Swine Flu...Funny!

Matt just sent me an email with this picture attached. I had to edit it slightly to make the wording a little more politically correct and "appropriate" for our blog...I don't know whose poor kid this is, but it gave me a good laugh this morning! I thought it was good enough to post after my spill about not letting Ryder out of the house in my posting earlier this morning!

Baby, Swim Lessons & Lip Gloss

It has been a really weird week. The weather has been pretty wet, so we haven't been able to get outside much….but we've still stayed fairly busy.

We got some different news on Monday about the Baby. We still haven't picked a name for him yet, so for now I am continuing to call him the "Baby". After reviewing his ultrasound pictures, they found he has a condition called Echogenic Bowel. Monday, I go to the Perinatologist, so that he can get a better look with his ultrasound equipment. At first, we were very scared. I have decided that reading about a condition on the Internet is not a good thing. Matt acted very strong for me, but I think we were both equally worried. After two antagonizing days of knowing about this, but not really knowing what it was, we saw my OB. She really calmed our fears. I have been praying hard and I really feel this little stinker is going to be fine. We still need to see the Perinatologist on Monday for a final verdict.


On a happier note, Ryder started Swim Lessons! All who read this blog know how much he loves the water, so I knew he would fancy the opportunity to get in a big pool of the stuff. I wasn't sure how he would react to a girl he didn't know taking him away from me and into the pool, but he didn't mind at all. I sat where I could watch and he could see me. He laughed the entire time and his instructor said he did really well. Obviously, we are a long way off from swimming....but I guess you have to start somewhere! Of course with everything else going on that day, I forgot my camera...but I snapped a couple with my very bad camera phone. My phone...poor thing has been through it all, but I can't part with it until my contract is up in October, so I will have to deal with its poor capabilities awhile longer.

Lip gloss. I panicked and didn't take any pictures of this incident. Matt and I were going to the Ranger's Game last night, which incidentally was rained out. But, we still headed up there and I devoured a plate of Nachos which I loved at the time and then later regretted. I digress, back to the Lip gloss. I am getting ready in my bathroom and Ryder is in my room with the door closed, in my opinion contained. I am in the same room and can watch everything he does....so I thought. He is infatuated with Matt's sound machine...he has the thunderstorm going and turns the volume all the way up. I go over to turn the volume down and realize that there is hot pink lip gloss all over the machine.....look to the floor and find a tube of hot pink lip gloss on the floor. Hot Pink lip gloss all over the beige carpet. My eyes go toward Ryder who is now in the bathroom...a Hot Pink Monster. Hot Pink Face, Hot Pink Shirt, Hot Pink Legs, Hot Pink Hands...I wanted to cry! I yanked off his shirt and threw him in the shower. I couldn’t really punish him because it was my inability to properly monitor him that caused the whole incident. He loves the shower and was perfectly content there while I got the Oxyclean and started scrubbing the carpet. I know what you must be thinking...how long was she not looking at him? I promise this guy is FAST! I got everything except for the shirt cleaned up before Matt got home. When he got home, I went into my automatic defense mode; how I don't know how he could have possibly gotten the tube of lip gloss...I was right there the entire time, Etc...Etc... He laughs and says, "Well did you at least take a picture?". "NO"! I was too panicked! Here is a picture of the Lip Gloss. It is not sheer at all and is actually more like liquid lipstick. It is totally a shade from 1992 and I really have no idea why I even had this in my drawer!
Finally, typically Ryder goes to MDO on Thursdays. I am being the wacko Mom and keeping him home today. I really think the whole Swine Flu thing is being blown out of proportion by the Media, but I am going to play it safe and not take him anywhere that he can stick tons of foreign toys/objects in his mouth and get sick or bring some kind of sick home to us.

Hope you guys are all well...I have been out of the loop this week, but am going to catch up on my blog reading now!

Raising Boys Part II....

Do you sometimes make a post, only to re-read it and find you did not entirely say what you were meaning? I am pretty sure I said what I was meaning in the post entitled "Raising Boys", but I left a major part out.

