Vain??

Does it make me vain to put mousse in Monkey's hair? I think not. I mean honestly, it is organic, and he does have the cutest spikes I have ever seen. Oh, well...he thinks it is funny. What can I say, I like Parker to look good!

My Ride.

As some of you know, I have a man child. He is ginormous. It was getting time for him to be done with his infant seat. They are supposed to last to one year, but what are you going to do? The problem with this is that his seat went to 30 pounds and most convertibles only go to 35 pounds...not much help to keep him rear facing until 2.

Finally, he outgrew his infant seat in height not weight. He is 31 inches and it only goes to 32 inches...didn't want to push it. So, we went out yesterday, with the money we had been saving to get him a new seat, and found the best thing that could have ever been.

The Graco My Ride 65. That is right folks it rear faces to 40 pounds and front faces to 65 pounds. YAY! No matter how gigantic our monkey gets he can still be harnessed. I am so glad. I really think we can make it to 2 without hitting 40 pounds. Just saying it makes me cringe at the thought of lugging around a 40 pound kid. I weighed 50 until I was in 6th grade. WOW!! This seat also fits in our car WAY better than his infant seat. I am no longer hugging the dashboard. Parker seems to enjoy it. Nicko doesn't like not being able to see Parker over the sides of it. Oh well. He will have to cope.

Baby Trails.

This is what happens when Nicko is watching Parker.

Baby Cage.

We finally had to bring out the baby cage play pen. After all what are you supposed to do when you have to pee, let your child terrorize your house. Parker actually thinks it is pretty cool. He will sit in there for a whole hour. He thinks it is his "special" place. Oh, if he only knew why he was there. I am sure he will wisen up one day. Until then Nicko has been teaching him to escape. Why you ask, because Nicko does not know the consquences that come with your child learning how to climb. By the time I realized what was going on it was too late. Parker already had the foundations of climbing planted in his brain.

Hmmm...

Parker is starting to stand for brief minutes by himself. He is pretty good at it. Moving right a long like a champ! He is also getting faster at cruising and everything. He is just so darn smart. He has been saying daddada lately particularly when he wakes up. So cute! Here are some pictures of him standing on his rocking chair. He thinks that is the best pulling up surface. I have tried to dissuade him but it didn't fly. He is very stubborn. So are Nicko and I.

Parker's First Owie!

I know this is going to seem odd, but I wanted to share his first owie. When he is 10 he will think it is pretty freaking cool. If he is how I think he is going to be. :)

Milestone Monday.

For now on, I will be going over Parker's latest achievements and personality traits on Monday. I say traits, but to be honest I don't think he acts like either of us. He is one wild baby. Nicko calls him "extreme baby" or "emergency room material". I cringe when he says either. I am so not cut out to be the mother of an extreme anything.

Parker has went from loving baby food to preferring to feed himself, which happens to be not an option with baby food. I have tried to let him use the spoon, but we have carpet...sometimes I put him in the kitchen and let him have at it. This morning he actually had real cereal and not "baby" cereal. :( New things are always bittersweet for this momma. Yesterday he had chicken.

He has finally started saying "dada". Although it sounds more like daddy. We will call it what it is. However excited Nicko may be. He said momma first. :) Nicko also swears he said "frog" the other day in the bathtub. I didn't hear this, but I am more of one to hear something because I want to.

Proof I have the smartest baby ever. As if anyone needs it at this point. The other day Parker and I were hanging out in my bathroom while I got dressed, he was playing with this whale he got for Christmas, that I am quite sure he would sleep with it if I would let it out of the bathroom. Nicko turned on the water in the other bathroom and Parker heard the water in the pipes. Climbed on the bathtub to look and see if he was going to get a batch. Then pouted when there was no water. :) There you have it. I have a genius baby.

He also got his first scratch and knot on his head yesterday. The scratch is really bad. He got it on a piece of furniture as he was falling and it is from his wrist to his arm pit. Horrible I took pictures so everyone can see what a bad mommy I am. And I think everyone should have their first "battle wound" documented. I am sure one day when he is like 10 he will think it is funny.

Parker is also trying to stand for brief moments completely by himself. :) Let's see if he is walking at nine months. They have a bet at his pediatricians office when Parker will be walking.

Mammal Chickens?

Obviously, Nicko was under the impression that chickens were mammals. I think it was the funniest thing I have ever heard. I just wanted to share that with everyone.

Parker has started "dancing". I would refer to it as head banging , but it is way more gentle and extremely cute.

We still don't have the clapping down. But, he will start "clapping" when you say Pat a Cake. So, at least he knows when he is supposed to.

He has also learned a whole new array of facial expressions. Lets just say his "stink eye" has improved.

Boy Moment #1

Many of you have heard me refer to Parker as being "all boy". And, well he is. Today he was in the kitchen with Nicko, and for some reason that is Parker's favorite hangout, and Nicko is the "hot" thing right now. Parker was kind of swimming on the tile I didn't pay much attention to it. Well, I go over there finally, because I think he is eating something, and I was going to yell at Nicko for not watching him. Come to find out Parker had thrown up and was playing/swimming in it. It was hysterical and gross all at the same time. Nicko just walks out of the room and says " I can't deal with this". HAHAHAHA!!! It was great. I couldn't get any pictures though.

Parker's tummy is fine, and he obviously just doesn't do well with orajel. Bummer!

Finger Lickin' Good!

