Apples!

For the past couple of weeks we've been learning about fall and apples. Considering we've also added a newborn to our family as well we haven't been doing "school" everyday, but we've managed to do some fun activities and squeeze in some learning!

 

The girls helped me make mini apple pies. Super easy, crescent rolls, cinnamon, apple pie spice, and apple pie filling.

 





They were super yummy!



I cut out a tree and gathered small apples (actually cherries from one of their games) and let Rowynn practice counting the apples and sorting them by colors. Of course big sister wanted to help!

Finley connected the dots to make an apple.

The life cycle of an apple. She did fantastic with this activity. We read a book about apples and then she was able to put the life cycle in order. She glued them in order and loved it!

Showing me her finished project!

This was a little apple pattern activity. She had to tell me what came next...I can't remember where I got these...maybe Maile?

 

We read a couple of books about apples. Before we did we talked about what we knew about apples and I wrote it down on our easel. After we read the books we added new information on the other side. Check out that cute little apple Finley drew!

 

She's been drawing apples all week!

The other night I put this little apple dipping tray together. Apples, caramel, crushed heath bar, coconut, and sprinkles. It was a huge hit with the girls!

We did some apple stamping. To make things a bit more fun I added apple pie spice to the paint. Finley said that she loved the pie paint! So cute :)

Their apple stamping paintings...and they smell super yummy!

 

Apple trees they painted.

 

I found these cute foam apples in the dollar section at Target (they came in packs of 10) and wrote letters on them. Punched holes and tied string (actually my awesome hubby did this step) and hung them on our bush. The girls had fun "picking" apples. I had Rowynn pick them according to the letter and Finley according to the letter sound.

Rowynn's Birthday

Four days before baby brother was born our sweet Rowynn Faith turned two. We celebrated a couple of weeks before that with her teddy bear picnic party but also celebrated with just us on her actual day.


I sure do love this sweet little one. She is just so darn cute. She is very helpful and loves to dance. Her froggie is the love of her life and she is convinced that "froggie" is a color...she says froggie for anything that is green.

Froggie towel, froggie stuffed animal, froggie back pack in the back ground...this girl loves froggies!

She thinks her big sister hung the moon. Every night she says, "Lay down me...sunshine, song, sunshine!" She would drink chocolate milk every day if I'd let her, she asks for it every morning! She loves to sing songs with hand motions, can identify some of her letters, knows most of her colors, is learning to count, loves to read and knows a lot of books by titles, has awesome fine motor skills, has the cutest laugh and silliest run...she's started saying "Daddy" instead of "Dada," loves for momma to rock her, and has a beautiful imagination. She loves the rhyme, "Hey Diddle Diddle," she calls it "Moon." She loves to hold one of her glow-in-the dark stars and sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." She is super silly and very snugly. She will always be the baby girl and holds a special place in our hearts. I love you Rowynn Faith! You make my heart happy!

I wanted to make her a special breakfast but time just got away from me. Oh well, she really liked the cookie with marshmallows. Although she wasn't too fond of the candle.

This girl loves marshmallows!

 



Opening her little gift from us. The girls have thrown countless birthday parties with this!

We went and had lunch with Kyle and the girls got some ice cream, or "cone-cone" as Rowynn calls it!

She helped me frost her cake. And ate a ton of frosting in the process...

Her cake: Pink frosting, coconut on the sides, crown and sprinkles on top!

Singing Happy Birthday to her.

Little Miss Piggy!



 

 

 

 

Emerson's Arrival!

On Monday, October 1 at 4:58 p.m. Emerson Kyle Davis made his way into the world. He weighed a whopping 8 lbs 14 oz, and was 19 1/2 inches long. As the girls were 8 lbs 3 oz and 8 lbs .05 oz he was my biggest baby by far! I was not expecting him to be that big! It was a long day of labor with only 4 minutes of pushing! About half way through the day I remembered that exactly four years ago, on October 1, 2008 I took my first positive pregnant test after nearly two years of trying to have a baby. How cool is that?!?

Here is his birth story.

*Warning, this will be long and detailed, but I really want to remember everything!

