R.I.P Nuk 1/28/05 - 5/25/09

I hesitated to even blog this because it is only a very small circle of people that still knew Davis used his pacifier "nuk".  Davis has always LOVED his nuk.  He would have been a thumb sucker for sure but when he was little I would hold that thing in his mouth and keep sticking it back in so that he would take that and not his thumb.  Little did I know how attached he would become to the thing.  When he turned three, he was only allowed to have it in his bedroom, thus naps and bedtimes, but he was still very attached to his special friend.  It never really bothered me and I felt like I had control over when he could and could not use it so taking it away has never been of great urgency.  Yesterday, while playing with him by ourselves, he simply said "mommy, when I go to bed tonight I don't think I'm going to use my nuk."  I was shocked but encouraged him and thought I would just wait and see how it played out.  Sure enough, after a second of wanting to regress, he decided to go to bed without it.  He didn't use it tonight either.  I never in a million years would have imagined that it would happen like this but apparently that is exactly the same way his father gave up sucking his thumb (granted he was seven:)  When I decided to swallow my pride of others' judgements and blog about this I started looking through pictures and decided to do a closing tribute to the nuk.  It definitely had a long run!  I have to admit (and I can feel my sister giving me the eyes) but looking at the pictures made me a little sad.  It is definitely the end of an era for him and it was one thing about him that still made him seem like my little baby boy - when I would see him all snuggled in his bed with that pacifier.  Okay - that's crazy I know.  As you will notice in the photo tribute below - I am one down, one to go.  Parker is still holding strong and loves that thing more than ever!  

Davis at two months old - already best buds

At ten months old he really never was without - bed time or play time

His first birthday (Jan 2006)

One of my favorite "nuk" pictures - he would walk around the house like this sometimes - that is his pillow case draped on his head - cracks me up (Feb 2007)

Brothers and some double nuk love :)

After January 2008 I don't have tons of pictures of him with his nuk b/c it wasn't supposed to come out of his room.  Of course with Grayson in August 08 notice he is holding TWO and below in December of 08 he is getting ready for bed

Duncan Trip

In one packed weekend, there were three things going on in Duncan, AZ this past weekend with Mark's family.  Hayden graduated from high school on Friday (sorry we didn't make it up in time for that one-Congratulations!).  They built a new fire house in Duncan and it was named for Mark's granddad Wylie Boyd who went to heaven in December 2007.  The dedication and opening of the new firehouse was on Saturday afternoon.

The whole Boyd family (minus April's branch - we missed you:) in front of the new sign that will go on the outside of the firehouse.  This lunch was so nice.  They did such a nice job of honoring Mark's granddad and his decades of service to the fire department in Duncan.  The boys had a blast playing on the fire trucks and the brand new ambulance they just purchased.  They also had new shirts printed for the firemen with the name of the new station and the boys each got one in their size.  Davis and Parker were thrilled.  Davis wore it all day, then to bed, and I had to convince him that he couldn't continue to wear the same shirt to church the next morning!
Davis made a friend, Anthony, and they had a great time together on the fire trucks.  He didn't want to leave when the party was over!
Parker on the ambulance.  We raced into Duncan at the last minute to be there in time for the dedication.  In the hurry to leave early on Saturday morning, we didn't realize until we pulled up in front of the firehouse that Parker had left Phoenix with NO SHOES!  Awesome.  It's not like you can just go to the corner in Duncan and find some shoes.  He was barefoot for a while until Mark found him some dollar store flip flops at least 8 sizes too big that only survived for one day!  Oh well, Parker did not seem to mind at all.
Finally, we also went to Duncan for an 80th Birthday party for Mark's Gram.  It was very nice and I think she was honored by party and all the people who came.  It is obviously how foundational she is to their family and also their spiritual heritage.  She is always the first to do things for everyone else so I am sure that it was nice for her to have a weekend that she could just enjoy and be taken care OF for a change.  The boys always love a trip to her house.  It is so fun to be there when so many other family members are also in town.  Sunday lunch was great.  I think we had four tables all set up in her dining room so that everyone could eat together.  
The boys also got to see Great-Grandma Filleman for a few minutes at the party.  It never seems like we have enough time to do everything when we are there.  At least we got to see her for a little bit.

