Oh, the irony...

On Monday I was feeling a little blue about daycare.  I was even teary-eyed when I dropped Trey off and couldn't figure out why.  I decided it was because the first two weeks of daycare felt like a fun game where Trey got to play with new friends and Mom got to go to work to talk to grown-ups.  I didn't get to see Trey as much as I wanted the weekend before, so Monday hit me hard.  It felt like "Crap, this is what we have to do five days a week for the next nine months.  I don't like this one bit."  Well, all I can say is to be careful what you wish for...

Trey was home sick Tuesday through Thursday.  He had a fever, was fussy as shit, wouldn't eat, was sleeping very poorly, and was very hard to please.  In fact, a lot of those things are still going on... Randy stayed home with him each day and I came home early to give Randy some respite.  It has been a very long week.

Highlights of this week:
- Trey waking up 2-3 times a night which he hasn't done since he was a few months old.  Luckily with Randy's insomnia, he has already been awake for the wake up in the 4 o'clock hour.
- Driving to the doctor's office three times in the past two days.  The first time was for the sick visit and the third time was for his 15 month well visit, but the second time was so the medical assistant could remove the adhesive pee bag from around his privates because I did not want to do it.  She was much more efficient than I would have been.

During Trey's "sick" visit yesterday

Of course, it was the happiest he might have been all week long.

- Lying on the floor of a junior high bathroom drenched in sweat and cramping this afternoon when it was time for me to leave to go get Trey.
- Driving Trey around for an hour so he could sleep since we had to reschedule our appointment for the afternoon due to being delayed (see above) and him waking up and crying for the last half of the drive.
- Coming home to find four piles of dog puke although I will say Tango was cooped up for a long time today.  Apparently, he has reverted to his chewing-Trey's-toys behavior because I think I cleaned up the remnants of Trey's teething ring.

Today was Trey's 15 month well visit.  I heart my pediatrician.  I think we spent over 45 minutes in the room and I'm not sure we talked about Trey the whole time.  We talked about Trey's lack of meeting his developmental milestones and she gave me some tips.  She and I both agree that Trey's language may be lagging because of the energy he is putting into his motor skills.  She said I had a great attitude about parenting and that I could laugh about a lot of things.  (I really wished my husband could have been there for that comment!)  I wish my pediatrician and I could become friends, but until then...I guess I'll have to wait until his 18 month appointment to see her again.

This is how we kept Trey from whining or crying so that we could chat.  

One day this week we took Trey to the zoo since he couldn't go to daycare and we were going stir crazy at home.  It was fabulous because there was hardly anyone there.  I still think it's hard for Trey to focus on the animals in the exhibits because other things catch his interest (i.e. the bolt still fascinates him in the hippo exhibit and he was more drawn to the water than the chimpanzee in the primate exhibit).  Needless to say, Trey was actually in a good mood for most of the zoo trip, so I think the fresh air and the animals (or maybe the bolts and water) did him some good. 

Trey was super fussy until I got him out of his stroller and stood him right here.  His mood improved exponentially.  We could have stood there all afternoon and he would have been fine.

 Happy boy loves his fish and water

 I think there might be a giraffe back there.

The crocodile actually turned around and came back to give Trey some love.  Ahhh....

Trey and Randy on Bronco Sunday meeting Adam and Jenny at Hopworks
since we got rained out of Oktoberfest.

Don't you love his sweatsuit?  

Best Wife Ever surprised Randy with that a few weeks ago.

This weekend (September 25th) marks 6 years since my mom died.  On one hand I feel like it has been absolutely forever since I've talked to her, seen her, or touched her and I have to struggle to remember her face or voice.  But on the other, I can't believe it's already been 6 years.  I was reading an article about Cate and Elizabeth Edwards and Cate said this, "Big choices that I make...little choices that I make, sort of everything I do, I hear her voice. The same way I did when she was alive."  I really love that.  I definitely feel that I try to emulate a lot of things my mom did as a wife and a mother.  I think of her a lot (and I mean A LOT) as I parent Trey and watch him grow.  It was sad not to have my mom at my wedding or at Trey's birth, but I think what is harder are the little moments.  If she could be here now to watch me be a mother, I think she'd probably have a lot to say, both positive and negative, about the choices I make in raising Trey and I also think she'd be proud.

