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 :)