Honey & Sport

We had a WONDERFUL visit this past weekend from Spencer's parents.  They came last Wednesday and left on Sunday morning.  We love for our parents and other family members to visit- it's such a joy to share with them our life and friends here in South Carolina.  Again, it's difficult to live so far away- 11 and 14 hours is a bit of a drive to just go for a spontaneous weekend, so we often find that we miss out on family gatherings and the "little things" like birthday celebrations, Sunday night dinners, soccer games, etc.  But, I've realized that one benefit of these visits is that when we do actually get together- we all seem to make more of an effort to have quality time together.  Our conversations seem to have more weight, and we try to make the most of every minute together.

Parker is so much more interactive now with visitors- lots of smiling, cooing, and laughter.  Unfortunately, this week Parker is working on a little tooth that is imminent.  This meant a few fussy periods for sweet P, which is not his norm.  Poor little guy.  But we still managed to have a great time- even though we had pipes from our hot water heater burst under our house, causing extensive damage.  Thankfully- it looks like insurance is going to cover it- praise God!

To my dismay- Parker loves watching the television.   I will definitely try to restrict his tv time  as he gets older, but inevitably he will love watching tv with his daddy.....sigh....

somehow he loves watching golf.  double sigh.....

hanging out with Sport

he is so cute when he sleeps- love how he cuddles a burp cloth!

he loves snuggling with Honey!!

Jack is always in the mix!

we had a great dinner out with our friends Ben & Wendy at Garibaldi's

Our First Successful Trip To The Zoo!

So, I have tried 3 times this spring to take Parker to the zoo.  It was either storming or too late to go each time.  Friday, Parker and I met up with Colin, Meredith, & Madeline for a successful zoo day!  Parker started out by sleeping for the first 30 minutes.  But then we had a bottle and checked out the big animals that he could see best.  He followed the elephants really well, and the goats were a big hit.  It was a great time, and I am so excited to use our family passes for the next year and enjoy what I think is a great zoo for a city this size.  It will be fun to watch Parker enjoy it more and more as he gets older and more aware of the animals.

We started off with a nap

The lions are so majestic

Parker Fox next to the Fox statue

Feeding the goats- Parker was mesmerized!

Madeline looked cute in her little hat also.  I see lots of zoo trips together in the near future!

Watching the elephants- Parker constantly has his hands in his mouth these days!

Such a fun today with our dear friends!

A Visit From Uncle James & The Masters

I LOVE this picture!

Oh I am so behind on blogging!  I'll start with 2 weeks ago.  My brother James lives in New York City, and was sweet enough to come visit and meet his nephew for the first time.  Anyone that knows my brother is aware at what a fun (& crazy!) guy he is.  I am certain Uncle James will teach Parker all kinds of ways to drive me crazy one day (my Dad, Kim, & Mom are all nodding in agreement right now).

What a natural

There is no telling what James is educating Parker on at this moment

Playing pool at the Publick House- love my family!

James also happened to get 4 tickets to Tuesday's practice round at Augusta before the Masters Tournament began and was generous to invite my Dad & Spencer to go with him.  Spence's best friend, Brian also had tickets and he, his brother Jonathan, our friend Bentley, and Daniel all drove up from Arkansas to play golf and experience the "tradition like no other" together.  Needless to say, I think the boy's weekend was a big success.  I am in desperate need of some female visitors right about now!

Up close with Tiger 

The Crew minus my dad

Fan favorite Phil

The eventual champion, Bubba Watson.  I loved watching how emotional he was after his big win!

Zach Johnson- supposedly, he was born with a cleft lip.  You can barely tell from his photographs.

Big boy cuddling with his Big Poppa

We loved visiting with James!

Happy Easter!

I worked a half day today, so unfortunately we missed church this morning.  But Parker and I had a wonderful afternoon spending time with our friends Will & Stephanie Stuckey at Will's father's home where we had a DELICIOUS and beautiful spread of food followed by a fun easter egg hunt.  Since Parker is a little young for the actual hunt, we spent the time strategizing for next year :)

Psalm 27:4, “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.”

Guess Who Rolled Over?....

Yay- another milestone day!  Parker has been flirting with rolling over for a while and today he did it!!  He also is now suddenly holding himself propped up by his forearms, and when I pull him up by his arms, he bears weight on his feet!  He changes so quickly!

Ta-da!!

3 Months

Dear Parker,

Three Months- wow!  So much has happened in such a short period of time.  I told someone this week that I am having a hard time remembering what you were like as a newborn because it seems so long ago.  You are looking more and more like a little boy and less like a baby.

