Whoever said you need to wear a hat to keep your body warm knew what he was talking about

It's a brisk morning here in Dallas and the girls opted for winter hats over pants and shoes while playing outside. Before I was a mom of 3, I would've insisted they put on warmer clothes. My how things have changed!

(Addison also had a jacket in the beginning. Reagan's jacket was soon lying on the grass as well. - I'm trying to use Reagan more because Libby has started to introduce herself as that. Plus, you know, it's her name!)

Bryan Nowitzki??

Bryan has joined his office's basketball team.

(I can't help but think of The Office episode where the warehouse workers play the office workers. Of course, in my mind, you're more the Jim than the Stanley of your team, Babe! And not just 'cause you're white.)

Anyway, he has a game tonight, so I'm making boxed macaroni and cheese for the girls' supper. This is a special treat for them. I rarely make it at home, so they usually only eat it when we feel like paying $5 for a bowl at Chilis. All that to say, it is my way of making up for Daddy not being able to spend time with them tonight. Nothing like teaching them to drown their sorrows in food, right :)

When they saw the box out on the counter, Addi asked why I was making that macaroni and cheese for them. I told her that Daddy wouldn't be home for supper because he had a basketball game. She started to hang her head and then perked up to say, "That's okay. Maybe we'll be able to watch him on tv!"

Shades of Blue

Look at this gorgeous patch of bluebonnets we found! There was even a hole already trampled out so we didn't have to feel guilty about posing our kids in the middle of all those flowers. But, of course, we didn't get away without picking some : ) (and by "we", I mean Addi and Libby...mostly Libby)

It's good to be loved

One day last week, I took Libby and Levi to a doctor's appointment. As I checked in the receptionist just ooohed and aaahed over Libby. Then as we were leaving a group of nurses did the same. We walked out the door and Libby looked up at me and said, "Those nurses love me so much. Right, Momma?!"

Yes, indeed, Baby Girl!

Favorite Things

Since we've been back in Texas, I often am reminded of something I love about this great state. I keep meaning to compile a list and then write a post about it. The problem is I never write down the thing I love and then I forget about it. So, now I've decided to just write a post anytime I think of something or have a few things on my mind. Because, let's face it, if I sat here until I remembered everything you'd never read this post!

Without further ado, a few things I love about Texas are:

-Wide open skies that allow you to see an entire sunset. Our God paints breathtaking sunsets!

-Spring in Texas, minus the allergy attacks. Have you ever seen a field covered in bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes? They're worth taking an afternoon drive with 3 whining, screaming kids in the back seats.

-The pride Texans have in their state. We start 'em young here - Addi's already learning Texas history in preschool. She's come home with art projects of Texas flags, armadillos, and cowboys and yesterday was Rodeo Day. Everyone dressed in their western wear to celebrate Texas. Even Libby got into the day with a cowgirl hat. (I've been corrected each time I refer to their hats as cowboy hats!) Here are the girls ready to rodeo.

If only you could see the tackiness of those boots. They light up and sparkle! Of course, my 5 year old little girl loves them!

I just don't have the time (or patience)

The formatting for my last two posts are all funky. It drives me crazy, but I'm not going to spend time I don't have to waste on fixing it. It probably isn't a big deal to any of y'all, but it makes me feel better to explain that I have noticed and have tried to fix it, but am going to let go of control and just be happy I got a post written.

Can you believe it has been a month?

Levi David is 1 month old today. In fact, a month ago he was just about 3 1/2 hours old. Wow, has he changed!


He's sleeping now and content as can be in his car seat. The car seat is still his preferred sleeping spot. That is if he can't be laying between Bryan and me!


I can really tell how much "bigger" he is getting by how well nursing is going. I always say that nursing (if you choose to do it) is the hardest thing about being a new mom. It is also, in my opinion, one of the most rewarding things. While this time has been much, much easier, it is still challenging. It really isn't as natural as you'd think. But, having done it before helps a lot. He's getting a little faster at eating and isn't falling asleep non-stop (although he still has times when he'd love nothing more than to go between snacking and napping all day). He still eats often (at least every 2 hours during daylight), but he's letting me sleep a little more at night. Last night we went to bed around 10:15 and he didn't wake up until almost 3 am! If his weight gain still seems fine when we go to the doctor on Monday, I'm going to start working on dragging out feedings to every 3 hours.


Diaper changes make him angry. Neither of our girls really minded having their diapers changed. He screams from the moment I lay him down on the changing table until I pick him up again. If it continues, he'll be lots of fun when he gets to the age where babies like to turn over and try to get away while their diapers are being changed.


