Milestones and Roller Coasters

Milestones:
First, a few updates on our little guy.  He is growing so much so quickly and is reaching new milestones everyday, two of which were just this week.  He is now sitting up all by himself (such a big boy!) and we started feeding him rice cereal, his very first "solid".  This little cheeseball is so precious, he brightens our lives so much.  Kate informed me this morning that "Hayes' face is cuter than his body".  Yes, baby girl, Hayes does have a precious little face....and so do you. 

Solids: He certainly isn't the eater that Peanut is, that is for sure.  From day 1 of eating solids, I remember Kate opening her mouth wide for the next bite.  Hayes, on the other hand, isn't quite as interested in the new food selection.  It isn't that he doesn't like it, he just doesn't think it is as appealing as the bottle.  We will get there, but in the interim, it sure is cute to watch him try to master this new skill!

"I can do this all by myself"

Sitting Up: I notice a difference in his strength and his ability to sit up on his own everyday.  Below is a video of him sitting up on Kate's bed on Monday, today he can already balance himself for 3-4 minutes before toppling over!  I still can't believe that this little guy is 5.5 months old, where does time go?!?

    

I just love this video.  Cracks me up everytime he topples over.

Sounds:  So, you have seen Hayes' giggles, his first coo's and even his funny raspberries.  He now has a new noise he makes and it sounds like he is yelling at me.  Perhaps he is.  It is cute now, but not so sure how cute it will be when he is 13!  I haven't yet gotten this new sound on video, but as soon as I do I will be sure to share. 

Kings Island!
75 degrees and sunny: our weather yesterday here in Northern Kentucky.  Perfect.  What made the day even better, you ask?  Watching two little girls eat ice cream, ride roller coasters, see dinosaurs and watch snoopy on ice!  We went to Kings Island for Madi's birthday and these two girls were in all their glory.  Madi is the thrill seeker - she rode the red racer, top flight and even the new wind seeker.  Kate, on the other hand, was nearly in tears on the tiny great pumpkin roller coaster.  Kate prefers bumper cars, playing games (well, winning games) and watching shows.  She is fascinated with dancing and singing, so the snoopy on ice show was just perfect for her.  As the ice skaters twirled and lifted, Kate would turn to her Daddy and say "Daddy, can you do that?"....Kevin's response: "Of course Daddy can do that, Daddy can do anything!".  Ha!  Let's just see it, Daddy :)  I absolutely love that Kate believes him.  In her eyes, Daddy can do anything.  Greg won Madi a stuffed animal and on the way home she said "Daddy, when you get Uncle Greg's age can you win one for me?".  So precious.  We couldn't have asked for a better day!

 

A Tribute to the greatest men in my life.

My dad: the first man in my life.  He was and still is such an important role model for me, more than he will ever realize.  I idolize my Dad’s strength, his optimism, his sense of humor and his dedication.  Many men are considered to be the rock in their family, but my Dad should be considered a super hero.  I picture my dad as a giant, holding his entire family in the palm of one hand, with the other hand covering us for protection.  I have never met another man that has the strength of my father.  As I reflect upon some of the most difficult times in my life, what I remember most is that my Dad somehow pulled us through and had a smile on his face and an optimistic outlook the entire way.  I did and still do go to my Dad during my darkest moments.  As an adult, I can finally appreciate the dedication that my father had/has to his family.  My Dad had no limitations when it came to providing for his family.  He was willing to do whatever it took to make sure Mom, Jeremy and I had everything we needed and more.  For this, I will forever be grateful.  I love my Dad’s personality.  His sense of humor and gregarious demeanor are incomparable.  The world would be a better place if everyone had a little bit of my Dad in them J  

Did I mention what a great Grandfather he is?

