Our Family

Colorado Visit

2012-02-02T15:42:00.000-06:00

I was lucky enough to get to go to Colorado to spend time with my new niece. (It was nice to see my sister and brother in law - but really it was to see Tilly!) She's gotten so big (the size Kepler was when he was born - can't imagine how tiny she was 6 weeks ago!!)
She is the sweetest baby, and still loves to cuddle. I had a blast and so thankful for family that took care of Kepler while I was gone.

New Niece

2011-12-26T00:15:00.002-06:00

My sister and brother in law had their first baby on Dec. 4th. I am SO excited for them, I have to share pictures of my new niece.

Tilly Sue McClyman

Bath time Fun

2011-12-26T00:09:00.002-06:00

Kepler LOVES the bathroom and taking baths. Anytime you walk in there, you hear the pitter patter of little hands following you in there. Right now - he's not afraid of a scale!

Joe likes to come in when Kepler is getting a bath and just waits for Kepler to hand him a toy. Kepler just wants him to jump in and play. Some day I know he will and there will be one big watery mess!

Kepler's First Christmas

2011-12-25T23:48:00.003-06:00

So while Jeremie was at church this morning, Kepler decided that all of a sudden he was very interested in opening presents. Even if the present wasn't his. I guess it was the biggest one there so that's what he went for! He got a lot of books, and every toy he got make noise.

Trying to get him interested in presents instead of playing with the coasters on the table.

My dad gave him a present to open (wasn't even for him) and he decided it would be more fun to try to open it with his mouth.

He would take a tiny bite out of the paper and then hand it off to someone. After we finally took the paper off, he tried eating the box too. I've heard that kids like playing with the boxes toys come in - haven't heard of them preferring to eat them.

Super cute bear my parents gave Kepler that plays peek-a-boo. Half of the time Kepler get really excited and gets a huge smile on his face, and the other half he seems a little scared of it. We kept making it play just so we could see what his reaction would be the next time.

Thanksgiving Trip to Utah

2011-12-23T00:06:00.003-06:00

We went to Utah for Thanksgiving and Kepler had a great time exploring Jeremie's parent's house.

Found the doggie door (which is actually used for cats - not dogs)

I forgot that the toys I had packed were driving up with Jeremie a few days after I arrived in Utah, so we had to find other things to play with.

He found the mirror really fast, and loved crawling up to it and touching his reflection. I guess he knows he's a cutie!

First Flight

2011-12-22T23:57:00.003-06:00

Kepler took his first flight to Utah for Thanksgiving. He did awesome - even with his ear infection! I was super nervous for the descent and his ears popping, but he was asleep the whole last half of the flight. Slept through the landing and all the announcements. AWESOME first experience, especially for me flying alone with him.

Waiting for the flight

Checking out all the seats around us

The flight was empty enough that we had a whole row to ourselves so I was able to put him in the seat when he got too squirmy. There was a guy a couple rows back that kept smiling and making faces at him, and he absolutely loved it!

Joe & Kep

2011-11-08T20:55:00.002-06:00

When I film Kepler, I think Joe feels a little left out, so this time he made sure that I was video taping him too. I love how he whizzes by Kepler and it looks like he knocked him over by going by so fast. It seems that most of the videos of Kepler end up with him trying to eat the camera - and in this case he crawled up my lap to get to it. There is no stopping that boy!

Look At Me Crawl

2011-11-08T20:51:00.002-06:00

Kepler's been doing his army crawl now for a while, and would have his brief moments of "big boy crawling" - and he's finally deciding this is much more fun that being totally on the ground. It's fun to watch him slap his hands down when he crawls. It's like they're all very deliberate movements and he's on a mission. (In this case, to come get mom's camera. That boy loves his electronics)

Loving Brother Joe

2011-11-08T20:49:00.001-06:00

Kepler LOVES his brother Joe! He likes to pet him, pull his hair, eat his toys - a true sibling! Joe has been so patient with him and tolerates a LOT from his little brother!

Inch Worm

2011-11-08T20:45:00.003-06:00

I love his green towel a friend gave us - I wrap him up after a bath and call him my little green burrito. Well as I was looking for a diaper, my little green burrito turned into a little green inch worm.

*Warning - naked bootie showing*

Kepler and his first costume

2011-11-03T09:19:00.003-05:00

I actually think he was trying to get away so he wouldn't have to put his costume on for pictures.

I found Kepler a ketchup packet costume online (bonus that it was on sale) that I thought was too cute to pass up!

People kept thinking he was a ketchup bottle, but you can kind of see the "tear here" in the right corner of the picture.

I thought it would be funny that because Kepler was a ketchup packet - the dog needed to be a hot dog. I don't know how Joe felt about this, but he was a good sport and let me take some pictures.

Trunk or Treat at Jeremie's church - I think he had fallen asleep in the car on the way there. We didn't take him around to get candy, but certainly next year he will collect a lot for mommy and daddy to make sure it is "all safe" to eat.

