Still The Same Ol' Clark!

We bravely ventured back to church today. It's been a LONG time. But now that morning nap is a thing of the past (brief moment of silence in memory of morning nap time), we can go!

So we got to church and were a wee bit apprehensive about Clark trying to sit still AND be quiet at the same time for a whole hour and a half. We packed a bottle, a bunch of number magnets and his little mouse hoping these favorite items would help him during church.

He was really sweet and good! We had our moments though, and they had me fighting giggles so hard I had tears springing up.

First, he laid belly-down-bum-up in the air on his chair to take a little rest... then he noticed the nicest lady behind him! So he'd peak up, smile really big and then lay down really fast. Cute yes, but we rescued the kind stranger as quickly as we could.

I gave him a couple magnets and showed him how they stuck the the side of the chairs. He could have cared less that they were magnets. He had to show his daddy the number 8! Rather loudly. I squelched my pride that the whole building knew he knew his numbers and shh'd him.

He played super nicely, snuggled, cuddled his mouse, and then remembered that the lady behind him seemed to enjoy peek-a-boo, so he peaked up to make sure she was still there, and then slowly peaked his mouse over the chair and loudly told her "MOUSE!"

Then the preacher said "in closing," or something to that effect. Clark got super wiggly and I started thinking how comparatively well the day had gone! The last time we had gone, Clark was so anxious for his meal that he pulled my shirt back and practically jumped in!.. not to mention that at 8 months, he knew what his meal was called and said it rather loudly. I thought I'd never go back.

Anyway, we stood up to sing the last song and realized that even though Clark wasn't trying to nurse, and had behaved very well for a LONG period of time, he was still the same ol' Clark. We had him dressed so nice and cute... so he peed through. And I didn't bring him a change... same ol' me.


In other news, Clark and Daddy shovelled the snow when we got home. It was absurdly cute and I was extremely disappointed that I straightened up the house instead of snooping on them sooner. Take a look at what I was missing!

"Good job, Dad! You're a big help, buddy."

Out With the Nalgenes, In With the Potatoes!

Ian needs help. I'm pregnant AND reading books. When I read books I usually say something like "guess what I just learned!!,'' "Look at how terrible this is for you" or "Ooh! New recipes for vegetables you boys might like! Oh and this says we shouldn't eat potatoes, so no more potatoes!" Poor Ian. He puts up with it like such a trooper and usually helps me find a happy medium until I realize that Lefse has potatoes and I certainly don't want to live without that! (we threw out that book around Lefse season come to think of it!)

When I'm pregnant, I second guess everything and stop wearing deodorant or styling my hair. So now I'm reading a book about organic pregnancy. Poor beloved Ian. The cover of the book implies something is wrong with sleeping on a mattress. Clark keeps coming up to me when I read it, saying "No." and closing my book. The nerve! I bet his father put him up to this. Such nerve like that is only carried on Y chromosomes.

In the meantime, farewell my beloved Nalgenes and goodbye dishwasher.

Actually, help ME! Ian makes me stick to stuff like this. Forget him and his potatoes! I need my dishwasher! Who cares if the detergent is extremely toxic and bad for my babies?!? oh yeah... I do. Handwashing it is. You see what these terrible books do? Thanks a lot Mom for making me like to read. Oh wait! I know a way to get my dishes done!

Mom... I'm feeling a little morning sick. You don't by any chance feel like coming over and doing some dishes do you? While you're thinking about it, Clark wants to say "hi..."

Hank's a Girl!

Hank's a girl! And a very modest little one at that! She turned her full face to the camera and showed us how cute she is when she snuggles into mommy, then refused to show us much else. It took a lot of coaxing. She gave one little peek and then wiggled away and stuck her hand in front of the camera as if to say no to the paparazzi. Love that little cutie!!

I'm so relieved she's a girl! Poor thing if she had been a boy! I've called her a girl since day one... and have called her Hank since about day 7. Besides, it would have been really hard for me to switch over to our boy-name, since Hank was only our girl-name :) Oh yes. You think I'm joking. I'm not. You may call her Hannah if you must. That's what all the Grandparents are doing. We will call her Hank though. My lovely (inside radiating out) Mother has been called Buck since she was little and it has always been amusing to hear such a natural beauty called Buck. I want Hank to be exactly like her. Of course, we can't name a little girl "Buck," so Hank it is.

Top 10

Top 10 Reasons I Think Hank is a girl:

10. Eats her vegetables
9. Enjoys cleaning
8. Likes to dance
7. Is appalled by most TV
6. Doesn't dribble food down my white shirts
5. Craves chocolate
4. Likes shopping (except King Soopers)
3. She's jealous of my figure so she makes me look fat
2. Likes to spend a lot of time in the bathroom
1. Gets mad at the boys if they squish her at all. ("hello-o... just grew my hair and nails in here!")


Top 10 Reasons Hank Could Be a Boy

10. Doesn't like taking vitamins
9. Likes working out
8. Packs such a punch I could feel him since he was 8 weeks old
7. Doesn't like mom's hair up
6. Doesn't mind the cold and likes lots of fresh air
5. Found the smell of dog-breath pleasant one evening
4. Is always peeking over dishes and pots asking "what's for dinner?"
3. Steak and potatos please! Oh, and please pass the salt!!
2. Burps a lot
1. Is a teasebug and keeps trying to trip mommy


We find out next week!!

Don't You Know What "No" Means??

In case you are wondering... "could someone please tell me the meaning of the word "no," here it is. :) Straight from the Clarksters Dictionary - with examples to help clarify how each form should be used.

NO

1) No.

If this comes from Mom or Dad, it should be followed up with a loud wail. If it comes from Clark, it is said very sweetly and matter of factly -- and when eating with a hand in front of his cute little mouth.

2) Forehead.

I would like to say that when he points to his forehead and calls it a "no," he is saying "know" and is showing extreme smartness, but from definition # 3, I doubt it. He thinks no is forehead and forehead is no. I think this is why he laughs so hard whenever either Grandma tells him "no no :)" If someone came up to me, smiled and said "forehead forehead" I think I'd probably laugh too.

3) Yes.

Up and down are synonyms, so why not yes and no?? We've now made a lovely habit of asking... just to be sure... "by 'no' did you mean 'yes?'" followed up with "YAS!!!"

"no."

Soup in the Kettle

We have a little Soup in the kettle!! or a bun in the oven, baby in the belly... whatever you want to call it. Personally, I call it "Hank" and will continue to do so once he/she is born.

COMING SOON!
the Details

My Little Creationist

Ah.... the huge sigh that bursts from my motherly lungs...

I bought some cereal with a gorilla pictured on the front. And instead of saying "ba-puh!" (his word for grandpa...), he points to it and tries every animal he knows.... bear? doggy? MEOW!!! (not moose... he knows it's not a door hinge.)

He already knows that a gorilla is an animal, not an ancestor. I pitty anyone who tries to tell him he evolved from a monkey.