Davis @ 7 Years Old

Davis is inquisitive, happy, thoughtful, passionate, and kind. And loud. he is very, very loud. 

He almost always puts his shirt on backwards. Way more than 50% of the time. It is a mystery to me and Ryan.

 He has a tender heart and is often found sharing whatever treat or snack or gift he has been given. He thinks of others often.

 He loves school. His teacher is excellent and the kind of educator that parents dream of having for their children. He thrives in school and particularly in math and reading. It's fun to see him happy at school.

 He and Nathan tend to butt heads, but there is a sweetness to their relationship sometimes too. Isaac and Dave spend most of their free time together. They particularly enjoy playing the wii, reading Harry Potter, and playing sports together.

He still gives the best hugs, the best compliments, and the best snuggles.

Growing Up

Davis seems to be growing up at an ever increasing rate these days. I love watching my kids learn new things. It is, for me, one of the biggest paybacks of being a parent. In the last month or so, D has learned a couple of exciting new things.
Riding a Bike:

Our next-door neighbors lent Davis their Strider Balance bike a few weeks ago. The first time he sat on it and tried to ride, he was so wobbly that I thought it would be years before he was peddling his own two wheeler. I was wrong. After a week or two of zooming around the neighborhood. he seemed to have the whole balancing thing down. So we took off the training wheels of a normal bike and I told him to do just what he does on the balance bike, only "Pedal really fast as you go!" He did, and that was all it took! I am a true believer in those magic bicycles. The video above was shot about 5 min. after the training wheels were removed. Seriously, balance bikes, I tell ya!

Learning to Read:

Davis and I started doing "home school' (as he calls it) this past fall when his older siblings started back at elementary school after summer break. "Home School" consisted of reading a lesson a day from the book Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. I have used this book with both Isaac and Maddie as well and it is pretty awesome. I'm not sure if it's because Davis took to it more than the other kids or because I was just more relaxed than when I used it with I and M, but this time around was so much more pleasant! It helped that Davis really looked forward to these lessons (a quarter for the candy machine after he finished each one may have had something to do with it).  Yesterday he barreled through the last 4 lessons so that he could finish all 100. As a celebration he chose to go to the movies with Isaac and Maddie and myself to see "Night at the Museum # 3." I was overjoyed that he finished right before Christmas. The perfect gift for me. It's been great to see this little guy's confidence grow as he has learned this new and important skill. Even though the book can be tedious and boring as can be, I have loved being a part of teaching him.

Davis' Accident

Photo taken Aug. 2014 by Becky Payne.

Yesterday we had a near-death experience with Davis. And I don't mean that figuratively. He literally almost died due to a crazy accident. As you might imagine, it was the scariest moment of my life and one that I have replayed over and over in my mind a thousand times since it took place yesterday morning. I'm sharing it in hopes that you will educate your kids a little bit better than I did so that something similar never happens in your home. 

Yesterday morning after walking Isaac and Maddie to school, Davis and I were talking about our day. I told him that some new friends were going to come over to play. Thrilled with the idea, he said he was going to get the step stool so he could watch out the window for them to come. I told them that sounded like a great idea and that I would meet him in the living room after I used the bathroom. It's hard to say exactly how much time passed while I was using the bathroom, but my best guess is somewhere between 60 seconds and two minutes passed before I walked into the living room to see if I could help Davis open the blinds. I asked him a couple of questions as I was walking toward him, when I suddenly glanced down to see that he wasn't standing on the step stool--he had wrapped the blinds cord around his neck and was suspended in the air, hanging completely still and unresponsive, his back toward me. 

The next few seconds are kind of a blur, but I quickly unwrapped the cord from around his neck (which, by the way, are safety blinds---not the old-school loop kind that used to be so dangerous. He can't reach them from the ground but while standing on the stool they were easily accessible. He tied them just tight enough and in the exact spot to be deadly). Almost immediately his head fell back toward my shoulder and he opened his eyes and took a breath. 

The next few minutes were filled with tears, prayers, phone calls, and gratitude as we realized that our Davis was going to be ok. Below is a video that Ryan took this morning, about 24 hours after the incident. You can see the rope burn all the way around his neck. 

