Beckett's unprofessional photos

I've been trying out my photography skills...I LOVE a good photography session with a real professional, but can't afford them as much as I'd like! who can, right?! I realized that's why so many stay at home mom's turn to photography as a "hobby" or "hobby turned business!" Thankfully my dad has a great Canon that he lets me borrow...and it makes me feel like the pics I take are a little more "professional" (for lack of better terms)! ha!! I'm NO professional, but here are a few point and clicks I took over the last few days!

One day I'm going to follow through with that Photography Class I've been planning on taking!! Until then...my sweet boy is cute enough for "point and clicks."

Another day in the hospital

Note: Post written Saturday, July 24, 2011

So, Beckett and I are back in the hospital. :-( Beckett was a little jaundiced before we left the hospital initially, but they let us go home and told us to see the doctor the next day. well, we did and his jaundice was a little worse, but he was pooping like a champ, so she just wanted to watch it still and check it again the next day (today). Still pooping like a champ, but bilirubin levels were not so much champion like. They were more elevated so we were sent to check back into the hospital. poor little man! He's a little golden child. (sounds better than being "yellow," right?!) So, here we sit...he under the bili lamp and I watching from this wonderful hospital bed. They will check his bilirubin again in 6 hrs to see if it's getting any better. If so, we're just here until tomorrow most likely. If not, it's IV fluids for Beckett and then maybe a little longer stay.

Either way it's frustrating...and a little sad to watch your newborn wimper under the bili lamp with the cool shades on...

Note #2: We were able to leave Sunday around noon!!! A little less than 24 hours after our arrival! We just have strict instructions to feed on a regular basis and spend some time in indirect sunlight to help continue to get rid of the bilirubin. AND we made it home in time to see Daddy off to Baton Rouge and wish him good luck on his test!! SO happy to be home, but sad to see him leave! Thank goodness for mommies who are here to help!!! My mom is staying with me while Justin is gone to help take care of Beckett and Ruby Belle!!

Welcome to the World, Beckett King Smith

Beckett King Smith made his arrival Tuesday, July 19, 2011! Exactly 2 weeks early and not exactly the way I expected, but it was just as well. I was supposed to work through Friday, July 22nd, but was off Tuesday, July 19th because I had worked the weekend. So, I thought I'd take advantage of my day off (maybe this was my form of "nesting"), clean a little, and cook/prepare some meals to freeze before Beckett arrived. I spent a couple of hours digging through some magazines, websites and my all-inspiring sister-in-law's blog (Stephanie) to find some good "starter" easy, freezable recipes! And after my morning walk, I met my mom at Target to do a little shopping/grocery shopping prepared with a list and all, I managed to begin to tackle one of my fears...shopping to actually COOK. What a concept!

I don't cook.

I'm a dietitian and I don't cook. Yes, it happens to the best (or worst) of us! My poor (not really) husband has only been honored with about 3 meals in the 4 years we've been married! Such suffering, I know!

anyway, in the middle of preparing the first 2 meals I was attempting, I thought I was feeling what may be my water leaking. I won't describe it, but it's different. I mean, you lose a little control of a few bodily functions when you're pregnant, but this was different. I didn't want to believe it though. I was in denial, but again, thankful that I had my 38 week doctor's appointment that afternoon. So, continued on...I got 1 meal prepared and ready to freeze and left the other in the crock pot while I headed to the doctor.

And I never got to go home!... The visit with the doctor confirmed that my water was leaking and they wheeled me to the hospital, admitted me and hooked me up to IVs immediately! EEK!!!

I had secretly, excitedly anticipated each day that my water would break and I would go into labor, but at the same time was SO torn on when exactly when I wanted this to happen. AS IF, I got any say in the matter! HA!! I had beat my inner self up with "when is the best time/when do I want to/when does Justin want to/when is a good time to have the baby" scenarios! Most of this because:

1) i had planned to work until the 22nd, and was going to be off work for a good solid week before my due date - and THAT I was looking forward to. Maybe there would be some R&R and some planning and prepping before I actually had the baby!

2) Justin was leaving Sunday, July 24th to take the Bar exam...in Baton Rouge...and would be gone until Wed, July 27th!!

Ok. You see the dilemma?! My husband would HAVE to be gone for 4 days with about a week until my due date!!! YIKES!! a whole set of issues!!

1) will I have the baby while he's gone?

2) will he lack focus for his exam if he's worried about me

a) having a baby while he's gone or

b) at home w/ a baby

3) if i have him early, will he still be able to get some final studying? ...the list got endless in my mind!

(did you catch all of that...crazy thoughts in my head don't always make sense on paper!)

so, God took care of it all and Beckett arrived safely, smoothly and as easy as anyone could ask for! I was in labor for about 9 hrs and only pushed for 4 minutes. yes, 4 minutes!!

So, meet Beckett King Smith!

Born: 10:07pm, 8lbs 6oz, 20 in (not a small man!)

Ready to head home!!

Quick Catch up: Belly Pics and more pics!!

the last few pics of my belly...

32 weeks

34 weeks

37.5 weeks

And a few randoms of Ruby Belle over the last few weeks/months...

4th of July - Firecracker 5k

Swimmin' at Uncle Ty and Aunt Stephanie's!

Ready to go swimming, eating the breakfast of champions...Caramel rice cakes!!

relaxing after a long day of swimming/playing

She dressed herself...She can't get enough of these boots!!

Showered with love!

Note: this post is WAY late...like a month or so late!

Again!! I remember writing a similar post almost 2 yrs ago...and to think I would get to write another is just amazing!!! on 2 levels...1) we've got another little miracle on the way and 2) we have sweet sweet women around us who care so much!

I cannot be more blessed!! We have only been (back) in town for a few months (6 to be exact) and really haven't had a chance (or made a lot of time) to get out and make friends. But, to my disbelief 13 wonderful women showed up at Beckett's shower! My sweet, sweet sister-in-law and her friend (well, my friend, too) LJ, threw me a perfect little get together at a wonderful restaurant, the Olive St. Bistro. It was quite perfect. Cute and delicious restaurant, lovely details (baby blue/periwinkle hydrangeas and some REALLY great cookies) and wonderful ladies! I could not believe this many folks whom I’ve only just met showed up to shower Beckett and I with Love!!

Here are a few of the pics… J

Nancy and LJ...kinda fuzzy :-)

a few of the ladies! Amanda made it out just 3 days before she was being induced!!

my mom, my sister-in-law and I...with my FAVORITE gift!!! my sis-in-law got me this awesome baby book for Beckett!!

1/2 of the group

kinda creepy how much we look alike, huh?!

Last and Final name list - promise!!!

so, we've been going round and round at my house over the last several weeks about names. I, of course, wanted a name about 2 months ago...but we just can't agree. I thought we came to an agreement about a week ago, but after sleeping on it for a few nights, I wasn't satisfied. i'd compromised too much and it just wasn't a name I really wanted. So, we're at a stalemate. and I'm sticking to my guns. This may sound harsh, but he's my baby, too and i'm the one who's been carrying him for 8 months and will give birth to the sweet nameless boy! My husband laughs when I claim I get most of the naming rights because of this, but really?! Men just don't get it! I haven't had a horribly awful, hard pregnancy, but really ladies, even the "easy" pregnancies aren't THAT easy! They are fun (at least i think so), but they come w/ups and downs. I would have to say the ups outweigh the downs, but you know I'm gonna pull the "I'm-carrying-and-giving-birth-to-this-big-hairy-baby" card as much as I can! Needless to say, it's not working. So, here's where we stand on names:

1. I'm not going to be the only one who compromises.
2. I want us to both be happy. (this may be impossible)
3. But, I'm not naming my baby something that I'm not in love with.

so, here are my top 5 (and only 5 at the moment) choices that I've made known to my husband.
(in order of most liked to least) Y'all may think I'm crazy, but how can you NOT like at least one of these!?!

1. Rhett (what a great one, huh?! sounds great w/Ruby Belle and it's a southern classic, manly yet gentlemanly name!!)
2. Reid (kinda popular, but I like it w/Ruby Belle)
3. Sutton (sounds good w/Smith and not too popular)
4. Beckett (like it, but he only wants to use Beck. he doesn't like to name the baby something and then call them by a nickname - i.e., Beckett = Beck. WHATEVER! Justin is SO weird and hard-headed!)
5. Lewis Payton (both of our mom's maiden names)

I did tell him he was welcome to continue to come up w/names and maybe he'll find one I like, but for now, he needed to sleep on my list. I also told him he could choose the middle name, except for on #5 (I SO did not want to give up this right, but would rather do this than have a first name I don't like)

So, we'll see. I'm going to put more pressure on soon. I mean, how's a girl to finish preparing for a baby w/out at least SOME monogramming!! we NEED A NAME!!!

A big, hairy baby!!

now doesn't that sound cute and sweet?!

Don't answer. let me explain.

Over the last week I've been not feeling well. first, Ruby Belle was sick a bit over Memorial Day weekend. just a touch of a stomach bug. then I caught it. and then the heartburn set in. a friend described it as "liquid fire"... and she's right! and it won't go away. Tums are a new staple in my purse. But, the old wives tale (and lots of my friends) says that heartburn = a baby with a full head of hair! So, I went to the doctor yesterday for a check up and ultrasound on baby boy and the ultrasound tech said she thought she saw a good amount of hair! maybe I'll prove the old wives tales to be true!!

As another note from the ultrasound tech, I have a big baby! yep, he's measuring in the 86th percentile! and 10 days ahead of schedule! eek! Eek! EEK!!

good news is, he was breech and now he's head down!!! i'll take heartburn and a bigger baby (as long as he's not TOO big) to know that he's head down and not a guaranteed c-section. c-sections terrify me. I know they're done every day, but still...scares me! so, hopefully, this baby boy won't be TOO big!

he sure is cute though...here's a pic from the outside and inside!

Boy, oh, boy! Name poll #1

Boy names are so hard!!! We're so thrilled to be having a baby boy, but boy, this name thing hard!!! I know we have quite a few more weeks (17 to be exact) to talk about this, but it's so much fun to think of baby names!

So, here's what we've come up with. Nothing is just jumping out at me and I'm reaching to all names (you may think some are way off the wall) to try to find the perfect name for our baby boy. I'm very open (and won't be offended) by your thoughts and want to hear them!

-Briggs
-Nash
-Beck
-Tate (love this one the most so far, but have some friends in Arkansas with a son by the same name...so, struggling)
-Riser
-Cy
-Lewis
-Butler

Middle name to come later, but that one will be a family name probably.

Help!!!

Total Package

I'm a little late with this post...we only have a little bit going on around here...see previous post. We had our "sneak peak" dr's appointment a little over a week ago and got to find out the sex of baby #2! Much sooner than my previous doctor let me find out (4 weeks earlier to be exact!) and as all you mommies who like to find out the sex, one of the most exciting pre-natal appointments you have. Except, of course, when you find out you're pregnant, you hear the first heartbeat, you see the baby is healthy, etc...who am I kidding?! it's all exciting!

it's a BOY...we'll now have the total package! (iPhone pic, but still you get the picture!)

What I always wanted! A girl and a boy! But really, although, I kinda hoped Ruby Belle would get to have the sister I never had, we're SO blessed to be having a healthy (so far) baby boy!!! We are a little nervous about a boy because we've gotten so used to our little girl and girlie things and pink things! Now Justin will get to do "boy things" while Ruby Belle and I have girl time, though! And we'll have a little more testosterone in the house...good for Justin, of course...the jury's still out on whether it's good for Ruby Belle, Maggie and I!

So, now that we know ... Let the naming begin!!! Of course, I started the naming LONG ago, but now we can narrow it down to boys and now Justin will participate! - he refuses until we know the sex...no fun! (not that he's been sitting around doing nothing lately. he IS off in New Orleans taking the last day of the Louisiana Bar Exam as I type and has been studying for the last 3-4 months! Prayers welcome!)

will keep you posted on names!!