Parker's first SUSHI experience

So, everyone that knows my husband knows how OBSESSED he is with sushi ... right?!? YA, well I basically feel like we live at all these sushi restaurants around here. I don't even like sushi, but I go because I know he LOVES IT! We actually make friends at these places ... ya, pathetic, I know! The owners all know us by name and couldn't wait for Parker to make his arrival, and also for me to try sushi for the first time! We love going to this small sushi place in Prospect, not only for the food, but we LOVE the sushi chef "TEN" and the little lady that owns it. She is so sweet to us. Always made me something special when I was pregnant. She always ask about Parker and how I was feeling. Finally, we made the adventure out with the baby. Nervous about what may happen when we go out in public, but he acted like an angel! They were so excited to meet him and couldn't believe that I had him just 4 weeks ago. I hope that Parker grows up loving sushi as much as his dad does or we are both in trouble!!

Do you know where your kid is at 3am?!?

Either CRYING, EATING, PEEING, or POOING ..... ohhh the life of a 1 month old! This is Parker at 3am during one of our feedings. Creepy looking .... I know!

Happy NANA shower!!!!

Last night, my mom's friend Chris surprised her with a "Grandma" shower! Mom thought she was coming to play bunco with the girls, but was surprised when she walked in to a shower for her! It was very sweet of her friends. She got lots of new things for her house when she keeps Parker! She even has her own Pack and Play now! Wew Hew!!!! We love you Nana :)

1 month check-up and 1st SHOT :(

POOR, POOR baby P .... we had our 1 month check-up today which means first SHOT!!! Sooooo wasn't looking forward to this. Actually couldn't sleep over it, knowing that it was gonna hurt him. We headed to the doctors around 10am, I was sick to my stomach! The doctor did his physical and said he looked FANTASTIC! He now weighs a whole 9lbs!!! BIG BOY! The doctor laughed and said "You sure are doing a good job feeding this boy"! He gained more than enough weight, which is a good thing! All his measurements measured perfect, we couldn't be happier! After the doctors, I took baby Parks home for a looooong nap!! Not looking forward to his 2 month ... more shots to come!

1 month - where has the time gone?!?

My BIG BOY is now a month old. *(tear)* It's crazy how fast the time has gone and how much baby Parker has changed. Each day is so different with him. His expressions are priceless! We are still figuring out our sleeping schedule .... seems like it's totally different every night. We have our good nights, and then we have our bad. He is now taking 4oz of formula which means he is growing. Although I want him to stay so sweet and little, it's good that he's growing and getting bigger each day. One thing is for sure .... the boy sure does know how to BURP and FART like a man! I mean seriously, who would have thought such a little guy could do that?!? He's still so stinkin' cute though!!! We go to the doctors tomorrow morning for his first shots ... dear GOD, HELP ME!!! I am so nervous and so not looking forward to it. I will post details all about it and PLEASE pray for us and baby Parks that he does ok.

Birthday and Engaged!!!

July 23, 2009 -- My BEST FRIEND Jamie went to dinner with her (now fiance) to celebrate her birthday and ended up coming home with a rock on her finger! I am so excited for her and Nathan! We have been best friends since the 1st grade and couldn't be happier for her. I know she's been anxious for this day and now we can start the planning! I can't wait to be apart of her big day! Now, we have to start teaching Parker to walk so we can talk her into putting him in the wedding!!!!!!!
We love you Jamie and Nathan ... CONGRATS :)

Belly button OFF ... time for a BIG BOY bath!

