Dear Parker (One Year)

Dear sweetest one year old,

A year! Seriously! I have spent a full year blessed beyond belief with you. From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I loved you. I loved you with every fiber of my being. I anticipated this love being powerful because I watched my own mama and I saw how very much she loved all five of us. She forgave things others wouldn’t forgive, she sacrificed everything for us. It is so different when it happens to you. When you came into this world, I could do nothing but cry tears of joy and kiss your perfect little hands, feet, tummy, and head. I remember that moment so perfectly because it was the moment my world shifted. My everything, the reason I breathe, was a funny looking 6 pound 7 ounce, curious, purple baby with no name. Your head was so misshaped from dropping so early. You barely had any hair. You were so very tiny. You were the opposite of what my dreams had shown me. I thought you’d look just like me, but you looked just like daddy. It was better than my dreams.

You are a (almost) walking, (almost) talking man. During your 12^th month, you developed a deep love for the outdoors. Despite the cold, you will walk anywhere we let you go. You want to splash in the water and crunch all the leaves. You are the quickest crawler! I am jogging behind you all the time! I can almost always find you in the piano room when we are down stairs and the drum room when we are up! The stairs are not even an issue any more. You just go up or down as needed (don’t worry, folks, I am always right behind him).

We got to celebrate your first Christmas. It was just as amazing as I had hoped. You had the patience to open your own presents and, like most babies, you preferred the paper and boxes, but nothing got your attention more than tissue paper. You loved the tissue paper and pulling it out of the bags. We would stuff it right back in the bags for you. Much like Thanksgiving, you ate E V E R Y T H I N G in sight. People fed you things left and right and you would steal right from other’s plates. You aren’t too concerned with playing with your cousins yet, but that will change. Christmas will be so different once you all play together. I cannot wait! I know you are the only boy, but, be patient, let them put make up on you and play with babies with them. They will return the favor. You were kind of a booger with the Christmas tree, but it was brand new to you so it was very easy to be patient with. A good portion of my ornaments are broken, but you had fun so I do not mind.

A year with you has been more than I ever thought I deserved. I cannot believe that your tiny little spirit chose us. You chose me. You are all I ever prayed for. I have always wanted to be a mama, but being your mama has been beyond my wildest dreams. You are the easiest baby. I had to wake you up for feedings in the middle of the night. What baby does that? You aren’t a fit thrower. You are a cuddler and a kisser. You pet my face while you nurse. You giggle at everything and want to learn anything you can.

I love you forever, Parker Ericson. 

*Disclaimer: I swear this was written around his actual birthday! I just forgot to post it. 

Dear Parker (Our Eleventh Month)

Dear Padawan,

I cannot wait to sit and watch all the Star Wars movies with your to teach you what a Padawan is. Right now, you still look at me confused when I try to get your attention by calling you that instead of Parker. My baby, I cannot believe how old you are.

Your eleventh month was a month of zoos and exploring. You went to the Phoenix Zoo or Wildlife World Zoo every weekend and enjoyed it more and more each time. The monkeys were your biggest fans. How could they not be? You are their size and just stare and smile the whole time. They will walk right up to you and stare at you. It is a hilarious sight. You also got to play with so many animals! Giraffes, turtles, stingrays, camels, deer, and pigmy goats. The best part of every trip is the carousal ride at the end. You take it very serious. You hold on for dear life, but smile and wave. You are getting too big.

I wish I have more photos from Thanksgiving, but there are priorities and I cannot take photos and have a fork and knife in each hand. You sure did enjoy it though. You ate everything on your plate and managed to snag some dessert off of everyone’s plate. Those eyes and that goofy, five tooth smile can get people to give you anything. We went with the baby led weaning method for you, so you’ve been eating solids for about six months and the mushy food was never your thing. My point to this is, you’ve become a master eater. I occasionally get a look or two from other mothers at restaurants, or even your grandma and grandpa say something for my lack of cutting things up, but you handle your food. You do not stuff your face until you have no more room in your mouth. When I give you a small cube of cheese, you take perfectly portioned bites until it is gone. Thank you, love, for being responsible since birth. It is really quite cute to see you with a whole carrot (I mean the whole, nearly foot long carrot) and your little nibbles at the end.

You took your first real steps. Honestly, we thought you’d be walking at nine months, considering you were crawling at 3.5. You are a speed demon when it comes to crawling, so you just drop to your knees and crawl to where you need to be. I am always buying you jeans. That is the only reason I want you to walk. You’ve ruined your light grey skinnies, tan cords, and half a dozen denim jeans.  Other than that, please, please, take your time walking. It seems so much safer to have you so close to the ground.

We were able to take you to play with snow! You were a little hesitant, but, ultimately, you did enjoy it. It was daddy and I throwing little snowballs, and you trying hard to figure out what it was and then eat it. You got to do a lot of things you loved that day! You sat on daddy’s shoulders and he danced around, you slept during the boring stuff, and then you got to hang out with all of your cousins to put together grandma’s giant Christmas town.

 I can’t believe my next post will be rounding out my first year of being blessed with you. It is insane. This month you also loved wagon rides, sloppy kisses, spaghetti, your cousins, your puppies, walking with walkers, pots and pans, the rose garden, and anything that makes music. I love you to the moon and back, Parkman.

Dear Parker (Our Tenth Month)

Dear Munchkin,

Oh, my sweetest baby! You had an excellent month. So much to experience and so much to enjoy! You make unpleasant situations so much fun. Thank you! It is quite a relief.

