Wow its been a while...

At the moment these 3 beauties are my light :)

We are in Arizona now and trying to get back to our normal routines!!

I love my girlies!!

Loving these Dresses :)

Sleeping "Bath" Beauties

LOL

These two Yahoo's were in the bath tub the other night and were pretending they were Sleeping Beauties :)

I grabbed my camera for a random shot and this is what "Sleeping Beauties" must look like?? I told Ry that "if you are sleeping that your eyes need to be closed and that you really dont smile like that when you are sleeping" she replied "yes mom, I know, I'm just pretending to be asleep" okay Rylee!!

And Syd, well I think this says it all..... haha 

My little Lexee Jo (oh how the time is flyin')

Lexee Jo is 4 months :)

This little girlie turned 4 months old at the end of September :)

* Is a lovely 16.5 lbs (out weighs both of her sisters by two lbs)

* Is a whopping 26.75 inches tall (yep has two inches on both sisters as well at 4 mos)

* Loves to smile and talk talk talk

* Found her feet and toes, they've become great friends ;)

* Doesn't like to sleep through the night (but then again I know I'm not that lucky)

* Rylee is definitely one person that can get her to smile and laugh

* Sydnee is the little watcher, she climbs into Lexee's crib and sits with her until I come and get Lex (good or              bad not sure yet)

* Loves to stand up when you are holding her hands

* Bath time continues to be her favorite time of day (When Rylee and Syd are in the bath she sits on the side, refusing to wait her turn and usually ends up completely soaked)

* Haven't ventured down the cereal or food path yet but we'll be trying it out in the next couple weeks or so

* She some how acquired a piece of licorice last night and found that-that was a pretty tasty thing to suck on ooops :) (thanks Sydnee babysitter)

* Three little girls, Shane you definitely have your work cut out for you :) That is of course because my year vacation starts when you get home.....RIGHT???? (lol)

Just a Thought on the Minds of Many

This is for the young women that are waking up at 6 a.m. every morning with small precious children that they have been left alone to care for. This is for the pregnant Military wife wondering if her husband will make it home in time to watch their miracle happen. This is for the childless Military wife, living in a town or on a base alone where she is a complete stranger to her surroundings. This is for the women that feel like a third leg when they go out with their friends and their husbands. This is for the Military wife that cancelled all her plans to wait by the phone, and even though the phone broke up and cut off every time you spoke to him you waited anyway. This is a pledge to the women that cry themselves to sleep in an empty bed. This is to recognize the woman that felt like she was dying inside when he said he had to go, but smiled for him anyway. This is for those of you that are faithfully in that long line at the post office once a month handling 2 large boxes and 2 small children like a pro. This is for that woman that decided to remodel the house to pass time, and then realized that she had no idea what she was doing and sighed and wished she had a little help. This is for all the lonely nights, all the one-person dinners, and all of the wondering thoughts because you haven't heard from him in days. A toast to you for falling apart, and putting yourselves back together. Because a pay check isn't enough, a body pillow in your bed is no consolation, and a web cam can never compare. This is for all of you no matter how easy or hard this was for you. Our military men are brave, they are heroes, but so are we. So the next time someone tells you that they would never marry a Military guy, don't bother explaining to them that you can't control who you fall in love with. Just think of this and nod your head, know that you are the stronger woman. Hold your heads up high, hang that flag in your front yard, stick 100 magnets on your car, and then give yourself a pat on the back. Be proud to be the woman that you are, be proud to be a military wife.


Thank you for sending this to me :)

First Day of Kindergarten 2011

Ry had a great first day, she was definitely ready to go and very excited :)

The four girls that live in our circle, all ready for their big Day :)

Standing in front of the school with the Giant Crayons

 Rylee and her good friend Ellie, this is when they went and met their teacher for the first time and saw where they sit in class....to their surprise they actually sit right next to each other :)

Sydnee was asking where pictures were of her, so I had to take one real fast and add this one...hehe

Some Fun Pics of Shaner :)

 Shane letting some of the local Afghani kids try on his helmet

A meeting with some of the local village Elders

Just some fun photos that Shaner sent to me recently, thought they would be fun to share = )

Lexee Jo

2 months Old

This little girl is full of life :)

