Olga Smith

Bat-babies

Olga Smith — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:36:27 +0000

In the last week I have purchased one batman shirt, with a cape; two superman shirts, both with capes; one pair of batman shoes. I love being a boy mom! Levi is one day shy of 18 months. Didn’t we just bring him home from the hospital yesterday? He is active and a very happy kiddo.

I took him to the library for story time today and he was the kid who walked to the front of the room and attempted to help the lady ‘read’ the book to the others. I was embarrassed a little and somewhat amused because I used to wish Hudson would show more interest in story time. I even kind of envied the moms with really active kiddos who clapped, danced, and stomped their feet with delight. Now I am that mom! I am loving every second and I am dead tired at the end of every single day.

Hudson just finished up one week of VBS at Prestonwood. He enjoyed it and went without crying every day. Big victory. I am looking forward to next month and a reading camp he is going to attend. Fun times for the summer.

One of these days I will wright down our schedule, just to remember how crazy our days are.

Batman saves the world!

Olga Smith — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 20:12:49 +0000

Seven Months...

Olga Smith — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 01:16:38 +0000

…is how long I have been gone from this space. To the day. Having a second child sure does knock the wind out of one’s sails. So to speak. And in a good way, for sure. There are many excuses, but that is irrelevant. I want to begin/continue documenting our life as best as I can and as frequently as I can because life is so incredibly short.

Levi is fifteen months old. FIFTEEN! WHOLE! MONTHS! He is talking, some. He is walking, like a drunk. He is giggling, non-stop. He is eating, sweet potatoes and carrots. His favorite object is a ball and he calls it’BAH-BAH’. It is cute, and adorable, and I just want to eat his cheeks.

In a way I don’t want him to grow up. He is my baby. He is not talking yet (at least not in coherent sentences) and I love it! But part of me wished he were more stable on his feet and less injury-prone because life sure would be easier.

I love the way Hudson is evolving into a big brother; the way he cares for Levi and takes his well-being into consideration; the way they giggle in the back of the car together as if they are sharing secrets no one in the world is privy to; the way they share food and feed each other; pat each other on the head; and chase each other around the yard.

The days are long. But the years are short. It’s hard. It’s rewarding. It’s joy-full. It is terrifying. And every single minute of all of this is worth it.

Brotherhood

Olga Smith — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 00:53:20 +0000

I’ve been gone for so long. Been enjoying these two immensely. Also, can’t you just hear Hudson saying, “You give that back!”

Cleared that one right up

Olga Smith — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 20:00:31 +0000

A conversation I just had with my 3 year old:

Me: “Is brother making a poopie?”
Hudson: “No.”
Me: “Who’s got the toots then, you?”
Hudson: “No.”
Me: “Well, if Levi doesn’t have the toots and you don’t have the toots, who is it then?”
Hudson: “Mama!”

He probably thinks I have no brain cells left, whatsoever.

Summer is here!

Olga Smith — Sun, 27 May 2012 04:55:00 +0000

Of Girlfriends and Bowel Movements

Olga Smith — Sun, 27 May 2012 04:53:25 +0000

Life’s a’happenin’ and way faster than I want it to. Levi is growing and is a joy and a delight to be around. The two brothers couldn’t be more different. Hudson was always very intense and emotional, even as a baby. He cried a lot and I did not enjoy him as a baby (sad but true). But Levi is so laid-back, relaxed, and easy-going. I can put him in his crib when he is awake and tired and he goes to sleep unassisted. No bells or whistles. I am beyond amazed at this little guy.

Of course, as a kiddo number two, he has to be patient and he is used to chaos. In fact, he sleeps best when the house is full of noise and commotion. Again, pretty amazed by that. He loves to eat and he loves to sleep and he loves people. He’s going to be a social butterfly, I can already tell. My heart melts when he flashes his toothless grin at me. I am so in love.

I have to say I am enjoying every second with Levi. Even though as a mom of two kiddos I hardly get any sleep these days, this time around things are just, easier, in a way. I know how quickly baby-hood passes, so I am making a point to hold Levi close and love on him, every chance I get. So thankful for such an agreeable, easy, happy baby. I want to just take it all in and be in the moment with him before he starts talking back and throwing conniption fits. Mercy.

Now, as far as Hudson goes, he’s been attending a Christian preschool since last August. Dropping him off was so painful for the first six-seven months. He never, ever wanted to go. And I mean NEVER. He was pretty much the only one crying at drop-off and it was a miserable experience all around.

He also never ever talked to ANYONE while at school. For the first nine months, or so, he didn’t speak. Then, he started whispering. Now, ten months later and with only three weeks of school left, he is finally speaking in his normal voice to his teachers and friends. Wow. I am glad we started him in school early because he needed a lot of time to acclimate to this new environment. His teachers have been amazing and patient. He has grown so much!

