I cannot complete our football season without documenting one of the biggest games of the year.  Possibly the most fun game I've ever witnessed live!  Auburn came to Starkvegas as #2.  We were #3.  And it was to be the game of the week...College Gameday was in town too.  The anticipation was great.  Millie Janalee and I caught a ride with my parents, and we spent the night with my brother again in Columbus so we could be there bright and early the next morning.  We took the evening to enjoy some time on campus and set up our tents.

We woke up bright and early for an incredibly game day experience.  Nothing about the day disappointed!  My family and I knew that this may be mine and Millie Janalee's last home game of the year, because we knew Smith was due to arrive that Monday by induction.  I am so happy that the day proved to be one for the books!  We tailgated in our old familiar spot from years past.  Millie Janalee did a great job refraining from running out in the street.  Ha!  She had some special visitors too!  A couple of the MSU cheerleaders found our tent so they could visit Millie Janalee.  I think she was starstruck!  Thank you, Allison, for taking time away from your fun day to make some fun for my girl!

My mom's best friend and her husband used two of our extra tickets for the game.  She brought her grandchildren by just as the cheerleaders walked up, so they got pictures too.  Such a treat for all of them!

"Nice to meet you!"

Millie Janalee did manage to get a short nap in before game time.  It was a beautiful day to tailgate...contrary to the forecast.

KayKay and Millie Janalee napping

The adults enjoyed relaxing watching College Gameday on the television, the girls and Lee tried to see the Dawg Walk.  Oh my!  Besides a near panic attack, passing out from heat exhaustion, and claustrophobia...we enjoyed cheering our players in with thousands of other fans packed in the Junction like sardines.  We also loved seeing all our visitors as they stopped by throughout the day.

Before long, it was time to make our way toward Davis Wade Stadium for the BIG GAME!  The biggest game in MSU history.  It was time to make a STATEment.  We believed.  As we always do.

The atmosphere was electric.  Cowbells have become a national conversation.  And Bully even came out as "Dak"man!  We were ready.

The rain did eventually come.  And it rained HARD!  Poured.  Not a fan left the stadium.  Our Bulldogs never fell behind those Auburn Tigers, and we came out with an emotional victory over the #2 team in the nation!

Grown adults...fans of many many years...and young adults alike were teary eyed at the sight.  An experience like none other.  One I'm so glad I experienced with Millie Janalee.  And the family of course! Oh what a night!

We took our time loading up the tailgate, because as you can imagine the traffic was unbelievable.  Not a single person left til after the game...and longer.  Everyone was soaking it in.

The next day, we would get out of church in time to find out.  We were #1 in the country!  And would be for five more weeks.  Simply amazing!  From unranked to #1 in just FIVE WEEKS!

It was our nation for awhile.

Of course last week, we lost a heartbreaker to Alabama pushing us back to #4.  Our run isn't over yet.  It's time to show up for that other big game.  Time for our team to travel up to Oxford for the Egg Bowl.  And we will keep going after that.  We just don't know where yet.

Five Weeks, a Home Visit, and Car Trouble

Five weeks with our new guy have nearly come and gone.  These days are just flying by...even when a single day may seem long sometimes.  Which goes right back to the saying: "The days may be long, but the years are short."  Oh how true!

Balled up is how he has preferred to be since the day we brought him home.  Ha!

We have had a fairly uneventful week since it actually SNOWED on Sunday!  It accumulated at least 2 inches or more where we live, so the babies and I stayed inside.  We did lots of snuggling, some movie watching, and "pwayed" with toys.  Smith mainly stuck with snuggling or swinging.  Oh, and avoiding injury from all the loving his big sister lays on him.  Poor thing.  It'll just make him tougher in the long run.  She just can't keep her hands or lips or toys off the boy!

Picnic time!

Loves watching Frozen!

Looking a lot like Mary during this holiday season.  Whatever makes him comfortable!

I want to take a minute to talk about the big sister for a second.  Y'all.  This age.  28 months now.  Is the funniest and most tiring age to date.  The girl is nonstop!  Nonstop giggles.  Nonstop running.  Nonstop performing.  Nonstop singing.  Nonstop playing.  Recently nonstop climbing.

Such a ham!

And in the midst of the nonstop TERRIFIC TWOS!  Proof below...

Little Miss Attitude.

I love her to pieces and laugh and stare in awe more than I ever have in my life.  Love her.

Today we had our first post-placement home visit.  When you adopt through Bethany, the legal adoption finalization isn't completed for six months.  During that time, we will have three post-placement visits.  Today, at three months, and at six months.  It is very low key.  They just catch up on life and talk to us about his health, routine, etc.  And our first visit was today.  At 3:00.

Russ had an "academic day" where he should have been studying, but alas our day went a little haywire.  Russ went to get his tag renewed this morning.  For those of you who don't already know about my tag renewal experience, it takes multiple days and lots of paperwork to get a tag here in Missouri.  It was the craziest experience!  Russ learned from my experience and has been working on it all over the last couple weeks.  When he got back, I decided I had time to take Millie Janalee to the optic shop to check on her glasses.  Her neutral (white/clear) pair of glasses had become pink on the frame around the lenses.  Apparently, the pink dye from the cleaning cloth rubbed off on them.  Of course, it was the first time they had ever had this happen and we needed to order new glasses.  And they don't carry the brand I love anymore, so I wasn't too happy with our replacements.  But we ordered them and headed back out into the freezing cold parking garage to head home.  We both were buckled in and ready when I turned the key.

