Mr & Mrs Smith

Soooo I thought I did a baby list of things I loved as a first time mom. But apparently I didn't. I know I emailed a few people but never blogged about it. I know I did a " things I've learned " blog at 7 weeks and I will probably add more "hindsight" points as well. I guess I will skip some of the obvious things like having two kinds of pacifiers. Not caring the crap about nipple confusion. Give them that pacifier or bottle whenever you think it will help! I'm so beyond having every person tell you how you're going to screw up your child for doing this or that. Just love them and don't drop them or shake them even when it's tempting.  #1 multiple pacifier clips . cute ones, because they will wear it with every outfit. #2 I didn't use my Medula pump as much as others have due to the fact that I didn't go back to work BUT I really liked using it during the engorgement phase. that phase you think will never end and you can ...

So I finally realized more of what Google is doing with Google+  You see I use gmail so I basically had this Google+ account I didn't understand. But all my blogs automatically post to it. And same with my YouTube videos. Apparently Google+ is in it's own way, a social network platform. For people who are over Facebook? It's a little confusing And definitely overwhelming.  There is a lot about me out there. Mr Smith agrees and hates this fact because I bring him and our offspring into this. I need it . . . that sense of social connection, but even I feel overexposed just because I can't even keep up with every account that has my name and photo. I don't want to fall behind if I dare to enter into the public world years down the road, but some days I want to turn it all off. Because I'll be the first to admit I'm sharing more than doing some days. Gmail . I have email. For all those professional conversations & spam Facebook . I have 73...

And by we , I mean Lexi. I watched my daughter explore what snow was and it was so cute for the entire 5 minutes that it lasted. Us southerners (oh Mr Smith would kill me) don't really come with snow gear. So after awhile snow trickled in and I don't think Alexis appreciated her hands turning numb. But check out these still shots. If she doesn't see snow for a few more years, we'd be okay with that. At least we can say she has been there and explored that. We plunged in. Crawled about. Ate about. Flicked about. And Cried about. The end. It's very beautiful, but best viewed from the inside out, in my humble opinion.  How it began and ended . . . It kind of went downhill after tasting it . . . I think it was just all too much. Oh wait. I'm not sure how I forgot that the first thing she would do is touch it, then eat it.  I did go get some socks for round two. We had to take a break because, well, we had to forget about the first emotional br...

Mr Smith made me change the picture in the last post. I just want you to understand how he has opinions. He said that was the worst picture of us. While I agree it wasn't awesome, I reminded him how we don't have many and I wonder whose fault that is . . . oh the Smiths . . . Sometimes I read what others write and I'm like BINGO why couldn't I say it like that? Don't we all just love hearing when someone else has been there too? Or just when they say exactly what we mean. I love it. So hear are some posts that did exactly that for me: Life, Inch by Inch I am definitely one who believes in the power of small check lists. As soon as I started making them I felt like a new woman. Still a stay at home mom, but all of a sudden I felt power from accomplishing something, anything . Maybe it's pride that makes us want to jump straight to the big things, but we are struggling humans that need to work our way up and filtering through all the garbage that ne...

Mr Smith and I are not just different, we are opposite: 1. He has to have his head covered when he sleeps; I hate having my head covered / under the blanket. I suddenly feel like I can't breathe. I think he also likes close face contact. Again, I feel like I can't breathe and it gets all musty. I officially think I'm claustrophobic. I still kiss Mr Smith, somehow… 2. Ice-cream does nothing to harm Mr Smith's body even in excess. On the other hand, it just about kills me every time, even just a little. I always end up regretting it. He also always chooses vanilla. I would buy anything but vanilla. 3. Life gets hard and Mr Smith gets quite. Life gets hard and I get loud. {Mr Smith said this doesn't make any sense. He doesn't want it to seem like he becomes passive. That's not what I meant at all. You get it don't you??} 4. I was obsessed with grades in school. Mr Smith could have cared less. 5. I love / need to eat a variety of food. Mr Smith wil...

