My Bucket List

This past April my family and I were able to attend the Opening Day Game and Festivities for the Houston Astros. This is something that I have always wanted to be able to do but distance between me and a MLB team has been too much to try to take off school from. This year, we live in Houston just 25 miles from Minute Maid Park and I made it a point to try to be at this game. It was AMAZING and I was so happy to have been able to share this experience with the two people i love most... Chris and Natalie. I had mentioned to my closest family and friends that this was something on "My Bucket List". This got me thinking about what else is on "My Bucket List". I have categorized this list into groups and I am having a blast thinking and creating this list. Take a moment to think about yours... It is NEVER TOO LATE!

*(Rubric- The items I have BOLDED are already complete)

Personal:

To ask Jesus to become my personal Savior and live in my heart- 1988

To live my life as a Christian wife, mother and woman so others can see the example I set and try to follow it.

To marry the man of my dreams and live happily ever after- 2006

To have children and a family consisiting of both a boy and a girl- (2012)

To raise my children up in church and lead them to salvation through mine and Chris' example

Be the type of teacher/ educator that studetns will remember YEARS after they leave my classroom and be thankful for the influence I made on their life

Help a student (Even just 1) appreciate music the way I do and have a passion for music the rest of thier lives

Travel:

Visit and watch a MLB game at all of the MLB ballparks (Family tradition...I've got 26 already)

Go overseas to London, England- Honeymoon 2006

Visit Paris, France

Visit Rome, Italy

Visit South Africa

Visit and tour ALL the islands of Hawaii

Go on a cruise to Alaska, the Mediterranean and Austrailia

Visit all 50 states

Swim in all 5 oceans (This is a LONG shot I know)

Visit Jeruselem and Isreal and see where Jesus was born and died

Visit Estes Park where my parents had their honeymoon

Go on an African Safari (Yet as my husband reminds me... I am afraid of SNAKES and SPIDERS)

Go White Water Rafting

Go shopping at Macy's on 5th Avenue in NYC the day after Thanksgiving

Events:

Go to an Opening Day MLB Game- 2012

Go to an Opening Day Game at YANKEES STADIUM

Go to a MLB playoff game/ series- 2010

Attend a MLB All-Star Game AND Homerun derby

Attend a MLB World Series Game (C'mon RANGERS... you are my own hope!)

Go to a NCAA National Championship Game- 2004 

Go to the Rose Parade (I even got to march in it!)- 2003

Attend an OU/ texas game at the Cotton Bowl (x2!!)- 2002 and 2003

Go to a NFL game

Attend a SUPER BOWL game

Go to the Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony and several events

Be in Times Square when the "Ball Drops" on New Years Eve

Go to an INDY 500 race on Memorial Day weekend

Attend the Kentucky Derby (With fancy hat and all!)

Go to a NASCAR race

Personal Goals/ Achievements:

Perform the National Anthem at a Major Sporting Event

Perform, Create and make a Christian Saxophone CD

Give a Christian "Hymn" like concert with my saxophone and voice at my dad's or my own church

Weigh what I did on the day of my wedding... and here's the kicker and never gain a pound more for the rest of my life (I did this in 2011 but now I am back above that mark yet again)

House Hunters: Davis Style – Part 4

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

"Stewart's Forest"

Today Chris and I went out with the realtor again to one subdivision in the middle of Conroe called "Stewart's Forest". This is off of Loop 336 and very central to all of our needs including work, church and grandparents.

We started off by looking at two houses that were on the upper end of our budget. Each of these had special amenities that we haven't seen in other houses including a formal dining room, hardwood floors and large laundry rooms. In one of the houses they had a designated media room on the second floor which the sellers had painted black and had installed little ledges and steps for theater seating. This was really cool and Chris immediately saw an amazing football season but I kind of wondered if we would really use it for that. Of course, if we DIDN'T use it for a media room, we would have to paint over the entire room (Ceiling included) full of black paint and take out the ledges.

We then went to two houses that were a little bit smaller and a little bit lower-priced. These two were almost identical in floor plans and square footage with 2300 ft.². Both of them had four bedrooms but they did not have a study. Instead each of them had a formal dining but there wasn't a breakfast nook It was an eat in kitchen. I like the formal dining however neither of them had a breakfast bar either so you would be forced to eat at the formal dining every day which is a little discouraging to me. The master bedroom was very large in both of these floor-plans however the secondary bedrooms were very small ranging in size from 10 x 10 to 9 x 9. It made it hard to envision a full-size bed for the kids and a king-sized bed for the guest in any of these rooms.

Want to be smaller floor plans was very updated and had everything increasing our looking for as far as amenities. We both left that house with our heads held high and even discussed on the way home making a offer on this home. We went home and thought and prayed about it and even though this would be a smaller house than what we wanted with smaller bedrooms and without a study we decided we liked it the best of all the houses we had looked at began to envision our family living there. The next morning our realtor called and said it had been sold. This was very frustrating and discouraging to us. Chris a great attitude and said "it's just not the house for us". I knew that and I knew that God would show us the house for us but I was still discouraged since I had gotten my hopes all up for that one house.

So here we sit two and half weeks into the real estate looking process with nothing. My realtor has reassured me that this is very common and to not get discouraged but I haven't had my own home in over year and that's all I want is just my own place to call home.

This reminds me of one of my all-time favorite verses Jeremiah 29:11- "For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future".

I do have hope and I know that God knows my future and he will provide for me and my family.

God is good… All the time!

"London Calling"

Friday, July 27, 2012

Nearly 6 1/2 years ago at this time Chris and I had just got married and were on our way to London England for our honeymoon. I had always dreamed about where I would go on my honeymoon but I never imagined it would be somewhere as extravagant as London. I remember before Chris and I got married we would talk about where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do once we got to London. It was so much fun to sit there and plan it out together. We went to Barnes & Noble and got maps and books and all kinds of travel accessories to help us make the most out of this once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Once our wedding day was over it was time for us to leave our honeymoon and it started with a very long plane ride across the Atlantic Ocean. I had flown several times before but never a transatlantic flight so this very special. Once we arrived in London we made our way to the thistle Victoria hotel where we would be staying for the remainder of our time in London. Neither of us had been overseas so this was a real culture shock to us as we approached the busy streets of London. First thing that blew my mind was DRIVING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD. This was so weird and cool at the same time!

Once we arrived at our hotel we learned that in Europe they did not have one bed... but two separate beds within the actual hotel room. I remember opening the door to our room and saying "what? Are you kidding? I'm on my honeymoon!" I immediately got on the elevator, went down to the front desk and demanded one bed since it was my honeymoon. The kind British lady laughed at me and said "sorry, no can-do ma'am". After a few tears were shed by me, we made our way back up to the hotel room and dealt with the two separate beds by pushing them together. That room was a sight for sore eyes!

We did all kinds of sightseeing while we were in London including Buckingham palace, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, the London Eye and St. Paul's Cathedral. We really got into the culture by eating "Fish and chips" and other fine dining that you can only find in London. Of course we also had the usual vacation standbys of McDonald's, Subway and Pizza Hut as well; just with a little British flair! It was all very interesting and unforgettable at the same time.

Chris and I outside of Buckingham Palace

I remember standing in front of Buckingham Palace watching the guards not make a single move. We would go up and try to get them to talk to us or move and I swear they didn't even blink. We watched and listened to the guardsmen play in the band. We were there for a changing of the guard ceremony which was a once-in-a-lifetime moment that i will NEVER forget! In fact we were there on a day when the Brazilian state minister was arriving for a visit so it was extra crowded and packed with extra security personnel. But it was really neat to watch someone arrive at the Palace and see their dramatic entrance. It is something I will never forget!

Outside of Parliament

Prior to this trip I had traveled to Washington D.C. and had been in the House of Representatives during a session and had heard their discussions but nothing would have prepared me for the site we saw within the British Parliament. Wow... this was CRAZY! They were sitting in high fashion chairs with chaises and velvet which looked very prestigious yet they were arguing and yelling at each other! This too was very unusual to us and something we will never forget!

Chris and I outside of The Westminster Abbey

Perhaps the BEST VACATION photo of MY LIFE!

Westminster Abbey was the most amazing place I think I have EVER been in my life. It was so  big and glorious. I remember we were even able to listen to a choir singing during a church service. We were able to see the graves and tombstones of Sir Isaac Newton, Joseph Haydn and many other famous people in history as well as royalties. This was a little unsettling at first but within a few minutes I was awe-strucken. "Hands down the Best Abbey I've ever seen" as Joey Tribiani said in Friends. We liked the Westminster Abbey so much we named our first dog "Abbey" after it.

Chris and I on the inside of the "London Eye"

We also were able to take a ride on the "London Eye" which is the large Farris wheel that you see in London. This is the largest Ferris wheel by far that I've ever rode in my life and it took 30 minutes to complete one cycle. It didn't even stop for you to get on, it just moved at a continuous slow-pace and you had to get on without tripping or falling. Each of the carriers held up to 50 people although on that day there were only about 10. This is a luxury for Chris and I since we could move around the carrier and get different views of the city and take different pictures from within the "London Eye". I'm sure most of you have seen recently with the Olympics and all pictures on the news of London, It is a beautiful city.

St. Paul's Cathedral in the background

In front of Big Ben and Parliament

Tower Bridge

We were also able to go to St. Paul's Cathedral, the Shakespeare Globe theater, as well as Oxford University just outside of London. Each of these attractions were very neat and special, especially Oxford because we were able to see such a prestigious university and the life that it students live. We were able to go to the library and bookstore at Oxford and purchased some books just to say that we have some books from Oxford which was neat. We were also able to wonder the streets within Oxford University and see all of the vendors that were selling things. I got a pashmeana and some really fancy earrings and we both got an Oxford University T-shirt as well as mugs, magnets and other items to remember this awesome trip.

In fact we like Oxford University so much that we got our second beagle in October 2008 we decided to name him what else...but Oxford! Again Chris and I are absolutely fascinated with and love London! Clearly huh...since we named both of our dogs after that one trip. We have also invested in some fancy artwork that displays the many attractions in London that we were able to visit and we decorated an entire room in our house in Shawnee as a "London room". Hopefully when we find a house here in Conroe we'll be able to do the same thing!

On our flight home we flew out of Heathrow airport which was an amazing and humorous event. Heathrow Airport is the busiest airport in the world and having been there I can guarantee this fact. I have flown many times inventing many airports throughout United States but this was an experience I'll never forget. When we first got there was a line just to get into the terminal. We were ahead of schedule by three or four hours but when we looked at the line was probably 500 people deep. Chris knew how busy it was going to be and then said "we've got to get in this line NOW". We stepped in the line right there. British person said "hey man, the que is back there". Chris immediately responded by saying "no hablo engles"! I laughed a little bit under my breath but the British people behind us were very mad. Nevertheless we made it through the line to get to the terminal on time. However at this point we still didn't even know which gate our flight was going to depart from. In fact we didn't find out which gate we were departing from until 20 minutes before boarding! As soon as they call that our flight number and gate number Chris and I hightailed it all the way down to the terminal to the very last gate. It was only about four minutes to spare. It was insane and something I will never forget.

There were many other attractions that we were able to see such as Kensington Palace, are Taddington Sq., Piccadilly Circus and many more. It was an amazing trip that I will never ever forget and I'm so grateful to Chris for allowing me to be able to have such an amazing honeymoon. As we left London in March 2006 we told each other that we would be back in the summer of 2012 for the Olympics. Going to the Olympics is something both of us have always wanted to do and we loved London so much that we told each other no matter what we'll be back there in The summer of 2012. Well God herd us and he had different plans. As I sit here and watch the opening ceremony I get a little sad and yet overrun with pure joy at the same time. As much as I would like to be there right now, i can't help but look at the beautiful gift God has given me instead. I would rather have my precious Luke anyway over a crowded trip to London.

My honeymoon was a trip I will never forget and I am forever grateful to my husband and best friend Chris for taking me there. We WILL be back someday but not this summer!!!

God is good... ALL the time!!

House Hunters: Davis Style – Part 3

Sunday, July 22, 2012

"The Day of Open Houses"

Today Chris and I as well as the kids went out to a neighborhood in south Conroe to look at a few open houses. These were in the subdivision of "Legend's Ranch" which is a 24 hour gated community with a security check point at the entrance. This subdivision was amazing with a junior Olympic size pool, workout room, park and even a small "splash pad" water park for all of its residents. These two houses today were in our price range according to the banker but after being on the insides we quickly realized that they more than likely WERE NOT in our price range. They seemed almost too good to be true. Both of them were approximately 2900 to 3100 ft.² and had four bedrooms plus an office. Each of them had an upgraded kitchen including stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops. They were very well-maintained and upgraded throughout including state-of-the-art paint and other amenities. Each of them had a very large backyard including a deck and even a covered patio with ceiling fans and TVs. Again this seems too good to be true for our price range.

