{goodbye 2008}

in 2008, i...

~celebrated my thirty-second birthday...
~nursed my very last baby (much of the time with help from a supplementer) and enjoyed every beautiful and trying moment of it...
~watched my eldest 'graduate' from preschool...
~cried as i left the above-mentioned's kindergarten class as he began his formal education!
~cut my hair off quite short (well, quite short by meredith standards!)
~praised God for my favorite daddy's normal heart catheterization results!
~honored the life of my dear papaw hogg who went to be with Jesus...
~traveled on an airplane with a 7 month old...
~rearranged my living room (thanks, mere!)
~painted my bedroom
~endured the loss of a wonderful little church we had called home since moving to the coast...
~changed 4,382 stinky little diapers (give or take)...
~breathed a sigh of relief when the sweet, middle girl-child finally started uttering actual, understandable words!
~thanked the heavens above when i was finally able to get a five year old and 6 month old to sleep in the same room (without one waking the other!)...
~experienced the actual necessity of ducktaping a diaper to a toddler's body; yes, you heard me correctly!
~received my first sewing machine, which i have yet to put to good use...
~realized taking three kids grocery shopping (or anywhere by myself, for that matter!) is not something i want to do on a regular basis...
~started actually thinking about the possibility of home-schooling my children...hmmm...
~comprehended just how extraordinarily blessed i am in SO very many ways, everyday of my ordinary life...God is so good...

love you all--those i see everyday, those i miss everday...you know who you are! wishing you a very blessed 2009...

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

merry christmas to all those we love! this is my christmas card that has not made it to the postal service just yet! so, be looking for a happy new year card instead :) we sure missed being close to family this year but we had a super time with our dear friends, the finch crew, on christmas eve; and we enjoyed it just being the five of us and staying in our christmas pajamas ALL christmas day!!

xoxo

{Impossible!}

I can hardly fathom the reality that my baby is six years old today. Surely not?? How amazing it is to still be able to relive those moments in my mind so vividly when Leighton Miles Davis came into this world--all 9 pounds and 10 ounces of him--and made me what I hoped I would always be...a mama...his mama! In this world, I do not always know what God has planned for me around the corner...down the road...but, I do always rest in the knowledge that He has given me this charge...to be the best mother I can be to my sweet six-year old, Leighton (and M & M, too of course!) and give him unconditional love, spiritual knowledge and guidance, consistent discipline, and keep him covered with prayer daily--asking our gracious Father above to draw Leighton close to Him and reveal Himself to my little vivacious, energetic, sensitive six year-old. Please, Jesus, write Your name upon his heart...and use me in whatever capacity to turn his heart toward You, Lord! This is my sixth birthday prayer/wish for my sweet baby boy, Leighton...

how do they go from this....

newborn leighton snuggled in his cradle

to this!?!?

six year-old leighton at his birthday party

Just as the title says....impossible....I love you, Ley!

Two Turkeys and a Pilgrim...

...send you many wishes for a blessed Thanksgiving! Especially today, I am so very thankful for my incredible family and friends. I am so glad to have loved ones here in my home--close to me. Of course, I miss the ones who are far away...but that's what this blog is for! To help us feel closer together through photos and heartfelt words and silly little video clips (see previous post :) . Although I am now battling some form of the illness my children are getting over , we did have a splendid day. My fabulous Mom out-did herself in the feast department with the help of my sweet Daddy (he was in charge of our delicious meats!!). I barely contributed, throwing together the sweet corn pudding is all I can vouch for today. We ate to our heart's content this evening (we decided to do early dinner rather than lunch this year) and then played with, read to, and wrangled kids the rest of the evening. Before dinner we tried to take a few family photos, but it didn't quite go as planned--imagine that?!? I have included them anyway...because you take what you can get, right? Love to all of you and wish that we could be together and wish even more that I will see you in the not-too-distant future!

Rolling and Whistling...

Maybe one day she will be able to do it...

Ley is in the beginning stages of learning to whistle...here is his slightly airy rendition of 'Jingle Bells'...I think he would have continued to whistle all day if I would have continued to video...



And just a cute one of Miller as not to leave out my last born...

Pitter Patter of Little Feet...

Been meaning to post this, but just haven't gotten around to downloading Miller's first real steps! He started walking a lot more about 10 or 12 days ago...before then he hadn't really made more than 2 or 3 steps together--now he is up to about 8 or 10! He is still primarily a crawler, but he has started the process...I am not rushing him :) Of course, he would choose to start walking the evening I was at bible study... Jeremy was home with both Mad and Mill as they begun their little lives as 'upright travelers'! It was a sweet sight to come home to though, that's for sure...

Sickness Abounds!

Yuck. That is the best word to describe how my family has been feeling this week. Ley missed two days of school and I was going to keep him home today, but he seemed on the up and up and had no fever this morn, so we had a leisurely breakfast and I checked him in to school about 8:45 AM. Hope he doesn't overdo it and start feeling bad again. I just couldn't bear for him to miss out on all the preparations for the Reader's Theatre: The Big Red Barn, they will be acting in on Monday. He is playing the role of the 'Big Horse'. So fun...I have very fond memories of school plays. Can't wait to see him do his thing!



After said doctor's visit, we are now proud owners of a lovely nebulizer (or will be officially, after I go pick it up at the office today!). We have done the treatments in the office and borrowed one from a friend last time we had the respiratory problems, but with three kiddos I knew we needed to go ahead and make a place in the closet for one of our very own. Leighton had a pretty good rattle in his chest that was of concern, and although Miller sounded better than Ley, we are going to treat him and hopefully nip this in the bud. It is quite a nuisance to hold the mask on MillerMac but worth it. Madden will be partaking in treatments as well since she has started with the nasty cough a few nights ago. Thankfully, she has not had any fever or terrible congestion, so maybe she will make it through with just the hacky cough. After our family trip to the doc yesterday, Jeremy made his way to the 'grown-up' doctor this morning to be diagnosed with a terrible sinus infection. Yikes! So, we are on the road to recovery now and I am busy wiping noses (and behinds too, of course...that is never-ending), dosing kiddos with meds, making a horse costume (not so much 'making' as 'pulling together' :), catching Ley up on missed work, popping vitamin C (please let me stay well!!), and soon to be nebulizing!

Will soon post some more random pics of the kids...I have been slacking, I know!

post-pediatrician fun with a chick-fil-a bag...well fun for 3 out of 4 of the sick-ies!!!

i've been tagged....it seems...

i received this game of "blogger tag" from cyberspace and the deal is, you fill out the answers and tag a fellow blogger. IF you read this, you are to copy it into your blog and answer the questions...then tag a fellow blogger and pass along the quiz!

