Carter's Big Day

Today was Carter's big day.  He was blessed by his daddy today and Ryan did such a wonderful job and gave him a beautiful blessing.  And Carter was perfect.  He didn't make a peep through the whole blessing.

One of my high school friends Chaz and his cute family is in our ward and he blessed his little girl also.  After sacrament, we sat the two babies on the couch and they just cuddled up to each other.  It was too cute!  This is definitely a picture for their wedding video!

These are all the men who helped bless Carter today.  What a great bunch of handsome men!

4 generations

Carter and Gavin are 10 days apart and already best of friends!

I was a little worried at first at how we were going to fit all of our families in our house.  Our basement is unfinished and we just used it as a storage area.  So my mom came over last week and helped me clean it all out and we brought tables and chairs down there and it ended up working out perfect!

My parents

Ryan's parents

My family minus Eric. He had to work right after.  Love the outfit Dust!  It was such a wonderful day.  Thanks to all who came to support us!  We love you all!

Here are some more random pictures...

Ryan has been working like a maniac to get our yard done.  Him and my dad spent many many nights working as hard as they could to get this yard done.  Thanks dad for offering so much of your help.  We couldn't have gotten it done without you!

Here is our yard before the grass...

And here it is after the sod was all layed!  On Saturday all the boys in both of our families came over and helped Ryan lay the sod so we would have a yard before the blessing.  It turned out so good!  Thank you thank you to everybody who helped!  And thanks to Chuck for helping Ryan figure out what he was doing with the whole sprinkling system.  Love you guys!

This is what Boston would do while Ryan was out working.  I would open the window and he would talk Ryan's ears off.  This way he wasn't in the way.  But it was just cute cause Ryan would always look up and see this little head poking out.

The other day I had carter just sitting up on the couch by himself.  He was doing just fine.  Boston runs in the room and, being the sweet big brother he is, he started getting worried that Carter would fall over because I didn't have any pillows on the sides of him.  So Boston got the two little pillows and put them on each side of Carter so he wouldn't fall.  It was pretty funny because he was sqishing Carter with the pillows and Carter didn't seem to care one bit.  So cute!  

Carter has started responding to us more and smiling so much!  He is getting so big already and it makes me sad.  But I am so grateful he is in our family.  He adds so much love and joy.  I don't know what we would do without him.

And Boston too.  He has so much energy and is so fun right now!  We are sort of trying to potty train...sort of....I know I'm terrible!  But now that the blessing is done and the yard I think I will have some time to concentrate better.  I'm planning on potty training in a day...I've heard so much about it I thought we would give it a try...Wish me luck!  Any advice from those that are done?....

I just can't get over how handsome my boys are!  I am the luckiest woman alive to have these three boys in my life!  They are the light of my life and the reason I live...for them.  Thank you for making my job as a wife and mother so easy and rewarding.  I love you three more than you will ever know!!!

What we've been up to lately

I can't believe Carter is already a month old!  Time flies when you're havin fun!  Here's what we've been doin for the past month...

Since Boston's birthday (and now Carter's) was spent in the hospital, we had a little party for him so he could open his presents and have a birthday cake.  It wasn't anything fancy we just needed the traditional picture!

10 days after Carter was born, Ryan's cousin Anna had her little boy.  Here are the proud new grandmas!  And Ryan's other cousin Krystle will be having her little girl in a couple of weeks.  We can't wait to meet her!

Lately, Boston has loved reading books.  It is so fun to sit and read books with him.  He has always liked reading books, but it wasn't until recently that he's really tried to read them and understand what's going on in the book.  He has to read one (or two or three or four) everytime before he falls asleep, and quite often this will happen.  Its so dang cute!

On Labor Day we went and watched the fireworks at the Country Club with Ryan's family.  It was a blast!  They shoot the fireworks off so close to you that the ashes land on you!

This was funny...I'm too cheap to buy the actual bubble bath.  So normally when I give Boston a bath, I will pour a little of the baby wash in the water and kinda swish it around with my hand to make a few bubbles that eventually go away.  Well this day, after Ryan was soaking in the tub because he was so sore from digging all the trenches for our yard the day before, I threw Boston in the tub with him and told him to quickly wash him down.  Ryan asked me if we had any bubble bath and I told him no and that I just use the baby wash.  So he poured some in and instead turned the jets on and this is what I walked into.  It was so cute to see how hard Boston was laughing!  

This is Boston all ready for church.  This outfit is from India that my cousins sent for Boston.  He loves it and he looks so dang cute in it!

I could not ask for two better boys than the two I have.  They make my job as a mother so rewarding!  Boston just absolutely loves Carter and is so sweet and cute to him.  Every morning he wakes up and says good morning to him and every night when he says his prayers, he says "Father thank you daddy, carter, mommy, bossy, carter, daddy, carter"  It's the cutest thing in the world!  Thank you Boston and Carter for choosing me to be your mother.  I love you both more than you'll ever know!

The best birthday present ever

August 15th was Boston's birthday and this is what he got...

A new brother!  That's right, Boston and his new little brother Carter share the same birthday.

And what a cute big brother Boston is to him.  He just loves and kisses him all day long and it's so cute cause sometimes I will catch him just talking and giggling at him.  I love it!

So what a crazy crazy day that was.  Here we are just right before delivery.  My whole pregnancy I said over and over again that I didn't want this baby to be born on Boston's birthday so that they could have their own special days.  But apparently Carter had plans of his own! 

The story for those that care to read....

 So I woke up around 2 in the morning with contractions that were coming every 10 min.  They were painful, but still somewhat tolerable and they stayed that way every 10 minutes until like 8 in the morning.  We were about to go to the hospital when they started to slow down to about every 30 minutes.  Since I didn't get any sleep that night, Ryan took Boston to the grocery store while I slept.  I continued to have contractions every 30 minutes but the pain got worse and worse.  Then they started coming about every 10 again after I made Boston's birthday cupcakes. Ryan would push on my back to help relieve the pain and it really did.  But Boston would see Ryan and run over and touch my belly or back trying to copy his dad.  He really was trying to help, but it was just bugging me.  So we had my mom come get Boston and as soon as she got to the house, my contractions started coming like every 5 minutes and the pain by now was pretty unbearable.  So we decided to get in the car and go to the hospital.  Ryan was driving like 70 mph the whole way to the hospital cause by now my contractions were just one right after another.  I was dying.  We rushed to the emergency room and they wheeled me upstairs.  When I finally got dressed and in a bed, the nurse checked me to see how dilated I was.  She didn't say anything at first, and then when I asked her, she told me I couldn't freak out if she told me.  I said ok and she told me I was at an 8.  So I freaked out for a second.  She had to talk me through every contraction and asked if I was planning on having an epidural.  I asked her if it was too late and she said not if we do it right now.  So they rushed me to my room and the anesthesiologist was there waiting for me.  He got it in really fast and 15 minutes later I had finally got some pain relief.  Now I could finally start enjoying the whole birthing experience.  then about a half hour later, the Dr. came in and broke my water and about 20 min after that out sweet baby boy was born.  From the time we got to the hospital to the time Carter was born was only two hours.  It just happened all so fast!

The proud new daddy.  Carter Jeffrey Smith was born August 15 at 4:44 in the afternoon weighing 6 lbs 12 oz and 19 1/2 in long.

Holding my little boy for the first time.

My mom and sister were in the delivery room with us when Carter was born.

First family picture.

Smith family

Randall family

My sister recently got a job as a CNA on the OB floor at the hospital.  She wasn't working that day, but she was still able to give Carter his first bath.  She did work one of the nights we were there though.  It was nice because she took Carter to the nursery all night long so I could get some rest and I wasn't stressing because I knew who had him all night long.  It was fun having her as my CNA that night!

Proud Grandma and Grandpa

I love this picture because of how wide-eyed Carter is.

Two days before, Boston came down with croup and got pretty sick.  This was the only time he actually kept the mask on.  It didn't last long.  So we just tried to keep Boston away as much as possible until he wasn't contagious anymore.  Thanks to all who helped watch him.

My friend Shauna told me this was the best thing she got for Ian when she had her baby.  So I got this little baby for Boston and he was so cute with it.  He loved feeding it the bottle.  It was hilarious!

Proud daddy getting ready to go home.  We had the hardest time naming little Carter.  We could not think of a name forever!  We finally named him as we were walking out of the hospital.  But he definitely is a Carter!  It fits him really well.

I absolutely LOVE my boys!  

Two brothers just admiring each other

This was hilarious.  The other day, Boston got into the floss and was trying to floss his teeth acting like a big boy.  Well next thing I know he walks up to Carter and starts trying to floss Carter's teeth.  I tried to explain to him that Carter doesn't have teeth yet, but I don't think he quite understood.  What a good big brother!

I guess when Ryan was a little boy he had a rocking horse that he would ride for hours.  So Boston got this cute rocking horse for his birthday with a basketball hoop to shoot hoops with his dad.

Carter

Boston

Do you think they look alike?

Randall Camping Trip- John Schmidt

My family loves camping, but it seems like the past few summers we just haven't had the time to plan a trip.  So this year we put it on the calendar and up to North Fork we went.  We decided to stay close just in case we needed a hospital close.  The first night we got there, it was so windy.  You can't tell in the picture, but we had to hold our tents down so they wouldn't blow away.  It was terrible!  We contemplated going home actually.  But we decided to wait till after dinner and then make a decision.  I think a few of us said a little prayer that the wind would go away so we could have a fun little trip.  Well after dinner, the wind was gone.  We were all amazed cause really it was SO windy all day long.  So we stayed and camped.  

