One Month Old

Showing off those kicks - just like his Daddy!

The "Little Guy"

Our 1st Smith family picture

Streeeeeeeeeeeetch...

Look at this poor fella

Hard to believe that today marks the one month birthday of our lil' man! This feels impossible since I have only been home for 2 weeks. The last month has been very trying at times, but worth every minute. Even through the rough nights and screaming fits - nothing beats waking up in the morning to those big blue eyes staring back at you! They say that babies don't smile, however, I beg to differ. Our little man smiles all the time and even laughs in his sleep. He makes little grunting noises when he is eating and sighs when he is just looking around at the world. He loves car rides and to go out and about running errands with mommy! He gets plenty of kisses and love from his mommy and daddy, too. When daddy gets home from work, mommy comes second to the little guy! Daddy misses him while at work and has to give him kisses when he gets home. His grandparents love him to pieces and look forward to his visits!

The dogs are taking a little longer to adjust and keep acting out. I, all of the sudden, have 3 children to take care of. Franklin is having a really hard time adjusting - since he was my baby before Evan entered the world. Just the other day I went into Evan's room to find Franklin snuggled in his laundry hamper, among his blankets and clothes to be washed. He is constantly trying to snuggle and burrow in Evan's blankets with him!

The last month has been a long rollercoaster ride - however, it feels like it has flown by too. We look forward to many more months ahead of us and our new little family!

Finally ... answered questions!

As many of you know, Evan was diagnosed with a genetic disorder a week after he was born. The disorder was detected during the routine state screening that is done for all new babies, after the baby is delivered. The disorder is called Medium Chain acyl CoA Dehydrogenase, also known as, MCAD. He is unable to absorb and use medium fatty acids. In a normal person, you would eat and burn the energy by using your sugar and then your fats. Since he is unable to use some of these fats, he will become very sick if he fasts for too long, expends too much energy without proper amounts of fluids and food, or eats foods that are high in fat. Therefore, we have to make sure that he is staying hydrated and eating proper amounts of high quality foods. Otherwise, his blood sugar can drop and he can become very, very sick.

For now, his treatment is simply to make sure he is eating every 3-4 hours. If he were to become sick and have vomiting, diarrhea, or not eating - we would then have to take him to the ER to get an IV and be started on IV fluids. We will continue to have him treated throughout his life, if these symptoms appear. We will continue to wake him up every 3-4 hours throughout the night until he is 6 months - then we will meet with the dietitian to discuss further plans. No sleeping through the night for some time! He has to take Carnitine twice a day, which we think may be the cause of the upset tummy. This medication takes all the byproducts that he is unable to use and excretes it through the urine!

As he gets older, he will be able to take in Pedialyte, Gatorade, and Popsicles as a source of sugar when he is sick. He will have to eat a diet that is high carb and low-fat. He will have to eat lean meats and make sure to get plenty of food throughout the day. He will be required to eat 3 meals a day with a snack in between each meal and before bed. Jason and I are going to have to make adjustments to our eating habits, too. We will not be eating things he cannot have in front of him.

One of the most important factors to me was what this would mean for Evan when he had children. Since it is a recessive trait disorder, Evan's children will be carriers. Jason and I were both carriers of this disorder, which gave Evan a 25% chance of developing it. If we were to have any more children (which will not be happening), they would have a 25% chance of having the disorder as well. Evan will continue to have appoinments with the Genetics Dr., a nutritionist, and genetics counselor every 3-6 months. At his 6 month appointment, we are going to allow more testing to be done to see what mutations his genes have. Knowing the mutations can sometimes determine the severity of the sickness. The Dr. assures us that diagnosis is the first step and treatment compliance is the next. This puts it into perspective when I think of the sickle cell kids we treat - some are non-compliant and you see them all the time. However, others are compliant with their care and are hardly ever admitted.

