Why I do what I do..

I know the days are coming where Brody might be asking "why?" to everything. Ryan likes to practice for those days by asking me questions like "Where do babies come from?" in his best Brody voice. So, I've been thinking about why I do the things I do, in case some one ever asks.

• Attend church and wrestle my child through the whole service-God commands it first of all. Beyond that..we are blessed to be free to worship our God when and how we want to. It could be taken away from us one day. I love being among fellow Christians and God deserves to be worshiped! Ryan was working a little later on a Wednesday night and at 6:00 he left to join us for church..he said "As for me and my house, we go to church at 7:00." :) That's what we do, for lots of reasons, fussy baby or not, we're trying to set an example.
• Exercise-It makes me feel good. It will help me live longer. I want to be able to play with my children and be an active family for a long long time. It's a good example to Brody. My husband probably finds me more attractive when I do it and that's important to me. I get to be with friends a lot when I do it..Stroller Strides shout out! I justify my weekly Chick Fil A habit by doing it. I have been given such great health and I want to take advantage of my strong body while I have it!
• Eat healthy-pretty much the same as above...
• Spend time with friends-Umm..because I'd go CRAZY without them. Especially my mommy friends who can give me sage advice or just be a sounding board for me. 
• Read-I LOVE reading! It makes you smarter, more well rounded, gives you a better vocabulary, gives you something to talk about with people (hey have you read...), I want Brody to be a good reader and he sees what I do. A good book is good for the soul.
• Try to treat my husband with love and respect-1. He deserves it + some. (I tend to be a little crazy and sometimes bossy, sorry Ryan) God told us to. Ryan is my best friend. One day, Brody will look for a wife and I want to have set a standard for him. If I am rude and hateful to Ryan, Brody will think that's the way wives treat husbands and he will settle for much less than he deserves. 
• Clean and organize-have you ever seen hoarders? That's my worst nightmare! I can't stand clutter!!! "Give it to Goodwill" should be a sign in our home, not just on a billboard. Plus-cleanliness is next to Godliness.
• Get on Facebook often-I'm a little nosy. I like knowing what is going on in people's lives..I don't really know how we lived before Facebook. I also love blogs. :)
• Live, eat, and breathe motherhood-its the best thing ever.

Well that's pretty much my life in a nutshell...

Thankful for SO much!

I have not been updating my Facebook status each day with what I am thankful for. Not because I don't think it's a great idea, but because I didn't catch on until a few days after the 1st and so I never caught up and joined in on the fun. So here is my list..I love lists by the way!

• Being a Christian-there is A LOT of bad in this world and its really hard to wrap your head around WHY? Especially on some of the really tough issues..but as a Christian..we know that this isn't it..we have a goal to press on towards and all that happens on this Earth are merely bumps, hills, or MOUNTAINS...really tall, scary, cold, dark, pretty much tortuous mountains..to overcome until we get to go to heaven. 
• I've only had to walk over a few hills at this point in my life..I am SO blessed. But those of you who are climbing mountains..I see your strength and it's helping me train.
• My husband is my favorite person-this covers all things to do with how great he is for about a bajillion reasons..seriously..he's everything God knew I needed/wanted/
• I have a healthy child
• I have a warm/dry house today
• I have a lot of great friends who encourage me in all the areas of life that I need encouragement and they're just a lot of fun!
• We have a great and reliable vehicle that we feel proud of and think we got a good deal on..it's a kia sorento if you need any car advice
• I am part of a loving and caring family of God-Crieve Hall Church of Christ is a great place to call home..if you're looking for a church :)
• Brody has 4 grandparents who ADORE him 
• I can't say this enough..but I am so thankful that I get to stay at home with my baby!!!
• Stroller Strides..thanks Andrea (again) you sure whipped me into shape today
• That sweet little cry I just heard from B's room and the smile I'm gonna get when I go see him...which is where this list ends..for now

An "Everyday to do" List

I pretty much think I have the perfect life. I am beyond blessed to be able to stay at home with my sweet Brody and I will never be able to thank God and Ryan enough for that. Most of my days are pretty fun and even though a few months ago I never thought I would do anything but feed/change/hold/repeat, I am pretty productive most days. Because I am such an expert (psych) I want to share a list of things I think you should do everyday..as a mommy, if applicable, or just as a woman, if applicable, or just as a person...if applicable. :)

(In no order of importance...)

•  Play with your baby in just his/her diaper
•  Drink a cup of cofee out of a mug that makes you happy (if you don't like coffee drink some tea, coke, milk..whatever you do like). I have a tinkerbell mug that Ryan gave me before we were married and a Texas mug that a dear friend (Micah Mitchell) gave us when we went to Texas to be in her wedding. And now my Christmas mugs are out!
• Kiss your husband and tell him you love him
• Make your bed-quickest way to make it look like you've done SOMETHING
• Shower-yes, this is a decision us moms make sometimes..it's not a given that we will bathe each day
• Fix your hair and/or put on make up-(especially if the previous doesn't happen..no one will be able to tell)
• Read something/learn something-I love reading articles online or in magazines or just playing on Pinterest and learning how to do something
• Read/watch something fun-I love fiction books and I love tv...I should really read more than I watch TV but I just finished The Hunger Games, and I have kind of been in "book mourning" which happens to me when I finish an awesome series too quickly and then its over.
• Get moving-if you don't exercise hard core, go on a stroll, clean your floors, organize your closet, chase your baby, do something to get the blood pumping
• Call your mom or dad, or sister or brother
• Talk to a friend in some way-best way is face to face, but if you can't, call them, email them, text them...etc.
• Talk to God many times a day and pray for your child and what they will become one day
• Spend some time outdoors! 
• Drink a lot of water
• Do one extra thing, something not on your "must do" but "would be nice if I did" list
• Read to your child
• Tell your husband he's a good daddy
• sing out loud

And once a week you should:

• Eat at Chick Fil A
• Go to Starbucks
• Fix something new for dinner
• shower while your husband is watching your baby so that you don't rush
• Go to the grocery store

Things sure change!

To say that having a baby changes things is the understatement of the century. My life is very different than it used to be. Some people don't like change...but I am LOVING this change.

Things I do less:

• Sleep (DUH!) But I know this is a short season in my life. Nothing makes you feel like a mom of a little baby like being sleep deprived. I mean, I am definitely a member of the mommy club.
• Eat-Like this morning I fixed my breakfast and then Brody decided he was still hungry so my oatmeal got cold and he had a full belly. Sometimes I realize its 2:00 and I think..I haven't eaten lunch and didn't really eat breakfast.
• Shop (Good for our bank account)-Brody mainly likes to be worn..in a baby carrier when I am grocery shopping so this doesn't transfer well to clothes shopping. The time I was at the mall with just Brody trying on clothes I put them all on over my clothes in the middle of the store and bought 3 shirts that are kinda too big. 
• Talk on the phone while driving (Which is also good!). Brody has not always been a fan of his car seat so he is usually screaming when I am in the car. 
• Care what people think about me or getting stuff-I'm simply just too busy to compare my life to others..and since I love my life, I think I'd come out on top. :)
• Judge people, especially other moms-I don't know your baby and what works best for him/her and you don't know mine!
• Sit through a worship service-we are doing better, but sometimes it's just not possible. I think it's good that we show up and try our best though! We may get up and come in a lot, but we are trying to teach Brody something.

Things I do more:

• Make up weird songs and nicknames-I just went and got Brody up from a nap and called him "Pumpkin Pooty" 
• Exercise-I joined STROLLER STRIDES (the best idea ever) and it makes me get out and have a great workout, be with friends, and enjoy the outdoors. We didn't have a very good gym before Brody was born. 
• Make friends- it is so easy to make friends with other mommies..I love talking to other moms or moms to be.
• Feel content-what more could I really ask for? 
• Tell other moms they are doing a good job. It's nice to hear!
• Worry-is he breathing? is it too cold out here? is he eating enough? did that hurt him when he just face planted on the floor? how many ounces should I make this bottle? 
• I am sure there are a million more things..but one thing I do more often is forget things..so that's all.

God's gifts to us

As I was at Stroller Strides and then driving home today I was nearly overwhelmed by this gorgeous day! The leaves are incredible, there are so many bright colors and it doesn't hurt anything that the weather is PERFECT. I wanted to pull over and take a picture of every tree I saw. I'm not sure why I ever chose anything other than Autumn as my favorite season.

The day was so nice that I (once again) went to the Chick Fil A drive through and then just sat in a parking lot with the windows down and ate while Brody slept. While I was having this little "mommy time out" I got to thinking..God did not have to give us such a beautiful place to live. While I do not think that our only purpose here on earth is to be happy..I know God gave us many things to enjoy and  they show that He knows us so well.

• He gave us seasons because we get bored with having the same old thing all the time. And there is something so special about each season..they serve a purpose and we get to enjoy them. I LOVE seeing the beauty that God created for us. That is one reason I enjoy being outdoors so much. 
• God gave us music and singing because it brings out emotions in us and helps us express ourselves...yes we sing praises to God, but how much do we love music and singing? My favorite times are when I am among other Christians and we just SING..I love singing nights and the Big Singing at Crieve Hall, and in college..Clayton Chapel singings or just campus devos...gives me chills to think about the singing in Heaven. And God gave many people (not me) the talent to sing and play music for us to enjoy. 
• And God gave us a laugh and a smile to express happiness...one of my favorite sounds in the world is Brody's laugh. It tells me he is happy and feeling good. What a gift to hear that sound and to be able to laugh myself..I love laughing. 

These little gifts are my favorite things to do with Brody..enjoy the outdoors and God's creation, sing to him, and laugh with him. 

Happy Halloween!

Okay, I'm not the first mom to say this but..I enjoyed Holidays before I had a baby..but now..they are SO much fun! Maybe it's because I get to dress Brody in cut outfits, or see him look at decorations, or I just have an excuse to do fun things with him. But I think it is mainly because EVERYTHING I do means so much more to me now than ever before. I LOVE my little family.

This has been a great and busy month for us:
Ryan started a new job and is doing so great at it. He is still studying for the CPA and trying to spend as much time with us as he can. He is a great provider, husband, daddy, and friend. Thanks Ryan, we love you!

First day of work!

Brody had his 4 month check up at the beginning of the month. After that visit we quit swaddling cold turkey and have been letting Brody learn to put himself to sleep a little bit. He has done great! We can lay him down for a nap or bed and he will cry a few minutes and then fall asleep. And, even though I was skeptical..he is not mad at me when he wakes up. We have NOT however started solid foods..I'm just not ready QUITE yet. And we are NOT sleeping through the night. :( Any advice is welcome.

We went to Henderson for a visit and Brody got to play on the land. He rode a 4 wheeler and just rolled around on a blanket. And this was the first time we've had to bundle Brody up. He was born when it was hot outside and now I have to make sure he is warm enough and make sure no one gives me those looks or says..I think he's too cold.

My Birthday!! I am 26 years old now! My sweet husband arranged a great night with friends to see WICKED (amazing!) while my parents kept Brody and then spent my birthday with me the next day. We had a lot of fun and I am so thankful to everyone who made it special! And then his other grandparents got to keep him when we went to celebrate Courtney's birthday..which was the best meal of the month at Maggianos!

I've been able to see some friends I don't see a lot. Emma came over and made me some yummy, healthy pancakes and the best bacon I've ever eaten! And we got to see our long lost friend Will and Sarah, they stayed with us this past weekend and Brody LOVED seeing them.

The Big Singing at Crieve Hall..although we aren't in a season of life to be able to stay until they quit late in the night, we had a great time singing praises and being among our church family. Brody was a good boy the whole time we sang.

Trunk or Treat...I have the cutest little Mickey Mouse EVER! I had so much fun seeing all my friends and their kiddos dressed up. Halloween is one of the best times to be a parent. When I was a little girl I loved dressing up my baby dolls all the time..this is so much better than that.

