First Week with Isaac

Why does the time go by so quickly? Isaac is one week old...ONE WEEK! I feel like I just had him, and I did, but to think that one week has come and gone...WOW! It makes me realize that I need to truly cherish every precious moment with my sweet children because they grow up so fast. I need to not worry about the little things and focus on what is really important, because before I know it they will be all grown up!

So, back to what I was saying...Isaac is one week old. Our first week at home was so much easier then I ever imagined. I have had a wonderful recovery and I feel like I am back to my normal self, which is such a wonderful feeling! Doug took this entire week off of work and we were SO grateful, not to mention happy, to have him home as we adjusted to being a family of five. Noah and Leah have been incredibly lovable towards Isaac and they cannot stop giving him hugs and kisses, which is just so precious. I was a little worried to see how Noah would handle having Isaac home, but I had nothing to worry about because he couldn't be more happy to have a little brother. Leah has been a little more clingy to both Doug and I over the past week, which I expected. She has also become very mommy-like to her little "Dolly" and has been carrying her around so much more then she has in the past. It's very sweet to watch :).

Now, Isaac has been an amazing baby! He sleeps most of the day, eats really well, sleeps well at night, and is VERY content when he is awake. The only times that he has really cried was when we gave him his first bath and when he is starving and I just can't give him what he wants fast enough. Other then that, he's been so, so good, and I hope that he keeps it up! My favorite part about this past week has been just cradling him in my arms and staring at his beautiful face and just taking it all in. I am now a mother to three amazing children...I can not describe the love that I have for each of them. It's amazing how the love for your children continues to grow and grow each and every day. The power of love truly is an amazing thing!

Some other things that we have noticed about Isaac are:
~ He gets the hiccups all of the time, just like when he was in my belly.
~ He is such a good little eater. I've had such an easy time nursing him, which is just wonderful for me :). I just love having that bonding time with him!
~ He definitely values his sleep...it amazes me how much sleep he can squeeze in in one day. I'll admit that I'm a bit jealous! He almost always sleeps in my arms and I just love cuddling up to him and watching him as he has sweet little dreams.
~ He is not at all phased by the loudness in our house, which consists of Noah and Leah running around screaming, crying, giggling, etc... He must be used to it from when I was pregnant with him!
~ He does not like sponge bathes at all! I was incredibly happy when his cord fell off so that I could give him a real bath, which he just loved! He actually almost fell asleep...he was that relaxed!
~ He is perfect in every way and we just can't get enough of him!

Needless to say, we are beyond happy to have this new bundle of joy in our family. He already has each of us wrapped around his little finger :). I so look forward to watching him grow and become the person that he is meant to be.

Isaac's first nap at home...with daddy :).

So beautiful!
After his first bath...he wasn't very happy at all, but he calmed down as soon as we wrapped him up in his towel.

Me and my babes.

All ready for bed.

Proud brother and sister...they really can't get enough of this little guy!

I love this picture...Isaac is being held by Noah and I just love how Noah is embracing him. So sweet!

He's Here!!!

Isaac Samuel Smith

June 18, 2010

9:58 p.m.

8 pounds 2 ounces

20 1/2 inches long

I am SO happy that Isaac is finally here! It seems like just yesterday I was announcing that we were pregnant with baby #3...and now he's here for us to hold and love. He has been such a wonderful addition to our family and we couldn't be more thankful to have him.

