Gallagher #2 is busy growing!

We are busy this Spring at the Gallaghers! We've got a 16 month old little red head and another on the way! We are the luckiest family in the world.

Spring Break!!!

We went to visit Parker's Aunt and Uncle and cousins in Cape Cod for the first part of our Spring break. Needless to say, he had a great time!

Turnip!

Today, on my pregnanct update email, I learned our new little Gallagher is the size of a turnip. I remembered a poem I wrote for Parker when I was 17 weeks along with him and have decided to include it here.

Happy April everyone! Hope the sun continues to shine and Spring comes quick!



Turnip

Today, you are a turnip.

Already, to me, you are more.

You are the best speller in the class.
You have your father’s laugh.
You are a good listener and a good friend.
And maybe, just maybe, you have a face full of freckles.

You will be many more vegetables and fruits in the coming months, years.
But today you are a turnip.
And today, I feel my first sense of pride in you.
I can just hear the teacher saying,
“A turnip! Wow! That’s a strong and well grown vegetable.”
Much stronger than the days you were an avocado or a pear.

Last night I held my hands on you,
waiting for you to flop your vegetable body and kick your vegetable feet.
Wondering if you could hear my heart beat,
if it was too loud, kept you awake nights.
Or if you could sense the moment
when I started to miss your Dad.
Well, just so you know,
now that you are a turnip,
I sure don’t feel as empty when we're away from him.

Your turnip-ness has established your permanency; your purpose.
Your roots are fortified.
And year after year,
you will grow.

And we will be here.
Paring away the earth,
plucking your greens,
harvesting your best days,
and discarding your worst.

Parker gets pumped up

Parker has been getting "pumped up" since he was just seven months old. This is a picture of the awesome face he makes when he gets pumped up!

Just hanging around in the month of March!

Also, check out Parker's latest You Tube video on this link. He's saying hello to his Uncle Bob!

Top of the morning to ya!

The Gallaghers have big news-- we really are growing!

Parker is so excited to announce that is he is going to be a big brother! We are very excited and feel very blessed. Little Gallagher #2 is due in September.

Yogurt? What yogurt?

Happy February!

Sorry, we have not posted in a while! January was a busy and cold month. Mom and Dad had three snow days which made it nice to spend some extra time with Parker. We even had a fourth snow day on Mike's birthday! What a fun day to be at home!

Parker also had a terrible stomach virus and is now suffering from his first bad cold. We are hoping that Spring is around the corner!!

We will post some pictures of Parker's second Valentines day in the coming week! Hope everyone is staying warm this winter!

XO,

Bridgette and Mike

Happy New Year!

So I am a little late on getting the Christmas pictures up. But I have so enjoyed the week off with my little man, I have been soaking up all the time I can with him. I feel like he has had a language explosion this week. His vocabulary consists of the words: hat, hot, dog, nice, light, dad, mom, baby. Sometimes they are said properly in context, sometimes randomly.

Events of our break included:
1. Grandmother brunch on Christmas Eve at Country Corner Cafe
2. Christmas Eve with Nana, Mommy, Daddy and "Aunt" Michelle
3. Big Christmas dinner with Gallagher aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents
4. Trip to Killington, VT to see my buddy Tanner Carlson (Bridgette's best friend from college, Kristy's little guy)
5. Visit with Aunt Christine, Uncle Steve, Julia, Sarah and baby cousin Henry!
6. New Years Eve with the Coxes (and Parker's buddy Declan)
7. Grand Mom's birthday party for Jesus with all the cousins

We had such a wonderful holiday with family and friends. It was so nice to see people we don't see that often and for Parker to meet new family members- namely his little cousin Henry who is six months old!

We are back to school/day care tomorrow and it will be very, very hard to get back into the routine. But...only 29 school days until February break!

Lots of love,
Bridgette, Michael and Parker

Happy Birthday Parker!!!!

Parker is one! What a great year it has been! I can hardly believe a year has passed and so many memories are behind us. We had a great birthday week, complete with two parties- one for family and one for friends. There was a polar bear theme and many of our gifts were polar bear themed as well! Parker enjoyed all the things a little boy should with his first birthday- the people, the food and the singing! He dances to any song he hears, including Happy Birthday.

And the gifts! Parker was spoiled rotten by friends and family alike. His favorite toys were his little people farm from his cousins (he loves animals), several musical instruments (comeplete with maracas, which he LOVES), a HUGE polar bear pillow pet (bigger than Parker and maybe heavier too!) and singamajigs. What's a sinamajig you ask? This adorable stuffed creature that sings. If you have not seem a singamajig yet, you should check them out--- they are a better adult toy than they are a kids toy!

Thank you to all friends and family who read the blog. Parker loves you.

And now we await yet another exciting milestone--- Parker's 2nd Christmas!!! Parker can hardly wait for his Nana (and Santa!) to get here!

Happy Holidays!

Well, the holiday season is officially here!! We spent a great Thanksgiving in Liverpool with Nana and plan to spend Christmas here in Saratoga. Parker has already been tree decorating, to the classic Saratoga Victorian Streetwalk and have been shopping, wrapping and listening to Christmas music non-stop! Parker is sure to have a very happy second Christmas.

But first....he must turn one! First birthday pictures to come!

11 months