The Smiths

Fall Update

2009-12-18T14:31:00.000-08:00

Hello friends! It's been a while since we wrote anything and some have been requesting new info (I think, they want new pictures of Moses!) We have been doing well - staying busy. Moses now has long and curly hair. He loves to howl like a wolf and meow like a cat and bark like a dog. He's discovered technology. He can sense and hear a phone ring before we can. He loves the shredder! See the video below. Also, he LOVES christmas lights. His favorite thing is unplugging the Christmas tree. He'll shout "OH WOW!!" anytime we plug in the lights or drive by houses with lights in the yard. I think he's one of the funniest people I've met.

One funny story is Moses locked himself in the car. Derrick had put him in my seat (with both sets of keys in the car) and as Derrick was about to open his car door, Moses pressed the lock button. (See the video below). We kept trying to get him to unlock the car door but he would keep pressing the lock, over and over again. I called the Pop-a-lock guy but he said it would be over 30min. I started panicking and so did Moses. Finally I called 911. They said that because an infant was in the car that it counted as an emergency. A policeman drove up first. He said that we had to wait for the firemen to come! As the fireman was driving up, Moses was trying to show off for the cop and he pressed the unlock button! All the fireman got out and we all had a good laugh and sighed a big sign of relief!

Derrick took a teaching job at Dorman High School teaching math. One of their teachers died and they were pretty desperate for a teacher. Taking the job will also help the Network of churches, who are currently hurting financially, since they are helping fund Derrick's salary. It will be an interesting 5 months and quite an adjustment for all of us since Derrick will still be a full time church planter!

One fun thing we did this semester was have a girls night with the international students in town. We had some Chinese students, a Rwandan friend, and a Moldovan student over to carve pumpkins. For all but one of them, it was their first time, to carve a pumpkin. We have really enjoyed getting to know the international students in Spartanburg!

discovered

Moses Turns One!

2009-09-28T19:17:00.001-07:00

Our precious little mister is now 13 months old! I can't believe that a year ago we were waiting in expectation to meet the joy of our life - having no idea of who he would be or what he would look like, but knowing that we loved him with all of our hearts. And know that we've been around him for over a year now we can't even begin to imagine our lives without him. He is a real toddler now. No more baby! He is walking (he started 2 weeks ago) and has lots of little teeth. His sign language is getting so good (he can sign light, fan, more, all done, music, bath). He constantly points to what he wants. Pretzel sticks are his favorite snack. He is a picky eater and breakfast, lunch and dinner can be very frustrating times for me. If he doesn't like something then he scrapes it off his tongue and spikes it on the floor. Our floors get gross very fast. Moses can get upset quickly. When he gets mad he puts his head on the ground. It looks like he is praying prostrate but he is just pouting.
We had an ambitious birthday party. Thinking that we'd have a pool party and that the kids would be outside the whole night we invited 40+ people to our house, including 6 Chinese exchange students we had just met. Unfortunantly it rained so we were all smashed in the house. But we had a great time. Momo loves his cupcake. His eyes light up when he tasted the icing. I could hear his thoughts, "they have been holding out on me for so long!" I made him a monkey cake that I was so proud of that I wouldn't let anyone eat. :) The kids kept saying, ' i want some cake.' i said, no, we aren't eating the cake. It's just to look at. Lame! We ended up eating it a few days later. For his birthday he got a giant stuffed dinosaur which he named BoBar. He loves to tackle it to the ground. Derrick's parents got him his own little rocking chair. It's adorable to see him crawl into the chair and rock.
Enjoy the pictures of the cutie. We love and miss everyone in Mass. I am still adjusting to life in the South. I will write a post to let everyone know how the church is going.
Our

Our New House!

2009-07-16T08:59:00.000-07:00

We are officially home owners! Derrick and I bought our first house last week. It is a cute 4 bedroom 2 bath home built in 1962. The previous owner built a little playhouse and swing set (Derrick calls it the fort) outside that Moses will love to play on. The house also has a pool (although we have no idea how to maintain a pool). There are hardwood floors throughout the house that we are having refinished. Our first 'surprise' was when we ripped up the carpets in the bedrooms to finish the hardwoods underneath them. Whoever put the carpet down used hardwood floor glue to the glue the carpet - which won't come up. So..........after hours and hours of work we are now having to buy carpet to put back on top of the hardwood. UGH. We are hoping to move in next Saturday. We are excited about the possibilities and about having a place to call our own. So all of our friends from out of town, please come stay with us! We have a room just for you. :)

All the pictures are of the previous owner's stuff. There is nothing in there now. I'll update the pictures once we get it settled with our own stuff.

Mr. Chubber

2009-06-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

Moses is almost 10 months now and has become quite the little destroyer. He is into everything and loves to pull books or DVD's off of the shelf. He has climbed all the way to the top of the stairs (with parental supervision of course!) He loves to crawl and be chased. He can now do the baby signs for light and more quite effectively. He loves to eat - loves it! Unfortunately, he doesn't like to snuggle too much anymore, unless he is exhausted. We went to the beach and he is quite the water baby. My love for him grows everyday and I can't imagine life without the Little Mister!

Little Nasty

2009-06-15T20:16:00.000-07:00

Little Nasty has become our new favorite nick name for Moses. As you can see he LOVES to grab food and then rub it ALL over his face. Today he had pieces of blueberries and sweet potato everywhere. The best so far are the pictures below when he ate avocados when he was tired so he kept rubbing them in his eyes. He looks like he was just in makeup to become Kermit the Frog. Derrick says he looks like the Ultimate Warrior with the food being war paint. Nothing a good bath can't take care of.

