I'm still here!!

Okay so I know it has been OVER a week since I blogged anything, but don't worry, I'm still here. I have just been so busy it was crazy but now things have calmed down, a little bit. I'll do a little recap here to fill you all in.

So I worked a lot last week, including Christmas eve (dayshift) but I didn't have to work Christmas so that was nice. My sister and brother in law came from Columbus, Ohio and stayed with me and Parker for the weekend. That was SO much fun, he loved having all the extra attention! We went to my dad's side of the family on Christmas Eve and then home to relax before Christmas.

Here's Parker & I with my sister


And here is Parker & Uncle Andrew having their little screaming match, it was hilarious... ignore the mess Parker made in the kitchen lol


I read Parker the Christmas story before bed, I thought that even at his age he needed to know the real reason we had this big celebration! He listened to every word of it, too!


Christmas Day was great, usually in the morning I head to my parent's house and my brothers and sister all meet there, this year everyone came to us (one of the benefits of having a baby) Here is Parker playing with his kitchen for the first time, it is quite a hit he LOVES it


Here he is opening his stocking


This is one of my favorite pics of Parker and I because I didn't know that it was being taken... here we are in our pajamas, I haven't had a shower yet let alone put makeup on, but it is so beautiful and so real


After all the present opening and breakfast at my apartment, we got ready for the day and headed to my grandparents on my mom's side. Again, we had a lot of fun, but by the end of it Parker was ready to go home and get to bed (so was I since I had to be at work the next day!) Before we left we took a picture with Parker, his great great grandma, great grandpa, his grandma, and me! 5 Generations, it's pretty special


So that's all the Christmas news. Oh yea, Jared got me a Nook! It is the most perfect gift I could've gotten really! I love it. Annndddd we are now officially dating. He's my... boyfriend? haha Seems like such weird phrasing but manfriend DEFINITELY doesn't work, so I guess boyfriend it is! We went to see him in Effingham and we met his parents (I have actually met them quite a few times, but Parker really hasn't.) So all is well in my world right now and that's all I can possibly blog about at the moment because my hands are about numb! =)

FOUR hours later... Parker's new kitchen

Parker's kitchen came in the mail the other day, and I was wondering when I was going to have time to put it together... I couldn't do it while he was awake of course, and I work everyday this week including Christmas Eve, so I decided to do it last night... I started at 8:30, this is what it looked like when I layed out all the pieces from the 50 pound box lol


FOUR hours later, I get this:


Quite an accomplishment if I do say so myself! As you can see in the picture I still have 3 or 4 little doors to put on it, but I got all the hard parts over with. The funny thing was, it being solid wood and all put together is HEAVY and awkward to move, so I had to wait to have my mom help me move it this morning before Parker woke up to see it. I can't wait to see his face Christmas morning when he sees it for the first time! It will make it worth having to stay up til 1AM and then have to be at work at 7AM!

I have to show this picture of my little angel sleeping in his highchair! He never does this so I was really surprised when I looked over and seen him fast asleep. He slept for about an hour, during which time I was able to shower, get ready for bed, and even dry my hair! Quite a good break I must say...


In other news, Jared came over Sunday night just to hang with me and Parker. It was so nice, because obviously if end up dating or whatever, the dinner & movie night thing won't happen very much, so I needed to see how he would do just sitting at home playing. He passed. LOL. We had a lot of fun and Parker was LOVING all of the attention. He was even super sad when Jared left, he was whining at the door wanting him to come back it was so sweet.

I am SO ready for Christmas to be here! My sister Kathy and BIL Andrew are going to be staying with Parker and I, so it is going to be even more fun this year! We have 2 Christmases to go to on Christmas Eve, then my immediate family is coming to my apartment for our Christmas morning, then later that day we will be going to my grandpa's house for the WHOLE family Christmas. It is crazy and hectic but I love it, and I definitely wouldn't have it any other way. I have always loved Christmas, not for the gifts; but for the family, the happiness, and the hope for greater things to come.

Fun times

So, last night turned out to be great! I'm so excited =) First off I got roses, how can you go wrong after that? lol Then we went to Bennies and to the movies to see "How Do You Know." It was an awesome movie, I laughed a lot. We also ran into Crystal & Josh so that was cool. I had a lot of fun.

Then I got home. LOL. My little angel does NOT like me to be away at bedtime. He doesn't mind when I work during the day, he will be as happy as can be. But he wants his mommy at bedtime. I love that he wants me to be the one to do our bedtime routine, until I can't be there to do it... which in turn makes me feel selfish for going out at all, because if he needs me, shouldn't I be there?

Our routine is really quite a long one, but it's the same everynight. I make supper, we sit down and eat supper, then I clean him up and let him down from the highchair to play until he gets fussy. Then, we run down the hall (yes, run, bathtime is very exciting in our house) and take a bath. The bath can be anywhere from 5 minutes to 20, depending on how good he's being, if he starts standing in the bath tub he knows that means we have to get out. After bath we get lotion and pajamas on, then we sit on the couch together and snuggle while watching TV. When he gets tired of that (usually around 8), I fix his bottle and hold him while he drinks it all. When the bottle is down we walk down the hallway to his bedroom while saying our prayers, I turn on the nightlight, lay him in his crib, cover him up, and say "Mommy loves you, goodnight." He goes RIGHT to sleep, never a fuss.

The story is a little different whenever my mom or dad is watching Parker. My dad swears if he lays Parker in his crib at night he cries, which may or may not be true, so he wants to rock him. Instead of Parker crying in his crib, he crys while my dad is wrestling him to sleep. So when he finally gets him to sleep last night ( at 7:20, a little early) he only sleeps for an hour and wakes up crying. I believe that is because he fell asleep in my dads arms and when he woke up he was in a different place. When I lay him down in his crib at night, he knows thats where he is going to wake up. Then my mom got off work and Parker was still awake, so she went to lay him down at 9:20 and SURPRISE, he rolled over and went right to sleep... who would've guessed that?

The PROBLEM was when I got home, got ready for bed, as soon as my head hit the pillow guess who was awake and crying? You guessed it. I have no doubt that he was waking up just to make sure I had made it home, so I went in his room to get him, he gave me the best little hug when I picked him up... I got him back to sleep, layed him back in his crib, and then I finally got to get some sleep. Hmm... maybe my future dates with Jared (name is finally released onto the blog! lol) should be earlier so that I can get Parker to bed? Maybe that's the key.

Oh what a wonderful birthday! =)

Guess what Parker got me for my birthday?? He let me sleep in until...wait for it... 9:30!!!!! He has never in his whole little life slept in til 9:30! I was the happiest mommy in the world, I think he knew that was the one gift he could get me.. well, that and hugs & kisses when he woke up. Later that day he took a 2 1/2 hour nap (also a first) So I got to shower, fix my hair, get dressed and then relax on the couch! It was a great day. We didn't go anywhere, just stayed in but had lots of fun together.

Yesterday we went with my mom to Carbondale to brave Kohls and the mall. I am done Christmas shopping but my mom isn't and I had $30 Kohls cash to spend (I got a cute pair of Levi's jeans, they make my butt look good) and a $40 gift card from my sister to Hollister where I got a few cute shirts. Also, my mom paid for me to get my nails done for my bday, he even did a cute snowflake design on one of them!


I love them, I haven't had my nails done since I was in high school so it is quite exciting for me. lol. We also went to eat at Chili's, where Parker entertained the crowd while we were waiting! He was seriously running to each person and giving them big grins, then right before he got to them he would quickly turn and run back to me! He loved it, because everyone was laughing and talking to him


So tonight I'm going out! Exciting right? I'm a little nervous, but not too bad, it's not like I'm going out with a complete stranger or anything we've known each other for.. 5 years? 6? Somewhere in that area, but I must say I can't help but be nervous, which isn't like me! At least I'm working today to keep my mind off of it, and by the time I get off, go home and play with Parker and get ready it will be time to go! Wish me luck!

Goodbye 22...

I will be 23 tomorrow! It sounds so much older than 22 for some reason... okay, maybe it doesn't but I think it does. 22 was a great year for me, in fact, I'd say it was my best year yet. Afterall, I got to spend it with Parker! He is so funny, I took him to a basketball game last night and he loved it. He went to quite a few last year too, but he mostly slept through them at that age lol. Everyone that sees Parker has to talk to him, and he absolutely LOVES it. If someone doesn't notice him, he is doing his best to get them to look his way, and when they do they get quite a show! I love it.

I'm working tonight til 11:30, but I'm off tomorrow for my birthday so that's nice, don't have any plans but thats okay. I am "talking" to someone (yes, I'm actually posting it on my blog! don't usually do that.. guess it's a good thing??) and we are going out Saturday evening to dinner and a movie, it will be nice to get out!

Anyways, I'll end the post with a picture of our "Elf on the Shelf" We named him Ollie, he watches Parker to make sure he is being good! It's a cute tradition to start!

Winter Wonderland

I wake up this morning to a beautiful, white, winter wonderland... well, that's what everyone calls it, I don't quite agree. If I were able to sit in my pajamas all day cozied under a blanket on the couch with Parker, maybe, but I had to be a grown up and go to work! Yuck!

