Just for Laughs

I just thought this was hilarious.

Grady is 1 month old!!!

We made it through the 1st month, and we're doing great! Grady is doing a great job eating, sleeping and pooping, because now he weighs 10lb 14oz and is 21.5 in. It amazes me how fast they grow. That was over 3 lbs and 2.5 inches he gained in just 1 month. I'm so happy that his clothes fit him now. All too soon, I'm sure I'll be packing them again because he's outgrown them. I think I read somewhere that once they reach 11lbs. they're capable of sleeping for 6 straight hours. Somebody needs to tell Grady that, because he still only sleeps for an average of 3 hours in a row at night between feedings. He's really a great baby, and I'm so blessed to have him here.



One of those elusive newborn sleep smiles. I'm glad I caught one on camera.

I'll leave it to you to guess what he is doing in this picture.

Our 1st Trip as a Family of Four

This last week we took our little family up to Moab, UT for my Smith Family Reunion. I worried that I might be crazy taking a two-year-old and a two-week-old on a 10 hour car trip, but they both did surprisingly well in the car. How many 2-week-olds can say they've been to 4 different states? This year's reunion was a little more tame, because we were missing my cousins Jessie and Lauren and their husbands and I had 2 kids to take care of. I'll just tell the story of our trip with pictures.

This year we celebrated my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary. They treated all of us to dinner at a nice restaurant. They are such a good example to me with the way they have lived their lives. They are devoted to each other, active in the community, they take good care of themselves, and have strong testimonies. They take advantage of every opportunity to teach us the things they have learned in their lives.

It made my grandparents so happy to see Grady. He's only their 2nd great-grandchild. They loved tending him. One morning everyone went out river rafting and it was only my grandma, me, and my two little boys at the hotel. I got sick, and my grandma was so wonderful. Even though she's in her 70's, she walked Luke and Grady to McDonalds for a Happy Meal, so I could sleep.

2007

2009

In 2007, when Luke was 2 months old, we were in Moab for another Smith Family Reunion. It was fun to relive everything again with Grady and to take some updated family pictures.

Luke at Sand Dune Arch at 2 months in 2007.

Grady at Sand Dune Arch at 2 weeks.

Reading is very important to my grandparents. They have given me a book for almost every Christmas and birthday growing up. They are continuing that tradition with Luke by trying to instill a love of reading in him already. Close to half of all of Luke's books have been given to him by my grandparents.

My dad got to meet Grady for the 1st time on the trip.

Watching the 4th of July fireworks from the hotel parking lot.

Luke swimming at the hotel pool. My sister Emily is a lifeguard, and she had fun trying to teach him a few things about swimming.



My beautiful little sister Emily. It is really nice to take a picture of someone who'll look at the camera and smile when you ask them too (unlike Luke)!

My beautiful Aunt Trudy. This one's for you Lauren and Jessie!!!

Grady's 1st photo shoot

Check out erinhouseholderphotography.blogspot.com to see some really cute pictures of Grady.
Thanks you Chantel for the photo shoot!

Welcome Baby Grady!!!

Grady Smith Allen was born Friday morning at 9:36am weighing 7lb. 12oz. and was 20in. long.

Here's the story. By about 5 am on Friday I was pretty sure that Grady was going to make his enterance into the world that day, so I tried to sleep more, got ready, and packed up my stuff as well as I could. We got to the hospital around 8:20 am, and all their whole OB wing was full! The nurse could tell I was in a lot of pain, so cleared out the snacks and personal items in the Nurse's Break Room, brought in a gurney from the sugery department and all the other necessary things needed to deliver a baby into the Nurse's Lounge. They checked me and I was already dialated to 8cm! That's when they first told me that there might not be enough time for me to get the epidural I was planning on. I wasn't worried though, because when I got to the hospital with Luke I was an 8 and was still able to get my epidural. They got going on that as fast as they could, but when they checked me again about 20 min. later I was completely dialated and it was time to start pushing ready or not! After about 20-25 min. of pushing, without an epidural, little Grady was born face up in the Nurse's Lounge on a gurney! I'm just grateful that he came fast! Grady's doctor jokingly said that where he was born was about 1 step up from being born in the hospital parking lot!

I've been amazed by how good I've felt and how much faster my recovery has been with this baby than with Luke. With Luke I was pretty much miserable for about 2 weeks. I can think of a lot of factors that probally have made my recovery a lot easier with Grady. I am feeling quite sleep deprived though. Grady's really got his nights and days confused. He won't sleep for longer than 1.5 hours at a time at night, but will go for 3 hours and need to be woken up during the day!I'm hopeful things will get better with sleeping. My mom and Ty have been wonderful and I'm really greatful for all their help. Luke has been funny with his adjustment. At first he wouldn't even aknowledge that the baby was there. He wouldn't pay any attention to the baby, and would ignore any questions asked to him about his baby brother. Now he's starting to take a little more interest in his little brother. His favorite thing is to, not as gently as I'd like, put the pacifier in Grady's mouth to make him happy. Anyways, I'm so happy that Grady's here now. He's already such an important part of my life and our little family.

Grady just a few hours old.

The nice sign they put on my door to keep the nurses from coming in.

Luke's 1st encounter with his little brother. They wouldn't let him in the hospital because of the swine flu.

A rare moment when we first got home!

Happy Father's day to Ty!!!

Random Update

Well, today's my due date and I'm sitting here writing this still pregnant, but I'm trying not to focus on that. I have now spent roughly 1.5 years of my life pregnant and only have one kid to show for it, but like I said, I'm trying not to focus on that. Two of my friends who were pregnant, one due 2 days after me and the other 1 week after me, both had their babies this weekend, but I'm trying not to focus on that. I know I just need to be grateful that I've had a good pregnancy and both the baby and I are healthy, but I just can't help being tired of being pregnant and feeling ready for this baby to come!






Me and my sister-in-laws, Chantel and Sara, all sporting ever expanding bellies. Chantel is due July 27th, and Sara is due August 1st. These little ones are sure to be close cousins!

My Little Princess
I used no coercion to get my son to wear these 2 princess dresses at once. He came up to me and asked me to put them both on him at once. One day he'll probably be embarrassed about this, but for now it's just really really cute (well, Ty doesn't think it's that cute)! Luke just loves playing with his cousins Riley and Cambree!





Notice the shoes!!!

Our Big Project
Ever since we moved in we've wanted to take down the sorry excuse for an awning and put in a real patio. In February we took down the old shabby thing and prepped for the cement. In March the patio and little side walk was poured. In May we took out the window and replaced it with a sliding glass door. A big thanks is owed to Ty's brothers, Chad and Curtis, for all their help with that project. Over the last few weeks the patio roof was finished, and we've been enjoying it ever since! Nothing beats being able to eat dinner outside. There's still a little bit of finish work that still needs to be done. Thanks to my husband for all his hard work and making this happen!






Removal of the window

Mini Photo Shoot

I wanted to take a few pictures of Luke in honor of him being 2. All of these were taken in my in-law's back yard. Here are a few of my favorites.

Horrible Mom!!!

I knew better than to let him try to get out of the bathtub by himself. Both he and the tub were wet and slippery. I saw him falling in my mind an instant before it happened. I reached out to stop it from happening, but I was too late. His face hit the side of the tub with a painful thud and a moment later there was a deafening scream. Now my son is missing a huge hunk out of his front tooth!

Ty's been calling him Chip. Good thing we have a dentist in the family who's offered to fix it for us, so he doesn't have to go through the next 4 years like this.

His black eye from just before his second birthday had just gone away, and I was planning on taking some 2-year-old pictures of him. Oh-well!!!