The Spences

The Pumpkin Patch - A Milestone

2010-11-19T21:51:00.000-08:00

In going through the journey of infertility and then the adoption process, I came to realize how much of the waiting time was measured in milestones. There are always holidays like Mother's Day, Easter, and Christmas. In these times you find yourself wondering if you will be pregnant, matched with a birth mom, or even have a child to share these holidays with. However, there are other things besides major holidays in which you find yourself asking "I wonder when I will have a child to share ______ with." In my case the pumpkin patch was one of these milestones. I never went to pumpkin patches growing up so there was not a sentimental value attached to it other than it seemed like the "thing to do" when you have kids these days. As I watched so many friends around me take their kids, I started to long for the day when I would have the opportunity to take my kids to the pumpkin patch. We got matched with Parker's birth mom in early October. One of the things I remember thinking as we waited for him to be born was that I would not have to experience another fall season without a child to take to the pumpkin patch- something that may sound trivial but when you are in the waiting process these milestones become a big deal. Of course little did I know at the time I would be taking two babies for our first trip to the pumpkin patch but that is another story for another day!

My dear friend Arlene met up with me one afternoon to take some pics of the boys. She already had had a long week but was still willing to chase my boys (they are quite busy these days) around to get some pics for me. She has taken lots of pictures for me over the last couple of years as I have experienced these milestones in our family. I have come to realize how much more I treasure these pictures because they are a reminder of God's faithfulness in my desire to have a family. I didn't always understand the process and timing but I am so grateful for the journey He took me through.

Side note- ironically there are not many pics of pumpkins because they were in the bright sun. This worked out for the best because Parker and Jonathan are much more interested in trucks and tractors these days!

And here is a flashback to last year just for fun. They have changed so much in a year's time!

Fall Fun

2010-11-19T20:54:00.000-08:00

Fall has kept us plenty busy with new adventures to share with the boys. It has been fun watching them make sense of new surroundings and the vocabulary they pick up as well as things that spark their interest. They are both so curious about everything. We have had a lot of fun. There is no telling what Christmas will be like!

Collin was out of school one day so mom and I took the cousins on an adventure to the Dallas Arboretum. I had heard they had an impressive display of pumpkins. We packed lunches and spent the day together. I love the sweet relationship the boys have with their cousins.
They have TONS of pumpkins to see including "houses" set up based on stories involving pumpkins (ex. Cinderella). It was pretty impressive.

This was the first time the boys have explored pumpkins this year. They kept calling them balls and throwing them but now Parker knows what it is and calls it a pumpkin when he sees one.

They had a small area set up for kids to go in and pet animals.

Two very tired boys on the way home!

We also took the boys to the state fair. We saw cars, animals, part of a dog show, a pumpkin carver, and of course sampled plenty of food.

Fried Frito Pie- it was quite tasty

They had an area set up for kids that was like a farm and took you through the different things involved in working on a farm like watering plants, picking vegetables, milking cows etc. At the end you get "money" to purchase something from the store. The boys were very excited that fruit snacks were an option. Although the boys didn't understand what they were really doing, they had fun with the activities.

Trick or Treat

2010-11-10T12:16:00.000-08:00

For Halloween, I spent a lot of time debating on the boys' costumes. I wanted them to coordinate in some way but they are also a little too young to understand or care about certain character costumes. The weather is always unpredictable and I was afraid to get a heavy animal costume that they would burn up in if it turned out warm. So I found some crayola costumes online that I thought would be perfect. They coordinated, they were light weight, and easy to take on and off. I liked the fact that the hat came separate instead of attached, so if they refused to wear it, you could still see them and know they were crayons. We spent the week leading up to Halloween "practicing" wearing their hats. Jonathan didn't seem to mind having it on, Parker would always take it off. However, much to my surprise they both kept their hats on the whole night of Halloween and never seemed to care!

We first met up with Lilah and went trick or treating with her. Thankfully she let us borrow her wagon so we did not have to carry the boys or take them in and out of the stroller at every house. Parker and Lilah took turns pulling. Parker was not sure what to do at first but by the end of the evening he knew to get a piece of candy for his bag and one for Jonathan's. They had a lot of fun together.

Our next stop was at Aiyah and Grandad's house. We went to a few of their neighbors for candy.

And of course no night would be complete without a visit to the Leach's!
Cindy was ready with fruit snacks and Jason was ready with his camera to take some pics for me.

The girls took them to several houses on their street.
Cindy had recently bought some toys for the boys to play with when they come visit. So after trick or treating the boys spent time playing with their new toys. (notice who still had his hat on)

It was a fun night with the boys!

Boo At The Zoo

2010-11-10T11:56:00.000-08:00

We kicked off Halloween weekend with a trip to the zoo for their "Boo At The Zoo" event. They offered an animal show, stations for you to get candy, and an area for kids to play games. We saw some animals, ate a picnic lunch, and spent the rest of the afternoon playing games. The boys seemed to enjoy it.

Jonathan was not interested in the animal show like his brother. He preferred walking around.

Playing some games

My attempt to get a picture of the boys with their costumes, including their hats, before one walked away...
or took his hat off.

Oh well, I tried!

22 Months of Parker

2010-11-03T19:05:00.000-07:00

Our little man is growing and changing on a daily basis it seems these days. It feels as if overnight, he started talking up a storm. He is trying to repeat words we say and one of his favorite things to do is look through books and name the things on each page. He continues to be our lovable, laid back little man.

A few of my favorite things Parker is doing:

He likes to sing. He will do the motions of the wheels on the bus and the horn beeping. His favorite is "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." He sings and acts out the "spider", "down", "rain" and "washes" the spider out. You have to sing fast though to keep up with his motions
He has named his favorite animal, his lamb, "Weee"
When we go get Jonathan up from his nap or go in his room in the mornings, he always says "Hi J.!"
He can point/name most of his body parts - ears, nose, belly, toes, hair/head, mouth, and is getting close to identifying his eyes.
When we drive and we hit a bump or a dip he says "Whoa" or "Wee" only it is a little bit of a delayed reaction which makes it even funnier
He says "choo choo" every time he hears the whistle of the train that runs near our house. He also likes to point to every train on his pajamas and say "A choo choo" over and over
He is consumed with trucks. He likes to look for them in his books, clothes, sippy cups etc. When we are out driving he points to every one he sees pass by and says "truck" with his sweet inflection of his voice

What a privilege it is to parent this incredible blessing!

Trip To Boston - Part 2

2010-10-30T21:04:00.000-07:00

We spent an afternoon traveling to the Massachusetts state fair. Mark's sister warned us ahead of time that if we lower our expectations from the Texas state fair, we should all have a good time. One thing I love about younger children is that it does not take much to entertain them. They don't have previous experiences to compare things to so it is usually the parents who find themselves more disappointed than the children. This fair offered the same things (minus a few fried foods) just on a smaller scale.

They had a petting zoo

Various "fall" scenes set up for photo ops. (I must point out that at the time we took pictures of the kids, there was no one else around. By the time we finished, there was a crowd of 12-15 people. I believe this is because they had to stop and admire my handsome boys and decided to attempt pictures of their own to meet the standard we set. But again, this is only my opinion!)

There were also carnival games, other livestock, various shows, and of course plenty of food to consume. We had a great time.

On our last day we decided to take the boys to the Boston Common area before our trip to the airport. I would say this is Boston's version of Central Park. There are lots of sidewalks to run and walk. There is a duck pond, a playground, and plenty of hot dog vendors.

What boy doesn't love to run in an open field?

We found the statue of the ducks that represent the famous children's book, Make Way for Ducklings

And finally, no post would be complete without some pics of PB&J's newest cousin, Ilaria, aka "Doodle Bug". She was so patient while the boys showed her affection, pushed her semi gently in her swing, made lots of extra noise, and really messed up her nap times! She was precious and worth the trip!

Oh and we survived the plane ride home. It was a very crowded flight but both boys slept and did great!

Trip To Boston - Part 1

2010-10-29T14:00:00.001-07:00

Earlier this month we took a trip up to Boston to visit Mark's sister, her husband, and their new baby Ilaria. An added bonus was also seeing Mark's parents who are currently stateside. I was excited to take the boys to see everyone but very worried about the plane ride. I was not so sure how keeping two busy toddlers confined to sitting in our laps for 3 plus hours was going to happen but surprisingly it went very smooth. Mark ended up on a row all to himself and I had an empty next to me which gave us more room to spread the boys out. Jonathan fell asleep during take off and we never heard any complaints about their ears. All in all we were very proud of them and received many compliments on their behavior and good looks :)

Entertaining themselves while waiting to board. Jonathan wanted to push Parker around.

Parker was content watching the airplanes out the window.

Jonathan enjoying his snack and the window seat view.

Parker finished off my bag of chips as part of his lunch.

Our first full day there we went to the Children's Museum. It was a perfect day to go because it rained all day. The museum was three floors FULL of fun things for kids to do. Parker pitched a fit EVERY time we left a room But as soon as we got to a new activity, he was easily distracted. However, we repeated this same cycle all day. He definitely has a personality that gets very focused on one thing and does not always transition well to a new thing. Jonathan was happy as long as he was on the move walking all over exploring everything.

This was a room full of golf balls and all kinds of ramps.

There was a bubble room full of various wands to make bubbles.

They had a room that was more specific to toddlers and infants. They offered an interactive music class you could participate in. ( Parker loved the shakers ). They also had play equipment, play kitchens, an art space, train tables etc.

It didn't take Parker long to find a push toy which led to anther fit when we had to pry his fingers off in order to go eat lunch.
There was a room of water and sand tables which made Jonathan very happy.
They had a construction room full of bulldozers, trucks, and hard hats.

A big portion of the second floor included scenes from the Arther book series and tv show like the school room and his kitchen. Unfortunately our kids are not very familiar with Arther and Friends to truly appreciate how they had things set up, but Parker had fun climbing up and down the ramp of the airplane from Buster's travel show.

