tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18496399801794730452024-03-19T17:59:45.221-05:00THIS IS THE LIFEMike, Allison, and the boys!Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-89256707686951251242016-10-14T11:24:00.000-05:002016-10-14T11:24:19.365-05:00Parker Jack Turns ONE! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have no idea how our sweet Parks turned ONE in July. It seems like he should till be our tiny little baby. Between him, his brothers, and the first quarter of school I am just now finding the time to write about his birthday. <br />
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We decided to have a carnival theme for his party. His Daddy did a great job helping me decorate and made the cutest food for the party. He wrapped up cheeseburgers like you'd get at the circus, made corn dogs, and even popcorn. Parker loved eating little bits of his burger! <br />
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The Big Top! </div>
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Number One cake</div>
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Yummy food that Daddy made. </div>
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Parker did great with his cake! He enjoyed smashing it and just kept trying to suck the icing off. He was not happy when we took it away. He amazed us at how much he was really into everything. His brothers didn't seem to love their first birthday parties as much. Parker didn't fuss, get tired, or complain about a thing. I think he was just so happy to have everyone he loves all together! <br />
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He even opened his own gifts really well. Everyone loved spoiling this precious guy! <br />
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Parker is just the most amazing little person. Since his first birthday he finally has some teeth. All four came in right together. He's been working on his fifth tooth this week. He started walking just a few weeks after his birthday. Now he runs everywhere! He loves to play ball, and wants everyone to read to him all day long. He keeps Nana and Pawpaw busy during the week with his love of books and trying to climb on everything! We could not be more honored that God gave us this beautiful little man to complete our family! Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-18098717410149798582015-09-05T12:43:00.001-05:002015-09-05T12:43:34.148-05:00Parker Jack Smith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Parker Jack Smith</div>
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July 29, 2015 </div>
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7lbs. 5 oz.</div>
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19 inches long</div>
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I went for a check-up on Monday, July 27th (Mike took off work early to come with me) and I was really not dilated to anything at all. My cervix is so damaged that it makes it hard to check and a few weeks earlier the doctor thought I was a 1-2. The doctor joked that we knew I had an opening to my cervix since I'd had other kids, but otherwise we wouldn't be sure. I couldn't believe I was already 38 weeks along. I had never carried a baby that far! The doctor scheduled our induction to be on Friday, which was Mike's birthday. I spent the next day thinking of everything I needed to get done and made lots of plans of things to do on Wednesday and Thursday.<br />
But...on Wednesday morning I woke up just before 7:00. The boys weren't up yet, so I decided to try to go back to sleep. At 7:05 I felt a strange feeling and my water broke all of a sudden! It was so weird because it didn't happen that way with the boys and I'd given up hope it would this time. I ran to the bathroom and immediately called Mike. He had just gotten to the Springdale exit headed to work. I told him I wasn't hurting and we probably had plenty of time. He told me he may have driven just a little fast to get home though :) Then I called Mike's mom and my Mom to see who could get to me the fastest to be with the boys. It turned out that Mike got here so fast that my parents just headed to the hospital and Nikki came to stay with the boys. I showered, put make-up on, and gathered up a few last minute things. I came out to the livingroom to find Josey and Gavin snuggled up in the recliner waiting for me. I told them we were having a baby and they started screaming and cheering. Super sweet moment! Mike arrived and installed the carseat really quick. We headed to the hospital and it was a pretty interesting ride to say the least. I figured we had plenty of time, but got worried when a few contractions hit. When we got there Dad and Mike got me a wheelchair to get me inside. We got all checked in and I was dilated to about a 4. The doctor came in and said if I didn't start laboring on my own he would give me Pitocin at 11:00. Sure enough no contractions really, so they started inducing around 11:30. Candra and Alicia were in Butler, Missouri at our cousin's house, so when they got the call they left and made the trip home in about 2 and a half hours, exciting road trip for them! At about 1:20 I was starting to get more uncomfortable and the baby's heartrate started dropping with the contractions. It was scary because I was worried about baby boy. By 2:30 they had me on oxygen and inserted an internal monitor to watch the baby more closely. I knew he would be fine, but I was definitely more nervous than I had been in my previous deliveries. At 3:00 I was in a ton of pain but only dilated to a 7. My cervix wasn't wanting to dilate through the scar tissue. So painful! I abandoned my plan for a natural birth like I had with Josey and Gavin and asked for an epidural after the nurse checked me and tried to loosen the scar tissue...worst pain in my life probably! Getting the epidural was awful because I was already in so much pain. My doctor had to head over to Mercy hospital for a c-section and told us he'd be back in a hour and a half. I didn't think he would make it back! The epidural worked for about an hour or so then I was in extreme pain again...no idea why it didn't work! I may as well have not even had one because I was in just as much pain as natural childbirth. I just kept asking why I was feeling everything and what went wrong?! At 4:50pm I knew the baby was coming any minute and asked to push. The nurse let me push a little, but then told me to try to stop pushing. That's almost impossible! At 5:03 Dr. S ran in the door and tried to get gowned up. Everyone was helping him scramble to get his shoe covers on and he nearly fell over. Pretty funny after the fact :-) As the doctor put on his gloves I said I had no choice but to push. He said "go ahead" and sweet baby boy came right on out at 5:06 pm! So glad our doctor made it in time. He delivered all of our boys and has taken wonderful care of me for the last 8 years, so special. <br />
The first thing I thought was that the baby was so tiny. I expected him to be bigger since I was 38 weeks and 6 days along. I also thought he was such a beautiful baby. Perfectly shaped head and just adorable! Mike and I were instantly in love of course! Mom and Laura stayed for the delivery and it was so great to have them by my side as well as Mike. Of course Mike was an amazing coach and kept me as calm as possible. He helped me to focus on the baby and gave me strength when I thought I just couldn't do it. I just held the baby and nursed him until all of our family came in to meet him. Such a joyous and special time!<br />
We debated his name and finally decided on Parker Jack Smith around 11 pm that night. Everyone had left, so we text them to tell them his name. We had been tossing around the name Parker for a few months and Jack was my Dad's great-grandpa's name. I think it is perfect! <br />
