Cell phone pictures

I just transferred over all the pictures from my cell phone to our computer and these were a few that made me laugh. I can't believe how much she's changed in only three months! I remember each of these moments so vividly. I'm glad I was able to capture them in pictures because I don't want to forget the emotions I was feeling at the time.

This was right after eating breakfast one day as she was about to take a nap. When Lily was first born she would fall into a coma-like sleep right after eating, regardless of what time of day it was. I'm guessing the smile on her face is the satisfaction of a full belly?

This was right before her bath. Lily loves being in the water and also loves naked time. That morning we took an extra long bath so she could play in the water. Oh yes, the bed also got peed on while I was changing her diaper. I'm a lot faster at changing diapers now!

This was early one morning as we started our day, right before eating breakfast. I remember sending this picture to my family with the caption, "My favorite morning breath!" because she always smelled so sweet! This was before she started babbling so the only communication was these little sighs she would make.

This is a picture of Lily when she was only ten days old, on our way to get her pictures taken. We have so many pictures of her with a hand under her chin, she must have a lot on her mind! She's always looked mature for her age!

Holiday

Our Thanksgiving holiday with the Sarasch family was really fun! Jessica put so much thought into planning the entire day--everything turned out fabulous! She organized games and prizes, crafts, a delicious meal, home-made decorations, and of course she was a wonderful hostess!

Lily did really well with all the new people she met. It was so great to see Jessica's parents with Lily! They are absolute naturals! I think they're ready for a grandbaby of their own!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all our friends and family!

We are so thankful for the lessons we've learned this past year about ourselves, about each other, about God's grace, and life in general. We have been blessed in our marriage, blessed with a new home, and greatest of all, blessed with a new baby!

Thank you to our friends and families for such amazing support during this past year! The encouragement when we were nervous, the patience when I was emotional, the love you all showed Lily when she was born...It means so much to us!

Thank you to our moms for coming out and helping us that first month of parenthood! The cooking, cleaning, prayers, advice, all of Lily's care...We were spoiled by your service and love!

Thank you to my wonderful husband for working so hard to allow me the opportunity to stay home with Lily!

Of course around the holidays Eric and I end up asking ourselves why we aren't closer to home. We've been praying about a move for three years now. We love our lives in Kansas City...but it would be nice to raise Lily around the family. Maybe the fact that God hasn't "opened a door" allowing us to move back home is His answer to our prayers??

Hugs and Kisses to everyone!

3 months old today!

(Double click on image to enlarge it)

Today Miss Smith is three months old! Its hard to believe how quickly time has passed. She is now 24 inches long and weighs 13.4 pounds. For the past month she was interested in her hands, but just today she started showing more interest in her feet. Its amazing to watch her become more aware of her body each day!

Life at the Smith residence continues to be absolute bliss! Now that she's getting older she smiles a lot more and interacts with us both. She won't have a problem voicing her opinion when she grows up because she's already pretty good at it!

This week was the first time we left Lily with a friend and it unfortunately it didn't go so well. About two hours into our evening we got a call because she was crying, but wouldn't take her paci or a bottle. We weren't sure if it was gas, trouble taking the bottle, or just adjusting to the new place, but we ended our night out early and brought our baby home.

Of course, we were already missing her so it wasn't too bad!

Our busy weekend

This weekend was Lily's first sleepover. Parker came over to play and just showered Lily with hugs and kisses! He is very sweet and loving toward her. We know that as they get older these two are going to make a great pair!

Lily got out of the baby-cradle-carry stage pretty quickly and has preferred sitting up for a while now. Back in October we discovered that she also loves standing up and she supports her weight very well! It seems like she is growing up too quickly! I thought babies stayed...well, baby-ish for a lot longer!

This weekend we got to visit our friends the Webbs and spend time with Miss Alexa. She's a year older than Lily and is such a big girl! She has so much energy and so much to say, its amazing to see what a difference 12 months makes as children develop! We don't get to see Alexa very often, but each time we do, her little personality shines brighter and brighter!

After all this action, Lily was exhausted!

Bedtime! (7 weeks old)

This is a video of Lily as we got her dressed for bed. It sounds like she was trying to negotiate for us to extend her bedtime. She's very clever like that!

Playing at home

November

Lily got her first lesson in civic responsibility on Tuesday as she accompanied me to the polls. She was so quiet and polite while voting, they even gave her a "Future Voter" sticker. The next day was her two month check up and also the day she got her vaccinations. The shots were probably harder on me than they were on her, but she handled them very well and didn't cry for too long. She slept most of that afternoon, but thankfully didn't suffer from any side effects.

Our first week home after vacation has been a peaceful one. We had to work on Lily's schedule because she was operating on PST for a few days after we returned! Now, she's back on track and we are falling into our routine again. She is currently fascinated with her hands and is always wringing them...as if she was plotting or scheming. It is so cute! And she continues to be as chatty as ever--I'm not an expert, but I believe she is already learning about conversation patterns. She babbles, then pauses as if waiting for a response from us, before continuing on. This little cycle gets repeated throughout our day and it is so fascinating! Not only does she change her tone and volume, but she repeats some of her "words".

Old friends

The first picture is with our old friend (and groomsman), Jared. The second picture is with our new friend Bayley and her dad, Brandon.

Trick or Treat!

Lily (aka Kitty Kokonuts) on Halloween with her cousin Caleb, the turtle.

Our Trip Home

Here are a few pictures from our trip back home (Double click on the image to enlarge it). It was ten days of chaos and bliss!

We were a little nervous about flying with a 2 month old, but she was just wonderful! The hardest part was definitely the increase in luggage.

Our first two days in Spokane were very relaxing. Lily had the opportunity to meet her cousin Caleb and Auntie Carli for the first time. Although Caleb wasn't too impressed with Lily, he was very sweet and gentle with her. He was practicing for when his baby sister comes in January!

Then we were off to the Tri-Cities for four days for Lily to be reunited with Grammy, meet our kind friend Larry, meet the extended family, and be introduced to her Grandpa Delgado and his new family. While in Kennewick, we also celebrated Auntie M's 20th birthday, carved pumpkins, met Auntie M's boyfriend Robert and played with the lovely baby Grayce.

We headed back to Spokane for two more days of family time with the Smiths, a visit to Auntie K's school, an open house with Grandma and Grandpa's closest friends, and the chance to meet Uncle Landen.

From Spokane we headed to Portland, Oregon for our friend Brent's wedding where Lily got to meet a few of our college friends. The bride was beautiful and in seven years, I've never seen the groom happier! Everyone agreed, its a strange thing that we are all married and starting families because it seems like only yesterday that we were freshman! Although Lily was a bit tired at the rehearsal dinner, she was an absolute doll at the wedding.

To answer the question on many people's mind, we ARE considering relocating back to the Northwest. We certainly love our Kansas City life and will be sad to leave our home, our favorite places, and most of all, our dear friends! However, as expected, having a baby has reminded us of how important family is and we are faced with a decision of what type of family structure we want for Lily. We are still in the very early stages of planning and are praying for God's guidance.

Little Miss Sunshine

Almost eight weeks later

This is Lily watching football with Eric.

Its hard to believe that almost eight weeks have passed since Lily arrived and changed our lives! While I truly enjoy watching her grow and discover new things each day, another part of me feels as if the time has passed too quickly! Everything about having a baby has been incredible and I absolutely love love love every minute of this experience!

Honestly, we expected these first few weeks to be much more work than they actually were! Once we were able to spend time together as a family, the parental instincts developed naturally and very quickly.

Lily is just the latest of many many many blessings God has bestowed upon us! She is a great listener, whether we read her Good Night Moon or Leaves of Grass and she always has something to contribute when we speak. Lately she has shown a greater awareness of herself and actually put her thumb in her mouth (previously she had only put her little fist near her open mouth and it was never for more than a few seconds).

Lily loves listening to music! I believe I helped her develop this interest--From the very beginning of my pregnancy I used to put an earphone by my belly when I listened to iTunes at work so she could hear the music too. I know there is no evidence to support my theory, but she has shown a preference for the Continuum CD and Jack Johnson...

Is this merely a coincidence??

Home video

Home movies

When we're not busy taking pictures of Lily, our next favorite hobby is filming her! She has already grown and changed so much in the five weeks she has been with us, I don't want to miss out on anything new she might do or say!

My brown eyed girl?!

So its not official yet, but we suspect Lily's eyes are turning brown like her Mama's!

My girl

Well its been about five weeks with little Miss Smith in our lives and we couldn't be any happier! She currently goes through 12 diapers a day, she wakes up twice at night to eat, and she sleeps really well! These last two days she has been especially social and she and I have enjoyed many conversations together as she tests out her vocal capabilities. Lily is already 10 pounds and has great head control. Her eyes are still gray-blue and we are curious to find out what color they end up! Yesterday she was awake for 5 hours straight giving me lots of time to play, read, and sing to her. She is very alert and always looking around. Its incredible how much information she processes every day!

We are still in awe that such a precious gift was given to us! Its hard to believe that she is part of Eric and part of me, rolled into one tiny body. For all the stories we heard about how being a parent changes one's life, it is only becoming real for us now that she is here. Some days I still can't believe that only five weeks ago, she was a little stranger moving in my belly. I probably repeat this phrase too much but I have no other way to explain this experience--It feels like she has always been a part of our lives!

I thank God for all the blessings we've had in our lives, but this one is by far the greatest! It is so awesome that Eric and I met as an unlikely pair seven years ago, and all along, God would have this sweet moment planned out for us!

One month old today!

All things bright and beautiful

I am absolutely in love with my daughter! She is the sweetest gift!

Words cannot express the joy she brings to us...

She is absolute light and life; All things bright and beautiful!

2 Week update

Its been two weeks since Lily arrived and we are still on Cloud Nine! At her doctor's appointment we learned that she is now 20.5 inches long and weighs 7 pounds 12 ounces--she's growing so quickly! She cried her first tears at the doctor's office, laying on the cold scale as she was weighed. She goes back in October when she'll start receiving her shots--We are not looking forward to that day.

So far Lily is still on a consistent 3 hour eating schedule with long naps in between each meal. From the time we brought her home she has been very alert and already holds her head up on her own for a short time. She is very vocal and spends most of her time making noises--even in her sleep!

Eric and I are so in love with her--its surprising how someone so new and small suddenly means so much to us both! I am already sad when I imagine the day she goes away to college and we don't get to see her every day! We are also amazed with how quickly I have been able to recover from the pregnancy (THANK YOU to the grandmothers for all the help we've had these last two weeks--the recovery wouldn't be possible without you!!). I gained 32 pounds during the pregnancy and am already down to only six pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight (unfortunately that six pounds seems to be in saggy skin). My incision has also healed very well--its about as thin as a pen mark. I think its important to say that I was so blessed during the pregnancy and delivery--everything was much better than I expected!

After a great visit with Grandma Sophie and Great Grandma Minnie, Grandma Christy arrived to spend some time with her very first granddaughter. We cannot wait to bring Lily home to Washington in October so she can meet the rest of her family!

Family Pictures

Family pictures

You are my sunshine...

Our first week home with Lily has been just amazing! She is an absolute treasure! As first time parents, we weren't sure what to expect, but she's adjusted well and is such a happy baby! We've had a handful of diaper mishaps and one spit up event...and we are enjoying every moment! Lily is an excellent sleeper and is a great little eater--she already passed her birth weight! We've had lots of visitors and already been on a few outings--she does very well in social situations (of course!). Lily keeps us entertained with all the cooing and facial expressions she makes--she is such a joy to have in our lives! We hope you all get the chance to come visit or spend time with her when we go home in October!

Our first days together

Thank you to everyone for all the calls, texts, emails, cards, and gifts this week! It has been the best week of our lives and we are so grateful to have such wonderful news to share with you all! Baby Evelyn Lily, or Peach (to some of you), is such a treasure...Its as if we've received all the best things in life--all at the same moment on Saturday! The feeling is very much like other mothers have described--the instant you have your baby in your arms, life as you know it changes. Its been incredible! She is an absolute delight and we cannot wait to introduce her to you all!!

Although we didn't believe it was possible, life at the Smith home just got better! Love you all!! XOXO

She's finally here!

Announcing the early arrival of our baby girl, Evelyn Lily.
Born Saturday, August 23, 2008 at 2:15 PM.
She weighed 6 pounds 11.6 ounces and was 19.5 inches long.

Week 39

Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

Information provided by babycenter.com

Baby news...

Hello everyone! We just returned from our weekly appointment and so far there isn't much to report. The baby has dropped and she's in the correct position, but who knows when she'll decide to grace us with her presence?! Last week our doctor said if I deliver on our due date she expects little miss smith to be about 6.5 pounds.

As of today I still feel great...just very tired! The swollen hands and feet count is still under 5 days for the entire pregnancy and I was able to go 36 weeks without even the hint of a stretchmark on my belly...sadly, they finally made their appearance heading into week 37.

Time seems to be passing very quickly now as we prepare for the big event...It doesn't seem real that we are going to have a baby at the end of the month! While we've had all year to prepare for her arrival, it is still difficult to imagine that in such a short period of time a brand new little person can be created! God's design is so amazing!

As many of you may know, this pregnancy has been incredible for us! After hearing several horror stories, I am fortunate to say that it was much easier and better than I expected. I truly enjoyed this season in my life and honestly, I am a little sad that it has to end (but oh so excited to meet our baby girl!). I thank our family and friends for all the support, and I thank God for His unending mercy and grace!

Hope all is well with our loved ones!

XOXO

Lilies are my favorite!

Thank you to my wonderful husband for the special delivery today! I've been expecting a UPS package of baby items from my mom, so to open the door and receive these was such a sweet surprise!

Week 38

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)
Information provided by babycenter.com

Week 37

The baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

Information provided by babycenter.com

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home...

Well we are finally getting settled in to our new place and it feels wonderful! There is still so much to do, but at this point we are pleased with the unpacking progress. There are pictures to be hung, a basement to be finished, a nursery to complete, and a few boxes that still need attention...yet we aren't letting all that work take away from the joy we feel! Every day we find ourselves talking about another feature of the house we both love and thanking God for blessing us with our new home! After all the ups and downs in our housing search, we finally find our perfect starter home and it suites us very well. The neighborhood is great, the location couldn't be better for us, and we will be ready for the baby just in time!

36 Weeks

Your baby is gaining about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy hair that covered her body, as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Next week, your baby will be considered full-term. Most likely she's in a head-down position, but if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an external cephalic version, where she'll try to turn your baby by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

Information provided by babycenter.com

Home Sweet Home

We are now officially home owners and we couldn't be more excited! After a very long search we finally found a place we loved and we closed this afternoon. This weekend will be a busy one as we pack up the townhouse and unpack at our new home. Our first stop when we left the title company was to get a new gas grill for Eric--of course!

Purchasing our first home has been a goal for Eric and I so we feel incredibly blessed! We look forward to welcoming our family and friends into our new home!

I will post pictures as soon as I can.

XOXO

Week 35

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight

Week 34

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which she'll need to regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Information provided by babycenter.com

Week 33

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Information provided by babycenter.com

Week 32

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb.

Information provided by babycenter.com

Week 31

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Information provided by babycenter.com

Update

Pregnancy:

May 30 - First (and so far, only) time my ankles have been swollen. June 14 - First (and so far, only) time my hands have been swollen. Presently, I do not see any belly stretchmarks...but they have popped up in a few other, unexpected places. I wonder if I'll ever wear a bathing suit again...

Eric and I have yet to commit to a name for our baby girl. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause, but we both agree--choosing a name before we meet her just doesn't seem right. We have to see her and spend time with her first.

At this time the baby is healthy and developing right on schedule. I am up 20 pounds and feel great! Thankfully, being pregnant has been much easier than I expected! I hope its a good sign for the labor portion of this whole experience!

Home buying:

The house we were set to close on (on June 25) had a flooding issue in the basement, so we cancelled the contract. We are so happy this issue came up before we actually owned the house! Now we are back at square one and getting ready for a house-touring-blitz! Again, we just want to give all the glory to God for shielding us from the wrong house...we are beginning to wonder if He is preparing us for something yet to be revealed (if the prayers of a righteous person avail, Grandma Sophie and Grandma Christy might get their way sooner than expected).

Family life:

Family life continues to be a blessing! After three months of me leaving the work place, our relationship continues to blossom daily in unexpected ways. Our first year of marriage was better than either of us could have imagined and we look forward to the many ways it will mature and develop in the future. Being at home has given me the opportunity to slow down and really enjoy every day!

We want to thank all our family and friends for their constant love and support as we prepare for this next chapter in our lives--All the kind words, prayers, cards, gifts, text messages, and emails have been much appreciated!

Week 30

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face.

Information provided by babycenter.com

Week 29

Your baby is growing rapidly now. This week he weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is getting bigger to accommodate his growing brain — which is busy developing billions of neurons. Every day, about 200 milligrams of calcium is deposited in your baby's skeleton, which is now hardening. With this rapid growth, it's no surprise that your baby's nutritional needs reach their peak during this trimester.

Information provided by babycenter.com

Week 28

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can open and close her eyes, which now sport lashes. This movement is more of a reflexive blink than a deliberate opening and closing, but it won't be long before she's batting those beauties at you.

Information provided by babycenter.com