Another room focused on activities to test and increase your balance. They loved the bridge.
The boys wore themselves out playing with everything. We could have spent days there. It was a very fun day for all!

Jonathan's First Hair Cut

2010-10-28T07:32:00.000-07:00

Before our trip to Boston, I decided to take Jonathan for his first hair cut. His hair has gotten curly, which I love, but his curls only show when his hair is wet or dirty. So for the most part he was looking pretty shaggy. I was not real sure how he was going to do since he never seems to sit still for long so I tried to be prepared with plenty of snacks. Thankfully we were paired with a very quick and efficient person who is used to wiggly kids moving around. Jonathan did great and walked out looking all grown up (not so sure how I feel about that.)

Before

Parker decided he wanted to sit in a car as well. It served as a great distraction and source of entertainment while we waited for them to finish with Jonathan.

After

Summer Highlight #2 - The Fourth of July

2010-10-22T21:53:00.000-07:00

Normally I would not post about the 4rth of July this late. However, the 4rth was the last major holiday we celebrated with Jonathan as a "first". I felt it deserved a post despite the fact it has been almost four months. That's why its called a "highlight" right?

For the 4rth we went to church and then got together with friends, grilled, consumed lots of food, and had a lot of fun.

The boys with their friend Zeke. Parker really liked sitting in the chairs.

Checking out Millie the dog.

Jonathan had fun pushing Micah in his swing. Micah was very patient!
The babies celebrating their "First 4rth of July"

All the kids plus "the girls"
After we ate we all drove to mom and dad's house. We parked our cars, took a restroom break, and walked to the elementary school at the end of their street. We set up blankets and chairs on the black top and had an amazing view of the City of Hurst fireworks.

Thomas pushed Parker and Zeke in the wagon.

An attempt at a picture of the whole gang in the dark with a couple of chopped off heads!
I was worried Parker would be scared of the loud noises but he seemed to really enjoy looking at the fireworks.

Jonathan hung out with Aiyah and Grandad with no complaints.
It was a fun night and great way to celebrate the 4rth.

And The Birthday Continues...

2010-10-22T21:27:00.000-07:00

We never got around to opening Jonathan's presents at his party. It was not intentional. He was simply having too much fun in the water to make him stop, dry him off, and open presents. I came to realize later, this turned out for the best. I didn't have to worry about him being interested or looking happy or preventing a fit because he wanted to play with a toy immediately instead of opening another present. So since we got home late from his party we let him open his presents the next day in his own time.

Aiyah and Grandad gave him a sports toy that lets you bat the ball and shoot baskets.

The McCown's gave Jonathan a car that makes lots of noise :)

Grammy and Papa sent the three little pigs and their houses to reenact story.

Tony, Charla, and Lilah gave him a toy where zoo animals go round and round down the ramp. He loves to do this over and over.

He also got a push toy from Sissie and his cousins, a shirt from the Browns and a Baby Einstein book. He is a blessed little boy!

Jonathan's First Birthday Party

2010-10-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

Because of an offer from my dear friend that I could not pass up, we had Jonathan's party in Arlene's backyard. She has a pond, plenty of chairs, lots of shade, and a nice yard to play in. We brought our water table, set up a bubble machine, blew up some beach balls, and filled up a baby pool for the kids to splash around in. I was concerned at first because it turned into a very busy weekend for many of our friends who were unable to come. But in the end it turned into perfect way to round out all the birthday celebrations of the previous week. It was very laid back and Jonathan had fun which is all that matters anyway.

The Leach ladies made Jonathan's cake. It was perfect!

Sweet Lilah

One of the families we serve with in Argentina were in town to speak at our church and were thrilled to join in the birthday celebration. Their oldest, Daniella, had fun with Brooke.

Miss Darcy

We moved the after party to the Olive Garden to celebrate Carrie's birthday. As I mentioned before, we had A LOT of birthdays in a week's time! (Side note: We didn't want Carrie to make her own, so Mark made her a cake)

Jonathan's First Birthday

2010-10-17T20:34:00.000-07:00

Jonathan's first birthday fell on a Wednesday. Since his party was not until the weekend I still attempted to make the day special in some way. Unfortunately for him, we had to go to his 12 month well check and which also included shots. Thankfully he was a trooper and seemed fine the rest of the day. After his appointment we met Aiyah and Parker for lunch and then made it home in time for a birthday nap :) Mark and I had bought Jonathan a slide to play on when we are outside in the backyard. I had decided to wait until Mark was home before I took Jonathan outside to see it. We picked up Mark and went to dinner and it started to rain. And rain. And rain some more. Finally it let up enough to make it to our cars. The closer we got to home the more it looked like it was clearing off. So I waited it out because I really wanted Jonathan to see his birthday present. He liked it a lot but unfortunately by the time we got to go outside it was starting to get dark and their clothes got all wet even though I tried to dry off the slide. So my great plan of waiting for Mark and getting some good pics of Jonathan and his new slide backfired. Thankfully he never noticed and seemed to have a good day anyway! Hard to believe we have been a family of four for a year now!

Birthday Bonanza

2010-10-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

Between August 31st and Labor Day we celebrated three big birthdays- Jonathan turned one, Lilah turned two, and Brooke turned 5 years old. This does not include 2 of my closest friends also having a birthday as well. We celebrated a lot and ate plenty of cake in a week's time!

Lilah had a bubble party complete with a bounce house and balloons.

It didn't take long before Parker discovered the bubble mower! He worked up another sweat pushing it all over the backyard. We had to pry his fingers off of it to go inside for cake. Thankfully balloons served as a good distraction as he spent the rest of the party walking around with a green balloon!

Lilah got a wagon as one of her gifts. They took turns pushing each other. I hope they continue to grow up to be good friends.

Unfortunately I didn't get a good picture of the birthday girl. She was very busy entertaining all her guests!

Brooke had her party at Build A Bear.

We picked out a dog for Jonathan to celebrate his birthday as well.

Outside of the store there was an area with tables and chairs set up so you can bring a cake.

It was by the play area where the boys, especially Jonathan, had a ball climbing on everything! Parker liked watching the train go by.

It was a fun afternoon celebrating one of our favorite cousins! The weekend was topped off by Jonathan's party but more on that to come...

First Day of School

2010-10-16T19:36:00.000-07:00

This year we decided to enroll the boys at the mother's day out program at the church. I was a little hesitant about having both boys go but now with a month and a half under our belt I now know it was one of the best decisions I could have made. Parker goes both Tuesdays and Thursdays. Jonathan goes only on Thursdays which gives me time with him on Tuesdays (its sort of like a vacation to only have one at home) and time to myself on Thursdays ( I can actually accomplish some things!). It was a little weird being on the parent side of the first day of school. As a teacher you hope for a smooth day and well behaved children. As a parent I realized my main hope is that their teachers would come to love and appreciate all the unique things about my child as I do. I realize this is only the beginning of what is to come in regards to "school experiences" but am so thankful it has been a positive one so far.

Walking with dad. Could he be any cuter?

He had fun wearing his new backpack around the house and I had fun picking it out along with his lunch box and material for his nap mat :)

Parker walked right in without hesitation, sat down to play with a truck, and never looked back.

I had a harder time getting a good picture of Jonathan. He was going through a clingy phase, which has now passed, and I didn't want him to decide he would rather stay with me!

Summer Highlight #1- Weekend With Dad

2010-09-14T23:07:00.000-07:00

Since summer has come and gone and there are many things I still wanted to document, I decided to post some "summer highlights" along the way in addition to trying to stay caught up on all our more recent activities. I am learning life is a daily adventure filled with lots of fun, chaos and the challenge of keeping of with two very busy boys! Bear with me as I flashback to some fun times we have had over the past few months.

One of the things I have loved about having two boys is watching them interact with Mark. Parker and Jonathan love time with their Daddy. When Father's Day weekend came along Mark wanted an evening with just our family of four.
First we went to eat. As you will see by the pictures below, eating out is quite the experience. Thank goodness we were by a window with a ledge to put things out of reach from our very curious dining companions!

After dinner, we went to the park to see one of Parker's favorite things - ducks.

Mark and Jonathan shared some dessert.

We finished out the evening relaxing and pushing them in the swing. In case you don't know, they have VERY different personalities :)

On Sunday, after church, lunch at home, and a nice long afternoon nap, we went to my sister's to spend some time with Grandad. Heather and Chad cooked out for us and the boys got to swim with their cousins.

It was a great weekend spent with Dad!

One Year of Jonathan

2010-09-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe I am typing the words "one year" in this post. It some ways it represents one of the hardest, if not the most exhausting year of my life. In other ways it represents an accomplishment that I have in fact survived a year of trying to raise two babies eight months apart. But mostly it is another reminder of God's faithfulness with the "surprise blessing" to our family. I may not have chosen this for myself but He had other plans and they included Jonathan Mark. Happy Birthday Jonathan!

On September 1st, 2009 we welcomed an 8lb 10 oz baby boy who now is right at 24lbs.

He was 21 inches long and now is in the 97% in height measuring 32 inches

His eyes have stayed blue and his hair is getting curlier by the day.

He has changed from a child who seemed to cry constantly into one is "so happy" according to reports from childcare workers.

In the beginning he wanted to be held constantly but now has taken his first steps and wants to be on the move without restriction or confinement.

His first word was "ball" which is also one of his favorite toys to play with.

He is quite stubborn and has a mind of his own.

He has brought some added chaos into our home but also many laughs.

He adores his brother which has become one of the biggest blessings to watch as their relationship develops.

He is happiest around people and is quite talkative.

He loves to "unload" things- books out of a basket, toys out of a container, food off of his highchair, tupper ware out of the cabinet, toilet paper off a roll, and water out of the water table.
Responds to Jonathan, Little J., Johnny Happy, and simply J

He has changed so much in twelve months and we have also changed as we learn to parent this independent baby boy into a young man after God's own heart.