It's a GREAT DAY .... Parker's belly button fell off!!! OK, so I know some people may think I am crazy for celebrating this BIG day ... but what can I say, it's pretty exciting! We noticed that it had fallen off in his little diaper. I was excited because it meant BATH TIME! REAL bath time ... we were starting to get worried that we were going to have the smelly kid in class!! All the milk and spit up that had made it's way under his chin .... ya, not so cute!! SO ... mom and I gave him a bath in my tub. He seemed to LOVE it! The warm water must have felt good to him, or maybe since I took so many baths when he was in my belly, he was just used to it!! Who knows?!? Doesn't he look so sweet in there?!? Love him :)

The Otter's "Green Thumb"

A couple of weeks before baby Parker was born, John and I decided we wanted to start our own garden in the back. We decided to plant tomatoes, peppers, and basil. Since we both LOVE to make caprese salads, we can use our own tomatoes and basil from our back yard! It's actually alot of fun growing things, who would have thought?!? Here are some pictures of our growing garden ... ENJOY :)

From PREEMIE to NEWBORN

It's official ... Parker is growing and already moving up in diapers. It's a sad sad day :( We started little man out in preemie diapers because he was so small. He still fits in them but he was peeing on his back during the night. I couldn't figure out what was going on or what we were doing wrong. I was constantly changing his diaper along with his clothes due to pee pee problems! In one night, he went through like 6 diapers and 4 sleepers, and he HATES being changed, so it was not a fun night AT ALL! Problem solved when we tried newborn diapers. Although they still look a little big, the pee pee down the back problem is gone for now! Bigger diapers and "point it down." KEY TO SUCCESS!

Mr. and Mrs. Didio

Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Didio! We had so much fun :)

Here's to you "King of Pop"

We found Parker totally engrossed in the Michael Jackson funeral on T.V. He wore one glove as a tribute to the "King of Pop". He especially loved the song "we are the world"! Thought you all would enjoy this ;)

Tips and Tricks - Clothing

Although I have only been a mommy for 12 days, I have picked up on some tricks when it comes to dressing Parker. When you first find out you're pregnant, the fun begins ... and so does the shopping! If you love to shop like me, then shopping for baby is like your new favorite thing to do (sad I know)! I remember even buying a couple of girl onesies at the beginning because John and I were convinced we were carrying a girl .... BOY we're we wrong! So along with shopping for baby, comes the name brands! I mean, who doesn't want their kid wearing POLO, JUICY COUTURE, CALVIN KLIEN, OR BABY ED HARDY?!? It's too cute to pass up. So after buying ALL my name brand clothes and dreaming of the day Parker would be here and then dressing him in all his cute little outfits, I couldn't wait! Well .... ya, not so much. At least not so much RIGHT NOW. When you are constantly changing your little man's diaper every 2-3 hours, it's a pain snapping and zipping or whatever your "cute litlle outfit" requires. My mom and I have found that BABY GOWNS are the way to go! These little sweet gowns are simple and easy to handle when changing, especially at night time. It's still fun to dress him in his cute clothes during the day, but these gowns are awesome! Parker hates when we change him. He hates anything that goes over his little tiny head. We have had a very hard time finding these gowns. BabiesRus only carry a few. We have found some at Macys, Target, and Marshalls. Parker has to wear Preemie diapers since he is so small. We have been buying these gowns in newborn-3 months. They are extra long and we have to roll the sleeves a bit, but they are so much easier than some clothes. Totally recommend these!
Another "baby tip" when having a newborn is buying baby mittens. These are good for newborns because they are constantly rubbing and scratching their little faces. Parker had scratches on his face from his nails. When he came out of my belly, I noticed how long his nails were from the beginning. They seem like they keep growing and growing. It's scary taking nail clippers to a baby. If I notice Parker is playing with his face, I will put these mittens on and it solves the problem!

"I guess that's why they call it the blues"

So, I knew about all the emotional feelings that came along with being pregnant, but no one warned me about being so emotional AFTER the pregnancy. I have been one crying train wreck since Parker was born! I cried leaving the hospital... I was sad leaving my nurses and the comfort of having someone to help us with the push of a button. Before I had Parker, I watched "The Baby Story" and "Bringing Home Baby" religiously on TLC. Now, if I pass it up while channel surfing, I cry! Yes, it's pathetic I know. I absolutley LOVED being pregnant, I loved everything about it! Maybe since I had it so easy, and had such an easy delivery... who knows. When I am rocking my son to sleep in the middle of the night, no matter how tired I am ... I look at him and cry with happiness. I still can't believe something so beautiful, so amazing came from me. John and I are so so lucky, we truly have a beautiful family. No telling when my hormones will be back to normal ... good news is that i'm not crazy and I read that this is normal in some women. We are blessed with a beautiful family and I can't wait to have more ... whenever my husband is ready!

