Parker - Two Months Old!

My sweet little Parker had his two month checkup last week, and for a guy who had a slow start in the weight department, he sure has done some bigtime catching up in the last month or so!

• Weight: 12.0 lb (51st percentile)


• Length: 22 inches (14th percentile)


• Head Circumference: 15.75 inches (83rd percentile)

He got 6 vaccines in 4 doses (3 shots, 1 oral), which I'm sure was a lot more painful for me than for him judging by who cried more! We did find out that Parker has eczema, just like his big sister, and he had a yeast infection (which I didn't even know was possible for boys, but apparently as long as it's dark and moist, yeast doesn't gender discriminate). Otherwise, he couldn't be more perfect!

On another note...my friend Allison introduced me to these adorable stickers by Picky Sticky, which help to capture each special month of baby's first year. You just stick them on a onesie and snap away. Such a cute idea! Unfortunately, I got them late and missed the first two stickers (0 and 1 month), but I'll definitely continue this until he's one!

Parker, we are all just enjoying loving on you and watching you grow so much. You have the sweetest little demeanor, although you do cry if you're wet or dirty and you *really* know how to assert yourself when you're hungry (can't stress that one enough)! Your big sister loves helping Mommy & Daddy with you - holding you, feeding you, bathing you, giving you your paci. It really warms my heart to see the two of you together, and I can't wait to watch your relationship blossom as you do!

Love Always,
Mommy

First Dance Class

Now that Anna is three, I was finally able to enroll her in dance classes this fall!

Very soon after I enrolled her, MawMaw and I took Anna shopping for her dance basics: black leotard, pink tights, pink ballet shoes, black tap shoes and a dance bag. She liked the "buh-lay" shoes, but was immediately enamored with the "noisy shoes" and could not wait to put them on. So it was no surprise that she chose them for her pictures when given the choice. . .

Here she is proudly modeling her new gear and her sweet little bun before her very first class today. I was able to get her to wear the bow for the pictures, but she only agreed because I promised she could take it out when we were done. Sadly, I think her bow-head days are numbered. . .

There is a huge windowed wall with a viewing area into the studio. The blinds were open today, so Daddy, MawMaw and I were able to watch the whole class. Anna was a great listener, and tried everything that was asked of her by her new teacher "Miss Amy".

She was the youngest in her class by a good year and the only new student, so she has some catching up to do. But I have to say she did really well considering!

I think it really helped, too, that her little friend Peyton is in her class. Anna was very much looking forward to seeing her, and kept asking over and over if she was going to be there. The admiration is apparently mutual, because I heard that Peyton was doing the same thing to her mommy :)

At the end of class, everyone got a sticker for being good. Anna is a sticker fiend in general, so she was very proud of her green, glittery happy face.

But not nearly as proud as we were of her!

Little Swimmer

Last summer, I signed Anna up for a swimming class at the YMCA. We showed up for the first lesson, only to find that we were the only ones who signed up for that time and that the class was cancelled. (Thanks for the phone call, YMCA!)

So thanks to that little mess, Anna finally had her first swimming lesson today - a year later and NOT at the YMCA!

On the way into her lesson, we passed the big outdoor pool where the "big kids" on the swim team were practicing. She took one look at it and said, "I don't want that one!"

But she did so well during her private lesson with "Miss Gracie"! She was excited, and although she was a little hesitant, didn't cry at all when it was time to get into the water with only a complete stranger. Once she got in the water, she was all smiles. They practiced kicking, jumping in, floating on her back, and even putting her ears and face in the water (which has historically been a big problem, even in the bathtub).

Daddy and I really enjoyed watching her from behind the glass of the viewing area, and she just looked so proud of herself after each and every little task she conquered. It's so amazing to see her face her fears with a big smile on her face.

Miss Gracie had nothing but good things to say, so we can't wait to see how Anna progresses through the session. Hopefully, she'll be a lot more comfortable and a lot safer in the water by the end of this summer!

Tres

More coming later.

Pre-Schooler

Today, our Anna officially became a pre-schooler! She moved from "Early Childhood II" to the class called "Pre-School I," and had a wonderful first day! This new class re-united her with lots of her old friends that had already moved up, so I'm sure that didn't hurt her success. She did have a little potty accident, but still received glowing comments from her new teachers about how sweet and smart she is.

Mommy and Daddy are a little sad to feel like you're getting so grown up, but we're so proud of you too, Anna! Here's to looking forward to many more successful days in pre-school!

Now I Know My ABC's

Here is my first go at converting some video from our camcorder to post on YouTube:


This is Anna singing the alphabet while we are en route to Sea World. She was in her own little world singing it over and over again, and Derek told me to grab the video camera. I'm so glad I did! My favorite parts are the way she says "L M N O" and the way she says "W".

The things she's playing with are the rocks she was completely obsessed with on the trip. And the bright green thing behind her is a towel we had to put down between her and the carseat because there was an incident with a diaper that couldn't handle the long ride...just in case you were wondering. I know you were. It's okay to admit it.

Oh, and I promise that for next time, I'll try to learn how to edit so that I can spare you from hearing us yell "Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!" This time around, you're going to have to endure it.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Anna!