He also dislikes baths. Both of the girls were always soothed by baths, so go figure. Maybe it's his way of letting us know he is different from his sisters in every way! He actually just got his first real bath yesterday. His cord stump took 4 weeks to fall off, so he'd been getting sponge baths. I understood him screaming during those because he was freezing. He screamed during the real thing as well. He was so worked up by the time I finished, he continued to scream for another 10 minutes!


I promise he's smiling at me. This week he has started a little half smile every once in a while after or during a feeding. Bryan doesn't believe me and you probably don't either, but I will believe it until the day I die!


I don't think any of us can imagine life without this little man already. He started out surprising us and I can't wait to see how he'll surprise us in the future.


Isn't it amazing how God always creates more room in your heart for each new child? Thank you, Lord, for our son. Your blessings are abundant.

one of these i never like to do

i haven't had a chance to blog much. (i'm feeding the baby as i hunt and peck this keyboard right now!) so, you're gonna mostly get pictures today.

EASTER PICTURES (but i didn't get any of the kids in their clothes. i will though, near some pretty flowers, or something)

we've had our first "trampoline casualty" - ethan broke his leg a few days before easter while jumping, poor little guy

rise and shine, sleepyheads. it's time to hunt eggs on easter morning.

we had to wake the girls up pretty early so we could all be on our way to church by 7:30.

MY BIG BIRTHDAY SURPRISE - bryan arranged for a dear friend of mine from raleigh and her youngest daughter (who is absolutely adored by our whole family, but especially addi) to surprise us with a visit.

bryan took addi to the airport telling me he was taking her to breakfast for some "daddy-daughter" time. he didn't get a picture of her face when she saw salina. i know it was priceless!

i was a little out of it. bryan told me the present he'd ordered me was on the porch. when i walked out, addi and salina jumped out. i was so lost. i thought she'd met a new friend and the new friend looked so familiar. then diane walked out and i started to catch on.

salina "protecting" libby from zoe

LEVI'S NEW FRIEND, COURT - my friend ashley had her little boy a week ago. we were surprised how "grown-up" levi looked next to this new little guy.

i'll write a better post soon and maybe have more words than pictures in it!

Levi's Place of the Day

Levi has discovered the joys of his car seat. He took 3 naps in it today. I was leaving it in the van, but grabbed it after I dropped Addi off at preschool. He was asleep, 'cause he actually sleeps in the car, so I didn't take him out of it. Then whenever he got sleepy today, I put him back in it and, sure enough, he'd fall asleep. It probably won't work tomorrow. I think I'm gonna move it to our room and try sticking him in it tonight.

But, now he's awake and fussing in his car seat. It must be time to eat again. In case you're wondering, that's the main reason there hasn't been much activity on the blog lately - all I do is feed him! Better go.

like father, like son

Some men experience "sympathy pains" while their wives are pregnant. Bryan must be experiencing "sympathy exhaustion" now that the baby's here.



This is how Bryan and Levi spent most of the evening. I fed Levi every 2 hours while Bryan snoozed and then Levi was returned back to his Daddy's arms to sleep until it was time to eat again.

I don't know about you, but it makes me tired just looking at them. Oh, wait, I'm tired because I'm waking up every few hours. All night long!

Honestly, I wouldn't trade places with Bryan for anything. I'm perfectly happy being the one who's exhausted because I get to spend precious moments in the quiet of the night with my little man.

But, I'll also be perfectly happy when he's sleeping through the night!

pictures, pictures, pictures

Levi is 10 days old today. It is almost unbelievable to me. He is precious and sweet and perfect! I am already starting to dread the end of the newborn stage as I see him becoming more and more alert each day. While I'll enjoy getting him on a semblance of a schedule, I will miss the snuggly little newborn I have now.

Today was my first day without any help. My grandmother came to stay on Sunday and left yesterday. It was so nice to have an extra set of hands, eyes and ears! I think I did pretty well on my own - we all got fed, dressed, and teeth and hair brushed by the time we had to leave to get Addi to preschool. I even got a shower taken! After Libby's meltdown in the hallway outside Addi's classroom, she was very sweet and obedient. We had a "picnic" lunch in the living room, which is something we started doing on Addi's preschool days. I think she enjoyed sharing my attention with only one sibling again! Then we even made it back to preschool on time to pick Addi up. It was a little crazy once we made it home - Levi was starving, Libby was exhausted, and Addi was excited, so she wanted to tell me all about her day right then! Now, Libby is finishing up her nap, Addi is watching "Booberang" (as she pronounces Boomerang), and I have about 15 minutes until Levi will need to eat again. My parents are coming over tonight and bringing yummy food with homemade desserts to celebrate my birthday. All in all, a very good day!

