The Walseths

Our Explorer

2010-04-18T17:19:00.000-07:00

At 8 months, Parker was months away from crawling. Jonah, on the other hand, is capable and fearless. He prefers places that look like mazes to him--under the table with all of the chair legs, under the piano, behind the tv stand, etc. One day, they were both playing in Parker's room, and I ran to the kitchen for a minute. My heart stopped when I couldn't find Jonah after returning to the room....until I heard "Ba-ba-ba" from underneath the bed. The kid never stops moving, and always has a smile on his face. He's a fun little guy......fun and tiring!

Praise the Lord!

2010-04-18T07:10:00.001-07:00

They found a heart for Megan!! She's supposed to be surgery right about now. Please pray for the surgeons and her fragile body, that it will accept this new heart and make her strong again.

Please also lift up the donor's family in prayer. I've been thinking a lot this weekend about the organ donor process, and how tragic and beautiful it is. The reality is that someone had to die so that Megain might live. Besides the fact that there are a lot of spiritual applications that can be drawn from this, it reminded me that somewhere on the other side, someone else is hurting. I don't want to forget them as I pray, and hope they are reassured that there are several other precious lives that might be saved today because of their donation.

Please keep praying. Megan has a long way to go, but it is miracle that this heart has come to her just in time.

Please Pray

2010-04-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

This young girl is constantly on my mind and in my prayers, so I thought maybe I could share it with the 5 people that read our blog and ask you to pray as well. Her name is Megan Moss. I went to school and church with Megan and her family for many years. Her heart is failing, and she needs a miracle. She is currently #1 on the donor list in the surrounding 3 states, but she is just waiting and is getting worse. This morning, pneumonia set in her lungs. Please lift her up in prayer and pray for a miracle.

http://www.megansheartstory.blogspot.com

Magic House

2010-02-24T06:07:00.000-08:00

Here a couple of pics from our last trip to the Magic House. There are several that are not uploading for some reason. Oh well.

Parker HATED the static ball, but his hair looked so funny. I couldn't help laughing even though he was screaming his head off. Total mohawk.

Jonah, the Plumber

2010-02-24T05:57:00.000-08:00

Look.....Look closer..... This is the day I realized that Size 3 diapers for my Jonah were just not enough. At his 6 month appointment, he weighed in at 22 lbs! Parker didn't hit that mark until around 14 months. We already had to upgrade his car seat. No more convenient infant carrier. Now we tote around this football player in our arms. I put him in the Baby Bjorn one day, and almost collapsed. We said goodbye to that luxury as well.

Parker's Surgery

2010-02-24T05:27:00.000-08:00

I'm going to try to get caught up on the last month, as I am always behind. Besides both kids having RSV last month, Parker also had surgery to remove a dermoid cyst. He looked like he got into a bad fight for awhile, but now we just have some crusty stitches remaining. The swelling, thankfully, has gone down.

Children's Hospital is amazing, by the way. We're fortunate to live near one of the best of the best.

Jun's Servant Heart

2010-02-23T14:36:00.000-08:00

Jun mentioned to us this week that he wanted to learn how to change a diaper. WHAT?!?!?! By all means! Wish this had come up earlier! So we got started right away. Last night was Jun's big night. We went easy on him. We gave him the less squirmy child, and better yet, just a #1. We didn't think he was quite ready for a big mess. Mostly, we didn't want to turn him off from this delightful task. He was nervous, but he did a fantastic job. We immediately hired him and put him on call.

Boys with Micah

2010-01-04T08:06:00.000-08:00

The Cobbs came over to play one night. We wanted Micah to try out our new bouncer. During dinner, he said he didn't want to eat....he was here to jump! I think that's adorable. He really didn't eat. He was very serious about his plans. The jumping actually didn't last long as they both got very involved in play-doh. By the way, Aaron took these pictures. He's a much better photographer.

Our Boys

2010-01-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

and a self-portrait of ourselves for all to see:

B-I-B-L-E

2009-11-10T13:58:00.000-08:00

Parker has been going to a children's program at church, while I'm at a Bible study. He is apparently the big singer of the bunch, according to the teachers. They have also been reading the Bible and get a star on their hand after they read. He will show this star to everyone, and tell them he got it from reading the Bible in class. We've been singing songs each day and playing the drum or piano, and this is his new favorite.

Fall Leaves

2009-11-10T13:41:00.000-08:00

You'd think we owned acres, if you saw our leaves. So far, 40-50 bags have been raked/mulched. This would be fine, if when you looked up, the trees were bare. Instead, they are housing thousands of brown leaves ready to add to the existing layer of leaves on the grass. Craig hates this time of year :) This year, however, Jae and Jun were able to help. Teenagers are much better than 2 year-olds. They raked into bags, while Parker turned over bags to shake them all out. Weekend #1 of raking.....DONE.

