DAP + DAP = WAP & ASP

Tiger and Fireguy

2009-11-01T11:32:00.000-08:00

2009-10-27T04:41:00.000-07:00

Good times

2009-10-26T19:40:00.000-07:00

Grandma Parrish had a birthday in September....proved so successful that Wyatt got a nice racetrack and Audrey smiled real nice in this photo just before she rolled over for her first time ever. Wyatt loved helping Grandma blowing out her candle...boy loves cake and is real good at singing that song these days. So sweet his voice, and in the last month we've really heard him make great strides in his conversation and song singing. Delightful.

We've been very impressed by his phone conversations lately too, so if you wanna give him a ring I'm sure he'd love to speak with you.

I do believe he must be the sweetest big brother ever. Audrey's eyes light up for him like no one else...even me. He got to pick out a new toy a few months ago while shopping with Cici...and he selected a Thomas the Train exactly like one he had at home. He told Cici the other one was for Audrey. How sweet is that?

She is our little Audrey Bear...and her reach is deceptively longer than her sweet little arms. Love to pull them both up into my own arms and snug the sweetness in my deepest breath.

Summerrrrtime two thousand nine

2009-09-05T06:12:00.000-07:00

OH MY GOODNESS...

2009-06-04T10:14:00.000-07:00

Our girl Audrey is thriving...I think she is 8 lbs now, which is almost triple her birth weight. I can't help but think all the love she gets is helping her grow. David commented how he sees all of our grandmothers and Audrey's great great aunt Louise sit and hold her for hours at a time. I know there are theories that she could be spoiled, but right now in my mind she was deprived of two months she should have still been in my womb. If we can give her some extra love out here, so be it.

Wyatt went to the zoo this week with me and Cici. He has been to the zoo a few times in his short life, but this is the first time he really appreciated it. He cried when we started to leave the elephants, adored feeding the birds and talking to the parrots. I can't say enough how much fun it was, only sad having to leave for nap time.

2009-05-30T13:12:00.000-07:00

Wyatt turns TWO...and loves his planes, trains and automobiles.

Assorted photos we neglected to blog, but great memories nonetheless.

Little Moose

2009-04-25T07:06:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has almost been a month since we posted an update. On March 31st, 2 days after she had moved to room 1 in NICU, I was there giving her a bath when the doc doing rounds started discussing us rooming in with her. "Rooming In" are big words in NICU. That is what parents do the night before they let their baby go home. I overheard him talking to the nurse about it, and started stammering...was he talking about this coming weekend? We weren't expecting her home for at least another 2 weeks...maybe 3. He looked over at me and said he was thinking about doing it immediately, and asked if that was okay for us. My head was spinning, and I wished real hard I could have David there to hear this...of course it was okay for us! We didn't exactly have her room ready, but close enough...and I sure wasn't going to leave her in the hospital when they are telling us she could come home.

On Wednesday April 1st, David and I spent a LONG night in the small and strangely organized room with a foam bed and plastic covered rocker and our amazing little girl. The next day was our favorite little guy's 2nd birthday...and the first day he ever got to lay eyes on his mysterious baby sister. Mimi and Gramps took care of him Wednesday night and dropped him off at daycare on Thursday. Grandma and Grandpa Parrish picked him up and had him home when we arrived. At 3 lbs and 12 ozs, 3 weeks and 2 days after birth Baby Audrey finally came home!

Today is David's birthday, and it is about the time we thought she would be leaving the hospital. She had her second pediatrician visit yesterday and weighed an impressive 5 lbs 6 ozs. She has gained over an ounce a day since her last visit. An amazing little girl, a sweet big brother and two relieved and grateful parents are adjusting quite well to being home together!

Always a surprise with her!

2009-03-29T18:41:00.000-07:00

To give you a little NICU room organizational info, there are 5 rooms total (at our hospital anyways), numbered 1 to 5. Room 5 is for the babies in the most serious condition, and Room 1 is for the babies closest to heading home. Our little Audrey started out in Room 3, which was a surprise, since we thought she'd likely be in Room 4 (but she didn't need help breathing and went straight from birth to Room 3). SO I went in to see little Audrey last night at 8pm. I had been there at 2 that afternoon to feed her, David went back at 5pm with Mimi to give her a bath and all seemed to be normal. I approach the desk wearing my name tag with her room #3B, the receptionist looks at my tag and looks at the list, then looks at my tag and back at the list....then says YOUR baby is in room 1. I felt like I had just won the biggest prize ever at the gameshow. I looked around the lobby and expected applause and cheers as I fought back the weepy joy I could barely contain. The reality that this little girl just made a huge jump without any warning moving her closer to home with our family was overwhelming.

The nurse said she had already completed her assessment, which included her weighing in at a whopping 3lbs 6ozs. She hinted that Audrey would be coming out of the isolette if she had gained weight over the past 5 days...which I knew she had. So this morning when I returned to see her, she was in an open crib for the first time. Today they increased her nipple feedings to 2 out of every 3 feedings, and if she does great with that they will push a little further and see how she handles taking all of her feedings from bottle and breast. Once she gains the strength to eat independently and continues to gain weight, I think our littlest moose will come home. Nurse Andrea indicated it could be as early as next week....we have a lot of work to do! Crazy to imagine after all we've experienced, this half pint is gonna come home with us soon.

The 3 pound milestone!

2009-03-23T19:48:00.000-07:00

Today our little Audrey burst through the 3 pound milestone. Tonight she weighed in at 3 lbs - 1 oz, which is just over an ounce more than her last weighing 24 hours earlier. Her diet is completely milk now, and the IV has been completely removed. She continues to amaze us and tonight papa got his first shot at feeding her with a bottle. She didn't take much, since she tires out quickly, but she's figured out how to latch on and get the milk out! DeeDra started breast feeding once a day back on Thursday of last week. Audrey's catching on well and has started gaining steady weight now, so we are very pleased with her progress. The feeding tube is still in to supplement the other feedings, but hopefully that will come out soon as well. The doctor tells us she is mature beyond her size, but the goal is still at least 4 lbs before they will consider releasing her to come home with us. We're looking forward to getting her home so she can meet her big brother and we can have the family under one roof. Check out Audrey's big smile at the thought of coming home!

We had a great weekend with Wyatt too and enjoyed some quality time at our local park. I had fun bouncing and jumping while Wyatt sat and looked up at me doing a hand-stand above him. He seemed to enjoy it, and I had fun getting out and jumping around with him. He particularly enjoys when I run fast pulling him in the wagon on the trips to and from the park. When we started out toward the park yesterday, the first thing he said was, "Fast Daddy." Once I started running, Wyatt started squealing and laughing loudly. If I were a betting man, I'd put money on Wyatt enjoying snowboarding just as much as his daddy does. It'll be a couple of years, but I'm thinking he'll pick it up quickly and have an absolute blast in the snow.

Alright Audrey!

2009-03-16T05:43:00.000-07:00

One week after arriving in Texas, she is almost back to her original birth weight, and has completed photo therapy for jaundice. Audrey continues to take more milk and less fluids from IV. Hopefully in the next week or so she will begin to breast and bottle feed. It is difficult to imagine this teensy girl without all the wires attached. Looking back at photos of Wyatt's birth, I am in awe of the vastly different experience this has all been. The pregnancy and birth have been so filled with worry, it seems like a hazy dream. Hard to believe we have a dear baby girl who will actually come home with us in a few weeks and become a vital part of this pretty cool little family we've become! She may not make it home in time for Wyatt's birthday, but hopefully we'll have her here for David's. I can't think of a better way to celebrate!

