Such A Time As This

Toddler George

2011-10-23T21:24:00.002-05:00

It finally happened! October 14th will go down in (our family) history as the day George walked for the first time! We were sitting in his room skyping with David's parents and George just took off! It happened moments after David told his parents that he didn't think George would walk before his 1st birthday! He certainly loves to keep us guessing. Find precious toddling videos below.

Today is October 23rd, and since last week he has continued to take countless steps. Does this mean that we officially have a toddler??

A few recent George-isms:

He loves to raise our shirts and touch our belly buttons while we change his diaper.
He eats his cheerios with one finger and finds it hilarious.
He has started loving on/hugging his stuffed animals, us, and even another baby he plays with! See video below.
He is able to recognize about 100 objects around the house by name (we've been keeping a list). Of course, he can't say them yet, but when we ask him where _____ is, he responds by pointing to it.
He loves to dance... the boy certainly feels the beat when music is on.
He is very interested in dogs. We don't have a dog, but when we see them on our walks he flips out. Our neighbor has a dog that George can see from his bedroom window, too.
Since we've started feeding only table food (plus 3 breastfeeding sessions a day), he has really fattened up! He is starting to wear 12-18 month clothes and size 4 diapers.

(Warning: Gratuitous videos below of the cutest little baby boy around... that's what the blog is for, right?)

George loving on his elephant

George loving on his Teddy

Sweet Kisser

2011-10-23T21:06:00.000-05:00

He has my whole heart.

New York Visit

2011-10-23T21:05:00.000-05:00

The weather was perfect during Columbus Day weekend so David surprised me by taking me and George to NYC for the weekend. He arranged for me to go out with some girlfriends from high school and we stayed with our friends, Katie and Elliott, in Brooklyn. We took George strolling in Central Park, David and I went to the Met, and I was able to catch up with old friends.

Atop the Met

Central Park

Pointing at boats

George Kisses Curious George

2011-09-30T14:19:00.000-05:00

Recently

2011-09-28T09:22:00.000-05:00

This week has been amazing! George and I have discovered weekly storytime at the library (for babies!), a little park, a play group, and have met lots of moms and kids. What a blessing!

George enjoying the swings

He really loved it!

So happy.

This is the door to George's room. When we leave him in there alone, he is quick to throw out everything he can find (in this case, foam letters from his floor). I guess it is his passive agressive way of communicating that he wants us to come back and play. The longer we're away the bigger the pile gets.

George (finally) graduated to the big tub. He does great and enjoys crawling around in the water. We just need to get him some bath toys to play with!

Hanging out with Daddy. Doesn't he look so big?

Upstate Life

2011-09-21T22:28:00.004-05:00

Its been awhile. Our life has dramatically changed in the past few months! I'll do my best to catch you up on our life.

We moved from Lubbock, TX to upstate NY (over 2,200 miles!!!) during the first two weeks of August. David finished his coursework for his PhD at Texas Tech and is now teaching at Colgate University in Hamilton, NY. His teaching appointment at Colgate is only for 9 months so we will only be here that long. Our house in Lubbock was under contract to be sold when we left, but after we arrived in NY we found out that the buyer backed out in the 11th hour. We still DESPERATELY need to sell or rent it.
Here are a few photos from our voyage from TX to NY. We drove a 23 ft. Penske truck with our car in tow. The three of us were in the bench seat in the truck. George did SO well. He only had a few meltdowns. We were able to stay with our families along the way and spread out the trip over a few weeks. We even got to introduce George to our old stomping grounds in Charlottesville.

Our truck in Little Rock

Visiting Grandma

Visiting Grand-Betsy and Dada

Visiting Grandpa

Hanging out with Dada

Little Rock

Meeting up with Bethany and Avalynn in Memphis

Watching sports in Chattanooga

Lookouts game in Chattanooga

George and Grandaddy

George with Aunt Julie and Mimi

UVA grounds

Charlottesville Downtown Mall with George

***

We live in a little town called Earlville which is 5 miles south of Hamilton. We have downsized to a 2br apartment in the downstairs of a Victorian house built circa 1820. It has lots of character, but totally different from anywhere we've lived before. Luckily, the apartment above ours is empty and will remain vacant since our landlord uses it as a retreat and seldom visits. Our friend Evan was so sweet to visit us from Brooklyn to help us unload our truck. We were surprised to learn that we don't have air conditioning! We've only had a few truly hot days, so it's really not that bad. Our heat is a bit strange (to us). We have a huge fuel oil tank in the basement and it's a little scary. I am learning to live without a disposal and dishwasher. Also, our washing machine flooded our first night here! It's certainly an adventure. The neighbors are super friendly and have told us that they're really into snow mobiling. I'm so excited to introduce George to snow and drag him around on a sled. They don't pick up trash or deliver mail here either (so weird!). However, George and I enjoy our daily trek to the post office which is just around the corner from our house. We usually stop by the library and play with hand puppets and puzzles. The church situation is very different from Texas. We don't know of any churches in our area that have childcare or have attendance over 50 or so. I'm so eager to meet other women and moms, I just don't know where to start if we don't get plugged into a church. I've asked around about playgroups, but haven't heard of anything. My mom visited us last week and helped us out so much. David and I were even able to go out on a date to Utica! We saw Contagion and really enjoyed it. My mom dyed my hair (verrrry) dark brown and I really like it! We went to the Farmer's Market, explored surrounding towns, went to H&M and Target in Utica, cooked (PW's fried chicken), and baked. What a blessing it was having her around!

***

George! He is growing so quickly. He is 10 months old and so active. George has been saying "Dada" for awhile, but TODAY he said "Mama"!!! My mom bought him an early birthday gift and gave him a walker. He is "walking" all over the house in it and it is so funny seeing his independence. He has been standing unassisted for awhile, but lately he has improved his duration and even flirted with taking a step. We are so in love with this little man.

These videos were taken today:

Latest Georgeisms:

He is really into pointing at object around the house, us, and pictures in books.
He can identify us by pointing and say our names.
He is still obsessed with ceiling fans and can spot them a mile away.
He gives us the biggest, sweetest, wettest kisses.
He is a good little waver and even waves at strangers.
He eats table food and stage 3 baby food.
He is wearing 12 month clothes and size 3 diapers.
He has 6 teeth (4 on top and 2 on the bottom)
He typically sleeps from 8pm-6am without waking up (this a very big deal!)
I still breastfeed him 3 times a day (mid morning, mid afternoon, and bedtime)

A few recent photos:

David and George strolling on Colgate's campus

George and I hiking near the Chittenango Falls

View from David's office

We have really enjoyed exploring surrounding towns. They are all very unique and charming. It is so fun to shop and eat in Syracuse, which is an hour away. We love Dinosaur BBQ and have eaten there twice already. David really loves his job and has had lots of time to write. I am enjoying being a stay at home mommy and spending time with my little man. David will be applying to poetry teaching positions and fellowships this fall for jobs starting next fall.

To sum it up, we're enjoying upstate NY and are finally feeling settled! Sorry for the long update. It's been a wild ride!

Our new address:

P.O. Box 383

Earlville, NY 13332

Almost 9 Months!

2011-07-27T22:23:00.002-05:00

Since we're moving on Aug. 5, we'll be on the road during George's 9-month milestone on Aug. 6. We went today for his 9-month well baby visit. He didn't get any shots, but he did have to have his blood drawn from his little arm (see bandage in photo below). It was no fun for either of us.

He is progressing well and the doctor gave us the green light to give him table foods. He now weighs 21 lbs and is in the 58th percentile for weight. He is in the 68th percentile for height and 67th for head circumference. He is still wearing size 3 diapers and 6-9 month clothes. He is still in his infant carrier, but we'll have to get a big boy car seat soon since the weight limit is 22 lbs for his current carrier!

He is teething again... when will it ever end? The two teeth on either side of his top front teeth are trying to break through. We've been battling fever, crankiness, and sleep deprivation for their sake. Thank goodness for baby tylenol! It's the only thing that brings him relief.

I'm still breastfeeding him about 4x per day. He's tried all kinds of foods, but his favorites are blueberry yo baby yogurt, sweet potatoes, carrots, apples, bananas, and anything with cinnamon. We gave him some pasta from our plates tonight for supper and he enjoyed that too. It's hard to believe that he will soon be outgrowing baby food. He drinks water and apple juice from a sippy cup and feeds himself with finger foods.

He only recently starting squealing and squeaking. He still says "baa-baa", "ma-ma", "da-da", "ya-ya", and "ga-ga". We're working with him on associating mama and dada with us.

He is crawling and climbing everywhere! He is an expert at finding the one thing in our house that isn't baby-proofed. He's recently starting "cruising" where he takes steps while holding on to furniture.

His hair is getting a little thicker and darker. It is starting to fall over his ears a little so a little trim may be in his future! His eye color is green-brownish/hazel, just like daddy! :)

He loves to throw the ball and throw just about anything. He often crawls around the house with a toy in his mouth--so funny! His favorite game is peek-a-boo. He is truly sweet natured and gives us the sweetest smiles and kisses.

Where has the time gone? I don't know what happened to my baby! We are blessed beyond belief.

Recent George Photos and Videos

2011-07-24T21:47:00.000-05:00

A few recent photos of our little man:

A few recent videos too:

July Update

2011-07-11T22:57:00.004-05:00

As of July 6, I'm a stay-at-home mommy! This is my dream come true. We have thoroughly enjoyed our days together so far. We go on walks, toss the ball, fold laundry, explore new parts of the house, sing, and dance.

David has started teaching a summer creative writing course at Texas Tech and will sit for his comprehensive exams for his PhD at the end of July. Needless to say he's been incredibly busy.

As of this weekend, poor George has contracted Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease. He hasn't been sleeping well and has been just pitiful. We are told that he should get over it in a week or two.

We still have not sold our house. It's looking like we'll have to rent it since we have to be in Hamilton by mid-August.

Our little boy is now 8 months old! He is growing up so very fast. Here are some of his recent accomplishments and discoveries:

He REALLY mobile now. He now crawls around the house and tests our childproofing skills.
He is pulling up on everything. We bought him an activity table (see photo below) for him to pull up on and it has been such a hit!
He is eating stage 2 and 3 foods. He is drinking watered down apple juice and eating puffs. He has learned to self-feed with puffs.
He is able to mimic us when we say "bye bye"... he'll repeat us and say "baa baa"
He has 4 middle teeth: two on top and two below
He is still wearing 6-9 month clothes and size 3 diapers
He can throw the ball overhanded
He recognizes his name
He knows how to give us big sloppy kisses now

Pooped after playing frisbee golf with Momma and Daddy

Sad boy showing off his 4 teeth

He always stands to greet us when he wakes up!
I just love those sleepy eyes!

Playing with his new activity table

Climbing on EVERYTHING!

Camped out in his high chair waiting for his snack!

Showing off his new Union shirt!
(If you're a Union alum, you should contact them to get this FREE onesie if your kiddo is 2 or younger.)

George's First Trip to the Pool

2011-06-28T16:47:00.000-05:00

George Crawls!

2011-06-27T10:20:00.001-05:00

June Update

2011-06-23T22:51:00.002-05:00

June has been such a wild month for us!

We're still trying to sell our house. We had two yard sales this month too--whew, what a task!

David is still watching George full time AND preparing for his comprehensive exams for his PhD. He has to read about 2 books a day to prepare for the exam at the end of July. David has also been preparing for the course he's teaching during the Summer II term.

Starting in the spring, David will be the editor of a poetry journal called 32 Poems. I'm going to help him as the managing editor which will be lots of fun. We are already planning a trip to Chicago in the spring to represent 32 Poems at AWP.

One of David's poems was just published in a beautiful journal called Willow Springs (issue 68). Check it out!

BIG NEWS! I turned in my notice at work and my last day will be Tuesday, July 5! I'm thrilled to finally stay at home with George and gear up for this move.

I went for my annual physical this month and learned that I have Hypothyroidism. The normal TSH scale is .3-5.1 and mine was 65! I will basically have to be on synthroid for the rest of my life. However, I'm told that I will feel more energetic after being on the medicine awhile. I can always use more energy!

George Highlights:

Our son is officially mobile! Today he crawled across his bedroom to dump out the basket of toys. I hope to post a video soon.
George cried when I left the house for work for the first time last week... broke his momma's heart!
We lowered his crib mattress because we found him sitting up in bed!
After a trip to Urgent Care, the ER at 3am, and the Pediatrician, we learned that George had the Roseola Virus with a secondary strep infection! He was on antibiotics for 10 days. It was quite a challenge getting him to take his medicine. He's finally back to his normal self!
George has tried blueberry yogurt, turkey, sweet potatoes, brown rice, pineapple, avocado, plums, and apricots this month. He loved them all!
George had his first kiss on Saturday! He smooched our friends' 10-month old baby girl, Landri, right on the lips. It was too precious!
George's 3rd tooth has broken through! It's one of his top middle teeth--he's getting so big!
His favorite toys are his books. He chooses them over all of his other toys most of the time.

Recent George photos:

Modest baby losing his drawers

Family naptime

Showing off tooth #1

Playing in the guest room

Trying new foods

Poor baby in the ER

Pulling out his books... definitely his father's son!

Little Laugher

2011-06-19T23:37:00.001-05:00

Who knew playing with a ball could be so funny?

6 Months of George

2011-05-06T21:55:00.004-05:00

Remember this?

February 28, 2010

November 2, 2010

November 6, 2010

Now check him out...

***

George's 6-month stats:

Height: 26.5"

Weight: 17 lbs. 15 ounces

Wearing 6-9 month clothes

Size 3 diapers

George's 1st Easter

2011-04-24T19:57:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter! He is risen!

"The power working in us is the same as the mighty strength which God used when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right side in the heavenly world." Ephesians 1:19-20

Ferber Baby

2011-04-22T22:06:00.000-05:00

David and I implemented the Ferber Method with George last Friday night. He had been sleeping 5-6 hours and was waking up a few times in the night consistently for the past month. We were waking up exhausted and so was he. We decided to try the Ferber Method after hearing success stories of our friends and we also read that babies his age should be sleeping 9.5 hours at night for their health. It was also brought to our attention (while reading Baby 411) that we had developed some bad habits with regards to his sleep. We were guilty of nursing him to sleep, relying on his mobile/light projector to fall asleep, feeding in our bed anytime he woke in the night, not having any sort of bedtime routine, putting him to bed at 9 or 10 pm, and letting him nap in places other than his crib.

Our new routine: George naps in his crib during the day. We also put up some dark curtains to block the sunlight to make it easier for him to nap in his room.

George eats around 7am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm. These times are flexible, depending on his hunger cues. He naps after his 9am and 3pm feedings. We don't let him nap after 4pm. At 7pm, we start the bedtime routine: nursing, bathtime, baby massage, storytime, cuddle time, and then (around 8pm) we put him in his crib with his lovey and say, "Night, night, George." (The key to the Ferber Method is to put baby to bed awake.)

The first night of Ferbering, he cried for 3 minutes alone before we comforted him (patting, saying "night-night" and shushing). He cried again for 5 more minutes. We went back in to comfort him. He cried again and we didn't even have to wait 10 minutes before he was asleep. He slept 10 hours straight on the first night! He woke up happy and enthusiastic. Night two, he slept 10.5 hours and cried even less. Nights 3-7, he has averaged about 10 hours at night. What a stark contrast to the 5-6 hours he was sleeping before Ferbering! I have to admit, the Ferber Method was incredibly difficult for me. I was crying listening to him cry. It took everything in me to keep from running in to comfort him when he was wailing.

We're now a week into the Ferber Method and George usually falls asleep after about 3-5 minutes of whining/crying. Tonight, he didn't cry at all. I went in to check on him after not hearing him cry and this is how we found him:

How cute is that little booty sticking up in the air?

(We put him on his back to sleep, but he flipped on his belly.)

The Ferber Method allows for flexibility and we understand that his needs continue to change. The important thing is to be consistent with the routine, giving him some structure. I'll let you know if we continue to have success with Ferbering... so far so good!

Big News!

2011-04-11T21:28:00.002-05:00

We are excited to announce that David is the recipient of the Colgate University Olive B. O'Connor Fellowship in Creative Writing! He had a skype interview last Wednesday and they called him on Friday with the good news letting him know he had been selected as the 2011 fellow!

This means we are moving to Hamilton, New York this summer!

Hamilton in the fall

Colgate Bookstore

Downtown Hamilton

Colgate University

We will certainly miss our friends in Lubbock. This fellowship will not only give David the opportunity to write and work on his book, but I will be able to stay home with George! We are overwhelmed and so grateful for this opportunity. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

George Lately

2011-04-11T20:07:00.003-05:00

George is now 5 months old!

Since I'm behind on blogging, here's a 4-month update:

GEORGE: Month 4

George flew on an airplane (a couple, actually) to see Mimi and Grandaddy in Chattanooga for spring break!

Trying rice cereal... he wasn't a fan.

Not uncommon to find my boys like this when I come home from work.

Enjoying some quality time with Mimi...

George with his friends, Duke and Avalynn, in Nashville over spring break!

In the last month...

He hasn't been sleeping well.. His sleep patterns have been erratic and he is much more wakeful at night. Sometimes all he needs is to be "shushed" and to have his mobile turned on, but lately I've had to feed him once in the night.
He tried rice cereal once for the first time over spring break. I'm still breastfeeding exclusively mostly because I've been too busy to pump extra to mix with cereal. I plan to be better about that this month as we move towards solid foods to be introduced in month 6.
He is teething and has two teeth that are ready to pop out! This means lots of drooling and fussiness. He's been chewing on his hands and Daddy calls it a "hand sandwich". We're giving him baby Tylenol pretty regularly to bring him some relief.
On March 20, George rolled from his tummy to his back for the first time! Daddy and Mommy were both in the room when it happened. Of course we applauded and cheered!
Three days later, on March 23, George rolled from his back to his tummy for the first time!
George is still in size 3 diapers
On March 11, we went for George's 4-month checkup. We learned that he was 26" long and 16 lbs. and 6 oz. His percentiles made us proud too: 78th for weight, 85th for height, and 73rd for head circumference.
He flew on an airplane for the very first time! He flew from Lubbock-Dallas-New Orleans-Birmingham AND then we drove two hours to see Mimi and Grandaddy in Chattanooga! On the return flights, we were stuck on the tarmac for 3 hours on a full plane without so much as a peep out of George. Everyone was complimenting him on his composure. We were so relieved to have such a cool, calm baby.
He loves to play "peep-eye"
He is OBSESSED with his feet. He always grabs them when we change him and always looks for opportunities to grab them.
He just started sitting up in the bath tub. He splashes and seems to really enjoy it. I used to bathe him on the counter in his baby tub, but he is splashing too much so we've placed the infant tub in the big tub so he can splash all he wants.
He loves anything red or black and white.
He loves to wiggle when we turn on music. We listen to ghdpandora kids station. Mommy and Daddy have even learned some new songs that we sing for him.
He loves to bounce in his frog activity station.
Anytime the television is on, he tries to watch it. We always turn him away because we limit his tv watching to about 30 minutes a week. The only program he's seen is Classical Baby. It's a huge hit in our home!
He is very "grunty".
He is still working on his sitting up skills. He can last up to a few minutes before he starts to topple over. When he is seated in our laps, he doesn't enjoy reclining. He goes out of his way to try to sit up. He can stand very well when he has something stationary to hold onto.
He loves touching faces when being held... noses, lips, and chins especially.
He found his tongue this month and enjoys sticking it out.
He is such a rolly-poly. When we put him on his play mats or in his crib, he never stays where we place him. He rolls, spins, scoots, and pikes his legs in the funniest ways!

and since then...

GEORGE: Month 5

Trying broccoli, peas, and pears.

Not a fan.

Trying the "Georgie" Jump-Up for the first time.

He loves it!

Posing for the camera...

Official 5-month photo taken on 4-6-11

George tried some baby food this week for the first time. I couldn't help myself when I saw the organic baby food "broccoli, pears, and peas" on sale at Target with the label reading 4+ months. He really didn't like it, but can you blame him? We just tried it once. You're supposed to ease into solids by starting with cereals, working up to pureed food. He was able to swallow it well and has shown an interest in food when David and I eat in front of him. We will revert to cereal so George's little digestive tract is adequately prepared for pureed foods, but I wanted him to try it!
We borrowed a "Georgie" Jump-Up from some friends and it is such a hit! He loves to bounce in it and spin around.
His laughter is starting to sound more like a traditional rippling laugh and he loves to babble.
We're not going to the doctor this month, so we'll have to wait until May to get his updated weight and height.
George is going to be dedicated at church on Sunday!

Cooking Kick

2011-02-26T00:00:00.003-06:00

I think I'm finally breaking free from the blogging doldrums. George is keeping us busy and I will post more on him soon.

I have recently enjoyed trying a few new recipes. It's always fun to change up the menu in the Clark home. Here are some of my recent experiments:

White Chicken Enchiladas by Pioneer Woman
Grade: A (will definitely cook this again)
I made a large pan of these and split half for friends who just had a baby and the other half for us. We had about two servings left after consuming our half! This is a great recipe to make on the weekend and "eat on" during the week. The recipe calls for corn tortillas, but I used flour which were fine. The texture wasn't as rich as corn tortillas would be, but I already had flour tortillas in the fridge. Perhaps next time I will use corn. Also, next time I will use half and half instead of cream. I used a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store instead of boiling the chicken because I'm a mom now and I don't have time to boil, de-bone, skim fat, store broth, etc. I would have liked to have made some kind of Mexican rice on the side, but don't know of a good recipe. Suggestions are welcome! My husband isn't into spicy food, so this was great for him. I would have enjoyed more of a kick so maybe next time I'll add add salsa or jalapeno seeds. I'm also thinking mushrooms would be a nice addition to the sauce. Have you ever had the Queso Flameados at Cozymel's? The sauce tastes so much like that!

Zuppa Toscana from food.com
Grade: A (will definitely cook this again)
Awesome soup. It's a knock-off of the Olive Garden soup that we love. I used regular bacon instead of bacon bits. Next time I'll put in more kale and use half and half instead of cream. David is already begging me to make it again!

Penne a la Betsy by Pioneer Woman
Grade: B- (take it or leave it)
Not great. We don't eat much seafood, so it was nice to have shrimp in the pasta. We had TONS of leftovers and I had no interest in eating it again. The taste wasn't bad, it was just bland and a little fishy. Since my experience of cooking seafood is limited to salmon on the grill or in the oven, I'm always suspicious of seafood and may be ultra sensitive to the smell. Are there rules for reheating seafood? I was afraid to keep the leftovers for too long because of the seafood factor. Am I crazy?

Cheesy Corn Bites from Rachael Ray mag and a favorite of my West Texas girlfriends
Grade: A+ (DYING to cook these right now)
So these are NOT healthy, but I think they make up for it in cuteness. Using the "Scoops" as mini bowls is my new favorite thing. I have heard of people making mini tacos this way, too. I imagine they would be great to serve with chili. I use the neufchatel cheese instead of cream cheese because it has fewer calories and tastes the same. The ingredients are always on hand in case we have guests. It's so quick, easy, and yummy. They're not so good re-heated though, I'll warn you. The shell gets all mushy.

With the warm weather reaching us in Lubbock (tomorrow the high is 81 degrees!), we're dusting off the grill and have plans to grill out all weekend. Which leads me to my next question, what is your stand-by hamburger recipe? What non-meat foods do you love to throw on the grill?

My hamburger recipe is simple: Worcestershire sauce, cavender's seasoning, egg, bread crumbs, red pepper flakes, and a little bit of cheese. I'm wanting to try a more adventurous recipe, so pass yours along! Our typical non-meat grilling favorites include portabella mushrooms, corn on the cob (still in husks), and squash/zucchini. Again, I need more ideas to expand our repertoire!

I'm off to bed. I'm preparing for a sleepless night since tonight is the first time we've put him to bed without swaddling. He's been asleep for the last 2 hours. Hope he keeps it up!

PS: We saw "Unknown" at the drive-in tonight. It was really bad. January Jones has never been worse.

Baby Houdini

2011-02-25T06:59:00.008-06:00

The picture below shows how George sleeps every night. He is always wrapped in his swaddling blanket under his mobile/light projector/sound machine (listening to classical music). This is usually how we find him in the morning when he wakes up (except his mobile is off in the morning)...

...but this morning was different.

Early this morning, David and I heard his mobile turn on through the baby monitor. Since the mobile turns off automatically after 20 minutes, it was strange to hear it first thing in the morning.

We walked in to find George unswaddled, facing the OPPOSITE direction from where he fell asleep, caressing the corduroy leg of his elephant, and kicking at the sound machine to not only turn it on, but switching through the various sounds (i.e. nature, heartbeat, classical). He was obviously entertained by the mobile and completely amused with himself.

Maybe it's time to stop swaddling our little Houdini. We'll definitely be taking the stuffed animals out of the crib. It never occurred to us that he could get within reach of them at the foot of his crib!