And nothing.  Less than one hour from our home visit and I was stuck in St. Louis (we actually live in a town outside of St. Louis) in a cold car with a two-year old.  I called Russ, and he loaded up Smith to come to rescue us.  He tried to push the car out of the parking spot alone so he could jump me off, but was unsuccessful.  We had to be home for our home visit, so we just left the car and loaded into Russ's car.

The home visit went great.

Tonight, we took a Friday night family field trip back to the parking garage to jump it off.  The garage was much less crowded and we were able to park right next to it to jump it off.  Yay for husbands!

We ended our evening with french fries for Millie Janalee's upper, a peppermint milkshake for Mama's supper, Chipotle for Daddy's supper, and a bottle for Smith.  Then a belated five week photo shoot.  Smith feels about like his daddy does when it comes to photo shoots.  He's not the biggest fan.  Maybe it's just a boy thing.  Or maybe it's a father/son thing.  Either way, it is my goal in life to make the men in my life smile for pictures.

I still took the pictures, because isn't that the cutest crying face you've ever seen?!  Such a precious sweetheart!

Happy FIVE WEEKS baby boy!  We love you more than you know!

One Month

"God is able to do immeasurable more than we could ever ask or imagine." Ephesians 3:20

The story of our life.  Never in my wildest dreams or most desperate prayers would I have imagined how immeasurably more God would bless Russ and me.  I mean, y'all.  It's like we are living a dream.  Don't get me wrong.  It comes with the normal challenges of new parents and fussy babies and defiant toddlers.  But the perspective God has allowed us is such a gift.  The waiting was a gift.  It sure didn't feel like it, but I'm more thankful than I have ever been for those years.  YEARS of waiting!  I tell waiting families all the time (and you NEVER understand until you're there) that the waiting seems so insignificant once His perfect child is in your arms.  The child He planned for your family.

One month ago, God showed His mercies once again with the precious birth of our sweet Smith.  A gift worth the wait and one we certainly didn't deserve.  We received a letter from Smith's birthfather last week.  He talked about those final moments when he shared with Smith all that he was able to mutter in his sadness.  He wrote that he knew Smith didn't understand his words, but Smith looked straight into his eyes.  And he knew that Smith knew the love of his first father.  May he always feel the love of us all.  What an amazing gift he has been given as well!  Love multiplied.  As I have always prayed for Millie Janalee, I pray that Smith will always feel loved, secure, and full of joy.  May God give us the wisdom and guidance as parents so that he will always feel special, worthy, chosen.

To celebrate Smith's first month of life, he surprised us with 7 hours of sleep.  With just a couple interruptions wanting help with his paci.  I felt like standing at a podium and making a speech:

"I'd like to thank God first of all.  Secondly, I'd like to thank my second-born for allowing me this honor..."

Because I was so excited, he showed me how to stay humble.  The following night, Smith stayed up crying off and on until 3 am.  Ahem.  I won't tell you exactly what I did to cure that issue.  It may or may not have included sleeping in bed with us.  And y'all, he was silently sleeping immediately upon resting by my side.  Immediately I tell you!  You won't believe what happened next.  He slept until nearly 10:30 the next morning!  I just blockaded him off and left him on top of the bed to finish his sleep.  I slept in.  He slept in.  I woke up to Russ and Millie Janalee playing downstairs and Smith asleep in our room.  I watched some College Gameday and ate breakfast...all before he woke up.  Such a stinker!

Obviously, he loves me.  He just wants to be close.  Who can blame him?!

Something else momentous happened when we woke up on November 13.  His newborn footie pajamas were too small!  WHAT?!  He is wearing his 3 month pajamas now, and this mama is still in denial about it.  I haven't even weighed him, because I'm sure I don't want to know.  He is growing so well and eating every 3-4 hours.  He is still taking 4 ounces in each bottle, but I have started feeding him every 3 hours if he's awake.  I'm thinking if he's more full during the day, he may sleep better at night.  Silly theory?  Maybe.  But I'll try it anyway.  Plus, he's sucking those bottles down to the last drop.

His favorite activities at one month include resting on my chest, staring at his crazy big sister as she breaths all in his face, climbs all over him, kisses his head, and pets him like a dog.  He also enjoys looking at the Christmas lights.  He naps best on my chest or on his tummy on his play mat.  He loves to be swaddled when he's swinging or in his bouncer.  He also sleeps swaddled inside his little sleeping bag.  If you don't remember, the zCush is one of my "must haves" for babies.  And it helps with the transition to the crib too.  Just a little FYI in case it will help anyone else.  Riding in the car seems to be a success, the few times we've done it, as long as the car is moving - that seems familiar from Millie Janalee's baby days.  I'm debating my first big road trip alone with them.  Still undecided on the issue.  Farley will not be joining us on that trip.  Russ will have to be in charge of him.

