Time's Ticking

In less than 48 hours, we will be meeting Baby #2 for the first time. Excited, nervous, impatient, and anxious are all running rampant through our house. Shelby still has no clue what is about to happen.

On a second note, I'm being very brave by posting this picture of myself with no makeup and an extra watermelon stuffed up my shirt!

Mother of the Year

Feelings of guilt and inadequacy started for me the minute I became pregnant with Shelby. I think any mom will agree that the feelings never go away. During pregnancy, it's "I'm not eating enough protein" or "I had a diet Coke and have decreased my baby's IQ by 10 points." During maternity leave, it was "I only have __ more weeks with my little one until I have to abandon her for 8 hours a day."

Now, my guilty feelings revolve around "She's watched tv for 2 hours today" and "Oh, no, her college fund doesn't have 5 figures yet. How is she ever going to Yale with no money?" But, my number one worry is about separating Shelby and her bottle. Don't judge me. I've had a lot to do lately. So, she is still drinking her milk from a bottle 3 months after I should have taken it away. I know I'm rotting her teeth for life. I feel guilty everyday.

So, all that being said, I was asked by a stranger yesterday, "When are you going to take that bottle away? My kids all were completely off of the bottle by 1 year." Little Miss Know-It-All really got to me. I had a wonderful day--a massage, a wonderful baby shower, time with lots of family, and lots of laughs with Shelby. But, yet, going to sleep, all I could do was stress over the stranger's judgements. Thank goodness for the internet! This picture saved me:

So, I'm rotting my child's teeth out...at least she is still breathing!!

A Taste of Things to Come

Aaron, Juanita, and Ashlee

Monica and Shelby

Bryon with Ashlee and Shelby

What a great weekend we just had! Bryon's brother, Aaron, along with his wife Juanita and 6-month old Ashlee were here visiting from Rio Rancho, NM. Shelby didn't really know what to think about having to share all her toys and her mama with another little girl. Luckily, she didn't leave any bruises or cuts on her cousin, but there were a few times I could see her thinking about it. It was usually about the time I held Ashlee for longer than 30 seconds. Little does she know that in 24 short days, her new baby sister will be the center of my attention. Poor girl!

Bryon and Aaron hit Lake Grapevine several times for fishing, skiing, and attempting to wakeboard. They caught just enough bass for us to have a fish fry, and Aaron got a little practice on his new ski.

Juanita and I took the girls to have their pictures taken. Ashlee was a little angel, and Shelby was a little less than angelic. Thank goodness the photographer was extra quick and managed to snap a few good ones.

Shelby is growing up so quickly. She has about a 4 word vocabulary: apple, up, dad, and mama. She also does some sign language, mainly "more" and "bath". She tries very hard to be helpful around the house by helping put clothes in the washer/dryer, putting up her bottles and bowls from the dishwasher, and throwing her dirty diapers in the trash. Now, if only I can train her to change her own diaper, I'll have a genius on my hands!

Things I've Learned

Before Shelby was born, I had a post of rules. Looking at that list now cracks me up. I've stuck to most of them but the "no crying in public" thing. So, looking back on that got me thinking about what all I have learned since becoming a parent. Here goes:

1. Breastfeeding is hard. It was harder than organic chemistry, being in labor for 28 hours, and going back to work after maternity leave. It's painful. It's time consuming. It's more expensive than I guessed (pump, pads, freezer bags, etc.). It drains you physically. Boy, I'm going to need lots of motivation and encouragement to breast feed again!

2. Slow down and control your ADD. I've always thought I had a touch of ADD. Watching a 2 hour movie is hard for me. I get bored easily. I probably would have had better grades in school had I been on Adderall. So, I've really had to learn to slow down and be patient with Shelby. She can play in the floor for hours and expects me to be right there with her. Feeding also takes tons of patience. You really can't do anything else but hold a bottle for your adorable little one. I think I have learned to just be in the moment and not worry about what else needs to be done...