October is one of my favorite months, and this one is probably the best October on record. Brody is 5 months old TODAY and I cannot believe it. Time is flying and things are just getting better and better.

Silly mommy..

Lately, I have been observing some of the things I do to make Brody (or let's face it..me) happy. All baby lovers kind of act ridiculous around babies to make them laugh or smile...but I spend a lot of time alone with my son and things can sometimes get very silly or I will waste a lot of time, or go out of my way, or pretty much do ANYTHING to get my baby to sleep sometimes or just to be happy.

Some of my latest happenings:

• Brody fell asleep in the car at about 11:00 one morning after Stroller Strides, I needed to grocery shop but he needed a nap...I turned my white noise app on my phone, put it in Brody's car seat, went through the Chick Fil A drive through..ate my lunch and sat in the Kroger parking lot for an hour while he slept.
• Yesterday, Brody slept in his room, with the lights out, sound machine one..in his car seat.. for 2 hours
• Brody has a sea horse that plays lullaby music that he likes..yesterday at Stroller Strides it was in his stroller with him on repeat..for an hour..I just kept squeezing it because he was happy. :)
• Also at my workout class..I did squats while feeding him a bottle...anything to keep burning those calories!
• If I say one thing that makes Brody smile I just keep repeating it in all different tunes to make him happy.
• I often drive down the road with my right arm stretched to the back to hold in a paci or feed him a bottle.
• I went to bed with a stomach ache for several nights because I stressed out about Brody being swaddled and rolling over...we have gotten rid of the SwaddleMe..thank you very much.
• Listening to my voice on ANY video of Brody is insane.
• I dryed my hair one day while holding him and put on my make up.
• Once I took him into the grocery store in his car seat..put it down into the big part of the cart (yes, where all my groceries should have gone) and when he got upset..luckily I had my carrier so I strapped him onto me and pushed around an empty car seat and squished my groceries all around it..that is the ONLY day I ever said.."Yes, Please" when they asked if I wanted help out.

Whatever works right? 

Things I've learned from my fave TV shows...

We got cable just after Brody was born. We had not had cable or DVR until that point. I am at home a lot, so I just record a lot of shows and enjoy watching them when I get a break in the day or with Ryan at night. Here are some of the shows I regularly watch.

19 Kids and Counting-It can be just as much fun to watch people who are serving God and following the Bible as it is to watch people who are doing...well...the opposite of that. I LOVE the Duggar family.They.Are.My.Favorite.

The Amazing Race-People are generally terrible at reading ALL of the instructions. When Ryan and I are grandparents..we are going to be adventurous.

The Sing Off-Bruno Mars apparently has like a million hit songs and they sound really good acapella, Ben Folds knows a ton about music, I love dorky college guys.

The Wonder Years-The 70s was a great time for music and clothes. It was really hard to be a teenager. So happy I survived those years. Also..I wish I had a voice over of an older me talking the younger me through some of the rough times. Once again..Kevin Arnold..dorky..love him!

Terra Nova- I need to acquire a few more marketable skills so that if the Earth is unlivable in a few years I will be recruited to go back in time to start a new world. And I'm glad I wasn't one of the people who lived with dinosaurs a few thousand (not millions) of years ago. The universe is young folks! And I'm pretty sure my husband would LOVE to be recruited as "security" for Terra Nova.

Grey's Anatomy-"Post it note" weddings really do mean commitment to some people. Thank you writers of Grey's for giving us a glimpse of making marriage work for once!

Revenge-With a lot of money you can pretty much make anything happen. Do real people really "summer" at the Hamptons? And Daniel Grayson was on Make It or Break It...did you notice that Abigail and Amanda? We didn't talk about that!

Parenthood-Even though I have made it past the "growing up" stages of my life..I'm not done with them. When Brody (and any other kiddos) have a fight with a friend and get their feelings hurt..I will hurt too. When they get made fun of...gonna be mad at that kid....and when they get their heart broken for the first time...and every time after that...mine will break too. This raising an infant thing is the easy part..his happiness is pretty much dependent on me right now and usually, I can trust me. One day though..he is going to be exposed to this big ole world and my sweet Brody will get hurt..and its going to hurt. I pray that we can always create a safe haven in our home to make it a little easier on him.

Team Hysmith

 Ryan and I always try to work as a team with our baby..and sometimes the whole team is needed. You would think with a baby 1 on 1 would work, but sometimes 2 on 1 is necessary...like say you have to change everything that has touched your baby in the middle of the night..twice, or throw clothes in the washer at 4 o clock in the morning...or get a diaper on before all that stuff goes somewhere else...or leave worship twice and then go sit in the car during Bible class and wonder that if the car is gone when Ryan gets out of class will he figure out that we just left and can he find a ride? You would also think that 2 adults and one diaper bag full of everything we own would equal one pacifier for church..nope. 

Team Hysmith is working hard..and thankfully in this game of parenting there is no winning! It's just an ongoing game with lots of laughs..lots and lots of laughs, because let's face it...being sleep deprived makes things funnier. We improve every day because we learn a little every day and a lot of the time, we're just throwing hail Mary passes to see if it will work. 

Here are a few things that work for our team:

• When I am feeding, rocking, or doing anything with Brody and need Ryan, I always whistle this one little whistle to get his attention...he comes running, that way you don't have to yell and startle Brody.
• Every night Ryan washes the bottles and pacis while I get ready for bed
• I rock Brody to sleep and Ryan prays with us every night
• I carry Brody into church and Ryan carries the diaper bag..in church he usually just hands me things from the bag of tricks
• Ryan almost always does the dishes and often helps cook and sometimes does it all
• Ryan dresses Brody on Sunday mornings
• Ryan buys muffins at Fresh Market every week and makes our coffee each night to brew the next morning
• Ryan likes to "assist" on diaper changes..he gets the wipes out. 
• I write this blog and Ryan makes fun of me for it.
• I stay home with Brody and Ryan works very hard to provide for us!

We are doing pretty good...couldn't do it without him! 

Friends-One of the BEST gifts from God!

Can I just say that I am extremely blessed to have so many wonderful friends? New and old! I love living in Nashville and I love going to Crieve Hall church because there are so many people that we love and get to hang out with!

Here is a recap of the past few days filled with great people...

Saturday-we had a picnic at Crockett park with a bunch of the young marrieds from church. We ate, talked and then a bunch of them played kickball while myself, Brody, Adrienne (& Georgia), Amelia, and Amy cheered them on from a blanket in the shade. The plus to this outing was that we took some very cute pictures of Brody and HIS friends and he and Tinley even experienced their first swings together.
Sunday-We ate lunch with the Alsups and the Watsons-I love these families, especially hanging out with these girls, they are too much fun and they became mommas a little before me so I can learn a lot from them! and I got to see some friends from preschool that I hadn't seen in a while.
Monday-Will & Sarah and Tyler & Adrienne (&G.G.) came over for dinner and we hung out and talked so long that Ryan had already taken out his contacts, brushed his teeth, turned down the bed, and gathered their things at the door when they were getting ready to leave. Disclaimer: Ryan LOVES both these couples but when he's ready for bed, he's ready for bed. We all went to FHU together and there are lots of funny things to talk about...even if you think its dorky..there is a Freed Hardeman bond...no place like it!
Tuesday-Will and Sarah visited briefly..actually Will came to borrow the truck at dinner time and sampled my new chili recipe...passed his test I think.
Wednesday-STROLLER STRIDES (love it!) with Amanda, Abigail and Laura, it is so encouraging to work out with friends... especially when my baby had to come out of the stroller and go into the Bjorn...squats are so much harder that way! Then Brody, Tinley and Amelia played in the shade and we had lunch with Amanda & Abigail and their sweet girls! (It ended somewhat abruptly for nap time and the lunch rush at Zaxby's) And tonight I will see even more people I love at church.

I LOVE friends! Thank you to all my friends, even the ones who I haven't spent time with this week so you didn't get a shout out....I am also so grateful that my sweet boy is already growing up among friends with Christian parents and maybe one day we can laugh at all the pictures of them together and be grateful they are all still friends. We have a lot of fun times ahead.AND of course, my very best friend..my husband...as much fun as I have with all of my friends..I really love spending time with Ryan. He makes me laugh, I can be 100% me, we like the same things, and I cherish our time together more than anything!

****Hug a friend today, call one up, go on a walk with them, facebook them, pray for them often and thank God for them! ****

A shout out to Mommies!

I have been extremely blessed to have a lot of mommy friends! I love talking to other women about their experiences and just laughing and sharing our concerns with one another. I have seen amazing strength in these ladies and learned so much. It makes me feel so good to hear someone say, "you're such a good mommy," or " You guys are doing a great job with him.." that I want to tell all those mamas out here..yes you..that you inspire me and I think you are great!

There are several types of moms out there that I want to highlight:

Those who want to be mothers desperately-I have friends who are trying so hard to get pregnant and I know it is so frustrating, disappointing and confusing for you right now. I can't fully understand your pain but I can only imagine how you feel. I pray for you...and will continue to because I have seen how this particular prayer works and I don't think it was a one time deal. Along with this..those working on adoptions right now..my heart goes out to you and I pray for you too! You have so much love for a baby that belongs in your home and in your family and the process is probably killing you! What a blessed child he/she is to have you endure!

Pregnant mommies-This is a hard time because sometimes you aren't included in this category but you are a MOM! You love a little person you haven't met yet and it is the hardest thing ever to wait on..that day you get to meet them and hold them and kiss them. You carefully consider every move you make and every bite you take..will this hurt my baby? No, you're smart...you have created a wonderful home for baby!

The moms of newborns-never will you feel so much joy and terror at the same time! Even if mothering comes naturally to you and your baby is perfect, you still can't help but check to make sure they're still breathing after they've been quiet a little while or worry if they're cold, hot, hungry, sad..whatever! So even if you feel like you aren't..you are doing a great job and your baby loves you!

The moms of lots of little ones-I look to you to see if you are still surviving..See,  I want lots of kiddos and I kind of want them to be close in age...someone tell me its a good idea, please! But you mamas with more than one baby, or moms of twins (yikes) I salute you, you're doing great!

Moms with sick babies/children-Prayer never has meant so much to me as when Brody was giving us a little scare! To see your baby with IVs and wires and all that is SO SCARY! It takes the strength that only God can give us to make it through...I have friends whose babies have been in the NICU, were in the hospital, had surgeries, were having scary pregnancies..and they came through like warriors! 

Moms of teenagers-Are they mature enough to make decisions? Will they be a safe driver? What are those other kids into? Dating? No thank you! I can't imagine the things that you worry about and pray about constantly...But you have done what you were supposed to since they were itty bitty so they will do great in this big world! 

Moms who have had to say goodbye-The strength you have is something I can't even fathom, I love you and pray for you women often. 

Moms of Moms-What would I do without my mommy? Even though she is not in town, she pretty much helps me everyday...I love her and I know she loves my sweet baby so much! Thank you to all your moms who have helped us out so much!

I am thinking of so many people I know! I love you! Please share with your mommy friends!

Come on Fall!!

So, my life these days no longer revolves around weekends, fall break, Christmas break, Spring break, and then finally summer. As a mommy..I work every day but its great! I am looking forward to fall more than ever, for several reasons.
1. I just started doing stroller strides and I love it! If you don't know, its a workout class that you go to and push your stroller (duh) and do workouts with a group..thanks Andrea for getting us involved with it. I went Monday and today and I discovered something. I am not in good shape..I love to sweat....and a plank is about the hardest thing for me to do right now...wonder what muscles got so soft?
2. Ok, so I would be lying if I didn't say I was pumped about fall tv shows coming back on!! Right now I am one hundred percent obsessed with The Sing Off...Delilah singing Grenade...my favorite..I've watched it at least 15 times. Seriously.
3. Fall clothes...last year I didn't get to wear a lot of my fall/winter clothes because I was too big for them so yay!
4. My birthday..October 21st and going to see Wicked for the 3rd time!! I love it!
5. Drinking coffee as often as possible!
6. Brody looking precious in fall clothes
8.I have so many friends and I am so grateful for all of them in my life. I think there will be so many fun times with them this season.
7. Fall is about the most beautiful season..I love seeing the trees and feeling the awesome weather! I know our happiness is not what is most important to God, but why would he give us such a beautiful world to enjoy if he didn't want us to enjoy this life!?

And shout out to my awesome hubby who passed the first part of the CPA on his first try!!!
Sad news-Will and Sarah are moving and we are super bummed..Brody loves Uncle Will and Aunt Sarah..especially when they let him play cards with them. And Sarah puts milk in his nose :)

So much has changed in a year!

    On this day last year, I woke up on a Saturday morning, took a pregnancy test..read it, Ryan went to the store and got 2 more..I took them, and then we decided to believe that I was pregnant! We were so excited, I think we jumped up and down, screamed, hugged, and thanked God for the opportunity and from then on we prayed like crazy for our baby's health, our marriage, to be good parents, my health during pregnancy, and so many other things!

  It seemed like it would be forever until I got to meet my sweet little child. We anxiously awaited the day we would find out boy or girl! We thought boy..and a perfect boy we have! I was blessed with an amazing pregnancy and LOVED the whole experience. We were blessed by so many at our showers and with gifts and help from our families, and especially prayers. The peace that prayer from fellow Christians brings has never meant to much to me. Because I had never known worry like I learned about one year ago.

  On May 30th, at 3:50 am my water broke. (3 days past my due date) And 37 hours later (yep, that's a long time)...my heart changed forever. #1 best moment ever, when they handed me sweet Brody Thomas. To meet this little person I love so much already and know that he is part me and part my other favorite person..is just amazing!

    One year ago I found out I was going to be a mother, I have felt blessed every minute since I looked at that stick! I just daydreamed about what he would be like, what he would look like, and how it would be to be a mommy. I still do that, what will Brody be like as he grows, how will it be to take him to Kindergarten, or Disney World? I am on the best journey ever! Thank you God for creating me to carry and give birth to children, I can't imagine anything that holds more proof that God exists!

Dollywood, Biltmore, and Bears..Oh My!

We got home yesterday from our first family vacation to Gatlinburg. It was a great week with Ryan's family and we got to experience some fun things with our baby! Brody couldn't have been any better for us, he even slept late every day as if he knew we were on vacation. We left Sunday morning and Brody was AMAZING in his car seat..he slept and then just played, and if you've ever been in the car with our baby, you know this is a miracle.

 Brody playing with his giraffe on the way there.

Trip recap:

Monday, we went to Dollywood. The weather was great and since we had 5 adults and little man, it worked out perfectly for 4 of us to ride a ride and the other one (usually Papa) to hang out with Brody. Ryan and I had only been to an amusement park together one other time for about an hour. We went to Knot's Berry Farm in California and for some reason Ryan got a little motion sick (probably all the french toast he ate right before) and we left pretty early into the day. So, we had fun acting like kids running up steps to ride in the front of the ride together. At the end of the day we went in a gift shop and Ryan bought Brody a stuffed owl. Amazingly it's the first toy that Ryan has brought Brody...we have been given so many things we just haven't even had to buy much stuff.

Tuesday-I got to see the Biltmore for the first time! It was amazing and I loved it. Once again perfect weather and a perfect baby. I carried him in the Bjorn the whole time and he fell asleep or just looked around for a couple hours while we toured it. I even got to use the audio tour and it wasn't too much trouble. 

Wednesday-Pancake pantry, sweet potato pancakes and no waiting in line! Then we went to the outlets with a few goals...this was Brody's least favorite place but he was pretty good! Papa took him back to the cabin so we could do some shopping. That night we went to eat and to the Christmas store...his grandparents dressed him that night...so adorable!

Our little park ranger with his Bibi and Papa!

Uncle Ross and Brody

Just drinking my bottle by the Christmas tree

Thursday we went to the aquarium..and Brody LOVED looking at the fishies swimming in the tanks. 

On Thursday night we were heading to eat at he apple barn and as we were driving down the road I was looking in the trees and saw this big black blob, and a man at the bottom of the tree taking pictures...Ryan turned the car around and we stopped and got out to see what it was...4 bears up in the tree!!! A mama and 3 cubs...very cool!

These 3 Hysmiths had a great week! We feel so blessed to be able to go on trips and enjoy our time as a family. Memories are being made and I am living THE life. 

Dilemmas in the work place...

  My work place just happens to be my home, or in the car, church, the mall, the park...wherever my child happens to be I'm working. :) Did I mention it is THE best job in the world? Well lately I am having a dilemma and unfortunately sometimes, I'm the boss of this place and I have to make some decisions. The question is...to keep swaddling or not? And if not..how in the world do I get my sweet baby to sleep for more than 45 minutes in the day UNswaddled and more than a few hours at night UNswaddled?

  Brody LOVES being swaddled. When we lay him down at night to wrap him up he gets so happy and then he takes a bottle, nurses, or sucks on his paci for like 2 minutes and falls asleep. Sounds like a no brainer..swaddle that kid up tight right? Well he learned a new trick the other day..rolling from back to tummy while swaddled. I don't think I can even do that. He can't roll over when he isn't swaddled, but when that arm is tucked down..there he goes. So a few nights ago he kept waking up because he was face down and it scared me! So we tried to quit swaddling cold turkey...it worked for half a night. The next two nights and days were fun. Brody would fall asleep, we lay him down and that startle reflex kicks in and he starts flailing around..no good naps...not a lot of long stretches in the night...yada yada yada.

  Ryan suggests swaddling with one arm out two days ago. I kept trying to get him to sleep in his sleep sack, read a million blog posts about how to wean your child off swaddling, kept telling Ryan we needed to break him of it anyway..also kept hitting Ryan in the middle of the night to go put Brody back to sleep..tried all I could think of and read about...

  So end result..Brody is swaddled tightly in his bed..one arm out. The left one, because Ryan hopes he will be left handed. I sometimes forget that I have someone else working for this Think Tank of parenting. So, here's hoping that Brody sleeps well with only one arm to whack himself with and that the new bigger swaddle blanket will keep him from rolling over.

My boys

   My heart is so full, sometimes its hard to contain all the love that I have inside. God has blessed me with a wonderful husband. Sometimes I just stop and think..wow what if I had married someone else? I have actually had dreams on more than one occasion that I was about to marry someone else and woke up, looked over, and thanked God that He brought Ryan to me and that we happened to both be extremely ready to settle down. It seriously took about 2 weeks for us to decide there was no use looking around anymore...call off the dogs, the search is over, are you available next June?..is pretty much how it went. Ryan is not only great because the other choices were so bad...he's just perfect for me!

  And  I thought the perfect husband wasn't enough to make me just sit and stare and reflect on how blessed I am...but then, I had a baby...WOW! Ushy Gushy love is what I have for this little boy. Can't get enough of him. Even in the middle of the night..after I stumble out of bed and remember where I am and we're just rocking and snuggling...I thank God for my son..and I remember that my first love, Ryan, helped a little bit in giving me Brody. :) He also works really hard so that I can stay home with our son. Oh yeah, and he's my best friend, and he prayed with us before we laid Brody down, after reading him his Bible story for the night. And earlier tonight he cleaned up the kitchen and made me chocolate milk and wanted to cuddle. So when I crawl back into bed and hold my breath to see if Brody is going to stay asleep, I feel that way about both my boys...my cup runneth over. Thank you God for my boys!

We have entered the Blogosphere!

   I have to admit that I love blog stalking people. If you have a blog, I have probably read it, along with the blogs you follow that you have posted on the side of your blog. (I don't think you are supposed to say blog so many times in one blog post). I have especially read your blog if it is about parenting, adoption, mission work, or husbands...all things I love.
   Anyway, I LOVE reading other people's experiences and thought I would share my own, no one may read this but at least I can go back and read my own posts every now and then, the same way I go back and look at all my facebook pictures every once and a while.