Clarke Baby Blog

Our Little Turkey turns 5 months!!

2009-11-29T11:42:00.002-05:00

We hope that everyone had a Wonderful Thanksgiving!! We surely have LOTS to be thankful for this year and really enjoyed celebrating our Little Turkey's first Holiday. He is SO much fun these days. Very sweet, loving, and FULL of energy. You always have to be on the lookout because your glasses, hair, or anything in your hands or within reach are fair game. Toys are a major priority and the door jumper (aka johnny jump up), jumperoo, exersaucer, and super coup are great outlets for energy. He is VERY close to being on the roll-as in rolling over. He makes it about 3/4 of the way and then can't quite figure out how to finish off the task. I think it should be any day now. He sits up so much better and can even enjoy playing in his big bumbo seat. All of his toys and play places have to have straps or restraints these days though or he could tumble.
It is also a really fun time of year to go for walks in the stroller or in a baby carrier and our little man is very interested in all the people, activity, and especially any holiday Lights :) He "talks" constantly and has outgrown his squealing and started "blowing bubbles" and doing much more babbling. It is super cute. He is quite the little ham with strangers, as long as Mommy is still holding him. We are enjoying each day and are always amazed at how he grows and changes in "the blink of an eye".

Busy Little Beaver

2009-11-15T11:57:00.003-05:00

Hi Friends,
All is well here at the Clarke home :) W is a busy little beaver these days-grabbing for his toys like a mad-man, jumping in his door jumper and jumperoo, spinning around to all his toys in the entertainer, and trying with all his might to sit up and out of his high chair and car seat!! He is movin' and shakin'. His growth, development, and coordination over just the last few weeks is astounding. His improved head control being the most notable, and the strength of his abdominal muscles to try and sit up on his own from any laying or reclined position. Luckily, despite his overall business...he has calmed down a bit at nap/bedtime and is much easier to put to sleep. Maybe he is wearing himself out with all this playing?? He falls asleep fairly easily in the rocking chair, his car seat, and the stroller these days. This is a MAJOR improvement from Screaming each and every time we put him in the car the slightest bit sleepy :) He really loves stroller rides-especially in the nice fall weather we have been having. His weekends have also been packed with cheering for his favorite teams. Let's face it though...he is definitely going to be a Nittany Lion some day (Sorry Daddy)!!

Momma and I survived her first day of work...

2009-11-02T21:48:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note to thank everyone for thinking of us today...as many of you know it was my first day back to work. It sure was a hard day and many tears were shed. Yesterday and this morning I looked like a drug addict with my blood shot eyes and pounding headache-but we all survived. I am sure it was so much harder on me than it was on W or Grammy. We can't thank Grammy enough for all the love and support she shows our little family. One thing for sure, I would not be working if it were not for her watching our son. But, as I hold my sleeping prince right now, I realize how blessed and lucky I am to have been home with him for the first 4+ months! Looking on the bright side.... I am sure leaving in the morning will get easier and easier (at least that is what people tell me), but keep up the thoughts and prayers-because I am sure it will still be a big adjustment for the next few weeks. While you are at it...send some good vibes for Grammy's sake...that W will start to take a bottle. Today he decided to hold out on eating until Momma got home :)

Trick or Treat

2009-10-31T22:44:00.002-04:00

How appropriate of a title for a Halloween update....is it a trick that I am posting tonight and won't post again for another two months? Or is it a treat that I am back on the blogging wagon? I hope for the latter, but life is pretty busy these days with our little man, so I can only promise to try my best.

Each and every day is a true blessing with our angel boy. One thing for sure, our days of having a tiny little newborn have come to a close. Our big man is 14lbs 9oz and matures each and every day. He is so interactive with his voice, facial expressions, hands and feet, and even likes to stick out his tongue. A "trick" that Mommy taught him in an effort to learn communication and imitation-but now it has stuck and he can be a little snake man with that cute little tongue. He loves his toys, playing with people, and anything where all eyes are on him. Eating is still a big time favorite too. The things he is not super fond of these days are his car seat (getting better-but still not a huge fan) and SLEEP. I am hoping it is the 4 month wakeful period that we are going through-but this little guy won't say die when it comes to going to bed at night. Luckily he is so sweet and lovable that the extra hours he is awake at night are just more opportunities for Mommy and Daddy to love on him.

There are many more updates and fun things to say about our little pumpkin-but for now I will leave you with some pictures and will plan to write a long update in the next few days....

2 months today!!

2009-08-25T22:01:00.003-04:00

Boy Mommy has been sleeping on the job when it comes to the blog! Most likely my followers have lost their faith in me and don't check much anymore. Leave me a message in the comments if you read this...so I can decide if it is worth keeping up the blog on our little man. If we get responses, than I will make a promise to update more frequently (at least once a week). The last month has been full of exciting and lovable developments. Our little man has lost and re-grown the hair on the top of his head. His hair cut really looked alot like Daddy's for awhile. He also has grown beautiful eyebrows and lashes. His little cheeks are almost what you would call chubby and his legs are no longer "bean poles". Daddy has re-named them his "lamb-shanks". Our big man is out of his newborn diapers and preemie clothes and moving quickly through his size 1 diapers and newborn sized clothes. He has really found his voice and loves to make coos and sounds. He follows his toys and faces really well-his favorite toy these days is far and away a bird. It is a Lamaze toy that has all kinds of black and white patterns on the wings of the bird. He also really likes his rain forest bouncy seat that Grammy and Pappy bought for him at their house. It is amazing how long he can be entertained these days in a bouncy seat or laying under his toys-Mommy can actually unload the dishwasher or take a shower (most days). Our monkey loves to smile and it melts our hearts each and every time-even at 4am. Some nights he will pull away from me while nursing and look up with the biggest smile-as if to say "lets get up and play mom". Sleeping is not William's strong suit...He still only does a few hours at a time before he wants some Momma time. But the past two months have been a true blessing and joy and we love this little boy more than we ever could have imagined. Stay tuned for a weight update next week when we have his two month well visit...

