Baby Rules.

When you're expecting your first child, it seems like anyone who spots the basketball hiding under your shirt immediately catches a case of word vomit and offers up all the parenting advice they can think of; This brand is better than that brand, get the baby on a schedule, don't drown the baby, etc... (I made that last one up. Apparently no one thought I should know that. Luckily, Claire is an excellent swimmer.) But I have to wonder, why is it no one gives advice about the biggest changes that you are about to turn your world upside down? No one tells you to appreciate every last moment alone you have with your husband, because those days are about to come to an abrupt end.

And no one tells you you're going to need more than diapers and bottles to get you through those first long nights. Being in the hospital with Claire for the first two weeks was a challenge I had no idea I would be faced with. I guess that's the first lesson in parenting. The baby makes the rules. You thought you had the power since you are the parent? Guess again. Baby rules. And in our case, the hospital staff rules. Since Claire had a feeding tube, she was on a strict every three hours feeding schedule. It was so different than I had imagined. I thought I would have a healthy, full term baby who I would breastfeed as soon as she was hungry. Instead I sat idly as the nurses gave her her first feedings from a syringe into a tube stuck down her nose. Where was all of the good advice then? I didn't remember anyone warning me about the overwhelming sense of loss I would feel when I wouldn't get to see my baby until she was a day old. Or that the first words I would hear after her birth would be "Start compressions" from the pediatrician. All the good advice in the world couldn't have prepared me for what was about to happen.

I don't want to sound ungrateful for all the advice I received while pregnant. Believe me, getting the baby on a schedule is a great goal to have and is something I hope to achieve in the next eighteen years or so. I just want to remind myself to give advice that I believe really matters.

Like go with the flow. Not everything (or anything, really) is going to turn out like you had planned- but you'll survive.

And don't forget to occasionally take a deep breath. And to exhale. And (if you can), grab a shower once in awhile. You'll hate yourself a whole lot less if you do that last one at least once a week.

Most importantly, never forget that Baby Rules.

But if you forget, baby will remind you.

Summa Summa-time.

It's June! And almost a month has gone by since my last post. In a way, I'm okay with that because it means my days and nights have been filled with cuddling and bottles and tantrums and sunscreen. You know, the good stuff.

Here's what the month of June has had in store.

• A visit from my super-duper amazing friend Melissa. Since she moved to Denver almost 2 years ago, I haven't got to see much of her and this makes me sad. :-( Friends as good as Melissa are hard to come by and I hate that she's so far away. But, I know she's living the dream in Denver and getting into all the trouble she can while she still has the chance. Live it up sister. That said, I'm still selfish and secretly hope some unforeseen circumstance will force her to return to the flatlands sometime soon. Just don't tell her I said that. :-)
• I got my first sewing machine (a big thanks to my Dad and Sonja for their shared love of bargain-hunting) and had my first sewing lesson! Very exciting for me, but not very successful. I'll just say that it's a work in progress, and I'm sure the process will provide lots of entertaining material for this blog. Sewing seems to have gotten much more difficult than when I made a pillowcase in fourth grade. But when I think about it, most things seem to have been simpler in the fourth grade. Would I ever go back, though? Not a chance! 
• Claire's first trip to the "spray park". Here's how that story goes... I spent two hours getting ready for this momentous event, and when we finally got there.... the spray park was out of commission! And I kid you not, there was a sign hanging on the fence that said to notify 911 if there happened to be an issue with the spray park. I can imagine that phone call... "Hello, 911 what's your emergency?" "Yes, I was calling because the spray park is broke......". Needless to say we didn't call 911, but instead decided we would try our luck another day. Who comes up with these things? 
• Claire had her first meal of semi-solid food! This in itself was quite an ordeal, so I will have to share another night when I've got the time to post pictures (and possibly video) of how things went down. She sure adds some drama to everything she does! I wonder where she gets that? Must be from her father. :-) 

Until next time! 

the point is... i have no point at all.

"Why no blog post for over a week", you ask? I guess our life isn't as noteworthy as I'd like it to be, to be honest, when I think back over the last week and a half and try and remember what we've done... I all but draw a blank. I guess that's all part of the monotony that comes with working to survive. Derek is gone anywhere from 40 to 60 hours a week, and when he's home he wants to R-E-L-A-X, which is perfectly understandable. The odd thing is, is that I'm perfectly fulfilled knowing not much has happened in our all too ordinary lives!

Ok. I lied. A few things have happened.

First, we went to a cookout at Dave's last Saturday. It was a little chilly out but there was lots of yummy food and interesting things for me to photograph. Here's my favorite shot from the day.

It's dad. Pops. Grandpops. Papa Kim. Kimbo Slice. I love this photo because it shows my dad exactly as he is. Happy. Still. Amazing. I love you, dad. 

Told you there were lots of interesting things to photograph. I'd tell you more about what's in this photo, but all I know is that I found it in Dave's garage felt it needed to be photographed times a million. This was the wiener.. I mean winner. 

This particularly sparked Derek's interest, since he builds Massey Ferguson's at Agco. This was part of an old tractor Dave had out in his shed. The fun continues...

Here's a shot of all the fun being had. Dave really has a great piece of property and I'm glad he shares it (and his cooking) with the rest of us. Kudos Dave, now find a wife already so I can quite torturing you about it. 

Other things that have happened.....

