Our Happenings

2009-07-21T07:56:00.005-05:00

This summer is going by so quickly! Since my last post we had the 4th of July, my birthday, Reed's week at the Prince Warrior Academy, and another VBS for Reed.

Here are a few pictures from the past month.

2009-06-26T10:06:00.003-05:00

On Wednesday, our little gymnast decided to do a full front flip out of her crib. I had my back to her, putting away laundry. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something go flying-- typically her babydoll. But I turned just in time to see her land flat on her back and head. AAAHHH!!! Mommy FREAKED OUT!

She was totally fine, but sadly, I knew she was done with the crib. I really don't want to ever be pregnant again, but somehow it's still really sad that we won't have a little baby in our crib again. I'm not ready for Clare to be growing up!

Nonetheless, we transitioned her crib to the toddler bed last night and Clare spent her first night in a "big girl bed". She was excited until I tried to leave her there and then she was scared. So it took some coaxing, but she decided it was ok and went to sleep.

She only fell out of bed once. (I had pillows on the floor.) But I got up to check on her about 4 times. I can't believe she's so big. What's next??? College??!!!

2009-06-15T22:19:00.002-05:00

Reed was the ringbearer in his aunt's wedding in the beginning of June. What a cute little man! We had a super fun day and the kids did awesome!

2009-06-09T15:36:00.004-05:00

I'm back!!! I know it's been 5 weeks or so... I've been told! We went on vacation to Nebraska and then my sweet Grandpa passed away and I headed right back up north for his funeral. Then Reed finished his first year of preschool and last weekend my sister in law got married. So we had family staying with us and Reed was her ring bearer. Now Reed's in VBS this week and life just keeps on moving!!

So I'll start with a few highlights of our trip to Nebraska in April/May. We went to a train museum and Reed got to ride in a tractor and drive a boat! We always have so much fun visiting Grandpa and Grandma Ury's house!

2009-04-25T21:22:00.004-05:00

We went to a fair this evening. Oh, to be 4 again! Reed had so much fun. We were surprised he wanted to ride everything! He had his first roller coaster ride, flying helicopters, twirling bears and bumper cars. We had a blast just watching him have so much fun.

Clare enjoyed strolling and plenty of snacks. Clare Bear has yet to find her words. She does use quite a bit of sign language to communicate. She's such a princess- beautiful and demanding!

Reed is getting ready to be a ring bearer in a wedding this summer. Greg and Reed went to be measured for tuxedos today. I told Reed he had to wear a tuxedo-- a really nice suit to be in a wedding. He said, "But I thought I was going to wear a BEAR suit!" Imagine what he had in his head when I told him he was a ring BEARer! That's definitely one for the scrapbook. :)

2009-04-16T20:41:00.003-05:00

Reed learned to write his name today!! He can draw a circle and lines and scribble, but that is the extent of his artistic ability. As I walked into his classroom to pick him up, his teacher was asking him to write his name on his paper. He was whining about it saying he doesn't know how, etc.... She told him to just try. That's how all the kids learn to write their name. He was still fussing about it and gave it a half-hearted attempt. What do you know!? He drew an 'e'! When he realized he'd made an 'e'-- I wish I'd had my camera there to see his face! He was beaming! Smiling from ear to ear. He made a 'd' and then an 'R'. He was SO proud! (Mommy was too!!)

He practiced some more at home tonight. I know I'm biased, but he did really well!!

Seriously-- from scribbles to coherant in no time flat! We went to the mall for dinner to celebrate his achievement.

Tucking him in bed, he said tomorrow he's going to make more letters and I can clap for him some more. :)

2009-04-07T21:15:00.003-05:00

I took Clare to a chiropractor today. Really more of a "wellness" kind of visit. The doctor comes HIGHLY recommended by a good friend and as much sickness as Clare has had.... I figured what can it hurt? Clare has had a sinus infection for 9 weeks now. She had 2 rounds of antibiotics in March and now our ENT put her on 3 weeks of antibiotics.... so I am looking for a new answer!

It was actually really AMAZING. I am so glad I took her in. I really know very little about holistic medicine and I went in very leary, but open minded. My prayer was that I would get some answers on Clare's food allergies (like 'what is she allergic to?') and is there anything we can do to help her sinuses apart from more medicine.

For starters, Clare loved the doctor and assistants. Clare doesn't like anyone! Especially anyone who wants to touch her! But she even sat on the doctor's lap with no coaxing.

Dr. Moore felt all around Clare as she talked to her and made "adjustments" as she found things out of place. She only used her hand and light pressure and Clare was totally fine with it all. She said Clare's back and neck were out in the places that deal with digestion and sinuses. And her hips were out of place. (I knew this would all be the case.) Hopefully the adjustment will help her feel better.

Basically, her theory is that Clare has so many bad things in her body (wrong foods, enviornmental pollutions) that it backs everything up and when the sinuses fill there is no where for them to drain, so they stay congested. So onto food allergies....

The doctor did 'muscle testing' on Clare (through me). A bit odd if you've never experienced it. She asked me to hold my arm straight out and keep it there while she applied pressure. She said aloud all the different foods Clare eats. If Clare does fine with it, my arm stayed up. If Clare's body has a problem with that food my arm would drop. Fascinating! It was really bizarre, except that she was right on with every single thing she said. There were several things the pediatrician had recommended for Clare that I've been feeding her, but was unsure how Clare was digesting it. (If only she could talk!)

She also said Clare has a virus and a yeast infection. Which I would definitely agree with. So she gave us some Vitamin C caplets. And I'm supposed to rub Vicks Baby Rub on her chest every chance I get. (and put it on the bottom of her feet at night.)

The oddest treatment to me is this-- Soak some garlic in olive oil, dip a cotton ball in it and put it in Clare's ears with a warm compress over it every night. (We didn't get to this tonight.)

So I left her office with a list of "No" foods and "Yes" foods. I've been wanting that list for 18 months! So between the new diet, Vitamin C, and probiotic- Dr. Moore thought Clare would be a new girl by Friday.

So far Clare is not interested in drinking half and half (apparently the only milk product she CAN process) and she runs when I get out the Vicks rub, but I'm giving it my best shot for the next 2 weeks until we go back for a recheck. Pray we'd see some good results!!!

Here is Clare signing "Mommy"!!

2009-03-25T15:48:00.003-05:00

Clare turned 18 months old yesterday. She looked so big sitting here at Grandma's little table. Her feet didn't even touch the floor, but she was so proud of herself!

And here are a couple photos from Sophie's birthday party last weekend. Reed took a turn at their driving video game. (I don't recommend riding with him any time soon.) But we had a lot of fun!!

2009-03-12T11:57:00.002-05:00

Nothing to report except that Clare is sick again. The weather changed and she has a horrible cold all over again. She still has a cough from the last sinus infection, so we did not make it to our weekly activities as hoped for. :(

2009-03-08T22:22:00.003-05:00

Christy wants a blog update, so here it is! Reed's cold is better and Clare's sinus infection and weird rash are better, so we are looking forward to making it to our weekly activities this week!
We took the kids to ride the carosel. It was Clare's first ride and she loved it. She barely held on and kept petting her horse happily. Reed likes to push her in the stroller, but watch out! He's an unlicensed driver for sure!

2009-03-04T21:20:00.003-06:00

I was home with two sick kids today. Clare is getting over a sinus infection and has apparently contracted poison ivy somehow! We have no idea how that could have happened. She's had no contact with grass or weeds or animals in weeks. But she has a rash all over one leg that spread very quickly. The good news is that it has been contained to one leg thus far.

Reed has a bad cold and laid around most of the day. He is not happy about missing preschool tomorrow, but I think he'll need to be home a couple more days.

We got out our train tent and discovered Clare is terrified of being inside the tent. So it was a great way to separate the kids! At lunch time, Clare and I were finished before Reed. I left the kitchen for a moment and then heard Clare screaming. I ran in to find her stuck under Reed's chair. Here he is telling me he has no idea how she got under there!

Clare loves to take things out and put things in... anything. Today she took all her snacks out of her snack cup and put them in a bowl and came to sit at my feet and eat her snacks while I cooked.

2009-03-02T22:38:00.005-06:00

A few more pictures because my Grandma said she checks every day!!

We had Jake over to play one night and Reed had a blast. I'm sure Jake was happy when Reed went to bed. Normally Reed wants to play by himself, but he just followed Jake like a shadow all night! They had a picnic for dinner in front of the CARS movie.

And look- Clare is getting hair! Maybe she'll have enough for a ponytail by her 2nd birthday.... maybe....

Still no words from Clare. She's so quiet! She does love to read books. We spend hours reading every day. And she loves rolling balls back and forth and playing basketball. I finally moved Reed's hoop down because Clare would stand at the base with the ball until someone picked her up so she could make a basket. She was SO excited she can do it all by herself now!