It has been a little bit hard for my 4-year-old to articulate exactly what happened, but from what he has told me (and the nature of the cord burn on his neck), he climbed up on the step stool, wrapped the cord completely around his neck one time, and while doing so, lost his balance and slipped off the step. The cord was placed just so around his neck that it choked him. He doesn't remember anything after that until he regained consciousness in my arms. I will never forget when he prayed that afternoon and said, "Thank you, Heavenly Father, for protecting me during my accident." 

Please talk to your children about the dangers of putting things like this around their necks. And make sure that the cords aren't accessible to them if at all possible. 

I am overwhelmed with emotion every time I think about how this story could have had a very different ending. Ryan and I feel very grateful to our Heavenly Father that we get to have Davis with us. I know angels were watching over him and I hope and pray I can use this experience to make me a more compassionate and loving person and mother. 

Soy un Hijo de Dios

The kids sing "I am a Child of God" in Spanish to their Grandma Ruth:



The kids are participating in their annual primary program this upcoming Sunday and they were asked along with a few other children in the ward to sing "Soy un Hijo de Dios." We have been practicing a little bit each day and they are getting excited to perform. It has helped me recommit to speaking to them in Spanish as much as possible (I all but fell off the Spanish-speaking wagon during my pregnancy/4th trimester with Nathan). I really want them to be bilingual, but it is harder than I ever anticipated it would be at times. People often ask me if they speak back to me in Spanish. They respond almost exclusively in English but seem to understand almost everything I say to them in Spanish. It is on my never-ending to-do list to work on their verbal skills someday before they leave for college :).

The Kids Sing their Latest Primary Favorite

Singing to Grandma Ruth a couple of days ago. My favorite part is when Maddie does her "army" action.

Because I Forgot to Include a Video of Davis

Davis sings "When Joesph Went to Bethlehem."

Name These Primary Tunes

Can you make any of them out? If so, you deserve an A+ in Toddler Talk 101.

A Few Current Favorites

Image Source: Amazon.com

Phillipine brand dried coconut. I have long been a fan of their dried mangos, but this coconut is my new favorite treat. I have only ever seen it at a Utah Costco, so I asked my parents to bring me a bag when they came for a visit recently--instead they brought me four. That's just how they roll. Ryan thinks it tastes just like Styrofoam. I think that's great--more for me.

Ikea's Kids-Eat-Free-Tuesdays. Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch? Clearly their chocolate milk is a hit.

I get chills every time I watch the trailer for the newest Les Miserables movie. I haven't been this excited for a movie in a long time. In case you have been living under a rock and haven't seen it, you simply must check it out. Anne Hathaway, you get my Oscar vote.



This essay on Motherhood makes me smile. I love writers who can articulate so well how I am feeling like this one did.

And lastly, a video of each of my three favorite little people:

Isaac sings his favorite primary song, Nephi's Courage.


Maddie's rendition of Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam with some dancing. She made me promise I would post this one to the blog.



It is a running joke in our family that Davis has never had a thought that he didn't vocalize. He is ALWAYS talking. Always. Adorable and exhausting all rolled into one. Without him knowing, I grabbed a little bit of footage of him looking at a book in hopes of catching a glimpse of what he is like at age two.

New Videos of Davis and Maddie

Davis with his current favorite book, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus


Maddie shares her "a-mazing" church talk. She refused any help on Sunday morning and marched up to the podium all by herself. It was pretty cute.

Some Recent Video Clips

We got blasted with a couple of feet of snow yesterday. Here is a clip of Isaac enjoying it. When he woke up on Saturday morning he came to me and exclaimed, "It looks like the North Pole outside!"

Davis got this Leap Frog magnet game for Christmas---hello? Why didn't I buy this cool learning toy years ago? It can occupy him for significant amounts of time and it's teaching him his letters with no help from me. Be careful when you listen to him say "W" because you just might die of cuteness.

We couldn't leave Mads out. A friend of mine was in junior primary the other day and told me, "Maddie was made to be a sunbeam!". She seems to love everything about it. Below she sings the song they are learning this month.

Christmas 2011

Isaac and Maddie playing the part of Joesph and Mary during the Nativity on Christmas Eve. 

The manger. We were able to have Brooke and Jeremy over as well as some friends from church. We always have a Mexican fiesta on Christmas Eve and this year was no different.

This Shepherd who wouldn't sit still long enough to be photographed. 

Ryan got home from work on Christmas morning a few minutes after the kids woke up and I was able to keep them entertained upstairs until he could be with us.

