Mr & Mrs Smith

THIRTY weeks and the sinuses are finally clearing up so I can sleep a little bit better. Grandma Jane let me take some much needed TUMS for my bedside. Most of my pregnancy woes have been related to those two things. Alexis still has her cough, but hopefully all is on the mend for a little while. Including my car, which we just took to the shop because the ignition switch seems to be a bit picky about when it wants to turn on. I refuse to learn stick so I can't drive Mr Smith's car, but he also travels for work so needless to say, feeling trapped at home is not the best feeling, even in winter. We just need more to stimulate our minds and bodies. Between all that and jcp.com botching my online orders, I've been experiencing first world problems this week. However, I did manage the cutest Christmas photo of Lexi so at least that worked out. Let me think of some of miss thangs latest … "Thanks mom, you da best" "What you talkin bout?"...

This Christmas, I'm truly blessed with a wonderful husband, toddler and a baby on the way. I'm so eternally grateful for my family here and afar. I love my Savior; He truly is The Gift. I am so grateful to know He lives, that there is a plan, and that we can return to live with Him and our Heavenly Parents again some day. My warmest wishes to all of our friends and family this fabulous white Christmas morning. I didn't manage a lot of pictures of the holidays…yet. With Lexi and I both being under the weather, we haven't aimed to be photogenic. I had a few traditions I wanted to reach (I'll add photos as I get them):  1. Seeing Santa . We took a quick trip to the mall on the 23rd. She walked up to him, sat on his lap, told him she wanted a trumpet (he tried to also encourage Paw Patrol and I'm all don't push commercialism mall Santa!). The trumpet was pretty random though; I have no idea where that came from, but it sure made dad proud. He got his ou...

I do love this hot chocolate time of year. My favorite thing to do for myself when I was single was get Starbucks mint hot chocolate. If I could fit it in to any date, I tried. Now, the boxed mix works well enough since I can't just sit in a coffee hot spot with my headphones in anymore.  Now the holidays are filled with different pleasures... like watching my toddler get excited about seeing a picture of Santa, talking about the presents under her tree & all her favorite ornaments. Lexi LOVES the snow and no matter how many times I tell her not to put her non-snowboot shoe in the snow, she stomps away.  And did I tell you she is excited to open her presents?  She is also still very excited about being a big sister. She woke up this morning telling me that when the baby comes out of my belly she will hold it and how the baby can play with his toys (we started getting things out and calling them his). Her idea of sharing is to take it from them and give it back to...

I'm beginning to think the post hit count on blogger is a little off. I typically don't pay attention because it's always somewhere around say - 20 - for my average life posts. But just under 200 read what I deemed my most boring post as of yet, the cost of diapers. For one reason or another, it's good to know others care. I have kept my blog mostly focused on Alexis and the pregnancy for the last few months. Admittedly, that is my life, but it doesn't have to be all my life. However, things like Alexis trying to stay quiet in her room so that I don't hear her awake when she should be napping… or the fact that I'm getting overly jealous of anyone who posts about their latest delivery… that is current. Current to my small, small world. And whether I acknowledge it, the rest of the world is frighteningly on the verge of collapse. Some places are collapsing. Most of us have no idea how to really comprehend the struggles of civilians living in the Mi...

Okay, you guys are going to think I'm crazy, but sometimes I just get obsessed with things and then I have to lay it out in an Excel spreadsheet to make sense of my mind-erings. With Cyber Monday and Target $20 gift cards, I get a little excited. If you haven't heard from me yet, I LOVE the gift cards Targets offers on their diapers. I also have a bunch of random brands for Size 1 (currently Pampers Dry, New Generation from Amazon, Walgreens, Target), but after that - I'm Target loyal because it's the easiest way to get them cheap HOWEVER I didn't always get the deals with Lexi because I bought as needed and hoped when I needed they were on sale! So this time around, while the deals fell in the same few weeks, I thought why not stock up and not stress about making sure things are in stock when I need them, because it's UT and diaper deals go fast! Mr Smith and I also like to calculate how much we spend overall on things like this. Quicken tells him what he nee...

Somehow we got lucky with a little bit of Fall end of November. It snowed the next day. I really loved how the photos turned out last year by the lake, but outside of maybe wanting something new, we also needed to avoid the cold winds (much colder / cloudy this year) since this bunch of people can't handle their photo being taken for long even under good circumstances… Aunt Lisa came to fill in for the tripod, which I didn't feel like fooling with this year. And Uncle Troy was here to complete the family! My Christmas gift ^^ {25 weeks}

I know I've mentioned it before, but she has seriously become known for her negotiation skills. Any time I say 1, it's 2. When I say here is 1 vitamin, it is always a request for 1 for each hand.  Just yesterday I told her we had to go to 3 stores. And her immediate response was, "I'll be good and get french fries." - Oh yeah, is that how it works now? Lexi wants another cookie so she says she will share with me - ok mommy? So sweet and manipulative…but mostly brilliant. She felt the baby kick for the first time yesterday and it was pretty cute. She kept putting her ear on my belly and laughing every time he kicked her ear. I think I'm most excited for March so that she will be a big sister. The last two days hold mostly happy memories of me and her, but the day before, I reached my tipping point. We still aren't sure why she seemingly reverted for the day, and truth be told for the last couple months post potty training, she would still h...

The top of my stomach hurts as I sit here to type. I have to sit up straight to be comfortable, yet that isn't comfortable, but my house is silent. SILENT. which must be weird because I keep thinking about how quiet it is. No TV. No Lexi crawling up my leg. No Mr Smith asking me when I'm getting off the computer. No dirty kitchen mocking me. No neighbors. <Just silence> The silence is broken , the heater just turned on. Perhaps a little Thanksgiving indigestion is keeping me awake while my two loves sleep.  For the first time ever I didn't even think about nap time as we headed to my brother's house for the Thanksgiving meal. So when Lexi was getting on my nerves I realized crap, she is tired. And now it seems my loves will be staying up all night since nap time is passing through 6PM. Mr Smith joined her as I pealed apart the leftover turkey meat from the bones.  My parents flew in for the week, so we've been enjoying this holiday with them. This was...

Glucose Update: The following week I took the torture glucose test on an 8 hour fast. The pros, my mom was in town to watch Lexi and it turns out you only have to drink the crap once. The cons, that one drink is TORTURE to swallow. Like my tongue was going numb, throat was burning, I was starting to fly in the clouds, and my insides were curdling. The nurse said some people like it, (whaaaaat????!?!). I mean I was dripping it on my shirt, shaking… it was awful. After they drew some initial blood and I drank the torture, I had to wait around for 3 hours and get my blood drawn every hour, which was also SO painful because there are basically two spots to get my blood. My right arm, where the vein is small and wiggles or my right hand. For some reason my left side is dead. So imagine getting pricked in the same place over and over. Only a skilled nurse can get it in my arm, but I didn't get a skilled nurse the first time. So the second nurse pierces a bruise. Any way, all that to...

I will probably fast next time even though they don't say to the first time around and I will probably not eat skittles the night before. I will most likely do a bit more walking as well. Drinking the glucose wasn't even that bad (get the orange) but it makes you lightheaded for sure. I chugged it in 2 minutes and followed it up with eggs & toast. I went in thinking the best. That I would be completely normal.  Then immediately after the test she told me at 143 I needed to take the 3 hr test and I wanted to die. I thought surely she was kidding, but she wasn't really the kidding type. Because 1. I hate spending extra money 2. I hate thinking my fetus is at risk 3. I hate having to find a sitter, especially for 3 hours 4. I HATE thinking about being in a doctor's office for 3 hours 5. I hate thinking of drinking the "not so terrible drink" THREE more times 5. I hate thinking I have to get my blood drawn THREE more times since that is always sucky fo...

I know I don't take enough video of Lexi because I am going to miss this phase so so much once it is gone.  All her cute sayings are way too enjoyable.  "Mommy, I love it" It may always surprise me how quickly they learn and what they choose to remember. She is in the phase of "what's that called?" and she always responds with "oh, ok" and I just eat it up.  There was that tough phase where she tested limits, and she still will for new things, but she is fairly obedient once scolded the first time, so I feel like she is finally starting to understand that limits keep her safe and everyone happy. She has definitely developed a sense of guilt, for better or worse. I know she wants us to be happy too. Just the threat of a spanking is enough to move her along. Again, for better or worse, but we appreciate that it works… She tells us to be careful in the kitchen or by cars. Sometimes she learns by experience, e.g. she knows no longer to touch the tree...

I'd be okay with not documenting anniversary #4 with a photo or at least we should have kept Lexi to herself. Oh well, we aren't always beautiful, but it was a good evening as a family of three at the Brick Oven. We were finally able to sit through a restaurant meal without having to worry about making sure she stayed there. Mr Smith found all you can eat pizza he enjoyed, so ya know, that was a success. This year was definitely better than our position last year, so I'll give us that. In many ways four years doesn't seem like enough time for how far we have come, but that's what moving several times does to you I guess. It's weird to think about all the places we've lived and friends we've made along the way in four short years. Maybe I will call chapter 4: "change of plans" or "adjustment" as I felt uprooted and we began again somewhere completely different, but I think we've begun to settle and find our place.  I sti...

Our best attempt at a fall photoshoot this year (our backyard with noon sun). Uncle Rand got some good ones of her real smile.  She has been a dream child as of late. We still have the occasional frustration meltdown, but even then she is really good at understanding that she is choosing to be sad or happy. That concept has been great at helping us get through the emotional highs and lows of a 2 year old. She knows the goal is to be happy and that sometimes she is just sad and that's ok too. She is just so loving to everyone and easy going that this next child has some big shoes to fill when it comes to expectations.    BTW - I was just hoping Mr Smith would come out of the shower in time to get a family photo. I did not pick out his outfit so please forgive the auburn overload.   {22 weeks}