The Davolts

 Little Andrew is 18 months. I remember feeling like Nathan was growing up quickly, but this is kind of crazy. I mean, Andrew is the same age Nathan was when we left Portland, when we lived in the Vancouver apartment, and when we became pregnant with Andrew. And here we are! Andrew checked out just fine at his 18 month appointment today. He weighted 28 pounds even and measured 32 inches. He didn't enjoy the shots too much but recovered quickly when stickers and bubbles were presented. Unfortunately, he does have an ear infection in the right side.  Andrew has always been our busy boy. He chases Big Brother Nathan around, moving faster each day. He loves to do whatever Nathan is doing, whether invited or not. Be it building with blocks, playing with cars or some other invention of play, Andrew is right alongside Nathan. Andrew loves cars and trucks. He loves balls and will perk up at the mention of one. He loves pretend play, cooking at his toy kitchen and bringing pl...

In mid-October, an ENT specialist confirmed something I both expected and never expected: Andrew had persistent ear infections and would need tubes implanted. I had tubes put in as a child, so I anticipated that those problems might be passed on, but never did I associate Andrew's general grumpiness with ear infections. Without hesitation, or even a call to Jeff, I signed up for an appointment at one of my favorite places, Legacy Emmanuel Hospital in Portland. Andrew was born at this hospital and the Randall Children's Hospital is beautiful. I felt guilty that Andrew had been uncomfortable for so long and the ENT (who I really do like) added to my guilt when he said, "he [Andrew] had probably thought the pain was supposed to feel that way".  And of course, the doctor warned that ear infections could affect language development. So, with a solution in sight, Jeff, Andrew, and I made our way to the hospital in early November.  Andrew had the first appointmen...

It's funny to think of how anxious I've been for Spring's arrival. We've had the warmest winter I can remember. Temperatures have been spring-like and sunny for weeks and months. But the advent of Spring is still a milestone. It means we are inching closer to Spring Break, a much needed respite from work and surviving the "ides of March" within our classrooms. Nathan has been talking about the transition from Winter to Spring for a few weeks as he tries to understand the seasons. In the car ride home on many afternoons, he'll ask, "What comes after Spring? And then it's my birthday?" Nathan seems to talk our entire 20 minute commute home, in fact. He has lots of ideas about how the world works as well as questions. One day recently, he declared he was going to paint my car red with purple polka dots because those are his favorite colors. Just a few days ago, a song came on the radio and we had this cute conversation: Nathan: "Mom...

October is always a busy month, starting with Aunt Jenn's and Andrew's birthdays and ending with Jeff's and mine. In between, we manage to find plenty to do! Andrew's first trip to the pumpkin patch on a sunny, fall day.  A trip to the zoo with Auntie Ellen and Uncle Thomas, visiting from Hamburg.  A colleague introduced me to a neat app that turns your iPhone pics into watercolors. So fancy! I call this one: Auntie & Andrew Our street at twilight.  Once Andrew turned one-year-old, he was able to join Nathan at his school. It is so much easier having both boys at the same school. Given that the two boys' classrooms were across the hall, the teachers made a big deal about Andrew's arrival. Nathan's teacher and class made several visits to see Nathan's little brother. Andrew's new teacher was bubbling over with excitement to meet Andrew. She and many other teachers in the younger classes frequently remark on th...

 Back in October, Andrew celebrated his first birthday and that was about the last time I posted on this blog. I have a few theories why I've been away so long but I'll save that for another day. Let's flashback to October 2014... I've decided that I have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest when it comes to kids birthday parties. I love all the creative things people come up with, but hate the pressure that builds inside of me to recreate something as imaginative. As a result, I decided to stay away from Pinterest this time around and simply go with a classic theme: primary colors and classic kids items, like crayons, balloons, and cars. The night before the party, Nathan and I put together goody bags for our guests. We started with clean baby food jars that I'd been storing for months in the pantry. I didn't exactly have a plan for them, which probably drove Jeff crazy, but it seemed like a good idea to keep them. You never know, right? And according ...

All   four of us were at home for Summer 2014! We had a great time but forgot to keep you all updated. So, here's a recap (in alphabetical, not chronological order). B ride Ashley had the b est idea for a b achelorette: Ride the Ducks Seattle! What fun to spend time with some of my best college girlfriends, touring Seattle with permission to act a little crazy. Ashley is one of the most amazing people I know and she made a beautiful bride.  C amping? Not this summer unfortunately. But the boys did receive a fun little tent from Aunt Sherry (with matching accessories) and had fun playing in the backyard. We found a friendly D inosaur at the library! Just like last summer, we found our way to the library for story time. After hearing three stories, the kids were invited to participate in mask making. Nathan makes a pretty cute dinosaur.  E paminondas was a folk tale my mother told me at bed time as a child. I've grown up with just pieces in my head an...