Valentine's Day

This was mine and Jamie's 9th Valentine's Day together...only our 2nd as a married couple. We made a deal not to get each other gifts this year since we just got everything we wanted for Christmas and really don't need anything more at this moment. We found a cute outfit for Parker, but he's too little to recognize what this day is all about. Valentine's morning we got up and went to church and then to Bob Evans for breakfast...aren't we so romantic?? :) After breakfast, we had to go to Walmart to order contacts for Jamie, went to Menards to get more stuff for the basement, and then went home. Jamie took Parker downstairs to "help" work on the basement, so I took the opportunity to take a much needed nap. (best present ever!) I really thought this was the extent of our Valentine's Day...until Jamie brought Parker upstairs to wake me up and tell me it was my turn to change his diaper. Ok, so I'll admit I was a little annoyed by this since I was dreaming about a Caribbean cruise at the time (they say dreams really come true if you just believe, right....well, I believe with all my heart to at least have warm weather) ;) When I walked in to Parker's room, there was a bunch of Reese cups formed in the shape of a heart on his changing table. For those of you who don't know, I absolutely love Reese cups!! They were also scattered throughout his room on the railing of his crib and top of his dresser. Along with this delicious candy was a card...it was just a simple card that had a baby saying he "didn't love me this much" and told me to open the card...then each time I opened it, it told me no "not this much either". I finally opened it all the way and the little arms stretched out so big and said "I love you THIS MUCH Mommy!" I couldn't believe I had gotten my first Valentine's Day card from my SON!!! It was the most magical gift any mother could ever have gotten. As I looked at my baby boy through teary eyes, he looked up at me with a huge 2 teethed grin and said................... "DA DA". Ok, so no I'm not Da Da, but it was really cute and I laughed which made him giggle.

Well, I thought my Valentine's Day was over after that night, but my husband had a surprise up his sleeve! We had talked about going out to lunch on Monday since we both had the day off, but he wouldn't tell me where we were going. He gave me a hint that morning and said they have egg rolls there. I knew it had to be Chinese because we were just talking about it the other day. We drove over 45 min and I had no idea why he was driving so far away when there were Chinese restaurants in town by us. Then, I saw the sign.....BENNIGANS!!! This is my favorite restaurant, but recently they all closed down...or so I thought. Jamie looked online and found only 1 still open in this area. It wasn't the fancy restaurant that he used to take me to when we were dating, and we had a small little companion with us that we have never had on our romantic Valentine's dinner before, but it was the best surprise. I must recommend their chicken tenders..I know a little childish, but they are so delicious and I get them every single time I've ever been there.

How was your Valentine's Day? Did you share it with the love of your life, a special friend, or a little rug rat that makes your heart smile?

Ok, so I know I am probably the most horrible blogger ever! I just can't seem to find the time to post anything, but I just wanted to give an update on me, my wonderful husband, and our amazing little man that has taken over our hearts and home! (He literally has taken over our home lately!!!) I am absolutely loving my job...not only for the adorable kids I have the opportunity to spend my days with, but because it allows me to stay home with Parker. At this time I have two 1 1/2 year olds, a 9 month old, and Parker (who is 7 months). I will have a 2 month old starting in April, and another 2 month old starting in August. Yeah, you're probably thinking it...CRAZY! Although by the end of the day I am extremely tired and all I want is to speak to an adult (ok, truthfully...all I want is to not see another poopy diaper for the rest of the night, but let's be reasonable...Parker IS Jamison's son afterall!), I wouldn't change my days for anything. Jamison starts coaching track in about another month. Guess I will be a coaching widow once again. :( But, at least he gave up the other 4 sports he was coaching last year so he could be home at night with me and Parker. The track season only lasts for 6 weeks, and the weather will start to get nicer towards the end, so I plan on taking Parker to watch his Daddy in action. He is STILL in the process of finishing our basement. We have friends who built an entire house in the time it has taken him to create one room. He is currently working on our workout room...I am pushing him for this room because right now I have the motivation to work out, but I know it won't be there when he gets the room done (even if he were to finish it today) Don't judge...I am horrible and have an addiction to chocolate. I swear I can smell it 5 miles away!!!

And on to the cutest member of our family....RYKER!! Just kidding...it's really Parker!! :) Although Ryker is a very cute dog, he has been pushed to the backseat since Parker arrived. Parker is no longer a baby...we have upgraded to the big boy model. :) On his 6 month birthday (Dec. 23) he officially started crawling. He had been pushing himself up on all fours and moving one hand for a few weeks, but he took off across the room towards Jamie on this day! On that same day he sat himself up from a laying down position. This was HUGE...it meant we didn't have to move him to get toys or keep sitting him back up every time he fell over. We were so excited, until the next week when Parker grabbed on to the couch and pulled himself to a standing position. I was thrilled, but then it hit me that I no longer have a baby! I was watching him grow up way too fast and it tore at my heart because I realized what everybody had been telling me was right...Time truly DOES fly by. That same week his first tooth popped through without too much fussiness from him! It was a busy break for all of us, but we were blessed that we both had the opportunity to witness all of these cherished milestones together!

Parker is now 7 months old and getting into everything in sight! He just may be the happiest baby I've ever met. The other morning I heard him waking from a nap and when I went in to get him, he was standing up in his crib with the biggest smile plastered on his face...I said Hi Buddy, and he raised his little hand and waved at me!! Tears started falling down my cheeks as I picked him up! His smile and laugh are the most precious things and make my heart melt every time. I didn't know there was this much love to give someone.

Shhhh, don't tell.....

I have a secret that I'm dieing to share!!....we recently had family pictures taken for our Christmas cards and I absolutely love them! The reason I have to keep them a secret is because Jamie asked me not to show anyone until they get their Christmas cards so it will be a surprise. Buuuut......I just can't wait, and I mailed out the cards today. :) The pictures of Parker, Jamison, and I were taken by an eighth grade teacher, Heather Baber. She loves taking pictures in her spare time and decided to make it her hobby to provide families with wonderful pictures at a reasonable rate....she charges only $30 for 1 hour worth of candid and posed pictures. I don't think her camera ever stopped clicking during the whole hour, and we were given over 100 pictures to choose from. Oh, and the best part was that $30 is the only charge she has...after she's finished, she hands you a CD with every picture she took so you can develop pictures anywhere and you have complete rights to all pictures!!! Here are a few of my favorites:

This past weekend we went back home to take more pictures with my family...all 15 of us!!! It was a very interesting day, but one we will always cherish. We had these taken at Picture People in Merrillville...the total cost for a CD there was $250....a HUGE difference!!

1 Dad + 1 Mom + 2 Sisters + 1 Brother + 1 Sis-in-law + 1 Husband + 1 Son + 4 Neices + 2 Nephews + Me = One gigantic family picture!!!

1st pic: My 2 Sisters, Brother, and Myself; 2nd pic: My really adorable family!; 3rd pic: My Neices and Nephews, plus Parker (all the Grandchildren)

So, now that I have shared a secret with you, please don't tell Jamison! Like I can keep a secret (you all just found out how good I am at that) I will most likely tell him as soon as he walks in the door tonight! :) We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!

Parker Jamison Smith

Wow, has it really been 9 months since I wrote anything on my blog? I mostly post pictures and events on facebook or myspace, so I apologize that I have let down any blog friends. But, I have found a new love in my life in the past 4 months...the most handsome man in the world, my little Parker!! He was born on June 23rd, 2009 at 6:37 am. I was 5 days overdue so I was induced, but the induction started Monday the 22nd at 9am. My contractions became horrible about 2 hours after it was started and I was only 2 centimeters dilated. I was given an epidural and the pain immediately stopped. :) I have no idea how women give birth without medication....I bow down at their feet because I was a baby and needed some so soon. So what if I couldn't feel or move my legs or my feet, I was able to be in hard labor while playing on the computer, reading, and playing games with Jamison. I told the nurse to bring on the contractions, I could handle anything at that point. :) I pushed for about an hour, took a nap, wathced tv with my nurse and Jamie, tried pushing again....and about 6:30 am the doctor came in and woke me up to tell me that I had spiked a fever and the baby's heartrate had dropped a couple of times so he wanted to get him out as soon as he could. He decided to use the "caveman" way and pull the baby out with forceps....Ouch! I later learned from my nurse that no other doctor in that hospital still uses forceps...and I happened to be the lucky one who got that doc!! While he was placing the forceps around Parker's head we all heard a crack and the machine that kept track of his heartbeat went blank. Everyone stared at the machine and then turned to the doctor wanting to know if everything was ok with the baby. We soon realized that a nurse stepped on the plug and unplugged the machine. Parker came out perfect weighing 8 lbs. 12 oz. and 21 3/4 in. I immediately realized I had given birth to a much smaller version of Jamie! He looked exactly like Jamie's baby pictures.

Parker is now 4 months old and it a completely different baby than the one we brought home from the hospital! He rolled over for the first time at 5 weeks and has not stopped...he now contiuously rolls to get any toys out of reach! :) While I was pregnant everyone told me how fast this time will go, but I didn't realized how right they were at that time. I love watching his new milestones every day. It's like looking at a whole new world with eyes of wonder and excitement. Everything is a first for him and it feels like Jamie and I get to experience these things all over again too. Babies are a true miracle and blessings from God.

Here are a few recent pictures of our amazing little man....

OH BOY, OH BOY

I have some exciting news to share (you've probably already heard), but let me shout it from the rooftops.....Jamison and I are having a BABY BOY!!!!!!!!!! Okay, so I know ever since the day I found out I was pregnant I have been calling this baby a girl, but I was wrong...that's for Jamie because he says I never like to admit it...I WAS WRONG and I have never been more excited to admit that! :) We had our ultrasound appointment on Feb. 5th and the technician checked every inch of the baby for about an hour. Jamie held my hand and I fidgetted the entire time waiting for the words "You are having...." . We learned that all his measurements are exactly where they should be at this point, his brain is developing well, he has a strong heartbeat (this is why I thought he was a girl early on) , he has the cutest tiniest feet, he likes to wave to his mommy and daddy in the pictures, and he may be an acrobat since he likes to do somersaults in the womb. Then, after the first hour, the technician finally says very casually.."I see his scrotum and penis"....I felt like I couldn't speak. I guess I never even thought it was a boy all along...I wasn't expecting this news. My face grew hot and I think I just about had an anxiety attack. I didn't know what I was going to do with a boy. I knew how to dress little girls in pink frilly dresses and baby bonnets in the summer. I know nothing about boys, their toys, sports, and anything that I may need to know. This moment quickly passed when I looked up at Jamie and saw the biggest smile on my husband's face that I have ever seen! He has also been saying he thought it was a girl, but was dieing for a boy first. I then started thinking of how wonderful it is going to be to have a baby boy! Just thinking about having a little Jamie warmed my heart and put a smile on my face as well. If he's anything like his father I will have nothing to worry about. I will learn all I need to know along the way! All signs pointed to him being a boy...I guess I was just looking past them. We have had a boy's name picked out since before we were even pregnant...we were discussing baby names at Hacienda right before Landon was born with Matt & Alicia, Amos & Jess, Jenn, and John and Jessica. Matt and Alicia didn't want to tell the names they had chosen, but everyone was giving names they liked. I don't know who brought up this name (it may have been one of Matt and Alicia's rejects), but thank you to whoever said it.....Parker!!! His full name will be Parker Jamison Smith. I really wanted a Jamison Christopher Smith Jr. years ago, but Jamie was a little against it so we decided to use his name for the middle name instead. Right after we left hacienda we talked about how much we liked that name and if we ever had a boy we wanted to use it. Who knew it would be this soon?!! We got the nursery furniture at the beginning of January, but it hasn't come out of the boxes yet. Yesterday we received the bedding we ordered, so now we can paint the nursery!!! I will post pictures when we are finished. We miss all of you and can't wait to see you again. Parker wants to be out so he can play with Tyler, Landon, and Greyson...look out Grace and Baby Girl Hahn..the boys are taking over!! :)

Belly Galore

Well, as you can tell our little bun in the oven is growing up quite a storm in it's safe haven. My belly feels and looks huge to me, but the nurses tell me I've only gained 3 pounds!! I don't know how this is possible, but I'm definetely not complaining! :) Jamison and I have been keeping ourselves very busy lately. He starts taking classes for his masters degree this saturday. They meet in Elkhart about 2 to 3 saturdays a month all day, so that means our weekends are going to be much shorter. Because of this we have been trying to spend as much quality time together as we can without spending too much money. It's funny how my life has changed in such a short time...I no longer want the expensive dates or fancy presents. Now I cherish all the little things my husband has been doing for me lately. Yesterday he had the day off and I only had 1 baby to watch for the day. We didn't get to bed until 1:00 am that morning because we went to visit famliy this weekend. Jamie set his alarm early (I didn't hear it over my loud snoring that has been added to my pregnancy symptoms) and was up when the parents brought the baby at 6:30 am so I could sleep in! I finally woke up at 8:00 and found Nathan sleeping in his bed. Jamie offered to listen for him to awake while I took a shower and got ready for the day. When I finished I found Jamie vacuuming the kitchen floor while Nathan played in the living room. This moment meant more to me than any gift he has ever given me. I have no concerns on what an amazing father this man will be. This past saturday we purchased our nursery furniture!! The room is waiting to be painted until February 5th when we find out if we're having a baby boy or a baby girl, but I am so anxious!!! I find myself just walking into the room to stare at the huge boxes that hold all our baby's furniture and wondering what our child will look like in his or her crib. It is such a miracle to be carrying another life inside you. We are looking forward to what God has in store for us with this little munchkin and can't wait until the day He blesses us with this child.

"Beautiful" Mess

Well, since my last post just a few days ago, I believe God did not like my bragging about finally feeling better! Saturday night I woke up at about 11:00 not feeling quite right. My stomach started hurting and I had the beginning feelings of a fever and a cold. My night was then ruined even more by the wrenching of every muscle in my stomach when I started praying to the porcelain queen. This post is not to describe the way this upchuck looked or how miserable I felt, but to let everyone know that I have the most amazing husband in the ENTIRE world!!! Jamie took care of me better than anyone ever has throughout my life (and I seem to be sick a lot with many different "nurses") He stayed awake with me all night long because he knew how much I hate throwing up by myself because I'm scared of choking. This picture is of my nightstand and holds the things Jamie got up for all night and all day on Sunday to help me feel better. It includes: Saltine crackers to settle my stomach (didn't work :) ) , glass of decaf coke on ice, ice water, gatorade, chapstick, a hair tie so I didn't throw up on it, a thermometer, peanut butter crackers, my prenatal vitamins, benadryl, kleenex, a bucket to spew in, and a washcloth to wash my face. All I had to do was moan or move in bed and he would get up and ask what he could do for me! Sunday was spent on the coach and he only left my side a few times throughout the day. We watched movies, tv, and took naps. I still wasn't feeling good by Monday morning, so Jamie took the day off work to make sure I was okay and wouldn't need to go to the doctors. I feel so overwhelmed by the love he showed me during this miserable time. Sometimes I seem to forget just how much I truly do love him, and since I've been pregnant and hormonal, I have to admit I haven't been the nicest wife to have. I believe that God does work in very mysterious ways, and maybe I had to go through this to remember how much I appreciate my husband and not to take for granted the love we share. I have never felt more love than I did this weekend, and I hope to never forget this feeling.