We went home and we're both very excited about not only these two houses but the overall subdivision itself. It is at Rayford/ Sawdust Road off of I-45 which is about 6 miles south of where we currently live. This means a shorter commute and less mileage to go to work but it means a much longer commute to get church. From our current house Mims Baptist Church is about a 20 minute commute. If we were to move to this subdivision it would be well over 30 and maybe even 35. Since we take Natalie to AWANAS and stay late for Wednesday night Choir/ Orchestra practice, this seemed almost impossible to do. This location also means that our babysitter, who is currently my mother-in-law Jackie Davis, is also a further distance away and in the opposite direction of work. For these two reasons alone Chris and I crossed off the two houses we looked at today and the subdivision itself.

Today was a little bit frustrating in the fact that we found houses we liked and we found a subdivision we really liked BUT it was in the opposite direction of where we needed to be. We both became a little bit discouraged and frustrated with the whole home buying process.

So we still haven't found that house were going to call home but I know it is out there... I just need to have the patience to find it! Easier said than done right?

Here's a lesson I thought I already learned…
Patience is a virtue!

God is GOOD… All the time

House Hunters: Davis Style-Part 2

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Last weekend Chris and I went to a couple of builders looking at possible floor plans to build a house but this weekend we decided to meet with a realtor to see what was currently on the market. I asked some friends from Sunday school to recommend a realtor and we got a fabulous recommendation with Robyn Scharlach. She's with Keller Williams Realty in Conroe and thus far has been absolutely fantastic. All four of the houses that we went to look at today were in the north Conroe area.

We were only able to look at four today because we had both kids with us which in and of itself was a chore. Actually Natalie was very well behaved at all four of the houses and enjoyed going into the houses and running all over which she's not allowed to do at our house right now. At the very first house we went into there was a kitty cat and she just love it. She would chase that poor cat all over the house. Of course you also found a "Scentsy" wall plug-in full of wax and put her hand in it and dumped the wax all over the tile floor. I didn't notice until we were about to leave the house and our poor realtor had to get on her hands and knees and scrape it up. Another reason why she's fantastic. At all four houses Luke did pretty well and stayed asleep in his car seat for the most part. Whenever he would wake up or start to get fussy the realtor would pick up the car seat and swing him around. Even though she's a "texas ex" ut alumni I've forgiven her. She really is amazing.

Our first house we went to was on the very far north side of Conroe and in the Willis School District. It was about 2600 ft.² and had four bedrooms plus an office. It was very well updated and maintained throughout the home. Each bedroom was painted a different color including a pink room and a blue room, which would work out perfect for our family. It had a two-story living room and a game room upstairs. The backyard was a very large and included a wraparound deck plus a play set. The kitchen did not have an island and was kind of small but that was really the only drawback in my opinion. When we left the house I was pleasantly surprised and began to think "could I live here?" Chris was not overly impressed with this house but he liked it.

The second house we went to was also in North Conroe in a neighborhood of some of our Sunday school friends. It was also in the Willis School District. It was 2800 ft.² and had five bedrooms. It did not have a formal dining and only a breakfast area off of the kitchen. The kitchen did have an island and was very open. The bedrooms however we're incredibly small each ranging in size from 9 x 10 to 10 x 10. These were about the same size as our bedrooms in Shawnee which were very small and made it hard for guests to come and stay with us especially for extended periods of time. Another thing we did not like about this house was that all of the bedrooms were on the first floor with a large game room being a "bonus" style upstairs. We decided we really wanted the master downstairs and the kids bedrooms upstairs. This house was fine but the bedrooms were the real kicker and so we decided to cross it off the list of hopefuls.

House number three turned out to be a complete bust. It was in the city of Willis in the highly acclaimed "Seven Coves" subdivision which is approximately 7 miles west of I 45 on a small 2 lane Hwy. That alone was a little discouraging to Chris and I since Willis is already pretty far north plus the 7 miles to the west would make for very long commute. This house was about 2300 ft.² and was a little bit older than the houses we previously looked at. They too had cats which made for a very entertaining visit for Natalie; however I noticed that the cats in this house had scratched a lot of the walls, landings and the baseboards as well as other areas of the house. This screams maintenance to me and I immediately was disappointed. The backyard was also very large but it was almost a complete garden which also means maintenance for me. Those of you who know me well know that I cannot grow plants...in fact I actually kill plants so a garden is not a good idea. When we walked out I told the realtor "this ain't it!"

House number four was in the middle of Conroe off of Loop 336. This is a lot more central for Chris and I since our jobs are in Aldine ISD and Spring ISD. This house had never been lived in and was built in late 2011. It had four bedrooms with the study and was 3100 ft.². It was a "base model" of a home without anything special or any amenities. The kitchen was large and did have an island plus Formica countertops which made it look very pretty but the rest of the house was very "PLAIN"! It also had 3 1/2 baths which would be nice when company comes to stay so they don't have to share with the kids. Chris and I both thought this house had potential but we were not sure about the elementary school that our children would go to if we lived in this part of Conroe. That is a big concern of mine ANYWHERE we live but I just want to make sure my kids are going to a great school distric and schools.

Overall the day was a success! Sure we didnt find "THE HOUSE" but we were able look at four houses and compare each of them with what we liked and didn't like. Again I liked house number one but Chris was not enamored with it. Chris didn't have a great feeling about any of the four houses but enjoyed going and looking to see what we like. We spent the rest of the weekend just talking about the four houses and the things we liked in each.

So from this weekend I have learned a big lesson: "It takes two to tango" AND TWO to buy a house. There were things I liked about houses and things Chris liked about houses BUT we are going to have to agree! We're going to continue to look on the market as well as other builders before we plant our feet down.

This is going to be an adventure...

But nevertheless

God is good… All the time!

House Hunters- Davis Style: Part 1

Saturday, July 14, 2012

"Location, Location, Location"

Now that Luke has made his appearance and we are now settled in as the FOUR of us, Chris and I thought it was time to start the long process of finding a home and getting out of his parents house. Our house in Shawnee sold in late April and we closed on May 22. Of course, with me being 9 months pregnant at that time and just weeks away from giving birth, it was not a great time to go and look at houses. Then Mr. Luke arrived and we needed to take a month or so to get used to him being around and adapting to a family of FOUR! But, without any further hesitation, Chris and I have started to look at houses this past week.

I have been looking at real estate online for about 4 months. But my husband is quick to remind me that all houses have 2 stories... One on the Internet and One in real life. I have kept this in mind as I look at all of the real estate websites and homes online. I have found several that I like but again, we have yet to go and look at any houses physically. This is because we are waiting on the bank to get us a rate quote and a pre-qualified letter. We started this in late June and still do have an answer or figure from them. Chris and i have mathematically come up with our own price range to look within. Hopefully, the bank will agree with us!

