My Valentine

Not going to lie... I am not overly into Valentine's Day, neither is my husband. It is fun to do a little something special.

But the boxes of candies, roses, overly-priced cards aren't necessarily how we roll. But circa February 14th is a good excuse to book a babysitter and go out to eat or wander aimlessly around town- just because we can, or have a nice uninterrupted conversation about what's on our minds. Remembering the dating days and trying to keep them alive :)

Can I tell you about my Valentine this year? He's amazing. Okay, now I'm blushing :)

He loves me and my broke-lookin' get up. My jammies that don't match, my scraggly, neglected updo, and my face that could surely use makeup.

He forgives me when I am too caught up in the kids to kiss him when he gets home from work.

He takes the dog out EVERY. stinkin. Night. Because he knows that I would just open the door and wish her luck on her way out.

He is patient beyond belief. Trust me.

He keeps the house stocked with pre-made cookie dough. Because it's important. Okay, maybe this is more for his sweet tooth than mine, but he knows oven-fresh cookies make me smile :)

He never complains about going to work and is incredible at what he does. He works so hard to provide so that I can stay home with our mini-me's.

He handles my frustration when my To-Do-List hasn't been touched all day. Not one thing. He reassures me of my accomplishments, telling me I kept our kids alive and healthy and that alone is an accomplishment.

He Googles EVERYTHING and is a great Google mechanic.

He loves to show up my cooking skills because that truly wasn't my God-given gift :)

He loves me enough to overlook the disgusting habit of biting my nails. His biggest pet peeve ever.

He is incredibly forgiving. Even after doing such things like instructing him to pull the car into the garage WITH the bike on top of the car. I'll leave the rest to your imagination.

Never once does he comment on the fact that I haven't made a "real meal" in close to a week or that he is one pair of unmentionables away from going commando unless I get serious about doing the laundry.

He is my own navigational system. I seriously lack all sense of direction. He knows this.

He reassures me when he knows my insecurities are getting the best of me.

He desires to be the man of God that He is called to be. He strives to instill Godly characteristics into Sienna and Dawson... wanting to show them how to love God and love people.

He hasn't asked me to be his Valentine yet.... but I'd say yes :)

Ummm... Is it just me or is he super adorable?!? I know I'm just like all of you other moms out there that can't get enough of your babies' grins and giggles.

Dawson Grey is 2 months (sigh**) and cooing and smiling! It melts my heart to hear his little sounds and watch him light up! He adores his daddy and enjoys watching his big sister! Sienna loves talking to him in little sweet voices. "Hi Dawson Gayyy.." Yeah we gotta work on that one. And is easily entertained by watching Macy (our dog) run wild around the house. He obviously loves being held-- what baby doesn't, right?! Dawson now sleeps for 6-8 hours at night and mama is rejoicing! I feel like I look at the world in a better light when I have a few winks of sleep :) I hear all you women saying, "Amen!"

He's such a little stud muffin :)

Miss Sienna is growing fond of her little brother and a bit protective, well minus the few times where she just hauled off and hit him... jealousy got the best of her. We are now a paci-free house as both kids are without a paci. Sienna's nap times have been struggling to say the least. I am hoping this is just a phase?? At 23 months she had her first sleepover with her cousin :) She can count to 13, loves to sing, is SUPER inquisitive. She asks questions about everything! "Who you talking on phone to, Mama?" "You textin' Mimi?" "What you say, Mama?" Oh she cracks me up. My chatty girl.

I made my first trip out today with both kiddos. It was only a 15 minute adventure, but I figured we better end on a happy note so I didn't scare myself out of trying it EVER again :) Where did we go....

You guessed it. The one and only. Hobby Lobby.[]

She's pretty stinkin' cute, too, if you ask me!

Oh My Sweet Child :)

I.Love. Her.

I just do. No getting around it. She is super special. Although many times on my blog, you hear about her latest hissy fit that landed her

smack dab on her tushy, kicking and screaming on the floor- (Poor girl has her dirty laundry out for everyone to read ;) BUT behind those little ornery fits of this almost-two-year-old... is one special girl.

