Growing Up

This is her new smile

My girls in blue. The are watching Trey sing Jesus loves me!

Mallory really enjoyed Alyssa's motorcycle. It sings and lights up!

I just thought I would post some pictures of both girls. It is hard to get a good picture of Alyssa. She is always on the move! Mallory is starting to sit up pretty good by herself. We are really working on having it down by 7 months! Our house still hasn't sold and we haven't found anything in Ruston. I guess that is all that is going on for now.

Ruston........Here we come!

We are moving to Ruston! Trey is going to work for Lincoln Healthcare (Matt Shirley). He was offered the job back in July and it was just too good to pass up. He will be starting September 4th. Our house has been on the market for about a month and a half. We are praying that it sells quickly! We have been house hunting in Ruston and think we have found the house for us. We are sad to leave Shreveport since we have been here for over 6 years but excited about what God has planned for us in Ruston.

6 Months Old!

Mallory is six months old. She is growing but is still in 3 month clothes. In fact, the outfit she is wearing in the picture is a newborn outfit. She is eating more than Alyssa ever ate but she is so active that she is staying slender! Alyssa is 17 months today. She is getting so big! We have been very busy the last two weeks. Trey's Grandfather passed away on the 3rd. He was ready to be with the Lord and his wife. The day after the funeral we went to Indiana to visit Andy and Kelly for the week. We had so much fun! Thanks to the Potter's (Kelly's parents) we could have a date night with Andy & Kelly without the girls. The girls traveled well until the last flight home. It was VERY rough!!! I told Trey I don't want to fly again anytime soon! This is Bryan's last week in Shreveport. We are going to be very sad to see him go!

Mallory's first taste of cereal

I think I can....I think I can

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Here is Mallory trying to crawl but can't quite figure it out.

My new hobby

I bought this pillowcase from Wal-Mart for $2. I think the entire thing cost around $8!

This was my pillowcase from college. I thought it would be cute because of the ruffle at the end!

My mom bought Mallory a pillowcase dress and I kept looking at it thinking I could make this. Even though I had no idea how to use a sewing machine. Well, my friend Christine came over yesterday and she and I made two pillowcase dresses for Alyssa. They are so cute and were pretty easy to make. I am much more comfortable with my sewing machine now. Next I need to attempt to make Mallory one but that is going to require sewing a seam which makes me a little nervous! Anyway, I thought I would share my finished products with everyone. I took them to show to my ladies Bible study group last night and I have been asked to make some for them. I don't know where I will find the time but this is something I really like doing!! The problem is it is addictive. It is just like scrapbooking. Once you sit down and drag all of your stuff out and start doing it you don't want to stop!

Baby Dedication

I love this picture because they are looking at each other.

Mallory talked the entire time!!!

Mimi and Popy

Grandad

We had the girls dedicated this weekend. Everything went great. Mallory talked the whole time and Alyssa waved at everyone. They had matching dresses that my Aunt Jo made for them. They looked beautiful. All of the grandparents, Aunt Susan, Uncle Ray and Bryan were there.

In other news Mallory has two teeth!!! Her bottom two front teeth have started to come in. I noticed she had really been chewing on her hand lately so Tuesday I rubbed her gums and thought I felt something so I looked and the first one was coming in and by the next day the other one had come in too! She is a little fussy but not too bad. She is rolling all over the place. I can't believe she is almost 6 months!

Alyssa is walking (really running) all over the place. She turned 16 months last Sunday. She is getting so big! The girls are really starting to pay attention to each other. It is so much fun to watch them talk to each other.

MIMI.....This one's for you

My mom and I were shopping at a local children's boutique before Mallory was born and she found this headband for Alyssa. I thought it was WAY too big and would not let her buy it. Well, when I was in the hospital after having Mallory Mom took Alyssa shopping and came back with the headband. I found it today and put it on Mal and had to take a picture. It is bigger than her head!!!! Oh, and lately she always sticks her tongue out. Well, Alyssa is running into the dining room so I better go and catch her!

