Creatures of Routine and Habit

A high school teacher of mine once said that humans are creatures of routine and habit. Humans would rather follow the same routine day after day then mix it up. For instance, even when assigned seating is not used in a class room, students tend to sit in the same seat day after day because of habit and routine.

Well the Smith Household is settling into a routine since Lori's return to work. We are all pretty much adjusted to the changes in life style of taking Ty to the baby sitters and picking him up in the evenings. We are adjusted to cramming most of our chores into weekends. We are adjusted to putting Ty to bed and using the hour to hour and a half for catching up on TV shows, paying bills or just relaxing.

For me, as dad, life has not changed too much. I was used to the routine in the evenings of coming home and getting all of Ty's things ready for bath time and bed time. The biggest change for me has been picking Ty up at night from his Aunt Patty and Uncle John's house or from my mom's. After a long day of work and office politics, the best thing is to see my little smile at daddy when picking him up from the sitters! :-)

Lori has adjusted well to juggling motherhood and work. Like I said before, sleep and relaxation has become more important to her when she has to get up and get herself ready at 5:30 AM. She gets to take Ty to the baby sitters in the mornings and she seems to be doing well. She said that if she had to do this after only six weeks off it would have been harder.

Ty has adjusted pretty well too. He really seems to enjoy Nan's and Aunt Patty and Uncle John's during the work day. In nearly three weeks, I believe he has only had one bad day of fussing and such. Otherwise, I believe he has been doing quite well. The only problem is, he likes his schedule a little too much and on the weekends and insists mommy and daddy get up around 7 AM. I think that is because 7 is the latest he sleeps through the work week before is taken to the sitters.

We hope this finds everyone doing well. We have some friends in Shippensburg that just got over the stomach flu that is going around, so hopefully no one is fighting that one right now.

We recently bought Ty a Bumbo chair and at this point, he only sits in it for about 5 to 10 minutes at a time, but I think he will like it soon! Of course, I could not get him to smile... but he is just so stinkin' cute! :-)

Mom is Back to Work

Lori returned to work this week so things have been a bit hectic around the Smith House.

We spent the weekend preparing baby sitter boxes with formula, diapers, bottles and other miscellanous stuff along with getting food prepared for the week and clothes ready to wear. Nan Smith is keeping Ty on Mondays and Lori's Aunt Patty is baby sitting Tuesday through Fridays.

We have to say that everything is going better than expected. Ty is doing well in the mornings and during the day with his baby sitters. Although evenings spent with Ty are extremely short because of his bed time around 7:30, we try to use every minute possible to entertain the little guy.

Lori is getting adjusted to her new sleeping schedule. No more sleeping in to 8 or 8:30... nope, it is 5:30 AM now. 5:30 AM comes awful early to those used to sleeping in the past 4 months! :-) I have to say she is doing well so far, but Friday is approaching and I am sure she will be beat!

To give her a bit of a break, I have taken over baby duty at night so she can at least stay in bed. She naturally awakes when Ty does, but I get up with him to change his diaper and feed him his bottle. I enjoy doing it and it is only 20 minutes. The problem for me is getting back to sleep. I tend to start thinking about work and daily tasks that need to be done...

So we are taking it day by day, but I am sure within a week or two, we will be pretty much adjusted and in a normal routine.

On a side note, the ice storm we had made for some beautiful scenery. I captured this picture, facing McConnellsburg, from the mountain top along Route 30 between Chambersburg and McConnellsburg on my iPhone. I travel past this place everyday and have never stopped by. Yesterday's show from Mother Nature was too hard to pass up! I wish I would have had my good camera because this picture does not give the scene justice.

We Are..... Penn State!

Let's Go State... Beat USC!

Happy New Year & Shout Outs

Lori, Ty and I just want to take a moment to wish all of our friends and family a Happy and Healthy New Year filled with Love and Goodwill.

We also wanted to give shout outs to a few of our friends who are enjoying exciting times in their lives.

To the Kipe family in South Carolina... you might be far away from us here in Pennsylvania, but you are never out of our thoughts. We wish you the best with your new born baby girl Abbi and her older sister Layna. Congrats!!! You have a beautiful family! We love you guys and can't wait to see you in the spring!

