ike: 5 months and rockyp: 28 months

post by casey.

these little hams are a month older! The months fly by and they're changing by the second and growing and learning...less Baby every day!:(

i can't EVEN with his chubby belly and those lips and those eyes and those cheekkkkkssss:):)

my little buddy, Ike!!!!:) If you missed it, Ike spent a few days in the hospital recently - read about that HERE. Luckily, he's feeling MUCH more himself. Ike has always been the happiest, most content, smiley little guy and so it was heartbreaking to see him so sad looking in the hospital! 

ike started rolling while we were at the hospital! He pushes himself all around on the floor and now we have to make sure to strap him into all his little seats cause he'll try and scoot out of them!

ike loves talking and cuddling and getting SO many kisses from the kids! He loves to be held but he's just as content laying on the floor or bed or in his seat!

he gives THE best smiles first thing in the morning. There's NO better way to start the day!!!:)

ike did lose a pound while we were in the hospital but I suspect that he's back to his 18+lbs already! He's a hefty guy;):).

and then there's Rock. RockyP. 

rockyp is a good guy! He's probably the only of my children that can whine as much as he does and that I can still completely tolerate!!!;) But because we can't quite understand 67% of what he says...his whining has reached a new level of annoying. MAYBE if I could understand what he was saying...all that whining wouldn't be SO bothersome!??!;). 

regardless. Rocky runs. Rocky takes very. VERYYYYYYYY. VERY slow walks;). He loves his days home with Theo and baby Ike but likes to be constantly updated on where Dada and Homer are:). 

he started sleeping in a big boy bed recently! It's an Ikea mattress on the floor of his room - same one that we started Homer out on. He is doing SO well! Since day 1, he's never gotten out of bed! There have been a few rough nights where he just doesn't want to go to sleep but I don't get the feeling that has anything to do with the bed. And since Jacob and I are downstairs and he's upstairs, we keep a baby gate up to keep him from coming out of his room and that's worked perfectly so far. We'll keep that up until I'm more confident he can do the stairs all by himself!

i gotta say - cause I haven't said this enough;) - I love them. I love having them. I love keeping them. I'll take it all...the good, the bad, the insanely hard and the moments of pure bliss sprinkled in-between:). I want more. That is all:).

ike vs. RSV

post by casey.

i'll start by saying: He's OKAY:). We have a strong and healthy little chubby boy on our hands!

we - myself and Ike - spent 6 days in the hospital. Ike was diagnosed with RSV - Respiratory Syncytial Virus - and we were fortunate to get there when we did. He struggled with eating and breathing and we spent every one of the next 6 days getting him back on track. Each day that passed I thought, surely we'll be going home today!! And I think I did that every day for 6 days! The denial is strong with this one;).

while we were there my sisters and mom took over caring for Homer, Theo and Rocky. Getting Homer to and from school (he only got forgotten at school once, so I'd say we did pretty damn good;). 

Jacob was out of town the first few days - because kids never get sick when it's convenient. We are just so so fortunate to have our family. 

it's so good to have sisters that show up, even when you don't think you need them to. It's so good to have sisters that can sooth your baby as if he was their own. It's so good to have sisters that know a thing or 10 about some of the medical things and can be your ears when you immediatly zone out when a conversation about NICU comes up!:( It's SO good to have sisters who walk in without a word, take your baby - who's hooked to an IV and Oxygen - out of your arms so you can go to the bathroom and sob in the shower and come out with blood shot eyes and she says "nope, can't tell you've been crying...at.all;)".

and I have parents who take your 3 kids to a tool show and buy them fishing poles and take them to visit their dad and drive them around the country-side to spot deer and bear and Homer even claims he spotted a Moose..right here in Central WI!!!;)

our family, friends and neighbors brought company and distraction, food and necessities, support and encouragement:). We have chosen to do life with the right people surrounding us. 

some people - I'm looking at you Brooke and Monica Casey;) - are just caretakers. It's written deep within them to show up, even when you don't think you want or need them to:). I learned a lot from how they showed up for me and Ike and hope to put that example to use the next time it's not so obvious that someone else needs or hesitates to ask for help.

something else I learned through this experience, is that you can not compare your circumstances to others. 

It's down right impossible to feel like your struggle is justified. You're struggling and then you think: someone else out there has it harder! Why can't I do this when so and so is so clearly in a worse situation!

My emotion and stress came from exhaustion. I knew Ike would be okay. But that didn't make it any less of a struggle. He was sad and sick. I missed my kids and my husband. 

I think we don't give ourselves a fucking break or cut ourselves any slack...because you know, asking for help...accepting help...that would mean that we can't.do.it.all! And holy shit...god forbid we 'need' anything. Help doesn't mean weakness. But it sure feels like it sometimes. 

ike is loved:)

adventures in FaceTiming;)

i'm not crying, you're crying!!!!;') - seeing/holding my other babies for the first time in 4-1/2 days.

Also. If this face/eyes/bags don't scream: NO SLEEP SINCE BROOKLYN 2012;)

Also. One of my favorite photos of all time:)

it took them 4 times to draw blood. I saw a different doctor/physician/nurse/huck/cna/respiratory therapist every couple hours. They interrupted our sleep every.damn.time. The shampoo sucked. I slept on a cot for 6 nights - something my soon-to-be 35yo body wasn't a huge fan of;). 

