happy christmas & merry new year

yes, we're a little backwards around here these days, and davis is the master of it all. had a great christmas playing with new toys, puzzles and rides.

a reindeer caught in the headlights AND the gingerbread monster

allison hasn't quite gotten used to the flash on the camera. as you might have noticed she is wide-eyed in almost all of her pictures. but still the cutie. she sure would make a good little elf with those ears of hers. davis, however, is the mischievous elf. following after you to unwrap the corner of a nicely wrapped present or to take down ornaments placed thoughtfully on a limb. or perhaps like in the picture below, it is to smear a little taste off the newly built gingerbread house. but everyone is happy, healthy and in good Christmas spirits....well most the time....

an apple a day

doesn't keep davis away. here they are in between takes for the christmas card picture. the final shots are on the way to your mailboxes, so you will have to wait to see the chosen picture!

we tried to take davis to see santa clause this year. he didn't quite grasp the idea that this was the man who makes all christmas lists and wishes come true. in fact, the moment zach put him on santa's lap, davis was squealing to get off! allison was a trooper. i think she saw santa's lap as another nice warm place to lounge.

davis is quite fond of christmas trees, christmas parades and rolls of wrapping paper. he likes to take all ornaments off the tree and drop them on the ground. loves the sirens and lights of police cars as the lead the parade down the street. and thinks that wrapping paper is meant to be used as a bat to hit the walls, dogs, sister and mother. he is definitely programmed to be a boy.

allison couldn't be happier than in your lap or arms. she loves people to be in her face at all times so she can flirt, smile and talk away. our little social butterfly.

this pose is what davis considering "going sit next to your sister"...

a little bit NAUGHTY or nice?

davis' soul mate

who knew that one of mary's twins would be the perfect match for davis. nemo on parade.....

squirt and nemo looking fishy....

skunk on parade!

happy halloween everybody! i'm not even going to look at the date of my last post. because i know it was a long long time ago. well, here is a preview of what tonight is going to bring. though, davis will not be trick-or-treating. neither he nor we need the candy and empty calories. but you know!!!! i can not resist dressing the kids up in the darn cutest costumes. even if they hate me for it later.

davis actually gets a kick out of dressing up. (obviously.) and he loves to check himself out in the mirror. after we distribute yummy candy bars to our neighborhood kids, we will be heading over to our friends house for the annual halloween buffet. it will be a bittersweet night, because: 1. it will be the last year for the get together because the hosts will be moving and 2. they are moving to summerville, sc!

davis and allison are doing really well. and these pictures say it perfectly, our house definitely feels like a zoo. ducks, dogs, lions and skunks. so much going on, i don't even want to write about it because it will tire me out.

well here are more pictures of the little stinker.

our peeps

don't you just want to squeeze them? the little fluffernutters. i have added the other pictures on the photo gallery. however i couldn't resist posting the two meltdowns below. if i remember correctly one episode was due to being taken out of the stroller and the other was a confiscated pacifier. you hate to laugh at his tantrums, but they are just too cute.

and here she is.....

hey hey the gang's all here

davis realizes that this is our baby to keep!

the excitement builds....waiting for allison to come home

davis = goliath

our little boy is now our little giant. davis is proud to let you know his little sister, allison, is now (literally) in the picture. davis is thrilled to be a big brother. and zach and i are thrilled that he is at least a gentle giant - giving little allison sweet kisses and already looking out for her when she is upset.

more pictures to follow. i promise! everyone is happy + healthy. here's the info:

allison irene trogdon
september 4, 2007
6:19 pm
7 lbs, 2 1/2 ozs
19 3/4 inches

look at those eyes....i still can't get over that I have a blue-eyed child.

snip snip

gone are the curls. gone are the waves. gone are the bangs. and gone is the bathtime mullet. davis had his first haircut today, which was surprisingly easy for all persons involved. i guess we were hoping for the best and expecting the worst. but davis like sitting in the chair and wearing the busy and colorful drape. he liked holding the electric clippers. there were no tears, very little squirms and fussing altogether. i think what he enjoyed most was all the attention at one time from me, zach and the hairdresser. and there we all were ready to jump on command if a fit was to happen.

i take that back - what he like most was the hairdryer. see picture below.

he's also off and walking now. quickly transistioning from a very thoughtful wobble or a steady walk with the one finger hold on someone else to even a quick, yet unsteady quick-step with a forward lean. (imagine he has someone or something to catch the fall just a few steps ahead of him.) many nights he walks laps around the chair and ottoman in the living room. its so nice he can easily entertain himself. especially for a very, pregnant mama.

like always, i'm sorry its been so long since the last post. unfortunately, i guess that's the norm that you can expect from this end. the good news is.....we'll have pictures of the newest member of the family to post in the very near future. and i hope more than anyone that those posts will be sooner rather than later.

davis says my time is up.....its off to bathtime!

the new do

for the love of cold noses

i'm so glad that davis is a dog-lover too. although, i'm not so sure how much ryker appreciates it as davis is giving his new furry friend a sweet kiss. ryker is alysia's hungarian vizsla. and as an only dog, he did so well to accept our wild man into his home last week for a visit. davis chased ryker everywhere. i've never seen him so intrigued by a dog before.

