We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

Okay, so I'm a little late, but thought I'd sneak in a Christmas post. We had a wonderful week of celebrating Christmas with both of our families! I'll warn you now, this post is long, and full of pics. So to the three or so people that read this, feel free to skim, I just wanted to have everything jotted down so I could remember it all!  Here's the low-down:

December 18: We spent the day at Kyle's Uncle John & Aunt Donna's home, celebrating with the Boyett Family. It was a blast. We had prime rib and all the fixins, and so many yummy goodies! Uncle John carried on the family tradition of reading the Christmas Story from Luke 2. We played White Elephant (with not much blood shed!) and enjoyed all the kiddos. There were four little ones there...ALL GIRLS!!! An almost 3 month old (Rowynn), an 11 month old (Kinley), an 18 month old (Finley), and a 21 month old (Abbie)! We also learned that Abbie's mom and dad will be adding another bundle of joy to their family! Yay for babies!  Finley & Abbie played really good together!

Here's Abbie & Finley playing with stickers!

That Sunday we spent the night in Ft. Worth and celebrated an early Christmas with Kyle's parents! We watched some good movies, ate some Brix Pizza, decorated our missions tree and prayed for missionaries. Finley loved decorating, and re-decorating Grandma's tree. She also loves taking a bath in their huge garden tub. The girls got some great gifts including matching necklaces (for when they're older), a bath time bubble machine (huge hit), toothbrushes (or as Finley calls them, "teeth"), Ro got a music jewelry box and a coat rack, and Finley got a collection of musical instruments and lots of other goodies. Kyle got a wireless thermometer, and his parents bought his ticket to a writers conference in February. And momma got a BRAND NEW CAMERA!! We got lots of other goodies, but most importantly, we got to spend some time with family, a huge blessing! On Monday we all headed to the Gaylord Texan to enjoy some lunch and had a blast looking at all the pretty Christmas decorations! The girls looked so stinkin cute in matching outfits from Grandma & Grandpa! Grandpa bought Finley and adorable orange sock monkey and let her ride with him on his scooter!

The next couple of days we just enjoyed each other's company. Kyle always tries to take two weeks off around Christmas, and we've enjoyed that so much! Finley loves having her dada home and I love having the extra help. We went on Tuesday and spent my birthday money on a bunch of art supplies at Hobby Lobby for Finley & I to do together. Then on Wednesday morning we did "Santa." Still not sure how we're gonna handle Santa with the kids, but for this year they just enjoyed opening the presents. Well, Finley enjoyed it, RoRo just kinda sat in her swing and looked around! The both got fairy wands, Beauty & The Beast (one of my faves!), some clothes, music toys, books, rattles (RoRo), stickers, and play-doh. Finley thought the movie was a book and got really frustrated that she couldn't open it to read. And once she saw the stickers, eveything else got put on hold. She loves putting them on her nose, her sister's nose, and our noses. Can't complain, because I'm the one who started that! After that we loaded up the car, plugged in the portable dvd player (an early Christmas present from my parents!) and headed to Louisiana.

We were in Louisiana for a week and jammed a lot into that week! We did an ornament exchange with our family friends, the Veulemans. Mom made homemade vegetable soup, we had fun looking at everyone's ornaments, and Finley got a ladybug pillow pet, from Gigi which she loves! She just carries it around and plops her head down on it.

The next night we went to Natchitoches to eat Mexican food and look at Christmas lights. If you've ever seen Steel Magnolias, this is where that movies was filmed and the Christmas Festival in that movie is based on a real festival held the first weekend in December. This year was the 84th Anniversary. We didn't go to the festival, but we did look at the lights.  Both girls really enjoyed all the ligths!

