13 Month Update

July 21, 2013
{2 weeks late}

Parker Daniel,

13 months already! Time with you is flying by, which I seem to say every single month. We have been having such a great Summer and staying very busy. Lots of beach days, pool days, playground trips, walks around town and just trying to spend as much time outside as possible. We have been watching Uncle Jack most weeks on Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays, which has kept us even busier. But, Parker, you LOVE your Uncle Jack. On the mornings that we are going to pick up Jack, I ask you if you want to go see him and you get SO excited and want to go outside to get into the car. Your little face lights up as soon as you see him, and his does also! The little bond you two have is the sweetest thing. I mean, you are just so lucky to have a ten year-old Uncle! Here is a whole bunch of pictures showing what we have been up to the past month!

Parker, this past month since you turned 1 has been so much fun. I just enjoy watching all of the new things you learn every single day! You have been repeating everything that we say! You love to talk and get a response from us. At 13 months old you can say "hot, on, off , mow (milk), car, momma, dada, Jack, Nini, cookie, buh buh (bye-bye), hi, pa-pa (paci)" and probably more that I am forgetting. You are wearing Size 3 diapers (still!) but when this box runs out, we are moving up to size 4. You haven't been eating THAT great the past week or two, but you definitely have your better "eating" days. You have 3 cups of milk per day. You weaned yourself all by yourself from breastfeeding right around your first birthday. It was so easy for both of us; I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Your naps have been very sporadic every day. Some days you are ready for a nap at 9:30/10 and some days not until lunch time. Today you slept from 10:30am-1:00pm and then didn't have an afternoon nap, but went to bed right at 7pm. Lately you have been LOVING your pacifier (paci). You not only love sucking on one but holding one as well, especially when you are going to sleep. Before you fall asleep you usually switch from one to the other every 30 seconds, until you are tired enough that you just settle for one of them and hold the other. It really is the funniest thing to watch. I don't know HOW I am going to wean you from this..but it won't be for a while I am sure. My MOST favorite time of day is when I am cuddling with you and rocking you to sleep and you spit your paci out to give me a kiss, wide open mouth and everything. And lately you have been putting your arms around my neck and giving the biggest bear hugs ever. Melt my HEART. It's almost like you know that our lives are going to be changing a bit in 12 weeks or less...(but that's a whole separate post..that I need to write soon!) And one last thing before some more pictures.. This morning you were cuddling in bed with mom and dad and I closed my eyes for a few minutes. Daddy showed you how to rub my arm and you followed him and did so. I realized it was you doing it, and it was the sweetest thing in this entire world. You just know how to make me melt! I am so proud to be your momma. You are the most sweetest little boy!!!!!!! I couldn't have asked for a better son...I love you so much to the moon and back Parker Daniel.

 

Love,

Your Momma

One Year Old

June 21, 2013 ONE Year Old
{2 weeks late)

Parker,

I cannot even believe you have been in our lives one whole year. WOW! That FLEW by. It has by far been the best year of my life. You have brought us so much joy and happiness (I think I say that every month!) and there are just no words to describe how loved you are! It has been so amazing watching how much you change every month for the past year. Right now being a year old, you are at such a fun age, making your mom and dad smile and laugh with you all day long.

We are SO BLESSED. Your life has been such a blessing to our family. You have brought such happiness; I couldn't imagine my life without you in it. I wake up every morning so excited to see you (if you aren't already right next to me in bed!) and I go to sleep thinking about you and thinking about how I can be a better mom for you. You are such a sweet, sweet boy who is so kind and tender-hearted. Although you are all boy through and through, you have the softest heart. For an example, today when we were driving to the pool, you took the top off of your sippy cup and water spilled all over you. When I realized what happened I turned around said "uh oh! Oh no, you're all wet!" You thought that I was upset with you, so you started crying and even put your little hand up to your mouth, and it was so sad to watch! I made sure that you knew mama wasn't upset, but I felt so bad! My little sensitive boy :)

At your one year Doctor appointment, June 26th, you weighed in at 20 pounds 9 ounces. Just 10 ounces away from exactly tripling your birth weight! Go Parker! You measured at 29 inches long! The Doctor was so impressed with your development and kept saying how cute you are (which we already know!) You received 3 immunizations and a finger prick (which was NO fun). And this mama had alot of questions for the Doctor.

