Thirty!!!!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Shaun turned 30 on Friday and the boys couldn't wait to celebrate with cake (that they helped create... It's supposed to be a big cupcake cake) and presents. Isaac also did daddy a favor and opened his gifts for him! Parker was still sick (not sure how we got such a big smile in the above picture) so of course that made the day a little more challenging (today was actually the first day we could tell he was starting to feel better... but not around people. He only wanted mommy)!

Opening presents that I took from under the tree... It's hard buying gifts for two holidays that are so close together!

Playing his new "Big Game Hunter" on Wii.

8 days and counting...

 Last Tuesday afternoon Parker had a little runny nose. No big deal, right? WRONG!!! If you're a mother (or father) of a teething child, then you know that that is a horrible sign of what's to come. By the next day there was a constant flood of gunk, which meant we had a very grumpy baby! Most of our plans were cancelled and Shaun and I tag teamed outings. One would stay home with Parker and the other would go out with Isaac. The days only continued to get worse, including nights, and in a blur we are now on day 8 of poor Parker's sickness. Last night was by far the worst. He was up at 3am and by 4:30 there was NO soothing him! He was in pain. I think he finally relaxed and fell asleep around 6am. At 10:30 I took him to the doctors and she told me that he had an eye infection (which I knew) and an ear infection (which I didn't know because he never even touched his ear). AND the rash that had developed all over his chest and back was just part of him being sick. Because he also wasn't eating, he had lost a whole pound from last Monday! I know it's bad when my kids don't eat! 

We're hoping that after starting antibiotics today, that tomorrow will be the light at the end of the tunnel! I have never seen Parker this traumatized! He is such a happy, independent little guy. This week has been the complete opposite. He now has a few molars but still some massive, swollen bumps in the back of his mouth (he bites my finger when I try to feel for teeth).

I am also so thankful that my boys have a wonderful daddy that has helped 110%. I don't know how I would have done this by myself. Shaun is so patient and so gentle. But, he's also super strong and that helps when it comes to holding down a screaming child that needs eye drops!

I got my Christmas cards from Shutterfly in the mail, but by the time I send them out they may have turned into New Years cards! And eventually the furniture will get dusted and the floors will get mopped, but in the meantime, I'll be loving on my babies and trying to enjoy the Christmas season before it's gone!!!

His eye actually looks better in this picture. One day it was so red and swollen that he could hardly open it. It looked like he had been in a fight! :(

The line up...

Benadryl, binkie, eye drops, fever reducer, teething tablets (that have been recalled... I know), nerf dart and Spiderman web (aka: teethers), ear medicine, and cold medicine. Also, notice the EMPTY tissue box in the background! The only "soother" not pictured is his blankie! Oh, and the booger sucker is MIA. But that is definitely something that Parker wants to go missing! AND of course we didn't use all these drugs at the same time...

3yr and 1yr Stats

Isaac Timothy:
3 ft 4 in (40 in)
37 lbs
He is at a perfect height and weight and is as healthy as can be! He also has an endless imagination that keeps us on our toes... And laughing!

Parker James:
2 ft 8 in (32 in)
26 lbs 4 oz (Isaac was 26 lbs 2 oz at a year!)
He is at the top of the percentile chart and is also as healthy as can be! Well, he was healthy when he saw the doctor last week. this week is a different story. Poor little guy is cutting his first set of molars and has had a week long fever, a never ending runny nose during the day but stuffy at night, and a crusty left eye. I'll leave you to imagine how the sleep (or lack of it) has been in our house! 

Black Friday

Shaun and I decided that we needed to start our Christmas traditions the day after Thanksgiving. The day begins with me getting to do a little shopping (but not at 3am, just whenever I wake up). Of course I'm shopping for others, but I still keep an eye out for what I want so I can send Shaun out when I get home! ;) After shopping, lunch, and naps, we decorate the house... Inside and out! The boys "help" Shaun put the lights up and then they come in and "help" me put the tree up! This year they just ended up playig with all the nativity scenes. The night ends with pizza for dinner and popcorn and a movie for dessert!   

