Boy, oh Boy!

DISCLAIMER: Because some people make take this the wrong way, I dearly love my children and would NOT trade them for the world! This is a way for me to share my experiences and maybe laugh a little!

You know in Home Economics classes when they have a few days where the students carry around these mechanical babies that are programmed to cry at different times?  The purpose of that was to deter teen pregnancy or at least get "real" experience having the responsibility of a baby.

Well, I now have a different plan...give them a TWO YEAR OLD!!  Boy or girl, I don't really think it matters!

Here's what I know about babies.  They stay in one spot when you lay them down!  They cry when they're hungry, gassy, have a dirty diaper, or tired.  But, you can narrow down the issues until you fix them!  Yes, they may still wake up once or twice at night, but they go right back to sleep!

Here's the difference with a two year old!  If they aren't sleeping, they're running...and usually AWAY from you!  They whine, cry, or pout about anything and some days everything!  They hit and spit!  They yell, "mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy...." on and on and on!  They still wake up some during the night, either from bad dreams or being sick or just because they want you to cover them back up!  They sometimes are potty training, which is more gross than changing a diaper when things that should be in the potty are in the floor!  I don't know about girls in this area, but boys ALWAYS find a way to get dirty, so you are constantly wiping snot, covered in dirt, covered in yesterday's ketchup.  Oh, did I mention they talk!  So, their new favorite word is, "NO!"  They roll their eyes, yell back, and generally get an attitude!  (I thought I wouldn't have to worry about that till they're teens!) They yell out in church when they don't get their way or need to "pee pee!"

Anyway, in my experience, babies are easy/easier, but TWO year olds, the real work starts!  You have to learn what battles to fight, how to be consistent, how to talk in code, and generally keep up your energy!

Here's to all the mothers who have successfully survived this stage and lived to tell the tale!

Birthday Boy!!

Dear Langston,

Today marks two years since we met you!  How can that be?  You have been in our lives for TWO whole years!  (Sometimes it seems longer, but most times I wonder how I missed it!)

I can only try to express the difference a year makes!  It is absolutely amazing how much you have grown, in all ways!  So here are some updates...

At 13 months you started walking!  It's funny that I thought you would never walk! We were on vacation in Texas and we were eating breakfast in the hotel with Aunt Courtney and Uncle Gabe and you just started walking to each table asking for food! :-) You found a new sense of freedom and independence! We have been chasing after you ever since!

On that Texas trip you got to visit your first ballparks!  We saw the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros. Your daddy can't wait to take you on more baseball trips!

At 16 months you started WEE school!  You get to go four days a week from 8:15-12:00!  You are in the 1's and 2's class with Ms. Savannah and Ms. Brandi!  You had a rough few weeks being dropped off, but you always had a great time once you got in.  Mommy was excited and nervous for you starting "school" and Daddy had a hard time adjusting to not having you with him. I think WEE school has been one of the best things to help you grow, learn, and develop so rapidly!  You are getting to socialize and learn from other kids. Your vocabulary has taken off and I can't keep up! They learn through playing there and I think that's awesome for you!

At 20 months you became a BIG BROTHER!  I was a little worried with how you were going to react to your baby sister, but you have been so great!  You love her!  You kiss her and snuggle with her!  You talk to her and make her laugh!  You are a wonderful big brother and I know you will always look out for her.  You want her to get up and play with you so badly!  I promise one day she will!  She already loves you and looks up to you!

I'll just run down a few things you can do that amaze me, but I don't know exactly when it happened!  Some things happen so fast I can't keep up!  First, you talk so well!  You put thoughts together now in 3 word sentences.  Some of your favorites are..."Me did it!"... "Dat's tute!"(usually about something baby girl is wearing)... "Bat, Ball, Hit, Gove."(when you want to play baseball)... "Potty. Poopoo." (I'll get to the potty in just a minute, but you've started saying "poopoo" when any of us pass gas. I'm just hoping it doesn't happen in a quiet public place!)...."Toodles." "Puppies." (referring to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and PAW Patrol.) There are many more words you know, too many to list, but you can go through a book and point at pictures and name animals or tell me what sound a duck and a cow make.  You are getting into puzzles now!  You have an alphabet and shape puzzle that you can put in all the right places!  We are working on really knowing the letters, but you know what they look like! 

