FAMILY!!!!

So Eve and Niki were her from July 3rd through the 19th. It was so much fun having them. I was so excited because they hadn't met Cooper yet. We picked them up July 3rd at midnight (they had been traveling all day there time so they were exhausted). Cooper was great on the way there. He slept the entire drive thank goodness. On the way back the girls gave him a bottle. When Eve and Niki got here we showed Niki around the house because she had never been here before and then they went to bed, but they didn't get very much sleep because we had church the next morning at 9am. Sunday night we went and saw fireworks. It was fun but we were all way tired and it was cold outside we were all bundled up in hoodies and blankets. Monday morning we got up really early to go fishing. Niki caught her first fish.

The girls were so helpful while they were here, doing laundry and dishes and helping me around the house. And they were really helpful with Cooper in fact he is totally spoiled now, because while Eve and Niki were here he was held constantly and now he expects to be held all day long.

On thursday Blaine decided he wanted to go camping and fishing so we quickly packed everything up and drove to Lake Roosevelt and spent two nights camping. Blaine brought his dad along, so friday morning they got up early and went fishing. The girls and I slept in and hung out and talked back at camp. When it got hot we put our swimming suits on and headed down to the water for a nice refreshing dip in the lake but the lake was FREEZING!! so we did not get in. We decided to set up an awning that Blaine and I bought instead. It was quite the chore for three girls but we finally figured it out. It had bug netting and a wind shield that made it more complicated but next time we will be able to get it up no problem. When Blaine and Bruce got back we all went out on the boat for some wakeboarding and tubing. It was a lot of fun I even got to wakeboard and the water wasn't so bad once you got used to it. After we ate dinner we all went back out on the boat for more fishing. I have found I prefer fishing in the evenings to the mornings. We stayed another night and while the men fished the women packed up camp.

The next week we went to Leavenworth, were Niki has decided she wants to move to. After walking around Leavenworth we went down to the river and took pictures in front of the water and on an old bridge.

We went and toured the Candy factory in Cashmere and went to the museum which has a little pioneer town.

The girls went to the Young Men/Young Women's activity and got to do some more boating; they did a lot of tubing. and Eve jumped off the old bridge.

We went back to Leavenworth and found a neat little store where everything was $12.99 and the girls got Leavenworth hoodies.

On thursday night we went to the drive in movies. We took our big flat bed truck and took air mattress and made some stadium seating a whole lot of the family came with us. we had a lot of fun but everyone fell asleep during the second movie.

Saturday we went boating again and my sister in law Jamie came to take pictures she is a photographer. Sunday we had church again and hung out with family. Monday morning we got up and went to Denny's for a girls out breakfast with all the girls from the family. Then we came home and packed a lunch and headed for Snoqualmie falls. When we got to the falls we walked to the look out point that over looks the falls and then we headed over to the path to hike down to the bottom of the falls. We were planning on this all week and Blaine said it was really pretty down there and a fun/ but slightly difficult hike but when we found the path that led to it, it was closed for construction! What a let down!! We still ate our lunch there, which I really enjoyed. The girls made delicious sandwiches. Then it was off to Seattle to see Pike's Place Market. We arrived in Seattle at 6pm and walked up to Pike's only to find out it closes at 6pm!!!! It was so disappointing! I felt bad for the girls. We walked around for a little bit and then headed over to the airport. We ended up dropping the girls off at 8pm, three hours before their flight left. It was sad to say goodbye and we already miss them. But we had a lot fun while they were here!! :)

niki jumping off the bridge

touring the candy factory

fishing on our camping trip

photo shoot fun

In Leavenworth

Ask me about my morning.

