Life in Pictures

I have GOT to start blogging on this blog again! Those of you who don't read FitMePink probably don't even know that I'm 30 weeks pregnant with another little girl! One of these days, I'll catch up! Actually, this might be as good as it's going to get for now... After a quick scan of the never-posted pictures on the computer, here are a few highlights:

First, Michael married Anne last August! My kids are absolutely smitten. I love seeing my baby brother so happy, and I love seeing my kids play with their fun aunt and uncle. (They're still fun because they don't have kids yet! I lost all of my fun-aunt-energy 4 years ago when Parker was born!)

Next, while trying to make these adorable TeePee cupcakes created by my cousin Christie (yes, waaaaay back at Thanksgiving), I nearly burned the house down with my culinary disaster! It wasn't pretty, but I finally figured it out several batches later!

We've played dress-up with cousins (just don't tell Marcus and Joe)! This could be blackmail in a few years!We've had visits from friends! (And yes...some things NEVER change!)We went on a kid-free FREE trip to California and Disneyland. Our FREE hotel room was the CRAPPIEST hotel we've EVER stayed at, but HEY...it was FREE! We had a blast!We had Easter! (And dyed our new clothes and kitchen table in the process!)And finally, undocumented....I officially have ZERO kids in diapers! (Until June, anyway!) I was VERY reluctant to give into Avery's non-stop requests to use the potty, because potty-training Parker has been nothing less than traumatic, but she did it on her own! She hasn't had a single accident since the day she refused to wear a diaper a week ago after receiving big-girl panties in her Easter basket (which, sadly, is still more than I can say for sweet Parker). So YAY for AVERY!

What have YOU been up to?

Parker and Avery: Partners in Crime

If I could choose a single moment in time to which I'd like to return, it would be somewhere in July 2009. Yes...I would definitely go back in time TWO months. You see, my angel baby was still my angel baby. She was only 17-months old. What a difference a month makes! She hit the 18-month mark, and something in her brain flipped. Why be an innocent observer to the daily commotion in the house when you can be an active instigator and participant! Parker has been slowly teaching her the ropes, and sometime in the last few months, Avery caught on. She can no longer be a time-out observer. She's officially the time-out queen!Don't get me wrong, Parker's definitely still the king of all kings and queens when it comes to time-out. More minutes are spent in the naughty corner these days than either of us would like to admit. But Parker's slowly trying to make the transition from "baby" to "big boy." In July, we had a "Bye Bye Diapers" party. We made up lyrics to "Bye Bye Birdie," made a cake, and watched as he ceremoniously removed the last diaper that will ever touch his bum.

The next step to becoming a Big Boy was starting preschool! So far he loves it! I especially love the new blackmail verbiage in our house..."Big Boys who go to preschool eat all of their vegetables." "Big Boys who go to preschool don't whine and cry about every dang thing." "Big Boys who go to preschool are nice to their little sisters." Blackmail totally works...he's devastated just at the thought of not being a Big Boy, or not getting to go to preschool.In order to be a Big Boy, Parker's spending his spare time teaching Avery the ropes. He's passing on all of his moves...(and let me tell you...his moves are good...) (Ignore the "water" on the front of his pants...I don't think that's water, buddy)Wherever we go, Avery is no longer content to sit in a stroller and watch the action happen. She has to be in on the action. Wheeler Farm is no exception. Watch out cow poop, Avery's coming through!Parker's also teaching Avery to eat her vegetables...and to prove she's eaten them by showing us her green-filled mouth! Nice manners...Parker's taught Avery that she should be the one in charge of what she wears each day, not Mom. Each outfit should include someone in the family's swimsuit. Shorts on the head are always an option.And as much as I'd like to believe that he had nothing to do with my couches being covered with Avery's marker-drawings TWICE in one week, I'm not sure I believe him. How could my precious Angel Baby do something like that? Oh yeah...she's moved on from that angelic phase. She prefers the partner-in-crime title. This girl's gonna seriously give us a run for our money!

And if you need a translation to her cute language, here are a few Avery-isms. This girl does not stop talking!

SHIPPOOT--swimsuit

LOWN--lay down

I LULLOO!--i love you

PAWTER--parker

PAFF--bath

WADA ON--turn the water on

CHEW ME--excuse me (when she or anyone else burps...including Shrek during the movie)

BESS YOU--bless you

I DO IT!!!!--stop helping me! i'll do it!

MINE!!!

HANN--hand (as in--stop carrying me...put me down and hold my hand)

MY SHEET--my seat

SUH-SHINE--(don't sing twinkle twinkle, sing you are my sunshine!)

MY PHONE!

FROGGG--frog (heavy emphasis on the G)

FWY--there's a fly!

DAMMA B--grandma b

NANNU--call nannu

DAPPAW--grandpa

I NONNEE--i'm naughty

POTTY--i want to go potty!

ELMO ON--i want to wear parker's elmo underwear

TEEN-TEE BUM?--stinky bum?

CHANGE A BUMMIE?--change my bummie?

NO DAMMIES--i don't want to wear jammies!

I TUM!--don't leave me...i'm coming!

I LIGHT A MATO--i like tomatoes

TOY-LETT--toilet

FUSH IT--flush it

NONNEE DURL--naughty girl

Things that terrify, things I never thought I could do, and baby stats!

