babies change people, its true

A baby can change a lot of things in life. Its funny how people that you have never talked to or dont even know suddenly want to see your baby and ask like 500 questions about them. Babies also bring families closer. Whenever we go to a family activity lately we are the most popular people there because everybody wants to see and hold shelby. Even family members that i wasnt on good terms with or havent talked to in years suddenly forget the past and become my friend again. As an example, just the other day i was at training table for lunch with gary and shelby. I had to take her to the bathroom to change her pants and she was fussing. I walked past the cashier counter and like 5 employees rushed out to see shelby and ask me how old she is and blah blah blah. I have to admit that while i was pregnant i was overly interested in babies. Once i was in the bathroom at Rainbow Gardens and a girl was changing her newborn baby. I wanted to see it so bad that i walked right into a wall while staring. Then i tried to exit through the closet, i was embarrassed to say the least. So i can see why people are so interested. Babies dont stay small for long and you dont really see lots of babies out and about every day. I must admit that Shelby is especially popular because she is SO STINKIN CUTE and everybody wants to see and touch her thick hair. Not only has Shelby changed me, she causes even the most tired and pissed off cashier at Walmart to smile and comment about how cute she is, instantly changing their demeanor. I dont know what it is about babies that makes people suddenly nice, its a strange phenomenon. All i know is that i like it =)

Deep thoughts of Shelby

Today I had a rough day. I am just bummed about going back to work. Im not bummed because i dont want to work, Im bummed because i will miss shelby all day long. I actually enjoy my job and my friends at work very much, but i also enjoy my shelb too. In all honesty, i have to work. Not much of a choice, this is the life that I have chosen and I love working and using my college education for something. I will be with shelb every week on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and also every night after work. I dont feel guilty about having to put her in daycare, i feel that it will be a good social experience for her. I recenly went and checked out the daycare that shelb will be going to. Its right down the street from my house and the lady that runs it is SUPER nice and very good with babies. I felt very good about it when i went to visit. SO my question is this: why do people feel the need to express thier very strong opinions about child care to me when clearly i have a different opinion? I dont try and force my opinion on them, nor would i ever make someone feel like a bad parent for having to go to work to provide for thier children. What about single parents? Are they bad parents because they have to put thier kids in daycare? I think not. I just wish that people would keep thier rude opinions to themselves and do the most sensitive thing - put themselves in my shoes. Yes, I love shelby more than anything. Yes, I value our time together. Yes, I want her to have a good and meaningful life. Yes, I want her to have a good relationship with me and her family. No, I dont think that putting Shelby in daycare is "letting someone else raise my child". Shelby will grow up to love me as her mother because that is exactly what I am, I care about her more than anything and being a working mom just means that the time I get to spend with her will mean everything to me and i will make it the best i possibly can.

proud uncle!

proud grandma!

The whole Fam Damly!

smile!

Shelb has recently started to smile all the time, especially when you talk all sweetly to her. Her hair is also turning a bit red, you can see it in the above picture. This makes me so dang happy!!! Although I endured a lot of teasing when i was young, it was worth having a color of hair that is not very common. Shelb's hair is a darker red, we will see what it does in the next couple months of her life. Shelb wanted me to tell everyone that she loves you all and is so happy that people still come to visit her. She is growing up so fast, I cant believe she is 7 weeks old! I will be going back to work on the 8th of May, this is a major bummer for me as i have enjoyed the time off immensely. I will also miss shelb but i guess absence makes the heart grow fonder!! More pictures to come!

yo yo yo

Sup! This is Shelby the homie, she was trying out a new look the other day and we thought she looked pretty good! Just to update everyone, Shelby is chillin in da hood wit her coo self. Today Shelby spent the day at Grandma's house in Huntsville. According to Grandma, she slept most of the day, which totally screws me over because she will more than likely be up all night now. When my mom told me this, i wondered why shelby doesnt ever sleep all day when i am home with her. Then i came to the conclusion that its because i am so entertaining that she doesnt want to miss anything so she stays awake all day long. Oh, and there has been an addition to the family: Grandma Sue and Grandpa Joe were blessed with two bunnies for Easter. They are named Beast and Sprinkles and are living in the chicken coop in the yard. We would like to extend a warm welcome to them and invite you to visit them whenever you want. peace out yo.

