For the GIRLS!

A couple of months ago something dawned on my sister and me. We have been sisters for... Well... forever and we had never planned any kind of getaway for just us girls. We have done the occasional day of shopping, late night trip to Target, a movie and even dinner but never had we gone off to do anything together with just the two of us.

So... We did it! We planned a weekend to getaway! My parents watched the boys (since their Daddy was in Mexico building a house) and I think they may have even checked in on David (Jess' hubby) a time or two, just to make sure he was eating while Jess was gone. ;) With our menfolk taken care of, we took off for the weekend!

You are about to see proof of our first annual Sisters Getaway Weekend! We decided our first trip would be to Fredericksburg, TX.

First stop, Hard Eight BBQ in Brady TX. 

 Oh, yes! We decided the best way to kick off our "girls" weekend was with some

yummy BBQ!

Jess, showing us how it's done! :)

During our time away (which ended up being two days and a night) we visited LOTS of little shops in Fredericksburg. There was plenty to see. We went to western stores, furniture stores, toy stores, jewelry stores, chocolate specialty shops (where we may have bought some chocolate for our husbands), antique shops, soda shops, ice cream shops... I think you get the point.

We stopped for ice cream and drinks and had a conversation over our drinks that I think needs to be shared... 

Me, "Is your root beer good? You haven't drank much of it."

Jess, "Yeah... It's okay. It has a weird taste to it though..."

Me, "Hmm... that's weird. My cream soda is gooood."

A few minutes go by

Me, "So, is your drink not good?"

Jess, "It just has a weird after taste. It almost tastes like... diet."

Me, "Um.. Jess... it is diet." (pointing at the word "diet" on her bottle)

Jess, ".... Dang it!"

Both in unison, "Bahahahahahaha!"  

We've had quite a few laughs about this one!

 Can I just say, Cinnamon Honey Butter is to die for! You should get some one day, seriously. Just don't buy it and then forget about it, leaving it behind in the bathroom. I'm not saying a certain pregnant woman who suffers from pregnancy brain syndrome did in fact do this, I'm just saying. In case you were wondering... It would be a good idea not to forget about the butter!

Among our findings over the weekend, I found these antique tin canisters. I got the whole set for $25! You can ask Jess, I was so excited about these! 

I didn't take any pictures of our luxurious hotel... HA! Let's just say between the "complimentary" WiFi that apparently wasn't "guaranteed" and the doors that weren't where we thought they should be... We're marking this one down as a learning experience and will do more research for next year's hotel. What we do have are some good memories! Like our up-stairs and up-hill room, right Jess?! 

 In this picture we were looking at these hanging lamps made out of record albums. We thought they were really neat but not worth the $$$ for them. But I have to say, it made for a cute picture!

Mexican food!

If you haven't noticed, our weekend was full of good food! This pretzel/pastry was sooo good!

Because of our mutual love for food, we decided one of these Getaway Weekends we will be visiting one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants. We do realize we will have to save up quite a bit of extra cash to support such a trip but we also really want to try his risotto! Oh... And we will be taking our husbands on that trip. For 2 reasons:

1. They would KILL us if we went and ate Chef Ramsay's food without them!

2. Chef Ramsay scares us. Seriously. We would want our husbands there purely for the sake of protection!

 

Our "sister" rings we got :)

I'd say, our first annual Sisters Getaway Weekend was a success! We had a great time and will look back on pictures and memories for the rest of our lives. AND, we have already put dates on the calendar for next year! Canton TX and First Monday get ready!!

Kit,
I had so much fun with you baby sis! Thanks for wanting to spend a whole weekend with your big ("big" meaning older not just because I'm very pregnant) sister. I love and cherish you.

~Lann                     

P.S. Can you imagine how many corndogs, roasted ears of corn and bags of cotton candy we'll be able to buy after saving our money for a whole year?!? ;)

The view from here: a babymama update

At 31 weeks and a few days this little guy is growing daily! I took an excerpt from babycenter.com to tell us more about him at 31 weeks:
"This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy."

Active is almost an understatement. I pray that active does in fact equal healthy because if that is the case this kid should be very healthy indeed! And yes, sleep is becoming an enemy of mine these days because of how active the little man is. I try to take advantage of naptime as much as I can so when the boys nap, I nap too.

During my last Dr's appointment my Dr mentioned that he's definitely going to be a big boy (which we could have told her that). She and I talked about the possibility of doing an induction. I am not opposed to:
a)not having a 10+ lb baby because he decided to check out past his due date and or
b)getting to meet him earlier than we expected!
So, possibly more to come on that subject if we do end up going that route.

In the meantime I will continue to enjoy my ever growing belly, knowing there is a little boy inside that God is diligently forming and shaping with His perfect hands. 

Oh... What's that? His name? Haha. Funny you should ask... We still have yet to name him. But we hope to soon reveal his name to all of our family and friends! That is... as soon as it is revealed to us. :)

Here are a few more pictures from my view...

Little man was interrupting my quiet time majorly with his bumps and kicks this day! 

What a sweet memory I'll get to hold on to.

This picture was taken when I was just starting to get a baby bump and the boys finally started noticing there was in fact a growing baby in there. The toy on my belly was placed there by big brother Peyton. He is very good about making sure the baby has what he "needs"... Yes, before he's even out of the womb. He often brings him toys or a blanket to keep warm (you know, since it's been 100+ outside everyday this summer). He also doesn't go a day without talking to the baby or singing him a song and never misses giving him kisses and hugs before naptime and bedtime... I can tell he and this little one are going to be special buddies!

Catching a reflection of me and baby (and Kohen) out by the pool.

My lap is getting smaller and smaller.

Just as I mentioned before, here's Peyton singing to baby boy. He will probably know Peyton's voice second after mine because of how much he talks and sings to him! Such sweet moments.

One of my best friends growing up, Leah Roller Walla is also prego right now. She is having her first little boy in September! What a blessing to get to be pregnant at the same time! Here is the two of us showing off our boys at her baby shower last weekend.

Every now and then the Daddy ends up with the camera and snaps a shot of me. Along with my bump, here I am sporting my newly found curly hair. Thank you baby boy with all the pregnancy hormones and also to my sister (who cuts my hair and made me aware of said curliness)!

 A quick picture with the other little guys in my life. Their Daddy has taught them well... Instead of hearing little comments all the time about how big I am getting they say, "Mommy, the baby is getting bigger!" Smart little men. And even smarter Daddy.

In wrapping up I would like to ask something of you. I know if you read my blog you are family/friends and you care about us. I would like to ask for you to pray...

I have continued to have back pain throughout my pregnancy that started up this spring before we even knew I was pregnant. I have slipped discs that because of my pregnancy will not stay in place. I try to keep some sort of schedule in seeing my chiropractor but our summer schedule has made that quite difficult. My chiropractor has explained that my ligaments will not be able to heal and hold until a few months after the little man is born. So, we're basically trying to do maintenance on something that refuses to hold.
I experience a lot of pain most days and it can even get me down because I am unable to do all that I can usually do.

Would you pray?

Pray that I will walk in the grace and strength of the Lord. That I would not lean on my own ability or fall back on pride when people offer to assist. God is good. He knows where He has me. And He is teaching me that I need Him. Pain or no pain. When I think I need Him and even if I don't think I need Him.

I need Him. All day, everyday.

Kohen-dini

Just a couple of weeks ago our sweet little Kohen mastered his escape out of his crib. He mastered his escape but hadn't quite mastered his landing. He got to where he could get over the railing within seconds of us walking out of the boys room. In a 24 hour time span (which included one naptime and one bedtime) he scraped his chin, neck, elbow, head and got a few other bumps along the way.

It was apparent we had to take some action before he seriously injured himself. So, we decided it was time to break down the crib and get the ever famous (in the Davis house anyway) Lightning McQueen Cars bed out of storage. Which is perfect for him because this kid LOVES cars!

This little boy is now sleeping in a big boy bed! 
(you can actually see the scratch on his little chin in this one)

As you can see, Kohen was thrilled about his new bed!

The bigger boys were also excited about the new addition to their room.

Showing off their cars. Aren't they too cute in their Cars pj's?!

(Um... and for the record, this momma is having a hard time believing 

that this little boy isn't a baby anymore!)

 A little wrestling match before bedtime. Typical.

 Also a part of our bedtime routine: Reading out of the Jesus Story Book Bible

And here is the little man, sleeping in his big boy bed.

He woke up the next morning a bit earlier than usual and as soon as he woke up he was talking all about his new bed! "McQueen mumble mumble Cars mumble mumble Bed mumble mumble...!" It was super cute, I have to say.

Overall,  the move from the crib to the toddler bed has been good. It seems all we're doing is making a little more room for the next little man to join all of this craziness! Only a little over 10 weeks left! A babymama update coming soon...

Just like Daddy

I saw an add a while back where a little boy was wearing his Daddy's shirt, tie and shoes. I got the idea to dress all of our guys up in their Daddy's clothes and this was our surprise present for Daddy for Father's Day. It was fun dressing them up and they LOVED it! They giggled and talked about being just like Daddy. They were fascinated at how much bigger his clothes were than theirs. They talked about how much they want to look like Daddy and be strong like Daddy when they "get bigger".

P, "I'm gonna have a beard too! Just like Daddy." 
T, "Well, I'm gonna have BIG STRONG muscles like Daddy."
P, "OH... me too, Twristan! "

It was really a special thing to listen to. They love their Daddy and want to be just like him. The funny thing is, no matter what they do, they will end up being a lot like him. They already are in so many ways!

Keeping this picture a secret wasn't as easy for some as it was for others. Tristan understands the idea of secrets for the sake of a surprise and did a great job waiting in anticipation until we revealed the picture to his Daddy. Peyton, on the other hand, is nearly incapable of keeping secrets. I say nearly because sometimes he forgets about it and the secret is safe. This time though, he did not forget and he so badly wanted to share this special news with his Daddy. Thankfully, Peyton is 3 and at times has a hard time getting out what he's really trying to say in words that work together so you can understand them. Because of that, there was an idea floating around in Brandon's head that he was getting something to do with his clothes for his birthday... :) I guess, the secret was safe after all.

