Trip to Gettysburg :)

Hi all! Well, we just got back yesterday from a 4 day trip to Gettysburg. It was so much fun! We left on Friday morning, around 7:30 because Kenney was wanting to leave at like midnight and after stressing to get not only myself AND Harrison ready, I told him, "hey, it's my vacation too, let's just relax and leave when we get up". Boy am I glad that we did, it was so much more relaxing then having to rush around and get stuff ready to go. We got there around 7:00 pm, it's usually a 9 hour trip, but having a toddler kind of streched that out a little. :) Harrison is a GREAT traveler though. He just plays in the back and chills, I have to say, he's pretty awesome! So, the trip was great, although I was really afraid of the chance that I might see a ghost, especially since Harrison was laying around the 1st night in his pack and play and laughing at nothing. I was a little freaked out. But, the rest of the trip I was okay..........until it was dark out :) But, I didn't see any ghosts thank God. We had a great time though, we visted the battlefield, saw a lot of monuments and did a lot of tours. I'm not really a history buff whatsoever, but I have to admit, some of it was interesting. On Sunday we went for a run on the battlefields which was a little weird, but it was fun to be running on a peice of earth that had seen so much. Then we went around the town of Gettysburg and saw the different shops, and ate at the Farnsworth House, which was really cool, and it has over 100 bullet holes in the side of the building from the war. Crazy huh? All in all it was a really good trip :)

Harrison is doing great, still not walking, but I'm not trying to rush it, I figure he'll get there when he gets there. Anyway, he's having a great time crawling around as fast as he can, and chasing after the dogs too :) That's his absolute favorite thing to do! Now that he can say the word "dog", that's all you here from him! Even in Gettysburg everything was "dog"! :) It was hilarious! He's standing up all the time still, and he's climbing on everything! It's amazing how fast he's growing up, and I just love that he's into so much stuff! Like, he loves going from one end of the bathtub to the other, it's so funny. Everything he does is just so funny, he's such a hambone!

Today I got to watch my nephew Alexander, who's only 6 weeks old. Harrison wasn't too happy about it, right when I put Alex down Harrison crawled over, and grabbed his pacy and put it in his own mouth :) Harrison hasn't used a pacy since he was 7 months old, but I guess he just wanted to feel like a baby. It was cute. But, soon Harrison got used to him and wasn't so jealous. Plus, thankfully my dad came over and helped me out. Here are some pictures of them.

Well, that's it for now! Hope everyone is doing well!

A lot of firsts!

Well, it's August 31 and it's a day I will always remember! Harrison had his first haircut today, he was so great for it too! I had the sippy cup and goldfish crackers ready just in case he got upset, but he was awesome! He didn't cry or fuss at all! I am so blessed that I have such a laid back kid. Here are some pictures of his big day. No more mullet, now he's clean cut and looks so cute!

He also said 2 words today! He always says Momma, but today he said Dog and Duck! He's been saying "og" for a little while, but today, he got the D on it. Then when he was taking a bath, he had his rubber ducky and I said "Duck", and he just looked at me and said "Duck!". I couldn't believe it! I had him say it like a million times after that. After his bath, he started calling everything duck. It was hilarious. He's just amazes me everyday.

He's not walking yet, but boy is he trying. He IS climbing though! He can get on our couch in no time, he just gets on the ottoman, then up he goes! Crazy! He is trying to walk though, he walks when I hold on to his fingers, goes a few steps then sits down. Must be tough :)

He's also learned how to cross his eyes. He does it all the time, and I mean ALL THE TIME. It drives me crazy. I don't want his eyes to stay like that! But he just thinks it's hilarious! He just looks at you, crosses his eyes, and laughs. It's not bad when we are at home, but when we are out somewhere, people just look at him, like "poor kid".

We are excited that we get to do so much more things with him now. I run with him almost everyday and he loves it, we went riding our bikes on the Monon and he loves his bike trailer. In a few weeks we are going to Chicago to check out some museums and the Aquarium. I'm excited because I LOVE Chicago, and it's Kenney and my's 3rd wedding anniversary, and 6 year anniversary since we met. I'll be sure to post some pictures when we get back.

Other than that, everything is going great! I'm running all the time, and losing more weight. I feel a lot better about everything. I told myself that I'm not going to worry so much about stuff I can't control and it seems to be working. I'm not as stressed and I can just focus on my family and that's an awesome feeling. I never thought I'd be such a family type of girl, but I'm more than happy sitting at home with Harrison and Kenney then going out and doing anything like I used to. I hope that all is well with everyone. Have a happy holiday!

