In case you missed it below...WE'RE PREGNANT!!!

I am currently 9 1/2 weeks along (due Aug 7, 2011), and consumed with morning sickness... blah! It actually hasn't been to bad the past few days, but it was aweful last week. When we came home from my parent's house for Christmas last Monday night I had picked up a nasty flu, but didn't know it until I couldn't stop throwing up all day Tuesday. Nothing would stay down, and it was pretty scary.

Shaun called the doctor and I went into Lafene Health Center at 12:30pm on Wednesday (almost 36 hours not keeping anything down) and had to get an IV. I'd never had one before, so it was quite the experience. My veins were so shriveled and dry that they had a really hard time finding them to put the IV in. Finally, after 5 pokes, they found one and the saline started flowing. Five hours and three liters of fluids later I finally had enough energy to move, and was feeling a little better. That night wasn't too great, but after a lot of sleep that night, I was much better. Thursday I had to work on getting food down. The doctor gave me a plan for introducing food back into my body, and it's worked like a charm.

I'm so thankful for the wonderful husband I have who takes such good care of me. He is so sweet while I'm going through this morning sickness. He'll do anything I ask without a second thought. He cleans house, cooks, does the laundry, etc. I help, of course, but it's hard with how exhausted I get after working all day. He's so understanding, and it's so cute how he frets over me if I don't feel good. I have the best husband in the world!

I'm also thankful for such a wonderful boss at work. He sent me home Tuesday because I looked "aweful," and was very understanding when I couldn't go to work Wednesday or Thursday. He's not just a boss, but a friend, and I'm very thankful for him and my job. Thanks Scott!



Here's a 9-week photo. No bump yet, but I sure feel crummy a lot of the time. (Don't confuse the small bump in the photo for a baby bump...yet. =)

Christmas Eve present

On Christmas Eve my parents opened one present, as per tradition, and it was from Shaun and I. We gave them a card that said the following:

I do not have a face to see,
Or put inside a frame.
I do not have soft cheeks to kiss.
I do not yet have a name.

Not yet can you hold my tiny hands,
Nor whisper in my ear.
It's still too soon to sing a song,
Or cuddle me so near.

But all that will change come this August;
When they say I am due.
I am your newest grandchild;
And I can't wait until I meet you!

All I ask between now and then
Is your love for me to grow.
I promise I'll be worth the wait;
Just think of all the joy we'll know!

So as you're waiting patiently,
Please pray lots of prayers for me.
I cannot wait to be a part
Of this wonderful family!

Love,
Baby Smith


They saw the "Baby Smith" part first, and could barely stop crying enough to read the poem. Then they each opened a bib--Dad's said "I Love Grandpa" and Mom's said "I Love Grandma."

YES... WE'RE PREGNANT!!!

Christmas 2010

We spent Christmas with my family this year, and it was a blast! It was so great to spend time with everyone! We're fortunate enough that each daughter (4) comes home every other Christmas, and, for each of us, that happens to fall on the same year. This means that every two years we all meet up at my parent's house for Christmas together.

Traditions...

We have a lot of traditions in my family--especially for Christmas. We always have some kind of fish and chips (fries) on Christmas Eve. We also read "The Christmas Story" and usually listen to "The Polar Express." When we were little the kids would all have a sleepover in someone's room to share our Santa jitters and to make sure we didn't peek. Also, we (almost) always get to open one present that night--usually socks or pj's, or a letter/card from grandparents.

On Christmas morning we would wake up super early (sometimes around 5:30, but never later than 6:30), and coax our parents out of bed. They would always tell us to go back to sleep, but we never would, so dad's next attempt at a few extra minutes of sleep was to make us all get dressed, brush hair and teeth, and be ready for the day. (This only worked a few times... until we were old enough to argue back saying we had clothes on--our pj's.) We'd finally get the parents up (mom wasn't hard, it was always dad), line up youngest to oldest (or shortest to tallest, or tallest to shortest, or oldest to youngest... whatever dad felt like that year), and sing "Here we go into the Christmas Tree" as we walked into where presents were laid out.

This year (2010) we carried out most of the traditions, but mom and dad were the only ones to open anything on Christmas Eve, and it was from us. =) (See next post for description)

Ashlee and her family didn't come until the 26th because she's trying to get her own traditions started with her little family. I'm not sure how many of our traditions she kept or what she may have added, but I know their family will have great memories of their own. The rest of us didn't do much other than be lazy around the house, and a few of us were kinda sick. Shaun and Derrick (Whitnee's hubby) had a good time though. If there was a time nobody was doing anything, they would take off and find something to do themselves... without telling anyone they were leaving. They both needed that guy time though, and had a great time!

Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving with Shaun's family this past year, and it was a blast! Shaun, Doug, Joan and I went to Heather and Robert's new place in Olathe for a few days and just relaxed. It was so nice to be able to be there and not worry about being late for anything, or missing anything.

Thursday morning the men all slept in while Heather, Joan and I did the cooking. I was in charge of dessert. I made a pumpkin pie, which turned out AMAZING; as well as a no-bake cheesecake, which wasn't so great (too much powdered sugar). Heather and Joan did the real cooking--ham, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, salad, etc. It was WONDERFUL!

Friday morning Heather and I went out shopping around KC for Black Friday. It actually wasn't as crowded as I thought it would be, surprisingly. After a while the rest of the clan met up with us and we had lunch, did a little more shopping, and went back to Heather and Rob's. After putting our feet up for a while, Heather and I decided to do a little crafting. She had bought a bunch of garland, pinecones, sticks, berries, etc at Michaels, and we set to work making an enormous garland (6 actually) for thier giant staircase. It turned out beautifully, and we had a great time doing it!

Another semester down, ONE TO GO!

Shaun has been working super hard this past few semesters (well, since he's been in school, but especially the last couple of semesters) to finish up grad school. After many nights of projects and sleeping in the library, he is so close to being done. He graduates in 5 MONTHS!!! Starting in a couple of weeks will be his LAST semester of collegs, and we're super excited! We are both ready to get out of Kansas, and Shaun can't wait to get out of school and join the real work force. He ended the last semester with a 3.75 (or around there), and only has three classes to go until graduation.

He's been working hard, not only on school work, but also on job hunting. It's been a real roller-coaster with this because he's had so many interviews with great companies, and they've all liked him, but none have offered anything. It's discouraging him a lot, but we're hanging in there and praying for the right job to come along. When it does, I know things will all fall into place and we'll end up where the Lord wants us... even if it isn't our first choice.

Keep up the hard work, Shaun!