Happy 7th month birthday to Trey and happy 30+ birthday to Randy!

What a week!  

Trey turned seven months old today and Randy had a birthday last Friday.  We spent Randy's birthday sitting on the couch, eating take out from one of his favorite restaurants (La Bonita), watching tv, and eating brownies for dessert.  I think we might have been in bed by 9:00.  Maybe 10.  Pret-ty exciting!  

We also celebrated Uncle Tim (Julie's husband)'s birthday at his sister Megan's house.  Tim's family was all there as well as my dad and Sandy.  Trey got to bond with my dad and Sandy that weekend.  It is always such fun to see them together.

Oliver, Megan's son, sharing his book with Trey. 

Grandpa Gerts with Trey 

Big smiles!

We have been working on Trey eating solid foods.  Being a Type A personality and a book reader, I find that I feel like I need to follow "the rules" when it comes to this subject.  The rules don't seem to be going so well...Trey doesn't like rice cereal.  I fed him fruits before vegetables.  And I'm sure there is something else I am doing wrong.  Do you think the baby police will come knocking on my door?  Oh well, screw 'em!  I'm going for sweet peas next!

A closed mouth is the norm when rice cereal comes Trey's way.

Sometimes he will humor me and take a few bites, but he much prefers pears.  

I have also introduced squash which I hoped he would really like because I have a whole lot of it in the freezer, but he's not too keen on this either.  Tonight he had some for dinner and since he didn't have any clothes on, it ended up on his face, cheek, hair, belly, arms, shoulder, hands (of course), and legs.  I was holding him (ahem...in my bra) and it got on my face, hair, arms, back, chest, and bra.  It was quite the sight and made me realize why they say feeding babies can be so fun.  It is fun!  

Tango and Trey are still forging a precarious relationship.  I have been trying to help them bond which usually includes Tango licking the bejesus out of Trey's hands and/or feet and Trey watching him intently the entire time.

On Sunday we went to Eastburn for a new brewfest with Julie and Tim to celebrate the boys' birthdays.  It was fun to be out and Trey was a rockstar as usual.  At one point we thought Trey had pooped, so I went out to the car to change him.  I wasn't excited about this because changing him either in the front or back seat is tricky due to space issues.  The trunk area is okay, but the stroller was there and did I mention it was raining?  Well, due to the fact that I parked too closely to the tree, I was trying to maneuver into the car and banged my head on the corner of the open door.  Man, that hurt. I still have the war wound on my forehead as proof.  Needless to say, I was very relieved when I found that I did not have a messy diaper to deal with.  Wow, I love my boy!!  

Randy and I ended the night at Breakside Brewery, the local brewpub in our neighborhood.  The servers are always so nice to us.  I don't know if it's because they recognize us or just because they are nice.  Some of them met Trey when he was just a few days old, so I like to think it is because they know us.  

I just finished my third week back at work (I don't count December).  Everyone says it gets easier, but right now I think it is getting harder (don't tell my friend Mindy this).  I think I miss Trey more as the days pass.  I race home every day after work and just crave getting my hands on him.  The really sucky part is that he has been going down to bed between 6 and 6:30, so I get about 1.5 to 2 hours a day with him.  Thank God today is my Friday and now I begin my four full days with him.  I can't wait for some quality baby time.  I never thought it would be so much fun to hang out with a baby.  These have been the best seven months ever and I can't wait to see what the future brings.  

Watching the clock

Disclaimer: This post has the potential to make me sound very neurotic.  Which perhaps I just need to accept the fact that I am.  So be it.  (Although I think if you're a new mom, you're likely to know exactly what I'm talking about.  If you're not a mom, you think I'm nuts.  And if you are a mom of an older child and think I'm nuts, then you probably have just forgotten what it was like...)

A few nights ago I was lying in bed thinking about how often I watch the clock.  It seems to fill my days.  It starts around 5am and continues until 7pm with intermittent watching the clock through the middle of the night.

When will Trey wake up?
When should I put him back down?
When does he need to eat again?
Is it time for a nap?  What about now?
How long has he been crying?  How long should I let him cry?   What time is it now?
How long has he been sleeping?  When is he going to wake up?
Is it time to eat again?
I wonder if he's tired.  Should I put him down now?
Is it time to pump?  How long have I pumped?  Is it time to stop?
When should I put him down for bed?