Random Pictures

Quick Update

Her cup holder! This was last week so her bumper is off because she hurled on it!

We bought Mallory a new exersaucer because we borrowed Kathryn Mizell's for Alyssa and since Gavin is almost 4 months old he will be needing it soon. Mallory & Alyssa both love it. Alyssa walks around it playing with all of the toys while Mallory plays in it.

We are all finally well. It managed to go through all of us last week. Trey & Alyssa had it all week while Mallory & I got it over the weekend. Saturday is our 6 year anniversary so we are sneaking away to Dallas for the weekend. This will be our first time away from the kids! I am sure the grandparents can handle them!

Father's Day

We had a busy Father's Day. Trey's grandmother died on Thursday. We were all sad but also relieved. She has been sick for a while so it is comforting to know she is now rejoicing with the angels in no pain! We were in Carthage Friday and Saturday for that. The girls and I made Trey some pictures with the girls hand prints (NOT EASY) and reasons why they loved their Daddy. It also had a picture of them with him in it. He really liked it!

We had a horrible night last night. Alyssa was vomiting ALL night! There is this illness going around where you start out with cold like symptoms then it turns into vomiting and diarrhea. I am not sure if she has that or if it is a side effect of some antibiotics she is taking for an ear infection unfortunately Trey is feeling bad now. So far so good today but last night was not fun! Trey felt so bad last night he slept on the couch! I am praying it skips over me and Mallory!

We had Mallory's 4 month check up last week. Everything is going great! She is so small though - in the 10th percentile in weight! She is eating and gaining weight she is just small. We will start her on rice cereal this week. We will see how that goes!!!!

I LOVE THE BUMBO CHAIR!

I love the bumbo chair! For those of you with newborns or are about to have a newborn I highly recommend the bumbo chair. They can start sitting in it at about 4 months and it really helps them learn how to sit up. I can bring her all over the house with me and sit her in the chair and still get things done. As you can see here she is sitting on my kitchen counter while I am fixing Alyssa's lunch. Don't worry - it is very sturdy and I had it pushed way back to where she couldn't fall off. I put her on the desk when I am working and on the bathroom counter while I am getting ready. So far she hasn't been able to get out of it and she is VERY wiggly!!!! Don't get me wrong she will not sit in it for a long period at a time but the 15-20 minutes she will really helps me get things done. You can get them anywhere. I think Wal-mart even has them now.

Wedding Weekend

We had a wonderful time at the wedding. The girls did great traveling. They both slept most of the plane ride. We stayed so busy during the day that they both slept without a problem at night. I was worried because we were all in the same room. The girls slept in pack in plays side by side but it didn't bother them! We had sitters for part of the weekend so Trey & I got to enjoy the rehearsal dinner, wedding ceremony and reception (part of it) without worrying about screaming kids! I think the best part of the weekend was all of the good food we ate! Not only was it good but it was all free!!!! This is a picture of the whole Smith family minus Trey's Grandparents. They just weren't able to make the trip.
Alyssa loves her Uncie. Bryan adores her too. We are so lucky to have him come and live with us for the summer. The girls and I are really going to enjoy having him around! Trey will have a golfing buddy for the weekends! Alyssa had a weekend of many firsts. She flew for the first time, staying in a hotel, went swimming and danced! She was worn out by Sunday!
Mallory is now 4 months old!!! I can't believe it. Time is really flying by. This was her first time in the bumbo chair. She sits up really well! We also put her in the exersaucer for the first time. She liked it for a little while but would much rather be held!

Just an update

Just a quick update. We are getting ready for Andy's wedding. I am starting a list of what I need to take. It is a big deal going out of town with two infants!!!! Especially when you are staying in a hotel!

