Happy Birthday Daddy!

A very happy birthday today to Trey! Thomas and Parker decided to send you their wishes. Well, Parker didn't have much to say, but he wore his nearly-birthday suit in honor of your day. :)



We're sorry we can't spend your day with you, but we look forward to seeing you soon. And as Thomas says, it's your day, go have a popscicle now.

Thank you for being such a wonderful, supportive, loving and fun Daddy and husband.

First day of school!

Today was the big day! Thomas started his first day in his 2s class at preschool. He will be going two mornings a week. Since he was a bit of a crier during his time at summer camp, I was a bit concerned, but all in all, he apparently did okay.

This morning he was his usual won't-smile-for-the-camera self:


I got funny faces instead:



And, of course, he didn't want to stand still, but all was fun and frolic for a little while...


Then as it got closer to time to go, I could tell he was getting a little nervous...


And all the way to school we talked about all the fun he would have and the friends he would make. He kept confirming that "mommy always comes back?" and he seemed reassured. When we drove up, he was still doing okay, but I could tell he was holding back a little bit. When the teacher's helper, Ms. Gervais, came to greet him, he got worried and the tears began. It's the only picture I have of his first day at school:


Ms. Gervais quickly told him that his Mommy was going to tell him bye-bye and then she'd be back later. So I took my cue, said my goodbyes and was gone. When I came back to get him, the teachers assured me that he did really well and didn't cry much at all (only that little bit at first). Later he told me, "Thomas cried a little bit at school, but not much. Teacher said 'no tears.'" :)

We haven't had much time to talk about his school day yet (after school we headed straight to his friend Lily's house for lunch and a playdate), but from what he has told me, they played outside, sang some songs (he mentioned Itsy Bitsy Spider) and ate some crackers. I asked him if he knew the names of any of his new friends and he said "Klauber," which would be Ms. Klauber, his teacher. I guess that's a start!

I know he's going to have a wonderful time at school and I'm so excited for all of the things he will learn and the new friends he will make. I look forward to always talking with him each day about what he did at school. It's always so much fun for me to do this. And as he learns to talk more and more, I'm sure our conversations will get all the more interesting (and comical, I'm sure!).

And while Thomas started his first day at school, I attended a "Sip & Sob" hosted by the PTO for the moms leaving their children at school for their first day of the new year. It was great to meet some other mothers, and I look forward to getting to know all of them better throughout the year!

Oh, and a funny little sidenote, we all went to Thomas's Open House on Saturday to meet his teachers (and other students and their parents) and see his classroom. We learned there are two duplicate names in his classroom. Our son is one of two boys named Thomas and there are two boys named.... Parker. :) Who knew our boys' names were so popular!

28 months old!

Last week Thomas turned 28 months old! In his prednisone-induced hyperactive state it was especially hard to get him to sit still for a few pictures, but we managed to snag a few, like this one:


Most of them were something like this:


And then I gave up on trying to keep him in the chair and tried for closeups elsewhere in the room. I got lovely photos like this one:


At least he's happy (or looks it! -- he's looking at his Daddy):


So yes, he is 28 months old and it's so hard to believe our little boy is growing up so much. He talks SO MUCH now. There's really very little he's not saying (except L and V sounds; L comes out as W and V as a B). He says the funniest things sometimes and I notice he's picking up so much from the books we read all the time. For instance, he's started saying to me when I seem upset about something, "Mommy, what happened?" I realized the other night that that is a line ("What happened?") from one of the old Sweet Pickles books (a series I had as a child) I've been reading him. One day Parker spit up and he said, "Parker...Ohhhh (said with great sadness and despair). What happened, Parker? You spit up!" Sometimes he does try to talk a little too fast and I have to remind him to slow down because his words get all jumbled and he gets a bit flustered. But he is doing so well and I'm so proud of him.

