Independent Man

Hayden is growing so independent, and it is super exciting to watch. There are so many times I look at him or hold him or see him smiling his goofy new smile at me or get a kiss or hug from him (yes, he really does have his own way to kiss us), and I just wish I could freeze the moment so I can remember it. I don't want to freeze him in the moment, because it is my job as a parent to allow him to grow up and gain his independence. But, I do wish there was some way to freeze the moment so I'll be able to remember it.

During the first several months of parenthood, you are exhausted nearly the entire time. During those first several weeks, it just seems like a neverending cycle of sleep, eat, change diaper, then repeat. And when I say sleep, I don't mean that you as a parent are getting to sleep. You are just getting to watch your little one sleep all the time. They are so dependent on you, and I think it's so neat how God designed this whole stage in life and the slow progression towards independence. I know many parents get weepy about it (independence, that is), but for me, it is so exciting and fulfilling. Not to mention the fact that more independence on his part means more time for me to do some things around the house that need to be done. Hehehe....

These are just a few of the independent things he is doing now - drinking out of a sippy cup, feeding himself a bottle, rolling anywhere and everywhere he wants to go, doing a sort of army crawl across the floor (I'll have to video it so you can see what I mean), finding all of the door stoppers in the house and making them go boing over and over, taking the caps off the door stoppers (I have since removed them all after I found out he could remove them), unscrewing the door stoppers from the wall (he's a smart cookie and very strong), opening drawers in the kitchen, shimmying himself out of his carseat when he's not buckled in (that's when I realized it's time to get a new one), and finally sitting up! And, that's only to name a few! You can tell I have my hands full...and he's not even fully crawling yet.

Hayden kind of decided to be a late bloomer with the whole sitting up thing. He was getting around the house everywhere and had even moved up to the "crawler" room in Sunday School because of how fast he can roll and scoot around, but he would just not sit up. We had been trying to sit him up for a while, but he would always fall over within about 30 seconds of sitting him up. But, all of a sudden in the past week or two, he has decided to sit up finally.


You better not make fun of his sweet, chubby self...there are times when you can't even see the diaper! :o)


I had to include one that he wouldn't be embarrassed of later.

In the video, you'll be able to see his other favorite thing to do....put his feet in his mouth. In this video, he discovered he can do it sitting up. Such a neat trick! Sorry about how dark it is...I didn't turn on the lights in the living room before taking it.



And, on Saturday, I discovered his very first tooth! :o) I knew he had at least one coming in, but it finally began making its grand appearance on Saturday. I'll try to take a picture of it when it's up a little further.

I feel so lucky that God has gifted me with a child and has allowed me to experience seeing him slowly begin to gain his independence. I think that this week I might just leave him here at home by himself and go shopping. I'll be sure and leave a TV dinner in the freezer that he can heat up real quick. Or, since he finally has this tooth, I guess he could always call for pizza delivery with his play phone Mamaw got him. Hahaha....

Facing the Fear

Something has been on my mind for the past couple of weeks, so I am just going to start writing and share it with you all, because....well, because I think I'm supposed to. Right now, I am doing a Beth Moore bible study on the book of Esther, and it has been SO good. I have always loved the book of Esther, but the way Beth has picked it apart has been amazing and brought new things to light to me about the book. First of all, you must know that this is one of only two books in the Bible that bear the name of a woman (the other being Ruth, of course), and the Bible study is appropriately named Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman. The Bible study is (obviously) geared towards women, but there are so many things that apply to people in general - both male and female...except maybe that week on beauty treatments. :o)

Anyway, we only have about three more weeks of bible study left, and it has been such a blessing. I would definitely recommend doing or leading this study if you have the chance. There are about ten weeks worth of lessons that you do at home as well as a DVD that you watch with the group. This study will truly speak to you.

Each week, Beth concentrates on a reason "it's tough being a woman." During this particular session I'm talking about, she talked about "It's tough being a woman in the tight fist of fear." I know the study is for women, but can't everyone just substitute their name right in there in place of "a woman." I surely can...It's tough being Missy in the tight fist of fear. Fear. We are all fearful. Do you all know the most frequent command in the Bible? Some would think it would have to do with love or repentance or honor. However, the most frequent command in the Bible is "Fear not!" And, by the way, that is not a coincidence, because God isn't about coincidences. Human nature is to fear.

