Belly gets what belly wants.

Jessica is getting married next month! Eeek! September is a big month for Parker Baby Co. - you may notice my growing belly in the photos below. She made this zucchini bread for her sweetie's Bachelor Party in July with massive zucchinis from their garden in the city. I guess they were on a beer diet that weekend because some came home to me after the festivities and I LOVED it. So, when she brought this big ole' zucchini yesterday and we had some overripe bananas, I knew exactly what needed to happen. 

I love recipes that use not so desirable ingredients that may have been sitting around too long. Brown bananas and zucchinis that spent too much time on the vine make the perfect bread in this recipe! 

Does anything smell better than fresh bread + cinnamon in the oven? Wish you could smell this through your computer or phone screen.

The timing of bread is always funny. It all depends on how exact your ingredients are, how big the bananas were, your altitude, etc. So I just started checking it around 50 minutes, but it probably look about 65 minutes here in Parker, CO.

Banana Zucchini Bread Recipe:
Adjusted from Taste of Home

4 eggs
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions: 
1. Pre-heat oven to 350°
2. In a bowl, beat eggs. Blend in sugar and oil. Add bananas and mix well.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; slowly add into egg mixture while stirring to mix.
4. Stir in zucchini, pecans and chocolate chips just until combined.
5. Pour into two greased 9x5-inch loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 50+ minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Now enjoy with a hot cup of coffee for breakfast, an afternoon snack, dessert, etc :)

Summers can get crazy with lots of travel! Throwing a baby (or two, or... four 😉) in the mix can make everything even a little more interesting. Let's share our favorite travel items to make things a tiny bit more fun, organized and comfortable!

Bike Bandana Bib Set: Our bibs are easy to throw in your Diaper Backpack for quick changes as they get soaked from your sweet, teething baby (instead of changing an entire outfit!). This Bikes Bandana Bib Set is so cute for a summer jet-setter.

Diaper Caddy: Traveling by car? Our Diaper Caddy is essential for road trips. Stuff it with wipes, diapers, toys, snacks (for babies, kids, and you!), etc. and throw it in the car for easy access and extra organization.

Birch Bag - Diaper Backpack: Babies need a lot of things when traveling. Our backpack makes navigating airports, foreign zoos and attractions easy with over ten functional pockets and allows you to keep your hands free. Promise you'll find something to do with them!

For Mama

Allbirds Tree Runners: These are light, breezy and SO comfortable. The perfect travel sneaker that is cute and practical for mama.

Car Litter Bags: Again, are you road tripping? This is such a CUTE way to dispose of all the trash that appears on long car rides. Easy to clean out with removable baggies. Love!

Babyganics Hand Sanitizer: Okay - this one isn't exactly for "Mom" but we think indirectly it is. You know, for your peace of mind! No one wants a sick baby while traveling. Oh! And it fits perfectly in our of the outer pockets of our Diaper Caddy in the car for easy access. 

Fresh Sugar Lip Balm: So many good things! Super hydrating, SPF, and you can pick your favorite tint to make you look just a tad bit more put together while traveling. I had trouble with the price tag at first.. but WORTH IT.

How far along: 33 weeks

Total weight gain: I have gained about 20 lbs, so far. I have never weighed myself or looked at the scale at the doctors office this far into pregnancy so I am not really sure how it compares, but I do know I had gained 20 lbs at 20 weeks with the twins.

Maternity clothes:  I have a pair of maternity jeans and jean shorts. A couple of maternity t shirts, and I just bought some dresses from ASOS maternity for the next 7 weeks since I am going to San Diego and have an anniversary date coming up. Otherwise its my LuLu leggings, Madewell shorts, baggy shirts/Sam's shirts, and T-shirt dresses.

Sleep: I have been sleeping pretty well, but this week we took away Greta's paci, transitioned her to one nap, and moved the twins back into the same room so we could start working on the nursery. Surprisingly, with all those changes, things have gone pretty well! It's getting super hard to switch sides and move around at all.

Best moment this week: We had a photo shoot on Sunday and it turned out AMAZING, thanks to some hard work, Gracie's Photography, and the CUTEST models.

Miss Anything: I am currently doing Whole 30 so I miss a lot of things :) I also really miss running and Orange Theory.

Cravings: Ice cream and lots and lots of fruit

Symptoms:  I've been having some braxton hicks, contractions, and babe is moving constantly 

Looking forward to: SAN DIEGO NEXT WEEKEND!!!! SO EXCITED TO CELEBRATE JESSICA :)

I always joke that I will be blaming my kids' bad attitudes on teething until they are 7. It's my “excuse” every time one of my babies is crying or fussy. “Oh they are probably teething." “Oh they have a tooth coming in, you can see/feel it right there!” HA! Did you know that kids get two year molars?! YUP! That means you are not done with a teething child until TWO YEARS OLD!

Some babies have really obvious side effects from teething, such as:

• Drooling- You need a bib!
• Red cheeks
• Swollen gums
• Irritability
• Diarrhea
• Lack of appetite- some foods won’t feel good on babe’s gums
• Hands and objects in their mouth all the time
• Biting while nursing- fun!

All babies are different, though! Some show no signs and are perfectly fine during their teething stages, while others can’t sleep and need to be held all day. Timing is another thing that is different for every baby. My kids, for example - Ava and Eleanor got their first tooth at about 3 and a half months, Greta was 10 months when that first tooth poked out. The average age for their first tooth is 4-7 months, but try not to worry if that time comes and goes without a pearly white showing up. I asked my pediatric dentist when I should start to worry, and he said that if they turn 1 and do not have any teeth, bring them in and get an X-ray. The X-ray would tell if they have teeth in their gums or not.

I have a couple go-to tricks to get through a teething, clingy, drooling babe!

1. Frozen wet washcloth- All my babes have loved to gnaw on these! They are simple and cheap! I get a baby washcloth wet and stick it in the freezer. Once its frozen it’s ready for some serious chomping.
2. The Banana Teether- this is also a simple go-to product! You can find them on Amazon or at Target!
3. Snuggles- during this time (which seems like always), take some time to really enjoy those sweet snuggles and do what you can with your mommy magic to take the pain away! If that means nursing, watching toons, bottle, whatever! Just make baby comfortable.
4. Tylenol- I usually only try to give this at bedtime when babe is teething, but that’s just me!

I have never used teething tablets or other remedies than the things listed above, but I’d love to hear what you have used and/or what you do for during those weeks of drool.

Our bandana bibs are a stylish solution to all that teething drool. Keep a few in your diaper backpack to switch out as needed and save the outfit changes for blow outs.

Parker Baby bandana bibs are super soft and absorbent with 100% organic cotton on the front and 100% polyester on the back. They fit babies from 3-36 months with adjustable nickel-free snaps.

Long summer days and warm summer nights make for the best memories. We love BBQs with family and friends, pool days, the sprinkler and popsicles at our house which brings us to our Summer Friday Favorites! As always, we have a couple featured items for your babe and then some just for you, mama 💖

Tie Dye Multi-Use Cover
Possibly our all-time favorite summer item at Parker Baby (besides our Freedom Bandana Bib Set) has to be this fun Tie-Dye Cover. Our multi-use covers are a light, breathable material which works perfect in the summer protecting your little one from sunlight.

Lunar Bandana Bib Set
Do you have a little teether rolling, scooting or crawling around? This 8-pack baby bandana bib set will go with all your babe’s summer outfits and keep them dry and comfortable at the height of drooling. These are easy to throw into your diaper backpack to switch out as they drool instead of wasting complete outfits.

Melissa and Doug Sprinkler Head
Auntie J here! I love gift giving and over the past three years have bought a LOT of things for my nieces and nephews. Then, this small and inexpensive gift for the girls for the third birthday took the cake. I love that it has made it’s way into the daily summer routine. When it’s 100 degrees and the kids need to get our of the house, you can usually find them in the backyard with this hooked up to the hose.

😍For Mama😍

Herbivore After Sun Mist
Too much sun? I love this refreshing mist that includes aloe to soothe. Keeps your skin hydrated and looking fresh after long days.

Custom Cornhole Set
Cornhole is such a great BBQ game. We love that it is great for older kids and older grandparents alike! You can get a really cool handmade set over at Etsy, buy them bare so you can paint them yourselves (favorite sports team, state flag, monogram, options are endless!) or if you are feeling super crafty, make them entirely yourselves with this tutorial. Bring them to all the BBQs this summer and you will never disappoint.

365 Everyday Value Lime Popsicles
Parents deserve a cool, sweet treat, too. These are a great natural option with delicious lime flavor! Especially if you are pregnant this summer :)


Madewell Pull-on Shorts
Easy and comfortable dressing is the way to go! These shorts are just as comfortable as workout shorts and look way more put together. Perfect for running errands, heading to the park and easy to slip on and off at the pool. Gosh, we love Madewell! Tip: order a size down. 

Vita Coco Coconut Water
Staying hydrated is really hard in Colorado. Coconut water is a great way to get a burst of electrolytes on a summer day. I love Vita Coco because it’s pure coconut water and not in a metal can which I think can mess with the flavor.