cousins...leaves...and trees

what more could 3 little boys ask for?

Drayson was all about looking through the "dog hole" in the fence. Parker joined right on in! Usually all you can see is my parent's dog's nose sticking through.

Parker loves playing with his cousins. He thinks that Caleb is a riot. It doesn't matter what he is doing...Parker follows him around with a big smile on his face! Thanks Caleb for being such a great "big cousin."

Here's What We've Been Up To...

Today we:

Took a walk to the Spudnut Shop to get breakfast.
Drayson and Parker both rode in the stroller on the way down while Caleb rollerbladed. It was a nice start to the morning.

On November 6th we:

Played in the backyard and hopped into the swing.

On October 31st we:

Celebrated Halloween.
Parker was Tom Cruise ("Maverick") from Top Gun. He was too cute in his pilot's jacket. We went and visited Aunt Lauri, Uncle Carl, and cousin Casey (plus their dogs that Parker had a blast playing with). He even got a Tootsie Pop and had pink drool all down his white shirt by the end of it. He also loved his orange Tootsie Pop that he got from our fabulous neighbors.

On October 30th we:

decided that we needed to wear Nonni's backpack around the house.

On October 28th we:

Played in our diaper, socks, and shoes in the living room.
This was obviously a Daddy-doing...not a Mommy-doing. Parker was having a blast though. I think that Trav had changed his diaper and was going to change him out of his jammies and into his clothes for the day when Parker decided that he would rather run around naked. Then he decided that he wanted his shoes on too. You have to admit he does look happy...not to mention SUPER CUTE!

Parker and Drays also played together in a basket while they were hanging out with Daddy/Uncle Trav. He got these hilarious pictures of the hilarious kiddos!

On October 27th we:

played/demolished Nonni and Papa Kev-O's closet.
This is the after...

this is the before...

On October 25th we:

had "Whole-Family Hat Night."
It was too funny. Parker loves to wear hats and had just gotten his new winter hat. Auntie Sara jumped right in and put on one of Papa Kev-O's old hats.

Parker's new winter hat:

My sister cracks me up! Only she could still look stylin' while wearing the Elmer Fudd hat!

Another one of Papa Kev-O's old hats. Parker thought he was so funny...and he was!

On October 24th we:

learned how to take off our own diaper! Yikes!!!
Obviously we can't let him run around without clothes anymore. He just loves it so much!!! I looked over at him and all of a sudden he was pulling at his tabs on his diaper. Next thing I knew he was (very quietly of course...every Mom knows that when their kiddo is being very quiet that they are up to no-good!) diaper-free!!! I immediately called my sister to see if Drayson had started that yet...they are lucky and he doesn't have an interest in yanking his diaper off.

Parks also thinks that he should put anything & everything on his head.

Here's to our fabulous kiddo! He cracks us up...and hopefully you get a kick out of him too. We are very blessed...& tired!

Happy 1st Birthday Parker!

I can't believe that fall and Parker's 1st Birthday snuck up on us so fast. It doesn't seem like it was a whole year ago that we brought him home with us and our lives changed forever. I notice all these things now that he is doing just in the last week and he seems to have grown up so much so quickly! He is "talking" all the time and copying everything that we do. He is also a climbing machine.

I love how quickly he can go from this:

to this:

Such a big guy playing outside with his cousin Drayson

Parker's 1st Birthday Party
We had Parker's party on Saturday the 17th. It turned out to be a great day and we were lucky to have so many family members there. Look at how grown up Parks looks in his little rugby polo and jeans. You'll notice that by the end of the day he is in a different shirt (frosting was all over this one).
We are now proud parents of a 1 year old boy...who we fondly refer to as Dr. Destructo!The CupcakeParker started picking each individual sprinkle off the top of his cupcake...only our child would do that. Most kids would have mushed the cupcake onto their faces by now!So happy post-cupcake!

