16 Years

16 years ago I met this guy...

and I never looked back...

Baby Slings

The contraption in the photo above, my friends, is what is known as a baby sling.  It is what one uses when they have more children than they have hands, like me, (except my biggest baby  is not in the picture and would protest being referred to as a baby) or when one needs to haul their giant sized cup of coffee with them to the annual fair day parade (also see photo above)  Please see photo above while ignoring my seriously unstyled hair...

In all seriousness, Travis makes tons of fun of me everytime I haul out the baby sling.  (this one is from Seven Slings but I also have one from Hotslings that is great too.)  He starts mumbling something about "kangaroos" and such but I just ignore him and go on.  Annie is very VERY attached to me and sometimes I need my hands free to do other things (like attend to Lil) and the sling allows her to be carried around constantly.  I can vacuum the house, fold laundry, whatever. 

BUT the handiest is at  the grocery.  See logistically, if Lil is in the cart and so is Annie, there is no where to put the GROCERIES...but if Lil is in the cart and Annie is in the sling...voila' room to put the milk and the bacon and the....well you get the picture. 

Yeah for baby slings...yay for baby wearing...yay for happy babies in general

Seriously ABC...what is so funny about food allergies???

Grrrr...please note, before you read this blog post, the mama bear in me is seriously coming out.

You were warned....As a mother of three I have next to no time to watch television.  Granted, I catch many hours of Sesame Street, Dora and the like, but to sit down and watch a show without animated characters doesn't happen very often. 

However, for some reason, my babies seem to go to bed early on Sunday evenings after the business of the weekends and I sometimes catch an episode of some random show.  I just so happened to catch an episode of Brothers and Sisters on ABC about a year ago when a hurried stressed out mom encouraged her daughter to pack a peanut butter sandwich to school.  When the daughter piped up that her school was nut free the mom just said in passing, "oh tell them it's soy butter."  Not cool ABC.  As a mom of a severely peanut allergic child and who benefits greatly from a nut free campus at his FANTASTIC school, an event like this could cause a great deal of harm to a child like mine. 

So that irked me but I got over it. 

Then Brothers and Sisters had another inappropriate comment about food allergies in an episode I didn't catch, but I did read an article about it.  Seriously?  Again?  why are food allergies now considered free for all in the world of TV?

BUT...nothing in my opinion topped a few minutes of a show I caught on Wednesday night.  All the kids were sick this week, as was Travis, so I had sat down in the recliner to try to coax Annie to sleep.  In the opening minutes of the show "Happy Endings"  there was a scene were a girl told her friends about her being severely allergic to shellfish, another boy said that he was...long story short...the girl got a shellfish slung on her and her "friend" said he lied about being allergic.  All the while, another friend, jabbed her in the leg with an epipen and then rolled back over to watch TV.  This makes me seriously angry because the whole segment was obviously meant to be very funny.  As a Mom who has had to administer epinephrine to her small son on more than one occasion I can assure you, the instances in which that medication is necessary is anything but comical.

Not to mention that the show depicted the medication  being given totally incorrectly.  And anytime epi is administered the person needs to be taken (preferably by ambulance) to the closest ER.

I suppose in the grand scheme of things this is not a huge deal, but it just saddens me that an issue that is of huge concern to some children and adults alike is for some reason funny in today's society.

I can't imagine that a television show would poke fun at someone with another life threatening chronic condition and rightly so.  So why is it funny that someone would be extremely allergic to a food?  Do you realize that "allergic" doesn't have to mean just coughing and sneezing.  It can mean some serious things like your body going into anaphylactic shock.  Epinephrine is meant to be a LIFE SAVING medication and if not administered quickly enough the results can be fatal. 

Just another reason for me to pass on by the night time shows airing on ABC.  There are plenty of other moral reasons that I don't watch alot of those shoes, but stepping on the toes of people who suffer from a very real condition is just another one. 

This.week.

