Calebs' first week at home

Well were still alive after a week and half of having a baby. Caleb has been such a joy to have around the house. He is starting to be more awake everyday, yesterday he enjoyed watching tv with me and he would just stare at the tv. Its been hard for me to go to school this past week, I just want to stay home and play with Caleb and Amelia. Its not fair that I have to go to school while Amelia get to be home with the baby. Since I had to work over the weekend Amelia and the baby went to grandmas house so they could get help if they needed it. Friday was my dads 57 birthday, and he told my mom that for his present he wanted to drive in and see Caleb. It was nice of them to drive in and visit,i'm sure caleb enjoyed having new people to hold him. Caleb had some other vistors that day, my friends andrew and megan vera came in to see him. After seeing how cute he was i'm sure they have decided to start their own family. Here are a few pictures of Calebs' first week at home.

Caleb Andrew Clark!!!

Our little boy has finally arrived!!! Amelia began having contractions Thursday night and they continued all day Friday. Around 6pm they started to be regular and by 730 they were coming every 5 minutes and last a minute. We went for a little walk around the block and than decided to get ready for the hospital. We checked in around 945pm, she was dilated to 4cm and was around 90% effaced. Within the hour her contractions were increasing in intensity and she moved up too 5cm. So they took us up to the room where we would delivery and they broke her water. She stayed at a 5 for the next 3 hours, and was in incredible amounts of pain. She wanted so bad to have the birth without medication but the contractions were just to much for her. I thought it was pretty cool to watch them put the epidural in, I had learned all about it in school last semester. Amelia was in heaven once the drugs kicked in. We were both able to take a little power nap. Neither of us could believe what has happening, it seemed like this day was never going to come. At 5 am, an hour after the epidural she was dilated to 9 3/4 cm, they were amazed that she increased so much in just an hour. She began pushing around 6 and are little boy was here at 650 am, on June 5. Amelia did so well with labor, I was really impressed with her. She is so amazing, I never could have done what she did. It was so amazing to watch him come into this world. I had watched videos and they had grossed me out but watching my own son was so beautiful, there was nothing gross about it. He weighed in at 8 lb 6 oz, and was 21 inches long. He has a little bit of blonde hair, but it is hard to see. He is so gosh darn cute, and has been such a good boy. Amelia gave him a binky last night and now he thinks he always has to be sucking on it, he gets mad when its not in his mouth. He has some jaundice so he has this special light on him right now, its more like a wand that he just has to lay on. He does not have an extremely bad case, so hopefully he wont have to use the wand for more than 2 days or so. I want to thank everyone for the support we have received the past few days, it has been greatly appreciated. We'll probably update this more now that we will have exciting things to write about.
We look horrible in these pictures, but that just what happens. I'm sure we will have permanent bags under our eyes for the next few months. Enjoy!

38 Weeks

I don't know if everyone else is sick of reading these posts, but I'm sick of writing them. The past few months I realize I've complained a lot about being pregnant, it hasn't stopped. Paul is a trooper to listen to me talk about how bending down is so difficult, and how I'm tired ALL the time, and that my hips just ache so badly especially in the mornings... I could keep going but I won't make you live through it too. I guess I'm being a baby, millions of women go through this and I've only heard labor is much worse, but as of right now I would be happy to take on the challenge.
We went to the doctor yeseterday and I was told I'm dialated to barely a 1, whoopie, I could be there weeks! The doctor doubts the baby will come by the due date, he said it's usualy that a rookie mom will go at least 7 days past her due date. Well, that was the last thing I wanted to hear. I've been counting down almost by the hour for the past week and had my mind set on only 1 week and 3 days left till the baby, but now it's back up to about 2 weeks. So in my desperation I asked about being induced. My opinion of no thanks to induction has changed to PLEASE do it! I have to keep telling myself that not being induced is better in the long run for both my baby and me. It's probably a good thing that the doctor doesn't want to do it unless I pull a gun on him.
Well, enough about bad news. Though I was very unhappy after the doctors appointment I am very happy I have a healthy baby boy still growing inside me. Already he is making it clear that he is the boss and he will come when he wants and is ready. I'll count my blessings and enjoy my 4-6 hours of sleep a night instead of 2, and the fact that Paul and I can still go on spontaneous dates, and that I can take time to cuddle with Paul or stay up late watching movies.
So, to conclude, hopefully there will only be one more of these blogs, next thursday after one more doctors appointment. Although if I don't get to do a "Week 39" post, and it's "The baby has arrived" instead, there will be no complaining on my part. Wish me luck!