So the past week I have been testing out the "studio" some with Lexi. It's impossible to get a little babe to sit still once they are mobile! Yes, I should have dressed her up cuter and tried all kinds of angles, but especially when it's just me, it just doesn't happen. There are so many things that go into the perfect shot. And I don't always get my stuff together & Lexi together when the lighting is just right. But because it's Lexi, we can forgive my mother & photographer shortcomings and just see how cute she is.  Even if I didn't actually set up the backdrop . . . These two pictures were shot at the same angle, but you can see how lighting makes a difference! The windows were open on the right, which is why then you see the shadow on the left side of her face. If only my assistant held up the reflector… I prefer the lighting on the right because it's more realistic, everything seems more flat on the left, but there is...

I tried to help those who I knew would not be with me during the actual wedding ceremony understand why that was, but most importantly why I chose to be married in the temple. Although for me, the choice was decided years before. I had to explain that it wasn't our typical meetinghouse/chapel. Temple access is limited. It's not a secret. It's just very sacred. And it's so important to be worthy to enter the House of the Lord. We don't talk about everything outside of temple walls because of the sacred nature & even personal nature, but there isn't anything you can't read about in the scriptures. I was grateful for Mr Smith who prepared me best for entering the temple since he had made those covenants 10 years earlier when he left on his mission. (jeez la-weez 10 years Mr Smith?) He explained the covenants (sacred commitments between God & myself) I would be asked to make&keep. And he told me I was ready, as a worthy, faithful member, I was p...

It just so happens that I have been thinking about some goals. You know, going back to my post about being productive & fulfilling a purpose. Like Biking every other day. { See previous post } I need cardio in my life. I am so pathetic. This year my hope is just to get back into some sort of shape. Maybe next year I'll put a half marathon on the list. And Reading a book each month. I finished Heaven is Here and I'm counting that for January. But I chose a larger book for February so I need a head start. Heaven is Here is a great book that gives you some awesome perspective on life. I love her honesty & humor during such a tragedy. I have been following her blog for quite some time. In a strange way she also inspires me to do cuter things & take more pictures of them. And Studying the scriptures every day. Like I'm going through some Book of Mormon commentary as I begin again with 1 Nephi and I'm even busting out the journal for t...

Sometimes we just wear our pjs all day. But basically we just wear whatever is warm. Those happen to be sweatpants. Both of us wear sweatpants that are a little too big. out of all the toys… I want mom's camera. Oh, am I in the way of you setting up your studio? i just thought i was cute even in my tacky outfit army crawl so, I have a tooth up there . . .

Sometimes I just like to listen to her mumble & babble to herself when she wakes from her morning nap. Today, I actually kept my goal - get on the bike trainer. Instead of lounging around in my "yoga" pants, I put on my bike shorts {yes, I can wear them again} went down to the basement {Mr Smith has it all set up complete with TV} and rode that thing for 30 minutes watching Italian Job {I've probably seen it as much as I've seen Pride & Prejudice}. My goal is every other day {the days I take a shower} Yep, I shower every other day. Cats out of the bag. Mr Smith doesn't love that I shower every other day but he loves that he finally got me back on my bike. I like that we are both trying to do some cardio again. The first 5 minutes on the bike are the longest 5 minutes ever. I hope it gets easier. We'll bring the white board down there to keep track of our stats. Maybe one day I'll make it to a full hour... increase my speed... Or even add yoga ex...

I originally made this to hang on the wall. But then life happened and they just got it as a card. {one day we will buy ink again. we just liked getting it filled at costco} Disclaimer: All of my crafts are pinterest inspired. Also, her feet are skinny so a heart is a stretch.

I'm so tired.  If I wanted to, I could start every blog post like that. I don't know when the dark circles will ever go away, but maybe that's okay. It means even on the hardest, sleepless nights, I have a daughter to comfort & love. It means even with the sometimes frustrating & oversimplified tasks of keeping her stimulated during the day, I have a daughter who wants me & wants to learn & is growing.  I have a daughter.  And even when I poke fun of my fluffy, stretched stomach, evidence of love & selflessness & godliness is ever before me. This is the best gift I could have ever received. The chance to be a mother. {being married to Mr Smith is of course number one} I wanted to say that because I want to overshadow every comment I have ever made about the struggle of motherhood & pregnancy woes. I don't like to bottle up my discontent. I have never been good at keeping my discomfort to myself. I just like reality. Reality is that it...