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.