Date: April 16, 2014

Weighing in @: 23lbs

Height: 29 inches

Favorite Food: Breakfast pancakes  

New Food I tried:  Asparagus

Favorite Toy: Big dump truck, Motorcycle

Favorite Book: Quack Quack

A show I enjoy: Doc Mcstuffins

New word(s): Hi, and I like to wave when I say it,Nite, Nana

New Trick: Mommy tells me to "flex my muscles" and I make a manly grunt and flex my buff arms.  

Best moment this month: I told Mommy, Daddy, Papa & Nana. "Nite Nite" and was so tired that I walked into my room all by myself to go to bed.

A memory to remember: I was sick with congestion and wheezing for a few days so Mommy took me to the doctor. She should know I HATE that place. As soon as we went into those creepy rooms I started screaming to tell the nurse to to leave me alone but, Mommy said she was trying to help and this visit wasn't going to be bad. I don't trust those people at all. Then my doctor came in and I really tried telling her to leave me alone so I screamed even louder and cried really hard. I didn't know how else to tell them I wanted to go home. The doctor said she wasn't too worried about the wheezing and that I had a bad cold. Mommy thought she was crazy for taking me to the doctor after hearing that, but wanted to be safe. She was also hoping for some medicine to make me feel better, but nope...I just had to stick it out and I'm feeling bettter. 

Looking forward to: FINALLY moving into our new home. Mom said that last month, but she said we will officially be in by next weekend. I can't wait for Mommy and Daddy to be home with me every night again.

Dear Christian,

Oh BOY! This past month has been a bit chaotic to say the least. Daddy and I have been working hard on getting our new home ready to move in and haven't had much family time with you. I keep telling myself, "this too shall pass", and by next week we will be moved in and things will be back to normal. 

We are SO excited for this new home. You will be just seconds away from your Uncle Ryan, Aunt Angie and cousins, Ella, Breanne and Baby Luke. You kids will have an opportunity not many families get to share, and that is growing up close together. Rustic Acres has NO idea what they're in for...actually, neither does Mommy and Daddy! 

Now that Spring is here, you will get to play outside and we will be going on lots of fun trips! You are at such a FUN age where you're really starting to "get" things. Your personality has always been cute, but it's crazy seeing you grow into a little boy. You're so smart, so brave (aka dare devil) and, Oh so SWEET!

Some of your favorite things to do are:

-Standing on your chair to climb on the TV stand.

-Standing on your motorcycle and attempt to clap your hands while you balance.

-You love your "Ball" and you actually kick it pretty well! Nana thinks you'll be great at soccer.

-You love to "STOMP" in the bathtub when you stand up. You love the noise it makes and feeling the floor shake a little when you do it

-You love to nose dive off the couch/bed.

-You know the drawer where my brushes are and love to open it, grab a brush and brush your hair. (Daddy is so proud ;) he he ) 

 -You LOVE Mickey Mouse clubhouse "Hot Dog" song! No matter what you're doing if that song comes on you stop and run over and dance. Your dancing is priceless! You love to spin and bend your knees up and down with a very serious face! It's adorable.

-And lastly... as soon as I pull into the drive you "Baa" so I will stop, roll your window down so you can see the sheep. You LOVE the sheep and "bocking" at the chickens...you LOVE the farm.

That last item is one of my favorite times of the day. It absolutely melts my heart and makes me so proud because you're such a smart little guy. Even though I am so excited for our new home, I hate that we are moving away from the farm. The way you light up when I turn the corner down our road because you know we are almost home is incredible to me. I had no idea that a little guy like you, at such a young age, could be so observant and so smart. You make Daddy and I so proud. We adore you.Thank you as always, for bringing us all the JOY we could ever wish for. 

Stay Sweet. I love you.

Love, 

"Ma" (I went from "Mama" to "Ma" now...you.are.FUNNY)

14 Month Video

I wanted to share some sweet pictures on the farm.

 Through these pictures you can get an idea of the love and excitement he has for the animals. 

It's pretty awesome. 

County Road 400 will forever have a 

special place in our hearts.

Date: March 16, 2014

Weighing in @: 22.5lbs

Height: 29 inches

Favorite Food: Pizza & Spaghetti 

New Food I tried: Peanut Butter...YUMMY! and girl scout cookies

Favorite Toy: Ball & Books

Favorite Book: Farm Animals

A show I enjoy: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

New word: Ella

New Trick: When asked what sound a lamb makes or shown a pic of a lamb I respond with "Baa". I can also stand up on my own from the floor. (I use to crawl to a wall or piece of furniture to help me get up).