Im a month old!!

squeeky cleen

bath time!!

A little less conversation, a little more action

In the words of the famous Elvis, "a little less conversation, a little more action. All this aggravation aint satisfactionin' me." I played this song for Shelby a few times the other night in an attempt to get the bean to go to sleep and low and behold IT WORKED!! Lately Shelby has been schooled in the music of U2, Rascal Flatts, Cold Play, Collective Soul, B 52's, Moulin Rouge, Green Day and Michael Jackson. Shelby has also traveled to such places as Training Table, Chili's, Elvera's Hair Salon, a foreign country called Huntsville and to the parking lot of Walmart and Albertson's. Shelby is currently learning the moon walk, the hustle and the macarena. After some long and vigorous IQ testing it has been found that Shelby's IQ is higher than both of her parents and is borderline genius. Shelby's favorite animal is the tree frog, which she does impressions of by suddenly throwing her arms out and flaring her fingers open. Just today Shelby told me that I am the coolest mom she could ever wish for...okay i made that one up but she gives me non verbal cues that this is the truth. Shelby currently enjoys baths, eating and getting her pants changed. After hours of studying Shelby's face I have come to the conclusion that she looks a little elf-ish with eyes from her daddy and a cute mouth and chin from her cool mommy. Shelby recieved 4 college acceptance letters yesterday and we are looking into sending her to either Harvard or Yale - a very tough choice as you might imagine. She has also been asked to pose for the July cover of Parent's magazine. Man she is busy, but she will continue to type this post for me every week =). What a good bean.

Set in my ways?

So the burning question lately has been: Am i set in my ways? And the answer is becoming more and more clear to me: YES! After almost 6 years of marriage, 4 years of college and like 8 different jobs I have found that i have never really had any time to be at home and relax or do anything for that matter. I have been focused on one thing: ME. The transition to motherhood has been a very hard one for me, much harder than i had anticipated. And although it has only been 3 weeks since my life has taken a huge turn for change I feel like a different person already. Shelby has forced me to think of something besides myself for the first time in a long time, and i have to admit that i am enjoying the sleepless nights and baby consumed days. I actually have become very engrossed with this child. Just last night I went to the General Young Women's Broadcast with my sister and my mom. I cried after being there for 5 minutes because I missed my baby shelb. If you think about it, I have been with her for about 11 months now, never alone. As I sat and cried I thought to myself how much i was going to struggle when i go back to work in 6 weeks. It will be very hard for me but i am going to enjoy the time i have left with her and make the most of it. Learning to take care of a baby is like learning a new job. It consumes your every thought and feels like something you will never catch on to, until you figure out that you can do it your way and it will still work. Honestly, i still have no clue what i am doing but i act like i do =). I am just glad that i have the support of my family and my friends because without them, i would definitly be lost. More to come....

shelby, gary, me and Dr Jiriko

more pics

SHE'S HERE!!

Shelby Lyn is finally here! She was born on March 7, 2006 at 4:30 in the morning. She was 20 inches long and 6 lbs 11 oz. I was in labor from 6:30 pm on the 6th until 4:30 the next morning. It was a very wonderful experience, we had to use the vaccum extractor to get her out because she was stuck on my pelvic bone so she has a little lump on her head that will take a few months to go away. Since we brought her home she has been keeping me up all night long and she just sits there awake until I try and lay her down and then she cries. Lately she has been doing some really funny facial expressions that are similar to her daddy's scuz look. She also smiles when she is tooting =). I cant believe that it has been 2 weeks since she was born, it has flown by and I love being with her all day long. I do miss my friends at work but its nice to have a break for awhile (even if it is a short while). The funniest thing that shelby does is pee whenever you take off her diaper to change it. She usually waits until you are looking at the box of wipes or reaching for her clothes to pee all over the changing table. She has a cute little face and of course i think that she is the cutest baby ever! I wont lie, taking care of a baby is not easy and it is very time consuming. It is hard to get up in the middle of the night, especially when i am used to sleeping for like 12 hours (like i did when i was pregnant). Its also very hard to have an added responsibility after being so stuck in my ways for almost 6 years, its definitly a challenge but i am working hard to do my best. The dogs are having sort of a hard time getting used to her, they bark when she cries and Kobe J gets very anxious whenever we have her downstairs. Hopefully he gets used to her sometime soon. Well, i am attaching more pictures since i am sure that is what everyone wants to see, make sure to comment if you would like and remember to leave your name so i know who its from!! PEECE!

