Christmas is almost here!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

I LOVE Christmas! It really is my favorite holiday--I love everything about the season. I love that we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I love that it's a time for family and friends to gather together. I love listening to Christmas music; O Holy Night is my favorite. I love cooking and eating Christmas dinner. This year I am especially loving doing all these things and seeing them through Ryan and Evan's eyes. Of course they don't understand any of this--yet. I see them take in all the sights and sounds, though, and I feel like a kid all over again. Evan loves our Christmas tree--Ryan, not so much! He won't go near the thing. But he does love Christmas music. Dare I say our boy is musically inclined?!

Fallon took our Christmas picture when she was here. I'll post it once I get our Christmas cards mailed. All I gotta say is, you have no idea what it took to get that one picture! It was crazy 'round these parts!

I don't love that we won't be able to go home for Christmas, but I am looking forward to having a quiet Christmas with our little family of four. I can't wait for the Peas to see their gifts on Christmas morning. I must admit that I have gone overboard, though. I really had no intentions of doing so, but I can't help myself! I started early, so it hasn't felt like I've been shopping a lot. I sit and think about what they have and what I still want them to have, and yikes! Somebody needs to stop me!

No new pictures this week. In fact, I realized that my camera has been sitting down here in the office. I'll make up for it this week. R & E are doing well--still making their parents insanely happy. Still taking our breath away with the beauty that is them. Still making us know every second of every day how blessed we are.

Here are a few new things they are doing:

Evan repeats repeats almost every thing we say. Some new words this week: light, star, Gabba Gabba (the boy is addicted to this show) He can say cup, he loves saying yes (which is strange since he hears "no" so often!) He has recently started a love affair with one of his push-to-walk toys that we converted into a car. He loves riding on his car now! He's climbing into and onto everything. There have been a few falls this week, but this one is tough I tell you. He shakes 'em off, and does the same thing again. Nanny J recently told me that, "Evan is very defiant." Uh-oh!

Ryan has been repeating words too. He greets the nanny each morning with a "Hi, Jackie!" I finally got to hear it myself. SO cute! He loves to count. I'll say one and he'll say two. We're still working on the rest. He's a climber too, but is more likely to stop when asked. I recently downloaded Christmas music on his My Pal Scout. He loves Scout. Sometimes he even has his and Evan's going at the same time! Both boys can say Badger, but Ryan would rather not deal with the dog. At. all.

It seems that they are adding new words each day. I'm sure that I'm forgetting some of them. They seem to be growing up so fast! On one hand I love it! They are smart and funny little boys! On the other hand, I miss my babies! We have toddlers now! What a year this has been!

Thanksgiving 2010

The Parker fam had a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday! Here is what our weekend was like in pictures.

Evan was thrilled to see Daddy come home Wednesday night. We didn't brave Thanksgiving holiday travel to make it to services that night.

Ryan looks a little less impressed, but he was excited to see Daddy too--I promise!

This is the Peas' after-bath attire. They really do move this fast! That diaper genie? It belongs on the opposite side of the room. Ryan, it seems, has other plans for it.

Before bath time Ryan decided to hang out with his books. Does this look familiar?

The uh-oh I'm caught face. I didn't mind since he's so stinkin' cute!

Hanging out and being silly with Mommy before bedtime. Auntie Fallon was coming into town tonight!

Pretend that you see pictures from Thanksgiving Day here. Mommy made a delicious turkey that was moist and juicy, dressing, potato salad and sweet potato pie. Daddy made macaroni and cheese and greens. Ryan and Evan were not impressed!

These pictures are out of order, but we spent Friday evening putting up our Christmas tree. Even Badger joined in on the fun! Our tree has one less poinsettia now!

Evan is such a great helper. He placed this ornament in the perfect spot. Now he snatches one off every chance he gets!

Mommy lovin' on the Baby One. Evan is NOT a fan of molars:(

Ryan is a great helper too! He helped Mommy sort the ornaments.

Sunday just before Auntie left headed back to DC. Evan is still not a fan of molars:(

Ryan and Aunt Fallon. Both of the boys learned how to say "auntie" this weekend. It sounds like auuu-tee!



So there you have it.--Thanksgiving 2010 Parker style. We have so much to be thankful for, and it was great having my sister join our little family to celebrate. It is difficult being so far away from family, but it's nice to start our own traditions. We have had the absolute best last few days. There's been lots of good food and laughter. We are truly, truly blessed.

Always "in" to something!

The Peas have tons of books. I keep all of their board books and "Pea friendly" books in the family room in this bin so the boys can have access to them. I love to see them grab a book and "read" it. If I start reciting a few lines from their favorite books they'll sometimes go get that book. Ryan loves Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do you See? and Evan is currently loving Busy Fingers. Well last night this sweet boy took loving his books to a whole new level! I looked over last night and saw this: Evan had climbed into his book bin! I didn't have a camera handy, but I grabbed my cell phone because I just had to capture this! :)

It's never too early to...

teach your kids to do laundry!

It's never too early to...

learn your ABCs! My sweet boy is teething something serious! He has two molars already and two more are coming in. You wouldn't even know it if it wasn't for all the drool. Of course he absolutely refuses to wear a bib anymore. *smh*

It's hard to tell, but they are wearing their "My First Tuskegee Shirt" t-shirts! Thanks again, CT! Of course their daddy does not appreciate the TU gear. Daddy is an ASU Hornet. We are major rivals when it comes to...well...just about everything!

Blogging for Babies: Prematurity Awareness Day 2010

Today is Prematurity Awareness Day, and bloggers have been asked to blog about our experiences with premature birth in order to raise awareness. Did you know that 1 in 8 babies is born too soon? Did you know that African-American women are more likely to deliver prematurely? Did you know that being pregnant with multiples increases your risk for a premature birth? Did you know that in the US premature births are actually on the rise? Do you know anyone who has delivered prematurely? Do you love someone who was born too soon? Did you know that the beautiful brown boys who this blog is all about struggled to live each and every day for the first few weeks of their lives?


Ryan and Evan were born approximately 15 weeks early. Not due until September 16, 2009, The Parker twins were born on June 8, 2009 at 6:28am and 6:29am. They weighed 1lb 12oz and 1lb 11oz. They relied on a ventilator breath for them because their lungs were underdeveloped. They were fed through a NG tube because they could not suck and swallow. Nobody knew what their future would hold. We didn't know if they would live, walk, see, hear, or talk. All we knew is that we loved them, we wanted them, and that we knew the One who controls all things.

If you look at the Peas today and you didn't know our story, you may not even realize any of this. As you watch these two healthy, happy, smart, funny, rambunctious, sweet, adorable, observant, and feisty toddlers walk, run, climb, dance, talk, and play you would never know that their mother used to sit and think, "Will my babies ever___________?" In those early days, I truly didn't know that any of what my babies can do would ever be possible.

Everyday that I chase them around our home is a blessing. The climbing on the couch that I mentioned the other day? Well, that's a blessing too. The screaming and whining you're sure to hear if you are ever in our home? Music to this mama's ears. I remember a day when they couldn't cry because of the breathing tube that was down their throat. The food that I have to I pick up from the floor when they've had enough to eat? I don't mind at all, because my babies can eat by mouth and I do not have to feed them through a tube. The gibberish mixed with real words that I hear throughout the day ? A sigh of relief for me. The attitude that I get times two every day when they don't get their way? I smile because I know that those beautiful brains of theirs are in those beautiful brown heads working as they should, and not having to figure out how to compensate for a brain bleed. The fact that Nick Jr. has taken over every TV in my house? Not a problem, because the Peas can see, hear, listen to and understand their favorite shows. Chasing two babies around the house? Changing two diapers? Giving two baths? Wrestling two toddlers to get them dressed? Absolutely exhausting, but so worth it. I carried two babies into Yale New Haven Hospital almost 18 months ago, and I walked out of that NICU for the last time 89 and 95 days later with my two babies in my arms. Now if I choose to, I can take them back and they can walk through those doors all by themselves.

Sadly, some mama, somewhere can't say the same things. All because of prematurity.


The March of Dimes is an organization that has taken a stand against prematurity, and because of its research, babies like Ryan and Evan have benefited from life saving medicines and treatments. Ryan and Evan had to fight, but babies shouldn't have to fight. All babies deserve nine months. All of them. Please support The March of Dimes in its efforts to help make this possible.

Way, way too long!

It's been way, way too long since my last post! I got on a roll a week or so ago and learned how to schedule posts so that I could write a few posts at a time and have them automatically post on different days. Hopefully I can get back to that. I haven't even taken a lot of pictures of my precious Peas lately! ::hanging my head in shame:

We've been hanging out in the basement more lately and boy do these two love it! They can run and play and just have a grand 'ole time. Tonight the Peas joined me downstairs in my craft room (Lord, it's such a mess!) and they were playing so nicely that I just had to snap a picture of them. They were so sweet to let me have a few minutes to work on a project. We won't mention that Evan swiped a set of my stamps and threw them on the floor or that Ryan used a jar of my brads as a hammer on the wall!

So what's been up in the land of the Peas? Temper tantrums have entered our home and I am NOT a fan! Yep, these two beautiful brown boys can throw an all-out hissy fit! My babies are no longer babies; they are full-fledged toddlers now. We see them grow up each and every day. Their newest thing is climbing on the sofa. They get up there anytime that they want. That's not a good thing, because they try to run around up there, hang over the side, and sit close to the edge...backwards! Yikes! Ryan has been doing this for awhile, and Friday both Daddy P and I looked on in shock as Evan did it too! There's really nothing we can do to stop them either. **sigh** Once they figure out how to do something that's pretty much it! These two are certainly all boy. They have no fear and will try almost anything.

In other news...they both got approved for Synagis shots again this year! I'm glad about that. We have officially kicked the bottles habit! It wasn't easy convincing them to give up their night time bottle. We've had sippy cups thrown at us, we've been hit, kicked, and screamed at, and I swear I saw Evan roll his eyes at me once! I offered Ryan the sippy cup one night and he walked from across the room to shove the cup at me! Evan broke one of his cups one day--make that two of them! The second cup he broke happened by accident, I think. I had to quickly replace it since he loves this cup now!

We've started shopping for them for Christmas. I've bought their one big shared gift, a Fisher Price Learning Home. It was the last one left and I'm glad I bought it early because I cannot be on the news for fighting with someone in order to get the last hot Christmas toy on the shelf! I still have to order their personalized chairs from Land of Nod. Hopefully this will help solve our climbing on the sofa problem. We have some Thanksgiving-themed craft projects lined up. I found a new blog (new to me, at least) called I Can Teach my Child. There are lots of neat things there that you can do with your kids. I'm not sure of the URL, but I'm sure Mr. Google can find it for you if you're interested. That's about all with us! Have a great week:)