Mallory loves to be on her belly. Anytime we lay her down the first thing she does is roll over on her belly. She finally figured out how to sleep on her belly and suck her thumb! We had a few nights of getting up in the middle of the night just to flip her on her back so she could suck her thumb. Life is getting to be so much easier. We finally have her on a schedule so we pretty much know what to expect. Alyssa is doing great. She is still not walking without holding on but she is so close. She is just so careful she won't let go!!!

I guess that is all for now. I will post pictures from the wedding next week!!!

Showers and such

I can't believe Mallory is 3 months old already. Time is flying by. She is so great! She is laughing and cooing. She is sleeping through the night (9pm-8am)! Life is good! She can roll over and hold her head up pretty good. She is paying more attention to Alyssa. She will look over and smile and coo at her.
This weekend was Andy and Kelly's shower in DeRidder. We had so much fun visiting with both of them. I HATE that they live so far away. They are both so good with the girls! This was a picture we took at the shower with Trey's mom's sisters. This was their first time to meet Kelly and to see the girls. We will be going to the wedding in a few weeks.

Me and My Girls

We decided to take a few pictures yesterday of me and the girls. Alyssa was all smiles but Mallory was not in the mood! We are all doing great. We are still waiting on Alyssa to walk. Mallory is growing like a weed. She changes everyday. At first she looked just like Trey but now she is starting to look like me. She is smiling and laughing all of the time now. She is starting to flip over in her crib. She is sleeping okay. There are still nights she wakes up at 2am and 6am but mostly she sleeps until 6am. She will only take naps in the car seat or the swing. Oh well, at least she sleeps!!!!!

I'M AN OFFICIAL SOCCER MOM!

Well, I am proud to say I am an official soccer mom. I LOVE my van. We have so much room. We bought a Chrysler Town & Country. It has everything we need in a vehicle. It even has a DVD player! Alyssa loves that part. As you can see she is proud to have a soccer mom!!!

Fun Times

Alyssa is getting to be our big girl. She is so close to walking. I am watching her every move because I know she will walk any minute. She will walk as long as she has something to hold onto. She is eating big girl food and not drinking out of a bottle anymore.


We are having so much fun these days. Mallory is smiling when we talk to her. I don't mind getting up at 2am if I can get one of these smiles! She is getting so big. She is 9 weeks now and weighs over 10 pounds and is 21 inches long. She has almost doubled her weight. We moved her to her own room about a week ago and she slept through the night!!! Unfortunately it is not on a consistent basis. Once a night is not so bad! :)

LOVE

As I look at this picture I find myself overwhelmed with love. Love for my God for giving me such a precious gift. Love for my husband because she is part of him. And an overwhelming love for this child who I have only known for 8 weeks!

I also find this picture a little ironic. She is sucking her thumb while there is a pacifier in the background. I give her the pacifier and Trey takes it away. I am constantly telling him it is easier to get rid of a pacifier than a thumb!

Alyssa's 1st Birthday

Here are some pictures from Alyssa's 1st birthday party. We had so much fun. We had a few friends and family over to celebrate the big day. I had to wake her up from her nap so she was pretty grumpy at first but she quickly warmed up to everyone. The first picture is of her eating her cake. She was very careful eating it. She would stick a finger in and then lick it. It was pretty funny to watch her. I bought her a fun birthday hat but she was terrified of it. I was able to hurry and get 1 good picture in before she started screaming! The last picture was us singing happy birthday. She LOVES for me to sing to her. We have a routine during nap time. I read her 3 books then sing you are my sunshine. By the time I am closing the last book she has flipped around and is looking at me smiling waiting for me to sing. After I finish the first time she shakes her head telling me to sing again! We had a great day!

What a week!