37 Weeks (Full Term!)

37 weeks down and only 2 weeks and 3 days to go...hopefully. We had a doctors appointment today and the good news is, we have a healthy baby still cooking, the bad news is he doesn't seem anxious to come into the world. I'm not dialated and no signs of him having dropped yet. I guess I had high hopes of being one of the very few first time moms to deliver early. The doctor guessed the baby's weight to be 6lbs which would put him at 7 1/2 lbs. at delivery in 2 1/2 weeks. So far Paul and I are still having a very hard time coming up with names we both like. Our number one is Keenan Clark (no middle name yet). The second runner up is Caleb Clark. Any other name suggestions?
We are all ready for the baby to come though, the cradle and all his little belongings are squished next to our bed. I'm working on getting a few decorations up to make it look a little more like a baby's room. I'm also working on a U of U quilt for Paul and the baby. It's nice to have a few projects to keep me busy, but they sure don't keep my mind off the baby and how he could come any day now.
Paul is hating is Physics class but loves his Lower Extremities class where he gets to learn all about the joints, injuries and how to diagnose them. He's also surviving work, but I have a hard time surviving at night without him. It's so much fun when I get to have him awake and with me the three days he has off each week. He keeps himself busy at work by studying a little and reading A LOT of books, his most favorite being the Eragon series.




Paul bought me a blender for Mother's Day and I've loved it! We make Orange Julius often as well as smoothies. I had the brilliant idea to take the bottom part of the blender off while it was full of freshly made Orange Julius, don't ask me why. Once I unscrewed it Orange Julius went everywhere! And of course it didn't miss getting on my huge tummy. Paul thought it was halarious but I was very disappointed about all the wasted drink.

We were working on getting the cradle up and Paul thought for sure he could fit in it, looks like it's just baby size, but he had to sit in it to prove it.

Mother for life and longer...

Often times during the week I get comments from Paul like this, "you are just like your mom" or "OK Rhonda!" or "That is SO something your mom would say/do". At first I thought oh great I'm turning into my mom, NOOOO!!! I even tried to think of ways I could change to be different and stop doing all those things that my mom does. I now realize what a complement the phrase "you are just like your mom" really is. My mom is one of the most amazing women I know, who better to be just like?

Ways I'm like my mom:
I find the cheapest way of doing things.
I make things very complicated to find the "best" way of doing things.
It's my or the highway.
I LOVE babies! (and do odd things to make them smile even for the kids of strangers in the elevators.)
I make endless To Do lists...as well as To Do lists for my husband.
I turn the soap dispensers upside down for days in order to get everylast drop. I also cut the lotion tubes in half so I can scrape every bit out before throwing it away.
I go into the store for one thing and come out with ten because they are "on sale".

Things I wish I were more like my mom:
Friendly and non judgmental to strangers.
Forgiving
Great listener
A rare love for the gospel.
Always wanting to learn new things.
As I am about to embark on the adventure of motherhood I hope I continue to follow the steps of my mother, she has raised 6 wonderful children and has inspired us all. THANKS MOM! I LOVE YOU!

3 days of summer

Paul got a whopping 3 days of summer break so it was a mutual decision that we splurge and take a summer vacation. We went to St. George for 3 days. We had planned on camping one day but the weather was bad, very windy and rainy, so we stayed in a hotel for two nights. We didn't do anything way exciting but it was great to relax and enjoy some time together. We did go to the temple, did some shopping and a 2 hour walk/hike. The hike tuckered us both out even though it was easy, I guess it's time to start working out again.





I think Paul's favorite part of the trip was eating at In and Out. Mmmm, it was good.

That's right, I climbed up there almost all by myself. :)




Today Paul started real life again, back to work and school. I know I've said this before but he is tough to be doing all that he is and I sure appreciate him. Working 40 hours and doing 15 credit hours is not easy, especially when working requires staying up all night then going to school before he can finally crawl into bed for a few hours of sleep.