Audrey Shea Parrish arrives

2009-03-11T20:07:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since our last post, and the birth of our new baby girl seems like a good point to pick it back up. Yesterday, March 10, 2009, at 8:25am, Audrey Shea Parrish was born. She weighed in at 2lbs 13 ozs and was 15-1/2" long. She entered the world 8 weeks before her due date, after what seemed like an eternity of 3 visits per week to the specialist to monitor her progress. We knew she would have to be delivered early, but also knew that she was healthy according to all of the tests. The big question was when, and last Friday our specialist answered that question. He said it was time and we were scheduled for 7:15am on Tuesday morning, March 10. We had to be at the hospital at 5:30am and woke up around 4:15am. Neither DeeDra or I slept well, so the early rising didn't really matter. Everything went smoothly at the hospital, and Audrey came out in much better shape than any of us expected. They estimated she'd weigh 2lbs 5 ozs, but she was more, and they thought she'd need help breathing, but she's been breathing completely on her own for her entire life. She cried right after she was born and with all of our concerns leading up to the birth, I must say that hearing that baby cry was the best sound I've ever heard in my life. She truly is amazing and DeeDra and I are so very grateful that she's doing so well. She is small and will likely be in the NICU for about 6 weeks, but she's got a great start and we feel very fortunate.

Enough of the words. Here are some pictures of our daughter... and one of big brother Wyatt. And, yes, we'll need to change the name of our blog now.

Not exactly what he'd call fun times!

2008-11-12T19:38:00.000-08:00

Ah well, we tried to get Wyatt to warm up to old St. Nick. I gave him a cheerio, which you can see if you look carefully, and David placed him on the red suited stranger's lap in what must have seemed like a horrible moment of betrayal. Fortunately, Cici and Grandpa Bob were there to help him promptly take his mind off his troubles.

Wyatt spent the last two nights with his Mimi, celebrating her Veteran's day off and a fun day out of daycare for him. He got new batman slippers that he actually does wear, which is remarkable to me. Seems they enjoyed a really nice time together, as Mimi goes on and on about what a good baby he is. I heard him say "Mimi" often this evening!

He has really done well picking up words. He tells me now when he wants water or milk, and if you listen carefully you might figure out that he wants Cheerios. He can say "home" and "daddy" and "mama", though lately he has been taunting David by only saying "MAMA" and pointing to me. He is good with bye-bye and hi, makes real good pig and horse noises, and keeps a pretty good tune to the ABC song. The boy loves books and music. Tonight I saw him get off a tricycle to grab a favorite book. He knows where the button is to the cd player in his room that plays his music...so inevitably if left alone for a moment we will soon hear his songs playing. If you peek in to see, you'll find him bouncing up and down and smiling like he just figured out the world's biggest mystery. I'm working behind the scenes to influence his music, and you know what else? My fella LOVES broccoli. Warms my heart.

2008-11-02T18:02:00.000-08:00

2008-09-04T18:41:00.000-07:00

2008-07-13T19:45:00.000-07:00

Babies in da house

2008-05-22T21:06:00.000-07:00

Recently determined Wyatt was not the only tyke in the house. We've seen a raccoon scaling down the house, but never with two other bandits tugging behind her. Unfortunately for all of us, I was up in the early morning worrying about our sick little guy when I heard her commotion outside the office window. I'd guess by the looks of it she was surprised to see me too.

Here are a couple of shots of my 2nd Mother's day ever. Wyatt is growing, walking, saying lots of "uh-ohs" and smiling most anytime he can. The past few weeks he has been a bit under the weather, but this last week has been especially hard. He feels so bad that he has given up sucking his thumb, and if we get close to 6 hours without Motrin...we all know about it. He has a virus that was initially diagnosed as mono when we took him to the ER last weekend. Hurts our heart's something fierce to see him so uncomfortable. Maybe the long weekend will give us time to recuperate. I am hoping he mends up soon so he can go meet his new 2nd cousin, Callie Marie. She came to Texas April 21st, and we are so delighted to have her here. I will post photos as soon as I can get myself reorganized. The last few months....ugh. Spring semester is always the busiest at work, and we've had more than a few concerns with great grand-mema and pops. Both have been in and out of the hospital...and finally both shaking off a tough row.

Must get some sleep! I will make a dedicated effort to catch up to my writings and photos. So many things happening so fast...can't believe it, him, anything!
Couldn't be more delighted.

slip slidin' away...

2008-05-21T20:41:00.000-07:00

1st birthday ever!

2008-04-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

Hippity Hoppity

2008-03-28T18:44:00.000-07:00

Hippity Hop and wobble walks...little guy Wy is off and running. We've been watching him go from taking a few steps to really getting his confidence to march right across the room. I'm torn as to say which is more delightful for us: watching him walk or seeing the thrill shine through his eyes at his new accomplishments! Good for the heart watching him lift his hands for you as he targets in for landing. I catch myself holding my breath when I set him down on his feet...wondering if he will bobble over or wobble away. He loves to hang on to your finger and march around. I'd say he must be growing and teething and changing every day. The boy can put away food by the fist-fulls. He is loving avocados, which I'm considering a personal accomplishment as I've yet to meet a Parrish who eats the tasty fruit! Just yesterday I started feeding him fresh mandarin oranges....he'll eat the whole thing. Apples and bananas, cheese and chicken or turkey....loves bran pancakes and yogurt. Very liberating to put a plate of food in front of him and be able to wash the dishes or sit down and eat beside him. He is sleeping a lot right now, and a little grumpy in short bursts. If you look closely, you can see two more teeth coming through...one on top and one on bottom.

This past week Wyatt started breathing treatments and another round of antibiotics for an ear infection. He has a loud rattle in his chest, and I am afraid he may have inherited my tendency for asthma and allergies. His Gramps came over and stayed with him for most of two days so he could take his treatments every 4 hours. So wonderful to have so many loving grandparents!

Next week is a big week for him, as he officially moves to the toddler room at daycare and he celebrates his very first birthday. We are giving him a wagon. He loves the one at school, though it seems his favorite thing is to push other kids around in it. Maybe Gracie and Rustin will be up for a ride?

As you can see, we had a very nice Easter gathering. Wyatt is pretty handsome in his Easter outfit that Mimi picked out for him! Cici and Grandpa Bob had just returned from Hawaii, but managed to still cook a very tasty ham. We had sandwiches and carrot salad...Wyatt really liked the ham and the hopping Easter chick in his bunny basket. Mema is still in the rehabilitation hospital, so we missed her. Pops came a little late, and unfortunately didn't get in any of our photos.

Wyatt stayed a few days last week with Grandma and Grandpa Parrish, and I'm afraid they too are sick again. David is as well, so I'm counting my blessings that it hasn't hit me yet. David goes out of town tomorrow for a business trip, and will be back Tuesday night. Hopefully he feels better for the trip...and for all the fun next week. More adventures to come!

Cici Celebration + Ducks n Dirt

2008-03-09T20:30:00.000-07:00

A celebration of Cici is truly deserving of more than she was given today, but as the last few weeks have been unusually busy...we did the best we could! Aunt Louise joined us for Thai food and back at the house we savored the last delicious morsel of bread pudding created for us by the wonderful Fletchers...they have restaurants in Terrell and Tyler that are really quite delicious! If you note in the photo, Mom's plate is a special birthday plate made for her by our dear friend Bettye. Nice to have a such good friends around putting special touches on a special day. Wyatt seems very interested in both the plate and the pudding...as well as whatever he can do to get down and start investigating more stuff!

Wyatt did great at the restaurant, but back at the house he and David took in a power nap to recharge. Very effective in preventing afternoon grumpiness in the both of them.

David and Grandpa Bob took Wyatt to the park this afternoon as well. I hear Wyatt figured out how to get up the steps to the slide and had a fantastic time sliding down all by himself. David said he'd go down, and couldn't wait to get up to do it again. Look forward to seeing for myself soon!