He will sing along a little with his ABCs and "Jesus Loves Me," and gets so proud of himself when he gets it right. Now I'm working on improving his manners...getting him to say his "ma'am's" and "sirs" and to ask for things by saying "May I..." It's definitely a work in progress, but he's doing better than I would expect. Lately he has been very good about saying "Thank you Mommy" when I do something he asks. And he often will say, "That's great, Mommy!" when he approves of something I do.

He still gives me one great nap a day; generally from 1:30-4:15 (and I have to wake him most days). He goes to bed by 8, or rather he is in his crib by then. And yes, he's still in his crib. He's not trying to climb out and I, for one, enjoy having a space where he can be contained. And since he usually is only allowed to have his paci when in his crib, he will frequently ask to go get in his crib in the morning if we hang out here all day and he gets bored or tired. I imagine he'll probably be ready for the "big boy bed" sometime between now and the spring, but I'm in no rush!

His favorite things in life, aside from his Mommy, Daddy and brother, are all things with wheels and everything he can drive. He is such a boy, that's for sure. He hates shopping with Mommy and has about as much patience with it as his Daddy does. :) He loves Elmo, Bob the Builder and Thomas the train, but we try to keep him mostly reading about them and not watching them. It's a struggle though!

All in all, he is such a sweet, loving child. He plays well with others and shares well. He starts school this week and I hope and pray it will be a wonderful experience for him. I know it will be an adjustment (for me and for him!), but I know it also will help him grow and develop in so many ways. It's only two half days a week, so it's a good start for all of us. I can't believe how fast these 28 months have gone by, and I look forward to watching him grow over the next 28!

And just for fun, a year ago this was our little guy...

And a year before that...


Oh how fast they grow!!!

Happy birthday, Mommy!

This day has been a crazy one. But the best thing about my birthday this year is that it's the first one where my child can actually tell me "Happy Birthday!" It's the sweetest thing ever. And he's been saying it to me all day. He'll say while he's off somewhere else, "Need to ask Mommy..." then he'll find me and say, "Happy birthday Mommy!" So even if the day is crazy and I can't seem to find a moment to myself (except for now when I'm totally stealing one by leaving T in his crib for extra time), at least I have that. And really, what else do I need?


(I've decided taking steroids (prednisone) makes Thomas a bit hyper and wacky. He will not sit still! Thank goodness he only has two more days on that! That's why he won't sit still for this video and who knows why he crawls away...)

I tend to sometimes be a bit of a nerd about numbers. For instance, on today, the 22nd, I am 33 on the 8th month of the year '08. That's a lot of doubles. Must mean it's a special day; and it is. This year our family is really complete. We have two beautiful sons who bring such joy and I have a husband who tried really hard to find me a dairy-free cake for my birthday (not to mention he's a wonderful husband and father on the other days of the year as well!). I have great friends, like the one who treated me and Thomas to a delicious dairy-free cupcake at Cupcake this morning to celebrate my and her daughter's birthday. Overall, life is good. And 33, as far as age is concerned, is just another number.

When you grow up...

I think that when my sons grow up they should become pediatricians. This will benefit them (and their future spouses) in many ways. First, they will always have at least some knowledge of what is going on, healthwise, with any children they may have one day. This will provide peace of mind that has more value than gold, as far as I'm concerned. Secondly, they will save themselves lots of money in coinsurance/copays/whatever for numerous doctor's visits for every little illness and injury.

This summer has been a doozy for us in terms of Thomas and his doctor's visits. He has continued to have his stomach issues (and we are awaiting a visit with the pediatric GI), he fractured his foot, and he seems to be getting every little virus that blows in the wind. Since last Friday he's been to the doctor TWICE. Since July 1, I don't even know if I can count the number of visits. It has been crazy.

But he is delightful through most all of it. He had a 103.something temperature the other night, in the middle of the night, and all he wanted to do was lay on the bed with me (at 3:30 a.m.) and chat about life. And this morning he came bounding (for as much as a 2-year old can do) up the stairs and when he saw me he said, "MOMMY! I'm so glad to see you, Mommy!" Awww...he melts my heart.