1. Where is your cell phone? plugged into the wall next to my bed, receiving 'nourishment'
2. Where is your significant other? uh, currently sleeping...
3. Your hair color? brown...many a funky color in my distant past :)
4. Your mother? rebecca or anne (pronounced 'ah-nay') as she is so lovingly called on this blog and by her grands!
5. Your father? bill (or actually, billie--but not everyone knows that!) or granddad
6. Your favorite thing? my family
7. Your dream last night? ha--actually, i remember telling a friend of mine how well my new dove clinical strength antiperspirant works...yeah, someone decipher that one!
8. Your dream/goal? why those are two very different things!
dream: learn to 'flip' some houses and have Jeremy be excited to do it with me! goal: become a little bit more like Christ everyday...
9. The room you're in? hmmm--is the foyer a room? where my default friend, kayla, helped me decide to move my computer armoire...it's right off the faux dining room and great room...
10. Your hobby? what is that?? i have let my creativity go by the wayside, but i am trying to get back on that horse! photographing my family, word jumbles, antiquing furniture (will soon let you know how that goes!), baking...would REALLY like to be able to put knitting here!
11. Your fear? germs (specifically the ones that cause vomit, right mere!?), letting life pass me by...
12. Where do you want to be in six years? well, what i do now of course :) but, i guess since my baby will be SEVEN at that point, i would probably want to work some at a job i really like (what that is--uh, don't know but will keep you posted!)
13. Where were you last night? home--with the kiddos and the hubby enjoying the end of a busy week--
14. What you’re not? pregnant, a great chef, liberal, a seasoned dietitian (but, i got the RD and that counts for something...?), a perfect ANYTHING--thank goodness, I am a work in progress and the Lord promises to finish what He began!
15. One of your wish list items? a new wardrobe since i have now birthed TWO babes since truly buying anything nice for myself clothing-wise!! seriously, this is a SAD situation...you may not want to be seen with me in public!
16. Where you grew up? ruston, louisiana
17. The last thing you did? uninstalled and installed carseats, baby!
18. What are you wearing? pajamas
19. Your TV? bought at a tent sale right after we were married and it's still going strong (and i LOVE my TV armoire and that i can cover that silly thing up!)
20. Your pet? we chose a third child over a pet...we will have pets some day...maybe sooner than later :)
21. Your computer? it works
22. Your mood? tired...it's late!!
23. Missing someone? too many people to list...
24. Your car? gas guzzling chevy tahoe
25. Something you’re not wearing? glasses that AREN'T broken down the middle...ugh..
26. Favorite store? gotta love some "tar-jey"...
27. Your summer? hot !
28. Love someone? much, much!
29. Your favorite color? puh-lease--don't make me choose! okay--we will say blue (for the moment!)
30. When is the last time you laughed? when i read on mere's blog that i won her giveaway!! me?!? win something?? :)
31. Last time you cried? when i finished 'the shack' the other night...great book!

ok...i am tagging jessica, LC, and sandi...oh, and lauren (just for fun, to see if she will come out of blogging retirement :)--we need some heard and overheard, my dear!!)

Monkey Bars. Swings. Slides. Other Acrobatics...

Well, here are some pictures posted mostly for my sweet Dad, who mentioned he was checking the blog---looking for new photos of his dear grandchildren. We can't wait to see Granddad and Anne this weekend!

**the outside shots were taken with a dirty camera lens. unfortunate, i know.

millermac at the 'word wall'

....and down he goes!

so very handsome...

my very best girl...

"mAd" ABouT PotTy tiMe!

is this a face of contentment?? i don't think so...

going potty... it's tough. for most kids anyway. maddie being one of them.



if only madden were actually excited about using la toilette. not so much. she did enjoy the candy corn treat she received for using it the other day, but has that happened again?? no...she really doesn't want to do much if it isn't her idea...i just don't understand where she gets her stubbornness from at all ;) so, we have spent many many of the past several days in clean up mode from all the accidents. at least we have yet to have our flooring replaced, so i don't have to worry about 'new' carpet stains...

seriously thinking of shipping her off to potty boot camp!!

more ugly looks...

Third Child Secretly Yearns to be Only Child!

MillerMac really comes out of his shell at night...when his older siblings are tucked into bed, my serious 'old-soul' of a child becomes giddy and full of excitement! His usual straight face melts into crooked, toothy grins; 'catch me if you can' crawling episodes and just goofiness in general. It is fun to be with my Miller anytime of the day, but especially at night when the Davis household is his own private kingdom...
...with no big brother or sister to steal his thunder... or toy...or cheerios, for that matter :)

life is good

my only child wannabe

farewell to summer

So long sweet Summer....see you next year!














Fall, we are waiting for you here in Georgia...we need some jacket weather!

Monkeying Around on MillerMac's 1st Birthday!