The Photo Shoot

2010-07-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

I recently arranged another photo shoot with my dear friend, Arlene in June. I wanted some nine month pictures of Jonathan and 18 month pictures of Parker. Since Jonathan has been sitting up well for awhile and Parker is pretty sturdy on his feet we decided pics by the pond in her backyard would be perfect. In addition, my sister and I decided it would be a great Father's Day gift for dad to get pictures made of all the grand kids. When I asked Arlene if we could work this in as well, thankfully she said the more the merrier! As I have learned time and time again pictures with kids and babies always turns into an adventure.

We started with the cousin pics first. It is already complicated enough to get one child to smile much less all four at the same time. Parker is always the hardest subject. It requires lots of jumping and making an absolute fool of yourself to get him to smile. You also have to stay level with the camera while doing this so Parker is looking at the camera and not up at you. Arlene has learned to snap as many as possible and then hopefully one good picture will come from it. Well, she worked her magic and we got a really good one of all four.

Next we decided to try some by the pond. Although the scenery was perfect it really made Collin worried the babies were going to fall in. So in most of these pictures he looks really tense and appears to be holding on to the boys for dear life. He is so sweet and protective of Parker and Jonathan.

We also did some individual shots of each child. Collin and Brooke are growing so fast.

Parker became very interested in a rock. This expression is classic Parker.

After the cousin pics, we decided to shoot Jonathan's nine month pictures first before he got cranky. It doesn't take much to get a smile from him (thank goodness). What you don't see is me hiding behind plants so I could be close in case Jonathan lost his balance. He never fell but he did have an "exaggerated lean" that resulted in part of his body landing in the pond. Thankfully this was after we took most of his pictures.

This was by pure accident. He can not perform the "gig em" hand signal on command yet.

After J's pics, we needed a little break, a cold drink, and some air conditioning before Parker's pictures. As we were previewing a couple of pictures, Parker knocked over Arlene's coke glass. It splattered EVERYWHERE! Thankfully we got up the computer, phone, and other camera equipment before they got wet. It splattered on the couch, chair, wall, rug, floor, and even made it into a nearby closet. We were all amazed at how much it took to clean up one diet coke.

We took Parker out in yard and let him sit by the pond. I love these pictures of him because they seem to capture his personality. He is a very quiet and observant child. He seems to ponder new surroundings trying to decide if he is OK with things or not.

In conclusion while we were taking Parker's pictures, mom was inside entertaining Jonathan who proceeded to fall and bite his tongue in the process, causing some blood. In the words of Aiyah, "it is not a simple thing to take pictures of the boys, it is an EVENT." An event well worth it. Thanks Arlene!

The First Swim

2010-07-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

It has been such a busy summer filled with lots of adventures already which include many pictures and chances to fall behind on blogging. So I am going to do my best to catch up on the summer so far - hopefully by the end of the summer!

I decided this summer I needed to recruit some swimming buddies, a.k.a. "The Girls", a.k.a. Melissa and Carrie. We know several people with pools that are free for us to use, but with two boys walking and crawling everywhere, it made me nervous to go by myself. I am so thankful for the girls. They have escorted us to swim at least once a week and are always such a huge help to me. And of course the boys are always more than happy to spend time with the girls!

Poor Jonathan, with his sensitive skin like me, I keep him covered as much as possible. Thankfully he doesn't mind too much.

A wrinkled foot = A sign of a good time in the pool!

Eighteen Months of Parker

2010-07-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that we have had the privilege of having Parker in our family for a year and half. It is a little strange to think that is was 2 years ago we were just getting approved by our agency to begin the waiting process of getting matched with a birth mom. One year ago, we were finding out Parker would be a big brother for the first time. And now here we are watching Parker grow out of the infant stage and into becoming a toddler. I took him to the doctor on Friday for his 18 month well check. The doctor said he looked great. We were pleased to see he has now gained enough weight to move from the 3rd to the 10th percentile ( he now weighs the same as his brother who was 22 lbs at his well check 3 weeks ago). He is also in the 80th percentile for his height. He is walking everywhere and getting into lots of things as he explores everything around him.

Some of Parker's Favorites:

Favorite Food: fruit- he has added bananas to his list of fruits
Favorite Drink: milk
Favorite Song: Cosby Show theme song
Favorite Book: I Love You Through and Through
Favorite Toys: lawnmower at Aiyah and Grandad's, and electronic things like cell phones and remote controls
Favorite Words: "bye-bye", "more", "Yay"
Favorite Animal: ducks
Favorite Game: "Boo"- his covers his eyes and plays peek a boo
Favorite Activities: wrestling with Jonathan, playing in the dogs' water bowl, "conducting" when he hears a song he likes, climbing into his high chair when he is hungry or wants a snack, pretending to talk on the phone, looking at his books, turning the light on and off in his room, and climbing stairs

Trip To The Zoo

2010-06-22T13:42:00.000-07:00

Mark took a day off recently to spend time with me and the boys before leaving town. We decided to take the boys on their first trip to the zoo. We packed up lunches for everyone and of course plenty of sunscreen, hats, and insect repellent for Jonathan, who unfortunately takes after me in the "person who mosquitoes love to bite" and "fair skin that burns easy in the sun" categories. Thankfully it was not near as hot as the weather had predicted and there was a consistent breeze. It also was not crowded at all so we didn't have to work around the people to see the animals. We got a zoo pass for me and guest so we can come and go throughout the year without feeling the pressure to stay all day and see everything in one trip. I was curious to see the boys reactions to the animals. I figured Jonathan would just love going along for the ride and smiling at all the people he encountered and Parker might watch a few animals that were big enough or moved around enough.

The monkeys were hard to spot because they weren't moving around a lot but we did come across this gorilla sitting right by the window. There is no telling what he thought of Jonathan!

Parker loved watching the waterfalls.

We saw the white tiger up close pacing by the window. Toward the end it got pretty agitated which Parker was not so sure about so we quickly moved on.

We got to check out the new exhibit, Museum Of Living Art, which was very impressive more so for Mark and I. They had these tortoises walking around in the yard where you enter.

Parker enjoyed walking all around inside. He spotted this colorful bird but then got a little nervous when he thought it was going to chase him (not realizing it was behind glass).

Needless to say, Jonathan fell asleep in the stroller on the way out and Parker didn't last long in the car ride home. It was a fun day and I am anxious to go back and see what the boys become interested in with each visit.

Playdate with Lilah

2010-06-17T22:59:00.000-07:00

Parker and Jonathan's friend Lilah invited them over to play with her new inflatable pool toy. The boys spent the majority of time chewing on the pool toys as they were both working on cutting some teeth. Toward the end Parker discovered he loved to slide down the slide. It was a fun morning spent with sweet Lilah.

Fun With Daddy's Hat

2010-06-17T22:53:00.001-07:00

Gettin' Spiritual

2010-06-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I got a call from our Children's Minister requesting Jonathan to play the role of baby Moses for a fourth grade Sunday School lesson. Even though this was a step down from playing the role of baby Jesus in December, I figured this would go smoothly because he would not be outside in freezing weather with a live obnoxious donkey nearby waking him up multiple times. Her daughter, Melissa, who also happens to be one of Jonathan's favorite people, played Miriam. Jonathan did great and was very happy, cooperative, and relished the chance to make new friends!

We laughed at the fact this was probably not the most accurate representation of baby Moses considering Jonathan's fair skin and blue eyes!

In the meantime Parker has been preparing for Palm Sunday. Yes I know it is early but one can never be too prepared right? He found a leaf from one of our artificial plants the other day and proceeded to walk around waving it in the air while saying "Yay" (one of his new favorite words these days). We found this to be the perfect reenactment of Palm Sunday. I had a hard time getting a good picture with my flash delay and Parker walking so fast, but hopefully you can get the idea.

A Perfect Evening...With Some Lessons Learned

2010-06-11T22:02:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we decided to grill hamburgers and have a picnic outside in the backyard with the boys. This sounded like a perfect way to start the summer. We got everything prepared and sat down ready to eat when the attack of the flies descended upon us. At first it was just a couple and then they seemed to multiple at record speed. It made me think of my mother in law and the stories she has shared of the hundreds of flies she has killed within an evening. The boys weren't too bothered but we eventually brought them in along with the food to finish eating.

Lesson #1: Buy one of those candles you put outside to keep the flies & mosquitoes away.

After we ate we decided to let the boys play in an inflatable pool/toy for the first time. I bought this last summer for Parker but he was still a little young and not sitting very well on his own. So I figured this summer would be the perfect time. I got the boys all ready in their swimsuits while Mark filled it up. The pool got mixed reviews from Parker and Jonathan. Jonathan thought it was great but Parker was not so sure about the experience. I hope he will warm up to it in the future and come to enjoy it, which tends to fit his personality.

Both boys were a little unsure about what to do and just sat and stared at us. I found a couple of toys that squirt water we used last summer when Parker and I went swimming but for most part, they both sat and looked at us wondering what was going on.

Lesson #2: Put some toys for them to play with in the pool.

It did not take long before Sam, our water dog, decided to join in on the fun.

Lesson #3: Leave Sam in the house when we fill up the pool.

We quickly realized it was a little late in the evening to try this because with the breeze and the pool in the shade, the boys got cold. So we took them out and ended up giving them a bath with some warmer water which Parker preferred much more.

Lesson #4: Try the pool earlier in the day when it is warmer so the water is not so cold.

All in all it was a nice evening spent together and made me excited for the summer and all the new adventures they will experience along with many more lessons to be learned!

Parker's Favorite Animal

2010-06-11T21:43:00.001-07:00

We discovered Parker's love of ducks a couple of months ago by chance at a park while going on a walk. He couldn't take his eyes off of them and kept pointing and saying (in his own way) "duck". Well the love/obsession continues on. We have several lakes within in our housing development and I took the boys on a walk to new one we had never been to before. Well needless to say I was not expecting to encounter so many ducks and we have since made multiple trips back as this has become one of Parker's favorite outings. The longer we walked, the more ducks we discovered. There were a grouping of white ducks (I'm sure there is an official name) which were quite aggressive and wanting food. We found a goose and gander along with 7 goslings. There is also another family of duck with eight babies along with many other types. Parker was in heaven!! To top it off there was a small play area specifically for toddlers complete with a couple of swings which made Jonathan very happy as well!

