The Donovan Clan

Oh Juliet... oh Juliet

2012-01-22T18:52:00.003-05:00

If you've never seen the movie Gnomeo and Juliet, you must! We love this movie here at the Donovan household.... so much that we even re-enact it! Here are the newest Gnomeo and Juliet cast members. And, for those of you who have never seen the movie, check out the trailer!

Young boys should never be sent to bed, they always wake up another day older.

2012-01-14T19:26:00.003-05:00

I was on the internet tonight and found a few quotes about boys that I thought were adorable and so true... one of them being the title of this blog post. It is truly amazing how fast Grayson is growing (an astounding 17 months already) and how sad this mommy gets every time she thinks about her baby boy turning into a big boy. One thing I know for sure is that I love how much he loves his mommy! There is not much sweeter than his sweet little voice saying, "Mommy, mommy!" (Even if it is every 5 seconds!)

Everyone else here in the Donovan household is enjoying watching him grow just the same. Ella is constantly saying things like, "He is the cutest boy in the world!" or "Did you hear that? He just said_____." She gets so excited when he reaches new milestones. Grayson loves Ella so much! It was so sweet watching him hug and kiss her over and over and over yesterday morning. And, although there are times they can't stand each other (already!) I know they love each other beyond comparison. Watching them play together is one of my most favorite things to do. Ella gets so excited when he starts chasing her.... sometimes with a bat or other weapon in hand!

Grayson and his daddy are two of a kind. They are constantly zooming around the house in a car or throwing some type of ball. It is so sweet hearing and seeing Grayson track down Kermie where ever he is in the house with a ball in hand. He then proceeds, "Daddy, ball." And, drags Kermie somewhere to play ball. It's really funny when he smacks the floor to make his daddy sit down in a certain spot.

I honestly could not imagine our lives without this little guy! He brings so much joy to everyday and I am so grateful for this blessing!

Grayson is always smiling!

We see this face frequently when he wants more "JUUIICEE!"

Our little guy is slightly obsessed with Bubble Guppies on Nick Jr. He screams at you, "Bubble!Bubble!"

Proof of Grayson and Daddy going way past the speed limit in his car (in the house!)!

I find him in my purse all the time! He loves lipstick almost as much as my Ellie Bellie! Hopefully he will outgrow this!!

Here is another quote I thought was cute:
Boys are found everywhere--on top of, underneath, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around or jumping to. Mothers love them, little girls hate them, older brothers and sisters tolerate them, adults ignore them, and Heaven protects them. A boy is Truth with dirt on its face, Beauty with a cut on its finger, Wisdom with bubblegum in its hair, and the Hope of the future with a frog in its pocket.-Alan Marshall Beck

We decided to go.

2011-12-29T18:37:00.020-05:00

Kermie and I had been talking about possibly taking a small trip after Christmas at some point, but never really decided on anything certain. So, the day after Christmas we were still pondering when and where this trip would be. All we knew was that we had a week together and wanted to do something fun, but inexpensive.

After lots of internet searching, Kermie discovered that it was Military Week at the Columbus Zoo (which we had been wanting to visit for a while now). And, after snagging a good hotel price on priceline.com we decided Columbus was our destination. We left Monday morning (actually by the time we left town it was more like noon) and arrived in Columbus by 4 o'clock ish.

After settling in to our hotel and walking the mile of pedways to get there (The first picture is Ella in one of the three pedways we took from the parking garage to our hotel.), we thought what better way to spend our first night than a free night at the Zoo to see the lights.

The zoo put the Southern Lights to shame! Every single tree was wrapped in lights and it was so magical... even two days after Christmas!

On our way back to the hotel, we noticed this building which stood right beside ours. It made our night even better!

The next morning we headed out for the COSI Museum since we knew rain was the forecast. This museum was awesome and our favorite part was the Space Tunnel. We attempted to take video of it, but all you hear is us laughing and see nothing but black. It was quite the experience. For all of you teachers, they do give a teacher discount which is better than the military discount. :) Go teachers!

Kermie totally kicked my butt at the balance test!

This is what I walked out of the shower to the next morning. They love each other on most days. :)

We chose the coldest day of the week to head back to the zoo for animal sight seeing. And, while it was cold (a mere 32 degrees), it was the absolute best zoo experience we have had! Not only was it free again, but we had the entire zoo to ourselves minus a family or two.

Grayson was not in the picture taking mood.

Colo is the oldest living gorilla in a zoo! She is a great, great grandmother. :)

After the zoo, my brother and his fiance took us out to eat at Outback via Christmas giftcard. Thanks guys! It was yummy!

Today was our last day in Columbus, which has turned into my new favorite city by the way. We woke up late, took our time getting ready, and headed out for the North Market. This place was terrific in that I was able to get some yummy Mediterranean food, Ella and Grayson got Italian, and Kermie ended up with Vietnamese food for lunch. After lunch, we indulged in some Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream.

Before we left town, we knew there was one last stop we wanted to make.... German Village. And, if there is any one town I think I would feel right at home in, it's this one! I love the cobblestone roads, small (or at least some of them) older houses, and character everywhere you look. One day.......???

I am so glad we decided to go!

And, we're back!

2011-12-13T20:37:00.007-05:00

I have really gotten behind on my blogging this past month. And, I guess it must have something to do with being completely and utterly too busy!

Since my last post, we have had a wonderful Thanksgiving...

This is Ella and her daddy in the van in between Thanksgivings. We were letting Grayson get his nap in :)

Put our house up for sale... again...

Met the newest addition to our family, Mr. Kayne Richardson (who has stolen my heart)...

Watched Ella perform in her very first Christmas program at church...

Survived through a horrible stomach bug...

And, made lots of fun memories in between (One being tonight at the Southern Light's when Grayson and Ella were totally amazed at the lights. Grayson definitely called everything with lights on it a "Twee". Precious).

New Addition

2011-11-18T22:25:00.003-05:00

Tonight, we brought home the two newest members of the Donovan Clan courtesy of the Southern Elementary PTA. Welcome Goldie and Nemo!

Mrs. Know-it-All

2011-11-07T20:20:00.002-05:00

Ella is one of a kind and on many occasions "Mrs. Know-it-All." I have always loved her personality and the fact that she is outspoken and curious about everything!!

Well, today when I picked her up from Mary Susan's house, I was informed of an incident at the lunch table. This is me paraphrasing what Mary Susan explained. So here goes:

Mary Susan (to all of the children at the lunch table): You have to eat your green beans in order to get your cookies.

Ella: I am not eating my green beans. I don't like this kind (Mary Susan tried a new kind this week just because Ella didn't like last week's version.).

Mary Susan: It is important for us to eat our green beans. Did you know that there are children who don't have enough money to eat any food at all? We need to be grateful for our green beans.

Ella: Actually, my daddy gives money to those people so that they do have money for green beans.

What a ham!!! Lord help us when she is a teenager :)

To the moon and back!

2011-10-26T19:55:00.005-04:00

Dear Ella and Grayson,

Mommy loves taking your pictures. I probably take too many and I'm sure you get tired of me saying "say cheese" all of the time! But, one day in the near future you will understand that these moments we are making are precious and your mommy doesn't ever want to forget them!

If there is anything in life that your mommy is certain about, it is that....

Love,
Mommy

Annual Pumpkin Painting

2011-10-13T19:18:00.004-04:00

Well, today was the first day of Fall Break and it was a terrific one! Mom and I had actually planned to take the kids to the zoo, but with the rain, we didn't want to risk making a three hour drive to get rained on. So, since mom had already totally rearranged her schedule, we planned to do something fun.
Every year since Ella was born we have done our Annual Pumpkin Painting, so what better day to do it on than this rainy, gloomy day?!? We headed out for pumpkins and came home for some painting fun. Grayson really enjoyed it this year and Ella took it serious as always!! Thanks mom and Bekah for spending the day with us!

I'm pretty sure he is thinking, "Is she really letting me do this?"

Ella is a little unsure about what Grayson is doing!

Beautiful artist!

Hard at work!

She spent a good 30 minutes or so on her pumpkin :)

Aunt Bekah chipped in on finishing Grayson's pumpkin.

Freshly painted and drying.

An "E" for Ella. A "G" for Grayson. Notice how Ella chose a small pumpkin for her little brother.

Sibling Rivalry or A Case of "I want to be just like my big sister"

2011-10-04T21:15:00.009-04:00

Tonight during our picnic, I snapped a few pictures of the kiddos. While looking through them I couldn't help but notice the story they told of how Grayson gravitates toward everything his big sis does.

So, who wants to race to the top? Just because you're bigger doesn't mean you will win!

Shucks... Nevermind. And the winner is.... Ella!

Hold on! I'm not too far behind!

Aww.. the joys of being four! A bag of Spicy Doritos and Sweet Tea makes a perfect pre-picnic snack!

You better pass the tea this way! In fact, I'll just keep it right here in my lap.

Soccer fun with daddy! Look at my skills.

Hey now! I've got skills. You think you can make this face and hold the ball at the same time?

I really wish I could do whatever Ella is doing over there.

Why on Earth did mommy and daddy only buy three caramel apples? Of course I get one too! I'll take Ella's leftovers!

Fallin' For Fall

2011-10-02T17:48:00.005-04:00

Everyone here at the Donovan house is fallin' for fall! This past weekend was a prime example of why I love fall and everything it brings.

We started the weekend with a trip to The Festival of the Horse downtown. My kids at school were begging me to come watch them in the parade, so Ella and I went Friday night. One of my new teammates also came who is not from around here which was fun as well!

On Saturday, our friends from Owensboro came up so we took another trip to the Festival and then went out for lunch. It was great getting to see all of our friends and the kids loved every minute of the day!

My parents kept Ella and Grayson on Saturday night so that Kermie and I could go out to see The Help and spend more time with friends. It was a terrific movie and I felt like a rebel staying out past midnight! :)

Sunday was spent at church for Grace Fest. All the kiddos dressed up as princesses or superheroes :)

Oh how I LOVE this time of year! :)

Happy Fourth Birthday Ella Chase!

2011-09-17T20:00:00.005-04:00

This past Wednesday, Ella turned four (A little four or so she says. She makes sure to tell people that she is a little four unlike her cousin, Ava, who is a big four.) !

On Saturday, we celebrated her birthday a little early with an ice cream theme. The theme just kind of happened as I was making her invitations. Ella really wanted to have her party at Monkey Joe's, but after adding it all up a Monkey Joe's party was going to be outrageous! So, we settled on a two-part party: the first half was in Georgetown at Fat Katz and the second half was at Monkey Joe's. All of Ella's family and friends came to Fat Katz for pizza, presents, and ice cream cupcakes. It was quite fun!

All the kiddos had a coloring sheet to work on.

I was trying to go along with the ice cream theme and attempted these cupcakes.

Ella had a blast chatting with her friends and family!

After all the Fat Katz fun was over, all the kiddos who wanted to jump headed up to Monkey Joe's. They had a blast and stayed until they closed the doors! :)

Since Ella's actual birthday was the following Wednesday, her daddy promised her a birthday date with just the two of them. They ended up going to see Spy Kids, making a trip to the Aquarium, and lunch at Mitchell's Fish Market.

Of course, I received a picture text while at work of them eating at Mitchell's (no fair)!

After I got off of work, Grayson and I headed to met Ella and Kermie for a Mexican birthday dinner and a trip to the park. It was neat to see how much those two missed each other while they were apart!

We all had a blast celebrating another year of Ella's precious life!

Nice Little Surprise

2011-09-04T18:08:00.006-04:00

While eating lunch with my students Friday, I received a text message from Kermie saying to hurry home after school so that we could pack. I was confused at first because we had not talked about going anywhere, but was most definitely not going to complain! A mini-vacation sounded terrific!
Kermie refused to tell any of us where we were going, but instructed us to pack for at least two days and not to forget a bathing suit. So, pack for two days is exactly what we did. Once we loaded up the van and got on our way, he let us in on the surprise.... we would be staying downtown Cincinnati for the weekend.
We arrived at our hotel around 5:30 or so, sat down our bags, and headed out on the town! It was a beautiful night other than it being miserably hot! I am so ready for fall!

After dinner, we walked around down by the fountain and then headed back for a little swimming! The kids really enjoyed getting to swim again since we haven't been in several weeks! Ella also met the sweetest little boy (6th grader) ever! They played for quite a while together.
After a terrific night of sleep, it was time to get going with our day! The kiddos enjoyed some play time in the bath!! Grayson cracks me up how he will climb over Ella and sit on her lap to sit by the faucet!

A late breakfast at IHOP was scrumptious! Pancakes, omelets, hashbrowns, my oh my! Our tummies were full!
After debating on what to do the rest of the afternoon, we decided to do a little shopping at the Kenwood Mall and then head to the Children's Museum. I really enjoyed getting to shop without any interruptions!! It has been forever.
One of the highlights of the day was getting in the museum for FREE! When I asked the attendant if they did a military discount he said yes and then gave us 4 tickets absolutely free! YIPPIE!

The kids had SO much fun! There wasn't a part of the museum that they didn't love. Kermie and I really enjoyed getting to watch them play.

What better to top off a fun day of play than icecream? It was delicious! :)

I guess we wore them out because this is what we saw about five minutes after getting in the van!
Kermie and I have wanted to go to Montgomery Inn for a long time, but just have never made it for some reason. Once the kids woke up, that is exactly where we headed. I honestly think my California Salmon could have been my most favorite dish ever!!!! The others enjoyed their food too... as you can see!

After dinner we headed back to the hotel and did a little more swimming. And, finally.... it was bedtime!
We woke up this morning and took our time getting ready and packing up. We had toyed with the idea of staying another night or even going somewhere else to stay, but Ella said she missed her blue home and was ready to go back! LOL
Lunch at Cheddar's was terrific and a quick stop at the Gap Outlet topped our mini-vacation off!

I love taking trips like this one: unexpected, no plans, rules or regulations! I am very thankful that Kermie decided to plan this one for us! It was perfect! :)

Converted Van Fan

2011-09-01T19:40:00.002-04:00

Pretty much since I have been able to drive I have had in mind the "type" of car that I wanted to drive. Doesn't everyone have their dream car? Well, about 4 years ago my husband brought home my dream car or so I thought! I had always wanted either a BMW or Volkswagen Station Wagon (seems weird to some, I know). Due to the fact that nothing BMW is within our budget, I got the Volkswagen Passat Wagon! I was in love at first sight!!!

The Passat was wonderful for quiet some time and then we ran into issues. From lug nuts and recalls to side mirrors and deer mishaps, the Passat and I were not made for each other! Then, when the second kiddo arrived, we completely ran out of room! Driving 15 hours in a cramped car just isn't my style!