This morning after getting dressed and ready, I run down the stairs to go out to the truck, try to stick the key in to unlock the door and it's frozen... run upstairs a few times getting hot water, which wasn't working and finally used a lighter to heat my key and THEN stick it in... SUCCESS. By this time I am FREEZING, I didn't have gloves or a hat on, my shoes and pants were soaking wet and my hair was pretty damn from all the "wonderful" falling snow. I had to go to work that way, I was already running late as it was.

Work today has been horrid. People in Southern Illinois do NOT know how to drive in the snow. I have no idea why, I just take my time and that usually works. But people want to rush and then they get in car wrecks, end up here at the hospital, and I have to do 9 CTs in a row because of it. I wish someone worked with me on the weekends, it sucks being the only person for Xray and CT when you have a lot of patients... Pity party is over! lol

So now is my week off. I am not scheduled ANY days this week so I have 5 days in a row off, assuming I don't get called in (which I usually do) But it will be nice to have those days off because Thursday is my BIRTHDAY! I'm actually not very excited, 23 is not a very exciting year and I don't have any plans to speak of. I will probably sit at home with Parker and watch Grey's Anatomy. =)

As much as I've complained about the snow, I am looking forward to taking Parker out to play in it. I am not sure what he will think of it but I really hope he likes it, maybe we can even build a little snowman! Pictures to come!

Pictures with Santa

Yesterday was a very busy day, but very fun as well! Parker and I went to Carbondale with my mom to go try and finish up Christmas shopping (I ALMOST succeeded, only a few more gifts to get!) We went to Kohls, TJ Max, Rural King, the mall... I think that's it! We even took pictures with Santa. Parker did really good, so I of course had to buy the crazy expensive package that is ridiculously priced, considered she missed several good shots, and I wanted to take her camera away from her (that btw wasn't even a good camera lol) and just do it myself! The cutest one she missed is when Parker and Santa were looking up right at each other, and it was for a long time too my mom said ohh take that! and she said, I already got one (which she didn't!) Oh well, like I said she got some cute ones, but I could've done better!






He got a little pouty on the last pic, but he had been sitting up there awhile and I think he was getting scared that I was gonna leave him.

And of course I can't leave out the picture of Parker with Santa from last year! He was only 3 days old! How adorable is this!


Forgot to mention we also took Parker for his 1 year appointment with Dr. Bleichner. She is so great! He did cry after his shots, but like always was quickly over it and didn't act fussy at all afterwards. He is now 25 lbs and 32 inches, which is 96th percentile for height and 84th percentile for weight. Big boy! I think the shots made him a LITTLE tired... that or the shopping, either way this is how he ended up...

Blessed

I knew Parker's birthday was going to be a blessing for so many reasons, but I was a little overwhelmed at his party yesterday. We had approx. 50 people there to help celebrate my little boy turning a year old. It was so special. It couldn't have been better!



We started with the food, then Parker opened his gifts..


well, mommy opened his gifts while he tried to get away to the previously opened toy that was put off to the side. We seriously LOVE all of his presents, we even opened them ALL last night. (I'm crazy, I know)

After gifts we did cake, which he is a master at.






Then we just socialized, we even forgot to do the pinata! I know, how do you forget the pinata?? When you're running around with your one-year-old trying to talk to everyone at his party, that's how! lol


As he gets older, I hope he realizes how lucky he is to have all of these people that love him so much.

Proud mother of a ONE year old

ONE YEAR OLD!!
http:://www.jessicahollisphotography.com

Oh my, I can't believe it. Yesterday was his birthday and it was like he knew it was his special day, my dad brought him a "Happy 1st Birthday" Balloon and he seriously carried it around with him everywehre he went. He is walking so good now, even perfected his turns. We started him on whole milk yesterday too, he took it like a pro and only used his bottle twice (before nap and before bedtime,) the rest of the time he used his sippy cup. I can't hardly believe it has been that long ago...

Parker's due date wasn't until December 30th, but I had preeclampsia so I was induced on the 3rd. I remember being so excited to meet him, and so worried at the same time because I was only 36 weeks along. After SIX hours of labor (I know, you all hate me, but if it helps I didn't have any pain medication) he came out as perfect as can be at 4:28 PM, 6 lbs 6 oz and 20 in long


They did take him to the NICU and I was told I wouldn't get to see him for a few hours and that he would spend the night in the NICU but about 30 minutes later they brought him to me and said he was perfectly healthy afterall. He spent the night with me that night and has ever since =)

And here is Parker exactly 1 year old! I took a pic of him Dec 3, 2010 at 4:28 PM

This is what he was doing a year ago too! lol


This evening is Parker's cowboy birthday party! I am very excited, I know he will be too when he sees all of the people and the presents and most importantly the cake!! lol I will post pictures of course. I am so blessed to have this little one year old, and family and friends to celebrate him with me.