The family of geese

Wrestlin' Around

2010-06-05T12:57:00.000-07:00

As the boys are getting older, they are beginning to interact with each other more and more. This has been great for me because it keeps them entertained. The other day they started rolling around on the floor, poking each other etc. I loved watching them do this because it produced lots from belly laughing from each boy. However, I know this is just the beginning of life with two boys and there will come a day when there won't be laughter but tears over someone getting hurt or the feelings of frustration over them knocking something over. So for now I am trying to treasure these moments.

Nine Months of Jonathan

2010-06-04T12:15:00.000-07:00

It is still a little crazy to think back this time a year ago I was just realizing I was pregnant and now Jonathan is already nine months old. If there is one word to describe Jonathan these days it would be HAPPY. Everywhere we go people always comment on how happy he is. It is always ironic to hear because as an infant it was such a daily struggle to get him happy and then keep him content for longer than five minutes. However, things have changed and he is full of smiles and loves life from his surroundings to the people he encounters.

A few things to know about Jonathan:

At his nine month well check appointment this week Jonathan was in the 75th percentile in height and weight. He weighs 22 lbs which is pretty much the same as Parker if not a little more. On a side note, this was the first time we went from one well check appointment to the next without having to see the doctor in between for some sort of sickness. This made the doctor very HAPPY to see him doing so well.
He is constantly on the move usually crawling after Parker to see what he is up to He is so much HAPPIER now that he is mobile and can get to where the people and the action is taking place. He gets so excited about moving from room to room he usually laughs while he is crawling.
He has seven teeth - 4 on the top and 3 on the bottom and is always HAPPY to show them off to anyone who gives him attention.
We have started table food with him. So far he has liked everything we have offered him. The only problem is, he grabs his food with both hands in a fist and puts it up to his mouth so some ends up in his mouth and a lot ends up on the floor which makes the dogs very HAPPY.
He is getting so much better about putting himself to sleep. He was quite spoiled as an infant because since he was so hard to get comfortable we would usually rock him until he was sound asleep before putting him down. Then when he was sick during most of the winter we continued with the same pattern. Now we still rock him for a little bit but then put him in his bed with his music on and more times than not he is able to put himself to sleep. This makes his mom VERY HAPPY when this happens. He takes 2 naps a day and is sleeping through the night.
Jonathan is HAPPIEST when: he is pulling up on an object or a person, he has something in his mouth to chew on, a person talks to him, Parker plays with him, his dad wrestles with him, he is riding in the front of the grocery cart, or when he is in the swing at the park.

Seventeen Months Of Parker

2010-06-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

Parker turned 17 months old last week. It seems like he is growing, changing, and discovering new things daily, yet some things stay the same. Mark and I are humbled on a daily basis that we were chosen to parent this amazing child who brings so much joy and laughter in our home.

A few things about Parker:

He is walking constantly now. He will still drop down and crawl if he wants to get somewhere fast or if he thinks you ( or Jonathan) are playing chase with him
He is exploring things and becoming more independent each day but still loves to climb up in your lap and snuggle, read books, or be rocked before naps & bedtime.
He continues to imitate certain things like holding up objects to his ear and saying "hi" as if he is talking on the phone, holding his shirt up to his head or his shoes to his feet when I am dressing him. I will often sing to him while I rock him so if I haven't started singing yet he will make some of the sounds as if he is singing.
He enjoys music and will tap his foot or wave his hand like he is conducting to certain songs he hears.
He continues to be a good eater even though he is staying tall and skinny. Thankfully he will try most things we offer him. He has recently started to enjoy broccoli, PB&J sandwiches, and applesauce more than when he first tried table food.
He consistently knows the signs for "finished" and "more"
He is interacting more and more with "J". They laugh a lot at each other for no other reason than to laugh and keep each other pretty entertained.
His favorite things continue to be eating fruit, seeing the ducks by the lake, climbing stairs, and the theme song to the Cosby Show.
He continues to be happy but cautious to new experiences. It often takes time or several tries to warm up to something new. However once he figures something out or decides he likes it, there is no turning back.

A New Skill

2010-05-24T20:14:00.000-07:00

Recently we have begun to work with Parker on feeding himself. I have been told by many other mothers that this can take longer with boys to master than with girls. We have been taking it slow and allowing him to explore on his own with a spoon. I usually let him try it out when we are about to have a bath or have no where else to be since it can create quite the mess! He does not really like for us to feed him anymore and wants to do it on his own, so we try and help him by putting the food on the spoon and let him see if he can get it in his mouth. He is starting to get the hang of it but it is still a work in progress.

Gettin' Some Exercise

2010-05-24T19:55:00.000-07:00

Jonathan has been developing quite the upper body strength these days. He has learned to pull up on things. He is soooo proud of himself and turns his head to see if anyone is noticing. The only problem comes when he gets tired of standing in the same place but is afraid to let go and fall back down so he can move to something else. Until he figures this out, we have had to come to his rescue several times. He is changing so fast!

He pulls up on your legs

The coffee table

The activity table

And unfortunately is not happy when he loses his balance and falls down.

Mother's Day

2010-05-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

This year was my first Mother's Day with Jonathan. It was still a weird feeling to know last year I was technically a mother of two already but had no idea!

There have been times this past year when I wouldn't have chosen to have two babies eight months apart, but when I see this sweet smile, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

We had lunch at mom's house after church along with my sister, her husband, and two kids.

Jonathan LOVES Brooke!

Don't know what we would do without our mom.

So at this point you might be wondering what happened to Parker. Well, Parker was busy pushing around a lawnmower Grandad found from when Collin was a baby. I have never seen Parker get so focused on one toy for so long. We experienced our first full out temper tantrum from him when we put him in his seat to eat lunch. As soon as he finished eating he pushed the lawnmower around for an hour and a half. He literally worked up a sweat. So needless to say trying to get a picture with him was next to impossible!

After mom's we all went home and enjoyed a nice long nap. Later we went to eat and I finally managed to get a picture with my little man.

A Grateful Mother

2010-05-22T18:47:00.001-07:00

When Mother's Day comes around, I find myself in a very sentimental and reminiscing mood. There was a time not too long ago when I dreaded Mother's Day. It is a very difficult day for one who longs to be a mother. It feels like everyone else around you has the very thing you want. You find yourself feeling selfish as you know it is not their fault they have children but you just want to know when it is going to be your turn. When is God going to grant that desire? Are you ever going to be able to celebrate Mother's Day as a mother?
Last year Mother's day took on a whole other meaning. It was my first Mother's Day. Suddenly this day became something very special instead of a day of grieving. I found myself feeling so overwhelmed at the privilege of being Parker's mom just like the first moment I held him at the hospital. I was chosen for Parker. It brought on many emotions as I thought about his birth mom, the brave choice she made, and the fact that I was able to become a mother to an amazing son because of her sacrifice. At the same time I also found myself hurting for those around me who were waiting to get pregnant or waiting to be matched with a birth mom.
This year as I celebrated my first Mother's Day with Jonathan, I kept reflecting on the irony of my life over the past couple of years. How is it that in such a short time I went from someone who longed for a child to a mother of two baby boys?
As I think back on the journey God has taken us on, I always can sum up my emotions in one word: grateful. It is more than being grateful for Parker and Jonathan, it is feeling grateful for infertility. If it wasn't for infertility I would never have been placed with Parker or experienced of the process of adoption, something I would not trade for anything. Now I can say I am grateful for emotions, as hard as they were, felt during infertility. Because it is in the moments where raising two babies eight months apart becomes so overwhelming and challenging, I am able to stop and remind myself there are so many women out there who would give anything to have what I have. I know this because I used to be one of those women. So I am grateful that God chose me to take me on the path of infertility as it has given me a totally different perspective, something I thought I would never say. Infertility has made me one grateful Mother.

Centers

2010-05-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

Early on when Jonathan was a newborn it was difficult to keep him happy for any period of time. A friend and former kindergarten teacher compared it to centers as we would "rotate" to different "activities" (the bouncy seat, the swing etc.) through out the day in an effort to keep him entertained with out having to hold him 24/7. As Jonathan has gotten older the centers have changed and he is able to stay happy and entertained in each center for longer stretches of time. Here are a few pics of some centers Jonathan enjoys.

The Jumparoo Center

Gross Motor Skills Center- i.e. rolling on the floor under his play mat as he works on his crawling skills

Teething Center which involves emptying out the bucket of toys one by one as he chews on each one until we put them all back in the bucket so he can start again. This has been a favorite but produces lots of drool.

Some new centers we have added recently include: "Pulling Up On the Nearest Object", "Fine Motor Skills" i.e. sitting in his high chair eating puffs so we can eat, & "Parker's Room" which involves playing in his brother's room so I can take a shower and get ready for the day!

Independent Play

2010-05-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

Parker phased out of his morning nap for good around 14 months old. Although I enjoyed the fact he slept a longer amount of time in the afternoon, I hated to drop his morning nap because Jonathan took a morning nap as well and it gave me two chances during the day to get a little break as well as accomplish some things. Often times I found myself needing to do some things upstairs but did not like hauling Parker from room to room or up and down the stairs to do this. So I decided to start some independent play time with him. I moved half his toys upstairs to his room (mainly the ones that made the most noise!) and bought a gate to put across his doorway so I could leave his door open, keeping an eye on him but also go back and forth upstairs as needed. I figured we would have to ease him into playing alone in his room by slowly increasing the time he was by himself without one of us in there with him, but he took to this concept like a champ. He seems to enjoy the change of scenery and it allows me to get some things accomplished upstairs if needed while Jonathan takes his morning nap. The other day I decided to take some pictures of him while he was playing to document some of his favorite things to do.

