My Dear Lula Rae: I can't believe so much of my pregnancy has gone by without documentation, but I hope maybe one day when you have your own family (if you want to!) you will understand how busy things can get! After my last post, we found out (much to my surprise!) that we would be welcoming a baby girl! Parker was so sure you were a girl from the very beginning- I should have just believed him! I'm sure you'll hear this story for the rest of your life, but Parker is actually the one who picked out your name. You'll see family pictures he drew starting at around 2 years old that include his baby sister, Lula. When we found out a baby sister was on the way, it only seemed right that you be Lula, since apparently you have been with us all along. :) Your middle name is after my best friend, your Auntie Leah Rae, whom I have been friends with for over 20 years now. I hope if you read this at some point that you already know her well. If only she didn't live way across the country in Oregon! Right now I'm sitting at my desk, two weeks from my due date, having wrapped up all loose ends and simply counting the hours until I am blessed with some sign of labor! This pregnancy has been harder on me physically than the first time through, and though I love you dearly and have cherished this time with you in my belly, I'm ready for you to come out so I can admire you face to face! :) Just like when we were expecting Parker, I have the feeling that I have no way to understand the many wonderful ways you will change and enhance our lives. I'm sure it will be a wonderful, joy-filled rollercoaster. All of us are so excited to hold you and kiss you and welcome you to our family. Mimi and Papa will be coming down right after your arrival, and then Grandma and Grandpa will follow shortly after from Oregon. I'm sure we will have many friends and family members coming to see our sweet new addition! Your room is ready, and we are too, so feel free to come on out! Well, I'd better get back to getting things in order here in my office, but wanted to fit in at least one more post before your grand arrival. We love you darling daughter and can't wait to look into your eyes and rock you to sleep. Love, Mom

Little Wiggles!

I don't have time to write much, but wanted to make note that I've been feeling Little Bug moving around over the past week! I just looked back at the posts from my pregnancy with Parker, and I felt him for the first time at week 14 as well. The most noticeable instance was during one of the living room dance parties that Parker and I often have to entertain ourselves. Little Bug was dancing along with us! :) Just little taps and flutters at this point, but I'm so excited for the near future when Parker and Chris will get to feel the movements too! It is such a magical experience!

In little more than a blink, here we are at second trimester!

I can't believe a month has passed since the first time we got to see with our own eyes the little person growing in my belly. Our pregnancy confirmation appointment was on December 27th, and Chris, Parker and I all got to see that tiny little being on the big screen. At just 9 weeks, we saw that tiny beating heart, and that itty bitty little gummy bear shaped being. Parker dubbed the baby "Little Bug," though he has decided he's sure the baby is his long-time imaginary baby sister, Lula.

I didn't realize how nervous and apprehensive I had been about that appointment until I sat on the table for the ultrasound. My hands started trembling and out of nowhere I was crying with a tight knot in my throat. When the technician found the baby and we saw the fluttering heart, my own heart had its own little explosion... of joy, of relief, of disbelief. I realized how much fear I had built up wondering if we wouldn't be able to have another baby. The confirmation of that new life was transformative for me, as it will continue to be for our family.

Nearly five weeks later, I am in my 14th week of pregnancy and in my second trimester. We had a second ultrasound last week that showed a fully formed little person with fingers, toes, ears, and a tiny little upturned nose. Seeing that visual of our wiggly little baby was such a nice reassurance of what I can't yet feel. I've felt a couple of little taps and flutters, but know in the coming weeks I will have more regular reassurance from within. In just two weeks, we'll be going to find out if we're having a boy or girl, and I couldn't be more excited.

Chris, Parker and many friends think I'll have a girl, I still have a feeling I'll have a boy. The Chinese Birth Calendar says 'Girl' and the needle test says 'Boy.' (As in hanging a needle on a string over my belly- not poking anyone!) I've had dreams about both. My pregnancy has been pretty similar to mine with Parker. Not much morning sickness, severe insomnia, fatigue, and swollen breasts. I'm so busy at work that I go to bed along with Parker at 7:30 or 8:00 more nights than not. I've gained 2-3 pounds, which is less than I had with Parker by this time, and I attribute that to the volume of activity I have every day giving tours and hosting events.

My big cravings have been bagels and cream cheese, frozen yogurt, and other dairy products. I have been having some aversion to meat (chicken, pork, some beef), but still crave a cheeseburger now and again. :) I'm definitely eating plenty, taking my vitamins, and making an effort to stay hydrated.