We are blessed to have a beautiful baby boy who is still healthy! The dr is very optimistic about his diagnosis and assures us that this is the best type of genetic malabsorption disorder to have, if any. Eating is no longer an issue for this lil' man - he now weighs over 8lbs. YEA!

Evan, Jason and I are still in the adjustment period, but we are working as a team to get things done! Jason has been very helpful and gives mommy breaks to sleep or just relax. He is very attentive to Evan's needs and has little tricks up his sleeve to calm and soothe him. He was so proud the other day because Evan was fussing so he packed him in his car seat, put him on top of the dryer, and turned the fluff cycle on. Evan was asleep within seconds! I always joked about my luck and how we would have a colicky baby - and that has become a reality. Evan loves to fight sleep or naps, and does great during the day, but everything turns upside down around 8:00 at night. He stays up for hours, screaming without being able to be consoled. Jason and I take turns in tackling the shrilling scream and we do get through each night. I have been thinking about Jason all morning because he went to work on 4 hours of non-productive sleep today! What a daddy!!!!

I will post some more pictures in the next couple of days! Mommy is obsessed with taking pictures of all the cute things he does - trying to get all those little moments captured! He is growing soooo fast!!!!

My Perfect Angel ...

Evan got his first professional pictures taken last Friday - and today they are posted! I knew they were not supposed to be on the website until today, however, I was checking last night to see if just by chance....! Then I kept checking every hour today - until finally this afternoon - they were posted as promised! Boy, did I have no idea what I would be feeling when looking at those pictures for the first time. I felt sad because he has already changed within 3 weeks, happy because he is our lil' man, and excited because I have been waiting for the moment to have this little person and have his first pictures taken. This was a very special day for me! Every picture that I clicked on was PERFECT and captured each moment perfectly. I am not really sure how we are supposed to possibly choose between all of these shots! But we will be returning again for more pictures in the future! Gotta watch this little guy grow thru all the big stages! :)


Below are the directions to get onto the website and view the pictures. Enjoy!

Go to m-mphoto.com

Go to the bottom right hand corner and click on 'photo cart'

Click on the left hand pic of the little boy that says 'portraits'

You will see EVAN the 3rd pic over and click on it

Next, enter the password: smith2

At the bottom of this page you click on 'click here to enter' at the bottom of the page

Now just arrow thru all the pictures with the arrows ...

Photo Time!!!

Evan and I have now been home for a full week! We have been adjusting each and every day, with mommy trying to get down a schedule that works for both of us during the night. Last night I actually got a good amount of sleep. The trick: keeping him up and awake until around 11:30pm and giving him a bath around 10:45. This is past mommy's bedtime, but if it will allow me to get better sleep during the night - I can deal with the change!

Evan is growing every day - changing into a little man more every day! He is awake more and loves to lay in his boppy and look around in awe. Daddy his been back to work and when he gets home - it is Evie Bevie time! Our lil' peanut gets more kisses from mommy and daddy than he probably likes. :) I haven't went to crazy with the camera, but I have caught some of his 'first's' on camera - as well as those times when he is just too cute to not take a picture! Here are a few that we have taken recently ... ENJOY!

His first actual outfit that he is able to fit in!

His "My First Easter" onesie and first Easter basket on Easter Sunday!

Mommy's favorite time - Bath Time!!!!

He loves to chill in the warm water!

And there is the infamous Evan brow - he is really concentrating!

More Photos

"Sitting up" with Daddy like a big boy!

All swaddled up - warm and comfy!

The boys bonding - Mommy's favorite sight to see!

Alert and ready for the world

Big yawns ...

Dinner, Date & Fun times with Friends

Our first full weekend home and it passed sooo quickly! Evan was able to experience a few of his 'first's' this weekend. He had his first trip to the grocery store with mom and dad, ran a few little errands, had his first BBQ, watched his first UFC fights, and went to grandma and grandpa Smith's while mommy and daddy went on a date!

