Life at Home!

I am sitting here trying to figure out all the things to tell you! But really, as I look down at Katelyn, snuggled in a little wrap around me, I just want to tell you how happy I am... As I rock her back and forth and watch her sleeping peacefully, All is right in my world...



She is doing beautifully at home... Getting the hang of her nights vs. days... Of course we are sleep deprived, and some sort of "drama" is always happening between Samuel and Serenity... But over-all, we are all adjusting to life at home really well! (We are excited for Grandma Doris to come tomorrow and help out though ;) )









Yesterday we had her first doctor's appointment! The nurse practitioner said she looked WONDERFUL! Almost back to her birth weight (6lbs, 4 ounces) and a champion eater! They measured her twice and she was only 19 inches... so either she shrunk, or they got it wrong at the hospital :) She was so precious all bundled up for her car ride!



Yesterday morning also was the first time my dad got to see Katelyn IN PERSON! It was SO wonderful for my dad to FINALLY meet her! He left for a business trip the Thursday afternoon before I had her and came home Monday night late. (Just missed it!) (Thankfully mom stayed home and got to meet her right away and keep Samuel and Serenity while we were in the hospital!) This is my parent's 7th grandchild and 4th grandaughter! We were also able to get some really great family pictures taken as well!








I guess that is all for now! I am going to check on Samuel and Serenity who are SUPPOSED to be sleeping... Change and feed Katelyn, then maybe finally get a shower in ;) LOVE being a mommy!!!!!! :)

Welcome to the World Baby!!!!!!


Katelyn Elizabeth Joy Smith was born on Thursday, October 22nd, at 9:01pm, (after only 2 1/2 hours of being at the hospital!)
Weighing 6lbs 5 ounces, and 20 inches long.



SHE IS PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't think I could be more in Love after Samuel was born... Then, I thought, how could I love anyone more than my two... and then...~ Katelyn was born~ I can not describe my love for her... I look at her and just cry at God's goodness... for this precious gift He gave our family... I feel so indescribably blessed.





We are so happy to be a family of FIVE!!!!!

THREE DAYS LEFT...

Until my "official" Due Date...

Will She EVER Arrive?!!!!...

Going a little CRAZY...

Tired of looking at the suitcases by the front door...


PLEASE COME SOON BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still Waiting.............

Last night before the Bears game we all got our "Bears gear" on and decided to take some pictures! I always loved the picture that was taken when I was pregnant with Serenity... So, I wanted to try and re-capture another one of our family with me pregnant again! :) I think they turned out super cute! Thanks to my wonderful neighbor for taking the pictures for us! :) (Now, just wish the Bears would have WON last night!!... oh well...)

(Here is the one taken in 2007...)




(And here are the ones from last night!...)










Well... I am over 39 weeks and as you can imagine, SO BEYOND READY to have this baby!!!! The waiting is unbearable at times... So, I'm just trying to survive this last week! I would love to see this baby make an appearance before her due date... But since there are only 5 days left... I'm thinking that may not happen :) In the mean time, I will continue cleaning every corner of my house, finish loads of laundry that are probably not that dirty..., make fall projects with the kids, and try not to go CrAzY! :)

Celebrating Six Years!

October 4Th marked our six year anniversary... SIX years! I cannot put into words or express with any human language how incredibly blessed I am to be married to Jordan Michael Smith. He has brought more joy to me over the last decade than I can say! I am honored to be called his wife. God is pretty amazing when He chooses the one He wants you to spend a lifetime with... It's pretty awesome that He knows our deepest needs and desires~ far beyond what we do! Today I wanted to reflect on the last six years... To thank my God for bringing us together... These last six years have held JOY. PAIN. LOVE. but most of all, have brought us closer and have made us stronger... We are believing with God for another 50 years of incredible adventures, LIFE, and just being US. I love you Jordan! Thank-you for being MINE and loving me more than I could ever ask!... Happy Six Year Anniversary!!!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Random Ramblings at 1am

So... It's Snowing. SNOWING! Wow. I am both amused and annoyed. It is actually quite beautiful right now as I am watching it come down... It is also almost 1:30 in the morning- I can't sleep. I decided after laying in bed for almost 2 hours, I would get up, eat a strawberry fruit roll up and a bowl of kix. (Am I pregnant or what?!) I have no idea why I am awake... Usually I am so dead tired... I didn't even have any caffeine! Why can't I go into labor NOW?...

I went to the doctor on Thursday... Once again, everything looks great. Happy baby, Good heart rate, Measuring fine, slightly dilated (which you know means nothing) :), no weight gain this week (yes!), and that's pretty much all there is to report!

After my Thursday doctor's appointments we all go as a family to the humane society (since it is down the road from there)... We figure if we can't get a dog right now, we might as well play with ones we can! There were a few puppies there this time~ absolutely ADORABLE little black lab mixes. We took a little one into a room to play with her, and Samuel decided he would rather have a puppy than a baby... Jordan and I in almost unison said, "Um, it doesn't work that way buddy!"... So Samuel goes ON to say~ , "OK... Mommy, you could train the baby, and DADDY could train the new puppy!!!!!"... (laughing pretty hard at this point, I agreed that would be a fabulous idea if daddy stayed home with mommy all day!)... ahh, the things my children say to make me smile!

I can't sit for longer than about 4 minutes before I am in intense pain, so throughout this blog entry I have sat... stood...sat... ate some more kix... stood, sat... you get the idea. I think I am on bowl 3 of the kix (I'm pretty sure I will be gaining weight this week! HA! Oh well...)

So I already told you I crave weird things... but did I tell you I not only crave soap, I'm literally addicted to soap. I actually have a bar of white dial soap under my pillow... when I can't sleep, I smell the soap (yes, I am thinking of getting some therapy for that~ but hey, could be worse, right? And could be more expensive too! Good thing plain old dial soap is only about 2 bucks for like four bars!)...

I am still trying to picture my life with three kids... it is getting easier and easier... but the reality of it hasn't totally sunk in- I'm waiting to hold her for that to happen! I SWORE I would have at least four kids... well, more so an even number, but I always knew I couldn't do just two, and Jordan always felt that way also... however, after the pain of this pregnancy... I think adoption is a pretty good option from here on out! :) Only time will tell, and I'm not about to make any stupid/rash decisions being nine months pregnant! :)

I hate fruit flies. Fruit flies and Ants- two creatures I think should be BANNED from this earth. I am staring at a little fruit fly that keeps coming to say hello~ I keep telling him to go away, that all I have here is a bowl of kix! He is not listening to me (are fruit flies he's or she's?)...

Tomorrow morning Samuel will wake up at precisely 6:55am. He will sneak into our bedroom, come to my side of the bed, tap me until I respond to him and ask me very politely if he can watch cartoons and have breakfast... I will then turn and attempt to wake Jordan up (which takes about 5 really HARD taps), which he will try to convince Samuel it is still the "Middle of the Night" and to "Go back to Bed" (which Samuel never buys and never does), So, we will continue the tapping until Jordan is coherent enough to jump up, turn the cartoons on, get some cereal, and crawl back into bed... by at which point, Serenity has made her way into our room, sandwiched between us, pushing both Jordan and I to opposite sides of the bed clinging to the side not to fall off. I keep reminding her that this WILL change very soon! (She isn't too excited about that... But, I want to enjoy those sweet, (uncomfortable), moments as long as I can with her...) :)

Now that it is 1:54am... My stomach is full and I am about out of random things to write about at the moment, I think I will resort back to my bed. And hopefully not lay there for another hour! We shall see...

Did I mention it is October... and it is SNOWING???!!!.... WOW.

The Weekly Update!

Yesterday I was 37 weeks! Everything looked great at my appointment on Thursday! I am measuring at 36 weeks... So just about right on target :) My Midwife said, "OK, you are safe to have this baby anytime now!"~ Which I have learned after 3 pregnancies, NOT to get my hopes up about going earlier than my due date! (However, MAN would it be NICE!!!)





The Kids and I made a Paper Chain for the baby today! (Number of days left until my due date)... They had so much fun putting it together and taping it all by themselves. Samuel can't WAIT to wake up tomorrow and take off the first chain link!





The other day, Samuel completely surprised me by saying, "MOMMY! I can write my whole name!!"~ Now let me back up a little... I have been going over the letters of the alphabet with him, and focusing on the "S" in his name... But I have NEVER had him write down his whole name for me without help. I turn around and see him holding up his name PERFECTLY written!! I was AMAZED and SO PROUD OF HIM!!!!



I have had wonderful luck with my flowers this year... But they are quickly fading with this colder weather sneaking in... I wanted to take one last picture of the remaining colors left in my back yard! Serenity did a wonderful job posing in front of them even though it was just a little sunny for her :)



This is another one of my flowers (and my most favorite kind!!) I will miss the beautiful colors of summer... but I am obviously thrilled it is now officially FALL!!