2009-03-01T16:05:00.003-06:00

Ok- I'm alive, really! Just nothing exciting going on. Clare's had a cold/ sinus infection for a couple weeks now and we all have some underlying crud going around. Greg's working long hours. And Reed is busy with preschool and being 4 years old.

Here are a couple pics from Reed's Valentine party at school. Better late than never?

2009-02-08T15:19:00.005-06:00

We celebrated Reed's birthday this week with both a family party and a friend party. Reed wanted a dinosaur party. He had great fun all week long. We're enjoying Grandpa and Grandma Ury being here with us this week. And our little boy is now 4 years old! I love the picture here of Reed with his friend Chloe!

2009-02-01T22:31:00.003-06:00

We had fun at our LifeGroup Superbowl party tonight. Reed had plenty of friends to play with and Clare stuck tight to Daddy.

Miss Clare has a new love- her hairbrush. She took it from me and held onto it for hours. She kept trying to brush her hair, even after I put her hood up on her coat. She carried it with her all the way to the library and back. Silly girl can't wait to have hair!

And here are a couple pics I got of our ice day this past week. Not too much, but enough to halt life for over a day!

2009-01-23T13:50:00.011-06:00

Clare had her ear tubes put in this morning. We checked in and they took us back to Pre-op. We put her in a little gown and they gave her some medicine. It just zoned her out. The anestesiologist came to get her. (He's a friend of my dad's- as is our ENT. They're both Christian men, which made it a little easier for me too.)

He wrapped her up in a warm blanket and carried her away. She just stared at him, but didn't mind a bit. (so she must've been drugged!)

We went back to the waiting room and a long 18 minutes later, a lady took us to a consult room to wait for the ENT. He said everything went great. Clare's ears were mildly infected and she had lots of fluid. So he cleaned them out and put in tubes. He took us to recovery and we could hear her crying and so we knew exactly where she was. I rocked her and she quickly fell asleep on me for about 10 minutes. They gave her some juice when she woke up and she was already giving the nurse the evil eye- so we knew she was fine. :) (If you've met Clare, you've gotten that look too!) Then we were released to go home.

Clare took a nap on Aunt Sara for about 30 minutes and then ate some breakfast. As you can see... she was still a bit 'out of it'. Her main side effect really is her balance. Her physical therapist had said Clare may have to learn to walk again once all that fluid was out of her ears. She is VERY wobbly on her feet today. But I'm sure she'll regain her balance soon.

2009-01-22T16:38:00.002-06:00

Our sweet, precious Clare Bear is having surgery tomorrow- ear tubes. We're praying this will bring an end to her non-stop ear infections for the past 4 months. Today she's come down with a nasty cold. This morning all she wanted to do was sit in my lap with her head down. Poor girlie!

On Monday the ENT said her ears were still infected, but instead of putting her on another antibiotic, we needed to do tubes asap. But her ears have been getting worse all week, so today he called in an antibiotic for her as well.

We're praying that she'll be well enough for the procedure tomorrow and that it would bring her much-needed relief!

In closing, here's a little Clare fact: Clare LOVES shoes. Shoes and burp clothes are probably her very favorite possessions. Her own shoes are her favorite, but she is often found wandering the house with other people's shoes in tow. When she gets up in the mornings she brings me her shoes. Or she sits down and tries to put her shoes on herself. The other day Clare and I went to get Reed and she had wear one pair of shoes and carry another. When we got to his school she sat down and took her shoes off and tried to put on the extra pair. I had to switch them out before she'd move on! I am so NOT a shoe person, I'm quite shocked at her obsession. But if she wants to talk purses..... I'm on board!

2009-01-18T22:24:00.002-06:00

Our big news for the weekend is that Reed's elbow came out of socket. Apparently this is quite common. And unfortunately, after it happens once, it is more likely to happen again. Like I needed one more thing to worry about! But fortunately, after a quick trip to Pediatric Afterhours, he was better than new! (Because his arm was fixed AND he got a new Thomas & Friends train.)

But I did feel like a true Mother of a Boy after the whole experience! Thank God it didn't involve blood!

2009-01-14T20:42:00.009-06:00

Tuesday was Pajama Day at Reed's school. Instead of playing outside, they had movie time and popcorn- which was the highlight of Reed's day.

Reed put his tools from Papa to work today. Apparently Clare's chair needed some work.

Clare isn't feeling great this week. It may be her ears, her antibiotic, her 5 incoming teeth, growing pains... who knows! She did officially graduate from physical therapy with Early Childhood Intervention since she reached her goal of walking. Now she's going to start speech therapy. She's not speaking yet, but she's always been very quiet. Maybe it's the fluid in her ears. I guess we'll see soon!

But what she doesn't say in words, she more than makes up for with her facial expressions!

2009-01-07T13:22:00.004-06:00

Reed is all about reading right now. He wants to read, read, read. He is a sight-reader (as opposed to sounding it out). I am constantly amazed at words that he knows. For instance- he read me an entire book today with words like "everywhere" and "imagination", but he is continually stumped on "is" and "in". (Here Reed had finished putting all these little puzzles together that he got for Christmas- each one spells out a word when you put it together.)

Clare is all about walking. If she falls down, she gets right back up and keeps going. She refuses to crawl anymore, despite Reed trying to get her to have crawling races like they used to do. She also likes to carry things around. HEAVY things. Her friend Mason is doing the same thing, so maybe it's a 15 month old thing? (Clare is playing with Mason's vacuum here.)

I took Clare to see an ENT yesterday. Since she has had fluid in her ears since mid-October an continual ear infections, we assume she may need tubes to clear it up. The ENT found that she currently has both ears infected. He's not sure if her infection has ever really cleared up. So we're trying a new medicine and we go back in 10 days to check. If it DOES clear up and then she gets another infection, we'll see about tubes. But if it's just a nasty infection that is resistant to the meds she's been on, she may be fine after we finally get rid of it. We'll see....

2008-12-30T16:27:00.004-06:00

We had a fun-filled week in Nebraska over Christmas. Despite a roaming stomach bug and sub-zero temperatures, the kids had a BLAST! Grandpa and Grandma took us to the Omaha Children's Museum one day to see a dinosaur exhibit. They dinosaurs were big animatronic dinosaurs that moved and roared. Reed loved them! The Tyrannosaurus Rex was a bit intimidating, but Papa carried Reed and up to it and that ended up being the highlight for our boy.

The kids were completely spoiled for Christmas. I suppose we all were. But it was all very nice and best of all- the kids had their first Christmas with Grandpa and Grandma Ury and Great Grandpa Boberg. I got lots of fun pictures that will be good memories for years to come.

2008-12-19T21:36:00.003-06:00

Meridith, my sister in law, took these pictures of the kids last weekend. The kids were surprisingly cooperative and she got some really fun shots!

I took Clare to the doctor today for her 2nd round of shots for her ears. Fortunately, the doctor said her ears looked better than yesterday. We go back again tomorrow for the last round of shots. Poor Princess.

2008-12-18T16:15:00.002-06:00

I love Christmas Parties! Little kid Christmas parties are even more fun as an adult. I went to Reed's class party this morning and we had so much fun. Each kid decorated a little graham cracker house.... or more specifically.... enjoyed sneaking candy while attempting to stick it to their little house with icing. Reed, aka: "Mr.-I-don't-like-anything-sticky-on-my-hands" hired me as his contract artist, telling me exactly where to put each thing without actually getting anything on his hands. But give the boy a frosted cupcake and watch out!!

Then I took Clare back to the doctor for her ears and they are both infected again. How frustrating! So she started a round of shots- basically a super-antibiotic given 3 days in a row. This is our last attempt to clear up those ears before we fly over the holiday. Please pray for her sweet ears to drain and open up!!

Last night we had our good friends over for pizza. Reed and Chloe are a year apart and Clare and Lilly are a year apart. Clare was amazed at Lilly. She insisted on standing over her and keeping tabs on her all night. It was the very first time Clare has looked big to me. I'm used to her looking so small next to Reed. But look how big she seems next to a baby!!

2008-12-16T14:38:00.006-06:00

We opted not to put up our big tree this year, since all we'd be doing is keeping Clare from pulling it over. We let Reed decorate a little tree with all his decorations. He loves it.

Today is an ice day for us. Schools were closed here including Reed's preschool. It's been snowing lightly off and on as well. Not much, but it's prettier than the black ice. Greg had to use Reed's sandbox sand to coat the driveway enough to get out this morning. Here's a photo of Reed's sandbox with about as much snow as we have gotten thus far. I'm still trying to convince Reed there is not enough to make a snowball.

Clare is walking all over the place. Yeah!! She's so sweet. Here she is in her winter coat- a great thrift store find!! And here's Reed at the Frisco Heritage Museum. He was quite disappointed there were not trains to play with, but we thought this mural was pretty cool anyways.

