Norwood Fire Department Visit

Our good friend Jimmy Lee is a EMT/Fireman for the Norwood Fire Department. He randomly will drive by and stop out front with the lights on to impress the boys. Our neighbors always kinda freak out when they see an ambulance in front of our house, resulting in multiple text messages (I don't blame them)! Today, Jimmy asked if we wanted to bring the boys up to the Fire House for a tour! The boys had a great time and their friend Jonathan came a long too.

Thanks Jimmy!


Evan fell down about 5 times before I could get a picture! It must have been really heavy!


So happy!

Not sure I would want that trio working on me...

Standing on the bumper of the fire truck.

On top of the world!

Evan driving - watch out!

Never stopped smiling the whole time!

Poppy & Drew

We went to Somerset to visit my family in August and had a great time. We saw a lot of family I hadn't seen in awhile, including my dad, his wife, their new baby - Keelie and my half-sister Jessica. I also got to see my Grandmother Ray and Uncle Dad - who we hadn't seen in years. I was especially glad to be able to spend time with my grandfather. I found this picture I had taken while we were down there. He loves babies and Drew was no exception - he fell in love at first sight!

First Round of Pumpkins

Thanks to my mom - we have a ton of pumpkins already! While shopping at target the other day, I found the cutest pumpkin decorations! I just had to get them for the boys! I looked for Darth Vader, but had no luck finding him. Yoda and Spider Man will just have to do! We had a great time putting these together - the boys were super-impressed that I got Daddy's drill out to make these. As far as I am concerned - all pumpkins should be decorated this way - very cute and NO MESS!


Evan and his Spider Man pumpkin!


Too cute - no mess!


Alex's Yoda pumpkin - notice that we chose the pumpkin with a little green on him for Yoda - details, details...

Mater Teeth

These were an impulse buy at Old Navy, Krista spotted them! However, they were awesome treats for the boys. Suckers with Mater teeth as the stick. We laughed forever at them!

Two Months Old

Wow - can't believe I forgot to post this! I was going back through my old posts and realized I had a one month post, but not a two month post now that we are at the three month mark! I did put the correct date on this post for the memories. I promise to do better :)

Drew had his 2 month appointment today and everything went well. He had gained even more weight and now weighs 12,6lbs and is 23.5 inches long! He is still the smallest of all three boys, but not by much. Drew got a few vaccines and didn't get too mad. He was more mad about being late to a meal... Evan missed his first day of pre-school too and came with us so that he could get his flu vaccination (flu mist).

As you can see from his 2 month photo shoot - he has developed quite the personality! His little smile will melt your heart. He looks at you as if he has so much to say and he is working on it! He coos a lot! I can already tell he is going to have a fiesty personality - just like the other two...

Octoberfest

One of my favorite festivals of the year! We just went down for a couple hours on Sunday to see what it was all about and let's be honest, the boys do much better when we are on the go and they have things to go and do and see. While we were there we were able to meet up with some friends from Columbus. Good company, food, beer and polka bands - can't ask for much more in a Sunday afternoon in Cincinnati. Alex and Evan were loving hanging out with Belle - she is a beauty. All of the Davis children are adorable! Please take note that the other children are wearing shorts. They were the ones appropriately dressed for the occasion - my kids were not, especially Mr. Alex - what else is new?


They told me they were dressing up as witches.


Boys with their hotdogs, Daddy's with their beers. Check out Scott's LARGE beer mug!

Who knows what they were looking at...

Trey, Belle, Evan & Alex - so cute!

Bluegrass for Babies

We went to a fundraiser in Eden Park at the Seasongood Pavilion. Bluegrass for babies is family-friendly bluegrass music concert benefiting Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Most of our neighbors were there and we even ran into some friends we hadn't seen for awhile. The boys entertained themselves by eating these massive suckers and watching the other children's balloons float up, up and away. They were so distraught by the balloons flying away that they decided they didn't want one, because they couldn't stand the thought of losing it. We did wait in line for a LONG time for the clown to make swords and sword holders out of balloons. The proceeded to fight with them the remainder of the weekend and drive me insane.


