February... Forever Forgotten?

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

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

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!

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

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.....

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!!!!

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!