• Claire's 3 month portraits at Gingeroot Studios. True to her picture-taking past, she screamed the majority of the time and made it all too fun for Lindsey to get a great shot. But, I have faith in Miss Lindsey that she'll pull out something amazing as she always does. Just check the family photo at the top of this page. Couldn't have asked for a more talented (and lovely) photographer to capture our growing family. 
• I saved $125 on our groceries this week. Go me. I MIGHT, just MIGHT, be getting the hang of this wife/mother gig. It's a definite work in progress, though.
• Claire has realized her reflection in the mirror. It's so precious to see her looking at it and busting out in a belly laugh. Her little personality is starting to show and so far... so awesome. But, I can't say I'm surprised since she has such kick-ass genes from both of her parents. I'd like to think the majority of those genes came from me, but I am betting Derek would have something to say about that. 
• My cell phone had a minor mishap and all 400 or so pictures I've taken of Claire are gone for good. :-( This makes me sad. And nostalgic. I spent this evening going through old photo albums from the last 5 or so years, and WOW have things changed. In 5 short years I've graduated from high school, graduated from college, Derek and I were married, and miss Claire became the third member of Team Embry. We've also somehow accumulated four dogs in this time. I'm not sure how that last one happened, though. 

Speaking of dogs, here's one now! 

It's Oslo, the amazing snow dog! He is currently hairless for the summer, by the way, and looks like a freaking rockstar. He's probably ten pounds lighter and what he lacks in fur, he makes up for in sass. 

When I said not much had happened this week, I guess was overlooking all of the simple things that I take for granted. I guess when I think about it... monotony isn't so monotonous after all. 

happy mother's day to me

Today is Mother's Day! How did I spend it? Sleeping in until noon and working the rest of the day. Such a bummer but maybe by next year I will have found a job that doesn't require me to be away from my family on weekends and holidays. A girl can dream, can't she? I did receive a very sweet letter from Derek (and Claire) and some certificates I can cash in for things like having Derek do all of the dishes and laundry. Not too shabby if I say so myself! It's amazing the things that make me happy these days.

Since it was Mother's Day, I got to thinking about the day I actually became a mother. Such a scary, unpredictable day that ended with something so beautiful. Eventually I'll get around to writing my birth story, but tonight's not the night. It's 3am and for some reason I am still up. I did, though, start working on Claire's scrapbook on Shutterfly tonight. There are so many amazing options to choose from that I only finished two pages in three hours. I can tell that this is going to be a long process, but I can't wait to share it with Claire and I know she will love it many years from now when she's a mother herself.

In honor of Mother's Day, here is Claire and I's first picture together. She was one day old and still in the Special Care Nursery. Love you, baby girl.

3 Months Old

It's hard to believe little miss Claire is already 3 months old. Our lives have been changed so dramatically, but we wouldn't have it any other way. Sure- we're sleep deprived, flat broke, and a little stinkier than we were as a family of two.. but one smile from our precious baby girl more than makes up for the things we've lost (like our sanity). I've always heard people say that you can't really appreciate how wonderful children are until you have kids of your own, but the weight of that statement didn't hit me until we brought our 6 lb 13 oz bundle of joy home from the hospital. She's growing so much every day. Just the other night I had to go through her newborn clothes and box up the ones that didn't fit. Putting the box away sure got mommy itching for another new baby... but I'm not sure daddy and Claire are on board with that plan! I guess for now we'll have to enjoy the time we have as a family of three!

Little miss Claire is 3 months old, with the attitude of a 13 year old. Maybe this is payback for all we put our mothers through? Must be.

The princess has entered the building.

I will of course update on what has happened in our lives over the last year, but not tonight. Someone pretty important is screaming her lungs out in the other room and I have a midnight feeding to do. So this picture will have to do for now.

Welcome to the world baby Claire.

Claire June Embry, born February 4th, 2o11 at 6:49 in the evening. 6#13 oz of pure baby bliss.

Let's talk about this whole blogging thing...

Blogging sounds like a great idea. It's a way to keep track of what is happening in our ever changing lives. A way to reflect on the good times (and bad). And it's something I so desperately want to do, and do well. The reality of it is- I have yet to make a new post since last YEAR. Seriously. My first (and only) post was in 2010. We are now a third of the way done with 2011.

I started the blog with great intentions, made my first post, and then... nothing. I actually visited the blog once this last January (while on bed-rest due to pre-eclampsia) and added an updated picture of Derek and I. But no post. Nothing. I couldn't even muster up enough creative juices to post one frivolous line. It's not like I don't have anything to say!

I'm not sure why I haven't written in so long. Until now I didn't think I had anything interesting to say, so I didn't write. But I've come to realize that regardless of whether or not I think other people will find our lives interesting is irrelevant. Because life is beautiful. And especially mine.

So as of today, I have decided to put a stop to the longest case of writers block I have ever experienced. I'm not promising daily posts. To be honest, it would surprise me if I made a weekly post. But making at least one post a month is a goal I intend to stick to. I am so inspired by other mothers such as Kelle Hampton who are able to write beautiful entries in their blogs on a daily basis. I think that is what has intimidated me about writing thus far. The blogs I follow all seem to be written by superhero moms. Superhero moms who make me realize I've got a long ways to go. Because you know what? I'm not a super-mom. I don't have a million things to juggle at once. I haven't beaten any kind of extraordinary odds. But regardless, I'm going to write. Even if I am the only one to ever look back on what I've written and find it worthwhile. So, sticking true to my goal... here goes nothing.