The Many Faces of Parker J

So he's one month old.  And as sweet as can be.  I feel like I won the baby lottery - or maybe all babies are this sweet and it was just E & C that were the exceptions.  He sleeps, he eats, he snuggles -- that's about it.  And I am impossibly in love.

Love interspersed with moments of panic.  Unless something drastically changes, this is our last baby.  And something about that is so sad to me.  It is still surreal to me that a mother is given this absolutely vulnerable precious little being to care for -- and that you are this little one's entire world.  They depend on you for everything.

It's going too fast already.  I'm so afraid of losing all of the things that are just so "baby" -- not just the baby smell, but the little grunts and snorts, the sighs, the crazy faces, the scrunchy curled up body, the way he arches his eyebrows and throws his little fists up in the air when waking up.  The dry skin, the little "ahhh" sound he makes when about to sneeze, the sweet and sad little look he gives over his daddy's shoulder - big sorrowful eyes that seem all-knowing.

I'm fully aware that to most people newborns look like aliens, but it is amazing what mothers see.  His eyes meet mine and there is just something that happens.  Oh nature, you are genius.

And there is something about Parker in particular.  I don't know if it is just that he reminds me so much of Ella.  I remember feeling like I had to get to know E & C - wondering, who is this little baby and who will they become?  But it is like I already knew Parker.  Yes, I'm fully aware that he will probably become someone entirely different than I'm imagining, but for now, I'm soaking up all of his sweetness and imagining that he will forever be like this -- mommy's little boy.

Remind me of this when he is a rough and tumble toddler driving me crazy :)   

Super-Parker

Identity Crisis

While almost everyone knows now -- I feel I must memorialize this on the blog.  Yes, we have changed his name -- Grayson Kingsley is now Parker Kingsley!  Never felt better about a decision.  Little man is definitely a Parker.  Here is is the email we sent:

***

Hello all -

Baby boy Jaskot is doing great.  

Our original announcement email had a couple of errors and we would like to set the record straight!

1.  He was actually born at 5:52 am (not 5:22 as mistakenly stated in the original email).

AND

2.  He is requesting to be called Parker!  Actually, we decided that little man does not exactly fit the name Grayson and we are changing his name, but he seems to agree.  We are well aware that this sounds totally crazy, but we figure it has only been two weeks so hopefully we haven't caused too much damage.  Fortunately, the name change process is very easy in the first year (apparently we are not the only ones with name regret) so his name should "officially" be Parker Kingsley Jaskot very soon.

Parker asks that you forgive his mom's craziness.  He also completely understands if you continue calling him Grayson for a bit!

AMENDED ANNOUNCEMENT BELOW (with more recent picture).  Delete all original records and replace with the following!

Parker Kingsley Jaskot was born on July 22 at 5:52am!  7 lbs 5 oz and 19.5 in long. Mom and baby are resting and doing well.

Erin and Brian

Redline Version for all the lawyers:

Grayson Parker Kingsley Jaskot was born on July 22 at 5:22am 5:52am!  7 lbs 5 oz and 19.5 in long. Mom and baby are resting and doing well.

Erin and Brian

And - more importantly - here are some updated pictures!  So far so good.  Parker is a sweet, sweet baby.  While he does have his fussy moments, so far they pale in comparison to those of his sister and brother.  Hoping that our sweet little boy stays sweet.  (No colic please!!)

What are my crazy brother and sister doing??

Well, hello, Mr. Parrot

 

So. Grown. Up.

So grown up it makes my heart hurt.  I can't let my first baby go.

In the past two weeks, she's gotten another little brother, lost her first tooth, and opened her first bank account.

Help me.

 Ready to deposit $90 from her piggy bank!

At least we thought it was $90...  apparently we had two Canadian coins in there.  Grand total of $89.50.

Siblings, Baths and Birthdays

She may just be the best big sister ever.  What would I do without her??

And he's a pretty good big brother too :)

Not a fan of the bath!  This is the most I've seen him cry yet.  

Celebrating Poppa's birthday!!

Baby Gray - Week One

We are well on our way into week two... but here are some pics from week one!  Many many more pics to come -- if I can ever catch up!

These pictures look EXACTLY like Ella as a baby.

 The thinker.  Ella always did this too!

The original baby :)