its funny. davis will give open mouthed kisses and later on practice making puckering noises. but he has yet to put the two together. although he has caught on that you wave hello and goodbye when the person can see and not when you have already left the room. and he has learned to flip the hand around to wave at the person and not himself.

time is passing so quickly and so slowly at the same time. the days go by so fast that i can't get everything done around the house that needs to be done. yet the weeks are dragging on so slow it seems like baby girl trogdon will never get here.

life without fireworks

poor rio. he hates fireworks. he is so scared of them that when he hears that far-off crackle he freezes and starts to tremble. its the most pitiful and cutest thing to see him standing there shaking in his skin. but what breaks your heart is as the fireworks keep going off, there is no way to comfort him. he just paces and cannot get comfortable. occasionally, he thinks that thunder during a storm are fireworks too. but once you open the door and he sees its raining then he usually calms down. its funny how we don't care for fireworks anymore either. especially if someone in the neighborhood is enjoying the thrill of pyromaniacy this time of year. for one, please don't upset our neurotic dog. and two, davis is probably asleep and we are finally enjoying the quiet ourselves.

obviously not much to report on davis' end. as you can see he loves the swing and his hair goes just about everywhere but where you want it to. i am afraid he's going to be cursed with a wavy middle part right down the top. sometimes all the hair in the back of his head sticks straight out like a off set mohawk. making him look neurotic too. our wild child.

that curious monkey

not george, but davis. he is attempting to climb on everything: sofas, chairs, step ladders, plastic storage crates, you name it.

last weekend we painted one of the bathrooms. and as curious and helpful as ever, davis wanted to lend a hand and a couple of legs. after joining forces to switch back and forth with either taping the bathroom, painting and watching davis - zach and i finally got the bathroom done. well, mainly zach got the bathroom painted. a one year old does come in handy when it's time to pick up all the tape thrown on the floor after unveiling zach's masterpiece.

davis isn't walking yet. but he's a pro at navigating the walker all through the house and working on the one-handed teeter. he loves to sit in his chair, but of course, not in the conventional manner. instead, he climbs aboard sits on the top edge of the chair and puts his feet in the seat of the chair. making sure our nerves are in check every so often. more often than so.

have a great 4th of july! we're hoping rio is over his firework phobia this year. or for no neighborhood fireworks at all.

the sticky situation

the emperor's new clothes

new photos have been added to davis' birthday collection in the photo gallery courtesy of our good friend, maria. be sure to check them out.

as you have seen davis had a great time with his first birthday (cup)cake - eating, wearing and inhaling it. literally. a few lucky guests can confirm the 1/4 cup of icing snot running out of his nose and across his cheek about 20 minutes after the big feast. mmm...lovely.

we are still trying to catch up on sleep and sanity after last weekend. no one told us that with a child's first birthday comes the first attitude(s) too. on sunday, zach and i attributed the fact davis didn't want to take a nap to being spoiled on his big day the day before. but each day brings a new attitude. monday, he doesn't want to eat his vegetables - only string cheese. tuesday, he will only drink out of a bottle. wednesday, he will only drink out of a sippy cup. thursday, we're backing to the string cheese thing again. i can only wait to see what this weekend brings. a nice long nap would be the best gift ever.

speaking of gifts, davis received way too many sensory-overloaded toys for his birthday. and if you are reading this, its probable that you are partly at fault. but he loves every single one of them. even if he makes up his own rules of how the toy is supposed to work and be played with. the ball popper works better when there are either no balls in it to "pop" or if his hand is covering up the pipe so the balls can't pop up. the chair is not meant to be sat in but stood on. the baseball is not meant to but hit with a bat, but only with the hand. and everything is a walker these days. from chairs to laundry baskets to ottomans, boxes and even dog bowls. and the dogs' only purpose for davis is to lay in the way of his "walker contraption" so that he can bump them again and again and again. they're pretty good sports for about two minutes or so. then they try to avoid whichever room he is in.

another surprise box found its way to our door today. the contents did not contain any flashing lights, moving parts, colorful buttons to play songs or anything that requires batteries for that matter. but it was a box of will and alex gee's outgrown clothes. i love having friends that had kids before me and zach. it also helps that the gees are in the process of moving so stephanie keeps a box with our name on it as she is packing up all of their things and just drops it in the mail. davis is so well dressed and the price tag is just perfect. what is even better is that they just added baby lauren to their family in march, so in a few months we'll receive a box overstuffed with pink things. recycling - its a good thing.

it's getting late so i should try to catch up on some good sleep tonight so i can be ready for whatever davis has in store for us this weekend. bon nuit.

and yet another first.....

birthday that is!!! click on "photo gallery" on the menu to the right to peek at many, many other photos from Davis' Big Day.

they say a photo is worth a thousand words, so in that gallery you will find my future posts for a very long time. ha ha! sorry i've been a slacker during the month of may.

a few firsts

so many davis "firsts" have occurred these past weeks:

- his first journey across the house on his hands and knees...there's no stopping him now
- his first fall from grace (and busted lip). not a pretty sight, but we're all better now
- his first merlefest (and alison krauss performance!!) although, i was very sad that gillian welch was a no-show at this year's festival.
- his first time to pull up in his crib... you can imagine a parent's look of surprise upon entering the room and seeing their quiet child standing on his own.
- make that his second time pulling up on his own. i guess he's curious to see what i am writing about him.
- his first toss of a tennis ball. he is now rio's new hero.
- his first tantrum. and it happened in a toys r us of all places.
- his first all solid food diet. no more of that mushy baby stuff! however, opening a jar was much easier and quicker than cooking and chopping up all of his food.
- his first little sister. it's a girl! he's so excited that i caught him playing with my heels today. at least i'm hoping that his fascination with my shoes is more about the thought of a baby sister than the shoes themselves.

it amazes us how much he changes everyday. all of these 'firsts' are now regular activities that he is perfecting everyday. well, davis is now bored with pulling all of the papers and stuff off the shelf next to me. we'll have to continue another day.

do they get much cuter than this?

. . . . thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you! for giving us this precious child.

lowcountry boy

davis made his first visit to charleston. he loved it so much that he didn't want to miss a wink. literally. he refused to lean back in his stroller for a much need nap on one of our strolls through the historic district. so instead, the stubborn child falls asleep slumped over on his arm and the side of the stroller. these pictures were taken at white point gardens (the battery) before that most comfy nap in the stroller.

charleston proved to be a very infant-friendly town. stroller-friendly? not so much. the oak roots and slate sidewalks gave davis' ride a good workout. i was a little worried that one of my favorite lunch spots was going to be a too small for us to go in. fast and french is about as wide as four arm lengths and there are five different counters that seat, um..., probably 30 to 35 people in the entire place. please imagine our problem as we were envisioning on where we were going to put away a stroller in this 13 foot wide cafe. but alas! as we were approaching the door another couple came out with a stroller and child too! there was hope. as we entered, the owner asked us "how many in your party? is a booster seat okay? alright, you sit there (pointing 3 ft away) and put bebe in the middle, okay?" yes! it was more than okay! jean marie mauclet was the hero of the day! now, the next problem arose. was i to have gazpacho and salad, or gazpacho and french cheese? lunch was wonderful. and even davis enjoyed goat cheese and olive paste toast, parts of a baguette, zach's honeydew and the littlest portion of gazpacho i was willing to share.

we enjoyed several play dates with friends. davis, molly and kate played so well together at mary's, and we couldnt' believe all three were on the same schedule. molly and kate were also very gracious to allow davis to swing the entire time on their new swing set while they took turns in the other seat. then on saturday night, we headed over to matt & barb's with the rest of the crew. it was quite a change in scenery. we had been used to going out with these seven couples after work and on the weekends seven years ago when zach & i first started dating. now here we were having an impromptu reunion with an additional eight pairs of legs and arms on hand. the kids almost had us outnumbered, but we finally figured the parents had it by 11:8. however, that only left 3 of us with free hands to help resolve any problems or search for wandering toddlers. matt & barb, you are the hosts of the year! how wonderful it was for you to have us big kids and 8 little kids (all under age 4) over to your beautiful home to wreck havoc and scatter toys, pizza crusts, cheerios and cookie crumbs ALL over the place. hannah was also the hostess with mostest to invite all to spend the night and wear extra pajamas.

a few more quick visits with janet, jessica, to king st., john's island, marion square, mount pleasant and the college of charleston rounded out our visit. we resisted packing up the car and heading home, but davis found a second wind as we did get back home. his face seemed to say, "hey! i know this place...this is my house. let's play with my stuff now, okay?"

davis' first easter (and basket)

what's this all about?

i think i'll like easter after all.

the ears were the one item that davis didn't care for much.

my what big ears you have

they say babies don't like santa clause or other costumed critters. but neither santa nor the easter bunny seemed to bother davis. but this silly rabbit forgot to give davis a bag of candy from his bowl after he was done. age discrimination i guess. doesn't that bunny know we're putting easter candy in davis' basket just so we can enjoy it? we are finally enjoying a LONG weekend for the easter holiday. however today has gone by too fast already. and davis' basket still looks half empty. i wish now more than ever that these holiday heroes were real. how wonderful it would be if there really was a magic rabbit that would come by and fill our son's basket with bright, colorful treats! and those poor dogs....holiday gifts and surprises are no longer in the picture for them.

we will find out if it's a brother or sister for davis at the end of this month. and then the planning can begin! planning? or purchasing? i know they'll be in the same room no matter what. i guess i'm just waiting to find out if most things can still be blue or do we need to add more greens, yellows and pink to the picture. people ask if i'd prefer a boy or a girl? and really, i don't have a preference. i'm just ready to know.

can you find davis?

now that is warming up and davis is big enough, the daycare allows him to ride in the "red bye bye buggie" around the courtsquare. i was lucky enough to catch them out of my office window strolling by.

can you find davis?