Will I ever be caught up?

Hello all!

Well, the weather is starting to cool down and I'm sure the leaves back home are getting ready to change colors, so that only means one thing...I'm falling further and further behind with my updates...hahaha!

So, I last posted Harrison's Dedication Ceremony.  Since that time, we've enjoyed a 4th of July dinner with some friends, two family days - one for the squadron and one for the MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit) to which Josh will be attached for his deployment, a few trips to the pool with Harry, play dates with our friends Jackson and Xavier, and a 6-month/family photo shoot.  Not to mention, Daddy (Josh) has been training two weeks out of every month since July...we really miss him when he's gone, but we know it's important for him to be ready for his deployment when the time comes.

As always, I have pictures to accompany our adventures, so....

Let's begin!

On June 24th, we attended the HMM-268 Red Dragons Squadron family day.  It was lots of fun and we enjoyed getting out and finally getting to introduce Harrison to many of Josh's friends and co-workers from the squadron.  Those that had already met him were surprised to see how much he had grown!

Enjoying the festivities and a good chew on Daddy's fingers!

Samantha and her daddy, Kyle, enjoying a snow cone

Ethan, Kyle & Stephenie's son, enjoying his snow cone

Love that shirt Celi!

The CO's wife...I was trying to get a picture of her shirt which says "Phrogs Forever."  Unfortunately, it looks like I was just trying to get a picture of her chest!  Sorry Lilia!

All tuckered out from the excitement!

Woke up just in time to give the CO some pointers about flying!

On the 4th of July we had some of our friends over for grilled steaks, corn on the cob, sauteed veggies, and pasta salad.  Our friends Matthew and Emilee and their little boy, Jackson, along with our friends Mike and Jennifer and their little boy, Xavier, came over to help celebrate Independence Day!  It was YUMMY food and a great time spent with our friends!

Mama and Harrison playing before the guests arrive...

Daddy Duty!  Love it!

Should have gotten a picture of the table after all the food was cooked!  Oh, well!

Me and the girls!  Emilee, myself and Jenn.

We attended the MEU Family Day in August and had such a great time!  Josh played on the volleyball team representing his squadron, HMM-268 (REIN), and they won the volleyball tournament!  Harrison and I spent most of the time enjoying the beautiful weather under the big shade trees on the grounds of the Ranch House.  There was lots to do and see, and it was a great way to spend a Friday afternoon.  We also won Harrison a bike in the raffle!  Of course, he won't be able to ride it for a couple years, but we'll be ready!  I didn't get a chance to take pictures that day, but we certainly enjoyed ourselves!

This summer, we've enjoyed a couple trips to the pool with Emilee and Jackson.  Harrison absolutely LOVES the water!  He's not scared at all, and I've even "dunked" him a couple times...the first time, he was a little startled and cried only for a few seconds.  After that, no tears!  I'm just hoping when we come home, we'll be able to continue swimming at the YMCA so he doesn't develop a fear of the water!

A fun, sunny day at the pool with Emilee, Jackson, Jenn & Xavier

Worn out from a day at the pool!

Daddy is trying to prove that he can multitask.  Look at my face...do I look amused???

"Hey. Hey, Jackson.  We're going to be best buddies!"

And finally, as we draw to the close of this blog post, I will share with you Harrison's 6-month photo session in our backyard, and the 6-month PROFESSIONAL family photo session we had with our friend Stephanie Zyga...hey, she has Photoshop!

These are the pictures we took in our backyard on August 25th, his 6-month celebration!

Such a handsome little guy!

LOVE this one!

I wanted to include this one because, even though he's not looking at the camera, you can see those beautiful eyelashes he has!  He gets those from his daddy!

Here are the photos from our photo shoot at the Ranch House on base.  I've included just a few, but below the pictures are the link to the website where you can see all of the pictures.

AND OUR FAVORITE.....

We plan to have this one blown up on canvas and hang it over our fireplace mantle!  We absolutely love this picture...pretty much our family in a nutshell!  Hahaha!

Here is the link to view all of the photos:

http://www.pictage.com/1115986

So that just about brings us up to date.  One more note, though.  We did have quite a scare with the little guy last night that resulted in a trip to the emergency room.  Harrison had his flu shot yesterday, along with another vaccination, and developed a high fever and shallow, rapid breathing last night.  We thought it best to take him in, just to be on the safe side.  By the time we got back into the ER, his temperature had spiked to 103!  The doctors and nurses were great and we saw his temperature going back down within a couple hours.  We got home from the hospital around 5 am, so he slept until 1:30 this afternoon!  He seemed like he was feeling better, but as the day wore on, I think he started feeling a little icky again...his temperature is under control, I just think he's still experiencing some of those aches that comes along with the flu shot.  Plus, with him chewing on almost everything he can get his hands on, and drooling up a storm, we think a tooth will probably break through any day now.  So, that certainly makes him a little more cranky. 