The Seal

2009-11-09T12:53:00.000-08:00

Here's Jonah trying hard. Almost..... Ta-da!

The Park

2009-11-06T18:32:00.000-08:00

Our neighborhood boasts a new park! Yeah!!! It happens to be right in between our house and the Kims', so it makes for easy play time. Parker LOVES it! Don't tell anyone about it. It's still relatively vacant as it is tucked in between several subdivisions. We would like to keep it that way :) They stared at a spider on the slide for quite some time.

Parker is always ready for snack time.

Parker and Jonah

2009-10-27T06:53:00.000-07:00

I stole these from my cousin's facebook page. She graciously watched the boys one night so that we could go out. I have very few pictures of them together, because Parker always wants the camera and we never get anywhere with actually getting the shot. Thanks, Suzanne!

Apple Picking

2009-10-27T06:05:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, we went apple picking for my Aunt Karen's birthday. It was a beautiful, fun day with family, and it's always fun to watch Parker explore places like this.Parker ate from several apples, before they were dropped or tossed. Glad these apples are free of charge. Parker and his cousins.

We went to Lotawata Creek for lunch afterwards, and I couldn't find much that he could eat with his allergies. So he had a few random things out of my purse including the sucker you see, a Kashi fruit bar (always a lifesaver) and some lemons from the table. And yes, I've heard how dirty lemons are. He seems to be fine :)

Parker reliving his past

2009-10-23T17:30:00.000-07:00

Parker is in love with Jonah's amazing toys.....the swing, infant carrier, crazy floor mat with obnoxious hanging things....he likes them a lot more than Jonah, in fact.

Pictures of Jonah

2009-10-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

Parker's Haircut and working with Dad

2009-10-21T12:33:00.001-07:00

This is Parker's thin, fine hair that needed to be cut.The next day, he seemed so much older...out mulching the yard with his dad.

Absent no longer

2009-10-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

Three months ago, we brought this little guy home from the hospital...

and then 10 days later, we welcomed Dong-Jae and Jun-Young into our home (our foreign exchange students for the year).
We went from eating cereal for dinner to cooking for teenage boys, while keeping up with our toddler and infant...and working, of course. So if we failed at blogging as usual, these changes were our excuses this time :)

Jonah went from being an average baby to gaining a pound a week. He is currently off the charts for weight and 75% for height. He is as squeezable as babies get, and puffs his big cheeks out to smile. He's just adorable, and we feel blessed to have him. Parker can't get enough of him, and kisses him ALL the time. We're so glad Parker has made it through all of these changes in the last couple of months. He has also warmed up to Jae and Jun, and always wants to hang out with them when they get home from school.

Here's a more current picture of Jonah.

Introducing Baby Jo-Jo

2009-08-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

Jonah Allen Walseth (aka Baby Jo-Jo, according to Parker) was born July 30, 2009 at 2:17pm. He was 7 lbs. 12 oz. and 20.75 in. long. After a quick labor, they put little Jonah on my chest, and I thought they handed me Parker. Wow, do they look alike! He is doing well so far, and Parker just loves him. I'm excited that he feels so comfortable with him around. He loves to pat him and kiss him and wants Jonah to use his blocks and toys. I keep trying to explain to him that he is not able to do those things yet, but Parker always invites him to join. We're excited to finally meet him and are trying to get settled at home together. Here are just a few pictures for now, but we will post some more soon. I know I'm not fast enough for some....

Butterfly House

2009-07-11T19:26:00.000-07:00

Grant's Farm with Micah

2009-07-11T19:07:00.000-07:00

Some friends of ours have graciously taken Parker on a couple of outings while Craig and I get some work done around the house (preparation for baby and FESs). Their first day together was at Grant's Farm. Those of you that know Parker would know that he does not always like being away from his Mama, but the Cobbs are like family to him, and he only gave a couple of fearful looks as they pulled out of the driveway. I was so proud of him. He's never really been away from us like that unless with my own family. He's growing up! He and Micah are only 3 days apart and have a blast together.

Parker and his cousins

2009-06-08T20:37:00.001-07:00

This is from the last night at the hotel. Parker enjoyed living with all of his favorite people. He has been listing everyone's names several times a day, asking where they all are. I felt like I said "They are at work today, but we'll see them again soon" at least 10 times today. I'm glad that he enjoyed them so much, but we are not ready to ask everyone to move in with us so he can eat breakfast with Gaga (Grandma) and Papa each morning!

