Hungry Girl

For the first couple of months of Parker's life we were afraid that she was just a very unhappy being, until we realized that the girl loves to EAT. All the time, and bunches. So, when the doctor told us at her 4 month check up that we could start offering her cereal we figured it was a good idea. Well, it's a hit! The kid goes nuts for it. A few weeks in, she still hasn't completely figured out how to eat it, but she knows that she wants that spoon in her mouth, and when it's not she gets very cranky. This video is from her first attempt, but this is still pretty much what it looks like, except now she lunges at the spoon and freaks out when I take it out of her mouth to fill it with more.

I have to admit that it's been hard for us to add this to our daily routine. I think that the problem really stems from the fact that we don't have much of one. Some days I work in the office, some days I'm taking the girls around town working, and sometimes we're just out and about having fun. Evenings can be just as crazy, Jason has jumped into tennis full force and plays at least 3 times a week, I seem to have something going on at least one evening a week, so a schedule is something that other families have. We eat when we all make it back home, sometimes that's 6:30, sometimes it's 8:30. It's never really been an issue with Payton, since she doesn't eat much anyway, and only eats when she's hungry, not necessarily when we put food in front of her. ANYWAY, the thing with Parker is that she's a tough one. She never sleeps, is always ready to eat, and is quite often fussy. We can't seem to get onto a schedule because she won't sleep until she passes out, so there is no morning, afternoon or late afternoon nap to work around. So, to say she's to be fed at 5 or 6 or 7:15 is ludicrous since we're almost always trying to get her to go to sleep!

Pumpkin Patch

Today we went out on the annual hunt for the perfect pumpkin. Payton wandered around for a while, and finally we "encouraged" her to pick a pumpkin. Grandma braved the heat and took her on the hay ride while Jason and I woke up then posed poor little Parker on top of a pumpkin pile. Everyone had a great time and there were no melt downs even though it was nap time and hot, hot, hot. I know that my girls will never understand, but most kids don't wear t-shirts and shorts to the pumpkin patch.

Sucker Time

Sucker Time is the new catch phrase in the house these days. Well, it's one of them. If you say it right, it sounds a lot like "Hammer Time", but Payton and Parker will probably never know what that is, and I'm guessing that their great grandparents probably won't either. For that matter, I'm not sure that their grandparents will, but I'm certain that their Aunt Robynn and Uncle Colin are giggling right now. Anywho, Sucker Time is what happens at the end of the day when there are no accidents. I'm very proud to say that we have had a lot of Sucker Times lately! Payton has been accident free for at least the last 4 days, and maybe more. She's even waking up most mornings with a dry diaper, ah the things that make a mommy happy. She spends most of the day asking for her sucker and struts around proudly chanting Sucker Time around 8 p.m. every evening carrying her sucker telling us how good it is and what the flavor of the day is. Now I wonder, how long does this go on? Am I still going to be giving her suckers before bed when she's 16?

Today was the first time that we had to use a public toilet. We had just eaten lunch and were headed to the pumpkin patch when Payton announced that she had to potty. I started reminding her to hold it while Jason frantically tried to find a gas station. OK, maybe I was the frantic one, but who's keeping track. Anyway, I grabbed her out of her car seat and rushed into the first gas station he could get us to. As I found the hand written RESTROOM sign made with a sharpie and back side of a beer box my mind started to imagine what I might find. It wasn't the worst imaginable, but it wasn't grand either. I ripped off her shorts, panties and shoes and realized the challenges that laid ahead. Once she was done I had to try to get her clothes back on her, while balancing her on my knee and not letting her touch the floor or toilet. Of course the fact that I didn't want her to touch anything just made her work harder to touch every surface she could including the base of the toilet and the floor. Thank God at least there was warm water and soap, so I'm hoping the hand washing took care of everything she may have picked up in our 4 minutes. At least that's what I'm telling myself.
On a brighter note...
Other phrases we are hearing a lot:
I yud you - My personal favorite!
She's funny/That's funny/Parker funny
What Doin?
Sippy Cup!! - In a very frustrated/angry voice while actually asking for a real cup
Mac n Cheese
Parker's cryin'
Callin' Thomas
Take your shoes off!
Hold you, hold you
What Karl Doin'?

Mar Mar Jackie Has Arrived!

If you think there is a look of disdain on Payton's face in this photo, you just might be right. Overall, Payton's been quite welcoming to her baby sister, but moving in on Mar Mar Jackie's attention may have been the last straw for our darling 2 year old. In the past Payton's been THE center of Grandma's world, at least from her own perspective, so sharing the limelight isn't something that she's crazy about.
With that said, we're all thrilled to have Jackie back in town. She arrived about 2 1/2 weeks ago and we're having so much fun. We've been to the beach, had some yummy dinners, I've been able to work a bit, and today we went to the Pumpkin Patch and costume shopping. The girls have been giving her a workout while I sneak away to the office a few hours now and then. And this week Payton even got to have a sleepover with Grandma and Snow. I understand that she stayed up until around 10, and was ready to party again at 6:30 in the morning. Apparently it was a 2 cup of coffee morning for Grandma!
I wonder if the girls will ever understand how lucky they are to have Grandma here for 6 months out of the year, and that she is able to spend so much time with them both.