Parker is wonderful as ever, and forming his own social circles with new friends and teachers at school. It is such a joy to look out my office window and see him running, jumping, and playing. I feel like this school really supports kids in enjoying childhood to the fullest, and I am so grateful that he can be here. There's not a day that I don't fall in love with my sweet son even more.

This post is getting long, and I need to run, but Chris is doing very well too and has been a great support. He is working really hard, and making great advances in building his career doing just what he loves- making, teaching, and talking about music! I'm so proud of him and really admire the perserverence that he has had to follow his dreams all of these years, even when it was an uphill battle.

Have a great weekend, and I'll try to find time to post more frequently than every month. I've had so much fun going back over my entries from my pregnancy with Parker, and I want to capture those same memories of this time with "Little Bug." :)

Cautiously Optimistic

It is often funny re-reading previous posts, and realizing how quickly things change. This has been especially true this past year, where change has been around every twist and turn. I don't think there is anyone who still reads this blog (who would? I post about as frequently as I put on my tennis shoes to go out for a run). But, if you happen to be reading this you will be privy to the insider information that even as I wrote my last post, I had a tiny little someone beginning life inside me.

No one was more surprised than I when, just a few weeks after losing a very early pregnancy, we found out that we were once again expecting. We hadn't been trying, and let's just say the odds of that happening were quite slim! I had a hard time not feeling terrified, and worried that I was not ready to face the possibility of another loss. Chris and I decided to share the news that weekend, while both of our parents and family were together for Thanksgiving, in hopes that more people sending good energy to our little bean, the more likely we might have a happy outcome. I'm encouraged to report that we're 8 weeks along, and though not out of the woods, we are getting closer and closer to the end of the riskiest early weeks of pregnancy.

We are cautiously optimistic that we might finally welcome a much awaited second child late in Summer 2012, and are hopeful that our December 27th ultrasound (10 weeks) will show a healthy heartbeat and fingers and toes in all the right places. This journey has been a rough one, but one that has built strength in our appreciation for our family, personal strength to persevere in the face of adversity, and faith that there will be a right time for our family to grow if it is meant to. My focus right now is providing the best possible opportunity for success through rest, nutrition, and positive thought, and trying to find peace in knowing that I am strong enough to handle the process, no matter what.

Love and resilience,
Laura

Growing, Learning, Living...

We attended the wedding of one of Chris' co-workers this past week, and on the way Parker asked, "Do you think Michael Jackson will be there?". Our boy has such a funny, creative mind, and only continues to be the center of our universe every day. Parker is loving his new school (also my school!), and has grown in to quite the independent, tender, and always brilliant little man. I truly can't believe we just celebrated his fourth birthday, though at the same time I can hardly remember my life before him. We held a wonderful fisherman themed birthday party, and enjoyed the company of family and friends who came from near and far to help us celebrate. Even Andy and Anna Kennedy came down with their two little boys (Cole was only 10 weeks old!), along with Mimi and Papa, to spend the long weekend with us.

My new job is going well, and I feel so lucky to spend my days on the same campus where my little guy is learning and playing. High Meadows School is a indescribably magical place, and I feel very fortunate that this is what school will be to our son. The responsibility of my position is huge, and I struggle sometimes with the amount of pressure that is on my shoulders to make sure our enrollment goals are met, so, as one teacher pointed out to me "we can all have jobs next year." (No pressure). I feel confident in the changes I have made to some processes and in the product I am representing, so I remind myself not to be consumed by "meeting the numbers." Being a working mom and finding balance is no easy task, there is no question in that.

I've been thinking about posting on my blog for some time now, as a lot has been going on. Chris accepted a full-time job at the Atlanta Institute of Music as a curriculum coordinator, and is really thriving in that position. I flew to Oregon twice to stand in the weddings of two of my best friends, April and Leah, and cherished those special moments with friends and witnessing the love they have found in their grooms. We gave up on selling the old house, and have rented it to a very nice bunch of twenty-somethings who may have some interest in buying it down the road. The rent doesn't cover the mortgage, but it allows us to be where we are and get by, which is what needs to happen for now. Fingers crossed for economic recovery over years to come and the opportunity to sell without catastrophic loss. We have lost a pet, and added two (Leo our cat ran away, and we adopted a puppy, Pickles, and a lizard, Chucko.) We have also struggled with our pursuit of adding a second child to our family.

