The Parks Family

Home for the Holidays

2011-12-31T13:45:00.003-06:00

Our little-soon-to-be-expanding family had a wonderful, quiet Christmas here in New Orleans. Unless you count that 3/4 of our family got the stomach bug. Such is life. We enjoyed Christmas eve dinner with my family (such a blessing that they live here!) complete with our traditional Happy Birthday Jesus cake. Christmas day we enjoyed opening presents, church (for the ones that were well) and Christmas dinner at my parents house. It was a nice, quiet Christmas for us.

I am now 32 weeks pregnant and guessing on my history, my doctor and I are predicting I will not make it to my 39 week scheduled c-section. I am hoping not, since I am quiet miserable even now.

Though we have been telling friends and family, I don't think I have officially announced our new little man's name. So, here we go...our new little bundle of joy will be named Oliver Finn. I can't wait to love on this new addition to our family.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and this new year will bring you new hope and blessings! Thank you all for being a part of our lives!

Our chaotic life

2011-12-03T11:11:00.003-06:00

Every time I update my blog, I tell myself I'm going to do better & try to post once a week. Does it happen? Of course not. So, here's my best recap of the last little while in our life.

*We have moved on from our ministry at the Baptist Friendship House. It was such a bittersweet move. We had been there almost 2 years and those living and working there were (and still are) our family. With Baby # 3 coming soon and myself being back in school, we knew God was calling us to focus on our family and leave the Friendship House.

*We have a sweet little house only 3 blocks from our work. It was such a God story in how we discovered this house and how it was a perfect fit for our family. If you want to hear that story, just ask. :)

*This is Emma's last year at the child development program where she is and we are exploring options for next year. It is quite overwhelming, as there are only a handful of schools in the New Orleans area that are decent enough to send her too. School applications are rigorous and most schools go by a lottery system, so you can't put any hope in getting into a particular school. I actually went to an open house for a school this morning and they stated that they get about 800 applications each year and there are probably only a few spots for the Pre-K 4 program. I left feeling very overwhelmed and discouraged. Please be praying that we can trust that God will have Emma in the school where she needs to be.

*Emma is 3 1/2 now and continues to be a bundle of energy and excitement. She is just not getting to the point where she will sit down for a 30 minute movie every once in a while. She loves to pretend play and mostly pretends that she is at school or church. She also bursts into song at any moment of any day and sings about the most random things. It's quite hilarious.

*Eli is 21 months old now and while he is making progress, he still isn't walking much. He will free stand and take a few steps here and there, but is quite cautious about the walking thing. His vocabulary is exploding and is most commonly found saying "kitty, airplane, cheese, milk, potty, Mama, Dada, and Emma". He has decided that he is ready to be a big kid and start potty learning. I was going to wait until he started walking to introduce the potty, but a few weeks ago, he went and sat on the little potty, said "potty" and started pulling at his pants. He is having some success and is quite proud of himself.

*I am now into my 3rd trimester (28 weeks) and starting to get into the entire uncomfortable back hurting, round ligament pain stage of pregnancy. I am enjoying my time with Emma and Eli before the chaos of having 3 children begins. Little man's due date is February 25, but we will be scheduling the c-section for around the 17th (unless he decides to make an early entrance like his older brother). This is full into Carnival (Mardi Gras) season, so it will be quite interesting to see how that will all work out, considering our hospital is one block from a major parade route.

*I am continuing on in school for my Master's of Social Work at the University of New England. It is an online program and while I am loving it and learning a lot, it is quite demanding.

*We just returned from a trip to South Carolina to visit family and friends for Thanksgiving. We had a great time, though it is never long enough to visit everyone we would wish.

*We have been super bad about taking pictures with our camera, so here are a couple of pictures from my phone.

And...Baby #3 is on the way!

2011-09-05T21:28:00.002-05:00

Baby # 3 is expected to arrive in February!

Yes, another Mardi Gras baby for us!

My kids

2011-07-12T19:54:00.003-05:00

This is what my kids are into these days.
I apologize for the bad quality of pictures, but they were taken on my phone.

Emma loves to sing and make music.
She makes up the most random songs about anything and everything.

Eli loves to climb anything and everything! He refuses to walk, but will climb up on top of chairs, tables, or any piece of playground equipment!

Random things I'm into

2011-07-12T19:28:00.002-05:00

Just felt like posting a random list of stuff I'm into lately. :) Just a little glimpse into my life.

*Adoption/fostering/orphan care--Most of you already know this is a passion of mine. Right now I'm currently reading Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families & Churches. I definitely recommend it!

*La Croix fizzy water (particularly grapefruit flavored, but lime or lemon will do as well)

*Kari Jobe--I just can't get enough of this girl's heart of worship and her music! It draws me near to God.

*Sugar--free hazelnut coffee creamer

*My Chaco's--the only shoes I wear

*Groupon--Matt & I have scored some super great deals lately

*My church--Seriously love these people and the heart they have for God and for serving others. So blessed by them!

The Circus

2011-06-29T20:55:00.003-05:00

Matt & I were excited to take Emma to the circus again this year. I have sweet memories of going to the circus when I was a child and want Emma to have those same memories. We dropped of Eli at Grammy & Papa's so we could enjoy a fun night with our girl. All throughout the circus, Emma kept saying that the cotton candy was here favorite part of the circus, but the next day, she forgot about the cotton candy and decided the elephants were here favorite.

Orphan Care

2011-06-25T11:17:00.004-05:00

I have been writing this post in my head for weeks now, and I am still really not sure where I am going with it, but I just need to write about it.

Orphan care has been a passion of mine since I was a young child. My heart has always felt for hurting children. I know part of this stems from the fact that I basically grew up at a children's home because that was my father's career. I have always know hurting children. My heart has not always had a passion only for orphans in the United States, but also internationally. I specifically remember a dream that I had when I was in 2nd grade. I dreamed about children in Africa. That dream was so memorable at that time that I even wrote about it in a journal. It stuck with me.

So where does that lead me? Here I am today, with a husband and two beautiful children of my own, working with kids and also serving homeless women and children in the community. That is all wonderful, but my heart longs for more.

I desperately want to become a foster parent and adopt children, but now is not the time. God has called us to ministry at the Friendship House and serving the women and children there. I am so incredibly thankful that God has called us to ministry here and do not want to hurriedly jump to the next "stage" of my family's lives just because I am ready to. God's timing is perfect.

So, how can my family help orphans in the United States and internationally? First, we can pray for them. Pray is powerful...God is powerful. I pray that others will feel the need to support orphans, I pray for those that are caring for orphans currently, I pray for the health of the orphans, I pray that they will be provided with food, a safe place to sleep, and someone to love them. Also, my family can support orphans financially. We have sponsored a child with World Vision for many years now and I feel that we need to continue to do that. The money we send monthly helps others be the hands and feet of Christ and provide food, shelter, and education to our sweet little boy. We also have some dear families in our church who are entered the process to adopt and or foster a child. My family will support them in whatever needs they may have--financial, prayer, or any other way we can help.

God may not call each of us to adopt or foster, but there are other ways you can help. Take some time and think of ways that you and your family can help those in need.

"Religion that our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this; to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27
"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land." Psalm 68:5-6

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpful, and see that they get justice." Proverbs 31:8-9

Happy Anniversary!

2011-06-04T08:25:00.001-05:00

Happy 6th Anniversary to my best friend and the love of my life!

the Greenway

2011-05-13T20:55:00.004-05:00

While in South Carolina, we went to the Greenway, one of Matt's & my favorite places to hike/picnic. We had fun feeding the ducks and geese, and taking a few pictures.

Cupcakes

2011-04-30T20:15:00.004-05:00

I think the highlight of Emma's trip to SC was getting a PINK cupcake with PINK sprinkles from SAS Cupcakes (a cute little cupcake shop in Ballytine). Thanks to Kelly & Paul for treating her for an early birthday present. Emma was so excited that she got to pick out her cupcake and put the sprinkes on herself. It had to be all pink, of course!

And Eli joined in on the cupcake eating as well. :)

Another Trip to the Carolinas

2011-04-30T12:40:00.009-05:00

We just returned from long weekend in the Carolinas. Wish we could have spent more time there, but our main purpose was to meet Miss Piper Annabelle Edinger.

She is beautiful, perfect, and such a gift from God! We love her so!

And we love her Mommy & Daddy too!