She loves to coo and smile as of the past couple weeks :)

Sleeps for me at night (not completely through but a good 6 hrs and then will got back to sleep)

Tries to roll over (seriously)

Has beautiful Long Eyelashes

Loves to smile at her sisters

Likes to stand up and stretch those busy legs

Has some definite CHEEKS going on :-)

Really hates her carseat, bouncy chair and swing (not good for me) :(

Loves her bathes and on occasion will actually sleep right through them

Love you Lexee Jo

Happy 5th Birthday Rylee :)

Happy 5th Birthday Rylee

What a sweetie, she was so excited for her birthday this year and I hope that she had a wonderful and fun time on her special day :) Love you Ry Bug

Syd had to get in on the balloon action ;)

Woke up and played with the balloons for forever :-)

Rylee and Sydnee ready to go for the day

Rylee wanted to make her own cake, frosting it and decorate it...much better than what I would have done :) Good Job Rylee

 For her Birthday she wanted to take a couple of friends to get their toes/fingers painted at the Beauty School here in Logan!! These girls knew exactly what they wanted done and it was so much fun watching them get painted :)

 Thanks Grandma Liz for helping with these girlies :)

 After getting their fingers and toes done we went and got an ice cream cone at Charlies

 Striking the Finger/Toe Painting Poses

Ellie, Rylee & Luz

(thanks Ellie for the cute Doll)

Grandpa Shane & Grandma Liz with the three munchkins :)

We went to Willow Park and had Pizza (Rylee's Request)

and cake...and of course played :)

 Blowing Bubbles with Grandpa

 Ry and Syd saying cheese but of course never really looking at me ;)

 Blowing out the Candles

 Happy Birthday Sweet Girl

Some Photo Fun :)

 They Love their New Little Sister

 Baby Blues :-)

Precious Little Toes

Lexee Jo :-) Welcome to our Family...

It all started at 430 am on Monday May 23 :) I was laying in my bed wide awake, when Sydnee came wandering in my room and wanted to lay with me. I laid down for another 20 minutes and after Syd drifted off back to sleep I got up and came out to watch the 5 o' clock news. I must have dozed off because I woke to a pain in my lower abdomen at about 530 and thought "wow, what did I eat yesterday :)" haha I didn't fall back asleep again but I continued to have funny pains in my stomach for the rest of the morning. I got the girls ready and we went to my routine weekly doctors appt at 1030..I really wanted to get induced this week so that Shane could come home but from our appt last week it wasn't looking hopeful (38 weeks at this point) We did my usual NST test and then we went back to the room to measure and all that fun stuff. Before she checked me she said "Well lets plan to induce you next wednesday June 1" I was like "okay" all bummed, hoping I could really have this little girl this weekend, oh well :( The doc then proceeded with her measuring and la la....when I heard her say "Wow!" Jamie you are almost dilated to a 5 and 95 percent effaced" WHAT, SERIOUSLY... I just kind of laughed and said "Well what does that mean and she looked at me and said well how about we schedule your induction for this Thursday?? (today being Monday) She asked me if Shane would be able to come back by then?? I didn't know, I'd have to call and ask!! She called L&D and scheduled me for Thursday hoping it gave Shane enough time to be able to get home, IF HIS COMMANDER WOULD LET HIM BY ALL MEANS :)....hahah I walked out of the office laughing. Me and the girlies went and ran some last minute errands and I called Shane and he was talking to his CO and would call me back. We finally made it back home after running around for a while and I was starting to feel tired and decided I was putting myself on the couch to take some pressure off :) After the last couple of weeks of wanting this little girl out, I did a 360 and wanted her to stay in for 3 more days so Shane could get here..hahah Shane called me and said his Commander was sending him home the next night (Tuesday night) Yay he would here what a relief ;)

Well as I was sitting here on the couch and the girls were just playing I started to have those same pains I was feeling earlier in the morning, so I started to look up Braxton Hicks (SIDE NOTE: I've never gone into actual labor before, I've never felt a contraction, so to me I had no idea what was going on. Laugh as you will, I know whimpy) My girls started to get restless and it was nice outside so we went out to the park, my friend Jen was there and I was telling her what was going on and she said that she thought I was having real contractions (they were coming about every 20 minutes and lasting about 30 seconds) They hurt but they weren't taking my breath away and I seriously just thought they were BH contractions but what did I know, right?? 
The rest of the evening I tried sitting down and that didn't make them go away, I walked around my house and they still didn't go away but they were more in my back than in my abdomen. It was 8 o clock now and Rylee was really tired so I got her ready for bed and she was off to dream land in no time, I told her I might have to go to the hospital when she was asleep so if I wasn't here when she woke up, that is where I'd be...she just smiled and turned over :) 

Now the little Sydnee was completely wired... 830 rolled around and my friend Melissa had called to see if I was ok and I just told her that they were coming about every ten minutes and lasting 30-45 seconds, still I wasn't convinced I needed to go anywhere, hahah...my other friend Jen would call every 15 to make sure I was still alive and both of them said that they thought I should just to the hospital and at least get checked out :) Well in the back of my mind I knew that these pains probably weren't going to be going away since they were starting to get a little bit closer together and I was having to bend over every time one came, hehehe. I called Shane and told him what was going on and at this point he's still in Indiana at Camp Atturbury, not much he can do. I called Shane Sr and Liz to see if they could come in and neither answered their cell phones or house phones, oh panicking a little bit now, called my  friend Jen and told her the situation and we decided to give them 30 minutes and if not then she was taking me to the hospital and my other friend Melissa was going to come and sit with my girls until Shane or Liz could get here. I called my mom and told her that I was going to go the hospital to get checked out but that it would probably be nothing but she said she was going to drive up anyway, oh dear. Finally Liz called me and I told her what was going on and they turned around and starting driving back into Logan (sorry to interrupt your ice cream treats :-) ) Jen came over at 945 and I was bent over and ready to leave, Sydnee was still awake (surprise, surprise) and I told her that I needed her to go to sleep because I had to go to the hospital and that Grandma or Grandpa would be here in a little bit. Melissa got here to sit with Syd (THANKS MELISSA), Jen and I got in her car and headed to the hospital, after running two lights and passing up everyone she dropped me off at the front doors (THANKS JEN)  I got in the elevator and these contractions were not stopping AT ALL, I walked up to the security window and knocked on it and yes of course another contraction came and I had to bend over, the girls sitting on the other side of the window all jumped up and came and opened the doors :) hahaha After the contraction I was fine, stood up and said hi I'm Jamie, I'm 38 weeks and I think this little girl is coming :) The nurses at the front desk were all smiling when we walked up (probably laughing inside) I was laughing at myself too, thinking why did I wait so long to come here. Jen came in from parking her car (grateful again she was here) I got the lovely gown on and they checked me and I WAS AN 8 HOLY COW, yep probably would have had Lexee in my front room had I waited any longer :) Me and Jen just started laughing :) Liz got there a couple minutes later and said that Shane Sr was going to go back to my house to be with the girls. Melissa came up to the hospital to hang out with us and I wanted that epidural so bad and no kidding within 10 minutes of sitting in that hospital bed the anesthesiologist was there, AWESOME, he gave me something that would work faster since I was an 8 already, he was great!! Got the epidural and was now sitting comfortably talking to Shane on the phone who was sitting outside his bay at 1 in the morning and all he could do was just listen :) My mom got there and  it wasn't too much longer that the nurse came in and I was a 10, they called my doc and she got there and everything was ready to go. Liz had Shane on speaker phone and was giving the play-by-play....hahah and with ONE push at 12:23am Lexee was here all 9lbs 3oz of her!!!

Thanks Jen & Melissa for getting me to go to the hospital and for helping me with my girls. Shane Sr thanks for staying with my girls and for driving crazy fast in the rain to get Liz to the hospital fast :) Thanks Liz for being there with me and thanks for taking care of my girls for the night and the next day :)

Thanks mom for driving crazy fast in a torrential down pour to get here to be with us and for staying with me all night and then next day :) And thanks Shaner for doing everything you could to get here fast, although it was 12 hours later, I'm at least glad you were able to have your phone turned on to hear it all :)

Lexee Jo Smith

9 lbs 3oz

20 1/2 inches

May 24 2011 @ 12:23 am