To the Bowersox Family... congrats on your big news of starting a family!!! We are soooo happy for you guys and wish you the best of luck when Baby Bowersox comes into the world sometime around July 4th! We love you and remember, if you ever need a helping hand, we are here for you!

And finally to the Penn State Football Team... GO STATE, BEAT USC!! :-)

Happy New Year to All!!!

A Joyful Christmas for the Smith Family

Christmas was bitter sweet for us this year, but overall very joyful. Bitter because of the recent loss of my father and the anniversary of Lori's father's death on Christmas day. Sweet because we were able to celebrate Christmas with many members of both of our families. Joyful because it was our first Christmas with our little guy.

Christmas Eve began on a good note with my mom deciding she was coming out for dinner and an overnight stay with us. She has been sick with ear and sinus infections, but after a visit with her doctor and him convincing her that she was not contagious, she decided to join us. Great News! We had our Christmas with her that evening since Christmas morning would be kinda crazy for us preparing to go to visit both side of Lori's family as we do each Christmas.

Ty made out excellent with clothes coming from Nan Smith. After the last few days, Ty pretty much has enough of clothes to last him through the winter thanks everyone including Nan.

Christmas morning arrived and we hustled to get food made for our visits and get Ty ready to go... I was always told that taking a child somewhere meant taking everything but the kitchen sink. I never believed it until Christmas morning. We were going to two places for pretty much 7 hours and it felt like we were packing for a weekend get away. As you can see, Ty was all dressed up for the occassion!


We went to Lori's Aunt Tracey's for a wonderful lunch and shared a few hours with that side of the family. Ty again made out well with a few toys and a gift card or two for more clothes/toys. Ty did very well and even took a much needed nap as you can see below. I love his cute little Santa bib.

Around 3, it was time to pack up and head to Lori's Grandparents for the rest of the day. There we exchanged gifts and had another delicious dinner. Ty again made out like a bandit with Toys galore and even a few more outfits for the coming months. Ty was a good boy until about the 6 o'clock hour when he became pretty fussy and was about ready to end his big day. We packed up the car and home we went. Ty took his bottle and was out like a light.

On Friday, I had to work... I know, Ho Hum... but Lori's mom was coming into town and Lori's brother was hosting more family members for lunch and our Christmas with her. Ty's big gift from Grandma Straley was the coolest toy and one everyone is at least aware about from news reports... Talking Elmo. Let's just say, dad has had more fun with it then Ty thus far! :-) That thing is so cute! I was able to skip out of work for a few hours to enjoy lunch with everyone.

So all in all our Christmas was joyful but busy. Ty did a great job going from place to place and has been quite a sleeper the past few nights. He is learning how to hold things and grab at his toys. He is becoming more responsive to people and loves to gabber. I have to say, when he smiles, his entire face lights up with joy, along with mommy and daddy's!

Lori and I just want to thank everyone for the Christmas gifts for Ty and to us. As you can see by the picture below, Ty will not need any new toys until he turns one!! :-)

Merry Christmas To All....

We just want to wish all of our family and friends a very Merry Christmas!

Compromise

Merriam-Webster defines Compromise as a settlement of differences by consent reached by mutual concessions.

Well that is exactly what my brother-in-law, Ryan, and I have done. We have come to a compromise on Sports Teams for Ty. :-) Although someday Ty will be able to make up his own mind, for now, he will be rooting for specific sports teams respectively chosen by Ryan and I!

Of course I have chosen the Redskins for Football... surprise! Ryan has chosen the Yankees for Baseball. Ho Hum... I do not quite agree with it... but it was a compromise! ;-) What can I say?

Below is a photo of Ty in his attire along with Ryan and I.

P.S. The Redskins Snow Suit, believe it or not, I wore as a child some 30 years ago. :-) My mom preserved it along with several other pieces of clothing from my childhood. How cool is that?

2 Month Checkup & Sleeping

Well today was Ty's 2 month checkup, the first one with shots and one Lori and I were somewhat dreading. To say that Ty did a good job is an understatement.

