November 2011: Thankful...

It isn't just this month that I am thankful...it's just a good time to list some of the many blessings I am thankful for :)

Thankful for such an amazing school that my children attend.  It's because of this place, that Nick and I get to pursue the careers that we are passionate about.  Their teachers are so wonderful and we can tell how much they adore our kids.  Like at Bryn's 1st birthday where they made her a crown and had cupcakes for all her friends (and Liam)...

And at Liam's fall festival, where he and his classmates performed 3 songs they worked very hard on to a large group of parents and faculty.  Here is Liam showing me the decorations that he helped to make...

Thankful to attend Alex's wedding, to have a new sister in the family, and to watch Liam and Presley walk down the aisle...

 (Love their face as they see the new cars that Nick is holding out of the aisle as their reward!)

Thankful for such a wonderful group of friends for my kids (and Nick and I!).  Here we are celebrating James' 3rd birthday...

 So thankful for family in town over the holidays...

 And for such a bountiful Thanksgiving meal...

Thankful for family traditions like each 'kid' getting to pick a vegetable for the dinner.  Liam picked his first veggie this year (steamed broccoli) and Nick and I continue to have competing veggies (corn souffle vs. corn succotash).

Even Bryn got a complete Thanksgiving meal...and she did try many of our table foods too!

Thankful just for spending time together eating, catching up, playing cards and Black Friday midnight shopping :)

 Forever thankful for my little family...

 Thankful for a change in the temperature, for living in a four-season climate...(although I might need to be reminded of that in 2 months)

Thankful to be present and witness such milestones in my kids' lives...like Bryn's almost first steps (no, not officially walking, but so close!)

Thankful for getting ready for Christmas and sharing holiday cheer and love with each other.  Love watching Liam decorate the kids' tree with the ornaments from mine and Nick's childhood, plus the ones Liam and Bryn are starting to collect.

 Love, love, love my sweet babies, can never be thankful enough for getting to be their mom...

I'm also so thankful for so many things such as our health, our amazing and supportive family and friends all over the country, and so much love in our lives.  Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

November 15, 2011: Outsmarted by a Three Year Old

I went to Liam's parent-teacher conference last week.  Of course I loved hearing (and was not surprised) them to tell me that he is very polite, has lots of friends, is very curious and learns things very quickly.  His most advanced areas so far are language (from me), geography (from Nick), and zoology (??).  He is doing a year ahead in language and his phonics skills.  He does letter boxes where he matches objects with the letter that they start with.  He spells around 20 words from memory, is learning the states and countries, and knows how to say hello in about 10 languages.  For his Fall Festival this week, he is singing a Spanish song and a Chinese song.  He is very imaginative, and does very well in the 'practical life' modules where they role play chores around the house, restaurants, grocery store, etc.  His teachers said he's very observant, one day noticing that his classmate got a vegetarian meal for lunch.  Liam asked his teacher if he was still getting a lunch with meat.  She answered yes, and he said "Is it because I'm a carnivore?"  She thought that was so funny, and loved telling me that story.  Guess his school has caught on to his love of dinosaurs as well.  He recites the pledge of allegiance, can recognize a few flags from different countries, and knows the planets.  He easily adds and subtracts 0-5 in his head.  I could go on and on with all the wonderful things they had to say about Liam :)

We are often in slow motion around here now that Liam is so independent.  I totally appreciate that when he calls out in the morning, I can hit the two-way button on the monitor and tell him he's allowed to get up, then watch and talk to him while he opens his shutters, goes potty, and gets dressed for the day..all while I lay in bed an extra 5 minutes :)  But his independence also means that I often ask for certain things (put your shoes on!) multiple times before they are done, always on the way out the door.  Today when asking Liam for the millionth time to put his shoes on he turned to me and said "I don't see your shoes on".  To be fair I was going to wear flip flops so I knew I could slide them on immediately before walking out...but touche, he got me there.