I feel the need to stay authentic in what I write in this blog, and have realized that sharing our experiences can only help others who might find themselves in similar shoes at some point. In October 2010 I lost a pregnancy after about seven weeks, and went through the same experience last month. I have gone through some extensive testing, which fortunately resulted in the conclusion that these were most likely just isolated incidents unrelated to a medical issue. That said, it is really a heartbreaking experience, and after having gone through it twice, I am left fearful that maybe it just isn't going to happen for us. I do believe that if we are meant to bring another little person into the world, he or she will come when the time is right. There is a heaviness in my heart over both of these losses, but I remain grateful for the extraordinary child we do have. I'm not sure there is anyone who even reads this blog anymore, but I wanted to share our story because I know that miscarriage can be a very isolating thing to go through, and I have been comforted by others who have helped me realize that I am not alone, and that happy endings do happen more often than not.

Next week, my parents are flying in from Oregon, and for the first time in nearly 10 years together, the Nicholsons and Richerts will celebrate Thanksgiving together at Chris' parents home in North Carolina. I am very much looking forward to being surrounded by family, eating yummy holiday food, watching Parker play with the other kids in the family. My parents will then be traveling to Tennessee to support Peter during his mother's memorial service. Sadly, Pinky passed away several weeks ago after struggling with many health problems for years. I know that Peter is comforted that she is now freed from her pain, and we join him in envisioning her dancing through the heavens.

This has been a long, bitter-sweet post, but I am glad to have updated the history of the many transformations of our life. Through each, I learn something new, and realize the value of the many blessings we have been provided.

The Nicholsons Reinvented

It seems nearly impossible that my last post was only six months ago, because reading back over it I realize that our entire lives have changed since then. A school, a job, and a move later, we are settling in to our new home in Roswell, I am settling into my new job at High Meadows school, and we are hoping and praying that our old house will sell in the near future. Parker is spending the summer at home with a nanny, Selina, and her 8 year old daughter, Riley, which he is enjoying very much. He will be starting the preschool program on campus with me at High Meadows in August. I am so grateful to have a job where Parker can be close, and benefit from an amazing school opportunity.

Leaving our neighborhood full of friends, as well as the house we came home to as newlyweds and brought our little 6lb 12oz Parker home to, was sad, but it also really felt like the right time. My new job is 34 miles away from our old house, which would have translated into a VERY long and traffic-ridden commute for me and Parker every day. My new hours are 8-4, which is awesome, but I couldn't imagine leaving the house at 6:45 every day to make it by 8:00. SO... with an immense amount of emotional and financial support from our family, we took a leap of faith and leased a new house near my work, and got the old house market ready. Yes- this is the worst possible time to try and sell a house. Yes- we will be taking a huge hit and writing a big, fat check whenever the house sells. Yes- it has been one of the scariest decisions of a lifetime, but in the end, we really felt it was what needed to be done, and that the long-term implications were all positive.

We are still in the breath-holding stage with the old house on the market, and I know I won't feel truly relaxed until that process has closure. We've had some rental interest, so that remains 'Plan B' if we don't accept an offer before fall rolls around. Our new house is amazing, and we absolutely love it. I think we both, however, feel as though it can't be real that it is OUR house. Once we are able to proceed with the purchase part of the lease/purchase I know we will both feel like we can let ourselves sit back and enjoy the new place to the fullest. In the meantime, we aren't having any trouble enjoying the pool, lovely open living space, and safe, quiet neighborhood.

It definitely feels as though we are well on our way to a more peaceful, happy, and established chapter of our lives, which is a really good feeling. We are so grateful to everyone who has helped us along the way and can't wait to throw a house warming party once we get a little more settled and organized. Now that I have a few extra hours in my days, hopefully I will remember to stop and write a little more often. I know these are times I'm going to want to remember.

Cheers,
L

Back on the Change Train and Birthday/Thanksgiving Recap

Well, because we hadn't had quite enough excitement lately, we decided to turn our house upside down by converting our master bedroom into a family room, our master closet into a recording studio, Chris' office into a guest room, and our guest room into our master bedroom. Actually, it was a lot of fun and gave us a whole new perspective on our house! This weekend I will be finishing up the painting. Note to self- next time you paint a room purple, make sure you really want it to be purple forever because it is impossible to paint over!