---

George is currently 3.5 months old weighing in at 16 lbs. He loves to kick and swing his arms like crazy these days. He laughs a lot too and we've found a few ticklish spots. He's in 3-6 mo. clothes and size 3 diapers. He is changing so quickly. I will post more soon!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-13T16:34:00.000-06:00

Mommy and her little Valentine!

Dream Come True

2011-01-22T23:53:00.001-06:00

Today George is 11 weeks old!

He is growing and changing way too fast.

Here is George when he was 1 month old:

Here is George today (11 weeks):

This little man has completely stolen our hearts. He is our dream come true.

George lately:

Last week, George had his 2-month check up. He weighed in at 13 lbs. (68% percentile) and 24 inches long (75% percentile). He also had his first round of vaccinations. He only cried for a few seconds and was smiling soon after. He was so brave.
He is transitioning to 3-6 month clothes and has been wearing size 2 diapers since mid December.
In the last week or so, he has started holding his hands together like this:

When he smiles, often he'll wrinkle his nose.
When he cries, he likes to stick out his bottom lip which is the most pitiful thing I've ever seen.
He started taking a bottle last week. David gives him pumped milk while I'm at work. He only eats/drinks breastmilk. He eats 4-5 ounces per feeding and eats every 2-3 hours.
He sleeps 6-7 hours at night.
He loves to kick his legs and look around.
He's getting better at batting dangling toys in his activity gym.
He loves tummy time and his neck is getting stronger all the time.
He can stand and take steps forward when we stabilize him by holding his torso.
He is smiling more and more all the time, especially early in the morning when he wakes up.
He has very sweet words. We love to hear him babble and coo.

We moved him from the bassinet in our bedroom to the crib in his nursery our first night back in Lubbock. He loves looking at his mobile with the light projector.

Have I mentioned that we are in love with this little man?

Home Again, Home Again--Jiggity Jig!

2011-01-22T23:53:00.000-06:00

I'm back on the blog wagon. The past few months have been extremely crazy, but wonderful! I'll attempt catch you up on our life since the last post.

We took our little one on the road to visit our families, taking advantage of my maternity leave and David's time off of school. We left Lubbock on December 16 and returned on January 10. In that period we drove to Little Rock, Jackson, Nashville, and Chattanooga. He did so well in the car! Between Lubbock and Little Rock (12 hr. drive) he woke up TWICE!

My view from the backseat during our trip:

In Little Rock, George met his Papa (my dad) and Uncle Jonathan for the first time and got to see Grandma (my mom) again. He also met his great-grandparents!

George and Grandma

George meets Uncle Jonathan and his girlfriend Kathleen

"Papa" meets George

George meets his great-grandfather "Dada" and grandfather "Papa"

George with his great-grandmother "GrandBetsy"

George with his great-grandpa and great-grandma Lula

George celebrated his first Christmas in Little Rock. Here are a few photos from Christmas:

Trying to get him to pull the tissue paper out.

Not too sure about this...

The day after Christmas, we went to a "Sip 'n See" in George's honor. What fun it was to catch up with my high school friends and their moms!

Reunited!

Babes checking out the babe.

Love these ladies.

While in Little Rock, my Dad captured some great photos of George smiling at his daddy.

After leaving Little Rock, we drove to Nashville to stay the night with our friends, Chad, Shana, and their son Callum. Some of my Zeta sisters from college met up with us for the evening. It was so great to catch up and meet some of their babies.

After leaving Nashville, we drove to Chattanooga to see David's family. While in Chattanooga, George was able to meet his great-grandmother "Mema" and his great-aunts/uncles Kathy, Tom, Lamar, and Lyn. He loved seeing his Mimi and Granddaddy (David's parents) and aunts and uncles again, too.

George celebrating the New Year!

Cuddling with Granddaddy

Bathtime with Mimi

So cozy.

George with his Aunt Sugarbear.

Can't believe we don't have any pictures of Aunt Julie and Uncle Luke with George.

George and Uncle Andrew

After leaving Chattanooga, we stopped to visit our friends (the Hussungs, Haydens, and Vailes) along the way. We also stopped to see my parents one last time before heading back to Lubbock. We stopped in Dallas and got to see David's Uncle Steve and Cousin Drew.

...

Since we've been back in Lubbock, David has started teaching and I've returned to work. Thankfully, David (aka Mr. Mom) is able to stay at home with George most of the time and we have a wonderful babysitter who is watching George while David teaches. George is very blessed to get to spend so much time with his Daddy. David is awesome with him.

Our Sweet Boy

2010-12-12T08:55:00.000-06:00

Who do you think he looks like?

David's baby photo

My baby photo

George's Birth Story

2010-12-01T17:11:00.001-06:00

I've been waiting for the mood to strike me (and for some quiet time to myself) to tell the story of George's birth. Every mommy enjoys telling their birth story and I'm no different. Here goes...

George was due October 28 (40 weeks). I went for my 40 week check up only to find out that I had only dilated "maybe one tiny centimeter," to quote my doctor. He also told me that I was only 20% effaced. He said I was not a candidate for induction since I had not progressed. So I went back to work another week. David had not been able to go to any of my doctor's visits since the summer. For our 41 week check up (on a Wednesday), his class let out early and he was able to make it! This was a HUGE blessing as we were asked to make some difficult decisions. Dr. Casanova said that he didn't want me to go past 42 weeks, but that I could wait until the 42 week mark to be induced if I wanted to. He mentioned that he would be going out of town for the weekend, but we could induce the next day (Thursday) if we wanted to be sure to have him as our doctor. After ruminating, we decided to go ahead and induce the next day since I didn't want to risk having another doctor in the practice if I went into labor over the weekend. David and I cleaned the house, loaded our things, and went out for a fancy dinner that night.

We checked in to the hospital around 6 am on that Thursday morning. They did not start the pitocin (to induce contractions) until 9 am. David and I were very excited that this day had finally come! My mom arrived shortly after we checked in--I was so glad she made it!

This photo was taken after we checked in to the hospital. I was so pumped!

I was not allowed to eat or drink while on pitocin. After the medicine was started at 9 am, I did not feel any painful contractions until around 5 pm. They gradually increased the pitocin every half hour. Since I was hoping to have a pain med free birth, I did not have any pain meds during these contractions. My doula, Cara, was by my side during my entire stay coaching me through the contractions and giving me massages. After being "checked" several times, we learned that I had only progressed to 3 cm by 6:30 pm that evening. Things were taking much longer than we had anticipated and I was on the maximum dose of pitocin. My doctor suggested breaking my water, but I told him I wasn't ready for that since it would force me into a c-section if I has not progressed within 24 hours. He gave me the option of staying on the pitocin through the night or taking a break. At 10 pm, I opted for the break. I needed to eat and rest.

At 5 am the next morning (Friday) they restarted the pitocin. I was rested and ready to tackle another round of contractions. Soon the contractions hit faster and were more intense. I was very encouraged to feel like things were moving along. Around noon, my doctor stopped by to say goodbye since he was leaving town. He checked me only to find that I had not progressed at all--I was still 3 cm. At this point, I asked him to break my water in hopes that it would speed things along. After he broke my water, he handed me over to another doctor, Dr. Farooqi. I had only heard great things about her.

The contractions were certainly more painful and intense after my water was broken. The doula had me changing positions often and was helping me relax. The contractions were so painful that I was crying during and in between each one. The contractions were very intense and only a minute or two apart. Around 6 pm, Dr. Farooqi wanted to see how much I had progressed. I was still 3 cm. She asked the nurse if my water had been broken (it had). She then asked the nurse for a "hook". The next few minutes would be the most painful and traumatic of my life. With this hook she scraped around the inside of my uterus to pull out the remains of the bag of waters and membranes. It felt like she was scraping my insides with a melon baller (graphic, I know). I was bucking on the table and sobbing uncontrollably. It was much worse than any of the horrible contractions and, to top it off, I was having contractions during this lovely procedure. I am now very grateful that she did this since it ended up speeding things along and probably prevented a c-section. She said that part of my bag of waters was still intact and blocking things from moving.

It was at this point that I decided that the pain was just too much and I asked for an epidural. The anesthesiologist was in the room almost immediately and I was numb from the waist down within the hour. I fell asleep then watched tv--quite a contrast from the pain, moaning, and crying I had experienced the previous 12 hours. The doctor checked me at 11 pm and said that I had already progressed to 7 cm (out of 10 cm). Then the nurses started prepping the room for a baby! This was so exciting to see--I was going to meet George soon!