Our last week

2009-06-15T10:01:00.000-07:00

Before we moved we tried to go to our favorite places one last time. These pictures are from Russell Orchard and Manchester by the Sea - a cute and quaint New England town on the coast.

Graduation!

2009-06-15T09:24:00.000-07:00

Well Derrick and I are both officially graduates of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. We received our diplomas on May 9 and then moved the very next day. It was a whirlwind of a weekend. We packed and cleaned our apartment on Friday and then graduated Saturday and moved Sunday on mothers day. (While cleaning the apt. Derrick surprised me by giving me beautiful diamond stud earings for my graduation/birthday/anniversary/mother's day present!) Both of our parents came up for graduation and to help us move. It was hard saying goodbye to all our friends who we have lived with and came to love over the last 3 years. We'll miss our church family and small group and the New England way of life. Living 10 minutes from the beach never got old. The summers were warm but not suffocating like they are in SC. But all good things must come to an end. Us moms flew back while the dad's drove the car and truck down. After 2 days they arrived and we unpacked all of our junk into my parents garage where it has been sitting for the last 5 weeks.

PACK is a 4 letter word

2009-05-03T19:07:00.000-07:00

So we are leaving in one week! Mother's Day. We graduate on Saturday, the 9th. And then move out the next day! It will be quite the whirlwind weekend. We will be moving back to SC to begin working with a new church plant. God answered our 3 year prayer to finish seminary debt free. We sold our tutoring business and with the profits were able to pay off all of our student loans. So Golden Apple is now in great new hands and we are glad to have passed it off to capable new owners. And we are still marveling at God's provision and the creative and surprising ways that he provides for us! We're excited about our next step but will miss our friends and community in Massachusetts. Moses is 8 months now and doing great! He can crawl backwards (which often gets him stuck under the couch - see pictures below). Soon he'll be all over the place and our role as security guards will begin. He can even stand up on his own for a few seconds. The video below shows the proof. He can wave hi or bye bye and is working on his baby sign language. The little outfit that shows his belly hanging out is an outfit that Derrick wore when he was a baby. It obviously doens't fit Moses. But We love him so much! Enjoy all the pictures. THe cute ones in his sweater vest are from Easter.

Hilarious Video

2009-03-29T18:29:00.000-07:00

This is our favorite video yet! Watch for a good laugh. :)

Big Boy Food

2009-03-29T18:14:00.000-07:00

So Moses is now enjoying the wonderful (and messy!) world of eating 'human food.' He seems to love bananas and apples. The rice cereal and avocados depend on his mood. He's 7 months now and desperately wanting to crawl, although he can't seem to move his arms. Of course he's adorable and still a momma's boy - so I'm happy. We move back to SC 6 weeks from today. Yikes!

This video shows how much Moses loves apples. It's kinda long but well worth it!

Good-bye Golden Apple

2009-03-01T18:21:00.000-08:00

We have great news to announce! On Feb. 27th we sold our tutoring business to a great couple who will continue the business after we move. We owned it for exactly 28 months (to the day) and sold it for more than we bought it for. To the glory of God (and still to our shock) we will be able to finish seminary debt free. The sale of the business will pay off our student loans, pay for us to move, and pay our bills for the next 2 months. In order to celebrate we went to the beach (it was a balmy 50 degrees). Momo loved his first experience and watched the ocean and all the dogs who were there. He is now sitting up by himself and is growing before our eyes. He can say 'mama' and sometimes 'dada' but he doesn't mean that. Enjoy the new pictures.

Jolly January

2009-02-07T09:57:00.000-08:00

January flew by. Derrick celebrated his birthday at Chuck E Cheese. It was our 2nd annual birthday party there. We went on a week night so that we could have free reign of the place but unfortunately Chuck E doesn't reveal himself on weeknights. We were all very dissapointed.
Moses is growing fast. He is wanting to sit up and to crawl. He also starts to cry when he wants his toy back or if he wants to eat my apple. He's very curious and observant of everything. He just turned 5 months old. His new favorite thing is to suck on his bottom lip and pooch out his cheeks. It's adorable!
It's hard to believe but we will be leaving here in about 3 months to move to SC. We both have mixed emotions and will miss our New England home. The snow is beautiful and we love our friends and the area that we live in. 70 degree weather in January does not sound appealing to me. So we'll be looking for a place to live - so if any Carolinian's have some leads please let us know!
Enjoy the pictures!

New England Winter

2009-01-11T19:49:00.001-08:00

We left the balmy south and arrived back in the frigid north. It has been snowing all week which makes for great picture taking when Moses gets all bundled up. He loves reading (and eating) books and playing dress up. Below are bundle pictures and pictures of our sledding excursion today. The seminary is the highest point in the whole county so it sledding is the activity to do when we're frozen and shut in. Moses enjoyed a sleigh ride!

src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7VWGCyqtpyU/SWq_7e_gLXI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/eskcxR9Dp5U/s320/DSC02090.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290251740952669554" border="0">

Derrick sledding down the hill.

Santa Baby....