Fake smile.


There goes another balloon!

This sucker is GOOD!

Want some?

Lil' Drew - chill, as always.

First Day of Pre-School

Our futures so bright, but we forgot to wear shades...
I love how they are all holding hands - probably because I yell like a freak everytime we are in the parking lot about being safe. It won't be long before that REALLY embarasses them...


Evan all smiles :)

Note the difference in attire - Evan in shorts, Alex in jeans, sweat jacket and long sleeve shirt. It was probably 80 degrees.

Best buds (just for this snapshot)

Alex and Evan started preschool this year. They only go three hours a day - Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I thought it would be good for them to get used to a classroom setting. After all, Alex will be starting kindergarten the fall of 2013 and Evan will be ready the fall of 2014. Clearly they need 2 or 3 years to prepare... Anyway, a lot of our neighborhood friends are going there, so it is fun for them to be able to go to the same school to learn and play together. Alex and Jonathan are in the same class, so the first few days were hard on Evan. He didn't understand why he had to go to a different classroom. Evan is finally getting used to his room and even got excited when he saw his little friend "Thomas" the other day. They cross paths on the playground and that is upsetting to Evan too - he doesn't understand why Alex leaves and was having a fit because he thought that Alex was leaving to go home and that we were leaving him there. I think that the teacher finally worked through that and now he gets that I will eventually come back and get him. Alex adjusted just fine and loves his teachers. He dresses himself every day - usually too hot, but that is his problem - I am over his dramatic dressing dilemmas.

Evan - Soccer Camp

Today was Evan's first day at soccer camp - it was so much fun! I was feeling brave this morning (and Aunt Krista had a deadline and couldn't watch Drew) so I took all three boys with me. I didn't think I would have to do too much with Evan, since parents didn't go out at all at Alex's camp, boy was I wrong. I am so happy that Alex really behaved and watched Drew for me, while I ran around chasing the soccer ball with Evan. Alex is getting so big. He sat there and played on the iPad and would put in Drew's binky when it would fall out. He also told the rowdy child playing nearby that he was being too loud and that he was going to wake up his little brother - too cute! Evan interacted really well with the other kids and the coaches and did a really good job listening, which is crucial! Hopefully this is a turning point for Evan :) Afterwards, he said, Mommy, I kicked the ball really hard! This morning before I left for bootcamp at 5:15am, he was half awake and said, Mommy, I am going to kick the soccer ball really hard and hit you in the face - thankfully he hasn't learned to kick it that hard so far...

Random Pictures of Drew

Snoozing...


Big yawn!

Still in the hospital too - he looks miserable...

This was still in the hospital!

I was going through my iPhone and found some cute pictures I had taken of Drew over the past month or so! Enjoy!

Sleepy Boys

The only time they are good - when they are sleeping :) Drew was sleeping too - so for a brief moment in time, we had complete silence! This was on our way back from Columbus when we went to visit for Labor Day. We all love the mini-van and the wireless headphones for their DVD player!

Alex - Soccer Camp

Random friend, Alex, Jonathan, Alivia & Rocco with some of their coaches.


Listening to the coaches for instructions on their drills

Tonight was Alex's first night at soccer camp! He is going with his friends Jonathan, Rocco, Danny and Alivia. I think that this camp is going to be great for him, if nothing else - hopefully he learns to listen to adults and take directions. The coaches really knew what they were doing and were great with the kids. Alex really likes to pick up the ball vs. kicking it (watch the video - after being told to kick the ball back to the net, he runs out, picks it up and carries it back)! He was too cute - smiled the entire time!

Alex at the Dentist

Alex had to get sealants on four of his teeth. He was so shy and timid last time we went for his cleaning, so I really dreaded going with him this morning! However, he was great! The dentist said, "I prayed for a good patient first thing this morning and God sent me Alex". Maybe the Bubble Gum flavored laughing gas had something to do with it too! Regardless, he laid completely still, did everything they said and sat up smiling afterwards. Thank goodness for a good experience, because if we ever have to have something done that actually hurts - it will be a different story!

