Sunday, March 11, 2012
Baby Bibs
I often wondered what moms who stay at home do all day. Let me first say that taking care of a kid takes way more time than I thought, but I'll also say that I now have time to take up new hobbies and develop some talents that have been on the back burner for a long time. One of those things is sewing. Paul got me a sewing machine for my birthday in 2010 and it stayed in the box until Trudy came to stay with us when Parker was born. She re-taught me how to use a sewing machine (it had been almost 10 years since I'd used one) and I've been fiddling with it on small projects ever since. I made a couple bibs last week for a baby shower I went to- I think they're the cutest thing and need to make some for Parker!
Stake Youth Auction
Apparently updating our blog wasn't one of my New Year's resolutions... :)
As the date of our departure from LA nears, I've been considering some of the things I'll miss most about this place. There are a few things that I can't wait to put behind us (mostly the traffic and lack of grass in the mile radius surrounding our apartment), but for the most part it's going to be difficult to leave all the things and people we've come to love.
One of those things is the Stake Youth Auction held every year to help pay for Scout and Girls Camp. People donate items ranging from quilts and cupcakes to babysitting and SAT tutoring and lots of things in between for the silent auction, then later in the evening is the live auction. In previous years, there have been helicopter tours, a basketball autographed by Jimmer Fredette and other big shots in the NCAA championship game, box seats at a Lakers game and other cool items for the live auction. This year the coolest thing up for bid was to have your answering machine message recorded by Larry King. We have bid on several items in the silent auction, but in the last four years, I can't remember ever having won anything. Last year Paul was in a fierce bidding war with some Korean teenagers for a pair of high top sneakers. They were guarding the sheet of paper where the bids are placed and to his great dismay, they outbid him seconds before the bidding was closed. This year, we decided to bid on more items in the hopes that we would at least get something. To our great surprise, we won four items!
Our loot:
* A round of golf
* A $25 dollar gift card to Chilis AND a chocolate cake (we won with a bid of $20!)
* A "Tiffany Cake" which was shaped and decorated like a jewelery box
* 10 homemade greeting cards
So... anyone want to come over and have some cake? We have plenty. Actually, we gave the chocolate cake to the Dungeons and Dragons group that gets together every Sunday afternoon, so you might have to fight Paul for a slice of the other.
I love our ward and I love our stake; I don't think we've ever felt so needed as we do here. I guess the saying goes that your favorite ward should be the one you're currently in, but I think it's going to be hard to top the USC ward and the LA Stake.
As the date of our departure from LA nears, I've been considering some of the things I'll miss most about this place. There are a few things that I can't wait to put behind us (mostly the traffic and lack of grass in the mile radius surrounding our apartment), but for the most part it's going to be difficult to leave all the things and people we've come to love.
One of those things is the Stake Youth Auction held every year to help pay for Scout and Girls Camp. People donate items ranging from quilts and cupcakes to babysitting and SAT tutoring and lots of things in between for the silent auction, then later in the evening is the live auction. In previous years, there have been helicopter tours, a basketball autographed by Jimmer Fredette and other big shots in the NCAA championship game, box seats at a Lakers game and other cool items for the live auction. This year the coolest thing up for bid was to have your answering machine message recorded by Larry King. We have bid on several items in the silent auction, but in the last four years, I can't remember ever having won anything. Last year Paul was in a fierce bidding war with some Korean teenagers for a pair of high top sneakers. They were guarding the sheet of paper where the bids are placed and to his great dismay, they outbid him seconds before the bidding was closed. This year, we decided to bid on more items in the hopes that we would at least get something. To our great surprise, we won four items!
Our loot:
* A round of golf
* A $25 dollar gift card to Chilis AND a chocolate cake (we won with a bid of $20!)
* A "Tiffany Cake" which was shaped and decorated like a jewelery box
* 10 homemade greeting cards
So... anyone want to come over and have some cake? We have plenty. Actually, we gave the chocolate cake to the Dungeons and Dragons group that gets together every Sunday afternoon, so you might have to fight Paul for a slice of the other.
I love our ward and I love our stake; I don't think we've ever felt so needed as we do here. I guess the saying goes that your favorite ward should be the one you're currently in, but I think it's going to be hard to top the USC ward and the LA Stake.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Christmas Break
Having Paul at home was the best Christmas present I can think of, and even though he was usually studying, we got to do a lot of fun things.
I started off the break by going to the LA Ballet's production of The Nutcracker with a friend from church. Can you believe Paul didn't want to go with me?? Weird. Instead, he volunteered to babysit Parker and have a male bonding night.
We got a Christmas tree- a real one that smelled wonderful! The last time we got a tree was in 2007 and since then I've been a Scrooge and have not wanted to spend money on one. I don't know what changed this year, but I'm glad it did. I also put up some other Christmas decorations and I love how festive our little apartment felt.
We went up to Paul's parents' house for Christmas where Parker was the only grandbaby. He got lots of attention, and was only a little fussy, which I'll blame on him having a cold. While we were there we got to spend time with friends from BYU.
Paul had his third and final interview for a dental residency and we should hear back at the end of this month. If our wildest dreams come true, we'll be in Sacramento staring in July for one year.
Paul has been studying to take Part 2 of the Dental Boards. He took Part 1 two summers ago and did very well, but it came at a price. Paul usually keeps things light and likes to joke around, but in all seriousness he refers to that summer as "a very dark time" and that studying for that test was the worst thing that has ever happened to him in his whole life. This time around the exam is pass/fail, so I think there's less pressure, but it's still been very consuming of his time.
We got some really awesome gifts this year, but I think it's safe to say that Paul's favorite is a remote control helicopter from Parker. On his study breaks, you'll find him in our garage perfecting his piloting skills. Parker prefers to enjoy the helicopter from a distance- like, out of sight or sound. If he sees or hears it, he starts to cry.
We had a really wonderful break and spent a lot of time contemplating our many, many blessings and how fortunate we've been this year. We're so excited for 2012 and all the new adventures headed our way.
I started off the break by going to the LA Ballet's production of The Nutcracker with a friend from church. Can you believe Paul didn't want to go with me?? Weird. Instead, he volunteered to babysit Parker and have a male bonding night.
We got a Christmas tree- a real one that smelled wonderful! The last time we got a tree was in 2007 and since then I've been a Scrooge and have not wanted to spend money on one. I don't know what changed this year, but I'm glad it did. I also put up some other Christmas decorations and I love how festive our little apartment felt.
We went up to Paul's parents' house for Christmas where Parker was the only grandbaby. He got lots of attention, and was only a little fussy, which I'll blame on him having a cold. While we were there we got to spend time with friends from BYU.
Paul had his third and final interview for a dental residency and we should hear back at the end of this month. If our wildest dreams come true, we'll be in Sacramento staring in July for one year.
Paul has been studying to take Part 2 of the Dental Boards. He took Part 1 two summers ago and did very well, but it came at a price. Paul usually keeps things light and likes to joke around, but in all seriousness he refers to that summer as "a very dark time" and that studying for that test was the worst thing that has ever happened to him in his whole life. This time around the exam is pass/fail, so I think there's less pressure, but it's still been very consuming of his time.
We got some really awesome gifts this year, but I think it's safe to say that Paul's favorite is a remote control helicopter from Parker. On his study breaks, you'll find him in our garage perfecting his piloting skills. Parker prefers to enjoy the helicopter from a distance- like, out of sight or sound. If he sees or hears it, he starts to cry.
We had a really wonderful break and spent a lot of time contemplating our many, many blessings and how fortunate we've been this year. We're so excited for 2012 and all the new adventures headed our way.
Dancing Baby
Parker got several musical toys for Christmas that he loves. Up until this point, I think he has regarded his toys more as interesting things to investigate, rather than really playing with them. Now that there's music involved, the fun has really begun- even with non-musical toys, he seems to know that they are for playing. He started to do this bouncing thing when the music came on and eventually we figured out that he was dancing! I love in this video that he knows when the ABC song is over and in the last clip he is dancing to the beat... mostly.
A few other Parker things for posterity's sake...
He continues to hate getting his diaper changed and putting on clothes. Are all babies like this, or did we just get lucky? You'd think that after the hundreds of times that we've done this that he'd just suck it up an hold still for the minute and a half it takes to change his undies. We can always count on protest crying and him trying to crawl away; I'm constantly chasing his bare bum as he escapes.
He's a really good eater- as long as the food doesn't have hard chunks in it, he'll eat it. Both Paul and I have aversions to certain foods, so I don't expect that this will last forever, but it's nice for the time being.
He makes the most hilarious faces- I really wish I could get them all on camera.