That night we also did gifts with my parents, sister and bro-in-law. The girls got a ton of goodies! They each got a box of diapers, wipes, bath stuff, matching red coats, clothes, bracelets, and monogrammed blankets. They also got a rose cottage playhouse, a recordable book, a plush turtle full of balls, a cleaning station, and other goodies. Finley got a pink guitar, and a ton of other goodies. Rowynn got a plush laptop, ruffle bloomers, some cute clothes. Finley had a lot of fun opening the presents...and even more fun playing with them! The girls also got a goat bought in their honor through Gospel for Asia!!!

Aunt Sissy Got Finley some pretend make-up and my grandparents got both girls some clothes and really nice keepsakes. Auntie & Uncle Bobby got the girls each a sterling silver bracelet from Santa Fe and Rowynn got a precious purple hat with bows and Finley got a pink butterfly back-pack. My brother-in-laws grandmother also got the girls Elf cabbage patch dolls! They were so cute. Finley kept trying to feed her doll cookies.

Christmas Eve was spent at my grandparents house. We had a yummy appetizer spread and did gifts with the grandparents, aunts, uncles, & cousins. Finley showed off her mad flash card skills and loved helping everyone open their gifts.

The next day (Christmas Day) we went back to my grandma's house to celebrate with the extended family. And when I say extended, I really mean extended! My grandmother has about 20 or so siblings, so the Armstrong Clan is quite large! We had tables of food and lots of laughs! The girls were so cute in their matching red dresses.

That Monday afternoon we got a wonderful surprise with some friends from Houston, Aunt Tina & her girls showed up to visit! We stayed in LA until Tuesday night, and left after my mom made me an early birthday dinner. It was so yummy-roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn-on-the cob, and my favorite, PEACH & BLUEBERRY COBBLER.

The drive home was tortuous! It rained about half-way, and Rowynn cried pretty much all of that. We finally got home about 12:30 that night (or morning) and crashed. I got up the next morning and took Finley in to the doctor since she had been coughing...a double ear infection and cold! Yuck! So we headed to the chiropractor so she could be adjusted to get some relieve and then I went and picked up her prescription. She seems to be feeling much better now. Just hoping Rowynn will stay well!

So all-in-all it was a good Christmas! Lots of laughs, yummy food of all kind, good friends, sweet family, and most importantly, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ!!!! Here are some of my favorite pictures!

Dad seeing his surprise gift...an AIR COMPRESSOR!

Mom and her ring she has been coveting wanting

Me & Rowynn Faith

Don't you just love it...pretty much sums up a family with two little ones...you're never gonna get that perfect shot...



I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Our puppy

We have a puppy in the Davis household. He (actually I'm not sure if it's a he or a she) is very well-behaved, never barks, doesn't make any messes and is perfectly content to sit quietly on a shelf for days at a time without being played with. Oh, and puppy doesn't eat anything.


But puppy does love being dragged walked around the neighborhood by Miss Finley...

Love that silly girl of mine!!!


Oh and here is one of me and little bit...

 I love snuggling with my little girl and love how she can sleep so peacefully in momma's arms.

Sweet Smiling Babe

Here's a little video of Rowynn chilling with her owl friends. This kid cracks us up. She loves to sit and stair and "talk" her her owl friends. Sometimes when she's fussy that will calm her down in an instant. And sometimes, if we pick her up before she's ready, she will throw a fit.

So here's a video of her staring at her owls...but wait until the end, because you'll see what she thinks of her daddy.

Yea, our girls are pretty smitten with their daddy. But with an awesome dad like Kyle, can you blame them?

Where's your....????

Here is a short clip of me and my big girl hanging out! She loves pointing to, and in some cases saying (she can say head, teeth, eyes) different parts of her face. She loves pointing to her head, and then touching RoRo's head, my head and Kyle's head...and same with eyes, nose, and so on. She gets a kick out of it! So I recorded her doing some of her "tricks." And really, asking her to do something often will distract her out of a tantrum or keep her entertained. She gets so pleased with herself and loves our little games.

So Helpful!