The New Suite

The Boys' Room

I am pretty much done with what will be the 'boys' suite' in the basement :)  I still want to put some truck decorations on the wall (and maybe get them matching bedding) but everything is painted and the boys' bunk beds were delivered last week!  I love the way their room looks and them seem to be really excited about it too. The three beds fit really nicely.  I'm so glad that we have a room that will be big enough for all three boys (eventually).

The boys have been talking about sleeping in the same room and begging for their beds to come for five weeks now.  They are thrilled to share a room.  The beds came last week and the boys are doing great.  This might come back to bite me, but so far they have done so well going to sleep in the same room.  We have developed a little routine and they have adjusted quickly.  Parker is getting up at the same time as Davis in the a.m. (which is at least an hour earlier than he was waking up in his crib) but I was expecting this.  At least I have my trusty bunny clock :) which keeps Davis quiet in his bed until 6:30.  I think Parker might end up sleeping in a little later when his body gets used to sleeping in a new place and hearing Davis moving around while he is sleeping.

In the long run, all three boys will get to be in the same room but G has at least another 1 1/2 years in his crib!  Grayson will get to move downstairs to Parker's old room so they will all be downstairs together.  Until G occupies the other bed - I guess his cousins and buddies will have to come slumber party!  Kara - Davis can't wait for you to come spend the night sometime:)

Grayson's First Word?

Grayson has been saying "ma ma ma ma" for just about anything he is trying to "communicate" for several weeks but I definitely did not seem like he knew it meant "Mama".  The last two days, though, he says just "ma ma" and holds his arms up to me.  I realize that it could just be the sound he makes when he wants something (and he happens to want me) but it certainly looks like he is saying momma.  As my mother-in-law pointed out, it does seem appropriate that that is his first word when he probably hears it thousands of times a day from his older brothers :)  Either way, I'll take it!  This morning when Davis walked into the room he made sound I had never heard him make before and held up his arms to his big brother.  I am pretty sure he was trying to talk to Davis.  G LOVES his brothers!

He is on the move in a serious way.  If I turn my back for two seconds, he is making a bolt for either the stairs (his favorite thing to climb) or the fireplace (where I am sure he will smash his face on the bricks if he falls).  I've even seen him attempt to let go of something like the couch to get to the shelf without holding on.  He never makes it but you can see those wheels turning in his mind.  The airplane ride in three weeks will be interesting for this busy body boy!  I'm sad to report that this poor baby probably manages to get a bloody lip (or even nose one time) almost every other day.  It is so hard learning to crawl/walk.

Unfortunately, he is an "everything gets put in the mouth" kind of kid.  Yuck!  I feel like I am constantly scanning the floor for Davis' 'special rocks' or other small things brought in the house and left on the floor for Grayson to put in his mouth.  Seriously, what is so appealing about dusty rocks or yummy, coppery pennies??  In Duncan this weekend, I saw something black in his mouth and was horrified to fish it out and realize it was a fly!!  Hopefully he grows out of this soon.  

Firehouse Visit

We took a spontaneous trip to the firehouse a couple weeks ago.  

(I have been a bad blogger lately so I am catching up.)  My boys probably ask to go visit Uncle Troy at the firehouse three times a week so it is a super special treat for them.  The Williams boys and Caruso boys came to play too!  I think they look so cute all together in front of the truck.

Baby G with his fire hat.

Parker and Loges - his best bud!

Doesn't Eli look big in this picture?  Eli has grown so much lately.  He is so much taller than all the other boys it makes him seem so much older.