2009-01-11T19:13:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We hope that your Christmas was full of the peace of Christ and that 2009 has been joyful and memorable so far. We have a lot to update you on and many praises for what the Lord has done in our lives in the last month. I finished my Master's of Missions and Evangelism in December (hallelujah!) and Derrick successfully completed another semester of his MDiv. We will both graduate in May! It's hard to believe how quickly it has gone by already. We went back to SC for 2.5 weeks. We also drove down to Florida for one of my dear friends weddings where the Jungle Bungalow (all of my college friends) had a sweet reunion. (While my 7.5 month pregnant friend and I were manning the punch table a oblivious gentlemen said to us 'Why are the two expecting mothers at the punch table? You shouldn't be on your feet all night!' WOW. I was able to hold my tongue and smile.)

Our biggest news is that while we were at home we (technically Derrick) got a job for when we graduate. The short version is that we met with the Director of Missions about being a part of a new church plant. We knew they were looking for a leader couple to head up the effort but we thought it would be a volunteer position but we realized half way through the lunch that it was a full time job. We wanting to move back to SC to be involved in church planting and God opened this position up. It is going to be an intentionally multi-ethnic church so I think my background in missions and cross-cultural training will be able to be used and Derrick's pastoral training will certainly be used. So Glory to God! Now we will finish these next 4 months up here and then move back to SC, look for a place to live, and start the job! The church's name is Kaleidoscope (I probably need to learn how to spell it!!)

Moses is doing awesome. He is 4.5 months now and weighs 16.13 lbs and is 25.75 inches long - which are both in the 75%. His head, however, is gigantic - in the 95%! He is (almost always) all smiles and giggles. He can roll over onto his side and grab objects. His favorite toy is a giraffe named Jerry. Jerry is from England and loves to tell Moses stories of the how America rebelled and broke away from the mother country. Naturally, Jerry speaks with a British accent. His favorite Christmas present was a college fund started by my loving uncle and parents. Matthew and Moses took to each other immediately. Matthew, who had been in China for 4 months studying, brought him back an 'emperor suit.' (see pictures below.)

Enjoy the pictures and the video. Keep us in your prayers as Derrick finishes his classes and as we prepare ourselves to lead the church plant. Thank you all for your love and friendship! Feliz Ano Nuevo! Bonne annee! Happy New Year!

Pictures at Merry Beth's wedding in Florida with all the Jungle Bungalow together again!

Christmas and Family Pictures

Pictures of all the cousins (and two more on the way!)

Moses' giggles

Texas Turkey

2008-12-06T19:33:00.001-08:00

Well Moses has now traveled the world - well maybe not the world, yet, but he has now been to 4 states: New Hampshire, Illinois, Texas and of course the wonderful Mass. We've returned from our family reunion in Texas. It was a wonderful get together of all my dad's side of the family to celebrate Thanksgiving, my cousin's and my aunt's birthday. Derrick got to meet everyone and everyone met Moses. We also got to see two members of the Jungle Bungalow - Steph & Steph. Moses' favorite activity of the trip was going to the King Tut exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art. King Tut's baby picture looked eerily familiar....(see below). Many wanted to know "how he did on the plane" - well don't ask the guy who sat next to us on the way back. I tried to get his attention at the end to apologize but he wouldn't even look at me. No, he did ok. But no one likes to wait on the tarmac for hours before being allowed to take off. We finally got home at 4am! Thankfully we have wonderful friends who drive an hour to come pick us up at 3 in the morning.

On a personal note...the Tuesday before Thanksgiving I turned in my last assignment EVER! In January I will graduate with my MASTER'S degree in Missions and Evangelism! Hooray! (This is Meghan writing this, Derrick has one more semester).

Half of the Jungle Bungalow - Steph, Steph, and me.

My Grandmother and 2 aunts - Cindi and Mare. All 3 have had miraculous physical healings this year.

Moses and Addison - his 1 cousin once removed - I think. She shows her love by touching heads with you. So cute!

Opa, Moses, and my cousin Dwight

Moses and his Great Grandmother Donna.

Moses' activities in Texas:

King Tut's baby picture! Who knew they had pacifier's in Ancient Egypt. If you look close enough you'll also see that King Tut was a Yankees fan!

He found a new friend in the mirror. It's so adorable because he tries to reach out and touch him. He loves to smile and talk to himself.

Taking naps - of course Derrick had to take one too. Meeting Family can be tiring.

Eating pecan pie. (for the record Derrick did NOT feed him this!)

Reading books

Twins with Momma.

My cutie:

He is so sweet that we tried to bake him and eat him for dessert. Unfortunately he wouldn't even fit in the bowl, much less the oven. :)

MoMo beginning to talk
He's now standing up when you pull him up. He's learned that on the count of 2 to get ready. He squishes his face up and pulls his legs up so that he'll be ready on 3. what a genius!

Happy November

2008-11-17T17:13:00.000-08:00

MoMo has proudly voted in his first election! I asked the women running the polling place if I could take a picture of him with me in the booth - they said no, so we opted for a picture outside of the school. It was very important to me to take him out of his car seat and hold him while he voted. His first civic duty!! He has been growing so fast and now laughs and smiles when he sees us. He has started standing up when you hold him and he can even bare all his weight on his legs. He loves and I means loves to suck on his hands. Derrick has made a discovery that he is so proud of - so when Moses if freaking out and crying Derrick will turn on some rap music and Moses will almost immediately calm down. Derrick loves it...and when it works its pretty awesome. :) He is looking forward to his first plane ride to meet Oma and Opa in Texas. I'm not sure the people sitting next to us will be excited though.

No Trick, All Treat

2008-11-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

MoMo's first Halloween! He had too many cute outfits for him to only wear one. So he was Derrick, a ghost and a pumpkin and a burrito! Our small group had a costume party and Moses and Derrick went as each other. Moses was 'mini me.' John McCain and Sarah Palin took time out of their busy schedule to come to our party also! And, yes, he was also a burrito. One of our favorite restaurants, Chipotle, was having a deal where if you can dressed as a taco, burrito, or a salad then you would get your dinner for free. So both Derrick and Moses went wrapped in foil so we could get free burritos!

MomMo and Dadda

2008-10-26T19:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some cute pictures of MoMo and Derrick. There are times that they look identical. They actually might go as each other for Halloween (they have matching outfits). Derrick's favorite thing is to take naps with MoMo and then to receive kisses from Mo, which involves Moses licking either your cheek, nose, or lips. It's totally cute. Moses had his 2 month check up on Friday. He was 13lb and 23.75 inches long! But he also got his shots - Moses and I both cried. It was awful. Enjoy the cute new pictures!
I always wonder what he is thinking.

My 2 handsome boys.

Play time together. MoMo likes to punch Derrick in the eye and pull his hair. All in harmless fun...

When MoMo is hungry he will eat almost anything. He's a little Hoover vacuum. See the video below for the complete and funny end to this picture. But this is MoMo sucking on Derrick's finger as an appetizer before his dinner.

MoMo's "Rocky" outfit. Too bad Rocky didn't have an AWESOME bib!

Derrick and MoMo's gangsta impersonation. Derrick thinks MoMo looks like Kevin Federline - I hope he'll grow up to be nothing like Kevin Federline.

"I love my Mummy and my Mummy loves me!"

Kisses for Momma!

"Get this monkey off my back!"

Pumpkin Picker

2008-10-18T14:18:00.000-07:00

MoMo enjoyed a very New England experience today. We went apple picking at a local apple orchard and posed MoMo for several pictures with the pumpkins. He took a hayride out to the orchard and enjoyed snuggling up to daddy as we picked apples and ate them as we went. After picking we all enjoyed hot apple cider (Opa would be jealous!) and ate their apple cider donuts! Mo's hat is a little small (I think he looks kinda like an Orthodox priest) so he had to wear it on the top of his head but he got all the attention from the passer-bys. We hope you enjoy the pictures!

More fun pictures - I know...you can never have enough!

2008-10-11T11:50:00.000-07:00

MoMo practicing his posed high school graduation photo.

The beginnings of a smile. He's become so much more responsive and happy. We think he laughed this morning and he can smile when you are super animated. We love to give him kisses on the lips and when he licks us (I know it sounds weird but I promise it's AWESOME!) we say "Awwww!" in a really high pitch voice and he smiles.

He still doesn't really like the hat. Oh well...

MoMo loves his Mummy and his mummy loves him!

Our friend Ginger took these 2 pictures of him in his cute little overalls.

So Derrick put a pen in his hand and he grasped it (although wasn't too happy about it!). He then held up a piece of paper and as Mo was flailing his arms he drew a little picture. We sent the picture to Matthew in China.

More cuteness in the overalls.

Derrick thought this was funny and ironic. So MoMo's shirt says "Got Milk?" and he is strategically positioned next to the source of the milk. :)

This is a video of MoMo starting to try to lift his head. He's lifted his head up and turned it over to the other side.

Yummy!

2008-10-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

So...probably like most babies MoMo likes to spit up...all the time. Last night we were eating dinner while Moses was watching us in his swing. He had just enjoyed his dinner and was chillin' out. He made this strange little noise and Derrick and I turned just in time to see him projectile spit up. The stuff flew over his bib and landed in his lap. We both freaked out but he was unphased. I've taken some pictures of the aftermath of some spit ups.

Gross...
Grosser...
Like Father like...
Grossest!

Firsts

2008-10-03T08:37:00.000-07:00

MoMo is getting to the stage where he is doing a lot of 'firsts.' He had his first picnic, his first little coo noise, and i'm convinced he smiled at me for the first time. I haven't seen it again for a few days but I refuse to think that passing gas can bring him more satisfaction than I do! :) He had his first and only 1 month birthday - he's growing up so fast!

For all of you who are wondering "how he is sleeping" through the night...He will go about 4-5 hours between feedings in the night. For example, he ate at 12am and then again at 5am then at 9. So we got a nice good stretch of sleep. The biggest thing that has helped me deal with the sleeplessness is developing a mindset for nighttime parenting. I would imagine that some parents see night as a much needed break from parenting and constantly caring for a little one. So then waking up in the night to change diapers or wipe up spit up or feed the baby are seen as interruptions. Derrick and I have really tried to view the night not as a break for us but as a time where we are still attached and still parenting MoMo. That way the feedings etc. aren't interrupting my time. We've accepted that our life will never be the same and the night will never be like it was before he arrived. And recognizing that has been one of the healthiest things that we've done. **Also, during the middle of the night feedings I am able to catch up on my TIME magazine reading**

Below are just more pictures of him doing what he does best - BEING CUTE!

People always ask if we make his hair stand up like a mini mohawk. The answer is No. As you can see, MoMo does NOT like it when I try to brush his hair down. But is content again when it is allowed to be a punk head.