In addition to that change, we are changing Parker's school (again) which I feel horrible about, but it is really out of necessity. Parker's part-time nanny's new spring class schedule required her to resign, and Chris' work volume is picking up a lot (great news!), so it was becoming increasingly impossible for him to stay home with Parker during the day. All in all, it should be ok. There is a really good program right down the road from my office and the people there are very nice. I am ridden with guilt about putting Parker in his first full-time preschool situation, but I'm sure he will love it. I will feel good that he is close at hand if he needs me.

I realized that I didn't do my usual post for Parker's birthday! We had a great little 3rd birthday party for him with close friends at the house. Upon Parker's request, it was a "Super Hero Party," complete with a transformer cake of his choosing. Friends in attendance were Jeff and Nicole, Kevin and Lindsay, Erica and Jake, Marina, Deborah, Emma, Julia, Robert, Ian, Heather, Henry, Allen, Rebekah, Dave, and Holland (I feel as though I'm forgetting someone...). Parker had a great time and was blown away by all of the cool presents he got, the highlight being a giant batcave complete with batman, trap doors, and an elevator. Thank you so much to all who came to celebrate!

To my sweet Parker, you continue to amaze me daily with your intelligence, sense of humor, kind heart, and abundant "I love you's." You are my most precious thing in the whole world and I feel so lucky to be your "Mom" as you now call me. Although it is bitter sweet that you are growing into an independent little boy so quicky, I couldn't be more proud of the wonderful little person you have already become. I love you so much and always will. xoxo Mommy

I am really looking forward to the holidays this year and am trying to ignore the fact that along with them will come my 30th (gasp) birthday. When the heck did I get so old!?! I'm pretty sure I was 23 last year... Anyway, I am reminded that 30 is the new 20, that you're only as old as you feel, and all of those other sayings people recite to make themselves feel better about aging. In all seriousness though, I'm looking at this birthday as a good opportunity to reflect on who I'd like to be "in my next 30 years" as Tim McGraw would say. I'd like to invite a little more joy and a little less seriousness into my world, and appreciate that what I've got going on is a pretty darn good thing. Cheers to throwing away too-tight jeans and embracing my mom-booty, to finding happiness in special moments with family, and to becoming more comfortable just being me. Ok- that's my sermon for the day. It is 4:00on Friday and I'm ready to BLOW THIS JOINT! :)

Happy Weekend!

Listening Ears

Cooperative Preschool Parent Hazing

So with my job change came the challenge of finding a new preschool for Parker at the drop of a hat. I had heard good things through the grapevine about a neighborhood cooperative preschool near our house. It is a nature/science based school, is very "green," and has a fun playground, and was close to home, so it sounded like it would be a good fit for P-man. Cooperative preschools are run and governed by their parent base, which sounds very warm/fuzzy/and holistic. Our experience as parents has been that it also means elitist/political/and heirchical. On the positive, Parker likes his teacher, they do fun and creative activities, and for the most part, he has enjoyed his student experience there.

On the flip side, Chris and I are finding that because we are both working parents, don't have lots of money, and because Parker turns his nose up at their hummus and edemame parent-provided snacks, we're getting the nose in the air treatment regularly. Chris has been fulfilling the parent-teaching component of the contract because he doesn't work days, while I will be doing committee work because of my more traditional work schedule. I had my first "work day" this weekend as an Art Auction Volunteer. I had kind of imagined setting up do-dads, serving wine, and taking payments. Oh, how I was mistaken...

I arrived at the auction, which was held at a fellowship facility down the road, and walked through the door not really knowing who I was looking for or what I was doing. A few people ignored my entrance and look of confusion, while a short, attractive woman with runner's calves walked up and said snappily: "Oh. You're Allision. Go over there and figure out how to attach that picture tree to the wall." I said, "Actually, I'm Laura, but I can see what I can do." Ms. Bossy Runner replied "Go get your nametag on that table. And, Allison, when you're done with that go set up the food and drink table." A few other yuppie mothers passed by without hello, or recognition, and I'm thinking "well this is going to go just splendidly."

