26 1/2 weeks and growing!

Our computer has been dead since the last entry on the blog due to Addie throwing a piece of her wooden puzzle at the screen, just as I was about to submit the last entry, July 31 (hence, why it appears as August 1.....had to figure out how to do it on my phone the next day).  Luckily, we ended up ordering a new screen online and Noah watched a you tube video to figure out how to install.  We are only out $80, so not as big of a deal as I originally had imagined!!!
The month of August has absolutely flown by......if these keeps up, the baby will be here before we know it!
Addison has been busy checking out a neighborhood pool, attending Little Gym classes, playing with friends in the neighborhood, having brunch with friends, having movie night with friends, swimming with daddy at the ENT bbq, running alongside Wally on many evening walks, and riding in her favorite backpack!  The amount of energy inside an almost 2 year old is absolutely amazing.....and as I grow larger and larger this pregnancy, it continues to amaze me even more!
Addison is talking a ton...new words and new phrases constantly.  One of her new favorite things to say is "come on mama" or "come on daddy".....she will then grab our arm and direct us to wherever she wishes.  The other day at daycare I was dropping her off and she sat down on the mat, tapped the floor next to her and said, "sit down mama."  Maybe a little bossy....but definitely cute at this age! :-)
She still is adament about picking out her clothing each morning, and outfits continue to get more entertaining each day.  If it isn't her favorite choo-choo shirt (which I've started hiding), it may include odd accessories such as a bib, a hair bow that doesn't match, underwear over her shorts or leggings, or even two different shoes (today she had a sneaker on the wrong foot and a sandal on the other).  This morning she demanded to keep her pj shirt on when we went to the OB.  It is always entertaining regardless! :-)  The good part of all of this is that she has learned to put on her own pants and shoes.....
Addison continues to have some accidents in her crib at night when she doesn't like her wet diaper and pulls them off without letting us know......we have definitely gone in to her room to find a mess after nap time or even in the middle of the night.  We are preparing to start potty training after vacation.
As for the new baby, she is growing a ton and very active!  Last night I felt hiccups by my left side, and this morning at the OB her head was up toward my belly button on the right side.  She was kicking the doppler like crazy this morning after my glucose test....that really got her excited!  I am measuring right on track for my delivery date....and luckily my weight gain is right on track as well.  I have gained 22 pounds so far.....so hopefully only another 10 or so and I'll be within the 25-35 recommended weight gain.  I am still managing to work out a little on the elliptical...I aim for 3-4 days a week....and still doing lots of Wally walking in the evenings as a family.  This morning I had my glucose test and hemoglobin test....so hopefully all will be ok when I hear the results.   I am now on an every 2 week schedule for the OB...and next time I get my rho-gam shot already....it is just flying by!

 our little musician....we are looking forward to starting McPhail music classes again in september!

 snack time with friends, Nils and William, at the park!

Addison and I at the park with Wally and daddy....my best little girlfriend!

 Addison's first very own milkshake.....she was sick, and she loved it!!!

 Movie night and bbq with friends!

 Mama's car....she loves to pretend to drive!

Addison snoozing after watching her choo-choo movie when she was sick :-( poor girl

Addison and I are leaving for NC on Wednesday morning....wish me luck flying with a 2 year old.  I did trek to Best Buy this morning and bought a travel DVD player.....I figure not the worst investment as hopefully this will provide hours of travel entertainment for the kids over the years!  More news when we return from NC the first week of September...just in time for Opa and Jojo's visit and Addison's 2nd birthday and birthday party!!! :-)

I can't believe it is the end of July!

I have been absolutely terrible with keeping up to date with the blog lately....apologies!!! :-)  I promise to be better in the months ahead, and especially when our new little one arrives!!!

We'll start with the new little peanut, since I just got back from my OB appointment this morning!  I am now 23 1/2 weeks in to this pregnancy, and growing by the day!  I am measuring right on track, and have already gained 18 pounds (although my doctor assured me not to worry, even though this is more than last time).  Baby is super active....especially around 10:30pm when I am just snuggling in to bed! :-)  Lets hope this changes come November!   Noah and I have been making a list of girl's names and have pretty much decided on a middle name.  We are planning to keep it all a surprise just like last pregnancy!  I have also been busy looking for the few little things that I think we need for the new baby.....sheets, blankie, some of the basics!  It is fun to get an idea of the new stuff that is out there....although with another girl on the way, there isn't a whole lot that we need this time! :-)  One of these days I will head down to storage and start going through the newborn bin of clothes to see what we need in that department!  So much to think about and do in the next couple of months!  Addison was adorable at the OB this morning....she said "baby doctor" and even said "baby sister" when the doctor said, "Listen to your new baby sister's heartbeat."  It's hard to know what she really understands of all of this, but regardless it is so cute!

Addison has really been becoming a little girl lately.....preferring "big girl pants" (training pants), counting, singing her alphabet, and pretending to be a gymnast  AT ALL TIMES (she walks on every stone wall or flower bed outside)!  

 Coloring!  Addison loves when we write her name....we are working on learning on how to spell it!

 Swimming in her new pool!

 Teeth time!

 meeting baby Aspen!

Napping with Wally!

 Addison eating with chopsticks!!!

 Pretty dress!

 Addison loves to hide in her stroller now!

Addison running to daddy on a walk outside!

We spent the fourth of July with some of our friends just relaxing and cooking out.  Unfortunately, Addie was exhausted and it was so hot that night that we decided to skip out on watching the fireworks on the river....but were able to catch a few glimpses from our condo windows!   Addison had a great night running around with her friend "Wiwi" and practicing her dance moves!  Other highlights of the month included a trip to the Mall of America, spending some time at the city's splash pads and pools, attending Choo-choo bob's story hour, having the Graven family in town (and getting to meet baby Aspen), continuing to attend our weekly Little Gym class, playing in our new outdoor pool (yes, it fits on our balcony!! :-)), and spending a day at Lake Calhoun!  Addison has had a great month!  

Addison can now count to ten!  We have no idea where or when she learned it....but one night in the bathtub she first did it for me, and now has continued to "perform her trick" over and over again!  Hopefully the video will attach to this blog!  :-)  

We have lots to look forward to in the next couple of months!!! Addison and I are heading to NC August 22-September 3 (and daddy is joining us August 25-September 3).  We will be spending some time at the beach with mommy's UNC girlfriends and children, visiting with Nana and Papa in Raleigh, and attending a wedding in the mountains!  So excited!  We return on Labor Day, and then Opa and Jojo come the next day!  They are going to be spending Addison's second birthday with us this year!  We are planning a choo-choo birthday party for September 8!  :-)  

Enjoy the pictures of the last few weeks...and my huge belly! :-)

It's a GIRL!!!!!!!

Today was my 19 1/2 week OB appointment, and most importantly my level 2 ultrasound!  Noah and I enjoyed seeing all of the amazing images (they have gotten better over the last 2 years) and knowing that everything is looking healthy with peanut #2.  The heart rate was 151 bpm today.  At the end of the ultrasound we had the gender revealed....another little girl!!!!  We are super excited!  She is super active and was moving around the entire ultrasound including kicking the umbilical cord and hiding from the ultrasound tech.  Looks like we've got a wild one on our hands! :-)  We were lucky enough to get a CD of some of the images and a few copies too....so fun!  :-)  Of course being the dad, all that Noah could think of was another wedding and another beautiful girl to protect......I, on the other hand, have already been on at least five different websites looking for adorable matching girl outfits!  I never had the pleasure of having a sister, so I am super eager to raise sisters and watch this special relationship unfold!
As for me, feeling fine these days.  I have gained 14 pounds so far, which my doctor said is just fine.  Although I feel huge, I guess I'm right on track.  Also, this baby is measuring larger than Addison did at this stage....10 ounces and 51-52 percentile.  It looks like we may need to call this one an almond instead of a peanut! :-)
Image pictures from the ultrasound and belly picture coming soon...................

Busy, busy June!

