Holy Smokes... I have a kid who's half a year old!

Dear Parker,

Where does time go?!  I can't believe you are getting so big!  You are 6-months now and getting bigger every day.  You smile all the time and are generally a happy baby.  I'm not going to call you easy, but you are definitely a happy baby. 

I took you in to see the doctor just before Thanksgiving for a lingering cough and we left with a referral for the neurosurgery department of Texas Children's Hospital.  Sorry baby boy, you have a flat head, or in science terms, plagiocephaly.  The pediatrician is worried about your fontanels.  You still have a large ridge at the top of your head and the soft spot at the top of your head is very small.  Your soft spots aren't supposed to harden until you are about 2, so that is cause for concern, which could be Craniosynostosis  (definition: congenital premature fusion (closure) of one or more sutures on a baby’s skull.  Sutures are seams that connect individual skull bones. When these seams are open they allow the skull to expand in an even fashion when the brain grows in infancy. When a suture has closed too early, the skull cannot expand in a uniform fashion.)  It has taken a very long time to get into see the specialist.  I called to make an appointment the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and can't get you in until December 29th.   So, there will be another blog post about that, later.  There is a good chance you are going to end up with a baby helmet.

This month:

 

• Weigh 16.47 lbs and are 27.5 inches long.
• You experienced your first Thanksgiving!  We spent Thanksgiving in Arkansas and you had a great time.  You loved seeing your cousins, Maddison & Tristin.  We took Meier family photos and you were a rock star.  You didn't sleep all that great until the last two nights, but overall you were a real trooper.
• Tried to eat/suck on the arm rest of the airplane during our travels.  Your dad just about freaked.  It was hilarious.  You would just reach your arms out and open your mouth wide to get your mouth on the armrest.
• Still love your jumper!
• Can sit very well, but can still topple over if we don't put a boppy behind you.
• Still love to stand.  You can stand against the couch & ottoman at home and move side to side down them almost by yourself.  You could stand and play with the remote controls for an hour.
• Got to take a trip to Austin to meet some more cousins and you loved watching the 2-year olds on the playground.
• Got your first ear infection and legit fever (102 degrees!)
• I can see your first tooth!  It's not all the way in yet, but its just under your gums.
• Generally sleep through the night.. about 8:15 to 7ish.  But, this past week with your ear infection you have NOT been a good sleeper.
• Have a serious drool rash.
• Seem to really like your solid foods.  You eat cereal, sweet potatoes, carrots, pears, prunes, mangos, bananas, and apples.  You aren't a fan of anything green.  These solid foods have started to mess with your bottle feedings though.  You are not a good bottle eater.  Every bottle seems to be a battle.  So, I'm trying to re-jig your schedule.  I think I'm trying to feed you too many bottles, too often. 
• Refuse to roll over and lay on your stomach.  You pretty much scream bloody murder when on your tummy.  You have started getting up on your side.  So, I'm hoping you start rolling over, soon.  This will really help your head, too.  We are under DRs order to get you to roll over.
• You are quite the pooper.  You poop 3-4 times a day it seems and go through 2 to 3 outfits a day.
• Really like the game peak-a-boo.
• Still love your stackable toys and anything that crunches.
• Can play independently play on the floor with your toys for a little bit as long as you aren't tired.
• Started to need your pacifier more.  I think this is daycare's fault.  But, if you are happy with it, I'm happy with it.
• Stayed with your dad and your Mimi & Papa Randy at the house for three days while I went out of town for a work trip.  You were such a good boy without mama.  But, I'll never forget when you saw me for the first time after my trip.  You smiled so big and when I picked you up you tucked your head into my shoulder with smile. You even blushed.  It melted my heart and I hope I remember it always.

The Christmas pictures below are the ones I took for our Christmas card.  I know I'm biased.  But, I think your the most handsome six-month old around.

I'll love you forever and always baby boy. 

 

From the Meier Family photo shoot.  Like I said, rock star.  You remind me of a little old man in this photo.
Gladden Photography



You and your cousins Maddison & Tristin
Gladden Photography



Look at that face.
Gladden Photography

 

Parker's Five Month Update!