Dr. Farooqi examined me and told me she could feel the baby's head. She told me that I would need to start pushing. I was completely oblivious of everything that was happening from the waist down since I was numb. Around midnight I started pushing with David counting for me. I did not feel any pain. I pushed for about 45 minutes and FINALLY I got to see baby George.

Fresh out of the womb!

Our first glimpse of one another.

Daddy cutting the cord

He was screaming from the second he drew his first breath. The doctor placed him on my chest immediately--he was perfect. Then he was whisked away to be examined and cleaned. David was able to give him his first sponge bath and hold his hand through everything.

Holding Daddy's hand

George was born on November 6, 2010 at 12:53 am.
He weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces and was 20 inches long!
His gestational age was 41 weeks and 2 days.
***
We are so proud to be George's parents and we praise God for His provision.

Well Done

2010-11-02T13:03:00.001-05:00

Well, today I am 40 weeks and 5 days pregnant. I have to admit that this pregnancy thing is getting a little old. We are so eager to meet our son. I never thought he'd be a November baby.

Tomorrow I will go to the dr. to see if I have progressed. Last Wednesday I had only dilated 1 cm and was only 20% effaced. He prescribed lots of walking, which I've been doing. If my cervix is not conducive to induction, we will likely schedule a c-section this week (assuming George doesn't come on his own). Neither induction nor a c-section are ideal, but I want him to be healthy and not too over-cooked. :) The dr. doesn't seem to believe that George is too big and his heart rate indicates that he is still happy/healthy in there. Please pray for us as we face all of the unknowns this week. Hopefully my next post will feature pictures of our little man!

40 weeks, 5 days

Nursery Pics

2010-10-14T20:24:00.003-05:00

Today marks 38 weeks of pregnancy! The end is in sight!

Good news! George is no longer breech and our c-section has been canceled! We are so grateful to God for answering our prayers. Now George will arrive when he's ready. Right now, I haven't dialated and I'm only 25% effaced. The doctor will induce at 41-42 weeks if George doesn't arrive before then. I've been having contractions every night for the past 4 nights which has been very exciting. Last night they were especially painful. It's totally worth it and it's fun to feel my body gear up for labor.

As promised, I've attached a few nursery photos.

Walking into the room...

David's Mom painted the walls!

Elephants!

Lovely nursery art courtesy of Melissa Hayden.

Refinished dresser courtesy of Lauri and Aaron. We want to get a changing pad and lamp eventually to place on the dresser. They also picked up this glider for us from Dallas... isn't it perfect?

Super cute elephant art courtesy of David's sister, Julie.

Sweetest little hand-knit sweater and hat made by my dear friend, Wendy.

36 weeks and 5 days

2010-10-05T14:50:00.000-05:00

Latest belly pic:

Sneak Peek

2010-10-04T13:11:00.000-05:00

At our ultrasound on Friday, we were so excited to get to see his sweet face again! However, he is SO cramped in there now that we could not see his face because his knees, arms, and hands were in the way! The ultrasound technician tried to get him to move, but he refused. We've been joking that he was wanting to keep his appearance a surprise until he's ready for his debut! In the pictures above, you can see his ear, hand (in front of his face as if saying "no pictures, please"), and a non-3D profile of him. As of Friday he was approx. 5lbs. 13oz. Babies at this age gain about an ounce a day. He's right on target, if not a little small. He is still a boy, too! His head is currently in the 50th percentile and his body is in the 38th percentile. David's been joking that he'll be a Charlie Brown look alike with a disproportionate head. Of course, we're just kidding and we know that he will be just right. I'm so glad his head isn't bigger in case I do get to give birth naturally.

George is still breech. Through the ultrasound they found that he is "complete breech" (see graphic below).

This is one of the easier positions for him to flip and we learned that there is plenty of amniotic fluid for him to flip in as well, which is a concern this late in the game. I'm going to the chiropractor today let him try his luck at getting George to flip.

October Baby

2010-10-01T13:54:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it is already October? Yesterday marked 36 weeks of pregnancy. Babies are considered full term after 37 weeks--crazy!!! We are so excited to welcome George into the world this month. Everything is really coming together and I promise to show nursery pictures soon!

We've been seeing Dr. Casanova every Wednesday and this past Wednesday learned that George is still breech, feet first. If he stays this way, we will schedule a c-section for 39 weeks. Breech vaginal deliveries are only an option if the baby is bottom first. Dr. Casanova has recommended several interventions to try to get the baby to flip head-down. Most of them are quite funny and even acrobatic, including doing somersaults underwater, laying head-down on a slant board, playing music in my lap, etc. I'm going to try them all this weekend. We have an appointment with a chiropractor this Monday. He apparently has had lots of success turning breech babies. Please pray for George to flip in the next week or so!

Dr. Casanova also wanted to see how big the baby is and precisely what his positioning is so he scheduled an ultrasound for TODAY! We didn't think we were going to have another ultrasound before the baby arrives. We haven't seen his sweet face since the beginning of June. I'm sure he's changed a lot in the past 17 weeks.

We certainly covet your prayers as we prepare for the new addition to our little family.

Showered

2010-09-11T23:40:00.002-05:00

Today marks 33 weeks and 2 days of being George's momma. Our life has been terribly hectic since my last post. David started classes in late August. He is taking 15 hours AND teaching 2 courses this fall. Absolutely crazy. He will be finished with coursework for his PhD this spring though!

David's parents visited over Labor Day weekend to help with the nursery and to celebrate David's 28th birthday on Sept. 4. It was the 10th birthday that I have celebrated with him. Here is a very old photo from his 18th birthday. I made cheesecake and bought him some Hemingway that day.

David's parents were so generous. They bought us a stroller and carseat, fixed our garage doors, took us out to eat, cleaned, and painted George's nursery (among other generous gestures). We are truly blessed to have such loving parents/in-laws. I will post nursery pictures soon once I tidy the room a little better. We decided against the wainscoting because it was going to be too expensive. It sure would have been nice, but just not practical since we're planning to move in a few years (or less).

David and I also celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary on August 23!

Our family dog, Ebbie (a Lhasa Apso), had to be put down on Sept. 4. She was very sick and lived a very long life--18 years! I miss her and will always remember her fondly. She was such a sweet girl. Here is my Ebbie girl:

George is developing very well so far. We will start going to the doctor once a week starting Sept. 20. At his appointment this past week, we found out that he is in the breech position, but will likely turn head-down (the ideal position) by the time he's 37 weeks old. Right now he's about 19" long and weighs about 5 lbs. It definitely feels that way too. He continues to be very active. I love the way it feels for his leg or arm to sweep across my belly. Have I mentioned that I highly recommend pregnancy? It is such a miracle to experience new life in such a unique way.

Some of my Lubbock friends threw a shower for us today. We are blessed with many generous and lovely friends here. Enjoy a few photos from the circus themed shower:

My Poet Husband

2010-08-03T16:19:00.001-05:00

David has a poem featured on Poetry Daily's website today: Poetry Daily

The poem can also be found in the new 60th anniversary Flannery O'Connor issue of Shenandoah. Pick it up at your local Barnes and Noble!

To top it off, David found out he is a finalist for the Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowship! We'll find out on Sept. 1 if he is one of 5 winners!!!

I'm so proud of my husband and all of his hard work.

The FINAL Trimester!

2010-07-29T21:48:00.003-05:00

27 weeks

So, in case you can't tell... I'M HUGE! (In my defense, I had just eaten supper when this photo was taken.) Today marks 27 weeks and the beginning of the final trimester. We went for our monthly check-up yesterday. Everything is progressing well and I took a routine glucose test, which I passed! I will now start seeing the doctor every 2 weeks until the final month when I have weekly visits. We have chosen a pediatrician and will meet with him in a few weeks to establish care. The reality is really starting to set in--we're actually having a baby!

Lately, George has been kicking up a storm! It seems like he's kicking more than he's not. Also, I've finally found the right configuartion of pillows to keep me comfortable at night. There were a few weeks when I really struggled to fall/stay asleep.

I've also been reading up on natural childbirth, particularly the Bradley Method. My dear college friend, Bethany, is pregnant and is doing Bradley too. In this model, the husband plays a huge coaching role and medication-free approaches to pain relief are practiced. I'm going to do it, assuming there are no complications. The reason I'm interested in this is because I want to be able to move freely during labor and I want to feel everything my body is doing. I figure women have been doing it for ages and I can tolerate extreme pain for a little while. Let's hope it's only for a little while... :) We'll also have a doula helping coach me through the various stages of labor.

