Parker Lou is 1!

Hi, my name is Parker and this is officially my first blog entry. This is not Price, this is Parker talking, just want to make sure you know that. I'm one now, I'm a big girl. I put my feet up in my high chair and I like to get food all over my face and I like to show that I'm one. I like to steal my brother's water bottle too. I'm one. Here are some pics from my birthday party my mom and dad put on for me with all my friends. 

This is my party dress. I had a cupcake party and my dress had cupcakes on it. Mom calls me cupcake. I must be cute. 

This is my cake. I loved it. I almost ate the whole thing. My aunt Nancy made it for me and if you remember, she made the same birthday cake for Price for his first birthday, but mine was pink, not blue. 

It had a candle on it and everything! Mom and brother helped me blow out the candle. 

Wow, this is all for me?

Yum!!

Here is a pic of more of the goodies we had to eat. 

Present time!

I sure love my baby!

My buddy Colbie! She is only 2 months older than me. 

My cousin Ko Ko and my Auntie Karis

Love my grandpa!

My grandma Betty! My brother took this picture, all by himself. 

My grandmas are too much fun!

My Grammi and Grampy were also there but I don't have a picture of them. But they gave me a new baby, I like her a lot. 

I had so much fun! I can't wait until I'm 2! 

My baby is 1

Wow. Where has the year gone? I blinked and Parker is 1. Not an infant anymore, a little girl, her own person. You can tell by my lack of entries that this past year has been in a sense a blur. I haven't posted anything since Halloween, 4 months old.  A lot has happened and the bottom line is: both of our kids are alive, healthy and happy. Here is what I know so far about our baby girl: she is a spit fire. She has a big personality in a small package. She smiles with her eyes, she loves her brother more than anything, she's a blondie, she flirts with her daddy, she thinks her name is Sissy over Parker, she loves to see me and my boob often and inconveniently still during the night and she is going to start running like tomorrow. 

She has done things at a different pace than Price. She walked right at 11 months, and got teeth sooner. She has learned from Price what to do and she wants to do things like him and not a baby. She wants his water, wants to eat with her hands, wants to run but can't. She is hilarious. 

The biggest joy this past year has seen the unexpected bond between her and Price. I wasn't prepared for that and did not expect it to happen so soon. He is such a gentle leader. He shares with her, comforts her when she is sad, makes her laugh and plays with her. I had no idea when we just had Price how much fun it would be with two babies running around. I can only imagine what the future will hold. 

I am not going to say this past year has not come without struggle. Having a second baby so soon after the first is no joke. In the trenches people, trying to survive. I'll tell you what: I would not have made it without the emotional support of my husband. There were days when he'd come home from work and I'd just cry. I didn't feel adequate, I didn't feel like I was doing a good enough job. On my good days I thought, "I nailed this mom thing but failed at the wife thing" or "I nailed the wife thing but failed at the kid thing." Forget about my social life. I think my friends think I moved or died. I did neither. I just live by naps, feedings, playtime, bedtime and repeat. I didn't realize being a mom of two little ones would be so hard. It's hard and anyone telling you it isn't is either lying or getting a LOT of help. Wine has helped. Running, when I can-has helped. Laughing at myself has helped. There are silver linings and now that she is turning 1, I am seeing more and more frequently. So I am starting to see the light. 

Looking back on the past year I don't think I'd do anything different and I don't regret anything. Sure, I would love to lose the 20 pounds of weight I'm still carrying around but I know now things don't happen as quickly as I'd like and I think I'm okay with that:) 

I'm in a mommy fog for sure but I like being in that fog. It means I'm focused on what is most important right now. And what is most important to me is dedicating my time to my little ones. Price is already 3 in September and Parker is having her 1st birthday party on Saturday. Time goes by so fast and I'm just cherishing every moment the best I can. 

Halloween week

Well, mommy did Halloween week last year with me but this year we all got a pretty bad cold so it was cut a bit short. But we still managed to dress up a couple days. Here are the highlights:

Parker is a cupcake, I'm the baker

She was a little confused. She thought she was the baker too

Day 2: Parker a strawberry, I'm in the farmer

We only made it to day 2 but I also got to dress up for school. I'm Price from the Husky team. Get it, Price...my name is Price, his name is Price. 

Ever since I dressed up like a football player I've been wanting to wear my shoulder pads daddy got me. 

I'm kind of sick here. Can you tell? My nose is a bit red but I'm a trooper. It wasn't that bad.

And here is the best picture...

Do you think some football players have binkies or play football without pants?

Let the Holiday Season begin!

The Holiday Season is here! We went to "The Farm" in Snohomish to look at Pumpkins and check out the animals. It was awesome, there was so much to see. 

On a mission to see the pumpkins

There are so many more pumpkins than in my pumpkin patch at home

There were even corn stalks with actual corn on them. Mom said I could not eat them though. Eric the horse would sure like them

Check this out! A long haired, long horned cow! She was a momma, she had a baby behind her

Can we come here again tomorrow? 

First day of school-for me!

I had my first day of school yesterday! Mom said I get to go with her every Friday from 9:15-11:15. I go to Harbour Pointe Christian Preschool. My teacher's name is Miss Stacey and there are 11 kids in my class with 11 moms or dads. 

My daddy even got to go with us on my first day. I was the only kid who had both their mommy and daddy there. That is Miss Stacey in the background. She is really nice. I listened to her very well.

I even had my own basket to put my work in. Look it says Price! That's me!

The classroom was so cool! The first thing I saw was this cool container of these soft foamy pieces I got to put in one container to the next. There were even little pumpkins and leaves in there, it was like treasure! 

The first project I ever made in school was this painted bat. Halloween is coming so our projects today were all about bats. 

Before I could paint I had to wait for Miss Stacey to give me a piece of paper to paint on.

Here's another project. Bats flying around the blue sky. Mom showed me what glue was all about. Never seen that before.

After craft time we got to go into the chapel to play with balloons! We tossed them up in the air and tried to catch them. Mom and dad played with me, it was lots of fun!

After balloons we went back into our classroom to have snack. We got food!

Snack was string cheese, grapes, strawberries and guess what? It was someone's birthday so we had cupcakes too. I didn't want to wear the party hat though, mom did. 

I ate all the frosting but no cake. Not enough time.

After snack it was time to wind down and Miss Stacey read us a book. I was starting to get pretty sleepy. 

What a fun day! But boy I'm pooped. I'll be ready to go again though next Friday. We get to wear our Halloween costumes, I can't wait! 

My babies

Looking at these two melt my heart. They got me. I love them both so much. Even when I think I'm going to fall asleep standing at 3:00 in the afternoon every day, I wouldn't change a thing. Well, maybe 1 thing:) I might change the fact that really the only time Parker falls asleep during the day is on me or when I'm carrying her in the baby Ergo. That's really about it. There are times, at least once a day, that I want to cry or think I'm not doing an adequate job. But I realize it's all about the journey and I am fortunate to have my two babies and all the excitement it brings each day. 

Sure I'd like my old body back, I'd like my feet not to hurt, I'd like to put make up on or dry my hair, I'd like to sleep more, I'd like to go have drinks with friends. But all that will come and I'm trying to cherish the moments I have with them now because I know they will be gone one day and what will seem like very soon. 

We were at the nearby park the other morning walking around. Parker on me, Price walking through the leaves. I was telling Price about ferns and bark on the trees and leaves falling from the trees. It was a simple, relaxing morning and one I'll always remember. I'm sure there will be a day where I won't have that quiet walk in the woods with my kids. They may not even want to walk in the woods with me anymore. Those are the times I try to be in the moment and not think about all the hard things about being a parent of two small ones. 

Time is moving and moving pretty quickly. Price starts his first day of school tomorrow. It's called Friday 2's. It's only 2 hours on Friday mornings where him and I get to go and get the school experience together. Today, we went to Target to get his first backpack. He picked the Elmo backpack over the Cars backpack. When he got home he wanted to know how to put it on after he put his new football in there. 

My 2nd birthday!

I'm 2! That means I'm not 1 anymore. Mom and dad threw me a very fun birthday party down at the Mukilteo Beach, my favorite place! My whole family was there and some of my friends, it was great. I even got to eat cake and open lots of great presents!

YUM! At first I didn't know if I could even touch it!

I got a basketball cake and everything. I overhead mom say, "I guess Costco doesn't know how to do a basketball." Looks more like an orange tennis ball to me and I even know that. 

My Grammy and Grampy eating cake with me

Look at this card! It has my name on it!

Mom really liked this gift. I got a lot of clothes. I'm going to be stylin for fall.

Look It's a basketball and it's my favorite color!

And some of my favorite people were there...

Love my cousin Koen, or Ko Ko as mommy likes to call him

My sister Parker and Koen are up to no good. They are crazy!

What a fun day! I want to do it again next year.