Smiling Through the Rain

We may have found the job for me. (My 3rd job that is, I'm still a mom and office manager.)  I interviewed with a neurosurgeon a month ago and really liked everyone.  Well, I got a call on Monday asking if my husband and I would like to join the surgeon and his wife for dinner. So, I panicked when I found out that we were going to a reservations-only type place.  And then I really freaked out when I looked up their menu online and realized that they served things like rabbit, pate, and other such fancy unedible dishes.  ("Ummm....can I see your children's menu?") I called my etiquette type friends for a crash course in how to pronounce french names, which silverware to use, and what to wear.  Turns out, he's just a really down-to-earth guy who didn't care.  His wife is super sweet and the conversation went really well. And the great thing is that I would be assisting in surgery in the mornings and then doing clinic in the afternoons which would real...

Paisley has always been a busy girl.  She isn't content to just sit still for long periods and seems to constantly be exploring her surroundings.  And I've always known that as soon as she can take off, she will.  But I expected to have a few more months of sweet, tiny baby-cuddle time before that happened. However, she's been rolling for a while now and can maneuver her way across the floor/crib/changing table/etc. in the blink of an eye.  But starting yesterday, she started doing an army crawl on the floor using her elbows to propel her forward.  And twice I caught her pulling her knees underneath her into CRAWL position!!!   What in the world are we going to do with a CRAWLER???  We are so not ready for a mobile baby.  Let me tell you- we are still trying to figure out how in the world to change a diaper on a baby that immediately does an alligator roll when you lay her down.  I've actually learned how to change it with her on her...

Being a mom means...      ... always smelling slightly funny .  It doesn't matter how much deodorant or body spray I use.  I can't seem to take enough showers to scrub away the smell of spit-up and other bodily fluids.  And my poor clothes will never be the same again.      ... sleeping when my baby tells me it's okay.   I no longer choose my bedtime or set an alarm to wake me up in the morning.  There's no longer any risk of me sleeping through lunch.  Or even breakfast for that matter.       ... wearing my hair in a ponytail or getting the "mom cut".   I haven't chosen to break down and cut my hair off yet, but I don't really know what I'm holding out for.  She's able to weave both hands into my hair within seconds and pull me towards her in a death grip.  Even better, she then sucks on my forehead or cheek and I can't get away.  I pretend it's her way of showi...

We had a beautiful day here in Oklahoma yesterday, so we took advantage of it and spent time outside.  Paisley has met our big dog and our goat before, but she is so much more aware now.  So, we put on her adorable winter hat and headed out to the backyard for some bonding time! It was dark outside, so I couldn't get great pictures (blame me, not the camera).  But you get the idea.  We are so lucky to have 5 dogs and a goat who all really like our baby.  They're all very good with her and even tolerate her pulling on their ears and hair which CANNOT feel good.  She squeals with happiness when they pay attention to her! The chihuahua is Tinkerbell and she's our newest rescue dog.  She is incredibly gentle with Paisley and loves any attention given.  The crazy haired one on the back of the chair is Bentley.  She's definitely our wild child.  Her and Paisley are the best of friends, and she takes most of the ear pulling because she'll put...

If there's one thing I've figured out about babies, it's that you can't possibly explain anything that they do and/or don't do.  Example 1:   My sweet girl slept through the night really well several nights in a row, like 3-4 weeks ago.  It was nice and I enjoyed it, but she decided that it was overrated.  Since then, she wakes up usually once around 4 am to eat, but sometimes she wakes up 2-3 times.  Not cool.  I've tried to work out what the secret recipe is to getting her to sleep through the night.  Perfectly timed nursing, comfy pajamas, sound machine on different settings and various volumes, space heater, naps during the day/evening, a variety of binkys, warm baths, solid foods, etc. What I've determined from this month long "science" experiment is that none of it makes a single bit of difference.  The nights I swear she'll be SO exhausted and is definitely going to sleep through the night, she wakes up a ton.  Then ther...

Work went really well for our 1st week.  Paisley worked a full-time week with me at the clinic and she did fantastic!  She loves the dogs and cats that come in, and even squeals at them frequently.  The clients love meeting her and she gets lots of compliments and attention all day.  This is her passed out on her play mat in my office.    Exhausting being this adorable!  I've been working with our accountant to learn to do all of the bookkeeping which is somewhat terrifying because I don't think I want to spend the rest of my life in prison due to tax evasion if I screw things up.  But I seem to be catching on pretty quickly even though accounting is foreign to me!  My biology degree is not helping so much with this...  :) Another example of my poor photography skills...    Today, we pierced Paisley's ears!  My mom, Aaron and I were at the mall and we just decided to go ahead and get it done....

Paisley and I have jumped head-first into the work world and we're surviving just fine.  We worked all day Monday and Tuesday, yesterday was our day off and we're back at it today.  She likes being at the clinic and I love being with her, so it seems to work out.  She didn't sleep great on Monday night, and I found out one of the biggest benefits as owner of a business.  I didn't go in at 8, Aaron told me to sleep later and come in once we got up.  :) The clinic is doing well so far.  January and February are always the slowest months which is scary since we're just getting started, but if we can make it through these two- we'll be fine.  I've really enjoyed getting to meet the clients and their pets, and I've gotten to see a couple of cool surgeries already.  Plus, I made it through a euthanasia the other day without crying.  That's a huge accomplishment for me!  I do wish the dead dog freezer could be in another room besides my off...

Yesterday, Aaron and I signed our lives away and bought the veterinary clinic he has worked at for the past 5 years.  This is a HUGE step in our lives and is obviously scary, but it was definitely something we had hoped for.  This is the clinic where my mom and I took my dogs growing up, and Aaron has been working there since graduating vet school. It's about 5 miles from our house and is a well-established practice.  He sees dogs, cats and exotics (birds, reptiles, hamsters, etc.)  He'll be the only vet there now except on Wednesdays which will now be his day off.   The vet we bought it from is going to work on Wednesday and also when we're on vacation.  Since we weren't really talking about it until it was finalized, I couldn't share on here.  But I'm going to be the office manager for the clinic since the previous vet's wife is leaving with him.  This is awesome news for me because I get to take Paisley to work with us every day!...