This special girl has the biggest, sweetest heart. Her concern for others is genuine. When the TV is on and someone is crying, she expresses concern, "Whas wrong Mama?" When she sees mommy shedding a tear over a stressful day... she climbs up onto my lap and wipes me tears saying, "Don't cry, Mama...Don't Cry." Isn't that my job?? Wiping tears. Consoling. Offering support. Such a sweet thing she is and wise beyond those 2-whole-years.

This girl is a teacher in the making. Despite her bouts of stubbornness, she is a rule-follower and wants to make sure others do the same. Poor cousin Cole, her playmate, handles her pestering and bossiness very well. Her brother? Well, he doesn't stand a chance. She likes to tell people what to do. Who doesn't, right?

She even calls me out on some of my rule-breaking! While leaning back from the passenger seat in the car to calm Dawson I am scolded,

"Suppose to sit down in your carseat, Mama. Sit down."

Yes Ma'am.

When climbing on the counters to get something out of my reach -yes, I do this-- please don't judge.... because obviously my daughter does! I hear...

"Not suppose to stand up there. Get down, Ma." Sure thing, Sweetpea.

(Yes, she calls me "ma" because apparently we are from the deep south?!)

This girl LOVES her food. She wakes up....

Sienna: "Me have lunch..."

Justin: "Lunch? What do you want to eat? "

Sienna: "I have a Quesadilla...a sandwich... cereal"

If you are eating something...anything, she will come running and convince you that you two are now best friends and that she deserves some of your food. 10 times out of 10. It keeps those cheeks chubby and kissable.

She is Daddy's girl. She loves him more than anything. My heart turns to mush when I see the effort Justin puts in to bond with her. He crawls up next to her most morning and snuggles with her. They sing rounds of Jesus Loves Me, The B-I-B-L-E, and Twinkle Twinkle. Her sweet, innocent voice is music to anyone's ears. He was so excited to take her tubing for the first time. I have to admit-- as a mother I cringed at the thought of that soft skin face-planting. Justin was determined to take her. I hear two times down the hill and she was ready to call it quits. They played in the snow, made snowballs, and sat by the fire. She LOVED it...and my heart was beaming as she recounted her day with me. She told me later that she had fun making snowballs with daddy and playing with the "wheels" -- sure... why not! The tubes are close enough to wheels, my dear. Honest Mistake.

Yesterday morning she was on the couch watching cartoons while I was doing the dishes... Justin walks into the living room and I hear, "Snuggle with me Daddy. Snuggle with me." Ah, my heart is full.

P.S This week was a big week for our baby girl (because you know she will always be my baby girl)

1.) She gave up her paci on her own without asking for it once after... Naptimes haven't been stupendous, but we will work on that later.

2.) She went poopoo on the potty!

Now that's a big week! The latter was just a one-time deal, but hey...it saved us the cost of ONE diaper :)

I'm still here!!

Yes- I haven't yet given up on this blog!

My posts are just very. few. You'll forgive me, right?

Not real sure what to update you on!! I am still struggling to get my teeth brushed at a decent hour, however some days I feel like we are actually getting into a routine. Other days.... If Justin weren't home helping me, he may come home to find me rocking and crying in a corner ;) Certain days, I am lucky if I remember to feed myself! Although- I do remember to grab some real "healthy" snacks... haha. You know...chocolate, reeses...hey, why not grab a snickers, right? So, my goals of getting up and showering in the morning, working out, getting some sewing in.... Yeah...not happening. YET! They're on the back-burner. I know (& hope) that in a matter of time we will get the hang of this two-kid-thing and I am positive it will feel like we've been doing this all along!

In the past few weeks we have...

* Celebrated Christmas with incredible family and watched Sienna really get into the present-thing. Kinda scary because now there is no going back :) It was a joy to watch her excitement! We now our housing close to 12 plastic babies and 47 stuffed-creatures that she pushes in the stroller, or takes them to get "goshies" in shopping cart.

*Felt unbelievably blessed beyond words by family and friends this Christmas season. Whether this was by meaningful family get-togethers, unexpected gifts, anonymous mail containing gift cards, etc... We were reminded and blessed by the incredible generosity of others.

*Stayed up way too late, but had way too much fun with friends! Late nights were attributed to Bunko night, New Years' Eve with friends, and movie night with the hubby... pretty sure I fell asleep on both attempts to watch Knight and Day. But I give the movie a Thumbs Up. These heavy eyelids just have no mercy!

