Tis the Season!

These images are not as I pictured...I think Parker needs to get a little older before we have photo shoots with lights. Still, he's cute and I love him so so much so I had to share.

Big Boy Food

Parker is now eating three meals a day. He LOVES his big boy food and is less and less interested in pureed food. I love that he has a healthy appetite and eats anything I put in front of him !

To Crawl or Not To Crawl?

Parker man has been rolling, scooting and sliding around on his belly and army crawling around a lot! This particular time, he happened to get stuck under the coffee table and was so mad that he couldn't figure out how to get un-stuck. I'm laughing so much and also spending about half of my day "saving" him from sticky situations.

Parker's First Thanksgiving. {Navasota, TX.}

After a few days with the Shalleys, we made our way to Navasota for more Thanksgiving with my side of the family. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, no question. It's what all holidays should be about: spending time with family and friends, eating good food, taking naps in front of the tv, laughing and being grateful. Thanksgiving is simple so we get along quite well. I do love holidays but I don't love commercialism or the pressure of having to buys gifts. I'm not a shopper and tend to stress about getting everything accomplished in time for Christmas day. This year we crammed Mom and Dad's house full of people, had our traditional Wednesday night Mexican food and pigged out on the actual Thanksgiving day before several of us headed to the final A&M vs tu game. I really enjoyed being around so many adults and having constant chatter among us. Parker loved all the attention given to him and was covered in lots of kisses.
Years ago, we began taking "porch pictures". Every group is a bit different than the one before. I looooove looking back at these.

Parker's First Thanksgiving. {Van Vleck, TX.}

We spent the early part of Thanksgiving week in VV with Parker's Grandmother and Papa. It was so wonderful to get away and relax for a few days. My cell phone doesn't work there so I was completely shut off from technology. I got to work on a Christmas gift project, sleep in a little bit and watch plenty of movies. It was so warm and Parker had outgrown these precious overalls so I took the opportunity to take a few photos. I can't believe how quickly he's growing out of all of his clothes!

Love this sweet boy who loves to check out leaves and grass. I have very few good photos with my man so we tried to snag a few just before nap time.


Shalley men.

Family photo! Wish my boy hadn't been so super tired.

Playing in the jumper at the grandparents. :) We LOVE new toys. Christmas outta be interesting.

Thanksgiving with the Shalley/Graham family.

Parker {Seven Months}

My sweet Parker,
With a few house guests and the Thanksgiving holiday this month, you turned seven months old without my really realizing it. Every day I wonder how is he already so big? I love love love this stage. You are so fun and so so funny. My favorite things are your funny faces and the way you talk so much all day long. Your wrinkled nose and hollering keep your Daddy and me laughing. We glance sideways at one another quite often and think where did this wild man come from? You roll and roll all over the living room floor until you run into something and can't move any further. This is when you yell at me until I come and set you on your bottom. Oh what a long day we sometimes have! When I hold you, you pat me and I teach you Ma-ma, Ma-ma. You said Mama for the first time November 12th! I was FLOORED...my heart nearly lept out of my chest. At the beginning of the month, you started laying your head on my shoulder and falling asleep there as I rocked you. Very rarely do you let me cradle you and hold you like a little baby boy. You are no longer easy to feed, rock or put to sleep. You stop drinking your bottle about halfway through and pop up wide-awake. Lots of climbing and jumping on Mama ensues and then you back bend out of my lap. Bed time is a whole new adventure but it's oh so fun and I'll always look back on this time with you and smile at the memories.
 
 
Eating - When I took you for your six month appointment, the doctor told us to be working on finger food. Mama hit the ground running. Ever since, I've been giving you snacks when I eat lunch and you love having real food in front of you. You grab at it with your fist and try so hard to get it into your mouth. For the first week or so the food was stuck towards the back of your fist, near your pinky, so you weren't always successful. Now you're much better and are actually eating! You have an incredible appetite and I am so grateful that I don't have to wrestle with you to eat. You still eat some pureed food but are much more interested in what's on your plate - or mine! You still drink 4 bottles a day - an 8oz at morning and night and 4 oz during the day. You also LOVE your water and are getting so good at guzzling this from a cup. We're going to work on being able to suck from a straw next.

