My mind is totally blank for a blog title this week.

4.5 months old and all bundled up to meet Aunt Julie and Uncle Tim

 at the Moon and Sixpence

Trey and I just got home from music class, and I just love the effect that music seems to have on him.  It is amazing to me that at four months of age, he already recognizes and responds to songs.  When he is crying, I can often sing Eensty Weentsy Spider to him and he will calm almost immediately.  Twinkle Twinkle Little Star does it too.  When he hears Hello Everybody (a song from music class), he always gets a huge grin on his face.  When he is crying in the car, we can turn on the cd from class and he stops crying almost every time.

We go to a Music Together class every Tuesday and it has been great to learn new songs, chants, movements, and dances with the other parents.  I am certainly the student in these classes and Trey is the happy participant.  I love watching Trey respond to the shakers, the drum, and the bells.  We have also met some really nice parents and babies.

Trey and I also try and go to Book Babies at the library every week.  We have found that the Monday afternoon session at the Hollywood branch seems to be the easiest to get to.  Sometimes we meet up with friends there, and it is a great opportunity to "talk shop" with other new moms.

I love checking out books from the library and try to read books with Trey every morning (I find that his attention span before bedtime makes reading books really tricky).  We all have hopes and dreams for our kids, and I just really hope Trey loves books and reading.  It scares me that he may/will/could grow up in a world where schools do not use books anymore and they rely on computers, Ipads, Kindles, electronic textbooks, etc. to get information.  I love choosing new books to read, starting a new book, and marking it with my bookmark each night when I can barely keep my eyes open putting the book away until the  next day.  I enjoy thinking about what I will read next and love talking about books with people.  Trey may not love reading as much as I do, but I hope he likes it a little (okay, let's be honest...more than a little).

Randy and his fishing buddy, Jason, acquainting their sons - future flyfishermen unite!

Saturday Randy and I went for a walk in SE Portland with the idea that we would end up at Coalition Brewing.  I had read in the paper that they had one of the best IPAs around.  It was delicious!  Can't wait to go back!

Trey wore jeans for the first time on Sunday.  We were invited to a brunch at Kellie and Ethan's so Randy could talk shop with Ethan's friend Russ.  Apparently, Russ and his girlfriend Laura just rode 10,000 miles around the country on their bikes.  Russ has taken an interest in flyfishing, so Randy talked to him about some places he could go while he is in Portland.  Their website about their bike trip is pretty cool.  Check it out:  Path Less Pedaled

Trey seems to be in a better mood this past week.  I'm not sure if his sourpuss attitude, frequent tears, and seeming discomfort was from preteething (I got some great advice from friends on Facebook), crappy napping, or what.  This past week we have been working on naps.  It's not going well.

My child has been invaded by a monster...

...and, no, I'm not talking about Halloween.

This past week Trey has seemed somewhat like a different baby.  He's hard to please, tired all of the time, super fussy, cries while eating, and just not himself.  Everyone mentions teething which I suppose it could be.  I asked the pediatrician about it at his appointment a few weeks ago and she said that drooling and chewing on everything in sight is just developmental.  Developmental characteristics for teething perhaps???  All I know is that my sweet baby has put his mother on edge.  I know I'm extra emotional when I get teared up at my much beloved Top Chef marathons.  It feels a little like week 3 or 4 when he cried for no apparent reason and we had trouble soothing him (or when I cried for no apparent reason and Randy had trouble soothing me??).

Trey dressed up by Dad and ready to go on a nap-inducing walk 

while Mom was away at work

Last week Randy and I had a role reversal for two days.  I went to a work conference and Randy stayed home with Trey.  I think it was a great perspective-taking activity for both of us.  I remember vividly coming home on Tuesday to find Randy crashed out in the recliner looking exhausted.  I was so eager and anxious to see Trey and cuddle him for the rest of the night.  Trey proceeded to fuss and cry for most of the evening making it hard to hold him, play with him, and, quite frankly, enjoy him.  I know this is often how Randy feels when he gets home at the end of the day.  For me, being away from Trey was not as difficult as I thought it would be.  It was actually sort of nice to spend some time talking and thinking about something other than the baby or the house.

This is about as Halloween as it got around our house this year.  We stopped by Kellie and Ethan's party for a little bit and then came home, turned out all of the lights, and hid from the trick-or-treaters (to be fair, our ghetto neighborhood doesn't get many trick-or-treaters anyways and I refused to have a bag of leftover candy sitting around to tempt me).

I can't believe it is November already.  Now when people ask me when I'm going back to work, I have to say, "Next month..."  Despite Trey's fussiness, he is such a delight.  Today I actually got teared up looking at him because he is just so freaking precious and had the cutest expression on his face.  Man, I love this baby!

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!