It's My Birthday And I'll Cry If I Want To

Today is my birthday--and so many other people I know share this birthday with me. January 22nd must be a great day to have babies! The day started off just like a normal day-- much like the way I have started off all of my days in the past few months by reading blogs..only today I started off by reading my sister's newest blog--and ode to me for my birthday. I cried. And cried. And cried. What can I say..I am a crier! I cannot help it. My sister means so much to me...and everything she wrote was totally me...if anyone truly knows me--it is her. We are like twins born 5 years and 3 months apart!

I love you Valerie!

Jim, Parker, and I went to Dothan to celebrate my birthday with lunch at my favorite restaurant--Olive Garden. I love the chicken alfredo! I am pretty sure that a demon took over Parker's body during lunch and for much of our shopping trip--he cried and screamed so loud in TJ Maxx *because of a Thomas the Train toy that by the way he DID NOT get--another blog coming soon* that he eventually made himself throw up--everywhere! I think he redeemed himself a little when acted better while we were at the mall. He likes to try on the clothes I pick out for him. He actually wore the clothes straight out of the dressing room at Old Navy. He tore the tags off and gave them to me...so the security thing went off when we were leaving ON...when we went to Gap kids...and when we left Gap kids. What can I say...the boy loves to shop--thanks to his mama of course!

The whole time we were on the way to Dothan and in Dothan, people were calling me and writing on my facebook wall to tell me happy birthday. I was greeted by the Happy Birthday song many times today....it made me feel so special. People took time out of their busy lives to wish me a happy birthday. When I started thinking about how blessed I am--I cried.

Also..we went to Dothan because today is the day that one of my best friends welcomed her baby boy, Phoenix Jaxon Morrow, into the world. Congratulations Brittany and Justin! I am so happy that I got to share this day with them. It was a crazy day. Justin works offshore so there was no guarantee that he was going to make it to the hospital before Brittany had the baby. Justin got to the hospital at 6:45 and Brittany had Phoenix at 7:02. It was almost surreal..almost like Phoenix was waiting on his daddy to get there. I am so glad that Justin was able to make it....it was the talk of the hospital all afternoon. Will he or will he not make it before she has the baby?! When I saw Brittany this morning, I cried. There she was in the hospital bed waiting..just waiting for Phoenix..waiting for Justin..waiting for her life to change forever. When I left her tonight..she was still in the hospital bed..but now she is waiting to spend the rest of her life with Phoenix and Justin.

Today when I woke up--it didn't even feel like my birthday. Frankly, it felt just like another day. Thank you to all of my family and friends and baby Phoenix for making this somewhat ordinary birthday into one I will never forget! OK..here come the tears again.

I think I can, I think I can

'I think I can' finally blog! =) I have been trying to blog all weekend, but I could never find enough time..I have been busy! My brother-in-law and his future family came to visit. Mike's fiance Melinda has a 3 year old son, Brodie--he and Parker are quite the little buddies. I know that they already love each other, and I can't wait for them to grow up together. My birthday is this Friday (January 22nd) and Mike's is Feb. 1st so since everyone was home, Jim's parents decided to go ahead and give us a birthday dinner. Mrs. Julie made homemade lasanga and homemade chicken alfredo--she definitely knows her daughter-in-law. It was delicious!!! No pictures of the birthday girl and boy--but these two stole the show anyway.

Monday afternoon, Jim and Mike decided to take the boys squirrel hunting. As soon as Parker walked out of the door he said, "Squirrel, where are you?" It was the cutest thing.

Here is my precious little hunter. Isn't he the cutest little thing you have ever seen..I know I am partial, but really--he is a cutie!

I got an embrodiery machine (WHOO-HOO). For those of you who know me, I love all things monogrammed. I am VERY excited to be able to monogram stuff for my sweet Parker, for my family and friends, and for myself. The first and only thing that I have monogrammed is a train. Parker loves them so I thought that if by chance what I did turned out to look half way decent..I wanted it to be something for Parker...so 'I think I can' monogram--with A LOT of practice of course!!

Here is the train..I wish it was bigger, but I had no clue what I was doing. Thanks to my wonderful stepdad Marty for helping me so much and my Mama for taking care of Parker!

I have finally decided that 'I think I can' do something about my self image. It is something that I have always battled especially since I had Parker. I have started working out. I am going to the gym everyday, Zumba (http://www.zumba.com/) classes 3 nights a week (which I LOVE), working out with my Wii Fit (hula hooping, kung fu, and free run are my favorites), and I am watching what I eat. Whew...just talking about all of it makes me tired, but contrary to that...I am feeling so good! Please share any low fat recipes. I still like to eat good food..just need healthier, quick meals to make for my family.

Continuing to work out, watch what I am eating, teaching, being a good mother to Parker, and a good wife to Jim is a lot to balance but...'I think I can' do it all as long as I seek God for guidance!

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13

Too Much of a Good Thing

Most people have heard the saying "You can never have too much of a good thing," I am here to tell you that yes...you can have too much of a good thing. When I first had Parker, I was not one of those mothers who was never giving my child a pacifier. I had already sterilized several and brought two of them with me to the hospital. After all, I think babies with pacifiers in their mouths are cute. He showed very little interest in it at first and for the first *almost* 2 years of his life. He would occasionly pick it up, put it in his mouth, suck on it for a while, then toss it about. I was fine with this.

This is Parker when he was only 1 day old. He liked the paci because we gave it to him.

He then got very sick right before I started school *teaching* in August, and all he wanted was his far far *pacifier*. He was sick so what was I to do--I gave it to him--all of the time. Little beknowest to me that this was the beginning of an addiction. My child is obsessed with his pacifier. If he can't find one, he will walk around the house saying, "paci, paci..where are you?" I can't deny that it is cute when he calls out for his pacifier, but GEEZ..enough is enough. He can talk a lot now, but I can't understand him when he has the paci in his mouth. I tried to convince myself that I was ok with him having it as long as he took it out to talk, but lets face it..it is driving me bananas! We have cut holes in the ends of the pacifiers, but I am pretty sure that he has them hidden around the house--he always finds another one.

Parker with his paci Halloween night

When I was out of school for Christmas break, I decided that I was going to take it away from him--cold turkey. This lasted all of about 1 day. When he would not go to sleep without it--I gave it to him. I took it away the next morning, and I was determined that he was not going to have it again today. Jim isn't nearly as disgusted with the paci fetish that Parker has as I am, and P knows this. He uses this to his advantage *I think*..if I am not around--he will ask his Daddy for his paci--little stinker! Jim usually gives in to WHATEVER it is that Parker wants *and me too* for that matter--he is such a softy and I LOVE that about him. He will do anything he can to make sure that we are both happy. Day 2 of life without the paci became Day 1 of life with the paci back. I do not give it to him during the day at day care or when he is at home on the weekends. He gets his paci when it is close to bedtime, sometimes in the car, and always when his Daddy is home. Since P knows that I don't like for him to have his pacifier..when he does..he is very defensive about it. That is MY PACI..he will say. Once he gets it--there is almost no getting it back.

This is Parker when he doesn't get his paci when he wants it!

This is happy Parker with his paci!

Which Parker would you rather deal with?

I feel like I need to replace the paci with something else--something that he will be comforted by. In the beginning I had tried to give him a blanket, too. That didn't stick. He is ok during the day when he doesn't have it--most of the time. I just want him to be ok ALL of the time.I would love to hear how you got rid of the paci or some ideas about something else I could do.