Okay, potty time!  I had planned on working with you as soon as I got out of school for the summer because I knew you were ready!  You started patting your diaper and saying "pee pee" and wanting to go sit on the toilet.  That was my plan, but you moved the timeline up!  You still wear a diaper to bed and in public but when we are at home I let you run around diaperless and you go to the potty when you need to!  I am so impressed and excited!  But, it's just another sign of your independence and will to do things on your own and in your own time! 

Mommy still struggles with you sometimes in church and that will I just referred to is part of the problem, but we are still working on that.  You love to SING in church and people always tell me when they hear you and they love to hear your sweet voice singing to God. 

Mommy and Daddy love you more each day!  We feel so blessed to be your parents!  You are still so sweet and loving!  I know your personality will be encouraging to those around you.  You genuinely love to be around those people that you love and love to laugh.  Your teachers describe you as the "class clown." That worries Mommy a little, but I'm so glad that you are a happy, smart, healthy little boy!

Happy 2nd Birthday Langston Brees Smith!

Love you always,

Mommy and Daddy and Baby Lakyn

 

Things they DO NOT warn you about - 2 kid edition

Warning! This blog is not intended to deter any family from having children or more than one child! This is intended as a follow up to last years blog titled, "Things they DO NOT warn you about."

"High stakes WHACK A MOLE!" That is how my beloved husband, Jeremy, refers to it.  We have an almost 2 year old and an 3 1/2 month old.  A few friends said, "It's not as bad as it seems." Others said, "It's not that hard going from 1 child to 2."   Well....they should have been more specific!

1. POOP!  Multiplied by two!  In last years blog I mentioned there's about 3 types of poop, well, with two kids still in diapers, there are about 6!  They can all be summarized in 3 groups though, the healthy, not so healthy, and the "GAH!  I NEED FOUR HANDS AND WHAT DID YOU EAT!" kind! Since there are two, there are moments that last from 15-30 minutes where you are going back and forth changing diapers.  She pooped.  His diaper is sagging. She wasn't finished. He wasn't finished. Give me a break kids! You can go through 5-6 diapers in 15 minutes if they are really trying to break records!

2. Memory...or lack there of!  It's amazing the amount of things I have to consciously stop and think about.  From where my keys are to what time I last fed Lakyn...or Langston for that matter!  I read an article that said mothers' brains are actually functioning at higher levels than non-mothers because of all the things they are keeping up with.  I am not sure I fit into that category. 

3. Multi-tasking! Jeremy is at home with the kids during the day when I'm at work and many days he leaves to work when I get home, so there are many times that we both have hours of dealing with both children.  So, instead of man-to-man, they are double-teaming us!  There was one occassion where I was changing Lakyn and Langston went into his room and closed the door. No big deal.  He can't open the door by himself so in a few minutes I hear him knocking.  I lay Lakyn on the couch and go to open the door.  It's locked.  I mean, for real, locked!  Of course, Lakyn starts crying.  I am trying not to freak out.  The door handle only has one of the holes in the middle, not a typical lock, and I don't know if there's a key.  After many minutes of failed attempts at a bobby pin and credit card, I start hurling my body at the door and trying to calm Langston.  Lakyn is still crying.  Eventually Jeremy gets home and remembers the key above the door casing.  There are so many other stories but the best one I have to date was last week.  Jeremy was working. Things were going fine until Langston wanted to "pee pee." Ok, no big deal.  We went to bathroom and I sat him on his seat.  No pee pee.  He wants to take a bath.  Little girl starts crying.  I run the bathwater and go put pacifier in.  Come back, get Langston undressed, put him in bath and he starts to pee pee.  I grab him and sit him on the potty. The frustrating dance of bath to potty goes on until I finally give up, keep him in the bath, and go check on baby girl.  I realize she needs to eat, so I go back in, give Langston a wipe down and get him out.  He starts running around the house.  So, I give up on chasing him and go feed her.  I am nursing by the way, so it's not like I can just jump up to get to him.  So, trying to relax, I sit there and nurse while he's running around naked.  I'm hoping he isn't peeing everywhere, but sure enough, I finish with her, go to walk into his room to get him dressed, and step in pee!  Great! Even when we are both home, we do the man-to-man, but that only involves the kids.  Throw in laundry and cooking, etc, etc, and you learn to do a lot with one hand!