Because Anna had already celebrated her birthday at school with cupcakes and because her big party is less than a week away, we kept the celebration pretty low-key at home. Just a single cupcake with an Elmo candle (which Anna thought was pretty cool), and then we let her open a few presents.

Just a little warm-up for the main event on Saturday!

Happy Accident

Anna went poo poo in the potty for the first time today!

Cold Turkey

No, this is not a post about a holiday meal-gone-wrong.

Anna slept without her paci for the first time last night!

First Dentist Visit

This morning, Anna went to see Dr. Joe Pierce, DDS for the very first time.

Mommy and Daddy both went along for moral support, and it really wasn't too traumatic. They took her weight and her picture, then "Dr. Joe" took a look at her gorgeous little pearly whites for a whole 10 seconds (if that). And for all of that pain and agony, she got a new toothbrush, a sticker, and a pair of sunglasses!

If only Mommy's dentist were so generous, and the quality of the gifts were in direct correlation to the amount of pain inflicted. I might be on to something! lol

First Haircut

We took Anna to Sweet and Sassy in The Woodlands for her very first haircut on Sunday, October 26!

The salon was super-cute, but as with most things involving toddlers, things didn't go quite how I had envisioned it in my head. I had this picture in my head of Anna sitting in one of their cute little chairs, looking into one of their boa-draped mirrors like a little princess. She'll always be OUR princess no matter what, but that day, our princess got her hair cut sitting in my lap in a huge hot pink chair.

This sucker was the perfect distraction.

Getting Her Trim

All Done

A Failed Attempt at a Picture Sitting Alone in the Big Pink Chair

Ahhh, Compromise

ABC's and 123's

Anna has been surprising us lately by starting to say her alphabet and numbers by herself!

We'll start counting and she'll go to six, seven or eight even after we stop. And just today, she was sitting in her high chair playing with one of her sippy cups that has her name on it. Of course, her name starts with "A", so she'll say "A" often while looking at the cup. But this time, she went on with "B, C, D, E..." all the way to F! Derek and I were just looking at each other in disbelief.

I do need to note that she does not do this on command, so please don't think me a liar if you're at the house and Anna is just picking her nose. She does that too ;)

Tinkle, Tinkle, Little Anna

About a week and half ago, I bought this little training potty for Anna...

I had read that it was good to just let them get used to the chair with no potty talk for a while, so at first, we let her sit on it fully clothed in the living room. Then, we moved it into the bathroom and would sit her on it after she was undressed while we were running her bath. We wouldn't force her to sit on it, but for the most part, she was happy to be there. And I we figured something might "naturally" happen.

Well, tonight it did. Anna tinkled in her potty like a big girl! I'm not sure that she even understands what happened, but we made a huge deal over it and she seemed pretty pleased about the fuss.

We're so proud of you, Anna! I guess now it's time to officially start potty training! Bring on the Elmo "Potty Time" DVD!

When Formula Just Isn't Cutting it Anymore

After getting approval from her pediatrician and much reassurance from grandparents, daycare workers and of course the internet, that Anna is indeed ready for solids, we decided to give rice cereal a try tonight. Here's kind of how it went...



Rice What?!


Oh, Rice Cereal. This could be fun. . .



Is it time for my bottle yet?!
I'm not sure how much rice cereal was actually ingested, but I think it was a good first experience. Mommy and Daddy had fun (not to mention a few laughs and some cute video), and Anna is one step closer to mastering spoon-feeding. Somehow I have a feeling that it's going to take a bit of perseverance from all of us!

Baptism

Anna was baptized on Saturday, May 26, 2007. She was very well-behaved even though she didn't sleep through the whole thing as Mommy anticipated. Here are a few pictures. . .


Sleeping peacefully in the church before her Baptism


At the Baptismal Font during the Pouring of the Water. Water washes away the Original Sin and allows the child to share in a new life.


After the Baptism, wearing the "white shawl" placed on her by Katie, her Godmother. It represents purity and being washed clean of all sin.


After the Baptism, with her Godparents
Godfather - Jeffrey, Derek's Brother
Godmother - Katie, Jennifer's Sister
I didn't get any pictures that really show off just Anna and her beautiful Baptismal gown, so I plan on getting some studio portraits done fairly soon (before she outgrows the dress!) However, I do have this great picture of the little crocheted Mary Jane's with the pearl closure that she wore on her feet. Every girl knows that just because you can't see the shoes doesn't mean they're any less important...it's all about the details! :)



One last thing to share -

There are two different oils used in the Baptism ritual:

1. Oil of Catechumens -
   
   The oil of catechumens represents strength and preparation. The child is anointed on the chest to prepare it for the tough times that as a Christian, or in fact any human person, it will face.


2. Oil of Chrism -
   
   Chrism is a perfumed oil that represents being chosen for a special task. The child is anointed on the head with this oil after the Pouring of the Water.

The Oil of Chrism has a very strong odor, and it made Anna's hair really greasy. I left it on her all day, but was kind of looking forward to bathing her that night and having her smell like "my baby" again. Wrong! Talk about staying power! After washing her hair once that night, twice Sunday morning, and again on Monday and Tuesday, the scent of the oil still lingers.