He is finally, FINALLY sleeping through the night consistently. Up until nine months, we let him wake up once or twice at night to eat, although towards the end I think it was out of habit, not from being hungry. At nine months we cut him off and it took about three weeks for him to not wake up at night and only just recently has he started sleeping until 6:30ish. Before that, he'd wake up at 5:00 or sometimes earlier and we thought he was still just learning how to self-soothe and go back to sleep. We started putting him to bed earlier and it has made all the difference. Since he's been sleeping through the night his naps have also been longer. Hurrah!
When I give Parker kisses, he holds his head really still and opens his mouth. I laugh every time.
When Paul says, "Clap!" he claps and when we say "Come here!" he follows us.
A few other Parker things for posterity's sake...
He continues to hate getting his diaper changed and putting on clothes. Are all babies like this, or did we just get lucky? You'd think that after the hundreds of times that we've done this that he'd just suck it up an hold still for the minute and a half it takes to change his undies. We can always count on protest crying and him trying to crawl away; I'm constantly chasing his bare bum as he escapes.
He's a really good eater- as long as the food doesn't have hard chunks in it, he'll eat it. Both Paul and I have aversions to certain foods, so I don't expect that this will last forever, but it's nice for the time being.
He makes the most hilarious faces- I really wish I could get them all on camera.
He is finally, FINALLY sleeping through the night consistently. Up until nine months, we let him wake up once or twice at night to eat, although towards the end I think it was out of habit, not from being hungry. At nine months we cut him off and it took about three weeks for him to not wake up at night and only just recently has he started sleeping until 6:30ish. Before that, he'd wake up at 5:00 or sometimes earlier and we thought he was still just learning how to self-soothe and go back to sleep. We started putting him to bed earlier and it has made all the difference. Since he's been sleeping through the night his naps have also been longer. Hurrah!
When I give Parker kisses, he holds his head really still and opens his mouth. I laugh every time.
When Paul says, "Clap!" he claps and when we say "Come here!" he follows us.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
8 Month Parker
Just a few Parker updates...
He weighs 19.5 pounds (~ 50th percentile) and is 28.5 inches long (~ 75th percentile).
Parker's first tooth (tooth #O, the mandibular central incisor- thanks Dr. Paul) came in last week! I think the one next to it (#P) will pop through in a few days. I haven't noticed any extra fussiness, but at our appointment last week I asked the pediatrician if we should expect some fussiness and what to do about it. Paul had said that the gum numbing cream isn't effective for babies because they just lick it off. The doctor said that teething isn't painful for babies and we don't have to do anything concerning the tooth except brush it. No pain?? No discomfort?? I came home and told Paul what he had said and Paul agreed with him. Hmmm... That goes against everything I've ever heard about teething. I'm not sure what to think of it.
A couple weeks ago I gave Parker some mashed bananas. About two hours later, just as I was putting him down for a nap, he started coughing, and then when he was in his crib he started gagging. I went to check on him and he was sitting in a puddle of vomit. He continued to throw up several more times. When I thought he was done, I gave him a bath and put him on our bed while I cleaned up his crib. In the time it took me to get everything taken care of, Parker had thrown up in our bed and fallen asleep. I called the doctor's office and was initially told that it might be a food allergy, but when we went in for our regular appointment, our doctor said it was more likely a food intolerance. With allergies, the body sees certain proteins as invaders and makes antibodies to attack them. There aren't many proteins in bananas, however, they do contain salicylates (also found in asprin), which some people have an intolerance to. The symptoms are very similar, but whereas you might eat one peanut you're allergic to and go into anaphylactic shock, intolerances are dosage dependent. I'd rather not find out what Parker's tipping point is, so I think we'll stay clear of bananas for awhile.
I'm continually amazed at how well Parker does with traveling. He's been on 10 flights (only four round trips, but sometimes we've had to change planes) and he has never been fussy on the take off or landing (I've heard that sometimes baby's ears can hurt them with the changing altitude) or any other time during the flight. He always makes friends with other passengers and the flight attendants. What a blessing!
Parker is making lots of sounds these days and even combining consonants.
He gets a kick out of peek-a-boo.
He laughs when he hears other people laughing.
I'm not sure, but I think he knows how to play copycat. I'll imitate what he does and he gets a look of extreme contemplation and then ends up giggling.
Most of the time when I go get him from his crib in the morning or after a nap, he's sitting up. For a while he'd get stuck there and start screaming, but he's figured out how to lay back down now.
When he wakes up in the morning, I'll bring him into our bed so that Paul and I can continue to rest. Parker always dives for Paul's face. He grabs at his nose and pulls Paul's hair. It's one of his favorite activities.