Lets hope he can get well, completely well, very soon. And then, of course, he starts school next week and I'm sure that will be a real test for his immune system. One day at a time, I suppose. And maybe, just maybe, his class will be full of children who are 100% healthy, all of the time. :)

The elusive laugh

Parker has laughed a few times here and there (not quite as frequently as his brother did as an infant), but I never can catch it on camera...until today! :) Finally he didn't shy from the camera and he kept on giving me his little, sweet laughs. Hear it for yourself:



Ignore my voice, of course. :) I have a longer video of him laughing that I took just before this one, but unless I figure out how to edit these things, it's going to be too big to upload.

Beach day

On Saturday we finally made it out to the beach for Parker's first visit to the ocean. Even though it was quite overcast and it was a quick visit, we had a great time. Thomas had a ball, as usual...



And Parker spent the majority of the time in my new Solarveil sling (it protects him from the sun and it can get wet!). I tried three different carries, but he seemed to like this one best...


See how much he loved being in the ocean?


Thomas, of course, enjoyed the visit while not dreaming. He didn't sit but for a moment when we first arrived.




I love it when we arrive just as the tide is going out because it means we don't have to worry about our stuff washing away while we are down in the water. BUT, it also means our walk back to our homebase just keeps getting longer and longer. Thomas didn't seem to mind.



Of course, we had to stop him from bringing all of our dry stuff into the ocean!


Thomas insisted on drinking out of the large jug of water. He learned that required nearly a full body effort for just one sip...


This is not a very flattering picture of me, but the look on Parker's face was too funny not to share. This was after we got back to the car (Trey was changing Thomas so I had to take the picture myself). I had switched Parker to a carry where he was facing out and he seemed pretty comfortable. This look, though, makes me laugh. Obviously our baby is not getting enough to eat. ;-)


(Maybe the look is because I apparently have his hat on sideways...)

After the beach we met Nana & Umpa, Aunt B and Thomas's/Trey's cousin for lunch. It was delicious food and great company. Hopefully next time our visit will be longer!

Reasons to smile

Today is one of those days when I could use an extra smile. So I went in search of them from the two people in my life who make me smile more than anything else, my sons.

(When I showed that picture to my mom this morning she said it looks like Parker is wearing a baby toupee. That makes me laugh too. :) Yes, that's what happens when I don't brush his hair after a bath!)

How sweet is Thomas telling his little brother all about his good friend Bob the Builder...


Parker likes it!


It's much easier to get a smile from the big boy...


The little one gets a little stage fright every time I pull out the camera. But I managed to capture a glimmer of a smile...


And this one just makes me laugh because Parker gets so determined when trying to get his hand to his mouth sometimes. And he gets so distracted, too. He pulls his hand up and examines it forever, looking at every inch of it as if he is saying, "Now what is this thing attached to my body? And how should I go about putting it in my mouth? Do I want just one finger or the whole fist?"


Yesterday was a rainy day around here. We spent a lot of time on the back porch. There was just enough mist in the dirty baby pool to give Thomas the mess he needed. We had to wash his feet and legs before he could take a nap!


Even on rainy days, I'm so thankful I have these two boys in my life who provide me with a neverending reason to smile.

Golf for a cause

I know I have some readers in the Charlotte area, and if any of you play golf, I know of a fabulous tournament coming up on Friday, September 12 at Emerald Lake Golf Club in Matthews, NC. It's the JP Invitational for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

As you may recall, last year I shared the story of my very good friend and how her son was diagnosed at age 3 with a devastating form of muscular dystrophy (Duchenne muscular dystrophy, or DMD). Please see the site above for more information about the tournament and more information about Jake. If you are unable to participate in the event, you can still support this incredibly worthy cause by purchasing raffle tickets on the registration page of the site. They have some great raffle and auction items! Three raffle tickets can be purchased for only $10 and a single ticket is $5. All tournament proceeds will benefit Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) and go directly toward researching a cure for DMD.

