The Big Move

Dear Parker,

Well, it's almost over. We moved last weekend. You did pretty well. We didn't pack your toys until the last minute. (Okay, there were lots of things that we didn't pack until the last minute!) I tried to get you to help pack your books Thursday morning, but you just kept crying "NO!" whenever I would put one in. Finally, I was able to pacify you with a movie while I did it. You were okay then.

Friday was moving day and you weren't feeling well. You appeared a little confused, but were hanging in there. Part way through the day you exclaimed, "Boomer's Big Day!" This is the title of one of the books we borrowed from the library several weeks ago to prep you for moving. It was like a lightbulb went off and you realized what was happening. You did a very good job. You were quite tired because you didn't really get to nap, but you were awesome.

Sleeping in the new house, has been another issue however. So far, you have gone to sleep in your own bed 2 of the 3 nights. However, whenever you wake up in the middle of the night, you do not go back to sleep and then you refuse to sleep in your own bed. I don't know if it's the new house or your cold or all the time away from your mommies or just a combination of those things, but you are struggling with sleeping. I hope that once we get a little more settled, things will return to normal.

I can't wait for summer, baby. You are so fun to be with. :)

I love you,

Mommy

NEW HOUSE and three words

Dear Parker,

Well, baby girl, the musical is over! I am both happy and sad. I'm so happy that I get to spend more time with you, but also sad because I will miss working with those kids. We move this week. This afternoon we closed on our house. So, technically, right now, we own no houses! We have been trying to prep you for the move. We will ask you what we are doing this week and you will yell, "NEW HOUSE!" You know that your new house has stairs and a basement and a big room for you and your toys. You don't understand that we have to say goodbye to this house. Every time we mention it you say, "NO!" We are sad to say goodbye too. We have so many memories here. It is a good house and we like it a lot. We just need more space! :)

In other news, you are routinely speaking in three word sentences. You will say, "Mommy, are you?" (Mommy, where are you?) or things like "Mom sleep too!" "Maxx! Get Down!" You are funny and such a little person with attitude. You have also been really into throwing and catching lately. You will catch about half of the balls we throw to you, so I think that's pretty good!

Some funny Parker stories from the past week or so: You, me and your Mom were driving in the car the other day and you asked us to sing the "ABC's" so we all started. Then you would say, "Mom sing!" Then you would say, "Mommy, sing!" Then, "Both sing" You were creating your own little arrangement of the alphabet song in the car. It made me laugh.

When we were coming home from the musical the other night, you wanted to sing. I asked you what you wanted to sing and you said, "Downtown." (Skid Row) from the musical. Oi! I guess you pick up much more than I think you do! :)

You went with your friend Nancy to a party the other day and she said on the way home, you were hiding your milk by wrapping it in your cloth and saying "Milk is?" Then you would pretend to be sad by pouting out your lip. Nancy thought it was great and claimed that you were 'acting!' Then you would pull the cloth off and say "HA! Milk here!" I love that when you find something now, you say, "HA!"

You have been dealing with all of this craziness so well and I'm so proud of you for being so flexible. You are an amazing little girl who is so loved. Especially by me.

Love you little girl,

Mommy

Dinosaur!

Dear Parker,

Lately you have had a mild obsession with dinosaurs. I think it started when we took you to the dinosaur exhibit at the Children's Museum. I didn't think you were extremely impressed because you didn't want to stay long, but for quite some time now, every time we talk about the museum, you talk about dinosaurs.

We bought you some cheap toy dinosaurs and you love them. You want us to identify each one by name. You even attempt to say "Teradactyl." (I have no idea how you spell that.)

Last week, your mom and I took you to musical rehearsal. The show we are doing this year is "Little Shop of Horrors." I was nervous about you being scared of the huge man-eating plant. You LOVED it. You pointed and said, "Dinosaur!" You think the plant is a dinosaur and I love it!

You also really love watching rehearsal. You are learning all the kids' names and you know that Matt and JP are the "dinosaur." The first rehearsal you attended you shouted on stage to your friends. "'Lise! 'Lise! Hi 'Lise! 'Lise, Come sit!" It was pretty funny. Last night, you were absolutely amazing. We were there for about 3 hours, you sat on a couch with your friend Maggie the entire time and watched the rehearsal. Only once or twice did I hear you giving commentary on the show.

I'm so proud of you, Parker, for being able to be so good like that. It really helped Mommy out. I won't really get to see you today as you should be in bed by the time I get home, but I wanted to take some time to write you a letter, share our experiences over the past few days and tell you that I love you.

I hope you have a good day with your Aunt Lauren and Nancy.

You are the best baby in the entire world and I love you.

