This Summer... and Fall... And maybe some Winter too

Weston's phone had a ton of good pics/videos so here goes!

I want to go into the zoo.  I want to see it.  Yes I do! -Robert Lopshire

You need a hug!

Lily Anne spent several minutes hugging the pig before this video was taken...

Cute, is it not?  The miracle is, it pretty much stayed in!

Buck Buck Buckaw!

"Look at that face! That's a great face!" -Lindsey Stirling

We do get dressed in the mornings, I just don't fight the clothes battle all day...

Hey Papa I tink dese boots feel bewy well.  Can I go wif you?

How's my smile showing through?

First Smith Cousin!  Lily Anne always wants to hold Leah, nevermind that Leah is almost as big as she is.

One might pause to consider "How did this happen?"  Then upon seeing that this question does not clean up the mess, you just say "oh, Lily Anne" and proceed directly to the sink, and do NOT pass go.

NOTICE:  The following video is not approved by all moms.  No moms were present at time of filming.

In all honesty, I think the video is hilarious; but also in all honesty, the video probably wouldn't have happened if I was there...

a clown from dumbo and "Danielle" tiger

would you love me when i fall? would you love my hair up tall?

"too much candy...I think im going to explode!"

Heinrich Henry

We've had a LOT going on so its been hard to take pictures, not to mention blog.  But here are a few I managed to get of our little Henry!  Its hard to remember what the other kids did at what ages, but Henry seems like quite a talker.  He loves to coo and 'talk' at us.  His colic medicine seems to help a lot, if we forget we pay for it a little later.  

Sleeping babies are my favorite!

Laughing/smiling babies, also my favorite!

Heinrich's classic expression

A little story from lunch today...

William was asking when his birthday was and I told him it was in a long time, and a good thing too because I don’t want him to get old too fast!  And he said “because when I get old I’ll die, mommy?”  I was surprised but I told him that dying wasn’t bad because he would go to heaven, and he said, “Then will I be alive again, mommy?”   I said “yes, that’s called resurrection” and tried to explain that we are resurrected because of Jesus.  William then said “that sounds good mommy, I would not mind dying!”

Henry Clyde Smith

Henry Clyde Smith was born at 7 lbs 5 oz, 20.5 inches long and exactly 12:02 Alaska time.

Henry was a repeat c-section.  Early on in this pregnancy I had decided to be happy knowing I was going to have to do a repeat C.  Despite that, I ended up getting really hopeful that Jr would make his appearance by himself.  But since that didn't happen, I don't have a labor story, but I have another story that I think is worth telling.

The morning before the c-sction, I was feeling really sad about having to have the surgery again--especially since this was the first time I could see no good reason not to wait to have a trial of labor.  I went in for my pre-op that night and the nurse who checked me in (I wish I could remember her name!) turned out to be an answer to our prayers.  Weston and I had been praying to know if we should push back on the doctors to wait a little more so we could do a trial of labor.  We had already pushed them back from doing the c-section at 39 weeks to 40 weeks, but we both wanted to hold out a little longer.  (The biggest problem with waiting was my doctor, Dr Bell, was going to Honduras to go scuba diving the day after my surgery).  The pre-op nurse and I chatted and a few key things were said that gave me the peace I was looking for.  First, she told me many times what a great doctor Dr. Bell is.  Second, she was impressed that I was able to convince Dr. Bell to let me go till 40 weeks,  She kept saying 'good for you! That's great!' Finally, she said that with Dr. Bell going out of town, it really was time now because he is definitely the doctor I want doing my surgery.  It seems pretty simple, but that conversation left me feeling about 100% better going forward with the surgery.  I am so thankful that we can pray to a loving Heavenly Father.  I know he heard my prayer and sent that nurse to help me feel that our decision about a c-section was right.

And here we are with a healthy, happy, hungry, Henry :)

Dr. Bell really did do a great job on my surgery.  I got moving sooner and have felt less pain than the other two times.

William smiles the cutest smile when he sees baby brother Henry.  I have a mental picture of it, just picture the cutest sweetest most excited William smile you can imagine :)

Lily Anne likes Henry too, she doesn't really stop running around to tell us, but she does ask to hold him and she likes to take care of her dolly like I take care of Henry. 


A before and after, for fun :)

"Mommy, lets do an activity"

Everyone knows this, but I'll say it again: life is a funny thing.

I have been doing more varied activities than ever with my kids; and the kids are, of course, as cute as ever, but I don't really have much to show for it (as far as blog pictures/posts) 

But I can share a few things.

First is this awesome website:  http://www.productiveparenting.com/default.aspx

I signed up for the daily emails for activity ideas for William and Lily Anne (you sign up with your kids age and gender) and it has been GREAT!  I do not have the creative energy to come up with things for them to do every day, and this website just sends ideas!  For instance, one day I just put them in their booster seats at the table, gave them spoons and Tupperware and they moved dry pinto beans around for at least a half hour, William probably an hour. Another day I gave them some cotton balls, paper, and a little pile of glue and drew them shapes to glue the cotton into, another hit!  Or something as simple as showing William how to trace a "W" I had drawn with his finger--now he does that all the time.  Another day, We just cut scraps of paper and glued them to other scraps, home run!  William often asks if we can do 'gluing' or 'beans' or 'an activity'... it makes me happy :)

That said, I personally think that parents can be overly involved in coming up with activities for their kids.  Kids need to learn to create their own fun.  But, pardon the dog training analogy, its like dog training.  If Pico gets his walk, and a 5 min training session, he really is a pretty good puppy.  If I do one newish activity with the kids every day or two, they are much more willing to go outside and play in the yard by themselves.  And oh how I love to look out the window while I do dishes and see them push each other on the swing, or dig in the mud together. 

A lot of the emails remind me to let the kids help with chores.  At 8 months pregnant, with two little kids, that can be hard to do.  But I have been trying a little harder.  William really enjoys sorting laundry and putting dishes in the dishwasher.  It takes longer to let them help, and Lily Anne has her own ideas about how things should be done, but I do think its worth it to get them involved.

Pico

Pico:

 prefix-(used in units of measurement) denoting a factor of 10⁻¹².

We had a little bit of a hard time choosing Pico's name, but in the end we are all happy with it.  The runners up were Max, Percy, and Nero.  The biggest reason I like "Pico" for a name is because it sounds perky just like his little personality.  It is also easy to say.  Furthermore, I like the meaning of Pico.  After all, Pico is a pretty small guy.  It's also funny because Pico's Dad's name is Einstein, and that just goes together well.    (Pico also means 'peak' and 'beak' (Pico de gallo, aka beak of chicken) in spanish)

I decided before I got Pico that I would cut his fur myself.  I didn't think it would be too bad...


...then I did some "socializing" with the clippers at 11ish weeks.

But when I actually did clip him, I thought he did quite well.  Certainly better then I expected from his early introduction.


Pico has really been great.  He has normal puppy things we are working through (the most persistent being that he wants to chew up EVERYTHING!)  But he really is doing quite well. Its so nice having a dog around again!  And he has really excelled at his job of cleaning up the floor :D  He even tries to eat dried beans and wheat.  ...He's very food motivated

Before 1

Before 2

After 1

After 2

Graduation + lets do everything at once

WE ARE DONE WITH SCHOOL!!!  (Although I technically graduated in '11 This spring we finally got pictures!)  We knew graduation was going to be a big deal, and would include LOTS of changes for our family.  It has not let us down.  We feel like we've been going non-stop since Weston's last final, but it's been fun!

To add to the excitement of Graduation, we:
                                            
1. Will move to Alaska May 14th                                          2. Became a 2 car family

                                    
3. Get our Puppy Saturday!                                                                                                  4. Went to Zions with Granparents Smith

Some pictures of our trip to Zions with Grandma and Grandpa Smith

Our little cabin

First S'more

Lily and Papa Smith

William and Mama Smith

They are looking at a huge beetle.  The picture doesn't do it justice...

This is one of Lily Anne's favorite faces

We all managed a hole in one!  Lily Anne used her hands.... :)

Its always fun to throw rocks in the river
(This is in Zions at the Virgin River)

 

Sand is always a hit

Easter

Saturday we did a fun Easter egg hunt with Cosmo the cougar and the Easter Bunny!

Weston stayed with Lily Anne and she was a pretty good egg gatherer.  She was scooping them up and handing them to him as fast as she could.  Then she was off to find more. 

I was with William who was really into hunting eggs too.  He did not realize that there was a race to get the eggs though, and sat down to inspect the first couple of eggs he got.  I convinced him to pick up a few more. After that he did not want to stop...even though all the eggs were gone.  I was amazed how fast the "hunt" was over, but all in all we had a good time.

A Day with Grandpa at Rebecca's

I was really glad that we were able to take Grandpa up to Bec's this time when we went.  We were even able to video-chat with Mama and Grandpa Niedfeldt. :)

 It was a fun, sunny, relaxing day at Aunt Beccas.  Thank you Bec for letting us come visit again!

We are excited to go to Alaska and enjoy all our friends and family there, but we will miss our friends and family down here. 



"I'm a goofball" close quote.

 

Funny faces  ...William thinks his shorts are the Bee's knees, can you tell?

Horses in Salt Lake City, who knew, right?



And how cute is this?!?!