G L P and the big E's!: Parker @ 1 YEAR!

Our handsome little man is ONE!

And perfect, I should add.

A year ago this little guy was 1 day new...

I can't believe a year has passed! When pregnant with Parker, I prepared myself for the stress of having another baby. I thought about all the fussiness, the 9 months of sleepless nights, the struggle for our family to find a new normal, and so on. At the end of this first year with our Parker, I can honestly say all that stress and preparation wasn't needed. He is and has been such a good natured, easy going baby. He's brought so much joy to our family! Its just like he was meant to be and our family of 4 made a seamless transition to being a family of 5! Parker, this past year has been full of more blessings than momma and daddy could ever imagine! Here's a little bit about what you are like at 1 YEAR old!

You are such a handsome litte man! (And momma calls you that all day long to the point that you are probably going to think that's your name!) You weigh 25 pounds 9 ounces (95%) and are 31 inches tall (89%). You are still a big boy, but according to what everyone tells me, this is just the way you are. They say you are probably going to be a big guy one day. When I look at your uncle and grandpa, I sorta think they might be right! You wear 24 months clothes, size 4 diapers, and size 3ish shoes. Believe me when I say that momma and daddy love every single bit of you!

Faux-hawk and popped collar! A guys gotta look decent for his 1st birthday party!

You are taking a few steps, but still crawl most of the time. You are a really fast crawler so walking slowly is a little frustrating to you. We try to get you to walk, but you usually just pike your legs straight out and refuse to put your feet on the ground. Just like everything else, things have to happen when P says its time too!

You have 6 teeth and are working on number 7 & 8! Good thing too because dinner-time is one of your daily favorites! You love just about any food we offer. The messier the dish is, the better. Lasagna, meatloaf, and casseroles still rank as favorites. You're kinda off your carrot kick and decided you'll try being a meat-a-saurus for a while. You love all fruit: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes, apples, oranges, banana, peaches...all of it! You are better about not hollering so much during mealtimes, but occassionally it gets the best of you still. You've been drinking whole milk for about 2 weeks and seem to like it! We are allowing you to have 1 bottle a day for about another week. Once you get your tubes in, its bye bye bottle!

Like the other e's, you are a talker! You finally say momma! Well actually you call me Nanna (naw-nuh) and I've decided that Nanna is one of the best words I've ever heard spoken. :) You continue to babble a lot. Recently, you started barking at the dogs. When you hear them barking outside, you go to the windows and bark back. Its kinda a high pitch yell/screech sound. Its so funny to watch!

You LOVE anything with wheels and playing ball! Your attention span for both these activities shocks Daddy and I. The only thing you love more is playing with your sisters. You absolutely love getting attention from them. Facing backward in the car is no problem at all because they talk to you and entertain you. Usually our car is full of squeals of laughter, raspberry blowing, and lots of 'talking.' Seeing you with Gab and Lil is one of the biggest blessings that you being in our family brought. The only thing sweeter than watching you or your sisters playing, is seeing you all do it together!

We love you so much P! I don't know what I did to deserve a son like you, but I will spend the rest of forever thanking God for giving us such a precious gift. You are more than we could ever ask for!

And while it seems impossible that a year has already passed, I can't help but look down the road. I wonder what you'll like. Games, sports, science? Will keep taking after momma or look like the little Shaun that you are one day? Whatever the future holds, I'm so priveledged to be your Nanna and get to see it all unfold!