The Davolts

Thanksgiving In the hospital still in Husky gear. This has been an eventful holiday season so far with two trips to the emergency room.  The first was a post Thanksgiving treat. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving up in Maple Valley.  We spent it with Erin's dad, her family, and my sister (though we were a bit disappointed she didn't bring her latest beau).  It was a nice holiday as usual.  It was  followed up on Friday by a trip for me and my dad to Husky Stadium to see the Dawgs win yet another Apple Cup. However, shortly after we arrived at home is when the "emergency" occurred.  Erin's dad has a sizable yoga ball, and Erin and Nathan were playing with it rolling it back and forth and the like.  Nathan figured out it was just the right size to plop down on and sort of bounce off.  That turned out to be great fun until instead of landing on his feet or bouncing off the ball again, he took one bounce and landing chin first on the hardwood...

 Just as I imagined, I have loved having time off during this particularly cold season! There's no need to wake, wondering if school is in session. No white knuckle driving over sheets of ice on the way to work. No dealing with students amped up by the single flake that slips past the window. No, instead, Jeff gets to deal with all that. Instead, I have been taking in all the sounds, sights and smells of the holiday season. While Andrew naps, I watch Christmas favorites and do my shopping on the internet. I've made yummy cookies and have found several new Christmas decorations at our local Goodwill. If you recall, we spent last Christmas in a small apartment, stuck between our old house and this one. We had stored all of our decorations for the move and ended up with only a three-foot tall cardboard Christmas tree from Ikea (which was conveniently age appropriate for Nathan). Jeff and I were both struggling to feel that warm, holiday spirit (until we arrived at my Dad...

Two boys in the house certainly keep the two adults busy! Andrew, Two months I'm not really surprised that Andrew is growing up so quickly, having learned the first time, but it doesn't make it any easier! At his 2 month check up on Monday, Andrew weighed in a 15 pounds, 10.4 ounces and measured 22.25 inches in length. Just as at birth, his numbers are fatter and shorter than Nathan's (enjoy a flashback moment by reading Nathan's particular stats  here ). Most people who meet Andrew can hardly believe his age and comment on his sturdy size. Yesterday, as I boxed up his 3-month sized clothes in favor of the 6-month size, I can't help but be a little sad and sentimental about his growth. I know this feeling is what inspires people to keep having babies!  2 Weeks Old 8 Weeks Old For the most part, Andrew sleeps fairly well at night, often waking only twice (there are always exceptions). His sleep during the day is less consistent, as some a...

Another weekend, another house project.  Somehow I decided it was the perfect weekend to paint our formal living room, or the library as we like to call it.  I knew I wanted to paint it sometime soon, but also knew that time would be running out.  The Christmas tree would be going in this room and that would make it awfully hard to paint until after the holiday season and so this weekend was it.   As you can see in the before pics the room was painted a light brown almost gold color.  The trim and ceiling were also a darker color which was the biggest reason to paint.  I had already painted the ceiling and crown molding in our dining room and was so pleased with the results that I knew I wanted to paint this as well.   Just going from the not quite white yellow to a bright white really make the molding pop and stand out so much more.   While I did not have a definite vision for what the room was going to look like, Erin sure did.  I ...

I think Nathan and Andrew look very similar and I've said so over and over since Andrew was born. It will be interesting to see how that stays the same or changes through the years. So, what do you think? Is it obvious they are brothers? Nathan ~ 2 months Andrew ~ 7 weeks

  As previously mentioned, days before the doctor announced his opinion that our second little one would be a boy, I had the distinct sense it would be so. When confirmed, I was excited about the prospect of Nathan having a little brother. Of course, photos like these are completely staged (blame Dad this time), but one of my greatest hopes is that as they grow, they will really find friends within each other. In the meantime, I'm sure both Jeff and I will find excuses to recreate similar pictures through the years.  All my boys = love

Two great things you can give your children: one is roots, the other is wings. ~Hodding Carter I came across this quote recently and it has floated around my brain for several days now. I suppose I've been thinking more frequently about our long term commitment to raising our two amazing boys. Throughout this recent pregnancy, even, I spent more time examining both Jeff's and my own upbringing, sibling relationships, values we want to instill in our children and the dreams we both have for our family. In reflection, I can see examples of roots and wings in both my family as well as Jeff's and we can certainly look to our own roots for guidance. Update December 17, 2013: After searching Etsy for a print that used the above quote, I decided that I would attempt to create an image. We already had the canvas, left by the previous home owners. So a trip to Michael's for paint and a little time resulted in the work pictured below. I won't claim to love it, and unlik...

One Month! I can hardly believe Andrew is already one month old; where does the time go?  Our days are pretty mellow, while our nights are a little busier. Andrew is content to eat, sleep and snuggle each day away. I wish I could say I am following the "sleep when baby sleeps" rule but honestly, it's hard to nap at the times Andrew sleeps. So, I window shop on the internet, check my email too often to see anything new and watch Law & Order until I doze off for twenty minutes or so. We tried to take advantage of the beautiful weather October graced us with and went for walks around the neighborhood. Andrew is up more frequently at night still, but we've made small progress towards longer sleep windows. I have to admit, I get a little frustrated and impatient when he's crying in the middle of the night. Once I'm out of bed, though, my heart reminds my tired brain that Andrew is relying on me almost exclusively to meet his needs right now.  1 wee...

I think this October has been the most beautiful I can ever recall. We've had a record setting dry spell and beautiful golden sunshine all day long. Weather like this is just one reason Autumn is my favorite season of all. In addition to the weather, I love this season for the many seasonal-specific activities we can enjoy.  First, there is a trip to the Pumpkin Patch. Jeff and Nate made this trip as a pair this year as Andrew was just a few days old. Not expecting this amazing weather to stick around for so long, I didn't want to stop the boys from enjoying this experience, even if I was a little disappointed to miss out! Nathan as King of the Hay Stack Bouncing along for a Hay Ride...one of Nathan's favorite parts of the day. Pumpkin Patch Rule: One must be able to carry the pumpkin one has selected. Jeff was inspired by the fall decor available at the Patch. We also received a few pumpkins from his mom & dad's own garden.  Just last ...