Brandon, of course, loved the picture. He shed a few tears seeing them in his clothes and even hearing their stories about being like him. It is overwhelming to know you have 3 (and soon to be 4) people striving to be just like you.

We talk often about the weight of our job as parents. We are to disciple our children through the Word and through our actions and deeds, teaching them what it means (and looks like) to follow Christ and serve Him as the King of our lives. It is NOT an easy job.

They watch us. They mimic us. They want to be just like us.

Does that scare the mess out of anyone else?!? I mean, seriously! Who wants their children to make the same mistakes they did/do?

In the midst of my near panic over the thought, God brought these verses to my mind:

"Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children and live in

love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a 

sacrificial and fragrant offering to God." 

Ephesians 5:1-2

Thankfully, I have someone to imitate too. Just like my boys imitate their Daddy, I'm supposed to imitate my Father, through following His son. Living a life of love and self sacrifice, all to the glory of God.

I pray that as I follow Christ, making Him the center of me, imitating Him even as a child would... My children will continue to see less of me and more of Him. As they try to be like us, they end up being like Him.

Here's a sobering thought: Even if I don't follow Christ, strive to be like Him, or try to teach my children to follow Him, with intent to disciple them through Truth... I am still teaching them. Leading by example. And they will still follow me.

summer favorites

Summer is a fun season. While it is not my favorite time of the year, it does have some wonderful things about it that make me smile. Like freshly cut grass, ice cold lemonade, watermelon, fireworks and swimming all afternoon... These are some of the same things that have made me smile from the time I was a kid. And now... I'm watching my children smile because of them.

I just want to share a few of my favorites today... There are many more things I love about the summer time and I may just post a second "summer favorites" later on before the summer is over.

#1: screen doors

#2. mornings spent playing outside

 #3. dirty-faced and sweaty-headed little boys

#4. dirty feet

#5. fresh right-out-of-the-garden produce

 #6. 4+ year old flip-flops that know the shape of my feet

#7. little snuggling moments after a good naptime because of playing hard outside all morning

#8. spending warm evenings outside with family

#9. the wonder and awe in little faces 

 #10. the parade to kick off the county Fair & Rodeo

 #11. sweet red-faced little boy enjoying his first parade

What are some of your summer favorites??

The Verdict

The verdict is in (and has been in for 2+ weeks but that's beside the point). Most of you voted GIRL for the gender of Baby Davis no. 4! 87% of you, as you see in the picture above. And while 87% of you were quite hopeful you were also very, well... WRONG!

Baby Davis no. 4 is a BOY!

I was supposed to have the big ultrasound sometime in June, which was my Dr's preference. I, on the other hand, had the brilliant idea to surprise my husband by begging asking my Dr if she would perform the ultrasound early. You see, my next appointment was scheduled on his birthday! I saw it was the perfect opportunity. After being quite persuasive with the nurse who relayed my request to my Dr, I finally got the answer I was looking for and was able to surprise the Daddy person and the rest of our family with finding out earlier than we had all expected.  

For the day of the ultrasound (also Brandon's birthday) I worked it out with a dear friend of ours, the boys' Kay-Kay, to watch the boys for the entire day. So, we got to enjoy an all day date! It was great and very needed. Brandon was very excited about finding out early and decided we wouldn't tell anyone that was what we were going to be doing that day... He's sneaky like that. And of course, I went along with it!

When we had the ultrasound done, the Dr and Brandon were able to see what I had known all along... That this baby is ACTIVE! From the first flutters I felt and then a few days later to the first actually kick, I knew whether boy or girl... This baby was an active one!

Because of how active he is, we didn't get many pictures of him. He did however let us see his man junk quite clearly! His face, profile, feet, hands and body... Not so much. But he is definitely proud to be a boy, I can tell you that! The pictures are a bit blurry, I apologize.

Here is his face.

An arm and hand.

My Dr was attempting to get a profile picture and this was the 

best we could do with the little wiggle worm! 

It's actually the side/back of his head.

And last but not least, his man junk. I debated on whether or not I should even 

post this on here. But I figure, he was quite proud of this shot. 

Out of the 8 pictures we got that day, 5 of them look like this one!

We have always shared our news of pregnancy in unique ways to our families so we thought since no one knew we were finding out what we were having we would share that news in a unique way too! We had a birthday celebration the next day for Brandon and we had a cookie cake made for the event...

"Happy Birthday
to an
ALL BOY DADDY!"

Here's the Daddy and 3 of his boys. 

The family was quite surprised to be finding out early AND to be finding out from a cake! It was fun! 

And how do we feel about adding another boy to our bunch?? We are thrilled!

I wasn't sure what the boys' reactions were going to be when we told them. Tristan was so sure that he was having a sister this time and I didn't want him to be upset that he was in fact getting another brother. His reaction was so sweet. When we told them the news T says, "A Boy?! That's what Peyton said!!" He said it with a big grin. This of course relieved any fear I had of disappointment. Peyton's response was, "It is a Boy!!" Also said with a huge grin. And little Kohen, yeah.. He still has no idea.

Stay tuned for more from the momma with all those boys...