Chicago/Legoland

2009-06-08T20:09:00.000-07:00

Legoland was a blast. The kids loved it, plus it helped that we were one of only three families there at that particular time. They had amazing displays of characters, the Chicago skyline, a jungle, etc. All out of little Legos! They also had two little rides. I didn't get to go on them, however, as I was rejected at the front of the line for being pregnant. It never even occured to me that the slow moving ride might not be okay for pregnant women. I guess I've never tried to hop on a ride in either pregnancy. I just had to look on and act as if I was excited for everyone else :)

Yes, my little cuddler is giving Bob the Builder a good ol' Parker hug:

My brother's special talent:

Chicago/Museum of Science and Industry

2009-06-08T20:01:00.000-07:00

This was a big museum for our little guy, but he found plenty of things to drive. He sure loves to be behind a wheel.

Parker in the perfect-sized car---the electric car. He loved it!

Chicago/Shedd Aquarium

2009-06-08T19:32:00.001-07:00

My whole family went up to Chicago for the week to have a little vacation together. We stayed in Schaumburg next door to IKEA (spent a good amount of time there, as usual) and drove into the city a couple of days to enjoy the museums and Garrett's Popcorn. The first full day, we headed to Shedd Aquarium. Parker loved it all. He was there a little over a year ago, but what a difference taking a 1 year-old vs. a 2 year-old! We had so much fun watching him explore.

The Big Gift

2009-05-29T07:19:00.000-07:00

The Beachy's came over for dinner one night last week for a mini-celebration for Parker's birthday. They brought the biggest package Parker has ever seen, so nicely decorated by the kids (also cleverly decorated with Cubs logos--booooooo). It was a wagon!! Parker has been living in it. He can get in and out himself, which is a blessing for me, and he eats his snack in there, reads his books, plays with his toys, talks to himself....basically, he loves it. Thank you, Beachys! (They also provided these pictures for me in hopes that I may post a blog entry or two in the future--it worked)

Parker's 2nd Birthday

2009-05-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

I have not blogged in some time, and yes, I've been very much reminded of this. So, here goes the last several weeks. I will be going backwards!

Parker celebrated his 2nd birthday last week! Crazy! It was a very busy month, but we did finally have a family party for him on Memorial Day. He had a blast, and it's fun to watch him enjoying the attention. I made two cakes, as you can see in the pictures. The big one for the general public, and one small vegan cake for our little boy with allergies. I made him a dairy/egg-free applesauce-spice cake. Some people actually chose to eat that along with him, which I enjoyed. It made me feel like his allergies won't keep him from enjoying delicious things all of the time. He has been practicing blowing out his candles for the right moment, and he did an excellent job. :) Parker opened up his first ViewMaster with pictures of Disney characters. He immediately figured out how to change pictures with his finger and also that he could see better if he held it up to the skylights :)

Learning New Words

2009-01-24T13:17:00.000-08:00

Parker made up a sign and sound effects for when he has a dirty diaper. Lately, he uses this sign every time we change him. One day, I told him "There's no 'yuckies,' just pee-pee." He laughed hysterically, and that has been his new word he likes to use. Craig was home alone with him a couple of days ago, and they were going through all of the words and people's names he knows (including pee-pee!), and halfway through, he fortunately thought to grab the camera. This is our little boy laughing about his new potty talk.

50 Degrees, Please!

2009-01-24T13:05:00.000-08:00

Daddy Would Be So Proud

2009-01-06T12:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Parker went over to the magazine basket, carefully selected his mag of choice, and climbed up in his chair to browse. Like father, like son!

Parker at the Office

2008-11-20T06:31:00.000-08:00

I was doing some work on the computer in our office, so Parker set up his own office next to me!

Apple Pickin'

2008-11-03T12:08:00.000-08:00

We did take Parker apple picking a few weeks back with some friends. This is where we learned that Parker likes apples as long as we don't treat him like a child by cutting them up or peeling them. Now we know he likes them just as they are, straight off the tree.

Big, Fluffy Teddy Bear

2008-11-01T19:03:00.000-07:00

Is it a bear in our front yard?

No, it's our adorable Parker!

We went to a Harvest Party at our church. Parker was still a little too small to participate in much, but he did love the apple bobbing. Unfortunately, he didn't want the candy or toys inside the plastic apples, he wanted to take the actual apples and cried when we had to return them to their proper owner.

With all of Parker's allergies, we don't have to decide if we're going to let him have any of the candy. It's really not an option, but we did let him have a sucker (peanut/dairy/egg white free!), and he was more than happy for the night.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-24T19:29:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, we went to the pumpkin patch with the Kims, and Parker loved it. It was the simple things like the fence around the animals, the gravel in the parking lot, the leftover hay in the wagons...they are the things that make him smile. He's easily entertained, so you throw large, round pumpkins into the mix, and it's a good day. It was a beautiful fall day to spend with friends.