Back at the house, we sat outside for a bit to entertain our tired boy. He enjoyed his new duck basket and bunny that were given to him by Mimi and Gramps...getting ready for the big egg hunt! I can't believe how early it will be this year, just two weekends away.

When all the clean fun became a bore, we moved down for a good taste of dirt...literally. Wyatt likes to get his hands in the soil, and loves the taste and texture of a good rock. Maybe we'll share that appreciation of dirt! Sure seemed to make Daddy uneasy. :)

March already???

2008-03-06T19:15:00.000-08:00

February escaped us. Honestly, we have been sick throughout February...and ended with a bang last week when we all got stomach viruses. We did have one very nice weekend in February in between the worst of congested heads and bronchitis...spending a great time in Pflugerville with Ron, Traci & Alexander, Anthony, Jennifer, Anna & Colin, and Shelly, John and Sarah. It was first off great to be with our friends out of our house and routine, and secondly amazing to watch our smaller family members meet each other and become fast friends themselves. Wish I had captured everyone in a single photo...but at least I have a few to share from that day. We enjoyed some tasty barbeque from Rudy's, and some amazing vegetables from the Martin garden, and dear Shelly created a delicious chocolate cake and some beautiful valentine cookies for us. I love our friends!

March 2nd we barely recovered enough to host a sweet celebration for Richard and Trish and their impending arrival of precious baby girl Callie. It was so nice to see our extended family, many had not yet met Wyatt, and wonderful to celebrate Trish and Richard. The day offered an ideal time for them to let Mema Bass know that her 2nd great grandchild in just over a year would carry on her middle name, Marie. As far as I could tell through my watery eyes...there were tears all around. Mema and Pops both had not been feeling well, and truly just barely made it to the party. I knew it was a precious day, and we tried real hard to encourage her to attend...and I'm so grateful she was able. I am sad to report that yesterday she suffered what appears to be a mild stroke, and fell and broke her wrist. She is in ICU and doing as well as can be expected for now. Please keep her and Pops in your thoughts and prayers.

Sunday, January 27th...Brand New Day

2008-01-27T19:08:00.001-08:00

The longest month

2008-01-26T19:51:00.000-08:00

Is it still January??? A week now after our anniversary getaway, I have a quiet moment to write a few notes about the past 2 weeks. Wyatt had a very fine time with his Grandma and Grandpa Parrish over his 3 day stay in Garland. Sounds like the last day or so he got a little fussy, and I'm guessing part of the problem was related to that 4th tooth that popped through this past week. We called to check in everyday while we were gone, and every conversation with Grandpa Allen had me convinced he was having the time of his life! I'm not sure which of them was having more fun, but I DO know which two grandparents were worn out after 3 long days! I think they were ready for a vacation of their own after that duty.

David and I had such a wonderful time on our trip. It was so nice to get away and see other friends on an extended visit. We really enjoyed seeing Tim and Valerie, along with their amazing young ones, Charlie and Piper. We had a wonderful dinner and breakfast with them...and got a good peek at what Wyatt will be doing in about 3 months from observing Piper. Also got a quick tour of David's old haunts around the architecture building at A&M.

The next day we were off to the Inn Above Onion Creek, which is also just a splendid place to be with people you enjoy. Anthony and Jennifer were only able to stay one night with us, but we truly enjoyed their company and their thoughtfulness. They brought a stellar selection of wine AND homemade fudge. Tell me these are not my people?? Traci and Ron were able to stay both nights, and we spent a wonderful late afternoon and evening playing games...Goblit (sp?), Othello...and yes, we taught Traci Texas Hold 'em...and yes, she promptly turned the tables to beat us all. I'm hoping Anthony and Jennifer will send us photos of the group of us on that first night. Maybe I can post here later?

We returned home last Tuesday, Wyatt and the grandparents were here at home waiting to see us! It was so nice to hold him in my arms again. I was darn ready to see him by Tuesday afternoon. We weren't the only ones anxious to see him, as Cici and Grandpa Bob weren't far behind us. Wyatt was showing us his progress standing and hanging on to Grandpa B's finger...and he finally let go and took maybe 2 steps. We heard the next day he did it again at daycare. Always amazed to see his control grow stronger.

He has had a tough end of the week, and today I'd say he is definitely sick AGAIN...along with David AGAIN. Poor guys. Tonight we hosted a surprise dinner for my dad, Gramps to Wyatt, for his 60th birthday. He and Mimi Evelyn arrived around 3pm to visit with us, and about 4 pm we had half a dozen good friends of Dad's show up on the front porch. He chortled with surprise at such a fuss. It was fun to surprise him, and nice to see the friends I hear so much about through the years. Happy birthday Gramps!

AND, by the way, Happy Anniversary David. It has been a wonderful 2 years...and I was so happy to celebrate it with you on those steps again this year!

Big Sighs and the Amazing Baby

2008-01-16T18:50:00.000-08:00

I know it has been too long, and honestly I think everyday about what I'd be typing and what I want to remember about each moment. Wyatt is changing all the time. He has sprouted a new tooth on top...with another quickly following. We see him more and more let go of things and stand suspended by imaginary strings for a moment...until he realizes and plops to the floor. His strength is amazing....trying to get his mind off what he wants to do instead of having new diapers or clothes is really a test of will. I often wonder who will win...and I'm thinking my days are numbered. Last night, Cici picked him up from daycare and Mema & Pops came by after a doctor's appointment. They laughed at him and with him, and it is truly wonderful to stand back and watch everyone's face light up while hanging on to his every expression. I laughed so hard I could barely breathe as he laid across my arms and blew bubbles into the inside of my arm. He kept moving his mouth around as if to find the perfect spot he could gain the best effect. David assures me this is the start of boy humor...something I have much to learn about!

And yes, he did start daycare two weeks ago today. He has been struggling like a champ through his first cold for almost all of those two weeks, and last weekend had a stomach virus that made both of us lose appetites for a while...and turns out Grandma Lucille shared this one with us as well. He is finally getting close to his normal diet again, thankfully. (Did I mention earlier that David had the flu all weekend before New Year's Eve?) Anyway, daycare is going fairly well. Wyatt seems to like his teachers, though he does cry when we start to leave. I've been trying to spend time with him there in the mornings before I go to work...easing him into his day. They've told us he does really well on his own and when he does get tired or frustrated, he tends to crawl across the room to his crib essentially insisting on his nap.

Wyatt is also becoming quite adept at finger foods. I hear today he ate a whole banana...which is really hard for me to imagine! He likes little bites of soft cheese, avocado, puffs...cereal bites for babies, and bites of bread or crackers. He has also finally made the transition to formula, which seems to be working out fine for him.

I can't help but laugh out loud when he starts opening and closing his mouth, making a smacking click with his tongue. I think he is imitating my gum chewing habit...and making me realize I must be terribly rude! We had his 9 month check up last Friday, and found he still hasn't crossed the 18lb mark....but he is close. He was in the 10 percentile range in weight, 20 in length, and 60 in head width. Music...he loves it, and shrieks with glee while bouncing up and down to the beat. Those Einstein books are a hit with him...each page has a little song you play along with the story. We watch him figure out how to handle his toys better all the time...many of them also make music when he pulls the right door or knobs. I saw him pick up a peek-a-block the other night and almost put it in the square opening, which makes "Old McDonald" song play.

So the new year has been wonderful, even with all of the sickness. We did spend New Year's day together, with a quick trip to the park in the brisk air. Wanted to start it out right, enjoying each other and our dearly adored boy. This weekend we will go on our first trip away from him to celebrate our 2 year anniversary at the inn where we married. Our dear friends Anthony & Jennifer and Traci & Ron are going to make it extra special by joining us there. We are also making a quick stop through College Station to spend the night with good friends Tim & Valerie...who just moved back to Texas to head up the Visualization Sciences department. I am having some anxieties already about leaving Wyatt, but I know he will be adored every moment by his Grandma Lucille and Grandpa Parrish! Wish us peaceful hearts please!!