Sweet.Baby.Croup.Ear Infection.Sore.Throat.Fever.Cutting Molars.

Not.Fun.At.All.

Poor Annie

Not afraid to Use it

Noah has a shot gun which he loves.  I mean loves...however, he doesn't get to shoot it very much because he needs more than one adult preferably to supervise and both girls must be occupied in the house.  But on Labor Day, Nana and Papa came over for chili and a hot dog roast.  Lil was napping and Annie was occupied with Nana so Noah Thomas finagled Travis and Papa into taking him out shooting.  Their target, a watermelon which got a little too ripe in the previously hot week.


Poor unsuspecting watermelon...

Then it was my turn...Dad and Travis totally didn't think I could hit it

They were wrong

Sometimes I wonder...

As a Mom with a third baby who is just learning to walk, I watch her take her steps.  Sometimes she's steady and sure of where she is going and she gets there with no troubles.  Sometimes, she loses her balance, falls, and pulls her self right back up with no help from me.  Sometimes she falls and I don't interfere even though she struggles a little, and I know that she will get back up on her own and it will make her stronger, more sure of herself.  Sometimes, though, sometimes, she loses sight of where she is heading falls, gets up, falls again, and out of frustration she starts to cry and reaches for me to help pick her up.

Even though she could pick her self up again, sometimes, she just needs mommy or daddy's arms to pick her back up and tell her it is ok and she can do it.

It sometimes astounds me how much love I have for my children.  And then I think about the fact that my heavenly father loves me even more than than.

It's hard for me to comprehend and I lose sight of it sometimes. 

But I know that God knows my every step before I even take it.  And he is with me when I fall, even when I get up and move ahead. 

Sometimes when I fall (or fail) I feel like he is watching me, knowing that I am faltering, but that I will learn my lesson through my failures.  As a Mother, sometimes I watch my children try the same thing over and over and experience failure over and over, and I wonder to myself, why won't they just try my way? instead of having so much trouble.  Then I wonder if God doesn't feel the same way with his children.  He sees us try our ways time and time again, when if we would come his way our paths are so much simpler. 

But sometimes, when I fall and and feel like I can't get back up, that's when I can feel him picking me back up.  And you know what?  No matter what, no matter how many times I have fallen, everytime I reach for him, he's always there. 

Thanks Bub

My seven year old already thinks he is way too smart for his silly mother. He overheard me telling someone about how Annie is not a great sleeper at night.

When we got home, he looked at me very seriously, blinked a few times, straightened up his little glasses and said, "Mom, Annie is just nocturnal, that means she doesn't sleep at night."

Thanks Noah, Yes I am aware of what Nocturnal means.

So does that mean if she could sleep hanging upside down from a tree branch like a tiny fruit bat she would sleep? Hmmm... OK you know I am just kidding, well pretty much...

Awesome

I'm pretty sure I am a ROCK STAR and didn't realize it...

Why...you ask?

My room is often trashed (albeit by sippy cups and toys) but trashed no less

There could easily be a broken lamp or table leg thrown in the mix

I am followed by a group of (tiny) roadies who will scream or cry for my attention if necessary and often cheer when I enter a room

Said roadies emulate everything I do...dress like me, wanna wear my makeup, etc etc

You can often find me in the morning with blurry blood shot eyes, tousled hair, toting a ridiculously large coffee mug

Last but not least

I am often up till the wee hours of the morning "rockin" with a little party animal who has no regard to the noise level that is appropriate for that hour of the night

See? Rock star...

Now...where's my entourage?

PS...the first one of you who leaves a comment referring to the fact that I am also 30 and refusing to cut my ridiculously long hair...you're off the list...HA!!!

So Glad to Know...

I'm not the only Mommy who uses her remaining brain power for really important things like making up stories and playing tea party...and doesn't waste her remaining brain cells on things like remembering where she parked her car.

Why you ask?

