525,600 Minutes...

   I just want everyone to know that Robert came up with the title for this blog post...(from the musical 'Rent').  Our sweet boy turns 1 on April 19th!!!  In spite of all the people who have told us how fast the first year would fly by, it has gone faster than we could have ever imagined.  In the last 3 months, Henry has started saying a few words, is finally sleeping through the night, and he is WALKING!  He has a very distinct personality: He knows exactly what he wants and what he doesn't want.  He also utilizes quite an array of facial expressions, and Aunt Whitney can tell you firsthand that he will let you know if you have offended him!  (she tried to take something away from him on our last visit and he "yelled" at her)!  I love watching him change and grow on a daily basis...watching him walk down the hallway for the first time was such a gift!  Now he runs to us with open arms...the best feeling ever.

   While I could go on and on about our little man, Robert and I have some good news to share.  He has accepted the band director position at LaFayette High School in Walker County, Georgia!  We are moving to the North GA/Chattanooga area sometime in June.  While this has been a bittersweet decision, we are excited for what the future holds.  Melbourne has been good to us, but we would like to be closer to family and desire a change of scenery.  The Thillmans are already looking at real estate in north GA. (-:  I am  excited about breaking into the choral music scene in the Chattanooga area...look out!

Here are a few Henry updates and pictures.  Enjoy!

Walking (11 mos.)
Sleeping through the night...finally
Says hi and bye-bye
Waves
Favorite food=avacados
Loves grilled cheese
Has a VERY serious face
The employees at Publix know him by name...and by his serious face
He dances to music...it's all in the hips!
He wears shoes...and his cankles are way cute.
He now has 9 teeth...first molar is in!
He loves story time at the library
He can throw a ball
Elmo saved our family sanity on our recent trip to GA
He LOVES the guitar
He is starting to mimic our singing
He gets so excited that he claps uncontrollably and grits his teeth
He loves the bath
He is still obsessed with Mandy
He has learned how to open doors
He is starting to give real hugs on purpose.

Escape artist!

Feeding Granddaddy

Swingin' with Grampa!

First Easter egg hunt!

9 Months of Fun!

Greetings everyone!  I feel like I have really good intentions about updating the blog more frequently, but my little guy is keeping me pretty busy these days.  When he goes down for a nap I'm usually racing to get a shower, or attempting to keep the house in some kind of order!  Since it has been a while, I'll share a few highlights from our holiday season.

We started out the Christmas Holiday by going down to North Palm Beach to have an early Christmas with the Thillmans, Hickeys and a brief visit with Aunt Mary Keller.  We enjoyed a lobster feast, complete with Uncle Bill eating the entire lobster (minus the shell of course)!  Henry started the evening off by tearing into the gifts...we could hardly contain him from the shiny paper, bows, boxes, and bags.  It really didn't matter to him what was in the package, he was perfectly content trying to eat the wrapping paper.

    On Christmas night we took Henry on his first airplane ride to Chattanooga.  He had a BLAST on the airplane...bouncing back and forth the whole time between Robert and I.  We had so much fun while we were there.  We went to the Tennessee Aquarium, Rock City, and got to have a lot of fun family time.   Sandra and Jim (Grandmommie and Granddaddy) got Robert and I several Chattanooga area restaurant gift cards so that we could go out on dates...I think they just wanted to kick us out so they could have Henry!  We also enjoyed spending time with Aunt Whitney and her fiance Uncle Zach.

     Since we've been back, we've been trying to reorganize the house and enjoy our time together.  (Will the house really ever be organized)??  Henry turned 9 months old this week and it seems like he has had all sorts of cognitive milestones all at once.  He is clapping, sort of waving, and making all sorts of new vowel sounds.  He crawls like a maniac, walks himself along all the furniture, and dances when he hears music.  He and I enjoy going to our 'doodlebug' playdates and are enjoying our Brevard Zoo pass from Grammy and Grandpa.  We hope that everyone is having a happy and healthy 2012!!

Love the Clarks

Henry got a Radio Flyer from Papa and Ba'Noi!

Happy Days

   
     Henry will be 7 months old tomorrow!  I don't know how it is possible, but I fall in love with him a little more (or a lot more) every day.  Robert asked me the other day which was more challenging, teaching high school or staying at home with Henry...We both agreed that being a full time mommy was more challenging.  With that said, I am happier than I have ever been!

    I am not completely "jobless..."  I am the new choir director at St. Mark's United Methodist Church in Indialantic, FL.  A friend of mine was driving by the church one day and saw an ad for a pianist/choir director on their sign.  I took the interview and got the job!  This is my first official church job and so far I love it.

Henry Updates:
He eats solid food twice a day (breakfast is oatmeal and a fruit, dinner is some sort of veggie combo)
He really likes squash, sweet potatoes, zucchini, and mangos...still not a fan of bananas!  I'm going to try some new foods on him next week...Robert and I will go to the produce stand and get some good veggies for him to try.
He sits up on his own.
He's almost crawling.  He gets up on all fours and does a lot of rocking back and forth.  He can definitely go backwards, but no forward motion yet.
He parties in his bouncer.
He enjoys the bucket swings at the park.
He is almost able to sit himself back up from a lying down position.
He's about to get his top teeth...we've had a few fun days/nights, poor little guy.
He's still nursing.
He weighs 20 pounds, 8 ounces
He has a hilarious giggle/laugh
He loves to grab/swat/pinch/pull at things while nursing or going to sleep.  I have to give him something to hold so he doesn't claw at my face!  He holds a little snuggle cow to go to sleep at night.
He wakes up once (sometimes twice) at night
He is a sweetheart...very happy and in love with mommy and daddy.
 