Ugh....I just sat here for a good thirty minutes or so writing about our busy, busy June only to find that the post didn't save!!!!  This one will probably not be as detailed, but I wanted to make sure I at least hit some of the highlights!
We had our family vacation June 9-17....it was wonderful to have that much time off together!  We had the perfect mix of time away, time here, time alone and time with family/friends!  We started the week with the Cubs/Twins game on June 10!  Addison loved the game and lasted the entire time, even in the 92 degree heat!  We definitely have a baseball fan on our hands! :-)  We left right after the game and drove the couple hours down to Stockholm, Wisconsin (a small town with population of 66!).  It is a beautiful town right on the Mississippi River!  We spent a few nights enjoying our friends quaint apartment in the town.......we walked around town, hung out on the river with Addison and Wally, watched lots of choo-choos (Addison's favorite!), enjoyed some of the local restaurants, and just relaxed!  It was a perfect get away!  The highlight was when we went to "farm pizza" on Tuesday night.  We brought a big blanket and enjoyed pizza made from freshly-grown farm ingredients while enjoying the animals!  It was so much fun!!! :-)
We came back on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday we enjoyed watching Addison in her first Beast Little Gym class!  She loved the beam, bars, air mat and climbing on whatever she could find!  It was fun that daddy got to see her too!  She now thinks that everything, everywhere is a balance beam, and all bars are meant for swinging...mommy's nightmare! :-)
Thursday-Sunday we had Uncle Adam and Cousin Victoria in town to visit!  We enjoyed some breakfasts out with the girls, a morning at Mall of America on the rides, a BBQ Saturday afternoon, and time relaxing and catching up at home.  Addison loved chasing her big cousin around until the point of exhaustion.....lots of skipped naps and early bedtimes those days!
Noah and I attended the ENT graduation Friday night and our friends Kate and Will's wedding Saturday night that week....it was fun to have some time out together!  We took daddy to Jax Cafe (our new tradition) for Father's Day brunch...delicious!!! :-)
Other events of the last couple weeks have been a playdate with Levi and Ali at the splash pad, more Little Gym classes, a lunch out during the week with daddy and his coworkers, a happy hour with mommy and work friends, time in the park by the river, and our trip to the Como Zoo (this morning) with our friends William and Stacy!  Addison definitely missed her friend "WiWi" when he was out of town!
Addison is really stringing words together lately.....she now says things like, "mama, more juice,"  "no-no nap," night night bus."  It is so much fun to watch her vocabulary expand!  She has also taken a liking to picking out her own clothing in the morning.  It seems like whatever I grab in the morning is not the right thing as she says, "no mama" and proceeds to dig through her own drawer in search of the perfect outfit!  Oh my!! :-)
Enjoy pics from the last couple of weeks!
As for peanut #2....only one more week until we find out the sex and have the level 2 ultrasound!! I can't believe we are almost halfway there!  I am feeling pretty good....but the bump is definitely growing!!!  I have been feeling baby kick for a couple weeks now....sure is an active little one!  :-)

 Addie and daddy on our hike!

 Wally and mommy!

 Farm Pizza!  Addison loved the horses!

 Father's Day brunch at Jax Cafe

 Wally turned 4 years old on June 21!  Wally sleeping in "his bed"

 Cousins Victoria (5) and Addison (21 months)

 The family...before a wedding!

 Vacation!

Outside fun, beads, pull-ups, corn, big girl cups!

Today is day one of our vacation!  LOVELY!  After an enjoyable day of breakfast at Cuzzy's, a long walk across Stone Arch with the entire family, playtime at the park and home, and dinner outside at Punch Pizza.....I find myself relaxing on the couch....a perfect time to update the blog!
It has definitely heated up here in Minneapolis!  Temperatures have been in the 80s and even in to the 90s the last couple of weeks.  Sunscreen has become our new best friend.....although, I have discovered that just because it is a baby sunscreen, DOES NOT mean that it is tear-free!  We have had some definite catastrophes with Addison rubbing her face and getting sunscreen in her eyes....poor thing, she screams like crazy until we can rinse it out!
Noah and I had our 4th wedding anniversary on the 31st and I surprised him with a babysitter and a dinner for the two of us downtown at Rosa Mexicano that weekend!  It was a nice, relaxing evening out!  The food was authentic and delicious!  It's amazing that it has been four years....and all the changes we have gone through together during those years.....a new city, a new home, new jobs, a new dog, a new baby and a new pregnancy!  I can't wait to see what the next four years will bring!
Last week was a fun week for Addison....we had play dates on both Monday and Tuesday with friends.  We spent Monday morning out in the suburbs with our friends Ali and Levi.......we played at their house and went to the park near their house.  Addison loved riding in the wagon with Levi and having snacks along the way! Tuesday morning we went to the St. Louis Park splash pad with our friends Anna and Allie, and Jen and Eva.  It was a blast to watch Addison warm up to the idea of the water!  She was a initially a little hesitant, but once she started, she was in to it!   She loved filling her bucket and dumping all over her body!  She was giggling and loving it! :-)  Definitely a fun new discovery, and a place we will enjoy frequently this summer!
Some of the other highlights of the week was Addison's introduction to "big girl pants"-pull-ups!  I decided to buy a package at Target last week to trial them out since she has been so opposed to diaper changes and wearing diapers.  She loves them!  She even knows how pull them on herself!  :-)  I'll get a picture real soon!
Addison has also been using big girl cups now at most meals-yea!  She is much improved in reducing spills...although of course, there are still some accidents!  She is so proud of herself drinking from a "real cup."
Addison also tried corn on the cob for the first time this week!  She has always enjoyed corn, but this was the first time I let her hold the cob and go for it!  See pictures below.....she was all smiles!  We can tell she has some Indiana blood in her!
Finally, Addison has been very excited about mommy's beads this week....it is her special treat to get to pull these out of the box and try on each necklace!  She regularly plays dress-up now!

 Reading library books with mommy

 My bus!

 Big girl cup at lunch

 My new shades!

 Corn on the cob-first time ever!

 So yummy!

 Wagon date with Levi

 Playing with my friend Eva in the splash pad

 Getting ready for the splash pad!

15 week belly picture of the new little peanut!

Showering with daddy!

Well.....more updates to come after our vacation week.....we are going to the Twins game tomorrow mid-day, then leaving for Wisconsin for a few days.  We will be back mid-week and around through the weekend with Noah's brother in town, a wedding and Father's day! :-)

Second trimester, baby bump....and Addie sans diaper!

Lots of news over the last few weeks.......I'll start with the new little peanut!  Just in the last week people at work who didn't know about the pregnancy previously are starting to notice my little belly and learn our exciting news!  I can't believe how much sooner I have "popped out" this time!  The doctor said it is like a "home that was lived in before....they move right in."  I thought that was quite entertaining!  The good news is that I am feeling much better these days!  The nausea has subsided and I am getting my energy back.  The last couple of weeks I have been taking less naps/rest breaks when Addie goes down for her nap....and I've been able to get a lot more done around the house.  I'm also back to running 3-4 times/week!  I've had some rough days battling headaches....but it seems like a little caffeine or a tylenol seems to do the trick.  The doctor said a little caffeine a day is perfectly fine!  I made a huge discovery a couple weeks ago.....and solved my sushi craving!  I learned that eating rolls with cooked fish or even just vegetables is enough to satisfy this void during pregnancy.....one night I ordered $25 worth of sushi from Origami and downed it in one sitting.....definitely not good on the budget.....but ahhhh!, I felt so much better!
This morning I had an OB appointment.  I'm right at 14 1/2 weeks and measuring on track!  I have gained about 3 1/2 pounds, which my MD said is just fine.  Babies heart rate was super easy to locate today...right in the middle below my belly button, and 150 bpm!  There is something so special about hearing the heartbeat each month!  Addison came up on the table and lied down next to me during that part of the appointment and said, "baby" as she patted my tummy......so precious!  She is starting to get the hang out of it.  The highlight of today was scheduling our level 2 ultrasound and appointment....Tuesday, July 3 we will find out the gender of our little peanut!  I promise to post a first belly pic soon....
On to Addison......our little wild woman these days!  She has decided that diapers are absolutely no fun!  She regularly removes them and "delivers them to me"......sometimes filled with pee or poop, and sometimes just to get them off!  It is an absolute battle during diaper changes, as she runs as quickly as she can away from me when it is time!  She believe that diapers have one purpose.....they are for her baby!  I think it is time to get a little more serious about potty training.  Although we still sit on the potty regularly when she requests it, we have not really encouraged it at other times and have very few successful trips.  I am going to start searching out tips on this process....as I'd love to have the bulk of it in place before peanut #2 arrives!
Besides loving to run sans diaper.....Addison has picked up on many new words lately!  Her language is really expanding as she is starting to string a couple words together at a time.  She'll say things like, "up mama", "no wa-wa (Wally)", "Addie chair".......it's so cute to watch her communication develop, and she is so proud of herself.  We have also noticed a ton of improvement with her language through singing!  She commonly chimes in to songs that we have sung to her frequently like wheels on the bus, baa baa black sheep,  1-2-I love you, and twinkle, twinkle little star.  She even hums that tune to the alphabet song!
Addison's new excitement around the house is her BUS!!!  It is actually what I would refer to as a car, but ever since we bought it she has called it her bus.  It is a mickey mouse clubhouse car with lots of gadgets that play music, and equipped with a seat that she can push forward/backward with her feet to propel, and a handlebar for pushing.  She LOVES IT!!!  Other fun in the last couple weeks has been jumping in/out of and swimming in her friend Wi-Wi's (William's) baby pool on hot days...she has really enjoyed it!  We had our last music class for the semester on the 21st, and decided to take the summer off before restarting in the fall.  We will miss seeing Miss Cheryl and Addison's little music buddies on Mondays!  We have decided to try a gymnastics class for the summer at Little Gym starting in a couple weeks on Wednesday mornings!  We went for a trial class and Addison absolutely loved it!  She was climbing on all of the equipment from the start of the class, including the balance beam, bolsters, air mat and even the bars!  I think this will bring some new fun for the summer months!
We look forward to the weeks ahead.....our 4-year wedding anniversary this Thursday, and our family vacation/stay-cation June 9-June 17!  We are planning to go to a cabin in Wisconsin for a few days, and other than that will just enjoy our time off together here in the Cities!  We have ENT graduation, a friend's wedding, Father's Day, Noah's brother coming to visit that week...shall be fun!!! :-)

 cuddles with daddy

 the bus....probably in the process of escaping a diaper change too!

 you can push it or ride....the bus!!!

 beads are fun!

 hiding behind the shower curtain....trying to escape pj time with daddy

 playing in Wi-Wi's baby pool outside

 outside on the balcony with Wally

peek a boo from the library

Big Sister!!! Announcing Baby #2!

As the first trimester is coming to an end.....I feel like it is time to share our big news!!!  Noah and I found out in early March that Addison will be a big sister in November!  We are beyond thrilled to be expanding the Parker family!  We had our ultrasound on April 13.....heard the heartbeat (167bpm) and baby looked healthy. Baby is right on track for a due date of November 24 (just after Thanksgiving).....but I'll probably be induced early if baby doesn't arrive by 39 weeks due to being on lovenox again.  Yes, lovenox again, ugh!  I started shortly after my 10 week appointment.  So far this pregnancy has been WAY different than the first.  In addition tot he fatigue that I had with Addison, I have had a lot of nausea this time.  I am fortunate that I never vomited, but definitely had a period of a few weeks where I was nauseated around the clock....no fun!  I was also extremely sensitive to smells!  Things have started to calm down in the last couple weeks, and fortunately I am starting to get some energy back and my nausea is only intermittent!  Thank goodness!  I'll be twelve weeks on Saturday!  Addison has been practicing answering the questions, "What's inside mommy's belly?"......although she doesn't "get it" yet, she has learned to respond "baby" about half the time......hopefully by the time I really have a belly she'll have it down!  :-)  Nana and Papa and Jojo and Opa are super excited....and had to keep it a secret for a long time since we told them during their visits in April! :-)
Beyond our big news of baby #2, we have been busy enjoying the nicer weather and keeping up with Addison's plentiful energy these days!

 Walking with Addison's friend "Wi-wi" (William) on the riverfront!!!  Besties!

 Snuggling with Wally and baby during the Kentucky Derby!

 Mommy and me!

 At the Children's Museum!  Addison loved the water!

Eating breakfast with daddy at Cuzzy's!

The last few weeks have been filled with many days spent playing in our wonderful park on 4th Street, enjoying the riverfront with wally, treking to Williston Park and the Children's Museum on chillier/rainy days, trying out playtime at Creative Kids, attending our weekly music class at McPhail, having some fun playdates with Ali and Levi, playing with cousin Victoria for a day, visiting the cats at Petsmart (she loves them!), going to a couple birthday parties and barbeques, and eating breakfast out at Cuzzy's a couple times when daddy is off.  Addison has still been enjoying daycare on Thursday/Fridays and loves to play babies with the other girls in the class!  They each carry around babies most of the day.  Even at home, Addison treats her baby so well.....she positions her in the highchair for snack time, tucks her in to bed and kisses her with a blanket around  her, pretends to change her diaper, and attempts to share her milk and snacks with her.  We just hope this interest lasts until November when Addison will have "her own baby!"
Addie has been really in to riding toys outside at school and with friends in the neighborhood, and has gotten much more independent at the park-going on the slide alone and climbing up many more things than she used to.  The swing continues to be the ultimate favorite!

 Cousin Victoria spent a Sunday playing/visiting with Addison.  She brought her a new book!

 Addison's first popsicle!  Just like cousin Victoria!

 All smiles!

Who needs a sticker book???!!!