And I took advantage of Greg being home awhile this morning to finish up Reed's teacher's presents. I got them hot chocolate, which didn't feel like much, but hopefully the packaging will count for something! I stamped the gift sacks and decorated the cocoa and bags with Stampin Up! Christmas decorations.

2008-12-12T16:34:00.003-06:00

Miss Clare is walking!! She's so cute and wobbly. :) Reed's so proud of her too.

That's our only big news. The other news is we're all sick. Greg, Reed and Clare had colds last week and now it's my turn. I'm completely stuffed up and miserable. If only I could breathe!! And Clare's ears are still bothering her. She just finished her 4th round of antibiotics and we go back on Monday to see if they're clear. If not, she needs a round of shots to hopefully take care of it once and for all!

I am missing Christy, Stas and Kai. We had a great time having them in town. Very much fun!

2008-12-02T07:04:00.004-06:00

Can anyone guess what my New Year's resolution will be?? (update blog more often....)

Reed had a Thanksgiving Feast at preschool. The kids went up on stage to sing a couple songs. (This was hysterical. There was not a peep from the stage-shy kids, but their music teacher sure is enthusiastic!) And Clare Bear is taking her first tiny steps. She has great balance, but just hasn't quite figured out how to move those feet all on her own power yet. And Grandpa and Grammy Davidson came for Thanksgiving. It was fun to see them, even though Papa got the stomach flu!!

2008-11-16T20:35:00.005-06:00

Ok- so I'm a slacker when it comes to updating my blog. I promise I have been swamped! Between trips to take Clare to the doctor for the unending ear infection, wiping noses, working for my dad, and spending as much time as possible with Christy and Kai- blog updates were not so high on the to do list.

Reed has been in heaven having Kai living in our neighborhood the last couple weeks. They're renting a house just a few streets from us. I surprised Reed this week by bringing Kai with me to pick him up from school. The teacher guessed it was Kai right away. She said Reed had been talking about Kai all day. (When asked what he was thankful for, Reed said his friends Kai and Matthew.)

Yesterday we went to DFW airport to Welcome the Troops home. This was the 3rd time we'd participated and it just never gets old. It's always an honor and a privilege to give our soilders a hero's welcome home. They are only coming home for 2 weeks of R&R, and then they turn around and go back to Iraq or Afghanistan. It seems like the very least we could do. We went with our lifegroup and my dad came too. Even Clare joined in the fun, waving from atop Grandpa's shoulders!

And if you're on Facebook, find me. It is more frequently updated than my blog these days....

2008-11-01T21:38:00.005-05:00

Our little train conductor had a very fun Halloween. Our little ladybug wasn't so happy. She just didn't like her costume for some reason. My parents came over and my mom and I took Reed trick or treating on our street. Then Greg and I took him to the fire station on the corner- an annual tradition. Reed was the only kid at the firestation at the time and he got to sit up on the firetruck in the middle of all the firefighters. The only sad part is that it was so dark that even with a flash and brightening up the picture as much as I could, this is the best it got.

Yesterday we also went to storytime at the library. All the kids came in costume. We stopped by the old Frisco steam engine to get the conductor with his train.

And here's a pic of Reed's class after the costume parade.

2008-10-30T06:52:00.004-05:00

I've gotten very slow on blogging. I'd say check back later because Reed has a parade at school today, but at the rate I'm going it will be next week before I get it posted!

Last week I took the kids to the Frisco Fire Safety Town Annual Trick or Treat Night. Reed had A BLAST! We had such a wonderful time. This year Reed is.....hold onto your hats..... a train conductor! (Surprised?) Clare is a ladybug.

When we got there I started to put Clare is her stroller and Reed yelled, "You can't put a ladybug in a stroller! That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen!" (Yes, he uses the word ridiculous in normal conversation. He also says to me, "Mommy, I'm going to tell you a joke now and you're going to think it's hilairous!")

Anyways- it's really a kid-sized Frisco with kid-sized buildings sponsored by businesses all over town. They were there to pass out candy to the kids. Last year there were over 8000 people there and we never made it inside. This year I took the kids early and we got in fairly quickly. Here are some pictures for you!

Check back later for Reed's costume parade at preschool! (I didn't say how much later.....)

2008-10-22T14:24:00.003-05:00

I had a wonderful trip to Iowa. 5 full days without my husband or children. It was a nice break from kiddos, but I sure missed my family! I took Clare to the doctor on Monday and both of her ears are infected and she's all stuffy, but still pretty happy. Now she has a terrible diaper rash too, but still manages to be perky. She started saying Mama today!! Oh what sweet words to hear in her little girly voice.

Here are a few pics from my trip:

2008-10-14T21:35:00.002-05:00

We had our annual trip to the pumpkin patch last weekend. Reed had a blast- as always. He ran through the hay bale maze about twenty times, pulled the wagon all around, picked out a ton of pumpkins and then was mad when we told him we were not taking them all home.

This was the first year we went with no intention of taking a family picture- but someone offered, took one shot- and what do you know? Everyone is looking at the camera! Go figure!

I leave tomorrow to visit my grandparents in Iowa. Greg will be hanging out with the kids for 5 days. Good thing he's a praying man! :)

2008-10-11T07:49:00.002-05:00

It's been a full week again. Clare got a stomach virus for a couple days. Reed is trying to give up naps and Clare is trying to quit her morning nap. (They will not win this fight.)

Reed is loving preschool. Music and Spanish are his favorite things. His teacher said he has "Excellent, excellent recall when it comes to Spanish words, songs, stories, etc....." He goes on and on about all the things he did each day. He's having lots of fun.

Clare is still growing. She is so happy. She just laughs and giggles and smiles with her whole face. (Unless Mommy's trying to make her nap.)

Greg and I are completely exhausted about 90% of the time, but when we see Reed and Clare having crawling races, playing together, laughing..... it's the best kind of exhaustion. We've got the sweetest kids in the world. :)

2008-10-03T16:26:00.002-05:00

I've had a cold all week along with a side of grumpiness. How miserable! At least I'm the only one sick..... so far. I get all the sympathy. (Not that children give much of that.)

We're trying to stay busy and make it through the week. Today we went to the library and enjoyed the pretty weather. Cute Clare even got to wear one of her new birthday outfits from Aunt Meridith and cute new shoes from Aunt Christy. She was quite the hit everywhere we went. Not to mention her big blue-eyed brother that can charm the socks off anyone...

2008-09-28T21:33:00.002-05:00

We had a lot of fun at Clare's birthday party this weekend. Poor girl was overly tired because she wouldn't take her normal morning nap beforehand, but she toughed it out!

I had fun using ideas I'd been saving for ages. Her theme was oranges and daisies. I made her invitations, cute little favor bags, miniature candied apples, cupcakes....even windsocks to hang out front. I had lots of fun getting it all together. And I think everyone had a good time!

2008-09-24T20:56:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to Clare!

Our baby girl is officially 1 year old today. She had quite an eventful day. Grandpa and Grandma Ury are here to celebrate with us. We all went to the library first. Not her favorite activity- see photo.

We met Daddy for lunch at California Pizza Kitchen.

We went to Spring Creek BBQ for dinner with my mom too.

Then home to open a few presents and have some cake.

The birthday girl had a wonderful day and enjoyed everything except the fact that Mommy is no longer feeding her. She must settle for sippy cups of soy milk now. But within a few days, she'll be used to that too.

2008-09-20T21:27:00.004-05:00

Tonight we went to our friend Mason's birthday party! (And celebrated a little early for Clare too.) These two cuties had their first bites of cake and presents. I could go on, but really only pictures will do it justice!

2008-09-15T13:46:00.004-05:00

We are members of Bent Tree Bible Fellowship in Carrollton, TX. It is an amazing church and we are SO blessed to have it! We have just finished a building project and the new facilities are incredible. I got a couple pics of the kids area this Sunday. Their big group room is painted to be like Jerusalem in Jesus' time. Reed came home with a big shield this Sunday after learning about David and Goliath. (His favorite Bible story.) You can see more of our church at http://www.btbf.org/.

Even Clare likes her class at church. That is the hugest praise for me! Here's our little cutie today. We had a cool front come through and we're getting a taste of Fall. She doesn't know what to think of long sleeves. She tries to "eat" them off. :) And she's so skinny that she keeps crawling right out of her pants. Poor girl! Size 12 months doesn't come with a belt!

2008-09-14T20:23:00.002-05:00

Clare has been on the move this weekend. She's starting to crawl up on her hands and knees instead of just an army crawl. And she's getting better at pulling up on things. We are working on 'cruising'. (Walking along the furniture while holding on) Once she pulls up on the couch, we put toys out for her to reach for. I've maybe seen 2 or 3 little steps so far, but she's getting close! She generally just reaches for it until she falls over. :) Eventually she'll learn how to move her feet and then she'll be on the go!

Here are some more of Reed's preschool pics. Nothing great, but you get the idea.

2008-09-10T07:28:00.002-05:00

Miss Clare has been sick since last Friday. I took her to the doctor on Monday and she has ear infections in both ears. She's gotten three new teeth in the last week. But she seemed to be feeling better yesterday.

Greg's got a bad cold now. And this morning Reed has a little stuffy nose.

Can we say, "HANDWASHING", anyone?

I'm not looking forward to cold and flu season. It's going to be a loooooong winter!

2008-09-09T15:17:00.002-05:00

Today was Reed's 1st day of preschool! I missed him so much, but he was beyond ready to go. He helped me pack his lunch this morning and said he was most excited about eating lunch at preschool.

He went right in and found the trains. Hardly a goodbye to me! I stood at the window with all the other moms peering in to see how our child did, but not even a glance back. He disappeared behind a shelf where all the cars and trains were.

It's been raining all day and it was absolutely pouring when Clare and I went to pick him up. He was not ready to go yet. He wanted to show me some of the toys he'd been playing with.

Reed's favorite part of the day was music class. (Typical Reed.) He was disappointed they didn't go to the playground because of the rain. That's about all the info he has given me so far. It usually takes a few hours until he's ready to dish! :)

2008-09-03T20:35:00.002-05:00

There hasn't been too much to write about. Fall is in full swing around here.

Clare's physical therapy is going well. She is pulling up on everything and has become a speedy little army crawler. Every day I think she's fast and the next day she gets even faster. She is still doing the splits all the time, but so far that is not hindering her hip muscles from strengthening as they should.

We went to the Wiggly Play Center on Labor Day. Reed had a blast jumping, sliding and climbing. Clare had fun too, but was mostly fascinated by trying to remove the tag they had put around her ankle.

Tomorrow we go meet Reed's preschool teacher and he starts next week. Stay posted for that news!!

2008-08-28T07:30:00.005-05:00

We've been very busy lately with appointments, car problems, playdates, errands and work. Clare has started therapy and it's going beautifully. She has been attempting to pull up on things now and it's helping when we put her legs under her correctly instead of having them bent awkwardly. The last two days she's gotten up all by herself. Yeah!

Reed has been playing trains and dinosaurs mainly. Not together, of course. He does not mix toys. He is quite catagorical. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree around here. :)

I started going to the mom's Bible Study at Prestonwood again. I went there last semester and Reed had such a wonderful time in their kid's program that I wanted to do it again. We don't go to that church, but it is a wonderful resource open to anyone. Even Miss Clare stayed in her class for the whole two hours. Shocking!!

It's going to be a great study for me too. Very much needed. Being a wife and a mom is amazing. Working part time on top of that is a great opportunity. But finding a moment for myself- much less time to spend reading and studying the Bible? Practically impossible it seems most days. So I am greatly looking forward to getting into this study of Hebrews 11 and Genesis- studying the great faith of people used by God to do great things despite their inadequacies.

2008-08-21T07:18:00.003-05:00

The rain has kept us home so far this week. Reed's been staying busy playing cars and Bob the Builder friends. He's been reading too. He's starting to actually read as opposed to memorize the books. (Thanks to new books from the library that he's never read before.)

No news to report-- just some pictures of the kiddos.

2008-08-18T13:58:00.001-05:00

Clare had her physical evaluation from Early Childhood Intervention this morning. Basically we were checking on her hips and legs to see if everything was 'normal'. She is army crawling around pretty good, but doesn't like to stand and isn't pulling up on anything to try to stand.

The results were about what I expected. They said by now (11 months) she should be bearing more weight on her legs and shifting her weight from one leg to the other and bending her knees. She should be pulling up in her crib or the couch. She has great posture when she sits, which is a sign that her hips are ok because she's strong enough to sit up straight for a long time. But she's only bearing weight on one leg when she stands. We'll work on that.

When she crawls, she swings her hips out to do the splits and then sits up. (See photo) We need to teach her to tuck her legs up under herself instead. That's our first step and should be the foundation to help strengthen her legs and that will lead to all the other things. Now's the perfect time to do this- before she has to be totally retrained in how to sit/get up.

So they'll be coming out once a week to help teach me things to do with Clare to help her build strength.

I'm just thrilled this program is available and she qualifies and now is the perfect time to do it, etc... What a blessing!

2008-08-17T21:10:00.003-05:00

It's been a very long weekend. The kids have been waking up super early (5:30 am- early) and we've been staying up too late to watch the Olympics. So we're all a little cranky!

Clare is becoming a speedier crawler much to Reed's dismay. He is having a difficult time learning to share and he has no idea it's only going to get worse!

A friend is loaning us their jumparoo-- it's quite a contraption! We thought it would help Clare learn to stand and strengthen her legs. So far she is not a fan, but we'll see.

She is also not a fan of macaroni and beef apparently!

2008-08-11T22:19:00.005-05:00

Reed has been having the best summer of his life! His first popsicle, first brain freeze, first sandbox, first slushy, first zoo, and now... first circus. Aunt Andra invited us to enjoy The Greatest Show on Earth from her company's luxury box. Greg and Reed went while Clare and I stayed home. (She's still sick.) Reed was wide-eyed through the whole circus. Grandma said he barely blinked! His favorite things were the elephants and the clowns. He was a "tiny bit scared of the tigers", but found safety in Daddy's lap. Popcorn quickly distracted his fears and the little man had so much fun, he fell asleep in the car on the way home. As consolation, Clare and I did get some cotton candy and a hat which we split appropriately. :)

Now Clare's practicing for the trapeze act....

2008-08-09T20:47:00.003-05:00

It's been a full week in the Davidson house. We enjoyed Julie's visit! Reed and Grandma played like crazy- endlessly! (So Mommy got a lot of work done too!) While they were playing basketball in Reed's room, I found Clare trying to crawl down the hall to go join them. Everytime she heard them cheering, she sat up and clapped. :) So cute and so sad! So I took her in and she played with them too.

Clare came down with CROUP this week! It came out of the blue. One day she was fine, the next day she sounded like a seal barking. Now we've all had a touch of a sore throat or cough. But it really only effects infants. It should only last about three days- today being the last day. Hopefully she'll wake up all better tomorrow.

2008-08-05T21:51:00.002-05:00

We are so happy to have Grandma Ury visiting us this week. Reed sat at the window all morning even though he knew we were going to the airport to pick her up! (Just in case she decided to drive?) The kids have been having a blast with Grandma this afternoon and tonight. Tomorrow will be another fun-filled day too!

2008-08-03T21:35:00.003-05:00

Here are some pictures of our flexible little one. Clare loves to sit this way with her legs turned under. (As an adult- this hurts- I don't recommend trying.)

She tries to crawl with her legs out this way. (Which is why she's still army-crawling.)

And she's babbling more and more these days, but no "Mama" in sight yet. And a favorite activity is emptying out her toy basket over and over again. She was so proud of the mess she made!

We went to play at a mall today and Reed had fun driving this ambulance. And Reed's learning about brain freeze this summer as we eat anything cold we can to keep cool in this awful heat. I believe it was about 108 today-- actual tempurature. Ugh!!

2008-07-30T15:07:00.003-05:00

The kids and I went to DBU for lunch with Sara today. We hadn't been out there in quite awhile, so it was a fun treat to see Sara and her roomie, Trish. They fed me a yummy lunch and Reed and Clare had a blast.

Reed renamed their fish. He thought Buddy was a silly name for a fish and that it should be "Nemo" instead. (I think this is the only fish he knows.)

Reed told me all the way home that he had so much fun at Sara's apartment! We'll have to go visit more often!

2008-07-28T17:07:00.005-05:00

Here are a few more pics from our vacation. Clare is the most flexible baby I've ever seen. I wonder if she's double jointed. She loves to do the splits and I often see her with one leg straight behind her and one leg straight in front of her. She could be a future Dallas Cowboy cheerleader if they change their wardrobe a little. :)

The Little Rock Zoo was really fun. We saw all kinds of monkeys, bears, elephants, giraffes, rhinos, tigers, zebras, lions, camels, birds.... Too bad the Dallas Zoo stinks. We'll have to go to the Omaha Zoo the next time we're in Nebraska.

2008-07-27T19:17:00.008-05:00

We just got back from a fun family vacation to Little Rock, AR. We met up with Greg's siblings, Greg's dad, spouses and nephews. We really had a fun time. We explored the Museum of Discovery and the Little Rock Zoo-- Reed's highlights. Aunt Kristi asked Reed what his favorite animal at the zoo was. His answer was, "the train!". Greg, Reed and Papa Davidson rode the kiddie train. Papa said it wasn't worth the $2, but Reed begs to differ.