Dear Parker,

My, how I can't believe you are five months already!!  Where does time go, my sweet baby?  You are such a great baby!  You are so active and want to be moving, but haven't quite figured it out how to do that yet.  This month, we really set about taking you places every weekend.  We've been to the Nutcracker Market, two different outlet malls, different parks, Old Town Spring, a pumpkin patch outside of Katy, and Prasek's in Hiljie, just to name a few!  Mom and Dad have to leave the house with you, or we go a little stir crazy!!  You also experienced your very first Halloween and you were such a trooper!  You were a little alligator/dinasour and just hung out in your stroller until you fell asleep.

You are very active and putting everything in your mouth.  You smile all the time and just giggle all day long.  You love the sound of Donald Duck and hearing us sneeze.  That makes you laugh, even when you're crying, every time you hear it.  You are doing really well at sitting and love to stand.  You can push up on our arms to a standing position all on your own.  However, you don't have a real sense of balance, so you are really wobbly.  Stable, but wobbly all at the same time.  It's hard to get you to learn to sit because all you want to do is stand!  "I'm a big boy and hear me roar!"  You aren't a huge fan of tummy time, but you do reach for objects while you are on your tummy and you kind of "scooted" the other day, too.

DD Nana and TePaw came to visit you over a weekend as well, and DD Nana even stayed through a Tuesday!  You got to stay with her all by yourself while mom and dad went to work.  You loved it!  In fact, you loved it so much that when we took you to daycare they called me to tell me you weren't yourself.  You missed all the attention DD Nana lavished upon you.  That grandma sure can spoil you quick!  DD Nana bought you a puppet that you seem to like and her and TePaw sure had fun playing around with you and the puppet.  It was the funniest thing to see!  TePaw laying on the floor behind a chair with a puppet on his arm, making funny sounds.

We have also started you on solid foods.  I use the term solid food loosely here.  So far you like pears, sweet potatoes, carrots, and cereal.  You don't like peas or avocado.  That's all I have introduced in you so far, so we will keep exploring!  Now that you eat your solids, you aren't eating your bottle quite as well.  So, I'm still trying to figure out how to make sure you get in your bottle feeding and don't let the solids take up all the room in that small tummy!

You've officially been in daycare for 2 months now.  You really like your teachers and you smile at them all the time when I'm dropping you off and picking you up.  You don't really cry too much in the car anymore, though you still have some bad days.  Now, you pretty much just talk to yourself and play with your feet.  Boy do we lose our socks back there though! Since you are in daycare, I think you have developed a permanent runny nose and a cough.  It's nothing serious, but it will still sometimes wake you up at night.  I'm sorry baby boy.  It doesn't seem to slow you down, so there's relief in that.

At 5 months, you:

• Wear 3-6 month clothing and some just regular 6 month clothing.  You are long, but you are thin.  So things are either the right length and too wide or too short and the right width.  You're super cute in jeans though!
• Sleep generally from 8:30 to 6:30, with 2-3 naps a day.  Sometimes you sleep longer and then sometimes you wake in the middle of the night.  I think this largely due to the solids.. so I'm still trying to get you on a good schedule that works for your digestive system.
• Drool like crazy.  They say its teething, but I haven't seen a tooth yet!  You drool so much that you've developed a little rash under your chin, on your chest.  You also have gotten really dry, chapped cheeks.  Aquaphor has really seemed to help us on your cheeks.  But, we're still working on your chest.
• Like bath time and have figured out how to splash around.  You end up soaking us by the end of it!
• Love playing with your feet and sucking on your big toe.  Forget the thumb, big toe it is!
• Wear size 2 diapers.
• Weigh somewhere around 15 lbs.
• Are as curious as ever!  If we are out and about, you never cry because you love just watching what everyone is doing.  You can't wait to do it, too!
• Love your jumper.  One time, you even stayed in it for an hour!  You just jump like crazy and love it when the music is going.  Mom and Dad jump with you, too!
• Giggle all the time when we make funny sounds and/or sneeze.  You even giggled the other night when you sneezed yourself.
• Don't like to spend much time on your back anymore.  You can sit pretty well... falling backwards is still your downfall.  
• Stand all the time.. which means you try to jump yourself when we are holding you up.  That's why you love your jumper.. you can jump to your heart's content and not mom's arms content.
• Love your stackable doughnut toys.  I have no idea what the toy is called.  But its the colored rings that you stack up.  Sometimes you just chew on the center of the stand, but you are really fascinated with trying to unstack them.  You don't care so much about stacking them, but do like trying to unstack them.
• Play with Sophie the giraff and chew on her.  Yeah, you pretty much chew on anything.  Your mouth is usually wide open all the time trying to get something in your mouth.  When I just show you Sophie your mouth stretches open.  It's hilarious.
• Bring stuff to your mouth, but you aren't as good at keeping it at your mouth.  We still need to work on your fine motor skills.

