Wordless Wednesday!

May Moments

I forgot to post my "Wordless Wednesday" photo and this is what I meant to post:

We spent Memorial Day with our Syracuse Group Friends! We had a cook-out with all of them at Chris and Erin’s house! Chris left some food on the grill a little too long (hence the photo of Erin, his Fiancé holding up the overcooked hot dog.) Despite some over-cooked meat, we still had plenty to eat and enjoyed getting caught up with each couple! Everyone was clearly entertained by Parker’s presence and his latest interests!

On Tuesday, we had a play day at Ellie's house! Parker loved hanging out at Ellie's. Ellie is a friend from our MOP's group. She had some exciting toys with Elmo and that was the highlight of his time ....or slamming doors with Tucker? Needless to say-it was a close tie. The boy was entertained. LOL! We always enjoy eating lunch and playing with our MOP's Friends!

(Ellie, being a big girl in my shoes)

The week before Memorial Day, I took Parker to the Atlanta Zoo with some Mom's in my MOP's group! Parker was fascinated by the entire collection of Abbey’s (Abbey: a.k.a. "Animals")! We stayed for about 2 hours and then it began to rain! It was the perfect 2 hour visit since Parker, still requires a good 2 hour nap! Thankfully he made it ALL the way home without falling asleep in the car. He ended up taking a good 3 hour nap that day. I was a happy mama!

We are amazed that June is just 2 days away and that means.....SUMMER...Yeah!

We have some exciting events coming up ; a trip to TN to visit with the Ashworths, Father's Day, a visit with Nana(flying in the end of the month), and a few other things we look forward to sharing with you soon!
Jenn :)

Wordless Wednesday(+a few words) & 21 Months

Big Sister, Kayleigh meeting-little sister, Caroline!

Caroline Elsyn Kaiser

7lbs 1.Oz

19 inches long

We are so excited for the Kaisers and for big sister, Kayleigh!

Parker can't wait to meet you!

Parker is 21 months old today!

In the last 2 weeks he has been fascinated with "Buh!" (a.k.a.Books)

Each morning when he wakes up he wants to read a book, look at it, laugh and then carry it around the house! (Hmm-I wonder if his mommy was/is a teacher?) So glad that it is finally kicking in to "love books"! We are so excited for this! Maybe story time will be his favorite time at Pre-school ?!

Can't wait to see your "Wordless Wednesday Blog!"

Baby Caroline's Birthday??!!

Kayleigh's Mom and Dad are expecting their 2nd Baby girl and today is the day! I got a phone call at 6:30 AM and I was SO excited. About 15 minutes later, we met downstairs (I passed off my camera (happily-since Liz can't find her charger for hers) and they gave me Kayleigh! We will have a fun day with her till her grandparents arrive from AL! Please keep them in your prayers as she is in labor today. We are not sure if Caroline will be born c-section or vaginally. As of last week, Baby Caroline was still in the transverse breech position! I told Liz, as soon as she gets to the hospital to have them do an ultra-sound! My younger sister, Julie, was in labor for over 6 hours with my nephew,Jack. He had been breech for a few weeks and they didn't check her when she arrived at the hospital. He was still breech after she labored 1/2 the day! So, fingers crossed that Caroline has flipped ! Praying that she has a healthy birth and hopefully a vaginal one! But, Craig & Liz are fine with the c-section. They just want her to arrive healthy-like any great parents would wish!
I will keep you all posted!
Jenn :)

Wordless Wednesday!

(I tag all my blogging buddies to do this too!)

(Thanks for the awesome idea Lindsey!)

Mother's Day Moments

(Mother's Day-2009)
I still am amazed at this huge blessing, yet vast responsibility to be a MOM! I was just reading today, that a Stay at Home Mom, would make a salary of over $130,000 a year for ALL that we do! WOW!!! I am sure it goes up for the more children you have! However, I must say that it is rewarding enough to not get paid and just see the daily firsts like: exploring caterpillars, bugs, dirt and this great thing called a stick, walking backwards for the first time,recognizing characters on t.v., drinking out of a cup, throwing/ fetching a ball, speaking new words, reaching up for a hug, smiling at something funny...the list goes on! These moments have been priceless and the joy he brings to me each day is so rewarding and worth not getting a paycheck. Mike and Parker found many ways to make me feel important yesterday, and here are some memorable moments that we shared:

Moment 1:
8:15 AM (I get awakened by Mike )

M: Jenn, I think it is suppose to rain by 10 AM. I really want to make you breakfast in bed, but I want to get the lawn mowed first!

J: OK! How about we get Dunkin Donuts today!!!

(We used to get it often on Sundays and I LOVE their vanilla chai tea)

M: OK! That works for me! Are you sure you don't want me to make you breakfast?

J: Nope-donuts is what I would LOVE today, but more so,the vanilla chai!

(To make this funnier, Mike got the yard mowed in 1 hour and it did not rain till 4!)

So we managed to leave the house by 9;45-got our donuts and my chai tea by 10:00 and we were 15 minutes early to church!!! WOW! We need to do that more often!

Moment 2:

When I picked up Parker from his Sunday School Class, I was greeted with his usual grin and a special gift! This is the first project he has ever made me and it truly melted my heart!

Moment 3:

We made a special trip to Costco for steaks ,but somehow I was in favor of this instead! Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs (and they were sampling them and we LOVED them!) The great thing that made this moment so memorable-was we fed P samples of peaches, meatballs and yogurt~ (YUP-that was a meal indeed for him-and we got home just in time for a nap. HAHA~ So, Mike and I had a nice quiet afternoon and a great meal! It was a delicious meal cooked all by Mike. (OK, I assisted a little~I told him mashed potatoes would be great with it-so I showed him how to make them)

Moment 4 & 5

Sweet flowers from the sweetest guys in my life And ....of course the gift...and it is a REAL Coach BAG!

He gave in and finally invested in the purse/bag that he said he would never get. (And he had a little help from my great friend, Lorelei, who happily picked it up at the Outlets...but it is the gift thought that counts right? Not how he got it??! HAHA!)

He always knows how to make me feel special on Mother's Day!

I am so thankful for my teammate MIKE, and my biggest supporters/cheerleaders, my Mom and Mother-in-law ! Your love and encouragement thus far has gotten me to this point and I am forever grateful for you both! Thank you for making this journey easier with all your support! I have so many other friends too, who have helped this journey be so refreshing at times too! (Thanks for all the breaks so many of you give at the just the right times-(Lorelei and Sam especially!)

Thank you, Mike and Parker, for making the day so special!

I love you both! :)

Hat's off to the two best Moms...

my Mom and my Mother-in-Law! Mom, Thanks for being such an incredible & godly role model, encourager, listener and friend! I am so grateful to God for the day we set aside to celebrate You ! I can not begin to list all the things that you mean to me, Mom! How you managed to wear all your hats and be a mom to 4 girls ~ I commend you! I pray I am as half as good of a mother as you were and still are today! You know I adore you and appreciate you too, Mom Riese. Thanks for taking me under your wings and also being a godly role model, encourager, listener and friend to me too (when my mom is not available or around for those vacations and holidays!) I truly feel blessed each Mother's Day because of you two!

Here is a poem that I gave to my mother-in-law at my bridal shower 7 years ago. (The extra special thing is my mom cross-stitched it for me to give to her!) The message from this poem presses deeper upon my heart as I am learning to become this mother :

To His Mother

"Mother-in-law" they say, and yet, Somehow I simply can't forget

'Twas you who watched his baby ways, Who taught him his first hymn of praise, Who smiled on him with loving pride, When he first toddled by your side.
"Mother-in-law" but oh, 'twas you Who taught him to be kind and true;

When he was tired, almost asleep, 'Twas to your arms he used to creep.

