Three Months Old

Wow! I cannot believe my little baby will be FOUR months old in a matter of days. Wanted to get this posted before it was too late! The transformation from two months to now has really been amazing. Our colic days have come to an end...YAY!!! She is dying to sit up and is happy as long as she can see the action. She gives us lots of smiles and has even started to cackle in the past few days. We started rice cereal and she LOVES it. She is sleeping for eight and nine hours at a time, which I am loving! We have had a lot of fun things going on lately and parenthood has become our new "normal". Things have been super busy and I have lots to post, but as usual I only have a few free minutes right now. The Thanksgiving holidays were wonderful and we had the chance to fly to South Carolina to visit Jermey's brother, sister-in-law and our precious nephew. I have lots of pictures and will try to get them up soon. I hope everyone is getting ready for Christmas, it is right around the corner!!!

Cutie Pie

When Anna Claire was six weeks old we had Moniqe McGonagill take some pictures of her. We were a little nervous, because that was right at the peak of her colic, and we knew a meltdown could occur at any minute. However, she did great and they turned out wonderful! Monqiue was so sweet and patient and really did a fantastic job. Here are a few of my favorites...


Our absolute favorite!

In deep thought...

"Talking to Monqie" This is right when she first started "talking"- I am so glad Monique was able to get it on camera

So Pretty! The quilt was made for me by my Great Grandmother and will be passed down to Anna Cliare

There is a link to Monique's photography web site under "Blogs I Visit". She does fantastic seasonal pictures and is starting a new company with Jenny Holloway Designs called Saving Grace Designs- Visit both of these under "Blogs I Visit"

Say Cheese!

Couldn't resist posting this one...the is the first time I caught a good smile on camera.

Two Months Old

Our big girl is growing so fast! This month has really been great! We have noticed a huge improvement in her colic and she is a much happier baby (and we are much happier parents)! When we went to the doctor to get her two month shots she weighed 10 lbs and 9 oz and was almost 24 inches long. She has started giving us big smiles with a little shriek when we talk to her. It is the best feeling in the world to have your baby smile at you! She loves to "play"(that usually consists of laying on a pillow with me making faces at her), sit in her swing, and watch the mobile over her bed. We love her more that we ever could have imagined and feel really blessed to have her in our lives.

FOR SALE

For Sale By Owner
Jeremy and I have finally put our house on the market! It is something we have been talking about doing for a long time, so we are excited to finally have it up. If you or anyone you know is interested, leave me a comment with your contact info and I will get in touch with you. Here is all the info:
3 bedrooms/2 bathrooms
Scored and Stained floors in the living room and hallway
Tile in the kitchen and bathrooms
Carpet in the bedrooms
Deck overlooking large backyard
Rankin County Schools
Close proximity to Dogwood and Downtown Brandon
Easy access to Interstate
Fresh, neutral paint throughout
Great neighborhood with HOA and covenants
$139, 500

Shots- Ouch!!

Anna Claire had her two month shots on Monday of this past week. The picture above is a reinactment of the face she made (she is actually yawning in this picture, but you get the idea). It was one of the saddest moments of my life. She cried so hard that it didn't even make a sound, but shortly after we heard it loud and clear! I felt so bad, but I knew it was for her own good. The happy part is that we can now get out of the house- aah, freedom!!!

My Little Flower

Tuesday night Anna Claire got to dress up in her Halloween outfit for the Spouse Alliance Munching and Mayhem Halloween Festival. Isn't she adorable!?! She wasn't quite sure about having it on her head, and kept trying to eat the petals (notice we had to tuck it in on one side), but finally decided she would cooperate. The party started at 5:30 and we normally start her bedtime routine around 6:00 so we were a little nervous about how it would go down, but she did a really good job. All of the kids were so cute in their costumes. Jeremy and I had fun getting out of the house and even had a chance to stop by the new Kroger at the Reservoir to try out their Sushi. Yes, Kroger has sushi, and it is really good (not quite Nagoya, but good for a grocery store). We can't wait for Halloween night to dress up again!

SURPRISE!!!

Our good friend, Missy, turned the BIG 3-0 this year (sorry, I hope your are not mad at me for posting that), and we celebrated with a surprise party! Her husband Jack organized everything and her close friends were in on the scheme. It was fun being sneaky, but I was really scared I was going to say something to give it away! Jack took her to dinner at Atlantica Grill in Madison while we set up all of the decorations and food at HER house. She was truly surprised when she walked in. Congrats Jack on pulling it off and Happy Birthday Missy. We love you!!!!

One Month Old

Anna Claire turned one month old on September 18! She has already grown so much in such a short period of time. We went to the doctor last week and she weighed 8lbs and 4oz. That is huge considering she weighed only 6 lbs and 3oz when we came home from the hospital. I did not ask them how long she was (sure wish I had), but I do know that she cannot wear any of the newborn footsie pajamas that swallowed her when she was born. I cannot lie, things have been a little rough around the Smitherman house lately. When she was three weeks we started noticing that she was crying- A LOT- and there was nothing we could do to help her. I knew in the back of my mind that we were probably dealing with colic, but neither Jeremy or I wanted to admit it. I finally took her to the doctor. I was REALLY hoping it was something simple that could be fixed with medicine or an easy adjustment, but as soon as I described her symptoms Dr. Brooks confirmed our fear. We were really sad at first- mostly for her, and selfishly for our poor eardrums (who knew a little thing could be SO loud), but every day gets a little easier. The most helpful thing is talking to families who have been through it themselves. They always have good advice and have all assured us that this is just a short time in her life and we will get through it. It is encouraging to see their happy babies and know that we will be there soon.
On a happier note, here are some of the fun things Anna Claire is doing these days:
-starting to hold her head up on her own- sometimes she is a little bobble head, but she tries her best
-recognizing objects in front of her and following them with her eyes
-giving us the tiniest sweet smile when we come to get her from her crib in the mornings- it melts my heart!

3 Weeks Old

Hey Everyone! I cannot believe it has been three weeks since Anna Claire was born. We have had lots of fun figuring out how to be parents- there have been many sleepless nights and we have made plenty of mistakes, but we are starting to feel somewhat confident. I cannot say thank you enough to all of our friends and family for the meals, visits, phone calls and e-mails. We could not have made it without everyone's support. A special thanks to Mimi and Gigi for all of your help! Here are a few pics of what we have been doing for the past few weeks. :)

Coming Home- we were SO nervous!! She is wearing the outfit I came home in. My Grandmother gave it to me when I was born- I will have to post a better picture soon. Thanks Mom for saving it!

Thank you so much Pinelake Great Expectations and Katie Humphreys! It was so fun to have the stork in our yard when we arrived home- our neighbor just happened to be outside when we pulled up to take our picture. Also, thank you Mary Kathryn for our star- it is so cute!

Tucker meeting the new addition- he was NOT thrilled!
Bath Time Fun
All bundled up- so warm, finally!

We love our Daddy, he is SUCH a BIG help!!

(sorry some pictures are sideways-time is precious these days!)

"What is it, and when is she leaving?"

Uncle Adam, Aunt Liz and cousin Canaan came to visit, we had so much fun! I know that Anna Claire and Canaan will be great friends as they grow up!Relaxin'
Canaan (10 months) and Anna Claire (2 weeks)

Anna Claire's Big Day

Hey guys, we just wanted to let everyone know that Sarah and Anna Claire are doing great! We came home on Thursday and have spent the last few days getting accustomed to being home again. Here are a few pictures of Anna Claire and some of her first visitors.

What a MESS!!

As many of you know, we have had WONDERFUL rain several days during the past week. Today was really the first day that it was dry enough for Jeremy to cut the grass (or in our yard's case...weeds). Well, as I was on my hands and knees scrubbing the grout on our kitchen floor ( Can I please just take a moment to express how much I HATE ceramic tile! I do not understand everyone's obsession with it. It is hard to clean, and when you do get it clean it still looks dirty. If I ever have the chance to build a house it will not have one inch of ceramic tile or grout!!) Jeremy knocked on the back door to let me know that Tucker, our cute little doggie, had taken the opportunity to roll around in the fresh-cut, damp grass. What does this equal??? A HUGE MESS!!! The picture does not do it one bit of justice. He had grass wedged in every strand of fur on his body. He was actually grass stained. I threw him in the bath tub and grabbed my camera. He was looking at me the whole time like- "am I in trouble or do you think this is cute?" Well, so much for my clean floor and groomed dog (he had just had a visit to PetSmart). I guess that is just how life goes!

Congrats!!

Congratulations to our friends Will and Carley- they are getting married! They are the cute couple on the far left. We celebrated their engagement by going to eat at Basil's. It was our first time to eat there, and I highly recommend it! The food is good and the atmosphere is so fun. It is behind the old Jitney Jungle on Fortification St (I think it may have been Brent's Drugs at one time???? Not that familiar with that area). Anyway, we are so excited for y'all and can't wait for the wedding!

Happy Birthday,Dad!!

My wonderful dad celebrated his birthday on 8/8/08. We had so much fun cooking out, eating cake, and watching him open his birthday gifts. Well, actually we had the most fun playing with his birthday gifts. My mom gave him an ipod and a medicine ball (one of those big things you can workout with-since my dad works out so much). We decided to blow it up which took the efforts of my brother, dad, and Jeremy. As you can see by the picture below he found a really good use for it.

All joking aside, my dad is truly the BEST dad ever. He has always been the Christan leader of our household. I think one of the reasons we respected him so much is because he led by example and not just with words. We love him SO much and hope he had a great birthday!

To All The Teachers...

I would like to give a shout out to all of my teacher friends out there. I am thinking about y'all this week (especially Friday). May your classrooms be filled with respectful, well behaved children and parents that never complain because they realize just how wonderful you truly are! Have a great year!!

Prayer Request

My friend Cindy, who is 18 weeks pregnant, sent us an alarming text the other day letting us know that she was in the hospital and things were not looking good for the baby. I do not want to confuse details, so you can click on The Beckwith Family for the accurate story. However, the past few days have proven very hopeful and God is showing his never ending goodness. We know that HE is always in control! Please continue to pray everyday for this family.

All About Pregnancy

Warning: This may be a very boring post to most people, but I want to be able to look back and remember what it was like to be pregnant- read on only if you wish...
I went to the doctor today with my "book" of questions. He just looked at me, laughed, and took a seat. I have been very nonchalant (or at least I think I have...friends and family may say otherwise) about the whole process, but I it finally hit me a few weeks ago that we are REALLY having a baby and I have NO IDEA what I am doing! Don't get me wrong, I have been super blessed with a very easy pregnancy, but if you have ever been pregnant you know things get a little weird at the end. Here are a few fun facts about the past nine months:

1. I had NO idea I was pregnant for six weeks- I was in the mountains and thought I had altitude sickness until we returned to Mississippi where we are all aware that mountains are few and far between (I think there is actually only one) yet still wanted to throw up every five minutes. Sorry Matthew and Aimee, I don't think I was much fun on that trip!

2. For the first trimester the sight, smell, and even thought of Italian food made me so sick. I could not even watch Olive Garden commercials on TV.

3. I could not wait to start wearing maternity clothes. Funny, now I can't wait to start wearing "real" clothes. Oh, to not have to wear elastic waist pants! I hold up my old clothes and think, "how was I ever able to fit into that?"

4. It took me a while to realize that the feeling in my stomach was the baby moving and not my dinner moving (sorry I know that is kinda gross!).

5. Hormones are funny and real things... I find myself wanting to cry over the silliest stuff. The funny part is I know that I am not really sad or upset, but sometimes it is best just to let it out! I am usually crying and laughing at myself for crying at the same time.

6. Speaking of hormones...The texture of my hair has changed and I am now washing my hair with Dawn dishwashing liquid- weird, I know, but my hair is doing really crazy things. Lori, my hairdresser (I am sure there is a more up-to-date name for that, but I don't know it), suggested it, and it has worked great. It really does cut grease and it only costs 97 cents for a whole big bottle.

7. My dog, Tucker, thinks my big belly is a great pillow. I could be very wrong, but I like to think that he can hear her heart beat when he puts his head on me. He gives us a funny look when she moves-especially lately since her movements are so big.

Biggest piece of advice: Do not get pregnant during the winter, you will have to endure Mississippi's lovely summer months when you are 8 and 9 months pregnant. 98 degree weather and hot flashes do not go well together!

I could go on, but I will stop there. Pregnancy has been a great experience and I think I will be a little sad for it to come to an end, but I cannot wait to see our sweet little blessing!

What a Good Daddy

We have been working hard getting Anna Claire's room ready for her big arrival. My parents saved all of the baby furniture that my brother and I used as babies and passed it to me when we found out we were pregnant- thank you SO much mom and dad! I am so excited that our little girl will be using the same furniture, it really means a lot to me! Jeremy has been working hard painting everything so that it will look great in the baby room. Here are some before (nice 1980's brown) and after ( a fresh coat of white) pictures.

Before...

After...

We still have some finishing touches to put on the room (notice that most of the drawers do not have knobs- the store I got them from only gets a few at a time so I have to keep going back, maybe by the time she is five we will have all of the knobs and pulls on the furniture). It really turned out great and I know one day she will appreciate all of the hard work her daddy put into refinishing everything!

Photography Question

I am looking for an affordable photographer here in Jackson that takes good pictures of babies. Any suggestions???

A Happy Ending

Update on the dog- A family knocked on our door tonight looking for the dog. They had actually adopted the dog yesterday and while they were gone for the day he got out. He is now safe and sound in a good home. Thanks for your help!

I Need a Home!

This little cutie pie is looking for a good and loving home! He appeared at the church near our house around 9:00 this morning. He actually walked into the church. One of the members brought him to our neighborhood thinking he was missing or lost. By the looks of him he was abandoned. He had a very ragged and tight collar on his neck and a cigarette burn through his ear. He was very timid and unsure of us at first, but warmed up quickly. He looks like a 2 or 3 year old full bred dachshund (i am certainly not an expert on the subject) and is VERY sweet. He loves to curl up in your lap and relax. As far as we can tell he is house broken and learned to use our doggie door very quickly. He must find a home considering we have another new addition coming very soon. He is great around other dogs and is very mild mannered. If you are interested in becoming this sweet little man's home leave me a comment and we will figure out how to get in contact with each other. Please pass this information on, so we can find a home for him together!

4-D Sonogram

WOW! Technology is awesome!! We chose to have a 4-D sonogram done of Anna Claire and we are so gald we did!! It was truly incredible to sit and watch her on a big screen TV for an hour- well, actually two hours. The first time we went she did great at first and then decided to cover her face with her hands and her legs (yes, her legs- she is VERY flexible- it is almost painful to watch) so we got to go back for a second time! Every time we have a sonogram she has her hands on her face. I am interested to see if she does the same thing once she is here. After seeing her in 4-D we really cannot wait for her to arrive!

Showers

Thanks to our sweet friends and family we have been blessed with two showers to help us prepare for Anna Claire. Thank you so much to everyone for being so generous and helpful!

School Shower

June 14th Shower

What Have We Been Doing???

I know, I know it has been WAY too long between posts. Jeremy have both been off work for the month of June and it has been WONDERFUL!! I am so sad to see him go back July 1st. We have been super busy in a really good and fun way. Here is a quick update on what we have been doing for the past two months...

My brother graduated from MSU (the best place on earth)!!-- Way to go Matt, we are so proud of you! He has a degree in Insurance and Finance and is now working here in Jackson. It is so great to have him close to us again!

Jeremy graduated from UMC and his class had their long white coat ceremony. It was so much fun to have all of our family together to celebrate the event. We are all very proud of him!

We went to the beach to relax! We took our dog, Tucker, with us for the first time. It was an 11 hour car ride so it was quite interesting. He really did do a good job and it was fun to have him there with us. We also celebrated our 4th anniversary while we were there. Thank you so much Mrs. O'Neal for letting us use your wonderful condo!