Love,

Mommy

The best I can

Dear Parker,

Something is up with you. You aren't exactly sick, but you aren't yourself either. You've haven't been eating well, you've had either diarrhea or just really soft stools since Monday. You have this wicked cough at night that makes you cry for me. We just had you to the doctor for the pink eye and she said everything else looked fine, but I feel like something is up. AND I feel like I'm abandoning you in your time of need. All you ever want lately is for Mommy to play or cuddle or just be with you and I just can't. It makes me feel like a terrible Mommy to just get you up and then leave or to come home for 30 minutes and then leave again. I hope you know that I love you more than anything. In 2 weeks, it will be over, but I know that's a long time still.

You are the light of my life, baby girl and I know I'm not doing right by you, but I am doing the very best I can. I hope that you understand that.

You are so amazing and while I really want you to sleep well (for your sake) I kind of want you to wake up so that I can cuddle you just a little more.

I will see you in the morning, sweetie.

Love,

Mommy

Crunch Time

Dear Parker,

I'm really missing you today. Your Moms are so busy right now. We just agreed to do too many things. I'm sorry. I know you are feeling it. I can tell because whenever I get you up or come home from school, you just want to hug me and sit on my lap. Usually, you want me to play or give me a drive-by "Hi Mommy." I feel really badly that I don't get to spend very much time with you right now. Please know that I love you and I am counting down the days until we can have dinner together again.

In other news, you have pink eye. I felt so bad for you this morning when I went to get you up and your little eyes were gooped shut. You didn't even seem to mind. You just said, "Hi Mommy!" I almost started crying. You are so good natured.

We went to a wedding last weekend - your first. You did a pretty good job. It was kind of long, but you made it through. The bridesmaids were dressed in yellow and every time one would go up (or back down) the aisle, you would say, "YELLOW!" You were certainly the hit of the wedding. Even people from the groom's family were fawning over you and your cuteness.

I love you so much, Parker. 28 more days. We can make it. Things will get better after the musical - only 18 more days of that. You are so amazing and I am desperately looking forward to summer with you.

Love,

Mommy

The Big Game

Dear Parker,

Last night, your Moms' alma mater, Butler University had the opportunity to play in the National Championship Game for Men's Basketball. I wanted to write you a letter to tell you about it, but I'm not really sure that I'm going to do it justice.

When I started at Butler, the team was not consistently even making the NCAA tournament. My freshmen year, they got in and I traveled with the team to Detroit (how exotic!). It was an amazing experience. That is the only time that I have been able to travel to an NCAA tournament. Your Mom, on the other hand, got to go to other tournament games - including a heartbreaking loss to Florida. You should ask her about that when you get older.

This year was different. Until this year, we have been the underdog pulling out major upsets if we win. And, although many still considered us an underdog - and I suppose we were in many regards - we were winning. Not on last second "hail Mary" shots. We were just winning. We made it all the way to the Championship Game.

I don't know if everyone feels this way about their alma mater or not, but I was so proud. It goes beyond being excited that a team is doing well. It's being able to look at a group of people who are representing your University in such a positive way and feeling like you are somehow a part of it. I'm so proud to have gone to Butler, to have played in the pep band and to have supported the team through its ups and downs.

We didn't win the BIG game, but it was oh-so-close and they played really hard. We certainly didn't lose. We just didn't win. I hope that when you grow up, you find such an amazing place to go to college. You deserve it.

Go Dawgs!

Love,

Mommy

Easter

Dear Parker,

Today is Easter. We didn't go to church. You were very sick on Friday night, very cranky yesterday and haven't gotten much sleep in the last couple of days. So, we thought it would be okay if we let you sleep through church. I think God understands. You got up and we read an Easter book. You were absolutely covered in snot, so we thought we would get you dressed before letting you find your Easter basket. You, however, did not want to get dressed and were just crying so hard that we decided to let you run around in your diaper. We hardly ever do that, but you were pretty cute.

After you found and explored your easter basket, we headed to Uncle Stu and Aunt Lauren's house to have lunch/dinner with everyone. You slept all the way there and were pretty clingy and cranky still. You didn't really even want to hang out with your Aunt Stacy!

When we got home, you wanted to go to the park, so I obliged. When we were swinging, you started singing your "ABC's." You don't quite know all of them, but you asked me to sing with you and every time we finished, you would say "More Sing!" You can do A-G then you join in again around P-Y. You then get the lyrics at the end. It's cute! You are growing up and learning so fast!

I will try to post some pictures this week, but we are going to be so busy the next few weeks. I need to remember to not neglect the things that are actually important!

I love you, baby. I hope you are feeling better tomorrow.

Love,

Mommy