The Smith Family Update

Bella crawled!! :)

2010-05-31T12:33:00.002-05:00

Yes yes yes...I know it has been forever since I have updated this. Facebook is so much easier!!! But for those of you without a facebook account, here is Bella crawling for the first time today!!!

Update on Bella

2009-09-18T17:02:00.004-05:00

Hello! Sorry it has been a while since I have updated, but things have been hectic since Miss Isabella arrived! First, we went home the morning after Bella was born instead of 2 days later hoping to get more sleep there...1st mistake! No sleep was to be had at home either and then we didn't have the nursery stocked with RN's to care for her while we could sleep for an hour or two! Then on Sunday Bella was looking pretty yellow. I called the MD on call ( I know her well as I did my clinicals at their office) and she told me to have a bili level drawn the next morning after our lactation visit. Bella was doing well...was the same weight as when we left the hospital (7# 12.9 oz) and was nursing relatively well. The MD didn't think Bella looked too jaundiced, but decided to still have the blood drawn. Her level was elevated (17.3) and we had to start a bili light bed for her at home for the next 48 hours. The next several days were a blur of no sleep, trips to the lab for multiple blood draws, and a fussy newborn who didn't want to lay on the bili bed. Thankfully, her levels decreased and we did not have to continue the lights for more than 2 days.

Bella has still been fussy...I don't remember Nathan being this fussy, but Justin said he was. I think it is that phenomenon of blocking out the not so pleasant memories that would make you hesitate having a 2nd child! I cannot get her to sleep unless I am nursing her in a quiet room. And then if I put her down, she wakes up. I am sleeping in the rocker/recliner with her just to be able to close my eyes for a little while! She has reflux and was started on Prevacid Monday and now has a cold that the rest of us have had since she was born. So, she is having a hard time breathing through her little nose too! Nursing is going okay...she still isn't the best because she has a small mouth, but we are working on it. No matter what, she is growing at a ridiculous pace!! She was 21.5 inches long and 8 pounds 15 ounces at our visit on Monday. And then on Wednesday when we saw lactation, she had already gained another 5 ounces in 48 hours putting her up to 9 pounds 4 ounces!! She's going to be chunky like brother! :) Her eyes have changed to a beautiful deep blue and her hair has already lightened...not quite to Nathan's blonde, but lighter than birth!

Nathan LOVES his baby sister! He loves to hug and kiss her and hold her!!! He runs to say "Hi baby baby" when he gets home. He says "Bless you baby" when she sneezes and asks lots of questions about her diapers when we change her! One thing I find fascinating is how quickly Bella calms when he talks to her...she can be very fussy and if he gets right up next to her and talks to her in his sweet voice, she instantly quiets. It makes my heart melt!!

Well, that was my 15 minutes I could steal away to try to do something besides feed Bella, laundry, or dishes! I will try to update again soon...depending on how things are going here!! Nathan has Bronchitis and beginnings of an ear infection, so pray he gets better soon!!

Love to you all!

The Smith's

Welcome to the World Isabella Grace!!!

2009-08-27T19:24:00.002-05:00

Announcing the newest arrival to our family: Miss Isabella Grace Smith!!!!! Isabella came in to the world Thursday, August 27th, 2009 at 3:42 am. She weighed a whopping 8 pounds, 2 ounces and measured 21 inches long. She has lots of dark hair and dark eyes. She was lovingly welcomed in to our family by big brother Nathan with lots of hugs and kisses! Mommy and Bella are doing well. We plan to go home sometime Saturday, but until then are recovering at North Kansas City Hospital.

We will post pictures later of our gorgeous girl.

Love,
Justin, Amber, Nathaniel and Isabella

Update

2009-08-18T12:25:00.002-05:00

No progress at our visit yesterday :( But the good news was that Bella is measuring at the 58th percentile per the ultrasound...now this isn't too reliable but definitely gave us and my OB reassurance that we hopefully aren't looking at a baby as big as Nathan was!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was very relieved!! So, we will go back next Monday for another check. If any progress is made at that time, then we can arrange to induce sometime next week for Miss Bella to make her appearance in our world! I don't know if the reality has truly set in for Justin and I that we could have another little one in the house by the end of next week!! Yikes!!! I look at all the cute pink clothes and dresses and headbands and can't wait to dress her in everything....and then we have a rough night like last night with Nathan and I think, what have we gotten ourselves in to? How will we manage 2 of them?? But, God doesn't give us more than we can handle, right? So many other people have such huge problems in their lives, it makes my anxieties and worries seem so mundane...but these are things that I worry about.

Speaking of Nathan, he has had a rough week or so. We aren't sure exactly what is going on with him, but he is just "off". I often wonder if he senses his world is getting ready to be turned upside down and just doesn't know how to express things he is feeling. Our son has shown us time and time again that he is smarter than we ever thought, so it wouldn't surprise me if he knows something big is getting ready to happen. He has been fussy in the night, napping a lot some days, very minimal others, eating a lot one day, very little the next. And now he has a low grade fever and runny nose. And throughout all this he is very emotional and clingy. Ah, parenthood. :) The worries never stop! :)

I have pictures to post from last night with Uncle "TyTy's" farewell party. I will attempt to post them tonight if possible. We wish you all the luck, Tyler! We know you will do awesome and have soooo much fun!! Enjoy the next few years...I have so many fun memories from college and know you are going to have a blast!

Hope you are all doing well out there!

Justin, Amber & Nathaniel :)

Getting closer!

2009-08-16T21:56:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone! Well, we are getting closer to little miss Bella's arrival!! We are due 2 weeks from tomorrow and I think Justin and I are both very anxious. I am doing well and so is Bella from what I can tell! We will see the doctor tomorrow and find out if I am making any progress yet...not that it would mean anything substantial as Bella will come when she is ready!! We had/have a very busy weekend/week. Justin's family threw a baby shower yesterday where we were overcome by the generosity of everyone!! Bella has sooo many cute outfits now!! It was nice to spend the day surrounded by family...including my mom and sister who attended. Nathan has had the blessing of getting to spend lots of time with my mom last weekend, this weekend, and she will be here Tuesday to watch him while our sitter is off. He loves his grandma's (both of whom he affectionately calls "Motts"....we aren't sure where this came from!!) and has enjoyed having more time to spend with my mom. He is definitely a little ham!

Hope you are all doing well out there! I will try to update this week sometime, but with Tyler leaving for college (Good Luck Uncle TyTy) and Justin and I hectic at work, it may have to wait until next weekend. And if we are blessed with Bella's arrival before then, we will make sure and post pictures!!

Love to you all!

The Smith's

Playing with Uncle TyTy (his favorite person at the moment)!

These subsequently were broken later that day...he is a little rough trying to put sunglasses on!!

Playing blocks with cousin Lily and Amanda.

Lifting weights with Uncle TyTy.

This is the messiest he has ever been with spaghetti!!!! He looked like he had makeup on! We couldn't resist a photo!!

Prayers Please

2009-07-28T12:03:00.002-05:00

Please pray for my friend Jenn and her family as they grieve the loss of their son, Ryan. This morning he lost his battle with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) at the age of 6 months, 1 day. As a mother, my heart bleeds for my friend. I cannot imagine the pain she is feeling at this moment knowing she can never look into her son's eyes again, never feel his breath on her cheek, never hear another coo, never give another bath, never hold him in her arms and feel the warmth of his skin. I ache for her and her husband. When I found out this morning, I scooped Nathan up in my arms and cherished the fact that I still had my baby boy here on Earth to enjoy. With tears streaming down my face all he could do was look me in the eyes and say "Mommy, down". I smiled at his sweet voice and thanked God for my blessings.

