The Life and Times of Smith

Creature of Habit

2010-03-28T18:04:00.000-07:00

I guess we are all creatures of habit in some way or another. When I used to get ready for work, I did the same thing every morning of every work day. If I needed to leave early I could never wake up early enough to go through my morning routine and some of it would be cut out and hence making for an "off" day.

Since Bugs started sleeping in her own bed at six weeks, we have had a normal bedtime ritual. She eats her dinner, takes a bath if it's bath night, put sleepy time lotion on her and put her into the footie pajamas. Every night since then, we have done this.

I bought her some cute 2 piece pj's that had a cute t-shirt and pants or shorts. Friday I decided to try them out. HUGE MISTAKE!

We went through the ritual, put on the new pj's and since she didn't have a nap that afternoon, I knew she would be out in about T-minus 60 seconds. Boy, was I wrong.

Bugs proceeded to scream and cry for a good 20 minutes. We went in to grab her and get her settled down for bed, again. About 10 minutes later and some serious yawning and eye rubbing we laid her down in bed. She continued to scream and cry and fuss. I waited about 20 minutes before I headed back in there.

Then it hit me....she doesn't like the new pj's. I walked into her room and grabbed the trusty ol' footed pj's and changed her right then and there. I left the room again and less than 5 minutes later, she was completely O-U-T! Not another fuss or muss coming from the monitor.

I should have seen it coming with my little bull-headed Taurus. She loves her routine and she will let you know when something is not right. Won't be trying new pj's anytime soon! I wonder how long this is going to go on and what is the largest size pj's I can buy for her so she can wear them for as long as she needs to! :)

She was probably about 3 months old in this picture of her sleeping peacefully in her pj's!

AHHHHH, 11 MONTHS ALREADY?!?!

2010-03-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

So, Miss Hayley turned 11 months last Tuesday and we bought her.....(in my best Price is Right voice) A NEW CAR!!!! Not really, but it's close enough and it will help her with walking...

She now has two top and two bottom teeth that she proudly displays when she is smiling and makes sure that everyone can see her latest additions. She is pulling up to standing on most of the furniture and we are on our way to cruising. Could she get any cuter? This is her and Jace, my hairdresser's six month old son.

We started swim lessons Wednesday and she hated every minute of it! Seriously, she cried the whole time. Well, 9 more weeks left and maybe she will learn to like it! I tired to get some pics of her in her Bug swim suit, but she protested and then gave in.

Time is flying!

2010-03-06T16:40:00.000-08:00

Here I sit and my baby girl will be a year old in just a short month and a half. WOW a whole year. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me. She is the joy of my life and I don't know where I would be without her. She has 2 teeth now and says "kit kit" for kitty, "bahl" for ball and has come up with the most ridiculous laugh I have ever heard. She can also say "buh" for bye. I am pretty sure she said fish at the doctor's office the other day. Even the pediatrician heard it. We have been to the pediatrician so many times in the last month its ridiculous. I hope we don't have to go again for a while. Hayley first had RSV. Last week she and I had the flu. We also found a lump on her abdomen above her belly button.
We all know how I was diagnosed with lymphoma...a lump. We had an ultrasound performed and it appears to be a mass just under the skin. It's not attached to anything vital so that is good. We have elected to wait until after her 1 year old check up to decide if we want to go ahead with the surgical consult. We most likely will have it removed, but it won't be until May or June. If it starts growing, you can bet we will be at the Doctor ASAP!
She is eating solids like a champ and there isn't much she doesn't like. I have reduced her nursings to 2 times a day and plan on being completely done by her 1st birthday.
She crawls around like crazy and it's hard to keep up sometimes. She is just starting to pull herself up on things and I am sure we will be cruising around in no time, if not just straight up walking. She seems to forget that she needs to hang onto the table and comes tumbling down, but at least she only cries now when it really hurts. She would cry so easy when she first started doing that.
I can't wait for the weather to get nicer so we can go to the zoo and other outdoor activities. She will be taking swim lessons soon and that should be a real blast!
I am seriously going to try and keep this updated more often since I am not working again.

Where is time going?

2010-01-19T07:25:00.000-08:00

The last time I wrote in the blog, it was September and now here we are January 19Th and so much has changed!

Miss Hayley will be 9 months on Saturday and she is growing like a weed! She just started cutting her first tooth and has mastered the rolling around on the floor to get around and starting to master the crawl. She will go a few crawls forward and give up and lay on her stomach and flap her arms like that is going to help her get there faster! It's the cutest thing I have ever seen!

She doesn't go to the doctor until January 25Th, but at her last weigh in at home, she was 21.2 lbs. She is eating like a champ and sleeping like sleeping beauty! She goes to bed about 5pm and wakes up in between 5:30 am and 6:30am. I am convinced that she might look like her dad, but she likes to sleep like her mommy!

She had her first Christmas and Santa brought her a bunch of clothes and some new toys to play with.

Matthew finsished his first marathon this past Sunday, and I couldn't be more proud of him! That was a lot of hard work and dedication and I am really happy to have my husband back.

A day of firsts!

2009-09-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

Today marked the day that Hayley's butt officially EXPLODED! She has only been going to the restroom (#2) once a week and today happened to be the day! I left her with mom to run a few errands and when I came back, I walked into the living room where they usually are and no mom and no Hayley. I then heard Hayley in the back bedroom and thought maybe she was tired and mom tried to lay down with her. Not the case at all! Mom was coming out of the bathroom and Hayley was wrapped in a towel and when I walked into the bathroom, this is what I saw:

Of course, I didn't have a change of clothes for Hayley so she had to hang around in a diaper until her clothes were washed and dried! She took a much needed nap after the whole ordeal to sleep it off!

We also started her on rice cereal today. She is almost 5 months old and I was going to wait until she was 6 months old, but she has decided to wake up between 3 and 4am because she is so hungry. Obviously she is not getting enough mommy milk during the day.

At her 4 month check up she is weighing in at 15lbs. 8oz. and is 24.25 inches long. She is officially a chunk! Here is a picture of her and I taken last Friday:
She is gaining all the weight I have lost. Not to brag, but I am 3lbs. from my pre-pregnancy weight! I lost it all by doing absolutely.....NOTHING!

First Vacation, 4th of July and Hayley's 2 month check up!

2009-07-07T17:03:00.000-07:00

This last week and a half has been a fun ride! We rented a house on the Guadalupe in Center Point, TX and had a blast! Jackie cooked rowdy chicken, my dad smoked a brisket and we couldn't have asked for a better, more relaxing week! This was our first long road trip with the Bugs in tow and it couldn't have gone smoother! Thank goodness for AC! Hayley spend most of her time in the house in her swing, her bed or in someone's arms and loved every minute of it! My brother, Austin, and his friend Samm went toobing down the Guadalupe the day we arrived at the Hightaway house and apparently, Austin thinks that SPF is a band and not skin protection. He came to the house minus 18 beers in a 24-pack and red as a lobster. Matt and Mia decided to hike Enchanted Rock (In 100 degree heat) and Jackie and I sampled some of the wines at Sistercreek Winery while they sweated their butts off! Sounds like we got the better end of that deal. :) If you are ever in the area, check out the winery! They have some of the best Texas wine I have ever tasted!
I think my dad wants to book the house again in September and I am all for it!

July 4th was spent on Lake Palestine at my Uncle Calvin and Aunt Lori's house. We did this last year and I am pretty sure this will be a family affair every year. I wish I could see them more, but every time I hang with them, I need a month to recover! They are party animals and I even went to bed early! I knew I had to get up with Bugs in the middle of the night and I need my sleep! Thanks to my cousin Kari, who pretty much took care of Hayley all weekend! It was much needed Holly time. I just showed up for feedings and to put her to bed. I think that my husband, brother and cousins put on a fireworks show. I saw them in the packages, but my dog decided to disappear during the fireworks and the search was on for Roscoe. I know he is scared of fireworks and I was trying to get to him before they got too bad. We had no idea where he went and we were worried! If you know my dog, he barks at EVERYTHING so we thought he was gone because he wasn't barking. He was hiding in a dark corner of the porch on an AC exhaust and we had half the party looking for him! Apparently, Roscoe is a good swimmer too and we could barely keep him out of the water!

Hayley Bug will be 11 weeks old on Thursday and we went in for her 2 month check up and immunizations yesterday. She officially weighs 12 lbs. and 1 oz. and is 22.5 inches long now! She screamed during her shots, but it didn't last long! The doctor says that she is "perfect" and I really needed him to tell me something I didn't know!

It's Hayley's bed time and I have to provide the milk to get her to bed! Til next time!

XOXOXO
H&M

Hayley turns 2 months!

2009-06-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

For our official 2 month birthday of Hayley, Dad flew in 8 LIVE lobsters from Maine! She slept through most of the eating, but we did manage to get a picture of her with the lobsters in her PJ's before she went to bed!For some reason, we can never seem to catch her looking at the camera! She is smarter than we think!
We still love her though! Look at those chunky thighs! Mom's milk does the baby good! I think she is 12 pounds now. She is double her birth weight!

XOXO
Holly

8 Weeks old!

2009-06-18T17:48:00.000-07:00

Hayley is now 8 weeks old today and will be 2 months officially on Tuesday! She now weighs 11.2 pounds and is growing more each day! We will be taking her on her first family vacation and we can not wait! We are renting a cabin on the Guadalupe River in Kerrville and will be traveling with my parents, brother, his girlfriend, Jackie and Matt's friend Mia! It will be a much needed few days of R&R!

Here is Hayley today:Roscoe has decided that he loves her Boppy and thinks it's his sleeping spot when she is not using it...

She is smiling a whole lot more and this is my attempt to catch it on film!

For Erin Montoya, we got her some strawberry pajamas and I thought of you:

Also, here is Hayley and Preston. Preston is 61 minutes older than her! I think she could take him! She looks like a linebacker next to him!

I am very blessed to have my mom living so close! I also have a wonderful husband who has watched Hayley for me while I get to go out and let my hair down a bit and be me for an hour or two! Thanks guys!

Hope all is well in everyone's world!

Kisses,
Holly

1 Month Old!

2009-05-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

Here we are, a whole month has gone by since Miss Hayley was born! She has been meeting all kinds of relatives lately! Yesterday, we made our first road trip to meet some of the people who love her! We went to Bryan to a BBQ to hang out with family on my mom's side. We also have had her Mimi and Grand-Dad in town and her Uncle Austin came to visit on a surprise trip to my mom!

Hayley and her Mimi:

Hayley and her Cousin Makayla:

Uncle Austin:Great Granny and Great Pa-pa:

2 Weeks and 1 Day old!

2009-05-08T12:58:00.000-07:00

It has been a while, so here is the long and short of it....

After 3 trips to triage thinking it was time to deliver our baby girl, the 4th time was the charm! I went into labor on April 22 about 9pm. I had to wake Matt, my mom and my dad at midnight with the news that it was time to go! I could no longer walk or talk through contractions and this was for sure it! Sure enough, when I got to triage, I was dilated 4cm. They put me in a labor and delivery room and by that time I was already 6cm and the epidural was ordered! At 11:24am on April 23, I delivered my sweet baby Hayley Logan. She weighed 5lbs. 14oz and was 18.75 inches long.

She is now 2 weeks and 1 day old and we had our 2 week check-up yesterday. She now weighs 6lbs. 6.5oz. and is 19.75 inches long. She is already growing too fast!

We had her first photo shoot on Monday and you can see the pics here: http://krisevansphotography.blogspot.com/2009/05/perfect-baby-haley.html

This is probably my favorite picture:

I highly recommend Kris and she is the utmost of professionals! We were there for 3 hours and Hayley didn't fuss or muss. She got hungry once and went right back to the task of looking precious (which isn't hard)!

Tomorrow, Hayley's Mimi is coming to see her for the first time! I can't wait for her to see her!

Sunday, we have a HUGE surprise for my mom. I can't say what it is because she might read the blog and ruin it! Stay tuned.....

Love you all,

Matt, Holly & Hayley

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T14:04:00.000-07:00

Mmmm, green beer. Only 9 more weeks left and I can enjoy an ice cold adult beverage again! Well, give or take a few days or weeks! There is light at the end of this tunnel and I am getting very anxious to meet my little one! Her shower is this weekend and I am looking forward to seeing everyone and eating some yummy cake!

My brother left me yesterday for his trip back to San Diego. I enjoyed the week we got to spend together and I can't wait for June to get here so he can meet his niece when he comes back in town.

I do want to say that this is my first spring break since 2000! It's not that it is that different than next week or the week before, but for the first time in 9 years I am off during the week that we call spring break!

Matt and Austin finally got the office mostly switched to the guest room and we can start to make room for baby stuff! I will hopefully take a picture of it before Mom and I start painting next week. If all goes as planned, Mom will be living in Houston in the next couple of weeks and I couldn't be more excited. I love her and all, but I don't know what I would do if she were to stay a month with me. Now she will have her own place and just be a few minutes down the road and not several hours away. It takes a lot of that first time mom anxiety away!

Hope all is well in everyone's worlds and see you this weekend!

Love,

Matt, Holly & Smithers

28 Weeks

2009-02-27T10:38:00.000-08:00

Here we are, the third and final trimester! It's hard to believe that she will be here in 12 weeks or less! I am still pounding away at school and take my final March 13th. Once that is done, I will be able to concentrate on all things baby!

Before we went on our Mexico vacation, we had a 3D ultrasound taken of our precious girl and here are my favorite pictures:

Also, I never ever thought I would see the day when my tummy was bigger than my dad's! He stayed with us this past week and I just had to get a good picture for my 28 Week belly picture!

In other news, my brother surprised me and is flying in on March 10th to stay with us for a week. I couldn't be happier about this because him and I get very little alone time together and I can't wait to share this experience with him and let him see how she is moving and what it looks and feels like. He will also be able to attend a doctor's appointment with me and see her in action on an ultrasound! It couldn't have worked out more perfectly!

To date, I have gained 27lbs. Yes, I am 3 lbs. away from 130 and I am really happy that I have an excuse because I really don't like all this extra weight otherwise. I think we should all take bets on how long it will take me to get back down to size!

Love you!
Holly, Matt and Smithers

27 Weeks and sunburned!

2009-02-20T05:53:00.000-08:00

Matt and I just got back from Puerto Vallarta and we had an AMAZING time! I wore my bikini the entire time, and yes these are the same bikini's that I work in June on my honeymoon! I received a few comments and a couple of snickers, but there was actually a few people who were expecting as well. I was by far, the largest tummy out there as far as the pregnancy goes. I am in my final week of the second trimester and next week begins the third and final trimester! I can't believe we are already almost done!

Here is my 27 Week belly picture:

26 Weeks

2009-02-10T08:04:00.000-08:00

I now officially have 14 weeks left in this pregnancy! I quit my job on January 30 and I have been home doing mostly school work, but trying to get in gear for nesting! My semester will be over on 03/15 so, I will have plenty of time then to get everything ready. (hopefully!)

To date, I have gained 21 pounds and it's all baby! The movements are very random and interesting now. My tummy will jump and jolt with each movement. I actually found where one of her feet were and would try to grab it and she would move and kick it. It's fun to interact with her and it will be even more fun when she is physically here! She is head down, which is good and I hope that she stays that way.

My friend Shannon thinks that I could run out of room and deliver early. I don't care as long as she is healthy and ready when she comes. I already feel like I am running out of room.

Here is a picture from Jan. 20th. I am about 23 weeks along in this picture.

Matt and I are headed to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Sunday for our last trip as just a married couple. From May on out, it will be family trips and hopefully she will have some overnighters at Grammy's house. :)

Love and hugs to all,

Matt, Holly & Smithers!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T08:05:00.000-08:00

Here we are, 2009! I am so excited for what this year has in store for us!

Matt and I stayed in and grilled bacon wrapped shrimp and king crab legs and boy was it good! Neither one of us made it to midnight, but I did wake up at midnight on the dot and kiss my hubby to bring us good luck this year!

I woke up on New Year morning to Smithers hiccuping and that was my first experience with that! It's an interesting feeling for sure! Here is a pic from Tuesday. I am now 20 weeks along and I am officially 114 lbs.! I have gained 7 lbs. in 4 weeks. According to plan, I am supposed to gain 1 lb. per week. YIKES! I am ready though!

Much love,

Matt, Holly and Smithers!

In case you didn't know....

2008-12-24T08:07:00.000-08:00

It's a GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!! We caved in at the 16 week ultrasound and we just had to know! I am very excited. I kinda knew deep down inside it was a girl, but you never know what God has in store for you. Poor Matt! If she is anything like me, he is in a ton of T-R-O-U-B-L-E!

As of right now, we are undecided on names for our little one, and have a new name about every 3 days so, we will have to meet her before she gets a name.

I am now 19 weeks along and she is moving around like she is taking tae-bo lessons! Sometimes you can see my skin twitch like I am having a muscle spasm and it's her. You really can't feel it from the outside and it seems like when I want to feel it from the outside, she stops! She is playing hard to get already! I have gained about 10lbs. to date and I can feel every inch of it! I am starting to get my pregnancy bump and have officially bought my first maternity shirts. The pants are still too big, so those will have to wait. Maybe my dear husband will let me go to a boutique and buy some 'spensive pants that might actually fit. *fingers crossed*

Today is Christmas Eve and I can't even begin to imagine what next Christmas will be like. I am going to have a 7 month old daughter to teach the joys of Christmas Traditions and share in the wonder and amazement that is Christmas and the birthday of Jesus! I love that Santa will be believed in again! It's going to be great!

To everyone, Merry Christmas and I hope you get all you wish for!

Love and Hugs,

Holly, Matt & Smithers

The Size of an Avacado?!?!

2008-12-02T10:55:00.000-08:00

I am 16 weeks today and I feel better than yesterday. I think I had a bout with a stomach bug that woke me up in the wee hours of the morning with projectile vomiting and other ailments. I feel really sorry for my dear husband. While I was having my bathroom party, our cat, Scout, that Matt has been cat-sitting for 4 years was having his own dinosaur calling party in the floor of our bedroom for the third night in a row. The poor cat is older and has been to the vet now twice for his lack of keeping food down and they still can't figure out what is wrong with him. On top of all of that, there was a loud boom that came from the living room upstairs and since we have a mischievous kitten and we just put our Christmas tree up, I just knew that Cinco had knocked down the tree, luckily it was just the water bottle that we use to spray her with when she is bad, which is all the time!

Back to the 16 weeks thing, my baby is about the size of an avocado (mmmmm avocado) and is growing fast, but not fast enough for my pace. I wish it could be here already. I want to meet him or her. I have an ultrasound this afternoon and we could very well find out the sex of the baby. Matt and I are completely undecided as to whether we want to know or not. I say we flip a coin and keep flipping until we get the right answer ;), but he says we should let the doctor do her thing and if she tells us, then we know. Or if she asks if we want to know, we say no. I like the coin flipping option myself!

I am not positive but I think I have felt the baby move. They say it feels like gas bubbles or fluttering butterflies, but if any of you know me, I can be pretty gassy without being pregnant! It seems to happen when I am laying in bed waiting to fall asleep and its very, very quiet!

I have noticed that I can no longer sleep through anything. (Thanks mom and dad!) I am the girl that slept through a fire alarm in a hotel once. Thank God it was a false alarm or I would have burned to death! I am now awakened about 4 or more times a night at my dog's random barking or him shaking his head and his collar clinging together, completely annoying!

Anyways, I will hopefully be posting ultrasound pics tomorrow.

Lots of love and kisses!

Holly, Matt and "Smithers"