Busy and learning

Watching a baby learn and develop is an eye-opening experience.  I'm continually amazed by the things Parker knows and does.  It's pretty miraculous how the world starts coming together for a previously helpless little blob of an infant.  

During these last few weeks of his first year, it seems like Parker learns something new every day!  Recently, he's learned to identify nose, eye, ear, hand, foot, clock, and hat.  He does some of the hand movements to songs like Skinamarinky Dinky Dink and Itsy Bitsy Spider, and he has started trying to snap which is absolutely adorable. 

He understands that the remote turns on the TV (we have a few songs recorded from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Yo Gabba Gabba, Sesame Street, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates that he loves to watch/listen to).  He has a funny little bounce dance that he does a lot.

Besides "mama" and "dada" which he says all the time for different things, I guess his first word was "uh oh."  He says it when he drops something and sometimes BEFORE he drops something.  Silly boy!  He's tried to say cat for months, but it usually comes out like "dat" or "dada."  

He pulls up on everything and walks all the time.  It's cool to see where he wants to go and what he wants to do now that he is mobile.  He's still hilariously wobbly, but he's getting better at catching his balance and not falling down. 

Parker is a total mama's boy and still wants me to hold him a lot.  Now, he crawls or walks over to me and holds onto my legs and cries until I pick him up.  This is the face I get when I can't pick him up right away.  Pitiful!

He's generous with his snuggles and kisses for me, Himal, his cats, stuffed animals, and touch-and-feel books with fuzzy pages.  He's also very friendly with others.  He waves to everyone and often tries to snuggle with or kiss other kiddos.

We've been staying busy lately traveling, hanging out around town, and playing with new toys.  We visited my family for the 4th,

and my parents' mini horse had a baby mule while we were there! 

It was neat to see Parker enjoy the old toys from my childhood.

Parker loves books and has us read the same ones over and over.  Here is Mr. Big reading one of Parker's favorites to him for about the 10th time in a row.

Locally, we've been hanging out at the zoo, pool, and library. 

Well, hello, Mr. Gorilla.

We attended Lily's first birthday party, and the kiddos were too cute together.

Parker got a swing set from us as his early birthday present, and he loves it! 

 I made his Pack N Play into a ball pit.  He enjoys standing in it and throwing the balls out and saying "uh oh."

Parker's first birthday is in a week and a half!  On one hand, it's hard to believe he's already a year old; on the other hand, it's crazy that we've only known him a year.  He's such a sweet, easy-going, funny little guy who is the center of our world now.  We are so blessed!