The church has gotten rid of the married student wards now, we are all required to go to the family wards. They want to put more young single adult wards in so we're getting kicked out. It is a bitter sweet thing for me, I really enjoyed the married student wards because we get to do fun activities like cliff jumping and linger longers, you don't get those in a family ward. But it will be good to learn from those in our family ward that have experience and it's great that sacrament meeting isn't so quiet because of all the kids. We felt very welcome on Sunday except that after church we realized we had gone to the wrong ward.

I wouldn't trade him for the World

This last week was finals and boy am I glad they are over. In my three years of college this week was by far the most difficult, most stressful, awful, no good, very worst of all finals weeks. Some crazy person at Weber State decided to make this semester a week shorter and only have 3 days for finals. That means I had to cram a lot of studying into 3 days! It's over now, and Paul and I are going to sit on the couch all day and do nothing, it's going to be so great!
Yesterday I took 2 of my 5 finals, both of them were very difficult. When I got home from taking the first one Paul immediately knew it wasn't good. He tried cheering me up but I was too mad and went straight to studying for my next one. But he didn't give up, and what a sweetie! A while later he came back from the grocery store with a dozen bright pink roses, two CHOCOLATE candy bars and the movie Avatar (which we love!). That cheered me up for sure! He also had the dishes done, and made dinner. I did much better on my second test for the day but after 12 hours of sitting that day my back and hips were sore and I was ready to quit school all together. Luckily I have all summer to recover.


Thanks for letting me vent a bit and brag about my amazing husband. I wouldn't trade him for anything! I got so lucky! Paul gets 10 days off before he starts summer school, and he is tough to be able to do that. He'll have 17 credits throughout the summer, work 40 hours a week and adjust to a new baby! WOW!! Pray for him. We are trying to plan our summer vacation this next week...a cheap one. So far our idea is to go camping up by Pine View, hopefully it's not too cold, I'm a baby when it comes to sleeping in the cold.
Today I have an interview for a promotion position at work, let's hope I get it, the pay raise would be great. But they are nervous about me having a baby so soon, and I don't plan on working next fall during school. We'll see how it goes!

Perfect study position

Amelia has 4 finals in the next 3 days so she has been trying to study.She has found the perfect position for doing so, Laying down on the couch with a bucket of Easter candy!!

32 Weeks

Time is not flying by for me, it seems like this semester has lasted a year and I've forgotten what it feels like not to be pregnant. The baby is definaltely growing! He kicks so hard sometimes it hurts, but I still love the feeling of him moving. At our ultrasound my stomach was really lopsided, the doctor said it was his little bum sticking out! So cute!

Only 4 more days of school. Thank goodness! The semester has been super hard for me, Paul seems to be doing pretty good in his classes. Hopefully we both can get through finals this next week. Wish us luck!

This last weekend we went to Grantsville to watch Megan (our neice) at Prom. For those of you who don't know...prom in Granstville is a big deal. The kids spend time learning a dance to perform for parents all dressed up. Megan did a great job and she looked beautiful! Paul enjoyed seeing people he hadn't seen in a while and I liked looking at all the interesting dresses the girls were wearing.

After Prom we went to dinner and Paul was lovin' the hot chocolate.

I tried making Chili's Southwestern Eggrolls today and I must say I did a pretty good job. They are SO good! They look much better in these pictures than I do.




Next week Paul's mom is having a baby shower for me in Grantsville, I'm thankful that she is willing to do one. Thanks Christine! I'm super excited to go and be done with school, then I can just think BABY and get ready for him to come! WAHOO!!!

30 Weeks

Doctors appointments are now every two weeks. I'm 30 weeks and growing big! The baby is healthy and in a good position. He continues to practice his football kicks inside me but I never get tired of it. I love to push him around with my hand and feel his feet and hands stick out. I've been more uncomfortable as he grows and I've only heard the last months are the worst. So bring it on!


This last weekend we had a great Easter and enjoyed conference. I was amazed at the emphasis on families and parents teaching their children. It made me wonder if I was really ready to take on the responsibility of caring for a child, not just physically but spiritually. I guess it's a little too late to turn back, but I pray the Lord will be with both Paul and I as we do our best to follow the council given this last weekend and teach our children on a daily basis about the gospel and the importance of gaining a testimony for themselves.
On Saturday between conference we went to an aquarium in Salt Lake with the Clark's. We got to touch all sorts of sea animals including Manta Rays, they are so soft! We also saw their new penguin exhibit. The penguins were very active jumping in and out of the water and we were shocked at the speed they could get. They began feeding the electric eel while we were there so we got to see and hear it shock it's prey, what an amazing creature!




