Growing boy

Little man is 4 1/2 weeks old! WOW! Time flies when you are having fun :) We went to the doctor yesterday for a jaundice check and he still has a little bit of what is called Breast Milk Jaundice. Apparently, it takes longer to go away than normal jaundice and it is caused by breast feeding, go figure. So, I have to give him formula for 24 hours and continue to pump to keep up my supply. We started last night and it is a bit of a pain but the doctor is hopeful it will go away with this little tweak. He now weighs 8 lbs 8 oz! I'm so happy he is gaining weight and doing so well. Sleep is still not easy for Smith but we are still in "survival mode" as my sista calls it. I have heard from many people that it takes a good 3-4 months for sleep to happen on a more consistent basis. We are doing well and enjoying the little victories; i.e. a good nap, a good feeding session, a smile (whether it be gas or a real smile), a cuddle, etc. The past few nights S will not sleep more than an hour or two and when I have tried all of the other tricks (paci, re-swaddle, etc) I get him out of his crib and put him on my chest. Of course he sleeps like an angel then. It is so sweet! I just wish I could sleep when he does that but I am way to scared I will drop him.

I am so excited for the weekend! Emily, Laura and possibly Kelli are coming to meet Mr. Smith! He is so excited too!

*Sidenote on hat-I ordered this adorable hat and it is supposed to fit 0-6 months, hmmm. Don't think he will be able to wear it until he is 10!!

Things I have learned so far....

Things I have learned in my 3 1/2 weeks as a new mom/parent:

-My baby does not like to sleep, day or night. I am hoping this will change once we get to 6 weeks and all of his systems even out.

-Nursing is not for the weak :) I am proud for trying and sticking with it so far but not sure if I will hit my 6 month mark. I had no expectations going into it except that I would give it a shot. I knew it would be hard but it is tougher than I expected.

-Just because you do 2 loads of laundry the night before does not mean you won't have 2 more loads by 8am. Between Smith and I we wear about 5 different outfits a day, haha!

-Changing a crib sheet is ridiculous. I just ordered "the ultimate crib sheet" and I am hoping it makes it easier to keep his crib clean.

-Clipping a babies fingernails is terrifying.

-It breaks my heart to hear Smith cry and not be able to fix it. I still haven't figured out what his cries mean but he has one that I tear up every time I hear it.

-I never realized why stay at home moms are so stressed and don't have time to do anything. I swear, I look at the clock and it is 4pm and I am lucky to be dressed.

-Babies are the sweetest! They can look at you and you see pure love!

-I never knew a sleep deprivation like this existed!

-What an amazing experience this all is and how you can never be prepared for it!!

3 weeks!

Family hospital picture-2 days old


Daddy and Smith-2 1/2 weeks old




It has been 3 weeks since I have shaved my legs...oh yea, Smith is also 3 weeks old today! Yay Smith! I honestly can't believe it has been 3 weeks already. We are enjoying the moments and feel so blessed. I cry every time I think about how happy I am (I'm sure that has nothing to do with hormones or lack of sleep either, haha). We are having a few struggles with feeding, sleeping, screaming, gas, spitting up, but I wouldn't change it for the world! He is the cutest, sweetest thing ever and I'm not being biased at all. We had a check up today and he weighs 7 lbs 15.5 ounces and is 21.5 inches long. So, he has gained 11 ounces and grown 2.5 inches since he was born. The doctor was pretty happy with everything! He still has some jaundice so I'm supposed to watch it and call back in a week to see if he still looks yellow. We were also given some Zantac for what the doctor thinks might be acid reflux. We are really hope this helps the spitting up and screaming after nursing him. It is just heart breaking when he screams. It makes me want to cry. I never thought I would feel that way about a baby's cry.

On another note my mom is leaving this weekend and I am beyond sad. I cry every time I think about that too. I just love having her here and she has been the biggest help ever. I hope I can be half of the mother she is to me and my sister! I need some prayers to get me through this because I know it is going to be so sad!


Mommy and Smith-3 weeks old

Welcome Smith!

I am a little late in my post but wanted to announce the arrival of a beautiful little boy! Moss Smitherman Meredith "Smith" was born on January 20, 2011 at 2:51pm. He weighed 7 lbs 8 oz and is 19 inches long. The story of his arrival will be another long post. We are all home, healthy and extremely happy! He is the best thing ever! More pictures to come!

Just waiting...

Not much to report unfortunately! We are all just waiting for the little man to arrive. I am praying it is soon! Last week at my 39 week appointment my doctor went ahead and schedule my induction date for January 27. She is making me go a whole week after the due date. Needless to say I was pretty bummed. For some reason I was hoping we could go in on Monday, January 24. I know it is not a big difference but I was ready a few weeks ago, ha. I have made a little progress but still not enough to go to the hospital. I have had lots of contractions, just not regular. I guess he is just fine and comfy where he is!!

We are all a little bummed that he didn't decide to make an appearance yesterday, on my dad's birthday. I have been praying he would come then because that would just be so cool. Ty was born on his granddad's 60th birthday and we thought what a great thing if he was born on his grandfather's 60th birthday. But, he did not listen and is being a stubborn little guy. I hope we can celebrate my dad's birthday and Smith's birthday all together very soon. I hate that we couldn't be there for my dad but he said he had a great day! Mom and dad have taken up golf again and they got to play yesterday in the 60 degree weather, ahhh. Must be nice!
We had a whole snow week last week, like much of the nation. School was out all week and I just felt bad for the parents since the kids basically just got back from winter break. The snow was so pretty and I was very thankful I didn't have to drive in it. It snowed 5 days in a row here, which is crazy! Ty even got off work (which if you know his boss, that is totally unheard of).

I go back to the doc this Thursday, due date, but I'm not expecting much. I think it is better if I keep my expectations low and then I won't be disappointed. Honestly though, it hasn't been that bad. The weeks have been flying by. I told my sister that if I was having him on my due date it wouldn't be bad at all. I think next week might be tough though....

14 years ago

It is so hard to believe that on this day 14 years ago, my life and so many of my friends' lives changed forever. One of us, the invincible at that time in our lives, died in a car accident. I remember it like it was yesterday and I assume I always will. Lucas was so much fun to be around and for many years we were the best of friends and inseparable. I think about him all of the time. I often wonder what he would be like as an adult? What job what he have? Would he have children? I had a really hard time the first few years afterwards and I would be lying if I said I didn't still shed tears for him. I still have dreams about him and in a comforting kind of a way, it lets me know he is ok. Because of him, I hug more, love more and make sure others know it (often to a fault). I will tell you I love you way more than needed. I just need my closest to know how I feel about them. I am so thankful for Lucas being in my life and will never forget him!

"A goodbye is necessary to meet again. And meeting again after moments or lifetimes is certain for those who are friends."

NYE and 38 weeks

Not a whole lot is happening around here, just waiting! I am officially 38 weeks and 1 day today. I have made a little progress but not a ton. Next week we are going to set the induction date for week 41 if I haven't gone into labor yet. My fingers are crossed! I have been feeling pretty bad all week so I just knew some progress had been made but unfortunately, not enough. Oh well! I have had a really busy week so it has made the time go by really fast. I have had lunches out with different friends, movie dates, dinner dates and lots of errands. I still have some stuff to get down before baby comes but I have not been stressing about it. It will get done and if not, it will get done sometime. My momma finished the bedding and she is going to bring it up when I go into labor. I can't wait to see the final product. I am so thankful so wanted to make the bedding because it means so much to me! It will be perfect.

We had a really fun NYE! We went to dinner at a yummy restaurant, Cafe Nonna, with 4 other couples. Then we went over to a friends house for about an hour to watch the ball drop. I couldn't believe I stayed up until 1:30am! Wow, that is not like me! It was a lot of fun though!


I thought this pic was so funny! I have to lay on a heating pad quite a bit because of my back and Sue thought she should do the same!