In the month of August, we will be attending a ton of classes on childbirth, breastfeeding, safety, CPR/first aid, and relaxation. We're cramming all of our classes into one month since David goes back to school on August 26. He will be taking 5 courses and teaching 2 this fall!

We also bought a crib and mattress on Craigslist a few weeks ago! It was once a $900 Pottery Barn solid wood crib that we bought for $100! (Actually, my mom bought it for us--thanks, Mom!) The woman is going to sell us a matching dresser/changing table once she gets it out of storage. She only used the crib with one baby so it's still in great condition.
Here is the crib as it was originally advertised:

Here is OUR crib (forgive the iphone photo quality):

Our nursery is pretty bare. We still need to paint, wainscot, pick out art and window dressings. Any ideas on those areas would be appreciated!

This past Sunday evening was the Mad Men season 4 premiere so we hosted a little party! We made Old Fashioneds and Manhattans a la Don Draper. I made some pretty awesome bacon-wrapped meatloaf, too. Here is the recipe: Mad Men Meatloaf

Until next time... have a lovely weekend!

Recipe: Salsa

2010-07-13T16:19:00.007-05:00

I've come to rely on the Pioneer Woman and Tasty Kitchen for most of my recipes. I love her step-by-step photos and shortcuts. Since I want to start sharing more recipes on this blog, I thought I would share my very favorite salsa recipe. I make this salsa several times a month. You may be turned off by the canned tomatoes, but give them a try--you will not be disappointed. Pioneer Woman says that canned tomatoes are best for salsa and fresh tomatoes are best for pico de gallo. Here is the link to the recipe on her website with all of the fancy pictures: Restaurant Style Salsa

Restaurant Style Salsa

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients

1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice

2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies)

¼ cups Chopped Onion

1 clove Garlic, Minced

1 whole Jalapeno, Quartered And Sliced Thin

¼ teaspoons Sugar

¼ teaspoons Salt

¼ teaspoons Ground Cumin

½ cups Cilantro (more To Taste!)

½ whole Lime Juice

Preparation Instructions

Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like—I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.

Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips.

Recipe: Homemade Manicotti

2010-07-13T11:28:00.010-05:00

Since many of my recipes come from the internet and magazines, I've created a notebook with clear page protectors to keep my tried-and-true recipes safe and organized. One of these recipes is Homemade Manicotti from a Rachael Ray magazine. My favorite part of this recipe is that you don't stuff shells, instead you make a type of crepe and fill them. It is very easy and always a hit in the Clark house. Enjoy!

Homemade Manicotti

(from Everyday with Rachael Ray)

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 3/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup grated romano cheese

1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tbsp milk

3 large eggs

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups store-bought meat sauce (I used jarred tomato sauce and add browned ground beef since all meals in our house MUST contain meat)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup romano, the parsley and milk.

2. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with 1 cup water. Whisk in the flour.

3. Heat a greased 8″ nonstick skillet over medium heat. Ladle 3 tbsp batter into the skillet, swirling to cover the surface of the pan. Cook for 1 minute, flip and cook for 1 minute more. Repeat with the remaining batter, greasing the skillet after each crepe. Stack the crepes on a plate.

4. Spread half of the meat sauce into a 9 x 13″ baking dish. Spoon the cheese mixture down the center of each crepe. Roll closed; arrange in the baking dish. Top with the remaining meat sauce and cheese, Bake for 25 minutes.

Elephants!

2010-06-24T10:53:00.002-05:00

Thanks to eBay, I was able to get the Dwellstudio crib bedding I really wanted for Baby George! Here it is:

Now the next big questions are paint color and window treatments.

I'm thinking about gray walls with white wainscoting kind of like this:

What color walls and window treatments do you think would look good with our new beddding?

Baby George

2010-06-09T12:46:00.002-05:00

We are in awe of our sweet baby BOY! We had our ultrasound today and found that the baby is developing perfectly so far. He will be named George David Clark, III. We are so blessed.

Belly Pics

2010-06-04T21:28:00.006-05:00

Today marks 19 weeks!

I can't believe how quickly the weeks have flown by!

Below you'll find some belly shots from the journey so far.

5 weeks

Just loving on our sweet baby!

13 weeks

19 weeks

---

We had our monthly check up this week and heard the baby's heartbeat again (150 BPM)! It was music to my ears since it had been a few days since I felt the baby move. Everyone keeps asking how I feel. The fact is, I don't feel pregnant aside from my burgeoning belly which I can no longer conceal (as you can tell). I feel completely "myself" again!

THIS Wednesday we'll find out if the baby is a "he" or "she"! I'm giddy with excitement. We plan on videotaping the whole thing so our families can share in our experience. I'm taking the morning off of work so we can have the ultrasound then we'll go pick out the baby's first outfit to celebrate!

For Memorial Day weekend, David prepared for the summer course he is teaching and I was able to catch up on housework. We just bought a grill and have enjoyed finding new food to cook on it. Our friends Lauri and Aaron came over for burgers and margaritas, too. So far we've cooked burgers, steaks, pork loin, corn on the cob, asparagus, and pineapple. By the way, I'm discovering just how amazing fresh pineapple is. I've been afraid to buy it because I wasn't sure how to slice it, but now that I've learned I'm addicted. I learned from the Pioneer Woman. Here is the link if you want to learn: How to Cut Up a Pineapple There's just nothing like it in the summertime. What do you like to grill? I'd love for you to email me your favorite grilling recipe(s). I think we're going to attempt fajitas this weekend!

My brother, Jonathan, came to town on Wednesday! His band, International Waters, played a show in Lubbock on their way back from a West Coast tour. It was SO good to see him. We had not seen each other in over a year. Below is a photo from their show:

---

Have a lovely weekend!

We're expecting 100+ degree weather in Lubbock all weekend so we will either be at the pool or indoors! :)

Love,

Elisabeth

Wainscoting

2010-05-24T12:07:00.003-05:00

What do you think about wainscoting? Also, do you think white wainscoting looks best with a dark wood or white crib? Do you like the thin beadboard or the large square style? Here are some pictures to inspire your feedback:

Not the best pictures, but you get the idea...

On an unrelated note... how cute is this Restoration Hardware pewter crib below?

By the way, I felt Baby Clark move this past week! It was such an amazing, indescribable feeling! What a precious time in life this is!

Cinco de Mayo Check-Up

2010-05-06T09:54:00.004-05:00

David and I had our first visit with my new OB/GYN, Dr. Casanova yesterday. We LOVE him! He was very easy to talk to and allayed all of my fears. He did a sonogram so we could hear the heartbeat (150 BPM). We could even hear it kicking several times! Today, I am 14 weeks and 6 days along and my belly is HUGE. We have an appointment for an ultrasound on June 9 at 8:40 am. We will find out the gender of the baby at that time too!

So, what do you think the baby's gender will be?

Hello, 2nd Trimester!

2010-04-23T10:44:00.002-05:00

Our baby this week...
Fingerprints have formed on the baby's tiny fingertips, his/her veins and organs are clearly visible through still-thin skin, and the body is starting to catch up with the head — which makes up just a third of the body size now. If it's a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Baby is 3 inches long and weighs nearly an ounce. 27 weeks left!

12 Weeks

2010-04-16T12:17:00.007-05:00

Today marks week 12 of pregnancy. We have one more week left of the 1st trimester and, let me tell you, I will not miss it. I am ready for the nausea, exhaustion, and constant bathroom trips to end! I think it's getting a little better, but as soon as I go a few hours without eating, my blood sugar bottoms out and nasty nausea kicks in. My belly is starting to become more prominent, but my clothes are still fitting just fine.

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Our baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if I prod my abdomen, our baby will squirm in response, although I won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder. Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in the baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, our baby is the size of a peach (3 in.).

David and I toured our hospital (UMC) today! Since I don't really feel pregnant, it was strange to see the birthing suites, nursery, etc. knowing that I will need to stay there in a mere 28 weeks. Once we find out the sex of the baby and once I can feel him/her kick, I think the reality will set in a little more. We are very excited to deliver at UMC. We heard that their c-section rate is 20% compared to 55% at Covenant. Although Covenant was recommended as being the newest and nicest, the determining factor was our doctor who only has privileges at UMC. Also, David and I decided to switch doctors. We are now with Dr. Robert Cassanova (yes, that's the name of an OB/GYN) since pretty much everyone in Lubbock recommended him. We haven't met him yet, but our first appointment with him will be on May 5 (Cinco de Mayo!). Our previous doctor was nice enough, but--long story short--her nurses were inconsiderate and rude to me when I called with concerns.

