Terrible Two's

We've been experiencing quite the dose of a teething toddler right in the midst of "the terrible two's" around here. Nothing we do satisfies her. She had a few nights when she cried about going to bed and then she was up around 12 or 2 - and that is not like her! AND she is cutting at least 3 of her last molars {at least I sincerely hope these are the last of them 'til she cuts her 6 year molars}. She has been beyond cranky and has spent more time in time out this past week than she has in 2 months.
I do have some pictures...these are times when she was actually in an okay mood. Trust me, you don't want to see proof of her crankiness.

God Bless her...I walked into the kitchen Thursday night after I'd been cleaning and asked what she was doing. She said "I cweanin' the shoor." {Her "f" sounds come our "sh" (phone-shone, foot-shoot).} Monkey We finally got around to fixing those toes this yesterday. And, of course, one of them got messed up right after. We'll fix that before next week, maybe. She's starting to ask for "ponies" and will actually keep them in for awhile. Oh, how I love that face! Her babies always "poo-poo" and she tells us how "naysty" it is!

She loves to wear shorts. And she loves to change clothes. Yesterday afternoon, she told me "these shorts hurt me." So I let her take them off. I should have known from the mischievious look on her face what she had in mind. She had seen these in my room and ran to get them. This is how I found her.

She was so proud.

Happy Mother's Day {a little late}

I don't know why we've been so busy lately or what exactly we've even been doing...but I just can't find the energy the time to sit down and blog. Dusty helped with spring football over the past few weeks, so I went to pick Avery Claire up every day. That meant I didn't get there until at least 4-4:30 {and 4:55 on Mondays because I have to stay late. I know 4:00 doesn't sound late to most of you, but keep in mind I get up at 5:30ish and Dusty and Avery Claire leave the house at 6:45. So she'd be at daycare from 7:10 until whenever I got there to get her. That's a long day. And then Dusty wasn't getting home until late, so it was just me and AC. By the time I suppertime, bathtime, and a few minutes of playtime were over, my house was a disaster and I had things to get done for the next day. And we're still trying to get P90 in.

Anyway, not that you cared about all of those excuses for not blogging.I promise to try to do better. Every time I blog, I tell myself it'd be so much easier not to have download/upload 60 pictures at once. Then I get behind again.

Look at these sweet handprints I got for Mother's Day...and even sweeter is the little voice that tells me every time she looks at them "I paint my hands!" I will cherish those sweet hands forever and will never forget that sweet, proud girl telling me about painting her hands at daycare and then washing her them.

We went to visit our moms for Mother's Day. I took one picture {and it wasn't even with our moms}. I don't know why I'm such a horrible picture taker when we visit. Guess I'm just living in the moment while we're there. My husband and I did manage a date to see The Hunger Games, and it did not disappoint! I think I may even have him hooked!


I wanted to do a sweet post for Mother's Day, but again, you know...I just didn't get around to it.
I've learned so much about motherhood over the past couple of years. When you dream of having a family, you see sweet little babies that grow into sweet, cute little toddlers that grow into little kids that go to school and play sports and take dance and then just keep growing into cranky teenagers that learn to drive and make you wait up on them at night, praying they are safe. Then they grow into young adults that go to college {hopefully} and get jobs and try to make it on their own. When you dream of having a family, it's all through rose-colored glasses.


What you don't think about, or know about, is that those babies will cry and keep you up at night. You will stress about reflux and constipation and fever viruses and what they need to eat and don't need to eat. Then they grow into sweet, cute toddlers {that part's true} that whine and still cry and test your patience. You still stress about constipation and coughs and runny noses that never stop and what they need to eat and won't eat and why those dang molars won't just come in already. I can't attest to anything past the point of toddlerhood right now, but I'm willing to bet none of it's easy.


What you don't realize is that, even though you are stressed by things that will one day seem very trivial, you wouldn't trade one single second of that time with your sweet child for anything in the world. For every hundred whiney minutes you experience, you will experience so many sweet moments that erase those whines. You will be so thankful that a little whiney, cranky, very healthy, normal toddler is all that's stressing you out.