With all of these questions imagine frequent glances to the clock, quick mental math, and an ongoing wish for a crystal ball to help me make decisions.

I think one of the advantages of being back at work is I don't have to think about all this all day long.  Man oh man do I miss my boy, but it's nice to be at the office watching the clock to see when I can go home to be with him again and not to determine his eating and sleeping (oh except for watching the clock to pump...).

This past week has been busy so I don't think we have taken many pictures, but below is another video of my sweet Trey.  He is starting to say his "b" sound and does it over and over.  I think his first word might end up being "boob".  By the time I thought to record him, he was done being a performing monkey.  He was more interested in eating the phone.  But for those of you who haven't met Trey yet, you can see why I just melt when I look into his eyes.

Oh and here are some pictures from Trey's first time in the high chair.  Do ya dig the camo bib?  That is from Randy's friends Karl and Lisa.

 "I'm a mouth breather just like my mama."

 "The ends of this baster feel really funny, but I just can't get enough."

 "Here, let me just try it one more time."

 "Bliss..."

"All done for today."

Another milestone

Trey is sitting on his own!  I still put the Boppy around him but he is sitting by himself.  Our little boy is growing so fast!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all of our family and friends!  Or at least to the few who read this blog.  I really enjoy keeping up the blog on a relatively regular basis, but I realize that I have no idea who even looks at it.  Feels sort of weird, but I will just keep talking and whoever wants to listen can listen...(I hear Randy muttering something under his breath...)

Here is Trey shouting out, "Hap-py New Year!!!" while looking a little drooly/messy since I am attempting to feed him some rice cereal.  He was interested in it a few weeks ago but now just refuses to make eye contact with me and keeps his lips sealed tight.  He'll eat someday, right?

New Years Eve has been pretty lame for Randy and I for the past few years as we have continued to age and get lazy, so I was excited that this year we had an excuse to stay home and go to bed early.  Julie and Tim came over for dinner, dessert, and games.  I made a pumpkin cheesecake that tasted pretty good but looked like a pie plate full of...well, I will just say it...diarrhea.  Randy and I were planning on being asleep by midnight, but Trey had other ideas.  I guess someone told him that being awake at midnight is important and he wanted to start the tradition on the right foot.  Thanks, Trey.

Trey is getting better at sitting on his own.  He can do it without the Boppy, but I like having it there for the inevitable tip or tumble.

Getting ready for his New Years kiss?  

I love the expressions on his face while he is checking things out.  

He seems to be such an observer and always taking in something new.

Grandma and Grandpa Clark with Trey on his first Christmas

Our only family picture from Trey's first Christmas.  

Really wish I was cuter in this picture.

Here is one that Carmen just sent me.
It is a little better but you can't really see the tree.
I think I'll keep both in the blog just for kicks.

Grandma Carmen with Trey

Getting a special visit from Nyree

Trey playing with his new duck from Kaye.  

And here is one of the cutest pictures ever...

the professional pic from our visit to Santa.  

Hope your holidays were wonderful...the next few weeks will be fun as I am back to work on Tuesday for three days a week and Randy is home on paternity leave until March.  I can't wait for Trey and Randy to spend more time together, and I am sort of looking forward to being at work and having some more frequent adult conversations.  I know I will miss my boy more than anything, but at this point I am ready to get on with this next chapter in our lives.  

Merry Christmas!!

It's a quiet morning in the Clark house with Trey sleeping; Randy watching the Bulls game on tv; and me sitting in the man chair, drinking coffee, eating leftover coffee cake from yesterday's brunch, playing with photos, and blogging...

Six months old and getting close to sitting on his own...

all 16 pounds 2 ounces and 26.5 inches of him.

We have had a great holiday so far.  Yesterday was our annual Christmas Eve brunch with family and friends.  I think it was year four for our new tradition, and Randy and I love hosting people at our house with yummy delicious food and drinks.  Randy makes his killer Bloody Marys and I have a pot of glog on the stove.  People bring scrumptious food (Julie's kringles are always a hit) and visit with each other in our home.  It starts off the Christmas Eve/Christmas festivities with a bang and it is so much fun!!

 Julie, Dad, Trey and I on Christmas Eve

 As usual, the baby was more interested in the wrapping paper than the gift...

People have been saying that Trey looks like my dad.  

Do you see the resemblance?

 Happy Boy

 Reach, reach, reach!

Some Bronco dinnerware...getting ready for big boy food in style!