Scooter steps...people, we are making progress!

I'm sitting here at 8 o'clock on a Saturday night, Randy is asleep on the couch, a football game that no one is watching is on tv (but I'm too lazy to get up and grab the remote), and I'm about to go to bed and read my book...this, my friends, is our life.  And I must say... I don't think I'd change it for anything.

Go Ducks!

Trey and I had a great Saturday together.  We played together all morning, he took an awesome 2.5 hour nap, we had a fun trip to the best Target ever (the one by IKEA), and we met Mindy and Camille at McMenamins for snacks.  Randy got home from fishing before Trey's bedtime and this is what we got to see this evening...

Now for those of you who know that Trey has been slow to meet his motor milestones, this is very exciting for us!  M (daycare provider) says that Trey pushes things all around their house and "walks" all day long.  I haven't seen it before so I was super thrilled to watch him do this tonight.  I took a video before this one that was better but I can't figure out how to rotate it.  I will try to catch him again because now that he can do this, I'm sure he will do it again and again.  FUN!!!

Trey has also made some other developments this week.  Yesterday I closed the door between the kitchen and the laundry room but the door from the laundry room to the deck was open because Randy was out back (so I thought).  I came to the front of the house and the next thing I knew Randy was coming through the front door and commenting (or exclaiming!) that the door to the back was open.  Trey had opened the door and made his way out to the deck!  Holy crap!!  He also managed to get into the cupboard that has the vases in it (gasp - especially when I heard his new discovery by one landing on the floor) and he has learned how much fun it is to get into this...(garbage is on the right side)

Guess what's on Randy's to do list for tomorrow?

Trey had another good week at daycare.  He's been enjoying himself, doesn't cry when I leave, and doesn't necessarily want to leave when I come pick him up.  He's still exhausted...

This was Monday.  He fell asleep on the 2.5 mile drive home and slept in the car for 30 minutes only waking because he started coughing.  He proceeded to cry from 5-6pm and would not eat dinner.  He was in bed by 6pm and slept through the night like normal.  Needless to say, we are all still getting adjusted.  

Tuesday morning I happened to check my email on my phone at 5am on my way down to the elliptical.  I had an email from M that said "Heads up - LICE".  WHAT???????????????  They let us keep our kids home for the day at no charge if we so chose (which I did) so Trey and I had a great day together.  He had an awesome nap which he desperately needed and we had tons of fun.  It was the type of day I was hoping we would have on the weekend.  We needed that.  In the afternoon we went to the Kenton library and got a bunch of new books, went to Posie's and shared a peanut butter cookie, and then walked to the park and played.  

Trey at Posie's - with the smile I was looking for all weekend long 

Loving this new type of swing

Tuesday afternoon our new bed FINALLY arrived (a month delayed - grrrrrrr) and Randy and I went to see Storm Large, Pink Martini, and the Oregon Symphony.  Thursday we went to Bridgeport with Adam and Jenny to taste their new Hop Harvest beer.  I was a little skeptical of how Trey would do post-daycare since he usually melts down as soon as we walk in the door, but he did really well until 6pm.

That's all I really have to say for tonight.  Off to read my book club book (Nurture Shock by Po Bronson - super interesting and I usually talk about it to whoever I see. Tonight's chapter is about language development - right up my alley!).  I tried to turn off the tv since Randy was asleep, but of course he woke up immediately.  And now he's watching Jackass.  Boys!

One week down, forty more to go

Well, we have wrapped up our first full week of work/daycare.  And it's not even a full week because Monday was a holiday!
I realized that I haven't taken any photos all week (shocker) so here are a few of Trey from his afternoon snack on Sunday. 

He's turning in to such a ham...I hold up my phone and say "One...two..." and by "three" he has this cute smile on his face.  Love him!