Please, please take a moment and pray for God to keep my friend and her family close while they must adjust to life without their precious angel. If you wish, you may visit her website and leave a comment for Jenn. http://thehawnfamilyweekly.blogspot.com

Amber

Pictures

2009-07-26T10:19:00.005-05:00

Things are going well here for all of us. Mommy & Daddy have a summer cold, but luckily Nathan hasn't gotten it! :) Things are going well with Bella...we have 5 weeks until we meet her and I must admit I am getting nervous! It is scary knowing what is about to happen...I think with Nathan the ignorance of labor/delivery/postpartum was bliss! This time around, I know what to expect...the sleepless nights, feeling like a zombie, and the pain of labor of course. We are going to treasure these next few weeks with just the three of us before she arrives. :)

Here are some pictures that I'm sure you're more interested in!!

Justin, Amber & Nathaniel

Nathan, Abbey & Lily playing in the froggy

Nathan playing ball with Tweak.

Nathan's favorite part of the Zoo...splashing in the puddle!!

Mommy & Nathan at the Zoo on the 4th of July...can you tell how humid it was from my frizzy hair?!?!?!?!?!

Nathan & Daddy at the Zoo.

Nathan, Uncle "TyTy" and Daddy playing with poppers on the 4th of July.

Loving the bubbles in the bath!

Trying to get dressed to go outside (he's putting his shirt on his leg!) :)

Yea for Bubbles!!!

Banging on the pots and pans while Mommy & Daddy make dinner!

He loved to walk by the table and feel the lace at Aunt Val's reception.

Having a conversation with cousin Andrew.

Getting tickled by Great Aunt Gin.

Bad Mommy feeding Nathan a doughnut for breakfast. He wasn't sure what to do with it...

...but he had fun with the chocolate icing!!! :)

Yea for Nathan!!!!

2009-07-08T19:50:00.001-05:00

NATHAN JUST WENT PEE PEE IN THE POTTY!!!! MORE UPDATE LATER!!! :)

Mommy Did It!!!!!

2009-06-29T21:23:00.004-05:00

Yes! It is official!! I passed by board examination today!!!! That means (for all of you out there who are curious) I am now a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (CPNP). And all it took was 3.5 years of pain, agony, and sacrifice/unending support from my husband and family!! Now I can take a step back and enjoy my life without something constantly looming over my head! Thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way! It couldn't have been done without you!

We had our 3D/4D ultrasound on Friday of Bella. The good news: we confirmed that she is a girl. The bad news: she didn't cooperate and therefore we don't have any good pictures of her! She was not in a mood to be photographed! She kept turning her face closer and closer in to me so we couldn't see her. I guess I just make too comfy of a home and she didn't want to be bothered.

Nathan is turning into a ham!! He is constantly doing something that absolutely cracks us (and himself) up! He is also getting in to EVERYTHING!!! And has learned how to climb up onto the desk chair, lean onto the desk and turn on the computer. Smart smart boy...too smart for his own good at this point! And I think it is time to buy a potty chair for him...I don't expect him to go by any means, but several times over the last week before his bath he grabs his diaper, says "pee pee", and then walks over to the toilet and says"potty". So, we hold him hovering over the huge seat and he looks down and waits. Nothing has happened, but I think it is time to introduce his own potty chair. We shall see how this will go over!

I have taken hundreds of photos this month (see what happens when I don't have school) so will try to post some highlights. May have to wait until this weekend to get a lot up.

Take care out there. And, for anyone who isn't already, please pray for my friend Jenn and her family. She has a 5 month old adorable son named Ryan who has a terminal disorder called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). He most likely will not live to see his first birthday and they struggle each day just to keep him comfortable. Please feel free to look at her blog at http://thehawnfamilyweekly.blogspot.com/ and please keep them in your prayers!!

Amber, Justin, Nathan & Baby Bella

May 2009

2009-05-31T18:31:00.007-05:00

Aunt Val's Wedding 5/1/09

First Interested Visit to the Zoo!!

(Loving the Sea Lions swimming!!)

(Watching the Monkeys swing on the trees!)

Our Future Nurse or Doctor!!

Mommy's Graduate School Graduation Ceremony! (Finally!!!)

(Yea for Mommy...and everyone else too!)

Happy Mother's Day 2009!!

Just a cute picture of my Happy Boy!!!

Charge!!!!!

Memorial Day at the playground.

(Note the owie on his forehead. He is all boy!)

Today playing in the pool and sprinkler!

Ultrasound Results and Easter

2009-04-14T12:29:00.003-05:00

Hello! So, we had our ultrasound last Friday and everything looked good! We were able to see the baby's brain, eyes, nose, mouth, heart, stomach, kidneys, bladder, 2 arms, 2 legs and lots of movement. And we found out it is a little baby girl!!! She weighed about 10 ounces and was curled up in a ball upside down. We had a hard time getting her to stretch out too much... apparently I make a comfy home! But she had her legs crossed like a little lady and was flipping her feet up and down like she was waving at us. We have decided to name her Isabella Grace Smith and we are going to call her Bella. Everything looked healthy and right on target for our due date of August 31st. Now, we are planning to do our 3D/4D ultrasound like we did with Nathan...probably sometime in June.

Nathan had an absolute blast with Easter this year! On Saturday we went to Grandma and Grandpa Smith's subdivision Easter Egg Hunt. Only, we (of course) were a few minutes late and all the eggs were already being found by the big kids. So, we stopped to see the Easter Bunny while there was no wait. Nathan wasn't too sure about him, but we got a few pictures. Then, he was perfectly content to walk around the lake path carrying his Elmo basket watching everyone else and just being outside. One lady asked us if he got any eggs and when we said no, she took 3 out of her son's basket and threw them on the ground for Nathan to find! It was so nice of her! Nathan wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to do, but caught on after a few minutes. He then loved to shake the eggs and hear the candy rattling around! It was sooo cute!!! We then continue walking around the lake and a couple school-age kids gave Nathan a few more of their eggs! He ended up with 7 eggs I think due to their generosity! Then Saturday night Grandma and Grandpa Smith came over to give Nathan his Easter basket and they bought him a little slide with fort that is just his size! We set it up in the living room and he went down the "weeee" probably 50 times! His laugh and smile were priceless as he enjoyed this simple pleasure! He quickly figured out how to climb up there on his own, but he likes to slide down feet first on his tummy instead of on his bottom! We have to work on that! On Sunday, Nathan came sprinting down the hall to see his Easter basket from Mommy & Daddy and then proceeded to play with his Bubble Mower for the next 30-45 minutes. Our cat loved it because he wanted to chase the bubbles like Nathan! They were cute playing together! He also decided to use his golf clubs we got him as a sword/weapon and last night he finally figured out to hit the ball with the club. So last night he chased the little ball around the house with the club for another 20-30 minutes. Sunday we also went to Grandma and Grandpa Hill's house for Easter and then to Great-Grandma Hill's for Easter lunch and another egg hunt. Grandma and Grandpa got him a cute Elmo Puppet book that he loves!!! I think I have read it about 10 times in the last 2 days! He enjoyed the egg hunt, but again it took a while to get him to pick up the eggs. And then after he had one in each hand, he didn't care about getting any more! He is still so innocent and doesn't have the selfish/greedy nature yet of toddlers.

I have my last class tonight and turn in another assignment. That means that after I get home at 10pm tonight, I only have 6 days of clinical and 1 assignment standing in my way before graduation!!!!!! Yea!!!!!!

Will post pictures when we have time!!
Take care,
Justin, Amber & Nathaniel

Update long overdue!!!

2009-04-07T13:10:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone!

I am so sorry that I have neglected this site for so long! I am at work, so will have to post pictures later (which I'm sure is what you mostly want to see anyway), but will update you on our family now.

Nathan: My little boy is growing up so fast!! He is walking, running, climbing on everything, and is a little chatter-bug!! He is 15 months now and can say between 20 and 30 words and can actually communicate fairly well what he is wanting. He is finally venturing into trying new foods and will eat table food better. He has been hard to transition away from baby food...I think it is a texture issue. He loves to chase the cat and enjoys watching little clips of certain characters including Elmo, Wubbzy, and Blues Clues. He is the friendliest little guy and says "hi" to everyone we see in the store! At his 15 month check up he weighed 26 pounds and was almost 32 inches tall. He is down to the 75th percentile for height, weight, and head circumference and is perfectly proportional! He is definitely still Mommy's boy and it is sooo cute how he comes to check in with me periodically to give me a hug or just make sure I am paying attention to him!! We still enjoy our snuggles at bedtime and I love looking at his sweet face as he falls asleep! I know he will soon be too old to snuggle much, so am taking in each moment while he lets me! It will be interesting to see how things change in a few months when.....