It was so much fun!  I was a little worried though of how I would sleep in the tent.  My parents are such thoughtful people.  They actually went up that morning and pitched the tents to reserve our spot but they brought up a bed mattress for me to sleep on too!  How sweet is that?  That made all the difference!  I don't think I would have slept at all the whole trip.  Thanks mom and dad for thinking of me :)

So Friday morning, my sister gets up early to go to the bathroom.  I hear her walk away, then a minute or so later, I hear someone running as fast as they can back to camp.  Suddenly my sister jumps back in the tent and said there were moose on the way to the bathroom and she got freaked so she ran back.  I couldn't stop laughing.  It was hilarious.  So I got up and we drove the car to the bathroom and sure enough, there were these two moose just right next to our camp sight!  It was kinda cool, but it would be freaky if you just suddenly walked upon one!

All day Friday, Ryan's parents were kind enough to let us borrow their boat and we boated all day up at Pineview.  It was a perfect boating day.  I didn't think I would be able to stay on the boat the whole time because of the heat and bumps and stuff, but it never got too hot, and the water was actually really smooth.  This is Eric jumping the wake.  He got up there!

Dustin's first time jumping the wake.  

My parents also rented a Sea Doo for the day.  It was a blast.  Eric took Boston on a ride and taught him how to push the button to make it go.  It was so funny, cause Eric drove by and we all looked up and Eric had both of his hands in the air, and Boston was just driving the Sea Doo all by himself like he was a pro.  It was so cute!

I was bound and determined to go into labor!  My sister and I took the Sea Doo out for a little bit too.  I didn't dare go too fast, but it was really fun!

Travis on the knee board.  He loved this the most I think.

Here is our handsome boat driver!  You did a great job honey!

My dad got really good on the knee board too.  He learned how to do a 360 and he was pretty proud of himself!  I didn't know you still had it in ya dad!  Ha ha Just Kidding!  You were great!

The whole family at the end of the day.  We camped again on Friday night, and we did get rained on a little bit.  But we all stayed dry in the tents.  So it wasn't bad.  We woke up on Saturday, packed up and headed home for the day.  

Later that night, my parents had tickets to go to the John Schmidt concert up at Wolf Mountain.  It was so fun!  I love John Schmidt and could only wish that I could play the piano as well as he does.  And he's just a nice, fun guy to watch.  It was a charity concert and there were a ton of people there.  Boston was loving dancing to all the music.

He plays so many good songs.  One of my favorite is Love Story meets Viva La Vida.  I have it playing on my playlist.  It is such a neat arrangement that he did.  But he said due to copyright, this may have been the last live performance they were able to do of that arrangement because Cold Play's record company said they didn't want them to use the song and that they would need personal permission from the band.  Taylor Swift said it was fine to use her song, so it's too bad they can't get a hold of the band cause it really is an awesome arrangement.

After the concert, Dustin, Ashlie and Boston waited in line to get his autograph and a picture.  What a fun night.  Listening to John Schmidt makes me want to become a better piano player.  His music is such feel good music, I love it.

So thanks mom and dad for planning such a fun weekend for the family!  It was such a blast!  We were hoping that by doing all that, I would be in labor by now!  I am hurting a little more, a lot more uncomfortable and a few contractions, but nothing regular.  So everybody send baby vibes my way so we can get this little guy here!  Hopefully our next post will be about our new little baby!

Proud Mommy Moment

Boston is such a cute little guy and last night he did probably the cutest thing he's ever done.  And I just had to share...

We got him ready for bed and made his bottle.  It was pretty late so he REALLY wanted it.  Normally we would say prayers before we gave him the bottle but last night, he just wanted his bottle.  So we gave him his bottle and Ryan and I knelt down next to him and said our family prayers while he drank his bottle.  Well that was that and Ryan left the room and I stayed lying next to him while he finished his bottle.  We always have to lay down next to him while he falls asleep or he won't go to sleep.  We spoiled this little guy in the sleeping department way too much and now he doesn't fall asleep on his own and he always ends up in our bed at the end of the night.  So those of you with little ones...teach them how to sleep early before it's too late!  Anyways, so Boston finished drinking his bottle and we were laying there in silence for a good 5 minutes at least and suddenly he turns toward me and says, "prayer mom? prayer?"  and then he gets up rolls over to his hands and knees like he's ready to say a prayer.  So I asked him, "You want to say a prayer?" and he said yes so I proceeded to help him say a prayer and he rolled over when we were done and laid his head on the pillow and started to fall asleep again.  

It kind of brought a tear to my eye just thinking of how much my little boy is growing.  He is learning so much on a daily basis.  Even just going to nursery once a week, he learns so many things in there.  At first I thought how much does he really notice by us just going through the actions everyday.  But he really does learn from everything we do.  He's always saying things we say and doing things we do.  I can't believe he is almost 2!  I love you Boston!