to 2011

is this not the sweetest photo you have ever seen!?!  a friend just posted it on facebook, and although i usually don't get all sappy/look how cute my kid is, this photo melts my heart.  parker was even saying "cheese" to the wedding photographer.  he is a real person and not a baby any more!!

i have been going a little stir crazy this week with no work and cold weather.  i think the biggest adjustment into parenthood is being locked to the house after 8pm every night (babysitters and pack 'n plays aside, although i don't use either much), and winter makes this especially dreadful.  i suppose introverts don't mind staying home as much, but sometimes i struggle with feeling like life is not as full as other times in life when i was constantly building relationships and hanging out with others (i.e. college, camp, high school, etc.).  then i look at that sweet picture of parks (squeezable, kissable cheeks), and i am reminded that pouring my heart into him is the most fulfilling thing i can do right now.

in my boredom, i've been playing our gender reveal party (i'll announce the sex of baby #2 next sunday...we just found out ourselves the day before christmas!).  while researching googling party ideas, i found several articles and message boards bashing the idea of a gender reveal party.  haters (haha can't think of a better word) complained these narcissistic parties were greedy events friends felt obliged to attend.  my husband even agreed that no guy wants to spend his saturday night at a gender reveal party.

so i have to clarify before i put up all of my pink and blue decorations...a gender reveal party is not about finding out the baby's sex...sure it is nice to tell people at the same time (and in person...a lost art), but that is not why friends come.  the point of the party is to HANG OUT!  gifts are not encouraged or required, and for moms who are tied to the house every evening with nothing better to do than plan gender reveal parties (me), this gives us something to look forward to.  i love planning parties and getting together with friends, and i am very much looking forward to our party.

as i learn more and more about motherhood, i realize that it is so important to find joy in the small things.  while pregnant with parker, i read a local magazine that had a page devoted to "spicing up your walmart outfit" (i.e. trading the workout shorts for khaki shorts) and i thought it was the stupidest article i've ever read.  really, is this all i have to look forward to as a mom--dressing up to go to walmart?  i think i'll keep wearing my workout shorts, thank you.  and now i know that when you've been at home with an infant all day and need to get out of the house, a trip to the store might just be the highlight of your day, and that is perfectly okay.  it is a little things for a mother that bring joy and excitement, and we should be slow to judge other's sources of happiness (especially people who don't have kids :)).  my goal for 2011 is to stay positive about life, family, parenting, work, etc. and to enjoy building memories with those i love.

happy new year!!!

merry christmas!

apparently we have a family tradition of taking black, white and red holiday photos.  i love looking at last year's photos and seeing how much parker has changed.  can't wait to see what he looks like as a little boy and man someday (that is a lil' scary and sad to think about)!  love ya little guy--you will be a great big brother!!

and since most of our cards have been sent out, here is our christmas card (thanks again, shutterfly). 

the inside has this photo and a message on the right side. 

merry christmas, yall!!! :)

baby #2!

since it's been nearly a month since i announced my pregnancy on facebook, it's about time for a blog post.  yay for baby #2!!!  a few common questions and answers:

1. Were you trying?  Yes.  We had been trying (or not preventing) for about 4 months and even though that does not seem like a lot of time compared to some people, every month i took pregnancy tests a couple of days before my period just in case any levels of hcG showed up.  i am very impatient.  i didn't cry with the negative pregnancy results, but i was disappointed and might have taken more a few days later just to make sure it was negative.

also, we are due 3 days after my little sister's wedding in kc, so i was really hoping to get pregnant a month or two before but oh well.  in the wedding, i am the matron of honor, james is a groomsmen and parker is the ring bearer.  pretty complicated situation, but we are going to do everything we can to make it.  i've looked up hospitals in kc that are in network and unless i am in the hospital delivering the baby, we will be standing up there beside them.  not quite sure what size dress to order...

2. do you want a boy or girl?  boy.  several reasons for this...

a. i want parker to have a brother who is his best friend.

b. parker is wild, loves to wrestle, etc. and i think it would be good for him to have a lil' bro to wrestle with (even if a lil' sis might be good for him to help develop a gentle nature).

c. if we have another boy, james is more likely to be open to having a 3rd so i can try to have a girl

d. i think i am a better parent of boys and would not really mind if i never have a girl.  i love watching sports, playing poker, playing golf, and other boy activities and think it would be fun to have a house full of boys.

e. boys are cheaper...and a lil' guy can wear all of parker's old clothes!

3. what do you think you are having? leaning towards girl.

i won't be disappointed if we have a girl.  there are tons of fun things about having a girl.  at our first ultrasound the baby was very calm and parker was never calm.  also i am not as sick as i was with parker (although i hate, hate, hate the first trimester, which is mainly why i have not posted in months--i've been going to bed by 9pm every night..ha!)  we are going to find out this time and i will post the sex after we have a gender reveal party with our friends in january.

until next time, love you all and thank you for all of the sweet comments on facebook!!! 

shutterfly cards

most of you know about my love affair with http://www.shutterfly.com/.  i made our wedding book, ecuador book, honeymoon book and parker's 1 year book and have many more plans to use shutterfly in the future.

this year shutterfly is offering bloggers 50 free holiday cards for writing a blog post about the promotion!  woohoo, at $1.50/card, that's $75 saved (knock that off of the holiday budget).  i love making christmas cards, especially now that we have a little family.  i love wallpapering our fridge with all of the cards we receive as well.

so here are my favorites from shutterfly...

this card is classy, but i'm not sure if i want to do black, red and white again since that was our theme last year:
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/family-wall-noir-christmas-5x7-folded-card?sortType=1&storeNode=93495

so we might do this one instead:
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/provence-holiday-2011-christmas-5x7-folded-card?sortType=1&storeNode=93495

we have a photoshoot coming up with Meredith who is offering $20 photo sessions until the end of the year (with the disk!) i hope to turn around the cards quickly!  yay for shutterfly, photos and christmas!  love yall.

18 months

dear parks,

you are 18 months!  stats from your checkup:

*35 inches (98%!!)

*30 lbs (75%)

*head--don't remember, but about 50th%

we are loving seeing your personality emerge...you are a mix of the cutest sweatheart and biggest troublemaker.  one minute you are sweetly cuddling and the next you are slapping my face.  dad and i can't figure out if you have an extremely high pain tolerance or are just that tough.  you don't cry when you fall, get hurt or even bleed.  the other day you were running with a basketball and tripped and bit your tongue and it didn't bother you for more than a second. 

you are determined, strong, fast, mischievous, and full of energy.  you hate holding hands and are not afraid to leave my side.  at our neighborhood halloween party while some toddlers clinged to their mom's side, you ran everywhere and i was so exhausted trying to chase you. 

you love to wrestle and give hugs, although you sometimes confuse the two.  last week we had dinner at our neighbor's and you put two of the other 1 year olds in headlocks while you were "hugging" them from behind.  you also love to steal other kids' food and sippy cups.

you love all things sports related and spend many hours playing tball, golf and basketball in our living room.  one day you teed up the football on the tball stand and were hitting it with your golf club, bless your heart.  you love love love throwing balls and will ask to play with them whenever you spot one.

you've started to fold your hands and say amen--warms mama's heart.  i love you and can't wait to watch you keep developing!!!

love,
mama