Nesting...Or not

What is the definition of "nesting"? I am not really sure but I am thinking that i am currently doing this "nesting" thing. According to my pregnancy book (which has been my bible for the past 9 months), nesting happens a few weeks or days before the kid will be born. It involves a sudden spurt of energy, getting ready for the baby to come by cleaning, acting like youre cleaning, getting things situated at work, acting like you are getting things situated at work, making cookies in the middle of the night, packing your hospital bag and rushing to the store to buy things you dont have yet (you dont want that baby coming home naked!). In the photo attached to this blog entry I am showing some serious enthusiasm and looking like i could pass out all at the same time. This is what nesting feels like. The reason that i think i am doing this "nesting" thing is because just 2 days ago my sis was cleaning the kitchen and ran out of paper towels. WEll the paper towels are stored in the garage on a shelf that is a level below the kitchen. It requires walking, climbing stairs and carrying something if you need to get some more paper towels. So out of the blue I volunteer to go and get some paper towels and Lyndee almost passes out on the floor. Not only did I volunteer to do this but i actually DID it. It has been approximately 9 months since I have even moved a finger, let alone trucked to the garage for something. Then on Sunday I decided that i wanted to make some cookies. I mixed them up, baked a batch and then baked another batch the next morning. WHAT THE?? I havent made cookies or really anything that required physical movement for...uh...probably like 2 years! Not only am I doing these strange and totally opposite-of-my-actual-personality things but I have excess energy to do them. Just last night I tried to run down the hall for no apparent reason. This scared Lyndee pretty bad because the only time she sees me move a little faster than usual is when i sneeze and pee my pants, thus causing me to walk faster to the bathroom. I just needed a drink of water and saw no point on doing it slowly - i was thirsty dang it. Another thing that i have been doing (that hasnt really gotten anything accomplished) is that i make lists for everything. I have a list of names of people to call when the baby is born, a list of claims that i need to make determinations on, a list of other claims that need exams, a list of ALL my claims and thier current status, a list of miscellaneous phone numbers that have called me lately, a list of baby stuff that we still need, a list of things to lock up when i take maternity leave from work, a list of things to take home, a list of things to pack in my hospital bag, and on and on and on. These lists are overtaking my life! Not only are there like 50 of them but I know that I wont actually do anything with 99% of them, they just make me feel like i am getting something done. I believe that the term "nesting" refers to what birds do before thier eggs hatch. They fly around and grab crap to add to thier nests and cant sit still because there is too much to get done. The egg just chills in the nest while the momma bird becomes a spaz and "gets ready" for the baby bird to come crackin out. Not that i like to be compared to a bird but if acting like a psycho and running around the house when you feel like puking and could topple forward at anytime is considered "nesting", i am guilty as charged!

The more i think about it the more scared i get!

