The Smiths

25 and a half weeks belly shot

2010-01-11T12:45:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of me 25 and a half weeks a long, i am now barely 27 weeks. Its getting closer! Friday i go for my glucose test and am praying all turns out well.

Titus-the name explained

2010-01-11T12:34:00.000-08:00

Well as we get closer to our due date for our next little baby boy to be born, names have become something of higher interest in the smith household, well at least for me, Jarrell im sure thinks of it quite a bit too cause he will sometimes say a name when we hear one and ask me if i like it. But anyway, from all this name talk i decided today that i would explain why we chose the name Titus for our first born. We wanted to name our child a biblical name, that was a given, so when i was in labor we sat down and looked through the bible, now i know you are probably thinking "ok you had 9 months(actually longer than that cause i was over due), and you picked the day you were in labor?" Well....you just have to know us, we are very much spontaneous, i was not as much like this untill i married jarrell and i think he has rubbed off on me cause i find myself doing spur of the moment things now and not even thinking of it, where as a few years ago i planned everything. Dont get me wrong, i like to plan, but when you are married to someone like J you just learn to be ok with spontaneous acts such as these, i love him to much to get upset and mad over something that he just isnt going to change b/c thats his personality and the way he has always been.

Anyway, we sat down and looked through the bible, well i looked in between contractions, and read a loud during some of them so i could ignore the pain. Jarrell finally said "what about Titus?" thinking i wouldnt like it and we would continue to look but i did like it, so we were like "ok Titus it is". We already knew the middle name would be Jarrell after his daddy of course and i absolutely love Titus Jarrell, soo....Titus Jarrell Smith it was and it is, and it fits him perfectly! I love him! So i wonder when we will name the next baby boy?.....yep you guessed it, lets just say dont be looking for me to post it anytime soon, lol!!!!

Over half way through my pregnancy!!!

2009-12-09T20:05:00.001-08:00

I am now 22 weeks pregnant. I am feeling really good, sometimes i forget that i am even pregnant because i am no longer nauseaus or anything, but then i feel baby boy move or try to bend over and i remember, lol......

We finally decided what we are gonna do with our rooms situation when the baby comes in April, Titus is going to get a new big boy room(the office) and the baby will get his room(its closest to our room and smaller.) We are going to buy titus a new crib that turns into a toddler bed and the baby will have his crib. Wow, i cant beleive that titus will soon be in a toddler bed, of course he is big enough to be in one now but he is still not able to climb out of his crib so i have decided to keep him in it as long as i can. Not ready for him to be able to get out of bed on his own when he wakes up, very scary thought....

Well here is a picture i took tonight of my belly, sorry my head is a little cut off, lol......

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2009-12-07T12:51:00.001-08:00

I have decided that this year i am done with keeping quiet about this........i am sick of how the world is trying to slowly take Jesus birth and the true meaning of Christmas out of it. So the next time a Walmart cashier says to me "Happy holidays ma'am", i think i will say "No, MERRY CHRISTMAS ma'am, Jesus is the only reason to celebrate this season!"

Tonight we are going to put up our christmas tree, it should be interesting to see how many times i have to tell titus no before he stops trying to pull it over. But i have also come up with a new rule, i actually learned it from another mom, who i get a lot of advice from, her website is www.mycharmingkids.net she has 4 little ones ages 4 and under, and she is a great example of christian motherhood. Anyway i am using the 1 finger touch rule, i let titus touch anything no matter where we are as long as it is with 1 finger, that way he gets out his urge to touch everything but he is not knocking it over or messing it up. Its working so far, lets hope it works with the tree!

I have been meaning to post some pictures from November but i seem to have misplaced my camera, i have NO CLUE where it is, i just went to get it one day and it wasnt hanging on the hook, i asked jarrell if he took it by chance and he said no, which doesnt suprise me bc my brain has been so spacey lately, i blame it on pregnancy, lol....hope i find it soon!

Well hope everyone has a great week!

Oh the toddler years.....

2009-11-23T11:36:00.000-08:00

wow....who knew the toddlers years could be this trying?? Well im sure if i asked anyone who has raised one they would say "me!" Boy is Titus sure trying my patience lately, and the bad thing is i struggle with having patience anyway and up until now its been ok because i couldnt have asked for a better baby.

From the time he was born i maybe heard him cry 3 times, when he first came out and they were washing him off and then maybe a couple other times when i let him get to hungry in between feedings(if we were out somewhere, etc.) Otherwise he would simply whimper a little and root his mouth in a sucking motion that made me know he was hungry. He slept good and was sleeping completely throught the night at 3 months.

And fast forward................now we are in the toddler years, Titus is 23 months old, he will turn 2 on December 29(im gonna cry i know it). Dont get me wrong he is still a good kid and most would probably say a great kid compared to other 2 years old, but i am so used to how good he was as a baby that this is taking me by shock, lol....

When he turned 8 months old i decided it was time for him to learn to put himself to sleep(i had been rocking him up untill then and he got to where he would not let me rock him anymore, he would squirm and try to sit up, etc), so i used the cry it out method, he cried for about a week when i layed him down and then after that when i layed him down he would just turn over, or play for a little while and babble and then go to sleep(dont get me wrong, i made it sound easier than it was, i cried the first couple nights that i had to let him cry it out and i also felt like i had an ulcer from the stress of hearing him cry and wanting to go pick him up.) But it was the best thing i ever did!!!! He slept so good with the occasional waking up and also with teething he sometimes had a hard time or when he was sick too, but for the most part he was a good sleeper.

One night not too long ago he decided that he was going to start screaming again when i put him down, so i tried rocking him and he went right to sleep. So i decided hey ill just rock him, he is not going to be a baby forever and plus if he was actually going to let me rock him and go right to sleep then why not? So its been about a month now and every night i rock him to sleep, he is usually asleep within 5 minutes and i put him to bed and he sleeps 10 hours(its great!) Well 3 nights ago he decided he was going to start squirming and trying to get up and play games and sing instead of go to sleep, although this is very cute and entertaining and a lot of times i just let him because i love listening to him, it still does not make for a good bedtime routine. SO........what now?

Well i guess i will try the cry it out again, with the new baby coming in April it may be the best thing but a part of me just doenst want to give up that time with Titus, i just love rocking him(if he lets me) and watching him sleep in my arms, so i guess we will see how it goes. My plan before my children were born was to rock them till their feet touched the ground, and if Titus would let me i probably would, these years fly by and i know i will never regret that time with him and i will always remember and cherish it.......I love being a mommy!!!

To God be the glory

2009-11-17T12:05:00.000-08:00

THE COLLINS FAMILY

I am convicted by the fact that i asked for prayers for my friend Khrista here, and then once she started doing better i just kinda left everyone hanging, sorry! I guess i was just so thankful she was doing good and the baby was healthy that i forgot to update everyone. Well so here is an update from Khrista, she posted this on her face book page a few days ago:

http://www.facebook.com/#/profile.php?v=app_2347471856&ref=nf&id=783503212

To God be the glory, great things he has done.....

Christmas Pictures

2009-11-11T11:23:00.000-08:00

Last night my husband Jarrell and i took Titus to get his pictures taken at Sears. It was a fun little adventure. We first went to the shoe section of Sears to get Titus some black dress shoes, his feet are growing so fast that he only has 2 pair of shoes and no dress shoes(he wears tennis shoes to church). I kinda crenged at the thought of 20 bucks for this pair of dress shoes he may wear a couple of times, but oh well, i am thankful we were able to buy them and have the means to. So anyway we got his shoes and headed to the portrait studio. The lady that took his photos was very nice and understanding, i am thankful for that b/c with him being almost 2 he really wants to do things his way and sometimes he just isnt going to do something no matter how much you want him to or ask him nicely. But she got a few good ones and also we took an updated family photo, our first one with the little one in my tummy too:) kinda neat to think of. So you want to see the results? Ok here you go.....

Khrista

2009-11-06T11:33:00.000-08:00

Today as i sit here and write this, my heart is heavy and my mind racing with many thoughts. This morning i found out that my roommate from college, khrista, had her baby at 8am yesterday, when she delivered her uterus became dettached as well and delivered with the baby. She lost 40% of her blood and they had to shock her twice to get her heart to start beating again. They had to perform a hysterectomy and remove her ovaries and also had to do a procedure to stop the bleeding, all which were successful, praise God! They have been keeping her sedated but she woke up long enough this morning to put her hand on her husbands. i am told that the next 48 hours are very critical and that she is in the ICU. Please keep her and her family in your prayers as i cant even imagine what they are going through right now. But there is still hope and i know they are trusting in the Lord to pull her through as we all are.

Hearing about Khrista this morning really got me thinking. Things that i would have normally stressed about today just seem so petty you know? Titus has been whining a lot lately, but you know what? He's alive and hes healthy, and also he is almost 2, so i know that i just need to realize this and know its a stage and handle it with patience. I think God uses things like this to not only make us realize certain things but also to bring us closer to him. I havent prayed fervently like i have all day in a long time, and i should, i should be on my knees everyday thanking him for everything and also praying for people.