The Red Tractor

2008-09-06T18:53:00.000-07:00

I signed up for Keeping Up With My Blog 101 with my friend Amy. Fortunately, she sent me these pictures from her house to get me going! They have a cool tractor at their house right now that Parker just loved. It has buttons and gadgets all over it, just like he likes. He explored it for awhile before Craig took him for a ride. He cried at first, maybe because of the noise, but was smiling and giggling by the end. He cried again when Dale drove the tractor away from him. Unfortunately, it is not a long term toy of his.

Carsyn was kind enough to give him a tour of the buttons-- most importantly, the horn.

Some of Parker's Favorite Things

2008-09-04T12:57:00.000-07:00

Parker loves his baseball...

Parker loves to chew on his baseball...

Parker loves the front seat of the car with the wheel and all of the buttons. We don't drive with him like this, so don't go making any phone calls! He loves buttons in any capacity, including light switches, remote controls, phones, the garage door opener, the dishwasher, etc. I know that's normal, but it's almost an obsession of his.

This is our new red truck, given to us by Craig's dad. We are so thankful for it, as it has allowed us to pick up all the building materials for the basement! Maybe we shouldn't be advertising this. People with trucks tend to be called on for favors, or so we've heard....

Parker loves to read.
He loves running water.

Belated Little Rock Fun

2008-09-04T12:05:00.000-07:00

I've tried twice to put up pictures of the fun things we did in Little Rock ages ago, but twice, blogger has failed me. I'm not patient enough to keep retrying to upload pictures. So....if you really want to see them, you can check out the Dillard blog http://www.thedillards123.blogspot.com/. The pictures are several entries down, entitled "Walseth Weekend." Heather keeps up with her blog much more than I; in fact, she started ours... We took Parker on the wave runner. We all had a Southern boil meal out on the lake. We went to see the ducks march down the red carpet at the Peabody Hotel and rode the trolley downtown. Lots of fun things for the boys. They were great to host us for our now annual anniversary trip. Since then, they've stayed with us twice. August was a nice month for Dillard time. We're sad they live so far away :(

Caleb, their oldest, loves Parker (and Parker now loves him, after learning to share his personal space!). Caleb also loves crackers. While in Little Rock, he kept saying "Cracker," so we kept handing him crackers. He looked at us funny, but then ate the crackers as any 2-year-old would. It took us days to realize that he was pointing to Parker, and he really wasn't dying for a cracker. After their two visits, it's turned more into "Corker," but it still sounds an awful lot like "cracker." Corker/Cracker misses you, too. Caleb!

HCM Part 2

2008-08-05T19:02:00.000-07:00

Heather's Camera Magic Part 1

2008-07-26T20:22:00.000-07:00

We went to visit our good friends the Dillards on what has become our annual anniversary trip. We have now been married 4 years, by the way. We had a ton of fun, and thanks to Heather's amazing photography abilities, a load of pictures. She took some great shots of Parker throughout the week and also did some family pictures of us that we'll post later. We think she's a fantastic photographer, and we are pleased to post her work on our blog. This particular day, we took the kids outside to play in the water, and Parker had a blast with their water-shooting ring. He was catching the drops in his mouth, dipping his pacifier in for that cold, refreshing taste, and laughing with delight.

Parker crawling

2008-07-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

Parker has been crawling for over a month now, and he's now much better at it, but this is a video of the first night he showed off for us. We had him working hard. Now he's close to walking, but it's still cute to watch him crawl.

The Cards Game

2008-07-22T19:57:00.000-07:00

As usual, we are posting old pictures, but I'm going to attempt to catch up. Several weeks ago, we were able to take Parker to his first Cardinal game. Fortunately, Parker will not be growing up in the Chicago area like Craig, so I will be able to get him rooting for the Cards early on in his life. He loved it! He didn't watch a lot of the game, but we think that he thought everyone was cheering for him. He looked around the crowd so proudly, as if all of the applause was for his latest tricks. He laughed and entertained everyone, even the Royals fan sitting next to us that offered any foul balls to him. There were none, however, even though we were sitting right behind home plate. That would have been amazing...

It happened to be Lou Brock's birthday! He was sitting in the box right above us, so we could see him blow out his candles with Fredbird. Parker clapped a lot, but again, we think it's because he thought everyone was cheering for him.

Parker and Micah in the Pool

2008-07-08T19:52:00.000-07:00

Sweep the Leg

2008-07-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

There are several 80's movies that I have watched so many times, I can still to this day quote the entire movie. One of these fantastic movies (I own the box set) is Karate Kid. You can only imagine my excitement when I found out that one of my childhood friends met Johnny Lawrence, fell in love with him and was marrying him in St. Louis!!!!! His real name is Billy Zabka (he'll always be Johnny to me), and for those of you that have not watched it in awhile (shame on you), he is Ralph's blond opponent throughout the movie. The one that was told to "Sweep the leg. You got a problem with that?" So...I got to go to their wedding Sunday evening! I was on my best behavior, even though I wanted to talk to him only using quotes from the movie. I can't help but put a couple of pictures up, though--don't be jealous. And, by the way, I'm also excited for my friend! PS--he wrote and directed a music video a couple of years ago called "Sweep the Leg." It's hilarious. You should look it up.