I am the proud owner of a Silver Honda Pilot. Which yesterday happened to be parked directly across the parking lot from another Silver Honda Pilot.

I came out of the store and stood at my vehicle pressing my unlock button repeatedly and wondering why it wouldn't unlock and where did that license plate come from.

Ironically enough, there was another Mommy across the parking lot, pointing her key ring at MY silver pilot and wondering why it wouldn't unlock.

HA! We realized what we were doing at the same time and shared a good laugh.

Two words...Mommy brain

FYI

Did you know that in the amount of time it takes to answer the telephone a three year old girl can scale up a shelf in the pantry and retreive an entire large container of HOT PINK sparkling decoration sugar and proceed to spill the ENTIRE contents on the kitchen table and hardwood floor?

Did you also know that you would still have sugar crystals stuck to your feet even after you have swept, vacuumed, and mopped?

Did you also know that such sugar attracts ants? Also before said sugar is cleaned up, mysteriously mandarin organge syrup would be dripped down the steps.

Yes, it's a fact. A mess that takes 10 seconds to make can take a day and a half to clean up! HA!

Why yes, it's been a fun day here, why do you ask?

Good night all! Just keepin' it real!

Help me Out...(Pretty Please)

Hey friends...
I went to a great photo seminar in Nashville the other night and we did tons of new baby stuff. Problem is I need to print a few new ads with the new baby stuff and I need some newborns (less than 7 days old!) to do some quick sessions to use for a fall baby ad...

which brings me to the help part...if you are interested in your baby being a model for the ads, and would like to participate and you have a newborn or are due to deliver anytime before mid September leave me a comment with your email address and I'll send you some info.

I promise I will make this worth your time and effort! (hint..free stuff)

Second favor (sorry last one..I think) While at Nashville, I picked up a couple new backdrops and one I am wanting to do some sample shoots on would be perfect for a little boy less that 3...denim, cute hats, barefoot, easy peasy...no fancy outfits, just a few minutes of your time and it will be fun.

Thanks a million guys, and please only respond if you are OK with me using your child's photos in some email newsletters and some postcards (obviously their name, etc. will not be used!)

Annie is One!

Ann Elizabeth turned one last Sunday on July 24th and we celebrated with a little hot pink and zebra party. She had a fun time at her party and did eat a little bit of cake...not much mind you, too messy, but enough to say it was her birthday cake.
Because of the other kids and the history of severe food allergies, we start new foods with Annie very very slowly, and up until now she has not been exposed to cow's milk, so I made and decorated her cake with no milk, no eggs, and no nuts. She tolerates soy fine so we made substitutions using soy milk and the cake was great.
Annie has not had her 12 month checkup yet so I"m not sure on all the statistics but here are a few facts about Little Sis at 1 year.

Annie wears some 9 months clothing and some 12 months.
She has 6 teeth and 2 more cutting through (four on top two on bottom)
She is very petite, and wears a size 3 diaper.
She still doesn't sleep through the night.
Is still exclusively breastfed, and also is starting some table foods. (PLain veggies, cereals, crackers, etc)
Did get to try out a plain hamburger from McDonalds and though it was delightful!
Says Mama, Dada, Bubby, Kitty, something that sounds like Lilly, git, byebye,
Is very timid and tenderhearted
Is scared of many animals and several stuffed animals.
Looks very similar to Noah at 12 months but is much smaller than he was.
She still has a few issues with eczema on her elbows, wrists, knees, but not bad at all.
She is a generally happy sweet baby, and loves to be held and rocked and packed and spoiled!
Loves her brother and sister and is very interested in everything they do.
Loves Daddy but is very much a Mommy's girl at heart.

Summer Fun

We got to spend a little time at Uncle Scott and Aunt Kelli's new pool last week when they had the family over. Needless to say, the kids LOVE it. Everyone had a great time and after much coaxing even Lilly went down the slide.