Isaac's delivery was incredibly fast, although it was quite painful! I was set to be induced in the morning, but due to the room availability at the hospital, I wasn't able to go in until 7:00 that evening. Doug and I knew that the labor was going to go quickly once my water broke, since that is how it was with Noah and Leah. My doctor came in and broke my water at 8:30 p.m. and promised that I would get my epidural very soon. Within minutes of him breaking my water I started to feel contractions...it wasn't gradual at all. They hit so hard and I did not expect to feel so much pain so fast. The doctor came and gave me my epidural 10 minutes later and by that time I was in so much pain that I couldn't even think...TEN MINUTES!!! Once it was in, I felt my right leg to numb, but nothing on my left side, and the pain was only getting worse. I turned on my left side to see if it would help, but nothing happened. I seriously thought that I was about to die...the pain was THAT bad! Around 9:30 I felt so much pressure and thought that the baby was going to come right then. My nurse checked me and I was ready to deliver this baby...and guess what? My doctor was at another hospital delivering another baby!! SO, they called the doctor on call and he came a runnin'. Now, I am still in SO much pain at this time and the doctor finally came in and gave me a dose of some miracle drug that finally numbed my left side...HALLELUJAH! I was finally able to take a breath at this point and just wait for my doctor. He got there around 9:50, got prepped, and then during one contraction he was born...at 9:58 p.m.! As soon as he was born, my doctor said "Well, you're not pregnant any more" and I was so happy to hear that. This pregnancy has been a bit more uncomfortable for me, so I was beyond thrilled to know that Isaac was here and that I could finally be comfortable again! My hospital stay was short and sweet...they let me go home early on my second day, which was Father's Day! I was so happy to leave that hospital room and come home and begin our new life as a family of FIVE! Life is good...that's for sure!

Our last family picture as a family of four.
39 weeks pregnant, and my last day of being pregnant with this little guy!
One of the first pictures of Isaac.
When Noah and Leah were first born, they were both taken to the nursery within minutes of being born {they both had breathing issues that needed to be evaluated}. Isaac had nothing wrong with him and I was so thankful for that! He was able to stay with Doug and I as soon as he was born and I just loved it when they put him on my chest so that I could cuddle up with him. It was such an amazing feeling to finally hold this precious little baby...I had been waiting so long! When Noah first came to the hospital, he was so excited, but he did not want to hold Isaac quite yet. We, of course, didn't pressure him at all and told him that he could just let us know when he was ready. I love the look on his face in this picture...he was so happy to have a baby brother!
Later that evening, Noah was ready to hold his little brother. My two little boys...I love how happy Noah is in this picture. He's had this cute little grin on his face every time that sees Isaac...it's precious!
Leah had no interest in holding the baby, but she definitely loved kissing him over and over.
Doug is definitely a proud daddy! He is so sweet with Isaac, just as he is with Noah and Leah. I'm so excited to see the bond that they develop :).

Cute profile.

I love this picture...he is so beautiful!

OK...words can not describe how much I love this picture. Noah insisted on coming to the hospital when we brought Isaac home, and I'm so glad that he did. I just love how Doug is embracing his two little boys...so amazing!

Ready to go home!

one more day...

I remember when I was days away from having Leah and I was having all of these emotions to how Noah was going to be affected by the new addtion to the family. I was so incredibly nervous to how he was going to act towards Leah and my greatest worry was that he was going to feel like he was going to be replaced {which deep down I know wasn't true, but I couldn't help but think it}. So, I was an emotional wreck...I cried, a lot! I had spent the first 2 years of Noah's life giving him all of my attention, and now this new little girl was going to come into our lives and I had NO idea how Noah was going to handle it, or how I was going to handle it. Well, the day came that Leah was born and ALL of the worries that I had were completely unnecessary! Noah took to Leah so well...he became her little protector and he never tried to do anything to her that would harm her in any way {another worry that I had}. He loved her unconditionally from day one. And now, 2 years later, he still loves her unconditionally. Yes, they have their moments, but they can not be without the other. It is as if they are one...they are always together playing, eating, relaxing, being silly, etc... It really is a wonderful thing for a mother to watch, to see her children love each other the way that Noah and Leah do.