Cooper woke up at about 2:45am this morning with a big poopy diaper. I got up and changed him and he acted like he was wanted to be awake and happy for a little while! Luckily by the time I had finished changing him he started to rub his eyes and act hungry. We climbed back into bed until about 7am when he woke up happy and smiling, I was still exhausted so I went to hand him to his dad when I realized that he was soaked his upper half with milk and his lower half/up his side with pee! Great, now I have to get up. I got up and gave him a bath and changed him into a cute onesie my friend Charity sent him. I thought for sure he would want to be up now but as my luck would have it he acted hungry! We got back into bed again! Blaine left to go work. I drew the blinds and fed Cooper till he fell asleep! I fell back asleep. I woke up at 9:30am ready to be up for the day. I called Dora, she had called while I was sleeping in this morning. She wanted to make sure we were still planning on the drivein tonight. My talking woke Cooper but he was happy so it was no big deal. I put him in his swing and took a shower. When I got out I figured Cooper could use some tummy time so I put him down on a blanket fresh from the wash and started to get ready. Cooper was really enjoying tummy time! Then I heard him fill his diaper, but it didn’t sound too bad so I continued to get ready. Finally he got fussy. I figured it was because he was over tummy time so I went over to roll him over while I finished my hair and make up. When I rolled him over I got quite a surprise!... He had pooped up through the front of his diaper. Yay, he had already had a bath. I started to change him and it was much worse than I thought. How on earth was I going to get the onesie over his head with out getting poop everywhere? Let me mention that Cooper thought my efforts where hilarious and helped me out by kicking and swinging his arms as much as possible. So there was now poop on this arms, tummy, legs, not to mention everywhere down there. I did manage to keep it off his head and face. The wiping process took a very long time as my hands were often dirty and once I got one part of him clean and moved on to another he found a way to dirty himself up again. In the back of my head was a timer, counting down. You see it took so long to clean him up I just knew that he would pee on me. FINALLY 100 wipes later he was all clean. I quickly got a diaper on him. He did not pee on me either. I then got him dressed in a little outfit I had kind of been saving for a time when people would actually see him. It is very cute and has been hanging on my closet the past few days. While putting it on him I realized that it is size 3-6mo. Apparently my brain is so fried from not getting enough sleep that I have lost my ability to read and comprehend. Oh well it isn’t even that big so he is wearing it for the rest of the day. Now I have to go brush my teeth in the bath tub because there is a poopy onesie soaking in my sink. And forget getting my hair and make up done its 11am, the hair will be in a pony tail.

Side note: Yesterday Cooper woke up a 4am for playtime and then spend the rest of the morning having a tummy ache.

This picture does it no justice! I wish you could see how brown it really looks.

Surprise Mommy!!

You know that your day did not start out with this much fun!!

Father's Day!!

I just copied this straight out of my journal:

Father’s Day! Cooper and I woke up at seven to make Blaine breakfast in bed. I started breakfast and then woke up the girls to get them fed. I made Blaine bacon egg and cheese biscuits and I also made him a delicious berry smoothie. Cooper, the girls and I took Blaine his breakfast. Cooper was wearing some special pjs that said I love Dad. I got the girls through the bath and ready for church. I put them at the kitchen table with crayons to make a card for their dad and then went upstairs to get myself ready. I had planned on trying to look especially nice so that we could take pictures after church, but I was running out of time. When I got out of the shower my eye itched really bad, I looked in the mirror and my eye was all blood shot red and swollen, I couldn’t wear my contacts and its no use trying to look good in my old, broken glasses, so I pulled my hair back and just put on a little mascara. Blaine got Cooper dressed for me in a little shirt that said “I love Dad” and little plaid pants! Finally we were all ready and headed out the door. We got to church just a few minutes early. I decided not to go to Relief Society because I would have to leave early, at 9:30 we were going to go to the other Sacrament meeting to see Brody, Cooper’s cousin born 3 weeks after him be blessed. I figured I would go to the classroom where Blaine and I teach the 14 year olds and get everything set up for the game we were going to play. Blaine took Cooper to Priesthood opening exercises and was then going to bring him to me. So I could get a quick feeding in before going to see Brody be blessed and having to teach. But only a few short minutes later I could hear Cooper crying in the hall way and then what sounded like Blaine telling someone to please go get me out of Relief Society. Cooper’s crying got worse so I went into the hallway to see what was the matter. Cooper had pooped through is diaper, through his shirt, through his pants and on to Blaine’s suit pants and jacket. This was the first time Blaine had ever been pooped on. Cooper decided to really break him in good on Father’s Day. Blaine went to go change him in the bathroom. I could hear poor Cooper cry the whole time. I took Cooper to feed him and get his clothes changed, into the white suit he was wearing for his blessing. I prayed he was done pooping and wouldn’t spit up to bad. At 9:30 we went to the other sacrament meeting to hear Brody’s blessing it was very nice. As soon as it was over Blaine and I slipped out to go teach our lesson. I was teaching as a little gift for Blaine for Father’s Day so of course a member of the bishopric asked if he could come to our class. As soon as I sat down to teach Cooper started to cry. I took him to feed him again and told Blaine to just do a review of last weeks lesson. Cooper fell asleep quickly so I was able to get back just as Blaine was finishing the review. I think the lesson went well I was able to keep everyone’s attention and keep them involved in the lesson with the game that I used. Then it was time for Sacrament. Cooper woke up and just started to fuss as we sang the opening hymn. I put his pacifier in and bounced him vigorously to try and comfort him. He stopped crying but he was awake and he wouldn’t keep the pacifier in. I just knew that he would scream through his blessing and I wouldn’t be able to hear it. Blaine took him up to bless him. Cooper was quiet for the entire thing. I wrote down Cooper’s blessing as well as Christine Potter, and Sister Selecta, so hopefully between the three of us we got the entire thing. He was blessed to love this family and friends, serve others, serve a mission, and marry a virtous woman. It was a beautiful blessing. Blaine sat down and asked me how it was and I said great. He asked if it was too short and I told him that it was perfect for Cooper. Cooper started to cry so it was off the Mother’s room for the rest of church. After church Blaine I went home and changed. Cooper wore his little tiny cute jeans for the very first time. Then we went over to Jared and Christine’s for a BBQ. Cooper got passed around so I was able to eat with both hands. Cori held him for a long time and she got him to sleep, which was a miracle because normally he likes to nurse to sleep. I think she held him almost the whole time we were there. After the BBQ we went over to Bruce and Sharon’s to spend some time with Bruce, since it was Father’s Day and all. Sharon got out Blaine’s baby book for me and Cooper looks JUST LIKE Blaine. I gave birth to Blaine, no joke. I am going to try to scan Blaine’s baby pictures into the computer and post them online so everyone can see. The only difference in Cooper and Blaine is Cooper’s lips and that is all! We watched a movie and Cooper and Blaine took a nap on the couch. They sleep in the same positions. It started to rain, and then pour, so we headed home. Went to bed late as usual but it was a really good day.

Cooper giving Daddy his breakfast, and showing him his special pjs.

Cooper and Dad all ready for church.

Taking a Sunday afternoon nap.

Sleeping in the same position.

They must have been tired.

Cooper in his blessing outfit. His GreatGran made him the blanket he is lying on. She made it after she had gone blind and way before I was ever married. But she made us each one for our children. GreatGran passed away when I was a teenager.

Looking good in his suit!

These pictures are in opposite order, they go most recent pictures to oldest pictures.

Cousin Brody Reed Potter

Cute little yawn!!

Showing off his cute church clothes. They are still too big for him but I just love putting them on him. Its brown pants, a white polo, and a man sweater.

Meeting his cousin Brody Reed Potter for the first time. Brody was born three weeks after Cooper. How fun is it going to be for those two growing up! I can't wait.

Its always fun when Grandma comes. My mom came a week after Cooper was born and stayed for a week and a half. It was great, she was so helpful! We loved having her out here. We got to celebrate Mother's Day and her birthday with her! She is a wonderful grandmother!

My First Mother's Day

Blaine has been very very busy lately so I assumed he had totally forgotten Mother's Day (kind of like how he forgot Valentine's Day). So Saturday night he was supposed to take the night off, it was the night my mom got here, but of course, and as usual he had to go to work but he assured me it wouldn't take too long. I told my mom I figured he forgot Mother's Day and maybe I had better call and remind him but then I thought no because when he forgets and has to make it up to me I usually get more... haha!!! He worked until after 10 o-clock and I was a little irritated because we have spent very little time together since the baby has been born (our schedules don't really mesh yet). I called him and he told me he would be home soon. Well by the time he got home Mom and I had gone to bed. He came up and I was feeding Cooper so he turned on the t.v. a commercial for Mother's Day came on and I said "what holiday were they just talking about?" Blaine looked at me in horror, "oh no!" he said. I asked him, do you need to go to the store? haha" he asked do I want to go with him. ha yeah right take a baby out in the middle of the night to buy my own Mother's Day present. He started apologizing and I gave him a little bit of a hard time. this was a big Mother's Day you know, my first, my mom is here helping us, and his mom has been here helping us. But I told him it wasn't a big deal I knew he was very busy and that in the future he would work at being better about it because he knew that those kind of things meant a lot to me. But I also told him he could make it up to me! ;-)

So Sunday I woke up and came downstairs to give Cooper to my Mom so I could get ready for church. There was a balloon that said I love You Grandma, and big homemade card and flowers on the couch. I was so confused, how on earth did Mom get this Mother's Day present, did she bring it with her?... no and then I read her card and it was signed by Blaine! I was so confused then she finally told me to look in the kitchen. There was another HUGE balloon that said I Love You Mom, a big heart shaped homemade card, and a beautiful pink azalea topiary! I couldn't believe it. Blaine remembered Mother's Day!!! He had fooled me good. And he hadn't been working the night before he had been doing my Mother's Day present. What a GREAT husband I have! I will have to give him more credit in the future :-)

Mom and I missed part of church to talk to my brother Jacob who is serving a mission. We went to church and then we went to Blaine's Mom's house for a big Mother's Day dinner with the whole family. Cooper slept for almost 4 hours because he was being held the entire time! I am pretty sure I have a little spoiled baby on my hands. We had a great day tho!