I feel flutters!!!

2009-11-03T11:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday i was 4 months pregnant, wow times flies! But then again it sometimes seems to drag when you are pregnant too. Tomorrow we go to the doctor, we will get to hear the heart beat and check my weight. I had been having trouble gaining weight b/c i was so sick and lost so much but i think i am starting to gain, so i am very thankful for that. The biggest news is that i started to feel the baby move, yay!! What peace of mind that brings:)

Titus lifted my shirt up last night while i was laying and texting someone and started rubbing my belly and saying "baby baby" it was sooo adorable and then he gave the baby kisses. I think often about what it will be like for Titus to not be my only baby, it is a bittersweet feeling. I know he will make a great big brother and of course he will always be my first born:)

Today i am going to take titus to the park when he wakes up from nap to take some pictures in the leaves(i will post them soon), i am hoping its not too chilly and most of all that my camera doesnt die during it, lol.....

Well here are some latest picture of Titus, he was a Dinosaur for Halloween, but we didnt take him trick of treating this year yet, he is still too young and we dont let him have much candy, although he did have 2 suckers on Halloween in which his mommy almost had a heart attack(i work hard on keeping those teeth healthy, lol!) Anyway, so here are some pics of little man, enjoy and have a great day everyone!!!

The latest

2009-10-29T12:29:00.000-07:00

Its been over 2 months since i have posted. I have been very ill with morning/all day sickness with this pregnancy. But i am happy to say that i am feeling much better and so thankful for that. I am now 15 weeks a long, here is a picture i took yesterday, cant beleive how much i am showing!

Titus is 22 months old today~! I just cant beleive it. He loves his "dottie"(stuffed dalmation dog), and now has started trying to feed him breakfast, lunch and supper, well i guess the dogs gotta eat right? lol.... He is talking in sentences, mostly "i love you", "im gonna get you"(a game we play), and last night he said repeated after me when i said, "eat your cheese".

He is still in his crib, and i have no desire to move him out of it untill he tries to climb out, which thankfully hasnt happened yet.

He is getting used to the potty, i sit him on there before bath and i talk to him about it a lot, and also he goes into the bathroom with daddy when he goes so he can see how a "big boy" goes potty. He still isnt showing enough signs to actually start training him but i know it will be soon.

He is weighing in at 28 pounds now, when he was born he was in the 25th percentile for his age and now is in the 75th percentile, he's a growin boy!

Well not much else is really new with us, Jarrell has been working a lot of over time, the only reason i dont like fall, everything else is wonderful about it, just wish i got to spend more time with my husband but they do a lot of overtime this season. But we are really thankful he has that job, praise God! He has blessed us beyond measure!

I wanted to ask everyone for prayer for a little boy named Stellan, i have mentioned him before on my blog here, and he is very sick again, his mothers website is http://www.mycharmingkids.net/ so please go over and read her blog and please pray for them.

This past week

2009-08-28T15:58:00.000-07:00

Well i am finally blogging again, i keep getting behind, i dont know why i have days where i just cant seem to get on here, well maybe its because i am dealing with morning/all day sickness as well as chasing a 20 month old around, that will do it. But anyway, we went to our first doctors appointment on tuesday august 25th and we got an ultrasound, we got to see a little yolk sac and it looked like i was about 6 weeks or so. She wants us to come back on monday to get another and she says that if everything is developing the way it should that we should see a heart beat, so we are praying and praying that we see that little baby and heart beat, please join us in prayer as this is a very nerve racking time for our family, but we know that God is in control and he wants the best for his children so we beleive that whatever happens is his plan.

Little Titus is doing so much these days, yesterday he said his first sentence(besides i love you, which he has been saying for a while now), and his first sentence was: "im gon get you!" lol!!! IT was sooo cute, his daddy and me and him always play this game where we get down on our hands and knees and chase him around the table and say "im gonna get you!" so i got down to play that with him and before i said it he just yelled it out. Priceless! Jarrell and i just looked at each other and laughed. He loves playing with play doh a lot and also like bubbles. His favorite show is veggie tales, although i try to not let him watch much tv at all but since i havent been feeling the best i have been more leanient with that, and we sit on the couch and cuddle and watch silly songs with Larry, he loves them. :) Well anyway i just wanted to update everyone on whats been going on and i will try and post again after our doctors appointment on monday and will hopefully have a ultrasound picture to post too! ;) Have a great weekend everyone!

04.14.2010

2009-08-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

GUESS WHAT????? Well i havent posted since last monday and here it is monday again and i have some news to announce..........in a way i am a little scared to announce it b/c i have only told close friends and family and really i am not even sure who reads my blog, but i guess we will find out! So here goes...................IM PREGNANT AGAIN!!! YAY! I cant beleive it! Its very soon after our miscarriage but i know that if God allowed us to conceive then it is his plan so i am trusting in him and praying we can carry this baby full term and meet him/her. If you havent already noticed i put a little ticker thing on my sidebar to show you how far along i am and posted my due date as the subject. Oh...and i want to see just how many people read my blog(hoping to not be disappointed and get 0) but i wanted to ask you to please leave a comment on this post if you read it, please??? I would love to hear from you! Thanks everyone!

Not Me Monday!

2009-08-10T10:39:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Not Me Monday! Its a blog carnival created by MckMama over at http://www.mycharmingkids.net/ This week i DID NOT:

Travel to Louisville, KY for 5 days only to return home for 3 and then travel to Warrenton and stay another 3 days away from home. I would never get my child so far off his schedule and routine, never!

Get Titus his own cup with a lid and straw wherever we went out to eat b/c i knew it would keep him occupied almost the whole time without screaming at the top of his lungs to hold mine. Even if in fact by the end of the meal he had taken his lid off his cup and was sticking his hand in the drink and wiping it all over his face, i would never let my child act like that in public! If i did i wouldnt post a picture to prove it either:

Go resale shopping with grandma smith from 9am in the morning till 3pm and take titus along, i wouldnt do that to him, i also did not let her buy everything in site and say ok when she refused to let me pay her back.(she's a sweet grandma)

Back from Louisville

2009-08-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

Well if you wondered where i have been, i guess i should have told you, we went to Kentucky for a few days. Louisville. Ky to be exact, Jarrell was in a wedding there of his friend from high school and it was tons of fun! We went down last wednesday night and didnt get home till sunday night. It was a fun trip, but unlike many of you out there who have nice little laptops they can take every where as to blog everyday, i had to go into withdraws from the blog world while away(that was totally a joke, i would never do that right?) haha! they did have a business center at our hotel but we were so busy that i didnt even get a change to get down to it(by busy i of course meant that when we werent doing wedding stuff we were laying in the hotel room watching cable which we DONT have at home, lol). Also i forgot my camera so pictures from our trip were taken on my phone, not the best quality but hey, they work. My next blog i will post some of them. Anyway i just wanted to let everyone know i was still alive and i will post again soon......but for now i will leave you with.............a picture of:

MY LITTLE MONKEY(he's growing up so fast!)

Be strong Stellan and Kate

2009-07-27T18:42:00.000-07:00

Tonight i found myself almost darting for my computer once i had Titus down to sleep, i dont usually get on here in the evenings but my mind is filled with thoughts, and prayers right now. I found out today from my friend amy that a little boy who's mom blog i follow is back in the hospital, his name is stellan mckinney and here is his story for any of you who dont already know: www.mycharmingkids.net

Anyway, ever since i heard the news i have been praying and praying that he will be ok and also just trying to understand why he is and his family are going through this. Tonight while reading titus his book before bed, after we said our prayers, i just sat and sang to him and rocked him.....nothing else on my mind but the fact that i am so thankful he is healthy and at home with us, i just took a deep breath and thanked God for that.

You know i think about Stellan and also about Kate, another little girl i am praying for who has a brain tumor, for her story go here, and i also would like to ask anyone who is reading this to join me in prayer for these 2 young ones and for all others out there who are struggling with things like this, please lift them and their families up in prayer. But i think about stellan and kate and it brings me to tears because i know that their parents are hurting, and they are so young and dont understand what is going on and why it is, it makes me wonder why do things like this happen to young precious ones, esp. the young ones of families who are beleivers and beleive and trust God and are serving him with their lives and how they live them. Why do they get diseases and tumors and have svt, why? It makes me angry, it makes me want to scream, it makes me want to take all their pain away and give it to someone older, someone who isnt a beleiver, and doesnt obey God and hates the things of God and wants nothing to do with them, THEY should have to have these horrible diseases, not Kate and not Stellan!!!!

But then i realize.......................God has a plan, God is mighty, God is just, God is soverign, God is all powerful. He knows what he is doing, and although this is happening to them, he is holding them in his arms, he is near.............Hold on Stellan and Kate.......be strong, our God knows best and he will heal you if it is his will to heal you, it may not happen today, it may not happen soon, but it will happen in his time, i dont know either of you personally, but i love you and i am on my knees praying for you everyday

Not my Child!

2009-07-20T10:27:00.001-07:00

After just getting out of the bath it was not my child who, while i was finishing up the dishes decided he would go play in the window sill of the window dad opened earlier that mommy had no idea was open, that the dirt was probably built up from at least 5 years(guess i need to clean better), nope not my child!

It is not my child who decided after 12 months of sleeping soundly in his crib and laying down and going by himself that he no longer wanted to do that and now screams bloody murder any time you put him down to bed.

It is also not my child who can count to ten at only 1 and 1/2 but he gets a little mixed up at times and says 2 then 5 then 6 then 9, but hey he can do it! Im so proud!(had to put a nice one in there)

It is not my child who when you go into his room in the morning he will act like he wants out of his crib untill you go to pick him up and then he acts like he wants to lay back down and sleep and gives a little grin and then wants you to go to the door and say bye and act like you are leaving and then he will reach out for you again(he loves that game).

It is not my child who never cried when he was a newborn, every once in while if i let him get too hungry he would, but otherwise he would just fuss a little when hungry and otherwise sleep, now he has lungs bigger than any toddler i have heard and screams at random times in which scare me most of the time and make me almost have a heart attack.

Where did last week go?

2009-07-18T13:12:00.000-07:00

wow, i cant beleive its already saturday, where did this week go?!! Well that wasnt what i was thinking on wednesday afternoon when i can remember watching the clock, for some reason the afternoon drug along. But wednesday night was a lot of fun, Titus and i went to church and my god son Tyler's mom brought him to meet us there, he has been coming most wednesdays and going to class, he likes it and i am glad to get to see him and feel good about knowing he is learning about Jesus. Jarrell went to the Lake of the Ozarks wednesday morning to help my grandma get her boat in the water, little did he know that the boat had some problems and he ended up staying the whole day to work on it, but he said he had a lot of fun, he got to meet some of my family that he hasnt met yet either. Well they didnt get the boat running but he finally called it quits and headed home. He didnt get home that night(morning) till 3am! You would think i would be fast asleep but what was i doing??? Well i had called my good friend Megan, her husband works a swing shift and was working nights and we got talking and gabbing and ended up talking up untill he got home! lol! It made for a long day Thursday, i can remember hearing Titus wake up that morning and thinking "did i even go to sleep?" lol.....so when he took a nap on Thursday i laid down also and tried to catch up on some sleep. Thursday night we all went to bed early, Jarrell was about to start on days friday, and Titus and i were worn out from playing at the park after waking up from nap. On Friday i had decided i would drive to Fayette for the day to see my family, i left early and then got back around the time Jarrell was getting home from work. It made for a long day, but it was nice to see them. Also my sister Becky cut my hair, she just got out of Cosmetology school, its nice to have a sister that can do my hair now! Exciting! Then last night, Jarrell, Titus and I just hung out here at the house, Jarrell taught me some songs on the guitar while Titus ran around and played(except for when he was trying to strum on our guitars), and we just all had a family night here at the house, it was a lot of fun, my favorite kind of night.

OnSaturday, this morning Titus and i got up early and went to the Farmers Market, we got a lot of great stuff, including, fresh blackberries, blueberries, and some homemade granold bars, yummy. Welll i am going to go ahead and publish this post and start on my "Not My Child blog post"(its a new thing that McMama http://www.mycharmingkids.net/ started today), since its already monday and i started this on sat. morning, oh the life of a mother/wife/babysitter.

Not Me Monday!(on Tuesday)

2009-07-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

OK so i didnt get to my not me monday post yesterday b/c well..i was taking care of 4 children and once i got time Titus decided he was gonna wake up early from nap, so here i am, on tuesday, but i am still gonna do it!

If you dont know what i am talking about by me saying "Not me monday" then head over to http://www.mycharmingkids.net/ which is where i linked to for this post. Mckmama always has a lot of good advice, i am so glad that my friend pointed me to her blog, i read it daily(sometimes more than once lol), so anyway head over there and read more if you would like.

Not Me Monday!

This week i DID NOT find a fruit snack on the carpet of the living room while picking up the toys and instead of throwing it away, throw it back down on the carpet, i mean i didnt want to waste it, and i thought "hey whatever kids finds it first? lucky them!" lol!

This week i DID NOT leave Titus in his pajamas for the entire day at least 3 out of the 7, because we werent going anywhere, i mean who wants to waste a good outfit on just staying home?

This week i DID NOT take the pack n play down b/c Titus kept crawling off the couch into it and instead of repeatidly getting on to him and giving him time outs in which i was exhausted i just decided "to heck with it", we dont need it there anyway.

I also DID NOT take all the tapes off the shelves that are in Titus' reach b/c everytime i leave the room its cue for take them all off and throw them everywhere

I DID NOT finish doing the last load of laundry on sunday, only to start it again on tuesday(laundry day) when i usually have it all done by wed night, not me!

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I still havent posted about the fun that we had on the 4th of July, soon soon my friends, i will try to anyway, no promises, cause i still havent done this. Anyway, here is a picture that my neice Carly took of Titus and i the next morning after we all woke up and had Caseys donuts before everyone left.(we are both very tired as you can see, up late watching fireworks).

Ketchup Post~ Swimming pictures, and some thought about our culture

2009-07-12T13:41:00.000-07:00

As i promised, here are some pictures from our swimming adventure on wednesday, it was lot of fun. My friend Rachel from church went with me and helped out with the kids, also my friend Gail met us and went too, she has a boy Logan, who is 10, we all had such a blast. Thanks so much Rachel and Gail for helping me! You guys rock!

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Last Thursday my friend Gail came over to my house while Titus napped because i decided i was going to go get a spray tan, i had heard that a place here in hannibal had it and it was only $20, any of you who know me know that i am pretty pale, so i thought i would give it a shot since Jarrell and i are going to Louisville in August for a wedding he is in and i know i have to wear a dress, i thought i would try this instead of going to a tanning bed(dont think thats very good for you), and if it worked then i would go back right before the wedding, so this was a test run i guess you could say.....anyway, as i walked out of the salon after getting my spray tan, which by the way i LOVE and cant beleive it looks this real, as i walked out of the salon i ran into 3 young girls, couldnt have been past age 16(im only 25 but they just seem young for some reason lol), anyway one of them was on her phone and this is the conversation i heard(the i wish i hadnt have): In a yelling voice: "Well you need to stop playin her! He said you were sleeping with his ex girlfriend, and hes gonna come whoop your a##, you guys are just over there all day smoking weed at her house!" You stupid Mother F$#*%)!"

I just got in my car(which was behind another car so they couldnt see me), and i just sat there, probably for a good few minutes and just stared forward, then i started to pray, i was so discouraged. Then i started to wonder if i was just oblivious and nieve. Am i? I mean i just couldnt beleive that girls this young were involved in things like this and were talking the way they were. It broke my heart. Then i started to think about the young women at our church, and how i have been wanting to start a bible study with them, maybe this was God telling me to get with it and get this started all ready, we have been so busy this summer that a lot of things are being put on hold. But i looked up books yesterday and am planning on starting soon.

On friday Titus and i had a good day in Quincy. We went to old navy first and i got titus a pair of pj's that were 95% off, pretty sweet if you ask me. Then we went and ate at panera bread(my fav place to eat) and it was a blast. I got my usual, half a sierra turkey sand. and a bowl of broccoli cheddar soup. Titus got a grilled cheese and some organic blueberry yogurt(go gurt), we shared a drink, it was such a good time. Here is a picture from our lunch date;)

On Saturday Jarrell, Titus and i went over to eat at Scott and Martha Slaytons house, they are a couple from our church and their testimony is absolutely amazing and encouraging. I dont know all of it but i do know they were married and divorced and seperated(like in different states) for a while and then they both got saved and God brought them back together and restored their marriage. Its incredible and they are living proof of Gods grace and mercy. Here is a picture we took before leaving for their house:

We had a lot of fun, we ate steak, summer squash, potatoes, and martha can cook now, she blew me out of the water(not hard to do though, i am still learning), but it was really good. They gave us a grand tour of their cute little home, it has so much character, and it very homey. Then we all 5, with titus in the stroller decided to take JB(their sweet golden retriever) for a walk. They live over by HLG campus(where jarrell and i both went to college and met), so we walked through campus, and it was really neat actually, have so many memories there, some bad some good, but mostly good, and it was neat cause we told them kinda our story and how we met and got engaged and then Jarrell decided to tell them that i was a cheerleader, in which i try to keep kinda secret(and i just told my whole blog world), lol...but anyway martha was impressed and i told her not to be cause i wasnt very good, and although i did have to try out, we were nothing like what you would call varsity college level cheerleaders, but it was fun and i enjoyed it and met a lot of great christian people through it. When we got back Titus was getting fussy and i realized i didnt even bring a diaper for him(i am a terrible mommy, that needs to go on my not me monday post i am gonna do next!) SO we left and came home and got little titus into bed and watched Reba.

Sunday we went to church, as a family! I say it like that because Jarrell has to work every other weekend and so we dont get to go much as a family, because when he is off we go to visit our families out of town a lot and so we get to go as a family but not to our home church. So we went to church and then we went out to eat at pizza hut, we had the buffet. Titus was well behaved which made me happy because their were a lot of people there. Then we came home and put ti down for his nap and jarrell and i lounged around and watched Madea goes to jail, it was funny and had a good message as well, i really like all the tyler perry plays and movies. That night we went back to church and then came home and ate mcdonalds(we got out late so we just ran and picked something up), then titus got his bath, and i put him down and then we of course watched reba(we are on episode 14) and went to bed ourselves.

SO here we are, its monday, and i think i am all ketched up....lol. stay tuned for my Not Me Monday post, coming soon...(hopefully if the kids nap as planned)

wednesday fun

2009-07-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

Today i am going to attempt to take a 18 month old(my little boy), a 22 month old and a 9 month old(my 2 part time babysitting kids), to the pool. Yes, i am very brave, but i also have help, a girl from my church whom i adore named rachel is coming over to help me with the children this afternoon, she is 12 and is a little sweetheart, i just love her family. Also my friend Gail will be there and she loves to help with the kids too, so i really think we will have a lot of fun. I will try and post pictures tomorrow of our little swimming adventure. Last night my friend Megan came over, we ate Subway and chatted(when we get together there is never a dull or quiet moment.) We could talk for hours and still have something to talk about, but i guess thats just how friends are. I am so thankful for her friendship, christian friends are hard to come by these days. Tonight we will watch our God son Tyler for a few hours, i am hoping i am not exhausted from swimming and still have the energy, but i know Jarrell will help me when he gets home from work. When Jarrell has to work the next day we sometimes do not go to church on wed nights b/c they do not have a nursery on wed nights and titus is still too young for class so he has to come to my class and with the age he is at right now, he wont sit still and wants to run, which i dont blame him, he is 1 and a 1/2. So unless Jarrell goes with me and we take turns taking him out or entertaining and the other gets to listen for a while, then i do not go, although i cant wait till i am able to go because i love our church family and am actually considering just going untill i cant contain titus anymore and then leaving, it would be worth it to hear something and also to be around my church family:)!

Future underwear model......

2009-07-07T13:06:00.000-07:00

(you know if the whole pro golfer thing doesnt work out)

I snapped this photo of Titus the other night when he had just gotten out of the bath and was still in his towel. At only 18 months, what a handsome young man he already is growing up to be.........p.s. for those of you who dont know me personally, i would never really encourage the whole model thing, this was just for fun, i mean come on now, look how handsome this little guy is!(gets it from his dad not me).

Excited about this weekend!

2009-07-01T11:02:00.000-07:00

This weekend is the 4th of July! yay! We have pretty big plans, including something called Tom Sawyer Days which goes on downtown here where i live in America's Hometown. They are a lot of fun. Also my family is coming up to visit, well most of them. My older sister Marissa, her husband Steven, and their 2 daughters Carly 10, and Cayle 2. Also my younger sister Becky, her husband Cameron, and their daughter Malea-5 months. Tomorrow i will probably not blog, because i will be getting the house ready and shopping for all the food we will need. I am very excited. Last year on the 4th, Jarrell, Titus and I were in St. Louis for Jarrells family reunion which takes place every 2 years. It was a lot of fun. Here is a picture of Titus and i that Jarrell took in the hotel room:

Wow, cant beleive how little Titus was, and bald, lol! This year he will be running around!

Thoughts

2009-06-30T11:31:00.000-07:00

I never really just sit down and type things that i have going on in my head, i usually have a specific topic but today i thought that i would just let you in on some of my thoughts. Have you ever wondered why women are so obsessive about their weight? Well i think that the main reason is the media, you see size 0 models on the cover of every magazine and on every movie you watch now the actresses are tan, skinny and have had numerous implants, etc. How are we not to obsess? Do you think women back in the olden days thought this way? Probably not, and if so, not even close to how we are now. Its sad....just really sad. Health is suppose to be what matters yet many women will compromise that just to look good and look younger!

Switching gears now....

Have you ever wondered why its so hard not to gossip? I mean why is it when we talk to one of our friends that we automatically start talking bad about one of our other friends or about someone else, i think some people even just use it to have conversation but just dont realize the damage it can do. I am at fault here big time....here is something to think about. Would you say what you are saying to that friend about the other friend to their face even in a nice way?

Well Titus will just not nap today for anything and is crying now for the 2nd time, i thought he had went back to sleep after only sleeping an hour to begin with, but i guess not. Better go get him. Have a good tuesday everyone!!

Just another day in paradise

2009-06-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

I thought id let everyone in on what its like in the Smith household monday-wednesday. I watch a little girl and her younger brother, if you didnt know that go here. Mornings consist of breakfast, playtime, veggie tales, music time and sometimes walks, then its naptime and after that lunch. Then more playtime and then an afternoon activity such as coloring or reading time. Then its off to nap again and pick up time is at 5:15pm or so. Of course any of you who have children or have taken care of children know that its not always smooth sailing, theres the occasional blow out diaper that requires a bath, fussiness b/c of teething which can make everyone miserable, etc. But for the most part.....its just another day in paradise. :-)

TITUS

PLAYING

BEST BUDDIES

KYLIE IN THE DRUM

AUSTIN IN HIS FAVORITE CORNER

Carrie and Adley

2009-06-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

Whoa....boy am i glad to be sitting here resting at my computer after this day...it was a very eventful yet wonderful day....

Today my 2nd oldest sister Carrie came to visit. She has a little girl named Adley who is 5 months old, and a little sweetie if you ask me(and no im not just being a partial, proud aunt, she really is).

We had a lot of fun, this morning we went to Goodwill, i have not been there in a long time, i am trying to do better on spending, but we did find some really good deals. Carrie got some outfits for Adley and Malea, my youngest sister Becky's little girl who is 2 weeks younger than Adley(and also a sweetie), and i got some clothes for Titus and also a few bible videos.

After that we decided that we were hungry so we headed out to Fiddlestiks, a really good restaurant here in Hannibal.

Then we decided to come home for a bit and rest, i also forgot to mention that i was watching a little girl for one of my friends, her name is Kaylin and she is 13 months, so after taking 3 kids out and about all morning we needed a rest, lol. But it was a lot of fun.

Then we took Kaylin home and headed to Quincy. While in Quincy we went to 3 resale shops, we found a lot of good things, one of which was a cute jumperoo for my sister Becky for Malea, Adley has one and Malea likes it so they wanted to get one for her to have at home also.

Then we headed back to Hannibal and Carrie decided to drive back while Adley was sleeping in the car, since its about a 2 hour drive back.

It was a very fun day and i am so blessed to have sisters who love me and come spend time with Titus and I.

This weekend we are going to Fayette to see the rest of my family, Jarrell is going to golf with my brother in laws, and of course us girls will just hang out and play with the babies, i cant wait!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Baby Boy

2009-06-19T13:42:00.001-07:00

Dear Sweet Baby Titus,

As i watch you sleep today i realized in a few short days you will be turning 18 months old, i just cant beleive it. I remember the first time i laid eyes on you, the doctor took you and placed you on my stomach and you just looked at me and whimpered, you were pretty mad about coming into this world, in fact, i wonder how long you would have waited if they didnt put me into labor, i was already 1 week and 1 day past my due date. I dont blame you, im sure it was quite comfortable and warm there in my womb.

But once you were here we just couldnt stop staring at you, you were so handsome, i remember your big brown eyes staring forward as you would nurse, and then eventually you would fall asleep and nothing could wake you, you slept so peacefully. I remember our last day in the hospital with you, daddy went to pull up the truck and get it warm(it was snowing and cold) and he gave you to me and we just sat there in my bed and fell asleep together.

Oh how i wish i would just bottle you up and you would stay a baby forever, but since i know i cant i am going to cherish every moment with you. I will leave no kiss unkissed and no cuddle uncuddled, no matter what the hour of day or night. Since I cannot keep you little forever, I will make the sweetest, deepest memories that I can, now while you are little.

There are days when i rock you and you have fallen fast asleep and i just cant put you down in your bed, i know there is cleaning, dishes and laundry to be done but i just sit and stare and you, at your sweet little eye brows, and your cute little ringlet curls. Im sure you will go onto be a great big brother to your brothers and/or sisters in the future and i want you to know that i love you very much and you will always be my first born and my little "ti pie".

All my love,

Mommy

Lord be near....

2009-06-16T15:04:00.000-07:00

Things seem to be alittle bit more like normal around here today....but there is still that sadness in the air, i feel it in me and i see it in jarrell when he looks at me.

On Sunday i beleive that i passed what would have been the baby, i am almost 99% sure it was and that i miscarried. We will go to the doctor this week(when they call me back), to confirm it. There is still a little hope though, and we are not completely throwing the towel in, which i think may be harder than just having closer. But this week we will know something.

A verse that has given me comfort throughout this is "When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivers him out of them all." Psalm 34: 17-19

Lord be near..........

Waiting...

2009-06-14T11:16:00.000-07:00

This is the hardest post i have had to write so far. As you know i am 6 weeks pregnant, on thursday morning i started to bleed and by friday it was a little heavier, i called my doctor and she said to just monitor over the weekend and if it got heavier or i started to cramp to come in. About 10pm on friday i started to get what felt like menstrual cramps, and then about 4am we decided to go into the ER, they did an exam and said that my cervix was still closed(which can mean the baby may still be ok) i am too early for anything to show up on a ultrasound so we pretty much just have to wait....they diagnosed me with threatened miscarriage, and told me to take it easy and wait.....so we are waiting.....and its not easy. I have so many thoughts going through my head i cant even type them all. Is the baby ok? Is there something wrong with my body? Will i miscarry? Will i go on to have this baby and then tell he/she what a scare they gave us? I just dont know, so we are to wait.......wait on the Lord and pray. Please pray for our family.

Curls, curls and more curls...

2009-06-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

When Titus first started getting more hair and it was curling a little i thought maybe that his hair was going to be curly like his fathers(b/c of course its not like he gets anything else from his father, look at him!) Now i am definetely convinced that it is going to be curly. I mean look at how cute these curls are!!

Daddy and me

2009-06-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

I dont know if everyone is familiar with the program named "Parents as Teachers" but i think it is great! We have a parent educator that comes to our home once a month and gives me information on what age Titus is and the milestones he should be accomplishing as well as gives me advice on things. Its really neat and titus has really warmed up to ours, her name is Melissa and she is great. On her first visit here Melissa gave us a book called "Daddy and me" and my first look at it i thought it was kinda silly cause its not a story book it just has different dads and their children on each page and says one word of what they are doing, for instance "playing". Well anyway, it has become Titus' favorite book of all! He loves it, and wants to read it constantly, he especially likes when Daddy reads it to him. Its weird how i thought it would just be another book that got chewed on and thrown aside and it has become quite a favorite in the Smith household(coming in 2nd with Swimmey the dolphin of course).

Tiger Woods??

2009-06-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

FUTURE PRO GOLFER IF YOU ASK ME

Titus loves to put on peoples shoes, especially his daddies and this particular day he wanted to wear Jarrells golfing shoes. Is this a sign that Titus will love golf as much as his dad? Who knows, but i think he looks like a future pro golfer if you ask me:)

Psalm 139:13

2009-06-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

"For thou didst form my inward parts, thou didst knit me together in my mother's womb."

Last month we found out some very exciting(and suprising) news!~........................we are GONNA HAVE ANOTHER BABY! I could not beleive my eyes when i saw the pregnancy test, and then 3 tests later i realized it was really true! We are very excited and just kinda "waiting" around if you would say for our first Doctors appointment. It is scheduled for next tuesday June 9th. I was looking today in my keepsake book of when i was pregnant with Titus and my first appointment with him was June 8th, neat huh? I am thinking i will be due a little later this time than i was with Titus, i was due with Titus on Dec. 22, 2007 and i am thinking it will be more like January for this one, oh and 2010! Seems so weird to me still that we are in the 2000's, maybe i am just a bit behind or something, lol.

Well in the mean time Titus is still growing and growing, not only physically although i am sure he has to be at least 30 pounds by now, he is soo stout, and he is very tall as well, he will be going to the doctor next month for his well baby visit so i will be excited to see what percentiles he is in now, cant imagine it not being high.

I am still keeping my 2 babysitting kids 3 days a week. The other day i took them all 3 on a walk, here is Kylie and Titus in the double stroller(i had already taken Austin out).

Sometimes when it is nice outside but i am not able to take them out i will open the door and let them watch the cars go by, and of course yell at people walking down the side walk and make them laugh.

CHEWING ON HIS HAMMER

SAY CHEESE KYLIE

STILL CHEWING ON HIS HAMMER

~CUTIES~

Last week also my awesome husband landscaped our whole front yard, it looks so good! Who would have thought he had such a green thumb, i mean its not like he is good at everything he tries, ahem. ok so maybe he is. But anyway, its looks really good and i will try and remember to post some pictures of all the beautiful flowers soon. Here is a picture i took of Titus the other day in his new old navy outfit(you can kinda see some of the flowers.)

In the evenings it has mainly been just Titus and i lately, because Jarrell is working a lot of over time, once i give him a bath he loves to run around in his diaper, so i let him run and play for a little while before bed.

HE LOVES THAT MOWER

SINGING

HI MOM!

HE'S A DAREDEVIL

HE THINKS HE'S INVINCIBLE!

Be unto your name

2009-05-20T14:34:00.000-07:00

This is a song that i have currently fell in love with, we sang it at church the other day and now i am trying to teach myself to play it on the guitar. Maybe sometime in the future i will post a video of me doing just that(maybe, if your lucky, lol). Here are the lyrics:

Be unto your name

We are a moment,
You are forever
Lord of the Ages,
God before time
We are a vapor,
You are eternal
Love everlasting,
reigning on high

We are the broken,
You are the healer
Jesus, Redeemer,
mighty to save
You are the love song
we'll sing forever
Bowing before You,
blessing Your name

Holy, holy, Lord God Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain
Highest praises,
honor
and glory
Be unto Your name,
be unto Your name

My how you have grown...

2009-05-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

Titus loves to chew on any and everything these days...

He still likes to play in his old bumbo chair, but he is so big he gets stuck and laughs and laughs...

What a handsome boy in his dress shirt for church, he knows how to pose for the ladies...

He got some new pajamas at JcPenney, they are adorable, he is growing out of everything!

He is a serious driver...

Not me Monday!

2009-05-11T16:06:00.000-07:00

Yay, its not me monday! Like mckmama said it over at www.mycharmingkids.net this truly is the best kind of therapy for moms i think. Well here goes:

This week i DID NOT forget to give Titus his antibiotics one night(for his ear infection) and since he was still up and playing in his bed i could have most definetely gone and did it but instead i decided to wait till morning knowing that if i went and got him and had to go through the fighting of getting him to take it, etc.(he doesnt like them), then it would only get him ralled up and he may not want to go back to bed, after all he was playing so peacefully in his bed and i knew he would fall asleep soon.

I most definetely DID NOT give in to Titus and just let him play with my metal fork after lunch even though i am terrified he will cut his mouth on it or stab someone with it.

I also DID NOT let Titus have way too much of my brownie yesterday at the Mothers Day dinner i went to because he kept wanting it and we were there with a lot of people and i didnt want him to throw a fit and embarrass me.

Finally i DID NOT make a trip to Walmart just to get C batteries because the little light up thingy on Titus' crib stopped working and he loves to lay and look at it and sing when he goes to sleep, after all, he would have gone to sleep anyway but i know he loves it.

Well there you go, want your own therapy? Post a "not me monday" post and then link it back to the link over at www.mycharmingkids.net Try it, its fun!!!

Blessings

2009-05-08T14:42:00.000-07:00

Today as i got myself ready, you know the usual, get dressed, brush/straighten hair, floss and brush teeth, etc. I opened the hall closet to put on my deoderant and perfume and looked at all the stuff in there, we have so much stuff that jarrell and i have to have our own shelves, and the other is for sheets, towels etc. It really made me stop and think........you know all this could be gone in a fraction of the time it took for us to accumulate it. Whether it be a house fire, a burgular, etc, it could be gone......like that.............GONE. Kinda makes you really think of things in a different aspect you know? Like who cares if i dont have as many clothes and shoes as i would like(esp. shoes, im a shoe fanatic), and who cares if our bathroom rugs are so old that the fringe on the edges is starting to come unattached, i have more than enough clothes and shoes and the bathroom rugs are still keeping our floors clean, fringy or not.

Well this weekend is going to be pretty relaxing, at least for titus and i, but jarrell has to work nights all weekend, bless his heart, he is such a hard worker, i am so blessed to have a hard working husband and i hope he knows how much i love and appreciate him!

Titus and i will be hanging out here at the house tonight, 2 girls from our church may spend the night also, depending on if their mom gets my message, i love having them spend the night, they are 11 and 13, and such a joy to have here, titus just loves them too and they are a lot of help with him.

I also may go to walmart, i need to get an ink cartridge for my printer and also some paint to paint the accent wall i have been wanting to paint in the living room, but im trying to find a good time because i dont want the fumes to be bad. Also with a one year old running around it may not be a good idea to be up on a ladder if you get my drift, haha~.......

Well i hope everyone has a great weekend, HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

~Titus is 16 months old~!

2009-05-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

HE PLAYS!!

HE CHEWS!!

HE CLIMBS!!

HE REACHES!!

Titus is growing up soo fast, i cannot beleive the milestones he is accomplishing every day, this age is so fun! His vocabulary is expanding too. Children are such a gift from God, he brightens my life! I love you baby boy!

Tell a joke Tuesday

2009-04-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

I thought these were funny, hope they make you laugh!

One day, a man came home and was greeted by his wife dressed in a very Sexy nightie. 'Tie me up,' she purred, 'and you can do anything you want.' So he tied her up and went golfing.

A woman came home, screeching her car into the driveway, and ran into the house. She slammed the door and shouted at the top of her lungs, 'Honey, pack your bags. I won the lottery!' The husband said, 'Oh my God! What should I pack, beach stuff or mountain stuff?' 'Doesn't matter,' she said. 'Just get out.'

HAHAHAHA!!! There you go, your jokes for the week!

Orange for Stellan

2009-04-21T14:16:00.000-07:00

Today Titus and i are wearing orange and praying for Stellan, he has surgery today. To hear his story click here:

http://www.mycharmingkids.net/

We love you and are praying for you Stellan!

SWIMEEY

2009-04-20T14:16:00.000-07:00

Well we now have a new edition to our family....and no i am not talking about a new baby or that i am pregnant. See for yourself:

His name is Swimeey. Titus' grandma Betty got him for Titus and he has been attached since the day we brought him home. It's really cute, he will carry him around and hug him, kiss him, chew on him, etc. I love watching him.

Yesterday we went to Warrenton for the afternoon to see jarrells side of the family, it was grandma Esthers birthday on friday and we wanted to see her and tell her happy birthday. It was a lot of fun and it is always nice seeing them and visiting. Titus loves running around Grandma Esthers new house, its a lot bigger than ours and of course its something different so he loves to explore. When we went to leave Jarrell said "Lets go home Titus and see swimeey", and Titus acted like he knew what we were talking about, then when we got home he ran and got swimeey and hugged on him.

Well i hope everyone is having a great start to the week and Lord willing i will blog again tomorrow with more fun happening in the Smith family! Take care!

Busy but great day!

2009-04-16T15:33:00.000-07:00

Well today was grocery day. Every thursday when titus wakes up which is usually around 7:30am or so, i get him dressed and put him in his high chair, while he is eating breakfast i get ready and then we head off to walmart to get groceries.

We stopped by the bank on the way, the bank of used to work at, i worked there the whole time i was pregnant with titus so he is kinda like "the bank baby" we get there and one of the girls takes him and whisks him off to see everyone else, he walks around the whole bank with them to see everyone. Its real neat, i guess they kinda feel a connection with him because they shared all my pregnancy with me. Today i didnt have to get much because we still had some food leftover from last week and i didnt end up cooking a few nights.

Titus was very good at Walmart, then on the way home i stopped by mcdonalds to get an iced mocha latte', Titus was asleep by the time we pulled into the garage.

When he got up from his morning nap i fed him lunch quick and we were off again, this time to Quincy to get Titus' Hep B shot. If you are a regular reader of my blog you know that i have decided to refrain from getting some vaccinations for Titus and the other i am spreading out. If you are not a regular, read this . Titus was so brave, he only cried for a second and when i picked him up he was fine. He grinned at the nurse and kept looking down at his snoppy band aid like "what just happened here". Lol.

Then we went to the mall, i got some good excercise pushing titus up and down the aisles, my main stop was victoria secret, i love that store(a little too much sometimes). Then we headed home in which Titus again was asleep by the time we took the exit for our house.

Jarrell got home from work a little bit ago and we got to sit and talk a while which was nice, Titus is still napping, and now i am going to put away groceries and straighten the house up a little.

Great day!

Folded Napkin

2009-04-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection?

I never noticed this....

The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes.
The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed separate from the grave clothes. Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.
She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, 'They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!'
Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in.
Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side.

Was that important? Absolutely! Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.
Now if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, 'I'm done'.
But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table,because..........

The folded napkin meant, 'I'm coming back!'

2009-04-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

Our sweet baby boy just waking up from his morning nap.....he melts my heart into a million pieces!

Great weekend!

2009-04-13T14:49:00.000-07:00

Well we had a great Easter weekend. Jarrell was working nights so Titus and i left on saturday afternoon and drove to Fayette where my parents live to visit them for Easter. We got there around 5 or so and then mom and i went and got chinese food up town and brought it back home for all of us. Carrie, Mason, and Adley came out that night too which was a nice suprise, being that i only thought i would get to see them on Sunday at the dinner. Well then Cameron, Becky, and Malea showed up out at the house too, so it was really nice, i got hold my 2 new baby neices and love on them. Then on Sunday we all went to church with mom and dad, afterwards Grandma Vece had dinner at her house and it was very yummy as always. Well i guess thats all i can blog for now, Titus just woke up from his nap and in a few minutes kylie and austins grandma will be here to pick them up. Happy monday everyone~!

golfing, spinning in circles, and family

2009-04-08T13:29:00.000-07:00

Hey there everyone, well i just realized last wednesday was the last time i blogged, i need to get with it. I have thought about it several times since then but just couldnt get the time to sit down and blog. I only get the computer once a day, and sometimes that time is used for other things, facebooking, looking up different childrens things, reading other blogs, etc. But i hope to be better at it. Today has been a good day. Today Titus learned how to spin around in a circle, i think it may have something to do with his dad making him spin the other night when titus wanted the golf club he had in his hand and keeps chasing it so Jarrell started spinning it and titus would follow it:

It was quite hilarious and we were all laughing, and of course i had to run and get my camera and video it too. He is at such a cute age and i was just thinking today when i took his hand and said " come on lets go get your milk and then go night night" and he grabbed my hand and walked with me to the kitchen, that i just want to enjoy every minute of this and remember it. Its very nice that i can have 4 days a week off to spend with my family, of course i also have the evenings mon-wed, and we also love to have kylie and austin here. Well speaking of austin he just woke up from his nap and i better get him before he wakes the other 2 who are sleeping peacefully. Oh by the way, check out my link on the left sidebar of my blog for these really great shoes i found for kids, they are kinda like the shoes Robeez, they are called Bobux, if you order them through clicking on the link on my blog you can get free shipping too!

Kaylin came to visit

2009-04-01T08:17:00.000-07:00

today i have my 2 babysitting kids and also i am watching a little girl named kaylin for a few hours. Back in August of 08 when i was running the daycare with my friend megan, kaylin was one of our children and then when we closed i decided to take kaylin, kylie, and then eventually i got austin when he was born because he is kylie's brother of course. Well then Kaylin's grandma offered to watch her so she stopped coming but every once in a while i get to watch her because her grandma has something, its nice to get to see her, she is now 10 months and already walking! It is now morning naptime for kylie and titus and kaylin, austin and i are hanging out here in the office, austin is in the excersaucer and kaylin is playing with toys on the floor. Jarrell is working nights mon-thurs this week so he is in bed as well. Pretty sober here today, just catching up on my blogging and facebooking while i can. Tonight Titus and i will go to church, Tyler, our God son is going with us. Well hope everyone has a good wednesday and will talk to you later!

Brighter

2009-03-26T13:46:00.001-07:00

Hey there everyone! Well today the weather is much nicer outside, its sunny and 60 degrees, beautiful! Sometimes living in MO can get frustrating, one day its rainy gloomy and cold and the next its sunny and warm and then the next day its snowing, well i guess it keeps things interesting. I wanted to ask everyone to join in prayer with my for a little boy named Stellan, he is 4 months old and in the hospital with SVT, its a irregular heart rate and rhythum. To find out more please visit his mother's site at http://www.mycharmingkids.net/ also i have a link of the left side of my blog that you can click on to get there.

I have had a great day so far, as most of you know, i watch 2 small children mon-wed and then the rest of the week i get to spend with Titus and Jarrell(when he isnt working), i couldnt ask for a better schedule because titus gets the interaction with other children, i get a little bit of income, and i get many days off to devote to my family as well as time to keep house, etc.

Now i would like to take the time to introduce to you:

Kylie Lynn Comer

Kylie is the little 18month old that i get the blessing to watch every mon-wed, she came to me when she 10 months old so i have gotten to see her go from just crawling to pulling up, to her first steps and now walking. Here is a picture of her and titus the first month i took care of her.

HOW DARLING ARE THEY??

She is such a petite thing weighing only 22 pounds(2 less than titus and he is only 15 months). She is now talking also and can repeat almost anything i say. She knows many animals sounds also. I have a lot of fun watching her and her little brother Austin, and speaking of him here is his picture:

Austin Riley Comer

Austin is 5 months old and a little cutie, he is a very good baby. He enjoys sitting in the excersaucer and watching Kylie and Titus run around and play. He also loves the swing and will usually fall fast asleep after sitting in it for a few minutes.

Well i hope everyone is having a great day. I have soup in the crock pot for supper tonight, Jarrell is off today and out golfing right now so i know he will be hungry when he gets home. Titus is taking his after noon nap and when he gets up we will play and then i will feed him supper and we will wait for daddy to get home. Happy Thursday everyone! May God bless you all!

Gloomy

2009-03-24T11:40:00.000-07:00

Well today has been a gloomy day, its very rainy and gloomy outside, its weird how the weather can affect your mood also. Today i decided to try a new schedule with Titus and Kylie, their morning naps had been getting shorter and shorter so i decided today that i would keep them up from their morning naps and feed them lunch a little earlier and then put them down for one long nap, so lunch was at 11am and they were both down by about 11:50am or so to nap.............................and at 12:46pm................Titus was awake. So i had to go in there and lay him back down which of course is very dramatic and in starts a crying fit. Sometimes in the early morning he will wake up crying and i just go in there and hug him and lay him back down and he is fine and goes to sleep. This was a different case, he wasnt having any of it. So i rocked him a while, i figure it may take him a while to get adjusted to this new schedule and i understand that)plus i know he wont be a baby forever and i want to rock my baby darn it, lol) and then put him back down in his bed and then......................at 1:30pm he was a wake again, oh joy, so this time i am letting him cry it out and it has been approximately 9 minutes now. Hope he will adjust to this new schedule soon, or maybe i will have to go back to 2 naps again untill he is a little older, i dont know, we will see. Austin(the 4 month old i watch) and i are just hanging out here in the office, he is playing on the floor on this mat with toys hanging down from it, he loves it, just kicks and coos and goes to town, its really cute. Oh and speaking of my babysitting kids, i still havent introduced them like i should to everyone, i need to do that soon, and WILL do that soon ok. Anyway i hope everyone has a good tuesday and hope its not gloomy there. Tonight Titus and i are going over to my friend Gail's house to visit her and her son Logan and hang out for a while, her husband works at the same place as jarrell and they also work the same shift so when jarrell is working nights like tonight, her husband is also and she just lives up the street, so its nice that we can hang out like we do.

Happy Birthday Jarrell!

2009-03-18T14:03:00.000-07:00

Today i want to dedicate my blog post to my husband, Jarrell. He turns 24 today and i want him to know how special he is to me and how blessed i feel for having him in my life. We have been through a lot together from our first date at Ruby Tuesdays, to our wedding day at Grace Covenant Baptist Church, to our first rental home on Levering St., to our first baby, Elijah Davis Smith, whom we lost at 3 months conception, to our first owned home on St. Marys Ave., to our 2nd baby, Titus Jarrell Smith who was born healthy, what a blessing! All that we have been through has brought us closer, i know that God made you for me and me for you. I love you Jarrell! Happy Birthday!(P.S. I even liked you when you had a fro!)

Tell a joke Tuesday

2009-03-17T13:39:00.000-07:00

Welcome to TELL A JOKE TUESDAY were you can tell your jokes or funny stories and make the world laugh. This was created by http://pudmud.blogspot.com/2009/03/tell-joke-tuesday_17.html head over to his blog to read more funny jokes and stories.

Well i dont really have any jokes this week but i do have a funny story that happened today. Well here where i live it is about 78 degrees, the weather is beautiful, too beautiful to stay inside, but when you have 3 children at home(1 is mine and the other 2 i babysit mon-wed), its kinda hard to get outside when you dont have a fenced in yard. Sooo i decided that i would open the front door and then let the kids play and look out the screen door, they love it and its almost as if we are outdoors playing(not really but they like it). So today i went into the kitchen and came back out to the living room and for some reason Titus decided that he wants to lick the screen door and not just lick, i mean he was sticking his toungue all the way out and running it all the way across the screen. My first instinct was to get him to stop cause its probably dirty but then i watched him and it was so funny i just started laughing and couldnt stop and of course that provoked him more and he kept doing it. LOL! So theres a little humor for you, its one of those you had to be there times though cause it may not sound as funny as it really was. Also for all of you who know my son Titus i know you are laughing right now. Happy Tuesday everyone!

Not me Monday!

2009-03-16T13:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by http://www.mycharmingkids.net/ "MckMama." You can head over to her blog http://www.mycharmingkids.net%22%3eher/ to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This week i DID NOT go to Walmart a total of 4 times even though my plan was to go once a week and make a list of everything we need.

I DID NOT let Titus have a bite of almost everything i was eating this past week, even though i said i was going to stop because by the time i am eating he has already eaten his meal and doesnt need what i am eating anyway usually(something sugary usually), i just cant resist those puppy dog eyes and that cute face, im a sucker big time.

I DID NOT decide that i was going to paint 2 walls in Titus' room because i thought it was too boring, not me!

I also DID NOT get sample cards of paint colors to hold up in the living room because i am getting sick of all the walls being the same color.

I most definetely DID NOT go to Hibbett sport just to LOOK at the shoes they have and see if they had sandals there so i could get some for Titus later on and end up buying him the cutest pair of Lightning Mcqueen Crocs, well at least they are cute and worth it, lol!

I have definetely NOT been meaning to clean out the hall closet and the pantry in the kitchen and just NOT gotten around to it because every time i remember its not the right time, i am way too organized for that!

Have a great Monday everyone!

Child Vaccinations

2009-03-13T22:18:00.000-07:00

About 4 months ago a friend of mine got me interested in reading a womans blog, her site is www.mycharmingkids.net. She is a mother of 4 and her 4th child was diagnosed with heart failure in the womb, she is a christian woman and her and her husband asked for prayer, they had millions praying, i was one of them, not even knowing them but having my own son, at the time, 10 months old, my heart ached for her. Anyway, long story short(i would encourage you to go to her site and read the full story of Stellan's healing) her son was completely healed, the doctors said he wouldnt be born alive and then once he was they said he wouldnt live past 3 months and he is a healthy baby boy now, past 3 months, and completely healed! I have been reading her blog ever since and i really look up to this woman, and respect her, and i dont even know her, she is a very informed mother and i have been praying that God will give me wisdom and guidance to make the right decisions in my own son(and future childrens) lives. My most recent research has been on vaccinations and i want to share this video clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E8MHOQD8cw

I have really been studying and prayng about this and have decided(and of course will confirm my decision after dicussing it more with my husband) that Titus will not be receiving anymore vaccinations. He has received all of the required ones through age 1(before i was informed). I may in the future decide to give him a few of them but i do know he will not be receiving any of the one that are developed from the use of aborted fetuses! Read this article:

http://www.lc.org/radiotv/nlj/nlj0901.htm

If anyone has further questions i can give you more research or would be glad to answer what i do know. Also this website: http://www.nvic.org// is very helpful. Become informed! Its so important for the safety and health of your little one. Happy Friday everyone!

Honor Them Thursday

2009-03-12T18:56:00.000-07:00

I decided to take part in Honor them Thursday, a once a month chance to honor those that have made a difference in your life. This was created by a guy named Wayne, he has a neat blog, check it out here: http://pudmud.blogspot.com/2009/03/honor-them-thursday.html

Well for my first ever Honor them Thursday i decided i would honor my parents, Mark and Shari Fisher, they brought me into this world and raised me in a christian home and taught me good morals and values and for that i honor them. They have always been a good example and shown others respect. They are both very hard workers and have always worked to provide for our family. They love God first and then each other, which is the most important thing in a marriage. No matter what happens i always know they are there for me and behind me 100%. Thanks mom and dad, i love you both very much!

~Not me Monday!~

2009-03-02T11:40:00.000-08:00

There is a blog i read everyday, i started reading it when one of my friends told me about a little boy who was diagnosed with heart failure in the womb and told me about his story. She gave me the URL address of the ladies blog and i have been hooked every since. The address is www.mycharmingkids.net Anyway, she does this think on mondays called Not me monday and i decided to start participating, its a lot of fun to share your short comings as a mom and realize we are not all perfect and sometimes have to take short cuts for our own sanity purposes. Well here goes. oh and check out here link on the side bar of my blog and join in, its really fun!

This week i most definetely did not decide that i was going to set up a mini photography studio in order to photograph titus because he has not had professional pictures taken since christmas, and i most definetely did not give up right when i sat him down and he decided he wasnt have any of this and got up a walked away, lol! Oh and also last night when he woke up for the 6th time i did not finally decide to give him tylenol, ear drops, and orajel, because i had no idea why he kept waking up and then i also did not give him a whole cup of milk, i am a better mother than that and know exaclty what is wrong with my child all the time. Also right now as i decided i really needed to get on the computer and blog i for sure did not sit him beside me in an excersaucer even though he is 26 pounds and can practically turn the thing over, i would never do that! haha. Ok your turn, click on the sidebar not me monday link and have fun!

Texas trip part II

2009-02-27T08:52:00.000-08:00

On sunday afternoon after we got back from the aquarium, we went to some sovenior shops and got some things to take home. I got two pictures frames, one for our living room and one for titus's room, the one i got him is really cute and has an alligator holding a frame and it says Port Aransas, i thought i could put a picture of him on the beach in it. Speaking of pictures on the beach, here are some pictures i took of titus on the beach on sunday afternoon:

Jarrell bought a skimer board and decided he was going to try it out:

He didnt get to use it much cause it was a little chilly, later on though we went back and titus took a nap at the condo and jarrell went out and bought some more gear. Here is Titus in his Billabong surf armor and surf shoes that Jarrell bought him, they looked really cute with his hawaiian swim trunks.

After Titus woke up from his nap, we dressed him in his beach gear and we set out for the beach again. This time Jarrell decided to get a little braver and actually boggie board some:

It looked like fun. but the water was soooo cold i dont see how he stood it, he said after a while he got used to it and it was warm, but i was too chicken and didnt get in, i used titus as a excuse, cause of course i had to watch him, even though my grandma would have been more than willing to watch him while i took a dip. Maybe next time it will be warmer and i will swim:)

In the mornings when we were there in Texas, Titus loved to explore our condo, it was a new place, he would go in the kitchen and get in the cabinets and go into the dining area and then the hall and just all over. He had a lot of fun. One morning i was really tired and came into the living room with him when he woke up and he kept going into the kitchen so i put up chairs as a barrier so he had to stay in the living room, im not used to being somewhere that is not child proofed cause i am so used to home where he can just run free.

Well that almost concludes our Texas trip, we only got to stay 4 days, but it was fun. My next post i will put up pictures of when we went on a bird walk, it was out on this lake and you got to see all kinds of not only birds but sea creatures also. It was neat.

I'd rather be in Texas!

2009-02-24T12:52:00.000-08:00

Well i guess i should explain to everyone why i havent written since last tuesday huh? Well last week my husband and i up and decided to take a last minute vacation to Port Aransas, Texas! We had a blast! My grandma Betty goes down there every year for about 2 months in the winter, we have been wanting to go down there for a while and visit her and relax on the beach, etc. and we finally got to! It was really fun, we stayed in a place called Seaside Motel, it was right on the beach front:

This is the view from one of the balconies

Friday morning we flew out of Springfield, IL at 6:30am, had to get up at 2:45am and leave! We had never been to that airport but it ended up being really easy because of our GPS. We flew from there to Chicago and landed around 7:30am there, then our next flight left around 9:15am and from there we flew into San Antonio, Texas and my grandma met us at the airport. Here is a picture of Jarrell and Titus playing while we waited for our flight in Chicago airport:

Titus had so much fun running around everywhere in the airports, and we let him too, we thought it would wear him out and he would sleep on the plane rides, it worked pretty well too. He slept at least half of both our long flights! Well we got to San Antonio around 1pm and grandma met us and we started for Port Aransas, which is still a 3 hour drive from the airport(we were worn out by the time we got there!) We stopped at a whataburger and ate some lunch, whataburger is in Texas what a Mcdonalds is here in MO, but its a lot better food i think. When we got to Port Aransas, which is on Mustang Island, we just could not beleive how beautiful it was, we just awwed over the scenery, it was really pretty! We got to our Condo and settled in and then that night we went out to eat. The next day we got up and headed over to Aransas Pass, which is about 7 miles from us and went to Walmart, we packed really light so we didnt have to check anything and with having titus, one of us had to carry him and the other had to carry all the bags so we really only packed what we absolute had to. So we went to Walmart and got necessities(toothpaste, deoderant, etc.) Then we came back to the island and one of grandmas friends named Fran(i also know her too, she is kinda part of the family because she used to come to my great grandmas a lot when we were younger and we also would go visit her in Iowa where she lived) anyway, Fran cooked for us and it was really good, then we decided to go to the beach. It was a little chilly that day(chilly meaning upper 60's) so we didnt stay really long, but long enough for me to get wet up to my knees and Titus to his waist, lol!

That night we went to eat at this really good Pizzeria called Pizzeria Port "a"(which is what everyone there calls port aransas instead of using the whole name). Here is Titus getting ready to chow down on some pizza:

The next day we left early and headed for Corpis Christi to the Texas State Aquarium, it was really fun, we rented a stroller for Titus to ride in, he really liked seeing everything. We got to watch and Dolphin show and see all kinds of other sea animals:

TO BE CONTINUED(i will post about the rest of our trip tomorrow or tonight, gotta go grocery shopping!)

Temper Tuesday

2009-02-17T13:34:00.000-08:00

Today we will call temper tuesday for the simple reason that i have found my temper very short today, but thats ok, i guess we all have those days huh? Today has just been a normal day otherwise, oh but i forgot to mention that titus has now almost(and been successful at it a few times) mastered the art of opening doors, like actually turning the knobs and all. Our lives are about to get even crazier! I also discovered last night that Titus loves the sweeper, so i decided to let him sweep the kitchen for me, he did a very good job:

He is going to be a great husband someday!(scary to think about)

This morning i was so busy that i realized around 11 that i hadnt eaten breakfast, i was running around straightening up and doing laundry, along with sitting and playing on the floor with the kids for a lot of the morning. Oh and today they made the switch to digital television, do you know what that means? No tv for us! We dont have cable or a DTV so its sionara tv, well at least for now. We may get one later. It was actually nice, even though the only shows i watch are the 700 club and rachel ray(and i did miss them), my full attention was on the kids and thats more important anyway. Here are a few pictures i took this morning of them playing:

The little girl in the picture's name is Kylie, i watch her and her brother Austin part time(more to come on them tomorrow, formal introduction, etc.)

We had a great Tuesday, hope you all did too!

Friend making Monday

2009-02-16T09:02:00.000-08:00

Please pick the one that you prefer (it doesn't necessarily have to be what you have just what you would prefer):

1. jog or walk: walk
2. coffee or tea: tea (sweet)
3. pepsi or coca cola: Coke!!!
4. flats or heels: heels, they look so stylish
5. fries or onion rings: onion rings
6. cats or dogs: cats
7. skim or whole: whole(grew up on skim but now get whole for my 1 year old, and i like it!)
8. small purses or large: large
9. van or suv: suv
10. winter or summer: summer
11. 1 piece bathing suit or 2: 2
12. sit down restaurant or fast food: sit down
13. McDonalds or Burger King: neither! fast food makes me sick lately
14. White Gold or Yellow: Gold(like the color i want to paint my bedroom)
15. Fish or Chicken: Chicken
16. Edward or Jacob: Jacob
17. Pizza or Burger: Both!
18. apple or orange: orange
19. Spend or save: Wish it was save, but spend baby spend! lol
20. 1 story or 2 story house: 1 story

If you are joining in the fun all you have to do is copy and paste my 1-20 onto your site and then change my answers into your own (and of course the other things specified in the rules found here).

Happy Valentines Day!!!

2009-02-14T13:28:00.001-08:00

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY EVERYONE!!!

oh the joy of ear infections and colds

2009-02-13T13:00:00.000-08:00

You know one thing i never thought of when i thought of becoming a mommy was how hard it would be to take care of a sick child. Its not fun! But i remember being sick when i was younger and my mom being at my beck and call(seriously untill i was like 18) and she probably would still do the same thing if i lived with her still. Thats just what you do when you are a mom. I never realized till i had my own how hard it can be. Especially when they are young and cant tell you what hurts. Monday we found out that Titus has a double ear infection, this is the 4th one he has had since birth. But we went 3 and a half months completely well so we praise God for that. Also we caught this one early enough so he is not miserable and he got antibiotics and seems to be doing a lot better. Today we were all 3 home, jarrell, titus and i. Titus had me up at the bright and early hour of 6:30am, which of course was good for him because he got about 10 hours of sleep, me on the other hand? Well being that i decided to stay up and watch a movie with jarrell last night, i was really feeling it this morning. Anyway, we have been playing all day and i finally got him dressed around noon or so but i am still in my pajamas. Tonight one of our friends from churches daughter is coming to spend the night with us. Jarrell had to work tonight so she will be here with titus and i. It should be a lot of fun, they always babysit titus for us when we need them and i just love having abbey(their daughter) here, she is a lot of help and titus loves playing with her. Also my friend brittney will probably come over to hang out for a lil bit too. Her husband works at night till around 10pm and she has a 3 month old baby girl, we try to get together a lot of hang out, i really enjoy and appreciate her friendship. Its great to have christian friends to confide in and a lean on. Well better get off here. Have a good weekend everyone and will write again soon!