We do know what we want and hopefully our perfect house is out there waiting for us right now. I have a list of things that I really want and cant live without but Chris just says the house "will speak to him". That is sorta annoying to me because I like to have a plan of action at all times... I have been told I am a control freak (That's not true is it... WINK WINK)! But none-the-less, we have created a list of must haves:

4+ Bedrooms (We want our kids to have their own, plus a guest)

An office or study (Could be listed as 5 bedrooms I guess)

Master Bedroom on the 1st Floor

Large/ Open Kitchen (I REALLY, REALLY WANT AN ISLAND... Chris does not care! I will be the one in the kitchen 95% of the time so... the Island made the list!)

Game Room upstairs ( I really don't want all the kids toys lying ALL OVER THE LIVING ROOM)

At least 2500 Square Feet (I want to be a "Host Home" for church and family events so the bigger the better)

2 1/2 Baths (We would like 3 full but that seems uncommon around here)

Large Back yard for our doggies!

There are several other minor things we would like but these are the basics and must haves for us. From looking at real estate online for several months, this is a pretty common floor plan and I have seen many houses that have most or ALL of this!

However, this week while feeding Luke, I was playing with my smart phone and looking at real estate through a new Realtor ap (There REALLY IS an ap for that!) and I saw a house for sale in the housing edition Chris' parents live in (Where we currently live). I looked through all of the information for this house and FELL IN LOVE. It literally had EVERYTHING we wanted. It featured a HUGE Island kitchen, 6 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, large open floor plan PLUS a FORMAL DINING ROOM! Again, I really want to be a "Host Home" so this seemed just right. I showed it to Chris and he too really liked it... ON THE INTERNET!

We went down to the sales center at the front of our housing edition to get more information. Come to find out the model home in our edition was that exact floor plan. We walked into the model and almost immediately fell in love. After taking a tour of the model home we decided to talk to a sales agent to get more info. They gave us a booklet that had all the floor plans they build. It was here that we saw ON PAPER a house that seemed even better. This would mean we would have to build but we were OK with that. However, we wanted to get inside this EVEN bigger house so we had to drive out to Cypress to look at it.

Wow... This 4065 Square foot home had it all. It was 99% PERFECT! We both really liked it and decided to get information on the cost of building it. We got the printout of all of the upgrades and we began a crazy building frenzy. It was so much fun to think and dream about the perfect house. All of this came at a cost though... It was in Cypress which is at least 45 minutes from where we live now. It would not be any closer to either of our works and since it is right off of Highway 290, it was in one of the greatest and busiest traffic areas in all of Houston. Not to mention, we would have to "pick up and move" AGAIN! I was not thrilled about that at all since over the last year we have settled down and met friends through church and work.

All of this got me to thinking about the LOCATION of our home. The schools down here are SO SCARY to me and I can hardly imagine putting my kids in some of the larger districts around here. There is no way I would put them in Aldine ISD where Chris works and really don't want them in Spring ISD where I teach either. Conroe ISD is highly acclaimed but it too is very large and has some of the same issues that our 2 district face. Alot of our friends from church live and teach in the Willis district which is smaller but again, I just don't know where to live. This is our biggest issue and scare right now. Where we currently live is a more central location for both of our jobs and I really like its overall location but the schools, while being in Conroe ISD, are not the best in the district.

So in our 1st encounter of this crazy adventure, we have found that while the perfect house might in fact be PERFECT... it has to be in the right location to TRULY BE PERFECT!

We are still looking at trying to build within our current housing edition as well as getting together with a realtor to look at houses in the Conroe and north Montgomery County area. This is yet another time where my dad would say "This is a FAITH ISSUE! Give it to God!" Again, this is EASIER SAID THAN DONE! I am working on giving this issue to God and I am continuously praying for the right house, in the right location, to be shown to us! We covet your prayers!

Even in an adventure like this...

GOD IS GOOD... ALL THE TIME!

My Growing Boy: Month 1

Thursday, July 12, 2012

"I Will Survive"

This past month has been absolutely crazy, yet absolutely amazing same time. I was given the most beautiful gift of baby Luke from God and I could not be happier. I have always dreamed about having a family with a boy and a girl and God has fulfilled that dream. When we found out we were having a boy I said "I can now die happy because I will have one of each" and I still feel that way today. Of course, I don't plan on dying anytime soon but that was just a statement of contentment. However, there have been times this past month where I felt like I was going to die.

I knew raising two kids was going to be difficult but wow...this is hard! I also remember the first month of Natalie's life and how hard it was on not only me but Chris as well. I knew this first month was going to be difficult but when you add an infant to an already hyper and active toddler... things got a little hectic.

From the very beginning Natalie has been very helpful with baby Luke but she's also always been excited when around him. This means loud and more loud. Luckily baby Luke has adapted pretty well to her noise but I still get a little frustrated when she's constantly noisy around him. But during the last month she has gotten a lot better.

My life has been completely different this past month but it has been a joy. I'm working on 4-6 hours of sleep a night, late showers in the afternoon (if any), no make-up or hair fixed and no naps. I've made it to church three separate times and gone out to the grocery store with baby Luke a few times. These outings are really important to me because they make me feel like myself again.

I've been feeding him about every three hours during the day and every 4 to 5 hours at night. During the morning and early afternoon he is really good about taking a nap after a feeding but evening time is his fussy time. In fact right around dinner time is his most fussy time which makes me chow my food down in a hurry. I'm not sure if this is good or bad! I haven't taken any seconds from the table but it gets me a little anxious during the eating process. It also makes me snack a lot after dinner which is frustrating when you're trying to lose weight. I still have about 10 pounds of baby weight that I need to take off  PLUS an additional 30-40 that I want to take off just beacuse and I'm working on that by eating correctly. Hopefully in the near future I'll be able to exercise more frequently which will help with this process.

As far as sleeping g,oes Luke has done really well at nighttime sleeping in 4 to 5 hour shifts. During the day I try to stick to a strict three hour feeding schedule and so he is lucky to get an hour and a half at a time. I have tried to make the daytime naps happen in his crib however a lot of times he likes to be held or take naps in his bouncer chair and swing. I'm really trying to work on "Babywise" and getting him to fall asleep on his own in his crib but it has been an uphill battle. I knew the first month was really just more about surviving and this second month I will start to focus more on the "Babywise" practices.