MoMo doesn't like photo shoots

2008-09-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

So we've tried to dress him up and take cute pictures but MoMo has made it very clear that he does NOT like this. (See below pictures)

Maybe he is objecting to the fact that it is not even October yet and we are trying to take Halloween pictures. This is ironic coming from the person who gets mad at the stores for putting up Christmas stuff in July.

Then we tried to take his picture in his cute monkey gown with his stuffed monkey. Again...he did not like to be propped up and exploited.

So finally we tried to the really cute winter hat. MoMo would have none of this either.

I promise that we did not take all these pictures at one time. Don't worry - we do not torture our child. So what does MoMo like?

He likes 3 generation pictures with Papa and Daddy

Taking naps and praisin' Jesus in his sleep.

His Nana and Papa

Reading Old Testament Commentaries with Dad

Eventually the Commentaries put both of them to sleep.

MoMo also likes:
*eating
*snuggling
*being wrapped up in his swaddling blanker (we call it his burrito)
*his changing table
*having his diaper changed
*baths (but not coming out of them)
*his pacifier
*going on trips on the car
*passing gas (the only time that he smiles)
*being worn in a sling with mommy
*having people look at his picture online!

Uncle Brett Brett

2008-09-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Uncle Brett,

I know that I haven't met you yet but I just wanted to let you know that I miss you and that I love you. I've met both of my grandparents and my two aunts (one of them said that I looked like you!) and two cousins but you are the last one that I haven't met yet. I know that you talked to me when I lived inside of mommy and I recognized your voice when you called last week. I started crying when you hung up the phone because I thought that you might have been in the room but then I realized you were far far away. But my mommy tells me that you love me and that you are excited about meeting me at Christmas time. I will be a big boy then and will be able to play with you better. Maybe you can read me a book or tell me a story? I love to be cuddled and would like it if you would snuggle me. My mommy also tells me that you will come back with adventurous stories to tell me about your travels. She says that if we are both mature enough one day that I can go on an adventure with you and that you can show me a different part of the world. So far I have only been to a few cities but maybe you can help me go to more places. Right now I am very little and can't go many places on my own. But one day I will be big. Well I hope that you are having fun and keep looking at my pictures so that you will not forget about me. Maybe you can see me on Skype video someday. I am hungry now and need to go eat dinner. I love you and can't wait to meet you!
Love, MoMo
PS - is your name really Brett or is it something else?

Camo Man!

2008-09-21T13:29:00.000-07:00

Papa bought MoMo a camo onesie and a Gamecock beanie. He is SO cute. Yesterday he went on another adventure to Manchester by the Sea and saw the boats and the ocean. He loves being a New Englander - a Yankee!

He also loves his mommy. I love the picture of him looking up at me. We like to snuggle and take naps together. He is such the perfect snuggle size. Doesn't he look so peaceful when he sleeps?

MoMo's Travels

2008-09-18T19:15:00.001-07:00

MoMo went on a big adventure yesterday. He went all the way up the coast to Rockport, MA and then south to Boston. He rode the T subway for the first time and followed the freedom trail in boston. He loved all the shops and the historical sites. He met interesting people who all loved him - everyone from a crazy lady in the subway to a group of british grandmothers who were visiting america. He and Ellie are quite the attention getters. He also went to Chickfila where the workers loved him and gave him a little present. However, he will not be 'eating more chicken' for a while!
Emily and Brandon left today and Papa and Nana arrived for more MoMo love.
Congrats to Emily and Tiffany (both of Derrick's sisters) who are pregnant and have the same due date. MoMo will have more cousin friends!

More MoMo

2008-09-16T12:21:00.000-07:00

Brandon, Emily, Ellie and Schafer Belly Baby came to visit. Momo loves his aunt, uncle and cousin. Momo also loves baths. I laugh every time I see the crazy eye picture. I hope you smile at least. The videos are of MoMo practicing giving kisses. His lips are sooooo kissable. The other one is him just being cute. Every minute of him is recordable and video worthy. :)

Gamecock Fan!

2008-09-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

Momo watched his second Gamecock game today. He screamed and cried much more than Derrick did when they lost...oh well. He is doing great though. Eating, sleeping, pooping, spitting up and crying. But he is the most precious little baby in the whole wide world. We gave him his first bath last night (see the pictures below) and he seemed to love it. Of course, once we dried him off, he pooped and peed all over himself. But we've come to expect that! He is now back to his birth weight - 9lb. 10 oz. Yes, a very big baby!

Video and Pix

2008-09-12T14:47:00.000-07:00

Did you vote for your favorite nickname?

By Popular Demand: More Pix!

2008-09-09T18:02:00.000-07:00

I saw that!
Proper burping posture.
Sleeping like a big boy.
In the Boppy swing.
Learning math with Dad.
Our best seminary pal Suzanne meeting baby MoMo.
First bath at home!
He really liked it.
Clean baby Moses swaddled on display.
Oma and Opa (don't ask me, they named themselves) left us :(

2008-09-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

New Pix

2008-09-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

We made it!
MoMo was so stoked about being home, he instantly began playing air guitar.
Baby on Mommy.
Go Gamecocks!
Baby on Gma.
Chunky baby on chunky Daddy.
Zoom in. Check out that squinched face!

WE ARE HOME!!! Thanks be to God.