He is a pro at rolling over onto his stomach, and can roll from his stomach to his back with some concentrated effort.  He's drawing his knees up under when he's on his tummy, so we think he will begin crawling very soon!  There's been a couple times that he's crawled with his legs, but he hasn't gotten the hang of what he needs to do with his arms, so he usually just tumbles onto his head, which he does NOT like at all! 

He's now eating solid foods and loves all the veggies he's been having over the last few weeks:  sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, peas and green beans.  This week, we will start with fruits...yum, yum, here we come bananas and apples!

We have officially started the countdown to our arrival in NC - we estimate 35 days (a cross-country trip has the potential for some unexpected delays).  We are aiming to leave here on October 17th (Josh's dad flies in on October 16th) and we hope to arrive in NC no later than October 21st.  We are SO excited to be moving back to the east coast for a few months!  We only wish that Daddy could join us for those few months!

Over the next few weeks, we will be packing for the trip and we also have a "Mess Night" which is the formal event being held for the squadron since they will be deployed during the time of the Marine Corps ball in November.  And Josh's birthday is coming up on Monday!  He'll be 33!  And he just grows more and more handsome and distinguished every year!

Well, we love you all and miss you all so much, but not much longer until we'll be seeing you again!  Please continue to pray for my cousin, Brandon, who is in Afghanistan and for Emilee's husband, Matt, who is still recovering from his injuries.  And please continue to pray for safe training and flights for Josh. 

Love and blessings to all!









Harrison's Dedication Ceremony

Harrison Pruitt Smith's Dedication Ceremony
(the link to the invitation)

I didn't want this to be such a short post, but I am trying to get this out because it's been two months now since Harrison's dedication ceremony, and it's about time I uploaded the pictures!  He is upstairs napping, and Josh is on the ship for two weeks of training, so, in order to finally get this one out, it will have to be a short one (sorry).

We had Harrison's Dedication Ceremony on Sunday, July 3rd.  We had it at our church, Cornerstone Community Church, and Pastor Jeff Rosen led us in dedicating Harrison into God's family and in making our commitment to raise Harrison according to God's word.  Our friends Nathen and Nadia attended, along with our friends Jesse and Kathy and Jesse's mom, Maggie. 

After the ceremony, we all enjoyed a delicious lunch of Southern style BBQ at Lucille's in Temecula.  It was a wonderful day shared with wonderful friends, and we continue to feel so blessed to have this little guy in our lives!  Enjoy the pictures!

Harrison wondering what Daddy is doing with his pacifier

(before the dedication)

Reclaiming his pacifier :)

Pastor Jeff speaking to us about Hannah being a childless woman and her prayers to God to be blessed with a son (this touched me deeply).

We were listening closely, but Harrison was plum tuckered out, so he decided to take a nap :)

Praying over baby Harrison

Harrison's Certificate of Dedication

PS - Nathen and Nadia welcomed their son, Nolen Hesham Baker, on August 14th.  He's a beautiful, healthy baby and we couldn't be happier for them!

Love and Blessings to all!

Still Trying to Catch Up!

So, I believe I had said in my last post that I would try to get around to a new post every two weeks...hahaha! I should have known better!  I am writing this while Harrison takes his evening nap before we get him his bath and help him on his way to dreamland...I probably should be doing laundry!

To bring everyone up to speed, Harrison will soon be FIVE MONTHS OLD!  It's so hard to believe!  And what's even more amazing is how much he's changed in these last 4 1/2 months!  He has such an adorable personality...with the exception of being unhappy when he's sleepy or hungry, he really is just a happy little boy!  He loves to smile and laugh at Josh and me and we love finding new ways to make him smile and laugh.  It's what they call a "win-win" in the corporate world...hahaha! 

At his most recent doctor's appointment (which was yesterday for his immunizations...YUCK!) he weighed 14 lbs. 14 oz. and is 24.6 inches tall.  He's growing into a stong boy!  The doctor even commented on how strong he is!  He coos and babbles all the time, loves looking and reaching for the dogs, will sit up with our help, and is SO very close to rolling over from his back to his tummy.  Oh, I did forget that he doesn't particularly like tummy time...he gets grumpy then too!  His pediatrician says it's because he's such a social little guy! 

He is great with holding things, and tries to hold his bottle while we're feeding him.  When he wakes up in the morning, he loves to lie there for 15-30 minutes just taking in everything.  He'll "talk" to himself and chew on his thumb until he greets Mama or Daddy with a big grin!  Our mornings consist of a few shows from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Handy Manny and Jungle Junction while he's having "breakfast."  Below is a photo of him watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (his favorite of the three):

There's so much to tell about him!  He loves being tossed into the air and is starting to enjoy time in his bouncer/exercauser.  He loves sitting in his Bumbo and has plenty of toys that we entertain him with to stimulate his mind.  He absolutely loves music...when we are at church, we sit in the "Cry Room" that is set aside for parents with young children.  This room has a large glass window and we think he sees it as a giant TV and just stares when the band plays and sings!  It's so cute!  And I absolutely love taking him to our neighborhood park on windy days because he loves to watch the trees blowing in the wind.  He's very interested in everything, and we love re-discovering the world through his eyes!

