2 weeks old!!

It's hard to believe that two whole weeks have passed already. I find myself cherishing these days...yes, even the middle of the night feedings...because I know this is our last one. And what a precious boy he is! Although, he has already put us to the test quite a bit. After a late night trip to the ER and several days of constant fussiness, he was diagnosed with a mild case of acid reflux. So, we hesitantly put him on the medication recommended and watched as he became a different baby almost overnight. He is now much happier and growing like a weed. At his 2 week appt, he had regained his birth weight (7 lbs. 14 oz.) and then some...weighing in at 9lbs! We call him "Stretch" because he is so tall and has the longest arms you've ever seen (maybe a future basketball player like his uncle?).

Lauren continues to love on him and her only complaint is that she doesn't get to hold him as much as she would like. Her favorite thing to do is make up songs and sing them to him - always to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". She has been such a great helper and incredibly understanding of the time Mommy has to devote to her new little brother. Thankfully, she has also been preoccupied by the fact that her Grandma and Papa are here to entertain her and spoil her rotten! They have also been a HUGE help to us - doing everything from cleaning the house to buying groceries and cooking for us to getting up in the morning with Lauren so we can sleep in. I'm definitely dreading when they leave this Friday, not just because of all they've been doing for us, but because it means we won't get to see them again until July. :( But, we are very excited that we get to go back to Oregon this summer and that our visit will be much longer this time!

We're Home

We are all at home now, having checked out of the hospital late Monday morning. It was a beautiful day to bring a baby home!



















I can remember when they sent us home from Meridian Park Hospital with Lauren over four years ago. It was a freezing December day, we were first time parents, and they just sent us out the door to our car with few instructions and no safety net. I recall looking at Kimbelry in the seat next to me before I drove us home and we both had the same question in our eyes: "What do we do now?"

Heading home this time was a lot different. Both because we now have a much greater understanding of what to do and what is required, but also because we have an established family to integrate our son into. We aren't starting from scratch, and that gives us a lot of confidence.

Pick your night and you'll get a different number for the amount of hours we have slept in the last week. They range from 3-8, but you'll be luckier if you pick on the low side. Still, Kimberly and I have enjoyed our middle of the night time hanging with Nolan. It is all possible because Sue is here to make sure Lauren gets off to school or gets breakfast while we catch some extra sleep when possible.

Thank you, everyone, for your prayers, support, and enthusiastic calls and emails to help us celebrate!!

Welcome Nolan Robert!!

March 7th has been a long awaited day. Over that last few months, all of the pieces have fallen into place to get us here, just in time.

We started the day doing one of our favorite things - snuggling in bed with Lauren, just the three of us. After breakfast Kimberly and I drove Lauren to school to drop her off for the day. We went home from there to some last minute packing, final instructions to Grandma, and then we were off to the hospital to get checked in and started.

At about 10:30am, we were shown to our birthing suite (complete with jacuzzi, flat screen TV, DVD player, and stereo system) and the nurse began preparing Kimberly for the C-Section. An IV in the arm, some Pepcid AC for her stomach, and then we got to sit and wait. A couple from our Sunday School class happened to have delivered by C-Section the day before and were 4 rooms down from us, so they came to visit with their son Ethan (10 lbs 7 oz - good thing they went the surgical route).

12:30 was magic time, and after a brief prayer time together, they took Kimberly off to get her spinal. I was asked to stay out of the OR for that, but once she was stable and on the operating table, they brought me in to sit up near her head. I talked with her and reassured her as the surgeons did their work. After about 10 minutes I heard, "Dad, go ahead and look over. You are going to want to see this!" I peeked up and watched as they pulled Nolan up and out. To be honest, he was a little angry! There was a flurry of activity as they did all their checks, then they held him up over the screen for Kimberly to see. He looked great!!

I stayed with her for another few minutes until the nurses invited me over to where they were performing the APGAR tests and taking his temprature. Born at 12:50pm (EST), he weighed 7 lbs 14 oz and measured 21 inches in length. He didn't cry much, really, but he did pee all over the nurse who brought him over to the warmer. That's my boy!

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!! :)