Last weekend was very eventful for both me and David. While he was away at AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Programs) in Denver, I went to Boston for an MD/MBA conference. They sent me so that I could better plan the conference next year when it is held in Lubbock.

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about baby names. It's also one of the main questions that I am asked (after "How do you feel?" and "When will you find out the sex of the baby?"). David and I have pretty much decided on a boy name, but the girl name has been much more difficult. Here are the names that I like, not necessarily names that David likes. :) Let me know if you like any of them!

Girl names:
Scarlett

Leah

Lydia

Rachel

Fiona

Savannah

Felicity

Rebecca

Anna

Annette

Celeste

Constance

Camille

Caroline

Bianca

Charlotte

Margaret

Vera

Natalie

Vivian

Emilia

Boy names:

George David Clark, III (we would call him George)

Henry Thomas Clark

Baby Clark

2010-03-29T18:34:00.004-05:00

WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!!

The little "peanut" in the middle of the black area is our baby!
The head is on the lower left side.

Since February 21 when my pregnancy test came back positive, I've been dying to share our big news with everyone. I visited the doctor today and found that the baby is healthy, so we can finally tell our friends!

On the morning of February 21, I woke up before David to take a shower prior to church. I thought I'd take a pregnancy test just for fun.... I wasn't "late" yet and I wasn't feeling pregnant so I was expecting a negative test. You can imagine my shock as I read the word all spelled out: PREGNANT. So matter-of-fact. My initial reaction was wide-eyed shock. I had imagined this moment so many times, but it didn't feel the way I expected it to. I didn't cry... I wasn't jumping up and down... I was just frozen. "Now what?" I thought. I went along with my routine: shower, breakfast (sans caffeine), church, and lunch. I told David I was going to run a few errands and I left the house to search for the perfect gift to give David to tell him about his sweet baby. (Gift-giving is definitely my love language.) I thought about buying him an "I heart Daddy" bib, but the ones I saw were either pink or blue--how could I choose? Since David is an avid reader I decided upon a book called The Expectant Father. I wrapped the book, positive pregnancy test, and a tiny pillow that David's mom gave me awhile ago that cross-stitched reads "George David Clark III" which was given to her when she was pregnant with David (the person didn't realize that David was a Jr., not III). David was engrossed in his TV show (I had just given him the "Deadwood" dvd series for Valentine's) when I finished wrapping the gift. I couldn't wait for the show to end so I told him I had a gift for him that he needed to open right away. He begrudgingly paused his show to indulge me. Since the gift was book-shaped, I told him it was a book for AWP (a writing conference he's going to attend in April) to throw him off the scent (I'm big on surprises too). He opened the box with the gifts and he said, "Are you serious?" That's when we both lost it and wept together. Since then, we've enjoyed dreaming about our baby and trying to imagine how dramatically our life will change in October. The book ended up being a good investment as David has read it very carefully and seems to know more about the process than me!

David's parents came in town last week to visit us over spring break and we told them they were going to be grandparents! We're so glad we could tell them in person. We called my family and his siblings the same day to share the good news.

More about our little one:

Our due date is October 29, 2010 (my Dad's birthday!)
I am 9 weeks and 3 days along (13 weeks = 2nd trimester; gender can be determined at 20 weeks)
The baby is the size of a prune (1.5 inches long)
With bones and cartilage starting to form and vital organs beginning to function, Baby Clark is making major progress. Body length will almost double in the next three weeks and arm joints are now working. (Soon, legs will start working too.)
We were able to see our baby via ultrasound and there is only 1 baby :)
He/she wiggled for us a little, we could see leg/arm buds, and a vigorous heartbeat
The baby will be the first grandchild and great-grandchild on both sides of our families
Thankfully, I haven't been very sick. I only "lost my lunch" once, but otherwise I feel a little queasy throughout the day and extremely fatigued.

We ask that you please begin praying for this precious baby. We love him/her so much already.

We'll keep you updated on the blog as the baby grows.

Love,
Elisabeth

(Little did we know the picture below from my last post would be foreshadowing with the baby hovering above our heads...)

Our 9th Valentine's Day Together

2010-03-03T09:12:00.002-06:00

David and I celebrated our 9th Valentine's Day together this year. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little since we were broken up for a few Valentine's Days, but even then we made a point to at least see each other or send a card. We never go out to dinner on the actual night of Valentine's in fear of chocolate toting teeney bopper mobs. This year we went to a cozy, dimly lit restaurant in Lubbock called Manna Bread and Wine. The Maitre d' gave us the corner table and the food was divine. We even had our own little cherub hovering over our heads.

I am so blessed to have this man for a husband. He is wise, kind, and sacrificial. I couldn't ask for a better mate for life.

He's on a roll...

2010-01-12T21:57:00.003-06:00

Never thought I'd see (hear) my husband's poem on iTunes!

Click below to read/hear a recently published poem:

http://linebreak.org/704/a-crossing/

My Husband is a Stud

2009-12-31T13:08:00.006-06:00

Today one of David's poems was re-published online as the best poem of 2009 of all poems published on the Verse Daily website. That's right, pulitzer prize winning poets' poems fell by the wayside and David's poem was chosen as the best of the year. This poem was also selected as the winner of the Southern Poetry Review's Guy Owen Prize in 2008. Click the link below to check it out--the link will only take you to his poem on Dec. 31!

http://www.versedaily.org/2009/jellyfish.shtml

Happy New Year!

Long December

2009-12-30T12:16:00.005-06:00

As one might expect, David and I have continued to be incredibly busy through most of December. David finished his coursework on Dec. 14 and has enjoyed having extra time to read and write. We flew to Chattanooga on Dec. 19 to spend time with the Clarks through Jan.2. Our Christmas was spent with David's family (including his grandmother, aunt, and cousin) in Chattanooga. We ate so much good food and enjoyed playing board games (especially Settlers of Catan). Christmas Eve was spent at the Chattanooga convention center where David's parents' church was having a service. David and Sarah (his sister) read part of the Christmas story on stage too.

When I awoke on Christmas morning, I could not find my cell phone to call my parents to wish them a merry Christmas. I searched the house thoroughly and did not know what I did with it. I finally asked David to call it for me and when he did my stocking starting ringing! When I opened my stocking, I found my new iphone! David and I agreed to not exchange gifts this year because of all of the expenses associated with our new house. He also told me several months ago that he would not get me an iphone since I already have an ipod touch and a cell phone. Needless to say, I was thrilled and completely surprised by my gift. My husband is such a blessing in so many ways.

Here are a few photos from December:

My first Lubbock dust storm!

Dust storm from my office window--crazy, right?

Our mantle at our house in Lubbock... no tree this year

The Clarks and Goldens on Christmas Eve

Doing the Memaw wave

2nd married Christmas together

David and Sarah reading the Christmas story

I was able to see some college friends in Nashville for an ornament exchange party

All of the Zeta girls and Shauna's precious baby Kennedi at the ornament exchange party

Thankful

2009-12-01T13:15:00.004-06:00

The past few weeks have been really busy for us. I turned 25 on Nov. 19, we closed on our new house on Nov. 20, and flew to Little Rock on Nov. 21. We went to Little Rock to visit my family for a week and we were able to see the Razorbacks beat Miss. State at War Memorial (thanks to my dear friend, Lindsay Townsend, from Starkville, MS). My mom has been very ill with H1N1 flu and double pneumonia and finally arrived in Little Rock after being in the ICU in New Jersey. She's been resting and is slowly regaining strength. It was so good to see her. Thank you for all of your prayers.

Once we returned to Lubbock, we got the keys to our new house and moved our belongings in over the weekend. David and I moved everything ourselves so needless to say we're sore and completely pooped! I wanted to share some pictures of the house in the snow. I'll post more pictures of the house as we continue to settle in.

Our new address:

404 Kewanee Avenue

Lubbock, TX 79416

Our house this morning.

Our view from our front door when we woke up.

My kitchen!

Razorbacks

My daddy, husband and I

I got to see Hannah while in LR

Not-So-TexMex Enchiladas

2009-11-17T10:32:00.005-06:00

It will be awhile before I'm able to cook enchiladas like the locals, but until then I have a recipe that was a hit at the Clark house last night. It was my first attempt at enchiladas--ever. Surprising, I know. This recipe is SO simple and comes from Gourmet Magazine. I made simple substitutions for a lower calorie dish. Hopefully, I'll be able to share a true TexMex dish in the near future.