Another thing I'm going to start the second month is the bottle. I've been trying to pump a lot so I will have a lot of milk stored up for him but it is time to try the bottle with him. When he was two weeks old and my mother was here, we tried to give him a bottle and he hated it. I'm hoping now that he's older and wiser he will like it more. We will see! I've been fortunate enough to not have to supplement with formula and I only hope and pray that the second month will be the same. With Natalie I was able to only breast-feed until she was six months old and I hope that I can reach that goal with Luke. But if you have seen my other blogs you know he is a growing boy so I'm not sure that will happen. Again, we will see.

Overall this month has been strictly survival but I made it! I'm adjusting to having two kids more and more each and every day and I know it'll only get better. I am very lucky that Chris is a teacher and is also off this entire summer and can help me adjust better to this change in my life. He has been phenomenal in taking care of both kids and there's no way I could've done any of this without him. Thank you honey and I LOVE YOU!  I am one lucky mama!!

Luke is only one month old and it has been the best month of my life. I cannot wait to see what the next month and even year bring to this family. Luke is a gift and a blessing to Chris and I and we are grateful to God every day for giving us this precious baby boy!!

Now more than ever

God is good… All the time!!!

"Meet the Browns"

While I was giving Natalie a bath a couple of weeks ago we were singing our washing song "This is the way we wash our..." and Natalie was washing her body. She had her washcloth out and was using her bodywash to scrub her arms, legs, knees and other body parts. We had sang and completed about 10 or so verses of this song and it was time to get out of the bathtub. Natalie, however, did not want to get out and was trying to extend bathtime by washing odd parts of her body. She starting singing "Wash my PINKY toe" or "Wash my nose" (Instead of the overall FACE). I was laughing at her genius-ness of creating seperate body parts to wash in order to lengthen bath time. She is very smart.

I had told her several times it was time to get out but again, she just kept creating new body parts to wash. She finally pointed down to her nipples and started singing "This is the way we wash our BROWNS". I could not help but BUST OUT LAUGHING! I dont know where she got that but she just kept singing it. Now everytime she helps me change Baby Luke, she will point to his nipples and say "Look mommy, those are his BROWNS!" I laugh EVERY TIME!

Kids really do say the darn-dest things!

God is Good... ALL THE TIME!

My Growing Boy: Week 4

Tuesday, June 10, 2012

Well during my boy's fourth week of life he continued to grow an enormous amount. In fact, once again I took him to Memorial Hermann Hospital to weigh him and he weighed 10 lbs. 8 oz. I'm still feeding him every three hours during the day and around every 4 to 5 hours at night so I knew he was going to grow this week. Last week he grew 13 ounces and this week it was down to 11. I'm curious what you away next Tuesday when I take him again. The average gain for a 0 to 2-month-old is 1 ounce per day so he still way above average.

This week I was able to take him into the grocery store and do other errands with me while he rode in the stroller. And we even went to Walmart with him and Natalie. This was a really big deal because it was just me and the two kids. I had ran out of baby laundry detergent and it was a real necessity so I had to go. Nonetheless me and the kids survived and I made it home with my Dreft.

It's hard to believe on Thursday he will be one month old. Where has the time gone? I am blessed!!!

God is good… All the time!

My Growing Boy: Week 3

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

This week marked a lot of firsts for baby Luke. It started off with his first visit to the swimming pool. Of course this is for Natalie's swim class so he didn't do any swimming. He sat in the stroller while mommy and him watched Natalie at her very first swim class. In fact despite the heat he slept through the whole thing.

It also marked his very first holiday. This was his very first Fourth of July and he loved it. In fact all four of us got dressed in our matching Old Navy shirt to take pictures. we went for a walk that day and even watched some fireworks.

God is Good... ALL the time!

I decided that I would start weighing him on a weekly basis to make sure he was growing the way he should be. So on Tuesday, July 3 we went to Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Woodlands to weigh him. This is a really neat lactation facility that offered a baby scale free to moms to wear their babies. Since our pediatrician had been weighing him naked I took off his dirty diaper and started the process. He weighed 9 lbs. 13 oz.! Wow...what a big boy! So in just one week he gained 13 ounces. That was nearly 2 ounces a day. Of course I've been feeling like a cow since I've been feeding him every two and half to three hours and it was nice to see all of my hard work paid off. I wasn't able to measure him lengthwise but he definitely looks taller this week.

We decided over the weekend that he was big enough and well enough to go to Sunday school so I'm sending morning we got up and headed towards Mims. This was really nice to get out and show him off a little bit. We didn't stay for the service that day because he was really awake and starting to get fussy towards the end of Sunday school. Of course as soon as we got in the car and drove 2 miles he was sound asleep. That figures!!

It was a great week and obviously a growing week for my baby Luke.

God is good... All the time!

My Growing Boy: Week 2

Tuesday, June 26, 2012Sleeping in the crib- CHECK!

Today went back to the pediatrician for a two-week checkup. It started off like a normal checkup but turned out to be terrible. We got there at 10:40 for our 10:45 appointment and was not able to see the doctor until nearly noon. In fact it wasn't even our regular pediatrician because she was on vacation which made matters worse. We finally got back to the room the nurse took his weight and Luke weighed 9 pounds even. She also measured him and he was 21 1/2 inches long. That means in just two short weeks he gained 2 1/2 inches in length. I think he is going to be a big boy!

During this visit the pediatrician also did his second state PKU screening. He did not like this at all. Of course I would not like it either if they poked and prodded at my heals. Poor little guy.

During this week my mom had come back to help me take care of Luke and Natalie. This was incredibly helpful this week because I had started to develop the "Baby Blues" postpartum depression and was crying at the drop of a hat. I just needed my mommy and thankfully she was able to come and be with me. Within a few days of her being here I felt much better. Thanks mom!

It was also during this week that we discovered that Luke really likes to ride in his car seat. We took several driving trips around the neighborhood and around the interstate to get him to be less fussy. And so far it has worked really well. We will see how long it lasts.

While my mom was here we were still rocking him and holding him all night in the rocking chair but by time she left I was ready to get him into the crib so I could have a good night sleep in my bed. I gave her the much desired Gigi time of rocking and holding him but when she left I decided it was time to try the crib again. Thanks to the advice from a Sunday School friend I was able to purchase several swaddling blankets and swaddle him at night and by Saturday, June 30 he was sleeping in his own crib!!! Thank you Amber Corley!!!

During the weekend I was able to take him to church with the help of my sister Allison. This is the big patriotic celebration at our church and I really wanted to go so I asked Allison to help me get both kids ready. With her help we were able to make it to the service and see the awesome patriotic celebration. Thanks Allison!!

