Sweet Lauren

Little Lauren is getting bigger, brighter and more precious every day. She is discovering more and more all the time. Check her out playing in her swing, and modeling her little sombrero from Papa and Sugar.

Apples!

Last week Walker's class discussed all things apples. On Monday, Walker brought two apples to class. They counted, sorted, graphed and tasted apples on Monday and Wednesday. Then on Friday, mommies were invited to an applesauce party. The kids made applesauce in class, and it was actually very good. The moms were also treated to some very entertaining songs and recitations. All of these little ones are so cute, and their teacher Mrs. Fullerton is doing such a fantastic job with them. Check out Walker's interpretation of the R-E-D song, he is really feeling it!

Back to Blogging

It has been a few days since my last post. We were out of town this weekend which always throws us off a little, and I have been fighting a migraine for two days. The migraine won. Not much has been accomplished around here, survival has been an achievement. Anyway, I'm back to normal and just in time. We have my friend Alyssa staying with us for a few days, she is our refugee from hurricane Ike. Her corporate headquarters are in Dallas, so she is working from there since there isn't much she can accomplish in Houston right now. We are glad she will be with us for a couple of days - she brings a whole new level of fun to our home. My mom and stepdad are also going to be with us a few days. They have dental appointments with Trumon, and I'm enlisting their help with our neighborhood garage sale this weekend.

Our trip to Grapeland this weekend was really nice. Lauren made her debut at several of Grapeland's "hot spots", and attended church on Sunday. Walker had great time as usual, he is a country boy at heart. Walker's highlight of this weekend was seeing a wild hog on the side of the road, and watching Nana's hummingbirds.

The picture of Walker is at my Pawpaw's old farm. He loves for me to tell him stories about this place. As kids, my brothers, cousins and I spent every minute possible out there. We played in the barns, the fields and creeks for hours on end. We had "pet" cows, horses, and cats that we felt sure needed to see us every day. Pawpaw would let us do pretty much whatever we wanted to do out there. He would oblige any whim we had on our agenda, whether it was swimming, jumping hay bales, floating objects down the creek, or riding a pony, he made it happen. By the time we reached the ripe old age of six or seven we would start driving the truck through the fields. When we had all reached "driving age" we had to take turns behind this wheel, and only the most experienced drivers could pass through the gaps from pasture to pasture. We loved our time out there. You can ask any of us what our fondest childhood memories are, and I can assure they involve the "red barn", which is what we called the place. My Pawpaw sold his cows a few years before he died and now another family is on the place, but whenever we drive by I am flooded with the most beautiful of memories.

Zebra On The Loose!

So this is what happens when you leave a 3 year old to his own devices. While I was sorting some laundry this morning, I was under the impression that Walker was content playing with blocks in the family room. However, in the ten minutes that I was not watching him, he found last year's Halloween costume, grabbed an "icicle" and headed outside. Now, I had just tried to get him to play outside a little earlier, but he informed me that it looked a little rainy and he wasn't interested. Anyway, he had a great time being a zebra in the backyard. He said he needed the popsicle because he didn't have any hay!

Lauren is vocalizing more and more. This is just a taste of her precious little sounds. Like most kids, she stops performing once I pull the camera out.

I Love This Weather - Part II

It is so nice being outdoors again! We haven't been able to go to the park since Lauren was born because the afternoons were just too hot for a newborn. To celebrate getting out again, we met Trumon at a park near his office for lunch yesterday. We packed up sandwiches and got to enjoy daddy and some playground time.

Walker always makes me laugh when we go to any venue where other children are around. He introduces himself to everyone who comes his way, "Hi, I'm Walker - what is your name?". He sometimes asks if they want to play, or may ask what they are doing, but he MUST say something to them. I don't know whether to attribute this to genetics or environment, but it doesn't really matter because the common denominator in either equation is Trumon. Don't get me wrong, I am social by nature and consider myself to be an outgoing, friendly person, but Trumon has NEVER met a stranger. The other funny thing about Walker is that, like his dad, he doesn't care if the person he tries to engage reciprocates his niceties. He will just keep on talking and then walk away and do his own thing. I am so glad that he has that kind of confidence.

So, after a couple of hours of playing and delicious pb&js(or jellybean sandwiches - as Walker calls them) we headed home for a nap. I am so blessed to have days like these with my children, I cherish every moment.

I Love This Weather!

The last couple of days have been incredibly beautiful here. We have enjoyed being outside and opening our windows. We are meeting more of our new neighbors now that people can stand to get out and play in the evenings. Its amazing how much more energy you have when the temp drops 20 degrees. Trumon has been doing some landscaping projects and Walker has been "helping" him. Trumon is such a great dad. For those who don't know, if you are including a child in whatever the task at hand is, plan on it taking at least twice the amount of time it normally would. Trumon always gets Walker to "help" - and somehow doesn't completely lose it before the project is done. Trust me, this takes great patience! Walker has such a sense of accomplishment when he is done, and dad tells him that there is no way he could have done it without his help. Walker always runs in and brags on how he saved the day. Thanks boys, for my new topiaries - love them!

Lauren is still sleeping at night and wakes me up every morning not with crying, but by cooing and wiggling in her bassinet. She has the sweetest disposition. Like I said earlier, Walker is enjoying his evenings with dad and playing with his new neighbors outside. Walker wanted me to post a message for Papa and Sugar, who are in Mexico on vacation. He has requested that they bring a shark tooth home for his souvenir - he has been worried that they may forget. Hope you guys are having a great time - we are jealous, but happy that your are getting a little r&r.

I'm so happy to know that the power is up again for my family in Grapeland - I still can't believe that Ike caused so much destruction that far north. We will be there this weekend and I know Trumon and Walker would love to help with the clean up. Trumon hasn't used a chainsaw in some time now, I 'm sure he's missing it!

33 Years Old!

Somehow I turned 33 years old on Saturday. I forget how old I am all the time, and even told someone the other day that I was 30. I didn't shave off three years because I'm upset by my age, I truly forgot three years had passed since that milestone. Birthdays just seem to be coming a lot faster these days. Hurricane Ike spoiled my birthday plans. I was supposed to go home to Grapeland for the first time in five months. I have really been missing my hometown and family and was looking forward to everyone there meeting Miss Lauren. My friend Alyssa who lives in Houston also planned to meet us there. I was very down when I realized that my little trip would not materialize. That's when my sweet Trumon came to the rescue. If somehow my family and friends who are living without power and water are able to read this blog, let me first say that I did feel a little guilty for the fabulous day I experienced while you were trying to survive a hurricane - now I will finish my story, I just didn't want to seem insensitive.
My birthday began like any Saturday, cooking pancakes and having a big breakfast since Trumon is home with us. Then my husband and kids drove me to the Coldwater Creek Spa, where Trumon not only got a gift certificate for me but booked the day of treatments. It was incredible!!! This spa is really nice and very relaxing. The decor is so soothing and all of the staff is very attentive. I was massaged, manicured, pedicured and even squeezed in a little work on my eyebrows(the bain of my existence). Between treatments my spa attendant would take me to the relaxation room where I received a warm neck wrap, a foot soak and a drink while reading a magazine and enjoying the soothing quiet and peacefulness of my surroundings. For those of you who haven't experienced a few hours of this kind of pampering, do it! Ok, so while I was living the good life at the spa, Trumon not only survived a 3 year old and a 2 month old but he also cleaned house and did several other projects around here. Is he awesome or what?! And it doesn't stop there. He also made dinner reservations at Del Frisco's in Fort Worth and arranged a babysitter (thank you Jennifer Gonzalez!!!). We had a fabulous dinner and an even better conversation. Del Frisco's is where Trumon proposed to me 11 years ago! We talked about all of the changes in our life since that night. We had lots of hopes and dreams at that time, but I never could have expected just how incredible our life would be. It hasn't been perfect, and we've been through many a storm but WOW, life is really good. I praise God for blessing me with such a wonderful husband, and I thank him for the beautiful children we have the privilege to raise. Thank you Trumon for a perfect day!
I also had a few other birthday celebrations. On Saturday my sweet neighbor brought over a cake that she made - so cute! Her little girls also made a card for me and drew a picture of our dog Major. Thank you Locastro family - you guys are so precious. On Sunday we met my in laws at Babe's Chicken House, my favorite bad for you restaurant. If you are from the South, especially if you grew up in the country like I did, Babe's is like eating a meal at your grandmother's house. The menu is this - fried chicken, chicken fried steak, chicken strips and creamed corn, green beans, mashed potatoes, cream gravy, biscuits, and salad with that yummy vinegar/oil/sugar dressing --- I love it!!!! It is brought out in big serving bowls and you pass your plates, just like supper at GaGa's house. Thank you Davis' for lunch and for my birthday present, I will enjoy the shopping trip! I almost forgot , my mother-in-law Debbie, also known as Sugar(grandmother name) made my favorite dessert and brought it to Babes. Everyone looked at us with envy as we dug into my cake - it was delicious as always.
So despite Ike's attempts to ruin my birthday, I had a great one - and I get to celebrate again in a couple of weeks when I can go to Grapeland, which hopefully has power by then!