Presents!
Thanks to everyone who came and to those who couldn't make it and sent gifts for our little man. He has been busy loving them all!!! We really appreciate you "sharin' the love" on his special day!



*We want to send out a special thanks to Papa Kev-O and Nonni Donna for letting us have Parker's party at their house and for all the amazing food. You are two in a million and we couldn't be more lucky to have you in our lives!*

Birthday Breakfast!

On Parker's actual birthday we went out to breakfast with Gpa Lee and Gma Jammi. After a very yummy breakfast (thanks Gpa and Gma) we headed back to their hotel room to hang out with them before they drove back to Snohomish. Parker has a strange love of hotel rooms! He, for some strange reason, finds them fascinating!
What is this strange thing with a cord???

When we got back home Parker found an empty box...so of course he had to climb on in!!!


Doctor Appointment Stats:

• Height: 30 1/2 in. (75th percentile)
  
• Weight: 22 lbs. 10 oz. (50th percentile)
  

A Long Time Coming

Check out our big guy. I can't believe he will be one year old next weekend (well...Sunday the 18th). He loves to rock in this chair. It is just his size!

Sorry folks!!! I have been totally neglecting the blog. I know that those of you who regularly check the blog for a new update have probably given up hope by now! For that I apologize. Lots has been going on lately and I have been either crazy busy with work or too sick to even think about posting a new blog.

In mid September I went back to work. I haven't worked since a month before Parkster was born and it has been so much fun. It was time to head back now that we have moved and tried to get back into some sort of routine. Travis became "stay-at-home-Daddy" and I went back to substitute teaching. As of yet I haven't subbed in an elementary school (my area that I know and love) but have spent all my time in middle schools. It is actually starting to grow on me. It is a whole different world than elementary and is a bit of a culture shock at first. Especially when you are used to first graders!!! My first sub job back was a 1-week job with 8th graders...yikes! It eneded up being a real learning experience for me and I loved the staff at the school. I just got to go back and sub in that room again about a week ago and had fun. It was nice to know the student's names this time around! I have been getting requests from the middle schools and I really am enjoying it. It is not the same as being at home with my little man...but I know that it is good for Trav to have that time at home with him. Especially because I have already gotten my chance while Trav was at work! Anyway...I am adjusting to being back at work and away from Parker.
My mom and I just found these cars a couple weeks ago. The one he's playing with is a Sheriff's car...I thought it was pretty fitting because that is what his Daddy wants to do! They are from the movie Cars.

Parker was chasing around the patch of sun that was coming in the window the other day. It was too funny! I wish I was that easily entertained!
Parker has gotten so big and is walking better and better all the time. He is a dancing fool and loves to shake his booty whenever he hears a beat! It is too funny to watch. He has also started climbing everything...and I do mean everything!!! We have to watch him every second to make sure he isn't going to hurt himself too bad.
Check out our "helper"--Unloading the dishwasher, dusting the floor, and helping mow the lawn!

On top of busy schedules Parker and I have been pretty sick. It is hard enough to be sick on your own, but those moms out there know that it is even worse with a sick kiddo!!! His voice is so rhaspy and his cough sounds terribly painful. It is also hard to have to lay him back down when he wakes up in the middle of the night. He is so little that there isn't anything we can give him for his cough either. Our room smells like Vick's Vapor Rub all the time and I don't really know how long it will take to get the smell to go away!!! I'm sure Travis will be thrilled when it does though. I am feeling better and Parker seems to be feeling a little better too. He is also teething while he is sick which is even worse...yikes. He bit my sholder for the first time the other day and it brought tears to my eyes it hurt so bad! Right now he is also HATING the word NO! He gets this super sad face and whines while squatting down and it is too funny!
He has been so snuggly while he hasn't been feeling well...he even sat still long enough to take a picture with Mommy!

Hopefully this will hold you all over for a little while! Happy Fall! It is dang cold outside now!!!
Parks and Drays love to put on these fake glasses! They know that they are funny when then put them on. So cute!