Birth Announcement

We ordered Sawyer's birth announcements from Shutterfly today.  I think the design is so cute and I can't wait to get them and see them in person!  We are only sending them to family since our families are spread out all over.  So many of them haven't seen him (really only our parents and siblings - except Glenn's brother have met him) so we wanted to make sure that family were able to see his sweet face.  We are very proud of him!  So family - clear off your fridge, because you are going to want to keep this up forever.  I mean, who wouldn't want to see that adorable little man everyday?!  Enjoy!

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

one month old

okay, this picture is actually from a couple of weeks ago, but it is too precious not to post!! It is one of our many fabulous pictures taken during his newborn shoot. I'll post more later or you can see them on facebook. They are adorable!!

One month stats -

Height - 21 inches (10th percentile)

weight - 7lbs, 15oz (5th percentile)

head - 14.5 inches (10th percentile)

So our little man is still a peanut, but he's growing and gaining weight, and that's what's important!

He is eating every 3 hours, except at night when he goes 5 hours between one feeding, giving us about 4 hours of solid sleep - yay! He is so alert and happy. He makes the best faces, and keeps us laughing all the time! I think this means he'll have a very fun personality as he grows up. He holds his head up very well, loves to be read to, and doesn't hate tummy time. He LOVES music!!! Not surprising since his daddy is a musician, but it instantly calms him down and puts him in a very happy mood.

We absolutely adore his little man, and can't imagine life without him now. He has definitely made our lives sweeter!

weight saga

So our little man has been through it in the weight department. After he gained his 2 oz. we took him back a week later for his 2 week check up. He had not gained anything...not even a half an oz. He was weighing in at 6lbs. 5.5 oz - still 1lb 2.5oz smaller than he his birthweight. He had grown a half an inch and was 20.5 inches long, and his head was measuring at 13.75 inches. So, we decided to move his feedings to every 2-2.5 hours and come back in 2 days. Two days later he had only gained a 1/2 an oz. Enter the formula.

I have to be honest and say that I really struggled with the mommy guilt. I felt like a failure to be completely honest - because I was his only source of nourishment, and I couldn't provide what he needed to grow and thrive. After some tears and lots of prayers I feel much better about doing whatever needs to be done to help my boy grow.

So, we are supplementing with formula. We started out only giving him 2 oz. 2-3 feedings a day and he managed to gain 5 oz. in 3 days!!! yay!! Now, however he wants it after every feeding and will cry and cry if he doesn't have a bottle immediately following nursing. So - we are still trying to figure out this whole feeding thing, but the important thing is that our boy is gaining weight and is content and growing.

I love that little man!!

quick update

We just got back from the Dr. Sawyer has gained 2 ounces!! yay!! So, we'll just keep doing what we are doing and he'll have chubby thighs in no time! :)

Sawyer Glenn Smith - One week old/birth story

I can't believe my sweet little Sawyer is already one week old (yesterday actually)! He has truly turned our lives upside down and inside out and I am loving every minute of it (yes, even the ones in the middle of the night)! I knew he would change our lives, but I honestly wasn't prepared for just how much. He has changed the things we think about and worry about, he has changed the way I love Glenn, and how much more I love Glenn. I never knew I could love a little person as much as I love Sawyer!

We have had an interesting first week with our little man. I had to have a c-section on Wednesday because Sawyer was breech. Not only was he breech, but he had his feet down in my birth canal, legs crossed, with his hands folded behind his head like he was sitting in a lounge chair on the beach. This is certainly indicative of his overall laid back personality so far. When Sawyer made his big debut on Wednesday, March 7th at 1:22pm, weighing in at 7lbs, 8oz and 20 inches long with lots of hair and great lungs Glenn and I both started to cry. Glenn got to go over and see him and was immediately smitten with that boy. He took some pictures and then came back around to show me. I was able to see/kiss on Sawyer all wrapped up for about 2 minutes, then they took him and Glenn to the nursery for his first bath, footprints, and vitals. The c-section itself wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was completely painless (thank you God and my spinal block), and I had a great team of people working on me. After Glenn and Sawyer left my BP dropped and that's when I started to feel really bad. There is something very humbling about being in a room full of strangers with everything God gave you out there for everyone to see, and to be throwing up on top of that. Giving birth will definitely break you of your vanity! lol! The whole surgery only took 50 min from start to finish, then I was taken to recovery where I was hooked up to all kinds of monitors and just rested. About 20 minutes into recovery (an hour after he was born) I FINALLY got to hold my sweet baby boy. It was a totally surreal experience! He latched on perfectly right away, and after he ate I was able to hold and snuggle him until we were wheeled to our room. Glenn was waiting for us when we got to our room and we were able to have some sweet time just the 3 of us before all the grandparents came in. Sawyer is the first grandchild for everyone, so needless to say there were 6 very excited grandparents on the 4th floor of Piedmont Henry Hospital on March 7th!

That whole rest of the day is kind of a blur, as I was feeling terrible and could only keep down ice chips. By Wednesday night they had me up on my first walk - 12 steps to the bathroom. Trust me, that felt like an accomplishment! By Thursday night, after some solid food, a shower, and some pain meds I was starting to feel human again. We got to go home by noon on Friday and all the grandparents came over to the house and passed around Sawyer.

He was been a really great baby. He HATES to be naked, and have his clothes/diaper changed and will certainly let you know that this is not his idea of a good time. But other than that he is pretty much content all the time. He was nursing okay, but was quickly getting frustrated as my milk wasn't coming in. He also developed some pretty hard core gas, so that made for a long night on Saturday. (God bless the makers of Milacon drops!) We went to the Dr. on Monday and found out that he had lost down to 6lbs, 3oz. (down a pound and 5 ounces since birth). He was dehydrated and hadn't pooped since Friday. My milk finally came in Monday night so when we went back on Tuesday he had gained half an ounce. The weight gain was encouraging, and our Dr. said he looked really healthy, and that he wasn't very worried about the weight loss since he looked so good, and had shown a small gain. We go back today for another weigh in. He's been eating like a champ for almost 48 hours (and has had 2 HUGE poops - yay!), so we are hoping and praying for a more significant weight gain!

There is certainly nothing like a new baby to make you worry over things you never worried over before and to make you excited over things you were never excited over before (ie, pooping and peeing). We love him so much, and it grows more and more each day. He has the cutest little face, and I could literally stare at it all day long! He makes the best faces - and he keeps Glenn and I laughing and snapping pictures all day long.

Glenn has been an amazing dad and husband! He has gone above and beyond to take care of me as I recover and to take care of Sawyer. He is very hands on and loves to be right there with me as we change him, I feed him, getting up at night, etc. He loves his boy and I can tell they will have a very special bond for the rest of Sawyer's life!

Pics to come - and an update on his weight. Prayers would be appreciated!

great education blog giveaway

Erica over at Erica's Elementary Excitement is hosting a fabulous giveaway! Get on over there, check out her blog, and enter! Good luck pals!

http://erica-elementaryexcitement.blogspot.com/2011/06/beginning-blog-giveaway.html?commentPage=4

busy, busy, busy

Alternate title - showers and sewing

Whew....what a past 2 months it has been! I'll just hit the high points here, because we have been busy!

- our roof is fixed, and there have been no wasps!!!!!

- hosted a baby shower for Sarah with my sweet life group girls - it was cute and a good time

- sewed, sewed, sewed...

- hosted a baby shower for my sweet friend Lanie Beth with another great group of girls - it was BEAUTIFUL, and such a wonderful time

- sewed, sewed, sewed

- hosted a couples wedding shower with Christina and Rachel for Katie and Nick - we did an entertainment theme, so we played Battle of the Sexes (the boys won) and the Newlywed game (Glenn and I won!), and everyone brought Katie and Nick things for game night, or date night, or parties they would host, etc. It was a blast!

- sewed, sewed, sewed

- attended a baby shower for my dear friend Allison Barton in Macon - it was so great to see her and Noah (or at least her cute Noah belly), and to see Lisa and Shane, and other people I hadn't seen in too long

- attended a lingerie shower for Katie - so.much.fun!

- attended Nick and Katie's wedding - it was GORGEOUS, and I had a blast cuttin' a rug out on the dance floor with all my Momentum peeps - Momentum really represented on the dance floor that night

- we are now giving Brooklyn injections twice a week with a trial medication to see if it keeps her allergies at bay....yes, she's the first animal to do this trial in our vet's office...ever - oh we love our little HM dog!

- went to NC to see my family for an early mother's day, Evan's 2nd birthday party, and for Caleb's prom - that's right...my baby brother went to prom! yeesh, I'm old! He was so handsome, and Landis (his girlfriend) looked beautiful, in their matching Carolina blue! It was a great time with my mom, Mark, and Caleb, but as usual too short!

- my best friend (of 17 years) Jamie, her husband Eric, and girls, Bella and Lauren (Tot) came for the weekend - it was so much fun! Jamie and I can always just pick up where we left off, our husbands love to discuss and debate theology, and her girls are so precious, and such a hoot! We went to Noah's Ark, ate lots of goldfish and strawberries, went to church, and had a great time visiting ....I can't wait until they come back!

- got to visit Brad, Lanie Beth, and precious Rowan in the hospital - Rowan is perfect, and just lovely (as we all knew she would be!), we just love her to pieces!

- went to Birmingham to visit Glenn's Papa, and his mom and sister came up too. It was fun just hanging out with family, and we did a little shopping, a LOT of eating, and we got to meet all of Papa and Rose's friends in their senior's sunday school class....that was a hoot!

- last day of school was Friday!!! YAY!!! I only have to go back Tuesday and Wednesday and then I'm officially done for 2 months of glorious summer vacation!

Here is what we have coming up:

- today we are going to get our free Chick-fil-a spicy chicken sandwiches (check out their website to see how to get yours free), going to Ikea, and then taking dinner to Brad and Lanie Beth

- tomorrow is my BIRTHDAY! (the last year of my 20s....I should have a bucket list or something!)

- my dad and Glenn's parents are coming to help us replace the wall in our living room where the water was leaking in - that's going to be an undertaking

- my parents are coming to town to go to the Braves/Tigers series - Mark and Caleb are big Detroit Tigers fans, so that will be fun.

- we are going to Pensacola for our annual 4th of July celebration with Glenn's family

- Glenn is taking one class this summer

- I am going to attempt to get my sewing room as close to complete as money will allow this summer

- I had to move classrooms again, so I will be working on getting the new one set up this summer as well - hopefully this will be my last move for a while!

wow...are you tired yet?! I am exhausted just seeing it all typed out....

So, that's why I've been a bit MIA lately....hopefully things will calm down a little bit so we can get some rest! :)