I Spy...

I spy something... different! Can you see what it is?

Catch Up!

Where to start? I have a lot to cover! Updates on life, the boys (in and out of the belly), my wonderful husband, decorating status, random things that come to mind, etc. Ok! With my glass of milk and pile of Oreos by my side I am going to attempt to get it all in here. Here we go!

We had our second sonogram done a couple of weeks ago and baby boy had a clean bill of health! The cyst that had been found in the previous sonogram was gone! Glory be to God! He was gracious to answer our prayers and heal our baby. I was 26 weeks the day I had the sono done and he was measuring 26 weeks and 5 days, meaning he's a big boy! Of course we could've told them that he was going to be. The nurse actually said his head was a bit large and again we could've called that too!

I am growing and feeling huge a lot of days. But I also realize I have a lot of growing to do before November gets here! Tristan has noticed that mommy is growing also. He LOVES to talk to the baby in mommy's tummy. Just the other day he asked to talk to the baby. This is what he said:

T "Hi baby, what are you doing? What are you doing in there?"

Me "What's he doing?"

T "Um... he's playing. He's playing in the ball."

It took me all of 3 sec to realize I was the "ball" he was referring to!

Peyton is still oblivious to the fact that he is no longer the baby and that there will be an intruder in November that we will all fondly refer to as his little brother. I am praying it won't be a hard transition for him. He is so good at being the baby! And doesn't love it when I or Brandon hold another baby. Not at all. It might make for some interesting stories and blog posts for our future. Stay tuned...

After much deliberation and prayer we finally came up with a name for this baby boy! His name is Kohen Miles Davis. Isn't that sweet? We love it!! Kohen is hebrew word for Priest (actually spelled Cohen after translation) and Miles is a family name. My great parents last name. It was not an easy decision but we are thrilled with the outcome and can't wait to put a face with the name!

Tristan likes the name Kohen for his baby brother and has decided that the monkey he often sleeps with is now named Kohen as well. He also wants Peyton to be able to say it. Tristan to Peyton earlier this week:

T "Peyton, can you say Kohen?"

P "Todee."

T "Say Ta Ta Ta... Ko hen."

P "Da Da Da... Todee."

I believe he was trying to say, "Ka" for the 'K' sound but it came out all wrong. We're still working on it. Both, Tristan's teaching skills and Peyton being able to say Kohen.

I'd like to brag for a minute on my hubby. A few weekends ago Brandon had planned on going on an axis hunt that had been on his calendar since early spring. The night before he was to leave on this hunt he got a call that it had been canceled! He was very disappointed and had been so looking forward to the hunt along with spending time with some of his good friends. He had the weekend off and had already lined up people to fill in for him Sunday. So what did he do? He took me off for the weekend! We dropped the boys off with the grands and headed Dallas. We had a great time!

With all that's gone on this summer (Camp, World Changers, Mission trips, Staff retreat, etc.) we haven't had much time together. From the end of May through the beginning of this month he was gone every other week from the boys and me (except for camp when I went with him). So it was very nice to get away with my honey. We have so much fun together. He makes me laugh like no one else. He is the best and I thank God for him every day.

I am so glad this summer is coming to a close. It has been a long one! Fall is quickly approaching, you can almost smell it. Well... I did say almost. I am so ready for cooler weather. This fall holds a lot for us as a family. Like, a third child being born and Brandon finishing up his education at The Criswell College in Dallas. He has 3 classes to complete and he'll be finished in December! Yay!! I am so proud of him for sticking with it. I know it's not been easy.

As far as our decorating expedition going on in our home... I am loving the color!!!!!!!!! I can't even say how nice it has been not to be starring at the apples and finally see some reflection of who we are on our walls. We are far from finished and I would be posting a picture but for some reason I am having trouble loading pictures today. Shucks. I guess you'll just have to wait and see the finished product! (or maybe I'll post a sneak peek sometime next week:)

I had planned on posting pictures along with this post but as I said, blogger is acting dumb for me. So that will just encourage me to post some soon. I have really dropped the ball on blogging lately. I do enjoy it and have said so often that it would be good to sit and blog. But the times I have I've been so muddled in my thoughts, when things come out they just haven't sounded right. I am blaming this on my "pregnant brain".

Hear me out on this. I am convinced when you get pregnant someone sneaks into your home in the middle of the night and snatches the brain you are currently functioning on and replaces it with a "pregnant brain". This brain will not allow you to remember simple addition at the grocery store, cause you to look for your keys for 5 minutes while they're actually in your left hand, forget your own maiden name, not allow you to remember you have already washed your hair twice so you wash it yet a third time and you most will definitely change subjects mid sentence without missing a beat. All the while the people around you are wondering what is wrong with you! I am so looking forward to sometime around November when that same someone will sneak back into my house and give me back my not so crazy non-pregnant brain.