It was a good week since we got him to sleep in his own crib BUT he is growing up REALLY fast!

God is good... All the time!

New Carpet... Right Now?

June 13, 2012

Day and Night #2 with "Mommy's NEW Man"

If you read my previous post about night #1 with Baby Luke you probably got a good laugh and you also know how physically and mentally tired we all were. This day started off alot different with visitors and flowers and even breakfast.

I was able to take a shower and get clean clothes and sheets put on as well as get up and walk around. This was nice since the previous 18 hours I had been strapped to a bed with little to no movement happening. It felt great to be able to get out of bed and use the restroom on my own and even take a shower.

This was the last day m sister was going to be in town so she practically spent the entire day at the hospital with Baby Luke and I. During the "Siesta Time" (Nap/ No visitors) my mom and Auntie Allie stayed at the hospital to give me a little break and nap myself. I remember waking up on and off and hearing Auntie Allie singing to Baby Luke and teaching him how to "Two-Step". It was a great site to wake up to!

Auntie Allie teaching Luke how to "Two-Step"!

By this time in my hospital stay I was on my 5th nurse and tech crew. This was fine by me and I understand having to change shifts but the amount of opinions coming from each of these nurses was not only getting on my nerves but it was also stressing me out. One nurse told me that it is best to have a combination of Breast AND Bottle and she went on to tell me to give Luke formula, which I was TOTALLY against at that young of an age. In fact, she told me that the reason Luke was so fussy was because "He is a BIG BOY!" and I am not feeding him enough. Then she told me that my colostrum had not come in and he was not getting anything. She came in with a syringe and gave Luke a small amount of formula without even asking me! I was a little upset about this and I asked for a new nurse.

Another nurse came in and said Luke was so BIG that they might have to check for Diabetes. I was thinking to myself "Natalie weighed 9.3 and she was fine". And then another nurse came in and thought Luke was breathing heavy and fast so she sent him to the NICU for a few hours where he was then sent back to me and labeled "Very Healthy". They all had their own ideas, opinions and agendas and that alone really made me nervous.

That night my mom decided to stay over night with me in the hospital. This was really helpful so Chris could go home and get some rest and so could I. My mom WANTED to stay up all night and hold Baby Luke. And trust me... SHE DID JUST THAT! I did not send him to the nursery (Haha) and instead I had Gigi Shirley swaddle and rock him all night. As the nurses came in to check my vitals and blood pressure, I would always wake up to her singing to him! That made me smile each and every time!

Around 11:00pm my mom and I noticed lots of noise coming from the hallway so we decided to open the door and check it out. Come to find out, they were installing new carpet, floor boards and rail boards in the hallway. I guess they had been doing it since around 5 but just got to my area at 11pm. Needlesstosay, it was not necessary to do that at 11pm on the Labor and Delivery Floor. Poor Luke slept through it but when there were loud sounds of hammering he would jerk around and start to get upset. I told the nurse I would appreciate them trying to do that during the day and she reminded me that Labor and Delivery is a 24/7 365 day a year hospital wing and it HAD to get done! That made me laugh a little and I appreciated her honesty! My mom, Luke and I made it through the hammering just fine and survived until Thursday morning. It was ANOTHER LONG NIGHT but we did it just fine!

Thursday would prove to be a very challenging and EMOTIONAL day for me but... MORE ON THAT LATER!

God is good... ALL THE TIME!

My Growing Boy: Week 1

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

The "ORIGINAL" Due Date

My baby is one week old today... I can't believe it. He's already growing up so fast. It has been a great but very long week. Thanks to the help of my mom and my mother-in-law I have survived without them I don't know. They both have really helped me get through this stressful weary week. They also have shared their 60+ years of mothering experience with me to help me with my new precious bundle of joy. Thank you both so very much.

When we left the hospital on Thursday, Luke was pretty jaundiced and we had to go to the pediatrician the very next day. Our pediatrician told us that although he looked very yellow he was not bad enough to go back to the hospital. She told us to do the usual of taking him out to the sun and having him get plenty of sunlight to help the jaundice go away.

When we left the hospital on Thursday Luke weighed 8 lbs. 3 oz. This was 9 ounces less than his birth weight of 8 lbs. 12 oz. On Friday, June 15 when we went to see the pediatrician Luke gained 3 ounces and was up to 8 lbs. 6 oz. I took this as a sign that he was growing well and continue to feed him every three hours.

During this week Luke was very fidgety and fussy and did not like to sleep in the cradle or the crib. In fact it during the nighttime we had to hold him in the rocking chair. Again it was a good thing that my mom was in town so we could take turns holding him. Of course, if you asked my mom she would've liked to have all of the shifts of holding him! Chris usually would take the first shift my mom would take shifts number two and four and I would take the middle shift between 2 AM and 5 AM. This at least allowed me some precious hours of sleep.

During the day he was usually sleepy and was not awake for very much. I too was very sleepy and took several naps during the day. He was putting out about 10 to 12 wet and poopy diapers each day. I guess it is a good thing I loaded up on all those diapers!

This is a beautiful week to me because I was able to hold and cuddle my boy all day long. It is exactly what I envisioned in my head all these years.

 

As always...

God is good... All the time!!!

What A LONG Day but... Welcome Home Baby Luke

Thursday, June 14, 2012

This was a really long day. It started off bright and early with the pediatrician coming in to check on Luke. This was really nice because I wanted his opinion on Luke's development. All night the nurses have been telling me I hadn't been feeding him enough and I wanted to pediatrician to verify this. Just as I suspected the pediatrician said Luke was fine and developing perfectly. Then the pediatrician told me that he was going to do the circumcision today. This whole ordeal made me very anxious and nervous but I knew it had to be done. The pediatrician wished me well and left to do his rounds but would be back to do the circumcision later this afternoon.

Shortly after that my doctor came in and it was my turn to be inspected. My doctor told me that I was doing just fine and that as long as Luke was okay I could go home today. This is a little surprising to me because I was expecting the typical three days in the hospital for a C-section but I wasn't at all unhappy about this. He told me he needed to see me in two weeks and I could drive in two weeks. This is really surprising because when Natalie was born I couldn't drive for six weeks. he prescribed me a couple of medications and went on his way. I really respect Dr. Markos and I am glad I chose him to be my OB/GYN. In fact if any of my friends living in the Conroe or The Woodlands area Need an OB/GYN I highly recommend him.