One Month Old...

Tell us how you really feel Drew!

Prison mug shot

I hate being 1 month old - waaahhhh

Is that the beginning of a smile?

His serious pose...

Actually he was more like 6 weeks old when I took these, but I am so behind on posting/taking pictures. Drew is now 7 weeks old! I feel bad, but I haven't been too camera happy with the new baby! I need to be better about it and promise that I will be from here on out. Next week the boys are going to be home with me more, so hopefully I will have plenty of opportunities to snap pictures of all three of them or I will be busy sitting in a corner, rocking back and forth, drinking a bottle of wine, dreaming of doing tax returns...

We have been busy traveling and visiting family and friends. We were able to go to Somerset and introduce Drew to my grandparents. They were able to be at the birth of both Alex and Evan, but because of Poppy's failing health, they weren't able to make the trip up for Drew's birth. They fell in love with him instantly and spoiled the boys beyond belief. Poppy had created a candy cabinet just for them to take anything they want, when they want it. I just shake my head and look the other way... We were also able to see my dad, his wife Marla, my half-sister Jessica (who has grown into a beautiful young lady, by the way) and Little Miss Keelie. Keelie is the boys Aunt and is just four months old! My Grandmother Ray and Uncle Dan came to visit with us on Sunday. It was a special visit, since they had never met the boys! Mom and Jim hosted a movie night for the boys on Saturday night and Tim and I were able to go to the Harbor for a night out (okay, not a night out, but it was like for 1.5 hours, just to eat and then we were so exhausted we came back and went straight to bed).

Labor day weekend, we headed to Columbus for a couple events! Saturday afternoon was Kelli Marter's bridal shower. She is getting married this New Year's Eve! I took Drew to the party and he got to meet a lot of family friends. He was the only boy there and everyone loved him! It was so hot - the cakes melted - felt so bad for Aunt Kathy :( Kelli got a ton of new and fun things though - so overall, it was a fun day! Saturday night we were able to go to the Perdue families cornhole tournament! It was either that or Tim's 15 year reunion! Well, it turns out that most of the people Tim would have wanted to see was at the cornhole tournament. Paul and Carol watched the boys and we stayed way too late. Tim was in the final game against Alisha's dad. To quote Tim, "I am happy how I played, I just wish my partner hadn't been such a D-bag". Nice. My proudest moment was when he called a mid-game conference with this dude to tell him he needed to play defense - seriously?

As an update on Drew - he is doing great! He has been sleeping longer stretches at night - not consistently, but he is getting there. One night he slept 10 hours straight! He smiles for a few minutes right after I feed him and makes cooing noises - no words yet - haha... I swear he tries to crawl and he still randomly rolls over from his belly to his back - he is a very determined baby. He also has recently became interested in his mobile and the lights on the swing - he is just becoming more aware of what is around him. The boys love him to pieces and are still constantly trying to kiss him. It is cute for like 2 seconds, but then they end up fighting over who's turn it is to kiss the baby and then all hell breaks loose. His favorite things right now are me, milk, gas drops, the fan and our wall sconces.

Tomorrow Alex starts soccer camp with his buddies, Rocco, Jonathan and Alivia and next week he will start pre-school with Jonathan. He was able to meet his teachers last week and when they asked what his favorite food was, he replied water. Ummm, what happened to Cheese-Its Alex? Mary has really been working with Alex on his reading and he is able to read some BOB books on his own! He memorizes them, but apparently that is the first step to reading - I am very proud of him!

Evan starts soccer camp on Friday morning and I am a little nervous because it is parent interactive. Hopefully that just means making sure they don't run off the field... Evan will also be going to the same pre-school as Alex, but in a different classroom. I am really excited about the new things for the boys to do this fall! Evan has also taking an interest in reading and can tell his own version of the stories by pointing to pictures.

Both boys are obsessed with the iPad/iPhone and have been playing with them a lot. I have downloaded a lot of learning games and I really think it is helping them.