*Ditched Dawson's paci. Poor guy had to kiss his binky "bye-bye" before his big sis. Lucky girl, caught a break when we decided to get rid of his first. Her time is quickly approaching, but Dawson's deal was a little more important to take care of as it was hindering his sleep (and mama's sleep!!).

*Dealt with some severe fussiness from our little man. What I thought was due to my consumption of a tasty Barq's Rootbeer, is maybe from something I was eating instead. Lettuce maybe?! The jury is still out.

*Survived managing the munchkins on my own as Justin went on a 2-day ski trip to Nubs Nob with some of his students and other staff.

*Experienced crazy toddler meltdowns, but also cracked up laughing at her the crazy things she comes up with. Her sense of humor is hilarious.

*Started thinking and planning for Little Miss Thang's 2nd birthday party! I can hardly believe it! Our little, bright-eyed girl will celebrate her birthday later this month. My lack of time is keeping this party under control and pretty low-key. Sometimes I start getting a little silly with the things I want to do for her party.

*Committed to a "part-time" job, where I will be observing tutors for the tutoring program I previously tutored with. Just a few hours a week... Such an answer to prayer!

*Had family pictures taken. I will upload those when I get a chance... maybe before my kids are in high school.

*Splurged and got this mama a new toy... check it out. Can I just tell you, I am pumped!! We have been searching deep and wide for a double jogger that would fit in my Honda. Nearly impossible to find such a thing. After months of searching Craigslist and stalking people for a used one... we caved and Ebay was good to us. (Amazing how fast Dawson has chunked up and Sienna finally grew hair!)



Well, I need to attempt to end this late night streak!

A Few Conclusions...

I have come to a few conclusions...

1.) Trying to lose this spare tire during Christmas time is entirely too hard! I can't resist the sweets. My husband needs to hide them from me.... like out of the house.... because then we both know I won't ever get to them!

2.) Laundry only gets done when I am looking eye-level with the pile of clothes. Then, it takes me a week to get caught up!

3.) Sometimes laughter is the best way to get through the day! Today I had to stifle my laughter during my almost-two-year-old's ridiculous tantrum because I told her we couldn't play with playdough anymore until she learns the right way to play with it. I was wondering where it was all going, until I saw her sneak some in her mouth yesterday. Gotta be smarter than the toddler... Sidenote- I remember loving the taste of playdough and definitely eating my share when I was young. Why is this colorful, toxic-smelling, mushy dough SO tempting?!

4.) The 8-hour night seems to fly by when you are sleeping, but when you are watching the minutes and hours pass... IT'S SLOW AS MOLASSES! I wish I could know that I was sleeping to enjoy it more... anyone with me?

5.) "Me-time" now consists of doing the laundry and dishes in silence, checking Facebook without a little person crawling on me, and typing emails with two hands!

6.) Having no clue what day it is... is normal!

7.) When talking to my mom, I call her "Mommy"... I DON'T GET OUT ENOUGH and seriously lack adult conversation!!!!!!! ;)

8.) Sisters that swap babysitting are one of God's greatest blessings :)

9.) Knowing that your husband is going to walk through the door anytime is one of the best feelings in the world! He works so hard for us to come home and still change diapers, play horsey, and do bedtime.

10.) Kisses from Little Miss Thang make my heart smile :)

He is Here!! :)

Dawson Grey Smith

Born on November 23, 2011 @ 5:24pm

8 lbs
21 inches
Healthy
...and SERIOUSLY ADORABLE!!!

Yes, I am just like any other mom that just sits and stares at God's beautiful blessing... amazed that he entrusted us with such a precious gift.

He is gorgeous.

He is snuggly.

He makes sweet noises when he sleeps...even if they do keep me up at night.

He is perfect.

*The Story*

After talking with the doctor, we decided to do an induction the day after my due date. I was nervous... scared... crying... a mess :) Excited.. of course!! I felt so ready to have this baby, however the reality of labor and all the "unknowns" seemed to send me into an emotional mess!

After changing into the hospital gown, I was on the hospital bed as they began asking me family history questions and what not. They started an IV just in case it would be needed during labor. I started feeling dizzy and attributed that to nerves. Then, I could tell I was going... and going fast. I passed out on the bed and I wasn't even in labor yet!!!!!!! This was not a good start.

