new year. new look.

I'm about six weeks late on the whole new year, new look idea.  I blame Parker, he keeps me super busy.  In an effort to make up for my tardiness, I give you this face:

Parker Worley: 7 weeks.

post bath.

Parker is the happiest kid ever after a bath.  He just talks and talks.  Evidence below:

We just love this kid. 

Parker Worley: Motivator Extraordinaire

Parker is 7 weeks old now.  The time has really flown by, it seems just like yesterday he was born!

It has recently occured to me how much my little guy motivates me.  I want to do everything better.  I want to get into better shape, work harder, keep my house cleaner, just be a better person in general.  I'm no longer just a wife, I am a mom now.  I'm Parker's mom.  I find that I am less willing to settle and much more likely to stand up for myself.  Things that I would have once let go without a second thought are now being dealt with in my life.  I just changed car insurance because I was paying a fortune and had okay coverage.  My new policy is $400 cheaper and much better.   I canceled a gym membership I wasn't using - another waste of money.  I should have done both a long time ago, just never took the time to do the work.  A lame excuse, I know it. 

I know that 2011 is going to be a great year for our family.  Parker's here now and he is going to motivate us, we just can't fail the little guy.  Look at this face - wouldn't you agree?

Parker Worley: A Month in Review

January 3, 2010

Parker is just over 5 weeks old now.  The last five weeks have really been wild.  We are parents, not just to our dogs, but to a real boy!  I had no idea how much fun it was going to be to watch Parker grow and change every single day.  His first month has been filled with lots of new things:

He found his thumb, tongue, and toes, took to a bottle on the first try, had a real bath, has visited the French Quarter, Cafe du Monde and Camellia Grill.  This kid is just all over the place. 

Every day brings something new and a little more rest for his parents.  We are all finally figuring each other out.  He has definitely tested our patience during his first month on earth and won more than one power struggle.  Kevin and I both tend to tap out a little faster when its after midnight. 

New Year's Eve 2010

I love this kid more than I could have ever imagined.  I was so worried about not having enough love to go around.  Now that he is here, I know that your heart just grows and you get more love.  It's as simple as that.  I can't wait for the next month.  I just can't imagine what life has in store for him and us. 

almost done!

More details on the nursery front:

1.  We installed shelves.  They are made from the old shutter.  I think they turned out just great.  Parker got his first set of books as well.  Its the first publishing of the Hardy Boys.  They were left in the house that Kevin rehabbed after Katrina.  The brackets are from eBay - super cliche New Orleans but I love them!

  

2.  We also got a new light fixture.  Kevin picked it out and installed it.  I think he did an excellent job!

3.  I also got an email that the rocking chair is ready for pick up!  

Almost done.  Good thing too, our doctor says that we should have a baby no later than November 30th...8 days away!

Parker's Nursery

Our nursery is coming right along...slowly.  I know where its headed, just need a weekend or two to get everything finished up!


We have the crib in place and his bedding.  I have become a huge fan of alligators and will buy just about anything with an alligator on it.

I spent some time this weekend working on the curtains  I purchased white curtains that turned out to be a little too short.  Simple fix: make them longer.  I added a solid gray panel to each curtain.  I think they work well in his room and match the walls. 

 

Our next step is putting up shelves in his room.  We went to the green project this weekend and purchased a really tall shutter, its 119" long, that we are going to turn into 3 shelves...

As well as a window that I would like to put over his changing table.  Both pieces needs a little bit of TLC.  I am going to clean them up, sand them down, and add a coat of polyurethane to each of them.  

Finish off with a few shelf brackets, some baskets and this rocker and we should be all set.  Good things too because we are already at 36 weeks!  Only a few more weeks to go!

Parker's nursery: more details

I want this lamp in our nursery but I don't want to pay $150 for it.  I am going to spend my weekend figuring out how to do it for less!  I think I can purchase the fixture for next to nothing and paint on the design myself.  If it all works out, you will see photos, if not, I will have to find a new light!

first step: paint

Kevin, Sonny, and Adam finished up painting our nursery today and I couldn't be more excited.  The room was initally a beige color and the stripes really helped to open up the room and make it seem bigger. 

Just having paint on the walls make me feel like we are moving forward.  I hope to have the entire nursery in one piece by the end of the weekend.  The furniture should be arriving on Thursday.  More updates to come as we make progress!

Parker Worley: ninja.

I'm fairly certain that Parker is a brown belt...in karate.  He spends more than half of his day kicking away and most of my night.  He is really good at roundhouse kicks.  I can literally feel him kick on one side of my belly and roll across to kick me on the other side. 

Needless to say, It's only when I am the most active that he decides to calm things down a bit and nap.  I keep trying to explain to him that I really need rest before he arrives but I just don't think that the message is getting across. 

Every once in a while, I will poke him back.  This just ends in him kicking back at me.  His antics have made me realize that the odds of me having a stubborn, hard-headed kid just like Kevin and me just keep going up. 

I would not be the least bit surprised if he arrived in this world looking much like a ninja.  At least we know he will have strong legs and great coordination. 

100 days...scratch that

We hit the 100 days mark....3 weeks ago.  We are now at 79 days and counting until baby Parker arrives.  The days seem to be passing more quickly than I expected.

We spent last weekend in Stockton, where we had an awesome baby shower!  Parker is definitely loved and got a ton of gifts.  This kid's closet is as well stocked as mine and I have been working on mine for YEARS.  Also, the name has stuck.  Let's hope that he likes it.

Our trip out west was definitely great and when we were headed to the airport, I found myself wanting to stay.  The weather was just so nice and our time was very relaxing.  Not only that, Stockton is full of tons of free babysitters.  I like the idea of free.

Nicole, Nick, Keith and Lacey

Speaking of babysitters, Parker got to see Nick, Keith, and Lacey again.  They were the first people to find out that he existed.  Initially, Keith told us we were stupid.  I think the idea of having a nephew has really grown on him over the last few months.  Now Keith has someone new and impressionable to spend time with!