Madilynn Alyshia Smith

Madillynn Alyshia Smith, Sissy.  The little girl I prayed for, for 8 1/2 years.  The little girl I knew in my heart would come.  And yep, I knew she would be a little girl.  For more on my pregnancy with her look here at my old blog
http://momtofive07.blogspot.com/2008/03/what-that-means.html

Maddi is an adventure everyday.  Anyway already reading this blog knows this about her.  There is no grey area with her, black or white only.  She reminds me of Missy in that way. She's smart and funny.  She loves life.  She has an amazing imagination.  I'm learning soooo much through her.  I'm so glad I have her, so glad God gave her to us, right when he did.

Madilynn Alyshia Smith

3 years ago

Madilynn Alyshia Smith

3 years old

Mikayla Jill Smith

One day in the fall of 1997 Mike came home to a hysterically crying wife.  Very concerned he asked me what was wrong, I very seriously informed him that I thought Melissa, roughly 20 months at the time must surely hate me as she hadn't napped or slept in days and I was exhausted and didn't feel well. .....  He looked at me very seriously and asked me if  I had ever had a period yet???  He stated that he had seen me "in this sort of state" before and he believed I might be pregnant.  I informed him, (still hystercial) that it was NOT possible!!  Later after calming down a bit, perhaps taking a nap, I don't remember I decided he might be right.  The next day I found out he was definately right!

Looking back at it now with time and perspective it I should have seen it before Mike did, tired all the time, weepy, and Missy was nursing a little less as well.

Anyway, he was right and I'm so thankful!  Mikayla Jill Smith was born on April 16th 1998.  Two day after her Aunt Abby's birthday and the day after her cousin Greggs.  She weighed 8 lbs 6 0z and was 20 inches.  She came really fast and was a little purple at first with lots of curly dark hair.  When Diane got to the hospital she was in the nursery and Mike walked down with her to see the baby,  they looked at one beautiful newborn girl and thought that couldn't be her, she was african american....Guess what, that was her!!  They felt pretty silly as I remember.

Her daddy started calling her Kadie Bug from day one, and thats what she goes by still, 12  years later.  I'm not sure how he got Kadie out of Mikayla....had we known what a sporty girl tomboy she was going to be we might have gone with Mickey.   We named her Mikayla for Mike and Jill for me, thought it was clever naming "our last one" after both of us.  Hahaha, kind of funny now, of course, Mike was really the only one that believed that she would be the last.

Kadie was a mellow easy baby from the very first day, what a relief.  Also, from the moment we brought her home her and Missy have been best friends.  While Missy was Michaels special girl Meggie really took to Kadie.

Kadie is very sensitive to other peoples feelings.  She would NEVER deliberately hurt anyones feelings.  She also has a very strong faith, and will not go against that.  I'm proud of her for that. 

Kadie is my only tomboy ( so far) , that  has been a learning experience for me, I'm pretty far from tomboy so learning and accepting her period when she ONLY wanted to dress like a boy, right down to her underoos as a toddler, took me some time.  Recently, however my pretty tomboy has started to become a beautiful young lady and while she does still dress "sporty" she does it in a girly kind of way.  Hmmmm, makes me miss those early tomboy days........

She's terrific with younger children, mostly in that she makes EVERYTHING fun for them. Instead of trying to get them to do what she wants she does what they want.  She loves reading the Bible to Maddi, I love watching them lay in bed together while sharing Bible time, it's precious.  When I'm at the end of my rope with a tired and grouchy toddler, ( or 2 if Logan is here) Kadie swoops in with something amazingly fun to do and rescues us.

She looks like her daddy, much more so then the rest of the kids, she's a little ornery like him and Michael.  Sometimes it frustrates me, mostly it makes me giggle.  When she grows up she wants to have biological children, and adopt.  She has an awesome philosophy.  She may someday be an activist,  she VERY much wants everyone to be treated fairly.  Her favorite song is "What if His People Prayed", you should here her jam to this line "...What if the family turned to Jesus Stopped asking Oprah what to do..."  LOVE it!

All in all, she's an amazing person.  Beautiful on the inside and out. Great Christian example for her 2 little sisters and her friends.  I'm so proud that she's my daughter.  Even prouder that I know she's someone I would WANT to know, even if she wasn't mine. Cool huh?

Mikayla Jill Smith

12 years ago

Mikayla Jill Smith

12 years old

My Crew on Easter

Look how my family is growing...

Lightening up the mood with pictures!

Check out her eyes, this picture is completely unedited, that's what a turquoise shirt does to her eyes.

My Little Brother

Let me introduce you to my little brother.  Gerald Wayne Dougherty

Now one with my new Sister In Law, Manami

Next with my brand new nephew Connor Ken Dougherty

And the the very handsome Connor Ken

I've seen Gerry twice in our lives, once when he was 5 years old and had first come to the United States. Next, 11 years later, the summer he was 16 years old. He had grown up in New York and was visiting VERY rural America staying with sisters that had ZERO experience with a 16 year old.  I wish that summer had gone better, for everyone, especially him.  Over the years we've had some phone conversations, not frequently, and on a few occasions where he was in trouble with his mother and she wanted me to talk to him.  We've never really known each other, but he's always called me Sis, I've always kinda liked that.  It spoke of a connection, one that was deeper then blood, one that I wanted to have but never knew how.

The situation has been difficult, and odd.  We didn't even know about him until he was 2. We've grown up years and miles apart, the one person that should have fostered our bond long gone. I've thought of him often, much more often then I've spoken to  him. The last visit with him was a long time ago.  We were adults and he was still a child. Again, we've spoken a few times over the years, regretfully though often going a year or more with no contact.  I knew through "the uncles" that he had joined the marines.  Almost 3years ago he called when he was fresh off of a deployment and I had just had Maddi. I didn't talk to him again for over 2 years.  Then......he found us on Facebook, strange huh?  We chatted a little, and he called me on the phone.
He's a grown up now, an adult like his sisters. He's a DADDY, wow!  I'm an Aunt, again, to another precious nephew.  We've talked on the phone a couple times, and on the computer, a couple times.  We've "commented" back and forth.   Something has clicked, I feel it, not just a "blood bond" because he's dads child too.  I'm feeling, REALLY feeling, he's my brother.  I don't want to go 2 years without talking to him, or 1 year, or several months even.  I want to hear from him weekly.  I want to really get to know this little brother of mine, and my nephew, and my sister in law.

We can't go back and redo how things have been.  However, we can hold on to this new relationship, move forward and become family...real family.