So I've said it many times before, but Finley really is a big help around the house. It's so funny watching her imitate the things I do. It's crazy the stuff she picks up on when I'm not watching. Like, she pretends to put on make-up, she knows the correct drawer for the utensils, knows where the Tupperware goes, can throw things away in the trashcan when asked, likes to clean with a baby wipe around the house (thanks Sarah D. for that idea), can talk on the phone, knows that keys unlock a door, likes to feed her baby, will grab a hanger and a shirt and try to hang it up, knows where I keep my soap for the dishwasher and trys to fill it up (yikes!), likes to grab the paper out of the printer (she'll even wait until it's done printing), and many, many, many, other things that I didn't really "teach" her.

For example:

But that's the thing, kids are ALWAYS watching. They notice the everyday stuff you do. They notice the good, the bad and the ugly. It's pretty frighting knowing I've got this little person that I'm shaping, watching my every move, listening (sometimes) to my every word. She's like a sponge soaking it all in.

Dear God, help me reflect Your love. Let me be a vessel that You use to teach my children about Your grace and forgiveness. Help me treat their dad with kindness and respect. Help us model the kind of marriage that rests upon Your Holy word. Let them see what true love looks like. I pray that I would reach out to others and serve people with a cheerful disposition. I pray that I would show them what a true friend is. Let me demonstrate grace so that they can lean into Your grace. Let them see me turn to you in everything. Let me show them that You are the ONLY way, the truth, the life. Lord, help me not to mess it up. And when I do mess it up, let them see me turn to You. Thank You Jesus for entrusting me with these two precious souls to raise.

In Jesus Name,
Amen


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On a lighter note...

   We recently put up our tree, which kinda made me break out in hives slightly nervous. I just knew all our pretty ornaments would be destroyed by a certain toddler. We told her that she was allowed to touch any ornament she wished, as long as she did so with only one finger. She's done pretty good, there's only been a hundred or so  few times where she has yanked an ornament and ran gleefully through the house. But over the past couple of days, she's gotten a lot better.

Well I thought she had. And then the other night I pulled back our dining room curtains and found this:

At least she's organized in her destruction...

Gotta love that spunky kiddo!!!!

Some oldies but goodies...

So I was going through my memory card and found some old videos that I kept meaning to post. So here they are, for you viewing pleasure.

This one taken at the beginning of September, Labor Day Weekend. Finley sliding like a big girl, into her daddy's waiting arms!

Here's one from Halloween weekend. Rocking with Grandma!

Here's a more recent one. Finley was "talking" to dada. Little did I know she actually called him. If you listen really closely you can hear Kyle say "Hello!"

Sometimes...

Sometimes...

...I only vacuum as far as the cord will allow.

...I will wear an apron while I cook. It makes me feel like Susie Homemaker and I imagine I'm preparing a gourmet feast...when in reality I'm usually just opening a can or reading directions off a box.

...I make my bed even if I'm about to get in it. It's so nice to walk into a clean bedroom with a pretty bed after a long day. It gives me the illusion that the rest of my house is clean.

...I feel like I'm 14...Although I'm nearly 25, have been married for almost 5 years, and have two children, I still feel like a kid myself.

....I feel like a total failure as a parent. I worry that my kids are gonna be "those kids." I worry that I'm just getting everything wrong.

...I think about piercing my eyebrow and dying my hair red...or black with purple streaks.

...I think about getting another tattoo.

...I drink tea just because I like heating up water in my pretty blue kettle. I mean I like tea, but sometimes I like the idea of tea more.

...When I check the mail I take my time walking to the mailbox and take a few minutes to breathe slowly and let my mind wander.

...I don't like taking free samples at stores because I feel guilty and think I should buy whatever they're selling.

...I miss riding 4-wheelers, bonfires, and all the charm that comes with living in the country.

...I don't think I could ever live in the country again because I've discovered I'm a city girl.

...I wish I were more patient.

...I dream of becoming a fashion designer, even though I can't draw or sew. That's not important, right?

...I want to learn to sew.

...I wash my feet before I go to bed.

