Weekend Wrap-Up

Well the Smithson clan had a busy weekend full of Halloween festivities. Friday night I tried two new recipes, potato soup and sausage balls. I had made sausage balls several times before but this time I used cream cheese in them. You couldn't taste the cream cheese but they weren't as dry but tasted better all together. The potato soup was a hit too. I found both recipes on Pinterest, my new favorite website. After we ate we headed to Lowes and Walmart to look at some things for the house. Our closing date is quickly approaching and we're excited! The appraisal came through on Friday and it appraised for about $4,000 more than we're paying and there are no repairs that need to be made so we're thrilled!

Saturday morning Andy had to work so Cooper and I went to chase a steam engine with Mom, Dad, Summer, Swayer, and Silas. Sawyer is obsessed with trains so they chase the seasonal passenger steam engine every Saturday. Cooper loved watching the train but hated the whistle.

Saturday afternoon we met Andy after work and headed to a fall festival at his parent's church. Cooper had fun crawling around and eating leaves... his newest obsession. We enjoyed some time outside and got to love on Liam. After that I headed out to babysit my sweet little friend Rylee.

Sunday after church we had some family pictures made. Andy and I tried to stay out of them. Copper looked precious and was an angel during them. I can't wait to see the finished product.

After a long nap we took Cooper to the community Trunk or Treat. He was adorable in his spider costume but was exhausted. He didn't enjoy his first trick or treating experience that much. Luckily he can redeem himself tomorrow! Of course when we got home he caught his second wind and went wild. After we wrestled him to sleep Justin came over again to watch The Walking Dead. It's still a little much for me but I'm sticking it out for the binding time with my husband and brother. We also watched The Amazing Race... Andy always redeems himself with that!

InstaFriday

Well this work week lasted forever. I'm thankful we've made it to the weekend. All of my family has been getting sick and I'm no exception. I've come down with some kind of stomach bug and I'm hoping I don't spread it to Cooper and Andy. We've got a lot of festivities to attend this weekend and need to be healthy! Here are my pictures for the week... enjoy!



Cooper and his girlfriend Julia!







Buddy bath with his cousins... so fun!



I promise I'm not choking him.



My train engineers.







Taking silly pictures.



His new hand me down kicks in perfect shape!



He's getting quite the library... I'm so happy!



Enjoy your Halloween weekend!

Manic Monday and Technical Support Tuesday

I just typed up my whole post on my iPad and lost it... that fits perfectly with the title of my blog.  Technical difficulties seem to be the story of my life right now. 

Yesterday morning I heard my sweet baby boy talking in his crib right before I left for work.  I went to get him and discovered a MESS in his crib.  Either he had ripped open or the diaper just exploded on it's own but the absorbent gel from the diaper was all over his crib.  I took him the changing table and gave him a wipe bath and put him in the floor so I could change the changing table sheet and crib sheet.  I foolishly put him in the floor naked.  I got done changing the bedding when I noticed two pee pee puddles in the floor.  His floor is hardwood so that wasn't a big issue.  I got done cleaning that up when Coop looked at me and grunted.  I thought to myself "surely he didn't just poop that fast."  Sure enough he did... in his floor!  We noticed it at the same time and I ran to it before he could.  I got it cleaned up and headed to work... I was a little late but made it.  That pretty much set the mood for my day.

I finally got our phones and iPad updated to Apples' newest software but not without some glitches.  I spent the majority of my night last night trying to figure out how to fix our issues... with no luck.  Like I've mentioned before I've got an obsessive personality.  I want things to be fixed immediately and if they aren't I get hung up on them.  By the time I went to bed I was furious that I couldn't figure it out.  I think I'm going to have to call technical support... my favorite people.

Today my technical issues centered around my school insurance.  It's open enrollment time and it's been a nightmare.  Nobody can seem to figure out why I can't get registered and it's so frustrating!  I spent a good amount of time on the phone with them with no luck.  I feel like I spend about half of each week on the phone with people trying to figure out why things don't work. 

Once Cooper went to bed I got out of the house and got some exercise in.  It was about 8:40 and pitch black outside.  I never realized how dark our street was.  I ended up running more (I'm super paranoid) than I had planned.  That's what being scared of the dark will do to you.  It felt nice to get out and stretch my legs though!  I'm about to go to bed and hope that my technical issues get resolved tomorrow!

Weekend Wrap-Up

I hate to see another weekend coming to an end... we had a good one though! Friday night we went to eat at Red Lobster and wound up staying there forever. They had endless shrimp so Andy took his sweet time and ate about 8 dozen.

