The Day After Thanksgiving Traditions

Today (note the exact date of this post) we went to get an Angel off the Salvation Army Angel Tree and picked out an ornament for Parker. We did this last year so I guess this means we have a new tradition. And what a wonderful tradition it is!

Our Angel this year is Olivher, who is 17 months old. We try to get a boy who is around the same age Parker is at the time. Olivher wants a sweater and a musical toy. I hope to fulfill his wishes and get him a couple other items. Please pray for Olivher. I have no idea what kind of environment he lives in but my prayer is that it's warm and safe and loving. We may not have loads of money but we are always warm and can provide Parker with weather appropriate clothes. And of course, we give him TONS of love. I am very well aware that there are a lot of kids out there that don't have this. This makes my heart hurt for them. I hope that our small contribution will help baby Olivher.

We then visited our local Hallmark where Bryan and Parker "discussed" what ornament to get this year. Since this is mainly a tradition that Bryan's family does, I let Bryan pick out the ornament. This year, Parker got the Christmas Countdown Santa. Now we know exactly how many days, hours, minutes and seconds until Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving

I don't think Parker was a huge fan of the feathers so Nikki held him down while I shot a quick picture. We spent Thanksgiving dinner with the Pfenning and Yao families this year. We all brought something to share and we feasted on some yummy food. We missed spending the day with family but I am so thankful for friends this year!

See What The Difference a Year Makes

Remember this picture from last year.....baby Parker looking at all the Christmas lights before we put them up outside?

Now look at big boy Parker:

Helping Daddy by telling him where to put the lights:

And feeding the lights up to Daddy, like any good son would do:

Thankful for both of my boys!!!

Your Guess is Just as Good as Mine!

So between the diagnosed concussion, teething (working on 3 teeth) and some sleeping problems, it's a wonder why we haven't all gone crazy. However, after a week of rest and some TLC, things seem to be back to normal. Those teeth still haven't come through but the other problems we were having seem to have lessened. Here are a couple pictures of my boy not feeling well.

Laying and watching Sid the Science Kid, sucking his pacifier (that normally only happens in his bed) and holding his balloon:

Snuggling with Daddy....if you know Parker, you know he doesn't feel good when he is still:

Concussion Update

(This is Parker a year ago trying to sit in his Bumbo. This picture makes my heart skip a beat...)

We took Parker back to the dr this morning for a check-up. Dr. Eastman checked him from one end to the other and all seems to be fine. YAY! Since Parker is improving, Dr. Eastman is ok with the him not eating a lot...it's the liquids that are important. If he doesn't continue to improve, we will go back in for some testing on Wednesday. At this time last year we were doing all those tests on his digestive system so I think having a CT scan would be fitting but NOT what any of us want to deal with!!! I am happy to report that the following has been consumed by my son since this mornings appointment: cup of yogurt, 10 saltines, 3 black olives, 4 strawberries, 2 cups of milk, 4 cups of water, 2 animal crackers and one LARGE helping of chicken spaghetti. I think we are on the upside of things, don't you?!?!

I Request a Week Do-Over!

Our boy started the week not eating very well. I thought it might be because his bottom molars were coming in (yes, that will be TWELVE teeth!). His gums were more swollen than normal and so we just loaded him up with milk. On Wednesday night, Parker hit the edge of our coffee table with the side of his head. It hit so hard, it hurt my head! It bled for a short time and we put some ice on it. I gave him a lollipop, let my neighbor check him out and read a little about head injuries in my AAP book. We decided there was no reason to take him to the ER but we did a little more checking on him during the night than normal. However, by the next morning, he had ME worried. He slept until 8:15am, did not want breakfast (milk or waffles) and by 9am, he was wanting to go back to bed. On our way to his bedroom, he vomited. Then I was really worried. After I put him down (I might not should have done that....), I called the pedi and they asked me to bring him in after he woke from his nap. THREE hours later, he woke from his nap and I took him in to see Dr. Eastman. After a lot of poking and prodding, Dr. Eastman determined that Parker has a mild concussion. It was also possible that he has a stomach bug. Neither could be confirmed but instructions were given for both.

