My sweet little Rebecca woke up with a fever this morning. She looked and sounded pretty pathetic so I stayed home with her while Chad and the other two kiddos went on to church. I'm glad I kept her home because after she woke up from her morning nap her fever had spiked to 102.4 and then she just laid on my chest completely still with very shallow breathing for a long time.
I have been alternating Tylenol and Motrin all day to keep the fever under control. She looks and sounds so weak and it just breaks my mommy heart. This I-wish-I-knew-where-it-came-from virus better scadoodle as fast as it arrived. Our only outing this week was to Chick-Fil-A for lunch on Saturday. I have some strong suspicions. Would you please pray our baby girl heals quickly?
News from the Smith family
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
I'm Still Here
I'm still here. It's just been oh-so-busy lately. Chad and I have had various meetings at church, he has been working some on his "night job," and I started homeschooling on Monday. I have also been learning how to post items on Craigs List and sit by a very silent phone. Oh well.
Here are some pictures from the last few weeks.
Having lunch at Paw Paw's birthday party.
I think Rebecca is going to keep Daddy's beautiful blue eyes.
Hannah's hair is getting super long. She is such a good helper to mommy.
I attempted to get the girls side by side, but Rebecca made ready for her escape when I moved my hand from her side. I'll keep trying.
And forget about a picture of the boy for now. For a few months now he has been running any time a camera comes into view. I promise he is still here. :)
And forget about a picture of the boy for now. For a few months now he has been running any time a camera comes into view. I promise he is still here. :)
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Girls Night In
Amy and I made a kid swap on Monday, her taking Zachary and me taking Keely. While the boys had fun with cars and trains, watching Wall-E and, well, being boys, our house became very girly. By the night's end, the girls had played dress up, squealed in delight I don't know how many times, giggled about everything and nothing in particular, and located everything pink in the house.
I had a roll of sugar cookie dough, so they also got to be sugared up and decorate 15 cookies.
There's nothing quite like eating sugar cookie dough off your fingers.
One of Hannah's yummy treasures.
Keely enjoyed squishing her cookie into the sprinkles. Then she would eat the extra dough off her fingers. Smart girl!
Notice the predominate color? They turned out soft and yummy and we all had a good-night cookie.
And then there was the morning after . . .
Hannah refused to smile for me and just sat staring at the TV either with her mouth open or with a grumpy grimace. Nice. But over all, all four of the kids had a blast and we plan to do it once a month.
I had a roll of sugar cookie dough, so they also got to be sugared up and decorate 15 cookies.
There's nothing quite like eating sugar cookie dough off your fingers.
One of Hannah's yummy treasures.
Keely enjoyed squishing her cookie into the sprinkles. Then she would eat the extra dough off her fingers. Smart girl!
Notice the predominate color? They turned out soft and yummy and we all had a good-night cookie.
And then there was the morning after . . .
Hannah refused to smile for me and just sat staring at the TV either with her mouth open or with a grumpy grimace. Nice. But over all, all four of the kids had a blast and we plan to do it once a month.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Rebecca's 9 Month Appt
Rebecca had her nine month appointment on Monday. We were a little delayed because of her shot schedule. She weighed in at 18 pounds, 13 ounces. Her growth has slowed considerably, just like Hannah and she is now in the 37 percentile. Her height is still up there though at 29 inches (81%) and her head circ. is 17.5 inches (54%). She got one shot including her first flu shot. Hard to believe we are preparing for that season already.
We had one issue to deal with. I had noticed a thin film over her vaginal opening and the doctor confirmed that she has labial adhesions. Upon researching, I have found that the condition is very common in baby girls. Though it usually resolves itself by puberty (and often by age 6), the doctor prescribed an estrogen creme to urge it along. We will have to contend with it reappearing for several years and it will make her more prone to UTI's (absolutely no bubble baths for her!), but she should have no side effects. It doesn't seem to bother her at all, but I still feel better for talking with the doctor about it.
Her hair is growing very rapidly lately and I am trying to find a hair style that works. Are these two styles cute or what?
"Abecca" (Zachary's name for her) is crawling and cruising around. Saturday night she started saying "da da da" and Daddy was over the moon. She still just has two teeth but that doesn't stop her from eating EVERYTHING you put in front of her. She has developed a bond with a pink puppy that barks when you squeeze the belly. It's in the first picture above. Thanks to whoever gave her that because it is a huge hit. She hugs it tightly every time it is time to sleep. So stinkin' sweet!
We had one issue to deal with. I had noticed a thin film over her vaginal opening and the doctor confirmed that she has labial adhesions. Upon researching, I have found that the condition is very common in baby girls. Though it usually resolves itself by puberty (and often by age 6), the doctor prescribed an estrogen creme to urge it along. We will have to contend with it reappearing for several years and it will make her more prone to UTI's (absolutely no bubble baths for her!), but she should have no side effects. It doesn't seem to bother her at all, but I still feel better for talking with the doctor about it.
Her hair is growing very rapidly lately and I am trying to find a hair style that works. Are these two styles cute or what?
"Abecca" (Zachary's name for her) is crawling and cruising around. Saturday night she started saying "da da da" and Daddy was over the moon. She still just has two teeth but that doesn't stop her from eating EVERYTHING you put in front of her. She has developed a bond with a pink puppy that barks when you squeeze the belly. It's in the first picture above. Thanks to whoever gave her that because it is a huge hit. She hugs it tightly every time it is time to sleep. So stinkin' sweet!
Delicious Dinner
I got brave yesterday and cooked some of the incredibly awesome shrimp that Pop Pop and Nana shared with our family. Thank you Donna for the wonderful Shrimp Etouffee recipe you sent to Chad. It looked so good served with fresh steamed spinach and garlic bread that I had to snap a photo. Bon appetit!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Hello New Playroom!
Here are some pictures we took during the transformation of the playroom last week.
After Chad started painting the green, we just kept staring at the walls and smiling. It's a super happy color!
Here is a walk through. To get the full effect, y'all are just going to have to come for a visit!
After Chad started painting the green, we just kept staring at the walls and smiling. It's a super happy color!
I painted the outline of several whimsical clouds across the ceiling using blue paint, utilizing the original white walls.
The finished product is awesome. We talked about putting a thin white trim up between the two colors, but I really like the unfinished look. It makes it look more relaxed and . . . playful. (giggle)
Thank you hubby for your hours and hours of work. Awesome job!
Here is a walk through. To get the full effect, y'all are just going to have to come for a visit!
Friday, August 7, 2009
Random Pictures
I haven't had a chance to edit them much, but sometimes you just have to share the sweet memories before the mommy brain kicks in and you forget they even happened!
Here is a picture of Zach that I will be sure to bring out when the first girlfriend appears on the scene. I love how he always wears the tiara upside down because it fits better on his head. A girl would make it fit properly even if she had to tip toe to keep it in place. That's the part that makes him all boy despite the pink tutu. :) And, yes, I will be buying him some manly costumes at the JBF consignment sale next month.
Here is my girly girl. She puts all this on and always asks me to take a picture of her. I see a job with spotlights (on her of course) in her future.
What a good Baptist girl. Always happy when food is present. :)
My baby is getting brave. She has made it up to the second step so far. If she is like Zach, she will be a pro at them before long. I think the kids have fallen down a portion of the steps only a couple of times. I'm so glad we carpeted them instead of laying wood. Makes for much better traction!
Daddy caught this one morning quite recently. He said just before he grabbed the camera, Zach was mirroring Hannah's position. They love the treat of sleeping in the same room.
Rebecca is a big girl now getting to take a bath with the big kids. Sometimes she is just with Hannah and sometimes all three of them are in there together. They play so well together. This is the plus side of them being closer in age.
Currently the girls are recovering from colds and Mommy and Daddy are fighting them off. I'm slowly digging myself out of the chaos that has accumulated in the house this summer. I'm so tickled that our vacuum is fixed and ready to be picked up. I might not be able to stand another day and have to drag the kids down to Frisco tomorrow. I'm getting tired of stepping on the debris on the wood floor. An old broom left over from college only goes so far in comparison to my oh-so-sweet Dyson. Am I hearing an amen?
Here is a picture of Zach that I will be sure to bring out when the first girlfriend appears on the scene. I love how he always wears the tiara upside down because it fits better on his head. A girl would make it fit properly even if she had to tip toe to keep it in place. That's the part that makes him all boy despite the pink tutu. :) And, yes, I will be buying him some manly costumes at the JBF consignment sale next month.
Here is my girly girl. She puts all this on and always asks me to take a picture of her. I see a job with spotlights (on her of course) in her future.
What a good Baptist girl. Always happy when food is present. :)
My baby is getting brave. She has made it up to the second step so far. If she is like Zach, she will be a pro at them before long. I think the kids have fallen down a portion of the steps only a couple of times. I'm so glad we carpeted them instead of laying wood. Makes for much better traction!
Daddy caught this one morning quite recently. He said just before he grabbed the camera, Zach was mirroring Hannah's position. They love the treat of sleeping in the same room.
Rebecca is a big girl now getting to take a bath with the big kids. Sometimes she is just with Hannah and sometimes all three of them are in there together. They play so well together. This is the plus side of them being closer in age.
Currently the girls are recovering from colds and Mommy and Daddy are fighting them off. I'm slowly digging myself out of the chaos that has accumulated in the house this summer. I'm so tickled that our vacuum is fixed and ready to be picked up. I might not be able to stand another day and have to drag the kids down to Frisco tomorrow. I'm getting tired of stepping on the debris on the wood floor. An old broom left over from college only goes so far in comparison to my oh-so-sweet Dyson. Am I hearing an amen?
Thursday, August 6, 2009
I Have Arrived, At Least For Now
Maybe it's because I have been a little under the weather this week. Or maybe it's because I haven't eaten supper yet. All I know is that I just got on the scale and it gave me my pre-pregnancy weight. Pre-preggo. As in, before Hannah. I don't know how long it will stay but I will enjoy it while I see it. :)
You'd Never Guess
Living so close to woods and the pond, I see a lot more wildlife than I used to. It always amazes me when I see how the critters have just adapted to our home being there and have started going on with life as usual.
For example, here is a nest of new baby wrens we have. The mama and daddy return year after year. Usually, they build in our Christmas cactus. But we moved the plant a couple of months ago thinking that they were done with their babies for the season. But they decided to have another set. Now here is the interesting part . . .
You'd never guess where they built the nest. They built in the exact same spot on our backporch where they always build. The catch is that there was a camping chair sitting there. Yep, they built the nest in the seat of the chair!!
For example, here is a nest of new baby wrens we have. The mama and daddy return year after year. Usually, they build in our Christmas cactus. But we moved the plant a couple of months ago thinking that they were done with their babies for the season. But they decided to have another set. Now here is the interesting part . . .
You'd never guess where they built the nest. They built in the exact same spot on our backporch where they always build. The catch is that there was a camping chair sitting there. Yep, they built the nest in the seat of the chair!!
We've been careful to keep the kids away from the chair. It's been so hot that it hasn't been a huge problem. Amazing, huh? Good thing Chad noticed the nest before I opened it up and got a BIG surprise!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Never a Dull Moment
If you know anything about the Smith household then you know that there is just never a dull moment around here. I marvel that it is only Tuesday afternoon because it feels like it should already be Friday.
Sunday morning dawned and Zach had a slightly runny nose. Chad had started painting the playroom on Saturday and I also had a slightly runny nose so I assumed that he and I had allergy problems. I gave us both a dose of allergy medication and life continued as usual.
Monday morning dawned and Zach was a-okay, but Hannah had a stuffy nose. Bummer. We were going to try to have a play day with Aidan and Keely. To keep Finian on the safe side, it was a no go and we would try again on Tuesday.
This morning it was obvious that Hannah was worse. Her nose was running and she was a little more sedate, pulling out every stuffed animal she has ever owned and lining the back of her pillows with her smallest ones. We went through several tissues and, of course, no play day with Aidan and Keely. Bummer again.
To make life even more exciting, I have a bizarre problem with my right foot and ankle. It has been bugging me since we returned from Destin. I took a brief nap after lunch and when I awoke, it was numb. After slowly making it to the top of the steps, it completely gave out and I suddenly found myself sitting on the floor. Well there's a fine howdy-do. The magic crystal ball is starting to say "Doctor visits in the future. Prepare thy checkbook." I'm groaning just thinking about it.
On a more exciting note, I called Wee School yesterday and cancelled Hannah's spot in preschool. I also ordered preschool curriculum from Answers in Genesis. The playroom is going through a transformation this week and should be ready to go by the last week of August when I officially begin homeschooling Hannah and Zachary. I am so pumped about it. We will have school in the mornings on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Tuesday will be shopping day. Thursday will be a play day or field trip. I already have my lesson planner started and have been collecting my goodies for several weeks now. Did I mention that I am super stinkin' excited about this? :)
So yet again, expect lots of stuff to be happening on the Ponderosa for months to come! Coming soon - the unveiling of the new and improved playroom. For now, I'll just say WOW!!!!
Sunday morning dawned and Zach had a slightly runny nose. Chad had started painting the playroom on Saturday and I also had a slightly runny nose so I assumed that he and I had allergy problems. I gave us both a dose of allergy medication and life continued as usual.
Monday morning dawned and Zach was a-okay, but Hannah had a stuffy nose. Bummer. We were going to try to have a play day with Aidan and Keely. To keep Finian on the safe side, it was a no go and we would try again on Tuesday.
This morning it was obvious that Hannah was worse. Her nose was running and she was a little more sedate, pulling out every stuffed animal she has ever owned and lining the back of her pillows with her smallest ones. We went through several tissues and, of course, no play day with Aidan and Keely. Bummer again.
To make life even more exciting, I have a bizarre problem with my right foot and ankle. It has been bugging me since we returned from Destin. I took a brief nap after lunch and when I awoke, it was numb. After slowly making it to the top of the steps, it completely gave out and I suddenly found myself sitting on the floor. Well there's a fine howdy-do. The magic crystal ball is starting to say "Doctor visits in the future. Prepare thy checkbook." I'm groaning just thinking about it.
On a more exciting note, I called Wee School yesterday and cancelled Hannah's spot in preschool. I also ordered preschool curriculum from Answers in Genesis. The playroom is going through a transformation this week and should be ready to go by the last week of August when I officially begin homeschooling Hannah and Zachary. I am so pumped about it. We will have school in the mornings on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Tuesday will be shopping day. Thursday will be a play day or field trip. I already have my lesson planner started and have been collecting my goodies for several weeks now. Did I mention that I am super stinkin' excited about this? :)
So yet again, expect lots of stuff to be happening on the Ponderosa for months to come! Coming soon - the unveiling of the new and improved playroom. For now, I'll just say WOW!!!!
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