Random Thoughts

So, as I've mentioned before, breastfeeding is boring. Especially at 2:00 AM. Especially when you've had NO sleep in the past 24 hours. Especially when everyone else in the house dares to be snoring away!! One tends to have the MOST random thoughts during these trying times. Here is my list from last night:

1. All of my DINK (double income, no kids) friends have turned into DIMK (Didn't Imagine Mini-van full of Kids) friends. My cool neighbor, Jenn, is so proud of her Honda mini-van that I'm almost jealous. She went from hanging out with celebrities on Broadway to showing off the automatic sliding door on her mini-van. My equally cool cousin, Heidi, went from traveling the world and working in the coolest building in downtown Dallas to not only becoming a proud mini-van owner, but also managing to recruit her really cool friend, Suzi, into buying one. So, to all my DIMKs, you guys are still cool in my eyes!

2. Cigarette smokers have really cool social lives. While at work, they get to go outside and gossip several times a day, while the rest of us nerds hang out in a stuffy breakroom. Too bad smoking is out of the question for me, as meeting strangers and chatting for a few minutes everyday is right up my alley.

To all you 12 year olds keeping up with my little blog, DO NOT SMOKE! It's gross. I can smell it a block away. You WILL die from it one day. It will not be a fun way to die. Quitting smoking is the hardest addiction to break. I know because I lost my dear Granny Nelle to emphysema several years ago. I still get teared up about her not getting to watch me become a mother. My girls will never know what a special person she was. But, Granny Nelle met some pretty cool people while she was outside smoking!

3. Raisins were invented for mothers of toddlers. Shelby LOVES them. They aren't too messy. They come in a box. They are relatively healthy. Raisins ROCK!

Haley Charlotte Pfaff

Welcome to our crazy home, Haley Charlotte Pfaff! Our second daughter was born September 25, 2009 at 12:01 pm. She weighed in at 7 lbs 1 ounce and was 19 inches long. She, like her older sister, has dark hair and a beautiful complexion. Everything was just perfect...almost!

For those of you that don't know my deep, dark, ugly secret, here goes. I am allergic to needles. Okay, so it's more like a little afraid of syringes. Nope, I'm not being totally honest. A true live phobia against all things sharp coming near my body is more appropriate! I've been known to faint a time or two or twenty. I thought I had outgrown this silly little phobia with my first pregnancy, but alas, it roared its ugly head when we went in for the c-section.

All I know is that the nurse was starting my i.v., and Bryon was trying maintain eye contact. The room started spinning. The lights started twinkling. My whole body started sweating. The next thing I remember is a WHOLE bunch of people in the room talking about blood pressure and baby's heart rate. Bryon was throwing on his scrubs, and "Page the doctor" was being murmured. Apparently, Haley's heart rate dropped from 150 to 40 in about 1 minute. It took about 5 minutes to get everything back to normal, and everything turned out just fine...I like to make a scene every now and then for some attention!

Shelby wasn't thrilled at all with our new bundle of joy. She spent most of the hour that she visited us in the hospital on the floor screaming. This picture is about as close as we got to a family photo. Classic! It just about sums up our crazy life--me trying to sweet talk Shelby into sitting still, Bryon shooting her the "straighten up or shut up" look, and Haley sleeping peacefully through it all.

So, everything wasn't perfect, but it was perfect for our little family! We are so glad to be home with everyone healthy and somewhat happy. One of these days, Shelby will come around!

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...