R.I.P. B.C.

I am small chested. There, I've said it. I would be embarrassed for anyone to read this if it were not glaringly obvious the minute you met me. However, for almost a year, I had a chest. I finally filled a B-cup...hooray!! I was beginning to like my new shape and was amazed how much easier it was to find clothes that fit right. I was loving the benefits of breastfeeding.

Around a month ago, I stopped pumping and feeding altogether. For a while, I still had a chest. And then it happened. One morning last week, I woke up and they were gone. Not just gone, but smaller than they were before. Is that possible?!?! And so, I bid farewell to my chest.

Rest In Peace Big Chest, Rest In Peace.

Here's what happened since you last saw me!

A lot has happened in the last couple of months! It is amazing how fast babies grow and change! Here are a few of Parker's latest changes:

(Parker eating chocolate for the first time--he grabbed my cake when I wasn't looking!)


Talking, talking, talking--Parker has always been a little talker (I wonder where he gets that from...) but now he is saying all sorts of words: ball (his first word), dog, car, bye bye, hi, momma, dadda, yellow, no no, and his latest...Piper (this sounds a lot more like bi ba, but we know what he means). He is saying a lot in between those words, but we are still getting lost in translation! (This is Parker and Piper waiting for Daddy to come home...Parker's favorite word is dog!)

• He's using a toothbrush!-We started brushing Parker's tooth right after it first came in around 8 months, but now he has five teeth and loves to brush them every night!



• Walking!--Parker is officially a walker (tear). My baby is growing up right before my eyes!! He took his first steps at 11 months and nows prefers walking over crawling.




• Lifting up the toilet seat--I can't believe I am including this one, but it kind of has a huge impact on the way we operate. Before, I could let him play on the bathroom floor while I showered and not worry. No longer, he can now lift it up-touch the water-and then drop it down, usually on his hand. He has also started flushing! (This picture is not of him lifting the toilet seat, but instead is probably why he has so much fun in the bathroom!)

• No more bottles--At around 10 months, he stopped using bottles and now only using sippy cups. He have been practicing with big-boy cups sans lid, but we still have mastered that yet.




• He has learned to love football--I am not kidding...my son jumps up and down yelling, "football, football," anytime football comes on tv. Needless to say, he has gone to all of the home K-State games and loves them!(This is a picture of Parker and Daddy concentrating on the action on the field at a home K-State game.)

• And the big one...He turned ONE!!!--I can't believe it! My babycenter.com e-mails now say, your toddler this week...I have a toddler, holy cow! It has gone by so fast! He now faces forward in his carseat, drinks whole milk, and tests limits:). He had a big birthday bash, but I will post all of those pictures on a different post!
  
  
  

MAMA!!

Parker finally said mama!!  I have waited so long to hear this word and was beat out by dada, dog, car, and ball...however, he said it and looked right at me!!  Love!

How time flies!!

Warning! This post is slightly cheesy!! Almost nine years ago, I met my best friend; two years ago, I married him. Brady was the first boy I met in Manhattan (well, at least the first boy I can remember:). We had both just joined greek houses and were at a joint event for both of our houses--ok, ok, it was a keg race (don't tell Parker) and I had had one beer over my limit (yes, that means one beer). If you know me at all, you know this means I was extremely talkative. I had a crush on Brady from the minute I laid eyes on him and went right up and introduced myself. After that, I told everyone I met that, "I was a big fan of Brady's!" "Barn Party" 2003

From that point on we spent a year and a half dancing around the idea of dating. Brady was the boy I couldn't admit I needed and I was the girl who wouldn't kiss him. I finally came to my senses and asked him to our formal our sophomore year-I know what you are thinking, and yes, it wasn't until he stopped chasing me that I finally realized I wanted him. From that moment on, we were inseparable.

Two years ago, on the first happiest day of my life, I became his wife. I am so blessed. And then, nine months ago on the second happiest day of my life, I became the mother of his child--brady's little mini-me. I know that this post is super cheesy, but I was feeling a little nostalgic and wanted to say a big thank you to my husband....you are the best!

I just wanted a chance to say how happy I am to have such a wonderful husband (seriously, who else would put up with my neurotic behavior!)

"Mom, the puppy's in the tub!"

Apparently Piper is warming up to Parker. She hates taking a bath, but evidently, Parker makes it look fun. And yes, I am that mom that got my camera so I could take a picture before I took the dog out of the tub (don't worry, Brady was watching the kids:)!

Have Pump Will Travel

For the last year, I have spent 36 to72 hours a month travelling back and forth to DC to the Charles G Koch Foundation Headquarters. I love to travel, but I picked the worst time to spend so much time on a plane. From June to October, I was huge. Trying to fit my over sized belly into the tiny little seats-not to mention being asked by every flight attendant not to go into labor-was hilarious.





Once I got rid of the belly, I gained a pump. Awww, the pump--my new best friend. I have become an extremely efficient packer--you have to be when the pump takes up half of your carry on. I have also become very resourceful when it comes to pumping in the airport. Here are a few tips I have learned...



1. Take your pump and milk out before you send your bag through security; it will save you time and headaches.

2. Store your milk in bottles; they will make you open all of your milk containers for tests and the bags sometimes make a mess.

3. Your best option when pumping in an airport is a family bathroom, but don't be surprised if you get dirty looks when you come out of the family bathroom alone. Seriously, I wanted to walk out holding my milk in the air a few times.

4. Your second best option is a bathroom with an outlet in a secluded area--hard to find, but worth it to look.

5. The worst option, but usually the only one available is to pump at the sink. Bring a cardigan; you can put it on backwards to cover the pumps, but everyone will still know what you are doing. Also, surprisingly enough, people will talk to you more while you are half naked, producing food than if you were to run straight into them.

Lessons I've learned so far...

A year ago, I was ending one job to begin another...I was also almost six months pregnant. At the time, people thought I was crazy for starting a new job mid-pregnancy. I kind of was, but it was the best decision I could have made for both me and my family. It was at this time that I made an assumption about a lesson I thought would come in the future...if you are happy at work, you will be happier at home. This lesson is true. I learned a few other lessons while pregnant (ex. If you put your hand on your belly while you are trying to get something you want, you will inevitably get it:), but I have learned even more lessons now that I am a mom. These are in no particular order.

1. Hearing your child giggle can always make a bad mood better...always.
2. You will never love your husband more than when he is trying to get your son to say "mommy"
3. Your house will never again be quite as clean as you would like...ever...
4. You hope that saying that a dog's mouth is cleaner than yours is true when you catch the puppy french kissing her new little brother.
5. Sometimes parking away from the door, but close to a cart rack is worth the extra walk.
6. If you wear black, be prepared to get a white, spit-up stain on it.
7. If you wear white, be prepared to get a stain, any stain.
8. Your mom was right...doesn't really matter what you are talking about, she probably was.
9. It is ok to think that your baby is the cutest.
10.You know what is best for you and your baby. Whether it is how long to breastfeed or when to start solids, you will figure it out.
11. You hear about blow-outs and think it won't happen to you...it will.
12. You will always have a blow-out when you forget to pack a change of clothes.
13. In church, the baby will always start talking when it is time for the sermon.

These are definitely not all, but they are some of my favorites! Motherhood is the most amazing experience!