You've Got to Come See the Baby!

For all those who have requested to see more pictures of our little Lana, here are a few I took today. 5 days old.

As soon as I sort through all the other pictures of the past week, including those from our hospital stay and Christmas festivities, I'll get some of those up too. Pardon me if it takes a few days--I'm still figuring out life with 2 kids!

Chris Time!

Clark is very excited about what he's learned about Christmas (or Chris Time) so far. We watched a nativity video for Family Home Evening a few weeks ago and for days afterward he'd ask Daddy to "watch Baby Jesus again".  

He also loves Chris trees, Chris lights, Chris shows, Chris cards, listening to Chris songs (he even sings Away in a Manger), Santa, 'nowmen, 'noflakes, rein-eer, wishing people a "Merry Chris-Muss" or "Happy Christmas", and is looking forward to "open it. presents. Chris day."

I couldn't bring myself to put our tree on a timer this year. Clark seemed so enamored with turning on the lights himself that I made it his special job that he looks forward to each day. As much as he still probably doesn't understand I can see that he knows there's something extra special about Christmastime!

Big Brother Training Program

As my belly has been growing Clark has been undergoing big brother training in a program he created by himself for himself. Since the summer Clark has been nurturing his toys in a manner that surprises me since he's never watched me care for an infant. He's given all his toys many gentle baths in the baby tub, diapered them, and has wrapped them up and cradled them while saying "baby". He's even safety-tested the baby's bassinet and given the toys a turn in there as well. 

I recently potty-trained him using a doll that wets--Baby Doll--that he takes everywhere now (along with his cars and trucks) and treats like his baby. He also likes to feel the baby move in my tummy. From what I've seen over the past several months I think Clark is going to make an excellent big brother!

p.s. As the months have progressed he's also gotten increasingly clingy to me. It's endearing, yet when my pregnant body is exhausted it would be nice if he'd be content letting his daddy take care of him a bit more. 

Only Child Status: the Final Countdown

It's just a matter of days--maybe hours--before Clark's "only child" status will roll over to "big brother." It's a tiny bit bittersweet for me as a mother. 99% sweet, but 1% sad to think that I'll have to split my attention as a mother and won't get to savor every tiny thing that Clark or his baby sister does. 

In other news, Clark felt so accomplished today at lunch when he held his applesauce bowl while eating out of it that he asked me to take a picture of him. Of course I obliged! Just like his dad, he gave me a candid look to convey a very natural feel in the photo. ha ha. I love this boy! 

Tricks for Mama

Last night after dinner Steve and Clark put on quite a show for me. It reminded me of getting a new toy in a box,

and trying out all its tricks.

It brought a smile to my face to see them having so much fun. This show was better than any circus--I give it two thumbs up!

Thanksgiving Recap

We had a great Thanksgiving holiday last week. We started our Thursday morning doing the traditional Turkey Trot race in downtown Houston. I didn't race this year for obvious reasons, but Steve and his brother swerved through the 13,000 runners with jogging strollers while Steve's Dad and I cheered for them and Amy from the sidelines. 

We had a traditional Thanksgiving feast with some of Steve's family, including Clark's great grandma Nancy. Since I've been so tired lately I didn't get around to making Clark a special turkey or pie. He dined, instead, on chicken, sweet potatoes with cinnamon and marshmallows, broccoli, special bread and jam, apple slices, jell-o, and a pumpkin muffin. He must have gotten into the Thanksgiving spirit since he ate every crumb of his meal. 

The day after Thanksgiving, Clark and I were up quite early. I hadn't planned on making it out to any early Black Friday sales, but since we were up anyway...I loaded Clark into the car and off we went. We made it to the fabric store but Clark decided early shopping isn't for him and requested to go home where he helped his daddy get the Christmas tree out of the box.

Just One More Month

I'm due 1 month from today! We're all very excited to meet baby sister. Clark "helped" me take some maternity shots this week by throwing dirt all over my tripod in between getting bitten by ants. I convinced him to be in some of the frames with me by letting him operate the clicker. 

At 35 weeks I'm well past that "cute belly" look--where maternity clothes still actually fit--and well into the "wow! that's a big belly!" phase. Since about 26 weeks I've been making grocery clerks bug-eyed and store employees nervous that I'm going to have a baby right in front of them. They always comment about how I look like I'm going to pop any second.  Thanks...???

This pregnancy has gone very well, though I've made sure to complain plenty to Steve about being sick (until about 25 weeks!) and the regular aches and pains. This third trimester has been very tiring and week 32/33 was especially exhausting, but I've discovered the power of power naps. I haven't had any particular cravings (unless you count fruity candies and chocolate-covered pretzels), but I was getting a weird taste in my mouth frequently. ew. I feel like I haven't been as dumb, emotional, or clumsy as I was during my last pregnancy, and I have been a lot more active. I usually don't have a problem sleeping at night but lately have been waking up at 4 am unable to go back to sleep for at least an hour. This baby seems to kick less than my little powerboxer Clark, but she sure likes to stretch out which can be a bit uncomfortable at times. I've enjoyed being pregnant this time but in a few weeks will definitely be ready to enjoy my baby outside my belly.

Homemade Toy

This morning I had good intentions to make a new toy with Clark. I saw a cute idea for a train/car tunnel on Pinterest last night and had the perfect box sitting in my living room, begging to be made into something similar for this cute little car/train/tunnel obsessed boy:

I cut out some tunnels in the box with Clark's supervision and showed him how his cars could go through it. Our creative activity took a surprising twist when he lost interest in the tunnel features after 2 seconds and decided instead it would be more fun to break the box by falling down on it repeatedly.

