THE Birthday Party

This year we did a big joint birthday party for the boys. I usually feel like kids should only have a huge party with the whole big family and everything for their first birthday (or second in Milo's case since we didn't live near family for his first) but I was not about to do 2 parties so close together so it was a big party for them both!  The house was packed to the gills but it was a great time. I only wish I had gotten a few more pictures. But here's what I did get, or got from other people.

Yeah, they each had their own cakes AND we had cupcakes. Grandma S was in charge of the cakes and she wanted to make 2 though. Really we didn't have nearly as much left as I thought we would so it was probably perfect.

By the time the party was over this table was completely OVERFLOWING with gifts. These boys were so spoiled and they loved it!

Its easy to decorate for a Mickey party in this house. Grab the Mickey pillow off Milo's bed, his Mickey blanket out of the living room, and gather up the roughly 4,000 Mickey toys scattered all over the house and there you have it. Just doing our part to keep Disney in business.

I made the shirts and grabbed the last pack of Mickey ears at the store. Milo and I both had them on and a couple of kids wore the last 2 pairs. Doug and I also both had different Mickey shirts on but I didn't get a picture of us all together. (Womp womp.)

4 Years Old

 

Dear Milo -

A couple of weeks ago you turned 4 years old. I find it so hard to believe the ways in which you have grown up in the last year.  Your speech has come by leaps and bounds for starters, particularly since summer break. Truly I think the only reason your speech therapist comes still is because you haven't had an evaluation in a while.  Once you do I think we will be done for sure.

You have also matured in your attitude lately too. While we still have our moments of tantrums, they aren't nearly as bad as they were in your three year old days, and usually we can reason with you before we get to the time out stage.  You continue to be very sensitive though, and that is usually the reason you do lose your cool. But I think that is just your personality and you will always be more sensitive, and more touchy feel then some other people, and we love that about you. Your future wife will appreciate it as well I'm sure! Along with that sensitivity comes a lot of empathy. You can see when people are feeling bad and you want to make them feel better. If you brother falls, you kiss him. If mommy coughs, you ask me if I am alright. Really you are about as sweet and loving as they come!

(terrible phone pic of a pic and still the cutest thing ever)

You started school this year and are loving it! As soon as Miss Peggy comes to the door you are ready to run right in and have since the first day! Such a change from a year ago when you didn't like to be dropped off at playgroup at first, now you don't even turn to say goodbye!  You always tell me about what you did on the ride home and about your friends. Your favorite school friends are Cole and Jossalyn and you talk about them all the time!

(birthday crown at school - so proud!)

Some things seem to never change though, and you are still a ridiculously picky eater, sticking by your old standbys. Cereal, oatmeal, pancakes, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, chicken nuggets, and french fries remain your favorites and your brother can out eat you at almost every meal! You are more likely to try new things with your friends though so I can only hope that kindergarten improves this situation.

I can't deny it anymore, you really are a big kid now. But we are loving the boy you are becoming and I think just from these last couple weeks I can say 4 is going to be a great year!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

(I know the official Santa photo is a real snooze, but never fear, Grandma caught a good one on her cell phone!)

1 YEAR OLD!

 Height: 29.25"

Weight: 20 lb 1 oz (12%)

Dear Parker -

Look at you, my big one year old. No longer really a baby, but a toddler now! I really feel like it happened in a blink of an eye and I was much more emotional about your birthday then I was with your brothers, probably because it came so much faster!

Really, as much as i hate to admit it, "toddler" is a more appropriate term now for you. You are walking like a pro. In fact in the last day or so you've started to choose walking over crawling whenever possible. You also legitimately point to what you want now, instead of just raising your hand at it.  And you are pointing at a lot nowadays as you ALWAYS want whatever your brother has, especially when it comes to food and drinks.

You eat everything in sight now and it shows since you gained almost 2 pounds since your last weight check a month and a half ago. You love meatballs and waffles still, and we found that you also really love kiwi. You don't eat any baby food now, but you will still let me feed you yogurt and applesauce. You also love milk and drink so much of now. Between you and your brother I am buying a ton of milk!

You are such a silly dude and still very laid back when we are out and about. You love to play with your brother and make a mess and get into everything but you also love to take breaks and snuggle on someones lap every so often when you are playing. You might be a toddler but you're still my little baby!

We love you so much big man! You are becoming such an amazing little boy!

We have a walker!

I was finally able to catch this kid walking on video this morning. We are in so much trouble now!

(Also, am I the only one who thinks of zombies when you say "walker" thanks to The Walking Dead? Although, his resemblance to the way zombies walk is really uncanny. And as a matter of fact, so is his grunting when he wants something. Hmm...)

Belated Halloween Cuteness

If this bunch of 3 year olds singing Halloween songs doesn't make you want to procreate then you have a heart of stone.  JUST SAYING.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from our Pirate Crew!

