Clean Baby

Well....it seems like almost all of the pictures I take lately are either of Parker in the bath or Parker in the high chair. I am trying-- desperately trying, I tell you--to get good pictures of him elsewhere but it's just very difficult. With it being so cold, we haven't really been going anywhere outdoors-y, so the indoor pictures are all we've got. Additionally (gosh, am I writing a term paper or something?), with me working four days per week now instead of three, most of the time we have to spend together during the week is in the evenings when Parker is in the HIGH CHAIR or BATH. Hence, the following pictures of the latter:::

The child does not mind water being poured over his head AT ALL.

This is how Ryan likes it--nice and smooth.

I prefer it like this--all messy and "natural."

He looooves playing with the water Daddy pours out of the cup!

Ready to get out

Smiling for his Daddy.

Parker's "Looks"

I'd call this one "the look." He tucks his chin down real low and sticks out that sweet little lip.

This one is "the look" plus the innocent "who, me?" finger.

This is how Parker blows kisses--with a closed fist.

This is another version of "the look." We'll call it, "the look version 2.0". A little less chin action.

This...well, this is just pure sweetness. Just teeth and ears and a big ol' bear claw hand.

I love them all, but I guess I'm a little partial.

:)

Eleven Months

Wow. Parker, you are a whole eleven months old! I can truly hardly believe it. Next month you will be ONE! omg.

Here's what you are up to lately:

• Most of your shirts and onesies are 18-24 months, and most of your pants are 12-18 months. The 18-24 months pants are just WAY too big in the waist. You are my tall but skinny boy--just like your daddy!
• You are still so close to walking....but not quite there. You will stand for 10 to 20 seconds and then take just a couple of steps and fall on your butt. You walk very well with your push-walker that Omi, Opa, Grammie, Granddaddy and Auntie Nay got you for Christmas. I'm pretty sure that you will be walking on your own by your first birthday. I'm excited for you but scared for me--haha!
• You have been waking up more in the middle of the night lately. Your dad and I are not too keen on this. You spoiled us for the first ten months of your life--we are used to having our sleep! We switched to using Huggies Overnites diapers because we thought this was the problem. They have definitely seemed to help. You still wake up a couple of times per week at night, though, and I think you just have trouble falling back asleep because the diaper gets SO FULL. We are trying to be good about NOT picking you up out of your crib, but it's really, really hard because you will cry for so long and scream so loud. The other night we let you cry for an HOUR and then basically defeated the purpose of the crying by picking you up to change your diaper and rock you back to sleep. Oh well--next time, we will be strong! :)
• Speaking of sleep, your naps during the day are getting shorter. Each nap is now about an hour long. I think this means you are moving closer to having only one nap per day. Yikes!
• Over the last week or so, I've noticed that when we're playing in the floor together, you will sit and gently fall backwards so that you are laying flat on your back. I usually tickle your "rib-bone" when you do this, and you laugh and laugh and laugh. Now, when you "fall" backwards, you start kicking your legs and squirming in anticipation of the rib-bone tickling. I love this!
• You still love eating pretty much anything soft that we are eating. I can't think of anything that you really despise. As of last week, you no longer drink milk from a bottle--you use your sippy cup now! I also still nurse you in the morning and at night, and on days where you're with me, I also end up nursing you a couple of times throughout the day. I really cherish this and do not plan on stopping the second you turn one. I get asked a LOT about when I will stop nursing, and I've always said that it would be when you turn one, but we'll see. It's not affecting either of us in a negative way, so why stop? I'm looking forward to your one year doctor's appointment where I can discuss all aspects of your nutrition with the doctor.
• You love doing the "touchdown" sign with your arms. In your version, you throw your arms up and then wave your hands up and down. It's terribly cute and funny because you do it at random times while you're in your highchair. We'll be feeding you and out of nowhere you throw your hands up in the air!
• We've been having some separation issues lately when I leave you at Ms. Donna's or the church nursery. You cry when I leave you and have been kind of "fussy" while I'm gone. Ms. Donna says she cannot leave the room without you getting upset. At church, you're only there for an hour, and they make it sound like you're upset about half the time. Hopefully you get over this kind of soon because I know it's frustrating for the ladies that watch you, and it's also frustrating for me because I worry about you when I'm not with you! I really think it's just a phase.
• When I pick you up from Honey's or Ms. Donna's or anywhere else, really, you wrap your arms around my neck and give me a big neck-hug. It is absolutely precious and just what I need at the end of my workdays.

Like I said before, next month you will be one. UNbelievable. Until then....I love you SO much--you truly are my world!

First Steps

Nothing major happening now...but it's about to. Over the last few days, Parker has been doing a lot of standing, balancing, taking a step-and-a-half or two and then falling down. As in...taking his "first steps." This is something that we've been working on and encouraging, for sure, but it's bittersweet. When he does it, I get super excited and then immediately think, "o.m.g.--I can't believe this is happening. Stop it! you are supposed to stay a baby forever."

I know, I know. He won't be a baby forever. They grow so fast...can't believe it's almost been a year...he'll be graduating before I know it.....yeah. I am well aware of all of these facts. I don't like talking about it or hearing about it, but it's one of those things that's inescapable when you have a baby. It's all that people want to say to you! I think about Parker growing up a lot. Not as much as I did right when he was born but definitely a lot.

I want to be able to rock him and hold him and protect him forever like I can now. I want him to be innocent and sweet forever like he is now. I want the bond between us to stay as strong as it is now. I want him to laugh at us forever like he does now. I want him to want to be with us forever like he does now.

You know, because in the exact moment an almost one-year-old starts walking, all of those things change. Isn't that how it works? No? Oh, I had no idea. Walk on, son!

I try not to think about this stuff too much because it does get me a little teary-eyed. I've been better lately about it because I am looking forward to every stage in my little boy's life. It's not a sad thing that he'll be walking--it's the crossing of a very important developmental milestone! (These are the things I repeat to myself when the tears creep up--haha!)

Alright, let's be real--at this point, the emotions are getting a little too deep for a post about Parker's first steps. Let's just leave it at this--Parker will be full-on walking VERY soon. I think I'm ready. (?)

Brushing Teeth

We have been working on many different skills lately with Parker. One of these is brushing his teeth! He still has a total of six, which includes four on top and two on the bottom. I think getting him started early is a great idea. Cleaner teeth=less expensive dentist visits!

Usually we start off with me brushing his teeth....

Then he brushes them on his own for a little bit...

Then he tries to help us brush our teeth...

Then he inspects the toothbrush for any remaining traces of toothpaste!

He LOVES to brush his teeth. He's woken up a few times in the middle of the night in the last week and giving him the toothbrush helps calm him down. haha! Hopefully his love for oral hygiene will continue. We like clean teeth around this house!

Computer Crash

I hate that it's been over a week since my last post! Last week, my computer "crashed." I was not happy because I use it almost all day, every day for both work and evening entertainment. Thank goodness I've been backing all of my pictures up on a regular basis so that I didn't have to worry about losing anything important. I ended up having to buy a new hard drive and just got the computer back today. I am sooooooooooooo glad!

I haven't loaded any pictures, old or new, onto my "new" computer yet, so I'll have to put a phone picture up for now. We bought a new flash for our camera last week, and the pictures have been turning out MUCH better. I can't wait to load them onto the computer and put them on here.

For now....here's a SUPER cute picture of my sweet Parker enjoying one of my guilty pleasures...

for those of you who WILL wonder.....it's an empty cup. Come on, people...seriously?