Sleeping - Oh how we've made improvements in sleep. Thank the good Lord. At the beginning of the month you were sleeping through the night one to two nights a week and would sometimes have to get in bed with Mama and Daddy. We do love to snuggle with you but are anxious for you to sleep well all on your own. Just this week you began sleeping on your tummy and that seems to help because you have slept through the night all week! I don't even know what to do with so much uninterrupted rest.  : ) Naps are still going strong. You sleep great in the mornings and okay in the afternoons.

Measurements - I hate to say this, but we forgot to weigh you this month. Ooops! Traveling for Thanksgiving break didn't help Mommy's memory. We'll have to check you at 8 months.


All About You- We have had quite a busy month and have been on the road a lot. You got a little sick on the 26th and actually threw up three times. It was not so fun and I just held you all day and made sure you had plenty of  milk to drink. I'm thankful this didn't linger since everyone in our family seems to have been ill recently. We went to Nav for the A&M game and then the week of Halloween Aunt Hayley and Uncle Jake were here and we celebrated the night with them by letting you hand candy out to neighborhood kids and dressing you up in Halloween jammies. So cute! You and I went with Hayley to register for you baby cousin and you were so good the entire day. I wore you in my Moby and you slept on my chest for a little while. Sometimes I miss just holding you while you sleep. You're now eating off of Mama's plate and have taken great interest in food. Thankful, I share with you but you prefer to feed yourself. Dee, Ray, Liz and Lily came to see us and we all went to the Big 12 Soccer Tournament here in San Antonio. It was exciting to watch the girls win their last Big 12 tourney! Aunt Ginger married Bubba so we went to Pattison for their reception and you said Mama for the first time that night - TWICE. Baba was our witness. Oh, how my heart melted. I can't wait for you to know what you're saying. You're beginning to get on all fours and kind of rock back and forth on your knees. I know you'll be crawling too soon! You still love to stand up and have started pushing off of me. I have to hold you tight or you'll end up on your sweet head. You graduated to a big boy tub and really enjoy your quacking duck at bath time. Nothing makes you smile like a bath and Daddy and I love to watch you play! We're soon celebrating your first Thanksgiving and before we know it, Christmas will be here!
 

Likes - playing with your toys, Harley girl, standing, bouncing in our laps, jumping, eating, drinking water, bath time.
Dislikes - Mommy or Daddy leaving your side. You've started fussing and crying when I walk away. I love you but it isn't practical to have Mommy sit near you all day. I hate hearing you upset, but I have to teach you that it's okay to play all by yourself and that Mommy will come right back.

Word World.

Parker boy is so so funny these days. I love his many faces.

Little bit of Word World. This show is FABULOUS and actually makes me laugh. It's on PBS and as an educator, I highly recommend it for all age kiddos.

I'm Stripey.

I definitely have a thing for men in stripes. I love when Daniel wears them and find that they're also my favorite thing to put Parker man in. This has been one of my favorite little outfits so before it grew too small, I knew we needed a few photos.




Mr. Blue Eyes

Finger Food Practice

The doctor said to eat, so we're taking every available opportunity to practice picking up food and get it into the mouth. I've started giving Parker a snack or part of my lunch so that when he can watch me eat and hopefully mimic the behavior. I love that Parker thought he could bend over, mouth open and eat without using his hands! So funny!



Much better but he hasn't figured out how to uncurl the fists yet. Very few pieces are making it in!






Dog hair + snack time = YUCK.


Parker is also getting better about feeding himself with a bottle. He'll definitely knows it goes in his mouth and will attempt to hold it but can't quite do it all by himself yet.