So over the past week we have taken over 200 pictures. Lots of cuteness going on here at the Smith house. Mostly just some really cute kids. So this post will be filled with pictures. Enjoy!
Olivia and I came home last Saturday. We were anxious to get home. Jackson was excited for his new baby sister to come home. Tyler and I were grateful he didn’t want to leave her at the hospital. He is a big help when it comes to putting her in her carseat.

Here are a few pics of Olive’s first bath. Jackson again was quite the helper, making sure she had plenty of soap in her hair.

We were lucky enough to have all 4 of us home for easter.

Cute little Olivia

Jacks loves to give his sister hugs and kisses

And what do you do when your kid wants to wear something ridiculous to bed…you let them. Remember the important part is that he’s going to bed.

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It all started with Aimee feeling like CRAP on Wednesday, throwing up each meal and having aches throughout her entire body. Aim went to bed at 11 noticing a few cramps but nothing too indicative of labor. Around 3:30 she woke up with some serious contractions and decided to get up and time them. After an hour I joined her for about a bit and the contractions were coming quicker and harder so we packed up, I tearfully shave my mustache, and we headed to the hospital. When we arrived she was dilated to a 6 and after 45 mins she was at an 8 and the nurse decided to call Dr. Smith (great name). Dr. Smith got to the hospital a little before 7:00 and decided to break her water since she was at a 10 and ready to push and push she did until we had our little Olivia at 7:25. Watching childbirth is amazing and truly a miraculous thing, especially when it is your own.

Some of you may know that Aimee went natural with Jackson on account of the hospital sending us home initially and our arriving back at the hospital with Aimee dilated to a 10 and too late for an epidural. Well, crazy or not, Aimee really liked going natural and wanted to attempt the same with this birth. We took hypnobirthing classes and Aimee amazed me once again by going natural with Olivia. She was incredible and did wonderful during the labor and birth. It was an amazing thing to watch her get focussed and calm and breathe her way through each contraction and then just sit back in between contractions and be so confident. I think she’d be the first to tell you that it hurt and that she felt some serious pain but, in the end she did what she set out to do and she looks and feels great because of that. I am so proud of her, she’s tough as nails. Even the nurses commented and how Aimee smiled and laughed in between contractions and how well she did during the birth. Here she is just playing it cool in between a contraction.

Jackson has done great stepping up as the big brother, he loves his little sister “Oweeva” and is very concerned with each little noise she makes and is quick to try to shove the binky in her mouth, whether she wants it or not.

Jackson was even willing to help feed Olivia…

The novelty of the new baby sister did soon wear off and it was back to some intense cartoon watching until cousins started to show up and then it was time to show off the new sister and how cool it is to be the big brother.

It is crazy to think that we are now officially a family of 4! It’s a little scary to be starting over but having done it all once before gives me a little confidence and I’m not feeling freaked about bringing a newborn home (I thought I was going to puke during the drive home with Jackson) Here it is, the official family of 4!

and here is a shot of me pretending to know what I’m doing.

Little Olivia is already so alert and loves to eat her hands, and seems to have trouble closing her mouth when she sleeps. Half the time it’s a full on fly trap and other times her tongue hangs out, either way it pretty cute.

Thank you to everyone who has visited, called and helped out over these last 2 days. It is very likely that our next baby will be born out of state and we will surely miss all of the support and company of family and friends. A special thanks to the Grandmas who helped out with Jackson. Who else could you call at 5:00 am to ask to watch your kid?

We are all again tired and will post more pictures tomorrow once we are all home and settled.  Almost forgot, a heartfelt thanks to my handlebar mustache for getting this birth rolling! Best induction method around if you ask me.

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Introducing Olivia Valentine Smith, 6 lbs 5 oz, 18 inches. Born March 20th at 7:25 a.m. Mommy and baby are doing great and so are daddy and big brother.  We are super tired and I’m going through mustache withdrawls!  More details will be posted soon.

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Many of us have heard of various ways to induce labor.  You have your medical interventions such as stripping membranes, pushing pitocin or you have your more natural means such as eating spicy food, jumping on trampolines and, my favorite, hugs before drugs (a.k.a. doin da sex!).  Well, I have now introduced a new method into the system, grow a handle bar mustache, or any mustache  as far as I’m concerned, and refuse to shave it until the baby is out!

Here is me with about 2 weeks of growth and going strong.  Now I’m not sure if this should be filed under a medical or natural method of induction but I’m thinking I have a possible topic for my research.  So just remember, the quickest way to put an end to this…

(Not an end to the Aimee making me waffle iron cookies, but an end to the pregnant thing)  Is this…

(This picture shows off the true bad A’ness that is the handle bar stache)

P.S.

Even Jackson is ready for the baby to arrive.  He is a little OCD about his shoes and always puts them against the back of the couch with the toes just barely under the couch.  As soon as he gets home, shoes come off and placed in line with the rest.  The other day Aimee was taking inventory of new baby stuff and the little pink ballet shoe thingys disappeared  and she asked Jackson where they went and he said “Out with Jackson’s shoes” and there they have stayed.  What a good big brother.

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Last week we spent the day at the aquarium with some friends. Jackson loves playing with his friends and would do it all day long if he could. We went with Addie, Cash, and Gray. Jackson loves seeing the fish and the big sharks.

Yesterday Tyler helped Jackson build a fort and Jackson thought it was the coolest thing ever. He thinks his dad is pretty awesome. I think he’s pretty awesome—he’s always up for playing trains, building huts or playing hide and seek with Jackson. He’s a great dad.

Side note—wanted to tell Ty congrats on his race this last weekend.  He ran the moab 1/2 marathon in 1:45.  He did great and I wish I could have been there at the finish line.  I can’t wait to start running again—I miss running with my hubby.

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So my goal is to become a better blogger. I keep telling myself that I’ll be better once we move. So much has happened over the pass few months that it’s hard to play catch up. Our focus here at the Smith home has been all about the arrival of our new little one, moving and of course Jackson. We have found a home in Kirksville that we are going to buy—you can’t beat the prices of homes in Kirksville. We are very excited and the final purchase will probably happen in May, although we wont be moving until late June.

For those of you who don’t know we are having a little girl. I am down to my last 4 weeks and feeling very ready for this pregnancy to be over. Tyler and Jackson have been very patient with a sick wife and mom. We are excited for our new little addition to our family, even Jackson seems to be excited although I’m pretty sure this baby will rock his world—he is pretty spoiled. Last weekend Nicci threw me a little baby shower. I was extremely grateful since we have nothing girly. We were very spoiled. Lots of pink and everything I opened was followed with me saying “how cute”. But girl stuff is just so cute.

Jackson is always keeping us busy and laughing. We have spent the last 3 weeks in serious potty training. We thought we would give it a try before the baby gets here. He has been doing pretty good but it is quite challenging. We are learning lots of patients. He loves his cool new underwear. We have buying all different kinds and also throwing away all sorts of cool underwear. He’s always sad to see spiderman or spongebob go into the garbage. He looks so cute in his little underwear because he’s so tiny that the smallest sizes are big on him. He is also on a kick of having to have his toys wherever he is—eating, sleeping, in the car. He loves his trains.

I thought I would throw these next two pics in for Daniel. This was last weekend at Daniel’s last home game at Westminster. It has been so fun to watch him play over the last 4 years. We will miss it and so will Jackson, he loves his Uncle Daniel.

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