, but at least it was staggered slightly so Justin and I could care for Parker and each other. What a miserable couple of days! We've been lucky enough that Parker hasn't gotten sick until now. I can't imagine him being this sick at a younger age. He just laid on the couch and didn't want to play at all. One positive was that he finally started to cuddle. I think at first Parker needed to cuddle, and then learned that he actually likes it! Our boy has been much more cuddly since this illness. We'll take it!
Towards the middle of the month, Justin and I took Parker to see Santa. Parker has been more weary of strangers the past few months so we figured it may not go well. We were right. Parker was fine when Justin placed him on Santa's lap, but as soon as he started to step away, Parker full on panicked. The boy was terrified and showed it! He threw his candy cane, started screaming, had tears in his eyes and was reaching for us to come get him. Like the empathetic parents we are, we let him panic until the photos had been taken. We chose to purchase the photo with the most terrified expression because, hey, every child has at least one. Hopefully Parker won't be traumatized for life.
The days leading up to Christmas were a lot of fun. We spent it all with family. First, we went to the Holmes' for their tradition of watching Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation with the Madson Family. The following night, the 23rd, we headed to my parents' to watch the Seahawks beat the 49ers with the family the was in town.
For Christmas Eve, we were back at my parents' house. The Vreeburgs, Grandma Vreeburg and Curt were there too. We ate the greatest meal of the year, opened presents, and had a terrific time joking and relaxing.
On Christmas, we started the tradition of enjoying the morning at our house. Parker came downstairs to a tree full of presents. He was so excited! Santa brought him a fabric tube to crawl through and a sled. He enjoyed opening his stocking gifts and the rest of his presents. We ate a delicious breakfast that included my mom's sticky buns and Curt's orange julius recipe. Then we headed over to the Holmes' house where we opened more presents, relaxed with movies and games, and had their traditional meal, gumbo.
What a joyful Christmas!
Justin's good friend, Missy and Justin got married on Saturday, the 29th, so we flew down to San Diego. It was a quick 2 day trip, but it was filled with a lot of fun. We got to catch up with many friends whom we haven't seen in a long time. Plus, it's always great to spend time in SD. Justin was a groomsman, and he was asked to say a prayer at the reception. Missy & Justin are a wonderful couple and had an absolutely gorgeous wedding. Congrats Mr. & Mrs. Blaine! On Sunday, we were lucky enough to spend time with Rachel & Scott DiBello. It's always good to see them!
By the time New Year's Eve rolled around, we were exhausted from the busyness of Christmas and the San Diego trip. We decided to spend a quiet night at home. We played with Parker's toys, ordered our favorite pizza, and rang in the new year on our couch. It was perfect! 2012 was a great year with a lot of joy. We are hopeful that 2013 will follow suit. We look forward to the arrival of our second child. What could be better than that?!
Towards the middle of the month, Justin and I took Parker to see Santa. Parker has been more weary of strangers the past few months so we figured it may not go well. We were right. Parker was fine when Justin placed him on Santa's lap, but as soon as he started to step away, Parker full on panicked. The boy was terrified and showed it! He threw his candy cane, started screaming, had tears in his eyes and was reaching for us to come get him. Like the empathetic parents we are, we let him panic until the photos had been taken. We chose to purchase the photo with the most terrified expression because, hey, every child has at least one. Hopefully Parker won't be traumatized for life.
The days leading up to Christmas were a lot of fun. We spent it all with family. First, we went to the Holmes' for their tradition of watching Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation with the Madson Family. The following night, the 23rd, we headed to my parents' to watch the Seahawks beat the 49ers with the family the was in town.
For Christmas Eve, we were back at my parents' house. The Vreeburgs, Grandma Vreeburg and Curt were there too. We ate the greatest meal of the year, opened presents, and had a terrific time joking and relaxing.
On Christmas, we started the tradition of enjoying the morning at our house. Parker came downstairs to a tree full of presents. He was so excited! Santa brought him a fabric tube to crawl through and a sled. He enjoyed opening his stocking gifts and the rest of his presents. We ate a delicious breakfast that included my mom's sticky buns and Curt's orange julius recipe. Then we headed over to the Holmes' house where we opened more presents, relaxed with movies and games, and had their traditional meal, gumbo.
