.first off, i have to do a shout out to lindsey dennett.
.wonder why my blog magically got so cute.
.it wasnt me, thats for sure.
.it was the amazing, talented, one of a kind lindsey.
.she sure has a talent, and does such a great job (she has designed more than just my blog).
.i was sooooo thrilled to see the finished product. she came up with something alot cuter than what i had in my mind as "cute"...thank goodness.
.thanks lindsey.
.so this past week has been accomplishments, and some trials.
.but we sure saw and felt blessings from others this past week.
.this MAY be long, but its more for me anyways, so if you dont want to read the post, just scroll to the bottom for pictures.
.so a week ago, andrew and i decided we were going to only give parker a bottle. after visiting with my doctor, she told me that just by watching parker in the short time we talked (15-20 minutes) that we was VERY smart, and VERY advanced, and VERY stubborn. it was his way or the highway. she said she had no doubt that he knows how to take a bottle, its just he doesnt want to.
.so the solution.
.only offer him a bottle until he gets hungry enough to take it.
.ahhh...that was hard and a VERY long day.
.so friday started, andrew was at work, and i started this long process. parker would cry and cry and cry and scream and scream and scream. he was SO grumpy. but i got through the day. unforunately, we planned to meet our realator that evening to look at 3 houses. luckily, parker was in a good mood and doing okay. we decided we would stop at the grocery store and get the grocery shopping done that evening instead of saturday (the next day)...so we ventured off into the grocery store....well that lasted about 20 minutes because parker started SCREAMING. so andrew took him outside while i checked out our half shopped list.
.we got home and tried and tried to get him to take a bottle and he would just scream and scream and scream. it lasted about 2 hours. finally i just held him, sang to him, and cried. i never knew what others talked about when they said breastfeeding has a connection...because honestly i didnt feel a connection. i felt like it was annoying, and lets me real it stinkin hurt at the beginning. but that night all i wanted to do was feed my baby. to just stop him from starving and let him feel loved. andrew gave him a blessing and during that blessing i felt like it just wasnt the right time to do this with parker. for whatever reason i just didnt feel right about it. so i fed him and we figured we could maybe work on just me feeding him only at night. so we went about our weekend, and it seemed like he was doing okay with the whole only being fed at night.
.than. thursday february 6th, a miracle happened. i sat down to feed him a bottle...i was doing this through a medicine syringe. such a tedious task, but i wanted to get formula down him as well as solids...and i thought, "hum...maybe i will just see if he will take the bottle" so i showed it to him and he reached up, put it in his mouth and just started drinking it, LIKE A NORMAL BABY. i was thrilled. i got a picture of it, but didnt want to get my hopes up....well now, here we are almost 2 days later and he takes a bottle like a champ. we are so thrilled but .oh.my.gosh.let.me.tell.you.my.chest.hurts.
.the night before he took a bottle, we had a rough night. i was again out on the couch so andrew could get sleep. i honestly held parker, rocked him and cried. i thought and prayed, "why? i understand now is not the time for parker to take a bottle, and i am okay with that. but i need my sleep. if i dont get sleep i am soooo short with brooklynn and with parker and its not fair to them. i understand this trial, but i have done all i think i can do, and im pleading that this burden is lifted up. (we had SO many people praying for us, as well as fasting for us). i cried and cried....2 days later...parker takes a bottle. amazing.
.i have stopped feeding, completely, cold turkey. just because of my self esteem issues with the whole body image right now...and it hurts. andrew came home tonight from work and i said, i gained 50 pounds. he looked at me, and said..WHAT?!?!?" i said, "yes, i gained 50 pounds in my chest, well, thats what it feels like." (he thought i was serious about gaining 50 pounds).im dying...but know its temporary and will go away soon (hopefully) i know the first few days are the worst. luckily today i only have cleaning and laundry, so im going to attempt to take it easy. we are suppose to take brooklynn to the children's museum this weekend...yea, we will see.
.recently, i was having a REALLY hard time with andrew coming home, and jumping on his computer. it drove me crazy. b was so thrilled when her daddy came home, and it was like he just blew her off. it bugged me. bad. so we had a heart to heart and decided that when he got home, both of us were to stay off the computer and ipods, etc until the kids went down for bed. can i tell you it has been HEAVEN. i do my best to have dinner on the table when andrew gets home...and so far i have done just that (sometimes we have to wait 10-15 minutes)...but still. so andrew comes home. we eat dinner, we do dishes, we play, we talk, we bath the kids, we play some more, and than prayers brush teeth and put the kids down and have our own time. it has been so nice. and i have loved it. i feel like we give the kids the attention they need, we dont have any interruptions and its just family time. love it.
.other than that, i have been staying home with the kids. i attempted to take them out wednesday and go clothes shopping with my christmas money from my in-laws....JOKE. the kids were both grumpy and there was NO WAY i was going to be able to even try something on. there were plenty of cute things i spotted i wanted to try on...but....oh well, get through this weekend and may just venture out and leave the kids with andrew...maybe on my birthday next week?!? :)
.we got the opportunity to take brooklynn and parker to the children's museum downtown. it was a blast. and the best thing....totally wore the kids out. they had alot of cool things and i took alot of pictures. afterwards, we came home and put the kids down for a nap. andrew stayed home and watched them, and i went grocery shopping and stopped at a few stores to look at clothes (i have christmas money still)....it was WEIRD not having to drag 2 kids around, but it was NICE. i got home and we decided to head out to dinner for my birthday (early). I had a free burger coupon at red robin, and so we went there and had fun. b kept pointing to the "robin (red robin") and saying DUCK! lol. it was a great day. i love spending time with the family.