We also got to spend time with Grandmommy & Granddaddy Parks, Uncle Michael, Aunt Amy, Cousins Will & Helen, Mimi & Papa Wing, the Beasleys, and some other friends. We got to take baths in Grandmommy's & Granddaddy's bathtub, eat lots of food, watch lots of movies in Grandmommy & Granddaddy's van, ride the Light Rail train, participate in the Great Cloth Diaper Change, get scared by the Easter Bunny, celebrate "Jesus is alive" day (Easter) with family, go to the Greenway (another post in itself), and eat pink cupcakes (will also be another post)! We had so much fun and it is always so bittersweet to return back to New Orleans after being in the Carolinas.

Weary

2011-04-16T18:47:00.003-05:00

I'm not writing this post to complain about my circumstances, but just to be real with where I'm at.

Here's where I am...I am weary.

Eli came down with the stomach bug Thursday afternoon. At first, I thought it was just teething, but by late Thursday afternoon, I realized it was more than that. Then, Matt came down with it last night. And Emma came down with it this afternoon. This is the FIFTH time my little family has suffered from the stomach bug since January. I am exhausted. I know Matt is exhausted. We are leaving Thursday for South Carolina and NEED everyone to be well. We are so ready for this trip, in so many ways. We need time away.

I am clinging to this verse right now...
"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees." [Hebrews 12:11-12]

Thank you, Lord, for being strong when I am weak. Thank you for the righteousness that troubles bring.

And just because I know you all like pictures, here are a couple from my date with Emma to Cafe du Monde this morning.

Today

2011-04-09T19:46:00.004-05:00

Today...

...I got sunburned at the Strawberry Festival, but it was worth it have a great time with my family (minus my husband who had to work) and dear friends.

...I told Emma that it made God happy when we sing songs to Him, she then told me that He is sad when she doesn't sing to Him and He needs a BIG paci when He is sad!

...missed spending time with my husband, but was thankful that he is such a hard worker, who loves to provide for his family!

...I am excited to know that I will be in South Carolina in 12 days...and I will get to meet sweet baby Piper Annabelle Edinger!

...spent $3 on ride tickets for Emma to ride the kiddie train at Strawberry Fest, and then when we got in the front of the line, she chickened out.

...was so proud that my children were well behaved despite the sweltering heat in Ponchatoula.

...felt completely blessed to have so many dear friends that I call my "family".

You Are For Me

2011-03-22T17:00:00.000-06:00

This song has been resonating in my soul the last few days and I wanted to share it with y'all.

One Year Pictures

2011-03-11T20:27:00.005-06:00

Tried to upload these the other day, but the internet wasn't working.

One Year

2011-03-05T21:46:00.004-06:00

Dear Eli,

I can hardly believe that you are one year old today, because you are still my little baby in so many ways. You are the polar opposite of your sister and you love to cuddle and sit in my lap.

In the past few weeks, you have grown and changed so much. You have been taking your time with many developmental milestones, which had us a little concerned. But, you just weren't ready yet. You started eating baby food a couple weeks ago and now will eat 1-2 jars at each sitting (3 times a day). Fruits are your favorite, though you also enjoy carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes. You are definitely not fond of the green veggies. You are starting to eat a few table foods as well, and of course, you love puffs and yogurt melts. You also have started scooting all over the place and pulling up on everything. You don't crawl, but rather pull your body along with your arms. You would much rather be standing though. If anything is near you to pull up with, you will do it. We are thinking you may never crawl and may just go to walking. Time will tell.

You just celebrated your first Carnival/Mardi Gras and had a blast. The first couple parades, you were a little afraid of the marching bands, but you got used to them. You love playing with beads and other throws that you received. On your actual birthday, we made you a sign that read, "Throw me something, It's my 1st birthday!" and you got so much stuff.

Your favorite activities are swinging, watching bubbles, and reading books. You are also our tv watcher. If you are ever near a tv that is on, your attention is there. It is just another sign that you are completely different from your sister!

Your sweet and gentle spirit is a light to our lives. We love you.

Mom and Dad

Krewe of Ponchartrain

2011-02-26T21:01:00.006-06:00

Carnival is here & that means parades, parades, and more parades. Today we went to the Krewe of Ponchartrain parade. This was mine and Eli's 2nd parade of the season, Matt and Emma's 3rd parade of the season and my mom's very first Mardi Gras parade!

Hanging out with Mommy

Here comes Ponchartrain

Enjoying the sunshine

Emma has decided that the marching bands are the "loud people"

The Big Easy Roller Girls (our local roller derby team)

My mom told me not to post any pictures of her, but I'm going to be a rebellious daughter because it was her first parade & I love this picture!

Mardi Gras bulldog

My cute boys all decked out in their Mardi Gras gear

Of course, Emma had to join in!

Mardi Gras

2011-02-24T21:31:00.002-06:00

We are gearing up for Mardi Gras here and went to our first parade last Saturday (Krewe du Vieux). Matt and I went to 36 parades our first Carnival/Mardi Gras here in Nola. Now that we have two kids, I can't even imagine going to that many. Here's a little video clip of Emma getting excited about Mardi Gras. Sorry I can't figure out how to turn it the right way.

Back to blogging

2011-02-13T20:19:00.002-06:00

Here's to hoping I can get back into the blogging thing again. I feel quite guilty that I blogged so much & took so many pictures when Emma was a baby, but now that Eli is here, I barely blog & seem to only take pictures on my phone. I am now going to start being more purposeful about blogging and picture taking. I'll start off with a random, bullet-point update on our lives.

*My little family has been either crazy busy or sick for the last 6 months. If we are not busy, at least one of us is sick. If we are not sick, we are busy trying to do a million things. I am trying to slow down. I need to step back and ask myself what is really important in life. I am working on me.

*Sickness has been so bountiful in our lives lately. As I type, Matt and Eli are suffering from their second round of the nasty stomach bug. There seems to be no rest. I am so incredibly ready for spring to come and dreaming of days where we go more than a week without being sick!

*Emma continues to love going to school. She has amazing teachers and we are so blessed to have her in such a wonderful school. She is learning and exploring so much! She is starting to recognize letters (especially the ones in her name) when we are out and about. She knows all of the basic colors and can count (one to one) up to fourteen. She loves to pretend. Right now, most of her pretending centers around birthdays and parties. She also loves to sing songs. She makes up her own crazy songs all the time. Last night, Matt had to drag her out of the shower after she stood there for fifteen minutes, just singing songs. So adorable.

*Eli is growing and changing as well. It is hard for me to believe that he will be ONE in less than a month! Where did my itty bitty baby go?!? When we went to the doctor on Friday, he weighed in at 20 lbs. He developmentally is a lot slower than where Emma was at this age, but I'm sure he'll do everything in his own time. He still has a lot of difficulty eating foods (baby food or table food), so is mostly just drinking formula right now. There is a possibility he may have to go to therapy to learn how to swallow foods, but we are waiting for the 12 month mark to pursue that. He is not crawling yet, but has just started pulling up. He would much rather be standing than sitting. He loves to laugh and smile and is still our joyful little man!

I don't have any pictures to attach, because, well, I haven't taken any. Bad mom of the year award. I will do better though...about blogging and taking pictures!

A White Christmas

2011-01-05T21:30:00.005-06:00

We spent Christmas and New Years in South Carolina and were blessed with snow!

Nine Months

2010-12-05T21:38:00.003-06:00

My Sweet Little Eli,

I absolutely cannot believe that you are nine months old today. It seems like just yesterday that you were a tiny little newborn and all you did was nurse and sleep. You continue to light up our lives and your little personality is coming out more and more!

You weigh about 18 1/2 lbs now and have the cutest little chubby cheeks. You are content to sit on the floor and play with toys (or just look around) for long periods of time. You also enjoy your time riding "Old Blue" (your horse jumperoo) and hanging out in the exersaucer. You are not a big eater. You want nothing to do with baby food or a spoon and aren't too good with managing little bits of real food yet. So, you just enjoy your milk.

You have been sick the last couple weeks with a stomach bug, a bacterial infection, and severe pink eye in both eyes. You are finally on the mend and we are all so glad! You looked so pathetic with your swollen, red eyes!

You sleep through the night every once in a while, when you feel like it. Most of the time you still wake once to eat. Just a couple nights ago, you moved into the crib from the co-sleeper. You have been sleeping beside my bed for 9 months now and it is really strange for you to be sleeping the in crib now. It makes me a little sad that my little baby is growing up!

You are the ticklish, most laughable baby! You love, love, love to laugh and anyone can make you do so. You especially love it when you are tickled and when your sister talks to you in her crazy voices. You love her so much and I can't wait to see how your relationship with her continues to grow.

Eli, we are so blessed to have you in our lives. I can't imagine my life without you. Thank you for bringing joy into even the hardest of days. We love you so much!

Love,
Mom

You Know You're a Mom If...

2010-10-31T10:06:00.004-06:00

...your infant burps and you hold out your hand to catch the spit-up

...you are constantly saying "take that out of your mouth!"

