Parker's First Birthday

Doesn't everyone dive into a cupcake with their face? from Jennifer Neal on Vimeo.

First Haircuts

 Parker

Parker was not so sure about it all!

Look at that Mohawk!

Had to know what sister was doing!

So handsome!

 Makenzie

A little apprehensive.

Excited about her first professional haircut.

Feeling like a superstar with her purple stars and hair.

By the way, we got their haircuts at Sweet N Sassy. On Tuesdays all of their haircuts are $5 off. So their "cutie cuts" were only $10! What a great deal! Makenzie's purple "hair extension," glitter spray, glitter stars, and sucker were all included. I'm sure she'll always want to get her hair cut at Sweet N Sassy!

My children

They'll only be little once. Focus on their hearts and who they are. They are gifts from God. He will take care of them. He has blessed you with the opportunity to raise them for Him! What an awesome responsibility! They are people that deserve respect, but they are not little adults. They are children.

My sweet girl Makenzie. She is her momma through and through. She is very maternal and loving. She is quietly adventurous. She is slowly climbing out of her shell and standing on the edge of childhood. She is putting herself out there to meet new people. I'm so proud of how much she has grown in the past year. She is strong willed and strong minded. She knows exactly what she wants and how she wants it. She loves her brother, but is really having a hard time with his new found mobility and curiosity.

 Oh, Parker and his sweet, mischievous smile. Oh, how I love that boy. He is T.R.O.U.B.L.E., but I don't care. I love him so much. He melts my heart when he wraps his arms around my legs in an attempt to get my attention. He gives me a little flirty grin that says, "pick me up...you know you want to," and he's right, I do.

There Aren't Enough Adjectives

Flirty

Angelic

 

Pensive

Adorable

Excited

Handsome

 

Mischievous

Look at what I can do!-Parker

Time flies when you're having FUN!

It's hard to believe how fast my littles are growing up! Makenzie is almost four and Parker is already 7 months old! I feel like his first birthday is going to be here before we know it! When Makenzie was a baby I just wanted her to stay little. I was always excited about the milestones, but everyday I wished she could "just stay little!" Needless to say it didn't happen and the same thing is happening with Parker. However, unlike Makenzie, he isn't meeting the milestones quite so quickly. He rolls over in his bed, but no where else. He is sitting great and has been for about six weeks. At this point Makenzie was already crawling. I think Parker is far from crawling and I'm thankful!

Parker at seven months:


Makenzie January 2012(almost four years old):

One thing I really love is watching my kids interact. My friend was right that the gift of giving Makenzie a sibling would be worth the time that she would lose with me. It definitely isn't easy when they both have needs at the same time. Like when Parker is being fed and Makenzie needs help in the bathroom. This happens almost everyday at some point. But, I love watching them together! They are so "peshish,"(precious) as Makenzie would say.

Bath time:


Going down the slide together at Arbor Hills:


What morning looks like at our house:


So, today I'm thankful for my sweet children, the wonderful relationship they have with each other, and the ability for me to stay home with them and experience it all.

Pregnancy- Week 36

We're getting closer and closer to Parker's arrival! I'm really excited to see his sweet face. His room is ready and just needs our sweet baby boy! Makenzie is as prepared as she can be for what is about to happen. She introduces herself as a big sister to people and tells them that she too has a baby in her belly! A five year old friend of hers was really upset about Makenzie saying this yesterday. She told Makenzie that she couldn't have a baby in her belly because she had to be a grown up and married first.

As for me and the pregnancy. I'm doing okay. I caught a glimpse of myself in a full length mirror and realized...I'm HUGE. My back has been better than it was with Makenzie, probably because I'm not working. This week my pelvis has REALLY started hurting. I'm in pain with almost every step and rolling over in bed requires a lot of effort. At my check up this week my doctor checked my cervix and I'm dilated about a one but not effaced at all. Apparently this is typical for a second pregnancy. I'm excited to see what the next few weeks hold for the Neal family.

Parker's Room

I intended to show the work in progress of this room, but I know all we really want to see is the final product. So, here it is. We love it. Now all we need is our baby boy.

Second Trimester - 25 Weeks

I am really feeling pregnant these days. I'm so happy every time I feel Parker move. He kicks a lot! I don't always appreciate the swift kicks to my bladder, but I'm always thankful to know that he is alive and well. I think of Parker as a person more than I ever did when I was pregnant with Makenzie. I find myself talking to him often. I'm so excited to know that we'll have our baby boy in our home in just a few quick months! We're starting to prepare more and more for him. We bought a box of diapers yesterday at Costco and we've ordered some artwork for the walls in his room. My friend is throwing me a baby shower in two weeks and I can hardly wait! We'll probably start really working on his room after the shower because that will be spring break. I'll post pics as soon as everything comes together.
Makenzie talks more and more everyday about Parker and her role as "big sister." She has been putting her dolls and animals into the roles of big brother or sister too. She is becoming increasingly independent in her play. I'm sure that is a skill that will be especially helpful once Parker makes his arrival. I'm sad to lose one on one time with her, but I'm so excited to see the relationship that will grow between the two of them.

It's a boy! 19 weeks continued.

I am so excited to announce that the Neal family is expecting a sweet baby boy in June! I am in awe of how blessed we are. God loves us so much and is trusting us to not one, but two of His children. It is such an honor to have the opportunity to raise a boy for Jesus! I'm so excited for my husband to have to opportunity to raise a son. He is already an amazing father to our daughter and I am excited to see him with our son.