4. Stuff!  You name it, we probably have it, unless we really need it one day, then that's the thing we don't have.  The stuff that comes with kids slowly takes over everything until you don't recognize your own house or purse.  Just recently I have gone on a rampage to pair down and get rid of things we don't need.  Watch out for an awesome yard sale coming in May! 

5. Terrible two's + infant = crazy mama!  At both ages (stages) the child needs so much attention but for different reasons.  I will not try to describe it because it's one of those things you have to experience.  Nothing can describe it.

6. Going out!  We try not to with both kids.  Seriously.  We go to church all together.  We go out to eat together, occasionally.  We've really worked hard to eat at home though. But take everyone shopping? NO WAY!!  I will make a 10:00 pm trip to avoid that!

I know I have listed "negatives" that no one tells you about having two children so close in age, but there are many more positives. Twice the laughs. Twice the cuddles. Twice the LOVE!!  I cannot imagine life before Lakyn.  I feel like she completes our family.  Her personality is so sweet and calming.  Langston is at the age where he is learning so much!  I love hearing the new words and phrases he comes up with!  Children have taught me so much about God's love.  Langston and Lakyn have made me stretch and grow as a person.  This phase of life is just that, a phase.  And the next 3-4 years are just a drop in the bucket.  And even when negative thoughts creep in and I want to believe I'm the only one who has it tough, I am reminded that I'm wrong and I have it SO GOOD! Women whose children are grown and out of the house constantly remind me that I will MISS these days!  So, I will soak it ALL up!

Why I'm Running

As some of you may know, Jeremy and I have committed ourselves to running our first 5K in May.  We started "training" last week and have accomplished little goals.  I ran a little in college, but that was mainly because I knew when the boys basketball team was practicing/working out and that was when I would go. 

Sometimes I think people believe that the only reason a person would run or lift weights or exercise at all is to lose weight.  I'm a fan of "The Biggest Loser" but even that is focused more on losing weight, with a little eating right and lifestyle changes thrown in.  So, I thought it would be good for me to write about why I'm doing this so I can go back and read it later when things get tough.

1. My husband asked me to. - I know that doesn't seem like a good reason, but if he wouldn't have asked, I would never have considered it.  And, since his goals are to run this 5K, get in shape, and lose weight, I feel like this is the best way to support him.  I have found that this has been a good conversation topic as well.  Sometimes we exhaust the topics of work, kids, work, kids, bills, work, etc.  Running has become something we can talk about that builds our personal relationship.  The times we can go together are good too, but not a must.  He runs with music and I like quiet time so it works.

2.  Lose weight and tone. - Yes, I said it.  I would like to lose a few pounds.  If I'm running/walking 3-4 times a week, I think it's ok to have this as a goal. Yes, for all of you thinking it, I know I am NOT FAT!!  My body fat percentage (whatever it's called) is normal, etc, etc. I am not obsessed with the number.  I am 10 years and 2 kids past that!  I am more concerned with how my clothes fit.  Ok, now I'm done with that subject.

3. My kids need me. - I am blessed with two small children under the age of 2.  Langston has so much energy and is ALL boy, so he needs (both of us) to play with him and run around and be silly.  Lakyn will be that too, I'm sure.  And, even if their energy level decreases, the example I am setting will carry them throughout their life.  I don't expect either of my children to be super athletes (if they are, fine, if not, okay) but I do want them to know that their body is important and know how to take care of it. Anyone who knows me should not question that I value their spiritual body over the physical, but I don't want their physical body to hinder their spiritual work.  I feel like I am in charge of their spiritual, mental, emotional, AND physical well-being and staying active and healthy is a way to take care of their physical well-being.