Best moment this month: Sledding for the 1st time with my cousin's Ella and Breanne at their house. 

A memory to remember: 1 year checkup.  I was really scared as soon as Mommy took me into the checkup room. Not only did I get my 1 year shots but they also took my blood. I was NOT happy and Mommy was sad to see me so scared and hurt. But I was just fine later that day! 

Looking forward to: Moving into my new house with Daddy & Mommy! 

Our little Man...

Dear Christian,

It's hard to believe that you are already a YEAR old + 1 Month (....say what!?) Our little man, Mama's little Snuggle Bear, Daddy's little Bud. You bring us so much joy, love & boy, do you make us laugh! Your 12 month was a lot of fun as you are quickly discovering new things. 

Some of your favorite things to do are:

-Getting into the kitchen cabinets, especially the Tupperware!

-You have figured out how to move your baby gate that leads into the laundry room (which is a "No Baby Area") but you think you're so funny when you do it that it's hard for Mommy & Daddy to get too upset with you.

-You now "bark" at Buster, the dog when you see him. Or sometimes when you wake up you "bark" to let us know you're ready to get out of your crib. 

-You have found Daddy's change jar and as soon as you go into our room you make a run for it! 

-You have figured out how to drink out of a straw (which is pretty funny to watch)

-You say "A" to every letter in the bathtub that you hold up

-When you grab a book you make noises as if you're really reading...melt's our hearts. 

-You give kisses on Facetime with Nana & Papa

-And now you're starting to climb & run....yikes! 

All of these little things you have gradually done over time, but this past month you have master some and are beginning others. This whole running & climbing thing is NOT something Mommy is looking forward too. Good thing you're cute! We are so anxious & excited for this next month as we are moving and you will continue to grow!

Stay Sweet. I love you.

Love, 

"Mama" 

Hello again...

WOW!! ONE year has passed since my last entry and finally I have decided it's time to get back on track! 

Our sweet Christian is officially ONE YEAR and is absolutely the funniest, cutest, orneriest, and loving little guy out there. This past year has been a whirl wind to say the least. We have had so many wonderful moments and have gone through so much that has truly strengthened our "Small" family more than ever. 

Our year in a nut shell:

WHEW!

That's a lot to take in, right?!? 2013 was a bittersweet year for us for sure. We feel incredibly blessed to have such an amazing group of family and friends and are so excited for 2014. 

It's been a great year so far with Tyler's promotion (which, we are so PROUD of him!) and buying our first home (closing March 21). Our house is in the same neighborhood as my brother, Ryan and sister-in-law, Angie and the girls. So we are looking forward to a lot of fun memories this summer along with welcoming our new nephew into the family! Christian and Luke are going to be Best Buds! 

CHEERS TO THE NEW YEAR! 

He's finally here!!

Hi everyone! Sorry it's taken so long to update this but I've been a little pre-occupied with a new little man...Christian Douglas Small!

One week late and 37 hours of labor Christian decided to make his debut on Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 10:17 a.m. Weighing in at 7lbs and 7 ounces and 20 inches long our son was totally worth the weight!

I went to the hospital Thursday evening to be induced. Tyler and I got settled in our room, little did we know that our stay would be throughout the whole weekend.

I started on pitocin and cervidill to help with dilation. Around 2 a.m. they came in to check on me and still no progress. They called the doctor back in at that time and she started me again but around 5:30 a.m. when I was checked, I was pretty much at the same spot, but my cervix had dropped. At that time I was taken off of all meds and was served breakfast and showered because I was starting OVER.

Friday morning and early afternoon was brutal. My contractions were starting to really get to me and I was running out of "Happy Places" to distract my mind from the pain. Around 1 it was getting to be intolerable so I asked for Nubain. This is a drug that allows you to still feel the contractions, but you aren't bothered by the pain.

BEST THING EVER.

Downside, it only last about an hour :( So once my Nubain wore off (and Tyler and Angie were done recording my nonsense on the drug- haha ) The nurses suggested I go ahead with my epidural. My only concern was I wasn't progressing as much so I was nervous about the epidural because there is no turning back after you get it! I asked the nurses how much notice they needed to request it when I was ready and they said about 20 minutes. So my goal was to hold off as long as I could. About 30 minutes later I was ready! It ended up taking an hour for the anesthesiologist to come to my room (which never happens- go figure). At this point my contractions were 2 minutes apart and were extremely uncomfortable. FINALLY the epidural was in and I felt like a normal person again because I could make eye contact AND hold a conversation without saying "ouch....ouch.....ughh....omg..." 

