It's been a while...

So, for some reason I have been a really bad picture mom for the past couple of months. I have not taken hardly ANY pictures since Parker's Birthday, which is very unlike me. I guess things have been a little busy and crazy here, and I finally realized today how long it had been since I had taken any pictures. So, I snapped a few of Parker just hanging out today, and I also figured out that I can take a video with my new phone and put it on here! (Videos from my camera always say the file is too big). So, I got Parker singing a couple of his favorite songs. Hopefully I will get back on track with my photos and blogging soon!

A couple of updates from here-

- We got Parker a new big boy bed, which he LOVES. He was previously sleeping in his crib, which we had converted into a toddler bed. We decided it was time to get something a little bigger for him, so we got a full size that he can hopefully grow into until he is a teenager! There are a few pictures below of him in his bed, which has a lot more room for all of the things he sleeps with every night!

- I am loosing my job the 1st week in June. My company is getting bought out by another company, and they are laying off my entire part-time sales force. It's OK though, I know this is all happening for a reason, and even though I may not understand the reason right now- I will one day. I am going to take the summer off to be home with Parker and kind of figure out what I want to be when I grow up :) Parker's last week of school is next week, but he is doing a little summer program in July 2 days a week at a church in town. I am also taking this time off as an opportunity to hopefully get to feeling better and get to the bottom of my medical mystery, which still has not been resolved.

- I did find out that I have Hashimoto's disease, which is an autoimmune disorder in which your immune system creates antibodies that attack and damage your thyroid gland. It causes inflammation of your thyroid gland, which may make your thyroid unable to produce hormones, leading to an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism). I have been on Synthroid for almost 3 years b/c of an underactive thyroid, but never knew until now that it was more than likely all being caused by Hashimoto's. However, since my thyroid levels are under control (b/c of the synthroid) my endocrinologist does not think that any of my symptom's are related to the Hashimoto's. So, while I am grateful to know that I have this...it unfortuanetly is not the answer to my medical mystery!

- Anthony has been at his job for over a year now, and is still really going well. I am so glad that he enjoys what he does. He has started playing golf a little bit (since he got new clubs for Christmas), and he is really liking that also. He is also still the #1 husband and #1 dad of the year in my opinion :)

- Last but not least, some GREAT news! My mom recently underwent her one year testing for her thyroid cancer. She had to go through 3 rough weeks before she had the acutal body scan, but the great news is...it came back NORMAL!!! No cancer!!! Yay for my mom! She is now a one year cancer survivor! So, here are a few pictures from today! I hope everyone is doing well, and hopefully more pictures and stories will follow since Parker and I are going to be hanging out a lot this summer :)

Happy Birthday to Parker...

I can't believe it, but Parker is officially 3 years old! We have had a fun and busy time celebrating the occasion. He had his Birthday party this past weekend, which was a "fire truck" party. It was a lot of fun, and I think he had a great time running around and playing with his friends. He had been talking about wearing his party hat and eating his fire truck cake for weeks, so I think he was very happy when the day finally arrived. After the party was over, and everyone was gone except us we were cleaning up and Parker walked in and said "It's not my Birthday anymore, party's over." It was so cute. I tried explaining to him that his party was over, but he hadn't even had his "actual" Birthday yet. I think to a 3 year old that meant, I get another party?!?! And- we practically did have another party today. He got to wear his party hat again this morning and have a special Birthday breakfast with a candle in it. Anthony met my mom, Parker and I over his lunch hour to go to the Adventure Science Center. We had never been before, and even though Parker was too young for some of the exhibits he enjoyed running around and touching everything! Tonight we met my parents and sister at Chuck E Cheese for some pizza and games. He got ANOTHER Birthday cake, this was a small soccer one (since he is obsessed with soccer these days). It has been a wonderful few days and we feel so blessed that we have a wonderful, happy, healthy 3 year old little boy- and that we have such wonderful family and friends that love him so much. He is still the light of our lives, and we can't wait to see what the next year has in store for us. Here are some pictures from the celebrations, enjoy :)


Happy 3rd Birthday Parker


Our Fam


Singing Happy Birthday...


And finally getting to eat his cake...


Parker's friends and cousins (minus a few that had already left)


Playing with his pirate gear from Grammy and PawPaw


Wearing his new "Choo Choo" outfit from Giggie and Poppy


A special Birthday breakfast treat....


We got him a Sand and Water play table...he loved it!