In the meantime Luke was still looking a little yellow from his jaundiced condition. The pediatrician said that they would do a Billy Rubin test. This would check for his actual jaundiced number. I knew all babies had to have this test but Luke looked particularly yellow to me and my family so I was a little nervous. The nurse came in and took Luke to the nursery to take his test. He was gone for about an hour and a half that was a good time for me to rest. When the nurse brought him back she said that the Billy Rubin test would take about three hours to get the results. Once again, it was "hurry up and wait" time. This is always my least favorite thing.

During our three hour stretch of waiting a new nurse came in and gave me her opinion about how Luke and I were doing. She was my seventh nurse in the hospital stay but she turned out to be one of my favorites. I shared with her my frustration of the opinions of all of the different nurses and she wrapped all of their opinions into one and helped me relax a little. God bless that woman because everybody knew my stress level was high and I was very upset about all of the craziness the nurses were telling me about me and my baby. Elsa told her I was nervous and anxious about the circumcision and she shared personal stories to help me relax.

The afternoon came and the pediatrician came back to take Luke for the circumcision. I swear I have never been more nervous and anxious in my entire life I mean they were taking my son to cut him and he was only two days old. When they took him out of the room I just cried and cried and cried. It's a good thing my mom was there. All these years I have wanted a boy but the thought of circumcision never crossed my mind. My dad went off to get us all some pizza for lunch and I just roamed the halls waiting for them to push that beautiful bassinet with my baby back into my room. Chris had some teacher friends come and visit him so that took his mind off the whole situation but not me. I was still a basket case. At last my baby Luke was back in my room and in my arms. I held him tighter than ever.

It was about 4 o'clock but we were still waiting on the results from Billy Rubin test. Once again another nurse came in and I had to ask her if the Billy Rubin test results were in and she said no. So there we all sat in the hospital waiting for these results.

The pediatrician had said we needed a result less than 12 in order to go home today. When the results came back at 8:10pm we had the score of 11.8. Mr. Luke barely made it through but he passed and the massive amount of check-out paper work began. A different nurse plus a technician came in to help me start the process of filling out the discharge paperwork. There were lots of questions and answers that Chris and I had to fill out but we had to done it all before with Natalie so we flew through it. Chris and my dad started to load up the cart with all of our luggage while the nurse checked out my incision. My incision looked great so they brought in a wheelchair to wheel me to the car. My mom and I put Luke in his "going home" outfit then Luke and I got into the wheelchair to go to the car. So after a 14 hour long day baby Luke and I were finally on our way home. Daddy and I were so ready to get home.

Luke is in "Going Home" outfit... He hates getting changed!

The time was 9:30pm and it was dark outside. Those glorious pictures I had hoped for would not turn out but being the "capture every moment" type of mom I am, we still took a few. After a few quick poses for the camera we shut the doors we were off to the house just a few miles away. Luke was sound asleep by the time we left the parking lot.

On our way to the car!

Strapping him in the car seat... He did NOT like this!

I am SO excited... I am on my way home with my SON!

We made it home to a very hyper and loud Natalie Grace. She was so excited and had been talking about her baby brother coming home all day. In fact she even told her teachers at Mother's Day Out. She ran and greeted us at the door and told baby Luke that she loved him. He did not hear her because he was asleep. Chris, my parents and I still had not ate dinner so we made a quick sandwich before turning in for the night. That was fine because Natalie wanted time to sing to her baby brother before she went to sleep.

Natalie and her baby Brother! She was SO excited... And hyper! AND LOUD!!

Finally at 11:30PM Chris and I were able to go to bed and go to sleep, but not before a quick feeding of baby Luke :)! It was a terribly long day but it felt really good to be home with baby Luke.

As always...

God is good... All the time!!!

The "Original" First Day of the Rest of My Life- A Recap

July 8, 2012

As I was blogging about the birth of our second child David Luke, I was reminded of how similar and how different it was from the birth of our 1st child, Natalie Grace! Luke isn't even a month old and they are so very different and alike in so many ways. Just yesterday Chris and I were comparing the two in categories such as crying, eating, gassiness and the most important SLEEPING! I know it will be a lifetime of comparing the two but I thought I would share Natalie's birth story. This was a complete blur to me but Chris wrote a "Facebook" note about the night she was born and here it is! Natalie Grace Davis' birth story- as told by Chris.

August 25, 2009 7:07pm

Well, this is a brief history of Natalie's birth. On Monday morning Kellie and I arrived for the start of her induction. They did not have the cervadil, so they had to send someone to Midwest City to pick some up. There were four mothers there giving birth when we arrived. They started the cervadil at 9:15am. By 5pm she had dilated to 1 cm, which is the only progress she had made to date. She had effaced to 60%.

We had told the doctor that since Kellie was 43 weeks pregnant, we wanted to have the baby, and not return a later date for another induction. The doctor then broke her water and started pitocin at 6:15pm. At 10:00pm she was at 2cm and 75% and minus 2. At 11:00pm she had progressed to 2 and a half cm and 80%. At midnight, Kellie was suffering from having no food and water for over 24 hours and intense contractions. Also, because of the cervadil, Kellie was not allowed to stand up all day, so her hips were starting to grow numb with pain. Since she had dilated 3cm they administered the first painkiller, stadal. This helped Kellie tremendously as she was able to get comfortable in the bed and get rid of some of the pain of the contractions.

I left to go sleep in the hospital room after Kellie fell asleep and I remained there until 1:40am getting about 1 hour of sleep. At three she had dilated to 3 and a half cm so the doctor allowed an epidural. She was able to get more sleep with the epidural and by 4:00am was at 4cm and 100%. She made very little progression for the next couple of hours. The contraction monitor struggled to stay on, so they administered a catheter to measure the contractions. I was able to sleep one hour in our room.

Eventually we noticed the contractions were coming every minute, but they were very week. At 7am, the doctor measured her at 5cm. However, her contractions were weakening and Natalie's heart rate was decreasing. The doctor was worried about her uterus being strong enough to stop the bleeding after the birth, so he ordered an immediate C section. They quickly started to prep Kellie and the operating room while Kellie, me and Kellie's parents all prayed together.

They rushed Kellie into the operating room, and I joined soon after. There were many nurses and doctors in there. Kellie's arms were spread out and tied down to the bed. They had a sheet hanging over her as a blind so she could not see what was going on with her surgery. I quickly took up my place next to her head where I could hold her hand and talk to her. She was breathing through an oxygen mask, so she was difficult to understand.

It did not take long for them to bring Natalie out. At one point the doctor asked me to stand up and I saw Natalie's head poking out of Kellie's stomach. They unwrapped the cord around her neck and took her to a table behind me. At this point, Kellie strained to turn her ahead around and see Natalie.

