All About Sunny

Sunny is officially 4 months old!!!  Sadly we have lost count of all the weird nicknames we have for her. Here a few to get you started: Sun Sun, Sun Beam, Sunny Bunny, Georgina (why or how? I have no idea....), and Sonseed (if you haven't looked up their hit song "Jesus is a Friend of Mine" on YouTube - I HIGHLY suggest you do it - it doesn't get any more 70's than that! ZAP!)

Anyway, regardless of her odd nicknames she is a very happy baby - especially after a good night's rest. She'll wake up and immediately give you the most big, cheesiest smile. She has been smiling for about 2 months now and just recently started giggling at things we say, although most of the time she just looks like a laughing baby on "mute" - she'll look like she's laughing but no sound actually manages to make it out. Towards the evenings though (usually before bed - perfect timing as usual), she'll start to do her baby babble. She and Matt have had some very interesting "conversations"...mostly about political issues...  ;-)

Sunny can officially hold her head up on her own and loves sitting up, especially in her Bumbo seat. She is also starting to like baby music and lights. As she is developing her hand-eye coordination she is really starting to explore the different textures of objects - grass seems to catch her attention the most at the moment. And I have to be very thankful that she is very easy to put to sleep. Just give her a bottle or rock her for a couple minutes, and and she is out like a light...now whether or not she stays asleep - well, that is a whole different story....

And let me tell you - this girl can EAT! And she will definitely make it known when she is hungry...it's like she can sense when food is near...Needless to say she is definitely turning into a little chunko. We're going to attempt to start her on solid foods this week and we'll see how she does.

Other than that - She is getting bigger by the day, and her sweet personality is really starting to shine through. We love her very much and feel very blessed to have her as part of our family.

All About Aaron

As per request, we are including pics of the kiddos (separate post though), as well as what they have been up to these past couple of months.

We'll start with Aaron:

So for those that do not know, he is now 3 1/2 years old and growing so fast that his shoes are having trouble keeping up. He still loves numbers, counting, reading, and spelling - It amazes me how fast this kid learns. As far as food, this kid still loves bacon - just like his daddy. Strawberries are still his favorite fruit and he LOVES Sour Patch Kids candy and Hershey's Kisses. And although we already mentioned it in the previous post, I must shout from the rooftops that, "HE IS POTTY TRAINED!" woo hoo!

Also, he has recently started singing and dancing (to the beat of his own drum, apparently...his form of "dancing" is....interesting....It mostly consists of looking at all of his 10 fingers open and shut until he decides to jump into a dramatic pose with his legs bent and his arms outstretched - then he pauses in his pose for a moment, and does it all over again.) And imagine if you will, a chipmunk voice walking around the room singing the lyrics, "Now isn't it funny how numbers help me count! Help me count! Help me count! Now STOP! Ohhhhhh!" (and repeat). We'll have to catch that on video soon.....

He has also taken up bowling...who knew bowling alleys had teeny tiny bowling shoes?? (He needed the smallest they had).   Here he is during his very first trip to a bowling alley, and once he figured out the loud crashes (pins falling) we NOT fireworks - he loved every minute of it.

Ready to go....

6lb ball ready for launch....

going.....

Gone.......So how'd he do, you ask?.....

Well, have you ever been out-bowled by a toddler? I have! lol. Maybe I should try the bumpers next time!

 Yeah, as you can see, Aaron's final score was at the top, followed by mine, and then Matt's. He did awesome for his first time and we are definitely going back for their family night!

Also, every Monday he has been going to "School" (it's just reading/singing/ and craft time at the library, but that was the closest thing I could liken it to so that he would understand where we were going every Monday morning)  I started taking him there to bring him out of his "shy shell" and it seems to be working. He absolutely loves it and is excited every time we go.

Teacher Denise reading everyone a story

Craft Time

Today's theme was on owls...I swear that is not a vampire bat. But even if it was, I would love it just the same! =)

We absolutely love this little guy, and it is so bittersweet watching him grow up. It seems like just yesterday he was just a helpless little lump of a baby (and I mean that in the best way)...and now he is a little boy - already itching to explore the world on his own. We cherish the moments we have with him at this age.

So Aaron, when you get old enough to read this: Although you have your moments where you can be an insane handful - We are still so proud of you and we love you very much. We wouldn't trade you for the world!  =)

Aaron's Chore Chart

This is a new thing we recently implemented into our daily routine as we were slowly finding that Aaron started "acting out" a bit a couple months after Sunny was born. Maybe a tiny bit of jealousy had kicked it, but nonetheless we found that tantrums and whining were becoming a regular thing, and that the "time-out corner" was becoming a popular spot. So a few days before an F.H.E. (Family Home Evening) of ours, Matt and I decided that Aaron was receiving too much attention when he was doing the "wrong" things. So to remedy that, I created this age-appropriate chore chart for him to acknowledge when he does the "right things." So during an F.H.E. we presented the chart to Aaron and explained how the chart works.