Here are some things I've noticed and accomplished over the past week:

• Trey seems to have settled in pretty nicely to daycare.  He eats well there and tries new foods that I haven't given him or he won't eat for me. He plays, laughs and "talks" while he is there.  His daycare provider says that it has been a smooth transition (smoother than others she has experienced in the past) and that he is "an adaptable baby".  All of these things make me a happy mama! 
• One thing that Trey is NOT doing at daycare is napping.  He only napped for 20 minutes on Thursday and could have easily gone to bed at 5:00pm.  He ended up falling asleep in my arms at 6:00pm while he was drinking his bottle.  Only having an hour and a half with him at night does not make a me a happy mama, but I know this will improve with time. 
• My successes of the week were to wake up at 5:00am on Tuesday through Friday and go use the elliptical machine in the basement that Randy got me for my birthday AND to cook real dinners every night this week.  I would call that a successful week of exercise and meal planning.  Yay me!
• I am having some mother's guilt over this fact:  I can't wait to pick Trey up from daycare, hug him, snuggle him, kiss him, tell him how much I love him and play with him.  Yet, once we get home and I get down on the floor to play with him or hold him in my lap and read stories to him, I find myself  checking the clock asking myself "Is it bedtime yet?" 

My daycare provider, who I will call "M" just sent me these pictures of Trey from last week.  I thought that was really nice of her...it is fun to see the different things he does all day long.  I think one of the hardest parts of him being in daycare is that I really have no idea what he's doing during the day and he's not able to tell me. 

This past weekend it was really great to spend two full days at home with Trey, although he didn't catch up on his sleep like I was hoping and appears to be teething (if the drool pouring out of his mouth is any indication) so he wasn't in the greatest mood.  Combining that with the 95 degree weather on both days meant we both sort of had cabin fever.  Really looking forward to the milder weather and anticipating a really fun fall.  Can't wait for Baby McGuire to make his appearance!

End of summer...sigh...

Tomorrow marks the official end of summer.  I had to work one day last week but that felt like a cruel tease because I then had four days off.  Trey went to daycare on Thursday and they said he did well.  He napped in the stroller and was filthy when I picked him up so I know he had fun.  He starts on Tuesday full time at a new daycare and I have mixed feelings about it (daycare in general, not where we picked).

Advantages to going back to work full-time/sending Trey to full-time daycare:

• Trey gets to socialize all day long with a bunch of kids, play with new toys, and have new experiences.
• A full time paycheck - phew, we needed that!
• I enjoy my job and what I do - looking forward to having things to think about besides Trey's naps; how much milk he does or does not drink from the bottle, sippy cup, through the straw, etc.; chores; and what might be on tv that night.  Boring!

Disadvantages to having Trey in full-time daycare/working full-time:

• Well, the obvious...not getting to spend as much time with Trey and missing out on his moments of learning, curiosity, and delight.
• Having someone else be with Trey 8.5-9 hours a day, 5 days a week
• Not having as much time to do playdates, meet for lunch, go fun places...
• Not having my relaxing mornings...and I have a feeling the evenings won't be as relaxing either.
• A few others that I'm sure I will think of of as I blog.

We have enjoyed our last few weeks of summer.  If you saw the last blog post, you saw Trey sitting in a little tupperware container with his feet in the water.  We improved his accommodations slightly and had him cool off in this tub on the deck.  He loved it!  It is supposed to be hot again this weekend, so I might have to pull it out again.  

Here are some pictures from the last few weeks.  We've finally had some hot weather here in Portland so on one hand we are trying to get out and enjoy it, but on the other we are trying to keep Trey cool.

Randy has been itching to get Trey out fishing with him and finally took him out to Kelly Point Park with Trey in the backpack.  He said Trey was his good luck charm because he doesn't usually catch anything in this specific spot.

I have found an awesome pool at the Mt Scott Community Center where they have a family swim period.  The water is 88 degrees, there is a section that is only one foot deep so Trey can stand, and they also have this cool "river" with a current where I take Trey on a floating pad.  One day a few weeks ago Trey and I went and had lunch in the park and then went swimming.  (This would be another thing on my list of disadvantages.)

Have I mentioned how much Trey loves Tango's water dish?  This happened in just a short time of Trey being out of my eyesight.  If you know our house, this is not the kitchen and NOT where Tango's water dish is usually housed.

