Good For a Laugh

People say "Your life will change so much with kids." Well, all those people are correct and some of the way it has changed crack me up. That said, I am hoping to not change myself ALL together. I already am looking forward to feeling fit, enjoying a glass of wine, spiking volleyballs, being spontaneous, etc - but I know those things will come.

In any event, here are some recent changes/observations....

1. I have had the same tank of gas for the entire month of May
2. Most of the time I have no clue what day of the week it is, but can tell you exactly when Shelby last pooped.
3. The term blowout used to mean a nice day at the salon, but not anymore.... (thank sDiana :) )
4. Before 8am this morning I had (while baby was sleeping):
• Unloaded the dishwasher
• Loaded the dishwasher
• Emailed my mom
• Emailed my mother in law
• Did some online banking
• Emailed the HR department at SKG
• Drank my coffee
• Made & ate my oatmeal
• Started a load of laundry
• Fed the fish
• Showered
5. I attempted to get over-the-counter meds from Walgreens via the drive through. Fail.
6. I had my optometrist bring my new contacts out to my car and I handed them a check, so I could avoid getting my peanut in/out of the car.
7.  I never fully watch any program on TV and half the time have it muted like my Grandpa used to
8. I wash my hand so much they are literally cracking
9. I get anxiety if we have less than about a 100 diapers and 100 wipes on hand at any time

I am sure this list will evolve, just as my previous "must have" list, but I do get a chuckle out of the above. I mean, I have always been a morning person and all, but it's not like I am running out the door to get to work.

One Month

Ok, one month and one day. I failed at snapping photos yesterday, but I plan to capture her each month beside her stuffed giraffe (I paid way to much for that toy, but thought it was too cute) to watch her grown before our eyes...

So Thoughtful

People ask us all the time "How long do you think you'll be in Las Vegas?" like it's a given that you eventually move away. Yes, it is a little bit of a strange place and certain aspects of rearing a teenager child here, frighten me, but honestly - I can't imagine just picking up and moving my life.  Las Vegas is a compromise between California and Texas, the cost of living is reasonable, people visit often, Jack and I have established careers and for me, most importantly, we have such AMAZING friends. I think the older you get the more you cherish your friends, knowing that true friends are hard to come by.

Now, this blog could be 100,000 words, pointing out all the thoughtful things people have done for us and me particularly through my pregnancy, but I wanted to focus on one thing....bringing meals to a family with a newborn.

Honestly, I can't wait until a friend of mine has a child and I can bring them food during the first few weeks. It is such a delight and such a help. Last night my neighbor, who is a mom herself, finishing her Master's, who's husband works at night brought Jack and I dinner. Not only was it thoughtful, it was so delicious, well presented and just in time. Shelby's Feeding Frenzy came in the evening/night and Jack tackled Sam's Club for me (his least favorite, thanks Honey!), so there is no way I could have got dinner on the table, but she saved the day with her baked spaghetti, salad, bread and cupcakes. She even threw in paper plates and plastic silverware to save us the hassle.

I have had other wonderful friends bring me lunch, homemade soup, cookies, some divine Mac & Cheese and even some food on Mother's Day. Two of Jack's clients even made us dinner. Just wonderful.

I try very hard to put together a homemade meal each night. I value to quality of food, tradition from my household and the family time, but recently, it just hasn't been possible about a quarter of the time.

I have learned so much in the last 4 weeks and I can't wait to be a good, supportive friend for my next friend who has a baby. The kind of friend who doesn't care if your house is a disaster, you're a disaster and you're feeding right in front of them on the couch. Later today we'll be introducing Shelby to a bunch of our friends who have not met her yet and I can't wait......

We feel so very loved!

Retired


Last night I went to put Shelby in her jammies and reached for my favorite of all her outfits. It is one I spotted on a shopping trip to Nordstrom Rack with my friend Katie before she was born and the first outfit I put her in at the hospital. Well, needless to say,  this one will have to be retired to the bottom drawer of the dresser as it is now far too small for her.

