Elijah's Graduation!

I am so proud of my little scholar. He did so great in school. His teachers tell me all the time how smart he is and his report card said that he improved in all areas. He has jumped leaps and bounds in so many ways. I love that he has learned so much. I am thankful that his teachers were so good with him even if they had just a little attitude. Congrats Graduate. You are on your way.

Ms. Robin - I call her the Drill Sargent, but she knows how to run a preschool.



Ms. Roberta - Elijah's favorite teacher. She was the most patient I think.


Elijah's partner in crime, Justin. His teachers call them both the Alpha Males. Ruled the school.

G.G Ma

My Grandma Lottie is going to be 93 this June. We were down at my parents over Memorial Weekend and wanted to take a pic of Lyla with her great grandma. So, we surprised her at her assisted living home and showed off our little bundle of joy. It was nice to see her and even though my kids may not see her all that often, I want them to know my grandma and remember her.

Six Flags! Let's kick off the weekend!

We bought season passes this year so we can have something to do in the week. It was a great buy because alot of our friends bought them as well. We went at the beginning of the weekend to see what there was to do. I wasn't even mad when the kids got tired because I knew we could go back whenever we want. Here's to a fun filled summer!

A little playground for the kids to get the crazy's out!

Of course, the highest point of the playground, Julianna has to master the climb.


I'm leaving on a jet plane...


The only ride I can go on is Thomas and the Merry go Round. It was fun to share the fun with baby and kiddos.


It is so fun to see the kids go on rides together. You can just see the memories begin to form in their mind.



Sean is really weak in his stomach. He gets sick really easy. These rides don't do him any favors.

False Alarm!

All is well with the world. Lyla still wants to breastfeed. The other night after I wrote the post about her not wanting to, woke up in the middle of the night and I was so tired to do anything else so I tried for humor and desperation sakes to breastfeed her. She actually did it. I felt such relief to at least do it if she wakes up in the middle of the night because let's be honest, I am just too lazy to get up to pump a bottle. I have been trying not to use a bottle when I am home and she seems to be ok. Sometimes she fights it, but she is doing pretty good. I have to say, I am always on the go, so she hasn't had as much of me as the bottle, but I am relieved that she at least does it when I really need her to. So, thanks for the comments from the other post. I need the reassurance from others to help me through these tough times.

Breast No More!

It has been two months and Lyla is now weened off the breast. I am a little surprised to say the least. I don't know how to feel about it. It has been a little hard to sit still with the life I have. I work 2 to 3 days a week and Lyla has been bottlefed since she was 2 weeks old. So, I think she has picked up the bottle a little too well. I liked having the flexibility, but now that the option is out the window, it does leave me feeling a little sad. I thought I would breastfeed for the whole year, but now who knows how long I will pump for. I have a great pump, so I am hoping I can at least give her my milk for the whole year. I have been giving her formula once at night, but I feel very strongly if I have the milk, she will be drinking that. It is a weird feeling. But, I feel the freedom, which in my life, I kinda need. So, so long breastfeeding.

2 Month Check Up

I can't believe how big you have gotten!

Weight - 13 lb 4 oz
Height - 24 1/4 inches

You are in the 96th percentile for weight and height! I guess all those feedings are finally catching up to you. Just think I was only short of 3 lbs when I was born. I could not imagine. My poor mother!

Memorial Day Beach Fun!

Oh, how I love the beach! We decided to go to South Lake Tahoe for some fun. It was a perfect day for it. First it was Elijah's birthday and then Memorial Day, so we were together as a family. The weather was so perfect. The mountains surrounded us as we sat and basked in the sun. Yes, we did get burnt, but it was worth it. We played in the sand until a huge rain cloud chased us out literally. The kids went in crash down mode, complaining of the sand that they were rolling in all day. They were so exhausted that they passed out the minute the seat belts clicked. It was so great to relax and enjoy my family. Pope Beach might be my new hangout for the summer.


Birthday Boy! Doing his birthday the beach way!