He enjoys climbing the steps of his step stool and setting on the stairs.

He sits on his alphabet train and plays with the blocks that go with it.

He has started to pull some of his drawers out and pushes them back in. He seems to like the sound of them on the rollers. Thankfully he has not taken things out of the drawers and also knows to let go in time so his fingers don't get smashed!

This is my FAVORITE. He loves to sit and look at his books, He will "talk" as he turns the pages as if he is reading aloud. I love this boy so much!

Parker's First Hair Cut

2010-04-23T21:07:00.000-07:00

Parker's hair was starting to get longer so I decided to take him to get his first hair cut in time for Easter. We waited until Friday so Mark could go with us. We took him to a place specifically for kids mainly so I could get some good "first hair cut " pictures! All in all Parker did really well. He was interested in what the lady was doing and kept turning his head so Mark had to hold his head in place so she could cut it. He looked unsure a few time but never cried which was surprising considering Mark had a firm hold on him.

He played with Leggos while we waited for out turn.

Before picture. He got to sit in the fire engine chair.

Don't you love his face?

The end result. What a handsome boy!

Easter

2010-04-23T20:33:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful first Easter with both boys. We started our day by going to church which of course included pics with our favorite girls Melissa and Carrie and their mom Cindy (she likes to be referred to as the boys' B.F.F.)

Parker and Melissa coordinated!

The boys with the girls

This was taken last Easter with Cindy

We thought we would make it an annual tradition

Then she braved both boys!

After church we went to mom's for lunch along with my grandfather, Chad, and Brooke & Collin. Heather had to work.

Talking with Collin. He LOVES Collin.

Cousins!

Aiyah got Jonathan a Peter Rabbit for his room which he promptly put in his mouth

And then enjoyed some Easter eggs as well!

Not my favorite, but it is hard to get a picture of the four of us.

We all went home and took a nap and then decided to take the boys up to the park so Parker could see the ducks, his new favorite past time.

Afterward we ended back up at mom's for leftovers and dyed some Easter eggs.

It was a great day with our boys!

Eggstravaganza

2010-04-23T20:10:00.001-07:00

Each year our church hosts an Eggstravaganza for the community. They have games, bounce houses, a petting zoo, and egg scrambles (a big field where they throw all the eggs out for kids to get vs. an egg hunt) for different age groups. Last year we took Parker but since he was only 4 months old we simply strolled him around and showed him off. This year I was curious to see if he would enjoy picking up the eggs. Jonathan has been sitting up for the past month so I was hoping for a cute picture sitting in the field of eggs. The small problem came when both boys fell asleep on the way there. Since their age group was the first up for the egg scramble, there was not much time for them to get good and awake so my plans for pictures didn't turn out real well. Jonathan cried and I think mainly because he did not like the feel of the grass. Parker sat dazed but did eventually get up and walk with Mark although he never caught on to actually picking up the eggs and putting them in his basket. Oh well, we will try again next year!

Notice all the adults around helping the babies pick up eggs!

The best part was when Parker discovered the ducks from the petting zoo. He was not a fan of going inside the fence to pet the animals but loved looking at them from the outside. He has been taking steps on his own when he wanted to and the ducks provided some good motivation. We kept putting him away from the fence and he would walk to see them. He is quite captivated by them. Bear with me as I was trying to take pics of him walking.

Welcome Spring

2010-04-23T09:41:00.001-07:00

Well after an interesting winter filled with lots of this:

We welcomed the first day of Spring with, you guessed it, some more of this:

Although it was just a little dusting the first day of spring definitely did not feel very Spring like but thankfully the weather is warming up which was gotten us outdoors and to park a lot. Jonathan LOVES the swing. From the minute you put him in to the time you take him out, he literally belly laughs the entire time along with some drool dripping down! Parker has enjoyed climbing and walking on the play equipment along with a trip or two down the slide.

There was only one swing at this park so we had to improvise!

The Escape Artist

2010-04-12T20:51:00.000-07:00

When Parker started crawling we put up gates in the den and kitchen to block him from going into the front room (full of breakables) and climbing the stairs. I think he has an "open gate" radar because if a gate is left open on accident he heads straight to the stairs. He gets so excited that he got through the gate and to the stairs, he starts laughing and banging on the steps as he climbs them. Fortunately for us we hear this and are never far behind him to prevent a fall.

The Big Sleepover

2010-04-12T20:19:00.000-07:00

Last month when Mark was in Argentina the Leach family decided they wanted to have a PB&J sleepover. I jumped at the offer since it would give me a quiet house all to myself and take up some time I had to fill with the boys while Mark was away. The packing list included a pack n play (they already have one on hand at their house), a bumbo chair, booster chair, 4 bottles, baby food for J for 3 meals, solids for Parker for 3 meals, milk, formula, 2 sets of p.j.s, clothes for each child along with an extra set just in case, extra bibs and burp cloths for J, Parker's push toy, a jumparoo, blankets and other items from their crib at home, books, sippy cups, baby shampoo in case of a bath which Parker had two, Jonathan's inhaler along with other medicine just in case, extra pacifiers, diapers, wipes, and a stroller. It was a lot to pack but well worth the time and effort!!! The boys LOVE being at their house which was nice because I did not spend a lot of my time worrying. My biggest concern was if Jonathan would sleep through the night-which he did for the most part. Cindy's sister also was on hand to assist so all in all there were 5 adults to 2 babies, a pretty good ratio I must say! I assume all went well because the adults were happy when I picked up the boys and even offered to do it again for LONGER ( and no I am not making that part up). The problem came when I got the boys home. They were not so happy to leave all the one on one attention they get! I am so thankful for such sweet friends who love on my boys as if they are their own. We are so blessed!

I tried to get a picture of all the stuff, although I think there was more since I barely had room for the boys in my car after loading everything!

The girls took the boys to the park near their house and took some pics for me.

When Mama"s Away The Boys Will Play

2010-04-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago I was gone and left Mark in charge of the boys for the afternoon. I came home to two happy boys and a dad impressed with himself for taking on an "arts and crafts" project. Don't be jealous, Mark is glad to spread his talent around. He is considering starting a "Daddy Best" Sharpie inspired line of clothing soon.

Side note: Mark also dressed the boys that day. Somehow Parker ended up in Jonathan's 3-6 month jeans which fit him in the waist. However he did not seem to notice it looked like Parker was wearing capri pants!

P.S. He made Jonathan a "Daddy Best" bib but I can't seem to find the picture to post.

Seven Months of Jonathan

2010-04-08T21:28:00.000-07:00

We did not have a well check this month nor have we had to have extra doctor appointments for Jonathan due to sickness so I do not have updated stats other than he is growing daily. He has been so much healthier as the weather has gotten warmer and is back to sleeping through the night- a HUGE blessing! It feels like lately he grew up all of the sudden and is moving farther and farther away from being a baby. He is changing day by day as he explores and makes sense of the world around him.

Jonathan LOVES:

Drooling A LOT
Putting everything he possibly can in his mouth
Grabbing hair, jewelry, or your whole face. It's like he wants to take every part of you in for him to love (and drool on)
Blowing raspberries
Sitting up and playing with toys
Jumping in the Jumparoo
Food in any form- liquid or solids
Being held and talked to by anyone who is available
Being tossed in the air by his daddy
Looking at Parker and smiles real big when Parker "plays" with him
Swinging at the park

Holidays

2010-04-06T21:41:00.001-07:00

Valentine's Day marked the first major holiday since Jonathan was born that was not a "first" for both boys. Since it was on a Sunday the boys wore their Valentine shirts to church in the morning and saw their favorite girls. We spent most of the day at home and unfortunately realized Jonathan was starting to come down with bronchitis, poor thing!

This was taken the day before. My "Heart Breakers"

A more accurate one- Parker's "smile" and J. with his hands in his mouth!

Parker with his valentine Melissa.

Little J. with his valentine Carrie.

We got Parker a balloon, his favorite these days.

Jonathan loved the valentine from Aiyah

The boys wore their green to celebrate St. Patrick's Day

Parker's shirt says "Mommy thinks I'm charming" which I do!

Jonathan's shirt: "I'm your lucky charm."

Fifteen Months of Parker

2010-04-06T16:34:00.000-07:00

Parker turned fifteen months old about a week and a a half ago. We went to the doctor for his well check today so I was waiting to post about this past month when I got his stats!

Weighs 19 lbs 15oz which is still in the 3rd percentile. The doctor was not concerned because he is continuing to grow in height and remains on the 75% curve which means he IS getting enough calories believe it or not! We are anxious to turn his car seat around to front facing because his legs are getting long and starting to scrunch up.
Takes one nap a day in the afternoon for 2-2 1/2 hours (sometimes 3 when he is really tired)
Plays independently in his room while Jonathan takes his morning nap. I leave the door open with a gate across. I moved half of his toys in his room and he plays with those and his books. It has worked out great for me since he no longer takes a morning nap!
He is hard to discipline because he is pretty cute! Our main struggle is his desire to feed the dogs. When we discipline him, he sticks out that bottom lip and crocodile tears well up in his eyes and it melts your heart. Sometimes he does this when we are simply telling him a firm "no" and he whimpers a little as he decides if he is going to actually cry or "be brave" and move on. We have to look away most of the time because it is very sad and we end up feeling bad we hurt his feelings. This all coming from a school teacher who had no problems telling children no by the way!
Starting to copy things you do like take his brush and brush his hair, pour water on his head with the same cup you use when washing his hair etc. When you hold him and pat him on the back or rub his back he pats and rubs your arm or back too.
LOVES lift the flap books or books with texture, t.v. jingles (The Cosby Show being his absolute favorite. He always stops what he is doing, smiles real big, bounces to the music until it is over, then goes back to what he was doing before), climbing stairs when he escapes through the gate, and playing chase.