Things that terrify my 2-year old:

1. ANYTHING besides water in his bath...especially bubbles of any kind or stray hairs. If Parker sees a hair floating in the water, he stands up on one leg, crying hysterically as if he's about to be attacked. Luckily he hasn't had a reason to be afraid of poop in the tub for several months. I won't explain.

2. BUGS

3. Tiny newborn kitties.

4. Sharp turns in the car.

5. Lawn mowers.

6. The vacuum cleaner.

7. Crumbs or unknown specks on the floor.

Things my 2-year old SHOULD be afraid of (but isn't):

1. Me yelling at him.

2. Getting hit by a car (while running as fast as he can into the street).

3. Sticking objects in a blender while in use.

4. Falling off the counter.

5. Knives.

6. Scissors.

7. Permanent marker (refer to #1)

8. Teletubbies. Seriously.

Things I never thought I could (or would ever again) do 4 months ago...

1. Go to the doctor by myself with both kids.

2. Go to the grocery store by myself with both kids.

3. Wake up before either child is awake for the day.

4. Leave Avery long enough to go to the temple.

5. Go anywhere by myself with both kids (or multiple places in one outing).

6. Get both kids to sleep at the same time.

7. Take a nap.

8. Clean the house.

9. Make dinner.

10. Have some ME time!

11. Sleep for longer than 2 hours at a time! (Avery still isn't sleeping through the night, but last week she slept one night for 8 hours...hallelujah!)

I don't know when I blinked, but my newborn baby is now 4-months old! I had her 4-month check-up along with Parker's 2-year check-up today. Here are the stats...

Both kids are TALL! (Joe and I aren't...)

Avery: 26 inches (97th percentile)

Parker:36.5 inches (92nd percentile)

Avery is a chunk!

Avery:15.6 lbs (90th percentile)

Parker: 27.5 lbs (50th percentile)

Parker's head continues to top the charts!

Avery: 16.3 inches (70th percentile)

Parker: 20 inches (92nd percentile)

I also found out that it's normal to feel like Parker is ALWAYS sick. He has honestly had one cold on top of another (or the flu) since Thanksgiving! He's sick again...let's hope it's the last little winter bug he gets!

I Want a Brownie!!!!

Can someone else be the mom today?

You're Gonna Miss This

My sister recently did a post about the Trace Adkins song, "You're Gonna Miss This." It of course made me bawl thinking about how much I want my sleepless nights to end, but so sad to know that they inevitably will! When I was so tired of trying to get Parker to sleep through the night, my mom told me, "I promise you that when he's in High School, he'll be able to fall asleep on his own." What a sad thought...High School! I recently realized that sometime since Avery was born, Parker started talking in sentences! I LOVE THE WAY HE TALKS right now. Here are some of the new Parker-isms that I'm gonna miss! (For the original Parker-isms, click here)

• I nah poopy=I'm not poopy
• teen tee=stinky
• hi beebee=hi baby
• helpee mommy=let me help you, mommy
• hode you=hold me
• I lip=I slipped
• Parker do it!!!!
• I did it!
• I find it=I'll find it
• mommy fix it=will you fix this, mommy?
• all done prayer/bella/etc.=we're finished praying, Cinderella's over, etc.
• kiss it beller=kiss it better
• watch it Inkebbles/Shruk/Gar/Why/Mouse=I want to watch the Incredibles/Shrek/Madagascar/Super Why/Mickey Mouse/etc.
• baby wake=the baby's awake!
• baby Avry=Baby Avery
• Mommy do it=Will you do this mommy?
• I climb=watch me climb
• jup, jup=watch me jump
• a den=again
• ear hurt, dah tour=my ear hurts, let's go to the doctor (it doesn't usually really hurt...he just remembers going to the doctor when it did hurt)
• all vum poon=I want my spoons...all of them
• done=that one
• dah ten=also that one
• wah happen?=what happened? (said with a shoulder shrug and scrunched eyes)
• runnin=watch me run!
• help oo=I'll help you
• holder=can I hold her?
• I callin' _____=I'm calling (fill in the blank...usually Nannu or Evelyn--his girlfriend's mom)
• I a wannit=I don't want it
• I a wannit diss=I don't want this
• I lull you too=I love you too!

Other things I'm gonna miss...

• Parker listing names before he goes to bed. Every night he goes through everyone he can think of, and we tell him where they are. Nannu? Tennessee. Bapa? Tennessee. Michael? School.
• Avery grunting to fall asleep. She grunts and squirms until she's asleep...this is causing a bald spot on the back of her head.
• Parker's spoon hoarding. He gathers all the plastic spoons he can find and carries them around the house.
• Singing silly songs just for a laugh.
• Listening to Joe put Parker to bed.
• Kissing Avery's chubby cheeks and bald head ALL. DAY. LONG.
• Parker's sporadic counting. 4, 7 14, 9, 7!
• Doing Yoga with Parker. He lines up all of his cars on my pink mat, and thinks we're playing peek-a-boo when I'm doing downward facing dog.
• Getting so excited when daddy gets home.
• Parker kissing Avery ALL. DAY. LONG.
• Having the most upsetting thing that can possibly happen be a lego tower falling, a lost toy car, or having to come inside for the day.
• Being the one person who can make everything all better.

One day my kids will grow up and I really will miss these little moments. Parker will even one day learn how to share. Every phase is just that. A phase. And I love the one we're in right now!