By The Numbers:


Today was our peanut's one month check up - here are the stats:

1. Weeks Old: 4
2. Weight: 11 pounds
3. Weight Percentile: 90%
4. Length: 22 inches (although we measured her fully stretched at 23)
5. Length Percentile: 90%
6. Head Circumference: Mom doesn't remember
7. Head Circumference Percentile: 50%
8. Shots Received: 1 (Hep B)
9. Tears Shed: Many

Time is starting to go by much faster now. The first couple of weeks were tough, but we're getting the hang of things now. The doctor suggested trying to get her on a schedule and attempting to have her sleep from midnight to 6am. We'll see how that goes. I think she does pretty well sleeping for 4, snack, sleep for 3.5, but 6 in a row would be better.  I can hardly stay up until midnight; not sure how I'll keep her up!

Favorite Quote From Dad: "She's so cute, I want to just drink her through a straw."

Happy Friday!

Just Some Sweetness From This Morning:

Kick Kick Kick

As a former swimmer, I can't help but think about laps and laps and laps in the pool when I see Shelby kick her little legs. She normally kicks when she's really happy or really annoyed. The other thing that comes to mind are all those jolts, bumps and thumps I would get to the belly when I was pregnant - now I understand why they could rocket me out of bed.

Kick kick kick....

This is one of her favorite places to be, second only to the arms of mom and dad - her changing table. She's not knocked out with the actual diaper changing, but she loves to look out the window that the table is positioned in front of. The view faces South, so it doesn't bother me that she looks out - she'll never be looking directly into the light. Sometimes after changing her I'll let her stay up there for 15 minutes or so, as she entertainers herself and soaks in some vitamin D (she is not found of the drops and I'm not either).

Is that a Paw?

Jack's parents gifted us a lovely keepsake for Shelby's arrival.  An adorable shadow box, featuring her baby photo and hand/foot imprints. It arrived several days ago, but I wanted to do it over a weekend when Jack could lend a hand because I knew it would be tricky....but I had no idea HOW tricky it would be.

This is the product/project we were attempting to complete:

http://gifts.redenvelope.com/baby/deluxe-baby-keepsake-kit-30000224?ref=REDorganicgglgeneric_&prid=rbseogg&viewpos=1&trackingpgroup=rbbsl


We started with the foot. I took Shelby out of her sleeper (which ticked her off) while Dad prepared the molding dough.  We finally corralled her foot and took the first imprint. Of course, she curled her toes all up and it looked more like an animal print, than a baby print.  We can't have our baby's footprint immortalized resembling an animal! Attempt 2: Great toes, but foot didn't make a mark. Attempt 3: Dad tried to make it deeper, but the foot was not lined up exactly; result = big foot baby. Attempt 4: Success! A perfectly printed, kissable foot.

Now onto the hands.

I took Shelby upstairs, changed her, nursed her and calmed her down. Meanwhile, Dad prepped the other dough. Mind you, the foot exercise consumed about 45 minutes,  when it was all said and done. Jack came upstairs and tried to get the hand print. No such luck. Shelby has an iron grip, I am not kidding. Her hands were clinched and there was no changing it. After a while she became fussy, so I walked her around and tired again 30 minutes later. No dice. Another round......diaper, nurse, calm, no go. Finally, she was zonked, out for the night. Worrying that the dough would start to set, we gave it another attempt. Her whole body was a noodle - except of course her hand! Meanwhile the whole thing is making me giggling, so I can't help but laugh and continue to disrupt my baby girl. We thought we could try a fist, so we gave that a whirl and then determined it looked redicualous, so Jack re-rolled the dough. FINALLY, after 4.5 hours of failed attempts, we were able to get a flat hand on the dough. Is it perfect, no way, but I love it. The story that goes along with it, makes it perfect.

A perfect hand for spiking volleyballs!

Splish Splash, I Was Takin' a Bath!

 I had always heard that bathing an infant is terrifying, however I kind of like it and Shelby seems enamored with the process too. The hair washing component is a little scary since I try to avoid getting water in her ears, but we do that sparingly.