You might be saying, “I’m not afraid of anything. I’ve never had a problem with fear.” Well, I hate to tell you (actually, I really don't), but you, my friend, are in denial. And, Beth says in the video that there is no denial in courage. Courage is looking flat in the face of "it" (your fear) and denying that it will have victory over you. It's not courageous to deny your fear's existence, but it is courage when you deny that it has authority over you. Can we all just say "Wow" real quick. Culture teaches us to "toughen up" and "to get over it." So, we take that idea and worldly thought and end up just shoving the fears to the back of our minds. When we choose to ignore and deny our fears, those fears continue to live in us and continue to have power over us.

So, we must overcome those fears. But how? Obviously, we need to face our fears and identify them. How would you fill in the blanks for the following statement? If ____, then ____. Isn't that how all our fears echo around in our minds? If my husband cheats on me, then I'll just die inside and never feel alive again. If my child dies, then I'll go into a deep depression and cry all the time. If I fail, then I'll look like a complete idiot and lose my self-image. If the economy grows worse, then I'll be left with no money. Go ahead. Fill in the blanks. There are endless possibilities. And, the possibilities don't all have to be that extreme. Many of you have read my hand sanitizer post. If you haven't read it, read it now (I linked it). I'll have to say it is my favorite post ever. I'll have to say this one, "If I forget my hand sanitizer, then I'll get sick." That doesn't sound like something terrible to think, but there is an extremely fine line in there where even seemingly small fears like that can take over our minds.

Beth then said that we must fill in the blanks like this, "If ____, then God." If ____, then God will take care of me. If my husband cheats on me, then God will take care of me. If my child dies, then God will take care of me. You get the point. If we allow anything but God to fill in that "then" blank, we will be left in the tight grip of fear.

Notice that the statement isn't "If ___, then God will take care of me and make it right." Well, He will make it right, but we might not get what we want. Our husband might cheat on us. Our child might die. We might lose our self-image. We might get sick. God doesn't always give us what we think might be the best thing, but we are promised that He will still take care of us. He will give us strength and love and grace and everything else we need to handle the situation. If we are a child of God, we are given that promise. And, amazingly, we will eventually move on and go about regular life. God doesn't want our conditional trust but our trust...period.

Courage comes from the Latin word meaning "cor," meaning heart....a heart, that is, that knows God loves you. There are numerous places in the bible where we are told to, "Take courage...." I've never really thought about it before, but notice that word "take." It's kind of like we are being told by Jesus, "Okay, here is some courage. Now, take it. Go ahead. It's right here." We just have to trust Him. Remember, if ____, then God! Since I heard that, I have been so tempted to take a Sharpie and write that really big on my mirror, but I don't think my husband would be too happy with that. We have an amazing God, don't we?

Our Little Traveler

I took some pictures this morning of Hayden's travels across the floor. You'll be able to see his progression throughout the house. I stopped him once he got into the kitchen and brought him back in the living room, but he probably would have gone much further if I had let him. One of his favorite things to do (as you will see) is go to the back door and look out to see if Gus is at the back door. Hayden loves his brother, and Gus loves his brother, too. :o)

And, here he is....hitting the motherload! Turn the music off (or pause it) at the bottom before you play the video so you can listen.


I made two other posts today, so keep reading!

Attack of Roomba

Both Chris and I don't like vacuuming....are there really many people out there who enjoy that job anyway? When we moved into our new house, some friends of mine came over to visit and both were talking about their Roomba robotic vacuum cleaners. I had heard of the Roomba, but I seriously doubted that they really worked all that well. After we heard both of them rave about their Roombas and after we read reviews online, we decided to use some of our economic stimulus money to stimulate the economy by buying a Roomba.

Well, I'm not sure we really stimulated the economy all that much, but we found a wonderful household addition when we bought Roomba. With a push of a button, Roomba zooms around the house vacuuming up all kinds of stuff. Yes, that's right....Roomba really works....and it works really well....trust me, I have serious allergies, and Roomba really gets so many more dust bunnies than our previous vacuum cleaner did. Roomba actually even helped with bug collection when we had our bug infestation after we moved in....long story by the way. Anyway, that's my plug for Roomba...go buy one!