I posted this picture because it is reflective of the way I am currently feeling. Can you see the "fake" look of happiness on my face and the "hand under chin" pose of so-called confidence? I find that it is indicative of everything currently enveloping my mind. The picture also shows my brother, Blair, who seems to be saying, "would you look at her, she is totally faking it!". And the other girl in the picture is my sister Lyndee who just generally seems to not know what is going on and smiles at any sign of a camera. The reason for my strange mood has very complicated underlying reasons. First of all, I have been pregnant now for, hmm, EVER! 9 months and counting! Needless to say, i am really ready to not be pregnant anymore and feel as if i took my physical freedom for granted when i wasnt pregnant. Its amazing that the small act of putting on my socks or hurling my legs out of bed is now such a pain in the butt. I also still think that i can fit between such areas as gas station pumps and my car without taking a slab of salt off the car with me. I find myself running into the TV, the dresser, Gary, the door frame and other stationary objects in an attempt to avoid my shoes on the floor or a water bottle that i so conveniently dropped in that location 3 days ago and havent picked up yet. I also cant help but wonder what the heck "labor" feels like. I have pains and aches and occasional contractions but when i am actually in labor am i going to just sit there and be stubborn about it? I guess i am having issues because this is clearly something that i have no control over. The baby is in charge...a scary thought for me. I have also been reading lots of books about the whole labor and delivery process and have come to the conclusion that NOTHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN THE WAY I WANT IT TO! Not only will there be pain, there will be PAIN! Today i have finally admitted that i am a wussy. I could be tough when getting my blood drawn or jamming my finger back into place but the thought of labor just gets me all worked up. I could potentially be pregnant for another entire month, that thought is terrible yet comforting at the same time. Hopefully though, when its all over i will say "that wasnt as bad as i thought" but clearly things dont happen the way i want them to ;)

Deep Thoughts...

Deep Thought #1: Today i was sitting in my office at work looking around at various things like my stapler and my large collection of Pilot medium black pens. My attention turned to my microwave which has pictures on the buttons to indicate what cooks what. The vegetable button just happens to have a tomato on it. I sat there pondering this for a moment. Who would seriously put a whole tomato in the microwave and push that button? So i called Gary up to ask him if you can cook a whole tomato in the microwave and he said, "Im pretty sure that a tomato would just blow up!". EXACTLY my thoughts. But how cool would it be to see a tomato blow up in the microwave? I wish i would have thought of this when i was like 8 years old because 1) my mom would more than likely have to clean it up and 2) i didnt have a college degree when i was 8, thus my knowledge base was not so broad that i would be considered an idiot for performing such an act. If i were to blow up a tomato in my microwave I would simply grab a bag of tostitos and have me some salsa!
Deep Thought #2: Why does everything have to be white? I was also noticing today that all of the paperwork and stuff I do at work is on white paper. Who decided that the standard color of paper is "white"? Dont you think that it would improve your overall mood and morale if it were printed on, say, pink or pale yellow? Or you could do your work based on your mood. If i was feeling especially pissed off I would print everything on black or gray paper. If I was feeling like saving a tree or a whale or something I would print everything on green. If BYU was playing that day I would print everything on, hello, BLUE! I feel that paper color would definitly improve my quality of life ;)