It's been awhile :)

Sorry that I haven't posted in awhile, there has been a lot going on in the Smith family! First and foremost, my nephew was born on August 7th, and he's just about as sweet as can be :) His name is Alexander Jakson Diaz, and even though Harrison wasn't able to see him because he had a temperature (his first one ever!), it was special that he was there to celebrate. Congrats Jason and Mandy!

We are doing great, as usual! Harrison is being a little wild man, and is definitely starting to test his limits with his Mom and Dad. He's such a good boy though, but man, once you say the word "No", he think's it's hilarious and tries again. It's really tough, but if I say "No" really loud, he gets the point and starts crying, and it takes everything in me not to pick him up and tell him it's okay. I hate disciplining him, but I know it has to happen so he can learn right from wrong.

He's has been having a great time recently with both sets of grandparents :) I'm so lucky to have so many family members that want to watch him all the time. Last Saturday, I had my first "Mommy Day" in a long time. I dropped him off with his grandma Carol, and did exactly what I wanted to do....watch a movie, and have Subway. Before Harrison was born, i was quite the movie buff, there still is nothing better to me, than curling up on the couch, under covers, watching movies. I can't wait for him to be big enough to want to curl up with me and do that, but right now, he just wants to go go go!

We've been running about 3-4 times a week now for a few months, and I think he really enjoys it! He puts his little hands on the tray, and sits up really straight, like he wants to feel the wind in his hair :0) When Mommy stops for water, Harrison gets some, and now when we are at home, I see him "stretching" like I do before we run. It's so cute! We go running on the trails, and my stroller is definitely starting to show it's wear, but I'm hoping that one will go on sale soon, so we can wear that one out too :) I never thought in a million years that I would like running as much as I do, and I don't even bring my iPod with me. It's a nice release and seems to be helping with my stress. Look at me, I can officially call myself "athletic"....wow, there's a first!

Well, here is some of things that the wild man is doing now:

• Pulling up on EVERYTHING
• Pushes and pulls all the big things in our "playroom", his horsey, a chair, the ottoman.
• Cruising still, but soon enough he'll be really on the move
• Will walk when I hold on to his hands
• Stands for a minute without holding on to anything
• Kenney told me today that he climbed up on the ottoman to the couch, I didn't witness it, but whoa, that scares me!
• His 2 bottom teeth have really pushed up, and I think he's working on his top.
• Offers things now, like Cheerios, and toys, I LOVE it!
• When he hugs me, he says "mmmmm"
• Has made it up 4 stairs at his grammy and popi's house
• Still LOVES any dog he sees, and I think I hear him say "Og"...but I'm not sure.
• My dad says that he says something for phone too, so he's definitely starting to vocalize more.
• Likes to crawl over everything and everyone :)
• Hooked on Very Vanilla Soymilk, and Soy Chicken Patties....is he not his daddy's son or what?

Here's some recent pics of Harrison...being silly, eating a Club Cracker for the first time, etc. Hope all is well with everyone and I will post again soon, hopefully with pics of Alexander!

Harrison is 1!

Well, last weekend went great! Harrison had a blast at his party, even though he slept through most of it :) He was really tired for some reason, I guess all the growing will get to you. Everyone came, and it really meant a lot that so many people did show up for his party. I mean, it takes a lot for people to come to a kids party, and to stick around. But it was great! He got LOTS of toys, so much that I put half of them in his closet and when he's losing interest in some, I'll pull out a new one! His closet got packed full of clothes, hopefully to last him until the fall. We got some great pictures as you will see, and I just couldn't ask for a better way to celebrate my little one's birthday. I have truely been blessed with wonderful friends and family.

Hope everyone is well, and I'll post again soon. Have a good one!