Seemingly switching topics but not really, Hayden is always on the move. He absolutely loves rolling around everywhere. Roomba is currently plugged in and charging in our living room, and this weekend, Hayden visited Roomba. He has always liked watching Roomba do its thing, and I guess he thought he might roll over and give Roomba a visit. Chris and I were both busy working on our laptops and were halfway paying attention to Hayden when we hear the famous sound of Roomba....you can all hear the sound in your head if you have one and are reading right now. We look around the couch to see Hayden laying on the floor and Roomba attacking Hayden. Hayden apparently figured out how to turn Roomba on, and Roomba went straight for him. Hayden got upset, and Roomba kept trying to suck him up. Roomba actually took Hayden for a ride for a second, because it managed to get up underneath him. All Chris and I could do is sit there a laugh for a while. Needless to say, Hayden was somewhat traumatized and wouldn't even get down on the floor for a while until I got down with him.

It obviously didn't traumatize Hayden too bad, because he went and visited Roomba yesterday. He stayed far enough away to make sure Roomba didn't attack him, though. Hehehe... He has such a personality!

RIVERDANCE

This past weekend, several girls (and several of our moms) from our church headed off to Memphis to see Riverdance. Yes, that's right...I went to see those Irish dancers who have amazing fast, fancy footwork do their "thang." :o) We made it a day trip and all rode together, and after lots of laughs along the way, we made it to the rainy city of Memphis. We met my friend Leslie there, and it was so good to see her. I've mentioned Leslie before...she is the amazing person who managed to put up with and live with me and all my randomness for four years in college.

We enjoyed some fantastic ribs at Charlie Vergos Rendezvous, which is one of my all-time favorite places to eat ribs (Dreamland BBQ is right there with them). After stuffing ourselves full of ribs, we headed off to Riverdance at the Orpheum Theatre. What a combination by the way - ribs and Riverdance!

The show was great! My favorite part was an act that included some hilarious tap dancers and some Riverdancers. You can see something like it (not quite like we saw it but pretty close) here. I would definitely recommend seeing this amazing show if it ever comes close to where you live!

The Riverdance Group

Leslie and I

An Update on the Davidsons

Hi everyone! I know, I know....It's been way too long since I've blogged. Anyway, I'll try to give y'all an update on the last several weeks. This post will kind of be a smorgasbord of information, but here you go. Hayden is, of course, growing, growing, growing. He had to go to the pediatrician's office yesterday (just to get two shots...his second dose of the flu vaccine), and they weighed him while he was there. 23 pounds, 2 ounces! He is one big boy!

A couple of weekends ago, it was really pretty and warm outside, so we took Hayden outside for a while. Gus (our friendly bassett hound) was ecstatic to be around his brother. Because it has been so cold, the two haven't really been around each other very much other than to look at each other through the back door. Gus did meet him the day he came home and gave him a lick or two to welcome him into the family, and when he saw him this time, he practically bathed the child with slobber. Hayden loved it, Gus loved it, and Chris and I were both laughing. We put Hayden in his Bumbo, and Gus decided he needed to tell Hayden all about his problems. Gus was super protective of Hayden...it was really cute. When he (Gus) would hear a frog croaking or a dog barking, he would rush over to Hayden and sit beside him. Oh, the love of a dog.

During Valentine's weekend, Chris and I enjoyed a little bit of a child break. Chris' mom and sister took Hayden off our hands Friday evening, and we had a little time to ourselves Friday and Saturday night. It was really nice to have this, and I think every married couple needs a little time away from the kids every once in a while. On Valentine's Day, we made a trip to Gulfport and ate at Emeril's Gulf Coast Fish House....yum, yum! It was super good. If you ever have a chance to go to Emeril's, take the chance. We've been twice to the one that was in Atlanta and twice to one in New Orleans, and all three restaurants have been super good. We headed back towards Clinton on Sunday and met my mom, who had gotten Hayden. I love my two Valentine men so much! I am so blessed to have both...Chris, Hayden....oh, and don't forget about Gus!

