Wednesday, September 28, 2011

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! ****

Monday, September 26, 2011

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!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

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 :)

Sunday, September 18, 2011

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!

Saturday, September 17, 2011

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. 


Saturday, September 10, 2011

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.

Friday, September 9, 2011

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.