A letter for Beckett
Hi sweet boy. We survived one whole year together. I can’t believe it’s been one year since I met you and your chipmunky cheeks for the first time. If we’re being completely honest, (something you’ll learn is unavoidable with me) I had no idea what to do with you when you came out. While you were in my belly, I just took you where I wanted to go, we ate what I wanted to eat, and we slept when I wanted to sleep. Once you were born, well…you had a few opinions of your own. Once you were born, our whole lives changed. At first, I wasn’t sure how I…
A Monsterous Affair
Yesterday was Beckett’s first ever birthday party. First ever. He’s been alive for a whole year. What do you do when you keep your child alive and well for a whole year? You celebrate! Monster style. First you invite all your friends. Then you decorate. The key to decorating for a monster party is to googly-eye everything: picture frames, drink dispenser, serving spoons, family dog…everything. Also, check the cupcake picture. No, I didn’t let the 3rd grade class at church decorate those. I did it all by my big girl self. I had a sobering realization that my dreams of opening my own cupcakery will probably not come…
My 14th birthday, Crustaches, & Cannibalism
Everyone in our family has a birthday in August. Taylor’s is the 7th, mine is the 9th, and Beckett’s is the 22nd. Also, when we were adopting our dog, Mack, they told us his birthday is the 5th. 5, 7, 9, 22. August is an expensive month for us. Last year I made a birthday hat that I made everyone in our family wear on their designated day of birth. I even took it to the hospital to put on the freshly delivered Beckett: “Before you cut the cord…can you just snap a pic of this on his head real fast? Thanks.” I did it again this year because it’s…
Smith Reunion: Walkers, Canes, & everything in betwane
inbetwane…get it? it rhymes with cane!!! nevermind. The past week, Beckett and I flew to Kansas, drove to and from Arkansas, and flew back to Texas. It was a lot of traveling for an almost 25 year old 1 year old. The flight to Kansas went swimmingly, aside from being a teensy bit tardy to the airport, neon yellow “LATE CHECK-IN” tags being stuck all over my bags, and the always awkward terminal-speed-walk to arrive at the gate just in time to be one of the last to board the aircraft. But we made it. [One day I’ll write a post about the genius of stuffing your toddler so full…
The Art of Comparison
Do you know what I did a couple months ago? I bought a $22 teether. Like, a baby teether. A $22 French one with a stupid name: Sophie. I bought it because everyone had it. All the moms at the nursery, all the moms at the park, all the moms being paid to talk about it in my parenting magazines…everyone had a Sophie the Giraffe. One of the product descriptions is that she draws in all 5 of baby’s senses at once. If we’re honest, my baby’s senses do just fine with a red solo cup, yet something about this little giraffe is irresistible. It could be that she’s made…
WT Mom, Cops, & Camaros
The big news of the week is that Beckett is walking. Or at least periodically taking multiple steps. I’m not sure at what point I can classify him as “a walker” but he’s well on his little way. I’m so clueless about children. I was always under the impression that by the time babies could walk, they were pretty much self-sufficient. If they were old enough to walk, they were certainly old enough to get me a drink or make me a sandwich…right? Now that Beckett is to that magical age, I’m sad to report that he’s very much still a baby. Nobody’s making momma anything. I’ve already admitted I’m…
a bit of psalms {printable}
I searched high and low for a printable of my favorite verses in Psalms and I couldn’t find one. This is 2012 and we are in the age of Pinterest. Where did I go wrong in my search?! Anyway, I ended up making one. It’s all about determination, y’all. These verses (Psalms 139:23-24) have been prayed many-a-time in my life. I’m glad they’re now adorning my home as a reminder. Feel free to snag one and use it in your abode, too.
Geckos, Fireworks, & Toddlerhood
I’m very grateful today. My accidental BFF Tara was in a nasty car accident and is doing AWESOME (and has a pretty killer shiner), my brother is about to close on a house near us, Beckett finally met Knox… we’re blessed. Geckos Something happened a few weeks ago that I haven’t been able to talk about until now – a trauma of sorts. Unless my mom is coming to visit, our bathroom rugs don’t get washed very often. It’s really easy to forget about them when your husband is going, “Hey babe…I just used the last clean undershirt. The ones from the dryer. They actually never even made it to…
Rangers Game & Antfest
For Father’s Day, we scored some tickets to a Rangers game (we love you, Marla). It was Beckett’s first game and Taylor was beside himself with excitement – which, if you know Taylor, means that he smiled only slightly more than usual. He’s not quite as expressive as me. Or our son, we’re beginning to learn. We lathered on sunscreen for the 99 degree afternoon game, found our section, scalded our butts on the plastic seats, sweated (swat?) through our clothes within 4 minutes, laughed when other unsuspecting attendees yelled “OH $#!&” as they scalded their butts on the plastic seats, and waited for the game to start. The Rangers…
Edible Crib Fix
One look at our once pristine crib and no one can say my child isn’t getting enough fiber. Beckett now has 7 chompers that he exercises while he’s standing instead of sleeping in his crib. Aside from the fact that I had lofty goals for the reuse of the crib, I’m sure the cocktail of polyurethane and faux cherry finish isn’t good to ingest. I looked for “crib rail protector” and “teething guard for crib” but came up with either these: (which will probably go over about as well as the fireplace protectors…) or these, which don’t match the nursery bedding and design that – at one point in time…