...you find rocks and matchbox cars in your pockets

...you tell time by when the baby had his last bottle

...you are an expert poop examiner

...if you get to sleep until 7 am, that is considered sleeping in

...getting 4 hours of straight sleep is a wonder

...coffee keeps you sane

...you are constantly singing children's songs, even when kids aren't around

...going to Target by yourself is a huge treat

...you would rather buy clothes for the kids than for yourself

...you use sign language (that you use with the kids), even when you talk to adults

...swaddling blankets are your best friend

...going out to eat means going to Chick-fil-a so the toddler can play on the playground

...your favorite websites are www.babycenter.com, www.babysteals.com, www.kidsteals.com, and www.zulily.com

Feel free to add on!

Fun at the Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-17T10:15:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, our little family ventured out to Hammond, LA to visit Ms. Heather's Pumpkin Patch. We had a splendid time and the weather was beautiful!

This is as close as Emma would get to the animals in the petting zoo.
She's at that stage where she's scared of animals and such.

But Matt had no trouble holding this cute little chick.

And neither did I. Eli tried to grab a hold of this little chick as well.

A perfect spot for a cute little boy.

Of course, sister had to join in.

Yee haw!

Just a little country girl, who actually lives in the city.

Pretending to ride the Oregon trail in a covered wagon.

Rubber duck racing.

Emma was a little skeptical of the huge air pillow to jump on at first.

But joined right in after a few minutes.

"I want these two!"

"This one's heavy, Mama!"

Later that afternoon, we enjoyed some pumpkin painting!

We had so much fun & I can't wait to do this again next year! I love the Fall and all the fun activities it brings!

Six Months (with pictures)

2010-09-07T20:29:00.003-05:00

Dear Eli,

It is so hard to believe that we are halfway through your first year of life. I cannot even describe what a joy you are to our little family. You have such a happy spirit. You are smiling all the time, at anyone who comes your way. You have the greatest smile and can make everyone around you smile as well. The joy you bring is indescribable.

You love, love, love your sister! She can make you laugh and laugh. It is the cutest thing! She loves to cuddle with you and sing you songs. I love the bond that you already have.

You have turned out to be quite a chunky little man. :) Last week you weighed in at 16 lbs. You can now sit up (in the tripod position) on your own. You discovered your feet last week & now love to hold them. You refuse to eat baby food. We have tried cereal and pears and you just clinch your lips together and spit bubbles. It's pretty entertaining.

You are much like your sister in your ear troubles. You have been struggling with ear infections for a few months now and will be getting tubes next Wednesday. I am so ready for you to get tubes and be done with all these antibiotics, since you've had some pretty yucky reactions to them. We are hoping this will be the end of your ear troubles!

Tonight, you had been fussing for a couple hours, and I had assumed it was because of your ears. Then I decided to rub your gums & what do I feel, but YOUR FIRST TOOTH! Poor little boy, cutting teeth & ear infections all at the same time. This too shall pass!

We love you sweet boy. I cannot wait to continue to see you grow & see the plans that God has in store for your life!

Love,

Mom

Sweet Summertime

2010-08-19T21:04:00.007-05:00

Summer recap.

We...

Celebrated the 4th of July with fireworks on the river

Played with her friends in our refrigerator box "house"

Spent lots of time cuddling in Mommy & Daddy's bed

Celebrated Daddy's birthday with yummy cupcakes & dear friends

Spent some time in Florida

Found some seashells

Went to a Zephyrs baseball game

Splashed in the water at a friends birthday party

Went around and around on the merry-go-round

Spent some time swinging

And had our sweet "little man" dedicated at our church

What a fun summer it has been!

Stream of Consciousness

2010-08-09T20:29:00.003-05:00

Here we go...

Blogging has been on the backburner for a while, but I would like to pick it up again. It is quite difficult when you have a 2 year old, 5 month old, and 2 "full-time" jobs.
Emma started "school" today at the Knowledge Garden. It was time. There are way too many babies in the daycare at work and Emma has been having a really hard time being aggressive towards them and acting out. She needed more structure and more learning time with friends her own age. We are so excited about this opportunity for her, yet it's tough, since this is the first time she's ever been away for us for an extended period of time.
Eli is 5 months old. He is growing and changing every day. His personality is really starting to show and he is so much fun. He is a super smiley baby and loves to laugh. He is still really laid back and completely different from how his sister was at this age. We are loving our "little man".
I am addicted to Baby Steals & Kid Steals. For all you mommies out there, you can get some great deals on some awesome stuff! We have scored on some cloth diapers, Aden + Anais security blankets, ERGO doll carrier, babylegs, and probably some more stuff I am forgetting.
Matt and I got to go on a much needed date last Friday. We went to Chili's b/c I had been craving their avacado burger & then went to see Charlie St. Cloud. We had a great time & I am thankful for friends & family who love our kids enough to keep them for us!
I am sleep deprived. Eli is still getting up twice at night and now we have to get up even earlier so that we can get Emma to school before work. Coffee definitely keeps me sane these days.
My heart is quite sad this week, as the Friendship House staff went to the NC mountains for a staff retreat. There was no way I could take off work, so I was unable to join them. I am missing them greatly and wishing I were there. I need some serious girl & God time.
My heart is quite happy for some other reasons. I love seeing God fulfill His promises to those who love Him & serve Him. I am blessed to see some dear friends receive some awesome blessings right now.
I am SO ready for football season. Ready for those Saints to have a repeat of last season!
I seriously need to stop drinking Dr. Pepper. I am drinking way too much of it these days!
Though there have been some hard days lately, I am still loving my life & know that the hard times only make me stronger!

That's it for now.

Emma turned 2!

2010-07-02T20:51:00.003-05:00

I am just now getting around to uploading pictures from Emma's birthday (May 21st). Let's just say I've been a little busy!

We ate yummy homemade pizza

Emma had an awesome monkey cake (made by Megan)

Emma enjoyed a few presents--a soccer ball

A doctor kit & ERGO baby carrier for her baby dolls

And Eli even joined in on the fun!

Overwhelmed.

2010-06-12T20:13:00.002-05:00

Simply, overwhelmed. That's how I feel these days, but I wouldn't change it for the world. Though the days are hectic, I am loving my life.

As a friend of mine recently said, "no one ever told me that being a mom of two kids was gonna kick my tail". I feel the same sentiment. Emma is fully embracing being two years old. She is an energetic child who loves to do her own thing & can get quite aggressive. She wears us out every day. Even in the midst of her bundle of energy, she still is so stinkin' cute. She says and does the cutest things. I am really trying to cherish these moments, because I know they will pass quickly.

Eli continues to be a breath of fresh air to me. He still sleeps a lot, which is nice. Poor guy even gets forgotten about sometimes because he's so good.

Besides the kids keeping us busy, Matt & I worked a 49 hour week at Earth Search last week. I love being a nanny there and love the kids to death, but sometimes it's exhausting. When we have 4 babies screaming to be held or fed (with only 2 nannies) and 3 toddlers running around destroying things, it can get quite crazy. I am glad when each day ends, but I am so blessed to be able to go to work and get paid to spend time with my own children.

Then, comes the Friendship House. We come home & get to spend our evenings with 6 college girls (summer missionaries), the regular staff, and a sweet family we have. It is a blast and every evening and weekend, we never know what we are going to encounter, but it is still exhausting.

This stage of my life has been exhausting and overwhelming, but I am learning more and more about who I am and who I want to be. And it is all good.

Three Months

2010-06-06T20:32:00.004-05:00

Dear Eli,

I am so sorry that I have not written you a letter before now. I am going to do my best from now on to write your monthly letters. I definitely don't want you to feel left out, being the second-born. :)

You are such a blessing to our family. You bring a breath of fresh air and peace to our lives. You are such a laid-back baby. You still sleep most of the day. If you are awake, you only stay awake for about 45 minutes and are pretty content during your awake time. I have honestly left you in your carseat a few times and gone off with your sister to play, and forgotten about you. That's how much of a good baby you are.

You continue to grow and explore this new world. You are over 10 lbs now and have the cutest little chunky cheeks. You have found your hands and like to suck on them sometimes. You also will reach out to your toys if you are in the bouncy seat or carseat.

You have had some struggles in your short little life. You have reflux (just like your sister), that seems to give you a lot of trouble. I have also figured out that you have a milk protein intolerance and that was giving you tummy troubles. I have cut out all dairy products from my diet, and you seem to be getting better.

You are a great sleeping at night as well as during the day. You usually wake up once or twice during the night and go right back to sleep after you eat. I enjoy those tender moments with you in the quiet of the night.