A Good Night's Sleep!!!

Lauren is officially sleeping through the night! She has been going some pretty long stretches for a few weeks now (5-6 hours), but last night I fed her at 10:15 and she did not wake this morning until 6:45. She probably would have slept longer, but I had to wake her since it will take my body a little while to adjust to this new schedule. Other than a little engorgement, I feel like a new woman! To get 8 hours of sleep is an awesome thing.

Walker spent the afternoon watching The Jungle Book for the first time. I felt sure that he would enjoy it, and I was correct. He informed me that "Mowgli was sure a lucky boy, I wish I could live in the jungle like an animal". His rendition of "The Bare Necessities" is awesome - and I've had fun remembering the words and singing along.

Our prayers are with all of our friends on the gulf coast. We have many friends who have either evacuated or are hunkering down. We are praying for their safety and that life is not disrupted for them too long.

A Week of Firsts

Well this is definitely a week of firsts. First of all, this is blog number one for the Davis family. I've been trying to get around to this for about a month now, so I feel a real sense of accomplishment in finally posting a blog. Also, Walker had his first day of school (three year class - three mornings a week) this past week. So far, he is having a great time and says he loves his new teacher Mrs. Fullerton. He is the only boy in the class, but he doesn't seem to mind it at all. He is very tired by the time I pick him up at noon. He eats his lunch and puts up no fuss about nap time, even falling asleep before making it upstairs. Having these three comparatively quiet days a week are very nice as far as allowing me some one on one time with Lauren. Speaking of Lauren, she received her first round of shots at her two month appointment Tuesday. She tolerated them as well as can be expected, just a couple of minutes of crying. Here are her stats from her checkup....

Weight - 11lbs. 5oz. (75th percentile)

Length - 22 inches (50th percentile)

She is smiling, cooing and doing all the other precious things that little two month olds are supposed to do. She really is a blessing and has just fallen into the routine of our family. Its amazing how second children seem so less disruptive(for lack of a better word) to your family life. I wish I would have known with Walker how easy this time of infancy was, I would have enjoyed him even more. Oh well, thats why they call it perspective!

We were also back at church for the first time since Lauren's birth. We were so happy to go back. Trumon and I were a great team dressing ourselves and now two children, and making it to church on time - it was no small feat! We attend Denton Bible Church which is about a 20 minute drive so we really have to get with it on Sunday mornings. Walker's class discussed Moses and the burning bush - he seemed to be very impressed. Our theological discussions with Walker get more and more interesting these days. He is currently confused about how God can be everywhere and live in so many people's hearts. We've tried to tell him that is something that is confusing even for grown ups and then use that as a starting point to discuss faith. His little heart just amazes me, I pray that his quest for deeper understanding never leaves him.

So, I look forward to this being the first of many posts. I hope this will help us to chronicle this fleeting time in our life, and communicate with our family and friends a little more easily.