My favorite baby feature right now are his sweet hands.  I can't pinpoint it, but I promise his little hands are the sweetest things I've ever seen!  His dimples are a pretty close second...or possibly a tie. I can't wait for him to start smiling so I can see them more clearly and more often.

Dear Smith,

This past month has stretched me more, taught me more, challenged me more, and blessed me more than I ever could have imagined.  Your life is a testimony to God's goodness, His provision, His redemption, and His love.  Your life has been perfectly planned.  You were not a surprise to God.  He knew you.  He knew the hairs on your head before you were even conceived.  You are a joy, my sweet son!  And I am forever grateful for you.  I look forward to the weeks and months ahead as more of your unique personality comes out.  May your daddy and I teach you well how to shine in this world and how to be your own person.  God has a perfect plan for your life, Smith.  I can't wait to see how He uses you for His purposes.

Happy One Month, baby boy!

I love you,
Mama

Four Weeks and a Christmas Tree

Y'all, I'm just embracing it.  The inability to get pictures taken and uploaded (and edited) on the same day.  But I promise I'm still trying my best to document it all.  For myself of course, but also because I want Smith to know that we are just as thrilled about all his milestones as we were for Millie Janalee.  Things just got a little busier with his arrival. Ha!  Things will settle down soon.  I can already feel us getting into our groove and feeling normal again.

For those of you wondering...it's VERY DIFFERENT parenting two so far away from family and friends.  We are incredibly thankful for the kindness of our friends here who brought us a couple of meals this past week.  We enjoyed our vegetable soup and cornbread after the game tonight.  [We won't even go there.]  And the chicken spaghetti and salad was delicious earlier in the week!

I may not have found time to edit and upload pictures (that's what takes so much time for me), but we DID find enough time to celebrate FOUR WEEKS with our sweet little man!  To celebrate, we broke out the Christmas tree!  Millie Janalee and I went Christmas shopping on Sunday, and Russ was willing to put up the tree while we were out.  Millie Janalee was so excited and in awe.  She stood in front of the naked tree with her mouth open and gasped, "Wow!"  It made every fluffed branch worth it!  Russ agreed.  I have a feeling this Christmas will be the best one yet.  Twice blessed, and Millie Janalee is much more aware of the festivities.

We promised her that she could help us decorate after her nap, and she eagerly went upstairs to bed.  As soon as she woke up, I couldn't wait to help her decorate.  She handed me the ornaments one by one as I placed them on the tree.  Breakable ones closer to the top, of course.  This is the year she would surely pull them all off.  But, she's actually done so well!  She walks up to the tree every day multiple times and talks to the tree.  She finds ornaments that we talked about and will say, "Hey ___!"  There's a silly looking clay doctor ornament that I told her was Daddy.  So she always likes to go up to that ornament and say, "Hey Daddy!"  It's so funny.

While Millie Janalee and I decorated the tree, Smith enjoyed some playtime on his little mat while those old claymation Christmas movies played in the background.  Millie Janalee has mastered all the Christmas characters from the movies: snowman, Santa Claus, little drummer boy, etc.  Now to work on the nativity.

We finished the tree, and it looks beautiful of course.  We like it anyway, and I think Millie Janalee and I make a great team!  We put all our stockings up, and they fill our fireplace. Such a joy!  Smith and Farley were so impressed...

Our days now look a lot like this.  There's just nothing sweeter than two precious angel babies sitting under the Christmas tree!  My heart is full.

For those of you wondering if we skip Thanksgiving...the answer is no.  However, I do like to decorate before Thanksgiving.  I have reasons.  For one, we aren't home for Christmas.  We travel to visit family, so we like to enjoy our decorations as long as we can.  Secondly, we all know that once Thanksgiving is over things go wild.  Everyone is busy.  Shopping, partying, visiting, eating, celebrating.  All of those things are my favorites of the season.  Having my decorations up and ready allows me more time to enjoy this time and make special memories with the ones I love.  Without all the stress.  Plus, Thanksgiving and Christmas go hand in hand for me.  "The holidays" includes Thanksgiving.  It just reminds me more than ever how blessed and thankful I am.

May your Christmas be TWICE AS SWEET!

First Home Game at Home

One adjustment Millie Janalee and I have made is watching our Bulldogs play from home.  I seriously cannot remember the last time I've missed a home game, but we are getting used to it.  And we actually get a great view...and are able to keep up with all the other games throughout the day without interruption.

Just because we are watching from home, doesn't mean we don't do it in style!

Special thanks to Kay Kay for the adorable hats she ordered for my bully babies!  And the talented Julie crocheted the adorable cowbell for Smith!  It was a perfect day to bring out the cuteness since it was so cold.  We watched the Arkansas game at home with Russ, which was actually very nice.

We even were able to watch the Homecoming game last weekend.  Switching between that and the Auburn/A&M game.  Oh, and the LSU/Alabama game nearly gave me a heart attack...and I couldn't bring myself to cheer for either team.  It's just not in my blood to do so.

This weekend...BAMA!  I may not be able to sleep til Saturday night.  And I hope I'm sleeping with sweet dreams of a victory.