Milo really GOT the whole holiday this year and we were forced to trick or treat in the cold rain, but thats ok, since I am working on taking one for the team and eating that unhealthy candy as we speak. YOU'RE WELCOME FAMILY.

Oh and of course a pumpkin was carved, even though we didn't make it to the pumpkin patch as a family this year. LIFE, getting in the way and what not.

11 Months Old

Dear Parker,

I can't believe your birthday is next month already! You are becoming such a big boy.  On the day you turned 11 months old old you took like 2 or 3 steps. Of course, you then promptly looked at me with shock (or panic?) on you face and plopped down.  Its only a (short) matter of time before you'll be chasing your brother around, I'm sure of that.

You aren't as big as your brother was at this age and (shockingly) aren't gaining weight very fast but you still are developing a more toddler look to you.

You still love to eat everything in sight and are eating (a lot of) baby food still.  When it comes to solids your favorites are meatballs and chicken nuggets.  Even though you eat any kind of pureed veggies you are just not on board with solid food veggies yet though.  I guess you are just a meat guy!

You love to play with your brother all the time but it is funny how differently you guys play. Where Milo is never really destructive, and never has been, you love to pull every. single. toy. out of the toy bins. Every. Single. Day! You love Bella when she licks you and you like to play with her tags but really don't try to play much with her. Mostly you love to steal her toys!

One more month until your birthday, big boy!

10 Months Old!

Dear Parker -

I can't believe you are 10 months old already.  Which is a mere 2 MONTHS until your birthday! Crazy!

You have certainly been busy this month. You are now cruising on the furniture like a pro, walking with your walker (which is your favorite, as long as your brother is following you around to help you when you get stuck against a wall) and you have even tried standing on your own for a second or 2 recently!  You climb on everything still, but at least you have figured out how to get off of low surfaces like the Anywhere Chair without bonking your head now.  Oh and you LOVE the stairs! As soon as someone opens up the gate you crawl faster then any other time to try to get to the stairs in case the gate is down before someone catches you. Trust me, that gate isn't down much nowadays just in case! You are very different from your brother in that he didn't really need much in the way of baby proofing but you are what that stuff was invented for!

Your favorite person lately is definitely Daddy, over me even.  Every time you see him you book over to where he is and get so mad if he walks away from you. You just seem to think he is the greatest! 

You still love to eat everything, but especially like food that you can hold on yourself in a big piece. Like, if its a chicken nugget you're eating, you want the whole thing to take bites out of, not little tiny pieces! You can really be dramatic at dinner time if you want something you aren't getting. You've also finally figured out the sippy cup this month and now you steal your brothers milk or juice at any chance you get! You can even drink from the straw cups so there's no keeping you out of his drinks if you get ahold of one!

You certainly are keeping us on our toes but we all love you so much and love what a little personality you are getting!

The FIRST First Day of School

Milo had his first day of Pre-K this past week! My December baby missed the cut off for the 4 year old class by about a week so he had to start with the 3 year old.  Doug insists this is actually going to be awesome for him later on when he's the first of his friends to learn to drive. (But I can't think about him driving right now! He's big enough as it is!)

Rocket Backpack

(Seriously, he loves this thing.  I sometimes think its his favorite thing about school!)

"Ok, enough making me stand in the bright sun and taking a million pictures."

All ready with his name tag to go inside!

He didn't cry when it was time to go in, in fact he didn't even look back at me just took off when she opened the door! He was so excited to start school and he loves it. He did burst into tears when we picked him up the first day, but he was just overtired and upset that 1, he got a hand stamp, which made his hand dirty, and 2, he couldn't stay and play with the toys for longer! His teacher told us he was fine the whole time though, and on the second day he came home with a certificate for having an awesome day listening and following all the rules, AND he had the dreaded hand stamp and didn't even mind it this time!  

On the nights before school when I remind him at bedtime that he has school tomorrow so he needs to get a good sleep he says "Yep, I gotta get lots of energy for school tomorrow!" I have no idea where he learned that sleep give you energy, but it kills me with the cuteness every time!

Insta-Friday

The last month, Instagram style! 

(aka picture overload)

Brother's being adorable

(and baby being contained without him even realizing it)

Bought these for Milo. Then proceeded to finish the bag while he was asleep.  WHAT? Have you tried them!?

Totally obsessed with the dog water. All. Day. Long.

Reading brother a book before bath time.

Being cute.

Let Milo go through my fabric and pick something out for a quilt since he asked me to make him one. 25 mismatched fabrics later I had my mission.

Eating 23 hours out of the day.

This kid chooses to sleep on the floor like at least 5 days out of the week and then we have to move him into his bed later when he is asleep. Weirdo.

Buy these and thank me later.

Climbing. ALREADY.

Birthday boots. Come to mama!

Party like a rockstar.

Cousin love!

I got crabs for my birthday.

Fair day!

MY favorite part of fair day. Wine Slushies!

Baby's First Tatoo

Just call him Elton.