And when he bruised his tiny knee, 'Twas you who kissed it tenderly.

"Mother-in-law" they say,and yet,

Somehow I never shall forget How much I owe To you,

who taught him how to grow.

You trained your son to look above;
You made of him the man I love.

And so I think of that today When with thankful heart I'll say,

"Our Mother."

Thank you, Mom Riese, for all you have done to make Mike, the loving husband and father he is today!

Happy Mother's Day

Love,

Jenn ,

(Mike and Parker)

Money Making Weekend

Neighborhood Garage Sale=$125.00

Hosting a Gold Party =$220

And it was all earned in 1 weekend! I am sure you are re-reading "Gold-Party!" Ok, I will explain how I got the $220.00! The $220.00 was made in just 4 hours! Here is the link that explains the Gold Party http://www.golddoesgood.com/ With the current recession I am sure there is a great interest to many of you, to make some extra money. Well, my friend Lindsey has just started doing Gold Parties. This is the first party I have ever hosted or been to, where ALL my guests went home with money instead of giving money for a product. The party is easy: invite your friends to come make money (if they are gold girls) have a few snacks and beverages, chat awhile and meet with Lindsey personally. When the girls met with Lindsey, she tested to see if it was real, got the value and then shared the results. They got to decide to keep the gold or sell it.

(Parker checking out the Gold Party...He was hanging out with Daddy upstairs)

(Lindsey testing the gold)

I was so glad that I had the party, because, I got 10 % of the money given (just for hosting it) which is how I got the $200.00. I also had some gold that was not to expensive but earned me an extra $20.00! I am happy to report- I got enough money to get a new Kitchen table! Not only did I personally get a check, but I also got a check to give to the Charity of my choice, March of Dimes. Oh! By the way, I only had 8 friends come so they all did very well! (FYI: one of my friends made......$1,100!) Yup, you read it correctly ~over one thousand dollars! I am so proud of you Julie! Thanks for the hundred dollars that went toward my $200 check for hosting! Just to be clear, none of the girls give me any of their money earned! It is all separate. Contact me or contact Lindsey to do a party for you!
This past weekend was money making weekend & BBQ weekend with some of our good friends, Rich & Julie. Parker thrived on all the attention, Daddy loved watching the sports with all the guys and I soaked up my time chatting with Julie about their first baby due to arrive in Sept!
Here is a video of Parker taking care of Abbey before we left for the BBQ. We never showed him what to do. One day he was just begging for Abbey’s treats and ran to her cage to give it to her! Amazing how fast kids learn!

I'm hoping that the next blog entry will be introducing Kayleigh's new sister!

Please stay tuned! However, she seems to have plans of her own. She is currently in the transverse -breech position! I will keep you posted.

Jenn :)

Finally ......

We can see the light at the end of the tunnel! It certainly has been a long 8+ days and we are so glad to have it behind us! Parker is back to his normal self (minus the severe diaper rash from all the diarrhea from the antibiotics). Just so glad that right now we only have 1 child and I am not working full time. I had no energy last week and it was all I could do to get up, care for him and keep the house somewhat maintained. By Friday, I so desperately needed a break (even though I would have just loved to have gone to bed by 8PM!) So, Mike and I got out for some us time. We went to dinner at Twisted Taco with some of my MOP's friends (and of course he was the only guy -but he always makes for some great entertainment) and then we went off to see the Movie -State of Play. I was thankful that our sitter Hannah was available!

As I blog this I want to make it clear that there is not 1 day that goes by where I am not thankful for Parker and the joy of staying home. But WOW....it is SO true ,being a Stay at home mom really could be up there as one of the hardest jobs ever! The reward for now is seeing Parker happy (now that he's improving, and of course all the hugs and kisses I get and give to him). He has a thrill right now of coming up to us and leaning his head in to our faces because he wants a "Kiss!" It is so cute. I will have to get Mike and him on video doing it.