Carving the Pumpkin

2011-11-03T09:09:00.003-05:00

So I have made an executive decision that now that we have Kepler, we must celebrate all of the "holidays" even when he isn't old enough to enjoy them. We - and I mean Jeremie - carved the pumpkin during Kepler's nap time so he wouldn't get in the way. I would have done it while he was at school, but seriously, who would trust me to cut open the top of the pumpkin with a huge knife? And I honestly hate pulling out the seeds and pumpkin intestines, so Jeremie gets all the credit. But in making the jack-o-lantern, Jeremie was able to try out his grandpa's pumpkin seed recipe, so it all worked out.

Jeremie was trying to decide what to do with the mouth, and he decided that it would be fun to do Kepler's teeth for the mouth. Four on top, two on bottom (and three of the four on top thought it would be fun to come in all at once - I guess that's better than having to deal with three separate times) Next year maybe we'll do a "fancy" pumpkin like everyone seems to be having.

Kepler's First Jack-o-lantern

2011-11-03T08:48:00.005-05:00

Kepler woke up from his nap and I had the pumpkin and a cute card sitting in the room and he darted (as fast as his little army crawl can take him) to see what was on his floor!

Of course the way he explores new objects is to stick it in his mouth. It's a shame I didn't get the confused face after this wondering exactly what that was he just put in his mouth.

Key Lime Pie

2011-10-22T21:04:00.002-05:00

My family really enjoys key lime pie, and when my parents came over to watch game one of the world series (GO RANGERS!), we thought it would be fun to give Kepler his first taste of this yummy, tart treat.

Family Pics

2011-10-13T18:27:00.003-05:00

Just a few of our newest family pictures. Absolutely LOVE them!

Workout

2011-09-16T19:30:00.002-05:00

Kepler was fussing a lot this afternoon, didn't want to nap and didn't want to play on the ground. I stuck him in his Jumperoo and he bounced around for a good 10 minutes talking and giggling. I'm hoping it was a good enough workout he'll completely crash tonight.

My camera!

2011-09-16T19:26:00.001-05:00

I was filming Kepler because he was starting to learn to commando crawl and I wanted him to come toward me. Well, he did and tried to take my camera!

Funny Funny

2011-09-16T19:20:00.002-05:00

Kepler was learning to crawl and would do the whole laying on his belly and extend his arms and legs like he's flying. He was doing this and was too cute and then....

Chilling with Daddy

2011-09-12T14:58:00.003-05:00

Jeremie doesn't get to spend a lot of time with Kepler, so when he does I have to take pictures of the two of them.

Killer blue eyes!

Jeremie was getting both Joe and Kepler's attention and asking Joe if he loved Kepler. You can tell he's barking. Of COURSE he loves Kepler!

Dirty Shoes

2011-09-12T14:53:00.004-05:00

Kepler has learned to Army crawl now, and he used to only do it when you tried to make him. The other night I wasn't paying attention to him and as soon as he spotted Jeremie's extremely dirty shoes he tore after them. I had tried to get him to crawl all day with no luck. The second he spotted something that definitely did not belong in his mouth, there was no stopping him. Jeremie kept moving his feet and Kepler would go wherever he could get the shoe. Then I found him later that night working his way into the kitchen to go find the shoes I had put in there so he wouldn't get to them. A barricade into the kitchen isn't helpful if you don't put it up!

Go Pack Go!

2011-09-12T14:49:00.003-05:00

Now my brother and sister are huge Packer fans, and it never really mattered to me when it came to football. However, since Kepler wanted to make his entrance into the world super bowl Sunday (when the Packers won), I figured he better be a Packer fan too!

Start of the game

Touch down Packers!

Chillin with dad watching the game.

I'm a big boy now!

2011-09-12T14:46:00.003-05:00

Since Kepler can't fit into his car seat anymore - I can't put that in the shopping cart anymore. So now he's on his own - has to sit up! The first few times we went to the store he hung on to the sides for deal life. Now he'll do that then hold on to the handle between my hands. Now I just need to remember to take the grocery cart cover thing so he doesn't get so dirty.

He Found the Kitchen!

2011-09-07T10:12:00.002-05:00

Kepler found the kitchen today. He found the back door a couple weeks ago, I knew it was only a matter of time he'd find the kitchen. He doesn't crawl yet, so he positions himself in a way that when he rolls he still gets where he wants to. He's also gotten pretty good with using just his arms to move. He was so proud of himself he started making his high pitch dolphin noise!

Swimming

2011-09-06T21:57:00.002-05:00

Last weekend was Kepler's first time in a pool. He was a little sketchy at first, but warmed up to it and ended up loving it!

Night time fun

2011-09-06T21:53:00.002-05:00

Kepler has always loved watching Joe play with his toys. It's always fun to watch how excited he gets. Lately Kepler's bottom chin starts to quiver when he gets super excited and he starts to squeal. Gotta love this boy!

Jumparoo

2011-09-06T21:41:00.002-05:00

You would think a title of Jumparoo would mean it's a video of him jumping. Sorry to disappoint you...I find this much more amusing. For at least a minute before I started filming him, he was just sitting there making the ducks spin around staring intently at them.

The boys playing

2011-09-06T21:31:00.002-05:00

Kepler loves trying to take Joe's toys and put them in his mouth. I guess he figures if Joe can do it, so can he.

Cry Babies

2011-09-06T16:07:00.003-05:00

And here they are....my cry babies!