Mother's Day 2009

Mother's Day was a very fun day, but I don't need a special day to realize how great it is to be a mom and how much I love my three little boys.  I can't remember one day going by where I didn't feel very thankful for them (some moments maybe . . . ) just kidding.  On January 28, 2005 I became a mom and it has been so much more amazing than I ever imagined.  I have been wanting a bike for a long time because Davis LOVES to ride bikes with Mark so I push the others in stroller.  For Mother's Day Mark got me a beautiful bike AND this trailer thing to hook onto his bike so we can all roll together.  Bike ride yesterday morning (before it was blazing hot) was definitely the highlight of my entire day!

My very sweet boys - I love them so much

The great man who made me a Momma - so handsome too :)

Brunch with my fam was smack dab in the middle of G's nap - poor baby, so tired

My family (minus Troy and Mark - they were with the kids and Liss and I decided we should just get the show on the road).  I hope that my mom felt honored yesterday - despite the VERY hot brunch we had outside.  I am a better mom because of the great example that she set for me and the ongoing love and support that she continues to give.  She taught us to be a great wife and mom.  I appreciate her ability to give wisdom and advice from experience but also from the perspective of knowing me so well.  I can't imagine raising my kids without my mom only ten minutes away - something that I am very grateful for.  She is my mom but also my friend - such a treasure!

My sister is also one of the greatest momma's I know.  No matter what the circumstance, or number of children, she continues to not only stumble through the day but do it well.  She is faithful to hiding God's Word in the hearts of her kids and I know that they know better the things of the Lord because of her example to them.  She is a constant encouragement to me in the day-to-day and in the bigger things.  God has given Eli, TJ, Logan and sweet Evie and precious gift in my sister as their mom.

Rub a dub dub

Three men in a tub

And who do you think they be?

The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker,

Turn them out, knaves all three.

I always sing a little song of this nursery rhyme to my boys in the tub (it is genetic from my dad I think) and I just looked it up and "knaves" means dishonest scoundrel.  Sad - I will have to redo that part of the nursery rhyme because they are definitely the sweetest little boys ever!

Up and Over

I was so worried last week about Grayson falling out of his crib, but today Parker went up and over.  My doctor told me four months ago that he was too tall for a crib (what do they know:).  He has never even attempted to get out of his crib so I wasn't worried about it.  He hangs out in there all he time and seems to love it in there.  Today after only being in bed for about 10 minutes I heard a big crash in his room.  He tried to jump to the rocking chair next to his crib - not sure what he was thinking there.  I said, "Why did you jump out of your bed buddy?".  P said, "I dropped my nuky (pacifier) and I get it MYYYYYself!".  Oh yes, I should have known - everything is "I'll do it myself!" these days.  Good thing I've ordered those bunk beds and they are on their way.  

Changing So Fast!

I feel like Grayson is getting so big so fast these days.  Someone in my BSF discussion group said last week, "so your baby is almost a year old right?".  I thought right away, "ah NO - he is just a baby".  Then I was thinking about it and he will be one this summer . . . in just three months.  How did that happen?  All of a sudden I feel like he will be one-year-old before I know it.

In only about two days he decided he wanted to learn to pull himself up to standing.  Wednesday night Mark said, "You better lower that crib, he looks like he is trying to pull himself up".  Sure enough, Thursday morning he was standing in his crib.  Now he is pulling himself up on just about everything.  He is thrilled that he can get his own toys out of Parker's toy box.  Of course this pulling up has led to numerous injuries everyday.  He got his first 'bloody' injury Friday when he smacked his mouth trying to pull himself up on Davis' bed.  The first of many I am sure. 

One of his very favorite things is a ball.  He gets so excited to play with any kind of ball.  He pushes it forward and then chases after it like a little worm.  (His crawl is still so funny).  He is crawling more to 'get somewhere' instead of just scooting around on the floor.  When I was in the shower on Thursday he was playing on the floor in the bedroom, but in just minutes was poking his head into the shower.  

Mostly this little boy is just a joy.  I love him so much.  He is smiley and giggly.  He is happy just to be where ever they boys and I are playing.  He had his first 'straight from the table food'.  I gave him half of Parker's banana yesterday and today I gave him half of one of Davis' pancakes.  He rather enjoys the 'real' food.