Friends from near and far

2008-01-03T19:25:00.000-08:00

Our dear friend Monica, who lives in NY, and her mom, Natalie, who lives in Houston, were persuaded to make the long drive up from Houston to stay a night with us and catch up on the day after Christmas. I am ashamed to say I got so caught up in the catching up, that I did not get a photo of them on this visit. Looking back, I found a photo of Monica's first meeting with Wyatt, long before we began the blog. She came when he was really small, along with her fella Gary....who coincidentally gave her a very shiny ring for Christmas. Most happy for them!!

The following afternoon, Debbie, from neighboring town of Irving, came to visit with her two little monkeys....Kyler and Kyra. Kyler is a pretty good little buddy of mine, and Kyra....well, she gave Wyatt his first kiss. She kissed the boy, and made him cry! I thought the rhyme was a little different...but this is how our story went. I don't get to see the Mckay's often enough, even though they are close by, so this too was a real treat. Deb, Monica and I went to college together, in case you are curious about the connection. I do have a few photos of Kyler, Kyra, Debbie and Wyatt....some are quite amusing....but so it goes with the MONKEYS.

Christmas Day...adventure continues!

2008-01-02T18:07:00.000-08:00

We made it home safe Christmas Eve, managed to give Wyatt a quick bath between his sleepy eyed blinks, stockings were hung, no creatures were stirring, and we all were in bed just a fast as any gingerbread man! (I'll get my stories straight with time...be patient.)

Christmas morning finally arrived, and we started the day with Aunt Jennifer, Cici and Grandpa Bob. Wyatt, of course, was delighted with his early visitors, and the special gifts that came with them. Side note to this is, Cici told me a long time ago that she was not going to buy him a lot of toys....and well, SHE didn't. Grandpa Bob, however, had a wonderful time finding really special gifts for Wyatt to enjoy. The clincher to this was the hand made Grandpa Bob original....which was a piece of wood with many of Wyatt's favorite things. It included a door stop, a hinge with thin ropes and knots to chew on, holes for his fingers to explore, and a cabinet handle that he loves to pull on before biting. Funny to look at, but the little boy loved it! Very sweet of Grandpa Bob to be so thoughtful about his curiosities!

After nap time, Wyatt was excited to find another set of dear grandparents had arrived to greet him. Gramps and Mimi Dedman joined us this year for what we hope will be the beginning of a new tradition....having Christmas with all of the grandparents together. By this time I'd say Wyatt was beginning to get this paper tearing process down, although still intrigued by the paper before realizing the gift received. He enjoyed his new books with music, and his dog Blue....along with the sweet Christmas book he had received from them a week earlier in preparation for the big day.

Grandma and Grandpa Parrish soon arrived, and while we all gathered to share a Christmas feast...Wyatt took another nap and again awoke very happy to see everyone. We managed to get a rare photo of the 3 sets of grandparents and his great-grandparents. I'm not sure if we've had them all together since his birth....so it was an important moment to capture for me. Think any of them are proud??

Later in the afternoon, we were happy to see Richard and Trish arrive. They are working on making Wyatt a sweet little girl cousin to play with next Christmas....very excited to meet her! I'm sure she'll give Wyatt a run in her days ahead! The day was full, as you can see...and Wyatt was really a trooper through it all. He held out until the end, when he had his bath and bedtime...thumb in the mouth, eyes could hardly stay open, and full of all the love shared with him throughout the day. We are so grateful for our family.

Christmas Eve: The Adventure Begins

2007-12-31T13:40:00.000-08:00

Wyatt's Christmas experience began with a trip on Christmas Eve to visit his Grandpa and Grandma Parrish in Garland. Wyatt was a bit suspicious of papa when he was telling him about all the presents he'd be getting later on, but we convinced him it would be ALMOST as much fun as riding his purple elephant.

We loaded up the car with gifts and the little one and made the hour drive starting about 12:30pm. We arrived a little after 1:30, with a stop along the way to get Mama Dap a caffeine boost at the Starbucks. We had a good trip over and Wyatt was ready to get moving once we arrived. Grandpa took him for a tour of the house, since he'd only been there once and he was only a few weeks old then. He took him out back on the deck to look at the creek and the trees and once he got back inside, Wyatt started exploring. One of the first things he found was the angel holding a candle. She was right about his level and he couldn't help but trying to grab that candle out of her hands. My brother thinks the angel is pretty creepy, since it moves its arms back in forth in a slow and... well, creepy way. We took the angel into the other room for her own safety, and that let Wyatt concentrate on the presents.

We decided to get Wyatt going on his presents early since he was rested and in a good mood. Not to mention that the light coming in the back windows and sliding glass door was perfect for photos. After some instruction, Wyatt picked up pretty quickly on tearing the paper. Once he tore it, it was a toss up as to whether he'd be more interested in what he found inside or in putting the torn paper into his mouth.
Eventually, with some help from dad and grandpa, he found his way into his great new toys, and you can tell by his reactions that he absolutely loved the great gifts he received. He got a new Busy Zoo, which is a great wooden toy that he can stand or sit next to and find tons of different pieces and parts to play with. He also got some stackable donuts, very much like the ones I had when I was a little tike.

He loved it all and afterwards we had some fun helping him stand. He even tried a little one-legged push-up action to get to the television remote control.

Wyatt's aunt and uncle, Michael and Jennifer, arrived a bit later and we got a good shot of those 3 together. As you can tell, Michael is being himself. Their present for Wyatt was a fantastic 3 in 1 sports toy that has a mini-basketball goal, a baseball set up attached to a swing-arm that he can hit, and a football in between goalposts. He's pretty fond of the basketball portion of it right now, even though I'm trying to convince him that football is top priority right now with the Cowboys playoff run coming up.

Here are a couple more photos of me and my dad enjoying the rest of the day with Wyatt. I really like the shot DeeDra got of me and Wyatt on the ground with him grabbing my finger. We all had a great time and he continues to bring smiles and happiness along with him where ever he goes.

A Day at the Park: Mama has fun too part two

2007-12-17T20:21:00.001-08:00

We have an amazing new park just across the street from us called Tillery Park. The park was designed by the children of our neighborhood with an architect who took the children's suggestions from several design meetings and incorportated them into the plans. The materials and labor were all donated and Papa Dap even spent some volunteer time doing some cutting and hammering. The park has so many great touches and Wyatt already loves it there. Here are a few shots of a recent Saturday trip to the park.

Wyatt's having so much fun on the swing, he can't stand it!

He shows off his squinch-face when he's ready to get moving.

He's checking to see if anyone's looking. If not, maybe he can sneak this leaf into his mouth!

One of the best things about the park is all of the nice little discoveries for the kids. I had no idea there was a mirror under the steps up to the slide, until I followed the crawling boy right to it.

What park would be complete without a Wyatt-sized train?

And here's another shot to show how much Wyatt adores his mama, and vice versa I'd say from the looks of things.

I'll leave you with a shot we got of Wyatt's first trip to see Santa. DeeDra was doing a photo shoot at the Fort Worth Zoo this past weekend and Mr. Claus himself was there to listen to the requests of the boys and girls. Wyatt didn't exactly ask for any presents, and I'm not entirely sure he knew what to think of this odd man in the bright red suit. Once he gets older, I'm sure Wyatt will thank us for this photo.

Wyatt and mom have fun too!