You started drinking WHOLE MILK on June 2nd. It was the best thing we decided to do for you, 19 days before your first birthday. It took you a few days to get used to it but once you realized that you liked it, you started to down the milk like a little champ. You are now drinking 3 cups of about 7-8 ounces of milk! As of right now you are officially weaned from breastfeeding, which is something that I didn't think would be this easy. It's probably a whole separate post in itself but surprisingly I have been okay since you stopped nursing. I have realized that for the past month or 2 you probably haven't been getting much milk from me, as I think my supply started to dwindle. I know deep down that you need the nutrition to grow and that is what whole milk is providing for you. You have your first cup of milk right before morning nap, (around 10am), your second before your second nap in the afternoon (3ish) and your last cup right before bed (7:30ish usually). It has been nice knowing that it is filling you up, and you just decided you didn't need to nurse anymore. It is probably a good thing that my body get's a little break before your brother makes his debut in 3.5 months. But, as all of you know, our breastfeeding journey was great. Since you started whole milk, you have been sleeping through the night in your crib. Overall, you have had an easier time falling asleep and usually sleep longer before waking up. I would say you have been staying in your crib through the night more often than not. Everyone around here has been getting more sleep :)

You have been walking a TON! It is so exciting to watch you walk more and more everyday. You are so proud of yourself and have barely been crawling! Although with crawling comes falling! Your poor little legs are usually sporting a few new bruises every day. It is so hard to watch you fall, but it doesn't seem to bother you, and you get right back up! You still have a love for crawling up the stairs...24/7. You just love being so independent, and your mom and dad are not so good at putting the baby gate up. You love to carry things up the stairs with you. Usually if there's a pair of shoes on the stairs, you carry one or both of them up with you, which is actually a big help for mama! Always on the go, little guy! You are constantly walking into the kitchen and opening cabinets, to check them out and see what is inside. Mama has made a special drawer for you to open that includes safe things for you to play with, such as your sippy cups and bowls. Your interest for learning new things and exploring the world is so amazing.

During the past week or so, you have been getting very emotional when someone leaves. In the morning during the week you know when dada is getting ready for work, as he puts his shirt and tie on, you get sad. It is so sad to watch! But mama always reassures you that dada will be back in the afternoon, and soon after your attention turns to something else.

Parker, you have been so good at learning where your body parts are located. When asked, you can point to your head, eyes, nose, mouth, ears, belly, hands, and feet. It is pretty impressive! Also, when asked how old you are, you hold up your little index finger, and then you usually clap for yourself because you are so proud!

You have been talking a ton, saying new words every day! You like to say hot, ball, dada, mama (sometimes!),  no, hat, cat, dog, and car. You are constantly babbling and speaking a language that I like to call "Parker-nese."

There are so many things that you love so I have made a list, which I thought would be easier:
-Super Why! Your absolute favorite show to watch. When the music from the show comes on, you RUN to the TV and squeal with happiness!
-Your Uncles. When Uncle Jack, Jameson and/or David is around, you are just the happiest!
-Mama's iphone.
-Walks. When you are content in your stroller, you love looking at the sights, drinking your water, with a paci in arms reach
-The playground. You are a big fan of the swing and slide
-Looking outside. You love to look out the back door at the trees
-Morning Starbucks dates. You are your mama's son. LOVE to people watch!
-Bath time. Your love of water is so great. As soon as Dinner is over, you know what comes next :)
-Mandarin oranges! You could eat them at every meal
-Whole milk
-Daniel Tiger, another show you enjoy, on PBS
-Playing with Balls. You are such a boy! You love to throw and kick all balls
-Storytime @ Barnes and Noble. We just started going and you like spending time with the other kids
-Kidventure. They are closed until the Fall but when we have been you loved playing there
-Playdate! You have so many friends that you get to play with every week

We had a great day on your First Birthday, which was a Friday. Uncle Jack spent the night before at our house so when we woke up mama made blueberry pancakes and we had a lazy morning around the house. You decided not to take your normal morning nap, so we went to the pool. Later in the afternoon, Grandma came to pick up Jack while we were outside playing and then Dada came home. We went to the Church Fair and you loved to people watch and you had a hotdog for dinner. Your First Birthday Party was Saturday, June 22nd at King's Park. 42 people came to your party!!! You are such a special, LOVED baby boy! It was such a great day for an outdoor birthday party on the water. You had a great time seeing family and friends. It was a really great first birthday. I can't wait to watch you grow this year. We are SO proud of the little boy you are becoming. You are so loved Parker Daniel!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here are some pictures of Parker's First Birthday Party!!

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