Well actually he was 8 weeks this past Tuesday but today is the 9th so we’re calling it his 2-month birthday. He is starting to legitimately smile now. It’s not just gas anymore. Here’s a big smile this morning:
And I got some on video as well:
He’s also getting more coordinated with his hands. Here are a few shots of him holding a toy. Notice he uses both hands; amphibious.
We still have tummy time everyday:
And we’re looking forward to Granddaddy Moody arriving this Wednesday.
We’ve been so busy after Thanksgiving that I haven’t had time to get a post up. Parker’s doing great but he is a little high maintenance right now. It seems like he doesn’t know what to do with himself when he’s awake. So Brooke basically has to give him undivided attention all day and I take him as soon as I get home. It’s usually 7 or 8 pm before I can sit down and look at work or anything else for that matter.
But he’s so darn cute I don’t care.
We did find time to go Christmas tree hunting.
Here he is with Mommy. And here he is with Daddy beside the tree we finally settled on.
Cousin Page came into town this week and got to see Parker for the first time. We had a great time with her as always.
I think she liked him.
We went to visit or injured friend Aunt Selisa this weekend. She’s bedridden after a terrible tennis accident but she and Parker were still able to cheer the Chargers onto victory over division rivals the KC Chiefs.
Go Chargers!
Here are a few more random pictures and be sure to check the new video on youtube.
We can’t wait for everyone to get here for Christmas and keep the comments coming. I'll try not to be so long between posts next time.
As you may know – or noticed from the previous post – Parker’s Grandmother Moody and cousin Maegan were out to visit for Thanksgiving. It was great to see Mom with the baby. She was so excited to get out of the airport and home to see him. She didn’t want to put him down.
Here’s Grandma Moody holding him for the first time.
We had a great time with Mom and Maegan. Here are a few shots from the trip:
Thanksgiving Day was great. It was a delicious potluck affair.
We had a house full of friends and family:
Parker liked some guests more than others...
Parker had on his Thanksgiving outfit...
to his Mama's delight...
Uncle Keith came down from Costa Mesa:
GrandMa even got to spend some time with her canine grandchildren:
Everything was great until they had to leave Saturday morning. As you can see, Mom wasn’t too happy:
But she’ll be back at Christmas along with others from both sides of the family and we’re looking forward to it.
Parker went in for his one month check up on Friday and got a big “rock on” from the doctor. She said he was doing great.
I won the side bet on how much weight he had gained. I predicted that he was up to “8 to 9 lbs”. Brooke said I was crazy and that he was “7 lbs at the most.” But secretly I knew she was the one who was crazy (I didn’t say that of course). I knew because he eats like one of them Budweiser horses and he’s already out grown a few outfits. Anyway, the little cookie monster was 8 lbs 11 oz!
I was busy gloating over my superior ability to judge baby weight when the celebration was cut short by Parker’s first shot - Hepatitis B in the upper thigh. I had mixed emotions at the time. On the one hand, it’s tough to see your child in such sudden pain and discomfort. It was a weird feeling. But knowing that it was in his best interest, there was a little humor in the situation. One moment, he’s cooing at the nice lady doctor and just loving the world in general. The next, she’s sticking a big needle in his leg. I haven’t seen that look of sudden horror on his face since the night he was born!
Anyway, I like to think he learned an important life lesson. Never trust a pediatrician; they’ll always stick you in the end. Here’s his first band aid…
We all packed up and went for family photos on Saturday. It was kind of a Circus. First, I started snapping behind the scenes photos before the "real" photographer informed me that personal cameras weren’t “allowed” in the studio. Ridiculous. Then Parker cried all the way through the family shots. But he stopped when it was time to take pictures of him alone and hopfully those come out good. We'll have to wait and see. Until then, here are some of the forbidden shots taken just before the photo Nazi made me put the camera away…
Finally, we got a few tummy time shots today. Here they are followed by a short video of him on his back looking at some toys. As you can see, he’s getting better at spotting and following objects but he seems to have his Daddy's attention span. Please keep the comments coming. We love hearing from everyone.
This Tuesday was the little buggers 4 week birthday. He's doing great. He eats like a horse and I think he has gained a lot of weight. He's definitly bigger. We go to the doctor this Friday so I'll update with his weight gain then. He's also becoming more alert and aware of his surroundings. He's getting better at staying focused on your face. Maybe it's just wishful thinking but we are starting to believe that he recognizes our voices and even smiles, just a little.
Here's a little video taken on his birthday:
Here are a few pictures taken some time last week.
Some of you have asked how the dogs are getting along with the baby. We’re happy to report that they seem to have adjusted just fine.
Mr Willis just ignores Parker most of the time...
Not to say he completely lacks bulldog curiosity...
But mostly the only time he’s interested is when we're sitting down holding the baby. That’s because Willis is an overgrown lap dog and he tries to weasel his way in alongside Parker.
Here is a classic example...
But he approaches Parker very calmly. We don’t let him lick the baby (no small feat with Wu Dog).
Nonetheless, he manages to sneak a little kiss in once and a while...
Roxy is more of a high-strung alpha girl but happily, she has adjusted well to the new baby. Then again, as wild as she can be with adults and other dogs she has always had a careful way around children. She really has a maternal instinct. In fact, she has changed some just since Parker came home. She doesn’t want to leave whatever room he is in. It used to be so easy to get her to follow you with the words “want to go outside?” or “want to go for a ride?” but now she just stands beside the baby and stares at you like she has not idea what you are talking about.
Sometimes she acts like he’s her baby and she’s just letting me hold him...
And she approaches him even more carefully than Willis does. It’s really cute and we’re glad it’s working out.
I don’t know what advice to give anyone in a similar situation but I did come home the day after Parker was born with one of his hospital swaddling blankets and introduced it to the dogs. I sat down with the blanket as if it were a baby and let them come up and sniff it carefully. I gave a stern “No” if they tried to paw it but I just tried to get them used to it. This was recommended in a book we read and maybe it has helped.
Really the only thing we worry about is their paws. You just have to be careful not to leave the baby in a position where a dog can step or jump on it. Roxy not so much but Mr Willis is a jump first - ask questions later kind of dog, a fact to which his Granddaddy Moody can attest.