Maddie in her new princess dress, socks, and jewelry. The blue earrings are my favorite. 

Ike and his dragon tail. My sister-in-law made one for each of our kids. They are adorable and are already being used  to play dress-ups.

My kids love to watch videos of themselves from this blog and their very favorites are the ones from Christmas morning. I'm sure the following videos will be hits in the months and years to come as well.

Checking out their stockings.


Maddie opening a Christmas present.


Isaac and Maddie riding the gifts given to them by their grandparents. As you can see, Maddie is just as accident-prone on a bike as she was her tricycle. If you listen you can hear her sing "Angels We have Heard on High" as she rides. Maybe she shouldn't be multi-tasking so much.
I'm always a little melancholy when I think about the Christmas season coming to an end, but we are looking forward to what the next year has in store for our family.
Bring on 2012.

Recent Random Videos (Mostly of Davis)

At the end of this video you will see just how far Davis is willing to go to be like his sister.


What happens when Davis and too much bath water combine.


D's rendition of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"

Davis Reed at 18 Months

Here are a few things about Davis that I want to remember at this stage of his life:

• He loves water. He has recently figured out how to turn on the water in the bathroom sink. If anyone ever leaves the door open he runs inside, climbs on the toilet, and lunges his body over to turn the water on and play in it. He leaves kicking and screaming "Agua!!!AGUA!!" every time I pull him away from his beloved station.

• When anyone sneezes, instead of saying "bless you!" he always exclaims "Achoooo!" followed by their name. "Achooo Mama!" "Achoo Papa!"
• His favorite songs are "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," "I am a Child of God," and "Families can be Together Forever," and if you listen really closely you can actually make out some of the words when he sings them to himself.
• He loves to run. Mostly away from me and head-on into something potentially dangerous or life-threatening. Or at the very least dirty.

• He repeats everything his siblings say, right after they say it. The other morning Maddie bellowed, "Mom, is the sun going up or down?" To which Davis chimed, "MAMA! UP? DOWN?"
• He is talking more and more every day, but even with his rapidly expanding vocabulary, "NO!" is his very favorite word.
• While he is currently quite the demanding child, he is also surprisingly polite, saying "Peas! Tanks! Welcome!" often all in one breath. 

• He gets to start going to nursery this Sunday. It will be the first time in over five years (5!!) that I will not have a baby either in my belly or on my lap for the last two hours of church. Monumental.
• Every time he falls down or gets even the tiniest bump, the first words out of his mouth are always "Beeeessssoooo! Beeeessssooo! (kiss)," demanding that someone kiss his owie better. 

• Like most children, he is happiest outside and has been known to stand by the door and beg to play in the sun.

• The other day both Isaac and Maddie were away at a birthday party so it was just me and little Chancho. One of the first things he did when he had the toys all to himself was find Isaac's superhero cape and beg me to put it on him. He had never worn it before so he was pretty stoked. I am starting to believe that, as much influence as I have over my young kids, their siblings might have even more. 

• After 18 months I am finally starting to feel more comfortable being a mother of three. This little man has been through a lot with me this past year and a half and he's still my angel baby--tantrums, sticky hands, besos and all. 

And here is proof that a boy can never be too young to find humor in a whoopie cushion.

Passionate

If I could pick one word to describe Davis at his current stage of life, passionate is the word I would choose. From his sticky, slobbery kisses ("muuuuaaaahhh! Te quiero MAMA!!") to his full-body tantrums and mad hair-pulling skills. Lately, whenever he takes a bite of anything, whether it be pasta or strawberries or garbanzo beans, he makes me feel like a world-class chef. I captured a little bit of video of him eating oatmeal this morning.

Allow me to translate the video. When I first pull out the camera, he yells (that's the only way he knows how to speak these days) "cheese!" a couple of times. A few seconds later after he notices the oatmeal on my spoon you will hear him bellow, "Some!!!" I then remind him to ask nicely and he exclaims, "por fav-some!!!" That's some sweet Spanglish, I tell ya. Upon trying the oatmeal you will hear him express his satisfaction for his gooey breakfast (correction, it was my gooey breakfast--he had already eaten his but insisted on eating mine too).

Davis loves anything with wheels and refers to all cars as "Lightning" ( he pronounces them  "eye--eeeeeennn"). That little red race car is going to be in my life for years to come. 