Happy 4th of July!

So, the good news is that we weren't in the hospital in labor over the weekend. Instead, we got to enjoy the 4th with family and our beautiful 1 week old baby boy! We took Parker to my brother and sister in-laws for a cookout and fireworks. He got to visit with his cousins and then he fell asleep .... and I mean, the boy didn't even wake up during the firework show!! Slept right through it! Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend ... we are looking forward to next years 4th of July with our growing family!

"Rub a dub dub" ... Parker's in the tub!

My mom and I gave Parker is first bath today! We can't exactly give him a "real" bath yet, so a sponge bath will do for now! He was wonderful. Didn't cry or fuss. Just laid there and looked around. It's crazy how he is already noticing his surroundings and becoming aware of certain voices. We love him so much :)

First day out .. off to the doctor's we go!

7-2-09 - Today was Parker's first day out of the house and you bet I was nervous! I was scared to drive, scared how he would act in public, and scared he would do the "do-do" at the doctors. We had to go see Dr. Sturgeon for Parker's first baby evaluation. He did great until they made me undress him to his diaper. He doesn't like being cold, and who does?!? YES, I was the paranoid mommy that didn't want anyone touching her child. I hated how the nurse handled him when she weighed him. I know I'm just being anal, but he's my world now and I want nothing but the best for him. I came with my long list of questions for the doctor, and yes, he laughed and called me crazy ... but I'm new at this, what can you expect?!? So the Dr. Sturgeon did his thing, checked all his parts and the results came back PERFECT! Beautiful skin, weight gain, a perfect healthy baby boy. I was relieved. My mom went with me this time because John had to work. She's been a great help lately and letting me get some rest. After the doctor visit, we stopped by daddy's work to visit and try out his first luxury mattress! He's gonna be a mattress snob like his daddy, I can already tell!!! The day went much better than I thought. No fussy baby, and no dirty diapers. I swear Parker is perfect!

Bringing home baby 6-30-09

We finally got to bring Parker home yesterday. I was so nervous leaving the hospital and knowing we were on our own. The nurses pretty much did everything for us at the hospital so it's over whelming knowing we were in charge for now on! I knew things we would be ok, I think it is very true when people say that your "motherly instincts" kick in once you hold your baby. I am very new to all this and I feel so comfortable with Parker. Yes, I'm sure John and I will make mistakes, but that's what it's all about, a learning process. I was so excited to put Parker in his car seat. He looked so tiny and so sweet. When we got home, I was still so exhausted from the hospital but couldn't rest. I don't want to miss any part of Parker! We had visitors waiting at the house for our arrival already. I didn't get any rest the whole day because people were in and out visiting with Parker, but it was all worth it to me! Night time came and he did great! He woke up about 5 times during the night. Never really cried just started to fuss a bit. We changed diapers, fed, and rocked until he was happy. I was so surprised that he would do so well. He truly is such an easy baby! We are so in love with him and can't take our eyes off of him. It is so true wen people say a mother's love is a love that you cannot explain. It is such an amazing feeling that you brought this miracle into the world.

