Our Northern Expedition

Our vacation began Friday, June 15th as Bryan wrapped up his third year of medical school and Miles turned 10 months old.  We headed out Friday afternoon at 4 pm and pulled in to Bryan's parents house in McHenry, Illinois at 6 am Saturday morning.  Bryan drove the whole way and I, well lets just say I did my best to support him.  Miles Trooper Smith slept almost the entire trip!  Driving through the night was the way to go!

We enjoyed a full week in Illinois visiting with family, going to the zoo, and swimming in the pool.  Miles met some of his aunts, uncles, cousins, and his Great Grandma Smith (GiGi)!  We had so much fun and Miles absolutely loves his grandparents! Miles helped them water the flowers every morning, clean the pool together, and visited the neighborhood park.  Miles continues to be fascinated with all things that fly, so he and Poppy did lots of bird and plane watching.

Bryan and I were so excited/nervous about leaving Miles in Chicago as we traveled to Boston and Maine for   Roshan and Cami's wedding.  Our flight left early Friday morning and we were gone until Monday evening.  Miles did fabulous!  Jack and Jean sent us frequent updates, Miles continued to sleep great, and I think everyone was exhausted by the end of it!  We are so grateful to have such wonderful families and it was so  nice to have a little weekend getaway!

We flew into Boston and rented a car for our drive up to Portland, Maine.  We met Roshan and Cami in medical school and now they are living in Boston where Roshan is a Urology Resident and Cami is studying to be a Nurse Practitioner.  Their wedding was a two day event, the first night being a traditional Indian ceremony, and the second being a formal, traditional Christian wedding and reception.  We enjoyed dressing up, learning new traditions, and seeing friends that have scattered across the country for their medical training.

After the wedding Bryan and I drove down the Maine coast and enjoyed seeing all of the coastal towns and the beautiful ocean.  We ended in Boston Sunday afternoon and spent the day walking the Freedom Trail.  As I mentioned several months ago, I am trying to learn more about our country and it was so moving to see where most of our history began!  We had dinner at the Union Oyster House, which is our country's oldest restaurant.  We walked the entire city of Boston enjoying snacks and drinks in the different areas.  The hotel we stayed in was the home to the Boston Cream Pie!  Monday was pouring rain, but we purchased an umbrella at the hotel gift shop (can you say 500% markup?!) and made the best of the day!  We were exhausted and rested at the same time when we finally flew back to Chicago that night.

After another successful road trip home, we are all safe and sound here in Oklahoma City.  Bryan starts his fourth year today and Miles and I are settling back into our routine.  We are celebrating Bryan (and our country's) birthday this week with friends and trying to stay cool.  My garden survived our vacation, thanks to my friend Erin, and we have enjoyed some fresh produce this week.  I hope everyone is staying cool and enjoying their summer!  Our doors are always open for friends and family! xoxo

Vacation countdown

As many of you know we are heading out for our family vacation in ONE WEEK!  Our plans include a drive to Chicago, a flight to Boston, then up to Maine for our good friends wedding.  Miles will accompany us to Chicago and stay with his grandparents while we fly East.  I am excited but nervous about leaving Miles, although I know he will be in good hands.  I know it will be harder for me (and maybe Jean:) than Miles!

In the meantime, we are enjoying summer!  Bryan is continuing to work hard on his Neurology rotation and my schedule changed so I am working in the middle of the week (to free up our weekends to travel when Bryan is away this fall).  And as I have said in the last few posts, Miles is EVERYWHERE!  And as I have heard, this is only the beginning of his bumps and bruises, but he face plants, spins, nose dives, and back busts so much!  I try my best to catch him but it happens so fast!  Luckily, Bryan assures me that kids are resilient and he always bounces right up.

Miles continues to enjoy bird watching, reading books, chasing the dogs, pulling up on everything, playing with his cars, and being in the pool!  I love this kid so much.  He is starting to say words intentionally: ball, bird, dog, teeth, whoa, drink, more, and dad.  "Mom" tends to come out during a good cry...but I am still 'patiently' waiting for him to say it in context!

We have enjoyed a few meals out this week with Miles.  As long as we have food, an interesting neighbor, and some toys we usually have a pleasant meal.  Bryan and I did sneak away one night this week for a date night.  We were both exhausted so we didn't make it out long, but it was worth it!

Also this past week, if anyone didn't watch, OKC Thunder won the NBA West Division Championship! We are waiting to see who we play in the finals, but we have enjoyed watching the games and seeing such a great group of guys play so hard!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!  Our next post will be in a few weeks with vacation pictures!  Can't wait to see many of you in our travels and hope to see our Arkansas gang soon as well.  Oh also, if you are reading this and are a mean person who wants to rob us while we are gone...I have someone really fierce staying here with the dogs...don't try it.  (For you mom and dad:)  Love you all! xoxo

Water baby

Miles and I went to visit my family in Arkansas this past Memorial Day weekend.  (Sadly, Bryan was working and on call)  We traveled to Clarksville Friday night then over to Heber Springs for the weekend.  Despite the cool and windy lake, we had a great time riding in the boat and playing in his inflatable pool!  We got into the lake briefly at the swimming area, but it was kind of cool so we didn't stay in long! So, needless to say our days of carefree laking are over, but replaced with lots of laughing and a different kind of fun!