This was in the first 5 minutes we were there, he was sporting this shiner. Just dirt.


Lyla's first Beach Encounter! She was chillin the whole day through!





It was fun to see Julianna lounge on the sand. She looked like a beached whale as I saw her in the distance lying completely still by the water. I thought she was washed up on shore. I was glad when she moved.


Sand Castle Madness. Father - Daughter Bonding




My partner in sun worshipping, Beth!

My two Heads! Buried alive with only their heads to show off.



Tuckered out! A Fun Day in the Sun!

My 5 Year Old Stud!

Five years ago today I was house hunting with my realtor. I had worked all day and was tired of being pregnant. I couldn't believe I had 5 more weeks till I was going to pop. As I was signing papers for an offer we had put on a house we saw earlier that day, I felt a pop and a gush. What was that!!! I said to Sean," I think my water just broke!" And of course his response was, "Are you sure you just didn't pee?" You know what I said next. 5 weeks early Elijah came. He obviously wanted to be here with his cousin, Bella who was born the week before. Since that day, I couldn't have been more blessed. The hardest time I have ever had with Elijah was when he was in the hospital for 10 days due to his premature birth. Not being able to take him home with me was a sad phase of my life as a first time mom. Since the day I brought him home, I have been in love with his sweet nature. He has been always easy going just like his dad. He always has been a joy in my life and the life of others around him. He makes friends everywhere he goes. Just today, we were at the beach and he met a boy there and were buddies for the rest of the day. I hardly saw him. I love the funny things he says on a daily basis. When I met his teacher for a parent teacher conference she said Elijah was too smart for his own good. He has suprised me many times with his quick whit. He is my shining star of an athlete, good at everything he does. To swimming or riding his two wheeler, there is nothing he won't try. He is a wonderful older brother to his little sisters and I feel blessed to have him be their protecter. He is a Ladies Man with all Julianna's friends. He is their buddy and makes them laugh with every word that comes out of his mouth.
Elijah, I am so excited to see what you become, but for now I appriciate who you are right now. You are my sweet little boy who I love so much. Happy Birthday!


Some of Elijah's First's


May 25th 2004, My little Elijah came into the world and swept me off my feet.




Our first Family Photo




Oh, how I love this face!!! First alert picture!


Our first urban hike around Sacramento.


Sweet and Kind Older Brother.



First Big Boy Bed! Growing up so fast!



1st trip to Disneyland!


First time using Mommy's cool plate that she made!
May 25th 2009! I'm Five!!!!

Two Months and Feeling Good!

I can't believe that it has been two months. I feel like it blew on by. Lyla is now sleeping peacefully through the night with a little help of Good Start Formula. I decided that my feeding frenzy was too hard to keep up with, so I gave up and resorted to nightly formula feeding. I feel good knowing that she is at least filled up. I feel great knowing that when I put her down at 9:00 she will be asleep until 6:30 at least. That I can handle. Lyla is a smiley sweet little baby that is a carbon copy of her other siblings. It is so fun to be her mom. Life is good with three. I never thought it would be.

I think I can swim...NOT!

The other day, Sean decided to take off Julianna's swimming vest so she can touch the pool floor. I was totally opposed to this because 1) I thought she had a fear of putting her head in the water 2) or she would love it and wouldn't want to wear her vest any more which makes for a very nervous mommy. Well, both happened to be true. There were a couple of dunks of the head in water but to my suprise, she didn't freak out as much as I would have liked. I thought to myself I am going to really watch carefully now. With the vest it gives me a little freedom to roam to the kitchen and look in on them periodically. Now, I am going to have to be the watcher all the time. Sean was with her the whole time watching her.
Yesterday, we were swimming and Julianna refused to put her vest on. I screamed to her and said she has to put her vest on or she could not go swimming. Well, like always she completely ignored me (I do love her but her listening stinks) ran into the pool. She started underwater almost instantly and I could see her fear strike. I jumped in without hesitation and got her. She was crying with regret. I could almost hear her thought process. "Why couldn't I swim? I could the other day. Why didn't I listen to Mommy?" Okay, maybe the last one wasn't from her,but I would like to think that it did cross her mind at least once.
Moral of the Story...(this is for Julianna's benefit later on life as she embarks on life's challenges) Use the things that protect you from harm and most importantly LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER!!!!!

2nd Saturday Downtown Experience!

Crazy Stilt Guy! I felt like I was in New Orleans!


If only my family of 5 could fit in this. Oh, the money we would save. I guess I have to stick with my Tahoe!




My fun friend, Beth!


So, it was co-op night and Sean and I had no idea what we were going to do. We usually go to dinner and a movie. Well, this was not was on the plan for that night. I called up my dear friend Beth & Will and asked at last minute if they wanted to go to Crepeville ( my new favorite restaurant). The beauty of Beth & Will is that they are game for last minute plans. We jumped in the car and went downtown and ate. We realized while we were there that it was 2nd Saturday which meant all the art galleries opened to the public for free. There was a bunch of other festivities going on such as men on stilts and crazy cowboys ropin wood calves. It was madness. Our personal favorite was the Smart Car exhibit which allowed up to sit in these tiny cars that remind me of bumper cars of my past. We had no plans to start and ended up having a great date night. It is fun flying without plans.

Momma Said There Would Be Days Like This

Man, did I have an annoying day today. I felt right when I woke up I felt annoyed. 6:00 got me up with the sun shining right in my face. I like that it does that but if it gets me up it also gets my kiddos up as well and may I mention it is not the right time for them to get up. They woke up today crying over NOTHING! They just cried and I was not in the mood to hear it. I was a little stressed over feeding Lyla. The day before she was going through a major feeding frenzy and I was feeling like I couldn't keep up with her. I know I went through that with my other kids. They would have a growing spurt and I started thinking my milk supply was going down and I would travel to the store to buy formula. Well, they would never eat it because my kids are formula snobs. They never take to it despite how hungry they are. So, I get to the point where I just get wrapped up in stress and that was one of those days.
This week I started going to the gym again to start working off these pregnancy pounds. I only had Lyla with me because Jules was in school which I would like to mention that she got in trouble and didn't listen to her teacher and peed her pants. Well, at the gym, I went to pick up my baby when I came in the room to a complete stranger holding Lyla. A little odd. I didn't know to feel about that. Well, it was probably wasn't the best day to go because I had a full day of work. All my clients got the time slots wrong. My 12:00 came at 10:00 and my 10:30 came at 10:05. I got back from from the gym at 10:00. Do you see the problem? I had no time to get ready which reeked. Literally! So, I had no make-up or my hair wasn't done for a full day's work. Not my idea of a good day. A series of unfortunate events.
The silver lining of my day is I got to go Rubio's for dinner and watch the finale of American Idol which Adam totally ruled! You got to see the good in even the frusterating of the days.

Singing a Smiling Song

I was cooking dinner the other night and the baby was in her favorite seat of the house, the swing. Well, the kids were making Lyla smile by singing her songs. I love being in the kitchen watching it all happen. They were so cute and they didn't really know that I was taping them until I got in their face. It was one of those moments that I loved being the mom. Priceless.

Happy Mothers Day!

Elijah, Julianna, and Lyla have something to say to there very special Mother.

Elijah


Julianna


Lyla



Deep Thoughts by Elijah Smith


Coco,

I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart, for being the best Mother to our children possible! WE ARE SO LUCKY TO HAVE YOU IN OUR LIVES!
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!
Love Sean, OXOXOX..xoxx...OOOXXX

Sleeping Habits of My Three Musketeers!

Sleep. It is what all of us cherish, but the life of a new momma it seems like a luxury in life we can not afford. It comes in small doses and when received it is just what the doctor ordered to sanity and a clear mind. My children have thrown me in all different directions when it comes to getting a little shut eye. They have sleeping patterns that really resemble their personalities in life.
My first born, Elijah was premature. He had to stay in the hospital for 2 weeks to make sure that he was o.k. In that short time, he was forced to eat every two hours. Even when he was soundly sleeping, he had to wake up to eat to make sure he was growing big and strong so he can escape the walls of that special needs nursery. Well, sleeping habits were strongly formed in that time and when he got home, those 2 hour intervals came home with him. I got up every two to three hours to feed him. It was exhausting, but since he was my first, I didn't know any different. I went through the motions of that same schedule for months to come. They say bad habits die hard, and boy did they ever. The one great thing about Elijah is that he slept like a champ during the day, but by night fall he was on that same schedule of every 2 hours. Elijah first slept through the night around a year.
Julianna was a little different. Since she was healthy, I did not bother to wake her up to feed her. I got a couple more hours at a time with her, but never had a full night of blissful sleep. I remember trying to get her to sleep through the night by having her cry it out. Those had to be the hardest times as a mom. Your heart hurts to hear them crying out to you and you just want to go get them. My hubby had to pin me down at times to keep me from going to rescue her. I had nights of just doubting my skills and I am surprised that my hair didn't fall out in result. Julianna has been one of those kids that when it is good it is really good and when it is bad well, you know the rest. She is my mover and shaker and is not a good bed buddy. She always wants to sleep with us, but I will not allow it. Once you give her an inch, she takes a mile. She is not the most restful of sleepers. I will at times hear her cry out in terror in the middle of the night. You just wonder what is haunting that little mind. She stopped taking naps much earlier than Elijah as well. She has been interesting to raise in the sleeping arena.
Last, but certainly not least is my little Lyla. Now, it is a little soon to tell, but I would like to brag a little. They say three times a charm. Well, that saying could not be any more true in Lyla's sleeping habits. Just 2 nights ago, I put her down at 11:00 which is when I usually go down for the evening. Previous nights she had been waking up around 3:00 or 3:30 to eat and that is what I was expecting. When she started stirring, I almost didn't look at the clock because I thought that is what time it was. Well, I looked and had to do a triple take. It can't be. It was 5:30 am. I was elated. I felt rested and refreshed which is a foriegn feeling for a mother of a newborn. I woke up Sean to tell him the good news. I told my mom the good news and she told me to not get used to it so to speak.(thanks for your optmisim). Well, I put her to bed last night to wake up at 6:30 this morning. If this is the new schedule of my last, I am one happy momma. I feel refreshed when I wake up which has in return made me much more patient with my other kids. I want to thank Lyla for instilling the belief that it can be done. I now believe the people who told me that their baby slept through the night at 6 weeks. I will no longer resent you silently but join that amazing club.

It took a couple to finally get it right. But, gosh don't they look like angels when they shut those eyes!



My Sleeping Beauty

Lyla's Blessing Day

Smith Family 2009


This last Sunday, we had Lyla blessed in church. It was such a great day full of family. Sean gave Lyla a beautiful blessing. It was especially nice for me because Sean got up and bore his testimony which I don't get to hear all too often. I also went and bore my testimony because my family was all present so I was able to tell them how I feel about the gospel and them raising me in the church. I feel blessed to be able to have the truth and even though there were times I didn't appriciate it, I sure am glad that I had it so I can teach it to my kids. We also had close friends and family to join us after church to celebrate. I love my friends and family. I love living here. I don't think I ever want to move from here. I have truly found my home and it makes me feel good knowing that.
I am so glad that we have Lyla. She is truly a wonderful addition to our family. She is so precious and I feel like all those months of pregnancy was worth every second I spend with her. She is starting to smile alot now. My favorite time is in the morning. I wake up to her adorable smile looking up at me from her bassinet. She is so mellow that it reminds me of having Elijah again as a baby. I can't believe she is already 6 weeks old. Time is flying.



Grandpa Willard. How we love our Grandpa.



The crazy scene at our house. We fit 44 people in our house. The most we have ever had in our house at one time. It was a blast.