I almost forgot the best part though. It's Friday, which means Bryan will be home with us over the weekend. I'll have some wonderful help and get to spend time with one of my most favorite people.

And now for what y'all are even checking my blog for these days - the pictures...

Finally! A few pictures of our little man!

Here's Levi in the cradle my grandmother had made for me. One of his sisters covered him up, something they think they always need to do.

This was taken the day we left the hospital. He's soundly sleeping in his daddy's arms.


We only have a few with his eyes open. They are dark blue. This picture was right before we put him in his car seat for the ride home from the hospital.

I'll try and post some more tomorrow. I tried uploading a few more today, but had some problems, so I'll just not push my luck and try again tomorrow.

Is anyone else having this trouble?

I promise, I have tried to post pictures of our new little man since Friday. What is going on? I really have some cute ones of him (or, at least I think they're cute!), but I can't get Blogger to post any pictures. I'll keep trying.

For now, I'll just say that everything is going well. Libby is having some adjustment issues, but she loves her little brother. Addi adores Levi and is such a help. My grandmother is staying with us this week, so that's a big help also.

I'll try again later.

The Super-Big, Really-Great, Baby P Announcement

First off, let me apologize for not posting sooner. I really wanted to yesterday. I tried to, more than once, but couldn't get my computer to connect to the hospital's wireless. (I'll blame that on getting barely more than an hours sleep the night before - a long story for another post!)

So, without further ado...

We are now a family of 5. 3 girls and 2 boys!

Levi David was born yesterday, March 4, 2008 at 11:17 in the morning. He weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces and was 20 inches long.

I had a quick labor, being induced at 8 that morning, which was a blessing. I'm feeling very good and will be ready to get home tomorrow. Thank you all for your prayers and words of encouragement.

Levi seems to be a content baby. We've only heard him cry a handful of times. He's nursing well and sleeping well.

Bryan and I are thrilled to get to know our son and excited about all the changes a little boy will make in our family. The girls are ecstatic about having a brother. As Addi said yesterday, "Now I have one of each!"

Some pictures for now and I'll add more later tomorrow or Friday.

Keeping Track

So, Congratulations to those of you who guessed Baby P would be a boy! The only other correct guess we had came from Poppa. He was exact with how long he thought Baby P/Levi would be.

Do you remember this post?

Well, some of you aren't fairing too well with your guesses, but some of you are still in the game. Here's the recap:

Karla - boy
Carrie - girl
Tracy - girl
Grammy - boy, 2/29, 2:10 pm, 7 lbs, 7 oz, 20 3/4"
Elysa - boy
Jess - girl
Cara - girl
Ashley - girl
Shana - girl, 2/29
Poppa - angel (well, of course), 2/25, 10 am, 7 lbs, 5 oz, 20"
Nana - boy, 2/24 or 2/25
Holly - boy, 2/17, 7 lbs, 6 oz
Aunt Lisa - boy, 2/20, 6:30 pm, 7 lbs, 11 oz
Bryan - girl, and while not in his comment, he keeps saying I'm going into labor tonight and having Baby P tomorrow, 2/29 girl, 2/20
Diane - boy
Kim - boy
Jeanine - boy
Angie - boy, 8 lbs
CJ - boy, 2/17, 9:01 pm
Unc Brett - boy
Ma - boy, 3/7, 7 lbs, 13 oz, 21"
Me - girl, 2/29, 2:43 pm, 7 lbs, 13 oz, 20 1/2" (just wait, mine will be the furthest off!)

Quite a lot of us are off on the date, if I don't start some contractions up pretty soon!

*I wish I knew how to keep this post at the top until Baby P's born, but I'm not that technical. And, I don't feel like spending any more time on the computer right now to Google it. Maybe one of you Techies (as in technical people, not red raider people who the Aggies just happen to BTHO last night (did you catch that game, Rhett?!)) can fill me in. I guess if Rhett knows, he won't tell me now! I'm just kidding you, Rhett!

Oh, the weather outside is frightful

Really.

It is snowing and sleeting.

Right now.

In March.

In Texas.

The night before my baby's Birth Day.

Might make for a fun trip to the hospital tomorrow morning at 5:30, especially since I love weather like this and driving/riding in it makes me want to hide my face and cry. The silver lining is Baby P will actually get to wear the sweater and matching hat home that I've packed. Well, that is if the cool temps can hang on for the next couple days. What is more likely to happen is we'll be sweating on our way home from the 85 degree weather. It was just Saturday that I was sweating while we were at the park with the girls. But, it will make for a more memorable Birth Day for Campbell/Levi.

Look for news on our new little one tomorrow!

