Mr. Charismatic

A few Sundays ago after church, I was trying to get Parker to hold still for a picture - but with no luck. So this is what I captured. I have to admit - it depicts his personality far better than him sitting still for me on the couch ever would have. He sure is always on the go and these days he climbs on whatever he can possibly find. If you look closely, you can see that he is actually standing on a tupperware full of powdered sugar that he'd just pulled out of the cupboard. He is such a good-natured little boy and is full of endless entertainment. I had no idea how much personality could come in such a tiny little person! He has enriched our lives so much & we are so grateful to have him as a part of our family. We love you, Parker and can't imagine our lives without you!

SICK DAYS - lots of them

Today was the first day in the last nine that I've stepped foot out of my house! Parker and I have been so so sick for the last week. I was "struck" with a horrible throat infection which came along with lots of nasty side effects - it was just awful. I will spare you all of the gorry details, but I don't remember ever having such a bad sore throat - especially one as relentless and ongoing as this. You know when you are just so sick and in so much pain that you can't function, and in fact wouldn't mind someone just doing you the favor of putting you out of your misery? That was me! The hard part was HAVING to function because I had poor Parker to take care of, who wasn't nearly as bad off as myself, but still had a bad cold and endless runny nose. Poor Chris has been sleeping in the guest bedroom for the last week in an effort to avoid this nasty germ, but he still ended up getting a little sick. Parker is still "under the weather", and in fact seems to have gotten worse the last few days. I just feel for the little guy, but I am so glad to be feeling better myself so I can give him the care he needs. All in all, I am happy to say that I survived, although last week I wasn't quite sure whether that would be the outcome. Talk about sounding dramatic - I know - but it was that bad! Overall, Parker's only had a few small bugs here in there in his almost two years of life, and for that we are so grateful! This last week has really made me more empathetic for those who experience chronic pain and illnesses that so many out there have to deal with on an ongoing basis! It's awful to not only feel so broken physically, but it can really break your spirit too because it's so consuming that it's all you can think about or feel. Imagine that - just a simple week of the flu & I sure came out with renewed appreciation for the good health I've experienced throughout my life! I have much to be grateful for.

Still a Girl!

Isn't she Sweet?

Early last week we had our "official" doctor's ultrasound. Yes, we cheated several weeks ago by going to Fetal Photos to find out what we were having, who had assured us that it was a girl. SO, at the official 20 week ultrasound done in the doctor's office, we were relieved to find out that we didn't have to shift gears in our thinking or anything, that this baby really IS a girl. She is right on target and from what they can tell, she is looking very healthy. There was a big surprirse however for another couple who saw my Dr. that morning... They, too, had gone to Fetal Photos several weeks ago and were told it too was a girl, only to find out that morning at the Dr.'s office that it was really a BOY! We were grateful to NOT be the ones on the receiving end of that shocking news that morning, and to know that I wouldn't need to be returning any of the cute new girl outfits I've recently bought! I'm still trying to get used to the idea that we're even having another baby, let alone a girl this time around. We're really excited for what is coming our way. Well, besides major sleep deprivation and all the added chaos that is.....I'm really trying to enjoy all the sleep I can get these days because I know it'll all be coming to an end in a few short months.... What can we say though - we're still so excited for this new little person to join our family!

Jumping on the Bandwagon

So we're finally joining the world of blogging. I've resisted doing this for a long time for various reasons, but finally convinced myself that if for no other reason it will be worth it to motivate me to journal our life. Time sure flies and although I always think that I'm not going to forget all the special moments, I find that with the hustle and bustle of everyday, I don't reflect enough on the small moments that enrich my life. Hopefully this will help Chris and I and our family as it grows down the line, to remember all the many things we have to be grateful for, and the great journey that we've made along the way. Here we go blogging! (Yikes - I feel like a dork already!)