In any event, my dear friend Diana suggested this great product called the Puj Tub  and I would highly recommend it to any new mom as well.  I sent her a text long ago. inquiring about her "baby products she could not live without" and this topped her list. The Puj Tub is a foam piece that folds up nicely into any sink, creating a cozy baby seat. The baby can be perfectly propped up so you don't have to worry about him/her slipping. Additionally, the water logically flows out the bottom, so you don't have to fret about it pooling up at the bottom and becoming dangerous.

I've yet to snap a photo of her actually being bathed, as that would require another person and bath time normally takes place while Jack is either still sleeping or at work.  The closest I have are a couple of "after" photos.

Regardless if you love or hate bathing an infant, the smell of a freshly washed baby is indisputably, the best!

Dad's Favorite Onesie

A gift from one of Jack's clients and his favorite in-the-gym saying......

We're Much More Alert Now

Well, Shelby is anyway. I am getting progressively more tired, but sweet Shelby is spending more of her awake time far more alert. It's hard to nab a photo, but I tried to get a couple below. Her changing table is right by the window in her room and during the day she loves to look outside if the blinds are open. She also seems to tolerate being propped up on the Boppy pillow for a few minutes here and there.

We're having an unusually hot May right now, so I am not too eager to take her on walks outside. It was 100 degrees the other day. Once/If temperatures become a little more mild, I hope to take her out on some walks around the neighborhood. I can certainly use a change of scenery and the exercise wouldn't hurt either. I am NOT used to a having a jelly belly, but I digress...

Personally, I think her eyes look a lot like Jack and his mom Anita. Most people say she has my lips, but it's hard for me to see. As for her brown hair, it hasn't fallen out yet, so we'll see if that sticks around. I am still thinking it will and her hair will come in much lighter, but you never know. I was blonde as blonde could be as a kid and my mom has nearly black hair!

"Green Light, Green Light, Green Light..."

This is what runs through my head each time I now approach an intersection. Never have I been  so concerned with the flow of traffic as I am now. In fact, prior to April 27th, I welcomed the occasional red light as an opportunity to glance at my phone, shoot off a text, etc.

Well, not anymore.

As if leaving the house with a tiny infant isn't an ordeal of its own, add the heat and some ear-piercing screams and you'll understand why I am pretty well tethered to the house. Regardless, I have to leave the house here and there....we've made three trips out to be exact. Like many babies, Shelby doesn't mind the car if she's dry and fed. In fact, I think she enjoys it, that is of course until we hit the forbidden RED light. Oh my goodness, all heck breaks loose in the back seat. Once we hit the gas again the hollering seems to subside, but those moments at the crimson signal seem to be stuck in time and feel like a lifetime for me behind the wheel.

So until she gets a little more accustom to the car, I'll continue to think green thoughts as I approach each intersection and/or creeeeeep up to ever red light as slowly as I can, with fingers and toes crossed that she doesn't wake!

My Handy Man

We had a little bit of an unconventional Mother's Day. Since we're still pretty much on house arrest and my busy body husband has a laundry list of home improvement projects he'd like to tackle, we spent Sunday......installing recessed lighting in our living room. Lovely, uh? By we, I mean Jack. While he was busy at work, Shelby and I hid from the falling drywall and load noises upstairs for the majority of the day. Jack is fearless when it comes to home improvement. I have great faith in his abilities, but I am always grateful when he comes out of his projects unscathed, especially anything involving electricity, saws and ladders.

The lights look great. They're not 100% done (still need light bulbs and the frames), but all the hardest work is behind him. Our lesson learned: If we ever build another house, it's worth the $90/light to just have them put in at time of construction. Although we will probably save money in the end and the cost of the lights isn't wrapped in our mortgage for the next 30 years, these lights are quite the undertaking! I am proud of my handy husband and appreciate that he takes such pride in our home. And yes, if Shaq ever asks about him again, I would tell him the same "He's tall and super handy!" If you don't know that story, I'll fill you in one day.

Other than that, Jack gifted me a lovely silver "Shelby" charm for my bracelet. I can't wait to wear it. Also my super sweet neighbors brought us dinner. It was so thoughtful of her and oh so welcomed!