Look closely and you'll notice that my stove has no knobs on it. It's because my baby has attempted (on more than one occasion) to light his own hair on fire. Needless to say, I caught him just in the nick of time. Two close calls was too many for me so now I just pull the knobs out one at a time when I need to fire up the stove.   

I found all three of my monkeys jumping in D's crib the other morning when I went to get the kids up for the day, but Ike jumped out before I could get a shot of him.

When we are out in public I often get the same three comments about our D-Man. 1) How white-blonde his hair is/how much he looks like Ryan, 2) How tough he is--the boy can take quite a spill and stand right back up, and 3) How unafraid of strangers he usually is. A women at church recently said to me, "You better watch out, that boy would be really easy to kidnap." Thanks for the heads-up. I'll watch my back.

Should I lay off the Veggie Tales?

I just recently purchased a smart phone and for the first time tonight realized that I can take video with it and then upload said video to youtube with just the click of a button. I may be late to this party, but how cool is that?

Lately Isaac has been making up all sorts of songs, and below you will find the song he made up for me tonight at bedtime. I am certain that he found some of his inspiration in this video. Not sure quite what to think of it, but Ryan has been telling me that I need to lay off the Veggie Tales with the kids or Ike will be asking to go to Vacation Bible Camp before we know it.

My only response to that is, "What's so wrong with Vacation Bible Camp?"



After I uploaded the video, I started to watch a few videos that I posted about this time a year ago. I cannot believe how fast kids grow up. It doesn't seem fair that the days can sometimes drag on and on but yet I blink and they are a year older. These childhood years are so so short, so here's to enjoying them as much as I can while they still think I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Here is a video of Maddie from almost exactly a year ago singing her favorite cartoon jingle:



And here is one of Davis. How could I have forgotten how super-chubby my little Chancho was???



And I wonder why Davis is such a loud child...

A Chancho No More

Both Davis and Isaac had well-child checkups this week. Turns out Big D isn't so big anymore. I think he might need a new nickname or two. He weighed in at 22 lbs 10 oz (47th percentile) and 29 inches long (25th percentile). His head circumference is still holding strong in the 97th percentile.

I mentioned in a previous post that no one thinks that Davis looks like me, but don't these two cousins look alike?

Harper pretending Davis is a mechanical bull. And she is my sister's little girl. There's got to be some Roundy in him somewhere. 

The following clip is per the grandparents' request. It isn't the best but it's as good as we could get tonight. Here Davis is showing us his Frankenstein-like moves.

Ike's growth is right on track: 40.5 inches tall (44th percentile) and 35.2 lbs (43rd percentile).

Ike and Fisch the night before moving back to Iowa. These two sure do love each other. Sometimes "pretend Fischer" still comes to play dates at our house.

Big D's Big Day

Opening presents in his pjs.

He got this new walker/ride-on toy. He's pretty much unstoppable. We expect to see him running marathons by 14 months.

Spelling words with mini Reese's Pieces was as creative as it got with a cake this year. Can you read it?

Davis enjoyed the ice cream cake all the same, even minus the creativity.

Our friends the Mons came to celebrate and we had a Mexican fiesta in honor of our Chancho. No idea why Robyn is shying away from D in this shot.

Playing with his new toy.

Obligatory video of the birthday boy eating his cake.

The Babe Taking Some Baby Steps

Here are a couple of videos for the grandparents of Davis taking some of his first steps. He really seems to want to learn to walk, and he's got the bumps on his head to prove it. He will do anything for a chance at Ike or Maddie's toothbrush. If you drown out all the background noise you can hear him squawk in delight at his accomplishment. Ryan is certain that I do some squawking as well.

Broken or Spoken?

In this video Isaac and Maddie are singing the primary song, "Love is Spoken Here." It is their current bedtime request, so they hear it just about every night. Isaac sings "love is broken here" instead of "love is spoken here." I'll try not to read into what that means about how he feels about his childhood...and poor Maddie sounds like a barking seal with her horrible cough.


Here is a video of Big D. He loves to stand on his own but prefers to belly flop when he gets tired or excited instead of trying to take a step or two.

His Newest Form of Transportation

Big D is on the go! As the video shows, he usually starts out on all fours and then moves into an army crawl (worm?), kind of like his big sister did when she was about his age. Always bittersweet when they start to become mobile. Sweet because it's fun to watch your kids learn new things. Bitter because his learning to crawl means more work for mama. But less vacuuming, right?