Wow, so this has been long. I wish I wrote more often... So to sum it all up - I am very thankful I am able to be off and enjoy being a mom with them for awhile. I do tease that it is stressful, demanding, etc... but this time truly is precious! The past 7 weeks have been great and I have enjoyed every moment of it! I worry how I will do it all when I do finally go back to work in February. I get sad just thinking about it...

First Day of Dr. Seuss Summer Camp

Alex began his first week of summer camp on Monday! He was so excited and has loved it so far! I was a little nervous that he wouldn't want to stay and would cry to come home, but he walked right in, turned around and waved goodbye to me. It probably helps that his friends Jonathan, Alivia and Rocco are going to camp too! The theme of the summer camp is Dr. Seuss and they are learning all kinds of fun Dr. Seuss things! Alex is making new friends and getting acclimated to the school - which is where Alex and Evan will start preschool in just a few weeks! Unfortunately Evan couldn't attend the camp because of his age, but we aren't worried about him fitting in at school. He will be running that place before we know it :)

Summer Dance Series - Ault Park

We went to Ault Park with Mom (in town to hang for a couple of days), Michael and Krista to have a dinner picnic and listen to music at one of four Summer Dance Series held at the park. The boys had fun eating pizza and listening to the music of Soul Pocket. They sounded so good - if you didn't know better, you would think it was just a DJ. The highlight of the evening was when Alex did a full sprint down the big hill by the pavillion, after Uncle Michael dared him - haha. I am glad I didn't see it because he face-planted. A close second for highlight of the evening was when Evan knocked over Tim's wine and it somehow spilled all over Tim's shirt and shorts. It was a fun evening!


Mom, Drew, Me, Krista, Tim and Michael - Alex took this picture. Not bad!


Daddy and two of his boys - going up to check out the band

Evan, up to no good!

Best picture I could get of Alex

1 Month & 4 Year Update

We went to the doctor today for Drew's one month check-up and Alex's 4 year check-up. This was a special milestone for Alex because he had to take a hearing test and a vision test. He passed both of them and enjoyed playing the "game". All was going well until we got the news that he had to have a shot. The look on his face was histerical - the look of terror. I thought we were going to have to strap him down! He ended up screaming his head off and getting loose and jerking the needle out of the nurses hand and it scraped his leg - good job Alex. He then proceeded to talk about how he didn't like the shot, didn't need the shot, didn't care if it helped make him healthy, etc... for the rest of the day. He also couldn't move his leg because it hurt so badly (according to him). Alex also got the flu mist already - glad to have that out of the way!

Drew also was in great shape! He was growing well - up from 30th percentile in weight to 60th - weighing in at 9lbs 10.8ozs. He had also grown 2.25 inches and is now 90th percentile for height. He is still the smallest of all three babies at this point, but not by much! He has another appointment September 21st. He has already changed a lot in the past five weeks. He is really filling out. He still wakes up about 2 times a night and prefers to sleep on his stomach. I am thinking he will start sleeping better in the next few weeks! I have to keep telling myself - weeks 2 - 8 are the worst! After that - it only gets better and to be honest - he has been pretty good. He goes back to the doctor in late September for his 2 month appointment.

See the bar to the right for their actual stats!

Playscape at Cincinnati Nature Center

Alex found a caterpillar on a tree


The boys building the roof of a fort with Uncle Michael

Alex in the logs

Evan braved the tunnel!

Michael and Krista invited us to join them at the grand opening of the New Playscape area at the Cincinnati Nature Center. Krista and Michael's wedding and reception was held at the Krippendorph lodge located at the Nature Center - it is beautiful out there in the fall! Overall, in the words of Michael - we were underwhelmed with the new play area. That being said, I think that it would be really cool for kids that were a little older. Alex kept asking where the slide and swing were - haha. The whole point of the new Playscape was to let kids explore safely in nature. The new area is completely enclosed and allows kids to explore and use their imagination while playing in the natural setting.