The fam at the Adventure Science Center


The final Birthday event...Chuck E Cheese and the soccer cake!!

Fastly approaching 3....

Only another week and a half until Parker turns 3 years old, it is unbelievable! We took him today to have his 3 year picture made, and it went MUCH better than we expected. We had not taken him since he turned 2, so I wasn't sure how he was going to cooperate with the camera man. He actually loved it, and did every little pose they wanted him to do. So, we of course ended up buying WAY too many pictures as a result. So, if you are interested in a copy of one...just let me know :) There is enough to share for sure! I'm sure more Birthday blogging will follow in the next couple of weeks.

Catching up...

Well, it has been a while since I posted, so I have a few things to catch you guys up on. I guess the big news is that Parker is OFFICIALLY done with the pacifier!! HOORAY!! The day after Anthony's Birthday we decided that it was time to just do it. We had been talking to him about it for a while, and Parker told us that he wanted to give his paci to the baby birds when he got rid of it (hey- whatever works, right?) So- we made a real big deal about it and went and bought a baloon to tie the paci to, to relase up into the sky to the baby birds. We also bribed him with leftover cake from Anthony's birthday and some new superman PJ's!! So, we had a fairwell paci party, and off the paci went. (except anthony actually snuck the paci off as we were letting go of the balloon, but parker didn't notice!) The first two nights were pretty awful trying to get him to go to sleep. It was hard to hear him cry for his paci, but we knew we had to stick to it. AND- on night 3- he was over it!! He went right to sleep, and he literally has not asked for the paci since. We are both SO amazed at how well it went. Now when he sees birds in the sky, he just says "Look- there's the baby bird that got my paci! Hi baby birds!!" Needless to say, we are SO glad to be done with those stinky things :)

Parker will be turning 3 at the end of this month, and I honestly can not believe it. I know everyone says that the years go by so fast, but it really is true. I think back to what he was like on his 2nd Birthday, and it is amazing how much he has changed in one year. He is talking to us in grown up conversations, and I honestly dont think there is a word that he wouldn't say or repeat (which we have to be careful about!). He makes us laugh every single day with something he says or does. He loves singing songs, and often does it very loudly in public places :) He is very into anything boyish- cars, planes, trains, firetrucks, etc. He also LOVES to color, he loves wearing silly hats, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is his show of choice right now. Oh- and he FINALLY went on the potty for the 1st time, so we are now working on the whole potty training thing.

As you all know, I have not been feeling well for the past 6 weeks. I have seen more doctors and had more tests done than I ever have in my life. I joke to Anthony that this is all because I am turning 30 in a month :) Anthony has been an absolute lifesaver during all of this. He has had to do SO much with Parker since I was unable to do a lot of things I take for granted everyday. He has never complained for a second, even though I know it was hard to take care of me and Parker (and most of the household duties). I feel so blessed and lucky to have such an amazing husband. Physical Therapy is going great for my back and neck, so I am very happy about that. I am able to do more now with Parker than I was a few weeks ago, so I am so thankful for that. I was also able to go to Louisville and Cincinnati one weekend with some of my best friends from college, to celebrate a bunch of us that just turned/are turning 30 and attend a baby shower! I did not decide until the day before if I was going to feel up to going, but I am SO glad that I went. It was an awesome weekend and it was really good to get away and take my mind off everything and spend time with some of my best girl friends. We had a great time! As far as my health, we are hopeful and optimistic that they get to the bottom of everything else that is going on with me soon, so that I can get back to my old self completely! Thank you to everyone who has been thinking about me lately!

So, here are some recent pictures of what we have been up to! (As well as a funny story attached to the last picture) Hope everyone is doing wonderful!



SWINGING AT THE PARK


WITH DADDY AT THE PARK


SUPERMAN!!! (THE NIGHT THE BABY BIRDS GOT THE PACI!)


FIRE CHIEF PARKER WITH HIS DOG :)


WITH THE GIRLS!!


WE WENT TO DISNEY LIVE TO SEE MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE, HANDY MANNY, TIGGER AND POOH AND LITTLE EINSTEINS....AND PARKER OF COURSE HAD TO HAVE THE SILLY HAT :)WE HAD A GREAT TIME!




WE FINALLY HAD A LITTLE BIT OF SNOW LAST WEEKEND, SO WE HAD TO MAKE FROSTY THE "MINI" SNOWMAN. PARKER HAS BEEN ASKING ALL WINTER TO MAKE FROSTY, AND HE FINALLY GOT HIS WISH. THERE JUST WASN'T ENOUGH GOOD SNOW TO MAKE A BIG ONE, BUT HE DIDN'T SEEM TO CARE!!





LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST. PARKER WOKE UP ONE DAY LAST WEEK SAYING "MOMMY, I AWAKE. COME GET ME NOW." VERY TYPICAL MORNING. I WAS IN HIS ROOM WITHIN 3 MINUTES OF HIM SAYING THIS, AND BELOW IS WHAT I FOUND WHEN I WALKED IN....


THAT'S RIGHT FOLKS, THAT IS DIAPER RASH CREAM YOU SEE EVERYWHERE. I GUESS HE WOKE UP AND DECIDED TO BUST INTO THE BOTTLE OF DESITIN FOR FUN. WHEN I FIRST WALKED IN I THOUGHT IT WAS PAINT AND COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHERE HE HAD GOTTEN IT. THEN, I SAW THE EVIDENCE (THE SMUSHED DESITIN ON HIS CHAIR). NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WAS NOT A HAPPY MOMMY. ESPECIALLY SINCE ANTHONY WAS OUT OF TOWN AND I NEEDED TO GET BOTH OF US OUT THE DOOR FOR HIM TO GO TO SCHOOL AND ME TO GO TO WORK. HOWEVER, I DID THINK TO GRAB MY CAMERA SO THAT ANTHONY COULD SEE THE EVENT, AND I FIGURED IT WOULD BE SOMETHING I WOULD LAUGH ABOUT LATER. SO, I PUT PARKER IN THE BATH THAT MORNING AND I ASKED HIM "PARKER- WHY DID YOU DO THAT?" HIS REPLY WAS "CAUSE, I WOKE UP AND NEEDED MEDICINE ON MY BOOTY!" I COULD NOT HELP BUT LAUGH AT THAT POINT! KIDS :)

A weekend in the mountains...

As a celebration for my mom and her Birthday, my dad took the family to Gatlinburg for a long weekend. We had an awesome Chalet in the mountains, and it was a great weekend. We did several fun activities, but we also spent a lot of time just relaxing in the Chalet by the fire since it was FREEZING the weekend we were there! It was so nice to get away and spend time with Anthony, Parker, Blair, Nick, Mom, Dad, Mere, Grandaddy and Laurie! Parker's favorite activity of the weekend was the aquarium, and he loved the sharks and the turtles. Here are some pictures from our fun mountain weekend!

Walking around Gatlinburg



Looking at the fish at the Aquarium


He touched some strange crab thing, that I wouldn't even touch :)


Then we swam with the turtles and the sharks. Just kidding of course!


The bear in the chalet that parker had to sit on all the time


Dad, Nick and Parker in their funny hats


PICTURES OF THE FAMILY

Santa Claus came to town...

I guess Parker was a pretty good boy overall this year, because Santa was very good to him. It's a good thing that Santa can overlook all of those terrible two moments :) Parker fought going to sleep for a while on Christmas Eve, which I don't know if it was because he was "excited" or just having one of those nights. Either way, it made for a later bedtime than normal. So, when Christmas morning rolled around we ended up having to wake him up at 8:30. He was NOT very happy with us at all until he realized that Santa had come and he saw all of his presents! He woke up pretty quickly after that, and was excited to go check it all out! One of the best moments was when he opened a present that Santa had put in a cardboard box and wrapped. He took the wrapping paper off, saw the box, and said "A NEW BOX!!!" I realized right then that Santa could have brought him a bunch of empty cardboard boxes, and he would have been a happy little boy! It was great to see how excited he got about some of his presents though, and it makes Santa's day to see him so happy!He has been on toy overload since Christmas, just going from one thing to the next playing. Now the hard part is getting him to understand that Christmas is over, the tree and lights are coming down, and that Santa is back at the North Pole until next year. Try explaining that to a 2 1/2 year old!

I hope everyone had a WONDERFUL Christmas, and I hope you have a very Happy New Year!!

Right after we woke him up...can you tell how happy he was with us?

At the top of the steps, and yes there is a smile behind that paci :)

He was actually a little upset that Santa ate his cookies and drank the chocolate milk. He said "Santa ate my cookies. Get my cookies back Santa."

With his Thomas the Train tent, which is what he kept telling Santa that he wanted for Christmas!

He LOVES soccer balls for some reason. Am I going to be a soccer mom?

Opening some of his presents...





Playing with mommy and daddy Christmas night