As for today - Shelby has thrown me off again. For the last 5 days her feeding frenzy has come in the morning, but today she has been snoozin. She keeps me on my toes :)

It Started So Peaceful

We did a little experiment last night. We had Jack feed Shelby a small bottle full of expressed milk. I read that some babies won't take the bottle. Others will only take it from Dad, etc. so we wanted to try it out. I prepared a small bottle (just 1 oz), as I really don't have much of a stockpile. I was optimistic my chow hound would like it.

Shelby took the bottle down like a champ. I think all 3 of us were proud. I have a hair appointment on Saturday that, with travel, minus blowout, will be about a 3 hour adventure. With that, I'll have to leave Shelby and she'll have to eat.....so, we were relieved that she'd eat from Jack.

But then things took a turn for the worst. I took her once Jack was done. I had her on my chest, when all of the sudden she hurled ALL over me. This was not a tiny, petite cute baby puke. This was the real deal, all down my front and hers. Hmmmmm -  looks like we have a little ways to go before we master the whole bottle situation. For what it is worth, it was really cute to see Jack give her a bottle.

Hopefully the next time will go a little more smoothly. If you have suggestions on how to make that happen - we're all ears!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day - .not to me, but to my mom and Jack's mom. These last few weeks the two of us have embarked on the most important journey/job/privilege of our life, being parents. In just a handful of days, we have come to realize that baby's needs and wants come before ours. We have always known that's the case with kids, but now we're living it. Time for dinner? Only if the baby is fed first. Too sleepy in the morning? Too bad.......but I wouldn't have it any other way.

I want to thank our mamas for giving us such good examples of how to parent, how to nurture and how to love unconditionally. We'll certainly make mistakes, and I am sure our parents will say they did the same, but overall, I am proud of who we've become and our parents who helped us get there.

My mom was here for the birth of Sweet Shelby, Jack's mom is coming in a few weeks. I have a million thanks you's I could list, but as far as thank yous pertaining to Shelby - here is a short list:

Thank you for:

1. Being concerned and asking how I am each day while I was pregnant
2. Making it to Henderson in time for Shelby's arrival
3. Feeding me ice chips at the hospital in the final moments
4. Being just the right amount of helpful - letting us learn things on our own, while also offering advice
5. Holding Shelby in the morning for a couple of hours while I went back to bed
6. Scrubbing my microwave, toilets and yucky baby clothes for me
7. Waking up with me in the middle of the night for moral support
8. Bringing me water bottles when my hands were full of baby
9. Sharing the excitement of Shelby's arrival with other friends and family
10. Just being mom

Happy Mother's Day to all the mother's out there. I now understand what is meant by a mother's unconditional love. I feel so privileged to "join the club" today and everyday!


xo

The Feeding Frenzy

Some resources call it "cluster feeding," others call it "squirrel feeding" or "colic," but I call it her daily Feeding Frenzy. Each day for 3 - 5 hours Shelby is fussy and wants to eat, eat, eat. She will bob her head, snort and practically crawl her way to what she wants; it's actually quite comical.  At first the manic munch fest came in the late afternoon or evening and then she'd sleep a solid 5 or 6 hours at night. Yesterday and today, however her boobie bash has been from about 7am to 11 am. With that, last night she slept more like a "normal" newborn.....down for 3 hours, up for 90 minutes, down for 3 more. I definitely enjoy the solid hours of sleep and the afternoon/evening feedings, however I have better coping skills and am less exhausted in the morning, so it's probably best that we get that little period of craziness out of the way. Also, it's nice to have her calmed down when Jack gets home in the evenings. He has to get his snuggles between clients, so I like to have her ready for some Daddy time (aka, clean, fed and sleepy) once he gets home.

My Mad Little Monkey:

Those Chubby Cheeks

Since my 4D ultrasound at 32 weeks, Shelby's chubby cheeks have been a topic of discussion. The tech noticed them right away and then when she was born, they were still as chubby as ever. Where do they come from you ask? Not mama's side of the family. Check out the evidence below of this adorable photo of Dad at 3 years old. Need I say more....

