a little update...

... for anyone who cares and hasn't completely given up on me as a blogger. My blog is one of the many things I can't seem to find time for since munchkins number 3 and 4 arrived. I don't mind it though. I love my four little excuses for a hectic and crazy life. Some people are so amazingly together no matter how many kids they have (you know who you are). And even more impressive are those who are able to manage being on top of things without having a stick up their... you know what I mean. If I was amazingly together it would definitely because I was WAY too uptight. So sorry if I'm late, flaky, selfish with my time, forgot it was your birthday, etc. O.K, so I've always been a little flaky, late, and forgetful. At least I can blame it on someone else now :)

We'll start with Shayla. This girl is so full of life. She is hysterically funny and way smarter than she has any right to be at 8 years old. She's super into dance right now. I've discovered I'm kind of a prude and wish she would just be happy in ballet so I wouldn't have to worry about questionable costumes and borderline inappropriate dance moves. Not that we've gotten there yet, but I know what's coming! Here's a few pics of her at a recent competition.




Kyler is taking after his big sister and thinks he's a comedian as well. He loves his Nintendo DS, tee-ball, riding his quad, staying up late, and making baby Clara happy. Out of all the kids he has been the one most interested in our new addition.




Leah is utterly adorable. She is such a girly girl and wants to do everything "myself". She has to pick out her own clothes every day and insists on wearing a dress. She is a little princess for sure and is fully aware that she has us all wrapped around her little finger. As if she needed more attention in life, she broke her arm falling off the couch at Aunt Rachel's. Even though she got the cast off over a month ago, she still tells people about how she hurt her arm, had to go to the doctor, and wore a pink cast. It was too cute.





Clara is our little angel baby. We can't believe how good natured and sweet she is. It seems like I get nothing done because I'm too busy enjoying the little elf. She rolls over and loves being on her tummy. She giggles at everyone who pays attention to her.








There you have it. My four little excuses. Aren't they adorable?



P.S. Zach and I thought this was so funny. It was washable marker after all, no harm done. Not so amusing when Leah tied to be funny the next day using a highlighter. It was nearly IMPOSSIBLE to get off of her and her baby dolls.

Speaking of Zach, he hates when I brag about him online, so I'll refrain from telling the World Wide Web that he is the most amazing dad and hubby on planet earth. He is though. Just in case you were wondering.

baptism & blessing

On New Years day we were able to have both Shayla's baptism and Clara's blessing. It was such a sweet experience. We are so proud of both our little gals! Here are a few pics.

Home.

On Monday we were finally able to bring our little Clara home. She is doing really well and is back to her birth weight now! This was definitly a life changer for us. It was humbling not only because of what Clara went through, but seeing the struggles of her teeny tiny roommates as well. We thought we had some pretty hefty challenges and changes this year. Zach was actually closing on a dental practice the day they took out Clara's respirator. It should have been a big deal, but it seemed pretty insignificant in comparison to finally holding our little girl. Not much matters as long as we have eachother. And we're grateful to have all of you as well:) Thank you again to our inredible family and friends. We truly felt lifted by your service and thoughtfulness.

Thankful.

Clara is breathing well without the respirator. She is just getting some oxygen through her little nose now. Hopefully some of the iv's and tubes will go today. We are working on eating now... she's a little confused. She peeks one eye open and stares at you when you put the tiny bottle in her mouth. For now at least her tummy is taking milk through her little feeding tube. We are a very thankful family today.

Baby Clara

Hello all. I'm finally getting around to updating everyone. So sorry I have been slow, I know you all understand. Here's a quick rundown. Clara was born late Friday night at 37 weeks. I had a medical induction, but labor never progressed so after 30 hours it turned into a C-section. She had the cord wrapped twice around her neck and around her shoulder. She was officially born at 10:58 p.m. and weighed 6 pounds 10 ounces, 20 1/4 inches long. Everything seemed fine at first, but soon she was struggling to breathe. She spent the night in the NICU in Pocatello. She seemed to keep getting worse over the next day. Sunday morning things got very critical. I don't mind saying that I've never been so frightened in all my life. She was put on a respirator and they told me they were taking her to Primary Children's in Salt Lake. Thankfully they took a plane instead of a helicopter which meant Zach was able to ride with her (he calls it he and Clara's first Daddy-Daughter date). Zach's parents were able to meet him in Salt Lake to be with them. I was released shortly after that and spent the night at my house with the kids and my parents. The next morning my Mom drove me to Salt Lake and Poppy took our other three munchkins to Idaho Falls where my amazing sisters and brother-in-laws are taking care of them. Clara has definitely improved since she came here. She is still on her respirator and I still haven't been able to hold her, but I'm so grateful that she is with us. I know it will come. I will update as best I can to keep everyone in the know. Here are a few pictures... only from cell phones, for now. Zach and I are completely overwhelmed with all the love and support from our family and friends, near and far. Thank you so much for your prayers and concern. We wish we could talk to everyone on the phone, but for now I hope this will do. Know that we are grateful for all of you and have definitely been lifted up by you. Baby Clara is blessed to have so many people who care for her already.
Love,
The Davis Family





Getting ready for her trip to Salt Lake


She's being treated for jaundice and looks especially cute in her "sunglasses"


This is little Clara Alyse yesterday. Hopefully later today we'll have a picture without the respirator :)

by the way...

...we have a baby girl coming in December!

Friends.

Beware: I'm already crying, so this post could get sappy real fast. I've been blessed with great friendships in my life. These ladies are some of my best. I could go on for paragraphs about how much I love and miss them. About how real friends are the ones who see you for who you really are... the good, bad, and ugly... and love you just the same.





Thank you for the wonderful weekend ladies. I love, love, love you all.