...I think about having 5 or 6 kids...and then my toddler questions that desire.

...Re-read random sections of my favorite books...namely Twilight

...Add milk to my eggs before I scramble them. Not sure why, but my mom and grandma do, so I do.

...Eat my black-eyed peas covered in mayo, even though I'm not crazy about mayo.

...Don't like watching movies at home because I can't change the channel. I also change the radio station mid-song in case there's a song on another station that I'd rather hear.

...Buy stationary in the vain hopes that I'll actually sit down and right notes to people.

...Randomly start cleaning the house, even if we're in the middle of watching a show.

...Turn up the music real loud and get my dance on.

...Stay up really, really, late.



What do you sometimes do??? 


...

Family Pics!

So about a month ago we had a sweet friend from my home town take some pics of our family of four. I've posted the shoot on facebook but thought that I would add some of my favorites here.

The day started out crazy!!! As soon as we got there Rowynn wanted to nurse and Finley was more interested in running around playing that sitting pretty for a picture. Pretty typical toddler behavior. But my girl is especially busy...always on the run...ALWAYS!!

But anyway, as I was totally losing my cool, blood pressure rising, sweat beading on my forehead, trying to remain calm, Genesis (our photographer) was the best. She was so calm, collective, and patient. Her sunny disposition helped me to calm down. She was so relaxed and sure we would get some great shots. And she did. If you've seen the photos on my facebook page, you may have noticed that Finley either has her hands raised, or she is clapping. That's because Genesis, myself, Kyle, my mom, my dad, my grandma, and my aunt kept singing "If you're happy and you know it," my girl's favorite song! I NEVER, EVER, have sung in public until I became a momma. I mean I still whisper sing at church so I won't make the people around me cover their ears and assume the fetal position out of discomfort. Now it's quite common for me to belt it out in the grocery store, the doctor's office, or in the middle of a restaurant, where ever, when ever. It's now a permanent part of my parental arsenal. No matter where we are, I can pull out a song and keep my little one entertained and smiling for a few moments.

Anyway here is some of my favorites:

Sweet Rowynn Faith

Sweet Sisters

Clap your hands & shout hoo-ray 

                          

My parents with each of their granddaughters      

                  

The Davis Family

Check out Genesis' website here.

It's been a while...

Two days ago sweet Rowynn was 2 months old. Which means other than the fact that my little Rowynn is growing (hey, I rhymed!) way too fast for my liking, it has also been exactly a month since I last posted. It's pretty much feast or famine with this whole blog thing. My days are spent reading and re-reading stories, dancing to music, being the tickle monster, changing diapers, nursing a sweet baby girl, rocking kiddos, playing with blocks, building castles, playing soccer outside, doing art projects with a toddler, cooking, cleaning, exercising, chasing Finley around, singing silly songs, trips to the store, trying to displine without breaking her spirit (thanks Grandpa Davis), playgroups, making sure Rowynn gets in some tummy time, spending time with my amazing husband, reading my bible, (gotta get better about that) going for walks, and everything else that makes up a stay-at-home mom's (or dad's) day.

During that last month we've celebrated Halloween and Thanksgiving. For Halloween weekend the little ones and I attended our playgroup Wotts, (Women of Titus Two) dress-up party. Finley was a Strawberry Fairy and Rowynn was a little monster. That weekend we headed over to Ft.Worth to spend the weekend with my in-laws. We watched the world series, which the Rangers played in for the first time ever! It was really neat to get to watch the game with Kyle's parents, as his dad is an avid  baseball fan. We spent Halloween at church with the Davis family and that afternoon we let the girls wear their costumes and spent the evening playing outside. I just wasn't up for trick-or-treating with a 4 week old. Maybe next year!!!

