Smith Family Blog

Summer Fun At The Park

2010-07-25T18:20:00.000-07:00

As I write this entry I'm digesting the painful realization that summer is almost over. We had a chance to do many park outings around the city and have loved them all! It's been such a fun summer!

Parker Evelyn is Two!

2010-06-21T15:04:00.001-07:00

Parker turned 2 on May 26th. She's getting so big and very talkative. We don't always understand every word, but she's talking more every day. She's painfully shy and extremely stubborn.

Happy New Year

2010-01-06T15:35:00.000-08:00

I have definitely lacked in the blog update department over the past few months. I'm going to blame it on Parker. She's far too busy and mischievous for me to take my eyes off of her. She is really chatting up a storm these days. We can't understand much of it, but there are a few intelligibile words in there. We had a great Christmas in Texas and can't wait to go back to visit Grandma and Grandpa again. Happy Holidays! I'm going to try to post at least once a month in 2010...

Splash Kingdom

2009-07-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

We took Eli to a waterpark while we were in Texas. Parker stayed back with Grandma and Grandpa because it was about 110 degrees! Too hot for Miss P. We had a great time and Eli wants to go back again next year.

Fishing in Texas

2009-07-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

We just got back from visiting Grandma and Grandpa in Texas. Marshall caught this fish about an hour after we got there. His biggest catch yet!

Summer Camping Trips

2009-06-25T12:32:00.000-07:00

So far this summer we've camped at Two Rivers, Botna Bend, Prairie Rose, and Mahoney. Just a few pics of birthdays and camping. I'm not doing the best job of keeping up with posts this summer. Most of my days consist of chasing Miss Parker all over!

Happy Birthday Eli and Parker!

2009-06-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

Eli turned 5 years old on May 11th and Miss Parker turned 1 on May 26th. Somehow I didn't get a picture of Eli's birthday cake this year. It was a "Ben 10" cake and he loved it even though he didn't eat it. Still not a fan of cake. Parker didn't eat hers either so it must be in the genes.

Happy Belated Easter

2009-05-03T11:08:00.000-07:00

We had fun decorating Easter eggs this year. They had a Marvel Dye Set that went over big at our house.

Ten Months Old

2009-04-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

Parker turned ten months old on March 26th. I'm a little behind on the post. She's in the high 90's percentile-wise for her height, weight, and head circumference. Eating is probably one of her favorite activities. She's no longer eating baby food and insists on feeding herself. A very big girl indeed.

No no and Kindergarten Round Up

2009-04-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

Parker is definitely at that stage where she likes to investigate her surroundings. Her favorites right now are buttons on the television and electrical outlets. It's funny because when Eli was her size we only had to tell him 'no' once. Parker will stop when we tell her no, but as soon as we turn our heads she immediately is right back there doing it again. Eli is clearly the rule follower and little sis...not so much.

We had Kindergarten Round Up last week. Eli did a great job. He is very excited to go to school!

Cute Story

2009-03-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

Parker loves to coo and babble at Eli whenever he's around. Her little eyes just light up when she sees him. The other day she was "talking" to him and he looked at me and said, "Mom, I wish I could speak her language so I knew what she was trying to tell me." So cute.

I Like Puffs

2009-03-07T08:02:00.000-08:00

Some video of Parker's new favorite activity. Eating little fruit and vegetable puffs. I think she'd sit there all day if I let her!

Eight Months Old

2009-02-07T14:52:00.000-08:00

Miss Parker turned 8 months old on January 26th. How time flies! She has started clapping, shaking her head no-no, and has four teeth on the bottom. So big!

Her favorite activity is the Jumperoo--she goes nuts in that thing!

Courtesy of Eli

2009-01-20T15:57:00.001-08:00

Eli got his own digital camera from Grandma and Grandpa for Christmas. He took some pretty good picks while we were in Texas.

Dad and Eli in the four wheeler on our way out to see the wild hog caught in a trap

Eli getting the gate

Wild hog--yikes!

Snake--yikes again!

Grandma and Grandpa's dog Reba

Parker Evelyn

Seven Months Old

2009-01-20T15:25:00.000-08:00

I've found myself falling behind a bit with the posts. Maybe because Parker is becoming a lot more high maintenance than she used to be. I suppose that goes along with being 7 months old.

She's become a bit of a diva at times--as is evidenced by the look on her face when we leave the room...

Chubby Girl Gets Her Toes

2008-12-19T18:07:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-19T14:58:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we finally got to go and visit Santa. He was the best Santa we've ever seen because he was clearly the real deal! He was wonderful and I can't believe after all these years I finally met the real Santa Claus. Eli asked for a Nintendo DS and Parker had fun taking a turn on Santa's lap.

Saturday night we had an ugly Christmas sweater party to go to at the Williams' house. I couldn't find an ugly sweater for Parker, but I managed to find a pretty funny Mrs. Claus dress.

Eli had his first Christmas program Monday night. He sang his little heart out. It seems like his first Christmas was yesterday.

Christmas 2004-Eli Robert

Bedlam 2008

2008-12-07T17:44:00.000-08:00

We went to Stillwater for Thanksgiving this year and got a chance to see the bedlam football game. (Courtesy of Trevor--thank you Trevor!) We had a great time with Trevor and Tamara and can't wait to go back and visit them again. We tailgated with the Richardsons and the Ashleys while we were there. Both were great tailgates! There's no better sport than football! Boo OU!

Hangin' Out

2008-12-07T17:22:00.000-08:00

Parker likes to hang out in Eli's room and watch him play. He's so sweet to her. I'm sure things will change when she gets bigger and gets into his things, but for now, they couldn't get along any better.

Daddy's Girl

2008-12-07T17:08:00.001-08:00

I recently took a trip to Chicago for the annual American Speech-Language and Hearing Association conference. I was gone for four days--the longest I'd ever been away from Parker. She became a major Daddy's girl while I was gone.

Six Months Old

2008-12-07T16:51:00.000-08:00

Well Miss Parker Evelyn turned six months old on November 26th. Her stats are as follows:

Weight: 19 lbs. 13 oz. (96th percentile)

Height: 28 inches (98th percentile)

Head: 44 cm (85th percentile)

She's a bit lighter than her brother at this age. He was a whopping 22 lbs. at his six month check up. She's just as tall as he was though. Her head is a lot smaller than his--that boy still has a huge melon! :)

Parker is starting to notice when we leave the room and she's not a fan. Her two bottom teeth just poked through a few days ago. She's growing up so fast.

Movie Time

2008-11-10T14:47:00.000-08:00

Eli and I went to see "Madagascar 2" yesterday evening. It was good, but the best part was right when the movie started and Eli's toes started tapping to the music. He looked at me and said, "Mom, when I drink pop it makes my feet dance!"

Girly Girl

2008-11-04T15:31:00.000-08:00

Parker got her very own "girl toy" not too long ago. She loves it. We didn't have a little play gym for Eli so I figured I might as well get the girly one. I also purchased a couple of tutus for her. Pretty cute.

Sweet Treat Night

2008-11-03T15:12:00.000-08:00

We went to "Sweet Treat Night" at Ralston High School with my friend Abby and her son Carter who is 9 months old. He's wearing Eli's elephant costume that Grandma Kay made. It's so cute on him! I remember when Eli wore it we got lots of comments about the 2004 election. Abby has been getting the same comments. He's not a Republican, he's an elephant. I can't believe we picked that costume during an election year!

Go Cowboys

2008-11-02T09:21:00.000-08:00

Marshall has long been a San Diego Chargers fan so I jumped on that bandwagon and have cheered for them and we've declared them as our NFL team of choice. Eli recently decided he wanted to cheer for the Cowboys because his buddy Mason likes the Cowboys. He's obsessed. It will probably work out well though, my family has always cheered for Dallas and Great Grandma Dorothy is a huge Dallas Cowboys fan. Since Grandpa and Grandma live in Texas I'm pretty sure that's another reason why he wants to be their #1 fan. Maybe we can try to get Eli to a game someday. He's still sporting the big, cheesy smile of course.