We had so much fun...but missed Bryan so much!  We were glad to be home with him on Monday.  Miles and I had to sit through a little stand still traffic on the way home, but we made it to OKC around 4 pm and headed to the Opies for a Memorial Day BBQ.  The boys enjoyed the pool (until Wilder decided to go sans diaper...he had already been put in his pjs which obviously didn't last long!) but it was a great ending to a wonderful weekend!

Miles liked the pool so much I decided we needed one in our backyard!  Our friends Kandice and Colton came over on Tuesday and enjoyed a backyard dip!  This was the only pic I could get because I was busy keeping Miles' head above water!  He already has no fear!

Already bossy...where'd that come from!?

The rest of the week was crazy weather! Tuesday night we had hail storms and tornado warnings.  You can guess how that worked with a sleeping baby...it didn't!  Luckily we all were safe with minimal damage to the cars and we are getting our roof inspected.  Oh Oklahoma.

Speaking of tornadoes, my child is everywhere!  Pulling up on steady and unsteady things and learning the difference, slipping and sliding in his footed pjs, and hopefully learning that his push toy goes faster on the wood floors than on the rugs.  But he is having fun exploring the house and showing mommy where she needs to clean.  Haha.  Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Love you all! xoxo

9 months stats

Miles turned 9 months old this past week.  What a cliche' to say, but it has flown by!  We had our check up on Tuesday and little Miles is measuring in the whooping 30th percentile for weight (19 lbs 8 oz) and 40th percentile for height (28 inches)!  Our doctor encouraged us to feed him pretty much whatever we/he wanted!  I am still trying to make most of his food and keep it healthy, but this past week we have experimented with pancakes, chicken and dumplings, turkey, and quinoa.  He is pretty good at finger foods too and loves his snack puffs.  He has three going on four teeth, two on bottom and one on top!  Of course I think he is perfect and growing more every day!

Miles continues to perfect his crawling by trial and error.  He has a few bumps and bruises but is able to get pretty much wherever he wants.  I was in the middle of cleaning day (excuse the mess) but I have to show this picture.  He looks so cute just hanging out in the corner watching mom clean.

As usual, his current favorite toy is an empty paper towel rod.  And his new jedi ball...we spent a fun Saturday morning at Target and this was his choice.  Bryan and I are enjoying reacquainting ourselves with the toy isles!

For an update on our house/car repairs from our anniversary weekend, we have a restored refrigerator, a working Honda AC, and a NEW CAR!  (Well, new to us.)  Bryan and I purchased a Jeep Grand Cherokee from one of my sorority sisters and I am loving being a SUV mamma!  Bryan is also enjoying driving the Accord and having an air conditioner!!  We are sadly (sadly?) selling the red dragon so anyone who needs a beauty let us know!!

Bryan just began his Neurology rotation and we will bite our tongue on how we feel about this one!  But, we are excited about it wrapping up the end of his 3rd year and then VACATION!  We are anxiously awaiting our trip to Chicago/Boston/Maine!!

Looking forward to Memorial Day weekend! Love you all!
xoxo

On the move!

Last weekend on May 6, we celebrated our six year wedding anniversary. It has been a wonderful, busy, crazy, eventful, unimaginable six years!  It seems like yesterday we were moving cross country in a small U-haul from Phoenix preparing for our wedding.  In the past six years we have lived in 4 different homes, worked in 6 different clinics, acquired two rescue daschunds, got into medical school and survived it, had a baby and survived it, and had so much fun along the way!!

To celebrate our anniversary Bryan and I traveled to Arkansas to spend a night baby free!  We went to Clarksville Friday night then left Saturday morning for Fayetteville.  Miles stayed with my parents and although he gave them a run for their money I think they all had a great time!  Bryan and I stayed in a hotel on the campus of University of Arkansas and enjoyed walking down Dickson, visiting the new Crystal Bridges Art museum, and sleeping in!  We were both ready to see Miles on Sunday and despite his fatigue (from not sleeping the night before?!) he seemed happy to see us!

On the way home our AC went out in the car, we came home to a kitchen floor full of water, and after rushing our food to Jason and Elizabeth's we ordered cheap Asian take out.  All we could do was laugh!  It was a wonderful anniversary!

In the past few weeks we have been waiting, encouraging/not encouraging for Miles to crawl.  I have friends with moving babies. I was torn.  The physical therapist in me was looking up milestone ages, giving Miles strengthening exercises, and encouraging forward movement.  The mommy, tired mommy, in me was enjoying him staying in one place, my breakables on display, and my floor a little more dusty than it should be at times.  Well...the PT in me jumped for joy this past week as Miles became mobile.  And as you mommies know, we quickly put candles, appliances, and dust bunnies out of harms way.  It is so fun to watch little Miles track across the living room.  He is becoming a big boy!  Here is my view most of the day...

Notice the foot...he hasn't figured out how to get down yet! (Other than "timber!")

 Oh my.  Have a great week everyone! I'll be chasing my baby! xoxo 

Run Daddy Run

Bryan completed his first half marathon the last weekend of April!  He has been training for months and we are so proud of him.  It is not easy to be a father, husband, and medical student plus find time to run!  He works so hard at everything he does and this is just another example!  Miles and I set out bright and early to find a good cheering spot.  The race came right through our neighborhood so we didn't have to walk far.  Miles had so much fun clapping his hands and cheering for the other runners.  His face lit up when he saw Bryan run by!  Then we headed to the finish, but due to rain, just missed Bryan cross the line.  The atmosphere in the city was so fun for the race and we had a great weekend!