Looks like March 4th is the day

Not much is going on around here. It's been a quiet day. My children are with their Nana and Poppa, so Bryan and I have done fun things like lay around and watch movies while enjoying our Long John Silvers and Blue Bell ice cream. The labor thing, it's just not happening. And believe me, no one is more disappointed than I (or is it "me"? Whichever.)

I'm scheduled for an induction on Tuesday morning, which I'm fairly conflicted about, so I'd appreciate prayers. I had a great experience when I was induced with Libby, but I know many, many people who haven't. My doctor has told me she'll break my water first and only start me on pitocin if my body doesn't respond. I was so looking forward to a labor free of iv needles and those horrible baby monitoring straps! Those straps are the worst! Well, there are worse things, of course, but I really, really dislike those straps.

I may or may not post anything tomorrow. It's sure to be the most quiet day of the last 5 years for me. Such a contrast to the next day filled with a new baby cry and big sisters telling me all about their stay with Nana and Poppa and all the grandparents, aunts, and uncles making predictions about who the baby looks more like. I can't wait!

I don't have any hospital baby pictures of Addi on the computer, but here are a couple of her at probably, I don't know, 2 months old. I know she wasn't any older than 3 months because Bryan hadn't deployed yet.

And this one is Libby, minutes after her birth.

The 3 Parker girls about to be wheeled to the post-partum room.

Just Wait

In the car on the way to pick Addi up at preschool, Libby kept asking me to name pictures in a book. She would hold the book so I couldn't glance back and see it, so I had to ask her to hold it so I could see it over and over again. When she, apparently, had enough of that request she said, in all seriousness,

"Stop talking! You're frustrating me! I'm frustrated! It's frustrating when you talk!"

Oh, sweet girl, if you're frustrated with me, at the age of 2, just you wait!

Dancing to release all those built-up frustrations

A picture is worth 7 words

I had a lady look at me this morning and say, "Wow! What are you due like tomorrow?!"

I smiled politely and said that my due date had actually been Monday.

Then I came home, walked into my bathroom and saw this:

Sadly, I realized I have no other options since every one of my maternity shirts does this now and I've gotten rid of all my, uncomfortable to me, full panel pants. Just for fun, I think I'll say I'm not due for 2 more months to the next person who asks!

No baby, yet

I didn't post yesterday because I couldn't come up with an interesting way to say, "No baby, yet".

Addi decided to reveal personal details about her mother this morning to the FedEx guy so I thought I might mention, "No baby, yet" while posting about her.

So, "No baby, yet", but it will happen. That I know. (Although I have had thoughts lately of how long would I go if my doctor just continued to let me wait it out?!) Actually, it will probably happen today or tomorrow. We're finally back close to family to have a child and my dad is out of town at a conference today and tomorrow and my mom is hosting (not sure if that's the correct word) a big, city-wide festival on Saturday, making it nearly impossible for them to be around if Baby P decides to make an appearance before Sunday. (If you live in the Dallas area, you should stop by Community Fest. It's free and will be filled with fun. Heck, if this baby's still nice and cozy and in-place, you may see us there!)

But, the reason for this post...

The girls were busy playing while I took a shower this morning. As I was standing in my closet debating between black, maternity yoga pants and blue, maternity yoga pants, Addi runs in frantically telling me the mailman is at the door and , "You're standing here NEKKID!" My first thought was she'd let this (supposed) mailman in our house, but she confirmed she hadn't. I started to put my robe on as she ran back to the door. As I walked out of my bedroom I saw her standing "in" the window next to the door and heard a man ask, "Is your mother home?"

Her reply: "Yes, but she's nekkid right now."

We've since had a chat about the importance of her not telling strange men about my nekkid-ness.

A bit of a change

I went to the doctor this morning for my You're-Past-Your-Due-Date appointment. I have become all too familiar with these appointments since this is my third in as many pregnancies.

So, the baby is as happy as a clam, according to my doctor!

I had an ultrasound and everthing looks good. My amniotic fluid is perfect and the baby's heart rate (and peaks and valleys from the non-stress test) was text-book, also according to my doctor. The ultrasound estimated (how accurate is this?) the baby's weight to be 7 pounds, 7 ounces, which is bigger than either of the girls at birth. The change is that I have dilated some more. All good news, in my mind.

My doctor is comfortable letting me go until next Tuesday. So, her nurse will schedule an induction for March 4, if I don't go into labor on my own before then. I see it as having a 50/50 chance of making it to the induction. Addi was born the day before her scheduled induction and Libby was induced. I don't want to be induced. It was a great (if you can say an induction is ever really great) experience last time, but I would like to avoid it, especially since I would like to manage my pain naturally again this time. However, I know I can do an induction without an epidural.

Whatever happens, this time next week, I'll be holding a new little one in my arms. That is certainly good news!