It is just not conceivable that my baby is one years old...but he is! Our sweet boy had a little party yesterday with family (we are so glad Anne was here for the party and a much needed visit!!) and close friends...it was perfect! I wish everyone could have been here though to help us celebrate this precious one's first year of life...I cannot even begin to describe how happy and blessed I am to have him in my life and be his mommy. More photos to come!

delurking is delightful...

delurk: v. participate actively in an on-line newsgroup on the Internet (after passively participating for a period of time)

i have set a new goal for myself. i am a lurker no more. i realize that most of the blogs i frequent know that i am there--keeping up with them, laughing at their children's crazy antics, reaping parenting advice from their experiences, stealing recipes, enjoying every single photo...but, not everyone knows and i want them to know how much i truly enjoy experiencing life via the blogosphere.

i am the queen of serial blog surfing...by the time i am done, i have no idea where or whose blog i started on and certainly have lost the connection 7 sites back :). okay, so i am not promising to comment on every single blog that I peruse everday of my life, but i will make a concerted effort to leave comments more than once in a blue moon! i think i can make this happen (although, I am curently thinking about never posting this and continuing my lurky ways...no, NO! I will prevail!)



someday i might even have the title of 'regular commenter'--you just never know...man, i am thinking too far ahead and possibly setting myself up for failure. baby steps, my friends. maybe i should start with 'delurking thursdays' or something of that sort. alright then, just be looking for a comment coming your way in the not so distant future... love all my blog peeps and i want you to know it...

Sunday Afternoon Photo Session...

Goes awry...Jeremy gave it his best (if reclining on Ley's bed while shooting is categorized as his 'best'..okay, maybe he just gave it a good go :)...we need a professional. Or possibly a big role of duck tape!

Best First Date Ever...

McDonalds gourmet fare: $5.86
Tickets for Journey to the Center of the Earth: $15.75
2 pairs of really tacky 3D glasses: $5.00
Overpriced small Coke and bag of Reeses Pieces to share: $7.50
Holding hands, sitting close,laughing and talking, just the two of us: Priceless...

We are making this a tradition in our house for sure! I have been telling Jeremy lately that I want to take Ley out for some one on one time with his Mama periodically. I know he needs time with his Daddy, but that happens without as much effort on a more regualar basis. I will be planning time out for us at least every couple of months...and then, when the little ones are a bit older we will have a date once a month! Then, I will have to figure out a way to do it with all my offspring!! How important that special time is together just the two of us...I loved every minute of it! I told him that he and I used to do almost everything together just the two of us before his siblings came along...and I miss that! I definitely want to get this type of mommy/son date in our routine before he starts to think that I am not so cool...although we all know I will always be cool...

Now, if only we could find a super-great trustworthy babysitter to take on our three kids so Jeremy and I could take off for some date time once a month...

Happy Birthday, Jansen (a day late!!)...

I hope your birthday was wonderful...how could it not be when you received such a precious gift this year just several days ago! I know you are so tired, hormonal, and overwhelmed ( and that doesn't even begin to describe the roller coaster ride we call postpartum and new parenthood!)...but try to enjoy and soak up every second with that beautiful, little baby girl. I can't believe that I don't get to meet her and don't know when I will! Heartbreaking for me, Jance!! Tell Chris to give you XOXO from me and the fam...and you give sweet Emma some XOXO from her Aunt Mer! Happy Birthday Jansen (yesterday, anyway!!)

Three Fantastic Fellas and A Lovely Lady

Aren't they beautiful?? Look at all those baby blues! I am so blessed beyond measure...

The Savannah Zoo...Sortof, Kindof

Last weekend, we ventured out toward the beach to visit Savannah's version of a zoo--it's called Oatland Island Educational Center. We have passed its entrance on numerous occasions on our way to have some fun in the sun on Tybee, yet we have never visited this wildlife area. It was a gloriously beautiful and sunny day--so hard to believe there was a tropical storm battering our coast just a little bit north. We met the Johnson family out there and after 'organizing' all our strollers, snacks, backpacks, diaper bags, insect spray, maps, and oh yes...children, we made our way into the deep woods to see what interesting animals we could spy. We saw alligators, wolves, a panther, and a bison! In the barnyard area we saw geese, turkeys, cows, donkeys, goats and bunnies. We looked for the black bear and a few other animals, but they were holed up somewhere sleeping--it was SO hot! I have been meaning to post these pics all week but there were so many shots that I just now sat down and weeded through them to find some good ones...enjoy!