So, here I am today, one day away from adding yet another precious child to our family. I have been a little emotional lately {I am not going to lie}, experiencing some of the same feelings that I had when Leah was born. I can't help but wonder how Noah and Leah are going to react to this little boy. But, this time, it is so much easier to push those worries away and think more about how wonderful our family is going to be with this new addition. Noah "gets it" this time around...he is constantly kissing my belly, asking me questions about his new brother, telling me that he is going to help me take care of him, etc... He has matured so much and I KNOW that he is going to be an amazing help to me, and I look forward to that. And Leah, well, I really can't see her having any hard feelings towards her new brother. She is so motherly already and I really think that she is going to be amazing towards him. I really look forward to seeing how she reacts to the baby, and I know that she is just going to be showering him with hugs and kisses and loving on him, a lot!

More than anything, I'm worried for myself! How am I going to take care of 3 kids?!?! How am I going to give them all the attention that they need? I mean, THREE is a big number! Doug and I are about to be outnumbered! But, again, I am pushing those worries away and am realizing that everything will just work out the way that it is supposed to. Doug and I will just have to take it one day at a time, and I know that some of the days to come are going to be challenging, but I can't help but know that each of those days are going to be SO rewarding!

So, here we go! Tomorrow is the BIG day and I can't wait to meet this little guy who has been kicking me for the past 9 months. I feel like I already know him, but I just can't wait to see his precious little face and hold him in my arms. I know that Doug feels the same way and I am beyond excited to see him hold his second son in his arms. Tomorrow will definitely be a GOOD day!

I just have to add these cute pictures that I took of Noah and Leah the other day. Boy, oh boy, are they cute! Words can't describe how much I love them...they truly are amazing!

Daddy's Little Helper

I have a feeling that Noah will be right behind Doug whenever he mows the lawn for quite some time.

"C is for Cookie..."

...and it's good enough for Leah! Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum!!!

GOAL!!!

Noah made his first goal ever during his third soccer game. He was SO pleased, and oh so very happy about his great accomplishment! Here is the play by play...

Making sure that he knows that he is going the right direction {very important!}.

Getting ready to attack.
He gets the ball, and he's off!

GOAL!!!

So happy after his accomplishment! Go Noah!!!

May...

So, I blinked my eyes and it was June! What happened to May??? It just slipped right past me, which is not a good thing. I thought I would share some random pictures from May, you know, just to catch up :).

When the weather was nice, we spent our time outside, mostly blowing bubbles!
I really can't emphasize how much these two love to read. I mean, look at them, sitting side by side, each with a book in hand. Too cute!
Noah's so excited for summer and SWIMMING, that he pretends our tub is a pool!

This boy gets me through the day...I just love him to pieces.

And this girl keeps Noah and I, and Doug for that matter, on our toes each and every day. She makes life pretty interesting...you know, with her 10 outfit changes everyday, constant changing of shoes, "I want this and that" attitude, etc...

Sleeping Beauty {yep, she still sleeps through the night and takes 3 to 4 hour naps, and I just love her for it!}

Seriously, WHY do I buy toys when they would rather just play in boxes?? Talk about HOURS of entertainment!

Busy, Busy, BUSY!!!

Life in the Smith household has been CRAZY busy the past month. I looked at the blog today and felt that it needed some sort of post, seeing that it's been so long since my last one.

Well, the BIG news is that we moved! Everything has happened so fast, but the good news is that we are completely moved into our new home and we are LOVING it. I love having a yard to pretty up, Doug loves the built on basketball standard, and the kids just love having room to play (inside and out!!). We're beyond happy and are loving spending our evenings outside and meeting all of our new, and wonderful, neighbors. It's been a great transition for everyone. We are pretty much unpacked on the main floor, which is just what I wanted before the baby comes. Things are all lined up and I think that I can safely say that we are 'ready' for this little guy to make his arrival!

We are finally getting the Internet on Monday, so I'll probably be putting up a lot of post because I have taken so many pictures and have so many cute stories to share. No pictures in this post, as I'm doing this all from my phone :). So, more to come on Monday :).