Yesterday was a day filled with excitement! Evan took a trip to his Great Grandparents house to meet his Great Grandpa Heiman for the first time. Great Grandpa was quite smitten with him and couldn't quite believe how little he was! Daddy arranged to have Grandma and Grandma Smith watch Evan for a few hours while we went on a date and had some grown-up time! Apes has been telling me how important it is to go on a date, once the baby is at least 2 weeks old. So we did it! We went to Red Lobster with a gift card we had gotten to enjoy a date. The best part was that we rode in style - sporting Jason's parents Miata convertible! Fun times, great food, and a great date with my hubby!

After dinner, we picked Evan up and then headed to Apes and Dex's house for a little BBQ and to watch the UFC fights. Evan slept most of the time, however, Apes finally got to hold the lil' peanut and love on him! The fights were not the best, but the company was the greatest! It was nice to get out of the house, surround ourselves with our friends, and enjoy good times. It is the most normal that I have felt since having Evan and being free at home!

I look forward to this week - another week to spend with my mom! This week I have plans to meet a few friends for lunch, get a bunch of little errands ran, and finish some here and there's that need the loose ends tied up! I have my follow-up dr's appointment this week - hopefully I will be released from my weight restrictions. I am still unable to pick up Evan, while in his carseat - and I cannot pick up or carry anything that is over his weight. Once this restriction is lifted, Evan and I will be unstoppable!!! :)

I have multiple new pictures to post, but I have to upload them first. I hope to be able to upload some pics in the next few days! Evan is changing every single day - resembling a little man each and every day!!!!

3 Full Days at Home

Today marked our 3rd full day at home! Daddy went back to work on Wednesday and my mom (aka Grammy) has been home with me from Wednesday and will continue to help me throughout next Friday. I am now released to drive, but I have weight restrictions. I am not able to lift Evan in his carseat - or anything that is heavier than Evan's bodyweight. This makes it hard for me to even be home alone.

Yesterday, we had our first official outing! We met Daddy at his work to go out for lunch - Daddy showed Evan off to all the ladies (and Doug)! :) Evan got his first glimpse of Chinese food! And today we went to get Evan's pictures taken professionally. I have been waiting for a long time to do this and it was better than I even dreamed! I took some of my own little props and she incorporated them into the photos. We had one of my wedding ring dangling from his big toe, another where he is lying naked on top of our Mizzou football, another where he is lying in front of his name spelled out (the letters from his room), another where my back is to the camera and he is peeking over my shoulder, and more. My mom was nearly in tears watching, while I was holding Evan is his poses. The few pictures that I did get a glimpse of were sooo cute and all I can think about is getting to see them. They will be up on her website on Thursday so I will let everyone know! I cannot wait!!!!

These last days have been a little rough. Evan seems to have his days and nights completely flipped. He gets the hiccups almost every time after he eats. He has a fourth of his food down his chin because all the nipples I can find are drowning him. We have decided to stick with the volu-feeder bottles with the preemie nipples - they seem to work the best! Looks as though taking these antibiotics are affecting the outcome of me breastfeeding, so I'm not sure I will be able to try and go back to giving him breastmilk! I'm not completely giving up yet - but I am not feeling so confident. This is a huge hurdle for me, so I hoping that I can overcome!!! :) It's amazing to me that I have to start getting ready 2 hours before it is time to leave the house - even with my mother watching Evan while I shower. I am such a get-up-and-go person, which has changed - I hardly want to even leave the house. And the biggest challenge, my decreased energy! Not only do I have a new baby that has a messed up night schedule, but I have been on either bedrest or restrictions for over 2 months and doing anything is completely wiping me out. I am going to start trying to walk a little to try and build up my stamina! It is hard enough to battle no sleep, but I am just completely exhausted like I had not even slept at all.

But even with the craziness of these past few days - it has all been worth it! Nights are the worst, but there is nothing better than waking up to those big blue eyes, little nose and little lips. He will smile when I give him kisses and when we sing the 'itsy bitsy spider' and clap his hands at the end and say 'yeah Evan'! Dorky, I know - would you expect any less?!?!?!?