After coming to, they did some additional blood work to see if they could determine what caused me to drop like a fly. In the mean time, they began the induction with citotec and then 4 hours later started on pitocin and shortly after broke my water. After that, things picked up fast! The contractions I was already having began to get much stronger. Then they delivered the news... because my platelet level was so low, they didn't know if they could do an epidural. WHAT>!?!? They decided to take blood again and retest it to see if the levels had come up. In the meantime, contractions were getting MUCH MUCH stronger and I was getting a little impatient (to say the least) while waiting to find out if I could get an epidural. I was ready for it, like yesterday, and needed to know if I should start mentally preparing myself for doing this thing or not!

My husband was AMAZING during this!! I seriously could not have done this without him! Offering ice chips and holding my hand through every contraction (as I squeezed the crud out of it), and gentle reminders not to clench my jaw and to breathe slow breaths.

Long story short- they FINALLY let me know that they would do the epidural, even though my numbers were still low. However- by this point I did not realize I was nearly 8 cm and would begin pushing shortly after. Needless to say, the epidural didn't have time to completely do it's job... and I felt A LOT , but I think it calmed me, mentally knowing I wasn't feeling all of it :)

3.5 hours of active labor and 8 minutes of pushing... Dawson Grey was here, healthy and beautiful. What an incredible feeling at the completion of delivery... seeing that PRECIOUS little being that was with me for 9 months. The little one whose hiccups I felt, whose tumbling routines woke me up at night. I even recognized the sharp point of his bony heels that I would see and feel poking my belly for the past several weeks. The little one that God, in His perfection and goodness, formed for His glory. One of my favorite mental "snapshots" was watching Justin beam over his little boy. What an awesome daddy he is!

"For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well. " - Psalms 139:13-14

So-- Sadly, it took me 2 weeks to announce his arrival to the blogworld...but frankly it has been 2 weeks of feeling good about getting my teeth brushed by dinner time. I didn't think you would mind ;)

First Family Picture :)


What does Sienna have to say about her baby brother?? That will be my next post.

Stay tuned though, she has some doosies!

You're Ready to Pop When...

...no big meals sound good, but you don't dare let a piece of chocolate slide past you without justifying a good reason to eat it!

...complete strangers EVERYWHERE ask you when you are due. It is written all over me that I am due, and due soon. One time, I want to act completely clueless when they ask me this question. "What do you mean? Due for what? Oh... you think I'm pregnant?"

...your nephew says, "Your tummy's getting Biiiiig. It's like a big hill!!"

...you knock into anyone that you try to "slide past" because you underestimate your size.

...when something drops on the floor, you debate continually kicking it to get it where it needs to be or you do the inevitable SIGHHHH and GROAN and bend over and pick it up.

...everyone looks like they're loosing weight and getting so tiny!.... hmmm- or is it the fact that I am carrying a crazy amount of extra poundage.

...your daughter can't find a good place to sit on your lap, readjusting and backing up further so she doesn't fall off doesn't do the trick.

...when looking at my belly button my sweet little daughter says, "Ouchie!"... I hear ya, girl.

...getting off the floor is an art... pretty much hitting the 4-point stance and walking your hands up your legs to stand upright. Averaging approximately 2.5 minutes and a few grunts.

...Limping or waddling is just the way you get from Point A to Point B.

...breaking a sweat while working out no longer happens because I can't walk fast enough to accomplish a sweat! However, any stairs leave me completely winded... yes, probably even your flight of 3 stairs.

...when looking in the mirror at your outrageously morphed body you say a little apology for your belly and your skin.

...laying in bed for about 3 minutes in the middle of the night contemplating the best, most efficient way to get your hiney out of bed. NOTE- this happens anywhere from 2-5 times a night. Still trying to come to the best conclusion, which might be waking the hubs up to roll his whale-of-a-wife out of bed.

...you get the door in your pajama pants one Sunday afternoon for an unexpected visitor. After they leave your husband comments, "Uhh your belly was hanging out of your shirt about 4 inches..." Awe-some.

***Here's to hoping I'm not the first person ever to stay pregnant FOREVER!***

But can I say it is 100%, absolutely, hands-down worth it. Can't wait to see this little face and kiss these little toes that have been kicking my ribs :)