Being that he LOVES colors, he was totally excited about the color-coded sticks/pockets. We put the chart on the wall at his level, and we explained that every time he does one of the things listed on the pockets which includes (things that are relevant to him): Putting his toys away, sharing (with his sister, or anyone else), getting dressed (or letting mommy/daddy dress him without hassle), being patient (which essentially means no whining or tantrums), being polite, and going to the potty - he can take the colored stick and put it in the "Rainbow Pocket." Once he gets 5 of any color sticks, he gets a small treat.

Something that we don't use often, but is still there - next to the "Rainbow Pocket" there is a "Best Bee-havior" pocket where, if mommy and daddy catch him doing something especially good, or he has been a good boy all day, he can get a "Best Bee-havior" stick. If he get's three of those, he gets to put his "Star" up and he gets a "Big Prize" - which can be extra TV time, or just a small toy from the Dollar Tree, but he doesn't know that. ;-) .

And so he doesn't get "rewarded" for every time he does something good, we only let him "get a stick" some of the time. (His excitement for the chore chart was apparent when he kept removing toys from his toy box, then putting them back and asking for a stick - only to be found 5 minutes later removing toys from his toy box and putting them back, and again, asking for a stick. lol)  Luckily our "stick limit" doesn't seem to deter him from wanting to do good things.

Overall, it has been a month since we have had the chore chart, and it was what really helped in Aaron's potty-training process (He noticed that he would consistently get every color stick except the purple one, and when he figured out it was for going "Potty" in the potty chair, that one purple popsicle stick served as one form of his motivation. Recently a majority of the sticks he has been getting are purple). Also, it has really made an improvement on his behavior - ours too. We have become more patient with Aaron and have learned to be more proud of the small things he does. And to sum it up for Aaron, he still doesn't do everything we ask him when we ask him too (he is a toddler, after all), and he still has occasional trips to the "time-out corner" - he isn't a perfect little angel by any means, but on the same note, we are not perfect parents either (if there is such a thing), but you can clearly tell that he feels more appreciated which is so important with our new addition to the family (Sunny) who currently demands so much of our attention. So I'd say that so far it has been a success! :-)  

My New Art Blog!

Hey friends and family! I just wanted to share the exciting news that my new art blog is up and running:  The Feather Artist at - www.TheFeatherArtist.com. On this blog I am going to be posting painting/drawing tips and art supply reviews regularly. I also have a YouTube channel set up in which I will be doing painting tutorials and additional art supply reviews. I haven't posted any videos yet, but they are coming soon.

Again, the website is completely new and only has 2 posts currently. But if you know anyone who is interested in art or is looking to get painting advice/tips, please refer them to my site. Thanks a lot! I appreciate it! Hope you all enjoy my blog! =)

Again, it is:
www.TheFeatherArtist.com

You can also visit my official website at www.FeatherArtByBrandyDavis.com
I am also on Facebook and Twitter.

Thanks! - Brandy

Pismo Beach, Father's Day, and Fireworks!

Right after summer began we took a trip to visit my family in California. Surprisingly the weather was quite pleasant - in the mid 80's most of the time. (I hear that currently they are maintaining temperatures in the low 100's...YIKES!) Anyhow, while we were there we visiting lots of my extended family and visited lots of fun places, including our long lost love - the beach! For a Californian the weather was a bit cold, but to us (newbie) Idahoans, it was perfect. That is the benefit of spending your winter in snow and freezing cold weather...a bit of coastal chill just doesn't bother you anymore.

Anyway here are a few pics of Aaron on the beach. We have a few pics of Sunny but didn't post them since you couldn't see her - she was all bundled up in her blankets from head to toe (baby Idahoans are exempt from the cold rule).  =)

Watching mom fly a kite:

And as I am sure you are all aware, Father's Day has come and gone. Although Matt told us not to get him anything we still wanted to show him how much we loved him by getting him 2 of his favorite indulgences - home-made ice cream cake and an assortment of candy (on a huge home-made Father's Day card.)

So Aaron and I went on a secret shopping mission, came home, and assembled this bad boy:

(And I have to give some credit to my sister-in-law Melissa. She and her kids made one for her husband last year. It's wording was all different with different candy bars, but I thought it was so dang cute so we made our own this year. )

(P.S. The small red box of candy is called "Boston Baked Beans" if anyone was wondering. Never heard of them before, but I guess they are candy-coated peanuts.)

(no picture of the cake though, sorry....we ate it pretty fast - ice cream cake waits for no one!)

The Airhead:

 And the Sugar Baby:

 Happy Father's Day Matt!   =)


A few days ago we went to view fireworks at the God and Country Festival held in Nampa. We got there 3 hours before the fireworks were set to go off. Good thing too since the parking got more terrible as more and more people arrived.  We had fun though - we set up a little picnic and let Aaron run around to get his energy out. No pics of Sunny though - she decided to sleep for 13 hours - straight through the fireworks. (It's funny that obnoxiously loud fireworks don't wake her, but if someone dares crunch a Doritos Chip on the other half of a room, she's all tears! Obviously a bit of an exaggeration, but I still just don't understand it........)