Well, I believe that's it for now. I'm not sure if it's all in here but I am done for the night. Plus my Oreos are long gone. Hope you enjoyed my ramblings. Until next time...

Plain Vanilla

I don't like chocolate ice cream. Never have and unless I have a weird pregnancy craving that alters my taste buds forever, I probably never will. I really like Cookies N Cream (bluebell of course) and one of my new favorites is Moollenium Crunch (also bluebell... is there any other?). The point is, I don't consider myself to fit in the "plain vanilla" mold. Even though vanilla is very good! It's just not what I would say defines me as a person or an ice cream flavor for that matter.

We have lived in our house for nearly a year now. I love our home and while I love it there are things about it that still don't reflect who we are. For instance... Apples. On the rare occasion I will find I want to eat an apple or maybe a really greasy baked apple pie from McDonalds. But I have never thought they would be something to decorate my home with. This is a picture of our dinning area. Note the Apple border...

This is our kitchen...

Wait... are those little polka dots?? Nope... guess again!

Apples. I am, and have been for sometime, sick and tired of apples. I assume the people that lived here before us loved their apples and I guess for that reason chose to put them up on the walls in the first place. But the apples must go!

I don't claim to be an overly creative person. I enjoy crafty things and have come up with some cute ideas here and there. I enjoy photography, art and have dabbled in a lot of artsy things. I will say about myself that my creative monkeys (if you will) are wild untamed (hard to catch at times) and other times they are too tired to even think straight (especially the pregnant ones). On that note... I'm not sure if it was the monkeys or me that came up with a new decor plan for our kitchen, dinning room and living room. Nevertheless, there is a plan in motion!

Even though we have started the process of riding our lives of all things Apple, I will not be posting pics for a few weeks. I am so excited about the colors and can't wait until it's all finished! Here's a bit of insight to our color pallet with names like "Invigorate" "Gulf stream" & "Riverbed's Edge". The names may not say much but I will tell you they are definitely NOT Plain Vanilla!

Brotherly Love

Nurse- "Is this your first?"

Me- "No mam, this is our 3rd."

Nurse- "Oh! Well what do you have?"

Brandon (proudly says) - "Two boys."

Nurse- "Aww, that's great! Okay let's see here... this is the umbilical cord. And that's... not the umbilical cord!"

We are having ANOTHER BOY! Of course we couldn't be more thrilled!! He is so cute from what we could see from the sonogram. I have video but will have to figure out how to get it from the VCR tape onto the computer before I can then attempt to share it on here. But it was by far the best sonogram we've had! Our nurse was great and talked the entire time about what we were seeing. It was amazing!

This is a picture of his hand and forearm.

When we had 'the big sono' not only did we find out he is a he and see him rolling and tumbling around, but we also found out that he has a cyst in his head. When the nurse told us about it, we weren't freaked out. From the time she mentioned it we both had a peace in our hearts about it. I don't have many details to share but please know it is mild and the Dr has stressed we shouldn't lose sleep over it. Most of the cases they see of this particular "cyst" go away on their own. We will be having at least one more sonogram to check up on it. Our prayer is that God will take it away. But we are also trusting that He knows best and whatever happens we will continue to rely on Him.

As if having 2 boys wasn't enough of a statement, this daddy is so proud to be having a 3rd boy!

Here is a picture of our big boys. They are playing together more and more. It's fun to watch (referee) and see how they interact with each other. I think another boy is going to be a blast! They are rough and tough but they also love to snuggle and give hugs and "tisses". I just pray these two knuckle heads will let another little boy in their club.

Tristan has been giving the 'baby in momma's tummy' a hug and kiss some nights before he goes to bed. Talk about melting your heart! We have had quite a few conversations about the baby too. Just a few days ago I asked him what he thought we should call the baby. He thought about it for a minute and then said "We're gonna call him... Zoe!" Zoe is one of his best buddies who also happens to be a girl! I said "No! Not Zoe, that's a girl's name. The baby is a boy. So what do you want to call him?" Again he thought about it and then answered me "Mama, we're going to call him on the phone." This was the end of our conversation. He went back to eating his Cheetos as I sat and giggled.

Speaking of names... we have yet to come up with that perfect fit. We have names we like but nothing that just seems right. A lot of people have put their pick in "the hat". In this invisible hat to be drawn from are names like... Griffin, Keaton, Owen, Anakin (yes, as in Skywalker), Steve and many others. Some I like, others... not so much. I mean really... Steve?!?! I can hear myself calling the boys in for supper now "Tristan! Peyton! STEVE!" Or better yet little Darth Vador. No, no and NO!

I'm trying not to get frustrated with the fact that this child has no name. With both T and P we had their names picked out (and their alternate names in case they were a girl) by the time we had 'the big sono'. But I am reminded by my husband that 1st of all we have plenty of time to name him. After all Brandon wasn't named until after he was born (his mom was sure he was a girl... surprise, surprise!). And 2nd that God knows his name. I love thinking about God knowing this child already. It is beautiful to sit and think about The Lord's hands forming him each day into who he is going to be.

