Warm weather brings many smiles!

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

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!

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!

1. I love to smile and I hear my smile is contagious!
   
2. 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!
3. 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.
4. 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.
   
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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!!
   
9. 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!
10. I love my family and they love me!
    

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!! :)