But that's MY toy!

2011-09-05T20:32:00.002-05:00

When Jeremie and I were out for our anniversary this weekend our friend Erin stayed and watched the boys. She sent us this picture - Joe thinks Kepler's teething ring is a chew toy, and Kepler KNOWS it's his. At least they share!

Behind Bars

2011-09-05T20:23:00.002-05:00

I went to get him from his nap the other day his arm trying to pull his bumper off and his face almost pressed completely against the side of the crib. He got really excited when he saw me he started bouncing and flung his head right against the bars. I think it scared him more than it hurt, but it was certainly a loud cry!

Sleepy boy!

2011-09-05T20:18:00.002-05:00

Jeremie and I went out to buy a new grill (a birthday present for Jeremie - we waited all summer for a labor day weekend sale) and I sat in the back with Kepler because he was a little fussy when we left. I looked over at him and he was looking at me trying so hard to keep his eyes open.

Sit

2011-09-05T20:12:00.002-05:00

Every day I try to take a picture and send it to Jeremie at school to try to brighten his day with his baby's smile. Ok, so no smile here, but he is sitting up like a big boy! He can't get himself to the sit position yet, but he'll stay there if you sit him up.

Too many whiners!

2011-08-31T15:17:00.002-05:00

So Kepler missed his lunch time and nap time when we went to visit Jeremie at school for lunch and was a little "crabby" when we got home. He got REALLY mad when I set him on the floor to heat up some food for him - and instead of one baby crying - JOE started chiming in. I had a crying baby and a howling dog. It was like Joe was trying to get my attention to the fact that Kepler was crying for me to get him to stop. And now Kepler is trying to take Joe's rawhide bone away from him. Could be a disaster!

New Toy

2011-08-25T20:40:00.002-05:00

I came home the other day with a new toy for Kepler. It's a yellow "dog" and the middle of him makes that crinkle sound that he loves.

Look at me!!

2011-08-10T18:39:00.002-05:00

Whether he's in his jumperoo or bumbo he constantly turns around to make sure some one is watching!

Solid Foods

2011-08-10T18:19:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we started Kepler on solid foods. First up - Sweet Potatoes (cause I love them) He LOVED them! Didn't want to stop eating.

Tonight he was getting super crabby because his nap was ridiculously short this afternoon. So I figured it would be dinner time. This is what happens when a sleepy boy eats dinner.

6 month check-up

2011-08-10T18:13:00.002-05:00

Weight - 17 lbs (45%)

Height - 27.3 inches (82%)

Today was Kepler's 6 month check up. SIX MONTHS!! Holy cow has time flown by. He did awesome with his shots - cried for about 15 seconds then smiled back at the nurse when she smiled at him. What a trooper!

Dashboard Cookies!

2011-08-02T22:08:00.003-05:00

Like most of the rest of the country it's been down right HOT in Texas. You step outside and you feel like you're stepping into the oven. Oven. DING - Jeremie has an idea! He heard on the radio that some guy actually baked cookies on the dashboard of his car - so he just HAD to test out this experiment.

Take raw cookie dough

Put you car into direct sunlight and line your dashboard with towels and/or hot pad to prevent cookie sheet from ruining the dashboard

Put cookie sheet on dashboard (we put in the oven thermometer just to see how hot it got in there - up to 180 degrees!!) and wait about 2 to 2 1/2 hours

Poof! Magically bakes in the sun. They don't brown up like normal cookies do in the oven, but they cook through and taste like normal oven baked cookies!

4 Month Stats

2011-06-08T20:52:00.003-05:00

Kepler had his 4 month check up & shots today. I made Jeremie go so that he could hold him down while they gave him the shots so he would be the bad guy, not me. Well later in the day the nurse called to let me know they forgot to give him one of his shots so I would have to bring him back in for the third shot. So I took him back in and was the bad guy holding his arms - so much for making Jeremie the only bad guy today!! Poor guy - but what a sport!

Big Boy Stats:

weight - 14.7 lbs (55%)

height - 24.5 in (43%)

head circ - 16 in (17%)

Jumparoo

2011-06-03T09:04:00.002-05:00

So I finally put Kepler's jumparoo together because I thought maybe he was tall enough now for his feet to touch the ground at least a little bit. Nope, not yet. But he can still make himself bounce up and down. Our house is being taken over by baby toys. That happened pretty fast!

Jeremie Birthday

2011-05-30T00:03:00.003-05:00

Jeremie's first birthday as a dad! Kepler even gave him a present.

A book - "Just Me and My Dad" so he can read it to Kepler. He read him the book and as soon as he closed the book Kepler screamed and started crying - we think he was truly into the book and didn't want to stop reading. He was so into looking at the pictures he was upset that Jeremie closed the book.

Good Bye to Good Friends

2011-05-20T21:50:00.004-05:00

Today was the last day our friends, the Shumways, lived in the great town of Keller! Kepler and I stopped by the house to say bye to the family - and Tanner. They were supposed to grow up being best buds - but that wasn't the ultimate plan.

I thought I should get a couple of pictures of the boys (I'm sure Karin's pictures turned out better). Tanner here trying to eat Kepler's hand.

