Quiet

It's super quiet around our house. Like eerily quiet. Cacaw. Cacaw.

Mimi and Poppy came up for supper after church yesterday. After we ate Coop packed his rolling suitcase (circa 1999-a gift passed down from the Lee girls...so very special) and hit the road for a few days down on the farm.

Oh he was just beside himself. Blue Bell straight from the carton, feeding the horses, playing with Poppy's choo choo train, riding on the tractor, and driving the farm truck. He won't even know what to do with himself.

It was so quiet last night that we went to the movies. The MOVIES. Yes, us. We have gone twice since little bit was born. I gave Chris the "bigger half  of the bagel" and we saw "Safe House". I might have sat through the entire movie [two hours] without a CLUE as to what was going on. It was a total boy movie. Bang. Bang. Bam. Blow this up. Blow that up. Blood. Sweat. Bang. But I had my bucket of popcorn, a Cherry Coke and was with the one I love, so I didn't care one bit.

Tonight we're going out for sushi date night. Cause it's just too quiet to stay home. Schucks.

Tand up Dere!

For the past two weeks every time I've done laundry, Coop pulls on my pants leg and hollers that he wants to "tand up dere" (on top of the dryer). Every time I've done laundry for the past two weeks, I've told him how silly he is and how we DO NOT STAND ON TOP OF THE DRYER. Ever.

I came in last night to find little love helping big love do the wash. I walked up the stairs and this is what I saw.

Apparently little boys do "tand up dere" when they help their daddy with the wash.

Did I fail to mention last Tuesday night? The night he woke up at 2:45am and cried his eyes out until 6 in the mornin? I rocked and patted and swayed and walked the hall. I sang and cuddled and asked him whatever was the matter. Around 4 he calmed down enough to tell me. He wanted to go "downaires" and play with his choo choo.

Seriously?

He asked me for it 204 times. He might have watched all of Toy Story 3 at 5am. It was grand.

Hello terrific twos??

L-O-V-E

This Valentine's Day was pretty steamy. Coop got a quacking yellow duck bill, a bag of gummy bears, and a big teddy bear/heart shaped mylar balloon. I fell head over heels and got to get half nekkid and Chris isn't even in town.

Quack. Quack.

Apparently I blacked out at work today. Ran into a door, hit my noggin, and fell flat on my booty. It was that awesome. I came to and promptly started to cry (that really improved the situation) because I was so dern embarrassed. So strange. I have fainted in the past but this was different. No woozy feelings, no tunnel vision, no sweaty, clammy palms. Just BOOM, lights out. Anyway, I'm sure everything is just fine. Still I have been feeling out of sorts for the past 3-4 weeks so this was the push that got me into the doc. I was sure it was the blasted Clomid, but Big Al says no. I most loved it when the doc asked me a) If I exercise regularly (HA) and b) If I soiled myself when I was out cold (HA). They sent me for an EKG and some blood work and I'll humor them and go for an ECHO and stress test next week. Still, I feel silly. I'm sure it's nothing.

Notice the Choo Choo? He has one in his little hands always. Toot. Toot.

He walked around saying "Be Mine", tootin' and saying "xuse me", and melting my heart all night long. True love. Counting down the days til big Love is back home so we can celebrate Valentine's Day all over again.

Happy Valentine's Day! Xoxo

INK

My car finally smells normal. This morning Coop spilled a sippy of chocolate milk in our bed while watching Bob-Builder. It soaked the bed, my pajama pants, my underpants, and his socks. I dashed around stripping the bed of all the covers ranting about how much I despise milk and then we fell into the floor giggling and wrestling. No use crying over spilled milk, remember?

On Wednesday we loaded up with Abby and Jeremiah and went for a playdate to Ink.

In small group this semester, we are going through the book of Philippians. Is there any greater book of the Bible?  I mean, there's Paul, imprisoned yet pouring out words of joy. Imprisoned. Yet joyful. This week we were supposed to read verses 1-11. Only I thought we were supposed to read chapters 1-11. I made my way about half way through chapter 4 but pooped out before turning the pages and completing the assignment. I couldn't figure out how we were to find time for ELEVEN chapters a day.  Come to find out, apparently there are only 4 chapters in Philippians. Ha.

We are memorizing verses each week as we go along. Ironically, the verse that spoke to me was Philippians 1:6 ("And He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion"). I am a chronic giver-uper. I get brilliant ideas and bound joyfully into them. Halfway through I get tired of the brilliance and give up. Terrible, right? I think it's absolutely awesome that we have a great God above who isn't a giver-uper. He sets out to do a good work in us and actually SEES it through. Incredibly, we have Him on our side, cheering us on. Prodding us along. I love. it.

Can I take a second to give a shout out to our small group? Goodness gracious. I just love these folks. Being away for the past few months felt like walking around with milk soaked pajamas. Just terrible. Being back makes my heart so happy! As we sat around the Yates living room, I looked at each and every sweet soul sitting in our circle and thanked God for them. Truly. How great it is to live life together. To celebrate joys and rally with each other in our times of weakness.