I cannot express how important it is to support this cause. Jake, now 4, is such an inspiration and unfortunately he is not the only one living with the diagnosis. We've got to find a cure in his lifetime and save him and all these precious little boys.

I hope you all will consider lending your support in some way. Prayers are certainly always appreciated as well. :)

Great day for a picnic

Last weekend we had planned to have a beach day. But the more we thought about it, we figured it wasn't a good idea with Thomas's foot still healing (the doctor wanted him to wear shoes most of the day and that just doesn't work at the beach--a place where he'd want to do nothing but run around). So, still wanting to do something outside, we opted for a lunch picnic.

The weather was decent, so we took a blanket and some lunch and found a shady spot on the grounds of Alhambra Hall overlooking Charleston harbor.


If we lay Parker down anywhere, Thomas has to be right beside him:


Always chatting away to him...




Thomas briefly went exploring with his Daddy, but quickly returned to check on his little brother (or bother his little brother!):


Parker looked a little sad while Thomas was gone...


Here's a rare shot of me and the boys (with Thomas holding Parker, more or less).

It was a beautiful day and a good time was had by all, including the flies who decided to crash our party. Thomas was most excited about his "PICK-NICK!" and we'll have to have another one soon. Of course next weekend, assuming the sun shines, we will be having our next picnic on the beach. It will be Parker's first trip. Stay tuned... :)

Cousins at play

Parker was able to spend time with his cousin Eliza recently when her parents had us over for a delicious burger night. Thanks to them for having us even though we brought our sniffly-nosed elder child along with us. :) Eliza is six weeks older than Parker and I can't wait to see them grow up together. Here they are (hopefully Parker is not knocking her in the head!):


I swear Parker does wear more than just that outift. I realized when I went to post these that that is the same outfit he was sporting in his pictures with his friend Sarah Ellen. :) He wasn't too sure of me, it seems (maybe it was the outfit)...


And yes, Parker is six weeks YOUNGER than Eliza. But she is a girl and he is...well, a monster. :)

He's got about 4 lbs and a few inches on her. He's a monster, I tell ya.

As I've mentioned before, Thomas is six weeks younger than his first cousin, Katherine (who lives in sunny CA). And then there is Parker & Eliza. Apparently grandkids come in twos on this side of the family (and 6 weeks apart, at that). Trey keeps saying he can't wait for Christmas this year (we'll be at my parents along with my brothers and their families). It is sure to be a fun time...and quite wild, too.

Back on his feet

Well our little fella is finally back on his feet again!


After his fall on Sunday, last night was the first time he managed to take a few steps. I almost canceled his appointment with the orthopedist for this morning, but decided since he still wasn't walking normally (and I had to keep encouraging him to even try) that we better go. Of course once we got there he had no problems jumping out of the stroller and hobbling over to the play area. But he still wasn't walking quite right...tending to walk on his heel or anyway he could to avoid pushing down on the ball of his foot--"lifting off" was what the doctor called it, I believe.

The doctor feels that he did/does have at least one fracture to at least one metatarsal bone on the top of his foot (probably the 5th). But since he is starting to walk, he felt like instead of a cast it would be better to just get him a sturdy new pair of tennis shoes and as he breaks them in, he will slowly heal his foot. Good thing we were ready to go up a size for him (the last time he measured just above an 8) so it was time for a new pair.

Since I had a few quick returns I needed to make to a couple stores at Towne Centre while we were on that side of town, we ran into the shoe store there and found a new pair of shoes. Wouldn't have been my first choice in another place, but we were desperate! :) He needed a little convincing to walk at first, as I think he had grown to like having his Mommy carry him everywhere...


But as soon as he got up, he was ready to go!

(Yikes, as if I needed a reminder that the front door needs to be repainted!)