Thanksgiving was also a fun holiday. We rotate family holidays between the Davis and DeLatin family. For example, this year we celebrated Thanksgiving with the Davis bunch and will be spending Christmas in Louisiana with my family. And next year vice versa. Although we will get to celebrate with Kyle's family the weekend before Christmas this year. Rotating families works for now, but it may not be what we always do. But for now, it works. So this year we spent Thanksgiving in Ft. Worth. We celebrated with Kyle's parents, his grandmother, and his Uncle John and Aunt Donna. It was super fun and we ate way too much yummy food!!!

Both girls are growing way too fast. On Sunday Finley will be 18 months...that's right, a YEAR & A HALF!! Holy cow where does the time go? Rowynn is smiling more and more and making such cute sounds. Finley is very helpful around the house and still adores her RoRo.

The Christmas season is upon us and our house is twinkly and our stockings (although Kyle calls them socks, grrrr) are hung by the chimney with care. I'm looking forward to spending time with family and friends. I am really excited about this season...it's my favorite. Not only because of the pretty lights, wonderful decorations, hot apple cider, crackling fires, home made candy, music, and Hallmark movies, which are all fun and exciting, but let's not forget what this season means. This is the time to celebrate the birth of Christ!!! How marvelous is the love Jesus pours upon us. He choose to enter the world in a humble setting, took on the sins of everyone and was beaten and crucified. Isn't it amazing that the story doesn't end there. He conquered death and rose on the third day, giving us eternal hope.

It makes me sad to see what this holiday has become. Don't get me wrong I love giving and getting gifts. But that's not the point. And I don't won't this to sound all preachy and as if I've got it all together. I'm a parent struggling to teach my girls. I rarely get it right and those moments I do, it's only by God's grace. Kyle & I really want to teach the girls the true spirit of Christmas. They won't have truck loads of gifts under the tree. That's not what we want our girls to think Christmas is all about. And it's hard, I love buying for people, but I want to be a better role model for my children. I want them to be compassionate and enjoy serving others. I want them to get excited about sending money to a family in Asia so they can have food and a warm blanket. I want them to desire to send Bibles to Africa so those that are lost can hear the sweet, powerful message of Jesus' love and forgiveness. I want them to be more concerned with giving cheerfully than getting. This is more of a reminder for me than a message directed at anyone else. I'm really striving to eliminate the stress, worry, and busyness this season usually brings.

This is a cool video about giving meaningfully.
http://video.gfa.org/services/player/bcpid605776944001?bclid=605799119001&bctid=659511730001


What do you and your family do during Christmas to make it less stressful and more meaningful? Any special traditions? How do you teach your kiddos about the true meaning of Christmas?

Anyway, that's all I got folks. I'll post tomorrow some recent videos of my cute girls! Hope everyone has a wonderful evening!

One Month Young

On Wednesday, my sweet Rowynn Faith, you turned a whole one month young. I can't believe it has already been a month since you joined our family. Baby girl, you have just made your place in our home and hearts so well, it just seems like you've always been here. It's hard to imagine life before you. You are so calm, so content... just so chill. You love looking around at everything, taking in this big ol' world. You LOVE, I mean LOVE, to be rocked by your daddy. Most times, when you're fussy and you aren't hungry or wet, you will only calm down once you are snugly in your daddy's arms. You also love it when I sing to you...or at least I think you do, you get real still and smile. I remember singing to you as soon as you were born. I was tired, hurting, and disoriented, but I remember singing to you baby girl. The nurses probably thought I was crazy! Rowynn, you are such a good little sleeper, giving us a four or five hour stretch at night. What a blessing! Although there are plenty of nights, when you wake up for your four or five o'clock feeding in which once you have your belly full, you are up for about an hour or so...not fussy, just awake, looking around. It's so cute! I love our late night chats. Baby girl, you don’t like to be put in your car seat, but once you’re in and we're moving, you’re good. You aren’t too fond of bath time yet either, but it's getting better. You are also still nursing well, and have the cutest cheeks! I love holding you, you fit just right in my arms. I love holding your little teeny-tiny hand, and smelling your sweet bald head. You have my exact lips and your daddy's forehead. You are just absolutely stunning and so sweet. I love covering your sweet face in kisses! You are such a little blessing Rowynn Faith!