What a joyful Christmas!
Justin's good friend, Missy and Justin got married on Saturday, the 29th, so we flew down to San Diego. It was a quick 2 day trip, but it was filled with a lot of fun. We got to catch up with many friends whom we haven't seen in a long time. Plus, it's always great to spend time in SD. Justin was a groomsman, and he was asked to say a prayer at the reception. Missy & Justin are a wonderful couple and had an absolutely gorgeous wedding. Congrats Mr. & Mrs. Blaine! On Sunday, we were lucky enough to spend time with Rachel & Scott DiBello. It's always good to see them!
By the time New Year's Eve rolled around, we were exhausted from the busyness of Christmas and the San Diego trip. We decided to spend a quiet night at home. We played with Parker's toys, ordered our favorite pizza, and rang in the new year on our couch. It was perfect! 2012 was a great year with a lot of joy. We are hopeful that 2013 will follow suit. We look forward to the arrival of our second child. What could be better than that?!
November: A lot to be Thankful for
**Blogger isn't allowing me to add more photos due to space issues. I'll get them up as soon as I can figure out a solution. For now, use your imagination***
We took family photos in November to celebrate a few things: Parker's first birthday, Christmas cards, and to introduce the pregnancy. Wright Park offered the perfect backdrop with bright orange fall leaves. It was a very chilly day, but we lucked out with no rain. Parker was less than thrilled to be a model, however, we ended up with some pretty great shots.
Thanksgiving was so much fun this year. We spent it at my parents' house. The Vreeburg family came down for two nights which was great because that meant more time with them! Parker loved seeing his family and enjoyed the attention. Curtis was able to come home, so we enjoyed spending time with him. Parker loves Uncle Curt! We all enjoyed wonderful food and good family time. Alyssa even brought a cotton candy machine for dessert. Yum!
The last weekend of the month, we went down to Portland to visit with Ryan, Heidi, and Ian. It was so relaxing! We watched football, played games and ate great food. Parker loves his Aunt and Uncles! One day the boys helped Grandma Jane put up Christmas lights. Grandma took us out to lunch. We are lucky to have such a wonderful, fun family!
Fun things about Parker this month:
He is getting really communicative. Parker is trying hard to communicate so we've been teaching him new signs (fan, light) and words (yogurt, water, help, up, hold you, banana) to make things easier for him.
Parker loves being silly. He turns his head on its side to look at us. He does a fake laugh to get attention and he lays down on floor with a "look at me!" smiling face.
We took family photos in November to celebrate a few things: Parker's first birthday, Christmas cards, and to introduce the pregnancy. Wright Park offered the perfect backdrop with bright orange fall leaves. It was a very chilly day, but we lucked out with no rain. Parker was less than thrilled to be a model, however, we ended up with some pretty great shots.
Thanksgiving was so much fun this year. We spent it at my parents' house. The Vreeburg family came down for two nights which was great because that meant more time with them! Parker loved seeing his family and enjoyed the attention. Curtis was able to come home, so we enjoyed spending time with him. Parker loves Uncle Curt! We all enjoyed wonderful food and good family time. Alyssa even brought a cotton candy machine for dessert. Yum!
The last weekend of the month, we went down to Portland to visit with Ryan, Heidi, and Ian. It was so relaxing! We watched football, played games and ate great food. Parker loves his Aunt and Uncles! One day the boys helped Grandma Jane put up Christmas lights. Grandma took us out to lunch. We are lucky to have such a wonderful, fun family!
Fun things about Parker this month:
He is getting really communicative. Parker is trying hard to communicate so we've been teaching him new signs (fan, light) and words (yogurt, water, help, up, hold you, banana) to make things easier for him.
Parker loves being silly. He turns his head on its side to look at us. He does a fake laugh to get attention and he lays down on floor with a "look at me!" smiling face.
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