Maggy Michelle

Hello, blog! I have dreams of writing here more often, but I'm not sure this is the season for that. So for now, it will probably continue to be sporadic. :)

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For now, let me introduce to our latest addition, 

Maggy Michelle Davis! 

Born 9/11/14

8lbs, 21in

She is perfect in every way! Thank you, Lord for this blessing!

And for fun, a comparison of Molly (left) and Maggy (right) flashing the same beautiful smile. :)

On my heart: mothering.

*I know it's been  f o r e v e r  since I've written here. Life does that, I guess. If you want more up-to-date happenings on life, follow me on instagram here (@amydavis356). :) :)

I've had more than one person say to me in the last week alone something to the effect that I'm "the best parent ever", or their "parenting role model". And to be quite honest, even though I'd like to gloat and take some glory, it's really SO very much NOT about me. 

You see, I'm about the second most impatient person that I know. For real. 

I'm hot-headed, and sometimes I inappropriately display my anger in ways that should not be displayed in front of children (or really at all). 

I am an introvert and recharge by being by myself, which doesn't always mix well with being a stay-at-home mom, especially when the aforementioned children don't nap or don't nap well.

I could go on and on about all the reasons why I make an unfit mother. But the bottom line is this:

I am a work-in-progress, continually being changed and shaped by none other than my LORD Jesus Christ. 

When I am patient, it's because of HIM.

When I curb my anger and express love instead of hate, it's because of HIM.

When I'm able to rise above myself and my wants and play with my children when all I want to do is run in my room and be alone, it's because of HIM. 

I'm hoping that you're catching my drift.

So while I appreciate the "you're an awesome mom" comments (really, it's very encouraging), I just have to be sure that it's made known that I am only that mom because of who Jesus is in my life. 

I never want to give the allusion that I have it all together or that this whole parenting thing is easy for me. I want other moms out there who may be struggling to know that there is hope, and His name is JESUS.

Just this morning, it was barely 9am and I was in tears, wondering how in the world I was going to make it through the long day ahead. I fully recognize the raging pregnancy hormones that for sure take all things to the next level, haha, but still. 

My mind turned to this passage in Isaiah:

Do you not know? Have you not heard?The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.He gives strength to the weary,and increases the power of the weak.Even youths grow tired and weary,and young men stumble and fall;but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.They will soar on wings like eagles;they will run and not grow weary,they will walk and not be faint.*Isaiah 40:28-31*

And ya know what was right on that exact same page? 

He tends his flock like a shepherd:He gathers the lambs in his armsand carries them close to his heart;he gently leads those that have young.*Isaiah 40:11*

Such balm to my soul. Such refreshment. 

I am so thankful that He cares. That He loves my babies more than I do and that He has designed ME to be their mother. 

You are not alone.

*a little humor for a not-so-humorous post.*

Some days are difficult. Like, really difficult.

Most days I'm excited about a third child.

On days like today, I'm completely and utterly terrified.

Driving home today after a rough morning of running errands, I saw a sign somehow through my tears that I had never seen before. 
I think it was an ad for the Army? Not sure. But here's what it said:

We don't take applications. 
Only commitment.

And good golly, that resonated quite soundly. 

You see, if I had to submit an application to be a mother, I would most certainly NOT get the job. By my own natural tendencies, I am a downright terrible mother. 

It's funny*, because I've dreamt of being a mom for my entire life. Somewhere in all that dreaminess, I just kind of assumed it would come naturally to me. Newsflash in case I've been fooling any of you: IT DOESN'T. 

*I chuckle only to keep myself from crying more tears--it's just so far from the truth. 

BUT. While my application would for sure be denied, one thing is even more certain: I am committed. 

First and foremost, I am committed to the Lord and allowing Him to change me. 

Second, I am committed to these children and becoming the very best mom that I can be to them. I realize this does not and will never mean perfection. But for me, the best that I can be entails surrendering my natural tendencies to the Lord and begging Him to change me and make me more like Him. 

I texted a friend when I got home (which is a rare thing for me when I need help) because I just felt so alone in this and needed to know if I was the only one who struggled. Guess what? I'm not. 

Sometimes it's easy to get tunnel vision and only see our own difficulties and along with that, it's so dang easy to believe the lie that noone else knows what we're going through.

I put all this out there as a simple message to others who may be feeling the same: 

YOU ARE NOT ALONE. 

If you're struggling as a new mom, experienced mom, young mom, older mom, mom of one, mom of twenty, working mom or stay at home mom, you are not alone. 

