The first child that you have completely rocks your world in a way that's hard to describe. Somewhere between the blur of exhaustion, the unflattering pj's, crying, late night infomercial watching and 5 minute dinners you realize the nothing will ever be the same again. You're one step away from crazy but stronger for it.

For me, child number two was a bit of a blur...less than two years apart? What were we thinking?

So, what has child #3 taught me?

Sometimes it's the simplest of things that make everything all better. It's like when my 6 year old hurts himself a cries for a Band Aid. I apply the miracle Band Aid and the crying stops instantly. The Band Aid can't possibly make it feel better that quickly, right? I mean it has no analgesic power but, somehow, it can make it all better. Now, with three kids and a business to manage, something simple like a perfect cup of coffee really can make everything all better. A haircut or a pedicure? Now that's like an entirely new lease on life.

I can also tell you that I desperately miss being able to listen to really loud music in my car. Normally, when I'm alone in my car, I'm that annoying person at the stoplight whose music is so loud that you can hear the lyrics clearly even with the windows rolled up. That used to be me and it was probably a song you don't even like. Now, when I get lucky enough to drive alone, I'm surprised I haven't blown my speakers.

You always hear how "absence makes the heart grow fonder". This is 100% true of my work. While I cherish the fact that I can control my schedule and spend time with Einin, I do miss my work. I miss being able to go to work, dig in and be there for 8 hours. I count myself lucky. I know not everyone can say that. That being said, she is supposed to start her Montessori school in February and I'm freaking but I'll save that for another post.

I always knew that I had good friends but, after the last few months, I can safely say that I have tremendous friends. I have the kind of friends that bring you lunch when you're stuck at home on bed rest with high blood pressure. I have friends who throw me baby showers and give me the baby lullaby versions of Green Day songs because they know that they are my favorite band. I have a friend who knew that having a girl was a big deal and gave me her little girl's very first pair of red cowboy boots. I have a best friend who came to the NICU as soon as he heard we were there, gave me a hug, took me to breakfast and made me laugh. I always knew my friends were good but I never knew how good until the stakes were raised.

I have also come to believe that breast milk and Lansinoh are miracle compounds. I'm like the Dad in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". You know how he thinks you can cure anything with Windex? That's me, but with Lansinoh. Chapped Lips? Diaper Rash? Cuts? Burns? Put Lansinoh on it. You know the weird goopy eye thing that babies get, the blocked tear duct? Put breast milk in it. That little tidbit was advice given to me by a medical professional and it worked! No, I wasn't just putting breast milk in my baby's eye randomly. Breast milk is also the miracle cure for a fussy, gassy, scared or tired baby. Can you imagine if one thing could cure adults of all that? Seriously people, the stuff is magic. I'm kind of thinking that if you put the two together it might cure cancer or something.

Finally, baby smiles are like parent crack. One smile and you're done for, you can't get enough. They are all powerful, miracle working moments. Babies smile with their whole bodies too. The smile comes from the inside and they wiggle and squirm as it surfaces, like a little joy volcano. The first smiles are right up there with the first "I love you". It's a life changer.

It had been months that a friend of mine and I had been sending texts back and forth about me coming to see her and her new baby. I was gone for a while and then she was and before long, six or so months had past and still no visit. Finally, last week, we fixed that and I went for a visit.

For the last week, one of my very best friends has been in town. Her name is Wendy and she lives in Austria now. We've known each other since we were 14. That is a staggering 26 years. We met on the first day of the 9th grade at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. I met Kristen that day too. We're also still friends to this day. They are the people who know the most about me. They know so much about me that no single incident holds much weight. I am seen as the sum of my moments and not a single moment. I see them exactly the same way. They can behave badly or say something that gives me pause. They can dress weird or (when we were younger) start dating somebody strange (we are all married now). They can even be a bad friend. You just take it in all in stride. They are here to stay and no matter what crazy thing they say or do, they are mine and I am theirs.

Normally they say, "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas". I just had too much fun to keep it a secret though! A few weeks ago, I went up to the WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers Intl.) conference in Vegas. My favorite frame company, Wild Sorbet, was debuting a line of frames that I designed so I stopped in for a quick 2 day stay to hang out with the Wild Sorbet crew and celebrate the new line.