It is because of my father that I held such high expectations for my husband; amazingly enough, I found this guy when I was only 14 years old.  Kevin is the love of my life.  Although he is an exceptional husband, today I want to focus on his role as a father.   Kevin is the picture perfect Dad, from playing soccer with Kate to teaching her how to ride her bike to even fixing her hair.  He is incredibly hands-on, the way I always dreamed the father of my kids would be.  He never seizes to amaze me with the support he provides and the encouragement he gives all three of us.  He balances me.  Together, I think we make a pretty good team.  He genuinely loves interacting and spending time with both kids, regardless of how tired he may be when he gets home from work.  Honestly, I could write a book about all the admirable qualities of my wonderful husband such as his integrity, determination and whit...just to name a few.  Some of my favorite moments in life are when I can just sit back and watch him be a Dad.  I am so grateful that my kids have such a wonderful role model in their father and I have my wonderful father-in-law to thank for showing Kevin what a great Dad is.  I pray every night that Hayes takes after his Daddy and that one day Kate finds a husband just like him. 

I have so many pictures of Kevin being a GREAT Dad, but here are just a few:

Coach Daddy

Best Buds!

Nightly bedtime routine

She has him wrapped around her finger!

Kevin just being a great Dad!

An old picture, but a favorite of Papaw and Kate

I can’t go without mentioning today a couple other great men that I have in my life, my grandfathers.  My Papa was the epitome of a family man.  From him, I learned that life’s most precious moments are those spent with your family.  Papa was a wonderful father to my Mom and grandfather to me.  I was and always will be his “Precious”.  Although he isn’t here with us anymore, he will always be in my heart.

This makes me smile and brings a tear to my eye

 My Poppy is another admirable man in my life.  I see the love that he still has for my grandmother after all these years and it makes me hopeful for the many years Kevin and I will have together.  He has shown me what a marriage should be and I pray that 50 years from now Kevin and I still look at each other the way he and Mamoo do.  My Dad clearly got many of his great qualities from Poppy and I feel honored to be able to call him my grandfather.    

Poppy playing with Kate

:)

On this father’s day, I am feeling very fortunate.  I have nothing but blessings to count for the men in my life.

Daycare Drama

**Alert - no cute pictures on this post, just a little venting :)

Let me just say that Kate has been attending the Goddard for over two years now, and as an entirety, we couldn’t be happier with her experience.  Although a little pricey, a Mother’s comfort and a child’s feeling of security is priceless.  Kate loves her teachers, learns so much and we have all made great friends along the way.  From trikeathon’s to water day’s and Easter Egg hunts to birthday parties, Goddard has provided a fun learning environment for my baby girl.  July 15^th will be a sad day for Kate. 

Naturally, Goddard was the obvious choice for Hayes when it was time for Mommy to go back to work.  Alas, Hayes’ experience hasn’t been quite so positive.  Well, I’m not sure he realizes he has had a bad experience, but his Mama sure does.  I am not normally a confrontational person.  Yes, I get a little snippy from time to time, but I tend to take it out on the people I love and care about instead of the source of my frustration (a self-admitted problem that is most frequently the focal point of my New Year’s resolutions).  The ladies at Goddard; however, have brought out the bear in me.  It all started with Hayes’ schedule.  I was very clear when interviewing the ladies in the infant room that I am a schedule oriented person.  I work hard to get my kids on a predictable schedule, it is what keeps me sane and I truly believe is one of the primary reasons my kids are generally happy and well rested.  They reassured me multiple times that they completely understood and it wouldn’t be any problem to keep Hayes on whatever schedule I requested.  I asked multiple questions about their ability to have 10 infants with two adults because I was very skeptical.  I had lots of reassurance that this is what they do and there is no question they could fulfill Hayes’ needs and all of my requests.  They have done a great job with Kate, so I had no reason not to believe them, right?  Wrong.

Just before Hayes started, I filled out lots of paperwork to include information about Hayes’ schedule, his likes, dislikes, and my requests….etc.  It took me over an hour to write down everything I could think of, because this was how they would get to know my baby boy….or so I thought.  Clearly, this paperwork was nothing more than a process for them, I’m not confident anyone ever even read it.  I realized that it would take time for Hayes to adjust to his new atmosphere, so my expectations weren’t high in the beginning.  However, as time went on, Hayes’ schedule remained one that was clearly whatever was easiest for them.  He cries, pop a bottle in his mouth, he doesn’t want it, lay him down for a 15 minute nap, when he wakes up, try the bottle again….etc.  There was no thought behind the reason for his crying/fussing, but simply how can we make him be quiet.  So, I addressed the issue and was reassured that they would try really hard to get him back on schedule.  And they did, for a few days.  And so this saga continues with his schedule.  To date, I have given up on any schedule at daycare.  He does great on the weekends and for now, that will just have to work. 

Little did I know, this would be the first of many frustrations.  Next came the spoiling of 12 oz of breast milk, which by this point had become liquid gold since I was having a difficult time keeping up with this growing boy.  Issue addressed.  Then, regardless of their 45 minute policy, they warmed a bottle up and fed it to him 1 hour and 45 minutes later.  Issue addressed, they said they made a mistake in writing down the time (more to the story, but this was a total cop-out).  Several other issues such as these continued, some I addressed, some I just decided it wasn’t worth it. 

And so here we are this week and my sweet boy has a bad diaper rash.  Although, when the diaper cream is applied his little bum burns and he cries.  This is my second kiddo and I have seen this multiple times before, so I purchase the anti-fungal for this little yeast infection.  It works great, just as Kate’s doctor said it would 3 years ago.  I take the over the counter cream to daycare, and ask that they apply it instead of the diaper cream.  They refused.  A doctor’s note of approval was requested.  Ok, silly, but I guess I understand.  I call the doctor; they fax approval to use the cream.  Oh, but that just wasn’t enough.  When he gets picked up, they inform us that they need to know how much to apply, when to apply, for how many days…and the list goes on.  Seriously, does anyone at this daycare have common sense?  It isn’t rocket science, it’s a diaper rash.  This Mama wasn’t happy and the daycare is well aware.  Aside for this ridiculous request, why would they wait until 5:30 to tell me these things instead of calling as soon as they receive the approval?  I just want my baby to have some relief of this burning rash on his tooshy.   I presume paying these people more per month than we pay for a roof over our heads just isn’t enough.

So, I guess I have realized that when it comes to my kids, I clearly don’t hold back.  I may have overreacted a time or two during all of these issues, but if Kevin and I don’t stand up for our kids no one else will, right?  Perhaps I am a bit on the overprotective side, but isn’t that better than not caring at all? 

I just keep telling myself: "4 more weeks, 4 more weeks"... and they will be under the care of someone that loves them just as much as I do (well, almost :)).  So, July 15th will be a sad day for Kate, but a very happy day for Mommy and Hayes!

A Typical Davis Week

Nothing out of the ordinary this past week, just a typical week in the Davis household.  Work for Mom and Dad, "School" for the kids, and then a little outside play and dinner before bath, books and bed.  Below are a few pictures from what we call a 'normal' week.

Baby boy snuggling with Daddy while Mommy cooks dinner

Bath time is always sure to bring a smile to my face.

Wednesday night was Kate's last soccer game, it was REALLY hot.  On the way to the game Kate asked me "Mommy, why did God make it so hot today?".  She is becoming more intrigued every day by God and his role in our lives.  I'm so glad that she asks so many questions and at least understands that God is in control of everything.  Aside from asking questions about God, she also is going through the 'Poopy' stage.  She thinks this is the funniest word in history, so funny that she giggles uncontrollably when she says it....I must admit that it is a bit contagious and I can't help but to giggle a little myself.

Friday night was Mommy and Kiddo night while Daddy played golf.  When Kevin isn't here to help watch the kids, I don't even attempt to cook a good dinner.  Instead, Kate and I had sandwiches....completely made by Kate :)  She loves to help Mommy cook dinner, even if it is just making sandwiches.  Hayes hung out and watched the action, and even received a little entertainment from sister along the way.

Eating a little along the way.

And then along came the weekend...what I live for!  Saturday morning started off 'Davis' style with our classic Bob Evans breakfast.  After filling our tummy's with syrup, bacon and eggs, we headed home to meet Nanny for a fun day in the Sun!  Kevin worked on the base boards while Nanny, Kate, Hayes and I went swimming in our little backyard pool.  That's right, my little man had his first swim this weekend...and he wasn't thrilled with the experience, perhaps the water was just too cold for those little toes.

Saturday night was a treat for Kevin and I, a night out just the two of us!  Kevin and I went to Montgomery Inn for an excellent dinner and then to see Super 8.  It was nice to have the first date night in 4 months, thanks to my WONDERFUL Mom! 

Kate really wanted to take a picture with Mommy and Daddy before our Date Night

Sunday was a great day working in the yard with Kevin and the kids.  We have neglected our landscapping for far too long and decided to take the time to get it under control.  We spent the entire day shopping for flowers and cleaning up the yard.  What a perfect way to end the week, with my little family.

Raspberries

I just can't resist making a quick post of this cute little boy doing his newest trick.  Hayes has decided that blowing raspberries is much more fun that cooing. 

Sick Boy and Soccer Girl

We had a rocky start to our week last week, but we had a fantastic ending.  The littlest guy in my life was SO sick with a respiratory virus and an ear infection.  The only positive that came out of the situation was that Mommy got a little extra snuggle time as I had to take off work Tuesday and Wednesday to help him recover.  After a couple trips to the doctor, nebulizer treatments every 4 hours, and an antibiotic, I'm happy to report that Cheeseball is on the mend.


Such a good baby, getting his nebulizer treatments


As always, the weekend came and went much too quickly.  I don't normally like to wish my life away, but I am counting down the days until July 18...my official start date for becoming part-time!!  Having more time with these two littly tykes is going to make my life much sweeter :)

Kate wanted to take a 'family picture' one random morning before work (I can't get it to turn).

We kicked off our weekend with Kate's soccer game early Saturday morning.  With only 2 games remaining in the season, I think she is starting to comprehend this whole concept of a 'team'.  Kate is just not an aggressive child, so instead of getting in on the action, she prefers to stand back and wait her turn.  However, I am proud to report that she did get an assist on Saturday, so she is definitely making progress (even if it was an accidental assist!).  The best part is that Nanny was there to watch her!  I absolutely love watching these soccer games, from picking flowers and giving it to the coach during the game to watching the ball roll through their legs...these kids have a way of giving me a permanent smile for the entire day.  Even better, our neighbor's daughter, Emily, plays on Kate's team and listening to Kevin and Drew cheer on their girls is comical all in itself.




Kate and Emily 'playing' soccer!


After packing up 6 bags (yes, 6!) for ONE night in Mt.Sterling, we headed southbound on I75 for some much needed family time.  Kevin enjoyed a good dinner with the kids and DeDe, while I got to go watch my little (not so little anymore) cousin graduate from High School.  I can't express how proud I am of this girl, she is incredibly strong and stands up to life's toughest battles with her fists in the air.  She is graduating with a 4.0 and is going to Morehead on a full ride in the pre-med program.  There is no question that her Daddy (my Uncle Mike) is looking down on her from Heaven, prouder than any parent could ever be. 

Isn't she beautiful??

Sunday was a good, lazy day with Nanny, Papa, Mommy, Daddy and the kids.  We all took naps and just enjoyed being able to spend the weekend together again!  I am THRILLED to have Mom and Dad around again  :)


The picture is with Kevin's phone and is the wrong direction, but how sweet is this?



Even Allie bug took a nap on Sunday!