So, after much deliberation and going against my, "No way am I ever getting a van!" statement (not that a van is much different from a wagon??), I gave in! I looked at many different vans and finally decided on the Nissan Quest. Everyone in the Donovan Clan is enjoying the extra space and hopefully we will enjoy the Quest for many years to come!

One last picture with the Passat!

My sidekicks for the day! Yes, my mom, my sister and I did the car buying!! Kermie was brave! P.S. Notice Bekah's cute little belly!!!

Proud van owner!

Awww.. we have tinted windows and look at all of this space! The small joys in life :)

Yes, you've got it, this is my van!

Preschool Update

2011-08-15T17:58:00.002-04:00

So, in my last post I talked about Ella's first day of Preschool and how we were hoping that her second day would go okay...

Turns out when we woke up Thursday she wanted nothing to do with Preschool! She cried and cried saying that she didn't want to go anymore. Between Tuesday(her first day) and Thursday I had tried to pry as much information as I could from her about her first day and she seemed to like it overall minus a few parts of her day. I don't know if I had mentioned before, but she had woken up from her nap crying and upset on her first day. Ella has mentioned being afraid of rest time and being by herself. In result, I did not even attempt to take her on Thursday! Our mornings are hectic to begin with and leaving with her unsure is not an option!

Since Thursday, I have talked to Ella about Preschool and I honestly don't think we are going to even push the idea of it for a while. She tries to get herself excited about it, but I can tell she really doesn't want to go. I can remember my first and only day of Preschool all too well!! I didn't want to go back either. Some people probably think it is crazy that I don't send her anyway to teach her to deal with the situation, but my thoughts are much different. First of all, I could never leave her somewhere crying or even with the thought that she would be upset during the day. If I were able to run and pick her up it would be much easier. However, that is not the case. If it were Kindergarten or something else that was required... well that would be a different story. But, Preschool isn't mandatory and I don't want her optimism about school to diminish! She is super excited about coming to school with mommy and I wouldn't want anything to put a damper on what she thinks school is supposed to be! The main reason for sending her to Preschool was for the social skills she would learn, but anxiety isn't something I want her to have to deal with at the age of 3. I guess she will just have to continue mingling and socializing at Children's Church and on playdates for now! :)

Preschool Woes.... Preschool Joys

2011-08-09T20:00:00.004-04:00

So, preschool has been a pretty big "to-do" in the Donovan household for many reasons. First, Ella has lived a fairly "sheltered" life the past 3.75 years. She has not been around many kids and has only been watched by immediate family. Therefore, she has had the full attention of the adults watching her and in a sense, had full range of how her day was structured. Second, I really want her to venture out and find her own identity. With her not being around many other children her age during her day to day, she really has no clue what life has to offer her. She only knows what her parents and family teach her. In ways, keeping her sheltered like this is a blessing, but I also want her to be able to see diversity and decide for herself who she is (keeping in mind she is only 3 years old)!

On the other hand, preschool hasn't been the easiest thing for us either! I have gone through the whole grieving process not wanting my baby to become a big girl. Not to mention we have had difficulty deciding where to send her as well. With both of us working full-time, a half-day preschool was not an option as transportation would be impossible. I also didn't want to send her everyday of the week! So, we finally decided on Grace Early Learning Center which is located where we go to church. We figured it would be a familiar place and not so scary for her!

This morning was the BIG day. We had gone out to school the week before to show her her room and with a little confusion she was able to see where she would be going and learned her teacher's name. This morning when I woke her up she was a little leery of the idea. She couldn't understand why it was still dark outside (with this being the first day in 7 weeks we have woken up before the sunrise!). When she found out I was taking Grayson to Nana's before taking her to preschool she had a total meltdown!!! I knew right there it was not going to be a successful preschool day! So, I headed to mom's with Grayson and Ella in tow! There was no way this mommy was dropping off her baby at preschool crying!

So, about 2 hours later, mom called me at school (my first day mind you) saying she was on her way to take Ella to school!! I couldn't believe it and was so proud of her for changing her mind! She was proud too as you can see from her pictures!

As soon as the bell rang this afternoon, I ran out the doors to pick up my BIG GIRL! Ms. Gina said Ella had a terrific day! Other than waking up from nap scared and missing her mommy, she had a total successful first day of preschool! She is even excited to go back on Thursday!! WOO HOO :)

Here is Ella posing in front of her very own cubby!

This is Ella with her teacher Ms. Gina!

The Birthday Boy Turns One

2011-08-06T20:26:00.008-04:00

A year ago today we were welcoming our sweet baby boy into the world and now he is turning one! I knew having another child would change our life, but you really don't understand how profound the change is until it happens. The moment I laid eyes on this little boy I was head over heels and overwhelmed with love! I was so excited to be having a boy and excited to see how different it would be. Turns out... it is absolutely wonderful! Grayson is the sweetest and most content baby. He laughs non-stop, genuinely loves everyone, loves to play, adores his sister, enjoys to cuddle and give kisses, eats like it's the last time he will ever get to, sings in the most precious voice, enjoys balls and anything with wheels, can make a mess in a matter of seconds, thinks he can do everything on his own, and loves sugar (like the rest of his family!).

Today, we had Grayson's first birthday party with immediate family and close friends. We did a ball theme since he loves balls and anything in the shape of a ball! I really think everyone had a fabulous time... especially the birthday boy!

Amy Johnson made his birthday cupcakes! I knew we all loved the strawberry so Grayson got to have pink cupcakes. :) She also made him his own special ball cupcake which he thoroughly enjoyed.

I decided to put together a string of balls that showed Grayson's growth over the past year. It was neat to see it all put together today.

Grayson's Nanny, Grandbubby, and Uncle Casey were there to celebrate.

Grayson got all sorts of cute gifts, but was not into opening any of them. So... mommy got to do it all (with the help of Ella and Ava of course).

Grayson and his daddy made a fashionably late appearance for the party. We all clapped for the birthday boy when he arrived!

My Aunt Denise made Grayon's birthday shirt! She is very talented and he enjoyed showing it off!

Grayson's Granny, Papa, and Aunt Jackie came to celebrate.

Grayson's Nana, Pa, (soon to be) Aunt Jess, and Uncle Daniel all came out to party as well!

The boys enjoyed talking in the corner!

Everyone enjoyed the pizza, salad, and cupcakes!

A good time was had by all!

The birthday boy chowed down on some pizza!

Keaton and Grayson spent lots of time sitting in the ball pit!

The cupcake was his favorite part of the day!

He loved it!

He made a little too much of a mess, so we bathed him in the sink!

He loved this part of his birthday too!

The party was a total success!

Happy first birthday Grayson! Mommy loves you so much!

The girl loves to paint...

2011-07-18T20:55:00.003-04:00

All summer long, Ella has asked to paint over and over again. She would paint for hours if I let her. She usually paints on paper and has been wanting to get into the acrylics. Anymore I don't even have to set up for her. She grabs her colors, gets her brushes, puts some rinsing water in a cup and tears off a paper towel. There is most definitely a mess that follows her creativity, but it's so worth watching her enjoy herself.

This past weekend, we went to the Breyer Festival at the Kentucky Horse Park. We really aren't what you would call "horse" people let alone model horse collectors, but I found the tickets on Groupon and what would have normally been a $50+ experience was only $10 for the entire family. I thought it would be fun and different for all of us. Come to find out, Ella was in heaven when she got to paint her very own Stablemate. She was happy with her finished product. :)

Swim Lessons

2011-07-16T16:48:00.003-04:00

Ella has always been a little "iffy" when it comes to water. She's not terrified of it, but when it comes to getting it in her face she is not a fan! Her cousin Ava is the same way when it comes to water, so Jackie and I decided swim lessons were a must this summer. We arranged for the girls to go to a semi-private class with each other so they could get a little extra help. So far, they are doing wonderful! They are both on class three of six and have made huge progress! I think these swim lessons will definitely be something we need to continue.

Full face under!! Woo Hoo!

Look Who's Walking

2011-07-12T20:36:00.003-04:00

Grayson is 11 months!

2011-07-06T23:52:00.002-04:00

I just cannot believe my baby is 11 months old! The past eleven months have totally flown by and I have enjoyed every moment of them! Grayson is such a sweet baby with a terrific personality, not to mention a total stud! (Maybe I'm a little bias.) :) Here are a few tidbits about Grayson at 11 months:

Eating Habits:

Grayson eats everything he can get his hands on! Literally! Even if it is a Styrofoam sword that tastes terrible! :)
He loves to eat and would eat all day if I let him, hence the stout figure. There aren't many things he doesn't like which makes my life much easier.
I typically try to feed him whatever we are eating on top of his yummy toddler treats. He loves the Gerber Graduates Fruit Twists and can down one in less than 5 seconds!
Any time I get his highchair plate ready he starts reaching and saying "ummm". Like I said, he loves to eat!
Grayson is a pro at the sippy cup and straw, minus the times he throws it in the floor.
Grayson is still taking 3 bottles and loves them too death! He now knows the word "baba" and says it anytime he knows mommy is getting it!

Sleep Habits:

Grayson still isn't a huge napper, but is on a pretty good schedule this summer. He still wakes up for his early bottle anywhere from 5:30 to 6:30, but then falls back to sleep.
We have had the luxury of sleeping in until 9:30 this summer which is WONDERFUL!
He will typically take a nap right after lunch (some days before) and another nap later in the evening. Neither of his naps are terribly long compared to how his sissy slept when she was his age.
Grayson goes to bed each night anytime between 7:45 and 9. It really depends on when he wakes up from his late nap and what we are doing.
The only issue I am having lately is the fact that he is fighting sleep. I guess he has realized how fun it is to be awake!

Play Habits:

Grayson loves to play! His most favorite toys are balls and anything with wheels. He will empty his ball buckets many times each day and loves to push around all of our wheeled toys. He knows how to say "ball."
Grayson still really enjoys playing with Ella although I think at times they drive each other crazy. Ella is sometimes too aggressive and he pushes her away. And, other times she needs her alone time and he follows her everywhere she goes. I remember those days with my own brother so well. :)
Grayson loves playing games with people. He loves to play peek-a-boo, the pick up game, and shaking his head. He will throw anything to you over and over as long as you continue to pick it up for him. He also loves to shake his head right now and expects you to do it too.
Grayson's first clap happened this past weekend at the Fourth of July parade and he has continued clapping ever since!

Here is a picture of the aftermath of Grayson and blueberry muffins. :)

Happy Independence Day

2011-07-04T18:20:00.009-04:00

Happy Fourth of July to all of the Donovan Clan readers out there! We sure had a terrific holiday weekend and hope you did too! I accidentally uploaded my pics in reverse chronological order, so what you see first is what happened last. :)

We had bought a few fireworks to let off at the house tonight, so that is what you see above. Kermie and Ella had a blast letting off bottle rockets, parachutes, bumblebees, and sparklers.

We went to Lexington for all of their Fourth of July festivities earlier today. The kids enjoyed the parade (even so much that Grayson officially clapped over and over again for the first time!). He also enjoyed his very first taste of cotton candy and I'm pretty certain he is going to be a sugar lover like the rest of us!

Scott County had their fireworks on Saturday night, so we took the kids to Anne Mason Elementary to play until the show started. Ella played hard while Grayson took a nap. They both enjoyed the night and the fireworks too! This was Grayson's first Fourth of July! :)

Oh mommy, the fair... It's so pretty!

2011-06-23T10:08:00.006-04:00

We drove by the fair the other day on our way home and Ella said, "Oh mommy, the fair... It's so pretty!" We skipped the fair last year, so we promised to go this year. Being able to go wasn't looking too promising with all of the crazy weather we've been having, but it ended up holding off last night while we were there. Everyone had a great time!

My cute M&M!

Hands up... so brave!

This may have been their favorite ride!

Two crazy train conductors!

Looking good guys!

Ava is so strong!

Sporting the Army car for daddy!

The men of the night :)

Aye, Aye pirates!

Deep in thought!

So high! Hold on tight.

Ready for the Ferris Wheel.

Jackie and Geoff

Waiting in line.

Content with his baba.

Sliding fun.

Smile for the picture :)

Mommy and her babies.

Check out Ella's pink stripes :)

The Fair!! :)

Three Year Old Tantrums.....HELP

2011-06-19T19:34:00.003-04:00

My mom always said she hoped that I had a child that acted like me (pay back I guess).... I think her hopes came true! Most days Ella is an angel. She is polite, soft spoken, creative, and a pleasure to be around other than her slight bossiness and whining. Her babysitters seem to have less trouble from her than we do here at home. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not. However, there are times... usually the same type of situation that will send our sweet angel over the edge. Today was one of them!

Ella loves her cousin Ava and usually is never ready to leave when the time comes. She and Grayson both go to Ava's house once a week while I am at work. There for a while she would scream like a mad woman when it was time to go home. Unfortunately, that made me almost dread those afternoons. On the other hand, she has gotten better at controlling her tempers on Thursdays which makes my life much easier! Today, for Father's Day, Kermie's family came to our church. I had a talk with Ella before we even got there about how she needed to leave without a fuss and that if we decided not to eat with Ava then there shouldn't be any moaning or groaning. She agreed and I had hoped for the best. Things didn't turn out quite so nice.... When lunch was mentioned, she threw a fit and literally threw her things at me, stopped the ground, screamed at the top of her lungs, and refused to move. The whole time she was throwing her tantrum, I had Grayson in the other hand as well as all of our raincoats and bags, so taming her wasn't an easy task. Finally, some lady came to help and Kermie got Ella out of the door!

To say the least, I always feel like a total failure on these kind of days. My child is acting crazy, I can't get her to be quiet, and our talk before hand had no affect on the situation. She literally drives me batty when she acts like this and drives me to tears which I hate because I am supposed to be the adult. We had a very long talk in the car about her behavior and had initially decided not to go eat with everyone, but I didn't think that was fair because I wanted to get to spend time with my own dad on Father's Day as well. So, we agreed that she would lose her tv in her room as well as a few toys and would have to sit in her chair while we were in the restaurant. She ended up doing really well while we were eating which made us happy to be able to enjoy our meal.

Kermie and I have decided that we are going to have to get tougher/more consistent with our parenting and discipline with Ella. This poor child is going to be sitting in time out for a majority of her summer, but I'm hoping that she realizes the correct way to act at home and out in public.

I'm not sure if anyone else has dealt with this, but if you know of things that work please share!!! I really enjoyed reading these sites: http://breezymama.com/2011/03/21/your-three-year-old/ and http://planningwithkids.com/2009/11/17/characteristics-of-three-and-a-half-year-old-behavior/.

Bath Time Fun

2011-06-16T20:00:00.003-04:00

I am almost certain that Ella and Grayson's most favorite part of each evening is bath time. Ella usually is undressed and standing in an empty tub before I get there and Grayson screams of excitement until we finally get him undressed! They LOVE bath time and have so much fun playing! Tonight, I snapped a few pictures so we would always remember how sweet and fun bath time was when they were this age.

Not sure what she was doing here.

Standing in the tub! Oh no! He is nonstop and makes me nervous!

Ella letting her pony ride on Grayson's back.

Grayson reading a book.

Still reading.

Ella has called "shotgun" on the front of the tub, but Grayson has decided he likes the water spout and wants it too!

They finally came to a happy medium and shared the front.

This and That

2011-06-08T20:12:00.002-04:00

Well, the school year is officially over! The students' last day was June 1st, so we said our farewells for the summer. This year was a different year for me. I think being on maternity leave the first 1/4 of the year had a lot to do with that. I LOVED not having to start off the school year and getting an EXTRA long summer, but at the same time I don't feel like I was able to form the same type of relationships with as many of my students as I feel that I normally do. Trying to get these students motivated was a struggle for me almost every day. On the other hand, I had more students crying about leaving for the summer than any other year! It breaks my heart knowing that some of these kiddos would rather stay in school all year than face what is at home. I am hoping to have some of my students come hang out with me and kids this summer. :)

So, while the students have been out since the first, I will be working until the 17th!!! Teachers actually had their last day today, but I am part of the deconstruction team for the district and am working on that for the next week and a half. I have really enjoyed it so far and love the group of teachers that I am getting to work with. Doing this content work has gotten me very motivated about the upcoming year! I am excited to be getting to welcome three new teachers to my team as well!

Poor baby Grayson is having a hard time lately! Right before Bekah's wedding he was diagnosed with another ear infection. We started Ammoxicillin, but (winning the worst mother of the year award) I got off track while on our trip and wasn't sure how to get him caught up. About 2 weeks later, he started with a runny nose and cutting another tooth. Three or four days later he ran a low grade fever. Two days later his fever rose to 104. My mom took him to the doctor on Monday and they said that he had fluid on his ears again. We put him on a stronger antibiotic. When I picked him up today he was covered in a rash. My initial thought was that he was maybe allergic to the medicine, but the doctor said it may be Roseola which makes perfect sense. I don't remember Ella's case of Roseola being as bad, but Grayson's back is covered. So, the poor baby has a double ear infection, is cutting another tooth, and has Roseola all at the same time. None of it keeps him from smiling though. :(

As for the rest of the Donovan Clan, we are enjoying our time together! Kermie just got back from a work trip to Florence. Ella is enjoying summer to the fullest by going to bed with nothing but a pull-up, staying in her bathing suit 24/7, and getting quite filthy outside. And, we are all (me and the kids at least) looking forward to sleeping in come June 18th! I will post some fun summer pics soon! :)

Sibling Love

2011-05-31T17:52:00.004-04:00

Ella and Grayson remind me so much of my brother and me when we were little. While I don't remember being 3 years old, I do remember playing with my brother for hours and having a blast. We would play Ninja Turtles, play in the sandbox, make potions, build tents, wrestle on the bed, etc. until I laughed so hard it hurt. I probably wasn't the nicest at all times, in fact, I could be quite mean, but we sure did have a lot of fun when we were small (Plus, aren't big sisters supposed to be a little bossy??). I really hope that Ella and Grayson stay as close as they appear to be now because their relationship is just precious.

Solo Recital and a Wedding

2011-05-24T20:17:00.006-04:00

Life here at the Donovan household has been busy to say the least!

Last Thursday night, Ella had her first "solo" recital. She was very excited as was everyone who came to watch. Parents were not able to watch during this new session so it was neat to see what the kids had learned. I was excited to see how she did in a class without mommy since we had only done the Mommy and Me class last spring. Overall, she did terrific! She was so excited to show off her moves in front of family and Daddy's roses made the night even better.

On Friday, we left for Gatlinburg for my sister's wedding. We all really enjoyed our time away and the wedding turned out just perfect! I was excited to see everything fall in place as I know my mom was too! Destination weddings are so ideal in terms of not having to do everything yourself. I loved how smoothly everything ran and Bekah looked stunning. Ella said that her favorite part of the weekend (options being: riding up the Sky Lift, riding Go-Karts, swimming, and being a flower girl) was definitely being a flower girl! She was the most precious and perfect flower girl I've seen! Mommy is a tad proud! Congrats to Bekah and Casey. We love you and are so happy to have shared in your special day! f :)

Look Who's Nine Months!

2011-05-11T08:30:00.004-04:00

On May 6th, Grayson turned 9 months! Yes, 9 months! I just can't believe how "big" our little guy is getting.

I took him to the doctor Tuesday for his check up and Dr. Hoddy said Grayson is growing perfectly. He measured 29 1/4 inches which puts him at 75%, he weighed in at 21 lbs. 14.4 ounces which puts him at 74%, and his head was a whopping 49 cm which puts him at 99%.

Here are a few more of Grayson's latest achievements:

He pulls up on everything and can stand without support for a few seconds before becoming wobbly!
He has 4 teeth now and is loving all table food!
He babbles all day, but we were excited to hear him say "Ella"! He yells for her all the time.
He is a happy, happy boy, but can get fiesty at times too! He loves to hit (hopefully playing!) and pull things out of your hands. I consider him all boy as opposed to his sister who was all girl!

Happy 9 months Grayson! We love you!

Rising Above Circumstances

2011-04-27T19:17:00.002-04:00

Being that this is week one of the KCCT, I am finding myself yet again full of emotions (both negative and positive).

I guess my biggest "beef" with the whole testing process is the idea that some students just have it so much harder than others. We, as educators, are expected to hold all students to the same expectations (which I agree with), but in all honesty, how can you expect a student who was taken from his mother, has never seen his father, doesn't get enough sleep or food to eat, and struggles to fit in at school to perform at the same level of the student who lives in a "normal" household?

This raises another question: what is normal? Growing up, I always thought that I came from a normal family with normal goals and aspirations. However, this belief appears to be quite jaded the older I get and longer I teach. I am realizing that I have always been "abnormal" in the sense that I was "normal." There are more students in my classes that come from broken homes than those that live with both parents. There are more students in my classes that have seen things I have only heard about in movies. There are more students in my classes that know and understand more about struggling to make ends met than their own parents because they are the ones responsible for making dinner at night. I have actually had students tell me when responding to my questions about why they do or believe certain things, "My family is crazy. That is just how we are." There are days that I wonder how I can even contend with all the baggage they bring to my classroom door.

It is so hard to feel pity for these students and to lower expectations when you know how hard they have it outside of the classroom, but I also know that my job is to teach them to rise above their circumstances. God didn't make us all alike and He hasn't allowed us to all travel the same path, but He did give us each unique characteristics that make us exceptional in some way and the freewill to exhibit those qualities. So while a student may come to school in tears because dad was taken to jail that every morning, it is my responsibility to show him or her that there is a positive way to look at the situation: Everyone is given a choice and it is up to us to make the right one. Her daddy may not have made the right one, but that doesn't mean she can't.

I am always so proud of my students this time of year because I know how hard they have worked and how far they have come (whether it is to proficiency or not). Deep down I know they all have it in them to be "distinguished" students, it's just getting them to see it for themselves and rise above their circumstances.

The Best Gift

2011-04-26T20:38:00.002-04:00

Easter 2011 was a terrific occasion for the Donovan family. Not only did we get to visit with family and make memories, but we were also able to reflect on the great sacrifice that was given so that we could live the blessed life we live today. I find it so amazing to really ponder how great the gift of salvation is and how selfish I am in comparison to He who constantly forgives and is alive in me today. One thing is for sure, I would not make it an hour in this world without knowing that God is alive and guiding my every step. I pray that if there is any one thing that Kermie and I are successful at in this life is that we are able to show our children God's love and compassion.

We were able to spend the entire weekend visiting with family. On Saturday, we went to spend the day with Kermie's family. And, although it was a bit soggy, the kids really enjoyed hunting for eggs inside.

Sunday morning, we woke up and the kids opened their Easter baskets. Please notice how we had all just rolled right out of bed.

After church, we headed down to mom and dad's for Easter pizza and another egg hunt. The kids had a terrific time and have enough candy to last several months!

I hope everyone had a terrific Easter!

“The highest act of love is the giving of the best gift, and, if necessary, at the greatest cost, to the least deserving. That’s what God did. At the loss of His Son’s life to the totally undeserving, God gave the best gift – the display of the glory of Christ who is the image of God.” [John Piper]

Easter Bunny

2011-04-19T20:13:00.002-04:00

Today, mom took Ella and Grayson to see the Easter Bunny at the Fayette Mall. Mom has always been so good about making sure the kids get all of their holiday pictures taken and I am so thankful! It's hard enough doing everyday errands let alone making a trip to the mall just for a picture. I am always so excited to see how the picture turns out and hear everyone's reactions. This year was no exception! Both kids loved the big bunny and managed to smile for a picture.

Ella and Grayson are both growing so fast so I also wanted to take a few minutes to blog about what's new with them.

Ella just started a new gymnastics/dance class. She is part of the 4 year old class where the kids do a 45-minute half gymnastics and half ballet class. I am not allowed to go in which I think will be a huge plus!
Grayson is a crawling machine. He started crawling right around the 7 month mark, but didn't take off like a mad man until a few weeks ago!
Ella has a personality to fit a queen! There are days that I love her too death and others that I am wondering what I've gotten myself in to! I'm assuming she is much like I was as a preschooler with all the button pushing and testing of limits, but she most definitely has her daddy's stubborn/hardheaded/argumentative traits!
Grayson is also pulling up on everything he can get his hands on. He scares me too death, but is impossible to stop! His poor head has been bumped so many times.
Ella is a terrific big sister. She loves to help, make Grayson laugh, and kisses him a bazillion times a day.
Grayson is cutting more teeth. He's getting two more at the top at the moment! I wish they didn't have to go through that.
Ella is learning to read a little at a time. She has all of her uppercase letters down and is working on mastering lowercase. She is getting better about putting sounds with the letters and is great with telling a story through pictures! We will continue to work with phonics and writing her last name.
Grayson is eating tons of table food! He has officially been given dairy and seems to tolerate it just fine! :) He's loving the big boy food.

Spring Break 2011: Disney and Cocoa Beach

2011-04-11T16:24:00.007-04:00

Friday after school, we all headed home to finish packing for our much anticipated Disney vacation! We finally had everything together and headed out around 6:30 or so. The plan was to drive through the night while the kids slept and it worked fairly well until about 2 am or so. Grayson was becoming uncomfortable and kept waking Ella up. We decided to stop to sleep, but there were no hotels to be found in the state of Georgia! So, we ended up taking a pit stop at a rest station with Kermie holding Ella and me holding Grayson in the front seats. Not ideal, but it worked. We arrived in Orlando around 9:30 Saturday morning and drove around until our hotel was ready. Kermie and Ella visited Orange World (which looked very promising), but was not worth the stop. Finally, around 2 pm our room was ready and we headed over to check out the resort.

The rest of the day Saturday was filled with unpacking, sleeping on Kermie's part, playground visits, a little swimming, and a trip to UNO for pizza. We were very pleased with our hotel considering it only cost us $400 for the week. There was a nice living room for the kids to play, full kitchen, laundry, a screened in porch, huge bed, Jacuzzi tub, and shower. They have multiple bedroom units, but we chose a one bedroom. For anyone who works for the government and wants a great place to stay for cheap check out http://www.getravelop.com/ . This is the website we used to find our resort http://www.wyndham.com/hotels/MCOCP/main.wnt

We spent most of Sunday and Monday poolside and went to Downtown Disney for the evening. Ella enjoyed the music being played and danced with the other children for a good hour! She also visited The World of Disney store. Grayson and Ella both loved the pool. Ella usually found a friend to play with and Grayson would get in for a while, play on the deck, and nap.

Tuesday was our Magic Kingdom day. We knew ahead of time that it was going to rain and Kermie insisted that it would be the best day to go as far as crowds are concerned. We had gone to Wal-Mart the day before and bought ponchos and a tarp for the stroller. We were prepared to say the least :) As soon as we stepped off the ferry boat, the storms rolled in and lasted a few hours. We rode every ride we wanted without a wait! It was perfect! Ella's favorite was Peter Pan :)

Wednesday was spent at the pool again. We had our pool day routine down pretty well by this point. Wake up, be at the pool by 9, swim until lunch, eat lunch, put the kids down for nap, I got to go back by the pool for about 30 more minutes, shower, and go to dinner :) We also took the kids to the playground when we got home that night to play.

On Thursday, we headed over to Animal Kingdom since we had completed Magic Kingdom on Tuesday. We had a little scare Thursday morning when we thought we had lost our ONLY car key. We searched the room upside down (or so we thought), called for a shuttle to pick us up, looked into having a new key made ($160), and figured out how to tow the car to the car place ($$$). Finally, after doing some laundry and a lot of praying, I moved the door to find the key under the door! We did a little celebration and headed to Animal Kingdom. Animal Kingdom was a little crowded, but we had a blast. The Lion King show and Nemo Musical were awesome! Ella loved them both. We waited in line for about 70 minutes for the safari, but it was well worth the wait!

Friday was our last full day of vacation since we would be driving back Saturday and Sunday. We decided to head to the beach in order to "kill two birds with one stone." The last time we went to the beach, Ella did not enjoy it for the most part. She didn't like the sand, mainly because it was full of shells and was terrified of the waves. This time she LOVED it... every part of it! Grayson didn't show much emotion either way. He's always just along for the ride :)

After showering, we went out to dinner one last time at Downtown Disney. I could spend hours there, but Kermie isn't a huge fan of the crowd! We took the kids to the Once Upon A Toy store and then headed back to pack up.

Overall, our trip was a total success. It is difficult being in the car for 14 hours with small children, but coloring books, toys, food, and movies help to make it a little more bearable. I managed to squeeze in the backseat between the two kids and spent the majority of the time there while Kermie drove. We were smart on the way home and reserved ourselves a room about 9 hours in. Hopefully, the next time we head somewhere that far it will be more convenient to fly! I hope everyone else had a fabulous spring break and yay for 30 some days of school left!! :)

Warm weather brings many smiles!

2011-03-27T07:20:00.004-04:00

We have been enjoying and taking advantage of the warmer weather the past few weeks. With the skies a beautiful blue and the sun shining bright, we can't help but be outside. The kids have been to our park here in Sadieville, to the "fishy" park in Georgetown, and on many walks.

The two handsome men in my life! :)

Ella checking out her daddy's latest car purchase.

She's "into" all the cars he flips.

Enjoying some swing time.

Having fun!

Taking the long way home. This is my most favorite road in Scott County!

Saying goodbye to the pony.

Kermie and I are very excited to tell Ella we are leaving for Disney World this Friday. She has no real concept of time yet and as a matter of fact, everything she's ever done happened "last night." She asks daily if we leave that day, but of course it's always a no. I can't wait to see the look on her face when it's a yes! We are planning to drive through the night so the kids can sleep and somewhat enjoy the very long car ride. I will be sure to blog about our trip when we return.

Checking In

2011-03-12T21:19:00.005-05:00

Things here are busy as usual. However, new news....

Grayson has two teeth and is attempting to crawl! He will be all over the place before long.

I snapped a few shots of the kiddos today before we went to Lexington, so I thought I'd post one for you to enjoy.

All members of the family are healthy!! Praise God. :)

Kermie's car business is "a-booming." He and Andrew are buying and selling like crazy!

The weather was fabulous today!

And, last but not least, we will be in Florida in less than three weeks! Ella is so excited and I cannot wait to see her expression when she finds out the day has arrived. Kermie and I are planning some sort of surprise for her on the day we leave. CAN'T WAIT!

2011-03-05T20:33:00.006-05:00

Happy seven months to my favorite little guy!!

The past seven months have been seven of the greatest months of my life. I had always heard about the "special" bond between a mother and her son, but of course you never know until you experience it. This little guy sure has me wrapped and I am head over heels in love!! Here is a little glimpse into the life of Grayson at seven months old!

I love to smile and I hear my smile is contagious!
My sister is one of my favorite people because I think she is just so funny. She makes me laugh all of the time. I can't wait until I can move around like she does!
Food is something I cannot live without (obviously)! I eat three meals a day and still beg my mommy for 4 bottles too! The only food I haven't enjoyed so far is bananas, but I may come around eventually.
I love to sleep! Not so much during the day because I want to play and watch everything going on around me, but I definitely get in my full night of "handsome" sleep each night.
There are all sorts of crazy sounds coming out of my mouth these days. I started with ma, moved to da, and throw in a few ba and na's here and there. I really like to hear myself talk which is why I do it all day long.
A love of music runs in my family and I'm pretty sure I get this from my daddy. When Ella was my age she loved listening to Casting Crowns, but my favorite song comes from the Seeds of Worship CD my mommy keeps in her car. John 8:12 is the verse I love to hear.
I don't really have a favorite toy, unless you would consider a bottle of Cetaphil face lotion a toy. This bottle keeps me occupied for quite a while.
My back is getting really strong and I am impressing everyone at my house with my sitting capabilities. Today I sat for over 20 minutes without anyone having to rush to my rescue! I really want to move around and am starting to get up on my hands and knees, but this physique of mine isn't conducive to picking up for long periods of time!!
I guess you could say I am a pretty happy guy! Until recently (with my bout of RSV), I was very easy to please. I guess I've gotten a little used to being held and loved on the past week or so that I'm not sure I want to give this up. I don't really ever cry, but when I want some extra attention I just give a little fuss and they come running. It's a nice set up I've got going on!
I love my family and they love me!

February... Forever Forgotten?

2011-03-02T20:17:00.003-05:00

It has been a while since I've last posted and after reading this post you'll understand exactly why! February has been, to say the least, a very busy month! With the combination of work, traveling, children, and just life in general, February has proved to be a month that for the most part I do not care to relive!! Here is a quick look at what the Donovan Clan has been doing in the past few weeks (weeks that we may not care to forget)!

1. Deer Hit #1: On the way to mom's with kids in tow, a deer runs right into the back of my car. Luckily, no damage other than the emotional overload was done!

2. Went to give the kids a bath and about scalded my hand because the water was so hot. Come to find out, our water heater had caught on fire! Our plumber came the next day to put a new one in and said we were lucky!

3. Weekend getaway! We spent a weekend with friends in Owensboro which was a blast! On our way home, my car stops completely in the middle of nowhere! We have no signal on our cellphones, the sun is beginning to set, I have to be at work the next morning, etc. On the other hand, God provided us with a wonderful couple (from Georgetown!) who stopped to be with us while we reached 911 and the sheriff came to pick us up. Yes, Ella had a blast riding in the back of the sheriff car! Kermie stayed the night in noman's land with the car (turns out the fuel pump went out), while a family member came to rescue. We got home around midnight. At 3 am Ella began throwing up.

4. Ella's stomach flu. Ella began throwing up around 3 am and puked almost non-stop for 48 hours. I had never seen her so sick in all my life. I was terrified that she would become dehydrated, but she was a trooper and managed to keep drinking! I ended up having to the take the next day off (keep in mind I have no paid days left due to my maternity leave) to take care of my pitiful baby girl!

5. RSV??!! At the end of the week, when Ella began feeling normal again, I decided it was okay to proceed with our regular routine. However, both kids started with a crazy cough that continued to get worse and worse. Grayson stopped sleeping at night which is what let me know something was really wrong! This boy has not woken up at night since he was about 6 weeks old! We made an appointment on Sunday morning and found out RSV was the culprit of the horrible runny noses, congested heads, low grade fevers, etc. There is nothing worse than seeing your children so sick!! My heart has been broken for over two weeks straight.

6. Deer Hit #2: On the way to mom's, I see a deer run up the hill. Being cautious, I slow way down and get run over by another deer following way behind. It didn't feel like I had hit it very hard and I was so thankful that the kids were not with me this time. On the way home that evening, I see the deer and realize it had hit a little harder than I had thought.

While February proved to be a tough month that I would rather not remember, I feel that my relationship with God has kicked up a notch! Without the comfort of knowing He would get me through and that my situation doesn't compare to many who have it way worse even on my worst days, I wouldn't have managed! I have very much enjoyed the extra snuggle time with my babies and enjoy my family coming to watch the kids at the house!

Here's to looking forward to Spring and Disney World in four weeks!!! WOO HOO :)

Be My Valentine

2011-02-16T22:00:00.007-05:00

This Valentine Holiday was a very special one for many reasons:

1. I was able to have 3 valentines instead of 2: my terrific husband, sweet Ella, and adorable Grayson!

2. I was able to spend a weekend away with my husband and great friends.

3. I finally got the camera I have been wanting for what seems forever!

4. I received roses again. :) Kermie has never missed a flower occasion since we have been together (pretty good considering that is approximately 12 years now).

5. I watched Ella adore her daddy as he showered her with flowers, candy, hugs, and kisses.

6. I snuggled my sweet babies and LOVED every moment.

Hope everyone else enjoyed their Valentine's Day!

Growing Leaps and Bounds

2011-02-08T19:00:00.003-05:00

Today was Grayson's six month check up with Dr. Badger. Luckily, today was also a snow day so I was able to move his appointment up and take the kids out for lunch. Ella loves eating at restaurants, so she was very excited about that! These are the pictures I was able to snap at lunch, including our "french fry smiley guy."

After lunch and a little ice skating on the parking lot, we headed over to Georgetown Pediatrics for our "dreaded" check up. Grayson did great with his finger prick, but definitely cried a little with his shots. He ended up getting a total of four since I decided on getting the first dose of the Flu shot. Ella, who was supposed to be his cheerleader, ended up crying too because she could not stand that he was hurting! Poor babies! On the other hand, he is growing leaps and bounds. He weighed in at 18 lbs. 12 oz., measured 26.75 inches, and measured 46.5cm in head circumference. That puts him at > 75%, <> 95%. What a big boy! Here is a cute picture of Ella and Grayson on the table.

After our appointment and visit with Granny, we headed to McDonald's for a vanilla cone! These are Ella's absolute favorite and she deserved something special for being such a big girl today.

Here are a few tid bits about Grayson at 6 months:

He loves his bottle still and loves baby food almost as much! He is down to four bottles a day (7 to 8 oz. each). He eats breakfast and dinner so far which usually consists of cinnamon raisin granola and either a vegetable or fruit for dinner. He loves pretty much all baby foods other than bananas! I couldn't believe it!
He is becoming very active! He loves his exersaucer, his playmat, bouncy chair (still), and rolling around on the floor with toys. He tries his hardest to sit, but usually topples after a few seconds. He's got lots of body fat to balance!! :)
Grayson babbles all day long! He is beginning to make simple phoneme sounds, but hasn't conquered the "mama" I've been longing to hear.
He is still the happiest baby I've ever seen and absolutely adores his sister. She is his favorite person and he will laugh at her all day long! She adores him just as much and has turned into the perfect big sister minus a little roughness.
Grayson is still a terrific sleeper at night and is finally starting to get into a good nap routine during the day. He usually takes 3 naps a day, but they are never really a consistent length. I won't complain since he lets me sleep at night!
He is the newest love of my life and I just LOVE having him as my sweet baby boy!! :)

Check out this babe!

2011-02-04T20:35:00.003-05:00

I was so excited today when Ella decided to get her hair cut!!! She has been on a long hair kick for a while and has been growing her hair out for several months without a trim. Her daddy and I, on the other hand, love her hair short and have been trying to tell her how cute her hair would be if we cut it a little. So, she decided that today was the day and the outcome was terrific! I love you Ellie Bellie!! :)

God Speaks

2011-01-23T10:52:00.004-05:00

This morning, I woke up and since Grayson is still suffering from his nasty cold, we decided not to go to church. Kermie wanted to take Ella on a little date and I stayed home with Grayson to enjoy more snuggle time. I am always bummed when we can't make it to church, but I find it amazing how God speaks to you no matter where you are. My personality and/or mentality has always been one of worry. I know worry is a sin, but this is one that I constantly struggle with. Whether it is worry about family, school, work, etc, etc., etc. I have a hard time finding peace in the current situation and am always looking forward to what will be. However, God has really been working on me the past year or so and I am so thankful to be slowly breaking free of worry! On the other hand, when I first woke up this morning, I could feel that little tinge of worry creeping up inside of me. As I was watching the Southland Hour with Grayson sound asleep in my arms, I heard God speaking loud and clear!

1. I am so blessed to have a husband who cherishes time with his kids and has no problem getting in alone time.

2. I am so thankful to have had a great childhood and parents who raised me to the best of their ability in a Godly home.

3. I am blessed to have friends that are honest, share their struggles, and give sincere advice.

4. I shouldn't expect anything from anyone no matter what the situation.

5. Every moment God gives us is our CHANCE. Our chance to witness, to lead, to forgive, to love, etc.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday afternoon and stays warm!!! :)

Snow, Snow, Come our Way.....

2011-01-12T17:23:00.003-05:00

Bring us another Snow Day!!

Ella and Grayson are getting used to having mommy at home with all of the Snow Days we've had this school year. We are up to 7 so far and Ella is to the point where she asks in the morning, "Snow Day Mommy?" I most definitely don't like going to school in June, but I wouldn't trade these days for anything! Here are some of the moments I've treasured the past two days!

Throw up, work, throw up, laundry, throw up, OH MY!!!!

2011-01-07T18:22:00.008-05:00

I have yet to blog this year, so I thought it was about time. I debated whether or not to do a New Year's post, but by the time I made a decision it was already gone and past! Kermie and I actually got to spend New Year's Eve together and had a terrific time. Buy one, get one free dinner at Ruby Tuesday's, a little shopping, and my very first 3D movie! If you haven't seen TRON, you must! The kiddos rang in 2011 at their Nana and Pa's house :)

We have been extremely busy or should I say sick around here! My mom got sick on Monday, Grayson got sick Tuesday night, and Ella decided to get sick on Wednesday night. I'm not really sure that we can take much more of this virus around these parts, so I'm hoping it is gone for good! I have several students sick with what appears to be the same stomach bug. :(

In the mix of sickness, I did manage to take the Christmas trees down, grade a few papers, do some laundry, and get the house picked up. Have you ever had one of those weeks where you felt that you just couldn't keep up? This has definitely been one of those weeks for me. Taking off work when you're a teacher is such a pain because instead of getting to miss work, you get to double your work! Luckily, my mom watched the kids at the house today, Kermie came home right after work, and I got to stay at work to get caught up. I dread bringing anything home on the weekends because it takes away from family time, so I usually try to avoid that if possible. Fortunately, I got it all finished!

I have been able to snap a few pics and even a video over the past few days so I thought I'd share. I hope everyone has a terrific weekend!

Grayson officially doesn't like rice cereal, oatmeal or bananas. He does still love his bottle though!!

My precious babies!

Grayson at Four Months

2010-12-29T18:27:00.003-05:00

Today, I took Grayson in for his four month check up (a little late I guess) and he had grown leaps and bounds! To sum it up, he had grown 2 inches, gained 2 pounds, and grown 2 centimeters in head circumference. How's that for my big boy!

I made a little comparison chart to show the differences between Ella and Grayson at four months.

	Height	Weight	Percentile
Grayson	26 ½ inches	16 lbs. 6.8 oz.	90 - 75
Ella	25 inches	13 lbs. 11.2 oz.	75 - 50

A New Kind of Christmas

2010-12-28T19:36:00.003-05:00

Christmas 2010 was a new kind of Christmas for the Donovan's. Every year before, we have gone to all 4 Christmases in order to be with Kermie's immediate family, my immediate family, and both sides of my extended family. However, this year we knew all that hustle and bustle wasn't going to work for us. Was I going to miss it? Absolutely! Ever since I was a child I looked forward to visiting with cousins and other family members I didn't get to see all the time on Christmas. It was always such a fun time! But, would we (the four of us) get to set our own family traditions and relax on Christmas Day? I had hoped so!

So, here's the story of our new kind of Christmas 2010!

We started out Christmas Eve morning with Kermie's extended family. Ella and Ava enjoyed getting to open all their presents and spending time with one another. Grayson, as always, took in the sights and opened a few presents himself. As for the rest of us, we enjoyed time together and yummy food!

Later that evening, we headed back to Sadieville for Christmas Eve with my family. My sister had to work so we all waited on her to get back. Ella got to open her Barbie Jeep and Grayson opened some toys and clothes. We usually celebrate Jesus' birthday by singing and eating our cupcakes, but by the time 8:00 rolled around I started feeling a little under the weather. :( By the time we got home (10 minutes away), it had all gone downhill from there! My stomach was in knots and my entire night was spent running from the bedroom to the bathroom! I hadn't been that sick in years! "Mrs. Claus" was out of operation!

Needless to say, the next morning I wasn't a very exciting person. I barely remember watching the kids open their presents, but luckily Kermie took pictures and video for me to cherish! I spent the remainder of that day in bed and was only awake for about 2 hours. All of those fun, new traditions would have to wait until the day after Christmas! But, as for the kiddos... they enjoyed a fun Christmas Day with their daddy :)

The next day, we all woke up feeling great! We made breakfast, played with toys, did a little baking, built a Gingerbread House, and enjoyed a relaxing, blessed day together!