Here was the park area we were on that was soon to become a sea of people:

 

And then finally the moment we had all been waiting for...Isn't Matt's picture so professional-looking?:

Just kidding!  This is actually a stock photo of fireworks from who-knows-where.  Unfortunately the true story is that sadly there were no pictures of the fireworks. I was too busy holding my hands over Aaron's ears so he'd stop crying. When it comes to Aaron - Pretty lights? Good! A series of loud booms? Bad!
And Matt, on the other hand, was too busy watching the show. Nevertheless, it was a pretty good show and we enjoyed our time spent together as a family.

And lastly, something completely random....Brian, Matt wanted to show you his new bike.  A Giant TCR C1.  =)

Two months of Sunny days.....

So, if you don't know already, the past 2 months (actually, almost 3 now...) have been absolutely joyful, fun, crazy, stressful, exciting, and not to mention - sleepless. So for the sake of saving time and getting to the "good stuff" we present to the world....Sunny Lynn Davis:

Day 1(A few hours old):

Born at 4:04pm - Small and wrinkly
 


2 days old after her first bath. The nurse attached a pink bow to her head with a dot of Vaseline. I never knew they did that Surprisingly it stayed on for a long while:


Day 3 (Her first day home):



Why is she so mad, you ask?:


 Because she was having a bad hair day:


Here is Sunny about 5 days old and already getting along great with her brother....well, sort of....(And there is Aaron wondering what the heck this new thing is that's touching him):

Luckily they worked it out:




And here is Sunny about 3 weeks old and all dressed in white ready for her baby blessing. It amazes me how small and fragile she looks here:



And here are just a few more recent pictures:



Her personality is really starting to shine through:


She loves the U.S.A.


2.5 months old and Pretty in Pink.....and starting to put on some baby fat:



Well, that's it for now. If we figure it out we'll post a video soon. Until next time!

Where A Kid Can Be A Kid!

A few weeks ago we celebrated Aaron's 3rd birthday at Chuck E. Cheese's - Where a Kid Can Be A Kid! (See how cleverly I tied in the title of this blog post!...Yes, I am kidding because I know it's a little "cheesy"....ok - I'll stop "mousing" around now, but seriously, we had lots of fun and "CHUCKles" on this very special day. Ok...I'm done...I swear!...time to get down to "Biz"ness...) (You'll only get that last reference if you remember what Chuck E. Cheese used to be called back in the late 80's/early 90's...)

So anyhow, we had a little party there including mommy, daddy, Aaron's cousins - Nick and Bailey, and Aaron's aunt and uncle - Melissa and Trent. All in all, it was fun, and the kids all had a good time.

Birthday Boy:


But I will say - it is a shame what has happened to Chuck E. Cheese's - the pizza just isn't what it used to be, and you may or may not remember the good ol' days of Rock-afire Explosion! (the animatronics were far better than that of the new Chuck E. Cheese band who can barely manage to move their heads side to side and blink...!):

I miss these guys:


However, I totally understand why they decided to upgrade Chuck from this:
(Nightmares anyone?....)




To this:

Ah, that's better!

I guess "out with the old and in with the new" isn't ALWAYS such a bad thing....kinda makes you wonder what people were thinking in the 80's though. Yikes...All I can say is thank goodness for art appreciation and standards!

Anyway, here are a few pictures of the birthday boy enjoying his mini-party:




"Tickets!"


On the monster truck with Nick and Bailey:


Having a great time!


After Chuck E. Cheese's, we all went home to sing Happy Birthday to Aaron, have some ice cream cake, and open presents.

"I'm supposed to do what?...."


Cousin Bailey likes chocolate ice cream cake too!:

(Don't worry - everyone got a piece!) =)

Opening up cousins Nick and Bailey's gift. We didn't get a picture, but it was an awesome Buzz Lightyear laser gun. He still tries to shoot daddy with it. (Although, he says mommy is too nice to shoot.) =)


Opening his gift from mom and dad! What could it be???? (Ignore the wheels poking out of the bottom of the wrapping....)


Yay!


And we didn't get a picture of it, but Aaron got some cool gifts from his grandma and grandpa Davis who are currently serving a mission in Latvia. One of the gifts was a chocolate egg (bought in Latvia) molded around a small toy. Apparently they are banned in the U.S. because of a choking hazard - but it's a shame because Aaron loved it (so did mom...I had a bite, or two). It had a (packaged) green plastic car complete with instructions (assembly required). I can imagine the other toys that are sold with them - They would be such a hit here during Easter! They also sent lots of other goodies! Thanks guys! We know that stuff isn't cheap to send overseas!


To top it all off, here was our 3 year-old birthday boy at the end of the night...yep - complete with his baba and blanky...So much for being a "big boy!" lol. Oh well!