Well, we have had an interesting week. It started off by Alyssa waking up about 5:00 Sunday morning screaming her head off. When we could do nothing to comfort her and noticed her breathing was very shallow we took her to the emergency room. She started having a runny nose Friday but no other symptoms. When we got to the er they admitted her. She had developed a double ear infection and a respiratory infection. Her mother had REALLY bad asthma so we have always been concerned that she might have it. Sunday night Mallory started running fever so Trey took her to the doctor on Monday and they admitted her for the fever. Hers was really just a precautionary measure. She never ran fever again and had no other symptoms. She was released Wednesday and Alyssa was supposed to be released then but she started vomiting and having diarrhea. She got the rota virus from the hospital. So, she stayed another day. Thursday was her 1st birthday so here is a picture of her on her birthday. We brought her home Thursday night. She is still sick but is getting better. We had to postpone her birthday party until next week.

Just another day in the life of the Smith's!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Growing up

Sunday Alyssa pulled up for the first time on one of her toys. Ever since then she has been pulling up on everything. Today I was sitting at the table eating lunch while the girls were napping and I hear Alyssa's mobile start playing. I ran in there without her knowing it and took these pictures. This is the first time she has pulled up in her crib. Looks like Trey will have to lower the mattress tonight!!!!

Pray for me tomorrow. It will be my first full day alone with the girls. I am sure we will do great but I could still use the prayers. Not only will it be my first day with them but I also have to get them both ready and to Mallory's 1 month check up. I am tired just thinking about it!!!!!!!

The Smith Family

Here is our family. We finally got around to take a picture all together. Actually, this is the first time I put on makeup and fixed my hair to take a family picture. We had our first family outing last weekend. Trey had family come in from out of town so we spent the day in Carthage visiting everyone. We had a good day.

Mallory is growing like a weed. We took her in for her 2 week check up and was up to 7 lbs. We were really excited since when we took her right after she was born she was 5lb 15oz's. With breastfeeding I just wasn't sure if she was getting enough food but apparently so. She loves to eat!!! Trey had the 24 hour bug and didn't hold her for 2 days. He was finally able to hold her yesterday and he said she felt much heavier. She is sleeping okay. It is pretty inconsistent right now. One night she may sleep for 4 or 5 hours straight and the next she may wake up every 2 hours. We are just taking it one day at a time. Luckily I still have help. Trey started back to work this week but his brother Bryan has been here since Friday and his Dad is coming tonight to stay for a week to help out. The main thing I need help with is getting Alyssa up and fed in the morning. Getting that extra hour or two of sleep REALLY helps me get through the day!!!!

Alyssa has about 6 teeth coming in at once so she hasn't been too happy for the past week. She is finally eating again. For about a week she would only take her bottle and juice. She really doesn't pay much attention to Mallory. Of course Mallory is asleep about 18 hours out of the day so Alyssa isn't really around her very much. She did blow her a kiss without us telling her to. That was pretty cute!

I have to brag on my wonderful husband for a minute. While he was off and the girls were sleeping he got pretty bored so he decided to take up sewing. I got a sewing machine for Christmas but have not had time to learn how to use it. He started out by making some burp cloths and then made a dress for Mallory. His aunt has a monogramming machine so we took them to her this weekend to put Mallory's name on them. Here are the pictures.

Mallory Ann Smith

Mallory Ann Smith was born on February 2, 2007 @ 11:55 AM weighing in at 6 pounds 10 ounces. Both Mama and Baby are doing good, as we got to come home yesterday afternoon. All honor, glory, and praise be to God, the giver and sustainer of life. We thank you for all of your prayers




If you would like to see more photos, just email me at treyntarasmith@aol.com and I will invite you to my online album.

It's Time!!!

Well, I went to the doctor Tuesday and he scheduled me to be induced next Friday - February 2nd. Trey didn't want it to be Groundhog's day. What is Groundhogs day? Does anybody actually celebrate this day? So, I quickly told him I didn't care what day it was she was coming. Oh, and next weekend is the super bowl too! He is just going to have to suck it up! I really think he is just so nervous he was trying to come up with any excuse possible! He is a wonderful dad to Alyssa and will be just as great with Mallory! If anyone has any delivery or newborn baby advise I am all ears!!!!

