Friday night, June 18th, at our end of year staff party...
Baby Clark was getting ready to make his entrance into the world!
I had just hit the 38 week marker of my pregnancy and was starting to wonder more specifically about when our baby would arrive. For the past few months, I have repeatedly said that the baby and I had made an agreement that he would wait and come any time after June 18th (due date was July 1st). Passing that date would mean that the school year was over at the ESD, I would have been able to celebrate with my staff at the annual party, my grades at PSU would be posted and the term wrapped up, and I would have two weeks to get ready at home and spend some time with my friends. This all sounded eerily familiar to the stories I heard from my mom about my birth and early arrival.
On Saturday, June 19th, I was having more signs that the baby's arrival was coming sooner than later, but I was still telling myself that it could be days away. Randy headed out to the river for the day and I went to the farmer's market with Kathleen and then to lunch with Julie. I was down at Powell's on Hawthorne listening to an author talk about a cookbook using local ingredients when my contractions suddenly switched from uncomfortable to painful. I decided to head home, let Randy know about the change so he could make his way back to the house, and still thought that baby's arrival could be possibly a few days away.
Needless to say, Baby Boy Clark had other plans. Trey Martin Clark was born at 12:16am on Sunday, June 20, 2010 (a much better date than 6/19 in my opinion) weighing 8 lb 4 oz measuring 20 and 1/4 inches long. The birth story has been repeated several times but the gist of it is that labor progressed very quickly, I felt a lot of pain in my back, the baby's head was slightly off center, and the baby would not move down the birth canal despite three hours of pushing. I ended up having to have a c-section which was not a very pleasant experience. Randy had the baby in his arms soon after he was delivered and I remember looking back at the two of them in shock and awe that the baby had arrived. Randy said that he kept looking at the baby in amazement that this was his son.
Dad, Sandy, and Julie waited like troopers in the waiting room for five hours. I know they were worried because it was taking longer than anyone thought and I asked Randy to text Julie throughout so she would know the status (I know that 5 minutes in the waiting room can feel like an hour). Julie was also a texting machine with some of my girlfriends keeping them posted about our progress. Dad, Julie, and Sandy were able to come to the recovery room soon after I arrived there so they could meet the baby.
We spent the next three nights in the hospital and had several visitors. On Sunday, we were able to celebrate Father's Day with my dad, Sandy, Julie and Tim. We were also visited by Kris Coleman and John Halsey as well as Sarah Kopplin and Kathleen Rowlands. On Monday we were visited by Nyree Miller, Amy Manzella, Kerri Swygard, and Kelly Elliott. Some of those friendships started in grade school; old friends really are the greatest. My boss, Lee Ann Sharman, came to visit on Tuesday; that evening we got a visit from Sarah again with her son Zander. I remember being at the hospital when Zander was born over 5.5 years ago; watching him with my son was very special.
Aunt Julie holding Trey
Sandy with her newest grandchild
I just love this picture of my dad with Trey. Trey's middle name, Martin, is in honor of my dad.
Kerri, Nyree, Kelly, and I...good friends since high school. I will certainly call on them for advice about this whole parenting thing.
There are many things I love so far about this baby and being a mother, but one of my favorite is watching Randy with the baby. He is a natural and has a magic touch that soothes the baby quickly.
Some cute pictures of Trey when he was just 24 hours old.
And, finally, a picture of Trey and I together...oh how I love this baby so much already...
Today marks the day that we have been home for one week. Baby Trey is 10 days old. I don't think I'll ever forget this time together as a family...watching Trey, listening to Trey, and trying to figure out his needs and signals. He may be one of the sweetest babies I have ever seen; there have been many a moment where I look down at him (I think his ear may be one of my favorite parts of him, but that could be due to the fact that I see it the most thanks to breastfeeding) and have tears come to my eyes due to the joy and disbelief that this beautiful boy is here and part of us.
If I could post a picture of me breastfeeding and put it next to this shot, it would be a good summary of our first week at home.
Aunt Julie (who Randy affectionately calls the Baby Vulture) and Uncle Tim visiting with Trey. They have been so supportive and have fed us several times. Luckily, Julie only works about 10 minutes from here and often stops by on her way home for a baby fix. This provides a great time for me to run around the house with two free hands; the other benefit is that she often puts Trey into a trance before she leaves.
Randy and I made our way up to the new neighborhood brewery on one of the sunniest days we have had in Portland (I was going a little nuts in the cave of our house). I am totally blaming the hormones and lack of sleep, but I actually cried when I ordered a beer.
On Saturday we went to the organic brewfest for a short time with Kris, John, Tommy, Julie, and Tim. Randy enjoyed tasting some of the beers while Trey and I enjoyed our nice seats in the shade.