Saturday morning we took Cooper to a fall festival at the farmer's market. He loved the animals and painting pumpkins. We were lazy when we got home but were in and out trying to enjoy the beautiful weather. Andy was busy doing things around the house and then went to ride bikes with my dad. Cooper and I went to another festival to see my friend who had a booth set up. She makes the cutest baby things and I did a little Christmas shopping. We topped off our Saturday with a cookout at my sister's. The food was great and the boys had a ball. Cooper and Silas took a bath together and loved it. All in all we had a great day.

Today we went to church and then went out to eat with my family. After that I hit up a huge consignment sale (where I get a lot of Cooper's clothes) with some friends. I did some damage to the checking account but he has a cute new wardrobe! We went back to church and as soon as we goth home we put Coop to bed. Andy and I watched Amazing Race and then my brother came over to watch The Walking Dead. It's Andy's favorite show but it's a little gruesome for me... I can tolerate it though. I'm exhausted so I'm about to hit the hay... night!

Oh... two major milestones were hit in the Smithson household this weekend. I learned how to French braid my hair (it took me 2 years) and Cooper learned how to dance! We're moving up in the world!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

InstaFriday

I'm having major blogging issues (my app isn't running right) so excuse the lack of descriptions... hopefully the pictures speak for themselves! Enjoy!

11 Months of Bliss

Well my baby boy is 11 months old today... hard to believe!  Honest to goodness the last 11 months have flown by.  It's so fun to watch him grow and learn new things every day.  He still isn't walking but I already can't keep up with him.  One of his favorite things to do (when Mommy and Daddy accidentally leave the door open) right now is unroll the toilet paper.  Let me tell you, he's very fast at it!  It's amazing how quickly he can have half the roll in the floor.  His newest game to play with Andy is chase.  Andy walks quickly/crawls after him and Cooper flies in the other direction.  He'll only crawl about 4 feet, plop down, look at Andy, and then start laughing hysterically.  Andy proceeds to chase him again and they start all over.  When I was in the shower tonight they were playing and it sounded like they were tearing the house apart.  He's a very sweet and loving baby and Andy and I have been blessed beyond measure in the last 11 months.  He's the reason I crawl out of bed every morning and I don't know what I'd do without him.

Weekend Wrap-Up

It's so sad that fall break is over! I enjoyed my time with Cooper so much it made it extremely hard to go back to work today! Friday we spent the evening having our home inspection done. A very good friend of the family did it for us and saved us a ton. He's a contractor so I wouldn't have trusted anyone else to do it. Everything was great with the house so we had no hang ups there. It was nice to spend a few hours at the house and have my family see it. We're very excited and counting down the days until closing. It's going so smoothly so far... I'm just waiting for a little bump in the road.

Andy had to work Saturday so Cooper and I spent the day at home. We cleaned, did laundry, painted pumpkins, and rested. Cooper loved painting pumpkins! In the picture above his is the prettiest one out of the 3... I'm sure you can pick it out right away. Cooper was fussy throughout the day so when Andy got home I sent them to eat and I stayed home and had some quiet time! I missed them but it was nice to have the tv to myself and have the house quiet for a few hours. Once they got home I put Cooper in bed and feel asleep shortly after.

Sunday we went to church and then Cooper and I headed to my parent's . A lot of my extended family (mostly women) where there and it's always nice to catch up. Andy says we sound like a bunch of hens when we get together but I wouldn't have it any other way. It was beautiful outside so we kept the babies out to play. Summer painted some Halloween things on my toes while Cooper played with Grandaddy. All in all a good afternoon. We went to church and then to top our good day off we went to Mr. T's ( one of my favorite places in the world) for pizza and ice cream. Cooper loved the special treat!

This morning it was so hard to get out of bed and go to work! Over fall break Cooper started sleeping in until 8:30 or 9am. I just knew that wouldn't stick for this week but he slept until 8:15 for his Granna. That's a big deal for him! He also has finally gotten the hang of feeding himself today. He was able to get his puffs in his mouth at dinner! Andy and I clapped and carried on when he did it... he thought he was big stuff. He's growing so fast and learning so much. He'll be 11 months tomorrow... that is crazy!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Slacker Sunday

Today is the 1st Sunday in weeks that I haven't done my Weekend Wrap-Up post. I got tied up in other things tonight and forgot! I promise to have it posted tomorrow! Good night & good bye to fall break!

InstaFriday; Fall Break Edition

What a nice week we've had! We spent the beginning of the week traveling and working on things for the house. The last few days Cooper and I have been lazy and catching up on our tv shows. I must say there a few new shows this fall that have already got me hooked... thank goodness for DVR and on demand. Today has been busy with inspections on the house but hopefully all the work with those will be wrapped up soon and we'll be one step closer to closing. Here are our pictures from the week... enjoy!