Reed also rode a CAMEL. I was shocked... I'm still shocked. Greg and Aunt Andra were going to ride and Reed insisted that he get to ride too. They all had fun. It was so hot, but Clare was a trooper and hung in there longer than I expected.

The other highlight for Reed was the trolley in downtown Little Rock. We had the entire car to ourselves so Reed tried out just about every seat.

He keeps telling us, "I had so much fun in Arkansas!" It would be great if he stayed this easy to please. :)

2008-07-21T07:28:00.003-05:00

Clare is scooting around a little more these days. She is enjoying our furry house guest, Lucky.

We had fun last week with our friends Matthew and Mason too. The big brothers love their baby siblings. And I was thrilled Reed had someone else to play Candy Land with him!

Clare is currently making the long trek from the living room to the play room. It doesn't seem that far until you try to do it crawling army-style!

2008-07-17T15:36:00.002-05:00

Our girl is officially crawling as of today. Gone are the days of staying where I put her! I'm tired just thinking about all the chasing I'm going to be doing. Seriously. I don't know who is more proud of her crawling-- Clare or Reed. He encourages her and claps for her! (Until she aims herself at something of his, then it's "No, No, Clare.")

Reed has been a book maniac this summer. We read no less than 30 minutes a day- sometimes 90 minutes. Every week we've redeemed our reading list at Half Price Books for a $3 certificate that has turned into about a dozen free books so far. His reading list at the library earned him a free book and several coupons for fun treats around town.

2008-07-12T21:21:00.005-05:00

Where does the time go? This past week is a total blur and we didn't even do much. Gas prices are officially keeping us home more. Reed's favorite thing (after books) is games. We play Candy Land, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Game, and Chutes and Ladders ENDLESSLY.

My birthday was this week and my family took excellent care of me. Greg served me breakfast, my parents took me to lunch and both kids took a long nap. And today Greg watched the kids while I had friends over to scrapbook! My greatest present!

Here are some pics from our week:

2008-07-07T13:37:00.001-05:00

Clare is really growing right now. She's getting so long. She has 4 teeth now, but will not let me photograph her top teeth. She's still trying really hard to crawl. She just hasn't quite figured out how that works yet. It will be any day now though! She has learned a lovely high-pitched squeal that will raise the hairs on the back of your neck. :) I'm praying she outgrows that quickly as she learns to make other noises. No talking yet, but we can tell she's trying so hard to get it out.
Clare's greatest love (after her Daddy) is currently Gerber baby snacks. She is so happy to sit in her highchair and gnaw on a teething wheel for an hour. Lovely. :)
"I'm a Little Teapot" is her favorite song. If you recall, when Reed was a baby "Itsy Bitsy Spider" could magically make him stop crying at any time. Fail-Proof! Well, Clare's song is "I'm a Little Teapot". She can be screaming away and the second she hears the first line..... smiles. It's amazing.
If we're in the car and she's crying, Reed will sing it to her all the way home. She stops crying and smiles at him the whole time. I wish I could get that on video!

2008-07-05T11:28:00.004-05:00

We had a fun July 4th just hanging out at home and then going to my parent's house for a family get together. Lots of cute pictures!

2008-07-04T14:00:00.005-05:00

The jury is still out on who Clare looks like. Many people say she looks like Reed, but that's typically only from pictures. Once you spend time with the two of them in person, you tend to change your mind. Here is a photo of me and my dad when I was 11 months old. And here is a photo of Clare at about 8 1/2 months old. Greg thinks she looks like me and most people see my side of the family in her. But she is still changing daily! Her eyes may be hazel like my dad's. She still looks like my mother too. We can't tell what color hair she'll have yet. Her front teeth are coming in now and I think once her teeth are in she will look more like me. (Sorry you got my teeth, Clare!) Reed has Greg's perfectly straight teeth so far. Clare is going to have bigger front teeth like I do. But at least she doesn't go by "Becky" which is easily changed to "Bucky" like I did. :(

2008-07-01T15:32:00.004-05:00

Today the kids and I drove to Roanoke to see an old friend of mine and her sweet kids. Her daughter Claire is a little older than Reed and her baby boy is about two weeks younger than our Clare. We all had a great time. Here is Claire and Clare: We are starting to see more and more of our girl's personality as she's getting bigger. She is super laid back. (Thank God!) She's so quiet. Reed made noise all the time- grunting, spitting, blowing bubbles, laughing, then babbling, then talking.... he is ALWAYS making noise. Clare is silent. She laughs when you get her going. She likes to kind of spit and rev her tongue- but she can sit and be silent for an hour.

And she loves Noah. I mean she LOVES Noah. She sits with the ark and pulls out every animal one by one and tosses them aside until she finds Noah and then she eats him. Seriously- she won't eat the other animals. Only Noah. Come to think of it, even when I was pregnant she didn't like meat. She still doesn't like meat. So maybe she's really just a vegetarian. :)

2008-06-29T19:17:00.003-05:00

This weekend we painted Reed's room. He helped pick out the new colors- blue and red. We painted a chalkboard underneath his window, rearranged the furniture, and for the most amazing piece.... the train picture. We got the idea at Ikea to mount a train and track onto the wall for decor. Instead of making that many holes in the wall, we painted a piece of plywood green and glued the track and train onto it. Then Aunt Sara painted the landscaping. You have to see it in person to truly appreciate what an amazing job Sara did. It was so cool to watch her transform this green board into a masterpiece! She is incredible! It really is the coolest thing about Reed's new room.

Reed had fun yesterday out with Aunt Andra all day while we worked on his room. They went to Toys R Us, the park, lunch, a splash park and Andra's house. He slept GREAT last night!

Thank you Andra! Thank you Sara! Thank you to my wonderful husband that helped create and execute such a fun room for our fun boy. :) And to everyone else.... come visit us and see Reed's new room in person!

2008-06-24T21:46:00.003-05:00

Miss Clare is 9 months old now! Weighing in at 18 lbs. 5 oz, standing 28 3/4 inches tall, she's 100% cute. She's perfectly healthy and growing right on track. There was some concern from her doctor that she's not babbling or baby talking at all, so we are having her evaluated sometime in the next couple weeks hopefully. But really, we don't think this is a big issue- the doctor just thought it wouldn't hurt to have it checked out.

Tonight we went to the mall and Clare and I hung out while Reed rode the carosel and played. She's so laid back. Feet propped up. Watching everyone as they go by. We believe it's this laid back attitude that is also keeping her immobile for now. (No crawling or pulling up on things.) She's perfectly content to just sit for an hour or lay and play with a toy. It will be interesting to see how laid back she is later on.

When I was making dinner tonight she was laying on the floor and crying to be held. Suddenly she stopped, so I looked over and Reed was laying on the floor with her and he'd gotten out a favorite toy and they were playing together. It was the sweetest moment. He is such a sweet big brother to Clare. He sings to her, brings her toys, rubs her tummy, etc... Again, we'll see how sweet they are to each other when she starts wanting his toys! :)

2008-06-20T14:23:00.004-05:00

**First we want to give a BIG Praise God for Papa D's clean bill of health today!! Praise God!!**

Last Day of VBS

Reed took these little treat boxes to all of his teachers and helpers in his class today. (5 adult workers and 5 teen workers) He said his favorite part of VBS was snack time. :) Typical Reed- always eating!

One of his teachers told me that he just loves Bible story time and songs and he's always jumping up and down saying, "Again!" Also typical Reed.

Someone else must've taken his crafts today because we couldn't find his stuff anywhere, but he didn't really seem to care. Crafts are NOT his thing.

On the way home I asked him what his story was today and he said, "It was about God and Jesus."

"What did Jesus do?"

"He died on the cross."

"Why did Jesus die on the cross?'

"Because there were too many cars in the parking lot."

"Jesus died on the cross because there were too many cars in the parking lot??!!"

"Yes."

Oh what a 3 year old little brain can come up with! I imagine this was because he was so tired of walking all the way out to our car every day. I know he knows the right answer because he's talked about this before. So maybe he just wanted me to stop asking him so many questions. :)

2008-06-19T14:25:00.005-05:00

VBS Day 4

I'm trying to prepare Reed that he only has one day left of VBS. I think he would go every day for the entire summer as much as he has been loving it.

This morning it was pouring rain, but we managed to get there without too much fuss. The lobby was FILLED with bounce houses. (One of Reed's most favorite things.) He told his teacher right away that there were bounce houses downstairs, but she said they were not going there today. :( My boy was quite sad, but we assured him they had other fun things planned for the day.

Clare and I went to the mall to hang out with Shelly and Mason. It was great- I set Clare down and 10 minutes later she's still in the exact same spot. I'll enjoy that as long as it lasts! Then we walked around for an hour while the babies slept in their strollers. What a treat!!