Bath time with daddy!

"Old Man Breakfast" (prunes and oatmeal)

Back to School

     Wow...it has been too long!  We have officially started school which means that I'm back to work after an amazing (almost) four months at home with Henry.  Robert and I are sort of in a daycare crisis at the moment.  The school where I teach has a daycare facility because it is a teenage pregnancy center.  Last year, we decided that's where Henry would go...we thought it would be great since I could go see him any time of day.  Other teachers who've kept their kids there said it was fantastic, and that they loved having their children so close.
   Needless to say, that was NOT the case.  It was literally one of the worst days of my life.  I think he screamed all day, and there was not adequate staffing or care.  He didn't even look like himself when I picked him up.  Thank the Lord that Sandra and Jim were in town, because if they weren't I was going to walk into my principal's office and quit my job.  So now mom, Maryellen, and Aunt Mary are rotating up to Melbourne every week until we find a nanny or someone who does home care.
   I've learned my lesson.  I have to work, but I also want my child to receive the best care possible.  I miss him so much during the day.  I really wish I was able to be home with him, but on the other hand I'm blessed to have a job.  We are truly blessed to have such an amazing and supportive family!

     Other than the craziness of going back to work/daycare-dilemna/no more dairy for mommy, Henry is a very happy four month old!  I feel like he does something new everyday, and it is so much fun to watch!  He had his first belly laugh tonight...my new favorite thing.  Please keep us in your prayers, and if you have any daycare suggestions/solutions send them our way!

First taste of cereal...

The jury is still out!

Mamma Mia

     Yesterday, I had one of those moments where I just needed to leave the premises.  I wasn't angry, or upset; just tired and feeling like I needed to be alone for just an hour or so.  I got the baby fed and down for his nap, and left him with Robert while I escaped for my pedicure.  About 10 minutes into the pedicure, I got a phone call from Robert in which I could barely hear him due to the screaming baby in the background.  Of course there was no breast milk thawed out in a bottle ready to go, why would I have thought of that?  Needless to say, I felt guilty and terrible.  Poor Robert was at home frantically trying to thaw out the milk and calm little Henry.  Don't worry future babysitters, lesson learned.
     Needless to say it was not one of my most enjoyable pedicures, but I've convinced myself that I shouldn't feel guilty about taking a little time out for myself.  Nursing is hard work, and at times I do feel a little tethered down.  On the other hand, it is one of the most incredible experiences of my life, and I am lucky that I am able to do it.  I am the only person who can give my sweet baby exactly what he needs.  Every day is a new experience, and I am so lucky to have such an incredibly supportive and helpful husband.  Maybe I had a crazy look in my eye or something before I left, because even in the midst of Scream-fest '11 Robert encouraged me to stay and finish my pedicure.  Every day I thank God for him...and to quote Ben Folds, "I am the luckiest."

    

Catching some Zzzz's

     After talking with a few (okay a lot) of other mommies, I decided (and they told me) that it was time to get our little one on a schedule if we ever wanted to sleep through the night.  I borrowed the book Baby Wise from a friend, and adapted it to our way of thinking.  Basically, all we're doing is keeping Henry on a 3 hour cycle during the day.  Eat, play, nap, repeat!  After about 2 days, he has adapted to this routine.  As soon as we put him in the crib for a nap he zonks out!  Sometimes he wakes up early from a nap, but Robert and I aren't ready to let him cry it out...baby steps right?  The last few nights he has slept for about 7 hours straight!!! AMEN!!!  I don't know how I feel about such a strict routine in the first month (especially since I am nursing), but since he is 11 weeks and starting daycare in a month we felt it was time.  We've only been doing this for a week, and already Robert and I feel more at ease (and more sane)!  Even little Henry seems more alert and playful during his wake times!

Play time!

     Henry got to meet Papa (Henry) and Nana, or Ba Noi (Tam).  Ba Noi is "grandma" in Vietnamese!  They arrived on Friday and headed to Brandon on Sunday.  We had a great time!  Papa cooked us a feast on Saturday night...we had crab legs, lobster, shrimp, steak....whew!  Needless to say Robert and I are eating salad and watermelon on the 4th of July!

The Clark Men!

     We're planning on doing some stuff around the house the next 2 weeks before Robert starts band camp.  Yard work, organizing, cleaning...stuff that we'll never get to once the school year begins.  While that stuff doesn't seem fun, we always feel so much better once we've accomplished it!  To quote our favorite professor, Dr. Madsen: "You control the environment that in turn controls you!"  Happy 4th of July everyone!!!

Ba Noi and Papa

Tam Clark (Ba Noi)

I love my daddy!

Our precious family!