After 4 days of little to no water or food, 3 missed playdates, 1 missed wedding, more vomit and 1 missed birthday party, I think we might be on the mend. I say might because he started the day off eating and drinking like normal. He also had a little bit more pep in his step. By late afternoon, he was beginning to act like he didn't feel good again. I thought it would be good for us to get out of the house (but not too close to other kiddos) so we went to the park (btw, the same park that we took our Thanksgiving pictures at last year). We had a good time walking around but you could tell he just wasn't 100%. I plan to take him back to the doctor in the morning to make sure he is progressing. Both Bryan and I haven't been feeling that great either but we both just have some allergy problems (I hope the freeze on Thursday will help that!). I am praying for a FULL recovery by Wednesday. I will update after our appointment tomorrow.

Filling Manna Bags for The Stewpot

Since it is close to Thanksgiving and we have so much to be thankful for, I thought it would be a good idea to give back to some that are less fortunate. I found an organization in Dallas called The Stewpot and one of the ways you can help is by filling Manna Bags. Basically you fill bags with snack items, which are handed out to the homeless.

I hosted (in our organized AND warm garage) and these wonderful ladies brought snack items and stuffed the bags full of goodies and some love. I just love these ladies (and the ones that could not make it but contributed)!!! They all could have stayed home and spent the evening with their families but instead they spent the evening in my garage, giving back. LOVE them! We were able to stuff over 40 bags.

Last Day of Music Class & Potluck

We attended our last music class this morning (see the actual date of this post). Bryan, along with other daddies and grandparents, joined us. We had a potluck lunch afterwards.

Parker's favorite things were the egg shakers. Everyone would laugh because when the shakers came out, Parker would go over and get one and put it in his mouth. Yes, the entire egg in his mouth. I really wasn't too worried about him choking on it. We have 2 of these shakers at home but has really nothing to do with them. I guess the ones at music class are better.

Putting the egg shakers away...

Bringing the bells to Bryan....

And Ms. Holley letting Parker and the other kids beat on the drum....

And then it was time for some yummy food (note this was the last meal Parker ate before the food strike began).....

I think in January we will try a tumbling class at the rec center. Maybe it will keep us from getting cabin fever during the winter. Looking forward to it!

Post Halloween Excitement

Our day started like this...
....and ended like this....

Actually our day was good considering all the festivities from yesterday! Parker slept late this morning and took a 2 hour nap mid-day. Since Parker slept in, we did not make it to the park to meet our friends. My Mom left to go back home and then Parker and I played outside most of the day.

In the first pictures, I can explain....This wagon was given to us by one of Bryan's co-workers. We keep it outside and Parker loves pulling it around the yard. While my Mom was here, she taught him how to get in and out of it and also how to get from one car to another. So, I needed to run to the restroom (Moms can do that ya know...) and come back to a child that is squealing like a girl and is obviously in a predicament. I laughed, got the camera and ran to help him....but not before getting a few pictures! And before you start typing an email to me asking me why I let my kid play outside by himself, let me say this: HE DOES IT ALL THE TIME!!!

And the second picture.....not so funny! Parker was bringing me his Jack-in-the-Box and tripped. This is one of the first times that I didn't know what to do. He was bleeding everywhere, crying like a baby that just cut his lip open and I panicked. I got some ice, washcloth, called Bryan and asked him to come home, scooped Parker up and ran next door to let Judy look at it and then called Dr. Eastman. Once the bleeding stopped, I took him in to see Dr. Eastman. There are 2 cuts on the bottom from where his teeth cut through and the little piece of skin (I know there is a name) that connects the top lip and the gum is also cut. The top lip has a big cut in it but Dr. Eastman said they don't normally put stitches there. PTL! So, Parker had mashed potatoes and a sherbet pop for dinner. He played outside after dinner and seemed just fine. I guess this is just one of many injuries he will have...