It's go time!

I checked into the hospital at 7 that morning to begin the induction process. He was officially one day past his due date so the time for eviction had arrived! They got me checked in, decided I was dilated to a 3, got an IV started, blood pressure cuff on (I really hate that thing), monitors on, and pitocin started. About 8:30 Dr. Walden came by to break my water and I had progressed slightly to a 4. Soon after my water broke the pitocin started doing its' job and the contractions came hard and heavy. They turned the pit up a couple of times and it was not fun! Kyle, his mom, my mom, dad, and sister were there for me during the entire labor and delivery. My bestie Maile also stopped by and Uncle Ben made a visit with Finley & Rowynn.

My sister, Stacy, is a labor & delivery nurse and she was awesome during my labor! She kept me calm and would always let me know when a contraction was coming and when it was letting off. Her hubby Ben kept the girls all day long while I was laboring and Stacy really helped with little man his first night home (which was rough). She's also been very patient at taking all my texts asking her all kinds of crazy questions...I've had some different experiences with the recovery process this go around and she's been awesome at walking me through it all! My sister and bro-in-law are super awesome!!!

The contractions started coming really fast, about every 2-3 minutes apart. I progressed to a 5. Finally about 11:30, I was seriously hurting and ready for an epidural. I kept going back and forth, but the pain was just too much. When in labor, I don't cry out or scream. I close my eyes and grimace and will rock my feet and maybe tap my fingers.

My sweet daddy holding my hand. He got to be in there this go around and I don't think he liked seeing his firstborn in pain!

All my wonderful coaches!

About noon they cleared the room (except for Kyle) and started the epidural, which was a tad terrifying.  The anesthesiologist had to stick me twice, I was leaking some major fluid, my blood pressure kept dropping, I was having intense contractions, and the nurse had trouble monitoring Emerson. It took longer than expected but once it was in place all was right in the world. I soon progressed to a 7 and the waiting game continued.

The girls came to visit and I was happy to get some sweet cuddles from them. They had a lot of questions and were anxious to meet brother.

A little before 4 I started feeling pressure, like it was time to push. The nurse checked me and said it was in fact time to push, that his head was "right there." We had to wait for the doctor, which took FOREVER! Finally she showed up and I began to push. Four minutes later and Emerson was born!

I felt so blessed that Kyle, his mom, my mom, dad, and sister all got to witness him being born! They placed him on my chest, Kyle cut the cord and we all just instantly fell in love. A little while later they took him to be measured and warmed (in the same room) and attended to me. He was just a crying and as soon as they brought him back to me I started singing, "You are my sunshine" and he instantly, I mean INSTANTLY, stopped crying and found my eyes. My heart stopped and melted at the same time. What a wondrous thing for him to recognize my voice and be comforted by it.

The girls came in a little while later to meet their new baby brother. They climbed on the bed with me and just looked at him. Rowynn kept "petting" him and saying, "Baby!" Finley asked me if my belly button was unpopped and said that baby brother was "so cute!"  They both kissed on him and gave him snuggles.

It was a long day! I finally got back to my room about 7 or so and was able to finally eat! McDonald's never tasted so good! I told Kyle I wanted something greasy. We spent one night in the hospital and were able to come home 24 hours after he was born. I was super happy to be heading home to my girls! My parents stayed with us for a week and helped with the cleaning, cooking, and entertaining of our sweet girls. It was awesome having them here! It really meant a lot to us that they were both willing to take off work (they're both self-employed so paid vacation doesn't exist) and come help us out for a week. We've been so blessed by both of our parents and the help they've given us. Kyle's mom came over on Monday to help me take all three kiddos to the doctor's office and it was such a blessing!

Welcome to our family Emerson, we are so happy to have you here with us. I love you something fierce! I just love you so much, more than you'll ever know. Your big sisters love you so much too. They have tried to feed you with their dolly's bottle, given you your paci, brushed your hair, read to you, sang you songs, helped bathe you, changed your diaper, burped you and held you lots! We love you so much baby boy!! I am just soaking up these sweet newborn cuddles. I'm just so in love with you little man!