So, while this new kind of Christmas may not have gone exactly as I had planned, I feel so blessed to have spent it with the ones I love! I hope everyone of you had a very Merry Christmas as well!

Two Reasons Why I Am Thankful!

2010-12-21T21:47:00.002-05:00

This morning, Ella and Grayson were laying in my bed watching Beauty and the Beast. Or, I guess Ella was watching the movie and Grayson was watching her watch the movie. :) I went to pick up the living room and when I returned this is what I found. Ella had put her brother to sleep. They love each other so much and I am so thankful that God blessed me with this wonderful moment!

Birthday Weekend Fun!

2010-12-21T21:09:00.004-05:00

Every year since I can remember, I have loved having a Christmas birthday! This year was no different and maybe one of my favorite yet!

One of my favorite places to go during the Christmas season is the Gaylord Opryland Hotel! They always decorate so pretty and there is quite a bit of stuff for children to do there as well. However, being that it is super expensive to stay the night there, we have always stayed somewhere else... but we found out this year that teachers get discounts! Yes... good discounts! So I immediately told Kermie that there would be no gift giving, but that we would be spending the weekend in Nashville! Lynsie, Robert, and Emmie were wanting to go as well so we met there and were able to spend the weekend catching up with them. Emmie and Ella played together so well and really enjoyed each others company. And, as always, we enjoyed Lynsie and Robert's company as well.

Another plus to my birthday is getting to celebrate it with my mom! Her birthday is on the 18th and mine is on the 20th, so we always celebrate together. This year we ate at Cheddar's and enjoyed the food, drinks, and laughter! :)

Giggle, Giggle

2010-11-29T17:12:00.002-05:00

I captured what he likes to do best! :)

Trip to See Santa

2010-11-29T17:07:00.001-05:00

Mom took Ella and Grayson to see Santa today. She also bought them matching outfits!! How cute! :)

The Holidays are Here!

2010-11-28T17:03:00.000-05:00

Ella enjoyed putting up her tree. She didn't remember having a pink tree of her own so this was a huge surprise for her!

I had to buy new stockings this year as our previous three matched and Grayson has now joined the family. I was very excited to find these initial stockings at Kohl's for $4! I thought they were super cute.

I wish it wasn't "redneck" to keep your tree up year round because I sure would love to keep mine up!

November/December is definitely one of my favorite times of the year and yes, I already have Christmas music playing in my car. I've always been a sucker for any and all things Christmas and having kids just makes it so much more magical. Ella still isn't one to tell you what she wants, so buying for her is quite easy. We kept everything simple this year and bought very little. I dream of Ella and Grayson wanting to give more to others than receive and understanding that Jesus has given to us more than we should expect Him to. On a giving note, Ella chose to buy for a little girl her age this year through a church program, so she was able to fill a box and send it to hopefully brighten that little girl's day. It was hard for Ella to realize that she shouldn't have one of everything we put in the box and she was terribly concerned that we didn't know the name of the little girl. She ended up naming her Belle and really wanted to personally deliver her gifts. Here at the Donovan Household, we have all of our decorations up both inside and out and are very ready for Christmas to be here!

Kohl's was a mad house and the line was wrapped half way around the store. :)

Breakfast at Cracker Barrel before going home to crash!

Our first stop was Wal-Mart and to our surprise it was not crowded!

Now, while I didn't do much shopping this year I did make sure I had something to buy on Black Friday as it is one of my most favorite days of the year. Mom and I have a 10 + year tradition of Black Friday shopping and this is one tradition that I am not willing to give up! We don't necessarily go for the deals, but more for the experience. This year we headed out around 2 am and were finished by 8 am. I hope when we're old and gray we still like to shop!!

Family Photos by Emily Faith Photography

2010-11-18T19:34:00.016-05:00

Since we hadn't had a family photograph taken since May 2009, we thought what better time than now with the beautiful change of seasons and new addition to the family. I found Emily Faith through Facebook and immediately loved her work. She had mentioned taking pictures at Shaker Village so that is where we headed. It was probably the coldest day in October and we were all a tad tired and frozen, but despite it all the pictures turned out great. Emily does a great job capturing the personality of her subjects and is reasonably priced. I am all about buying the cd of photos so that having to choose a picture isn't a problem. Emily includes the sitting fee and cd price all together which allows you to make as many prints as you'd like! I can't wait to get ours printed! Here are a few from our session :)

K-K-K-Katy

2010-11-14T07:23:00.000-05:00

My great-grandmother Johnny used to sing this song to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren when she rocked them to sleep. A generation later: My Nanny (mom's mom) also sang this song to her kids, grandchildren (including me), and great-grandchildren (including Ella) when she rocked them to sleep. A generation later: My mother sang this song to me and to Ella when she rocked us to sleep. A generation later: I sing this song to Ella and it is one of her favorite lullabyes. I never knew the origins to this song, but Kermie did a little research and found that it was a song from the WWI era. I thought this was so interesting and wanted to share it with you :)

Airplanes, Subways, Cars... Oh My!

2010-11-10T18:23:00.012-05:00

So, my spontaneous, car-flipping husband decided to sell his new car and buy an old one in Chicago last week. He and my pastor are into the whole car-flipping/money-saving thing and have both sold their own vehices in order to pay less and have the potential to flip them at some point. I was very excited about this for many reasons: 1. One less car payment. 2. Cheaper car insurance. 3. Teaching our children a valuable lesson about not having to have "nice" things. 4. A trip to one of my favorite cities... CHICAGO! 5. Ella getting the chance to fly in an airplane.

On the otherhand, I was not too excited about leaving behind my sweet Grayson! I tried and tried to talk Kermie into letting me take him, but being the rational one of the two of us, he finally convinced me that it would not be a pleasant trip. We were leaving late Friday night, would not get to our hotel until late, it would be cold, and we would be driving home.

Mom and dad dropped us off at the airport in Louisville around 5:30 or so and of course I boo-hooed as they pulled off. It's so hard to leave your kids, even if it is what is best for them! The three of us (Ella, Kermie, and myself) proceeded to check our bags and grab some dinner before our plane arrived. Ella loved every minute of the whole experience!

Here she is getting in her last minute call before boarding! :)

Ella could not wait to take off! She kept asking, "Are we flying yet?"

We finally landed in Chicago at 8:15 pm their time and hopped on the Blue Line. Did I mention it was 33 degrees when we landed and that it takes a good hour or so to ride the subway into town? Ella is a tad exhausted at this point, but was such a trooper!

The next morning we woke up and while Kermie went to square away his car deal, Ella and I headed to the American Girl store. We went ahead and made Miley an appointment to get her hair done and Kermie met us to watch her get pretty. Ella made her a shirt and bought her a new skirt. And, I can honestly say that I will never go back to that store this time of year again! It was insane!!

For lunch, we headed to Giordano's. They have super yummy pizza and this was Kermie's only request for the weekend!

I think the late travel made Ella a little grouchy on Saturday because there were quite a few moments like the one pictured here! It didn't help that I had promised her that we would swim (and the hotel did not have a pool---really??) and that when we got to the aquarium the wait to get in was an hour and 40 minutes!

She cheered up though and we headed to do a little shopping around. Being the photographer she is, she sat the camera up on a ledge and made us squat for this timed photo :)

After shopping, we headed to a playground where she enjoyed playing with a few other little girls who were waiting on their bus.

The next morning, we woke up early and headed to the Shedd Aquarium in order to bypass the horrible line. We had no wait and went right in!

This aquarium is one of my favorites for sure! Ella loved mimicing the penguins she saw and thought touching the sea stars was cool!

Here is our last family picture before heading back to Kentucky! I was super happy that the "new old" car made it safely back!

I captured a few videos of Ella's first flight! She was so excited in this one!

Trick-or-Treat

2010-11-03T20:55:00.013-04:00

Ella and Grayson were extremely fortunate to get a triple dose of Halloween this year!

Mom took the kids to the annual Downtown Trick-or-Treating on Friday while I was at school. I was a little sad to have to miss out this year due to the fact that I had exhausted all of my days, but was so happy to see that they enjoyed it! Snow White and Skeleton are enjoying time with Nana!

Later Friday night, we headed over to the Beckett's house for a fun Halloween Party. Ella had a blast and partied hard while Grayson slept most of the time.

Saturday was Trick-or-Treat for Scott County, so mom and dad came over to celebrate with us. Dad and Kermie stayed home to pass out candy like usual and mom and I took the kids around. There weren't as many "passer outters" this year, but Ella still managed to make it home with a full pumpkin bucket. She even stopped at home to pass out some candy to kids and helped her daddy campaign as she visited different houses.

This Halloween was also very special for our family for a reason not related to Halloween at all. Grayson was dedicated at church on Sunday, October 31. This is a picture after his dedication service :)

The results are in ...

2010-11-03T20:46:00.003-04:00

My husband has officially won his first election! Yay for Kermie being elected to Sadieville's City Commission! It's time to get Sadieville on the right track and showcase its' best qualities. He's going to be a great asset to the team!

Look Who's 12 Weeks Old....

2010-10-30T10:27:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I turned 12 weeks old! My mommy just can't believe it's true. She took me to my two month check up yesterday (yes... at 12 weeks) because my doctor is one busy guy. I think he's a pretty terrific doctor myself. Dr. Hambrick said I looked great. I am weighing in at a little over 14 pounds and I am a little over 24 inches tall. This makes me bigger than 90% of boys my age! I'm such a big boy. Mommy and daddy are amazed at how much bigger I am than my sister Ella! She was only a mere 21.5 inches tall and 10.5 pounds at my age. I guess she won't be able to pick on me after all! :) My ear infections were all cleared up and I was able to follow the doctor's light a whole 180 degrees!

So far, I am loving my new schedule now that mommy is going back to work. I get to see my Aunt Jackie two times a week (with 2 crazy girls running around the house), my Nana two days (with lots of animals running around her house), and my Granny on Wednesdays! I am such a lucky little boy! I don't take many long naps during the day, but Dr. H said that is perfectly normal with me sleeping from 8:30 until mommy wakes me up in the morning! He said not to worry about naps during the day if I sleep at night. So... sorry to all my babysitters.... I'm going to continue going full force all day long! That just means there's going to be more time to laugh and play together!

I think I might be breaking my mommy and daddy's bank account with the rate that I'm growing out of my clothes! Mommy took me shopping again so that I didn't have to crunch into 3 month clothes or go naked! I really think mommy enjoys it though because it gives her excuses to go shopping. You're welcome mommy!

Everyone tells me I'm a really good baby since I don't cry or fuss unless I'm hungry. All I really like to do is talk to people, laugh, and watch my sister play. What they don't understand is that I'm giving them a break until I become mobile and then I don't plan on staying put! Enjoy it while it lasts because the next time I get on here I just might be scooting around the house or sitting up all by myself!

Oh, how I LOVE teaching!

2010-10-17T14:48:00.003-04:00

So, this past week was my first week back at work! I have to admit that waking up each morning at 5:00 am was not pleasant, but being back in the classroom definitely was! My kiddos welcomed me back with a surprise party Monday afternoon which I thought was super sweet! On Friday, we had our KCCT awards assembly and invited our middle school students back who were distinguished so it was fun getting to see those kids. My class this year seems very sweet and they are incredibly smart! I can't wait to see how much we learn this year and get to know each and every one of them.

Ella and Grayson did great with the change. Ella had a few little bits where she would talk about me going back to work and not being able to stay at home with her, but I really think she was excited about getting to play with new toys! haha Kermie was off work Monday, so my first day was easy as they were all sleeping when I left. Ella woke up every other morning ready to go. She talked my ear off on the way each day! Kermie is taking them to mom's house on Fridays so that is nice too! I was defnitely gone each day when the bell rang and will continue to be in order to get in some play time each afternoon! I definitely didn't miss the whole rush to get the bag packed for the next day, baths, supper, and house cleaned while I was off, but we will survive! I feel blessed to be able to have what I have: a family to come home to and love and a job that fills my heart with joy!

Ella at her finest!

2010-10-08T16:28:00.002-04:00

She's definitely fearless when it comes to highsits. Maybe she'll like to stunt one day. :)

I laughed until I cried at her. She was so serious and thought she counted perfectly!

Reflection

2010-10-04T17:29:00.000-04:00

Lately, I've been doing a lot of reflecting. Reflecting on life, love, and everything in between. The past year or so has been one unlike any other. It has been a year of joys, of trials, of accomplishments, of pain, of self and spiritual revelation, and most importantly of thankfulness.

A few of the joys: The birth of Grayson. All of the precious moments with Ella (especially when she says "I Love You" out of nowhere). A 7 year anniversary. A four month "vacation" from school. Time with best friends and the birth of their babies. Returning to Grace and being able to go to church with my family. Answered prayers for family members going through hard times. The engagement of my brother and Jess. A job that I love. A relationship with my sister-in-law that I cherish. A new love for Coke and continued love for Frappucinos! A mini-vacation with Kermie and Ella. Ella's prayers every night. The "light bulb" turning on for many students.

A few of the trials: Finishing school while working and being pregnant. Dealing with major tantrums from a toddler. Being married to someone who is completely opposite of myself in many ways (but opposites attract as Paula puts it). Listening to and watching the struggles of family members. Trying to overcome my tendancy to stress and worry about monotonous things like money and schedules. My husband's sleepless nights and anxiety. Making sure that each students' needs were met before leaving my classroom. Car trouble for a few months. Prolonged, unhealthy relationship in my immediate family. A team that doesn't always see eye to eye or get along.

A few of the accomplishments: Finishing graduate school and getting a raise! Completing 7 years of marriage. Outstanding test scores even though I disagree with it whole-heartedly. Ella being potty trained (until our recent accidents), giving up her paci, and sleeping in her big girl bed. Kermie finishing his time in the military! Finishing up a ton of home improvements (thank you Kermie!).

A few of the bouts of pain: Seeing my sister make and live with bad decisions. Seeing my parents watch a child hurt. Watching my husband go through one of the hardest times in his life. Being scared for the health of both my Grandpa and Grandbubby. Listening to the various struggles of family members who were and may still be desperate for a divine miracle. Watching children day by day come to school and struggle because of the conditions of their homelives.

A few incidents of revelation: Understanding that the things I worry about are meaningless. God has and always will be here to support, love, and work miracles. Kermie and I discovered (or keep rediscovering) that we are blessed beyond measure and are due for a major downsizing in all areas of life. We are working together to get rid of things we don't need in order to reach out and give to others.