We spent Christmas Eve night with Julie and Tim at their place.  Julie made a yummy clam chowder and we ate gingerbread leftover from the brunch (thanks, Jason!).  Trey has a short shelf-life in the evenings, so we were home pretty early and sadly in bed by 9pm.

Randy's parents got into town last week, spent Friday night with us, and then headed north to Anacortes and Seattle.  They come back this afternoon and I am looking forward to a few days with them before they head back to Southern California.  Hopefully, their house was safe from the flooding.  I am thinking that some haystacks are in order for Christmas dinner, and I might try to squeeze in a house project tomorrow before they leave.  It's tradition, after all!

 Grandpa Doug and Trey

 Great Grandma Julie and Trey

 Trey, Great Grandma Julie, Grandma Carmen, and Randy

 Grandma and Trey checking each other out

Happy baby, happy grandpa

Almost six months old...time sure does fly when you are having fun

Okay, loyal readers: disclaimer at the beginning...I don't have any photos this week.  Our computer has been on the fritz and we got a new hard drive from Apple.  For some reason they didn't put Iphoto back on our computer so right now we don't have a way to work with our photos.  And, actually, now that I think of it...we've been so busy this week, I don't think we have any new photos anyway.  If you're interested in hearing about our week, read on.  If you would rather see pictures, skip to past posts or come back in a few weeks.

This week we got hit by the sickness.  It wasn't as bad as some people have had it, but we got the first taste of what it feels like to take care of a baby when we are feeling under the weather.  Needless to say, Trey has had some very mellow and relaxing days over the past week.  I think he has a little bit of what Randy and I have, but so far it doesn't seem too bad.  Fingers crossed...

I spent four days at work over the past two weeks.  For two days Sandy (and my dad) watched Trey, and for the past two days Randy has been at home.  Both of them have experienced how tricky it can be to get sweet Trey down for a nap.  They also both got to experience how much fun it is to play with Trey all day and spend some quality time together.  I, on the other hand, got to experience the beginning of what it will be like to be a working mom.  Some thoughts that have crossed my mind in no particular order:
How early am I going to have to get up in the morning in order to get to work on time?
How late are we going to have to eat dinner so that I get to hang out with Trey before he goes to bed?
How on earth are we going to keep this house clean?
Women who pump while working should win awards.  Monetary awards would be nice, but Mother of the Year awards would suffice.
Wow, do I hope that my time home with Trey while working part-time will be worth it since my reduced income is going to make the next 9 months pretty damn tight.
Crap, my wardrobe choices are a lot fewer thanks to the baby weight.
When am I going to have time to exercise so I can increase my wardrobe choices?
Facebook is a lot more interesting when I only have time to look at it once or twice a day.

Fun things to share from this past week or so...
On Saturday Randy and I went to a baby sign language class put on by Tiny Talkers.  I think it's great that babies who sign supposedly start speaking earlier and have higher IQs, but the reason I went is so that Trey may be able to communicate some of his needs/wants/feelings to us before he can talk.  I guess we are supposed to start with three signs (the teacher suggested eat, milk, and more).  We haven't started yet...maybe next week?

We also had a babysitter on Saturday night so we could attend Randy's OHSU work party at OMSI.  Normally, Trey goes down pretty easily at night and I assured our sitter that she would literally be able to sit while we were gone since I was leaving after bedtime.  (Insert laugh here)  Saturday was the beginning of Trey's difficulty with bedtime and it's gone downhill since then.  My friend Stacy soothed him until almost 9pm when Trey finally passed out in her arms of fatigue.  Randy and I ended the night sitting at the bar at Breakside Brewery having a beer and some adult conversation.  We have had babysitters before (Aunt Julie) but we have always been out with groups of people.  This may have been the first time since Trey was born that it was just the two of us.  Nice.

Trey laughed for reals for the first time, is almost rolling from his back to his stomach (I'm afraid this may happen for the first time on the changing table) and is doing a nice job of sitting on his own for a few seconds at a time or for longer with minimal support.  He also started eating some rice cereal and that has been a hoot!  He is such a rock star!

Randy's parents get here tomorrow night and I can't wait for them to see Trey!!!  They haven't seen him since the middle of August and he has changed A LOT since he was 8 weeks old.   Also, on Sunday we are having a holiday celebration with my family in Eugene.  I can't wait for Trey to meet more of my cousins!  And Trey will be six months old on Monday...seriously??