His teachers now refer to him as the class ‘Romeo.’ He has a new girlfriend every week and holds hands with girls throughout the day. Apparently, no other boy in his class does this. He’s the only one. I’m having a really hard time picturing this since he has always been so painfully shy. In a way, I am happy he is making friends and holding hands. And in a way I am a little concerned. Shall we buy a shot-gun now or wait a few years?

Which brings me to my next point. Bowel movements (and shotguns? Don’t ask. It’s been a long few months). Without going into much detail (let’s face it, you don’t want to know), I will say that Hudson no longer needs diapers (except at night-time). He has been peeing in the potty since last summer and got switched to underwear full-time in January. However, he refused to poop in the potty. He would tell me when he needed to go and request a diaper. Beyond that, he refused to negotiate.

Last month I gave him a choice – poop in the potty or outside in the grass. What possessed me to offer the choice to poop outside is beyond me, but that’s what he chose, “I poop outside like a doggy!” At least it wasn’t in his diaper. Things got a little messy though and I was tired of cleaning our back yard, so tonight I told him no more pooping outside.

“It works better for me if I don’t have to clean this up.”
“But mama, it works better for me if I poopoo in the grass.”

I basically pulled every chocolate confectionary delight out of the pantry and told him he could have it ALL if he would only deposit his poop in the potty. I believe my exact words were, “Just do it once and then, if you don’t like it, you don’t EVER have to do it again.” Whoa. I was really hoping he’d like it, otherwise, a lifetime of picking human poop out of my grass was staring me in the face. Bam!

Thankfully, the whole ‘pooping in the potty’ business went off without a hitch. Happy dance times a million. He got to play a racing game on the iPad and he got chocolate. I haven’t felt so accomplished in quite some time. Look at me, I make tiny humans make organized bowel movements. Roar! My work here is done. Thank you and good-night.

Tornado

Olga Smith — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 03:44:47 +0000

Dallas/Fort Worth was hit by a couple of devastating tornadoes this afternoon. I had just picked up Hudson from school and we were literally walking through the door as the sirens started going off. I felt like I was moving in slow motion, trying to make sure I had everyone fed, watered, diapered and safely tucked away in a windowless room. Called the husband to consult on which room was actually best (he’s lived in tornado valley before, so he knows).

I wasn’t doing a good job hiding my emotions and the three-year-old picked up on my panic. I was trying to explain to him that we needed to hide from the storm, but it was proving difficult. He thinks when we mention lightening and thunder, we are talking about a big Lightening McQueen up in the sky, which, naturally, makes him want to run outdoors and look for ‘Lightenin’. So, I was trying to explain to him that the weather outside wasn’t something to get excited about. How do you explain a tornado to a three-year-old?

Here are some words Hudson and I exchanged as I was trying to get him to hide in a closet.

Me: A big tornado is coming. That’s why the sirens are going off. It’s dangerous. We need to hide.
Hudson: A big potato wants to hurt our garage?
Me: Potato? No. TOR-NA-DO. And yes, it can hurt our garage.
Hudson: A big tomato is dangerous?
Me: Yes, it is. Let’s go.

I love my three-year-old. Without knowing it, he provided some much needed comic relief in the midst of a very stressful situation.

Levi: Month Two

Olga Smith — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 14:07:24 +0000

So this is late, but no surprise there. Wrangling two kids is no small feat. Levi is doing great these days. Sleeping. Pooping. Eating. He is an amazingly good baby and I still cannot believe that a) it’s possible to get eight hours of sleep every night with a young baby and b) that he’s ours. Love every single minute of this and trying to cherish these newborn/baby days. They fly by way too fast.

This month Levi has started cooing and smiling. He is especially active in the mornings and greets everyone with big smiles. He is very outgoing and is already a little curious explorer. He’s also much happier and much more laid back than his brother was at this age. I am predicting we’ll have a little social butterfly on our hands in no time. A complete opposite from big brother not only in skin tone and eye color, but also in personality.

At his two-month check up Levi pretty much measured in 95th percentile all around. He is already in 6-9 month clothing and is outgrowing everything, including his diapers with lightening speed. I love that he is a solid and beefy, but I already miss the baby stage. Both of my boys grew tall and big in a matter of weeks.

Hudson has turned into quite a caregiver. If Levi is crying and I am not able (or, lets be honest, willing because sometimes I just want to finish my dinner) to get to him, big brother will insist that I “pick him up! Mama, go to him!” and will make sure we make him a bottle and comfort him. It’s been very sweet to watch my firstborn turn into this gentle, considerate, loving big brother. I am sure this is going to change some (a lot?) when Levi becomes mobile and starts getting into Hudson’s stuff. I hope we have a few more peaceful months though.

We are all adjusting very well. I am pretty sure we are all loving having Levi around. He’s a charmer, that’s for sure. I’m thankful beyond measure and am loving rocking him to sleep in the middle of the night much more than I ever imagined I would.

One Month

Olga Smith — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:47:29 +0000