Finley is still just smitten with you little sister. She can now say, "Sissy," which gets a little confusing, since my little sister, Stacy, whose nickname has always been Sissy, is Aunt Sissy. Finley loves to help out. When you are crying Finley tries to give you a paci, or she'll cover you up, or turn on your swing. Several times a day she marches up to you and holds her hands out, as if saying, "Come 'mere RoRo, let me hold you." I look forward to you two growing up together and I pray that you will find a best friend in each other.

Love you...something fierce,
Momma

Silly girl!

Sometimes (whenever I'm doing laundry), Finley likes to take a shirt and put it over her head and run through the house...just for fun...she giggles and squeals, and just walks around the house.

Kinda like this:

That girl sure is a silly one! :-)

Many, LA

This past weekend we made the long drive in to Louisiana so we could introduce my family and friends to our newest little bundle. And okay, it's not that long of a drive, but what use to take 4 1/2 hours b.k. (before kids), now takes about 6 hours. A long 6 hours with many stops to nurse, change diapers, and stretch our legs. Well, really to let Finley run around and release some energy.

Here's a few shots of us on one of the many stops we made...



We crammed a lot into our short weekend. We had the talented Genesis Costner take family pictures. Finley also got her first haircut. My sweet baby girl finally has enough hair to warrant a haircut. She has about three cow licks and has what we call "crazy monkey hair," in which her hair sticks up in crazy places. I was nearly bald until I was two, so she gets it honest. Her Mimi was so proud to be able to cut her hair!!! 

We also went to my sister and brother-in-laws house. Stacy (my sis) was having a Halloween party for her Sunday school class and we went! Finley decorated a pumpkin, chased puppies, pigged out on popcorn balls, chili, and hot dogs, and went on her first hay ride! Her are some pics from that:

My grandma & Rowynn

 My grandparents and Finley



Finley & Coco

On Sunday we went to Calvary Baptist Church, which is the church I grew up in and the church Kyle & I were married in nearly 5 years ago! It was nice to see everyone and to show off my two little ones!!!

All in al it was a fun weekend. A little busy, a little chaotic, a little loud (my family is always loud!), and way too short. 

"Sisters, Sisters, There were never such devoted sisters..."

Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there. ~Amy Li

If you don't understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly and want to wring her neck at the same time, then you were probably an only child. ~Linda Sunshine

She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. Some days, she's the reason you wish you were an only child. ~Barbara Alpert



I still think it's so cool that by having Rowynn, we've created sisters. I love my little sister and it makes me so happy that Finley and Rowynn have each other. I think it's so cool that my grandma had two daughters, my mom had two daughters, and now I have two daughters!!!

Here is a pic of my Grandma with her two girls...

And my mom with her two girls...

And me with my two girls...

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My Little Big Girl!

Finley is now the big girl in the Davis household, which is crazy, because she's still so tiny. Or at least I thought she was tiny until I saw her next to Rowynn and almost cried at how big she's really gotten. Today my little Monkey Butt is 16 months old. I can't believe how fast she is growing. Yesterday Rowynn was a week old, and I swear it feels like Finley should still be that age. It really does go by fast, doesn't it? Too fast...

Finley is adjusting quite well to her new little sister. She likes to put her head next to Rowynn's head and say, "Awe, bebe." She also wants to touch, yank, hold, pet, and kiss her little sister. I border between be terrified for Rowynn's safety and in awe at my little big girl's love and sheer sweetness. She has tried to feed Rowynn goldfish, given Rowynn her baby doll's bottle and taken her paci. When Rowynn cries, Finley reaches for her and cries. And the cutest thing is to hear Finley talk to Rowynn. She has her own special Rowynn voice. It's like a high-pitched squeally voice, like she's talking baby talk to Rowynn. So stinkin cute!!! And the other night Finley gave Rowynn her paci, as in Finley gave Rowynn, Finley's paci...which in Finley's world is HUGE! Here is some of my favorite pics of my girls!

