Not Sure Why..

...but when I walked into Shelby's school the other day and saw this, I was certain I was looking at the cutest thing I had ever seen. Such a big girl!

Cheerios!

Shelby loves Cheerios and I love that she loves Cheerios. In addition to it being really fun to watch her eat them, it frees up my hands for 5 to 10 minutes while I am in the kitchen. Priceless.

This is yesterday after school. She has so much to say, but also can't wait to get her hands on those toasty O's!

Book Order

I was overtaken by warm-fuzzies when a Book Order form came home in Shelby's school bags. As a kid, I LOVED it when those came out. I remember always taking them home, picking a few favorites and then being even more excited when the order came in.

My mom read a lot to me as a child, especially before I could read by myself. I remember many many occasions of laying with her as she read the Polk Street Gang, Amelia Badelia and the escapades of the Berenstain Bears. I hope to share this special time and tradition with Shelby too. I try and read to her now, but currently....she just tries to eat the book :)

The End is Near

Nursing my baby has been one of the emotionally intense experiences I have ever endured. Not really in a good or bad way exactly,  but it provokes such an indescribably powerful bond between mom and child, that it is a journey in itself. Within minutes of entering a brand new world, and leaving a life of under-water living, a baby knows their mama and exactly where to go to eat. Not only do they know where to go, but they know how to do it and when to start and stop. It truly is amazing to witness in those first few moments of life. I probably had an even more intense experience since I was the ONLY one who could feed her for her first 3 months as she resisted the bottle for the longest time.

Now I know the very topic of breastfeeding will motivate some to navigate to another webpage and I totally respect that. Clearly, it's a task not for everyone as so many women opt not to partake. I understand. I am also not a crazy advocate who thinks all babies should be nursed to toddler age and mom who do not are irresponsible - not at all. Believe me, there is nothing more annoying than a mom who thinks they have all the answers, their kids is the best, won't immunize, etc. Rather, I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the journey.

I am in the process of weaning Shelby. After Christmas I started to slowly taper off with pumping and gradually introducing her to formula. Before the start of the month I had given it to her (very!) sparingly and most of the time it would end up down the drain. But it's time for me for be done. It's a decision filled with many many mixed emotions, but I know in my heart it's time. I am just not as passionate and dedicated to it as I once was and in my circumstance, I need to be both to keep it up. I am not the one to judge if being a working mom or a stay at home mom is more difficult  -  I am certain they both have their unique challenges. I would go out on a limb though and say it is more difficult to be a BF mom in the workforce. Let me share....

First, I do not have an office at SKG. Never have. Further there is no dedicated Mother's room. What does that mean? It means EVERY day for the last 6 months I have had to find a place to pump, twice a day. Most often it would be in a random colleague's office who had the day off and even in my car on occasion. As if that is not stressful enough, factor in losing about 40 minutes of productivity....and having a hard-out each day to pick up baby. Ya, stressful. How about the handful of days when I would get to work and realize my pump (or BFF as I would call it at work) was still at home. Going a full day without it just wasn't a possibility.  There I go - 30+ minutes in each direction. Then on the home front, pumping was the last thing I did before bed and the first thing I did when I woke up. Total dedication. Even now that I have cut back, I can't even believe I did all that. I would  joke with Jack that I was just a bottle jockey and now you can see why.

And the awkward situations. How about when a lunch meeting goes hours late? Or you get called to an emergency situation that requires you pack up and leave ASAP? Or a work event that goes lat into the night? Or you spill on your work slacks? Or a colleague walks in on you? Without details, I have done the deed in parking lots, while driving, at wineries, all over the place. But when I was fully committed, I did not care and it was THE most important thing to me. My baby needed me. This is the best thing she can have and I owe it to her to give it to her.

As a human and a mom, I feel so fortunate to have been able to share in the process with my sweet Shelby. I learned a lot. I would always say that after her long days at day care that when she got home with me, she was in her happy place. With her mama, warm, snuggled and safe. I'll never forget the moments, right around 14 weeks, when she would look lovingly up at me with her sparkling blue eyes and speak right to my heart. Or when she would gently grab the edge of my tank top and hold on. Or simply grip my index finger with all her delicate might. 

I have been fortunate to have a wonderful husband, friends and family who have supported me on this journey - it requires support. There are so many questions and times in the beginning when giving up seems like the best option, but like most things - a little dedication goes a long ways. I am grateful all around. I am not done-done, I probably have a few more weeks. But soon. Soon I will be onto the next phase of adventures in parenting.

When I started back at work:

Earlier this week:

The End is Near.

The Lighter Side

When Shelby was born with hair it created quite the clamor in the delivery room. Not only did she have a decent amount of hair, but it was really dark. Never did I picture having a dark-haired baby come from Jack & Me. Further, none of the kids in my family or Jack's family were born with hair.

Over the last nine months though it has lightened up a great deal. I would say her hair is blonde and in the light, has an auburn cast. A little more in line with what I had always pictured when she was wigglin' around in my belly.

Day 3:

Today:

Three Fourths

Yes, my baby girl is 9 months today, three fourths of a year. It is crazy to think that we'll be celebrating her first birthday in just three short months. I swear, this whole parenting/pregnancy thing has made my life a time warp, but I suppose in the best way possible.

My Little Miss has her 9 month well-check on Friday, so I don't yet have recent stats, but I can share a few things about this fun stage....

• She has 4 teeth and will proudly show them off to anyone who will look. Her upper middle-two are coming next.

• Master crawler. It didn't take her long to go from wobbly peanut to girl on a mission. Nothing is safe anymore, she requires 100% attention, 100% of the time. When Dad comes in the room, he makes a b-line right to him.
• Baby Food. This one is interesting. She still eats jar food well for the ladies at school, but I have had limited success with the spoon - she just slaps it away and makes a mess. Instead I have had to go to the little pouches and she seems to do pretty well with those.
• Fresh Food. We're just learning. Thus far I have not found a fresh food that she really likes. I have tried bananas, avocados, Sweet potato, watermelon and berries. She'll taste them, but I don't think she has ever successfully consumed anything. She likes all those flavors in jars, so it must be a texture thing.
• Crunchies: She likes things with a crunch! She still enjoys her Mum Mums and Yogurt Bites and I just recently introduced Cheerios. One out of every four lands in her mouth, but she really likes the O's!

• Sleeping: STILL wakes up once a night - normally around 2 or 3. Ugh. I keep thinking we'll work to get that one cut out, but then I feel guilty....by that time she has already been asleep 8 hours. When she is growing an inch a month, maybe she is just hungry??? Not sure. More to come on this one, I get very conflicted on. Other than that, she is pretty much on a 7pm to 7am schedule.
• Long & Lean: She is outgrowing some 12 month clothes but is still pretty slender by most standards. She can still wear her 12 month jammies, but I am starting to buy 18 months in most clothes (tear)
• Chat chat chat: She has certainly found her voice. Lots of shrieks, shills and everything in between. She has her own baby versions of the following words: Mama, Dada, Up, Duck, Cat, Hi and something with a B. Bye? Bottle? Not sure.

I could go on and on and on and I. She is more and more fun each day and it's always fun to see what her newest/little trick will be. She is a very happy girl and for that, I am grateful.

Happy 9 Months Shelby Clare!

A Coupon to Share! Gymboree Play & Music

Yes, Las Vegas is an adult play ground, but there are some fabulous places for kids to play too! One of which is Gymboree. I hope to get my Sweet Shelby Pie in there soon. All she wants to do is wiggle, so this will give her a nice, colorful, safe place to do that :)  We're excited to explore their Play & Music program, two things Shelby genuinely enjoys!

I even have this  special offer at Gymboree Play and Music to share:
http://vegaskidsguide.com/coupon.php?bid=10949&dealid=1039®ionid=79

About Gymboree: Gymboree Play & Music has been fostering creativity and confidence in children ages 0-5 for over 30 years. Today there are over 550 locations in 30 countries, making us the global leader in early childhood development programs. Designed by experts, our age-appropriate activities help develop the cognitive, physical and social skills of children as they play. Our programs are also recognized for their unique approach to parent involvement - which encourages participation in and understanding of each child's development.