Parker's Great Grandparents and Snow AdveNtures

Last week Parker met his Great Grandparent's in Northern California. We were anxious prior to the trip because we decided to drive and were unsure how he would do in the car. Much to our relief he slept most the way and we made pretty good time, even with all the feeding stops.

The trip down was smooth, however when it was time to return home, mother nature had other plans. We had the joy of driving through what the local weather stations are calling the "Arctic Blast" of '08. The photo below is what the roads were like from Redding to Portland (about 300 miles).

Part way through the drive on the first day, the freeway was so snowy/icy in Yreka they had to shut it down. As fortune would have it, there was a brand new Holiday Inn Express with vacant rooms on the very exit we were forced to take. By the way, Casa Ramos mexican restaurant in Yreka is great!

Here's Parker hanging out in the hotel room. We have to put bibs on him now because there is a constant fountain of slobber flowing from his mouth (we think he's teething). The next day the roads were open, although still covered with snow, and we were able to make it home.

The next day the "Deep Freeze" was still in effect and we were treated to 8 inches of fresh snow. We bundled Parker up and took him out for some fun.

Our little Snow Angel.

Parker's newest best friend...

Today Parker got to meet Santa Claus. Sarah and I were a bit nervous, because he generally doesn't like to be held by other people (especially men) and we figured Santa would throw him over the edge.

However, Santa was very nice and Parker didn't seem to mind at all. I think it's because he told Parker that he is on the Nice List.

Christmas Ideas

If you are planning on getting Parker a gift, I have a great suggestion. Lately he's been just begging for a Boxer puppy. You see I (his father) would love to get him one, but apparently his mother doesn't want him to be super happy, because she says our place is too small. However, if we were to answer a knock on our door and find a puppy sitting there in a basket, we'd have no choice but to keep it.

Here is a photo of Parker and our neighbor's dog, Oscar. He was riding around on his back for a half hour before this photo was taken. It might look like I'm holding him on, however really I was just taking him off because it was his nap time.

Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving at home. Adam's dad came up to spend some time with us and we invited a couple from church to share in the festive meal.

We also got our Christmas tree, Parker was excited!

I was changing his clothes one night and some how his pants ended up on his head! I am not sure how this happened, but I am sure he loved it!!!

Rolling Over - Discovering Hands - Mantels

Some might say it's because he's top heavy, although I believe it's because he is advanced for his age, that Parker is awesome at rolling over. Whichever is the case he has fun.

Here is Parker on the superb and high quality mantel Adam built so Santa could fill his stocking.


Parker has also recently discovered his hands. No matter how tight we wrap him he always manages to get one hand free and immediately in his mouth.

Piggy Back Ride

Parker Plays Patty Cake

Parker at the Pumpkin Patch!

We took Parker to his first pumpkin patch. They had a petting Zoo and a farm with fresh vegetables. We bought a butternut squash and I made soup. It was a great day.

We had more visitors!

Our beloved friends Mark and Sara came to visit Parker and maybe Adam and I too. Here is a picture of us at the Hood River Fruit Loop. It's basically a big loop with orchards and fruit stands. They have varieties of Apples you can't find anywhere else.















Parker is asleep in Adams jacket, you can see just a bit of his head.
















Here is Sara holding Parker, he was quite content with her.

Kimmie in Portland

One of our best friends, Kimmie, from California came to visit us and meet Parker. Her little boy is almost 2 years old, so it was great to get some of her valuable advice. We had a great time catching up and enjoying Portland.

He is getting big!

It's amazing how fast Parker has been growing. It's only been six weeks and he is holding his head up and smiling at us. I know the economy isn't doing to well, however we can't see how you could go wrong investing in children's clothing companies.

A Visit From The Ward's

Last week the Wards came to visit and Parker met his new BFF - Jackson. He's a few months older, so Parker has some catching up to do. It was weird, for best friends, they didn't seem too interested in each other.



Here is a photo of all the Ward's. Were not sure who the homeless guy is.

They grow so fast!

We can't believe how fast Parker is growing. It seems like just yesterday he wasn't even able to lift is head.

Imagine our surprise when we walked into his room and found that he had climbed out of his crib, changed his own diaper, and was patiently waiting for us.

Parker's other Grandma

Parker's other Grandma came to visit him this weekend. She came with lots of goodies and even brought him is first winter coat. Which will certainly come in handy up here!

She says he looks just like Adam did at the same age. Lucky him!!!

There is somthing in the water

Now that Parker has been getting bigger we've been venturing out more and we can't believe how many other newborns there are up here. Sarah swears that there is something in the water. So for all of you who would like to become pregnant; come up here. For the low low price of $2,000 we will provide round trip airfare, pick-up service from the airport, a bottle of Champagne and an air mattress in our living room. Reserve your spot now because openings are filling up fast!

Here is a picture of Parker and his newest friend from Church. She was born 10 days earlier at the same hospital.

Babies = Cards

As you can see from the photo, since Parker was born we've received a TON of cards. It's kind of weird, because before we had him we probably would have never thought to send one (at least Adam wouldn't have). Now, after enjoying our own baby, we'd probably much more proactive! Thank you to everyone for your cards, emails, calls, and gifts. We appreciate them all.

We'll keep updating the blog. There certainly will be more to write once he starts doing more than eating, sleeping, and going through diapers.

Parker's big day

Because he slept so well the night before, (5 hours straight followed by 4 hours!) we decided to plan a full day for little Parker.

First we started out by going to church and lunch. Then later in the afternoon his cousin Jeromy came over dinner and immediately made him cry (he was already a bit fussy).

Our neighbor Kami also stopped by. She works in the infant NICU at the hospital where Parker was born, and is very adept at life saving infant techniques.

After everyone left, Parker ate and then fell right asleep. We're hoping we all get another long night of sleep!

Kiddopotamus - Our new best friend

Compliments of our friend Kimmie, our lives have been saved by the amazing Kiddopotamus! What is the Kiddopotamus you ask? It's a custom made adjustable infant swaddler that makes the difficult task of swaddling a fussy and squirmy baby easy. As you can see in the photo, he loves it (the green thing is a chip clip - he likes to have his legs swaddled too). If you're expecting or know anyone who is, be sure to pick one up. Their website is http://www.kiddopotamus.com

Grandpa's first visit

Grandpa Anderson made the trek up to Oregon to see Parker. It was a touching moment when they first met.

Parker's Arrival

Parker decided he had enough of the womb on August 13th, seven days after his due date. While Sarah and I agree hospitals are wretched places (we highly recommend midwifes!), being there with him was a great experience.

His Grandmother and Aunt were also there for his birth.

Our First Post

So here we are, starting our first blog. Why? Because everyone else is doing it? Mostly because I thought it would be a great way to keep everyone updated on little Parker . I also can't help to look in the future and imagine Parker being able to look back and see pictures of himself when he was a baby. He will be able to get a glimpse of what our life was like before he can remember by looking back in the archives....and that is pretty cool. Also when I mentioned it to my buddy Kimmie she said, "I would love it if you started a blog". In fact, much of the content of this first post was taken from Kimmie's blog, because I had writers block.