Rockin' out

2008-06-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

Sure we're biased, but we think Parker is a musical genius. Well, at least he enjoys it so far. He feels the beat, dances everytime he hears music, and even claps on the beat. Sure this may not mean anything, but it certainly is a good start. We just love seeing him light up as he rocks out to whatever he hears. We even took him to the zoo one day and rapped Brown Bear, Brown, What Do You See as we looked at the brown bears. He had his hands out in the air and body groovin' to the beat. Hopefully others around us appreciated our version of one of his favorite books!

Emily, Lucinda and Dawn

2008-06-26T20:40:00.000-07:00

I had the privelege of spending an afternoon with some college friends that were briefly in town. It was so nice to see them and to meet the new children I had not met yet. The kids seemed to have a good time together--I love seeing Parker interact with other little friends. I wish we could see them more often.

So little

2008-06-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

Little Parker in our big chair. He's so cute when he's sleeping.

Parker's Baptism

2008-06-26T20:19:00.000-07:00

Those of you that check our blog know we're not quite up to date on our lives. Right now, we will take you back to Mothers' Day 2008. Parker was baptized at our church on my first legitimate Mothers' Day. Craig told me last year that I didn't "qualify" for Mothers' Day, since Parker was still in my belly for another week or so...Anyway...Parker did really well. He only cried at the very end, which is much less than we thought. It was a good morning.

More celebrating

2008-06-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

We had a big family BBQ at our house Memorial Day weekend for Parker's birthday. It was tons of fun to have everyone over to our new house (more about that later) to celebrate Parker's first year with him. I made the cake with his favorite book in mind "That's Not My Truck..." He loves books so much and demands that we read him his favorites. I think it was the first book Craig memorized, and he often quotes it around the house. Parker always laughs :)

Parker opened cash from my grandpa, and he wouldn't let go of it. He clung to that like no other gift and had us cracking up. He was very protective of it, and for the record, it did make it to his own account.

Parker's 1st Birthday

2008-06-01T18:29:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's been awhile since we posted anything...sorry about that. We will be doing some catch-up with the events of the last month or two. Most importantly, Parker turned one! We can't believe it. It seems so strange that an entire year has gone by since we held him for the first time in the hospital. He's an incredible, curious little guy with lots of opinions already, a good sense of humor, and he is the most handsome boy we've ever seen. He loves his books, loves to clean out my wallet, loves to point to everyone's nose....we have so much fun with him, and he seems to have new tricks everyday :)

We had a little joint birthday party with Micah Cobb, since his birthday is just 3 days after Parker. Unfortunately, Micah was sick that day, but he made it through the party like a champ. Parker had his first cupcake that day. He doesn't eat a whole lot of anything, but he sure does like a good cupcake.

(Parker does not like to wear bibs, by the way--hence the crying in the picture. He did have a good time!)

Parker Goes to Chicago

2008-04-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

My friend Sarah was taking two of her school choirs up to compete in Chicago the weekend before Easter. Since I am their regular accompanist, I went along as a chaperone (and accompanist, of course) along with Parker and my mom, who graciously offered to help. We drove separately, but Parker did spend quite a bit of time on the big charter bus. As there are no seat belts, the little guy got to ride freely, and I wasn't sure he would ever be happy again strapped to a rear-facing car seat. He played peek-a-boo between the seats, laughed, stared out the windows...he was in heaven. We spent the first evening at Navy Pier and, well...you'll see, if you keep looking at the pictures.

We shared a hotel room with Sarah and her mom. Parker was not the greatest sleeper while we were there--nothing like sharing a hotel room with 4 adults and a baby that doesn't sleep... We also went to Shedd Aquarium and spent an afternoon on Michigan Avenue. Parker loved it!

Parker seems to want to grab any short curly hair he can get his hands on--not sure if that's because of my hair, or just because it's easy to grab a whole handful. The woman in the picture was actually the adjudicator for the competition, and seemed to welcome the hair pulling. (She taught at my alma mater for a year when Sarah and I were students there.)

We went to Medieval Times on the last night. Quite a late night for Parker, but he seemed to enjoy the horses. It is definitely hard to eat large pieces of meat with your hands, while holding your baby.

