Visitors and cute photos...

Boy, I tell ya... we have been abundantly blessed since bringing home Parker. It makes me realize once again, just how incredibly important friends and family are. Beyond all of the phone calls and emails, we have had so many other wonderful things - such as...

Monta & Carley stop by for a visit

- Visitors. It's funny to me when people say, "I don't want to bother you if you're not ready for visitors yet." It's been so wonderful having people stop by to meet Parker and check in on us. We've had so many friends and neighbors stop by over the past couple weeks. It warms my heart to the core to know that so many people care and want to meet our new little guy. 

Mike, Caro & William visit with Parker

- Playdates. So many of my friends have taken Payton to their house for playdates so that I can rest at home. It sounds like such a simple thing, but it has been incredibly helpful. Payton is so excited for the playdate, and it helps keep his life as normal as possible. I haven't exactly been "out and about" like I used to be. So, having friends who take him to their house or to the park has been invaluable! Thanks girls!!!

- Meals. I have not cooked one meal since we got home from the hospital - not one! My good friend Jen Allinder used this awesome web site called "TakeAMeal.com" to set up a meal schedule for people to bring us food. We literally have had meals brought to us all but maybe 4 days, which we of course ate leftovers on those days. It has been such a huge help! Not only have I not had to take the time to prep and cook a meal, I haven't had to lug Parker to the grocery store to buy stuff. It's been really, really great!

Proud Big Brother cuddles with Parker

- Big Brother gifts. So many people have given Payton special little mementos. I didn't think it would be as important as it has been, but he lights up when someone brings over a coloring book, or a "Big Brother" t-shirt. I even had two girlfriends - Jenny & Amy - throw him a Birthday/Big Brother party complete with cake and presents! Talk about amazing! He doesn't expect gifts from people when they come to visit Parker, but it has been such a fun, unexpected thing for him when it does happen. My cousin Wendy sent Payton two "Big Brother" shirts and I swear he's worn them at least twice a week. He's so proud to show off his new "status."


So, all of that to say, "THANK YOU!!!!!" to everyone who has made our transition from a family of 3 to a family of 4 so smooth and filled with love. We are so very appreciative of everything.

Cutie Pie

I had to post this photo for no other reason that he looks so cute...

 

Dollar Store and other random photos...

I have a bunch of random photos that I wanted to share, none of which really fit into any particular category. So, bare with me as I jump from one to the next...
Here is Parker on his first "outing." We took him to brunch at my favorite little South Tampa restaurant. He slept the whole time, which allowed the rest of us a nice relaxing brunch.

This photo shows Parker's incredible neck strength. Sometimes when he's really alert, he'll pick up his head and look around. I think he's going to be a very strong little boy...

Is that a smile I see? Maybe it's gas, maybe he's just happy to be here...

I had to share these ADORABLE cookies that my friend made for me. She owns her own cookie company and makes just about any shape. I was so touched that she made a plate of special cookies just for Parker's arrival (sorry, there were only 2 left when I thought to take a picture - the other ones were so cute too)...

Payton just adores holding and cuddling with Parker. It's the cutest thing ever. I was so worried that he would be jealous or resentful of Parker since he's been an only child for so many years, but it's been the complete opposite. He loves his little brother so much. It melts my heart...

 How about this for some serious cuddling (notice that Payton is holding Brian's hand too - how sweet!)...

 

This past weekend we went to the Dollar Store and my mom bought Payton a couple things. The biggest hit was this package of water balloons. It came with a hose attachment that made the hose spray a super strong, narrow spray. Payton played outside with the balloons and the hose for the longest time. I love Dollar Store finds!

Here are the boys filling up the balloons...

Here's Payton chucking a balloon over our back fence...

And then playing with the hose...

One last photo that we took this weekend while my mom was visiting was the picture with the stork in our front yard. Our community puts these in your front yard when you have a baby. It's been a nice way for all our neighbors to know that Parker has arrived. Of course when we went outside to take a photo, it was super sunny out and difficult for all of us to actually look at the camera. At least we got one family photo...

Okay, that's it for the random photos for now. I'm sure I'll be posting many more in the coming weeks. Hope everyone is doing great and enjoying some of this amazing Spring-like weather!

Valentines Day

My posts are a little behind these days... something about having a newborn around that has distracted me a little bit. :)
But I wanted to share some cute Valentine's Day photos with you. Payton loves a reason to celebrate and I love a reason to shop and decorate, so Valentine's Day did not go unnoticed in our house even though there was a certain 7-day old baby in the house with us this year.