Now Tanner's just holding his bud's hand. Tanner is much more alert and aware of getting his picture taken and actually looks at you while taking the picture - Kepler still could care less.

Finally Sleeping in HIS Room!

2011-05-19T22:47:00.002-05:00

The last week or so, we finally put Kepler in his own room to sleep - leaving our room much quieter!

The smile I get every morning when I tell him "good morning". He was in his room the other night and woke up around 2 and after letting him cry it out for a while I went in there to try to get him to go back to sleep, he gave me that huge smile thinking it was morning. I don't think so!!

Our Little Scooter

2011-05-19T22:40:00.002-05:00

Kepler's tummy time has turned into Kepler scooting time. I was folding laundry, pointed him toward the TV -

I looked over and he was 90 degrees facing the door. I think he's quite eager to learn to crawl.

Church Day with Dad

2011-05-19T22:32:00.002-05:00

Jeremie took Kepler to church last Sunday so I could have some alone time (all I did was clean - quite productive). Everyone at church loved him and thought he was cute. Love the picture of father and son.

Kepler after church taking it easy on the pillow

Chillin watching what dad wants to on television.

Kepler decided that he wanted to change the channel so he took the remote.

Cappy should be proud - Kepler wanted to watch golf!

Daddy Lovin

2011-05-19T22:29:00.003-05:00

Jeremie sure does love his son! They are super cute together. Last night they had a "laugh off" - taking turns laughing at each other. I'm pretty upset I wasn't here for it, but it sure did make Jeremie's week!

Little Slugger

2011-05-13T21:38:00.002-05:00

With the weather being as nice as it is during the day, Kepler and I played outside for a bit with Joe today. It was super sunny so I found a cute baseball hat for Kepler to wear to keep the sun out of his face.

Kepler used to suck on his entire fist - at least try to. He has discovered that his thumb fits much better in his mouth than trying to get the whole fist in there.

Mother's Day

2011-05-13T21:34:00.002-05:00

We had a great Mother's Day at my parent's house - my aunt and uncle and cousins came over for dinner. It was a few of their first times to meet Kepler, so that was super special.

I got a gorgeous necklace from Jeremie with Kepler's (and my) birthstone in it - you can't really see it in the picture, but it's there!

Kepler gave me a full night sleep! The first time he slept through the night was the night of Mother's day. I couldn't think of a better gift from him!

"Duke" Blanket

2011-05-10T15:50:00.004-05:00

We named the stuffed animal blanket Duke, so that Duke can always be a part of Kepler's life. He LOVES it!

Outside Play Time

2011-05-06T21:52:00.004-05:00

This evening the weather was fabulous for a little outside time. Joe has been able to spend the days outside because they've been so nice lately. Tonight, Kepler and I decided that we should go out and play with Joe.

The wind was blowing and Kepler kept kicking his feet making his rocker really rock in the wind. I think he's realizing if he kicks his feet really hard it makes it move. He has started to look now more at his legs and feet when he kicks and making more deliberate moves. He has also decided that he now hates tummy time because he can't look around, so being outside and getting to look around at a new environment was nice.

Steppin' Up

2011-05-06T17:02:00.003-05:00

A few years ago at Oktoberfest in Southlake, we met a couple that made incredible wooden cutting boards. Over the years we've used them for many gifts and they began engraving them with names. They told me once in the store they used to do little step stools for kids but they stopped making them. Well they called my mom a couple weeks ago saying they had a gift for Kepler and that they wanted both me and mom to pick it up. It is incredible! Hand crafted, personalized, and has the cutest saying on it. Truly a gift to keep for a lifetime!

"This little stool is mine, I use it all the time, to reach the things I couldn't, and lots of things I shouldn't."

Check out the other stuff they make: www.moonlightcreations.net

Wedding Weekend in Austin

2011-05-01T21:07:00.003-05:00

This weekend was my cousin's wedding in Austin, Kepler's first wedding of the year (my brother is getting married in August). It was also Kepler's first road trip. Since we're going to drive to Wisconsin this summer, it was a good dry run of how he'll do for that. The first couple of hours he did great - slept like an angel. Then he got hungry and crabby. Quick lunch breaks are now long lunch breaks to feed him and let him lay down for a bit and get out of the car seat. It's a good thing we're taking three days to drive to Wisconsin instead of two - we'll need the extra time.

He had a new outfit from Grammy, a little big, but still pretty cute. He also had the cutest little shoes (that you can't see in any pictures) that went great with his outfit!

Kepler was an angel through the whole ceremony, didn't make a peep - and was actually awake, so I give him credit for staying quiet without being asleep. He fussed a little at the reception, but everyone who saw him was so impressed at the fact he was quiet during the ceremony that him fussing at the reception was 'cute' I suppose. He showed great promise for the wedding in August.

Aunt Vicki, Aunt Anne, Kepler and me

While the whole wedding night was a huge success, afterwards was a little rough. With an interesting moment of projectile vomiting, causing us to call the front desk to ask for new sheets and new comforter because of the mess Kepler made. It's a good thing I packed extra pajamas (I always have extra outfits, but rarely a spare set of pajamas)!