But even after all that...I didn't get upset. I wasn't mad at anyone. The only time I came even close to throwing down with someone was with the Lunch Lady over how many pancakes she deemed TOO many. Bitch, do.not.test.me.

we're home and boy did it feel good to get home. But now it's 223AM and I'm struggling to get off hospital time;). Ike has adjusted well to not being poked and prodded every 27MIN:). 

he was sent home a pound lighter than when we arrived and with an inhaler to be used for as long as this cough lasts. He's such a good boy. It was hard to see him not himself. 

thank you guys. I know, had I shared this in real time, you would have all been so incredibly supportive. 

Now...let's get this terrible season of illness behind us!!!!:) 

another week without you...or a phone!.

post by casey.

this is coming in unedited (the photos) and with the Time Change (seems to have affected my husband more than the kids - it's 1102AM and he's still in bed I'm allowing him to sleep-in;).

i wanted to do a quick update, of sorts, because since the last 'update' - HERE - and getting you up to speed on my Social Media Break-ish, my phone actually completely shut down on me. I've been without phone for almost a week! Besides the technical shit that is upsetting in having your phone take a crap - like losing a weeks worth of photos, my entire calendar (I have NO clue what I'm obligated/committed to for the next 6MO!!!), meaningful text message conversations, etc - I had to make the daunting decision as to whether to even replace it (as if I could just go phoneless;) and what to replace it with (WHY SO EXPENSIVE!!!).

in the end, I decided to just file an insurance claim on my phone and for a $168 deductible, I'll be receiving a new iPhone 6s Plus in the mail some time tomorrow evening. My previous phone was paid off and I just couldn't stomach adding another $35-ish to our monthly AT&T bill for an $800/900 phone! Man...those prices! Also...I just have a love/hate relationship with technology and so I wish someone else could do all of this for me - I probably would have been told to be backing up to iCloud then?!;) And part of me is excited to get an empty phone and put ONLY the necessities back on it! When mine broke, I had over 2,000 photos and Pizza Hut on speed dial and just a bunch of crap that was bogging my phone AND life downnnnn.

okay...so here's what I had from our week, all unedited - which I'd normally do on my phone. Taken with my little point&shoot - the one the kids use and drop multiple times a day. I'm actually considering buying something small/new/amazing to use now that I saved all that money on a phone. Any suggestions for a great point&shoot camera?!?!

we spent 3 days in WI Dells for our annual Smith Christmas Getaway - see last years getaway HERE:)

Full post to come on that - Courts might even show her face on this blog with a post on her version of our getaway!!!! It's a Smith Dells Christmas Miracle!!!;)

1 of the millions of photos I find on my camera after the kids have gotten a hold of it. This from Theo Daisy!!! She's got a real gift for photography and love for all things horse;).

this turd - RockyP - is officially in a BIG BOY BED/twin mattress on the floor;)!!! Good grief! SO happy to be distracted with a newborn because this hasn't yet affected me emotionally;).

He's doing SO well!

my specialty;). And don't let the jammie pants fool you, this photo was taken at about 527PM...Mom made dinner and is also in desperate need of a shower;).

this weather, you guysssss! Anything over 30 degrees with less than 10mph winds, in WI...MAGIC!

we walked to the library - Nash + Homer. They were in Lego Heaven!!

the fun and fighting and Legos continued at home;) - Homer + RockyP.

i'll be back from the stone age tomorrow! Phone should arrive by 5PM! These last few days 'unplugged' have really reminded me that I can go without...without texting, without a schedule (that's fortunate for me, as I know some/most couldn't live that flexibly), without the Internet in general! After all this I really hope to designate specific hours for playing around on my phone or full days (Sundays, maybe?) where we unplug entirely!

anyways, I miss you guys and can't wait to dive back in!!!!

ike: 4 months and rockyp: 27 months

post by casey.

this huge chunk-a-baby is actually almost 5MO old! Good golly, he's basically the best:). He weighed in at about 18LBS at his 4MO appt.!

what has Ike Ewalt Smith been up to....

Ike has to be buckled into all his little seats cause he's pushing out of things and trying to roll on his side! He is all smiles, especially first thing in the morning! He LOVES to talk - no clue where he got that from;). He's still exclusively nursing and that's going well - minus the few coughs he's had:(. BUT he's such a good boy and gives me 6+HR stretches of sleep most nights!!! 

the kids love to be IN HIS FACE. AT ALL TIMES. Arg. But they have been the best helpers and sure do love their Baby Ike:). I, legit, can't get enough of him!!!

and then there's THIS mess;). RockyP. RockyP. Rocky.PPPPPPP....this kid. He's ridiculous and somewhat emotional but I've got a soft spot for him. He can be crying/clinging to my leg and I just can't help but think he's the most adorable;)!

rockyP sleeps great. Him and Theo have been having a great time at home together while big brother, Homer, is at school! He loves to sit by himself and 'read':). He HATES being cold. He loves jumping on the bed:).

rocky is definitely putting together understandable sentences lately. He's been taking his time making sense but now we can determine what he wants/is demanding/needs abouttttt 46% of the time;).

i was babysitting a bunch of different kiddos over the last few weeks and now that it's back to JUST;) myself, Ike, Rocky and Theo at home most days...it feels very quiet around the house! And now that I've been doing my Social Media Break/my phone actually busted...it's been damn near silent at the house for almost 48HRS. And I'm not sure whether I'm just being lazy or I'm too tired to care or I'm just all in on this 'break'...but I really don't feel the rush to get my phone fixed or replaced and so we're just kinda sitting here, determining which neighbor's house would be best to run to in the unlikely case that we need to dial 911;).