Big boy riding the horsy and climbing the stairs.







A skinned nose and lovin' on Daddy.







Hotel bed heaven!



Early wrapped birthday presents.








Bath time is Coop's favorite time of the day.



Halloween sugar cookies.



Andy and Cooper have the same "confused picture" face.





What can I say... Max loves to eat!

Nasal Spray Nightmare

Today I went to the ear, nose, and throat specialist. This is the first time I've ever been referred to one even though I've been having chronic sinus infections since high school. The worst part of my visit was having the numbing spray sprayed up my nose and down the back of my throat. I had a pretty good gagging episode, I'm sure the nurse thought I was crazy, then freaked our because I felt like I couldn't swallow. The exam from the doctor was quick and easy. I've never been formally tested for allergies so once I finish my antibiotics I'm having the full round of allergy tests preformed and having a CT scan done on my face/ sinuses to make sure nothing is anatomically wrong with my sinus cavities. Sounds like a lot of fun! The doctor said most chronic sinus infections can be "cured" with allergy medicine and or shots. I'm just praying that my CT scan come back normal and that I won't need any type of surgery. For the next 3 weeks I'm finishing out antibiotics, going on allergy medicine, and using nasal spray. I just used the spray and had another gagging/coughing fit. It should be a fun 3 weeks!

Fall Break Follow-Up

Well we are home from our trip and trying to get unpacked. We had a great time but I've learned that trips/vacations are always busy with babies. We always have fun with Josh, Paula, and Liam. We went to downtown Knoxville, did some shopping, and ate some good food! We headed on to Pigeon Forge and the 1st thing we did when we got to the hotel was make use of the indoor pool and hot tub. Cooper loves swimming so he had a ball. He took a little spill off the bed and his little nose is raw from carpet burn. He handled it like a man and has been a gentleman every time I put medicine on it. He has also moved into the world of whole milk! Monday he took his first full whole milk bottle and is doing great with it. He's growing up so fast!

Before we came back on Tuesday we went to the outlets and did some Christmas shopping for all of our nephews and some birthday shopping for Coop.

Over the weekend we put in an offer for one of the houses we went and looked at. After a few days of offers and counter offers we finally agreed on a price and are now under contract! I'm so excited! I wasn't going to share the news yet but Andy shared it with his Facebook world so I figured I should follow suit. Last night we went and met with the bank and the loan is underway. Our closing date is set for November 10th so we should be "settled in" just in time for Cooper's birthday party. I'm very excited but also scared to death since we're clueless on what we're doing. Luckily we have an excellent loan lady and realtor who are walking us through it. I also just found out that one of my best friends is closing on a house in the same neighborhood which makes it even more exciting! Keep us in your prayers... we just pray that everything runs smoothly from now until closing.

Weekend Wrap-Up

This post is coming to you from the road. We are currently headed to Knoxville and then eventually on to Pigeon Forge for the first few days of fall break. Technology sure is convenient, even if it does make me a little car sick!

Friday night we went and looked at a couple of houses in the neighborhood I like so much. We loved one (the one I blogged about Wednesday) and are keeping our fingers crossed that it works out. We went and ate some Mexican after that and treated Coop to some ice cream.


Saturday Andy had to work so Cooper and I made our rounds to play with all his cousins on my side. He loves playing with the big boys! He stays right with them and it's so sweet to watch how they all interact with each other. Saturday afternoon I ended
up taking Coop to the doctor. He has a snotty nose & had been pulling on his ear so I thought it would be better to get on some antibiotics before our trip. Well, luckily he didn't have an ear infection yet but we got some medicine for his cough & runny nose.

Saturday night we ate at City Cafe with Andy's family. I was thrilled to eat there twice in one week but I wasn't feeling too well so I couldn't fully enjoy it. We came home, put Coop to bed, and I passed out on the couch.

This morning we went to church and then I headed to the doctor. What was supposed to be quick trip to a walk-in clinic turned into 2 hours. I was diagnosed with my usual sinus infection, given a steroid shot, antibiotics, and sent on my way. This is my 4th sinus infection in a year so I was referred to a specialist for chronic sinus infections. I've been wanting to go to a specialist so I'm thrilled they are getting me in with one.


Once I got home we headed out to see the movie Courageous with our church. It was a very good movie and I cried through the whole thing. It's a must see though with a wonderful message. We went and got Coop from Andy's parent's and are now headed to Knoxville to spend some time with Liam. We've still got a ways to go but it'll be nice to get away for a few days!

InstaFriday

Happy Friday and Happy Fall Break! I'm so thankful that I have a week off to spend with Cooper! It's been too long since we've had consecutive lazy days together. As everyone knows I LOVE my iPad. It has completely replaced my laptop in all aspects of life except for InstaFriday and printing. Well today I finally figured out how to get my Instagram pictures saved to my iPad. It's amazing what Google will do. I simply typed in "how to save pictures to your iPad" and it popped right up. I always email the pictures from my phone to myself to save them on the computer. Well now I know how to do that on my iPad! Yay!



Enjoying his early morning bath!








All bundled up at the triathlon.



Cloudland Canyon



They love each other!



"Ow" sounds.



My new door at school.



My skull and crossbones baby.




Cuddled up with mommy for his bottle.




A picture from a few weeks ago... taking a milkshake break while riding bikes.

I don't know what this weekend has in store for us but I hope it's a relaxing one!

House Hunting Frustrations

Happy Wednesday! The last 45 minutes or so I've been caught up in house hunting. If you've never done it let me tell you... it's frustrating! Every house I seem to like either already has a contract on it, is just out of our price range, or Andy doesn't like it. We had planned on looking at a house tonight in a subdivision that I love but found out the owners weren't willing to budge on the price or help with closing costs. It was already at the higher end of our price range to begin with. I still wanted to go look at it but Andy put his foot down. Ahh... I appreciate his common sense but I'm still disappointed. I know there is no point in getting my heart set on a house when it's just not realistic for us. Thank goodness we have an extremely patient realtor who doesn't get frustrated with all of our back and forth decisions. I'm ready to say "I'm done with it" and throw in the towel but I know in a few hours I'll be looking through the listings again.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Weekends are supposed to leaving you feeling relaxed but mine has left me feeling exhausted. Maybe that has to do with the fact that I have a 10.5 month old who NEVER stops or maybe just the fact that the Smithson clan never stopped this weekend. I can't put all the blame on Coop.

Friday night we stayed in and grilled pork chops. Cooper fought us tooth and nail when we tried to put him down to bed and didn't fall asleep until 10:30. That is late for him and late for us! He's still been waking up throughout the night so that didn't help matters.

Saturday morning we were up bright and early to hit up some yard sales. My sister went with us and we racked up on clothes for the boys. It was so cold though! Cooper was an angel and rode in his stroller the whole time.

Andy was working all day so Cooper and I headed out to the mall area to do some damage. We went to Hobby Lobby to browse and I ended up spending a small fortune. They had a whole pirate birthday party section and I was afraid it would be gone next time I came. I bought all the supplies for his birthday and I must say they are adorable. I also bought me a few pairs of shoes... all in all some good shopping!

Saturday night my brother threw a surprise party for my sister-in-law's birthday. My sister hosted a bonfire party and the kids had a ball. The weather was perfect for roasting marshmallows and Cooper loved his first bonfire experience.

Cooper was up and down during the early morning hours today. We always count on him to wake us up in plenty of time to get ready but he must have been exhausted because he slept until 8:20am. That is unheard of here recently for him. Andy set an alarm luckily but we were still pressed for time. Andy's triathlon was this morning about an hour away so we weren't able to make it to church. Andy was a nervous wreck the whole way there. Our brothers-in-law, Josh and David, competed in the race as well so we met Paula, Liam, Summer, Sawyer, and Silas there.

It was freezing at the triathlon! The first leg was swimming so I was afraid they would freeze to death. Andy was worried about the swimming but he flew through it clocking in at 17 minutes and 39 seconds for a half mile swim. Next was the biking. None of them were worried about that. Us girls and the babies settled in to wait while they rode 18 miles. Andy came in 1st from our little group from the bikes so the last leg was the run. Andy has had a shin splint the last few weeks so he was dreading the run. David is a physical therapist so he taped his leg for him and that made a world of difference. Andy finished the 4 mile run around 35 minutes and finished the triathlon in 1 hour 59 minutes!!! His goal was to finish under two hours and he made it! Josh and David came in soon after Andy. I'm so proud of all 3 of them but especially Andy! He pushed himself so hard and didn't give up. He's such a great example to our son.

Once we were done there we headed to our annual church picnic. We got there about an hour late but still had fun. It was very cold so we bundled up while we socialized. Paula and Josh came with us so it was great to have some extra time with them and Liam.

Cooper was exhausted when we got home so we fed him and put him in bed. Today we started mixing his bottle with half formula and half whole milk to make the transition to whole milk. Our pediatrician told us to start doing this now so hopefully he'll make a smooth transition. It'll be nice to save some money... formula is expensive! We just finished Amazing Race so I'm about to crawl into bed. Andy has tomorrow off so I think I'll make him get up with Coop whenever he decides to wake up! Sounds like a good plan to me!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad