Happy 1st Birthday Bryce!!

Our baby boy turned 1-year old yesterday, Tuesday July 12th, 2011!! It's so amazing how fast this year has flown by! Our baby has grown from 8 pounds, 3 ounces on that special day one year ago... to 23 pounds, 5 ounces at his check up yesterday. We celebrated his birthday last Saturday at Nana and Papa's ranch. Mommy put together a "barnyard animal" theme highlighted with cow print table cloths, farm animal lollipop favors and centerpieces, and a giant cow-print smash cake just for Bryce (shown above in my favorite pic from that day). And Auntie Tami did an awesome job decorating the coordinating barnyard cake! Nana and Papa were nice enough to host the whole Rostomily/Emslie clan again for this shin-dig (as they did for Emmi's 2nd b-day). Aside from a small delay from the post office for the favors and decorations, everything went smoothly. Bryce started off the party with a little bit of a grumpy demeanor, but that all changed the minute he dove into his cake! He didn't hesitate for one second before he "smashed" it to smithereens!! We all watched, laughing, as he double-fisted that cake and shoveled it in as fast as he could. He definitely earned his nickname, "Tank!" He has actually accumulated a small list of nicknames..."Chunk-a-munk" (given by mommy), "Bam-Bam" (given by Carol, his daycare provider)," and "Brycie" (endeared by all). Some of his accomplishments the past few months are: waving/saying "bye bye," crawling lightning speed, pulling himself up and walking along furniture,walking with his push-toy, calling every dog "Tessa," shaking his head "no," and giving kisses. His list of words include: mama, dada, papa, bampa (gpa), Tessa, Jinx, pizza, bye-bye, and dat (that). Some party highlights were: Bryce's cake demolition of course, swimming fun, making barnyard crafts, and exploring Nana's garden. The party finale was Bryce opening presents in his jammies (well, mommy opening presents and Bryce eating the paper) and Bryce receiving his 2 new rides: a "ranch mobile" from nana and papa, and a "CARS 4-wheeler" from Gma and Gpa. Fun was had by all, but whew...I was exhausted!!

It's crazy how much they change in this first year. They go from this helpless little precious baby that can't even hold up their head, to a small child, full of personality and taking their first steps toward independence. And in looking at Emilie, who is now 2 1/2 years old (going on 5) it's even crazier how much they change in the next 2 years. I'm just trying, like every other mom, to hold on to every moment, every milestone, every precious smile. Happy birthday Brycie!! Can't wait to watch you grow! Mommy and daddy love you so much!

Blessings in Disguise

Many have gone through some sort of trial in their lives...or maybe even several...that they believe was a blessing in disguise. Thus far in my life, as you know, mine was infertility. It was something I believe I needed to go through in order to learn more about myself, my life, my priorities, and my faith. This trial was one that was big in my life so far, however there are so many others out there who are fighting through things much bigger. People that live through those trials and still stay strong and hold onto their faith....those are the people that amaze me. Just recently my mom showed me the testimony of a family friend who is battling cancer. He has had several surgeries and most recently the cancer had spread to his legs. He is a father of three young boys. The oldest boy was the ring bearer in my wedding when he was 5 years old. This man's name is Rudy. In his testimony Rudy writes of his struggle with cancer and he writes about the things that have helped him live through his struggle, most importantly his family and friends. He talks about what God has been teaching him along the way....that he needs people around him and close to him to help him through. The fact that Rudy can talk about his faith and what God is teaching him as he continues to go through this life-threatening disease, is amazing to me. There is a song that is often played on the radio called "Blessings" by Laura Story. Every time I hear that song, I think of Rudy. I have posted the lyrics below to the last chorus because I love the words so much. I have also posted the entire video and song to the right of my blog. If you would like, please push play and listen to the words of this beautiful song. And if you are so inclined, please keep Rudy and his family in your prayers...

Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops

What if your healing comes through tears

And what if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You're near

What if my greatest disappointments

Or the aching of this life

Is a revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy

And what if trials of this life

The rain, the storm, the hardest nights

Are your mercies in disguise

Light

Three years and nine months ago, in August 2007, I wrote a post on this blog called, "Tunnel." I chose the name "Tunnel" for my post based on one of my favorite songs by Third Day. Our 8th fertility procedure had just failed, and little did we know, we were about to have 2 more failed attempts, and finally on our 11th attempt (almost a year later), through a frozen embryo transfer, we got pregnant with our precious Emilie. In that Tunnel post, I talk about my feelings of starting to lose hope. I also talk about holding on to my faith, knowing that God has a plan for me. At the time, having faith was not always an easy thing to do, but it was the only thing that kept me going. A quote from that post: "One day when we have our baby, whether it be from pregnancy or adoption, we will be able to look back and say, "Oh, that was your plan, God." And we won't be able to imagine it any other way." And yes, almost 3 years later, I do see God's plan. You can see it too, above in that picture! Little did I know that His plan was not only to give us one precious child, more than we could have ever wanted, but to give us two!! God's plan is not only great, it is greater than you can imagine.

Last week was "National Infertility Awareness Week." Many posts on Facebook read, "Infertility is a heart-wrenching, faith-questioning, relationship-testing, life-altering experience." Only those that have experienced it, know the truth of that statement. For all the friends and family I know, and the millions I don't know, still fighting infertility, this post is for you. As I said in my post almost 3 years ago, "I know there is a light at the end of this tunnel somewhere but sometimes it's so hard to see. I pray that God will show me that light soon." Just keep fighting your way towards that light. Two little ones, named Emilie and Bryce, are proof it's there. :)

The Phase of a 2-year Old...And Other Fun Events

Yes, we are beginning to enter into the opinionated, independent, tantrum-bearing phase filled with the lovely tune of, "No, I don't want to go to time-out!" It's the phase of the so-called, "terrible twos." And yes, this phase does earn its name. But thank goodness, for the sanity of mommy and daddy, it's not always Emmi's evil twin that shows her face. It's amazing how in an instant she can go from that, to melting our hearts once again. All we have to do is hear her say one of these Emmi classics: "Hi daddy, I love you; Tessa is a good doggie; Mommy, will you read me a book?; Mommy, are you doing okay? (as I slave away in the kitchen); and Mommy, I love you so much." And I have to admit, even when she's trying to be naughty, Dustin and I have to sometimes hide our faces so she won't see us laughing. Along with the 2's she is becoming smarter and smarter everyday. One day a couple of weeks ago, she turned to her daddy and said,"Daddy, dinosaurs are extinct." Four days earlier we were at the doctor's office and our room had a huge dinosaur mural on the wall and daddy was telling her all about dinosaurs. She was just quoting her daddy! And on the way to daycare the other day she said, "Mommy, there are blossoms on the trees." Apparently Carol had taken the kids for a walk at daycare and they were talking about springtime and the blossoms on the trees. They mean it when they say kids are like little sponges!! She soaks in everything she hears...and remembers it! Consequently, Dustin and are really starting to have to watch what we say around her!! Cause she will spout it out a week later.

Bryce update: Our big boy is getting bigger and bigger everyday. He is now almost 8 months old and over 22 pounds. As we like to say, he has not missed a meal! Although we thought he would be way more excited about eating solid foods than he is. So far he loves applesauce and pears (all mommy home-made, of course), but gags every time we try to feed him a vegetable. He loves that bottle of his more! What's more to say about Bryce? The thing that stands out most is that his giant smile lights up the whole room. And those dimples are to die for...talk about, melting mommy's heart! I'm going to have a hard time saying no once he enters into the "2 phase!" All he's going to have to do is bat those long eyelashes and flash me that adorable smile, and I'll be in big trouble.

The Past 2 months: As usual, it's been awhile since I've posted. So just wanted to quickly write about some fun events/trips that have happened in this time. The pics above highlight those events. First of all, we celebrated Emmi's 2nd birthday with family, up at Nana and Papa's ranch. We had a "penguin-themed" party with penguin crafts, penguin decorations, penguin cupcakes, and even a penguin pinata! Really, it was a birthday weekend, as Nana and Papa hosted my whole family from Lodi for the weekend. We had fun playing with the horses, roasting marshmallows at night by the fire pit, and eating lots of yummy food! We also had a fun weekend visiting Uncle Nate and Aunt Nikki in Nipomo. It was beautiful weather that weekend so we got to go hang out on Avila beach. Emmi loved playing in the sand! And Bryce just loves being outside no matter where we are! We also got to spend a weekend up at Shaver with some friends. It was the coldest storm of the winter, but we made it up there and the kids all had a blast...and the parents too :) And last but certainly not least, was our favorite event of all...DISNEYLAND!!! Thanks to Nana and Papa, we got to spend a weekend at Disneyland in celebration of Nana's retirement! The whole Smith clan was there and it was a trip to remember. Emmi and Bryce's first trip to Disneyland! I don't know who had more fun...the kids on their first trip to Disney...or me?!

I've said it before but I'll say it again...this parenting thing is the hardest job on earth...but it's also the BEST! And how blessed I am to be able to do it...twice!!

Merry Christmas 2010!

(Above: Our silly picture with Santa. Got the kids all dressed up and Emmi all excited to see Santa, only to get there and have them tell us their computer system crashed so we would have to take pics with our own camera. Par for the course these days! We had a window of about 3 seconds before Bryce started bursting into tears so this is the most decent photo we got. Emmi is making a weird face and Bryce looks like he's terrified...classic Santa pic!)

Last year at this time we had one crawling baby girl. This year, a walking, talking almost-2-year-old and a 5-month old. Emilie is our little smarty pants. She can sing her ABC's, count to 10, and say anything a 5-year old can say. "Mommy, I'm making guacamole," she says as she contentedly works in her play kitchen that grandma and grandpa bought her as an early Christmas present. Excuse me, are you not even two yet, and saying words (with all the correct sound pronunciation, I must say) like guacamole in a full sentence?? At home she never stops talking. Around others, she is very quiet and reserved...much like her mommy in that way. Of course, since she is almost 2, she does have that "terrible two" streak in her. Like when I ask her to do something and she says, "I busy right now mommy." Or when she points her little finger at me and sternly says, "I NOT going to time-out!!" But what fun would it be if she was ALWAYS so sweet and loving?? ;) Emmi is very excited about Santa this year. Oh, and also the Grinch. "I love the Grinch mommy," she says, and in the same thought she tells me, "Santa is coming to town!" It just makes my heart melt every time.

Bryce is also coming out of his "baby shell" a little more each week. He is our future offensive lineman, weighing in at 18 pounds, 8 ounces, only 6 pounds less than his sister. Although with those huge hands, mommy still thinks he might have a shot at quarterback. But for now, he loves to sit in his bumbo and watch his sister play, loves to stand up (with mommy's help of course), and loves to sit on the couch and watch the game (whether it be football or basketball) with daddy. As long as his tummy is full and he's not being confined to his carseat (which he hates with a vengeance), he is a happy little boy. And with that smile, those dimples, big brown eyes, and long eyelashes, I am sure I will have to chase the girls away. It's hard to believe that next Christmas he will also be running around and talking up a storm!

Just a little over 2 years ago, I didn't have either of these 2 beautiful kids in my life which is difficult to even imagine now. I wanted kids more than anything else in the world, but I didn't realize the degree of absolute, pure joy they would bring me every single day. Emmi likes to say to us, "I love you THIS much" (with arms outstretched as far as she can reach). Little does she know, that doesn't even begin to describe how much she is loved back.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

What a difference a year makes!

Ahhh, fall...my favorite time of year! Hard to believe that last year at this time we were a family of 3 and Emilie wasn't even walking yet! What a difference a year makes!

Here is my Top 10 List of the differences from then to now:

Difference #1: Life is busier and crazier than ever

Difference #2: As you can see, it's much harder these days to capture a family photo

Difference #3: Dustin and I have to "tag team" getting ready in the morning. It goes something like this...Dustin feeds Bryce while I get ready, I get Emilie up while Dustin gets Bryce dressed, I get Emilie dressed while Dustin feeds Bryce again, Dustin gets the kids in the car while I carry the diaper bag, my pump, Bryce's milk, and my purse to the car, and Dustin gets ready while I take the kids to daycare.

Difference #4: Speaking of daycare, $1400/month vs. $700/month

Difference #5: I used to rush after work to go pick up Emilie as soon as I could. Now the only time I have to get anything done is between work and picking up the kids...so let's just say, Carol has the kids until at least 5:00 on most days

Difference #6: Any simple task, such as going to the grocery store or going to the post office, takes major planning on my part...I have to pretty much plan my whole week around it

Difference #7: The word "multi-tasking" has taken on a whole new meaning

Difference #8: Little baby boys are way more high maintenance than little baby girls

Difference #9: There is nothing more fufilling than watching your baby girl run over to her baby brother, give him a kiss, look up at me and say, "I love him" ...and watching him stare back up at her with "googly eyes" and a huge smile (with dimples of course!)

Difference #10: Twice the fun, twice the laughs, twice the love, twice the blessings

Month #1 as a Mommy of Two!

Well, I made it through my first month...and the past 2 weeks of being on my own at home everyday with an 18 month old and a newborn! The past couple weeks have just been trying to settle into a routine. And my #1 goal has been acoomplished: To get BOTH kids napping at the same time!! Woohoo!! The other thing that helps the situation tremendously, is to get out of the house at least once a day. Whether it be, going on a walk, making a trip to Target, meeting daddy for lunch, or going up to Papa's ranch for a swim in the pool. Even if it does take us 45 minutes to get out the door!

BRYCE: Our precious baby boy has turned into an eating machine. He is "hooked up" to mommy pretty much 90% of his waking hours. This makes it difficult to get anything accomplished such as showering, getting dressed for the day, eating lunch, or tending to Emilie. But somehow I seem to pull these things off eventually...however they are sometimes accomplished while Bryce screams his head off in the background. He is sleeping a lot better at night, ever since Dustin and I figured out that he needs to be swaddled so he doesn't startle himself awake. On a good night, he will sleep 3-4 hour stretches. On a bad night, he is awake every 2 hours. Thankfully, the good nights are out-weighing the bad nights at this point. And let me tell you, this boy is wiggles and moves more than any baby I've ever seen. It's difficult to even hold him sometimes because he's moving around so much...bobbing his head, kicking/pushing with his feet, and flailing his arms around. If this kid isn't an athlete, I will be surprised! He's a strong little guy already! He is so much different than Emilie was, who would just lay on us and chill out for hours. However, she would "chill out" so much that she wouldn't eat, which posed a big problem for nursing. At least Bryce is a good eater! My favorite part about Bryce so far is when he is actually content with a full tummy and wide awake. He intently looks up at me like he is listening to every word I say to him. I love that sweet face of his!

EMILIE: Big sis, Emmi is doing better than expected in getting used to having a little bro around. She gets so excited to see him and says "Bryc-ee", runs over and kisses and touches his face. It's the cutest thing ever. She does have her moments where she wants all my attention and tries to climb on me while I'm feeding Bryce. She has also said a couple times, "Bryce down," in wanting me to put him down. Emilie's language continues to grow amazingly. She is using 2,3, and 4-word phrases! "Oops, I drop it; Miss you daddy; Love you mommy; Silly daddy!; Funny mommy; Mommy do it; Bless you Bryce!; I want a (apple) juice; it's a airplane; where daddy go?" Just a few examples...that's the speech therapist in me! She has grown to love the following: shoes, horses, Yo Gabba Gabba, and Dora. She spends probably 75% of her day trying on and taking off her shoes...and everyone else's! My mom says I used to do the same thing when I was her age...funny. She also had her first horse ride with her Papa on his new horse, Tabby. Typically Emmi is very timid and leery of new things and takes awhile to warm up to them. Not the case with Tabby. Nana asked if she wanted to ride the horse and she said, "Yeah," told Nana to "open" the gate...and climbed right on the horse with Papa. I couldn't believe it. I think we have a cowgirl in the making...a cowgirl who is obsessed with shoes! ;)

Emmi goes back to daycare on September 1st and I go back to work on October 1st. Hopefully I get a little better at this "mommy of two" by then! ;)