Later that evening I was around 6cm dilated and slowly progressing in the right direction. At 11 o'clock that evening I was 9 cm!! So at this point I'm thinking I was most likely going to deliver in the early morning. My family was camping out in the waiting area and what was 1 more cm?!

WRONG.

Part of my cervix was still present and I was unable to start "pushing"  until the doctor arrived in the morning around 7 a.m. I was so exhausted and really starting to feel pressure and pain in my lower back around 5:30 a.m. which made 7 seems so far away. I ended up having a meltdown begging my nurse to call the doctor because I just wanted to know for sure if I was either pushing or having a c-section. She was so patient with me and assured me that the doctor would be in soon and I would know then.

8 a.m. I was awakened by the doctor! It felt like Christmas seeing her there! She said everything was ready and I was able to start pushing! Just a little over 2 hours and (in my opinion the easiest part of labor) we welcomed our son Christian Douglas Small into the world!

37 hours sounds crazy! And if anyone told me I would be in labor that long I'd laugh and tell them they're nuts. But after all the blood, sweat and tears I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Seeing our son, hearing his cry, holding him and kissing him  for the first time is something that Tyler and I will never forget.  We are so blessed to have a healthy baby who is just perfect.

Introducing....

CHRISTIAN DOUGLAS SMALL

FEBRUARY 16, 2013

10:17 a.m.

7 lbs 7 ounces

This little guy was wide awake ALL day!

 He doesn't want to miss out on anything.

Some pictures from our journey...

Excited Daddy!!

Day 2

Me and my Mom :)

37 Hours...Whew!! Well WORTH it!!

Our little cub ;)

Proud Daddy

Nana & Papa

Grandpa & Grandma

Aunt Nancy & Uncle Ryan

Uncle Ryan & Aunt Angie

Headed home!!

Our Family

Lucky in Love & Life...

Eviction Notice

- 4 DAYS!

My sweet little boy is making us wait! There are a few reasons that make sense to his late arrival.

1. Listens to me all day and is thinking "OMG, I'm never coming out! That woman wears me out!"

2. He is just being stubborn like his Mother

OR

3. He will be just like his Daddy and is enjoying life and hanging out

(I'm hoping for #3 )

Either way, we are beyond excited and VERY ready to meet him! I go to the doctor tomorrow (Wednesday, 2.13.13) at 2:50 p.m. to plan his "Eviction".

Maybe he will surprise us tonight?!?...hmm....doubtful.

 Although I don't care for bare belly's, I figure in honor of  "Fat Tuesday" this is totally appropriate and wanted to share this video.

This is from last night- Christian is most active as soon as I sit down to "relax" on the couch. I suppose he is just prepping me for Mommy hood.... no more relaxation for me!

Little Stinker.

So funny!

I know I shared this on my Facebook page, but I had to share it on here as well! For all you Mom's out there....

Click the link Motherhood :)

39 weeks...how can this be?!?

Christian is ready to make his debut!!

How many weeks? 39  weeks and 5 days

Total weight gain: 54

Maternity clothes? I now have a favorite pair of jeans and work pants

Stretch marks? Not yet-trying to stay strong! Lathering up BIG TIME!

Sleep: As good as it can be. Definitely challenging to roll from side to side. I either have to pee when I do or can't breath. Not to mention I dreamt that I gave birth to twins last night-but not just any twins...twin, KITTENS. (I'm stopping here...)  

Best moment this week: Angie treated me to a eflexology appoinment today! It was amazing!!  And I'm just trying to enjoy these final days before Christian gets here! Soaking up all his little movements and eating everything I can ;)  

Miss Anything? So many things, but I know I will miss this time. I will miss my little baby rolling, kicking and just being in my belly :(
Movement: He is a wiggly little booger!
Food cravings: Meats, Milk, and some sweets. Was eating icing out of the container tonight....neat.
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Gender: My little boy!
Symptoms: Some shooting pains and swelling
Belly Button in or out? Out
Mood?: Ready to meet my baby!!

Looking forward to: My doctor's appointment this Friday- Christian's due date! Hoping to have a better idea on when we can expect to meet our little man. And I can't express enough how excited I am to just see him, hold him and kiss him for the 1st time! Ahhh!! It's so close!!!



My 1st picture of my sweet boy at 9 weeks!
Can't believe it's really almost here!!!

2 Days!!
or maybe sooner... ;)