Last weekend, Trey and I went to my dad's in Leaburg with Julie.  Randy and Tim had other commitments and Sandy was headed to Bend for a get together.  It was sort of fun just to be with my dad and Julie all weekend.

 Dinner at the rest stop

Trey doesn't like to nap at my dad's and he usually doesn't sleep in the stroller anymore, but he did this weekend.  It was a short nap (45 minutes) and led to a long day, but at least it was something!

Lunch on the patio 

What a lucky boy to eat lunch in front of the river. 

Part of the reason we went this weekend is so Julie could get her hair cut.  She cut off 12 inches that she will send to Locks of Love.

34 weeks pregnant and so cute with her new haircut!

Randy took some afternoons off last week so we could spend some time together.  One day we went to OMSI with Adam and his girls.  

They have a video game exhibit which is probably really fun if you aren't there with a one year old...

 Last time we were there, all Trey could do was play in the infant area.  This time he was able to climb and explore other areas in the Science Playground which was a lot of fun.

 Trey and his first toy snake thanks to Dad

We went to Hopworks afterwards and Trey got to enjoy the kiddie area for the first time.  Finally, our time has come to enjoy the kid friendly part of Hopworks...before it was just a giant headache.

I also drove to Salem last week to visit my dad for lunch.  We won't be able to do that anymore (another thing on my list of disadvantages) so it was good to go one last time.

 Grandpa teaching Trey how to use the adding machine
Trey loved the noises that the machine made.
Maybe he will like numbers just like his mama and grandpa.

I was excited to take Randy to the swimming pool with Trey so we also did that this week.

It might look like they are having fun, but Trey is actually crying in this picture. 

 He was crying because he wanted to get out of the pool and crawl around the side.  Weird kid.

Saturday Randy went with us to the Portland Farmers Market.  We were first in line for Pine State Biscuits and then stocked up on some produce for the next few weeks.  I am up for the Bad Mother award because I'm not very good at feeding Trey vegetables.  I've been trying it recently but he is not a fan.  I think Randy is coaching him behind my back.  

Here is Trey at the market.  I love his expressions when he is checking things out.  And they are hard to see, but Trey is wearing the cutest Converse tennis shoes.  

Randy got his bike all set up to take Trey in the trailer.  Trey is handling the bike helmet much better than we thought he would.  Having his bottle and blanket with him seems to keep him happy.  So far Randy has only taken him on quick rides around the neighborhood.  We can't wait to do something longer! 

I expect my blog posts will slow down when I'm working full time, but I will do my best to keep them up with photos and stories.  I'm not sure how being a full time working mama will go, but I am ready to get this next chapter started.  My mom did it, lots of my friends do it, and women everywhere do it all the time.  Here's to the next adventure! 

Warning: this blog post is really long (I've been busy)

14 months old!

Trey trying to beat the heat we've had these last few days

It has been a busy few weeks in the Clark house!  Since my last blog post we have celebrated my dad's birthday, helped Julie and Tim move into their new house, gone on the annual Clark campout, celebrated my birthday, had our anniversary (celebration to come), and threw Julie's baby shower.  And those were just the big events!

Julie and Tim moved in to a great house in Beaverton that will be perfect for their growing family.  I am so happy for them and can already envision holiday gatherings and dinner parties at their house.  I told Julie that just after being there for 15 minutes it already felt comfortable and like it was theirs.

Here is Trey at the Swap n Play walking behind a stroller.  

Any guesses on if he'll walk in the next month?  

I sort of doubt it... 

Clark Parking Lot

If I had a dollar for every wheel that was currently in our house, I'd be a rich woman.  (and this is less than half of the transportation devices Trey plays with)

Every year Randy's extended family gets together for the Clark family campout.  Last year we went to Prineville Reservoir when Trey was only 8 weeks old.  This year the destination was Seaquest State Park near Castle Rock, WA.

