Isaac ~ One Month

It's official...Isaac is one month old today! I am just amazed that an entire month has gone by since he was born. I feel like I was just bringing him home yesterday, and I was, but to think that he is "one month old" is just crazy to me!

Isaac has been such a wonderful baby, and I can't put into words how thankful I am for that! Here are some highlights from this past month.

~ He is such a calm baby. He really only cries if he is hungry or if he is in the car. Otherwise, he is so laid back and likes to just chill in my arms and take in everything that is going on around him.
~ He is an AMAZING sleeper! I don't want to brag, but I have to...HE SLEEPS THROUGH THE NIGHT {knock on wood}!!! For the first few weeks that we were home, he seriously slept most of the day and was up for maybe 2 hours, then he would only wake up to be fed once at night and then go back to sleep. Well, he still pretty much sleeps most of the day {he is starting to stay up a little more}, but once I put him down for the night, he is out until 7 in the morning! I am beyond thankful that he is a good sleeper because I need the extra sleep with my crazy days with three kids.
~ He does NOT like his carseat...not one bit! He usually starts to fuss the minute that we put him in his seat, and then once we start going in the car he starts crying really hard...like that really, really sad cry that breaks your heart! It's so sad to listen to! He is starting to sleep a little better in the car, but if he is awake he will let you know that he does not want to be there!
~ He is so loved by Noah and Leah. The first thing that both of them do when they wake up in the morning is ask about baby Isaac and then hunt him down and shower him with hugs and kisses. Isaac tolerates this love to a point, but he'll let them know if he wants his space. Noah is constantly asking to hold him, and we let him, but we definitely have to be there to supervise. He really can't get enough of him. Leah has her moments when she would rather have me hold her instead of Isaac, and I kind of expected this from her before he was born. Don't get me wrong, she definitely loves her little brother, but she still thinks that she's the baby and wants to have mommy's attention, especially when I'm tending to Isaac. Sometimes, when Doug is home, she'll drag Doug over to me if I am holding the baby and tell him "Daddy, you hold Isaac...Mommy hold me!". We can't help but giggle a little when she does this ;).
~ He is very strong and can hold his head up really well without any help. He's still a little wobbly, but there are times that he will hold his head up for a pretty long time and move his head around without crashing forward {or back}.
~ He is growing like a weed! At his 2 week appointment, he gained about 2 pounds and 1 inch. He is also very rolly polly...he has the cutest rolls on his arms and legs!
~ Who does he look like??? This is the golden question! Well, I think he looks like Doug. I see a little of Noah and Leah in him, but he really has his own look. BUT, if Doug is holding him, you can't deny that they look alike!
~ He just started to smile at us this past week and it just warms our hearts every time!
~ He's perfect in every way. He has the most beautiful face and I can't help but just stare at him when he's in my arms. When Noah and Leah are napping, I'll just scoop him up and hold him until they wake up, and all that time I'm just taking in this perfect little angel that has blessed our family. He has made us a family of five, and we couldn't be happier about it!

Needless to say, we are gaga for Isaac and we look forward to the many adventures with this new little angel.


Holding his head up high :).

Handsome boy!

Cute little profile...I think that he looks a bit like Noah here.

Noah loves reading all of his favorite books to Isaac.

He loves tubby time...and check out those rolls!

Noah and Leah lovin' on Isaac.

Happy to sad in an instant...he really doesn't like that carseat!

Chillin' with his brother and sister before bedtime tonight. I still can't believe that these three precious angels are mine...how lucky am I?!?!?

4th of July

Better late then never...

We hope that everyone had a fabulous 4th of July! This is definitely one of my favorite holidays to celebrate...I am so thankful to live in this wonderful and beautiful country! Happy Birthday America!!!

Plus I love dressing the kids up in their 4th of July attire :). Doug and the kids gave me that beautiful flower arrangement for my birthday...I love the red, white, and blue flowers that now make our front porch so beautiful :).

29

We celebrated my birthday last Saturday...29 years old! This is my last year in my 20's and I want to make sure that I make it good!

I had a pretty relaxed birthday this year. We spent the morning with Doug's family at the Smith Family Reunion. We had such a wonderful time playing some great games, making rockets and setting them off {Noah LOVED this!}, making very cute necklaces and bracelets, and socializing with everyone. It was so great to meet some of Doug's cousins that I have never met before...he has such a wonderful family and I am so thankful to now be a part of it :).

After coming home and getting some well deserved naps, we headed up to my parent's house for a BBQ, cake, gifts, and fireworks! My mom and dad gave me a very cool indoor grill {love it!} and a nice variety of perennials for our yard. We planted them this week and I am so excited for them to grow from year to year.

It was a wonderful day and I am so thankful to be where I am at 29...I've been raised by the most wonderful parents, I married my bestest friend, and I am the mother to three AMAZING children. I love my life!!!

Leah made a necklace and bracelet with her name on them and she's been wearing them ever since. Noah just loved making a rocket and setting it off...I think he set his off 10 times, and he was amazed by it every time!

Noah's birthday gift to me was learning to ride his bike without training wheels. More on that later :). Wow...I am still amazed at how hard it is to get a decent picture with the kids. This was the best that I could do.

Doug made some fantastic hamburgers for dinner...YUM!

Isaac pretty much slept the entire evening...he's definitely still in that sleepy newborn stage and I don't mind one bit. I just love snuggling with him while he's asleep in my arms :).

We had a fun little firework show to end the night. I still, to this day, love that we get to set of fireworks on my birthday every year!!

Summer Fun

Since I don't plan taking the kids swimming this summer, seeing that I have a new baby and all, we have been having fun playing in the water in our backyard. THANK GOODNESS we moved and now have a backyard so that we can actually play outside! We also got a pool for the kids to play in and they absolutely love it...they really can't get enough of it! I just love how much Noah and Leah love the water...they are definitely my kiddos :).

Eclipse

I went on a little date last night...by myself...and I enjoyed every second of it!

I had to go...I just had to! So, I got myself a ticket to the 9:30 showing with the hopes that all of the children would be in dreamland. They all slept the entire time...Doug got it so easy!

So, how was it?? It was fabulous! Definitely the best one yet! I love, love, love, LOVED it!!! Go see it!

Blue eyes?

There was a point when I thought that Leah was going to have blue eyes...and then one day they went brown! She really has the most amazing eyes...she's my brown eyed girl :). Well, I'm beginning to wonder the same thing with Isaac. Doug and I swear his eyes are blue right now, and I know that they can still change color, but deep down I kind of hope that they are blue. I guess we'll find out soon enough :).

"Saucey"

This little girl is a character! She is always making us laugh with the things that she says and does. I honestly can't believe some of the stuff that she comes up with and I am always looking forward to what she is going to do/say next. Here's one thing about Leah that we find very amusing in our house...

I few months back, maybe 4 months ago, Leah started to call Noah a name that sounded like "See-os". At this point, she had never called Noah by his name, but she kept calling him this little made up name. Well, as time went by she would ocassionally get a little annoyed with Noah, and when this happened she would call him "Saucey". After a little bit she started calling him "Saucey" all of the time. Noah became aware that this was her new name for him and he did not like it at all...not one bit! He would get annoyed with her and say "Leah, my name is NOAH, NOT SAUCEY." Well, you can imagine how this went over with Leah...she just kept calling him "Saucey", and keNoah pt getting annoyed. Oh, she very well knew that he did NOT like it when she called him this, which gave her more reason to do so! Since then, Doug and I have asked her what brother's name is, and she'll whisper to us "Noah"... so, yes, she is well aware of what his name really is, but she has NO intentions to call him that to his face! I mean, why would she? In fact, I don't think that she has ever called him Noah up until now. And, you want to know the funny thing about this? Noah has gradually come to terms with it and isn't bugged by the fact that Leah calls him "Saucey" anymore...in fact, Doug and I have started to call him that too and he doesn't seem to mind. We have no idea how she came up with it, but it's stuck.

Another funny thing is that she called Isaac "Baby Saucey" when I was pregnant with him. If you asked her what the baby's name was going to be, she would respond with "Baby Saucey". BUT, now she calls him Baby Isaac all of the time...go figure!

I wonder what she'll come up with next?!?!?

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!!!