Parker {1 YEAR}

I've tried posting about Parker turning one (10-11-13)
for a few months now, I think I'm in denial that he is actually a toddler and not our baby anymore.

We had a party for him with all our local family and he loved everything about opening presents, but mostly liked eating the wrapping and tissue paper and crawling into gift bags.

Parker didn't eat much of his cake and was very conservative about digging into it.  This was as messy as he got.

Parker still isn't walking on his own but he has been walking behind a big toy truck that he likes to push, so we're seeing some progress.  He loves crawling up the stairs and has started to give really good hugs.  Parker started cutting his first tooth just a few days before his birthday and its a good thing since we didn't think he'd ever get teeth.  He can say mama, dada, doggie, uh-oh, baba, nana, and he makes a couple animal sounds.  His absolute favorite part of the day is when dada comes home.

Tyce has really been trying to get Parker to play with him more lately and they'll play and "read" books in the toy room for as long as we'll let them.  Parker has been wearing a lot of the shirts that Tyce wore only last winter so we're anxious to see if Parker will soon out grow Tyce or if he'll stay just a little smaller.

One year stats: 19 lbs 7 oz and 28 1/4 inches tall.

Parker is a very happy and easy going little guy and we love it.  Its amazing how much we're in love with these boys!

Parker {11 Months}

We can't believe our baby is getting so big and grown up.  Although, he seems younger at this age than Tyce did, but I'm sure that's because Tyce was the only child then.

Parker likes to puff his cheeks and blow the air out and will do this all the time.

We took our 4th annual (but really 3rd) Labor Day trip with our friends Ashley and Michael to the Sawtooth Mountains/Alturas Lake.  None of us had ever been camping there so it was fun to explore together.  We spent a lot of time at the lake, paddle boarding and playing on the sand.  We went hiking to 4th of July Lake which was a really pretty hike.

 I packed Parker on my back and it was comfortable enough, I guess, to take a nap.  Cute boy.

Some things Parker was up to this past month: bounces when he hears music (even at church), is pulling himself up onto furniture and toys and walking along them, plays peek-a-boo, waves hi, he is goofy, and started growling which is adorable.

Weight has been an issue for him still this past month.  He had his blood drawn and a catheter in so they could run some test.  Everything came back okay but I had to stop breast feeding and he is now drinking formula and not eating much else.  Thankfully he gained a pound by the end of the month so his doctor isn't as concerned but will still keep an eye on his weight gain.

We feel so blessed to have this bundle of fun in our family.  Parker is starting to imitate Tyce a lot and loves to wreck anything that Tyce is building or playing with.

Parker {10 Months}

Parker's had a busy month what with learning to crawl, looking cute, and being an awesome baby.  He's also stopped eating anything but yogurt, applesauce, bread, and crackers.  This is not helping toward the gaining weight issue.

We made our annual trip to Bear Lake and this boy LOVED the water.  We knew he liked baths but he absolutely couldn't get enough of the lake.

  

 

We're hearing a lot of, "No, Poppy!" lately.  Tyce's world just got flipped upside down now that Parker can crawl, but for the most part he's coping.

Now that this boy is on the move, pictures are a nightmare.  This is the best I could get.

July 4th and Parker {9 Months}

These months just fly by and I've been a total slacker in keeping my monthly updates on Parker.  Must be second child syndrome.

Parker was looking oh so patriotic on the 4th, he even let me take some pictures.  Although, he wasn't loving the grass but it was a good ab work out for him either way.  I may or may not have split the bum of a favorite pair of well worn jeans while I was bending down to take these shots.  It was a sad day for me and my jeans.

I guess we haven't been good enough parents and warned our son of the hazards of fire because right after this shot he grabbed the sparkler and burned his finger pretty good.  He was a trooper though and thanks to a little lavender oil he never complained about it even though it was still yucky and black a week later.

I don't know if I've said this on the blog before, but Tyce isn't much of a talker.  We're working with a speech therapist and he's slowly improving.  I mention this because Tyce calls Parker "Puppy" (Ryan thinks its "Poppy") and either way, it is the cutest thing ever. 

 

Since we moved into our new house this month, Parker now has his own room and isn't sleeping 10 inches from my head!  Oh how this makes me happy.  And he is finally sleeping through the night too! 

 

I'm really loving the color of his eyes right now.  They are dark blue at the edges and green in the center, gorgeous, I wish they'd stay that way but I'm sure they won't, unfortunately.  Some firsts:  self-feeding small bits of food, eats well, slept in his crib in his own room, and pulled himself to a sitting position.  He isn't quite crawling but he rolls like nobody's business.  He gets anywhere he needs to go pretty quick too.

At his 9 month well baby exam, the doctor was concerned about his weight...that he was underweight!  I was like, "What?!  Have you seen his rolls and those chubby cheeks?"  He stayed the same from his 6 month check which was 17 pounds, I guess that's cause for concern.  So in a nutshell, he needs MORE rolls and we go back in for a 6 week weight check. 

Parker {8 Months}

We closed on our house May 20th and the month long labor of love started just a couple days later.  It felt like one really, really long day.  Lara, Marilyn, Brooke, and my mom did a lot of babysitting for us but when the boys came to the house, Parker was in the bumbo most of the time.  Poor kid.

 He even took naps in it.  The ugly blue carpet and linoleum were ripped out the first weekend of the renovations and since he was so close to crawling, the bumbo was extra important.

 

 Parker is doing good at trying new baby foods that I make for him, he claps, is super ticklish, screeches and talks a lot, and is pretty mellow.

Oh these boys kill me!  (We've since trimmed Tyce's hair and he is now able to see again.)

Parker {7 Months}

I've really been slacking on my month to month updates with Parker, but now that we're in our house I'm going to try harder.

Parker took his first plane ride this month and he did really well on the ride down, but the ride back was a struggle.  For my 30th birthday we decided to do a girls weekend so my mom, Lara, Kirsten, Parker and I all headed down to Vegas to party with Emily and family.  We ate lots of yummy food, were pampered with awesome massages, swam and lounged at the pool, went on a zip line, and went to the show Le Reve.  Parker was so good the whole time.  He just took in the sights and was very content.  And he loved meeting his aunt Emily who spoiled him rotten!

 If you go back two years, Tyce is almost this exact age wearing this same cape of Easton's.

He's obviously thrilled with the swing.

 

Since we were still living with my parents until a week ago, that meant Parker was sleeping less than a foot from my head.  One night I woke up to him gabbering in his sleep.  It was so cute.  I've heard him several times since then just talking away, he must get that from me.

Parker {6 Months}

Parker mastered sitting up this past month and loves being able to watch Tyce play.  He is so alert and attentive to everything around him and smiles all the time, even though I can't seem to capture it with the camera.

This picture is not forced or posed and I love it.  Tyce is loving Parker more and more instead of just tolerating or ignoring him.

Tyce is doing good (for now) at sharing his cars and trucks with Parker and likes to pile them up in front of him so he has lots of choices to drool on.

 

Pardon the naked boys!  We were getting ready to dye our Easter eggs and then get ready for bed.  This just makes me smile!

  

We think Parker is an old man at heart.  Aside from his comb over, he does this really funny thing with his mouth that makes him look like an old man who's trying to chew without his dentures in.  Or that he's chewing a huge wad of gum.  It is the funniest thing.

Our baby is growing up so fast and is eating like a champ.  He weighed in at 17 1/2 lbs (50th percentile), length is 26 inches (24th percentile), and his head is huge and in the 67th percentile.