A few things to be thankful for: A godly husband who served me breakfast in bed and cleaned the kitchen last weekend! A house. A job. Maternity leave. Health care. A mode of transportation. Two healthy children. A supportive family. The Bible. Salvation. This list could go on for days! Thank you God!

Grayson at 8 weeks

2010-10-01T15:17:00.006-04:00

Today marks Grayson's 2 month birthday, so I thought I'd post a few pictures from today and give everyone an update on how the big boy is doing.

First and foremost, Grayson is a super happy baby! He only cries when mommy isn't fast enough with the food or his tummy hurts.
Grayson has been a terrific sleeper from day one! I had expected the worst since Ella was also a good sleeper, but God has blessed me with two! He hasn't made it a full night yet, but goes to bed around 8 or 9 and doesn't wake up until around 2 am. He falls right back to sleep after eating and wakes up again around 6. We eat and then go right back to sleep until 9ish and then are up for the day. Life may be tough when I go back to work in a week!
My baby loves to eat! We had started him on Similac Advance which is a milk based formula, but while at the hospital we noticed him not tolerating it very well. Before coming home we switched to Isomil and all was good! I wasn't about to go through the torment we went through with poor Ella (You can read all about it in my earlier blogs). She would throw up all the time even after breastfeeding and the doctors swore it was reflux (and maybe a little was). When we tried regular formula when I stopped pumping, she threw up so much that I thought she was going to die. I have never been so scared in all my life! So long story short, I'm by passing the tummy aches and milk intolerance and playing it safe this time around. My babies have super sensitive tummies and get it from their daddy. Any who, Grayson loves his bottle and drinks 5 ounces every 3 to 4 hours during the day.
Grayson loves to be talked to! He will smile when you talk to him and loves hearing Ella sing to him. She usually chooses Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or Rock A Bye Baby.
I am loving all of Grayon's grins and coos. Hearing him talk is the highlight of my day!
Grayson has found his hands and chews on them more than he sucks his paci now days. Don't get me wrong though... he LOVES his paci!
We don't have our 2 month check up until the end of the month, but did go for an appointment last week to check on his Thrush and tummy. He weighed in at a few ounces short of 12 pounds and was 21 inches! Such a big boy! :)

I'm in love ...

2010-09-22T18:56:00.002-04:00

with this precious baby boy!

Happy 3rd Birthday Ella Chase!

2010-09-15T08:12:00.018-04:00

This past weekend was a fun-filled birthday weekend for Ella! We celebrated in three parts for each of her three years! :)

Each year mom and I take Ella to Toys-R-Us to get her birthday balloon and crown from Geoffrey the Giraffe and let her spend her $3 gift card. She loves every minute of it!

We also took her to P.F. Chang's for a delicious birthday lunch which I think mom and I enjoyed the most! :) I love the veggie lettuce wraps and really enjoyed Ella's chocolate birthday treat!

One thing we knew for sure is that we wanted to have Ella's party away from home this year. We looked into several places and decided on Chuck E. Cheese for several reasons: the price, the amount of children you can have, and fun! Ella had a blast as did everyone who attended! :)

Since we had Ella's party a few days before her actual birthday, Kermie and I decided to take her somewhere fun on her birthday. We headed to Jalepeno's for lunch and Monkey Joe's for the afternoon. We all had such a fun time and I have a few battle wounds to show how "hard" we played! :)

Dear Ella,

Three years ago, I couldn't wait to meet you and see your beautiful face. I had always dreamed of what my little girl would be like and you have most definitely been a dream come true. I love every minute we spend together and cherish every moment. You are not only a beauty on the outside, but on the inside as well. The past three years have been incredible and I can't wait to enjoy the years to come. I love you and thank God every day for such a wonderful blessing!

Love,

Mommy :)

From the Mouth of a 2 Year Old

2010-09-09T16:03:00.004-04:00

I have debated whether or not to put these stories on the blog due to their content and I've finally decided to do it! Anyone who knows Ella knows that she is quite comical and will comment on anything "out of the ordinary" that she observes. And lately, she has been quite the observer. So, everything you are about to read are her latest observations and reactions... enjoy!

Boys vs. Girls:

We spent a lot of time with Ashley and the boys this summer. One day we decided to go to Sejla's house where she had filled up the baby pool for both Ella and Brayden. As Brayden was getting changed Ella noticed there was a little something different about him. "Mommy, what's Brayden got?" she asked. And I proceeded to tell her that all boys look different down there. That was basically the extent to which the conversation took us until.... we were at home a few days later and Ella began her usual drawing of smiley face families. She drew a head, face, arms, legs, hair, and then a stick right between the two legs. "What's this Ella?" I asked her assuming she would respond with something like "he has three legs". But, no, she responded with "Boys have long peepees mommy." We then extended our talk and spoke about how we don't draw peepees regardless of whether it is a boy or a girl. I'm hoping she learns how to draw clothes before kindergarten! :) A few days later, Ella was spending some time with her Nana and they were doing some drawing. As Ella's Nana walked into the room Ella very quickly covered her paper. Nana asked, "What did you draw Ella?" already aware of what had happened with the previous smiley face. Ella replied with, "Boys have long peepees Nana." As my mom tried her hardest to hold in the laughter she also gave the whole "we don't draw private parts" speech. Ella has drawn a few more long peepees since these incidents, but I think we are finally overcoming this hurdle! I think having a baby brother has helped tremendously!

My Baby Can't Suck a Bottle:

Yesterday morning I was putting some lotion on when Ella walked into the room with her baby doll. I had noticed that she had been strolling her around and stopping to change her diaper, but was unaware of the next thing. As Ella entered my room, she said, "Mommy, my baby can't suck from her baba yet. She has to suck from my boobies like Emma sucks from her mommy's boobies." I looked at her not knowing what to say. She continued, "And, you are her Nana so she needs to suck from your boobies since they are bigger." I tried my hardest not to laugh and told her that babies only get milk from their mommy's boobies and that she needed to go find the baby's bottle right away and teach her to suck from it. :) As she walked out of the room she tried to console her baby who was apparantly upset that her NANA would not feed her!

My daughter never ceases to make me laugh!

A Bump in the Road

2010-09-07T19:39:00.002-04:00

Today started out terrific for several reasons:

Grayson slept terrific last night (including an almost 7 hour stretch).
Ella was chipper and patient all morning.
Ella dressed herself and did not throw any fits about clothing choices probably because she was allowed to wear a dress (the one she wears everyday now).
I was able to get the entire house picked up.
I munched on a few chocolate donuts and got in a glass of Coke! YUM!
We were all excited about heading out to see Sejla and Emma for some catch up time.

Then, the day hit a slight bump and knocked us all for a loop for these reasons:

Grayson screamed the entire time I gave him his medicine (he developed a case of Thrush which is new to me and absolutely hates the medicine).
Upon pulling into Sejla's driveway Grayson threw up (projectile) all over himself and his car seat. This was the first major throw up and was a little scary.
His throw up continued to seep out of the car seat and all over Sejla's floor so I had to take apart the seat and do a load of laundry at her house.
Grayson was quite fussy which is very unlike him! I am assuming the medicine might be upsetting his tummy :(
Ella began transitioning into "meltdown" mode while I was trying to get Grayson to sleep in Emma's rocking chair so I decided it was time to go.
Ella started the whole "I don't want to go" fit and cried as we got in the car.
I realized I still needed to take a trip to Wal-Mart for a few things with two fussy children! YIKES!
Ella cried the entire trip to Wal-Mart... and when I say cried.. I mean screamed!
She fell asleep on the way home, but woke up the minute I tried to put her down in her bed. Oh.. and did I mention she peed in the car while asleep???
When it came time for bath time, I was splashed and hit several times by one very cranky 2 year old who lost her brand new Strawberry doll and Barbie for the night.
Grayson cried again when I gave him his medicine.

So.... up until this point the road was smooth and an easy drive! After today, I'm hoping these kind of days are few and far between! Wouldn't trade any minute of the maddness for the world though :)

Our Life: The First Month

2010-09-02T20:43:00.009-04:00

Tomorrow marks one month for Grayson and our first month with our new and improved family of four! This first month has brought many things with the days that passed: hugs and kisses galore, lots of dirty diapers, the wonderful scent of baby lotion, dry hands from bottle washing (I did not breast feed this time around and have been very happy with my decision so far!), a few jealousy issues and quite a bit of moaning and groaning from Ms. Ella to get her way, some crying from pretty much every member of the family, lots of laughing, visits from friends and family, the addition of being thankful for baby Grayson in Ella's prayers, a little fatiuge, loads and loads of laundry, the use of my rocking chair, the rekindled love for the Boppy, and the list continues. We are all beginning to get the hang of our new life and to be honest, it's been much easier than I thought! Grayson is a wonderful baby and Ella is a huge help! We've had our moments of course, but I wouldn't trade them for anything! It is already going by way too fast and I'm sure the last 5 weeks will fly by! But, one thing I know for sure is how blessed I am to be able to spend so much time enjoying both of my children! God is GREAT!

Here are a few pictures from some of our outings this past month. I haven't been the best about picture taking!

Brayden and Ella

Emma, Keaton, and Grayson

Jackie and me at Evan's Orchard

My lovelies! :)

Grayson's exciting day at the park with mommy and Ella.

Ella at the park. She refuses to wear anything but a dress these days! It's like pulling teeth!

Ella and Ava at the Orchard.

Ella and Grayson sitting under a shade tree during one of our daily walks around town.

Grayson Jack Donovan

2010-08-17T16:40:00.008-04:00

Ella loving on her new brother.

Mommy, daddy and Grayson.

Our family of four!

My chubby cheeked mohawk man! :)

Grayson is here! He's actually been here since August 6th, but being a mommy of two has kept me a little preoccupied the past week and a half so that is the reason for the delayed blog post.

So, here's the stats for those wondering... He ended up being 9 pounds 5 ounces, 20.25 inches long, and was born at 2:23 pm. We were shooting for 2:19 pm since Ella was born then, but Grayson's "largeness" got in the way! :)

I was honestly expecting the worst as far as deliveries go since Ella's seemed so "easy," but Grayson's birth has hers beat by far! We went to the hospital around 5:30 and were placed in a room and started meds within an hour. Upon arriving, I was already 3 cm dialated and about 85% effaced if I'm remembering correctly. Going in this time I knew I did not want any pain meds before the epidural and I think that is what made this experience so much better! I felt so alert and very aware of everything going on around me unlike the "zomielike" state I was in with Ella! I received my epidural at about 4/5 cm and other than being able to feel it this time around, the epidural itself was perfect! Not too strong, not too weak. I could not move my legs the next day because of my epidural with Ella (slept through labor and pushed 3 times), but with this one I could move my legs, feel the pressure of contractions, but never felt an ounce of pain. The lady knew what she was doing! :) My blood pressure got low again this time around, but they quickly fixed that and we were back in business. As time went by, I began feeling quite a bit of pressure and sure enough, Grayson was making his way into this world! They let me watch the entire birth through a mirror and we were all a little bit shocked to see the "big" baby that appeared after about 10 minutes pushing! He was the most beautiful baby boy I had ever seen of course! :)

Our stay at Central Baptist was terrific! Our labor and delivery nurses were great and one happened to be a friend of our family which made us all feel very comfortable. When they moved us into Mother/Baby, Kermie and I were tickled too death to see the full size Tempurpedic bed! I was so excited to get to sleep beside him :) I remembered feeling bad for him sleeping on the chair the first time around! My night nurse, Dee, was absolutely amazing during our two night stay. She did everything in her power to make sure we were comfortable and the baby was doing well.

So, we've been home for over a week now and things are going well. I have dealt with the emotional overload much better this time although I have had a few meltdowns. I think having done it before makes everything much easier. Although, adding an almost 3 year old to the picture adds a new dimension! Kermie went back to work Monday after being off for 3 weeks, so that was a little hard. I think Ella had the most difficult time with his return than anyone. She really enjoyed his company! Overall, she is doing great with the transition. I love the age she is at because she has been such a big helper! She can get diapers, wipes, clothes, etc., etc., etc. and actually enjoys doing it! She kisses on Grayson and asks to hold him quite a bit. She is learning that she has to share her time with Grayson now and that babies require lots of attention. She's going to be a great big sister!

I have another 8 weeks at home from school so I will try to take pictures as I can and keep everyone updated on my life with two children! :)

Sharing... Empathy... Sympathy

2010-08-04T20:35:00.006-04:00

At the age of 2... almost 3... I know that the thought of sharing, being empathetic, and sympathetic for others is nearly impossible! While sharing is a must, learning empathy and sympathy are probably still a few years off in terms of age appropriate development. On the other hand, I do think it is a great time to start teaching these things to children.

As most everyone knows, my grandpa has been in the hospital since last week due to a bad fall/stroke/broken leg. Therefore, we spent many hours there comforting family and praying for healing. While we were at the hospital, there was a family who appeared to be living in the ICU waiting room. The most obvious family member was a young girl who was only 8 years old. Each time we were visiting, she was there (usually in her pajamas) watching tv. Ella really took to this little girl and enjoyed her company and gadgets! While we sat, we tried to get some information from this little girl about why she was there and so on. It turns out, they had been there for two weeks because her father was having seizures and suffering from lymphoma. This little girl was a very mature 8 year old and was willing to tell all about her life struggles. You could tell that she was "forced" to grow up at a rapid rate and was in need of love and attention. What 8 year old wouldn't after spending two weeks plus sleeping in a hospital? As we got to know Sophie, we realized that she was excited for school, but was missing a few last minute school supplies. So, Kermie went out on a little shopping spree so she could be prepared for school and a fresh start to the year. School supplies were probably the last thing on her family's mind!

To make a long story short... when Kermie returned with the belated birthday gift, Ella was very confused! We hadn't told her we were going to give Sopie a gift and hadn't shared with Ella Sophie's circumstances before hand and honestly didn't think she would even understand if we had told her. As Sophie unzipped her new backpack and began taking out all the goodies, Ella starting throwing a FIT! I was completely humiliated to say the least. She couldn't understand the fact that those were not for her, couldn't be "shared," and that her daddy wasn't going to give her something out of the bag. I immediately took her out into the hallway to begin explaining this very complicated situation to a 2 year old and when she finally gained composure I took her back in. Once inside the waiting room again, she starting getting upset and wanted to open everything inside the bag, so we said our goodbyes and left.

My inital thoughts were "what have we done wrong" and "have we spoiled our child so much that she can't give to others?" I know that Ella is very blessed to have the things she has and know that she is "spoiled" to a certain extent. I also know that she is only 2 and is at a very selfish age, but I also know that we need to be working harder to make sure she knows just how blessed she is and that there are many less fortunate little girls in this world.