Memories :)

I'm sitting here on July 23rd, and I am just overwhelmed with memories of where I was last year at this exact time. I remember vividly when my water broke at 6:00 pm, Kenney, was getting ready to go ride his bike and I remembered saying to him before he left "I'll call you if my water breaks!". Little did we know that that would actually happen. It was hilarious, I was calling him non stop, he couldn't hear anything since he was cycling on Mann Rd., then when he got home he came to a house full of people waiting on him to get there. It was scary, exciting and very funny. When we got to the hospital, I called my mom (who lived in Ohio at the time) to start heading over here. So they did the test to see if my water broke and said "Nope, you just had a bladder spasm, go walk for a half hour and we'll re-check you", well, I was so upset because I kept telling the nurse, I'm sure my water broke, I think I'd know if I peed myself! So, I had to call my mom back and say, "Nevermind, it's just a bladder spasm". So she turned around and went home. Well, after I walked for a little while they checked me again, and Voila! I was right, I had broken my water, so I had to call my mom again (who had JUST gotten home), and tell her to come back again! I felt so bad, but it was well worth it. After 43 hours of labor, most of which didnt hurt at all, because he was wedged somewhere, little Harrison was delivered via C-Section into this world, and we fell in love instantly. It's amazing what the last year has brought. Harrison is such a blessing. He makes every day and every moment in my life special. Just the smallest things that he does, it just melts my heart. He started recently making this noise with his mouth, I'm not sure where he got it from, or if it's like a kissy noise, but he does it all the time, and it's just precious. I just find it so amazing how fast this last year went. I remember thinking, man, how are we going to do this? And trust me, we've had our ups and our downs, but having Harrison has brought Kenney and I closer than we ever have been before.

He's just the greatest little guy ever made, not that I'm bias whatsoever :) Well, that's really it, I just was drifiting down memory lane, and wanted to tell Harrison's labor story over again because it was hilarious how he came into the world. Hope everyone is well, and I'll post pictures from his birthday this weekend!

P.S. Here are some pictures from this past weekend of my brother and his wife Mandy (who's due August 8th), and some of Harrison at the arts garden. Have a good one!

Long one!

Well, it's been awhile since I've posted, so even though I don't have any pictures, I'll keep you updated on what's going on with me. Unfortunately, every time we've gone out somewhere fun, or done something new, I never have the camera with me, so every picture is on Kenney's iPhone. Soon enough, I'll have my own iPhone to put pics on here from. So, it's been almost a month since I've posted, and as usual, everything in little Harrison's life has changed. He's gone from crawling everywhere, to "cruising" everywhere. He's gone from just standing a little, to pulling up on anything that can hold him. It's amazing! Everyday we are learning more from him, and I hope he's learning a lot from us....most recently, the word "no". :)
Not to discredit my child, or put any other child down, but having a child, to me at least, is a lot like having a puppy. You have to constantly watch them because they are getting into everything, you have to "puppy proof", for those instances when your eyes wander, they "mouth" you because they are teething, and they think that "no", is hilarious :) So, the only comfort that I have some days is that, if I can survive having 8 12 week old puppies in my house at one time, having Marley (my foster who's crazy), and training the rest of my dogs, then I think I can handle Harrison! But, really, everyday he grows and grows, and watching his little mind go, it's amazing to me, I'm so curious what he's going to be like when he's older. I go into a grocery store and see these crazy kids pulling stuff off of shelves, running around nuts, nagging their parents for whatever they want, etc., and I always think...."Please Lord, don't let Harrison be like that"...I'm sure it will happen at some point that he will throw a tantrum in the middle of the store, or cry for something that he wants, or be a brat at some point, I just hope that I can use that experience as an adventure and lesson, and stay cool, calm, and collected and not freak out as I see so many parents do in Meijer. Thank God for my iPod, I dont' know how else I'd get through a shopping trip.
We've been doing so much lately. Harrison and I have recently taking up running. I know, can you believe it? I could hardly believe that I actually like something that was athletic, but I absolutely am addicted, I run everyday for at least a half hour. It's very theraputic for me. Harrison seems to like it too, and he doesn't seem to mind the Haz Mat looking "SPF 50" onesie that he has to wear :) Plus, he gets a big sippy cup full of his favorite Strawberry Banana Juicy Juice when we're done as a reward for being so patient with Mommy. It's awesome though. Sometimes Harrison gets to go twice a day, since Kenney is working nights, he'll take him sometimes in the morning, and I'll take him again in the afternoon. Who knows what we'll do when he starts walking. Hopefully he'll still like the stroller and taking a ride with Mommy or Daddy.
Last weekend we went to Michigan for a long weekend, which it was nice to get away, even though I missed my doggies horribly. We went to Lexington Michigan on Friday, and walked around Port Huron, and even saw a Beatles Tribute band in a park that evening. It was great, the guys were in wigs and costumes and even did the accents. Harrison liked it too, we were clapping and dancing with the music, plus they had programs which he really liked the paper (of course), but it kept him occupied! It was great though to get away, and spend time with just Kenney, Harrison and I, it seems we are always on the go, and never get a chance to just chill. On that Saturday, we had a wedding for Kenney's side of the family, then on Sunday we went to a place called Greenfield Village. Now the way I understand it, is that Henry Ford, when he was alive, collected houses. Yes, houses. He would buy people's houses and put them on this land, and it's now used as like a Connor Prarie and you can look around them and see what it was like. He has, the courthouse that Abe Lincoln was in, Robert Frost's house, Thomas Edison's lab, etc. But they also have people walking around in period clothing, and driving Model T's everywhere. We went with Kenney's Mom, Step Dad, Uncle, Aunt and Grandpa, so it was fun for them to do something with Harrison and showing him all different stuff. They had a part where it was toys that kids had from back then, like stilts, and this ring game, where you had 2 drumstick looking things and a ring, and you would pass it back and forth. I don't know why, but for some reason, Harrison thought that was the funniest thing he'd ever seen! He was cracking up so loud, I swear the whole park heard him! It was super cute though.
Wow, this is a long post. I will end with an update on what Harrison's up to now:

• Pulling himself up on everything
• Cruising from couch to Mommy
• Totally off of baby food
• LOVES Very Vanilla soymilk, and fake chicken patties
• Has had meat, (turkey and a little chicken)...seems to like the soy stuff better, just like daddy! Still LOVES veggies, but not too keen on zucchini.
• Talking all the time, says Momma and I've heard a Da Da in there a few times. Just waiting until he says "dog" :)
• Speaking of which, still loves every dog he comes in contact with, and knows to put his head down when by their mouth b/c they lick all over him.
• Plays Peek A Boo on his own
• Knows when I say "Who's that baby" to look for a mirror around
• Knows his Grammy (my mom) and looks for her if I ask where she is.
• Feeds the dogs when he's in the high chair...we're working on it :)
• Being the cutest boy ever made :)

Sorry for such a long post, Harrison's in bed, and I finally got a chance to chill :) Hope everyone is doing well, and the next post will be all about Harrison's 1st birthday on July 25th!

Peace and love.

Mauria

11 months!

It's so hard to believe that Harrison is 11 months old! It's UNBELIEVEABLE how time flies! He's doing soon good, and it seems that every day he's doing something new :) My parents have a sunken living room, and for the past few weeks Harrison has kind of been standing up on the step, usually with his little booty sticking out and swaying back and forth, but when I came to their house on Monday to pick him up, he was on the top level, crawling everywhere! I couldn't believe it! We set him back down "in" the living room, and within seconds, he was standing up on it, and lifted his leg on it, and boosted himself up! So, my poor dad is going to have to chase him around the house now, since he's not confined to one room anymore! He's also clapping! We play music here all the time, I have this old RCA record player/radio in my living room and I put on the classical/jazz station at night so I can relax and Harrison can hear some good music and he started clapping to a song! Just to think 11 short months ago he was so little, couldn't roll, couldn't really do anything but sleep and eat and poop!

He's completely off of baby food, he's been off for a few weeks now, and is eating his veggies all the time! I am still a little afraid to try chicken with him because I'm always afraid he's going to choke, so I'll save that for another time....whenever I get the courage. So he's eating veggies, wheat bread, brown rice, and of course his Vanilla Soymilk :) I can tell this boy is going to be a tree hugger just like his daddy.

I have started running recently, not a lot, but just enough to get my stress under control, so Harrison comes with Kenney and I almost everyday and get's to feel the breeze through his hair. I think he likes it, we go trail running so he gets to see the woods, and stuff. A funny thing, Kenney got him this SPF 50 onesie, that helps with the sun and bugs, and the poor kid is soo cute in it, he looks like a HAZ MAT guy, I have to get a picture!

Here's a little more of what he's up to:
Gets up on his knees, grabs the ottoman, and walks on his knees towards it.

Doesn't wave when you say "bye bye", only when you say "See ya later"

Goes "Mmmmm" when he's eating.

Loves to chase, not just my dogs, but any dogs he's close to :)

Still into the water bowls, we are working on that :)

Hates it when you put a shirt and his hand gets stuck in the sleeve, he cries and cries.

We are going to Michigan next weekend for a little vacation and we are hoping to get his little feet in the water if it's warm enough! Hope everyone is well! Here are some pictures of my little cutie!