As I read through the post again, I noticed that the word "I" was used repetitively. Believe me, this house is not all about "I"...it is about "Us". I think that being primarily a stay at home mom, I can sometimes get wrapped up in thinking that I am the only one here instilling morals, discipline and every day knowledge into the little brain that toddles around our house. But ohhh, I am not.

My husband is a rock. He is a strong, strong Man. He has a gentle side, but for some reason he is afraid to let very many people see it. All of us who love him the most...his Mom, his Sisters and Myself know that gentleness is there. I love to watch him play with Ryder. I love to watch him tackle our older nephews. I love to watch him chase his nieces...just to hear them squeal "No! Uncle Matt!".

He made me laugh earlier today when he told me that he had read my blog. He said, "Babe, don't you know that I am also here to ensure that Ryder and the New Baby turn out to be good people....look at me, I am not a jerk.....wait I am, but only sometimes!". I just had to lean back in my chair and let out a chuckle because that is so "Matt". This is also what prompted me to re-read the posting.

The truth is this: From the minute Matt walks in the door every evening, Ryder is on "Cloud Nine". There is nobody in this world that is better than his Daddy...it is written all over his face. I know that my husband will be right next to his boys every step of the way to teach them right from wrong and good from bad.

The Two of "Us" will work together to make these Boys "Whole".

Raising Boys....

For those of you who don't know, I grew up in a family of girls. We outnumbered my Dad, four to one. I knew nothing of boys. My biggest fear was one day having a boy. What would I do with him? Not to mention, the thought of changing a baby boys diaper...how would I possibly do that?

God blessed me with a wonderful, beautiful baby boy! He took away all of my fears and showed me, that you don't see gender. You just see a beautiful being that you created. No words can describe the love you feel for this new person. I cannot imagine life without Ryder. In fact, every morning I tell him..."Mommy missed you while you were sleeping!". Then I give him a huge hug and say, "What in the World would I do without you?". He was not born with the cuddle gene, but I can guarantee he will always lean in for a kiss on the cheek after I say those words.

I struggle with the wonders of whether I am doing the right things for him. Am I teaching him in a way so that he will grow into an honorable Man? Am I nurturing him enough? I want him to be tough and know he is strong, but I also want him to be gentle and loving. I want him to understand how to treat women. At the end of the day, all I can do is love him and pray for the strength to guide him in the right direction. Now, I'll be saying this prayer for two little monsters.

I always hear people say, "Every Mom needs a girl, so that they have someone to talk and shop with....". When I got pregnant this time, it seems like the only comment I ever heard was..."Maybe it will be a girl this time!". It was almost as if I was under some form of evil curse for ever having a boy in the first place. I know that was not the intentions of what was being said...and I have to admit that I even held onto a little glimmer of hope that I would get to buy big bows to stick on my bald baby's head.

This is all I can say; even though I may not have anyone to shop with....I will have three amazing boys in my life that I cherish with all my heart. My prayer is that my little boys will grow to love and respect me. That they will always know I am here for whatever they need, even when they are grown. And I rest assured, that my big boy will love me even more when I have sagging skin and silver hair than he does today.

I am so thankful for this new Blessing God has given us, a very healthy and perfect little baby boy. He still has some growing to do the next five months. I give thanks for his bill of good health yesterday and I pray that he continues on this path. I know he will be an Angel when he arrives and in a couple of years this blog will most likely become a huge comedy on the craziness that two boys can rain down on a family!

Wordless Wednesday

Say a Prayer...

I just got off the phone with a friend from my bible study class. She and I got pregnant right around the same time. Her baby is due two weeks after our baby. She received some devastating news today and is in desperate need of prayers.

Her Quad-screen came back abnormal and she was scheduled for an ultrasound today. She went in hoping everything would show up normal and she would be able to find out if the little thing was a boy or a girl. Unfortunately, they were told that the baby has Potter's Syndrome. I am not educated on what Potter's Syndrome exactly is, but I do know that the Baby has no kidneys and her amniotic fluid has run out. They were not able to determine the sex of the baby because the lack of amniotic fluid prevented the baby from being able to move.

I can not imagine what she must be feeling right now. She said to me, "I thought I'd find out whether we were having a boy or a girl and instead I am making funeral arrangements". I sat on the other end of the phone not knowing what to say....what can I say...I am sorry...but I know that is not what she wants to hear. Please pray for her and her family. She goes back on Monday for another ultrasound...I will be praying for a miracle on Monday and for God's comfort in this most hard time.

Under our Nose

For weeks, I have been looking for a good chair for Ryder....I think I mentioned this a few posts back. Over the weekend we even took him out and let him try a few in the store. We decided to hold off on buying and look a little more. Sunday, we remembered that there was a little rocker up in the attic from when I was a kid. My Grandad actually bought it for my older sister when she was Ryder's age. I am not real sure how it ended up in our attic, but I guess that is neither here nor there. We got it down to see if R would sit in it and...He LOVED it! Imagine that...right under our nose the whole time.

Matt also has a little rocker from when he was a kid that is in our attic. It is a little more "Boyish" as Matt describes it, but needs some repairs. He is going to work on it this weekend and we'll see which one he likes better!

Need to Make a Post...

Why did this week seem so crazy? I am realizing that the weekend is here and I haven't made a post since last weekend.

Monday seems so long ago that it is almost just a blur. We were in Dallas for me to get some work taken care of and so that Ryder could attend his Music Class.
Yes....Ryder takes a Music Class one day a week. We are making progress at music....at first he seemed to really enjoy the class, so I committed him to the semester. Then it began to feel more like a chore for me than something rewarding for him. He NEVER wanted to do what the class was supposed to be doing, he spent most of his time laying flat on the floor seeing if he could make his voice louder than the music in the room or digging into a cabinet that he was not supposed to be in. As we approach the end of the semester it seems that although we are still not always participating in the activity at hand, instead of screaming we are now laughing at the teacher and other kids. Even though he still spends more of his time putting the shakers and jingle-bells in his mouth rather than using them for their intended purpose, and although we still sometimes get into the cabinets where we don't belong....I am happy to report that we are very excited to help put the instruments away at the end of an activity. Finally, even though he still stares blankly at the teacher when she asks him to repeat a rhythm pattern into her fist (pretend microphone), he will repeat them to Mommy at home. Sigh!

Tuesday....if I only had my camera outside! Ryder and I were two doors down playing outside at my friend Paula's house. She has a little boy, Bryce, who is about 4 months older than Ryder. She also has two older girls (which will be pertinent later)...approximately 5 and 7. Let me just take this opportunity to say that I am so blessed to know Miss Paula and we are so lucky to have her as a friend and neighbor! I digress...onto the details... Paula's older girls decided to put a Disney Princess Tent up in the Yard. They even pulled out an extension cord and the Jam-Box so they could play tunes from High School Musical or something like that! They were so proud.....until we heard this being yelled from inside the tent walls...."Mom, the BOYS (a.k.a. Ryder and Bryce) are Ruining the Tent! ". Seems that a Big Pink Tent was right up these two boys alley...they would go in, laugh, get kicked out by the girls and go right back in....it was really funny to watch!

Wednesday....Two words, Stomach Virus. Ick. I don't think pregnant women should have to get this yucky bug, but I got it. And so did our two big girls... Autumn and Blue. It was not pretty, but I spent the day with the most wonderfully behaved 1.5 year old who made not a single fuss. Thank goodness since Daddy had a business dinner after work and wouldn't be home until after we were both long in bed for the night.Thursday....Work all day, but I was fully recovered from Wednesday it would seem. I was even able to squeeze lunch in with my two sisters which is always nice.

Friday....and then there was rain. I mean it poured...we ventured out to the mall so that we wouldn't get bored in the house all day. Ryder definitely belongs to his Mama and Daddy who are avid people watchers. I mean we are BAD. BR (Before Ryder) we used to take Mexican Vacations so that we could lie on the beach all day and watch people. We go to restaurants and both tune in on other patron's conversations then try to figure out there life story. Ryder could stay at the mall all day just because he loves to look at all of the people. I did what I always said I would never do and became a mall walker. We walked the entire lower level 4 times to get my daily walking in. Just FYI, at a quick pace you can walk the lower level of the Parks Mall in 40 minutes! We finished it up with lunch with friends at the food court...woohoo...and a stop at Children's Place! Um....huge sale! I got everything off of the clearance rack and was even stocking up on nice Chino Shorts for next spring and summer because they were ringing up at $3.50. There is also a coupon out for 10% off....so go shopping ladies!

That brings us to today...my apologies for the lack of pictures in this post, but I just feel relieved to have a post!

Our Easter

This was Ryder's 2nd Easter and We were Very Busy....

Dying Easter Eggs

Making Lots of Cupcakes

Searching for the Basket the Easter Bunny left

Getting all Dressed up for Church

and seeing lots of Family...it was enough to tire this little boy out!
I know that Easter is my favorite holiday of the year. Its message and meaning continues to make me in awe. In awe of the miracle. In awe that our Father gave up his only Son for us. I am forever grateful. Hope you all had a Blessed Holiday.....Love,
The Smith's

Why hunt Eggs....when I can Slide?

Ryder had an Easter Egg Hunt today at Mother's Day Out! I was so excited for him and thought he'd LOVE, LOVE the Eggs since they kind of resemble a ball! We've been practicing putting all of his assortment of balls away at night in their bin....so I thought putting eggs in a basket would be easy-breezy!

I was wrong....I mean really, why would we want to put toys away...or eggs in a basket... when we could run with a bunch of kids our size and go up and down the slide 10 million and 1 times? He had a blast nonetheless! His teacher was also nice enough to evenly split up the eggs among the kids when they got back to their room...so even though my little hunter didn't collect a single egg...he still came home with a little bag full! Is that kind of like every kid/team getting a trophy these days? Maybe.... but we won't go into my mantra of kids needing to understand that sometimes it is o.k. to lose.

Mom of the Year here forgot to take a Basket for him to put his eggs in, but did manage to take some pictures!

Wordless Wednesday

Ryder in a Bag

Did you guys know that Central Market sells really cute kids and bags them right up for you?? Matt's Dad brought one home for us!

Why I should NOT bake banana bread....

....because I seriously ate the entire loaf myself! I can't resist the stuff...it is so yummy!

Yesterday and Today I have had to work all day...a rarity for me these days. Ryder stayed with his Grandma yesterday (What a Blessing), but today was home with me. The poor little guy came down with Pink eye yesterday and is spending the day at home and away from other people...so that we don't contaminate the world.

He has been such a trooper playing in his playroom while I have been pounding away on the computer! Meanwhile, I have made 5 trips back and forth to the kitchen and on my last trip I noticed the entire loaf of banana bread I made late last night is gone. I realize that the entire process of going into the kitchen, cutting another small sliver and putting it in my mouth is what makes the bread disappear...but it is really kind of embarassing! Thankfully, I was weighed at the Doctor yesterday and have four whole weeks to burn it off before I step on the scale of doom again.

At any rate...no more work until Matt gets home tonight...I am going to give my little man some attention, and NO MORE BANANA BREAD! Thank goodness it is gone! Here is the recipe I use should you want to partake in its sinfulness!

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (I use Whole Wheat)
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar (I half this up and do part Splenda/part Sugar)
  
• 2 eggs (Eggbeaters can be substituted here)
  
• 1/2 cup oil (Applesauce can be substituted here)
  
• 3 1/2 bananas, very ripe, mashed
• 2 tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a loaf pan with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Beat sugar and eggs with a whisk until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Drizzle in oil. Add mashed bananas, creme fraiche, and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients and nuts. Pour into a lined loaf pan and bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.