There's nothing like home!

I was finally unchained from the hospital bed at NKC hospital! I was able to come home last afternoon (Monday afternoon) around 3:00. Jason dropped Evan and I off and headed to the grocery store. He got a little taste of what I have been eating in the hospital yesterday and he is wanting me to have some yummy food! He came home and made a wonderful meal - penne pasta, italian sausage with spaghetti sauce, breadsticks, and a salad. I took care of Evan, while he was cooking it up in the kitchen like a chef. :) I have never tasted food so good - and I was taken complete care of by my husband.

So in this last day, I have really gotten a taste of what it is like to be a real mother - in her own home! I am trying to begin to learn Evan's schedules, remember to give him his supplement, write down each time he eats so that he is eating every 2-3 hours, mix a bottle in speed time, change a diaper with quick speed so that he doesn't get too cold. Funny that you never think of these things prior to becoming a mother - you think of things that seem so much more important! I love to watch those lil' blue eyes look up at mommy, watch him 'smile', the interactions between my husband and Evan, and watching the lil' mannerisms of this new fella.
Now I know what is so special about being a parent!

As dorky as it may sound, this whole experience has really been a trying time for me and has really put a few things into perspective for me. I realize how it really feels to feel responsible for someone else when they are so weak and helpless. I realize how our kids feel trapped in a room - how crazy it can really make someone. I realize how horrible it feels for those kids who have fevers and chills and I strip their covers from them (been there). :) I realize how great it feels to have a family of your own and look forward to the future ahead of us! I realize that I have been blessed with a husband that stood by my side, helped make those tough decisions, been my daily visitor, and done all he could to take the best care of Evan and I, both. I felt a little pinch of what our parents must feel when their child is diagnosed with something. Although our situation is not near a cancer diagnosis, it is still hard to see your new baby born with something different. I realize that I have the best friends, family and coworkers ever! Everyone has been so supportive and willing to help in any way. Our parents have been a true blessing and I feel an even more strong bond with each of them! I realize how a little person can change people and put them in a good mood - surrounded by happiness. And most of all, I realize that there are some things that are more important in life - usually the lesser being more important! :) I feel as though I will be a better person because of the last few weeks of pregnancy and the first two weeks of my son's life! A little more grateful for the people and things that surround me daily.

Thanks again for all of you who kept us in your thoughts and prayers! Thank you for all of your support and kind words too. Every little thought, phone call and visit helped us get thru! We know we are blessed to have the friends and family we have!

Will I be home sweet home?

Today marks 6 days in the hospital with this stupid kidney infection. I never knew someone could be so sick with a simple kidney infection. Many different things were working against me fighting off this E.coli infection - hemoglobin of 6.9, my body just going thru major surgery, my body not being able to fully recover, and me having a catheter in for 36 hours after delivering. So since I have been admitted, we have done many things and made some changes to our plans. I have been on 3 different antibiotics - one of which I cannot breastfeed - therefore I get to pump and dump, while Evan gets formula. I was not happy about this situation at first, however, he weight is now above his birth weight (which he weighed 6lb 1oz exactly one week ago). He likes the formula! Mommy has a very hard time dumping out the breastmilk, but we will eventually get back to pumping and feeding him breastmilk thru the bottle once these antibiotics leave my system.