What you don't know about when you dream of having a family is how fervently you will pray for your child. You pray for your child's health and happiness. But you also pray that you are the best example of a Godly woman that you can be for her. You pray that you are doing all of the right things that will help mold her into the best little person she can possilbly be. You don't know how hard it will be to discipline her and try to remind yourself of how important that discipline will be to help mold her into that "best little person." You don't know that you will pray that her little independence and her stubborness is used one day to help her stick up for what she believes in and to not follow a crowd that may be leading her in the wrong direction.


When you're dreaming of your family, you do know that you will love your child. What you don't know is how hopelessly, heart-achingly much you will love her.  No one could ever prepare you for motherhood {or parenthood, for that matter}. No one could ever tell you how rewarding, how exciting, how stressful, how incredibly awesome it is. I am so glad God gave me this little girl.

Our Girl

Since I'm not doing monthly posts anymore {and I'm not very good at blogging even weekly lately}, I wanted to do a post about things I want to remember about our girl.

I think I've said this about most of the "stages" Avery Claire has gone through. I thought 4 months was the best. Then I thought 6 months was the most fun. Then I thought 8 months was soooo sweet. You get the idea. But really, I think 2 is the best! Don't get me wrong...there are some days I think I have the most stubborn, bossiest child in the world. She wears me out. She is Miss Independent and only needs help after she realizes she just can't do something by herself. But she is really just the most fun, cutest, smartest, sweetest, most precious little girl in the world. I wish I could just bottle her up. But I'm sure I'll do this post again at a different "stage" and say it's the best, too.

She loves to look out the window and see what's going on behind the house. There is a daycare there and she loves to watch the kids being dropped off/picked up.

She loves to read. And she'll bring us a book,say "read me, peez," and turn around so we can pick her up and put her in our laps.

Is a little stinker! She can be sneaky! She loves to swing and slide at the neighbors. This is the look she gets on her face every.single. time. before she makes a run for their house.





She LOVES to pretend to take her baby to "Mawmart" and the "udder store." And she tells them they cannot get out of that buggy! {That's what her Mama tells her when we go to the store....before she relents and lets her out of the buggy.}


She has started sitting at the big table. No baby chair. No booster seat. Just like a big girl. She loves it. And she eats much better there too. Big surprise, huh?


She can say just about anything. She never stops talking. Really. All.of.the.time. I love it! We always said life would have to be easier with a child when she could communicate. We were right!




She has a mind of her own. I hope she always has her own ideas and doesn't worry about what others think!

She loves her some chapstick. I think she may eat a little. She keeps it in her purse and pulls it out all of the time. I wish I could remember to reapply my lipstick that often.

Even though my house is a mess, I never get caught up with laundry or cleaning or school work, I wouldn't trade a second with my sweet girl to do any of that stuff! We are so thankful God sent her to us and so proud to be her parents.
Just look at her...




And when she says "I wuv ewe much, Mommy. I wuv ewe much, Daddy." Melt. my heart. There's nothing better in this world than being her Mommy.

Poo Poo on the Potty {and catch up}

It's been so long since I blogged that blogger has completely changed on me. And I don't like it!
Dusty asked me last week if I'd quit blogging. Matt sent me a message today with the same question. I haven't quit...between Dusty starting spring football practice, me having sinus issues/headaches all week, trying to keep our house in some kind of order, AND trying to fit in P90 this week, I just haven't had time. This is what my living room looks like most of the time:


We do have BIG news around the Davis house!! Avery Claire pooped on the potty today! I sit her on the potty all of the time. She asks to "pee pee" or "poo poo" on the potty all of the time. This is the first time anything has actually ever happened on the potty! Daddy ran and got the camera and we high-fived all around. She was so proud of herself and kept talking about flushing it away. Isn't it amazing the things you celebrate {and the things you even talk/blog about} when you have kiddos?! Dusty and Avery Claire had spring break the week before last. Mema came to stay for a few days. Avery Claire keeps calling her "Mee-ah." Mema left Thursday and Nana visited that night. Avery Claire loved the week of getting spoiled and was sad when just Mommy and Daddy were left! If you see Avery Claire, ask her about her Daddy's "new twuck." She is very proud of it!