Keeping Up with the Davis': 2011

Sunday, December 4, 2011

A Family of FIVE!!

The day was Monday, 22August2011, and I don’t think I will ever forget it! I had been feeling rather sluggish for a couple weeks, but didn’t think much about it. As all of you Mommy’s out there know, we don’t get to utilize “sick days” when we don’t feel well. Those little pint size people in our lives have needs, regardless of how we feel! However, this particular Monday was a completely different story. I woke up to the sweetest sound of a little guy babbling “Mamamama”. Hayes and I were able to get a little bonding time in over breakfast before the sun came up. After breakfast, my little 18 pounder and I headed upstairs for yet another diaper change. As I was buttoning that little sleeper back up, I started to feel light headed and extremely weak. I immediately took him into our bedroom, sat him next to a sleeping Daddy and instantly fell into the bed myself. Kevin actually ended up taking off work that day because I felt so bad I couldn’t get out of bed without getting sick or passing out. Strange, I thought. I have always passed out easily when pregnant, but this must be food poising because I couldn’t possibly be pregnant….I had just had a period, after all. Kevin took care of the kiddos and I was able to finally get a few hours of sleep. I woke up and felt great. “Hmmm, maybe I was just extremely tired and my body was telling me I needed to catch up on some sleep before moving on with my day.” This is the completely irrational thought that went through my mind. For the most part of the morning and early afternoon, I felt pretty good. We took a family trip to Lowes later that afternoon, although Kevin had to drive separately (don’t remember the exact reason). On the way home, Kate was her usual chatty self and as I listened to my little princess tell me an elaborate story, I started to feel light headed and weak again. So, what do I do, I call Kevin…as if he can make me feel better over the phone. He tells me to pull over until it passes or until he can get there. I pull over and then call my Mom. What does she say?... “Are you sure you aren’t pregnant”. “Absolutely”, I say. The worst of it passed and I decided I could make it home safely. As sure as I was that pregnancy was not the source of the problem, something (or someone….) told me to pull over at Walgreens to pick up a pregnancy test. So, here I go, still feeling a little weak, two kids in tow to buy a pregnancy test. I was certain the cashier thought I had lost my mind.

I ran to the bathroom to take the test as soon as I walked in the door, I couldn’t wait for Kevin to get home (yes, I could be the most impatient person on the planet). My heart was racing as I waited for the results. I have taken many pregnancy tests over the last 5 years and the only time my heart has raced in anticipation were the three times I received a positive result. Ironic. I went back to review the results and sure enough, there were TWO, count them TWO lines. A huge grin suddenly covered my face. Really? Another tiny miracle is already growing inside me?! Kevin walked in the door only a few minutes later and I just looked at him, still smiling, and said “Guess What?” The test hadn’t convinced him, he was certain the second line wasn’t bright enough and he needed a ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Luckily, I bought a value pack of tests, which included one additional digital test. The problem was that I couldn’t pee again! An hour or so later, I was finally able to take the second test and sure enough, it had a very obvious “YES”. And so it is…a family of 5 we will be!

I called the doctor the next day. He immediately scheduled blood work and an ultrasound due to my previous miscarriage. The blood work came back great, but my hormone levels were really high. Could I be pregnant with twins? Oh my, did God really trust me with that many kids? The day of the ultrasound, I tell the technician that I think I am about 4.5 weeks, based on my last period. She proceeded with the ultrasound and we were able to see this precious little miracle (only 1…shew!) AND a heartbeat! I remember thinking, “are those little arms I see already?” About halfway through the ultrasound, the technician says “I think you are a little farther along than you thought”. I was 9.5 weeks…wow! This would explain the high hormone count.

We had another ultrasound on November 8th. Kate went with us to find out that we have a very HEALTHY baby….GIRL! The excitement on Kate's face when she found out was absolutely priceless. She jumped up and down, she was so thrilled. The first thing she said was “I am going to have a brother AND a sister, just like Dora!” Kevin's first response was "Oh my, 2 weddings!". Most importantly, I am thrilled that this sweet gummy bear is healthy, but I must admit that I am really looking forward to more bows, barbies and dance shoes! This sweet girl will be the perfect completion to our family.

Honestly, there are days that I am still in shock that we are going to have another baby. Kevin and I had already decided that we wanted a third baby and we knew it was a possibility that it could happen quickly. However, based on our history, we anticipated the process to take much longer. God, on the other hand, had much better plans for us! Could it really be that we are being blessed with THREE healthy babies? Will it be easy having a 5 year old, a 15 month old and a newborn? Absolutely not. Will things be extremely hecitic and maybe a bit on the crazy side around our house for many years to come? No question about it. Are Kevin and I a little nervous about how we are going to do this? Absolutely. But I wouldn’t change anything. I will enjoy every sleepless night and hectic day because all three of these babies will bring me more joy in my lifetime than any one person deserves. I’m not sure why God is blessing me with three tiny miracles, but I couldn’t possibly feel more grateful.

20 weeks (now I am 23 weeks!)

Monday, November 14, 2011

Girl Fun

I have failed to blog about a couple of the fun things I have gotten to do with my little princess lately, to include: a “Girls Day Out”, a “Slumber Party” and Disney on Ice! In an attempt to catch up on my blogging, here is what is likely to be a long post summarizing all of these fun activities!

Girls Day Out

The weekend of October 15^th, we went to Mt. Sterling for a long weekend with family. Kate idolizes Madi, more than I could possibly explain. The wonderful part is that Madi is absolutely wonderful with her, regardless of the 7 year difference. I thought it would be fun to take the girls for a day of shopping, lunch and pedicures. Madi had a soccer game that Saturday morning in Lexington, so it worked out perfectly. The girls and I loaded up and went to the soccer field for an hour or so and then hit the mall (per their request – I gave them the choice of Hamburg or the Mall). The girls shopped in every children’s clothing store at Fayette Mall until they found the perfect matching outfit. As soon as we walked out of the store with our big purchase, they were ready to change their clothes. So, we found the nearest restroom and did just that before continuing on with our day. As any girl would know, the outfits were not complete without a necklace and bracelet. Kate vividly remembered a set from one of the multiple stores we went to. Of course, we went back and bought the necklaces and bracelets (which clearly did not match, but who cares!). Next up was lunch, anywhere they wanted to go. I pushed for PF Changs, Kate chose McDonald’s and Madi chose Applebee’s. Since my vote didn’t count, we decided to go with McDonald’s or Applebee’s, whichever came first as we drove to Hamburg. Applebee’s it was! The girls finished off their matching lunches with an oreo milkshake and then we headed for the nail salon for some pedicures. The color of choice was bright pink (of course!) with a snowflake design on the big toe and polka dots on the others. Believe it or not, it looked pretty cute! It was an absolutely wonderful girl’s day out. I have to admit that I enjoyed myself just as much as they did!

SO Cold

Beautiful Girls!

Slumber Party

One random day, Kate decided she wanted to have a slumber party. Although she really wasn’t sure what a slumber party was, it seemed like it could be a lot of fun! We were sure we could give her the experience of a slumber party and thus the planning was underway. The festivities would commence on a Friday evening (in true Slumber Party fashion). As Kevin and I worked that Friday, Kate and Nanny prepared all day for the celebration that was about to occur. They created games, set up a music and dancing section and even cut up fruit for dessert….all the true necessitates for a slumber party. That night, we ordered pizza and the fun began. We ate on the floor in the party room (her room), played pin the tail on the donkey and did A LOT of singing and dancing. We all truly enjoyed ourselves – all of us! Even Monkey got in on the action – he did a little singing and dancing too! This simple, easy night turned out to be a blast. I don’t think I have laughed that much in a really long time. Having kids gives you the chance to be a kid again yourself. It was nice to completely forget about all of our daily worries and just act silly with the kiddos! It really is fun being a kid J

Daddy and his princess (Notice the many outfits
throughout the night)

Kate playing pin the tale on the donkey...finlly not cheating!

Monkey having fun

Dancing!

Disney on Ice

We were blessed that Kate made such great friends during her two years at Goddard. The parents of all the kids are enjoyable to be around too, which makes for some great play dates. Even though Kate doesn’t attend Goddard any longer, we still love getting together with our friends. So, “Disney on Ice: Mickey and Minnie’s Magical Adventure” came to Cincinnati and we all decided to take the kiddos! We have taken Kate to Disney on Ice before, and as we always do, we let her pick out one completely useless, expensive toy before the show starts. Kate chose binoculars. Really? I was convinced she didn’t even know what she was picking. Much to my surprise, she said to Kevin “Yes, Daddy, I know. You look in them and you can see really far.” I stand corrected. The binoculars it was. Luckily, it was the cheapest piece of crap toy they were selling (can you sense my bitterness?). Off we went to our seats, where we would meet up with all of her friends. She was thrilled to see them all, even her favorite teacher, Miss Natalie was there! I have to say; however, that Clare sitting next to her was the highlight of the day (well, maybe it was a close second to all the junk food she got to eat…popcorn, cotton candy…)! The skits presented in the show were from The Lion King, Lilo and Stitch, Peter Pan and The Little Mermaid – none of which Kate has ever seen (she doesn’t have the attention span to watch much TV). But, I don’t think the show really mattered. Being able to experience this with her friends made it perfect. I love taking her to these shows and am excited for when Hayes is old enough to enjoy them too!

Binoculars are backwards :)

Kate and Clare!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

A Davis Halloween

Monday night is when all the trick-or-treating festivities began here in Boone County; however, fall is Mommy’s favorite season (and Daddy’s!), so we did lots of activities leading up to the finale. Of course, we took our annual trip to the pumpkin patch, enjoying a great fall afternoon with our little family the weekend of October 8th. On Sunday, October 24^th, we also joined our friends; John, Ashley, Nolan and Emerson for a fun day at Hallzooween. This is a cute Halloween celebration at the Cincinnati Zoo. The kids get to wear costumes, watch elephants smash pumpkins and do a little trick-or-treating. I was so prepared with hats, gloves, snacks, beverages and of course, my camera. As per usual procedure, I pull the camera out and begin snapping shots as soon as we pull into the parking lot. I was so bummed to realize that I left the memory card in the computer L Oh well, no pictures of the event, but I can assure you that fun was had by all (well, the kiddos at least – it was a SUPER crowded day!)

Step 3 of Halloween festivities is, of course, pumpkin carving! This fun experience took place last Saturday, just a few days before Halloween. Peanut was really looking forward it! Last year she wasn’t interested in getting her hands dirty, so I was shocked when she dug right into the mess this year. Monkey enjoyed a little pumpkin exploring too! Kate requested one happy face and one scary face. After much scraping, carving, poking and pushing, we ended up with two of the cutest pumpkins on the street (if I don’t say so myself). Unfortunately, we did forgo toasting pumpkin seeds this year since I am the only one that will actually eat them.

Monday was the big day! Mommy picked out a Little Red Riding Hood costume for Kate and an astronaut for Hayes. Kate, as you already know, idolizes princesses, thus I was concerned she wouldn’t want to wear this adorable costume. No worries, I told her she was going to be “Little Red Riding Hood Princess” and she was all smiles! Luckily, the dress was a great “spinner” and she informed everyone when they asked if she was Little Red Riding Hood, that she was not, she was “Little Red Riding Hood Princess”, of course! Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a monkey costume that I loved, which would have obviously been most suitable for our little monkey. The back-up plan was the big bad wolf, to coordinate with big sister. Much to my dismay, I couldn’t find anything I loved enough to pay $50 for. So, I opted for comfy astronaut and the little guy didn’t seem to mind. After all, he is a heartbreaker no matter what costume he has on! So, after everyone was dressed and ready to begin, we headed out the door. Kate quickly met up with all of her neighborhood friends and they literally ran from house to house with smiles on their faces all the way. The experience of watching your kid trick or treat is almost as exciting as seeing their little face on Christmas morning. Although Hayes wasn’t sure what was going on, he enjoyed the stroller ride and kid-watching. He was taking it all in in preparation for next year!

By 7:00, Kate was getting tired (remember – my kiddos start bedtime routine at 7:15 EVERY night!), so we headed home. Kate really enjoys handing out treats to other kids, so we sat on the front porch, sorted through her treasures and handed out what remaining pretzel bags (I know, I am THAT house!) we had left on the porch for all the ghosts and goblins. After handing out pretzel bags for about 15 minutes, I notice Kate is giving the kids candy from her basket (even the good chocolate!). I asked her why she was giving the kids her candy; she responded “Not all kids get candy, Mommy, so I am sharing mine instead of giving them pretzels”. My heart melted. We have been talking about how not all kids are as blessed as she is and this is confirmation that she is starting to understand! I’m not sure what I did to deserve this sweet little girl (and little boy), but I thank God for both of them every night!