Getting My Green On

We did not get enough grass to cover our entire back yard and Maria has wanted a garden for some time now (even when we were in the condo she was wishing for one).  We figured the area that would not be grassed could be used for a garden.  Maria and I were very honest with ourselves and admitted that gardening on our hands and knees would not be enjoyable and that it would be unlikely that we kept up the garden if it was uncompfortable. 

We began to make plans to make a raised garden and I watched several videos and read blogs on how to best do this.  Maria suggested that I call her dad who just put in a raised garden to pick his brain for ideas.  Maria and I lucked out and discovrered that he had 60 blocks left-over from his project and said we would have them!  My parents brought them down with them on Friday and I put it all together today with the help of my dad, Quentin, and Davis. 

The last elemement to the garden before I can plant is dirt.  Maria and I lucked out here because we even have a friend who is willing to donate some perfect crap filled dirt to the cause.  So far we have grass and a raised garden yet we are only about 60 bucks into this backyard renovation project!  We feel very lucky to have such great friends and family and are happy to have a yard where Davis and "baby girl" will be able to play.  Those who saw our yard a year ago know exactly how far it has come and it has been the help of many to make it what it is (or will become!).

Happy 1st Birthday!

Dear Sweet Davis,

I can't believe how fast this year has gone by. It was a year ago today that Daddy and I were at the hospital at 2am, nervous and excited for your arrival. Even before coming to the hospital I was actually having contractions before being induced. You were going to arrive on Oct. 21st induction or not, which is also the birthday of your Great Grandpa Davis and your official due date. My water broke around 6am and that is when the contractions started. Only a short time of labor you were born around 10:30am. The doctor put you on my chest and I stared in amazement at my chubby little boy. You had lots of brown hair on your head and weighed in at 8lbs. You had a hearty appetite from the get go and your Daddy and I felt so blessed to have our little boy.

It seems that you are advanced in everything you do. It is crazy to think that you were crawling by 5 months and walking by 9 months. It scares me when you crawl up the kitchen chairs and onto the kitchen table and climb up and down the couches. Also, scares me when you try to stand up in your high chair and climb out. I am already afraid that there will many trips to the emergency room as you are such a dare devil. You are so smart because you know when I tell you to “sit down” in your high chair and repeat it back to me mockingly. You make me laugh when I tell you “Shhh” and you “Shhh” me right back. Your smile melts my heart and the best part of my day is when I come home from work and you come running to me with your hands in the air. You won’t kiss me or Daddy back very often but when you do it is accompanied by a head butt. I love to hear you laughing and talking in the background when I call home during the day. You are such a happy and delightful boy.

The only regret and guilt I hold over the past year is that I wasn’t able to be with you as much as I wanted. The first day I had to go back to work after your were 8 weeks old I held you and cried and cried before leaving. I cried all the way to work and during work. I felt such remorse leaving you. Even now when I work my 8pm late night and you have been fast asleep for two hours before I get home, I pick you up in your crib and hug and kiss you. The one to two hours that I see you each day during the week is not enough and I look forward to the day when I can play all day everyday with you. It was only until Daddy was able to stay home with you that some of that remorse has subsided. He loves you so much and you two have such a special bond. Daddy jokingly says that you are his and that I can have the rest of your future brothers and sisters.

Bishop met with our little family not long ago and said that those feelings and desires to be a Mother are not a coincidence and I have felt since your birth that it is my purpose here on this earth. Because of this I know I will never feel right about being away from you as I have been over the past year. I know it will not be this way forever and I love you my sweet Davis with all my heart and look forward to celebrating all of your Birthdays with you.

Love,

Mommy

Food Challenge!!

This should give you all an idea of what Davis' diet consist of - all this came off his high chair and the floor.  How many things can you identify?

A Day in the Life of... (3rd ed.)

"Day in the life of..." first and second editions seemed to be pretty popular and was a great way to free up some memory on my cell phone so I am doing it again. These are just random pics from the adventures of Davis and Dad.

Davis, Aubrey, Lara and I spent the day out and about and stopped for a treat. I asked Aubrey if I could have some of here ice cream and this was the look I got. She later shared the wet soggy paper wrapper with Davis I threw it back at her and it stuck to her forehead - I wish I had captured the look she gave me then! It was shock, confusion and anger all at once. Priceless.

Davis enjoyed playing outside of Mommy's work the other day. He even tried chasing a roadrunner when he could not catch it he set up a trap with lots of bird seed and ACME TNT. That did not work either - tricky little bird.

Davis prefers his hair to be "business up front and party on the top". He even has a little rats tail sprouting in the back.

I tell ya, this boy likes his pizza!

Got an email from the EQ president saying that a family needed help hauling stuff to the dump and that it had to be done that same day by three. At noon I got another email saying it still had not been done. Davis and I went over and loaded up all the stuff and took it to the dump. I am not even sure it was legal for me to drive like this but we managed to get all the junk to the dump.

Davis loves his cousin Yerbua. She can be ruff and tuff at times but he always has a good time with her. The two of them love banging on the piano - it is fun for Davis to have so many cousins so close in age and proximity.