Baked Chicken Cheese Enchiladas

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cups prepared salsa
2 cups grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Salt and pepper
4 scallions, thinly sliced
12 to 14 soft round 6 to 8-inch flour or corn tortillas

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a medium bowl cream together the cream cheese and the sour cream. Stir in 1/2 cup of the salsa. Stir in 1 cup of the grated cheese. In a second bowl toss together the chicken, the corn, cumin, oregano, cayenne, salt, pepper, and 1/2 of the scallions. Add the chicken mixture to the cheese mixture and stir to combine.

In a baking dish spread a 1/2 cup of the salsa over the bottom. Place about a 1/3 cup of the filling on a corn tortilla, roll up and transfer to the baking dish with the seam side down. Repeat process for remaining tortillas. Pour remaining salsa over enchiladas, spreading to coat all of them. Sprinkle remaining grated cheese over the top. Enchiladas may be prepared up to this point 12 hours in advance. Transfer to preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until hot and bubbly. Enchiladas may be reheated, covered with aluminum foil, before service. Sprinkle with the remaining scallions and serve warm.

SOLD!

2009-10-26T11:53:00.001-05:00

David and I are thrilled to announce that we are officially under contract to buy a house! Originally, we had planned to purchase the 1928 cottage that we've been renting, but the seller wanted too much for it. So... we made an offer on this house on Saturday and heard back today that it is ours! We're expected to close around November 20--just in time for my 25th birthday!

Here is our new home, assuming all goes as planned with the contract:

The front of our new house (they're going to finish painting the garage)

Back patio/yard

Living Room

Kitchen (notice the gun by the door)

Foyer

Dining area

Guest Bedroom

Office

Bathroom #2

Master Bedroom

Master Bathroom

Recipe: Pasta Carbonara

2009-09-30T17:02:00.007-05:00

I've decided to start blogging a few of my favorite recipes to share with everyone. The recipe below is very simple and has become a staple in the Clark house. I'm ashamed to say it's a Rachael Ray recipe, but I have to hand it to the girl--this recipe doesn't disappoint! My recipe alterations are in red.

Pasta Carbonara

Ingredients:

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 pound rigatoni pasta

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (enough to coat bottom of pan)

1/4 pound pancetta (Italian bacon), chopped (I use real bacon because I like the texture better; I usually cook the bacon first--drain the fat--and then add to the recipe)

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (use more if you want it spicy!)

5 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 large egg yolks

Freshly grated Romano cheese (I use parmesan simply because it's easier to find)

Handful of sun-dried tomatoes, julienned

Handful of finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish  

Directions:

1. Put a large saucepot of water on to boil. Add a liberal amount of salt and the pasta. Cook to al dente, about 8 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and pancetta. Brown pancetta 2 minutes. Add red pepper flakes, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Add wine and stir up all the pan drippings.

3. In a separate bowl, beat yolks, then add 1 large ladleful (about 1/2 cup) of the pasta cooking water. This tempers the eggs and keeps them from scrambling when added to the pasta.

4. Drain pasta well and add it directly to the skillet with pancetta and oil. Pour the egg mixture over the pasta. Toss rapidly to coat the pasta without cooking the egg. Remove pan from heat and add a big handful of cheese, lots of pepper, and a little salt. Continue to toss and turn the pasta until it soaks up egg mixture and thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Garnish with parsley and extra grated Romano.

 If you end up trying this recipe, let me know how you like it! Bon appétit!

Love,
Elisabeth

Love in the Time of Swine Flu

2009-08-19T20:14:00.023-05:00

It's hard to believe David and I have been married for 362 days and we've been in Lubbock for the last 49. Life in Lubbock has settled down a bit since the last post. Our boxes are unpacked, my job is going quite well and David begins orientation tomorrow. I've bought a bike and have been able to bike to/from work every day (except when it rains and David drives me). We've visited several churches and haven't found a great fit yet. We're hoping to find a church where we can meet other young married couples and feel connected to the community. There is an art walk the first Friday of the month that we were able to participate in this month. We're told that there is also a great drive-in theater nearby that is really fun. David and I have been playing disc golf together on the weekends. It is a difficult course with several water holes and I've lost 2 discs to the water already! I've recently finished watching all 3 seasons of "Friday Night Lights"--so good! So now I've started watching "Mad Men"--needless to say, we're eager to make friends so I can get away from the TV!

I've taken a few pictures of our living/dining room. You'll have to forgive me for not posting better pictures of the house--it's still a work in-progress to say the least. I'm finding that I'm pretty inept at decorating. You'll see below our living room needs an area rug, more wall decor, photos, etc. BUT it's home.

You can see into David's office a little from this angle.

Thank you, Dad, for the print--it's perfect over our mantle!

This is what you see when you walk in the front door.

Living room

View from my office... I think you can see Canada from here.

My orange desk circa 1965.

David and I will celebrate our 1-year anniversary on Sunday. Here are a few of the highlights:

Best day ever.

Honeymooners

First Christmas tree.
David's graduation from UVA.

(I've 86ed the bangs since then--too much hassle)

While we were in LR in June, we decided to go ahead and eat our wedding cake at my grandparents' house.

It was still so good! Traditional 1st anniversary gifts are paper goods while a more modern trend is clocks. Which should I give David?

Again, we love and miss everyone very much. We're already anticipating the holidays when we can reconnect with all of our friends!

Love,

Elisabeth

New in Town

2009-07-13T22:45:00.002-05:00

OUR NEW ADDRESS:

David and Elisabeth Clark

2610 22nd Street

Lubbock, TX 79410

Hello friends! We've finally arrive in Lubbock! It is certainly flat and dry here, but greener than we expected! After hours of driving through desolate West Texas, we pulled into town on July 2 and we've slowly been setting up house since then. (Below you'll find some snapshots of our humble abode pre-stuff... more to come) It is a 1200 sq. ft. home built in 1928 so there are many charming features, although we've been too overwhelmed with boxes to enjoy them!

I started my new job on July 6 as Unit Coordinator for the Health Organization Management Program within the MBA program at Texas Tech University. My office is located on the 10th floor of a tower adjacent to the English building where David will be working. So far the job has been very challenging, but I think it is a role that I'll be able to grow into. I'm responsible for managing 11 grad. students, marketing, PR, web design, event planning and general coordinating for the department. I'm excited about the connections I'll be able to make in this job and I get to take classes at the university for free. Strangely enough, an acquaintance of mine from Union (Megan Malone) works with me in my office! What a blessing it has been to have a familiar face that I get to see every day! We live about a mile from the buildings where we work so we've been walking to/from campus. David will begin his Ph.D. in Creative Writing (Poetry) at TTU sometime mid-August. He expects to finish the program in 4-5 years.

In other news, we sold my Jeep prior to moving to Lubbock which was very sad. However, our only remaining car, David's Taurus, has decided to give us some trouble. We found out today that it needs a new transmission to the tune of $1600 so needless to say, we're in the market for another car, but luckily we're able to walk to campus.

On a positive note, David got a poem accepted into The Cimarron Review!!! We've been celebrating his success and we went out to buy a bottle of wine. However, Lubbock is currently a dry city and we had to go to this place called "The Strip" located on the outskirts of town (picture below). What a bizarre place that was! For some reason these businesses in "The Strip" have a monopoly on the booze sold in our area. It was reminiscent of Atlantic City or Branson---very strange and flashy--but an experience none the less. Word has it that Lubbock will be a wet city as of August so hopefully we won't have to venture out there again!

A few random facts about Lubbock:

Lubbock is located in the south plains region of Texas and receives ~300 days of sunshine a year (it's been sunny every day we've been here)
There are 268,000 non-student residents in Lubbock
Buddy Holly was from Lubbock
TTU has the 2nd largest college campus in America with regards to property size
We're 6 hours from Dallas and 6 hours from Albuquerque
We're only a few hours from Area 51 :)

The view out of my passenger window for countless hours. West TX is so windy so there are windmills everywhere!

Home sweet home

Shade is certainly a commodity in Lubbock!

Our living room

Dining room

Backyard... I'm planning a garden for the spring

Garage--we're told that Lubbock receives many hail storms so garages are pretty necessary!

Check back in a few weeks for another update. I'll try to have the house in decent enough shape to be able to show it off! We miss and love all of our friends and family so much. Please keep in touch with us.

Love,

Elisabeth

Also, my skype name is: elisabethberryclark