I must say, however, that these new shoes depress me a bit. The last time we were in the Stride Rite outlet, the woman said he'd need to get at least an 8.5 and that means we're out of the "toddler" area (only goes up to size 8). And that means, at least at the outlet, no more red Keds Scooters. So sad! I much prefer those to these big boy shoes.

As Thomas sat on the couch next to me earlier, I looked over at him with his new shoes and he just looked so grown up. What happened to my little baby boy!?!? They grow up far too fast.

And by the way, he goes back to see the dr. again in two weeks for an x-ray to make sure everything is healing as it should. Let's hope all is well!

Three months old!

Parker is 3 months old!!! (Two days ago)


He had a sort of "what in the heck am I doing sitting in this chair all by myself?" look the whole time he was posing for these shots, so I took a few on the floor just to show that he does actually smile. See what I mean?


But a lot of the time, he is a very serious baby...


But as you can see from those chubby legs, he is not missing any meals. :) When I took him in last Monday for a few vaccinations, he weighed 15 lbs, 11 oz. Sometimes he feels like he's more like 25. He is solid. But he is sweet too...


At 3 months Parker has good head control and is starting to take in more of the world around him. He smiles easily when he sees a familiar face (or a ceiling fan, or a multitude of other things). He likes to listen along when I read books to his brother (and just to Parker) and he enjoys hanging out on his playmat.

He likes the bouncy seat okay occasionally (it's my savior during bathtime and mealtime for Thomas), but isn't the can't-help-but-sleep-in-the-swing type that his brother was. He will tolerate the swing fine for short periods of time, but doesn't usually fall asleep there. Over the weekend when we were dealing with one of Thomas's many issues, Parker fell asleep in the bouncy out of sheer boredom, I'm sure. I think he had given up on us and fell asleep without protest. He generally goes along with things like that (except at bedtime).

Bedtime I have yet to figure out a routine that works to keep everyone happy (when Trey is not here). Generally Parker has been getting two good naps a day, but by 7 he's tired, but not really ready to go to bed for the night. And, of course, that's when I need to bathe Thomas and get him ready for bed too. So lately it has made for rather difficult evenings, so I'm trying my best to come up with a solution that works for everyone. Until then, Parker just has to hold on until 8 every night (or so) and I get Thomas down and then usually Parker is in bed by 9.

Parker feeds about every 3 hours a day and does very well with that (nursing). In the evening he tends to feed every hour or so for the last few hours before he goes to bed. But once he is down, he is still usually (KNOCK ON WOOD!) sleeping through the night. Sometimes I hear him tossing and turning around 4ish, but most times he gets himself back to sleep. I've had to go in and feed him on a handful of occasions, but not many. Some mornings he will sleep until 8-9 am. This morning I woke him up around 8:30 in an attempt to get him on a better schedule for the day and it worked as I wanted. Other mornings he wakes around 7-8. I'm loving this whole sleeping through the night thing (Thomas didn't did do that until much later on).

When we go out and about during the day, I usually end up wearing him in a baby carrier and he will almost always fall asleep and take a little nap. He has been very good about morning errands or trips to the aquarium or Children's Museum or something. I hope this will continue, but I know I'll have to change up baby carriers as he gets bigger! Here's an older picture of him sleeping in my Moby wrap so you can see what I mean:


All in all, Parker is a good baby. He does cry sometimes just because he wants to be held, but he also goes with the flow more often than not. I think having a schedule worked well for Thomas and I'm hoping I can figure out one that works for Parker soon. It's a little bit harder this time when I have to fit Thomas's schedule into the equation too!

More pictures from today...

A full body shot (but a funny look on his face):


Our sweet boy:


The serious little guy:


And just for fun, here's his little Buddha big brother when he was three months old:


I can't believe three months have already passed us by!!! We feel so blessed to have this sweet addition to our families and I couldn't love our two boys any more. I'm so happy God chose us to parent these sweet little fellows and I cherish the opportunity to watch them grow.