Every time we go upstairs, Parker asks the same thing: “Sissy’s room?”
Actually it sounds more like “issy’s room” but we know what he means. It’s the room with the pink walls, his old glider, and a little side table — and literally nothing else. For some reason, this is Parker’s favorite room in the whole house, and we can get him to go upstairs without complaint (even for diaper changes and naptime) because of it.
The other day, I watched Parker climb into the glider and hold the “it’s a girl” teddy bear while he rocked back and forth, singing the ABCs to himself. The sun was streaming in through the windows and I got the feeling this was one of those defining moments I would look back on fondly in 30 years, recalling the best days of my life.
It doesn’t get much cheesier than this, but I’m going to write it anyway: my heart nearly bursts with happiness when I think about Parker and his “issy” and the relationship that they will have, being so close in age.
He loves her so much already; the frequent belly kisses and smiles when we talk about the baby make that quite apparent. But I can’t wait to introduce them for the first time and watch them grow up together.
Ever since Parker learned the meaning of the word, it’s been his go-to. When I come to his crib in the morning, when he sees any familiar person, when he wants to sit in his high chair, when he doesn’t feel like standing…you get the point.
The past few weeks have been particularly exhausting, so of course, Parker has been more needy than usual. Some days I feel like I barely set him down, because if I do, he starts crying. Then he’ll give me those puppy dog eyes, hold out his arms, and say in his cute little voice, “Up?”.
Yeah, he’s got me wrapped around his tiny finger.
I’m pretty sure this recent clinginess has something to do with the two teeth Parker is cutting, and I will gladly take extra snuggles (and bigger biceps) over lost sleep.
Speaking of “up”, that is exactly how Parker is growing. 16 months as of last week. His personality has blossomed so much over the last couple of months, and he is much fun to be with. He has the best sense of humor — he is figuring out how he can make us laugh and becoming quite the ham.
I’m working more hours during the week this year, so the time that I have with Parker is more valuable than ever. Which is exactly why I give in every time I hear that little “up”, even if it means wearing him in the Ergo while I vacuum the entire house. And sometimes, if I’m really lucky, I get extra snuggles as a reward for indulging him.
Parker had his 15-month well visit this week, and despite getting 4 shots plus a toe prick, he was a champ. He was pretty chill and let Dr. Phillips listen to his heart, look in his ears, and even take a peek at the molars that are starting to come in.
I always hold my breath a little when it comes time to take all the measurements, because Parker has been such a tiny peanut from the very beginning. He only gained one pound since his 12-month visit, but I wasn’t too surprised considering he is ALWAYS on the move (and still not the best eater).
Weight: 20 lb (12%) Height: 31 in (43%) Head: 46 cm (16%)
12% is the highest he’s been on the curve since he was born; hopefully the upward trend continues. The pediatrician was happy with his progress and said he looked perfect, which is always reassuring.
At 15 months, Parker is talking up a storm. He has lots of words, including:
hi
byebye
more
thank you
dada
mama
papa
nightnight
cracker
milk
wawa (water)
bath
toy
book
piano
lion
turtle
raccoon
duck
Elmo, Big Bird, Oscar, Grover, Ernie (Sesame Street)
Plus, he can tell me the sounds for dog, cat, cow, pig, sheep, duck, bird, lion, monkey, frog, train, doorbell, and drum. If I ask him to say a word, he will almost always do so, and he is pretty good at imitating without prompting, too.
One sweet little story to end this post about my big boy: last night, Parker woke up crying at around 12:30 (which never happens). I picked him up out of the crib, and he wiggled to get down. He walked over to the rocking chair and pointed to it, so I picked him up and we rocked for a few minutes.
He fell asleep almost immediately, but when I stood up to put him back in his crib he opened his eyes. I thought he was going to start crying again, but instead he just relaxed as I set him down and fell right back to sleep. I like to think he just needed a quick mama snuggle :)
Zach surprised us with tickets to see Sesame Street Live at the Prairie Capital Convention Center over Labor Day Weekend, and as much as Parker LOVES Sesame Street, I wasn’t sure which way this would go. I figured he would either love it or be scared to death of his beloved characters in life-sized form. Luckily, the former was true — Parker had what we are pretty sure was the best day of his life.
The excitement began before we even walked through the door. Parker couldn’t get over the fact that Elmo was on his shirt, and kept pointing to him. He knew something was up, maybe because we were all so excited. He practically skipped up the sidewalk and into the building.
The first thing Parker spotted was this Count sign, holding $8 Elmo and Grover balloons. We practically had to tear him away to go inside the auditorium.
And you better believe that he was a proud owner of one of those $8 balloons at intermission, thanks to Grandma Libby. As much as he loved the balloon, it didn’t come close to his sheer amazement as he watched the show.
This child has the attention span of a knat, yet his eyes didn’t leave the stage once. Not a peep, and the only moving he did was from lap to lap without looking away from the action.
I’m pretty sure that Zach, his parents and I enjoyed this experience just as much as Parker. Seeing it through his eyes was so special — it was definitely an afternoon to remember.
I wasn’t sure how Sesame Street on the small screen at home would hold up after seeing the live version, but luckily Parker is still a fan. Just hearing the theme song throws him into full-on dance mode. I suppose there are worse things he could be going gaga over than Elmo (or, Memmo, as Parker lovingly calls him).
Out of all the ways that becoming a mom has changed me, turning into an extrovert is the one I didn’t see coming. I guess it makes sense, though; spending most of my time at home with a toddler leaves me craving adult interaction now more than ever.
Over the past year, I’ve made a few great “mom friends” through the baby group at St. John’s Hospital, swim lessons, music class, and through mutual friends. I really look forward to playdates so that Parker can have fun while his friends while I get in some grown-up conversations. Win-win situation.
Most recently, a few of us met up at Ergadoozy, which was a huge hit! There were tons of toys to play with, things to climb, and slides to go up the wrong way. An added bonus: the nice long nap that Parker took when we got home.
He’s at the age where he can participate in a lot more activities, which will be great for keeping us busy throughout the week this fall. Last week we attended our first Funshop class, which was quite the experience! There were SO many things to take in and experience that I think it was a bit of sensory overload for Parker, but he had a great time.
We also tried out the Little Gym, which has a “gymnastics” class for toddlers. It was so funny watching Parker run wild all over the big mat and dancing to the music. He was completely terrified of the gym equipment until the very end of the class, when he decided to try out the little balance beam. Of course, when it was time for everyone to come back to the mat (where he had been the entire class), Parker refused to get off the beam. Typical :)
Swim lessons start back up on Saturday, so our schedule really is going to be chock-full. We have to get all of our fun in before winter hits, especially if this year is anything like last. Until then, we’ll be getting out and about as often as we can (and taking plenty of long naps as a result!).
Welcome! I’m Rachel Rambach, board-certified music therapist and creator of Listen & Learn Music — educational songs and musical materials for children. I love sharing my work with you, along with my behind-the-scenes creative process, adventures in business ownership, and life as a mom of two little ones.
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