Parker's First Easter

2008-03-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

Parker enjoyed his first snowy Easter celebration. He talked and laughed through our church service as usual (until we removed him, of course). Easter is a time of joy and celebration, and we're glad he caught on at such an early age. On a reflective note, it was our first family gathering since my grandma's funeral, and it was strange to not have her there. I was sad to watch Grandpa walk to his car by himself at the end of the day. I can't imagine spending 60 years with someone and then suddenly not have them by your side anymore. But I'm sure Grandpa is glad to know that she is not suffering anymore. I know that was hard on him.

I do wish that "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth" from Handel's Messiah was sung at every Easter service, with full orchestra, of course. It gives me goosebumps even when I just sing it to myself. Great text set to great music....

My sister got Peter Parker a "Spidey" basket of goodies for Easter.

My parents gave him a little Easter bag of spring clothes, but Parker thought the gift was the tissue paper, as usual.

2008-03-24T19:20:00.000-07:00

Let Me Out!!

2008-03-24T19:13:00.000-07:00

We usually find Parker like this after he wakes up. Sometimes he calls out for us, and sometimes he just silently scans the house for us. I laugh everytime I see him hoisting himself up to the top of his jail cell.

I want Daddy's hat!

2008-03-24T19:07:00.000-07:00

2008-02-21T11:10:00.000-08:00

Parker's Aunt Susan bought him this cute robe awhile back. We think he looks so adorable in it. He mostly likes it because of the attached belt that provides him with loads of chewing fun. We hope you enjoy these pictures, Susan!

Oh, the Dillards

2008-02-11T15:53:00.001-08:00

The Dillard family came for a visit this past weekend. Don't be fooled by the not-quite-life-size Statue of Liberty in the background--it's just Red Robin :) The balloons were a big hit for the boys, of course, so getting a good picture was difficult. So nice to see them and to finally meet little Luke. He has an adorable smile!

Parker's favorite book

2008-02-03T12:59:00.000-08:00

Parker loves this Elmo book. He will listen to it as many times as we are willing to read it. He's even starting to point to it with pleading eyes. It has a pop-up at the end and says "Elmo is soooo big!" Parker goes nuts. He squeals, laughs, hi-fives Elmo... He's playing with his toys so much more, which is nice for us as well! It's a little freeing to not have to be his entertainer all day, even though we love it most of the time. But with our house on the market, I need a little extra time to make the house look like we don't live in it :)

Looks like Craig

2008-01-29T08:15:00.000-08:00

Parker and Bo

2008-01-28T12:20:00.000-08:00

Parker and I went to visit my grandparents and were also surprised by a visit with Aunt Pat and Bo. It was the first time Parker's really played with a dog. He loved him, and Bo was also pleased to find a friend his size. Parker was not afraid to grab him, pull on his fur, put his hands in Bo's face. Bo handled it well, fortunately. Parker will never have a dog of his own with so many family allergies, but it looks like he might want to befriend his little cousin Bo.

A Visit from the Salz Family

2008-01-28T12:12:00.001-08:00

Obviously, we haven't updated in awhile, so we're going to try to catch up. Early in the month, we had a nice visit with the Salz family. Their two little boys are adorable, and Parker is really enjoying good "kid" company these days. It's fun to watch him interact. Craig is worried he is going to be extroverted like his mom...

Family Pictures

2007-12-08T17:40:00.000-08:00

We hired my friend Pancho and his wife to take some family pictures of us. Even with a tired Parker, he did an amazing job. These are a couple of the pictures, but the rest can be seen at www.pancho3.com/walseth/gallery.htm.

Would you like some kimchee with that rice cereal?

2007-12-08T17:24:00.000-08:00

Parker is loving the solids. We had a feeling he was going to like food. He loves the whole process of getting in his chair, getting fed, and chewing on the wet rag after we wipe him down. He would choose that over his toys any day. Speaking of chewing, he has two little teeth that are just adorable. He chews nonstop...on anything...and as a back-up, still his feet.

Couch Potato?

2007-12-08T17:19:00.001-08:00

Yes, he is on the couch, lifting his shirt and scratching his belly. Not the most attractive pictures, but they sure make us laugh.

Random Pictures

2007-11-13T05:50:00.000-08:00

This is his first attempt at his Senior Picture pose.

A Visit with Friends

2007-11-13T05:40:00.000-08:00

We thought it was funny that Parker was sitting with his hands and feet crossed for the company.

Halloween

2007-11-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

Parker was destined to be a cow for Halloween. My brother and sister bought the outfit for him last year while I was pregnant in anticipation of the cutest cow in the world. He was to us, of course. I did receive the obvious milk jokes! We stopped in on my grandparents and made a visit to my parents' church with the rest of the family. Parker seemed to have a good time even though I ate his candy for him.

Parker and Daddy

2007-10-30T06:38:00.000-07:00

2007-10-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

Parker and Aunt Lise continue their long walks together. He loves to be outside, even though the sun makes him sneeze.