So after figuring out how to attach a 9 foot, 10 pound tree to a ladder so it could stand free in the lobby, and watching as the yuppy dad I was working with took credit for the idea and received praise from Ms. Bossy Runner, I was told to go downstairs to my "station" for the night- "the fishing pond." I went around three corners and down two flights of stairs, and was told that I was in charge of supervising the "children's room" for the evening. On one table there was a giant container of rainbow colored biodegradable packing popcorn and a bucket of water. On the next table there were acorns, glue, contruction paper leaves. On the last table there were popsicle sticks, hay, pipecleaners, construction paper, and sharpies....yes SHARPIES, for the 2, 3, and 4 year olds to use while constructing their scarecrow crafts.

In addition to supervising the children's room activities, I was to stand behind a giant t.v. box that has been decorated with fish, and attach prizes to fishing lines thrown by the toddlers, while collecting $1.00 from each of these toddlers for each line cast. Joining me in the "childrens room" was one dad, who looked as shell shocked as I felt. "Are you new, too? This is pretty intense." I said "yeah, I'm new too. What kind of cult did we join here?" He replied "I don't know- my wife set it all up. I think we're getting hazed." About 20 minutes later, Ms. Bossy Runner popped her head through the starwell entrance and said "Allison- the kids are coming." I was thinking, "well, at least we won't have to be upstairs with the stepford wives all night." Oh, how I wish I had run out the door at that moment.

Just about then, approximately 60 small children with a few parents in tow started running, climbing, and pushing down the stairs. "I want to fish! I want to fish!!" So they fished, and they glued, and they made a swamp of dissolved rainbow packing popcorn. They sharpied the tables, and eachother, they cried, they screamed, the yuppy parents got drunker, stood around talking to eachother about their home made organic yogurt concoctions while their "highly advanced and independent" children covered themselves in various colors and varieties of goo, tried to eat acorns, hit eachother and me with the clips at the end of the fishing lines, and cried some more. The president of the preschool, whom I had never met, came down the stairs and said "who gave these kids Sharpies?" I said "I have no idea." She (at least) said "I apologize- I'm sorry that's the first thing I ever said to you. Now lets get the Sharpies collected." So I collected Sharpies, made more kids cry because they wanted their Sharpies, spent 45 minutes using my fingernails trying to scrape dried rainbow packing goo from the tables, so that more goo could be made, while more and more parents stood leisurely around ignoring their children and sipping on wine and micro-brews.

When my four-hour shift was over ten hours later, I walked up stairs to go get my purse, and Ms. Bossy Runner zipped over to me. "Allison. Go over to that table. There are three people who haven't collected their auction items. Give them their slips when they come." So I stood by the table, watching people tote around their $500 framed coffee filter collages and $1200 toddler-painted toy chests they had purchased that night, and waited. No one came, and finally the president came back up to me and said "Are you done downstairs? Did the mess get cleand up?" I said "Well, I did clean as much I could. The Sharpie isn't going to come off those tables. My shift was over at six, but Ms. Bossy Runner told me I needed to stand at this table." She told me to go ahead and leave, but to tell Ms. Bossy Runner on my way out. I walked up to her and said "I have to leave now. I need to pick up my son from the babysitter." "Oh." She says. "So no one's at the table." "No." "(impatient exhale)Fine. Thanks."

So that was my first volunteer experience at Parker's unnamed (Un)Cooperative Preschool. I think we might explore some other options for next year. :)

I believe I called this one...

It was kind of funny looking at my July blog post predicting the winds of change blowing, because it was just a month later that I walked into my office and my boss asked me to "go for a walk." Naturally, I thought that I was getting laid off, but even in the moment I took a deep breath and said to myself "ok- here it is... whatever it is." The news was that my position at the Academy was being rolled into someone else's job in the university admission department, and that they had something totally different lined up for me at one of the satelite campuses of the university. My new position would be overseeing the recruitment efforts for all of the university's distance (i.e. satelite) campuses as the Director for Distance Campus recruitment.

Of course, there was a sense of relief that I still HAD a job, but mostly my feeling was more along the lines of "yuck- I don't want to do that!" The good news was that this new position is in Norcross- about 19 miles from home vs. the 54 miles I had been driving each way, every day, so that is something, but aside from that I'm looking at this as really good motivation to figure out what is going to be more fulfilling to me in the long run. I really miss being part of a true school community, and would really love to find another position in a small independent school where Parker could possibly attend at some point. My eyes are peeled and my ears are open to what might be out there, so keep your fingers crossed for me.