Perfect for the 4th

Many of you may have seen on facebook but at the studio I am starting to offer a few new lines. I am now carrying a line of boutique frames and am going to occasionally be adding children's outfits and accessories. Just thought I'd post a quick photo of the first outfit that will arrive on Friday (just in time for July 4th and all the summer festivities)

Boutique Brand Mudpie

Available in 0-6 months 12-18months and 2t-3t $24.00

These will be at the studio on Friday and can be picked up Fri or Sat or I can arrange to meet you to deliver.

Perfect for summer photos

Email me at jparsley@windstream.net if you want one!

Unhappy

Lilly Grace now has bangs...

-I did not give her bangs

-Nor did any other hairdresser

-she says Bubby did it

-Bubby says she did it

-I told them Jesus knew who was lying

-as does Santa Claus

-Bangs on Lilly makes me unhappy

That is All

I Know She's Mine But...

As the heading reads, I know this baby is mine but, she really is the sweetest little thing ever...

Just wanted to make a quick post about some of Annie's little milestones I don't want to forget.

She's 9 months now and she really is a petite little thing. She's in the 26th percentile for height and weight and is wearing size 6 to 9 month clothes and size 2 or 3 diapers. She has just in the last week cut her top two front teeth (which she ran a small fever and had diarrhea along with!)

She is eating baby food, puffs, and cheerios and can eat a real banana. She loves cheerios and puffs the most along with her cereal. She's OK with baby food but would prefer puffs!
She still has an occasional touch of eczema on the bends of her ankles, but the rest of her skin is doing well as long as we stick to the scent free dye free detergent's, soaps, etc (which we do for the bigger kids anyway)

She really loves her big brother, likes to watch lilly from a distance (HA) likes to play with Daddy but is really a Mommy's girl at heart. She likes to know that I'm near and sleeps wedged right up next to me. She is still getting up alot during the night, but she is a lot like Noah as a baby and he was just not a sound sleeper and neither is she. Lil was a champion sleeper, the other two not so much! But it passes so we're dealing!

Most people say she looks like me or Noah and I must agree (her baby pictures look alot like mine!) She definitely has the "Stevenson" look.

She is crawling like a manwoman and does the funniest thing. She cocks one leg up under her when she crawls like she would like to stand up any minute. She is also pulling up and I think will be crusing the furniture any day.

She is the only one of my children who have ever had to be strapped into their high chair. The other two would sit like they were supposed to. Annie has figured out how to pull up and sit on the tray, she's a little monkey!

Anyway, she does have the sweetest little disposition unless you try to take her too far from her Mommy and then she will let you know about it, and I kind of like it that way! HA!

what did we ever do without our sweet youngest baby? Love this girl

7 more days...

Yikes...I counted up the days of school left and it's SEVEN. Seven more school days until I officially have a second grader...meaning one more school year has come and gone! And not to mention that this year has brought many changes to my baby boy... like he has had his first sleepover with the "guys", he is very aware of what is cool and what is not, he cares about his clothes, like alot, and also breaks into his Daddy's cologne every morning before school... hmm...not so sure about this grown up boy stuff. He also wanted me to stop signing the notes I pack in his lunch box as "mommy" and just sign it as "mom." I know the next thing will be he doesn't want notes in his lunchbox at all. He also informed Nana that she can't call him "Baby" at school. Poor Mom and me, we'll take to our beds I suppose when he has his first date. HA!

But seven or fifty-seven...this cool guy will always be my BABY...whether he'll admit it or not....

I do have to add on a funny little note about Noah I don't want to forget. He thought he would surely die before the dance recital was over on Sunday. He perked up long enough to watch his sister and then he wanted to see his buddies Mollie and Macy, but the rest of the recital he thought he would surely perish before it was over...and the fact that he had to wear his church clothes during the entire program was more than his little heart could bear. HA! Note to self....a three hour long dance recital is not high on the agenda of most enjoyed activities of a first grade boy! Now keep in mind that his sister has endured several hours worth of basketball and baseball games as his biggest supporter, but nonetheless one dance recital just about did Noah in.