I have been spiking fevers around every 12 hours with fierce shakes and chills. My temps have slowly been decreasing - starting at 104.5 on admittence to now 99.1. I was given 3 units of packed red blood cells, which was a very scary experience for me since I am aware of all of the horrible things that can happen with blood transfusions. I started to spike due to a reaction to the blood, which they then slowed down, gave me more premeds and continued to complete the units ordered. Boy did that make quite the difference! :)

As some of you already know, we had a HORRIBLE week last week. Friends of ours were 20 weeks pregnant with twins and she went into preterm labor, which could not be stopped. Unfortunately, they had to make the hardest decision in their lives and both babies were able to meet their parents and then went to be angels to protect their parents and someday meet again. This was extremely hard for me to experience, since I just had a baby myself and I could not imagine what my friends were feeling. I was exhausted from thinking about their situation and from crying all night and day. I am trying to be a strong friend and provide support without hurting them with being excited about our new addition. And then we got a call later that night that said Evan needed to come to Children's Mercy immediately for labs. He was diagnosed with MCAD, a genetic enzyme defeciency where he can break down sugars but not fats. So, he has to be on a liquid supplement twice a day. He must be fed every 2-3 hours and if he gets sick, stops eating, or starts vomiting - we have to take him to the hospital to be put on IV fluids. He will have to eat a low fat diet when he gets older and eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day. We figure that it could be much worse and that the outcome will be a healthier Evan! :) And two days later, we find out that another friend had a miscarriage. Not a good week to be stuck in the hospital, looking at the same 4 walls and feeling like poop.

I am currently waiting on the dr to come in and tell me that I am going home today! They said that this was the plan yesterday, so I am ready - packed and all. I cannot wait to get to go home and spend time as a family. Unfortunately, Jason goes back to work on Wednesday so we will only have 1 day together to spend as a family. I am not happy with the hand we have been dealt for the last 2 weeks - however, I wouldn't trade it for the world. We have a beautiful and healthy baby boy and at least I was the one who was sick - not him! The feelings are constantly overwhelming me - I cannot believe how much you can love someone so fast! Jason and I are just in awe over him and cannot keep our lips off of his skin. I will post some more pics of his Easter at Grandma and Grandpa Smith's - he even got his first easter basket and easter bunny! Grandma and Grandpa Smith took care of our lil' peanut during the nights this weekend - helping a ton for us to try and get some rest! He enjoyed his time with them and I can guarantee that they would say the same. Even Aunt Jennifer got to room with him for a little bit!

Please continue to keep us in your prayers. I will keep everyone updated on our family and how Evan is growing. His dr's follow up appointment went great today - he is now 6lbs 13oz! He is a growing boy - and going to be a chunky monkey before we know it!!!! :)

Can anything else go wrong?

I had just finished posting new pics of our lil' guy this morning and I started feeling a little puny. Last night I had woke up in the middle of the night to breastfeed and felt chilled, simply chalking it up to the fact that I am never fully clothed these days due to breastfeeding! :) This morning I woke up and went to the restroom and felt pain in the right side of my back (near my kidney) and felt like I was having bladder spasms. I called my dr's office and made an appointment for 1:45. I was breastfeeding Evan and I started shaking - eventually I was shaking so bad that I was scared to even hold him. Jason kept asking me if I needed to go to the hospital, but at that time, I felt like I was just chilling again. Then I very quickly turned a corner and was shaking and tensing up so bad that I had multiple layers of clothes and blankets on me and it was not helping at all! Then I started to get scared because I was having a hard time breathing and I was not sure how I was going to be able to walk. Jason called the dr's office and they told us to come in immediately! We were even considering calling an ambulance to transfer me but Jason pulled it together - got Evan ready, me ready and we were on our way!

We got to the office and my blood pressure was elevated, pulse was increased, and I had a temp of 104.1. I was transferred in a wheel chair, but my temp started to break and I was sweating it out. They immediately admitted me - started antibiotics, IV fluids, and took labs. My hemoglobin is 7, when the norm is 12. My potassium has dropped to 3.0, as well. My white blood cell infection lab was not super elevated, however, the dr thinks that it is just starting. I was diagnosed with Pylonephritis aka kidney infection.

