Cast Your Votes

Monday is the big day!  Will Baby Smith be another boy or a girl?  Go to the left column of our blog and cast your vote, and leave us a comment telling us what you voted and why.

So far, I only voted for Grayson, who is the only one in our family who seems pretty confident in his guess for a girl.  Brad and I both initially thought girl when we first found out I was pregnant, but Brad’s feelings quickly went away and he has no idea one way or the other now.  I was pretty confident throughout my first trimester that we were having a girl, but in just the last 4 weeks, I’ve wondered if maybe it’s another boy.  And now as it gets closer, I have no idea.

With Grayson, from the beginning, both Brad and I thought boy.  I had about one week at the end of my first trimester that I thought, maybe it’s a girl?  But by the time we walked into our appointment, before the sonogram even began, Brad and I both informed the doctor that we knew it was a boy.  Not that knowing stopped me from crying my eyes out once I knew for sure (I had always planned on a house full of girls….and yes, I might just be a horrible mother for that.)  But now, I don’t think you’ll find anyone out there who loves having a little boy more than I do.  And even though he exhausts me to no end, I’d be happy to have three more just like him!

I know it’s the PC answer to say, “We don’t care,” but since when have we ever cared about being PC?  And we certainly weren’t concerned the first time around when we unapologetically answered, “Brad wants a boy and Haley wants a girl.”  But, this time, I think it’s safe and honest to say that we truly don’t care.  We want a healthy baby and we pray that baby is born on time, and that he or she gets to come home from the hospital when we do!

Monday is also the day that I am/was scheduled to begin progesterone injections (which are proven to reduce a repeat pre-mature birth from 55% to 37%).  However, due to KV Pharmaceuticals gaining exclusive rights to these injections (now renamed Makena), the price per dosage has risen from $10 to $1500, making the price per pregnancy go from $300 to $30,000.  While there is a chance of receiving financial assistance and insurance covering part of this cost, it could still easily cost $5,000 throughout a pregnancy even after insurance.  This issue is so new (this month actually!) that even doctors aren’t sure how to direct their patients, and alternative treatment really isn’t available from what I’ve read. 

http://blogs.forbes.com/davidwhelan/2011/03/11/is-kv-pharmaceutical-a-flat-out-evil-company/?partner=yahootix

(The answer to the title of this article is yes BTW!)

After stressing and crying over the issue the last few days, and with reminders from my always calm husband, we have come to the conclusion (even though we knew it all along) that we trust in the LORD and not in science or in medicine.  So, if I am to have these shots, he will make a way.  And if not, he still has this baby in his hands!  Even as Brad and I were praying about this last night, for the first time Brad felt the baby move (I THINK I have been feeling him/her for the last 2 or 3 weeks) and it was just another reminder of the miracle growing inside me, and that God is still in control!

Party Animals

Just a few pics from Gray’s Bday week

His Mommy, Daddy, Aunt Whitney and Uncle Day took him to the rodeo on his real Bday!

And we had his party on Saturday

Yummy cookies made special by Aunt Elaine

We didn’t get a good pic of Gray hitting the piñata, but I love Jon Michael’s face in this one (he was serious)

It was also our little neighbor Nick’s Bday so we sang to him too.  When we started singing, Grayson started singing Happy Birthday to himself! Smile

And he wanted to stop after each present to play with it before he opened another one (which made opening presents quite the process)

He got a motorized car for his Bday (I’m afraid we won’t have any more present ideas after this year…I think he got it all)

Monday, when my neighbor saw me (and my pregnant belly) driving the car back by myself from the park because Grayson refused to finish the trek, she told me she wanted to video it and put it on YouTube (currently I don’t break the weight limit, but I’m sure that will change in the next month).

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!

My baby turned three today!

It’s hard to believe that our early arrival who didn’t even cry when he was born is now this rambunctious little boy who never stops!

We surprised him this morning with a swing set that his wonderful Daddy spent the past three days putting together! (You can tell he’s still half asleep.)

This is the first year that he is fully aware of exactly what is means for it to be his birthday. In fact, we have been talking about it all month. He kind of loves his birthday (like his Mommy)!

My phone has rang off the hook today with people calling to wish him a special day although so far he has refused to talk to any of them. When I accused him of being grumpy, he said, “I want to stay grumpy!” I started telling him if he didn’t start talking to people they weren’t going to come to his party or give him presents and he quickly got on the phone and said, “Please still give me presents!” (Little stinker!)

And he doesn’t quite know what to say back when I tell him Happy Birthday. He keeps responding with “Happy Birthday Mommy!”

Brad and I laid in bed this morning before our little angel woke up talking about that day three years ago. We were laying in bed early that Sunday morning (after returning to San Antonio from my sister’s wedding) when I woke up with what I thought was me peeing uncontrollably. As I sat on my hands and knees leisurely cleaning up water on the floor, Brad suggested that we call the doc (good call). We brushed our teeth and in no real hurry made our way to the hospital (still sure I was not in labor). We arrived approximately 45 minutes after my water broke. About that time, I went from feeling nothing to the worst pain I’d ever felt in my life, when a nurse decided to check me to see if I was dilated. She then informed me I was 8 cm. And I then yelled at the top of my lungs, “Are you kidding me?” While Brad finished our hospital paper work (cause who registers at 7 months?), they took me straight from the examining room to the delivery room, where I received a spinal in just enough time to push. And an hour and five minutes later, our little boy made his arrival into this world. We didn’t get to hold him and he didn’t make a sound, which was utterly terrifying at the time, but just before the NICU nurses rushed him out, they gave us a peek at his full head of hair (which later fell out) and beautiful blue eyes (which later changed to a beautiful brown). It was both the most terrifying and wonderful day of our lives and we will never forget it!

Happy third birthday Grayson Parker! You bring so much joy to our lives!

14 Weeks

Grayson is going to be a Big Brother! We are scheduled to welcome his little brother or sister into the world somewhere around Sept. 6, 2011!

He amazingly seems to understand exactly what is going on. As soon as we told him that there was a baby in my tummy, he responded, “the baby is still growing!” I guess we had had enough pregnant friends at that point that he had the concept down.

In the hundred of times we’ve asked him by now if he is having a little brother or a little sister, he always answers with a confident “a little sister!” (we promise no one brainwashed him.) We were wondering if maybe he had the gift of prophesy, but he’s also told me a couple times that there are “two babies in there” (which we know is not the case), so we’re not taking his prediction too seriously. He also keeps telling us that the baby is going to be a giant (because why else would it take so long to grow?)

Tonight Brad asked him what we should name the baby and he said, “Zacchaeus!” (who he learned about at church two weeks ago and has been asking us to sing the song every night at bedtime). We thought a little girl named Zacchaeus Smith would be pretty cute!

Pregnancy…

We found out Jan. 3 that we were expecting our second little miracle (which I found out later was ironically the same day my parents found out they were pregnant with me…which my Dad remembered crazily enough). It was an answer to prayer and a wonderful way to ring in the New Year and celebrate our 5th anniversary!

So, why wait until 14 weeks to finally blog about it? Well, for starters, because of a very scary pregnancy with Grayson and his early arrival, and then experiencing a very early on miscarriage trying to get pregnant this time around, we don’t take pregnancy lightly! Aside from our own experiences, we have precious friends and people we know who have experienced late miscarriages, still births, infertility and trials that are a constant reminder that life is fragile and we are not promised tomorrow!

After Grayson was born and we were assured by our doc that we had no reason to think that whatever happened to cause his pre-mature birth would happen again, we prayed that next time around, we would get to experience a no-scare, routine pregnancy, bringing a healthy baby home from the hospital with us. As crazy as it sounds to women who spend most of their pregnancy throwing up, I actually prayed for the nausea and all the text-book symptoms that go along with pregnancy (not matter how not fun they might be). I needed that confirmation, and I got it! (another reason for the scarce blogging these days) Even with our prayers, we didn’t know if bleeding during pregnancy was just my norm (because it is for 20-25% of women) but we’ve been thankful to find out this time around that it’s not. In fact, this pregnancy has been night and day different from my pregnancy with Grayson so far and we’ve been thankful.

And it has been an even stronger reminder of what a miracle he is!!! Because had it been up to my body, he would not be here! He is a constant reminder of God’s faithfulness and sovereignty!

And this baby is already a constant reminder of God’s perfect timing & plan for our lives!

Grayson Greatness

Just a couple stories for you Ags...

#1

In the midst of the rolling power outages (that we don't know are happening yet), I hear Grayson's voice bright and early Wednesday morning. At the time, I wasn't sure if it was part of a dream, I was hearing him on the monitor or if he was actually in our room. All I know is it's pitch dark and Brad isn't in bed. I shortly feel Grayson's little hands on my face and realize he's in our room. At the time, I thought perhaps he had gotten up early and Brad got him out of bed and sat him in front of the TV (as he sometimes does so I can have an extra half hour of sleep). I couldn't see what time it was, which was when I realized the power had gone out. And it finally clicked what Grayson was saying to me..."It's not working! It's not working!"

As we stumbled out of the room to find the flash light and my cell phone to call Brad, I finally realize it's about 6:30AM (Grayson doesn't usually wake until 7:30/8). I call Brad and he had left about 45 minutes prior to this and both Grayson and I were still sound asleep and the power was on.

So, our little monkey had climbed out of his crib, opened his door and made his way across the house in the pitch black to come inform me that that thing that wasn't working were his night light and fan :) We spent the morning snuggled up tight in blankets making shadow puppet with the flash light, which he loved, while for the next 6 hours, the power turned on for an hour and then off for 45 minutes and so on. It's very hard to explain to a two-year old why they can't follow their normal morning TV routine.

Later in the afternoon, he was watching one of his Boz videos when the DVD started skipping, he put his hands on his head with all of the drama and distress of a real life crisis and said, "It's happening again!" :) Over the last few days, he has purposely gone and turned off the lights and asked if we could play with the flash light...overall it was a very educational day learning about electricity.

#2

I took Grayson to Chick-Fil-A last week for a little Chicken Minis for me and a little play time for him. I'm sitting in the play area talking to one of the other Moms when Grayson looks over at her son (about his age) and goes, "Come Here, BOY!" (in much the same tone his Daddy sometimes jokingly says, 'Where's my Dinner, WOMAN?')

I was slightly mortified, but luckily the Mom thought it was funny. Grayson and I then had a lesson in politeness and asking children their names before demanding that they play with you, although I'm quite sure it went in one hear and straight out the other.

#3

Tonight we're at a Birthday party for a friend of ours who is turning 30 tomorrow. His wife wanted to have everyone pray over him. I'm sitting on the stairs with Grayson and another little boy trying to keep his not so quiet whispering to a minumum. He starts "whispering" about something, and one of the guests turns around to look at him. Grayson points and yells at the top of his lungs, "That guy not praying!!!"

(So embarrassing except for the fact that my laughter was probably more disruptive than his outburst)

5 Years and Counting!

January 6, 2006

How do you sum up five years of marriage? I wish I had some amazing pearls of wisdom to write here, but we're still learning. And I know we forever will be. But, when you get married, and you say your vows, "for better or for worse," no one really knows what "better" or "worse" is really going to look like. Already in five years, life has brought trials that we couldn't have predicted, and joys that were more than we hoped for. And through all of it, I've stepped back and thought, "God really knew what we would need when he put us together!"

Brad, I love you even more today then I did back then! Thank you for being you!

Some Final Pics from 2010

"Happy Birthday Jesus Baby!"

Please forgive my horrible singing in the background!

CHRISTMAS DAY






CHRISTMAS EVE

What "adults" do after all the kids go to bed

"Messy Kisses" for Gam-Ma



Christmas 101 Dalmations McDonalds Happy Meal Toys, my sister and I collected years ago




An Aggie Uniform...this gift got the best reaction

No, he didn't get an iphone for Christmas, he's just obsessed with my sister's, and sadly can operate it much better than either of his parents



His First Wish Bone



Christmas Light Looking



Grayson & Grandpa




Christmas with the Smiths -- Me Maw, Gramps, Aunt Barbara and new baby cousin Annabel (Brad's cousin Natalie's daughter)




Grayson with Great Me Maw & Gramps


AMY'S WEDDING!!! & My favorite girls (plus Brad)...there's just something about being with old friends!






JUST A RANDOM ONE
To avoid going down for a nap, Grayson says, "But, I wanna watch football with Daddy!" Way to know your audience, my friend!

Getting ready for Christmas! This is a ski slope that used to be my grandparents that my sister and I would enjoy watching for hours, and now Grayson is doing the same!


THANKSGIVING in Round Rock at Elaine and Josh's new home (Brad's parents always seem to avoid making it in our pics...I think it's a conspiracy)

Uncle Blake and Gray have the same "I just woke up from my nap" look (or the same "I'm on drugs" look)

Gray's new Drum Sticks from Uncle Josh and Aunt Elaine (Thanks alot guys!)

The Silly Smith Kids


Grayson is seriously focused on beating Uncle Josh at video games

I don't know what Elaine is doing here...but it's a funny pic


We got to meet Elliot Roberts (Josh & Courtney's new baby) while we were in Austin




HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Thanks for keeping up with us in 2010!!!