Shelby at 32 Weeks: 

 Shelby at 1.5 Weeks:

  Dad at 3 Years Old:

10 Things I Can't Live Without Right Now.....

I am sure this list will evolve as the baby matures and her needs and mine change, but for now, the below are the 10 items that I can't imagine not having on hand. Of course my supportive husband, family and friends top the list, but as far as material things go:

1. Boppy Pillow
2. Diaper Genie
3. Blackberry - Not for work, but to keep me occupied while in the rocker at all hours of the day/night
4. Lanolin - Self explanatory
5. Sozo swaddling blankets
6. Online Shopping - So great to be able to order baby essentials that I didn't know I needed without leaving the house
7. Washing Machine - Amazing how much dirty laundry something that small can produce
8. Glamour Mom tank tops
9. Water bottles - I get so thirsty and these are great for tucking into the chair, couch, etc. when I can't reach anything else.
10. Microwave - Shelby knows exactly when it's time for me to eat my dinner and chooses to squawk at the exact same time. I have reheated my dinner just about every night!

The Swaddle

Moms love to share stories and experiences. This worked, that didn't. My baby loved this, hated that. The best/worst part of pregnancy was, etc.

One thing that almost always comes up is swaddling a newborn. Did you baby love it, or hate it? Well, the verdict in this house is love. Shelby has spent each night of her 12 day tenure outside the womb peacefully swaddled. Wrapped tightly like the most precious package you've ever seen, or like my mom kept saying, a Papoose.

My dear friend Jennifer works for Hallmark and gave us, what I believe to be, the best swaddling blankets on Earth. Apparently they are a hit in her stores. Not only are the adorable (I have a puppy, watermelon and floral one), but also the most practical. They are soft, stretchy and large enough that I can wrap her tightly without Shelby being able to make a great escape; the brand is called Sozo.

So far our princess has slept like a champ. Although she makes a myriad of obscure noises all night that still propel me out of bed like a cannonball, she is sleeping at least a 3.5 hour stretch at night....even up to five hours. I know we are extremely blessed; mom and dad might go bananas if she picks up the wake-up-every-2-hours habits, but for now, we'll remain swaddled and optimistic.

Day 11

Today is Shelby's 11th day in the the outside world. It's also mom's 11th day of taking care of her on the outside world and Dad's 11th day of looking after mom and baby. Jack returned to work today, so it's the first day of Shelby and mom at home. So far, she gets an A+. We went on a walk, had some good snuggles, a MAJOR 3 alarm blow out in her britches (she normally saves those for Dad) and is now peacefully sleeping like a cherub. As much as I look forward to her naps, I also miss her by the time she finally wakes up. Those chubby cheeks and pouty lips are rather addicting.

Since finding out I was pregnant, I thought I would start a blog. With family all over the country and only so many hours in the day, I thought it would be a nice way to keep the family informed, while also chronicling our day to day life. I am sure I'll continue to email and Facebook, although my entire FB network probably doesn't care to hear about Shelby's wellness appointments, mommy's breakdowns and Dad's triumphs at work. Additionally, I have a lot of professional contacts on FB, so I don't want to become a bother.

So far each day has been different than the day before. Just when I think I see a pattern in Shelby's behavior, she throws me off. She does seem to be a pretty good sleeper at night, although we may be in for it tonight.....she has been snoozin quite a lot today!

On that note, I better wrap things up. I invite you to come back often and check for a new post. In the meantime, here are a few of Shelby's highlights from the outside world:

Day 1: Happy Birthday!
Day 3: Heading Home!
Day 4: First Doctor Appointment
Day 6: Photo shoot! She peed on the photographer....hee hee
Day 7: Returned to Doctor. Jaundice all better; gained back lost weight, plus 2 oz!
Day 9: Lost my belly button nub...time will tell how Dad did cutting the umbilical cord j/k
Day 10: Went on first walk around the neighborhood
Day 11: Daddy took off to work to earn the big bucks!