1000 days

Today marks my 1000th day as Mrs. Smith. I kept count of everything (dishes broken, thank you notes written) for the 500 day mark, but I'm a little fuzzy on some of the details this time around. You see, somewhere around day 550 little Mac began to nab my brain cells. That hasn't stopped yet.

Still, it's a day worth celebrating. We have well more than 1000 memories, even if mommy brain has stolen my ability to recall them each with clarity. I'm thankful for each of them.

Happy 1000 days of marriage, B! I love you and I'm so glad you've stuck with me.

We started here:

On the couch of the Palmetto Club, summer 2006. Little did we know we'd be back in the same building within a year to celebrate our own wedding!

One thousand days ago we were here:

July 21, 2007

We've made a few other pit stops:

Charleston

Isle of Palms

Clemson

Greenville

I can't wait to see what's in store for us in the next 1000 days...and then some. Now it's time to celebrate. Does a cold Diet Dr. Pepper and 8 hours of sleep sound good to anyone else?

Not enough fun for you? Ok then, how about a baby shower Saturday for this gorgeous girl in one town, a wedding in another town, spending the night and going to church with the in-laws in a third town, then back to Greenville for small group Sunday afternoon. Whew. We're going to be road warriors this weekend and we can't wait...

Necklace Lust & A Target APB

I have been drooling over these Stella and Dot necklaces for quite some time. Aren't they gorgeous?


Because a $100 "fun" necklace isn't really in my budget, I have carried on this one-sided love affair from afar. When I spotted this Target necklace on Preppy Newlywed's blog, though, I knew I needed to put out an APB, as it's sold out at my store and online.

Please be on the look-out for this necklace, friends! If you see it, would you snag one for me? I'll pay you back and buy you the world's largest Chick-Fil-A sweet tea!

Wordless Wednesday: Baby Yoga Pays Off

The lights really have gone out in Georgia...

Who didn't love Julia Sugarbaker?

Her fiery grace, her self-assured gait, her ability to scathe with a smile and a lilt in her voice. She was fiercely loyal and passionately protective of those she loved. She knew what she believed in and wouldn't settle for anything less.

Who didn't want to be her when we grew up? Sure, Suzanne was beautiful, Mary Jo was sweet and Charlene was, well, bless her heart. I never did want to be Charlene.

But Julia - Julia was the force to be reckoned with. A woman who wouldn't leave things unsaid, but never said too much. Unlike me, the perfect response came in the moment, not three hours after a conversation concluded. That cutting, absolutely on-point comeback was right on the tip of her tongue and somehow never made her seem any less ladylike or in control. She wasn't demure, but was undoubtedly an old school Southern belle.

Just like you'll see embroidered on a gift store pillow (don't deep thoughts belong on pillows?): A Southern woman is a Mack truck disguised as a powder puff. Such was the example Julia Sugarbaker set.

And the woman who brought her to life, Dixie Carter, seemed to carry those very same traits. I remember squealing and running to the TV when I saw her speak at a Miss America pageant one year. (And I was well past five years old at the time. That's how happy she makes me.) She embodied charm and grace with a forthright demeanor - a rare combination.

I was so sad to hear that Dixie Carter passed away this past weekend. She will be missed.

Here's one of her most famous scenes, standing up for her sister and scaring the goodness out of Miss Georgia. I love how she ends her diatribe, "Well now you do..." No one could have done it better. The lights really have gone out in Georgia.

A Packed Car Adventure to Atlanta

In a matter of moments, the Smith household will be on its way to Atlanta to visit some of our very dearest friends. We can't wait!

Packing the car with two grown-ups, a drooling six-month-old, a hairy, panting chocolate lab, a stroller, a Pack 'n Play, a Bumbo, our luggage, a diaper bag, a Medela bag, a bag of rice cereal & baby food and assorted gifts? Whew.

I'm trying to pack light but it may be impossible! No wonder people buy giant SUVs the very moment they see two pink lines. I used to mock those people...

Mac is going to love his first visit to Atlanta - and first out of South Carolina, for that matter.

Please pray that traffic cooperates, Mac enjoys himself and we don't leave a trail of drool all over town. For better or worse, ATL, here we come!

What are your favorite things to do in Atlanta? When Mac's bigger I know we'll be able to enjoy a lot of the city's best-loved activities with him. For now, though, I'm planning on lots of strolling, chatting and outdoor dining. Any other suggestions?

Lessons from a Baby: Just Jump!

Sixty seconds after he first laid eyes on this jumper, Mac was a-bouncin' away. He might be afraid of where his parents go when he can't see them (outer space? Siberia? somewhere warm from which they'll never return?), but he's no scaredy-cat when it comes to trying new things.

If he could talk, I think he'd tell me to stop thinking things over and just jump. Nine times out of ten you'll land on your feet anyway.

(If I make a terrible decision based on the life advice I feel my six-month-old is giving me through his fearlessness during playtime, please don't have me committed! I'm looking on the bright side here and trying to emulate the happy, this-day-is-my-best-yet attitude our sweet babies embody. )

Half a Year

Mac is six months old today!

I could say that time has flown by, because it absolutely has, but in a way these six months have been the longest of my life. They've been filled to the brim with the most meaning, emotion and experience I've ever known. (A touch less sleep than usual, but I'd say we're rectifying that quickly these days!)

I feel like we've had Mac our entire lives, so perhaps that lends a bit more weight to these last 26 weeks than any before them. It's hard to remember how things were before he arrived.

Six months ago there were only two people in this house, and those people might barely recognize who we are today. From top to bottom, this half of a year has altered every corner of our lives. And we're tremendously thankful!

The morning of October 5 my doctor told us we didn't need to go home after our weekly appointment; we'd just head across the street to the hospital to check in. After ages of counting days, counting my blessings during bed rest and counting down to the very moment I'd go into labor, I felt suddenly, woefully unprepared - and fairly sure I couldn't do "this."

Well, I did. With the help of a cheerful stork, a patient husband and an army of nurses, voila! McNeal Smith arrived at 8:06 p.m., crying and pink and perfect. To us, he looked like he was carved out of butter, the most flawless and beautiful baby ever to grace this Earth. Surely he had fallen out of heaven straight into that stork's mouth. (Spoiler alert: You'll feel this way about your baby, too. It's a universal truth.)

Here was our Macky at last! I couldn't stop staring at or squeezing or touching him.

Then he grew - but I still couldn't keep my hands off of our tiny boy. Each month I doubted that he could get bigger, cuter, smarter, sweeter or more fun. But he did...

One Month Old - curled up & ready for a fight

Two Months Old - loving on his tiger

Three Months Old - fighting a cold & not a photo-taking fan

Four Months Old - bundled up & rosy cheeked

Five Months Old - ready to get his bare feet outside

Six months old - ready to explore the world beyond that window

I am incredibly privileged to be Mac's mom, to learn more each day about his sweet personality and the boy he is becoming. What's more, God is using motherhood to teach me about my relationship with Him; the parallels between us as God's children and our babies are endless.

Six months into things, I'm amazed at how quickly the game changes. I'll never figure it all out. But I'm enjoying every minute of it.

Happy half birthday to our Mac! We love you, little man. You won't get any cupcakes this time, but maybe some green beans or sweet potatoes will do the trick for now.