Our family is growing and baby #2 is on the way! My due date is April 30 and I am just finishing up the 1st trimester. I have to say it has been a bit rough. It's much easier to deal with the exhaustion and nausea the first time around when there is not a toddler dependent upon you. Not to mention the fact that we moved in the middle of it all! I am finally feeling more normal though and happy to be able to share the news with everyone. It was getting pretty difficult to hide the belly when dressing for work everyday. I have found the old adage that the second baby shows much earlier is very true.
We have decided not to find out the sex again. I could have been swayed either way, the idea of being able to plan one way or the other was very appealing but turns out Greg liked the surprise factor. Plus, this will be a scheduled C-section, so at least this way we can keep on element of suspense.
We are not sure Parker really understands what is going on. We talk about the baby and ask if she wants a sister or brother a lot. Sometimes she answers brother, more often sister, and sometimes just a flat "no". She does love her little baby doll and holds it a lot. I also also notice Parker often pointing out "baby" animals (basically any animal smaller than another one is the baby). We know she is going to be such a great big sister.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Monday, October 28, 2013
Fall Fun
It was a weekend of fall fun for us. On Saturday, we had the Nudds over for pumpkin carving and lunch. (More pictures of the finished products will be posted in Halloween post). I didn't get any photos, but did get one video. All of us kids, young and old, had fun.
On Sunday, we took Parker to Stokoe Farms. Since we already had our pumpkins, we were just there to play on the slides, hay tower, corn maze, petting zoo, choo choo rides, etc. We went to Stokoe last year when my family was in town for Parker's birthday but this visit was much different with a two-year-old rather than a one-year-old. Parker was a little hesitant with some things at first, but after a while she even rode on the choo choo by herself! I was surprised and proud of her!
And another video of Parker trying on the new hula set from the Chalfants after their vacation to Hawaii. (She wouldn't leave on the flower for her hair or little halter top)
On Sunday, we took Parker to Stokoe Farms. Since we already had our pumpkins, we were just there to play on the slides, hay tower, corn maze, petting zoo, choo choo rides, etc. We went to Stokoe last year when my family was in town for Parker's birthday but this visit was much different with a two-year-old rather than a one-year-old. Parker was a little hesitant with some things at first, but after a while she even rode on the choo choo by herself! I was surprised and proud of her!
Sliding with Daddy:
More fun:
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| Please try to ignore my hat. Haven't found my favorite one after the move, not a fan of this one |
Monday, October 14, 2013
Biking & Driving
We had a fun weekend with lots of activity for Parker. On Friday, she spent the night at Papa G and Sandy's house since Greg and I had dinner plans with some friends. Then on Saturday they took her to Brown's Berry Patch (which in the fall is more like Brown's Pumpkin Patch). She had a fun time on all of the playground stuff and eating ketchup with a fork.
The rest of the day Saturday was a sports day with wins by our Cardinals and Tigers. Parker were the appropriate attire for both games.
Here is some Sunday morning fun and showcases Parker's obsession with "iceys". At her school, they give them little ice packs when they have a boo boo. At home, Parker will bump her knee and say, oh no! I fell on the floor! I need an icey! So we give her an ice pack from the fridge and she proceeds to chew it for 20 minutes. This is a long video because I prompted another singing demonstration.
The rest of the day Saturday was a sports day with wins by our Cardinals and Tigers. Parker were the appropriate attire for both games.
Later that morning, we headed to Mendon Ponds County Park to participate in a breast cancer fundraiser bike ride. We did the 10 mile route. Of course, Parker fell asleep and then did not take her normal afternoon nap.
On the way home, Greg got daring and (once in our very quiet neighborhood) got Parker out of the car seat on his lap for her first driving lesson. Don't tell Child Protective Services.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Funny Stories & Check-up
We had Parker's two-year physical yesterday and, as usual, she passed with flying colors. She is still tracking on the high end of the charts at 90% for height and head size and 80% for weight (just under 30 lbs). Parker did have to get some blood drawn for a lead test and then some shots, so that was NOT easy, but 10 minutes later she was happily munching on crackers and chatting away in the car.
A couple funny stories to share:
Most days, I bring Parker to daycare/school. On Monday I had a meeting at work early so Greg was bringing her in. I told Parker goodbye and that Daddy was taking her and she started to get upset, crying, etc. Then Greg told her something exciting (I can't even remember what, maybe about riding in his truck) and she shut off the tears and pushed my hand away and said "Go". I said, oh you want me to leave now, she nodded and said yes go. So that was that!
Parker has always loved to dance. We had a mini dance party the other night before bed and Parker was imitating all of Daddy's dance moves. It was so funny I was literally crying.
Then we went out to dinner last night for our anniversary. We went to a Mediterranean restaurant that was not very crowded and asked to sit in a more isolated corner. Parker did great, although she did not sit in her seat for very long periods of time. It was OK though, because she stayed right by the table and didn't disturb anyone. After she was finished eating, a little more upbeat song came on the ambiance music, so she got off the chair and started dancing! We had our own little entertainer for the last 10 minutes of our meal. Super cute.