One Month Old

2009-07-26T21:02:00.003-04:00

Wow can one month fly by...it is not until you become a mother that you can really comprehend what your mom meant when she said that you grew up in the "blink of the eye".

Our little man has changed so much since he entered the world a month ago! Most obviously he has gained almost a whole pound (7lbs 1oz) and grew 1.75 inches (20.75). He also has much more of a little personality and we are able to decipher his whimpers and cries to better understand what he wants and needs. He is most definitely more alert and is enjoying his swings, bouncy seat, toys, and even some books now-a-days. One thing that has not changed yet, and we are eagerly awaiting, is his desire to sleep for longer stretches at night :) His favorite activity is far and away...nursing...and he just can't stand to go for more than 2 or 3 hours without a meal or a snack. But Mommy loves every opportunity to hold the snuggly little newborn and stare into his big blue eyes as he looks up at me-even at 4 in the morning-must be what they mean when they say Mother's Love. William has had many firsts this past month-outings to Grammy and Pappy's, walks up to Walnut street, a trip to target, a few weight checks at the doctor's, a picnic at Pappy's boat club, and his first real bath to name a few. Mommy has even manged to leave the baby (only with Daddy or Grammy) a handful of times to go to church, run an errand, and to have dinner out one night with Jessie and CJ. So, as you can see we are adjusting to being a family of 3 and in looking back over this first month together...I would say we are doing a pretty good job! One thing for sure, we are more in love with our little man than we ever could have imagined after only knowing him for such a short time!!

2 Weeks Old!!

2009-07-10T00:45:00.003-04:00

Wow! I can't believe our little one is two weeks old already-where have the last two weeks gone?!?! June 25, 2009 was one of the happiest days of our lives when we welcomed William Curtis Clarke into the world at 11:58am. He weighed 6lbs 2oz and every ounce of him stole Mommy and Daddy's hearts instantly. William's delivery was consistant with his pregnancy in that it went smooth and as wonderfully as we could have imagined. My water broke spontaneously at 4am, we were at the hospital by 5:30 with pretty regular contractions (3 cm dilated on first exam), had an epidural that saved my life by 8am, was checked again at 1030 and was 9cm, started pushing at 11:30, and 7 or 8 contractions later we had a son!! I could not believe it was a boy!! Now, two short weeks later I could not imagine anything other than being a Mommy to my son. William is a really sweet baby. He loves to nurse, sleeps well when he wants to be sleeping, and has the cutest facial expressions I have ever seen :) He really only fusses when he is hungry or needs some burping. His biggest task right now is eating and growing. We have taken him on a few adventures in his stroller or sling to some of the local shops and venues that are within walking distance. Each day is a new adventure as he is changing so much day to day-we are on the most wonderful journey of our lives and couldn't be more blessed!!

Baby Clarke's Busy Weekend

2009-06-22T23:10:00.004-04:00

Well we sure have hit the ground running here in Pittsburgh! The end of last week we were knee to waist deep in boxes with our move and this past weekend was a social whirlwind :) We had bridal showers, weddings, and OUR BABY SHOWER. The baby shower was Wonderful and it was Great to see so many friends and family. Everyone was amazingly generous and I can say that this baby has everything under the sun that he or she could possibly need!! I want to say a huge Thank You to everyone for the Outstanding Generosity and Friendship that was shown to us this weekend. I think even the men had a fun time at the shower-even the ones who thought it was absurd for men to come to a baby shower. I think maybe the barbecue and the sundae bar won them over....
An even bigger thanks to our parents for all the help with moving and for hosting a Wonderful event for everyone to celebrate Baby Clarke!!

Here are some pics from our weekend...

NH girls at Katie and Steve's Reception

38 Weeks and Big as a House!!

Baby Shower :)

Grandma and Grandpa to Be

1-2 cm and ready for Baby C

2009-06-18T10:24:00.002-04:00

We are in Pittsburgh!! Our furniture arrived yesterday and is in the process of being organized, we met with our Pgh OB and Pediatrician, and our car seat arrived-so we could bring our baby home :) There is lots of work left to do, good thing my nesting instincts are in full effect-but it does feel good to know that we would be ready if the baby came any time now.... The doctor also mentioned that July 14th would be our end date if we don't have a Birthday Party before then. I hope we don't have to cross the induction bridge though, I think this little stinker will be evicted before then!!

Last post from North Carolina!!

2009-06-12T06:26:00.006-04:00

Hi Everyone,

We're back!! I am sure you thought we fell off the face of the earth and our blogging days were over....well have more faith. This past month may have been one of the busiest that I can ever remember and add being pregnant on top of the madness. Since my last post we have celebrated Ashley and Keith's wedding and two trips to the beach!! It seems as if over the last 30 days were are out of town more than at home-only stopping back in to give Linus a pet in between trips. All of our experiences have been absolutely Amazing though and we sure can't say we didn't live it up in the weeks before the baby arrives.