"LABOR" day .... (our labor story)

Our "labor" day started off like this .... Saturday morning my girlfriend Jamie and I went o breakfast together. I was feeling sore still from the membrane strip, plus having BH contrations on top of that. After breakfast I decided to spend the day at the pool with some friends, thinking the water would help my contractions and maybe trigger labor. I know most people sit around the house after having their membranes stripped, but I was bored and just sitting and waiting didn't sound too fun! So, I hung out at the pool for a bit, got some sun and headed home. When I got home, John was back from work. I had told him how I was still feeling "crampy" but no serious signs of labor. We waited around for a bit and finally I gave in and called the doctor (around 4:30pm). I told her I was contracting but my water hadn't broken yet. She said I could take a chance and come in or I can sit it out and wait. We waited for a couple hours and finally, I walked into the bedroom and said "it's time". I just had feeling in my gut we needed to go. We gathered our things, thinking we would possibly be coming back and headed to the hospital. When we got there, it was us and another girl having a baby on the entire floor. It was scary how quiet the place was. We checked in, and they sent me to a delivery room where I changed into my gown, and began answering a million questions with the nurse. At this point I was basically freaking out, I figured we would be back home sleeping with our dog in a few hours. It was so surreal and I couldn't believe we were there. We didn't want to call anyone until we knew if we were staying for sure. The nurses did some test, and watched how far I dilated within the hour. I came in at 2.5 centimeters and within the hour had progressed to 3.5. My contractions were getting stronger and closer together. So .... the nurse came back and said "are you all ready to have a baby?" My heart dropped, and the sick feeling in my belly began. We called our family and friends to tell them the news (around 8:30pm) John's family was at their lake house, about 1.5 hrs away. They packed up and headed home while my parents were on their way! My best friend Jamie arrived first, I was so happy to see she came prepared with an overnight bag, food, magazines, and redbulls! I knew she was planning on staying for the whole thing! Our parents arrived and everyone started to get excited. Meanwhile, the nurses had broken my water and the PAINFUL contractions began! I CANNOT even explain how these things felt, it was the worse pain I have ever experienced. I think I almost broke the bed railing a couple of times. There was nothing anyone could do for me but watch me go through the intense, painful contractions. I went through these probably for a good hour and maybe 10 total. Then it was epidural time!! Dr. "feel good" was in the house! Once that kicked in, my life was all good! I felt NOTHING. It was strange not being in control thighs down. Our nurse was in and out checking my dilation phases. I went from 4 to 6 to 8 to 9 and then 10 at least by 1:30am. It was crazy how much I was dilating in such a short time. The nurses had planned on delivering Parker around 6 or 7am. We had no clue I would progress that much so we called John's parents and my dad to tell them to hurry back! It was going to be soon!!! I remember around 1:50am the doctor came in, checked me out and said ok, lets start pushing! I was nervous and shocked. I thought for sure I was going to have a c-section. I never imagined pushing. I didn't know how! We could only have 3 people in during the delivery. My mom, John and Jamie stayed by my side the whole way. Jamie wanted to see EVERYTHING, so she took "foot patrol" and hung out down there. Before we knew it, I started to push. The doctor said to push like I was doing crunches. I definitely knew how to do those, so I curled up and held it for 10 seconds. I pushed a total of 4 times and he was out! It was amazing to see how with each push, little by little, his body came out. I was in shock and still am that a baby was inside me. Only 4 pushes and my baby boy that I carried for 9.5 months, that poked and kicked me was finally here. He came out crying and looked absolutely perfect! Everyone was crying and so happy to see the little guy. It was honestly so quick and easy that I still feel like it was a dream. The nurses kept saying how It was such a perfect delivery and they wish everyone's could be like that. John did AMAZING, no passing out .... he even cut the cord with no problem! Parker was born at 2:03 am so we figured that I was in labor for abour 6 hours all together. Piece of cake!!!! After the delievery, we got to hang out with Parker for a bit while the fixed me up. We were in our recovery room by 4am. As you can imagine, I didn't sleep for a good 16 hours after, just still in shock. I still haven't slept a full 8 hour night since Parker was born. One thing is for sure .... I am in love with this little guy, a love that I cannot explain or put into words. What I went through was something amazing, and so surreal. I couldn't have done it without the support of my mom. Jamie, and John. Our baby boy is PERFECT and we cannot take our eyes off of him. We are blessed and thrilled to be his mommy and daddy.