Zeeland Christian Sledding Hill...

Finally winter has hit Zeeland and we are able to enjoy doing wintry outdoor activities.  First up....sledding!  Parker got bundled up in his coordinating blue snow suit (after randomly piecing together some winter wear we inherited Parker ended up being VERY matchy-matchy!) which like most little kids made it challenging to walk and we headed to the hill.  ZCS was very busy and the hill was packed down and fast due to all the traffic.  In my pregnant state I was just along to take pictures and for moral support.  Joel plopped Parker in front of him and attempted to maintain a slower speed as much as possible as they headed down the hill.  About half way down they were gaining speed quickly and Joel was unable to slow them down because his boots were throwing snow up in Park's face so they just careened down the hill at a much faster speed than anticipated!  After hitting some unforeseen bumps at the bottom Parker was less than thrilled about the whole sledding experience and actually appeared terrified!  Needless to say that was the first and last time he will sled for the season probably.  The rest of the time we spent petting dogs that were there with their families and throwing snow balls (Joel's idea...hopefully some stranger or mommy doesn't get pelted some day!).

Let's focus on the positive...

On my commute to and from work I listen to 105.3 FM on the radio.  I like the music and the morning show banter is pretty entertaining (not always wholesome though!).  Lately I have been noticing, though, how sad some of the discussion on the show is.  So much of it is negative comments about what is happening in current events, failed relationships, talk of who cheated on who, discussion about the poor economic situation, lies, scandle, etc.  I do appreciate one of the co-host's views, though, on marriage and the like...he appears to have a good head on his shoulders. 

As I listen it is easy to remove myself from it and say it is just some person on the radio, but I have been thinking about it a lot more lately how broken the world is and how so many people put so much focus on such negative stuff.  Does anyone celebrate the positive things that are happening in the world and in their life?  

Today I am choosing to focus on the positive things and not to fall into the negativity trap of the world!


Positive things I am focusing on today...


-I have a very flexible job that works my schedule around childcare for Parker. 

-My work place is diverse, and I am constantly gleaning new knowledge and inspiration from my co-workers.  

-Nineteen (and counting) of my co-workers signed up to run one of the 5/3 Riverbank races this year due to an email I sent out asking if anyone wanted to join me. 

-One co-worker (in her late 50s) shared with me that this is the 1st race she has ever done! 

-My moms are amazing and provide us with top notch care for Parker for free while I work. 

-My husband works very hard to provide for our family so I can stay home with Parker part-time. 

-Watching Joel coach basketball is such an inspiration to me...seeing someone do something that they are so passionate about and passing on knowledge to younger generations is so fun to see! 

-Our house is cozy! 

-What I love most about my home is the people I share it with. 

-The President of the United States takes lots of time away from his family to make decisions for our country (and I will note that he gets paid less than most NBA basketball players!) and I am proud to have our 1st president of a differnt race. 

-The sun has been shining more this winter than any winter I can ever remember. 

-My friends truly pray for me. 

-I eat a lot of good food on a daily basis (not necessarily good for me, but I am focusing on the positives, right?).


Thank you God for all of this.  May I continue to focus on my blessings more than the small negatives in my life!

Life with a 1 1/2 year old...

After playing in the basement today we all headed upstairs to the laundry room to do various things.  I was switching the wash to the dryer while Joel was going to the bathroom.  As always Parker was close by observing us and thinking like a 1 1/2 year old.  I turn when I hear Joel gasp and much to my surprise I see Parker's hand in Joel's urine stream!  I quickly step in to get Parks to remove his hand and get it cleaned off.  I am trying to maintain some level of seriousness so he doesn't think this is something funny to do another time when he says, "It's hot!".  At that point we both lose it and the lesson about not touching people's pee is over!  Ha!  Never a dull moment!  Even though it is kinda gross it is probably one of my funniest Parker moments so far! 

I'm a big boy now...