Parker and Micah

2007-10-29T19:17:00.000-07:00

Parker and Micah are 3 days apart. While Parker has only been working on making his belly bigger, Micah has been cutting his 4th tooth! Parker will chew on anything he can get his hands on, though, so maybe he'll sprout one soon.

Life at Aunt Lise's House

2007-10-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

Parker's Great Aunt Lise has been watching him several hours a week while I teach. She's been doing so well with our little "Mamma's Boy." I've been benefiting from her picture taking as well!

A Visit from Tracy

2007-10-09T10:21:00.000-07:00

A life-long friend and old college roommate came to visit. She was able to get Parker to take a bottle (obviously not without a fight), which is quite a feat!

Old Man Parker

2007-10-09T10:17:00.000-07:00

BMW

2007-10-06T05:21:00.000-07:00

My friend Sarah and I took Parker to the opening of the new BMW motorcycle store and showroom. Before you ask why, I'll tell you! Some friends of ours opened it, and although Sarah and I didn't realize what a big deal it is, the hundreds and hundreds of BMW riders there told us so. Apparently there can only be one in a region, and there hasn't been one here in a long time. It was pretty cool. Parker is seen here "riding" a 1928 vintage bike.

Like Father Like Son

2007-10-06T05:13:00.000-07:00

Those that know Craig well know that he loves to sleep. Parker may follow in his footsteps :)

Parker and His Ball

2007-10-05T17:42:00.000-07:00

Some friends gave Parker this ball, and it has been his favorite thing. He grips it, chews on it, smiles at it... He falls asleep holding it with both hands and never lets go. We take it everywhere with us. People always ask us where we got it, and we actually have no idea where one can buy this cool ball. We're just thankful that it was given to us by some friends that also have a little boy!

4 Months

2007-09-27T06:46:00.000-07:00

Parker is starting to put his pacifier back in his mouth by himself. He's enjoying the sounds and textures of his toys a little more, and he can laugh hysterically if you get him going. He seems to be having a great time.
It's true when people tell you they grow fast!
He went to his 4 month appointment last week.
He weighed in at 16.4 lbs and is 26" long.
She said that he is 75% for weight
and closer to 90% for height.
He's a big, strong boy!

Parker's Korean Family

2007-09-16T18:25:00.000-07:00

We made our first trip up to see the Walseths. It was a great weekend, and Parker hit it off with all of them. He began his Korean language training. Hopefully, he will teach his twinkie (yellow on the outside, and white on the inside!) dad some more words someday. My mother-in-law has called me "Sahara" since I met her. After 4 years, I'm so used to it, I don't like people correcting her. I enjoy hearing her say it. Kay is the translator for the Korean church, so we wear earphones for the service. The pastor very accurately introduced "Craig and Sarah" to the congregation, while in my ear it was translated to Craig and Sahara! I knew at that point that I will be Sahara for life.

Cousin Jenny's Wedding

2007-09-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

My cousin Jenny recently got married. Parker enjoyed his first wedding. Actually, he slept through the ceremony, but did a few circles on the dance floor at the reception!

Goodbye to good friends

2007-08-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

Joe and Kathy have officially moved to England for 3 years. We already miss them :( We were able to drive up to Peoria to say a last goodbye and enjoy some time with their family and friends. Parker seemed to have a good time as well. He held the British flag for the pictures.

A few years ago, Joe quit a short term job and cashed in his 401K to purchase this amazing seersucker suit. We dressed Parker in a seersucker outfit in his honor for the party! Joe will now focus on saving for his retirement.

Craig is apparently quite good at horseshoes. This game hasn't come up before in our 3 years of marriage.

Parker and Mitchell together.

For Lance....

2007-08-30T18:54:00.001-07:00

My family brought over some new toys for Parker. He loves to grab and pull on all of the parts. He is gripping everything these days. Another fun thing he has learned to do is kick his feet in the bath to make a splash. He cracks himself up. He has a great sense of humor, so far. We hope it continues.

Parker and Spiderman

2007-08-11T05:44:00.000-07:00

My nephew turned five and was given the new Spiderman costume to add to his collection. He calls Parker "Peter Parker", but Matthew is the real Spiderman!

Parker chews on his fist all the time.

Yankees in the South

2007-08-06T09:21:00.001-07:00

Parker took his first flight! We went to Little Rock to visit the Dillards for a long weekend. My cousin Stacey happened to be on the same flight (she was going on to Texas), but we didn't know it until we met at the gate. Parker enjoyed flying with her.

The guys played XBOX, of course.

We went to the Peabody Hotel where the ducks come down the elevator from their suite and march down the red carpet to the water.