We are just so thankful for this sweet baby boy. I had to go through a lot of hurdles and discomfort during the pregnancy just like with Gavin, but it was all worth it because we were given this precious miracle. We love you Parker Jack!Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-70527384515634879382015-07-02T19:38:00.000-05:002015-07-02T19:38:34.111-05:0035 Weeks Along! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our family and friends threw us a wonderful baby shower this past weekend! It was so fun to celebrate our new little guy. I have slowly started checking things off my to-do list this week. The doctor put me on modified bedrest at 33 weeks along, so I have to take it easy but I am still getting up to cook for the boys, etc. I'm glad it is summer vacation and I am not missing work to be on bedrest. <br />
Today we finally made it to the day we have waited for, the cerclage removal. It was more difficult to remove this one and it was pretty painful at some points. It only took about ten minutes to get it out though, and I survived :-) My cervix dilated to about a 1 right when he removed the stitches. Baby boy measured 37 weeks, so he may be on the bigger side. We hope we can keep him put for a few more weeks. I delivered both the boys during the 37th week, so hoping we can make it that far. We are so thankful for all the well-wishes and prayers from our family and friends! <br />
<br />Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-7926890074290179002015-03-21T09:32:00.003-05:002015-03-23T18:57:04.275-05:00Baby Boy #6!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> We had a check-up scheduled for February 26th and I wondered if maybe we would find out what we were having. With the other boys we didn't find out until our big scan at 20 weeks along, so being only 17 weeks I wasn't sure if we'd find out. When we got to the appointment they asked if we would like to find out, so we went ahead. It only took about a minute and a half to see that we were expecting another baby boy! The doctor didn't have to tell me, it was more than obvious. We were fully expecting to hear this, so it was no surprise to us. My immediate thoughts were: YAY another sweet baby boy to cuddle, I'm always going to be the only girl in the house, and how in the world are we going to feed three teenage boys someday?! We are just beyond thrilled to be expecting another precious boy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> We pulled together a quick gender reveal party for a week later and it was perfect. We didn't tell Josey and Gavin so they could find out in a fun way. Josey popped a balloon filled with blue confetti and we sprayed the boys with blue silly string. It was fun to watch their excitement and see everyone else's reactions. The theme was sweet cupcake or stud muffin. We had tons of desserts to celebrate our little stud muffin. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Naming him will be quite the challenge though! We have used our 10 favorite boy names with the other boys, so we are running low on ideas. I'm betting he will be nameless for a while, just like Gavin was for his first six hours of life. We definitely want to have him safely in our arms before we name him, so we've got some time. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> I am now 20 weeks along and we are just taking it one day at a time. Some days I am more uncomfortable than others and just have to really listen to my body. I tend to overdo it and end up hurting later. I can't wait to see baby boy next Thursday at our anatomy scan. Can't wait to get a glimpse of his sweet little face! </span>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-51468412806203162022015-01-11T11:23:00.002-06:002015-01-11T11:29:29.795-06:00Baby Smith #6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Gavin has officially joined Josey in the big brother club! Josey was so excited to pass the "big brother" shirt down for Gavin to wear.<br />
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Mike and I had a few conversations during the summer about whether or not we would try to have more children. We were so thankful after I delivered our healthy, rainbow baby Gavin. We really didn't talk much about it after he was born, but when he turned two I really started wondering if we were done. We love our little guys so much and couldn't think of a reason why we wouldn't want another one. Even back when we married at 18 and 19 years-old, I always pictured us with a house full of children. Only two problems were keeping us from jumping right in. Did we want to struggle through months or years of fertility treatments again? Could we handle the worry of another high risk pregnancy with required surgery? We had never prevented pregnancy after Gavin and in the back of my mind I hoped maybe it would "just happen." In August we decided that we would just go ahead and contact my doctor and see what he thought. He ended up prescribing me the medicine over the phone and I started it that same day. I took Femara, the same drug that we use to conceive Gavin. The first month was awful. The cycle failed and I had a lot of bleeding and the most awful cramps I have ever had (that's saying a lot with everything I've put my body through). I was hesitant to even start a second cycle. We did and yet again we did not get pregnant. I figured ok, two failed cycles hopefully only about 8-12more failed attempts and we will be pregnant. I started the third cycle and about 14 days in I started bleeding and had awful pains. We were unable to finish the "trying" days for that cycle. I took a test on day 28, the day before Thanksgiving and it was negative. I didn't even bother to tell Mike it was negative and he actually text me later saying he had hoped it was good news since I hadn't told him it was negative. I thought it was sweet that he was hoping for a positive just as much as me. I was busy baking that day and then we celebrated Thanksgiving Day with our families. The next day I just had this impulse to test again. We went shopping and I picked up a test. I came home and decided to take it really quick before dinner. I could not believe it when the incredibly faint line appeared. I didn't even think of a cute way to tell Mike, I just yelled for him to come see if he could see the line too. We decided it was definitely positive. Of course I cried and Mike just hugged me. We were again so very excited but our usual fear was also there. I tested a few days later and it was definitely positive. We decided not to tell anyone until we had an ultrasound. We usually tell our families, but since I had so many complications with the cycle we wanted to wait. We went in on December 22nd and saw one healthy baby on ultrasound! What an amazing day! We wrapped up the ultrasound picture and gave it to our parents to announce on Christmas Day.<br />
We are still amazed that it only took three cycles to get pregnant this time. Many have asked if it was a surprise baby. I like to think of it as a planned surprise. We never imagined we would be on this journey again so soon. The baby is due on August 6, 2015. The due date is just seven days earlier than Gavin's so I feel good knowing the timeline for everything. Will the baby be born on Johnny's birthday July 20th, Gavin's July 25th, Mike's July 31st, or even Jaxsen and Asher's on August 5th? Most likely we will have another July baby! I've never carried past 37 weeks, so we will just have to see. I have surgery on January 28th to have the cerclage placed to ensure I can safely carry the baby. I'm hoping for no bedrest until the end of the pregnancy after school gets out. It worked out great with Gavin, so we are just praying for the same outcome. I am so thankful for this amazing blessing we have been given. I am staying positive and getting very excited to hear a heartbeat in a few weeks! I just can't wait to start feeling baby kicks again and to hold another sweet baby in my arms this summer. Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-77185206516489700242013-12-09T23:35:00.002-06:002013-12-09T23:35:43.038-06:00Josey Goes to KindergartenI can't believe that it is December and I am just now writing about Josey starting kindergarten. I think this has been the busiest few months we've ever had! August seems like so long ago! I wanted to write some things down so that I will always remember when my sweet little guy started school.<br />
It is so awesome to have Josey at school with me. I love seeing him randomly throughout the day :)<br />
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Here he is on the first day of school. He was so excited and absolutely adorable! <br />