The trickiest part about this whole scenario was that I was given about two weeks notice to get trained and get down to my new office. Most of you know that Parker has stayed with our friend Deborah since he was 11 weeks old right next to the Academy, so this really threw a wrench in our arrangements and our emotions. We worked things out so that Parker is home with Chris part of the time, at preschool part of the time, and with a nanny part of the time, but with Chris in search of a more secure work scenario, who knows when that will change again. The whole thing has really forced me out of my comfort zone because I always like to have things mapped out and to have routine and consistency. I suppose it is good for me to see that things can work out outside from that rigid format, but I'll be happy when things feel more established and steady again.

At any rate, I thought since I now spend my days in an empty building making phone calls and sending bulk emails, it would be a good time to take another shot at picking the blog back up as a lunchtime activity. Besides, I recently watched Julie and Julia and remembered how good it feels to have some dialogue with yourself now and again regardless if anyone is listening.

Hugs,
Laura

Monday, Monday...

Before I kick off another busy summer work week, I thought I'd stop and rattle off a couple of cute Parkerisms. Although my sweet little boy has left nearly all traces of baby behind, and has picked up a few fun terrible-two-tactics, he is still the sweetest and smartest little button I could imagine.

This past week Parker started telling me "Mommy, you're just so precious" and "You're just the most precious thing to me." I've been waiting my whole life to hear those words. :) Yesterday, he said "Do you remember yesterday when I was singing with my Buzz Lightyear and you were screaming and telling me that I can't sing because its against the rules?" (This did NOT happen! Since when do I scream?) I responded: "Parker, I don't remember that happening. Are you telling the truth, or are you telling Mommy a story?" He said, smiling: "Mom, I was just decorating the truth." Oh boy!

Our kids at the Academy come back to school next week, which is astonishing to me. This has been the shortest summer ever to exist, and I really feel under-prepared for the back-to-school madness. I am, however, looking foward to having the girls back in the building, breathing some life back into the place. I'm not teaching Journalism this year, so won't have quite as much stacked on my plate this year. I'm SO SO SO looking forward to taking a few days off to fly to Colorado for Sarah Strasser's wedding, and spending the weekend with my best college girlfriends! The following weekend, my parents will be coming out for their fall visit, which will also be a nice treat. As always, I've got a few home projects lined up for them to help me with!

I'd better get back to it, but will post new pics soon.

Heart,
Laura

Flying Pigs...

The pigs must be flying somewhere, because after nearly a year without blogging, the notion struck me to write a post. Why, I'm not exactly sure, but I thought I'd go with it. There is no monumental news to share, no great epiphanies to pass along, no grand declarations. Really, things are pretty much as they usually are, but I've missed putting my thoughts down, so here I am!

This year has been so many things. Parker has grown from a toddler into a brilliant, hilarious, and independent little boy. I fall in love with him every single day. Chris has transitioned from working in the corporate world to teaching part time and running a business of his own. I have made it through yet another year at the Academy (shockingly, my fourth!)and will be diving into the next school year in a few short weeks. Where has the time gone?

The truth is, although there is no news to share, I feel the winds of change stirring in the distance and I feel ready for something new and different to come in and stir things up a bit. I'm not sure what will manifest itself this year, but I feel it coming, and welcome it with open arms. Although there are no concrete identifiers that this is the case, I can tell I am at a transition point in my life, and am excited to be headed toward my 30th birthday knowing that this is going to be a year of growth, exploration, and forward motion.

Here's to whatever's next!
-L

Little Boy Blue

I'll have to follow up on this post with a picture once I download, but for now I can only describe the hilarity that was Parker this weekend when he colored himself entirely blue with a Crayola washable marker. I probably should have stopped him, at the very least when the diaper came off, but to be honest, it was just too funny to interfere. While growling and saying "I'm a tiger- rawwwwr!" Parker covered pretty much every inch of himself (including areas that probably should never be blue), whith 'Brilliant Berry Blue.' Have I mentioned I have a funny son? Later that day Parker's bath water immediately turned Carribean blue as the little boy inside that blue tiger began to reimmerge.

'Dress up' has been one of Parker's favorite activities lately. Outfits have included hats, leis, dog collars, necklaces, socks on the arms, pants on the head, collander on the head, mommy's shoes, daddy's shoes, and a wide variety of other objects on a wide variety of body parts. You just never know what he's going to come up with or what he is going to describe himself as. It's the best entertainment ever! I know I say this in every post, but I have never in my life had more fun than these two years being Parker's mom.