Noah's FIRST Soccer Game

Noah had his very first soccer game earlier this month. He, and all of the other players on his team, were a bit confused on exactly what they needed to do, but they had a fun time, and that's what it's all about. Good thing that they don't keep score, because the other team creamed us. BUT, the fun news is that Noah made the very first goal!!! I was so excited to see him score that goal! Good times!

34 Weeks!

I can't believe that we are on the final stretch with this pregnancy! I went to the doctor last week and I am going to be induced on June 18, which means I really only have 5 WEEKS LEFT! I have learned that 5 weeks is nothing when it comes to pregnancy, so I'm getting a little nervous on how fast the next few weeks are going to fly by!

But, the thing is, is that Doug and I are getting SO excited to meet this little guy...to see who he is and what he looks like. Oh my, I just love that first moment when you see your baby for the first time...I'm looking forward to that! I know that it's going to be amazing for both of us!

I am also getting very excited to have my body back...I seriously feel like my body has been taken over this time around. I know that it's all worth it, but I'm just getting so tired of: gaining weight at lightning speed, heartburn, sore ribs {oh my, this is the worst!}, constantly looking and feeling tired, going to the bathroom every 10 minutes!, waddling from side to side and getting teased by Doug for it {it's true, babe}, having Braxton Hicks contractions every 15 minutes {or less, sometimes}, not being able to get up off the floor after playing with the kids, etc... The list really does go on, but I'll stop there. Really, I do know that all of this stuff is just part of the deal when it comes to pregnancy, but I'm so thankful to almost be done and have this little guy out for everyone to see!

The other thing that scares me a bit is that I am NOT ready, at all. I haven't got the clothes ready, the car seat ready, bought the diapers and all the other little odds and ends that you need when you have a baby. Oh my, the next 5 weeks really are going to fly by because I really have SO much to do! Plus I wanted to get his baby blanket completely done...we'll see if that happens.

The one thing that I do know for sure is that Noah and Leah are so ready to meet their baby brother. Noah is constantly asking me questions about the baby and how he can help when he comes home. He is really going to be such a great big brother {again}! I'm excited because when we brought Leah home he was so oblivious to the entire situation, and with this baby he has grown up so much and is aware of what is going on and the changes that are going to take place in our family. I'm really excited to see how he really is when we bring him home. Leah...well...I don't think that she really understands what's going on. Although, she does come and kiss my belly constantly and says "hi baby" to my belly, BUT, she the same thing to Doug's belly, which makes him feel really special, so, ya, I don't think she gets it. She is very nurturing when it comes to other babies and she loves taking care of her little babies, so I guess we'll have to just wait and see how she reacts when we bring her little brother home from the hospital. It'll be interesting, that's for sure!

So, there's my update on this pregnancy and here's to just 5 more weeks before we meet this little angel {and, NO, he does not have a name yet!}.

Here I am at 34 weeks in all my pregnancy glory...

He Did It!

Doug graduated this past Friday with his MBA from the University of Utah!

He has worked SO hard the past two years and I am SO proud of him and this amazing accomplishment! I am beyond excited that he is finally done and that we can now have him home with the family from here on out.

The graduation commencement was wonderful and the kids were decent. Thank goodness we had lots of family there to distract them and keep them occupied. After the commencement, both of our families went to Buca di Beppo (yum!) to celebrate Doug and this great milestone in his life. We had a wonderful time spending time with the family and enjoying one anothers company. It really was a wonderful day!

Doug ~ I really am so proud of you and I knew that you could do it! You are so amazing and the children and I are so lucky to have you! You are amazing husband and daddy and we can't wait to start this new chapter in our lives...minus homework :). Love you!

Here are some pictures from the big day...

Ryan giving Uncle Doug a high five! We were really so happy!
Our family...it took a lot of effort to get this shot! Oh boy!
Doug and his cute parents.
Doug and his cute sisters, Kristen and Alli.
Doug and my cute mom.

Love this picture! Here are the boys at dinner and Noah couldn't stop playing this snowboarding game on Doug's phone...too funny!