When Natalie first came out, she was blue in color, with a cone head. Before I left, they allowed Kellie to kiss Natalie on the head. I left the room with Natalie and emerged into the Nurses station were my family was waiting. They took numerous photos with cameras and phones. There were probably 500 pictures taken of Natalie in the first few hours of her life.

I accompanied Natalie to the Nursery where I assisted a nurse in doing numerous test on Natalie. Kellie went to a recovery room for one hour, and was unable to see Natalie for three hours. Kellie lost a lot of blood during the surgery, more than a usual c-section, however she made a quick recovery. Her and Natalie are now both very healthy and happy.

To be continued....

Right out of the operating room where family was waiting!

This was the Original "The First Day of the REST OF MY LIFE"! I am so incredibly grateful for my precious Natalie Grace and I thank God for her each and every day!

God is GOOD... ALL THE TIME!

The Cadillac of ALL Bassinets

June 12, 2012

Our first night with Baby Luke

This day was really special for our family because we gained a new member. On this day at 1:30pm, David Luke Davis entered the world weighing 8 pounds 12 ounces and 19 inches long. The morning and early afternoon of this day seems like a blur. It started with us arriving to the hospital for a planned C-Section at 11am. Shortly after noon, I was taken to the Operating Room to begin the surgery and at 1:30pm Baby Luke greeted us with a beautiful cry. It wasn't until after 2pm that we were able to go back to our room and get settled in for the 3 day hospital stay that awaited us.

The nurses wheeled me back to our room while Chris walked behind me holding Luke to show all the grandparents and my sister Allison. They all took a glance at him and each got to hold him for a short period of time as well. We then asked them to all step out for a little bit while I tried to breastfeed him. Gigi Jackie headed over to Mother's Day Out to pick up Natalie and my family went back to the house for a while.

Around 4pm, Natalie came and was able to meet Luke for the first time. This was a very special moment in our family and a moment I will never forget. She was a little hesitant to touch him and even look at him at first. Chris was holding her and having her lean over the bassinet Luke was laying in. We kept telling her, "This is Baby Luke... your BROTHER!" She would just look at us all dazed and confused and timid. Finally, after about 20 minutes or so, she walked over to the bassinet and said, "That is my brother! Hello Baby Luke!" These were beautiful words to my ears. I began to tear up a little bit thinking about my sweet little family of FOUR!

That night Chris decided he would stay at the hospital with me over night. The family all left around 9pm and Chris and I started watching The Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals... Baby Luke in hand! (We are training him right... from the BEGINNING!) I was under a very tight feeding schedule of 3 hours and I was constantly having to feed Baby Luke. He was SO TIRED and he would fall asleep during these feedings so what should have taken only 30-45 minutes would take well over an hour. I would feed Baby Luke and then Chris would hold him while I tried to get some sleep. Both Chris and I were SO EXHAUSTED.

Around 2:30am I had just finished a feeding and Luke seemed pretty fussy. I still could not get up out of bed so I had to give him to Chris to hold. Chris tried to hold him, rock him, bounce him, walk with him and he was still fussy so I reverted back to trying to feed him. This didn't work either so regretfully, we called the nurse to take Luke to the "nursery" area until the next feeding. This was a service provided by the hospital where there were designated pediatric nurses that would swaddle and hold your baby so you could get some much needed sleep (more or less, just babysitting). I SWORE I would not use it but I was working on less than 1 hour of sleep and recovering from surgery and I gave in and called the nurse. She told me she would be back at 5:30am for the next feeding. I gave Luke a kiss they whisked him away. I teared up a little bit but I knew I needed sleep for my own good.

Luke was in a "Plain Jane", or the Kia version, silver bassinet that was the standard hospital grade and quality. Of course he had a sticker with all of his statistics on it and a name plate but it was just a standard bassinet. He also had a bracelet on his hand that matched mine and a "fancy dancy" locator device, we called it the Baby GPS, on his right ankle which would locate him if ever taken off the Labor and Delivery Floor. He also had several marks on him from the birth and surgery that Chris and I could use to identify him if needed.

At 5:30am the kind nurse came in with Baby Luke and Chris and I both woke up from pretty deep sleeps. Before I could even get my powered bed to raise to the correct height Chris yells out "Is that our Baby". Umm... I just about had a major heart-attack. My bed finally raised and I see this fancy wooden Bassinet with a red-haired baby in it. It had a bigger basket it in it and even a handle! I immediately reach into the bassinet and pull out Luke and check his bracelets. They both said "David Luke Davis" and "Mother: Kellie Rhea Davis". Chris was already up and investigating as well but he noticed that the GPS ankle device was now on Luke's LEFT ankle! We both looked at each other in pure fear. The nurse was just reassuring us that it was all fine and this was our baby. I was beginning to cry out of fear and worry and Chris was getting his shoes on (I'm not sure why but he was getting ready for something). About that time the intercom comes on and says "Mrs. Davis, do you have your baby?" Ummm... I DON'T KNOW? I was a basket case at this point! Chris and I unclothed Baby Luke and saw a few birth marks on him and even a scar on his scalp so we knew it was David Luke Davis and we stopped worry but it is a GOOD THING THEY DIDN'T CHECK MY BLOOD PRESSURE right after that!

Its also a good thing we identified his special birth marks that afternoon and evening because they are pretty much all that reassured us it was in fact OUR BABY! I just kissed and kissed and kissed Baby Luke and then began to feed him. In the mean time, Chris took a ball-point pen and wrote his initials on his heels! I didn't get ANY MORE SLEEP THAT NIGHT! I just sat there and held my baby boy! Around 7am the head of the nursery and pediatric department came in and reassured me what had happened and all was well. Needlesstosay, we did not use the nursery services any more during our stay at the hospital. I had my mom stay with me on night #2 so Chris could get some sleep. The funny thing is that they called me over the intercom to check if I had my baby at least 10 more times in our 60 hour stay at the hospital. Sometimes the new fancy technology is cool but the good ol' fashion stuff will still do.

This is the standard "Kia" version Bassinet we started off with!

Natalie was meeting Luke for the first time in this photo!

You can kinda see in the background the wooden "Cadillac" version of the Bassinet! It TOTALLY freaked us out!

This is a story we can always look back on and laugh but at the time it was not funny! In the heat of this crazy and bizarre moment, I stopped and asked God to show me my son and he did! It was yet again, as my dad would call it, "A Trust Issue".

Baby Luke is home and doing well and again this is a story we will all never forget. All because they had to change his standard bassinet to the Cadillac version!

Still...

God is good... ALL THE TIME!