Kepler got a horse stuffed animal/blankie as a gift from the Stantons this weekend, in honor of his grammy who loves horses and great grandpa Duke. It is the cutest thing - SO soft. He loves it!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T21:08:00.006-05:00

Kepler & I woke up to find that the Easter bunny came to visit us last night! Kepler got a stuffed monkey and blanket (and a chocolate bunny daddy is going to eat) and I got a folding armchair that I can take to Jeremie's soccer games with me so I don't have to sit on the concrete. The bunny even hid some eggs for him to find. Although I know he doesn't understand - I think he still looks excited that someone came to visit!

Our first family picture since he was a couple days old. We didn't even get a picture from his baby blessing (my bad), so I made sure we got one at Easter.

Grammy even got to have her picture taken with Kepler. Cappy came out but didn't want his picture taken because he "looked like he just finished golfing" (he did!)

It was a great first Easter for Kepler ~ Jeremie made it truly special for him. I took him to church with me and my mom and he was perfect through the whole service. Slept the whole time and didn't make a sound, letting me and mom enjoy the service. We spent the afternoon at my parent's house and had a great dinner. Now we're enjoying the storm rolling in!

Baseball Season

2011-04-13T11:03:00.003-05:00

One of our friends is a huge Texas Ranger fan, and is making Kepler one too!

"I might be little but I'm a HUGE Rangers fan!"

Kepler's a Fighter Pilot!!

2011-04-13T10:55:00.003-05:00

This is one of my favorite outfits Kepler got. My dad was in the Air Force, as was his cousin who sent us the outfit. Perfect for him, my dad, and my brother in law, James, who is currently in the Air Force. Kepler's very own flight suit!

First Shots - Ouch!

2011-04-09T08:41:00.003-05:00

So yesterday I took Kepler to get his 2 month old shots. That's right folks - he's already 2 months old. I have decided that for his 4 month shots, Jeremie gets to take him. I'm not a fan of the scream he gave when his face turned bright red. He was a trooper and stopped crying pretty quick afterwards, but spent the rest of the day in a crabby mood. Jeremie and my dad were nice enough to let me and my mom take a short break and go get pedicures (I was scheduled to have one on February 7th - but Kepler had other plans for me!) Apparently he was fussing the entire time mom and I were gone, all I can say is - welcome to my world!

Big Boy Stats:

12.3 lbs (75th percentile)

22.5 inches (45th percentile)

Favorite Moments

2011-04-08T08:54:00.003-05:00

Some of my very favorite moments of the day is when it's nap time. One minute he'll be looking up at me smiling and the next - asleep! I can finally get things done around the house, or try to play with Joe for a bit.

His baseball/Texas Ranger outfit!

Snug a a bug in a rug!

The sweet smiling face that shows up when he wakes up. (Maybe because he knows he gets to eat - but still - a smile!)

Little Stinker!

2011-04-08T08:51:00.002-05:00

So I've been trying to get pictures of Kepler smiling because I just think it's too cute. Just as I was taking the picture, he stuck his tongue out at me. Goober!

Smiling

2011-04-01T14:10:00.002-05:00

Recently Kepler has started to smile on purpose and make fun little happy noises. Of course as I post this right now, he is in the same swing crying. Fighting the tiredness - lovely!

Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins

2011-03-30T19:43:00.004-05:00

The weekend of Kepler's baby blessing, my sister, brother, and sister in law came into town along with Jeremie's brothers and family. Of course everyone wanted to hold Kepler and love on him. Who wouldn't??

Aunt Leslie & Cappy

Uncle Andrew

Cousins Madeline and Emilie

Cousin Madeline - she was super cute because when she is done holding a baby she'll let go and then tell you she's done. I was not aware of this the first time she held Kepler and I wasn't paying too much attention and he almost ended up sliding onto the floor. We told her to be sure and tell us next time BEFORE she let go, and the next time she said she was done as she was letting go. I guess that's better than letting go and THEN telling us.

Cousin Emilie wanted to hold Kepler ALL the time. When she wasn't coloring. She was great at holding Kepler and kept telling Robbie that she loved him and she wanted a brother. Some how I think she'll have to do with boy cousins!

After my brother and sister got done holding Kepler, Emilie wanted her turn again, so of course we let her hold him. She kept telling all of us some of her favorite things, favorite characters in movies, her parent's favorite things, and just talking. You would think that something like that would keep Kepler awake, but nope - he slept right through it.

Baby Blessing

2011-03-30T19:40:00.003-05:00

This past weekend was Kepler's baby blessing at Jeremie's church. Lots of family and friends showed up to show their love and support. I thank you all for making this day a very special day.

4 generations all on one couch. Grandpa really liked Kepler!

Completed Room

2011-03-23T09:14:00.005-05:00

I realized that on Facebook I put pictures of our room in progress - and nothing on here. Well, here are some pictures of Kepler's completed room - for those who will never get to see it. It's obviously a Dr. Seuss room and we think it's super cute. I tried to match the quotes with appropriate pictures and decorations on the wall. Tried.

We got some Dr. Seuss books from Kohls that had paper covers and our friend framed them for us as a baby gift for us.