You got to go on your first airplane ride! You were an angel your first flight, but your second flight wasn't as easy. It wasn't your fault. The airplane's air conditioning was broken! So miserable. You got to strip down to your diaper though and got quite comfortable. People played with you the whole time and you were especially fond of a sweet girl who played peek-a-boo with you. What shocks me most is the people you draw into you. You have little kids that are acting like snots drop everything to play and you have grown, grumpy men doing everything they can to make you smile. The group I never expect is teenage boys who have their friends around and still stop to play with you.  They remind me of your sweet uncle Trevi. It is proof they will be great daddies one day. (Ladies, if you are thinking you are in love, make sure they handle kids well!)

We were lucky enough to go to Pennsylvania for a week. It sounds like a boring place to visit, but it is every kids dream! Mama spent a lot of time there growing up and every street has a fun childhood memory and I hope you get to make some too. There are parks galore and not the boring plastic parks we have. There are huge wooden parks with play stations you don't see anywhere else and real tire swings. Squirrels are running around and giant orange leaves to jump in. Swings are not your thing, you prefer crawling around getting into things, like the leaves. You had the time of your life.

You are a very observant child. You do have a short attention span, but you really enjoy things and take in every moment. It seems like you really appreciate any small thing and it fills my heart. I am trying my hardest to raise you as a grateful, appreciative person and these moments make me feel like I am on the right track. The Hershey Chocolate Factory has a cute little ride that takes you through the chocolate process and your little head was flying everywhere and looking at every little thing. We went to an art museum and you stared so intently at every piece we walked near.

You have been brushing your teeth for a while, but now you have quite a few teeth to clean. This is your favorite part of the morning and night. You may even like it more than eating. I have to pry the toothbrush out of your mouth. Please, please keep up that habit for you whole life. Also, please get my teeth. Daddy has tiny teeth. I know that they say binkies aren’t as bad as people claim they are, but I still worry. I hate them. I am hoping to cut you off around your first birthday. I cannot handle when kids are talking with binkies in their mouth. Time to start the weaning!

Halloween is such a fun holiday! Our entire family went as a zoo! You make the cutest lion in the history of animals. You did not want to keep the costume on and you definitely wouldn’t wear the lion mane, but for the little bit of time we had it on, it was the cutest ever. You really enjoyed handing out candy because there were so many kids! People your size make you smile. I can’t wait until play dates mean playing together rather than grabbing hair and poking eyes.

I am so excited for your first holiday season. It is so fun to begin traditions that I will carry on from our family. Time to help make pies, pick out your annual ornaments, and see how long we can keep ornaments on the tree! I love you forever and cannot wait for this season!

Dear Parker (Our Ninth Month)

Dear little pumpkin,

The holidays are quickly approaching and the pumpkins are out to be picked. Thank goodness I got the best pumpkin in the patch! You are at the age I have spent more time sharing you with the world than I did keeping you all to myself, nice and safe in my tummy. It is so weird that I have known you longer than anyone else, even daddy! Of course daddy knew you a little when you were in my tummy, but only small things like what song would always make you wake up and when you were most active. I knew every hiccup, your favorite sleeping position, and what foods made you jolt and which ones made you hiccup. Now everyone knows it.

You started climbing the stairs the day after you celebrated your eight month birthday. You climbed one stair, looked at us, and kept going. On your first climbing adventure, you made it all the way to the top. I was pretty shocked. Standing right behind you, I kept my hands there just waiting for you to need help. No sir. You needed no help. In fact, you kept waving bye-bye to me to get me to go away! I can’t help but laugh as your little hand pops up, waving toward yourself.

You learned to wave last month, but you are rocking it this month! I mention your flirting all the time, but I can’t even have you turned toward me at the mall! You want to be out and waving at all the ladies with both hands! Smiling the biggest smile, dressed to the nines, kicking your feet, and waving with both hands. Ladies cannot help but stop me to tell me you are flirting. I never know what to say, do I apologize? No way. Who needs to apologize for someone totally making their day?

We let you play in your first ever bounce house. We were lucky enough to be invited to a Sharing Down Syndrome and it was full of bounce houses! We went into one and you just were not having it. Maybe it was too hot, maybe it was too unstable, but whatever the case may be, you hated it. Poor kid. You did enjoy watching your cousins bounce around though! When we got out, Daddy took you to the side and let you bounce. That’s all you needed… some simple fun.

You finally got to meet two members of the family that you haven’t met yet! Chester and Lupe, our horse and donkey. You may remember Lupe… he is the infamous donkey that escaped and we put up “Lost Donkey” signs up. Luckily, he was just making friends around the neighborhood. You seemed mesmerized by animals so big, you couldn’t take your eyes off of them. When it came time to ride the donkey, you didn’t even cry! High five brave little guy!

I cannot believe I’ve had to share you for nine months. Can I be selfish and keep you all to myself? I wouldn’t, even if I could. You deserve all the love in the world. Everyone that meets you loves you and that makes me so happy. Is there much more a mama would want for her baby? I can’t think of anything better than an abundance of love. I love seeing your tender moments with your family and cannot wait the holiday season. You will get so much family and cousin time!  

I want to tell you to stop growing up, but you are just starting to develop your personality and I cannot wait to get to know who you are becoming. You are sweet like your daddy, but loud like your mama. What else will you get from us? Will you be musical like him? Or a genius (har har) like me? I cannot wait to find out. Lets just slow down time a little.

 October 8th, 2013

17.8 Pounds

28 Inches