My Favorite Person

2010-04-05T20:43:00.000-07:00

Patricia Neighbors has served as a mentor to me since high school. She was the Associate Music Minister at my church growing up. We met frequently through out my time in the youth group over dinner or just chatting in her office. When I went away to college we continued to meet during breaks for "marathon meals" in order to catch up. We never seem to run out of things to talk about. She has always been a HUGE source of encouragement and wisdom. She is great in giving me perspective on things in life that don't always make sense. It has been awhile since we have seen and caught up with one another, so I was THRILLED when we were both at a surprise party for a mutual friend. She got to meet the boys for the first time. I was so glad I had my camera so I could get some pics of my boys with one of my favorite people.

Parker loved her jewelry of course.

Jonathan already taking in all the wise things she has to say.

Becky, another one of my favorite people, giving J a bottle.

Parker's New Pillow

2010-04-05T20:34:00.000-07:00

Parker has always enjoyed our dogs. Up to this point he has seemed to prefer Sam, our golden retriever, because he would let Parker tug and pull on him, as well as roll around on the floor with him. Recently though Parker has taken great pleasure in using Moses as his new pillow when he wants to take a break or just give something some love and affection. There was a time when Moses would leave as soon as possible but he must enjoy it too because he doesn't budge!

Tailgate Sunday

2010-04-05T20:10:00.000-07:00

Our church designates the Sunday of the Super Bowl as Tailgate Sunday. Everyone wears jeans and jerseys for fun. Although we were not really invested in the teams playing, I still had fun taking pics of the boys!

Parker discovered a love of balloons and Mrs. Cindy was more than happy to let him play with all the ones in the children's area.

Preferring to put things in our mouths instead of posing...typical!

Some of their favorite people- Carrie, Jason, & Melissa

Jonathan decided he liked the balloons too.

This pic is actually from the night of the TCU bowl game which we all watched in support of Aiyah's school, but I figured it went with the theme of this post!

The night of the Super Bowl we met Darcy Elizabeth a.k.a Miss Darcy for the first time. She was a sweetheart and quite tiny. Little J didn't look so little any more!

Bathtime

2010-03-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

Just some random pics taken at bath time a few weeks ago.

Enjoying his book.

Decided it is better when you put it in your mouth.

Parker loves to stand on the side of the tub and watch the water fill up.

One of his favorite bath toys.

Smile Parker!

Parker's New Smile

2010-03-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

Lately when I have my camera out and am trying to get Parker to smile for me, this is what he does. Such a silly boy!

On A Roll

2010-03-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

Jonathan started rolling over both directions about a month and a half ago. The ironic thing in this whole situation is during the day he has had no problem rolling from his back to his belly and does not enjoy being on his stomach for long stretches of time. At night he rolls from his stomach to his back and can not roll himself back over to his belly, the only way he will sleep, which leads to lots of crying until one of us comes in and flips him back over. Why can't he remember that he is capable of rolling both ways in the middle of the night or that he does like being on his stomach in the middle of the day? His life would be so much easier (and his parents too for that matter!).

Spence Family Reunion

2010-03-18T13:23:00.000-07:00

In January Mark's parents came to town from overseas to meet Jonathan for the first time. His sister Heather and her husband Mike came in from Boston. His other sister Wendy, husband Scott, and their three kids Anna, Michael, and Katie ended up state side a few months early and were able to come as well. We celebrated Christmas, birthdays, and a baby dedication. We had lots of laughter, a little bit of chaos, and loads of fun being all together for the first time in a year and half. It is always a sweet time of crazy, fun fellowship.

We surprised Mark's mom (who turned 60 while she was here) with plans for a family picture. So here are some pics my sweet friend Arlene took. I thought they turned out pretty well for so many people, kids, and babies!

And of course we had to get a picture of Baby Baker on the way!

Here are some random pics taken through out the week:

Jonathan loved his Aunt Heather

Anna was a huge help in taking care of Parker

Playing with Papa's Beard

Twins!

Little J. with his cousins

The Pittmans- Scott, Wendy, Anna, Michael, and Katie

Jonathan LOVED all the attention but it wore him out!

Birthdays

2010-03-18T13:05:00.000-07:00

There are 6 members of the Spence family who have a birthday within about 2 weeks of each other. So we took an evening and celebrated. We went to the Yogurt Patch for a sweet treat, came home with pizza for dinner, opened presents, and finished the night with Beatles Rock Band.

Parker got a set of blocks, a refrigerator farm, and some books.

All crammed together for Rock Band.

Christmas

2010-03-18T10:32:00.000-07:00

We decided to wait and celebrate Christmas all together when everyone came to visit instead of mailing our gifts to each other. This gave me the perfect excuse to leave all our Christmas decorations up and then have the family help me take them all down!

We enjoyed spoiling Mike & Heather as they prepare for baby Baker

It was fun seeing the kids open their presents. We have never celebrated Christmas with them.

Parker liked the balls of wrapping paper!

I made Mark's parents a digital scrapbook of our eventful year.

The Fort Worth Stock Show

2010-03-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

One of the days we decided to take a day and go to the stock show. I have not been since I was a little girl and we thought Anna, Michael, and Katie would enjoy it. We left Jonathan with my parents and took Parker. When we got there and started going in the barns we were surprised to find there were no animals. After walking in lots of empty barns we asked where we could find some animals and were told today was the day they clean all the barns and so they move all the animals out for the day, clean their stalls, and bring them all back the next day. Would have been nice to know when we paid for our ticket! Thankfully, since the kids had never been to a stock show they had no expectations. We saw the milking cow demonstration, got to sit on tractors, and even found a longhorn and a few horses around the back that had not been moved yet. At the end, we happened upon calf roping which made the whole day. I don't know who was more intrigued, the kids or Scott who has never seen a rodeo in his life. It was a fun day.

Where did the animals go?

The longhorn we finally found around the back of a building!

The kids loved climbing on the tractors!

Parker loved watching the horses run out of the chutes. He clapped his hands every time.

Parker's One Year Pictures

2010-03-16T13:21:00.000-07:00

We actually took these two months ago but I am a little slow about posting them. Can't believe how fast our little man has grown!

Six Months of Jonathan

2010-03-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

In some ways it is hard to believe we have had Jonathan in our family for half a year already, other ways it is hard to believe he is not older than six months! Jonathan has had a tough winter with ear infections, teething, bronchitis, beginning stages of asthma, and LOTS of interrupted nights of sleep. Thankfully he has remained pretty happy and has a smile that will melt your heart.

Some things about Jonathan:

At his six month well check last week he was 18lbs which is in the 60th percentile. It is hard to remember that he is average weight for his age because Parker is so skinny so Jonathan seems so much bigger and heavier. He is in the 95th percentile for height.
He is rolling over both ways although seems to have selective memory of this skill. During the day he fusses if he is on his stomach and wants to be on his back. At night he fusses when he turns him over on his back and only wants to be on his stomach which is how he sleeps best.
Continues to be VERY social. Only wants to be where everyone else is and does not like being left in a room alone. He loves to talk to people, grab their faces, hair, etc.
Takes two naps a day averaging 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
Capable of sleeping through the night when not sick or teething.
Sitting up on his own for longer periods of time unassisted
Enjoys his jumparoo and anything he can put in his mouth
Loves Parker and gets frustrated when he can not be where Parker is. I'm sure this will accelerate his ability to crawl at some point!
Taken to eating solids like a champ. We have tried all the veggies and are on to fruit. He has yet to make a face or spit out any of the things we have given him. He enjoys eating!
Affectionately called "Little J.," "J.," "Little Grandad," and "Johnny Happy" a name given by his cousin Brooke a.k.a "Holly Happy"

Fourteen Months of Parker

2010-03-13T13:43:00.000-08:00

I never posted about thirteen months of Parker so this is a combination of the past two months with our little man. We love watching Parker grow and make connections on a daily basis. We love his laid back spirit and his happy disposition. One thing we are realizing more and more is he takes his time. It takes him awhile to warm up to new things but once he gets it there is no stopping him. So we are learning as we work on new milestones like eating, walking, talking, etc. not to be concerned with the when because we know he will do it when he is good and ready!

Some things about Parker

He is definitely our "Little Man!" At his last doctor appointment he weighed 18lbs and had dropped in the 3rd percentile. The doctor was not concerned because he was still growing in height (75th%) and knew he was burning calories like crazy with all his crawling. So we were told to pack in as many calories as possible- a problem we all would love to have :)
His favorite foods include: mac and cheese, pasta, hot dogs, grilled cheese, corn dogs, yogurt, carrots, & pancakes
He LOVES fruit. This is a major accomplishment because he has always hated fruit. We have been trying to feed him fruit since he was six months old both pureed and in solid form. One day we gave him a grape to try and he has been consumed with fruit ever since. He loves peaches, grapes, mixed fruit cups, and mandarin oranges (his all time favorite). We now have to feed him fruit at the end of the meal or he won't eat anything else.
He is a pro with the sippy cup. He was slow to take to it in the beginning but now enjoys lots of milk, some apple juice, and the carnation instant breakfast we have to give him for his weight.
He is saying a few words: "DaDa", "MaMa," "Aiyah" (my mom), and is getting better at repeating words like Grandad, "J" for Jonathan, Bye-Bye, Pancake etc.
He is still cruising the furniture and will let go and stand for long periods of time but has not taken any steps. However we know it will come when he is ready just like eating fruit and drinking milk.
He favorite toys are balls and his push toys
Gives High 5's with a huge smile. His Grammy taught him this skill when she came to visit in January.

Evening With the Girls

2010-02-12T12:41:00.000-08:00

Well it has been a LONG time since I have had the time to sit down and post some pictures. We have been very busy since Christmas and have lots to blog about!

A week before Christmas Mark and I went out with some friends for an evening and had Melissa and Carrie come and baby sit the boys. The girls have spent a lot of time with Parker. He has spent the night at their house while I was in the hospital and the girls have spent the night at our house to help out while Mark was out of town. Melissa and Carrie are two of Parker's favorite people. They have been around Jonathan but never by themselves so this was a first for all. Everyone survived and we came home to two happy babies. I know this will be the first of many "evening with the girls." Thankfully Melissa documented their time together.