Getting her first peek at her little sister!

Snuggling baby sister

Giving kisses!

Hi baby!!

Here you go, I'll share!

More on my little big girl....

Finley is changing everyday and learning all sorts of new tricks. I'm amazed at how much her vocabulary has grown. She seems to learn a new word or phrase everyday!!! She is such a little momma; she takes care of her baby doll, helps with the laundry, loves to clean with paper towels, tries to sweep with the broom, likes to help put soap in the dishwasher (or try to), and puts dishes away. She's so silly,  laughing when she or someone else sneezes, burps, or toots! She is an excellent kick ball player, loves to stack blocks, can dance like no one's business and loves to be outside! She also has the new game that she plays called "Who wants me..."

I love both my little girls so much! It is so amazing have two daughters.

Finley,

I am so proud of you and at how good you've been to your little sister. In the past week your little world has changed so much and you are still the silly, giggly, loving, sweet girl you've always been. It is so amazing to see you interact with Rowynn. You love her so much and light up when you get to hold her. You are sad when she is sad, and happy when she is content. I can't believe how much you've grown in the past 16 months. You bring so much joy and love to this family. You are so funny and silly!!! I love you more than you'll ever know little girl, and I have so much fun with you. Thank you for being an awesome kiddo!!!

Love you something fierce,

Momma

Rowynn,

Yesterday you were a whole week old! You are such an amazing tiny little baby girl. I love your sweet snuggles and seeing your pretty eyes search mine. I love how you smell and how you seem so content in my arms. You are just a pure joy and I could watch you every second of every day. I love you so crazily much! You've only been here for a week and already you've got everyone wrapped around your teeny-tiny finger. Everytime I look at you, my heart skips a beat and I thank God that His plans aren't our plans. I am so thankful that you are here and healthy. I can't wait to get to see your personality develop and get to know you more. I feel so blessed that I get to hang out each day with you and your sister! 

Love you something fierce,

Momma



She's Here!

Well, a week ago today, our lives changed for the better when we were blessed with our second baby girl! Rowynn Faith Davis was born on September 27,  at 6:27 a.m. She weighed 8 lbs .06 oz and was 19 1/2 inches long. It has been a whirlwind of a week!

Here is a picture of me with my new girl, and my mother-in-law, my hubby, and my mom! They all got to see Rowynn being born!

Last Sunday night Kyle & I checked into Baylor Carrollton to start the induction process. The plan was for me to be given some medicine to "prep" me for induction and then 12 hours after that (Monday around 10 am) I was to be given pitocen to really start the induction. Well at 10 a.m. Monday morning, Rowynn was already a whopping 3 1/2 hours old! When we got there I was dilated to a two. At about midnight, after a couple hours of painful contractions, I was dilated to a three. The nurse decided to go ahead and stop the medicine, so I could just progress on my own. I had a quick labor/delivery with Finley so they knew I would go fast again. At about 4:30 the next morning, after a night of no sleep, no food/liquids since 10 a.m. the previous day, and very painful contractions, I asked for an epidural. I was now dilated to a 5. Well an hour later, I was feeling some pressure so the nurse checked me and informed me that within an hour I had gone from a 5 to a 9. It was almost time to push! She called the doctor and we called our parents. My mom and Kyle's mom rushed to the hospital and my dad stayed at the house with Finley. Everyone made it just in time and after a short while, Rowynn Faith entered the world!

It was so surreal. Part of me was so tired and a little disoriented. When I had Finley, I started having contractions about 9 in the morning, ate a good lunch, went to the hospital, and she was born at 8:19 that night. When I delivered Finley, I did it on a good night of sleep, after eating a good meal and was fully rested. With Rowynn, I hadn't eaten or slept, and since I progressed so fast, my epidural hadn't taken full affect. However, I was so overjoyed and happy that she was finally here; I just remember singing to her and cuddling her.