Grandma & Grandpa Come To Florida

Mom & Dad came for a visit last week using my birthday as an excuse to see the girls. This was their second visit since Parker was born, and this was WAY more fun!!

Payton spent the week before their visit telling me that she wanted to go to Colorado every time I would remind her that they were coming. I want to go to col-or-AD-do she would tell me over and over. I'd try to explain that they were coming here, but she was determined to go there. Once they finally made it she was thrilled beyond belief. Since she's still pretty young, I have a terrible fear that at each visit she will have forgotten who they are and will be shy, but oh no, she gets so fired up to see them every time.

On Sunday we ditched Parker (sorry sweetie) and headed to the water park. I think that everyone thought I was weird wanting to spend my 35th birthday at a water park, but I gotta tell you it was great! Payton got to show off her swimming and water skills and we all got to play. The lazy river was quite a hit. Payton bounced from tube to tube and loved splashing and being splashed.

We spent most of the remainder of their visit hanging out around the house just playing. I love to watch Payton with Mom & Dad. I wonder if she has any idea how lucky she is to have grandparents who can keep up with her! They bounce, they roll, and they go along with whatever her game of the moment is. She loves to tickle with them and giggle, giggle, giggle!

The saddest part of every visit is when they have to leave. Poor kid just can't take it. Every time now when we drop them off at the airport she cries and cries. I feel so terrible for her, it's like her little heart is just breaking. The good news is that she's two, and can easily be distracted with the promise of CHICKEN NUGGETS!!

Rainy Day

Last week the heat finally broke for an afternoon and Payton and I headed out for some fun in the rain while Parker slept. It wasn't like a typical Florida rain when it stays hot, hot, hot. This afternoon it really cooled off and the air was crisp like what I grew up with. I love how much she loves to play in the rain!

What My Big Girl Is Up To These Days

Everyone always says this about kids, but it's so true. Every day she changes so much! It seems like just a few days ago she was talking like a baby, using one or two words to get her point across but suddenly I hear her speaking in sentences, and ending many of them with PLEASE, I love it!!! She has such inflections and attitudes in her speech, it totally cracks me up to listen to her have a conversation. When she came home tonight from Grandma & Grandpa's she came in the door and had to asked where everyone was, "Where is Parker? Where is Oliver? Where is Mommy? Where is Parker?"
She's also making progress in her potty training. Our deal is that when she uses the potty she gets money for her piggy bank (when I remember) and that she gets a sucker at the END of the day IF she doesn't have any accidents. Well she's had suckers 3 or 4 times in the last week, and the days that she didn't there was only one accident holding her back, so I think we're almost there. Yippee!! Tonight I had to fight her to get a diaper on for bed, she really thought wearing panties was the right thing to do. Ugh, not excited about changing sheets in the middle of the night and consoling a crying kid so I'm going to put that off for a while. But I'm super proud of her.
The other thing that seems to be happening is that she's starting to take an interest in picking out her own clothes. So far, I still have veto power and tend to let her pick out a top or bottom and then I match up the other end, but I'm certain that the day is coming very soon when I loose that right. She's had her favorite shoe selections for a while, which often have NOTHING in common with her outfit. For you that have seen her strange combinations I just had to get that in so that you didn't think I made up these combinations.

Parker Gets Her Way

Today was a trying day. Parker has decided to take this whole "Princess" concept to heart, everything must go her way. All day she was only content being held, and being held the way she wanted to be held. So, I spent most of my day holding her or begging her to stop crying, which may turn out to be a new diet technique, I'll have to see how that goes.

She's 4 1/2 months old now so I've been trying to get a bit of a bedtime in place for her. Around 8 I put her in her crib for the night. Most nights she just goes to sleep without a peep, but tonight she did not want to got bed. Instead, she screamed bloody murder. I tried turning her mobile on, no go. I tried leaning over the crib and holding her hand, that didn't do it either. So, I picked her up and she was instantly calm and happy. Within a few minutes she was perfectly happy to go to bed, on her terms. Ah, can't wait till tomorrow!

Endings

Parker, it seems that you are the end, and I tend to be one that cries at the happy endings so I'll probably shed tears a lot as you do, and stop doing things. See with Payton, she will probably do everything first. She obviously rolled over, walked, and talked before you so we celebrated all of those things because we'd never seen them all done before. I wondered if things would be as celebrated for you, but now I know that they will be. First of all, you'll do them all your own way, which I'm learning will probably be very different than how Payton did them. Secondly, this is the last time we'll get to experience all of these amazing feats and maybe we'll be more aware and recognize more this time around. Like today, I watched you for 10 minutes try really hard to roll over. I knew that if you got it, this would be IT, a big first that I won't get to witness again in life. So I sit here writing this with a tear in my eye, just a little bit happy that you didn't make it over today, so I can save it for another day.

Along those same lines, I had another strange moment today. I threw away the hoses to my breast pump. For the last week or so you've been drinking formula and using up the last of the frozen milk from the fridge. So it was time to clear all of the pumping stuff out of the kitchen cabinets to make room for bigger bottles. I stood over the garbage can and hesitated for the longest time. So weird that I'll never feed you again myself. I'm so glad that we stuck it out and worked at it together to get things working for both of us, but the time has come to move on. You are one hungry little monster and I just can't keep up with you wanting to eat all of the time. So my body is my own again and I should be 100% thrilled, but there is a little part of me all ready missing my newborn baby.