Today, I went swimming at the Y in Flowood and then needed to go shopping for a swim suit and for a shower gift for my cousin. My mom helped me out by going with me and doing a little baby-sitting while I was doing my shopping. We put Hayden in one of the buggies at Belk, and boy, did he love it! He flashed that grin all along the way. You'll see in my pictures below the result of the trip....needless to say, shopping is hard work for a little boy!

Anyway, here are some pictures from the last few weeks. Enjoy!

25 Random Things About Me....

Wow! This tagging thing is catching on like crazy, but it's kind of fun. This tag came from Kimberly, and these were the instructions. I am supposed to write a list of 25 random things about me. Then, I am supposed to tag 25 people as well as the person who tagged me. So, here goes...

1. I love to swim. Although I have fallen behind the last couple of weeks, I usually swim 3 times a week. I started it after I had Hayden.
2. I absolutely LOVE ice cream and could eat it all the time. My favorite? Maggie Moos and Cold Stone...they mix whatever you want in your ice cream...what could be better than that?
3. I really enjoy cooking. My specialty? Cheesecakes and baking. I'm thinking about turning the cheesecake thing into a semi-business during the holidays.
4. I'm a huge math and science nerd, especially math. Almost everything I see, I relate to math in some way. I'm weird.
5. I can't stand eating semi-warm food. It has to be piping hot.
6. When I eat a hamburger that I cook myself, I have to tear the cheese off the corners (the cheese that hangs off the edge) and distribute it evenly on my burger.
7. Chris and I met on a blind date our freshman year. We were married 4 years later and were only engaged for 14 weeks. We were ready to get married, and my mom and I are quick planners. :o)
8. I am so glad I have a God who sent His Son to die for me. I am so glad that being a Christian and going to heaven is as easy as confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord and believing in your HEART that God raised him from the dead. (Romans 10:9)
9. I've broken both of my feet, in the matter of only a couple of months. Oh, and I should probably add that I broke them both falling down the SAME stairs. Clumsy, I know!
10. I enjoy playing tennis, but I haven't played since before I was pregnant.
11. I grew up in the big city of Pelahatchie, MS but went to school at Brandon. My parents were both educators in Brandon, so that's why I got to go to a different school.
12. My brother and I both raised pet cows (these were calves who had moms that died). My brother had Alex and D.C. (stood for da' cow), and I had Alexandra (one of Alex' calves).
13. We also (mostly my mom and I) raised a baby squirrel we named Timber. It fell out of its mother's nest. Timber died after we let it go.
14. I enjoy playing cards.
15. I was a member of Delta Gamma sorority at Mississippi State, and I love my Room 211 girls!
16. I wear a coat a lot of the time when I'm inside, and it drives my sweet husband crazy!
17. I love trout fishing, and my mom and I make a trip to Heber Springs, AR every year.
18. I love Burt's Bee balm...it's a great chapstick.
19. I had three hernia surgeries in one year in college, and all three were rare for me to have. I usually manage to defy medical odds. My brother says I should donate my body to science.
20. My full name is Melissa Doris Patrick Davidson, but since I've been married, I'm Melissa Patrick Davidson. Doris is my grandmother's name. I've been called Missy since I was born, though.
21. I love being a wife and a mom.
22. My mom drank castor oil to get me here. She must have been ready to not be pregnant anymore. She laughed (happily) when I was born and she found out I was girl. Probably because she was so tired of dealing with my dorky brother. Hehehe...
23. I am really perplexed why the Germ-X and Purell bottles (even Clorox cleaner) all say that they kill 99.9% of germs. Is anyone else wondering about the other 0.1% of germs, or is it just me?
24. I really hope my child doesn't like Barney and Baby Bop. I find them extremely annoying. I'm more of a Pooh girl.
25. I am not a decorator. Just come look at my house! I do hope to get it decorated a little along the way, though.

Okay, that's it! Whew, I thought I'd never finish. Now, I have to tag 25 different people. So, if you are reading this and you have a blog, that means you - especially Tracie, Robyn, Mary Lee, Lori, Dee Dee, Ginny, Tiffany, Jill, and Melissa! Don't pretend like you didn't read this and skip out on this fun activity. Do it, or else! Hehehe... Oh, and if you have a blog and I don't have your blog address, post a comment to give me your blog address.