A few thoughts on this rainy Monday...

- Not sure what Trey and I will do during the days when it is crappy outside.  So thankful that he was born in June and we have had so many days where we can go on walks and be outside.  I met Mindy at the mall today and did my first official "mall walk" where we circled the mall with our strollers.

- The sure-fire way to get Trey to poop is to take him in public.  If I really want him to poop, I need to dress him in something white.  It works even better if his outfit is cute and I want him to be dressed in it for wherever we are going.  There is also a specific onesie that seems to really bring it out in him... oh, and the other thing that works is if we are in a hurry.  Awesome.

- I am reading Milk Memos (Thank goodness for Facebook and reconnecting with old friends who make great recommendations!) which is about working moms and pumping.  Working has been on my mind as I am going to a conference tomorrow and Wednesday.  I am trying not to think too much about my return to work in December as it makes me sad (every time).  I went and met with my boss today to go over my calendar, and she asked if I was looking forward to coming back to work.  Think quick, think quick...Honest?  Lie?  Honest? Lie?  I said, "Not yet...."  The great news is that I only have to work four days in December and then will be back three days a week from January to June.  Randy will be home in January and February which means we don't have to start daycare until March.  I know we have it better than a lot of people, but it still makes me sad (every time).

Randy and I went to the pumpkin patch to try and get a family shot for Christmas cards.  According to Randy, the "sun was harsh" and I don't think any of them will work.  Picky picky...

We also went to a fall party at Jen and Trent's house last weekend.  Trey got to wear his pumpkin hat that Jen knit him.  I think it was our first true party setting where we had the baby...we are so used to being around our friends' kids but not having our own.  I still can't imagine that he'll get older and bigger and run around, but I know it will happen...

Four months old!

Trey is four months old today!  I feel like the past four months have been the quickest and the longest of my life!  Each day we love Trey more and more, and it is such a delight to watch him explore his world and learn new things.  Recently, he has begun rolling over more frequently (he would probably be better at this if his mother gave him more tummy time), shoving every possible thing into his mouth, and getting wigglier and wigglier (is that a word?).  Today to celebrate Trey's one-third-of-a-year birthday, Randy got the Exersaucer out of the shed.  I can't wait to have Trey use it more and more!

I think Trey really looks like Randy in this picture...

Last weekend we went to Eugene to see my dad and Sandy.  Trey got to meet some more of his family.  Here is a little family history for those of you who don't know:  My mom, Elaine, had two brothers, Lloyd and Jerry.  Jerry was married to my Aunt Sandy and they had three kids (Erika, Heidi, and John).  In 2002 Jerry passed away from cancer; it was an enormous loss for the family.  I don't think my mom ever recovered from it.  In 2005 my mom lost her battle with cancer as well...I know that I have never recovered from that. Anyways, the silver lining to these dark clouds is that my dad and Sandy found love with each other and married in December 2006.  Now Sandy is my aunt AND my stepmom.  My cousins, Erika, Heidi, and John, are my cousins AND my stepsiblings.  Regardless of labels, what we have all gotten out of this marriage is a closer and tighter family.  Despite our loss, we are lucky in the relationships that we have that grew stronger.

Trey got to meet Erika, John, and John's wife Amy this past weekend.  Thanks to Erika for having a dinner party for us so Trey could meet the rest of his family!

John with Trey

Sandy, Amy, Erika, Trey, John, and Me

While we were in Eugene, I stopped by for my "every time I go to Eugene I see Sarah Long" visit.  Her husband, Chris, is a huge Bronco fan just like Randy.  Sarah and Chris recently went to Denver and got to see a Bronco game.  Here are Sarah's darling kids in their new Bronco hats.

Anna with Trey

Today Randy and I went to the pumpkin patch to try and take a family photo for Christmas cards...not sure how they will turn out, but Trey sure looked cute in his big boy outfit!!  Big things coming up in the next week are Trey's four-month well visit tomorrow (good thing I LOVE our pediatrician or else I would be super dreading these appointments) and a two day conference for me for work which means I will be away from Trey for two full days.  It will be a huge adjustment for both Randy and me next week as Randy is staying home with Trey and I will be gone (but not overnight).  Maybe we should have Randy do the blog next week to share his experiences. Ha!

Happy Anniversary to Julie and Tim!

Yesterday was my sister Julie and her husband's one year wedding anniversary.  I am so happy that they got married and that they had a great first year of marriage.  I love that they live so close and we get to spend a lot of time with them.  I also LOVE that our family gets along so well and enjoys each other's company.  We are so lucky!!!  I went to my photo album to find a great picture of them from their wedding day to post on here and was sadly reminded that my battery on my camera died right as Julie was getting ready.  But here is my beautiful little sister getting dressed and ready to walk down the aisle to say "I do!" to her fabulous husband, Tim.

Randy and I at Julie and Tim's wedding.  Little did we know that Trey was just starting to grow and we were soon to be blessed with the news that we would be expecting this bundle of joy!!!