This is just a wider picture, but it has a bit of the changing table and a really cute elephant our friend got us. (It's the same elephant that's in a few of the pictures we got taken of Kepler.

I know part of the crib is in one of his pictures too, but I don't think it shows the wall. I would like to be able to say I painted all of the dots on the wall - but they are all stickers, which is nice because if he doesn't like them when he gets older (but who wouldn't!) he doesn't have to keep them.

Our friend also framed these. They were on the back cover of the book covers we had give her for the other wall.

Poor Joe

2011-03-23T09:09:00.003-05:00

So I've been taking lots of pictures of Kepler lately (Mom was mad I haven't taken more) and Joe seemed to be a little left out. He kept trying to butt his head into pictures I was taking - so I decided that he needed his own picture. The instant I told him to sit with the camera in my hand he sat and looked pretty. Silly dog!

Bath Time

2011-03-23T09:05:00.003-05:00

Kepler is finally starting to realize that baths are not a bad thing. He no longer screams when it's bath time. Yea! Now if he could only realize mommy & daddy need sleep - that would be fantastic. (Not holding my breath on that one!)

One of Jeremie's mom's friend makes towels for people and she made the duck towel he's using. It's super cute!

Boys and Basketball

2011-03-17T23:17:00.003-05:00

So today we sat around and watched some of the March Madness games. Jeremie and his buddy Kepler sure did enjoy watching it together. What you can't see is that Kepler's shirt says "Daddy's Best Friend" on it, which is what was so cute. It's a good thing Joe can't read - he's sure that HE is daddy's best friend. I have a feeling there's going to be a little competition between the two boys to be the best!

New Play Mat (Thanks Kelsey & Andrew!!)

2011-03-11T16:50:00.002-06:00

Aunt Kelsey and Uncle Andrew bought Kepler a fantastic tummy time/play mat. You can use it four different ways - and the way it's set up now it keeps Joe away from accidentally stepping on him when he gets excited. It's awesome because it has this mirror thing on it that totally fascinates him. The toys can be "lowered" down to his level that he can play with while his arms are still short. He's learning that when he hits one of the toys I put closer to him it moves. It's pretty fun to watch how he explores it. Plus - it's a great place to lay him down for naps in the living room while I'm working in the kitchen or posting things online!

Growing Up Fast

2011-03-11T16:34:00.002-06:00

So Kepler is growing so fast, he can only fit into some of his outfits once. So I had to start taking pictures of him in some of his outfits.

Of course, some of his outfits he's growing out of at lightning speed, but he can't fill out any of his 0-3 month clothes! It's that crazy in between stage!

(The patchwork blanket was made by one of Jeremie's friends - which was used as his tummy time blanket & the blue blanket was also made by a family member of his. We have the cutest blankets made by friends and family - we are SO lucky! My grandmother also made us an incredible blue and white knit blanket that we actually brought him home from the hospital covered in because it was FREEZING outside! Fabulous talent in both of our families!!)

Cappy & Kep

2011-03-11T16:28:00.004-06:00

Kepler was fussing a bit while he was on the floor while we were eating and dad got up and went down on the floor to try to get him to stop crying. It was SUCH a kodak moment we had to snap a few. He is such an awesome grandfather - I knew he would be!!

He spends a lot of time talking to Kepler and trying to keep him from crying and trying to get him smile. It is the most precious thing I've ever seen.

Kepler Photo Shoot

2011-03-03T21:05:00.004-06:00

Here are a few pictures that our friend took for us. He was only a few days old when we got these done, not even a week old! Look at those cute little lips!!

Tummy Time

2011-02-17T19:51:00.004-06:00

So I figure it's a good time to start his tummy time - he's already got a surprisingly strong neck and his arms aren't far behind. He's a strong little booger! However, the goal I had for tummy time today was to help keep him awake for a bit to help with the longer "nap" being at night, (we are hoping soon the "nap" will turn into a longer sleep cycle than 3 hours) turned into nap time. Was it wrong I wanted to put the camera down and sleep right next to him?

He looked WAY too cute to even want to move to try to keep awake.

Introducing Kepler Vance Parker

2011-02-07T18:33:00.002-06:00

Born Feb 7th at 1:22 pm - 7 lbs 8 0z 20 inches long

Maternity Photo Shoot

2011-01-15T00:02:00.001-06:00

While we're waiting for Kepler's arrival (which is only a few weeks away!!) - we decided to get some maternity & family photos done. Here are a couple of our favorites.

Week 29 Sono

2010-12-05T11:57:00.003-06:00

So now that the Dr. knows everything is going great with little Kepler, this week was most likely my last time to see my boy before the big day! He's right on target at 3 lbs and great heart rate. He was good at didn't move too much at this appointment, which allowed us to get a frontal face shot. MUCH cuter than the skeleton alien face we saw a few weeks ago. He also looks like he's trying to suck his thumb in one of our pictures, which I thought was super funny.

Finally starting too look like a little human!

Thanksgiving Trip to Utah

2010-12-01T22:14:00.003-06:00

On our way up to Utah, we stopped in Colorado to see my siblings so we had to drive through Wyoming. Of course, due to snow - I-80 was shut down causing us to stay in the 1950s for the night. Oh Little America - I'll be fine if I never stay there again!

Joe's Blanket

2010-11-14T21:48:00.003-06:00

I couldn't sleep the other night because Joe would not stop moving in his kennel and I sat up to him standing inside his blanket. He likes to rearrange his kennel and his blanket, this was a new one for me. He stood like this for a good 5 minutes before he finally moved.

Big boy kicks!

2010-10-26T20:25:00.002-05:00

Last night as Jeremie was trying to get Joe (the dog) to howl I love you, Kepler (the baby) decided either he didn't like the noise and wanted me to get them to stop or loved hearing that the dog loved him.

Currently the placement of my placenta is in such a way that my Dr. said it might be hard to feel him kick from the outside, but I (Jeremie has yet to feel it) was so excited to feel it. Today at the store I was just sitting and looking at my stomach and it started moving - I told my parents I felt and saw it move and my dad ran over to try to touch my stomach. I've never seen him so excited!

Wednesday we get to see Kepler again on the big screen, it's come to be the highlight of my month! (this whole "high risk" because of medication has given us lots of opportunities to see our little one!)

Proof Positive

2010-10-07T19:32:00.003-05:00

The tech was nice enough to document the discovery on the photo so my mom could see it a bit more clearly when we printed out the picture.

I know it's cool that technology is such that you can see faces in ultrasounds, but he looks a bit like an alien right now. In our first sonogram he wouldn't stop moving, this time he was barely moving. It was really cool cause we could actually see the heart beating. She was able to get it so that we could actually see it - confirmation that it has 4 chambers! It was a pretty awesome day, and Dr. says everything is still looking great!

Boy oh Boy!

2010-10-06T21:31:00.002-05:00

Our scanner at home isn't working, so I can't get the picture up right now of our ultrasound from today, but we are definitely having a BOY!! I have actually been thinking I was having a girl, until a strange dream last night in which I found out I was having a boy.

Jeremie and my mom went to the Dr. today with me to check on the baby and to find out the sex. I actually got a hi-five from Jeremie when the tech told us it was a boy. Now my mom started crying - I'm going to say it's because she was so thrilled - but deep down I know she was hoping for a girl.

Once I find the power cord for the scanner I'll get our pictures up.

Half Way There!

2010-10-03T00:33:00.002-05:00

So Friday marked the official halfway point! 20 weeks down, 20 to go! Saturday night Julie felt the baby move for the first time. What an interesting sensation! Jeremie is a bit upset he can't feel them yet from the outside, but I have a feeling that time will come soon enough. Wednesday we find out if we're adding another boy to the family (all the pets are boys!) or finally a girl to join in my crusade against the boys! We're hoping the baby will cooperate and let us find out - we're dying to know!

Baby Parker!!

2010-09-07T12:09:00.003-05:00

So it was our 16 week appointment, and because of the meds I take we got to do an ultrasound - they said they don't normally do one this early. We weren't able to tell yet if the mover and shaker in there is boy or girl, although that didn't stop Jeremie from trying his hardest! She could only get a couple pictures because he/she wouldn't stop moving. I'm gonna have to say I'm glad I can't feel it yet, because it looked pretty annoying!! Either way, I think we have a soccer player on our hands!!

Family Update

2010-08-10T23:16:00.002-05:00

Sorry, no pictures with this post, we'll have some in a few weeks. Jeremie and I are finally going to be blessed with a baby. As of now we're 12 1/2 weeks along, and I'm feeling sick as ever, which stinks that THAT is a good sign.

We're due in February, which should make for an interesting December at the popcorn store. Emotional wreckage occurs that month without hormones, I'll feel really sorry for Jeremie. He might want to stay on the other side of the house. Hopefully my employees won't want to kill me all month.

Thank you for everyone's prayers and best wishes. (Especially Miss Emilie Parker who made it a point to pray for us every night!)

Sailing in the BVI

2010-04-02T21:16:00.006-05:00

The whole Fam Damily and the boat. Jeremie even learned that the name of our boat ("Broad Reach") is an actual point of sail on the wind clock.

Picture order - a little off. This is our last day leaving.

Jeremie and I at the helm. Ok, Jeremie at the helm, me relaxing. You can tell that - I'm smiling, and he's serious.

Jeremie's first time on a sailboat. Scouting out the open waters in the British Virgin Islands!

Can't tell if he looks like a pro, or a little goofy.

Jer-Bear sailing for the first time. One of the only times dad (or I) wasn't telling him what to do. He did an awesome job!

Elkhorn Ranch

2010-01-13T22:24:00.003-06:00

January we went to Tucson with Julie's family to a dude ranch. We had beautiful weather and a great time!

Colorado Shooting

2009-12-28T22:46:00.003-06:00

We had an opportunity to go to my brother's girlfriend's grandfathers farm outside Limon, CO and shoot the new gun my dad just got. Everyone got a chance to shoot the gun and most were able to hit the barrel they were shooting at. They were first shooting at a barrel in the field then they put up a target and tried shooting at that. You always have to know where on a person you hit!!!

Needless to say Jeremie had a lot of fun shooting.

Joe Playing in Snow

2009-12-24T23:20:00.002-06:00

Joe playing in the snow with his Daddy.