.we got the opportunity to take brooklynn and parker to the children's museum downtown. it was a blast. and the best thing....totally wore the kids out. they had alot of cool things and i took alot of pictures. afterwards, we came home and put the kids down for a nap. andrew stayed home and watched them, and i went grocery shopping and stopped at a few stores to look at clothes (i have christmas money still)....it was WEIRD not having to drag 2 kids around, but it was NICE. i got home and we decided to head out to dinner for my birthday (early). I had a free burger coupon at red robin, and so we went there and had fun. b kept pointing to the "robin (red robin") and saying DUCK! lol. it was a great day. i love spending time with the family.
.we are still waiting to hear on the house we made an offer on...its a short sale...so its a waiting process. we are still shopping while we wait, but its all a process.
.we are still thankful for all the prayers that have been sent our way. we have felt them, and have felt the comfort they have brought to our home.
.i have been LOVING doing b's hair...its getting long but still short for some things i want to do...but hey, not many can say they can BRAID their not even 2 year olds hair!
.parker boy at the children's museum. he is such a kick.
.daddy in the airplane with parer and b. (children's museum.)
.parker at a window. (children's museum.) funny thing....andrew stood straight up and NAILED his head on the roof, humm honey, its a CHILDREN"S museum....short roofs!
.b getting a talk about having to share with other kids.
.ooooo the tears!
.b driving the trolly.
.parker kicking it in the back.
.this is the FIRST time he took a bottle from me after trying and trying and giving up.
.b's hair.
.parker boy.
.braided hair.
.met up with andrew for lunch last week, kids are sleeping in the back, so we took advantage and stopped and got ice cream, so we didnt have to share with kids.
.oh my shortness.
.parker boy.
.b washing the dishes, i told andrew i want to get her a kitchen for her birthday...she LOVES it.
.b's hair.
.early birthday present from my sisters. its a picture frame that opens up and holds jewelry...i have wanted one but they were 100 bucks...my sisers scored on deals and coupons and got it for right around 35 bucks. thanks kristina and ronnie.
.my morning babes.
.look at this hair...she is a beauty. took me 5 minutes.
.the sweet kicks my mom got for parker when he was born that FINALLY fit him.
"ello?"
.andrew said wow...after seing you in that mirror you look great....THANKS andrew.
.atm machine at children's museum.
.PARKER!
.this is SOOO my dad's scowl.
.children's museum.
.she LOVED the shopping carts. they could go through and pull items from the shelf, and than scan it, and it would actually show up on the screen with a price. andrew and i were really impressed with it.
.parker on the boat.
.nerd.so much like her dad.
.parker.
.parker boy. LOVE this picture.
she will sit with her dad and watch whatever he is watching...here he was watching gold rush...who does that.
.hair.
.parker in his sunday outfit from tammy kirby. adorable.
.and now for VIDEOS.
.little parker wants to walk SO BAD...he walks on his own behind the rocker and will stand forever at the couch...he just wants to keep up with his sister.
.here is video of parker walking behind the walker.
.you may wonder...she has SO many pictures of parker, but when she takes pictures of brooklynn she is always looking away. well here is proof why...b HATES her picture being taken...i took this video pretending i was taking her picture.
.pretending to take b's picture.
.poor parker...this kid deals with so much from brooklynn. here she is "dressing him up"
.b dressing parker.
.i love this video not because parker doesnt do too hot walking this time around...he had been walking for like 10 minutes...but because you can hear b saying "come here parker"
.p cheering on parker to walk to her.
.so this video isn't for the video, its for the noise. we were driving home from the store, i was tired and sooo done with the kids, and than they started talking and laughing at each other. totally changed my day. they do this EVERY TIME we are in the car now. its adorable.
.parker and brooklynn laughing a each other in the car.
.b and daddy went for a ride in a little bull dozer at the children's museum. it was hilarious. and pretty cool they had this there.
.daddy and b in dozer at children's museum.
.this was brooklynn's second favorite thing at the children's museum. she LOVES shopping carts and loading them up and pushing them around.
.b shopping at the children's museum.
.this was brooklynn's FAVORITE thing at the children's museum...they is what she didnt want to share and got a talk to from daddy...it was pretty cool, im going to lie. if you can't tell she is IN a bubble.
.b in the bubble at the children's museum.
.alright, that's all i have for you this time. this week we have my birthday, valentines day, and whatever andrew has planned this weekend that i dont know about. :)
.until next time.
.b dressing parker.
.i love this video not because parker doesnt do too hot walking this time around...he had been walking for like 10 minutes...but because you can hear b saying "come here parker"
.p cheering on parker to walk to her.
.so this video isn't for the video, its for the noise. we were driving home from the store, i was tired and sooo done with the kids, and than they started talking and laughing at each other. totally changed my day. they do this EVERY TIME we are in the car now. its adorable.
.parker and brooklynn laughing a each other in the car.
.b and daddy went for a ride in a little bull dozer at the children's museum. it was hilarious. and pretty cool they had this there.
.daddy and b in dozer at children's museum.
.this was brooklynn's second favorite thing at the children's museum. she LOVES shopping carts and loading them up and pushing them around.
.b shopping at the children's museum.
.this was brooklynn's FAVORITE thing at the children's museum...they is what she didnt want to share and got a talk to from daddy...it was pretty cool, im going to lie. if you can't tell she is IN a bubble.
.b in the bubble at the children's museum.
.alright, that's all i have for you this time. this week we have my birthday, valentines day, and whatever andrew has planned this weekend that i dont know about. :)
.until next time.