This past week was just a regular, same-old, typical baby-raising week.  Trey has entered the phase where everything goes into his mouth, and he has yet to figure out that the further he shoves his fists in his mouth, the more likely he is to gag.  He is enjoying some new books from the library and seems to like pictures of animals a lot (father's son?).  I took him to Annie Bloom's for the first time and he met some of my old friends and coworkers.  One day Trey will spend hours in the children's section, but last week he was more amused by the ceiling fans.

Trey with Mary and Edie at Annie Bloom's,
my favorite bookstore and "home" for 12 years.
Trey is not looking at the camera because he is staring at the novel ceiling fan.

"I think I can get this ring into my mouth..." 

"It's tough to fit my fist, my ring, and my keys into my mouth all at the same time..." 

"I think Mom put me in this thing so I could play with some toys, 

but I really just want to suck on the fabric."

This is Trey, waiting peacefully, for his father to get home to help with bathtime after a day with minimal naps and multiple incidents of puking and peeing on himself.

Trey in his onesie from Nyree and her girls...it sort of looks like he wants to say something here.  Maybe "Stop taking pictures of me, Mom!"?

 My two guys both in collared shirts.  This isn't likely to happen very often.  But could Trey be any cuter in his polo shirt and brown cords?  Love it!

Trey and Randy getting ready for Bronco football on Sunday morning.  Randy ordered Trey a new Bronco t-shirt which is slightly too big for him.  Randy just put it over his pj's which seemed to work okay although made him look a little like a hunchback.

Getting cuter every day!

For the rough spots we hit with Trey and his multiple personalities two weeks ago, this past week has been great.  He was happy, growing, cheerful, and silly.  Randy and I had a lot of fun with him and even went out on two day trips.  Trey was a total trooper on both of them.

Trey and I started our first infant music class last week through Music Together (www.musictogether-pdx.com).  It was awesome!  Trey seems so soothed and calmed by music (we first noticed this through the Guns and Roses and Metallica lullaby cds), and it was such fun to see him watching the other babies.  I learned some new songs, motions, and moves to do with Trey when we are home.  I have already noticed that the hand motions and body touches they taught with Eensty Weensty Spider calms Trey right down on the changing table and keeps him from kicking his darling little feet all over the place.

The only place Trey seems to like this travel swing is on the deck.  I guess he and Tango both enjoy looking at the trees.

Aunt Julie and Uncle Tim came over on Thursday for dinner before they left for their ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY vacation to Las Vegas and New Mexico.  This fall weather reminds me of last year when we were putting the final touches on Julie and Tim's wedding.  Congratulations to them on a successful one year of happy marriage!

Before we went to Hood River on Saturday, we stopped in Mosier so Randy could fish for a bit.  We went to the same place where he was on the day I went into labor with Trey.  As I walked back from the river to the car with Trey in his stroller, I was imagining what must have been going through Randy's mind almost 3.5 months ago as he quickly made his way back to his jeep and rushed home to find his wife about to give birth.

After our stop at the river, we went to the Hood River Hops Fest with Jen, Steve, Zoe, Theo, Kris, John, and Porter.  We have gone to this beer festival for several years with Jen and Steve...they will be moving soon back to Wisconsin and we will miss our annual traditions.

 Jen and Trey

Steve and Randy with their first borns

Between taking day trips together, hosting our first dinner party since Trey was born, and feeling such joy and happiness at the pure cuteness of our son, this week was just great.  We are loving watching him grow and change, become more engaged, and learn new baby skills.  He is just so much fun!

Trey sitting in his Bumbo seat for the first time.  What a big boy!!

Playing detective

I did some internet research this week and found this:
Signs of a growth spurt:
3 months old - check
Cluster feeding where baby feeds more often (every 1-2 hours in our case) - check
Baby may no longer sleep through the night, waking again seemingly ravenous for food - check
Baby fussing at the breast - double check
Baby may nap better than before - good check
Baby may seem more fussy than usual - bad check

Let's just say it's been a rough week around the Clark house.  I am blaming it on this supposed growth spurt and all of the fine traits that accompany it.  It's a good thing Trey is so damn cute.

Here is Trey in his new toy.  He is getting better at holding his head up, moving to see different directions in the house, and playing with the toys...all at the same time!  This week Trey also rolled over for the first time!  He is such a rock star!

Last week I got some good time with my girlfriends and some of their kids, some good walks in, and even some good reading done of what may be the slowest, longest, potentially most boring book club book ever.  I learned some lessons (don't schedule social events at 4:30pm in the afternoon - Trey does not like them) and experimented a little with napping (we are working on moving away from the swing into the crib).  Randy and I also went to some wineries with Kris and John on Sunday which was fun as always.  We love going to Dobbes Family Estate Winery because our friend Orion pours there and always treats us so well  (http://dobbesfamilyestate.com).

Cute husband and cute son

I also went to visit another daycare and this one could be the winner.  I have another visit coming up this week so I will have four to compare.  So far I like the third one best and will take Randy back to see it when there are kids there and the infant teacher is present.  I still can't believe how expensive daycare is. Insert long sigh...