The girls bought Parker a ball for Christmas which is one of his favorite toys to play with.

Melissa had to take pictures for a history project of her reading her book different places over the holidays. Clearly Jonathan found the book to be just as entertaining as Melissa :)

Parker helping Carrie feed Jonathan

They even gave the boys a bath!

Jonathan LOVES to "talk" to Clifford on his change table.

One happy boy!

Parker's First Birthday

2010-02-12T09:32:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe we have had Parker for an entire year. Since his birthday falls the day after Christmas (poor guy) we kept the celebration small and simple. We had my family over as well as a couple of friends for snacks and cake. It was a sweet time to celebrate our little man.

Parker LOVED his balloons

His cousin Brooke helped Parker open his presents. He got a Little People bus, a tool bench that makes noises when you pound on it, and an activity table.

Melissa and Carrie, two of his favorite people, made his cake. He, along with the rest of the adults, thought it was quite tasty!

Christmas Day

2010-01-03T21:12:00.000-08:00

After naps from both boys in the morning we opened presents amongst our family (well it more like between Mark and I). However, one of my favorites was a present Parker's birth mom sent for him to open. It was the Cat and the Hat in Spanish. She also sent a book of bedtime stories to both boys. We are so thankful to have communication with her and hope it will continue in the future.

Later in the afternoon we made gingerbread men. One of the traditions Parker's birth mom enjoys the most during Christmas is making a gingerbread house with her grandmother. I had told her before Parker was born I would have to work up to houses but we would for sure make some gingerbread men. Parker was not a lot of help but has enjoyed eating them!

Later that evening we had dinner at my parents. Mom and dad gave them a each a book to enjoy. It was a nice quite ending to a perfect first Christmas.

Christmas Morning

2009-12-30T22:12:00.000-08:00

Santa Claus made a visit to our house for the first time. Although the boys had no idea what was going on, it was still fun getting to start this tradition. Each boy got a toy, a Christmas book, and treats in their stocking. My parents came over in time to see the boys open their stockings and snap more pictures. I think they had as much fun as I have had celebrating our first Christmas. Afterward we bundled up the kids for a quick picture in the snow. It snowed a lot on Christmas Eve but it was blowing so hard I didn't want to get the boys out in it. Thankfully there was plenty left over in the morning. Parker was not a fan of the cold but Jonathan just chilled so we could take some pictures. I still can't believe we had a white Christmas for their first Christmas! Once we got them inside and warmed up both boys went down for a nap so the adults could enjoy brunch. It was a great start to Christmas Day.

Parker and his alphabet train.

We got Jonathan a piano that lights up and plays music when he kicks it.

Parker got some smaller balls in his stocking to play with but he was very excited about his Puffs as well.

Jonathan got several rattles and toys to chew on in his stocking.

Parker is not sure what to think.

Now he has decided he is not a fan of the cold.

Jonathan's "baby Jesus" costume came in handy for the snow!

Christmas Eve

2009-12-27T20:59:00.000-08:00

We had a pretty busy start to celebrating our first Christmas with the boys. We went to my sister's house in Newark to have lunch and presents with my grandfather, aunt & uncle, cousin and her family. I was curious to see how Parker would respond to opening presents assuming he would be interested in the wrapping paper instead of the present. Turns out he is NOT a fan of tearing paper but prefers to see the present once it has been opened. I'm sure he will become a fan of tearing the paper in the years to come!

Parker trying his first Christmas cookie.

My aunt spoiled the boys with books and a toy for each.

Parker playing with my cousin Charlyn and her son Branson.

It was starting to snow as we were driving out to my sister's house but after eating and opening gifts we looked out the window and couldn't believe how much had fallen in such a short time. We immediately packed up and headed toward home before we had to be at church. Little did we know it would take us over an hour to get back to the area so we had to head straight to church instead. Thankfully the girls, Melissa and Carrie, were on hand to help unload the boys in the snow and feed them. Poor Jonathan was starving by the time we got there. I couldn't resist getting a picture of the girls feeding the boys as we waited for the service to start.
After the Christmas Eve service we headed to my parents for a snack supper and presents with my immediate family.
Brooke and Grandad

Mom and Dad checking out our gift to them

Jonathan looking at the light up star my sister gave him

My sister couldn't wait to give Parker a ride along toy for Christmas. They gave Collin one at this age and he loved it. It was a hit with Parker. His favorite part is the propeller on the front.

Jonathan was pooped by the end of the day and ready for bed!

Gingerbread Boys

2009-12-27T20:41:00.000-08:00

One of my new favorite things about Christmas and having two babies is the fun of having Christmas p.j.s! My sister had saved a few things my nephew Collin wore as a baby. One was a pair of gingerbread pajamas. While out shopping one day I found a pair for Jonathan that was similar so I couldn't resist getting a few pics.

One Year of Parker

2009-12-26T19:42:00.001-08:00

Trip (or trips) to see Santa

2009-12-26T19:33:00.001-08:00

Mom and I took the boys up to the mall the beginning of December to get their picture made with Santa. Parker was a little unsure at first but never cried and sat patiently as we snapped pictures. Jonathan was happy to be held and didn't drool too much on Santa! The week of Christmas we were in the Bass Pro Shops with Brooke and Collin. Pictures with Santa were free and the line was short so we decided on round two! This time Parker cried a little but we still got a good picture.

And the role of Baby Jesus will be played by...

2009-12-22T21:00:00.000-08:00

This year our church had a live nativity comprised of different scenes from the Christmas story. You walked through in a small group with a narrator with the last stop being the stable with Joseph, Mary, and Baby Jesus- aka Jonathan. I warned the coordinator of the "cast" of the risks involving Jonathan but they thought he would be perfect. Of course a cold front came through the day before and so he was so bundled up you could barely tell he was a real baby. We practiced looking heavenly all week and tried to adjust his schedule so the two hour event would fall during a happy time and not a fussy one. All in all Jonathan was a trooper. He slept for part of the time but there was a donkey near by who was extremely loud and would wake Jonathan up every time. I decided that surely Jesus cried and so when Jonathan was crying, it was a much more accurate portrayal and made it look more realistic. I came to the rescue a few times while they pulled out the fake baby as the stand in. Jonathan (and his nervous mommy) survived and slept very well that night!

Getting him back to sleep after the donkey woke him up.

Parker hung out with Melissa & Carrie for the evening so I would be free to help out with Jonathan while Mark was counseling. They had a scene set up where kids could dress in biblical costumes and take photos. The costumes did not come in baby sizes!

It's Been a Long Day

2009-12-11T21:09:00.000-08:00

Three Months of Jonathan

2009-12-09T20:13:00.000-08:00

We were glad to make it to the three month mark with Jonathan because we were told he would be a totally different baby and most reflux and colic issues would disappear. Well I would say that is an accurate statement. Jonathan is much happier these days and full of smiles. He is content while awake and only really gets fussy when he is tired. We are so thankful he is better and are feeling like we can enjoy our surprise blessing.

A few things about Jonathan:

At his most recent appointment he weighed 13.5 lbs (75%) and was 24.5 inches (95%)
Survived his first double ear infection
Not quite sleeping through the night but makes it anywhere from 5-6:30 am. We are getting close
He is starting to enjoy the swing and laying on the play mat which was hard for him because of his reflux
Loves to smile at Clifford on his change table while we are dressing him- just like Parker
Loves his hands and constantly puts them in his mouth which produces lots of drool
He takes 3 naps a day. Two are usually 1 1/2- 2 hours with a shorter one in the early evening. He is settled in a routine which we are thankful for!
For those who know my dad, we are told he looks just like him. If not then they say he most resembles his mom. We often refer to him as "Little Grandad"

Eleven Months of Parker

2009-12-09T08:49:00.000-08:00

Parker turned eleven months on Thanksgiving day and by the time I am writing this he is well on his way to being a year old! It is still hard to believe this time last year we were anticipating and preparing for his arrival. Now we have already enjoyed eleven months of our little man.

Here are a few things he is up to these days:

Talking more and making more sounds. His main "word" is "da-da". Mark likes to think he is talking about him every time but he says it to everything! He has also started saying "ba-ba" We are working on "ma-ma"
He is pulling up and cruising and is very curious about everything around him
He mimics a lot of what we do like shaking his head, clapping his hands etc.
He shows affection by leaning his head in and bumping your forehead to his forehead
Starting to like table food a lot more than in the beginning- carbs being his favorite
LOVES Jonathan and head bumps him, beats on his face, steps on him and all the other things older brothers do
"Helps" around the house by standing up at the dishwasher door rolling the bottom rack back and forth and taking out utensils. He also stands at the washing machine as I load in the clothes and then watches it spin once it starts up
He is so happy and makes us laugh on a daily basis

Thanksgiving Day

2009-12-03T20:24:00.000-08:00

We watched the parade.
We ate.
We watched the Cowboys.
We napped.
We ate some more.
We watched the Aggies.
We read Thanksgiving books.
Most of all we loved spending time with our boys celebrating our first Thanksgiving.

Thankful

2009-12-03T14:01:00.000-08:00

This time last year Thanksgiving was spent with just Mark and I and my parents. We had the privilege of being invited to an appointment with our birth mom a couple of days before where we got to see Parker for the first time on an ultrasound. There was much anticipation about what our Thanksgiving would look like the next year. Well, what a difference a year makes!!! Not only are we thankful to have had our little man for eleven months but also for our added surprise blessing. Never could I have imagined we would be sharing this day with two babies. This Thanksgiving we are overwhelmed by God's faithfulness and provision in granting our desire to have a family.

