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: