The Smiths Big News...

Some people think this is good news, and some people think it is bad news...what you think about it will depend on two things:
1) where you live   
2)whether or not you like us. ;)

As some of you already know, Sean and the girls and I have decided to make a big family move. We were not looking to move or for Sean to change jobs, but an opportunity came out of the blue. We didn't have much time to make the decision, but after praying, talking, making a zillion pros/cons list, getting advice from others, etc, we decided it was the right thing to do. It was a very hard decision, since we have developed close relationships with people here, and since this is the place that we've started raising our little family of princesses.

Sean is taking a job in Fayetteville, Arkansas, which is where I grew up and all my family is. It's very exciting to think about being around my parents, siblings, friends, etc...but believe it or not, I did not arrange this! Sean will be working with Sport Personality, LLC. He will be doing project management (and other things) for a sports media company. If you are familiar with Sean's sports affiliations, this might be a shock to his system to move to "Razorback Country!"

Sean starts next Monday, and we might be completely moved by Christmas. I wish I had time to see and talk to each of my Dallas area friends and family before we move, but it looks like it might not happen. I just want to thank all of you for loving us, encouraging us, and helping us out countless times. We will miss everyone very much.

To my Fayetteville people...I'm really looking forward to being around you all on a regular basis!

God bless you!
Julie

P.S.

Below is a conversation that Brighton and I had in the car the other day, while trying to encourage her to pray about the everyday things going on in our lives.

Mommy: Brighton, we should pray about some of these things that are happening. Would you like to start?
Brighton: yes...
God, can you help my head feel better?... because I fell off my bed yesterday and hit my head.
...and one more thing...
Do you like Christmas?

Priceless!

(I called Sean to tell him what she said, and he pointed out that God does, indeed, like Christmas...after all, it WAS His idea!)

BOO!

Boston is starting to be more expressive. She's always made funny faces while trying to fill a diaper, but now she is starting to focus in on people a little and sometimes smile! We had a fun halloween and enjoyed getting to take all 3 girls to a church festival. Check out our pictures using the link here (you may have already seen the first half of this batch, but there are lots of new ones, too!): http://picasaweb.google.com/seanjuliesmith/WebAlbum2010October?authkey=Gv1sRgCNvB5YyTg5OEnQE

Tell Me Something I DON'T Know

They say you learn a lot about yourself when you become a parent. Sean and I have, indeed, learned much about ourselves these last few years...and Brighton has taken the lead on this instructional project.

For instance, we learned from her that daddies are more fun than mommies because "they are the warmest". She also taught me about how I have blue veins on my forehead. One time I was delighted to learn, by way of this hyper-observant 4 year old, that my head looked like a mushroom (thanks a lot, dear)!

And is it possible that her newest lesson for me is that I'm a craigslist junkie? Rummaging through the cabinet this week, she discovered a sheer silver tablecloth with large crystal beads attached to the corners. After admiring it for a moment, she said, "This is pretty. I love this!" Then she added, looking somewhat concerned, "Mama, don't put it on craigslist."

Being 2 is Hard Work

Usually meal time is the most exciting part of Berkeley's day...the kid loves to eat! On this day, however, she had her flu shot...and whatever they put in that thing hit her right about dinner time. After we cleaned her up, she instantly became delirious, laughing at her big sister's antics. It was all very amusing.

3 B's in a Pod

The "big girls" have really enjoyed having little Boston here. Brighton is very motherly toward her, and Berkeley treats her like she's a baby doll, patting her and saying "ahhhhhh."

Check out our new pictures! Click the link below:

http://picasaweb.google.com/seanjuliesmith/WebAlbum2010October?authkey=Gv1sRgCNvB5YyTg5OEnQE

Welcome to Boston!

Boston Adeline Smith was born on September 21st, 2010 at 7:39 pm, weighing 8 lbs 3 oz and measuring 20 3/4 inches in height.
Welcome, Boston!
Click here for more pictures!

Am I Going to Have to Do This the "Old-Fashioned" Way?

We were ready. We had the bag packed, the cameras ready, the babysitter on the way...I had my waterproof mascara on and my hair straightened (hoping it would survive the events of the day). We were 5 minutes from heading out the door to have our baby! We were scheduled to be induced this morning at 7am.
But...somehow a whole herd of pregnant women decided to gang up on the maternity ward at the hospital and all have babies last night/today. They were totally booked this morning and I couldn't go in for the induction. Definitely a let down, as Sean and I had almost came to the realization that we were having our 3rd child today.
The real bummer (to me) is that the earliest my doctor could reschedule is for next Tuesday.
Well...there's always the good old-fashioned way...I can just go into labor! So, I had some jalapenos for breakfast and Sean is suggesting jumping jacks. Nah, just kidding (although I really did have some fresh jalapenos from our yard this morning!).
On the bright side, maybe we'll have a name for this girl by then! 

Berkeley's Funny Faces

Berkeley has really taken on some extra personality lately! Her new favorite way to get giggling is by making the face in the second picture...causing us to make the same face...causing her to laugh with delight! It's so fun.
She has also become Sean's #1 fan. She even laughs at his jokes...even when no one else is laughing. I'm not even sure how she knows that he told a joke, but that girl is ready to support her daddy!
As far as her development, Berkeley is making so much progress! She is crawling on her hands and knees, pulling up to stand, and doing a ton of cute babbling. She loves to say "duck" when she sees one in a book. Oh, and she's a great snuggler...that's always good. :) It's just hard to believe that she'll be a big sister in a couple of days!

Sunrise on the Beach

We're not exactly early risers around the Smith house, but I wanted so badly to get up and take Brighton to the beach one morning to see the sunrise. She had never been to the beach and this trip was all inspired by her interest in sea creatures. She loves to learn about sharks, crabs, fish, eels...it's all fascinating to her. But  (maybe just to be quirky) she is also pretty terrified of anything unfamiliar. It's a strange mix.

We woke up in time our last morning of our trip. We walked across the street from the resort still wearing our pajamas and got to the beach before the sun came up. It was beautiful! Brighton collected shells, we came across a couple of sandcrabs, we marveled at the sunrise
...and then she fell backwards into a big puddle of sea water! Our quaint little morning adventure was cut short as Brighton was terrified that she had fallen into the ocean! The thought of jellyfish attacking her took over and we had to leave.
...but it sure was a beautiful sunrise.

Is This Normal?

Maybe some of you parents that have had a 4 year old can tell me...is this normal? Brighton loves to eat the strangest combinations of things. This particular day, she had her heart set on watermelon and ketchup. Umm....excuse me Brighton, but isn't MOMMY the one who is supposed to be having strange cravings right now? Maybe she just takes after her great grandfather, "Pop," who regularly enjoyed eating pickled pigs' feet and drinking milk with Tony Cachere's mixed in.

4th of July in Austin

We had a great time with Sean's family in Austin. The reason you don't see Brighton in this picture is that she wouldn't come within 20 feet of a sparkler! She's a little skiddish around fire and explosives...and I'm okay with that.

Too Cool For Summer

Mmmmm.....Spaghetti!

This girl could eat spaghetti for hours...and she just about did! Lovin' that Berkeley!!!

Welcome to the newest Drama Queen!

The girls LOVE their daddy! They love mommy, too, but there's just something about daddy. We're having a great summer so far...we really are...but I'm still getting used to being home (or somewhere) with the girls all day. Some of you who are moms might understand that there can sometimes be a little bit of tension between mothers and daughters. Brighton and I really did have a wonderful day today, but by the end of the day things were getting a little dramatic. She really wanted a gumball, but since she had just had a cookie, I told her no. She pressed the issue, so I said (trying to use a New York accent), "forget about it." With as much drama as she could muster, while holding her pointer finger up in the air, she said, "I will NEVER forget about it! I will keep this story FOREVER!" I think Sean summed it up tonight when he said, "when you get a bunch of women together, things just get crazy."

Jungle Princess

Brighton made a wonderful "Jungle Princess"...a party theme that she came up with all by herself ("princess for the girls, and jungle for the boys," she said). Her party was at Chuck E. Cheese's, and they really made her feel like a princess. It was so fun to see her having a great time with her friends and family.
As if kids' parties aren't exhausting enough, we decided to top off the day with a trip to the Dallas zoo. They were having the annual "Zoobilee" ... bounce houses, free carousel rides, stilt-walkers, face painting, and of course... animals! Two of her cousins from Austin, Carson and Brenna, came with us and we all had a great time. The kids slept good that night!
One of her presents was a safari book that we got at the zoo. Each day she wants to learn about a new animal. Yesterday it was Lions, and she learned the word "pride." Today was the White Rhino (which also happens to be the name of our favorite coffee house). She learned what poaching is. Each page has a 3D puzzle of the animal that you can put together. When I told Brighton that it was too late to put together the rhino puzzle tonight, she said, "but Mama, I want to LEARN!" Wow, talk about manipulating the heart of a mom (and a teacher at that!)...nevertheless, I said no. Sometimes it's just time for bed!
Good night, Jungle Princess.

More birthday pictures at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=222563&id=745472353&saved#!/album.php?aid=222563&id=745472353&ref=mf

Summer Fun

We are having a great summer so far!
In case you don't live in Texas, let me just tell you: IT IS HOT!!!! The water hose has been our friend!
 Here is a link to some pictures of the kids doing various summer things: water hose, zoo with cousins, firehouse tour, and even an overseas guest!
http://picasaweb.google.com/seanjuliesmith/WebAlbum20106June?authkey=Gv1sRgCKiewdWQqMuwxAE

Here are a few more photos from last month in case I forgot to post them:
http://picasaweb.google.com/seanjuliesmith/May2010WebAlbum?authkey=Gv1sRgCKnTxIrC_ruJ8AE

Fire Station

Here are a few pictures from our recent tour of the fire station in Duncanville. Our good friend Logan Henry is a firefighter there and volunteered to show us around the station. Brighton got to learn all about the truck and even try on some of Logan's equipment. Thanks, Logan!
For more pictures from May, please go to
http://picasaweb.google.com/seanjuliesmith/May2010WebAlbum?authkey=Gv1sRgCKnTxIrC_ruJ8AE

No wonder her clothes don't fit any more...

Visiting the Dallas Zoo is one of our favorite family traditions! We've been measuring Brighton for a few years using the giant ruler by the penguin habitat.
This first picture is from June of 2009, and the 2nd picture is from early April, 2010 (notice that she is not standing up straight against the ruler. She really measured 3'6" that day). She has grown about 5 or 6 inches in less than a year!
Thank goodness for capris being in style...we get away with rolling up her highwater pants and making them look like they're supposed to be that way. :)

The Pineapple experience

No words necessary...just please watch this video! :)

Easter Picture

"He is Risen!" ~Matthew 28:6

Teddy Bear Parade

Just thought I would throw in this picture of Brighton pulling her Texas Rangers Bear, "Ranger," during her Teddy Bear Parade at her school. She decorated the box and proudly gave Ranger a ride to show her off!

Surgiversary

Celebrating 1 year since Berkeley's heart surgery! It seems like forever ago. What an answer to prayer, that her surgery went perfectly and she has absolutely NO problems ever since. We go for checkups a couple of times a year, but the doctor doesn't foresee any need for future surgeries.

Her physical development is not where it should be yet, but she has therapists that push her to work hard (even though she really puts up a fuss about it). Finally, she seems motivated enough to get toward certain toys that she will army crawl and inch her way to them. Crawling should happen soon! We keep telling her how much she's going to love it!

Brighton is still very loving toward her and loves to play with her. Sometimes we have to pry her off, but at least the smothering is done in love. For those who don't know, we've got a new one on the way, too. Brighton and Berkeley will have a new brother OR sister in September.

Thank you to everyone for all the love and support you give us, and for anyone who reads this blog. Our girls are such a joy for us, and we are happy to share with all of you.

Snow Princess

The snow princess sits on her fluffy white throne after our bizzarre snowstorm 2 weeks ago.
Brighton had a blast in this once-in-a-Dallas-lifetime snowfall (over 12" of snow...and over 15" in neighboring towns). Even though it was a rare occasion, we weren't sure if we should let the girls play in the snow because our power was out, which meant no heat. We didn't want to freeze them and not be able to thaw them! But I just had to get Brighton out there, at least for a little while! Snow angels, snow balls, snow man, and snow throne...we pretty much did it all even though we only spent about an hour outside.

Having a blast at meal time

Just a short video of Berkeley...always making us smile!

One of My Favorite Pictures

Nothing new has happened, really...but this is just one of my favorite pictures of Berkeley, so I thought I would post it. She is a constant smile-maker at our house. She smiles, and we do, too.
For those of you who have wondered, Berkeley is still working on trying to crawl. She learned how to sit up, and was having so much fun with that for a few weeks, that she stopped working on getting onto hands and knees. We have to discourage her from getting up into that sitting position, and keep her on her belly so she will try to crawl.
She has, however, made some great strides in playing the piano. She bangs out a very beautiful little tune (at least it's beautiful to us!).
Wondering what the possibilities are, I searched the internet to see about kids with Down Syndrome playing instruments. A site came up about a young man named Sujeet who plays 6 instruments. Here is a clip of him playing piano.
http://www.vimeo.com/1070140