The Baby Whisperer

2009-11-19T14:39:00.000-08:00

I have always known my dad is good with babies. Kids are drawn to him and he is quite the favorite amongst the grand kids in our family despite mom's efforts. Well things have not changed since Little J.'s arrival. The first couple of months were quite challenging when it came to calming Jonathan and getting him to STAY asleep for a long stretch of time. One evening Dad took a turn and after some time came back in to the living room with Little J. perched on a pillow sound asleep. Since then Dad has taken Jonathan several afternoons to give me a break. He always gets the same results: Jonathan sleeps better with Grandad than any other member of the family. I have even had to ask for lessons on how he gets him to stay asleep for a long nap. Although it has helped in some ways, "Little Grandad" still prefers being with Grandad perched on a pillow on his stomach when he is ready for a nap. I am so thankful for my dad and the relationship he has already built with my boys.

Pumpkin P.J.'s

2009-11-09T21:28:00.000-08:00

Charla loaned me a pair of Halloween pajamas that Lilah wore last year- gender neutral of course! I was able to find a similar pair for Parker on clearance. Couldn't resist posting some pics!

Parker's way of "kissing" is to lean his head on something.

Halloween...finally!

2009-11-09T21:14:00.000-08:00

It is still a little strange sometimes when I realize that Parker and Jonathan both just experienced their first Halloween. It is fun that they get to do this together. We had a busy but fun day. Thankfully they never put up a fight with their costumes and looked pretty cute as a pumpkin and a scarecrow not that I am biased or anything. Part of our time was spent at the church's Fall Festival. They are still too young to do anything so we just strolled around and showed them off! After a late nap I took the kids to my parents to get a picture with their cousins Collin and Brooke. Then we made a brief appearance at the off campus Fall Festival which happened to be in our neighborhood. By the end of the day we were all happy to get in our beds!

Tony and Charla stopped by with Lilah. We had to snap the camera fast before she walked away!

Two Months Of Jonathan

2009-11-04T20:37:00.000-08:00

I must say that month two of our Jonathan has gone a lot smoother than month one! We are learning what works best to calm him when fussy, his cries, and feel like he is getting more and more settled into life each day.

Some things about Little J.:

Started to smile. He smiles the biggest when talked to and when you change his diaper
Cooing some and has a "laugh" almost identical to Parker's
Staying happy for longer periods of time when he is awake which is a HUGE accomplishment
Prefers to nap on his stomach. It's the only way he will stay asleep for a long stretch of time
Likes to look at Parker but does not enjoy when Parker grabs his face, steps on him, or takes his pacifier away
Sleeping in his crib in his room for longer stretches at night. We usually only get up once with him
Dressed up as a pumpkin for his first Halloween
Made his first debut at church on his two month birthday and had many admirers
Hair color is still a mystery

Ten Months of Parker

2009-11-03T16:57:00.000-08:00

Parker turned 10 months old last week. It is hard to believe this time last year we were just finding out we had been matched and meeting our birth mom and her family for the first time. What a blessing Parker continues to be in our life. We are so thankful on a daily basis for the choice our birth mom made.

Here are a few things Parker is up to these days as well as a few more pics thanks to my dear friend Arlene:

Crawling, pulling up, and cruising some every chance he gets.
Warming up to finger foods a little more each day. He likes cheese, ham, tortillas, and of course bread!
He loves to clap his hands and play Patty Cake. Now when you mention the words he starts clapping on cue.
Interested in Little J and pulls up to his bouncy seat, swing, and the arches of the play mat to check him out. He often goes for his face or his pacifier. Sometimes Jonathan likes this, other times not so much.
His favorite past time is to pull up to the coffee table, chair, or any other surface and bang on the top of it. He loves the noise it makes. I guess this is just the beginning of raising a boy!

Pumkin Patch Part 2

2009-10-30T21:12:00.000-07:00

Charla and I decided to take the kids back to the pumpkin patch to try and get their picture. When we were at the Green Meadows Farm we never got the chance to get a picture of all three in the pumpkins. Well as always it was an adventure...

We almost had an injury right away
Then Lilah was not interested in sitting down but insisted on walking around greeting everyone with a wave and a "hi"

That left my boys to just hang out
Then we tried the wagon approach to help contain them but of course getting them to smile at the same time presented another challenge. This is my favorite pic of the day because of Parker's priceless expression!
We are so thankful for sweet friends like Lilah and look forward to many more photo attempts/adventures in the future.

Pumpkin Patch Part 1

2009-10-28T19:54:00.001-07:00

Since I did not get many pictures of the boys at the Green Meadows Farm, mom and I decided to take the boys after they ate to the pumpkin patch for another try since they were still dressed and most importantly- both happy! We had fun and had many admirers. It was a surreal feeling in many ways since this was something I had always pictured getting to do when we had a baby. Now here we are with TWO babies! Still hard to believe sometimes.
Parker LOVED banging on the top of the pumpkin. He spent his whole time going between the pumpkin and checking out Little J.

Green Meadows Farm

2009-10-27T13:00:00.001-07:00

A couple of weekends ago we took the boys to the Green Meadows Farm with our friends Tony, Charla, and Lilah. It was a petting farm with many animals and some pumpkins you could take home on your way out. Parker was not so sure about the animals but warmed up to a few. Jonathan slept the whole time except for pictures which he cried for :)

Parker liked the sheep and goats.

Two sweet friends.

A Few of His Favorite Things

2009-10-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

Now that Parker is crawling everywhere, here are a few of his favorite ways to pass the time:

Wrestling with Sam

Playing with the dog bowls including the water bowl which he has dumped on himself several times. At least there is never any dog food left in the bowls for him to eat!

Checking on Little J. He likes to touch his head.

Standing Tall

2009-10-24T20:49:00.000-07:00

Parker has recently started pulling up to a standing position. He is pretty proud of himself. He is not quite cruising the furniture but getting really close!

Bath Time

2009-10-07T19:22:00.000-07:00

Surprisingly Little J. has enjoyed bath time. He loves the warm water and looking in the mirror. There have been days when we have contemplated having a bath all day to avoid the fussiness!

This picture makes him out to be quite the chunky baby!

One Month of Jonathan

2009-10-04T13:29:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a month of trial and error for Jonathan. We have switched formulas, nipple sizes, added rice to the bottle, and gotten on medication for reflux. We are thankful for a proactive doctor and a great support system who has helped with the transition. Jonathan is getting better and beginning to look more like a baby these days and not a newborn. We hope by this time next month he will be even more settled and comfortable.

A few things we have learned and noticed about our new little guy:

His nickname is Little J.
He has very big and bright eyes when he is awake (and not fussing)
He enjoys a bath, tends to like the vibrator on the bouncy, and would love to be held all the time if he had his way
Hair Color: ? It is changing everyday. Sometimes it takes on an auburn look if he is in the right light, other times it simply looks like a light brown.
He weighs ten pounds

Pictures...What Really Happened

2009-10-02T13:27:00.000-07:00

And here is a more accurate portrayal of how the day really went...

Pretty much how Jonathan was the whole time.

Right after he bumped his head on the coffee table. We love the pouty lip!

I love Parker's tongue

Family Pictures

2009-10-02T13:06:00.000-07:00

My friend Arlene came over a couple of weeks ago to take some newborn pictures of Jonathan as well as some family pics. We had to feed Jonathan earlier than normal to get him happy & Parker bonked his head on the coffee table which led to him crying and a nice red mark by his eye. Then of course you have the challenge of getting everyone to look at the camera at the same time and appear happy. When we put Little J on his stomach we thought all was well because he stayed calm but after we set Parker down beside him they bumped heads which led to more crying. Good thing Arlene shoots fast because I think in the time she was here 90% of it was spent calming babies and the rest was time she actually got to take a picture. It was a crazy adventure that left 2 tired babies and one frazzled mommy. A huge thank you to Arlene for her patience, good attitude, and some pretty good editing!

PB&J

2009-10-02T12:59:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend Cindy came up with the nickname PB&J for the boys which has stuck when we refer to both of them. Here are a couple of pics taken over the past month of "Parker Boy & Jonathan."

Parker loves to pull up on the bouncy or the swing and check out Jonathan.

Nine Months of Parker

2009-09-27T15:46:00.000-07:00

It has been a whirlwind of a month for Parker and his parents. We are so thankful for such a happy and content little man. We love watching him grow and change.

Some things about Parker:

He is now a big brother to Jonathan. Parker is interested in him and stares at him, touches his head, and pulls up on Jonathan's bouncy and swing to get a better look.
He has adjusted well to his new room and crib- not sure he even noticed he moved rooms!
He has 6 teeth: 2 on the bottom and four on the top.
He loves to eat vegetables but not a fan of fruit. We are getting better but it is still a battle.
He is crawling all over the place, sitting up straight and tall, and can pull up to his knees. (Notice the gate in the background of his picture to help keep him contained to certain parts of the house.)
He still loves to jump in his Jumparoo and pull and tug on the dogs.
He takes two naps a day usually an hour and half to two hours.

Coming Home

2009-09-27T15:34:00.000-07:00

We came home on a Saturday with mixed emotions- ready to get out of the hospital but nervous about how things would go with 2 babies 8 months apart and a new mom recovering from a c section. We tried to get some pictures are soon as we got home of our new family but by the end of our attempt mom and both boys were crying :)

Dressed and ready to go.

Parker loves to look at Jonathan and touch his head.

Let the crying begin...

A Big Boy Now

2009-09-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

The weekend before Jonathan was born brought many changes for us and Parker. We moved him into the bigger car seat so we can have the infant seat for Jonathan. Parker also started crawling. It was a reminder of just how big he is getting and how much bigger he will seem to us with the arrival of his baby brother. It made me very sentimental that at eight months old he is no longer the baby of the family!

Pappy Pants & A Pappy Hat

2009-09-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

My sweet grandfather who we referred to as Pappy passed away a couple of years ago. I have thought of him often as I know he would have loved Parker and I am sure Parker would have had lots of smiles for him as well. The other day Parker wore some new shorts that were a little too big for him so we had to keep pulling them up. This reminded me of Pappy and the way he wore his pants-sitting really high up over his stomach. Then of course there is the "Pappy hat". He was bald and used to wear this style of hats a lot to keep his head warm. I bought this hat for Parker with Pappy in mind. We miss him dearly!