For a while now Chris and I have been mulling over trying to sell our house and move outside the city... closer to my work and into a bigger house. After meeting with a realtor and anguishing over everything it would take to make this happen and the money we would lose trying to sell right now, we have decided to relax and stay put for a couple more years. I can't tell you the relief this decision has granted us. I think neither one of us realized how much pressure we were putting on ourselves trying to make all of this happen, and it reallys feels good that we've come to the realization that what we have now is pretty darn great and that we should take a deep breath and enjoy it. I have a nasty habit of obsessing over "what's next?" instead of living in the here and now. As the old saying goes, 'Life is what happens while you're busy making plans,' so my recent goal is to open my eyes and enjoy every moment of the great life Chris and I have created together. We are blessed with what we have, and I know it's important to be grateful! My friend Brooke is always great at helping me remember that things nearly always happen as they should, and it is my job to trust that this is the case. :)

Ok, well there's my two-cents for the day. I'll try to get some photos up really soon!

Love,
Laura

That's right... two in one month!

Funny- When I wrote that title I meant "two blog posts in the same month," but looking at it I realize it has double meaning... Parker will also BE TWO in one month!!! TWO!!! My little baby boy has grown into the most wonderful little person who gives great hugs, tells funny stories, and says "I love you, Mommy!" He is my best little friend and the sunshine in every one of my days.

Speaking of sunshine, this is the first time we've seen it for a whole week! For those of you not in Georgia and who haven't watched the news recently, we have had torrential rain for the past week, leading to serious flood conditions in some areas of Atlanta and other parts of the state. Astonishingly, 10 people died in the floods, which is a true tragedy. We've experienced some water damage (small roof leaks, water back-up against the back of the house), and although these things are a concern and a nuisance, we are thankful that our house is not submerged and that we are all safe and sound.

My parents were visiting from Oregon for the whole week and couldn't believe the rain! My dad and I usually go for walks every day when the are in town, so I was sad to miss out on that special time together, but we had lots of fun anyway. Parker had a great time getting to know Grandma and Grandpa a lot better and showing them all of his new talents. They read a lot of books, and played a lot with Playdough, which is his most favorite activity these days! Grandma, of course, is quite a Playdough sculpter, and made many beautiful animals and creations for Parker to squish! They fly out today, and I miss them already!

Eating out with Parker has been quite a challenge lately, as he has no interest in sitting in a chair or high chair, and has very little interest in eating most of the time! He just wants to get up and go exploring, which is not very condusive to leisurely dining. Terrific Two's here we come! :) Parker is the pickiest little thing on the planet- it's a wonder he doesn't just blow away! He seems to survive on little bites of grapes and yogurt and toast here and there, so I guess I shouldn't worry, but it's hard not to. Toddlers are really something else! :)

Well- back to work for me, but I'll give another update soon. Pray the sunshine stays with us long enough to get our roof fixed!

-L

And you thought it would never happen....

Low and behold, I woke up this morning and felt like blogging. It was a busy summer, and there's way too much to try and recap, so I'm just going to move forward from here. As I was writing my friend Leah an email yesterday I realized that Parker is doing way too many fun and hilarious things these days not to record them and share them. Now that work has slowed down a bit (today is the last day a new student can enroll for fall term, so I can breathe a sigh of relief!), I've got more down time to sit down and type a little. It feels nice to sit here sipping my coffee and eating some fig bread a colleague brought into the office and reflect a bit.

Parker will be two in two months. TWO! Just like every parent for all time has said, I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW FAST THE TIME IS FLYING BY!!! P now talks in 4-5 word sentences, makes jokes, can count to ten, spell his name.... he's pretty much amazing. He's still happy as can be, but is also learning to communicate his likes and dislikes more clearly. (AKA "NOOOOOOOO BEEEEDDDDDDDTIIMMMMMEEEE") My favorite thing he is doing a lot of is playing make-believe. He will wrap up a stuffed animal in a blanket and carry it around like a baby, singing it "night night songs," or ask for a piece of cheese to feed to the animals in the Fisher Price farm at Deborah's house. He says "My" instead of "I'm," so everything comes out really cute. "My eating my banana." "My jumping on this!" He even says lots of complicated words like alligator, bicycle, dinosaur,... Can you tell I'm still the proudest Mommy there ever was?