Payton got lots of fun gifts from us, Parker and both sets of grandparents...

We also had a fun breakfast with heart-shaped chocolate chip pancakes...

And Payton's class made these adorable heart-shaped outfits:

His class had "Friendship Centers" on Valentines Day where they got to exchange Valentine's with classmates using the traditional decorated shoe box method and decorate Valentine's cookies and all sorts of other fun stuff. Kindergarten is so much fun!

Where do I begin?

To steal a line from the famous Dave Matthews Band song, "So much to say, so much to say, so much to say, so much to say!" The past week has been one of the most incredible journeys of my life. Days that I will never forget. Days that I have prayed for, for so many years. And it all was all worth it in the end to get to meet this little boy...

 

The morning of Parker's birth went very smoothly. We arrived at the hospital at 5 a.m. and we were the only ones checking in, so it was very quick. We were escorted to our room and a steady stream of nurses made their way in and out monitoring the baby, taking blood, checking my vitals. Then at 7 a.m. it was time to head to the operating room.

Here I am with the nurses as we walked to the OR...

Once I was in the OR things moved pretty quickly. They prepped me for surgery, gave me the spinal anesthesia (which I was worried about, but it went very well), and then brought Brian in from the hallway and the next thing I knew, Dr. Marks and Dr. Patel had arrived and were ready for surgery.

After about 10 minutes of God-knows-what, I felt a ton of pressure on my lungs and then heard the most precious noise of all... a baby crying.

Sorry if this picture grosses you out, but it will forever be burned in my memory. I burst into tears the moment I heard his first cry. It was such a release of emotions. So many years of wishing, wanting, praying had all led up to this moment. I finally got to meet my son face-to-face. Next to Payton's birth, it was the most extraordinary moment of my life.

After the finished taking care of me in the OR, they put Parker in my arms and let me hold him as they wheeled me back to our room. It was so intimate and perfect. I never was separated from him, which was so nice. After a 2-hour recovery period, they allowed all the family members to come into the room. Of course both grandmothers (and me) burst into tears again at the sight of their new grandson. It was such a special moment. Again, so many years of them waiting and praying for this little guy had finally come to fruition.

Here are my parents holding Parker for the first time...

 Here are Brian's parents holding him for the first time...

That afternoon, my parents went and picked up Payton from school and brought him to the hospital. Talk about the most precious moment ever... Payton was SO excited to see Parker and hold him. It was like Christmas morning! He was so good with him right off the bat. He kissed him on the forehead so many times and proudly held him on his lap. He's such an incredible big brother!

The rest of my time in the hospital went very quickly. They had me up and walking at 6:30 a.m. the next day (Tuesday) and then I was released on Wednesday morning. All in all, a wonderful experience at the hospital.

We have now been home for one week and life is so good. Parker is the sweetest baby and has such a calm demeanor. The only time he really wails is when he's having his diaper changed. He does NOT like being naked or cold. Other than that, he's a happy, healthy little boy. And Payton has been so wonderful with him. He is so proud to "show off" his little brother when visitors come by. It's so sweet.

So, that's the birth story in a nutshell. There is so much more I could add, but let's just say it feels so good to be home and have a healthy child at the end of this long road. God is good. God is so very good.

Payton's Birthday

I can hardly believe my little guy is 6 years old! He had a very special birthday this year, since it fell on the same day that his kindergarten class took their first field trip to the local zoo. Brian chaperoned since it was a little too much walking for this 9-month pregnant mommy. He had a great day picking out the menu all day and receiving lots of love and attention from everyone. Here's a little glimpse into his special day...

Nothing like starting your day with a birthday candle in cinnamon buns! Yum!

This is a picture of the cupcakes that we brought to his class. Can you tell that the M n M's are in the shape of "6's?" It looked cuter in the magazine picture, but the kids didn't seem to mind!

 Here he is opening some of this birthday "loot!"

And of course since he got to pick the menu for the day, guess where he chose to dine for dinner? McDonald's of course!

All in all, a very good day for this awesome 6 year old boy!

To my sweet Payton,
I can hardly believe you are 6 years old. It seems like just yesterday we were teaching you baby sign language and watching you take your first steps. Now you are counting to 1,000 and drawing the most creative pictures I've ever seen. You are so funny and tell the best jokes! I love how you are always concerned for those around you and give lots of hugs and kisses to express your love for people. You are growing into such a smart, talented, God-loving little boy and I am so very proud of you. I hope you know how much you are loved each and every day, but especially today on your birthday. We love you so much!
 - Mama & Dada