This week we marked the five year "anniversary" of my mom's death.  On Saturday I read through the cards and letters we received when she died.  Reading some of the letters made me think a lot about friendship.  I hope that in 25 years I still have some of the close relationships that I do now; my mom and her lasting friendships are an inspiration to me.  I also read about how important my dad, my sister, and I were to my mom, and I hope that Trey and Randy feel the same about their importance to me as our lives together continue.

Here is a quote that I like from Michael Douglas from the Parade a few weeks ago:  "Do you know what absolute happiness is?  For me, it is to wake up my kids in the morning - these little pieces of innocence - to wake them and find they're so happy to see me!  It is unequivocal love, no question about it.  And oh God, is that rare!  So I think, Who knows what's next?  Right now, we're here, we're together, we're happy."

One of the best parts of my life right now is getting Trey up from his crib.  When he sees me, he breaks into a huge grin and it just warms my heart.  I love him so much!

3 months old!

I can't believe Trey is already three months old!!  Saturday I was down on Hawthorne getting a pedicure and having flashbacks to the day I went into labor.  Window shopping on Hawthorne, getting frozen yogurt at Swirl, and thinking about the baby all felt so similar to that day in June...only this time I went home to the cutest baby ever (with pretty toes) rather than going home to quick and painful labor.  I can't believe three months has already passed!  Wait, did I say that already?

Randy and Trey watching the Broncos on Sunday

Trey with his new teddy bear

This past week Trey and I tried some new baby activities around town.  We went to Book Babies at the local library; it was so fun to watch Trey watching the other babies.  He was the youngest there and spent his time observing while Mama sang songs along with the other moms.  Trey also liked looking at the book with baby faces.  Once the toys came out and the noise increased, Trey got a little overwhelmed and told me it was time for his nap.  We made a quick exit, but I hope to go back more and more.  Trey and I also went to a play group in the neighborhood with Kathleen and Garland.  Again, Trey sat on my lap and watched the other kids play, but he seemed pretty content and observant.  In a few weeks we start an infant music class, and I can't wait to see how he reacts to that.

Trey wearing big boy pjs

Trey and I also got to spend a lot of time this past week with friends, some of whom have new babies too.  I love getting together with my girlfriends while I'm on maternity leave.  I like exposing Trey to different settings, new people, and a variety of sounds and smells.  Most of the time Trey does really well on these outings, especially since I am getting a better handle on Trey's naps and schedule.  Sometimes Trey's schedule doesn't match my social calendar, but, luckily, my friends are understanding and flexible.

My other main event during the week was research into daycare.  I have visited two daycares so far and have done a bunch of price comparisons.  I find it awful that I am trying to save money on daycare when taking care of my infant is one of the most important things in the world...yet daycare is so freaking expensive, we can't afford the Cadillac (or even really the Honda or Toyota) of child care.  What is a family to do???  I would like to find a great in-home daycare that is loving, nurturing, and, unfortunately, affordable.  I think networking with local friends and colleagues will get me some leads, but I'm not sure the best way to get the word out.  Facebook?  Email?  Word of mouth?  I have a few months to get this figured out, but I don't want to wait until the last minute.  Visiting another daycare tomorrow...we'll see how it goes.

12 weeks: Family, Friends, Football

I'm realizing that it might be hard to update this blog weekly as I might run out of things to say...Carmen, Randy's mom, asked me last week what Trey and I do during the day and luckily I was able to respond by email so I had a few minutes to think about it...ummmmmm.....Trey naps, eats, smiles, coos, naps, eats, smiles, coos...I feed Trey, try to get Trey to nap, look at Trey, talk to Trey, engage Trey...you get the idea.  We continue to leave the house at least once a day (usually for a walk or a coffee date) but I am spending a lot of time alone with my two month old which leads to a lot...and I mean A LOT...of downtime.

One of the many things that I love about staying home with this baby is that I have the chance to connect with friends who I may not otherwise connect with.  Last week I finally met up with Mindy, a friend from college, who also just had a baby.  I love meeting up with new moms and gabbing about boring stuff like napping and breastfeeding!  I also discovered a new park (thanks to Jen) up at the Rose Garden and hope to visit it again soon.

Mindy and Trey
(what you can't see is Mindy's darling baby Camille who is in her stroller in front of Mindy)

Trey's first time "facing out" in the Baby Bjorn.  Being as curious as he is, this was a great way for me to spend time with Jen while Trey was entertained watching people.

Trey with Jen.  This expression seems to be "Enough with the pictures, mom..."

Trey got to spend the weekend with Grandpa Gerts in Leaburg.  I love seeing the love between them!  We enjoyed some great family time with my dad, Sandy, Julie and Tim; some great time on the deck by the river; some great Duck football; and, of course, great banana pancakes.  Sandy always takes such good care of us!

Enjoying nap time out on the deck.  

Right in front of that tree by the river is where Randy and I said our wedding vows.

Trey also got to meet the rest of Sarah Long's family (Anna wore a special outfit just for our visit).  He spent his first Bronco game with two true Bronco fans in his special Bronco outfit.  Go Broncos!  

Sarah with Trey

Sarah's husband, Chris, whispering sweet Bronco nothings into Trey's ear

Cute husband and cute baby...I have a bad feeling this is what the next several Sundays will look like.