Happy Birthday Tony!

Breakfast with Santa sounded like a lot of fun! Macy and I stayed home while Tony and Parker dined with Santa. We noticed yesterday that Parker's ornaments for the animals were gone. We weren't sure if it was enjoyed by the squirrels or the birds. Then on Sunday, Tony turned 35! We had a little celebration during our small group Christmas party.

Parker comes from a long line of train lovers. My dad's dad was a train engineer and my dad would meet him at the train crossing after school and hop on for the ride to the train yard. Then of course Tony would love a train with Monopoly on it! Parker has loved Thomas and all thing trains. Last night, Tony set up his Monopoly train. We spent the evening running the train. We're not sure if Macy was impressed, but we all had a good time. Maybe Grandad will bring his train to play with at Christmas!

Fun at HO HO HO HOME

I called the dr. today because Macy is still sleeping a lot which made me a little nervous since that wasn't my experience with Parker. She reassured me that Macy was a happy, full baby. Although Tony would argue that when it is his turn to sit up with her at night, she is wide awake. Wednesday night, she was up from 1 to about 5. I took over at 4. I am happy to say that she slept well last night. Tonight is suppose to be Tony's turn, but I am taking pity on him since he is getting up super early for Breakfast with Santa at our church. Maybe our good night sleep run will continue...

We were very happy for Christy and Jillian to stop by for a visit. Parker decided to save his PreK at home craft to do with Jilly. They had a great time making their rice krispy Christmas houses. Come back soon!

Stay at home mom

Parker is going to Pre-K three days a week and doing what he calls "Pre-K at home" two days a week while I am on maternity leave. We work on the letter of the week, bake together or do a craft project, play on Starfall (a great learning website for kindergardeners and first graders that my mom shared with us - thanks Mom!), and work on other kindergarden skills. We are having so much fun! As a teacher, I love how enthusiastic Parker is and how curious he is about everything. By third grade, I don't see as much curiousity or enthusiasm. Where does it go?

Every day, I can't get over how beautiful she is (I'm not biased or anything!)! She is just the opposite of Parker when he was a baby. He would sleep for 20 minutes out of a three hour period where Macy is awake for 20 minutes instead. She loves to cuddle. Our nights have been fun too - Macy has a hard time understanding that she doesn't have to be held 24 hours a day. Even if we are sleep deprived, I wouldn't trade this for anything. It is so nice to be home with both my babies and not have to stay up late grading papers or dealing with a school to do list. I am having a blast!!!

Thankful to be home!

It is so good to be home! Parker loves Macy (so far) and showers her with attention (awake or asleep). We're having a lot of conversations about baby care. His perspective cracks us up!

Tony knows his turkey!

My grandparents, parents, and brother celebrated Thanksgiving with us. We've appreciated all the extra hands - Macy hasn't been put down yet and Parker has had someone to play with. What will we do when everyone goes home?

Introducing . . . . .

Here they are, the first pictures of our sweet baby girl, Macy Jean. I know this blog will seem different than the rest, but Jennifer is still in the hospital so I am giving it a go! I hope you enjoy the pictures (especially the ones of her with her big brother).

A Sneak Peek!

Parker wanted to be in the picture with his Sponge Bob band-aid. He told me to be sure to put it on the blog!

In case you didn't know, we (Tony) managed to get the nursery done in about two weeks. All it took was for the doctor to say the baby had dropped! Marcia especially has been anxious to see his handiwork especially since we bounced around ideas of polka dots or stripes. But Tony being the wise man that he is, put the big pieces of the furniture in before he started. The nursery is the tiniest room in the house. After seeing just two big pieces of furniture, I was nervous that the stripes would make it look like a jail cell rather than nursery. Thanks to Amie for the initial idea and cheers for Tony for spending 3 hours getting it just right! Feel free to come by and see it in person!

Outstanding October Activities!

Parker's preschool hosted a family picnic complete with a fire engine, carnival games, and a hot dog dinner. We weren't sure if it was a good sign that every teacher and assistant knew Parker by name. But since they said hello to him with a smile on their face, we decided it was a good thing.

I enjoyed a good laugh as Tony prepared to chaperone his and Parker's first field trip. Here is a picture of Tony's group. You can tell he had everything under control.

Snack time at the Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkin Patch Adventures

It is becoming a tradition to celebrate John and Carol's birthdays two months after the fact. Even though we're late, we still love getting to celebrate with them!

Boo at the Zoo!

Parker had to put on his new sunglasses - just what every hamburger needs!

Hammin' it up!

Parker was excited to meet up with his favorite princess, Jillian!

Parker was especially pleased with his new ear warmers. Since it was a little chilly, they were a welcome treat!

Trunk or Treat!

Fireman Jonah!

The Hamburger, Cinderella (Jillian), The Queen (Lucy), and Spiderman (Steven)

Parker loves Abby (the young lady in the back). She helps her mom teach in Kids' Community on Sunday mornings. Spiderman and Ariel also love Abby! Did anyone see Gracie at Trunk or Treat?

The rootin' tootin cowboy is Wells! He has stick 'em up down pat!

Lainie, the Pink Lady, and Tristan, Indian Jones with the Hamburger

I cannot believe October is almost over, but my body is saying "You better believe it!". I have Parent/Teacher conferences this week so I keep telling myself that as soon as they're over, I will go into complete baby mode preparation. A lot of friends and coworkers have shared that they don't think I am going to make it until November 20th. As much as I would like to go early, I need every day to get ready!

Fall Fun

On my never ending list of things I would like to do but haven't taken the time to do it was pajama storytime at the library. After being on the list for a year, we finally made it! It helps that Tony is finally home at night to enjoy the fun with us. Each month is a different theme. September's was apples which was perfect since Parker had just finished an apple unit at Pre-K. He was so excited to wear his Speed Racer pajamas to the library!
Tony and Parker worked very hard to make their apple out of CDs. Sometimes you find a worm in one!
We were excited the weather held for Well's 3rd birthday party! Marcia outdid herself with a farm theme at Susson Park. Unfortunately,our batteries were on the verge of going out so we didn't get to take as many pictures as we would like. Regardless, I think if given the opportunity, Marcia would be the next HGTV star with all her clever decorating and party themed ideas! The party was adorable and everyone had a great time! Happy Birthday Wells and thanks for iniviting us!


Fall would not be complete without a visit to Eckert's. Between the tractor at Wells' party and the tractors at Eckert's, Parker is convinced we need one so he can mow the yard. I told him to talk to his Grandaddy since Grandaddy has always wanted a riding lawnmower and that was as close as he would get to having a tractor.

Parker hard at work picking apples.
Enjoying the fruits of his labor
I love a man who can multitask!

I love fall! Don't you?