You sure are such a big boy!  I can't wait to watch your six month!  You amaze me each and every day.  I love watching your face and helping you discover the world.  Mom and Dad love you always and forever baby boy.

So curious, all the time.

Yep, standing is what you do.

Not a single tear was shed during the making of "Parker in a pumpkin."  Be impressed.

You love your great Nana.  Giving her googly eyes.

Yep, just trying to chew on my hood.

Four generations!

Got totally lucky with this shot.  But, again, you're trying to chew on your hood.

 

 

Parker's 4-month Update!

Dear Parker,

I can't believe it.  You are four months!  Holy smokes, my how you have changed and grown since we first brought laid our eyes on you.  At four months, you:

 

• Wear size 2 diapers.
• Wear 0-3 month old clothes. 
• At home, you eat 5, 6-oz bottles, but at daycare you eat 6, 5 or 6-oz bottles.  Two of those bottles are formula.  You don't mind the formula at all.  In fact, you didn't even seem to notice a difference.  ....If only you knew kid.....
• Are starting to laugh and I love it!!  This makes mom's heart happy.
• Just love your dad.  He is so patient with you!
• Found your feet and love to play with them.  This makes changing your diaper difficult because you like to hold your feet the whole time.
• Are starting to get used to the ride to and from daycare in the car.  You still cry, but not nearly as hard or for as long.
• Like to make sounds.  Lots of "ugh"s!
• Sleep 9-10 hours at night with about 4 hours of naps during the day.  You will nap in your crib without assistance besides a paci to put you asleep.
• Sleep unswaddled in a sleep sack. 
• Love to eat and sleep with your hands above your head like you are just chilling.
• Went to the zoo for the first time and you were such a trooper!!  I'm not sure you noticed a single animal, but you could have been your own exhibit with all the sweet comments we received on you.
• Like your daycare teachers. You smile at them when I'm with you.  This lets me know you are in good hands.
• Do artwork at daycare with your hands and paint.  It's so cute!
• Still like to be in your jumper and bounce.  You see more objects and focus in on them as well.
• Grasp and hold the objects hanging from your play gym when you aren't grabbing your feet instead.
• Can sit for about 10-15 seconds unassisted before you fall over.  You still like to stand and we have to get you to focus on sitting, first.
• Not a huge fan of the bumbo.  You prefer to sit on your own.
• Went to a birthday party for a 7-yr old at gymnastics and you loved watching the big kids play.  You didn't make a peep and just sat in daddy's arms the entire time. 

We have your 4-month shots tomorrow and I hope we get the go ahead to introduce some rice cereal.  I can't wait to watch you explore that.  You love to keep us on our toes and we love watching you.  Next week, we plan to take you to the pumpkin patch.  That should be fun.

We love you always and forever, sweet boy.

 

We took this picture for your Great Aunt Vicki.  We just have to keep it on the DL.

Sweet painting.  I'm glad you are not learning grammar right now, though.

Your mummy outfit for school!  It's getting close to Halloween around here.

Yep, you love that daddy.

Watching the big kids play soccer.

At the zoo with daddy.

Maybe you saw the elephant!

All the zoo needed was a Parker exhibit!

You just love playing with those feet.

 

Parker's Three Month Update

Dear Parker,

Month three has been full of firsts!  You took your first plane ride, met all of your Arkansas family, went riding on a boat on a lake, started drinking from a bottle regularly, started hitting objects in front of you, started going to daycare and overall just became very aware and curious!

