Clarks 2013

Clarks 2013

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Zoo

We went to the Zoo this past week, Tyson's first visit.  And neither D or I had been in awhile either.  And we went with ward friends!  Ward friends?!?!?  It has been 4 years of marriage and FINALLY we are in a ward where we are making friends.  I am just happy about it, can you tell?!?

So an equation:  Free zoo + gorgeous 57 degree weather = way crowded!

Parking took the longest but once we made it, it was good.  D and I aren't the biggest animal lovers and Tyson was a bit too small to understand, but we enjoyed it and the company.  Tyson hasn't been out much so it was nice to actually use our stroller and get him outdoors.  There was one cute baby monkey  and elephant, but the rest of the animals weren't too amusing.

There are like 6 or more of us in the ward who all had a baby within a month or two - below are 3 of the kiddos and new mommies.  Cute.

Here we are...











We visited the Zoo 2/26/14

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Lately

Currently we live a rather hum-drum life with school and baby and lots of home time for Mom and Tyson.  Is it bad to say we have just barely recovered from the holidays?  Travels, sickos, crazy 2 jobs and finals and shopping... makes me tired just writing it down again.

I'd say we've taken it slow, but no we still pack it in.  To make note:

Andrea work-from-home
Remember how I get to be a Mom at home?  Well, crazy thing is I am now also working-from-home about 20-30 hours a week.  The job literally fell in my lap in December and I couldn't turn it down since for the next 3.5 years we won't have income from D.  It felt like a blessing from heaven even though secretly I'd have hoped not to work for awhile or until we were down to almost $0 in our savings.  But we're being looked after and hopefully this will prevent us getting to $0 during dental school.  Times like these the little blessings are so big.  And me, Mom, is trying to balance time with Tyson and her computer, and so far I'm doing okay.   The mobile Tyson will be a challenge but I guess parenting always brings new challenges to the same-ol stuff.

Winter
So besides David, sometimes Tyson and Andrea don't get out much.  At. All.  For maybe 2 weeks.  And I have to say, I'm just fine with it :)  When the sky is filled with inversion crap, snow is on the ground, and it's bitter cold --- we are enjoying our 71 degree house.  I kind of feel spoiled.  Poor David has to get out in it, but he like cold more than hot so I don't feel too bad.

Our wager
D and I had a bet going.  David, the tooth expert these days, said most kids don't get teeth till soon after 6 months.  Well, I just wanted to put a little something out there because he can't always be right about this stuff right?  And my motherly instincts said Tyson could be advanced... haha  So, if Tyson had any teeth by his 6 month mark, I got a --- one hour massage!! --- well, Ty was so close, but no teeth.  They are coming here soon, but David won.  And hey, I am happy to give him that rub.  All that school, he deserves it.

Plant-based Diet
David was on a "vegan" diet for the first 2 weeks in February for a class at school.  All of January he was dreading it and I was trying to figure out dinner meals that we could make.  No dairy, no meat, no sweets.  I am SO NOT a vegan girl.  And I really wanted to try and do part of it with him, at least the no sweets.  And no diary/meat at dinner so we could all eat together.
I lasted not even 24 hours!
My sweets called for me and I ate ice cream almost daily during those 2 weeks.  Not having meat at dinner really just didn't fill me, or him up.  We've had second and third dinners a lot :)  David said he's been reminded the importance of fruits and veggies and less sweet.  But we are not a no dairy or meat type of family and the rest of February, bring on the meat and cheese!

Date Night
David planned a surprise date night and Shayla watched Tyson and he and I went to the temple.  So good of him to get me there since I've been worried to leave Ty, but we did it.  We also have a spiritual chart that we get to mark off when we've read scriptures, had FHE or been to the temple and so far we are marking it off every time!  I'm hoping at the end of the year to say we made it (thanks to a cousin for inspiring me on her daily reading - thanks Brooke!)

Temple Prep
I'm the temple prep teacher at my ward, held every week during the 2nd hour.  Well, we weren't getting anyone there but we have a new little family that have just come back to the church and now have a goal to be in the temple by April!  It is such a fun class, besides that they might be one of the few new friends we have, they are just very new and excited and it brings memories and feelings of what the gospel does for us that I hadn't thought about in awhile.  They have a baby same age as Tyson too!

To Do's
My to do list for house stuff or me stuff gets longer and longer, but I am crossing a few things off as well.  Our 2013 family pictures are hung, Tyson has a few more things on his walls, PJ's mended, and a few other things here and there.  I really wish to do lists ended, but they just won't.

Dental stuff
David has been doing great in school and has a really full schedule.  His semester is being broken up into two with 41 total credit hours from now till May.  This semester is all about dental stuff so he's enjoying that part - making molds, drilling and filling on practice teeth, and even teeth cleanings and learning shots here at the end of the semester.

Can't think of much else.  There's always more, but that's it for now.

Friday, February 28, 2014

Month of LOVE & 4 yrs

We love February.  Not because of the cold or the snow or the ice or even the Cherry Cordial M&M's - okay maybe the M&M's make the love list...

2/12/2014 = Our 4th Anniversary!

2/14/2014 = Yeah, Valentine's Day...

I will probably say it every year, excuse me for that, but it's a good and bad celebrating so close to V-day.  But it is what it is.  So we spread the L O V E out all month long :)  And we split the planning.  This year I had 2/12, David had 2/14.

And it was our first celebrations with Tyson!! ?? Hmm what to do??  But we found a few babysitters and had a couple nights out and some at home.  Again, spreading the fun out a bit.

4th Year traditional gifts = Fruits & Flowers.  I had a hard time, but David was right on.  I had a delivery of a lovely bouquet of chocolate covered strawberries.  YUM!  And they were gone fast.  I gave him runts (fruit?) and then a Mario Wii controller (no idea how it fits in).

Here are some of our celebrations going in order from anniversary to V-day:

  • 1-hour massages, Tyson spent an hour with Grandma Clark
  • Candlelight pasta dinner at home by Andrea
  • Settebello & Leatherby's, a good way to nix the Vegan diet
  • D's lemon chicken pesto dinner by David
  • Movie at home for V-day night
For V-day Tyson and David gave me flowers, awe.  I also got "coupons" to use monthly from David.  SO excited to open each month and find apparently 3 that are hidden around the house (good idea to the other men who read this - hahah, are there any?! no)  Tyson and I got David some candy, duh, and the Luigi controller and I put together a book of our random love notes since we were dating.








I love my boys.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Tyson: 6 Months

Seriously can't believe Tyson is 6 months old!  This is such a fun age to be around 24/7.  Really, his personality has always been there, but it is just shining through more and more each day.  I'm surely not ready for him to get big, but love watching his little achievements and growth each day.  Since last month, here's what he's been up to:

  • Saying da da dadad all the time, along with other syllables too, but that's his favorite.  And I'm pretty sure he's starting to know that dadada = dad
  • Now rolling from his back to his stomach, still stubborn and not doing stomach to back (2/5)
  • Sleeping in all sorts of positions, funny to go in when he wakes up and see where he's kicked or rolled himself to - he'll be getting lots of bumps and bruises shortly
  • No teeth yet - but they are SO CLOSE!
  • Messed up his sleep schedule somehow, so we had to "cry-it-out" again
  • Ty is waking up at about 7am, naps are now earlier at 9ish and 12ish, and not sure if he needs another possibly
  • Got a cold from Dad :( but got extra loves and lots of saline drops to help
  • Eating 6x from mom and now up to 3-4 bottles a day supplemented afterwards
  • FIRST rice cereal!  Didn't like it at all, and has only had it every few days since then just to get used to it.
  • Grabbing everything still but reaching much further - to my phone, computer, food on table, hair, scarves, and anything laying next to him
  • Gets his feet in his mouth just barely, eww (2/6)
  • Is really good at getting Daddy wet during bath time, loves bath time
  • Almost sitting up by himself, he does it for seconds or if on a lap or bed
  • Loves standing more than sitting even and kicks his legs like he's walking, the left one bounces a ton
  • Lots of grunting still, funny breathing too
  • Weighed 15.5 pounds at a sick dr visit on 1/25
  • Still SMILING and LAUGHING a ton, we love that so much
  • Tyson and Mommy get lots of time laughing in mirrors or while nursing and she breathes funny, but Daddy gets Ty laughing even more and so easily just doing anything
  • Ty loves to put his fingers in his mouth while nursing
  • A bit violent - slaps our faces when eating, scratches chairs, couches or our arms
  • Loves his color rings the most - makes so much noise and saliva when he eats them, all toys still go directly in his mouth
  • Clothes size is 6-12 months tops, 9 month bottoms.  Frustrating as all the tops seem to be getting too tight, even 12 month ones won't last long.
  • 6 month appt on 2/13 - 15 lb 14 oz, 26 inches long, still in the 10th percentile for both - and had 6 separate shots since he's on Medicaid, so sad.