This week we discussed the verse that talks about praying over people with joy. I spent the week in joyful prayer over Abby, Mike, Jeremiah, and Precious Parker. They are absolute warriors. Baby Parker needs you to pray for him too. He also needs donuts and not cheeseburgers.

I was tickled that we got to sneak away to Ink with Abby and Jeremiah on Wednesday. We had entirely too much fun. Coop's favorite? A toss up between the trains (oh the trains!) and the buggies.

We are super fans of buggies right now.

On the way home I got a sweet tea and decided that I need to spend more time at home. With my little love bug. And my big love bug. Coopie needs me. I need time with him. Pictures need to be painted. Legos need to be built. Chris needs a balanced wife. Our floors need to be swept. Our laundry needs to be put away. Dinner needs to be made. We have memories to be made and before we know it, Coop will be climbing onto the big yellow bus racing off to big boy school. It's SO not like me to admit defeat. I love love love what I do. I also love love love my family. Balancing both, although rewarding, is a constant juggling act. I spent an hour reading workin' mama blogs via Kelly's Korner today. Reading them made me feel a gazillion times better. I am so not alone. We are praying over it right now, but I can feel it. A-change is a-coming. And I just about can't wait.

Legos and Lollies

Coop and Dada are building blocks in the bathroom. It's the sweetest sound on earth. They are giggling and discussing tunnel architecture and revving matchbox car engines.

I'm knocked out with bronchitis and a double ear infection to boot. Sick. Sick. Sick.

Today I was wrestling a cranky toddler at immediate care as he emptied pantyliners and lip gloss out of my purse onto the floor, just sure I was getting punked (parental translation: getting "punked" is like a modern day Candid Camera). Worst part, I have no voice. How is a Mama to tell her little love and her big love that she loves them with no voice? How is she to tell her little love to climb down from the middle of the kitchen table or to kindly put the plunger back in the closet? How is she to sing "Rain Rain, Go-Gah Way at bedtime? Or how is she to offer unnecessary commentary during American Idol? The answer? She's not.

Thank heavens Chris came home tonight. Just in time for a lolly in the bathtub.

Oh how I love my two sweet boys!

No Use Cryin' Over Spilled Milk

Who knew you could actually take for granted that your car smells normal?

I discovered this truth this past week. Mister Cooper drinks his "chachi mih" (translated: chocolate milk) and eats his "panies" (pancakes) on the way to Ms. Staci's house every morning. Yea, it's a terrible shame. We don't get to sit down together around the breakfast table four days a week. Instead we fly around the kitchen warming up microwavable pancakes, sloshing chocolate milk about. It's glorious in it's own on-the-go kinda way.

So. Coop drank his chachi mih on Monday. Monday turned to Tuesday. Tuesday turned to Wednesday. And before you know it it was Friday morning and I was driving to work (sans Coopie 'cause he was having him a daddy day), and out of nowhere a dead animal nestled itself somewhere in my car. Mysteries of mysteries. I dry heaved (hove? jk.) all the way to work. I rolled down the windows and contemplated opening the trunk. I applied peach scented hand sanitizer fifteen times and batted my hands around to mask the smell.

I screeched in the parking lot of work with my head clear out the winda and threw it in park. I spent all of 3 minutes scouring the car for the dead squirrel or spider monkey. There it was.

In the floorboard of the backseat.

Mister Cooper's chachi mih cup. FROM MONDAY. Slammed up against the door. Lid popped off. Milk ehhverywhere.

Oh my gracious. It's been three days. We have scrubbed and foamed and vinegared and baking soda-ed. We have googled horror stories of people trading their cars in after such nonsense. Heavens to Betsy. It. Is. Foul.

Wanna carpool with me this week? ;)

Out of the clear blue sky we got hit with an "unresolved matter" back from the days of kudzu this week. I have tried to resolve it three times now but for some insano reason, every single time I try to make a phone all about it, I end up a blubbering mess. It's not just the ridiculous left over financial reminder, it's really not. It's just that dealing with it brings up all that hubs fought through last year. It brings ugly tears just thinking about it, but within seconds, my tears turn to absolute JOY for what God has seen us through. I know the doctor's office thinks I am mentally unstable. I finally called Friday and spoke in a British accent and reported that I was calling on behalf of the Davis family. They couldn't take my payment info quick enough. Giggles.

Speaking of giggles, I am in full party planning mode for Coop's second birthday party. SECOND. Seeeeeeeehcond. Gesh. I'm having ridiculous amounts of fun thinking of ways to shower our little man with lots of love.

Think mustaches and bow ties and photo-opt props and little manwhiches and pretzel rod cigars. Ridiculous, and so much fun, no?

It's a good distraction these days from the oober hard time we are having on the baby front. We are so incredibly enamoured with Coop. We love him upside down and inside out. We would go to the ends of the earth for him. He has given us the best gift in all the world. He has allowed us to become parents. And we LOVE it. We LOVE him. And the ache in our hearts for another little Davis baby is just indescribable.

God's sovereignty in it all is so abundantly clear to us. Doesn't change the fact that I cry and cry and cry and we pray and pray and pray every single month. God has answered so many ginormous prayers for us over the past year. He gave Chris life. A second chance. He brought us insurmountable joy through the birth of Cooper. He has graced us with His strength and comfort and amazing peace. He is teaching us something these days. And we sure don't want to miss it.

I fell asleep last night praying my heart out about it. I prayed for God to teach me how to pray about it. You see, this fertility business has me stumped. That's how I know it's exactly where we're meant to be. It is one of the absolute most difficult things to "give up". You take this med on this day and this med on that day. You chart. You pee on sticks. You go for tests. It makes it super duper hard to a) "forget" about it and b) pretend that you have absolutely no role in it. We know that God will provide. That's not the question. We know that we get to have fun in the process. That's not the problem. It's just this bizarre journey that is teaching us SO much about our faith and about how big our God is and how small we are.

My friend Natalie blogged a few months ago about how thankful she is for her experience with infertility. I'm gonna have to second her. Without it, we wouldn't be drawn to Him. We wouldn't realize the amazing grace that comes through His blessings, no matter how big or small. We wouldn't be on our knees. Our little miracle to-be wouldn't be half as prayed for or half as waited on. In a way, I almost feel honored. I feel humbled. God's not through showing us His power, and that is a mighty beautiful place to be.

Bang! Bang!

Ok. So I thought the Frozen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity's had changed my life (and oh, it did), but tonight I discovered something that absolutely knocked my socks off. Get ready. Bang Bang shrimp. That you make at home. That's right at home. For less than ten bucks and in under ten minutes.

I know. I was skeptical too. I really was. But when I went to pick Coop up from his drop in class at Crimson Academy (cannot say enough incredible things about this place) and found him in the corner, on the floor, laying face down making "carpet/snow angels", singing "night night night night" while everyone else sat in circle time eating their snacks, I knew it was time to have a low key stay at home kind of afternoon. (Poor baby, Dada's out of town (STILL), Mama's been gone, he started a new weekday gig, and now a Wednesday big boy school gig too...he's absolutely EXHAUSTED and completely out of whack. In a throw the remote at your head and crash his car into the wall kind of way).

Lori told me about this Bang Bang recipe last week and I tucked the sticky note in the side pocket of the diaper bag for a rainy day. We stopped by her house today to give her and Coop's girlfriend Landree hugs and Great American Cookies and Lori reminded me of the shrimp.

I pulled the recipe out tonight, took Coop for a drive in the Kroger neon green Car-Buggy, and am SO GLAD I did.

Holy yummy.

I am a die-hard Bonefish fan. If you know me, you know this. We even had our wedding rehearsal dinner there. They are phenomenal. We go for $5 Bang Bang Wednesdays every week in the summer. Their House salad (with side of bleu cheese crumbles) is heaven on a chilled plate. Love them, love them, love them.

Still, it was a stay home in ugly pajama pants kind of night, remember? So we scooped up the ingredients...all THREE of them and headed home. Coop built with legos while we talked about notsomuch laying on the floor making carpet angels next week at big boy school and I whipped up these little babies in less than ten minutes.

Here's the run down:

Get yourself 1 box of frozen popcorn shrimp (I know, I know, but believe me, you won't regret it, I promise), a bottle of Kraft's Hot and Spicy Mayo, and a bottle of Franks Red Hot Sweet Chili sauce.

Go home and pan fry the shrimp on the stove top (I used a little olive oil to help get the shrimpettes golden brown and crispy). Mix 1/2 cup of the Hot and Spicy Mayo with 1/2 cup of the Sweet Chili sauce and toss the shrimp in it. You could skip the whole "tossing" part and dip them or drink the sauce with a bendy straw too, whatever suites your fancy.

I'm saying. [Mom, are you reading this????] This dish will change your life. Me and my ugly pajama pants ate one too many before building more legos, sliding down the bus slide 15 times, and soaking in the tub while rocking out to Chris Brown and Justin Bieber for 45 minutes.

Yes, he is wearing Santa Suit jammies. Yes, it is January. Psych! (Did I just say 'psych'? Must get sleep.)We're a total mess around here, but not that much of one. This pic's old but it made me smile today, so I thought I'd share it.

We ended the night Facetiming with Chris. Coop decided he wanted to show Daddy how he wrestles with me while he is away. Camera rolling. He did a spin move, spider monkey crawled his way on top of my head and promptly tooted in my face.

What. are. we. going. to. do. with. this. lovemuffin?? Heaven help me, being his Mama is the absolute best thing that has ever ever happened to me. Toots and all.