Parker had serious stranger anxiety for the first time! It was so weird. It was at the doctor's office and he was fine with all of the nurses, but when the doctor came in, he turned his head into my chest and stayed that way the whole time. I think the only other time he's been so still is when he's asleep. Poor little guy.
Some days Parker does really well with solid foods, other times he throws his head back, locks his lips, and won't even try a single bite- even if it's sweet potatoes, his favorite! This happened a couple days ago and I noticed that he kept staring at the bowl that the sweet potatoes were in (I had warmed them up in a normal, non baby bowl). While he wasn't looking, I put them in an empty baby food jar and then he ate them all up. How can such a small person have such a big opinion on what type of jar the food is coming out of? Not cool.
Hurricane Parker has hit and is about to terrorize everything in its path! Parker can crawl! Paul's interactions with Parker are now dotted with "Treats! Treats!" and "Come by call!"
He weighs 19.5 pounds (~ 50th percentile) and is 28.5 inches long (~ 75th percentile).
Parker's first tooth (tooth #O, the mandibular central incisor- thanks Dr. Paul) came in last week! I think the one next to it (#P) will pop through in a few days. I haven't noticed any extra fussiness, but at our appointment last week I asked the pediatrician if we should expect some fussiness and what to do about it. Paul had said that the gum numbing cream isn't effective for babies because they just lick it off. The doctor said that teething isn't painful for babies and we don't have to do anything concerning the tooth except brush it. No pain?? No discomfort?? I came home and told Paul what he had said and Paul agreed with him. Hmmm... That goes against everything I've ever heard about teething. I'm not sure what to think of it.
A couple weeks ago I gave Parker some mashed bananas. About two hours later, just as I was putting him down for a nap, he started coughing, and then when he was in his crib he started gagging. I went to check on him and he was sitting in a puddle of vomit. He continued to throw up several more times. When I thought he was done, I gave him a bath and put him on our bed while I cleaned up his crib. In the time it took me to get everything taken care of, Parker had thrown up in our bed and fallen asleep. I called the doctor's office and was initially told that it might be a food allergy, but when we went in for our regular appointment, our doctor said it was more likely a food intolerance. With allergies, the body sees certain proteins as invaders and makes antibodies to attack them. There aren't many proteins in bananas, however, they do contain salicylates (also found in asprin), which some people have an intolerance to. The symptoms are very similar, but whereas you might eat one peanut you're allergic to and go into anaphylactic shock, intolerances are dosage dependent. I'd rather not find out what Parker's tipping point is, so I think we'll stay clear of bananas for awhile.
I'm continually amazed at how well Parker does with traveling. He's been on 10 flights (only four round trips, but sometimes we've had to change planes) and he has never been fussy on the take off or landing (I've heard that sometimes baby's ears can hurt them with the changing altitude) or any other time during the flight. He always makes friends with other passengers and the flight attendants. What a blessing!
Parker is making lots of sounds these days and even combining consonants.
He gets a kick out of peek-a-boo.
He laughs when he hears other people laughing.
I'm not sure, but I think he knows how to play copycat. I'll imitate what he does and he gets a look of extreme contemplation and then ends up giggling.
Most of the time when I go get him from his crib in the morning or after a nap, he's sitting up. For a while he'd get stuck there and start screaming, but he's figured out how to lay back down now.
When he wakes up in the morning, I'll bring him into our bed so that Paul and I can continue to rest. Parker always dives for Paul's face. He grabs at his nose and pulls Paul's hair. It's one of his favorite activities.
Parker had serious stranger anxiety for the first time! It was so weird. It was at the doctor's office and he was fine with all of the nurses, but when the doctor came in, he turned his head into my chest and stayed that way the whole time. I think the only other time he's been so still is when he's asleep. Poor little guy.
Some days Parker does really well with solid foods, other times he throws his head back, locks his lips, and won't even try a single bite- even if it's sweet potatoes, his favorite! This happened a couple days ago and I noticed that he kept staring at the bowl that the sweet potatoes were in (I had warmed them up in a normal, non baby bowl). While he wasn't looking, I put them in an empty baby food jar and then he ate them all up. How can such a small person have such a big opinion on what type of jar the food is coming out of? Not cool.
Hurricane Parker has hit and is about to terrorize everything in its path! Parker can crawl! Paul's interactions with Parker are now dotted with "Treats! Treats!" and "Come by call!"
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
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