10 Items or LESS!!

OK! So i was at walmart on Saturday trying to buy a DVD and some pepcid complete. 2 Items is all i had. So i am of course looking for the shortest line, which at walmart is pretty much a lost cause. Gary and I went to the 10 items or less line and looked at the people in line before us. They had like 85 items in thier carts and were in the 10 items or less line because its the only lane that sells smokes. WHAT CRAP! So we proceeded to wait like an hour for all these people to put thier 85 items on the small table belt (it is clearly only big enough for 10). The longer i stood there the madder i got. First off i was mad at the people who obviously could care less that the 3 people behind them had under 10 items and could have been out of the chaotic walmart in minutes, not hours, had they obeyed the sign. Then i started to get mad at the check out girl who didnt have the balls to tell them they could only have 10 items. Then i got mad at Walmart for the piss poor set up they have where the only lane that sells cigarettes is the freakin 10 ITEMS OR LESS lane! Do they think that people who smoke only buy 10 items or less when they go to walmart? I mean, cigs are expensive but obviously they need other necessities like TP and hotdogs. So as the minutes passed my blood pressure went up and my face turned red. I found myself counting the items in people's carts and wondering if i would make it out of walmart alive. Gary noticed i was getting a little out of control and told me to go and sit on the bench by the register which was unoccupied. I walked over to the bench, still counting the dang items in people's carts and feeling increasingly worse anxiety. This whole experience reminds me of other things i hate about walmart. For example: If a fat and pissed off pregnant girl is walking down the isle and you are hogging the whole thing with your cart then MOVE THE F@#$ out of the way! You seriously think i can fit between your cart and the millions of salsa bottles? HeLLO! Another example is the whole cart problem. The cart returns in the parking lot are in the middle of the lanes, there are none at the front of the parking lot at all. This set up brings out the laziness in people. I cant even tell you how many times i have come out of wal mart to find my bright yellow car SURROUNDED by 30+ carts. Once i was walking up to my car and a guy walked up behind me and pushed his cart directly behind my trunk, then walked away. AGAIN - how stupid are people? Or should i ask, WHAT IS THE AVERAGE IQ OF PEOPLE THAT SHOP AT WALMART?! I am clearly not in the condition to move all 30 carts from around my car just because people suck. If i were driving a beater i would just drive through them. Gary's number one complaint at walmart is when people drive down the parking lanes the wrong direction. If this happens upon our arrival to walmart I know that the rest of the trip is going to blow. If the arrow is pointing at you, DONT DRIVE DOWN THE ROW! There is only room for one car and when you look at me like its my fault you cant fit by i want to throw you the one finger salute and take a bat to your windshield. Walmart is supposed to be convenient and less stressful because they have everything you need in one trip, my opinion is that Walmart forces people to either slit their wrists or (sooner than later) admit themselves to the psych ward.

This is me and Gary, I will leave a post later! I look like a total fattie with the shelb hanging out in my belly ;)

whats in a Nick Name??

Today I am feeling a bit overwhelmed and tired. I think i got maybe 2 hours of good sleep last night no thanks to the shelby kicking me and wiggling around for most of the night. I can tell that she is getting a bit squished in there and is attempting to make some room for her ever growing self. Its the strangest feeling in the world to have a living thing moving around in your stomach and not know what it looks like or which way it is facing. Gary finally got to feel her kicking last night for the first time! I think he was excited about it but he doesnt show much emotion. So any way, some people might think that what i just wrote about was boring so I will move on. Last night i got in trouble for not typing anything in my blog about my sister Lyndee who just happens to live at my house. As i was starting to create this blog i found myself mad at the kid because she has like 4 cool nicknames and i have...NONE. She goes by the names: Cheese, Pansy, Dizzle and Quail. I am not going to explain all of those but they have significant meaning. I feel like a lost soul since i have no nickname, my family calls me plain old "jack" and it just doesnt suffice. I have already made nicknames for the unborn child in my tummy such as: the shelb, shelbster, bean and beeb. I have to say that I am glad that i dont have a totally stupid nickname like "buddy" or "sweet toots". I guess i shouldnt complain about not having a nick name, maybe i am having an identity crisis, babies make your brain do strange things you know ;) I do have nicknames for all of my dogs (i will post thier pic soon). My white doggie is "Kobe J Buggie", black dog is "Yogi J Bearsy", Springer spaniel is "Harley J McDavidson" and the shitzu is "Peach Squog Hodgie". I have also assigned names to various people at work and refer to them as thier nick name so that they dont know i am talking about them. My only question is: Are they making up names for me too? and what are they? I'd be interested to know, or on second thought maybe not ;)

Welcome one and all!

Why hello there! I am new to the whole blogging thing but my brother is Lifeonapl8 so i have a little help. I suppose that i am starting to blog in an attempt to release some pent up feelings and make a few people laugh along the way. I am expecting a baby in March and so thought it would be interesting to see how pissed off i get in the next 6 weeks about how uncomfortable and sucky being pregnant really is. I will try to avoid obscenities but i make no promises. I also have a very stressful job and may at times refer to the drama that takes place in my office repeatedly throughout the day. So to begin my journey into blog land i tell you this: dont ever make a pregnant girl mad, you may 1) die 2) want to die 3) start sucking your thumb again like you did when you were 1 because i scare you so bad!

Well, this is a short post but i will return. Today is just a small piece of the puzzle that i call life, or whatever. ;)