 Well, here's a special treat for anyone who kept reading (or maybe you just scrolled down to see the pictures from last week's post).  I guess I can download pics from my phone but still don't have Iphoto.  Anyways, here is Trey from last week...he has begun to explore simple kitchen items as new toys.

And this is what I came home to today...my dear husband reading to my sweet son from his fly fishing book.  God, I love them both so much.

Back to reality

Okay, I admit it.  I thought I was going to be bored.  Antsy.  Stir crazy.  Cabin fever.  You name it.   If you know me, this probably is not much of a shock.  While I was thrilled to have a baby, I was worried that staying home full time would be really hard. I was wrong. I have loved it.

I have been lucky enough to stay home full time with Trey for five and a half months.  In two days I go back to work and am able to work part-time for the rest of this school year.  I'm lucky.  It will be fine.  Everything will be okay.  I need to relax.  (Can you hear Randy's voice in there?  He hasn't told me to relax - that would be mean - but I'm sure it's crossed his mind.)  While I am sort of looking forward to going back to my job and having something else to think about besides napping and pooping (his, not mine), I am absolutely dreading leaving Trey.

Here are some of the things I have loved about being home with him:
- Seeing him all the time
- Having him smile at me when he sees my face
- Being able to meet every one of his needs (that I can figure out)
whenever he needs it
- Being able to feed him all day long whenever he needs or wants it
- Watching him grow, change, learn new things, develop new skills
- Watching how he reacts to certain things with either delight or discomfort.  For example, he LOVES his farm animal book with the fold out pictures.  He smiles every time I read it.  He LOVES the Eentsy-Weentsy Spider song and calms down whenever I sing it.  He LOVES to be bounced on my lap when I sing one of the songs from Music Together.
- Our relaxing mornings which include coffee, the Today Show if he is napping, reading books (both his and mine), staying in our comfy clothes all morning long, and cuddling on the couch or the bed.
- Taking him to music class and Book Babies at the library and watching him react to the songs and watch the other babies.
- Going on walks, meeting for coffee, or just hanging out with girlfriends and often their babies.
- Seeing him all the time

Randy, Trey, and I decided to spend Thanksgiving with good friends this year.  Our friends, Steve and Jen, are moving back to Wisconsin next week after ten years in Portland, so we wanted to spend some time with them.  Sarah and Neil Kopplin were kind enough to host dinner at their house and it was awesome!  The only downside of not having Thanksgiving at your house (or wherever you are sleeping since we are usually at my dad and Sandy's)??  No leftovers!!!

Randy and Trey hanging out at the Kopplins before dinner

Zander and Zoe, friends forever

Trey did a great job on Thanksgiving but started to fuss
right when we sat down to eat.
I put him in the Ergo and ate standing next to Sarah's new beautiful buffet.

On Saturday my family came over to our house for a second dinner.
Randy grilled the steelhead he caught (see previous post) and we also had some steaks from our cow.

Julie was sick so she hunkered down in the corner and stayed away from Trey.

Tango finds himself very interested in Trey.  When Trey is on the floor, Tango wants to be right next to him.  He also tries to lick him all over.  I let him lick his feet and the back of his head, but not his face or hands because Tango eats cat shit from the yard all of the time.  Call me a worried mom, but that is just gross.  

Some closely supervised dog and baby time.  Lately Tango has been eating Trey's toys.  He only chews on the parts that Trey has sucked on.  This infuriates me and causes me to have to do a sweep of the house looking for stray items before we go anywhere.  Yesterday everything seemed to be picked up, so Tango decided to eat one of Trey's burp rags.  SO ANNOYING.

Picking out our Christmas tree at the local ghetto neighborhood tree lot

Trey in his warm fleece suit 

Our visit with Santa last week.

The professional picture that they took is even cuter because he is smiling in it. 

It kind of trips me out a little bit that I have a son sitting on Santa's lap. 

 In this picture, I think Trey looks like he has more hair than he actually does.

This picture is from the going away party Sarah and I hosted on Saturday night for Steve and Jen.  We have been friends for a long time and they have been a big part of my post-college life.  I can't believe they are going.  Girls night out won't be the same without Jen.  

Maybe the blog will get more interesting with better stories as I transition from stay-at-home mom to working mom and Randy and I try to adjust to this new chapter.  Stay tuned...should be fun.