Reed got to pet and feed the animals today. (Thankfully the rain ended.) He had to tell me his Bible verse as soon as I got there. "Jesus helps us be brave." (Something like that.... my memory is not as good as his!) He made this picture today and he put all the stickers on it and he got this beaker with some sort of sand in it. ??

The kids were cleaning up shaving cream when I got there. I'm not sure what they were doing, but many kids had shaving cream up to their elbows and it was all over the tables. Being a clean freak, I'm not sure why one would do this, but I gather they did it on purpose. :) Reed, taking after his mother, does not like to be dirty. Reed was washing his hands when I got there and I was so proud of him for participating! Then he told me the other kids were all dirty and he got a little on his finger. :) Still my boy!

2008-06-18T14:29:00.005-05:00

VBS- Day 3

Reed's still pumped about Vacation Bible School, but today there was a boy screaming his head off when Reed got there, so he was a little hesitant, but went in anyways. He made these silly glasses today and they talked about being thankful.

Yesterday Reed was telling me their Bible story was about 10 men and then just 1 man. ? He was very adamant about that- but I had no idea what that meant. I asked one of his teachers today and she said they talked about the ten lepers Jesus sent to the priests. As they went, they were healed, but out of the ten men, only one came back to thank Jesus for healing him. She was impressed Reed was listening. (He's ALWAYS listening!)

He knows his verse today is "Since I live, He also lives." I'm not sure where that verse is, but he knows it's talking about Jesus.

They also talked about their mission project for all of VBS. They are raising money for playgrounds for churches in Romania. He said on the way home, "Wouldn't you be sad if you had no playground to play on? YES! So they need playgrounds too." We'll have to think of a few ways Reed can earn some money around the house to take an offering to church by Friday.

He was playing Musical Chairs when I picked him up, so I took a couple pictures of that too. (Can you tell I scrapbook? Gotta have pictures!!)

2008-06-17T14:09:00.005-05:00

VBS Day 2

Reed couldn't wait to go back to VBS today. That was the fastest I've ever gotten him in the car!

Today his class got to ride in this little train. He said it was very fun. And he got to go to the playground and make slime. (That's what he's holding in the baggie that may 'mysteriously' disappear.) :)

He was much more talkative today about the songs he sang, games he played, and their Bible Story. (Although I need an interpreter to figure out what story they did today.) As always, he tells me all about who got in trouble for what too.... such the rule follower.

It STORMED like you would not believe right about the time they were getting out, so Clare and I went back early and hung out in the bookstore at the church until it was time to get Reed. Then we all waited for the rain to let up before heading to the car. What a mess! Super windy, power knocked out, trees down, etc... but at least it's nice and cool out now. And Reed said his favorite part of today was jumping in puddles on the way to the car. :)

2008-06-16T14:18:00.002-05:00

Vacation Bible School- Day 1

It was unbelievably hard to leave Reed today. Not because he didn't want to go- he just went right into his room and I had to ask him for a hug goodbye. It was so quiet in the car with just Clare! I went to the mall with my mom and I kept reaching down to take Reed's hand and he wasn't there. How sad will I be when he goes to preschool?!!

He had a lot of fun and said he was happy to go back tomorrow. Today he made this apron and headband. He couldn't tell me what the headband was for-- but he put it all on so I could get his picture.

2008-06-15T21:59:00.008-05:00

We had a very fun weekend. On Saturday we went to a train museum and had great time. Reed had so much fun.

Today we celebrated Greg for Father's Day. He got his favorite breakfast, Starbucks coffee, time away to read this afternoon, and time to watch the US Open. (Go Tiger!)

It's so hard to get a good family picture- but we managed to get one at church this morning.

Tonight we went to my parents' house for dessert to celebrate Father's Day with my dad.

Reed starts VBS tomorrow and he's very excited. I should have more time to get work done, so check back- I hope to have several updates this week with all the pictures I've gotten the last couple weeks!

2008-06-11T10:52:00.004-05:00

It's officially summer in Texas. No more cool days, just hot, hot, hot in the forecast. My children do not like the heat, and I'm afraid we're in for a brutal summer. Plus, with gas costs as high as they are, I need to figure out how to entertain my kids at home. We're so used to going out somewhere every day that I'm not very excited about staying home. But with kids this cute, surely we'll manage!

Jake came over to play last week. Reed was excited to have someone his own size to play with.

2008-06-06T09:58:00.004-05:00

We've had a busy week and then add Texas allergies and teething on top of that.... we are a tired bunch!

Miss Clare Kathryn continues to grow and explore new things. She's become a very good sitter and today she has been rolling continuously. (As opposed to rolling once, getting stuck, and crying until Mommy moves her back.) So that is happy news!

Reed's been busy playing trains, cars, dinosaurs, sandbox, and reading books. Aunt Christy thinks it would be nice to have a boy with a variety of interests, but I think it's just more expensive and more of a mess when he decides he's done with one activity and onto the next.

2008-06-01T21:13:00.003-05:00

There's nothing more fun than little girl dresses! Clare looked so cute going to church this morning.

Clare had her first meal in a highchair! (Kai's highchair to be exact.) She seemed to think it was quite fun. Certainly the messiest meal she's had thus far.

2008-05-31T21:20:00.004-05:00

Clare loves her new sun hat! She just lit up when we tried it on her. She loves sitting up and we're seeing a little more desire to scootch around. But for the most part, she stays put. That's perfectly fine with me! Once they start moving they never stop.

Reed had fun at Chase's birthday party today. It was at Pump It Up which has lots of huge inflatable slides, bounce houses, climbing walls, etc... He totally wore himself out as he ran, climbed, and slid at full speed.

2008-05-28T21:30:00.004-05:00

I haven't posted lately- we've been so busy! People often tell me I get more done before noon than some people do in a week- and I feel that today. This morning the kids were up by 6:30 and we were in the car by 8:30 and off to run errands. First stop- ATM machine. I roll down my window and "screech". The window is off its track and stuck halfway up and crooked. (We spent $350 this past weekend having a new motor for this very window put in my car.) So now our second stop is Goodyear. 90 minutes later we are leaving Goodyear. (Yes, that is an hour and a half waiting in Goodyear with my children.)

Then Chick Fil-A to play, Target, my mom's to pick up something for work, home, feed children and naptimes by 1:30. As soon as they're asleep, I work for my dad- which today lasted until 3:00 when they both woke up. (short nap day. sad.)

Then off to the library which we didn't get to this morning. Home to make dinner. Then back to work since Daddy's now home to play with kiddos! It's now nearly 10pm and I've printed 300 letters and now envelopes for my dad's monthly letter. It'll have to wait until tomorrow to be assembled because this Mommy is exhausted! And the kids will be up in about 8 hours!

2008-05-22T08:22:00.005-05:00

"You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand." Psalm 139: 13-18

Here are the kids at the exact same age-- a few days shy of eight months old. My mother keeps telling me to stop comparing the two, but it's too easy!! They are so different.

At 8 months Reed was 22 pounds, crawling, saying "DaDa", starting to pull up on things and eating finger foods.

At 8 months Clare is 17 pounds, learning to sit up, learning to roll to get what she wants and starting to like babyfood more.
Clare is just about on the same schedule as the rest of us now. The last two nights she's gone to bed at 8:30 and slept until 6:30-- we're hoping this is a new trend!

2008-05-21T14:45:00.006-05:00

Here are a couple more pictures my friend Natalee took at the Arboretum. She really captured Reed's spirit. I don't know exactly how-- but this picture makes me smile because it is so Reed. He is so inquisitive and unhindered about life. I know I worry too much-- but he has no fear, so that makes me worry for him! If he's playing in a tree house, he'd jump right out- having no fear of hitting the ground and breaking a bone. If he were standing next to a pool, he wouldn't think twice of walking right into the water. But I guess you're supposed to figure those things out when you're three.

Then here are a couple I took of the kids this week. Clare is growing like a weed right now! I noticed her toes stick out of her carrier for the first time. So I guess we'll be changing out her car seat soon. At least she lasted 8 months in the carrier. Reed only lasted 4!

2008-05-20T22:01:00.002-05:00

Today was a pretty normal day around here. Children up by 6:30 am, Greg out the door to work on time, outting to the local library, home for lunch, naps, etc.... I've been getting the hang of having two children, for the most part, but then about 5:00 pm hit and all of that fantasy was quickly disspelled!

To set the scene- Clare's two front teeth are coming in, and she is not a happy teether. And Reed has been doing awesome with potty training this week. No more pull-ups when we're at home, so that means "when you gotta go, you gotta go!"

Greg called as usual to say he was on his way home. Clare was getting fussy, so I put her in her chair to feed her dinner. She's getting to the point where she doesn't want to sit back in the chair, so I must stand right next to her since we put her chair on top of the table to feed her. Then Reed runs in to say he has to go potty. I asked if he could wait a minute, knowing full well that's a ridiculous question for a 3 year old. He said yes, but I knew better.

