4thGenJim

I had to go back to Little Rock this week for more training with my new job. It's been very emotional for me having to leave and be away from my guys for such a long time. It's much harder than I thought it was going to be. The first couple of days I was gone (the first week) were nice... Like a much needed vacation.... then came the tears. I know Daddy has been taking very good care of Davis and has had lots of good help from Grandparents! But last week I became an emotional wreck... First was the new head wound, from the brick on the outside of our house... It really scared us.. so much I don't think we have taken a picture of it. It's a pretty gruesome bruise. Then Wednesday when my mom kept Davis for the day... she called and said... he's sleeping all day. He never does that, and doesn't really take more than one nap a day! And he had a fever, and wasn't eating and was sleeping! I was panicking. I can't tell you how close I was to...

Davis had a productive week- helping around the house. He loves laundry and reorganizing. He also worked with Daddy outside some. Recently, he has started warning us before he goes poopy, so Mommy got him a big-boy potty (we're crossing our fingers that Davis will be a 'potty-savant'). Some misc. update info: Teeth- 7 Favorite Food- Bananas Newest Word- "Yee-Hah" Newest Trick- Jumping (funny- his feet don't leave the ground) Favorite Outdoor Activity- Watching Traffic Strange but True: prefers smelling feet over kissing

Davis gets really excited about chicken-  it seems to be his favorite meal (with some sweet potato, of course).  He eats better with Mommy home, but he's working-up an appetite for Daddy. He has some strangely peculiar 'zen moments' at times (or hypnotizing us to buy more toys for him) and he's working on his salute- Davis is picking-up on things very quickly now- with new words and memory skills...a wonderful and amazing child- we are so very proud of him! (no chance of him being allowed to join the military! -Daddy says no!)

Where's Mommy? Mommy spent the week training for her new job in Little Rock. Soon, she will be working closer to home. It was a tough week, but we managed to do OK. There were plenty of laughs and tears, but it's clear that Davis has the best mommy in the world! Thanks to friends and family for helping us! (thank you for praying for us Mommy!)

Mommy is out of town this week, so it's time to start indoor baseball practice. Davis started with the basic rules of baseball: Rule #1:  The Ball Is Not Made of Candy -we spent a long time on this fundamental. (not a squishy-ball, it's a real baseball -actual size,  weight & hardness) Rule #2:  Even though it's not made of candy, we can still have fun with the ball   (after all, the most important part  of any practice  is  having fun!!!) Rule #3:   Warming-up is important ( since he has never thrown with one arm before, we had to start with the two-arm throw) Rule #4: Knuckle Ball Pitchers Rule! (he was able to master the knuckle ball grip very quickly) Rule #5: Focus. And,  never forget those that helped  you along the way! We will, of course, love you no matter what. However, we do expect some monetary payback  for  those extra-stinky diaper changes. DJ's got it! A message ...

Davis explored the displays at the nature center with a watchful eye. Most things to him were either 'doggie' or simply 'wow'. Later, when he saw that the camera wasn't ready, he waved bye-bye to the bear. Here's DJ checking-out the deer with his Grandpa AJ These were Davis' favorites- the giant birdhouse and the 'frozen' bobcat Davis is excited because the nature center is a 15 minute drive from the house, and it's free! We'll be making frequent visits this summer!

Davis had a stomach bug for a couple days- his dr's nurse said it should run its course- it did, and he's much better now. It's scary when a child gets sick, and Mommy took such good care of him! I'm positive that she had the tougher job at home than I did being deployed. He's having fun counting- he always starts with "two" after anybody mentions the number "one" (but he always holds-up one finger). We should have a YouTube video posted in the next few days of Davis saying his ever-expanding vocabulary. He has even invented his own word for his favorite restaurant- it's very funny. Troop Dog was very concerned about her little buddy- she missed his visits at the window. Mommy and Trooper are still holding grudges against each other- Mommy says Troop crossed the line when she 'caught' a cat in the backyard while I was gone. Trooper is miffed because Mommy took the cat away- when it still had a lot of play left in it Davis st...