At dinner while rapidly chopping green beans and chicken as fast as Bryn was stuffing them in her mouth, Liam paused from eating to ask me "Who thinks Mom?"  Hmm, I didn't know where this was going so I tried to stay broad..."People think" I said.  "No," Liam replied "animals think...it's camels and dogs, mom."  "That's cool, Liam".  Then he went on to say, "Camels and dogs know when there is fire nearby...they will go next to the fire to stay warm...that's how they think."  I don't even know if this is right (do camels get cold?!) and was tempted to google...then stopped because I felt dumb googling something my preschooler told me.  I can pretty much guarantee that even when he slightly confuses facts, at least 90% of what he says (which is something he heard and memorized) is correct, so I guess I'll go with him on this.  If I ever get on "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?" I might get to use some of the information that Liam has taught me so far :)

Today, Liam asked me for some goldfish as a snack.  He had already a granola bar, so I said no.  Liam asked if the goldfish were all gone.  I took the easy way out (which turned out to be bait) and said yes.  Then he told me that he had some for lunch today and there was a lot left..."did you eat them all Mom?"  No I didn't eat his goldfish but told him I couldn't remember where they were (knowing they were high up in the pantry, partially obscured).  A few minutes later "I found them Mom!  They are hiding behind the bread, but I see them"  All those cunning maneuvers earned him a few goldfish :)

Because Liam is so proud of his spelling, we often spell to each other in conversations..."Mom, is it C-O-L-D outside today?"  "No Liam I think it's going to be H-O-T."  Liam: "Yes, it is!  Because it's S-U-N-N-Y too!"  (good thing we have concentrated our spelling on weather words :)  There is no spelling anything like 'c-r-a-p' (or any other word) around him because he will just spell it back to us asking 'what does that spell'?  Or worse, he starts to sound it out phonetically :)

Even with all his intelligence, I love that he remains so innocent.  Just like as a baby when we taught him not to cross the line into our kitchen and he didn't...just because we said so.  He listens so intently to what Nick and I tell him, and I can tell he takes it to heart.  I never worry about him getting out of bed, getting into cabinets or destroying things around the house, going outside without our permission...he follows our rules to the letter.  We have taught him how to call 911 in an emergency and how to tell them his name and address...and although I'm very thankful and hopeful we'll never use this skill, I actually think he could do it.  He also believes with such intensity in things like his routines...and in things like Santa and his elves.  I'm sad for the day when he decides to really 'test' us and our rules, or when he stops believing in things like Santa.  Deep down, I know that we are raising a  good boy with good morals, values and respect (I will keep reminding myself of this during his teen years)...

I am so proud to be mommy to such a wholesome, caring, brainiac...and so thankful for google so that I may continue to keep up with him :)

November 6, 2011: Bryn's 1st birthday!

I cannot believe it has already been a whole year.  Life with Bryn has def been fun...she seems like the child who's going to keep us on our toes :)  She might not be walking or have any teeth, but she sure knows how to order us around and get what she wants!  Case in point, I found her standing on the edge of her little tub outside our bathtub, leaning over trying to get a toy that fell in the empty tub.  Good grief, I thought raising boys would raise my stress level but I think it's going to be Brynnie :)  Bryn has transitioned easily to whole milk, but is starting to have some opinions about her food.  So far I found that she doesn't like ham...but other than that, eats everything I make and put in front of her!  She started eating the school lunches about a month ago too.  Her teachers were hesitant to feed her because of the lack of teeth, but after she starting stealing food from the kids next to her they gave in.  I love reading her daily report to see that she had chicken parm, salisbury steak, and fish sticks (just some of the hot meals that she and Liam eat at school!)  And yet, as of her appointment today, she is still so tiny...weight: 18 lbs 7 oz (9th%), height: 29 in (43rd%), and head circumference is 19 in (67th%).  So she continues to grow in length just can't seem to keep the calories on! She is babbling at us alot, and her newest words are 'up', 'bubble', 'baby' (for her new doll), 'shhhh' (for her fish at school), and 'hiiiiii'.  She clearly tells us when she wants 'mama', 'dada, or 'baba'.  She will point to Liam or her teachers when asked.  She is trying to repeat many of the sounds she hears, and I have a feeling will be an early talker like her brother. She signs "more" especially for food and always claps for herself when we praise her.  Bryn also refuses to drink out of a sippy cup...we tried for a few months, but eventually gave up. She drinks her milk from a bottle still and takes her water from a regular cup.  I'm trying to get her to use the straw cups, which she does occasionally, but she really prefers a regular cup being held to her lips...such a princess :)  Speaking of princess, she has the most adorable wave, now at everyone she passes. She's getting brave cruising furniture and using our fingers to help propel her body in what looks like a Frankenstein walk...because that's truly what she looks like now, walking with her tummy sticking out.  And just like she doesn't need teeth to eat table food, she doesn't need to be walking to climb the stairs.  If we don't leave the gate at the bottom shut, Bryn will climb the entire flight of stairs in hopes of reaching the playroom before we notice.  The (only) time I caught her halfway up the stairs, she started instantly squawking at me when I caught her because she knew she was in trouble!! With Liam it was obvious he was right handed, but with Bryn I'm still not sure.  She uses her left hand to feed herself a lot and steps with her left foot first when being walked...too early to tell, but daddy would love another lefty :)

So in lieu of pictures, I made a video of Bryn's first year.  You should know that this was my first time making a photo montage and that I'm self taught (so bear with me!)  Here is what I took away from going through all Bryn's photos from her first year...

1. She is such a happy baby! Once she started smiling she really never stopped.  Doesn't matter if you don't see her whole face, because this girl smiles with her eyes

2. And speaking of those eyes, they are GORGEOUS!  Now I would love for one of my children to have my green eyes, but I guess blue is not too bad, especially the way that my children pull it off!

3.  Bryn is loved and supported by so many people who have enriched her life in so many ways...you aren't in the video, but you all know who you are!

4.  We have been so blessed to have healthy, happy kids, and so fortunate to be able to not only provide for them but to travel and share so many wonderful experiences with them.

I will admit that when pregnant with Bryn, I was convinced it was another boy.  Nick (aka the baby whisperer) knew it was a girl and he was right.  I can't imagine my life without my daughter, and can't wait for all the memories, clothes, drama, boy talks, laughter and fun that we have ahead!

PS-The first song is one I just love..and the second is our wedding song :)

November 3-6, 2011: 3 kids and a wedding!

Thursday we flew to Nashville for Alex and Tippy's wedding weekend!  We flew late that night and by the time we landed and got to the hotel it was close to 11pm...but not too late for the most exciting part of the weekend for Liam...seeing Presley!!!!  These cousins were soooo happy to see each other.  We let them visit for about 5 minutes than tried to make them go to bed.  We heard Presley over the monitor whispering "I watch you sleep all night, Yiam" 

Where are Rachel and Cameron? Oh, they were just a little busy...having a baby!  Since Rachel was induced the day before the wedding, we knew they couldn't make it.  They did send Pres to represent the family and Nick and I had the honor of watching her all weekend.  It was fun to be a family of 5 for a few days.  I thought one more kid wouldn't be that much different...but doing things by 3 was a little hectic at times....although definitely worth it!!  We would get on elevators and people would look at the kids, look at us, and ask 'how old?'  "Oh they are 1, 2, and 3 years old" I would answer with a smile...we usually got a crazy look in return :)

Here is what life with 3 under 3 was like....

Three times the love...

Three times the distractions at B&N...

Three times the snacks...

(And what happens to the baby when you are cutting up food for the older two...not my proudest mommy moment but kinda funny)

Three times the carseats (in the smallest rental car back seat that required some major MacGyvering from Nicky)

Three times the playtime...

Three times the meals...(I did end up eating most meals in to-go boxes in the hotel after the kids went to bed but I was usually also in jammies, so no complaints :)

Three times the bathtime babies...

and three times the bedtime routines, stories, songs, good night hugs 'n kisses :)

The girls did get some bonding time too...Pres loved helping Bryn with diapers, feeding, and offering her pixie dust to stop her tears :)

and of course we had to have a too-matchy moment...

Now back to the wedding...

Here is our ring bearer getting pumped for his big day...oh yeah and the groom...

I had the pleasure of escorting the flower girls, Pres and Bryn, to the bridesmaid's tea...

Liam and Pres were so excited to be a part of the wedding...

Liam wearing his new tie and special t-rex tie clip for the rehearsal...Pres and Bryn got pretty headbands and pearl bracelets...

We really did rehearse...but also had some fun!

It was fun to have more girls than boys for the weekend...although it was lots of hair, dresses, tights and accessories to coordinate :)

During the rehearsal we all got word that baby David was born!  At 6:22pm weighing 7lbs even Liam and Bryn's newest cousin, David Cameron Smith IV (aka baby DC or Cuatro on this blog) was welcomed into the world!  I have to break from the wedding pics to share a pic of DC..it's so cute to see all Liam's baby clothes being worn again...Even though I haven't met him in person, we've already skyped and I can't wait to snuggle him over the holidays!

On the day of the wedding, we took the kids to Centennial Park which was right across the street from our hotel...they were having a little festival with a bounce house and face painting which the kids enjoyed with their cousins, Max, Olivia and Britty...

We then walked over the playground...trying to wear them out so they'll take good naps before the wedding!

Ready for their big moment!!

Visiting the groom and bride..they don't look too nervous :)

My mommy and my baby looking their most beautiful...

This flower girl looked adorable even though she didn't make it down the aisle officially...but she did enjoy practicing her walk :)

I didn't get any pictures during the ceremony...hands were a little full keeping 3 under 3 absolutely silent...this involved Nick and I using 1 bag of cheerios, 1 bag of goldfish, 1 bag of M&Ms, 4 cars, 1 pacifier, and 2 ipads...and it was 25 min long ;)  But we did it, no disruptions, and the ceremony was perfect!

Afterwards the kids had fun visiting with fam at the reception the hospitality room...especially playing with cousins Max, Olivia and Karleigh...

and I got to visit my 2 of my besties from home, Rach and Alli...weird to think they have known Alex since he was 10 years old!

On Sunday, Nov. 6th we celebrated Bryn's 1st birthday during the post-wedding brunch!!

Tippy ordered Bryn a smash cake which was very sweet and yummy...

even though she didn't know quite what to do with it...

so daddy pushed her hands in the cake...

and mommy pushed the cake in her mouth...

and she was still confused...where are my beloved Cheerios she must've been thinking :)

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to!!

Oh wait kisses! That makes me happy again :)  ps-how precious was Bryn in her tutu, gifted to her by the miffs...

and in the same 1 onesie that Pres wore...

Bryn received some wonderful gifts from family and friends, we were so fortunate to get to celebrate with everyone in town!  One gift in particular that she loved was her first baby from Mallie and Dallie...she pointed to baby's face and even gave her a big kiss :)

Daddy and his birthday princess...

Happy Birthday Brynnie, we love you! (more on her bday and 12 month stats in the next post)

Since we were back in Nashville and staying right next to campus, we took the kids through some of our favorite spots...our dorms, campus, my sorority house and of course the Vandy soccer field where Nick and I both have lots of wonderful memories...

Couldn't help snapping this pic, I always forget how beautiful Fall is in Nashville...

We treated Liam to Satco (San Antonio Taco Co.)...yes it might sound silly to go from TX to TN for tex-mex, but I missed this place!

My blue-eyed beauties enjoyed it :)

Sunday afternoon we went to visit the Briens who hosted us for the night before our 6am flight out the next day.  These are truly my first kids as I started babysitting Corinne when she was just 10 months old...here she is just a month shy of her 13th birthday holding my baby!!

Me with all my babies :)

Overall it was an exciting, fun (but exhausting) trip!  We loved seeing all our family and friends and getting to share in Alex and Tippys' big day.  We had the most fun getting to care for Presley.  Liam kept asking for her on our flight home.  I wasn't surprised considering he had tried to pack her in our suitcase at the hotel :)  

Can't wait for the holidays when our family will be all together again!