After Davis fell in the water at the hospital Katy and I tried everything to keep him distracted and dry including some saltine crackers that Katy just happened to have in her purse (another sign that she was prego that I did not pick up on I am sure! - Maria used saltines to get through morning sickness spells)

The whole gang (except for the traveling love birds and Josh who is in the Army) got together for General Conference weekend. We made and ate a ton of Navajo Tacos at our house on Saturday then had spaghetti and pasta at Lara's house on Sunday. It was a nice weekend.

That's our goofy boy!

Davis and I have been going to the park a lot more lately (another blog in the making - just waiting on pics). It cooled off a ton last week and this week has started to warm up again so we have not gone yet. He really likes the park except when I threw him down the tunnel slide. He managed to flip oven on his stomach and was clawing at the slide; I was afraid he would not make it to the bottom and I would have to fetch him from someplace in the middle.

Davis, Yerbua, Lara, and I on our adventures together mentioned under an earlier picture found ourselves at the mall. Yerbua and Davis had a ton of fun until Yerbua spotted all the other kid's shoes that had been removed and placed in a bin for safe keeping. Those who know Yerbua know she loves shoes! Once she spotted the shoe Mecca she wanted nothing more to do with the slides and toys and sat on the bench and pouted when I told her she could not play with the shoes.

Davis had so much fun at the mall. He was one of the smaller kids but held his own. He liked climbing up to the top of the slide. I think it was here that he mastered climbing up stairs.

Davis had too much fun with Katy and had to go down for a nap. I like this pic because he looks so long!

Don't tell CPS, DPS, or any other [blank]PS but we have had Davis in his forward facing carseat for a week or two now. This picture was his first time and he was trying to take it all in. I think he really likes it and enjoys being able to see everything as we go by.

Davis really likes his cousin Baylee too. She has been over a couple of times over the last few weeks. Kelly said that Baylee drives her nuts (pun intended) talking about "Davis, Jacob, and Maria" and always wants to come over to visit - she is welcome any time! Davis is attempting to crack the nut by using his laser vision.

While babysitting Baylee I cracked some nuts for her. The first was an Acorn and she asked for a second. After the two acorns she asked for the large black kind (don't know the real name... and I am not about to google "large black nuts"), she didn't like that one as much. We moved on to an Almond and she liked that one but did not want a second. Next she handed me a Walnut, she lost patience with me as I tried removing all the nut from the shell and the Pecan was a repeat situation. She went back to the Acorn and ate two more before I told her "that's it."

Wanting to get out of the house and do something I found myself on a used car lot. We have no money or any intention of buying a car but the salesman did not need to know that. We drove a Toyota Sienna and a Toyota Tundra four door. I really like the truck (duh) and Davis seemed to as well. (PS - sorry for wasting an hour and a half of your time Mr. Salesman)

Yerbua came over to play and after making a mess of her clothes at dinner we found some PJs for her - a tie dye shirt and gray sweat pants. She really like the outfit, so much so that the next day she was still wearing it when we went to visit her!

Don't Step on the Grass!

Yesterday Maria and I were trying to figure out how we wanted to spend our evening when I got a call from John who said a co-worker had grossly miscalculated his square footage when doing his yard and had about 700 sqft of sod left over! Quentin and I drove over and loaded the sod in his and my trucks and brought it home. Todd came and helped me clear the weeds, rocks, and debris. We started to lay sod about 8:30 pm and worked until I threw the extension cord in a puddle of water shorting out the outlet that powered our flood lights.

The puddle was from our neighbors yard that went crazy. Before going to bed I went to the house next door and turned off their water (take that!) The house is actually vacant so I don't think it is too big of a deal. The next day we went out to finish and found even more water - so much that we could no longer get out the gate into the front yard! I talked to my neighbor on the other side and told him the situation. He agreed to let us take the sod into his backyard and throw it over the wall into our backyard! It was a ton of extra work but kept us from loosing a ton of free sod!

With a little help today we finished and now have a grassy backyard! We just can't step on it for a month or so.

I have more pictures to come of Davis playing in the mud and on the grass. Have to wait til I get a mouse for the other computer though.

58 Days To Go

That's right! Only two more months to go and Baby number 2 will be here. Time has flown by and I can hardly believe that we will have another baby around the house. I am just starting to really "show" and most people here at work are surprised to find out I am pregnant and at how far along I am. I assure you I feel like I am 8 months pregnant. I feel good most of the time, just the regular aches and tiredness of the third trimester. My anticipation has started to escalate since Felicia and Quentin's baby girl, Jayden, was born this past week. She is so cute and sweet from the pictures and I can't wait to hold her.

We still haven't decided on a name yet. We like the names Laurel Ellen and Daphne Mckay. We will keep you posted...if you have any suggestions please let us know.

My greatest concern is the possibility of having to deal with Postpartum Depression Depression again. I was grateful it went away when I got pregnant the 2nd time. And just so you know Jake, getting pregnant again so soon will not be an option! :)