We have been trying to move Alyssa to 3 foods but she just won't eat them! Here is a funny picture of Trey trying to feed her spaghetti. Peaches didn't go over well either!

Christmas 2006

We had a great Christmas. This was Christmas morning at our house before we went to my Dad's. Christmas is actually still going for us. We are having the Smith family Christmas this weekend. Andy & his fiancee Kelly are in. We are really enjoying visiting with them.

I went to the Doctor Monday for my 34 week checkup and he put me on bedrest. He actually almost put me in the hospital but gave me a chance to go home and rest them come back the next day to see how I was doing. I apparently have a thinning cervix. I was much better when I went back on Tuesday but I am still on bedrest. It is really hard for me to have to sit or lay down all day and do nothing. I also have to have someone here with me all of the time because I am not supposed to be lifting Alyssa. I know it is the best for Mallory so I will suck it up and be a good patient. If I can just make it 2 more weeks we will be happy. So, pray that I will make it to at least 36 weeks.

Tara

Ho Ho Ho

Well, here is our first experience with Santa. I figured she would love him since she doesn't meet a stranger but you never know. My sister was always terrified of Santa. Every picture we have of us sitting on his lap she was screaming! This was my company Christmas Party. We had a great time! I was busy running the party or I would have made sure her dress was pulled down! Some things Dad's just don't notice.

No more court for a while

Well, it looks like we will not be going back to court for 6 months. We went back yesterday to start our custody trial and they negotiated a deal. We have interim custody for 6 months and Alyssa's dad is going to rehab and other counseling. He will have to meet with our court appointed evalutor a few more times and she will make another recommendation based on how his rehab goes, if he has clean drug tests and how his visits with her go. Basically, this is what would have happened if we would have gone through with the full trial. It just saved some time. He was going to be given another chance no matter what. In six months we will go back to court and if he has completed his rehab and is drug free for 6 months he will slowly get custody back. He has to be completely drug free for a year before he can get permanent custody back. We are just praying that God will be in control of the situation. As hard as it would be to have to send her back if he has truly cleaned his life up and wants to be her Dad then that is his right. God will get us through it!

Last weekend I had my first baby shower for Mallory. It was so much fun! I got lots of great stuff! Ashley, Megan, Jolie, Jill and Christine hosted it. We had a great time!

This is a picture I took yesterday of Alyssa. She has learned many tricks since we have had her. This is her clapping to the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. She LOVES that show. She has learned to wave, say Hi and play peak a boo. She is so much fun. We are having the best time with her.

Anyway, now we are just trying to get ready for Christmas. I have bought about 4 presents and have MANY more to go! Trey is working this weekend so it looks like we will be hitting it hard next weekend.

I am almost 32 weeks now. Everything is going great. Mallory is growing right on schedule and I have had no complications so far. Time is flying by. I can't believe she will be here in 2 months!

Thanks again for all of the prayers and support. Please continue to pray for us and Alyssa. I will try to be better at keeping everyone updated.

Tara

Busy Busy Busy

Okay, so life a been a little busy lately. When I created this blog I had the intention of updating at least once a week. Chasing after a 7 month old and being 26 weeks pregnant has kept me pretty busy lately. We are enjoying Alyssa so much. She is such a good baby! We are a little worried about when Mallory arrives. We are so used to a happy baby who has an exact schedule and rarely deviates from it. Alyssa was a strawberry for halloween. She was so cute! Here she is with Uncle Trey. He is such a good dad! He loves her so much. It is amazing to see how much our lives have changed over the past couple of months!


Friday was my last full time day at work. I will start working from home Monday. I am so excited!

As far as legal matters we are just waiting for the evaluation process to be over then we will go back to court for a full blown trial sometime after that. We really are not sure when that will be. Just continue to pray that God's will be done. We want whatever HE believes is best for Alyssa.

Thanks for the prayers and support.

It's A...........

GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are so excited!!! Now it is time to shop!!!!