Preparing for baby

As I looked at the calendar today, I could hardly believe my eyes - can it be that I will be a mother of two in just 10 days? In some ways (physically), I couldn't be more ready to have him here. But, in other ways, I am scared to death about how our lives will change with this new addition...and I find myself wishing I had a little more time just the 3 of us. The past 4 years have been so special with Lauren and I’m still unsure of how it will be dividing my time with two. Yet, I also know that giving her a little brother is, in many ways, one of the best things we can do for her.

And, I have to admit I am very curious to learn about this great mystery that is raising a little boy. I can only hope that he will have the same sensitive spirit and compassionate heart that his big sister does…and that the two of them will have a close friendship like the one that my brother and I shared growing up.

Two years ago, almost to the day (March 1st), Ryan and I renewed our commitment to each other and to the Lord. From that moment on, we have been purposeful about seeking His direction for our family and following His will. Nolan’s arrival so near to that anniversary couldn’t be a sweeter or more meaningful gift from the God that has never ceased to show us His faithfulness and redeeming love.

A Special Valentine's Day

Being away from home and not having found a good babysitter yet, we knew this was going to be a different kind of Valentine’s Day (translation: no date night for us). But, I was determined to make it special and fun. So, I let Ryan request the kind of dinner he wanted me to make (he asked for chicken parmigiana). Then, I recruited Lauren to help me bake and frost a heart-shaped cake “for Daddy”. I decided we would eat in our formal dining room, which rarely gets used, and decorate it nice for the holiday. Lastly, we all dressed up and “pretended” we were going out to eat at a fancy restaurant. (Maybe Bistro de la Smith?)















After our yummy dinner, I introduced a new idea to our family. We have been teaching Lauren lately about serving other people…and how that starts at home. She has really caught on and has been doing little things and then saying, “That’s how I can serve you, mommy.” So, to get her further excited about this, I made a little craft: a heart out of construction paper that I stamped, laminated and wrote on (see picture below). I presented this to her and Ryan at the table and explained that anytime you do something to serve someone else in the family, you can leave the heart behind to show them that you did it because you love them. It can be anything from folding the laundry to cleaning up a room without being asked to making someone else’s bed for them. Lauren was very excited about this idea and hopefully it will be something we’ll all use on a regular basis.















Lauren and I then surprised Ryan with the cake we had baked and decorated earlier in the day (see picture below) and we all enjoyed eating it! Overall, it was a very fun Valentine’s Day, even though it was slightly different than what we normally do. And I’m sure that Ryan and I will be able to get out for a date when my mom comes to stay with us – we’re definitely looking forward to that!! :)

The Smith Infirmary

The last couple of weeks have been quite interesting for the three of us. It all began with Lauren, who came down with a fever and cold two weeks ago. Then, Ryan caught the cold, but seemed to get over it fairly quickly. Although, just when we thought he was back to normal, he developed a terrible cough. Around that same time, I came down with the same fever and cold that Lauren had. Ryan was getting worse every day, so we decided it was time to take him in to see the doctor.

Yesterday, he went in and was diagnosed with pneumonia. Then, today, I went back in to be seen by the doctor and was diagnosed with bronchitis. So, we make quite the coughing pair! :) The good news is that Lauren is completely healthy now and back to normal (she is the one taking care of mom & dad). Thankfully, Ryan and I are both on antibiotics so we are finally on the mend, which is good because we have 4 weeks to recover before the baby comes!!

We have a date!!

We have been going back and forth for the last couple of months...trying to decide if we want to schedule another c-section for this baby or if we wanted to try and do it the other way. Finally, after much prayer and research, we agreed to schedule the c-section. So, this week, when we went to see the doctor, we were assigned our date! Assuming all goes smoothly and he doesn't come early on his own, Nolan Robert Smith will be joining us on March 7th (sometime around 12:30pm). It feels so wonderful to know when we will be going in so we can start making plans. We even made a "baby countdown" calendar for Lauren so she can mark off the days until she becomes a big sister.

The other huge relief is that my mom was able to book her ticket to come back and she will be here for the whole month of March! My dad will also be coming for a week at the end of the month to join us for Easter and to fly back to Oregon with my mom. We are so excited to have them come stay with us and I know I am going to be indebted to my mother for all the ways she will be helping me out! :)

Road Trip to SC

Because Ryan didn’t have to work today and Lauren was off from school, we decided to take a little family road trip down south. We left around 8:30am and headed down to South Carolina. The reason for our trip was to stop at the Pottery Barn Outlet (to look for some nursery items) and to have lunch at a world-famous landmark in Spartanburg called the Beacon Drive-In. We had actually heard about the restaurant on a Food Network show called “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives”. After learning the history and finding out that it was only an hour and a half drive, we decided we had to check it out.

The Beacon Drive-In is one of the few drive-in restaurant legends remaining that offers curb service. Although, after driving all that way, we decided to eat in the dining room with the locals. This now-famous place was opened on Thanksgiving Day in 1946 following World War II. The founder, John White, began the drive-in using his own recipes and personally manned the cash register, along with his sons, for more than 50 years. He became such a legend, known for his integrity and caring spirit, that Reidville Road (where the drive-in is located) was re-named John B. White, Sr. Blvd. in 1999.

The Beacon ranks as the 2nd largest drive-in restaurant in the US. They use 3 tons of onions, 3 tons of potatoes, 4 tons of beef, chicken and seafood…every week! It is also the largest single seller of iced tea in the US. They go through 3,000 pounds of sugar per week, making 62,500 gallons per year (that’s enough to fill 24 tanker trucks)! The Beacon’s menu is huge, ranging from the usual hot dogs and cheeseburgers to catfish and other traditional southern fare to banana-mayo sandwiches on white bread that Elvis might have loved. Nearly all the specialties are available as A-Plenty plates, which is your main item buried on a plate underneath piles of sweet and oily onion rings and French fried potatoes. (We ordered the cheeseburger A-Plenty…see picture below. Yes, there really is a burger under all that!)

As wonderful as the food is, it’s the atmosphere that makes the Beacon a true southern experience. The moment you enter and approach the serving line, you are virtually accosted by an order-taker (see picture below) who will demand, “CALL IT OUT!” You have to say what you want to eat and say it quickly, or else he will tell you to stand back and allow other, swifter customers to say their piece. Once you manage to convey your order, he will shout it back to the huge open kitchen, then ask you in no uncertain terms to “MOVE ON DOWN THE LINE!” You then grab a tray and by the time you have moved twenty paces forward, there your order will be – miraculously, exactly as you ordered it. A bit farther down the line, you get your tea, lemonade, or soda and pay the cashier, then find a seat. Needless to say, we had a great time and felt so proud of ourselves for venturing outside of our state to enjoy a taste of southern cuisine and culture!