Randy's parents arrived on Thursday afternoon and we spent some time together before they drove up to the campground.   Originally, we were going to borrow a tent trailer for the weekend which made me feel more comfortable with the "how to get the baby to sleep at a campground" idea.  Unfortunately, we found out a few days before that the trailer was in the shop, so we had to camp the real way - in a tent.  I, being a nervous Nellie and also not a very experienced camper, was a little unsettled with how it was going to go with Trey sleeping in a tent.  No light, cold, getting to sleep in the first place, Trey not being able to sleep when he's in bed with us...the list went on and on.  I figured we'd give it a shot and then worst case scenario I would drive home since it was only an hour away.  Stay tuned...

Trey promptly got comfortable in the dirt.  

I asked him to please not swallow any rocks and I think he followed my direction.   

Relaxing with the boy

Trey participated in his first building of the fire with the Clark men. 

Working hard on this project are Grandpa Doug, 

Cousin Caleb, Uncle Bob, Randy, and Trey 

Trey was mesmerized by the fire after it started and really wanted to climb in.

Randy keeping Trey from climbing into the fire 

Grandpa Doug and happy Trey

(I think Doug might have been trying to keep Trey from climbing in the fire as well.) 

Getting ready for dinner:

Grandpa and Grandma Clark, Cousin Caleb, Trey, and Randy

As you can see, Trey is buckled in...in order to keep him from climbing in the fire.

Caleb and Trey

After dinner meant bedtime.  What I will say about this is that after two hours of trying (i.e. crying), Trey and I drove home and slept at our house.  I think what I got out of this experience, besides stress, is that I need to follow my mama instincts and not worry about what others are thinking of me.  One lesson I have learned since Trey was born is that I try really hard not to judge other parents for the decisions they make about their kids.  After Trey's screaming so hard where he was choking and I thought he was going to throw up (has happened before), I really wanted to leave and go home, but I felt that I was obligated to stay and give it a shot.  Trey's absolute lack of interest (i.e. screaming) in being in the pack n play, the noisy children playing on the play structure right outside our tent, and the fact that lying next to Trey on the mattress helped calm him but turned him playful because we don't co-sleep just led to a trifecta of disaster.  I felt such relief after I got in the car and drove away.  Such relief.

The next day I drove back to the campground after Trey's first nap.  Oh, I should also mention that in the midst of all of this was a week of Trey not taking an afternoon nap.  We have officially transitioned to one nap a day and it has been a long few weeks.  Having the campout happen in the middle of this was not ideal timing.

Randy and I drove up to Mt. Saint Helens to do some hiking.  Unfortunately, by the time we arrived everyone else had already started on their way.  This may have been a good thing as they went REALLY FAR and I was not prepared for that, but it did sort of defeat the purpose of spending time with family who we do not see very often.  We all got reconnected back at the campground later in the day, but Trey and I were already planning on leaving pretty shortly after people got back.  (I had decided to go home again.  Trey can learn to camp next year.)

Randy and I hiked for a few miles (we think) with Trey on Randy's back.  I have only been up here once before when it was really cold and too cloudy/foggy to see anything.  The scenery was pretty amazing and it's difficult to wrap your head around the desolation from the eruption.  

Randy, Trey, Albert, Javan, and pregnant Heidi 

Trying to keep Trey contained while we ate dinner

Trey and I decided not to drive back to the campground on Sunday because people were planning on leaving by 11 or 12.   Randy, Doug, and Carmen got back to the house around 1230, and I was happy that Trey got to spend the afternoon with his grandparents.  We played on the floor and went to the park before dinner.  Even though Trey doesn't see them very often, he seems really comfortable with them and doesn't take long to warm up which makes me really glad.  

The week after the campout included my birthday and our anniversary.  We aren't celebrating our anniversary until this week because that is when it worked out for Julie to babysit.  For my birthday we just had my dad, Sandy, Julie and Tim over to bbq and have dinner.  The day started out with making scones with the blackberries from our yard and a visit to Jen Whitten's house.  It also included our refrigerator breaking which was a kink in the joy of the day.  Luckily, a very odd repairman named Barry was able to come that afternoon and fixed it.  It made the dinner hour a little hectic, but I was still able to enjoy the company of my family.  They also seemed to enjoy the cobbler I had baked that afternoon with the blueberries and blackberries from our yard (thanks to Carmen and Doug for picking them on Sunday!).  