The toy didn't turn out as I had planned, but I had begun with the intention of creating something fun with Clark. Judging by the look on his face: mission accomplished.

Cunkins

Some of Clark's Utah "cunkins" (cousins) were in town this weekend so we met them in Spring for playtime at the park today. We're not traveling for the holidays this year so we were glad for an opportunity to get together!

Smart. Good boy. Helper.

The other night as I was reading Clark a book before bed he said to me: "Smart. Good boy. Helper." I suppose he was reminding me of all the things I often tell him he is. It was very cute. Here's my little helper bringing me some clean laundry the other day. It's nice to have such an enthusiastic delivery service while being 7 months pregnant!

Happy How-ween!

Clark was a little "sayer" (sailor) for Halloween this year.  I opted out of making a costume this year since I already had this sweet little vintage suit. 

I thought we needed a hat so I did make that, sans pattern, which was no small feat. I ended up with 2 hats in the end: one too small and one that fit.

The week before Halloween I had Clark help me do a Halloween craft. He didn't enjoy getting his hands and feet dirty so we made just a few prints before he requested to be cleaned up. I made his artwork into a garland that I hung inside so he could admire his handiwork. He loved pointing out the black cats and ghosts all week.

We took Clark trick-or-treating in our friends' neighborhood on Halloween night. He was all practiced up with his "kuh kuh tweet"s (trick or treat) and "Pup-pup How-ween"s (Happy Halloween).

Just like last year, he seemed to enjoy passing out candy more than getting his own. When there weren't any customers he'd stand anxiously and say he was "wait" for "more kids".

We went to just a few houses since it takes a 2 year-old quite a long time to walk from door to door. He was much younger than most trick-or-treaters and got a lot of "awwww"s, and "so cute!"s.  

We enjoyed all the festive yard decorations on our walk

and made some new friends.

Clark enjoyed collecting candy in his bucket, but isn't old enough yet to realize or care what is in those bright little packages. So far, Halloween is a fun time to wear a "cah-coom" (costume), see "puh-pins" (pumpkins), and be with other kids outside at night. Sounds good to me!

Card Coverage

Things can get a little creative around here on Friday afternoons...

Pumpkin Patch: Takes 1 and 2

On Sunday, before we sat down to watch General Conference, we took a walk around our local arboretum. I noticed a pumpkin patch there and lots of families taking pictures so the next day I took Clark there to follow suit. We showed up to find exactly...one pumpkin left. doh! All was not lost because Clark enjoyed climbing the bales of hay and marveling at the single pumpkin.

Yesterday we got together with friends at another pumpkin patch--one that still had plenty of pumpkins. Clark was too energized to sit still for pictures but I documented some of his antics. 

It's been awhile since I've tried any type of photoshoot with Clark and this week I discovered my child has a strong aversion to looking at a camera, let alone holding still or smiling for a picture. These outtakes pretty much sum up the few minutes we attempted to take any sort of posed shot:

Faces of Lunch

It's been awhile since I've done a Clark-facial-expression-grid, so here's a sampling of what lunchtime looked like this afternoon.

Comparing

Yesterday afternoon I was fixing a little stuffed decoration while Clark was entertaining himself by throwing chunks of polyfil at my head. Pretty soon the stuffing found its way under his shirt and we got to compare bellies. 

Making Room

Clark got a special delivery today: a new bed! As you can see, it suits him for watching garbage trucks on YouTube, although he finds most places to be suitable for that. Now that we have a bed I have just 12 more weeks to transform this room into a magical shared girl nursery/toddler boy room.

Hopefully the novelty of getting on and off the bed wears off soon so he can actually lie down and go to sleep sometimes.

iTechnology

My son loves Apple devices. A few days ago when we got home after running some errands he asked for my iPhone. I told him we weren't doing iPhones just then, so he immediately said, "iPod!". I told him we weren't doing iPods either, so a pause...then he shouted, "iPAD!" ha ha. Had to tell him no again.

On Saturday he breezed past me in the kitchen toward the stairs. When I inquired where he was going he said, "up. iPad." Two minutes later I turned around (and quickly snapped the pic on the right) to see him muscling Daddy's iPad downstairs. Steve asked me if I had brought it down since it was apparently hidden away. Alas, no hiding spot is too secretive for my determined little iClark when he wants to "puh-yay" a "gain" of "bir"s.

From the Phone

Here are some recent gems captured by my phone:

 1. We turned Clark forward-facing in the car a few days after his birthday. Now anytime I go to put him in the car he says "ride".

2. Photography by Clark. The subject: Steve changing a diaper. 

3. Clark in nursery on a day I was helping out. He looks good as a construction worker caring for a baby, no?

4. & 5. Clark doing "essasize" at the playground. He's watched his daddy do pull-ups every weekend so that must be what he knows as exercise.

6. A post-exercise cool-down.

7. I tried the sock bun 'do that is ever-present on Pinterest. Looks like I have some more practicing before I get a look that's more bun, less UFO.

8. Clark and Daddy playing Angry Birds. He likes taking turns and makes sure that Daddy gets plenty of "tie"s (tries).

9. Last week of my second trimester, taken after a walk this morning. People are already asking me if I'm full-term yet. ha ha! Not even close!