3. Watching her learn is so much fun. This was one lesson I didn't expect. I love watching Shelby learn new things. Giving kisses, blowing her nose, tickling Daddy, putting her diaper in the trash, making the sign for "bath", putting her books up, finding her belly button, running to the front door when someone knocks, climbing onto the couch...the list could go on forever! As you can see, this girl is a genius! Before becoming a parent, I had no idea how much joy all of this learning would be.

4. I can live without sleep. Sleep is a valuable thing. I miss it dearly. But, I did survive on very little sleep for at least the first six months. I was cranky and unreasonable at times, but I did survive. My friend Gwen gave me some of the best advice, "Let your husband sleep." I kind of smiled and thought to myself that my hubby would get up just as much as I did with the baby. HA! She was right. One of you has to stay sane for the sake of the marriage. I just hope I can remember to look at this one in a couple of months when I'm up delirious with baby #2!

5. Music for kids is so much fun. I can't sing, have no rhythm, and tend to make up words to songs I don't know. Babies don't care. They just love hearing you sing. Shelby is the first person alive that can't get enough of my non-melodious voice! I've discovered a series of CD's called "Beethoven's Wig" that has been lots of fun for us. Dancing along to the Wiggles is a highlight of most of my mornings. Who knew?

Whew! Is anyone still reading my endless babel? If so, I want to know what you've learned as a parent/aunt/uncle/grandparent/cousin. Leave a comment!

Our Big Tour

For those of you that don't know, Bryon works for a construction management firm, McCarthy, as a project manager with the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems. Basically, anything that is built behind the walls and ceiling, he helps organize. Currently, he is on a really cool, cutting edge performance arts theater in downtown Dallas. Everything is state-of-the-art and VERY modern. Click here for more info.

On really special occasions, he will take people on tours. It had been since last Fall that I got to see the inside. This past weekend, Molly, Marc, and I got treated to a big tour. WOW! The building has come so far. Here we are in front of the "interactive" magnetic wall. The silver mesh is intended to be moved around by people's hands as they pass by. Make sense?

There are also two terraces, one on the rooftop that I failed to get pictures of, and one about halfway up that reminds me of a proshop on a golf course. It has thick astroturf stuff as the flooring, and all of the walls are sprayed with this matching green texture over small open cubes. Now, I know that makes no sense! You can kind of see the walls behind Marc and Molly.

I wanted to get a shot of us on stage so we could say we performed at the Wyly Theater. Here we are for our grand finale! One last impressive note: the seating for the audience can be seen behind us. The chairs were designed in Italy and cost $3,000 each. I think Bryon should sneak one in his truck one day so we can put it in our living room!

Molly and I in the entrance...I HATE this picture of me looking very tired and pregnant...

She's a Shoe Girl!

Mommy is so proud! Her little girl LOVES shoes. She's learned to try them on and walk around already...

A Sad Post

So...not every day can be happy.  Today is one of those "Appreciate What You've Got" kind of days.  What I have to appreciate is my health.  I found out today that one of my favorite pharmacy guests passed away over the weekend from a long battle with leukemia.  She was my age, had a son that is 15 months old, and a daughter that is 4 years old.  We were pregnant at the same time, and I grew to really appreciate her upbeat attitude and smile.   She was more than just a guest, she was a friend.

She had a bone marrow transplant about a year ago and thought everything was in the clear.  Then, the leukemia came back.  I had spoken to her a few times about becoming a donor.  Now, for those of you that know me, you know that needles are not one of my favorite things.  So, the thought of being hooked up to two i.v.'s for a few hours would NOT have been on my "to do" list a year ago.  Times have changed.  In honor of her, I really want to donate bone marrow.  I can't right now because of this whole pregnancy thing, but as soon as I am able, PLEASE hold me accountable to becoming a donor.  I really want to honor her life in some way, and this would be the only way I know how.  

Off to search google for "bone marrow donor" info!