Ashley and Keith's wedding was Beautiful and such a fun weekend. I even managed to fit into my non-maternity bridesmaid dress without too much trauma or self-consciousness. As part of my pre-wedding pampering, I treated myself to a pregnancy massage, mani, and pedi to get all dolled up for the big occasion. They were all heavenly-but a prenatal massage is an absolute MUST!! Ashley was a stunning Bride and the setting for the wedding could not have been more perfect for her garden wedding theme. See a few pics below from the weekend...We also managed to squeeze in a visit to the OB in our busy schedule before traveling up to VA for the wedding. Everything remains to go very well and she was pleased with the ultrasound results-Baby C is growing just perfectly!

Next up on our agenda was Bridger's end of Residency Retreat. We joined a big group of his fellow residents for a beach weekend in Carolina Beach. I have to say I was a little sceptical of the trip-not knowing the crew very well and not being able to indulge in a few drinks if needed for sanity-made me a little worried. But it ended up being a great time :) We got a room in the "family" house with all the couples that brought their children/were pregnant. It worked out perfectly in regard to a lower noise level and cleaner bathrooms-both big priorities for the Clarke family. In other big news for this week-in between trips-we Finally ordered our crib for the baby. About time right?? Grandma Clarke very generously bought the baby his or her first piece of furniture that will hopefully be used for many years of GREAT sleeping. We bought a really nice one from Pottery Barn Kids, will it be the ticket to sleeping through the night as soon as we get home from the hospital?? Doubtful, but it will be beautiful in the nursery nonetheless.

To round out our days in North Carolina we took one last Outstanding trip to the beach this past weekend-SeaSick 2009. SeaSick is an annual trip with my college friends from ZTA. We decided to include the "boys" this year as we rented a house in Duck, NC that would accommodate the whole crowd. I had been looking SO forward to this trip-our wedding was the last time that I had a chance to see most of these friends. It was also REALLY lucky that we chose NC as our destination so that I was able to attend. Mexico, Florida, and some of the other options that we were considering would have been really hard to swing at 36 weeks. Particularly since I had an OB appointment a few days before the trip that revealed even though I am not dilated at all yet, I am 90% effaced and the baby is very well applied in the birth canal!!! Good thing the roads to the beach were not too bumpy. I had also been having irregular contractions for the past few weeks, and woke up the morning of our trip contracting every 3-5mins for almost an hour.....luckily I willed them away. Good thing too because our trip was Amazing. It was SO fun to catch up with the girls and spend some much needed time together. They also surprised me with a Wonderful Baby Shower and super generous pile of gifts! We sent the boys out golfing and had a nice peaceful girls day. Speaking of the boys, they were wild and crazy as expected-but it is so nice that they all get along so well. The girls partying impressed me too I must admit. I am a little worried about my ability to keep up next year...at least I have some time to get back into practice. It was also SUPER exciting to find out that Jessie and Darin will be having a playmate for Baby Clarke sometime this winter too. I am just hoping and praying ;) that there will be many blessings on their way when the time is right...All in all, I couldn't think of a better way to round out or pre-baby days than with Great friends.

In most recent news this weekend is our big MOVE!! We are headed back to the Burgh. The moving truck comes today. There is no doubt about it-there are many things we will miss lots about our home in NC. We will look back on these years VERY fondly and NC will always hold a special place in our hearts. We made many good friends here-that BETTER keep in touch. My friends certainly didn't let me leave empty handed-I was showered with baby parties/gifts at both of my jobs before I left and given so many cute gifts and presents. It was really amazing! I also managed to squeeze in lots of lunch and dinner dates with the girls to say goodbye to everyone over the past week or so. I think that I would be much more distraught about the move if I didn't have my family and some of the best friends in the world waiting for us in Pittsburgh. I can't wait to be reunited with Jessie, CJ, and Amy-and have a chance to see my Pgh friends much more often when they are back in the hometown.

Last but not least...I have to make quick mention of Bridger's FAVORITE activity of the past month...our Breastfeeding class!! I thought it was Wonderful and very informative/interesting. He on the other hand was overwhelmed by the circa 1980's video we had to watch demonstrating large busted women feeding infants of various ages. He claims that he has lots of "Bridger Dollars" in the bank after attending that one with me. Well, he is in for a real treat, because we hit the ground running in Pittsburgh. Our first few days home we have hospital tours, OB appointments, meetings with the pediatrician, and lots of other baby related activities. At least I FINALLY ordered the car seat and stroller that I have been pontificating over the past month-so he does not have to hear me talk about that anymore (and we will have a means of taking our baby home from the hospital in our vehicle) :)

So, I will conclude this novel with some pics for your viewing pleasure and a promise to update more regularly in the next few weeks as we count down till the baby's birthday. Send some good thoughts our way as we complete our move today and embark on the car trip to Pgh with the cat in tow. Our big hope is that we make it to the Burgh without Baby Clarke being born in West Virginia-don't worry I will have my prenatal records, cord clamps, bulb suctions, and blankets ready in the car just in case :)

Bridger and I in Carolina Beach-35 week belly

The girls of SeaSick :)

4lbs 4oz and lots of growing left to do...

2009-05-14T08:11:00.004-04:00

Here is the latest portrait of our little love! As you can tell he or she has plumped up quite a bit over the past 12 weeks since our last photo session. It was really hard to get any good pictures because the baby is just so big that body parts are all over the place. He or she had arms/hands/elbows covering the face the entire time. We can't tell if he or she still has dad's pointy chin-but at least we are reassured that if it is a girl-she might be a little more dainty looking. One crazy thing that the ultrasound tech said was that the baby has LOTS of hair!! Not surprising given the parents I guess. The best news of the experience however is that this little one is growing Wonderfully. You may be wondering why in the world we had an ultrasound at 32 weeks?? Great question (it was kinda useless in our opinion)! However, at my last appointment, my belly was measuring on the small side (duh) and so they wanted to do a growth scan to make sure the baby's growth was adequate for gestational age. It sure is-he or she weighs approximately 4lbs 4oz and is in the 35% for weight and growth. Given that his/her parents are not giants (sorry to shatter your ego daddy), it is not surprising that we are not going to break a record for the worlds biggest baby. My belly has been measuring small since my very first appointment, so hopefully they will quit picking on the small kids, and let us alone. Mom has evidence every day of just how strong this baby is by the increasing strength of his/her kicks. We were able to tell that the head is down low, the body is curved around on the right side of my belly, and the little feet are balled up on the left. Of course this can all change, but it has been really neat to know what parts I am feeling. Here is a picture of that precious little foot that takes my breath away when it kicks my left side so hard I feel like I could fall over....

In other news...we are getting more and more ready for baby every day. I have been enjoying my prenatal yoga (it sure has been relaxing and rejuvenating for me-the baby has not really taken the hint-it does not calm down AT ALL). We have the nursery all picked out, paint color and all...it will be Kittery Point Green from Pottery Barn Kids. We are going to order our crib soon and the stroller and car seat will closely follow. So, we are getting there. Don't get me wrong, we would be chickens with our head cut off if the baby decided to make his or her appearance this week...but hopefully by July (or late June (23rd to be exact) if I have my way) our ducks will be in a row. One thing for sure-we are all ready for Football season to start. Look at what may be the cutest thing I have ever seen...Baby Clarke's first Steelers Jersey and accessories...my Aunt, Uncle, and Dog cousins are so good to me already :)

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T21:58:00.004-04:00

To all the Momma's out there (especially my Wonderful Mother and Mother-in-law) we are thinking of you today and hoping you had a wonderful day. Hopefully you got to enjoy and reflect on the blessing of your children and felt all the love and appreciation that your children and families have for you. I sure know that I feel unbelievably privileged and blessed with the gift of pregnancy and can't wait for that day in 8ish short weeks when I will "officially" become a mother to our baby.

Bridger and I had an Amazing weekend....We took a Mother's Day Weekend BabyMoon to Wrightsville Beach, NC :) Each and every aspect of our trip exceeded our expectations and we enjoyed the little romantic getaway-our last trip just the two of us before we become a family of 3! We stayed in a funky beach hotel right on the beach. We enjoyed relaxing on the beach, a few long beach walks, several good meals, and even hit up a baby boutique or two. Here are some pics of a Fantastic weekend...

32 Weeks and going strong!

Look at the difference in that belly from the shot taken 4 weeks ago at Hilton Head....

When we got home from our trip this evening, I was surprised and SPOILED even more with the Mother's Day gift of my dreams-a Vera Bradley Diaper Bag!! Some of you may remember, that I have wanted a VB diaper bag since the day I got my very first purse back in the day.

Bigger and Bigger....Busier and Busier

2009-05-04T21:38:00.002-04:00

The themes of the last few weeks have surely been growing and getting more and more ACTIVE!! At least I like to attribute my Larger and Larger sized stomach to nothing other than the growth of the baby :) In terms of the activity-it is totally out of control! Don't get me wrong, it is a good thing, but sometimes I worry a little bit about fetal ADHD. Is there such a thing? It is a constant soccer game/ballet recital/swim meet/you name it and baby Clarke is doing it constantly. My belly just wobbles around like the waves of the ocean with kicks and jabs interspersed. Everywhere I go people are starting to ask me when my baby is due, or little children point to me and say "mommy, that lady is having a baby". All the attention is kinda fun, I must admit. Some of the more interesting looks might have been out at the bar last weekend celebrating Bridger's Birthday. We went out to a Great dinner and then met up with some of our friends for drinks (aka-ginger ale). I felt like a pretty good wife, staying out till after midnight to "rock it out" for the husband's B-Day. I must have been an interesting sight with my big bad self sitting on a bar stool. Here are some pictures from the big night (30 weeks) what would you think if you saw someone who looked like this out on the town???

More updates on the life in utero of the Clarke Baby

2009-04-28T10:31:00.008-04:00

Some other belated updates in the life of the Clarke Baby include the adventures of starting our baby registry and a super fun trip to Hoboken to celebrate Aunt Ashley's Bridal Shower. Starting with the wildest and most overwhelming-BABIES R US! Now you would think that since I have been dreaming of having a baby and planning for this time in my life for as long as I can ever remember, baby shopping would be a pretty easy task. NOPE! Have you ever walked into this Baby and Child SuperCenter?? They have more things than you could imagine needing between the time of birth and when your child goes off to college. The other really big challenge to this trip-was that I took Bridger along!! Now don't get me wrong, he loves this child more than anything and has been an amazingly supportive and involved husband throughout the entire pregnancy, but taking a man to BRU is just not a good combo. I have to relate it to what it is like dragging me around Best Buy?? Of course, those of you who know me well, also know that I tend to look at every option over and over and over again. So, maybe I am not the best person to go shopping with in the first place. Anyway, we decided that a good compromise for both of our interests would be to look at the BIG items (and I would come back alone on another day to update the registry and add some "smaller" items that Bridger would be less likely to have any opinion about-bottles, breastfeeding supplies, bath towels, ect). Well, all in all the trip was a mild success. I had done lots and lots, tons and tons, of research so I had most big classes of items narrowed down to one or two choices and Bridger helped choose between my favorites. The results of this adventure can now be found online if you are interested-but know that it is really just a start and open to lots of changes. Also, if any of you parents out there have suggestions about the products I registered for please leave me a comment. I would love to know your advice on things to definitely get and others to avoid.....

In some other celebratory news-we had a very fun weekend in Hoboken with Aunt Ashley, Uncle Keith, and Grandma Clarke. The entire weekend we had beautiful weather, great food, fun shopping, and even time for a little pampering :) Grandma Clarke spoiled the momma with a Wonderful pedicure and spoiled baby with a very cute new outfit that will likely debut in the first few days of life. It was great to have Ashley, Keith, and Emily get to see the growth of this new little Clarke in person. They even had the treat of being kicked a time or two and watching the little wiggle worm in action. The highlight of the weekend was Ashley's shower-which was really amazing. The shower was held at a marina overlooking New York City and it was so sunny, bright, and festive for her special day. Here are a couple pics from the big event...

A Heavenly Pedicure

Evidence of Grandma Clarke's Spoiling

Long update as promised...

2009-04-26T21:52:00.004-04:00

Well here it is....the first of a few updates....to fill you in on the last 2.5 weeks that I have been delinquent in updating the blog. Needless to say, it has been busy as can be here in the Clarke household.

The day after I got home from the wonderful trip to the beach the baby and I had our 28 week appointment. We saw a new doctor for this visit (all the others had been with the same woman) and she was great. The visit itself was a little less than pleasant as I had to be poked and prodded more than I have at any of my previous visits. First things first, I had to drink the "glucola" and have my oral glucose tolerance test. The glucola is a pretty nasty orange beverage about the size of a water bottle that has more sugar in it than you could ever imagine. It caused some nausea and also made me feel a little a little "out of it" from the sugar high. Then you wait an hour after drinking it and have blood drawn to test your blood glucose levels. The point of the test is to detect gestational diabetes-and luckily I passed. I was happiest about this news because it meant that I didn't have to do the 3 hour test with more glucola to drink. Additionally, at this visit I had the pleasant opportunity to get my Rhogam shot. As some of you may remember-I have been disappointed about my blood type for quite some time now-B negative. Well, the disappointment was deserved. There is nothing like bending over an exam table with your pants around your knees to get a big shot in your butt!! Not to mention the shot is cold (because it is considered a blood product), thick, and has to be administered slowly with a really big needle!! Ok, I am being a bit of a wimp, but let's just say the 28 week appointment was one of the more exciting ones. Luckily, the good news was that the baby measured great with a nice strong heart beat. Another happily uneventful visit other than all the needles-which I will sacrifice any day for a healthy baby. The appointment also happened to fall on Good Friday, so I felt guilty for complaining on the day that Jesus sacrificed his life for the world. I could certainly sacrifice a few shots and needles for my baby :) We were also excited to have my parents in town for Easter so I was quickly distracted from my sore arm and butt. We were very spoiled by having my mom cook several good meals for us while they were here and my dad helped with some projects around the house. It has been so nice to have several opportunities to see them and have them around to watch the baby grow. Speaking of growing, I will leave you with these 28 week/Easter photos....

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

2009-04-25T17:33:00.002-04:00

Dear Daddy,
Happy Birthday!! I know it is crazy for us to love each other so much before we have even had a chance to meet-but I REALLY love you. Mommy tells me all the time that I am the luckiest baby in the world to have a Daddy that will be as Wonderful as you! I hope that you and Mommy have a Great time celebrating your Birthday. We will all have a big family celebration in 10 short weeks or so when we can all be together on MY Birthday :) Can't wait to meet you Daddy. Love, Your Baby

PS-to everyone else....my mommy PROMISES to update the blog tomorrow!! She knows she has been very delinquent and there are several things that she should tell you about-My 28 week Dr. Appt, Easter, Starting my baby registry, and Aunt Ashley's Bridal Shower!! Please check back tomorrow night for a big long update :)

Baby Clarke's 1st trip to the beach

2009-04-10T08:32:00.013-04:00

The baby and I had a Wonderful week at the beach, we were in Hilton Head with Grammie, Pappie, and Uncle Tom. Here are some photos to document our trip:

Preggo by the pool-reading up on baby bargains

Me and my Virgin Frozen Margarita at the Beach Bar-Heavenly

Nothing like a pregnant lady on a bike-what a site

Yet, we had so much fun riding all over the island

Beach Belly Pic-can't wait to compare this one to one I will take in June at Seasick 09

What a Great Trip!!

Here is some evidence of all the spoiling grammie did at the outlets. I think she may have bought the baby his/her wardrobe for the first 3 months!!

PS-I have my 28 week appointment today-stay posted for an update on the appt. and a traditional 28 week belly pic coming this weekend.

Busy Day!!!

2009-04-01T12:04:00.002-04:00

Today has been a busy day for Baby Clarke. He or she has been registered for A Hospital Tour, Breastfeeding Classes, and His/Her First Pediatrician's Appointment!! Now granted, the little one will be listening and learning in utero-but Momma is making a busy schedule none-the-less. Maybe this is the start of what they call "nesting"?? Or I am just being super organized. Either is an equally likely possibility. Just wait till Daddy gets home from work...he is going to be SO excited about all of these plans. I think the Breastfeeding class may be the highlight of his spring-too bad I can't take him along with me to the prenatal yoga class I signed up for too-now that would be a funny sight! I am giggling just thinking of the visual image :) Hope everyone is having a good week!

No doubt about it.....

2009-03-29T22:26:00.004-04:00

the belly is GROWING!! You would think with how busy we have been over the last few weeks, I would be working off all the extra growth. But, baby knows best, and keeps on getting bigger and bigger. The big news around here is that our house is on the market, we found a condo to rent in Shadyside for next year, and I spend 100% of my free time on the internet designing the nursery :) The plans have changed a million and one times from silver sage paint, to green, maybe yellow, back to light blue.....so you will definitely have to stay tuned for the end result. I have about 10 bedding sets that are in the running! In other big news-we took a big trip to Babies R Us this weekend to do the preliminary scouting out for a little baby registry. Nothing is up and running as of yet, but we are in the thinking process. I must say, it is quite overwhelming how many baby supplies are out there on the market. Good thing lots can be done online. I know many people have asked where we are going to register-and BRU is at the top of the list and we may add one other just for variety. As always...stay tuned. The only other big development to report is that I started having some Braxton Hicks contractions?!?! Seems awful early to me (26wks). The are VERY irregular and not painful at all-but just somewhat unexpected for this early on in the pregnancy. I will run it by my DR at the next visit just to ease my mind. Oh and speaking of Doctors-I had an appointment at Magee while in Pittsburgh last week-so we have someone to catch this baby wherever we may live at the time. I really like the group in Pgh and for many reasons we are planning and hoping that the big occasion will occur once we are settled in the burgh! So, until next time-look at this BELLY!! I think another "who has the bigger belly competition" with my dad may be in order soon. He does not have too much longer to win....

Good idea from Aunt Ashley...

2009-03-19T10:22:00.003-04:00

Ashley left me a comment the other day that she thinks this Baby is a Boy!?!? It got me thinking.....it would be kinda fun to take a poll to see what all of you think. So, I added the poll to the right hand side of the blog. Take a guess....and feel free to leave me a comment justifying your answer :)

ps-for some reason my gut feeling is a girl-I change my mind on a daily basis though...

Our growing little maniac...

2009-03-15T00:48:00.003-04:00

I made the mistake of commenting to Bridger earlier this week that I thought my growing belly was starting to "taper off" a bit. Boy was I wrong! I feel like the last day or two must have made up for any tapering that might have occured. The baby is moving like a little maniac and seems to be really crazy late at night and early in the morning. I hope this is not a predictor for future sleep patterns.

In other news, we will be heading to Pittsburgh later this week to find this Clarke family a new home. Wish us luck. It will be fun to finally get to show my big old belly off in person to some of you...can't wait to see you soon. For the rest, you will have to live through the photos for now. But as a special treat this week debuts the first "bare belly" shot. Be careful scrolling down if this might wierd you out....

Status-Quo

2009-03-08T00:36:00.002-05:00

Not much news to report...these last few days and my 23 week check up have been somewhat status-quo...which is something I will never complain about in regards to pregnancy or life in general. Our doctor's appointment consisted of vital signs, weight, heartbeat, belly measurements, and out the door. My doctor always asks me if I am having any problems/issues/concerns, and we have been so fortunate to always deny ANY problems what-so-ever. We just want this little love to stay put and remain the crazy little kicking/flipping maniac that he/she has been thus far. Oh, that reminds me-the one new development is that I have definitely felt some hiccups the last few days. They feel less intense than a kick and are very repetitive in nature. Luckily for both of us they tend to only last a minute or two and are then quickly resolved. The kicks on the otherhand have continued to get more intense as the baby has grown and they can now be seen on the outside of my belly-sometimes even through my shirt. I have so much fun letting friends share in the excitement of feeling/seeing the baby kicking. According to our doctor and babycenter.com the little peanut is now over one pound and about 12 inches in length from head to toe. It is crazy to think that technically we are reaching the point of viability-where the baby would be compatible with life outside the womb. Like I mentioned earlier-we REALLY would never want to face that situation right now-but still an unbelievable thought!

22 weeks and growing strong...

2009-03-01T21:25:00.002-05:00

Here is the new and updated belly pic :) The big news as of recently is that I finally gave in and busted out my maternity pants-it is HEAVENLY!! I don't know what in the world I was waiting for, but they are SO much more comfortable than pre-pregnancy pants with the bella band. That trick worked wonders for awhile and bought me a month or so of my pre-pregnancy wardrobe, but the time had come for the big transition...I was just getting too big. Maternity pants are like wearing PJ's or sweat pants with an elastic waist. Otherwise, I have been feeling Great and continue to LOVE being pregnant. The only new nuisance is the nightly leg cramps (which is another one of those things that no one really talks about or warns you of)...but a small price to pay for all of the joy. The baby is quite the wiggle worm these days and kicks momma lots and lots throughout the day. It is so fun to feel him/her and so far I would have to say it is my favorite part of being pregnant!!

Way Overdue....

2009-02-26T09:05:00.003-05:00

So I must apologize for being WAY overdue with this post! Life has been kinda crazy here in good old Durham with work, housework, and more work. We are working hard to get our house on the market in the next week or two and have been kept pretty busy with our jobs this month as well.
On the baby front....I am living the quote "be careful what you wish for"....my belly has turned into a human punching/kicking bag. We have daily fetal kickboxing classes here on Wyntercrest Lane that are usually held in the early morning and later evening hours. I read that it is normal for babies to be very active about an hour or so after dinner/big evening meals because they are stimulated by the big glucose bolus that arrives to them via the lovely lifeline of the placenta and cord. Well this little love supports that data, because 30-60 mins after dinner (also the time when we are usually on our sofa being still and surfing the net/watching American Idol), is when he or she goes CRAZY. I always make Bridger feel so he doesn't think I am crazy when I just start giggling outloud. Sometimes, the baby moves/kicks and you are caught so off guard that it tickles you and causes a laugh out loud. This happened to me in public yesterday-kinda wierd. But...as you could have guessed...I LOVE IT!! Feeling my baby move (and having Bridger feel it too) has become the #1 thing I look forward to when I wake up each morning to start the day :) So, I think that I am NOT going to be careful what I wish for when it comes to Pregnancy and just keep on wishing.....
ps-stay tuned for a 22 week belly shot this Saturday...you just might be surprised!

My Valentines

2009-02-15T22:06:00.003-05:00

Bridger got a very special belated Valentine's Day treat from the baby tonight....his first kick!! I have been feeling the baby move for just about a week now. I can't really pinpoint exactly when I started feeling the movements because they had been somewhat inconsistent. However, last Saturday (19 weeks exactly) I felt some movements that were pretty specific and happened several times throughout the day-I finally knew I was feeling my baby. All week I have been overjoyed with the feelings as they are way more noticeable and frequent. Tonight I was feeling some specific kicks in my belly and I reached down just to check if they could be felt on the outside as well as what I was feeling inside....indeed they could :) So, I immediately had Bridger hold his hand on my belly and in a few seconds time the little peanut kicked his hand twice. This was his special Valentine from the baby in addition to his "Beer Basket" Valentine that we gave him yesterday from all of us!

AND IT'S A....

2009-02-10T21:46:00.009-05:00

Surprise!!!

You will have to stay in suspence until July :) We had our big 20 week anatomy scan ultrasound today and it was Wonderful. It was So fun to watch our little wiggle worm and even better to see and hear that everything looks healthy and well. You would never think that you could get so excited about a 4 chambered heart, developing brain, renal arteries, etc. But, let me tell you it was joyous music to our ears. The baby is actually measuring a few days larger than the estimated due date and was in the 75-85 percentile for length, weight, and other measurements. Kinda surprising....who's your daddy? We couldn't be happier to have such Fabulous news to report. To top it all off, look how cute this little button is......

Peek a Boo

I don't have a Snoogle like Momma, but I guess my umbilical cord will do...

Hmm...it's kinda tight in here...guess that's why they call it the fetal position!

Pittsburgh won the Superbowl!!

2009-02-01T22:48:00.005-05:00

Our babies are Steelers fans too...I thought maybe all the excitement might make the baby move.....it made Linus wild and crazy :)

Pop....goes the baby belly

2009-01-31T22:21:00.002-05:00

Well everyone, the day has come....I look pregnant! There is no hiding it now, so I just sport the prego look just about everywhere I go with a big smile on my face. For some reason I am still a little shocked that I have popped at 18 weeks. I really thought that I would have had a few more weeks before it was this noticeable. I even have people wanting to rub my belly. Now I am getting a little impatient about waiting to feel the baby move. People often ask me if I have felt any butterflies or movements?? I keep rubbing my belly and telling the "bell pepper"-the baby's current size according to babycenter.com-to move around. So far, we have a naughty little child that is being stubborn and will not listen to mother!!

Snoogle!!

2009-01-28T13:11:00.003-05:00

My dear husband spoiled me last night with the Best Gift Ever....a SNOOGLE!! As many of you (especially Bridger) have witnessed, my pregnancy has made me just the slightest bit more grumpy/crabby-particularly when I don't sleep well or am tired. I have been whining about wanting a body pillow for quite some time now, and maybe Bridger got to the point of desperity where he would try just about anything to help me sleep better at night. But, I would like to think the former, that he just loves me so much that he wants to make me comfortable and happy. He may have regretted his decision as the snoogle does take up quite a bit of space in the bed. Bridger already gets the shaft because he shares his half of our cozy little double bed with Linus. Just before falling asleep he exclaimed, "I wish the Bridger from five years ago could look down from the ceiling and see me right now-with my wife and her snoogle on one side and our 18 pound cat on the other." I think he may still be adjusting to the reality of our life right now. However, I must say, I did get a REALLY good night's sleep last night with my new Snoogle.

What's Bigger....Baby Belly or Beer Belly??

2009-01-24T17:59:00.003-05:00

I think I'd have to say that the Beer Belly on Grandpa still wins by a landslide! Although, week 17 has taken away my privledge of wearing my old trusty jeans. I now must resort to the "Bella Band" at all times with any of my pre-pregnancy pants. Thank goodness that I wear scrubs to work :) For some reason I am resisting the transition to the maternity wardrobe....but I would guess that I only have another week or two....before it is inevitable. I think it just seems like once I take that step there will be no turning back and I will be stuck with the same small selection of clothes for a very long time. I must say that my husband does spoil me with destination maternity gift cards and maternity shopping sprees (he prefers the online variety) from time to time. Boy am I lucky-just wait to see how much worse it can get if we have a little girl...

In other news we have had a busy weekend with my parents. As you might have guessed from the photo grandma and pappie were here to visit this weekend and help us with some house projects. We are working hard to get our house ready to sell-what a daunting task. As always, my parents were an AMAZING help and we got TONS accomplished. I thought it was an appropriate week to have the "who has the bigger belly" contest with my dad while he can still be the winner! Although, I am a close second. Friends, co-workers, and strangers are calling me out left and right on being pregnant. It should be no surprise that I love responding with a resounding "YES I am Pregnant"!