On top of our sharing issues and this incident, we have also been looking to find something in addition to TIME OUT, to reinforce positive behaviors from Ella. I am not a fan of constantly say "no", "don't", etc. etc. etc. So, Kermie and I put our heads together and came up with a Stick System. This system is purely positive reinforcement and does not involve any type of punishment whatsoever. The only materials needed were a plastic cup and ten sticks. We explained to Ella that she could earn 10 sticks for doing "big girl and good girl" things around the house and outside of the house. Whether it's picking up after herself, not complaining about not getting her way, sharing, etc. etc. she can earn up to 10 total sticks. When she gets to 10, she is allowed a "special" treat. She also will be getting the same "special" treat to give away to someone else. So, basically, by displaying positive behavior, which will hopefully cut down on TIME OUT time, Ella will be rewarded for doing good things and will get to give her earned reward to another person.

Since we have started the Stick System, Ella has been in TIME OUT 1 time! It's been a total of 4 days now, so that's a record! She has helped out around the house more than usual, refrained from using "mean" words when she is angry and gotten super excited when she earns a stick! She is currently at 9 sticks and has one left to earn before getting her "special" treat. She has mentioned a piece of candy and talked about sharing the extra treat with her cousin Ava or Brayden, so we will see what she decides. I know it's only been a few days, but the immediate results have been so rewarding and more than anything, I am hoping that she learns to share more with others (less fortunate or more fortunate).

P.S. We are being induced tomorrow at 5 a.m. :) Grayson will be joining us soon!

This time three years ago... In two weeks or less...

2010-07-22T19:30:00.010-04:00

This time three years ago....

I was preparing to give birth to the beautiful, little girl below!

I was sitting in the doctor's office without a little girl pretending to "catch" her baby brother!

I was smiling for this very same photo, but with a different precious child inside!

On the other hand...

In two weeks or less...

1. I will give birth to my second child (and more than likely, he will be the last). I've always loved the idea of having 2 children and a family of 4!

2. I will become a mommy to a sweet little boy who I can't wait to meet! I really admire the relationship my mom and my brother have always had and hope that Grayson and I will have the same.

3. I will say good-bye to this baby bump that I've rubbed and loved for the past nine months. There's nothing better than a pregnant belly and feeling your baby growing inside!

4. I will get to experience the joy of watching my husband bond with another child and expanding his love even farther!

5. I will get to see Ella embrace her baby brother and become a terrific BIG sister!

New Blog Title

2010-07-17T22:17:00.003-04:00

I started this blog about 3 years ago when Ella was first born. The purpose of the blog was to represent some sort of electronic babybook to document Ella's life and it has served that purpose very well! I love looking back to older pictures and reading up on all of our past memories. In fact, I'm sure I will use those early blog posts when Grayson gets here to remind myself of what goes on in those newborn stages and so on! On the other hand, now that we have a new addition coming to the family and I honestly don't want to have to keep up with 2 blogs (one for Ella and one for Grayson), I've decided to rename this blog to The Donovan Clan and let it serve the same purpose, but for our entire family! I am not going to change the website address, so you can still keep up with us at the same place! :)

Ella and Grayson's Room

2010-07-17T19:48:00.011-04:00

I am proud to say that the "nursery/big girl" room is nearly complete! It was quite a task, but so rewarding to see it all come together! I hope that Grayson and Ella will both enjoy it and enjoy being with each other until we move in the next year or so!

Just so you know, Ella's quilt on her bed was the inspiration for the entire room. I wanted her to still have a "girly" room, but for Grayson (although he will have absolutely no idea) to have a masculine touch as well. Her quilt allowed us to keep the pinks and greens, but tie in browns and yellows and oranges as well!

The flower pots were already in Ella's old room, but only had pink dots. I kept some pink, but added a few brown and green dots. The mural was painted by Kermie and is one of the trees off of her quilt. He is almost finished. There are a few flowers that still need to be added! I happen to think he did a fabulous job! :)

I know this isn't a "great" picture, but one of the greatest tasks of the room was providing enough space for both Ella's stuff and Grayson's stuff. It turns out that Ella got to keep the majority of the closet space and Grayson took over the dresser. Ella's bed having two drawers and her new cubical organizer really helped out!

One of the best moments over the past two years has been getting Ella's toys out of our living room and into her room. We made a toy closet that kept our living room from looking like a toy store! I was worried that we'd have to get rid of the toy closet in order to make room for Grayson's stuff, but as for now... we get to keep it! We had to put several toys in the living room, but there are still lots for both of them to play with in their new room. Ella obviously loves it!

This is Grayson's bed. I looked for big letters like Ella's, but could never find all of the letters in his name! So, I actually saved lots of money and used stencils instead!

This is what you see when you walk into their room.

Ella's big girl bed and inspiration for the room! My nanny made new curtains and I made a headboard to tie in the fabric.

Ella's girlie corner of the room. This cubical came in more handy than I thought it would!

Grayson's corner and diaper station! I'd still like to find a dust ruffle to go around the bottom of his crib, but unfortunately one did not come with his bedding.

The once dark pink, light pink, and green stripes are now brown, tan and white :) And, I could not part with the pink rug or pink light fixture! I got such a good deal on both of them the first time around! :)

So, there you have it! Ella is already enjoying her room and Grayson will be in just 2 or 3 weeks! :) All we are missing is a baby boy!

Fourth of July... Last "Family of 3" Mini Vacation

2010-07-06T18:23:00.019-04:00

Kermie and I have been wanting to take one last mini vacation as a family of 3 all summer and we finally found a weekend to go! I had been promising Ella a trip to the zoo to see all of the animals and once we got to talking about the possibility of fireworks on the river, we decided it would be best to just make a weekend of it! It was a great weekend for sure!

Ella and Kermie at the entrance of the zoo.

Showing Barbie to the monkeys!

Amazed by the seals! She is really into what makes a good swimmer lately, so she enjoyed watching these terrific swimmers!

Me in front of the dinosaur that spit on Kermie and Ella! It was hilarious and very unexpected! :)

Ella was a little unsure of the dinosaurs (aka monsters). However, she hasn't stopped talking about them since we got home!

Posing with her gooey egg and zoo hat (no paci presents) at the conclusion of our trip to the zoo. She loved it!

Checking into the hotel and full of energy somehow or another!

Taking a quick jump on the bed of course!

Ella and Kermie before dinner :)

Ella and mommy with a balloon and chocolate milkshake from a terrific dinner! We had the BEST service ever that night. Ella called our waiter her "best friend" :)

Ella and Kermie in the hot tub!

Candy laces and a wet head waiting for the fireworks to start!

Watching fireworks from the hotel room. Room service: a chocolate cake and cheesecake :) If you haven't noticed, my family is huge on sweets!

Very pretty, but she still doesn't like how loud they are... even from inside.

On our way home from a fabulous weekend get-a-way! :)

Good-bye Paci

2010-07-02T10:39:00.009-04:00

One of my summer goals was to attempt the good-bye paci mission. I waited until the big girl bed mission was complete and finally it has come time to say good-bye to one of her very "best friends".

Ella and I have had MANY long talks about the paci and how she is going to be a big sister and that big sisters don't have pacis. She has only had it during naptime and bedtime for a while now, but her attachment has only strengthened. She has developed a weird habit with her paci and chocolate milk at naptime and bedtime (she takes a drink of the milk, puts paci in before swallowing, and ends up with chocolate milk all over her mouth! You have to see it to understand it!). And, she will be the first to tell you that she LOVES her paci and will willing share them with Grayson when he comes.

So, yesterday I decided was the day. She woke up and did her usual. Chocolate milk and paci in bed while watching a few cartoons. We got dressed, put paci in the basket and had a fun time with Ashley, Brayden, and Keaton. Around "naptime," (in brackets because she did not nap, only rested) she went to find her paci in the basket and realized that it was broken along with all of the others. She was very confused! I had cut each of the tips off (and secretly kept two), but she just assumed her own story. She found a fly setting on the bed and assumed that the fly had gotten into the basket and eaten the tips off her pacis! At first she was very concerned and reassured herself and me that we could just go buy new ones. However, I told her that this was perfect timing because she didn't need them anymore anyways. I told her she was more than welcome to try them out to see if they still work. She did and shook her head no. I told her she was more than welcome to carry them around with her if she wanted. She did and ended up putting them down saying that she didn't need them anymore.

I expected to have a major melt down, but there was never one. She was a little whiny at first, but quickly realized she could handle it (keeping in mind it's only been a little over 24 hours now---haha!).

Last night at bedtime, I put her in bed with her chocolate milk and Abby in Wonderland. As we were sitting there watching the show, she kept going "yum, yum, yum". I looked at her and she was smiling very big! She said, "Guess what I did mommy? " I replied wearily, "What did you do Ella?" "I drank my chocky without my paci!!" she said giggling! She was so proud of herself and I was too!

Long story short... she slept all night without paci and still hasn't had it! It's very bittersweet for me as I've watched her and paci become wonderful friends over the past 2.5 years! She loves her paci and is SO comforted by it. It's the one thing that still made her a "baby" in my eyes and now it's gone! She is offically my big girl and is going to be a terrific BIG sister! :)

Grayson's Baby Shower

2010-06-21T15:25:00.007-04:00

Ella in her "Princess" dress that she just had to wear mid-shower and present bow in her hair!

Grayson's adorable cake!

Ella helping open presents :)

Me with the terrific hostesses! :) Thanks a bunch girls!

This past weekend we had a baby shower for Grayson at my parent's church. My sister-in-law Jackie and BFF Ashley threw me a shower in honor of our new baby boy coming the first week of August! The shower was beautiful and everyone who came seemed to really enjoy themselves... how could you not when the food was delish and company was so great!

When I first thought about the shower I hadn't planned to bring Ella due to it being at nap time and her being in her prime tantrum phase and all, but then decided to let her come and enjoy some of the celebrations for her baby brother. To put it simple... she had a blast! One of the biggest issues right now is making sure Ella doesn't think that life from this point is about Grayson, but wanting her to enjoy his arrival and her being such a big girl and huge helper! She received quite a few presents, one being a dress that mom bought and she insisted on wearing and even a book that was created especially for her about being a big sister. She enjoyed every last minute of it! :)

Due to the fact that I did not have a boy the first go around I was a little worried about having enough clothes for Grayson, but my fears were relieved after opening a ton of clothes!!! He will for sure be one well-dressed little boy! :) Now just to figure out where all of his gifts will go! The majority of them are still in my car because the nursery is a wreck at the moment. We are hoping to have it completed for the most part by the end of the week. I will be sure to post pics as soon as it is finished! :)

Yay for Grayson joining our family in six more weeks!! :) We can't wait to meet him!

My Sleeping Beauty

2010-05-23T17:46:00.003-04:00

So, I have been really bad about taking pictures and blogging this month! We have been extremely busy around here with finishing school, homework, and getting a few house projects out of the way. I did, however, manage to capture Ella in her Sleeping Beauty dress a few days ago! There hasn't been a day that she hasn't put it on since she got it a few weeks ago. :)

A Little Ranting and Raving

2010-05-04T20:53:00.003-04:00

Okay... so I absolutely love being pregnant! I loved it with Ella and couldn't wait to get pregnant the second time. However, I do not remember being this moody, emotional, angry, unpatient, etc., etc., etc. the first time around!!! I know that I am driving everyone around me nuts, but I just can't help it. I just hope they can make it through the next 3 months alive! (lol :) )

Of course teaching full-time during the last few weeks of school with 30 very excited fourth graders wears on my patience, but I'm usually such a patient person. Not so much these days and I dislike this part of pregnancy so much! I pray every morning before entering the building that I will be patient and upbeat, but it is a struggle not to lose that patience within the first few hours. Then, when I get home (exhausted and with little to no patience left) Ella decides to be two! [haha] Bless her little heart because she is such a sweet child and I am so blessed to have such a well-behaved daughter, but her tantrums these days are out of this world! She yells and hits and pouts and says "No" and says "Stop" and throws herself on the floor and never ever wants to leave any place she stays and don't even mention bathtime!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe it wouldn't be SO bad if I didn't work with children all day????

So, this felt good to get out all of my frustration and to laugh at what I wrote when I was finished. Prayers are welcome in order for this mommy to make it until August! :)

Kindergym

2010-04-23T19:00:00.007-04:00

Ella and I have been going to Kindergym class every Wednesday night for the past three weeks now. Due to the fact that Ella's only interaction with other children is when she sees Ava on Wednesdays and Thursdays, I felt it was time to get social (not that she has any trouble being social!!). Plus, I think it's very important for her to start on some structured type of play and have to follow directions! I know she's only 2, but preschool/kindergarten will be here before we know it!

As a child, I was always very into dance, gymnastics, and cheerleading! In fact, they have always been a passion of mine and I loved the idea of being able to share this with a daugther some day. While I know Ella may not choose this as her "thing", I figured it wouldn't hurt to give it a try! So, I looked for something inexpensive to do a "test" run with and found out that the Pavilion offers a 2 and 3 year old Mommy and Me Kindergym class for dirt cheap!

Our first Wednesday was quite amusing! Ella immediately loved her classroom and started exploring before anyone else had entered. She's definitely not shy in that sense! During the class, Ella participated fairly well but had her occassional moments when she would excuse herself from the lesson to do something she thought would be more interesting (like walking on the balance beam or crawling through the tunnel). She did her best to keep up, but became frustrated a few times saying "I can't do it!" Some of the things they did the first class were throwing bean bags, popping bubbles, front rolls, walking forward and sideways on the balance beam, rolling down an inclined wedge, straddle position, "stretch, tuck, and roll", walking on their hands, and various fun dances! Ella didn't really get into talking to the other girls in the class, but I found it refreshing that a friend from highschool was there with her little girl! When we left, Ella practiced the whole next week. She was very proud of her newly learned moves!

I was honestly very nervous about going back the second time! I don't expect her to be completely attentive, but chasing after her in the middle of class (6 months pregnant) didn't seem too exciting! On the other hand, as soon as we got there Lerin's little girl started up a conversation with Ella and I was excited to see how the rest of the class went. Thankfully, this time they had the tunnel collapsed so that Ella wouldn't get distracted as easily! To my surprise she did not run off one time, listened to every word her teachers said, tried every move, and even got to be an example a few times! I was a very proud mommy! She was able to show off her mastered front roll, straddle position and tick tocks! During this class they learned how to do a back roll, bridge, and angel touch. When it came time to leave Ella cried and did not want to go!