You father and I are so glad to have you in our lives. You bless us and bring us so much joy. We love every bit of your precious little self!

Love,
Mom

Two Years

2010-06-06T19:53:00.003-05:00

Dear Emma,

I can hardly believe that you are two years old now. You are a full-fledged two year old now. You have recently discovered your independence. You love to do things by yourself and always say "Emma do it" or "my do it". This includes climbing into the car by yourself, opening any food wrapper by yourself, and reading by yourself.

Recently, the "paci fairy" came to visit you. You got to put your pacis in a special box and the next morning, the paci fairy left you a special present in trade for your pacis, a train set. You have done quite well going to sleep without your paci. You now talk and sing yourself to sleep.

You love to sing. Your favorite songs include Row, Row, Row Your Boat, 5 Little Monkeys (Swinging in the Tree), 5 Little Monkeys (Jumping on the Bed), and If You're Happy and You Know It. You sing all the time now, and it is so cute!

Another thing you love to do now is count. You can count from 1-12. Once you hit 12, you always say "mango" (instead of 13). Your father and I have no clue where you got this from, and it cracks us up every time you say it. A few days ago, you were counting even higher, and this is how it went, "fiveteen, eleventeen, mangoteen". Hilarious!

You are quite the climber, though you always have been. You will climb onto or into anything you can. You love to go to Chick-fil-a and climb in the playground and slide down the slide. We actually go to Chick-fil-a so often that you think chicken comes from cows, seriously!

Your favorite toys are your Fisher Price dollhouse, your train set, puzzles, blocks, and books. You love to read. You would read 50 books every night before bed, if we would let you. You don't like to sit on the potty unless you have a book to read. So glad you love to read!

You are such a great big sister. You love Eli very much and are very concerned when he is crying. We are working on you not being so rough, and giving gentle touches. You like to hold Eli in your lap and like to give him his paci. Your father and I can't wait to see how your relationship with your brother continues to grow.

Your father and I are so proud to be your parents. We are constantly amazed at how smart you are and the cute things you say and do. You always bring a smile to our face. We love you and look forward to the many memories we have to come!

Love,
Mom

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-26T22:25:00.001-05:00

(picture courtesy of Toots and Smooches--i will share more later)

Spring

2010-04-12T19:19:00.005-05:00

What's been going on with us lately?

We have been enjoying the lovely Spring weather here in New Orleans. We enjoyed a visit from my parents and brother. We celebrated Easter with our friends. Emma got tubes put in her ears and her adenoids taken out. I started back to work part-time. We have been busy chasing around our wild toddler and loving on our newborn. :)

Now, get ready for a picture overload!

Emma's first time in a bounce house...she wasn't quite sure what to do.

Eli snuggling with his Grammy

The fabulous cupcake cake that a friend made for Eli's baby shower

Emma's first time dying eggs...she had a blast!

Eli didn't enjoy it quite as much

Emma loved re-arranging all the eggs in the carton

And then spent some time riding her new tricycle

Emma finding her goodies in her Easter basket
*sidenote: I sewed Emma's Easter dress and am quite proud of it...my first big sewing project!

Emma & a friend at church, ready to be the first ones to find the eggs!

She definitely had the whole egg thing figured out

And then spent some time swinging

Big sister & little brother enjoying the sunny Easter weather

My sweet family

St. Patty's Day

2010-03-18T10:12:00.005-06:00

Last weekend, while Mrs. Parks was in town, we headed out to the St. Patrick's Day parade. Here are some pictures of all the fun we had!

Grandmommy & Emma waiting for the parade

This is where Eli spent most of the day, shielded in the stroller because it was windy!

Beads and candy...make Emma quite happy!

Peeking in at Eli

Emma and her crown of flowers

Eli made a short appearance towards the end of the parade

More pictures

2010-03-12T22:32:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to share some more pictures. :)

See, I do open my eyes!

And I like my hands.

One of my favorite pictures...just melts my heart.

Our little monkey.

Sweet dreams.

Reading and Cuddles

2010-03-10T22:42:00.003-06:00

This is what our afternoon looked like.

Reading

and cuddles

Family of Four

2010-03-06T17:37:00.004-06:00

Eli James Parks was born yesterday (at 36 weeks) at 12:45 pm, weighing 6 lbs even and measuring 18 inches long.

Welcome to the family Eli! We love you!

35 1/2 weeks

2010-03-03T20:52:00.004-06:00

I know I have been really bad about blogging lately. All I can say is that my life is quite busy these days. Here's the run down...

*I am now 35 1/2 weeks pregnant. If all goes as planned, Eli will be born by cesarean section on March 26th. That is in 23 days. I feel like there is so much to do and so little time!

*Physically, I have been feeling pretty well. Having a little bit of trouble sleeping and some discomfort every now and then, but that's it really. I have been blessed with another fairly easy pregnancy.

*This week, I returned to work as a nanny at Earth Search (where I was employed until last October). The nursery/daycare opened back up and it has been nice to be back. I will work as long as I can until Eli comes and then take some time off after he comes.

*We are still living at/serving with the Baptist Friendship House. It has been lots of fun and we can't wait to see how God continues to lead us to serve here.

*Emma has been struggling with ear infections since December and no amount or kind of antibiotics have helped. We have an appointment with the ENT specialist on the 12th. I am so ready for this appointment and hoping that if she needs tubes (most likely she will) that we can get that taken care of before Eli comes. We'll see.

*Our dear friends, Kelly and Paul, came to visit us during Mardi Gras. We had lots of fun with them and wore ourselves out going to parades!

That's all I can think of at the moment, but, of course, I have a few pictures to share.

Emma & I waiting for the Saint's victory parade!

Our friend, Kim, & Emma at the zoo.

This is what our trees look like during Mardi Gras.

Emma & Matt trying to get some good throws at a parade.

Emma liked this parade because they threw out candy!

We loved spending Mardi Gras with Kelly & Paul!

Today, at 35 1/2 weeks.

Our family of three (for a few more weeks).

Supa-Beauxl XLIV!

2010-02-08T16:44:00.004-06:00

I'm sure you all know by now, but the SAINTS WON THE SUPERBOWL! There aren't words to describe the excitement in the city right now. We are proud to be a part of history. After the game, we, along with some friends, ran across the street to the French Quarter. We joined a Second Line and paraded to Bourbon Street. It was incredible. We got little sleep last night because of all the car horns and screaming. Can't wait until the VICTORY parade tomorrow afternoon!

Sickness

2010-01-21T10:54:00.002-06:00

Our little family has been hit with all kinds of illnesses this week and we are struggling to recover. Emma has been battling an ear infection for almost a month now, but then suddenly came down with pneumonia on Tuesday. For now, she is being treated at home with antibiotics and breathing treatments, and we are hoping to not make a trip to the hospital. Right now, it seems as we took one step forward and two steps back. She got a shot of antibiotics on Tuesday afternoon and yesterday she had more energy and was more talkative, but then today she has been more lethargic again. She continues to have fever, though not as high as it was on Tuesday. Please pray that she will be able to kick this sickness soon.

Matt has also been pretty sick this week. He took the day off from work yesterday and went to urgent care because his doctor couldn't fit him in. I know that when I don't have to fight with him to take the day off and go to the doctor, he must feel really bad. The doctor said he just had a bad cold but gave him antibiotics anyway. To us, it seems like it is more than a cold, but hopefully these antibiotics will do the trick.

Baby Eli and I have been feeling fine this week and are praying that we don't get sick.

So, please be praying for our family as we battle these illnesses.

And just for a little fun, here's a picture. We took Emma on the carousel at the zoo for the first time on Monday. She loved it and hasn't stopped talking about it since then. "Emma 'round on alligator". :)

Randomness

2010-01-10T21:32:00.002-06:00

I was wishing I had some recent pictures to share with you all, but it just didn't happen. I am ashamed to say that we didn't even take a single picture on Christmas day. We were in the midst of moving and we were at our new home and the camera was at our old home. Sad. Anyway, here's what's been going on with us lately...

We moved during the holidays to the Friendship House (see a few posts back about details). We LOVE living here and are excited about all the opportunities it brings to serve those in need. Emma is having a blast at her new home because there are lots of friends to play with and lots of room to run! Our cats are also adjusting well. :)
We had a quiet, very relaxing Christmas with just our little family. We did go to Christmas dinner at a friend's house and enjoyed our fellowship with them.
I am now in my 3rd trimester (28 weeks) and am feeling quite well. I am starting to get a little uncomfortable, especially at night, but it's not too bad.
Emma is has been sick since Christmas and is now on her 3rd round of antibiotics for an ear infection. We are hoping this will do the trick, or we might have to seek out different options. She hasn't been sleeping well at all (waking up 3-4 times at night) and is very cranky during the day. It's been very wearing on all of us!
Matt's parents came for a visit during New Years and we greatly enjoyed the time we got to spend with them. Emma loved having her "mamommy" and "dadaddy" here to play with her!
Emma has recently started talking in sentences. Her first sentence was "I want my baby" (speaking of her baby dolls of course) and we continue to hear new sentences and words daily.

Well, I've got to run to the potty now (a frequent occurrence around here), but hope to be updating more often and sharing pictures with you soon!

Thanksgiving recap

2009-12-26T12:49:00.001-06:00

I know that it's almost January, but I am just now getting around to uploading our Thanksgiving pictures (we have been a little busy packing & moving!) We enjoyed a wonderful trip to the Carolinas (and Georgia) and got to spend lost of time with some dear friends and family.

We had Thanksgiving breakfast with our dear friends, the Edingers.

Emma was thankful for a full tummy!

Emma and her (second?) cousin Taylor playing Mimi's piano.

Time for some turkey!

We cheered on those Gamecocks to a victory over Clemson (note: my husband was very kind to wear a maroon shirt even though his heart was cheering for the Tigers)!

We went to Mays Park (where Mommy played as a kid).

Had some snuggle time.

Loved on Granddaddy.

Enjoyed spending time with the cousins.

Daddy & Mommy got an inside tour of the Augusta National Golfcourse, thanks to Uncle Michael!

We had a wonderful trip and were thankful for the time we got to spend with family and friends.

What's your favorite Christmas song?

2009-12-16T19:43:00.002-06:00

Just wondering...what is everyone's favorite Christmas song? Mine, by far, is "O Holy Night". There is something about that song that moves my soul every time I hear it. So, what's yours?

Santa

2009-12-09T09:31:00.002-06:00

This is how we traumatized our daughter the other night.

Everything's changing (once again!)

2009-12-08T11:15:00.004-06:00

In a couple weeks, this will be our new home.

Yes, our family will be moving into the Baptist Friendship House, as volunteer staff (missionaries). After I lost my job in October, things were uncertain for our family. Then, this wonderful opportunity arose for our entire family to serve the city with a ministry that is dear to our hearts. Matt will continue working at Earth Search during the day and I will continue to chase around Emma and help out with whatever is needed during the day. Then we will basically be "on call" at night in case there are any emergencies or things that need taking care of. If you are not familiar with the Friendship House, they are a transitional housing program for homeless women and children. They also serve the community in many other ways including giving out hygeine kits and food to the homeless, offering job readiness and GED classes, counseling, etc. We are SO excited to be able to be a part of this ministry and serve the city we love so much! Please be praying for us as we make this transition.

All I want for Christmas...

2009-12-06T15:00:00.003-06:00

Just thought I'd post the links to our wish lists since everyone is asking anyway.

Matt's amazon list
Emma's amazon list
Sarah's amazon list
Eli's diaper registry (password: babyparks)

Natural Parenting

2009-11-12T12:06:00.003-06:00

Before I had Emma, I thought there was no way that I would be one of those hippie, natural parenting (also known as attachment parenting) mommas. Those moms were just weird. Then, after having Emma, I become more and more interested in the idea of natural parenting. I did lots of research and my husband and I gradually made some changes in our parenting style. It is so interesting in how your ideas of parenting before you have a child and your ideas of parenting after you have a child are completely different (most of the time). My husband and I are truly embracing the natural style of parenting now and know it is best for us and our daughter (though it may not be best for all parents/children).

While I had many struggles with breastfeeding in the beginning (mastitis, thrush, low milk supply, etc.), I would not change it for the world. I greatly enjoyed breastfeeding Emma until she self-weaned at 11 months. We cloth diaper (and LOVE it). We "wear" our child (and will wear our new baby). I made Emma's baby food. We love natural toys. We co-sleep. I could go on and on. Though we do many things the "natural way", we in no way are crazy anal about being natural. I in no way had a natural birth--got lots of drugs and a c-section. We eat many processed foods. My daughter knows to ask for "fries" when we go through the McDonald's drive thru. Really, none of the details matter. What matters is that you and your family find out what works for you. I am glad that we have found what works for us! :)

And just for fun, here are some of my favorite natural parenting links:
www.mothering.com (Mothering Magazine)
http://www.novanatural.com/ (Nova Natural Toys & Crafts)
http://www.kiwimagonline.com/ (Kiwi Magazine)

the name game

2009-11-11T09:04:00.001-06:00

Everyone is chomping at the bit and asking if we have a name picked out.

Yes, we do.

We debated a lot and ended up with our original name that we picked out for a boy years ago.

Eli James.

It's a...

2009-11-10T12:37:00.002-06:00

I've been busy finding new favorites on etsy for our LITTLE BOY!

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

2009-11-03T20:44:00.004-06:00

A lot has been happening in our lives during the past couple weeks. Because of some unfortunate, yet completely understandable circumstances, I was laid off two weeks ago. Some crazy stuff was going on within the company and the decision was made to shut down the nursery. While it was quite unexpected, I felt at complete peace with the situation. It was just what needed to happen. I am now keeping two of the children three days a week and getting unemployment. While I know I can't get unemployment forever, it's been a nice change to only be working part-time! Emma and I (and the two other girls I keep) have been enjoying the beautiful weather by going to the zoo, many different parks, going for walks, and playdates with friends. It has been fun (and exhausting)!

Though I am enjoying my time at home now, I know it is only for a season. We simply cannot afford to live in this city we love on one income. Matt and I are currently pursuing a great mission opportunity in this city. While I cannot write of the details now, because nothing is certain yet, just know that it would be an amazing opportunity for our entire family to serve those in need in this city! We are greatly excited about this opportunity and just praying that God allows all the details to fall into place. I will update more about it when the time comes.

Oh, and in other news, I will have my 20 week ultrasound a week from today to find out if it's a BOY or GIRL! Can't wait!

Happy Tuesday!

2009-11-03T14:32:00.001-06:00

Happy Halloween

2009-11-01T02:12:00.003-06:00

from a punk rockstar!

Halloween Photos

2009-10-31T19:45:00.000-06:00

Check Out our Halloween Photos

Stellan

2009-10-29T09:46:00.000-06:00

This morning, I am praying for this precious boy and his family.

new pictures

2009-10-25T13:39:00.000-06:00

I have posted a ton of new pictures here.

Another rainy day at the Children's Museum

2009-10-11T18:15:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, we were keeping one of Emma's friends, Lucas, for the day. It was a rainy day, so we decided to head to the Children's Museum.

Getting ready to slide down the slide

Making big bubbles.

The bubbles are a favorite.

Hanging out by the steam boat.

Driving around...there was a fight over who got the drivers seat!

They both have a stroller obsession!

Happy to be in the stroller by herself!

Toddler love...so cute!

It's about time!

2009-10-08T19:25:00.004-05:00

It has been over a month since I blogged last. Whew! That's crazy! All I can say is I have been busy chasing around my 16 month old and sick and exhausted due to the pregnancy. I honestly don't have anything really exciting to blog about right now (and not many pictures), but thought I'd just give an update on what Emma is up to these days.

*Emma's verbal skills have really taken off lately. I can't even count the words in her vocabulary. She is very into labeling things these days. She walks around with objects saying who they belong to and what they are.

*Emma loves animals! Her favorite animals are giraffes, monkeys, lizards, ducks, and dogs. She loves to go outside and look for "didards" (lizards) and gets so excited when she sees one.

*Emma loves music. She loves to dance and sing. Her favorite songs are "Row, Row, Row Your Boat", "Wheels on the Bus", and "If You're Happy and You Know It".

*Emma loves her friends in the nursery at work. She can say all of their names and gives them hugs and kisses all the time.

*Emma's favorite foods are blueberries, green beans, and cheese.

*Emma has an obsession with shoes (and really always has).

*Emma's favorite toys are baby dolls, her baby doll stroller, puzzles, and books.

*Emma insists on having a "bow" (clip, rubberband, or bow) in her hair at all times. As soon as she wakes up, she says "bow" and wants us to put her hair up. We have to leave her hair up until right before we lay her down to bed. Her hair has gotten long and she definitely doesn't like it in her eyes!

That's our busy girl for ya!

I only have two to share. I'll try to do better!

Here is Emma with her first pigtails!

This is Emma and her friend, Lucas, who we were watching for the day.

Hooray!!!

2009-09-07T19:02:00.006-05:00

Emma has something she would like to share with you all...

"Hooray! I'm going to be a big sister!"

Here's proof there's a little peanut in there!

Emma is quite excited! Can't ya tell?!

Now, for the details. I am 10 weeks along and the estimated due date is April 2nd. We are all excited about this new little bundle of joy!

Callaway Gardens

2009-09-02T19:11:00.004-05:00

Last weekend we took a mini-vacation to Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, GA. Our dearest friends, Kelly and Paul, joined us and we had a wonderful time making memories. We enjoyed a butterfly conservatory, a show on birds of prey, geocaching, a trip to Butts Mill Farm, and just spending time together. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the weekend.

Can't wait to make the trip again next year! :)

Glad Game

2009-08-23T19:50:00.005-05:00

10 things I am glad about tonight...

1. My amazing husband who took care of my wild 15 month old this weekend so I could get some rest, as I wasn't feeling well.
2. Emma can now say "mommy", though she says "my me", it melts my heart.
3. 4 days of work until a long weekend at Callaway Gardens.
4. Izze sparkling juice. I love this stuff!
5. My job. I am so thankful that I have an amazing job and get to spend every day with my daughter and 8 other crazy cute kiddos!
6. New Orleans. I love this city--the good and the bad of it. I have learned so much about people and life since living here!
7. www.mycharmingkids.net I just love MckMama's blog!
8. Cloth diapering. Seriously, I love diapering my child now! I love saving money, saving the environment, and doing something healthy for my child. Plus, cloth diapers are so darn cute!
9. The amazing relationship I have with my family.
10. Thoughts of going back to South Carolina for Thanksgiving. Good food and fellowship with those I love!

And just because she's cute, here's a picture!

Shoes that attract dogs

2009-08-10T19:07:00.003-05:00

Guest appearance by Matt.
Emma got some squeaky shoes, and she LOVES them. She tries to run so she can hear them squeak more but she normally falls due to lack of walking skills. We went to the park to let her squeaksplore and swing a little. She attracted a friend who thought she was a squeak toy (daaa, daaa). My little girl is so smart!

-Matt (Sarah's Husband)

Yummy Yogurt!

2009-08-05T19:38:00.004-05:00

This is how you enjoy yogurt to the fullest...

First, you eat it with a spoon and get lots all over your face!

Next, you lick the bowl to get what you missed with the spoon.

Then you smile really big because the yogurt was so delicious!

Finally, you place the bowl on top of your head to complete the mess!

Then you definitely hop in the bathtub! There you have it!

Another day at the Children's Museum

2009-07-11T21:35:00.002-05:00

We headed back to the Louisiana Children's Museum this afternoon for some fun in the air conditioning! Check out Matt's post about our adventures!

But I do have to share my favorite picture with you. Emma LOVES to give kisses!

Crazy haired girl!

2009-07-11T20:23:00.008-05:00

Just thought some of you might be interested in Emma's new developments these days...

*Emma is very vocal these days. Her language is developing so quickly and it's amazing to hear new words almost daily! Here are the words she can say right now: mama, dada, kitty "iddy", DJ "eyay", uh oh, pat "pa", milk "mi", hello "eyo", hey "ey", bye bye "ba ba", ball, baby, night night "ni ni", no, and mine "my". She also goes around saying "die" all day long and we can't for the life of us figure out what that means. Haha! Emma can also imitate sounds, such as animals sounds, if we say them to her.

*Emma's signing has also progressed. She can sign all done, milk, thank you, please, more, cat, baby (her favorite), and shoes (another favorite). She will also imitate some animals signs if I do them (monkey, elephant, dog).

*Emma is officially a two legged baby now. She walks all the time and would run if she could figure out how!

*Emma loves to be outside and would stay outside all day if we let her. She gets bored very quickly if we are inside, either at home or at work. She bangs on the doors all the time to tell us she wants to go outside. She loves to ride the riding toys at work, swing, play in the sandbox and in the pool.

*Emma will now follow directions (I know this stage won't last long!). If we tell her to sit down, stand up, lay down, go get an object, find an object, etc. she will do it. So cute!

*Emma is a climber. She loves to climb on anything she can. She is proficient at climbing up slides and climbing on tables!

*Another tidbit...Emma and I have been going to Itsy Bitsy Yoga classes this summer and she is such a yoga baby! The instructer was way impressed today because Emma did ALL of the poses (some with my help and some on her own!). It is so precious and we have a blast doing it!

And just for good measure, I'll leave you with a picture of my "crazy haired girl" after we took her two pigtails out yesterday (sorry I don't have a before picture).

Emma's first taste of jambalaya

2009-07-06T19:56:00.007-05:00

Emma enjoyed her first taste of jambalaya and cornbread tonight.
She is also working on mastering feeding herself with the spoon. Fun stuff!

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T21:48:00.002-05:00

We were all hot and bothered after a couple hours in the heat today! But we did enjoy some blue snoballs!

Children's Museum

2009-06-24T21:19:00.004-05:00

Here in New Orleans, we have the pleasure of having an awesome Children's Museum. Since we were down a few kids at work today, we decided to pack up our 4 toddlers, and 5 year old and head down to the museum. We hung out in the fabulous toddler play room the entire time and were just thankful to be in the air conditioning (since it was 100 degrees outside!).

Oh, and please don't judge my child's crazy hair. I was trying to keep it out of her eyes, but obviously that didn't work!

We've got a walker

2009-06-11T18:04:00.004-05:00

Emma started taking steps last week and now can walk a good distance. Crawling is still her preferred mode of getting around (because it's quicker), but it won't be long before she is a full-time walker.

Fun in the Sun!

2009-06-09T20:10:00.002-05:00

*WARNING: Picture overload*

These first photos are from Emma's cousin Will's 2nd Birthday Party at Lake Murray. We all enjoyed the sun, sand, and celebrating two cutie pie 2 year old's birthdays!

The birthday kids--Will and his cousin Katelyn. So cute!

Loving the lake!

Hanging out with Daddy

Yeehaw!

Loving the swing!

I can stand up and clap my hands at the same time!

And here are a few pictures of Emma in her new water table (which we kept the legs off of so she could just sit in it).

Happy Birthday Emma!

2009-05-25T20:50:00.003-05:00

We have been busy celebrating Emma's birthday since Thursday. We had a little party at work on Thursday (check out Matt's blog for pictures of that) and had a party in South Carolina with family and friends yesterday. We have been having lots of fun and here are the pictures to show it! I'll post videos of the cake smashing soon!

12 Months

2009-05-20T19:15:00.002-05:00

Sweet Emma,

I just laid you down to bed for the last time before you turn 1 year old. My heart is so joyful as I watch you grow and change daily, yet tonight my heart grieves that the first year of your life is over. The past year has been the best year of my life, as I have learned what life and love are truly about. The past twelve months have passed by much too quickly and it seems like yesterday that you were in my womb. I never imagined just how wonderful being a mother is. I am truly blessed to have you as my child.

You have developed such personality lately and it is so much fun being around you. You love music and bounce on your chunky little legs once you hear any music playing. You clap your hands constantly. You are quite proud of yourself when you dance while standing up and clapping your hands at the same time. It is precious! You are signing "more", "all done" and today you signed "milk" for the first time. You stand up all the time now and love to hold things in your hands while you are standing. You have not taken a step yet, but you are very close. You can say "mama", "dada", "hey", "bye", and "baba" (for bottle). You are an outside baby and complain anytime someone opens the door and you don't get to go outside. You love to go on walks and ride in the wagon at ESI (work). You love to swing and slide at the park. You have just started pointing and point at everything! You continue to wave hello and goodbye to almost everyone you pass. You are such an outgoing little girl and love every person you meet.

I am sad that the first year of your life is over, yet I look forward to the many adventures we have to come. Your dad and I love you so much and pray that you will oneday realize just how special you are to us.

We love you,
Mom and Dad

The countdown is on...

2009-05-16T17:13:00.001-05:00

Emma will be ONE in five days.

We will be in South Carolina in seven days.

Can't wait!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T15:33:00.004-05:00

I have had a wonderful Mother's Day thanks to my wonderful husband and precious daughter. I am so blessed.

It has been a crazy week though. Here's a picture update...

This is how Emma felt most of the week due to an ear infection and a virus that caused blisters on her throat. This was on Cinco de Mayo at Nacho Mama's!

Yesterday we went to see the Budweiser Clydesdales at City Park. So beautiful and huge!

We got to pet the Budweiser dog as well.

Emma didn't quite know what to think about the horses.

This afternoon we got out Emma's blow up pool for the first time. She had fun!

Standing up in the pool.

Chillin on the porch after swim time.

A Joyful Mess

2009-05-04T21:11:00.002-05:00

This is what dinnertime looks like in our house these days.

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-25T20:24:00.005-05:00

I know you can't believe it...two posts in one day!

