October 15, 2010

And now!


At his six week check-up, Caleb weighed 13lbs, 15oz and was 24in long! He's in the 95th percentile for height and weight, and wearing mostly 3-6 month clothes... He's our little chunker! 

These photos are from today- he's exactly seven weeks today!


A Few More

Some more photos of our perfect boy from the last few weeks...
 
Tummy time on the blanket his Great-Grandma Clark made for him!

We love our Moby Wrap!

Wearing Redskins gear like Daddy

 Napping in the swing





One Month Photo Shoot

Posting these a few weeks late, but we took these photos at one month...








A Surprise Visit!

At 4 weeks, Caleb got to meet his Grandpa & Grandma Clark from Texas! It was a spur of the moment visit- they were in NYC and took the ferry over here to spend some time with the little man. He was very comfy sleeping on his Grandma :)


Caleb's First Trip to Baltimore!

At 3 weeks, we took Caleb home to Baltimore for Yom Kippur and to meet some of his adoring fans.

He got to meet Mommy's girlfriends...



And his great-grandparents!


He also met his uncles Aaron, Eddie, and Derek



and spent time with Uncle Andy, Bubby, and Pop!




Playing Catch-Up

I'm so behind on uploading and sharing photos... Here are a bunch from the hospital and his first few days home.










October 8, 2010

...And we've got a smile!

Right on target! Caleb's been smiling since he was born- and it wasn't gas!- but the past few days it's been much more purposeful and in response to us talking or singing to him- or right before he latches on to eat.

I'm happy to report that there are dimples involved.

Photos soon- we're heading to Baltimore to spend the weekend with family, but I have a ton of pictures to upload next week!

September 30, 2010

The Last Month

It's so hard to believe Caleb's only been with us for a little over a month... Pregnancy and everything pre-baby seems so far away now!

On the other hand, this time has flown by, and every morning I'm amazed to wake up (around 3:30am, for the record) and see that my boy's grown a little bit bigger.

I'm working on a proper "birth story," but I have this to say about labor and birth: It was amazing. It was definitely difficult, and I wouldn't call it pleasant, but for all of the pain and discomfort, there was such a sense of anticipation and excitement, knowing I was going to be meeting my baby soon. I do remember saying while in labor that I wasn't going to do it again, no more babies for us, but it's amazing how quickly you forget... Looking back, it doesn't  really seem so bad. And not to be cliche, but it is SO worth it.

We're so lucky to have such a sweet, easy-going boy. He'll be five weeks tomorrow, and he's already made road trips to the beach and home to Baltimore. He's such a trooper whenever we go out, loves to take walks, and has been smiling since day one. He eats like a champ- at his two week check-up, he was 10lb 9oz! We're so in love with our little man... He's absolutely perfect. I love that he looks just like his Daddy.



More to come... Just wanted to check in with a little update. I'm definitely not getting as much computer time these days... It's so hard to put the kid down!

He's Here!

Caleb Merrick Clark

08/27/10
9:18pm
8lb 11oz
19.5in


August 14, 2010

On Pregnancy

With Baby's due date getting closer, I've started feeling really nostalgic for this whole experience. I've absolutely loved every minute of being pregnant, even the heartburn and the feet in my ribcage. And like I told Chris after our last doctor's appointment, I'm pretty damn good at it.

So maybe I've got too much time on my hands being off work for the summer, but I've been reflecting a lot on this journey, and just last night I finished reading Birthing From Within, an amazing book written mostly to empower women to give birth naturally, but which also examines our birth culture and the way women think and feel about pregnancy, birth, and motherhood.

This was the part of the book that impressed me the most. It put into words what I've been feeling but unable to express. Pregnancy is such a unique experience... I don't believe that there's anything else on earth that can make one feel so grounded and close to nature, and yet so in tune with the universe in a very spiritual way.  I've never felt so close to Chris, or to my mother, or to every other woman, for that matter... And at the same time, I'm so wrapped up in my own little world. I feel as though I'm the only person who's ever been through this, but then I find myself almost obsessed with drawing on the experiences of other women, devouring every birth story I can get my hands on.

Feeling this connection to other women, to the earth, to the universe has made me even more resolved to give birth naturally, with as little medical intervention as possible... But that's an entirely separate tangent, which I'm sure I'll be writing about at another time. It astounds me, though, how in so little time (relatively), our culture has taken pregnancy and childbirth and made them medical problems to be treated. I've been very fortunate to have an easy pregnancy with no complications, and I know this. I also know that medical technology has saved the lives of many mothers and babies. I've even enjoyed what are probably a few too many ultrasounds just to see this baby's sweet face. But this just feels like- or rather, it is- the most natural thing in the world. It's without a doubt the oldest tradition handed down from mother to mother, and I am so excited to partake in it the way that nature intended.