I deliver our second baby. So, onto an update about Mommy. Yes, if there is anyone left who doesn't know, Justin and I are expecting our second baby August 31st. I am 19 weeks now and we have our ultrasound on Friday to make sure everything looks good with the baby and find out if it is a boy or a girl. Nathan is so sweet as he pats my belly, says "baby" and lays his head on my stomach. I don't know what he is going to do when I actually get a large belly that may kick him when he's being so sweet! I am doing okay...definitely much worse than with Nathan. More nausea for longer, lots and lots of headaches, and just generally not feeling well. I am exhausted beyond belief which I think is compounded by the fact that I work 64 hours a week and then have clinicals and school work and still have a 15 month old to chase around. I have about 4.5 weeks left until graduation...Yea!!!!!! I thought that day would never arrive, but the end is finally in sight! I have my countdown going...6 clinical days, 2 assignments, and 1 class left until I am officially finished with Grad School!!! All I can say is Thank God for my husband!! I can truly say there is no way that I would be finishing this if it weren't for his endless support, encouragement and unconditional love (even when I am so sleep deprived and cranky from staying up late to finish papers)!!! He has kept me going when I wanted to quit, and has taken over practically all of the house chores to help ease my stress!! I keep saying I need a vacation after graduation to celebrate, but I think he needs it just as much!!! :)

Justin: So he is doing well and taking this all in stride. I have to say that I think he is the best father in the world and it just makes my heart smile when I see him and Nathan playing. And it is too cute to see Nathan attack Justin and tickle his belly button...it makes them both laugh hysterically. He is well...healthy and like I said above pretty much running our house at this moment! He took the news of Baby #2 on the way better than I did and has been so supportive during my very rough days in the beginning. I feel like I am still having more bad days than good right now, but that is slowly changing and he has been there holding my hand and doing anything he could to help the whole way.

Sad news: Back on February 12th Justin and I had to make the hardest decision and we had to put my beloved kitty Socks to sleep. This just about killed my heart to do and I still miss her each day. We found out in early January that she had some sort of Cancer...she was so sick we didn't want to pursue further testing to find out specifically what kind it was...either way she was too weak to do Chemo and there wasn't anything we could do by that time. We tried steroids and antibiotics to help her body, but she just kept losing weight. She had gone from being my plump kitty to a measly 7-8 pounds. She refused to eat practically anything and had started doing some behavior out of the ordinary for her. Although she would still come up to us and purr when we petted her, her quality of life had diminished. She didn't seem happy and we felt like she was suffering. Nathan kissed her goodbye that morning before daycare and Justin and I took her in to discuss with the vet. When we took her there, the vet noticed she had redness all over her skin and looked like she was probably bleeding into her tissue with any pressure...even from us petting her. The vet agreed that although it is hard, she looked to be deteriorating. We could take her home and let her die naturally over the next several days...weeks...or could put her to sleep. I felt at peace after she was gone because I knew instantly her pain and suffering had ended, but nothing can take away the guilt you feel doing it. Thank God Nathan is too young to really notice too much. He looked for her a few times, but then seems to have forgotten. I will always have pictures of them together though so I can show him. :) Gray-gray has adapted to being an only cat okay...he now sleeps with us in our bed at night and seems lonely, but is healthy and doing okay. Nathan now chases him around the house and I think Gray-gray secretly likes the attention and activity. :)

Well, I'm not sure what else has happened that I may have missed. I will try to get pictures uploaded one night this week or maybe this weekend. Sorry again for taking so long getting any sort of update on here! Life is just hectic at this time and unfortunately this was what got left neglected!!

I hope everyone is doing well!! Take care!!

Amber, Justin & Nathaniel :)

Pictures

2008-12-07T11:58:00.007-06:00

Merry Christmas 2008!!!

I love my Daddy!!!!

Mommy and me making indian noises

Happy 27th Birthday Mommy!!!

Eating some of Mommy's Chocolate Birthday cake. Yum!!

My great-Aunt Gin and me having fun!!

Me and my 2nd cousin Drew. We had lots of fun together (even though you can't tell my this photo!)

My first time meeting my Great-Grandma and Grandpa Stambaugh over Thanksgiving weekend. We had fun!! :)

My crazy bed-head!!

From left to right: Great Aunt Sharon, Great Grandma Staley, Me, Daddy, Grandma Smith, Great Aunt Connie (Thanksgiving 2008 in Brookfield)

Me and Mommy on Thanksgiving.

Happy Anniversary Mommy & Daddy. This was the evening after my surgery.

Me playing about 3 hours after surgery.

Look out Uncle Tyler...I just might steal your girlfriend! I looove Mallory!! :)

Me and Grandma Hill on Halloween!!!

Me in my Halloween costume: Squirt the Sea Turtle from Finding Nemo!!! :)

Brrrr...baby it's cold outside!!!!

Look how tall I am!!!!

Me and Elmo Live.

Me and Uncle Tyler being silly.

Mommy's little laundry helper.

Merry Christmas!!!

2008-12-07T11:51:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas!! Sorry it has been so long...story of my life, right? School is just so completely overwhelming at this time that I have a hard time keeping up, let alone posting on here! But several of you have mentioned that I haven't posted any new pics. So, I'll cut to the chase and put some up here!

New things going on: Nathan is walking behind his push car, has 9 teeth now (just cut one of his HUGE 12 mo molars this week), and is still the cutest little baby we've ever seen! Says mama, dada, hi, bye, baba and waves! He also gives *high 5* and claps when we say "yea!!". He had surgery for ear tubes on Justin and my 4 year anniversary (11/6) and things are going well with that. He is still a very big boy weighing 25 pounds at our last visit about a month ago.

Okay, on to the pictures...I will post them in another post so it will be the first thing you see. Enjoy!!!

Justin, Amber & Nathaniel

HAPPY 9 MONTH BIRTHDAY!!!!

2008-09-24T21:53:00.009-05:00

Hello everyone!! So sorry this has been a long time coming!! As I began my final year of school (EVER!!) I have been gone 5 days a week with either work or clinicals and the weekends have been spent with my baby and hubby! I apologize, but will post lots of pictures as I'm sure that's what you want to see!!

Nathaniel is such a big boy now!!! Not only size, but in development! He has completely mastered crawling (and chasing our kitties) and pulling up to stand on everything. He can cruise when he wants, and can climb all 7 or 8 of our stairs from the living room to the dining room (don't worry, we were right behind him). I have no doubts he will be walking in no time! He has 7 teeth with 1 more coming thru now. He says Mama, Dada, and Baba and shakes his head no. He has such a little personality and is very independent (my mom says this is payback!). He is starting to eat a little "people food", but still is primarily on baby food or breastmilk still. He will eat Cheerios, the Gerber puff snacks, and the biter biscuits. He loves baths and has mastered throwing his blocks. We bought him a little push Dino car last weekend and he loves being pushed around on it (his feet can't quite touch, so he can't move himself).

He has been pretty well (colds here and there) but last week spiked a temp of 103 again. We went in and he had a double ear infection!! The poor guy is so tough, we never know he is sick until he gets a fever! And then we have to play detective to figure out what the heck is wrong! But he is much better now and has 2 more days on his antibiotic.

We cannot believe our little boy is 9 months old today! So sad how fast the time has flown by!! But cannot believe how much more we love him with every passing day! His sweet kisses and snuggles are treasured more than anything!

On to the pictures. I will just try to get the highlights since there are so many! Enjoy!!!

Justin, Amber & Nathaniel :)

These first few pictures are from our trip to Minnesota/Wisconsin for Tasha & Kyle's Wedding.

Wedding reception with Daddy, Grandpapa, and Great-Grandma Smith.

Nathaniel's first time in a big pool. He loved it and kicked like a duck! He was actually able to move thru the water!

Playing with Uncle Tyler at the reception.

Messin' up Mommy's hair at the hotel!!!

The next few pictures are from a visit with Grandma Hill.

Hanging out with Mommy. I'm a walking jungle gym to Nathan!

Practicing standing on all 4.

Showing Daddy his "piggy nose" thru the baby gate!! (Daddy's on the other side with the camcorder!)

1st Biter Biscuit...not so sure about it as you can tell!!

This is pretty funny...I went in to check on Nathan one evening, and this is how he was sleeping... tush straight up in the air!! Cracked me up! He likes to sleep like this now.

Big boy trying to drink from a cup! (Most of it still goes on the shirt!)

Such a happy baby!!

Checking out the street on a lazy Saturday morning. :)

"Helping" Mommy with laundry. He loves the hangers for some reason! Also, wearing his Park Hill South Panther's "jersey" to match Uncle Tyler at the football games.

Big boy is getting in to everything!!

Playing with my Halloween book Mommy got me.

And finally...HAPPY 9 MONTH BIRTHDAY, MY SWEET BABY BOY!!! MOMMY LOVES MY PEANUT SOOOO VERY MUCH!!!

Sick...again! But still cute as a button!

2008-07-20T10:44:00.007-05:00

Hello everyone! Yes, poor Mr. Nathan got sick right after the 4th. We made our first trip to my hometown for the holiday celebration on Saturday the 5th and Nathan spiked a 102.3 fever while we were down there. Some Tylenol brought it down and it was just 99 on Sunday and Monday. Then when I was home with him on Tuesday he got up from his nap and had a 103.5 fever. I took him to the doctor they said his throat looked "horrible" and he got a shot of antibiotic and then oral antibiotics too. I stayed home with him Tuesday and Wednesday and then his Grandma Smith stayed Thursday and Friday. Thursday he developed horrible constant diarrhea and a scalding diaper rash. So we stopped the oral antibiotics and he got another shot on Saturday. We fought the diaper rash all last week and finally have that cleared up. But, now he has a cold and is congested. Through all this he has been such a trooper!! Otherwise things are going great. We are soooo close to crawling but just can't get all the movements coordinated at once to move forward. We are still discovering new foods...we hate peas and bananas, but are okay with applesauce and peaches. He also said "mama" on that Tuesday that he spiked a fever. He is developing such a little personality and is just as sweet as ever. He pats our arms when Justin and I hold him now. It makes us melt!

I also wanted to mention how nice it was for Nathan to finally meet one of mommy's oldest friends, Sarah, when we went to Carrollton. She lives in Arizona and we happened to be home at the same time so Nathan got to meet her! She is a wonderful physician finishing her residency over the next 2 years and then we hope maybe she will be closer in the future so we can visit more! :)

And, we are very excited for Nathan to meet his Great Aunt Rhonda, and cousins Tasha and Trent in 2 weeks when we head to Minnesota for Tasha's wedding. We can't wait to see you all!!

One more thing, Nathan's great grandpa Stambaugh had to have a heart cath this past week and is having another in a couple weeks to place more stents in blocked arteries. We are thinking of him and hope to have him meet Nathan sometime in the near future!

And now, for the pictures!! Enjoy! :)

Justin, Amber & Nathaniel

Nathan and Great-Grandma Hill in Carrollton. She is still recovering from a hip replacement, but was able to hold our big boy for a few minutes!

As I'm sure you can tell, this was when the fever started, and the smiles disappeared. :(

Daddy and Grandpa Smith installed the new Basketball goal and Nathan got to make the first basket. Nathans hand and footprints are in the concrete base that they poured.

He is naked from the waist down to try to get air to his diaper rash. He's not too happy since his tush is hurting. My poor baby!! :(

The next few pictures are Nathan trying to crawl. He is sooo close!!

(***It's too hard mom***I'm tired***)

Peek-a-boo!!!!!

I LOVE my cookie monster's!!!!

What a cutie pie!!

More Pictures

2008-07-04T21:16:00.004-05:00

Solid foods round 1: yummy Sweet Potatoes!!!

Sweet baby still sleeping at 6:30am with teddy blankie.

Reaching for Mommy!

Solid foods round 2: yummy Squash!!!

Look at those teeth!!!!

It cracks me up...Nathan's forearms are bigger than his upper arms!!

Ready to crawl any day now!!

Practicing my sitting.

First time in my pool and floaty crab!!

Solid foods round 3: Carrots!!! This is by far his favorite!!

The following pictures are from today. Happy 4th of July!!!!

(Reaching to feel the water spray over him from the sprinkler!)

Happy 4th of July!!!

2008-07-04T10:26:00.008-05:00

Hello everyone! I apologize again for not getting an update on here sooner. It seems like it has been one thing after another since the last post that has prevented me from taking the time to do it. A lot has happened since I last posted...Nathan has 2 teeth now, has had his first ear infection, went to the zoo for the first time, is mobile (backwards), sitting on his own, eating baby foods, and saying "dada"!! Whew!! What a lot of development in a short time!

Nathan got 2 teeth the week after I finished school and after that started getting up every couple hours again throughout the night. I was getting thoroughly exhausted when he got an ear infection 2 weeks later with a ruptured ear drum. He was still for the next few weeks getting up every 1-3 hours thru the night crying..not even wanting to nurse, just crying. We still aren't sure what was going on...residual ear pain? tooth pain? starting to dream? After we had a checkup and knew the ears were okay so he wasn't in pain with that, we started giving him a time limit to cry before we went in to comfort him. We started at 15 minutes and boy, that was the hardest thing to do. Give me labor anyday, but I don't want my baby sad!! This still wouldn't help him sleep thru the night so we started cereal 1 week before his 6 month birthday. This did not help either (contrary to all the advice we were given). Finally, on the night of his 6 month birthday we started sweet potatoes and rice cereal and he slept 10 hours!!!!!! We were ecstatic! He did that for about 4-5 nights, and we are gradually waking up more. First instead of us waking him at 6:30, he got up at 5:30, then 5, then 4:30, then 2 and 4, then 12 and 4, then last night he was up at 2:30 and then 7 for good. I don't know...I wish we could have a consistent night, but we are taking this all in stride. Nathan is thriving and that is all the matters right now!!

At our 6 month checkup Nathan was healthy as a horse and was 20 pounds 10 ounces, 27.75 inches long, and his head circumference was 18 inches...90th percentile for all three!!! And his development was at the level of a 7.5 month old! :) But of course, we know our baby is advanced. He has been since day one! Somedays I am proud of this and want to push him more, but somedays I want him to continue to be my little baby who thinks Mommy is the best and can make everything better with a snuggle or a smile! This week he is finally able to sit on his own...before he was still tripod sitting. He has been up on his hands and knees and hands and tiptoes rocking for the last few weeks, but hasn't quite figured out the crawling forward yet. But he can move backwards very quickly and he can lift and turn his body to get where he wants. He has also figured out what I call "purposefull rolling". Not just rolling because he can, but rolling to get somewhere. One day Justin got Nathan on tape continuously rolling across the floor until he couldn't go any further. Justin and I will try to figure out how to post videos on here so you can see him.

And last weekend Mommy and Daddy bought Nathan his own personal pool (inflatable 5 foot diameter pool) that he swims in with his crab floaty. He LOVES the water!!! He has figured out when we run water inside it is the same thing, so this morning when Justin was washing his hands in the kitchen, Nathan was reaching for the running water!! He has also started reaching for us when he wants up or wants the other person if being held. It is so cute!

Anyways, on to the important part...the pictures!!!! I will try to limit it to just the cutest...but that is difficult seeing as Justin realized we have over 1200 pictures just in the first 6 months of Nathan's life!! Enjoy and have a fun, safe holiday weekend!!

Love,

Justin, Amber & Nathaniel :)

Happy First Mother's Day!! #1 favorite thing: Mommy! :)

Believe it or not, he does love me...this picture just doesn't do it justice!

Nathan's Favorite thing to do now: chew on everything!!! Including mommy and daddy!!!

I found my feet and can't let go!

Mmmm....yummy toes!!!!

Reading books and playing with Aunt Valerie and Grandma Hill.

Daddy, Uncle Mike, and Grandpa Hill were fixing the roof from the storm.

Raising myself off the floor.

Daddy getting my belly!!!

Hanging out with Mommy and her shorter hair!

Can you see my 2 teeth on the bottom?!?!

Nathan started out over by the mirror and Elmo and within a few minutes had backed himself to where you see him!!

Okay, hands down this is one of the cutest and funniest things Nathan has learned. He crinkles his nose, sticks out his tongue, and snorts. He does this to show excitement and it cracks us up!!!

We may live in Kansas City, but this family cheers for the Cards!!!

Covered in kisses...this boy is loved!!!!

Tripod sitting.

I love my kitties...the feelings aren't always mutual!!!

Nathan's security object...a small blanket with a teddy bear head.

Hanging out at the zoo by the elephants with Mommy.

Me and Aunt Valerie at the Zoo!! I had so much fun!!!

Playing in my jumperoo from Great Aunt Jane and Uncle Robert.

Thanks so much! I love it!!!

Happy 1st Fathers Day!!! Chillin' with Daddy in bed!

A moment to look at God's wonder on Father's Day.

First time eating cereal!! Mmmm, yummy!

At first we thought he was trying to help by grabbing the spoon.

Now we've learned it's just he wants to chew on it!!!!

Okay guys, that just gets us to June 17th. I have more from swimming, solids, and our 6th month pictures that I will have to add tonight after Nathan goes to bed. This alone has taken almost 2 hours!!! :)

Pictures Continued from Previous Post

2008-05-04T09:57:00.009-05:00

FYI: Please see the next post and read before looking at all these pictures...I had to post in 2 parts. Thanks!! Amber :)

Big boy in my highchair!!!

This is what we try to fight with during diaper changes!!! What a cute little tushy!!!

Happy 4 month Birthday, Nathaniel!!! (We had a doctor's appt that day and then mommy's class, so only got a picture at bedtime!!)

Great-uncle Carl visiting from Minnesota!!

Visiting with Grandma Hill. I love the books she brought me!!!!

When I think of how big he is getting, I just look at this picture of him in our backyard. Look how tiny he is in the world!!!

Daddy making my hat look silly!

Thanks for looking at our adorable little man!!!

The Smith's

Oh me, oh my....

2008-05-04T09:25:00.005-05:00

Has it really been almost 2 months since I've updated our website?!? I am so sorry to all of you out there who haven't been able to see our little man growing the last 8-9 weeks!! Mommy went back to work on March 17th and realized at that point I simply had no time to do anything except work, do school, and take care of my little peanut!! Now, school is ending on Thursday and I am finally having time to do other things (such as get 7-8 hours of sleep at night!!) and of course, update our blog. I have gone through my camera and have 46 pictures I want to post of Nathan so you all can see how much he has grown!! So, if you have time, please enjoy scrolling thru the pictures and be amazed at how much out little man has grown!!

Just so you know what he is up to these days: he is a rolling machine!! Rolls tummy to back and back to tummy and loves it! Although, it has made diaper changes much more difficult! He rolled for the first time when he was 15 weeks old. He is also playing with his feet now and much more interactive with us when we play. He's growing up so fast!! Also, are you ready for this?? He was 18 pounds at his 4 month visit!!! He is so big! There are a couple pictures with his chunky thighs in them.

Take care, and I will be updating more frequently now since school will be out until August. Enjoy!!!

(Mommy's first day back at work...When I got home he nursed and went right to sleep. He missed his mommy as much as mommy missed him!)

Happy 1st Easter, Nathaniel!!! He wants for nothing!! :)

Giant Pooh Bear for Easter from Grandma and Grandpa Smith.

Hanging out with Aunt Valerie!

We now have to take baths in our big boy bathtub because we have learned to splash water everywhere!!!!!

Uncle Tyler's Junior Prom.

Three generations of Smith men... Kevin Dean, Justin Dean, and Nathaniel Dean.....(Kevin's Dad was Dean Smith). :)

11 weeks old

2008-03-11T09:53:00.005-05:00

Hello everyone! We hope this finds you all in good health and adapting to the loss of an hour of sleep this weekend better than this Mommy!! :) Yes, Mr. Nathaniel is 11 weeks old as of yesterday at 9:19! Can you believe it? I know I can't. My little boy is getting so big and my time off work is rapidly draining. I have to go back on Monday and I am dreading it more than anyone could imagine (even myself)! I have truly enjoyed this time off with him and know I am blessed to have had this opportunity in the first place! Luckily, I will only have to go back to work 3 days a week. I will work Monday, Wednesday, Friday and then every other Saturday for 4 hours. This will allow me to keep my full time status for benefits, but able to be home more with Nathaniel. We also have found a lady who does daycare in her home about 5 minutes from our house. She only has a few other kids and Nathan will be the only infant. We felt this was better for Nathan to not only get more 1:1 attention, but also to not be around so many other kids and risk getting sick. Hopefully this will also allow Nathan to nurse longer with being able to be home with Mommy at least every other day. We all know how much more beneficial breastmilk is for him than formula (and a heck of a lot cheaper too...even with the cost of a pump)!! And I'm happy to supply this for him as long as I can.

Justin and I are doing well also. Having fun playing with our baby boy. :) He is getting so strong. If we hold his hands he pulls on us to get himself up to the sitting position. And he is holding his head steady now when we hold him (unless of course he is sleepy). And he is looking up and around at toys when doing tummy time.

Here are some pictures of our amazing baby. Enjoy!

Justin, Amber & Nathaniel

Look how strong I am!!

Such a big boy!!

Mommy exhausted me! I couldn't even make it to the bassinett or swing! I passed out on the floor!!

I don't know if you can tell in this picture, but when Nathan falls asleep in his swing, he brings both legs up and crosses his feet BEHIND the little divider for his legs! It is hilarious. He loves to curl himself up.

What? Another picture? Nathan is going to think Mommy's face is a camera! :)

Mommy's cutie indeed!

Daddy was blowing raspberries on my tummy making me laugh!

Sleep, Sunshine, and Visits

2008-03-01T22:02:00.003-06:00

Hello everyone. I'm proud to report (but worried to jinx myself) that Nathan slept for 8.5 hours last night. We put him to bed at 8pm and he woke up to eat at 4:30am. We were so excited!! He needed the sleep too as he didn't have a nap yesterday afternoon.

Nothing new other than that is going on. I am including pictures from today of our little man. We took advantage of the sunshine and went for a walk outside in the Baby Bjorn and then had visits from Aunt Valerie, Grandma Smith and Great-Grandma Staley. Whew...what a busy day. No wonder the little man went to bed at 6:30. I think Mommy needed to join him!!

Enjoy the pictures!!

Justin, Amber & Nathaniel

Hanging out with Mommy while Daddy did errands.

Checking out Mr. Elephant.

What did Mommy do to me? Sunglasses? Hat? I'm the poster child for sun protection!!

Visiting with my Aunt Valerie. We had lots of fun!!!

Sitting on Great-Grandma Staley's lap. She's funny and made me laugh a lot!!

More pictures!!

2008-02-26T16:59:00.003-06:00

Nothing new to report...just more adorable pictures to share! Enjoy!!

Amber

Watching something on T.V. while Mommy takes pictures.

Staring at my handsome self in my penguin!

Who's that handsome devil?

"Mommy's little monster"?? Nah...not with that grin!!

Look how strong I am!!

Happy 2 Month Birthday, Nathaniel Dean!!!!

2008-02-24T20:49:00.004-06:00

Here are some pictures to celebrate Nathaniel's 2 Month Birthday today. We hope you enjoy them!!!

Justin, Amber & Nathan

02/24/08 at 09:19 am - Happy 2 Month Birthday, Nathaniel!!!

Hanging out with Daddy in the Baby Bjorn.
Mmmm...yummy thumb!!

Hanging out with Leap in my swing while Mommy & Daddy clean!
Yummy thumb again!!

Wow! Look how fast my arms are moving!!
Posing for Mommy. What a good boy!

Today was a Pooh Bear sort of day!
Happy Boy!!!

Handsome Boy!!

Too cute!!

2008-02-23T20:11:00.003-06:00

Okay, I know that I am biased, but I had to share these pictures from Nathan's bath this evening. I handed him to Justin out of the tub and he was holding him sitting up wrapped in his alligator towel and covered with a yellow towel and I couldn't resist the photo op!! I know you'll agree we have the cutest baby boy!!

Enjoy!

Justin, Amber & Nathan

Growing Boy!!

2008-02-23T15:40:00.003-06:00

Hello everyone! Yes, we have one growing boy here...you'd think I give him Miracle Gro to drink!! We just bought Nathan some 3-6 month clothes because he was getting too long and now he has grown almost another inch in just 2 weeks!!! This little boy is growing faster than anyone I've ever known!! He's going to be in 6-9 month clothes by the time he is 3 months old!! :)

Everything is going well here. Nathan has been very very sleepy since Wednesday. He is sleeping up to 4 hour periods during the day and our max has been 6 hours at night. He is sleeping in his bassinett at night, but only wants to sleep in his swing for naps. If we try to put him down in his bassinett or crib, he only cries and can't seem to get himself calmed down enough to sleep. But the minute we put him in the swing, it's off to sweet dreams for the baby.

We can't believe tomorrow Mr. Nathaniel will be 2 months old. Time has just flown by!! 2 months of pregnancy seemed like forever (not in a bad way, it just seemed to last). But the first 2 months of Nathan's life have gone so fast! I miss the first couple weeks of his life when all he wanted to do was curl up on our chest and snuggle in for a snooze. He is getting more independent and doesn't always want to cuddle close. Sometimes he likes to be in his bassinett alone to go to sleep, which is just so different from when we started! But all his adorable smiles, giggles, and coos are a new kind of amazing phase he is in right now. Here are some pictures from the last week or so. We hope you are all doing well and enjoy!! Oh, and one more thing. A friend of mine from undergrad has a daughter who has had a very rough start to life. She is 17 months and is having the hardest time growing. She is going to have a tube placed in her stomach next week to try and help her eat more. Please keep her and her parents in your thoughts and prayers. They deserve only the best!!

Love to you all,

Justin, Amber & Nathan

Me and Daddy when he was off work Monday.

Hanging out in my swing!

Daddy and me this morning in front of the "Shrine to Nathan"!!

Mommy and me this morning.

Me hanging out in my bassinett! Aren't I cute!?!?!

8 weeks old!!

2008-02-18T23:12:00.003-06:00

Hello everyone! Yes, that is right...Nathaniel Dean is already 8 weeks old! It seems so close, yet so long ago that he entered our world! We still have not settled into a routine. The last few days have been especially hard. Nathan has been very cranky and not wanting to nap at all during the day. I should rephrase that...he is WANTING to nap, but can't get himself calmed down enough to do it! We try taking him to a quiet room and lying him in his crib or bassinet. The problem is he has finally found a self-soothing behavior (sucking his thumb) but he wakes up when it falls out of his mouth. He is so darn cute when he does it...he insists on holding all four fingers on his face while having his thumb in his mouth. For those of you worrying about this becoming a bad habit, he only does it when we lie him down in his bassinet or crib to go to sleep. Anyway, we hope he is just trying to get his days and nights straightened out and that is why he is staying awake all day. We are going to work on getting some sort of routine or structure for him during the day instead of changing things day to day.

Anyways, Nathan is becoming more and more active every day. He loves to talk to you and look in a mirror. Our memory card got filled up with pictures of our little man, so I don't have any new ones from the last week and a half or so (don't worry...I took some but not with our digital camera). But here are some pictures from a couple weeks ago. And Uncle Carl and Aunt Rhonda, thanks a lot for the Favre jersey!! It was still big, but Daddy and I enjoyed being in our football jerseys for the Superbowl!! :)

Take care and we will talk with you all soon!

Justin, Amber, & Nathaniel

My first Superbowl!! Note my disappointed look at the Patriots loss!!

Mommy making me do silly poses while Daddy and Uncle Tyler watch.

Me and Daddy in our jerseys. Aren't we handsome!?!?!

Giving Mommy a big, cheesy grin! Aren't I cute!!!

The first time I found my thumb to suck on. (His fingers stay like that covering his little face!! It is the cutest thing ever!!) This is also the first time I moved up to 3-6 month clothes. My 0-3 month footie outfits are too short! Mommy had to go buy me bigger ones so I can stretch!!

Pediatrician Visit

2008-02-07T15:03:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone! Just wanted to put on a quick update. We saw the pediatrician today who said Nathan is doing wonderful!! He is an astonishing 13# 6oz and 24.5 in long!!! My little boy is already over 2 feet long!! He is the 95th percentile for both height and weight. I asked the doctor if we needed to do anything since he is such a big boy (i.e. limit feedings) but he said absolutely not. He said Nathan is proportional and very healthy. He said he couldn't ask for anything better and to keep up the great job we are doing! He said the only time he would be concerned is if his height dropped to the 25th-50th percentile and his weight remained in the 95th. Otherwise he is still perfectly healthy. The doctor commented on how alert he was thru the whole visit. :)

I will try to post this weekend again. We have some adorable pictures from the Superbowl to post! I just need to get them off the camera.

Take care,
Justin, Amber & Nathan

Happy February!

2008-02-03T16:39:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone and Happy February! I can't believe we are already in the second month of the year. Time is flying by!! My maternity leave is half over and I'm already dreading having to leave Nathan all week long. It is hard enough doing it for one day each week right now.

Everything is going well here. More laughing and smiles from Nathan as well as more awake/aware time during the day. We haven't had any luck getting him to sleep in his bassinet again. He prefers his infant seat or on Mommy's chest. I hope he doesn't grow out of his infant seat too soon because that has been a lifesaver. Thanks Karna for suggesting it!!! We also had our first bath in our "big boy" tub with actual water in it (instead of using the sling that suspends him in the air). He did really well with it, but the water got cold very quick!! That could also be because Mommy didn't want it to start off being too hot! :)

Here are some pictures from the last week or two. Look how much our little man has grown!! We hope you enjoy!!

Love,

Justin, Amber & Nathaniel :)

One Month Birthday!!

2008-01-24T14:43:00.000-06:00

Yes, it has already been one month since our little miracle made his appearance in the world! We can't believe it. I can't believe I'm still standing after a month of minimal sleep! :) I was able to capture a few pictures today of Nathan smiling while mommy was making funny faces and singing silly songs. They are adorable and I had to share with everyone.

Everything is going well here. Nathan slept for about an hour and a half in his bassinet last night for the first time! I was so excited that I actually woke Justin up to tell him that! Mommy had to start back to school last week and yesterday I started clinicals. Thanks to Grandma Smith for taking such good care of my little man while Mommy was gone. I hated to leave him, but would rather finish school when he won't remember me being gone!! By the time that he is 17 months old, Mommy will be finished with grad school (finally!!) and able to focus all my time on him. :) Justin hasn't been feeling well for a week now. He has a fever every day and the doctor isn't sure why. We hope he starts feeling better soon!!

I will sign off now so I can get ready for school tonight. I hope you all enjoy the pictures and I will try to update again soon! Take care and we love you all!!

01/24/2008 at 9:19 am - Exactly one month ago Mommy and Daddy (and Dr. Rosbrugh and at least 5 nurses!) welcomed Nathaniel Dean into the world. Look how much he has grown...yet still so small. Happy One Month Birthday my love. It has been such an adventure so far, and more excitement is yet to come!! You have made us so happy!!

Justin, Amber, & Nathan

Nathan

2008-01-11T18:48:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone. All is going well with Nathan so far. At his 1 week hospital follow-up he was already 10 pounds 8 ounces, so we know that he is getting enough to eat!! We had our first week alone at home and it went well. The nights are still long as we are up every 2 hours, but hopefully that will get better in the near future. If not, mommy needs to learn to nap during the daytime instead of doing house stuff because I'm tired!
Anyway, here are some pictures from the last week or so for your enjoyment!
Take care,
Justin, Amber & Nathan

Pictures of Nathan

2007-12-30T08:44:00.000-06:00

WELCOME BABY NATHANIEL!!!!!

2007-12-27T15:52:00.000-06:00

Justin and I are proud to announce the arrival of our son, Nathaniel Dean Smith. He was born on Monday, December 24th 2007 at 9:19 a.m. after 30 hours of labor (15 at home, 15 in the hospital). Nathaniel weighed in at 9 pounds 14.7 ounces and measured 23 inches long. He has a lot of dark brown hair and beautiful blue eyes for the time being (we all know that can change). We are all home and doing well now. Just focusing on recovery and bonding with our son.

The last week has been a blur for me. After our appointment last Friday things started to kick into gear and I was contracting off and on Friday and Saturday. Labor started at 3:30 am on Sunday (our due date) and we were admitted to the hospital around 6 pm. Things had progressed alot by that time, but then seemed to stall overnight. I was given a medicine to help get things back in gear, but it still took a little while. But it was all worth it as we have a beautiful healthy baby boy.

Justin is going to try to figure out how to post pictures on here soon so we can share with everyone.

Until then, everyone take care.

Justin, Amber & Nathaniel

Almost There

2007-12-22T19:55:00.000-06:00

Hello all.

Just wanted to give another update. Nathan and I are still healthy and doing well. At our appointment yesterday we have made a little progress which is a good sign. Tomorrow is our due date. As we all know, this is just an approximation and doesn't guarantee a birth. My doctor said at our next appointment on Thursday if we haven't delivered we will get set up for an induction next weekend. So we are definitely going to meet our son by the end of the year, we just don't know what day yet! Only he knows. We are still just taking it day by day and promise we will notify everyone once Nathan has made his appearance in the world.

We hope everyone has a very safe and Merry Christmas!! It looks as though we might have a white Christmas for once in the last few years here in Kansas City. Justin and I are enjoying spending time with each other and our precious kitty's while watching the snow fall outside. What a wonderful, peaceful way to spend the weekend.

Take care and we will be in touch!!
Justin & Amber

39 Weeks

2007-12-16T20:18:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone. Just wanted to let you know we are all still doing well. Nathan was healthy at our visit on Friday, but nothing has changed as far as status. We will have our next appointment on Friday the 21st and see if anything has changed at that time. Until then it is just a waiting game.

School is finished for the semester. All the Christmas presents are wrapped. All the baby items are put together/installed. And everyone's bags are packed. We are just waiting for Nathan to decide it is time to make his appearance in the world. Our hope all along has been to be home with Nathan for Christmas, but as our doctor has said, the most important thing is the health of both him and myself. So, we may or may not have our little miracle before Christmas...it is truly up to him to decide!!!

I am still planning on working Monday thru Thursday this week, but have decided to take off on Friday. We will make sure and keep everyone updated on our progress.

Take care,
Justin & Amber

The Countdown Begins...

2007-12-08T11:21:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone! We have 15 days left until our due date!! We know he may come either before or after this date, but we know by the end of the month we will have our little boy! This is a very special time for Justin and I. We are both so excited, yet extremely nervous. Every day we wonder if something will happen and it is hard to be patient. We appreciate your understanding if we seem a little on edge...we are just relying on each other to help get through these last couple weeks with our sanity!

I have my final on Wednesday afternoon and then I am finished with the semester. Thank goodness!!! I am ready for a break so Justin and I can focus on our new family member.

Everything else is going well here. We have our weekly visits to the doctor who said everything is progressing right on time and Nathan and I are both healthy which is the most important thing!! Nathan is still as active as ever. The downside now is he is so big that his activity hurts Mommy! Sometimes I swear he is trying to come out through my abdomen! But his activity is a good sign and I will continue to deal with the uncomfortable side of it! Everything is pretty much set up and ready to go. We are putting the swing together today and getting the monitor set up. Other than that it is just waiting patiently (or not so patiently!!). Thank goodness it is Christmas time and I have plenty of movies to distract me!

I will sign off for now. We will make sure and keep everyone updated on our progress and of course will start a phone tree when Nathan makes his appearance in the world! Until then everyone take care and we wish you all a very warm and cozy holiday season!

Love,
Amber & Justin

About 5 weeks and counting

2007-11-16T01:23:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone! Sorry it has taken me so long to get back on here. If you only knew how hectic the last few weeks have been I'm sure you would understand! :) Everything is going well for us. We are now almost 35 weeks and getting more anxious with each passing day. We had our 3D/4D ultrasound in September which was wonderful. I will have to figure out how to post some pictures for everyone to see! Nathan looked healthy, but wasn't wanting to cooperate during the ultrasound. He just wanted to snuggle into Mommy and not face the camera. He has already developed such a little personality...Justin and I know we are going to have our hands full!

Everything has been going very well. We have another appointment tomorrow (acutally today but I haven't been to bed yet) with our OB and will see how things are going. Every visit has been perfect; perfect growth, heartrate and those lovely side effects. :) I feel as though I can't grow anymore and am not sure how he's going to stay in there for another month. Mornings aren't too bad, but as the day progresses it gets uncomfortable to do something as simple as sit at my desk or attempt to drive. I feel as though I have an octopus under my ribs. Luckily Justin has been kind enough to carpool with me most days of the week so I can lean further back in the seat and not have to worry about trying to turn to check for traffic. I know it sounds so trivial, but is actually quite uncomfortable!

As I said earlier Nathan has already developed his own little personality. Justin marvels at how aggressive he can be when he's awake. My stomach gets stretched to the limits when he is rolling around. Speak of the devil I am getting ambushed right now by my little man. He also tends to get the hiccups...ALOT!!! He has them an average of 4-5x/day. And boy does he get mad when they don't go away quickly. I'm not sure if he's sleeping when they develop or not, but after about 5 minutes of the hiccuping, he gets very frustrated and starts rolling around and sticking his little bottom out. He is pretty restless until they go away! We feel so bad for the little guy! I have tried what I can think to help him; I get up and walk, I pat his back, I rub circles on his back, and we talk soothingly. He usually calms down when Daddy talks to him. So when I get really uncomfortable and am getting beat up, I go to Justin and he talks to my belly and calms Nathan down. It's very endearing!! And I'm thankful for the respite from the ambush!

Everything else is going well here. I am almost finished with school for the semester; just a few more outlying projects to be completed, but I am finished with clinicals, weekly case studies, and our clinic notes. We have the nursery finished now. It is adorable and I love to just go sit in the rocker and let my mind wander. I will try to post pictures of it as well so you can all see. Our next project this weekend (besides finishing all our thank-you's from the showers) is to get the big items put together (car seat, stroller, swing, monitor). I already put the Pack-and-Play together one night this week and I am glad I did. It took a long time to figure out what went where and am glad I did it once without a screaming baby in my arms!

Well I am going to head to bed as I can barely keep my eyes open. Everyone take care and we will try to be in contact soon!

Justin, Amber, and baby-to-be Nathan

Starting the Third Trimester

2007-09-23T11:09:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! Yes, today begins our third trimester!! It is hard to believe how quickly the time has gone! I think we are both starting our "nesting" phase by getting the house organized. And for those of you who know me well, I am working today on a paper for school that isn't due for another month!! (Don't have a heart attack mom!) :) Exactly 3 months from today is our due date and our little man is continuing to grow. At times it looks like I have an alien in my tummy and if our kitties try to lay on my chest, Nathan starts kicking their behinds!! :) It's pretty funny! We have our next appointment on Friday morning and then our long awaited 3D/4D ultrasound that afternoon! I can't wait to see our son's face and see how big he is now. We will definitely have to figure out how to post those pictures on the blog to share with you all.

Everything else is going well around here. Very very busy which means very very exhausted for mommy. By Friday I was so tired I was walking around in a daze and actually broke down at work because I was on the phone with an insurance company for 40 minutes, had been transferred 6 times and still didn't have an answer to my question about a patient!! The other girls just laughed and told me it was hormones but I was mortified! :) Thank goodness I work with a bunch of other mommies who sympathize and are so supportive! School is going well too. I had my first clinical with my teacher and she said I did a great job. That helped decrease my anxiety a little. :)

Well, I will be sure to update everyone next weekend after our appointment and ultrasound. Have a good week!

The Smith's

Growing, growing, growing!!

2007-09-09T14:45:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! Our little boy is definitely getting bigger the last few weeks as evidenced by mommy's tummy! My other pregnant friends said they woke up one day and it seemed their stomach had all of a sudden grown...well I have definitely reached that point. I wore my first maternity shirt this week (it was still big, but you could see a little "bump"). Everything still seems to be going well. Nathan has his very active days and then still has days where he likes to sleep a lot (that is until mommy is ready for bed and he decides he wants to play)! I can tell the difference now between a kick or punch and rolling or flipping. Mommy and Daddy are ready for some cooler weather so we started preparing by buying Nathan his first penguin outfit yesterday (mommy's favorite animal). It has cute little blue fleece overalls with a long sleeve striped onesie...we will have to take some pictures of Nathan in it to post online. We all also enjoyed the wonderful fall-like weather this morning by planting 3 trees in our yard (trust me, Nathan was awake and wanting to help!). Justin and I were talking about how next fall we will have to get pictures of Nathan underneath the trees when they change color.

Everything else is going well around here. I am staying very busy trying to manage school, clinicals, work, and getting enough rest! Justin is wonderful help and support!! We have the required test for gestational diabetes on September 26th and then our 28 week appointment AND 3D/4D ultrasound on September 28th. At that time we will have entered our third trimester and will start visits to the doctor every 2 weeks. Next weekend we are going to visit my parents on Saturday to help celebrate my mom's birthday. I can't wait for her to see how much her grandson has grown since our last visit!

I will sign off for now so I can work on more school! Everyone take care and I will update again after the ultrasound if not sooner.

The Smith's

Our Little Soccer Player

2007-08-18T18:29:00.000-05:00

Hello out there!! I hope everyone is doing well and keeping as cool as possible!! Well Justin finally got to feel his son kicking earlier this week. He was particularly active on Tuesday night and was kicking for almost an hour. They were so powerful we actually got to see some of the kicks as well! That was really exciting for both of us, but especially Justin since he hasn't been feeling our little man moving for the last month like mommy.

This last week has been a nice change of pace for me at work. I have shifted my duties until I go on maternity leave and therefore am not on my feet in clinic most days. Although the paycheck is nice, I don't want to have another week like last week where I worked over 51 hours. That's just too much when my body is housing and growing another person!! Plus I start school again on Monday (Can you hear the excitement in my voice??). I won't know yet how much extra time a week that will require, but work should be a little more flexible now since I don't have to coordinate with many clinics. I am a little scared to start school again because when I finish this semester that means it will be baby time!! I am so excited to become a mommy, but must admit the whole idea terrifies me as well! I know other's have done it under worse conditions, but it doesn't take away that first-time parent apprehension! I am just so thankful to have such a supportive husband and family (mom...you have definitely been a huge support for me thus far. You and Justin have helped me keep my sanity!!). I will keep you all updated as the semester goes on.

Justin and I have our 3D/4D ultrasound scheduled now. We are having it on Friday, September 28th. They alot 1.5 hours so we can relax and just enjoy watching our little man on the move. I am looking forward to seeing his sweet face for the first time and marveling at the completely formed human miracle inside. We get a copy of the ultrasound on DVD and VHS so we can share with others afterwards. We also get a copy of all the pictures from that day so he will have his first photo album even before birth!! I will see if I can figure out how to scan and import his ultrasound pictures onto this website so everyone can see them after our appointment. That will be my project for the next month!

One last thing...for those of you who don't know we have decided on a name for our little man. It is Nathaniel Dean Smith and we are going to call him Nathan. So with that I will say goodnight and go feed my boys (Justin and Nathan). Take care and we love you all!

Justin, Amber, & Nathan

Snakes and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails...

2007-08-04T14:28:00.000-05:00

That's what little boys are made of. :) We found out last week that we are having a perfect, healthy little boy and we couldn't be happier!! We have spent the last two weekends in awe of all the cute little boy clothes that are out there (and have bought a few too!). Last week I also started feeling our little man kicking. It isn't very consistent yet, but I feel it every day. Usually after I eat (I wonder if he kicks because he gets food or because his space is invaded). Justin hasn't felt it yet. Everytime he tries to feel the kicks, the baby stops kicking!! I told him maybe his touch is calming for the baby so he stops kicking. :) Hopefully in the next couple weeks it will continue to get stronger and Justin will be able to feel it.

We have the nursery put together with what furniture we have so far. We're still missing the changing table, but it looks good so far! It's exciting to see everything coming together. We are half way through the pregnancy now (20 weeks). We saw the doctor yesterday and she said everything is going great. Our next big step will be doing the 3D/4D ultrasound between 26 and 28 weeks. Justin and I get a copy of all the pictures and a video copy so we can share with anyone who is interested afterwards.

Sorry it took so long to write again. I will try to keep updates atleast every other week.

Take care!!
Justin, Amber, & Baby Boy Smith

First Trimester

2007-06-26T21:47:00.000-05:00

Well, we are finished with our first trimester and on our way into the next phase of our new addition. Things have not been terrible so far...a few weeks of queasiness and now this bad cold, but not like other's have had to endure! We are looking forward to the excitement the next couple months will bring! According to all our books, I should start feeling the baby move within in the next 3-4 weeks. Then we should be having our next ultrasound in about 6 weeks and if the baby is cooperating, will be able to see if it is a boy or girl!!
We are having lots of fun looking at baby stuff. Our next big task is to re-arrange the house so we have room to set up the crib in what will be the baby's room. That may still be a few weeks, although I know we are both excited to see it all set up in the house.
Our next doctor's appointment is July 5th and I will be sure to update everyone after that. Until then, take care!!
~~The Smith's~~

Welcome!!

2007-06-26T20:55:00.000-05:00

Greetings from the Smith Family!! We decided to start this blog as a way to keep family updated on our pregnancy and then the arrival of our new member. Enjoy!!

The Smith Family Update

Bella crawled!! :)

Update on Bella

Welcome to the World Isabella Grace!!!

Update

Getting closer!

Prayers Please

Pictures

Yea for Nathan!!!!

Mommy Did It!!!!!

May 2009

Ultrasound Results and Easter

Update long overdue!!!

Pictures

Merry Christmas!!!

HAPPY 9 MONTH BIRTHDAY!!!!

Sick...again! But still cute as a button!

More Pictures

Happy 4th of July!!!

Pictures Continued from Previous Post

Oh me, oh my....

11 weeks old

Sleep, Sunshine, and Visits

More pictures!!

Happy 2 Month Birthday, Nathaniel Dean!!!!

Too cute!!

Growing Boy!!

8 weeks old!!

Pediatrician Visit

Happy February!

One Month Birthday!!

~~Nathan~~

Pictures of Nathan

WELCOME BABY NATHANIEL!!!!!

Almost There

39 Weeks

The Countdown Begins...

About 5 weeks and counting

Starting the Third Trimester

Growing, growing, growing!!

Our Little Soccer Player

Snakes and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails...

First Trimester

Welcome!!

Nathan