We were able to come home a day early, on Tuesday. My mom & dad were able to stay with us the whole week, which was a HUGE blessing! My sister and brother-in-law came in on Friday and left with my parents on Sunday. We also had close friends from Houston, Aunt Tina, Myca, & Courtni, come on Saturday. It was amazing having everyone here to meet our new little baby. I couldn't have done it without everyone. It was such a blessing to have help with the cooking, cleaning and diapering. Finley had lots of people to entertain her, and Dad was able to help Kyle finish some much needed projects around the house. More importantly it was nice getting to hang out with my family for a whole week! That rarely happens and we usually only see each other about once a month or so.

Our new family, ready to go home!



We are so very thankful for all the well-wishes, prayers, sweet comments, phone calls, texts, visits, etc! We've got some amazing family and friends and we love you all!

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And so, life in the Davis household is busy finding a new normal. We had gotten into a good little groove with Finley, and now we are adjusting to having two sweet girls at home. It has been an amazing week and I adore my new cuddle bug. Change is always hard, and we are definitely trying to get into our routine. But no matter what is changing, God is constant and I'm holding onto that. I love my little family more than words can say! So even though everything is kind of crazy right now, it's a good kind of crazy. Finley is adjusting well to her little sissy. She wants to hold and kiss on her all the time. It's so cute! I'll post more tomorrow about Finley and how she is doing.

Kyle & I are doing good, a little sleepy.  Kyle has once again amazed me with his love and devotion to this family. He has changed more diapers than me and has gotten the swaddling thing down to an art. We both are just crazily in love with our sweet babes and with one another. I couldn't do this whole parenting thing without him as my partner!

The Davis Family

Kyle & Wendy

Finley, Rowynn

October 3, 2010



I wrote it on my calendar and everything!

Okay folks, the big day has arrived. It's my due date. Except that apparently that means nothing to our sweet baby girl, because she has yet to arrive. I am anxious, disappointed, annoyed, happy, sad...pretty much insert emotion here, and I feel it. I went into labor on my own with Finley two days before her due date, so I was prepared for Rowynn to at least be here by today....but it doesn't look like that's gonna happen!


Here is a shot of my large & in-charge baby mountain..that's right, it's no longer a bump...

And so I sit here wondering, when will our baby girl arrive?

If she hasn't arrived by Monday, then I will be induced. So I know she will at least be here by then. I just don't wanna have to be induced. And too, if I do have to wait until Monday, then I won't even get to come home until at least Wednesday. And my parents only have a week off. I would love to be able to spend next week at home, with my parents, instead of at the hospital for most of the week.

But alas, nothing I can do will make her come on my schedule. She's already reminding me that God is in control and He already has her perfect birthday picked out. I just wish it was NOW! However, as I've said a thousand times before, His timing is not the same as our timing. And His timing is perfect, so who am I to argue?

But I mean, I did write it on the calendar and everything, so why isn't she here?





I have enjoyed the extra time with our little family of three. I've treasured the time with my sweet girl, and it just being she and I during the day. We've had lunch dates with dada, shopped until we dropped, shared some strawberry ice cream out, played outside, cuddled, read together, danced around the house, eaten oreos together, played with momma's make-up, cooked together, splashed around in the water hose, and twirled until we were dizzy.

And the house is clean, the freezer is stocked, cars are cleaned, inspected and registrations up to date. My toes are a pretty shade of red, the car seat is installed, bags are packed, groceries bought, bills paid, and my parents should be here later tonight.  So everything is ready for little Rowynn's arrival...everything except her!

Dear Rowynn,

I am typing this on your due date, September 24. I, along with so many family and friends, are anxiously awaiting your arrival. You are already one loved little girl. I pray that you are healthy, feel loved and secure, and know just how much you are adored by us, and by God. You are wonderfully and fearfully made and I can't wait to snuggle your sweet face. I love you something fierce baby girl!

Love,

Momma