Summer Heat

Wow...this summer has been blistering hot! Last I knew we were in the upper thirtys for how many days it has been over 100 degrees this summer and their is no end in sight. July's average temperature was 103 degrees - that is crazy! Today's high was 111 (no that is not a typo). Poor Kevin has been working hard in the heat and I can't imagine how miserabe it is to be outside all day long it this weather. Today he started work at 5am to try to beat the heat.
My summer vacation has been a little boring because of the weather too! Last year Parker and I got to do all kinds of fun things outside, but this year it is just too hot. Him and I have been "locked" indoors - restricted to playing cars, Wii, watching movies, and a little pool time. I guess not to mention that I'm 9 months pregnant!

So I thought I would do a little update on the kid(s)...since their is not a whole lot else to talk about.
Parker
Parker is at a fun age right now, but he can be SO frustrating too! He is still totally into Cars, and not just any Matchbox cars will work. They must be from the movie Cars - all about Lightning McQueen. We have spoiled him rotten with those toys because, without exaggeration, he has just about every character from both movies. We one of the first to see the new movie Cars 2 at the beginning of the summer. We had a countdown on his calendar, and even though Kevin and I thought the first movie was better, Parker still loved it! His next favorite thing (and it is a very close second) is playing Wii. He started the summer playing tennis, baseball, ping pong, and sword fighting and could pretty much beat me every time (Daddy is a little better competition). He would come upstairs all sweaty from playing; quite the workout! Then about a month ago, we brought out Mario Cart Wii and he LOVES it! He has unlocked more levels and extra drivers...basically semi-pro! But, WOW, does he get frustrated! This is something we knew about him for a while now; he is SO COMPETITVE! And he expects a lot from himself. In Mario Cart, there are usually 12 racers competiting and if he is not #1, then he lost. I will admit that he is getting better about coming in second or third, but every once in a while we will hear crys/tears from downstairs. Kevin and I just have him turn it off...we call is "walking away." It is not only competition that frustrates him, but also little things during the day. Sometimes we will be having a conversation and he will forget what he is saying. He reacts by hitting his hand on his forehead and saying "ah, come on! Think!" Kinda funny, but I feel bad from him. Overall, I think his vocabulary is pretty good. I love when he picks up on words we use and then uses them around others. Like the other day he told Addie to be patient! HA! And Parker is a bossy little boy. He will tell you exactly how things are done and ALL the rules. But he does do a great job (for the most part) sharing and helping other kids. He is such a big helper to others and me and he truely enjoys helping out. Kevin has him trained to always pick up after himself and helps keep a neat house. Overall, Parker is a neat and tidy kiddo...doesn't really like to get dirty unless it is on the baseball field. At three and a half, he can almost take a shower by himself, I just have to put the shampoo in his hair, but he can take care of the rest. We brush our teeth twice a day - in the morning he does it himself and I do it before bed time. Night time is still pretty easy around here. After a shower (and it has to be a shower now, no bath!) and our teeth are brushed, it is a book and then bed. Really no complaints come from him, but Kevin and I have to make sure Debbie, monsters, and ghosts are out of his room. And all we have to do to make that happen is to tell them to get out. And before we close the door each night, it is always "loveyou, loveyou, missyou!" Just a few more notes...Parker does AWESOME at numbers! When we are at the grocery store he likes to keep me informed on which isle number we are on and we are working on ABC's. He really just doesn't have a lot of interest and when he gets something wrong the frsutration comes out. He definitely knows A - B and C. Anytime those letters are on TV or a billboard or whatever, he lets us know.
Pregnancy
Again, I just want to mention that his is the hottest summer on record and being 9 months pregnant has not been the most fun. When compared to Parker's pregnancy, it has been night and day. Parker's pregnancy was overall very easy. I felt great, stayed in shape, stayed busy, and just watched my waistline expand. This time around because of the time of year, I wasn't able to work out (softball season) and I think I quadrupled the number of times I threw up when compared to my WHOLE life time. First trimester was easy, but it all went downhill second trimester. I threw up pretty much everyday sometimes up to 5 times a day. Third trimester was a little better, but still threw up quite a bit. And with the summer being so hot, it has been a bit of bore just sitting around the house. Boredom = moddy mommy! Terrible back aches, heartburn, and just plain tired...but not to much to ask for in the long run, right? Her due date is next Wednesday so the end is in sight. I'm hoping for a great birthday present on Friday this week - maybe she will come then? The plan is to name her Kendall Rae and we are pretty much set for her to come. I hope we have thought of everything and I guess if not their is a Walmart down the street. Parker is super excited for her to come and talks about her a lot. I KNOW that he will be an awesome big brother; no doubt in my mind. I forsee a little bit of jealousy, but in the end will be very protective of her and help me (and her) in so many ways. Come on Kendall - we are ready for you!
Second Cousins playing...