Our week also included lunch with Nicola at Hopworks, breakfast with Mindy at a weird place that I can't even remember the name, playing with Nyree and her daughters at the park, and book club.   I'm trying to really enjoy my days with Trey before going back to work in two weeks.  I am going to miss these get togethers with my girlfriends!  

Camille and Trey post breakfast at a not very kid friendly place

Mindy and I did not enjoy our relaxing morning get together as much as we'd hoped.  What kind of place puts kids in their photos on their website 

but then doesn't have any high chairs??

At least there was a park across the street. 

Hanging with the Miller girls

Oh, and by the way, I should mention that Nyree and her girls have officially moved back to Portland and I am so so happy!  Ashlyn is 8 and Madi is about to turn 7.  

Do you think that's too young to babysit? 

Yesterday was Julie's baby shower.  I was so honored to be able to help celebrate Julie and her new baby boy with many of her girlfriends.  I had the help of Deena, Judy, and Sandy, and I think things went well.  I tried to make it super special for Julie, and I hope she was happy (she said she was).  

The gift I got for Julie was awkward to wrap, so I decided to do a scavenger hunt for her.  Our mom used to do this for us at Christmas time for either a big gift or my mom's favorite gift to us.  I found some old pictures that had my mom and Julie together and made little poems to take Julie on her search.  I was really excited because there aren't many pictures of my mom and Julie together (being the second born, I guess) and I found two that she had never seen before in my grandma's photo albums.  This picture is funny to me because I wrote on top of the folded clue "Look at me" intending Julie to look at the clue.  Julie, being an excellent direction follower, promptly looked at me.  I thought she looked at me because she knew it was a scavenger hunt, but I guess she was just doing as she was told.

Here she is laughing because she realized her misunderstanding.

She found it!  I got her a cool wooden play box thing that I thought she would love.  

Trey loves it too, so I'm hoping she puts it out somewhere now 

since Baby Boy won't be able to play with it for several months.   

I'm not a fan of baby shower games (or shower games in general) so I wanted an activity that wasn't too dorky.  I collected photos of Julie and Tim from birth until age 6.  I asked people to put them in chronological order for both Julie and Tim.  The best part was that Julie couldn't even figure out whether a few of them were her or Tim.  One thing is for sure...their baby is going to be cute!

Julie and I with Cheryl Lockard, a good friend of my mom's.  Cheryl and my mom met when they were in junior high in Eugene.  When my mom was sick, Cheryl would drive up for the day and just lie with her on the bed and talk.  I will always remember that and remember thinking, "I wonder who will be my Cheryl when I need someone like this..."  

Julie and her BFF Deena.  Not only do they now live within a mile of each other, but their children will be in the same grade at the same school.  Deena is about five months behind Julie, and I think they will have such fun raising their children together.

Sandy, Julie, and I 

Sisters!  I can't wait to raise our boys together!

I have two weeks left of summer and I am having a lot of strong feelings about this.  On one hand, I am ready to get back to work and to have something else to think about besides my sweet boy.  His transition to one nap has been rough for both of us, and not having to think about naps every day will be a relief.  On the other hand, the idea of him being in daycare full time makes me a little sick to my stomach and I will really miss our days together.  My favorite times are when we cuddle on the bed in the morning while he drinks his milk, when we are cozy together while reading books or just snuggling, and when he giggles and laughs at something silly.  I know we will still have these times together, but the fact that he will spend 9 hours a day with someone else makes me really really sad.  

I love how purposeful and planful Trey has become.  He still is curious and explores, but now his actions definitely have intent.  I bought him some crayons and paper (damn Ages and Stages Questionnaire) and while he can scribble on the paper, he would prefer to roll the crayons under the entertainment center.  I got magnetic refrigerator letters (to try and distract him from my photos and magnets), and he prefers to take them off and shove them under the fridge.  He LOVES water, loves rolling bottles around on the deck or in the living room, and enjoys taking things out of drawers (i.e. tupperware, his clothes) and then putting them back in.  I love watching him learn and figure things out.  He is such a delight!