A couple funny stories to share:
Most days, I bring Parker to daycare/school. On Monday I had a meeting at work early so Greg was bringing her in. I told Parker goodbye and that Daddy was taking her and she started to get upset, crying, etc. Then Greg told her something exciting (I can't even remember what, maybe about riding in his truck) and she shut off the tears and pushed my hand away and said "Go". I said, oh you want me to leave now, she nodded and said yes go. So that was that!
Parker has always loved to dance. We had a mini dance party the other night before bed and Parker was imitating all of Daddy's dance moves. It was so funny I was literally crying.
Then we went out to dinner last night for our anniversary. We went to a Mediterranean restaurant that was not very crowded and asked to sit in a more isolated corner. Parker did great, although she did not sit in her seat for very long periods of time. It was OK though, because she stayed right by the table and didn't disturb anyone. After she was finished eating, a little more upbeat song came on the ambiance music, so she got off the chair and started dancing! We had our own little entertainer for the last 10 minutes of our meal. Super cute.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Parker - 2 Years Old
Parker turned two yesterday and we had a fun time celebrating. These pictures and video are from the morning. We have been working on the "I'm two" thing, but she has trouble getting her hand to do that still. The video below shows her attempt (albeit a little distracted because the TV was on).
She did go to school (along with a special treat for her classmates) but Greg and I picked her up at 4:00 and took her to a local farm that has a bounce pillow.
Then Papa G, Sandy, Pryse, and his puppy, Karma, came over for dinner, gifts & cake.
All in all, Parker is a happy little girl who follows direction well. She does have her occasional toddler moments, but we just ignore or wait it out and she comes around pretty quickly. We are starting to see more on independent streak. A prime example is that she will not let us help her brush her teeth anymore and has to do it herself. She is excited to do it, but I am pretty sure they don't get as good a scrubbing as when an adult brushes. Last night we all brushed our teeth at the same time and Parker thought that was pretty cool.
Her vocabulary has really exploded in the last few weeks, even her teachers at school have mentioned it. Some of the most frequently heard phrases are "What doin'?" (for what are you doing?) and "Help you" (which really means Help Me).
She has been going to bed really well at night, but she has become more dependent on her white bear lovey. The last few nights Parker has sung herself to sleep with her sweet renditions of ABC and Twinkle, Twinkle.
She has also taken to counting things she sees. For example, walking into Wegman's they have huge displays of pumpkins and Parker will say "1, 2, 3, 5 pumpkins!"
Parker still is loving bath time and lately has been having fun walking around like this afterwards:
She still loves to sit and be read to and we do at least two books before bed every night. Parker has pretty much got the "thank you" nailed but does not say "please" very often unless prompted. She is still eating great and eats whatever we eat for dinner every night. The current obsession is with tomatoes, she can't get enough!
Parker loves to help out and has taken responsibility for making sure Otis gets fed his breakfast and lunch every day. She then uses the bin we keep his dog food in as a stool to see on top of kitchen counters or pull things out of the pantry.
Every day we get to unveil a little more of her lively personality. She's a smart kid but also starting to love to make us laugh. She brightens every day of our lives!!
She did go to school (along with a special treat for her classmates) but Greg and I picked her up at 4:00 and took her to a local farm that has a bounce pillow.
Then Papa G, Sandy, Pryse, and his puppy, Karma, came over for dinner, gifts & cake.
All in all, Parker is a happy little girl who follows direction well. She does have her occasional toddler moments, but we just ignore or wait it out and she comes around pretty quickly. We are starting to see more on independent streak. A prime example is that she will not let us help her brush her teeth anymore and has to do it herself. She is excited to do it, but I am pretty sure they don't get as good a scrubbing as when an adult brushes. Last night we all brushed our teeth at the same time and Parker thought that was pretty cool.
Her vocabulary has really exploded in the last few weeks, even her teachers at school have mentioned it. Some of the most frequently heard phrases are "What doin'?" (for what are you doing?) and "Help you" (which really means Help Me).
She has been going to bed really well at night, but she has become more dependent on her white bear lovey. The last few nights Parker has sung herself to sleep with her sweet renditions of ABC and Twinkle, Twinkle.
She has also taken to counting things she sees. For example, walking into Wegman's they have huge displays of pumpkins and Parker will say "1, 2, 3, 5 pumpkins!"
Parker still is loving bath time and lately has been having fun walking around like this afterwards:
She still loves to sit and be read to and we do at least two books before bed every night. Parker has pretty much got the "thank you" nailed but does not say "please" very often unless prompted. She is still eating great and eats whatever we eat for dinner every night. The current obsession is with tomatoes, she can't get enough!
Parker loves to help out and has taken responsibility for making sure Otis gets fed his breakfast and lunch every day. She then uses the bin we keep his dog food in as a stool to see on top of kitchen counters or pull things out of the pantry.
Every day we get to unveil a little more of her lively personality. She's a smart kid but also starting to love to make us laugh. She brightens every day of our lives!!