Dance Recital 2011

Yesterday marked the big event that Miss Lilly has been working toward since August...the dance "cital" as she called it. We went to dance every Friday morning for the past 9 or so months and she has really enjoyed it. She didn't always do what she was exactly supposed to in class and spent a little more time socializing that I would have liked, but never the less, she made it to the recital. We went for dress rehearsal on Tuesday night and I was so proud of my baby! She did so well and looked so sweet on stage I could have cried! When the big day came on Sunday, my friend Stephanie warned me of the chaos that was a dance recital, and let me tell you, she was right. There was hair, and makeup, and costume drama, and trying to find a parking spot on campus and then it rained some, but we made it and the show went off without a hitch. Lilly was beautiful, and to be a little 3 year old performing on a huge stage in front of a huge crowd, she did awesome!!!

Lilly had a great cheering section, of me and Daddy, Noah, Annie, Nana, Papa, Pappaw, Granny, Aunt Beth, And Uncle Nick and Aunt Brooke.

It was a fun day and our little ballerina was so worn out she came home and took a 4 hour nap and then woke up to eat some cookies and went to bed for the night. HA! It's hard work to be a superstar!

Mother's Day Eve...

Just thinking about the precious boy who made me a Mommy seven years ago and how time has flown since this photo was taken. From the second he bounded into my world, he changed everything for me. I went from being me to being someone's Mom. From that second on, I've never looked back. I don't know what I did before him, and I can't fathom what I would do without him and his sweet baby sisters. They are my entire world.
Right now, my days from morning until night consist of what they want and need. I know that these days are all too fleeting and someday I will miss the days when someone needs a drink of water or another hug or one more story. So for all of you Mommy's out there, Happy Mother's Day.

I should probably seek some help...

I mean seriously, it's crazy...even ridiculous I know...

they don't have to match everywhere we go...

but it's

SO

Darn

CUTE

I'm sure there is a twelve step program somewhere

Let me know

In light of some alarming recent events, my family blog will be going private in one week. I also will be limiting the use of my private facebook account. If you wish to be added to the list of email addresses allowed to be able to read my blog please leave me your email address in a comment or email me at jparsley@windstream.net. Thanks!

Not So Much

Eating in theory sounds great to Ann Elizabeth. She watches us with great interest...gets really excited when it looks yummy, even will reach for a stray bite, however...

She has yet to find any baby food concoction she enjoys. She detests rice cereal, doesn't like squash, sweet potatoes, bananas (which were the favorites of my older two). Seriously, she hates it all. Gags, spits, shivers her little head back and forth. She'll just take breastmilk thank you very much...

According to Dr. Simmons at her 6 month checkup she is growing "beautifully!" She is in the 46th percentile for height, 45th for weight and is developing right on schedule. So I'm not worried about it in the least. She will eventually find food she likes and until then we'll keep trying. It would have worried the life out of me if Noah had refused baby food, but with her I know she'll get to it when she is ready and for now she's right on schedule (and has the baby fat rolls to prove it!)

Doctor Visits

Today's daily adventure was to return to the pediatrician's office with both girls. It was loads of fun....it consisted of a followup RSV check for Annie (who has been sick with the yucky virus for going on 8 days now) and the second part of Lilly's flu vaccine.

Annie is great. Her ears were healed, her lungs sound clear, she is still hanging on to a cough that sounds truly brutal, but she is in better spirits and I'm convinced, as is our pediatrician, that she is on the mend. Collective sigh of relief...