Let me skip ahead a little to say that come to find out- he had already gone some and now this mess was on my kitchen floor. I grabbed Clare and we ran to the bathroom with Reed. I briefly laid Clare on my king sized bed, and she quickly started rolling, so I picked her back up and put her in her crib- which really ticked her off!

So now I had a mess in the kitchen and bathroom, Reed needed new clothes and was now preoccupied with getting a reward for his 'deed', Clare was screaming and still only halfway through her dinner. UHHHH!!!

For anyone wondering when we're planning on Child #3- are you nuts???

2008-05-18T13:45:00.005-05:00

Clare will be eight months old this week and she is finally starting to sit by herself. We had friends over to play on Friday and I sat her down next to Mason and she just sat there- like "Oh- THAT's how you sit!" So we've been working on sitting up and making good progress the last couple of days.

Clare has also hit the separation anxiety phase. We had a sitter last night while Greg and I went to LifeGroup and Clare lasted about an hour before the sitter had to call us to come home.... which was longer than I expected her to last! Oh well- she loves her Mommy and Daddy. :)

2008-05-14T11:18:00.003-05:00

Reed had a blast staying with his Grandpa and Grandma while we took Clare to South Dakota and Iowa. He didn't miss us for a moment. He went to Schramm Park to see dinosaur bones and fish and lots of other animals. He helped pick out new trees and plant flowers. He went to a farm and saw donkeys, sheep, chickens and kitties. He got to stay up late and play lots of games. Clare enjoyed being an only child for a few days too. That may be her only shot at it!

I think I'm "done" with laundry-- at least laundry from our trip. A mom with two kids is never really "done" with laundry. Now I have to keep sorting through mail and start cleaning the house! Blah.... that's the hardest part about vacation for me-- the realization that I'm not on vacation anymore!

2008-05-13T07:43:00.008-05:00

We're back from a week's vacation through the midwest. Road Trip! We had such a great time. We drove to Omaha, dropped Reed off at his grandparents house, and took Clare to South Dakota and Iowa to meet her great grandparents and some of her great aunts and uncles. Then back to pick up Reed and drive home. (and a few adventures inbetween too) We got so many great pics!! I'll probably be adding more, but here are some to start.... Greg and I also celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary. Yeah!

2008-04-30T17:03:00.008-05:00

We enjoyed a beautiful Spring morning at the Dallas Arboretum yesterday. My friend Natalee invited us to join her and her two boys. Reed probably ran the equivilent of two miles as much as those three boys ran around. They had so much fun! Miss Clare was on her very best behavior and enjoyed the fresh air.

Natalee has a photography business and she blessed us with these beautiful shots of the kids. If you're interested in seeing more of her work or hiring her-- she's wonderful! Check out her blog at http://www.nataleeraymond.blogspot.com/. (Currently you'll see a photo of Reed at age 1 there too!)

2008-04-26T22:08:00.003-05:00

Have you gotten into "going GREEN"? I have to admit-- I have been bitten by the bug and I love it. I always thought that "going green" cost too much money- like buying organic food/clothing, buying more expensive light bulbs, paying for most insulation, etc... Even "environmentally friendly" cleaners I bought in the past clearly did not clean as well and my old ones.

Then our pastor, Pete Briscoe, did a sermon on God's view of "going green" and it really challenged my thinking. In a nutshell, God has entrusted the earth to us and it is our responsibility to take care of it.

Some easy things that I do every day are: Use reusable shopping bags (They are so great! And fit so much!), recycle everything I possibly can, print on both sides of paper, etc... Cleaners have come a long ways too- so we use those now. Frisco has wonderful recycling facilities. They make it easy to properly dispose of hazardous waste. Today was "Chunk Your Junk" day to bring everything to one location. We took a box of old batteries, an old printer, old cell phones, etc... to be recycled. I love that our recycle bin is always completely full and our trash bin usually isn't.

Now I will still never put Clare in reusable diapers..... but it makes me happy to be doing something and more importantly- teach Reed and Clare the value of "going green".

2008-04-26T11:00:00.014-05:00

I can hear Christy gagging all the way from Estonia... but I love having a babydoll to dress! Clare loves being dressed up too. Just look at her smiling! Yesterday was a big day for Clare. She turned 7 months this past week and she tried (and liked) peas and drank (and played) from her first sippy cup. She's getting to be quite tall.

Last night we went to Papa's birthday party. Here are the 5 stateside grandchildren. Papa actually got them all to look at the camera. (Look AND smile was too much to ask!)

Come back later for a GREEN update.

2008-04-23T21:03:00.002-05:00

Reed is so 3. And such a boy. Sometimes I just want to pull my hair out and other times I just beam at his sweet heart. Today for instance.... we took Clare back to the doctor for her yeast infection- which is actually no longer a yeast infection, but a 'skin irritation'. The doctor suggested I stop using the $57 bottle of butt cream I had to buy her on Monday and use Vaseline instead. Grr!

But back to Reed--- we took Clare to the doctor. He wanted to push the stroller and help entertain Clare while we waited for the doctor. Then we went to Chick-Fil-A to play. He had a blast and when I said it was time to go, he told the boy he'd been playing with- "I have to go now. Thank you for playing with me. I had so much fun. See you next time!" (I was beaming!)

Then to Target- which can often lead to a fit- but Reed held my hand, or pushed the stroller, stayed right by me and was an angel. Praise God!!

So I'm delighted with my angel boy and then when he gets up from naptime, he tells me he doesn't have to go potty. Then he goes into the playroom and pees all over my floor! Ugh!

What can I say? He's 3!!

2008-04-21T22:14:00.013-05:00

Praise God! It's finally done! The 'after' pics look strikingly like the 'before' pics, but with a couple important differences. The mold, black grout, caved in wall and gross base are gone and it's all pretty and new and beautiful!

The kids are still getting over colds. Miss Clare still has a horrible yeast infection. :( Hopefully some new medicine will help kick this and she can be back to her happy self soon.

Potty training seems to have stalled out currently. Perhaps with the workmen gone and life settling back down, Lord willing, we can get back to the progress we had made.

2008-04-18T20:28:00.005-05:00

Well, no "After" pictures of the shower yet. They'll be back on Monday to finish.... we think! But they got the entire shower wall tiled today and it looks very nice. They are doing a really good job, and at a very reasonable cost- so we are thankful for that!

Clare is making strides every day. Her latest feat is rolling from her back to her tummy. Now she's trying to figure out how to get back to her back and then she'll really be on a roll. :)

And we're working on sitting up still. She just isn't ready yet. (Bad sign that she's inherited her mother's balance issues.) I got her a bumbo chair at a resale shop that is helping her build up those muscles.

Lastly, I found another food that she actually tolerates....... sweet potatoes! (She DOES take after her mother!) I took her to the doctor yesterday for her cold and she's gained a pound in the last 3 weeks to weigh in at 16 1/2 pounds.

2008-04-17T21:05:00.009-05:00

It's been a busy week around here. We're in the middle of having our master bath shower redone and we're all sick. Just colds really-- but all four of us have it.

Our shower had a leak and the wall was starting to cave in, so we're having our shower redone. They're doing a great job- but it is taking forever! It's been a week already. Here's the before and during pictures. (I thought Mike would especially appreciate them.) I HOPE to post AFTER pictures tomorrow.... but it's not looking good for that yet.

2008-04-14T07:45:00.008-05:00

Greg's birthday was yesterday and we had a full day of fun! Presents, church, out for lunch, a nap for Daddy while both kids napped, and a trip to Andra's house for a delicious meal cooked by his mom! (Oh- and cake too!)

Greg is a Houston Astro's fan, so I tried my best to get the kids in their Astro's outfits for pictures as a present for Greg. Despite my pleeding, begging, jumping around, laughing, noise-making, mom-is-making-a-fool-of-herself tries-- I could not get a smile from either one of them. I decided to go ahead with the pictures though and figured Greg would see the irony of Astro's fans not being happy very often. :)

My sister sent Greg/Reed a golf set for his birthday. After finally convincing Reed they were golf clubs, not baseball bats, Reed and Greg had a lot of fun hitting the balls in the backyard.

2008-04-10T16:14:00.003-05:00

Clare is such a cute girl. :) I know I'm her mother- but seriously! Who disagrees with me? :)

Here she is sporting some new clothes that even Aunt Christy would approve of. (not pink)

And we may have finally found a food she likes-- apples. She ate about 1/2 a jar (teeny tiny jar) of apples today. Progress!

2008-04-08T15:06:00.004-05:00

Reed got a sandbox. A friend of mine gave it to us when her kids outgrew it. I wasn't sure how he'd take to it. He does NOT like to be dirty. But he jumped right in the sandbox at the farm last Saturday- and he dug right into his on Monday. His friend Matthew came to play and they both had fun.

He's also doing great with potty training! I'll spare the world the details- but we've made major progress. Yeah! We seem to have hit a big fit-throwing stage currently, but I hear that goes hand in hand with potty training. So we're trying to help him through this lovely stage as quickly as possible.

2008-04-05T21:39:00.009-05:00

We went to a petting zoo this morning at a farm in McKinney. It was so fun! There were sheep, goats, horses and pigs to feed, as well as smaller animals that the kids could sit and pet. Not to mention the little playground and sandbox that were a highlight for Reed. Even Clare seemed to enjoy meeting the sheep and goats. She was wide-eyed at seeing the animals for the first time. Very cute!

2008-04-01T15:00:00.004-05:00

After living in Texas for 28 years now, I should know all about tornado drills. Yesterday we had a real life tornado drill! By 3:00 pm it was quite dark outside and the news said there was rotation southwest of here. Both children were sleeping, so I called Greg and asked him at what point I should wake them up and go into our inner bathroom. Within the hour the rain started, a little bit of hail came and then the sirens started blaring. I had four people call within a three minute time span-- making sure I'd seen the news and was taking cover.

Reed thought it was super fun to sit in the bathtub with his afternoon snack and little dvd player! Clare didn't mind that I'd woken her up as long as I fed her. I have to admit I was scared to death! I've been through tornadoes on my own, but never with two babies to protect. I think it's time to get our safety kit together and make sure I have a better plan next time so that I'm a bit calmer under the circumstances.

Fortunately, the storm pretty much evaporated over Frisco and there was no real danger Some funnel clouds were seen in the area and north of here had pingpong ball sized hail- but not here.

Afterwards, I told Reed we could go into the living room. He said he was just fine watching his movie in the bathtub, so he hung out there for another 45 minutes until his movie was over. I'm glad he wasn't as scared as his mother!

2008-03-31T13:44:00.006-05:00

Miss Clare may skip sitting up and rolling over and go straight to crawling first. She's doing her best to scoot herself off her blanket. She gets her knees up under herself and pushes forward. Sitting up is still more wobbly than not, and she hasn't rolled over in a couple months. She just scoots around on her back mainly. She is beginning to eat a few more bites of rice cereal each time I try. I'm just ready for her to eat something other than me! :)

And I found a perfect shirt for Reed. I would have gotten one for Clare too, but it didn't come in her size....

Reed is in full-blown potty-training school now. (As are his parents!) It's truly exhausting, but less diapers to change- so very much worth the effort! He gets to pick a prize out of Mommy's Treasure Box everytime he goes. (Whatever works!!!!) Here are some of his prizes so far. Then I had to go to the $1 section at Target to stock up on cheaper prizes!

2008-03-29T18:02:00.007-05:00

Day Out With Thomas

Today we went to see Thomas the Train. Our friends joined us and Reed and Matthew got to ride Thomas with their daddies. Despite the fact that our outting ended in Reed crying, we think he had a good time. :) Reed enjoyed jumping in a bounce house, riding in this little train ride where the kids had to make their cars go by pedaling their hands, meeting the Conductor and riding Thomas.

2008-03-27T11:30:00.003-05:00

For my 200th post, I thought I'd give a little kid update for you.

Reed

Reed is all-energy. He never slows down. His favorite activity currently is watching his little dvd player inside the Thomas tent Christy sent him. Last night he had a date with Daddy. They had a picnic at the park and played on the playground. He must've had a blast because he's still talking about it today.

We've also discovered that crafts are just not his thing. In fact- he hates them. So sad for Mommy who LOVES crafts! But to each his own. His teacher at church yesterday told me that once again Reed didn't do any of the crafts the other kids did. She said she tried to explain to him what they were doing and he held up his hands and said, "I know! I know! Jesus is our Rock!" And he ran off to play. (They learned that 2 weeks ago.) :)

Clare

Clare turned 6 months old on Monday. She is 15 1/2 pounds and 26 inches long- both in the 50% for her age. It's so nice to have an averages-sized child after Reed who grew super fast!

Her first tooth has finally broken the skin and we can actually see what all the fuss is about. (Geez it's sharp!!)

She HATES rice cereal- you'd think I was trying to poison her! Her favorite pasttimes are blowing spit bubbles, sucking on her toes and watching Reed. Much to her parent's delight- she has started sleeping more on Reed's schedule. This week they've both been in bed by 9 pm and slept until at least 7 am. Yippee!! They're even napping at the same time on most days. That only took 6 months!

As for Greg and I- we are just delighting in our children. They are truly the joy of our life! (Even though we do treasure time away from them too!) The days may be long, but the years are short- so we try to make the most of the time we have with them.

2008-03-25T13:45:00.015-05:00

So Happy Easter a little late. Life has been crazy here the past week! I was in the ER with the stomach flu last Wednesday night/Thursday morning and home deathly ill for a couple days after that. Aunt Sara came to take care of me and the kids. Bless her!

Then Joey came for a visit over Easter and just left this morning. We had a fun time with her and she got a taste of life with two babies. :) She took a ton of pictures for me- so here are a few for you....

2008-03-19T21:07:00.010-05:00

Thomas the Train has come to our house. Aunt Christy sent this to Reed. Someone sent one to Kai and he loved it so much, she said that Reed just had to have one too. It is definitely a big hit- as well as quite large. :) I told Reed that Kai likes to sleep in his train. Reed just laughed and said that was silly. So he went to bed as usual.

Miss Clare has found her toes to be quite tasty. And she's apparently having sweet dreams here.

Yesterday Meridith came over with Tommy, Sophie and Jake. The boys had fun pushing each other around on the bike. Sophie and Clare are so cute toghether here. Today is also Miss Sophie's 7th birthday! Happy Birthday Sweetie!

2008-03-18T11:52:00.003-05:00

My sister-in-law Meridith has redone my banner for me. Isn't it great!?

This past week we had a lot of fun with Aunt Sara. She was home a few days during her spring break and we got to hang out every day. I loved having a "baby holder". :) Clare loved it too! And Reed always has fun playing and laughing with Sara too.

2008-03-15T12:29:00.005-05:00

Reed loves dinosaurs. Grandma sent Reed all of these and within 30 minutes he knew all of the names. Stegosaurus, Dimetrodon, Parasaurolophus, Tyrannosaurs Rex..... he knows all of them! So we've been checking out dinosaur books at the library and watching movies about dinosaurs.

Clare Bear slept in her crib again last night!! Yippee!! She's been sleeping upright in her chair since she has been congested. So we've been taking turns sleeping on the couch by her so we can keep turning the vibrate on when she would wake up. She slept from 11:30pm to 9:15 am this morning.

2008-03-12T15:46:00.004-05:00

We've been quite busy lately. Where does the time go? Clare has a sinus infection that is really just a cough, but the doctor said if it goes to her lungs, she'll get RSV again. So she's on antibiotics and they are hard on her tummy which leads to other issues.... but she's quite happy and smiley for all her issues. She had a growth spurt and she's suddenly quite long. I'm hurrying to put 3-6 month summer clothes on her when it's warm and 6-9 month winter clothes on her when it's chilly because she's going to outgrow them before she gets to wear them.

Today we went to Prestonwood for my Bible Study on Moses. I've never studied the Old Testament before and it has been fascinating. I am thoroughly enjoying learning so much. I think I'll have to watch the Charleton Heston Moses movie this Easter. (I've never seen it.) I think it's so interesting that the Israelites continued to question and complain about their plight even after God parted the Red Sea and freed them from slavery and sent manna from heaven. Day after day the Lord provided for their needs, yet they still doubted. How much are we like the Israelites ourselves?

I have a wonderful husband and two beautiful, healthy children. We have a nice house to live in and more blessings than I could ever list. My prayer is that before I complain about something in my life, I will remember God's faithfulness and praise Him instead. What about you?

Here are some pics from the last week. See how much Miss Clare is growing!!

2008-03-06T19:15:00.007-06:00

Reed and I went out to play in the snow. It was the first time Reed used the snow boots and long underwear Aunt Christy sent us... and it will probably be the last time we'll need it. We built a respectable snowman. :) (If you saw our snowman last year, you'd understand.) We had a snowball fight and Reed made a snowangel. He didn't want to come in he had so much fun, but it got dark and his cheeks (and Mommy) were very cold. So we warmed up in our blankets with hot apple juice. Fun time for a Texas boy!!

2008-03-06T14:49:00.004-06:00

**SNOWING**

Texas is just so odd. It snowed on Monday this week- here is Reed playing in the snow. We had a snowball fight- but I had to make him snowballs to throw at me. Now today it's been sleeting and raining and now it's snowing HUGE flakes. I went out to get the mail and snapped a couple pictures.