Well, I'd better get back to work, but wanted to let you all know that Parker Peanut and his fam are still live and well. More later. -L

A fun, relaxing weekend

I don't have any big news to share...just that we had a really enjoyable family weekend together, got the house cleaned up a bit, and did some relaxing. On Saturday we took Parker to a place called Leapin' Lizzards- a huge warehouse sized building full of inflatable castles, slides, jumparoos, and animals. We met Parker's friend Henry, who is a few months younger than he is, and his parents and had a really good time playing. After that we tried a brand new restaurant in our neighborhood- Saba- which was delicious and kid-friendly. Yay! Needless to say, our little guy slept like a log that night. On Sunday, Parker and I walked to our community pool which has a whole section for little people and spent three hours playing in the water with other toddlers and their parents. It was a perfect pool day and we had so much fun! We took a little break from swimming and had a little picnic lunch by the pool. Sitting there with Parker, eating slices of cheese, grapes, and cereal and sipping on a juice box watching other kids splashing around in the pool was just one of those perfect moments in life that I want to hold on to forever. We walked back home and both took a long nap. I'd call that a perfect Sunday afternoon!

Hope you all have a great week. Everyone send my friend Christi happy labor thoughts- tomorrow is her due date! We can't wait to meet little Matt!

Let's do something nice in memory of Marvin...

Most of you know that Starvin Marvin was a stray kitten who I adopted after he was left on his own at 5 weeks old. He was a special needs kitty with many disabilities, but even more wonderful attributes. Today I went to the Atlanta Pet Rescue website and donated a small amount towards the surgery for another injured kitten, Twinkie, whose leg was broken by a dog and requires surgery. I'd like to ask that, if you can, you pick an animal organization in your area who helps animals in need and make a small donation in Marvin's memory. There are so many animals out there in need of care, and although there are also many great organizations who work to help, they count on donations to provide medical care to sick and injured animals. Thanks for helping me keep Marvin's memory alive by helping another animal in need.

Best,
Laura

At long last, another post...

To anyone who is still stopping by to see if I finally got around to updating my blog, thanks for sticking with me! The spring flew by in it's usual whirlwind, and now that our students are out of school for the summer and our end-of-year meetings have come to an end I can take a deep breath and a moment to reflect on the past few months.

Over the past few months we celebrated Chris' 31st birthday, mother's day, my dad's birthday, our 3-year wedding anniversary, and the graduation of the BA class of 2009. We traveled as a family to San Francisco, congratulated our friends the Burts on a new addition to their family and await an addition to the Thompson family (any day now), and have had fun visits with friends and family who have come to visit us. 2009 has been a busy year already, and we're only half way done!

Parker is still the apple of my eye, the most joyful part of my day, and the person who can make me laugh the loudest. He tickles his mommy and daddy with funny jokes, dances, songs, and activities on a daily basis. He knows more words than I can count, and is using sentences more and more often. He can even identify and write the letter "P" and says "P for Parker" whenever he sees one. I just can't say enough about what a wonderful experience being Parker's mom has been and continues to be every day. I know Chris feels the same way.

This past weekend Leah came to visit from Oregon, and I was so grateful to her for traveling great distances to be with us for a few days. It was so special to spend the weekend with one of my oldest and dearest friends. We spent a lot of time relaxing, talking, taking walks, and eating good food. I'm also particularly glad that Leah was in town this weekend because it was time for us to say goodbye to our darling Starvin Marvin. I won't say much... just that he was the best cat ever to walk the earth and that he will be missed always. His strange little body wasn't built to last, but I know he lives on in a special place in the hearts of everyone who knew him. I'm so glad that Leah was here to be my support and to help me make a really tough decision, but undeniably the right decision.

Well, its Monday, and I'm exhausted after a long weekend. Now that summer is here and the dust has settled after the end-of-the-school-year-mania, I should be back to posting a few thises and thats more regularly. In the mean time, say a little prayer for Marvin's safe journey to the fields of catnip that await him in kitty heaven. He was, and always will be my little angel.

Too bad we don't have a happy baby...

Little Laura

This week at work is Teacher/Staff Appreciation week, and they asked us to send in photos of ourselves as babies/kids so that the students can guess who is who. Mom and Dad scanned a few for me to use, so I thought I would post them. Can you believe how much some of these look like Parker!?! Usually I think he looks just like Chris, but there's no question he got some of my features (eyes, ears!!!) :)