2008-09-02T18:28:00.000-07:00

Our little family made it home safely. They checked the bilirubin at 6pm and it was down to 12.7. We are grateful for your prayers and glad to be home. Everyone is happy and tired. MoMo is asleep on Norma's lap. David is on another computer. Meghan is eating her 2nd plate of dinner (thanks to the Jarvis family who brought it to the hospital). The Republican convention is on in the background. Enjoy the pictures.
MoMo putting on his 'go home' suit.
(with a little help from grandma)
Hands are high in calories...
I wish I felt as good as I look.
Swaddled in his global blanket.
Meghan's doing great.
El Pastorrrrrrrrrr.
Did you see that? He's so cute!
Snuggle bug.

...

2008-09-02T07:37:00.000-07:00

Bad news this morning that the score was back up to 15.5 which means he may have to stay another night. But we may go home tonight if its better. Keep praying! We love y'all!

Croslands depart Blantons arrive.

2008-09-01T17:21:00.000-07:00

I just realized I didn't take any pictures of Silas! Man is he cute! So, Tiff left this morning and David and Norma arrived at virtually the same time. Meghan was discharged at lunch. MoMo's bilirubin was still high enough to require him to stay the night. Dr. said they would check it again tomorrow morning and if it was below 15 we could take him home. The good news was that when they moved him, they gave him a room big enough for Meghan to stay with him. Norma will stay tonight also while I get some sleep. I have a blood test in the AM for some new life insurance. (Nothing like being responsible for a new life to make you think about leaving something behind to care for them! Call my dad if you need any insurance!) So the pediatrician over here ordered a test for MoMo tonight and it was a 14!!!!!!!!!!!! So we can totally go home tomorrow! He is still under his light and eating extra mommy milk to continue to lower the number. Looking forward to resting together in our own bed and seeing all the seminary visitors. Enjoy the pictures: [The white patches on MoMo's head hold on his sweet shades in the light box.]
Norma and grandson.
The happy parents.
Gramps and baby.
He IS adorable.
I've been calling him Chubber. Look at those jaws!
Sweet shades. Making Stevie Wonder jealous since 2008!
Looks scarier than it is. He just sleeps in the warmth and soaks up the rays.

Discharged/Not

2008-09-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

Meg will be discharged around 1 after her parents get here. MoMo will have to stay one extra night but we are handling it okay now. He'll be in pediatrics and Meg can stay with him. I'm off to take Tiff to the airport and pick up the Blantons at 11am. Computer is going off for now. Much love. Derrick
Bilirubin down to 16.5 this AM. Below 15 and he can go home tomorrow.

Labor Day

2008-09-01T05:05:00.000-07:00

Bilirubin level down to 17 last night. Awaiting this mornings number. Doctor says a 'downward' trend may mean he can come with us home. Meghan's parents are on the way up. Tiff is leaving at the same time from Logan, so I am switching out the help. Thanks to Jerrigayle Benson for tonight's lasagna dinner!

Yellow-Bellied Sap Sucker

2008-08-31T08:19:00.000-07:00

This is an update from Derrick. Today the pediatrician came and overnight the jaundice indicator number (bilirubin) went from 8 to 18. Nothing major but they decided to put him under the 'lights' today. Meghan has been pumping and feeding extra to try to help flush the extra stuff (red blood cells?) out of him. On an international note the word 'jaundice' comes from the French word for yellow: jaune. The mere thought of him not being able to go home with us tomorrow brought me to tears and Meghan cried when I did. I think it was a good release. I also think that by this time tomorrow Meg's parents will be up here, my big sis will be gone, and he will be all set to come home with us. Let's pray to that end. God has been faithful in everything, so if we haven't given him praise on here yet let me do that this fine Sunday morning:

Conception, pregnancy, and birth are easily 3 of the most miraculous things on earth AND they are the most normal things ever. This 'normal miracle' that has come into our lives is awesome. To God be the glory. How crazy is it that we get to take part in creating a life? And as our pastor prayed with us Thursday, how marvelous to be a part of creating an eternal life, for all human life is eternal. And let us not forget that there was (in Christ) and will be (in us) a bodily resurrection. I'm not saying I understand these mysteries, but it is cool to reflect on them. See 1 Corinthians 15:35ff. I love it.

I will add some more photos here. Keep commenting, we love to read them. Thanks for everything and special thanks to Tiffany for coming up and being wicked helpful ('wicked' is a Bostonian adjective meaning 'very') and to Matt for encouraging her to come (and keeping 75% of their children by himself). Meghan is resting right now and the quiet dark room is nice.

This is Tiff.
Beautiful crying baby.
We've tried to capture some yawns and sneezes but none so far.
Side view. If you look real close you can see the 'wide load' sign...
Father and son.
Mother and child.
Soaking up some sun this morning to help with the jaundice.
Baby 'Chubber' (that's what I've been calling him) comfy between his Daddy's legs.

Still doing well.

2008-08-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

Here are some more photos: (Meghan will have to type up the whole story at some point...)

Meet Moses Tucker Smith: 9 lbs. 10 oz. 21.5 in. of pure love!

2008-08-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

thought i was gonna write but heres pix

2008-08-28T19:27:00.000-07:00

2008-08-03T14:20:00.000-07:00

The Crib

2008-08-02T09:29:00.000-07:00

Throughout the pregnancy I've realized that those who manufacture baby products (be it bottles, rattles, nursing wraps, or cribs) have quite the corner on the market. Something that should be relatively easy to buy or find - like a crib - is not always the case. My parents graciously offered to buy us our crib and after much research and frustration we decided on a nice one that will last a long time. We had to drive to New Hampshire to pick it up and so we borrowed our friends' Blazer to bring it home. When they pulled it out from the back Derrick and I looked at each other and started laughing! The thing was the size of a small house - literally! There was no way it was going to fit in the Blazer - a semi, maybe! We tried to find a UHaul place and begged Home Depot but, alas, we had no luck and had to return the thing and drive back to Mass empty handed.
After ordering it again to a closer store and coaxing one of the Chick-fila workers who owns a truck to help us bring it home (not my idea but Derrick's crazy ideas usually turn out to be great ones!), it finally arrived! While we are both convinced that's it's too nice for "our station in life" I am thrilled to own it and am so grateful for it! Now all it lacks is a little cute baby to support and keep warm.

3 weeks left!

Summer, Showers, and Life so Far

2008-07-19T17:55:00.000-07:00

We apologize for the tardy update! A lot has happened in this month and a half.

Well...in the middle of June, while Derrick was slaving away in a summer school class (actually 2 classes), I flew back down to Dixie to visit my family. While I was home our home church threw us a baby shower. Everyone was so generous and thoughtful as they helped welcome baby Smith into the world.

Needless to say, 'lil Smith did quite well for himself! Sometimes it seems like just yesterday that we were having our bridal shower! But I guess the lingerie showers usually lead to the baby showers. :) It was wonderful being at home relaxing and enjoying mi familia.

I then flew down to Panama City, Florida to meet up with my 5 college roommates. We affectionately call ourselves "The Jungle Bungalow." 5 of us lived on the same hall our freshman year and we've been together ever since. It's so comforting to know that God is behind everything - even 'potluck' roommate selections. We hadn't all been together since our wedding, so our 2 year reunion was very sweet. My sister in law taught me to dig a hole in the sand for my bell so that I could lay on my front. It was heavenly!

We spent the days laying in the sun (getting burnt to a crisp!), sleeping in, vegging by the pool, and enjoying each other's company. "Harry" (as my friends call the baby) loved floating in the ocean, despite the jellyfish, seaweed, and sting rays!

We had a wonderful time but after 11 days a part from my hubby I was ready to come home! Derrick spent his weeks translating Hebrew and 'gettin' her done,' as he would say. :) I was so proud of him and all that he accomplished and learned as I was busy getting a tan. He had been training to run in a 5 mile race and ran with our friends Ian and Sally Wilson. All 3 did a phenomenal job! Up next...a marathon! Just joking!

We then moved apartments into a bigger two bedroom apartment so that 'lil Smith will have more room - really, so that we'll have more room. There was an apartment open in the building right next door. My brother, Matthew, kindly came up and let us boss him around as he helped us move. I wasn't much use - so we needed an extra pair of hands. Our friends were wonderful and everything was in the new place in an hour and a half. We miss our community in the old building but hopefully we'll be feeling at home pretty soon. Below is a video of our new place - mainly for our parents who are anxious to see it. Our address has changed - so if you would like the new one let us know and we can give it to you.

Derrick and Matthew then took the Lucky Star bus down to NYC for 2 days to go to 2 Yankees games. They offered for me to go but a 5 hour bus ride and a night in the hostel didn't sound too appealing. But they had good brother bonding time and enjoyed the city and the Yankees together. The second day they met an important CEO guy who offered them his box seats for the game that he wasn't going to use. Reluctantly, they agreed to take the tickets. :)

All is going well with the pregnancy. We started our birthing classes today. We're using 'Hypnobirthing' - which sounds a lot scarier and wacky than it really is. For those of you who have never heard about it, the premise is that birthing is a natural process that should not be feared or treated like a medical condition. We have been taught that birthing is a painful scary thing that requires medical managing. Hollywood has showed screaming women hyperventilating on a bed demanding an epidural. So these classes, through relaxation techniques, teach that birth can be a joyful and 'pain free' experience. When we expect pain, we get pain. Hypnobirthing teaches you to work with, not against, your bodies natural process. We enjoyed the first class and think that it will help!

So we're 5 weeks out before the baby is due. Derrick is about to start his 3 class for the summer and I'm tutoring some, kinda working on a class, and piddling - a lot! I definitely feel the need to 'nest' so things are slowly getting done.

Meghan's Birthday Bonanza

2008-06-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

I (Meghan) celebrated my 24th birthday on June 1st. Derrick did a wonderful job at organizing a great day full of surprises. I really wanted to go to my favorite flea market so we headed out in search of finding treasure in another man's trash. And boy did we find it! I have always loved/coveted my parent's German nativity which is a 3-tiered hand carved wooden nativity that has a place for candles and when the heat from the candles rise, it turns a windmill type thing on the top. Anyway...new ones go for around $200 but we found the identical one for only $25. (Derrick said that he only had $17 but he was secretly hiding a birthday stash of cash). I bought it right as another guy was going to get his wife to come look at it. Sneaky.....

We ate hotdogs and doritos (my own pregnancy craving) in our car and then went to my favorite ice cream place to buy raspberry sorbet. Yummy....
Our next stop was the little town of Rockport. We walked on the beach, found hermit crabs, discovered a secret garden, window shopped, and got sunburned. Derrick enjoyed acting like a kid by sliding down the slide and I had fun looking at things I could never afford.