"Helping" daddy hang lights. The boys loved playing peek a boo under the ladder and eating snacks in the wagon! I didn't so much like when Shaun went to the very top of the house. Do you see how he got there? Yeah, I know he climbs ladders and battles heights for a living... BUT I bet he doesn't use folding chairs at work!

Enjoying our popcorn and movie. Instead of a Santa movie we watched "silent Night." It's a cartoon movie about the night Jesus was born... There's a twist though. It's about the donkey that Mary rode all the way to Bethlehem.

Decorating the tree (which to Parker means to un-decorate)! Isaac had to reprimand Parker a few times because he wouldn't leave his Thomas the Train ornament alone!

The Jesse Tree is another tradition we started this year. This one begins on Dec. 1st though. Instead of the typical "25 day count down to Christmas candy" we now read a passage in the Bible and hang an ornament that relates to what we read. There are many different types of Jesse Trees but ours are the 25 people that led up to Christ's birth. Read about the Jesse Tree here.

Second night of the Jesse Tree

Annual Trip to Knott's

Yesterday we spent the day at Knott's Berry Farm (we go every year just before Christmas). It was so different going this year as compared to last year. Last year Parker was only a few weeks old so I did a lot of sitting and nursing. This year he was walking all over the place and even got to enjoyed a few rides! My brother also met up with us so that made it easy to tag team some of the big rides that the boys were too little for.  

snoopy!

Uncle Aaron won a basketball for the boys! Parker was in heaven!

Isaac and his favorite rides! Shaun taught him to throw his hands in the air... Funny that he's the only one!

Parker was either watching big brother from behind the bars or flashing us his cheesiest smiles from the rides!

Santa!!!... But only from a distance!

It is definitely Santa season... Everywhere we go, there he is! While Shaun and I try our hardest to teach our boys the true meaning of Christmas (the birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world), we feel that it's also ok for them to believe in Santa while they're little. Isaac gets so excited when he sees him! AND the thought of flying reindeer, led by Rudolph, just about makes him fall over! Isaac also loves the fact that even though it's Jesus' birthday, he still gets presents too! There is one problem though... Isaac loves LOOKING at Santa but DO NOT let him get close! My boys just want to get their presents and get away as fast as possible!

Today Shaun's department had a Christmas party for the kids. Santa (aka: Papa) came sliding down the pole and then delivered presents to each child. He calls them up front, one at a time, and helps them open a gift he made for them (aka: the parents buy a gift for their child and secretly pass it to Santa). Of course Isaac hid his head the whole time. Parker didn't do too bad. He was up their long enough to at least open his present. It was lots of fun and so cute seeing the excitement on all the little kids faces!

We quickly sat Parker on Santa's lap and he tried so hard and for so long not to cry... BUT it didn't work. He eventually lost it! They were much happier when Santa was far and they could freely play with their new presents!

Typical fire family pictures!

Because Isaac got a gun from Santa it was obvious that we were destined to come home and play super heroes. I love how Parker is really getting into it too! He wants to play with all the costumes just like big brother!

Movin' on to December!

YEAH!!! It worked! My last post got me 50 free Christmas cards! Now I can move on and actually blog about all our new Christmas traditions. Well, I eventually will... It's super late (for me Emily, not you) so I'll just leave you with some funny videos of the boys and then hopefully get back to blogging tomorrow night (or Sunday night... Or Monday night:}).

This is a video of Isaac (from October) singing his planet song. He gets a little crazy and hard to hear but you can still get th idea. He names all the planets, their order from the sun, and tells a little fact about each one! He's so smart and such a fast learner... Kinda scary!

This is a video of Parker trying to walk in super padded and supper slippery slippers! He has quite the "drunk" moments towards the end! So funny!