 At three months you:

 

• Drink 4-5 oz of breastmilk from a bottle.
• Started going to daycare when you were 11 weeks and 5 days old so that mom could go back to work.  Mom cried really hard when she first dropped you off and misses spending all of her time with you.  So far, you don't seem to mind daycare.  In fact, the teacher asked me if you were always this calm at home?  Apparently, you can be playing on the mat at daycare and just fall asleep all on your own.  How did I not know you had this capability?!  You've never done that for me!
• Sleep 9-10 hours at night, but now that you go to daycare, we have to wake you up in the morning which kind of breaks my heart!  I'm trying to move your bedtime up some so that you get your needed sleep.  
• Wear size 2 diapers and poop 2-3 times a day, but this week you have had a couple of days with no poop!
• Love bath time and are starting to become more calm after bath time.  I thank the warm towels I give you.
• Smile a lot more
• LOVE to stand!  We practice sitting up and holding your head while mom holds your arms and you will just push yourself to a standing position.  You are so strong!  Of course, once you get standing you are like a load of jelly with your body flailing around.  But, it's so cute!
• Enjoy being in your bouncy seat.  You are still a little small for it, but mom tucks a pillow in the chair with you and puts a pillow at your feet so that you bounce yourself. 
• Are becoming very aware and curious.  You just look around with your pretty, blue eyes and take in your surroundings.  
• Will hit objects with your hands if they are above you.  
• Will hold a ball and stare at it with awe.  Then, you try to put it in your mouth.  It's so fun to watch!
• Spent a week with just mom and Aunt Kate while your dad went to Norway on a business trip.  We wouldn't have survived without Aunt Kate.
• Went to Arkansas to meet all of your family that lives there.  You particularly enjoyed your great grandma Joan.  You were like putty in her hands.
• Flew on a plane to Arkansas and you were a very good traveler!
• Hate riding in the carseat in the car.  I mean, literally, you hate it.  You don't mind it if we are moving too much, but if I so much as hit the brake and start to slow down, you start screaming.  You must be moving.  This makes it hard for mom when she comes home with you because we don't go very fast!
• Caught your very first little cold on your 9th day of day care.  At least you lasted longer than my coworker's baby... hers only lasted 3 days without getting sick.  :-)
• Seem to have found your hands, but not your fingers yet.  You love trying to put your fists all the way into your mouth... that used to be your hunger cue, but now its how you play!

We love you to the moon and back sweet boy.  I look forward to seeing what you learn in month four!

Just hanging out in my bouncy seat.

You love your T-Paw!

Your first day of daycare.

Your "official" three month photo!

 

Our Knight in Shining Armor

No, this post isn't about gladiators and knights.  Nor is it about the mid-evil.  This post is about Aunt Kate, my sister, our knight in shining armor.  I'm not sure our family of three could exist without Aunt Kate.

Aunt Kate is the dreaded middle sister in our family.  Regardless of actuality, it is always the perception that the middle child is in the background.  And some of that is probably true... the first born is busy forging the path and the parents are figuring it all out for the first time and the baby sister gets all the attention because, "she's the last one!"  Fair? Probably not.  True?  Not all the time.

I just want this post to praise my middle sister, someone who probably doesn't always get the praise she deserves out loud.  The young woman who sometimes thinks she blends into the background.  **Several people throughout Parker's existence so far deserve tons of praise and they have my complete gratitude.  ***Nor is this a post excluding my youngest sister, who is every bit an awesome Aunt. 

I was so excited when Kate told me she was moving to Houston.  It was instant relief.  My kid would have someone else besides me and his dad close by.  If there was an emergency and neither myself or Robert could be reached, there would be family in town. 

Well, Aunt Kate has gone above and beyond the call of duty.  She doesn't just play with Parker when she feels like it.  She comes over and helps feed him, bathe him, change his diaper, play with him, bounce him when he's cranky, goes to doctors appointments with me, cries with me, swims with Parker, helps me with household chores and even run some errands for me.  She is AMAZING with Parker.  Parker loves her so much.  I swear, Parker smiled at her before she smiled at me!  She does all of this out of the kindness of her heart.  She doesn't run away when he cries and isn't afraid of a poopy diaper.  She has such a way with him.  What's so amazing is that she has really stepped in to help me while Robert is away.  She is my confidant and Parker's greatest friend.

She truly has a way with kids and our life would not be the same without her.  Thank you Aunt Kate.  You are our knight in shining armor.  Please know how much we love you and how much we need you. 