Lilly spent the morning in creative thought as to how to prevent having to go get her second flu shot. She asked me this morning if she had to get a shot (which she asks every time we have to go to the doctor) and I didn't want to lie to her, so I told her yes, one small one and it would be over. She then wailed (as do I when shots are mentioned). She then over the course of the car ride to the clinic asked me if we could go to Maggie's house, McDonalds, Papa's, or Walmart, in no certain order. All aforementioned destinations seemed a better way to spend one's time than at the doctor's office. Thankfully, Daddy met us at the clinic to lend a hand with the girlies.

Lilly was fine with the idea of shots, once we got there and seemed resigned to the fact that it was going to happen. All went well until the shot nurse came into the room.

Lilly fired questions at the poor lady like a drill sargeant...

"Do you have the shots?"

"Are they big?"

"Do me go first?"

"Will it hurt?"

"Is it a needle?"

And the question of the day that is so truly Lilly was...

"Can you save one of dose for Bubba?"

Yes, ever the good sister she is. This is the girl that would rather bite her brother's fingers off than to share her snacks. I literally had to break them off each other one Sunday at church over a stupid ziploc bag of goldfish crackers, but shots, yes, shots she will gladly share. Ahh, the love of a sister for her brother

Sisters

Oh the worry these two little heartbreakers will cause their dear old Daddy some day...

I asked him the other day if he ever thought about their proms, or weddings, etc...he looked a little green and wishes I would never mention it again.

Oh yes, one day some handsome boy will no doubt catch their eyes, but for now, their Hearts Belong to Daddy...

Updating

Dear Faithful Readers,

most blogs I read when the say they are behind on blogging they say they are "slackers" lol! I am most certainly behind on my blog but indeed lately I have been anything but a "slacker". We have had so much going on in the Parsley household that I think my best bet is to start current and backdate for my "scrapbooking" purposes. Hmm where to begin...

The latest big news at the Parsley house is that sweet Ann Elizabeth cut her first tooth! We found it on Sunday (the 16th). She had not been sleeping well at all and was very fussy. All three kids were sick with sinus infection type symtoms and she had one as well and ran a fever so I wasn't sure if the fussiness was for the illness or the tooth, probably a little of both. But I think she is working on some more!

Also, on the 13th my baby boy turned seven years old! How on Earth we got here so fast I'll never know!

As his birthday gift we took him to see Monster Jam in Nashville along with my cousins Nick and Brooke and their oldest son, Conner. Needless to say the boys had a blast. We ate at Cracker Barrel and then headed to the event. We ended up being in the front row! We came home with a Grave Digger shirt and some great memories!

Then on his actual birthday Noah wanted to have tacos, so I cooked tacos and make him a birthday cake and we had the grandparents over.

We wrapped up birthday celebrations with Noah having his first ever sleepover on Friday. He invited Evan and Jarrett over to spend the night and the boys had a blast. Travis brought home pizza and they camped out in their sleeping bags in Noah's room. They played a lot of Star wars, watched TV, played their Nintendo DS and rough housed like little boys will do. It was very special to have these two boys over for our first sleepover, because they have all literally been friends since they were born. Now they are all getting so big, but honestly I couldn't have picked any three sweeter boys to spend my evening with. I really liked having our house busy with the sound of happy little boys!

Also for my record here are some facts about Noah on his seventh birthday:

-Noah is all "boy". His loves include, UK, basketball, Star Wars, camo, his new rifle, his Bow, playing outside, and all things animal (He loves to watch Man versus wild with his Dad)

-He LOVES his baby sister and loves to hold her and get her to laugh

-He plays well with Lilly about half the time and the other half they fight (I"m told this is normal)

-He enjoys school but does not love homework

-He is very loving to his family (He is so close to all his grandparents, loves his aunts and uncles, and cousins, and loves to spend time with them)

-He lost his bottom two teeth but most people never noticed, because his permanent teeth had already come in behind his baby teeth!

-He is very particular about his clothing (and would love in jeans and tshirts)

-He is just a great, funny, rambunctious boy!

-Still occasionally mixes up and uses the funniest words (arguvating, frinkles...etc)