We were made to live in community, support each other, encourage each other, and spur one another on in our callings and commitments. Maybe many of you have already learned this. Maybe not. I just know I feel led to share. 

Be encouraged, fellow mamas. No matter where you are on your journey, the Lord wants to use you and teach you and make you more like Him. And do not forget that you are not alone. :)

Cooper's Birthday Vest

When Molly was born, I had the idea to make a pillowcase to take to the hospital (add some spunk to the hospital room, know what I mean?) and then use that pillowcase to make an outfit for her first birthday. 

You can see pictures here of Molly's dress.

It was a little more difficult to pick the fabric for my pillowcase when Cooper was born, knowing that boy's outfits are slightly more difficult than a girl's dress.

Here's the best shot of the pillowcase in use. 

(Note: best shot of the pillowcase, NOT myself, HAHA)

And here is what I made of it for Cooper's first birthday party. 

I'm pretty excited about how it turned out, and love that I was able to keep this tradition for both kids! :)

One gigantic CHRISTMAS post.

Because, ya know, it's been a while. And New Years seemed like the perfect day to recap Christmas. :) 
This post is going to be long and picture-heavy...just a fair warning!

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Setting up the tree together was SO fun this year. Molly loved putting up the ornaments. 
Here she is right before putting the tree up:

We decided to get our kids a new ornament each year when we put up the tree so that when they leave our house, they have a box full of ornaments for their own tree someday! 
This year I got Molly a baby, because she looooves babies so much. Safe to say she was pretty excited about it. :)

I finally have a mantel to decorate! So fun!

We went to see the zoo lights on a beautiful night...see, we didn't even wear coats! We thought it wouldn't be that crowded, being a weeknight. Everyone else in Columbus thought so too. :)

Chris's work had a Christmas party one Saturday this month, which had a ton of fun activities. Molly was pretty unsure of the idea of getting her face painted, so I went first. Here are our matching bows:

And this was Molly's face when she first saw Santa. She immediately exclaimed, "I don't like Santa Claus!" haha

And yes, we got the classic picture of a screaming child on Santa's lap. 

Cooper, on the other hand, was infatuated with Santa. Especially his nose and his glasses.

Molly and I making Christmas cookies together:

We travelled to North Carolina to spend some time with my family before Christmas. It was nothing short of amazing. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family that loves each other and gets along so well. :)

My mom bought a bounce house! Yes, a bounce house! Haha. It was so cool, and the kids loved it!

We came home from our trip to a flooded laundry room. Just two days before Christmas. It was terrible timing, to say the least. Monday was such a discouraging day for me, as I was trying to keep my joy amidst all the crazy of the laundry room situation, our cars having issues, and just the madness that IS two days before Christmas. 

Then this happened. A sweet, sweet friend from church delivered this beautiful plate of goodies. It just couldn't have come at a more perfect time! God knows best! Thank you SO much, Mikayla and Whitney! 

The kiddies before Christmas eve service. You can see how much she adores her little brother.

Also, let it be known that Molly wore the same dress two Christmases in a row. My tiny, petite little girl. (last year on the left, this year on the right)

Molly at Grandma Dorothy's with the big giant Christmas bear:
(I'm not sure why there's snow on this picture, but it's kinda cool, right?) 

Christmas morning was the four of us at our house. It was so relaxing and full of joy. 

The annual stocking picture:

Chris had this incredibly old pair of shorts that used to be his dads that were getting super worn out. He literally could not take one step without them falling down (the elastic was so stretched out!) I was finally able to convince him to get rid of them, but without him knowing, I fashioned them into a pair of pants for Cooper.

I figure my sister-in-law is making babies to carry on to a third generation....I'll make a pair of pants to do the same! ;)

Hope everyone else had a Merry Christmas. 
Here's to a wonderful 2014!!!

Molly & Cooper's Room Tour

Up first is my very favorite room in the whole house. This room has been my favorite in each place that we've lived, but I think this time, it's climbed to the top of my "best ever" list. It's hard to walk in here without smiling. 

It kind of just exudes happiness. :)

One of my most favorite parts of this room is how much of it is handmade, either by me or some of my best friends. I look all around and am reminded of all the people that love and care about my kids. :)

Ok, here we go!

Because everybody loves a good before and after: 

We said goodbye to the carpet and wallpaper, and hello to beautiful original hardwood floors and fresh paint. 

I also thought I'd include a before and after shot of Molly's kitchen, which we gave her for her second birthday back in May. I found this on Craigslist for super cheap, and just made a few changes. :)

That's it! 

Hopefully I'll be back soon with tours of the rest of the house. 

But count on it being later rather than sooner. :)