Baby #2

So our most recent "news", in case you haven't already heard, is that we are expecting our newest member of the Hansen clan coming up on September 1st. That makes me 20 weeks along, and yes, in case you are wondering, I am wearing PINK because it's a GIRL! Needless to say, we are very excited for this new addition. Growing up without a sister, I was always jealous of my friends who all seemed to have one. Although, I have to say, they were good at sharing the ones they had with me (Lacey and Brooke!). So I am so excited to be getting a girl in this capacity who is a part of me. I've always said that if I have ONE daughter, I've got to give her sister so that they can have what I didn't. I guess only time will tell on that one! Meanwhile, we are thrilled and are trying to wrap our brains around the idea of pink, dolls and bows after the twenty months we've spent with Parker in boy mode. He will be a great big brother and we're so excited to have one of each!

Easter 2008

In preparation for Easter, we did lots of "practice" egg hunts with Parker throughout our house the week leading up to the big day. He thought it was the best game to run around and find the empty eggs we hid for him. It's been several weeks since Easter and he still asks to play with the eggs!
Easter at Mimi's (my Grandma's) is always a big event. Parker found lots of eggs on the hunt and loved the toys from his baskets. Every time we turned around, he seemed to have found a piece of chocolate that he was trying to shove into his mouth (or that Uncle Steven was opening for him!). All that available sugar was a little stressful for Chris and I, but heaven for Parker. The kid is already addicted!
The Hansen's had a nice Easter dinner and yet another fun egg hunt. Uncle Dustin kept telling him to "put his eyes on" while he hunted, so Parker kept walking around with one hand over his eye, and the other holding onto his basket, which kept everybody laughing. What a fun day!

DISNEYLAND March 2008

Early in March we were able to get away and go on a much needed - and in my opinion - much deserved vacation. Chris and I have gone to Disneyland numerous times during our marriage and we were sooo excited to this time around have a little person to enjoy it with! We had such a great time!! Here is a little recap below.... If you look closely, you can see the airplane behind us. We were sure glad when the flight landed, and I'm sure our fellow passengers were as well. They must have been so grateful to be relieved of Parker's screams and cries! That plane ride was by far the most stressful part of the trip!
As you can see, Parker absolutely LOVED meeting Mickey Mouse! It was so fun to see his excitement as he met his little friend, who he calls "Me-Me".

One of Parker's favorite attractions was the PHONE in our hotel room! We couldn't keep him away from it. We finally unplugged it so that he could enjoy himself without calling for roomservice.
Toon Town was a big hit with Parker! He loved going through Minnie and Mickey's houses and exploring all the cartoon-like features there. He also loved Buzz Light Year, The Jungle Cruise, Nemo, watching the nightly parades, and he was fascinated by all the ducks and birds walking around the Disney grounds. We had such a great time and it was so nice to get away and have some quality family time together without all the everyday distractions of home.

A Little Rewind to Graduation! Midwestern University 2007

After eight+ long years of college, Chris finally graduated from Pharmacy school last June of 2007. We had such great experiences over our years as "poor married students", and we'll always look back on those days with great memories. We absolutely loved the three years we spent in Arizona. I was blessed with a great job there that I really enjoyed at a dental office up until I had Parker, Chris (for the most part) really enjoyed Midwestern, & we were so blessed to be in a wonderful ward and made great friends that we will never forget. Above Chris is posing with two of his closest friends whom he met at school and carpooled with almost everyday. They are like the three stooges and have such a great time together. We are grateful that we still get to see them as they, too, coincidentally are originally from UT and also moved back here post graduation. We will always look back on those times spent in Arizona with the fondest memories. With the dreadful winter we've experienced here in Utah this year, we sure wish we were enjoying the awesome weather Arizona offers this time of year! Finally being graduated is a strange phenomenon that we are still trying to get used to, but Chris is really enjoying his job and we feel so blessed because of it and the journey that we took in getting to this point in our lives. It was all so well worth the long years of school and any "sacrifices" that may have been made along the way. In reality, we were 100% blessed the entire time.