Strawberries & Smiles

Peyton's last day of the Preschool year was last week.  She has really enjoyed her 2 1/2 year old class.  Her teacher's Mrs. Robin and Mrs. Michelle keep her busy with tons of arts and crafts.  They also attend specials like music, spanish, sign language and fitness. She had her end of the year program where the children are supposed to sing a couple of songs, but Peyton decided prior to going that she wasn't going to sing.  Well she lived up to her promise!  She simply stood there, quiet as a mouse! Oh well...

She did, however, very much enjoy her last day of school field trip to the Strawberry Patch to pick berries. 

I think she ate more berries than went in the bucket!

The North Raleigh Church of Christ End of the Year Program 

 Not gonna sing...

In other news, PARKER SMILES!!! Just when we thought we couldn't possibly love this kid any more, he starts to smile!  This totally melts our hearts.  He usually will smile at you with a soft coo as if to laugh. 

It is sooo cute!

 Lastly, the pool is finally open!  Water is still chilly, but we are troopers.  Sun is out and we are there! Looking forward to a fun filled summer with lots of friends!

Grandma and Grandpa were here visiting last week. We all really enjoyed having them here! They went with us to the strawberry patch and even took both kids to the Children's Museum. They tried to take Peyton to an IMAX film, but she got a little scared. They were busy all week with activities.
I am sure that Grandma and Grandpa were ready for a loooong nap when they got home!

So Much Love!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

What are the plans for Mother's Day this year?....NO PLANS!!! Ahhhh...it is so nice to wake up in the morning and not have to be anywhere or do anything!  We had a wonderful breakfast and are planning a nice walk and lunch.  Chris has already planned an ultra gourmet dinner (he is a fabulous cook) and he is currently doing some laundry!  All of this equates to one thing...HAPPY MOMMY! So while all of this is going on, I thought I would do a quick blog update of what we have been doing.

Parker is 6 weeks old!

Here are the stats:

Weight: 8.6 lbs (15th percentile)

Length: 19.75 inches (3rd percentile?!)

Yep...he is a JONES! :)

He continues to be such a snuggly and loving little guy.  He still wakes up around 2am and 6am. Chris and I have started taking shifts now.  So that helps with the sleeplessness. I stopped breastfeeding at about 5 weeks. I just could not keep up with his appetite! He currently eats about 5-6 ounces every three hours.  That is a lot of food for such a little muffin!

Chris and I are both working crazy hours. In the last 6 weeks I have sold 6 homes and Chris just started his new Southeast Regional Manager position at work.  He has been travelling quite a bit and we are looking forward to some sort of family vaca when things die down.

Aunt Kim was our first visitor.  She is an AMAZING Aunt....a total natural. Peyton looooves to hang out with her. During the day they would have picnics and go to the park. At night, Kim would have cocktails and appetizers waiting for us after the kids were fed and bathed! What a fantastic house guest!!!

We really wish that she and Mark lived closer.  Love and miss them lots.

Here are some highlights from her visit:

Last week, Mimi came to stay with us while Daddy was travelling all week.  It was a great week and she was incredibly helpful around the house.  Mimi even fixed a bath tub drain for us!

She loved to snuggle with Parker and give him his bottles. They all went to the park and played too.

It was a great week and I was very appreciative of her help.

In a couple of weeks, Grandma and Grandpa will be here. PopPop will visit shortly after that! Busy Busy!

Much Love!

Sneak Peek...

Parker is four weeks old today! 
Today is also his due date.

Parker makes our family complete. 
Having him as a member of our family is such a joy!

He seems to be a very mellow baby.  He only cries when he is hungry and grunts for other reasons like a tummy ache. He LOVES to be held and snuggled.  He also loves cozy blankets, especially when he can snuggle his face on them. Peyton has really warmed up to having Parker around.  She sings and dances for his entertainment.  When he cries she whispers "it's okay buddy" in his ear.  Very sweet.

Here is a sneak peek of some pictures that we have had taken over the last few weeks.

MUCH LOVE!!!

Spring Has Sprung!

There is no more beautiful Spring than in North Carolina!

These Cherry Blossoms say it all!

Hippity Hoppity...Happy Easter!

We had such a nice Easter this year!

The Perez family welcomed us over to thier home for dinner and an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids.

Peyton really enjoyed herself and Parker slept most of the time. It was a great day for us all! 

Much Love!

Parker Hudson Jones Has Arrived!!!

How is it that I am consistently late for EVERYTHING and both of my kids are very EARLY?! 

Parker arrived at 12:32 am on Wednesday, March 24th....a full four weeks early.  He was 6 lbs. 1 oz. and 18.75 inches long.  Just like with Peyton, my water broke on the evening of the 23rd.  Chris was out at a client dinner and I had to call him to come home.  Parker is the sweetest baby boy we could ever hope for.We want to spend the enitre day snuggling him! Relatively drama free, he sleeps and eats.  When he is hungry, he squeaks and grunts and rarely cries. He is a great eater and I am not sure that I can keep up!  Peyton just loves her "baby brother".  She never refers to him by name, just "baby brother".  She tries to be a big help in every way.  Chris and I are doing our best to exhibit patience as she constantly has her hands in the way of diaper changes and feedings.  Her favorite things to do are turn on all of the buttons on the swing and bouncers and jam the binky in Parker's mouth, whether he wants it or not.  None the less, we are thankful that she wants to be the best Big Sister and not the worst.

Here are lots of pics to show off our latest addition and how he spent his first week!

On another note, I have been meaning to upload pics of the house projects we have completed!  Here is Parker's Room and the kid's bathroom!

That is about all for now. More to come after Easter!!!

SOOO Much Love!!!

Peyton's OFFICIAL Third Birthday

How many 3rd birthdays can one kid have?! Well, if you are Peyton Raleigh, the answer is SEVERAL!  Here are some pictures from her official 3rd birthday.  We had a small party with PopPop, Lisa, Linsdsey and Tracey.

Minnie Mouse Cake to Honor our Trip to Disney

Where there is cake, Sam Jaye is sure to follow

Happy Birthday to you!

On second thought, red icing may not have been the best idea. :)

We have been busy busy these days.  The weather is finally starting to warm up, so every free moment is spent outdoors.  Peyton is really getting the hang of riding her bike.  She rode all the way up to the Cafe and home!  That is about a two mile round trip.  Only 5 more weeks until Parker's arrival. (we hope!)  It is slow going with the preparations for his room.  Still don't have a middle name yet. 

It may be a "game-time" decision!

I had to include this hilarious picture of Daddy and Peyton working in the office on their laptops.  Peyton wants to be just like Daddy in every way. She just loves to follow him around!

Much Love!