4.  Finish a goal. - Sometimes I set a goal and never finish it.  This 5K is a good way for me to work on that.  The Bible compares our life to a spiritual race.  We are racing towards a goal, heaven, and only those who finish this life in a righteous state will receive the prize.  I think setting my mind on finishing this 5K will be practice for keeping my mind on the spiritual goal.

That's it.  That's the list.  I briefly mentioned that I liked walking/running in just silence.  That has been a side benefit to all of this, getting some time just for myself.  That makes me a better wife, mother, and teacher.  Now, if future Blythe is reading this because it's gotten "too hard" or "there's no time", I would tell you to "suck it up" and get out there!  "If it were easy, everyone would do it", etc, etc.  If you can't do it for yourself, do it for Jeremy, Langston, and Lakyn!

Langston + Lakyn



I have to admit, I was worried that we had not done an adequate job preparing Langston for the new baby.  But, I had no real idea of how to do that.  We read him a Little Critters book that showed the parents bringing home a new baby girl and the big brother helping.  When my tummy got big enough, he would point to it and we would say, "Baby Sister." Thankfully, he was more prepared than we expected!

Mamaw and Chief (Jeremy's parents) brought Langston to visit us in the hospital and, to a mother, the moment they met was "magical."  I was holding Lakyn and he came in, waved to everyone, and then noticed me and the baby in the bed.  He came over and wanted to sit with me, so he got up on the bed and just stared, in awe, of Lakyn.  He would point to her, rub her back, and even gave her a kiss on the head.  It was a moment I will never forget!

It's been 8 weeks since that first moment and Langston still loves "Baby" so, so much!  He HATES hearing her cry.  Sometimes if I can't get to her quickly, he will go over to where she is laying and put her pacifier back in or say, "No, no, baby. Shhhh."  Just the other day, Jeremy was holding her and she got hungry (so she got fussy) and Langston called out, "Mommy! Mommy!" because he knows it's my job to feed her.  When we go somewhere and people ask about his baby sister he will go over to the carseat and point to her.  He wants to sit by us and "hold" her.  When he enters a room he says, "Hey baby!" or leaves a room, "Bye baby!" If she's laying on the couch he will come over, lean in real close, and give and sweet hug or kiss.  Only a few times have I had to keep him from hugging too tightly.  I think it's the boy in him to just be a little rough, but it breaks his heart if he thinks he hurt her. 

And what does Lakyn think about Langston?  Well, from what we can tell, she adores him as well.  She perks up when she hears his voice.  She follows him with her eyes when he's close by.  I think she already knows he is there and will protect her.

I grew up with all girls so I don't know the dynamic of brothers and sisters.  From what I've seen so far, it is going to be a very special relationship.  I know they will argue and fight, but I have a feeling they will be best of friends.  He will protect her and she will tell him when he's not thinking straight!

I was anxious about them being so close in age, but for their relationship I think it will only make them closer.  Whatever we have to deal with as parents while they are little is worth the friendship they will have.

There have been many moments of just pure, sweet love and it makes my heart smile knowing he loves her and she loves him.

Stone and mortar

House: a building for human habitation; especially one meant for a family or small group of people.

 

This weekend I went to DeFuniak and gathered some belongings out of my Granny's house that I had left when I moved to Demopolis.  We (our family) refers to it as Granny B's house even though Granny moved to Geneva several years ago.  Now Granny has decided it's time to sell it.  So, the family is honoring that and getting things ready.  Of course, the person that I am, as I was walking through the house and looking back at old pictures, my mind overflowed with memories...

You see, I did a LOT of growing up in that house!  Since we lived in the same town, my family would eat many dinners with PawPaw and Granny B.  I remember spending holidays with my mom's family there.  I don't know when we started doing it, but the tradition was to spend New Years' Day at PawPaw and Granny's house eating black-eyed peas.  I still see PawPaw "sopping" up the juice with his cornbread or biscuit.

 

When I started school, the bus would drop me off at Granny's house and mom or dad would pick us up when they got off work.  Granny would always let us eat a snack, usually cake, and those of you who've had Granny's 7-layer chocolate cake, know what a treat that was!  But, if we wanted anything else, Granny would do the best she could to get it for us!  PawPaw was usually at the courthouse (he liked to just sit and watch cases) or going to get an ice cream cone from McDonald's or working in the garden.

 

I learned numerous lessons!  Not to run under the scuponon(sp?) vine, because that was barbed wire and it would scratch your back all up!  That when there's only one piece of cake left and you and your sister wanted it, the fair way to split it was for one to cut and the other chooses which piece they get! I also can tell you which "branch" of the bush hurts less when Granny tells you to "go pick a switch." 

 

PawPaw singing hymns....sleepovers....hide and seek....shelling peas and shucking corn....eating collard greens and fried cornbread...PawPaw feeding me hogs head cheese on crackers...seeing PawPaw in the hospital bed by the window...etc, etc, etc.

 

But, you see, the story of that house for me doesn't end with Granny and PawPaw living there.  After college, I moved back home.  I lived with my mom and dad for a few months, but then Granny B remarried and moved.  She graciously allowed me to make it my first "home."  I did a lot of growing up those almost five years as well.  I learned what it took to manage a home.  Started my teaching career. I grew as an adult, making adult choices (good or bad).  For a long time, I imagined buying the house and property and turning it into my family home....getting married, bringing home babies there, etc.  However, God had other plans for my life and for the house.

 

I may never walk into that house again.  That could be sad, but instead I am grateful. Grateful for the memories and the foundation for our family that my grandparents laid.  You see, they were and are deeply rooted in the Word of God and raised a family knowng that this world is not our home.  As the song says, we are just apassin' through and our treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.  So, losing the house or anything inside is not a sad occassion. 

 

For me, the house is not made up of stone and mortar anymore, it is made of memories and lessons I will take with me forever. 

 

 

Becoming Mother Blythe....again :-)

"Once, I was my mother's daughter. Now I am my daughter's mother."

-Lisa Gardner

 

Sunday, December 22nd (pm): I started having contractions and they became serious enough for me to think I needed to go to the hospital. So we went to Tuscaloosa. 

 

Monday, December 23rd (am): Traveled back to Tuscaloosa because my contractions had started again and my back pain was unbearable!

 

Monday, December 23rd (pm): Pain medicine from my trip to Tuscaloosa wore off and the back pain returned, along with nausea. So, we went straight to ER in Demopolis.  Turned out I had an infection that was causing so much pain it was also causing contractions. 

 

Thankfully, we got that under control in time to enjoy Christmas with Langston!  I am thankful for the breaks my job affords, but I realized this about myself during that week, I don't do well with "free" time, especially when I'm anticipating something as big as the birth of a baby!  I believe that if I had still been working every day, I may not have experienced some of those anxious moments.  What do they say about "idle hands"? Anyway....

 

Monday, December 30th: Jeremy and I went to our doctor's appointment. Honestly, we were kind of hoping we would hear that I had progressed so far that we'd be able to have a baby before the years' end (can you say tax credit??).  No such luck.  I was holding at 3 cm.  So, the Dr scheduled us to come in on the 7th for an induction.  Sounded good to me.  I like a plan!  So, my mom went on back home and we were all just holding till the 7th. 

 

December 31st, New Years Eve: Jeremy and I decided that we would do our big grocery shopping trip in preparation for the next few weeks (and I had to get my customary sparkling white grape juice to ring in the New Year!)! Well, a long trip walking around Wal-Mart apparently worked wonders...

I started feeling contractions while we were in Wal-Mart but much more once we got home.  Well, I just kept monitoring it, but I was able to sleep through the night. 

 

January 1st, New Years' Day:

 

8:00 am-I started experiencing the contractions more and more frequently.  In my mind, I was thinking how I really wanted to make sure this was it because it would be embarassing to make another trip to the hospital and I didn't want my parents to travel 4 hours again for "nothing."  The contractions progressively got worse and worse and it was apparent that these were the real deal!  Jeremy wanted to go ahead and call his parents at 1:00 so that they could come sit with Langston.  I said I wanted to wait till 3:30 to call anyone. 

 

2:45 pm- Good thing he didn't listen to me.  He went ahead and called his mom to come over. My mom had called him, so he told her we were headed to hospital. 

 

3:15 pm-The plan was to wait for his mom to get there, but I couldn't wait any longer, the pain was so bad, so a church member came to stay with Langston until his mom got there.

 

4:00 pm- We leave for Tuscaloosa. If we had waited any longer, I would've had Lakyn by the side of the road!  All the way I was contracting every 3-4 minutes.  I was screaming, pulling, squeezing Jeremy's hand, anything I could do.  I kept repeating to myself that these end, these end! I knew I had at least a few minutes between each one to "relax" and breathe.  So, that's what I did while Jeremy got us to the hospital in 50 minutes (that's with a short stop for gas).  It's usually an hour and 15 or 30 minute drive. 

 

4:50 pm-Since it was a holiday, we had to go through the ER, and I didn't know how I was gonna talk to those nurses, but they got the point and we bypassed the admitting desk and they wheeled me right up!

 

5:00 pm-I had to help getting into the bed and getting into hospital gown because of the contractions.  First thing I asked was "Can I go to the bathroom?" and the second thing was "When can I get an epidural?" The nurses' answer (Brittany) to both was, "I have to check you first." *A nice surprise was that Brittany had been our nurse when Langston was born as well!* When she did she said, 7 cm!!  I was shocked I had made that much progress!

 

5:30ish pm-Anesthesiologist comes in to ask all sorts of questions and warn me about side effects, all the while I'm thinking, "Just give me the drugs woman!" Jeremy asked at what point it's "too late" and Brittany said either when I'm 10 cm or can't sit still.  I was like, "Oh, I can sit still!"

 

5:40ish pm-Anesthesiologist comes in and after several attempts (and me sitting as still as possible), they cannot get the port and medicine in a good spot.  I start to taste copper so they know the epidural has gotten into my bloodstream.  Brittany tells them she needs to check me again.

 

6:00ish pm-Brittany checks me, I'm fully dialated and my water breaks in the process. There is merconium, so immediately Brittany calls for Dr. Mentel (*who delivered Langston, also a nice surprise!*) and NICU.  I don't process the fact that she said NICU, but I can't tell by her tone and the rushing around that something is happening.  Jeremy told me later that he was getting kind of emotional and worried at that time because they worry that the baby has ingested some of that merconium and if I don't deliver quickly, they will have to do a C-section. 

 

I keep screaming that I can't do it, that I need the medicine....etc, etc.  Jeremy, God bless him, was trying to help me and kept saying, you can't get it now, you can do this, you have to, but I wasn't listening (or looking) at him!  But Brittany, God bless nurses, told me to look at her and repeated what Jeremy was saying and she was telling me to start pushing.  Dr. Mentel still had not made it to the room yet.

 

I push a few times and, let's just say, I knew the next time she was going to be here!  Dr. Mentel walks in the room, gets his scrubs on, I grab a fistful of Jeremy's shirt and push....

 

6:26 pm- Lakyn Blythe Smith enters the world at a healthy weight of 7 lbs, 12 oz and 19 3/4 inches! She doesn't have as much hair as Langston did and although she is only 5 oz lighter than Langston started at, she is much more petite.

 

 

 

No NICU (or, apparently, epidural) necessary! :-)

 

We are extremely blessed with two healthy children!  My recovery has been wonderful compared to last time.  I will write another blog about the interactions between Langston and Lakyn!