This was a really big month with your first surgery.  You did so well, and you look so great already.  It was one of the hardest things I've ever experienced, mainly because I hated watching you be in pain.  I would have done anything to trade places with you.  But we've gotten through the recovery period, and you are back to your happy, cheerful self!

happy boy

New things this month:
You are giggling like crazy these days.  Your smile takes up your whole face, and you laugh often throughout the day.

The past few days, you are really trying to roll over.  When you are on your back, you throw your hips to the side and are one solid kick away from being on your tummy.  This is so exciting!

Just a tiny bit more and you'll roll over!

Just like the books and websites tell me, you are definitely discovering your hands!  When I have you on my shoulder, you always rub my back or grip onto me.  You often are clasping your hands together at your chest or in your mouth.  You even try to keep your pacifier in your mouth or put it back if it falls out.

you are quite the drooler these days...that combined with your occasional whininess and chewing on Sophie the giraffe makes me wonder if you are teething...

Your head control is GREAT these days.  I can put you in the Bumbo by yourself and not have to reposition you or straighten you up.  You also continue to love bathtime.  You constantly kick your legs and splash water across the room.  You are so attentive when we read books before bed.  You stare at the pictures and are so still when we read.  I hope this means you'll grow up to be a big reader!

I love your sweet rolls!

best buddies

I started back to work just last week.  It is difficult to leave you on those mornings, but knowing I come home to you and your Dad makes the days pass quickly.  Miss Laura is taking such good care of you and it helps to know you are in such good hands.

right before bed- you are full of joy and laughter!

Your dad and I are so proud of you Sweet P.  You are a very laid back, content little boy.  It is so exciting to see your little personality coming out already.  We can't wait to see how this next month goes.  Your changes are very exciting, and we love every second that we get with you.

Love,
Mom

Look at this progression!!  It's amazing to see the changes!

Back to work

I love his big beautiful smile!

So this last week I returned to work in the ICU.  I was really really dreading going back.  I've told people that one of the things that has surprised me the most about becoming a mother is how much I have enjoyed being at home with Parker.  I have always been very career minded, and honestly, I was worried I would never find time to have children because there were just too many things I had left to do.  I have said before, "I would never be able to stay home with kids- I would go crazy!"  But being home with our son for 12 weeks has been one of the most wonderful experiences of my life- I haven't been bored for a second.  All of that to say, I was shocked how fulfilling being a stay-at-home mom for 3 months could be.  I am going back to work part-time (two 12 hour shifts a week), and Wednesday was my first day.  What a surprise- it wasn't that bad!  In fact, in many ways it was a little refreshing to critically think and use my skill set that I've worked so hard to acquire.  I do love taking care of patients- even some of the crazy ones!  But overall, I think the best part of going back to work, and really what motivated me to return in the first place, is the amazing group of coworkers that I have.  I work with some really incredible people in an environment that is stressful, intense, and at times chaotic.  Having coworkers that work so well as a team is such a blessing.

Laura, Parker's nanny, is incredibly sweet and I think that it is going to be a great arrangement.  Parker does really well with her, and she seems to love him already.  I gave her a copy of our announcement and she told me that she has been showing her "new baby" off to all of her family and friends.  So sweet.  I'll have to get a picture of Parker and Laura.

Parker is getting more and more back to himself, minus his sleeping schedule.  It's amazing how quickly he changes.  Last week I wrote about how he is giggling and smiling like crazy.  He is also "talking" with us all of the time and loves our mimicry.  Then, last night- he almost rolled over!  When on his back, he usually just kicks and waves his arms.  All of a sudden he is rolling his hips over and just one strong kick away from flipping over both front to back and back to front.  I will keep you updated!

His incision site is looking great.  Dr. Chen told us it will be about 6 months before it "looks good."  For the next 6 months the lip will draw up on his left side towards his nose as it heals and then should drop into place.  We think it looks great already.  At the follow-up appointment on Wednesday, he told Spence that he was really pleased with it.  Parker's stents fell out after 4.5 days, and were supposed to stay in for ~2 months (oops!).  He said it was fine- leave them out.  We will go back in June to start planning for the palate surgery which he wants to do in September.  This is a little later than we originally thought, but we'll just roll with it.

He is really using his hands these days

As though he didn't resemble his father enough already- imagine my laughter when I walked into the room to see Parker by himself in the recliner with a coke and watching the golf tournament.  Wow....dejavu!