Expecting Oliver, Part 3

In the middle of October, 2015, we learned that our sweet fifth baby was a little boy.

Greg and I rejoiced over the best cheeseburgers in town and marveled at the idea of another little blue-eyed, towheaded Smith kid inhabiting our home and our hearts. Oliver, we thought. We think he'll be Oliver. 

The months that followed were a blur of joyful chaos. We went up to my sister's farm with our close friends and surprised them with the news that our baby was a boy...

We took advantage of a beautiful fall day and went to the zoo with our homeschooling pals...

We picked pumpkins at Shenot's with our family, a sweet annual tradition we had dearly missed when we were in Rochester...

We trick-or-treated with our cousins...

...and had a Halloween party in the park with our friends.

We celebrated the first goal Max scored in a game...

and I was one large and in charge grammar and writing tutor to some incredible kids...

 And we found a house we loved. We'd moved into a rental in mid-June with the intention of staying there a whole year, but the surprise news of Oliver's impending arrival put our feet on the gas pedal to find a place to call home. We found it. We saw it. We loved it. We bought it. Three days before Thanksgiving, we signed the papers and the house was ours.