Parker and his Aunt Kate

Parker's Two Month Update!

Dear Parker,

Guess what, it has been two months!  Boy have you changed!  Gone are the days where I feel like I'm at a total loss of what to do with you and fearful I may break you.  Okay, I lie.. I still have those days and/or moments.  But, for the most part we understand each other.  We have developed a routine and you sleep beautifully at night.  You sure are growing up fast.. I estimate you weigh somewhere around 12 pounds.

You are also becoming a lot more alert.  I can tell you can see things.  You can follow toys really well now and you love looking at the mobile on your swing.  It puts you in a trance and you promptly fall asleep.

At two months you:

• Sleep in a crib!!  Yay!  Mom is very proud of this, because there for awhile it was looking like you might be a swing sleeper.  We had to make this a goal so that you could sleep at DD Nana's.  :-)
• Take some nap in the swing still, because its easier for you to fall asleep.  But, I always try to have at least one nap in the crib.
• Sleep swaddled in a Swaddle Me Blanket.  I love this thing and so do you.  In fact, you have outgrown your newborn size and we are moving you into a size small (though the size small is HUGE!  Your daddy thought he might be able to wear it, haha).
• Still like your swing and really like looking at the mobile spinning above you.  You also like the mobile the above your bed (thanks Aunt Kate!)
• Love to be bounced.  You can sit still in mom's lap for a short period of time (10 mins), but after that you want to be bounced up and down.  I hope this gets better, because mom's legs and arms tire fast.  However, dad has a ton of energy for this.  :-)
• Like music.  And like looking at the TV.  That is probably not good that you like watching the TV this early, but when its on, your eyes are always going back to it.
• Can follow objects.
• Really like it when mom puts her finger to her lips and wiggles it up and down and makes a funny noise (what do you call this?!) and then she tries to make you do it and you open your mouth and kind of grunt and smile.  It's really cute.... you want to be able to do it, too!
• Smile occasionally, but not socially.  You can't mimic a smile, yet.  But, you will smile here and there and I love it.
• Sleep for 6-8 hours straight every night.  Though, one night you slept nine hours.  We really wore you out the day before you slept nine hours.  We shall see if you keep increasing your sleeping patterns.  I think its great!  Your dad probably won't be satisfied until you sleep 10 hours... he's such a sleeper and it seems you take after him.
• Eat 4-6 oz at a time and 6-7 feedings a day.
• Go to bed anywhere from 9:15-10:30 at night.  We are still working on finding your ideal bed time.  Mom's torn between you waking up in the middle of the night and going to bed early.  We start the bedtime process at 8:30.
• Still go for a daily walk with your dad and now that you can see more, you enjoy it awake more!  We've only missed one walk that was due to rain.  I think your dad walks you for like 4-5 miles (or for an hour).  Though, if I'm going, we walk at a much slower pace.
• Poop 2-3 times a day.
• Have gone "swimming" twice now.  I can't tell if you like it, but you don't cry.  I think you are more or less in shock.  You also don't like for your hands to get wet (that goes for a bath or in the pool).
• Wear size 0-3 month clothing.  You have outgrown your newborn outfits.
• Still have bluish-gray eyes.
• Wear size 1 diapers, just barely.  We're using the last of the size one diapers and I've already purchased your size two diapers.
• Make sounds when you are happy.
• Still get unhappy after bath time.  Though, Aunt Lori told us a trick about using warmed towels after bath time and this helps pacify you for a short while.
• Sit out on the balcony with mom and we dance to music.

All in all, you sure have grown in the past month!  We are going to the doctor this week for your 8-week shots, which I'm sure will be very traumatizing for mom.  We are headed to visit everyone in Arkansas when you are nine weeks as well, so that promises to be an adventure all on its own!  Mom and dad love you, always and forever.

Please mom, don't make me do it.

Okay, fine.  I'll roll over.

Remember When...

Dear Parker,

As with anything we do, we always have funny stories to tell.  Or well, at least, I think they are funny.  This blog is dedicated to the experiences we have encountered this far and all the new meanings of life you have given us.  I know these will fade with time, so I wanted to jot them down here.

Remember when...

• The time mom used the night-time bath soap in the sink and bubbles were exploding everywhere and she had to get a bowl to scoop them out and toss them in the shower.
• The time when mom thought the night-time bath soap was indeed soap and was washing you with it only then to read the back of the bottle the next day and realize you are supposed to just put this stuff in the water.  Not scrub you with it.
• That time that mom banged you so hard against the stair railing while you were in your car seat because carrying you and the car seat together feels like a ton.  Luckily, it didn't phase you besides initiating your startle reflex.
• The first time me and DD Nana put your car seat in the car.  We literally had you hovering over the base that was strapped in the car and dropped you.  Not to worry, you clicked right in.  We only activated your startle reflex and you arms went flailing.  We've got it down now, though.
• The evenings you just cuddled up on your dad's chest.
• How mom could put you in her Boba Wrap and just bounce and "sshhh" you to sleep within minutes.
• How we couldn't get you to settle down one day so I took you for a walk in the middle of the day.  And of course you screamed the whole time.  And mom walked by a police car and thought for sure he'd stop me and turn me in to CPS because it was 90 degrees and you were screaming.  Mom then high-tailed it back home and stripped you of your clothing because she had for sure thought you were over-heating.  Then you slept naked (with a diaper, of course!).
• The time dad rubbed mom's feet while you were feeding in the evening.  Oh, heaven.
• The time me and Aunt Kate took you to the mall only to walk into Dillard's twice and you start screaming.  Our two-hour adventure consisted of walking into Dillard's, changing your diaper, walking out of Dillard's feeding you in the car, walking back into the mall, walking to Baby Gap and immediately turning around back to the car where we changed your diaper and then fed you again.  Then we left.  Enough adventure for us!
• The time that we took you to your first pool party at the fourth of July.  You learned lots of colorful language from the pool-goers (shame on them!).
• The time mom put you in your car seat so she could eat of bowl of cereal real quick as she was starving and she forgot to put the handle down at the back of the car seat so it wouldn't rock.  Well, as luck would have it, as you were screaming, you managed to hoist yourself up and tip the car seat over.  Never fear, you didn't fall out.  You were just standing up almost upside down, if that makes sense.
• The time you pooped in mom's hand while she was changing you.  Yuck!
• The time you pee'd all over DD Nana during bath time.
• How it took us 5 hours to take your newborn photos.  You ate almost the whole time and pooped in three different outfits/poses which initiated additional feedings.
• The sound of a hairdryer.  There are some car rides where that is the only sound we listen to.  Also, I'm always curious what the passerby's think of hearing the hairdryer in the stroller as we take you for walks.  Additionally, sometimes dad just walks around the house with the sound of the hairdryer playing in his pocket.

Most of all, as I look back on these days, I remember how much we loved you.

We Love Your Daddy

Dear Parker,

You've been with us for almost six weeks now.  Having you here has been such a blessing!  Over these past weeks I've been able to watch your daddy interact with you and help me.  These are moments that I don't want to ever forget.  I can see how easy it is to take him for granted which is why I wanted to jot these things down so that I can come back to them and remember how great he was with you. 

• When he changes your diaper, I usually hear things like, "Don't fire the cannon!" and "O.M.G."  These things make me giggle and sometimes the expression you give back makes it seems like you are giggling, too.
• When you start to tinkle in the bathtub, he's always the first to notice and block the spray from hitting me.
• He always wakes up with me in the night to feed you.  He changes you and re-swaddles you before I nurse you.
• He always tries to give me a "calm" baby back.  He will do anything to keep you from crying before he hands you over.
• He tries so hard to entertain you.  Sometimes, he has three different toys flailing around in front of your face.  I gently remind him that three is probably too much as its already hard for you to focus on one thing at a time.
• He makes a ton of funny faces at you, all the time.  I can't wait until you start mimicking them back!
• He loves to swing you around and bounce you around the house and you LOVE IT!  Dad can always calm you down.  Pretty soon he'll be throwing you up in the air!
• You can stare up at your daddy for hours.  This melts my heart.
• On the weekends, he does his best to do everything for you.  He burps you and when you wake up from your nap too early, he will just hold and rock you until you fall back asleep.  Then, he will just let you lay in his arms.
• He takes you on a walk every day.  He walks close to three miles with you every day.  He does this for me so that I can have one hour without a baby to write blog posts, clean up, shower, and other activities.  Don't get me wrong, you like your walks, too!
• He never backs down from a diaper change.
• When you were first born and we were struggling through the night and I was in tears because you were in tears, he would just sit with me and rub my feet to help calm me down.
• He gets me fresh water and heats me up breakfast at 5 AM when I'm up with you.