I just wanted to share some pictures of the Easter egg hunt we had with the kids work with. I love these kids. They are precious to me!

Firsts

2009-04-25T17:22:00.004-05:00

Over the past few weeks Emma celebrated her first Easter and went to her first Crawfish Boil. Here are some pictures.

And Emma had a "Daddy date" this morning and went to one of her favorite parks to play!

11 Months

2009-04-23T19:31:00.002-05:00

Dear Emma,

I am a little bit of a slacker. Your monthly letters are always a few days late, but I'm kind of busy...taking care of you! You continue to be such a joy to your Mommy and Daddy's lives. We fall more and more in love with you every day. And we think you get cuter and cuter every day too! :)

You are doing all sorts of new things these days. Climbing is your favorite thing to do. You climb in and on everything! You have just learned how to successfully climb up and down stairs. You climb in every box you see. You climb up onto chairs. Like I said, you climb on everything. You are a little daredevil and don't even flinch if you start to fall. You are just trying to keep your Mommy and Daddy on their toes, right?

You love all sorts of different kinds of food now. You will pretty much eat anything but green veggies. You had your first taste of icecream (well, rasberry ice gelato) yesterday and loved it. You are still eating some pureed baby food, but eat many table foods as well. You also had your first Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets and fries last night. We are training you to love the good stuff!

You can now say four words: "Mama" "Dada" "Hey" and "Bye". You are so cute when you say "hey" or "bye" and wave at the same time! Last Sunday when we left you in the nursery at church, you had a plastic hamburger in your hand and just waved it to us as we said goodbye. It was the cutest thing ever. Definitely a dramatic change from a couple months ago when we left you in the nursery and all you did was scream.

You are cruising all over the place and starting to let go of things and try to stand on your own. I'm wondering if you will be walking in the next month?

You are a sassy little one though. When we take anything away from you or move something out of your reach, you get a little temper and grunt or fuss. You especially love to try to get Mommy's coffee cup.

Most of your favorite things to play with aren't toys. You love boxes, buckets, Mommy's metal coffee scoop, keys, cell phones, paper, cups, spoons, shoes, and anything that makes lots of noise. You enjoy pulling everything out of your diaper bag and emptying books off of the bookshelf. You sure keep us busy cleaning up after you!

You continue to be such a light in our lives and we are truly enjoying every day with you. Can't wait to watch you grow and develop even more!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Randomness

2009-04-11T19:50:00.004-05:00

We have been quite busy the past couple weeks (as if you can't tell by my lack of posting), as we had Matt's mom visit for 7 days and then my mom (and her friend Lynette) visit for 5 days. We had a wonderful time being tour guides to this city we love so much, but were exhausted by the time everyone left. Emma definitely got some wonderful loving from both her Grandmommy Parks and Grammy Mackey. We can't wait to visit more of our family and friends in May for Emma's birthday!

Work has been going well for both Matt and I. In the next month, we will be getting a 6 week old baby boy in the nursery! It will definitely be a challenge to have such a little one with the older kids, but we are excited to get some little baby loving!

As for Emma, she can do the signs "more", "please", and "all done" now, with prompting. She is cruising all over the place and will stand for a couple seconds on her own. She will be walking before we know it!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Easter!

"Fluffy" bottom!

Signing "please"

Just being precious! :)

10 Months

2009-03-29T18:31:00.004-06:00

Dear Emma,

10 months. Wow. I cannot even describe how much fun your Dad and I have with you these days. You are hilarious and we get so much joy out of being your parents. Your personality sure is developing!

You love being around other people. You have so much fun playing in the nursery with others. Your favorite sound to make is a "growl". You are indeed a very loud baby and never go more than a few seconds without making some kind of noise (except when you are sleeping). You also love to climb. You try to climb everything--from baby gates, to shelves, to the play kitchen in the nursery. I think we are going to have our hands full when you are a little older! You are also the "paci theif" in the nursery. You love to steal everyone's pacis (out of their mouths) and put them in your mouth. The funny thing is you don't even like the kind of pacis they have and refuse to use them at home. You are starting to "dance" when music plays and lift your arms up when we say "yay" or "hooray". Oh, and I can't forget that you love to play peek-a-boo and initiate it on your own all the time!

You love your food. You love to eat pancakes, turkey, chicken, cheese, any kind of bean, yogurt melts, and any kind of bread. Mommy gave you a few pieces of her cupcake the other day and you loved it. Yo definitely like sweets! You are not too interested in baby food anymore, as you like to feed yourself.

It's hard to believe that in two short months you will be one year old!

We love you, Emma Grace!

Mommy and Daddy

Prayers

2009-03-25T20:44:00.001-06:00

I have been getting my knees dirty praying for MckMama's sweet Stellan. He is in the hospital with SVT. Please pray with me.

Big Girl

2009-03-21T15:00:00.004-06:00

Just last week, Emma got her new "big girl" carseat. We were excited to get a super deal ($100 off!)on a Britax Marathon from www.albeebaby.com. Here she is in the carseat (before we put it in the car).

And just because it was cute, here she is taking a nap...

Obsessions

2009-03-20T18:26:00.002-06:00

Got this idea from a few other blogs.

Here are my top 10 recent obsessions...

1. Cloth diapering. I have been researching it and ordered our first cloth diapers! I have ordered a Bum Genius 3.0 and FuzziBunz and can't wait to try them out! I am loving the idea of cloth diapering my baby!

2. McDonald's iced coffee. Cheap and delicious.

3. Reading. I have been averaging about 2 books a week lately. I make the kids at work take walks to the library a few times a week.

4. my charming kids. I am absolutely obsessed with this blog. MckMama takes wonderful pictures, has adorable kids, and writes about topics that I am interested in. Just today she posted a blog about cloth diapering!

5. Thinking about our next trip back to South Carolina. We'll be there May 22-May 31st and I am SO ready.

6. Wii Fit. Matt and I are so into the Wii fit! When Emma goes to bed, it's Wii time!

7. Etsy. Of course. It is just too much fun to look at all the cute baby stuff.

8. Flip flops. It's officially spring and flip flop season!

9. Sleep. Ever since we did the cry it out thing with Emma, she has been sleeping through the night. It has been absolutely wonderful to get uninterrupted sleep every night!

10. Dreaming of a vacation. I want to go on a real vacation--like a cruise, the beach, Disney World, just somewhere! Won't happen anytime soon, but it's fun to dream.

Art Journaling

2009-03-08T20:21:00.003-06:00

I have a new hobby, thanks to my dear friend, Karina. She has introduced me to the world of art journaling. Here are a few of my creations.

Prompt: Valentine to yourself

Prompt: Your perfect man

Prompt: Self-portrait

Prompt: MLK Jr/I Have a Dream

Helping Baby Teethe

2009-03-07T14:50:00.001-06:00

My daughter would bed to differ! I stole this from Mama Manifesto.

Lipsmacker!

2009-03-06T19:26:00.002-06:00

Mardi Gras & a picnic

2009-03-06T19:09:00.003-06:00

I've been neglecting my blog lately. It is definitely not that I don't think of posting or greatly wish to post, but it's because my dear daughter has had serious night-time sleeping issues and we had to work those out before I got any free time at night. I'm hear to say that letting the little misses cry it out the past three nights has been heaven to us! The first night she cried for 20 minutes and fell asleep, last night she cried for about 4 minutes, and tonight cried for less than 1 minute. PRAISE GOD! So, here I am!

Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras day were fun, but we were pretty tired by the time they rolled around. That's what a months worth of parades and festivities will do to you. For those of you who don't know, Mardi Gras day is actually the final day of the Carnival season. So, by then, we're pretty much all worn out!

Last Saturday, we took Emma on her first picnic to Audubon Park. We had a sweet time and even got to see some baby ducklings!

P.S. Sorry these pictures are in backwards order.

Picnic @ Audubon

Baby ducklings

"Our trees have bling" (look closely and you can see all the beads on the tree!)

Happy Mardi Gras!

Beautiful sunset on Lundi Gras evening

9 Months

2009-02-24T21:44:00.003-06:00

My Dearest Emma,

As I write this, you are sound asleep in your crib. I am so grateful for that, as you have had many restless nights the past few weeks. You have double ear infections and it seems as though you now have a cold as well. Your Mommy and Daddy are trying as hard as we can to make you comfortable and help you to feel better. We wish we could do more.

You have been quite a busy girl this past month. You are now crawling like a pro, pulling up on everything, and even cruising a little bit! You FINALLY got your first tooth and it's so cute! Your favorite things to play with are not toys, but cups, paper, shoes, hairbrushes, socks, and of course, Mardi Gras beads. Speaking of Mardi Gras, you were such a trooper through all the parades and festivities. For the most part, you enjoyed being close to your Daddy in the Baby Bjorn and catching lots of stuffed animals, cups, and beads. And you were proud to show everyone how you can now wave!

You are loving your finger foods these days. Sometimes we have a hard time getting you to eat your babyfood because you would so much rather have a cheerio or puff! You also love any kind of bread (pancakes, waffles, buns, etc.). As soon as you get some more teeth we will be able to venture into eating more finger foods! You are SO ready!

We love you so much Emma Grace. You are such a joy. You have truly taught your Mommy and Daddy how to be selfless and sacrifice ourselves for your needs.

Oh, and have I mentioned that you have TONS of hair?!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

After Carnival

2009-02-24T21:26:00.003-06:00

This is how we all feel tonight...after a full few weeks of partying and parading...hope everyone had a Happy Mardi Gras!

Mardi Gras: Part 1

2009-02-14T14:14:00.002-06:00

Mardi Gras (Carnival) is in full swing around New Orleans. It's our favorite time of year and so much fun to celebrate with friends! We took Emma to her first parade last weekend. All this week and until Fat Tuesday (the 24th) we will be hitting up tons of parades and fun events around town.

Here is Emma getting some beads at her first parade, Krewe du Vieux.

Peek-a-boo!

2009-02-13T22:46:00.005-06:00

-Matt (I'm running out of memory on my blog because my account has all the Picasa pics)

Not Me! Monday

2009-02-09T22:31:00.002-06:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

It has been quite a while since I've done one of these, but the time has come again...

*I did NOT give my daughter a piece of paper to play with/eat just to give me a few minutes to catch up on some blogs

*I also did NOT proceed to let her crawl over to my Crocs and let her chew on them for a few minutes before I took them away from her. No, I would never let my daughter chew on nasty shoes!

*My daughter's first Mardi Gras parade was definitely NOT the most scandalous parade (Krewe du Vieux) in which we saw lots of male body parts (fake not real) and other things (I will leave that to your imagination)...

*I did NOT let my daughter's precious little nose get sunburned (burnt?) at another parade. I most certainly do NOT feel like an awful mom for letting that happen.

*I did NOT buy mini powdered sugar donuts from Winn-Dixie (yes, we still have them here) just because they were buy one/get one free. And of course I did NOT eat most of those donuts.

*I did NOT think negative things about my art journaling pages tonight. Nope, not me. I'm not allowed to. It's a rule.

*I did NOT drive 20 minutes to the Starbucks with a drive-thru, even though there are 2 closer Starbucks, just because I didn't feel like getting Emma in and of the car. I would never waste gas like that. Like my $4 cup of coffee wasn't enough?!

Our quirky home

2009-02-01T20:20:00.004-06:00

Our home is a fun place to live. It is a cheap, inner-city apartment, and with that comes the good and the bad...

[Good]

It's cheap!!! Only $750 for 2 bedrooms and believe me, in this city, that is impossible to find!
It's in the middle of all the action. We love living on Magazine Street. We're in walking distance from restaurants, drugstores, coffee shops, grocery stores, and anything else you could want.
We have awesome neighbors. The guy downstairs even gives us his internet (on purpose)!
The kitchen has this cute built in cupboard. I love it!
Lots of wall space!
We LOVE our front porch. It's spacious and a perfect place to sit in the evenings and watch the traffic/people on Magazine.
A nice backyard that Emma can play in when she gets a little older.

[Bad]

At any given point in time, we may blow a fuse. Sometimes it even blows on it's own when we haven't done anything. Gets kind of frustrating when you are trying to feed a baby dinner and the fuse blows four times in 20 minutes and the breaker box is outside and you have to go flip the switch so your baby won't be sitting in the dark! Yes, this has happened a couple times!
It's upstairs. I don't mind living upstairs, but the staircase is skinny and gets quite slippery when wet. And it's not very fun to trudge up slippery stairs with a baby and groceries!
No parking--we have to park on a side street. We have gotten used to this and it only sucks when we have lots of groceries to bring in.
The walls are very thin. Our precious neighbors like to play some boom boom music on the weekends and we can hear every "boom".
The backdoor has a big gap on the side of it--Matt had to put in a draft guard so that we can keep the heat/air in.
Because our apartment is shotgun style (with no hallway), we have to walk through the babies room to get from the living room to our room. This is a problem when she is sleeping!
There is NO counter space in the kitchen.
No dishwasher.

All this said, we love our home and are so blessed to have found this place!

Eight Months

2009-01-22T19:20:00.002-06:00

Dear Emma,

You turned 8 months old yesterday and I am amazed at all you can do! You are growing up too quickly. Some days I just want to freeze the moment and cherish it forever. Especially when you scoot up to me, say "mama" and want me to hold you. You are scooting around quite quickly these days and I'm sure crawling will be soon. You also love to pull up on things and stand. You will stand for about 15 minutes at a time, just looking around at everything. Now that you are more mobile, you are into everything! Your Mommy and Daddy are rearranging the house and trying to make things safe for you. We can't leave you alone for even a few seconds without you finding something to get into. You grab everything you can get a hold of, which includes (but is not limited to): hair, your kitties, noses, remotes, cell phones, tupperware, pans, and your most favorite is paper. You would play with and eat paper all day long if we would let you. You still love to eat and are now enjoying cheerios and avocado as new finger foods. You are also eating with your mesh feeder now and love to eat apples and pears. You aren't too sure about grapes and you still are not thrilled with vegetables (pureed or in your mesh feeder). Oh yeah, and you LOVE to play peek-a-boo! We love watching you learn and grow and are so proud of what you can already do!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Peek-a-boo!

2009-01-21T20:05:00.002-06:00

Emma loves to play peek-a-boo these days. This is the only video I have been able to get yet, and it's not the best because I took it on my phone. But, it will have to do for now.

Funny kids

2009-01-17T10:12:00.002-06:00

I hear kids say funny things every day. Here's one that I found hilarious this week...

"When I have daughters, I want them to take a bottle because I don't want them sucking on my noonies!" [said by a 4 1/2 year old who just stopped breastfeeding LAST WEEK!]

Growing up

2009-01-10T19:34:00.004-06:00

My baby girl has been quite busy the past week and a half. Last Thursday, she started pulling up. This week she said her first word "Mama", ate apple from a fruit sack for the first time, sat up in the bathtub in her new bath seat, and drank from a sippy cup. I can't believe how fast she is growing up! We went to Chili's for dinner last night, and Emma thought she was big stuff sitting in the high chair and drinking from a sippy cup. It amazes me how quickly she changes and grows.

Loving her new bath seat!

Enjoying her apple in the mesh feeder.

Playing with (or eating) some new toys.

And loving on her doll given to her by her Aunt Kay

A Word

2009-01-04T19:28:00.003-06:00

I, along with over 2000 other women from this blog, have committed to memorizing 24 Scripture passages this year. This is the first verse:

"He is your constant source of stability; He abundantly provides safety and great wisdom; He gives all this to those who fear Him." Isaiah 33:6 (NET)

I sure did need that Word today!

Miss Fussypants

2009-01-03T18:16:00.003-06:00

Emma is developing quite a personality. And with her personality comes some sass. With that comes some fussyness. Mommy is not fond of this new personality development. Every time we take something away from Emma, she fusses. Every time we walk away from Emma, she fusses. Every time we put Emma in the exersaucer, she fusses. She will even fuss in the Johnny Jump Up, which used to be her favorite. I think I'm about to have my hands full with a sassy little girl! Anyone have any advice?

Target

2009-01-03T18:13:00.001-06:00

Emma's first time in a shopping cart--at Target, of course!

Merry Christmas from the Parks

2008-12-28T18:56:00.004-06:00

Some pictures from Christmas day (courtesy of Debby).

Seven Months

2008-12-24T16:18:00.003-06:00

Dear Emma,

You are now closer to being 1 year old than 0. It amazes me how quickly time passes. You are continuing to grow and thrive. You now weigh 13 lbs, 6 oz. You love to eat food. Your favorite foods are pears, pumpkin, applesauce, carrots, and sweet potatoes. You like the sweet stuff just like your mommy! You also eat Mum Mum rice rusks and love to hold them and shove them in your mouth. You can get up on your hands and knees and scoot about a foot or so. And o course you love to scoot around in a circle. You can also sit up for extended periods of time now (about 30 minutes)! This is wonderful because you are content to sit and play on your own. Though you have had many milestones this past month, it has been quite a rough month. You have been through three rounds of antibiotics for your ear infection and we think you are now teething. You are quite the fussy little baby! But we still love you and are enjoying each new day with you. This Christmas is sure to be a special one!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy