One more picture before the birth story . . .

I just got home from the Hospital . . . Again.

I promised my Grandma pictures last night . . . but we had to admit Raia to the hospital again because her jaundice levels were to high. I think they were being a little overly cautious, but we went nonetheless. It was a long sleepless night. So no birth story yet . . . just a few pictures.

Thank you for all your kind words, well wishes and meals!

20 Hours of Labor later . . .

And Raia (rye-uh) Joan Anuhea (awe-new -hey-uh: meaning sweetness) Davis was born 2 and a half weeks early.
Sunday, July 18th
6 lbs, 10 oz
20 inches long

We were just released from the hospital today. The labor was very difficult and I am still feeling very weak, but very happy to have Raia home and in our lives.

Pictures and more details soon to follow.

Oh, and Kiera lost her first tooth at the hospital when she came to visit her new baby sister . . . it was a big day!

Still totally interested in you! Boutique Add is the next post down:)

For Boutique info click here.
I am still interested in all of your lives and I am so sorry that I have not been a presence on your blogs.
I am having a lot of back pain and a few contractions right now so this is all I have time and patience for.

I am doing well considering I am 9 months pregnant and it is 115 degrees outside. This pregnancy has been WAY better/easier than my last pregnancy and I am so thankful!

I had my 37 week OB appt and hour ago and my doctor said that I am dilated to a 3 and that he can touch the head with out any effort at all. H didn't mention if I was effaced and I forgot to ask because I am feeling lousy. He says that If I was 38 weeks he would have sent me to labor and delivery. I feel like I have been in a slow, annoying labor since yesterday morning.

I feel like I have so much to do . . . set up a bassinet, clean a swing and bouncer . . . check batteries, pack a bag, have a boutique, make things for my brother's wedding . . .

I am so ready for this baby to come and so not ready at the same time . . . I sure those of you who have been here know what I am saying . . .thank you all for asking about me and thinking about me!

Next Week's Boutique!

Sorry, this is not a pesonal update:)

Indoor Summer Boutique!--- It's All Day Long!

Find accessories to keep you looking cool for the summer and stock up on pretty items to make a fashionable return to school!

Date: Thursday, July 15, 2010
Time: 10AM- 7 PM
Place: Jasmene White’s Home
250 Pinacle Court, Mesquite

Directions: (turn onto Oasis,
turn left onto pinnacle ct,
turn right to stay on pinnacle ct,
turn left to stay on pinnacle ct,
250 Pinnacle Ct. is on left hand side-)

For a map click here:


Digital Scrapbooking, Hair Accessories, Vinyl Home Décor, Fancy Flip Flops, watches, necklaces and much more!
To view products from last boutique check this out!

I am huge!

I am only counting down to 39 weeks. That is it. At that point I will will myself into labor. I have 5 weeks and 3 days left. I am no where near ready as far as having clothes and laundry washed and a bassinet set up, but physically I just feel like I can't go on . . . all you all who have been this pregnant know what I am talking about . . . and I really don't want to know if you merely had feeling of bliss and comfort in your last 8 weeks of pregnancy:)

Just a side note: the picture that I am taking of Sarah and Chris turned out to be one of my favorites:)

Not a bridezilla!

First of all don't tell Chris about this post! We don't want him to see all the glam pictures of Sarah! I don't think he looks at my blog very much, but if you do buddy- just skip this post!
Sarah is such a neat girl. She has a good head on her shoulders. She is sweet and sassy and kind and so very down to earth. We shot these pictures so early because, well, it is only going to get hotter in this desert waste land and we would much rather take pictures in 100 degrees than 110+ degrees!
For more pictures of this lovely young lady click here.

Geeka, will you marry me or do I have to fight Bubba for you?

Do you remember that special moment when that special someone popped that special question? Do you remember what you were wearing and exactly how you felt? Did you know it was coming or was it a surprise?

Do you remember how exciting new love is? How your heart beats faster when "he" smiles at you and you hope every phone call is from that special someone? Do you remember how going a day without seeing "him" seemed like a whole week of time a part?
I remember.

My brother Chris has found his one and only. Fast? Yes. Meant to be . . .I'd be willing to bet so. Chris and Sarah seem like they have know each other forever. They are comfortable and natural in each other's presence. They have a spark for life which seems to grow brighter when they are together. Plus- Kai and I played match maker to get them together in the first place. SO needless to say, we highly approve of the match.

We took some "engagement" photos of them even though they weren't engaged yet . . . that happened about a half hour after the photo shoot:)

To see some photos of the love birds that don't include my children (who were extremely hard to keep out of the shots)

Click here. Please do! They are really good! Even if I do say so myself;)

Oh, yeah . . . We call Sarah "Geeka" becuase Bubba does. We call Chris "Caca" because that is what Cambria called him when she was a little tyke. Together they are . . . Caca and Geeka!

I know the "I went swimming all day in the pool" hair do works for you.

The Fine LIne between Bravery and Crazy

What makes one brave? Is it doing what you are scared of ? Is it doing what is valiant and just in the face of opposition? Is it not giving up though all odds seem stacked against you? In one dictionary it is defined as such:

brav·er·y= 1. brave spirit or conduct; courage; valor. 2. showiness; splendor; magnificence

What is fear? Can it be a good thing or is it a bad thing?

fear= a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.

I don't know if I would exactly describe my 2 year old as brave, maybe wild. The one thing I would say about him though is that he has no fear. In my opinion, a little fear can be slightly healthy.

Bubba has no fear of the water. That is for sure.

He has been carrying this gardening pad around with him everywhere calling it a surfboard. He went surfing with Daddy and his uncles on our last trip to CA and has been hooked ever since. He can spend forever in the pool with it trying to stand on it. Then when her falls he yells, "wipe out!"

We grew our first squash garden this summer! We are so excited about it!

Bubba got to hang out with his uncles (that is a whole other post) and Jeff Petersen all last week. He thought he was so cool. You can tell he appreciates having other males being around.

His world is largely estrogen based:)

Here he is showing his muscles.

Kai felt love from some students/church kids when they vandalized his car with words of love. They were even so kind as to write "Amy rocks too!" on the front passenger window. Kai made sure I documented each side of the car. I think this is very cute as

long as it is not done more than once a year.

Money, money , money! The school keeps doing fundraiser after fundraiser! The girls would have missed out on this expensive one but Maama (grandma) called and said she would treat them to the build-a-bear-like stuffed animals if they would come visit her at school.

They are so lucky to have such a generous Maama!

They have slept with them every night for two weeks now.

Bubba has finally learned how to smile for the camera! I love his cheesey little grin.

Get ready for the triathlon!

One of the end of the year events at the elementary school is a big triathlon. Cambria was so excited and so nervous for this day. She has such a competitive little spirit. I am guessing there are somewhere around 80 girls in the first grade. Here they are below at the starting line.

They had to run down and back across a large field. Cambria started off in the front 10 or so of the pack but was trailing very far behind on the round trip. She looked beat. Her face looked weary- like she wasn't sure if she could make it.

But she did and she moved on the the next even which was some kind of skateboarding thingy. You had to do a lap around the gym- somehow she made up the distance.

Next they had to take another little jog the long way around the pool, throw of their shoes and do a lap to the finish line. It took Cambria a little bit to get her shoes off, but when she got to the pools edge she went flying in nearly leaping over another little girl.

I never thought about how hard it would be to have swimming be the end event in a triathlon. You are so out of breath from your last events that it is hard to stay under water without air. Cambria is a great swimmer but she was so winded she had to swim above the water which is much slower.

She worked her little booty off and made it into the

The Top Ten First Graders!

Cambria placed 8TH in the coveted top ten and I can not tell you how excited she was!

(thank goodness, I was afraid she was going to have a melt down like she did for the pumpkin run!)

Me too. I was happy for her because I knew how bad she wanted it. It will be so interesting to see what Kiera does when she gets into school and is involved in all these competitions. She too has a competitive spirit, but unlike Cambria, Kiera hates any physical event or activity, especially running:)

School let out for the summer last week and Cambria was honored with a medal for getting straight A's for all four quarters! I wish I had gotten a picture of that. We are so proud of her!

This letter meant something to me. It is worth a read.

I love America. It is a beacon unto the world. No, we are not perfect. But show me one nation who has done more for the world than us. We try. Though it seems easy to ignore, we can no longer afford to stay out of current events and politics or we will lose the America, the land of promise, that God gave us to live in freedom and righteousness. Hawaii's state motto is "the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness." I love that motto.
I am of Hispanic origin . I'm a half and half. I totally support legal immigration. For those who immigrated the legal way- which is tough- illegal immigration (not to be rude) just seems like cheating.
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The Orange County register refused to post this letter to the editor.
Pass it on if you feel the need.

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From: "David LaBonte" My wife, Rosemary, wrote a wonderful letter to the editor of the OC Register which, of course, was not printed. So, I decided to "print" it myself by sending it out on the Internet. Pass it along, if you feel so inclined. Written in response to a series of letters to the editor in the Orange County Register :
(
Dear Editor: So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Island and other ports of entry .
(
Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr. Lujan why today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home. They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture. Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity.
(
Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany , Italy , France and Japan . None of these 1st generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan . They were defending the United States of America as one people. When we liberated France , no one in those villages were looking for the French-American or the German American or the Irish American . The people of France saw only Americans. And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl.
(
And here we are with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country . I'm sorry, that's not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life. I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags .
(
And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty , it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United States just yet.
(
(signed)
Rosemary LaBonte

Update on Candi

This is the little info that I know . . .
Candi is doing well. She is in a little pain, but says it way better than how she is used to feeling. She will be released on Tues.

Baby Bejamin weighed in at 7lbs and i think 3 oz (?) (amazing for 4 weeks early)
He is 19 inches long
Candi got to give him a kiss and then he was wisked away to the NICU.
He is having trouble breathing and needs a respirator which is normal for early babies. Other than that he is just fine.

Sorry, I don't have any pictures.

Candi's in Labor!!

My cousin Candi's water broke just a few hours ago . . . she is 36 weeks and 2 days. Any minute she will have a c-section. She told me I was in charge of spreading the word . . . so spread word! Spread! Good Luck Candi and Jonathan! We can't wait to meet little Benjamin!!!

I said STAY!

My baby girl is trying to come out before her time! I lost my M_ _ _ _ P _ _ g (I didn't want to spell it all out for those who want to remain blissfully ignorant) on Tuesday morning and I have 10 weeks to go (9 if my good ol' doc will induce a week early:)) I have been having contractions like crazy for the last two weeks. I am supposed to report to the hospital if I have more than 6 in an hour. So far that hasn't happened. So that is good.

So now I am told to drink lots of water and take it easy. I really feel like everything will be okay though so I'm not to worried.

Second Annual Popsicle Parade

It all started last year when Cambria wanted so badly to be in a parade. Any parade. To her the pull to march in parade formation was as strong as the deserts desire for rain. So what is a parent to do . . . we put our own little parade together. We invited a few of our friends over, asked them to bring their bikes and decorations and their favorite Popsicles. We as parents worked laboriously on our kids bikes trying to accommodate the decorations to match the idea in their minds eye. We sweat profusely because it was a blisteringly hot evening. It took longer to decorate bikes than it did to ride around the block, but the memories were sweet.

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This year was so different. The sky was overcast and the wind raced through the air ruffling the leaves and our hair . . . it was very refreshing and very strange for this time of year, but we were so thankful!

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I think we had 15 kids this year. I was surprised that even the "big kids" wanted to participate, but then again, this is Mesquite, nothing really ever happens so you have to advantage of what comes your way! We had streamers and pinwheels and balloons and a "banner" ( a decorated poster board) and flowers a drum and a whistle! The kids had a great time and we had loads of Popsicles for everyone after they rode around the block a few times.

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I took lots of pictures so if your child was in the parade and you want to see more of the pictures, send me a message to my email at amykaidavis12@yahoo.com and I will email you back a link to where the pictures can be viewed.

Kai taped a basketball to Malachi's bike because he really wanted manly decorations for his son. Malachi was just excited to be allowed to ride in the street.

I think she is closing her eyes, but this is the only one I got of her!

Just a few other moments to remember:
This so reminds me of Cambria, who loved to help me cook.

I love this picture of my niece, Kiana. She had just got up from a nap and looked so cute and cuddley!

I also love this picture of Cambria's giraffe!

Small Moments, Full Heart

Do you ever wish you had a crystal ball or some other magical device that you could peer inside and see what life would be like without you? Or better explained, what life on planet earth is like because of you. Do you make a difference? Do I make a difference? Is the world a better place because I was in it?

Today for me was a pay day. Normally I don't have time to think about what kind of impact I might have on the greater good of humanity. In the trenches of motherhood is where I spend my time teaching and shaping and nurturing.

Before I took upon myself the sacred, yet unappreciated profession of motherhood, I was a teacher, another underrated but extremely important profession. I had a small class of students with sever disabilities on the island of Oahu in a city called Kaneohe at a small school called Kapunahala. It was a very difficult and very intrinsically rewarding job. I had a student named Jonathan. He was a 4TH grader in my 3RD-4TH grade combination class. Jonathan is a success story. Jonathan sparkled. His heart was kind and his talent unbridled. The only think lacking was a few learning skills that I felt certain were within his grasped. I helped exit him from a fully self contained special education class into a resource room for only language and math. In Hawaii, this was like trying to dig up a coconut tree with a child's sand shovel. It was hard and I had very little support from other teachers and administration. But it was done.

In the mail today, I got a graduation announcement. It was from sweet Jonathan who remembers me still. There was a note attached and this is what it says:

Dear Mrs. Davis,

I don't know if you remember me but I will always remember you. I was in your 4TH grade class at Kapunahala Elementary School in Hawaii. i just need you to know that I believe that my graduation from high school would never have been possible if it were not for you. You believed in me and never gave up on me when the entire public school system did. You made my transition from special education happen and I can never express the amount of gratitude that I feel because of that. You gave me the confidence I needed that I needed to believe in myself and that confidence has lasted through the years and has helped me achieve numerous accomplishments in my life. I am graduating on time because of your dedication. It takes a special person to be a teacher but it takes an exceptional person to do what you did for me. As I continue onto adulthood i will remember always that you took the time to see in me what no one else could and I will hold a good thought for you and I hope you will hold one for me.

Thank you,

Jonathan

For me today, that was a really big payday. Little does Jonathan know that I will never forget him. I'll make sure to tell him.

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In other news, Lindsay was kind enough to allow me to do a photo shoot with her. She was a little nervous because cars kept passing by full of people she knew waving and screaming. Next time I will have to find a more remote location! To see more click here.

Has Anyone Seen My Sucker?

I know I was just sucking on it a minute ago!

As promised . . .Heidi's adorable onesies . . . you can find them at honeybearlane.blogspot.com.

Life moves at an incredible pace

One of the benefits of living in a small town: Free eggs. I hate chickens and would never keep them as pets, but I love neighbors who have chickens and so many eggs that they don't know what to do. Thank you neighbor!




It is time to start getting ready for "Hershey" to arrive! I still have 11 weeks left, but my how time flies and truly, nothing is ready. I haven't sorted clothes or unpacked blankets and burp rags. I need to do a major inventory check. For now all I can think of that we need are a few new crib sheets. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want a new double stroller. Our stroller was a double hand me down (meaning two owners before us) and while it still functions it doesn't have trays and one of the canopy's is missing and it would be nice if my two youngest didn't have to fight over shade.
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This is the first time I have ever had a 3D ultra sound. I guess Hershey wasn't being very cooperative- she was hiding all the parts they needed to see (lips and spine) until the very end. I couldn't believe how hard the technician would push on my belly to get her to move. It didn't hurt but feeling Hershey move away from the pressure was really weird. At one time the technician gasped and said "Look at her diaphragm, she's breathing! We call those practice breaths!" He chest was rising and falling like she had just run a race. I be panting too if a technician was intruding on my safe spot in such a manner!
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Can you make out her little face. I got all teary when I saw this picture. It is so cool to see her not looking like an alien!


This is the only thing I have been stock piling for Hershey. I have been trying to build her very own collection of hair accessories. At least her hair will be ready to come home from the hospital!

We had my sister in law Candy over to visit with her new baby, Kona. Bubba loved holding him and kept asking for more turns with Kona. It was so nice to visit with Candy. We hardly ever see each other and this inspires me to invite her more often.

Kona is so little and precious. I just love new babies!

While Candy was at our home, Bubba decided that he needed to pass her the sacrament. She is agnostic and was such a good sport. She said Bubba found the tray (which Kai uses after church on Sundays to take sacrament to those who are sick and unable to attend church meetings) then he got the bagels out and realized that was the wrong bread. He took those back until he found our Sara Lee soft and smooth whole wheat bread. He then broke the bread sans a prayer and began to distribute the pieces of bread. It was really quite funny. Can you tell how close we sit to the deacons on Sunday?

This is my Cambria wearing the apron skirt we got form honeybear lane! We love it! I'll have to get one of Kiera in hers too for Heidi. Thank you so much Heidi! Now that I am writing this I realize that I didn't post a picture of her cute onesies . . . tomorrow for sure!

My Parents made a really quick trip to Vegas last weekend for Lexi's baptism. Lexi is our new niece- we got her in the marriage of Sean and Shannon (which is good because I kept telling him that my kids need cousins. I just didn't think he would provide one their age! He really delivers!)

Lexi really was happy, but I can never get her to smile. The only time I saw her smile is when she announced around the dinner table that her mom and new dad are expecting a baby! Can we say "honeymoon baby" everyone . . . I told you, Sean really delivers on the cousin request. And just to clarify . . . they insist conception happened a few weeks after the honeymoon.

I made my mom pose in the girl's bathroom so I could take a picture of her cute new haircut! I love it. I think she looks so good!

It is so good to have skateboarding uncles! After the baptism we decided to tail gate in the church parking lot. Doesn't everyone do that? Oh, I guess it's just us. The weather was nice and the park we were at across the street was too scary (we'd witnesses a fight earlier that some teenage boys with UFC dreams were recording- it was not a great sight to behold. Oh- and the park bathrooms had no doors- just three open stalls- which is really not good for a pregnant woman. I had to "go"- there was just no avoiding mother nature's call. As I sat in the doorless stall I prayed that no one else would come to use the restroom. I also tried to pretend I was on a trip in a third world country and just experiencing some other way of life. It almost helped because I have a pretty convincing imagination. And thankfully no one came in.

Ew, gross! Can you believe how dirty those feet are?! I kept telling Kiera that she need her shoes on and you can see how well she listened. Oh, well, what does a mother know anyway?

Much to the dismay and unconcealed anger of my folks and Ryan- we convinced Chris to stay with us for the week. He doesn't have anything going on right now so we thought it would be the pefect time. I think Ryan cried the whole car ride home- he has been having so much fun with his big brother back in town. We had a great day with him too. While he was here, we had a BBQ, went shopping in St. George since he only had one outfit with him, went 4 wheeling twice, played a game of sand pit volley ball and had a great time hanging out. He also did a ton of work on my house, but I'll get to that later:)

In this picture Kai and I remind me of that nursery rhyme. You know the ones that goes: "Jack Sprat could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean and so betwixt them both, you see, they licked the platter clean." I'll have to post a picture of that next time- Mary Engelbreit has a great graphic of the rhyme.

We watched my brother's give the kids rides on the skateboard for an hour! The kids were having so much fun and I think we were all stalling because we didn't want to say good-bye. Bubba kept yelling "Yahooooooo!" Today was the first time I realized that Bubba got the whole "yahoo" thing from watching Toy Story. It is his new favorite movie.

I love when my mom and dad come to visit. Though his tool collection now consists of a hammer and three different types of screw drivers, Kai was not raised to be a "fixer" aka the do-it-yourself-er. He'd like to do it himself he just lacks the training. So when my dad comes to town we have a list of to-do's a mile long. This time it was my front door and porch (if you can call it that). It needed to be sanded, puttied and painted. My dad spent hours sanding and puttying. We got one coat of paint on the pillars before we had to call it quits. Then the door sat for a week until my brother Chris came to visit. He finished the job. He painted the porch and the trim around the roof and my door! He is a do-it-yourselfer and what is even better is that 5 times a day he'd ask me, "Amy, what can I do to help?" Awe, so refreshing to hear those words. He did dishes, hard labor and he entertained my kids for hours upon hours. We had so much fun with Uncle Caca and wish he could come back right now! We have decided to send Malachi to California in the summers for a handyman summer camp with Papa.

Before:

After: Whoops! I didn't get the trim!

Now I just need a few flowers and pots to decorate!