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I have so many fun memories about his first semester of kindergarten. Here are just a few things I don't want to forget.<br />
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1. The way he was so confident going to school the first day. He didn't cry or seem sad at all. I had a few tears, but Mike dropped him off since I had to be in my classroom at the same time. I did a pretend drop off before Mike took him so I could get a picture of him with his teacher and get to be involved to some extent.<br />
2. The way he smiled when I went to check on him at lunch that first day. Just precious!<br />
3. How excited he was to get to be a car rider the first time Nana came and picked him up because I had a meeting.<br />
4. He figured out after a few weeks that there was run-walk in the morning so he started begging to get to school early so he could run a lap. Early isn't my strong suit, so he has only done it a few times, but he loves it!<br />
5. I started coaching Girls on the Run every Tuesday and Thursday after school, so Josey also had a lot of fun running the track after school and hanging out with the girls. They kind of adopted him like a little mascot. <br />
6. After school he would sit in the car rider line and wait for me to come get him. After a few weeks I let him go out to walker duty with me. My favorite thing was how he would run in every day for weeks and hide somewhere in the library from me. It was adorable and the librarian and library aide would play along :) He would giggle so loud when I "found" him! <br />
7. Josey and another teacher's little boy will follow the janitor around sweeping after him. So cute! <br />
8. I will always remember how much he needed a hug from Mommy after school when he had a rough day. He has struggled with getting his work done and has been impulsive. He got down on himself for a while, which was hard to see. He has really improved since then though and I think he is going to be a great little student :)<br />
9. I love how excited he gets to read new words and count as high as he can. He is really loving learning new things! <br />
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Josey also started playing Upward Football, so that kept us pretty busy. He had practice every Thursday night and a game on Saturday. He really improved by the last game and finally pulled an opponents flag at the last game. He was so proud....so were Mommy and Daddy!<br />
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Here is our little flag football player after his very first game. It was definitely adorable watching 5-year-old play football! It was crazy how well they played by the end of the season. </div>
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Mommy and her big boy on picture day! Love this kid so much!!</div>
Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-43808883462490800522013-04-18T17:47:00.002-05:002013-04-18T18:06:32.451-05:00Josey's birth storyI can't believe Josey will be FIVE tomorrow! I realized I had never blogged his birth story and I want to have it written out just like Gavin's. My mom kept an awesome journal for each of our five boys' births, so I borrowed it today in case I forgot any of the details! Thanks Mom!<br />
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On April 18, 2008 I worked all day teaching second grade at Salem Lutheran School in Springdale, Arkansas. I had been dilated to a 5 for a week, but I just had to finish the week and make it through CPR training Friday afternoon. During the training I was contracting a bit and was really out of breath. One of my friends offered to drive me home, but I was ok and made it home safely. Mike brought Subway home for dinner. I was contracting pretty regularly, but I guess since it was my first baby and my due date was still three full weeks away I wasn't sure if we should go in :) I made Mike install the carseat and I finished up a couple of other things. I wanted to clean the house and vacuum (so everything would be perfect!) but it was pretty obvious that Josey was on his way! It was the most uneventful trip to the hospital ever, not dramatic or exciting like we had expected, ha! We decided to stop by Walmart so Mike could get a few things. I remember thinking as I walked very slowly toward the checkout "Oh wow, I'm really uncomfortable. I think this is really happening!" We got to the hospital and they checked me. The nurse didn't really say anything so I asked if we would be staying. She laughed and said "We normally don't send people home when they are 6 centimeters dilated!" I called family at about 11:00 pm and told them we were going to be parents! My mom, Laura, Mike's mom, and Deb showed up and hung out while I waited for something to happen. I continued to dilate without any real pain at all. Dr. Schmitz came in at 2:05 and broke my water. The pain became intense in about 30 minutes. Crazy back pain! I didn't have any pain medicine AT ALL! I was really set on delivering naturally. Less than 20 minutes of pushing and I delivered our beautiful miracle boy, Josey Alexander Smith on April 19, 2008 at 3:52 am!! He was 7 pounds 1 ounce and 19 inches long with a head full of hair. I remember just looking at him in disbelief. He was beautiful and perfect. Mike said his first thought was that he was relieved he really was a boy, haha! <br />
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It seems like just yesterday, and a lifetime ago at the same time. I have said before that April 19, 2008 was the day when I knew why I was on this Earth. It was the day I became a Mommy. Josey has been with us for the best and worst moments of our lives. He truly saved me when we lost Johnny, Jaxsen, and Asher. Some days I was so grief stricken that I could hardly stand, but one look at my sweet Josey and I knew I could go on. He has completely had my heart from the first moment I felt him move in my tummy. I am so proud of the big boy he has become. He is loving, smart, hilarious, goofy, sweet, and amazing! Seeing him become a big brother to Gavin this last year has been wonderful. He loves his baby brother more than anything. He is gentle, patient, and kind eventhough it has been a huge adjustment after four years of being our one and only. Bubba- Mommy loves you to the moon and back! I am so proud to be your Mommy! Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-29176316091287460522013-02-16T16:51:00.000-06:002013-02-16T16:51:00.777-06:00Gavin is six months old!?Gavin turned six months old and I just can't believe it! He loves to sit in his exersaucer, jump in his jumperoo, and is trying to crawl already! He can get up on all fours and rock back and forth. Of course he usually ends up going backward instead of toward whatever he is trying to get. It is crazy how fast he went from playing on his blanket and rolling around to all of a sudden army crawling all over the livingroom. It was strange when I walked back in the room the other day and he was nowhere to be found! He was all the way across the room trying to get one of his toys. I panicked and moved all of Josey's toys out of the livingroom. I hate to "kick" Josey out, but his toys have such little parts to them. Everything Gavin touches goes straight into his mouth instantly, so we can't risk any tiny toys being where he can get them. Gavin LOVES his big brother and wants to do everything Josey is doing. Sometimes he just stretches his arms out and babbles, begging Josey to let him join in. Josey is so kind and gentle with him. He can make Gavin laugh harder than anyone. I love when I catch them in a sweet moment together and they don't know I'm watching or listening. <br />
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Gavin has started eating baby food. He loves sweet potatoes and carrots....peas and green beans not so much. He is totally opposite of Josey because greens were his favorite. We haven't started any fruits or juices yet. Just taking it slow and making sure most of his calories come from milk at this point. He is so interested in our food though. Gavin weighs about 18 pounds and is 26 inches long. He is such a chubby little guy. The happiest baby ever! People are always stopping me to tell me how cute and happy he is. Last night a waitress that wasn't even serving us came over to see him because she thought he was so cute. Gavin just loves to snuggle with Mommy and Daddy too! I love that! Sometimes when I'm at work I just think about his sweet snuggles and it make me smile...and miss him a ton! He has been saying Dadda for a few weeks, but I think I heard a Momma in there a few times :) This little guy has just added so much to our lives in only six months! <br />
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Sweet six-month-old!<br />
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Sitting up like a big boy!</div>
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Best buds!</div>
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Eating carrots for the first time!</div>
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Brothers on Valentine's Day! Gavin had a ganster lean going on :)</div>
Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-29368509047027757672012-12-31T13:57:00.002-06:002013-01-01T13:59:39.065-06:00Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
What an amazing year! Like every other year, there were ups and downs. Really, really high "ups" and really, really low "downs".</div>
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2012 started on <strong>JANUARY</strong> first with this picture I posted to Facebook with the caption "5 champagnes and 1 apple juice!" We were so excited and nervous to announce we were expecting another baby! In <strong>FEBRUARY,</strong> I had the cerclage procedure to keep baby in safely. A few complications afterwards and a lot of days of "taking it easy" for the remainder of the pregnancy.</div>
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In <strong>MARCH,</strong> we announced on my birthday that we were expecting another little boy!</div>
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In <strong>APRIL</strong>, Josey turned 4 years-old!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNLMPkHyRFVNhyphenhypheniKSg9CHAOf7epPsjdswXOooVgL0MlIpk0ZsrnUmedS6pBQLgQZaa7RljMZ3eYQcGbpi4XBGtP8bHERO7fl2G9DXDkg8tRjRKLFFiz_5qjfggYiJUTQSW1SY_ghCpx-H/s1600/014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNLMPkHyRFVNhyphenhypheniKSg9CHAOf7epPsjdswXOooVgL0MlIpk0ZsrnUmedS6pBQLgQZaa7RljMZ3eYQcGbpi4XBGtP8bHERO7fl2G9DXDkg8tRjRKLFFiz_5qjfggYiJUTQSW1SY_ghCpx-H/s320/014.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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In <strong>MAY</strong>, our world was turned upside down when Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. This picture is from the night she found out. All five of us girls sat at Mom and Dad's house for hours that night trying to wrap our heads around the news. </div>
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In <strong>JUNE</strong>, Mom had her lump removed and prepared to start chemo. I took it incredibly easy and prayed for Gavin to stay put as long as possible. We had baby showers, wedding showers, and awesome birthday parties!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj6H_kRIEixlWfWXtSYcCux8kM4sk1D6B2r5CZ8UzFI2sMS76dNnH-pAvlVK3KH-MLGvXNcmEWFwBxnS-lAqs6UDysay0C8YQypcWdScbX0bb62ewZZNCyNRJonEfuKNZnJWmp3d-oCY7U/s1600/wedding+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj6H_kRIEixlWfWXtSYcCux8kM4sk1D6B2r5CZ8UzFI2sMS76dNnH-pAvlVK3KH-MLGvXNcmEWFwBxnS-lAqs6UDysay0C8YQypcWdScbX0bb62ewZZNCyNRJonEfuKNZnJWmp3d-oCY7U/s1600/wedding+pic.jpg" /></a></div>
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Mike and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary on June 29th!!</div>
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In <strong>JULY</strong>, Josey finally got his baby brother! Our family was blessed with a tiny little miracle baby. Gavin Michael Smith came screaming into the world on July 25 and has blessed our family beyond words. Thank you Lord for this child. </div>
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In <strong>AUGUST</strong>, our family gained another new member when Erin married Tommy Reed! Such an amazing day and beginning to a wonderful life for two people we love so dearly!</div>
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In <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong>, I went back to work and Josey started going to full-time preschool at Salem Lutheran. Gavin started going to daycare. I can honestly say I barely remember the month of September at all. Insanely busy! Being back in the classroom after 18 weeks off and being a Mommy of two took a while to get the hang of :)</div>
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In <strong>OCTOBER</strong>, we walked as a family in support of Mom and all women who have or will ever fight breast cancer. What an awesome day that was!</div>
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Of course we also celebrated Halloween with the two most adorable garden gnomes you've ever seen!</div>
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In <strong>NOVEMBER</strong>, we gathered together to give thanks for all we have been blessed with this year. Our family is thankful for those blessings both big and small.</div>
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In <strong>DECEMBER</strong>, we celebrated Jesus' birthday with the two most adorable boys in the world. </div>
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As we look forward to 2013, I am excited for what the future holds. I can't wait to see what adventures our family will have this year. I am excited to see Josey turn 5 years old and for he and Tielyr to start kindergarten. To watch Gavin grow, learn, and develop each day. To hear new songs from Mike's band and hopefully see them perform! To watch as my Mom finishes radiation and regains her strength. To enjoy all the ways are family is certain to be blessed this year. And to simply live in the moment...enjoying each day to the fullest. </div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Happy New Year and may God Bless all our family and friends!</strong></span></div>
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Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-70143071533640932302012-12-31T12:03:00.000-06:002012-12-31T12:03:12.662-06:00Christmas 2012We had a wonderful Christmas this year! Having a four-year-old and a 5-month old made it so fun. Josey was really into all the activities and traditions this year. It was great to see Christmas time through his eyes. <br />
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On Christmas Eve we decorated cookies for Santa.</div>
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An answer to our prayers. Josey has a brother to share special memories with. They love eachother so much!</div>
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Santa was good to us this year!</div>
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Exhausted after all that opening :)</div>
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I never would have imagined how into opening gifts Gavin would be at only five months old. I guess he couldn't let big brother have all the fun!</div>
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The loves of my life. I am beyond blessed to have these amazing guys in my life.</div>
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Gavin turned 5 months old on Christmas day! Unbelievable that he is that old already. </div>
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All of our family came over to our house on Christmas day to celebrate. We ate, opened gifts, and had a wonderful time together. As if the day wasn't great enough, it ended with my Mom giving Gavin his bottle. She hadn't been able to hold him in quite a while for fear that he would make her sick since he has been battling an ear infection with an unkown cause for two months. She is done with chemo now and felt safe to snuggle him. What a Christmas miracle this picture shows. The two people that fought so hard this year to be with us on Christmas day. What Mom didn't see was me in the kitchen behind her crying as I cleaned up. Our amazing family is blessed beyond words. </div>
Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-19074049260639483702012-11-23T23:21:00.003-06:002012-11-23T23:21:41.377-06:00Thanksgving 2012So much to be thankful for this year. Our family has been on a crazy roller coaster for nearly three years now it seems. Two Thanksgivings ago, I had to excuse myself from the table during Laura's famous prayer because I was crying so hard I couldn't breathe. I could barely handle celebrating any holiday just three months after my three angel boys went to Heaven, let alone one in which I was suppose to be thankful for anything. My grief was still so fresh and painful at that point it was unreal. We were also mourning the loss of Mike's job (career) and our nearly four months of both being off work that year. Last year, things for us were better, but my older sister had been fired from her job and her husband had some scary legal issues (he was later cleared of any wrongdoing!) so the prayer again was a tearjerker. What I didn't know last year at Thanksgiving was that God had already been working on a miracle in our lives. Gavin was nothing more than a tiny notion in my body that day, but we found out three short weeks later that he in fact was with us for that dinner! <br />
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This year as Laura stood to read the prayer (the tiny packages of Kleenex had already been passed out) once again there wasn't a dry eye in the house. This year we have become closer as a family. When Mom was diagosed with breast cancer in May 2012 we were all shaken to our core. As we sat at Mom and Dad's house that Thursday evening, we decided that we would all come together and this cancer stood no chance. We never dreamed how God's power would carry Mom through this. With prayer, the support of friends and family, and a big leap of faith, she will complete her last Chemo treatment on Monday. Radiation will follow and she is sure to soar through it as well. We gave thanks to God for being with her on this journey. The prayer continued with thanks to God for watching over Gavin and I as he grew stronger everyday and came screaming into this world on July 25th. A blessing that two years ago I wouldn't have even thought possible. Next, came a prayer of safety for Mike's brother Randy. He was sentenced to many years in jail a few months ago, something that has been very difficult to handle for Mike, his Mom, and the rest of our family. It is unimaginable to know that someone you love did break a law (no one was hurt) and was sentenced so much more harshly than we expected. Our hearts ached to know that one of us was not sitting at that table this year. <br />
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Our family has been through a lot. We are choosing to give thanks to God for our blessings and allow him to heal our hurt. <br />
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In no particular order really, here are just a few of my things to be thankful for:<br />
-My husband, who is my rock.<br />
-My son, Josey, who is the most amazing, caring, funny, four-year-old.<br />
-My son, Johnny, who I remember as my tiniest miracle.<br />
-My son, Jaxsen, who I remember to have looked so very much like his oldest brother Josey.<br />
-My son, Asher, who had a look of calmness and serenity about him that I will never forget.<br />
-My son, Gavin, who reminded me of a joy that a mother only experiences when she holds her child for the first time. A joy I did not know I would ever feel again. The weight of him in my arms, the way he looks at me as he cries, they way he rubs my face to calm himself down as I hold him close, and the way my heart aches when I am not with him are all blessings I am thankful for. <br />
-My Mom, who is fighting each day to be with us. So proud to be her daughter.<br />
-My Daddy, has shown a strength greater than any husband should have to. He has also shown his daughters the way a man should love his wife. I sleep ok at night because I know he is the only one that could care for Mom they way she needs to be cared for. Proud to be his daughter.<br />
-My Mother-in-law, who is the most selfless woman. She helps me in ways I don't even know to ask for. Proud to be her daughter. <br />
-My sisters, who are my confidants, my life-long best friends, and the ones who know me best.<br />
-My nieces, and brother in-laws. I am blessed beyond measure to have them in my life.<br />
-My career. I get to teach young children about not only education, but life, love, and friendship as well. I learn just as much from them as I teach them.<br />
-God, who gave this all to me.<br />
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Highlights from this year's Thanksgiving!<br />
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Pie Day! Don't give Nana your germs! :)</div>
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Our littlest turkey!</div>
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What? There's a turkey on my booty?!</div>
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Thank you Lord for these sweet brothers!</div>
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Gansta noodle making? Thanks for the laugh Tinley :)</div>
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Gavin loves Pawpaw.</div>
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Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-69557412639142308392012-11-23T22:15:00.005-06:002012-11-23T22:18:10.051-06:00Erin and Tommy's WeddingErin and Tommy were married on August 18, 2012. So excited to finally have the wedding portraits to share! It was a wonderful day watching my baby sister agree to spend the rest of her life with the perfect man for her. We were surrounded by our wonderful family and friends to celebrate this special time. Sweet baby Gavin was only three weeks old, so it was a crazy time as well. Definitely a weekend full of amazing memories. So glad this time was documented with great photographs, so we will always remember. Ok, well maybe I won't want to remember the pictures of me, but I keep reminding myself I had a baby three weeks before :) I shall use them as motivation! I will let the pictures tell most of the story for this awesome day. So proud and happy for you Mr. and Mrs. Reed! <br />
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Erin's side of the family!</div>
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I do. Me too!</div>
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Bridesmaids and Groomsmaid</div>
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Stunning Bride!!</div>
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Possibly my favorite picture of the day. Wedding magazine?!</div>
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Posing like the Bridesmaid movie cover lol.</div>
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Let's just say someone in this picutre may or may not have coughed up a bug!</div>
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Josey made the catch!</div>
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So special. Nana helping Josey with his flower. He was thrilled :)</div>
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Praying for a blessed marriage.</div>
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Love this picture with Erin. Her nephews love her so much!</div>
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Our family of four in the photo booth. We were exhausted and a mess at this point!</div>
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Thank you to Erin and Tommy for letting us be a part of their special day. Everything was just perfect. I know they will share a lifetime of happiness and love together. </div>
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May God bless their marriage!</div>
Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-87546454754973896812012-11-03T20:35:00.002-05:002012-11-03T20:35:27.934-05:00Halloween 2012We had a wonderful first Halloween with our two boys! We watched the movie Gnomeo and Juliette the night we brought Gavin home from the hospital and Josey decided right then that he would be the "bad" red gnome and Gavin needed to be the blue Gnomeo. I figured he forgot about it and he decided to be a doctor with a scary pumpkin face mask, funny choice I know. We went to get things for Gavin to be Gnomeo and Josey insisted that he had to be a gnome too if Gavin was going to be, so with a few days to spare I began making two gnome costumes. I think they turned out alright, although putting the beard on Gavin only lasted a few minutes. Fuzzy stuff everywhere on him! We did the Goblin parade downtown like always and it was fun! Then we stopped off at Grandma's church trunk-or-treat. Then off to trick-or-treat with cousins. It was a nice evening and of course we got WAY more candy than anyone could ever eat! Can't wait until next year when Gavin will be old enough to walk around too :)<br />
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Tybalt, the red garden gnome, getting into character.<br />
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Learning that it isn't always easy to get two boys to smile for a picture. </div>
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Gavin cracked me up in this one!</div>
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Josey and Daddy loved scaring people with the chainsaw :) Not sure that cousin Taryn loved it!</div>
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Definitely a successful Halloween!</div>
Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-88512360395892064702012-10-01T20:26:00.000-05:002012-10-01T20:26:34.848-05:00Gavin is two months old?!Gavin had his two month checkup and weighed in at 10 pounds 4 ounces, which is in the 29th percentile. His height was 20 1/2 inches putting him in the 10th percentile. I am pretty sure my baby must have been switched or something :) Josey has always been in the 80th or above for his height. With my Dad being 6 feet 7 inches tall and Mike and I both being tall, it is kind of funny that one of our kids would ever see the 10th percentile. I know he will catch up, he is just taking his time :) He is still fitting into newborn clothes but finally a few 0-3 months. He is starting to smile and make some cute little noises. The doctor was actually concerned about his hearing because he is so calm that loud noises don't disturb him. Everything seems to be ok though, he is just a super laid back boy! Just like his big brother. <br />
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After getting home from his check-up and shots...but still a happy, smiley boy! <br />
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The boys started daycare/preschool when I went back to work on September 24th. The first week was hard...on me! They are adjusting just fine. Josey is having some wonderful experiences and doesn't seem to mind that he is away from family ALL day for the first time ever. He is full of stories everyday! Gavin seems to be well taken care of, so I am getting used to him being a daycare baby. Nana is hard at work beating breast cancer, so she may be able to watch Gavin after a few months if she feels up to it. We all miss going to Nana and Pawpaw's everyday. So thankful for the four years they watched Josey! Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-83707097580872720502012-10-01T20:08:00.004-05:002012-10-01T20:08:43.440-05:00Branson vacation The weekend of September 15th we decided to take the boys to Branson for a couple of days before I went back to work. It was cold and rainy all weekend, but we had a great, restful time. I will let the pictures tell the story :)<br />
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We ate at an "ok" restaurant just because it had a huge chicken in front of it. Josey was super excited!<br />
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We had Krispy Kreme for breakfast. Our first time to take Daddy there with us! <br />
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After dodging the rain at the Branson Landing we had lunch at Joe's Crab Shack. Josey and Daddy loved the crab legs :)<br />
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Josey won lots of tickets playing all sorts of games. <br />
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Absolutely wonderful weekend away with my precious boys. This picture just makes my heart swell with happiness and love. What a wonderful little family we have been blessed with. Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-86979983267436063002012-09-06T20:00:00.000-05:002012-09-06T20:00:33.234-05:00Gavin is six weeks old!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" hea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXG63rLdpzpHm2Zeszk3H7CMCR7ADeI_gjAgf_XUCK8mMAl_VUecqrV9FdNl1_k9hyW-ZW8O9sJstN4p_PoQwkynHn6N0YjrxiggAfJfQT3w3BhyphenhyphenPnQ58nWFoAMcz-BRXa7FytAG0Wv9Cn/s320/Gavin+sleeping.jpg" width="239" /></div>
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Gavin is six weeks old already! Can't believe it. He is such a good baby. He eats about every three hours and is a pretty good sleeper. The last few days he has wanted to be held more often, but usually he loves his swing and is pretty content wherever he is. He is becoming so much more alert, it so exciting to interact with him! Josey loves his brother so much. He is always helping me with him. He loves to talk to his baby brother, sing to him, and always tells me when the baby "needs" something. It is so amazingly sweet to see them together. My dream for so long has been for Josey to have a sibling, somedays it is unreal that he actually does. I love both my boys so much!</div>
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I had my six week checkup today and everything went well. We definitely want to keep the option of having more kids, so I won't be having any corrective procedures at this point. I should be able to carry another baby. I will just have to go through the same surgery and obstacles as I did with Gavin. After we are done having kids I will have to have a hysterectomy and corrective surgery done to fix all the damage to my uterus and pelvic muscles. Although it sounds crazy to even think about enduring another pregancy at this point, I still feel young and don't want to rule it out. Who knows...maybe we will be blessed again someday :) Right now we are so happy and excited to have our beautiful little family. We are soaking up every minute of this phase. Something about knowing what a miracle Gavin is really helps me to get through the middle of the night feedings, crying spells, and exhausted days. I probably look ridiculous sitting up at 2am just smiling at my sweet baby, but I just can't help it. My heart is full of so much joy. I wish these sweet moments could last forever. </div>
Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-60901925958312416172012-07-28T18:14:00.001-05:002012-07-28T18:14:47.528-05:00Gavin Michael Smith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Finally our family of four!<br />
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Terrible picture of me, but here was how it felt to hold him finally. Pure joy and relief.<br />
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Rockstar is an understatement. He fought so hard to be with us! </div>
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Our beautiful little blessing is finally here! Gavin Michael Smith was born on July 25, 2012 at 3:35pm weighing 7lbs. 2oz. and 18 inches long. Here's the delivery story...I went to my checkup on Tuesday morning, July 24. I was just feeling kind of "off" that day. I was so excited to know that I was dilated to a 4 and a half or so. I thought I may not be progressing at all because I really wasn't having many contractions. The doctor said if I didn't have him in the next few days we would most likely deliver him the following Monday. I came home and began having some contractions the rest of the day. I wan't uncomfortable and the contractions were just hit or miss, no pattern. The doctor told me to make sure I didn't wait too long to come in because my cervix was very soft and he thought it would happen quick when labor started. I absolutely hated trying to decide if I should go in or just go to bed. We sat around and debated going in until about 9:00 pm. I was cleaning, packing, and organizing things while I tried to decide what to do. Finally, we decided we may as well go in and get checked. We took Josey to Laura's house and I was contracting about every 10 minutes. When we got to the hospital they put me on the monitor and my contractions promptly slowed down to maybe two an hour or so. I figured they would just send us home, but of course with my history and being dilated to a four already it was a tricky call. They decided to keep us and just wait until my doctor came on at 7:00am to see what he wanted to do. They checked me at one point and said I was for sure dilated to 5. My doctor got in touch around 6am and of course said to admit me. He came in around 8:15am and I was dilated to a 7. Still in no pain and only contracting every once in a while. My family came to be with us and we just hung out all day until the doctor got done with all his surgeries at about 1:45. It was his surgery day and he didn't want to miss the delivery, so he didn't want to break my water until he could be there. Love our doctor, so we were totally fine with this! I was dilated to an 8 and the nurses and doctor kinda laughed about the fact that I was an 8 and in no pain at all and really just kind of bored waiting all day to get things going. One nurse commented that it was funny that I was contracting every 42 minutes and still dilating on my own. Just my weird pain tolerance thing and my strange cervix I guess. So at 1:50pm the doctor broke my water and started me on pitocin to strengthen the contractions. I went from total boredom and no pain to full on labor in about 15 minutes!! Wow, it was crazy! I was contracting about every 3-4 minutes and in serious pain. The nurse came in to check me and said I was dilated to a 9 but the scar on my cervix was stopping me from being complete. Something we knew might happen with all the damage and the cerclage procedure. She said something like ok, maybe 20 or 30 more minutes. I looked at her like she was crazy, I knew he was ready to come out! She walked out of the room and the next contraction I needed to push. They called her back in and thank goodness the doctor came in right behind her eventhough the nurse hadn't paged him yet. She said he is a mind-reader. I pushed with the first contraction then it seemed like a full minute I didn't have another contraction. The doctor didn't even sit down and we were all just kind of looking at eachother. Another contraction came and on the second push our miracle baby came right out! I couldn't believe it, less than 5 minutes from ok let's push to he's here! So after only 1 hour and 45 minutes of actual discomfort I delivered a healthy baby boy! I am so thankful for such an easy delivery. Although the contractions were seriously painful, I didn't suffer long at all. I wanted to have him naturally just like Josey, so I was overjoyed I did it without pain medicine. The nurse said "oh wow, you did that after having pitocin and no epidural?!" Pretty sure she thought I was crazy. I just remember thinking "thank you God for this baby" when he came out. He screamed for about 10 minutes non-stop. My mom said he was literally crying before he was all the way out. The nurse kept calling him "Rowdy" so Daddy has decided that's his permanent knickname! I spent the next few minutes nursing him and just in disbelief that he was finally here with us. Our family got to come in and see him before he went to the nursery for a little bit. He passed all his tests with flying colors. Words simply cannot describe what it is like to have him with us finally. A few times during labor I thought of the triplets and how I know they are watching over their little brother. Laura said Gavin's birthday is special because Johnny was born on July 20th and Jaxsen and Asher on August 5th. So put them together and July 25th is symbolic. I like that! We were busy of course the next few hours and kept debating his name. Finally at 9:20 we decided that Gavin Michael was perfect. I was insistent on Michael because who better to be named after than the most amazing man on Earth, his Daddy :) I don't even know what else to say about our little man. He is a gift. He is perfect. He is ours. Love him more than words. Thank you Lord. </div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-24096461841900797922012-07-19T18:16:00.000-05:002012-07-19T18:20:43.107-05:00Miserably happy :)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We had our 36 week check-up today. I have been extremely uncomfortable since the stitches came out last week. Like unable to walk to the bathroom without wanting to cry kinda pain. I haven't had many contractions, but thought surely with that discomfort something was progressing. Everytime the baby moves or stretches out I get a sharp pain in my cervix. Apparently this is all just from the scar tissue because I am still dilated to a 1! The doctor put me on the monitor and the baby had a great heartbeat and I showed no contractions at all. I was shocked when he said I was still a 1 but that's just because all along I thought we wouldn't get this far. I can't believe I am now anxiously awaiting his arrival instead of praying for him not to come early :) I feel silly because I thought for sure we might have a baby by this weekend and I was getting really excited. I go back on Tuesday to have an ultrasound to check baby's growth and to have another check-up. I think he is probably huge! If I make it to Tuesday I will be one day further than I was when I delivered Josey at 37 weeks. I was dilated to a 5 with Josey by 36 weeks, so we never got to the point of waiting impatiently for him to come. I am thankful to be this far, but definitely excited to meet this precious little guy!!Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-35003820045274772952012-07-15T18:49:00.001-05:002012-07-15T18:49:42.809-05:00Baby boy's nursery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Baby boy's nursery is amazingly finished before he arrives! We started from nothing two weeks ago and it has come together nicely. Thanks to Mike, my mom, my mom-in-law, and my sisters for all the help. I love it!!</div>
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Mike painted the ceiling a light gray and the walls are a bright lime green! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Still working on things for the changing station...</div>
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Mom made the bumpers, bedskirt, and added fabric to the curtain. I made the black fitted crib sheet.Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-13651052696373827692012-07-10T21:20:00.001-05:002012-07-10T21:20:10.982-05:00Any day now...Today was the big day we've been waiting for since December when we found out we were expecting. The day the cerclage would be removed...the day we could breathe easier. It is such an awesome feeling to know that we "made it." The procedure was pretty painful, but I survived :) Right now I am at home recovering with quite a bit of cramping but that is to be expected. My cervix instantly dilated to about 1cm. I am actually surprised it wasn't more. I have a lot of scar tissue from everything my cervix has been through but the doctor feels that I should still be able to dilate fully and have a natural delivery. Although I am really uncomfortable tonight, I am hoping tomorrow will be better and baby boy will stay in for a few more weeks. I delivered Josey at 37 weeks so it would be great to make it to that point. I will go back to the doctor next Thursday if everything goes well between now and then. We are so thankful for all the prayers, texts, and messages that we have received. Can't wait to share this little guy with all our amazing friends and family! Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-12540436565493023912012-07-08T19:29:00.002-05:002012-07-08T19:31:06.701-05:0035 weeks along and so thankful!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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8 months along!!</div>
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I can't believe it is down to one day until the stitch removal. On Tuesday morning the doctor will hopefully remove them in the office. He said most of the time he can do that without going to the hospital to do so. I have heard that it is extremely painful, but I'm thinking I will be able to handle it. Mike is taking the day off to go with me, so that will make me feel so much better having him there. At this point I have no idea what to expect. Should I take the "hospital stay" bag with me? Will I go straight to the hospital in labor after the removal? Will the doctor want me to stay on bedrest? Will they try to stop contractions with more shots? Will baby boy stay in for a few more weeks? Today I started thinking maybe I am rushing to get everything ready by Tuesday and he may not come for several more days or weeks. But then I realized that either way he will be here no later than a few weeks, so it has to be done. The room is coming together great. Mike's mom, my mom, my sisters, and my nieces have been so much help! Yesterday we organized the closet and washed a lot of the baby clothes. Mike did an awesome job painting the nursery a bright green! He still has to finish hanging the border up, but I think it is going to be really cute. We still have to move the crib into the room and I want to sew a few more things. Hopefully, I will post some pictures of the finished nursery in a few days! Right now we need prayers for an easy procedure Tuesday, and a healthy baby that is born when the time is right for him. Thanks to everyone for all the help and concern, we are soooo close!!Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-24713018291446393552012-06-27T20:34:00.002-05:002012-06-27T20:34:41.155-05:0033 weeks and counting...Yesterday I went for my routine check-up at 33 weeks. The doctor wanted to monitor the baby as I have been having some contractions and discomfort. Baby boy's heartbeat looked great on the monitor, but I was showing several contractions and signs of an irritable uterus over the 30 minute observation. Much to my disappointment the doctor came in and said I needed to go to the hospital for some further observation and shots to stop the contractions. With the cerclage (stitched cervix) in place he does not want my uterus to be contracting or irritated at all at this point. Of course I was scared because obviously we do not want my cervical stitches to rip open like the last pregnancy! The doctor decided we should move my stitch removal date up a week, so now at 35 weeks (only 12 days from today!!) I was a little disappointed because I'm afraid he will come quickly once those are out. Of course there is no way to know for sure, he may just stay put for a few more weeks after that. I'm scared of delivering a 35 week baby, but I know he will be fine. We have been so lucky to keep this little guy in to this point. Ultrasound has shown that he is big and healthy, so we are counting on that. I am on modified bedrest, so basically I have to take it even more easy than I have been. No more shopping at all! That is difficult because I still have so much I want to do and need to get. We hope to paint the nursery this weekend so we (of course "we" means Mike) can decorate and organize as well. Maybe we should have started a litte earlier :) I can't wait to meet him but just not quite this soon! Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-3278723988505852932012-05-30T10:13:00.000-05:002012-05-30T10:18:05.850-05:00Big Baby Boy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sweet baby boy at 29 weeks! He weighs 3 lbs. 12 oz. already!<br />
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I had an ultrasound yesterday to make sure that baby boy was growing well, to check amniotic fluid, and to make sure blood flow to the baby was good. I have been taking medicine for high blood pressure so they just wanted to check everything. When I had the cerclage and got diagnosed with high blood pressure the doctor told me that both of those things could cause low birth-weight. Well...not this guy! He was actually on the big side, 3 pounds 12 ounces already! We are beyond excited about that. Needless to say, no trouble with blood flow or fluid at all! It was weird to see the baby at 29 weeks, since with Josey we only had the 20 week ultrasound. This little guy just seemed so chubby and filled out already. The tech was so nice and worked a little while to get a good picture of his face for us. Baby boy had his nose pushed up against me and wouldn't move. He loves to snuggle his Mommy already :) I'm thinking even though his nose was a little squished that he has my nose for sure. But of course everything else is all Daddy/Josey. Definitely another little Daddy-clone for sure. It is amazing to me how much all of our boys look alike. When we saw this little guy at 20 weeks I thought he favored Asher more but now I'm thinking Asher just hadn't filled-out as much as the other boys yet and would have looked just like his brothers. I have actually had moments of thinking I would like a girl sometime, but with all these handsome boys how could a Mommy ask for anything else? He is such an amazing little miracle. He needs a strong name for sure. Mommy's body has put a lot of stress on this little guy and he is just cruising along and thriving. I am already so proud of my new little man!Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-74215159656305673082012-05-24T12:51:00.002-05:002012-05-24T12:51:45.040-05:00Summer time has begun!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Josey singing his solo at Tiny Tots 3-year-old class graduation on May 15th. <br />
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Very proud of our big boy!<br />
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Josey finished his first year of preschool. I can't believe how fast it went. I met with his teacher yesterday for his conference. I am so impressed with what he learned this year. Of course he is "all-boy" and doesn't show the most interest in learning his alphabet or sitting still in general. She said he is pretty busy and always wanting to be active opposed to sitting and working on letters. He has learned to share better and has matured alot. I think we have some work to do this summer on recognizing letters and writing them. I'm sure we can come up with some fun ways to practice! Josey will start in the four-year-old class in the fall. Can't believe it's only one more year until he is at Westside with me. <br />
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Josey practicing taking care of babies! So sweet!</div>
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This summer will be fun. Josey has already planned out that we need to go to the splashpark often, have sleepovers with his cousins, play outside for hours everyday, and do lots of other fun stuff. So far (in our first two days of summer) we have played in the sprinkler, painted several pictures, and played every board/card game we have. I think we will really enjoy this summer together as we get ready to welcome our new little guy! Josey has gotten really excited and wants to know everyday if it's the day the baby will come. I hope my mom and I can make all the baby bedding soon. Mike will start tackling painting the baby room soon too. I think I've decided what I want..at least for the moment :)Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1849639980179473045.post-19602437709967590102012-05-16T19:54:00.001-05:002012-05-16T19:54:53.448-05:00Mother's Day 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had a wonderful Mother's Day. We went to a Naturals baseball game with my Mom and family. It was an interesting game. Four times it started pouring rain and we had to run for cover. We finally left after the last rain delay. It was definitely memorable though! We came home and had dinner with Mike's mom. I spent some of the day just thinking about how blessed I am to be a Mom to all my boys. I thought about each of them and how special they are to our family. I can't believe our newest little guy will be here in a few months! We recently found out that my mom is having some serious health problems, so the day was a little emotional for me. I know she is strong and will be ok, but I hate what she is facing. I have never taken my mom for granted, but it is hard not to see her through a different set of eyes now. I worry about her constantly and just want a perfect outcome for this situation. We won't know for a few more days what her treatment will be so the waiting is hard. I know that she is strong and will do great with whatever option she chooses. I am beyond blessed to have a mom as great as she is!Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709113493312903260noreply@blogger.com0