We LOVE waking up to this little guy!  It never gets old and ALWAYS puts a smile on our faces!!!

He usually wakes up happy from his naps, but certainly not always!  He's like his mama:  if he hasn't had enough sleep, he wakes up in a baaaad mood!



If he had it his way, he would never wear clothes and would just sit around all the time in his "underwear" and slippers like his daddy :-)

In the beginning, his bouncer was too big so we had to anchor him in with a blanket, but now he can hold himself up and we don't have to use it anymore...he's getting stronger!!!

He loves his daddy!!!

Trying to give Daddy a hint at what he wants when he graduates...wink, wink!

Getting ready for a spin around the neighborhood!

  

Enjoying a day at the park...he really does love watching the trees.

Maybe he'll be a forest ranger one day!

A boy and his puppy dogs :-)

Sometimes there are accidents along the way...usually involving Daddy...hahaha!



Just a swingin...

In the beginning, when he first started taking regular naps, this was his favorite place to take a nap...he would sometimes sleep 3-4 hours in his swing.  Now, we're lucky if he stays in it for more than 30 minutes!  Ahh, the ever-changing life of a little boy!

A very happy little boy :-)

Did I mention he LOOOOVVVEEESSS his daddy???

Getting ready for bed...really likes taking baths!

We've celebrated a few holidays with Harrison.  Below are some pictures from St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Mother's Day and Father's Day.

"I've left ye a pot o' gold in my diaper, Daddy! 

Hee, hee...Happy St. Patty's Day!"

3 weeks old

Easter 2011

8 weeks old

"Good grief, that basket is bigger than me!"

Mother's Day 2011

10 weeks old

Father's Day 2011

16 weeks old

We are both so happy to have celebrated our first Mother's Day and Father's Day! 

We have been blessed with the most beautiful gift our Father could bestow on us, and we are so grateful to Him for this blessing!

Well, that kind of brings everyone up to speed with Harrison.  As for me, I decided I would not be returning to work after my maternity leave.  I really couldn't imagine going back to work and not getting to spend time with Harrison each and every day!  Although being a new mom is tough, I wouldn't trade it for any other job!  Another reason I decided not to return to work is because I've had some health challenges and have been diagnosed with arterial stenosis.  I'm not sure what the future holds, but I have faith that God will help to see us through this and that the doctors will be able to help me manage this disease. 

I just turned 36 last week, and Josh was out of town training at Port Mugu Naval Air Station in Ventura County.  I was feeling really down that he was missing my birthday, when, to my utter surprise, he showed up at the house ON MY BIRTHDAY!  He came home early from training (he wasn't doing much by the way of training, so they let him come home early) and completely surprised me!  That was the 2nd best birthday present!  Of course, the first is having my little man in my life!

The next few months will see Josh doing a lot of training.  In fact, he will be away from home for two weeks out of every month leading up to his deployment.  I hate that he has to be away so much, so we will just have to make the most of the time he has here with us! 

Josh received his HAC (Helicopter Air Commander) certification last month!  I'm so very proud of him!  Four years of training is finally paying off!



Awesome, huh?!?

We've decided that Harrison and I will be moving to NC while Josh is on deployment.  We will be driving to NC beginning October 17th.  Josh's dad will fly out to California, then Josh, his Dad, Harrison and I will all make the cross-country trip - along with all of the furry kids.  Josh will then have a few days home to visit with family before heading back to California to ready everything for his deployment which will take place sometime later in the year.  We've put in an offer on a house back home and are waiting to see if our offer will be accepted (it's a short sale).  We'll keep the house here in California, but figure since the house prices in NC are so great right now, we'd be better off buying rather than trying to rent...we wouldn't even be able to find a place to rent for the amount we'll pay for the mortgage.

Well, I better get upstairs and help Josh take care of Harrison.  Before I sign off, I'd like to ask everyone to pray for Brandon, my cousin, who deployed last weekend to Afghanistan.  He and his wife, Jess, are expecting their first child in November.  And also, please pray for our friends Matthew, and his wife, Emilee.  Matthew stepped on an IED last month...God was watching over him!  He has his life and all of his limbs, but has major damage to his right foot.  Just this past week, doctors performed surgery to piece back together his foot.  His has a long road of recovery ahead of him, so please include him in your prayers. 

And I would appreciate prayers for our family, also.  Please pray for God's protection as Josh continues his training and for God's protection and guidance while he is deployed.  And for God's healing upon me -  although I've been told that my condition is irreversible, I know that anything is possible with God!  And please pray for little Harrison to continue to grow and develop well each and every day!

Love and Blessings to everyone!