Welcome Cooper Grant Smith!!!

And now all the details you have been waiting for... and I do mean all the details!!

O.k. to start off, for those of you who don't know at 20 weeks pregnant I was diagnosed with partial placenta previa - meaning that my placenta was covering the birth canal at least partially. This meant that the placenta could try and deliver before baby which is very dangerous because the placenta provides oxygen and blood to the baby and if it detached from the uterus and delivered first baby would be in a lot of danger, also it would cause hemorrhaging for me which would be dangerous as well. So what you do in that situation is get ultrasounds all the time to check the location of the placenta (since it was a partial previa there was a chance that as my uterus grew and stretched that it would move the placenta) because if it moved I would be able to have a normal vaginal delivery and if it did not move I would have to have a C-section.

Three weeks before my due date I had a bleed and went in to the hospital, lucky for me it stopped and I was able to go home. About a week after that I had another ultrasound that showed that the baby's head had dropped below the placenta and I would be able to attempt a normal delivery. Blaine and I were very relieved when we found this out because the hospital here.. thats right there is only one hospital here, does not allow VBACs (vaginal birth after c-section) which means all of my deliveries would have to be c-sections which is very hard on the body.

So Sunday May 2nd I wake up, its my DUE DATE!! but it just feels like any other day I figure I will be like my mom and go past my due date. I get up get ready and go to church. I didn't feel very well that day but I was nine months pregnant there is no such thing as feeling good. After church we had some family over and ate and I was pretty tired when they left. Blaine told me he needed to get ready for work and I decided to take a nap. I went to the bathroom and thats when I saw the blood (a lot of blood) I immediately got pretty nervous. I called Blaine and I asked him to come inside because I was bleeding and we needed to go to the hospital right away. Then I called my doctor and he said he would meet me at labor and delivery. I got my stuff together and tried to remain calm. Blaine came back and got me and we headed off to the hospital (in a bee truck with a trailer and forklift). On the way there Blaine asked me how I was doing and I said I was ok but I was kinda scared. I made a lot of phone calls on the way because I figured once we got to the hospital things would happen rather quickly.

When we got to the hospital Blaine dropped me off at the door and there was a nurse waiting for me with a wheel chair to take me straight to Labor and Delivery. My doctor was already there and they took me too my room where it seemed that every nurse on the floor was waiting for me to hook me up to monitors start and i.v. and draw blood. when they were all done my doctor came in to check me. I was having a few very minor contractions (I couldnt even feel them) and figured they just started from all the excitement. The doctor gave me a quick exam and determined that I was very very far from a natural delivery and that my bleeding was pretty heavy. He told me that he would wait with me at the hospital for a little while but he expected that my bleeding would continue and that even if it did stop it would start again and potentially be more dangerous and his recommendation was that I have a c-section as soon as possible. Blaine and I told him we wanted a few minutes to talk about it and for me to calm down and take it all in.

After about half an hour Blaine and I decided that a c-section was the best decision. I was quickly prepped for the surgery and everything was explained to me. I was extremely scared but if i remember correctly i held back the tears.