This was taken last week at Falls Creek. B is not that big, I however am!

As for me, I am no longer dealing with progesterone poisoning (AKA morning sickness) and have been enjoying being pregnant! PRAISE THE LORD!!! I know a lot of people have been praying for me and our family during my sickness. Thank you for all your prayers and support!

I have to smile through all of this. Knowing God has been pushing me to Trust in Him with ALL of my heart and now He's giving me yet another opportunity to live out what I say I believe to be true. He is an Awesome God, Loving Father, Faithful, Compassionate, Slow to anger, Rich in Love and Good to all!

One Cheekin' It

Sunday morning in worship at our church some friends of ours performed a sketch about Jesus having full control of us. The plot was that the lady gave Jesus "The Chair"... you know the chair that the person who makes all the decisions gets to sit it. She gives it to Jesus only to find when put in a seemingly tough situation (like shopping even though you're supposed to be on a budget) she wants to push him out of the chair so she can make her own choice! Sometime in the middle of the sketch she's sitting on half of the chair and 'Jesus' says "I'm kind of one cheekin' it here... what's the deal? I thought you said you wanted me to sit here?" By the end of it she has crawled on top of him and the chair trying to get herself in the chair ALONG WITH Him. Obviously it doesn't work. There's only room for one of them.

It was a funny sketch that had a really powerful message. But the more I've thought about it, the more God has used it to convict me. How often do I try to scoot Him over? How many times do I pull the chair out from underneath Him? How many times do I never even offer Him a seat or better yet not allow Him in the same room as the chair? Seriously. Oh sure, it's easy to sing "Jesus take the wheel..." whenever I hear that song come on the radio. But how often do I give Him complete control of every decision made in my life?

Verses like, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:4,

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Mark 12:30 confuse me at times. Did God really mean all of my heart... really?? The answer is YES!! Why in the world would He say it over and over in scripture from the Old Testament all the way through the New Testament if He didn't mean it? He wants all of me. Complete control.

I don't want Jesus to 'One Cheek it' on my decision making, I want Him to have all of me. All my heart, all my soul, all my mind and all my strength.

A Thoughtful Suggestion

This picture is not from tonight, this is Tristan sleeping with his Toy Story buddies and his Cars pillow (two of his favorite movies) while we were on vacation. No, I'm not about to blog about that crazy week right now! But I do feel the need to share tonight before I'm off to bed.

I've had a lot of suggestions on things I could do to help relieve my nausea (which I like to call "progesterone poisoning") over the past few weeks... Saltine crackers, Ginger cookies, Candied ginger, Peppermints, Peppermint oil, Ginger oil, Zofran, Icebreaker sour mints... the list goes on. And while a lot of these were great and helped take my mind away from what was at hand, I haven't had a suggestion as good as the one I received tonight from my 2 1/2 year old.

As we got the boys ready for bed tonight (I say we meaning my husband was actually doing all the work and I was laying on the couch watching. Remember... Superman?) Tristan came over and crawled up on the couch next to me. He took my face in both of his little hands and asked me, 

"Momma, what's wrong? What's matter?" 

I said, "Oh, momma is okay. My tummy just hurts."

Still holding my face with one hand he said, "You gonna... you need to go poop?"

I was trying so hard not to laugh and then I realized, he was so serious and really giving a caring suggestion! I asked him, "Do you think that will make momma feel better?"

He answered very sure of himself, "Yes."

At this point he heads over to Daddy to clue him in, "Daddy, momma's tummy hurt... something muttered... momma need to go poop... something else muttered... make momma's tummy better."

Daddy and Momma exchanged a much needed smile.

This might have been the best suggestion I've had yet! Although... I'm not so sure it will help me in this case! 

Rain= Puddles

With all of our beautiful spring weather we have also had our share of storms. Those heavy soaking rains that make for a perfect afternoon of snuggling on the couch under a good blanket.

The boys don't seem to be bothered by the storms other than they don't get to play outside while it's raining.

The other day Tristan and I had a conversation about the rain while in route in the van. He was hollering out the window at the rain "Stop rain! Stop!" I told him the rain was good because God uses it to make the grass and plants grow and to give the animals water to drink. He ended the conversation with "I like rain."

After a few rainy days in a row the boys (and the momma) were getting stir crazy from being stuck indoors. So after Daddy got home from work he thought of a brilliant idea... they could play in the water puddles! And so they did.

Here's a clear difference in our oldest and middle child...

Peyton is in fact sitting in the water, not care in the world, the messier the better!

Tristan was perfectly fine sitting on the bank, playing in the water and then wiping his hands off on his pants.

No, these aren't usually play shoes!

Tristan found some treasures in the water puddles! It took a little convincing that they were not snakes, only worms (Thank the Lord!).

He loved his "Warms"

They had a blast and Daddy gave baths this night! :)