Must be looking Pregnant

2009-01-22T11:41:00.002-05:00

I have now officially received the first comment from a TOTALLY random stranger about looking pregnant. It must be WAY more obvious that I am aware of, or else these people are just really balls-y. I was working at Labor and Delivery the other night and I went into a patient's room to help one of my co-workers-when a visitor (a soon-to-be grandma-about my mom's age) shouts "oh look, she is going to have a baby too"! I must admit I was taken aback. Good thing I had told my co-workers earlier that night. What an awkward scenario for a stranger to call me out in front of a co-worker that was not aware of my pregnancy status?!?! I am thinking that it is almost time to make it public on Facebook-now that is another big step :)

The Bump is Growing

2009-01-17T21:20:00.003-05:00

Today marked another milestone in my pregnancy in addition to being 16 weeks. One of our respiratory therapists at work approached me in the hospital and asked me if I was pregnant. Good thing the answer was "Yes"!! She then proceeded to tell me that she caught a side view of my belly and just had a feeling I was pregnant. Mind you-I even had a loose fitting zip up sweatshirt on over-top of this long sleeve shirt to try to hide the belly at work. So, I guess today would mark the day that strangers (or people other than my closest friends and family) can tell that there is a baby belly growing.

I hope you enjoy the personal portrait. I had to take my photo alone today because Bridger and I are working completely opposite schedules this weekend :( I hope everyone is doing well and staying warm.

Baby Heart Beat is a Wonderful Sound!!!

2009-01-14T22:54:00.002-05:00

Hey Everyone! We had a great day complete with a perfect OB visit. The little love of a baby is measuring right on track for 15.5 weeks, and had a nice strong heart beat averaging 155 beats per minute. Some old wives tales say that a slower heart beat=girl??? We'll have to see in July....Our next visit is in mid-February and we will have the big anatomy scan ultrasound at that time. Here is a little video to share our joy of hearing the heart beat with all of you :)

Go Steelers!!!

2009-01-11T16:54:00.006-05:00

Another good week for the Clarke family....topped off with the Steelers' win!! The major news from this week is that the pregnancy has been revealed to just about everyone. I even told my co-workers and my boss at UNC (pediatrics). I plan to tell everyone at REX (labor and delivery) when I work tomorrow night.

One big highlight of the week was my awesome pregnancy present-"tummy talk". It is a mixture of a journal/scrapbook and is right up my alley. I have spent lots of time documenting the past few weeks. As some of you may remember, I literally cried (in hindsight maybe it was because I was pregnant and hormonal??) when I had to put away my big wedding binder. Now my pregnancy book takes its place :) In other big news, we have an OB appointment on Wednesday, so stay tuned for another update mid-week.....

15 Week Belly Pic

14weeks(2days)

2009-01-05T21:39:00.002-05:00

As promised, we started the tradition this week of doing some belly shots. I have a sneaking suspicion that one of these days I am going to wake up rockin a little baby belly bump. So, I took the opportunity to get a "baseline" photo at 14weeks. As you can see there is certainly a little bloat going on and maybe a little tiny baby bump if you use your imagination :) It is getting harder to pull off some of my favorite long sleeve shirts and sweaters these days. They just seem to be way tighter and shorter than they used to be a week or so ago. Luckily I have always been a low-rise kinda girl in the jeans/pants department so my pants still fit just fine. I did invest in the controversial "bella band" this week-apparently some people love it and others hate it?? For those of you that are thinking....what in the world is a bella band.....it is kinda like a very tight tube top (spandex-ish material) that you wear around the top of your pants/under the bottom of your shirt to hold up tight (unbuttoned) pre-pregnancy pants or loose maternity pants. I figure that special morning when I wake up and can no longer button my jeans, at least I will have some options. Stay tuned, I am thinking that day may be here sooner than we know it.......

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T15:29:00.010-05:00

Happy New Year! I hope you had a drink last night for me. Unfortunately, Bridger and I both had to ring in the new year at work. But, we viewed it as a small price to pay for having the Best Christmas in Pittsburgh.

Not too much is new in regard to our little Peach. We have another appointment in two weeks and we look very forward to hearing the precious little heartbeat again.

The life of the momma however has brought about some interesting changes this week. My life seems to revolve around eating, peeing, and sleeping. I am absolutely ravenous ALL the time-and chips seem to be the answer. I got so hungry in the grocery store yesterday that I had to run to the snack isle and open up a box of cheez-its. I really thought I might pass out from starvation (even though I had lunch within the hour), so I walked around the store with my hand in the cracker box. I apologized to the cashier as crackers spilled at her register and I think she just thought I was weird and felt bad for me. Even with all the eating there is really no belly bump yet-but stay tuned. We will likely start entertaining you with belly shots once there is something to actually display. I think I am still in the pleasantly plump-I've gained a few pounds, but don't really look pregnant-stage. The one constant reminder that I am actually pregnant is my bladder. I really think I pee non-stop, all day and NIGHT! Then on top of that, with all my OB experience....I never knew that pregnancy made you pee your pants!!! One of the glorious wonders that no one talks about I guess? Now don't get me wrong, I knew this happend AFTER you had lots of babies and were 50+ years old. But, at 29 years old and 13.5 weeks pregnant with your first baby?? Dribbling pee when you run water, sneeze, or are walking around the mall?? It is terrible.

But, despite all these little idiosyncrasies that I can complain about in the cyber world, I LOVE being pregnant. The world doesn't know that I am, but my baby and I do-and it is Awesome! I have wanted to be a mother for as long as I can ever remember and this year (2009) is going to be my opportunity! The best of wishes for a very happy, healthy, and blessed year to all of you :)

My First Posting

2008-12-28T22:44:00.004-05:00

Now that we have had the opportunity to share our exciting news with all of you...we thought it was a good time to start documenting the pregnancy. It is SO exciting to finally be able to share our experiences with all of you. I don't think I realized how hard it was to keep the secret until we started telling everyone! For those of you who have not yet had a chance to see, I will leave you tonight with the first photo of our little love.....