When we returned home Derrick locked himself in the bedroom with tape, scissors, and magazines in order to make me a birthday masterpiece. By this time of the day I could tell that something was fishy but I hadn't realized that he had planned a surprise party. I thought that the girls of the building were getting together to hang out at my neighbor's house. When I knocked on the door the Olympic theme song began to blare over the stereo and I walked in to find all my friends hiding in the kitchen wearing medals around their neck. I have always loved the Olympics and one of my life goals is to go to the games - so Derrick organized an olympic themed party even with a cake in the shape of the rings! As a gift he gave me the beginnings of a savings account for us to plan on going to the 2010 Winter Olympic games in Vancouver (which is where we went for our honeymoon). Hooray to my honey for the best day! I have the best husband ever!

(The card reads "Meghan, what's better than just 24 $1 bills, a monkey card, and an olympic birthday celebration today?" The inside then had money taped in the shape of the olympic rings!)

Behind Enemy Lines - Fenway Park

2008-05-22T17:58:00.001-07:00

One thing Derrick and I have wanted to do before we leave New England is attend a Red Sox game at Fenway Park. However, for those of you who know the Blanton family well, know that we are die-hard Yankee fans. Our blood is pin strips. But when my dear friend Merry Beth called with tickets for a Red Sox game, even I couldn't resist. Fenway is the oldest ballpark and is famous for the "green monster." The park had such personality and the fans (ie - members of Red Sox nation) make the park come alive. It was a great day for baseball - hotdogs, candy, interesting people to watch, great offensive playing, 2 sets of back to back homeruns, and the Sox won. So even though I had to cross over into enemy territory, I must say that it was well worth it.

The Windy City

2008-05-17T08:12:00.000-07:00

This past week Derrick and I flew over to Chicago to visit Derrick's sister, bro-in-law and their 4 precious kids. Derrick's parents came in from SC and his other sister flew up from VA. It was a mini family reunion with 13 of us total (soon to be 14). But before we met up with everyone, Derrick and I drove to Indianapolis to meet up with our favorite ladies that we met last summer in Ukraine. For those of you who haven't heard the whole story - these women practically saved our summer. We showed up with nothing to do - they thankfully took us in. None of our money transferred until 3 weeks into the trip - these women generously left us with some money when they went back to the States. We didn't bring many snacks - these women left us with enough granola bars to last a lifetime. They adopted us as their own and we love them!

It was wonderful to catch up with everyone and see what everyone looks like when they're not 'roughing' it on a mission trip. :) Indianapolis is a beautiful city and Derrick was super impressed by the soon-to-be-finished Colts stadium with retractable roof and sides. Before we drove back to Wheaton we ate at the Red Robin, who even graced us with his presence. Turns out he's a gamecock fan too!

Then it was off to Wheaton. I don't think I've ever driven through land flatter than the road between Indianapolis and Chicago. I kept expecting to hear a voice call out through the cornfields... "If you build it, they will come." But that was Iowa - not Indiana or Illinois. We went into Chicago for a day and went to the zoo and Navy Pier where we ate at world's worst restaurant. It claimed to be a "Mexican" restaurant but as I hunched over my beans and rice fighting back tears of disappointment's, I blurted out, "this place sucks! I HATE it here!" If you have to buy your salsa, you know you're at the wrong place. Chicago was lovely and I guess I get to visit it for a day every 4 years when one of my in-laws moves there.

The boys went fishing on the lake and caught our dinner. Derrick caught the biggest of them all!

The girls did what we do best - shopping. *Note to all women who have feet sizes 8.5 and smaller* When you want to buy more expensive shoes - check the kids versions first. Almost all of us bought kids sized Keens for $50 which would have been $90 if we bought the adult size. :) I must admit, we have the cutest nieces and nephews in the world. And although I have a hard time believing it, Derrick's sisters assure me that I will think our baby is even cuter than theirs.

Which one is more pregnant?

2008-04-24T19:59:00.001-07:00

We are having a contest to see who can be fatter by August. I think I am winning. Meghan has gained a few pounds of tummy weight (isn't she adorable??), but I think I can still take her in a pie eating contest or a black hole look alike contest. You see, that's funny because black holes have so much mass that not even light can escape their gravitational pull. I'm like that, only fatter. That's actually extra funny because since you can't see a black hole, a look alike contest would be impossible.

P.S. Have you seen the late night ads for those bags that shrink stuff? They are awesome and really work!!! Check out the before and after.

Here is my cutie's most recent picture. What a cook she is too!

2008-04-04T18:36:00.001-07:00

First Baby Picture!

2008-03-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

Here is the little guy. Derrick has officially learned how to blog. Be warned.

Pictures of Life around New England

2008-03-22T19:44:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures of our life on the North Shore of Massachusetts.

We're Having a Baby!!

2008-03-22T18:35:00.000-07:00

Hello friends and family! We (well, Meghan) wanted to create a blog to help people keep track of us during our (my) pregnancy, rather than sending out numerous email updates.
We had our first ultrasound today and IT's A BOY!! Derrick was thrilled! It was exciting to see that he had two arms and two legs and 1 head (I had a terrible thought that we'd go to the ultrasound and it would be a two-headed baby!) He weighs 9 ounces and is quite wiggly. All seems to be healthy and on track to be born around Aug. 24th. I will only have 1 class left in my degree so it will be great timing. Derrick will hopefully be finished with his degree in May 09 and then we'll move ... somewhere! So keep us in your prayers as we he grows and as we transition into parenthood.

We will update with baby news and pictures of my ever growing belly!

This picture is of us minutes before we found out! At this moment we have no idea what we are about to get into!