We have slowly been working on changing the office into a big boy bedroom for Parker.  Over Christmas break we completed the room enough where Parker could officially move in!  We have been talking up moving to the big boy room for a month now and discussing our expectations of him sleeping in his new bed.  We were a little delayed in getting him into the room due to our poor buddy having Pneumonia at the end of Christmas break!  Once he was better, though, we took the dive and had his first nap  (Jan 12) in the new room which went FABULOUS!!!!  Seriously we were shocked at how well it went and how well it has continued to go!  He has been sleeping in his room now for a little over a week and he has been sleeping great and staying in his bed (besides one night when I found him behind the door!).  We are so proud of him during this transition.  We are not naive to the fact that it could get worse at some point!

Dear Parker...

Dear Parker...


You have an all-star Dad. No really, you do.

When I first met him, I knew he was the kind of man I wanted to raise a bunch of little ones with.
I heard a quote once that stated...
                   

"Don't marry a man unless you would be proud to have a son exactly like him."

I know you won’t turn out exactly like your Daddy and I wouldn’t want you to.

You will have your own qualities that make you great.

But when you become a Daddy, I hope you remember that it’s the little things that matter most.



Being a super star Daddy means…

Letting you wipe your messy mouth and hands on his work clothes so he can hug you before he leaves for work.

Taking you into the locker room at the end of every basketball game so you can put your hand in the final huddle.

Teaching you how to jump off of a stool onto a large pillow cushion.

Singing Silent Night to you to help you fall asleep.

Tackling you and playing non-stop even after a long day of work.

Kicking the ball on the driveway even in the freezing cold because you love to do it.

Carrying you around even though he has a bad back and shouldn't be.

Wanting to wake you up from sleeping so he can play with you longer.

Letting you play with his phone...even if it means accidentally setting his alarm for 5:00am on a Saturday!



Aside from the fact that he made my heart skip a beat whenever our eyes met,
I married your Daddy because I knew he would love you more than life itself.

I knew he would not only show up, but he would be truly present at every milestone of your life.

I knew that he would make you feel loved, and he would never be afraid to say those three magic words to you...I love you.

I knew he would be the kind of Daddy that every kid deserves.

And I hope you always know how lucky you are to have him.



Love you.

Mommy

Chef Parque...

Parker has always loved being in the kitchen with me, but this week he started to dress the part too!

35 weeks...

I have been terrible at taking pictures this pregnancy!  I only work part-time too so I really have no excuse!  Here are a few recent pictures...the final few hopefully!  At my appointment this week I was informed that I am already dilated to a two!  Considering that with Parker I was not even dilated that far when my water broke I think we are heading in the right direction!  We are hoping this means the baby will be coming sooner rather than over-due like Parker was.   

Over Christmas break I was given such an amazing break with Joel being home and being able to help out so much with Parker.  I have been feeling absolutely fabulous since then which I really appreciate.  I have been loving having more energy to do special activities with Parker before the baby comes.  Every day I plan something fun for us to do together...play date, basketball game, playground at the mall, special treats, etc.  It has been so much fun!  I feel terrible saying this but lately I have just been loving the stage Parker is in that I feel a little nervous to be having a baby which will change all of that.  We won't be able to go out on all of these excursions as easily and I won't have as much time for Parker.  I know he will be amazing with the baby and we will all adjust.  When I first meet this little person I just know I will fall head over heels like I did with Parker and this feeling will quickly leave me!

A few tid-bits about month 8 of pregnancy...

Insomnia has set in...I lay awake at night with thoughts of the baby in my head and a list of things I still have to do.  Luckily Parker is still taking two naps a day so I am definitely taking advantage of naps throughout the day as well!

Glowing skin?!?!  Ha!  Unfortunately I am not one of those women who is blessed with glowing skin during pregnancy.  Instead I have varicose & spider veins on my leg that are painful, stretch marks on my belly, hemorrhoids, lots of weight gained, and zits!  It really isn't that bad but it does make me chuckle some times.  In all honesty I would take it all and some more to have this little one again.  Luckily Joel is super supportive through it all.  He does take advantage of teasing me about how big I am getting though! 

Nesting...I think Joel is nesting and forcing me to nest too!  We have been checking off the small projects that remain around the house.  Every day we feel a little bit closer to feeling ready!

Bags are packed for the most part and the newborn clothes we have are washed and folded!  Parks has transitioned into his big boy room and the nursery is ready for a baby once again!

Active little honey...this little one is on the move like crazy lately!  Joel and I are constantly feeling big punches and kicks and my stomach is visibly moving all the time.