Mr & Mrs Smith

I did the Instagram Series. But the Chatbook Series is coming soon and looks perfect for grandma or non-Instagram pictures. It's an app that automatically takes photos and puts them in a cute little book for $6, free shipping. If you want an extra copy of that book, just pay $3 for shipping. They printed out great. I've started a collection of 4 books to begin (that's probably removing half of what I've posted to Instagram which is scary). You can remove pictures you don't want included and they ship for free for each new book purchase. 6X6 book; 60 photos each book, you can choose which picture goes on the cover, each page has a picture and you can choose to edit or remove the date, location & captions. The outside spine lists the dates from the first picture to the last. Just splendid! But these are great to keep on a shelf while the kids are young and some as coffee table items when the kids can't ruin them (or if you make one specific for the ki...

  I had that thought come to me as I was heading to bed one night so I wrote it down: "the easiest way to teach is to chastise, but it is probably least effective" - and honestly - I feel like that explains it all. I know I could afford to be a little more positive. I realized it had been awhile since I took Lexi out with my non-phone camera. So here she is in all her glory a month before her 2nd birthday. She is funny, a perfect mix of pearls and nature. And like all 2 year olds, she refused to look at the camera. Honestly, it's hard to stop kissing those cheeks. I just love this little trouble maker so much.  

So life is still going really great except that I want all my things back. You heard me; I'm a materialistic girl. When I want to wear shorts in March, I want the option - instead I'm thinking how they are pilled head deep in boxes, tubs, or wherever my husband packed them (in reality I think they are all still too big for me). I want to take out everything and make a space for it. I love unpacking, minus organizing all the clothes. I just want to move on. I'm not sure how other cultures do it. I know it's a first-world, American problem. I'll salute the flag and demand my own home as part of the American dream. This says nothing on how Grandma Smith governs her home; she allows us to need nothing, but alas I know she wants her home back too. And that's that folks. I told Mr husband that I want my own home for my birthday. I know he wasn't planning on getting me anything else. Can you believe I'll be 27!? d.y.i.n.g because that means Lexi will be T.W.O...

So winter is killing us surely but slowly. For awhile life is peachy, but germs don't keep away forever. Ms Lexi was fussing at 3AM one morning and although it wasn't getting too loud, it wasn't waining. Mr Smith was sleeping through it like usual. I stood in the doorway to give her a few moments, but decided I wouldn't wait until she woke the rest of the house. I walked in and saw her standing, but with her head lying on the side of the packnplay. I picked her up and then quickly realized she reeked of, well, crap. Although now I know it as acidic hamburger & cheese . And I was like oh darn she crapped her pants in the night. And then I saw her pillows in the dark. OH MY FREAK POO IS EVERYWHERE. So then I decided to let Mr Smith sleep no longer. I told him to get up she crapped out while fussing at him not to let her touch anything, but really she just wanted daddy to pick her back up since she was still half asleep. So then she screams because then I realize ...

I felt like we took a detour even if Mr Smith won't admit it, but we're back. We're back to work - and both of us! Who would have thought. It's almost a little too good to be true; I'm still a little superstitious.  I wouldn't have made the same decisions Mr Smith did, but I know he made them with much thought and consideration; like he does with most things. So Mr Strategy had a different plan and it was HARD for me to hop on board. I mean physically, I'm not the one with the career anymore and I move when I have to move, but mentally and emotionally it's not easy trusting someone's decisions which inevitably effect your life. Mr Smith knew my focus was the money. But you know I never wanted to move to Hickory and you know I never intended on living in Provo after 2010. But we did and we are. And I just have to move on whether that involves me just throwing it out the window or pushing it toward some greater plan that has yet been revealed to m...

She will turn two in just a couple of months! Her second year has flown by for me. And they change so much each day it isn't easy to keep up with let alone remember. So here is to remembering how she places her hands on my cheeks and turns my head in the direction she wants me to look. How she loves to be chased and follow Maren around. I love that she is a huggy, kissy, snuggly toddler still. She shares almost as much as she fights for toys.  She is definitely known for her physical stamina, sass & playfulness . She also has great sleeping & eating habits. They say they should know at least 50 words and begin putting together 2-3 word phrases before their 2nd birthday. She seems to be pretty average with her speech, but we thought we would try to list out her every day words to see where she falls (because even in the next 2 months she will grow like crazy, I still can't believe I will have a 2 year old by then!):  First Words mommy. daddy. bye. hi. no....

She had her  first dental appointment  which was not that great. An hour later, we walked away with a tooth brush and some extra germs. Lexi was chill up until they wanted to look into her mouth; it went as well as my fears foretold. She had four adults holding her down for x-rays. She sat in dad's lap for the dental visit, which didn't make it any easier for her, but I guess the dentist got what he needed even when mommy let her have cheerios right before he came to check her out (we had been there for an hour at this point! she was antsy). So he mentioned we should use this prescription toothpaste to wipe on and off her upper molars which appeared sensitive. The x-rays showed her teeth were pretty close together and when he mentioned future orthodontics all I heard was money money money to add some space, which may be a future issue. I'm not sure I can handle cavities AND orthodontia. Why am I already worried about this before her 2nd birthday?? We celebrated...