Boxerwood

Since the weather was absolutely gorgeous today, I convinced Logan that we should take Tommy to Boxerwood Gardens after I got off work. What a nifty place! It's a garden with fun nature activities for kids. It's designed so that kids get very dirty while they're there, and Tommy certainly played that part up! The first thing he saw when we walked in was the Mud Pie Kitchen, where they have a water pump and kitchen items to play with. I thought we'd never get him away from it! He just LOVES water. After about fifteen minutes I finally coaxed him to the giant bird nest, and from there to the creek, the tunnel, and the bone yard. We also took our dog, Diego, and Tommy had fun chasing him around the garden. We want to go back again soon when Tommy can play in the sandbox and look at bugs. It just got too late for him to play there this trip!

Fun times :-)

A Great Father

Yesterday was the "Clawson Connection" at our cousin Robert's house (and an amazing house it is!). It was very...interesting, mostly because Tommy LOVED swimming, but because he LOVED swimming he had no desire to get out! It was quite a scene when we had to remove him from the pool, and we spent the rest of the evening trying to keep him from running out of the house and down to the fence. He's a very determined little man when he wants to be... I didn't go swimming (because I don't have a suit that fits me, currently), so Logan had to fly solo on that one. He had to hold a very excited Tommy, who wanted nothing more than to strike out on his own. Luckily Logan has a firm grip, and was able to keep in control. They both had fun, though!

This morning Tommy and I made Logan waffles for breakfast. Well, I made the waffles, but Tommy carried the bottle of syrup in to the bedroom, where we served Logan breakfast in bed. Logan's so great with Tommy! This afternoon he had Tommy help him make cookies for Papa, and it was so cute! (I have pictures, of course). He's such a great dad--I feel so blessed to be married to him!

Genius!

I'm so excited!

Tommy figured out how to put his puzzle together all by himself!

For a few months we've had these two puzzles of barnyard animals (you know, the really big puzzle pieces with the handles designed for kids). Mostly the puzzle pieces have been used as projectiles, and we find them all over the house. Well, recently Tommy's been showing more interest in them, since he can actually identify what the animals are. Without any sort of provocation on my part, he decided to put the puzzle together today. He'd pick up the dog piece, say "dog", then proceed to put it in the correct place! He even turned the piece until it fit! I was amazed. The two puzzles have some animals in common (they both have cows, but the cows look different). Sometimes he'd go to put the cow in the wrong puzzle, but he'd quickly realize that, no, this doesn't go here, and go put it in the other cow slot.

It's so fun to watch him grow!

Playing with the Big Boys Now

So...

Tommy has figured out how to open doors. And he knows how to crawl out of his crib. And his port-a-crib. And he doesn't particularly want to take naps during the day.

Does anyone else see a problem with this?

Once we realized he could get out of his crib (more like "fall out") we decided to convert his crib to a toddler bed (which it is designed to do) to lessen the possibility of him getting hurt. He really likes it, and has found that jumping on the bed is very fun. He's pretty good about staying in bed all night--he usually sleeps in until at least 7:15am, and occasionally until 8am--but he does not like taking naps. So, we're working on some alternative tactics of persuasion to try to keep him from getting cranky during the day.

He's growing up so much! He asks for things by name now (especially snacks) and he's decided that Lion King is the greatest thing since...well, ever. I think he could watch it all day with barely any breaks. We try to get him out, though, and not over-do it. He's getting more fond of Tarzan, and occasionally Jungle Book, but Lion King is still the front runner. All that music, plus colorful animals! A real winner.

Things are moving along this summer. It feels like time is slipping by way too quickly. I'll be 32 weeks along this Friday; That's kinda freaking me out. Jack is still incredibly active, but I think it's getting snug in there because he's started moving differently lately. It's still weird to think that we'll have another little guy running around soon!

Here are some pictures of Tommy and his new bed. Enjoy!

"Belly Photos"

So...when I was pregnant with Tommy, Logan and I would take "belly pictures" every few weeks. With Jack, though, we keep forgetting. And then I had a lot of really bad hair days, so I didn't want any photos, but yesterday I FINALLY had a decent one and we actually grabbed a camera!

I know everyone's going to say "You look so tiny for thirty weeks!" but I don't care. I don't feel tiny, and this guy keeps kickin' me! That makes him feel even bigger...

All complaints aside, though, I can't wait to meet him! I think he's going to have a fun personality when he finally gets out :-)

(and yes, I did change my clothes. the first outfit actually hid my belly a lot more)

The Newest Member of the Family

So, surprisingly, this week the Davis family...got a dog!

His name is Diego, and we adopted him from the local SPCA. What happened was this...

For a long time, Tommy has been fascinated by dogs. I think "doggie" was one of his first clear words. Well, because of this fascination, it has been a topic of conversation for a while about when we should get a dog. I, being a cat person, have always leaned more towards the "well, let's wait until the kids are old enough to take care of it" argument, believing that (in general) dogs are smelly and time consuming.

A few weeks ago, Logan began talking about the kind of dog he'd like to get someday called a "Rhodesian Ridgeback." I'd never heard of that kind of dog before, but evidently they were bred in Africa for hunting lions. Last Saturday I was online watching a tv show, and during a commercial break (which is even more boring online since its the same commercial over, and over, and over again) I decided to do some research on the breed. Turns out that they're great family pets, very intelligent, beautiful red color, low maintenance, etc. "Hmm," I thought. "Maybe someday."

Next commercial break rolls around, and I decide to look at the SPCA website for what kind of dogs were available in our area (I'm not really sure why I did this...). As I scrolled down the list I was shocked to see...a Rhodesian Ridgeback. In Rockbridge county. What were the odds??

Okay, so he's not a purebred. He's a cross (they think) between a ridgeback and a Redbone Coonhound. While both are hunting dogs (technically) they're both said to be great with kids, non-digging (a big plus), intelligent, and, well, pretty. When Logan found out we couldn't resist the temptation to go and look, and the rest is history! Three days later we were dog owners.

Since our backyard was already fenced, we bought a kennel for his "bedroom" while we're away from home, and for him to stay in at night so that we don't worry about him getting out. So far, it's been great! He barely barks (except at the cats), and even that is so low that it's not nearly as annoying as a little yapper. He's really gentle with Tommy, and loves playing fetch and going for walks. He's a year old, so he still has a bit of the puppy in him, but in a lot of ways he's already mature and has quickly become a family member. I'm just lucky it's summer and warm outside, or I'm sure Logan would have convinced me by now to let him in the house (he's strictly an outside dog at this point).

Anywho, enjoy the pictures! Tommy LOVES the dog (he calls him "Diego Doggy) and I'm just glad Diego likes him back!

Family Photos

While Logan's parents were in town I asked Tad, Logan's dad, to take some family photos. We went up to Main Hall on campus and walked around, and found that it's hard to take pictures of a child in motion! Tommy is getting so active, and is so curious about everything. His vocabulary is expanding at a rapid rate as well, and every day brings a new adventure. I love it! It really makes me wonder how different his little brother will be (because let me tell you, as far as activity in the womb goes, Jack is much more active than his brother was! I feel like he's doing cartwheels all day...)

Anywho, I hope you enjoy the photos! We had fun taking them :-)

("Popcorn Popping")

I'm having trouble getting blogger to upload the rest of the photos, but I'll try again later :-)