I had another episode after breastfeeding Evan around 9:00 this evening. I was shaking so bad that I had to call Jason back to the hospital, when he had just left for the night. They took FOREVER to give me anything to break my fever and I was shaking uncontrollably and having problems breathing. Because of tensing up, my c-section incision was throbbing, as well. So my fever broke, my pain was controlled and I was starting to feel a little better. Jason had mentioned that both times that I had these episodes was after I had just finished breastfeeding. So after much debate and a few tears of defeat - we decided to not risk my health or Evan's and decided to formula feed him while we are inpatient. My number one focus is Evan's health and although I had some feelings of inadequacy, due to not being able to breastfeed - which is soooooo important to Jason and I. So we are going to do the next best thing and formula feed while I am on these antibiotics and they are still in my system - we will then pump and feed him breastmilk per the bottle. Although I am not able to breastfeed him, he will still continue to get the benifits of the breastmilk. I am having a little bit of sadness over this issue, but at least he has better chances of gaining his weight and getting adequate nutrition. He made mommy and daddy soooo happy because he instantly took the bottle and took almost 2 oz with his first feeding. A huge accomplishment for all of us!

Jason and I have spent most of his time off in the hospital - which is frustrating because we want to start taking him places and spend time as a family! We were not planning on him being here for Easter, so we have plans to get him a handsome lil' Easter outfit ... hopefully we can do that by this weekend! Jason has been excellent and is a wonderful dad! He is essentially taking care of me and Evan both. He has been my backbone through all of this and I know that it is hard for him to see me in all of these issues. He is so strong and continues to be strong for me! I love this man more each day - truely! I can never express to him much impact he has had on me throughout all of these pregnancy issues - even from the time we did fertility. I hope that Evan grows up like his father and has the utmost respect for women - especially his wife. I know his daddy will teach him well!!!!!!

As always, we will keep you updated. We are thinking that I should be in here for no more than 48 hours - as long as I stay afebrile. If not, we will then try another antibiotic and I will have to stay in the hospital until I have no fever for 48 hours!

And they say there is no such thing as PERFECT!

That hand never leaves his face ...

Some wild hair after his bath!

Mommy's favorite picture - what a sweet lil' man

Just looking around and exploring the world

And they say there is no such thing as PERFECT!

Today marks the 6th day that Jason and I have been parents! What a long 6 days it has been - but well worth every second. We were discharged to come home on Saturday evening and have been adjusting to home life and trying to get down a schedule. It felt so nice to be home and not be bothered every minute by another medical person - although the help was nice too! The lactation specialists were constantly in my room checking on me and teaching me new tricks to breastfeeding - so much that I wanted to go home just to get away from these people.

Since we have been home, Evan has been eating better each day. Each day is a new day and we seem to make a little more progress each and every day! He was born at 6lbs 12oz and came home at a concerning 6lbs 0.8oz. They allowed us to come home, but as I am breastfeeding, I am also having to supplement with formula using a syringe and itty bitty catheter. Since he was early, he gets pooped trying to breast feed - especially since my milk was not in yet. However, since it has come in, he has been eating like a champ! He was also having troubles with regulating his body temp, but we have controlled that as well. The poor kid is constantly in 2 layers of clothes, mittens, hat and a thick blanket! He is so small right now that even with all the multitudes of clothes that we have for him, we only have 5 or so outfits that fit him right now! He's just our lil' peanut!

We had our first dr appointment yesterday to have him weighed and check him out. He now weighs 6lbs 1oz. We were hoping for better weight gain, but she informed us that a normal baby would still be losing weight at this point also. So, although he didn't gain much - he didn't lose any! He was looking a little jaundiced so we had to go get labs - which turned out to be fine for now. The peak day for jaundice is 5 days, which was yesterday - hopefully it will start to go away. Plus, this child is a pooping machine!

