Davis Reed @ 3 Years Old

Davis celebrated a birthday this past Wednesday. It's a little crazy to think that my baby is 3 years old. He is full of personality, that's for sure.

I don't think he realized that having a birthday meant opening presents, so he was pretty stoked when we pulled them out.

Learning how to hold a bat with Dad.

One of Davis' gifts was a pair of light sabers. I think Isaac was more excited than anyone about this present. I even overheard him say, "Davis, when you open your presents, choose the one that looks like sticks first, ok?" 

Leaning in a little bit close to those flames, little buddy.

At three years old, Davis:

• Is as passionate as ever. He loves big and he fights big. I have never received so many kisses and hugs from one person in a single day, but he is also quick to turn on you when he feels an injustice has taken place. Hitting, biting, and weeping and wailing often ensue. 
• We just moved him into the same room as Isaac and Maddie in order to prepare for the baby, and he loves being with the big kids. He goes to bed about an hour before they do, and he knows "dat Isaac can't come into da woom until I'm sweeping." So far the transition has gone smoother than I expected. We will see how week two plays out. I hope we can keep them together and still keep my sanity. 
• Some of his favorite foods are eggs, string cheese, pizza, fruit (especially apples), soy beans, and macaroni. He also loves anything sweet. Forget getting him to try something that he deems "yucky." It's a losing battle that I hope he will grow out of. He particularly loathes avocados and tomatoes. 
• He is obsessed with superheroes (batman being his current fave). He also loves Star Wars, Diego, and Kung Fu Panda. 
• He and Maddie have become quite good buddies while Isaac is at school. He is content playing Lego Friends with her, or reading, or any kind of dress-up. She will also happily play superheroes with him. The minute Isaac walks through the door, though, all attention goes to his big brother. And they are CRAZY when they play. Wrestling, chasing, yelling, and overall madness take place when they are together. 
• His nicknames are D, D-Man, Davy, and Bear.
• He has recently started running away from me in public places (didn't we conquer this over a year ago?) and it makes me very wary of taking him anywhere because I physically cannot move as fast as he can at this point. I have never considered one of those leash backpack things as seriously as I am now. I am praying that he grows out of this really really fast. Any advice?
• He insists on wearing his Diego Rescue Pack to pick up Maddie from preschool, and he is always greeted with smiles and laughs by the rest of the parents. He does look pretty cute wearing it, though I had to put the kibosh on him placing anything edible inside of it when I found he was hoarding string cheeses and bananas inside of it for days at a time. 
• Davis has a big heart and is at a really fun age. We are trying to soak up his innocence as long as we can. I am really hoping that he loves being a big brother.

From the Mouth of My Babe

Taken Sunday morning, just shy of 30 weeks. The end is getting closer!

The other day Maddie took a look at my belly and declared, "Mom, you look just like Kung Fu Panda!"

There are worse things than being compared to Po, right?

Isaac @ 6 Years Old

After celebrating his big day at school.

Isaac participated in a reader's theatre with some of his peers recently. Here they are performing The Tortoise and the Hare in front of one of the kindergarten classes. Ike played the part of the Hare, and Maddie and Davis and I were able to watch one of their little performances the other day.

We celebrated with pumpkin pie for the birthday boy since it's his favorite.

One of the gifts we gave Isaac this year was Snap Circuits. He is able to build simple electronic circuits and learn things like how a light switch works. He and Ryan spent a good part of the afternoon working on different projects with them. I think Ryan enjoyed it as much as Ike.

On Fridays we always eat pizza and watch a movie, and last week Isaac got to invite a few friends over to our weekly tradition. It was sort of a mini-party but it seemed enough for him. Being great with child and running a one-woman show around here most nights, it was all I had energy for this year. Kung Fu Panda was the movie chosen by the birthday boy.

Grandma and Grandpa sent Isaac this Perplexus game. Someday maybe he'll get to play it...

What can I say about our Isaac at six years old?

• He is a big ball of energy, especially after getting home from school in the afternoons. We have had to have talks about "controlling his crazy" when he comes home. Everyone is looking forward to warmer weather and being able to release that energy outside.
• He is very inquisitive, and will often ask questions that surprise and stump me. 
• He still loves to build anything and everything, so I expect Legos to be a part of our lives for years to come.
• He is a great eater these days, rarely complaining at the dinner table and usually the first one to clear his plate. His current favorite is orange chicken. 
• While his energy seems to keep growing and growing, he still has a calm and predictable disposition and is slow to anger most of the time. 
• He loves school almost as much as he loves staying home. Music and gym are his favorite "specials" (as he calls them) at school.
• He hates kisses (but tolerates me kissing him on the top of his head--"because it's not slimy that way") but loves hugs and still hugs me almost every morning when he wakes up.
• He is a master at giving excuses about anything and everything, from why he isn't ready to go to bed to why he needs help packing his lunch for school. 
• He loves to laugh and make people laugh. If Davis does something crazy or silly, he will often give me a look and we both bust up laughing together. I can't believe how big he is getting.
• He loves Davis and Maddie, and he also loves to boss them around as well.
• He would probably choose to spend time with his dad over just about anyone else. 
• Although it's been over a year since he has headed back west to visit Utah, he still talks about our trip there all the time. In fact, he told me the other day that he wanted a wii for his birthday, just like Grandma's. I told him that wasn't going to happen, so he has taken it upon himself to save all his money until he has enough to buy a wii of his own. So far, he has $20.33 in his fund. 
• I love having Isaac as our oldest child. He is a great example to his younger siblings and has a really kind heart. Happy Birthday, little man!

From the Mouth of My Babes

Ryan and Davis walking downtown in the rain last Saturday.

Happy March! Anyone else glad to see another month of winter behind us? For being the shortest month, February felt really long this year. And the start of another month means we are that much closer to meeting the newest addition of our family---only 12 more weeks! Bring on the third trimester with all it's back aches, heart burn, Braxton Hicks contractions, and rapid weight gain. Oh wait, I've been experiencing all of those for months now! But really, we can't wait for May to get here.

My kids have been saying some really random things lately that might only be funny to me, but I wanted to document them just the same.

During our candle-lit dinner on Valentine's Day, we went around the table and took turns telling each other what we loved and admired about them. When we got to Isaac, he said, "When you are all done, can I tell you what I love about myself, too?"

I have some very generous friends who have recently given me a bunch of clothes to accommodate my growing figure. I was trying on some of the said clothes the other day while Maddie was in my bedroom with me. I didn't think she was paying much attention to what I was doing, but I was wrong. As I slipped on what I thought to be a darling floral printed shirt, she announced, "Ummm, that looks a little bit awkward." "Huh?" I said, thinking she was talking to her baby doll. "Your shirt, it's really pretty and all, but it looks kind of awkward because it's so poofy on top." How could I ignore this unsolicited fashion advice? I looked in the mirror and realized she was on to something, so I promptly changed into a less "awkward" top that got much better reviews.

We were walking in the parking lot the other day when Maddie looked at me and said sincerely, "Don't you just love the smell of this fresh country air?" Pretty sure those words have never been uttered by any human being before or since while walking into Walmart.