Unfortunately, I watched Kayleigh last week and it looks like she has come down with the same thing. She has a GREAT immune system and rarely picks up what P has. But the poor thing is off to the Dr. and we hope she gets better soon! I did get a few photos of her today (once she had some Tylenol for her fever). Here is the perfect photo to show the beauty of their friendship! These 2 are so fun to be with! Inseparable Friends indeed!

Here are some current photos of these past few days.

Mike was doing some yard work and Parker was right there by his side!

I love my sweet boys!

Rejoicing that Parker is finally starting to feel better and fingers crossed we stay better for a LONG time!

Jenn :)

Recent Update on Parker's health...LONG 2 Days!

As a mother of a child with Asthma, I have some nights where I worry about the "cough" or the breathing that I hear going on with P! Well these past few days have made me appreciate the God given "motherly -instinct!"
I took him in on Sunday to Urgent care due to a BAD cough and high fever! But it didn't stop there! He was checked for strep (negative) and diagnosed with Croup. I took P back today to his Pediatrician to find out that the diagnosis was wrong on Sunday. He very well could have had croup then, but it got worse and the fever spiked to 103! I hate fevers, but I also love that we have them as a warning sign that something is going on. I obviously did NOT get ANY sleep last night! :( tossed and I turned and then wondered if it was 4AM (since I set my alarm to go and check on him at that hour)! When 4AM finally came around, his fever was still 102.8! He was so weak and not interested in his Tylenol. But I got it in him and was able to get some Pedialyte in him! When I got him into the Dr. he was wheezing really bad and she said -"His chest was clear on Sunday???! He is really bad today!" I just wanted to cry right then and there. I can't make my boy any better, but I was so THANKFUL that I didn't think it was just a virus and ignore the fevers! It turns out the Croup turned into BRONCHITIS & the fevers......were a warning sign for his DOUBLE EAR INFECTIONS! OUCH!!! Poor little boy.
So we are back in sick bay here! No big plans for the rest of the week! I am NOT complaining. I am very thankful for God allowing me to stay home and care for him and as my dear friend told me today, it is SO good that I do not have a job that would be taking me away right now! Parker IS my full time job and I am getting a workout! (Looking forward to some LONG NEEDED SLEEP)! All you mommy bloggers know that feeling-the fear and worry when you are not sure what is wrong with your kid. I had it all day and got reassured by Dr. McGee that he was BAD and we were in the right place and I did the right thing! We got a specific routine for the next 5 days of 4 breathing treatments of Albuteral and we also have to do Pulmicort each morning and night!~/ On top of the antibiotic and oral steroid too)! No pressure on my end (NOT!!!) Praying we stick to it! So to all my mommy bloggers reading this: Follow your gut-don't hesitate to call! I sure was glad today that I didn't wait! It could have turned into Pneumonia if I had just rested on the Sunday visit and ignored going in today!
Thankfully he went to sleep (and he is not coughing!) However, the day has seemed SO long to me that right after we put Parker to bed , I discovered we had NO MORE Albuteral in the house. (And we need it if he has an attack)
SO, I instantly run and find the box. Little to discover that the refill is at an old pharmacy we are no longer at. I call them to see IF there are any more refills. (Thankfully there were 3). I hang up with them and call our current pharmacist. I BEG the pharmacist to make the transfer PRONTO....and that my dear husband would be there 10 minutes before they close! We have the medicine and it was all worth the hassle...for my SANITY! I think I can get some sleep now!!! SO now you see why we had such a LONG DAY!
Praying we make it through this week!
I can't imagine how you moms do it with more then 1 kid!!!
Off to sleep and gain some sanity (and brain cells back)!

20/20

It's fun to be 20 months old on the 20th! Just 4 months away and we will have the big 2nd Birthday! Ok, that is to soon for him to be completely a "little boy" and no longer a baby at all! We just signed him up for 2 year old Pre-school "Mom's Morning Out" for the fall. He will go on Monday & Wednesdays at our church. We are excited that Kayleigh will be there too! We hope they get in the same class! Can't believe he is growing up so fast-that is an understatement!
I guess I spoke to soon,Saturday. I was rejoicing that P was not sick while we were away. I had Parker at the Urgent Care Children's Center on Sunday. We discovered that once again-he is sick with the croup. They also ran a strep test on him (for a red throat) it came back negative. So, we are keeping our fingers crossed that the strep culture is negative too. He is still a happy boy-despite his illness. All they do for croup is give an oral steroid (1 time) and have you use a humidifier. We are letting it run its course!
Today, Kayleigh is back and we are so excited to be back into the routine. They love each other so much! Kayleigh has a baby sister coming in about 4-6 weeks. We are excited to meet Baby Caroline and look forward to sharing in the joy with all of them! You can read more about them here.

Parker has expaned his vocabulary just over the last month. He was pretty consistent with his 20 main words aside from the usual "chinese" language. It was so sweet to hear him try and repeat many things. One of the biggest that he was very clear on, was saying my oldest sister's name : Jo-di! He LOVED saying it! He also says "All-gone" and "All-done" all the time~so cute to see him starting to put phrases together.
He is STILL 25 pounds exactly! Heis getting better with his vegetables and thankfully he is pretty open to eating many different things. However, he still has his favorites;mac & cheese, ravioli, teriyaki chicken, scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese and of course-a "BITE" of anything daddy is eating!


Here is the slide show of our time in MI & KY!

Enjoy -
Jenn :)

Easter Reflections and Photos

(Saddle-Shoes....I couldn't resist at Children's Place for Easter)

We got back at 11PM from KY last night and the house is showing it. I am in the midst of finishing up all the laundry and managed to get a home cooked meal in! We have eaten out for every meal since Wed. So, I was more then happy to cook! Back to Y, I will be too (to work off the 2 .5 pounds gained (urrr!!)

Anyway-we made the whole trip there and back without any major dilemmas! (Of course P only slept 1/2 of the trip on the way to MI (we left at night hoping he'd sleep most of it-but he proved us wrong!) Looks like we will be making trips to hotels now whenever we have a drive longer then 8 hours. (That would be our visits to NY and MI to see the grandparents).

We arrived at 8AM on Good Friday at my sister's house and we were happy to be there. All the grand kids were together for the day and we got a few good photos of all the grand-boys! (And if you look closely each grandson has a different hair color, and don't look alike-(unique in deed!)

We had an Easter Egg hunt on Saturday, for Parker, my niece, Grace and nephew Josh! My sister and brother-in-law have the perfect yard for one too! P loved it -but I think he was more excited about finding the real balls laying around then discovering the eggs! He did catch on and really enjoyed it when I gave him a piece of candy to see what we were doing! My parents joined us on Sunday for Easter dinner and then Mike left that night to go to IN for his business trip!

We stayed back till Wed. We had a blast with my family and even got together with my high school friend, Becky and her kids!
We left for KY on Wed (my dad took P and me to meet Mike in IN.) It was a great way to split up the 10 hr. drive back to GA! On top of that -we stayed put for 2 days in KY, so Mike could do business in Owensboro! (It is the 3rd largest city in the state and they have the largest Sassafras Tree in the US! ) And we were cheesy enough to go and find it! We found it... and I have a photo that explains it! LOL) While Mike was working, I took Parker to Target and some other stores, out to lunch, swimming at the hotel pool and we even got to play at a local Children's Museum! (We had the whole place to ourselves for a short time too!) He got ALL his energy out -just in time to go and pick Mike up for the drive home! HA

Now that we are back, we are here to stay for awhile! I have 165 photos to go through (and I am making a slide show of some of the bests...for now these are some of the highlights).

Until our next trip....

Jenn :)