Throughout this pregnancy with you, there was one thing I was certain of:  Your dad would be a GREAT dad.  This statement is still true to this day.  It's clear how much your dad loves both of us.  Everything he does for you, he also does for me.  Your dad is my knight in shining armor.  I hope you can take this as an example of how to treat a lady when you get older and as an example of gentleman-like behavior.

Your dad and I both love you so much! 

Parker's One Month Update

Parker and his daddy.  They complete me.

Dear Parker,

We made it!  Me, you and daddy all survived the first month without any major problems or upsets.  We didn't break you like we thought we might in the beginning.  At the first month you:

• Weigh somewhere around 9lbs
• Are wearing size 1 diapers
• Make crazy faces when you are trying to poop or toot.  It's still really hard for you to poop and when you need to go, you can't focus on anything else.  This sometimes impacts our feeding times because all you do is focus on "pushing" instead of eating.
• Still toot all the time and they are loud! You like to sigh after you toot also.  Mom has started giving you some gas drops to help alleviate all of your built up gas in your tummy.
• Have not smiled at us yet on purpose.  When you are done eating, you will just lay in my arms and these smiles will cross your face.  This is adorable and sometimes I don't want to put you down, but then mom remembers she needs sleep, too!  I think you are close to smiling at me while you are awake.
• Can focus on an object and every once in awhile you will follow it side to side.
• Don't mind tummy time and can lift your head from side to side.
• Eat for about 20-30 minutes every 2-3 hours.  You can sleep 5 hours at night, but this past week you have struggled to sleep more than 4 hours at a time.  We had one night where you slept 6 hours straight, but that has not been repeated.
• Still sleep in your swing at night.  Mom is scared to mess up a good thing!
• LOVE the sound of a hairdryer.  Me and dad have apps that play the sound of a hairdryer and you will instantly quiet and usually fall asleep.  It's amazing!  Sometimes when you go out for a walk with dad, he will come back with you and the hairdryer sound playing.
• Go on a walk with me and dad in the evenings, but dad walks the farthest with you.
• Love taking a bath, but you HATE getting out of the bath and being cold and wet. 
• You will take a bottle of breast milk and when we have done that you eat about 4 oz.
• Definitely more alert at 4 weeks than you were at 2 weeks.
• Have tried putting you in the Ergobaby carrier and the Boba Wrap, but you don't particularly like either of those that much.  I think we just get too hot and will be better when you can hold your head up.
• Your head control is definitely getting better.  You can lift it 45 degrees on your own.
• You don't mind your car seat as long as you are moving or asleep.  Hence the walk in the evenings.
• You don't do well at just laying and being still/quiet.  You aren't content to just "watch the world."  You prefer to be moving if you are going to be awake.  I can play with you on the floor for about 30 minutes each day before your attention span runs out and you want to move.
• Love your dad!  Your dad bounces you, swings you, practically tosses you in the air and you love it.  You and him are my world.  It's the best thing ever to watch you two.  I can only imagine the mischief you two are going to get into once you have head control and move around.

We love you sweet boy.  I can't wait to see what the next month brings!

Some of my favorite photos that we have taken are below.  We have ordered your newborn pictures, but I don't have the digital images to share.

At the hospital in T-Paw's arms.

You and me at the hospital.

You and DD Nana at the hospital.

 

Just hanging out with your great grandma, Nana in Galveston!

Happy Fourth of July! This picture cracks me up.  You kind of remind me of a little of my Pop because you have hair on the sides and not much on the top!

Your first bath.  You can be screaming when you go in, but as soon as you hit the water you calm down.  You love the warm water!

You sleep like your mama, with your mouth open!

 

Meeting your Aunt Jordan for the first time.

Meeting your dad's parents for the first time.

Celebrating mom's birthday.

Celebrating mom's birthday as a family of three!