2007-12-05T18:19:00.000-08:00

Being married to a photographer is great since we have so many amazing photos of every family member sharing quality time with our boy. The problem is, who takes pictures of mama and Wyatt? I don't claim to be the photographer that DeeDra is, but here are a few shots to prove that Wyatt has just as much fun with Mama Dap as he does with anyone else.

And last night DeeDra got Wyatt going on one of his laughing fits just before bedtime. It would take video footage to truly get the point across, but here's an attempt with words. Wyatt was up on the big bed in his bedroom, with Papa Dap making sure he didn't scamper off, and DeeDra was ducking down beside the bed playing peek-a-boo. When she'd pop up, she'd be a scary monster with both arms in the air and quickly attack Wyatt's ample belly. Each time she came up from beside the bed, Wyatt would laugh a little bit harder. Pretty soon, DeeDra's scary-monster-peek-a-boo game had Wyatt going in a fairly constant full body laugh. He laughs so hard, then DeeDra and I laugh so hard, then he laughs some more, and pretty soon mom and dad are in tears from so much laughing. If laughter is good for the soul, then the little guy certainly is most certainly the perfect tonic.

Last few turkey shots

2007-12-02T21:14:00.000-08:00

I just downloaded these images last night from David's camera. Wyatt wore a fun cowboy suit given to him by our friend Adelaide's grandma. He stole the show once again....charming 'em all!

November is slippin' slippin' slippin'...

2007-11-27T18:34:00.000-08:00

The past few weeks have been more of the kind I'm becoming so accustomed to...the passing me by in a flash type. Wyatt and I had a very surreal and happy visit at Johnny and Debbie's house 2 weekends back. Our friend Allison is in town from London with her sweet little chicken baby girl. She came with her sister Anna, and Anna's son Luke. Johnny & Deb had 3 year old Kyler and 1 year old Kyra on hand to assist in hosting us all. It was very strange and wonderfully pleasant to take Wyatt into this place with a few good arm-fulls of other smaller people, and the fact that these were people I've known for so long....it was indeed a strange new experience. We had a tasty little pizza, and Allison brought a wonderful avocado/tomato salad, along with some outrageous cookies that made me forget immediately that little issue I have walking away from the sugar bowl. We all stayed and enjoyed until the smallest friends started falling apart. Our next visit is this weekend, without the babies...should be nice to try that rare child-free gathering thing again as well.

That evening, after arriving home, Wyatt had some nice guy time with David. They really enjoy seeing each other, and especially after an absent spell. I admit there are many photos posted of David and Wyatt...but they are so rugged/handsome and cute I cannot help myself. They are dear together...and the photos, well, I am compelled to share with any of you who are interested. So here you go:

And then of course, we enjoyed Thanksgiving to its fullest. We were heartfelt in our gratitude for such a wonderful year, and so deeply grateful to share it with so much wonderful family. We had a happy dozen of us at our house for an incredible meal, mostly prepared by Cici, but with great assistance by Grandpa Bob, Grandma Lucille, and Aunt Trish. And as if we couldn't be any more thankful...we have another year of wonder ahead of us as Trish works on growing another special baby to warm our happy hearts. This year must be the most joy filled year I've ever known...and I hope to see it topped by the next one!

Last note for the night must not neglect the monumental appearance of Wyatt's second tooth. We've been admiring it for about a week now, and I suspect Wyatt has tried it out on the few opportunities that he has chomped avocado, banana and tofu bits. He seems to enjoy the variety, and we're all figuring it out as we go along.

Small, but well loved

2007-11-17T20:55:00.000-08:00

Wyatt's gramps came by to see him this morning. He was on his way to Arkansas for a few weeks, and we were lucky enough to have him stop in on his way through town to have some of David's wonderful egg sandwiches and coffee before his trip. Gramps was asking...what we hope for Wyatt to be when he grows up. Healthy and happy...following his heart. He will, of course, be experienced in building things, electrical engineering, mechanical work, soccer, martial arts, music, cooking, gardening and fishing, along with the art of telling fish stories. No pressure Wyatt....really, we all just love you so much, and have so much we want to share with you. Whatever you want to run with is okay by us.

Papa Dap had a few sweet moments today with the smallest one. It means so much to me that David is so good together with Wyatt. If love and support gives him any advantage in life, he should be gearing up for a truly great one.

Boy in a Box

2007-11-14T12:15:00.001-08:00

Young Wyatt, as I'm told many young children do, seems to REALLY enjoy playing in a cardboard box. I'm not exactly sure what the allure is, but he seems pretty darned happy sitting and playing in a plain cardboard box. As long as he's happy, I'm happy!

Weekend before last, Wyatt and DeeDra went for a nice Saturday bike ride. They both love to get out and enjoy the fresh air and the beautiful November weather. Wyatt seems completely at home in the bike cart, and pretty soon we'll remove the infant adapter and he'll sit in it more like a chair. And as you can see below, Wyatt enjoys waving to the masses from his chariot.

On Saturday, Wyatt's proud aunt and uncle were in Fort Worth and came by for a visit. My brother Michael and his wife Jennifer were in Fort Worth for the annual motorcycle show over at the convention center. They got a little quality time with Wyatt before his bedtime and we had a very classy dinner... pizza from the Mellow Mushroom! None for Wyatt, of course, since he's still on the mostly liquid baby food and had already eaten his turkey-vegetable-dinner and green beans. I think he'll like pizza much better, but DeeDra tells me I need to pretend to like vegetables in front of Wyatt so he'll be fooled into thinking they taste good. If he inherited many of Papa Dap's taste buds, it'll be a VERY tough sell.

And Tigger too....

2007-11-03T17:22:00.000-07:00

Cici gave Wyatt his very first halloween costume....and I'm tellin' you he was pretty darn cute with that little diaper-padded bottom giving his tail nice emphasis, and those blue eyes surrounded by orange tigger ears. David took him to Cici's Wednesday morning for the day. He showed up in costume, delighting Cici so much that she promptly took him to see the adoring neighbors, Drew and Sam. Later that afternoon she was able to run him by to see his great great aunt Louise, and to see his great mema and pops. Fortunately for us, Mimi was able to come over after work and help us get the little Tigger fed and bathed, while we took care of the hungry ghouls at the door. He didn't get any candy this year, but he did get a dollar bill treat from mema and pops...to put in his Tigger bank.

6 month black & white photos

2007-10-31T20:13:00.000-07:00

Bettye Davis took these wonderful photos documenting Wyatt's 6 month progress. I was touched to see them all, and very happy to get photos with all 6 of the grandparents. Now if we can get the great-grandparents in a photo...I'll be ecstatic! And seeing Wyatt sit up so attentive in his great-grandma Dedman's chair took my breath for a moment. I know she's proud to see him there! Bettye, we are forever grateful for your patience and the beautiful images you create for us.

Its All About Wyatt....

2007-10-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday we finally spotted Wyatt's first tooth shining through his slippery gums. Some where along the way in the past week he also managed the gumption in his caboose and is officially crawling about AND officially dangerous. Bath time in the kitchen sink came to an end tonight as well. We were living on borrowed time as he became more active and uncontrollable. He had his first bath tonight in a plastic baby tub in our bath tub...much safer for him, but also much more difficult on our old knees!

We took these photos on Saturday. I realized when I looked at the photos, Wyatt is really starting to look like a little boy. I don't see the little baby we had before. I love the little boy he is turning into...his smile is infectious, and his laughter will make you cry. I am savoring our special weekend time together. I miss him during the week when I only see him in the morning and at night just before his bedtime routine. I am sharing some sweet alone time with him on Saturday and Sunday mornings. (Read: David sleeping in) He wakes up at 6ish, I get up and feed him rice cereal/oatmeal and fruit. I don't get much time to nurse him during the week, so I've been doing that more on the weekend as well. After breakfast, we've been going to the living room for playtime. I spread out a blanket, put down his toys, and turn on a satellite radio station. I want this boy to love music...and I want him to hear it as often as possible. This weekend we listened to the 70's and the 80's stations. Last week he got the 40's and 50's. In the past, I've been laying on the couch catnapping while he plays on his blanket. Now I must nap with one eye open...because the boy can move fast now. He is also pulling himself up into all kinds of trouble. The sweetest part is around 8am, when he starts to get sleepy again. I pull him up on the couch with me, nestle him into the crook of my arm and watch him fall asleep. I stare at him for a while, nap a bit myself, then take him up to his crib for a solid nap....one for each of us!