Tonight's class was just as successful as the time before. She was super excited to go and show her teacher how much she had been practicing! They actually started cartwheels and the crab walk tonight which were easier than I thought they would be! She loves all of the singing and dancing and has decided that the Hokie Pokie is her new favorite song! Some of the girls went out a bought cute little tutu's for class tonight so we may have to find a new outfit for the next few weeks! :)

Three nights in a row!!!

2010-04-06T07:41:00.002-04:00

On Saturday night, we decided to go ahead and give the big girl bed a try. Ella has been sleeping in her bed for all of her naps, but night time has still been with us. I have always loved Ella being with us and probably would let her stay there forever if I could, but with Grayson on the way... it's only fair that they both be in their room since our bed is not big enough for four!! I honestly did not think it would be as easy as it has been!

Saturday night she slept until 4:30 and I heard her yelling, "Mommy, I need you!" Keep in mind that I have her baby monitor still set up so that I can watch her and hear her all night long. She definitely got more sleep than I did that first night! So, as soon as I heard her calling, I ran into there to get her, but she insisted we stay in her bed.

Sunday night was a weird night! She skipped out on nap that day due to Easter and the beautiful weather and ended up falling asleep at 5:45! I was worried she would wake up in the middle of the night to play and she kind of did!! She slept from 5:45 until about 2 and called for me to come lay with her. We laid, I gave her some chocolate milk and then she went back to sleep. At about 4 I noticed it was very wet on her side of the bed!!! I guess the chocolate milk combined with the long period of sleep caused her to leak through her diaper so we headed to mommy's bed. Once in mommy's bed she tried to wake up her daddy who had to go to work the next morning!! She wanted cartoons, chocolate milk, to play, you name it!! So, the lesson of the day came to be.... Ella either naps or we force her to stay awake past 7!

Last night Ella did really well! She fell asleep around 9 or 9:30 and slept through the night until about 4 again. She called for me to come lay with her and I did for a few minutes and then came right back to bed. This morning at about 7:00 I felt a little tug on my shirt and it was Ella coming to wake mommy up for the day!

This is a very bitter sweet accomplishment for me! I love that she can sleep in her own bed, giving Kermie and I time to ourselves and room to breathe, but dislike that she doesn't need me like she did before! She's turning into such a sweet little, big girl! Yay for Ella! :)

Easter Weekend

2010-04-04T17:37:00.014-04:00

What a beautiful Easter weekend! We spent the majority of it outside enjoying this gorgeous weather. On Saturday, we headed over to Geoff and Jackie's house for the annual egg hunt. All the girls had fun coloring and hunting for eggs.

On Sunday morning, we woke up and Ella opened her Easter basket! She was a little bummed the Easter Bunny left without saying hello, but thrilled with all the goodies he left.

We also headed to the 11:30 service and were actually very early for a change! We even had time for a mini photo shoot. Ella loves ringing the wind chimes and looking at the waterfall.

Nana and Pa bought Ella her Easter dress which she was very excited to wear today! She stared at herself in the mirror for quite some time before we left the house!

Now that Ella is 2 and a half, we've finally figured out a Sunday service solution to crazy toddler behavior! We find a front row seat, bring lots of snacks and toys, and let her jump around and act crazy before the service starts. Sometimes she still acts crazy during worship though :) Here is her "crazy" this morning!

Since my family is out of town for the weekend and will not get to celebrate until next weekend, Daniel and Jessica came to church and lunch with us to celebrate the holiday. Here is a cute picture Ella took of them at lunch! Thanks for coming guys!

Overall, this was a wonderful Easter weekend. I am so thankful for all the wonderful things we have been blessed with in our life and even more thankful for the sacrifice Jesus paid!

And, the verdict is......

2010-03-27T13:02:00.002-04:00

Ella's baby brother now has a name! After much deliberation, we have finally come to a verdict on the whole name game! So, before I fill you in on the big surprise let me fill you in on the whole process of how HE got a name.

Before we even knew we were having a boy, we had compiled a list of top names that we BOTH agreed on. If I'm not mistaken, I believe I listed these on here a few posts back. And, although we had our top name list, we continued searching for names that we liked. I found a few... Kermie found a few. I shared mine with him... he shared his with me. One of the names he found that he really liked was Wyatt. I loved it too! One of the names I found was Grayson. He loved it not so much! The conversation was over and Wyatt became part of our top name list. Then, a few weeks later, Kermie asked, "What do you think about the name Grayson?" My immediate reaction was... duh.... and... are you kidding me? In my mind, I had already dismissed the name due to the fact that I knew he didn't like it. In fact, I was gearing myself up for the possiblity of Wyatt becoming our next child. Low and behold, last night on our date night we decided that Grayson would be his name!!!! And, although we had many possibilities for a middle name, Jack was always the definite being Kermie's dad's name.

So, for those that were waiting in suspense (haha)............. Grayson Jack is the final verdict!

We love this weather!!

2010-03-20T08:52:00.006-04:00

So, spring has officially arrived and we are LOVING it! This weekend is a long weekend for us because of CKEA day and Ella and I had made plans to make the most of it! However, with my car still in the shop, we've had to bum a few rides! Hopefully the wagon will be back in business on Monday!

Yesterday, mom took Ella and me to the park and shopping. Ella definitely enjoyed the park and said hi to just about every child she met. Because my belly is getting a little large these days, mom took over on most of the running for Ella and such! I think she had just as much fun as Ella did!

I (yes me! I love doing that kind of stuff) finally put Ella's big girl bed together a few weekends ago, so I have been wanting to get Ella's bedding for a few weeks now. After we hit the mall for a little summer clothes shopping for Ella we headed to Target where we found the quilt I've had my eye on. While there, I also found bedding for baby boy (yes, still no name, but I think we are very close). I know it's early to get his bedding, but it was the last one and I couldn't pass it up! It works so perfect for what we are trying to accomplish in the new nursery. From the picture, you will see it is only brown and white, so I am looking to add some green and possibly yellow to it. As of now, everything still matches with the current paint colors, but Kermie and I are now on a mission to decide how we want to get rid of the pink walls and make it more unisex. I am thinking a beige/tan color with some green? Not sure yet. I am also looking for fabric to make curtains from. Kermie is going to paint a huge tree and some woodland animals on the walls to tie everything in. We are also looking for a bookshelf of some sort for Ella's side of the room, a new chandelier, and a new rug to match. If any of you readers come across any steals let me know! I'm all about bargains!

Also, I am getting ready to sell all of Ella's clothes from 0-24 months within a couple of weeks, so if you'd be interested in taking some before hand let me know! Otherwise, they are going so we can make room for her big girl clothes and baby boy's clothes!

Hope everyone else is enjoying this weather as much as we are!! :)

It's a Boy!

2010-03-09T19:08:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, we went for our 20 week ultrasound although we were technically only 19 weeks. I had been talking to Ella about the doctor visit for quite a while in order to help her understand what would happen and what it meant. In fact, we were on our way to mom's house yesterday morning before school when she asked me to tell her the story about "the belly and the jelly". I thought this was cute and proceeded to tell her what would happen and how she would see the baby on the tv. She replied by telling me she wanted to "hug or kiss the tv". She really does seem to be very excited about the thought of a baby and being a big sister. She tells me all the time about all the things she is going to do to help mommy and daddy with the new baby. The only time she has gotten a little "iffy" about the new baby is when we talked to her for the first time about sharing her room.

Being pregnant for the second time is so bitter-sweet (if that's the best way to put it). I am tremendously excited about having another baby, loving another child, and completing our family, but at the same time my world has been centered around Ella for 2 and a half years now. Of course I'm hormonal, but I continue to have weekly breakdowns about feeling guilty. This guilt mainly stems from the idea that Ella is the baby and she is our world and in just a few months she will have to share all of this with someone she does not know. Crazy... yes... normal... I hear so. Mom tells me that it took me a while to get used to the idea of my baby brother, but I am so very thankful to have him! We were so close and had so much in common, so I just pray that this will be the same for Ella and her baby brother.

So, back to the ultrasound! I thought that through these conversations with Ella about the visit and the baby that she was beginning to understand a little more about how we would find out if it was going to be a brother or sister, how it had to grow in my belly, and that we would only get to see the baby through a tv. However, after leaving the ultrasound room she began to cry (partly from being exhausted) and for the fact that we did not get to keep the baby. Sad, but sweet that she already loves him so much! Her favorite part of the visit was getting to hear the hearbeat. I plan to take her to the next visit and hopefully I can record the heartbeat for her to play when she wants.

The results... if you haven't already guessed.... it's a boy! We are tickled to death and still deciding on a name. I will post the verdict once it's final and post pictures of the nursery as we embark on the task of taking down "princess world" and making it suitable for a princess and a prince!

"The Belly and the Jelly"

Ella and Daddy waiting :)

Willy Wonka

2010-02-25T13:04:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago, Ella found our Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory dvd and insisted on watching it. I thought it might be too strange and even scary for her, but oh no... it's her new favorite movie. She asks to watch it on a daily basis and loves when Violet swells into a blueberry!!! What a crazy child I have :) Last night while I was picking up the house, I walked into Ella's room to find this:

Ella and her daddy laying on the blow up mattress in her room watching, yet again... WILLY WONKA! The lights were off, pjs were on, and I thought it was the cutest thing! In case you're wondering why there is a blow up mattress in her room...Lynise and Robert are coming over for the weekend. They always camp out in her room on the blow up mattress when they stay and Emmie sleeps in the crib. I'm sure Ella will introduce Emmie to Willy Wonka at some point this weekend! Kermie and I have decided that our next family movie will be Alice in Wonderland... I'm sure she'll love that one too!

Baby Names... What's your opinion?

2010-02-16T15:24:00.001-05:00

So, finding a name for this second baby is proving to be a very difficult task! With Ella, we knew almost immediately Ella would be her name and Chase came easy as well. On the other hand, had she been a boy... that would have been another story! Kermie and I agree on some days and disagree on others. We seem to agree more on girl names than boys, so it seems like we're in the same boat as before! I ask Ella all the time what she wants the baby's name to be and her reply depending on the day is "brother" or "sister" which isn't much help at all! So, be honest and tell me what you think of some of our ideas and give other options if you have them!!

Possible Girl First Names:
Olivia, Addison, Adilyn

Possible Girl Middle Names:
Faith, Grace, Kate, Brooke (is that weird since it's my middle name?)

Possible Boy First Names:
Aden, Ethan, Cooper, Gavin

Possible Boy Middle Names:
Jack, Michael, Thomas

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-13T18:43:00.002-05:00

Ella and I woke up from our nap today to beautiful roses from Kermie! Hers are on the left and mine are on the right. She was so amazed and wanted to carry each individual rose around the house. I had to remind her that the flowers would die without their water. Thank you Kermie for the beautiful roses! We love you!

February at Our House

2010-02-08T17:45:00.004-05:00

It's been another month.....

I'm trying to keep up with this blog, but Ella and this baby have me exhausted and any spare time I have is spent trying to relax or sleep (or plan, do laundry, do gradschool work, etc)! So, sorry to those that read... I'm waiting for my second wind! I actually took off work on Friday because I just couldn't bare to walk into school and teach for 7 seven hours without crying or falling over! Luckily, my wonderful husband surprised me with the most thoughtful gift ever that morning when I woke up... a cleaning lady for the day! I guess he knew that our house was a wreck (seriously) and the odds of me getting it all picked up were slim to none. I'm sure all you mommys out there understand. So, with that being said... here's my attempt to get you all caught up on what's been going on around here!

Ella and her daddy have been into the tatoos a lot lately. Of course Ella's have to match her daddy's :)

After many months with no hair cut, Ella finally got it all chopped off! Here's her new bob :)

The sex of baby #2 will be revealed in about 4 weeks at our 19 week check up! I know Ella is excited to know whether or not it's a sister or brother. As far as she's concerned right now, it's both :) I'm itching to decorate, but am holding off until then. We recently got Ella a new bed, but haven't put it up because I didn't want to have to buy bedding to match the existing room and possibly new bedding for a new room. So, we are patiently waiting until March 8th for the revealing!

Everything else is pretty much the same around here; enjoying the snow days when we get them and wanting spring to hurry at the same time! I am so excited to have this summer with Ella... I'm planning to make it extra special somehow! Taking suggestions from anyone that's got any!

January News: Some good.. some not so good!

2010-01-16T16:28:00.003-05:00

For those of you who do not know, my Nanny babysits Ella every Thursday while I am at work. When I was a child I loved my Nanny so much and even preferred being there than at home on most days! So, when I found out that she would be watching Ella I was super excited and felt very blessed that Ella would have the same experience I did as a child.

This past Thursday I got a phone call at school from my mom telling me that Nanny had fallen down the stairs. All mom knew was that Nanny couldn't move, Ella was upset, and my Grandbubby needed to call the ambulance as soon as someone could come get Ella. Luckily, my sister was able to go pick Ella up and I immediately went to my principal to see what my options were. Thankfully, I have one of those principals who is all about family and he told me to let Ella spend the rest of the afternoon with me at school since getting a sub that late in the day is near impossible! Bekah brought Ella to me around 12:15 asleep so I told my kiddos they had to be silent so she could nap. However, as I went to lay her down on my blanket she immediately popped up ready to go! She went to lunch with us and recess out at the playground. Not long after, Kermie came to the rescue to pick her up so I could teach the last hour. Although bringing your two year old daughter to work isn't ideal, I was very surprised at how well behaved she was! I honestly think she could go to kindergarten (with me there with her!) and be just fine at two!

After several hours at the hospital, Nanny found out that she broke her tibia right where it inserts into the knee. The doctor gave her several options one being a total knee replacement since she already had a great deal of arthritis in the knee. She chose this route, but has to wait 6 weeks for the swelling to go down and then will undergo surgery and rehabilition. Please be praying for her and my grandbubby as they deal with all the struggles that will follow!

Since Nanny is out of commission for the remainder of the school year, we are now trying to figure out where Ms. Ella will be going on Thursdays. When she was small she would go pretty much any where, but now that's not the case. So, we will see what happens with that!

On a more positive note, we are finally going to invest in a new heating system for our house! We have lived here almost 4 years in frigid winters and did not put Ella in her bedroom for that very reason! The front of our house feels about as cold as it does outside! We've put off the investment, but after deciding to stay here for a few more years until Kermie's term on the Sadieville Renassiance Board ends we thought it was necessary! Not to mention that there just might be another baby sharing that room as well (if we don't remodel)! I'm definitely not excited to be spending so much money, but so excited for Ella and baby number two to be able to play in the front bedroom! The heating should be complete by Thursday of this week !!!!

Dress Up

2010-01-07T11:05:00.002-05:00

My Tinkerbell on Snow Day # 2. Ella sure loves to dress up these days and makes mommy pretend too! Mommy always gets to be the prince.... lucky me!