Christmas Eve Snow Fun

2009-12-24T22:01:00.004-06:00

It snowed ALL day in Texas today - after it being in the 70's yesterday. That's Texas weather for ya! We went to dinner in Dallas and came back to about 6 inches of snow against our back door. Once we got Joe to go outside (he only likes the snow if you're playing in it too) he had a blast playing with Jeremie. Hopefully it'll be here tomorrow so we can have a White Christmas!

Joe's Graduation!

2009-12-12T20:56:00.002-06:00

Following James and Nattie's advice, we took Joe to Petsmart for some puppy training. We had taught him to sit, shake, and hi-five before we started, so he knew a little bit. He officially graduated beginning classes last Wednesday and we couldn't be prouder. With some motivation he has learned to rollover quite nicely. He even won a contest on the last night! He was the fastest "come when called" out of 5 dogs. 3.6 seconds to get down the shopping aisle. Go Joe!! He starts his intermediate classes next week - can't wait to see what he'll learn in that class.

Joe's new bed. Or is it Soot's?

2009-09-21T19:08:00.003-05:00

We got a new bed for Joe because he kept sleeping on a pillow we had for our couch. It took him a while to get used to it and he still sometimes chews on it, but he loves it. And obviously Soot likes it too! I came out one morning to find Soot hanging out in Joe's bed. It's a good thing that Joe didn't see him - it could have turned into an interesting fight. Soot has started to fight back, which makes for a very funny show.

Joe's Growing Up

2009-09-14T20:21:00.002-05:00

Bath time with Daddy!

Bath time finally over! Let's dry off and have some fun!

Hanging out in the back yard!

Joe & his cool name tag.

Joe & his big boy bed. Until Julie went and took it away and replaced it with another one. He's still trying to figure it out.

Bovine & Joe

2009-08-23T22:40:00.006-05:00

One of the first encounters of Bovine with Joe. It was very fun to watch them "play".

Joe & His Tennis Ball

2009-08-23T22:25:00.007-05:00

This was Joe's first experience with a tennis ball. He has a smaller softer soccer ball that we think is getting to small for him. Now he LOVES playing with it even though it can't completely fit in his mouth.

Joe's new favorite toy

2009-08-15T23:32:00.003-05:00

I finally opened the rubber chicken I got for Joe when we first got him. I didn't know he'd like it as much as he does.

Jerm playing Wii

2009-07-30T21:20:00.005-05:00

Ok - so I got crap for putting a video of Randy playing tennis on our Wii, I thought I'd post one of Jeremie. We were playing a crazy Rabbit game & Jeremie was very good at the dancing/rhythm game. Shake your bootie!!

Joe & His Brothers

2009-07-27T17:56:00.003-05:00

Joe wants to play! Won't you play??

Joe enjoys trying to eat Bovine's tail. Bovine however does NOT enjoy this! He tries to stay clear at all times.

Jeremie actually got Joe and Soot to play on the foot rest while I was gone. Soot doesn't mind him as much.

The boys spend a lot of time just watching Joe play with his toys. They really like when Joe's in his crate and they can rule the house. I get nasty looks from the cats when we let Joe whine in his crate until he stops. I guess it's as annoying to them as it is to us!

Bringing Home Joe

2009-07-25T11:42:00.004-05:00

Last night we got to bring home the newest member of our family. Joe (yes Parker family, after Grandpa Joe)

Jeremie was a little worried at first that Joe wouldn't like us as much as his foster family, but I think he'll like him just fine!

Our oldest cat beats up on my parent's Lab, but is a little scared of Joe. It might take a few days, but I think the cats will adapt nicely.

The vet let us take home some of his old toys. His stuffed dog is his favorite, he rarely leaves it alone! He takes it everywhere!

Jeremie Babysitting

2009-07-18T17:56:00.004-05:00

It's never a good thing when the babysitter falls asleep with the kids! Great practice for kids though. He even had to deal with an "exploded diaper" while I was gone -- and didn't even throw up!!! GO JEREMIE!!!

Party Pontoon

2009-07-11T14:55:00.004-05:00

Julie's parents and their friends bought a party pontoon this summer. Everyone brought something to decorate the 1970 blue pontoon. The boat included a bar, satellite dish, Julie's popcorn ad, a sign for "your ad here", and we took a blow up palm tree. It is a beauty - people on the lake even thought so and took pictures. Good times were had on the 4th when our other boat TOWED the pontoon to watch fireworks. We were quite a sight to see!!

Ranger Baseball Game

2009-07-11T14:47:00.004-05:00

The day before we left for Wisconsin we took Haylee to her first Ranger game. We got there early enough to watch them in batting practice and set up the field. We also got to see the new "Friday Night Fireworks" show, which was awesome!! We had a great time...and a VERY late night.

Giant Penny

2009-07-11T14:41:00.003-05:00

When Haylee came up to Wisconsin with us, we took her to see the "World's Largest Penny". Who would think that in a tiny town in Northern Wisconsin would hold such a title.

Towel Animals

2009-06-16T22:30:00.004-05:00

One of our favorite parts about cruising...towel animals! Every night after dinner we would come back to a different towel animal. Here's a couple we came home to.