David and Wyatt had a great time playing in his room and in the back yard on Saturday. I'd like to take a moment to thank our dear friends...many of whom have not received proper thank you's for wonderful gifts we are very much enjoying. Kitt and Amanda....love the Big Bad Wolf shirt and Guess jeans...makes him look tough, doesn't it? And those adorable pirate shoes from Tim and Valerie are not only good looking...but I believe they increase his crawling rate exponentially! Grandpa Bob...the cowboy hat...what would he do without that cool hat?? And Becky and Dave...we love the blue mat for laying out on the grass. He seems to like crawling just to the edge of the mat and playing with the grass. Little boy adventure, without the itch!

Huge love to you all for your kindness! Enjoy the pics, and listen carefully...you might hear his squeal!

Wowser week, the sequel....

2007-10-21T20:38:00.000-07:00

Almost two weeks since my last short post...and it is FINALLY starting to seem like October. Looks like Wyatt is going to get to wear his cute track suit from my dear friend Monica after all! Pretty spiff, he is!

We were happy to see his great great aunt Louise recently. Cici picked her up last week on the way to Fort Worth with Wyatt. They stopped in to check on Great Mema...who I think is settling in well back at home from the hospital. She's got some home health nurses and physical therapist Tiffany...who's family has been friends of ours for several generations now. I'm hoping that she can keep Mema in line when she gets tired of all that moving around business.

Cici and Grandpa Bob took Wyatt to church last weekend. He wore his Sunday-go-to-meetin' clothes...and papa styled his hair real nice. I'm sure he charmed all the church ladies. The treat for us was a quick run to Six Flags. I gave tickets to David for Father's day, and we finally had a good opportunity to go. Funny thing, we rode 4 rides and left. Batman, Superman, and Titan twice. That was just enough to make our heads swim, and long enough to realize the park was quickly getting too crowded for our taste. We left for a nice lunch at the Flying Fish, and returned home in plenty of time for David to watch the game that shall not be mentioned.

This weekend was a real super treat as well...so yeah, I'm getting a little spoiled to having some extracurricular fun again. My wonderful friend Traci T. flew to Austin and drove up with her extraordinary guy Ron. It was my first opportunity to meet this man who has enticed Traci to overcome her fear of flying. She lives in San Francisco...and crazy thing is he lives in Pflugerville, north of Austin. (Same town as the Martin's we've previously mentioned.) The occasion? Our 20th year high school reunion. We gathered forces with Serena, who drove us in her husband Rich's tricked out Subaru. (I never knew cars used nitrous.) The three of us girls and Traci's great fella Ron actually survived TWO evenings of reconnecting with people that we haven't seen in decades. It was a little surreal seeing people from so long ago, and really feeling a bond with so many of them. I've reconnected some friendships that I am looking forward to keeping up with in the future.David was super-pop this weekend, being so kind about staying home and taking care of Wyatt both evenings AND on Sunday for my grand finale sushi with Traci and Ron before they left town. David and Wyatt did go with us to have lunch in Aledo at Traci's brother Terry and sister-in-law Dee's new home. They have a great place on over 6 acres. Dee prepared an incredible tex mex lunch...tacos and homemade salsa, guacamole, beans and rice. I keep telling Terry he married well...mostly because he did!

I got the big news of the day on my way home from sushi. David went to wake up Wyatt after a long nap, and found him standing up in his crib just quietly checking out the place. He is also finally moving forward in his crawling efforts....small movements at a time. And he is sitting up and playing with his toys much better now too. I can't imagine what I'll have to report in the next two weeks. So amazing. Have I mentioned how much sleep we are enjoying now???

Cute as a bug...

2007-10-09T19:16:00.001-07:00

Yea for October!!
Mama's favorite month!!!

Wowser....whataweek!

2007-10-05T20:16:00.000-07:00

Is this what happens when people say "it all goes so fast?" IF I can remember back to crazy last weekend, Wyatt attended a girlfriend brunch...and as usual charmed them all. Anita's birthday was a delightful morning on the deck with lots of delicious food that Anita prepared for us. We REALLY need to be doing that for her! She is too good to us.

Sunday was another exciting day for boys....Wyatt got to watch the Cowboy game with David while I prepared to shoot a wedding that afternoon. And yes, I have decided that babysitting and Cowboys don't really work. I was oh so very glad when Cici and Grandpa Bob showed up with Bettye and Joe. Intervention! I believe you may hear a different version from David later. :)

Tuesday was Wyatt's 6 month birthday, and Bettye took so many wonderful photos of him. I think he got at least 4 sessions with her while she was in town. The black and white photos she is taking are precious to us....I can't wait to see the rest! They are going in an album that David started for me as my first Mother's day gift.

Wyatt accomplished a pretty impressive milestone on his 6 month birthday. I came by the house on Tuesday for lunch, and heard Lucille call me into the living room where he was playing on a blanket. There he was, sitting up all by himself and beaming with satisfaction! I ran to grab the camera, and when I returned....he lost his balance and hit his little noggin on the floor. Tears and a nap quickly followed...but it didn't slow him down. He's caught on to the sitting up thing pretty well, and he always seems to follow that endeavor with a very happy smile.

With 6 months behind him, Wyatt was due another visit to the doctor. He weighed in at 16.6 lbs, and 26.75"...that is 30th and 60th percentiles respectively. Long and lanky. :) He he had his first taste of turkey and vegetables, and then the next morning we tried bananas. I have to say, he doesn't seem to be embracing baby food. Rice cereal and veggies were going over fairly well, but now he is beginning to resist anything but milk. Hmmm.

Wyatt spent Wednesday afternoon with Aunt Trish and Uncle Richard....who are technically cousins....but closer like aunts and uncles. I think he enjoys his time at their house and his visits with the big pups Cierra and George. George is a Great Dane just a few days older than Wyatt....but MUCH larger than Wyatt THANKFULLY.

That afternoon, I got a call from Wyatt's great grandpops...and mema was not doing well. Thursday morning, Richard and Trish helped get her admitted in the hospital. Gratefully, she is doing much better and may come home in a few more days. She has a long road ahead regaining her strength, but hopefully she will feel much better very soon.

I'll end with the great news that giving up the pacifier is now truly paying off. Wyatt is sleeping generally 10 hours a night now, without nighttime feedings. HOWEVER, the end of his 10 hours is around 5am...so yes, I'm still sleepy!

Livin' for the weekend....

2007-09-23T20:11:00.001-07:00

This weekend was Wyatt's first time on a bike ride since I returned to work THREE months ago. He rode with me on Saturday, and on Sunday Papa Dap took his first big ride with the smallest Parrish. We intended to ride together on Sunday....but ran into complications when I couldn't find the right shoes with the right cleats to fit the pedals for the bike that doesn't pull the "chariot". Should it be so complicated??

Regardless, it was very nice for all of us to get outside. I stopped with him Saturday to sit on a park bench looking over the Trinity River at an isolated part of the trail. Surrounded by big trees and the sounds of birds and locusts....little Wyatt was trying hard to be attentive to everything, and doing so with a sweet little boy smile on his face. It was great sitting in the shade with a nice breeze, and for some most fortunate moment...no mosquitoes.

