Preparing for Parker

Phillip and I are starting to feel a little overwhelmed by all the things we should be doing to prepare for Parker's arrival. You'd think that would make us get on the ball and start getting stuff done, however, we still haven't really done that much. He does have clothes at least. I've posted a few pictures below of some of his outfits. Between my mom and sisters and Phillip's mom and sister, he should be fully clothed. Now, if we could just make ourselves order a crib and all that other important stuff.

We headed south to Ruston this weekend to see my sister Meredith. There is a great store there called The Children's Shoppe. Meredith helped me pick out these outfits for Parker. The blue one also has a sweet hat Meredith picked out, but it didn't make the pic (Sorry, Mere, I forgot to put it in! I'll make sure to post a picture of Parker in the hat when he gets here). How cute is the football outfit??????

My mom bought this outfit for Parker the day we found out he was a boy. Won't Tulip look cute with a matching red bandanna?

I couldn't fit it all in the picture, but there is definitely fringe around the bottom cuffs of the outfit!!!!

As I mentioned, we were starting to feel a little behind on getting ready for this baby, so we went ahead and ordered his bedding this week. This is not at all what I originally thought I wanted. I originally wanted white bedding..that's it....which is actually funny because I LOVE color and prints. To tell the truth, I really didn't even look at bedding that much, but when I finally did, I found this and fell in love! We're going to do a chocolate/espresso crib with it. I think I'm going to just do the cream walls, which is really funny because there's not a cream/neutral wall in my entire house!

I'm not ordering the valance or the other accessories..just the bedding. I'll probably get my mom to make curtains.

Tulip and Me

We went with the Stogsdills this weekend to see Marley and Me, so I'm devoting much of this post (as you can tell from the pictures) to our 1st child. (Actually, Tulip is really our 2nd child..our 1st child, Oscar is in Heaven now.) But..for our intents, we'll consider her our 1st child.

Tulip is a 1 1/2 year old Golden Retriever. She is truly the SWEETEST dog I've ever been around..sure, she jumps on people when they walk in the door, and she likes to help out with the laundry sometimes, but overall, she is really a great dog. Her favorite activities are playing with her two friends Zoe and Lola, going on walks, and CUDDLING!!

People have asked us what we're going to do with her when Parker gets here..our response is NOTHING. Our plan is for life to go on as usual with both of them. We're certainly not going to make her an outside dog (she would be traumatized). We really think she'll fall in love with him, and they'll be best friends.

So..all you fellow dog lovers, if you have any suggestions on how to acclimate an inside dog to a new baby, please post under our comments section.

Also...I strongly suggest you go see Marley and Me. Being the nerd that I am, I recommend you read the book first and then go see the movie. Be prepared...there wasn't a dry eye on our row at the theater.

Tulip as a puppy (8/07)

This is how we told our families about Parker.

Tulip and Phillip (1/09)

Also-a short update on me: I'm 21 weeks pregnant and feeling great!!!! I have truly been blessed with a great pregnancy so far! He is moving all the time, and he's big enough now that Phillip can feel him move..that just makes it so much more special!

As we prepare for this baby, here is a conversation between the two of us:

Me: "What are we going to do if he's huge and eats all the time? How are we going to be able to afford to feed him?"

Phillip: "We'll just consider it an investment in his future NFL career."

He was dead serious....

The secret's out....

I teach 5th grade...so my days are interesting..to say the least. Anyway, I hadn't told my students that I'm pregnant..yet....I didn't tell them before the break because I figured..what's the point? I'm not showing yet......
Well, I got ready yesterday morning and walked into the kitchen...Phillip said, "I think all the ladies at school are going to be excited..you can definitely tell." (This goes back to before Christmas break..they were all ready for me to start showing.)
So..I go to school knowing that I look a little different..let's just say I've blossomed over the past 2 weeks.
I walk in on Monday morning and the first thing my sweet principal says is "Oh..look at the baby bump! You're going to have to have a talk with your kids or else they're going to just think you're gaining weight.."
I finally broke the news to them, and they were so excited! I was a little nervous about the questions they might ask..I mean I'm not their mom....so....I was worried. But..they were great! They were so excited, and they only asked a few sweet questions. Below is a list of the comments I got:
"Mrs. Petty, I thought your stomach was starting to get bigger."
"Mrs. Petty, you are starting to show..."
"You know, there are certain things you can't eat or drink while you're pregnant..."
"If you have him during the summer, do you have all of our numbers you can call so we'll know when he's born?"
Out of the mouths of babes...

Last night was also a first for us...we got to see Parker move on the outside of my stomach! I was lying very still on the couch, so I could feel him move..(I hadn't felt him much all day). Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my stomach move! It was the neatest thing! I told Phillip, so we both started to stare...we were barely breathing...it happened again! It was also the first time Phillip got to feel him kick....I'm 19 1/2 weeks, so I don't know if that's early to see him on the outside of my stomach, but....let's just say..I think he's going to be a big boy!

One of my new favorite verses: "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us-whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of him." 1st John 5: 14-15

Parker Matthew Petty

This is me at 18 1/2 weeks...

We found out on Monday that we're having a boy! This, of course, was no surprise to me..I knew it was a boy all along. I did have two dreams very early in my pregnancy that it was a girl...but for some reason, I still knew it was a boy.

His name is Parker Matthew Petty. His middle name is the same as Phillip's....they'll have the same monogram which works out great because Parker can wear some of Phillip's monogrammed outfits from when he was a baby!

When the ultrasound tech said it was a boy, my mom, Phillip and I just started laughing. I said, "I told ya'll.." Anyway, she has him measuring a week ahead of time...he's already 11 ounces. Apparently that's big for 18 1/2 weeks. His feet are an inch long..scary since Phillip wears a size 13 shoe. I have a feeling this isn't going to be a small baby....

His due date is May 29th...

The following verse keeps coming to my mind, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Ps. 139: 13-14