This was Parker's favorite place to be at their house. He giggled as he hit the hanging toys, while the Dillards destroyed us in a card game. Their blog is mistaken. We did manage to beat them one night!

Good Friends

2007-08-06T09:13:00.001-07:00

The Millers came to visit with their adorable children. It was so great to see them.

Trip to Branson

2007-07-18T10:29:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was Thompson Family Fun vacation in Branson. Parker did so well with the car ride down and being away from home. We spent several hours on a boat--he decided not to ski or tube. We agreed that he was a little young :) He enjoyed being passed around to all 4 generations of Thompsons represented. It's fun to see everyone interact with him and to watch Parker christen them with spit-up that would normally end up on us!

Uncle Michael and cousin Payton

Grandma and Grandpa Thompson

Craig held Parker for his first boat ride. He loved it. We think it reminded him of his time swishing around in my belly.

Aunt Kristy and his cousin Matthew next to Great Grandma and Grandpa Thompson

Parker and Friends

2007-07-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

Parker just went to his 2 month appointment yesterday. He made it through his shots like a champ...or maybe the Tylenol helped out. Not sure! He is in the 75% for height and weight. He's already 12.9 lbs. He is holding on to objects now, keeping his head up fairly well, smiling a ton (which is fun for us), and has even rolled over several times. It's crazy how much he can change in 8 weeks. Speaking of the number 8, he slept 8 hours the night Lance came to visit. We hope that Lance will visit more often! He does 6 1/2 hours pretty regularly, but every once and awhile he still likes to wake his mom up every 3 hours.

Parker and his friend Micah are fun to watch together. They are now able to focus on each other and smile. They are only 3 days apart.

Parker finally got to meet Uncle Lance when he came in town for business. It enticed Parker to want to fly down to meet Aunt Heather and his buddy Caleb at the end of the month.

A collection of pictures

2007-07-08T18:25:00.000-07:00

Parker is extremely strong. He has already rolled over 3 times. From his back to his stomach AND vice versa. We don't know what that means for us in the future!

These talented feet can kick Chuck Norris' head in--or any blanket off that he chooses.

Somebody is eating well....

Parker with his cousins. Matthew calls him Peter Parker or Spidey. He is obsessed with the Spiderman movies and couldn't believe his new cousin was going to be named Peter Parker.

Here is Grandpa with all of his grandkids. They all flock to him....well he has to go to Parker.

This is Parker and his new friends William, Michael and Micah. Parker is the longest and the darkest (Fortunately, he got Craig's coloring.)

Kathy and Joe will be moving to England next month. We will miss them tons, and Parker will miss his "Katty and Jo-Jo".

Bath

2007-06-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

This was Parker's first real bath, since his cord fell off the other day. Sarah and I are putting the faucet to good use, because Parker was "smelly".

Play time

2007-06-21T11:02:00.000-07:00

Emily and Sarah with Jake and Parker.

Parker went to the play place in the mall. He had a great time and stopped to pose for a photo. He loves the slide the best.

Work

2007-06-12T06:39:00.000-07:00

Sarah tried her hand at going back to work for an hour or two. Parker was content in his carrier. I went to work too.

Family time

2007-06-12T06:27:00.000-07:00

Family came into town to see Parker. Here he is with Mom, Dad, and my sister.

Nyah and "Lamby"

2007-06-06T20:27:00.000-07:00

Nyah had many questions for Sarah as she watched Parker being a little fussy. Nyah will actually have a sister in a couple of months.

Parker and his new toy

2007-06-06T20:21:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I were excited about our new purchase, a rocker. After I put it together (several hours later it seemed), we anticipated that this would be the ticket to happiness for Parker. Unfortunately, we were greatly disappointed.

2007-06-06T20:15:00.000-07:00

Parker had some friends over to hang out at the house. They were pretty boring just lying there. We are helping Parker to pick his friends wisely, I'm not sure about this bunch.

Blankie

2007-05-31T15:10:00.000-07:00

A family friend got this blanket for Parker just in case he forgot his name.

Daddy

2007-05-26T23:21:00.001-07:00

Here I look down on my little boy, who keeps me up at night, makes my wife wipe pee off the blinds in his room, and leaves us with stinky diapers. I wouldn't change it for anything.

Family

2007-05-26T23:16:00.000-07:00

Parker kicked it at a family graduation party. Great Grandpa, Great Grandma, Sarah, and Grandpa all showed Parker a great time, although he fell asleep during the lesson.

Friends

2007-05-26T22:59:00.000-07:00

Today Parker met Micah, the Cobb's baby. Micah is a bit younger than Parker, a couple of days and a bit more hairy.

Mommy

2007-05-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

Sarah has done an amazing job with Parker. She is such an amazing person. There is an unwritten rule that I do the dishes and she changes the diapers, feeds him, etc.