He smiled and cooed for both the doctor and nurse, which they both enjoyed! He weighed in at 12 pounds 2 ounces and is now 22 and 1/2 inches long. Everything checked out and he seems to be a healthy growing boy! Ty did cry during his shots but only for about three minutes and that was it... such a good boy!

Since we have brought Ty home he has been an excellent night sleeper. He does not get awake in the middle of the night screaming and only squawks a few times to wake mom or dad for a bottle. If we put him to bed around 8 he normally sleeps for at least 7 hours until for his first feeding of the night. He has awoke a few times around midnight and slept as long as 5 am. Normally he is awake around 3:30 and then again around 5:30/6 and then up for his normal 8 am feeding. I believe he sleeps so well at night because he is not much of a napper during the day.

As for everything else, well the Smith household is doing well. We are all decorated for Christmas and Ty seems to have an attraction for the lights on the tree. Now we just need Santa to stop by! :-)

Below is a new picture of Ty showing off his clothes gifted by daddy's company, Global Data Consultants. Isn't he just cute?? :-)

A Tough Week

As some of you may or may not know, my dad (Shaun's Dad) has been battling cancer for over 11 years. Since I graduated High School my dad's medical condition has been a roller coaster. He has beat several different types of cancer and has been one of the strongest and most determined people I have ever seen fighting the disease. But last 3 months have been grueling for him, my mom, who was always by his side, and the rest of our family.

This past Monday morning my father finally gave in and passed away at the age of 61.

It was hard to see him leave us, probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to deal with in my life. But really and truly he is in a better place. He no longer has to get stuck with needles, sit in the doctor's office to get chemotherapy or take so many pills just to stay alive. He will no longer have to get CT scans, biopsies or radiation treatments. His last days were filled with family and friends visiting and my mom and I by his side.

I am thankful for many things in my life and one of those is my dad. He loved me more than I will ever know... and I loved him the same. He taught me so many life lessons including how to be a good son, husband and father. I am also grateful that he was able to see his grandson, Ty, albeit for exactly the first two months of Ty's life.

Ty will not remember his grandfather crying his eyes out the first time he held him nor will he remember his grandfather's laugh when Ty cooed. Ty will only have pictures of his grandfather and the stories I tell. But my family and I do have those memories and they are all so very special.

I thank the good Lord above for giving my mom and I such a special man. I also know that he is watching over all of us with a big smile and there to help guide us until we see him in heaven.

I love you dad... I always will!

An Renewed Sense of Confidence & Smiles

Last weekend I kept Ty on two different occasions while mommy went out to do some grocery shopping and run errands. Both times Ty was a good boy and has given me a renewed sense of confidence in baby sitting. I am gaining confidence in taking care of Ty while mommy is gone and that surely makes me feel like I am accomplishing something. :-)

Ty is growing quickly (physically and emotionally) and is developing some ham hocks for legs. In fact his legs are big enough around that my thumb is about an inch away from touching my middle finger. When we brought him home, I did the same test and my thumb overlapped my middle finger to just above my finger nail, so you can get an idea of how he is growing. I think he might be an offensive or defensive linemen but not quite sure the exact position yet. :-)


Ty is cooing and smiling more often and his emotions turn quite quickly sometimes. One minute he could have a beat red face and screaming like mad, the next minute smiling and laughing. He really enjoys when mommy sings the ABC song and often begins smiling and laughing before she makes it to H or I.

His favorite places in the house has become his bouncy chair and his changing table in his room. Before Ty was born, Lori and I had decided not to get a bouncy chair since we had a swing. Well, we were given one at Lori's Baby Shower at work and we figured we would use it a little bit. let's just say that chair has been a blessing because Ty loves it.


I have to say that Lori is doing a great job at being a stay at home mom and I think she is starting to enjoy it. She is getting into a pretty good rhythm of doing chores around the house, taking care of Ty and ensuring her husband is happy with a nicely cooked dinner when he comes home from work. I am not sure how I am going to react when she goes back to work and I come home to thawed out meat on the kitchen counter! :-) But for the next month or so I am going to enjoy it while it lasts.

Ty is happy, mommy is happy and that makes daddy happy!