Cici and Grandpa Bob returned home from vacationing in Sanibel Island, Florida. They came bearing gifts...Wyatt scored a great new cap that looks quite dashing on him, when it doesn't fall over his eyes. It is nice to have them home...and we are all hoping Cici's treacherous knee feels better soon!

This evening, there is a Cowboy game...very noisy downstairs and, despite some apparently very bad calls, I think they are holding their own. Grandma and Grandpa Parrish were here in time for the game...and a little look outside around the house with Wyatt before dinner and bath time. Wyatt was so tired, and I'm afraid to say a little grumpy. I almost forgot to mention that the little fellow has been without a pacifier for 4 nights now. He is breaking my heart as he cries himself to sleep...but papa strongly believes it is time for him to learn to sooth himself to sleep. I think he is learning, but I'll be glad when he truly gets it.

Last note for tonight, Wyatt is so close to crawling....and he is sitting up like a champ. I know we are on the verge of a huge milestone any day now. Must get video while he is still rocking back and forth! And....must find a new music box to replace the snow globe we played every night at bath time....smash! He moves so quickly now, and when he decides to roll over and grab something....you just better be ready!!

Eating, motorcycle, and the foot

2007-09-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick update to show Wyatt's progress on 3 fronts.
First of all, he's become quite adept at eating the carrots (or was it squash?) with his rice cereal. As you can see from the photo, he gets pretty much every last drop into his mouth, or at least somewhat near his mouth.

Wyatt's Grandpa Bob has a new motorcycle and he brought it over to the house to show the little guy. Wyatt's not quite sure what to think of it now, but one day I'm sure he'll be anxious to go for a ride... although I'm sure some other members of the family won't be quite so anxious!

And lately Wyatt has found that his left foot will indeed reach all the way into his mouth. About the only thing that can distract him from that foot is the camera, which he seems almost as fascinated with as he is with keyboards and remote controls.

2007-09-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was Wyatt's 5 month birthday, and we celebrated with strained squash. No cake yet for the little guy, which is truly unfortunate for him....as he didn't seem real keen on the squash. This week he is on to carrots...and I still think he is holding out for the cheeseburgers before he shows signs of delight. Mostly he is trudging through rice cereal and orange paste, waiting on the delicious and refreshing bottle that quickly follows.

I weighed him on Friday over at my grandparents house. He seems like a ton, but he has only gained 2 lbs since his last doctor visit last month. Today he practiced sitting up...and we've been watching with anticipation for "the force to be with him" as he aspires to move in the general direction of his toys. As for now, he can spin, roll over and when he tries really hard...move backwards, and usually backs himself under furniture. He pretty much thinks its old hat picking up his pacifier and moving it to his mouth these days. Now we just wish he could find it when he wakes up at night in his crib. Last few days have been hard ones. We don't know what is going on with him....but he is waking up more now than ever it seems. I'm so tired, I'll make a mistake once and while trying to undo it, do it again.

One last note those of you who know David will appreciate...Wyatt experienced his first football game this weekend. Mostly the experience was in trying to understand why Daddy was SCREAMING all of a sudden!! The Aggies beat some other team in triple overtime. I tried to tell him it was alright, and that "yes indeed your father is crazy." He'll soon think its normal I'm sure, but this weekend his eyes were wide with concern.

Cowboys are playing now, and while it is reasonably quiet up here...I am going to take advantage of an early night of rest. Night night termites!

P.S. Happy first Grandparents Day to all six of Wyatt's first time grandparents, and to Mema & Pops, his first time great grandparents! Cici says everyday is a celebration with him. I agree!

Papa's last day at home

2007-08-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

For the first 12 weeks of Wyatt's life, DeeDra was home with him all day every day. She was very sad to go back to work, but fortunately Papa Dap and the grandparents were able to take over caring for the little guy. Since DeeDra went back to work, we've been splitting home time with Wyatt between me and primarily my mom. During much of the summer, DeeDra works 4 day weeks, so my mom covered Monday and Tuesday, and Papa Dap stayed home with Wyatt on Wednesday and Thursday. Today is the last of my weekdays at home with the little guy, since my vacation time is now exhausted. When DeeDra went back to the full 5 day work weeks, her mom stepped in to take over the Friday duties with Wyatt. It truly is incredible how fortunate Wyatt has been to have so much of his family so willing and able to spend so much time with him. Everyone has chipped in, and yesterday DeeDra's dad came over to spend the afternoon with Wyatt while I attended some important meetings at the office.

It's been amazing to spend this time with Wyatt as he's changed quickly from an infant to a near-crawling 5 month old. Like DeeDra, I'll be sad when this phase of the adventure with him is done, but I know there will be many more to come. I'm just thankful that I've had this rare opportunity as a father to watch and interact as my son has gone from a 3 month old to a 5 month old. He wakes up every morning with a smile on his face ready to face the day, and there's nothing quite like it to see a little piece of me and a little piece of DeeDra in those eyes of his.

We had planned to put Wyatt in daycare starting next week, but it looks like once again his grandparents are sacrificing their time to keep him with family as long as possible. My mom and DeeDra's mom will alternate each week, with one taking care of him for 3 days a week and the other for 2. The plan is to continue this process until the middle of December when DeeDra's time off starts. This will delay the daycare step until the first of 2008, when Wyatt will be 9 months old, and I'm quite sure walking, talking, and doing algebra (trig and calculus will come after the first birthday).

My days with Wyatt started out with the finger-nail-cutting accident, but since then things have gone pretty smoothly. Of course, there have been some sleepless nights, some cranky days, and one SERIOUS poop and pee incident, but all in all it's been a great experience. Just as Wyatt's learning daily about the world around him and how he can interact with it, I'm learning about how to be a dad. It's not easy, and I've got TONS to learn, but every time I look at him I can't hide how proud I am of the little miracle that DeeDra and I have produced.

So with that, I'll leave you with a few of the many faces of Wyatt.

Closing in on a month!

2007-08-13T20:10:00.000-07:00

Where to start when I haven't written in a month?

David returned home Friday night after spending a week in San Diego at Siggraph convention. We missed him dearly, but had incredible backup care from Grandma Parrish and Cici Smith, who both took turns spending the night with us while Papa was away. Even Aunt Trish came over to help out one afternoon. What would we do without them??

Saturday was full of important introductions for Wyatt. My girlfriends Anita, Jen and Stephanie hosted a very sweet gathering for me and Wyatt. Wyatt got to meet some of my lovely girlfriends...and well...he loves the girls...and yeah, the girls love him. Much enjoyment was had by all. I'll be taking sweet smelling baths for ATLEAST the next year after that party, thank you very much! Wyatt was most fortunate as well, receiving toys, clothes, bibs, books and a beautiful handmade quilt. Would be lost without these incredible friends too...

As Wyatt and I pulled into the driveway, we spotted more dear friends. Anthony, Jennifer and young Anna and Colin Martin came to visit us for the weekend. They are our friends from Pflugerville....and such great friends they are. David may have known them first, but now...they are MY friends. My kinda people, those Martins...and David is the dear odd one who brought us together. Anna seemed quite delighted to meet Wyatt...and Colin, he was much more interested in all of the webworms. I think he found a home for all of them. Anna blew Wyatt his first bubbles ever, and she also helped me with his bath one evening while everyone went out to get Curly's frozen custard. We had such a nice time with them...and look forward to their next visit.

And finally, I have to announce that Monday night was Wyatt's first taste of rice cereal. With cries between every bite, he seemed to be disenchanted with the empty spoon that kept disappearing from his unsatisfied mouth. I do believe he is catching on after a few feedings and we are hoping that all those other moms are correct in the prediction that he will begin sleeping through the night. Please...oh please....

The time between blogs is flying by, and yet everyday is too amazing to convey. Wyatt is so close to crawling, and rolling over and over and over...and sometimes off! He negotiates his way around on his belly...mostly in circles, while eyeing a colorful bling just out of his reach. He has discovered his inner shriek...and is one with it. It is hard to believe he is our little boy!

Does this bath mat...

2007-07-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

make my belly look big??

Taylor Family Reunion

2007-07-12T15:43:00.000-07:00

After the 4th of July holiday, we packed up our little family and Wyatt made his first trip beyond the borders of Texas. On Friday morning, July 5th, 2007, we left for El Dorado, Arkansas. This is a little town on the southern edge of Arkansas near Strong, Arkansas, where my mother grew up. My mom is the 9th of 9 children, and this reunion would include 7 of her brothers and sisters. One sister, my aunt Dorothy (also known to the family as Virginia) was not feeling well and not able to make the trip from Red Oak (a suburb of Dallas).

There were about 50 people total in attendance, with aunts, uncles and cousins I hadn't seen in many years. It was great to see so many familiar family faces, and young Wyatt was quite the hit with the extended family. He was passed from person to person and loved every minute of it. From the time we arrived at the hotel and met my Aunt Ann and cousin Janice in the lobby, Wyatt was doing the rounds and soaking up all of the attention he was showered with.

The reunion was intended to be held at my Uncle Ernest's home, which is the same home my late grandmother and grandfather lived in and I visited as a boy. It's located in Strong, but the weather was very rainy and the decision was made to hold the reunion in a large hotel meeting room in El Dorado. It was convenient for us, since it was the same hotel DeeDra and I (along with many other reunion attendees) were staying, so we just came down stairs to meet up with everyone. Everyone brought food and by noon on Saturday, July 7, 2007, most people had arrived. There was plenty of fried chicken, and tons of homemade dishes, along with the pizzas that I brought from Pizza Hut (I thought I'd be a little different).

After everyone got their fill, DeeDra started gathering the family up for photos. As is often the case when DeeDra attends any family function, word gets out that she is a professional photographer and she gets to offer her eye to capturing the moment. I've done my fair share of photography in the past, but DeeDra is SO much better with human subjects than I am. She's got a great way with people and it comes through in her photography. She was able to get a good shot of everyone (except for the 2 or 3 people who were hiding), but the resolution on this post is about 1/100 of what the photo and the print are, since blogger doesn't seem to like the panoramic format. If you click on the photo, you can see it much more clearly.

DeeDra also got the 8 brothers and sisters together and here's a nice shot of them. The brother are, from left to right, Ernest, John, Harold, Charles (the oldest), and Franklin. The daughters from left to right are Marthell, Ann (Nadine), and Lucille (my mom, the youngest).

Wyatt was a great traveller and held up well in the car. He got pretty cranky just before we left the reunion Saturday evening to start the drive home, but once we got on the road he settled down quickly. He loves looking out the window and watching the scenery. He gets bored and cranky if we stay stopped too long, which makes city driving more difficult. On a long trip, though, he's got constant visual stimulation and between that, his naps, a couple of bottles and a couple off diaper change stops, he a breeze to travel with. I'm actually as high maintenance as he is, since I have to stop to eat as often as he does!

It was a good trip and the first of many excursions for WAP. We'll leave you with an action shot of Wyatt, in the arms of Guy (husband to Regina, who is the daughter of Ernest - far left in the brothers and sisters photo) being entertained by my cousin Janice (daughter of Ann, AKA Nadine, who is the middle daughter in the photo).

Great Great Uncle Parky

2007-07-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

Last night, surrounded by so much of his family, we lost our sweet Uncle Parky. His heart was huge, and he loved us all as if we were his own. I'm sad that Wyatt will not get know him better in his lifetime, but grateful that we got to spend a little time with him before he passed. Wyatt's Great Great Aunt Louise will no doubt do her best to show him what that love was like. Today the sun shines after a week of rain, and Uncle Parky has found his peace. I feel happiness for him, and heartache for us.

Papa's first day at home

2007-06-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

I left home this morning a little after 7am...and all was quiet in the house. Grandma Lucille, little Wyatt and Papa Dap were all sound asleep. I tiptoed into Wyatt's room before I left to take one last look...very difficult not grabbing him up to hold close before leaving for work. He slept so peacefully, holding that one little hand that he managed to squirm out of his swaddle up close to his soft cheek.

Being at work is going well. Spending time catching up on projects and getting back in the swing of things is good, but by 10am I really wanted to know how things were going at home. I broke down and called David, hoping not to wake anybody up. David answered and was obviously wide awake. His first comment was that they had a little accident. He had been trying to clip Wyatt's fingernails, and as you can guess, ran into trouble when he caught the skin. Luckily Grandma Lucille was still there to help stop the bleeding and calm a frantic father. I can only imagine how horrible he must have felt causing little boy tears today. It was hard just hearing about it and not being able to offer comfort to either of them. When he told me about putting New Skin on his finger, a jolt went over me. Letting go of it, I realized we are smack in the middle of learning how to take care of things we've never before considered....and sometimes we've got to do it fast.

Today I am hearing "this too shall pass" in my head, and knowing that when I get home today I'm going to smile when I see my husband holding our little boy, wearing a little wet slobbery mitten close to his soft cheek.

Mama Dap goes back to work

2007-06-25T05:11:00.001-07:00

Twelve weeks ago today right about this time, some nurse finally finished what I remember as a four hour demonstration on how to give our new precious baby a bath. We were deliriously tired, and I know she was giving us some very helpful information, but I could hardly keep my eyes open.

Today I go back to work after being home with the little guy everyday for 3 months. I remember holding him in the hospital thinking "you will never be two days old again," and knowing the time is fleeting. Papa Dap has been very encouraging, and I do rest better knowing at least for two months he will in the care of family members. I am so grateful for all the love our family surrounds him, and us, with. It has been so incredible to see everyone come together to be one big family, which couldn't make us happier. Most surprising of all? The GRANDPAS. To see the pure joy and love this little one brings out in them, you just have to see to believe. Yesterday I cried at the thought of leaving him today, but so far I feel peaceful knowing he will be with Grandma Lucille. I'm sure the full night of sleep she allowed me last night helped!

First Entry, about 12 weeks behind

2007-06-24T20:17:00.000-07:00

Right at 24 hours from now, our little boy will be 12 weeks old. Wyatt Allen Parrish was born on April 2, 2007 at 11:07pm. He weighed in at 7 lbs 15 ozs and was 20-1/4 inches long. As everyone told us he would, the little guy has completely changed our lives.

For the last 12 weeks we've been meaning to start this blog, but the days have quickly slipped away and we are finally getting it going. We'll try to keep the updates regular so our friends and relatives can check in whenever they want to see Wyatt growing and his parents marveling at his progress.

Lucky little Wyatt is fortunate enough to have 6 first time grandparents and 2 first time great grandparents who share in our joy of his arrival. My parents, along with DeeDra's mom, stepdad, dad, stepmom, granddad and grandmom were all incredibly excited to hear that DeeDra and I were expecting a child... and all a bit relieved as well. DeeDra and I both waited long enough to convince our parents and grandparents that they'd never have any grandchildren. Wyatt was worth the wait and he's charmed us all. It's hard to describe the joy he brings to the family. I've never seen smiles bigger than those of our family when they see little Wyatt smiling back at them or sleeping peacefully. They even smile when he's crying out for food or when they're changing a messy diaper... now that's true love!

This is the beginning and we'll update with photos and entries as regularly as Wyatt lets us.

For now we'll leave you two images. The top one is Wyatt sleeping during his first night outside of mama's belly. The image to the right is of DeeDra and Wyatt on April 4th, just before we left the hospital to head home.