Parker's food adventures have taken a new step lately. He has been more interested in feeding himself he prefers with his hands, but he is not too bad with a spoon either. He typically gets the right end in his mouth and sometimes it just tips a little on the way. No big deal as the highchair is completely washables as is mommy, daddy, and baby.

I mostly try to give him Gerber finger foods. As I have said before, I am not good at knowing what I can and can't feed him. Nicko will feed him anything under the sun. Yesterday we went to Pizza Hut for lunch, and when I cam back from the buffet. Nicko was feeding our milk intolerant child cottage cheese. Not just a nibble, by the spoonful.

So far, Parker has had cheerios, Gerber puffs, Gerber biter biscuits, Baby Mum Mum rice rusks (these are like Styrofoam), chopped up mango, and various things off our plates. Even some whipped cream. Tons of frozen fruit in his mesh feeder. Great for teething that thing is.

So happy he got blueberries in his mesh feeder.





He is a pig that is for sure, did you expect any less?

Parker Pulling Up. (pictures galore)

I can't help it. His butt is just too cute...And it is rare that we get the clean diaper on before he is off doing something.



Parker playing Pat a Cake. His new favorite game. (I will get a video)









If you can't tell what is going on here. Nicko was outside smoking (gross) and Parker hates when his daddy goes anywhere. I mean screams as loud as he can. So Parker improvised. He has already proven that he thinks that is the way outside. I told ya I had a smart one.









There ya have it. Parker standing! He is not so cooperative with the video camera. Still working on videos of him cruising.

Toy Wrangler.

Parker has an obscene amount of toys. I mean obscene. He has a few favorites, but for the most part he plays with all of them. How do they expect you not to buy lots of baby toys, I mean they are pretty inexpensive. Anyways, we used to have a pile in our living room, but that got out of hand. We had to find something else. Parker thinks it is rather nifty.

Live Action Wednesdays!

I know I have been kind of slacking. But, things have been super busy around here. Parker is working on getting like four teeth at one time! It is crazy! He is just now getting really good at cruising to where I don't have to hover over him 24/7. I will put my hand on his butt or something to hold him up and he will promptly move it. Not one for help! He is so funny! He has been getting finger foods. Mostly just the Gerber puffs. Well, because we don't cook and I am not entirely sure how to introduce him to "human" fare. I am working on it. But in the mean time here is a hysterical video of him eating said puffs. You have to have a really good pincer grasp for these and needless to say most seven month olds don't have this skill yet. But Parker tries. He tries so hard. When he gets frustrated he just puts his face on the floor and sucks them up like a puppy. Kind of cute and funny.

#3

Parker got his third tooth yesterday! It turned out to be his left lateral incisor. Weird. Oh well. Maybe this is why he was hell on wheels Sunday? I sure hope so.

New Tricks and Daddy and Baby Pictures.

We have had a SUPER busy busy weekend. Parker figured out the art of cruising to get around. With this came fussiness when he couldn't go where he wanted to. Not wanting to nap, which is not entirely a new thing. It also brought my final decision to bump him down to four bottles a day with seven ounces as opposed to five bottles a day with six ounces. This bottle transition brought SLEEP! He goes to bed around 7-8 and wakes up anywhere from 6-7!!! YAY!!!!

Crazy people trying to tell me not to control my kids schedule. PSHHH! I have learned an important lesson. Listen to your gut. I knew in my gut he only needed four bottles a day.

He is also starting to throw tantrums. Oh boy! He turns really red in the face and clenches his fists, and screams/yells at you through gritted teeth.

He is getting his third tooth, and it just so happens to be his right incisor on top. I am sure this hurts like no tomorrow.

He finally decided that crawling on his knees is best. Perhaps, he was just tired of all the rugburn he was getting. He had a patch on both knees and both elbows.

We finally got around to hanging some pictures of him..we have tons..and he will sit on the floor and stare up the wall at them. Too funny. He thinks he is the prettiest baby in the world, and I am not going to argue, because I just don't know that it isn't true.

This morning I went to get him out of his crib and he was standing there laughing and he said "mama". He is so stinking smart!

I am trying to teach him how to clap. So far he is doing pretty good. He puts on hand down and claps with the other one. I have only been working on this for a couple of days. So any suggestions as to how to teach him to clap please send them this way.

Now for daddy and baby pictures, because they are my personal favorite. I also have way more of them than mommy baby pictures, and I am too lazy to upload new baby pictures..In fact I am not even sure I have any...

Mobiles or Lack There of.

Parker is no longer allowed to have his mobile. Which, is quite sad since he liked it so much. We have dropped his bed almost to the floor. I really have to just drop him in there when he is asleep. I mean the drop literally.

Yesterday, while he was supposed to be taking a nice long nap, so mom could do things. I was sitting at the computer of course right? I hear his mobile music over the baby monitor. I am thinking what in the world??

I go into his room and he is sitting in his bed with the completely disassembled mobile on his lap. It was in so many pieces it looked like it just came out of the box. He was playing with the music box. I hate calling it a box because it is actually a circle but whatever. He had figured out how to turn the knob on the back. I was shocked.

Since his crib is so low and he is tall but not that tall. I assuming he did a little bit of climbing. What is my mom supposed to do?? I have often wondered about these nets people put over their cribs. I don't think they are so weird anymore.

What's Eating Parker Pistachio?

Just thought I would share pictures of him in his new highchair. :)






One I photoshopped of his hands that I think is too precious.