I was taken to the O.R. and Blaine was taken to another room to get dressed. I really didnt like being away from him. I received a spinal block, my nurse was great she made me tell her the whole story of how Blaine and I met while they did my spinal to keep me distracted getting the spinal wasnt too bad except at one point I got a kind of shooting first down my left side then down my right. It was as my legs started to fall asleep that things got bad for me. First my legs got real warm and kinda heavy/stiff feeling then they rolled me over to insert my cathader, thank goodness I was already pretty numb my legs were were slightly bent for this and they began to really tingle and feel funny and then I knew because i could see them that they lay my legs flat but it still felt like they were bent up and it just caused the weirdest sensation and I started to get really upset and faint feeling. I started asking for Blaine a lot and started to tell the doctors that I couldn't do it!!! and then Blaine came in. I felt so much better when he came in. He kept me really distracted talking to me and telling me how much and loved and appreciated me and how excited he was to meet our baby. He also told me that after bee season we could go on vacation where ever I wanted, I warned him not to say things like that... then I started to feel real funny and sick and said I couldn't keep going and they told me that they were almost done that the baby was almost out. I didnt even know that they had started!! Blaine told me later that they had already started by the time he got in there. The doctor told me that they were discrete on purpose for my sake. When they pulled the baby out it was the most awful (and wonderful of course) thing I have ever been thru the pressure was horrible. It wasn't painful but it felt like a grown man was sitting my chest and I couldnt breathe and the pressure down my stomach is impossible to describe I started crying pretty hard and then I heard Cooper cry and the pressure was gone. They brought him by me and I started crying some more because I was so happy to see him - and so glad it was finally all over. He was beautiful!! They kept saying how big he was and he was pink and he cried, he looked so good. I had to watch him from across the room because the doctors he to check him out for a while because he was a c-section baby. They bought him over to me and took my oxygen mask off so I was able to kiss him. He was 8lbs 3ozs and was 20.5 inches long. Then they took him down to the nursery they asked if Blaine wanted to go and at first I said I didn't care and he could go but then I felt pressure again (I think when they delivered the placenta) and I changed my mind and said Blaine had to stay with me. The rest of the surgery went by pretty fast. Blaine and I just talked and I actually don't remember that much of it.

I was wheeled back to recovery and Blaine went down to be with Cooper. I had the shakes so bad that they couldnt get a read on my blood pressure so they gave me medicine to keep me from shaking.

It took a long time (at least it felt that way) for them to bring me Cooper, Blaine stayed with Cooper and the family in the hall (i didn't know the family had come) pretty much the whole time. It didnt take long for the feeling in my legs to start to come back the nurse asked me to try and wiggle my toes - yeah right!! It was weird to know you have legs that should work and not be able to move them. but i started to feel like something was squeezing my left leg every few minutes and sure enough there was a little machine thingy on my legs to keep blood flowing and prevent clots. my left side came back and then my right. the feeling returning to my legs wasn't bad at all.

Finally they brought me Cooper I couldn't really hold him because I was hooked up to so much stuff and still felt pretty weak and shakey but Blaine set him in my arms and went and got the family - he was so excited. The family came in for a quick hello and then I was taken to my recovery room. Blaine held Cooper and txt family and friends to let them know what had happened I was a little jealous that Blaine was getting so much time with Cooper he even slept with him that night!

We were in the hospital for just monday and tuesday, we were able to leave by 10am on wednesday. Cooper is practically perfect in every way.

My recovery has definitely been more difficult than I thought I really do have to sleep when the baby sleeps even tho i can think of 100 things i need to get done. I have had lots of great help tho from family and friends!

How did we get to be so BUSY!!!

Bee Season has officially arrived and with it 20 hour work days! Ok mostly for poor Blaine... but it stinks for me too. I have been doing all the paperwork, answering the phone calls, and running lots of errands, which I don't mind at all, but because of the fact I am 8 months pregnant (thats right I am 8 months pregnant just four little short weeks to go haha) and because I have been babysitting the neighbors children in the evenings I can't go out and work with Blaine in the bee yard and its way depressing! I love being in the yard counting hives and frames and going out with Blaine to be his helper. I have gone out with him once or twice on little deliveries but I noticed I mostly slow him down because I run like a fat kid! Its also hard because Blaine is so busy and I am stuck at home so I don't get to spend as much time with him and pretty sure my pregnancy hormones are making me extra needy because I have noticed I get all whinny when he leaves and I call him like every hour. He told me "you call your husband more than anyone else I know." Oh well I blame it on all these pregnancy hormones making me a crazy person.

Speaking of being a crazy person - I have so much to get done before this baby gets here!! I finally sat down and made a list and pretty sure it just made me even more overwhelmed! I just can't wait for this little guy to get here. I am getting super uncomfortable. Sleeping at night is a joke. And I have never had such bad back pain before in my life. I get heartburn from everything - even cereal. But meeting my little Blainers (I call him this because I can already tell he is going to be a carbon copy of his dad) will make all of it worth it.

I had a doctor's apt Monday and he guessed the weight of the baby to be about 5 pounds which calmed my fears of having a big baby like my mom did (don't know how you did it mom, but thank you!) I have now have weekly apts because I am so close to the end.

I just can't for bee season to be over because Blaine and I can focus on our little addition! Gosh he is a kicker I can't even be on the computer for 5 minutes without him going crazy in there. haha

all the bee hives!!

Blaine working hard!

He makes a bee suit look good! haha

Blaine made me take this picture for posterity! Thank goodness those suits come in XL haha