Gracie age 2

Gracie's most recent stage is trying on different outfits. Like today. She started in pjs, went to jeans and a shirt, changed to a dress, back to pjs, and then to regular clothes again. I am starting to get exhausted with this habit because I have to dress her and put all of the clothes away! Part of the fun for her is picking the outfit out. For a while she would put her swimming suit on at some point during the day. Next it was dresses, and now she wants to put her pjs on in the middle of the day. In this picture she picked out her swim suit (which is now hidden away) her hat, colts jacket, and Sunday shoes.

What's in a name?

Where did we get Kemp's name? Well, Bryan is actually Sean's first name-and his dad's and his grandfather's. So Kemp is the fourth generation Bryan. For a middle name we wanted a family name or a name with some significance. We considered using last names from our family trees but that meant using names like Vorwaller, Bedenbaugh, or Karges-all very german. Then we remembered Kemp, Sean's great-grandmothers last name. We liked it and the great thing about it is that we can call him by it and it works great. Just like Sean goes by his middle name.

Christmas Day

We had a very merry Christmas this year. Our best gift was of course Kemp. He is growing so fast! He turned two weeks old on Christmas day, and has already gained a whole pound! Gracie wasn't really sure what Christmas was leading up to it. We talked a lot about Mary and Baby Jesus. On Christmas morning she walked out of her room and was shocked to see a tricycle waiting just for her. She stopped in her trackes and her mouth literally dropped open. She loves having us push her around outside. It was great just taking the day slow and enjoying our gifts and family time together.

Kemp's Birth Story

Kemp came into the world a little differently than I had planned but I guess he knew what he was doing. I started having contractions around four in the morning. We delayed going into the hospital because with Gracie we went in a little early and they made us wait to be admitted. I didnt want to spend hours walking the halls again, so I tried to pass as much of the labor as I could at home. Finally we were convinced that we should head to the hospital so there would be enough time to get an epideral. When I arrived, I was still only at a 4 or 5 so the nurses took their time admitting me, getting an I.V. and other details. What we did not expect was that with in an hour I was fully dialated. They placed the needle for the epidural, but before they could put in the medicine, Kemp decided it was time. Lucky for me delivery was quick. So quick that there were no doctors, only nurses, and a few other preperations had to be skipped. So Kemp came into the world the "natural" way which was definitely not my plan. Most of the work was in the last 20 minutes so I survived, although when I think back on it, sometimes I wonder if I would have any more kids if I knew I could not have pain meds. I guess I could do it if they were all fast like Kemp. In the end it was very dramatic and traumatic, but me and Kemp are no worse for the wear so its all okay.

The Newest Smithson-Baby Kemp

Bryan Kemp Smithson
Born Dec 11 2008
7lbs 12oz, 19.5 inches
Perfect in every way!!

Our Stay in Idaho

While Sean was doing a rotation at the hospital in Pocatello for four weeks, on weekends we tried to take small adventures and explore the area. One day was spent in Idaho Falls visiting the temple and visitors center. Gracie gets excited when she sees "tempews" which is really cute. That same day we also went to the museum where there was a special exibit on Egypt from the Boston Museum. Another Saturday we went up to Yellowstone. It was there that we saw the only snow during our whole trip. Gracie had seen snow once before but this was the first time she appreciated. Unfortunately the park was closed, but just getting up there was fun. Being away from home was hard, but looking back it was a good experience. Especially as we decide where we would most like to go for residency.