Happy Birthday, H!!

Another birthday shout out to my bestest ghetto friend from the SAV...happy birthday from your bestest caucasian friend! Love you...peace out, homegirl--I'm glad you are in my 'posse' and you know I always got your back (I will run anyone down with my double stroller, yo)!

xoxo

Happy Friday!

Where do I even start?? These past few weeks have been a whirlwind. Chock full of changes here at the Davis household. First and foremost...Jeremy started a new job. Woo-hoo! Yippee! We are very excited about this new endeavor... more details to come. But, change is D.I.F.F.I.C.U.L.T. Especially for me. I like to pretend it's not really a big deal, a lot of the time, but who am I really fooling?? Big changes or little changes...whether they are chosen or unannounced changes, they still throw a wrench into the finely oiled household machine...er...the functioning household machine, I should say. Like, now Jer is getting off work at 5:30 instead of 5:00 PM (much to my disdain). Or an even bigger curve ball was when my dear, sweet husband called and asked me what I thought about him going to Lubbock, TX for a week of intense training after just one day on the job. Wow! This was a very good opportunity for him and a very LONG week of single parenting for me (**but we made it through mostly unscathed!!**).


Running a close second when it comes to modification of life as I know it: My firstborn started kindergarten! Holy moly, how in the world did we get here!? One day I have a preschooler, and then I turn around and I have a bus riding (ack!!!), lunch toting, uniform wearing, sight word learning KINDERGARTENER! He seems to be loving it for the most part. His teacher, Miss Carrie, and his paraprofessional, Mrs. Elaine, are just wonderful--we couldn't have asked for more fun, caring, passionate teachers...God is so good and I know he answered my prayers for placing Ley in the classroom that would best suit his needs. I cried more than I thought I would those first several days of school. The first day of school, I dropped him off at his classroom and then cried on the way home..I was glad for it to be over and the tears to have come and gone...only to unexpectedly cry AGAIN when I picked him up!


Madden is getting so big, too. I plan on starting some hardcore potty training in the next months and we will see how that pans out. She is very opinionated these days about most everything. She loves to 'read' books and dance to any music she hears. And every now and then, she even sits still and watches a little 'Nemo' (she calls anything that comes on the television, 'Nemo'!). But, that doesn't last long and soon she is off carrying her naked baby dolls here and there, pulling out and trying on every shoe she can possibly find in her closet and mine (she calls her shoes, 'go's--how cute is that!), getting 'bobos' kissed and attempting to brush her teeth multiple times a day...she is a mess both figuratively and literally...and she keeps me running constantly! Her favorite word is 'no' (I know, who would of thunk it...being two and all). I can only hope that one day Maddie will surely learn the true use for kitchen spatulas...
























MillerMac is moving and grooving these days, too. He is nowhere near walking but he gets where he needs to go with his little army crawl and is now cruising the furniture. He, of course, loves to eat whatever ground gourmet morsels (and unedible items as well) he can find, usually courtesy of his big sister. His favorite thing is...well, me, and that is just the truth of the matter--his lovie and the pacifier are high in the ranking too. Jeremy's guitar playing is also well loved by Miller, and taking baths with his siblings is starting to grow on him a little (well, until Madden knocks him over and he gets a big gulp of water to the lungs!). He loves to eat and doesn't turn much of anything away--well, except baby food--he is all about the table food these days and chows it down with his two little teeth! He definitely has not surpassed his big brother and sister in the sleeping arena--we still have bouts of crying every so often, bless his heart (and ours--especially Ley who shares his sleeping quarters!!).