Evan is adjusting very well, while the dogs are still trying to figure out what is going on! :) Both are very good with him and Daysia has taken on the mama role and thinks she is his sole protector. Life is great and we couldn't feel more blessed to be experiencing each and every moment. Funny how he looks as though he has changed in only 5 days! He is cuddler and NEVER cries! I have to wake him up to eat and he will lay down after eating and fall asleep on his own. He hates to be cold, but loves his baths and stretches every body part out when mommy gives him a massage with his lotion! Awwww ... the smell of babies!!!! :)

Well that is all we have to update everyone on currently! Thanks to everyone who came to visit the lil' man - he is definately loved. Also, thanks to everyone for the gifts and support in this learning time ... we couldn't do it without you! Here are a few pics that we have - Lord knows that I could not post all of them that we have already taken! :) Last night he spent some quality time with daddy watching the Championship basketball game ---- soooo precious! He couldn't have a better daddy!!!!

Our Little Peanut IS HERE!!!

Waiting for our lil' man to arrive ....

Proud Daddy with his new son!

Introducing Baby Smith in the first minutes of his life!

Our new and complete family :)

Evan Thomas Smith - Born on April 1st at 6:55PM

Weighing 6lbs 12 oz, 20 inches long

Our lil man finally arrived - his birthday was April 1st at 6:55PM. This day is extremely special because Jason and I went on our first date nine years ago to the day!!! He was 6lbs, 12 ounces and 20 inches long. He has a little bit of dark hair and great skin color! His mommy and daddy are so very proud. I ended up going into labor on Wednesday and progressing as I should have, on Pitocin. However, the thought is that I had some sort of issue with the epidural and ended up having neck spasms so bad that I could not even lift my chin to push. I had a knot the size of a golf ball in my upper/middle of my neck/back. It was so bad that I couldn't even go further with pushing, due to the pain. So I was given the option of trying to continue pushing, try the vaccum, or go ahead with a c-section. I decided to try to keep pushing, however, I pushed two more times and gave up.

(Have to stop and come back later to finish)

After watching Jason trying to stay strong for me, and having a major cry - we decided it was best to go with the c-section. The OR was another totally horrible experience, my neck contracted from the top to the center of my back - which was completely scary. After getting a med to calm my nerves and help my neck/back relax, the surgery began. It only took about 10 minutes of cutting before we heard our lil' guy scream - the best sound in the entire world! Jason and I both started crying hysterically in excitement!!! Our son - we finally got to see him and hear his lil' voice. Jason left the OR - they took an hour to sew me up and another hour to recover me. Finally, I got to see my family and my new son around 10:30PM. What a joy it was!

My neck has had no issues since they pulled my epidural and labor was actually an excellent experience (other than the neck pain issue). After everything we have been through, from day 1 to get this lil' man - it has been completely worth every minute. Jason gets tearful every time he talks about our family, our son, and our new beginning! Even after only 2 days, we are extremely proud and feel sooooo completely blessed to be the parents to a beautiful and healthy baby boy! We have had numerous visitors and he has gotten all sorts of cute lil' gifts! He is a blessed lil' boy and we are so blessed to be his parents!

I am finally attaching some pictures for all of those who have been going crazy - wanting to see Baby Boy Smith! Another huge announcement is his name (drumroll please ......)

EVAN THOMAS SMITH

Daddy thinks that he does look like an Evan, so we finally decided on a name about an hour ago. We were forced to decide tonight so that the birth certificate can be typed up, prior to us leaving tomorrow. The plan is to be discharge to go home tomorrow, however, my blood level is at 7.1 and if it continues to drop, I may have to have a blood transfusion - but I have not had any symptoms yet. Evan is having a little bit of an issue with keeping his temperature adequate, but this is because he is 3 weeks early. Breastfeeding is going okay, but I cannot wait until it gets easier. We are trying sooo hard because it is very important to us! When someone says that breastfeeding is difficult, times that by 1,000 times worse than you think it will be to get started. It is very, very difficult - but sooo worth it for the health and bonding time with my son!

I will continue to update, as I can! Life has now changed and it is not quite as easy for me to get on here so often! :) We love our new family and thank all of you for your love, support and prayers throughout this process! We are finally a complete family and look forward to all the fun years ahead of us!!!!