Five Months Old

2008-10-26T05:46:00.000-07:00

Parker Evelyn is five months old today. She's growing so fast! We laugh at that crossed eye--there may be a pirate patch in her future I'm afraid. She's loving vegetables right now. We mix them with a little cereal, but she'd rather just have the veggies I think. She's up to at least 17 lbs. and has started lots of "bah bah bah" and other fun noises. The jumperoo is her favorite playtime activity. She sings and sings when she lays in her crib. Her brother is a great source of entertainment. Still an exceptionally happy girl.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-26T05:41:00.001-07:00

We went to the Pumpkin Patch when Grandma Kay came for a visit a couple of weeks ago. It was a beautiful day and we were there from about 9 to 1:30 so Eli was exhausted when we finished. He picked out a pumpkin on the hayrack ride and rode the train with Grandma. His absolute favorite part was the Spooky Shed. He must have walked through that thing 20 times!

Getting his picture taken with Homer is a yearly ritual. Doh!

Camping at Botna Bend

2008-10-03T18:25:00.000-07:00

We had great weather once again for camping! This was especially fun for Eli because he had some friends to hang out with. He absolutely loves going camping when there are kids to hang out with and when we go with a big group. It's so much fun for him and for us too. His buddy Grady brought his John Deere along so they had a ball driving around the campground.

The little ones were up early on Saturday morning ready to plan their day.

A pic of the guys getting ready to watch the Husker game...
Parker loves to sit by the fire and Eli loves hanging out in any camper but his own. Hope's new camper is especially cool.

Four Months Old

2008-09-29T16:12:00.000-07:00

Parker's Stats at 4 months:

Weight: 16 lbs. (93rd %ile)

Height: 26 inches (93rd %ile)

Head: 43 (96th %ile)

Her big brother weighed 19 lbs. at 4 months but she may catch him soon!

A Day At The Zoo

2008-09-25T18:39:00.000-07:00

We decided to take advantage of the great weather and take a trip to the zoo last Sunday. It was such a beautiful day. Parker was pretty wide-eyed when we set off for the desert dome. Eli and Marshall went into the Kingdom of

the Night while Parker and I waited in the lobby.

We set off to see the gorillas and Parker started to

get a little sleepy. When she starts to pull the woobie over her eyes you

know she's ready for a snooze.

Eli took a ride on the carousel and stopped to climb on a web. He practiced his Spider-Man skills of course.

We stopped to check out the polar bears and

then trekked our way up to see the rhinos and elephants. This was the first time we actually walked the whole zoo and didn't ride the train.

And I even made it into one of the pictures!

Parker definitely had a great time napping. It was a great day!

Camping at Pawnee Lake

2008-09-14T17:38:00.001-07:00

We didn't have great weather on Friday night or Sunday morning, but Saturday was beautiful! Parker spent a majority of the weekend doing this...

She slept through the night on Friday and woke up happy Saturday morning. She was her cheery little self for the morning and fell asleep at about 10:00 am. Marshall and Eli went fishing so I read my book for a while. I figured Parker would wake up by lunchtime for sure. Here she is at 12:30 pm...

So I continued reading my book and doing various things around the campsite thinking at any moment she would wake up. Didn't happen. Here's a different vantage point, but she's still zonked out in the stroller.

I couldn't believe how long she slept. It was the perfect temperature outside though. About 75 degrees and just the slightest breeze. Great weather for sleeping outside. Eventually Parker did decide to wake up.

She just loves lounging in the stroller and watching her big brother be silly. She's really found her voice and tries to talk back to him. He loves to make her smile.

Marshall and Eli had a great time fishing. He got a few shoulder rides. I know next year Eli will probably be too big for shoulder rides and Parker definitely won't be taking long naps in the stroller. She'll be on the move!

Boo!

2008-09-05T18:51:00.001-07:00

We're ready for Halloween at the Smith house. Parker is going to be a pea pod and Eli is going to be Batman. He's been Spider-man and Superman already so Batman seemed like the next logical choice really. It's been difficult trying to get him out of the costume, but at least we'll get our money's worth! Parker wasn't thrilled with her costume, but when it's chilly on Halloween I think she'll be fine. She laughed at herself in it when we put her in front of the mirror.

Three Months Old

2008-08-27T18:50:00.000-07:00

Little Parker cannot go without having her little blankie with her pretty much all day long. First she was using Eli's that Grandma Kay had made for him when he was a baby...

Eli didn't really like the fact that Parker was

using his baby blanket, but he went along with it like a good big brother. Well Grandma Kay made Parker her own pink woobie so now she has her very own. And she carries it with her everywhere.

Camping at Two Rivers

2008-08-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

Eli decided it was time to ride his bike. He got it for his birthday and hasn't really shown an interest, not to mention the fact that he couldn't pedal the thing. He just made up his mind he was going to do it and he did. Finally!

Parker slept through the night both nights that we camped. We're thinking about popping up the camper in the driveway and just letting

her sleep out there...

Parker has also taken to needing a woobie when she goes to sleep. When she was in the NICU the nurses put a wash cloth in there for her to snuggle and now she snuggles with whatever she can get her hands on. Grandma Kay is in the process of making her a special woobie that will be better than the burp rag she used on our camping trip!

Parker's Pics

2008-08-08T18:37:00.000-07:00

A co-worker took these photos of Parker at her home. She teaches sixth grade and is a very gifted photographer. These are just a few of the photos. They really turned out cute.

Sweet Story

2008-08-08T08:29:00.000-07:00

Last night Eli was laying in bed and I was tucking him in when he asked a question.

"How old will you be when I get big?"

"When you're a grown up like me?" I said.

"Yeah, how old will you be when I'm grown up like you?"

"Well, you'll be a grown up like me and Daddy and we'll be Grandma and Grandpa's age."

The lower lip comes out. "Where will you live?"

"I don't know," I said. "We might still live right here in this house."

Still with a bit of a sad face Eli says, "Can I live next door?" He's such a sweetheart.

Smiles

2008-08-07T16:16:00.001-07:00

Parker smiles and laughs all day long. She is such a happy girl!

Like Brother, Like Sister

2008-08-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

Do these two look alike or is it just me?

Swimming Lessons and Other People's Kids...

2008-07-31T11:39:00.000-07:00

Of course I have no pictures of the event, but Eli passed his "Eel" swim class and will be moving on to becoming a "Ray". I was really impressed with how much he learned in his class. He's going underwater all the time and did a good job of getting to the side when he jumped in the 4 ft. I still don't think he's quite ready to be left unattended at a swimming pool, but maybe by next summer. (That is a joke of course, but I feel like I have to tell you it's a joke so you don't report me to CPS.) At the end of the class today one of the mom's had a meltdown because her son wandered toward the 4 ft. (it's a zero entry pool). She jerked him out of the water and said "you're not in trouble, they are not keeping you safe!". What? There were 4 lifeguards there and they repeatedly said, "don't go past this line". Give me a break lady. They weren't going to let him drown, and it probably wouldn't have hurt for him to lose his footing for a moment so he'd realize he needs to pay attention.

A friend of mine also had a run in with "other people's kids" at a photo session a couple of weeks ago. Her six month old's head got clawed (with bloody claw marks to prove it) by a 1 year old. And no apology or even a scolding by the mother. Good thing the pictures were already done because he's a baldy. :) I realize that 1 year olds don't always know that they might hurt the baby, but the fact that the mom acted like it was no big deal is ridiculous to me. It might have been nice if she'd even just said, "now honey, don't claw it until it bleeds, just scratch light enough that he doesn't scream." I'm so glad my kids are perfect. ;)

Pool Time

2008-07-26T13:24:00.001-07:00

Two Months Old

2008-07-26T13:13:00.000-07:00

Parker Evelyn is two months old today! She went yesterday for her doctor visit and she's a little smaller than her brother was at this age, but not much. Here are her measurements to date.

Height: 22.75 inches (69th %ile) Eli was at the 80th %ile at two months

Weight: 12 lbs 7.5 oz. (89th %ile) Eli weighed a whopping 15 lbs at this point--97th %ile

Head Circumference: 41 (94th %ile) Eli was at the 95%ile--we're a big headed family I guess

She's getting so big!

Parker is a Baby Doll

2008-07-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

I've been getting up bright and early to take Eli to swimming lessons this week. He's doing great, but I'm having a heck of a time dragging the baby carrier (Parker is clearly gaining weight) and trying to keep track of Eli. We've managed though. Marshall went back to work this week so we're back on our own. Eli is disappointed of course. Nothing like having your 4 year old burst into tears in the morning at the thought of spending the day with you rather than daddy. Thankfully I'm fairly cold hearted and it doesn't phase me. Well, dad was able to attend a couple of swim lessons this week and was holding Parker sitting on the bench with me. During Eli's swimming lesson there is a water aerobics class also taking place. The instructor came over when they were done and mentioned that they thought Marshall was actually holding a doll and not a real baby! Of course we think Parker is pretty darn cute, but it was fun having the ladies ooo and ahh over her. Pictures to follow at some point. I hate my camera.

Video Clips and Bad Pictures

2008-07-21T21:18:00.000-07:00

I need to invest in a camcorder, but my crappy 2.0 megapixel digital camera will have to do for now. It's impossible to keep up with technology. I thought my camera was pretty sweet for about 5 minutes and then everyone had 10.0 megapixel cameras in no time. I didn't even own a camera until we bought the digital when I was pregnant with Eli. I actually let my belly get photographed when I was pregnant with Eli because we'd just bought the camera and had nothing to take pictures of but each other! Photography is something I would love to be better at. I see pictures that other people have taken of my kids and they really "capture" them. Me...not so much. I'm lucky if they look human in the pictures. In fact, to prove my point here, I've included some lovely shots of the kiddies courtesy of yours truly. I like to pretend it's my cheap crappy camera... I mean look at these for goodness sake. Anyway, back to the point. I've attached some video clips that are pretty cool, but very poor quality and no sound because of my outdated camera.

Texas Trip

2008-07-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

We went to visit Grandma and Grandpa for about a week over the 4th of July. We flew for the first time with two kiddos and it actually went really well. Parker slept quite a bit and Eli was very good. We flew out of KC so we went down the day before and stayed at a hotel in St. Joeseph, MO. It actually worked out really well because there was a little waterpark in the hotel and it was a Monday so it wasn't busy at all. Eli had a blast and I think Marshall was equally entertained.There are many activities to be had when we visit the ranch in Texas. Eli loves to ride four wheelers and go on "adventures". Marshall spends most of his time fishing. Eli will go fishing, but doesn't usually last too long. He also got to ride horses with Grandma so that was probably the best part! We had a great time. The next time we fly I'm sure Parker will not sleep through it....

How could something so sweet be so stinky?

2008-07-14T16:51:00.000-07:00

Sleepy. Stinky.

Growing, growing, growing

2008-07-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

Parker is growing like a weed these days. She weighs 12 lbs. now and doesn't show any signs of slowing down. I got bored and painted her toes while she was sleeping the other day. The color is OPI "It's All Greek To Me" in case anyone was wondering...a great color.

Parker's Superhero

2008-07-12T10:47:00.000-07:00

Eli is obsessed with all things superhero so Parker has taken on the role of "damsel in distress" to rescue at a moment's notice.

Daddy's Boy

2008-07-11T06:49:00.000-07:00

Eli loves to play Guitar Hero with Marshall. Now he just likes to play air guitar without even playing the game. It's pretty comical.
At Target not too long ago Eli begged to get some flip flops like his Dad's. He can't walk in them at all, but he was right, they do look similar.

One Month Old

2008-06-26T13:05:00.000-07:00

Parker is one month old today! I can't believe it. Her entry into the world was kind of hectic and scary, but she's a strong little thing! I'll never forget when they finally got her out and Marshall peeked around the screen and said, "It's a girl!". I was so happy. I saw her for just an instant, she didn't cry nearly as much as Eli did when he was born so my joy quickly changed to concern.
So Marshall and Parker left and I went to recovery. Then a phone call. Parker was having trouble breathing and they sent her to the NICU. I wouldn't be able to see her for at least 24 hours because I had a fever. It was the longest 24 hours of my life. When I finally got to go and see her I wasn't ready for all of the tubes and machines. Had a little breakdown, but the nurses (God bless them, they were wonderful) explained everything and that she really was getting better.
We had to leave the hospital without Parker, which was so hard, but she came home only a few days later. I hated leaving her there overnight because I was afraid she would wake up and wonder where we were, but Kate and April (both WONDERFUL NICU nurses) held her a lot during the night. She's a tough little thing. When she finally came home she slept solid for like three days. I think the was exhausted from all she had been through. I can't imagine how difficult it is for the parents who are there for weeks and months, not just a week like we were. We are very thankful that she got better so quickly.One month has gone by so fast! We love you Parker!

Friends

2008-06-26T10:41:00.000-07:00

Eli LOVES to get together with his friends. He's been an only child for so long that it's been a big treat to be able to have someone to play with. Cade and Eli had fun wearing "hats" when he and I went to visit the Morses in February.

We also love getting together with the Hensleys (Carson, IA). Ella, 5, and Hayden, 3 posed for this photo in March. Eli, Ella, and Hayden all have May birthdays so they're all exactly a year apart from each other. Parker will have a hard time keeping up with them!

The Hensleys came to visit us a few weeks ago to see Parker for the first time. We had fun playing in the pool. I think Ella's comment was, "Eli I love your big honkin pool!" It's really not all that big, but to a five year old I think it probably seems big. They had so much fun I definitely want to do it again. Eli and Ella look pretty cute embracing in the pool. I asked Eli once if Ella is his sweetie and he told me "She's just my friend Mom!" He gets really embarrassed if you talk about him having a "sweetie".

Parker's First Camping Trip

2008-06-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

We got back yesterday from taking Parker on her first camping trip! She's four weeks old today so she may have been the youngest one at the campground (Mahoney State Park), but she did great and we had a great time. We camped with our good friends Jim and Erin Morse (Waukee, IA) and their kids, Cade, 3, and Brecken, 7 months. Eli and Cade love to play and love to camp. Parker and Brecken were really good too. I realize a good blogger would have photos to accompany this post. I am clearly not a good blogger at this point, but plan to do a better job as I go along.

Erin and I happened to notice a young couple camping not far from us and noticed they didn't have kids. We kind of joked how relaxing that must be! They were in their reclining camping chairs reading their books. Cut to our campsites with strollers, baby equipment, bottles, pacifiers, action figures, scooters, play doh, moon sand, and various other kid related crap strung about. We wouldn't have it any other way, but it's so comical how much extra stuff we have to bring for the kids, which usually ends up being a waste because Cade and Eli spent a good amount of time inspecting tree bark, bird poop and various other things in nature. It's so time consuming packing everything up and setting up, tearing down, etc., but it's really some of the best times we've had. We both would like to buy bigger campers (we both have pop up campers) but I'm pretty sure if we had more space it would just get consumed with more kid stuff!

Photo added! Yay!

Just Learning

2008-06-22T16:46:00.000-07:00

I'm attempting this as a way to organize photos and memories of our family. More to come later as I figure this out....