Evie Is 1 Week Old

Our little Evie has been with us for 1 week now and we are loving every minute of it! She has enjoyed being at home and has had a few visits from her grandparents, aunts, uncle, and cousins. Here she is meeting her Great Grandfather (husband of the Great Grandmother she was named after).








She is gaining weight. She was 6 lbs 6 oz at birth and weighed 6 lbs 8 oz at her 1 week check up. We have been trying to get her in the sun to get her bilirubin level lower and it seems to have helped. Her big brother has taken her on two outings. Once to the park and once to the zoo. She slept through both of them, but had a good time none the less. Here are some fun photos to share with you!

Evie loves being carried in her baby wrap!
It usually puts her right to sleep.
This is Evie at the Park - Her first outing at 6 days old! She enjoyed the merry-go-round.






Wiley took Evie to the zoo when she was 8 days old! We had a blast!

Thankful He's Their Daddy!

I am truly blessed to have Shane as the father of my children. He is such a Godly man and Daddy. He is so very loving, tender, patient, and consistent with our children. I love him all the more for it! We are trying really hard to be sure Wiley gets our time and attention, especially with little Evie arriving. One of the best ways we are doing this is with Shane and Wiley's "guy time". Shane came up with the idea for he and Wiley to make a list of fun "guy things" they are going to do together over the next few weeks. Some of these started before Evie was even born. One special thing he has planned is that he and Wiley are going to fix up Wiley's room together. They are decorating it with a sports theme, of course! I'm so thankful for my "guys" and the love they have for one another. They have a very special bond and I'm thankful to God for that. I am truly blessed to have a husband that loves his family with all of his heart (second only to the Lord) and loves spending time with them. My children are truly blessed indeed to have Shane as their Dad. Here are just a few of my favorite photos of Shane with Wiley and Evie.

Oranges for teeth! Silly guys!














I love this photo! It was taken right after Evie was born. They took her from me in the tub and she went straight into Shane's arms while I got out. This was the first time he held her, just minutes old.










Shane took Wiley to a USC foootball practice and scrimmage on Saturday, March 21.
Also, he has begun taking him 2 Saturdays a month to Lowe's where they build something together in one of the workshops for kids and parents. This first time they built a wooden race car. Wiley got his own pair of goggles and apron and he gets a badge to sew on his apron each time he builds something. He's holding up his badge in this photo.
Wiley just adores his Daddy and I know Evie will too!

Big Brother

Wiley is doing a wonderful job as Evie's big brother. He is being as gentle as he can be with her and loves to hold and kiss her. We have been amazed at how caring for her needs he is. The Lord has been gracious in leading Wiley to have a caring heart for her, especially during times that we were most worried about such as in the car when they are strapped in side by side. These have been some of the most precious moments with them so far though. Once when Evie was fussing in her car seat, Wiley said, "It's okay, Sweetie!" Another time when Evie was trying to find her hands to suck on them, Wiley thought she was hitting herself in the head. His response to her was, "Evie, don't do that. You're a nice girl." Again, we thank God for the sweet heart we are seeing in our little boy and are so thankful that out of all the boys in the world, He chose Wiley to be Evie's big brother! She is truly blessed!

Introducing Evie Lydia Louisa Parker

Evie Lydia Louisa Parker
(Evie is pronounced with a soft "E" like "ever")
Born March 14, 2009 at 5:35 am
6 lbs. 6 oz. 19 1/2 inches

God blessed us Saturday morning with our beautiful and healthy baby girl! His mercies are new every morning indeed!!! We are so thankful to God for a safe and healthy birth. Both Mom and Evie are doing well and our whole family is just enjoying being together and resting. Thank you all for your prayers. We would appreciate you continuing to pray for us as we all adjust and as little Evie grows and develops.


Wiley is enjoying being a big brother and is very loving and affectionate. We are working hard at teaching him the meaning of the word "gentle", but he is such a big helper!

Preparing for Baby

Well we are less than 2 weeks away from our due date and awaiting the arrival of Baby Parker. (Here's a belly shot at 38 weeks pregnant.) Things have been very hectic trying to tie up all lose ends before her arrival. We are enjoying time as a family and trying to wait patiently upon the Lord's perfect timing in her coming. We thought she was going to be here a little early when we began having contractions March 3, but she was just teasing us. Needless to say it helped us get on the ball with getting everything packed and ready to go. We're all preparing for her coming, even Jed is getting himself groomed for the special occasion and, as I'm sure you can guess, he's simply thrilled about that!

Here are some photos from the baby shower that my family and friends threw for us. It was so nice and I have to say without bias that it was the most fun I've ever had at a shower. We had an ice cream bar and Dawn made the cake. I have to brag on my sister and her cake decorating abilites for just a minute. In January, she made me a birthday cake for my surprise party, and it was beautiful - her first attempt ever at using fondant icing and it turned out gorgeous!!! This cake was only her 2nd time decorating with fondant and it was amazing!!!!! The pictures don't do it justice at showing the detail that she put into it. I'm trying to convince her to start her own cake decorating business!!! Enjoy the photos! We'll post when Baby Parker is born. Please remember us in your prayers over the next few weeks!!!

Wiley and Shane decided to "crash" our party. When Wiley woke up from his nap, Shane asked him if he wanted to go crash Mommy's party and eat everyone's ice cream. Wiley's response was (with a big grin), "Let's do it, Man!" He came in with the biggest grin on his face and indeed had his share of ice cream AND cake!!!