Monday, January 30, 2012

Lessons from the first 2 months

They do expect you to leave the hospital at some point. Oh, and take the baby with you!

Bodily functions are the topic of a ridiculously high percentage of conversations.

Being a parent will expose just how selfish we really are. (Some of us can easily drop it, and some of us need some work to get over it)

Sometimes a baby just needs mom! No offense to the dad's of the world (or Jimmy), but a mom seems to be able to cure all (at least for the first couple months.)

Don't get hung up on milestones. I spent too much time reading articles about when babies should do things. As long as he/she is continuing to learn and develop new skills there is no cause for concern.

No matter how many times your husband says "I will change as many diapers as you need me too" before your little one arrives, he will probably still grumble while doing it sometimes.

Make time with your spouse a priority. It was easy finding time to talk before, but now we have to be more intentional. You need a place to vent and discuss, especially about the new stresses that come with have a babies.

Be prepared for change. Don't try setting a schedule too soon. Babies make their own routines pretty quick. But you also can't rely too heavily on them. As soon as you do they will shake things up!

You don't have to bring the giant diaper bag with you everywhere. You will quickly learn what is necessary. I have a small shoulder bag for trips to the store and shorter outings: a couple diapers, wipes, bottle, change of clothes. This will cover most major disasters (that don't require a 911 call) without having to speed home with a crying baby!

Specifically concerning boys:

Point it down (the penis, that is!) This may be one of the most important things to learn when you are a mom of a boy.  The top of a diaper offers little protection against a strong stream of urine.  You will find yourself doing a LOT of laundry if you don't learn this one fast!

On that note, when the diaper isn't on...little boys may just pee on themselves every time you change their diapers for the first few weeks.  They do eventually get over this, but be prepared for it.  I suggest investing in some Pee-Pee TeePee's (because they are fun) or just throw a wipe over it.  It won't stop the changing pad from getting wet, but will prevent your little guy from peeing in his mouth (learned that one the hard way!)


The last 2 months have been absolutely incredible.  I feel so blessed to be the mom of such an amazing little man.  I look forward to continuing to watch him learn and grow.




Saturday, January 28, 2012

Parker doesn't want tummy time...

He wants BACK time!  He made this perfectly clear by repeated rolling over this evening.  He was doing it so quickly that I couldn't get the video started to quick enough to capture it.  So, I had Jimmy flip him over.  So proud of my little guy!  Can't wait till he can go the other way too!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

iPadding and object tracking (with videos!)

This first video is from a couple weeks ago but I just had to share!  Jimmy was holding Parker and using the iPad when P$ decided he wanted in on the action!


Tonight we also worked on object tracking with one of Parker's Christmas presents.  It is a car that moves when you shake a rattle!


Lastly, Parker is 8 weeks old today!  He is growing far too fast, but it is excited to watch him learn new things each day and to see his personality blossoming.

So Big!!


Hanging out with Monkey and Cookie

Monday, January 23, 2012

Rock and Rollin' weekend!

Parker took his first (long) road trip this weekend!  My mom, dad, Parker and I went to Nebraska for my dad's family Christmas party, unfortunately Jimmy had to work so he stayed behind.  I wasn't sure how the P-man would be in a car for 7+ hours, but he rocked it!  We made 2 stops on the way down to feed him and he fell right back asleep  when we got back in the car.

Saturday morning we visited Parker's great-Grandpa and Grandma Jensen at the nursing home.  It was so fun to introduce them to Parker and get some pictures taken too.

Saturday afternoon was the Christmas party and everyone was so excited to meet the newest member of the family.  There were lots of new aunts, uncles and cousins to meet.  So much was going on and Parker didn't want to sleep through any of it!  I could not believe how long he stayed awake that day!  I wasn't sure how the night would go since I had an overly stimulated and an overly tired baby on my hands, but he slept great!  Then he proceeded to sleep almost constantly for the next 24 hours!  It was crazy, but I guess he had some catching up to do.  This also made the trip home an easy one.

On top of Parker being a superstar traveller he also ROLLED OVER for the first time at just 7 1/2 weeks!  He looked like he was going to do it all day on Saturday and he finally did it at dinner!  My mom got to see it too, so I wasn't the only witness! So proud of my little man and can't wait to see him do some more!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

I'm told I need to post more!

One of my non-Facebook readers says I need to update my blog more (Thanks Annie!)

Parker is 6 weeks old already!  I can't believe how quickly time has gone by.  He is almost 10 lbs. now and just keeps growing.  He also started to "real" smile last week, which is so much fun.  He is becoming more and more aware every day and is starting to be more interactive with Jimmy and I.  I am loving staying home and wish I could do it forever! I guess that's it for now, but I will be more diligent about updating and sharing what's going on in the world of Parker!  Wait, I suppose I can share some photos!

Bath Time



Nap Time