On Sunday we enjoyed a day with the Robertson's. unfortunately Paul had worked the night before so he slept most of the day, and we missed his company. The rest of us listened to conference, had a great meal, and dyed Easter eggs. I enjoyed visiting with the family and playing with my little nephew Maxwell, he's growing into a little toddler, temper tantrums and all.
I love family!

Last week Paul surprised me with an Easter basket when I got back from taking a test. He also sent me on a hunt to find 12 eggs. You'd think in our little apartment this would be an easy task but I had a difficult time, despite the fact that Paul had them many of them in plain sight!

New Purchases

Everyday at school Amelia looks on KSL Classifieds for baby stuff instead of doing her homework. She gets on that site before checking her email or anything else on the internet, she is addicted. For the past week she has been saying that all she wants to do is buy baby stuff and get ready for the baby, which doesn't come for 10 more weeks. I finally gave in to her plea and let her buy a few things. She found this stroller and car seat here in Ogden for only $50. The couple had hardly used it, so it is in great condition. They bad side to it though is as we walked to the car to put it away we couldn't get it into the trunk, stupid small cars. So I guess if we have to take it somewhere it will get to ride in the back seat. The moment we got home Amelia started cleaning it up, she was so happy. We have also gotten a new car recently, we actually just made our first payment yesterday. We bought Kevin and Rhonda's cobalt, its an 2005 with 80000 miles so we hope that it will last a long time. We haven't thought of a name for her yet, but we will soon. We went with a car from family so that we didn't have to take out a loan from the bank. Its nice to have a car with a radio in it, Betsy's radio went out 2 years ago and I couldn't figure out what was wrong with it. The semester is almost over, only 3 more weeks. Amelia's school load has picked up but she is finding a way to get through it will little complaints. I thought my semester was going to be harder then it has been, my lowest grade is Trigonometry and its an 80. I am really close to A's in my other classes so lets pray I do well on my finals. My new job has been going pretty good, its allowed me a lot of time to do homework and prepare for my tests. My body is getting used to working graves, except now on my days off I cant sleep very good. Like last night I got up at 3:45 in the morning because I'm so used to being awake at that time.

She looked really cute the other day so I had to take a picture of her

Dont mess with security

So as Amelia mentioned in the last post I have a new job. I am working for Allied Barton Security, I am stationed at the local convergy's here in Ogden. I will be working full time, which I haven't done for almost two years. I work Friday,Saturday,Sunday,Monday nights, they had a day shift available but I wouldnt have been able to attend church so I went with nights. I have worked graveyards before so I don't think it will be to bad. It has been pretty easy so far, all I do it sit at the computer and watch the monitors, every now and then I have to make a badge for someone. I am allowed to do my homework during my shift, which will be a good way to pass the time. And that way when I am home I can spend time with my wife(and baby soon). Amelia hasn't been too fond of me working nights, she has to sleep all by herself. At least she'll have the baby to keep her company soon, I figure the baby would keep us up at night anyway so at least I wont have to deal with that.

Saturday before I had to go to work we went out to the movies for a little date. We saw Alvin and the chipmunks the squeakquel, we have been waiting forever for it to finally get to the cheap theater. We have been watching the movie trailer over and over in anticipation for it. It was so funny, we laughed through out the whole movie. If you haven't seen it, you need too.

28 Weeks

Only 2 1/2 more months until I'm due to have a baby! It's crazy to think it's so soon. But Paul and I are so excited! We are beginning to collect a few baby necessities. On Tuesday I went to my parent's house to touch up the crib we will be using (the same one I used when I was a baby). It's old, but works fine. Our doctor's appointments will now be every two weeks instead of every four, and before we know it, we'll have a baby here!





This week has been spring break for us, we had big plans to go camping in Moab, but Paul got a job this week and starts during the weekend, which is great news, but spoiled our camping plans. We still have had an enjoyable week off of school. Today we went on a hike where we only got lost for a short 1/2 hour, climbing up snow and a huge rock slide. We were looking for a waterfall but I guess it was gone or we just couldn't find it. and then to the mall for a quick shop, and then home for dinner, caramel popcorn and a movie.

This is Paul sliding down the snow during our hike. I took the movie because I really thought he would fall, but instead he even had an impressive jump during his ski.